epa08979997 A Kosovo police officer walks between national flags of Kosovo and Israel while the virtual ceremony to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries took place at the building of Kosovo's foreign ministry in Pristina, Kosovo, 01 February 2021. Israel's and Kosovo's foreign ministers held a virtual ceremony on Monday 01 February to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries after deal brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in September 2020. EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ
BRUSSELS – EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said Tuesday that Kosovo’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem is “regrettable” and “moves Kosovo away from the EU position on the question of Jerusalem’s status”.
Stano’s comments came regarding recent developments on the normalisation of relations between Israel and Kosovo.
“All embassies of EU member states and European delegations are in Tel Aviv,” Stano said, highlighting that Brussels’ position on the question “has not changed”.
Stano said the EU has always supported a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine, and “a final solution on Jerusalem’s status as the future capital of both states must be found through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians”.
“Kosovo has indicated EU integration as its strategic priority and we expect it will act consistently,” he said.
(Photo: Reuters / NLD / Handout)Nobel peace prize laureates, Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (R) and South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu (L) speak at Suu Kyi’s house in Yangon, February 26, 2013.
Christians from different traditions are looking to the international community to take action after a military coup in Myanmar – also called Burma where politicians, journalists and human rights activists were arbitrarily locked up.
A Catholic Mission leader in Australia said on Feb.1 he has “tremendous concern” for the people of Myanmar after the military coup that has resulted in the arrest of civilian leaders, and the cutting of flights and the internet.
The military in Myanmar staged the Feb. 1 coup and detained top political leaders, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.
A Nobel Peace Pirze laureate, Suu Kyi received strong criticism during her leadership for not speaking out on the perecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority.
The military declared a state of emergency and said General Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for 12 months because the government had not acted on the military’s claims of fraud in November’s elections and because it allowed for an election despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Twelve months could easily lead to 12 years in terms of the military’s past performance. Let’s hope not,” Melbourne director of Catholic Mission, Kevin Meese, said.
Military rule in Myanmar lasted from 1962 to 2011 before resuming again with the latest coup.
Buddhist account for some 88 percent of the country’s 57 milliojn people while just ocer 6 percent are Christians and more than 4 percent Muslims.
In the UK, Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Senior Analyst for East Asia, Benedict Rogers, called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of lAung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint and other pro-democracy leaders following their arrest in the coup.
“The events of the past few days and especially the past 24 hours are a desperate step backwards for Burma,” he was quoted as saying by Christian Today.
“We urge all sides to engage in meaningful dialogue, peaceful talks and negotiation.
“We urge the military to respect the democratic process, and we call for international mediation to help all sides to reach an agreed way forward.”
TARGETTED SANCTIONS
Failing this, Rogers said the international community should impose the “toughest possible” targeted sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders and their enterprises, as well as foreign investment in those enterprises.
The UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet had said was “gravely concerned” at the removal of the civilian government in Myanmar and the arbitrary detention of dozens of political leaders, human rights activists, journalists, and others.
“There are also disturbing reports of journalists being harassed or attacked, and restrictions on the Internet and social media – which will restrict access to information and freedom of expression at this critical and frightening time for the people of Myanmar,” the UN human rights chief said.
When Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, the Norwegian Nobel Committee dubbed her struggle against the country’s military junta “one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades,” The Washington Post reports
“Even now, after her reputation has been tarnished by allegations that as Myanmar’s leader she turned a blind eye to ethnic cleansing and genocide, there are few who doubt Suu Kyi’s bravery. Many, however, would question her wisdom,” wrote the Post.
She was the daughter of a revered independence figure, and placed under house arrest shortly after returning to Myanmar in 1988.
She stood her ground, refusing to relent or retreat and suffered 15 years of house arrest, becoming a global symbol for democracy.
After Suu Kyi’s arrest on Feb. 1 and amost three decades after her Nobel Peace Prize win, there is little global support for her after her journey from political prisoner to pariah politician, according to the Post.
Myanmar military on Monday, 1 February, declared a one-year state of emergency in the country after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling National League for Democracy’s (NLD) party, news agency AFP reported quoting TV channels.
By — Shyamal Sinha
Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by the armed forces until 2011, when democratic reforms spearheaded by Aung San Suu Kyi ended military rule.
She spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010. She was internationally hailed as a beacon of democracy and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
The development comes amid reports of a military coup in Myanmar just months after Suu Kyi’s party NLD swept the general elections.
According to news agency IANS, the military-backed opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Myanmar has been disputing the results of the general elections held on 8 November last year, in which the NLD secured way above the 322 seats required to form the government.
It was the second general polls since 2011, when the military rule ended in the country. The reports of a coup surfaced after the country’s army earlier last week warned that it will take action if the complaints about alleged election fraud were not addressed.
Sources had earlier told IANS that a military coup appeared to be a likely outcome given China’s grip over the internal situation in the country.
Myanmar’s military junta, which ruled the country through the 90s and 2000s, has had the backing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After a long struggle against the military regime for nearly two decades, Suu Kyi-led Myanmar transitioned into a partial democracy in the last five years.
Suu Kyi, a former Nobel laureate, however, faced widespread criticism from the West when her government expelled around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims accused of perpetrating Islamist terrorism and propagating separatism. In a case filed by a group of Islamic countries at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, she has been accused of genocide of Rohingyas.
At home, however, “the Lady”, as Ms Suu Kyi is known, remains wildly popular among the Buddhist majority who hold little sympathy for the Rohingya.
However, her government, whose survival depends on the military, not only stood by the army, but also began engaging Beijing to secure investments. For China, Myanmar is of strategic importance due to its access to the Indian Ocean, the main route for China’s oil imports from the Middle East.
Beijing is keen on the development of overland routes for oil and gas pipelines via the Kyaukphyu special economic zone (SEZ) and deep-sea port, which will allow it to bypass the South China Sea where the US and Japan are challenging its sovereignty.
While New Delhi has been interested in Myanmar’s entry into Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping against Beijing, China seems to have extended its backing to the military in Myanmar, amid the rapidly evolving situation in the region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India on Monday expressed concerns over the developments in Myanmar and urged that the rule of law must be upheld.
“We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely,” the MEA said.
The US too expressed concern saying that it was ‘alarmed’ at the reports emerging from Myanmar.
“The US is alarmed by reports that Burmese military has taken steps to undermine country’s democratic transition, including arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma. President Biden has been briefed by NSA,” White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
“We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma’s democratic institutions and in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today,” she added.
She further said that the US opposes any attempt to alter outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition and will take action against those responsible if these steps aren’t reversed.
The United Nations too condemned the detention of Suu Kyi and other political leaders of the country.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar’s new Parliament,” Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said in a statement.
“He expresses his grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar,” the statement further said.
Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the situation was a challenge for the new U.S. administration.
“The U.S. as recently as Friday had joined other nations in urging the military not to move forward on its coup threats. China will stand by Myanmar like it did when the military kicked out the Rohingya,” he said.
More than a year since the new coronavirus crisis began, its impact on cancer care has been stark, with “50 per cent of governments (having) cancer services partially or completely disrupted because of the pandemic”, said Dr André Ilbawi, from WHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases.
“Delays in diagnosis are common. Interruptions in therapy or abandonment have increased significantly,” he continued, adding that this would likely have an impact in the total number of cancer deaths in coming years.
“Healthcare professionals have been under great stress to deliver services and there are significant reductions in research and clinical trial enrolment. To state it simply, the consequences of the pandemic on cancer control efforts have been profound.”
An unspecified number of countries “of all income levels” had been affected, the WHO medic continued, although some wealthier nations had managed to counter the effects of the pandemic, including the Netherlands, where special programmes have been set up to speed up access to cancer diagnosis and treatment for those with symptoms.
Amid uncertainty over which COVID-19 vaccine might be most suitable for cancer patients, given the increased vulnerability of some individuals, Dr Ilbawi said that data from ongoing clinical vaccine trials had yet to be published.
“We do appreciate that cancer patients are being noted in these clinical trials because evidence has shown that cancer patients are at greater risk for COVID-related morbidity and mortality because of their immuno-suppression”, he said.
Trillion-dollar issue
According to the WHO, the economic burden of cancer on communities is huge and increasing; in 2010, its cost was estimated at $1.16 trillion.
“In 2020, the number of people diagnosed with cancer globally reached 19.3 million, with the number of people dying increasing to 10 million”, said Dr Ilbawi.
According to the agency, there were 2.3 million new breast cancer cases in 2020, representing almost 12 per cent of all cancer cases. It is also the leading cause of cancer death worldwide among women.
Speaking via Zoom in Geneva ahead of World Cancer Day this Thursday, Dr Ilbawi noted that “for the first time, breast cancer now constitutes the most commonly occurring cancer globally, followed by lung, which has historically been leading cause in most of, of cancer, and third colorectal”.
Worldwide burden
The WHO official warned that the burden of cancer is expected to rise further in the years ahead for a variety of reasons including population growth, with the number of new cases worldwide in 2040 likely to be 47 per cent higher than in 2020.
The greatest increases will be in low and middle income countries where late-stage diagnosis and lack of access to quality and affordable diagnosis and treatment are common, the UN agency said in a statement.
Highlighting efforts to tackle cervical cancer, WHO noted that it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, with an estimated 604,000 new cases in 2020 and 700,000 cases and 400,000 deaths forecast in 2030.
Sufferers from poorer countries are disproportionately affected, with nearly 90 per cent of global deaths in 2020 from cervical cancer occurring in low and middle income nations.
Diagnose and treat quickly
Underscoring the benefits of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the UN health agency appealed for better availability of human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) and low-cost approaches for screening and treating pre-cancer “before it progresses to invasive cancer”, in addition to new approaches to surgical training.
“To get on the path to eliminate cervical cancer, we must achieve three targets by 2030: 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age, 70 per cent of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 45 and 90 per cent of women identified with cervical cancer treated,” WHO said.
Achieving these targets would lead to a decline in cases of more than 70 per cent by 2050 and help to avert 4.5 million cervical cancer deaths.
“In 2020 lieten we zien dat investeren in economisch herstel niet ten koste hoeft te gaan van steun aan klimaatactie en innovatie. Al onze doelstellingen hangen met elkaar samen. Europa kan alleen sterker uit deze crisis komen door te investeren in de groene en digitale economie van de toekomst, niet in de structuren uit het verleden. Daarbij moeten we er wel voor zorgen dat geen enkele regio in Europa achterblijft en moeten we samenwerken met onze partners buiten de EU”, zei EIB-president Werner Hoyer
Dat de financiering van de EIB Groep in Nederland een recordhoogte bereikte, was mede te danken aan de inspanningen van het EIF, dat zo’n €1,3 miljard beschikbaar maakte. Middels steun voor microfinanciering met Qredits, equity-investeringen in 13 fondsen, en garanties aan onder meer ABN Amro en Aegon, werd Nederland één van de belangrijkste landen voor EIF-investeringen in 2020. Ook een samenwerking met Invest-NL om samen het “Dutch Future Fund” op te zetten was hierbij een belangrijke ontwikkeling.
De EIB zelf maakte iets meer dan €2 miljard beschikbaar voor projecten in de energie- en watersector, de zorg, en het MKB. Met 34% van alle EIB-investeringen werd het belang van klimaat onderstreept, zo kreeg HVC een lening voor de uitbreiding van haar warmtenetten en tekende waterbedrijf Vitens een lening voor het toekomst- en klimaatbestendig maken van haar waternetwerk. Door een contra-garantieconstructie tussen EIB en EIF, ter ondersteuning van een grote MKB-faciliteit met ING Bank, komt het totale investeringsniveau in Nederland afgelopen jaar uit op € 3,18 miljard[1].
De recent toegetreden vicepresident voor de Benelux, de Belg Kris Peeters, stelde: “Het is een duidelijk signaal dat de EIB Groep samen met de lidstaten de maatschappelijke uitdagingen van vandaag aan gaat. Behalve de steunmaatregelen om de economische gevolgen van de corona-uitbraak in te dammen, die in het investeringsvolume van het EIF in Nederland extra sterk tot uiting komen, staat de EIB Groep er als het aankomt op klimaatinvesteringen, iets dat we in de komende jaren ook in Nederland zeker verder zullen uitbouwen.”
[1] Volume EIB en EIF is opgeteld € 3,3 mld, maar aangezien de ING-operatie een contragarantie-structuur tussen EIB en EIF betreft, komt het, om dubbeltelling te voorkomen, uit op € 3,179 mld.
In 2020, the EIB increased its investments in the region by almost 50%, reaching €873 million in financial commitments
Lilyana Pavlova, EIB vice-president for the Western Balkans, highlights the EIB’s substantial contribution to social and economic development in 2020, laying the groundwork for further investment under the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan
The EIB has already mobilised over €1 billion of financing as part of Team Europe’s COVID response for the region
As presented at a press conference today, the European Investment Bank Group (EIB) invested €873 million in the Western Balkans in 2020, increasing its financing in the region by 50% compared to 2019. It provided extensive support to the recovery from COVID-19 under the European Union’s Team Europe initiative to help the most affected sectors.
In line with the European Union’s focus on connectivity, the majority of the investment, €531 million, was allocated to constructing and modernising transport infrastructure in the region, this includes a major investment on Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina that also benefited from a €12 million grant provided under the EU Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The EU bank supported a diversified portfolio of investments in key sectors for the region, including a €65 million investment for digitalising over 1 500 schools across Serbia. This project will facilitate the introduction of IT equipment and high-speed internet, while some 50 000 teachers will be able to receive training in digital skills. In keeping with the Bank’s climate goals, an €11 million investment for wastewater infrastructure in Kosovo* will improve access to water for some 90 000 people in the Gjilan/Gnjilane municipality.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) received significant support from the EIB Group (the EIB and the European Investment Fund, or EIF) in 2020 with a €320 million investment for the banking sector to support small businesses. The Group has strengthened its instruments that support the private sector and is leveraging EU budget guarantees and risk-sharing solutions further to improve the competitiveness of local companies and entrepreneurs. Strong support for the private sector is necessary to achieve the region’s transition towards a greener, more inclusive and sustainable economic model. Going forward, the Group intends to build on successes such as the WB EDIF (Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility) Guarantee Facility – managed by the EIF – that has supported thousands of local SMEs and jobs and has been recently topped up by DG NEAR (Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations) as part of the response to the COVID-19 crisis. The EIB has also expanded its support for the preparation and implementation of investment projects by providing technical assistance worth €17 million under the Economic Resilience Initiative and the WBIF.
The EIB is playing a leading role in Team Europe’s response to the COVID crisis, committing €1.7 billion of the €3.3 billion total announced at the EU-Western Balkans Zagreb Summit in May 2020. To date, the Bank has mobilised over €1 billion to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 in the Western Balkans. The funds were channelled to provide immediate assistance for the healthcare and private sector, especially small companies, the hardest hit by the pandemic.
EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova, who is responsible for the Western Balkans, said: “I am delighted that the EIB Group has almost doubled its investment volume for the Western Balkans in one of the most challenging years in recent history. However, we will not stop there, but will continue to provide our full support to help the region overcome the COVID-19 crisis, advance with EU integration and accelerate the much needed economic transformation into a green and digital market. We are particularly proud of the EIB’s first impact finance loan that will boost youth employment and women’s entrepreneurship, while triggering investment in the digitalisation of the private and public sector.”
In 2021, the Bank plans to deliver more support for climate action, the recovery of SMEs, connectivity, the digital transformation and projects encouraging inclusive employment. All of these initiatives are part of the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. The EIB Group looks forward to working with all of its partners on implementing this major plan that aims to mobilise up to €9 billion for inclusive growth, sustainable transport, the digital and green transformation and the creation of a common regional market, with €20 billion in investment also expected to be leveraged by the Western Balkan Guarantee Facility.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
The EIB is one the leading international financiers in the Western Balkans. Over 2009-2020, the Bank financed projects totalling €8.6 billion in the region. Besides continuing its support for the reconstruction and upgrading of public infrastructure, the EIB has expanded into many new areas since 2010, including healthcare, research and development, education and SMEs.
Hungarian and Italian Scientologists Deliver Vital Aid to Croatian Families Devastated by Last Month’s Earthquake
Freezing temperatures add to the challenges facing victims of the 6.4 magnitude Croatia earthquake. Volunteer Ministers bring cooking and heating equipment along with other aid.
Two bright yellow vans rolled into Croatia last week. On the side of each van was the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister, “Something can be done about it,” one van bearing these words in Italian and the other in Hungarian. Hungarian and Italian Scientology Volunteer Ministers carried out a joint project to bring needed aid to the victims of the 29 December 2020 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Croatia.
One group of volunteers set off from Budapest, 410 km northeast of the region. The others came from Padova, 470 km to the west. Both vans were filled with supplies for families in and around Glina, one of the towns hardest hit by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake and some 700 aftershocks.
This part of Croatia was already at risk before the earthquake blasted the region. It never fully recovered from the war that wracked the country in the early 1990s. And the prime minister has called for an investigation into why the earthquake caused so much damage even to buildings constructed after the conflict. But whatever the cause, the result is that local families are at risk as the winter deepens and temperatures plummet. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake and 700 aftershocks have created tremendous damage.
Both vans were filled with urgently needed supplies. From Padova came furniture for an earthquake-damaged school. “And knowing that many homes were without power for heating and cooking,” said one of the Hungarian Volunteer Ministers, “we brought generators, heating equipment, portable stoves and convection ovens” and tools for shoring up or reconstructing damaged buildings.
“What struck me most was the red X on the walls of so many houses,” the volunteer said. “The mark signifies life-threatening damage to the homes.”
The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the world’s largest independent relief forces.
A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”
Monrovia — The Delegation of the European Union to Liberia has commemorated the International Day of Education 2021. It was awarded ten young students who participated in a national Rap/Singing/Poetry contest, dubbed “Da Youth Dem Voice Here” Contest.
“Da Youth Dem Voice Here” Contest was a national Rap/Singing/Poetry contest for young Liberians living in Liberia. It created an opportunity for young Liberians to showcase their youthful creativity while reflecting on their nation-building role. The competition was opened to Liberian High School students from Grade 9-12. The contest was held under the theme, “My Future Liberia.”
Interested young Liberians were encouraged to film themselves either reciting a poem, rapping, or singing about their future aspirations for the country between December 7th, 2020, and January 21st, 2021. Ten top entries were shortlisted for public voting on the Delegations Facebook page. The award ceremony was, therefore, to climax the almost two months-long campaign.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Head of the Political Section, Juan Antonio Frutos Goldaratz, expressed his joy at the campaign’s enthusiasm and creativity. “This was an inspiring event for all of us. We decided to do this because we believe the youth are the future of this country, and your voices are essential in shaping the future. We have seen very talented young people who have shared their thoughts, ideas on education, development, human rights issues, on gender equality, which are very important in Liberia. So it has been an honor and privilege to be part of this.”
He also emphasized the EU will continue to work with Liberia’s young people by investing in developing their skills for a better and brighter future. “The EU is partnering with the Liberian government in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). We want to ensure that the young people of Liberia get equipped with skills for a better future”.
02/01/2021 The European Union DX Contest Club (EUDXCC) has announced the debut of the European Union DX Contest February 6 – 7 and on the first full weekend of February thereafter, starting at 1800 UTC on Saturday and ending at 1800 UTC on Sunday. A variety of operating categories are offered, including SWL, and everybody works everybody. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the sponsors say that the multi-multi category will be a multi-transmitter distributed category, with no more than six transmitted signals (one per band) at any time from stations in different locations.
On this episode of Feudal Future, hosts Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky are joined by Rev. John L. McCullough, President Emeritus of Church World Service. CWS is a global ecumenical organization specializing in Development and Humanitarian Assistance, Immigration and Refugee Services, Justice and Human Rights. Headquartered in NYC with primary offices in: Bangkok, Belgrade, Buenos Aires, Elkhart (IN), Hanoi, Islamabad, Jakarta, Miami, Nairobi, Phnom Phen, Vientiane, Washington, D.C. CWS is also branded as CROP Hunger Walks, and is a major sponsor of the Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Mission Statement: Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.
[4:00] Marshall opens up the discussion asking Rev. John what the impact of covid has had on faith-based organizations
[6:45] Joel and Rev. John discuss how developing countries respond to crises without relying on the government
[22:15] Marshall and Rev. John dive into the effect COVID is having on refugees and resettlement across the world
[32:00] Rev. John ends the episode with how religion will reinvent itself through this pandemic
