Media
Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world. Through various projects, chapters, and the support structure of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia strives to bring about a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. 1)
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a project to build free encyclopedias in all languages of the world.
Wiktionary
Wiktionary is a project to create a multilingual free content dictionary in every language.
Wikiquote
Wikiquote is a repository of quotations taken from famous people, books, speeches, films or any intellectually interesting materials. Proverbs, mnemonics or slogans are also included in Wikiquote.
Wikibooks
Wikibooks aims to build a collection of free e-book resources, including textbooks, language courses, manuals, and annotated public domain books. It aims to help both (self-)instruction of students and teachers in high schools and universities.
Wikisource
Wikisource is a multilingual project to archive a collection of free and open content texts.
Wikispecies
Wikispecies is an open, wiki-based project to provide a central, more extensive species database for taxonomy. It covers living and fossil representatives of Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Bacteria, Archaea, Protista and all other forms of life.
Wikinews
The Wikinews project was launched with the mission to report the news on a wide variety of subjects. Contributors from around the world write news articles collaboratively. Reports range from original reporting and interviews to summaries of news from external sources. All reports are required to be written from a neutral point of view.
- France Prime Minister announces suspension of all flights to, from Brazil over coronavirus variant concerns (2021/04/13 21:25)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Today, in the French National Assembly, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced all flights to and from Brazil are to be suspended for concerns of Lineage P.1, a contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus which reportedly originated in Brazil.
Castex's announcement was met with "scattered applause", according to the Associated Press (AP). In his announcement, Castex said, "the situation is getting worse and so we have decided to suspend all flights between Brazil and France until further notice". While a report from RT TV said the data from March 16 indicates Lineage P.1 represents 0.5% of all COVID-19 cases in France. Opposition politicians have urged the French government to take preventative measures. Member of the Socialist Party Boris Vallaud said this suspension was "necessary and a very good decision".
Lineage P.1 spreads faster between young people, according to the observations made by the Brazilian health institute Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The Foundation also said cases in Brazilians in 30s, 40s and 50s increased 565, 626 and 525% respectively, since the beginning of January, and an increase in the overall population of 316%. It is also more transmissible by as much as 2.2 times, and 25–61% more able to reinfect those infected with another strain earlier. According to RT TV, the Brazilian variant has two distinct mutations: N501Y, which increases transmissibility and E484K, which reduces vaccine efficacy and natural immunity from past infection of another strain.
France is currently in its third wave of coronavirus infections, with a report from AP stating over 99 thousand COVID-19 related deaths and The Brussels Times reporting over 5900 treated in intensive care units as of yesterday, the most since seen in mid-April last year. The report also stated this figure is likely to rise. There have been 41-60 thousand positive tests of the coronavirus over Easter weekend. AP said there are at least 5.1 million cases in France in total, the highest in Europe. Seven per cent of the population has been fully inoculated against COVID-19, and 21% have received the first dose, The Brussels Times reported. "Restrictive measures", including on travel, movement and in-school education has been imposed nationwide since April 3, and a curfew of 7 pm–6 am is under effect in metropolitan France.
Though the variants originating in Brazil and South Africa account for under four per cent of infections in France, the variant Lineage B.1.1.7, which originated in the United Kingdom accounts for around 80% of the infections, Minister of Solidarity and Health Olivier Véran said. Véran said, "we are seeing a retreat of these variants because they are less contagious than the English one".
Sister links[edit]
Sources[edit]
- "RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS IN METROPOLITAN FRANCE" — Government of France, April 13, 2021 (date of access)
- "France suspends flights with Brazil ‘until further notice’ amid Covid variant concern" — Russia Today, April 13, 2021
- "France suspends all Brazil flights due to virus variants" — The Associated Press, April 13, 2021
- "Coronavirus: Third wave continues in France" — The Brussels Times, April 13, 2021
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Ben Graham. "Brazil coronavirus strain: Variant three times more deadly for those aged 18-45, research shows" — News.com.au, April 6, 2021
- Challenge shield introduced for Australia's Sunshine Coast Rugby Union (2021/04/13 11:37)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 A grade rugby union teams on Australia's Sunshine Coast, Queensland, are to compete for a challenge shield from this season. Reigning Sunshine Coast Rugby Union A grade premier Noosa were presented the SGQ Shield as initial holders at Thursday's season launch with their first scheduled defence against Caloundra on April 24.
Maroochydore (blue) hosted Noosa in round 1. Caloundra (yellow) will challenge Noosa for the SGQ Shield in round 3. (Image: Patrick Gillett)"The next time Noosa will play at home they will be challenged for the shield and whoever holds it will then be challenged again at their next home game", Sunshine Coast Rugby Union Competition's Manager Mike Aronsten said. "It is only challenged at home games which replicates the Ranfurly Shield concept [in New Zealand]" Aronsten further added.
The Coast's senior women's sides will also have their own challenge shield. Caboolture are the initial holders of the Matai Shield having defeated Noosa in last seasons Grand Final. They are schedule to defend the shield for the first time on May 15 against Nambour.
"Good luck to all [of] the girls, and thanks to Matai for making this happen," Caboolture A grade coach Jason de Kock said on accepting the shield.
Sister links[edit]
Sources[edit]
- PattmanSport. "SGQ Shield announcement" — YouTube, April 9, 2021
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Seb Higgins-George of Win News. "The Sunshine Coast Rugby Union competition will be back with a bang this weekend" — Facebook, April 8, 2021
- Arkansas becomes first US state to criminalise treatment for transgender minority (2021/04/09 21:01)
Friday, April 9, 2021
On Tuesday, lawmakers in the Republican-governed US state of Arkansas became the first in the country to ban specific treatment types to transgender youth under the age of eighteen, irrespective of parental consent. It is to become law at the earliest by the 91st day after the legislative session's recess, or July 30.
While vetoed by the state's governor Asa Hutchinson on Monday, House Bill 1570, or the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act was overturned 25–8 in the state Senate and 72–25 in the House of Representatives, prohibiting any healthcare professional from providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery to anyone under the age of eighteen, as well as referring them to other providers.
Representative for Arkansas' District 87 Robin Lundsturm said "[t]hey need to get to be 18 before they make those decisions".
This ban also applies to those minors who are already receiving such treatments. The punishment will be a loss of medical licence.
While praised by conservative organisations such as The Family Council, Governor Hutchinson called the bill "a product of the cultural war in America". In a statement Governor Hutchinson said, "I do hope my veto will cause my Republican colleagues across the country to resist the temptation to put the state in the middle of every decision made by parents and health care professionals".
The American Academy of Pediatrics, representing 67 thousand paediatricians nationwide accused the bill of depriving young people of the medical care they need. Medical director at the University of California San Francisco Madeline Deutsch said of transitioning treatment "[t]here's a general consensus among professionals in this field" that "[t]here's tons of solid science supporting this approach", and division head of adolescent and young adult medicine at a children's hospital in Chicago Dr Robert Garofalo called it as "perpetuat[ing] the very things we know are harmful to trans youth".
Executive director of the Arkansas American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Holly Dickson condemned the act's proponents as "[disregarding] widespread, overwhelming, and bipartisan opposition to this bill and [continuing] their discriminatory crusade against trans youth [...] to block trans youth from the care they need simply because of who they are is not only wrong, it's also illegal, and we will be filing a lawsuit to challenge this law in court". The institution is preparing for litigation; according to deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV project Chase Strangio, "[w]e will always have your back and will be relentless in our defense of your rights."
The bill's passage comes after similar anti-transgender legislation in Arkansas and other states, including legislation signed by Hutchinson March 25 banning transgender girls and women from competing with their gender identity in sports, described by Dickson according to the AP as "discriminatory and shameful".
After the lawmakers enacted this ban, pro-LGBTQ rights group the Human Rights Campaign said over 100 bills targeting transgender people have been filed, with bills of similar nature proposed in 20 states or more.
Sister links[edit]
Sources[edit]
- "Robin Lundstrum" — Arkansas House of Representatives, April 6, 2021 (date of access)
- "ACLU statement on Arkansas legislature's vote to override veto of Transgender health ban" — American Civil Liberties Union, April 6, 2021
- Daniel Trotta. "Arkansas becomes first U.S. state to ban treatments for transgender youth" — Reuters, April 6, 2021
- Andrew DeMillo. "Arkansas lawmakers enact transgender youth treatment ban" — Associated Press, April 6, 2021
- Jason Silverstein. "Arkansas lawmakers override GOP governor's veto of bill restricting transgender health care" — CBS News, April 6, 2021
- "Legislature Votes to Extend Session" — Arkansas State Senate, March 31, 2021
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Andrew DeMillo. "Arkansas governor signs transgender sports ban into law" — Associated Press, March 25, 2021
- North Korea withdraws from Tokyo Olympics, citing COVID-19 concerns (2021/04/09 19:01)
Friday, April 9, 2021
On Tuesday, North Korean government announced it would not participate in the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics "to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by COVID-19", the Associated Press reported. It is North Korea's first official withdrawal from Olympics since their boycott of the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea, CBS News reported.
According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification, this is the first time North Korea withdrew from a major international sports event due to concerns of an infectious disease. Several athletes from multiple disciplines did not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics over concerns of the Zika virus, but North Korea did.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in had hoped the two nations could field a joint team similar to its unified Korean Peninsula team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Al Jazeera reported.
While North Korea claims to have no cases of the coronavirus, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University Park Won Gon says it has shown "a coronavirus-related neurosis since it declared an emergency anti-virus system in January last year", adding it was very unlikely the country would be able to procure enough vaccines for its population by July, when the 2020 Olympics are scheduled to take place.
In November, Daily NK reported North Korea had placed 81 thousand people, in quarantine excluding the soldiers in quarantine; and, by October 22, 32,011 people were placed in isolation. A source told Daily NK over 300 people had died in an isolation centre in Anju, South Pyongan.
Director of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan Campus Jeff Kingston told CBS this decision was a "setback for diplomacy". CBS also reported Seoul's disappointment at the nation's non-attendance, depriving South Korea a chance to discuss relations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Recently, North Korea's vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and sister of Kim Jong-un Kim Yo Jong warned March 16 "[t]he peaceful spring days of three years ago are unlikely to return", calling South Korean leaders as "all born with stupidity" and they "have become the dumb and deaf bereft of judgment". The warning came after the United States and South Korea held joint military drills in March.
This also comes after North Korea tested two ballistic missile on March 24, described by former admiral of the Japanese fleet Yoji Koda as "just the beginning of North Korean fervour."
North Korea participated in the boycotts of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 1988 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Related news[edit]
- "North Korea tests two missiles" — Wikinews, March 26, 2021
- "Kim Yo Jong criticizes US-South Korean military drills" — Wikinews, March 18, 2021
- "Koreas hold joint training session for Olympics" — Wikinews, January 30, 2018
Sources[edit]
- Sharon Omondi. "Is North Korea In The Olympics?" — World Atlas, April 9, 2021 (date of access)
- "Jeff Kingston" — Temple University, Japan Campus, April 6, 2021 (date of access)
- "North Korea drops out of Tokyo Olympics over COVID fears" — Al Jazeera, April 6, 2021
- Lucy Craft. "North Korea to skip the Olympics for the 1st time in 3 decades" — CBS News, April 6, 2021
- Hyung-Jin Kim. "EXPLAINER: Why is North Korea skipping the Tokyo Olympics?" — The Associated Press, April 6, 2021
- "QUOTES-Reaction to North Korea's ballistic missile launch" — Reuters, April 6, 2021
- "It Will Be Hard to See Again Spring Days Three Years Ago" — Rodong Sinmun, March 16, 2021
- Jang Seul Gi. "Sources: N. Korea is hiding the real number of suspected COVID-19 cases" — Daily NK, November 5, 2020
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"Rio 2016: Are athletes using Zika virus as an excuse?" — CNN, July 21, 2016
- North Korean Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children director slams UN's report on child malnutrition due to COVID-19 (2021/04/09 17:57)
Friday, April 9, 2021
On Tuesday, a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Korea heavily criticised a report made by the United Nations on child malnutrition in North Korea, which found around 100 thousand children in North Korea are suffering from malnutrition. This malnutrition crisis is in part caused by COVID-19 border closures, according to The Korea Times.
In the statement, the director of the Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children, which is a part of the Academy of Medical Science of the DPRK, described the report as "a sheer lie", "seriously distorted" and being "a black-hearted act of hostility to tarnish the image of our country". The statement further added: In our country, nutrition care of children is deemed a top priority despite difficult conditions and insufficiency. [...] But those self-styled experts wearing the berets of UN are distorting the situation of our country in order to create an impression that serious "malnutrition of children" exists in our country.
UN's report published on March 10 used the observations of Tomás Ojea Quintana, special rapporteur on the matter of human rights in North Korea. In the report, Quintana said COVID-19 led to deaths by starvation following the decline in business. UN's report mentioned "several individuals who were caught breaking anti-epidemic prevention measures were reportedly executed in public". These alleged executions are said to have taken place in cities including the country's capital city, Pyongyang, where a man was allegedly executed for having partaken in 'illicit trade' with China, the report elaborated.
In a The Korea Times article, an unnamed non-governmental organisation said "approximately 440 thousand children and pregnant and lactating women will not receive micronutrients, approximately 95 thousand acutely malnourished children will not receive necessary treatment and approximately 101 thousand kindergarten-aged children will not receive fortified foods".
Border restrictions in North Korea have been implemented as a way to stop the spread of COVID-19, but the restrictions have caused shortages of necessary goods such as medicine, Reuters reported quoting Russia's diplomatic mission to North Korea. These shortages have caused an "exodus" of foreign diplomats leaving North Korea, the same report added.
Sources[edit]
- Arirang News. "N. Korea calls UN report on child malnutrition 'seriously distorted'" — YouTube, April 6, 2021
- Yonhap News Agency. "North Korea slams UN report on child malnutrition as 'sheer lie'" — The Korea Times, April 6, 2021
- "Statement of Director of Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children of DPRK" — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, April 6, 2021
- Stephen Silver. "North Korea Lashes Out on UN Report About Child Malnutrition" — The National Interest, April 6, 2021
- "Russian diplomats complain of acute shortages in North Korea causing foreign exodus" — Reuters, April 1, 2021
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"COVID contributed to ‘starvation’, executions in DPR Korea, Rights Council hears" — UN News, March 10, 2021
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Wikiversity
Wikiversity is a project dedicated to learning materials and learning communities, as well as research. Wikiversity is not limited to university (or tertiary) level materials, but is open to materials and communities of all learner levels. The way it can facilitate learning activities and communities is still being explored, but is centered around the model of 'learning by doing', or 'experiential learning'.
Wikivoyage
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 14 (2021/04/14 03:00)
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Mountain path to the tongue of the Morteratsch glacier. - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 13 (2021/04/13 03:00)
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View of Damascus in Schedel's World History, woodcut by Michael Wolgemut, printed in the very rare pirated edition of 1497 by Johann Schönsperger in Augsburg. - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 10 (2021/04/10 03:00)
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Skyline of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as viewed from Harvard Bridge. Prominently visible are the Great Dome and Green Building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which was established on April 10, 1861. - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 9 (2021/04/09 03:00)
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Cliff at Vaucluse with New Zealand sea lions, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Wikipedia: Sydney, New South Wales - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 8 (2021/04/08 03:00)
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An autumn view to Raftsundet and mountains of Austvågøya (including Trolltindan) over Tennfjorden, Hinnøya, Norway. - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 6 (2021/04/06 03:00)
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Uvod River and buildings of the former Fokin Manufactory in Ivanovo, Russia - Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for April 5 (2021/04/05 03:00)
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Tianqi, 15th emperor of the Ming Dynasty
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Wikidata
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