Avoidance in conflict management

Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed Mahmoud Abbas after the Palestinian president accused Israel of committing “50 Holocausts”. Scholz said on Twitter that he was "disgusted by the outrageous remarks” made by Abbas in Berlin on Tuesday. Abbas had refused to condemn the deadly attack by Palestinian militants on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Instead, Abbas said he could point to “50 Holocausts” by Israel since 1947. Scholz was widely criticised for not challenging Abbas’ comments immediately at the press conference and merely grimacing at the remark. Germany's chancellor had earlier rejected Abbas' comment that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is “apartheid". "For us Germans, in particular, any relativisation of the singularity of the Holocaust is intolerable and unacceptable," he later wrote on Twitter . "I condemn any attempt to deny the crimes of the Holocaust.” Berlin has long argued the term "Holocaust" should only be used to … [Read more...] about Germany’s Scholz slams Abbas’ ’50 Holocausts’ remark

V ibes has become a ubiquitous word in the past half decade, one many people now reach for when describing the distinct emotion given off by a place, or a thing. It is the prevailing shorthand for a cultural atmosphere, mood, and zeitgeist. Vibe talk has also entered politics. In this magazine in 2021, Derek Thompson invited readers to think of politics as a “ vibes war .” This spring, again in these pages, David A. Graham argued that John Fetterman won the Democratic Senate primary for Pennsylvania less on policy than “ on vibes .” And Rolling Stone pronounced that Fetterman was “neither centrist nor a progressive. He’s a vibe.” To the political commentator Will Stancil , “‘vibes’ is the idea that politics is rooted in and governed by mass psychology, which makes political behavior intrinsically difficult (and sometimes impossible) to model as a series of quantifiable inputs and predictable outputs, the approach favored by econometrically-inclined disciplines.” In … [Read more...] about The Origin of Vibes

PARIS: Forest fires supercharged by climate change are burning twice as much global tree cover as 20 years ago, according to a data Wednesday showing the equivalent of 16 football pitches are now lost every minute. The research showed in unprecedented detail how wildfires have progressed over the past two decades, with the blazes claiming an estimated three more million hectares each year — an area the size of Belgium — compared with 2001. The study showed that the majority of tree cover loss is occurring in the boreal forests that blanket much of Russia, Canada and Alaska, which are among the largest storers of carbon on Earth. Researchers from the University of Maryland used satellite imagery to map areas of tree cover lost, including that burned by what are known as stand-replacing forest fires. Related Stories Two killed in Morocco forest fires Forest fires rage in scorching southwest Europe Probe sought into KP forest fires These are fires that kill … [Read more...] about Climate change driving unprecedented forest fire loss

BANGKOK: Arson attacks and explosions hit more than a dozen locations in Thailand's restive deep south on Wednesday, injuring seven people, authorities said. Officials said most of the targeted sites were convenience stores in petrol stations, all located in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. A low-level conflict has rumbled in Thailand's southernmost provinces since 2004, killing more than 7,000 people as militants in the Muslim-majority region battle for greater autonomy from the state. Seven people were slightly injured in the incidents, a statement from the military said, while police said they were gathering CCTV footage and other evidence. Authorities said the immediate motive for the wave of attacks was still unclear. Militants usually target symbols of the Thai state and its security forces. The coronavirus pandemic brought a lull in southern clashes between rebels and the military, but a six-day gun battle in October last year killed six people. The … [Read more...] about Multiple blasts, arson attacks hit restive Thai south

Facebook users in Iraq are exploiting the platform's lack of Arabic and Kurdish-language moderation policies in order to purchase guns online, according to a report. The study by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) has found that the sale of weapons in Iraq is "rife" in Facebook comment sections. Social media giants have long been accused of failing to effectively moderate harmful and dangerous content, particularly in regions such as the Middle East. Meta — the parent company of Facebook — has fewer resources to tackle content in various languages and dialects than in English. The lack of moderation in Arabic and Kurdish has created an open gun market on Facebook in Iraq, said Moustafa Ayad, the ISD Executive Director for Africa, Middle East & Asia. "It was relatively easy to find weapons for sale on comments sections of very large Facebook pages, pages with over 2 million followers," Ayad told Euronews. According to his research, some of the … [Read more...] about Why the sale of guns on Facebook in Iraq is so ‘rife’

A woman who suffered a broken jaw when she was thrown off a fun fair ride has received a five-figure sum in damages. Jade Harrison, 24, spent four days in the hospital and had metal plates inserted in her face after she was flung from the Airmaxx 360 at Hull Fair in 2019. She has needed thousands of pounds worth of dental treatment and psychological support since the tragedy. The nursery nurse says she feels like she can finally put it behind her as her legal case has come to an end. She told Hull Live : “I’m a different person now to that one that got on that ride back in 2019. Jade Harrison was flung from a ride in 2019 ( Image: Stacy Jarvis) “Back then I had no fears and I was up for anything really, but now I am averse to anything that has an element of risk. That’s ok, I’ve adapted to that as I need to feel safe, but it limits what you can do with family and friends. “Simple fun things like jumping off the rocks into the sea on holiday. "I just … [Read more...] about Woman flung from fun fair ride wins payout and is now scared of doing ‘simple things’

Roman Kemp is set to open up about how he once contemplated suicide and his battle with depression since childhood in a new book. The Capital DJ will discuss the impact on his life after losing his best friend, Joe Lyons, the radio producer who launched his career, to suicide. ‘Are You Really OK?’ promises to lift the lid on Roman’s personal life in a bid to “smash the stigma still surrounding medication and mental health”. “I never intended to write a book at this age, I thought it was something I could perhaps do later in life,” said Roman. Are You Really Ok? is available to pre-order and will be released in October ( Image: Amazon) “But then, in the pandemic, my best mate Joe took his own life and it turned my whole world upside down. “Losing Joe made me start researching how many young men take their own lives every year.” Speaking of his research, he added: “And the answers shocked me. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 40 … [Read more...] about Roman Kemp shares harrowing struggle with depression as he contemplated suicide

Published 3 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Tory leadership The Green Party is calling for the UK's big five energy suppliers to be nationalised and for prices to be returned to October 2021 levels. This would cut average household costs by more than £2,000 a year, it says. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP want energy prices to be frozen, but the Greens argue the current level is already unaffordable. Former Labour PM Gordon Brown has suggested some firms should be brought into temporary public ownership. The average energy bill - set by the regulator Ofgem - is expected to increase from £1,971 a year to £3,582 in October, and to £4,266 in January 2023. Tory rivals dismiss plan to freeze energy costs Not just hardest up that need bill help - Starmer How high will my energy bill go? Green Party of … [Read more...] about Nationalise big five energy firms to cut bills, say Greens

By Nadeem Shad Published 22 July Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Climate change Parts of China are set to experience searing temperatures over the next ten days as a heatwave takes hold. In some provinces, authorities are predicting levels to rise to at least 40C and the national government has warned that forest fires could occur. Mercury levels will start spiking on Saturday - "Big Heat" day in the traditional Chinese calendar. In Zhejiang, in the south-east, some cities are issuing red alerts, the highest warning. The province normally experiences temperatures in the high 20s in July but this year local authorities are warning of 40C in the next 24 hours. To deal with the hot spells many in China turn to air conditioning in their homes, offices and factories however it could cause trouble for the national power grid. … [Read more...] about China heatwave: Temperatures of 40C expected this weekend

Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Ryan Giggs has told a court it was a "really happy time" when his now ex-girlfriend moved into his home, but she has described it as "utter hell". The former Manchester United star and Wales manager, 48, is accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour and assaulting Kate Greville, 36. Mr Giggs is also charged with causing her actual bodily harm, and of the common assault of her younger sister, Emma Greville, 26. He denies all charges. Manchester Crown Court heard Ms Greville moved into his house during the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, and his daughter and her boyfriend were there most of the time, with his son also staying regularly. His barrister, Chris Daw, QC asked about Ms Greville describing lockdown as "hell" during her evidence . "It was a really happy time from my … [Read more...] about Ryan Giggs tells trial he had no big arguments with ex