Ukraine says Russian forces 'stole' safety equipment from Chernobyl, 'special work' needed to repair reactor site

The IAEA Director-General says "we have to be on alert" over the situation in Chernobyl.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called Russia's temporary occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power station "very, very dangerous" and offered to help Ukraine repair damage caused to the stricken plant.

Key points:

The IAEA chief's visit to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant coincided with the 36th anniversary of the April 26, 1986 nuclear disaster

On the same day as the anniversary, Russia fired rockets over Chernobyl and two other functioning nuclear power stations, killing at least one person

The IAEA said it would help Ukraine repair the damage caused by Russian forces to the defunct nuclear power plant

Rafael Grossi, the IAEA's director-general, was speaking on the 36th anniversary of the world's worst civil nuclear power disaster at the plant when its fourth reactor caught fire and exploded on April 26, 1986.

"The situation was absolutely abnormal and very, very dangerous," Mr Grossi told reporters outside the station 140 kilometres north of Kyiv.

"It could have developed into an accident."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russian behaviour at the site and said Moscow had shown total disregard for nuclear safety on the anniversary by sending rockets over Chernobyl and two other functioning nuclear power stations.

Mr Zelenskyy, in his nightly video, said the Russians' conduct after taking over the plant meant "it appears they have no understanding what Chernobyl is at all".

He said Russian troops had stolen equipment used to measure radiation at the site.

A confinement structure covers the old sarcophagus containing the damaged fourth reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.(Reuters: Gleb Garanich)

Praise for staff during Russian takeover of power plant

The IAEA chief visited the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster to deliver equipment and lay a wreath in commemoration and speak with current workers.

Mr Grossi praised the staff at the power plant and said 'worst was avoided' thanks to their efforts.

"The first credit must go to the operators, to these people here because they carried on their work in spite of all the difficulties," he said.

"In spite of the stress, in spite of the fact that they could not be working normally, they continued working as if nothing had happened so they [could] get the situation stable."

Mr Grossi warned there was still much work to be done at the plant while Russia's invasion of Ukraine went on.

"We don't have peace yet... the situation is not stable, we have to be on alert."
'Special work' needed to fix damage caused by Russian forces

Trenches dug by the Russian military are seen in an area with high levels of radiation called the Red Forest, near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

(Reuters: Gleb Garanich)

Speaking later in Kyiv after talks with Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Grossi said the IAEA and Ukraine would take on "special work" at Chernobyl to restore "all the capacities there and the infrastructure that was damaged in the past few weeks".


"It is visible that there is damage and we are assessing that," Mr Grossi said after visiting the station.
Russia fires missiles over power plants

Ukraine's state-run atomic energy company said Russian missiles flew at low altitude over Europe's largest nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, and reiterated warnings that Russia's invasion could lead to a "nuclear catastrophe".

Energoatom issued its latest warning about the risks caused by the war with Russia at the now-defunct Chernobyl plant, in what was then Soviet Ukraine.

The company said cruise missiles had flown over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Tuesday during an air strike that local authorities said hit a commercial building in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least one person.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant — the largest in Europe — has been under Russian control since it was seized in early March.

(AP: Energoatom (National Nuclear Energy Generation Company))

"Missiles flying at a low altitude directly over the site of the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant), where there are seven nuclear facilities with a huge amount of nuclear material, poses huge risks," Petro Kotin, Energoatom's acting chief, said.

"After all, missiles could hit one or more nuclear facilities, and this threatens a nuclear and radiation catastrophe around the world," he said in a statement issued by Energoatom.

Energoatom said Russian troops, who had occupied the plant since March 4 when a blaze broke out in a building at the site after clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces, were keeping heavy equipment and ammunition on the site.

"Thirty-six years after the Chernobyl tragedy, Russia exposes the whole world to the danger of a repeat of the nuclear catastrophe!" it said.

Chernobyl power cut

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk tells the ABC's Four Corners she is concerned about a potential catastrophe if power is not restored at the plant within the next 48 hours.

Russia did not immediately comment on Energoatom's statement.

Ukraine has 15 operational reactors at four plants of which seven are currently connected to the grid, including two at the Zaporizhzhia facility which is currently controlled by Russia.

Russian troops moved into the highly contaminated "exclusion zone" surrounding the Chernobyl plant days after launching their February 24 incursion.

It has previously offered safety assurances about Ukraine's nuclear power facilities.

Russian forces withdrew from the plant late last month.

Ukrainian officials earlier complained the troops had pulled heavy equipment through the zone, disturbing contaminated territory and sending up radioactive dust.

The troops for a time prevented staff from leaving the station, where they oversee large amounts of spent fuel and other radioactive materials.

ABC/Reuters

Ukraine-Russia: What is Transnistria and why have there been attacks on the self-declared republic within Moldova?

It was a public holiday in Moldova to celebrate Orthodox Easter when the country found itself drawn into a conflict it has tried very hard to avoid.

By Jane Bradley
Wednesday, 27th April 2022

In the self-declared pro-Russian republic of Transnistria, in the south of Moldova on the Ukrainian border, two blasts struck the Grigoriopol district in the early hours of Monday morning, taking out masts broadcasting Russian radio stations.

A few hours later, the city of Tiraspol - the capital of the breakaway state – also reported a series of attacks on the building of the Tiraspol Security Service, the MGB, blowing out several windows on the upper floors.

Moldovan president Maia Sandu yesterday held an emergency meeting with her security council, where she described the situation as “complex and tense”.

Tiraspol is the capital of the self-declared breakaway republic of Transnistria.

She said: “What is happening in the last 24 hours in the Transnistrian region is an escalation of tensions. Our analysis, at this time, shows that there are tensions between different forces within the region, interested in destabilising the situation. This makes the Transnistrian region vulnerable and poses risks to the Republic of Moldova.”

Transnistria, known officially as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (PMSSR), was created in 1990 by pro-Soviet separatists, who wanted to remain part of the USSR when the rest of Moldova was vying for independence – or a possible unification with Romania.

Russian troops are still stationed there, although the region remains technically part of Moldova – and is internationally recognised as such – where the main language is Romanian. The government has, in recent years, moved closer to the West.

Yet more than 30 years on from its formation, the region is still seen as a Soviet throwback. Russian display tanks greet visitors as they enter Tiraspol, while a statue of Vladimir Lenin stands proudly in the city. Its is the only flag in the world to have retained the Communist symbol of the hammer and sickle

Footage of the border between Transnistria and Moldova yesterday saw queues of cars apparently trying to leave the region. However, locals insisted it was due to people going about their normal business, rather than a mass exodus of Transnistrians desperate to leave amid fears of unrest.

“Everything is quiet, people are going to work,” a man living in Transnistria told local media.

The attacks, the source of which are as yet unknown, have worried pro-Russian forces. They follow a series of blasts on key sites across Russia in recent days and a number of fake bomb threats phoned into schools and medical institutions in Transnistria.

It is unclear who is behind the attacks. Claims are they are “false flags” carried out by Russia itself to use as a reason for provocation against Ukraine and potentially Moldova. This has been questioned due to the high-value targets chosen.

Professor Luke March, deputy director of the Princess Dashkova Russian Centre at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed that within Russia, the attacks were likely to be resistance fighters trying to interrupt the war effort. However, in Transnistria, he thinks the attack on the security headquarters could be a “false flag”.

"We can only speculate, it could be [resistance] forces within Transnistria or Moldova itself, but it could be a provocation from the Russian side to have something that’s a pretext for intervention, to show that Russians are being oppressed there,” he said. “However, the radio mast bombing is less likely to be. I don't think that Russia would be doing anything to stop its Russian language coverage of those areas, because it's got a very tenuous hold anyway.”

The Transnistrian authorities yesterday announced a “code red” of a high risk of terrorism in the region. It claimed, without explanation, that cars seen fleeing the scene of the Tiraspol blasts had Lithuanian registration plates.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned the situation in Transnistria was a “matter of concern” for the Russian Federation.

The blasts came four days after Moldova submitted the first part of its formal membership application for the EU, although accession is not likely to take place in the near future. President Sandu, who took on the post in December 2020 after running on a pro-European ticket, has insisted she is committed to keeping Transnistria part of Moldova, despite the conflict being a barrier to EU accession.

Moldova has been criticised for its neutral stance during the Ukraine conflict, refusing to take part in any sanctions against its Russian neighbour.

Yet the country, which is one of the poorest in Europe with an average salary of less than £300 a month, has little choice. It relies heavily on Russian gas, while the government also knows it has been within Russian sights as a potential target, one of the multiple "vulnerabilities" both in terms of security and economy cited by President Sandu.

Last week, a Russian senior military general was reported to have said his country wants to take over “southern Ukraine” and open a land bridge into a pro-Russian breakaway republic in Moldova, raising fears of an incursion into the country.

Military commander Major General Rustam Minnekayev said Russia believed there was evidence of "instances of oppressing the Russian-speaking population" in the republic, in echoes of the claims made by Russia about Ukraine as justification of its invasion.

Prof March said while Russia’s plans undoubtedly include Transnistria, it would be unlikely to be in the near future due to demands on military resources in Ukraine. But he warned President Sandu should be concerned.

He said: “It’s a constitutionally neutral state and has made that choice of never asking for Nato membership and instead concentrating on the EU, so it really doesn’t want to militarise the situation. However, Moldova is very internally divided and while the pro-Europeans are on top at the moment, the pro-Russian forces are pretty strong there as well.

"Pro-Russians in Moldova are more pro-Russian than those in Ukraine. The pro-Russians in Ukraine still have quite a strong sense of being Ukrainian as well as being favoured towards Russia. Sandu will be very concerned about that political situation.

"But there is a way in which they could play this in their favour. If we are realising that Russia is an active threat and we need to harden our defences, that actually might be construed as strengthening Moldova’s case for bringing it in on this side of the barrier.”

 

Tensions are rising in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestria, adjacent to Ukraine, where authorities say explosions have hit radio masts and the state security service headquarters in the space of a day. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Philip Turle explains why the region is emerging as a possible new flashpoint of the war in Ukraine.

Retired Colombian soldiers confess to murdering scores of civilians

Ten retired members of Colombia’s military began admitting to victims’ families on Tuesday their roles in the assassination of 120 civilians that were later presented as rebels killed in combat.

© Schneyder Mendoza, AFP

It was the first public admission by the former soldiers that they had made people disappear before killing them in cold blood.

One general, four colonels and five officers, as well as a civilian, were due to make their confessions to the special tribunal set up as part of the 2016 peace deal that ended a half century of conflict between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels.

The “false positives” scandal in which murdered civilians were passed off as enemy combattants is the largest ever to have rocked Colombia’s armed forces.

“I ask you to clear our family names ... they were rural workers, not subversives, guerrillas and thugs as they were branded,” said Eduvina Becerra, the partner of Jose Ortega, a murdered farmer.

Around 50 of the victims’ family members showed up to the university theater in Ocana, close to Colombia’s northern border with Venezuela, where the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) hearing took place.

“I acknowledge and accept my responsibility as co-perpetrator” of the murders that took place between 2007 and 2008, said Nestor Gutierrez, a former non-commissioned officer in the army.

“We murdered innocent people, peasants,” said Gutierrez, promising to “clarify it here before the judgment, before the world, before the country.”

In front of an audience of sobbing family members, the soldiers gave details about how they murdered the victims, most of whom were men aged 25 to 35.

The JEP, which was set up in 2017 to try the worst atrocities committed during the conflict, said that Ocana was the site of a sinister plan thought up by a battalion stationed in the town of 100,000 and motivated by “the army’s institutional policy of counting bodies” to inflate the reporting of their successes in combating guerrillas and other armed groups.

The tribunal says more than 6,400 civilians were murdered between 2002 and 2008 after being lured to areas far from their homes.

The JEP has the authority to offer alternatives to jail time to people who confess their crimes and make reparations.

The Catatumbo region where Ocana is located is home to the largest area of illegal coca leaf crops used to make cocaine in the world, making it a hub for organized crime.

The hearing is due to last two days with former general Paulino Coronado the highest ranking officer on trial.

(AFP)

Covid-19: Investors in Big Pharma must ensure fair vaccine access for all countries

©BPS
NEWS

April 26, 2022

Investors in companies manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines must use their influence to ensure that supplies of urgently needed life-saving vaccines reach low- and lower-middle-income countries, Amnesty International said today ahead of the Annual General Meetings (AGM) of Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer on 28 April and AstraZeneca on 29 April.

With the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global target of a 70% vaccination rate in every country by July 2022 on course to be missed by a significant margin, pharmaceutical companies continue to obstruct fair access to Covid-19 vaccines by monopolizing technology, blocking and lobbying against the sharing of intellectual property, charging high prices for vaccines, and prioritizing supplies to wealthy countries.

Amnesty International is urging all institutional investors, including Baillie Gifford, Bank of America, Bank of NY Mellon, BlackRock, Capital Group, Morgan Stanley, State Street, UBS, Vanguard Group and Wellington Management, to use the AGMs to demand that AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer meet their human rights responsibilities. They should also vote in favour of shareholder resolutions designed to facilitate the universal distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and ask the boards of each company about the steps that they are taking towards achieving the WHO vaccination target.

Institutional investors have reaped rich rewards from this profiteering and short sightedness, but are duty bound to ensure that their money does not contribute to human rights abusesMark Dummett, Head of Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights team

“Pharmaceutical companies have human rights responsibilities yet continue to play a pivotal role in the scandalously unequal distribution of vaccines around the world. While they and their investors have enjoyed bumper profits from Covid-19 vaccines, low-income countries have received a tiny fraction of global supply and suffered a disproportionate number of deaths,” said Mark Dummett, Head of Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights team.

“Institutional investors have reaped rich rewards from this profiteering and short sightedness, but are duty bound to ensure that their money does not contribute to human rights abuses. These AGMs represent a golden opportunity for them to correct course by bringing their considerable influence to bear on these companies. They should question each company’s board and support shareholder resolutions that could kickstart a long-awaited policy shift that puts people before profit.”

Amnesty International is calling on all institutional investors in Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer to vote in favour of the shareholder resolution tabled by Oxfam America, which calls for the commissioning of shareholder reports on the transfer of Covid-19 vaccine technology that would enable manufacturers in low- and lower-middle-income countries to produce vaccines. This would be an important step to press the boards of each of these companies that they need to change direction and do more to ensure that vaccines reach low- and lower-middle-income countries, where vaccination rates remain very low.

According to Our World in Data, as of 25 April 2022, 65.1% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, but only 15.2% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.

Amnesty International is also calling on institutional investors to conduct comprehensive human rights due diligence on their investments, including by monitoring the impacts of the companies’ Covid-19 vaccine allocation policies on an ongoing basis. They must also take immediate action to prevent adverse impacts, mitigate risks, remedy any harm identified, and publicly disclose the results.

Background

In February 2022, Amnesty International published the report Money Calls the Shots: Pharma’s response to the Covid-19 vaccine crisis, which featured a scorecard assessment of the leading vaccine manufacturers: AstraZeneca plc, BioNTech SE, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Inc., and Pfizer Inc. Pfizer and Moderna fared worst of all.

In 2021, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna projected revenues of up to US$54 billion, yet supplied less than 2% of their vaccines to low-income countries. Johnson & Johnson’s record on distribution was better, with 50% of their stock reaching low- and lower-middle-income countries, although many of these doses were provided as “donations” from upper-income countries, not as part of sales agreements. The company still refuses to share its technology and intellectual property through World Health Organization-coordinated initiatives and is abandoning its not-for-profit pricing model.

In advance of the AGMs in April 2022, Amnesty International wrote to more than 30 institutional investors in Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers, calling on them to use their considerable leverage to pressure the pharmaceutical companies to remove obstacles to reaching the WHO’s 70% vaccination target. The total investments in the vaccine providers owned or managed by these ten financial institutions amounts to more than US$250 billion.

END VACCINE INEQUALITY NOW

Right now, billions of people in low and lower-middle income countries are missing out on life-saving vaccines. Send emails directly to BioNTech, Johnson&Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer and call on them to end vaccine inequality and save millions of lives now.

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Singapore executes a mentally disabled Malaysian man for drug trafficking

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, who trafficked a small amount of heroin into the country, was hanged. His case sparked widespread criticism because he was believed to be mentally disabled.

Dharmalingam's case was controversial as he was assessed to have an intellectual disability.

Singapore on Wednesday executed a Malaysian man with a mental disability condemned for a drug offense.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was hanged for attempting to smuggle less than 43 grams (1.5 ounces) of heroin into Singapore.

The city-state's government has said its use of the death penalty for drug crimes is made clear at the borders.

His case sparked widespread criticism because he was believed to be mentally disabled with an IQ of only 69.

His brother Navin Kumar said the execution had been carried out and said the body would be sent back to Malaysia, where a funeral would be held in the town of Ipoh.

Dharmalingam was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010

The 34-year-old Dharmalingam had been on death row for more than a decade.

His lawyers had filed multiple appeals against his execution but a Singapore court on Tuesday had turned down a last-minute legal challenge put forward by his mother.

At the end of Tuesday's hearing, Dharmalingam and his family reached through a gap in a glass screen to grasp each others' hands tightly as they wept. 

Rights groups condemn the death penalty

"Hanging an intellectually disabled, mentally unwell man because he was coerced into carrying less than three tablespoons of diamorphine is unjustifiable and a flagrant violation of international laws that Singapore has chosen to sign up to," Maya Foa, director of non-governmental organization Reprieve told the Associated Press.

Rights group Amnesty International who previously called the trial "a travesty of justice," said it was "unspeakably heartbroken at this incredible cruelty."

lo/wmr (AP, Reuters)

Singapore: Abhorrent hangings must end as man with intellectual disability executed


@Mohd Rasfan, 

AFP via Getty
NEWS

April 27, 2022

Responding to the execution of Malaysian national Nagaenthran Dharmalingam in Singapore, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director Erwin van der Borght said:

“The execution of Nagaenthran is a disgraceful act by the Singapore government – ruthlessly carried out despite extensive protests in Singapore and Malaysia and an outcry across the world.

“The execution of Nagaenthran is a disgraceful act by the Singapore government – ruthlessly carried out despite extensive protests in Singapore and Malaysia and an outcry across the world.”Erwin van der Borght, Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Amnesty International

“Nagaenthran’s hanging highlights the deep flaws of the death penalty in Singapore and the horror of its continued use. He was executed after he was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, amid concerns about his mental health state and despite having a diagnosed intellectual disability – in violation of international law and standards.

“Having carried out two executions in the space of a month, and with another man scheduled to be hanged on Friday, Singapore’s government is pursuing a cruel path that is severely at odds with the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty.

“There is no evidence to back up the government’s claim that the punishment is the answer to tackling drug-related problems in the country. The Singapore authorities must immediately stop the current wave of executions and urgently review legislation on the use of the death penalty, with a view towards abolition, in light of this shocking case.”

Background

Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty on 22 November 2010 for importing into Singapore 42.72 grams of diamorphine (heroin) in April 2009. His conviction and death sentence were upheld in July 2011. International law and standards prohibit the imposition of mandatory death sentences as these deny judges the possibility of taking into account the mitigating circumstances in the case. Moreover, international law and standards require that the imposition of the death penalty be restricted to the “most serious crimes” involving intentional killing.

Medical experts who assessed Nagaenthran in 2013, 2016 and 2017 found that he has borderline functioning intelligence and concurrent cognitive deficits, which “may have contributed toward his misdirected loyalty and poor assessment of the risks in agreeing to carry out the offence”. The Court of Appeal dismissed the concern, stating that “[h]is alleged deficiency in assessing risks might have made him more prone to engage in risky behaviour; that, however, does not in any way diminish his culpability.” The treaty bodies for the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which Singapore is a party to, prohibits the imposition of the death penalty on people whose mental and intellectual disabilities have impeded their effective defence. Nagaenthran’s other motions and appeals were subsequently rejected including a last-minute appeal by his mother who filed a criminal motion on Tuesday, in the absence of a lawyer.

Nagaenthran’s case resulted in unprecedented protests in Malaysia and Singapore days before his execution. On 25 April, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Singapore’s only space for public protest, Hong Lim Park, for a three-hour vigil. On 26 April, a demonstration outside the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur also drew large numbers before it was shut down by police. Nagaenthran’s case has received widespread attention internationally, including from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN experts.

Malaysian man Datchinamurthy Kataiah is set to be executed on 29 April for drug-related offences, despite a legal challenge he has pending at a Singapore court, for which there is a hearing in May. International safeguards guaranteeing protections of the rights of those facing the death penalty state that executions may not be carried out pending any appeal or other recourse procedure.

Singapore commonly cites the death penalty as a way to deter people from committing crime and solving problems associated with drugs. This claim has been repeatedly discredited, and there is no evidence that the death penalty is any more effective in reducing crime than life imprisonment. Punitive drug policies mandating harsh punishments have been shown to harm, rather than protect people from problems caused by drugs.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.

PANSPERMIA
Life on Earth was started by a meteorite, new evidence suggests

Joe Pinkstone

 Apr 27 2022


There are few questions bigger than how life on Earth began, and a new study may have finally proven that our existence can be traced back to a meteorite landing on our planet billions of years ago.

Experts have long debated how Earth, just one of trillions of planets created in the universe’s 14-billion-year existence, managed to cultivate life.

A leading theory has claimed that the core materials that make up DNA were transported to Earth from space via a meteorite around 3.5 billion years ago when our planet was a fiery hellscape in its celestial infancy.

During this time it was constantly peppered by meteorites and comets due to a chaotic and formative solar system, and it is possible at least one impact brought with it the constituent parts of DNA.


NASA
A new study may finally have proven that our existence can be traced back to a meteorite landing.

But while this theory had much support, it has had one glaring weakness; until now, only two of the four main components of DNA had been found in space rocks.

However, fresh analysis of three meteorites using state-of-the-art methods has spotted evidence of all four, proving that the necessary jigsaw pieces for life are indeed found in space.

Scientists say it is possible that these basic ingredients could have been deposited on Earth by a meteorite before life began.

“[The DNA chemicals] could have been generated by photochemical reactions prevailing in the interstellar medium and later incorporated into asteroids during solar system formation,” the researchers write in their study, published in the journal Nature Communications.

123RF
A leading theory claims the core materials that make up DNA were transported to Earth from space via a meteorite around 3.5 billion years ago

“This study demonstrates that a diversity of meteoritic nucleobases could serve as building blocks of DNA and RNA on the early Earth.”

The double-helix of DNA is one of the most famous chemicals in the world and it underpins all forms of known life.

DNA is made of two strands that weave around each other like an interminable ribbon and are connected in the middle by ladder-like rungs made of two chemicals joined together.

There are four such chemicals (adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine, better identified by their initials A, T, C and G) which are known as “bases” and their arrangement makes up an individual’s genome.

Every person’s order of these four bases is unique and provides the code for personality, appearance, health and everything in between.

Previously, scientists had found evidence of guanine and adenine in meteorites, but – despite intense searching – had never spotted their complementary partners.

A team of Japanese researchers, led by Hokkaido University, obtained two samples of the Murchison meteorite which landed in Australia in 1969 and one sample from both the Murray and Tagish Lake meteorites, which landed in the US in 1950 and Canada in 2000, respectively.

They were ground into a fine powder and subjected to hypersensitive analysis capable of detecting molecules at the parts-per-trillion level.

GREG PRICE
Scientists had previously found evidence of guanine and adenine in meteorites, but despite intense searching had never spotted their complementary partners.

More than 30 chemicals were identified in total, including the four vital DNA ingredients.

“Given that extraterrestrial materials, including meteorites, were provided to the Hadean Earth at a flux much higher than that in the present day, a large number of these canonical base pairs may have also been delivered to the Earth at that time,” the researchers write.

“The accumulation of these scarce molecules has substantial geochemical challenges on Hadean Earth with an atmosphere possibly dominated by carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

“Hence, we expect that the exogenous base pairs contributed to the emergence of genetic properties for the earliest life on Earth.”

The Telegraph

READ MORE:
* As the Perseverance rover lands on Mars, there's a lot we already know about Mars from meteorites found on Earth
* Sweet science: Sugar in meteorites could have helped create life on Earth
* A kilometre-wide meteorite smashed into Greenland as recently as 12,000 years ago
* Meteorite could hold clues to solar system creation

Human Rights Watch chief to step down after three decades

Agence France-Presse
April 26, 2022

Kenneth Roth AFP

The executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, said Tuesday he will step down after three decades which have seen the New York-based NGO become a thorn in the side of authoritarian regimes and rights abusers across the world.

Roth, who has led the organization since 1993, will step down at the end of August, HRW said in a statement.

"Nothing can last forever," he said in a video message. "It is time to pass the baton."

He expressed "great confidence" that the HRW team would continue to effectively defend human rights. "While I am leaving Human Rights Watch, I am not leaving our cause."

Under his leadership, HRW has grown from a small-scale campaign group into a global rights organization that now employs over 500 staff across the globe.

In 1997, it shared a Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to ban antipersonnel landmines and played a critical role in establishing the International Criminal Court.

Evidence gathered by its staff during conflicts around the world helped ensure the convictions at international tribunals of figures including former Liberian leader Charles Taylor over the war in Sierra Leone and wartime Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.

"Today, amid the horrific abuse taking place in Ukraine, an infrastructure is in place to hold perpetrators accountable," the HRW statement said.

His role brought controversy and HRW's statement acknowledged that "Roth inevitably earned many enemies."

In April 2021, HRW became the first major international rights group to accuse Israel of using policies of apartheid -- the segregation of blacks and whites in white-ruled South Africa -- against Palestinians.

Israel vehemently denied the allegation and denounced HRW's report. But in February this year a similar allegation was made by HRW's London-based counterparts at Amnesty International.

"Despite being Jewish -- and having a father who fled Nazi Germany as a 12-year-old boy -- he has been attacked for the organization's criticism of Israeli government abuses," HRW said.

In recent years, Roth had also become a bitter enemy of the Chinese authorities after repeatedly singling out Beijing over its rights violations.

China imposed sanctions against Roth personally and expelled him from Hong Kong when he travelled there to release HRW's annual World Report in January 2020, "which spotlighted Beijing's threat to the global human rights system", the organization said.

A search for a successor is now underway, it added.

© 2022 AFP

WHO KNOWS,THE SHADOW KNOWS

Don’t know where Twitter is headed: Parag Agrawal

• Chandrashekar Bhat
 
• 26 April, 2022

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (Photo: about.twitter.com)

By: Chandrashekar Bhat

TWITTER’S India-born CEO Parag Agrawal has told its worried employees that he doesn’t know “what direction this company will go in” once the social media giant is formally taken over by billionaire Elon Musk.

The remarks by Agrawal, who took over the helm of Twitter just five months ago, came during a meeting with its employees on Monday (25) after the company said it had accepted Musk’s offer to buy it for about $44 billion (£34.6 bn).

“It’s important to acknowledge that all of you have many different feelings about what is happening,” The New York Times quoted Agrawal as saying.

The American daily said Agrawal told employees that he estimated the deal might take three to six months to complete.

“In this moment, we operate Twitter as we always have,” he said, adding that “how we run the company, the decisions we make, and the positive changes we drive — that will be on us, and under our control.”

Uncertainty now hangs over the fate of Twitter employees, who voiced concern over layoffs in the wake of the acquisition by Musk.

It is unclear how hands-on Musk plans to be at Twitter, the newspaper said.

“Among the unanswered issues are whom he might pick to lead the company and how involved he would be in running the service,” it said, adding that Agrawal is “expected to remain in charge at least until the deal closes.”

In the employee meeting, Agrawal acknowledged the uncertainty ahead.

“Once the deal closes, we don’t know what direction this company will go in,” Agarwal, 37, said.

Upon completion of the transaction, Twitter will become a privately held company.

The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Twitter board of directors, is expected to close in 2022, subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

As Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor announced that Tesla and SpaceX founder Musk will acquire the company, Agrawal tweeted, “Twitter has a purpose and relevance that impacts the entire world. Deeply proud of our teams and inspired by the work that has never been more important.”

In the meeting with Twitter employees, Agrawal and Taylor “nodded to the emotions of the day and how workers were most likely processing the news of a sale.”

Agrawal said compensation would remain largely the same under Musk but “he did not make the same assurances about Twitter’s policies and culture,” the newspaper said.

Agrawal told employees that their stock options would convert to cash when the deal closes. Employees would receive the same benefit packages for a year after the deal was finalised, the report said.

In response to a question about whether former president Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended from the social networking site in January 2021, would be allowed back on the platform, Agrawal said, “We constantly evolve our policies.”

Following the acquisition, Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, said, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”

“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it,” the Tesla CEO said.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (Photo by MARCO BELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who had stepped down in November last year, had declared that his “trust” in Agrawal “as our CEO is bone deep”.

Dorsey had said that after almost 16 years at the company, he had decided it was finally time for him to leave and the first reason he had given for why it was the “right time” for his departure was “Parag becoming our CEO.”

“The board ran a rigorous process considering all options and unanimously appointed Parag. He’s been my choice for some time given how deeply he understands the company and its needs. Parag has been behind every critical decision that helped turn this company around. He’s curious, probing, rational, creative, demanding, self-aware, and humble. He leads with heart and soul, and is someone I learn from daily,” Dorsey had said.

Agrawal, named CEO on November 29, 2021, had said in a note posted on Twitter that he was “honoured and humbled” by his appointment and expressed gratitude to Dorsey’s “continued mentorship and your friendship.”

An IIT Bombay and Stanford alumnus, Agrawal had joined Twitter 10 years ago when there were fewer than 1,000 employees.

“While it was a decade ago, those days feel like yesterday to me. I’ve walked in your shoes, I’ve seen the ups and downs, the challenges and obstacles, the wins and the mistakes. But then and now, above all else, I see Twitter’s incredible impact, our continued progress, and the exciting opportunities ahead of us,” he had said in the post following his appointment.

Twitter CEO tells employees no layoffs planned ‘at this time’ following Elon Musk buyout

“Once the deal closes we don’t know which direction the platform will go”

By Alex Heath and Mia Sato Apr 25, 2022, 

Photo Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal didn’t have many concrete answers for staff about what will happen once Elon Musk takes over the company later this year. During a virtual all-hands call Monday, hours after the company announced it had agreed to be bought by Musk for $44 billion, Agrawal fielded questions on the future of his job, the company’s board, and possible layoffs.

Layoffs aren’t planned “at this time,” Agrawal said, according to a person who heard the remarks and who asked to remain anonymous. Agrawal also said that he’d remain as CEO until the deal’s close, but he didn’t comment about what would happen after that. The company’s board will dissolve once the deal closes, said Brett Taylor, the board’s independent chair.

“WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.”

“There is indeed uncertainty about what will happen after the deal closes,” Agrawal told staff.

Since Musk’s intention to buy Twitter became public earlier this month, some Twitter employees have expressed discomfort or outright resistance to Musk’s takeover of the company. And Musk has made clear he wants to see changes on the platform, insisting his attempts to purchase it aren’t financial. Calling Twitter a “de facto town square,” Musk said last week he believes Twitter should “open source the algorithm.”

Musk has repeatedly focused on the utility of Twitter as a space for free speech, and the question of former President Donald Trump’s presence on the platform came up during the all-staff meeting today. Trump was banned from the platform in 2021, but Agrawal didn’t have a definitive answer to whether Trump would have access to his favorite social network going forward. Trump today said he wouldn’t return to Twitter even if he was welcomed back under its new owner, and that he would use his Truth Social platform instead.

“Once the deal closes we don’t know which direction the platform will go,” Agrawal told staff regarding Trump, saying it was a question that should be addressed with Musk.

The deal is expected to close later this year. Until Musk takes over, Twitter’s staff may have to wait to hear about how things will change. “We don’t have all the answers,” Agrawal said. “This is a period of uncertainty.”

Twitter CEO tells employees company is in the dark over future under Musk

Agrawal also told employees there were no plans for layoffs.

By Sheila Dang and Katie Paul

April 26, 2022

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Parag Agrawal told employees on Monday that the future of the social media firm is uncertain after the deal to be taken private under billionaire Elon Musk closes. He was speaking during a company-wide town hall meeting that was heard by Reuters.

Musk will join Twitter staff for a question-and-answer session at a later date, the company told employees.

As Agrawal listened to staff questions about Musk's plans for the company, the possibility of layoffs and the board's rationale for the deal, he deferred many questions as ones that should be asked of Musk.

Musk has said he believes Twitter should be a platform for free speech. Employees asked Agrawal whether former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended from Twitter last year, would be allowed to return once Musk takes over.

"Once the deal closes, we don't know which direction the platform will go," Agrawal said, referring to the question regarding Trump. "I believe when we have an opportunity to speak with Elon, it's a question we should address with him."

Agrawal also told employees there were no plans for layoffs.

Bret Taylor, chair of Twitter's board of directors, aimed to reassure employees that the agreement with Musk prioritized "operating continuity" until the deal was closed.
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"I think we feel very comfortable that (the deal) gives this team the ability to continue to make the company successful in between signing and closing the transaction," Taylor said.

© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. All rights reserved.

Elon Musk's twitter account is seen on a smartphone in front of the Twitter logo in this photo illustration taken, April 15, 2022. Photo: Reuters / DADO RUVIC

Twitter has long been more talk than money

2022/4/26 
© Agence France-Presse

Twitter has accepted a $44 billion bid from Elon Musk to acquire the company

New York (AFP) - Billionaire Elon Musk is capturing a social media prize with his deal to buy Twitter, which has become a global stage for companies, activists, celebrities, politicians and more.

Despite its reach and impact, the San Francisco-based one-to-many messaging platform has struggled to generate the kind of revenue seen by social media peers such as Facebook and TikTok.

Since its founding in March of 2006, Twitter has amassed 217 million daily active users, more than 80 percent of them outside the United States.

Twitter did not taste profit until the end of 2017, and the following year was its first to finish financially in the black.

Twitter reported a loss of $221 million last year.

While often associated with the giant Silicon Valley social media platforms, to the extent that co-founder and then-chief Jack Dorsey has been grilled by US legislators, it is vastly eclipsed by its peers when it comes to profit and share value.

A challenge that has vexed Twitter since its inception is how to weave in ads or other money-making tactics into the real-time flow of posts by users without ruining the experience people love on the platform.

The fleeting nature of tweets has meant that marketing messages in posts may not spend much time in the spotlight for Twitter users to see.

An added challenge is how to make sure ads, sometimes in the form of tweets promoted to the tops of feeds, do not wind up next to vitriol, misinformation or other troubling content that brands do not want to be associated with.

However, politicians, institutions and marketers have learned how to turn Twitter to their advantage with clever or controversial posts that get shared as "retweets." But while these can spark viral online conversations, they do not necessarily result in Twitter directly making money from them.
Town square?

Some have opined that Twitter, while hard to squeeze money out of, has become an internet version of the "town square," and is so important that it should almost be considered a public utility and come with free speech protections.

Twitter was the preferred method of communication during former US President Donald Trump's four years in office, as opposed to press briefings at which he would face questions from reporters.

Investors had essentially steered clear of Twitter stock, which prior to Musk's uninvited takeover bid launched three weeks ago was worth 12 percent less than it was priced when the company's shares first went public more than eight years ago.

Twitter last year introduced a "Blue" subscription tier offering exclusive content and features, and Musk has made it clear he is a fan of such models at the platform.

There is a risk though, that if Musk follows through on his vow to let people say pretty much anything they want on Twitter, moderate users will not want to pay subscriptions to be in a platform turned hostile, said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter.
Money over mindfulness?

Musk taking Twitter private will provide more room to maneuver, but will not guarantee success, according to analysts.

As a private company, Twitter will be free to make changes that might irk shareholders or take longer than they like to pay off.

Musk and his partners buying Twitter will be able to focus more intently on the financial side of the business, and not fret over issues such as diversity that might be important to shareholders at a public firm.

And despite talk of making the software running Twitter more transparent, the business side would have to disclose less to the public as a private operation.

Musk will be able to shrug off concerns about the environment, diversity or political correctness and decide "to hell with it", running Twitter the way he thinks is best, William Lee of the Milken Institute told AFP.

 

243 CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND THE MEDIA IN UKRAINE COMMITTED BY RUSSIA IN TWO MONTHS OF WAR

24.04.2022, 

In two months of the full-scale war, russia has committed 243 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine.

This is according to the monitoring conducted by the Institute of Mass Information.

As of April 24, seven journalists were killed while carrying out their professional duty, nine were injured, and at least 15 are missing.

IMI has documented eight cases of journalists being captured and abducted by russians. In these cases, at least nine journalists were taken hostage. Most of them have already been released, but the fate of one of the journalists, Dmytro Khylyuk, who disappeared in Kyiv region, is still unknown. Colleagues had some intelligence about him being taken hostage; however, the region had already been liberated from the occupants, yet nothing is known about the journalist's whereabouts.

In addition, the fate of at least 14 journalists from Mariupol also remains unknown. IMI is currently unable to verify what happened to our colleagues, so we consider them missing.

The list of russian crimes also includes shelling, threats, harassment of journalists, shelling and seizure of TV towers, hacking attacks on Ukrainian media websites, shelling of media offices, shutting down Ukrainian broadcasting, blocking access to Ukrainian media websites in russia and the occupied Crimea. In addition, at least 106 regional media outlets were forced to cease their work due to threats from the russian occupants, seizure of offices, inability to work under temporary occupation and print newspapers, etc.

Seven journalists have been killed while carrying out their duties in Kyiv and its suburbs in the two months since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Among them are three Ukrainian journalists and four foreign ones, five men and two women. Namely:

1. Yevhen Sakun, LIVE channel cameraman (deceased on March 1 in a russian missile strike on a TV tower in Kyiv);
2. Brent Renaud, documentarist and The Times correspondent (shot by russians on March 13 at a checkpoint in Irpin);
3. Pierre Zakrzewski, Fox News cameraman, Irish citizen (deceased on March 14 in a russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv region);
4. Oleksandra Kuvshynova, Ukrainian fixer and journalist (deceased on March 14 together with Pierre Zakrzewski in a russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv region);
5. Oksana Baulina, journalist working for the russian The Insider, Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (deceased on March 23 under russian artillery fire in Kyiv while carrying out an editorial assignment); 
6. Maxim Levin, photo reporter, war correspondent, had worked for many international agencies and Ukrainian media (went missing on March 13, found murdered on April 1);
7. Mantas Kvedaravicius, Lithuanian filmmaker and documentarist (killed in Mariupol).

Another 14 journalists were killed as combatants or as a result of russian shelling, not while performing their journalist duties.

1. Oleksandr Lytkin, "КNК Мedia" journalist, deceased on February 13 in a shelling attack on Romanivka village by russian troops.
2. Dilerbek Shakirov, civillian journalist working for "Navkolo tebe" informational weekly, shot from an automatic rifle on February 26 in Kherson suburbs;
3. Serhiy Pushchenko, graphic artist and painter, culturologist, Honored Artist of Ukraine, National Journalist Union of Ukraine member, award-winning journalist, volunteer and ATO veteran, killed on March 2 in Vasylkiv together with his territorial defence comrades;
4. Viktor Dudar, war journalist, deceased on March 6 in a battle with russian invaders near Mykolaiv;
5. Pavlo Li, actor, "Dom" channel host, joined territorial defence forces at the beginning of the war, deceased on March 6 near Irpin while helping evacuate civillians;
6. Viktor Dedov, "Sigma" channel cameraman, killed on March 11 in Mariupol as a result of a shelling attack on a building;
7. Oleh Yakunin, Zaporizhzhia misto.zp.ua website editor, deceased on March 18 defending Ukraine from russian invaders;
8. Lilia Humyanova, journalism tutor and the head of the art department of Livoberezhny District House of Children's and Youth Creativity, killed on March 19 in a russian shelling attack on Mariupol;
9. Yurii Oliynyk, Channel 24 cameraman, deceased on March 23 in a battle near Popasna village, Luhansk region;
10. Serhiy Zaikovskyy, essayist, historian, translator, deceased on March 24 in a battle with russian invaders near Kyiv;
11. Denys Kotenko, Ministry of Veterans Affairs press office employee, deceased on March 24 in a battle with russian invaders near Kyiv;
12. Yevhen Bal, journalist, author, volunteer, died under torture at the hands of russian troops on April 2 in Mariupol;
13. Roman Nezhyborets, Chernihiv's "Dytynets" channel video engineer, killed by russian troops in April in Yahidna village near Chernihiv; 
14. Zoreslav Zamoiskyy, body with signs of violent death found on April 13 in Bucha.

At least nine journalists have been injured in the russian invaders' shelling attacks in Kyiv, Sumy, Mykolayiv, and Chernihiv regions:

1. Stefan Weichert, journalist for the Danish Esktra-Bladet (wounded on February 26 when their car came under fire in Okhtyrka, Sumy region);
2. Emil Filtenborg Mikkelsen, journalist for the Danish Esktra-Bladet (wounded on February 26 when their car came under fire in Okhtyrka, Sumy region);
3. Stuart Ramsay, correspondent for the British Sky News (wounded by russian troops' gunfire in Bucha, Kyiv region, on February 28. The channel's cameraman Richie Mockler was saved by his bulletproof vest); 
4. Guillaume Briquet, Swiss journalist (wounded in Mykolaiv region on March 6 as the car he was in came under russian gunfire. He was also robbed. The occupants could clearly see "PRESS" sign on the car);
5. Maryan Kushnir, Radio Liberty correspondent (wounded in a missile strike on March 11 near Kyiv);
6. Juan Diego Herrera Arredondo, American journalist (wounded in a russian shelling attack on March 13 in Irpin near Kyiv);
7. Benjamin Hall, journalist for the American Fox News (hospitalised with a severe wound he took on March 14 while working on a report near Kyiv);
8. Andrii Tsaplienko, journalist for "TSN.Tyzhden," 1+1 channel (received a shrapnel wound on March 24 as russians fired at a civillian convoy in Chernihiv region);
9. Oleksandr Navrotskyy, cameraman (received a severe leg wound on March 26 while filming during a "Grad" shelling attack in Kyiv region).

IMI has recorded eight cases of capturing and abduction of journalists by the russian invaders. These cases have occurred in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia (Melitopol) and Kherson (Nova Kakhovka) regions. Namely, these are the abduction of journalists and the publisher of "Melitopolski Vidomosti" newspaper and taking the father of RIA-Melitopol journalist Svitlana Zalizetska, as well as Nova Kakhovka journalists Oleh Baturyn and Oleksandr Hunko, hostage.

The russian occupants have shelled 11 TV towers in eight regions of Ukraine: Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia region), Kyiv and Vinarivka village (Kyiv region), Kharkiv (hit the TV tower twice) and the region (Izyum), Rivne, Vinnytsia, Korosten (Zhytomyr region), Lysychansk (Luhansk region), Bilopillya (Sumy region). As a result of russian air strikes, Ukrainian broadcasting has completely or partially disappeared in these regions.

In addition, the occupants have seized Ukrainian media offices and switched the broadcasting to russian channels. In particular, the russian invaders forcibly shut Kherson and Melitopol off from Ukrainian broadcasting, and mined Suspilne's building in Kherson.

IMI has also recorded numerous DDoS attacks on the websites of Ukrainian online media and NGOs covering russia's war against Ukraine. Media websites have been hacked, news reports edited, russian symbols or calls to surrender posted. Namely, the attacks were targeting the websites of Suspilne, NV, Channel 5, "Babel," Lutsk website "Konkurent," "Poltavska Khvylya" media, the website of Kherson's "Novy den" newspaper, Minfin.com.ua financial periodical, the Kherson edition MOST, TV channel websites "Espresso," "Detector Media," etc. In addition, IMI recorded phishing attacks on Ukrainian media offices and journalists.

Since the end of March, IMI has recorded threats being sent to Ukrainian media outlets and journalists via email. The threatening letters came from the russian mail.ru service, signed by various users. Journalists have been threatened with interrogation, torture, and incarceration, and were even sent rhymed threats later. Such letters have been received by the editorial offices of European Pravda, Hlavkom, Apostrof, Krym.Realii, Zaporizhzhia city website 061.ua, and a number of Volyn and Zaporizhzhia media outlets.

russian crimes against journalists and the media have been recorded in 16 regions of Ukraine. russia has committed the most crimes in Kyiv and Kyiv region (murder, wounding, disappearances, abductions, shelling of journalists and TV towers, threats, cybercrimes). Then come Zaporizhzhia and Kherson: some cities in these regions are occupied by the russian army; there have been cases of abductions, shooting on journalists, threats, cybercrimes, seizure of media offices and the shutdown of Ukrainian broadcasting. Many Ukrainian editorial offices have been with interruptions due to sirens and shelling throughout Ukraine.

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243 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine committed by russia in two months of war | Institute of Mass Information (imi.org.ua)