The opportunities and risks of digitalization for sustainable development

A systemic focus on risks and benefits of digital technologies

INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES E.V. (IASS)

Research News

 

Digitalisation can support transitions towards a more sustainable society if technologies and processes are designed in line with suitable criteria. This requires a systemic focus on the risks and benefits of digital technologies across the three dimensions of sustainable development: the environment, society, and the economy. This is the conclusion of a study prepared by a team of researchers at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam. Applying this precautionary approach to digitalisation requires the active involvement of developers, users, and regulators.

Digitalisation is a complex and dynamic process often regarded as the fourth major innovation cycle in human history. The use of a systemic risk-benefit perspective could shed light on the links and interdependencies between digital technologies and the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability, emphasise the team of researchers at the IASS.

The flexibility of digital services creates important opportunities for efforts to achieve sustainability goals. However, this can also lead to path dependencies that are difficult to reverse or otherwise correct unless they are discovered at an early stage. These closely intertwined opportunities and risks call for informed and judicious decision-making in order to foster sustainable development.

Digital innovations will not deliver the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a matter of course; instead, the development of digital innovations must be guided by:

• a systemic perspective that acknowledges the connections and interdependencies between their environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts,
• a professional technology assessment informed by interdisciplinary insights, and
• an inclusive decision-making style that facilitates broad participation in the development of digital services.

Digital products help reduce demand for energy and raw materials

What else will it take to foster more sustainable outcomes? Co-author and research group leader at the IASS, Pia-Johanna Schweizer, explains: "Ensuring that all sectors of society have access to digital media and possess the digital literacy needed to use them is vital to delivering an inclusive digital transformation. We also need fast and reliable Internet access nationwide - including in rural areas." Similarly, targeted support is needed for small and medium-sized enterprises as they modernize their processes.

The development of digital products and production processes that reduce energy and material demand are also important building blocks for a sustainable digital future, says co-author Grischa Beier. As Pia-Johanna Schweizer explains "Above all, it is crucial to establish clear rules for data security and data sovereignty. If these challenges are not adequately addressed, acceptance of digital innovations is likely to erode and efforts towards a sustainable digitalisation process may be jeopardized."

Finally, new societal initiatives are needed to help shape an enabling environment for the development of sustainable digital technologies and services. The three authors recommend a participatory process in which stakeholders co-design the objectives, rules and regulations for a governance structure that engages with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

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Visit also the DiDaT project website: https://www.iass-potsdam.de/de/forschung/didat

Publication:

Ortwin Renn, Grischa Beier, Pia-Johanna Schweizer: The opportunities and risks of digitalisation for sustainable development: a systemic perspective, GAIA 30/1 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.30.1.6

Author contact:

Dr. Grischa Beier
Research Group Leader for Digitalisation & Sustainability
grischa.beier@iass-potsdam.de

Dr. Pia-Johanna Schweizer
Research Group Leader for Systemic Risks
Pia-Johanna.Schweizer@iass-potsdam.de

Study finds late night snacks may hurt your workplace performance

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

Research News

 P

A recent study finds that unhealthy eating behaviors at night can make people less helpful and more withdrawn the next day at work.

"For the first time, we have shown that healthy eating immediately affects our workplace behaviors and performance," says Seonghee "Sophia" Cho, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University. "It is relatively well established that other health-related behaviors, such as sleep and exercise, affect our work. But nobody had looked at the short-term effects of unhealthy eating."

Fundamentally, the researchers had two questions: Does unhealthy eating behavior affect you at work the next day? And, if so, why?

For the study, researchers had 97 full-time employees in the United States answer a series of questions three times a day for 10 consecutive workdays. Before work on each day, study participants answered questions related to their physical and emotional well-being. At the end of each workday, participants answered questions about what they did at work. In the evening, before bed, participants answered questions about their eating and drinking behaviors after work.

In the context of the study, researchers defined "unhealthy eating" as instances when study participants felt they'd eaten too much junk food; when participants felt they'd had too much to eat or drink; or when participants reporting having too many late-night snacks.

The researchers found that, when people engaged in unhealthy eating behaviors, they were more likely to report having physical problems the next morning. Problems included headaches, stomachaches and diarrhea. In addition, when people reported unhealthy eating behaviors, they were also more likely to report emotional strains the next morning - such as feeling guilty or ashamed about their diet choices. Those physical and emotional strains associated with unhealthy eating were, in turn, related to changes in how people behaved at work throughout the day.

Essentially, when people reported physical or emotional strains associated with unhealthy eating, they were also more likely to report declines in "helping behavior" and increases in "withdrawal behavior." Helping behavior at work refers to helping colleagues and going the extra mile when you don't have to, such as assisting a co-worker with a task that is not your responsibility. Withdrawal behavior refers to avoiding work-related situations, even though you're at your workplace.

The researchers also found that people who were emotionally stable - meaning people who are better able to cope with stress because they're less emotionally volatile - suffered fewer adverse effects from unhealthy eating. Not only were emotionally stable people less likely to have physical or emotional strains after unhealthy eating, their workplace behaviors were also less likely to change even when they reported physical or emotional strains.

"The big takeaway here is that we now know unhealthy eating can have almost immediate effects on workplace performance," Cho says. "However, we can also say that there is no single 'healthy' diet, and healthy eating isn't just about nutritional content. It may be influenced by an individual's dietary needs, or even by when and how they're eating, instead of what they're eating.

"Companies can help to address healthy eating by paying more attention to the dietary needs and preferences of their employees and helping to address those needs, such as through on-site dining options. This can affect both the physical and mental health of their employees - and, by extension, their on-the-job performance."

The researchers also pointed to a variety of research questions that could be addressed moving forward.

"One confounding variable is that the way our questions were phrased, we may be capturing both unhealthy eating behaviors and unhealthy drinking behaviors related to alcohol," Cho says.

"That's something we will want to tease out moving forward. And while we focused on evening diet, it would be interesting to look at what people are eating at other times of day. Are there specific elements of diet that affect behavioral outcomes - such as sugar or caffeine content? Can there be positive effects of unhealthy eating, such as when people eat comfort foods to help cope with stress? This promises to be a rich field of study."

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The study, "Does a Healthy Lifestyle Matter? A Daily Diary Study of Unhealthy Eating at Home and Behavioral Outcomes at Work," is published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The paper was co-authored by Sooyeol Kim, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore.

 

Losing weight through exercise

Why physical activity entices you to eat more - and how to fight it

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH (TUM)

Research News

 

IMAGE: FIRST AUTHOR PROF. DR. KARSTEN KOEHLER, PROFESSORSHIP OF EXERCISE, NUTRITION AND HEALTH AT THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH (TUM) view more 

CREDIT: ANDREAS HEDDERGOTT / TUM

Worldwide 39 percent of the adults were overweight in 2016, according to statistics of the World Health Organization. In the US the prevalence of obesity was 42.4 percent in 2017/2018, according to a survey of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Concurrently millions of people want to lose weight. Physical exercise is an important option to achieve this. After all, more calories are consumed through sport than when sitting, standing or lying down.

But what influence does sport have on (direct) eating habits? Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Nebraska (USA) have now investigated this question for the first time.

Randomized study

"In the sports context, we have the phenomenon of people overeating after physical activity," said Prof. Köhler, Professor of Exercise, Nutrition and Health at the Technical University of Munich. "People want to reward themselves and their bodies for being active. So we use a hypothetical experiment to find out why people eat more after exercise compared to when they don't exercise."

The aim of a randomized crossover study was to investigate the influence of exercise on hypothetical decisions regarding the amount and timing of food intake. For this purpose, 41 healthy participants (23 women, 18 men) aged between 19 and 29 years with an average BMI of 23.7 were randomly assigned to either a 45-minute exercise session or a rest period of equal duration at the first visit and completed the other study condition at the second visit.

Subjective assessment of hunger and satiety

In each case, the training group answered an electronic questionnaire before the physical activity about their subjective assessment of hunger and satiety, preferred amount of food to eat, and choice between foods that differed in timing of consumption. Subjects indicated their food quantity preferences by listing their desired portion size of each food. Preferences were obtained for both immediate and later consumption of the food after four hours.

After answering the first questionnaire, participants performed 45 minutes of aerobic exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Immediately afterwards, they completed the electronic questionnaire a second time and then a third time after a 30-minute break. The procedure for the group without training was identical; instead of 45 minutes of physical activity, these participants had a rest break.

Compared to the rest break, exercise provided a greater increase in the amount of food chosen, both immediately after exercise and 30 minutes afterwards. Physical activity also resulted in a greater increase in preference for immediate food consumption both immediately after exercise and 30 minutes afterwards.

Weight loss through exercise

"Based on this study, we were able to show for the first time that certain characteristics, such as the amount and 'urgency' with which a person wants to eat, change over the course of physical exertion," said Prof. Köhler, classifying the results. "These findings help us develop new interventions to optimize weight loss through exercise."

"The actual results suggest that physical exertion can entice those who do sport to eat larger amounts of food more quickly after the training session," says Prof. Köhler. "Since weight loss is a main motivation for exercising for many, and failure to achieve the desired weight loss makes it likely to quit exercising, it could be a good strategy to think about what you want to eat afterwards before you start to exercise."

How effective these and other possible strategies work, how they can improve long-term compliance with training programs and contribute to favorable health results through weight loss and whether the effect may eventually wear off, is the subject of the current research of the scientists.

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The BMI is the most common formula for calculating weight. It is calculated by squaring the ratio of body weight in kilograms and height in meters. Values between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal weight.

The research was funded by the University of Nebraska Food for Health Collaboration Initiative.

Childhood diet and exercise creates healthier, less anxious adults

Study in mice shows lasting effects of early-life habits

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE

Research News

 

IMAGE: STUDY LEAD AUTHOR AND UCR PHYSIOLOGY DOCTORAL STUDENT MARCELL CADNEY. view more 

CREDIT: MARCELL CADNEY/UCR

Exercise and a healthy diet in childhood leads to adults with bigger brains and lower levels of anxiety, according to new UC Riverside research in mice.

Though diet and exercise are consistently recommended as ways to promote health, this study is the first to examine the long-lasting, combined effects of both factors when they are experienced early in life.

"Any time you go to the doctor with concerns about your weight, almost without fail, they recommend you exercise and eat less," said study lead and UCR physiology doctoral student Marcell Cadney. "That's why it's surprising most studies only look at diet or exercise separately. In this study, we wanted to include both."

The researchers determined that early-life exercise generally reduced anxious behaviors in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. When fed "Western" style diets high in fat and sugar, the mice not only became fatter, but also grew into adults that preferred unhealthy foods.

These findings have recently been published in the journal Physiology and Behavior. To obtain them, the researchers divided the young mice into four groups -- those with access to exercise, those without access, those fed a standard, healthy diet and those who ate a Western diet.

Mice started on their diets immediately after weaning, and continued on them for three weeks, until they reached sexual maturity. After an additional eight weeks of "washout," during which all mice were housed without wheels and on the healthy diet, the researchers did behavioral analysis, measured aerobic capacity, and levels of several different hormones.

One of those they measured, leptin, is produced by fat cells. It helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required. Early-life exercise increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.

Previously, the research team found that eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter the microbiome for life, even if they later eat healthier. Going forward, the team plans to investigate whether fat or sugar is more responsible for the negative effects they measured in Western-diet-fed mice.

Together, both studies offer critical opportunities for health interventions in childhood habits.

"Our findings may be relevant for understanding the potential effects of activity reductions and dietary changes associated with obesity," said UCR evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland.

In other words, getting a jump start on health in the early years of life is extremely important, and interventions may be even more critical in the wake of the pandemic.

"During the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly in the early months, kids got very little exercise. For many without access to a park or a backyard, school was their only source of physical activity," Cadney said. "It is important we find solutions for these kids, possibly including extra attention as they grow into adults."

Given that exercise was also shown to reduce adult anxiety, Cadney believes children who face these challenges may face unique physical and mental health issues as they become adults in the coming decade.

 

Study snapshot: How do weighted funding formulas affect charter school enrollments?

AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

Research News

 

Study: "How Do Weighted Funding Formulas Affect Charter School Enrollments?"
Author: Paul Bruno (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

This study was presented today at the American Educational Research Association's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.

Main Findings:

The adoption of a school funding system in California that increased revenues for schools enrolling higher-need students led to an increase in the rate at which charter schools enrolled low-income students.

This effect was concentrated among charter schools initially enrolling low-income students at relatively low rates, suggesting that some charters "cream skim" high achieving, wealthier students, but that such behavior also can be mitigated.

Details:

For many, the expansion of charter schooling since the early 1990s has been a cause of concern. Among the major concerns is that charter schools will "cream skim" high-achieving, wealthier students from nearby traditional public schools, exacerbating segregation and burdening traditional schools with a combination of falling revenues and higher per-pupil costs.

Most states now adjust school funding to account for the costs of additional educational needs that certain groups of students are thought to have. These weighted student funding systems (WSF) differ in terms of which student characteristics are weighted, but additional funding weights are commonly given to students who require special education services or are English language learners or low-income.

In the study, the author analyzed the effects of a WSF policy implemented in 2013 in California that plausibly changed the incentives for charter schools to enroll disadvantaged students without a similar change of the incentives for students or their families to enroll in charter schools. The author looked at all charter schools in the state, without distinguishing nonprofits from for-profits.

With the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013, weighted funding for low-income students increased significantly, increasing per-pupil funding provided to schools for eligible students by 300 percent or more.

The author examined changes in the gap between charter schools and traditional public schools in the share of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) programs, from 2012 to 2017. He found that charter schools with relatively low FRL rates compared to their local district in 2012 gradually increased their FRL enrollments relative to traditional schools in subsequent years.

In 2012, these charter schools had almost 6 percentage points fewer FRL-eligible students than analogous traditional schools (i.e., those with FRL rates below their district average). Despite these traditional schools also gradually increasing their FRL shares during this time, the gap between charter schools and traditional schools shrank in every subsequent year, and by 2017 the gap was statistically indistinguishable from zero.

During the same period, the Local Control Funding Formula did not have the same effect on charter schools that already had relatively high FRL shares. The FRL gap between these charter schools and traditional schools that also started with relatively high FRL shares in 2017 (6.7 percentage points) was only modestly smaller than it was in 2012 (9.7 percentage points) and was slightly larger than the gap in 2013 (5.8 percentage points).

"My results suggest that previous studies on charter school cream skimming may have been too optimistic," said author Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "If these state funding changes altered enrollment incentives only or mostly for charter schools, and not for families or traditional schools, then my results indicate that many charter schools are avoiding enrolling low-income students."

"The primary implication for policymakers is that charter schools appear to be sensitive to the costs of providing education," said Bruno. "This matters for both the funding and the regulation of charter schools."

The author noted that when designing weighted funded systems, policymakers need to think carefully about which student characteristics should be considered.

"There are some obvious candidates, including eligibility for free lunch or special education or English learner services," said Bruno. "Not only do students with these characteristics appear to have distinctive and costly educational needs, but there is also evidence that they are underserved by charter schools in at least some cases."

The author also noted that policymakers need to ensure that formula weights are large enough to change the behaviors of charter school operators, but also are not so large that they create perverse incentives, such as discouraging schools from declassifying students as English learners.

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To request a copy of the working paper, or to talk to study author, please contact AERA Communications: Tony Pals, Director of Communications, tpals@aera.net, cell: (202) 288-9333; Tong Wu, Communications Associate, twu@aera.net, cell: (202) 957-3802

About AERA

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy o

Meet Germany's QANON

 'Querdenker' COVID protest movement

They act like a peace movement, but Querdenker march alongside the far-right, and their protests often end in violence. A look into the people behind the protests.

A mixed bag of people attend the 'Querdenker' rallies

The trained business administrator Michael Ballweg founded the Querdenker (lateral thinkers) movement in the city of Stuttgart in 2020. Organizing it has become his full-time job, as the movement has spread.

The Querdenker include pandemic skeptics, anti-vaxxers and anti-lockdown protesters. They claim the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal and regional laws aimed at halting the spread of the virus, infringe on citizens' liberties.

Now, protesters regularly take to the streets in cities across the country.Often the demonstrations turn violent.

But images of clashes between demonstrators and police do not fit the image the Querdenker like to create for themselves. Michael Ballweg and his followers are always quick to emphasize their peacefulness and loyalty to the German Constitution.

Michael Ballweg started the 'Querdenker' movement in 2020

Dancing and singing are part of the standard repertoire at rallies. But that's only one facet because right-wing extremists are also in regular attendance. And nobody walking alongside them seems to care.

Democracy researcher at the University of Marburg, Reiner Becker, recognizes a recurring pattern: "It is every individual's decision to take part in such a demonstration," he told DW. In turn, participants are therefore responsible for their actions. They know that it is a strategy to overwhelm police with the "sheer mass" of demonstrators and not to adhere to the rules imposed by the courts.
Criticism of police

This is exactly what happened in mid-March in Kassel. More than three times the permitted 6,000 participants marched through the streets. Most of them didn't follow social distancing rules of 1.5 meters, nor did they wear face masks. Counter-demonstrators were also on the move. As the situation grew increasingly confusing and violent. Police were using batons, pepper spray, and water cannon. Photos and video footage of police officers beating demonstrators continue to circulate online.

Christopher Vogel works in the mobile advisory team against racism and far-right extremism in Kassel and has observed the demo on the ground. He considers general criticism of officials' behavior to be unfair, he told DW. The situation was confusing, he said: There were clashes between right- and left-wing radicals, but in between were families with young children and some demonstrators put their children "in the front row, as protective shields so to speak," Vogel recalled. His conclusion: "It was no longer manageable."

No political ambitions

The substance of the movement is "extremely thin," he said. In principle, Querdenker are only concerned with their individual freedom and have no further socio-political demands.

"They just want to get back to normal and have some peace and quiet from the state," Vogel said. If COVID-19 disappears from the front pages, a large part will say goodbye to political engagement.

This assessment fits in with the results of a study published in December 2020 by sociologists at the University of Basel, Oliver Nachtwey. He and his team asked more than 1,100 "Querdenker" about their motives and attitudes. Almost half of them had never participated in a demonstration before the coronavirus protests.

"In terms of demographics, it's a relatively old and relatively academic movement," is one finding. Less than 10% are younger than 30, and the average age is almost 50.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed have at least a high school diploma, more than half of them have finished their university education, and 67% consider themselves to be middle class.

23% of the surveyed Querdenker said they had cast their ballots for the Greens in Germany's 2017 federal election. Eighteen percent voted for the Left party and 15% for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). But, that was long before the pandemic. In September's elections, the AfD could almost double votes in Querdenker circles to 27%, while the Greens and conservative CDU/CSU would not get any support at all.

Querdenker conspiracy theorists

According to the Basel study, the vast majority of Querdenker, say they'll vote for little-known splinter parties in September, such as the Basic Democratic Party of Germany, which was only founded in July 2020. On that party's homepage, there are statements like: "Anyone who claims that freedom prevails in our country is lying. Because freedom does not prevail."

This perceived lack of freedom appeals to the Querdenker: 80% of those polled said they agree with the statement that one can no longer express their opinion without getting into trouble. Around 75% believe the media and politics are in cahoots, and that the government is hiding the truth.

The Querdenker movement is characterized by a strong sense of alienation, the study showed, not only from state institutions and the political system and the established media.

But the Querdenker followers were also found to be not "downright xenophobic or Islamophobic" and in some cases "rather anti-authoritarian and inclined towards anthroposophy."

This self-assessment seems to fit in with the images of Querdenker demos. Dancing, drumming, singing people, on the one hand, and far-right extremists bearing the imperial Reichskrieg flag and anti-Semitic slogans on the other.

DW reporter on German coronavirus protest

Provocation with the Star of David

The protesters are a mixed bag of people: Some look like hippies from the 1960s and 70s. Others seek to provoke by wearing a yellow star, similar to those which Jews were forced to wear under the Nazis. Instead of the word "Jude" (Jew) their stars bear the word "ungeimpft" (not vaccinated.) The stars are meant to highlight the alleged stigmatization by the system the protesters reject.

The Querdenker movement has been officially under surveillance by domestic intelligence in its home state of Baden-Württemberg since December. "Extremist, ideological conspiracy and anti-Semitic content is deliberately mixed up with legitimate criticism of the state measures that aim to contain the pandemic," a statement said at the time.

Almost four months on, authorities say their decision has been confirmed. Additional insights into regional Querdenker offshoots were obtained, "which give a more comprehensive picture of the initiative's network," a spokesperson for the regional intelligence agency told DW on request.

Some of the gathered data show the interweaving of leading Querdenker figures with far-right Reichsbürger and Selbstverwalter groups.

How far the contact goes could soon be observed again at the next large-scale demonstration, planned for April 3 in Stuttgart. Unless the gathering is prohibited. So far, however, such requests have almost always failed in court.

This article was translated from German.

Reporters targeted at Stuttgart 'Querdenker' anti-lockdown rally

Over 10,000 people marched through Stuttgart to protest lockdown rules at an unexpectedly large rally by the so-called "Querdenker" (lateral thinkers) movement in Germany.

Watch video 03:00 'Querdenker' protest in Stuttgart — DW's Benjamin Alvarez Gruber reports

Police launched an investigation against organizers of the "Querdenker" (lateral thinkers) march in Stuttgart for violating anti-pandemic measures during the Saturday rally. The authorities also arrested one man on suspicion of beating up a reporter, while a TV crew was forced to end their live report after protesters started pelting them with stones.

While some 2,500 people were expected to join the rally, police estimated that over 10,000 ended up taking part. The protesters demanded an immediate end to lockdown measures, which they see as a violation of their human rights.
No masks

Police warned that any violations of the anti-pandemic orders would be documented.

"I see 20 people wearing masks, and they are the police," said police spokesman Stefan Keilbach.

The "Querdenker" movement has been holding rallies since the early stages of the pandemic last year.Far-right groups have also endorsed the events, which are often followed by violent clashes or attacks on media crews.

Press attacked

Reporting from the scene, DW's Benjamin Alvarez Gruber that many of the speakers were also "attacking the press" over the media coverage of the pandemic.

"They say the effects of the lockdown… are way worse than the effect of the virus."


He also noted that only reporters and police officers were wearing masks, and that protesters did not maintain social distance.

"Despite that, police did not intervene," he added.

Attacks on reporters spark anger

The latest incident involving attacks on the media prompted anger from the head of DJV journalists' union, Frank Überall, who accused the police of "doing nothing to protect our colleagues."

Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who also serves as vice-chancellor, also slammed the incident as a "cowardly attack on press freedom."

"It is bad enough that thousands protested at the streets of Stuttgart with no masks and without social distancing, they are now attacking journalists too," he wrote on Twitter.

dj/aw (AFP, dpa)

‘Someone has to keep the country going’: A pre-dawn commute with essential workers in Paris

Issued on: 07/04/2021 - AFP

Bus route 351 ferries commuters to and from the Paris airport, snaking its way through neglected suburbs of the French capital. © FRANCE 24

Text by: Bahar MAKOOI

Throughout the pandemic, bus route 351 has ferried pre-dawn commuters between Paris and Charles-de-Gaulle international airport, slicing across neglected suburbs of the French capital hit hardest by Covid-19. FRANCE 24 followed the essential workers – including nurses, technicians and freight workers – for whom lockdown never happens.

Every morning, Farid* sees the same people peering at him through the folding doors of his bus. He has come to recognise them, despite the masks covering much of their faces.

“They’re the ones who get dressed and go to work every morning, whatever happens – just like me,” says the 46-year-old driver. “Lockdowns come and go, but we’re always here. Someone has to keep the country going.”

There’s no bitterness in Farid’s words, though the father of three says he often heads to work with his stomach in a knot.

“We try not to talk about these things between drivers, but we know some routes are more risky than others,” he says.

Bus route 351 snakes its way across the Seine-Saint-Denis area northeast of Paris, the poorest département in mainland France and which has been pummelled by successive waves of Covid-19. Along the way, it picks up the frontline workers who have kept the metropolis running throughout the pandemic.

The freight terminal at Charles-de-Gaulle airport, the final destination for many passengers on route 351. © France 24

Dawn is yet to break when Farid starts the engine at Place de la Nation on the eastern edge of Paris. The first passengers promptly get on the bus, all but one of them sporting a face mask.

“It happens, but it’s not my job to police them,” says Farid with a shrug.

Sometimes he offers a mask from his own stock, supplied by the Paris transport authority. Alternatively, he plays a pre-recorded message reminding passengers to cover their faces or face a fine. This time he does neither.

‘Covid killed half the residents at my care home’

Seated next to the exit, 55-year-old Betty is on her way to a nursing home in Bondy, one of a dozen French towns where the rate of Covid-19 infections has surged to four times the national average. The care worker, who lives in the southern suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine, has already taken a bus and a tram to make it this far.

“An hour and a half in public transport, that’s an awful lot – particularly when the bus is jam-packed, like the previous one in Vitry,” she sighs, wrapped up in her hooded puffer jacket. “But I have no other choice.”

Like many workers at France’s hard-hit nursing homes, Betty was ill with Covid-19 last year. With infections surging once again, she’s worried she’ll catch it a second time.

“Covid killed half of the residents at my care home last year: only two on my floor, but every one of them a floor below,” she says. Still, Betty is in no hurry to get vaccinated, despite the priority given to staff and residents at nursing homes across the country.

“I’m not required to get vaccinated,” she says. “Most of my colleagues have had both shots, but I’m waiting for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because I only want to face the needle once.”

‘It’s a miracle I still have my job’

Farid’s bus soon fills up after crossing the périphérique ring road that circumscribes Paris, the physical and symbolic barrier separating the French capital from its nearest suburbs.

First up is the town of Bagnolet, where a dozen passengers climb aboard. Among them is Moussa, a forklift operator in blue-and-red overalls, bound for the airport where he has worked for the past 15 years.

“I’ ve got to drive my forklift, there’s no way I can work from home,” he mumbles, fighting back a yawn. Moussa says the bus is a lot busier when he goes to work at the weekend, due to repair works on suburban train lines.

“It’s not so bad today,” he says, gazing at his fellow travellers. “Anyway, it’s not as if I had a choice, since I don’t own a car.”

While Covid-19 is always on the back of his mind, Moussa is even more concerned about the economic cost of the pandemic, which has left many of his colleagues jobless. His wife is also out of work. Now that French schools have closed again due to the worsening pandemic, she’s stuck at home looking after their two children.

“It breaks my heart to see all those planes grounded on the tarmac at Charles-de-Gaulle,” says Moussa. “I know several people who lost their jobs – all those who prepared cabin meals and cleaned the planes.”

Moussa, a forklift operator and regular passenger on bus route 351. © France 24

A few seats away, Franck is hoping to catch one of the planes scheduled to fly out of the Paris airport in a few hours. He’s busy trying to upload the results of his all-important PCR test.

“I already missed a plane yesterday because the lab was slow to release the results,” he mutters, his eyes glued to his phone. Franck works in the marketing division of a major airline. He’s on a business trip, bound for Riyadh.

“It’s a miracle I still have a job,” he says. “And don’t expect things to get better any time soon. It will take at least three or four years for the industry to recover from this mess.”

A frequent traveller on route 351, Franck is increasingly fed up with the lengthy journey and the behaviour of some fellow passengers.

“I’m appalled by the disrespect from people who wear their masks under their noses or chins,” he explains. “I can accept limits to my freedom, but only if everyone plays by the rules.”

‘Leave public transport to those who have no choice’

Despite the unsocial hours, many commuters have picked up the habit of leaving even earlier in the hope of avoiding crowded buses. They include Laurent, 46, who works for an aerospace parts manufacturer near the airport.

“I readily let one or two buses go by if I feel they’re too full,” he says. “Masks are not enough protection. I’m in good health and I intend to remain that way. So I’m not going to stand in other people’s faces.”

Seated right at the back of the bus, 22-year-old Denis says he also leaves a half-hour early to avoid rush hour. While his work – fitting new lifts at the airport – cannot be done from home, Denis says other passengers should avoid crowding public transport during the pandemic.

“Those who can work from home should leave public transport to those who have no other choice,” says the resident of Blanc-Mesnil, one of the poorest suburbs in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Government statistics suggest Denis is right to complain. Last week, the labour ministry said more than a third of people who could work from home continued to commute to their places of work.

After a brief coffee break, Farid sets off from Charles-de-Gaulle airport on his way back to Nation. © France 24

At the airport terminal, Farid stops for a coffee before driving back to Nation. In the absence of cleaning staff, he makes sure all doors and windows are open to at least ventilate the bus.

“The buses are only disinfected at night, between midnight and 6am,” he explains. “I open the windows, but I know the passengers will soon close them because they’re cold or don’t want to get wet.”

Like other drivers, Farid is annoyed at the Paris transport authority for removing the plexiglas barriers that protected them during the first lockdown.

“It doesn’t make any sense, just when they tell us that new variants [of the coronavirus] are more contagious,” he sighs. Unions have also protested at the decision to reintroduce the sale of tickets on board buses, which means drivers have to handle cash.

On the other hand, Farid is relieved that the government has caved in to pressure to close schools, which health experts have singled out as a key driver of infections in Seine-Saint-Denis. His bus stops at several schools in the area, including the Lycée Eugène Delacroix in Drancy, where a staggering 20 pupils have lost a parent to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

“I’m happy to be of service and it’s obviously not their fault. But the last few weeks it felt like a burden having schoolkids on board,” says Farid. “I just kept quiet, put my hat on and left the window wide open.”

* Not his real name

This article was translated from the original in French.

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS

J&J vaccine output to drop 85%, White House says issues tied to Baltimore facility

The U.S. will experience an 85% drop in availability in vaccines by Johnson & Johnson next week compared with this week, and is unlikely to see a steady output from the vaccine maker until the company resolves production issues at a facility in Baltimore, Maryland, according to federal officials and data.

TIME 4 PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF BIG PHARMA 

"Is supply drop of Johnson & Johnson vaccine major setback for vaccination plan?"

MORE: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine: Here's what to know

Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, told reporters on Friday that the company is still working to address the issues Emergent Biosolutions, which isn’t certified yet by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

© Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images The Emergent BioSolutions plant, a manufacturing partner for Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, in Baltimore, Md., on April 9, 2021.

MORE: Pfizer asks regulators to give vaccine to kids as young as 12

But following FDA authorization, Zients said the hope is that the facility will enable to stabilize output to about 8 million doses per week.

J&J said it remains committed to its goal of delivering 100 million doses total by the end of May.

“We do expect week to week lower levels until the plant is approved by the FDA, and those conversations are between J&J and the FDA,” Zients said Friday. “I do think that the company is doing everything they can.”

© Mary Altaffer/AP The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine sits on a table at a pop up vaccinations site the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, April 8, 2021, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

The New York Times reported this month that contamination issues resulted in a loss of potentially 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses. But because the Emergent BioSolutions facility hadn’t been authorized, none of the materials were distributed. There is no connection between the production issues and reports of mild adverse reactions that temporarily halted some vaccine clinics this week.

© Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE

“With FDA authorization, the company also expects a cadence of up to 8 million weekly doses in total across state and federal channels later in April," Zients said.

MORE: What to know about expected but rare 'breakthrough' COVID cases

Zients said the federal government does not plan to change how it allocated vaccine does to favor parts of the country like Michigan that are experiencing surges in cases.

"We don't know where the next increase in cases could occur,” he said. “And you know that we push out all vaccine as soon as it’s available, and we’re not even halfway through our vaccination program. So now is not the time to change course on vaccine allocation."

First-Ever Observations From Under Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Are Bad News

Glaciers all over Antarctica are in trouble as ice there rapidly melts. There’s no Antarctic glacier whose fate is more consequential for our future than the Thwaites Glacier, and new research shows that things aren’t looking good for it

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© Photo: Filip Stedt (Getty Images) Ran, the unscrewed submarine that the scientists used, heading down into the depths under the Thwaites Glacier

Researchers have known that the Thwaites Glacier is in trouble due to encroaching warm waters, but they’d never actually analyzed data from beneath the glacier’s float ice shelf—until now. A new study published in Science Advances on Friday presents the first-ever direct observations of what’s going under the infamous ice shelf, including the temperature and salinity of the water that’s flowing under it as well as the strength of the current.

What they found is pretty troubling. The authors explain that the supply of warm water to the glacier’s base is larger than scientists previously believed, which means it’s even more unstable than we thought. Given that it’s often called the “doomsday glacier,” that’s particularly ominous.

Thwaites glacier a broad, vast hunk of ice that flows from the West Antarctic ice sheet into Pine Island Bay, a part of the Amundsen Sea. The 119,300-square-mile (192,000-square-kilometer) ice shelf is disappearing faster than any other one in the region in large part because of the waters circulating beneath it and wearing away at its base. If it collapses completely, it could have a devastating effect on global sea level rise.

The new study is based on field observations from 2019 when a team of two dozen scientists sent an autonomous orange submarine named Ran down underneath Thwaites. For 13 hours, the underwater vehicle traveled around two deep troughs beneath the glacier that funnel warm water toward it. As it did, the vehicle captured data showing that warm water—warm for a glacier, at up to 33.89 degrees Fahrenheit (1.05 degrees Celsius)—is swirling around the glacier’s crucial “pinning points,” or the points of contact where the ice shelf meets the bedrock that holds it in place. This warm water is melting away these crucial holds, making room for cracks and troughs in ice that can make the shelf all the more unstable.

“The worry is that this water is coming into direct contact with the underside of the ice shelf at the point where the ice tongue and shallow seafloor meet,” Alastair Graham, associate professor of geological oceanography at the University of Southern Florida and study co-author, who was on the research expedition to the glacier, wrote in an email. “This is the last stronghold for Thwaites and once it unpins from the sea bed at its very front, there is nothing else for the ice shelf to hold onto. That warm water is also likely mixing in and around the grounding line, deep into the cavity, and that means the glacier is also being attacked at its feet where it is resting on solid rock.”

The discovery of warm water confirms previous concerns from a separate project, wherein another group of 100 scientists drilled a hole 2,000 feet into the glacier.

“This study fills in critical gaps in our knowledge in this area and will undoubtedly allow for major advances in the modeling of this system, and thus improved projections,” David Holland, a glaciologist from New York University who worked on the previous study but not the newer one, wrote in an email.

As the submarine moved around one of the troughs, it also captured data showing low-salinity water in the area 3,444 feet (1,050 meters) below the ice shelf. That salinity level it showed matches that of the neighboring Pine Island Bay. Scientists previously thought this part of the glacier was protected from the bay’s currents by a thick underwater ridge. But it seems they were wrong—the findings indicate it’s flowing into the trough freely. That closely links its fate to the bay more than climate models currently account for.

It’s not just Pine Island Bay’s encroaching warm waters we have to worry about, either. Using the submarine’s readings, the authors also mapped out the channels along which warm water is getting transported toward Thwaites Glacier. They found more warm water is also surging in from along the continental shelf.

“Thwaites is really being attacked by the ocean from all sides,” said Graham.

All this has very serious consequences for those living along the coast. Thwaites Glacier’s collapse would raise sea levels by 1.5 to 3 feet (0.5 to 0.9 meters), and could also trigger an even worse chain of events because it could initiate the collapse of another nearby imperiled ice shelf, the Pine Island Glacier. Together, these shelves act as a braking mechanism on land ice that, if released into the open waters, could push seas up to 10 feet (3.1 meters), overwhelming coastal cities around the world.

Over the past four decades, Graham explained, satellite data has shown that the glacier has been flowing into the ocean much more quickly. Sure, it replenishes some of it when fresh snow falls and gets compacted into new ice, but that’s not happening quick enough to make up for its losses.

To learn more about this process, scientists are trying to learn as much as they can about the glacier. Sending a submarine underneath it marks a big, groundbreaking step. But there’s still a lot of uncertainty about how quickly it’s edging toward collapse.

The study illustrates the importance of climate adaptation measures, including weighing the potential benefits of having communities retreat away from coasts. That’s especially true because Graham said that it’s not entirely clear whether or not the Thwaites’ demise is preventable.

“We might (and I stress might) have already reached and passed a point where there is really no turning back for Thwaites, no matter what we as humans do to our climate,” Graham.

Graham knows how scary this is firsthand since he lives on the Florida Gulf Coast. But not all is lost.

“There may be physical mechanisms that we are yet to uncover that could help Thwaites stabilize and ‘doomsday’ may never come,” he said.

MYANMAR INC. 

MILITARY STATE CAPITALISM

Myanmar's army controls huge swathes of the economy through two conglomerates. High-ranking officers operate family-run ventures, including military chief Min Aung Hlaing. DW looks into his children's financial ties.



In Myanmar, resisting the military's coup is a perilous affair. Activists are constantly on the run — moving from one safe house to the next while carrying a burner phone. And, each evening, they delete every image from it.

For it is in the dark of night, when the internet has been disconnected by the junta, that the army swoops in, abducting activists, journalists, and anyone else it suspects of resisting its takeover on February 1, from their homes.

Since then, thousands have taken to the streets across Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Hundreds have been killed in the protests, with many more arrested.
Protesters boycott army's company network

Citizens are also resisting the coup in other ways. Phone apps have begun to crop in Myanmar, such as one called "Way Way Nay," meaning "go away." Protesters use the app to identify which businesses have ties to the military — and boycott them.

The military has sent in counter-insurgency battalions to fight against protesters

For the Tatmadaw, as the army is called, has built a vast business empire. It consists of two major holdings, and a myriad of intertwined subsidiaries, joint ventures and smaller companies that enrich both the army and individual generals.

And the spouses and children of military personnel are also an integral part of this opaque network, according to a DW investigation.
Military business revenues 'dwarf' civilian-owned companies

It's impossible to fathom the extent and depth of the Tatmadaw's economic power without first delving into the army's two holdings: Myanma Economic Holding Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). Both were established in the 1990s when the country was ruled by a previous iron-fisted military junta.

They are run by both active and retired military personnel, operating in the shadows without any independent oversight.

Business interests span gem production and mining, oil and gas extraction, banking, tourism and telecommunications. Dozens of companies across diverse sectors of the economy are owned by the two holdings, many others are affiliated with MEHL and MEC.

A 2019 UN Fact-Finding Mission identified more than 100 businesses fully owned by MEHL or MEC, noting that it was certain that it had not been successful in identifying all subsidiaries. The authors concluded that "MEHL and MEC and their subsidiaries generate revenue that dwarfs that of any civilian-owned company."

The two holdings do not openly declare their revenue, making it impossible to gauge the extent of their revenues.

As the country carefully transitioned to democracy in 2010, the Tatmadaw and high-ranking military officials further built and consolidated vast business empires through the acquisition of capital, land and assets. In numerous cases, analysts say, state assets were sold to favored companies, including those controlled by high-ranking officers and their families.

Commander-in-chief's family empire

The children and spouses of many military leaders own and run numerous personal economic ventures. In some cases, they were awarded lucrative contracts and joint ventures with MEHL, MEC, and their subsidiaries.

Take, for example, the military's commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, who in late March gravely warned protesters: "You should learn from the tragedy of earlier ugly deaths that you can be in danger of getting shot in the head and back."

He has been targeted for sanctions by the European Union, UK and US for serious human rights abuses committed by Myanmar's military following the coup and the earlier brutal crackdown against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar. 

The UK has said Min Aung Hlaing is "responsible for the serious human rights violations committed by the Myanmar security forces"

The US Treasury went a step further and, on March 10 of this year, targeted his son, Aung Pyae Sone, and his daughter, Khin Thiri Thet Mon.

The reason, according to a Treasury statement, is their control of a "variety of business holdings, which have directly benefitted from their father's position and malign influence."

The Treasury listed six businesses run by Min Aung Hlaing's two children, who are both in their 30s.

These include a somewhat eclectic portfolio, including a medical import business, restaurant, art gallery, chain of gyms, and a TV entertainment business.
Companies owned by army chief's daughter involved in internet blackout?

DW has identified three additional companies controlled by the commander-in-chief's son or daughter by trawling through company registration data, namely Pinnacle Asia Company Limited, Photo City Company Limited, and Attractive Myanmar Company Limited.

Pinnacle Asia Company Limited is controlled by the army chief's daughter, the latter two by his son.

So far, none of these companies has been targeted by sanctions. In a statement to DW, a US State Department spokesman did not directly address whether additional companies would be sanctioned, but emphasized it would "continue taking further action to respond to the brutal violence perpetrated or enabled by Burma's military leaders."

The data was scraped from the company registry of DICA, Myanmar's Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, and made publicly available by DDoSecrets, a US-based group that publishes information sourced from whistleblowers and activists.

This data also includes loan agreements and other business documents.

Pinnacle Asia, the data shows, was registered in November 2016 and lists its main business activity as "telecommunications."

In May 2020, another document shows, it was awarded a loan by a Myanmar bank to build 17 cell phone towers across Myanmar for Mytel. According to the loan agreement, Pinnacle Asia had already set up 60 towers in various regions.

Mytel is one of four telecommunications providers in the country and was set up as a joint venture by the militaries of Myanmar and Vietnam.

Hundreds of protesters have been killed since the coup.

Since the coup, all four telecommunications providers in Myanmar have been ordered to severely limit access to the internet.

Right now, the only way to access the internet is through fiber optic cable, meaning Wi-Fi and mobile phone data have been completely cut off for a majority of internet users.

Activists also fear that Mytel may be used to track protesters' phones.

"The army chief's daughter's closed-door dealings not only channel profits to the family of war criminal Senior General Min Aung Hlaing but also support the military's other abuses of Mytel, including to build military communications infrastructure, access international technology and to conduct surveillance," says Yadanar Maung, a spokeswoman for Justice for Myanmar, a group of Myanmar activists who document the Tatmadaw's abuses.

On March 17, a week after the US sanctions were imposed, Khin Thiri Thet Mon was removed as Pinnacle Asia's company director, company registration documents show.

Pinnacle Asia did not respond to DW's requests for comment on its investigation, including why Khin Thiri Thet Mon had been removed as director.

Military staking its economic claim?

In the case of Attractive Myanmar and Photo City, Aung Pyae Sone was not removed as director following his designation by the US.

Photo City Company Limited was registered in January 2021 — but did not list any business activity in its registration documents. DW did not find any online presence for the company.

The exact nature of Attractive Myanmar is equally unclear. Company records show that it was registered in late 2019 as providing services in a wide range of almost 30 distinct activities, including accounting, advertising and travel services.

A website registered to the company shows glossy pictures of tourist destinations in Myanmar but has no information on the company's actual activities.

It is not unusual for military-linked and owned companies to cover such a wide range of business activities, according to rights group Justice for Myanmar.

Security forces use tear gas and live ammunition against demonstrators

CHEMICAL WARFARE AGAINST CIVILIANS JUST LIKE PORTLAND

In doing so, the commander-in-chief and his children may be staking out their claim in emerging sectors and squeezing out any potential competition.

And, given that they are often awarded contracts through contacts rather than fair and transparent bidding procedures, there is no need to advertise their companies or services online.

Recent moves by the now-deposed government of Aung San Suu Kyi to implement an anti-corruption framework were unlikely to have been viewed favorably by the military and its crony companies.

Myanmar's Embassy in Germany did not respond to DW's request for comment on the regime's business ties involving Min Aung Hlaing and his two children.
Foreign companies exiting Myanmar

Foreign companies, too, have established links with military ventures in Myanmar. Activists are rushing to compile lists to pressure them to sever all ties and pull out their investments.

Watch video 26:10 To the point - Myanmar Coup: Death Knell for Democracy?

One such company, Kirin Holdings, a Japanese beverage company, announced it would end its partnership with MEHL shortly after the coup.

Both the UK and US have targeted MEC and MEHL with economic sanctions in recent weeks. This includes a freeze of all assets in both countries.

The European Union may soon move to target the military's business interests, too. A spokeswoman for the European Council told DW that its policy recently changed to also allow for the sanctioning of business entities — but stopped short of saying whether the bloc would target the two Myanmar companies.

Can sanctions harm the junta?

But it is unclear if these moves can dislodge the junta.

While observers note that the ongoing boycotts and walkouts by Myanmar people may have a destabilizing effect, many of the Tatmadaw's business interests are domestic — and so potentially less impacted by any international sanction.

Those that rely on exports, namely the country's natural resources, including oil, gas and gems, are to a great extent traded with its Asian neighbors. And they have, so far, shown little appetite to sever ties with Myanmar.

The turmoil in Myanmar has led to an increase in food and fuel prices

For many protesters in Myanmar, like Htay, the sanctions are toothless, allowing the army to go untethered.

"International sanctions have been imposed on the Burmese military junta for many years," Htay says, adding that such measures have failed to rein in the regime.

This, however, hasn't stopped Htay and other activists from risking it all each night, hurrying from one safe house to the next, armed with only a burner phone to document the junta's crackdown.

"My personal protests will continue until we get democracy and end the military dictatorship," he says.

Editor's note: DW has changed the name of the activist to protect their safety

MYANMAR PROTEST ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

In Myanmar, military matters are a lucrative family affair
Myanmar: Who is actor Paing Takhon, arrested by the military?
Myanmar: Protests erupt in London after ambassador locked out of embassy
Myanmar anti-coup protesters stage Easter egg demo
Myanmar: Germany's Heiko Maas cautions about threat of civil war
Opinion: Naive optimism threatens Myanmar protest movement
Myanmar protesters hold 'flower protests' to honor dead
Why is Japan not taking a firm stand against Myanmar junta?
Myanmar: US calls on China to hold junta accountable
Myanmar: Germany urges citizens to leave as fears grow over instability
Myanmar protests: Death toll passes 500
Myanmar coup: ASEAN split over the way forward
Myanmar: Thousands take to streets as others flee
Myanmar: US President Biden calls bloodshed "absolutely outrageous"
Myanmar: Over 100 killed in deadliest day since military coup
India pushes ahead with Rohingya deportation amid Myanmar crackdown
Thousands flee military to Thailand-Myanmar border region
Myanmar releases hundreds of post-coup prisoners
Myanmar junta keeps internet curbs in place, blames media
Myanmar coup: Mass protests fail to attract global solidarity
EU to impose sanctions in response to Myanmar coup
From a trickle to a torrent: Myanmar struggles with an information onrush
Myanmar doctors and nurses stage dawn rally against coup
Myanmar: Security forces kill 8 protesters — local reports
Myanmar: 56 dead over weekend, 138 since coup, says UN
Myanmar: Junta imposes martial law in two Yangon districts
Myanmar: More protesters killed in weekend violence
Myanmar protests: UK tells citizens to flee
Myanmar: Court extends AP journalist's detention, agency says
Myanmar: Several protesters reported killed
Myanmar coup: Military cracks down on free speech, press freedom
Opinion: Myanmar coup conflict will escalate without talks
Myanmar police target striking railroad workers in raids
Myanmar: 2 killed after police crack down on protests
Myanmar: Thousands rally after overnight raids
US slaps export sanctions on Myanmar after protest deaths
Myanmar protesters persist following deadliest day
Myanmar: Reporter placed in chokehold as 6 journalists charged
Myanmar protesters determined to defy military with grassroots protest
Myanmar: Demonstrators shot dead in anti-coup protests