Beijing smog casts gloom over China's Lunar New Year holiday
 

A man wearing face mask walks on the street during a day with polluted air, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Beijing, China February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

This content was published on February 13, 2021 

By Martin Quin Pollard

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing was once again shrouded in smog on Saturday after several days of heavy pollution which have plagued China’s capital during the Lunar New Year national holiday.

Visibility across Beijing was severely limited by the smog on the second day of Lunar New Year, with the tops of the city's Beijing’s tallest group of buildings in the east of the city almost completely covered by the haze.

The PM 2.5 level - which measures pollution - in the city's urban areas reached 239 micrograms per cubic meter according to state news agency Xinhua.

Local authorities had issued a yellow alert for heavy air pollution on Thursday. China has a colour-coded, four-tier warning system for air pollution, with red the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

"The air is horrible," said cosmetics sector worker Katie Li, 35, as she made her way to the gym."

"Starting the Lunar New Year with this kind of weather is a bit depressing," she added.

Staff at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China in the north of Beijing said that they had received around 5,000 visitors on Saturday, a far cry from their usual daily capacity of 20,000 although they have capped numbers to around half of that due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Some visitors complained about the haze affecting the views. But others, such as 32-year-old banking sector worker Brandon Chen, were unfazed by the conditions.

"Even though the air isn't great, for Chinese people walking up to a high point in the new year carries a lot of importance,” Chen said.

"Doing so will mean things will get better and better for you in your life and you'll become more prosperous with each passing day," he added.

(Reporting by Martin Pollard in Beijing; Additional reporting by Brenda Goh. Editing by Jane Merriman)

China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases: team member

The WHO team visit Wuhan seafood market where first 

COVID-19 infections detected (File photo)

Coronavirus
China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases: team member
Reiters, Shanghai
Published: 13 February ,2021

China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team’s investigators said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began.

The team had requested raw patient data on the 174 cases of COVID-19 that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team.

Such raw data is known as “line listings”, he said, and would typically be anonymised but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analyzed.

“That’s standard practice for an outbreak investigation,” he told Reuters on Saturday via video call from Sydney, where he is currently undergoing quarantine.

He said that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood center in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected.

A blocked entrance to Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

“That’s why we’ve persisted to ask for that,” he said. “Why that doesn’t happen, I couldn’t comment. Whether it’s political or time or it’s difficult ... But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn’t available, I don’t know. One would only speculate.”

While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the team’s final report. “The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance.”

A summary of the team’s findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday.

The WHO-led probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticized the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research.

The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak, was limited to visits organized by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine.

China’s refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease


'Harmonious, with arguments'

Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were “arguments” at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as “natural” in such probes.

“We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but that’s natural. Whether there’s political pressure to have different opinions, I don’t know. There may well be, but it’s hard to know.”

Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food.

Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit.

On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study.

Embarek also said that the team was not looking further into the theory that the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The previous US administration of President Donald Trump had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Wuhan lab, which Beijing strongly denies.

“It was an unanimous feeling,” Dwyer said. “It wasn’t a political sop whatsoever.”

Read more:

Explainer: What did the WHO COVID-19 experts learn in Wuhan?

WHO mission to China says COVID-19’s animal source not yet identified

WHO-led COVID-19 probe team in China visits Wuhan virus lab

Documents Leaked to Reuters Raise Concerns about COVAX
by Eileen Edgeway , February 13, 2021



COVAX


Launched in April 2020, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator partnership was convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance and The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). COVAX is one of ACT’s three pillars, born with the purpose of providing innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. All participating countries will have equal access to the pooled procurement and distributions of developed vaccines; as of December 2020, more than 189 countries have signed up. However, documents leaked to Reuters highlight the programme is struggling from a lack of funds, supply issues and complex contractual problems which make failure a ‘very high risk’.

How COVAX plans to operate

Through the Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC) launched at the Global Vaccine Summit in June, it plans to have delivered 2 billion doses by the end of 2021. Wealthier countries can participate as ‘self-financing countries’, committing to procure enough doses through the facility to vaccinate 10-50% of their population, making an upfront payment. The more that participate, the greater the financial risks will be shared. Poorer nations participate as “funded”, covering their financial commitments with the Advanced Market Commitment (AMC). Critically, the success of the facility is hinged on the participation of high-income countries – an issue plaguing COVAX since its inception, as these act increasingly in their own interest.

COVAX – a pioneering purpose?


The COVAX facility must be commended for its pioneering objectives, truly the first global solution to ensuring fair access for all nations, regardless of income, to avoid supply levels disproportionately favouring higher income nations. Such, ‘vaccine nationalism’ is a concept that has gained traction within academic circles, suggesting these states will actively leverage their purchasing power to procure vaccines for their own civilians, structurally embedding inequality. One report published October 2020 suggested the financial burden of inequitable access could cost up to $1.2 trillion a year in GDP terms. Further, there critically exists financial incentives for these high-income nations to engage in equal distribution measures – themselves losing an estimated $119 billion a year if the poorest nations are denied a supply. Despite this, several key nations, including the US have shown little interest in COVAX, suggesting these incentives are simply not enough.



https://www.gavi.org/news/media-room/world-leaders-make-historic-commitments-provide-equal-access-vaccines-all
GAVI Global Vaccine Summit, June 2020 – world leaders came together in June to pledge funding for COVAX.

Challenges to success

Despite these incentives, a report leaked to Reuters at the beginning of December indicated gaping internal weaknesses that must be addressed for COVAX to reach its targets. Evaluating these risks is critical to gaining a clearer understanding of the realistic impact COVAX will have in tackling the pandemic.


Short financing – COVAX has received about a quarter of the $16 billion that WHO and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance stated it needs by the end of 2021 to procure 2 billion doses. Additionally, the poorest countries that qualify for free or cheaper vaccines are also required to chip in to buy vaccines with up to USD $2 billion by the end of 2021. Those unable to pay could be exempted, but the confidential document further stated they ‘will be expected to co-finance COVID-19 vaccines with tiered contributions that reflect economies’ ability to pay’. The World Bank along with international donors are expected to finance loans to plug the funding gap, however since the success of COVAX depends on wealthy nations participating, there remains significant uncertainty over the size of this gap.


Supply issues – Furthermore, the scheme is dependent on vaccines that are cheaper and easier to transport, including the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine, which has been slower in testing and receiving regulatory approval. COVAX has so far reached non-binding supply agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi for 400 million doses – but all three have faced delays in their trials, pushing back regulatory approval until mid-2021. Given this, huge questions exist over the ability of COVAX to fulfil its targets, and more transparency is desperately needed to inform expectations.


Limited transparency – According to papers leaked to Reuters, the liability for any issues experienced by the participating nations will not be footed by COVAX, operating without financial contingency funds. This means that for the poorer countries that do not have access to public or private funds that could pay indemnities to victims, they would face uncapped costs for which they have no insurance – or victims receive no compensation at all. The lack of transparency over these contingency measures has already been raised by The Gates Foundation, for their potential to act as a significant barrier to delivery of the vaccines.


Lack of support from key nations – Enthusiasm for the facility has in part been dampened over the summer by refusals to support from the United States, with White House spokesman Judd Deere calling the WHO ‘corrupt’ and ‘constraining’. Beijing was a late joiner at the end of October, refusing to contribute financially, with Russia opting to not join the facility at all. It is clear these nations intended to rely on their own scientific acumen to develop effective vaccines to prioritise their own civilians, entirely culpable for exuding ‘vaccine nationalism’. President Trump banked on the 6 vaccine candidates within the US to succeed (https://www.ft.com/content/89acf0bb-8dac-4f73-8962-5780546eadca), including the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, funnelling $10 billion for trials under Operation Warp Speed. Russia began distributing the Sputnik V vaccine in December; China similarly has approved the Sinopharm vaccine in the same month.

How gender disparities impact health
 

© Keystone / Gaetan Bally

A recent Swiss study sheds light on the inequalities between women and men in terms of health. These are in part due to social factors. Better understanding of the influence of gender is key to improving the quality of health care, argues the study published by the Federal Statistics Office.

This content was published on February 9, 2021  Pauline Turuban

When it comes to health, women and men can be faced with different realities. Take just two examples: the vital prognosis of women who suffer from heart attacks is worse than for men, and women are more likely to commit suicide when suffering from depression.

Though this observation was made several decades ago, medical science has only just recently begun to explore the importance of gender in health, meaning social behaviours outside of the biological differences related to sex. The idea behind the research is that the disparities observed often stem from a combination of factors.

The case of cardiovascular disease is one of the most documented. Long considered a masculine pathology, it has principally been studied in men. However, the “typical” symptoms which result from these observations are less observed in women.

Various stereotyping on the part of the medical corps can also influence diagnoses. Women are less often advised to consult a specialist or take a stress test. "Chest pain related to a heart attack will be more easily interpreted in women as having another origin, such as anxiety", said Carole Clair, deputy doctor at Lausanne’s University Centre of General Medicine and Public Health (Unisanté) and joint head of the Medicine and Gender unit.

In the case of depression, which is more prevalent in women, an inverse gender bias is observed to the detriment of men. All these factors could lead to detection of the disease too late, or to a faulty diagnosis, scientists say.
Longer life, lower quality of life

According to the Federal Statistics Office report, in Switzerland, women live four years longer than men on average, but their general health indicators are worse. Women are more likely to live with at least one chronic disease or long-term health problem, to complain of a general lack of energy, and to suffer from sleep issues or psychological distress.

The gap in life expectancy itself narrows year-on-year. This trend, observed in numerous countries, is thought to be largely the result of a growing similarity in the lifestyles of men and women.
External Content

Unequal in the face of pain

More women report suffering from chronic pain. They are the largest consumers of pain relief medication. This shows up in several surveys published both in Switzerland and the European Union.

External Content

The hypothesis of social factors is put forward to explain this discrepancy.

“Women have learnt to express their pain more easily than men, something which enables them to seek consultation more easily when they are in pain,” the Federal Statistics Office study notes. That said, they tend to receive lower-dose painkillers than men, and even anti-anxiety medications.

Existing gender inequalities in society could also be factored in: women suffer more from psychosocial stress and from chronic pain, due to their overall situation being less advantageous.

One determinant among others

Gender is a social determinant amongst others, like ethnicity, socio-economic situation, or even the level of education, according to Joëlle Schwarz, joint head of the Medicine and Gender Unit and who also contributed to the study. Whether a person is employed or not also appears to have an influence; men’s health in particular seems to be more affected by the absence of work. The study reveals that pain or certain physical ailments can reach the same level in inactive or unemployed men as in women.

“This trend could be explained by heightened social pressure linked to the male role of being the main breadwinner. Masculine identity is much more strongly defined than for women by professional work,” the study notes.
The paradox of the pressure to be thin

Another disparity concerns weight. In Switzerland, as in the EU, more men than women are overweight or obese. While this can be linked to genetic predispositions, weight is also linked to social behaviours like physical activity and diet.

Women in general pay more attention to their diet and overall are also more dissatisfied with their weight than men. This gap can be understood by the strong social factor which pressures women to be thin, notes Schwarz.

“On one side, it could be said that this protects them from being overweight or obese, but with the harmful effects in terms of well-being (…) and, at the extreme, problematic eating disorders, which are a lot more prevalent in women,” analysed Schwarz.
“Improve patient care”

The problem is far from being limited to the indicators in this study.

“The more interest one takes in it, the more differences are discovered everywhere,” said Clair.

Since March 2020, Clair and Schwarz have been developing an index to measure gender disparities with the goal of correcting the inequalities which are correctable, improving patient care.

How gender disparities impact health - SWI swissinfo.ch

Minimising the threat of melting glaciers


Meltwater from glaciers can pose a serious threat to villages in the valleys. Stored in vast sub-glacial lakes, it can break suddenly through the ice to cause flooding and damage. Can it be controlled?

This content was published on February 9, 2021 - 14:00February 9, 2021 - 14:00

Swiss public television SRF journeyed deep into the Plaine-Morte glacier to find out. It’s a fascinating hidden ice world – and a constant threat to the village of Lenk below. Influenced by global climate change, the glacier collects over a billion litres of meltwater every summer – water that threatens to break out suddenly and cause flooding. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

After a year of anxiety, what can we expect from the Year of the Ox in 2021?

 

GETTY IMAGES / THE JAPAN TIMES

BY KATHRYN WORTLEY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jan 1, 2021

Few people will have been sorry to see the end of 2020, a year characterized by the global COVID-19 pandemic. For those who follow the Chinese new year, the close of the tragic and tumultuous Year of the Rat is fast approaching, too.

Feb. 12 marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. The second animal of the Chinese zodiac, the ox denotes the hard work, positivity and honesty that will be manifested in all of us in the coming 12 months, according to astrologers.

Jupiter Lai, a Hong-Kong based Chinese and Western astrologer, says the ox is “grounded, loyal, gentle and trustworthy.”

Following the Chinese calendar, which rotates in 60-year cycles based on 12 earthly branches, each represented by an animal year, and five element years — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — 2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox. On a deeper level, each earthly branch is characterized by a yin or yang force and an element.

In the Year of the Rat, the force was the fast, hard, active yang while the element was water, which Lai says is known for “changing all the time.” The ox’s earthly branch, meanwhile, is associated with yin, which is slow, soft and passive. Its element is earth, representing “stability and nourishment. It is believed these additional associations and the characteristics of the ox have great synergy and are mostly favorable.

A statue of an ox sits in the grounds of Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture. | KEITH CROWLEY / TOKYOFOTOS

And the ox’s good attributes are not only found in the Chinese zodiac. The animal has been represented in religion, art, literature and popular culture throughout east Asia for centuries. Much of the high regard it holds is due to its importance in agriculture.

In China, it is considered an animal of strength that is associated with harvests and fertility. In years gone by, people created an ox using mud and beat it with sticks as part of a new year ritual to mark the start of spring. It was also believed that placing a metal statue of an ox at the bottom of a river could prevent a flood. The ancient Chinese art of feng shui, which harmonizes people with their environment using energy forces, also regards the animal as auspicious, which has given the ox a reputation for granting wishes.

The ox is one of the most common animals featured in Korean proverbs. The imagery is overwhelmingly positive, portraying the animal with traits such as diligence, gratitude and loyalty. It is seen as altruistic as it serves mankind.

One example is “It is a bad plowman that quarrels with his ox,” which is akin to the French proverb “Bad workmen will never find a good tool,” whose use dates from the 13th century, and the later English version, “A bad workman blames his tools.”

As peasant families in ancient times are understood to have often sold their ox to pay for their son’s education, the ox is also presented as an object of great value — “those who steal a pin will steal an ox.”

Kyosai Kawanabe’s “Buffalo and Herdsman” (circa 1887)

| PUBLIC DOMAIN

With strong representations of the ox in China and on the Korean Peninsula, it is likely that positive imagery related to the ox was transferred to Japan over time.

But Japan’s relationship with the ox is also rooted in Buddhism. The animal is represented in texts, statues and other religious imagery and celebrated in events throughout the year.

According to Mikael Bauer, an assistant professor of Japanese religions (Buddhism) at McGill University, the ox presented in Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism (which is similar but not the same as Buddhism) is derived from earlier images in Daoism, a religious philosophical practice in China.

In Buddhism, he says, the ox represents “Buddha nature,” the fundamental nature of all beings that includes the assumption that anyone can gain enlightenment.

“You often see images of ox-herding in Japanese Buddhism, where the ox herder represents us — struggling, pulling the ox on a path of religious praxis,” he says. “One could say this is our path, our life, on which we have to realize that we already possess Buddha nature.”

One example of such imagery is in “Ten Scenes with an Ox,” a Zen Buddhist parable depicted with color illustrations and explanatory text. The earliest known Japanese copy is in a scroll inscribed with the date 1278. Representations of the paintings, which tell the story of a boy who finds his ox after an exhaustive search, are often displayed in Zen temples in Japan as well as China and on the Korean Peninsula.

Sylvain Jolivalt is an author specializing in Japanese history and legends. 

| COURTESY OF SYLVAIN JOLIVALT

Zen Buddhism specialist Martine Batchelor says the parable depicts “a young ox herder whose quest leads him to tame, train and transform his heart and mind, a process that is represented by subduing the ox.”

The parable struck a deep chord with society, inspiring recreations in literature and art. Kawanabe Kyosai’s painting “Buffalo and Herdsman,” which dates from 1887, is but one piece of art that draws on the story.

According to experts, it was not unusual for animals to be used to convey Zen Buddhist philosophy, but perhaps none are portrayed so positively as the ox. In the 1770 painting created by Ito Jakuchu, “Two Gibbons Reaching for the Moon,” for example, the gibbons convey the negative “human habit of trying to attain the unreal rather than spiritual sustenance.”

Sylvain Jolivalt, an author specializing in Japanese history and legends, says one of the foremost events related to oxen in Japan is the ushi matsuri (cow festival) held annually on Oct. 12 at Korui-ji, said to be the oldest temple in Kyoto. The ritual involves a priest donning a white costume and white mask to embody the god Matarajin and riding around the temple on a black cow. The priest then dismounts and climbs onto a wooden platform from which he addresses the gods.

“He reads (the message) to the gods over and over to ask them to grant peace and an abundant harvest, and to scatter away bad illnesses,” Jolivalt says.

The meaning of the ox in Chinese astrology even influenced the construction of temples in Japan in ancient times due to the links between Chinese astrology and Buddhism.

Jeffrey Kotyk, a researcher of foreign astrology in medieval east Asia at the University of British Columbia, says every branch of the Chinese zodiac is connected to a time of day and direction. The ox’s time is 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., while its direction is northeast — the ‘origin of bad influences.’ 

| COURTESY OF JEFFREY KOTYK

According to Jeffrey Kotyk, a researcher of foreign astrology in medieval east Asia at the University of British Columbia, each earthly branch of the Chinese zodiac is connected to a time of day and a direction. The ox’s time is 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., while its direction is northeast.

During these hours, it is believed that “even plants doze” and “ghosts and goblins appear to scare men away,” Jolivalt says. He surmises that the awakening of the spirits in the hours of the ox is linked to the fact that the direction of the ox is called the “Gate of Demons.”

In Chinese astrology, the northeast (the cardinal direction shared by the ox and the tiger) is “considered the origin of bad influences,” Jolivalt says. It is for this reason, he adds, that temples were built to the northeast of Japan’s capitals, to protect them from harm. Nara was protected by Todai-ji temple, while Kamakura was guarded by Egara-tenjin shrine. Kyoto had Enryaku-ji temple, while Tokyo had Kanei-ji temple.

The connections between the animals, spirits and directions even resulted in the oni trolls of Japanese folklore to feature the horns of the ox and the skin of the tiger in their loincloth in a nod to the ox and the tiger, he says.

Japan’s indigenous religion, Shintoism, also venerates and respects the ox. The animal is associated with Sugawa no Michizane, a scholar, poet and courtier of the ninth century. He was successful and rose to gain considerable power, but was ultimately expelled from court due to political differences.

Michizane was born in 845, the Year of the Ox. According to legend, a faithful ox was his transport of choice to go into exile. Michizane is said to have been fond of oxen as they had protected him from assassins at one time. It is also held that after his death, the ox carrying his remains in his funeral procession stopped midway along the route. When the ox refused to go any further, people built a shrine on the spot where the ox halted to honor Michizane.

A series of disasters following Michizane’s death, including plague, repeated lightning strikes and floods, prompted the ruling class to attempt to appease his assumed vengeful spirit by deifying him. He became Tenjin — the god of academics, scholarship and calligraphy — and his spirit was enshrined in shrines called Tenman-gu.

Today, there are estimated to be about 14,000 such shrines in Japan. One of the main ones is Dazaifu Tenman-gu in Fukuoka Prefecture, which is built over Michizane’s grave.

“As a thunder god,” Jolivalt says, “Tenjin-sama is also praised to invoke rainfall, so he is considered a god of agriculture.” This is another link to the hardworking ox of the fields of ancient times.

Oxen or cows are regarded as messengers of Tenjin, which has resulted in the proliferation of statues of oxen in Tenman-gu shrines. Many statues are lying down as a reminder of the ox that rested during Michizane’s funeral procession.

A statue of an ox sits in the grounds of Hirakawa Tenman-gu near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. | KATHRYN WORTLEY

Tenman-gu shrines are among the most popular shrines to visit for school and university students ahead of sitting important exams. Thousands of children, young people and their parents every year pray to Tenjin due to his association with learning.

Many of these shrines heavily feature the ox, but cows are present at other shrines in Japan, too.

This is due to “the old belief that cows have the power to cure disease,” says the spokesperson of the Association of Shinto Shrines. “Visitors who stroke the part of their body affected by their ailment and then stroke the same place on the statue of the cow will have their ailment cured.”

Popular spots for these nade-ushi (rubbing cows) in Tokyo include Hirakawa Tenman-gu near the Imperial Palace and Yushima Tenjin in Bunkyo Ward.

In the centuries that followed the deification of Tenjin, events and activities that involved asking the ox or cow to provide a good harvest and ward off disease spread across the country.

Until the destruction of Shakuzenji Castle in Osaka Prefecture in the 16th century, an almost life-size clay and wood ox was built and celebrated annually on July 6 and 7 in a ritual appealing for rainfall and a good harvest. Many customs are also still practiced today.

Meanwhile, in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, the akabeko (red cow) is both a local craft and treasure.

These wood and papier-mache toys featuring a bobbing head are based on a real cow used to build a local temple in the ninth century, according to legend. Over time, people came to believe that akabeko could drive off smallpox and other diseases.

A statue of an ox sits in the grounds of Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture. | KEITH CROWLEY / TOKYOFOTOS

While regular shrine goers may be accustomed to recognizing cow imagery at shrines, 2021 will see shrines across Japan make an additional salute to the cow, according to the Association of Shinto Shrines. In keeping with the long-held practice of celebrating the new year and the animal associated with it as per the Chinese zodiac, shrines will display images related to the Year of the Ox.

People enjoying hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year) in 2021 can expect to see decorations like ox-adorned ema (traditional Shinto plaques); there is a giant one on display at Kashihara-jingu shrine in Nara Prefecture. Visitors can also pick up their own plaques — which typically include an image of the animal associated with the year — on which they write a message or wish. The plaque is then hung within the shrine grounds. Auspicious items to keep or wear in 2021 are also available in exchange for a fixed donation.

The Association of Shinto Shrines says celebrating the start of the Year of the Ox with these items is due to the “customs in Japan derived from the Japanese culture of following the zodiac” rather than activities associated with religious beliefs.

For many people, putting out figurines or decorations related to the upcoming animal year involves little thought; it is as synonymous with new year as eating mochi rice cakes. In 2021, those decorations will mark the Year of the Ox, a year with significant, deep associations across many areas.

Japan earthquake: 7.1-magnitude tremor hits off Fukushima coast

Tsunami warning has not been issued

Bethany Dawson@bethanymrd
1 hour ago 


An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 has hit off the coast of eastern Japan on Saturday 23:13 JMT (14:13 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The epicentre of the earthquake was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of 60 km (36 miles), the agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had not been issued.

A liquor shop's manager clears the damaged bottles following an earthquake in Fukushima, northeastern Japan
(AP)

Top government spokesperson Katsnunobu Kato has stated that at least 950,000 homes were without power as of midnight JMT (15:00 GMT).

The Japan Times is reporting that several residents of Fukushima and Miyagi were taken to hospitals, but there have yet been no reports of any serious injuries or deaths.

Experts are warning of aftershocks over the next several days, including the possibility of larger quakes.


The Tokyo Electric Power Company has confirmed that there were no irregularities at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, or at the Kahiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear, nor have there been any changes to the radiation levels around the plants.

The quake comes close to the 10 year anniversary of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

 
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato (R) rushes into the prime minister official residence after a strong earthquake hit northeastern Japan
(EPA)


The 2011 earthquake lasted for six minutes and reached a magnitude of 9.0–9.1. The quake triggered a tsunami that reached heights of up to 40.5 meters.

The quake, considered the largest in the history of Japan and the fourth largest in the world, resulted in 15,899 deaths and 6,157 additional injuries.

The National Police Agency of Japan on 10 September stated the quake completely demolished 121,778 buildings.

Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active areas, and it accounts for roughly 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes that are magnitude 6 or greater.

File folders are seen scattered on the floor of the Kyodo News bureau after a strong quake in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
(REUTERS)

PSA STILL ON LINE

New Zealand online porn safety campaign goes viral

AFP-JIJI

Jun 21, 2020

WELLINGTON – A New Zealand government advertisement showing two pornography actors turning up at a boy’s home has helped the country’s new online safety campaign go viral.

The Keep It Real Online video shows two naked actors being greeted by the child’s mother before the youngster wanders into the hallway with a laptop and reacts in shock at the sight of the pair.

A New Zealand government spokeswoman said the advertisement was part of a wider campaign to help parents deal with online dangers including grooming, bullying and pornography.

The video has reached millions of viewers since launching about 10 days ago, she said.

“The response to the campaign has been overwhelming,” the spokeswoman said.

“In the first week and a half of the campaign, the ads have been viewed online a total of 11 million times.”

The pornography awareness advert has racked up almost two million views on YouTube alone.

“In the case of the pornography ad, it draws attention to the fact that many young people learn about sex from pornography,” the spokeswoman said.

“It can be upsetting for younger kids and sends poor messages about consent, body image and sex to teens.”

HOMAGE DU CRISTO

Thai activists cover monument to protest royal defamation law

 

Pro-democracy demonstrators take part in a protest to demand the release of their leaders in Bangkok, Thailand, February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun reuters_tickers

This content was published on February 13, 2021

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Youth activists protesting against laws forbidding insult to Thailand's powerful king briefly clashed with police on Saturday after draping Bangkok's Democracy Monument in red cloth.

Protesters threw paint at police and several small bangs were heard during a standoff near a city shrine after the demonstration had moved from Democracy Monument and the main leaders had called for it to disperse.

Activists said the red cloth on the monument represented the blood of fighters for democracy.

Police deputy spokesman Kissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police officers were injured in the clashes and seven or eight people were detained for questioning. He also said at least one firecracker exploded at the scene.

The demonstration was in reaction to this week's arrests of four leading protest figures under charges of insulting the monarchy in mass anti-government demonstrations last year.

The "lese majeste" law, contained in Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code, carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison.

Student activists say the law has been abused for decades to crush political opposition to a military-royalist establishment.

"We want Article 112 to be revoked plus the release of four of our leaders and other political prisoners convicted by this law," said protester Chutima Kaenpetch, 24.

The government led by former military junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha denies any abuse of the law, saying political opposition is allowed but breaking the law by insulting the king will be punished.

Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, but the king is held in special esteem by conservative Thai culture that portrays him as the protector of the Buddhist religion and the nation.

The student movement that emerged last year smashed long-held taboos by openly criticising King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who they say has amassed too much personal power since taking the throne after the death of his father in 2016.

The Royal Palace has declined to directly comment on the protests, but Prayuth and government officials have said that criticism of the king is unlawful and inappropriate.


(Reporting by Bangkok bureau; Editing by Frances Kerry)

British human rights lawyer Karim Khan elected new ICC chief prosecutor

British human rights lawyer Karim Khan was elected Friday as the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a politically daunting position whose incumbent was slapped with US sanctions. 

Khan, 50, previously led a special UN probe into crimes by the Islamic State extremist group in which he pressed for a trial on the lines of Nuremberg for Nazi war criminals.

More controversially, he also represented late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s son Seif al-Islam.

Khan will be only the third prosecutor of the ICC, taking over in June from Gambian-born Fatou Bensouda, who has outraged Washington through her investigations into the Afghanistan war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

ICC nations failed to reach a consensus choice, triggering a vote in New York among four candidates in which Khan won on the second ballot with 72 votes.

In the first round, he did not win a majority but narrowly edged out Ireland’s Fergal Gaynor, who has represented victims before the ICC in the Afghan war investigation and in a case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The United Nations has 193 member states but only 123 are in the ICC, with the United States, Israel, China and Russia notably absent.

Khan will take on a bulging file of difficult cases at a tribunal whose legitimacy is constantly under attack.

“There are many places where the ICC could take action,” one UN envoy said Friday on condition of anonymity, adding he hoped the voting would not stretch over several days.

“We don’t need less ICC but more ICC,” he said.

Hard early choices

The new prosecutor’s first tasks will include deciding the next steps on the probe into war crimes in Afghanistan and the hugely contentious investigation into the 2014 Israel-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.

The administration of then US president Donald Trump hit Bensouda and another senior ICC official last year with sanctions including a travel ban and asset freeze after she launched the probe that includes alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan.

Israel and the United States have also strongly opposed the probe into alleged war crimes by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups.

ICC judges however ruled last week that the court had jurisdiction over the situation in the Palestinian territories, paving the way for a full investigation after a five-year preliminary probe opened by Bensouda.

The new US administration of President Joe Biden has signaled a less confrontational line but has not said whether it will drop sanctions against Bensouda, who has attacked the “unacceptable” measures.

Other candidates for the job included Spanish judge Carlos Castresana, who previously headed a UN panel combating crime and corruption in Guatemala but resigned in 2010 alleging “systemic attacks” by power-hungry officials, and Francesco Lo Voi, an Italian prosecutor of the Mafia.

Mixed record

Bensouda has had a mixed record in her tenure since 2012 even as she expanded — some analysts say overextended — the court’s reach.

Under her leadership, former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo was cleared of crimes against humanity, while former DR Congo vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted on appeal.

Kenya’s Kenyatta also saw charges of crimes against humanity over electoral bloodshed dropped by Bensouda.

But Bensouda has recently secured high-profile convictions against Ugandan child soldier-turned-Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen and Congolese warlord Bosco “Terminator” Ntaganda.

She has also been credited with improving the prosecutor’s office compared with her predecessor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, whose leadership was described as “autocratic” in a probe ordered by the ICC into the Kenyatta case.

The ICC is the world’s only permanent war crimes court, after years when the only route to justice for atrocities in countries like Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia was separate tribunals.

Hamstrung from the start by the refusal of the United States, Russia and China to join, the court has since faced criticism for having mainly taken on cases from poorer African nations.

(AFP)

British barrister Karim Khan elected ICC’s new chief prosecutor

February 13, 2021





Khan, 50, won on second round of voting by 131 member states and replaces Fatou Bensouda, who was hit with US sanctions

A British QC has been elected as the new chief prosecutor for the international criminal court in an election by the court’s 131 member states at the UN in New York. Karim Khan will replace Fatou Bensouda from the Gambia, and as he starts his nine-year term he faces a daunting task trying to secure more convictions and spread acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction across the globe.

The secret ballot for the post was the first in the court’s history – and took place amid some controversy and high politics between member states.

Khan, 50, beat candidates from Ireland, Spain and Italy to win on a second round of voting with support from 72 nations – 10 more than the 62 needed.

Khan was called to the English bar in 1992, and has promised to reform the prosector’s office to make it more efficient. He is regarded as a tough, fiercely clever advocate, and was appointed in 2018 by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, to lead the UN team investigating international crimes committed by Isis.

The first task of the third prosecutor in the ICC’s short history will be to try to secure more convictions and so increase the court’s legitimacy among the many member states that refuse to recognise its jurisdiction – including the US, Russia and China. The court has also faced skepticism in Africa as leaders from that continent have increasingly become the sole focus of the Hague-based court.

Karim had not originally been on the shortlist for the post and was added partly at the insistence of the Kenyan government. Karim had controversially acted as defence counsel for the Kenyan vice-president, William Ruto, when he was charged with crimes against humanity following post-election violence in 2007 that led to 1,200 people being killed.

The charges were dropped in 2016 by the ICC after what was described as “troubling incidence of witness interference and intolerable political meddling”. One key witness was killed in December 2014. Khan recently wrote an open letter detailing how he did all possible to prevent intimidation by ensuring the individual was put under witness protection, and then seeking an inquiry.

By the start of this week it looked as if Khan would be chosen by consensus, the ICC’s preferred method of appointment, when last-minute objections came in from Spain and Mauritius.

The objections came from Mauritius focused less on Karim as an individual, but that he was nominated by the British government. Mauritius had been infuriated that UK ministers had for a second time said they had no need to abide by rulings of international UN courts in the dispute over its sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Karim will have to decide the next steps on the investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, and the contentious investigation into the 2014 Israel-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The European parliament this week called for a worldwide ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, also called for an ICC war crimes investigation into the civil war in Yemen.

The administration of the then US president Donald Trump hit Bensouda and another senior ICC official last year with sanctions including a travel ban and an asset freeze over the inquiry, which includes alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan.

Israel – which is also not an ICC member – has strongly opposed the inquiry into alleged war crimes by Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups.

ICC judges, however, ruled last week that the court had jurisdiction over Palestine, paving the way for a full investigation after a five-year preliminary inquiry opened by Bensouda.

Bensouda has recently secured high-profile convictions against Ugandan child soldier turned Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen, and Congolese warlord Bosco “Terminator” Nagana.