, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20210303STO99110/
Meet Three Scientologists Who Are Moving Forward Creating the Future Despite the Pandemic
In Taipei, Taiwan, Scientologist and interior designer Ping Ting helps his clients grasp exactly what it will be like to live in one of the homes he designs. He also encourages them to contribute to the designing process by giving them access to his work as he goes along.
And when they tour their future homes, his clients can experience every detail before its construction begins. Ping Ting makes this possible by having them wear VR headsets, so they can be certain that the design is exactly what they want. Communication is an essential element in his creative process, which results in greater affinity and reality, as covered the book Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought by L. Ron Hubbard. Watch Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought book on film on the Scientology Network.
Also covered in Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought is the central role creativity plays in every aspect of existence, something Ildikó Debreczeni of Szolnok, Hungary, incorporates into her work.
She owns a company that creates intricate custom-designed costumes for opera, ballet and theatrical productions. Ildikó demonstrates the extra care she takes in designing what she refers to as “work clothes” for performers. This allows them to be comfortable and at ease in their apparel.
Creativity also informs the work of Stefania, a photographer from Padova, Italy, whose beautiful photographs feature nature at its best. She shares her passion with a selection of delightful photographs.
Scientologists@home is an original series featured on the Scientology Network. Created at the start of the pandemic as a worldwide platform for Scientologists to connect and share how they’re staying safe and making the most of their time at home during the lockdown, Scientologists @home gradually added stories of people getting back to work, and now going back to church. The videos are also available on the Scientology website at Scientology.org/daily-connect.
Since launching on the Scientology Network and the Daily Connect website, the Scientologists@home series has exploded in popularity, with people from over 400 cities and 50 countries around the world, ages 5 to 85, submitting their videos.
The upbeat and optimistic tone to each video is punctuated with Scientologists sharing how they’ve been studying and applying LRH Technology from a number of books and courses, at home or at work, to improve their lives.
The Scientology Network was launched by Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, on March 12, 2018. Since launching, it has been viewed in 240 countries and territories in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization, and presenting its social betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by independent filmmakers who represent a cross-section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities.
Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, the Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and can be streamed at scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.
Better than screening: with WHO’s help Ukraine chose a cost-efficient policy to prevent breast cancer
State budget healthcare institution of Omsk region “City hospital No 3”
Breast cancer prevention: finding best practices
A recent study conducted by IARC and EURO has shown that in Ukraine, more than 1 out of 4 breast cancers are diagnosed at late stage making cure out of reach, even with the best treatments. To break this worrying trend, Dr Arman Kacharian, the lead for cancer control at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, reached out to WHO/Europe for their expertise in this field.
In 2019-2020 he discussed effective breast cancer prevention policies at the IARC/WHO workshop on cancer screening and the large WHO/Europe screening conferences, where he came to conclusion that a large scale mammography screening program would not be the best option for Ukraine to improve its situation with breast cancer.
According to the latest WHO guidelines, nationwide mammography cancer screening programmes tend to be expensive and only demonstrate positive results in countries where health systems get vast economic and human resources. Health systems of many countries of the WHO European Region are unable to test large numbers of healthy women and ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis and follow up for those tested positive.
After consultation with WHO/Europe experts, Ukraine’s authorities became interested in another WHO-recommended cancer prevention strategy – the early diagnosis programme. It is based on the rapid identification of cancer in patients who have symptoms of the disease and rapid full diagnosis follow up. Given the major improvements in breast cancer treatment in the past decades, in cases when breast cancer is diagnosed at early palpable stage, the rates of secure cure are very high.
Early diagnosis programme: what are the benefits?
Cancer, when identified early, is more likely to respond to effective treatment, resulting in a greater probability of surviving as well as less heavy and expensive treatment. The value of detecting cancer early is clear, and significant improvements can be made in the lives of cancer patients.
“In comparison to mammography screening programme, centralization of advanced centers providing high-quality early diagnosis of breast cancer is more efficient, economical and sustainable in a setting with limited resources ”, said Dr Olga Trusova, a leading Belarusian mammography expert who took part in the BELMED project aimed at implementation of breast cancer screening in Belarus. BELMED was funded by the EU and implemented by WHO/Europe and IARC since 2016.
WHO/Europe organized a series of online consultations between Dr Kacharian and Dr Trusova to share views and expertise on cancer prevention policies.
The early diagnosis approach for breast cancer was recognized as more appropriate for Ukraine than mammography screening. It is less resource intensive and allows Ukrainian health system to better prepare for future screening measures if needed.
Saving Ukraine’s resources
WHO/Europe has also helped Ukraine to assess its resources. The country has been collaborating with France on breast cancer prevention projects. In early 2020 France proposed a soft loan of 24 million euros to Ukraine to buy mammography machines for screening.
Following advice of WHO/Europe experts, Ukraine performed a rapid mapping of the mammographic facilities available in the country matching them with the national data on breast cancer detection stratified by regions, including the data from the Ukrainian breast cancer screening pilot programme.
It turned out the country had sufficient mammographic equipment to start an efficient early diagnosis breast cancer programme. It was only needed to ensure the existing mammography units worked in full capacity, dealing with more than 4 to 8 women a day as some does presently.
“The help from WHO saved a lot of money for Ukraine”, said Dr Kacharian, “The soft loan was intended for purchase of mammography units. If we don’t need this equipment, we won’t have to reimburse the loan. We`ll renew mammography equipment in oncological specialized hospitals for organizing one day diagnostic program”. WHO/Europe is involved in the discussions where Ukraine is now negotiating with France to see how to invest more efficiently in breast cancer control.
Bénin : des milliers d’entreprises bénéficieront du premier partenariat entre la BEI et Vital Finance Bénin
- 77 000 prêts, des financements en monnaie locale et des investissements à plus long terme vont être débloqués
- 4 millions d’euros de financements ciblent les femmes
- Le concours de la BEI à l’appui de Vital Finance Bénin contribuera à combler le «chaînon manquant» entre les institutions de microfinance et les banques
- Premier partenariat au Bénin au titre du programme de microfinance de 50 millions d’euros mis en place par la BEI pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest
Le tout premier prêt de la Banque européenne d’investissement (BEI) octroyé à Vital Finance Bénin, favorisera l’investissement des petites entreprises et permettra de soutenir des milliers d’emplois au Bénin. Le nouveau programme de financement annoncé aujourd’hui ciblera particulièrement l’appui aux femmes dans le pays. Les femmes devraient représenter 70 % des bénéficiaires finaux.
Il s’agit de la toute première coopération entre la BEI, qui est la principale banque publique internationale au monde détenue par les 27 États membres de l’Union européenne, et Vital Finance Bénin, Institution de Microfinance, le troisième plus grand fournisseur de micro-financements dans ce pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest.
« Vital Finance Bénin comprend les priorités des entreprises de notre pays en matière d’investissement et les difficultés financières auxquelles elles sont confrontées. La nouvelle coopération avec la Banque européenne d’investissement permettra à Vital Finance de continuer à se développer et à aider les entreprises du pays à créer des emplois. Avec l’ensemble de nos collaborateurs, nous espérons nous appuyer sur notre nouvelle relation avec la BEI pour améliorer l’accès aux financements au Bénin et aider les promoteurs de petites entreprises à renforcer leurs compétences professionnelles essentielles à leur réussite », a déclaré Mr Wakil ADJIBI, PDG de Vital Finance Bénin.
« Il est essentiel de garantir que les entreprises peuvent se développer, créer des emplois. La Banque européenne d’investissement s’engage à soutenir les entreprises privées en Afrique et nous nous réjouissons d’avoir conclu notre première opération avec Vital Finance Bénin, une institution de microfinance de premier rang. Le premier engagement de la BEI au Bénin dans le cadre de notre mécanisme de microfinance pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest appuiera des milliers de prêts, engendrera des investissements en monnaie locale et aidera à remédier au chaînon manquant en matière d’investissement entre les banques et les institutions de microfinance en apportant des prêts de taille intermédiaire », a déclaré Ambroise Fayolle, vice-président de la Banque Européenne d’Investissement.
« L’Union européenne s’engage à soutenir les investissements du secteur privé, vecteurs de transformation, qui consolident le développement durable au Bénin. Cette première coopération entre la BEI, qui est la banque de l’UE, et Vital Finance témoigne de l’engagement renforcé de l’équipe d’Europe (Team Europe) à faire en sorte que les partenaires africains puissent mieux relever les défis du développement durable sur le continent. Améliorer l’accès au financement des petites entreprises offrira de nouvelles possibilités aux femmes entrepreneurs et aux jeunes dans tout le pays », a indiqué Sylvia Hartleif, cheffe de la délégation de l’Union européenne à Cotonou.
Atténuation de l’impact économique et social du COVID-19 au Bénin
La nouvelle coopération de la BEI avec Vital Finance Bénin contribuera à améliorer l’accès au financement des entreprises les plus exposées aux impacts de la pandémie de COVID-19 et permettra la poursuite des prêts aux microentreprises.
Au Bénin et dans toute l’Afrique, les entreprises ont souffert de la fermeture des frontières, de la restriction des importations et de difficultés soudaines rencontrées par les marchés d’exportation.
Des investissements renforcés grâce à un financement en monnaie locale sans risques de change
Le nouvel appui de la BEI à Vital Finance Bénin sera octroyé entièrement en monnaie locale, soit un montant équivalent à 4 millions d’euros en francs CFA, et bénéficiera du soutien du programme de la BEI dédié à l’investissement d’impact.
Solution intermédiaire entre les institutions de microfinance et les banques en matière de financements
Ce nouveau partenariat permettra à Vital Finance Bénin d’octroyer des prêts d’un montant supérieur à ceux généralement mis à disposition par les institutions de microfinance et inférieur à ceux des banques locales. Il fera office de solution intermédiaire en matière d’investissement, la mésofinance, un « chaînon manquant » qui freine l’expansion des petites entreprises.
Partage d’expérience financière et renforcement des compétences professionnelles grâce à une assistance technique
Le nouvel appui de la BEI à la microfinance au Bénin s’accompagnera d’une assistance technique pour partager avec Vital Finance Bénin les meilleures pratiques de toute l’Afrique en matière de gestion des risques et de ressources humaines. Les entrepreneurs du Bénin profiteront également de formations spécifiques visant à améliorer leurs compétences professionnelles et leur planification financière.
Consolidation de l’appui de la BEI aux investissements du secteur privé en Afrique
L’année dernière, la BEI a fourni plus de 1,8 milliard d’EUR pour soutenir les investissements du secteur privé en Afrique, ce qui représente 60 % de son engagement global sur le continent.
Cette somme comprenait notamment un nouveau soutien de 500 millions d’euros destiné à aider les jeunes pousses africaines à se lancer dans les domaines du numérique, de l’agroalimentaire, de l’inclusion financière et des services de santé.
Les nouveaux partenariats établis par la BEI avec des entreprises, des banques et des organismes de microcrédit africains permettent d’offrir des financements spécialisés aux petits exploitants agricoles, de supprimer les coûts associés aux financements en monnaie locale qui freinent les investissements et d’aider les entreprises privées à investir dans l’adaptation aux effets des changements climatiques.
De nouveaux programmes de financement du secteur privé ont fait l’objet d’accords avec des banques et des partenaires du microcrédit locaux de premier plan. Ces programmes comprennent des dispositifs spécifiques destinés à réduire les inégalités entre les femmes et les hommes, à fournir des financements à long terme en monnaie locale et à offrir des produits financiers sur mesure pour le secteur de l’agroalimentaire.
VITAL FINANCE est une structure leader au Bénin, exerçant dans le domaine de la microfinance. Elle est une institution de financement direct des micro, petites et moyennes entreprises.
Créée en 1998, elle s’est constituée en 20 ans un réseau fort d’une vingtaine de points de services, opérant sur l’ensemble du territoire national.
Cette initiative de Monsieur Wakil Adjibi, promoteur et Administrateur Directeur Général est partie d’une étude qui a révélé l’énorme potentialité du marché et du secteur. Les besoins qui s’en exprimaient étaient en effet, loin d’être couverts par les structures qui opéraient déjà sur la place.
European Parliament in Bulgaria marks International Women’s Day with exhibition
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Religion column move criticised
LONDON: Councillor Dr James Shera, ex-mayor Rugby, has expressed concern over a recent request by some members of Punjab Bar Council to add a column of religious affiliation in the Punjab Bar Council enrolment form.
Dr Shera, in a press release, said: “We hope that bar council would reject this application and endorse integration, unity and dignity in society instead of dividing society on basis of religion, linguist and ethnicity.
“Any step in this direction would jeopardise the concept of equality, justice and freedom of individuals. The Founder of Pakistan, Mr Jinnah, reminded eloquently numerous times in his speeches that individuals are free to practice their religion; the state has no reason to interfere in their personal matters, and that everybody irrespective of their colour, caste and religion would work with integrity to build one nation.”
The press release said the statement was endorsed by UK Pakistani Christian leaders including: Dr Peter David, Dr Noshaba Khiljee, Councilor Morris Johns, Advocate Qamar Shams, Mr Michael Massey, Bishop Yousaf Nadeem Bhinder, Mr John Bosco, Mr Qamar Rafique, Ex-MPA Saleem Khokhar and Mr Tahier Solomon.
Teleserye an opportunity for ‘StarStruck’ alum to show his religion in a positive light
As a kid, Abdul Raman was terrified of Cherie Gil.
He had yet to understand the distinction between reality and fiction, and so he believed that the actress and the ruthless villains she played on television were one and the same. He didn’t want to become an actor, he recalled. “What if I run into her?”
He did run into her. By a curious twist of fate, Abdul joined the talent search “StarStruck” in the same year Cherie was selected to sit as one of the judges. Now, surreally enough, the two find themselves working together in GMA 7’s coming drama series, “Legal Wives.” But he’s no longer scared, Abdul said. In fact, he now sees and treats Cherie as his “second mother.”
“I have already overcome the fear factor!” Abdul quipped in a recent video conference for the said soap opera. “She’s one of my favorite coactors on the set because she’s so full of love.”
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And the more he spent time with the multiawarded actress, the more Adbul realized that his initial impression of her couldn’t be more wrong. “From being my personal bogeyman, she has now become my idol. She’s a really nice person. Kung gaano siya kasama as a kontrabida, ganun siya kabait in real life.”
“I love her to bits,” added the 18-year-old Kapuso talent, who finished in the Top 6 of “StarStruck” Season 7.
The locked-in taping session for “Legal Wives” was a wonderful learning experience for Abdul, because he was surrounded by experienced actors—including Cherie, Dennis Trillo, Bernard Palanca, Al Tantay—who regularly offered him valuable advice.
“I always enjoyed chatting with the veteran actors and listening to their life stories and experiences. They always entertained my random questions. They gave me acting tips, like the importance of projecting your voice, and how acting is reacting,” he said. “They also gave me love advice and they’re all very kind.”
Intimidated
Because he’s one of the few young actors in the soap, Abdul admitted that there were times when he couldn’t help but feel intimidated. “I just kept in mind that they were also once in my position, and that what I was feeling was normal. But at the same time, I wanted to show my skills … show that I’m taking this seriously.”
Abdul is paired with fellow “StarStruck” 7 alum Shayne Sava, who ended up becoming the female winner. Working with her is a breeze, he said, because they used to compete in challenges together during their time in the talent search.
“I’m very comfortable with her. I feel like I can do any scene with her. Our personalities just click,” he said of Shayne, whom he described as “smart” and “cute.” “There’s something that makes me want to talk to her. We have good conversations… She loves poetry, which I find interesting.”
“Legal Wives” revolves around a Muslim Maranao royalty and Islamic culture. And it’s a fitting show for his debut, Abdul said, because he himself is a Muslim. The show biz newbie, who was born to an Egyptian father and a Filipino mother, lived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for nine years, before moving to the Philippines. “I accepted the project wholeheartedly because it’s a big opportunity. It’s a primetime show. I’m excited to show what I can do and what I have learned,” he said.
‘To represent my religion’
But more than an acting break, Abdul also sees the series as a chance to educate more people about Islam and correct whatever misconceptions they have about the religion. “I have always wanted this for myself and my family… Perhaps this is one of my objectives in life—to represent my religion in a good way and to present it in a good light. So, when I got the offer, I thought, ‘The stars are aligning!’” he said. “Diversity is a good thing,” he added. “Islam is misrepresented a lot… But I think the show can also educate—that way, we can avoid discrimination.” INQ
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Laura Whitmore ‘upset and angry’ after massive publishing f*** up in new book
… book error
(Image: Laura Whitmore/ Instagram)
Laura replied: “My publisher … to be one batch of books being sent with pages stuck … publishers messed up! I’ve worked so hard on this book … ;ve been told by Orion books all new orders will be …
Woman army officer in forefront of COVID-19 battle in Sierra Leone
“COVID-19 is a dynamic and fluid situation,” says Lieutenant Matilda Mattu Moiwo. “You can’t predict everything that will occur in advance.”
Lt. Moiwo is a staff officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. Her military training serves her well in the fight against COVID-19.
As the National Emergency Medical Services Referral Coordinator in the capital city of Freetown, Lt. Moiwo has to juggle national ambulance services, clinicians at hospitals, treatment centers and isolation units, and psychosocial assistance for patients and their families. She also disseminates test results and updates a national database on COVID-19.
Lt. Moiwo remains level-headed despite the skyrocketing demands for her team since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the West African country in March 2020.
She remembers one particular COVID-19 case, where a pregnant woman at full term needed a caesarean section. “For this woman, it was not just a matter of having a safe delivery. This was the very first delivery for a coronavirus patient in Sierra Leone. Health care workers at the isolation unit were worried. So was the patient.”
It took an hour or more of managing the elements needed for a safe delivery, but in the end, the hard work paid off and the woman delivered a baby girl.
Cases like these call for creative thinking, says Lt. Moiwo. “It is critical to get the right patients to the right places because we offer different treatment centers with different levels of care, depending on severity,” she says.
Building women’s leadership is part of government efforts to promote gender equality in all areas of life. Such moves include a new law on sexual offenses, the launch of one-stop centres on sexual and gender-based violence, and the government’s 2019 declaration of rape and sexual violence as a national emergency.
All these efforts are supported by the UN Country Team in Sierra Leone. And, says UN Resident Coordinator, Babatunde Ahonsi, supporting gender equality also means supporting the fight against COVID-19.
“COVID-19 is an all-hands-on-deck situation,” says Mr. Ahonsi. “If women are prevented from taking leadership positions, then we’re fighting the pandemic with one hand tied behind our back. When women are subjected to sexual violence, then there’s that much less energy and resources to advance public health.”
The equation works both ways. Just as gender equality supports public health, public health can support gender equality—if proper attention is paid to it.
That’s why the UN Country Team works on both gender equality and COVID-19—and makes sure that the two go hand in hand.
For instance, Mr. Ahonsi led an effort to secure the donation of 100,000 face masks from China for the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
UNICEF reached out to 50 health influencers, including women leaders, who advocated for the proper use of masks, handwashing, and physical distancing.
The World Health Organization provided technical support to the government and health facilities, which includes the National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre, where Lt. Moiwo is a leader.
“When we make progress in gender equality, we make progress in every area of human endeavor,” says the UN Resident Coordinator.
Lt. Moiwo puts that notion into practice every day on the job. She believes that, by stepping up as a leader, she is helping dismantle discrimination against women.
Gender Equality and the UN
- The UN says gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
- One of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 5 on gender equality aims to end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
- The importance of protecting women’s rights has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic with a global increase in reported domestic and gender-based violence.
‘Ceasefire’ reached in EU-US aircraft subsidy war
The move has eased difficulties for the plane makers, which have been suffering significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic, and shows that transatlantic trade tensions have begun to cool down.
The US and the EU have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs in the 16-year-old dispute over their governments’ subsidies for European aircraft maker Airbus and US rival Boeing. Accordingly, the US levied a 15% duty on imported Airbus planes from 2019 after the years-long dispute forced the two sides to submit the case to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). After that, the EU retaliated against the US with a similar tax rate on Boeing planes. The “tariff war” between the two sides also spread to wine, whiskey and other goods.
However, President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen recently announced that the EU and the US have agreed to temporarily cease retaliatory tariffs regarding the Airbus-Boeing dispute for four months.
The decision by leaders on the two coasts of the Atlantic Ocean to stop tit-for-tat tariffs on airplanes and other commodities has also helped to alleviate difficulties facing aircraft manufacturers in the context of the pandemic. At the end of February, CEO of European aircraft manufacturer Guillaume Faury called on the two sides to stop imposing retaliatory tariffs, stating that the EU-US “tax war” has exacerbated the losses caused by the COVID-19 crisis on both sides. Airbus statistics showed that the company posted a net loss of US$1.3 billion in 2020, while Boeing also experienced disappointing business results with total damages of up to US$11.9 billion last year.
According to analysts, the EU-US “truce” in the aircraft subsidy war shows that after the US has a new president, tensions in the transatlantic trade relations have begun to cool down. The US-EU trade ties constantly plummeted under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, with Washington imposing tariffs on US$7.5 billion of EU exports.
In reply, the EU levied tariffs on US$4 billion of goods imported from the US. Therefore, European leaders have responded positively to the aforementioned “ceasefire” between the two sides. Over the weekend, the French commerce ministry welcomed the EU-US agreement, hailing it as the first step in the process of de-escalation. EU member states will consider introducing new regulations on public subsidies for the aerospace sector.
In the context of the US facing unprecedented severe challenges and the EU struggling to overcome the economic and pandemic crisis, the cooling down of trade tensions between the two sides is significant to the promotion of regional and global economic recovery. In addition, the suspension of tit-for-tat tariff imposition also paves the way for the US and EU to restore and develop many other global cooperation contents on security and climate change response, which had been stagnated or interrupted during the term of former US President Donald Trump.