Disarming Hamas in Gaza: just wishful thinking
In the wake of the recent Gaza ceasefire, Israel is aiming to reach an international agreement to disarm Hamas militias. However, the only realistic way to achieve this would involve an all-out Israeli military strike in Gaza, one that would totally annihilate Palestinian forces and then cede the territory to the Palestinian Authority and Egypt.
Biden is obsessed with abortion. But pro-lifers are mobilizing
Biden is committed to cancelling any protection to the right to life. Just a few days after he moved into the White House, he signed a Memorandum on "reproductive rights" which amounts to an integral abortion program, and is to be applied also abroad. Pro-lifers are not sitting on the fence. Also former Vice President Mike Pence has founded a non-profit organization. It’s first concern is the cause for pro-life.
“May Day” for the United States: The First 100 Days of Biden and Harris
The first 100 days of the Biden-Harris Administration brings us close to “May Day.” Appropriately, may day (m’aidez) is the distress call sent out by those facing dire circumstances. The United States today finds itself at a difficult crossroads. This Administration is not only against life but the President does not appear to be in control. Whereas, Vice President, Kamala Harris, stands ready to step in should the occasion warrant.
Qatari women sacrificed in the name of the World Cup
It is a disgrace that in order to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, blatant violations of human rights are being overlooked, starting with the status of women, who are prevented from having a life that is not dependent on a man.
Second Amendment threatened as toll of gun violence rises in the U.S.
America has always has had a bittersweet relationship with guns. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, including to defend against external and internal tyrannies. But the mass shootings and police violence in recent weeks are calling into question all certainty. A lucid analysis is needed to understand the reasons. Because it is people who kill, not the guns.
Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan spells defeat for the West
The U.S. has apparently taken the final decision to withdraw all its armed forces from Afghanistan. The symbolic date to complete the operation is September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Meanwhile on the ground, the Taliban are not defeated and local armed forces are not prepared. Therefore, this spells defeat.
Johnson&Johnson vaccine suspended, yet another blow to vaccine Messianism
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to suspend the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The cause: dangerous reactions linked to blood clots that occurred within two weeks of its being administered to six women aged 18-48. In Europe, the EMA is stalling any pronouncements on the causal connection, as it had initially done with AstraZeneca. The reality is that for commercially-developed Covid vaccines, normal approval times have gone into "warp speed." Better pharmacovigilance is needed while Australia’s University of Queensland has issued a warning about vaccine-centric strategies.
Covid in Brazil: media epidemic spreads against Bolsonaro
Not a day goes by that we don't hear about Covid carnage in Jair Bolsonaro's Brazil. But does Brazil really "deserve" it? Brazil has the second highest number of Covid-related deaths, but compared to its large population the situation isn't so dramatic. Worse than Brazil are Italy and most of Europe. As usual, we are dealing with manipulative politically-oriented data.
So many lies about Covid and Africa
The Covid-19 situation in Africa is very different from what we are being told. First of all, the statistics show that the pandemic is not the continent's number one problem. Secondly, the rhetoric about poor countries not receiving vaccines clashes with reality: the doses have arrived, but no health organisation is there to help manage administering them to the enormous population.
Iraq, praise for the Pope calls for an adequate response
Pope Francis' visit to Iraq, which illustrated that the road to dialogue is a viable one, has no doubt generated hope among the local population. However, it is now up to political and religious leaders to demonstrate their willingness to lay down their arms and fight corruption. For Christians, the desire to return to their homes and lands - previously occupied by Isis and now by Shiite militias - risks remaining a mere hope.
The equivocal “Sons of Abraham”
It is right to invite the three religions to collaborate for development and peace, but it isn’t to try and make a new religion of the Sons of Abraham. Yet, this is precisely the risk that Pope Francis ran with the approach he took in Ur.
Congo and Guinea, Ebola is back
Since February 3, Ebola has again struck the Democratic Republic of Congo: the first victim was a 42-year-old woman who died after two days. Meanwhile, the virus has also reappeared in Guinea. The WHO has alerted the countries most at risk, where Ebola, which has a lethality rate varying between 25 and 90%, is much more alarming than Covid. At least, compared to the past, there is more availability of vaccines.
