#likud party can dish it out but not take it

[news4dzhozhar]

This whole interview was great but apparently it's too much truth for the powers that be. TikTok removed it saying that it disparaged a "protected group". Instagram slapped Bassem with a warning and I tried just now to post the YouTube link to the full video but received this error:

This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.

That's bullshit truly! Removed the entire account instead of just the video.

[vignaniasacademy]

25-05-2020 Current affairs & Daily News Analysis

EID-UL-FITR The Vice President of India wished the nation on the eve of the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

About: It is a celebration to mark the end of Ramadan/Ramzan, the holy month of fasting. It is celebrated on the first day in the month of Shawwal. It literally means ‘Feast of the Breaking Fast’. It is also known as ‘Meetha Eid’ because the sweet dish of sewwaiyyan (a form of vermicelli pudding) is savoured and distributed among family and friends.  Source : PIB ( Culture ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy How exposing healthy volunteers to Covid-19 for vaccine testing would work The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that eight vaccine candidates for COVID-19 have entered human trials.

About: In a human challenge trial, participants are deliberately exposed to the infection (in this case it is SARS-CoV-2 virus), in order to study the disease and test the vaccines. For this, the exact virus strain that will be used to infect the participant and dosage or how much of the virus the volunteers need to be exposed to needs to be determined and approved by the regulatory authorities. Human challenge trial isn't new. The method has been used for developing vaccines for seasonal flu, typhoid, malaria, and cholera, among others.  Important Info : Benefits: Human challenges expedite trials because a lot of time may be lost waiting for a trial subject to contract the disease naturally from the community. Till such time that happens, whether the vaccine works or not cannot be tested.Then again, if infection does not happen normally, there is little way of finding out whether it is because of the vaccine or whether it is because the person was never exposed at all.  Source : Indian Express  (Health) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy Govt notifies BS-VI emission norms for quadricycles The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued notification dated 22nd May 2020 regarding the emission norms for L7 (Quadricycle) category for BS VI. These norms are applicable from the date of notification.

About: This notification completes the process of BS VI for all L, M and N category vehicles in India. The emission norms are in line with EU with WMTC cycle. The move is likely to encourage the production of quadricycles, a segment introduced less than two years ago. The central government had introduced the quadricycle segment in 2018 and approved it for both commercial and private use. Automobile manufacturers will now be able to produce petrol, diesel, CNG and biofuel quadricycles for the Indian market. The Ministry of Road Transport describes quadricycle as a vehicle the size of a three-wheeler but with four tyres and fully covered like a car. "It has an engine like that of a three-wheeler. This makes it a cheap and safe mode of transport for last-mile connectivity."  Source : PIB ( Environment ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy Bihar, DoP join hands to home deliver Shahi lichi, Zardalu mango The Department of Posts, Government of India and Department of Horticulture, Government of Bihar have joined hands to supply ''Shahi Lichi'' from Muzaffarpur and "Zardalu Mango" from Bhagalpur to the people at doorstep.

About: The ''Shahi Lichi'' of Muzaffarpur (Bihar) and  "Zardalu Mango" of Bhagalpur(Bihar) are famous in world by virtue of their unique fragrance and demand everywhere. Zardalu Mango has received GI tag. This facility of online delivery will be initially available to people of Muzaffarpur & Patna for ''Shahi Lichi'' & Patna & Bhagalpur for "Zardalu Mango" . Lichi will be booked minimum for 2 kgs and mangoes for 5 kgs.  Source : PIB ( Economy ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy RAJIV GANDHI KISAN NYAYA YOJANA Farmers in Chhattisgarh would get up to ₹13,000 an acre a year under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyaya Yojana, a new income support programme announced by the State government.

About: In the first instalment, ₹1,500 crore would be distributed among 18 lakh farmers, more than 80% of them small and marginal. The annual cost of the scheme would be ₹5,700 crore. The scheme would cover rice, maize and sugarcane farmers to begin with, and would expand to other crops later. Rice and maize farmers would get ₹10,000 an acre, while sugarcane farmers would get ₹13,000. The money would be distributed in four instalments. This will help them through the agricultural cycle and help with extension activities. The additional income to farmers would increase rural demand and also act as a stimulus for the State’s economy.  Source : The Hindu ( Economy ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy WORLD SCHIZOPHRENIA DAY May 24 was observed as World Schizophrenia Day.

About: Schizophrenia is a psychosis, a type of mental illness characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common experiences include:hallucination: hearing, seeing or feeling things that are not there; delusion: fixed false beliefs or suspicions not shared by others in the person’s culture and that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary; abnormal behaviour: disorganised behaviour such as wandering aimlessly, mumbling or laughing to self, strange appearance, self-neglect or appearing unkempt; disorganised speech: incoherent or irrelevant speech; and/or disturbances of emotions: marked apathy or disconnect between reported emotion and what is observed such as facial expression or body language. Causes of schizophrenia: Research has not identified one single factor. It is thought that an interaction between genes and a range of environmental factors may cause schizophrenia. Psychosocial factors may also contribute to schizophrenia. Management: Schizophrenia is treatable. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. The usual age of onset for adult Schizophrenia is 15 to 25 years although it can be seen as early as 5 years of age. However, childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) is a rare condition with onset before the age of 13 years, which rises steadily through adolescence and reaches its peak in early adult life. Important Info : Indian scenario? According to a recent National Mental Health Survey (2015-2016) conducted by NIMHANS, the prevalence of Schizophrenia in the Indian population is 0.5 per cent for current and 1.4 per cent for a lifetime experience.  Source : Indian Express ( Health ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy Great Lockdown or Pandession? ⁠Naming this century’s worst crisis isn’t going to be easy Economists around the world are searching for the right terminology to describe the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Suggestions made: The IMF calls it the Great Lockdown. At its spring meetings in April -- held virtually this year -- the International Monetary Fund used that phrase to summarize how the world economy had been upended. Morgan Stanley says it’s the Great Covid-19 Recession, or GCR for short to reflects its expectations for the deepest peacetime contraction in global growth since the Great Depression. Ed Yardeni, who coined the term “bond vigilantes" back in the 1980s, has named this the Great Virus Crisis. There’s even a suggestion to call it a Pandession, as suggested by economist David McWilliams, who previously worked for the Central Bank of Ireland and lenders including BNP Paribas. A Pandession is a new word because it is a new thing. Economists with Bloomberg Economics have used phrases such as the Global Hard Stop or the Virus Recession.  Important Info : As for the origins of the ‘Great Depression,’ it’s a term that was used by various U.S. presidents and others such as British economist Lionel Robbins, who published a book in 1934 titled “The Great Depression."  Source : LiveMint ( Economy ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY (IIFPT) Union Minister of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI), appreciated the initiative taken by Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology ( IIFPT) to manufacture nutrient rich foods for COVID-19 patients at a time when the need for healthy and immunity boosting foods is indispensable.

About: Mandate: IIFPT is a premier national Institute for promoting research and education in food processing. Parent Agency: It works under the administrative control of Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). HQ: Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.  Source : PIB ( Economy ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy A Shaky Coalition Government Takes Office In Israel Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for forming his fifth government in Israel.

About: Israel's new government, headed once again by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn into office , ending nearly a year-and-a-half of political stalemate involving three stormy elections and multiple rounds of coalition negotiations. This marked a fifth term for Netanyahu — his fourth consecutive term — and the first time an Israeli leader indicted on criminal charges will formally lead the country. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history.  Important Info : Coalition government agreement: This happened after an agreement was reached between Netanyahu (Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement) and MK Benny Gantz (of Blue and White party) on the formation of a national unity government.The deal would involve both parties sharing power, and Gantz and Netanyahu taking turns being prime minister.Under the terms of the agreement Netanyahu is to be prime minister until October 2021, with Gantz serving as vice prime minister. After that time the men are to exchange roles.  Source : All India Radio ( International ) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy FACEBOOK SHOPS Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced the launch of Facebook Shops.

About: Facebook Shops is a platform that small mom-and-pop stores across the world could leverage to sell things directly across its apps, such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook too. For small store owners in developing countries, the launch of this platform could mean easy access to the large customer base of the social media giant, Facebook. With WhatsApp and Instagram, the trio makes a formidable presence on the internet. The launch of this platform coincides with the plans of many other global conglomerates to launch themselves in the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) segment, by providing some kind of platform or training space. It is unclear if Facebook Shops would be launched in India as well.  Source : Indian Express  (Economy) Read UPSC Current affairs and Daily News Analysis from Best IAS Coaching Institute in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy Daily Current affairs and News Analysis Best IAS Coaching institutes in Bangalore Vignan IAS Academy Contact Vignan IAS Academy Enroll For IAS Foundation Course from Best IFS Academy in Bangalore Read the full article

[cutsliceddiced]

New top story from Time: Netanyahu Keeps Plans on West Bank Annexation Close to His Chest

A key question hanging over Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election campaign is whether he will fulfil an apparent pledge to annex part of the occupied West Bank. But in TIME’s interview with the Israeli Prime Minister, he would not be drawn on the controversial policy — saying only that it might be possible “in the framework of an agreement with the United States.”

Asked directly if he would annex current settlements, Netanyahu said: “It’s something I would like to do in the framework of an agreement with the United States. And it certainly does not do away with the prospect of a political agreement.”

Netanyahu had earlier said he would extend Israeli “sovereignty” over parts of the West Bank, a statement widely interpreted as a pledge to annex a portion of the Palestinian territory Israel has controlled for 52 years. Such a move would fulfill the wishes of many in Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party and other hardliners who view the swath of land that extends to the Jordan River as part of biblical Israel.

But in his interview with TIME on June 25 Netanyahu attempted to remain ambiguous. “I didn’t actually use the word [annexation], I think,” he said. “I’m not sure if I used that word or the application of Israeli law. There’s a subtle difference between them.” Pressed on whether he intends to legally annex, he said, “we’ll get to that point and I’ll make it clear when we get to that point.”

Almost 3 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, whose Ramallah-based leadership has forsworn violence and whose security apparatus cooperates with Israel’s. A further 2-million Palestinians live in Gaza, controlled by the militant group Hamas. Israel and Egypt have enforced an effective 12-year blockade over the strip since Hamas took over in 2007 and the rockets Hamas’ fires at Israel are often intercepted by the U.S.-funded defense system known as the Iron Dome.

But some Israeli security experts say Netanyahu has strategically sustained the militant group while simultaneously de-legitimizing the Palestinian Authority in order to avoid making compromises that would harm him domestically. Flirting with legal annexation, they claim, is another high risk bid for political survival at a time when it is most at risk.

Former Mossad director Danny Yatom says Netanyahu can point to the instability and violence on the Gaza strip and say “this is the way Palestinians are behaving once they are independent. Do you want us to see the same phenomenon in the West Bank?” Netanyahu “does not want to talk to [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] because he understands that once he will have to sit and negotiate he will have to make concessions,” adds Yatom, who directed Israel’s intelligence and counterterrorism agency between 1996 and 1998.

Netanyahu does not see it that way. In an interview with TIME at his Jerusalem residence, the Prime Minister argued that it was Palestinian recalcitrance that had prevented a resolution to the conflict and accused the international community of “pampering” Abbas. “They were offered everything, just about everything in Camp David in 2000, with President Clinton and the then Prime Minister Barak, and they walked away from that,” he said. “They walk away each time. They walked away with [former Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert. They walked away with Obama when President Obama and John Kerry wanted to propose a framework for negotiations.”

Olmert has called Abbas a “great leader” and claims the two would have reached a peace deal had their talks not been derailed by the legal woes that led Olmert—who was later imprisoned—to resign. Polling shows that about half of Israeli Jews still support a Two State solution to the conflict, but most are deeply skeptical of the ability of talks to deliver peace.

President Trump’s administration has pursued an entirely different strategy. The U.S. has moved its embassy to Jerusalem, cut funds to Palestinian refugees, and endorsed Israeli control of the Golan Heights which, like the West Bank and Gaza, Israel captured during the 1967 War. Negotiations were delegated to Jason Greenblatt, an advocate for Israeli settlements on the West Bank, and to Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. On June 30, Greenblatt and U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman—who has claimed Israel has “the right” to annex some territories in the West Bank—inaugurated a settler archeological project in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.

Kushner and Trump’s peace plan “is not meant to work” Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the U.K., told TIME following an economic “workshop” presented as the first stage of Jared Kushner’s long delayed Middle East Peace Plan. Its true aim, he said, is “to kill time for Israel to finish off the swallowing and annexing of the Palestinian occupied territories.”

Palestinians see the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories—which are illegal under international law—as a form of de-facto annexation, reducing the viability of a future Palestinian state. But unilateral annexation of all or part of the West Bank would upend international norms, deliver a mortal blow to the fragile legitimacy of the Ramallah-based leadership, and undermine Israel’s status as a Jewish-Democratic State. Says Yatom, “It will diminish our political posture in the world. We will be treated like South Africa was under the regime of [apartheid].”

According to research commissioned by Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), whose members include the majority of Israel’s available security forces generals and directors, annexation would also impose enormous financial and security costs on Israel. If it results in the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian security co-operation, as CIS predicts, experts say the entire standing army as well as mobilized reserves would be required to administer the West Bank, diverting military resources from checking the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, Iran, and its proxy militias in Iraq and Syria.

Netanyahu has a history of making incendiary statements in the run up to elections. In 2015 he mobilized his right wing base by warning that his center left opposition was bringing Arab voters “on buses” to the polls. But some CIS leaders claim the ambiguity of his pre-2019 election comments on Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank was deliberate.

It appeals to hardliners in Israel’s parliament who could bolster his chances of surviving pending corruption indictments, while still leaving enough wiggle room to back away from legal annexation. Extending “sovereignty” could imply also imply taking legislative or administrative steps that reduce the difference between Israelis who live across the Green Line—the demarcation line set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements—and those who live to the west of it.

Even without formal annexation, Netanyahu’s critics in Israel say his accommodation of settlers and sidelining of the peace process has left the West Bank in a precipitous state and threatens Israeli democracy.

Avner Gvaryahu, a former sergeant of an IDF sniper team, tells TIME that the civil society organization he now directs, called Breaking the Silence, aims to alert Israelis to the reality of “normalized” occupation. It was not so much the occasional incident of theft or destruction of property he says he witnessed that pushed him to question its morality, but the more mundane routine of forcefully entering Palestinian homes. “I’d find myself sitting in someone’s living room, seeing children’s toys or dishes in the sink or photo albums in someone’s house,” he says adding that often the head of the family would sometimes be blindfolded and handcuffed. “If the family wants to use their bathroom or their kitchen they needed permission from me. I think that’s really what hit a chord.”

In an interview in the West Bank city of Hebron, Gvaryahu recalled seeing the hatred his team inspired in younger Palestinians and wondering how their actions were helping Israel.

“The situation is not stable,” says Ami Ayalon, a former director of Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet and co-founder of Blue White Future, which advocates for a Two State solution to the conflict. Some local polls indicate that about three quarters of Palestinians no longer support the strategy of Abbas, an 83-year old chain smoker who opposed the bloody violence of the Second Intifada, which cost thousands of lives. “I don’t know when it will happen but I know that it will happen,” says Ayalon. “We shall face violence. I see it written on the walls in Arabic, in Hebrew and in English. We just have to read it.”

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste