Japan's fisheries challenge Fukushima wastewater plan


Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said contaminated water at the Fukushima No. 1 plant needs attention. Tokyo plans to dispose the water into the ocean. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

April 7 (UPI) -- Japanese fisheries representatives say they oppose a government decision to release Fukushima wastewater into the ocean, as Tokyo is expected to soon deliver an ultimatum on the disposal of radioactive water.

Hiroshi Kishi, the head of JF Zengyoren, a national federation of fisheries cooperatives, said he remains "absolutely against" a potential government move to dispose the treated water into the sea, Jiji Press and the Nikkei reported Wednesda
"There has been no change in our position of 'absolute opposition'" to the idea, Kishi said, according to reports.y.

Japan initially planned to dispose of the contaminated water in November, but suspended the decision. The South Korean government also has voiced concerns about the policy, citing environmental pollution and concerns about hazardous waste.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has endorsed Tokyo's plan of disposal. According to Kyodo News, the IAEA had said throwing out the water meets global standards of practice in the nuclear industry.

Japan's fisheries are concerned about how the disposal could affect their bottom line. Despite assurances of safety, the industry is worried customers will stop buying their catch.

"It is 

"I want the government to clarify how it intends to respond to such reputational damage."

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with Kishi on Wednesday. Suga has not made a final decision, Kishi said.

On Tuesday, Suga appeared on a late-night television program to address the issue of the contaminated water in Fukushima, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Suga said the water cannot "always be left unattended" and must be disposed of soon.

Water contaminated with radioactive matter continues to be produced at the Fukushima No. 1 plant at a daily rate of about 140 tons, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

Survey finds 82% of dead eagles with rat poison in their systems



New research suggests rat poison exposure is common among North America's eagle populations. Photo by skeeze/Pixabay


April 7 (UPI) -- Scientists found rat poison in the systems of 82% of the few hundred dead eagles examined for a multiyear survey between 2014 and 2018.

The survey results, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, are a reminder of the lurking threats that face even the most well-protected animals.

"Generally, bald eagle populations have been thriving in the United States. This is great news and a conservation success story," corresponding author Mark Ruder told UPI in an email.

"However, as wildlife health researchers, we are always concerned about the health of wildlife, including eagles. We live in a changing world and the human population puts a lot of pressure on our natural resources," said Ruder, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine.

RELATED Brain disease killing bald eagles traced to unknown cyanobacterium

For the survey -- officially, the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study -- scientists collected and analyzed the diagnostics records of more than 300 deceased eagles.

Researchers also analyzed toxicology reports for liver samples collected from 116 bald eagles and 17 golden eagles.

The data showed an overwhelming majority of surveyed eagles had rat poison in their systems. Scientists blamed rat poison exposure, or anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis, for the deaths of 12 eagles, or 4% of the examined eagles.

RELATED Wildlife biodiversity is a boon to human health, seafood nutrition

As previous studies have shown, population declines are rarely traceable to a single cause, which is why scientists are keen to keep close tabs on the many ways human pressures are affecting wildlife health.

"Many wildlife populations face tremendous obstacles now, or in the future, which are unrelated to disease, such as habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation," Ruder said. "Being proactive to identify additional disease threats to populations may help to get in front of a problem and minimize negative impacts in the future."

Although eagles have made a tremendous comeback across North America over the last half-century, local threats remain.

RELATED Blue-green algae blooms can release harmful toxins into the air

In Wisconsin, scientists have discovered a deadly virus spreading among eagles.

Researchers have been tracking a deadly brain disorder caused by blue-green algae that is decimating eagle populations in pockets of the American South.

Now, the latest findings suggest rat poison exposure is common among eagles across the country.

RELATED Scientists map Earth's undiscovered biodiversity

"People in many suburban/urban, commercial and agricultural settings use various anticoagulant rodenticide compounds to control rodent populations," Ruder said.

"This may range from controlling mice and rats inside and around structures in urban settings to controlling prairie dog populations in the Western United States. The applications are quite variable, but wherever these compounds are used, there is potential for non-target wildlife exposure and intoxication. This is not isolated to eagles, it is well-documented in a variety of raptor species and also occurs in mammals," Ruder said.

In followup studies, researchers plan to investigate possible exposure pathways, as well as develop new mitigation strategies.

They said they also hope to investigate the sublethal effects of rat poison exposure on the health of eagles and other animals.

"Even when a particular wildlife species appears to be thriving, it is important to define causes of mortality," Ruder said. "These animals live in a changing world, one that is significantly impacted by humans."

"Causes of mortality, such as pathogens and toxicants, can often be additive and we need to be proactive in identifying potential threats to wildlife now and looking in the future," Ruder said.


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British army readies solar farm to reduce emissions


Construction of a 430,000 square-foot array of solar panels is underway at an army base in Leconfield, England, the British Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of British Ministry of Defense

April 7 (UPI) -- The British army announced its construction on Wednesday of a photovoltaic solar farm to supply its Leconfield, England, transport school with electricity.

With 4,248 solar panels to be arrayed on a field, it was described in a Twitter statement on Wednesday as "the first of four photovoltaic solar far

The solar farm is part of the British Army's "Project Prometheus," with a goal of attaining net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and is expected to result in an emissions reduction of 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide -- as well as a $1.37 million efficiency savings, per year.

The project at Leconfield's Defense School of Transport is one of four planned sites, which are expected to provide one-third of the needed electrical power for each site.

Leconfield, in Yorkshire; the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in South Cerney, Gloucestershire; the Rock Barracks in Suffolk and Baker Barracks on Thorney Island, Sussex, are scheduled to go on line by the summer of 2021.

Another 80 solar farms across the country are planned by the British army in the next seven years.

"The Army remains wholly committed to play its part in meeting the UK's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050," British army sustainability chief Maj. Gen. David Southall said in a press release.

"To deliver this, we are working hard to reduce energy demand as well as increase 'green' supply across our estate," Southall said.

 

Virginia General Assembly votes to legalize adult marijuana possession

April 7 (UPI) -- Virginia's General Assembly on Wednesday granted final approval to a bill to legalize simple possession of marijuana for adults and limited home growth beginning this summer.

The bill allows adults 21 and older in the state to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to four marijuana plants per household beginning July 1, making Virginia the first southern state to legalize recreational marijuana

The state House approved the measure by a 53-44 vote, while Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax was forced to break a 20-20 tie in the Senate, voting in favor of the legislation as part of a one-day session to tie up consideration of Gov. Ralph Northam's budget and bill amendments.

Northam proposed moving the deadline to legalize marijuana possession up three years from its original date of 2024, when the state is set to begin permitting recreational marijuana sales.

RELATED Study dispels 'lazy stoner' myth: Pot users don't exercise any less

Under the bill, Virginians will still be prohibited from smoking in public or in a vehicle and penalties for youth use and possession on school property will remain in place.

Plants grown at households must also be labeled, kept out of public view and outside the range of anyone under 21 years old.

"I think providing a safe, legal means for folks to produce while we set up the regulatory framework is important," Democratic Sen. Jeremy McPike said.

RELATED New York legalizes adult-use marijuana sales

Northam's amendments also call for the automatic expungement of past misdemeanor marijuana convictions to begin as soon as possible.

"This is because there is a straightforward injustice to punishing people for something we've already agreed should be legal, especially when we know that the punishments are given out inequitably," said House Democratic leader Charniele L. Herring.

The proposal also requests immediate funding for a public health campaign on the risks of cannabis use and police training to identify drivers under the influence of marijuana.

RELATED New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana use, regulates sales

Some Republicans said the early date for legalizing possession does not give law enforcement enough time to prepare.

"There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. We are doing this the wrong way by trying to rush another bill with more than 50,000 substantial changes," Republican Sen. Bryce Reeves said.

Republicans also opposed an amendment that would permit the Cannabis Control Authority to revoke a company's license if they interfere with union organizing efforts, don't pay a prevailing wage under federal law or classify more than 10% of employees as independent contractors.

"The business community in my region and across the state of Virginia are very upset," GOP Sen. Bill DeSteph said. "They see this as a back door way to appease labor union

Continued warming to put one-third of Antarctic ice shelves at risk of collapse



A long crack is seen across the Larsen C Ice Shelf, as seen by the Operational Land Imager on the NASA/USGS Landsat 8 spacecraft in 2017, is one of the largest remaining shelves in Antarctica -- but researchers are worried about the threat that warmer temperatures pose to its health. File Photo by NASA/UPI | License Photo

April 7 (UPI) -- If global temperatures reach 4 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, more than a third of Antarctic's ice shelves will be at risk of collapse, according to new models detailed Thursday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Modeling the potential collapse of Antarctica's ice shelf is key to forecasting global sea level rise, said climate scientists at Britain's University of Reading.

The new simulations showed, specifically, that more than two-thirds of the ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula would be at risk of collapse under a severe warming scenario.

Conversely, if warming is limited to 2 degrees, simulations suggest the risk of collapse along Antartica's coast can be halved and accelerated sea level rise can be avoided.

RELATED Two new icebergs break off from giant iceberg A68a

Should the continent's ice shelves collapse, Antarctica's interior ice sheet would become increasingly exposed to warm air and water, further accelerating melt rates and sea level rise.

While the collapse of a third of Antarctica's ice shelves sounds dramatic, paleoclimate data suggests ancient warming events have previously triggered the rapid loss of ice shelves, ice sheets and glaciers.

Currently, Antarctica's ice shelves serve as a protective buffer, insulating interior glaciers from warm water currents and rising atmospheric temperatures.

RELATED Western half of Antarctica warming faster than eastern half, new study shows why

The ice shelves also work like a dam, counteracting gravity's influence on southern continent's interior ice.

Even without continued warming, destabilization of Antarctica's ice shelf would guarantee accelerated melt rates and sea level rise for a century or more.

"We know that when melted ice accumulates on the surface of ice shelves, it can make them fracture and collapse spectacularly," study lead author Ella Gilbert, climate scientist at the University of Reading in Britain, said in a press release.

RELATED Antarctic ice sheets can retreat as fast 165 feet per day

"Previous research has given us the bigger picture in terms of predicting Antarctic ice shelf decline, but our new study uses the latest modeling techniques to fill in the finer detail and provide more precise projections," said Gilbert, a climate scientist at the University of Reading.

"The findings highlight the importance of limiting global temperature increases as set out in the Paris Agreement if we are to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, including sea level rise," Gilbert said.

Gilbert developed the new models to isolate the effects of warming trends on the fracturing process inside Antarctica's ice shelf. The simulations considered three global warming scenarios: warming of 1.5, 2 and 4 degrees Celsius.

RELATED Scientists calculate sea level rise if Antarctic ice shelves collapse

Every year, meltwater runoff cleaves holes and crevices in the large expanses of ice that stretch into the Southern Ocean. New snow and refrozen meltwater often fills theses gaps, but when meltwater rates outpace new snow, these gaps can grow larger and larger.

Eventually, these widening crevices can cause parts of the ice shelf to collapse.

In 2017, this process caused a massive iceberg to cleave into the ocean from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf, leaving the shelf vulnerable to further breakdown.

In 2002, Larsen C's neighbor, the Larsen B ice shelf, disintegrated in the wake of a similarly dramatic breakaway.

The newest simulations showed that the Larsen C, Shackleton, Pine Island and Wilkins ice shelves are most at risk of collapse under accelerated warming scenarios.

"If temperatures continue to rise at current rates, we may lose more Antarctic ice shelves in the coming decades," Gilbert said. "Limiting warming will not just be good for Antarctica -- preserving ice shelves means less global sea level rise, and that's good for us all."

Scientists measure ocean currents underneath 'Doomsday Glacier'


The calving front of Thwaites Ice Shelf, with a view of the ice below the water's surface, as seen from the NASA DC-8 in 2012. Photo by James Yungel/NASA/Flickr

April 9 (UPI) -- For the first time, climate scientists have measured ocean conditions beneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, sometimes called the "Doomsday Glacier."

The fresh observations, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, show Thwaites is exposed to larger amounts of warm water than previously estimated.

Thwaites is thought to be one of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's most vulnerable glaciers, its location and structure making it especially susceptible to influxes of warm, salty water.

In recent years, scientists have watched its grounding line recede and its height shrink as melting rates accelerate.

RELATED Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail

To better understand the vulnerabilities of the glacier's underbelly, scientists sent a remote-controlled submersible named Ran beneath the ice shelf to investigate.

"This was Ran's first venture to polar regions and her exploration of the waters under the ice shelf was much more successful than we had dared to hope," study co-author Karen Heywood said in a news release.

"We plan to build on these exciting findings with further missions under the ice next year," said Heywood, a professor of physical oceanography at the University of East Anglia.

RELATED Calving to leave Thwaites Glacier increasingly vulnerable to collapse

Ran measured current speeds, as well as water temperature, salinity and oxygenation, at a variety of depths beneath Thwaites.

The data helped scientists mapped the movement of underwater currents in the region, revealing a large volume of deep water flowing toward the Antarctic coast from Pine Island Bay -- a pathway scientists previously thought was blocked by a ridge.

The discovery suggests Thwaites is vulnerable to a larger supply of warm water than previously estimated.

RELATED Antarctic ice instability could yield rapid melting, dramatic sea level rise

"The channels for warm water to access and attack Thwaites weren't known to us before the research," said co-author Alastair Graham, climate scientist at the University of South Florida.

"Using sonars on the ship, nested with very high-resolution ocean mapping from Ran, we were able to find that there are distinct paths that water takes in and out of the ice shelf cavity, influenced by the geometry of the ocean floor," Graham said.

Thwaites is one of several coastal glaciers slowing the descent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Southern Ocean.

Currently, the ice sheet is responsible for just 10 percent of global sea level rise, but that number would surely increase -- and rapidly -- if Thwaites or one of its neighbors collapse.

The underwater data collected by Ran also revealed a diverse array of meltwater flows surrounding the pinning points, the areas where the bottom of the glacier anchors on the seabed -- areas critical to the ice shelf's overall stability.

"This work highlights that how and where warm water impacts Thwaites Glacier is influenced by the shape of the sea floor and the ice-shelf base as well as the properties of the water itself," said co-author Rob Larter of the British Antarctic Survey.

"The successful integration of new sea-floor survey data and observations of water properties from the Ran missions shows the benefits of the multidisciplinary ethos within the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration," Larter said.

The future of Antartica's ice sheets, and their influence on global sea level rise remains one of climate science's largest uncertainties, but the study's authors suggest the latest data will help them develop more accurate forecasting models.

ROBIN HOOD NATION
North Korea stole $1B during cyber heists over past decade, study says

ROB FROM THE RICH, GIVE TO THE POOR; THEMSELVES

North Korean hackers consistently stole from bitcoin exchanges over the past decade, a new study says. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo


April 8 (UPI) -- North Korea is connected to more than half of the world's top 10 financial hacking incidents and may have stolen about $1 billion since 2011, according to a new study.

Britain-based Traders of Crypto said in a new report North Korea has been stealing consistently from bitcoin exchanges and engaging in other forms of cyber theft, Voice of America's Korean service reported Thursday.

Of the top 10 financial heists from 2011 to 2020, five of the incidents were North Korea affiliated, the report said.




North Korea's computer hackers were responsible for the January 2018 attack on Japanese exchange Coincheck, stealing $534 million in NEM, an open-source cryptocurrency token. NEM stands for New Economic Movement. The heist is one of the biggest on record for virtual currencies, VOA reported.

North Korean hackers also were responsible for other cyber crimes: a $390 million hack of the Malaysian central bank, the theft of $170 million from the Union Bank of India and $110 million stolen from Mexico's Export-Import Bank system in January 2018.

Ondrej Krehel, chief of cybersecurity firm Lifars, told Fortune Magazine that the North Koreans are "military-trained hackers who execute their cryptocurrency swindles with military precision."

The analyst also said "almost all" cryptocurrency thefts originate from North Korea.

During virtual currency transfers that are similar to moving cash from bank vaults to ATMs, cryptocurrency moves from "cold" to "hot" wallets. Hackers "pounce" during those transfers, Krehel said, according to Fortune.

North Korean state media said Thursday that the Korean Workers' Party cell conference continued for a second day, and is likely to go on for one or more days.

Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said the party cells, consisting of grass-roots level members, are key to North Korea's "new five-year plan" first made public at the Eighth Party Congress in January.

RELATED North Korea lashes out after child malnutrition allegations

In February, North Korean hackers were indicted in a cyber plot to steal from banks. Analysts previously have said North Korean hackers could be funding the regime's nuclear weapons program.

Study: New treatments fueled drop in deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients


COVID-19 deaths among hospitalized patients declined as the pandemic progressed, a new study has found. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

April 8 (UPI) -- The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States who died from the disease declined by nearly 50% as the pandemic progressed and new ways for managing care emerged, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

At the start of the pandemic, in March 2020, about 11% of patients hospitalized following infection died -- a figure that rose to nearly 20% in April before dropping to just over 9% in November, the data showed.

These trends roughly coincide with the use of corticosteroids and other treatments in patients hospitalized with severe illness due to COVID-19.

Even though the percentage of young adults ages 18 to 49 hospitalized with the virus increased to just under 30% from 20% over the same period, the influx of younger, presumably healthier patients was not a factor in the decline in death rates linked with the disease, researchers said.

RELATED One-third of kids with severe COVID-19 complication develop heart issues

"Reductions in mortality rates did not appear to be associated with the age distribution of hospitalized patients with [COVID-19]-positive tests," researchers from Kenilworth, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company Merck wrote.

The changes "were likely because of new therapies and improvements in the clinical management of patients with [COVID-19] infection," they said.

The United States is averaging just over 60,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, and nearly 5,000 of these cases per day, on average, are admitted to a hospital for treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RELATED Study: 1 in 4 hospitalized patients with most severe form of COVID-19 will die

For this study, the Merck researchers analyzed data on more than 500,000 people treated at 209 hospitals across the country between March and November of last year.

Just under 10% of the patients included in the study tested positive for COVID-19. Of those with positive tests, about half were male and over age 65, while 27% were age 50 to 64 and 25% were age 18 to 49.

Nearly 12% of the patients who tested positive for the virus died in the hospital, 1% of whom were under age 18 and 21% of whom were older than 75.

RELATED Recovering COVID-19 patients shows signs of long-term organ damage

The largest declines in virus-related death rates over the nine-month period were seen in patients age 75 and older, to 17% from 36%, and in those ages 65 to 75, to 10% from 23%.

Although "the U.S. was largely unprepared for COVID-19 [initially], we definitely learned methods for treating patients with severe ... symptoms over time," public health expert Brandon Brown, who was not part of this study, told UPI.

"This likely accounted for the decrease in hospital mortality," said Brown, an associate professor of social medicine population and public health at the University of California-Riverside.


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Montana study: American Indians face greater likelihood of dying from COVID-19

Native Americans in Montana are more likely than White people there to catch or die from COVID-19, though Blackfeet Nation in the northern part of the state -- the entrance to the Blackfeet Tribal Reservation is pictured -- saw its illness and death rates decline after instituting mask wearing and social distancing. Photo by Murray Foubister/Wikimedia Commons

April 8 (UPI) -- American Indians are twice as likely to contract COVID-19 and have a four-fold higher risk for death from the disease compared to White people, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Between March and November last year, an estimated 9,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported for every 100,000 American Indians, and 267 died following infection.

Over the same period, just over 4,000 cases were reported for every 100,000 White people, and 71 of them died following infection, CDC data showed.

The findings are based on an analysis of nearly 50,000 COVID-19 cases and 903 virus-related deaths in Montana, which has a high American Indian or Native American population, conducted by the state's Department of Public Health and Human Services.

RELATED Vaccine distribution inequality reflects 'broken' U.S. healthcare system, experts say

Because Native Americans in Montana are more likely to live in shared housing, be essential workers who can't work from home or be unable to telework because of a lack of internet access, the CDC said they are more likely to get infected with the coronavirus.

"In addition, [they] might be more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 due to challenges accessing health care, and because COVID-19 risk factors, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cigarette smoking, are common," the agency said.

From the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Nov. 30, more than 63,000 people in Montana were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the CDC.

RELATED Black Hispanics at especially high risk for severe COVID-19

Just over 7,000, or 14%, of these cases occurred in American Indians, while about 39,000, or 79% were in White residents, the data showed.

Of the 903 COVID-19 deaths in Montana during the nine-month period, 23% involved American Indians and 74% involved White residents.

American Indians account for about 7% of Montana's population, while White people make up about 90%, the agency said.

RELATED CDC: American Indians, Alaska Natives 3 times more likely to get COVID-19


The disparities might have been more pronounced had leaders for several tribal reservations not instituted measures designed to limit virus spread in the fall, according to the CDC.

In a separate report released Thursday, the implementation of strictly enforced stay-at-home order and mask-wearing regulations on the Blackfeet Tribal Reservation on Sept. 28 were found to reduce total COVID-19 cases there 33-fold -- from a peak of 6.40 cases per 1,000 residents per day on Oct. 5 to 0.2 on Nov. 7.

Wearing face masks, physical distancing, using remote learning and quarantining after exposure -- in addition to barring the public from Glacier National Park's east gate, located on tribal ground -- contributed to the declining rates, according to the CDC.

Conversely, the agency noted that a tribal investigation indicated that COVID-19 case increases followed relaxation of stay-at-home orders, the opening of campgrounds and events such as Labor Day gatherings and the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo

Intelligence report predicts COVID-19 could cause long-term inequality, division


The National Intelligence Council's 2040 Global Trends report predicted that long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could include increased political division and global inequality. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo




April 8 (UPI) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has caused potential long-term effects including deepening global inequality and driving political division, according to a U.S. intelligence report released Thursday.

The National Intelligence Council's Global Trends report, issued every four years, predicts a possible future in which people clash over resources, governments struggle to meet the needs of their citizens and people live in increasingly fragmented communities by 2040.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political and security implications that will ripple for years to come," said the council, a center in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that releases forecasts based on U.S. spy agencies.

It noted that the pandemic is "slowing and possibly reversing some longstanding trends in human development," while the response to the pandemic has fueled partisanship and polarization as people "argue over the best way to respond and seek scapegoats to blame for spreading the virus and for slow responses."

As a result, the report predicts that people are likely to "gravitate to information silos of people who share similar views, reinforcing beliefs and understanding of the truth."

In addition to the pandemic, the report also warns that the physical effects from climate change, sea level rise and extreme weather events "will impact every country."

Technology is also expected to remain an integral role in daily life, with artificial intelligence emerging as a tool that will "benefit almost every aspect of life" accompanied with steep risks regarding civil liberties.

"Privacy and anonymity may effectively disappear by choice or government mandate, as all aspects of personal and professional lives are tracked by global networks," the report says. "Real-time, manufactured or synthetic media could further distort truth and reality, destabilizing societies at a scale and speed that dwarfs current disinformation challenges.

The report also envisions various scenarios including one where the United States rises to a new era of global leadership along with its European allies, fueled by the global distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, while Russia and China struggle with internal issues as their brightest minds leave to other nations.

Another scenario presents the United States falling from its status as a global power amid a global environmental crisis and food shortages, while the European Union works with China and the United Nations to strengthen international aid and sustainability.

The report notes that the international system is currently "poorly set up to address the compounding global challenges facing populations" but says the pandemic may also provide the spark to correct these issues.

"COVID-19 could also lead to redirection of national budgets toward pandemic response and economic recovery, diverting funds from defense expenditures, foreign aid and infrastructure programs in some countries, at least in the near term," the report states.

U.S. targets Myanmar's gemstone industry to cut funds from junta




The United States government on Thursday imposed further sanctions targeting the finances of Myanmar's military. Photo by Xiao Long/UPI | License Photo

April 8 (UPI) -- The United States on Thursday imposed additional punitive sanctions targeting the Myanmar junta over its usurpation of the government and its bloody crackdown on those who protest its coup.

The Treasury said in a statement it was sanctioning state-owned Myanma Gems Enterprise, which is responsible for all gemstone activities in the country.

Gemstones are a key economic resource for the military regime, it said.

"Today's actions highlights Treasury's commitment to denying the Burmese military sources of funding, including form key state-owned enterprises throughout Burma," Andrea Gacki, director of the Office of the Foreign Assets Control, said, referring to Myanmar by its older name.

The sanctions, which freeze all property and assets under Myanma Gems Enterprise name while barring U.S. citizens from doing business with it, were imposed under Executive Order 14014 for it being a political instrument of the Myanmar government.

The Treasury said the enterprise, operated under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, is responsible for managing the mining and marketing of jade and other gems.

"By imposing targeted sanctions on this entity, we are sending a clear signal to the military that the United States will keep increasing pressure on the regime's revenue streams until it ceases its violence, releases all those unjustly detained, lifts martial law and the nationwide state of emergency, removes telecommunications restrictions and restores Burma to the path of democracy," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The United States has repeatedly imposed targeted punitive sanctions against Myanmar military units, companies and generals in response to their ousting of democratically elected officials to usurp control of the country on Feb. 1.

Since the coup, protests that have raged nationwide in opposition have been confronted with escalating military violence, resulting in hundreds of deaths and arrests, including more than 100 people on March 27.

According to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 614 people have been killed by the state, including 16 in the past two days. More than 2,850 people have also been detained by security forces since the coup, it said.

The European Union, Canada, Britain and other countries have also imposed sanctions against Myanmar.

Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the EU to impose additional sanctions against military officials and military-owned companies after EU High Representative Joseph Borrell said further sanctions would be coming.

The rights organization asked for the sanctions to target the country's oil and gas sector as it is the greatest source or revenues for the country.

In the letter to the EU, the organization called for international governments to design coordinated measures to block payments to the junta and state-owned enterprises from foreign-financed oil and gas projects.

"EU Condemnation and efforts to advance accountability and justice for grave, widespread and systematic abuses by the military junta are welcome and important, yet words and partial steps are not enough," it said. "Additional sanctions are urgently needed."

Late Thursday, the ambassadors to Myanmar from Australia, Canada, the EU, Czech Republic, Denmark, the United States and 12 other nations issued a joint statement in support of the protesters and in condemnation of those who were killed, saying they are "humbled by their courage and dignity."

"We are united to accompany the grief of their families and friends. We stand together to support the hopes and aspirations of all those who believe in a free, just, peaceful and democratic Myanmar, where the rights and the potential of all people can be fully respected and developed," the countries said in a joint statement. "Violence has to stop, all political detainees must be released and democracy should be restored."