Recent advances in quantum computers may soon give hackers access to machines powerful enough to crack even the toughest of standard internet security codes. With these codes broken, all of our online data — from medical records to bank transactions — could be vulnerable to attack.

To fight back against the future threat, researchers are wielding the same strange properties that drive quantum computers to create theoretically hack-proof forms of quantum data encryption.

And now, these quantum encryption techniques may be one step closer to wide-scale use thanks to a new system developed by scientists at Duke University, The Ohio State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Their system is capable of creating and distributing encryption codes at megabit-per-second rates, which is five to 10 times faster than existing methods and on par with current internet speeds when running several systems in parallel.

The researchers demonstrate that the technique is secure from common attacks, even in the face of equipment flaws that could open up leaks.

“We are now likely to have a functioning quantum computer that might be able to start breaking the existing cryptographic codes in the near future,” said Daniel Gauthier, a professor of physics at The Ohio State University. “We really need to be thinking hard now of different techniques that we could use for trying to secure the internet.”

The results appear online Nov. 24 in Science Advances.

To a hacker, our online purchases, bank transactions and medical records all look like gibberish due to ciphers called encryption keys. Personal information sent over the web is first scrambled using one of these keys, and then unscrambled by the receiver using the same key.

For this system to work, both parties must have access to the same key, and it must be kept secret. Quantum key distribution (QKD) takes advantage of one of the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics — measuring tiny bits of matter like electrons or photons automatically changes their properties — to exchange keys in a way that immediately alerts both parties to the existence of a security breach.

Though QKD was first theorized in 1984 and implemented shortly thereafter, the technologies to support its wide-scale use are only now coming online. Companies in Europe now sell laser-based systems for QKD, and in a highly-publicized event last summer, China used a satellite to send a quantum key to two land-based stations located 1200 km apart.

The problem with many of these systems, said Nurul Taimur Islam, a graduate student in physics at Duke, is that they can only transmit keys at relatively low rates — between tens to hundreds of kilobits per second — which are too slow for most practical uses on the internet.

“At these rates, quantum-secure encryption systems cannot support some basic daily tasks, such as hosting an encrypted telephone call or video streaming,” Islam said.

Like many QKD systems, Islam’s key transmitter uses a weakened laser to encode information on individual photons of light. But they found a way to pack more information onto each photon, making their technique faster.

By adjusting the time at which the photon is released, and a property of the photon called the phase, their system can encode two bits of information per photon instead of one. This trick, paired with high-speed detectors developed by Clinton Cahall, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, and Jungsang Kim, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, powers their system to transmit keys five to 10 times faster than other methods.

“It was changing these additional properties of the photon that allowed us to almost double the secure key rate that we were able to obtain if we hadn’t done that,” said Gauthier, who began the work as a professor of physics at Duke before moving to OSU.

In a perfect world, QKD would be perfectly secure. Any attempt to hack a key exchange would leave errors on the transmission that could be easily spotted by the receiver. But real-world implementations of QKD require imperfect equipment, and these imperfections open up leaks that hackers can exploit.

The researchers carefully characterized the limitations of each piece of equipment they used. They then worked with Charles Lim, currently a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, to incorporate these experimental flaws into the theory.

“We wanted to identify every experimental flaw in the system, and include these flaws in the theory so that we could ensure our system is secure and there is no potential side-channel attack,” Islam said.

Though their transmitter requires some specialty parts, all of the components are currently available commercially. Encryption keys encoded in photons of light can be sent over existing optical fiber lines that burrow under cities, making it relatively straightforward to integrate their transmitter and receiver into the current internet infrastructure.

“All of this equipment, apart from the single-photon detectors, exist in the telecommunications industry, and with some engineering we could probably fit the entire transmitter and receiver in a box as big as a computer CPU,” Islam said.

A U.S. sugar industry trade group appears to have pulled the plug on a study that was producing animal evidence linking sucrose to disease nearly 50 years ago, researchers argue in a paper publishing on November 21 in the open access journal PLOS Biology.

Researchers Cristin Kearns, Dorie Apollonio and Stanton Glantz from the University of California at San Francisco reviewed internal sugar industry documents and discovered that the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) funded animal research to evaluate sucrose’s effects on cardiovascular health. When the evidence seemed to indicate that sucrose might be associated with heart disease and bladder cancer, they found, the foundation terminated the project without publishing the results.

In a previous analysis of the documents, Kearns and Glantz found that SRF had secretly funded a 1967 review article that downplayed evidence linking sucrose consumption to coronary heart disease. That SRF-funded review noted that gut microbes may explain why rats fed sugar had higher cholesterol levels than those fed starch, but dismissed the relevance of animal studies to understanding human disease.

In the new paper in PLOS Biology, the team reports that the following year, SRF (which had changed its name in 1968 to the International Sugar Research Foundation, or ISRF) launched a rat study called Project 259 ‘to measure the nutritional effects of the [bacterial] organisms in the intestinal tract’ when sucrose was consumed, compared to starch.

The ISRF-funded research on rats by W.R.F. Pover of the University of Birmingham suggested that gut bacteria help mediate sugar’s adverse cardiovascular effects. Pover also reported findings that might indicate an increased risk of bladder cancer. “This incidental finding of Project 259 demonstrated to ISRF that sucrose vs. starch consumption caused different metabolic effects,” Kearns and her colleagues argue, “and suggested that sucrose, by stimulating urinary beta-glucuronidase, may have a role in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer.”

The ISRF described the finding in a September 1969 internal document as “one of the first demonstrations of a biological difference between sucrose and starch fed rats.” But soon after ISRF learned about these results–and shortly before the research project was complete–the group terminated funding for the project, and no findings from the work were published.

In the 1960s, scientists disagreed over whether sugar could elevate triglycerides relative to starch, and Project 259 would have bolstered the case that it could, the authors argue. What’s more, terminating Project 259 echoed SRF’s earlier efforts to downplay sugar’s role in cardiovascular disease.

The results suggest that the current debate on the relative effects of sugar vs. starch may be rooted in more than 60 years of industry manipulation of science. Last year, the Sugar Association criticized a mouse study suggesting a link between sugar and increased tumor growth and metastasis, saying that “no credible link between ingested sugars and cancer has been established.”

The analysis by Kearns and her colleagues of the industry’s own documents, in contrast, suggests that the industry knew of animal research suggesting this link and halted funding to protect its commercial interests half a century ago.

“The kind of manipulation of research is similar what the tobacco industry does,” according to co-author Stanton Glantz. “This kind of behavior calls into question sugar industry-funded studies as a reliable source of information for public policy making.”

“Our study contributes to a wider body of literature documenting industry manipulation of science,” the researchers write in the PLOS Biology paper. “Based on ISRF’s interpretation of preliminary results, extending Project 259’s funding would have been unfavorable to the sugar industry’s commercial interests.” SRF cut off funding before that could happen.

(Civil.Ge) — Fire at Leogrand hotel in the seaside resort of Batumi left eleven persons dead, including one Iranian and 10 Georgian citizens, the Interior Ministry reported late-night on November 25.

According to the Ministry’s initial statement on November 24, the emergency services were notified of the blaze at 20:01 yesterday, with rescue teams arriving at the scene three minutes later.

“Thirteen rescue and firefighting vehicles and approximately 100 firefighters were deployed to the area,” the Ministry said in its second statement, adding that the Interior and the Deputy Health Ministers – Giorgi Gakharia and Zaza Sopromadze, respectively – were on their way to Batumi.

Speaking to reporters in Batumi, Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said fire may have erupted on the fourth floor of the building. “Unfortunately, the only stair-case was filled with smoke and the people were left stranded on the seventh floor,” Gakharia noted, adding that firefighters had to use rescue cranes to evacuate the visitors from the building. As of 00:55, evacuation was announced over.

Zaal Mikeladze, minister of healthcare and social protection in Adjara’s regional government, told reporters that 21 persons were hospitalized with signs of smoke inhalations, 18 of whom remain in Batumi hospitals, including one Israeli, five Turkish and 12 Georgian citizens.

Reactions

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who was returning to Georgia from Brussels, landed in Batumi and inspected the incident scene.

“I would like express my condolences to the families and friends of those deceased in a fire in Batumi: this is a tragedy for each of us,” Kvirikashvili said in his brief statement, adding that the investigation was underway and that the government would respond in “strictest terms” to the incident. “Everyone, who is responsible for this tragedy, will be held accountable.”

President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Parliamentary Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze released brief statements as well, extending their condolences to the families of the deceased and thanking the firefighters for rescuing the people, with Giorgi Margvelashvili expressing hope that investigation would “identify the cause of fire as soon as possible.”

Initially, the Ministry said investigation was launched under part two of of article 187 (property damage and destruction committed through arson), but the later statements read that the investigation is being carried out under part three of article 243 (breach of fire safety regulations resulting in (death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

South Africa and Angola have congratulated the new Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and vowed to support Zimbabweans as they begin a new chapter in that country’s history.

President Mnangagwa, 75, was sworn in on Friday as the President of Zimbabwe in a colourful ceremony attended by thousands of Zimbabweans and foreign dignitaries.

He replaced former President Robert Mugabe, who resigned on Tuesday after military and public pressure put an end to his 37-year stay in power.

He will serve as interim president until late August 2018 when Robert Mugabe’s term was set to expire. Thereafter, the people of Zimbabwe are set to elect their next leader.

“We take this opportunity to congratulate President Mnangagwa and hope that with the support of the people of Zimbabwe, he will be able to steer the country successfully through this transition period,” said President Zuma on Friday.

President Zuma was speaking at the opening session of a ceremony to welcome Angola’s President João Manuel Lourenço, who is in the country for a State visit.

President Zuma did not attend the swearing-in ceremony as he is hosting the State visit and has instead delegated the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele, to represent him.

Speaking through an interpreter, President Lourenço committed Angola to “walk the path” with Zimbabweans.

The two Presidents went on to pay tribute to the former President Robert Mugabe for his “gallant contribution” to the Southern African liberation struggles against colonialism and apartheid.

President Zuma, who met President Mnangagwa on Wednesday before he returned to Zimbabwe, said he was reassured that former President Mugabe and his family will be treated with the greatest respect and dignity and that they would be secure in Zimbabwe.

“We both agreed as well that the place of President Mugabe in the history of the liberation struggles of the continent and SADC will forever be remembered and acknowledged,” said President Zuma.

Strengthening regional links

South Africa and Angola opened their talks in Tshwane with a consensus to deepen bilateral relations by paying particular attention to economic and social cooperation.

The two countries are of the view that enhanced trade cooperation can be achieved by encouraging the respective private sectors to invest in each other’s economies.

Currently, Angola is one of South Africa’s major trading partners on the continent. In 2016, South African exports to Angola stood at R8.2 billion and imports from Angola amounted to R18 billion, largely consisting of crude oil.

Although there are a number of South African companies involved in Angola in a variety of sectors including construction, mining, housing, retail, food and beverages, hotels and leisure, banking and medical services (rescue), the two Presidents have identified untapped sectors.

These include opportunities in agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, energy and tourism, which need to be explored to grow trade.

“We cannot overemphasise the need to strengthen cultural, scientific and technological cooperation. Considering our history, dedicated efforts need to be employed to encourage people-to-people cooperation,” said President Zuma.

To facilitate this vision, South Africa and Angola are expected to sign several memoranda of understanding and agreements in various sectors. These include a MoU that will see the creation of a Presidential Bi-National Commission, a visa waiver agreement for ordinary passport holders, an agreement on police cooperation and an agreement in customs matters.

In the morning, President Lourenço was welcomed with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour as he arrived at Pretoria’s Union Buildings, which was decked out in flowers and a red carpet.

With the Angolan flag hoisted high at the Union Buildings, President Lourenço walked on the red carpet, inspecting the ceremonial guard of honour.

Moments later, the two Heads of State made their way to the presidential boardroom for a closed-door tête-à-tête.

First domesticated 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, wheat and barley took vastly different routes to China, with barley switching from a winter to both a winter and summer crop during a thousand-year detour along the southern Tibetan Plateau, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

“The eastern dispersals of wheat and barley were distinct in both space and time,” said Xinyi Liu, assistant professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences, and lead author of this study published in the journal PLOS One.

“Wheat was introduced to central China in the second or third millennium B.C., but barley did not arrive there until the first millennium B.C.,” Liu said. “While previous research suggests wheat cultivation moved east along the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, our study calls attention to the possibility of a southern route (via India and Tibet) for barley.”

Based on the radiocarbon analysis of 70 ancient barley grains recovered from archaeological sites in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, together with DNA and ancient textual evidence, the study tackles the mystery of why ancient Chinese farmers would change the seasonality of a barley crop that originated in a latitudinal range similar to their own.

The answer, Liu explains, is that barley changed from a winter to summer crop during its passage to China, a period in which it spent hundreds of years evolving traits that allowed it to thrive during short summer growing seasons in the highlands of Tibet and northern India.

“Barley arrives in central China later than wheat, bringing with it a degree of genetic diversity in relation to flowering time responses,” Liu said. “We infer such diversity reflects preadaptation of barley varieties along that possible southern route to seasonal challenges, particularly the high altitude effect, and that led to the origins of eastern spring barley.”

Liu’s research on the dispersal of wheat and barley cultivation adds a new chapter to our understanding of prehistoric food globalization, a process that began about 5000 B.C. and intensified around 1500 B.C. This ongoing research traces the geographic paths and dispersal times of crops and cultivation systems that expanded across Eurasia and eventually worldwide, from points of origination in North Africa and West, East and South Asia. The eastern expansion of wheat and barley is a key story in this process.

In the hot, arid southwest Asian region where wheat and barley were first domesticated, they were grown between autumn and subsequent spring to complete their life cycles before arrival of summer droughts. These early domesticated strains included genes carried over from wild grasses that triggered flowering and grain production as days grew longer with the approach of summer.

Because of this spring-flowering life cycle, early domesticated varieties of wheat and barley were poorly suited for cultivation in northern European climates with severe winters and a different day length pattern. Previous research by the second author in this study, Diane Lister, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge, has shown that barley and wheat adapted to European climates by evolving a mutation that switched off the genes that made flowering sensitive to increases in day length, allowing them to be sown in spring and harvested in fall.

Liu’s study shows that barley evolved similar mutations on its way to China as farmers pushed its cultivation high into the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. By the time barley reached central China, its genetic makeup had been altered so that flowering was no longer triggered by day length, allowing it to be planted in both spring and fall.

The ancient movement of wheat and barley cultivation into China offers two distinct stories about the adaption of newly introduced crops into an existing agrarian/culinary system, Liu said.

Ancient wheat that traveled to China along Silk Road routes also was genetically modified by farmers who selected strains that produced small-sized grains more suited to a Chinese cuisine that prepared them by boiling or steaming the whole grains. Larger wheat grains evolved in Europe where wheat was traditionally ground for flour.

Along the southern migration route for barley, the main story is the flowering time — changed by farmers to gain control over the seasonal pressures of high-altitude cultivation, Liu said.

Recovery of these ancient grains has become more routine in the last decade as scholars mastered a flotation technique that allows the separation of seeds and other minute biological material from excavated dirt immersed in a bucket of water. This approach, pioneered in China by the third author of this study, Zhijun Zhao, a professor of archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has transformed the understanding of ancient farming in China.

The PLOS One findings reflect the contributions of 26 co-authors, including archaeologists who recovered the grains and those who analyzed them at leading archaeobotanical laboratories in the U.S., U.K., China and India. The team also includes leading experts for barley archaeogenetics, radiocarbon analysis and agricultural history around the globe.

“We’ve recently realized how much prehistoric crops moved around, on a scale much greater than anyone had envisaged,” said senior co-author Martin Jones, the George Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science at Cambridge. “An intensive study of chronology, genetics and crop records now reveals how those movements laid the agrarian foundations of Bronze Age civilizations, enabling the control of seasons, and opening the way for rotation and multi-cropping.”

Samples of sediment taken from the ocean floor of the North Atlantic Ocean have given researchers an unprecedented insight into the reasons why Europe’s climate has changed over the past 3000 years.

From the warmer climates of Roman times when vineyards flourished in England and Wales to the colder conditions that led to crop failure, famine and pandemics in early medieval times, Europe’s climate has varied over the past three millennia.

For the first time, researchers have been able to pinpoint why this occurs, and the answer lies far out at sea in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Scientists from Cardiff University have studied fossil remains of shell-bearing plankton and grains buried in sediments from the North Atlantic to determine what conditions were like in the ocean on timescales of 10-20 years over a 3000-year period.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers found that during cold periods, icy-cold waters from the Arctic would flow south into the Labrador Sea in the North Atlantic, altering the ocean circulation patterns and potentially slowing down the currents that transport heat to Europe.

“Seawater can hold more heat than the air, so it can act like a large storage heater. As such, the oceans can store and transport vast amounts of heat and are hence key for modulating our climate. Interestingly, we find changes in the circulation and distribution of waters in the North Atlantic which would have impacted the transport of heat to Europe,” explained Dr Paola Moffa-Sanchez, from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences who led the study.

Using the data contained in tiny marine fossil plankton shells and sediment grains, the researchers were able to build a record of past ocean conditions and link this with key historical records where the European climate was known to have been, on average, colder or warmer.

For example, the researchers were able to link a slowing down of the North Atlantic currents with a notorious cold period, often called the Little Ice Age, which ensconced Europe between 1300 to about 1850. Extensive cold winters were depicted in European paintings at the time, such as the famous ice skaters on the Thames in London.

Similarly, the researchers identified another slowing down of the North Atlantic currents at the same time as an extreme cold period in the 6th century, which led to widespread crop failures and famines worldwide. It is also believed that the consequences of this cold period perhaps contributed to the spreading of the Plague of Justinian — one of the deadliest pandemics in human history that took the lives of an estimated 25 to 50 million people across the world.

“Our study shows the importance of the ocean on our climate and how this has naturally varied in the past when ocean measurements were not available. We’ve been able to link our results to historical records and provide an explanation behind some of the significant effects that the climate has had on the European population,” said Professor Ian Hall.

“Recently, because of our human influenced warmer climate, the Atlantic is receiving more freshwater from melting Arctic ice, which is in turn affecting the movement of the waters in the North Atlantic. Future changes in ocean circulation are likely to be felt within the pattern of climate change in Europe.”

By Elise Harris

One of the Vatican’s top diplomatic voices has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to end the Temporary Protected Status of thousands of Haitians taking refuge in the U.S., saying the country isn’t yet ready for the influx after a slew of natural disasters devastated the island nation.

“That’s a sad decision, because the Haitian population in the U.S. that arrived after the earthquake and after the storm that destroyed half of the island, cannot go back to a situation that still is very difficult,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi told CNA Nov. 24.

Reconstruction in Haiti following the brutal 2010 earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead before Hurricane Matthew struck in 2016, causing further devastation, “is not well-advanced,” Tomasi said, “because there are not enough resources for the people of Haiti.”

“We hope in the months ahead that there will still be some space to negotiate and delay, and continue the protection of status for Haitians in the United States.”

Archbishop Tomasi was formerly the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, and is now Counselor for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

He spoke during the Nov. 24 presentation of Pope Francis’ message for the 2018 World Day of Peace, titled “Migrants and Refugees: men and women in search of peace,” and dedicated entirely to the issue of migration.

The message comes just four days after Trump administration announced it will be ending protected legal residency for an estimated 60,000 Haitians living in the U.S., giving them until July 2019 to return to their country.

Thousands of Haitians flocked to the United States in 2010 following a catastrophic earthquake that measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale and which killed more than 200,000, displaced more than 1 million, and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in and around the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the “extraordinary conditions” necessitating TPS for Haitians in the United States “no longer exists.”

TPS, a policy begun in 1990, allows people who are unable safely to return to their home nations because of armed conflict, other violence, natural disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary circumstances to remain in the United States while the situation in their home country resolves.

However, the Trump administration’s decision Monday has raised the question for many as to whether Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, will be able to support an influx of 60,000 people returning home after seven years.

As far as the Holy See is concerned, Tomasi said they are working with local bishops conferences and the apostolic nunciature in Washington D.C. “to sensitize…public opinion” on the issue, and to “deal with politically irresponsible people.”

They are also hoping to illustrate “the fact that we need not only to be compassionate, but to be attentive to the need of these populations, which is a fact that is of benefit also to the United States because it will create an area of peace and cooperation not only in the Caribbean, but in the region.”

When it comes to the migration issue, Tomasi said it’s important to go beyond polemics and heated rhetoric.

Looking to what the reaction of many European countries has been to the arrival of refugees or asylum seekers, he said “there has been a multiplication of political parties where xenophobia dominates the goal of these organizations.”

“The solution is not to emphasize only security and control,” he said, but also involves thinking about how to welcome incoming migrants and refugees while taking into account “that the common good demands that both the necessity of the people arriving be taken into account, but also the limits that local communities welcoming them, accepting them, objectively have.”

“The important consideration I think is not to be too selfish, but to be open, to have a heart that is understanding and compassionate,” he said, adding that “we need to be men and women of compassion and empathy with the needs of others.”

The horrific attack by armed militants on a mosque in Egypt’s North Sinai region during Friday prayers is a grim reminder of the dangers facing Sinai residents today, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch expressed its sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded.

“This is an outrageous attack on people in a holy place who should have been able to conduct Friday prayers in safety,” said Nadim Houry, director of the terrorism and counterterrorism program at Human Rights Watch. “The Egyptian authorities should bring those responsible to account and allow journalists and other independent observers into North Sinai.”

The attack on al-Rawda mosque, which is affiliated with a Sufi school, killed at least 235 and injured 109, according to the Office of the Public Prosecutor. The mosque is in the Bir al-Abed area. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of writing. Eyewitnesses told Mada Masr, an independent Egyptian news site, that armed militants detonated an explosive device near the mosque, then opened fire at the worshipers, including children.

Violence has significantly escalated in North Sinai, a long-marginalized governorate that borders Israel and Gaza, since July 2013, after the military orchestrated the forcible removal of former President Mohamed Morsy.

The extremist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) and renamed itself “Sinai Province” in November 2014, has established a stronghold in the area and has waged a series of attacks on Egyptian police and armed forces there, in addition to targeting Christians and suspected collaborators. The group also kidnapped and executed an elderly Sufi sheikh, Suleiman Abu Haraz, in November 2016. The extremist group is enforcing its interpretation of sharia laws on areas of East Sinai, such as banning cigarettes and punishing those who sell them, local residents told Human Rights Watch.

More than 130 attacks were reported across North Sinai in the first quarter of 2017, according to the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Sinai is effectively a closed military zone.

Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, declared a state of emergency, including a curfew, in most of the Sinai governorate in October 2014 and has extended it ever since. Tens of thousands of civilians are caught up in the fighting between the extremist armed groups and government forces, and many people have been displaced or have left their homes, especially in the cities of Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed.

Born in Sudan, Asima fled violent conflict in her homeland and sought asylum in Britain. Poorly educated, unemployed and vulnerable, she relies on state benefits, which are conditional and inadequate, to survive.

At the beginning of October her father had a stroke. Thanks to the kindness of a friend who paid her airfare, Asima visited him in Ethiopia. Upon returning to London, she discovered her rent payments had been stopped by the local authority because she’d been abroad longer than the 28-day limit. In fact she was away 30 days, two days over the regulated time.

The effect of this decision is that Asima will fall further into debt, may well be evicted for rent arrears and could be made homeless. The anxiety that enshrouds her will intensify, despair deepen; it is another blow in a life littered with pain and distress, reinforcing a view of systemic injustice. Whist the rich and privileged are legally allowed to stash millions away in off-shore accounts to avoid paying tax, a poor refugee is penalized if she strays over the narrow lines of control within which she is forced to live.

Slaves to the System

Asima’s story is a small example of the petty systemic injustice that impacts on virtually everyone and is destroying the lives of millions of people throughout the world.

Based on an outdated, corrupt ideology, the socio-economic systems that govern people’s lives are broken totally and need to be radically overhauled. Inherently unjust they punish the most vulnerable, reward the privileged and wealthy and promote divisive, unhealthy values that have penetrated into all areas of life. Throughout the world we see evidence that the old order is in a state of terminal decay, and yet corporate politicians, lacking vision and unable to respond to widespread cries for change cling to the doctrine of the past.

The driving ethos behind the current systems of governance and business is commercialization; a poisonous market-led monster, which dictates government policy, determines how businesses operate, and fashions the rules that govern how organizations of all kinds engage with people and the natural environment. Human beings are regarded as little more than sources of revenue; their capacity to spend, to invest and consume determining how they are treated, respected and valued. Driving virtually every decision within the suffocating confines of the ideal is an addiction to profit, market share and short-term gain.

In such a world, if a human being – Asima for example – makes a mistake, is unable to pay for whatever they need, or cannot understand the constraints of the system they are trapped in, she, or he, will be punished; beaten – metaphorically or actually – socially expelled, forced into destitution, their cries for compassion and justice ignored.

The omnipresent threat of penalties aids the creation of an atmosphere of fear, resulting in epidemic levels of anxiety and related mental health issues. This pervasive fear allows for the perpetuation of debilitating systems and policies, such as the housing regulations that Asima fell foul of. Fear of authority, fear of failure, fear of being punished, fear of more extreme poverty and increased social exclusion: all such forms of fear are cultivated. The motive is control; it is a great deal easier to manipulate a fearful populace than a fearless, contented, empowered one. The effect is to reduce life to a torturous ordeal in which simply surviving is the daily goal of existence.

Rights For Sale

As a world community we have established a variety of international agreements that enshrine principles of fairness. Chief among these is that triumph of brotherhood, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 25 of the charter makes clear that every human being, irrespective of background or income has a right to “a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.” However, within the existing Paradigm of Misery these rights are reserved for those who can afford them. Like everything else in this monetized world, they are Rights for Sale.

In countries where some level of welfare support is provided, only the bare minimum is allowed: Second-rate accommodation, cheap, unhealthy food and, more often than not, poor education and inadequate health care. The limited support that is provided is conditional on strict regulations, as set down by National and local government, being adhered to: Violate the rules, for whatever reason, and that squalid room you and your children are living in could be taken away from you, the children potentially placed in care.

Administrators of policy are forced to make decisions within government imposed constrains that deny flexibility and crush compassion. A subtle process of dehumanization takes place within such environments: Allegiance to the system is paramount and overt expressions of kindness and understanding are discouraged; after all, if the rules were breached then the flood gates would swing open, abuse of the system would occur (abuse of individuals of course is permitted) and chaos would ensue, so we are told. Well, look around — north, south, east and west: Chaos Reigns.

Dehumanization, together with concentrations of power, creates an environment in which a range of abuse can take place. It begins in small ways, perhaps unnoticed to anyone other than the victim. Initially the disadvantaged and vulnerable are disrespected, disregarded and ignored, then verbally insulted and dismissed. From here it is a small step to being able to physically assault someone, a push becomes a slap, a slap turns into a punch, and so on, until ultimately the perpetrator has become so divorced from their own humanity that gratuitous violence and murder (including genocide) becomes possible.

Abuse and exploitation of the most vulnerable in society, whether in the form of inferior accommodation, education and health care, mundane poorly paid employment, domestic/slave labour and prostitution, or child labour and trafficking, flows from and is maintained by systemic social injustice.

We live in a time when inequality of wealth, income and influence is thought to be greater than at any time in history. Inequality strengthens social injustice and with it the existence of The Privileged and The Disadvantaged. Of those who have influence and feel they are entitled to everything, and those who expect little, receive even less but need most. Government policies are fashioned by The Privileged for their own benefit. The Disadvantaged, having little or no voice, are ignored, allowing the Cycle of Containment to be maintained, change to be suppressed and social divisions to deepen.

Sitting at the center of this socio-economic tragedy is an economic ideology that is not simply unjust it is inhumane. Compassion and human empathy are pushed into the shadows in the Neo-Liberal paradigm, selfishness, division and exploitation encouraged. The system promotes short-term materialistic values and works against mankind’s natural inclination towards unity, social responsibility and cooperation, inherent qualities that are consistently made manifest in times of crisis, individual hardship and collective need.

Asima will appeal against the local authority’s decision, but has been informed by the bureaucrat in the Town Hall that the only acceptable reason for an extended stay abroad is the death of a family member — a stroke is apparently insufficient.

The rapid change in the geopolitical situation in the Middle East shows a shift to a multipolar world. The coming of ISIS’s total defeat in Iraq and Syria is currently a hot topic, and now so many predictions on future alliances are being made.

Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are supposed to form the so-called “Shiite axis”, that is increasingly favored by Turkey. The active cooperation of the defense departments of these countries (with the exception of Lebanon) allows creating a real counterbalance to Kurdish separatism that is dangerous for Turkey and the countries of the Middle East.

The western political experts believe that the Shiite axis is actively supported by Russia, which takes an active part in the settlement of the situation in Syria and actively develops relations with Iran. And it is quite natural that analysts consider Azerbaijan to be a component of the “geopolitical arc” connecting Russia and the Shiite axis countries.

With the involvement of Turkey this arc can turned to a ring” while taking into account the friendly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan and the improvement of the Turkish-Russian relations.

Moreover, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, taking also into account their close cooperation with Turkey and Russia, can also become parts of the emerging “geopolitical ring”. In this case such structure can ensure peace in the whole region. It is also being achieved by the creation of international transit corridors: the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, the International North–South Transport Corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.
Transit lines must ensure the stable development of all the countries involved in international projects.

Azerbaijan has the opportunity to become a regional transport hub. And the cargo will go not only in the direction of the West-East, but also the West-South and the West-North. It completely accords with the new geopolitical realities of the region with the creation of a “geopolitical ring” as a guarantee of stability and peace in the Middle East.

The struggle for dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran – one the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, the other of the Shi’ite – is being conducted up and down the Middle East. In Syria and Yemen, the conflict has descended into open conflict. In Iraq it is largely a struggle for political superiority. Elsewhere the two countries are competing by proxy, providing varying degrees of support to opposing sides in disputes in Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

This long-time rivalry has itself been caught up in a wider geopolitical struggle –Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev has called it the “New Cold War” – namely, American support for Saudi Arabia and its allies as opposed to Russian support in Syria’s civil war for Iran, Hezbollah and President Bashar al-Assad.

The analogy with the original super-power standoff, however, is far from exact, because the position of the two principals – US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin – are ambivalent. Trump admires strong man Putin, and was quite prepared in July 2017 to sign a joint US-Russian cease-fire agreement covering south-western Syria. Unfortunately Trump realized too late that one effect of the deal was greatly to strengthen Iran’s position in Syria, the last thing he wishes. An attempt by Trump to readjust the balance may have led to a further joint US-Russian agreement in November, under which Iranian forces were barred from operations on the Golan Heights.

Putin’s acquiescence in this curbing of Iranian expansionism demonstrates his own nuanced position. He is collaborating closely with Iran in the Syrian civil conflict because both are intent on benefitting from the eventual re-establishment of full Syrian sovereignty. His cooperation does not extend to endorsing Iran’s toxic anti-West, anti-Israel policies. Nor does he want to be seen by the Sunni majority in the Middle East, or by Russia’s millions of Sunni Muslim citizens, as enabling the Iranians to build a Shia crescent across the region. And Putin has rejected Iranian demands to share Russia’s long-established naval base at Tartus.

So Russian and Iranian interests do not always coincide, but the Kremlin is not about to ditch its current alliance with Iran. At the same time it remains keen to maintain good relations with Israel. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been trying to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent presence in Syria. According to well-placed sources in Moscow, Putin is planning to propose a formula under which no foreign country will be allowed to turn Syria into a platform for attacking neighboring states. This is unlikely to satisfy Netanyahu, since it would still leave Iran powerfully placed politically inside Syria, although it could prevent them from establishing air and missile bases there.

Putin by no means shares Iran’s declared intention to eliminate Israel from the Middle East. On the contrary, he seems intent on expanding Russian influence in the Jewish state. One example is the 20-year deal signed in 2013 between Russia’s Gazprom and the Levant Marketing Corporation, allowing for the exclusive purchase by Russia of three million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Israel‘s Tamar offshore gas field.

LNG is a major player in the developing political configuration in the Middle East and beyond. For example, Netanyahu visited Moscow in April 2016, and while Syria was the nominal subject for discussion in his closed-door meeting with Putin, media speculation centered on the possibility that they were also exploring whether Russia’s Gazprom might have a major hand in developing Israel’s Leviathan LNG field in the Eastern Mediterranean.

That possibility has since been exposed as a pipedream (literally), since plans for new multi-national pipelines from Israel’s Leviathan LNG field to the EU have been agreed, and they will break Gazprom’s virtual monopoly in supplying Europe with gas. Two Leviathan projects are in prospect: one pipeline going via Cyprus to Greece and Italy, the other running to Turkey, where it will join the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) and from there to Europe. The agreement to construct the first was signed in April 2017 by the energy ministers of Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy. It is estimated that the project will take about eight years to complete, and cost some six billion euros.

As for Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his energy ambitions stretch far beyond the shores of Israel. He dreams of using TANAP to transport gas not only from Azerbaijan and Israel, but also from Qatar. In the current stand-off between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, supported by the Gulf states, Erdogan has placed himself firmly on Qatar’s side, even to the extent of sending troops there. Qatar has the world’s largest reserves of natural gas, reserves that will enable it to maintain production for 160 years, and media speculation has it that together with Turkey it is indeed resurrecting the dream of a gas pipeline from Qatar to Turkey.

In the current political climate it stands little chance of realization. Such a pipeline would have to run through Saudi Arabia and Syria. Even if the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is one day resolved, as long as Putin retains his dominance in Syria he would never approve the project. Gazprom’s current dominance of the European gas market is already heavily threatened by the Leviathan-based projects. Another competitor drawing on Qatar’s LNG reserves could deliver Gazprom its death blow in Europe. Putin will ensure that it never happens.

In this area, too, the US does not find itself at odds with Russia. The US is well on the way to becoming completely self-sufficient in energy – a situation estimated to arise as soon as 2021 – but at the moment is still importing LNG and crude oil. The US may have started to export petroleum products and coal, but this represents no threat to Russia’s Gazprom.

So Trump is content to allow the LNG head-to-head in the Middle East play itself out, estimating that the end game will see Russia diminished, at least commercially, as Israel’s oil-based products begin competing in the European market. For the rest, Trump does not like Putin‘s liaison with Iran, but it is clearly a marriage of convenience. There is no love lost between the parties.

By and large the waters in the Middle East are muddied. As for a new Cold War, the situation scarcely seems to match up to the historic model.

Egypt’s law enforcement forces continued operations to hunt down elements involved in the brutal terrorist attack that targeted worshipers in Bir al Abd of North Sinai, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a Saturday statement.

According to intelligence information and in cooperation with Sinai residents, the Air Force has destroyed over the past hours several hotbeds used by terrorists as bases to launch their attacks, it added.

The hotbeds included firearms, ammunition and explosives, read the statement.

The statement indicated that the law enforcement troops, in cooperation with the air force, are combing the area to capture the rest of the attackers.

Not so long ago it was unimaginable to even to predict that while someone would mention the name of Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH) and you wouldn’t associate all the negative names with it. But after Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi’s elevation as the minister of Urban Development and Housing, the ministry has become one of the key ministries of the Afghan government.

After assuming his office as a minister of Urban Development and Housing, Mr. Naderi not only focused on providing better services to Afghan citizens, but also took the fight against corruption and continued the reform agenda ahead of others, brought drastic reforms both on central and provincial levels in the MUDH administrations, garnered donor and countries support for various housing projects.

Previously known as a notoriously corrupt ministry, Naderi was determined to purge corruption in its all forms. For instance, he recovered more than 100 million AFN in his initial efforts against corruption through the forming and chairing of a committee to assess the central and provincial directorates. Naderi fathoms that vibrant change comes at a time when there’s little or no trust between the people and the government.

Given his portfolio’s bleak history, he was determined to regain the lost trust of the people and the private sector. Thus, he traveled to 34 provinces to evaluate the performance of ministry’s provincial directorates to make sure that the directorates are answering the questions of locals as well as to speak and listen to local issues in the urban sector.

In terms of working with the donors, three years ago when the ministry was home to many corrupt officials it had already upset various donor agencies and other states who were keen to support the Afghan urban sector. For instance, there were various projects that were supported by various countries and donor agencies prior to new government’s formation. But unfortunately, the dilemma of corruption not only affected the entire projects plan but also hurt the interests of donor agencies and countries that were keen to invest and support the Afghan urban sector.

Naderi realizes that without the support of Afghanistan’s international friends and donor agencies it would be cumbersome for his ministry to meet its ends. His three years of efforts of purging corruption at the ministry and bringing vast reforms by recruiting young and foreign-educated individuals to various key posts at central and provincial levels through a transparent process named ‘CBR’ paved the way to garner various countries and donor agencies interests back to the Afghan urban sector. For instance, the UN-HABITAT, UNESCO, and World Bank are now closely working with MUDH on various projects that are worth tens of millions of dollars. Countries such as China, India and the European Union, UAE and Qatar have already expressed their interests in terms of funding the designed housing schemes and projects of the ministry.

In addition, residential projects such as Khawaja Rawash and Khushal Khan, which were not completed due to various technical and administrative problems, were completed and put for public use during his three-year tenure.

Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan also realizes how vital it is for his government to meet the growing demands of people in the urban sector. Putting that as a top agenda of the government, the President himself chairs the higher urban council that aims at transforming the entire urban sector of Afghanistan by reviewing existing plans and strategies or crafting new ones. The MUDH under Naderi’s leadership is in the lead of the urban sector and has been engaged closely with all other partners. The urban sector is formed of Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Independent Directorate of Local Governance, Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, Capital Region Independent Development Authority, and the Afghanistan Independent Land Authority.

Mr. Naderi chairs monthly meetings and remains in close contact with urban sector leadership to promote cohesion, coordination, and cooperation. Unlike before, the administration functions as a unified team of the urban sector rather than as rivals or competitors.  An excellent example of the change is the close coordination of institutions involved in the development of the urban sector and holding of the fourth consecutive National Urban Conference. The conference brought together all actors in the urban sector on a single platform to communicate with the people, disseminate information, and apprise them about their plans and initiatives.

The ministry has now become one of the key ministries of the Afghan government and the President has now given more power and authority to the minister. For instance, the President of Afghanistan issued a decree to transfer all construction projects from other ministries and directed MUDH to implement those projects in efficient and effective manner.

The four decades conflict in Afghanistan has destroyed the social and economic foundations of Afghanistan. Millions of Afghans sought refuge in 71 countries but a large portion of them migrated to Pakistan and Iran. They returned to Afghanistan with a hope in the post-Taliban era but found their homes destroyed.  Meanwhile, in the last sixteen years, Afghanistan has turned to be the fastest growing urban population and the youngest country in term of age in the world thus the issue of housing was becoming a pressing one. The previous leadership of MUDH didn’t pay the due attention to this looming issue but after his elevation as minister of MUDH, Nadery put this as one of his top priorities of his assignment. Now the MUDH has designed residential projects for armed forces personnel, the staff of the Judiciary, a comprehensive residential plan for Returnees, and housing plan for civil servants.

Given the poor economic statics of Afghans that could not afford to buy or build a house, MUDH has now not only introduced a mortgage system which will help ordinary people buy affordable houses but also expanded the construction of affordable housing projects to provinces as well. With his efforts, China has agreed to fund a residential project of 10,000, which is scheduled to commence within two months.  India has also expressed willingness of building 4,000 houses for returnees in Nangarhar province. Through ministry’s continued efforts, the European Union and a number of other major donors have also expressed readiness for the construction of 8,000 residential units for IDPs and returnees in Herat province.

Afghanistan’s urban planning was once dependent on foreign engineers or experts but now, as a result of the efforts of the MUDH, Afghans are now devising their own urban plans for major cities of Afghanistan. Between 2014 and 2017, the ministry completed 33 detailed plans, 85 strategic plans and master plans for the six major cities of Afghanistan. Plans which were neglected and ignored in last decade are now being taken into consideration and, finally, brought into the limelight. The results so far have been positive and projects are progressing rapidly with time.  Negligence has turned our historical sites into ruins. War has robbed the whole nation of its cultural and religious identity. Historical sites and sacred monuments have been severely destroyed and damaged and need immediate attention.

As there has been no renovation or reconstruction in the last 13 years of the ancient and historical sites that are turning into ruins day by day. According to Sadat Naderi, these sites not only represent our diversity and tolerance as a nation but also represents our rich culture and history. According to him, the renovation and reconstruction are as important as building new infrastructure. For instance, the reconstruction of Darulaman Palace will be a significant achievement in the journey of preserving Afghanistan’s history and culture. Though practical work has already begun on the site, it is expected that the project Darulaman Palace will be completed on the 100th Independence anniversary of Afghanistan. The reconstruction and renovating of the historical sites such as Ghazi Amanullah Khan’s tomb, Qasr-e-Tapah e Baig, Rawza-e-Sharif, Herat Mosque, Pool-e-Kheshtee Mosque and other important historical sites and monuments are also under review.

One of President Ghani’s vision is to revive the dream of the founder of modern Afghanistan, Ghazi Amanullah Khan, and one of the steps toward which is worth highlighting is the reconstruction of the administrative complex in the vicinity of Darulaman. For Ghani, the right person to translate his vision into action was no other than Sadat Naderi, who also associates and shares the vision of King Amanullah Khan. Naderi states that it was Ghazi Amanullah Khan dream and vision that we are now translating into action by building a robust administrative complex. The construction of Darulaman administrative complex will have salutary impacts on many fronts.

For instance, it will make it easy for the public to access all ministries and institutions at one place and resolve their issues on time. It will not only decrease the amount of time and energy of both the public and officials but also speed up the process of good governance through a robust coordination among the institutions. On the other hand, it will play a significant role in terms of reducing the traffic in the main commercial areas of Kabul. The master plan of the complex is completed and the MUDH is working with various ministries and other governmental organization for the design input. The project is set to begin in the in the fiscal year of 1397 (2018). Its construction will be the blueprint of a modern Afghanistan.

Unlike before, where the attention was only paid to the capital, Naderi believes on equal development; thus, his ministry implemented and designed projects across the urban sector at the provincial levels. For instance, the MUDH started working on 66 major projects in various provinces, which included schools, health clinics, provincial administrative office, districts administrative office, provincial guest houses, conference halls and other public projects.  They are almost ready to be turned over to contractors.

The performance of the MUDH under Nader, a young minister within President Ghani’s cabinet, gives immense hopes to the Afghan people. The Afghan nation has gone through almost all sorts of miseries in the past four decades.  Now is the perfect time to heal the wounds of the people by closing the door to and ending the rampant corruption in government and society.  The Afghan government will continue to fight against corruption in both government and society and bring vast administrative reforms in order to facilitate the country and the people’s trajectory toward peace, development, and prosperity. The dream of a modern peaceful, developed, and prosperous Afghanistan is only possible if the people and their government walk hand-in-hand, as Minister Naderi has done, to implement change and reform.

*Aziz Amin Ahmadzai is a Chevening Scholar and writes on the political and security issues in South Asia and the Middle East. He tweets @azizamin786. 

Lebanese State Security arrested Lebanese actor Ziad Itani Friday on suspicion of spying and collaborating with Israel.

A statement released by State Security said that Itani was believed to have been providing information to and communicating with Israel.

Itani’s arrest came “after careful surveillance for months inside and outside of Lebanon and after direct orders by [State Security chief] Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba.”

The actor has reportedly admitted to charges.

The statement said Itani confessed to monitoring high-ranking politicians and establishing relationships with those close to them in order to find out information about their everyday lives and work, focusing on their movements.

Itani also admitted to “giving a lot of information on two prominent politicians,” whose identities State Security said will be revealed in later statements.

Itani was said to have been working to normalize relations with Israel and promoting Zionist ideologies among intellectuals.

The statement reported that Itani “provided information on the reactions among Lebanese from all sects after the most recent political developments in Lebanon over the last two weeks,” referring to the crisis that surrounded Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s surprise resignation on Nov. 4.

State Security said it had transferred Itani’s case to the judiciary, and that more information will be provided to the Lebanese public at a later date.

A high-ranking judicial source told The Daily Star that Itani was detained on suspicion of collaborating with the “Israeli enemy.”

When asked about the accuracy of reports Itani was providing information on Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk to facilitate a potential assassination attempt, the source said investigations were focused on his communication with Israel “at this point.”

Itani has recently been performing at Teatro Verdun in Beirut. Before that, he performed regularly at Hamra’s Metro al-Madina.

Yehya Jaber, director of Itani’s play “Beirut … Al-Tariq al-Jadideh” at Hamra’s Metro al-Madina said, “I spoke to him about a week ago, but I know nothing just like you.”

He told The Daily Star that he was waiting for investigations to be completed before commenting further.

Another source from Metro said they were shocked to hear the news. “I saw a post on Facebook accusing him of collaborating with Israel. Like what the f—?” the source said.

When asked when the last time there was contact with Itani, the source said, “We run into each other occasionally but he stopped performing at the Metro about 1 1/2 years ago.”

This article has been edited by Al Bawaba from its original version

Buying a gun in the United States could hardly be described as difficult, and bargain hunting weapons enthusiasts were out in force on Black Friday with the FBI receiving over 200,000 requests for background checks in a single day.

That figure smashes the previous two years, both also record showings for checks in a single day, as trigger-happy Americans flocked to pick up their bargain basement weapon of choice, USA Today reports.

The 203,086 requests is more than the previous two record years. 2016’s commercialist orgy saw 185,713 requests, while the previous year the figure stood at 185,345. However, the amount of guns purchased is thought to be higher as one background check doesn’t equate to just one gun, as the customer may purchase a number of weapons in a single go.

Earlier this week, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which receives requests for background checks, review the system that allowed court-martialed Air Force veteran Devin Patrick Kelley to purchase a rifle that he used to murder 26 people at a Texas church. His victims ranged from 18 months to 77 years of age, and almost half were children.

Kelley had previously escaped from the Peak Behavioral Health Service in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and authorities had said that the gunman “was a danger to himself and others as he had already been caught sneaking firearms” onto the Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, where he had been stationed.

Kelley was facing a court martial by the US Air Force at the time, on charges of assaulting his wife and stepson. He was also “attempting to carry out death threats that [he] had made on his military chain of command,” according to the police report.

Following the murders, the US Air Force admitted that it failed to enter Kelley’s court-martial conviction for domestic violence into a database that could have blocked him from purchasing the rifle he used in the attack.

Effective control of prisons and prison camps in the Urals is now being divided between jailors, criminal bosses, and Muslims to such a degree that “the zones” are referred to as “red” if the jailors are in charge, “black” if ordinary criminals are, and “green” if Muslim groups control the situation.

But this division is not yet stable, Igor Pushkaryev of Novyye izvestiya reports. Instead, there is a constant battle among the three groups with now one and now another gaining the upper hand and no one certain that this or that jail or camp will remain under a particular category (znak.com/2017-11-23/kak_fsin_vory_i_musulmane_delyat_uralskie_zony).

Experts say, however, that the division between red and black is especially conditional because the prison authorities continue to rely on “ordinary” criminals to help them police the situation. As a result, the real divide is between those the jailors and “ordinary” criminals control and those where they have lost out to the Muslims who have made these institutions “green.”

Some observers, like the social oversight bodies in Sverdlovsk, that officials have created the scarecrow of “green” jails in order to unite the jailors and the ordinary criminals into one fist and argue that the Muslims have seldom been able to sustain control over any particular facility for long, although that may change as the numbers of Muslim prisoners increase.

There are also widespread rumors that the FSB has had to intervene and take direct control of certain facilities, Pushkaryev continues; but these rumors are dismissed by local sources because they say that “the FSB officers never go into the colonies themselves. This is not their level.” The fact there are rumors, however, shows how badly things have deteriorated.

But there is an even stronger piece of evidence that the fight among the jailors, ordinary criminals and Muslims is reaching new heights. Prison officials in the Urals region now routinely insist that “all our zones are ‘red,’” a claim that would have no meaning if there weren’t a genuine threat from “black” and “green” alternatives.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico in September-October 2017. The impact of these storms was great, but greater still are the convulsions on the island long after the storms had passed over. Puerto Rico’s infrastructure remains in tatters, with the power grid still largely dysfunctional and basic institutions such as schools and hospitals on life support. Not surprisingly, large numbers of Puerto Ricans—who are citizens of the United States—have moved to the mainland. The Centre for Puerto Rican Studies (Hunter College, New York) estimates that of a population of 3.5 million, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans will make this journey. Already, 130,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida since October.

Towns and States in the mainland U.S. that are already home to Puerto Ricans have welcomed thousands more since the storms of this year. In Holyoke, Massachusetts, for instance, hundreds of Puerto Ricans have already arrived to join their families. There is little indication that these people will return to the island. Betty Medina Lichtenstein of Enlace de Familias says that it is the elderly who are likely to return, while the younger families seem to want to stay on.

The arrival of thousands of families into a State such as Massachusetts has meant that a thousand additional students have already been enrolled in Massachusetts’ public schools. School officials say that they are sympathetic to the plight of these refugees who have fled a devastated island with its educational infrastructure in a shambles.

Schools yet to reopen

Of Puerto Rico’s 1,113 schools, only 119 have reopened. The teachers’ union, Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, has suggested that the government has slowed down rebuilding of schools in order to push for their privatisation. They say that the plans for the rebuilding of Puerto Rico are similar to what was done in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when schools fired teachers and created a network of private charter schools. The Federación worries that much the same will happen in Puerto Rico. The failure to reopen schools is one sign of such a plan.

In early November, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos met Puerto Rico’s Education Secretary Julia Keleher in San Juan. Members of the Federación marched outside the Department of Education to demand a seat at the table. It was not offered to them. Betsy DeVos and Julia Keleher did not talk to the teachers. Julia Keleher had already been pushing a plan to privatise the island’s schools, and the storms gave her and Betsy DeVos the opportunity to do so with minimal resistance. The storm, said Julia Keleher, gave the island a “real opportunity to press the reset button”. Privatisation, she suggested to a local paper, “makes sense”. About the teachers’ unions, she said that “they can go out and protest in the streets, but that doesn’t change the fact that we can’t go back to life being the same as it was before the hurricane”.

Puerto Rico and Cuba

Two U.S. Congressmen, Kevin McCarthy and Steny Hoyer, visited Puerto Rico in November to assess the situation. They found Puerto Rico “in a state of frenzied recovery”, but with people cut off by destroyed roads and fallen electric lines, with little food and little medicine and “hope for a swift recovery even scarcer”. They pledged to fight for more resources for the island to ensure not only that it can be rebuilt but also that it can withstand the next storm.

Meanwhile, a United Nations team went to Cuba at around the same time to assess the damage and recovery there. It found that the devastation was comparable to that experienced by Puerto Rico, but that the recovery had been swift. Voluntary teams rushed in to rebuild the collapsed infrastructure and the state provided insurance to agriculturalists and homeowners who had suffered damage. A decade ago, Cuba had rebuilt its power system into a series of 1,800 decentralised diesel and fuel-oil fired electric plants. The microgrid was quickly restored to full power a week after the hurricane. It is a system that has been opposed by private monopoly power companies.

Power grid collapse

In the second week of November, when the power grid should have been functional, it went down completely. The blackout was indication enough that matters could get worse for the residents. Reports from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) suggested that 40 per cent of the grid had been repaired. But after this blackout, the grid collapsed to 18 per cent, later recovering to 47 per cent in a few days. For nearly seven weeks, the residents of Puerto Rico have been living on generators and solar panels. This includes the few schools that are open. The Puerto Rican government had chosen a small firm from Montana that had close connections to U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. This sweetheart contract earned Whitefish, the Montana firm, $300 million to repair the collapsed grid. It turned out that Whitefish had no experience in such matters. It charged Puerto Rico $319 per hour for the work of a lineman but paid the workers only $63 per hour, the rest going to the coffers of Whitefish. When news broke of such malfeasance, the government had to break its contract with Whitefish.

Death toll

Meanwhile, controversy continues over the death toll from the storm. The government says that the total death toll is 55. However, Puerto Rican officials now say that the number is likely to be 472. But even this is a deflated figure, since there is now evidence that the government encouraged the cremation of bodies of people who died during the storm. The reason given was that without power, the bodies could not be refrigerated. But they were not all tallied towards the storm and post-storm death. High temperatures, lack of clean water and spreading bacteria have taken hundreds of lives that have not been registered as part of the death toll for the storm and its aftermath. Funeral home managers point out that the numbers given by the government are not correct. Given their own challenges, hospitals have few resources to provide accurate counts.

Doctors are worried about the particularly vulnerable population of the elderly and the newborn. With stagnant water around the island and with widespread power failure, there are worries about the Zika virus spread by mosquitoes as well as leptospirosis that would have a dangerous impact on pregnant women and newborn children. Generators from the U.S. government and solar arrays from Tesla have been able to help the hospitals in certain areas, but health clinics and hospitals in the rural interior remain in distress.

Decline in population

Puerto Rico’s population has been declining over the past two decades. From 2005 to 2015, a staggering 10 per cent of the population—446,000 people—moved to the U.S. mainland. There is an expectation that an equal number will leave the island over the next few months. The same thing happened to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The city has since been remoulded as a playground for tourists and the rich. The U.S. government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created a programme to transport Puerto Ricans to the mainland. The island, cynics say, is being prepared to be converted into a tourist resort, with “excess” inhabitants relocated.

This story originally appeared in Frontline (India) and reprinted with permission.

For the first time, a science experiment has measured Earth’s ability to absorb neutrinos — the smaller-than-an-atom particles that zoom throughout space and through us by the trillions every second at nearly the speed of light.

The experiment was achieved with the IceCube detector, an array of 5,160 basketball-sized sensors frozen deep within a cubic kilometer of very clear ice near the South Pole. The results of this experiment by the IceCube collaboration, which includes Penn State physicists, will be published in the online edition of the journal Nature on November 22, 2017.

“This achievement is important because it shows, for the first time, that very-high-energy neutrinos can be absorbed by something — in this case, the Earth,” said Doug Cowen, professor of physics and astronomy & astrophysics at Penn State. The first detections of extremely-high-energy neutrinos were made by IceCube in 2013, but a mystery remained about whether any kind of matter could truly stop a neutrino’s journey through space. “We knew that lower-energy neutrinos pass through just about anything,” Cowen said, “but although we had expected higher-energy neutrinos to be different, no previous experiments had been able to demonstrate convincingly that higher-energy neutrinos could be stopped by anything.”

The results in the Nature paper are based on one year of data from about 10,800 neutrino-related interactions. Cowen and Tyler Anderson, an assistant research professor of physics at Penn State, are members of the IceCube collaboration. They are coauthors of the Nature paper who helped to build the IceCube detector and are contributing to its maintenance and management.

This new discovery with IceCube is an exciting addition to our deepening understanding of how the universe works. It also is a little bit of a disappointment for those who hope for an experiment that will reveal something that cannot be explained by the current Standard Model of Particle Physics.

“The results of this Ice Cube study are fully consistent with the Standard Model of Particle Physics — the reigning theory that for the past half century has described all the physical forces in the universe except gravity,” Cowen said.

Neutrinos first were formed at the beginning of the universe, and they continue to be produced by stars throughout space and by nuclear reactors on Earth. “Understanding how neutrinos interact is key to the operation of IceCube,” explained Francis Halzen, principal investigator for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of physics. “We were of course hoping for some new physics to appear, but we unfortunately find that the Standard Model, as usual, withstands the test,” Halzen said.

IceCube’s sensors do not directly observe neutrinos, but instead measure flashes of blue light, known as Cherenkov radiation, emitted after a series of interactions involving fast-moving charged particles that are created when neutrinos interact with the ice. By measuring the light patterns from these interactions in or near the detector array, IceCube can estimate the neutrinos’ energies and directions of travel. The scientists found that the neutrinos that had to travel the farthest through Earth were less likely to reach the detector.

Most of the neutrinos selected for this study were more than a million times more energetic than the neutrinos produced by more familiar sources, like the Sun or nuclear power plants. The analysis also included a small number of astrophysical neutrinos, which are produced outside the Earth’s atmosphere, from cosmic accelerators unidentified to date, perhaps associated with supermassive black holes.

“Neutrinos have quite a well-earned reputation of surprising us with their behavior,” said Darren Grant, spokesperson for the IceCube Collaboration, a professor of physics at the University of Alberta in Canada, and a former postdoctoral scholar at Penn State. “It is incredibly exciting to see this first measurement and the potential it holds for future precision tests.”

In addition to providing the first measurement of the Earth’s absorption of neutrinos, the analysis shows that IceCube’s scientific reach extends beyond its core focus on particle physics discoveries and the emerging field of neutrino astronomy into the fields of planetary science and nuclear physics. This analysis also is of interest to geophysicists who would like to use neutrinos to image the Earth’s interior in order to explore the boundary between the Earth’s inner solid core and its liquid outer core.

“IceCube was built to both explore the frontiers of physics and, in doing so, possibly challenge existing perceptions of the nature of universe. This new finding and others yet to come are in that spirt of scientific discovery,” said James Whitmore, program director in the National Science Foundation’s physics division. Physicists now hope to repeat the study using an expanded, multiyear analysis of data from the full 86-string IceCube array, and to look at higher ranges of neutrino energies for any hints of new physics beyond the Standard Model.

A remote field site in the Norwegian mountains is improving our understanding of carbon cycling in high-latitude alpine areas.

Excess carbon dioxide, emitted by burning fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, is one of the most important factors in driving global warming. While the world is focused on controlling global warming by limiting these emissions, less attention has been paid to the capacity of vegetation and soils to take up and store carbon.

One of the most popular approaches to carbon storage is protecting tropical rainforests. If a rainforest is cut down, the carbon stored in the trunks and leaves will be released to the atmosphere. But plants in alpine communities in Norway also have a role to play in storing — or releasing — carbon dioxide.

“We don’t think about how much carbon is actually stored right in our own backyard,” said Mia Vedel Sørensen, a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Biology who is studying carbon storage in shrub vegetation in the Dovre mountains, in mid-Norway.

Different vegetation types, different storage

Sørensen compared three types of vegetation that are typical of the Norwegian mountains:

• Shrubs (willows)
• Heath (crowberry and heather)
• Meadow

“I wanted to figure out how much carbon these three vegetation types store and release. My hypothesis was that shrubs store more carbon than heath and meadow vegetation because shrubs have more biomass, and thus have higher rates of photosynthesis,” she said.

But it turned out to be the opposite: Shrubs, even though they are tallest, actually store the least carbon.

“It surprised me that meadows actually store a lot more carbon than shrubs. The carbon in meadows is stored mostly below the ground, next to the roots,” she said

The amount of carbon stored in heath vegetation is greater than in shrub vegetation, but less than in meadows, she said.

One unusual characteristic of heath vegetation is that it can photosynthesize during the winter, under the snow, because it is evergreen and typically grows in areas with little snow. That means sunlight is able to reach these plants during the winter.

Expanding shrub communities

Climate change is altering the mix of vegetation in arctic and alpine areas. That’s particularly true in Norway’s mountains, where shrub thickets are expanding in area. That’s also partly a cultural change, because changing farming practices result in fewer animals in the mountains. This allows shrubs to grow in places where animals such as sheep might have once eaten shrub seedlings, while a warmer climate means that shrubs can grow at higher elevations in the mountains.

“It is important to find out what happens to carbon capture and storage when shrubs and bushes take over areas that used to be covered by heath vegetation. How will carbon storage be affected in alpine and arctic regions when shrub communities expand at the expense of meadow and heaths?” Sørensen said.

Measured in the Dovre mountains

Sørensen and her colleagues spent two summers in the Dovre mountains, where they set up small tents over sample plots in the different vegetation types.  The small tents allowed them to measure how much CO₂ was consumed and released — or what scientists call CO₂ flux — by the plants in the different sample plots. The flux measurements show how much CO₂ is taken up by the plants and how much is emitted from the plants and the soil.

In addition, the researchers collected vegetation samples and dug up soil samples. They measured the carbon content in the vegetation, and in the organic and mineral layers of the soil. This gave them information about how much carbon the three different types of vegetation actually store.

“There hasn’t been much research on this previously, so it is interesting to find out more about how much carbon is actually stored in the soil,” she said.

The way forward

Sørensen will also investigate why meadow vegetation stores much more CO2 than shrub vegetation.

“Our hypothesis is that it is related to what is happening underground, such as how the roots grow. It may also be related to mycorrhizae, which are fungi that grow in a symbiotic association with plant roots and that can have an effect on carbon emissions. Mycorrhizae are found in both shrubs and in heaths, but not so much in meadow vegetation,” Sørensen said.

She will also look at what happens to the carbon budget when shrubs are transplanted in meadow and health vegetation, and what happens if a protective enclosure is set up around plants so that sheep and other grazing animals aren’t able to eat the vegetation, she said.

This part of her research allows Sørensen to recreate what is happening now in the Norwegian mountains, as shrubs take over other vegetation communities. She will also measure how this affect the CO2 budget accounts.

Six universities involved

Sørensen’s research is part of a major research project called ECOSHRUB, which is a collaboration between NTNU, Nord University, the University of Antwerp, Ghent University, the State Museum of Natural History in Karlsruhe and the University of Arizona.

Climate change is causing shifts in vegetation types and areal extent in both arctic and alpine ecosystems. One of the biggest changes observed is that shrub communities are expanding at the expense of other vegetation types, such as heaths. The ECOSHRUB researchers are looking at what this will do to vegetation, seedlings, microclimate, albedo (the ability to reflect light) — and the carbon budget.

By Menekse Tokyay

US President Donald Trump on Friday informed his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “pending adjustments” to military support for Syrian-Kurdish forces, the White House said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was in the same room as Erdogan during the phone call, said Trump instructed US generals and his National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster that “no weapons would be issued.”

But in a more reserved statement, the White House said Trump informed Erdogan “of pending adjustments to the military support provided to our partners on the ground in Syria, now that the battle of Raqqa is complete and we are progressing into a stabilization phase to ensure that ISIS (Daesh) cannot return.”

Washington began arming the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to liberate Raqqa from Daesh. But Turkey considers weapons supplies to the YPG a national threat.

Some analysts see the new announcement as a gesture by Washington to mend ties with Ankara, which have suffered due to disagreements over Syria. But some analysts are cautious about the significance of the decision.

Ankara deems the YPG a terrorist organization affiliated to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

But the Pentagon views the YPG as an effective partner on the ground in Syria, arming it through an umbrella group known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is composed of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

Ankara fears that weapons supplied to the YPG will end up in PKK hands in Turkey. Both Ankara and Washington consider the PKK a terrorist organization, but the US draws a distinction between the two Kurdish groups.

Ahmet K. Han, a Middle East expert from Istanbul Kadir Has University, said the US has already delivered a considerable amount of material to the YPG, and what is important at this point is whether Washington can retrieve what is left, as was previously promised to Turkey.

“A key issue for Turkey now is if these weapons and ammunition could find their way from the hands of the YPG, a PKK surrogate, to the PKK proper,” Han told Arab News. “One question is whether Trump can deliver on his word.”

Han added: “The next phase of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq is still uncertain, and ambiguity remains on how US decision-makers will react.”

He said regional developments could lead the US to act in ways that may be detrimental to Turkish interests, as has happened before.

“Turkey can’t be expected to be comforted just by Trump’s words before the dust settles and the US fulfills its promises,” Han added.

“We also don’t know how the other parties to the Syrian conflict, such as Russia, will react to emerging circumstances, and if and how they’ll try to leverage their relations with the YPG and PKK.”

Mete Sohtaoglu, an Istanbul-based researcher on the Middle East, said the US will stop supporting all groups on the ground in Syria with whom it had been cooperating against Daesh.

“From Washington’s perspective, the YPG is nothing more than a group it cooperated with on the ground, and with the end of the fight against Daesh, this cooperation will also be over… so there’s no need for further supplies,” Sohtaoglu told Arab News.

“Any supplies in the future will be for the needs of about 2,000 US troops who are based in Syria,” he said.

“The end of American supplies will determine with whom the YPG engages in the future. Except for US support, the YPG has no distinct superiority over other groups on the ground.”

Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria said he will be inviting the Syrian opposition delegation to Geneva for the intra-Syrian talks beginning next week as his deputy held talks with Syrian officials in Damascus over this month’s negotiations.

Staffan de Mistura’s statement came a day after the opposition named its unified delegation that includes internal and external groups to the Geneva talks which will start Tuesday. The 36-member delegation will be headed by Nasr Hariri, a cardiologist who took part in previous talks in Geneva over the past year.