UNGA "Yes" to Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza

Israel won't budge, nor will it cease and desist! The US will supply weapons and more weapons. And the callous carnage in Gaza continues!

 

In spite of the UN General Assembly having overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution on Tuesday demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. 

 

153 member states voted in favor, 10 against and there were 23 abstentions. 

 

The ten countries not in favor of a ceasefire are Austria, Paraguay, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and of course, Israel and the United States.

 

The UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Ukraine were among the 23 countries to abstain.

 

This was a second attempt by the UN General Assembly which on October 27 had called for "a humanitarian truce" in a resolution adopted with 121 "yes" votes, 14 against and 44 abstentions.

 

According to Gaza's health ministry, since the Israeli offensive began, more than 18,400 people have been killed and more than 50,000 people have been injured. No mention of the estimated numbers who are buried in the rubble though.

Monkey Island: Home of the Liberian Lab Chimps

I came across this Claudia Dehn piece in Deutsche Welle (or DW) yesterday about a clique of laboratory test chimps in Liberia that had survived medical experiments and two civil wars. 

Infected with contagious diseases, they now live on six islands off the coast and depend on humans for their survival. 

In 1974, researchers from the US non-profit blood bank, the New York Blood Center opened an experimental laboratory on the west coast of Liberia. Working with the Liberia Biomedical Research Institute, they trapped wild chimpanzees and used them to conduct research and drug trials. The animals were kept outside the capital, Monrovia, confined in cages like this at the Vilab II research facility.

Researchers infected them with various diseases, such as hepatitis B and river blindness, an eye sickness caused by a parasite, so they could study the effectiveness of different treatments. 

The total population was 85 chimpanzees. However, work at the research laboratory was severely disrupted during the two Liberian civil wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, the facility was closed for good and the apes were gradually relocated to six uninhabited islands in the Farmington River estuary. 

Today, animal rights activists go out regularly by boat to ensure the animals are fed. Staff from the Humane Society regularly bring buckets of fruit and drinkable water – both are scarce on the islands. 

Although they had pledged to pay for the chimps' care for the rest of their lives, the NYBC cut this funding in 2015. After an outcry, it gave another $6 million (€5.3 million) in 2017 – not nearly enough, said the Humane Society. 

On average, chimps can live some 30 to 40 years. 

The colony currently numbers around 65 apes, including babies. They often react aggressively when people approach their island. Strangers to the animals may be splashed with water or screamed at. The alpha chimps keep a close eye on everything. Releasing the apes elsewhere would be too risky, especially for other animals, because they still carry infectious diseases. 

As chimpanzees are not naturally able to swim, they never venture very far into the water. The volunteers bringing the food wear protective clothing and maintain a safe distance. Only a few of the animal welfare workers have established a close bond with the apes over the years. Once the chimps have gotten hold of their fruit, things are a bit more relaxed. 

The research conducted by NYBC on the chimpanzees led to successes: It contributed to the development of a hepatitis B vaccine, and a diagnostic procedure for hepatitis C. 

But in an interview in 2014, Betsy Brotman, the researcher who was in charge of the lab until 2005, said: "The animal rights activists were right. Chimpanzees really shouldn’t be used in experiments. I really do feel this way".

Another Snake Oil Peddler Exposed

Madagascar got the world to sit up when on April 20, 2020, its president Andry Rajoelina (left) took a sip of a homegrown beverage and declared the herbal tonic could prevent coronavirus and cure it. 

It was given the name Covid-Organics and it is derived from artemisia, also known as sweet wormwood (Scientific name: Artemisia annua) – a plant with proven anti-malarial properties – and other indigenous herbs.

The beverage's distribution across the country and to some other African governments (Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger and Tanzania) sparked controversy and warnings by the WHO who said its efficacy against the pathogen was unproven. 

Still, he stuck to his guns. 

"What is the problem with Covid-Organics, really? Could it be that this product comes from Africa? Could it be that it's not OK for a country like Madagascar, which is the 63rd poorest country in the world... to have come up with (this formula) that can help save the world?" asked Rajoelina, who claimed the infusion cures patients within ten days. 

He had confidently asserted: "The patients who have healed have taken no other product than Covid-Organics". 

His trust in the cure was cruelly pulverized when yesterday, his government had to re-impose a lockdown in central Madagascar. Troops were even deployed to ensure residents comply with containment measures, including a curfew in Antananarivo.

This came after the island nation recorded 213 new cases in the capital city on Saturday. And another 309 infections revealed themselves on Sunday. 

So now, we know for sure that Covid-Organics doesn’t work.

WSD 2020 Reaches 20 Registrations

Registrations for Word Speech Day 2020 is going along at a steady, albeit slow pace but that's kinda normal. Malaysians love to do things last minute and besides, group registrations will take awhile to organize.

Anyway, 20 registrations across 2 locations in 17 days is not too bad:

And we have 43 more days before the Public Speaking Event of the Year makes an appearance on our shores:

#unexpectedvoices #worldspeechday

It is a laudable gesture when the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council and Malaysian glove manufacturers came together and arrived at the decision to donate 18 million gloves to Wuhan, China that is facing an outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. 

According to Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok on Friday, the first batch of three million gloves are already on the way there and the rest are to be shipped in batches. 

This is not the first time we extend help to countries facing medical emergencies. In 2014, we sent more than 20 million medical rubber gloves to the African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Nigeria and Congo during the Ebola outbreak then. 

Malaysians care!

After Ebola, Now Zika

The world can heave a big sigh of relief now that the two-year Ebola epidemic is “officially” over because the three worst-hit countries had been given the all-clear by the World Health Organization: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia were declared Ebola-free on November 07, 2015; December 29, 2015; and January 14, 2016 respectively.

 

The tropical virus not only killed more than 11,300 and triggered a global health alert, but it wrecked the economies and health systems of the three above-mentioned countries. At its peak, it devastated the West African countries, with bodies piling up in the streets and overwhelmed hospitals recording hundreds of new cases a week.

 

Rick Brennan, WHO’s chief of emergency risk management, however, cautioned that "the job is still not done" – the disease can still re-emerge because of persistence of the virus in a proportion of survivors. Part of the challenge in combating outbreaks stems from the fact that the Ebola virus rapidly evolves.

 

In fact, Libera was first declared free of the disease last May, but new cases emerged two times – forcing officials there to restart the clock. And Sierra Leone had two cases in January 2016, after the World Health Organisation declared an end to the Ebola epidemic – reinforcing WHO’s reminder that risks remain.

 

The ravages of disease are not going to be over any time soon. Already, the World Health Organization declared on February 01, 2016 that the Zika virus has reached the status of a global emergency.

 

By deciding to declare that the mosquito-borne virus is a "public health emergency of international concern," it allows more money, resources and scientific research to be dedicated to addressing the growing disease.

 

The current viral outbreak was first reported in May 2015 in Brazil when the first confirmed cases were disclosed. But the cases quickly multiplied and now government officials believe that more than 1 million people have been infected in that country. WHO officials said that one reason for the rapid spread is that both people and mosquitoes have no immunity to the virus that is new to the region.

 

Zika has now affected 25 countries but for now, the WHO “found no public health justification for restrictions on travel or trade to restrict the spread of the Zika virus.”

 

Margaret Chan, the director-general of the WHO said the connection between the Zika virus and other neurological disorders is “strongly suspected, though not yet scientifically proven” – referring to both the microcephaly birth defects and the rare cases of paralysis known as Guillain-Barre syndrome.

 

On Tuesday, Jamie Vardy's stunning double strike gave EPL leaders Leicester City a 2-0 win over Liverpool to maintain their title charge. The Foxes fully deserved their victory and that speaks a lot about the Reds’ performance.

 

On the same day too, I was in Menara Allianz Sentral (Nu Tower 1) in KL’s Jalan Tun Sambanthan – where I was the General Evaluator as well as a speaker. I delivered an Advanced speech from the Storytelling manual titled “A Father’s Lies”.

 

9,004 Ebola Deaths

Image credit: http://malawi24.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CONGO-DEMOCRATIC-EBOLA1.jpg

Image credit: http://english.cntv.cn/2014/07/03/VIDE1404349452575619.shtml

In the wake of West Africa's Ebola outbreak, the International Monetary Fund executive board on February 05, 2015 established the Catastrophe Containment and Relief (CCR) trust to help developing countries respond to epidemics and natural disasters, with the three hardest-hit countries (i.e. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) poised to receive $100 million in grants to lower their debt burden from battling the virus.

 

The IMF said in a statement that the fund, called the Catastrophe Containment and Relief (CCR) trust, would be used to help countries meet future debt-service payments, which will reduce the debt burden and free up resources for relief and recovery actions.

 

The newly approved assistance comes in addition to $130 million in loan assistance the IMF approved in September 2014. The concept for the CCR trust came out of the November G-20 meeting, which called on countries to continue their support of Ebola-affected countries through loans, debt relief, and grants, and to explore an additional mechanism to address the economic impact of future emergencies, e.g. a public health crisis, besides just dealing with natural disaster events.

 

The IMF said the CCR trust replaces one set up in 2010 to help Haiti recover from its earthquake.

 

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) epidemiologic update published on February 06, 2015 put the Ebola casualty at 9,004 deaths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celtic cruised into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win over Dundee. The goals came from Leigh Griffiths (7) and Stefan Johansen (47).

More than 8,000 Dead from Ebola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://a.abcnews.com/images/Health/HT_ebola_outbreak_2_sk_140728_16x9_992.jpg

Ebola has dropped out of the headlines but in West Africa, the death toll keeps growing. At least 8,235 people have died, according to WHO figures as at January 04, 2015. And it is believed that six out of the ten patients currently hospitalized with the virus will die.

The disease is still on the loose and it is not going to be extinguished even if public interest outside of West Africa is waning.

Check out this six-pack of Coke that I received on Thursday!

And that was because I was the General Evaluator for the Satu Hati Toastmasters meeting in Bandar Baru Sri Petaling in KL that I attended on that day. I was overjoyed by the nice gesture and for those who didn't know, it was here that I actually presented a speech to tell my audience what a healthy beverage Coca-Cola is!

I also had a second role, i.e. Evaluator for CC speech #9 delivered by Division P Governor, Andrew Tan. A good evening was had by all and although we didn't quite start on time, the Toastmaster-of-the-Evening dispensed with the Table Topics session so that we could catch up with the runaway time and finished our meeting on schedule – which was certainly commendable! And I wholeheartedly give this meeting an 8 over 10 score!

 

Ebola Fatalities Reach 7,565

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by AFP

 

The number of fatalities from the Ebola epidemic has reached 7,565, the WHO said on Tuesday. Death continues to stalk Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polish carrier LOT are playing both Santa and Cupid this holiday season by hanging sprigs of mistletoe on cabin ceilings and aircraft thresholds to create a bit of love in the air.

 

Fancy the dashing gentleman in seat 15C, or the stunning brunette in 29K? LOT have made the job of in-flight flirting easier, by strategically placing mistletoe twigs onboard – what they dub the “highest place in the world” – to break the ice.

 

Traveling with your loved one over the holidays? Snag a quick snog and join the mile-high kissing club. Though the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is a relatively new concept for Poles, the cheeky stunt caters to their international flyers – romantic and otherwise.

 

Lore has it that the mistletoe also has the power to mend longstanding feuds and disputes and strengthen friendships.

 

It’s a really nice touch by this airline to spark a little romance onboard and turn flights into potential meeting places for singletons.

 

The airline’s KissaLOT will run through January 06, 2015.

Ebola Deaths Shoot Up to Surpass the 7,000 Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ebola-liberia-deaths.jpg?w=1100

 

 

 

The death toll from Ebola in the three worst-affected countries (i.e. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) in West Africa has risen rapidly to 7,373 among 19,031 cases known to date there, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.

 

There seems to be no respite for their citizens.

 

At the Wadi Degla Women’s World Squash Championship, world number one Nicol David reached her eighth world final after a rare ordeal on Friday, coming back from two games to one down to defeat Egypt's Omneya Kawy 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5. The Malaysian will face Egypt’s Raneem el Weleily, who is in her first final, on Saturday.

 

I was at the MIM Toastmasters Club of Kuala Lumpur meeting on Saturday morning and I completed my sixteenth Competent Communication manual.

 

I had delivered CC speech #10 titled “It’s Okay” – a good speech, if I may say so myself. Meyyappa was my dedicated evaluator for this particular exercise.

 

I was voted Best Project Speaker and that itself was confirmation that the speech had done its job.