The President of the Government during the appearance in which he announced the call for general elections La Moncloa, Madrid 29.5.2023
According to EL MUNDO, the scale of the defeat and the loss of socialist territorial power have forced the president of the government to “assume the defeat in the first person”. The president summons and forces progressives to decide whether to mobilise to prevent a PP-Vox government, or go massively to the voting date and maintain a socialist government at national level.
Institutional statement by the President of the Spain Government calling for new national elections.
Good morning, I will be brief and I will also try to be very clear.
I have just had a meeting with His Majesty the King, in which I have informed the Head of State of the decision to call a Council of Ministers this very afternoon to dissolve the Cortes and proceed to call general elections, using the prerogative attributed to the President of the Government by the Constitution.
The formal call for the elections will be published tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Official State Gazette, so that the elections will be held on Sunday 23 July, in accordance with the deadlines established by law.
I have taken this decision in view of the results of yesterday’s elections.
The first consequence of these results will be that magnificent regional presidents and socialist mayors will be displaced with impeccable management. And this is despite the fact that many of them have seen their support increase yesterday.
The second consequence will be that many institutions will be administered by new majorities formed by the Popular Party and VOX.
And although yesterday’s votes were municipal and regional in scope, the sense of the vote sends a message that goes beyond that.
And that is why, as President of the Government, and also as Secretary General of the Socialist Party, I take the results personally and I believe it is necessary to respond and submit our democratic mandate to the will of the people.
Spain is on the verge of overcoming a period of crisis resulting from the emergence of Covid-19, and also from the war in Ukraine. We are on a clear path of growth, job creation and social cohesion. And at this point in the legislature, the Government has pushed ahead with the major reforms committed to in the investiture speech, in the government programme and also in our agreement with the European Commission.
Furthermore, our country is about to take on a very important responsibility in this geopolitical context that Europe is experiencing, and that is the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
All these reasons, I believe, make it advisable to clarify the will of the Spanish people. A clarification of the policies that the Government of the Nation must apply and a clarification of the political forces that must lead this phase.
There is only one infallible method to resolve these doubts. That method is democracy and, therefore, I believe that the best thing is for Spaniards to take the floor, to speak out without delay in order to define the political direction of the country.
Members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Kapikule border crossing, the gateway between Turkey and Bulgaria on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Pictures owned by Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Used with permission.
Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) calls upon the UN, the EU and the OSCE to ask Turkey to annul a deportation order for 103 Ahmadis
Today, a Turkish court has released a deportation order concerning 103 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light from seven countries. Many of them, especially in Iran, will face imprisonment and may be executed if they are sent back to their country of origin.
Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) in Brussels calls upon
the United Nations and in particular the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ms Nazila Ghanea
the European Union and in particular the EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Mr Frans Van Daele, as well as the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief
the Special Envoys on Freedom of Religion or Belief appointed in the United Kingdom and in a number of EU Member States
the OSCE/ ODIHR
to urge the Turkish authorities to cancel on appeal today’s decision of deportation. The deadline for the appeal is Friday 2 June.
Media outlets all over Europe are raising the issue as an emergency situation as it can be seen in a few of many more articles in
The advocate and spokesperson of the 103 Ahmadis is Hadil Elkhouly. She is the author of the article hereafter and can be joined at the following phone number for interviews: +44 7443 106804
Members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Kapikule border crossing, the gateway between Turkey and Bulgaria on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Pictures owned by Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Used with permission.
On the May 24, 2023, over 100 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, a persecuted religious minority, were denied entry and faced violent treatment while seeking asylum at the Turkish–Bulgarian border. Women, children, and the elderly were among those targeted by aggression, gunshots, threats, and the confiscation of their possessions.
Among those individuals was Seyed Ali Seyed Mousavi, a 40-year-old real estate agent from Iran. A few years ago, he attended a private wedding where his life took an unexpected turn. Seyed Mousavi found himself at the mercy of undercover police officers who abruptly grabbed him, forced him down, and subjected him to a severe beating. He was left to bleed for 25 minutes before someone finally sought medical assistance.
Seyed Mousavi’s only “crime” was his affiliation with this religious minority, which led to his persecution by the authorities in Iran. The incident forced him to make a difficult decision to leave his homeland behind, abandoning everything he knows in order to preserve his life.
The Ahmadi Religion, not to be confused with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, is a religious community that was founded in 1999. It received church status in the USA on 6 June 2019. Today, this religion is practiced in more than 30 countries around the world.It is headed by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq and follows the teachings of Imam Ahmed al-Hassan as its divine guide.
State sponsored persecution
Since its inception in 1999, the Ahmadi Religion minority has been subjected to persecution in numerous nations. Countries including Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Iran,Iraq, Malaysia, and Turkey have systematically oppressed them, imprisoned, threatened, and even tortured their members. This targeted discrimination is based on a belief that they are heretics.
In June 2022, Amnesty International called for the release of 21 members of the Ahmadi Religion in Algeria who were charged with offenses including “participation in an unauthorized group” and “denigrating Islam.” Three individuals received one year prison sentences, while the remaining were sentenced to six months in prison along with fines.
Similarly, in Iran, in December 2022, a group of 15 followers of the same religion, including minors and women, were detained and transferred to the notorious Evin Prison, where they were coerced to denounce their faith and defame their religion, despite not committing any crimes, nor preaching their faith openly. The charges brought against them were based on their opposition to “Wilayat Al Faqih,” (the guardianship of the Islamic jurist) which grants authority to jurists and scholars who shape and enforce Sharia law in the country. The Iranian authorities even aired a propaganda documentary against the religion on national television.
Ahmadi Religion members have also reported violence and threats by state-sponsored militias in Iraq, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected. These incidents involved armed attacks targeting their homes and vehicles, with assailants openly declaring they are considered apostates deserving death, effectively denying them of any form of protection.
The persecution of this religious minority has escalated significantly following the release of “The Goal of the Wise,” the official gospel of their faith. The scripture was authored by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, the religious leader who asserted to fulfill the role of the promised Mahdi awaited by Muslims to appear towards the end of times.
Braving the unknown towards freedom
Having gradually traveled to Turkey, over 100 members of the Ahmadi Religion received support from fellow members who had already settled there, fostering a sense of unity through their online connections. Despite the challenges they faced, they persevered in their quest to find a persecution-free home amidst their shared experiences of trauma.
Faced with this dire situation, they turned to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bulgaria, the State Agency for Refugees (SAR), and the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the hopes of securing a safe haven. Unfortunately, their plea for humanitarian visas was met with disappointment as all avenues proved unfruitful.
In light of their challenging circumstances, the group decided to gather at the official Kapikule border crossing, the gateway between Turkey and Bulgaria on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, to request asylum directly from the Bulgarian Border Police. Their course of action aligns with the provisions set forth in Article 58(4) of the Law on Asylum and Refugees (LAR) which affirms that asylum can be sought by presenting a verbal statement to the border police.
The Border Violence Monitoring Network, along with 28 other organizations, issued an open letter urging the Bulgarian authorities and to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to fulfill their obligations under European Union law, and international human rights law. These laws include Article 18 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Their desperate bid for safety was encountered with oppression and violence, as they were forcibly blocked by the Turkish authorities, subjected to beatings with batons, and threatened with gunshots. Now detained, their future remains uncertain. Their greatest fear is to be deported back to their homes, where death might be waiting for them, due to their religious beliefs.
The perilous journey undertaken by this minority group raises crucial questions about the integrity of borders and the commitment of EU member states to uphold human rights. Their struggles serve as a reminder of the need for solidarity to protect basic human rights and preserve the dignity of everyone, regardless of their religious affiliation.
Video by Hadil El-Khouly, Ahmadi Human Rights Coordinator
Council of Europe in Strasbourg, a primary human rights body in Europe. Photo credit: THIX Photo
The Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) review on the deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities acknowledged in a written comment the Council’s decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers (CM) for its reply to the Assembly’s Recommendation of April 2022. At the same time, Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman also pointed out the problem that the CM continue to maintain outdated viewpoints, reinforcing a human rights divide with the United Nations and civil society at large in regards to persons with mental health problems.
The Parliamentary Assembly with its Recommendation 2227 (2022), Deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities had reiterated the urgent need for the Council of Europe, “to fully integrate the paradigm shift initiated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into its work.” And secondly recommended the Committee of Ministers to “prioritise support to member States to immediately start transitioning to the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings.”
The Assembly as a final point had recommended that in line with the unanimously adopted Assembly Recommendation 2158 (2019), Ending coercion in mental health: the need for a human rights-based approach that the Council of Europe and its member states “refrain from endorsing or adopting draft legal texts which would make successful and meaningful deinstitutionalisation, as well as the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings more difficult, and which go against the spirit and the letter of the CRPD.”
With this final point the Assembly pointed to the controversial drafted possible new legal instrument regulating the protection of persons during the use of coercive measures in psychiatry. This is a text which the Council of Europe’s Committee on Bioethics has drafted in extension of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The convention’s article 7, which is the main relevant text in question as well as its reference text, the European Convention on Human Rights article 5 (1)(e), contain viewpoints based on outdated discriminatory policies from the first part of the 1900s.
The Rapporteur, Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman, in the written comment of the Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development stated she was content that the Committee of Ministers “agrees with the Assembly on the importance of supporting member States in their development of human rights-compliant strategies for deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities.”
And at the same time she could not but reiterate a paragraph of the Assembly’s Recommendation to the Committee of Ministers: “[…] refrain from endorsing or adopting draft legal texts which would make successful and meaningful deinstitutionalisation, as well as the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings more difficult, and which go against the spirit and the letter of the CRPD – such as the draft additional protocol […].”
“Unfortunately, the CM does not seem to agree that this should apply to persons with mental health problems confined to institutions, since it considers “persons with disabilities” to be a group “distinct from [,] persons with mental health problems,” Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman noted.
She stressed that, “Herein lies the crux of the matter. The Assembly has, since 2016, adopted three recommendations to the CM, underlining the urgent need for the Council of Europe, as the leading regional human rights organisation, to fully integrate the paradigm shift initiated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into its work, and to thus support ending coercion in mental health.”
Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman clarified the point, “Instead, the CM, as it points out itself in this reply, “has replied to several Assembly recommendations by reaffirming the mandate it gave to the Committee on Bioethics to draft an Additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine concerning the protection of human rights and dignity of persons with regard to involuntary placement and involuntary treatment within mental healthcare services.”
Additional Protocol is “not fit for purpose”
Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman when she presented her report on deinstitutionalization to the PACE
“I want to be very clear here,” Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman added. “While I welcome the decision to draft a (soft-law) recommendation promoting the use of voluntary measures in mental healthcare services, as well as the plans of the CM to prepare a (nonbinding) declaration affirming the commitment of the Council of Europe to improving the protection and the autonomy of persons in mental healthcare services, this does not make the draft Additional Protocol – which will be a binding instrument – any more palatable.”
The drafted of this possible new legal instrument (additional Protocol) within the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers level has been severely criticized as despite its stated seemingly important intend of protecting victims of coercive brutalities in psychiatry potentially amounting to torture it in effect perpetuate a Eugenics ghost in Europe. The viewpoint of regulating and preventing as much as possible such harmful practices against persons with disabilities or mental health problems is in stark opposition to the requirements of modern human rights, that simply ban them.
Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman finally pointed out that, “Creating a “package” of desirable and undesirable legal instruments should not and cannot distract from the fact that the draft Additional Protocol is not fit for purpose (in the words of the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner), and is incompatible with the CRPD (in the view of the CRPD Committee and the responsible UN Special Rapporteurs).”
Chili peppers, fake medicine, fuel, gold, guns, humans, and more are being trafficked via millennia-old trade routes crisscrossing the Sahel, and the UN and partners are trying out new, collaborative ways to thwart those attempting the illegal practice, a growing problem in this fragile African region.
In the first of a series of features exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News takes a closer look at what’s behind the growth of the phenomenon.
A tangled trafficking web has been woven across the Sahel, which spans almost 6,000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and is home to more than 300 million people, in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.
The Sahel is described by the UN as a region in crisis: those living there are prey to chronic insecurity, climate shocks, conflict, coups, and the rise of criminal and terrorist networks. UN agencies expect that more than 37 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023, about 3 million more than in 2022.
Security has long been an issue in the region, but the situation markedly degraded in 2011, following the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, which led to the ongoing destabilization of the country.
The ensuing chaos, and porous borders stymied efforts to stem illicit flows, and traffickers transporting looted Libyan firearms rode into the Sahel on the coattails of insurgency and the spread of terrorism.
Armed groups now control swathes of Libya, which has become a trafficking hub. The terrorist threat has worsened, with the notorious Islamic State (ISIL) group entering the region in 2015, according to the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee’s Executive Directorate (CTED).
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko – The G5 Sahel Force headquarters was destroyed by a terrorist attack in 2018 in Mopti, Mali.
Markets across the Sahel can be found openly selling a wide range of contraband goods, from fake medicines to AK-style assault rifles. Trafficking medication is often deadly, estimated to kill 500,000 sub-Saharan Africans every year; in just one case, 70 Gambian children died in 2022 after ingesting smuggled cough syrup. Fuel is another commodity trafficked by the main players – terrorist groups, criminal networks, and local militias.
Closing corridors of crime
In order to fight trafficking and other evolving threats, a group of countries in the region – Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad – formed, with the support of the UN, the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel).
Meanwhile, cross-border cooperation and crackdowns on corruption are on the rise. National authorities have seized tons of contraband, and judicial measures have dismantled networks. Partnerships, such as the newly signed Côte d’Ivoire-Nigeria agreement, are tackling the illegal drug trade.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a leading player in efforts to bolster security by stopping trafficking attempts.
In 2020, for example, KAFO II, a UNODC-INTERPOL operation, successfully choked off a Sahel-bound terrorist supply route, with officers seizing a bounty of trafficked spoils: 50 firearms, 40,593 dynamite sticks, 6,162 ammunition rounds, 1,473 kilograms of cannabis and khat, 2,263 boxes of contraband drugs, and 60,000 litres of fuel.
Sting operations such as KAFO II provide valuable insights into trafficking’s increasingly complex and interwoven nature, demonstrating the importance of connecting the dots between crime cases involving firearms and terrorists across different countries, and taking a regional approach.
These insights are backed up in a raft of new UNODC reports, mapping out the actors, enablers, routes, and scope of trafficking, reveal common threads amongst the instability and chaos, and provide recommendations for action.
One of those threads is corruption, and the reports call for judicial action to be bolstered. The prison system also needs to be engaged, as detention facilities can become “a university for criminals” to broaden their networks.
“Organized crime is feeding on the vulnerabilities and also undermining stability and development in the Sahel,” says François Patuel, head of the UNODC Research and Awareness Unit. “Combining efforts and taking a regional approach will lead to success in addressing organized crime in the region.”
Crisis poses ‘global threat’
Fighting organized crime is a central pillar in the wider battle to deal with the security crisis in the region, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres said poses a global threat.
“If nothing is done, the effects of terrorism, violent extremism, and organized crime will be felt far beyond the region and the African continent,” Mr. Guterres warned in 2022. “We must rethink our collective approach and show creativity, going beyond existing efforts.”
How the UN supports people of the Sahel
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has provided direct support to the G5 Sahel Force to operationalize and implement measures to reduce civilian harm and respond to violations.
UNODC routinely joins national and global partners, including INTERPOL, to choke supply routes.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) crisis response plan aims at reaching almost 2 million affected people while addressing the structural causes of instability, with a specific focus on cross-border fragility.
WHO launched an emergency appeal to fund health projects in the region in 2022, and works with 350 health partners in six countries.
The UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) provides direction for on-the-ground efforts in 10 countries.
The UN Support Plan for Sahel continues to foster coherence and coordination for greater efficiency and results delivery related to the UNISS framework, in line with Security Council resolution 2391.
Using a mobile phone to talk can increase the risk of high blood pressure by up to 12%, scientists say. Depending on the duration of the conversations, the risk may be lower or higher.
Over three-quarters of people in the world over the age of 10 own a mobile phone. Phones emit low levels of radio waves. It has been found that there is a link between these waves and an increase in blood pressure after exposure to the waves.
Hypertension is another name for a condition of high blood pressure. In this condition, the blood in the arteries moves under pressure that is higher than normal. The presence of hypertension damages the blood vessels, thereby increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Over 1 billion people between the ages of 30 and 79 have high blood pressure.
The study, presented in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health, took data on phone use from a database of more than 200,000 volunteers without hypertension. They completed a survey about their weekly mobile device usage, as well as yearly.
The average age of the participants was 54 years, and 88% of them used their mobile phone to receive or make calls at least once a week. The study found that when the same participants were asked again 12 years later, mobile device users had a 7% higher risk of high blood pressure.
Proportionality was also found between the time spent talking and the risk of hypertension. Those who spent between 30 and 60 minutes talking on the phone in a week had an 8% increased risk of hypertension. Spending between 1 and 3 hours talking was associated with a 13% increased risk, and between 4 and 6 hours with a 16% increased risk. More than 6 hours of time spent on the phone talking increases the risk of hypertension by 25%.
Hypertension can be caused by many other factors, which include genetic traits that predispose to high blood pressure. The scientists included this factor in their study and found that if someone is genetically predisposed to high blood pressure and at the same time spends more than 30 minutes a week on the phone, they will have a 33% increased risk of hypertension.
Professor Xianhui Chin, from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, is the lead author of the study. She says: “Our results show that talking on a mobile phone may not affect the risk of high blood pressure as long as weekly talk time is less than half an hour. Further research is needed to replicate the results, but until then it seems reasonable to keep cell phone conversations to a minimum to preserve heart health.”
References:
European Society of Cardiology. (2023, May 4) Mobile phone calls linked with increased risk of high blood pressure. Retrieved 2023, May 5 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-mobile-linked-high-blood-pressure.html
Qin, X. (2023, May 4) Mobile phone calls, genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212,046 UK Biobank participants. Retrieved 2023, May 5 from https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024
Note: The material is informative and cannot replace consultation with a doctor. Before starting treatment, you must consult a doctor.
Photo by Kerde Severin: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-person-using-iphone-x-1542252/
It is important to clarify that the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a faith community different from the better known Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 as a revival movement within Islam, emphasizing its essential teachings of peace, love, justice, and sanctity of life. Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the world’s largest Islamic community under one Divinely appointed leader, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (b. 1950). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 200 nations with membership exceeding tens of millions.
Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is calling all the people of the world from all walks of life, all nationalities and all backgrounds to acknowledge the Supremacy of the absolute one true God and promotes the ideals of peace, justice and humanity.
International human rights organization Amnesty International has released a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Algerian believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who were unlawfully imprisoned on 6 June 2022.
“Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release, and drop all charges against, three members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who were arrested earlier this week solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of religion, said Amnesty International today.
The authorities must also drop all charges against 21 other members of the group who are currently released pending investigation.”
– Amnesty International
Basic religious beliefs and moral views of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light faith community from their official website:
We believe that there is no deity but God, alone, with no partners. We believe in the truth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf), the Twelve Imams (pbut), and the Twelve Mahdis (pbut), whom are mentioned in the Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf). We believe that Muhammad (pbuhahf) and his Ahlulbayt (his daughter Fatima Al-Zahra, the Twelve Imams, and the Twelve Mahdis (pbut)) are all the closest creation to the one true God.
We believe that in every age there must be a divinely appointed leader who is an infallible Vicegerent of God, and is fully inspired and guided by Him, to whom submission and obedience would be obligatory, as he would be the one who perfectly fulfills the will of our Creator and guides humanity to the path of righteousness and true monotheism.
We believe that Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) is the infallible rightly guided Successor of God whom has been prophesied not only by the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), but also by all the other major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, etc.), to come in the End Times in order to uphold the word of the one true God, establish His Supremacy upon the Earth and fill the Earth with justice and equity as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny.
We believe that the soul never dies, and that the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies is true. We believe in Paradise and Hell Fire, and that one of them will be where the soul resides after completing all of its rounds as ordained to it by God Almighty. We also believe that God created us in His image, and that every soul’s purpose is to truly realize that it is far more than this physical body, that its boundaries are far further than this physical world, to break its attachments to them, and ultimately to spiritually elevate in order to reflect all the divine attributes and perfections – each according to the rank they attain through their sincerity.
We believe that there were 124,000 Prophets and Messengers whom were sent to the people of the Earth throughout history by the one true God. We believe in their infallibility and sacredness, as well as that they were all manifestations of God on Earth, whom were sent to guide the people towards the perfect complete absolute divine. Those Prophets and Messengers include Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Zeus, Moses, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Plato, Noah, Hermes, Jesus Christ and Muhammad (pbut). We also believe that the teachings, messages and holy books which they all came with, without exception, have been greatly distorted throughout history, and that the real message of love, peace, justice and mercy which they had come with, and the true holy scriptures inspired by God Almighty to them, will all be revealed by Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) in this time.
We believe that we are living in the great age of the Raja’a, when all the Prophets and Messengers, the Ahlulbayt and all the righteous believers throughout history, incarnate once again, to support and give victory to Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (pbuhahf) and his Vicegerent and Messenger Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) in their mission, which is the same mission that all the Prophets and Messengers have always come with; Establishing the Supremacy of God, spreading monotheism all over the Earth, exposing falsehood and tyranny and putting an end to them, feeding the hungry, supporting the widows, taking care of the orphans and spreading mercy, justice and the truth, until the Divine Just State is established on the Earth.
It is upon every person to carefully investigate the path which leads them to God.
We say: Aba Al-Sadiq (fhip) is the Qa’im of the Family of Muhammad (pbut), and Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) is the leader of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. However, it is upon the truth-seeker himself to investigate the matter and return to God.
Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) has clarified many times, that he is not looking for blind followers, and warned people to use their own minds, research and scrutinize the matter in order to find the truth:
“We do not call upon anyone to believe through ignorance, without awareness or knowledge, rather research and examine closely our matter and our call. I do not want anyone to enter into this Call without knowledge and without awareness or research.”
– Sayings of Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (PBUH), p. 14, hadith 2
The Quran states: {Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.} Quran 2:256
Sudan, Burkina Faso, Haiti and Mali have been elevated to the highest alert level, joining Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
Additionally, a likely El Niño – a naturally occurring climatic phenomenon that has a warming effect on ocean surface temperatures in the central and east Pacific – is also raising fears of climate extremes in vulnerable nations.
The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to save lives and livelihoods, and to prevent starvation and death.
“Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today’s risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind,” said Dongyu Qu, the FAO Director-General.
He underlined the need for immediate interventions in the agricultural sector “to pull people from the brink of hunger, help them rebuild their lives, and provide long-term solutions to address the root causes of food insecurity.”
Worse than ever
Acute food insecurity is set to potentially increase in 18 hunger “hotspots”, comprising a total of 22 countries, according to the report.
“Not only are more people in more places around the world going hungry, but the severity of the hunger they face is worse than ever,” said Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director.
The Sudan conflict is already driving mass displacement and hunger. More than one million citizens and refugees are expected to flee the country, while an additional 2.5 million inside its borders are set to face acute hunger in the coming months.
The report warned that a possible spillover of the crisis raises the risk of negative impacts in neighbouring countries. If the conflict continues, it could spark further displacement and disruptions to trade and humanitarian aid flows.
Economic shocks continue
Meanwhile, economic shocks and stressors continue to drive acute hunger in almost all the hotspots, carrying over trends seen globally in 2022, largely due to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest alert level for acute hunger.
Alongside Sudan, three other countries – Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali – also have been elevated to this level because of movement restrictions affecting people and goods.
“All hotspots at the highest level have communities facing or projected to face starvation, or are at risk of sliding towards catastrophic conditions, given they have already emergency levels of food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors. These hotspots require the most urgent attention,” the UN agencies said.
The report listed the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan and Syria as hotspots with very high concern, along with Myanmar.
All of these countries have a large number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months.
The other hotspots are Lebanon, Malawi, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Sudan food distributions
Meanwhile in Sudan, WFP began distributing food assistance on Saturday to thousands of people trapped in the capital, Khartoum, since fighting broke out six weeks ago.
The distributions came in the last days of the seven-day ceasefire agreed by the army, which was set to expire on Monday evening, local time
“This isa major breakthrough. We have finally been able to help families who are stuck in Khartoum and struggling to make it through each day as food and basic supplies dwindle,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP Country Director.
Staff have been working round the clock to reach people in the city since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and rival military group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), erupted in mid-April.
“A window opened late last week which allowed us to start food distributions,” Mr. Rowe said, adding that “WFP must do more, but that depends on the parties to the conflict and the security and access they realistically guarantee on the ground.”
Stepping up support
WFP is rapidly expanding distribution of emergency food assistance across Sudan.
Latest updates including distributions to some 12,445 people in locations controlled by both sides in Omdurman, part of the Khartoum metropolitan area.
More food assistance has been prepositioned to continue distributions in the capital for as long as the security situation allows, with the goal of reaching at least 500,000 people.
Food and nutrition distributions also began over the weekend in Wadi Halfa in Northern State to around 8,000 Sudanese who have fled Khartoum and are making the long journey to Egypt. Last week WFP also began distributions to 4,000 newly displaced people in Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea Coast.
The UN agency has rapidly scaled up support to reach 675,000 people so far with emergency food and nutrition assistance in 13 of Sudan’s 18 states since resuming operations earlier this month. Activities were halted after three staff were killed in North Darfur on 15 April, the first day of the conflict.
As hunger rises, WFP is expanding to support 5.9 million people across the country and requires $731 million to reach them.
“They are also critical to the protection of civilians caught up in the chaos of these deadly conflicts, providing a lifeline of hope and help in some of the most dangerous contexts imaginable,” he added.
Mr. Guterres noted that many have paid the ultimate price as more than 4,200 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag.
“We stand in sympathy and solidarity with their families, friends and colleagues, and will forever be inspired by their selfless devotion to the cause of peace,” he said.
Support and recognition
Today, more than 87,000 peacekeepers from 125 countries serve in 12 UN operations located in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
They face rising global tensions and divides, stagnating peace processes, and more complex conflicts, the Secretary-General said.
“Despite these obstacles, and working with a wide range of partners, peacekeepers persevere,” he added
“To people living under the shadow of conflict, our teams of Blue Helmets represent hope. As peacekeepers support humanity, let us always support and recognize them.”
The date marks the start of the first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), in Palestine in 1948.
The theme of the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping is ‘Peace begins with me’, which recognizes the service and sacrifice of blue helmets, past and present. It also pays tribute to the resilience of the communities they serve, who continue to strive for peace despite many obstacles.
Two officers take part in the Inside Out Action event held to commemorate UN Peacekeeping’s 75th anniversary in Times Square, New York City.
The annual ceremony marking the Day was held on Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York, where the Secretary-General noted that peacekeepers “are increasingly working in places where there is no peace to keep.”
The following day, the city played host to an interactive art installation in Times Square celebrating peacekeepers and all those who work together to build and maintain peace across the world, including community members and local influencers in places where UN missions operate.
Vineyards Selection Tenevo of “Villa Yambol” is the highest rated red wine in the 30th edition of the Mondial de Bruxelles
Bulgarian winemaking has opened a new golden chapter in its development. A native wine was determined to be the best in the world. This is Vineyards Selection Tenevo, produced by Villa Yambol.
It received the highest rating during this year’s thirtieth edition of the prestigious Mondial de Bruxelles wine forum. The Bulgarian drink won the Revelation Red Wine title. The award-winning Vineyards Selection is produced from selected vineyards of “Vila Yambol” in the Tenevo microdistrict. It is made from three varieties – Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, vintage 2017. The cellar from Yambol is the winner of medals in our country. In addition to the Grand Gold Medal, he also won six other awards for white and red wines and two – for rosettes. Kabile Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Kabile Reserve Merlot, Kabile Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Kabile Reserve Syrah were awarded gold. Silver won Vineyards Selection Troyanovo from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay varieties. Gold was also awarded to rosettes in the Kabile and Vineyards Selection brands as the competition session for these was held earlier this year.
A total of 73 white and red Bulgarian wines took part in this year’s Mondial de Bruxelles, of which 27 received medals. This means almost 37% of awarded wines, surpassing the competition average of 25-28% and is another attestation of the quality of native winemaking. Among the medals won, the most prestigious award was the Large Gold. It is awarded to only 1% of the wines at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. In addition to 13 gold and 11 silver medals, Bulgaria was awarded three large gold medals, including Vineyards Selection Tenevo.
Vineyards Selection is the collector’s series of wines of “Villa Yambol”, created with the idea of unfolding the most captivating characteristics of the terroir of the Eastern Thracian lowland. Red wines are made from three microdistricts – Tenevo, Topolitsa and Bolyarovo. The plantations of the awarded in Tenevo are from 2005. The vineyards are planted according to the “Wind Rose” – a compass that determines the intensity of air currents, their direction and strength. The grape harvest starts in mid-August and lasts until mid-October, the grapes are picked by hand. Villa Yambol is one of the oldest in Southern Bulgaria. It manages nearly 10,000 decares of vineyards and is a leader in the more mainstream class of wines with the Villa Yambol brand of the same name.
The Mondial de Bruxelles traveling competition is held in a different location each year. This year, tasters and global wine experts from 45 countries gathered in Porec, Croatia in mid-May. There were 7,500 drinks shipped from 50 countries around the world. In terms of number of awards, the region of Bordeaux has the most – over 250. Next year, the prestigious competition will be held in America for the first time, hosted by Mexico.
The toxins contained in 5 grams of green fly agaric (Amanita phalloides), also known as the “death cap, are enough to kill a 70 kg person
Green toadstools are nondescript mushrooms: with stumps the size of a neck knob and a pale green, white or bronze cap and silken, skirt-like membrane. The mushroom is said to be pleasant to the taste, so when its deadly effects occur 6 to 72 hours later, they are often a surprise. The mushroom’s amatoxin poison enters the liver through the intestinal tract, where it binds to enzymes used to make new proteins and inactivates them. As regular protein production is halted, the liver begins to die, causing nausea and diarrhea that are often followed by rapid organ failure, coma, and death.
Scientists from Australia and China believe they may have discovered the antidote for the most poisonous mushroom in the world, reports DPA, quoted by BTA.
Experts believe a type of medical dye, already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, could act as an antidote to poisoning with the deadly green fly agaric mushroom. This is according to the findings of the study published in the journal “Nature Communications”.
The researchers identified the main toxin that this type of fungus produces, called amanitin, as well as the protein needed to produce the toxic effect. They then analyzed a widely used fluorescent medical dye called indocyanine green and tested it on human cells and on mice exposed to the toxin. Thus, it was found that this type of dye acts as an antidote to poisoning and can help animals survive.
The researchers, from Australia’s Raven Institute of Medical Research, the University of Sydney and China’s Sun Yat-sen University, said more research was needed to assess the safety of the dye for use in humans.
Mushroom poisoning is the leading cause of death in food poisoning incidents worldwide, the study found.
