Jair Bolsonaro’z pvrs n “jeṇsîdl” rspons t wn v ɖ wrld’z dedliist Covid ǎtbrecs hz left Bṛzil “adrift on an ośn v hungr n dziz”, ɖ cuntri’s formr prezidnt Dilma Rousseff hz clemd.
Spīcñ t ɖ Gardịn ɖs wīc – az Bṛzil’z c’roṇvîṛs deʈtol hit devstetñ ny hîts, wɖ mor ɖn 12,000 deʈs in ɖ last ʈri dez – Rousseff sd hr cuntri fest phps ɖ grevist momnt in its hisṭri.
“W r livñ ʈru an xtrimli dṛmatic sićueśn in Bṛzil bcz w hv no guvnmnt, no stywdśp v ɖ crîsis,” sd Rousseff, a formr leftist g’ríla hu wz prezidnt fr jst ovr fîv yirz untl hr contṛvrśl 2016 impićmnt.
“W r siyñ 4,200 deʈs p’ de nǎ n evrʈñ sjsts ɖt f nʈñ ćenjz w’l rīć 5,000… Yt ɖr z an abṣlutli rpulsiv norṃlîześn v ɖs riaḷti undr we. Hǎ cn y norṃlîz ɖ 4,211 deʈs rejistrd [on Tyzde]?” Rousseff asct az Bṛzil’z ofiśl deʈtol rouz t ovr 345,000, secnd onli t ɖ YS.
Bṛzil’z frst fīmel prezidnt, lîc a growñ numbr v sitiznz, b’livz mć v ɖ blem le wɖ Bolsonaro, a far-rît popylist huz antisạntific rspons t ẃt h cōlz a “litl flu” hz md him an inṭnaśnl bôgiman. Opińnpoulz n potbaññ protests sjst growñ public angr at ɖ Trump-admîrñ poḷtiśn hu wz ilectd in 2018 aftr Rousseff’z mntr, formr prezidnt Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wz jeld n privntd fṛm runñ bî a juj hu lêtr jônd Bolsonaro’z cabiṇt.
Rousseff clemd Bolsonaro’z saḅtājñ v cntenmnt n vax̣neśn eḟts, rfyzl t ordr a locdǎn n fełr t ofr adiqt ic̣nomic s’port t ɖ pur hd cntribytd t a traɉdi v “caṭstrofic pṛporśnz”.
“I’m nt seyñ Bṛzil wd’nt hv sufrd deʈs [wɖ a difṛnt rspons] – ol cuntriz dd,” ś sd. “I’m seyñ ɖt part v ɖ levl v deʈs hir z funḍmnṭli dǎn t inc̣rect p’liticl dsiźnz, ẃć r stl biyñ tecn.”
Bṛzil’z brecdǎn wz olso an inṭnaśnl ʈret. “Ɖ absns v an ifctiv fît agnst ɖ pandemic [in Bṛzil] līdz t smʈñ xtrimli sirịs: ɖ imrjns v ɖ so-cōld ny verịnts, ẃć r hîli infx́s n hv incrist ɖ numbr v deʈs in neḅrñ cuntriz,” Rousseff sd, pôntñ t hǎ Sǎʈ Americn nebrz wr clozñ ɖer bordrz fr fir v ɖ mor cntejs P1 verịnt linct t Bṛzil’z Aṃzn.
Mni critics nǎ argy Bolsonaro’z ax́nz amǎnt t “jeṇsîd” – n Rousseff sd ś wz amñ ɖm.
“I yz ɖt wrd. Ẃt caṛcṭrîzz ɖ act v jeṇsîd z ẃn y ple a dlibṛt rǒl in ɖ deʈ v a popyleśn on a masiv scel,” ɖ 73-yir-old sd fṛm hr hom in Porto Alegre, wn v mni sitiz ẃr hospitlz hv bn oṿẃlmd n doctrz forst t ple God.
“It’s nt ɖ wrd [jeṇsîd] ɖt inṭrests m – it’s ɖ consept. N ɖ consept z ɖs: rsponsbiḷti fr deʈs ɖt cd hv bn avôdd.”
On Ʈrzde, Bṛzil’z s’prīm cort ordrd a cngreśnl invstgeśn intu ɖ guvnmnt’s conduct – a śocmuv ɖt xprts cōld a mejr blo t Bolsonaro, hu stl injôz ɖ s’port v abt a ʈrd v votrz bt fesz record levlz v rjx́n.
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Bolsonaro in Marć. Bṛzil’z ofiśl deʈtol z mor ɖn 345,000. Foṭgraf: Ueslei Marcelino/Rôtrz
Bṛzil’z dzastr – ẃć z biyñ trboćarjd bî ɖ P1 verịnt – z xpctd t dīpn frɖr in ɖ cmñ dez. Mor ɖn 66,000 Bṛziłn lîvz wr lost t Covid in Marć. Epril’z deʈtol z xpctd t xid 100,000. On Frîde ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn sīńr advîzr Brūs Êlẉd cōld ɖ ǎtbrec “a rejñ infrno”.
“It’s despṛt. T b onist, I c’nt slīp proprli. I g t bed wɖ ɖz numbrz n siḿleśnz in mî hed n I jst c’nt ʈnc stret,” sd Miguel Nicolelis, a prominnt sayntist huz grim pṛjx́nz abt ɖ ǎtbrec hv rpitidli bn cnfrmd.
“Ɖ YS hd wn de wɖ mor ɖn 5,000 deʈs n w’r gwñ t oṿtec ɖ YS – in ɖ numbr v dêli deʈs n probbli in ɖ totl numbr v ftaḷtiz tù,” Nicolelis pridictd.
“W’r gwñ t start siyñ bodiz pîlñ p in ǎr hlʈclinics n ppl dayñ in ɖ strīts sn in ɖ bigist siti in Bṛzil,” h sd v São Paulo, cōlñ fr a wn-munʈ neśnwîd locdǎn n ɖ cloźr v rodz, erports n rivrz.
Rousseff olso rjd an imīɉt śutdǎn, olɖo Bolsonaro hz rpitidli rjctd ɖt îdīa, apaṛntli firñ it wd cripl ɖ icoṇmi n hiz hops v riilex́n in 2022. “Ɖr wl b no neśnwîd locdǎn,” Bolsonaro insistd jrñ a trip t suɖn Bṛzil ɖs wīc.
Spīcñ ǎtsd hiz rezidns on Tyzde, Bolsonaro, 66, śrugd of criṭsizm. “[I’v bn cōld] hoṃfobic, resist, fasist, a torćrr … Nǎ I’m jeṇsîdl,” h smrct. “Z ɖr enʈñ I’m nt t blem fr in Bṛzil?”
Rousseff agrìd Bolsonaro wz nt ɖ onli culprit fr ɖ Covid c’laṃti śecñ hr cuntri, n ɖ wrld. Ś olso blemd ɖ ic̣nomic ilits, militri ćīfs, mīdịmǒglz n poḷtiśnz hu hlpt ɖ rîtwñ xtrimist win pǎr bî bacñ hr rmuvl fṛm ofis n ɖen ćirñ Lula’z dǎnfōl n Bolsonaro’z rîz. Wrldlīdrz includñ Doṇld Trump hd olso handld ɖ pandemic dzastṛsli.
“Ppl wl hv t b hld rsponsbl fr ɖ ctastṛfi ɖt hz bn enɉnird in Bṛzil,” Rousseff sd, ćartñ its cuṛnt tribyleśnz bac t hr sspnśn fṛm ofis xacli fîv yirz ago fr alejidli mnipyletñ ɖ bujit t masc ic̣nomic mleiz.
“Bolsonaro z a product v ɖs… orijinl sin: ɖ impićmnt,” ś sd v ẃt hr s’portrz cōl a p’liticli-drivn “cù”.
On Súnde 16 Epril 2016, Bolsonaro, ɖen an obskr congresmn, wz wn v 367 depytiz hu apruvd Rousseff’z impićmnt jrñ an unrūli seśn in ẃć h dedcetd hiz vot t a dictetrśp-ira torćrr hu oṿsw ɖ abys v leftist reblz sć az hr.
Bac ɖen, Rousseff sd ś hd nvr imajind Bolsonaro wd wn de bcm prezidnt. Nr cd ś invizij Bṛzil fesñ tde’z imrjnsi undr mor inadiqt līdrśp. “Ɖ riaḷti z wrs ɖn enʈñ I cd hv poṣbli imajind. It’s az f w’r adrift. W r adrift on an ośn v hungr n dziz… It trūli z an utrli xtrim sićueśn ɖt w’r witṇsñ in Bṛzil.”
Ɖ sumz r so vast, ɖ sīcṛsi so śocñ, ɖt “ćumocṛsi” dz’nt bgin t capćr ẃt Britn hz bcm – reḍḷnt az w r v bnana rpublics, ɖ Ruśn oḷgarci n feld stets. Lost z Britn’z slf-imij az ɖ bolr-hatd bīcn v sivic recttyd, az ǎr rstẃl Rolz-Rôs sivl srvis gz ɖ we v, wel, Rolz-Rôs, no longr a Britiś-ǒnd carcumṗni.
Ɖ Gd Lw Project, ɖ admṛbl nt-fr-profit public clenzr, last wīc pruvd in ɖ hî cort ɖt ɖ guvnmnt hd brīćt ẃt ɖ juj cōld ɖ “vîtl public fuñśn” v trnspaṛnsi ovr “vast qonttiz” v taxpeyrz’ muni. A VIP fast len fr pṛtctiv-iqipmnt contracts md ɖ contacts v ministrz, MPz, pirz n ofiślz 10 tîmz mor lîcli t win contracts. PPI prîsz scîrocitd: īvn bodibagz wr biyñ ćarjd at 14 tîmz ɖer prīvịs cost. Ɖ Gd Lw Project’s dmandz fr pubḷceśn v ɖoz fevrd s’playrz, ɖer VIP sponsrz n prîsz peid hv bn dnaid so far.
Ẃ ɖ sīcṛsi? Ɖ Gardịn hz olrdi rvild ɖt ɖ medicl reğletr z invstgetñ Alix Bōrn, hlʈ secṛtri Mát Hancoc’s xnebr, hu wún £30m v wrc pṛdysñ medicl vaylz, dspt hvñ no xpirịns in ɖ fīld.
In ɖ panic ovr emti PPI ślvz in hospitlz n cerhomz, ɖt daś t pṛkr mt b fgivn wr it nt ɖt fevrz t frendz z ɖ evride modus operandi fr Boris Jonsn. Bt bfr a liṭni v hiz sivic śem, pōz hir t injô ɖs, ɖ fōrwrd h rout t ɖ miṇstirịl cod: “Ɖr mst b no bŭliyñ n no haṛsmnt; no līcñ; no brīć v c’lectiv rsponsbiḷti. No msys v taxpeyr muni n no acćl or psivd conflicts v inṭrest. Ɖ preśs prínsiplz v public lîf inśrînd in ɖs dokmnt – integṛti, objctivti, acǎntbiḷti, trnspaṛnsi, oṇsti n līdrśp in ɖ public inṭrest – mst b onrd at ol tîmz; az mst ɖ p’liticl imparśiaḷti v ǎr mć admîrd sivl srvis.” Ha!
Alix Aḷn flt it imposbl t ste on az ɖ prim̦inistr’z ofiśl advîzr on ɖt cod, aftr hiz fîndñ agnst ɖ homsecṛtri, Priti Ptel, fr bŭliyñ wz rjctd. Nr cd Joṇʈn Jǒnz rmen az prṃnnt secṛtri t ɖ guvnmnt līgl dpartmnt ẃl Jonsn brouc inṭnaśnl lw wɖ ɖ intrnl-marcit bil. Oltgɖr, undr Jonsn six prṃnnt secṛtriz hv gn – nt so prṃnnt in ɖs reźīm.
Ɖ Gd Lw Project nǎ olso sīcs a jdiśl rvy intu ɖ Gardịn’z reṿleśn v a £564,000 contract fr opińnpoulñ, gvn wɖt tndr t Doṃnic Cumñz’ clos ćum Rećl Wlf, hu corout ɖ 2019 Tori parti maṇfsto. Ẃt an îṛni ɖt in hr Dǎnñ Strīt dez ś pland fr ol sivl srvnts t fes constnt xamz t gard agnst a culćr ẃr “evrwn rîzz t ɖer pziśn v incompitns”. Yt ś wz pt t no tst, nt īvn besic tnḍrñ fr a fat contract.
Ɖ Súnde Tîmz rvilz ɖt Lord Udni-Listr, az depyti mẹr v Lundn undr Jonsn, hlpt apruv £4bn v proṗtiscīmz fr dveḷprz – n wɖn munʈs v līvñ ofis wnt on t wrc fr ɖm. Az Dǎnñ Strīt stṛtījic advîzr last yir, h steid on ɖer pêrolz, ɖo ɖs wz in cmplayns wɖ codz v conduct.
In a blast at Tōriz “rîf wɖ conflicts v inṭrest”, Rećl Rīvz, ɖ śado cabiṇt-ofis ministr, md a “sác Srco” plej ɖt Lebr wd rtrn prîṿt contracts t ɖ public sectr. Yt it sīmz nʈñ śemz ɖs guvnmnt. Ɖ Naśnl Ōdit Ofis z a fîn insttyśn fr ćecñ on fnanśl integṛti n valy fr muni. Bt, ɖo it faund ɖt biznis ǒnrz wɖ p’liticl tîz t ɖ Tōriz wr gvn hî-prîoṛti steṭs ovr pandemic contracts, it hz no mśīṇri t fors a guvnmnt ɖt dz’nt gv a dám t act on ɖz fîndñz. Ẃć līvz ɖ public-spiṛtd crǎdfundrz v ɖ Gd Lw Project az a last stand agnst c’lapsñ sivic integṛti. Olɖo, az Hancoc tld ɖ BBC’z Andru Mar, h dz’nt īvn cer ɖt h’z brocn ɖ lw.
Ɖ cmiśnr fr public apôntmnts, Pītr Ridél, ol tù rerli mcs public protests, bt rīsntli h rouz p agnst “unreğletd apôntmnts”, sć az ɖt v Tori pir Dîdo Hardñ t hed ɖ ceotic tst-n-tres program. Last wīc ɖ hlʈ dpartmnt’s ǒn evidns śoud ɖ £22bn ś hz spent hd hd a “reḷtivli smōl” ifct. Ridél olso pṛtstd agnst stact inṭvy panlz: utrli unqoḷfaid xTori MP Jemz Ẃartn wz apôntd hed v ɖ Ofis fr Stydnts bî a s’lex́npanl dvôd v hayr-edyceśn xprts.
For nonixektiv d’rectrz apôntd az “indpndnts” t oṿsi Mîcl Gov’z Cabiṇt Ofis r ol Gov alîz, includñ Gīẓla Stywt v hiz Vot Līv clan. Acordñ t a rīsnt srve, mor ɖn haf v ol dīpartmntl-bōrd apôntmnts, far fṛm biyñ indipndnt ǎtsîdrz, r speśl advîzrz n clos p’liticl alîz.
Ridél lobd a wornñ at brīfñz ɖt ɖ Ofcom ćer wl g t ɖ formr Meil editr-in-ćīf Pōl Dêcr, a man rebidli bayst agnst ɖ BBC, jujz, Yṛp n mîgṛnts, t nem jst a fy. Ćanslr Riśi Sŭnac’s gd ćum, ɖ Tori donr Rićd Śarp, wz md BBC ćer. Ẃ no invstgeśn intu cḿṇtizsecṛtri Roḅt Jenric’s impropr iniśl inṭvnśn t hlp Tori donr Rićd Dezmnd avôd tax ovr a £1bn planñbid? Nt onli ɖs, bt pacñ ɖ Lordz wɖ donrz z ɖ Putinesc ny norml.
Nt sins ɖ 1853 Norʈcot-Tṛvełn sivl srvis rformz hz a guvnmnt so impydntli n dfayntli ignord apôntmntsprínsiplz. Hd Lebr cmitd eni v ɖz ǎtrejz, ɖ Tori pres wd hv hǎndd it t deʈ. Rmembr Jenifr Arcuri, Jonsn’z “clos frend”, gvn £100,000 fṛm hiz Lundn meṛl fund n invîtd on ptnṣ́li lūcṛtiv tredmiśnz? Ɖ Indipndnt Ofis fr P’līs Conduct faund ɖt ɖ ofisrz mcñ dsiźnz on sponsrśp n tred miśnz ń v ɖs rleśnśp, “n ɖs inflụnst ɖer dsiźn-mcñ”. Imajin f ɖt wr Cir Starmr.
Clīn dmocṛsiz r dfînd bî hǎ wel ɖe gard agnst ɖer līdrz feṿrñ faṃli n frendz. Bt ɖ esns v ćumocṛsi runz far dīpr. Ppl instñtivli apônt ɖer ǒn cnd: “merit” tndz t b spotd onli in ɖoz hu tōc, ʈnc n b’liv lîc ɖoz dwñ ɖ ćuzñ. In a wîld blog, Doṃnic Cumñz pritndd t brec ǎt v ɖs stretjacit, cōlñ fr “sūpr-talntd wirdoz” wɖ “jenyin cogṇtiv dvrṣti”. Bt no, hiz ramḅlñ job ad rqîrd īc̣nomics grajụts wɖ “an ǎtstandñ record at a gret yṇvrṣti”: h wz a prins amñ trîbl ćum’pôntrz.
Brecñ ɖ spirit v fevṛtizm z f’rośsli hard: ẃn I wz at ɖ BBC, a vałnt atmt wz md t rcrūt rw taḷnt ǎtsd top grajụts wɖ maṇkrd hinṭlandz. Adz, līflits n noṭsz wr postd in herdresrz, pubz, McDoṇld’z, moscs, tmplz n on busz: no nem, edyceśn or xpirịns, jst rait t s wɖ yr program îdīaz. Ʈǎzndz aplaid.
Ẃn ɖz hd bn ẃitld dǎn t 30, ɖ dis’pôntd s’lectrz faund ɖe hd mnli pict îdnticl top grajụt tîps. Bî instñt, unconśsli, ɖe ćouz ɖ cnd hu rout lîc ɖm, ʈt lîc ɖm. Unconśs-bays corsz hlp s unḍstand inbilt preɉdisz, bt iradcetñ it fṛm dīp wɖn z far hardr.
Dy proses in public apôntmnts matrz nt jst fr gd guvnmnt, bt bcz it sets a bnćmarc v fer implômnt. Neṗtizm stncs az badli az awordñ contracts t VIP palz: gloriyñ in bʈ, ɖ guvnmnt, rotñ fṛm ɖ hed, spredz ɖ stenć v c’rupśn ʈru evrʈñ it tućz.
Fṛm ɖ onset v ɖ Covid-19 pandemic olmst wn yir ago, it wz clir ɖt ǎr wrld fest far mor ɖn a public-hlʈ imrjnsi. Ɖ bigist inṭnaśnl crîsis in jeṇreśnz qcli morft intu an ic̣nomic n sośl crîsis. Wn yir on, anɖr starc fact z trajicli evidnt: ǎr wrld z fesñ a pandemic v hymn-rîts abysz.
Covid-19 hz dīpnd priixistñ dvîdz, vulnṛbiḷtiz n iniqoḷtiz, n opnd p ny fracćrz, includñ fōltlînz in hymn rîts. Ɖ pandemic hz rvild ɖ inṭcnctidnis v ǎr hymn faṃli – n v ɖ fl spectṛm v hymn rîts: sivl, culćṛl, ic̣nomic, p’liticl n sośl. Ẃn enwn v ɖz rîts z undr atac, uɖrz r at risc.
Ɖ vîṛs hz ʈrîvd bcz poṿti, dscriṃneśn, ɖ dstrux́n v ǎr naćṛl invîrnmnt n uɖr hymn rîts fełrz hv crietd inorṃs fṛjiḷtiz in ǎr ssaytiz. Ɖ lîvz v hundṛdz v miłnz v faṃliz hv bn trnd upsîd-dǎn – wɖ lost jobz, cruśñ dét n stīp fōlz in incm.
Frunt-lîn wrcrz, ppl wɖ dis’biḷtiz, oldr ppl, wimin, grlz n mnoṛtiz hv bn ispeṣ́li hard hit. In a matr v munʈs, progres on jndr iqoḷti hz bn set bac decedz. Most isnśl frunt-lîn wrcrz r wimin, n in mni cuntriz r ofn fṛm reṣ́li n eʈnicli marjṇlîzd grūps.
Most v ɖ incrist brdn v cer in ɖ hom z tecn on bî wimin. Vayḷns agnst wimin n grlz in ol formz hz roc̣td, fṛm onlîn abys t dmestic vayḷns, traf̣cñ, sx́l xplôteśn n ćîldmarij.
Xtrim poṿti z rîzñ fr ɖ frst tîm in decedz. Yuñ ppl r struġlñ, ǎt v scūl n ofn wɖ liṃtd axes t tecnoḷji.
Ɖ lêtist moṛl ǎtrej z ɖ fełr t enśur eqti in vax̣neśn ef̣ts. Jst 10 cuntriz hv administrd mor ɖn 75% v ol Covid-19 vaxīnz. Mnẃl, mor ɖn 130 cuntriz hv nt rsivd a sngl dos.
F ɖ vîṛs z alaud t spred lîc wîldfîr in parts v ɖ globl sǎʈ, it wl ḿtet agn n agn. Ny verịnts cd bcm mor trnzmisbl, mor dedli n ptnṣ́li ʈretn ɖ ifctivnis v cuṛnt vaxīnz n dạgnostics. Ɖs cd pṛloñ ɖ pandemic sgnificntli, ineḅlñ ɖ vîṛs t cm bac t pleg ɖ globl norʈ – n dle ɖ wrld’z ic̣nomic rcuṿri.
Ɖ vîṛs z olso infctñ p’liticl n sivl rîts, n frɖr śrincñ sivic spes. Yzñ ɖ pandemic az a prītxt, oʈoṛtiz in sm cuntriz hv dploid hevi-handd s’kṛti-rsponsz n imrjnsimeźrz t cruś dsnt, crimiṇlîz besic frīdmz, sîḷns indipndnt rportñ n rstrict ɖ activtiz v nongovnmntl orġnîześnz.
Hymn-rîts dfndrz, jrṇlists, loyrz, p’liticl acṭvists – īvn medicl pṛfeśnlz – hv bn dtend, proṣktd n sbjctd t intiṃdeśn n sveḷns fr criṭsîzñ guvnmnt-rsponsz t ɖ pandemic. Pandemic-rletd rstrix́nz hv bn yzd t sbvrt ilectṛl prosesz n wìcn opziśnvôsz.
At tîmz, axes t lîf-sevñ Covid-19 inf̣meśn hz bn cnsild ẃl dedli misinf̣meśn hz bn ampḷfaid – īvn bî ɖoz in pǎr.
Xtrimists – includñ ẃît sūpreṃsists n nioNatsiz – hv xplôtd ɖ pandemic t būst ɖer rancs ʈru sośl poḷrîześn n p’liticl n culćṛl mnipyleśn.
Ɖ pandemic hz olso md pīs ef̣ts mor dificlt, cnstrenñ ɖ abiḷti t conduct ngośieśnz, xaṣbetñ hymaṇterịn nīdz n unḍmainñ progres on uɖr conflict-rletd hymn-rîts ćaḷnjz.
Covid-19 hz riinforst tū funḍmntl truɖz abt hymn rîts. Frst, hymn-rîts vạleśnz harm s ol. Secnd, hymn rîts r yṇvrsl n pṛtct s ol.
An ifctiv rspons t ɖ pandemic mst b best on soḷdaṛti n cooṗreśn. Dvîsiv aproćz, oʈoṛterịnizm n naśṇlizm mc no sns agnst a globl ʈret. Wɖ ɖ pandemic śînñ a spotlît on hymn rîts, rcuṿri pṛvîdz an oṗtyṇti t jeṇret m’mntm fr transfmeśn. T s’xid, ǎr aproćz mst hv a hymn-rîts lénz.
Ɖ ssteṇbl-dveḷpmnt golz – ẃć r unḍpind bî hymn rîts – pṛvîd ɖ fremwrc fr mor inclūsiv n ssteṇbl icoṇmiz n ssaytiz, includñ ɖ impeṛtiv v hlʈcer fr evrwn.
Ɖ rcuṿri mst olso rspct ɖ rîts v fyćr jeṇreśnz, inhansñ clîṃt ax́n t aćiv carbnńtraḷti bî 2050 n pṛtctñ bîoḍvrṣti. Mî Cōl t Ax́n fr Hymn Rîts spelz ǎt ɖ sntṛl rǒl v hymn rîts in crîsis-rspons, jndr iqoḷti, public ptiṣpeśn, clîṃtjustis n ssteṇbl dveḷpmnt.
Ɖs z nt a tîm t nglect hymn rîts; it z a tîm ẃn, mor ɖn evr, hymn rîts r nīdd t naṿget ɖs crîsis in a we ɖt wl alǎ s t ziro in on aćivñ inclūsiv n ssteṇbl dveḷpmnt n lastñ pīs.
W r ol in ɖs tgɖr. Ɖ vîṛs ʈretnz evrwn. Hymn rîts uplift evrwn. Bî rspctñ hymn rîts in ɖs tîm v crîsis, w wl bild mor ifctiv n eqtbl s’luśnz fr ɖ imrjnsi v tde n ɖ rcuṿri fr tmoro.
I am cnvinst it z poṣbl – f w r dtrmind n wrc tgɖr.
Ɖr hv bn tîmz in ɖ past 10 yirz, Hasan Acad sz, ɖt hiz lîf hz flt mor lîc a muvi. Ʈncñ ɖt oceźṇli cept him sen – n, mor importnt, cept him gwñ.
Acad’z wōc-on part in wrld ivnts bgan in 2011, ẃn az a yuñ Ñgliś tīćr h pt himslf in ɖ frunt-lîn v Aṛb sprñ dmocṛsiprotests in hiz netiv Siria. H wz bìtn n impriznd bî ɖ reźīm – n at wn pônt gvn a fes-t-fes ōdịns wɖ Baśar al-Asad, hiz torćrr, t plīd hiz ces. Hvñ fled Dmasc̣s in fir v hiz lîf jrñ ɖ sivl wor, Acad bcem fr ʈri yirz wn v ɖoz 12 mił̣n “dsplest prsnz” srćñ fr a hom on ɖ six o’cloc nyz. Unflinćñ camṛfon clips v hiz loñ jrni t Britn – clññ t a sncñ ppl-smuglr dngi of ɖ cǒst v Trci, en route t ɖ “Jungl” in Calais – md ɖ most vivid n afctñ ftij v ɖ BBC’s Bafta-winñ X’ds: Ǎr Jrni t Yṛp siriz.
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Acad’z impṛvîzd spīć wz instṛmntl in anɖr v ɖ prîm̦inistr’z mumbld U-trnz ɖ folowñ de
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Ɖ lêtist act in Acad’z Odisịn lîf involvd anɖr slf-md vidio. Hvñ tecn a job az a clīnr in a Covid-19 word at hiz locl hospitl, Wips Cros in īst Lundn, at ɖ start v ɖ pandemic, in Me, Acad md a hart-flt filmd adres t Boris Jonsn. H spouc, clos t tirz, intu hiz camṛfon at ɖ end v anɖr drenñ śift. Ɖ impṛvîzd spīć, md on bhaf v ɖoz imigṛnt NHS wrcrz śemf̣li xcludd fṛm ɖ guvnmnt’s b’rivmntcompnseśn scīm n forst t pe a prīmịm t yz ɖ hospitlz ɖe wr riscñ ɖer lîvz t cīp aflot, wz d’recli instṛmntl in anɖr v ɖ prîm̦inistr’z mumbld U-trnz ɖ folowñ de.
Sitñ in ɖ śerd gardn v hiz flat last wīc, Acad wz wunḍrñ ẃt ɖ script v hiz lîf mt involv nxt. H lafs abt ɖ mor sriyl aspects v hiz rīsnt profîl: ɖ fact ɖt ɖ pop star Dua Lipa hd ćozn him az hr naśnl hiro in GQ in Jūn; hiz imośnl apiṛns bfr Pírz Morgn on Gd Mornñ Britn ɖt nt onli hlpt t fyl ɖ £35,000 h rezd fr ɖ St Barʈoḷmy’z hospitl ćaṛti, bt sīmd instṛmntl in Morgn’z rīsnt incongrụs soulsrćñ (“W cn ol b betr ppl aftr ɖs, Hasan. I d nt xclud mslf. I ʈnc it’s bròt so mć pspctiv, I riyli d”). F Captin Tom hd bn Morgn’z gost v Crisṃs Past, Acad, ejd 32, sīmd t repriznt t him a viźn v a cîndr, mor inclūsiv fyćr.
Ɖ de bfr w met, Acad hd postd a picćr on Twitr v hiz śîni ny membrśp-card fr ɖ Lebr parti. H hz bn ʈncñ, h sz, abt yzñ hiz ynīc vantij on ɖs cuntri – n hiz ingejñ eḷqns in hiz secnd lanḡj – t d smʈñ in poḷtics. Spend an aur or tū in hiz cumṗni, n I wd dfî y nt t fīl lîc printñ līflits n nocñ dorz on hiz bhaf. Acad arîvd in Britn in 2015 in tîm t witnis – n dsper v – Nîjl Farāj’z “Brecñpônt” ref̣rendmpostr. Ɖ imajinri d’rectr v hiz bîopic wd d wel t rzrv ɖt sem spes fr a campenbilbōrd in a fyćr ilex́n: vot Hasan Acad fr a Britn y mt b prǎd v agn.
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Hasan Acad in ɖ BBC dokmntri X’ds – mć v ɖ ftij wz śot on hiz fon. Foṭgraf: Hasan Acad
It gz wɖt seyñ ɖt h wontd nn v ɖs drama. W tōc frst in ɖ súnśîn – acrs a gardntebl on tū nacrd ćerz, srǎndd bî ɖ stīp rir eḷveśnz v Edwordịn teṛsz – abt ɖ importns v gd nebrz. Growñ p in Dmasc̣s, ẃr hiz faɖr hd a pītṣresṭront, Acad ń evrwn on hiz strīt. In Leiṭnston, h hz onli riyli got t ćat t hiz nebrz sins Covid-19. Evrwn mîndd ɖer ǒn biznis hir, h sz, bt, haṗli, post clap-fr-cerrz, ɖt hz ćenjd. “I ʈnc it z importnt t hv nebrz az frendz,” h sz. H hz frɖr xtndd ɖt hand v hosṗtaḷti bî voḷntirñ at hiz locl fūdbanc, ẃr nīd hz tripld, dwñ drop-ofs fr ɖoz hu sudnli hv no incm or r śīldñ.
Ɖ sośl-îṣleśn Scîp-habits v locdǎn hv loñ bn hiz riaḷti. Hiz imīɉt faṃli ol left Siria – hiz peṛnts fećt p in ɖ YAE, hiz bruɖr hz bn in Yemn wrcñ fr ɖ Wrld Fūdprogram – n ɖe hv’nt bn undr ɖ sem rūf fr et yirz. Unclz n cuznz rmen in Dmasc̣s, ẃr ɖ icoṇmi hz c’lapst n ɖr z an ǎtbrec v c’roṇvîṛs, ẃć ɖ guvnmnt ignorz. A cupl v dez ago Acad wz on ɖ fon wɖ a frend bac hom huz dad hd daid v ɖ vîṛs. “N in ɖ deʈs’tifc̣t, ɖe sd ‘luñ dziz’, nt Covid. Īvn in tîmz v pandemic, az w nǒ, propganda plez a big rǒl.”
Acad iniṣ́li rspondd t ɖ rcrūtmntdrîv fr clīnñ n porṭrñ staf at Wips Cros hospitl, 10 minits p ɖ rod, bcz h flt h nīdd t ple hiz part in ɖ imrjnsi. Ɖr wz a śortij v staf bcz so mni NHS wrcrz wr fōlñ il. Ẃn h bgan, 90% v ɖ admiśnz wr Covid-19 peśnts. H hz bn dtend in Sirịn jelz, bt īvn so, h sz: “I d’nt ʈnc I hv evr bn az scerd wōcñ intu a bildñ az I wz ɖt frst de in Epril. Bac ɖen ɖ levl v unsrtnti wz vri hî.”
Hiz Britiś Gāneyn bos, Alḅt, hu hd wrct ɖ word fr 15 yirz, bcem hiz mêt. Ɖe wd arîv at sevn in ɖ mornñ, gt intu ɖer scrubz n ɖen gt t wrc disinfctñ evrʈñ y cd si, “ol ɖ hotspots, ɖ lît swićz, ɖ tôḷts n ɖ bedfremz v ɖ peśnts, sm v hūm wr dayñ”. H wz dwñ et aurz a de, fîv dez a wīc, ɖen cmñ hom t hiz flat hir n steyñ pt, nt īvn riscñ gwñ t ɖ śops.
In ɖ cors v hiz wrc, Acad startd t tec picćrz v hiz colīgz, ẃć apird in an articl h rout fr P’liṭco maġzīn. Hiz frendśp md ɖ nrsz n ɖ clīnrz cm alîv on ɖ pej. “W wr 18 ppl on ɖ wordz, n w cem fṛm 12 cuntriz,” h sz. Ẃt sstend ɖm wz ɖ ćats ɖt ɖe wd hv jrñ brecs. Hiz frend n colīg Gimba, ɖ wordhost, wd mc hr sigṇćr Nîjirịn jolof rîs n bost abt it ovr lunć; Acad wd mc ɖ cǎnṭarğmnt fr hŭṃs n faḷfél.
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Wn v hiz colīgz ‘bustd hiz śoldr’ wɖ ɖ intnṣti v ɖ clīnñdmandz on ɖ Covid-19 word
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“W wr trayñ t dstract ǎrslvz fṛm ẃt w wr siyñ, bcz ɖ riaḷti wz qt horid,” h sz. Gimba cntractd Covid-19; Alḅt, hu z 52, “bustd hiz śoldr” wɖ ɖ intnṣti v ɖ clīnñ dmandz. Ɖ stres fr ol v ɖm wz md wrs bî wîdr p’liticl fṛstreśn. Acad rmembrz gwñ t wrc ɖ mornñ ɖt ɖ guvnmnt dsîdd t xclud ɖ faṃliz v NHS clīnrz n portrz fṛm its b’rivmntcompnseśn scīm, n ɖ prîm̦inistr, rīsntli ǎt v hospitl, argyd ɖt ɖ minimm-wej imigṛnt wrcrz hu wr cīpñ ɖ Covid-19 wordz gwñ wd cntiny t pe a £400 srćarj t yz ɖ NHS ɖmslvz. “Ẃn I arîvd ɖt de, evrwn flt cmplitli btreid, stabd in ɖ bac,” Acad sz. H spent hiz śift unebl t ʈnc v enʈñ bt ɖ injustis v ɖt poḷsi. Ẃn h sat in hiz car lêtr, n tōct intu hiz foncamra, h let ɖoz fṛstreśnz ǎt. “Ɖr wz ɖs fīlñ, tù: I hv cm fṛm Siria; ɖz r nt ʈñz I wd xpct t incǎntr hir.”
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Acad wz wn v a tīm v 14 clīnrz disinfctñ Covid wordz at Wips Cros hospitl in īst Lundn – 10 v hūm wr imigṛnts. Foṭgraf: Twitr @Hasan_Acad
I wundr ẃ h ʈncs hiz inṭvnśn pruvd so ifctiv; ɖ prîm̦inistr nvr hd ɖ gres t rspond t him d’recli – “I’m nt Marc̣s Raśf̣d” – bt ɖ poḷsi wz olmst imīɉ̣tli rvrst.
“I ʈnc partli bcz yẓ́li refyjīz – Sirịnz – r at ɖ rsivñ end v hymaṇterịn ax́n. So ẃn I am dwñ ɖs, n rezñ £35,000 fr Barts trust, ɖe ʈnc it’s ɖ roñ we rnd.” H rjcts ɖt psivd contṛdix́n. H spouc p fr hymn rîts in Siria. Ẃ gv p nǎ h hz faund a hom hir? “In mî xpirịns ɖ ppl ɖt gt xcludd fṛm hlp r olwz ɖ most vulnṛbl,” h sz. “In ɖs ces ɖ clīnrz n portrz.”
Acad tld Pírz Morgn, wɖ sm oʈoṛti, ɖt eni propr hymn biyñ z ćenjd bî crîsis. Lcñ bac, h îdnṭfîz ɖ Aṛb sprñ az ɖ momnt ɖt riyli śept him. F hiz faṃli hd p’liticl dscuśnz bfr ɖt, it wz olwz bhnd clozd dorz. “F y md a prîṿt joc abt ɖ reźīm n it got ǎt, ɖr wd b consiqnsz.” At ɖ ej v 12, Acad hd bn forst t jôn ɖ rūlñ Baaʈ parti, wer its militri yṇform t scūl, rsît its slognz “yṇti, frīdm n soṣ́lizm” n t crs “Zaynizm n impirịlizm” – ɖo h dd nt unḍstand ẃt eni v ɖz wrdz mnt. “Ɖ sem yir w wr tecn t a fīld n tòt t śūt a rîfl,” h sz. “Siria wz a rić cuntri bt ol v ɖ muni wnt t ɖ Asad reźīm n ɖer alîz.”
H studid Ñgliś bt most bcs wr bánd. A trnñpônt fr him wz rīdñ a memwar cōld Ɖ Śel, ritn bî a Sirịn Crisćn cōld Mstafa Calīfa. Ɖ bc dscrîbd hǎ Calīfa hd bn roñf̣li arestd n torćrd in ɖ ntorịs sīcrit srvis prizn in Palmira. “Mî cuzn wz in ɖt prizn at ɖ sem tîm,” Acad sz. “Ɖt memwar bcem mî Bîbl. Wns I hd réd it I cd nt hv mî saṇti n liv wɖ a reźīm lîc ɖt.”
Unlîc mni v ɖ dmocṛsipṛtstrz, left wɖ nʈñ t lūz in 2011, Acad wz dwñ wel fr himslf. H wz tīćñ Ñgliś n dwñ fotgrafic asînmnts in hiz sper tîm, rnñ £2,000 a munʈ, mor ɖn hiz faɖr wz wɖ hiz resṭront. H hd a car n wz abt t pt dǎn a dpozit on a flat. Ol ɖt ćenjd wɖ ɖ arest n torćr v 15 ćildṛn in ɖ siti v Daṛā, hu hd alejidli ritn anti-Asad slognz on a wōl, ɖ ivnt ɖt trigrd ɖ sivl wor in Siria. “Y cd nt hír ɖt stori n nt gt involvd,” h sz. “Ɖe cd hv bn mî stydnts, 13, 14 yirz old. N ɖ sīcrit p’līs hd pld ǎt ɖer fngrnêlz. Ɖt wz ɖ start fr m.”
Protest wz liḅretñ fr a ẃl, bt ɖ rspons wz brūtl. Acad filmd ɖ demnstreśnz n postd ɖm onlîn. Ɖ frst tîm h wz dtend n bìtn bî ɖ s’kṛtisrṿsz, bʈ v Acad’z armz wr brocn wɖ ayn barz az h traid t pṛtct hiz fes; hiz ribz n legz wr smaśt. Nt loñ aftr h wz rlist fṛm cusṭdi, h wz cōld in t mīt Asad.
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I wnt t Asad’z palis oṇstli ʈncñ I wz ɖ prsn hu cd ćenj hiz mînd
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“Apaṛntli h hd hŕd mî stori – I wrct in a scūl wɖ sm qt ilit cidz. So h asct m t mīt him at hiz palis.” H smîlz, śecs hiz hed. “I wnt ɖr oṇstli ʈncñ I wz ɖ prsn hu cd ćenj hiz mînd. I sd: ‘F I spīc oṇstli wl I b alaud t g bac hom tde?’ n h sd yes. So I tld him bluntli abt ɖ sstemic torćr v hiz reźīm, n ɖt I hd livd ɖt xpirịns. I tld him abt hǎ h wz mcñ eṇmiz v a jeṇreśn. I ʈnc y śd olwz spīc truʈ t pǎr. Bt I asym ɖt wz ẃt léd t mî secnd pirịd v dtnśn…”
Ɖr r parts v ɖt xpirịns ɖt Acad fîndz tù hard t ʈnc abt. H wz plest in an unḍgrǎnd sél tū mītrz sqer, n tld h wd b ɖr fr evr. Ɖr wr scraćz n marcs on ɖ wōlz fṛm priznrz hu hd bn ɖr bfr him. H wz rlist aftr tū wīcs, bt ɖ ifct wz wrs ɖn ɖ fizicl bìtñz. “Ẃn y r on a jrni t gt smẃr, az I wz, y hold a lot insd; bt ẃn y gt t ɖ ples, ɖ imośnl scarz, undr ɖ scarz v ɖ torćr, ɖe srfis.” In Britn h wz dạgnozd wɖ complex PTSD, bt mntl hlʈ hd nt bn tōct abt mć at hom. “Y r sudnli stuc wɖ ɖs ʈñ y hv no vcabyḷri fr,” h sz. “I litṛli hd t Gūgl stuf t fînd ǎt ẃt wz gwñ on in mî hed.”
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In a slfi wɖ hiz Bafta fr bst facćl siriz or strand, fr X’ds.
Wrcñ in ɖ NHS in ɖ past munʈs hz, h sjsts, hlpt him t axes sm v ɖt trōma proprli fr ɖ frst tîm – “ɖ hospitl wz intiṃdetñ bt olso odli impǎrñ in sm wez,” h sz. Hvñ sìn ɖ wrst v hymaṇti, h nǎ sw sm v ɖ bst amñ hiz colīgz. “I witnist a lot v ppl dî, bt olso a lot rcuvr n g hom t ɖer luvd wnz, n I pleid a smōl rǒl in mcñ ɖt hapn.” Ɖt smōl sns v ejnsi, īvn in ɖ crîsis, cntrastd wɖ a deced in ẃć ɖ xtrim srcmstansz v hiz lîf hd ofn bn bynd hiz cntrol. “I cem ǎt v wrcñ at ɖ hospitl ebl t tel ppl ɖt I am nt a victim,” h sz.
H hz, lîc ol refyjīz, bn asct t cari ɖt lebl wɖ him acrs Yṛp. “Ppl olwz wont t si y az sm simbl v pen,” h sz. “Fr xampl, it boɖrd m ɖt mî frendz wd’nt tel m t pis of f I wz biyñ iṛtetñ, or ẃtvr.” Ppl wd îɖr piti him, or pijnhoul him, or bʈ. H dz nt fīl h wz proprli creḍtd or compnsetd fr ɖ BBC X’ds film – h sz h rsivd no pemnt fr ɖ fîv aurz v ftij h handd ovr – n hz bn dtrmind t lrn fṛm ɖt xpirịns.
H wonts oṗtyṇti, nt simṗʈi. “Ẃn I postd ɖt hospitlvidio, evri pṛdux́ncumṗni on ɖ fes v ɖ Rʈ cntactd m, ascñ m t b involvd in ɖer Covid dokmntri,” h sz, “bt olwz az a cntribytr, nvr az a c’laḅretr.” Instd h aproćt ɖ hospitltrust t asc f h cd d sm filmñ, aftr hiz śift wz ovr, n h z nǎ mcñ a film v hiz ǒn, “Nt abt peśnts bt abt [hiz] tīm ɖt wrct fr ɖ NHS.”
H hz, in ɖ sem spirit, olso startd raitñ a memwar, n hz a contract wɖ Pan Mcmiḷn. “I wont ppl hu rīd it nt t crî bt t campen,” h sz.
Ɖt wz part v ɖ impuls ɖt léd him t rcord ɖ dītel v hiz xpirịns v mîgreśn, īvn az h cem clos t drǎnñ. Dd ɖt storitelr’z instñt olso hlp t cīp him wn step rmuvd fṛm ɖ madnis?
“I cd oṗret a camra, I cd spīc Ñgliś, so I hd priṿlijz ovr most v ɖ ppl,” h sz. “Bt īvn ẃn ǎr bot wz tecñ in wōtr n abt t snc, ɖ camra pṛtctd m in a we.” Biyñ an obzrvr gev him smʈñ t ʈnc abt, tc him ǎt v ɖ riaḷti jst a litl.
Phps az a rzult h sīmz rmarcbli slf’wer. Hǎ mć dz h ʈnc h wz ćenjd bî ɖ xpirịnsz h hd on ɖ rod?
“I vy ɖ wrld we mor sinicli, in sm wez,” h sz, “bt I am olso gretfl fr aspects v ẃt hapnd. I wz ɖs cid in Dmasc̣s wɖ qt a nîs lîf, bt I wz’nt olwz nîs. I wz a bit resist smtmz, a bit clasist. So it hz bn an edyceśn. I svîvd on fūdparslz in Calais, so I nǒ ẃt ɖt z lîc. I slept in a parc fr 10 dez wɖ no tnt or slīpñbag, biyñ atact bî sìgulz. I riyli het sìgulz.” Aftr mbi 50 feld atmts t gt on a lori acrs ɖ Ćanl, h ivnć̣li manijd t gt on a flît t Hīʈro wɖ a fec pasport, n t clem asîḷm.
F h hz rgrets, ɖe r larjli abt ɖ añzaytiz h hz cōzd hiz muɖr. Ẃl h wz jrniyñ acrs Yṛp, ɖr wd b loñ gaps in contact, ptiklrli aftr h lost ol hiz b’loññz in ɖ sìcrosñ. “I olwz apoḷjîz t mî mum fr ẃt I hv pt hr ʈru,” h sz. Ẃn h got ɖ job at Wips Cros h snt hr a foto in fl PPI, xplenñ h hd startd t wrc in ɖ Covid-19 word. “V cors y hv,” ś rout in rplî. Hiz peṛnts r prǎd v hiz campenñ, bt ɖe r nt ebl t gt a vīza t vizit him. Ẃt h strugld wɖ most in ɖ hospitl, h sz, “wz woćñ ppl se gdbî t ɖer luvd wnz on Scîp – nwn śd hv t dî on ɖer ǒn”.
Ẃ, I wundr, lcñ bac, wz h so stubnli dtrmind t cm hir n nt elsẃr in Yṛp? H smîlz. “I hd studid Ñgliś litṛćr n I ʈt v Lundn az ɖ sntr v dmocṛsi n hymn rîts,” h sz. “Hvñ livd in a ttaḷterịn cuntri fr tū decedz v mî lîf, I wontd t liv smẃr ɖt I cd b fri.” H woćt ɖ film Brevhart 10 tîmz bac in Siria; ɖt Wiłm Wolis crî v “Frīdm!” steid wɖ him.
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Ɖs z a dluźnl dmocṛsi, ẃr ppl r laid t, n vot fr ɖ layrz
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H mt, h admits nǎ, hv bn cerfl ẃt h wśt fr – t ɖ xtnt ɖt h z no longr srtn h īvn wonts t ste hir bynd nxt yir. “Fr smwn fṛm Siria, ɖ crīpñ oʈoṛterịnizm z qt vivid hir nǎ,” h sjsts. “Contracts gwñ t guvnmntcroniz; poḷtiśnz brecñ ɖ rūlz n nt fesñ consiqnsz; ɖs dluźnl dmocṛsi ẃr ppl r laid t, n vot fr ɖ layrz.”
Ẃn h md hiz stand abt ɖ NHS, h dd so in ɖ nolij ɖt in Marć v nxt yir hiz vīza xpîrz n h hz t aplî fr indefiṇt līv t rmen. “I wz wurid abt ptñ mslf ǎt ɖr. Evrwn z añśs ɖt ɖe wl ćenj ol ɖ sitiznśp rūlz agn aftr Brexit.” N ɖen, wɖ krioṣti: “I’m an ǎtsîdr hir. I woć ẃt z haṗnñ, n I’m lîc: z ɖr evr a tîm ẃn ɖ Britiś gt ǎt n protest?”
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Wɖ Nol Fīldñ, Jemi Bñ, Stìvn Daldri, Jūd Lw n felo refyjī Ahmad Al-Raśid, dliṿrñ a letr t ɖ PM abt ɖ trītmnt v ćîld refyjīz. Foṭgraf: Linda Nîlind/Ɖ Gardịn
Nt ol Acad’z incǎntrz hv rflectd a hostîl invîrnmnt. H livd fr ɖ frst tū munʈs aftr arîvl in Hićin, Hartfdśr, on ɖ cǎć v a voḷntir h hd met in Calais. Ɖen h wz tecn in bî a faṃli wɖ a sper rūm in Brixtn. H got a job dwñ marc̣tñ wɖ a ćaṛti cōld ĆūzLuv (fr ẃć h olso rezd £50,000), n a ftogṛfr dwñ sm wrc fr ɖm hŕd hiz stori n gev him a camra, so h cd psy hiz ćozn ambiśn. “Ɖoz acts v jeṇroṣti r ẃt y nīd,” h sz, “n ɖe r ẃ I d ɖ wrc I d nǎ.”
Slǒli, wɖ ɖt hlp n ʈru hiz ǒn streñʈ v mînd, Lundn hz startd t fīl lîc hom. H hz a mntl map v feṿrit plesz – Brixtn, ɖ cnalz, Epñ Forist, Primroz Hil – n a tît netwrc v frendz. F ɖ imajinri d’rectr v hiz muvilîf hd a r’mantic endñ in mînd, hvr, ɖt ʈred hz bn ʈwortd bî locdǎn. Acad’z grlfrend z a felo eṃgre fṛm Siria, Farā, orijiṇli hir az a stydnt, huz faṃli hom in Dmasc̣s wz dstroid bî bomñ. Ɖe wr mnt t gt marid last munʈ in ɖ rejistr ofis in Leitnston, n hd hopt t ɖen gt ɖ faṃliz tgɖr in Jordn fr a seḷbreśn. F enwn z yst t upendd hops n unsrtnti, ɖo, it z Acad. “It wl hapn,” h sz, v ɖ lîf ɖe hv pland. “Bt v cors agn w wl hv t wêt.”
13 Marć 2020: de for v Ćlṭnm fstivl, 10 dez bfr locdǎn bgan in ɖ UK. Foṭgraf: Andru Maʈyz/PA
W r trapt in a loñ, darc tunl, ol v huz noun exits r bloct. Ɖr z no plōẓbl rùt ǎt v ɖ YC’z c’roṇvîṛs crîsis ɖt dz nt involv mas suf̣rñ n deʈ. F, az sm nyzpeprz n Cnsrvtiv MPz insist, ɖ guvnmnt īzz ɖ locdǎn ẃl ɖ pandemic z stl rejñ, ɖ ivnćl deʈtol cd b sevṛl tîmz gretr ɖn tde’z. F it dz’nt, n w spend ol ɖ worm munʈs v ɖ yir in cnfînmnt, ɖ impact on ǎr mntl n fizicl hlʈ, jobz n rleśnśps cd b caṭstrofic..
W hv bn tld rpitidli ɖt ɖ YC wz unpriperd fr ɖs pandemic. Ɖs z untru. Ɖ YC wz priperd, bt ɖen it dīpriperd. Last yir, ɖ Globl Hlʈs’kṛti Indx ranct ɖs neśn secnd in ɖ wrld fr pandemicredinis, ẃl ɖ YS wz frst. Brōdli spīcñ, in bʈ neśnz ɖ nesṣri sistmz wr in ples. Ǎr guvnmnts ćouz nt t yz ɖm.
Ɖ clîṃt moḍlr Jemz Ann hz yzd hiz aṇliticl meʈ̇dz t śo ẃt wd hv hapnd f ɖ YC guvnmnt hd impozd its locdǎn a wīc rlịr. Startñ it on 16 Marć, rɖr ɖn 23 Marć, hiz moḍlñ sjsts, wd bî nǎ hv sevd arnd 30,000 lîvz, rdysñ ɖ ret v ilnis n deʈ fṛm c’roṇvîṛs rufli bî a factr v fîv.
Bt īvn 16 Marć wd hv bn xtrordnṛli lêt. W nǎ nǒ ɖt guvnmntministrz wr tld on 11 Febrri ɖt ɖ vîṛs cd b caṭstrofic, n dsîsiv ax́n wz rjntli rqîrd. Instd, Boris Jonsn tld s t woś ǎr handz n “g abt ǎr norml dêli lîvz”.
Hd ɖ guvnmnt actd in Febrri, w cn haẓd a ges abt ẃt ɖ rzult wd hv bn, az ɖ wrld hz cnductd a clir cntrold xperimnt: weyñ Sǎʈ C’rīa, Tîwan n Ny Zīḷnd agnst ɖ YC, ɖ YS n Bṛzil. Sǎʈ C’rīa dd evrʈñ ɖ YC guvnmnt cd hv dn, bt rfyzd t implimnt. Its deʈ tol so far: 263. It stl hz an oceźnl clustr v infx́n, ẃć it promtli cntenz. Bî contrast, ɖ intîr YC z nǎ a clustr v infx́n.
Ẃl uɖr cuntriz îɖr clozd ɖer bordrz or qoṛntīnd ol arîvlz, in ɖ ʈri munʈs btwn ɖ imrjns v ɖ vîṛs n ɖ YC’z locdǎn, 18 miłn ppl arîvd on ɖz śorz, v hūm onli 273 wr qoṛntīnd. Īvn aftr ɖ locdǎn wz anǎnst, 95,000 ppl entrd ɖ YC wɖt adiśnl rstrix́nz. In fact, on 13 Marć, ɖ YC std dǎn īvn its ǒn gîdns, ẃć hd jntli rqstd travlrz fṛm Iṭli n Ćîna t slf-îṣlet. Ɖs dsiźn, tecn az uɖr neśnz wr stepñ p ɖer cntrolz, sīmz baf̣lñ.
Similrli, on 12 Marć, Jonsn abandnd bʈ cntenmnt n neśnwîd tstñ n tracñ. A wīc lêtr, ɖ steṭs v ɖ pandemic wz lowrd, ẃć mnt ɖt ɖ guvnmnt cd rdys ɖ standd v prsnl pṛtctiv iqipmnt rqîrd in hospitlz, n cd śift infx́s peśnts intu non-speṣ́list cer. Agn, ɖr wz no medicl or sạntific justif̣ceśn fr ɖs dsiźn.
X’sîz Sigṇs, a pandemicsiḿleśn cnductd in 2016, faund ɖt ɖ impact in cerhomz wd b caṭstrofic unls ny meźrz wr pt in ples. Ɖ guvnmnt insists ɖt it hīdd ɖ fîndñz v ɖs x’sîz n ćenjd its aproć acordñli. F ɖs z c’rect, bî alawñ untstd peśnts t b śiftd fṛm hospitlz t cerhomz, ẃl felñ t pṛvîd ɖ xtra s’port n iqipmnt ɖ homz nīdd n alawñ ejnsiwrcrz t muv frīli wɖn n btwn ɖm, it nwñli brīćt its ǒn proṭcolz. Tnz v ʈǎzndz v hîli vulnṛbl ppl wr xpozd t infx́n.
In uɖr wrdz, nn v ɖz r fełrz v nolij or cpaṣti. Ɖe r dīpreṗreśnz, conśs dsiźnz nt t act. Ɖe start t bcm xplicbl onli ẃn w rec̣gnîz ẃt ɖe hv in comn: a rfyzl t fruntlod ɖ costs. Ɖs rfyzl z comn in cuntriz huz guvnmnts feṭśîz ẃt w cōl “ɖ marcit”: ɖ yf̣mizm w yz fr ɖ pǎr v muni.
Jonsn’z guvnmnt, lîc ɖt v Doṇld Trump n Jair Bolsonaro, repriznts a ptiklr cnd v ic̣nomic inṭrest. Fr yirz poḷtiśnz v ɖer strîp hv bn in conflict wɖ ppl hu pform ysfl srṿsz: nrsz, tīćrz, cerwrcrz n ɖ uɖr lo-peid ppl hu cīp ǎr lîvz ticñ, huz atmts t orġnîz n s’kr betr pe n cndiśnz r dīṃnîzd bî ministrz n in ɖ mīdia.
Ɖs p’liticl conflict z olwz fòt on bhaf v ɖ sem grūp: ɖoz hu xtract wlʈ. Ɖ wor agnst ytiḷti z nesṣri f y wont t prîṿtîz public srṿsz, grantñ lūcṛtiv mnoṗliz or fîrseilz v public asets t frendz in ɖ prîṿt sectr. It’s nesṣri f y wont t hold dǎn public-sectr pe n ɖ minimm wej, cutñ taxz n bílz fr ɖ sem fundrz n lobiists. It z nesṣri f corṗreśnz r t b alaud t ǎtsors n ofśor ɖer wrcforsz, n wlʈi ppl cn ofśor ɖer incm n asets.
Ɖ inṭrests v wlʈxtractrz r, bî def̣niśn, śort trm. Ɖe dvrt muni ɖt mt uɖ̇wz hv bn yzd fr invstmnt intu diṿdendz n śer bîbacs. Ɖe dump costs ɖt corṗreśnz śd ljitṃtli ber on t ssayti in jenṛl, in ɖ form v p’luśn (ɖ car n rod lobiz) or public-hlʈ dzastrz (soft drincs n juncfūd pṛdysrz). Ɖe sîfn muni ǎt v an enṭprîz or a neśn az qcli az poṣbl, bfr ɖ tax oʈoṛtiz, reğletrz or lejsletrz cać p.
Yirz v xpirịns hv śoun ɖt it z mć ćīpr t mc p’liticl dneśnz, implô lobiists n invst in public rleśnz ɖn t ćenj lūcṛtiv bt harmfl cmrśl poḷsiz. Wrcñ ʈru ɖ biłnerpres n p’liticl sistmz ɖt r hîli vulnṛbl t capćr bî muni, in ɖ YC, YS n Bṛzil ɖe hv hlpt enśur ɖt caṿlir n reclis ppl r ilectd. Ɖer ćozn repriznttivz hv an olmst instñtiv avrśn t invstmnt, t cariyñ a cost tde ɖt cd b dfŕd, dleid or dumt on smwn els.
It’s nt ɖt eni v ɖz inṭrests – ẃɖr ɖ Dêli Meil or ɖ YS ôlcumṗniz – wont c’roṇvîṛs t spred. It’s ɖt ɖ aproć ɖt hz pruvd so dzastṛs in adresñ ɖ pandemic hz bn hîli ifctiv, fṛm ɖ lobiists’ pônt v vy, ẃn aplaid t uɖr iśuz: dleyñ n fṛstretñ ax́n t privnt clîṃt brecdǎn; p’luśn; ɖ obiṣticrîsis; iniqoḷti; un’forḍbl rent; n ɖ mni uɖr plegz spred bî corpṛt n biłner pǎr.
Ʈancs in larj part t ɖer inflụns, w hv guvnmnts ɖt fel t pṛtct ɖ public inṭrest, bî dzîn. Ɖs z ɖ tunl. Ɖs z ẃ ɖ exits r clozd. Ɖs z ẃ w wl strugl t imrj.
I hd ɖ priṿlij v ćatñ, telñ storiz n rīdñ sm v mî powtri t an insṗreśnl grūp v ćildṛn n faṃliz. N ɖe pformd sm v ɖer powtri fr m.
I hv ovr ɖ past 10 yirz met mni ćildṛn n yuñ ppl yzñ ɖ srṿsz v ɖs Wst Midḷndz ćaṛti. W hv śerd ǎr luv fr powtri, tōct abt ɖ importns v cẹrñ fr ol livñ biyñz, n ǎr luv v cec, ḿzic n Astn Vila ftbōlclub.
I am so inspîrd bî ɖ cidz, n I olso hv an inorṃs amǎnt v rspct fr ɖ ppl hu wrc ɖr. I wont t hug n cis ɖm, I wont t tel ɖm hǎ mć I luv ɖm, bt I jst act norml.
Nt onli d ɖe cer fr ɖz cidz, sm v hūm r nt xpctd t rīć adulthd; ɖe olso lc aftr ɖer mumz, dadz, bruɖrz n sistrz, īvn granpeṛnts. Ɖ xistns v ćildṛn’z hosṗsz z smʈñ mni v s fīl uncumftbl wɖ – most ppl tnd t asośiet hosṗsz wɖ oldr ppl. I wz wn v ɖm, untl I frst viẓtd.
Ɖoz wrcñ n voḷntirñ ɖr d evrʈñ ɖe cn t mc speśl meṃriz fr ɖ ćildṛn n ɖer faṃliz. I hv rerli bn t a ples ẃr luv, hapinis n jô wr so abundnt. I hv nvr flt a hint v dūm or glūm.
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‘W hv śerd ǎr luv v cec, ḿzic n Astn Vila ftbōl club.’ Benɉmin Zef̣naia at Ecornz. Foṭgraf: Ecornz Ćildṛn’z Hospis
I’m nt wn v ɖoz hu cōl ɖz tîmz wird, strenj, dificlt or unpresdntd. Ɖe r, bt I’m a vīgn, animlrîtist n invîrnmntlist, so I ʈt a crîsis sć az ɖs hd t hapn at sm tîm. Bt sins ɖ start v ɖs pandemic, Ecornz’ 600 or so ćildṛn n yuñ ppl hv bn on mî mînd. I am tld most v ɖ faṃliz r śīldñ ɖer ćildṛn at hom, unḍstanḍbli dwñ evrʈñ t avôd ɖm biyñ infctd wɖ c’roṇvîṛs.
It wz sd ɖt ɖ ilnis z jenṛli mîld in ćildṛn, bt ɖr z nǎ evidns ɖt ćildṛn cn b afctd in wez ɖ xprts r onli bginñ t unḍstand. Ɖs hoṛfîz m. W ol nǒ ɖ riscs fr adults wɖ sirịs unḍlayñ hlʈ iśuz, bt ẃt abt ćildṛn n yuñ ppl? Wɖ ɖ imrjns v a “Caẉsaci”-lîc Covid-19-linct dziz, I cn onli imajin hǎ dificlt it z fr ɖz faṃliz. Ɖe hv t pṛtct ɖer preśs ćildṛn ẃn srṿsz ɖe rlî on r no longr aveḷbl, n ẃn ɖe r cut of fṛm so mni ppl hu’v bn part v ɖer s’portnetwrc.W’r ol bginñ t nǒ mor abt ẃt z haṗnñ in adult cerhomz, bt I wundr ẃt z haṗnñ t ćildṛn’z hosṗsz ol ovr ɖ cuntri.
At Ecornz’ ʈri hosṗsz, membrz v ɖ public r trnñ p evri fy minits wɖ carlodz v dneśnz. W’r luci t hv sć a gvñssayti hir in ɖ YC.
Ɖ staf r olso rīćñ ǎt t faṃliz ʈru reğlr cōlz, letñ ɖm nǒ ɖe r nt alon at ɖs scẹri tîm.
Ovr ɖ cors v ɖs globl imrjnsi ɖr hv bn tîmz ẃn w hv sìn ɖ vîṛs infct ɖ rić n feṃs, pǎrfl n influenśl, n humbl wrld līdrz. Bt az wɖ ol imrjnsiz, it’s ɖ most vulnṛbl membrz v ǎr cḿṇti hu gt hit ɖ hardist.
I hv jst sînd a letr adrest t Boris Jonsn cōlñ fr an indipndnt public inqîri intu ɖ dispṛporśṇt impact v Covid-19 on blac n eʈnic mnoṛti cḿṇtiz, bcz fr m ɖs z riyl. I’v lost tū membrz v mî faṃli, n anɖr cupl hv cm clos t ɖ éj.
I c’nt stop ʈncñ abt ɖ cidz at Ecornz. I c’nt stop ʈncñ abt ɖ eldrli n ɖ infrm, ɖ yuñ n vulnṛbl, ɖ homlis, ɖ faṃliz cẹrñ fr a sirịsli il bebi or ćîld.
Wns ɖs teṛbl ćaptr cmz t an end, ẃt wl ɖ nxt ćaptr hv in stor? I wd lîc t ʈnc w wl rten ɖ stroñ sns v cmpaśn n cḿṇti ɖt hz bn so in evidns jrñ ɖs crîsis, n trî t trn ǎr bacs on dviźn, depṛveśn n iniqoḷti. Ɖt’s nt tù mć t asc fr, z it?
Bṛziłn prezidnt Jair Bolsonaro, sntr, n hiz ministrz arîvñ in Bṛziła. Foṭgraf: Joédson Alves/YPA
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F Boris Jonsn z mshanḍlñ ɖ pandemic, h z nt alon. Fōlsli clemñ evrʈñ z undr cntrol, dojñ rsponsbiḷti, hîdñ fṛm public vy, xplôtñ ɖ crîsis fr p’liticl gen, mǎntñ arṭfiśl dstrax́nz n blemñ ɖ mīdia: ɖz r comn bhevyrpatnz xibtd bî sm v ɖ wrld’z most pǎrfl – n śifti – līdrz.
Wl ɖe pe a prîs fr ɖer līʈl incompitns n siṇsizm? It’s poṣbl sm wl, ɖo it me tec a ẃl. Ɖ pandemic z ćenjñ p’liticl calkleśnz arnd ɖ glob. Līdrz hu lct invulnṛbl sudnli apir les so. Ɖt in trn cd śift ɖ stṛtījic calkḷs n oltr ɖ baḷns v pǎr btwn cuntriz in wez bʈ unixpctd n prṃnnt.
Doṇld Trump’s pformns z a lésn in hǎ nt t handl an imrjnsi. It me bcm a cmpulsri ceștudi fr fyćr stydnts v crîsismanijmnt. Trump miṇmîzd ɖ ʈret rli on, ofrd foni aśuṛnsz, n feld t mc a plan. H hz sins akzd Ćîna v dlibṛtli spredñ “pleg” ẃl weṗnîzñ ɖ crîsis t smir hiz Deṃcratic rîvl, Jo Bîdn.
Ɖ prezidnt’s mirịd caṛctrflwz nīd no rhrsl hir. Bt it sīmz a despṛt Trump wl stop at nʈñ t rībūt hiz riilex́nprospects. F ɖt mīnz f’mntñ a cold wor wɖ Ćîna, or stǒcñ reśl dviźnz n anti-mîgṛnt, anti-Mŭzlim bays, h’z p fr it. N f ol ɖt felz, h me trî t dle Nvmbr’z ilex́n, a s’nario nt rūld ǎt bî hiz sic̣fantic sun-in-lw.
C’roṇvîṛs hz md a sort v lepr v Trump. A lac v fedṛl līdrśp n hiz s’port fr preṃtyrli endñ stet locdǎnz h nvr trūli s’portd apirz t b pṛpelñ a rîz in Covid-19 cesz in smōl mid-wst tǎnz n rṛl cḿṇtiz fṛm Aywa t Texs. Ɖz r ɖ hartḷndz v Trump’s America, ẃr hiz most loyl votrz liv.
Az a rzult, Rpublicnz runñ fr Congres r runñ awe fṛm Trump, firfl v infx́n fṛm ɖ miazma v lîz n dstrust inveḷpñ ɖ Ẃît Hǎs. Az jobz dis’pir bî tnz v miłnz, Deṃcrats’ hops v winñ ɖ Senit r rîzñ. Bîdn’z līd in ci batlgrǎnd stets z wîḍnñ, fyld bî ic̣nomic meltdǎn n Trump’s gafs.
Vlajīmir Pūćin z anɖr līdr in sirịs vîṛl dificlti. Onli munʈs ago, h lct invinsbl. Ol ɖ tōc in Ruśa wz v consttyśnl “rformz” ɖt wd ifctivli mc him prezidnt fr lîf. Ɖoz planz r nǎ on hold, phps prṃnntli. Pūćin’z dsiźn t śīld himslf fṛm harm, îṣletñ awe fṛm Mosco, hz badli dntd hiz imij az firlis tuf-gai līdr.
Aftr wīcs v cmplesnsi at ɖ top, Ruśa fîndz itslf wɖ ɖ secnd fastist ret v Covid-19 infx́nz in ɖ wrld. Pūćin’z hand-pict prîm̦inistr, Miħîl Miśŭstin, z in hospitl, az z ɖ Cremlin spocsmn Dmitri Piskov. In vidioconfṛnsz hld t dscus ɖ crîsis, Pūćin hz lct mor bord ɖn cnsrnd. Emṗʈi wz nvr hiz stroñ sūt.
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Ppl wer fes mascs n gluvz on ɖ Mosco Metro. Ruśa nǎ fîndz itslf wɖ ɖ secnd fastist ret v Covid-19 infx́nz in ɖ wrld. Foṭgraf: Alexander Zemłańićenco/AP
Ɖ p’liticl impḷceśnz r ptnṣ́li far-renjñ. Añśs t avôd prsnl blem fr twin hlʈ n ic̣nomic dzastrz, Pūćin hz śiftd rsponsbiḷti fr maṇjñ ɖ crîsis t ɖ rījnz, ẃć hv ifctivli bn left t fnd fr ɖmslvz. Wlʈi biznisṃn – ɖ so-cōld oligācs – hv stept intu ɖ brīć. In sć wez dz a līdr’z pǎr irod n slip awe.
Uɖr poḷtiśnz r śowñ a dgri v reclis insūsịns ɖt mcs Boris Jonsn lc poztivli swićt on bî cmparisn. Bṛzil’z prezidnt Jair Bolsonaro hit a ny lo fr irisponsbiḷti bî ridklñ public-pṛtx́n meźrz. Bṛzil hz ɖ hîist Covid deʈret in Latin America. Bt Bolsonaro prifŕz barḅkpartiz t hospitlvizits. H me yt pe wɖ hiz job in a cuntri ẃr preẓdnśl impićmnt acć̣li wrcs.
In Trci, mnẃl, ɖ vîṛs hz bròt a gret mni pijinz hom t rūst. A strucćṛli frajîl icoṇmi, a holoud-ǎt sivl ssayti n mīdia, n a clîṃt v fir crietd bî Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hz nt pruvd cndysiv t a yṇfaid naśnl ef̣t – līdñ aṇlists sjst ɖ sultnprezidnt’s rên me b drw̃ t a cloz.
Mjoṛti Crdiś eriaz in īstn Trci, fr xampl, ɖ sīn v frīqnt conflict wɖ ɖ sntṛl guvnmnt, hv rportidli bn hard hit. Diyarbakir-best acṭvist n oʈr Nurcan Baysal tlz a fmiłr têl v hlʈwrcrz afreid t g t wrc dy t a lac v pṛtctiv iqipmnt. Bt it’s a p’liticl probḷm, tù.
“Tde, ɖr r nt inuf tsts, nt inuf doctrz, no sivl ssayti, no mẹrz, n nt inuf meźrz t tacl ɖ c’roṇvîṛs in Crdiś sitiz,” Baysal sd – partli bcz mni Crdiś doctrz n nrsz wr sact in Erdoğan’z prjz.
A sntṛl actr in ɖs globl drama, Ćîna’z modn-de emprr Śí Jñpñ z nt abt t fōl – olɖo h rićli dzrvz ɖ sác. Rɖr, an imboldnd Śí riscs ovr-pleyñ hiz hand az h sīcs t trnsform a c’laṃti intu a PR vicṭri fr Ćînīz soft pǎr, streñʈ̇nñ Bêźñ’z clǎt at ɖ xpns v wìcnd wstn cuntriz.
Americn fumḅlñ, plus Ruśn n Yṛpiyn dbiḷti, ofr Śí a mcābra oṗtyṇti t advans hiz viźn v Ćîna az dominnt globl pǎr. Bt ɖ agresiv, Boxr Rbełn-stîl provceśnz v hiz “wlf-worịr” dipḷmats n parti cādraz r fīdñ an inṭnaśnl baclaś.
Preśr z growñ t rtaliet bî qoṛntīnñ Bêźñ, p’liticli n ic̣nomicli. N ɖt, in trn, būsts Trump’s confṛnteśnl, slf-xculṗtri campeņaṛtiv.
Trump clemz Ćîna wonts t dnî him a secnd trm. Yt ɖ oṗzit me b tru. Śí nz a ysfl idịt ẃn h siz wn – n ɖs YS prezidnt z īẓli ǎtfoxt. Ɖ ʈt ɖt Ćîna’z oṗziśnl tactics cd hlp gt Trump riilectd z inuf t mc enwn sic.
Siyñ ɖs mcs m fīl prǎd v ẃt w hv in ɖ YC. Wɖt ɖ NHS, w wd b in sirịs trubl in norml tîmz, let alon jrñ ɖs pandemic. I hv frendz hu r wrcñ in ɖ NHS, in ɖ cersectr n az ci wrcrz. Ɖe r wrcñ sirịsli hard in dificlt srcmstansz t mc ǎr livz ɖ bst ɖe cn b.
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Strīt art in Daġnm
It olso mcs m prǎd v ɖ ppl in mî bura. Ɖe r pŭlñ tgɖr, yzñ ɖer scilz n dwñ ɖer bit t ćec on ć uɖr n hlp ǎt in ɖz strenj tîmz. Ẃɖr it’s amezñ artwrc lîc ɖs, onlîn qizz, DJ sets, onlîn advîs fr biznis, craft mcñ or cōlñ p lonli ppl fr a ćat, ɖe r ol pŭlñ ɖer weit ʈru tuf tîmz.
Ɖs pìs v wrc standz ǎt n riyli brîtnz p ɖ strīt. I witnist ɖ artist fiṇśñ ɖ pìs n ppl hu wr ǎt on ɖer dêli wōc wr seyñ hǎ gret it wz. It’s a convseśnpìs n mcs ppl smîl ẃn ɖe wōc past. Jimi Lì, Daġnm
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‘Art z a gret we t cnct’
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Strīt art in Tamwrʈ
In ɖz dificlt tîmz strīt art z a gret we t cnct n xpres ɖ we w r fīlñ. Vic Brǎn, Tamwrʈ
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‘Ɖs md m stop, smîl n tec a foto’
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Strīt art in Īlñ
Ɖs krịs gliṭri sîn apird on ɖ strīt oṿnît n md m stop, smîl n tec a foto. I wz plizd t si ɖt ɖr’z no śortij v crịtivti dspt evrʈñ els ɖt’s gwñ on. Ben Parc, Īlñ in Lundn
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‘Ɖs md m hapi’
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Strīt art in Dezḅra
Ɖs md m hapi. It wz gret t si smʈñ smwn hz md jst t śer n spred ćir. Sîmn Dǎti, Dezḅra
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‘Ɖs md mî partnr’z de’
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Strīt art in Boscm
Mî partnr wrcs in ǎr locl hospitl n it md hr de ẃn ǎr nxtdor nebr pentd hr bacwōl in sć a gliṭri faśn. Aśli Wŭdfōl, Boscm
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‘Siyñ ɖs mcs m fīl prǎd’
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Strīt art in Wiṛl
Mî wîf Mel z an artist. Ś tc ɖ sîd v ǎr hǎs az a canvs. Ɖs z hr wɖ ǎr dōtr. Ś’z nǎ incurijd ol hr frendz t stop bî ẃn ɖe r on ɖer alotd x’sîz, tec a foto n snd it t hr. Ś z ɖen gwñ t criet a c’lāź v ɖ fotoz. Siyñ ɖs mcs m fīl prǎd. Cevin Ćapl, Wiṛl
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‘Ɖs filz m wɖ hapinis n sadnis’
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Strīt art in Lundn. Foṭgraf: Tresi Wilsn/Gardịn Cḿṇti
Siyñ ɖ mesij t cerwrcrz fild m wɖ bʈ hapinis n sadnis. Hapinis t nǒ ɖt smwn hz crietd ɖs t acnolij n ʈanc ɖoz hu strîv evride t cer fr ǎr luvd wnz. Sadnis ɖt ɖz amezñ ppl hv fr so loñ bn oṿlct n unḍvalyd. Tresi Wilsn, Sǎʈ Norwŭd in Lundn
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‘Ɖe md m laf’
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Strīt art in Wrɖñ
A fy wīcs ago ɖ caunsl pentd sośl-distnsñ marcrz on ɖ proṃned. Ɖe wr a bit ytiḷterịn. A fy dez lêtr smwn gev ɖ litl ppl fesz n prṣnaḷtiz. Ẃn I frst sw ɖm, ɖe md m laf. I lc fwd t siyñ ɖm evri de on mî dêli wōc. Jaci, Wrɖñ
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‘Ɖs mcs m smîl evri tîm I wōc past’
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Strīt art in Oxf̣d
Evri tîm I wōc past ɖs hǎs it mcs m smîl az ɖe hv obvịsli pt a lot v ef̣t intu sndñ a mesij v s’port t ǎr NHS. Az I wz tecñ a foto ɖs mornñ, wn v ɖ hǎsmêts wz līvñ n ćatd abt orḍrñ ɖ ćōcs fṛm Aṃzn n spredñ a litl jô in ɖ wrld. Gret stuf. Pītr Sparc, Oxf̣d
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‘I fînd it upliftñ’
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Strīt art in Lìdz
I wōc past ɖs ẃl tecñ mî dōtr t scūl. It hd bn vanḍlîzd fr yirz untl ǎr locl cḿṇtigrūp cmiśnd a locl artist t criet a dzîn az a tribyt t ǎr ci wrcrz. I fînd it upliftñ n luv ɖ fact ɖt it’s smʈñ ɖ hol cḿṇti cn aprīśiet. Anji Tōlḅt, Lìdz
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‘It z reprizntñ smʈñ w ol wont t se’
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Strīt art in Hacni
Ɖz sînpentñz hv bn akḿletñ ovr ɖ past munʈs. Ɖe hv bcm a landmarc in ǎr eria. Ɖ rùt z a mn rod btwn tū mejr hospitlz so ambyḷnsz pas bî reğlrli.
I lîc it bcz it z reprizntñ smʈñ w ol wont t se. Wɖ ol ɖ ḿziymz clozd, it fīlz lîc art hz faund a we t cm ǎt intu public spes n rmînd s ol ẃ w nīd it hir – n mor ɖn evr at ɖs tîm. Asif Cān, Hacni in Lundn
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‘I luv ɖ sntimnt’
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Strīt art in Lundn
I sw ɖs on ɖ frunt v a clozd dǎn tec’we resṭront. I luv ɖ brît culrz n ɖ sntimnt. Ani Wilits, Siḍnm in Lundn
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‘Ɖs mcs m sad bt olso hopfl’
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Strīt art in Manćestr
I tc ɖs on ɖ last wīcend bfr locdǎn in Manćestr. I hv nt bn in ɖ siti sntr sins, sticñ t mî locl eria. It mcs m sad fr ol ɖ amezñ smōl bizṇsz in ɖs siti, bt hopfl ɖt ɖe wl svîv n b ʈrîvñ agn sn. Iliẓbʈ Relinz, Manćestr
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‘It hz trnd ɖ C’rona logo intu smʈñ meṇsñ’
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Strīt art in Bristl
I run on ɖ sîclpaʈ a cupl v tîmz most wīcs. Ɖr z a loñ hōrdñ seṗretñ ɖ paʈ fṛm a brǎnfīld bildñsait n it z constntli ćenjñ n ivolvñ wɖ artwrc, renjñ fṛm sm priti crapi tagz t sm t’rific pìsz. Ɖs cmz smẃr in ɖ midl. I luv hǎ it hz tecn ɖ C’rona logo n md it intu smʈñ mor meṇsñ n tîmli. I olso lîc ɖ “plīz woś yr handz” strap alñ ɖ top. I d’nt nǒ hǎ loñ it wl last, bt it’s ɖr fr nǎ. Cet Maʈ̇sn, Bristl
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‘It z a strîcñ n scilfl dzîn’
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Strīt art in Getshed
W sw ɖs pìs v strīt art jst bfr ɖ locdǎnmeźrz wr pt in ples. It z a strîcñ n scilfl dzîn. Ẃn w sw ɖ wrc it sīmd vri presịnt. At ɖ tîm ppl wr stocpîlñ tôḷtpepr n ɖ artwrc s’tiricli incorṗrets a lūrol instd v a dot on ɖ “i” in “vîṛs”. Ẃl hymṛs, ɖ wrc wz an omiṇs indceśn v ɖ ifct ɖ vîṛs wz gwñ t hv in ɖ wīcs t cm. Mîcl Mulṿhil, Getshed
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‘Ɖs pìs capćrz ɖ public’s mūd’
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Strīt art in Hacni Wic
Hacni Wic z alîv wɖ strīt art. Evri de y trn a cornr n smʈñ ny grabz yr î. Ɖs pìs apird rli on in ɖ crîsis. T m it capćrz ɖ public’s mūd t ɖ Covid-19 crîsis – NHS, mascs, lūrol, d’nt panic. Jac̣līn Brūs, Bo in Lundn
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‘W hop ɖs wl b prizrvd aftr ɖ locdǎn’
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Strīt art in Hov. Foṭgraf: Heḷn Wêd/Gardịn Cḿṇti
Ǎr pdestrịn tunl hd bn a tagñmagnit fr a loñ tîm. Ɖ intirịr wz gretli hlpt a fy yirz ago ẃn smwn pentd indivijl brics in a mirịd v difṛnt śêdz, mcñ ɖ wundrfl renbo ɖt apird oṿnît on 8 Epril ol ɖ mor prfict. Ǎr locl sośl mīdia hz bn abúz wɖ hǎ upliftñ it z n hǎ imośnl ppl fīl traṿlñ ʈru it. W’r ol hopñ it wl b prizrvd post locdǎn. Heḷn Wêd, Hov
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‘I wontd t yz mî art az a vôs’
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Strīt – or rod – art in Cembrij
I nǒ mî frendz r misñ biyñ at scūl n ɖt ɖ tīćrz r misñ s tù, so I wontd t yz mî art az a vôs t acnolij ɖt. Ɖ crosñ at mî scūl, Comḅton Vilij Colij in Cembrij, flt lîc ɖ prfict ples t mc an artwrc. Rown Brigz Smiʈ, Cembrij
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‘Ɖs imij rmîndz m ɖz darc dez wl b ovr sn’
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Strīt art in Cardif
Ɖs siriz v postrz z ǎtsd a cafe in ɖ Caʈez eria v Cardif. It’s an imij v hop n susṭnns ɖt hlps m rmembr ɖt ɖz darc dez wl sn b ovr. Stīvn Ŕwin, Cardif
Voḷntirz lod s’plîz intu a picup truc at a farm, yzd az a bes fr ed t Naṿhǎ faṃliz qoṛntīnd in ɖer homz dy t c’roṇvîṛs in Hogbac, Śiproc, Ny Mx̣co, last munʈ. Foṭgraf: Andru He/Rôtrz
Îriś s’port fr Netiv Americn Covid-19 rlif hîlîts historic bond
Ɖ list v rīsnt donrz rīdz lîc an Îriś fon-bc. Aisling Ní Chuimín, Śen OLiri, Śōn Gibnz, Cevin Boil, Cevin Cìn, Cler Qin, Emn McDoṇld, on n on dǎn a GoFundMi pej ɖt bî Frîde hd rezd $3.15m v a $5m gol.
Ɖ indivijl amǎnts r nt rmarcbl – $10, $20, $30, sm xidñ $100 – bt ɖ stori bhnd ɖ dneśnz strećz bac tū snć̣riz n incumṗsz a snğlr act v jeṇroṣti ɖt forjd a bond btwn Netiv Americnz n Îrḷnd, a bond nǎ rnyd in ɖ c’roṇvîṛs ira.
In 1847 ɖ Ćoctw neśn set asd its ǒn impoṿriśmnt n suf̣rñ t mc a $170 dneśn t victimz v ɖ Îriś famin. Ɖ trîb hd sufrd grīṿsli jrñ its Trel v Tirz, a forst rīḷceśn t Ocḷhoma, n emṗʈîzd wɖ Îriś ppl indyrñ miẓri n starveśn mor ɖn 4,000 mîlz awe.
Ɖ jeṇroṣti left a lastñ marc on Îrḷnd, ẃć rmembrz it ʈru art n cmeṃreśnz.
Nǎ Îriś ppl r rsipṛcetñ bî dnetñ t a fund fr Naṿhǎ n Hopi cḿṇtiz hit bî Covid-19.
“A bytifl act v soḷdaṛti fṛm ǎr frendz in Îrḷnd, hu rmembr ɖ cîndnis śoun t ɖm bî ǎr Ćoctw bruɖrz n sistrz, hu snt ɖm ed jrñ ɖ gret ptetofamin in 1847. Ʈanc y so mć, Îrḷnd!!!” rout Eʈl Branć, wn v ɖ fund-orġnîzrz.
“Ɖ fevr z rtrnd ʈru jenṛs dneśnz fṛm ɖ Îriś ppl t ɖ Naṿhǎ Neśn jrñ ǎr tîm v crîsis. Ʈanc y, Îrḷnd, fr śowñ soḷdaṛti n biyñ hir fr s,” rout Vnesa Tuli, anɖr orġnîzr.
Advrṣti ofn brñz ǎt ɖ bst in ppl, ɖ Ćoctw trîb sd in a stetmnt. “W r graṭfaid – n phps nt at ol s’prîzd – t lrn v ɖ asistns ǎr speśl frendz, ɖ Îriś, r gvñ t ɖ Naṿhǎ n Hopi neśnz. Ǎr wrd fr ɖer slflis act z ‘iyyikowa’ – it mīnz srvñ ɖoz in nīd.”
Ɖ Ćoctw n Îriś hd bcm cindrid spirits sins ɖ ptetofamin, ɖ trîb sd. “W hop ɖ Îriś, Naṿhǎ n Hopi pplz dveḷp lastñ frendśps, az w hv. Śẹrñ ǎr culćrz mcs ɖ wrld gro smōlr.”
Ɖ dneśnz wl hlp s’plî fūd, wōtr n medicl s’plîz fr vulnṛbl faṃliz, mni v hūm hv dạbītīz n uɖr dzizz.
Ɖ Naṿhǎ neśn hz ɖ hîist p’capita Covid-19 infx́nret aftr Ny Yorc n Ny Jrzi. Its rṛl teritri strećz 27,000 sq mîlz acrs Aṛzona, Ny Mx̣co n Ytā n srǎndz ɖ Hopi reẓveśn.
Az v Ʈrzde ɖr wr 2,757 cnfrmd cesz. Ɖ ofiśl deʈtol wz 88 bt acćl ftaḷtiz r lîcli t b mć hayr bcz ɖ sicist peśnts r trnsfŕd t stethospitlz.
Ɖ vîṛs hz spred rapidli īvn ɖo ɖ trîbl guvnmnt wz amñ ɖ frst t iśu a ste-at-hom ordr, n loc dǎn scūlz n biznis. On Wenzde ɖ Neśn rsivd its porśn, arnd $600m, v fedṛl c’roṇvîṛs rlif̦undñ, six wīcs aftr it wz promist n onli aftr suwñ ɖ fedṛl guvnmnt ovr hu wz eliɉbl fr ɖ muni.
Ɖ GoFundMi apil’z orijinl gol v $2m wz incrist aftr Îriś ppl dscuvrd ɖ apil via sośl mīdia n swiftli sweld dneśnz fṛm ɖ YS n elsẃr.
Îrḷnd hz nvr fgotn ɖ Ćoctwz’ jeṇroṣti. Ɖ trîb hd indyrd a forst 600-mîl trec ɖt left ʈǎzndz ded fṛm hungr, cold n dziz, n ɖen impoṿriśmnt in Ocḷhoma, yt smhǎ rusld p $170 – ẃć tde trnzlets t $5,350 – t hlp ɖ Îriś.
Abt 1 miłn Îriś ppl daid v hungr or dziz fṛm 1845 t 1849, n anɖr miłn eṃgretd.
In 1995 Mẹri Robinsn, Îrḷnd’z ɖen prezidnt, viẓtd Ocḷhoma t ʈanc ɖ Ćoctwz, a pilgṛmij rpitd bî Lio Vradcr, ɖ taoiseach, in 2018.
An ǎtdor sculpćr tîtld Đ Cindrid Spirits in Midltn, cǎnti Corc, cmeṃrets ɖ linc btwn Îrḷnd n Netiv Americnz. Stenlis stīl in ɖ form v īglfeɖrz form a srcl, reprizntñ a gift v a bol v fūd.
Ɖ bigist ʈret t Bṛzil’z abiḷti t s’xesf̣li combat ɖ spred v ɖ c’roṇvîṛs n tacl ɖ unfoldñ public-hlʈ crîsis z ɖ cuntri’z prezidnt, Jair Bolsonaro, acordñ t ɖ Britiś medicl jrnl Ɖ Lansit.
In an edtorịl, Ɖ Lansit sd hiz disrigard fr n flǎtñ v locdǎn meźrz wz sǒwñ cnfyźn acrs Bṛzil, ẃć rportd a record numbr v Covid-19 deʈs on Frîde, n z fast imrjñ az wn v ɖ wrld’z c’roṇvîṛs hotspots.
Bṛzil’z hlʈmiṇstri on Frîde rejistrd 10,222 ny cnfrmd cesz v ɖ c’roṇvîṛs n 751 rletd deʈs, bìtñ ɖ prīvịs record v 615. Ɖt bròt ɖ totl v cnfrmd cesz in Bṛzil t 145,328 n deʈs t 9,897, ɖ most dedli ǎtbrec in an imrjñ-marcit neśn.
Bolsonaro, a formr armicaptin, z bcmñ incrisñli hamstruñ bî p’liticl crîsis folowñ hiz rīsnt sacñ v popylr hlʈministr Luiz Henrique Mandetta n ɖ reẓgneśn v justisministr Sergio Moro, Ɖ Lansit sd.
“Ɖ ćalinj z ultiṃtli p’liticl, rqîrñ cntinẏs ingejmnt bî Bṛziłn ssayti az a hol. Bṛzil az a cuntri mst cm tgɖr t gv a clir ansr t ɖ ‘So ẃt?’ bî its Prezidnt. H nīdz t drasticli ćenj cors or mst b ɖ nxt t g,” ɖ edtorịl sd.
In rspons t a jrṇlist’s qsćn last wīc abt ɖ record numbr v deʈs fṛm c’roṇvîṛs, Bolsonaro sd: “So ẃt? I’m sori, bt ẃt d y wont m t d?”
Bolsonaro’z pres-ofis dclînd t coment on ɖ Lansit edtorịl. On Frîde, ɖ prezidnt sd h pland t hv 30 frendz ovr t ɖ preẓdnśl palis fr a barḅk. Lêtr in ɖ de, h joct ɖt h me xtnd ɖ invteśn t ʈǎzndz mor, includñ p’liticl s’portrz n membrz v ɖ pres.
A rport bî Impirịl Colij Lundn publiśt on Frîde śoud ɖt “ɖ eṗdemic z nt yt cntrold n wl cntiny t gro” in Bṛzil, in starc contrast t parts v Yṛp n Eźa, ẃr inforst locdǎnz hv hd s’xes.
“Ẃl ɖ Bṛziłn eṗdemic z stl reḷtivli nesnt on a naśnl scel, ǎr rzults sjst ɖt frɖr ax́n z nīdd t limit spred n privnt hlʈsistm oṿlod,” ɖ Impirịl Colij rport sd.
In its edtorịl, Ɖ Lansit notd ćaḷnjz Bṛzil fest. Abt 13 miłn Bṛziłnz liv in śantitǎn “fvelaz”, ẃr hîjīnrec̣mndeśnz n fizicl distnsñ r nir imposbl t folo.
Ɖ cuntri’z indijṇs popyleśn wz olso undr “svir ʈret” īvn bfr ɖ Covid-19 ǎtbrec dy t ɖ guvnmnt trnñ a blînd î t or īvn incuṛjñ ilīgl mînñ n logñ in ɖ Aṃzn renforist.
“Ɖz logrz n mainrz nǎ risc brññ Covid-19 t rmot popyleśnz,” it sd.
Most v Bṛzil’z 27 stet n district guvnmnts r tecñ ɖ ʈret v ɖ vîṛs mor sirịsli ɖn Bolsonaro.
On Frîde, ɖ guvnmnt v São Paulo, Bṛzil’z most popyḷs stet, xtndd manḍtri qoṛntīn-ordrz ʈru t 31 Me. Ɖe hd bn scedyld t xpîr on 11 Me.
In libṛl dmocṛsiz, ɖ integṛti, imparśiaḷti n pṛfeśṇlizm v intelijns-ejnsiz matrz. Ɖt’s ẃ it z isnśl ɖt intelijns-ejnsiz rmen alūf, nt onli fṛm ɖ p’liticl dbets v ɖ de, bt olso fṛm ɖ poḷsi-dsiźnz ɖt indivijl guvnmnts me tec. Ɖ intelijns-cḿṇti’z cor tasc z t pṛvîd brūṭli rịlistic anaḷsis on ɖ ʈret-invîrnmnts w fes so ɖt guvnmnts cn ɖen mc ɖ bst-informd poḷsi-dsiźnz poṣbl t prizrv ǎr comn s’kṛti.
Ɖ fełrz v ɖ intelijns-cḿṇti bfr ɖ Irac wor, ɖ guḷbiḷti v mć v ɖ wstn mīdia, az wel az ɖ sinicl mnipyleśn v bʈ bî ɖ p’liticl clas v ɖ de, pṛvîd s wɖ a starc rmîndr v ẃt cn g radicli roñ. On 8 Sptmbr 2002 ɖ Ny Yorc Tîmz publiśt wn v ɖs snćri’z most conṣqnśl nyz-articlz. Ɖ fruntpej stori, s’plaid bî ɖ Bś admiṇstreśn, clemd ɖt Sadam Hŭsein hd stept p hiz qst fr wepnz v mas dstrux́n bî aqîrñ ci cmponnts fr a ńclir wepn. In ɖ YC, ɖ Bler guvnmnt’s “doji dosie” cmpǎndd ɖ err. Jon Hawd dd ɖ sem in Ostreła. Ɖ probḷm wz ɖt it jst wz’nt tru. Ɖz wr oṿegd storiz dzînd t sofn ɖ public p fr ẃt wd bcm a dzastṛs wor.
Ɖ inveźn v Irac in Marć 2003 casts a loñ śado. Hundṛdz v ʈǎzndz v ppl wr cild, frst in ɖ inveźn, ɖen ɖ insywñ ceos, ɖen in ɖ rîz n fōl v Izlamic Stet. It streñʈnd Iran’z hand in bʈ Irac n Siria. It cntribytd t a masiv ǎtflo v refyjīz acrs ɖ wrld, a factr in ɖ rsrjns v ɖ far rît acrs Yṛp. N Wośñtn hz spent nirli tū decedz trapt in a Midl Īstn mes v its ǒn mcñ, dvrtñ mć v its atnśn fṛm Ćîna’z rījnl n globl rîz.
Laiz wr rportd az facts. Creḍbl sceptics wr dǎnpleid, ignord or atact az unpatriotic “apizrz”. Ɖ ʈril v landñ a big “stori” oṿtc ɖ mīdia’z funḍmntl dyti t privnt ɖ public fṛm biyñ dsivd. Jrṇlists hu b’livd ɖe wr muṣlñ p t a lūmñ s’kṛtiʈret trnd ǎt t b wrcñ instd agnst ɖer ǒn cuntriz’ loñ-trm inṭrests. N in ol ɖs ɖ Mrdoc mīdia wr līdñ ɖ pac acrs ɖ anglosfir az ɖ unrilentñ ćirlīdrz fr wor – n viḷfayñ ɖoz, lîc m, hu opozd it.
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Doṇld Trump n Rūṗt Mrdoc. Foṭgraf: Carlo Alegri/Rôtrz
Ɖs brñz s t ɖ Covid-19 pandemic n ɖ public hlʈ n ic̣nomic mêhem it hz unlīśt acrs ɖ glob. Ɖ śir magṇtyd v ɖ damij mīnz ɖt ɖ ppl v ɖ wrld hv evri rît t nǒ hǎ ɖs cem abt. Ẃɖr Ćîna’z ny clas v “wlfworịr” dipḷmats cer t rec̣gnîz it or nt, ɖr r funḍmntl qsćnz w cn ol ljitṃtli dmand ansrz t. Ɖz includ ɖ oṛjin v ɖ vîṛs in Wūhan; ẃɖr ɖ rliist jnetic evidns v ɖ ǎtbrec hz bn proprli prizrvd fr indipndnt rsrć; ɖ denjr v wîldlîf “wet marcits” in ɖ trnzmiśn v sć vîṛsz; ẃt dlez ocŕd in noṭfayñ sntṛl oʈoṛtiz; ẃ sm locl medicl staf wr îɖr sîḷnst or puniśt; ẃt dle ocŕd in noṭfayñ ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn v hymn-t-hymn trnzmiśn, gvn Ćîna’z obḷgeśnz undr ɖ reḷvnt inṭnaśnl hlʈreğleśnz. Ɖr r olso funḍmntl qsćnz on ẃɖr ɖ WHO proprli dsćarjd its mandet t pṛvîd clir n rli wornñz t ɖ inṭnaśnl cḿṇti. N ẃɖr naśnl guvnmnts tc ol nesṣri ax́nz t priper fr ɖ vîṛs rīćñ ɖer ǒn śorz, or ẃɖr ɖz wornñz wr ifctivli ignord – az apirz t hv bn ɖ ces in ɖ YS.
Bt amd ol ɖz qsćnz, n ɖ paṛlel dbet abt ɖ mec̣nizm nǎ nīdd t conduct an ifctiv inṭnaśnl inqîri, w sudnli hv a yṇlatṛl decḷreśn bî ɖ YS prezidnt n hiz secṛtri v stet ɖt ɖ bodi v evidns oṿẃlmñli pônts t ɖ vîṛs hvñ līct fṛm ɖ Wūhan Insttyt v Viroḷji, ẃr rsrćprojects hv bn undr we intu verịs caṭgriz v c’roṇvîṛs bòrn bî bats. Ɖe clem a “hî dgri v confidns” in ɖs ʈiyri, sáitñ cmpelñ bt az-yt undisclozd evidns – dspt ɖ YS d’rectr v naśnl intelijns iśuwñ a rer public stetmnt dspaṛjñ ɖs ʈiyri.
Entr ɖ “globl xclūsiv” stori v Rūṗt Mrdoc’s Ostrełn Dêli Teḷgraf last wīc-end, hedlînd “Ćîna’z bati sayns – bomśel dosie lez ǎt ɖ ces agnst ɖ Ppl’z Rpublic”. Ɖ pepr clemz t hv bn līct a 15-pej rsrćdosie priperd bî uņemd “wstn guvnmnts” on ɖ Ćînīz guvnmnt’s culpbiḷti fr ɖ ǎtbrec. Ɖ clir infṛns fṛm ɖ Teḷgraf rport z ɖt ɖ dokmnt wz priperd bî ɖ “Fîv Îz” intelijns-cḿṇti lincñ ɖ YS, YC, Ostrełn, Cnedịn n Ny Zīḷnd intelijnșrṿsz. Uɖr Mrdoc jrṇlists, rīriportñ ɖ stori, hv xpresli stetd it wz a Fîv Îz dokmnt. Ẃl ɖ articl itslf śîz awe fṛm stetñ xpliṣtli ɖ dokmnt’s oʈrśp, ɖ nyzpepr gz on t dītel a numbr v invstgetri ax́nz biyñ unḍtecn bî ɖ Fîv Îz t nêl ɖ Ćînīz stet’s rsponsbiḷti.
Ɖ most criticl part v ɖ Teḷgraf nyzpepr rport dīlz wɖ apaṛnt dviźnz amñ ɖ wîdr intelijns-cḿṇti on ɖ oʈntiṣti v ɖ “Wūhan l’boṛtri līc” ʈīsis. N it’s hir ɖt Mrdoc’s pepr bcmz xplisit in its asrśn ɖt ɖ Fîv Îz rsrćdosie hlps vaḷdet ɖ az-yt-unpruvn clem bî Doṇld Trump n Mîc Pompeo ɖt ɖ vîṛs wz “invntd” at ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri. Ɖ articl n asośietd storiz r lêst wɖ culrfl rportñ abt Ćînīz “batvîṛs” rsrćrz – “batmen”, “batwimin” n uɖr têlz fṛm ɖ Wūhan batcev. Nnɖles, hvñ dlivrd its p’liticl ordinns in s’port v Trump n Pompeo, ɖ Mrdoc stori cerf̣li n clevrli sīcs t cuvr its tresz bî stetñ rpitidli ɖt nʈñ z yt prūvn abt ɖ l’boṛtrilīc.
Ɖ Mrdoc jrṇlist in qsćn, Śari Marcsn, a fy dez lêtr pops p az ɖ prîm inṭvy on ɖ Mrdoc-ǒnd YS cebl TV netwrc Fox Nyz. Ɖ inṭvywr z nn uɖr ɖn Trump’s prsnl feṿrit, Tucr Carlsn, hu tgɖr wɖ Śōn Haṇti r hiz ćirlīdrz-in-ćīf in ɖ Americn mīdia. Rît on cy, Tucr ćîmz in ɖt ɖ dosie “z ɖ most sbstanśl conf̣meśn v ẃt w’v sspctd ɖt w’v hd so far” n ɖt “bcz it’s a multinaśnl ef̣t I ʈnc it wd b hard t dsmis it az a p’liticl dokmnt”.
Ɖ truʈ z, at ɖs stej, nn v s nǒ dfiṇtivli ẃɖr ɖ vîṛs cem fṛm ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri. Ɖ bst w cn d z axpt ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt’s asrśn ɖt ɖs z at bst a 5% posbiḷti. P’liticli, ɖ botm lîn z ɖt ɖ līc v ɖs alejd Fîv Îz intelijnsdosie t ɖ Mrdoc mīdia in Ostreła, bfr biyñ rīsold bac intu ɖ YS p’liticl ōdịns bî ɖ vri sem Mrdoc mīdia, apirz dzînd t bac Trump’s n Pompeo’z clem. Bt ɖs tîm wɖ ɖ add “oʈntiṣti” factr v ɖ dosie biyñ “multinaśnl” n nt jst a norml drop fṛm ɖ Ẃît Hǎs t Fox, ẃć hv bcm a dîm a duzn.
Ɖs z ol abt YS preẓdnśl poḷtics. Ɖr r ʈri iśuz in ɖs campen: Trump’s hanḍlñ v ɖ vîṛs; hǎ t dig ɖ YS ǎt v its vîṛs-indyst ic̣nomic houl; n hu cn b most hardlîn on Ćîna – ɖ Doṇld or “Bêźñ Bîdn”, az ɖ Rpublicnz nǎ sīc t tag hiz Deṃcratic oponnt. Ɖr’z litl els on ɖ tebl. Ɖrfr, yzñ an intelijnslīc pśñ Ćînīz culpbiḷti, lōndrd ʈru a foṛn cuntri, trboćarjd wɖ ɖ creḍbiḷti factr v biyñ an alejd Fîv Îz product, hlps ɖ parṭzan p’liticl cōz. N let’s b clir: Mrdoc z campenñ fl-bòr fr Trump.
Hir r qsćnz nǎ fr ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt n ptnṣ́li its Fîv Îz partnrz. Frst, wz ɖs an “intelijns” product, or wz it simpli opn-sors mtirịl d’rîvd fṛm inf̣meśn in ɖ public dmen? Secnd, wz it an oʈ̇rîzd Fîv Îz product, or wz it jst priperd in ɖ YS? Ʈrd, hu līct it, gvn ɖt līcñ sć mtirịl z a criminl ofns – az ɖ YS hz md plen in its hanḍlñ v Ćlsi Manñ’z n Jūłn Asānj’z cesz ɖt includd ɖ larj-scel unoʈ̇rîzd rlis v claṣfaid Fîv Îz mtirịl. Wr eni ministrz v ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt cmplisit in ɖs? Or wz ɖ YS embsi in Canbra involvd? F ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt z sirịs abt ɖ pṛtx́n v claṣfaid dokmnts, ɖen ẃ hz’nt a fl p’līs-invstgeśn bn cmiśnd? Or z ɖ guvnmnt firfl v ẃt it mt dscuvr f, az z lîcli, ɖ līc hz bn drivn bî p’liticl n ilectṛl inṭrests wɖn ɖ YS.
Ɖ xtnt t ẃć ɖ Ostrełn intelijns-cḿṇti hz sòt t distns itslf fṛm ɖ “dosie” sjsts it dz nt wś t b in eni we drwn intu dmestic poḷtics – îɖr Ostrełn or Americn. Ɖ Britiś intelijns-cḿṇti z rportidli dwñ ɖ sem. Ɖs z gd. Ɖz insttyśnz apir t hv lrnt fṛm ɖ Irac wor fiasco n ɖ p’liticl abys v intelijns-ejnsiz ɖt ocŕd at ɖt tîm. Bt on ɖs qsćn, ɖ bitr lésnz v Irac apir t hv bn lost on Trump n ɖ Mrdoc empîr ɖt s’ports him.
Ćîna hz mć t ansr fr, includñ ɖ ultiṃt oṛjinz v ɖ vîṛs. Bt f Trump’s clem in ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri sāga ultiṃtli endz p biyñ dspruvn, îɖr bî ɖ Fîv Îz or bî YS intelijns itslf, ɖen ɖ îṛni z ɖt ɖ net p’liticl winr wl b Ćîna. Rmembr ɖ hymilieśn ẃn no WMD wr faund in Irac? Bêźñ wd sīc t xoṇret itslf az a rzult v igrījs preẓdnśl oṿrīć – wns agn edd n abétd bî ɖ Mrdoc mīdia. Ɖs z ẃ ɖ woćwrd v eni sfisṭcetd intelijns-ejnsi z cōśn in indorsñ preṃtyr cncluźnz untl ol ɖ facts r on ɖ tebl.
