# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Across the WHO South-East Asia Region, plans to equitably and efficiently deploy vaccines against COVID-19 must be firmed up and finalized, fast
Immunization saves lives and promotes life-long health and well-being. It is among the most powerful public health and development interventions that exist. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 response, the WHO South-East Asia Region has made urgent and sustained efforts to maintain immunization as part of a broader commitment to ensure that all people can continue to access essential health services amid the pandemic.

Member State progress has been strong and steady. Despite initial disruptions in March through May, most routine and supplementary immunization activities in the Region have been revived and maintained. Millions of children have continued to receive life-saving protection against a range of vaccine-preventable diseases, from diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, to rotavirus and rubella. Not a single vaccine stock-out has occurred. Amid enhanced physical distancing and infection prevention and control protocols, programme managers, health workers and volunteers from across the Region have shown tremendous resolve. They deserve our highest praise.

Throughout the COVID-19 response, recovery and beyond, WHO will continue to support Member States and the Region to remain polio-free, to sustain maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination, and to accelerate progress towards measles and rubella elimination by 2023. To achieve this and more, it is essential that countries identify remaining immunization gaps and rapidly implement catch-up campaigns. But as together we continue to strengthen all aspects of the response, we must not only reinforce and build the capacity of immunization systems, but also ready them to meet our next challenge: to equitably and efficiently deploy vaccines against COVID-19.

Almost all countries in the Region plan to procure a first tranche of vaccines from the WHO-supported COVAX Facility, the vaccine pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. For the allocation framework to be effective, and for at least 2 billion doses to be delivered to all participating countries globally by the end of next year, immediate and sustained increases in international and global funding are required. Rapid advances in research and development on vaccines against COVID-19 have seen more than a handful of vaccines reach phase 3 trials, and some have already gone for emergency use authorization, or are likely to do so very soon. Anticipation is building.

As and when vaccines are found to be safe and effective, countries will need to activate detailed plans to efficiently deploy the initial tranches of COVID-19 vaccines to cover up to 20% of the most vulnerable of their population, and to carry out coordinated and equitable deployments thereafter. WHO will continue to provide Member States its full support to help finalize such plans, with a focus on several key areas.

First, defining priority groups for vaccination. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization has in recent months published critical guidance that considers priority groups for vaccination based on different epidemiologic settings and vaccine supply scenarios.

Informed by the guidance, countries must make evidence-based, context-specific decisions, accounting for the risk-profile of different groups based on age, underlying health and comorbidities, and socio-demographic risks, among other factors. Across all settings, and whatever the supply scenario, it is imperative that frontline health personnel are provided first access.

Second, enhancing service delivery, communication and vaccine demand. Across the Region, countries must identify platforms to deliver vaccines to target populations, while also strengthening infection prevention and control protocols.

But of increasingly urgent need is the development and roll-out of comprehensive plans to identify and train an adequate number of health workers and volunteers to administer the vaccine. Crucially, communities must continue to be engaged, listened to and provided high-quality, scientifically sound information, which will in turn drive vaccine demand.

Third, strengthening vaccine cold chain and logistics. Even to reach an initial 20% coverage, countries may have to increase cold chain capacity, which will require additional resources. Logistics working groups will need clear terms of reference and standard operating procedures, not only to coordinate the deployment of vaccines, but also to source and deliver ancillary products. To address these and other challenges, WHO will continue to work with international and global partners to mobilize the financial, material and technical resources required.

Complacency must not set in. Although vaccine manufacturing has already started, reaching sufficient availability will take time. In a crisis such as this there are no silver bullets. Today, tomorrow, and for many more months to come, we must continue to implement the basic public health measures that we know work, and which have defined our "new normal". Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Maintain physical distance and avoid the three Cs - crowded places, close-contact settings, and confined and enclosed spaces.

Almost a year since COVID-19 emerged, we have cause for optimism. Countries in the Region are to be commended for beginning immunization planning as early as July, for carrying out vaccine readiness assessments, and for continuing to act in solidarity and with recognition that vaccines are a global public good. Now is the time to firm up and finalize such plans, for the equitable and efficient protection of vulnerable populations, and for the health and well-being of all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ready immunization systems to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As and when vaccines are found to be safe and effective, countries will need to activate detailed plans to efficiently deploy the initial tranches of COVID-19 vaccines to cover up to 20% of the most vulnerable of their population, and to carry out coordinated and equitable deployments thereafter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Right Now's September 2012 content is focused on the theme of Women's Rights.

Women's Rights, gender equality, equal pay. These concepts might be thought by many to be a reality. While great strides have been made over the decades, much remains to be done. One can start, for example, with a consideration of representations of women in media and film. Or, consider Josie Swords' reflection on what it means to be a feminist in 2012 (and beyond). Or the role and success of legal frameworks in promoting women's rights, such as in Associate Professor Beth Gaze's article on the current legal requirements to provide equal employment opportunity for women in the private sector.

" What about cultivating a living, breathing culture of human rights?" asks Sydney producer Michelle Kotevski. "Perhaps this is where theatre is more powerful than a framework or legislation. Perhaps theatre is much better at engendering and tending to what we will always need - empathy and care." Michelle is currently producing The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe, based on the personal stories of four African refugee women living in Sydney. Meanwhile, Emma Kerins suggests the London Olympics were a milestone for women in sport - a cultural step of some importance.

In other articles, David Donaldson offers " A Beginners Guide to Parental Leave in Australia"; Lydia Jebakumar reveals mandatory detention of women and children arriving in Australia unauthorised remains the norm, despite official policy, but argues it should be a "last resort"; and Holly Kendall explains the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and Australia two outdated objections (or more technically "reservations") to it.

Looking beyond our shores, Claire Varley gives us a first-hand account of the development of equality in the Pacific islands, the "strong women" she has met, and what Australia is doing to help. Right Now's Chloé Potvin interviews Executive Director at UN Women Australia, Julie McKay, on the challenges facing women in Australia and the Pacific region. Meanwhile, Sylvia Frain presents a photo essay on women's vocational training in Timor-Leste. Natalie Sambhi outlines a rights-based approach to women in combat roles in the Australian Defence Force.

Looking again more widely, Zoya Patel considers the need for a nuanced approach to what it means to wear a hijab or burqa, beyond 'a straight "oppressed/not oppressed"' view.

In perhaps the most vexed issue associated with women's rights, we have contributions on both the present state of abortion law and an opinion on cultural shaming that surrounds abortion by Dr Leslie Cannold.

Considerations of sex and sexuality throw up a number of concerning realities. Ellyse Borghi reveals the facts and legal framework on sex trafficking in Australia; while Karen Pickering tells her personal story of abuse in the service of the "bigger story" of apprehensions of rape and the stigmatisation of victims of sexual assaults. Meanwhile, Emily Zoey Baker's poem, "We Were Told It Was A Party" explores the rhetoric and consequences of rape culture.

Finally, to an area that reveals the contested nature of feminism - sex work. David Donaldson looks at contrasting laws on sex work that give rise to a number of important questions (for you to answer in our forum).
For reviews of all of Right Now's recent themes click on the editorials below:
August 2012: The Environment and Human Rights

July 2012: Children and Youth

June 2012: Indigenous People and Human Rights

April-May 2012: Human Rights and Arts Film Festival

March 2012: Race and Discrimination

February 2012: Prisoner's Rights

December 2011: Housing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Right Now's September 2012 content is focused on the theme of Women's Rights. Women's Rights, gender equality, equal pay. These concepts might be thought by many to be a reality. While great strides have been made over the decades, much remains to be done. One can start, for example, with a consideration of representations of [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kirli Saunders in conversation with Sarah Jacob
Animals Make us Human is a collection of writings reflecting on the 2019/20 bushfires. Kirli Saunders talks about her essay for the book on the glossy black cockatoo.

Climate change Environment Indigenous People Sustainability

Sarah Jacob in conversation with David Lindenmayer
Animals Make us Human is a collection of writings reflecting on the 2019/20 bushfires. David Lindenmayer talks about his essay for the book on the great gliders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Health and environment Archives - Right Now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kirli Saunders in conversation with Sarah Jacob Animals Make us Human is a collection of writings reflecting on the 2019/20 bushfires. Kirli Saunders talks about her essay for the book on the glossy black cockatoo. Climate change Environment Indigenous People Sustainability Sarah Jacob in conversation with David Lindenmayer Animals Make us Human is a collection of writings reflecting on the 2019/20 bushfires.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Boston Red Sox are paying pitcher David Price $217 million over seven years, so when Price and manager Alex Cora insist his mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome was not caused by his relentless playing of "Fortnite," fans want to believe it.

Price's passion has nonetheless given a new spike of publicity to the latest video-game craze that has captivated not just the left-handed pitcher but many of his Red Sox teammates - as well as teens and younger kids around the world.

"Fortnite" is a multi-player game where players search for survivors and resources in an effort to be the last survivor. Price said he will no longer play the game in the Red Sox clubhouse, though his reaction was more about the furor it caused and than any corrective measure.

Schools and teachers are grappling with what to do about "Fortnite,'' whose maker, Epic Games, is adding a warning to its loading screen that students not play it in class. Teachers in the United States, England and elsewhere are taking away smartphones of students who are playing it on school time.

Trends come and go at a dizzying rate in the Technology Age. In the summer of 2016, Pokemon Go created images of digital characters in real-life settings, sending players into streets and neighborhoods with such zombie-like abandon that police departments issued caution warnings.

Pokemon Go is still around the craze soon dissipated. Whether that happens with "Fortnite" remains to be seen, but no obsession is truly healthy and this one is no exception.

What makes this new craze more fashionable is its appeal with many famous entertainers and sports stars. The Red Sox are far from the only pro sports team whose clubhouse has been taken over by "Fortnite," and popular rappers are also dialed in.

"Fortnite" is an interesting concept and a source of fun for millions. One one day in winter, more than 3.4 million players were participating around the globe at the same time, according to USA Today. By March, it was the highest selling app in the United States, Great Britain and nearly a dozen other countries.

No activity is healthy, though, when it overwhelms the rest of an ordinary life. Schools in particular have a new problem of getting their kids to put away the game and pay attention to their teachers.

Online activity has been proven to be addictive. "Fortnite" is the latest example, whether David Price is hooked on it or not.

So, parents, be especially mindful of whether your kids are turning this game into a distracting, time-consuming and even unhealthy obsession. But first, parents, make sure you're not going overboard on this latest video craze yourself.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Fortnite' is the new unhealthy obsession (Editorial)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Boston Red Sox are paying pitcher David Price $217 million over seven years, so when Price and manager Alex Cora insist his mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome was not caused by his relentless playing of "Fortnite," fans want to believe it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
orruption is defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. This term cannot - yet - be applied to describe what has gone on with the refurbishment of the four-bedroom Downing Street flat by Boris Johnson. The facts have yet to be shown. But on Monday, Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, did not deny claims that private donors helped to pay to renovate the prime minister's home. The generous public grant of £30,000 available to spend on the flat was, apparently, not enough. This seems to contradict the government's assertion that Mr Johnson had funded the refurbishment all along.

The issue of who paid to transform Mr Johnson's Downing Street home - from "John Lewis furniture nightmare" into a "high society haven" - is not Westminster tittle-tattle. There has been no transparency about said donation. Mr Johnson hides behind such obfuscations. We still do not know who paid for the Caribbean holiday that he took after winning the 2019 general election. It is doubtful that Mr Johnson would not feel indebted to wealthy benefactors. Which is why the latest row risks becoming a defining issue for the government. It opens Mr Johnson up to accusations that his government is for sale.

Bribes, sops and favours have not been methods of rule in Britain for a very long time. It has been thought best to avoid the appearance of venality. Our system of government relies on holders of high office not conducting themselves in a way that reduces public confidence. Mr Johnson has made a career from holding such conventions in contempt. He sees no reason to regulate himself in the interests of anybody but himself. Ministerial codes, parliamentary rules and reporting requirements are for everyone else; they do not apply to him. His gargantuan self-confidence has led the prime minister to react to embarrassments by doubling down.

This will have profound consequences for politics. Mr Johnson's practised insouciance in the face of outrage looks designed to create a tolerance for sleaze in Westminster. The prime minister gave a peerage to a Tory donor against advice from the House of Lords appointments commission. The American businesswomen Jennifer Arcuri claimed to have had a four-year affair with Mr Johnson when he ran the capital, a period in which her companies received £126,000 of public money. Mr Johnson says he acted with " honesty and integrity ".

The evidence accumulates but, philosophically, the problem is what to do about it. Britain's constitutional setup relies on self-regulation, which is collapsing under Mr Johnson. Civil servants have been cowed. Whether the prime minister did or did not say that he would rather bodies " pile high in their thousands " than order a third lockdown is about his personal, more than his political, morality. The alleged language would be both disgraceful and distasteful. But it is the prime minister's actions that appear to be fostering an environment conducive to graft.

The Conservative party has been in power for more than a decade. During that time the party's leaders have placed the commanding heights of economic policy in the hands of its supporters, often in finance and property, who have then gone on to employ Tory politicians. David Cameron went to work for the disgraced banker Lex Greensill, having brought him into government. That he stood, it is reported, to gain £200m if Mr Greensill's firm had floated on the stock market is testament to his poor judgment.

Covid-19 has revealed the depth of cronyism and clientelism in British public life. This country had a reputation for the integrity of its public institutions. Mr Johnson's legacy may be to shrink, irrevocably, our stature.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Guardian view on Boris Johnson's donors: what is the quid pro quo? | Editorial

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
orruption is defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. This term cannot - yet - be applied to describe what has gone on with the refurbishment of the four-bedroom Downing Street flat by Boris Johnson. The facts have yet to be shown.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russia announced a public campaign against selfies in dangerous situations after 10 reported deaths and 100 injuries this year. An official stated, "We would like to remind the citizens that the chase for 'likes' in social networks can lead to the road of death."

In Denver, officials closed a public park in late August after incidents involving individuals taking selfies with bears. That echoed an action at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, where a "bear bulletin" was issued to dissuade tourists from taking selfies with the animals alongside the road.

Earlier in the summer, rangers in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming felt compelled to distribute pamphlets with an image of a man being gored and flung into the air by a bison. The animals, they noted, are "wild, unpredictable, and dangerous." They also weigh 3,500 pounds and have been clocked at 30 mph.

Three aborted Yellowstone selfies with bison could have added a new meaning to "photo bomb."

A 43-year-old Mississippi woman and her daughter were within 6 yards of a bison for their photo op when nature reared its ugly head. According to a park service statement, "They heard the bison's footsteps moving toward them and started to run, but the bison caught the mother on the right side, lifted her up and tossed her with its head."

She suffered only minor injuries. Other selfie-related incidents involved a 16-year-old Taiwanese girl and a 62-year-old Australian man being gored by bison.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Russia announced a public campaign against selfies in dangerous situations after 10 reported deaths and 100 injuries this year. An official stated, "We would like to remind the citizens that the chase for 'likes' in social networks can lead to the road of death."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
f, at midnight, you stick your oar into the water of the lagoon near Kallady Bridge in Batticaloa, on Sri Lanka's east coast, you might hear fish sing. It sounds, according to Prince Casinader, who was a former local MP moonlighting as a journalist, "like a man idly playing on the keys of a piano. Bass notes and treble notes. Or like someone rubbing a finger around the rim of a wet wine glass."

For a while, people were uncertain about whether the fish really existed. In a 2017 Trip Advisor review of singing fish tours organised by a local hotel, the tourist writes, "The Sound was there and we listened by placing the ear-end of the Oar ... in water. And in one spot we heard it even without listening through the oars. It was an amazing experience." The hotel's owner responds: "Even though a lot of people know Batticaloa as the 'Land of the Singing Fish' most of them including locals think it is a legend and no truth to it. I heard it first when I was around 12 almost 30 years ago and after the long disruption due to the civil war people forgot about it and it slipped into distant memory."

A few years earlier, a group of citizen scientists who call themselves the Science Navigators, set out to see if they could record the fish - they had found musical notation of a recording of the fish taken in the 1950s and since lost, so the fish were surely real. They dropped a waterproof microphone into the lagoon and there it was: deep whomps and reedy notes. Like frogs, but less croaky. You can listen from the bridge, too, if you press your ears against its iron pillars.

In an interview for a documentary about the fish, one of the Science Navigators, cardiologist Arulnithy Kanagasingam, says, "I have no knowledge of music. So what I can hear is a good sound, it's not a disturbing sound." He says that they have seen references to similar singing in California.

There, according to the Christian Science Monitor, houseboat residents heard the sound and thought that it was produced by navy experiments or aliens. Fortunately, it was "plainfin midshipman", a species of toadfish that glows green during courtship and looks like Boris Johnson's hardship face. The fish produce the sound by "vibrating a gas-filled bladder within the abdomen".

In 2014, scientists discovered that fish, like people, raise their voices when their environment gets noisier. In other words, as Emily Anthes writes in one of my favourite science articles of all time, they shout. The scientists were investigating the effects of the noises humans have introduced to water - ferries, cargo ships, sonar and drilling - on the creatures that live there. In order to test how fish were adapting to the brouhaha, an ecologist and her doctoral student placed blacktail shiners, a type of minnow, into a tank. The male shiners are known to growl. When white noise was played in the tank, the fish, instead of moving closer, growled more loudly.

I thought about shouting fish and singing fish recently while watching an opera - La Traviata - performed on the water in Sydney harbour. My husband and I had bought tickets using the government vouchers given to the good people of the state of New South Wales to encourage us to "Dine and Discover" in the name of post-pandemic recovery. The opera had offered to double the value of the vouchers (give a man $25 and he will watch a simple movie. Teach a man to double his voucher money etc etc). Speaking of post-pandemic recovery, scientists (and fish) are hoping the economic devastation has left the seas quieter.

The singers performed on a tilted square-shaped stage, like a large paper napkin suspended on the water, over which hung a giant chandelier. They sang of "love, the pulse of the whole world" and "cruel fate" as the moon moved from stage left to stage right and bats squeaked and chirped - more loudly than usual, I suspect - in the giant fig trees overhead.

"The Nature of ... " is a column by Helen Sullivan dedicated to interesting animals, insects, plants and natural phenomena. Is there an intriguing creature or particularly lively plant you think would delight our readers? Let us know on Twitter @helenrsullivan or via email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A singing fish: it glows green during courtship and looks like Boris Johnson's hardship face | Helen Sullivan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
f, at midnight, you stick your oar into the water of the lagoon near Kallady Bridge in Batticaloa, on Sri Lanka's east coast, you might hear fish sing. It sounds, according to Prince Casinader, who was a former local MP moonlighting as a journalist, "like a man idly playing on the keys of a piano.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Boston Red Sox are paying pitcher David Price $217 million over seven years, so when Price and manager Alex Cora insist his mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome was not caused by his relentless playing of "Fortnite," fans want to believe it.

Price's passion has nonetheless given a new spike of publicity to the latest video-game craze that has captivated not just the left-handed pitcher but many of his Red Sox teammates - as well as teens and younger kids around the world.

"Fortnite" is a multi-player game where players search for survivors and resources in an effort to be the last survivor. Price said he will no longer play the game in the Red Sox clubhouse, though his reaction was more about the furor it caused and than any corrective measure.

Schools and teachers are grappling with what to do about "Fortnite,'' whose maker, Epic Games, is adding a warning to its loading screen that students not play it in class. Teachers in the United States, England and elsewhere are taking away smartphones of students who are playing it on school time.

Trends come and go at a dizzying rate in the Technology Age. In the summer of 2016, Pokemon Go created images of digital characters in real-life settings, sending players into streets and neighborhoods with such zombie-like abandon that police departments issued caution warnings.

Pokemon Go is still around the craze soon dissipated. Whether that happens with "Fortnite" remains to be seen, but no obsession is truly healthy and this one is no exception.

What makes this new craze more fashionable is its appeal with many famous entertainers and sports stars. The Red Sox are far from the only pro sports team whose clubhouse has been taken over by "Fortnite," and popular rappers are also dialed in.

"Fortnite" is an interesting concept and a source of fun for millions. One one day in winter, more than 3.4 million players were participating around the globe at the same time, according to USA Today. By March, it was the highest selling app in the United States, Great Britain and nearly a dozen other countries.

No activity is healthy, though, when it overwhelms the rest of an ordinary life. Schools in particular have a new problem of getting their kids to put away the game and pay attention to their teachers.

Online activity has been proven to be addictive. "Fortnite" is the latest example, whether David Price is hooked on it or not.

So, parents, be especially mindful of whether your kids are turning this game into a distracting, time-consuming and even unhealthy obsession. But first, parents, make sure you're not going overboard on this latest video craze yourself.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Fortnite' is the new unhealthy obsession (Editorial)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Boston Red Sox are paying pitcher David Price $217 million over seven years, so when Price and manager Alex Cora insist his mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome was not caused by his relentless playing of "Fortnite," fans want to believe it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
olice in Portland this week released an audio recording documenting the conversation between officers and dispatchers immediately before and after the fatal shooting of a homeless man in a city park on Friday.

The recording includes the initial report that a man, later identified as 46-year-old Robert Douglas Delgado, was brandishing a handgun in Lents Park, deep in the Oregon city's south-east quadrant. It documents erratic behavior on Delgado's part, suggesting the mental health crisis that he was later reported to be in. And it also prominently features the commentary of Zachary Delong, a long-serving officer and combat veteran who killed Delgado with a single shot.

But it leaves many questions about the shooting unanswered, and does not include any indication that Delgado was brandishing his gun - which turned out to be a harmless replica - at the time that Delong fired on him from a distance of 90ft, according to police.

A video of the incident, recorded by a local resident and first published by the Willamette Week, does not much clarify that issue, though it does capture police barking orders at Delgado before firing off multiple shots.

Portland riot officers respond to a protest after police shot and killed Robert Douglas Delgado, 46. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Public records show that Delgado had a long series of interactions with police stretching back to 1992, and convictions for crimes including assault, driving offenses, and drug possession. He had no recorded permanent address after 2017.

His sister, Paulette Martin, told local reporters that her brother had a "rough life", struggling with mental illness and substance abuse issues for years, and that he was "always scared" of police, who she said "never helped him".

Delong, meanwhile, had been repeatedly celebrated by the Portland police bureau (PPB). In 2016, the bureau posted a link to a History Channel documentary that detailed the officer's role while serving as a US army ranger in a 2010 engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The previous year, PPB awarded Delong a Life Saving medal, which bureau directives describe as being "awarded to any sworn or non-sworn bureau member or community member who saved the life of another person".

Delong has been placed on administrative leave, and the shooting is under internal administrative investigation. Asked about the timeline for the administrative investigation of the shooting, PPB directed the Guardian to a press release, which did not specify a timetable.

A year of protests

Friday's killing has posed new questions about the relationship between law enforcement and the city's homeless population, whose numbers have swelled, and whose presence has become more visible during the pandemic.

After a brief pause in the Covid spring of 2020, city authorities have resumed using PPB in sweeps of their encampments, a tactic that has been criticized by homeless advocates in a city that has seen historically black neighborhoods gentrified, sharp increases in housing costs, and a dearth of construction of affordable housing.

So far in the city's streets, the response to Delgado's death has been curiously muted when compared with the height of 2020's Black Lives Matter protests.

Portland has been convulsed over the past year by hundreds of night-time protests against police brutality, which have themselves - according to protesters, human rights groups and legal complaints - been subject to more heavy-handed policing from local and federal agencies.

At their peak, last summer's protests drew thousands into city streets, and set up weeks of direct confrontation between protesters on the one hand, and PPB officers, Multnomah county sheriff's deputies, and a variety of federal agents on the other. While the largest protests were peaceful, for weeks, police and large crowds of demonstrators faced off across a fence erected to protect the Multnomah county justice center, which houses the courts and jail, and which was set ablaze by protesters early in the cycle of George Floyd protests.

Protesters march along the Hawthorne Bridge after the police shooting of Robert Delgado. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

As the year, and the protests, wore on, Portland became a central focus for conservative media, mugshot-tweeting social media propagandists, and, eventually, the Trump administration, as the former president himself called out city authorities and dispatched additional agents to the city over the objections of Oregon's governor, and attempted to shift the national conversation from his handling of the Covid crisis to "law and order".

While each night since the killing has seen anti-police protests, they have been on a far smaller scale.

On Tuesday night, after the Derek Chauvin verdict was delivered, expectations from Portland city authorities had been such that Mayor Ted Wheeler pre-emptively declared a state of emergency, allowing the imposition of a curfew and street closures in the event of unrest.

Although protesters downtown broke storefront windows, and one demonstrator punched a police officer and was in turn beaten by police, the crowd numbered no more than 60.

The relatively low numbers are in keeping with other recent protests, and the longer term trend in 2021.

On Sunday night, a group of about 70 people gathered outside PPB's east precinct, where Delong was stationed before being placed on administrative leave. Police say that the crowd attempted to roll dumpsters towards the precinct in order to set them, and the building, on fire, but police intervened and the crowd was dispersed without arrests.

On Monday night, a few dozen people, including some in so-called "black bloc" attire - black clothing and masks associated with militant anarchist protesters - gathered in a park in the historically African-American Woodlawn neighborhood. They marched around surrounding streets, smashing windows of buildings belonging to a youth club, a bank, and at a restaurant belonging to chicken chain, Popeye's.

That night, city residents were ready to express frustration at their actions. Lady Leo, an African-American woman who lives near the restaurant, told Sergio Olmos, a reporter for local public radio, that the protesters were "tearing down our community and teaching our kids wrong".

Protesters lit a portable bathroom on fire in downtown Portland, 16 April 2021. Photograph: Dave Killen/AP

Along with some evidence of a souring view of the protesters in the community, there was more stark proof that the relationship between protesters and press covering the events has deteriorated.

On Friday night, Justin Yau, a freelance journalist who has been in the streets for months covering the protests, was knocked to the ground, beaten and had his eyeglasses broken.

That incident came after months of what Society of Professional Journalists Oregon president, April Erlich, called in a statement "escalating anti-press rhetoric from protesters and physical attacks on journalists in Oregon by both police and protesters".

Across the last half-decade, the warmer months in Portland have seen a ramping up of confrontational protests, in which leftists have faced off against far-right groups and police.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, members of Delgado's family called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the circumstances of his death. Simultaneously, Portland's mayor, Wheeler, announced the extension of the state of emergency through this weekend, and encouraged residents to report the number plates of vehicles carrying people dressed in black.

It remains to be seen whether the response to the killing of Robert Delgado signals the end of the city's contentious Trump-era street politics, or just a springtime pause.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Portland police killed a homeless man. Now the city faces tough questions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
olice in Portland this week released an audio recording documenting the conversation between officers and dispatchers immediately before and after the fatal shooting of a homeless man in a city park on Friday. The recording includes the initial report that a man, later identified as 46-year-old Robert Douglas Delgado, was brandishing a handgun in Lents Park, deep in the Oregon city's south-east quadrant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Photo by This March 8, take some time to learn about women's rights, intersectional feminism and why it is important to work toward gender equality.

For women across the world, March 8 is International Women's Day - a perfect opportunity to talk about the state of feminism in the 21st century. To clear the air, let us first establish that feminism seeks equal treatment for people of all genders.

There have been many misconceptions, retaliatory men's groups and confusion surrounding the women's movement, but we have to work hard to disprove misconceptions and actively work to support intersectional feminism.

Modern-day women's issues are coming up against men's rights groups and faux efforts to make change. Intersectional feminism provides a solution to these threats as well as the opportunity to extend the benefits of feminism to as many people as possible.

What is intersectional feminism? While overly-formal language is generally a sign of bureaucratic or political nonsense, the term intersectional feminism actually encompasses a necessary and modernized definition of the women's rights struggle. Put plainly, intersectionality asks us to consider all demographics and the effects of race, income, nationality and more have on women's experiences.

American law professor, Kimberlé Crenshaw explains it best when she says that, "we tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status. What is often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts."

Intersectionality is especially necessary in the 21st century when considering the racism associated with feminist movements. White feminism specifically ignores the issues of minority women, and moving forward, inclusivity and real change must happen on all fronts, not just the white-picket-fence-lives of middle class white women.

Women and girlsacross the globe face life-or-death situations on the basis of their sex. In some countries like , some families killfemale infants to make room for sons. Approximately 200 million women and girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation, primarily in sub-Saharan and Arab countries, according to the United Nations.In countries such as , young girls are sold as children and are married off. Intersectional feminism attempts to address all these issues, which is what makes it so valuable.

These changes and growth in feminism in the past year have sparked new backlash. That said, claims that feminists are crazy women looking to rob all men of their livelihoods are not new. Cartoons from as early as 1900 depict suffragettes as horrible, emasculating women.

Men, in a position of privilege, may feel challenged by the idea of equality and sometimes turn to online chats, where their hatred for women is allowed to fester. These online communities often spawn groups claiming to advocate for men's rights, but actually embody the visceral backlash to the women's rights movement.

It is also important to note that not all men are actively seeking to tear down women's issues, and that feminism, while it does focus on the lives and struggles of women, seeks to dismantle the systems that take advantage of gender roles to the detriment of all people. For one, feminism seeks to establish parenthood as a task equally split between men and women.

As it currently stands, women are expected to do most of the child-bearing, which hurts their potential to develop a career and have economic freedom. Men are severely disadvantaged in family courtrooms when trying to win custody. The parental gender roles here hurt everyone, and feminism seeks to dismantle those gender roles, among a variety of other issues that affect men.

It is also important to distinguish between real efforts to make progress in women's issues and surface-level changes. Reforms like adding women's awards in traditional areas of art, business or academia, while initially designed to ensure women receive credit, essentially relegate women to a children's table of achievement.

It does nothing for the advancement of women and instead cements the idea that they cannot even compete with men for the same honors and accolades. Meaningful reform focuses on leveling the playing field, not creating a sub-category of success.

Intersectional feminism focuses on making change for women in dangerous situations, increasing opportunities for all women and create a world in which artificial gender roles do not limit the potential and possibilities of any one person's life.

Education about women's issues should not be reserved for the month of March but should continue so long as there are girls and women being punished for their gender. Your role, as part of the world you live in, is not just to learn about all women's issues but to use that knowledge to act in a way that opens doors for all people, regardless of their gender.
The Daily Targum's editorials represent the views of the majority of the 153rd editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
EDITORIAL: Intersectional feminism is still needed in 21st century

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For women across the world, March 8 is International Women's Day - a perfect opportunity to talk about the state of feminism in the 21st century. To clear the air, let us first establish that feminism seeks equal treatment for people of all genders.

# data[].attributes.body
Read one of the editorials from The Guardian's Opinion section and summarise the key facts, ideas or issues raised below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Comment is free Australia | The Guardian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Latest comment, analysis and discussion from Guardian Australia. CP Scott: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred"

# data[].attributes.headline
Are there any topics you are feeling unsure about? What questions do you have?

# data[].attributes.subject
Are there any topics you are feeling unsure about? What questions do you have?

# data[].attributes.body
Can you find your own editorials? Post them below to share with your classmates.

# data[].attributes.body
Check out some of the current issues/topics which are circulating the news.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get the latest Australian and world news covering breaking news and trending topics that educate, engage and entertain.

An SBS initiative providing comprehensive information on the cultural background of Australia's migrant populations. The aim is to improve social cohesion and promote inclusion in an increasingly culturally diverse society.

Stay informed by signing up to our newsletter. Get the latest from SBS News each morning, afternoon and every weekend.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SBS News - Trusted Australian, world and breaking news

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The bigger picture with the latest news from Australia and across the world. Get breaking news stories and videos. Download the SBS News app now. Watch SBS World News 6.30pm AEST nightly and 10.30pm AEST Mon-Fri, listen at 6am & 6pm AEST Mon-Fri.

# data[].attributes.body
Check out some of the current issues/topics which are circulating the news.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ABC News Daily

Could there be three rate hikes this year?

Inflation pressures were meant to be coming off a bit more by now, but 'sticky' inflation has one prominent economist suggesting up to three interest rate hikes could be in store this year. Today, what's going wrong.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Trusted and independent source of local, national and world news. In-depth analysis, business, sport, weather and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
What are some of the topical news issues that you find interesting? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What are some of the topical news issues that you find interesting? 

# data[].attributes.body
A short clip where a real editorial writer discusses how she creates her pieces.

# data[].attributes.body
Read the sample editorials in the link below.
Which editorial do you find more persuasive? Why?

# data[].attributes.headline
Describe the different types of editorials you might find in a newspaper.

# data[].attributes.subject
Describe the different types of editorials you might find in a newspaper.

# data[].attributes.body
An editorial article presents the newspaper's opinion on a topical news issue.

# data[].attributes.headline
What persuasive techniques are used by editorial writers? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What persuasive techniques are used by editorial writers? 

# data[].attributes.headline
What are some language/text features of an editorial?

# data[].attributes.subject
What are some language/text features of an editorial?

# data[].attributes.body
A short review on the meaning, definition and an explanation of what an editorial is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is EDITORIAL? What does EDITORIAL mean? EDITORIAL meaning, definition & explanation