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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityScience & EnvironmentEuropean court rules human rights violated by climate inactionPublished9 minutes agocommentsCommentsShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage source, ReutersBy Georgina RannardBBC climate reporterA group of older Swiss women have won the first ever climate case victory in the European Court of Human Rights.The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change.The court said Switzerland’s efforts to meet its emission reduction targets had been woefully inadequate.It is the first time the powerful court has ruled on global warming.Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg joined activists celebrating at the court in Strasbourg on Tuesday. “We still can’t really believe it. We keep asking our lawyers, ‘is that right?’ Rosemarie Wydler-Walti, one of the leaders of the Swiss women, told Reuters news agency. “And they tell us it’s the most you could have had. The biggest victory possible.” “This is only the beginning of climate litigation,” said Ms Thunberg. “This means that we have to fight even more, since this is only the beginning. Because in a climate emergency, everything is at stake.”The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rosmarie Wyder-Walti and Anne Mahrer from Senior Women for Climate ProtectionThe Court ruled that Switzerland had “failed to comply with its duties under the Convention concerning climate change” and that it had violated the right to respect for private and family life. It also found that “there had been critical gaps” in the country’s policies to tackle climate change including failing to quantify reductions in greenhouse gases – those gases that warm Earth’s atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas.The Swiss women, called KlimaSeniorinnen or Senior Women for Climate Protection, argued that they cannot leave their homes and suffer health attacks during heatwaves in Switzerland.On Tuesday data showed that last month was the world’s warmest March on record, meaning the temperature records have broken ten months in a row.More than 2,000 women are in the KlimaSeniorinnen group. They launched the case nine years ago, calling for better protection of women’s health in relation to climate change.Swiss President Viola Amherd told a news conference that she needed to read the judgement in detail before commenting, according to Reuters news agency. She said: “Sustainability is very important to Switzerland, biodiversity is very important to Switzerland, the net zero target is very important to Switzerland.”The court dismissed two other cases brought by six Portuguese young people and a former French mayor. Both argued that European governments had failed to tackle climate change quickly enough, violating their rights.Swiss glaciers get 10% smaller in two yearsWhy is the world getting warmer?Record hot March sparks ‘uncharted territory’ fearMember of the KlimaSeniorinnen Elisabeth Stern, 76, told BBC News that she has seen how the climate in Switzerland has changed since she was a child growing up on a farm.’Not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit’Asked about her commitment to the case, she said: “Some of us are just made that way. We are not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit.””We know statistically that in 10 years we will be gone. So whatever we do now, we are not doing for ourselves, but for the sake of our children and our children’s children,” she added.Youth activists around the world had hoped that the six Portuguese young people would also win their case against 32 European governments.The youth, aged from 12-24, had argued that increasingly extreme heatwaves and wildfires left them unable to go outside to play, to go to school, and that they suffered from climate anxiety.But the court said the case needed to be decided in Portugal first.Sofia Oliveira, 19, told BBC News that she was disappointed but that the Swiss women’s win ‘is a win for us too and a win for everyone’.”A third case by a former French mayor claimed that inaction by the French government risked his town being submerged in the North Sea. It was dismissed because he no longer lived in France and claimants must prove that they are direct victims of human rights violations.Decisions made in the European Court of Human Rights influence law across its 46 member states.Estelle Dehon KC, a barrister at Cornerstone Barristers in the UK, said “the judgement deals with difficult issues that also vex the UK courts in a way that may be persuasive.””It comprehensively dismisses the argument that courts cannot rule on climate legal obligations because climate change is a global phenomenon or because action by one state is just a ‘drop in the ocean’,” she told BBC News.Governments globally have signed up to drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.But scientists and activists say that progress is too slow and the world is not on track to meet the crucial target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. Switzerland’s largest party, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, condemned the ruling, calling it a scandal and threatening to leave the Council of Europe.That is unlikely to happen because they hold just two seats of seven in government.The Socialist Party welcomed the court’s decision and said the government should implement it as soon as possible, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS.Politicians in Switzerland responded to the rulinghttps://x.com/UDCch/status/1777707449501310985Related TopicsEuropeHuman rightsEuropean Court of Human RightsClimateSwitzerlandComments can not be loadedTo load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browserView commentsTop StoriesLive. Post Office would do ‘anything to hide Horizon failures’ – Alan BatesSecurity raised for Champions League ties after attack threatPublished47 minutes agoIsrael’s Gaza withdrawal hints at what comes nextPublished1 hour agoFeaturesFirst ever climate change victory in Europe courtSpectacular images of eclipse that transfixed North AmericaThe eclipse at Niagara Falls: ‘Wow! Spectacular’ VideoThe eclipse at Niagara Falls: ‘Wow! Spectacular’The Syria I came back to is not the one I leftHow are the non-dom rules changing?Israel’s Gaza withdrawal hints at what comes next’Why I rewrote Huckleberry Finn to give slave Jim a voice’Record hot March sparks ‘uncharted territory’ fear’Carrot harvest helped me detect ancient coin hoard’Elsewhere on the BBCWhat was so special about yesterday’s solar eclipse?Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh’s brief guide to the cosmic phenomenonAttributionSoundsHow did Sweden become a hotbed for hot tracks? James Ballardie charts Sweden’s remarkable rise as a music superpowerAttributioniPlayerWill China’s electric car industry shock Europe?Steve Fowler explores the potential risks Chinese electric car manufacturing poses to Western brandsAttributionSoundsOne of the world’s biggest stars through a unique lensThe stories behind ten defining images of Amy Winehouse, from iconic shots to private snapsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Security raised for Champions League ties after threat2Sports Direct dubs Newcastle kit deal unlawful3Mum of woman stabbed in street ‘can’t stop crying’4Spain to axe ‘golden visas’ scheme5King Charles comes face to face with new banknotes6Court rules women’s-only exhibit must allow male visitors7Israel’s Gaza withdrawal hints at what comes next8Louise Thompson reveals she had stoma bag fitted9Boy, nine, killed in family farm accident10Man held after woman stabbed to death pushing pram

[ad_1] “We are not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit,” said one of the older Swiss women who won.

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• April 8, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCulturePercival Everett: Why I rewrote Huckleberry Finn to give slave Jim a voicePublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Percival Everett’s inspiration for his novel came while he was preoccupied with a tennis ballBy Katie RazzallCulture and media editorPercival Everett, whose novel Erasure was turned into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction, had the idea for his latest book, James, when he was playing tennis.The Booker Prize-nominated author had just hit a ball “wildly” out of court.”I stopped and thought, ‘I wonder if anyone has written Huck Finn from Jim’s point of view?'”.They hadn’t, so Everett did. The writer adds this particular thought was nothing to do with his game, just that it was “the way most ideas come”.Critics have called Everett’s resulting novel a “masterpiece” describing him as “an American master at the peak of his powers”.Image source, MacmillanImage caption, James, inspired by Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, gives a voice to its escaped slave, JimThe hero of his new novel is – famously – the runaway slave Jim, in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884.The book is written from Huck’s perspective, a boy who fakes his own death to escape his abusive father.Jim’s also on the run, having found out he is about to be sold to a new owner.Despite being a renowned fictional character, relative to Huck, Jim’s on the margins of a book that Ernest Hemingway described as the definitive American novel. As Everett puts it, Jim “doesn’t get to speak” in the original novel. Not properly anyway. Everett has given him a voice. Jim reimaginedIn an interview ahead of the novel’s publication in the UK, Everett tells me he believes the US has “taken some steps back” when it comes to racial unity in recent years.He points to the “alarming rate” of police killings of people of colour, describing them as “lynchings” and says the legacy of slavery has still “never fully been addressed”.By reimagining Jim (who writes himself into existence with a stolen pencil stub as James), Everett has made him human, instead of the sometime stereotype put on paper by Twain.In James, he has agency; we find out how he feels about the world, what he thinks about his nation and about racism. He is literate and literary. He has conversations in dreams with philosophers. He is wise.”What would they do to a slave who had taught the other slaves to read?” James asks himself. “What would they do to a slave who knew what a hypotenuse was, what irony meant, how retribution was spelled?” It’s a powerful device Everett uses to change the perspective. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The 1960 film of the original book starred Archie Moore and Eddie HodgesIn his novel, the slaves speak a dumbed down dialect when they are talking in front of white people.”I guess I jest gwyne set dese old bones down on dis heah porch and watch out for dat noise ‘gin” says Jim.They deliberately make themselves sound ridiculous and gullible.But when they can’t be overheard, the slaves use an eloquent, highly intellectual form of English, for example discussing “proleptic irony”.Everett explains that “any enslaved, imprisoned or oppressed people find a way to speak to each other in the presence of their oppressors that will not allow entry.””The slaves would have a way of speaking to each other that is unintelligible to their slave owners. In my novel, it happens to be what we would call standard English”.In the book, James tells his daughter and the other children he is schooling in the “slave filter”: “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them.””The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us” he adds.It’s classic Everett, a novelist who describes himself as “pathologically ironic”. At one point in James, a local judge seems more terrified by the fact that James’s speech doesn’t conform to his expectations, than by the fact that the runaway slave is pointing a gun at him.The power of language looms large on every page.Image source, Historical Picture ArchiveImage caption, Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, considered a classic of American literature, continues to divide over its racial languageTwain’s original is anti-slavery, but it has become almost unteachable because of its liberal use of the N-word (the racist term is used more than 200 times in the novel).The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is no longer on the GCSE or A Level syllabus. To modern eyes, it’s too problematic. It’s even been banned by certain schools in America.Everett is opposed to book banning – although he told me, he hopes they might ban his new book “only because I like irritating those people who do not think and read”.”States in the US can ban books if they like, but they cannot stop art”.”The first thing that fascist regimes do is they banned books or burned them. It’s a way of trying to control others”.Everett calls Twain’s original a “wonderful novel”, the first time in American literature there is “a character who really represents an adolescent America wandering through its own landscape, trying to come to terms with what has become the most defining feature of the American experience, which is race”.Huck’s “trying to reconcile the fact that his friend is a person, Jim’s his friend, but he’s also property”.It’s “a pretty remarkable achievement”.The N-wordLike Twain, Everett uses the offensive term in his novel (though not nearly as often as the 19th Century classic).He tells me it’s all about context. “The language that people use tells us about the people” which is why characters in his novel say that word.”I really do appreciate a sign at the edge of a minefield that says ‘mines'”.It’s also about intent.”If someone came into this studio right now and quite angrily called me, quite literally, you N-word, I would be just as offended because I would know what they meant”.Everett is professor of English at the University of Southern California. “The strange thing of course is that as a black man, I can say the word. And my students, they will not say it”.”Sensitivity to language is important and necessary, but we’ve become too literal-minded”. Race in AmericaEverett has now written 24 novels, many of which interrogate race in America. The Trees, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022, addresses lynchings past and present, often with humour. (“If you can get someone laughing, then you have disarmed them” which helps you “reveal some truths”).Erasure satirises the American publishing industry’s complicity in perpetuating stereotypes about black America. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cord Jefferson (R) adapted Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure for the Oscar-winning American Fiction, starring Jeffrey Wright (L)And James is taking on slavery and racial tropes.Everett’s pessimistic about the current state of racial division in the US. He talks about “the swagger of white supremacists”.For a novelist so focused on language, it’s perhaps not surprising Everett worries that “polarity of thought has replaced discourse”. He also worries that there’s a faction in America that “would have us ignore the fact that slavery ever existed, and that’s a way of ignoring how slavery has impacted the lives of people to this day”.His great-grandmother was at one point a slave. “That’s how close it is to us in time”.He would like to see financial reparations as a “conciliatory act” although he says he would relinquish anything that was offered to him, in favour of people who actually need the money.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, American Fiction saw Everett attend this year’s Oscars ceremony with his wife, fellow author Danzy SennaAs for anger, “there’s a difference between rage and outrage”.”There’s a part of me that is angry”, he adds. But history shows “it’s long and pretty much the same throughout”. That attitude fits with a man whose skill lies in observation. Everett says he’s found an acceptance that slavery, mistreatment, injustice happen because of “the nature of human beings”.He takes comfort in a different kind of nature, particularly when he’s indulging in one of his favourite hobbies – fly fishing. A stream is “the best place to work”. And when he’s standing in a river “it’s full of endless possibilities”. James is published in the UK on 11 April. Related TopicsLiteratureBooksUS race relationsMore on this storyWhite audiences ‘too comfortable with black clichés’Published3 December 2023From Rushdie to RuPaul: The books to read in 2024Published29 December 2023Twain tribute sells for $242,500Published18 June 2010Top StoriesNorth America awed by total solar eclipsePublished53 minutes agoWatch stunning images and best moments from solar eclipse. VideoWatch stunning images and best moments from solar eclipsePublished1 hour agoCloudy skies scupper UK hopes of partial eclipsePublished56 minutes agoFeaturesAn eerie darkness descends – eclipse in picturesEclipse hits Mazatlán, Mexico, first stop in path of totality. VideoEclipse hits Mazatlán, Mexico, first stop in path of totalityBBC reporter: How I was targeted in the Westminster honeytrap’The NHS paid for my mum to go private. She died’The Westminster WhatsApp phishing plot. AudioThe Westminster WhatsApp phishing plotAttributionSoundsGazans return to devastation in Khan YounisMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their helpBiggest WrestleMania yet? Fans stunned as The Rock and The Undertaker return to ringAmy Winehouse film: ‘Paparazzi are the villains’ not BlakeElsewhere on the BBCFinding the funny in the week’s big storiesIan Hislop, Paul Merton and a who’s who of hosts welcome a gaggle of guest panellistsAttributioniPlayerBlowing the lid on a baffling online scamPolly Weston’s determined to get to the bottom of the con involving a £138 dehumidifierAttributionSoundsWhat went disastrously wrong at Pontins?An investigation into the state of three holiday parks before their sudden closure…AttributioniPlayerThe opera-loving sisters who ‘stumbled’ into heroismHelena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War TwoAttributionSoundsMost Read1Wragg quits Commons post over Westminster honeytrap2Together in wonder: North America awed by total solar eclipse3Woman severely injured by travelator in China4Bradford stabbing victim named as manhunt continues5Human remains found in Croydon park are identified6Marvel star Majors avoids jail and gets probation7Labour vows to fund pledges by tackling tax dodgers8Two men jailed for footballer’s nightclub murder9Why is Russia trying to frame Ukraine for concert massacre?10Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials

[ad_1] The author’s new novel, James, is a re-imagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their helpPublished34 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Myanmar army killed thousands of Rohingyas and drove hundreds of thousands of them into neighbouring BangladeshBy Jonathan Head & BBC Burmese In BangkokNearly seven years after the Myanmar military killed thousands of Muslim Rohingyas, in what the UN called “textbook ethnic cleansing”, it wants their help.From interviews with Rohingyas living in Rakhine State the BBC has learned of at least 100 of them being conscripted in recent weeks to fight for the embattled junta. All their names have been changed to protect them.”I was frightened, but I had to go,” says Mohammed, a 31-year-old Rohingya man with three young children. He lives near the capital of Rakhine, Sittwe, in the Baw Du Pha camp. At least 150,000 internally displaced Rohingyas have been forced to live in IDP camps for the past decade. In the middle of February the camp leader came to him late at night, Mohammed said, and told him he would have to do military training. “These are army orders,” he remembers him saying. “If you refuse they have threatened to harm your family.”The BBC has spoken to several Rohingyas who have confirmed that army officers have been going around the camps and ordering the younger men to report for military training.The terrible irony for men like Mohammed is that Rohingyas in Myanmar are still denied citizenship, and subjected to a range of discriminatory restrictions – like a ban on travel outside their communities.In 2012 tens of thousands of Rohingyas were driven out of mixed communities in Rakhine State, and forced to live in squalid camps. Five years later, in August 2017, 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, after the army launched a brutal clearance operation against them, killing and raping thousands and burning their villages. Some 600,000 of them still remain there. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Many Rohingyas have been forced to live in camps for the displaced for the last decadeMyanmar is now facing a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague over its treatment of the Rohingyas. That the same army is now forcibly recruiting them is a telling sign of its desperation, after losing huge swathes of territory in Rakhine recently to an ethnic insurgent group called the Arakan Army. Dozens of Rohingyas in Rakhine have been killed by military artillery and aerial bombardments.The military has also suffered significant losses to opposition forces in other parts of the country. Large numbers of soldiers have been killed, wounded, surrendered or defected to the opposition, and finding replacements is difficult. Few want to risk their lives propping up an unpopular regime.What you need to know about the Rohingya crisisAnd the Rohingyas fear that is the reason they are being targeted again – to be cannon fodder in a war the junta seems to be losing.Mohammed said he was driven to the base of the 270th Light Infantry Battalion in Sittwe. Rohingyas have been prohibited from living in the town since they were driven out during the 2012 communal violence.”We were taught how to load bullets and shoot,” he said. “They also showed us how to disassemble and reassemble a gun.”In a video seen by the BBC another group of Rohingya conscripts can be seen being taught how to use BA 63 rifles, an older standard weapon used by the Myanmar armed forces.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Rohingya conscripts seen at Myanmar military campMohammed was trained for two weeks, then sent home. But after just two days he was called back, and put on a boat with 250 other soldiers and transported five hours up-river to Rathedaung, where a fierce battle with the Arakan Army was under way for control of three hilltop military bases.”I had no idea why I was fighting. When they told me to shoot at a Rakhine village, I would shoot.” He fought there for 11 days. They were desperately short of food, after a shell fell on their supply hut. He saw several Rohingya conscripts killed by artillery and he was injured by shrapnel in both legs, and taken back to Sittwe for treatment.On 20 March the Arakan Army released photos from the battle, after it had taken control of the three bases, showing several corpses, at least three of them identified as Rohingyas.Myanmar’s army is losing – and facing fire from a militant monkA turning point in Myanmar as army suffers big losses”While I was in the middle of the battle I was terrified the whole time. I kept thinking about my family,” Mohammed said. “I never thought I would have to go to war like that. I just wanted to go home. When I got home from the hospital I hugged my mother and cried. It felt like being born again from my mother’s womb.”Another conscript was Hussain, from Ohn Taw Gyi camp, which is also near Sittwe. His brother Mahmoud says he was taken away in February and completed his military training, but he went into hiding before they could send him to the front line.The military denies using Rohingyas to fight its battles with the Arakan Army. General Zaw Min Tun, the junta spokesman, told the BBC that there was no plan to send them to the front line. “We want to ensure their safety, so we have asked them to help with their own defence,” he said.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The devastating civil war between the army and ethnic insurgent groups has raged for three yearsBut in interviews with the BBC, seven Rohingyas in five different IDP camps near Sittwe all said the same thing: that they know of at least 100 Rohingyas who have been recruited this year and sent off to fight. They said teams of soldiers and local government officials came to the camps in February to announce that the younger men would be conscripted, at first telling people they would get food, wages and citizenship if they joined up. These were powerful lures. Food in the IDP camps has become scarce and expensive as the escalating conflict with the Arakan Army has cut off the international aid supplies. And the denial of citizenship is at the heart of the Rohingyas’ long struggle for acceptance in Myanmar, and one reason they suffer systematic discrimination, described by human rights groups as similar to apartheid.However, when the soldiers returned to take the conscripted men away, they retracted the offer of citizenship. When asked by the camp residents why they, as non-citizens, should be subjected to conscription, they were told that they had a duty to defend the place where they lived. They would be militiamen, not soldiers, they were told. When they asked about the offer of citizenship, the answer was “you misunderstood”.Now, according to one camp committee member, the army is demanding new lists of potential recruits. After seeing and hearing from the first group to come back from the front line, he said, no-one else was willing to risk being conscripted. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Rohingya refugees’ perilous journey in search of safetySo the camp leaders are now trying to persuade the poorest men, and those with no jobs, to go, by offering to support their families while they are away, with donations raised from other camp residents.”This conscription campaign is unlawful and more akin to forced labour,” said Matthew Smith, from the human rights group Fortify Rights.”There’s a brutal and perverse utility to what’s happening. The military is conscripting the victims of the Rohingya genocide in an attempt to fend off a nationwide democratic revolution. This regime has no regard for human life. It’s now layering these abuses on top of its long history of atrocities and impunity.” Finding Anwar – born while his mother fled for her lifeBy using Rohingyas in its battles against the advancing Arakan Army, the Myanmar military threatens to reignite communal conflict with the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, much of which supports the insurgents. It was friction between the two communities which in 2012 caused the expulsion of tens of thousands of Rohingyas from towns like Sittwe. In 2017, ethnic Rakhine men joined in the army’s attacks on the Rohingyas. Tension between the two communities has eased since then. The Arakan Army is fighting for an autonomous state, part of a wider campaign with other ethnic armies and opposition groups to overthrow the military junta and create a new, federal system in Myanmar. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rohingyas in Rakhine State now find themselves caught in the middle – between the junta and the insurgentsNow on the brink of victory in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army has talked about giving citizenship to all who have lived there recently, implying that it might accept the return of the Rohingya population from Bangladesh. The mood has now changed. A spokesman for the Arakan Army, Khaing Thukha, told the BBC that they viewed Rohingyas being conscripted to fight for the junta as “the worst betrayal of those who had recently been victims of genocide, and of those fighting for liberation from dictatorship”. Pro-military media have also been giving publicity to what appear to have been Rohingya protests in Buthidaung against the Arakan Army, although local people told the BBC they suspected these were organised by the army in an attempt to divide the two groups.The Rohingyas are now forced to fight for an army that does not recognise their right to live in Myanmar, thereby alienating the ethnic insurgents who may soon control most of Rakhine. Once targeted by both, they are now caught between the two sides. Mohammed has been given a certificate by the army, stating that he has fought in battle on their side. He has no idea what value it has, nor whether it exempts him from further military service. It could well get him into trouble with the Arakan Army if it continues its advance towards Sittwe and his camp. He is still recovering from his injuries, and says he is unable to sleep at night after his experience.”I’m afraid they will call me again. This time I came back because I was lucky, but next time I am not sure what will happen.”Related TopicsMyanmarAsiaRohingyaTop StoriesIsrael reduces troop numbers in southern GazaPublished5 hours agoJeremy Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than everPublished19 hours agoManhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed to deathPublished9 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Kyiv aid block’ warning and ‘run of a kind’Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipseMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their help7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe comics legend lurking in a British basementIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?West faces ‘authoritarian’ alliance, says Nato headElsewhere on the BBCGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerThis family bonds over Race Across the WorldThese are the the things we love on the BBCAttributioniPlayerOne of the most talented bands to never make it…Why did trailblazers Microdisney fail to achieve the commercial success they deserved?AttributioniPlayerDid you know these scenes were filmed in… Glasgow?!Ali Plumb travels through the city’s silver screen sightsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Manhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed2Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?3Ukraine nuclear plant drone strike prompts warning4’Radiographer started crying during my cancer scan’5Probe after Boeing plane engine cover falls off6’Kyiv aid block’ warning and ‘run of a kind’7’He was one of us’: Memorial ride for Hairy Biker8Mozambique ferry disaster kills over 90 – officials9Former Wimbledon manager Kinnear dies aged 77AttributionSport10Israel reduces troop numbers in southern Gaza

[ad_1] The BBC learns of at least 100 Rohingyas conscripted in recent weeks to fight for the embattled junta.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaStay! Germany denies reports of sausage dog banPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Philipp Guelland/Getty ImagesImage caption, Reports that Germany could ban dachshunds led to hand-wringing from lovers of the breed (file picture)By Damien McGuinnessBBC News, Berlin”Sausage Dogs to be banned in Germany,” screamed headlines in the UK this week.Germany’s biggest-selling newspaper Bild went full circle, fascinated by the panic: “Brits Fear for the German Sausage Dog.”The story arose from the German Kennels Association (VDH), which has launched a petition against a draft law that aims to clamp down on breeding that leads animals to suffer. Will the dachshund or any other breed be banned? The short answer is no. Under the proposed Animal Protection Act, certain traits would be defined in dogs that can cause “pain, suffering or damage”. The VDH fears this could lead to a ban on breeding sausage dogs, because their short legs and elongated spine can lead to knee, hip and back problems. Other breeds, such as bulldogs or pugs, which can have breathing problems, could also be targeted, says the association. “No dog breeds will be banned,” a spokesman for the Green-led agriculture ministry told me bluntly. “We want to prevent breeders from deforming dogs so much, that they suffer.”The government’s argument is that dog breeds are continually developing and at risk of having increasingly extreme characteristics. So breeding dogs with specific traits, such as skeletal abnormalities, that lead to suffering, poor health or a short life expectancy, would no longer be allowed. “Just because people find something new or aesthetically pleasing, animals shouldn’t be tormented,” said the ministry’s spokesman. So-called “torture breeding” has been illegal in Germany for three decades. But until now the law has been vague and open to interpretation. This new draft would give precise scientific criteria about what sort of breeding can lead to an animal suffering. Existing animals would be able to be kept but would not be allowed to breed or exhibit in shows. “Torture breeding” is not in the interests of the dog, the owner or the breeder, argues the government, given that everyone wants these animals to live normal, healthy lives. “There will always be sausage dogs,” the spokesman said. “We will just never see any with legs one centimetre long.” German museum celebrates dachshundsDachshunds, which can be translated as “badger dogs”, were bred in Germany for hunting. Their short legs and long body helped them burrow into holes. Michael Lazaris of Vets on the Common, in London, says many as one in five Dachshunds suffer from intervertebral disc disease because of their elongated spines. Dachshunds can also suffer from chronic hip and knee problems due to their short legs. Dr Lazaris advises buying puppies from responsible breeders and says that many genetic diseases can be bred out “by not using dogs with those specific health problems”. This is essentially the aim of the new German draft law. Meanwhile the German branch of animal rights organisation Peta is indeed calling for a ban on 17 breeds, including sausage dogs, pugs and French bull dogs. English bull dogs are also on Peta’s list. An online petition calling for the draft law to include these breeds has almost 70,000 signatures so far. Later this year the draft version of the Animal Protection Law will be put to the German cabinet and then to the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament.With key regional elections across eastern Germany in September, there are bound to be more stories about bossy Greens supposedly banning well-loved German traditions. This story has legs. Related TopicsGermanyDogsMore on this storyGerman dachshund museum ‘a world first’Published2 April 2018Walkies could become the law for German dog ownersPublished19 August 2020Stolen dog returned after video of theft is sharedPublished28 July 2023Top StoriesSecret papers show Post Office knew case was falsePublished57 minutes agoFTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 yearsPublished3 hours agoBus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45Published2 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Water bosses a ‘disgrace’ and Easter honours ‘row’How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?I’m not ashamed of who I am any more, says LionessWhat we know about the accusations against DiddyFather of two among Baltimore bridge victimsVice, Vice, Baby: Who’ll be Trump’s running mate?AttributionSoundsWhat are assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia?Tackling deepfakes ‘has turned into an arms race’‘We crowdfunded to help pay our son’s care costs’Elsewhere on the BBCThis week’s ‘must watch’ and ‘don’t bother’ showsYour favourite couch critics guide you through the latest programmes on the boxAttributionSoundsA joyous celebration of love, community and equalityTom Allen marks the tenth anniversary of same-sex marriage being legalised in England and WalesAttributioniPlayer’He’s confused popularity with respect’Another chance to listen to Ricky Gervais on Desert Island Discs in 2007AttributionSoundsBruce Lee as you’ve never seen him beforeTen defining pictures throw a unique lens onto an extraordinary lifeAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 452Dentist chair selfie sends drug trafficker to jail3Man arrested after death of Gogglebox star4Beyoncé’s country album: The verdict5Easter getaways hit by travel disruption6Arrest after 50 dead animals left outside shop7Secret papers show Post Office knew case was false8FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years9Leicester sack Kirk after relationship allegationAttributionSport10Stay! Germany denies reports of sausage dog ban

[ad_1] The VDH fears this could lead to a ban on breeding sausage dogs, because their short legs and elongated spine can lead to knee, hip and back problems. Other…

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• 1980s
• 2023Convicted
• March 28, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceSam Bankman-Fried: Disgraced ‘Crypto King’ to be sentencedPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty Images/BloombergBy Natalie ShermanBusiness reporter, New YorkSam Bankman-Fried, the former billionaire crypto boss who was convicted of fraud and money laundering last year, will return to court in New York on Thursday to be sentenced for his crimes.It is certain the 32-year-old will be going to jail; what is not known is how long for.The moment has revived debate about the extent of his crimes – and what punishment might fit. His legal team have called for leniency, but prosecutors are seeking 40 to 50 years in prison.They say such a sentence is warranted for someone who lied to investors and banks, and stole billions in deposits from customers of his now-bankrupt crypto exchange, FTX.His defence team has proposed five to 6.5 years, accusing the government of adopting “a medieval view of punishment” by insisting on a lengthy term behind bars for a non-violent, first-time criminal.The question has generated hundreds of pages of letters from former FTX customers, family, friends of his parents – even complete strangers – trying to sway Judge Lewis Kaplan, the federal justice who will decide his fate.”He has shown no remorse so why would any judge show any mercy?” said Sunil Kavuri, a British investor who had more than $2m worth of holdings on the exchange when it collapsed, and one of the people mobilising former customers to share their experience with the court. Image caption, Sunil Kavuri faces a long and uncertain wait to retrieve any of his investmentFTX’s collapse in 2022 was a stunning fall for Bankman-Fried, who had become a billionaire and business celebrity promoting the firm, a platform people could use to deposit and trade crypto.It attracted millions of customers, before rumours of financial trouble sparked a run on deposits. In November 2023, a US jury found Bankman-Fried had stolen billions in customer money from the exchange ahead of the collapse to buy property, make political donations and use for other investments.Many of those customers now appear poised to recover significant sums, under a plan being developed in the separate bankruptcy case.Under that proposal, former customers could receive money based on what their holdings were worth at the time the exchange collapsed.In court filings, the defence for Bankman-Fried, who is expected to appeal his conviction, has argued that such recovery warrants a lighter sentence. They said it proved that “money has always been available” which “would be impossible if [FTX’s] assets had disappeared into Sam’s personal pockets”. But the repayment plan has left many former customers outraged, since they will miss out on the crypto rebound that has occurred since. John Ray, the lawyer leading FTX through bankruptcy and a critic of Bankman-Fried, noted the concerns in his own letter to court.”Make no mistake; customers, non-governmental creditors, governmental creditors, and non-insider stockholders have suffered and continue to suffer,” he wrote to the court, arguing that the claims of minimal loss were a sign that Bankman-Fried continued to live “a life of delusion”. Former FTX customers interviewed by the BBC said they were offended by the blithe dismissal of their problems, and urged the judge to reject calls for leniency.”The people who are saying this are not in a position like I’m in, where you’ve lost everything,” said Arush Sehgal, a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur living in Barcelona, who, with his wife, is one of the exchange’s biggest individual creditors, with about $4m worth in savings in dollars and bitcoin at FTX when it collapsed. Image source, Arush SehgalHe is one of the customers suing over the current bankruptcy plan, which he said amounted to a “second crime” against Bankman-Fried’s customers. Angela Chang, of Vancouver, a 36-year-old who worked in software, said she had about $250,000 deposited in dollars with FTX when it collapsed. She said she feared the harm done to FTX customers was being discounted because they were in the crypto industry.”People think that crypto is criminal and so they have sympathy for this guy …. But I’m not a criminal,” she said, describing how the fall of the firm threw her into depression and left her running up credit card debt. Facing a cash crunch, she ultimately sold a portion of a claim to an investor.Columbia Law professor Daniel Richman said the scale of the crime was rarely as contested as in this case.But he said decisions are often shaped more by other issues, including a judge’s own impressions of the defendant, and what it would take to deter him from further crimes. In this case, Judge Kaplan, a veteran of the court system who has presided over a slew of high profile trials involving public figures such as Donald Trump and actor Kevin Spacey, has already proven to be sceptical of Bankman-Fried’s actions, revoking his bail last year after finding he was trying to intimidate other witnesses. “Any judge or lawyer will tell you that one of the best things the defendant can do before being sentences is really really show he’s on the right path, show some remorse and show some degree of self-knowledge as to his offence,” Prof Richman said. “Here you not only have a defendant who went to trial but you have one who really, at least the judge believed, was obstructive prior to trial,” he said, adding that it would be “really surprising” for Judge Kaplan to render a sentence anything like the defence request. FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried believed in ‘effective altruism’. What is it?Convicted ‘Crypto King’ faces decades in jailEveryone got duped by Sam Bankman-Fried’s big gambleSince the 1980s, the US has significantly increased the length of its official recommendations for jail time for white collar criminals.Though judges frequently depart from the guidelines, introducing wide variability, “the risk of harshness is greater than in most countries” – particularly for high-profile cases, Prof Richman said.In her own appeal to the judge, Barbara Fried, Bankman-Fried’s mother and a former law professor, noted the “punitive nature” of the US justice system “which makes us an extreme outlier among democracies”. “I have no illusions about the redemptive power of prisons,” she wrote. “Being consigned to prison for decades will destroy Sam as surely as would hanging him.”Related TopicsInternational BusinessCryptocurrencyMore on this storyEveryone got duped by Sam Bankman-Fried’s big gamblePublished3 November 2023Convicted ‘Crypto King’ faces decades in jailPublished3 November 2023Top StoriesDivers recover bodies in Baltimore bridge collapse watersPublished2 hours agoGirl, 10, left inoperable after surgery axed seven timesPublished7 hours agoKing sends ‘hand of friendship’ recorded messagePublished3 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Sewage ‘outrage’ and ‘King calls for kindness’ The families borrowing to pay for careFather of three among Baltimore bridge victimsUS guns pour into Haiti, fuelling surge in violenceLost IRA film shows planting and detonation of bombWhy some Tory MPs are stepping downI’m not ashamed of who I am any more, says LionessAfter Moscow attack, migrants from Central Asia hit by backlashWhy is sewage released into rivers and the sea?Elsewhere on the BBCNew lives, new loves and new merciless enemiesSuperman and Lois Lane face one of their biggest challenges… raising two teenage boysAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsRadiohead meets Sons of Kemet in this alt-rock supergroupSee The Smile on the 6 Music Festival stageAttributioniPlayerA daughters mysterious disappearanceJoan Lawrence shares how she found out her daughter had disappeared in the run up to Mother’s DayAttributionSoundsMost Read1Gogglebox star, 40, dies after fall from height2Man seriously injured after stabbing on London train3Pupil behaviour getting worse, say teachers4King sends ‘hand of friendship’ recorded message5Girl, 10, left inoperable after surgery axed seven times6Son ‘numb’ as whole-life killer may be released7Sewage ‘outrage’ and ‘King calls for kindness’8France to sue teen over headscarf row claim9Police reassess decision on Rayner allegations10Disgraced ‘Crypto King’ Bankman-Fried to be sentenced

[ad_1] The former boss of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is due to be sentenced for multi-billion dollar fraud.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 10week
• 1950s
• March 26, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS Supreme Court appears sceptical of abortion pill casePublished19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A federal judge revoked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone in 2023.By Bernd Debusmann Jr and Kayla EpsteinBBC NewsThe US Supreme Court appeared sceptical of an effort to restrict access to a commonly used abortion drug, mifepristone, during a Tuesday hearing.Several members of the court questioned whether it was an appropriate challenge of the drug’s federal approval.It is the most significant abortion case before America’s top court since it ended the national right to abortion in June 2022.The outcome could affect abortion access for millions.This case centres on decisions made by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to loosen restrictions of mifepristone’s use since 2016.The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an umbrella group of anti-abortion doctors and activists, filed a lawsuit in November 2022 alleging that the drug is unsafe and that the federal agency inappropriately expanded access to it. Numerous studies have shown that mifepristone, which was first approved by the FDA in 2000, is safe.But the group, which includes medical professionals, has also argued that its members might suffer harm by having to treat patients who used mifepristone to end a pregnancy. They said that would be in opposition to their own religious beliefs.Elizabeth Prelogar, the US Solicitor General, told the court that the doctors could not show that the FDA’s decisions had directly harmed them.She added that ruling in favour of the anti-abortion group would “severely disrupt the federal system for developing and approving drugs” and “inflict grave harm on women across the nation.”Several of the judges seemed to find the basis for the case dubious. Even some of the conservative justices who have ruled in favour of anti-abortion plaintiffs in the past questioned whether the doctors had suffered due to the rule changes. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, pressed the group’s attorneys on whether two of the doctors cited in the case had been forced to terminate a pregnancy against their will. How abortion pill ruling threatens other drugs How safe is the abortion pill mifepristone?Some of the justices, both liberal and conservative, asked whether there was a “mismatch” between the injuries claimed by the group and the changes they were pursuing – limiting millions of Americans’ access to mifepristone. Justice Neil Gorsuch, another conservative judge appointed by Mr Trump, questioned whether a ruling in their favour could open the door to “a handful of individuals” turning a “small lawsuit into a nationwide legislative assembly on an FDA rule, or any other federal government action”. Two of the court’s liberal justices, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, asked why the doctors were not already protected by their right to lodge conscience objections to certain procedures, like abortion.Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug – misoprostol – for medical abortions, and it is now the most common way to have an abortion in the US.Medical abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 53% in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute. More than five million US women have used mifepristone to terminate their pregnancies. The court has previously ruled that it would not consider a challenge of the FDA’s approval of the drug, but a ruling against the FDA could severely limit access as it would roll back the expansion of access that has occurred since 2016. The FDA announced in 2016 that it would allow mifepristone’s use until the 10-week mark, rather than up to seven weeks of gestation. Then in 2021 it lifted in-person dispensing requirements, a move that allowed providers to send it to patients by mail. In 2022, the FDA moved further by allowing retail pharmacies to dispense the drug, meaning medical professionals – not just doctors – could prescribe it. The following year, a judge in Texas revoked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Abortion remains one of the most contentious political issues in the US, and will likely be a major factor in the 2024 election.On Tuesday, dozens of protesters from both sides of the debate gathered outside the US Supreme Court during oral arguments. They waved signs that read, “We won’t go back to the 1950s” and “abortion kills.” Thirteen of the protesters were arrested for illegally blocking roads and a walkway, according to the US Capitol Police.Related TopicsAbortionUS abortion debateUnited StatesMore on this storyHow abortion pill ruling threatens other drugs Published12 April 2023How safe is the abortion pill mifepristone?Published19 April 2023Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaPublished24 June 2023Top StoriesLive. Ship that collided with Baltimore bridge lost power – governorLive. Israel claims UN ceasefire resolution has damaged negotiations with HamasTwo ministers quit government in mini-reshufflePublished30 minutes agoFeaturesWhat we know about Baltimore bridge collapseIn pictures: Baltimore bridge collapseKate rumours linked to Russian disinformationWho is Julian Assange and why is he facing extradition?How do I know if my smart meter is broken?Striking kite-flying picture scoops top prize19th Century law fires up anti-abortion pushHow much is the BBC licence fee and what does it pay for?Bowen: Biden has decided strong words are not enoughElsewhere on the BBCConquering Everest’s ‘Death Zone’ on skisFind out how a Japanese alpinist became the first person to ski down Mount EverestAttributionSounds’You do feel like you’re invincible’Why are so many young men risking their lives on the UK’s roads?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsHow many big hits from 1995 will you remember?Featuring Ace of Base, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, David Bowie and many moreAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Kate rumours linked to Russian disinformation2Church limited Clapham attacker’s attendance3Pupils are injured in crush at school gate4Two ministers quit government in mini-reshuffle5North Korea censors Alan Titchmarsh’s trousers6British Gas chief’s pay package jumps to £8.2m7Russia blames West and Kyiv for Moscow jihadist attack8Tory’s mayoral contest ad showed New York not London9BBC to explore reform of licence fee10Assange judges seek no death penalty pledge from US

[ad_1] Both conservative and liberal justices seemed dubious about limiting access to a drug used by million of women.

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• 1960s
• 2024Elsewhere
• March 21, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaExtreme heat at work can double stillbirth risk, India study findsPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage caption, Cucumber picker Sumathy lost a baby 12 weeks into her pregnancyBy Tulip MazumdarGlobal health correspondentWorking in extreme heat can double the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage for pregnant women, according to new research from India. The study found that the risks to mothers-to-be are significantly higher than previously thought. Researchers say hotter summers can affect not only women in tropical climates, but also in countries such as the UK.They want specific health advice for working pregnant women globally.Eight hundred pregnant women in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu took part in the study, which was started in 2017 by the Faculty of Public Health at the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) in Chennai. About half of those who took part worked in jobs where they were exposed to high levels of heat, such as agriculture, brick kilns and salt flats. The others worked in cooler environments, such as schools and hospitals, although some workers were also exposed to very high levels of heat in those jobs too.There is no universal threshold for what level of heat is considered to be too hot for the human body.”[The impact of heat] is relative to what you’re used to and what your body’s used to,” says Prof Jane Hirst, one of the scientists who contributed to the study.In the lush green fields of Tiruvannamalai, I meet Sumathy, one of the pregnant women who took part.She removes her thick gloves and stretches out her fingers. She has been picking cucumbers for the past two hours.”My hands burn in this heat,” she tells me, gently caressing her fingertips.Summer hasn’t even started yet, but already it is about 30 degrees here today and feeling hotter with the humidity.Sumathy has to protect her hands from the constant stabbing of the tiny spikes on the cucumbers, but the gloves make her sweat profusely.”My face burns too,” she says.She comes to the cucumber farm before and after her main job, working as a cook in a school, and is paid about 200 rupees or just under £2 for her efforts.India’s Mothers: Bearing the HeatThe BBC’s global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar reports from southern India on new research suggesting heat can double the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage.Watch on BBC iPlayer (UK only)Sumathy was one of the first recruits. Her baby was also one of the first in the study to die.”I used to feel so exhausted being pregnant and working in the heat,” she says.One day, as Sumathy was dropping off her husband’s lunch, she suddenly started feeling very unwell. That evening, she went to see a doctor who told her she had suffered a miscarriage 12 weeks into her pregnancy. “My husband would lay me down on his lap and console me. I don’t know what I would have done without him,” she says.Sumathy talks about her husband with so much love but has had to learn to live without him. He recently died, and she is now the main breadwinner for the family.Sumathy will never know for sure if working in the heat during her pregnancy had anything to do with her losing her first child. But overall, the study found that women who worked in similar conditions as her were twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth or miscarriage than those working in cooler environments.Important for women all over the worldThe pregnant women in the study in India really are “at the forefront of experiencing climate change,” says Prof Hirst, who is a UK-based consultant obstetrician, and Professor of Global Women’s Health at medical research organisation The George Institute.Earth’s average temperature is projected to rise by nearly three degrees by the end of the century, compared with pre-industrial times, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning of “an existential threat to all of us” with pregnant women facing “some of the gravest consequences”.Image caption, Rekha Shanmugam measures the daytime heat in sugar cane fields in TiruvannamalaiPrevious studies have shown about a 15% rise in the risk of premature birth and stillbirth during heatwaves, but these have generally been conducted in high-income countries such as the US and Australia. The latest findings from India are particularly stark and worrying, says Prof Hirst, and have wider implications. “The UK is getting hotter summers, and while it’s not as hot as India, these adverse effects [on pregnancies] can be seen at much lower temperatures in more temperate climates, such as the UK.” However, she adds, they do need to be “kept in perspective”. Even with a doubling of risk, experiencing baby loss is still going to be a “rare event for most women”.How does extreme heat affect pregnant women? Listen to The Climate Question podcast on BBC Sounds nowThere is currently no official international advice for pregnant working women in the heat. The main guidance that does exist for hot-weather working, is based on studies involving a man in the US military in the 1960s and 70s, weighing 70-75kg and with 20% body fat. Prof Hirst hopes this study, and further research, will change that. In the meantime, Prof Hirst and Prof Vidhya Venugopal, from the Faculty of Public Health at SRIHER, who led the research on India, say pregnant women working in the heat can protect themselves by:Avoiding prolonged periods in the heatTaking regular shade breaks if working outdoors on hot daysAvoiding exercising or sunbathing for long periods in the hottest part of the dayKeeping hydrated with waterFor the study in India, the researchers used what is called the wet-bulb-globe-temperature (WBGT), which measures the effects of temperature, humidity, wind speed and radiant heat on human bodies.WBGT readings are often lower than the temperatures you might see forecast on the TV or a weather app.The safe heat threshold for people doing heavy work is 27.5C WBGT, according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. ‘No choice but to work out in the sun’ India is predicted to become one of the first countries in the world where temperatures will top the safe limit for healthy people who are simply resting in the shade, according to a recent study from the University of Cambridge.The number of hot days and hot nights (when the body struggles to recover from daytime heat) is also projected to double or even quadruple in India by 2050.In the sugarcane fields of Tiruvannamalai, Rekha Shanmugam, a former nurse and one of the SRIHER study’s researchers, is measuring the daytime heat.Around us, a couple of dozen workers – about half of them women – hack down thick stems of cane with small machetes. “These women often have no choice but to work out in the sun – they need the money,” says Ms Shanmugam.She pours water into a gauge and presses various buttons. It shows a WBGT temperature of 29.5C – that’s above the safe threshold for doing this type of physically demanding work in the heat.”If the workers continue for prolonged periods in this level of heat, they are more prone to heat-related illnesses, and it’s especially concerning for pregnant women,” she tells me. Image caption, Women like Sandhiya make up the backbone of India’s informal workforceSandhiya, 28, tells me she has no choice but to do this type of back-breaking work for which she gets paid about 600 rupees, just under £6 a day. She has two young children and an extended family to feed. Sandhiya also took part in the study – and lost her first child six months into her pregnancy.She had to take several months off work to recover and says she is still paying off the debts she racked up during that time.”All my desires centre around my children,” Sandhiya tells me. “I want them to study well and get good jobs. They shouldn’t end up toiling here in the fields like me.”The problem of peeingThe mechanisms around how and why heat impacts pregnant women and their growing babies in this troubling way are not well understood.A previous study in The Gambia found high temperatures could raise foetal heart rate and slow blood flow through the umbilical cord.One theory is that when the mother gets too hot, blood could be diverted away from the foetus, to help cool the mother down.Ms Shanmugam thinks a lack of toilets may also be playing a part.She says a previous study found many women didn’t want to squat in an open field to relieve themselves and so would avoid drinking water, developing urinary problems as a result. “They worry about insects and snakes in the bushes, or men peeping to look at them,” she says.”They often don’t feel safe, so they’ll just hold it in for the whole day and then finally go to the toilet when they get home.”Finding solutions India has made huge improvements to maternal and baby health in recent years, but the stillbirth rate is still 12.2 per 1,000 births, according to data from the World Bank Group. In the UK the rate is 2.7. The findings of the study in Tamil Nadu are being taken very seriously, says Dr TS Selbavinayagam, the state’s director for public health.”We already offer financial compensation to pregnant women, but maybe we need to look at options for giving alternative employment too,” he says. The state government offers poorer women 18,000 rupees (£170) when they reach 12 weeks of pregnancy, to try to ease some of their financial pressures. However, much of the power to protect these low-paid workers rests with workplace bosses.Image caption, Thillai Bhasker has erected steel roofs to provide much-needed shade for his brick kiln workersOn the outskirts of Chennai, Thillai Bhasker – a brick-kiln owner – has erected giant steel roofs with special heat-protective coatings on them, to provide his workers with much-needed shade. He’s been taking advice on better protecting workers from researchers at SRIHER.”Business owners should be smart enough to know how to retain the employees,” he says. “If you take care of them, they will take care of you.”He also told us he was planning to build women-only toilets. Some organisations are also offering education sessions on the simple steps women can take to better protect themselves in the heat. Insulated bottles are also being made available to keep drinking water cool.Sumathy had no choice but to continue to work in extreme heat when she became pregnant again within a couple of years of her miscarriage. But she got specific advice from doctors and the SRIHER researchers on how to better protect herself. Sumathy gave birth to a healthy daughter and son. Tonight – after her long shift – she will return home to them. Exhausted, anxious, but so grateful they are there.Follow @TulipMazumdar on XIf you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice isavailable via the BBC Action Line.What questions do you have about this story? We’ll be answering them later today. In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.Use this form to ask your question: If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. Related TopicsMiscarriageTamil NaduClimateIndiaPregnancyTop StoriesLive. US accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone marketLive. Which women might get state pension compensation? Your questions answeredInterest rate cuts ‘on the way’, says Bank bossPublished37 minutes agoFeaturesUK sees biggest increase in poverty for 30 yearsNew hope for sisters trapped in their bodies’I go to bed with an empty stomach’ – Haiti hunger spreadsA museum tried reverse misogyny. Now a man is suingThe new 28-year-old peer who wants to scrap the LordsThe boy killed by his ‘sadistic’ motherHow climate change made Easter eggs pricier’Our school has been crumbling for 20 years’Poland’s ‘Heart of the Garden’ named tree of 2024Elsewhere on the BBCWhat’s the key to literary success for Phillip Pullman?The author of His Dark Materials shares the advice he would give his younger selfAttributionSoundsGlobal glamazons start your engines!Catch up on all the the jaw-dropping looks and unforgettable performances before the grand finale…AttributioniPlayerThe fresh face of FerrariJennie Gow and the team look back on the Saudi Arabian Grand PrixAttributionSoundsFestivals, flamenco and old friendsStrictly’s dancing duo Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice take to the streets of sunny SpainAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Harry Kane statue revealed before going on display2Bank boss says UK interest rate cut ‘on the way’3Mum guilty of murdering scalded and caned son4Toddler steals the show during Queen’s NI visit5Terminally ill grandad scoops £1m lottery prize6More than 500 migrants arrive in small boats7TV’s Julie Goodyear slowly fading away, says husband8Cows turn heads as they bring town to a standstill9Knives Out director pays tribute to acting ‘legend’10Kermit the Frog honoured in new fossil find

[ad_1] About half of those who took part worked in jobs where they were exposed to high levels of heat, such as agriculture, brick kilns and salt flats. The others…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 2300ft
• 700m
• March 20, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBlinken visits Middle East to discuss Gaza post-war planPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was greeted by Saudi officials on arrival in JeddahBy Tom Bateman, State Department correspondent & Rushdi Abu Alouf, Gaza correspondentBBC News, in Jeddah and IstanbulThe US secretary of state has flown to the Middle East to discuss a post-war plan to govern and secure Gaza.Antony Blinken’s talks with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia and then Egypt will focus on what the US calls “an architecture for lasting peace”.It comes as witnesses said Israeli forces had escalated their operation around al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, carrying out a number of air strikes.Earlier, Israel’s military said it had killed 90 gunmen there since Monday.Separately, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are continuing in Qatar to bring about a ceasefire and the release of hostages. But there are few signs that a breakthrough is imminent.Entire Gaza population facing acute hunger – US Gaza faces famine during Ramadan, the holy month of fastingWhat is famine and when is it declared?Mr Blinken’s sixth trip to the region since the start of the war in Gaza saw him land in Jeddah on Wednesday afternoon to meet the Saudi leadership. Descending from the plane shortly before sundown he was greeted by waiting officials, including Mazin al-Himali from the Saudi foreign ministry, who embraced Mr Blinken. He is expected to meet the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, at the royal palace on Wednesday night. State department spokesman Matthew Miller said they would discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and increase aid deliveries to Gaza, amid further dire warnings about the scale of the humanitarian crisis there.A UN-backed food security assessment this week said 1.1 million people in Gaza were struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation, adding that a man-made famine in the north was imminent between now and May.Also on the agenda would be “co-ordination on post-conflict planning for Gaza, including ensuring Hamas can no longer govern or repeat the attacks of 7 October, a political path for the Palestinian people with security assurances with Israel, and an architecture for lasting peace and security in the region”, Mr Miller added.Mr Blinken will travel to Cairo on Thursday to meet Egyptian leaders.Image source, ReutersImage caption, A UN-backed assessment says about 210,000 people in northern Gaza face imminent famineThe Americans are trying to bring together a major deal that would put the internationally-recognised Palestinian Authority (PA) back into Gaza for the first time since it was driven out by Hamas 17 years ago. Nothing has yet been drawn up, but the ideas are thought to include possible support on the ground from Arab nations, while all the parties including Israel would commit to pursuing a two-state solution – the long-held international formula for peace. The major Arab sponsor Saudi Arabia would normalise relations with Israel in return for access to advanced US weapons and an American-backed civilian nuclear power programme. However, even if such a multi-part plan could be agreed, US officials concede it is likely only attainable in the longer term. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the idea of PA control of Gaza. The issue is likely to be another sticking point amid an already fractious relationship with President Biden.Some of those familiar with the plan concede it feels ambitious given the lack of breakthrough on a ceasefire agreement, the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and because any remaining trust between Israelis and Palestinians is shattered. But the US administration hopes it can still use the moment to grasp the initiative. Mr Blinken will also travel to Israel on Friday as part of his current trip. According to Mr Miller, he will discuss with Israeli leaders the hostage negotiations and the “need to ensure the defeat of Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that protects the civilian population”. President Joe Biden has warned Israel that it would be a “mistake” to launch an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced civilians are sheltering. But on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was “determined to complete the elimination of [the Hamas] battalions in Rafah, and there is no way to do this without a ground incursion”. More than 31,900 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.The conflict began when about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on 7 October, according to Israeli tallies. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Smoke was seen rising from Gaza City as Israeli forces continued their operation in and around al-Shifa hospitalOn the ground in Gaza on Wednesday, heavy fighting raged around al-Shifa hospital as the Israeli military’s operation there continued for a third day.Witnesses told the BBC that tanks previously positioned around the hospital complex had now moved eastwards, along al-Wahda Street.They also reported a significant increase in the number of air strikes in Gaza City and other northern areas.”The relentless sounds of explosions can be heard from around al-Shifa hospital,” said Osama Tawfiq, who lives 700m (2,300ft) from the complex. “Since Monday morning, we feel like as if the war has just begun.”According to the witnesses, the strikes targeted homes belonging to members of Hamas who had been assigned to serve on so-called “emergency committees” in place of the armed group’s police force.Among them was Amjad Hathat, who was reportedly killed along with 11 other emergency committee members at the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza City on Tuesday evening while securing the distribution of humanitarian aid.Mr Tawfiq said that the situation had deteriorated in his area, after a period of relative calm that followed the withdrawal of Israeli forces in mid-January.”We are not only enduring bombings but also facing a looming food crisis.””During last Ramadan, we could break our fast with some food. But now we struggle to find anything beyond water that smells like sewage and tastes like seawater, as well as meagre bread. My children are suffering from hunger.”A UN-backed food security assessment has said 1.1 million people in Gaza are struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation, and that a man-made famine in the north of the territory is imminent between now and May.On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military said its troops had killed approximately 90 gunmen and questioned 300 suspects during what it called the “precise operation” in and around al-Shifa.They first raided the hospital in November, when the military accused it of being a Hamas “command and control centre” – an allegation that Hamas and hospital officials denied. The military said the latest operation was launched on Monday because “senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside… and are using it to command attacks against Israel”.Hamas acknowledged a senior commander of its internal security force was killed there on Monday, but said he was co-ordinating aid deliveries. It said the other people killed were patients and displaced civilians sheltering there.The military said it was taking measures to avoid harm to civilians and keep the hospital functioning, but witnesses told BBC Arabic’s Gaza Today programme that that the situation there was catastrophic and that civilians, including medics, were crowded in corridors.”Children do not stop crying because they are dying of hunger and thirst… and the wounded suffer all night long due to the lack of medicines and painkillers,” one displaced woman, who asked not to be named, said on Tuesday. “The bulldozers are sweeping away the places where we are staying, and shrapnel is flying above our heads everywhere,” she added. Additional reporting by David Gritten in LondonRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelAntony BlinkenPalestinian territoriesHamasSaudi ArabiaUnited StatesMore on this storyEntire Gaza population facing acute hunger – USPublished1 day agoTop StoriesLive. This will be year economy bounces back, Sunak says, after inflation fallsFresh defeats in the Lords over Rwanda billPublished16 minutes agoJunior doctors vote to continue strike actionPublished2 hours agoFeaturesFamine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapesThe GP who became Ireland’s youngest taoiseachEmma Barnett: ‘Why I wanted a baby loss certificate’Bafta TV Awards: The list of nominationsWatch: An emotional farewell to the Hairy Bikers. VideoWatch: An emotional farewell to the Hairy BikersPain, anger and disquiet as new Welsh first minister takes the stageLondon Tube strikes: All you need to knowI took three bullets to stop Princess Anne’s kidnap. VideoI took three bullets to stop Princess Anne’s kidnapThe Staves: ‘The pressure to feel empowered is suffocating’Elsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerAre you a descendant of royalty?Geneticist Dr. Adam Rutherford sets out to prove that we all are…AttributionSoundsFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayerA satirical look at the scheming world of PRCharles Prentiss and Martin McCabe embark on a new career as spin doctorsAttributionSoundsMost Read1Ramadan message removed from King’s Cross board2Man given ‘wife’s ashes’ before cremation3Man murdered couple with drug before re-writing will4Harry Potter steam train service suspended5Fresh defeats in the Lords over Rwanda bill6Top civil servant and MI6 boss quit all-male club7Kate hospital responds after alleged privacy breach8’No escape’ for bank clients who profited from glitch9Junior doctors vote to continue strike action10Mystery solved after divers find German U-boat

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaTrump needs a $464m bond in six days. What if he can’t get it?Published10 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The former president must pay the full amount in cash or secure a bond by 25 MarchBy Madeline HalpertBBC News, New YorkDonald Trump’s lawyers are asking a New York court to put a $464m (£365m) fine in a civil fraud case on hold, as the former president finds himself in a precarious financial situation that could ultimately see his most prized properties taken. If Mr Trump wants to continue his appeal in the case, he must submit the full amount in cash or secure a bond from a private company by 25 March.But on Monday, his lawyers said that despite their “diligent efforts” it had been “practically impossible” to find a company willing to act as a guarantor of the full sum and asked for a pause.”We really are in a moment of serious crisis for Trump personally, as well as for his business,” said Professor Will Thomas from the University of Michigan Ross Business School.So with the clock seemingly ticking, here’s what could happen next in the case.1) Trump gets a pauseA panel of appeals court judges will decide by 25 March whether the $464m judgement can be paused while Mr Trump appeals.This would be a best case scenario for the former president, who is no doubt eager to avoid having to pay an estimated 16% of what Forbes reports is his $2.6bn net worth.The fact that Mr Trump has assets in the state of New York that can be seized, however, could reassure a court that he would be able to pay the penalty if he lost the appeal, according to Mr Thomas. Mr Trump is seeking to overturn the judge’s finding that he owes millions in potential lost interest by the banks that loaned him money, and from the profits of his sale of his New York golf course and Washington DC hotel. “I think it is very likely that he will get some kind of stay – unless they find some other stopgap option,” he told the BBC.Renato Mariotti, a lawyer who represents large real-estate developers, said it was hard to predict how the court would treat a former president.”But my clients wouldn’t get a pause,” he said. 2) He secures a bondMr Trump could still find a way to secure a bond – for a fee – if his request for a stay is rejected, although according to his lawyers, this could be difficult.The bonding company would be agreeing to pay the financial penalty if Mr Trump loses his appeal and cannot do so himself.But his legal team said they had already approached 30 companies without success. To secure a bond, an individual has to demonstrate to the company providing the guarantee that they have enough liquidity – usually in the form of cash plus stocks or securities which can be sold quickly – to cover the amount.Mr Mariotti said the fact he could not secure a bond could mean two things: “Trump is not nearly as wealthy as he has led the public to believe – or he didn’t prepare for this possible judgement.”3) A compromise optionThe New York appeals court could come back to Mr Trump with a middle-of-the-road option, experts said. The court could require Mr Trump to post a bond of a smaller amount while he appeals against the ruling. Mr Trump, however, has already asked an appeals court to allow him to post a bond covering $100m instead. His lawyers argued he would “suffer irreparable harm” if forced to pay the full sum up front.That request was rejected by a judge.Alternatively, the court could ask Mr Trump to sign a sworn statement saying he has assets in New York and understands they could be seized if he loses the appeal, Mr Thomas said. Ultimately, if Mr Trump does not get a pause and the court offers no compromise option, he could appeal directly to New York’s Court of Appeals. But with a deadline of 25 March to pay the judgement or post a bond, he is working on a tight timeline and is seeing thousands of dollars in interest added to the penalty sum each day. 4) Mr Trump pays the penaltyWithout a bond to cover the full amount, Mr Trump could attempt to pay the judgement with his own money. He told a court last year that he had $400m in liquid assets.To get cash quickly to cover the rest of the fine, experts said he could try to refinance his properties or quickly sell some of his assets – but selling real estate properties could take time. He could also declare bankruptcy, which would allow him to avoid paying the judgement. But bankruptcy could be costly – and prove a hit to Mr Trump’s reputation in an election year, Mr Thomas said. “Practically, it’s the most devastating thing that Donald Trump could ever do to his self image,” he said. 5) New York takes Trump’s assetsIf Mr Trump cannot find a way to pay the fraud judgement or secure a bond by 25 March, the New York Attorney General Letitia James can begin to collect the fee and take his assets. She has said she will do so if he fails to pay. Experts say this is another worst case scenario for Mr Trump, as he could lose some of his most famous properties. They can take any of his buildings – not just those in New York – including the 58-floor Trump Tower and his sprawling Florida club, Mar-a-Lago. The glitzy New York buildings that Trump could lose Ms James would likely not sell these assets until the appeals process is over, Mr Thomas said. This is because if she were to lose the appeal to Mr Trump, her office would have to pay him back after losing value on properties they sold quickly.But if Ms James does eventually sell the assets, there would be a court-ordered process to do so, with the first $464m going to New York state to pay the judgement, and any money left over going to Mr Trump, said Mitchell Epner, an attorney who handles commercial litigation. Mr Epner said the state could seize multiple assets, as none of Mr Trump’s properties on their own appear to be worth $450m. With additional reporting from Nada TawfikRelated TopicsNew YorkDonald TrumpFraudUnited StatesMore on this storyTrump unable to get $464m bond in New York fraud casePublished15 hours agoTrump hit where it hurts most in New York fraud rulingPublished17 FebruaryAre Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties over-valued?Published22 September 2022Top StoriesFamine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapesPublished1 hour agoData watchdog ‘assesses’ Kate privacy breach claimPublished49 minutes agoHow Kate body-double conspiracy theory spread on social mediaPublished5 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Kate’s records ‘breached’ and Labour’s fiscal rulesWhat is Hong Kong’s tough new security law?Trump needs a $464m bond in six days. What if he can’t get it?Gillian Anderson: Why I changed my mind on playing Emily MaitlisIs TikTok really a danger to the West?The English heiress who joined the IRA’Untreated trauma led to our soldier son’s suicide’Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan: Why I hate on-screen vanityThe highs and lows of Welsh First Minister Mark DrakefordElsewhere on the BBCA fun and judgement-free guide to RamadanBig Zuu joins Mehreen to debunk some of the popular myths around the holy monthAttributionSoundsFrom slaps to snubs…Thirteen iconic moments from Oscar historyAttributioniPlayer’A few people laughed, a few cried, most were silent’The extraordinary story of the rise and fall of the inventor of the atomic bomb, J Robert OppenheimerAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Data watchdog ‘assesses’ Kate privacy breach claim2How Kate body-double conspiracy theory spread on social media3Blunder shop got more Easter eggs than population4Death after Pontins collapse – family want answers5Kate’s records ‘breached’ and Labour’s fiscal rules6Trump needs a $464m bond. 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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCzech Republic struggles to contain surge of whooping coughPublished42 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some colleagues of Prague’s mayor say he should have worn a face mask in public (file photo)By Rob CameronBBC News, PragueWhooping cough is on the rise across Europe, and the Czech Republic is no exception. However, a week marked by confusion surrounding official guidance and a controversial public appearance by Prague’s mayor has left some wondering if anything was learned from Covid-19.In the first week of January, say the Czech authorities, there were 28 registered cases of whooping cough. That figure now stands at 3,084 – a number not seen since 1963.Sufferers include the 80-year-old mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, who is an MP as well as an eminent gynaecologist.Coughing and spluttering his way through a parliamentary health committee meeting, a clearly irritated Dr Svoboda questioned why he had to be there in the first place. He said he was recovering from whooping cough, but was on day six of an antibiotic course “so I’m no longer infectious… or at least that’s what they taught me at school”.Most colleagues in the room chortled. One, however, said he could at least have worn a face mask.For the Prague branch of the Green Party it was no laughing matter. Public health regulations dictate that those with whooping cough must stay at home until the end of their antibiotic treatment. The party has filed criminal charges against the mayor for “spreading a contagious disease”.As cases continued to rise, the Prague public health authority took matters into its own hands. It sent out a letter to the capital’s schools, saying in the event of a confirmed case of whooping cough in a class, any unvaccinated children must be sent home.This was immediately shot down by the head of the national public health authority, who admonished her Prague colleagues at a press conference. Schools had no authority to send home unvaccinated children as a precaution, she said.Instead, all cases should be judged individually, based on how long the infected child had spent in the classroom, and so on.Epidemiologists, including one who led the government’s measures against Covid, shook their heads in disbelief. Recently amended health ministry guidelines called for exactly the approach recommended by the Prague authority, they said.But the confusion over the official guidance obscured a curious conundrum; what unvaccinated children?Vaccination for whooping cough, known in Czech as “black cough”, is mandatory in the country.It is meant to be administered, alongside inoculation for diphtheria, tetanus, polio and others, from the very first weeks of life.Yet according to official figures, immunisation for whooping cough is estimated at 97% of the infant population, suggesting there are thousands of unvaccinated babies in the Czech Republic.Health Minister Vlastimil Válek told Czech Television the current rise in cases is down to a combination of two things: a resurgence in respiratory diseases as society abandons strict Covid measures; and incomplete immunisation in children.The whooping cough vaccine is applied in five stages, the first three in the first 12 months of life. Almost all children receive these initial doses. However, only 90% end up receiving the final two, administered around the ages of six and ten.This, said Mr Válek, would explain why the greatest rise is among Czech teenagers. Parents have been urged to check their children’s vaccination history. Adults are encouraged to go for booster shots.In years gone by, dozens if not hundreds of babies and young children died in what was then Czechoslovakia from whooping cough each year, until the introduction of mandatory vaccination in 1958. Experts say the modern population is still well protected by mass, state-administered compulsory vaccination.The resurgence in cases, however, still carries dangers. Those infected teenagers may suffer nothing more serious than a persistent cough. But they can still pass on what can be a fatal disease to their younger siblings – whose immunity is still forming – or indeed their grandparents, whose immunity may have faded.What is whooping cough and what are the initial symptoms?Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a contagious infection in the lung or breathing tube.The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat.But after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are typically worse at night.Read more on the UK National Health Service websiteRelated TopicsHealthVaccinationPragueCzech RepublicMore on this storyWhooping cough warning for England, as cases risePublished7 MarchRelated Internet LinksWhooping cough – UK National Health ServiceThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Top Stories’He will come back’ – Israeli hostage families cling to hope, and demand a dealPublished12 hours agoTory minister denies his party has a problem with racePublished1 hour agoLive. Protesters arrested on final day of vote set to confirm Putin’s fifth termFeaturesGame of Thrones creators: Why we swapped dragons for aliens in new showHow much trouble is Boeing in?’I got my first death threat before I was elected’Putin: From Russia’s KGB to a presidency defined by warOccupied Ukraine forced to vote in Putin’s election’People think I’m rude but I’m frozen with fear’What it’s like styling Zendaya for a red carpetThe Papers: ‘Shapps missile threat’ and ‘Strictly stars summit’As notorious death row closes, inmates fear what awaits in new prisonsElsewhere on the BBCFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’It was a song that broke all the rules’The epic story behind Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Brian May and Roger TaylorAttributioniPlayerExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Cockney Rebel singer Steve Harley dies at 732How much trouble is Boeing in?3As notorious death row closes, inmates fear what awaits in new prisons4Game of Thrones creators: Why we swapped dragons for aliens in new show5Fans thrilled as Ed Sheeran sings in Punjabi6M25 work ‘on schedule’ as Monday rush hour looms7More arrests over alleged assault on black pupil8Councils told to consider residents’ views on LTNs9’People think I’m rude but I’m frozen with fear’10’My vet wanted £120 for a cream. 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[ad_1] As cases continued to rise, the Prague public health authority took matters into its own hands. It sent out a letter to the capital’s schools, saying in the event…

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