President Zourabichvili – Georgia wants to reunite with its European family

President Zourabichvili – Georgia wants to reunite with its European family — © European Union, 2023 - Source: EP

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian President Zourabichvili addressed the European Parliament in Brussels.

The first Georgian head of state to give a speech in the hemicycle for 13 years, President Salome Zourabichvili called for her country’s ‘reunification with its European family’ and for Georgia to be granted EU candidate status by the end of 2023. She stressed that Georgia’s European future starts with its European past, and recalled the price Georgia’s people have paid in the face of Russian aggression.

President Zourabichvili said the granting of EU candidate status to Georgia would give recognition to the Georgian people’s relentless fight for their European identity, provide protection and security for a Georgia that experienced multiple Russian occupations, help safeguard democracy, and cement the country’s role as a pro-European force in the Caucasus.

She said the recommendations set out by the EU for Georgia to secure candidate status “are already part of our culture, values and heritage.”

“Your recommendations are not some foreign ideas imposed on us – as was Soviet ideology. These are in essence Georgian. What you are recommending is that Georgia eliminates the remnants of the totalitarian past and reunite with itself and its European roots,” she said.

President Zourabichvili also emphasised the fact that EU candidate status will cement progress in a country marked by recent political polarisation and democratic backsliding.

‘While we are the first to understand our current shortcomings, we do not want those to overshadow our achievements. That for the past 30 years – that is one generation! – we have made extraordinary progress through substantial reforms,’ President Zourabichvili said.

You can watch the debate again here (31.05.2023)

A silver-plated pencil with which Hitler wrote is being auctioned

By

Gaston de Persigny

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1 June 2023

It is believed to be a gift to the former Nazi dictator from his long-time partner Eva Braun for his 52nd birthday

A silver-plated pencil said to have belonged to Adolf Hitler is to be auctioned in Belfast next month and is expected to fetch £80,000. Bloomfield Auctions will also be selling an original signed photograph of Hitler at a sale of historical items next week.

It is believed to have been a gift to the former Nazi dictator from his longtime partner Eva Braun for his 52nd birthday on April 20, 1941, the Guardian reported.

The pencil, originally purchased by a collector at auction in 2002, is inscribed with “Eva” in German and the initials “AH”.

The sale of a variety of historical items at Bloomfield Auctions in East Belfast on June 6 will also include an autographed photograph of Hitler and a rare handwritten letter from Queen Victoria from 1869 pardoning Irish rebels convicted of treason.

Carl Bennett, managing director of the auction house said they expect interest in the items from all over the world.

“The significance of Hitler’s engraved personal pencil is that it helps unravel a hidden part of the story, giving a unique insight into Hitler’s personal relationships, which he carefully hid from the public eye,” he said.

“This token of love – a personalized pencil from Eva for his birthday – helps reveal the deception behind Hitler’s public facade”.

Bennett added that he fully understands why people might have reservations about selling and collecting items that belonged to the dictator.

Hitler’s pencil is estimated to sell for between £50,000 and £80,000 (€57,000 and €92,000) while the photograph is expected to sell for between £10,000 and £15,000.

The sale will take place on Tuesday, June 6th both online and in the auction house. For more information, visit bloomfieldauctions.co.uk

Photo: Bloomfield Auctions

New EEA Executive Director Leena Ylä-Mononen takes up post

By

Newsdesk

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1 June 2023

Leena Ylä-Mononen takes up her position as Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen today, following Hans Bruyninckx, who ended his second five-year term at the end of May.

The European Union and the EEA’s broader network are working to put in place important policy measures to shift Europe to a carbon neutral and sustainable future by 2050. Ms. Ylä-Mononen’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the EEA, its 38 member and cooperating countries and its Eionet network.

Through its assessments and data, the EEA plays a key role in supporting EU environment and climate policies and legislation, such as the the European Green Deal and its key policy packages including the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and the Circular Economy Action Plan, as well as the 8th Environment Action Programme.

I am excited to start my work at the European Environment Agency today, taking over from Hans Bruyninckx. I would like to warmly thank him for his strong and passionate commitment to the Agency’s role and work over the past ten years on climate and environmental issues.

Leena Ylä-Mononen and Hans Bruyninckx

Leena Ylä-Mononen added, “Looking ahead, I am equally committed to taking the Agency’s work forward in this pivotal time. In Europe as well as globally, decisive action is needed to limit and to adapt to climate change, halt biodiversity loss and stop pollution. The EEA has a big responsibility and role to play to ensure our policymakers have the knowledge and data required to make the right decisions in the years ahead and to ensure the measures we take facilitate a just transition. Engaging with citizens and providing them with relevant information on the state and pressures of the environment is also a critical task.”

Hans Bruyninckx added ‘The decade ahead will be challenging and will require stronger implementation and bolder action. This will entail difficult societal choices. I am confident that, under Leena Ylä-Mononen’s leadership, the EEA will continue to develop and provide relevant and timely knowledge to underpin those decisions.’

As Executive Director, Ms. Ylä-Mononen will be overseeing the Agency’s work in providing policy support to existing as well as emerging tasks under EU climate and environmental legislation. The EEA’s Management Board nominated Ms. Ylä-Mononen for the position on 23 March following a Europe-wide selection process.

Biography

Ms. Ylä-Mononen, a Finnish national, was previously Director General at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Previous to her post at the Finnish Environment Ministry, she held a senior management position at the European Chemicals Agency, after working at the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Environment. She holds a Master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Helsinki.

Who Was Witold Pilecki? a WWII Hero with a meeting room at the EU Parliament

By

Juan Sanchez Gil

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31 May 2023

Photo credit: Twitter Anna Fotyga - Witold Pilecki meeting room inaugurated by President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, with the nephew of Pilecki

Witold Pilecki’s story is one of courage and sacrifice, and a meeting room of the European Parliament has just been inaugurated with his name, 75 years after being executed by Stalin. President of the Parliament Roberta Metsola was present together with different MEPs from different groups, but especially from ECR (Anna Fotyga), as that is the room where they do their group meetings.

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Witold Pilecki meeting room inaugurated at the European Parliament

Video taken by the Press Services of the European Parliament

On May 31st, a room has been inaugurated with name at the European Parliament. A ceremony Has been be held to name the ECR Group meeting room, SPAAK 1A002, in honour of Witold PILECKI, a Polish World War II officer, intelligence agent and resistance fighter who fiercely resisted both Nazism and Communism and whose opposition to totalitarian regimes represents the core values underpinning European integration. Roberta Metsola, EP President attended the ceremony alongside ECR Co-Chairmen Ryszard LEGUTKO, and Mr Marek OSTROWSKI, nephew of Witold PILECKI.

Metsola said during the ceremony:

Today we are here to honour a hero of the 20th century, Witold PILECKI. As a true example of perseverance, he played a pivotal role in shaping Poland’s future. He stood up to totalitarianism as a soldier who fought Nazism, distinguishing himself during the Warsaw uprising against the onslaught of German soldiers. He survived the horrors of Auschwitz. He documented what he saw and what he learned. He resisted the Soviet occupation and withstood horrific torture at the hands of the communist authorities. They thought that by executing him, they could extinguish his light.

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Ryszard Antoni LEGUTKO (ECR, PL), Head of ECR group said that:

It’s very difficult to to talk about piece. At least my language fails me. What he did, his heroism extends goes beyond our imagination. What also exceeds the imagination is the evil he faced. He died. Or rather, he was murdered in defiance of the two most devilish inventions of the 20th century. German National Socialism and. And communism. The Communist who murdered him believed that with his death, the memory of him, all about him would be wiped out forever.

Witold Pilecki was a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. His mission was to gather intelligence and organize a resistance movement from within the camp. Pilecki’s bravery and sacrifice helped to expose the atrocities of the Holocaust and inspire others to resist Nazi oppression. Learn more about this heroic figure and his legacy.

As part of the ceremony, Marek OSTROWSKI, nephew of Witold PILECKI stressed that:

As a little boy, I encountered him during the German occupation. I believe that this was a giant man who, despite such difficult and difficult times, has done so much. Imagine that thanks to his reports, which flowed from Auschwitz and in these reports, the names and names of the greatest gardeners of the German SS men were given. And the BBC reported that via radio, that after the war they would be tried as war criminals, it changed collective responsibility for escaping from Auschwitz.

Znając biografię Pileckiego, jego odwagę, ideały i postawę w obliczu barbarzyńskich totalitaryzmów, o wiele łatwiej można zrozumieć polskie doświadczenia, naszą wrażliwość. Jestem przekonana, iż Europa potrzebuje tak nieskazitelnych patronów jak Rotmistrz Pilecki, gdyż tylko… pic.twitter.com/HbHa2xuCub
— Anna Fotyga (@AnnaFotyga_PL) May 31, 2023

Early Life and Military Service

Witold Pilecki was born on May 13, 1901, in the town of Olonets in the Russian Empire (now part of Russia). He grew up in a patriotic family and was educated in Poland. In 1918, he joined the Polish military and fought in the Polish-Soviet War. He continued his military service in the interwar period, rising to the rank of captain. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Pilecki joined the underground resistance movement and began his mission to infiltrate Auschwitz.

Infiltrating Auschwitz

Witold Pilecki’s most famous mission was his infiltration of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. In 1940, he volunteered to be arrested and sent to the camp, where he spent the next two and a half years gathering intelligence and organizing a resistance movement. Pilecki’s reports on the atrocities committed at Auschwitz were some of the first to reach the Allies, and his actions helped to expose the horrors of the Holocaust to the world. Despite the danger, Pilecki continued his resistance work until he was discovered and executed by the Nazis in 1948.

Gathering Intelligence and Organizing Resistance

Witold Pilecki’s bravery and dedication to the resistance movement during WWII is truly remarkable. His mission to infiltrate Auschwitz and gather intelligence on the atrocities committed there was a dangerous and selfless act. But Pilecki didn’t stop there. He also organized a resistance movement within the camp, providing hope and support to fellow prisoners. His actions helped to expose the horrors of the Holocaust to the world and inspired others to resist. Pilecki’s legacy as a hero and symbol of resistance continues to inspire people today.

Escape and Continued Resistance

After nearly three years in Auschwitz, Pilecki managed to escape in April 1943. He continued his resistance work, joining the Home Army and fighting in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Despite being captured by the Germans and sentenced to death, Pilecki’s legacy lived on. His reports from Auschwitz were used as evidence in the Nuremberg Trials, and his story continues to inspire people around the world to stand up against oppression and fight for what is right.

Witold Pilecki's monument in Poland — Bartek z Polski, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Legacy and Recognition

Witold Pilecki’s legacy as a hero of WWII has been recognized in various ways. In 2006, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest civilian honour. In 2013, a monument was erected in his honour in Warsaw. Pilecki’s story has also been told in books, documentaries, and films, ensuring that his bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. His actions continue to inspire people to stand up against injustice and fight for freedom and human rights. And now, in 31st May 2023, a meeting room of the European Parliament has been given his name.

UN commends Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, as final judgement is delivered

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31 May 2023

UN commends Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, as final judgement is delivered

Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović were convicted by the court – part of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) which took over from the ICTY – in 2021, for their roles training death squads accused of ethnic cleansing during the conflict that saw the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

The two were originally sentenced to 12 years by the court in 2021, but Wednesday’s appeal judgement against them, increased that to 15 years, on the grounds that they were “liable as members of a joint criminal enterprise for crimes committed by various Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992”, as well as responsible for murder, in the same year.

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Justice for the victims

In a statement, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that Secretary-General António Guterres “takes note of this appeal and extends his thoughts to the victims, and survivors and their families who have suffered from the crimes for which both defendants have been found guilty.”

The judgement marks the end of the final case relating to “core crimes” that the Mechanism inherited from the ICTY, which was established in 1993 to prosecute suspected war criminals.

The IRMCT Chief Prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, said that the decision demonstrated that the international community, “when united, can deliver justice to the victims and hold the most senior perpetrators responsible for their crimes.

Remembering the victims and survivors, and sheer courage of witnesses who have come forward, he added that there were still thousands of war crimes suspects throughout the former Yugoslavia, “who remain to be prosecuted.”

“We will continue our intensive efforts to provide assistance to national counterparts, to ensure that more justice is achieved for more victims.”

Truth triumphs

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, also welcomed Wednesday’s final judgement, describing the outcome as a major step to establishing the truth and addressing impunity.

“The extraordinary work and legacy of the Mechanism and of the International Criminal Tribunal before it, have not only contributed to establishing truth, justice and accountability over the years but have also powerfully advanced international criminal justice standards globally,” Mr. Türk said.

Like the Secretary-General, the UN rights chief highlighted the courage, resilience and perseverance of survivors and families who, despite appalling trauma, never stopped seeking truth and justice.

“I want to praise, strongly, the survivors and their families, whose suffering is unimaginable but who persisted in demanding their rights,” he said.

He also stressed that many survivors and their families are still awaiting truth, justice and reparations.

Threats continue

Many victims continue to face threats, intimidation, hate speech and revisionist rhetoric, including rejection of the tribunals’ decisions; denials that crimes were committed; justification of atrocities; and the glorification of war criminals.

“Verdicts like today’s, remind us of an awful past to which we must never return.

He urged the authorities, “media outlets and people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo, to step up efforts to advance truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.

“Revisionist narratives, genocide denial, divisive rhetoric and hate speech, from any quarter, are unacceptable.”

Uganda: Guterres voices deep concern as Anti-Homosexuality Act signed into law

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31 May 2023

Uganda: Guterres voices deep concern as Anti-Homosexuality Act signed into law

The draconian law foresees the application of the death penalty and long prison sentences for consensual sex between adults.

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Non-discrimination principle

Mr. Guterres called on Uganda to fully respect its international human rights obligations, “in particular the principle of non-discrimination and the respect for personal privacy”, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.

He also called on all Member States to end the criminalization of consensual same-sex relations.

According to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, such criminalization continues in 67 countries around the world, with 10 still imposing the death penalty.

Undermining development

Just last week, the UN rights chief Volker Türk said that anti-LGBTQI laws like Uganda’s “drive people against one another, leave people behind and undermine development”.

In a statement released at the end of March, when the Ugandan parliament first adopted the legislation, he described the discriminatory bill as a “deeply troubling development” that was “probably among the worst of its kind in the world”.

“If signed into law by the President, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are. It could provide a carte blanche for the systematic violation of nearly all of their human rights and serve to incite people against each other.”

‘Massive distraction’

The bill, which was formally adopted on 21 March, proposes the death penalty for the offence of aggravated homosexuality, life imprisonment for the “offence of homosexuality”, up to 14 years in jail for attempted homosexuality, and up to 20 years merely for promoting homosexuality.

Mr. Türk said that the law would be a “massive distraction from taking the necessary action to end sexual violence”.

He warned that it would also expose journalists, medical workers, and human rights defenders to lengthy prison terms, simply for doing their jobs.

UN chief strongly condemns DPRK spy satellite launch

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31 May 2023

UN chief strongly condemns DPRK spy satellite launch

The country, commonly known as North Korea, attempted to fire off its first military reconnaissance satellite earlier that day but it crashed into the sea, according to media reports.

The DPRK has reportedly pledged to conduct another launch after it learns what went wrong.

The UN chief noted that any launch using ballistic missile technology is contrary to relevant Security Council resolutions.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the DPRK to cease such acts and to swiftly resume dialogue to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the statement said.

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Chaos and confusion

The launch sparked confusion in neighbouring South Korea and in Japan.

Authorities in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, sent text messages urging residents to move to safety but later said they were sent in error.

The Japanese Government also issued a warning to people in Okinawa prefecture, located in the south of the country.

Economic woes dash job prospects in low income countries: ILO

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31 May 2023

Economic woes dash job prospects in low income countries: ILO

In its new Monitor on the World of Work report, ILO shows that while in high-income countries, only 8.2 per cent of people willing to work are jobless, that number rises to over 21 per cent in low-income countries – or one in every five people.

Low-income countries in debt distress are worst affected, with more than one in four people who want to work unable to secure employment.

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Widening jobs gap

ILO’s Assistant Director-General for Jobs and Social Protection, Mia Seppo, said that global unemployment was expected to fall below pre-pandemic levels, with a projected rate of 5.3 per cent in 2023, equivalent to 191 million people.

However, low-income countries, especially those in Africa and the Arab region, were unlikely to see such declines in unemployment this year.

The 2023 global jobs gap, which refers to those who want to work but do not have a job, is projected to rise to 453 million people, she said, with women 1.5 times more affected than men.

Africa hit hardest

The UN agency further indicated that Africa’s labour market had been hit the hardest during the pandemic, which explained the slow pace of recovery on the continent.

Unlike wealthy nations, debt distress across the continent and a very limited fiscal and policy space, meant that few countries in Africa could put in place the kind of comprehensive stimulus packages they needed to spur economic recovery, ILO explained.

Inadequate social protection

Ms. Seppo stressed that without improvement in people’s employment prospects, there would be no sound economic and social recovery. Equally important is investment in welfare safety nets for those who lose their jobs, the ILO senior official insisted, which is often inadequate in low-income countries.

According to the agency’s research, boosting social protection and expanding old age pensions would increase gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in low and middle-income countries by almost 15 per cent over a decade.

Social investment benefit

The annual cost of such measures would be around 1.6 per cent of GDP – a “large but not insurmountable” investment. Ms. Seppo suggested that the amount could be financed by a mix of social contributions, taxes and international support.

“There is an economic gain to investing in social protection”, she said.

Ms. Seppo also insisted that the need to create fiscal space for social investment in low-income countries should be considered “with urgency as part of the ongoing global discussion on the reform of the international financial architecture.”

Prepare for the future of work

While the unemployed divide projected by the report was worrisome, it was “not inevitable”, Ms. Seppo said, and the right concerted action on jobs and social protection funding could support a recovery and reconstruction which leaves no one behind.

In calling for improved capacity to develop “coherent, data-informed labour market policies” that protect the most vulnerable, the ILO senior official insisted that these should have an emphasis on upskilling and reskilling the labour force to prepare it for a “greener, more digital world of work”.

Super-intelligent mushroom that can replace plastic

By

Gaston de Persigny

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31 May 2023

In the search for fascinating alternatives to plastic, researchers in Finland may have just found a winner – and it’s already growing on the bark of trees.

The substance in question is a type of fungus known as Fomes fomentarius. It grows on the rotting bark of trees and in the past was mainly used as a fire starter, giving it the nickname “powder mushroom” (also called “hoof fungus” because its shape resembles a hoof), a large perennial polypore mushroom.

However, a research team from Finland’s VTT Technical Research Center believes it could be much more than that, writes The Cool Down.

“The fruiting bodies of Fomes fomentarius are ingeniously lightweight biological constructs, simple in composition but effective in their purpose. “Growing the material using simple ingredients is an alternative solution to overcome the cost, time, mass production and sustainability of the way we produce and consume materials in the future,” says the team’s research, recently published in Science Advances.

In short, instead of mass-producing plastic at a huge cost to our planet, in the future we could simply grow a sponge with similar structural integrity to plastic.

Fomes fomentarius “has a very dense and hard protective outer layer, it has a softer porous middle layer and a strong and tough inner layer,” according to Dr. Pejman Mohammadi, one of the study’s co-authors. This means that the use of the sponge can be incredibly diverse.

Mohammadi tells CNN that potential applications for Fomes fomentarius could include things ranging from shock-absorbing materials, heat and sound insulation, and even parts for consumer products.

The fungus takes seven to 10 years to grow to significant size in the wild, but the researchers believe that in the lab they could produce a lot of it within a few weeks.

“With advances in industrial biotechnology, we predict the production of tons of mushrooms in a matter of weeks, as opposed to wild-type mushrooms that take years to grow,” says Mohammadi.

Photo: Pixabay

Armed Houthis attack peaceful Baha’i gathering, arresting at least 17, in fresh crackdown

By

Newsdesk

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30 May 2023