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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
General October 25, 2018 Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General2018-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
All right, good afternoon, everyone, and happy United Nations Day!
**UN Day
Today is UN Day, which marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. In his message, the Secretary-General said that, every day, the women and men of the United Nations work to give practical meaning to the Charter. Despite the odds and the obstacles, we never give up, he said, and called on UN staff to reaffirm their commitment to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, protect human rights and work for peace in all parts of the world.
And this evening at 7 p.m., the UN Day Concert will take place in the General Assembly Hall and will feature sarod virtuoso Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who will be accompanied by his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the Refugee Orchestra Project. The theme of this year's concert is Traditions of Peace and Non-violence, and it is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of India.
**United States
In response to questions on the Secretary-General's travel to Washington, D.C., yesterday, I can say the following: The Secretary-General met with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Tuesday and they continued their discussions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the path towards denuclearization, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and Syria.
**Syria
Speaking of Syria, the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, visited Damascus today and met Walid Al-Moualem, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. They had a frank and intense exchange of views in a cordial atmosphere.
The meeting took place following that between the Secretary-General and Deputy Prime Minister Moualem in New York on 28 September and against the backdrop of continuing consultations of the Special Envoy on the launch of a constitutional committee giving effect to the Sochi Final Statement. The Special Envoy will report to the Secretary-General. He also looks forward to briefing the Security Council.
He will be engaging in intensive further consultations in the period ahead as he continues the task of verifying the possibilities for convening a credible and balanced UN-facilitated, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led constitutional committee. In this context, he will continue to fully discharge his mandate for the remainder of his tenure.
**Yemen
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, briefed the Security Council yesterday afternoon and told the members that there is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen � much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives.
He warned that an additional 3.5 million people are likely to become severely food insecure in the months ahead, added to the 8 million Yemenis that are already being reached each month through the UN-coordinated response effort.
Meanwhile, he said, the immune systems of millions of people on survival support for years on end are now collapsing, making them � especially children and the elderly � more likely to succumb to malnutrition, cholera and other diseases. He called on all stakeholders to do everything possible to avert catastrophe.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that recent insecurity in several areas in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has forced tens of thousands of people to flee for safety and caused many humanitarian organizations to suspend or limit their activities.
In Beni, North Kivu, the epicentre of the new Ebola outbreak, following the most recent attack on 20 October when at least 12 civilians were killed, all humanitarian activities were suspended, including the Ebola Treatment Centre, which had no medical staff in place for about three hours. Activities had already been suspended before in September for several days due to direct threats against humanitarian actors.
There have also been serious concerns about infiltrations by armed groups in the Ruzizi Plain and the regions along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, also in eastern DRC, including armed confrontations, which led to the suspension of humanitarian operations on 20 October in the areas between Kamanyola and Uvira.
Insecurity and displacement are putting serious pressure on an already stretched humanitarian response in the country, where the number of people in need of humanitarian protection and assistance has nearly doubled over the last year to an estimated 13.1 million people � one out of every seven Congolese.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council was briefed by the President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf. In the afternoon, the Council is scheduled to have a meeting on Myanmar.
**Data Forum
The UN World Data Forum wrapped up today in Dubai, with the launch of a Dubai Declaration to increase financing for better data and statistics for sustainable development. The Declaration calls for the establishment of an innovative funding mechanism that will aim to mobilize both domestic and international funds, and to activate partnerships to strengthen national data and statistical systems. It was announced that Switzerland will host the next UN World Data Forum in Bern in October 2020. More information is available online.
**World Development Information Day
And today is World Development Information Day, which seeks to draw attention to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
**Honour Roll
Today, we thank Cameroon, which has paid its regular budget dues in full. The total on the Honour Roll is now 146.
**Press Briefings
And you will hear, after I'm done, from Monica Grayley, the Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.
Today at 1:15 p.m. in the Press Briefing Room, there will be a press briefing by Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories. Also, today at 1:45 p.m., there will be a press briefing by Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran.
Then, tomorrow morning, at 11 a.m., there will be a press briefing by Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur on the human rights implications of hazardous waste. At 1:15 p.m. tomorrow, there will be a press briefing by Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow, there will be a press briefing by Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
**Questions and Answers
And that is it for me. Are there any questions before we go to Monica? Yes, Joe?
Question: Yes, you referred to the Security Council briefing this morning by the President of the International Court of Justice. At the last minute, it seems a decision was made or at least it was announced to us that it was closed. Number one, I'm wondering if you have any knowledge of why that was the case, because I believe it was an annual briefing. And secondly, is there any summary I'm talking now about the regular annual briefing, not what they might have discussed on specific cases more sensitively. Is there any summary of the briefing that we can obtain?
Spokesman: We cannot provide a summary of his briefing because the meeting was closed. It was closed as a result of a decision by the members of the Security Council on the agenda for the day. Yes, Masood?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I want to know about the human rights of children, especially, particularly, to places especially in Israel, incarceration of children in jail, and there is no updates being issued by the Israeli Government again and again. That's one. And that similar situation seems to be now existing on incarceration of children in China. Can you please comment on these two things?
Spokesman: Well, regarding the question of the incarceration of Palestinian children in Israeli detention, as you know, we've had periodic updates using information from the Israeli authorities and human rights groups. And, so, the number tends to fluctuate around 200 to 300 at any given time, and we've expressed our concerns that all of those detained be tried either charged and tried or otherwise let go. Regarding China, I don't have any figures to give you about the situation from the authorities there.
Question: There are reports about the hundreds of schools being open for the Chinese Muslim. Is there any truth to these reports?
Spokesman: I would refer you to the work of the human rights rapporteurs who have periodically come out with information about the situation of the Uighurs. Yes, James?
Question: Yes, Farhan. About the Secretary General's visit to Washington, D.C., you gave us a brief readout of his meeting with Secretary Pompeo, which was about 30 minutes of the day. You told us that there were other meetings, the Appropriations Committee you mentioned yesterday. Can you give us a full list of who he met? Did he meet anyone from the White House? And then I have a question on substance after that.
Spokesman: I do believe he met with some individual representatives, but I was not able to get the names from my colleagues in Washington on that [alarm sounding]
Correspondent: This is the alert that goes off. Suspicious package.
Spokesman: Somewhere else presumably, right? Okay.
Correspondent: Anyone else have their phones on, they're going to be getting alerts.
Spokesman: So and I believe he had a dinner event with a foundation, but aside from that, he didn't have any meetings with US officials, with White House officials, beyond the Secretary of State.
Question: But he did meet people from Congress, Senators and Congressmen?
Spokesman: I believe he met a few individual members of congress.
Question: Okay. In terms of those meetings then, at the State Department and Congress, is the Secretary General any clearer given this administration has already pulled out of key international agreements and stopped funding in various parts of the UN, whether there are any other parts of the UN that are currently at risk? We have the Universal Postal Union just a matter of days ago. Is there was he told if there were any other areas that are under consideration by this administration for cuts? And, in terms of meeting members of the Appropriations Committee, was he given any idea whether there's any further threats to the UN budget and any idea of the US and its payment of arrears, particularly on peacekeeping?
Spokesman: Well, first of all, the although we tend, for our honour roll purposes, to flag full contributions, although we haven't had a full contribution from the United States in recent weeks, we have had significant amounts of money that the US has contributed to regular budget and peacekeeping operations. So, we do get money from the United States Government, and I would like to express our appreciation for that. I'm not aware of any particular problems regarding US funding. Obviously, when we get those announcements, we'll let you know about that, but there's nothing to say on this at this stage.
Question: I have one more D.C. question if it's possible, which is, in addition to the Secretary General, Martin Griffiths was also in D.C. meeting the Deputy Secretary of State. Have you any update from that meeting and any update on how Mr. Griffiths' overall mission is going and how likely he thinks it is to be able to reconvene talks, maybe in Geneva, or there is also talk of Vienna or Kuwait now.
Spokesman: He is proceeding with efforts to try to get the parties together for talks. I don't have an announcement on when the next round of talks would be, but, yes, he did brief officials, including, recently, Secretary of State Pompeo, about the progress he's making. And he continues to be hopeful that we're moving ahead and can move to a round of negotiations. Yes?
Question: A timeline on that?
Spokesman: What?
Spokesman: Not at this stage, no. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Couple of questions. Number one, does the Secretary General has anything to add when it comes to the investigation on Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi's death? Does he have does he want to appeal to somebody to ask for something to speed up the investigation? And does he think that this was a cover up, as President [Donald] Trump said, from Saudis?
Spokesman: Regarding the case, you'll have seen what the Secretary General has said about the death of Jamal Khashoggi. We issued a statement last Friday. He called for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation, and we continue to hold to that. We wouldn't characterise any of the recent information beyond noting that all of the accounts in recent days point, again, to the need for this to be fully investigated.
Question: But, yesterday, we did have a major development with President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan asking for Saudis to proposing, actually, for Saudis to deliver those who were arrested and to be charged and to be put on trial in in Istanbul. What does the Secretary General thinks on delivering the justice on that? Because this is obviously very important.
Spokesman: Well, obviously, we want justice to be done and for people to be held accountable. And, in that regard, the statement that we issued on Friday and the sentiments in those are unchanged. Yeah?
Question: Does the Secretary General just one more, please. Does the Secretary General mean thinks that the fair justice process will be deliver for those individuals in Riyadh or elsewhere in Saudia?
Spokesman: We'll have to see what is on offer. Yes?
Question: Question two questions regarding the Cyprus issue. In his report, the Secretary General says nothing about Turkey. The question is simple. According to the Secretary General and the United Nations, Turkey did not invade and occupy illegally part of Cyprus land?
Spokesman: As you know, we have had many reports on Cyprus over the years as from the 1970s through to now. So, I just refer you to all of the reports, which are self explanatory, and which describe the situation.
Question: Okay. Let's take the recent one. In his conclusions, the Secretary General says that the solution to the Cyprus issue is up to the Cypriots to decide. How can the Cypriots decide, as long as the Turkish troops are on the Cyprus land?
Spokesman: Without getting into the history of the conflict, we have always held firmly to the position that any solution is up to the Cypriot communities, and we continue to push for that, as we have done consistently for the past decades.
Question: May I may I ask another question, regarding
Spokesman: Sure. Everyone's asking three questions in a row anyway. Why not you? [laughter]
Question: Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Okay. The question is regarding the 2,038 journalists, the huge majority in Cyprus, who rejected the glossary as a way against freedom of speech. In his report, the Secretary General seems to agree with OSCE, the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe, and the glossary by using the words to encourage, to promote, and to help. At the same time, the Secretary General says nothing about Turkey's threats and their so called accusations against a Turkish Cypriot editor, Sener Leven, who did not did nothing but being a Cypriot who speaks freely. How would you respond to that? Is that a fair treatment?
Spokesman: What I would respond is that the language of the Secretary General's reports on Cyprus are self explanatory and are independent and separate, apart from the views of the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe, which is an independent which works independently of us.
Question: But working the same way?
Spokesman: No, their views are theirs, and we don't speak for their views. Michelle?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Stop me if someone has already asked this, because I was running down here and missed a couple of questions. Secretary Pompeo's readout of his meeting with the SG mentioned that he spoke to the SG about this US meeting last week which was disrupted by the Cubans and Bolivians. They were talking about monetary val putting monetary value on damage done. You said that you weren't aware of any cost of any damage that would cost anything. Is there any update to that? Do we know if there was
Spokesman: At this stage, no. Basically, we did receive a letter on this from the US Mission and are considering that letter. At this point, we're simply at the stage of considering a response.
Question: But there's no I mean, they're accusing the Cubans and the Bolivians of causing damage that is going to cost the UN to fix. Does the is the UN aware of that damage, and how much do you think it would cost to fix?
Spokesman: Like I said, at this point, we're simply at the stage of reviewing the letter and considering our response to it. Yes?
Question: Thank you. [Indiscernible name]. I wanted to know what you can tell us about the Secretary General's discussion with Mr. Pompeo regarding Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi?
Spokesman: Well, I've I mentioned a brief readout of that meeting at the start of this particular briefing, and I don't have anything really to add to it. Yes, Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. At the beginning, you mentioned that this is United Nations Day. What does the Secretary General think of the state of the staff of the organization?
Spokesman: Well, on today, certainly, he renews his appreciation for the work that UN staff do, and I'd refer you to the remarks and messages that he puts out for this day. But it is a day in which he once again expresses appreciation for all of the work done throughout the UN system. Yes, Joe?
Question: Yeah. Actually, these are two follow ups on two different matters. On the Khashoggi matter, has the Secretary General considered reaching out directly to the King and/or Prince Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as well as President Erdogan using his moral authority to accelerate what he characterises as an independent, transparent and thorough investigation? Is there any plan to have direct communication between the Secretary General and those leaders?
Spokesman: Well, if he does have any direct communications with them, I'll let I'll certainly let you know at that point.
Question: Okay. Well all right. On Cyprus the Secretary General, the UN institutionally, has spoken out against settlements in the West Bank as being illegal. So, on Cyprus, there are settlements by Turks who have gone over to Cyprus, settled there, established settlements, under the protection of the Turkish army. Would the Secretary General regard those settlements as illegal, as has been characterised about the Israeli settlements?
Spokesman: Well, first of all, regarding questions of international law and settlements, I'd refer you to the relevant UN resolutions, including Security Council resolutions in each of the cases, that is to say, in the Palestinian matter and the Cyprus matter, and the language in each case is what you should refer to in that. And, as you will have seen, and as I informed Nicos just seconds ago, we have a range of Secretary General's reports, and I can refer you to that language there. Carla?
Question: Thank you. Has the UN anything to say about the fact that the United States has forbidden all humanitarian aid to North Korea? This was reported in The New York Times last week.
Spokesman: We are continuing our efforts to ensure that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has sufficient humanitarian aid. In recent weeks, we'd been pointing to the fact that only about 11 per cent of the funding needs that we've specified for humanitarian assistance to the DPRK has been provided. I believe that number's gone up recently to about 14 or so per cent with recent contributions, including from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), but there still is a need for all Member States to provide the necessary funding for this effort.
Question: Well, who who provides, for the most part, the if there's only 11 per cent funding aid available, who would provide for the other 89 per cent?
Spokesman: Well, this these are voluntary funds. So, we need states all states, to the extent that they can, to provide. Yes, in the back. You had your hand up?
Question: I'm from La Voce di New York, Italian media. A second migrant caravan is forming at the Honduras border and is expected to follow the largest one. Is the Secretary General concerned about all the situation and how President Trump is managing this issue?
Spokesman: We've talked in recent days about the situation on the ground. Regarding the caravan that had already been on the move, we have our colleagues in Mexico, including the various UN agencies, most particularly, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who are involved in dealing with the local authorities to try to provide assistance to their efforts in dealing with the approximately 7,000 or so people who have been on the move there. And we'd do that for any other people who are on the move. Yes, Masood?
Question: Two follow ups, Farhan. One is about this ongoing Khashoggi saga, his killing at the hands of the Saudi agents. Is there, at any point in time I mean, this question has been asked of you again and again. At any point in time, can the Secretary General will he appoint a sort of an inquiry commission at all? I know you've answered this question, is that Member States have to ask for it. When does he expect the Member States how does he expect the Member State to ask for it?
Spokesman: I don't have anything really to add to what I've been saying about this. Obviously, if requests come in, we'll consider them once you know, if and when we receive those. Yes?
Question: And another follow up that I wanted to ask you was about the in Yemen, situation in Yemen. I mean, has there been any movement on the side of some Saudis to give further aid or to stop bombing the Yemeni children?
Spokesman: Well, we've tried to make sure that the hostilities are lessened on the ground, but I would just refer you to Mark Lowcock's very sober and very alarming briefing to the Security Council from yesterday for the information, because the amount of humanitarian need on the ground has grown very large in recent weeks. Yes?
Question: Yes, Farhan. I have a new question on what on the meetings in Damascus, but can I just ask a follow up to Michelle's question about the Bolivia/Cuba protest at the meeting, because I'm not aware; maybe you can help us. What's what are the regulations, the procedures? Are they Secretariat procedures? Are they General Assembly procedures for the conduct of meetings and use of rooms? Under what procedure could there be disciplinary action taken?
Spokesman: I think we're getting ahead of ourselves in terms of describing what potential action might be taken.
Question: Well, is it a Secretariat or GA (General Assembly) matter?
Spokesman: We're considering a response, and then we'll share that response. I'll let you know once that's happened.
Question: Okay. On Damascus, you talked about frank and intense meeting between the Special Envoy and the Deputy Prime Minister of Syria. You haven't really told us what the outcome was. Clearly, he went there to solve a very specific problem, which was the Constitutional Committee and that civil society element. Was there any progress, any breakthrough on that issue? And a part of that question I want to ask as well because I've never heard the answer to this. Diplomats tell me that the Special Envoy could just name that civil society group. He doesn't have to get Syrian buy in. Why doesn't he just name those members?
Spokesman: Well, regarding that, Mr. de Mistura, in his own remarks to reporters following today's meeting, made clear that, at this stage, the results of that meeting, he will share that with the Secretary General and the Security Council. So, we are will wait to hear from him on that once he gives those briefings. Yes?
Question: Yeah. Farhan, just in answer of your last question, when I ask you about the judicial process in Saudi Arabia, you said you have to see what is the offer. So, what does it mean, what is the offer?
Spokesman: What is on offer is what I said.
Question: What is on offer and also
Spokesman: Ultimately, the point I'm making is we'll have to see what is being proposed.
Question: Proposed from whom?
Spokesman: From the various parties who are dealing with this issue.
Question: And, also, we all mentioning that there is a moral authority of the Secretary General in the case of Mr. Khashoggi, but how do you see obviously, I think it's time to ask the question. How do you see the role of the Secretary General in these investigation?
Spokesman: Like I said, the Secretary General has expressed his views on this in the statement that we put out recently, and we're continuing to follow up. We'll have to see what happens down the line. Obviously, the UN, in all matters, offers to be helpful to Member States as needed, but let's see what that entails in this case.
Question: But personal role of the Secretary General, what is the personal role of the secretary of the Secretary General?
Spokesman: I think it is still in early stage to talk about what precisely the role is. I've said in more general terms what that normally constitutes, but how it plays out in this case, we'll have to see.
Question: Can I just ask a follow up directly to that?
Spokesman: No, hold on. He's first. Yes. Yes, you.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Does the Secretary General consider that the killing of journalists all over the world touches on questions of peace and security?
Spokesman: He believes that this is a major problem and a major human rights issue that all the countries of the world need to take seriously. The importance of having a free media means that journalists around the world need to feel safe, and that, clearly, is not what is happening right now. Yes?
Question: All right. Then, actually, this follow up is to both of these questions, because the next logical question would be, I believe, if I'm citing the correct article in the charter, I think it's article or Chapter 99 or Article 99, that the Secretary General has the authority to make recommendations to the Security Council, be proactive. And, so, if he would deem the killing of journalists, such as in this most recent incident involving Mr. Khashoggi, a threat potential threat to peace and security, would he be inclined to consider being proactive in making a recommendation to the Security Council that it be this matter be placed on his agenda and action be taken accordingly?
Spokesman: At this stage, we're looking at how the developments on the ground unfold and what is to be requested of us, and we will respond depending upon how that develops. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I wanted to know what the Secretary General's view is on the matter of press being oppressed, especially in states like Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and why aren't we taking tougher stance as the UN, and why isn't your office taking a tougher stance on this issue? Because, as I see that several of my colleagues have raised this concern, and we just keep getting these diplomatic answers. And I have to say that, honestly, I am not satisfied with these responses.
Spokesman: Well, I note your dissatisfaction, but, at the same time, you need to be aware of the fact that we do repeatedly talk, both in public and in private, about the rights of journalists. The Secretary General has himself directly intervened in efforts to make sure that reporters, including many of the colleagues of people I see in this room, are freed from detention or otherwise freed from different forms of official harassment. And he continues to speak out against the mistreatment of journalists, most recently, in the case of Mr. Khashoggi. But we do this constantly, and we do this also through the other key officials of the system, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). What's needed is not necessarily more words from the United Nations but more actions from governments to make sure that reporters' rights are respected everywhere in the world, and we are pressing governments to do just that. Yes?
Question: Just a follow up on that. As you know, there have been calls from various bodies for a UN Special Representative to deal with these issues, journalists' safety and press freedom. Where are we on that? What is the Secretary General's thinking on that?
Spokesman: Well, no one has been named to that, basically because there are, as I've pointed out, two organizations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO, that deal precisely with these matters. And we don't want to have too much of a duplication of effort. But, of course, we'll always try to consider whatever steps can be taken to ensure greater security for journalists. Yes?
Question: Thank you. The UN is holding the World Data Forum in Dubai. Does anybody from the UN has going to give the a sign that it's not okay � what's happened with Khashoggi? And it's not okay or does anybody thought we are not going in Dubai because we have to give a sign that, like a lot of other international organization there, decided not to go to Dubai as long the Khashoggi case is not clear.
Spokesman: I don't mean to correct you or anything, but Dubai is not part of Saudi Arabia. It's a separate country entirely. It's part of the United Arab Emirates.
Question: Probably I am wrong, but still my question is, is anybody there going to give a sign that what's happened to Khashoggi is not okay?
Spokesman: I'm aware from colleagues who went to the World Data Forum that some of these issues were, in fact, discussed there. Yes?
Question: Farhan, you told me before to go to the resolutions, the international resolutions. And actually because of the many questions here, I have had the opportunity to do so. Could you please confirm the resolution?
Correspondent: Take the microphone.
Spokesman: Yeah, use the microphone, please.
Question: Could you please I don't think it's working. Okay. Could you please confirm resolution 186, which says about subsec calls on all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territory integrity of Cyprus, calls all parties to cease fire, demands an immediate end to the foreign military intervention in the Republic of Cyprus, that is contravention of para 1 above, and request the withdrawal of military personnel, etc., etc. This is resolution 186. Could you, please?
Spokesman: Yes, I can confirm that that's part of the text of resolution 186. There's nothing to add to that. There have been many resolutions on Cyprus and many reports, and we stand by those. And with that, please come on up.
Question: One more please?
Spokesman: One more.
Question: Okay. Here is one. After everything that has been said that you had offered as answers, do you think that UN is really not doing enough on Mr. Khashoggi's investigation and could and can and should do more on that? Very moral question.
Spokesman: That's really a question of opinion, and you're entitled to your opinions about this. What I'm telling you is that this is a situation that is still developing. It's a little bit early to say
Correspondent: We know he's dead.
Spokesman: It's a little bit
Question: What is developing?
Spokesman: Please stop yelling over me. It is a situation that's still developing, and it's a little bit early to tell what role, in the end, the UN or other organizations will play. All right. Come on up.
Source: United Nation
https://syrianewsgazette.com/daily-press-briefing-by-the-office-of-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-4/ 2018-10-25T00:00:00+00:00 syrianewsgazette.comGeneral
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.All right, good afternoon, everyone, and happy United Nations Day!**UN DayToday is UN Day, which marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. In his...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Thomas Gabor–The Myth of the Benefits of an Armed Citizenry.	Dave Buchannon – Guns And The Media.
Don't Forget That Guns Are Different From Every Other Product That I Can Buy.
mikethegunguy	Blogs	gun antiques, gun factories, gun owners, Moisin-Nagant	4 Comments
If there's one thing that makes guns different from every other consumer product, it's that the damn things just don't wear out. And this lack of product obsolescence, planned or otherwise, impacts every aspect of the gun business and should alert my friends in the gun violence prevention (GVP) community to be careful when they promote policies and strategies that have worked to lessen risk and injury from other consumer products (ex. automobiles) but won't necessarily work when it comes to guns.
I own a Colt 1911 pistol that was manufactured in 1919. The finish is perfect and it works flawlessly. I even have about 10 rounds of 45acp ammunition made in 1920 by the Remington factory in Bridgeport, CT in the original 20-round box which was shipped with the gun as a promotion and the ammo still works too. In other words, I am still using a consumer product that was made and first sold almost one whole century ago!
How many cell phones have I owned in the past 15 years? Probably at least ten. How many new cars have I purchased in the past 15 years? I'm on my fifth one. How many bags of potato chips have I consumed in the last month? I'd rather not say. The point is that virtually everything we purchase either wears out or is consumed and therefore has to be replaced. And the companies which make those cell phones, those t-shirts, those crummy I-Pads and everything else know that if they can get me to buy their product for the first time, they are usually looking at repeat business for the remainder of my life.
Not true with guns. Last year our friends at Harvard and Northeastern made the astounding discovery that roughly 3% of all Americans owned roughly half of the privately-owned guns. Which works out to an average of 17 guns apiece. But if you buy your first gun in your 20's and now you're in your mid-50's, which happens to be the average age of gun owners today, this works out to a gun purchase every other year. Which is basically the same rate at which I have purchased a laptop – one every other year. But the laptops are junk, so is my droid, so is my GPS. They all break or simply one day don't work. Guns don't break.
About five miles from my office is the rubble of a factory, Westinghouse New England, which was built in 1915 and produced nearly 1 million Moisin-Nagant rifles that were supposed to be shipped to Russia during World War I. Then something known as the Bolshevik Revolution occurred, the whole deal went south, and the U.S. government which had paid for the tooling was stuck with the bill. The Feds ended up selling off the rifles as surplus guns to civilians for three bucks apiece. I happen to own one of those guns and it shoots just fine. The factory is rubble. See the pic above. Get it?
Gun makers have never figured out how to overcome the fact that unless your product needs to be replaced on a regular basis, sooner or later you'll go broke. The good news is that every other Presidential administration since FDR has tried in one way or another to get rid of guns. And the political effort to regulate (read: prohibit) gun ownership has become, for the gun business, what product obsolescence is for everything else that we own.
I don't blame the gun industry for inventing the idea that a gun can protect its owner from crime. Because at least criminal behavior is a constant factor which never seems to go away. So if gun makers can make people believe they should buy this particular product because it's an effective way to deal with crime, at least there's a chance that sales won't collapse even if the current Administration has no plans to take away the guns.
khal spencer
. I inherited my late uncle's 1948 Winchester Model 70 (300 H&H Magnum) and three boxes of ammo that look about that old. Although I bought some new Hornady ammo, I shot some of the old 220 grain Silvertips and a few of the 180 grain spitzers out of boxes that look like they need to be carbon-dated. No misfires and the gun shoots better than I do. Of course, the day after I put 25 rds of factory loads through that beast I woke up with black and blue all over my shooting shoulder.
Alan Adams
I go back to the 1940's and like Ralphie I wanted nothing for Christmas than the badass "Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle." It wasn't that the gun maker made me believe this rifle was the most effective way to deal with crime, but it was because like Mike said in his November 5th post…Why Do Kids Like Guns? Because They Do.
As early as the 1880's the Markham Air Rifle Company was adept at selling its weapons. I don't think it was marketed to deal with crime but because every kid wanted one and they knew it. Oh, also it was vastly profitable.
That's America.
P.S. I still have that Red Ryder, and it works!
I think a lot of the kids on my country road in the early sixties had one of the Daisy air guns. My kid brother eventually got my Daisy Model 1894 "Spittin' Image", which is what I dreamed about being under the tree (my grandfather had a '94 in 30/30 that he used to hunt deer). Not sure where my Daisy went after my brother grew up. I think to a nephew. It was just fun. My middle brother has grandpa's 1894. Still shoots well although I don't think my brother puts many rounds through it.
Hman
I recently had passed down to me a model 1873 Springfield. The SN indicates 1875 as the year of manufacture. I assume that many parts were transferred from the mass produced civil war model 1861.
Of course it still works. The bore is a little worn, but rifling in those guns was made shallow to begin with.
I told my uncle, who passed it down, just before he died, that I would pass it to my son when the time came.
Please don't expect me to ask permission of the state to own this.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Image Title: KHU100 30 1650 41SS Kraus Handmade Stainless Steel 16 Gauge L X Regarding Undermount Sink Plan 1. Filename: khu100-30-1650-41ss-kraus-handmade-stainless-steel-16-gauge-l-x-regarding-undermount-sink-plan-1.jpg. Image Dimension: 800 x 800 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Korey Mueller. Uploaded Date: Sunday - December 30th. 2018 23:40:07 PM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: homedsgn.com.
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Magus is a recent addition to the PS3 library and is the story of Magus, a prisoner who meets a mysterious woman and is then awakened as a god. Using his new powers, he escapes the dungeon and seeks to dethrone the man who put him there. The story, while not the best, is well done. It isn't confusing, too weird or hard to follow, though it is a bit predictable. The voice acting is good too, with several of the characters being portrayed by voices I recognize.
However, the first thing you will notice about the game is the graphics. They just aren't very good. Character and armor textures don't seem up to the level of most PS3 offerings. It is nice that armor and helmet changes will show up on your character, but there aren't that many different models. The stage locales are done pretty well though. The scenery looks nice, if some of the detail is a bit sparse. I also like the spell effects in the game. The fire in particular I think looks good.
The game is a third-person action RPG shooter. It's a strange hybrid, but works pretty well. As a mage, you have a weak magic attack (R1) that you can shoot for no mana cost. There is also a stronger blast (L1), which stilll takes no mana, but has a cast time and cooldown period. Up to three spells can be set at a time to the Triangle, Square and Circle buttons. These take mana and have a cooldown. There are three different skill trees to invest points gained from level ups. There are power-up skills, targeted spells, area of effects and even summons. Each color also has a different weak and strong magic attack- green is rapid, blue is burst and red is spread- which gives more variety that it would first appear. There's several spells to play around with, and combat was at least enjoyable. I liked the combo spells, where you would use the strong magic, and shoot its effect with the weak to get a third effect. They were hard to use, but fun.
Enemies have a good array of appearances, from skeletons to unicorns (not how you would think) to giants and more. While the variety of enemy skins is good, there aren't really many attacks they do. Enemies are mostly melee based or shoot arrows at you, regardless of the way they look. There is only one enemy in the game that can use offensive magic. Most encounters pose little challenge, even boss fights. You can easily shoot enemies while they are away from you, then run when they close in. Since this works on every fight, boss fights don't really stick out as special other than the enemy looks unique or you talk beforehand.
There are several ways to make your character stronger. Upon leveling up, you gain a few points that you can distribute to stats like health and mp, which is pretty standard fare. You also gain a point to put into one of the many spells available. You also have a few different pieces or armor, including on the head, chest, arms and a belt. Many pieces of armor have slots that you can put gems into to increase the stat bonuses. There are also several runes you can equip, but only after you meet a character that can identify them for you. The best way, however, is the character that can turn your excess equipment into scrolls that permanently increase your stats. It takes half the value of the pieces, but you can put as many as you want to together to get the maximum benefit. There is no limit to how many times you can do this. Soon you will have a massively powerful god that can smash through the rest of the game with ease. The UI for equipping items isn't the easiest to read (especially the values for Blue mana), and it can be hard to tell if something is stronger. Also, there are a few times where what was displayed on the screen stretched beyond the viewable area, and there are no options to change that.
There are seven stages total in the game. After the first two, you can do the next four in any order, which is nice. The last one opens up when those four are completed. The overall game length is about 8 or so hours, and a few more if you want the rest of the trophies. The game isn't very hard, either, as the only time I died was when I didn't quite levitate far enough over a pit of spikes. Plus, the enemies level with you, so you are always getting relevant experience and the order of stages doesn't matter much.
The platinum trophy in Magus is easy. You will get most trophies just by making your way through the game normally. There are ones for stage completion and several for killing 100 of each enemy type. A few of those require replaying a stage, which can be done any point after the first two stages. Even though you cannot go back to those two, everything you need is in the rest of the game, and no trophies are missable (thankfully). Since enemies level with you, it's not hard to get the trophies for maxing each spell tree. The longest one is picking up 500 items, and that's what will add a few hours onto the game time if you seek it.
While not that pretty to look at, Magus does offer some fun. In particular, it was fun to make your character stronger, since there were several ways and it was easy to do. The game is not difficult at all, but does give you the sense that you are playing with the strength of a god while blasting down groups of enemies. The game is short, since it can be completed in about 8 hours. The story wasn't bad, either. Hopefully, the turning spare equipment into stat upgrades mechanic can go to more games. It's very useful! All in all, it was a unique experience and I had some fun playing it.
Bonus tip: I suggest doing the mines first when given a choice. Completing it will give you access to turning your spare equipment into permanent stat upgrades for your character.


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NJ Climate Change Resource Center Joins National Academy of Medicine and Other Organizations in Addressing Climate Change
NAM – The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced today that more than 110 organizations around the world have joined the NAM in declaring their commitment to mitigate climate change and protect human health, well-being, and equity. This expansion of the NAM's Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector (Climate Collaborative) network was announced as the NAM observed Earth Day 2022.
Launched in 2021, the Climate Collaborative is a public-private partnership of leaders from across the health sector committed to addressing the sector's environmental impact while strengthening its sustainability and resilience. Recognizing the critical need to address climate change through health sector leadership, the Climate Collaborative provides a neutral platform for its participants to align around collective goals and actions for decarbonization, based on evidence, shared solutions, and a commitment to improve health equity.
To provide an opportunity for organizations to share plans of action, and extend the reach and impact of the work of the Climate Collaborative, the NAM recently called for and collected statements outlining organizations' current and planned work to address climate change, particularly as they relate to the Climate Collaborative's four priority areas – health care delivery; health care supply chain and infrastructure; health professional education and communication; and policy, financing, and metrics.
A wide array of public and private organizations – including hospital systems, private payers, health care services and supply chain companies, and health professional and trade organizations, with many representing diverse memberships – responded to the NAM call and made visible commitments to address climate change. The full list of organizations who have joined the Climate Collaborative as Network Organizations is available at nam.edu/ClimateNetworkOrgs. The call remains open.
"Climate change is a public health emergency that all of us – the health sector and beyond – must take seriously and tackle together," said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. "We are thrilled to see over 110 organizations coming together under the Climate Collaborative to achieve better health and equity. We believe that the power of collective action can galvanize a movement to decarbonize across the health sector and increase resilience."
Climate change is increasingly affecting people's health and challenging the ability of the U.S. health care system to effectively respond to increases in extreme climate-related events. Reducing the carbon footprint of the entire health ecosystem can drastically lower the approximately 8.5% of U.S. carbon emissions for which it is responsible, while also having significant health, social, and economic benefits. The Climate Collaborative, through its participating members and newly formed network, intends to activate all parts of the health sector for sustainable change.
Learn more at nam.edu/ClimateCollaborative and join our listserv to stay updated on the NAM's climate and health work.


I worked on the Presidents Report for NUI, Maynooth while working at Unthink in Dublin, Ireland. The brochure is an annual 'year in review', showcasing the universities achievements and financial figures. The brochure is 120 pages long with half the content in the English and with flipping the brochure over the other half is in Irish.


Eagle Vision Photography is a wedding photographer and videographer based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio that also services Florida. This professional photography team consists of some of the most experienced wedding photographers in the area, with a resume that includes national publications and hundreds of weddings across the U.S. Eagle Vision Photography serves customers according to their core values of diversity and flexibility, and pride themselves on returning photos in a timely manner.
Eddie Roberts created Eagle Vision Photography in 2002 at the age of 18. In his early career, Eddie was a sports photographer whose work was published in Sports Illustrated, ESPN and USA Today. For over 15 years, Eddie and his team have photographed over 500 weddings in 11 different states. Today, the company has grown to serve couples and families in multiple locations.
I didn't even have to see my pictures to know that this experience with Eagle Vision would be 5 stars. Eddie is the best photographer in this area, and probably further, hands down. I knew from day 1 he would do my wedding photos and if he wasn't available on the day we had in mind I was ready to change my date to a day he had open. The entire process leading up to the wedding was a breeze. We had a brief meeting a week out to make sure we were on the same page with my expectations and my timeline, then the day went off without a hitch. I went with the 10 hours, 2 photographers package and I really couldn't be happier. Every special moment had 2 angles and 2 different views. I could always find Eddie or Amy through the night, to capture a little moment here or there, and not once did I ever feel like I was being a nuisance. They know what you are going to want to look back on and will capture it for you, even if you don't know it at the moment. As silly as it is to say, they want to work. They know they are there to work and they understand that they are there for you. Their kindness and the way they interact with you and with your guests and other vendors makes the experience a breeze. There is no one else I would want to shoot my wedding or photograph any memorable time in my life.
Great team of phographers and videographers. Book them quick!
I highly recommend Eagle Vision for Photography and videography. Eddie and Amy are awesome and quick to respond to any messages I have ever sent them. They were awesome to work with and very professional. My wedding was February 23rd 2019 and we received all of our pictures and video a week later! super fast and awesome quality. We are so happy we went with eagle vision. Another thing we loved was the payment plan they have they only require half the deposit a week before your wedding and the remaining when you receive your pictures. If you are looking for a photographer/ videographer you will not be disappointed.
I have watched Ed From Eagle Vision Grow. I LOVE seeing the work he produces. Gorgeous work is synonymous with Eagle Vision Photography.


Students have been busy between continued work on reading and math and trips to The Kennedy Center, Pumpkin Patch and Peter and the Wolf in Glen Echo Park. Whew!
And, of course, we held our first ever APTT meetings. The initial feedback from these sessions has been wonderful. We look forward to improving the overall process and continuing to bring parents into the academic loop here at Hearst.
Yvette Gilmore is a new Kindergarten Aide at Hearst this year. She works with Ms Anderson and has become part of the Hearst family quickly! Ms Gilmore has a 10 year old daughter, so she understands what parents face on a daily basis.


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Arshad Sharif, A Prominent Journalist Who Fled Pakistan, Was Shot In Kenya
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(CTN News) – Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who fled the country after he was charged with sedition, has died in Kenya after police responded to reports of a stolen vehicle. They shot him.
Kenya's National Police Service spokesperson Bruno Isohi Shioso said the officers trailing the vehicle alerted police in Magadi, who erected a road barrier.
Shioso said Sharif's car drove through the road barrier, and that's when they were shot at. A police officer fatally wounded Sharif, he said, adding that the incident was being investigated.
The Nation reports that the roadblock was set up after reports of a kidnapping involving a car with a similar license plate number to Sharif's.
A civilian watchdog organization, Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), has already begun investigating the incident.
Comments that are anti-state
As a result of sedition charges leveled against him, Arshad Sharif fled Pakistan in August. He had been accused of criticizing state institutions and "abetting mutiny" within the military.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's close ally Shahbaz Gill had been interviewed by him. In addition to the interview, Gill was also charged with sedition by the Pakistani police for remarks they claim were anti-state.
A month after being taken off air by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Sharif's channel ARY initially claimed it was "being hounded" by the current regime.
According to the associate, Arshad Sharif had been in Kenya for a few weeks. This is because it is one of the few countries where Pakistani passport holders do not need a visa to enter.
According to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistani embassy officials in Nairobi are awaiting the police report.
Pakistan has been ruled by the military for much of its 75-year history, despite not technically being under military rule today.
Journalist who is dedicated and forthright
Foreign Press Association, Africa (FPA Africa) said it was deeply disturbed by Sharif's killing, especially the circumstances of his death.
"Sharif's death has deprived the media fraternity worldwide of a dedicated and forthright journalist," FPA Africa said.
Additionally, the association called on authorities in Kenya to investigate the incident and ensure that "foreign journalists based in the country and covering Africa are safe."
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, "the reported murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya has sent shock waves through the journalist community because of a long, grim record of violent tactics to silence journalists."
Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that he was "deeply saddened by the shocking news" of Arshad Sharif death.
Additionally, Shehbaz said he spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto and requested a fair and transparent investigation into the shocking incident. Among the promises he made was to expedite the return of the body returning pakistan.
St. Louis High School Shooting Results In The Deaths Of 2 Students And The Gunman
The Actor And Comedian Leslie Jordan Has Died At 67
European Union Leaders Battle Soaring Energy Prices After Green Policy Fiasco
Tourist Complain Over the Shortage of Taxi Cabs at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Kenya police murdered Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif at a roadblock.


Generally, you can roll over an IRA to an HSA if you haven't signed up for Medicare yet. But it gets complicated if you're within a year of Medicare eligibility.
Can you roll over money from an IRA to a health savings account after you're on Medicare?
No. You can only roll over money from an IRA to an HSA when you're eligible to make new HSA contributions, and you can't make new HSA contributions after you sign up for Medicare.
But there's a quirk in the rules that makes things more complicated: a special "12-month testing period" for the rollover, which means you need to remain eligible to make HSA contributions for up to 12 months after rolling over the money from the IRA to the HSA, or else some of the funds will be taxable as income and a 10% penalty will apply, says Roy Ramthun, president of HSA Consulting Services.
Because of this rule, it's best to roll over money from an IRA to an HSA more than a year before you plan to sign up for Medicare, while you still have an HSA-eligible high-deductible health insurance policy. To qualify to make new HSA contributions in 2016, your policy must have a deductible of at least $1,300 for individual coverage or $2,600 for family coverage.
You can roll over money from your IRA to an HSA only once in your lifetime, and the amount is limited to the maximum HSA contribution for the year, minus any HSA contributions you've already made in that year. In 2016, the HSA contribution limit is $3,350 if you have individual coverage or $6,750 for family coverage, plus an extra $1,000 if you're 55 or older anytime during the year.
Transferring money from the IRA to an HSA can help you get money into the HSA quickly, which you can then use tax-free for medical expenses. So you can take money that is tax-deferred in a traditional IRA and would be taxable when withdrawn and instead make it eligible for tax-free withdrawals from an HSA. But if you can afford to make new contributions to the HSA, that's usually a better choice – you get to keep more money in your IRA, and you can take a tax deduction for new HSA contributions.
For more information about the rules, see IRS Publication 969, Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans. Also see our FAQs About Health Savings Accounts.