Palestinians, Israel police clash at Al-Aqsa mosque; 53 hurt
“Building and expanding settlements, confiscating lands, demolishing homes and deporting Palestinians from their homes are illegal practices that perpetuate the occupation and undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace, which is a regional and international necessity,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi tweeted.
#Palestine #Israel #westbank #Ramadan
How many COVID deaths are acceptable in a post-pandemic world?
A year ago, the fear of an unknown virus galvanized governments into implementing harsh social restrictions. The risks have since been articulated more clearly and people have begun to factor them into their daily lives, says Medley. This means that people might be more willing than before to put up with the risk of a certain level of hospitalization and death, and that the bar for imposing social restrictions is now higher. But the exact position of that bar is still unknown — and it could come down again if new variants threaten gains from vaccination campaigns, he says.
#COVID #London #australia #health
France’s Double Standard on Democracy in Africa
The juxtaposition of the recent events in Paris and N’Djamena makes clear the double standard at the heart of France’s engagement in Africa, in which democratic values are compromised in the name of stability: What’s perfectly acceptable in Chad is not to be countenanced in France. The retired generals’ letter, however, and the response to it as reflected by French public opinion polling demonstrate that this same kind of compromise can be a powerful temptation back home, as well.
#Chad #France #Politics #International
One Incredible Ocean Crossing May Have Made Human Evolution Possible
The role rafting played in our history shows how much evolution comes down to chance. Had anything gone differently—the weather was bad, the seas rough, the raft washed up on a desert island, hungry predators waited on the beach, no males aboard—colonization would have failed. No monkeys, no apes—no humans.
#evolution #Science #humanity
Evolving Man Project 