The Gentiles declare the apostles gods

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Guest Author

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27 November 2024

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By prof. A.P. Lopukhin

Acts of the Apostles, chapter 14. The preaching of Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (1 – 7). The healing of the crippled man in Lystra and the attempt of the Gentiles to offer sacrifices to the apostles (8 – 18). The persecution of the apostles, the return journey through the newly founded communities, and the return to Syrian Antioch (19 – 28)

Acts 14:1. In Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed.

The “Greeks” who believed were undoubtedly proselytes—Gentiles converted to Judaism, in contrast to the “Gentiles” mentioned later (v. 2), who joined the unbelieving Jews against the apostles.

Acts 14:2. And the unbelieving Jews stirred up and hardened the hearts of the Gentiles against the brethren.

“stirred up and hardened,” i.e., they slandered the apostles, accused them of many things, “represented the simple-hearted as treacherous” (St. John Chrysostom).

“against the brethren,” i.e., not only against the apostles, but also against the newly converted followers of Christ in general, the greater part of whom were Jews by birth, therefore brothers by the flesh to the persecutors (Rom. 9:3).

Acts 14:3. But they remained here for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

“speaking boldly for the Lord.” Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid writes: “This boldness arose from the apostles’ devotion to the work of preaching, and the fact that those who heard them believed was a consequence of the miracles, but to some extent the boldness of the apostles also contributed to this.”

Acts 14:4. And the people in the city were divided: some were with the Jews, and others with the apostles.

“the people in the city were divided.” In this division, it seems, lies the reason why the incitement of the Gentiles by the Jews remained fruitless for some time.

Acts 14:5. When the Gentiles and the Jews with their leaders, excited, were preparing to blaspheme and stone them to death,

“the Jews with their leaders” – cf. Acts 13. Probably with the archsynagogue and the elders who formed the council under him.

“they stoned them to death.” The desire to “stone them” reveals both the fact that the main leaders of the attack on the apostles were the Jews, and that the apostles’ guilt was formulated as blasphemy, for which the Jews had a similar punishment.

Acts 14:6. when they learned of it, they fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and their surroundings,

“to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe.” Lycaonia was not so much a political as an ethnographic region in Asia Minor with the cities of Lystra southeast of Iconium, and Derbe southeast of Lystra.

Acts 14:7. and there they preached the gospel.

Acts 14:8. In Lystra there sat a certain man lame in his feet, who had been lame from his mother’s womb; he had never walked.

Acts 14:9. He listened as Paul spoke; and Paul, looking intently at him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

“perceived that he had faith”—seeing with the discernment of a divinely enlightened apostle.

Acts 14:10. said to him with a loud voice, “I say to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, stand on your feet!” And immediately he leaped up and walked.

Acts 14:11. And the crowds, seeing what Paul had done, lifted up their voices and said in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form.”

“They spoke in the Lycaonian language.” It is difficult to say what this Lycaonian dialect is: some consider it a dialect close to Assyrian, others to be identical with Cappadocian, and still others to be a corrupted Greek.

Acts 14:12. And they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

“they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes.” Why people saw these gods in Barnabas and Paul is partly explained by a local Phrygian tale about the appearance of these gods in human form (Ovid, Metamorphoses VIII), as well as by the fact that near the city there was a temple or idol of Zeus, and Hermes (Hermes), as an eloquent interpreter of the gods, was considered an obligatory companion of Zeus when he descended from Olympus to mortals. A hint of the latter is given by the historian himself, according to whom Paul was considered Hermes, “because he excelled in speaking”…. It is possible that the very appearance of the apostles had its own significance: Paul, as a young man (Acts 7:58), distinguished by an energetic character, reflected in all his speeches and actions, could easily be identified with Hermes, who was presented as a gentle, lively, good-looking youth, while Barnabas, with his seriousness, could remind the pagans of Zeus. Regarding the appearance of the apostles, St. John Chrysostom writes: “It seems to me that Barnabas had a dignified appearance.”

Acts 14:13. And the priest of Zeus, whose idol was before their city, having brought bulls to the gate and brought garlands, wanted to perform a sacrifice together with the people.

“brought garlands” – to decorate the sacrificial bulls with them, which was usually done to please the gods more.

Acts 14:14. But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, hearing about this, tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out:

“They have torn their clothes” in sign of deep sorrow and contrition at such blindness of the people.

The apostles prove the absurdity of their deification by the pagans, they assure them of the falsehood of the pagan gods. They point out to them the One living God, the Creator of all things, who, although He has allowed all nations to follow false paths, has not deprived them of the opportunity to know the true path (cf. Rom. 1:20, 11:13-36).

Acts 14:15. Men, why are you doing these things? And we are men subject to you and preach to you that you should turn from these false gods to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,

Acts 14:16. Who in past generations suffered all nations to walk in their own ways,

Acts 14:17. although He did not leave Himself without witness in good works, giving us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

“Without forcing free will,” says Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid, “the Lord allowed all people to act according to their own discretion; but He Himself constantly performed such works from which they, as rational beings, could understand the Creator.”

Acts 14:18. And saying this, they hardly persuaded the people not to offer sacrifice to them, but to go each to his own house. While they remained there and taught,

“they hardly persuaded.” So greatly were the people moved by what had happened, and so firmly were they convinced that before their eyes they were gods, and not men.

Acts 14:19. Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when the apostles were speaking boldly, they persuaded the people to leave them, saying: You speak nothing true, but everything is false; having persuaded the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking him dead.

“some Jews came” from among the unbelievers and hostile to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:50 and 14:5).

“they stoned Paul,” not Barnabas – perhaps because he, as the leader in speaking (Acts 14:12), seemed to the Jews the most dangerous and hated enemy. Probably the apostle mentions the same stoning in 2 Cor. 11:25. Such is the amazing fickleness of the crowd, which easily succumbs to the evil speech of the instigators. Only recently they were ready to honor the apostles as gods, and now they were capable of dealing with the most hardened villains. The ability of the instigators to effect such a turn in the mood of the masses is undoubtedly impressive.

Acts 14:20. And when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city, and the next day he withdrew with Barnabas to Derbe.

“the disciples gathered around him” probably with the intention of seeing what was happening to him, in what condition he was, or even to bury him if he was dead.

“he rose up and went into the city”. There is no doubt that this strengthening of Paul’s physical strength was a miraculous action, although the author only hints at it – with the short and strong expression – “he rose up and went”! Here the firmness of the apostle’s spirit, who fearlessly returns to the city where he had just been in mortal danger, deserves attention.

Acts 14:21. After preaching the Gospel in this city and gaining quite a few disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,

Acts. 14:22. confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and teaching that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

From Derbe, after a successful sermon, the apostles set out on a return journey to Syrian Antioch, through all the places they had previously visited (Acts 13, etc.), strengthening the believers so that they would be ready to keep the faith of Christ, despite all the persecutions, tribulations, and trials, which represent for believers the surest way to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 7:14).

Acts 14:23. And when they had ordained elders for them in each church, they prayed with fasting and commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

“they ordained elders” – leaders and leaders of each community, which in this way receives a stable external organization. The ordination, i.e. the laying on of hands (Acts 6:2-6) shows the importance of the ministry of the elders, as well as the gracious nature of this consecration (cf. Acts 11:30).

“they prayed with fasting” – as they do on all important occasions (Acts 13, etc.)

“they committed them” – i.e. the newly converted Christians, together with their newly appointed leaders

“to the Lord”, i.e. to His grace, favor and protection.

Acts 14:24. And when they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia;

Acts 14:25. and when they had spoken the word of the Lord in Perga, they went down to Attalia;

Through Pisidia and Pamphylia the apostles returned to Perga, the first city they came to after arriving on the coast of Asia Minor (Acts 13:13).

“they went down to Attalia” – a seaside city in Pamphylia, southeast of Perga, where the Cataract River flows into the sea. The city is named after Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamum, by whom it was built.

Acts 14:26. and from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they were commended to the grace of God for the work which they had accomplished.

From Perga the apostles traveled through Seleucia to Syrian Antioch, from where, guided by the grace of God, they began their first apostolic journey.

Acts 14:27. When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

“they gathered the church together,” that is, the Christian community in Antioch, and “they reported all that God had done with them.” The apostles humbly confess that the power of God had been at work in them all this time, and not they alone.

“opened the door of faith.” A figurative expression of the acceptance of the Gentiles into the bosom of the Church of Christ (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3). St. John Chrysostom recalls that the Jews forbade even speaking to Gentiles.

Acts 14:28. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Thus ends the account of the first apostolic journey to the Gentiles of the great apostles Paul and Barnabas.

How long this first journey of Paul lasted, the author does not say. It is assumed that it lasted about two years.

Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A.P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.

Physicist Discovers Equation That Describes Cat Motion

By

Gaston de Persigny

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27 November 2024

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Physicist Dr. Anxo Biasi of the Galician Institute for High Energy Physics believes he has discovered something almost as elusive to his discipline as quantum phenomena: the equation of cat motion. Or, more precisely, how cats behave in the presence of a human.

Erwin Schrödinger made two major contributions to physics – the wave equation and a quantum cat in superposition. Felis catus has been inextricably linked to advanced physics ever since (though some argue that the connection goes back much further, to our collective fascination with the nimble way cats always land on their feet).

It seemed that this connection might have reached its zenith with the awarding of the Ig Nobel Prize for the discovery that cats can be both liquid and solid. However, Biasi believes that there is still more to be done on the subject. “This article aims to make physics accessible to non-specialists by offering a pleasant example through which it is possible to understand several concepts of classical mechanics,” he wrote in a statement. “To this end, I have constructed an equation that models the behavior of a cat in the presence of a human, the former being considered as a point particle moving in a potential induced by the human.”

Although he sought help from friends familiar with feline behavior, the work is based primarily on observations of a single cat, Emme, who shares a home with Biasi. He begins with the hypothesis: “Cats behave as if they perceive a force around a human,” then identifies seven patterns in Emme’s movements that he describes.

However, the researcher presumptuously places the human at the center of the modeling, defining his location as x=0 and the cat’s position as x. If m is the mass of the cat and ϵ is the drag coefficient of the cat’s fatigue, Biasi starts with the basic formula:

md2x/dt2 = – dV(δ)cat(x)/dx – ϵdx/dt.

From there, he used his observations of Emmet’s models to add complicating factors to the formula, such as purring and nocturnal energy bursts.

Biasi says, “It started as a playful idea for April Fools’ Day […] But I soon realized that the equation I had created could be of great use to physics students.”

The cat’s purring provides an opportunity to demonstrate the physics of a self-reinforcing system, for example, with Biasi claiming, “It is hypothesized that when a cat is petted and starts purring, people tend to feel an impulse to continue petting it, thereby reinforcing the stability of the process.” Who knows how many people have been delayed from important tasks—perhaps even from major breakthroughs in physics—by the morally if not physically unshakeable pull of a purring cat on their lap?

Biasi believes that lap sitting and five other behaviors—including not answering calls, absent-mindedness, and head-banging—fall into the low-energy range. However, nocturnal bursts (also known as periods of frenetic random activity, or PFSA) involve a higher energy state. PFSA can only be modeled by introducing a random function, because, let’s face it, even a cat doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Biasi adds an extra term, σf(t), to account for this, treating the movements of an enlarged cat as a stochastic process, using the Euler-Maruyama method, which is also used to model Brownian motion.

There are a few things about the work that are worth noting, though.

For one thing, Biasi is listed as the sole author of the paper. Where’s Aimé? Even the acknowledgments read, “The author is grateful to his cat for being a source of inspiration,” which is a bit of an unfortunate throwback to the days when authors would thank their wives for their work without mentioning them by name.

More significantly, Biasi notes that his modeling is entirely classical, with the cat considered as “a point particle obeying Newtonian mechanics.” And given the established quantum behavior of cats, this seems a serious simplification, even in the unlikely event that a cat would obey anyone’s laws, including Newton’s. To be fair, Biasi acknowledges that his equations “are not universal, and some cats may exhibit a weaker version of some of them.” He also claims that his work can “reproduce characteristic cat behavior,” so that those who are able to understand his equations and have a cat to observe can judge their accuracy for themselves.

Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-grey-kitten-on-brown-and-black-leopard-print-textile-45201/

The largest desert in Europe is completely covered with black sand

By

Gaston de Persigny

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27 November 2024

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The Largest Desert In Europe Is Completely Covered With Black Sand

When we talk about deserts, we certainly first think of the Sahara. Yes, this is the largest desert on our planet, but it turns out that our continent also has a desert, although a little different from most.

Iceland is an island country in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is famous for both the northern lights and its numerous volcanoes. And, it turns out, it is there that the largest and most active desert in Europe is located.

Over 44 thousand sq. km. of sandy deserts with active processes taking place in them. They are composed not of sand like that in the Sahara, but of black, which is of basaltic origin, with large impurities of volcanic glass. This sand, which covers the vast surfaces, comes from glacial-river deposits and volcanic eruptions, but also from the collapse of sedimentary rocks.

This large area of Iceland, which today has a desert character, was forested centuries ago. The country has long been experiencing a process that the UN calls “desertification.” It is the transformation of areas with lush vegetation into sandy landscapes due to climate change. And the organization believes that this is “among the greatest environmental challenges of our time.”

So, today’s desert areas were birch forests when the Vikings settled on the island. Over the years, the landscape has continued to deteriorate due to improper land management, and today only 2% of Iceland’s territory is covered in forests. Policies are now being implemented to double this percentage by 2050.

Meanwhile, the desert areas of the island country, covered in black sand, affect the climate of the entire continent. We often hear about winds that carry Saharan sand from thousands of kilometers away. But it is not uncommon for them to also carry Icelandic sand. Evidence of its presence has even been found in samples taken in Serbia, Euronews writes.

Dust storms, with this “high-latitude dust”, reach different parts of continental Europe. And it turns out that they have an effect on the climate because they are dark and absorb sunlight, which leads to warming of the earth’s surface and air. And when this black sand forms a layer, even just a centimeter thick, on glaciers, it leads to their melting. In addition, it is a serious air pollutant, which also plays the role of a cause of climate change, especially in regions with glaciers. Under the melted ice blocks there is an “unlimited source of dust”, which makes the warming processes really difficult to control. And we all see the results of them.

Illustrative Photo by Adrien Olichon: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-photography-of-sand-2387819/

Switzerland offers huge reward for ideas on how to remove ammunition from its lakes

By

Gaston de Persigny

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27 November 2024

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Switzerland Offers Huge Reward For Ideas On How To Remove Ammunition From Its Lakes

Switzerland’s picturesque Alpine lakes are hiding a dangerous secret: thousands of tons of ammunition. For decades, the Swiss military has used them as convenient dumps to get rid of obsolete and surplus ammunition. And now the country faces the daunting task of safely disposing of them.

In an attempt to solve the problem, the Federal Ministry of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport has announced a competition offering a prize of 50,000 Swiss francs for useful ideas on how to do this. Those wishing to submit a possible solution have until February 2025, and the winners will be announced a few months later, in April.

Dangerous waters

Several Swiss lakes have been affected by the country’s long-standing practice of dumping ammunition in nature. Lake Lucerne is estimated to have around 3,300 tonnes of ammunition, while Neuchâtel is estimated to have around 4,500. Other affected bodies of water include Thun and Brienz.

The ammunition was dumped between 1918 and 1967 and consists of a variety of types, including problem ammunition, surplus stockpiles and even scrapped production lots. Some of it lies at depths of between 150 and 220 metres, while that in Lake Neuchâtel is 6 to 7 metres below the surface.

Challenges

The presence of these munitions poses significant risks. Although they are underwater, there is still a risk of explosion, as many of them were dumped with their explosives intact. There are also concerns about water and soil contamination from toxic substances, including TNT, that are washed into the environment.

The clean-up poses a number of challenges. Their poor visibility, magnetic properties, and varying sizes and weights have hampered the effort. The sediment covering them is also a concern; disturbing it could harm the delicate lake ecosystems by reducing the already low oxygen levels at these depths.

But why were they dumped so recklessly?

The practice of dumping munitions in lakes was once considered a safe disposal method. This belief persisted for decades, with geologists advising the military that such measures posed no significant risk. More recent reassessments, however, have revealed the potential dangers of this approach.

Switzerland’s strategy of armed neutrality, which includes maintaining a large militia, has contributed to the accumulation of surplus munitions. The country’s limited land area and dense population make it difficult to find suitable disposal sites, leading to the use of lakes as convenient dumping grounds.

Incidents

Although there have been no major incidents directly linked to munitions dumped in lakes, Switzerland has experienced others involving explosives. In 1947, a powerful explosion in an underground ammunition depot in the village of Mitolz killed nine people and destroyed the village.

The population was on the verge of a possible evacuation that could take decades to remove all remaining munitions.

This, together with the discovery of still unexploded weapons in retreating glaciers, has raised awareness of this type of risk, and it is this growing concern that has prompted the government to take action.

Time for innovation

The Swiss government recognises that previous assessments of remediation techniques have shown significant risks to aquatic ecosystems, which is why this competition aims to find new, innovative approaches that can safely remove munitions without causing damage.

While winning ideas may not be implemented immediately, they can serve as the basis for further research and development. Switzerland is also reaching out to countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway and Denmark, which have previous experience working with underwater munitions from World War II, for potential guidance and expertise.

Illuistrative Photo by Louis: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-red-flag-on-boat-2068480/

What Bulgarian euro coins will look like

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Newsroom

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27 November 2024

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What Bulgarian Euro Coins Will Look Like

The amount of euro banknotes that will be needed for monetary circulation in Bulgaria after the country enters the Eurozone amounts to 520 tons, which is equal to 25 autotrucks, and the amount of euro coins reaches 3,600 tons or 181 autotrucks. This was stated on 20.11.2024 by the Chief Treasurer of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), Stefan Tsvetkov, during the Euro Week initiative and the Tenth Annual Monetary and Economic Scientific Conference, which was held at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia.

According to Tsvetkov, who presented BNB calculations, the Bulgarian banknotes that will be withdrawn from monetary circulation at the expense of the new euro banknotes amount to 642 tons or 32 autotrucks, which if arranged one behind the other would reach the length of 5 football fields. To withdraw Bulgarian coins from circulation, 378 autotrucks would be needed, which would form a column 6.8 kilometers long.

“The issuing bank has the obligation to issue banknotes, store them, process them, but also to withdraw them from circulation and destroy them. There is no other institution in the country that has the right to both issue and destroy banknotes,” said Tsvetkov, indicating the volume of work facing the BNB in the context of entering the eurozone.

Tsvetkov pointed out that the number of Bulgarian banknotes in circulation amounts to 604 million with a total value of 29.7 billion leva, and Bulgarian circulation coins reach 3.3 billion with a total value of 615 million leva.

The Chief Treasurer of the BNB presented the vision of the Bulgarian euro coins, on whose national side the Madara Horseman is depicted (coins from 1 to 50 euro cents), St. Ivan Rilski (the 1 euro coin) and Paisii Hilendarski (the 2 euro coin).

“We used our tradition of levs to depict them on the euro coins,” said Tsvetkov, adding that the coins express our thousand-year history, which has no analogues among other European countries.

According to Tsvetkov, the euro banknotes and coins will be stored in branches in Sofia, Pleven, Varna, Plovdiv and Burgas.

He noted that the BNB will be able to continue issuing commemorative coins, which will be done through the national side of the 2 euro coin. In this way, Bulgarian commemorative coins commemorating key events in Bulgarian history will be issued within the entire eurozone. The BNB will also be able to issue so-called collector coins, which, however, unlike commemorative coins, will be able to be used for payment only within Bulgaria.

Tsvetkov recalled that after the adoption of the euro, there will be a period of 1 month in which levs and euros will be used in parallel in our country, after which within 6 months levs will be able to be exchanged without fees in banks and Bulgarian post offices. “Bulgaria has a clear path to accession,” said Tsvetkov, indicating that in his opinion Bulgaria should join the eurozone, since the advantages are much more than the negative sides.

The design proposals for the Bulgarian national side of the euro coins of all denominations: 1 euro cent; 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents; 1 euro and 2 euros were approved in November 2023 following a meeting of the Co-ordination Council for the Preparation of the Republic of Bulgaria for Membership in the Eurozone.

The euro coins have a common side and a national side. The common sides of the coins were designed by Luc Luiks of the Royal Mint of Belgium. They feature the images of the European Union or Europe, symbolising the unity of the EC.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements, each national side of the euro coins includes mandatory and optional features.

The mandatory elements included in the design of the national side of Bulgarian euro coins are:

The depiction of a circle of 12 stars, as in the flag of the European Union;

The inscription in Cyrillic of the word “BULGARIA” as the designation of the issuing country;

For Bulgarian 2 euro coins – an inscription, written sequentially along the back, on one half of which is written “GOD SAVE BULGARIA”, and on the other half – the same inscription is written on the reverse.

Selected optional elements included in the design of the national side of Bulgarian euro coins, such as:

Writing in Cyrillic on the obverse of the word “euro” on the 1 and 2 euro coins, “cent” on the 1 euro cent coin and “cents” on the 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins

Writing of the year of the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria “2025”.

The main elements of the design of the national side of the Bulgarian euro coins are the design of the current Bulgarian circulation coins:

– The Hungarian Horseman – on the 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins;

– St. Ivan Rilski – on the 1 euro coin;

– Paisius Hilendarski – on the 2 euro coin.

The reason for this is that the symbols on the current Bulgarian coins are well-established and well-received by the citizens of Bulgaria. This approach will ensure the transferability of the current to the new euro coins in Bulgaria and their easy recognition, while at the same time confirming and extending the Bulgarian identity through the well-known symbols on the Bulgarian coins.

The proposed designs were developed by “Monneten dvor” EAD.

The proposed designs are now to be submitted for approval by the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the eurozone member states.

Following their approval, these designs will be used for the production of euro coins with the Bulgarian national side.

In implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Bulgaria, the Member States of the euro area, and the European Commission for the start of the production of euro coins and for the preparatory tasks prior to the start of production, initially 8 denominations of euro coins with the Bulgarian national side will be produced in quantity up to 1 million pieces for each denomination for testing the quality of the produced coins and certification by the Bulgarian Mint.

The actual production of the required quantities of euro coins from the Bulgarian national side will be carried out following the Decision of the Council of the European Union on the adoption of the euro by the Republic of Bulgaria.

Illustrative Photo by Stefan Petrov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-coins-on-the-stones-14042374/

Gaza: ‘People losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA

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United Nations News

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27 November 2024

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Gaza: ‘People losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA

Briefing reporters in Geneva from central Gaza, UNRWA senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge warned that amid looming famine in the Gaza Strip and as winter approaches, those forcibly displaced are sleeping on the floor in makeshift shelters surrounded by sewage.

“We are extremely concerned when the rains come to the Gaza Strip, what will happen to 500,000 people who are in areas of flooding?” she said.

Ms. Wateridge stressed that the volume of aid currently entering the war-torn enclave is “the lowest in months”, with an average in October of only 37 trucks per day for the entire 2.2 million population.

According to UNRWA, this represents only around six per cent of the commercial and humanitarian supplies allowed in before the war.

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US aid deadline expiring

Asked about a Tuesday deadline set last month by the United States for Israel to improve the aid situation in the enclave by 12 November, the UNRWA official said that instead, “aid supplies have lessened”.

The UN continues to be denied access to northern Gaza where people are “begging for pieces of bread, for water”, Ms. Wateridge said, noting that 1.7 million people in the enclave – a full 80 per cent of the population – did not receive their food rations in October.

Last Friday, food security experts from the UN-partnered Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee issued an alert over imminent famine in areas within the northern Gaza Strip.

As suffering continues to worsen, “people are losing hope”, Ms. Wateridge said.

Just this week, two missions to northern Gaza which she was due to take part in were denied; the aim had been to deliver chlorine tablets and assess the facilities for those sheltering.

“No one from UNRWA has been able to access the besieged north in over a month,” she insisted.

Every hour counts

The UNRWA official spoke of “pleas and testimonies” from UN colleagues and from doctors in the hospitals in the north, which have been bombed. “The doctors inform us that they have run out of blood supplies. They have run out of medicine… There are bodies in the streets,” she said, adding that ambulances have “stopped functioning” and that people can only get to hospital by themselves, on donkey carts.

“Colleagues are trapped in residential buildings,” unable to leave, Ms. Wateridge said, while the eight UNRWA-run water wells in northern Gaza’s Jabalia have all ceased operations, leaving people without clean water.

The UNRWA senior emergency officer reiterated the agency’s call to the Israeli authorities for access to the besieged areas, which is “more and more critical each hour now”.

Only a ceasefire will end the suffering

Late last month, the Israeli Parliament voted to ban UNRWA from operating in the country and prohibit officials from having any contact with the agency. The laws are set to come into force 90 days from their adoption.

Asked about any message that UNRWA may have for Hamas, Ms. Wateridge said: “Our call for Hamas as well as the Israeli forces is a ceasefire.” She underscored that the Palestinian militant group initiated “horrific attacks against Israeli civilians on 7 October”, adding that it was unacceptable that the war continued and civilians suffered.

“We have seen horrific suffering of Israeli civilians, the 7 October attacks, followed by horrific suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip. There needs to be a ceasefire, a release and return of the hostages home and finally some respite to all the civilians, not just in the Gaza Strip, but the surrounding region,” she concluded.

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Lebanon: UN rights chief adds voice to immediate ceasefire call

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United Nations News

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26 November 2024

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Lebanon: UN rights chief adds voice to immediate ceasefire call

The development follows dire assessments from UN aid teams about the cost of “relentless” Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs since the weekend, resulting in extensive damage and significant casualties, and forcing more people to flee their homes.

“The High Commissioner reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire to put an end to the killings and the destruction,” stressed Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

“Israeli military action in Lebanon has caused widescale loss of civilian life, including the killing of entire families, widespread displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, raising serious concerns about respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction and necessity.”

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Civilians bear brunt

At the same time, Hezbollah rocket fire has continued into northern Israel, resulting in civilian casualties, the OHCHR spokesperson noted. “Most of these rockets are indiscriminate by nature” and have displaced thousands of Israeli civilians, “which is unacceptable. The only way to end the suffering of people on all sides is a permanent and immediate ceasefire on all fronts: in Lebanon, in Israel and in Gaza.”

The latest update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported that a deadly air strike on Saturday in Beirut “demolished a residential building, claiming nearly 30 lives and injuring more than 65 people. This is out of a total 84 people killed in the country that day alone, according to the authorities.”

Deadly toll rises

On average, 250 people have been killed every week in November in Lebanon, bringing the death toll to more than 3,700 since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023, OCHA said, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned the killing of at least nine youngsters between 22 and 23 November, “including boys and girls who were sleeping in their beds”.

The UN agency said that the total number of child deaths has reached at least 240 since October 2023 when Hezbollah rocket fire escalated in response to Israeli bombardment of nearby Gaza.

Aid teams still delivering

Despite ongoing security concerns, the UN and humanitarian partners remain on the ground to try to scale up efforts to continue providing critical assistance.

As of 19 November, UNICEF reported carrying out 14 humanitarian convoys, reaching some 50,000 people in areas that are difficult to access, such as Tyre, Rmeich, Marjaayoun and Hasbaya. The UN agency has also supported displaced families living on the streets of Beirut, helping them find shelter amid a severe urban displacement crisis.

Meanwhile late Monday, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that it had delivered 48 tons of medical supplies to support the Lebanese health authority’s chronic medication programme, ensuring that 300,000 people “have continued access to essential medicines”.

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One in three women in the EU have experienced violence

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Newsdesk

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25 November 2024

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woman in yellow and pink floral dress — Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

A third of women in the EU have experienced violence at home, at work or in public. Young women report having experienced higher levels of sexual harassment at work and other forms of violence than older women. Yet violence against women often remains invisible as only every fourth woman reports incidents to the authorities (the police, or social, health or support services).

These are some of the findings of the EU survey on gender-based violence conducted from 2020 to 2024 by Eurostat (the statistical office of the EU), the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).

The results from the EU gender-based violence survey represent women aged 18 to 74 from across the EU. The survey covers experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including domestic and non-partner violence. It also reports on sexual harassment at work.

The survey findings concern issues such as:

The prevalence of violence: 1 in 3 women in the EU have experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or threats in their adulthood.
Sexual violence and rape: 1 in 6 women in the EU have experienced sexual violence, including rape, in their adulthood.
Violence at home: Home is not always safe for many women: 1 in 5 women have faced physical or sexual violence from their partner, a relative, or another member of their household.
Sexual harassment at work: 1 in 3 women have been sexually harassed at work. Younger women report a higher prevalence, with 2 in 5 having experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces.
The non-reporting of violence: Although a majority of women who have experienced violence have spoken to a person close to them about this, only 1 in 5 have contacted a healthcare or social service provider, and just 1 in 8 have reported the incident to the police.

The EU gender-based violence survey was carried out jointly by Eurostat, FRA, and EIGE—the three organisations which are responsible respectively for official statistics, human rights, and gender equality within the EU. The data collection took place between September 2020 and March 2024. The results of the survey provide data which will better enable policymakers across the EU to combat violence against women and give more effective support to victims.

The data can be found in the Eurostat’s gender-based violence dataset (available 25 November at 11:00 CET).

Eurostat’s Statistics Explained article (available 25 November at 11:00 CET) also describes some of the survey findings.

Quote from Eurostat Director-General Mariana Kotzeva:

Today, Eurostat, in cooperation with FRA and EIGE, has published the EU-country-level results of the EU gender-based violence survey. The statistics on the often-hidden phenomenon of gender-based violence are based on rigorous data collection methods across the EU member states, making these statistics a trusted foundation for public awareness and policy action. Eurostat thanks all those who courageously, safely, and anonymously shared their experiences with interviewers.

Quote from FRA Director Sirpa Rautio:

There are no safe spaces for women, free from violence and harassment. Back in 2014, with its first EU-wide survey on violence against women, FRA revealed the extent to which women experience violence every day and everywhere. A decade later, we continue to witness the same shocking levels of violence that affect 1 in 3 women. Rates of violence against women remain far too high. Policymakers, civil society and frontline workers urgently need to support and protect the rights of all victims of gender-based violence and domestic abuse no matter where it takes place.

Quote from EIGE Director Carlien Scheele:

When we face an alarming reality where one in three women experience violence in the EU, but just over 1 in 8 report it, it demands a serious look at the systemic issues getting in the way from shifting the dial. Today the results of our survey data release truly underscores the importance of my Agency’s work in ending gender-based violence. Violence against women is rooted in control, dominance and inequality. When a gendered perspective is integrated into prevention measures, services and authorities, then we can expect to see more women coming forward, trusting that they will receive the support they need. Because every woman has a right to be safe – everywhere.

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Keep reading

Campaign: Every woman deserves to be safe. But one in three women still experience violence in the EU.

Focus paper: EU gender-based violence survey – Key results

Women are owed a life free from violence. What steps are you going to take?

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1,000 days of full-scale war on Ukraine: UNHCR urges solidarity with victims

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United Nations News

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24 November 2024

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1,000 days of full-scale war on Ukraine: UNHCR urges solidarity with victims

Recent attacks on energy infrastructure have decimated 65 percent of Ukraine’s energy generation capacity, severely disrupting electricity, heating and water supplies across the country.

“The deepening emotional toll on innocent people became clear during my visit to the country last week,” Kelly Clements, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees reported, noting that, “the intense attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian sites – constant war-raid attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian sites” and air raid warnings, “are exacting a grave toll on physical and mental health”.

Since August, approximately 170,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Eastern Ukraine, adding to the nearly four million who remain displaced within Ukraine and 6.7 million more who have ought refuge outside the country.

This includes 400,000 new refugees who fled to other European countries, from the beginning of 2024 to the end of August.

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Daily life under constant threat

In Kharkiv, one of the most war-affected regions of the country, the reality of conflict is starkly evident.

During a visit to a centre supported by UNHCR, Ms. Clements recalled that “explosions sounded in the background”.

During her visit, Ms. Clements met Svitlana, a 65-year-old woman whose apartment was destroyed by a glide bomb, describing her “quiet determination” as a powerful reminder of “Ukraine’s spirit, even as the trauma of war permeates daily life”.

The visit coincided with the season’s first snow, marking the start of what will be the third winter of full-scale war. With continued attacks on energy facilities and civil structure, civilians face severe challenges in the months ahead.

The impact of education has been particularly severe, with countless children missing out on social interaction and classroom experiences. In Kharkiv, children have been forced to study in underground shelters; “metro” schools which lack natural light and playgrounds, to avoid frequent air raids.

Recovery efforts continue amid funding shortfall

Despite these challenges, there are signs of resilience and recovery. The Government of Ukraine, has been “leading humanitarian and recovery efforts with impressive speed,” stated Ms. Clements. She added that “local responders quickly clear rubble and board up strike sites, symbolising Ukraine’s strength and determination”.

However, UNHCR’s 2024 appeal seeking $1 billion for 2024 is only just over half funded.

“Now is not the time for partners to turn away,” warned Ms. Clements, emphasising the urgent need for continued support as Ukraine enters its third winter of full-scale war.

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Police raids on Romanian yoga centers in France, one year later

By

Willy Fautre

-

23 November 2024

0

On 28 November, it will be one year since a SWAT team of around 175 policemen wearing black masks, helmets, and bullet proof vests, simultaneously descended at 6 am on eight separate houses and apartments in and around Paris but also in Nice where Romanian yoga practitioners had decided to go into spiritual retreat. The police forces were then brandishing semi-automatic rifles, shouting, making very loud noises, crashing doors and putting everything upside down.

The November 2023 raids were not an operation against a terrorist or armed group or a drug cartel. They were raids targeting eight private places mainly used by peaceful Romanian yoga practitioners, but the police suspected these places to be used for illegal activities: traffic in human beings, sexual exploitation and forcible confinement.

In fact, most of the yoga practitioners had chosen to combine the pleasant with the useful in France: yoga and meditation in villas or apartments kindly and freely put at their disposal by their owners or tenants who were also mainly yoga practitioners of Romanian origin and at the same time to enjoy picturesque natural or other environments.

They were IT experts, engineers, designers, artists, medical doctors, psychologists, teachers, university and high school students, and so on.

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About the absence of victims and questions raised by the search warrant

The objective of the raid was not only to arrest criminals but also to save victims or survivors of such alleged illegal activities. The ‘problem’ is that the yoga practitioners interrogated by the police strongly denied being victims of anything during their stay and consequently, did not file any complaint against their hosts.

One year later, it is still not officially and publicly known which actors and which preliminary investigation elements convinced a prosecutor to launch raids of such a magnitude.

The law enforcement forces had just been told that the operation was based on a search warrant meant to catch criminals involved in “trafficking in human beings”, “forcible confinement” and “abuse of vulnerability” in organized gang.

Noteworthy is that the wording of the warrant shaped the minds of the interrogators on the search places and in police stations as well as of the lawyers hired for legal assistance and interpreters in their interaction with the arrested people, around 50. This is what emerged from the testimonies of numerous yoga practitioners placed in police custody collected by Human Rights Without Frontiers. In the eyes of all these actors, this was a very serious case and among them there might have been some traffickers in human beings, sexual abusers and mind manipulators.

In November 2023, six people were arrested and put in pretrial detention. Among them Gregorian Bivolaru, the spiritual master of MISA (Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute), an esoteric yoga movement that he founded in 1990 in Romania and had 30,000 practitioners throughout the world before the COVID. He was the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant because six former disgruntled students of MISA lodged a complaint against him many years ago for trafficking in human beings, sexual abuse and forced confinement but as of end 2024, there has not been any trial and therefore any confirmation of such accusations.

The other detainees were the owners or the tenants of the searched places who were investigated about their possible involvement in the criminal activities mentioned in the French warrant.

The arrest of Mihai and Adina Stoian in Georgia

On 22 August 2024, Mihai and Adina Stoian, known as esoteric yoga teachers and trainers, were arrested when they entered Georgia, as part of a tourist trip, through the border with Turkey at Sarpi.

Georgian media reported that the Stoians were arrested on the basis of an Interpol arrest warrant and are wanted by the judicial authorities in France. Additionally, the Georgian press said that they have also been prosecuted “in Finland and Romania for child prostitution and rape.” This last information is however false.

As far as we know, the Stoians are not under any prosecution in Finland or Romania. It is only when they were arrested in Georgia that they were notified of an international arrest and extradition warrant from the Court of Paris, in France.

According to some French media, Mihai and Adina Stoian are considered to have been close to Gregorian Bivolaru for many years and are said to run the movement in his absence.

Mihai and Adina Stoian deny having been involved in the administration of the MISA movement. However, they had working relations with other yoga movements, such as the ATMAN Federation and NATHA.

ATMAN, the International Federation of Yoga and Meditation, was created by yoga teachers and trainers from various yoga movements on 7 December 2004 and registered in the UK where it is still located. In 2006, Mihai and Adina Stoian joined ATMAN and trained other yoga teachers on a voluntary basis. As senior teachers, they started unifying the teaching program and methodology. At some point, MISA became a member of ATMAN and consequently, the Stoians claim that their relationship with MISA was only indirect. On 27 October 2016, Mihai Stoian became one of the three directors of ATMAN. Adina went on training yoga teachers and has never been a member of the board.

While the Stoians are in prison in Georgia, a dozen policemen in Denmark accompanied by a representative of the French prosecutor searched the common spaces of the NATHA Yoga Association in Denmark where the Stoians were working part-time. Nobody was arrested or interrogated during the search. The police just took away some electronic devices.

Some conclusions

The French warrant leading to the raids in France in November 2023 and the international arrest warrant implemented in Georgia, as they were drafted, created prejudices and shaped the minds of all the actors involved in the investigation who obviously failed to consider the charges as nothing more than allegations.

Moreover, many journalists and media outlets wrongly perceived the accusations as solid facts, failing quite often to mention the absence of victims and the presumption of innocence of the suspects as the case is still being investigated and as we are still far from any court decision.

Last but not least, it is noteworthy that a significant number of Romanian female and male yoga practitioners kept in custody after the raids in France have lodged complaints against the French authorities for failing to respect the legislation during their detention.

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1,000 days of full-scale war on Ukraine: UNHCR urges solidarity with victims

Daily life under constant threat

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Police raids on Romanian yoga centers in France, one year later

About the absence of victims and questions raised by the search warrant

The arrest of Mihai and Adina Stoian in Georgia

Some conclusions

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