Category Archives: Freedom

Andy Griffith will go down in history as one of America's most beloved television actors. Known as friendly Mayberry Sheriff Andy Taylor on the classic TV show, The Andy Griffith Show,and later as attorney Ben Matlock on Matlock,Andy Griffith acted his way into the hearts of many Americans throughout his more than 45-year career. Beyond his TV career, Griffith was also a talented singer and received a Grammy Award for his 1996 gospel album, I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns. He was also a friend of country singer Brad Paisley and appeared in his music video for "Waitin' On A Woman." Griffith passed away in 2012, but he accomplished a great deal in his life and was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in the United States.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is given to individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." Griffith was given the award in 2005 by formerPresident George W. Bush. He traveled to Washington D.C. to accept the award, where President Bush personally placed the medal around his neck in the East Room of the White House. When he awarded Griffith, the President gave credit to the entertainer's "gift of storytelling," and said, "his own life is a might fine story by itself."

"TV shows come and go, but there's only one Andy Griffith," said President Bush, according to CBS News. "And we thank him for being such a friendly and beloved presence in our American life."

Bush continued talking about the show, saying, "It was about love. Barney would set himself up for a fall, and Andy would be there to catch him."

Griffith was one of 14 recipients that received the award in 2005. Other recipients included boxer Muhammad Ali, actress Carol Burnett, singer Aretha Franklin, Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan, broadcaster Paul Harvey and U.S. Air Force general Richard B. Myers.

Read More:How Andy Griffith Found True Love With Third Wife Cindi Knight

Andy Griffith was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina on June 1, 1936. Before gaining nationwide fame, he worked as a high school teacher, teaching music and drama. Griffith famously worked alongside Don Knotts, who played lovable deputy Barney Fife, and Ron Howard, who played Sheriff Taylor's son Opie, on The AndyGriffith Show.Although Griffith himself never ran for office, he endorsed various political candidates throughout his lifetime, including President Barack Obama in 2008.

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Andy Griffith Once Received The Presidential Medal Of Freedom - Wide Open Country

A majority of Americans say they view "cancel culture" as a threat to their freedom,according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey released exclusively to The Hill on Monday.

Sixty-four percent of respondents said that there is "a growing cancel culture" that is a threat to their freedom, while 36 percent said they did not view it as a threat to their freedom.

Additionally, the poll found that 36 percent of Americans said cancel culture is a "big problem," while 32 percent called it a "moderate problem." Another 20 percent said it was a "small problem" and 13 percent said it is "not a problem."

The findings come amid the growing societal debate over cancel culture, which isdefined by Merriam-Webster as "the practice or tendency of engaging in mass cancelingas a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure."

British media personalities Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan are the latest public figures to be wrapped up in the growing debate. CBS announced on Friday that Osbourne, a longtime co-host of CBSs The Talk, will be leaving the daytime program following an internal review of a heated conversation on race earlier this month.

The conversation had been about Morgan's departure from "Good Morning Britain" following backlash he received for comments about Meghan, the Duchess of SussexMeghan MarklePiers Morgan pens Daily Mail op-ed about recent scandals, defends Sharon Osbourne after her 'The Talk' exit Sharon Osbourne leaving 'The Talk' amid allegations of racism Prince Harry joins Aspen Institute commission on misinformation MORE, including saying he did not believe her when she said she struggled with mental health issues and had contemplated suicide in the past.

Osbourne had defended Morgan on the show, saying, "I feel even like Im about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist."

Morgan penned an op-edin the Daily Mail last week, defending Osbourne.

"Sharon Osbourne's quit The Talk, driven out for the crime of defending me," he wrote.

The poll found that 54 percent of respondents said they were "concerned" that if they expressed their opinions online that they would be banned or fired, while 46 percent said they were not concerned.

"It is a chilling finding that most people in the country now are afraid they would be fired if they expressed their real views on social media," said Mark PennMark Penn64 percent view 'cancel culture' as threat to freedom: poll Poll: Biden approval remains steady amid struggles with immigration, foreign affairs 44 percent say gun violence is related to easy access to firearms: poll MORE, the director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey.

"The public generally gives negative ratings to social media companies and sees the movement as more about censorship rather than trying to correct wrongs. It is growing as a national issue," he added.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey of 1,945 registered voters was conducted from March 24 to 25. It is a collaboration of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and The Harris Poll.

Full poll results will be posted online later this week. The survey is an online sample drawn from the Harris Panel and weighted to reflect known demographics. As a representative online sample, it does not report a probability confidence interval.

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64 percent view 'cancel culture' as threat to freedom: poll | TheHill - The Hill

A majority of Americans view cancel culture as a threat to freedom, a new poll has found.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll exclusively shared with The Hill found that 64 per cent of Americans fear that a growing cancel culture is a threat to their freedom, while 36 per cent disagreed.

Thirty-six per cent of Americans also said cancel culture is a big problem, 32 per cent found it to be a moderate problem, while another 20 per cent viewed it as a small problem.

Additionally, the poll found that 54 per cent of the participants were concerned that they would be banned or fired if they expressed their opinion on social media while 46 per cent said they were not bothered.

Cancel culture is often referred to as the practice of boycotting an individual, mostly a public figure, who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a controversial manner.

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"Weve had the term boycott forever and ever. It just means, Im not going to put my attention or money or support behind this person or organisation because theyve done something that I dont agree with. That is not new, thats very old, said Nicole Holliday, the assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania, in an interview with NPR.

It is a chilling finding that most people in the country now are afraid they would be fired if they expressed their real views on social media, Mark Penn, the director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey, was quoted as saying by The Hill.

The public generally gives negative ratings to social media companies and sees the movement as more about censorship rather than trying to correct wrongs. It is growing as a national issue, he added. The survey was conducted on 24 and 25 March among 1,945 registered voters.

More recently, TV presenters like Piers Morgan have claimed to have fallen victim to this phenomenon. He also believes that Sharon Osbourne, the host of the CBS chat show The Talk was also bullied out of her job due to cancel culture.

Osbourne was engaged in a row after she defended Morgan over comments he made about Meghan Markle onGood Morning Britain.

Morgan had attracted criticism for saying he didnt believe a word the Duchess said during her Oprah Winfrey interview, including that she experienced suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior working royal.

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64% of Americans view cancel culture as mounting threat to freedom - The Independent

Across much of the west, March is a milestone both surreal and distressing: a full year of life in Covid-19s shadow. Twelve months ago, we couldnt imagine what we were about to experience; now we cant process what weve endured.

This was a year of seemingly irresolvable contradictions. Our grief was collective, yet rituals of communal mourning were denied us. We hymned the global effort to produce a vaccine, then recoiled into vaccine nationalism the moment that effort bore fruit. Even as Zoom held us together, Covid denial and conspiracy theories in the family WhatsApp tore us apart.

On one thing, at least, we were all in agreement: we wanted to be free. The problem was that we couldnt agree on what that freedom looked like, or who should enjoy it. Even as new horizons of collective action and mutual support seemed possible, the urge to do whatever we wanted, free from the inconvenience of consequences, took hold with renewed force. Set against the freedom from infection was the freedom to endanger others by leaving lockdown; the freedom to do away with masks and sow airborne death in the supermarket; the right, via unmuzzled speech across high-profile platforms, to spread dangerous, divisive fictions. When finally the halls of US government were stormed and occupied, it wasnt civil rights activists or eco-warriors posing for a selfie in the chamber, it was a loose conglomeration of angry and often baffled conspiracy theorists, splinter Republicans and Nazis, freely subverting the democracy they claimed to defend.

Id spent 2018 and 2019 exploring the challenges and contradictions of personal and collective freedom in what would become my third novel, Come Join Our Disease, which I completed in March 2020. The novel follows Maya, a homeless woman rehabilitated through a programme of traumatising work, exhausting wellness-based self-improvement, and the hollow affirmation of daily Instagram posts charting her transformation. Trapped between the hell of exclusion and the exhausting labour of belonging, Maya comes to feel that only one freedom is available to her: the liberation of letting herself go completely. Occupying an abandoned industrial building with a group of other women, she embraces a lifestyle that is part dirty protest and part mystical experience, giving herself over to rot, sloth and decay, and exhorting others to join her.

My growing feeling, both through writing the book and then watching the pandemic lay waste to the myth of inviolable individuality, is that those of us whose daily reality is shaped by capitalisms latest and most virulent strain find ourselves caught between duelling and equally intolerable experiences. On the one hand, we long for a better world. On the other, we fear that an evolved world will hold no place for us. We are torn, always, between unbearable individuation and unfathomable collectivity. In the middle, exposed in all its stark inadequacy yet still doggedly holding us back, is our great doomed project: the self.

To see at work the contradictory impulses and injunctions were daily expected to reconcile, you might begin by immersing yourself, as Maya does, in our collective online existence. Here, through a kaleidoscope of inspirational Instagram quotes, revolutionary praxis, artfully prepared food and effortless-seeming yoga poses, profound contradictions are reconfigured as a series of seductive adjacencies. The language of rebellion and anarchy merges seamlessly with the language of self-help. We are encouraged to challenge power, punch up, resist. And yet at the same time we are exhorted to grow and glow, strive, achieve, become. The result is an excruciating double bind. Only through a more robust sense of self, we believe, can we muster the rebellious energy by which the unjust world around us might be changed. And yet, deep down, we know the truth: that our unjust world depends for its survival on the very project of selfhood in which were all so desperately over-invested.

Many of these tensions collide most spectacularly in the world of wellness, where disciplines such as yoga and meditation, which once took as their goal the dissolution of the self, are pressed into the service of a bolstered ego and enhanced productivity. In this telling, freedom, like the equally mythologised idea of happiness, is no longer a collective goal but a small and fiercely defended box of personal space, accessed through a crushing regimen of self-improvement, in which we are free to be our best imaginable selves.

But if our conception of a free future is simply a series of tiny, personalised utopias, all we will create is a world in which only the strongest and most fully evolved selves assume dominance. A world, in short, very much like the one we have now bloated, unbalanced, cruelly competitive, fundamentally unjust, and wholly unfit for the challenges and realities it has wrought.

In the course of Come Join Our Disease, Maya comes to embrace a worldview in which liberation is not about what we gain, but what we are willing to abandon. Far from the freedom to be ourselves, true freedom in this sense would mean an end to ever needing to be ourselves again. This is why, when faced with even the possibility of a better, more just, more liberated world, we claim to long for it, only to reactively stifle its emergence. Its because we know that real freedom would entail nothing less than the erasure of all the boundaries and signifiers by which we have defined and comforted ourselves; that it would, in effect, destroy us.

When we speak of Covids tragic legacy, we necessarily focus on the incomprehensible death toll, the long emotional and economic shadow, the coming era of vaccine inequality. But there is also, I think, an existential legacy, one which we will come to regard as its own uniquely wounding loss. Briefly, a series of alternatives became visible to us. But having seen them, we rejected them, and returned to what we knew: the habits, rituals and trappings by which we distinguish ourselves. Last spring, the freshness of the lockdown air struck us like a revelation. By summer we were back in our cars, flocking to beaches we despoiled with trash and human shit, dreaming of the day we could not only drive but fly cheaply.

As whole areas of work and remuneration were eroded, we spoke briefly and hearteningly about the need for a universal basic income, a fairer system, an economy based on something other than numbing work fuelled by takeaway coffees. Now the Labour party tells us that the only way to deliver social justice and equality is through a strong partnership with businesses. Where once 20,000 deaths was the metric by which we might measure our success, now it might just become the annual toll were willing to accept, the price for our refusal to change.

The state of transcendental decay Maya reaches in the novel is extreme, but what she finds as she unravels is the very thing so few of us can bear to accept: that what we live amid, however repugnant, is our own creation a manifestation of all our baser instincts, selfish fears and long-evaded inner work. If we want, finally, to change it, then we will have no choice but to change ourselves. That process of change will not be blissful. At the end of it, we will not be beaming and aglow. We will be wrecked, raw, and staring with sudden and awful clarity at the swamp of emotional and physical filth in which we wallow. Somewhere in all of us is the very totemic figure we loudly claim to loathe: the lockdown-breaking Covid sceptic, the bloviating opinion columnist or gaseous radio host, the self-satisfied centrist or sneering ideologue, the diarrhoeic polluter, the bigoted, raging, punitive cop. Until we excise them from ourselves, well continue to create them in the world. The more privilege we embody, the greater our power to inflict on others the things we harbour within, and the messier the process will be. Because what is privilege, really, if not the continual distortion of the world to reflect our comfort?

This is not to say that we should entirely replace a project of structural critique and opposition with a project of inward exploration. Nor is it to say that abuses of power should go unchallenged, that corruption should not be called out, or that for some of us the work of rebuilding self-esteem and personal resilience is not vital. It is simply to say that at some point we are going to have to accept an ugly, inconvenient but necessary truth: that the price of the life each of us wants is a world we are all collectively able to live in, and so sustaining a world we can all safely inhabit may very well depend on dismantling the individual life we desire.

Ordinarily, in the time that follows a books completion, the characters seem to wander further from view, until one day they vanish completely. But Maya feels closer to me than ever, and what felt speculative at the time of writing now feels painfully real. In the world to come we will have to choose our apocalypse. Either we will annihilate, finally, the sense of ourselves we cling to, or we will redouble our faith in it, feed it, build it until it dwarfs all else, and then watch, hopelessly, as it destroys the world we live in.

Come Join Our Disease is published by Faber (16.99). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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We will have to choose our apocalypse: the cost of freedom after the pandemic - The Guardian

A handful of people in Kamloops and more in Kelowna and Vancouver have had the unfettered freedom to stage those Freedom rallies in opposition of pandemic-related health orders.

It is the Mount Everest of the irony range they are free to complain about perceived freedoms being yanked, yet that fact seems to have escaped them, focused as they are on ignoring Occams razor (the simplest explanation is usually the correct explanation) and creating ridiculous theories to out-ridiculous previous theories.

If COVID-19 isnt a hoax, then it is a minor cold we can manage without restrictions. If it is more than a minor cold, then it is a virus created by the UN to expedite the Great Reset. And the Great Reset will be augmented by Evil Bill Gates and his devious plan to depopulate the Earth via sterilizing vaccines for some unspecified gain.

And on and on and on it goes.

Legitimate concerns abound the impact of pandemic-related measures on the economy and our collective mental health but they are too often drowned out by the fever-dream ravings that claim this pandemic is a stealth operation to control us for various reasons that make no sense whatsoever.

The freedoms they claim are being withheld are rather embarrassing, when placed next to actual freedoms that have been, and continue to be, extinguished.

In Myanmar on Saturday, security forces killed more than 100 people, including children, who were protesting the Feb. 1 military coup in the country formerly known as Burma. To date, at least 300 people have been killed for protesting their loss of democracy.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved in Kamloops protest because they must wear a mask for a few minutes while shopping or while taking a few steps from the restaurants front door to their table, where they can remove it.

In the Second World War, the Canadian government stripped Canadians of Japanese descent of their homes and businesses and deported them from cities to remote internment camps in the B.C. Interior. Ottawa also censored 340 newspapers, arrested hundreds for speaking out against the war and gave the RCMP the power to arrest and detain people without charge or trial.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved in Kamloops protest because they have been asked not ordered, but asked to avoid non-essential travel to other communities.

In the U.S. state of Georgia, legislation has been passed that will restrict ballot access to voters, particularly minorities and those in lower-income areas.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved in Kamloops protest because they have been asked to work at home, if possible.

We are loath to write about these Freedom protests in Kamloops because the claims made at the gatherings are about as logical as that of a toddler insisting there is a monster under his bed. No matter how often you prove he is mistaken, the toddler insists that monster is there even when he cant see it.

This is why we do not preview these tiresome rallies, the latest of which on the weekend was a bust as far as attendance is concerned.

I counted and concluded I have more people in my outside bubble.

Sometimes, though, it is worth reminding each other what losing ones liberty is truly all about.

Perhaps we can round up some Oxford dictionaries for the next rally and distribute them to the attendees so they can research the actual definition of freedom.

editor@kamloopsthisweek.com

Twitter: @ChrisJFoulds

Originally posted here:

FOULDS: Freedom's just another word for a conspiracy - Kamloops This Week

Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO, steps downon March 31, 2021. He talks to Airlines. about his time in office

As IATAs Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac leaves his post, he talks about his time at IATA, the challenges that the industry faced in the past COVID-hit year, and his optimism for the future of aviation.

What attracted you to the job as IATADirector General and CEO and what didyou want to achieve?

I was formerly the CEO of Air France-KLM,so I knew that the majority of airlines usually struggled to break even or perhaps lost money. But the industry at this time was growing strongly and was in a run of profitability that hadnt been seen before. And as airlines were finally making money that meant there was an opportunity to make a difference and implement needed changes. That attracted me.

Of course, the growing concern was the environment. We established the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) soon after I joined, in October 2016. That was a huge step forward because it was agreed at ICAO level and it gives us a clear path for emissions reduction.

Many of the other challenges were the ones you would expect. We needed to have the right infrastructure to maintain the growth and we needed to keep costs low and have responsible taxation regulations.

Overall, the aim was to do everythingpossible to promote the industrywhich I call the business of freedom. We wanted aviation to have the freedom to connect the world, create jobs, and boost economies.

For that to happen we needed to improveour relationships with governments and other aviation stakeholders. That meant we had to focus and identify the key issues and the potential solutions. It was working well until COVID-19. Nobody foresaw the pandemic.

Now is the right time for somebody fresh to ensure the recovery doesnt falter but rather gathers speed. I am sure Willie Walsh is the right person to lead IATA andthe industry going forward

What has it been like leading the industryover the past year?

It was hard because the situation changed so quickly. It is still changing with new variants.

The virus and its spread were unknown quantities. COVID-19 wasnt even declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization until March 2020. Before that point we thought it might be largely contained within Asia-Pacific and most of the disruption would be in that region.

But things changed rapidly, and IATA shifted into crisis mode within the space of a few days. It was clear we had to have different priorities and different targets.

Remember, the industry was well prepared for a crisis and had all the right elements in place. We had successfully dealt with pandemics in the past like SARS and H1N1 (bird flu) but COVID-19 was more extreme by several orders of magnitude.

The challenge was made more difficult bythe approach of governments. There was no consistency in governments responses. There was total disarray and to a large extent that is still the case. In other words, we have got an extremely fast-moving, fragmented pictureand that is the worst possible scenario for a global industry that needs global standards, predictability, and harmonization.

I am very optimistic. The recovery will happen because the appetite for the freedomto fly isstill there

What changes did you make internally?

A lot of cost out was taken out of IATA in a very short time to ensure we were in a good position to fully support the industry going forward. That was painful but it had to be done. The industry had to preserve cash and so did IATA.

And we could not compromise on key functions, like the financial systems. Weknew how vital it was to get to get moneyfrom Point A to Point B in a timely manner. There was an enormous strain on the systems during the pandemic as everybody needed money. We managed to take cost out of the financial settlement systems whileimproving their flexibility to cope with the extraordinary situation.

We also had to find the resources to investin critical projects to support the restart. IATA Travel Pass is a good example. This will playa key role in restarting the industry.

And, of course, the biggest change is anew DG. Now is the right time for somebody fresh to ensure the recovery doesnt falter but rather gathers speed. I am sure Willie Walsh is the right person to lead IATA and the industry going forward.

Has the crisis harmed the relationships between aviation stakeholders?

No, the coronavirus pandemic has created stronger connections between aviation stakeholders and given us a common interest. We are all in the same boat and we are fighting this together. We have the same problems and together we can find common solutions.

Has the industry done enough onthe environment?

CORSIA was a key step in our successful environmental roadmap. But, of course, we must go further. Strong targets are in place and the industry is fully committed to halving net emissions by 2050 compared with 2005. Butwe must see what can be done to reinforce and accelerate that commitment.

We rely on several elements. There is notone magic bullet. So, sustainable aviation fuels, operational optimisation, efficient infrastructure, and market-based measureswill all combine to achieve our targets. To go faster, we just need to be even more successful at these individual elements.

We wanted aviation to have the freedom to connect the world, create jobs, and boost economies

Are airlines going fast enough with digitization or will lack of revenue stifle progress?

The crisis has definitely accelerated the digitization of the passenger experience and automation in general. That can be seen most clearly in IATA Travel Pass. The App is the best way to deal with the current travel requirements in a manner that keeps passenger processing manageable. It allows airlines to answer the demand that is undoubtedly there, although governments must agree on standards forthe information.

Standards make technology work. The industry understands this and understands what technology can do. It enables us to work not only more efficiently but also to keep costs down. That is why investment in digitisation will continue.

And I am convinced that IATA Travel Passwill be one of the stories about how the industry improved in the crisis. Digital identity, whichis at the heart of the IATA Travel Pass, will boost OneID and the positive transformational impact that will have on the passenger experience.

2050- Strong targetsare in place andthe industry isfully committedto halving net emissions by2050 compared with 2005.

How will the future pan out for the industry?

I am very optimistic. The recovery will happen because the appetite for the freedom to fly is still there. But business travel may be delayed compared with travel that is personally motivated.

You can see that in China and in those air travel corridors that are open. Business travelis different because there are good tools for video conferencing that people are becoming used to and because company travel budgets have been slashed. Also, big events have been canceled and there are fewer business conferences. These things will take time to resolve but I am certain they will come back.It is a matter of when and not if.

I think we will see the same structure as the industry recovers. There will be low cost and network carriers addressing different segments of the market, for example. But long-haul low cost might disappear for now. And there willbe fewer operators as some will probably go bankrupt and those that survive will operate less aircraft. It will be a smaller industry for a while, but it will grow again.

The one trend that might take longer to reappear is consolidation. That will be scarce for many years. No matter how it is done, consolidation always costs something, and nobody has any money for that type of activity. Also, many governments have injected a lot of money into their flag carriers and home airlines and this will prove a barrier. It will be difficult politically and financially to unwind the complexity of ownership. And with less flying taking place in general, the desire for consolidation wont be quite so strong.

Will the passenger experience be different?

The new health measures will be temporary,but it will be interesting to see how it affects thinking in the industry especially once we geta clearer picture on demand. Will airlines adapt the configurations of their aircraft? How will they approach cleaning and sanitization even when the pandemic has subsided? The way meals and drinks are handled may change. There could be many new ideas in these areas.

The industry and IATA have worked hard to put the passenger front and center in all our initiatives so the passenger experience of the future will be based on what the passenger wants.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

If anything, it would be promoting open skies and open borders more strongly. A globalized, connected world creates jobs, powers economies, and unites friends and family. Aviation is a positive force. It brings enormous benefits and the current fragmentation hampers all of that.

If this pandemic has proven one thing, it is that air transport is clearly the business of freedom.

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The business of freedom will fly again: Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO - Airlines International

It is 6.30am and Nazira Khairzad, 18, and her older sister Nazima, 19, are sat with their family trying to eat the spread of breakfast laid out in front of them, despite their nerves. It is the start of the two-day Afghan Ski Challenge in the central highland province of Bamyan, and the womens race is kicking off in just a few hours time. Not only are the pair the ones to watch but, as soon as they are on the slopes, they are one anothers direct competition.

Im nervous but I think I have a good chance of placing first this year, says Nazira. Thats what Im aiming for.

With their bellies full and nervousness giving way to excitement, the pair don their skiing apparel and indulge in pre-race rituals. The sisters kiss their fingertips before touching them to a framed photograph hanging on the wall of their grandfather, they kiss the Quran, and then their mother, Oliya, waves money, which will later be given to a family in need, over her daughters heads for good luck.

Skiing is relatively new to Bamyan but its popularity is blooming. The sport has become an integral part of the community, interestingly playing a crucial role in the expansion of womens rights. The sisters are members of Bamyan Ski Club which organises the annual competition.

The club relies heavily on donor contributions but, with the fallout of Covid-19, these donations have significantly reduced. Instead, the Afghan Sports Trust stepped in and issued a grant to allow the club to continue training young female skiers aged from eight to their early 20s. In addition to improving their skiing, the aim was to develop leadership skills and to build self-confidence. Nazira has directly benefited from the training.

Nazira Khairzad, 18, poses for a picture at her home with her trophies and medals from sporting events including skiing, football and marathons.

Im very sporty. I play volleyball, hockey and I run but skiing is my favourite. I like it because there is an element of danger; it can be very scary on the slopes at times, Nazira tells the Guardian with a smile as she shows off her collection of medals and trophies a few days before the race.

Her sister, who now studies in Kabul, travelled back to Bamyan a day before the competition but has taken part in the training during previous years. Last year, she travelled to Pakistan for a skiing competition and placed third.

Although gains towards gender equality have been made since the toppling of the Taliban regime in 2001, Afghanistan remains a very conservative Muslim country. While the extent to which women face restrictions depends on the area they live in, many still face constraints on their access to education and jobs compared with men. The overall perception of women in the heavily patriarchal society is often one of daintiness, and femininity is seen as a weakness.

So young ladies ploughing snowy slopes, wearing ski clothing that does not always conform to societal norms, and doing so alongside boys, is quite a revelation.

Co-manager of Bamyan Ski Club, Sajjad Husaini, says gender equality is an increasingly important thread of the provinces social fabric. He says the onslaught inflicted by the Taliban forced people to flee the area. Many went overseas, sometimes to more conservative places such as Iran, but also to more liberal destinations such as Pakistan.

To see other places and cultures and then returning to live among people with different experiences has increased peoples tolerance. Weve also had many international organisations working here which have been focused on getting women in work, says Husaini.

That is not to say the club has not faced difficulties. More conservative residents still communicate their discontent at the fact both genders train together, says Husaini, but they work with those people to find peace. There are seven ski clubs here now. If the Taliban had tried to stop girls taking part in the sport a few years ago, then they probably would have succeeded, but its become an entrenched part of the community here.

Crucially, the role of the club goes beyond skiing. Days out together are often organised for a football kickabout or a trip to the stunning nearby national park, Band-e-Amir. In the winter, the frozen lakes are great for playing sports and ice-skating; in the summer, there is swimming or picnics.

Now in its 11th year, the Afghan Ski Challenge is an international one but the Covid-19 pandemic has hampered foreigners participation. It incorporates a womens slalom, a wooden ski race and, on the second day, the main event which has male competitors first hike 500m up the slope before skiing back down again. Facilities are nonexistent there are no ski lifts or restaurants here but it is an event the community thoroughly looks forward to.

Bamyan famous for its giant Buddhas which were blown up by the Taliban in 2001 is considerably more open-minded than many other parts of the country, but that does not mean equality has been achieved yet. The sisters have supportive parents, particularly their father, Nematullah, but this is not the case in every household.

When I was young there wasnt the opportunity for an education because of the war, and there were no sports, says the father-of-four who has built a modest but comfortable home in an up-and-coming area of the town. I dont want my children to be like me I want them to be able to study and experience the world. All of my children should be free to try any sport they like, he says.

The family are originally from a remote village called Kahmard, about 50km from Bamyan town, which is considerably more conservative. At times, the parents face difficulties because of the freedom they afford their daughters. I am criticised by relatives in Kahmard for allowing my daughters to take part in sports but I just ignore them, says Nematullah, who adds that he was very proud of his daughter for winning a medal while representing her country in Pakistan.

Just down the road lives Naziras friend Tayeba Ibrahimi. When the pair are together they are usually kicking a football around or throwing a volleyball over a net. Although Tayeba is allowed to ski, her parents have a different viewpoint to Naziras.

My brother is the one who pushes my parents to give me more freedom, says the quiet 17-year-old, who adds that she enjoys skiing for the adrenaline rush she feels when shredding through the snow at high speed. She hopes her interest in sports will lead to travel to compete in competitions around the world.

Sitting in their pleasantly decorated and spacious home, her parents say they find gossiping about their daughters activities considerably more difficult to brush off. It would be easier if Tayeba was a boy because no one would be talking about us behind our backs saying that were not good Muslims for letting her participate in sports, says her mother, Amina. Amina admits that although she would allow her sons to go overseas, she would be reluctant to let one of her daughters do so.

On the other side of the town centre, in a village where the modest homes are constructed from mud and straw, and built into the cliff face, Najiye Mohammadi, 17, lives with her family.

Najiye Mohammadi, 17, walks through her neighbourhood in Bamyan a few days before competing in the Afghan Ski Challenge.

Her mother, Oliya, used to be a shepherdessbefore moving into the town with Najiyes father, so a physically capable woman is a familiar concept, yet it is still her husband who makes the decisions in the household. Fortunately, he is very supportive of his daughters interest in sports.

Skiing is my favourite sport because of the speed. When you spend hours walking up the slope to then spend just minutes coming back down its exhilarating, says Najiye, who plans on studying law at university and dreams of travelling to Japan one day. My father really encourages me a lot. Both my parents have shown me I can succeed on my own, she says.

Despite the differing stances from each set of parents, the women have one thing in common; they all aspire for lives that take them out of the small mountain town, to be something other than housewives. Sport has played a big part in that.

Out on the slopes, just minutes before the start of the race, the four ladies are trying to focus on the challenge ahead of them. Nematullah has been able to take the morning off work to come and watch his two daughters compete, much to Nazira and Nazimas delight.

The womens slalom requires competitors to ski down the course twice, snaking around fluorescent gates. The person able to complete both runs in the quickest time is crowned the winner. All four ladies give it their best shot with Nazira and Nazima looking like they have speed on their side. That is until Nazima suddenly takes a tumble as she rounds a bottom gate, losing all chances of securing a gold medal. Instead, Nazira manages to carve out a winning time of one minute 27 seconds, shredding through the snow with a look of steely determination as she sweeps across the finish line.

Nazira is awarded 10,000 Afs (94) as she stands on the podium, enjoying the rounds of applause at her triumph. Her father is elated at his youngest daughters win, adding a further 3,000 Afs from his own pocket to her prize money.

Nazira, who came first, triumphant on the podium after the womens race of the Afghan Ski Challenge.

I just kept telling myself, you can do it, you can do it, says Nazira, thrilled with her achievement.

Nazira, who came first, makes her way home with her proud father, Nematullah, after the race.

As the car bumped along the winding single-track dirt road back to the town and phone signal became available again, her fathers mobile started ringing as family members called to find out the results of the race. Brimming with pride, Nematullah, told them Nazira was a champion and when they arrived home, the sisters were welcomed by sweets on the doorstep and hugs from their mother.

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Freedom on slopes: the women skiers of Afghanistan photo essay | Afghanistan - The Guardian

Studies have shown that in-flight transmission of the coronavirus is negligible when wearing masks. One by the United States Transportation Command (US Transcom), for example, confirmed that the overall exposure risk from aerosolized pathogens, like coronavirus, is very low.

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, the natural barrier of the seatback, the downward flow of air, and high rates of air exchange efficiently reduce the risk of transmission. Virus spread during flight was rare long before COVID-19.

The reason that we have seen quarantines and travel restrictions therefore boils down to importationa passenger traveling while incubating the disease and developing it after arriving at the destination.

Part of the solution to importation needs a risk-based approach. A traveler from a country with low prevalence does not present an additional risk when visiting a country that already has high levels of community transmission.

For journeys in the opposite directionsay from France, where cases have been high, to Australia, where coronavirus has had a limited impactthere are now tools in place to mitigate any risk.

For example, a recent Oxera and Edge Health study found that an antigen test for travelers on arrival is as effective as a ten-day self-isolation period in reducing imported cases of COVID-19.

The game-changer, of course, is vaccination. Vaccinations are a fantastic weapon in our armory against the virus, a huge step forward, says Dr David Powell, IATAs Medical Advisor. We know that they are effective at preventing severe and fatal disease, but the concern worldwide has been whether they are also effective at reducing transmission. Early evidence from Israel, and recent evidence from a CDC study of mRNA vaccines in health workers, is very encouraging in this regard.

It is also true that countries are at widely differing levels of vaccination rollout, with some having vaccinated the majority of their population and others not yet begun. The uptake of offered vaccinations also differs among populations for a variety of reasons.

But Dr Powell stresses that once a majority of people have been vaccinated, and especially all the vulnerable, then a proper risk assessment that includes testing should allow the freedom to travel.

Zero COVID is probably an unrealistic aim, Dr Powell notes. The only disease we have ever eradicated is smallpox. Rather, it is likely that those governments considering zero COVID will eventually reach a point when they believe theyand the worldhave vaccinated enough and they have confidence in the vaccines efficacy.

Dr Powell accepts new variants could slow matters. Three in particular have hit the headlines recently, commonly known as the Brazil variant, the South African variant, and the UK variant. All viruses mutate to try to improve propagation. Almost by definition therefore new variants will be more readily transmissible.

There have been concerns that all currently available vaccines are less effective against the South African variant. That is not to say they are ineffective, however, and some vaccines can be updated relatively easily. The Pfizer jab, for example, is essentially a genetic code wrapped in a fatty coating. The good news is that the genetic code is essentially a piece of biological software that can be upgraded to deal with new variants.

While vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel, Powell does not advise to get rid of your mask supply any time soon. Until vaccinations reach a tipping point worldwide, it is likely that such measures as masks and physical distancing will remain in place for some time to come. And knowing that some people will not be able to have vaccines, testing options are likely to remain for a while too.

Ultimately, however, the level of risk will come down to a point where the freedom to fly cant be denied. COVID-19 will be a ubiquitous but less lethal disease in future. And we can adjust the vaccines much like we do for annual influenza jabs so they remain effective, concludes Dr Powell. Coronavirus is not going away. Nor will it be the last pandemic. But we will get to a situation where it is a manageable risk.

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A risk-based approach to the freedom to fly - Airlines International

Tanya Buscher said she felt a little bit guilty when she booked a plane ticket to Mallorca her first holiday since the pandemic struck but her remorse did not last long once faced with the Spanish islands turquoise waters.

We dont know what the future will hold, they could close the borders, the 32-year-old, her shoulders already reddened by the sun, told AFP.

She fled Dortmund for the largest of Spains Balearic Islands in the face of warnings from German Chancellor Angela Merkel against Easter trips abroad, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

READ ALSO: Germans are coming back: Spaniards sceptical over return of tourists

Bookings for the Balearics surged from mid-March, after the low infection rate in the archipelago prompted Berlin to drop a quarantine requirement for people returning from the region long a favourite of German holidaymakers.

Holiday group TUI immediately doubled its flights from Germany to Mallorca, while German flag carrier Lufthansa tripled its weekly connections from Frankfurt to the islands.

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The news annoyed some Spaniards, themselves unable to enjoy the Balearics during Easter due to a nationwide ban on inter regional travel to try to curb a rise in infections.

Foreigners like Buscher can fly in as long as they present a negative PCR test.

Germans also must present a negative test on their return home.

Freedom and happiness

I really needed a break, its hard to work at home without seeing anyone, said 53-year-old divorce Birgit Leeck after taking a PCR test so she can fly home to Hamburg after a week in Mallorca.

Walking on the golden sands of the island sometimes jokingly called Germanys 17th state she said she found freedom, happiness, sun.

It was great! she added, shrugging her shoulders when asked about criticism that the island was being flooded with tourists in the middle of a pandemic.

READ ALSO: Germanys new coronavirus testing rules for air travellers: What you need to know

Where are they? Do you see them?, she asked, pointing to a huge nearby beach dotted with holidaymakers, rather than the usual Easter crowds.

Increased reservations from Germany are far from saturating Mallorcas enormous hotel room capacity only 13 percent of its hotels are currently even open, according to local hotel association FEHM.

And traffic at Palmas airport is down by 60-80 percent from what it was at this time last year, according to Spanish airport operator Aena.

At the beachfront Acapulco Playa hotel only 10 percent of rooms are occupied, compared to 90 percent during a normal Easter break, said Fernando Gonzalez of hotel chain Gruphotel.

The company has only opened five of its 36 establishments this year in the archipelago, which also includes Menorca and Ibiza.

Economic relief

Squeezed as the tourism-dependent island economy shrank 24 percent last year, hotels have taken steps to reassure guests that they are safe, with temperature controls at entrances to buffets and hand gel dispensers everwhere.

There is no other solution than to try to open up, in a safe and controlled manner obviously, said Gonzalez.

The island is quieter than usual as bars and restaurants must close at 5pm under virus restrictions.

For Cristian Lafourcade, a 49-year-old waiter at the Zur Krone bar, the arrival of German tourists who make up 95 percent of his customers is a total relief.

Police at Frankfurt airport checking that travellers returning from Mallorca have negative test certificates. Photo: DPA

The restaurants terrace was one of the few open along a strip of beach full of closed shops.

Many German holidaymakers said they felt safer in the Balearics than they did in Germany, with its crowded streets and supermarkets.

If we follow the rules, everything is fine, said Charline Osmi, 27, who came from Hanover with her boyfriend who was depressed by Germanys lockdown measures.

We have done the test so as to not bring the virus, and here we are careful to keep our distance, he added.

The couple did not tell their colleagues that they were going to Mallorca for fear of being criticised but were enjoying the sun.

You have to learn to live with the virus, said Osmi.

By Emmanuelle MICHEL

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'I really needed a break': Pandemic-weary Germans find 'freedom' on Mallorca - The Local Germany

Time is running out to get everything done. Amazing what has been done yet much remains. Sometimes it seems chaos but reality it is a controlled movement toward a positive end.

This week the Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives continued their work on the floor, debating a number of important topics. Several of the House Committees have completed work and we are quickly approaching the time for conference committees to meet.

On Friday the House overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 2181 by a vote of 88-4. This bill aims to restrict the ability of the State Health Officer to interfere with religious practices during a declared state of emergency. Specifically, under this legislation the State Health Officer cannot burden a persons freedom to practice their religion unless there is a compelling government interest to do so.

Additionally, the bill mandates that religious conduct cannot be treated more restrictively than similar secular conduct. Supporters of the bill argued that the COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the need for additional protections of religious freedom in our state. The bill now heads to the Governors desk for consideration.

On Monday, the House members gave their approval to SB 2226 which will allow North Dakota residents to utilize end of life facilities. The intent of the legislation is to provide more care options for patients facing end-of-life situations in a less restrictive environment.

At least one non-profit in the state plans to start raising funds to create this type of facility in some of our major cities. Many families do not want to place a family member into an assisted-living facility or nursing home at this stage of their life. However, they do want options other than continued hospital confinement or home stay, which doesnt always work for many families.

A person utilizing an end-of-life facility would be able choose the hospice provider they prefer and then receive round-the-clock care from register nurses, CNAs and LPNs. Family members would be welcome to visit as often as they want or even move into the facility with their loved one.

On Tuesday SB 2121 failed in a close vote of 45-49. This bill would have changed our states law to make failure to wear a seatbelt a primary offense, as opposed to a secondary offense. It also would have made it a citable offense if a vehicles backseat passengers fail to wear a seatbelt.

Under current law, only a vehicles front seat passengers are legally required to wear a seatbelt, with the exception of children. Opponents of the bill felt that although passengers in a vehicle may take the personal responsibility to wear a seatbelt, it is not the place of government to force them to. Supporters of the bill argued that by requiring the usage of seatbelts by all passengers, this legislation could potentially save lives or prevent certain injuries in the event of an accident. Ultimately the bill failed to gain the support needed to pass.

On Wednesday, The House approved SB 2265 by a vote of 66-28. The goal of the bill is to allow unaccompanied homeless minors to access healthcare without parental consent. Supporters of the bill pointed out that many of these minors do not have adult guardians who can sign off on health treatments on their behalf. They cited concerns for the safety of these minors if they cannot access the healthcare they need. The Governor will now consider signing the bill into law.

You can contact Rep. Hatlestad at phatlestad@nd.gov and Rep. Richter at dwrichter@nd.gov. During the session, mail can be sent to us at: ND House of Representatives, 600 East Boulevard, Bismarck, ND 58505-0360. If you want to leave a phone message you can call the incoming toll-free number 1-888-NDLEGIS (1-888-635-3447). For hearing-impaired individuals, the TTY toll-free number is 1-800-366-6888 to reach a relay operator. If you wish to watch videos of the floor session and committee hearings, you can access that at legis.nd.gov.

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Pandemic shed light on the need for additional protections of religious freedom - Williston Daily Herald