UKRAINE'S SUFFERING UNENDING : TWITTER ESSAY

''Artists from around the world take a stand for Ukraine''. The World's artists all have called for peace. Author, activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai called for Russia to stop attacking Ukraine immediately.

''History tells us that wars cause irreversible and unimaginable loss. Civilians are killed; homes, schools and places of worship destroyed. People need peace, stability and dignity more than anything else.

Pakistan's star Singer Momina Mustehsan, whose family was one settled in Kyiv for nearly half a decade, chimed in rather emotionally, ''For nearly half a decade, my family called Kyiv home,'' she tweeted.

''The people of Ukraine have every right to their sovereignty, without unprovoked aggression from their neighbours. Pray for all human lives and hoping for  better sense to prevail. War is never the answer.''

Global Stars Chip In

Hollywood's Angelina Jolie a UNHCR special envoy - shared a message on her Instagram highlighting the efforts being made to protect those displaced during the conflict.

''Like many of you, I am praying for the people of Ukraine,'' she said. ''My focus along with my UNHCR colleagues is that everything possible is done to ensure the protection and basic human rights of those displaced, and refugees in the region.''

Author Stephen King, in a widely shared post on Twitter wrote, ''What most of us learned as kids on the paying ground : You don't stand by while a big kid beats up a little kid.You might take a punch or two making the big kid stop but that's the right thing to do.''

Rapper Cardi B tweeted, ''Wish these world leaders [would] stop tripping about power and really think about who's really getting affected [citizens] besides the whole world is in crisis. Wars, sanctions, invasions should be that last thing these leaders should worry about.''

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan called Putin a ''bully-boy-thug'' who thinks ''the rest of the world doesn't have the guts or will to stop him.''

Moscow born Grammy-nominated singer Regina Spektor condemned Putin's actions in a Instagram post featuring a picture of her younger self in USSR on the ''day WWII ended for us,'' The 42-year-old wrote :

''There were, and still are, real Nazis in the world. But in Ukraine there are just millions of civilians being pulled into a war and in Russia there are children being sent to fight and die for no reason other than the bottomless and horror filled 'more more more' of politicians and corporations. And it's terrifying.......

Professional wrestler and actor John Cena, on the contrary, drew ire for apparently using the crisis to promote his HBO series Peacemaker.

In a tweet on Thursday, Cena's reaction to the escalating crisis read : ''If I could somehow summon the powers for a real life hashtagPeacemake, I think this would be great time to do so.''

His post included a sponsored hashtag for the HBO Max series, in which he stars as the titular DC Comics superhero Indian writer, director and producer Farhan Akhtar also tweeted : ''Thoughts with Ukraine, may better sense prevail and peace be restored as soon as possible.''

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, who is a global goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, shared on Instagram:

''The situation unfolding in Ukraine is terrifying. Innocent people living in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones, while trying to navigate the uncertainty of the immediate future,'' she posted.

Indian screenwriter Javed Akhtar, on the other hand, asked why the western powers are ''indifferent'' towards a ''smaller'' country like Yemen.

''If the Russian-Ukrainian conflict evokes a sense of fairness and justice, a humane desire to protect the weaker in them, why all the western powers are totally indifferent toward Saudi carpet bombings and atrocities on a small country like Yemen?''

Ukraine artists call out 'aggressor' Russia

Filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa chimed in : ''For eight years the Russian Federation has waged war against Ukraine. For eight years, Western Europe tried ignore this war, continued to cooperate with and support the aggressor.

Now, if there is no tough reaction from the EU and NATO countries, it will end badly for everyone.''

While Katya Petrovskaya said, ''We are dealing with a tyrant who earns from war - that is his source of money, his 'business model'. This has to stop.''

Writer Andrei Kurkov asked, ''Where are the voices of artists from France, Germany, the US?''

The World Students Society thanks The Express Tribune.

Headline, March 13 2022/ GLOBAL : ''' '' PROBLEM SOLVING PARADOX '' '''

 

GLOBAL : 

''' '' PROBLEM SOLVING

 PARADOX '' '''

INJUSTICE - INEQUALITY - MISTRUST - RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION are casting dark shadows across every society.

WE MUST RESTORE HUMAN DIGNITY and human decency and respond to people's anxieties with answers.

IN THE FACE OF inter-connected threats, enormous human suffering, and shared risks, we have an obligation to speak up and act to put out the fire.

AS SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, I spend much of my time with world leaders and taking the pulse of global trends. It's clear to me that we are at a defining moment in international relations.

Global decision-making is plagued by gridlock - and a fundamental paradox lies at the heart of it.

On the one hand, many of today's global leaders recognise our common threats - Covid, climate, the unregulated development of new technologies. They agree that something needs to be done about them. Yet that common understanding is not matched by common action.

Indeed, divides keep deepening.

We see them everywhere : in the unfair and unequal distribution of vaccines; in a global economic system rigged against the poor; in the utterly inadequate response to the climate crisis; in digital technology and a media landscape that profits from division; and in growing unrest and conflict around the world.

So if the world agrees on the diagnosis of these common problems, why is it unable to effectively treat them.

I see two fundamental reasons.

FIRST, because foreign policy often becomes a projection of internal politics. As a former Prime Minister, I know that despite good intentions, international affairs can be hijacked by domestic politics.

Perceived national interest can easily trump the larger global good. This impulse is understandable, even if it is wrong-headed in instances where solidarity is in country's self-interest.

Instead of prioritising vaccines for all through a global vaccination plan, governments have acted to safeguard their people. But that is only half a strategy. Of course, governments must ensure the protection of their own people. But unless they work simultaneously to vaccinate the world, national vaccination plans could be rendered useless as new variants emerge and spread.

VACCINES are a prime example. Everyone understands that a virus like Covid-19 does not respect national borders. We need universal vaccination to reduce the risk of new and more dangerous variant emerging and affecting everyone, in every country.

Second, many of today's global institutions or frameworks are outdated or simply weak and the necessary reforms are impeded by geo-political divides. For example, the authority of the World Health Organization is nowhere near what is required to coordinate the response to global pandemics.

At the same time, international institutions with more power are either paralyzed by division - like the Security Council - or undemocratic like many of our financial institutions.

In short, global governance is failing at precisely the moment when the world should be coming together to solve global problems.

We need to act together in the national and global self-interest, to protect critical global public goods, like public health and a livable climate, that support humanity's wellbeing.

Such reforms are essential if we are to deliver on common aspirations for our collective global goals of peace, sustainable development, human rights and dignity for all.

This is a difficult and complex exercise that must take into account questions of national sovereignty. But doing nothing is not an acceptable option. The world desperately needs more effective and democratic international mechanisms that can solve people's problems.

As pandemic has taught us our fates are tied. When we leave anyone behind, we risk leaving everyone behind. The most vulnerable regions, countries and people are the first victims of this paradox in global policy. But everyone everywhere is directly threatened.

The goods news is that we can do something about our global challenges. Problems created by humanity can be solved by humanity.

Welcome, to SamDailyTimes : ' The Voice Of The Voiceless ', Welcome to The World Students Society, and lastly, Welcome To the Ecosystem 2011 :

The World Students Society rises to give a standing ovation to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. And assure his Excellency of The World Students Society's relentless struggle to help build a New World.

With respectful dedication to the Leaders All, and then Grandmothers, Mothers, Parents, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all prepare and register for Great Global Elections on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter - E-!WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

Tribute To The 'King Of Spin', Shane Warne

 

Following the tragic news of the death of Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne, the cricketing world bid farewell to one of the game's greats.

BEST BOOK BEST : LISA GARDNER

 

The novelist, whose new thriller is ''One Step Too Far'' likes to read many genres : ''To me, books are like ice cream and you always want ice cream, it's just a question of which flavor you're craving at the moment.''

.- What books are on your night stand?

''Razorblade Tears,'' by S.A. Cosby, and Gregg Hurwitz's new Orphan X thriller, ''Dark Horse.'' Cosby is a new author for me who, given all the buzz, I can't wait to discover. Hurwitz is one of my must-reads. I like to switch up between fresh voices and fan favorites.

.- What's the last great book you read?

''Iron Widow,'' by Xiran Jay Zhao, a Y.A. title I technically bought as a Christmas gift for my daughter, then couldn't resist reading before wrapping. Ummm, oops? Except I really loved it and stayed up till 3.a.m. to finish. Now my daughter is under orders to read it immediately because I'm desperate to talk about the story. Welcome to Christmas in our house.

.- Describe your ideal reading experience (when, what, where, how)

Curled up on my sofa, with a fire crackling in the fireplace, blanket on my lap, and two dogs snuggled up for additional warmth. Then I have the entire day to crack open a long-awaited novel and read from beginning to end. I currently have Kristin Hannah's ''The Four Winds'' set aside for such a luxurious experience.

.- What books, if any most influenced your decision to become a writer?

''The Far Pavilions,'' by M.M.Kaye. I read the historical saga for the first time when I was 12 and was totally transfixed. That kind of narrative power, the ability to transport a young girl from boring suburbia to 19th century India, left me awed. I thought, Someday, I want to be able to do this!

.- What's the best book you've ever received as a gift?

That's a tie between ''The House in the Cerulean Sea,'' by T.J. Klune, and ''The Midnight Library,'' by Matt Haig. Both gists from my daughter, who clearly has excellent taste.

.- What do you read when you're working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?

I know some authors say they can't read novels while they're working on their own, but I'm not one of them. I read anything at any time. While researching a novel, I may read more nonfiction on various topics, including true crime [ love Ann Rule and Gregg Olsen ]. 

Otherwise, my own real quirk is that I like to switch up genres. For example, after reading a bunch of thrillers in a row, I might then read some historicals or women's fiction titles, then maybe fantasy or Y.A.

To me, books are like ice cream and you always want ice cream, it's just a question of which flavors you're craving at the moment.

.-  What makes a good thriller?

The best thriller excel at combining compelling characters with breakneck pacing. You're heavily invested in the main characters while abandoning all household chores, missing your subway stop and staying up way too late as you race from chapter to chapter to find out what happens next.

When readers tell me they ignored their children and showed up late to work just to finish one of my novels, I feel good about myself.

.- You're organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, would you invite to share it with you?

Agatha Christie, Maya Angelou and Frederik Backman. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, of course; she and Stephen King remain the strongest literary influences on my own work.

The chance to talk to Christie about being the female mystery author of her day would be amazing! Maya Angelou's ''I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' was one of those definitive works that pierced my heart and opened my eyes.

Her words are so beautiful; I would love to just sit and listen to her speak. And Frederik Backman is one of my new fave authors from a ''A Man Called Ove'' yo ''Anxious People.''

His sense of humor, but more importantly, his uncanny knack for capturing human nature in all its imperfect glory, captivates me. The three of them at a table - I'd record the entire event, but never share on social media.

I'd just hold it tight to my chest, a secret treasure I could bring out and review when the blank page seems too daunting.

.- What are you planning on reading next?

''Dava Shastri's Last Day,'' by Kirthana Ramisetti, which my daughter gave me for Christmas. She would like the record to show she didn't read it before wrapping it. Where she got such self-control, I'll never know.

I'll definitely share ''Dava Shastri'' with her once I'm done, so the next best thing to reading a novel is getting to talk about it with a fellow book lover. I think of it as the literary life cycle. Read a book. Share a book. Get a recommendation for a new book. And all is well with the universe.

 The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.

SCIENCE LAB * SCALPS

Bonzo's Bedside Manner

Feeling Beastly? Take 2 bugs, and call me in the morning.

Chimpanzees design and use tools. That is well known. And a new report suggests they may also use medicine to treat their own and others' injuries.

Since 2005, researchers have been studying 45 chimpanzees in the Loango National Park in Gabon, on the west coast of Africa. From November 2019 to February 2021, the researchers saw 76 open wounds on 22 different chimpanzees.

In 19 instances they watched a chimp performing what looked like a self-treatment of the wound using an insect as a salve. In a few instances, one chimp appeared to treat another. The scientists published their observation in the journal Current Biology.

The procedure was similar each time. A chimp caught a flying insect, which was immobilized by being squeezed between the chimp's lips. The insect was placed on the wound and moved around, with the chimp's finger tips.

Then the chimp used its mouth or its fingers to remove the insect. Often, this insect was placed in the wound and removed several times.

The researchers do not know what insect the chimps were using, or how it might help heal a wound.

Even a skeptic found the behaviour remarkable : Aaron Sandel, an anthropologist at the University of Texas, Austin, found the idea of medical function ''a stretch.''

But ''attending to their own wounds or the wounds of others using a tool, another object - that's very rare,'' he said. [ Nicholas Bakalar ]

UP -CARBON EMISSIONS- 2B : IEA

Paris : Carbon emissions up 2b tonnes : Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by six per cent in 2021 to a record 36.3 billion tonnes, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday.

The increase in global CO2 emissions over 2 billion tonnes was the largest in history in absolute terms, more than offsetting the previous year's pandemic-induced decline,'' it said.

It pointed to the widespread use of coal to power growth as the world economy rebounded from the Covid-19 crisis.

''The recovery of energy demand in 2021 was compounded by by adverse weather and energy market conditions.'' [AFP]