Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalBlinken calls on Israel, Palestinians to 'end the cycle of violence'
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders Tuesday to "end the cycle of violence" after a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides in recent days.
n separate calls with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Blinken stressed "the importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to end the cycle of violence in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza by exercising restraint and refraining from actions that escalate tensions," the State Department said.
He also urged both sides to exercise "restraint" and refrain "from actions that escalate tensions" including at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, but known to Jews as the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest place – in Jerusalem's Israeli-annexed Old City.
In his call with Lapid, Blinken reiterated the US government's "steadfast commitment" to Israel's security and condemned recent rocket attacks from Gaza.
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20220420-blinken-calls-on-israel-palestinians-to-end-the-cycle-of-violence
China ratifies international labour treaties as scrutiny of treatment of ethnic minorities mounts
China's lawmakers on Wednesday announced that it ratified two international conventions against forced labour, months after United Nations experts voiced concerns over the country's treatment of ethnic and religious minorities – particularly in the Xinjiang region.
Beijing's approvals come as the country faces accusations of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including forced labour.
Rights groups estimate at least one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" there – allegations that Beijing roundly rejects.
Officials maintain the camps are vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.
London and Washington have been among vocal critics of China's treatment of minorities in Xinjiang, with the US State Department previously calling on China to "end its genocide and crimes against humanity" in the region.
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220420-china-ratifies-international-labour-treaties-as-scrutiny-of-treatment-of-ethnic-minorities-mounts
Nobel laureate Ramos-Horta wins East Timor's presidential election
Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta scored a landslide victory in East Timor's presidential election, according to preliminary results published Wednesday by the election secretariat.
Ramos-Horta defeated incumbent Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres by 62.09 percent to 37.91 percent, paving the way for a second term in office after serving as president from 2007 to 2012.
The 72-year-old was dominant in the election's first round on March 19, winning 46 percent of votes versus Guterres' 22 percent.
Ramos-Horta had pledged to break a longstanding deadlock between the two main political parties in Southeast Asia's youngest country if he won the run-off election.
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220420-nobel-laureate-ramos-horta-wins-east-timor-s-presidential-election
April 20 1769 - The great Ottawa Chief Pontiac was assassinated
by a Peoria warrior near Cahokia, Illinois, apparently in revenge after Pontiac had stabbed his uncle. Pontiac was buried in St. Louis, near the present site of Broadway and Market. He is best remembered for sparking a revolt of the Northwest tribes against the British in 1763.
U.S. Mortgage Applications Decline as Rates Hit 12-Year High
U.S. mortgage applications slid for a sixth straight week as mortgage rates climbed to a 12-year high, weighing on both home purchases and refinancing.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of total applications dropped 5% in the week ended April 15 to 374, the lowest since February 2019, the Washington-based group said Wednesday.
The average contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose 7 basis points to 5.2%, the highest since April 2010. The rate has climbed 1.14 percentage points in the last eight weeks. That’s the quickest rise since 2003. The effective rate, which includes the effects of compounding, rose to 5.39%.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-20/u-s-mortgage-applications-decline-as-rates-hit-12-year-high
Experimental restaurant staffed by robots opens in Tokyo
Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries has opened a restaurant staffed by robots. The operation will provide the company with data to improve robot development to help ease labor shortages.
The restaurant is located in the machinery maker's research facility near Haneda Airport in Tokyo and is equipped with seven robots.
Customers place their orders by smartphone. Robots in the kitchen heat up packs of soup or curry and pour them into cups. They also use microwaves for rice.
Other robots deliver meals to tables and serve them using two arms. They also collect empty plates. Payments and garbage are handled by human staff.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220420_43/
Japan expels Russian officials to pressure Moscow
Eight Russian officials have left Japan following Tokyo's decision to expel them on April 8. It is rare for Japan to expel multiple foreign officials. The move was made to put more pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
The officials, and their families, traveled from the Russian embassy to Tokyo's Haneda airport Wednesday morning. Their flight took off shortly after noon, local time.
Sources say some of the eight people are believed to work for the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, known as GRU, or the Foreign Intelligence Service, known as SVR.
They say some of them have been identified by police authorities as persons of interest.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220420_37/
New law could require some Mississippians to prove citizenship when registering to vote
A new law in Mississippi requires voters to prove citizenship to participate in elections. Lawmakers say this bill will protect elections, but voting rights advocates say it will make voting more difficult.
Governor Tate Reeves has signed HB 1510, which expands the process of voter registration, as well as supplies additional funds to local election offices to carry out the changes. When registering to vote in Mississippi, a registrar's office will now check to verify if someone is a citizen, and proof must be provided if there is an error. Governor Reeves says this measure should increase election security.
Reeves says “There will be those on the left who will claim that we are making it harder for American citizens to vote. Those claims are false. No one will be denied an opportunity to cast a ballot. If eligibility is questioned, the voter will have five days to prove citizenship. And if you are a citizen of our great country, you will be able to vote in Mississippi.”
But voting rights advocates disagree. Mississippians are already required to show a valid form of identification when voting. Nsombi Lambright is Executive Director of One Voice, a group that helps register voters and encourages political engagement. She says this new law seems redundant and could make it more difficult to register voters in the state.
“And so it continues to raise that question about who belongs here. We already had a voter ID rule on the books, and so that should have been enough,” says Lambright. “Now, the poll workers now have to raise that question of ‘Okay are you really a citizen or not?’ Totally unnecessary and very racist.”
https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/new-law-could-require-some-mississippians-to-prove-citizenship-when-registering-to-vote/
Crew Member Killed in Containership Fire off the Philippines
One crew member was killed and three more have been reported injured in a containership fire off the Philippines.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it responded to a fire aboard the Philippines-flagged General Romulo anchored off Talisay City, Cebu on Sunday.
Nineteen of the ship's 20 crew members have been rescued by the Coast Guard, and three of those crew members are being treated for burns. The Coast Guard said it was unable to retrieve the body of the deceased seafarer on board "due to the magnitude of fire prevailing on the vessel".
https://www.marinelink.com/news/crew-member-killed-containership-fire-off-495903
Celebrity Beyond Departs Chantiers de l'Atlantique Shipyard
Celebrity Cruises’ newest cruise ship Celebrity Beyond has departed the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France en route to Southampton, U.K. where the newbuild is slated to commence its maiden voyage later this month.
The third in a series of five Edge Series luxury cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruises—each reportedly worth $1 billion—the 140,600 GT Celebrity Beyond was delivered on April 6 and departed France on April 15.
The 327-meter-long vessel was ordered in 2016, and first steel was cut in January 2020, but its delivery was delayed due to shipyard closures and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship is powered by Wärtsilä engines with ABB Azipod thursters.
“Celebrity Beyond is a true new ship. We have worked hard, in a spirit of strong collaboration and even during the pandemic, to achieve this result,” said Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “Celebrity Beyond is one of the exceptional ships that will be remembered.”
https://www.marinelink.com/news/celebrity-beyond-departs-chantiers-de-495901
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