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Textiles and food waste reduction: New EU rules to support circular economy

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European Parliament
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Textiles and food waste reduction: New EU rules to support circular economy
60 million tonnes of food waste and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste generated annually in the EU

The Environment Committee adopted its proposals to better prevent and reduce textiles and food waste across the EU.

Every year, 60 million tonnes of food waste (131 kg per person) and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated in the EU. Clothing and footwear alone account for 5.2 million tonnes of waste, equivalent to 12 kg of waste per person every year. It is estimated that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new products.

On Wednesday, MEPs in the Environment Committee adopted their position on the proposed revision of the Waste Framework Directive, by 72 votes in favour, none against and three abstentions.

More ambitious food waste reduction targets

MEPs want to increase the binding waste reduction targets proposed by the Commission to at least 20% in food processing and manufacturing (instead of 10%) and to 40% per capita in retail, restaurants, food services and households (instead of 30%), in comparison to the annual average generated between 2020 and 2022. EU countries would need to ensure that these targets are achieved at national level by 31 December 2030.

MEPs also want the Commission to evaluate the possibility and make appropriate legislative proposals to introduce higher targets for 2035 (at least 30% and 50% respectively).

Extended producer responsibility for textile products, clothing and footwear

The new rules, as adopted by MEPs, would set up extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, through which economic operators that make textiles available on the EU market would cover the costs for their separate collection, sorting and recycling. Member states would have to establish these schemes 18 months after the entry into force of the directive (compared to 30 months proposed by the Commission). In parallel, EU countries would need to ensure, by 1 January 2025, the separate collection of textiles for re-use, preparing for re-use and recycling.

These rules would cover textile products such as clothing and accessories, blankets, bed linen, curtains, hats, footwear, mattresses and carpets, including products that contain textile-related materials such as leather, composition leather, rubber or plastic.

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Rapporteur Anna Zalewska (ECR, PL) said: “We provide focused solutions to reduce food waste, such as promoting “ugly” fruits and veggies, keeping an eye on unfair market practices, clarifying date labelling and donating unsold-but-consumable food. For textiles, we patch up loopholes by also including non-household products, carpets and mattresses, as well as sales via online platforms. We also request a textile waste reduction target, with an oversight of exported used textiles. Better infrastructure to increase separate collection should be complemented by sorting mixed municipal waste more efficiently, so that items which can be recycled are extracted before being sent to the incinerator or landfill.”

Next steps

The full house is scheduled to vote on its position during the March 2024 plenary session. The file will be followed up by the new Parliament after the European elections on 6-9 June.

Greenwashing: how EU firms can validate their green claims

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European Parliament
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Companies can no longer market their goods using unfounded claims about their environmental impact and durability. ©Europeantimes

New rules for companies to comply with EU ban on greenwashing of products. The Internal Market and Environment committees adopted on Wednesday their position on the rules on how firms can validate their environmental marketing claims.

The so-called green claims directive complements the already-approved EU ban on greenwashing. It defines what kind of information companies have to provide to justify their environmental marketing claims in the future. It also creates a framework and deadlines for checking evidence and approving claims, and specifies what happens to companies who break the law.

Verification system and penalties

MEPs agreed with the Commission that companies should submit any future environmental marketing claims for approval before using them. The claims would be assessed by accredited verifiers within 30 days, according to adopted text. Companies who break the rules may be excluded from procurements, lose their revenues and face a fine of at least at 4% of their annual turnover.

The Commission should draw up a list of less complex claims and products that could benefit from faster or simpler verification, MEPs say. It should also decide whether green claims about products containing hazardous substances should remain possible. MEPs also agreed that micro enterprises should be excluded from the new obligations and SMEs should get one extra year before applying the rules.

Carbon offsetting and comparative claims

MEPs confirmed the recent EU ban on green claims based solely on the so-called carbon offsetting schemes. They now specify that companies could still mention offsetting schemes if they have already reduced their emissions as much as possible and use these schemes for residual emissions only. The carbon credits of the schemes must be certified, as established under the Carbon Removals Certification Framework.

Special rules would also apply to comparative claims (i.e. ads comparing two different goods), including if the two products are made by the same producer. Among other provisions, companies should demonstrate they have used the same methods to compare relevant aspects of the products. Also, claims that products have been improved cannot be based on data that are more than five years old.

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Parliament’s rapporteur Andrus Ansip (Renew, EE) for the Internal Market Committee said: “Studies show that 50% of companies’ environmental claims are misleading. Consumers and entrepreneurs deserve transparency, legal clarity and equal conditions of competition. Traders are willing to pay for it, but not more than they gain from it. I am pleased that the solution proposed by the committees is balanced, brings more clarity to consumers and at the same time is, in many cases, less burdensome for businesses than the solution originally proposed by the Commission.”

Parliament’s rapporteur Cyrus Engerer (S&D, MT) for the Environment Committee said: “It is time to put an end to greenwashing. Our agreement on this text ends the proliferation of deceitful green claims which have tricked consumers for far too long. It also ensures that businesses have the right tools to embrace genuine sustainability practices. European consumers want to make environmental and sustainable choices and all those offering products or services must guarantee that their green claims are scientifically verified.”

Next steps

The draft report was adopted with 85 votes to 2 and 14 abstentions. It will now be put to a vote at an upcoming plenary session and will constitute Parliament’s position at first reading (most likely in March). The file will be followed up by the new Parliament after the European elections on 6-9 June.

Manuscripts Charred After the Eruption of Vesuvius Read by Artificial Intelligence

By
Gaston de Persigny
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The manuscripts are more than 2,000 years old and were severely damaged after the eruption of the volcano in AD 79.

Three scientists managed to read a small part of charred manuscripts after the eruption of Vesuvius with the help of artificial intelligence, reported AFP.

The manuscripts are more than 2,000 years old and were severely damaged after the volcano erupted in 79 AD. The Herculaneum papyri contain about 800 scrolls charred during the disaster that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, organizers of the Challenge of Vesuvius competition say – Brent Seals from the University of Kentucky, USA, and Nat Friedman, founder of the Github platform.

The manuscripts are kept in the French Institute in Paris and in the National Library in Naples. Organizers of the reading competition have scanned four scrolls and offered a prize of one million US dollars to whoever can decipher at least 85 percent of four paragraphs of 140 characters.

The trio that won the Vesuvius Challenge and a $700,000 prize was Youssef Nader, a PhD student in Berlin, Luc Farriter, a student and intern at SpaceX, and Julian Schilliger, a Swiss robotics student.

They used artificial intelligence to separate the ink in the charred manuscript and identified Greek letters. Thanks to this technique, Luke Farriter has read the first word of a paragraph – pansy.

According to the organizers, Nader, Fariter and Schilliger deciphered about five percent of one scroll. According to Nat Friedman, this is probably a manuscript of the Epicurean Philodemus.

The papyri were discovered in the 19th century in a country house.

According to some historians, they belonged to Lycius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus – father of Calpurnia, one of Julius Caesar’s wives. Some of these texts likely contain the history of key periods of Antiquity, Robert Fowler, an ancient history specialist and president of the Herculaneum Society, told Bloomberg Businessweek.

Photo: University of Kentucky

The company of the richest man takes over the Olympics

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Newsroom
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LVMH, which is headed by Bernard Arnault, is doing everything possible to take over Paris in 2024, when the Summer Olympics will be held, the Wall Street Journal reported, as quoted by Investor.

One of its jewelry brands, Chaumet, creates gold, silver and bronze medals for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. One of its fashion brands, Berluti, creates the uniforms that French athletes will wear during a lavish opening ceremony. Moët champagne and Hennessy cognac will be offered in each VIP box.

That key role during the months-long euphoria surrounding the Olympic and Paralympic Games cost LVMH 150 million euros, a source familiar with the matter said. This makes the group the largest local sponsor of Paris 2024.

  “The Games are in Paris and LVMH represents the image of France,” said Antoine Arnaud, Bernard Arnault’s eldest son and chairman of Berluti. “We can’t help but be a part of it.”

The conglomerate’s focus on the Olympics reflects a larger strategic leap into sports by the world’s biggest luxury goods companies. They realize that a growing share of their business depends on consumers they can reach through wildly popular events that turn their backs on old-fashioned exclusivity. About 60% of luxury goods sales in the world today come from people who spend less than 2,000 euros a year on such products, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

Not so long ago, mainstream sporting events were considered something below the level of top-end luxury brands, who preferred to target golf, tennis, polo, sailing and Formula 1 clubs. But in the age of social media, where athletes seamlessly reach the global market and influence consumers alongside pop stars and Hollywood actors, their reach and universal appeal have become too significant to pass up.

In 2022, the man with the most followers in the history of social media – Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo – appeared in a Louis Vuitton campaign. On the chessboard opposite him sat his greatest rival, the Argentinian Lionel Messi. Although the two were never together in the Annie Leibovitz photoshoot, that didn’t stop the ad from becoming one of the most liked photos on Instagram.

Before the Olympics, Vuitton sponsored a fencer and a swimmer, while LVMH’s Dior supported a gymnast and a wheelchair tennis player.

Many of LVMH’s competitors have made similar moves. Last summer, Prada sponsored the Chinese national team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The post announcing the partnership was viewed 300 million times on the Chinese social network Weibo. Gucci has signed a number of athletes, including English footballer Jack Grealish and Italian tennis player Yannick Sinner. However, no one has attempted to take over an entire event the size of the Olympics.

For Paris 2024, the deal is a delicate compromise. Organizers promised a more sensible approach to the event, aimed at a mass audience, without the exorbitant costs of previous games. Although LVMH’s money is helping Paris 2024 achieve its goal of being almost entirely privately funded (currently 97%, organizers say), the company’s brands have a high-end image that is potentially at odds with the idea of a less wasteful Olympics.

Things are complicated by the image of Bernard Arnault in France: one of the world’s richest men is a lightning rod for discontent over growing inequality. Still, LVMH points out that its portfolio includes much more affordable brands, such as cosmetics giant Sephora and several mid-range champagne brands. And the light from the Olympic spotlights represents an irresistible opportunity for the giant to cement its status as the standard-bearer of French taste, corporate power and skill.

“Our craftsmen are perfectionists, just like the top athletes and coaches,” commented Bernard Arnault. “And our houses carry the image of France all over the world.”

Sponsors are betting that the Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, will become the most attractive in more than a decade. Preparations are relatively drama-free, without delays and budget overruns that hampered previous editions. Concerns about public transport congestion and high ticket and hotel room prices have hardly deterred sponsors. The prospect of a Parisian backdrop and an opening ceremony with athletes on ships sailing down the Seine is a much easier sell than some of the challenging venues the event has offered since London 2012. Then there was Sochi 2014 under the watchful eye of Vladimir Putin, followed by the chaos of Rio 2016, the remoteness of Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018 and the pandemic games in Tokyo 2021 and Beijing 2022.

“You have to convince your partners, you have to show them, that it will be worth it,” says Tony Estanguet (born 6 May 1978 ), a former Olympic canoeist who is in charge of the Paris 2024 organizing committee.

The Olympics have always relied primarily on domestic sponsors, but LVMH’s involvement will be the most attention-grabbing of the 60 major partners of Paris 2024. People familiar with the matter say LVMH is particularly demanding in some respects. During the negotiations, the company went so far as to insist on creative input for the opening ceremony, which will pass by Louis Vuitton’s headquarters, LVMH’s Samaritaine department store and its Cheval Blanc hotel. To reach the deal, there were personal meetings between Arnaud and Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in December 2022.

Then, when it came time to announce the partnership last summer – exactly one year before the Games – LVMH broke the news not at a traditional press conference, but in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, on the Champ de Mars. Bach was also present at the event.

“It epitomizes what France does best,” Antoine Arnault said at the time. “Legacy, Ambition, Creativity, Excellence.”

Rome partially restored Trajan’s Basilica with the money of a Russian oligarch

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Newsroom
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Asked about the topic, Rome’s chief curator of cultural heritage, Claudio Parisi Presicce, said Usmanov’s funding was agreed before Western sanctions, and Rome’s ancient heritage, he says, is “universal”.

The imposing colonnade of Trajan’s Basilica in Rome, which occupies a prominent position in the Roman emperor’s forum a stone’s throw from the Colosseum, has just been partially restored thanks to a Russian oligarch under sanctions from the European Union and the United States, AFP reported.

While most of the projects undertaken in Rome to bring the ancient ruins to light force tourists to stoop, the reconstruction of the two-story Corinthian colonnade invites them to look up at the sky, at a height of more than 23 meters.

“If visitors don’t perceive the height of the monuments, they don’t understand the significance of the architecture,” Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome’s chief curator of cultural heritage, told AFP during a visit to the site.

The Basilica of Ulpia, a building with no religious vocation at the time, is the centerpiece of the Forum of Trajan, the largest and last of the imperial forums, named after Marcus Ulpius Trajan, emperor from 98 to 117 AD.

Discovered in the second century, it largely collapsed in the Middle Ages, but was brought to light by excavations in the early 19th century and in the 1930s.

The current project, which began in 2021, made it possible to identify three green marble columns left for almost a century “in a corner”, without connection to their foundations, explains Presicce.

The project was funded by a €1.5 million donation made in 2015 by Uzbek-born oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

He was sanctioned by the European Union and the US after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, accused by the US Treasury Department of being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last year, Forbes magazine estimated the fortune of the oligarch at $14.4 billion.

Named “most generous donor” in the 2021 Sunday Times list of wealthy philanthropists, having given away £4.2 billion over 20 years. dollars for charity, Usmanov is a noted Italophile from whose generosity Rome has already benefited.

Asked about the topic, Claudio Parisi Presicce replied that Usmanov’s financing was agreed before the Western sanctions, and the ancient heritage of Rome, according to him, is “universal”.

Trajan’s large-scale military campaigns, including the virtual extermination of the Dacians in present-day Romania, allowed Rome to expand its borders even further.

His two bloody wars against the Dacians are represented by a spiral bas-relief on Trajan’s Column, located north of the basilica and erected in celebration of the emperor’s victories and booty.

“Trajan built a monument using the most precious materials that could be found at the time,” Parisi Presicce, referring to the colored marble quarried in Egypt, Asia and Africa.

The basilica, which housed the civil and criminal courts and other administrative structures, consists of five central aisles separated by rows of columns.

Designed by the famous architect Apollodorus of Damascus, it has a roof of bronze tiles, while the facade is decorated with statues of Dacian prisoners and frescoes depicting the weapons of the victorious legions.

Previous excavations had brought to light the forum and the remains of its basilica, but although the massive granite columns running the length of the basilica had been restored and reassembled, the colonnade still lacked its second floor.

This has already been done: segments of the original marble of the frieze of the entablature, preserved in warehouses or museums, have been recreated in resin, as well as lost parts with less detail.

This allows the visitor to see the difference between the originals and the replicas – a common practice in heritage-conscious restoration and illustrating the reversible nature of intervention.

The final stages of the project include the re-creation of the basilica’s southern staircase, using slabs of ancient yellow marble found at the site.

Around 150 archaeological projects are planned in Rome until 2027, the majority of which are financed by the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery funds.

Photo: Marcus Ulpius Traianus, Marble bust, Glyptothek, Munich

International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism, 12 February

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United Nations News
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International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism, 12 February

Violent extremism is an affront to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It undermines peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. No country or region is immune from its impacts.

Violent extremism is a diverse phenomenon, without clear definition. It is neither new nor exclusive to any region, nationality or system of belief. Nevertheless, in recent years, terrorist groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida and Boko Haram have shaped our image of violent extremism and the debate on how to address this threat. These groups’ message of intolerance — religious, cultural, social — has had drastic consequences for many regions of the world. Holding territory and using social media for real-time communication of their atrocious crimes, they seek to challenge our shared values of peace, justice and human dignity.

The spread of violent extremism has further aggravated an already unprecedented humanitarian crisis which surpasses the boundaries of any one region. Millions of people have fled the territory controlled by terrorist and violent extremist groups. Migratory flows have increased both away, from, and towards the conflict zones – involving those seeking safety and those lured into the conflict as foreign terrorist fighters, further destabilizing the regions concerned.

Nothing can justify violent extremism but we must also acknowledge that it does not arise in a vacuum. Narratives of grievance, actual or perceived injustice, promised empowerment and sweeping change become attractive where human rights are being violated, good governance is being ignored and aspirations are being crushed.

International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism

In its resolution 77/243, the General Assembly decided to declare 12 February the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism, in order to raise awareness of the threats linked to violent extremism, as and when conducive to terrorism, and to enhance international cooperation in this regard.

The General Assembly emphasized in this context the primary responsibility of Member States and their respective national institutions in countering terrorism, and underlined the important role of intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, religious leaders and the media in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism.

The resolution reaffirmed that terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.

The General Assembly invited the Office of Counter-Terrorism, in collaboration with other relevant entities of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, to facilitate the observance of the International Day.

Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism

On 15 January 2016 the Secretary-General presented a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism to the General Assembly. On 12 February 2016, the General Assembly adopted a resolution welcoming the initiative by the Secretary-General, and taking note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.

The Plan of Action calls for a comprehensive approach encompassing not only essential security-based counter-terrorism measures but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups.

The Plan is an appeal for concerted action by the international community. It provides more than 70 recommendations to Member States and the United Nations System to prevent the further spread of violent extremism.

Doves are released during the “Flame of Peace” ceremony in which arms were destroyed to mark the beginning of the country’s disarmament and reconciliation process in Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire.

Doves are released during the “Flame of Peace” ceremony in which arms were destroyed to mark the beginning of the country’s disarmament and reconciliation process in Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire.

Doves are released during the “Flame of Peace” ceremony in which arms were destroyed to mark the beginning of the country’s disarmament and reconciliation process in Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire. PHOTO: ©UN /Basile Zoma

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) condemned the repression against the Bulgarians in North Macedonia

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Newsroom
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ECRI highlights the cases of a number of attacks against people who identify themselves as Bulgarians

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe has published in September 2023 its annual report on N. Macedonia, and in the section on hate speech, attention is mainly paid to the repression against Bulgarians in the Republic of N. Macedonia.

ECRI states in the report that Bulgarians complain about the anti-Bulgarian statements in the Republic of North Macedonia, and as a typical stereotype they point to the labeling of all Bulgarians as “fascists”, as well as the presentation of Bulgarian women as “cheap prostitutes”.

In addition, ECRI highlights the cases of a number of attacks against people who identify themselves as Bulgarians and against Bulgarian cultural clubs as an element of concern, given the steps taken by the authorities to cancel the registration or dissolve some existing Bulgarian cultural associations.

The commission emphasizes that a local singer insulted the “Ivan Mihailov” club in Bitola, and was then hired to sing at a local celebration. The report also includes the club “Tsar Boris Treti” in Ohrid and the attack with the use of firearms.

ECRI notes with concern that in March 2023 the Central Register of North Macedonia rejected the request of the Bulgarian Cultural Club “Tsar Boris III” in Ohrid to keep its name and that the Bulgarian Cultural Center “Ivan Mihailov” in Bitola was deleted from the register.

In the section on the language of hatred, in addition to the Bulgarians, there are also remarks on the attitude towards the LGBTI community and the Roma in the Republic of N. Macedonia.

“Mosfilm” turns 100 years old

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Newsroom
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The studio survived both the Soviet communist era and imposed censorship, as well as the severe economic downturn that followed the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Mosfilm – the state-owned giant of Soviet and Russian cinema, which created classic films such as “Battleship Potemkin” and “Solaris”, celebrated its centenary at the end of January this year, Reuters reported.

According to General Director Karen Shahnazarov, who has been at the head of Mosfilm for more than 25 years, the studio is well prepared to prosper in the future.

Shakhnazarov also believes that the standoff between Moscow and the West over the conflict in Ukraine should benefit Russian filmmakers.

Although some Western films are still shown in Russian cinemas, often long after they have been released on the big screen in other countries, Russian productions are becoming increasingly important for box office receipts.

“This is a gift to us,” Karen Shakhnazarov told Reuters at the sprawling Mosfilm complex on the outskirts of Moscow, referring to the reduction in the number of Western films shown in Russian cinemas.

He was one of the leading cultural figures in Russia who publicly supported the so-called by the Kremlin “special military operation” in Ukraine soon after it began.

“There is another question – how can we use it? I hope it will have its effect”, he adds.

“It is clear that competition is essential for the film industry, but there are times when we need to raise the level of domestic film production. Now is a good time to do it,” says Shakhnazarov.

The figures suggest that the box office in Russia will exceed 40 billion rubles ($450 million) – revenues close to those before the pandemic, when Western films were shown more often.

Last year, Russian films accounted for 28 billion rubles of total box office receipts.

Mosfilm survived both the Soviet communist era, when films were subject to strict censorship, and the severe economic downturn that followed the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

The studio only makes a fraction of Russian films, but it remains a force, boasting impressive sets, state-of-the-art recording and editing studios, computer-generated imagery (CGI) facilities, and a large cinema complex.

“Mosfilm” is not inferior to any studio in the world, and even surpasses many of them,” says 71-year-old Karen Shahnazarov, who is also a film director.

He adds that he is proud of the studio as it approaches its 100th anniversary.

State television channel Rossiya 1 aired a gala on January 20 paying tribute to leading figures from the past, including Sergei Eisenstein, who directed and co-wrote the 1925 film Battleship Potemkin.

Other films produced by Mosfilm include Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 film Solaris.

According to the director general, war films are more popular than any other genre in Russia and beyond – something that surprises him.

Many of Mosfilm’s most successful productions take place during times of war and turmoil. “All our greatest hits, both Soviet and Russian, have far fewer viewers than our war films,” says Karen Shahnazarov.

Source: mosfilm.ru

Gaza: UN health agency warns over continuing attacks on healthcare

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United Nations News
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Gaza: UN health agency warns over continuing attacks on healthcare

The unrelenting war in Gaza hasn’t spared hospitals, their staff or the people sheltering there, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday as it unveiled data indicating more than 350 attacks on healthcare in the enclave since hostilities erupted.

A total of 645 people have died since 7 October and another 818 were injured as a result of these incidents, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, his comments coming amid allegations that a nurse was shot and critically injured while inside an operating theatre at a hospital in Khan Younis.

“These attacks have affected 98 healthcare facilities, including 27 hospitals damaged out of 36, and affected 90 ambulances, including 50 which sustained damage,” Mr. Jasarevic told journalists in Geneva.

Driven out 

In its latest update on the crisis, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported more “intense fighting” in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Thursday involving shelling and heavy gunfire. 

Citing UN partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PCRS), the UN aid coordination office said that Nasser Hospital and Al Amal Hospital – reportedly under siege for 17 days – had continued to be particularly badly affected by the violence which “is driving thousands of people” from the city further south to Rafah.

Hospital focus

The OCHA update also relayed reports from the Gazan health authority of continuing “allegations of sniper shooting in the vicinity of Nasser Hospital” and allegations that the Israeli military had prevented the movement of ambulances and access to the facility. 

“On 8 February, a nurse was reportedly shot and critically injured while inside the operations room in Nasser Hospital and two Palestinians were reportedly shot and killed in the vicinity,” the OCHA update said. “On 7 February, a Palestinian woman was reportedly shot and killed while purportedly fetching water from Nasser Hospital.”

West Bank escalation

The latest WHO data also highlighted the growing number of attacks on healthcare in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza-Israel war erupted on 7 October, after widely condemned Hamas-led terror attacks left 1,200 Israeli and foreign nationals butchered and more than 250 taken hostage.

Some 364 attacks on healthcare have happened in the West Bank, resulting in 10 fatalities and 62 injuries, Mr. Jasarevic said. He noted that 44 health facilities had been affected, including 15 mobile clinics and 24 ambulances. 

The latest toll from the fighting in Gaza is at least 27,840 fatalities with more than 67,300 injured, according to the local health authority. As of 8 February, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed with 1,314 injured in Gaza since the beginning of the ground operation, according to the Israeli military.

Renewed famine fears

UN humanitarians continued to highlight that the risk of famine in Gaza is increasing “by the day”, particularly in northern Gaza.

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Hundreds of thousands of people there have been “predominantly cut off from assistance”, OCHA said, despite the fact that this is where the greatest needs are, with many reportedly grinding animal feed to make flour. 

Since the onset of the crisis, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered 1,940 trucks – 19 per cent of all aid trucks, it said – carrying over 32,413 tons of lifesaving food supplies. 

The last time the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, was able to carry out a food distribution in the north of Wadi Gaza was 23 January, OCHA’s update noted.

Buffer rebuff

And as UN humanitarians reiterated deep concerns on Friday about any further escalation of fighting in overcrowded Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, insisted that any reported attempt by Israel to create a “buffer zone” with Gaza could constitute a war crime.

“Article 53 of the Geneva Convention prohibits destruction by the occupying power of property belonging to private persons, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations,” said OHCHR spokesperson Marta Hurtado. 

“Destruction carried out to create a buffer zone for general security purposes do not appear consistent with the …military operations.”

Commando comment

Asked for a reaction to an Israeli counter-terrorism operation inside a West Bank hospital that left three Palestinian militants dead late last month, Ms. Hurtado noted that Israeli security forces had claimed that one of those targeted had a gun, “ a claim denied by hospital staff.

No exchange of fire was reported, she said, emphasizing that under applicable international human rights law, firearms may only be used when strictly necessary to prevent an imminent threat to life or serious injury and is otherwise unlawful.

Very Small Pores Make a Big Difference in Filtering Technology

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Newsdesk
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Very Small Pores Make a Big Difference in Filtering Technology


Nanoporous membranes are valuable tools for filtering out impurities from water and numerous other applications. However, there’s still much work to do to perfect their designs.

Recently, Prof. Amir Haji-Akbari’s lab demonstrated that exactly where the nanosized holes are placed on the membrane can make a big difference. The results are published in ACS Nano. 

Nanoporous membrane.

Nanoporous membrane. Image credit: Yale University

In recent years, nanoporous membranes made from graphene, polymers, silicon and other materials have been used successfully for separating gas, desalinating water, virus filtration, power generation, gas storage, and drug delivery. However, creating membranes that let all the right molecules pass through while keeping the undesired ones out has proven tricky.  

For desalinating water, for instance, the membrane must have a high permeability for water while sufficiently blocking small ionic and molecular solutes, and other impurities. But researchers have found that enhancing the permeability of a membrane often compromises its selectivity, and vice versa.

One promising approach is to optimize the chemistry and geometry of isolated nanopores to achieve the desired permeability and selectivity, and place as many of those pores as possible within a nanoporous membrane. Exactly how neighboring pores affect each other, though, is unclear.

At the nanoscale, molecules interacting with pore walls can exhibit behaviors that defy conventional theories. The Haji-Akbari lab explored whether they could design innovative membrane systems with increased precision and efficiency by fine-tuning the nanopores. 

With computer simulations, Haji-Akbari’s research team found that nanoscale proximity between pores can detrimentally affect water permeability and salt rejection. Specifically, they created simulations of membranes with varying patterns of pore placement, including a hexagonal lattice (figure above) and a honeycomb lattice (right). What they found was that the hexagonal pattern, which allowed for more distance between pores, had a greater permeability/selectivity performance than the membrane with the honeycomb pattern.  

These effects deviate from established theories, Haji-Akbari said.

A nanopore filter - artistic impression. A nanopore filter - artistic impression.

A nanopore filter – artistic impression. Image created by Alius Noreika using Copilot Designer

“This assumption that the pore resistance is independent of the proximity of the pore is not correct,” said Haji-Akbari, assistant professor of chemical & environmental engineering. “Clearly, it depends on proximity.”

Their findings shed insight on how these effects accelerate the movements of certain ions through membranes while causing other ions to decelerate. Further, it can inform better designs of nanoporous membranes for enhanced separation processes such as water desalination and other applications.

Source: Yale University

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