WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
It’s Thanos vs. The Avengers … not really, but if studios do not reach an accord with actors and writers soon, your imagination may produce more entertainment.
On July 13, the united SAG-AFTRA union – which stands for Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – went on strike after failing to reach an agreement with AMPTP, or the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This means that all members of the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA union have walked the job, which includes any productions they may have been working on, and not promoting them in any way as well. Such was the case with a screening of the movie “Oppenheimer,” in which stars walked out after the strike was authorized.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement, “SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry. The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board.”
The situation holds some irony for Drescher, as on her TV show “The Nanny,” her character Fran Fine refused to cross a picket line with her theater producer employer Maxwell Sheffield.
In reply, AMPTP said, “This is the (SAG-AFTRA) Union’s choice, not ours. Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.”
As for the WGA, or Writers Guild of America, they have been on strike since the beginning of May, with no deal even remotely in sight. The unfortunate rumor that has floated around suggests the studios are waging a battle of attrition, meaning that they are going to wait until writers start getting behind on bills and desperate for income as they are starved out.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 7-18-2023 at 12 p.m.
2023 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2023)
Total Mass Shootings: 452
Total Dead: 576
Total Wounded: 1804
Shootings Per Day: 2.27
Days Reached in Year 2023 as of July 11: 199
Latest High Profile Incident (See above)
Location: Dogwood Lakes neighborhood – Hampton, GA
Time: Around 10:45 a.m. local time, July 15.
Deceased: 4.
Injured: 3.
Shooter(s): Andre Longmore, 40.
Weapon(s): Handgun.
Motive: Unknown.
Status: Deceased after shootout with police the next day; 2 officers wounded.
Notes: The victims were identified as: Scott Leavitt, 67; wife Shirley Leavitt, 66; Steve Blizzard, 65; Ron Jeffers, 66.
EUROPE
UK LEGISLATION WORRIES RIGHTS ADVOCATES
The United Kingdom parliament has passed a bill inconsistent with the country’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law that could have profound consequences for people seeking international protection, warned the UN rights chief and the head of refugee agency UNHCR on July 18.
The Illegal Immigration Bill eliminates access to asylum for anyone who arrives “irregularly” in the UK, meaning they passed through a country – however briefly – where they did not face persecution.
The bill bars migrants from presenting refugee protection or other human rights claims, regardless of their circumstances. It has passed through the Commons, but has yet to clear the Upper House, the House of Lords.
The law as it stands requires their removal to another country without a guarantee that they will necessarily be able to access protections there. The bill also creates sweeping new detention powers with limited judicial oversight.
“UNHCR shares the UK Government’s concern regarding the number of asylum-seekers resorting to dangerous journeys across the (English) Channel.
“We welcome current efforts to make the existing asylum system work more effectively through fast, fair, and efficient case processing, that allows the integration of those found to be in need of international protection and the swift return home of those who have no legal basis to stay,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
“Regrettably, this progress will be significantly undermined by the new legislation. Cooperation with European and other partners along the routes through which refugees and migrants are moving, is also key,” he continued.
The Bill denies access to refugee protections for anyone falling within its scope – including unaccompanied and separated children – regardless of whether they are at risk of persecution, have suffered human rights violations, or whether they are survivors of human trafficking or modern-day slavery.
“Carrying out removals under these circumstances is contrary to prohibitions of refoulement and collective expulsions, rights to due process, to family and private life, and the principle of best interests of children concerned,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, to which the UK was one of the original signatories, explicitly recognizes that refugees may be compelled to enter a country of asylum irregularly.
Most people fleeing war and persecution do not have or are unable to access formal travel documents such as passports and visas. Safe and “legal” routes to immigration are therefore oftentimes not available to them.
Without the adequate operational capacity to remove large numbers of asylum-seekers or create viable removal arrangements with third countries, thousands of migrants can be expected to remain in the UK indefinitely in precarious legal situations, the agencies said.
WORLD
RUSSIA PUTS UP GRAIN ROADBLOCK
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that he deeply regrets Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative, in effect ending a “lifeline” for hundreds of millions worldwide facing hunger and spiraling food costs.
Following weeks of negotiations, the UN-brokered accord that facilitated the export of more than 30 million tons of Ukrainian grain to global markets via three Black Sea ports expired on July 17.
“Today’s decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere,” said Mr. Guterres, speaking to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.
The Black Sea initiative was agreed by Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye and the UN in Istanbul last July along with a parallel accord between the UN and Russia on grain and fertilizer exports from that country.
By its decision, Russia has also withdrawn security guarantees for ships navigating in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
“Ultimately, participation in these agreements is a choice. But struggling people everywhere and developing countries don’t have a choice,” Mr. Guterres said.
The grain initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia were “a lifeline for global food security and a beacon of hope in a troubled world,” he said.
“At a time when the production and availability of food is being disrupted by conflict, climate change, energy prices and more, these agreements have helped to reduce food prices by over 23 percent since March last year,” he added.
He noted that the World Food Program (WFP) shipped 725,000 tons to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Yemen, relieving hunger in some of the world’s hardest hit regions.
