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Immigrant Kids Are Suffering Trauma That Will Last Years – OpEd

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By Jill Richardson*

Let’s be clear about something: Separating children from families, as the Trump regime is doing to undocumented immigrants, isn’t just cruel. It’s going to cause irreparable damage to the children involved — and probably to the parents too.

The difference is that developmental trauma — trauma experienced in childhood — is much more difficult to heal that trauma suffered as an adult. Trauma itself can be healed, but it’s painful, difficult, and as is often the case in this country, expensive. For many it’s simply out of reach.

I suffered childhood trauma. Here’s what it’s like. I knew from my earliest memories that something in me was not right. I thought it was my fault. I thought I was just born bad.

Trauma is both physical and emotional. My body behaved abnormally, and I didn’t understand why.

I was hungry all of the time. I would eat and an hour later, I was hungry again. All day, every day.

I was tired all of the time. I was up until 4 a.m. and then I would sleep at least 10 hours. I couldn’t fall asleep earlier even if I tried, and if I attempted to wake up earlier, I’d get a migraine. It interfered with my ability to hold a job.

Worst of all, I got migraines every day for 23 years. Every. Day. It interfered with every part of my life.

Then there was the emotional and behavioral toll. When I was around others, I was panicked. I dealt with it by adopting a number of rather antisocial and embarrassing strategies to help myself feel more in control. I knew that I was annoying or upsetting or offending those around me while I was doing it, but I couldn’t stop.

I thought there was something fundamentally wrong with me that made me unlikable and unworthy of love. I would try to get close to people, get scared, and then push them away.

All of these things are changing after years of therapy, and only just in the last two months. During most of this time, I did not see myself as a trauma victim. I saw myself as a loser. Lazy. Dysfunctional. A bad person. Unlovable. Wrong. Broken.

Trauma is often invisible to the person suffering it. Your body acts strangely, and you react emotionally to others in ways you can’t understand — and either you don’t even know you are doing it, or you don’t know why. You can’t control it. You think it’s your fault and so does everyone around you.

This is what we’re doing to these immigrant children. And what I went through is nothing compared to what they’re suffering.

I grew up in a wealthy, white, educated family, and I was born a U.S. citizen. I was able to get therapy. Most of the children Trump is locking in cages likely won’t get that opportunity. Already pediatricians are warning about the lasting damage they’re likely to suffer from this cruel treatment.

Now we’ve found out why Trump is doing this: It’s a bargaining chip in order to get his dumb wall, even though net migration across the border has been zero or negative in recent years (and a wall would scarcely prevent it anyhow).

Even if the wall were a good idea, traumatizing innocent children in order to get it is unspeakably evil.

*OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It. Distributed by OtherWords.org.


Shifting Power Equations And Geopolitical Uncertainties In South Asia – OpEd

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The South Asian region has been witnessing uncertain geopolitical dynamics around sore trouble areas like Afghanistan, Kashmir, shifting American and Russian relations with India and Pakistan and enhanced Chinese footprint with Pakistani and other smaller powers’ assistance. Major external powers which influence South Asian geopolitics are the US, Russia and China.

While the US-Pak relations have taken a nosedive after the Trump Administration declared military aid cuts, Pakistan is trying to offset the loss by courting China and Russia. China has already heavily invested in Pakistan to fulfill its geopolitical dream project – One Belt One Road initiative. Russia and Pakistan are inching closer as defence partners and trying to combine their efforts at fighting terrorism.

On the other side, the Trump Administration expressed its willingness to forge close defence ties with India and cast India in a more prominent role in its Indo-Pacific policy and Afghan strategy. India’s strategic relationship with Russia is at crossroads given pro-western thrust in its defence and trade policies.

Notwithstanding these shifts in relations, no clear alliances are visible. Russia would find it difficult to alienate India which has still deeper engagement in the area of defence as most of the defence equipments and technology still remain Russian. India has also shown interest in clinching new defence deals with Russia as it does not want to lose its old partner as the signing of a $500 billion deal to purchase the S400 air defence system from Russia suggests and it would also not like to see Russia-Pakistan relations grow at Indian expense.

The US, on the other hand, expressed its displeasure at the Indian move to buy air defence system from Russia – the state with which any major defence deals are to face sanctions under the American law.

Similarly, the US would find it difficult to abandon Pakistan despite its displeasure and rhetoric castigating Pakistan for not doing enough to contain militancy against US presence in Afghanistan. Alternatives to Pakistani intelligence inputs to curb militancy and supply routes for NATO convoys are not already available with the US. US-Iran tensions and Russian caution against any heightened US presence in its backyard would drive the impetus of American dependence on Pakistan for supply routes.

Indo-US trade relations face certain challenges which according to many would make the strategic bonding between the two complicated. Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and Trump’s ‘America first’ policy only heighten the possibilities of more protectionism from both sides. Both have sued each other in WTO on a host of trade issues. Another factor that may detract from the strategic engagement between India and US is India’s willingness to involve Russia into its Indo-Pacific policy framework which runs against the American strategy of formation of a closed group of allies and containment of China.

Kashmir is not only the bone of contention between India and Pakistan, it has so far been able to influence Afghan geopolitics, China-Pak relations, role of non-state actors like militant groups and more importantly, undercut possibilities of regional integration in South Asia. Ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control signed between India and Pakistan in 2003 has been continuously violated resulting in military and civilian casualties in both sides. Militant groups which perpetrated attack on the Indian Parliament and masterminded Mumbai terror attack are not brought to justice. This volatility in along the Indo-Pak border has only helped in intensifying tensions and external powers’ role in the region.

While China dilutes India’s claim to Kashmir as its integral part given the ‘One Belt One Road’ project goes through Gilgit-Baltistan region, other external powers have preferred not to poke their nose in the bilateral issue. Given American suspicion of Chinese geopolitical objectives, China cannot pamper Pakistan beyond a limit and antagonize the US with which it has robust trade and investment engagements. However, growing militancy in Kashmir has found resonance in Afghanistan and vice versa.

While the US thinks that Pakistan is not doing enough to contain militancy in Afghanistan and some in the Trump Administration have also alleged the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI maintaining close ties with militant groups, Pakistan claims it has been doing its job as best as possible and has forced the al-Qaeda remnants out of its soil. Many scholars argue that while Pakistan has taken actions against the al Qaeda, it has not done so against the Taliban and Haqqani militant outfits. Some leaders in Pakistan believe that Pakistan cannot turn the militants into its perennial enemies as the US may quit Afghanistan after its job is done as it happened in the beginning of 1990s. India and Pakistan are locked in a blame-game each castigating the other in fomenting militancy against the other. India, while has been insistent that Pakistan harbours terrorist outfits like Laskar-e-Taeba in its different forms and uses them in fomenting cross-border terrorism, Pakistan has been alleging India of fomenting Baloch insurgency and using anti-Pakistani elements in Afghanistan.

Peace has so far been elusive in South Asia. Shifting power equations and areas of tensions keep the region boiling and intensify arms race. Peace and development can only be realized if regional integration happens and external players play a benign role instead of promoting their own interests.

Mutual distrust lies at the heart of undercutting any possibility of unification. When the incumbent Indian government under the leadership of Narendra Modi made a host of unilateral gestures and promises on India’s part to push the regional trade and connectivity ahead in the SAARC forum, most of these gestures were viewed as mere promises rather than concrete offers by the South Asian leaders and analysts given the historical perception of India by its neighbours. Smaller states in South Asia have been courting China to balance any perceived threat from India. Sub-regional groupings and ventures are replacing ties at the regional level but that does not augur well for the region.

EU And New Zealand Launch Trade Negotiations

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European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade David Parker met Thursday in the capital of New Zealand, Wellington to officially launch talks for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement.

The negotiations will aim at removing barriers to trade in goods and services, as well as developing trade rules to make trade easier and more sustainable.

The announcement follows on the footsteps of the launch of negotiations with Australia earlier this week. It also comes soon after the conclusion of negotiations with Mexico, the finalization of the agreements with Japan and Singapore, and the EU-Canada agreement, which entered into force in September last year.

Commissioner Malmström said: “Today is an important milestone in EU-New Zealand relations. Together, we can conclude a win-win agreement that offers benefits to business and citizens alike. Trade agreements are about economic opportunities but they are also about strengthening ties with our close allies. In New Zealand, we know that we have a partner who stands up for the same vital values as us. This agreement is an excellent opportunity to set ambitious common rules and shape globalization, making trade easier while safeguarding sustainable development. We can lead by example.”

The first formal round of talks between the respective sides’ teams of negotiators will take place in Brussels from July 16 to 20 .

Whilst in New Zealand, Commissioner Malmström met with Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters, as well as with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs. She also held a public “Europa” lecture organized by the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.

During her visit, Commissioner Malmström is also meeting with the Ministers for Primary Industries and Climate Change, as well as with representatives of civil society, academia and business. On Friday, 22 June, she will visit an innovation hub with companies with ties to the EU.

Bilateral trade in goods between the EU and New Zealand stood at €8.7 billion last year. The sectors which make up the bulk of EU exports to New Zealand are manufactured goods like transport equipment, and machinery and appliances, as well as chemicals, plastics, food, and services. In addition, a further €4.4 billion is exchanged in services (2016). The EU is New Zealand’s third biggest trade partner and the agreement could increase trade in goods by almost 50%, or by one third if both goods and services are considered.

New Zealand is one of the world’s fastest-growing developed economies. It recently negotiated the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with 10 other countries in the Pacific region. The agreement between the EU and New Zealand will ensure that European companies are competing on a level playing field with businesses from countries with which New Zealand already has trade agreements.

Unusually High Levels Of Herpes Viruses Found In The Alzheimer’s Disease Brain

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Two strains of human herpes virus–human herpes virus 6A (HHV-6A) and human herpes virus 7 (HHV-7) –are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease at levels up to twice as high as in those without Alzheimer’s, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

Using evidence from postmortem brain tissue from the Mount Sinai Brain Bank, the research team also identified previously unknown gene networks that will both offer new testable hypotheses for understanding Alzheimer’s pathology and reveal novel potential targets for new drugs that may arrest Alzheimer’s disease progression, and could potentially prevent the disease if administered early enough.

This is the first study to use a data-driven approach to study the impact of viruses on Alzheimer’s and to identify the role of HHV-6A and HHV-7 in the disease. This is also the first evidence that integration of HHV genomes into human brain genomes may play a role in the etiology of Alzheimer’s. These viruses can cause encephalitis and other chronic conditions.

Results of the study is published online in Neuron.

The research team initially performed RNA sequencing on four brain regions in more than 600 samples of postmortem tissue from people with and without Alzheimer’s to quantify which genes were present in the brain, and whether any were associated with the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. Through a variety of computational approaches, the team uncovered a complex network of unexpected associations, linking specific viruses with different aspects of Alzheimer’s biology.

They examined the influence of each virus on specific genes and proteins in brain cells, and identified associations between specific viruses and amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and clinical dementia severity. To evaluate the robustness of their findings, the team incorporated a further 800 RNA sequencing samples collected by the Mayo Clinic and Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, observing a persistent increase of HHV-6A and HHV-7 abundance in samples from individuals with Alzheimer’s, thus replicating their main findings in two additional, independent, geographically dispersed cohorts.

Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. In 2018, the costs of providing care to individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are expected to total more than $277 billion. By mid-century, a new diagnosis will occur every 33 seconds, and costs are expected to exceed $1 trillion annually. Despite the dire public health implications, Alzheimer’s remains the only Top 10 cause of mortality in the United States for which no disease-modifying treatments are available.

This study has been enabled by the extensive molecular profiling of several large patient cohorts, generated in the course of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Accelerating Medicines Partnership-Alzheimer’s Disease (AMP-AD). AMP-AD is a precompetitive partnership among government, industry, and nonprofit organizations that focuses on discovering novel, clinically relevant therapeutic targets and on developing biomarkers to help validate existing therapeutic targets. This multisector partnership is managed by the Foundation for the NIH. The combined funding support for this five-year endeavor is $185.2 million. Through the generation of this large, “multi-omic” resource, the team was able to perform their investigation of viral activity in Alzheimer’s in an entirely data-driven manner. The term “multi-omic” is used as shorthand to imply that data from genes, proteins, fats, and other tissue components are all assessed and then represented qualitatively and quantitatively in a complex mathematical model.

“This study represents a significant advancement in our understanding of the plausibility of the pathogen hypothesis of Alzheimer’s,” said the study’s senior author, Joel Dudley, PhD, Director of the Institute for Next Generation Healthcare at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our work identified specific biological networks that offer new testable hypotheses regarding the role of microbial defense and innate immune function in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s. If it becomes evident that specific viral species directly contribute to an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s or their rate of progression once diagnosed, then this would offer a new conceptual framework for understanding the emergence and evolution of Alzheimer’s at individual, as well as population, levels.”

Dr. Dudley notes that this study could potentially translate to the identification of virus, or virus-related, biomarkers that could improve patient risk stratification and diagnosis, as well as implying novel viral targets and biological pathways that could be addressed with new preventative and therapeutic drugs. As with any complex set of findings, they will need to be confirmed in additional patient cohorts, and further studies to specifically address a causal role for viruses are now being conducted by the research team.

“This is the most compelling evidence ever presented that points to a viral contribution to the cause or progression of Alzheimer’s,” said one of the study’s authors, Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive Health and NFL Neurological Care at Mount Sinai. “A similar situation arose recently in certain forms of Lou Gehrig’s disease. In those patients, viral proteins were discovered in the spinal fluid of some Lou Gehrig’s patients, and patients with positive viral protein tests in their spinal fluid showed benefit when treated with antiviral drugs.”

Indian Government’s Hard And Inevitable Decision On Kashmir – OpEd

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The unrest and terrorist acts in Kashmir have been continuing for several years now. It appears that those, who want to split Kashmir from India by waging violent war with the tacit support of international terrorist outfits, have now become more bold and determined .

No country in the world can allow a situation when some insurgent groups and so called freedom fighters carry out violent separatist movement. Every country in the world who have faced such separatist movement in the past have tried to suppress such movement with iron hand and have not hesitated to use violence to defeat the violent separatists.

In any region in the world, the separatist movement is organized and led by a small group of motivated people with ulterior design who adopt militant means to achieve their ends. Such separatist movements have never been launched with the concurrence of majority of the people in the region. In the case of dictatorial government like China, it is easy to put down such separatists and eliminate the terrorists by force. However, the task become very difficult when separatist movement happens in a democratic country like India.

In the present Kashmir issue faced by India, the government of India has no alternative other than confronting the militants adopting violent methods by using the police force and the army, as the separatists are not amenable to reason and they take uncompromising and extreme stand. They believe in violent means and they cannot be convinced by involving them in peaceful negotiations and constructive dialogue.

In democratic societies like India, army and police have to fight against the violent elements without exposing themselves to any accusation of indulging in human rights violations. Whereas the terrorists indulge in their violent activities using suicide bombers with least regard for human rights, police and army have to fight against them with “one hand tied,” as the police and army are accountable unlike the terrorists.

Obviously, the militant activities in Kashmir is continuing due to the support extended to a small group of militants and insurgents by terrorists group from abroad and with Pakistan openly supporting the demands of the separatists and extending support to them in various ways. On several occasions, the leaders in Pakistan including the President and Prime Minister, Chief of army staff and religious leaders have encouraged separatist movement in Kashmir with tacit support, even without concealing their intentions.

In Jammu and Kashmir, despite of militant activities, proper election was conducted and democratically elected government was installed. Citizens participated in the election and exercised their franchise in spite of threat and opposition from terrorist groups, which obviously indicate that citizens do not approve demand for separate state . However, the militants and the terrorists think that they can achieve their objectives by violent means, irrespective of the views of majority of people..

Despite of the fact that several countries in the world including USA, Russia, Belgium, UK, Germany, France have faced terrorist attacks. These countries have not hesitated to use force and kill the terrorists, when they faced terrorist attacks. it is surprising that such countries are not actively supporting India, which is facing terrorist attacks in Kashmir.

India has no alternative now other than fighting against the terrorists, who are receiving external support. India has to use all forces at its command to suppress and wipe out the terrorists in Kashmir,

In fighting against terrorism, India has to take its own decisions to protect its interests and perhaps it may be a lone battle for India, as other countries including those suffering from terrorist attacks may only watch from distance and wait to know the outcome.

Perhaps, India has a lesson or two to learn from Sri Lanka which successfully suppressed the separatist movement to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

The Risks Of Turning America’s Back On Africa – Analysis

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According to new reports, Special Operations forces in Africa are facing dramatic cuts as the Pentagon reviews US commando missions on the continent. The review was launched following a disastrous mission in Niger last October, which resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers. It’s part of a broader shift in Defense Department strategy to redeploy military assets in the face of escalating threats from Russia and China.

Although no announcements have yet been made on the scale of the proposed cuts, it’s thought that US forces in Africa could be halved over the next three years – which means that Washington risks losing what little influence it has in the region while opening the door for other rival nations to take the lead.

At a time when the economic and strategic significance of Africa is only set to grow, however – and when Washington’s biggest rivals are deepening ties with key powers on the continent – the US’ strategy could not be more shortsighted.

A One-Track Policy

Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with Africa in recent years has proved elusive for America, primarily because its approach has been driven by the dictates of an increasingly militarized foreign policy, rather than diplomacy. To cite just one figure, estimates suggest there are seven military staff for every civilian diplomat working on African policy – and this lopsidedness is only evidence of a wider problem.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Washington’s aggressive military presence has done little to promote US-Africa ties – in fact, quite the reverse. Protests against US troops have been held in a range of countries in the region, including Ghana, Liberia, and Cameroon. America’s Africa Command headquarters has been forced to base its operations in Germany, in the absence of a willing host country in Africa. And this sentiment is unlikely to change, as countries simultaneously become less reliant on American aid and more inclined to view US soldiers as forces of occupation rather than of liberation.

It’s clear that the military can no longer form the foundation for a meaningful relationship between the US and a rising Africa. And yet even as other nations and trading blocs – including the EU, India, Brazil, and Japan – are strengthening their links with African powers in order to engage directly with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, America is only drawing back.

Abandoning Africa Will Open Door To Other Nations

A look at key figures shows that for states willing to engage with Africa, the rewards could be considerable. Since 2000, around half of the countries with the highest annual growth rates have been in Africa and, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), by 2050, business and consumer spending on the continent will total almost $7 trillion.

Meanwhile, as Washington withdraws all but key staff from the continent, Beijing is quietly moving into the power vacuum. At the end of June, China will host an inaugural military summit with African partners to focus on security issues and defense cooperation. It marks a high point in Sino-African relations, giving a major boost to Beijing’s existing efforts to extend its influence through diplomacy, investments in massive infrastructure projects, and increasing participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

Chinese officials have framed these efforts to boost ties with Africa as part of a “win-win” cooperation strategy, but the reality is more complicated. Indeed, while Beijing’s Africa policy may provide cash-strapped governments with the means for much-needed infrastructure projects, like the new Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi railway, the money doesn’t come without strings attached; rather, it’s a way for Beijing to acquire valuable financial leverage in return for loans, a process known as “debt book diplomacy.”

Djibouti: A Microcosm Of Washington’s Africa Problem

Perhaps most concerning for Washington is China’s increased activity in the tiny, yet strategically important, state of Djibouti – located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal – where both powers have military bases just a few miles apart.

Djibouti recently called time on a contract with Dubai’s DP World to run the Doraleh Container Terminal, amid rumors that the authoritarian government seized control of the port in order to gift it to China. The Pentagon fears that China could use its commercial clout to persuade Djibouti to evict US forces or, at the very least, to place restrictions on the port’s use, which could affect access to supplies and the ability of US navy ships to refuel.

Although this has not yet come to pass, signs of growing tensions – and Beijing’s increasing assertiveness – are already afoot. Last month, the US military complained to China about the use of laser beams to distract its fighter pilots during operations near the two bases. Though Beijing denied any foul play, the fact that the incident has come at a time of deep animosity and burgeoning trade war between the two nations is no coincidence.

Ceding Africa To The Middle Kingdom

At a time when the geostrategic importance of Djibouti and other African nations are only set to grow, and China is deepening engagement accordingly, it’s ironic that Washington is set to reduce its already minimal engagement on the continent. And this, as part of a wider strategy to refocus efforts against Beijing and Moscow. If the US administration were more forward-thinking, it would be redoubling its engagement efforts in Africa – not drawing out. Unfortunately, it now looks as if China will be the next power to take up the challenge, and reap the benefits, of deepening links with Africa.

*David Meijer is a senior security analyst based in Amsterdam specialized in trans-national contraband.

Afghanistan’s Institutional Credibility Crisis And Likelihood Of ‘Sheepish Elections’– Analysis

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Beyond the ongoing militant insurgency, international allies’ attention on Afghanistan proper – internal politics, society and economic development – has gradually diminished following the drawdown of most of the international forces and due to other rising global concerns – take immigration, Syria, Yemen and Donald Trump’s unpredictable behavior on the global state as examples.

Afghanistan’s National Unity Government (NUG) has in the meantime taken steps that largely defy its title. Social schisms along ethnicity and regional identity has become threatening when durability of representative democracy will be put to test in the country’s presidential elections in 2019 – the third one in the post-Bonn period and the first following withdrawal of the majority of coalition forces. The biggest challenge comes from convincing ordinary Afghans regarding viability of state institutions and dissuade other alternatives – including a Taliban style Islamic regime – among the urban and predominant rural population.

President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, in their fourth year of partnership, have so far ostensibly gone their separate ways in dealing with the country’s challenges. The political gridlock in the aftermath of April 2014 presidential elections that the partnership could’ve worked to lessen its chances of repetition, remains a likely scenario in the upcoming 2019 elections. The NUG deal stipulated convening a Grand Assembly (Loya Jirga) to amend the country’s constitution and divide the executive power between the president and a prime minister. The assembly has not been convened and the country’s constitution still does not recognize the Chief Executive who purportedly shares power with the president on equal terms, leaving it for a future contingency to decide whether the post will be needed or not.

Reforms in the Independent Election Commission (IEC), the body in-charge of elections, to increase its trustworthiness was one step to guarantee fair elections and reduce chances of disagreement when results are announced.

Previously in April 2014 elections, IEC’s impartial image was damaged when intercepted audio conversations of its head of secretariat at the time, Ziaulhaq Amarkhail’s was widely shared in social media, in which he allegedly instructed subordinates to fill the “sheep”, a code phrase for ballot stuffing during the runoff in favor of one candidate, Ashraf Ghani. Amarkhail resigned to calm rising tensions, temporarily exiting the country and returning after guarantees were given by former president Hamid Karzai against his prosecution. Invoking Amarkhail’s euphemism, the April 2014 presidential election has ever since been dubbed “sheepish election” by Ghani’s opponents.

This time Ashraf Ghani personally vetted candidates for recruiting as senior IEC members, including its president, Najibullah Ahmadzai, whom he later compelled to step down according to reports by Tolo News. Ahmadzai has been replaced by Gulajan Sayaad, a senior member of IEC.

Recently four senior IEC members showed disagreement regarding a decision by their new president who has called for copies of national identification (ID) papers – instead of the original – to be used for voter registration for the upcoming legislative elections. The acting head of IEC secretariat, Shahla Haq, resigned due to the decision. Previously those registering brought the original ID, which was stamped to later double-check at the time of voting. Critics believe use of copies, although helpful in boosting registration numbers – which has, worryingly, barely crossed 6 million from an estimated 14 million eligible voters according to IEC figures – will lead to multiple registrations and multiple voting. This can further reduce what remains of public trust on elections.

Reforms in the election bodies should ideally proceed in tandem with population census, not implemented yet in the post-Bonn period and is necessary to prevent rigged elections based on verifying voting numbers with provincial and district-level population size. Afghanistan’s last population census in 1979 is no longer reliable given the time lapse and frequent population displacements due to conflict and violence. This process met another roadblock because of the decision to print the word “Afghan” to designate all citizens in the new electronic identification cards (e-IDs), despite a previous decision to the contrary by the President which was ratified by the parliament. The decision has led to unexpected backlash from grassroots members of ethnic groups who see the word synonymous with one ethnic identity – Pashtun – and interpret the move as an assimilationist attempt to undermine other ethnic identities.

Identity politics remained in the margins during the many decades of political turmoil in the country, but it now vividly stirs up debates among a wider population. Opposition to the move on e-IDs has so far led to protests in Panjshir, Badakhshan and Parwan provinces, protestors carrying signs defiant of official symbols. Demands for political autonomy were raised by one MP from Badakhshan, Latif Pedram, should e-IDs be distributed in their current format.

These incessant debates may strike the observer as the birth pangs of a vibrant democracy in the making. However, the high-pitched disagreements on symbols that in the past were pillars of unity – national identity – and growing divergence among grassroots members of ethnic groups, makes such thinking dangerously deceptive. While representative democracy and ballot box ostensibly determines who rules, the social conscience and ethical requirements of such a system have had difficulty taking root within the context of post-2001 institutions.

Going back to late 2001, Zalmai Khalilzad returned to Afghanistan as George Bush’s Special Presidential Envoy and was later appointed as ambassador from 2003 to 2005. His mission involved bringing different Afghan stakeholders to negotiate a post-Taliban government in Bonn while Taliban militants were simultaneously being driven out of provinces in quick succession on the ground.

Khalilzad was later appointed US ambassador to Iraq in 2005. There, according to his account in his book “Envoy”, he takes caution not to displease different social groups when preparing for the constituent assembly, especially Sunnis who were worried of majoritarian rule by Shias in the post-Saddam Iraq, as well as the Kurds, who were unequivocal when it came to preserving an autonomous Kurdistan region. In his capacity, Khalilzad helped in negotiating a constitution that guaranteed group-based political participation through a parliamentary system, without giving any group a non-violable social and political privilege.

His time earlier in Kabul, according to the same book, shows little of such meticulous watchfulness. Khalilzad, who comes from a Pashtun family in Afghanistan and later moved to the US in his youth as a student, appears confident in his knowledge of Afghan society despite many years of living abroad, which results in a pre-conceived notion that he brings to bear on US policy and most importantly, in how state institutions were designed in post-2001 Afghanistan – the choice between a parliamentary or presidential system, for instance. Early on he divides Afghans political stakeholders into builders, disrupters and opportunists. More damaging than all, he advises Hamid Karzai, with whom he does not lose time establishing a cordial but also influential relationship, to persuade senior Northern Alliance figures into tactical retreats in his administration, convincing them to wrest important ministerial posts.

This later became the go-to approach by Karzai in dealing with the Northern Alliance, till the point when he ditched its leader, Marshal Qassim Fahim, from joining his ticket in the 2004 elections.

This is when Karzai’s security when entering Afghanistan as leader of the interim administration in late 2001 was guaranteed by the same Northern Alliance. Its forces had been fighting the Taliban in a 5-year long resistance before the 9/11 and at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom, were responsible for bringing down their regime on the ground when US involvement was limited to B-52 fighter jets and a small contingent of special forces spread in the country. They, for better or worse, had also come to represent Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks, protecting enclaves of villages and provinces from Taliban’s complete onslaught.

Khalilzad and Karzai’s strategy to push them out of power without the inclusion of other popular alternatives has resulted in the prevalent view that Pashtuns do not wish to cede traditional superiority in the country’s politics. From Khalilzad who returned to Afghanistan after 30 years as an American diplomat, to Hamid Karzai who was seen as a moderate and an ally, to the religious fanatics of the Taliban movement, and now in Ghani’s attitude toward Abdullah, an approach for re-installing the pre-war power hierarchy in which overt or tacit acquiescence to Pashtun domination was the norm can be seen, a harmonious arrangement which is believed to have been disrupted by many decades of conflict according to Khalilzad and needs restoring.

Khalilzad and other important figures of his generation, including Ashraf Ghani, largely engineered the Bonn Conference and what followed. His part in trying to rewind history to a previous state through political maneuvering while ignoring inexorable changes of the past four decades have contributed to unintended problems that are only now gradually emerging, eroding credibility of a system that should’ve guaranteed genuine representation and inclusion of those who abandoned arms to replace them with votes.

Ashraf Ghani, on his part, set forth to restore centralized bureaucracy and a national self-image perceived to have been harmed by the past four decades of instability, given to a hastiness coupled with short temper that has made it difficult to challenge his decisions.

Suspicions regarding ethnic bias in the government were strengthened when a memo from Ghani’s Administration Office of the President (AOP) was leaked last September, in which a list of “deliverables” was communicated to other members of AOP. In it Sawabudin Makhkash, a senior AOP official considered a close confidant of AOP leadership, issued guidelines on how to screen individuals based on their ethnic background or level of pliancy to “our team”. It lays down criteria for employing persianised Pashtuns from Herat and other compliant Hazaras and Uzbeks to maintain ethnic diversity on the surface.

Political decisions, even when hidden behind tall security walls seen everywhere in Kabul nowadays to fend off terrorism, create strong waves in a country where sentiments are less aroused by how fiscal policy is efficiently managed, public revenue improved, and governance brought under centralized scrutiny than threats to ethnic and group-based interests.

Urgent reforms are needed in the country’s political and institutional make-up. The country’s post-Bonn presidential system concentrates too much power in the presidential palace; in which the person on top easily becomes the target of both veneration and ethnically charged criticism, also leading to either imagined or actual abuse of power by the president.

Adding to this, the voting system for legislative elections have put Afghanistan on a trajectory that undermines participation in power by social groups and ordinary Afghans. Single None-Transferrable Vote (SNTV) was chosen early on by the Afghan government for legislative elections (Kuwaiti monarchy is the only other country with this system). According to Barnett Rubin, the system puts individuals in the limelight and votes are not transferrable in the case of co-partisanship, impeding creation of parties which might stimulate ethnic pluralism through cross-ethnicity membership.

Presently, after entering the parliament, MPs are answerable to no one but themselves, least to their constituencies on whom they invest considerable sums during the election campaign to secure their vote. Widespread abuse of parliamentary power has led to a recent UN report calling the Afghan parliament a catalyst for corruption in the country. The prospects of empowering more of the same MPs may be a reason behind lack of enthusiasm to register in big numbers to participate in the legislative elections.

Moreover, bringing a mix of technocratic outlook and popular appeal to the administration is more than urgent for the NUG before its term comes to an end. Most importantly, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah should cede power to institutions if they are serious about enhancing state efficiency. The impression one gets nowadays is that of two individuals running the country – one more than the other – who micro-manage every detail of governance. Even if successful, this is a path that perpetuates a personalistic polity and attachment of state legitimacy to individuals.

*Kambaiz Rafi is a PhD Candidate in University College London currently on fieldwork in Kabul. Kambaiz is also a visiting scholar at Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU).

Sri Lanka Aviation Unit Deploys To Support UN Mission In South Sudan

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Sri Lanka’s 4th Contingent of the Aviation Unit under the United Nations helicopter deployment in South Sudan (UNMISS) deployed from the SLAF Base Katunayake on June 19.

This helicopter deployment will be tasked to carry out VIP and troop transportation, transportation of food and equipment, domestic flying and medical evacuation in South Sudan, in support of the overall UN mandate for that nation.

At the end of the third successful SLAF Contingent in South Sudan, the 4th Contingent, consisting of 19 Officers including 10 Pilots and 85 airmen is departing from Sri Lanka to replace the 3rd contingent and serve under the UN flag for a one-year period.

Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy took the salute of the parade Commanded by Wing Commander KMSPB Kulathunga, the Contingent Commander of the 4th Heli-Deployment.


Gene-Edited Pigs Resistant To Billion Dollar Virus

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Scientists have produced pigs that can resist one of the world’s most costly animal diseases, by changing their genetic code.

Tests with the virus – called Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, or PRRS – found the pigs do not become infected at all.

The animals show no signs that the change in their DNA has had any other impact on their health or wellbeing.

PRRS costs the pig industry around $2.5 billion (£1.75bn) each year in lost revenue in the US and Europe alone.

The disease causes breathing problems and deaths in young animals and if pregnant sows become infected, it can cause them to lose their litter.

The virus infects pigs using a receptor on their cells’ surface called CD163. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute used gene editing techniques to remove a small section of the CD163 gene.

They focused on the section of the receptor that the virus attaches to, leaving the rest of the molecule intact.

The team collaborated with Genus PLC, a leading global animal genetics company, to produce pigs with the specific DNA change.

Previous studies had shown that cells from these animals were resistant to the virus in lab tests.

This is the first time researchers have exposed these pigs to the virus to see if they become infected.

They found that none of the animals became ill when exposed to the virus. Blood tests found no trace of the infection.

This research, co-funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Genus PLC, is published in the Journal of Virology.

PRRS is endemic in most pig producing countries worldwide. Vaccines have mostly failed to stop the spread of the virus – which continues to evolve rapidly.

Other groups have used gene editing to create PRRS-resistant pigs by removing the whole CD163 receptor.

Removing only a section of CD163 allows the receptor to retain its ordinary function in the body and reduces the risk of side effects, the researchers say.

Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, said: “These results are exciting but it will still likely be several years before we’re eating bacon sandwiches from PRRS-resistant pigs.

“First and foremost we need broader public discussion on the acceptability of gene-edited meat entering our food chain, to help inform political leaders on how these techniques should be regulated.

“We also need to carry out longer term studies to confirm that these genetic changes do not have any unforeseen adverse effects on the animals.

“If these studies are successful and the public are accepting of this technology, we would then be looking to work with pig breeding companies to integrate these gene edits into commercial breeding stocks.”

Genetically modified animals are banned from the food chain in Europe. It is not clear what regulations would apply to gene-edited animals, however, as the approach is different.

GM techniques have been controversial because they can involve introducing genes of other species into an animal. In contrast, gene editing speeds up processes that could occur naturally through breeding over many generations, without introducing genes from other species.

Professor Alan Archibald said: “Gene editing gives us a powerful tool to help reduce losses in the farming industry while improving the health and welfare of the animals themselves.”

Jonathan Lightner, Chief Scientific Officer for Genus PLC said: “These results are very exciting and further underscore the potential, through gene editing, to provide incredible benefits to the global pork industry, and society as a whole, by improving animal health. We look forward to further collaboration with the University on this exciting project.”

The interdisciplinary research is the result of long term strategic investment from the BBSRC.

Jef Grainger, Associate Director of BBSRC Science Strategy, said: “This is an exciting result that demonstrates the potential for genome editing approaches to enable significant improvements to be made in the health and welfare of farmed animals, and reduce the economic impacts of diseases that are otherwise difficult to manage effectively.”

Rocking The G7: Trump Stomps His Allies – OpEd

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Disruption, disturbance, eruption, the words crowning the presidency of Donald J. Trump, who has effectively demonstrated an idea made famous by Nazi doodler of law and political theorist Carl Schmitt: politics is defined, not by identifying with friends in cosy harmony but with enemies in constant tension.

There are many ways that Trump might be seen as a creature of Schmittian reaction.  Alliances may well be lauded as good (the diplomat’s clichés of “eternal friendship”, “special bonds” and the treacly covering that comes with it), but then again, potential adversaries can also be considered in accommodating fashion.  In every enduring friendship between states is a potential enemy in wait, a dormant instinct that, given certain circumstances, might awake.  In every alliance, a potential shift might undermine, if not threaten the national interest.

In short, the current US president likes the bruising, the bullying and the cajoling in the abstract name of US self-interest. Forget the distinctions and the similarities.  There are no values in any shared sense.  There is only his road.

The press conference concluding the summit with Kim Jong-un on Sentosa Island provided the platform for Trump to round on his supposed allies even as he praised Little Rocket Man as his newly made friend, Chairman Kim, no less.  The spectacle was terrifying for groupies of the US empire, those who have praised the virtues of alliances and bonds with Washington as necessary for the Pax Americana. Before them, the spectacle of US hegemony was being challenged with a brazen confidence. The Chairman seemed to be getting what he wanted, even if it all seemed a touch vague.

As the Kim-Trump show unfolded, the rubble at the G7 seemed to be growing, a sentiment captured by the satirical Borowitz Report in The New Yorker.  The meeting preceding the gathering in Singapore had put many a nose out of joint. After leaving the Quebec summit, Trump got his fingers busy by tweeting that he had asked US representatives not to endorse the customary joint communiqué from the G7 leaders calling for “free, fair, and mutually beneficial trade” over the devil of protectionism.

The cooling towards Canada’s Justin Trudeau was a case in point, mixed with the usual air of berating condescension and sulkiness. Much of it had arisen because of a disagreement on whether a sunset clause would find its way into any renegotiated trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States.  Trump’s own version of reality was that negotiators were “pretty close on the sunset provision”.  Trudeau differed on such a reading, wanting nothing of the sort. The bad blood was taking time to dry.

“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our US farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our US reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at tariffs on automobiles flooding the US market!”

In Singapore itself, Trump wished to add some flesh to the remarks, getting a few jocular asides in.  “When I got onto the plane,” considered Trump, “I think that Justin probably didn’t know that Air Force One has about 20 televisions, and I see the television.  And he’s giving a news conference about how he will not be pushed around by the United States.  And I say, push him around?  We just shook hands.  It was very friendly.”

Then came that picture, poured over by aroused pundits and eager commentators, showing Trump sitting down like a bemused, bright coloured Buddha, seemingly defiant, with Germany’s Angela Merkel leaning across with grave school teacher disapproval. “In fact,” he explained, “the picture with Angela Merkel, who I get along with very well, where I’m sitting there like this, that picture was we’re waiting for the document because I wanted to see the final document as changed by the changes that I requested.”

For Trump, the visuals are nigh everything, and this titillates the pundits he lures like starving waifs to a banquet. Academics are also getting on board, being brought into Trumpland’s sordid undergrowth.  “Critics of President Trump say this is President Trump isolated,” suggested Dan Nexon of Georgetown University on the G7 snap, “so it feeds into the pre-existing narrative.”  But then came the other side, those supporters who considered the show “a sign of American strength, status and position in the dominance hierarchy.”

Others have also fallen for tissue-like substance and liberal readings, suggesting that Trump is seducing those who should know better.  “The symbolic meaning of a 13-second handshake in the visual form is the establishment of a physical and therefore a personal bond between the two leaders,” came the distinctly unscientific observation of political science professor Bruce Miroff.  The G7 meeting did the opposite of the Sentosa Island summit, suggesting a spectacle “of alienation, opposition and even international condemnation of Trump.”

Any amount of time might be spent on such performances, but Trump, for all the displays, remains heartily consistent in what superficially seems to be jolting anarchy.  On the issue of mistrusting, badgering, even punishing allies economically, he has remained true to his word, carrying through attitudes nursed since the 1980s. “I’d throw a tax on every Mercedes-Benz rolling into this country,” he claimed in his 1990 Playboy interview should he ever become President, “and on all Japanese products, and we’d have wonderful allies again.”  And, prophetically, he promised a Schmitt-inspired attitude: don’t “trust our allies” and “perfect” that “huge military arsenal”.

Eurogroup Issues Statement On Occasion Of 20th Anniversary

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Today, the Eurogroup commemorated its first meeting 20 years ago in Luxembourg.

Established by the EU leaders shortly before the introduction of the euro, the Eurogroup is an informal body where euro area countries’ finance ministers meet to discuss issues related to the single currency.

One of the greatest achievements of European integration, the euro has become a tangible part of the European identity. Since its inception it has grown both in membership and strength, enjoying the robust support of around 340 million people in 19 euro area countries. As the world’s second most-used currency, it reinforces Europe’s presence on the global scene. The euro has strengthened the internal market, providing an anchor for the economy: citizens and firms across Europe benefit from stable prices and conduct their business across national borders with unprecedented ease.

The Eurogroup’s commitment, helped the euro area to withstand the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression. Lessons have been learnt: economic imbalances are better addressed, coordination was strengthened, and new common institutions were built to complement the monetary union and make it more resilient. European citizens never lost confidence in their currency; their currency does not fail them.

At present, with all euro area member states are experiencing economic growth and as new and more rewarding jobs being added, we need to ensure that these gains will be shared among ever more citizens.

To ensure that the Economic and Monetary Union is well equipped to handle future challenges and to improve convergence, the Eurogroup is determined to continue promoting the implementation of sound national policies and to further develop common policies and tools. These are – more than ever – matters of our shared interest in today’s rapidly evolving world.

The Eurogroup will pursue ambitious and forward-looking national and European policies that foster strong and equitable growth, investment and employment – delivering lasting prosperity for all.

The Eurogroup remains united in its unwavering political commitment to this common cause – the euro.

Toothpaste And Hand Wash Causing Antibiotic Resistance

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A common ingredient in toothpaste and hand wash could be contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to University of Queensland research.

A study led by Dr Jianhua Guo from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre focused on triclosan, a compound used in more than 2000 personal care products.

Dr Guo said while it was well-known the overuse and misuse of antibiotics could create ‘superbugs’, researchers were unaware that other chemicals could also induce antibiotic resistance until now.

“Wastewater from residential areas has similar or even higher levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes compared to hospitals, where you would expect greater antibiotic concentrations,” he said.

“We then wondered whether non-antibiotic, antimicrobial (NAAM) chemicals such as triclosan can directly induce antibiotic resistance,” Dr Guo said.

“These chemicals are used in much larger quantities at an everyday level, so you end up with high residual levels in the wider environment, which can induce multi-drug resistance.

“This discovery provides strong evidence that the triclosan found in personal care products that we use daily is accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance.”

Advanced Water Management Centre Director, Professor Zhiguo Yuan, said the discovery should be a wake-up call to re-evaluate the potential impact of such chemicals.

“While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of triclosan in antibacterial soap, the previous lack of unequivocal evidence prevented such a policy being adopted in other countries,” Professor Yuan said.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major threat to public health globally with approximately 700,000 people a year dying from antimicrobial-resistant infections.

The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance report predicted this will reach 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if no action is taken now.

Solar Tower Exposes Materials To Intense Heat To Test Thermal Response

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Sandia National Laboratories is using its solar tower to help assess the impact of extreme temperature changes on materials.

The tests, now in their second year, take advantage of the ability of Sandia’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility to simulate a very rapid increase in temperature followed by an equally rapid decrease. The testing is for the Air Force and will continue for at least another year.

Researchers put a 4-by-4-inch sample of composite material, called a coupon, into a test chamber, then expose it to a burst of intense heat. Different coupons are made of different types of materials.

Specialty ovens can reach the temperatures needed, but ovens can’t heat up or cool down rapidly. “And it’s hard to just stick a coupon in real fast and then take it out,” test engineer Josh Christian said. “Our facility is really good at providing a fast ramp rate for these heating curves, and we also can produce a trailing curve by moving our mirrors in such a way to remove the heat from the sample.”

The coupon is placed flush to a wall of a test chamber, basically a box, facing a quartz window that allows in the heat produced by the mirrors. The tests, which use about a quarter of the heliostat field, can change heat levels as needed.

Initially, sliding shutters in front of the window are closed. The solar tower team focuses reflected light from the heliostats onto a calibration panel and uses a heat flux gauge to measure the power that will hit the sample. Then they move that reflected light onto the shutters. When ready, the shutters slide open and close very quickly to produce the heating curves needed on the sample. At the same time, a wind tunnel with a blower on one end forces air across the sample, simulating convective cooling. Convective cooling impacts the heating rate since with convective cooling, materials survive longer under intense heat.

Sample could be heated several times

Researchers can subject a sample to heat multiple times to establish material response thresholds after exposure.

“The heat goes in, we close, that’s the end of the test,” Christian said. “We do this repeatedly, 10 to 30 times a day.”

Before and after a test, another Sandia team checks the sample with a 3D scanner, which determines whether the heat produced bubbles or texture changes in the material, Christian said.

Still another group of Sandia researchers takes reflectivity measurements — how much light is reflected from the surface. For example, if a sample absorbs 90 percent of the light and reflects 10 percent, then 10 percent of the light did not heat it. Josh said that’s important because in real life, materials with a high reflective value heat up slower.

A third team uses nondestructive methods to look inside the sample after a test, checking for changes below the surface, which is particularly important for complex structures made of several different materials.

Testing continues all year

Tests go on year-round, but the Air Force program does not test every day since the solar tower also does tests for other programs. Last summer, for example, Christian estimated 30 to 40 days were devoted to the project. Tests continue in the winter, but test periods are shorter due to the angle of the sun to the mirrors.

“For our facility, this is a major test that has started to become routine as we have tested hundreds of samples,” said Christian, who has worked at the tower for eight years.

The project also has led to improvements at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility, including a new tracking algorithm for the heliostats and advancing heat flux characterization techniques, which allows researchers to quantify the heat applied to samples. Knowing the exact heat applied is critical to understand what conditions materials can survive, and researchers developed new tools to help perform that analysis.

The mirrors move with the sun to keep a reflected spot on the solar tower, “but we were finding that at certain times of the year and times of the day, the spot wouldn’t be where we predicted it to be because of imperfections in how the mirrors were installed,” Christian said. So, he said, researchers developed algorithms to improve the tracking, which not only helps the Air Force project but also Sandia’s tower overall and potentially other facilities that use heliostats, such as sites that generate power.

The tower has done tests for other agencies, including NASA, and other projects for the Air Force. Sandia started tests for this project last year. “Now it’s become a success on our side as well as their side,” Christian said.

Fright And Flight: Deciding When To Escape

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How does your brain decide what to do in a threatening situation? A new paper published in Nature describes a mechanism by which the brain classifies the level of a threat and decides when to escape.

Escaping from a dangerous situation is crucial for survival, but it is also important to only escape from settings that really are dangerous. This is because decisions to escape are almost always trade-offs between safety and access to things of value. For example, animals need to forage, but when they are scared and hiding in their shelter, they are missing out on vital opportunities of finding food and mates.

This dynamic can be completely debilitating in humans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or severe anxiety, as such individuals can become confined to their homes due to pathological fear. Thus it is important for brain circuitry to correctly classify and act on threats in the environment.

Dr. Tiago Branco, Senior Research Fellow at Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, commented: “We are excited to have found a subcellular mechanism for computing the very important decision of running away from threats. This level of detailed understanding not only advances our knowledge of how the brain makes fundamental computations, but also gives us an entry point to figure out what goes wrong in conditions that cause abnormally frequent defensive behaviours, and potentially, how to treat them.”

Previous research identified parts of the brain important for escape behaviour, but up until now it wasn’t known whether these regions were also involved in evaluating threat level and implementing decisions to escape. A team of neuroscientists led by Dr. Branco working first at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) and recently at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, systematically tested the innate reactions of mice to looming shadows, as would occur from a bird of prey, an evolutionarily conserved behaviour that is not learnt. Using this approach they have deciphered how escape decisions are implemented in the brain at the algorithmic and mechanistic level, describing the process as a ‘threshold computation’ of threat level.

The work demonstrated that these decisions are made at the connections between two different parts of the brain: the superior colliculus (SC), which is responsible for integrating information about the threat and estimating the threat level, and the periaqueductal gray (PAG), which represents the activity above the threshold and causes the animal to escape.

The threshold mechanism arises because the SC-PAG connection is very weak and unreliable, so it fails most of the time. It is only when the threat level rises and is sustained that there is sufficient activity to overcome this weak connection and initiate escape. In this way the decision is computed at the level of the synaptic connection between the SC and PAG.

The study makes use of a wide range of techniques, including quantitative behaviour assays that manipulate the probability of whether the animal escapes to threats, and neural activity recordings with head-mounted microscopes and high-density Neuropixels silicon probes. In addition, a special form of chemogenetics was used to specifically inactivate the SC-PAG synapse and thereby prove that the computation of this threshold is implemented by this synaptic connection. Furthermore a computational model was developed that describes the observed behaviour.

The next piece of the puzzle will be to understand how the threshold for the decision is modulated based on past experience and the current conditions of the environment. “Successfully escaping from threats can be a very complicated process that relies on your particular representation of the environment you are in, and what to expect from it. This is at the core of how the brain generates behaviour, and now that we have figured out a critical part of the brain neural circuitry that controls the decision to escape, we can start to explore the computation of complex variables that influence escape decisions, such as how likely it is that safety can be reached, and what are the fastest routes to possible shelters,” Dr. Branco concluded.

Pope Francis Travels To Switzerland

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Pope Francis has visited the Swiss city of Geneva – a centre of Protestantism – on a whirlwind one-day tour to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and to promote Christian unity.

The pope flew into Geneva – historically known as the “Protestant Rome” for its links to John Calvin – on a hot Thursday morning for a packed schedule that began with a meeting at the airport with Swiss government officials.

After a 20-minute tête-à-tête, Alain Berset, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, told reporters that he shared the pope’s commitment to peace and human rights.

Berset said the pope had urged Switzerland to use dialogue to help prevent conflicts around the world. The two leaders also discussed the issue of immigration and refugee boats from north Africa that were being blocked by Italy.

The previous papal visit to Switzerland was in 2004, when Pope John Paul II came to Bern and Geneva not long before he died.

Francis was then driven to the WCC headquarters in Geneva just south of the airport for an ecumenical prayer session with local church representatives. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC, which brings together the world’s Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and Reformed churches, but it does send observers to participate in several WCC committees.

The papal visit, which went under the motto “Walking, praying and working together”, marks a significant effort to bridge the divide between the Vatican and other Christian churches.

At the WCC, the 81-year-old Argentinian pope warned worshippers against the dangers of “unbridled consumerism”, saying it leads to the exclusion of children and the elderly. “We have lost our direction,” he said.

In his speeches at the WCC and throughout the day, the pope called for deeper unity between the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths.

“I have desired to come here, a pilgrim in quest of unity and peace,” he told the prayer gathering.

It is the third time that a pope has visited the WCC after Paul VI in 1960 and John Paul II 35 years ago. Historically, divisions between the Catholic Church and the Protestant confessions have run deep.

The pope also referred to the “ecumenism of blood”, condemning the indiscriminate murder of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

“Let us also look to our many brothers and sisters in various parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East, who suffer because they are Christians,” he said.

The pope ended his one-day visit by celebrating a mass at 5.30pm at the Palexpo convention centre next to Geneva Airport for 30,000 people, according to a police estimate. The organisers said 37,000 had attended. But this was still slightly down on the expected figure of 41,000.

Worshippers sat on chairs in the massive hangar, which hosts the Geneva International Motor Show every year and is the size of six football pitches.

Most of the lucky ticket-holders were from Switzerland – cantons Geneva, Fribourg, Jura, Valais and Zurich – but also from neighbouring France, and even as far away as Spain, Slovakia and Croatia. Some had started queuing as early as 7.30am.

The pontiff was greeted like a rock star with cheers and a sea of mobile phones when he arrived in the hall in his “Popemobile”.

Speaking in Italian and French on a simple stage which featured a large white cross overhead and a drawing of the Alps, he urged the audience to “rediscover the courage of silence and of prayer”.

A handful of former Swiss guardsmen, dressed in traditional blue-red-and-yellow-striped Renaissance-inspired uniforms, were also present for the mass and ceremonial activities at the airport.

In Rome, the Pontifical Swiss Guard has been tasked with protecting the pope and his official palace in the Vatican City since 1506, when the first Swiss mercenaries arrived on request of the then Pope Julius II.

Pope Francis ended his mass to huge applause by thanking the Geneva people and the Swiss authorities.

“I salute the citizens of this beautiful city,” he declared. “I want to thank the Swiss government for the friendly invitation and precious collaboration.”


Sri Lanka: President Sirisena Vows No Return To Dictatorship

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Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday took serious exception to a top Buddhist monk urging former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to take over the country as a Hitler-type military dictator. President Sirisena said as a Buddhist he had the highest respect for the clergy, but could not agree with a senior monk of the Asgiriya chapter who invited Rajapaksa to “be a Hitler, take the military and take power.”

Sirisena said the voters toppled former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa because they wanted to end a decade-long iron-fisted rule and win back their personal freedoms. “In January 2015, people did not vote for food or jobs,” the President said addressing a meeting Nikawaratiya. “They voted for freedom and democracy. I have restored both and will not allow this country to slip back to a dictatorship.”

Sirisena said he was saddened by the call of Ven. Venduruwe Upali Thera who sought a return to an era when citizens were deprived of their basic human rights and any dissent was immediately crushed. “We have restored the freedoms of the people, and media freedom. In fact, these freedoms are being abused and we are attacked without any fear of reprisals, unlike in the past.”

Sirisena added he was being criticised as a weak leader because he did not oppress the people unlike his predecessor. Former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike too was criticised using the same language and he was assassinated three and a half years into his term, the President noted. Despite the threats, the President said he will not waver and will not allow the hard-won democracy to be undermined in the country.

The Venerable Upali Thera raised eyebrows with his sermon at a birthday celebration of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday encouraging him to be like a Hitler who slaughtered six million Jews in the Holocaust and take power as the next President of Sri Lanka. The monk prayed that the youngest Rajapaksa sibling will be the next President. “As the clergy, we feel the country needs a religious leader,” the monk said.

“Some people describe you as a Hitler,” the monk told Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. “Be a Hitler! Go with the military. Take the leadership of the country.” He was happy that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was being mentioned as a potential candidate to be the next president of Sri Lanka. “With the blessings of Mahinda Rajapaksa, people aspire to have Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as a presidential candidate,” Venerable Upali Thera said even as two other Rajapaksa siblings in contention — Basil and Chamal – were also in the audience.

Gotabhaya’s alms giving to mark his 69th birthday was attended by opposition MP’s, including some SLFP parliamentarians who left the government recently. Venerable Upali Thera, the Anunayaka (deputy) in the Asgiriya Chapter, made it clear that Gotabhaya was his choice over the other Rajapaksa siblings who also want to be President. The monk made no reference to allegations that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was responsible for “white van” kidnappings and extra judicial killings, but said he could be a “religious leader, a Buddhist leader and a Sinhala leader.”

Thailand: Police In Deep South Arrest Suspect Transporting 41 Bombs

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By Mariyam Ahmad and Matahari Ismail

Highway police in Thailand’s Deep South on Thursday arrested a suspected insurgent who was attempting to smuggle dozens of homemade bombs from a town along the Malaysian border to inner areas of Narathiwat province, officials said.

Zanuzi Yatae was driving a bomb-laden pickup truck from Sungai Kolok town to Yi-ngor, a district in Narathiwat, before encountering a police checkpoint and getting arrested, according to the provincial police chief. An alleged accomplice escaped.

“These improvised explosive devices were trucked from a neighboring country by the insurgents for attacks on targets in the Deep South,” said Maj. Manas Sikasamat, who oversees the Narathiwat provincial police bureau.

On Thursday afternoon, Zanuzi and the suspected accomplice were speeding along Takbai Sungai Kolok route when they saw a checkpoint in Saring village. They stopped the truck and ran from the scene, according to highway police.

Police found 41 explosive devices made from metal tubes and timing devices, along with walkie-talkies and other devices.

Manas said Zanuzi identified the other suspect as Abdulaziz Samoe.

“Zanuzi admitted that he is responsible for transporting the bombs from Sungai Kolok for delivery to another group in the Yi-ngor district of Narathiwat,” Manas said while observing the check point.

Following the arrest and while preparing for possible attacks, Lt. Gen. Keukul Innachak, deputy commander for Thailand’s southern region, ordered increased security measures.

Nine Ramadan attack suspects arrested

On May 20, 16 bombs exploded within 50 minutes in four provinces in the insurgent-wracked Deep South. Officials said those responsible aimed at disrupting peace talks and the Ramadan observance.

Two days later, a Deep South military spokesman said a suspected bomber, Waegoyi Taleh, 28, was arrested. Waegoyi has been identified as a leader of a field militant cell locally known as RKK (Runda Kumpulan Kecil), a tactical arm of the rebel group Barisan Revolusi Nasional.

Senior military official said following Waegoyi’s capture, authorities were able to identify 13 suspects, arresting eight who were linked with attacks in Pattani province.

Pattani is one of the provinces in the Deep South, where nearly 7,000 people have died in violence since a separatist insurgency re-ignited in the predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking region 14 years ago.

Maj. Gen. Jatuporn Kalumpasut, the commander of Pattani Task Force, said four of the eight suspects confessed to having a hand in the May 20 attacks. Four others said they were involved in previous attacks in Pattani but not those that day.

Meanwhile on Thursday, police, the provincial governor and Jatuporn brought alleged bomb trainer Suhaimi Masae and alleged trainee Mayusof Masae to reenact a blast, a formality after suspects admit wrong-doing.

“He asked me to press this switch and the light will be on … he taught me to make trigger circuitry, he trained us one by one,” Mayusof Masae told police, referring to Suhaimi Masae, as he reenacted the crime at a residence in Pattani’s Yarang district where they were trained.

Police did not say if the suspects were related.

Mayusof Masae’s mother said she did not know her son was linked with insurgents until he was arrested and she visited him at a military inquiry center in Pattani.

“He went to a Pondok school, I never knew he did this. Had I known, I would not let him do this,” she told BenarNews.

Timor-Leste: Rejected 11 Ministerial Nominations

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By Michael Sainsbury and Jose Belo

Taur Matan Ruak was sworn in as Timor-Leste’s seventh prime minister by President Francisco “Lu’Olo” Guterres in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Dili on June 22, officially ending 11 months of political gridlock.

The 63-year-old PM was formerly president of the country from 2012-17 and nominated 42 ministers and vice-ministers but 11 were missing from the ceremony, having been knocked back by the president because of corruption investigations.

Former president and prime minister Xanana Gusmao, who leads the biggest party in the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP) coalition and whose nomination as minister adviser to the PM has been accepted, snubbed the ceremony in protest at the president’s rejection of the 11 members of cabinet. Because of his absence, Gusmao is yet to have an official post in the new government.

The absence of the 11 has left major holes in the new administration as the nominees for the portfolios of health, defense, commerce, finance and the interior include those turned down by Guterres. The president comes from the main political party Fretilin, which Ruak’s AMP beat in the May 12 election, the country’s second poll in 10 months.

“Timor-Leste is a semi-presidential system and we are starting to see here some aspects of ‘cohabitation’, when you have a prime minister and a president from different political parties, leading to negotiation and likely compromise on certain issues,” Swinburne University politics professor Michael Leach told ucanews.com

To add to the complications, there has been jockeying for positions inside AMP, a coalition of three parties: the Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), the People’s Liberation Party led by Ruak and martial arts group-cum-street gang turned political party KHUNTO.

CNRT is led by Gusmao, who as well as having the minister adviser to the PM role will continue negotiations with energy companies to exploit the Greater Sunrise undersea energy reserves worth at least US$50 billion.

Despite AMP officially declaring it would oppose Guterre’s decision to block the appointments and refer them to various independent bodies for review, Leach said: “There is precedent for the president successfully opposing certain ministerial nominations that comes from 2012.”

Then, it was Ruak himself when president who successfully knocked back the nomination of Maria Domingas Alves, a revolutionary fighter known as Micato, as minister for defense and security by then prime minister Xanana Gusmao. She was eventually reappointed to her previous position as minister for social security.

The ministerial nominees who have been knocked back by the president include Sergio Lobo nominee for health minister, a confirmed wife beater; Francisco Kalbuadi Lay for commerce, tourism and sports minister, who was previously caught up in a football scandal and had the country banned for two years by FIFA.

Gastao de Sousa, nominee for planning strategic investment, Helder Lospes, nominee for finance minister, and Tomas Cabral, nominee for state administration minister, have all been alleged to have engaged in nepotistic and corrupt practices.

Vergilho Smith, nominee for veterans affairs minister, had allegedly given falsified documents and Brigadier General Filomimo Paixao, nominee for minister for defense, is alleged to have had an improper relationship with a Malaysian company for hardware supplies to the military.

Gastao de Sousa is currently in court on corruption and misuse of government property charges in the first of what are reportedly a string of cases to be brought against him.

A number of vice-ministerial nominees have also been knocked back for a range of similar allegations.

Yellowstone’s ‘Landscape Of Fear’ Not So Scary After All

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fter wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s, some scientists thought the large predator reestablished a ‘landscape of fear’ that caused elk, the wolf’s main prey, to avoid risky places where wolves killed them. This fueled the emerging idea that predators affect prey populations and ecosystems not only by eating prey animals, but by scaring them too.

But according to findings from Utah State University ecologists Michel Kohl and Dan MacNulty, Yellowstone’s ‘landscape of fear’ is not as scary as first thought.

“Contrary to popular belief, the wolf is not a round-the-clock threat to elk; it mostly hunts at dawn and dusk, and this allows elk to safely access risky places during nightly lulls in wolf activity,” said Kohl, who completed a doctoral degree at USU in 2018 and is lead author of the paper. “Despite their Hollywood portrayal as nighttime prowlers, wolves tend to hunker down at night because their vision is not optimized for nocturnal hunting.”

The researchers revisited data from 27 GPS radio-collared elk that had been collected in the early years after the reintroduction, 2001-2004, but never fully analyzed. These collars recorded the location of each elk every 4-6 hours. This was the first time GPS technology had been used to track Yellowstone elk, and no one imagined that elk might sync their habitat use to the wolf’s 24-hour schedule. Little was known about this schedule until researchers first equipped wolves with GPS collars in 2004.

“In the days before GPS, when we tracked wolves by sight and with VHF radio-telemetry, we knew they hunted mainly in the morning and evening, but we didn’t know much about what they did at night” said MacNulty, a veteran Yellowstone wolf researcher and associate professor in USU’s Department of Wildland Resources and the USU Ecology Center. “GPS data showed that wolves were about as inactive in the middle of the night as they were in the middle of the day.”

Kohl used the GPS data to quantify the 24-hour schedule of wolves, and he compared how elk use of risky places – sites where wolves killed elk – differed between periods of high and low wolf activity.

“Elk avoided the riskiest places when wolves were most active, but they had no problem using these same places when wolves were least active,” said Kohl. “An elk’s perception of a place as dangerous or safe, its landscape of fear, was highly dynamic with ‘peaks’ and ‘valleys’ that alternated across the 24-hr cycle in response to the ups and downs of wolf activity.”

The ability of elk to regularly use risky places during wolf downtimes has implications for understanding the impact of wolves on elk and the ecosystem at large.

“Our results can explain why many other studies found no clear-cut effect of wolf predation risk on elk stress levels, body condition, pregnancy, or herbivory,” said MacNulty. “If our results reflect typical elk behavior, then actual killing rather than fear probably drives most, if not all, of the effect of wolves on elk and any cascading effect on the plants that elk eat such as aspen and willow.”

This conclusion runs counter to popular views about the ecological importance of fear in Yellowstone and elsewhere.

“Although our study is the first to show how a prey animal uses predator downtime to flatten its landscape of fear, I suspect other examples will emerge as more researchers examine the intersection between prey habitat use and predator activity rhythms,” said Kohl.

Diplomat Says Iran Likely To Leave JCPOA In Coming Weeks

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi said given the vague prospect of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), there is a possibility that Tehran leaves the accord in coming weeks.

“I cannot say that the prospect of the continuation of negotiations with Europe is clear and can lead us to achieve a joint package for saving the JCPOA,” Araqchi was quoted as saying by the Persian-language website of euronews.

Iran’s patience has come to an end and it is probable that Iran will withdraw from the JCPOA in the coming weeks, he noted.

Tehran was negotiating with the other signatories “to see if they can provide us with a package which can give Iran the benefits of sanctions lifting”, the diplomat said.

“The next step is to find guarantees for that package,” he said, adding that Iran needed specifics on how that would happen by the end of May.

“I told the conference today that the JCPOA is in the intensive care unit because it has lost its balance as a result of US withdrawal from the deal,” Araqchi said, referring to a meeting between the remaining signatories of the JCPOA in Vienna on Thursday.

On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the JCPOA running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the Europeans.

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