Scientology volunteers help distribute 78 tonnes of donated food, clothes and other to those who need it in Turkey

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20 April 2023

Hearing loss affects about 48 million Americans and 430 million people worldwide, with those numbers expected to grow as populations age.

More than 90 percent of individuals affected have sensorineural hearing loss, caused by damage to the inner ear and the destruction of the hair cells responsible for relaying sounds to the brain.

Hair cells cannot be regenerated in mammals, including humans, because unlike other cells in the body, any remaining hair cells in the inner ear cannot divide and other inner ear cells cannot convert into new hair cells. However, species like fish, birds, and reptiles possess this ability.

For this reason, effective hearing loss treatments for humans have eluded medicine, and the loss of hair cells, which can be caused by aging, noise exposure, and other factors, renders an individual’s hearing loss permanent.

Now, Harvard Medical School scientists at Mass Eye and Ear are hopeful they’ve developed a solution to address this longstanding limitation.

A research team led by Zheng-Yi Chen, an HMS associate professor of otolaryngology and associate scientist in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear, reported creating a drug-like cocktail of different molecules that successfully regenerated hair cells in a mouse model by reprogramming a series of genetic pathways within the inner ear.

The researchers hope their novel findings, published in PNAS, could one day pave the way for clinical trials for a gene therapy that can be administered to people with hearing loss.

“These findings are extremely exciting because, throughout the history of the hearing loss field, the ability to regenerate hair cells in an inner ear has been the holy grail,” said Chen. “We now have a drug-like cocktail that shows the feasibility of an approach we can explore for future clinical applications.”

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New approach to achieve hearing loss treatment

Previously, Chen’s research team studied zebrafish and chickens to uncover which pathways were responsible for inducing the cell division required to regenerate new hair cells. They discovered that two molecular signaling pathways, , were crucial to this process.

In a study published in 2019, the team showed for the first time that when these pathways were activated in adult transgenic mice, remaining inner ear cells could divide and develop characteristics of hair cells.

The new cells contained transduction channels that relay sound signals and the ability to form connections with auditory neurons — processes essential to hearing.

While an exciting discovery at the time, such an approach was not directly translatable to people, according to Chen. Unlike transgenic mice, humans cannot turn Myc and Notch pathways on like a light switch.

A drug therapy, he explained, would have to be introduced to the inner ear to activate the Myc and Notch pathways.

Previous studies have shown that a chemical compound called valproic acid can activate Notch. However, no molecule exists to activate Myc effectively. That led the researchers to instead look for drug molecules that can alter the downstream pathways that turn on and off when Myc is activated.

Through single-cell RNA sequencing, they discovered that activating Myc and Notch led to a downstream effect in which two other pathways, Wnt and cAMP, became activated. Importantly, they found chemical compounds that can directly activate Wnt and cAMP.

They then used small biological molecules called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to remove genes downstream that suppressed the activation of the Myc pathway.

“Think about a brake when driving a car,” explained Chen. “If the brake is always engaged, you can’t drive. We found an siRNA that could remove the brake in this genetic pathway.”

The researchers then combined the chemical compounds and siRNA molecules into a drug-like cocktail. They delivered it to the inner ear of a normal adult mouse with damaged hair cells — an important distinction, as wild-type, non-transgenic mice would be more translatable to humans.

They further delivered the gene Atoh1 by a gene therapy approach that utilizes a harmless adenovirus into the cocktail-treated inner ear.

Remarkably, they found this drug-like cocktail combined with adenovirus turned on Myc and Notch, which led to the regeneration of new hair cells. They verified that the hair cells were functional through advanced imaging and other techniques.

Regenerating hair cells through gene therapy approach

Studies like Chen’s show the promise of gene therapy for treating incurable conditions like hearing loss. Last year, this research project was selected out of hundreds as one of the Disruptive Dozen gene and cell therapy technologies most likely to significantly impact health care over the next several years at the Mass General Brigham World Medical Innovation Forum.

Mass General Brigham recently launched its Gene and Cell Therapy Institute to help translate scientific discoveries made by researchers like Chen into first-in-human clinical trials and life-changing treatments for patients.

The researchers are conducting ongoing studies and refinements to this treatment approach in larger animal models, which are necessary before applying to initiate clinical trials.

They note that more research is needed to address limitations and challenges for delivering a treatment to the inner ear.

Scientists are examining different gene therapy and surgical methods, including an approach previously honed at Mass Eye and Ear, in which a different viral vector called an adeno-associated virus (AAV) was able to precisely and safely deliver gene therapy to the inner ear through a novel surgery.

Similar AAV-surgical approaches are currently used at Mass Eye and Ear in approved and experimental drug therapies for patients with inherited retinal disorders that can lead to blindness.

“My colleagues and I frequently are contacted by people with hearing loss who are desperate for effective treatments,” said Chen. “If we can combine a surgical procedure with a refined gene therapy delivery method, we hope we can achieve our number one goal of bringing a new treatment into the clinic.”

Source: HMS

Millions of children deprived of life-saving vaccinations amid COVID pandemic, misinformation surge

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United Nations News

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20 April 2023

Millions of children deprived of life-saving vaccinations amid COVID pandemic, misinformation surge

In its State of the World’s Children 2023 report, UNICEF says that vaccination coverage levels decreased in 112 countries during the pandemic, “the largest sustained backslide in childhood immunization in 30 years”. According to the agency, a rise in misleading information on vaccines is one of the factors at play.

UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell said that while at the height of the pandemic, scientists rapidly developed life-saving vaccines, “despite this historic achievement, fear and disinformation about all types of vaccines circulated as widely as the virus itself”.

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Warning signal

UNICEF says the pandemic interrupted childhood vaccination “almost everywhere”, due to stretched health systems and stay-at-home measures. But new data also shows a trend of declining confidence in childhood vaccines of up to 44 percentage points in a number of countries.

“This data is a worrying warning signal,” Ms. Russell insisted. “We cannot allow confidence in routine immunizations to become another victim of the pandemic. Otherwise, the next wave of deaths could be of more children with measles, diphtheria or other preventable diseases.”

Vaccine hesitancy on the rise

In its report, UNICEF warns that the public perception of the importance of vaccines for children declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 52 out of 55 countries studied.

China, India and Mexico were the only countries examined where the perception of the importance of vaccines remained stable or even improved. In most countries, people under 35 and women were more likely to report less confidence about vaccines for children after the start of the pandemic.

A longer-term trend?

The report says that “vaccine confidence is volatile and time-specific”, and that more sustained data gathering and analysis, will be necessary to determine if declining vaccine confidence is indeed here to stay.

UNICEF also emphasizes that overall support for vaccines remains strong, and that in almost half of the 55 countries studied, a vast majority of respondents – over 80 per cent – continue to perceive vaccines as “important” for children.

Misinformation at fault

However, the report warns that “the confluence of several factors suggests the threat of vaccine hesitancy may be growing”.

Among these factors, the report’s authors cite growing access to misleading information, declining trust in expertise, and political polarization.

‘Child survival crisis’

UNICEF says that children born just before or during the pandemic are now moving past the age when they would normally be vaccinated. This lag puts children at the risk of deadly outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, in what UNICEF calls a “child survival crisis”.

The report recalls that in 2022, measles cases worldwide doubled compared to 2021, and the number of children paralyzed by polio was up 16 per cent year-on-year. In the three-year period between 2019 and 2021, polio paralyzed eight times more children than during the previous three years.

Deepening inequalities

The UN Children’s Fund stresses that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities related to vaccination. The report says that “for far too many children, especially in the most marginalized communities, vaccination is still not available, accessible or affordable”.

Almost half of the 67 million children who missed out on routine vaccination between 2019 and 2021 live on the African continent. As of the end of 2021, India and Nigeria, which are described in the report as “countries with very large birth cohorts”, had the highest numbers of children who hadn’t received a single routine vaccination.

Overall, in low and middle-income countries, one in 10 children in urban areas and one in six in rural areas had not received a single routine vaccination.

Poverty, lack of empowerment

UNICEF says the children who are missing out live in the “poorest and most remote” communities, located in rural areas or urban slums, and at times impacted by conflict.

The report underscores the role of women’s empowerment in a family’s decision to vaccinate their children, pointing out that the children deprived of routine vaccinations “often have mothers who have not been able to go to school and who are given little say in family decisions”.

Underpaid health workers

UNICEF says its findings highlight the need to ensure vaccination efforts are sustained, by strengthening primary healthcare and investing in the health workers at the front line of immunization.

These workers tend to be predominantly women, and according to the report, they face significant challenges including low pay, informal employment, lack of formal training and career opportunities, as well as threats to their security.

Call to action for governments

UNICEF is calling on countries to urgently unlock resources so that they can accelerate catch-up vaccination efforts, rebuild lost confidence in vaccines, and strengthen the resilience of health systems by supporting female health workers and local vaccine manufacturing.

“Routine immunizations and strong health systems are our best shot at preventing future pandemics, unnecessary deaths and suffering. With resources still available from the COVID-19 vaccination drive, now is the time to redirect those funds to strengthen immunization services and invest in sustainable systems for every child”, UNICEF’s Catherine Russell said.

Investigation: Russia is spying on its embassy in Bulgaria with antennas

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News desk

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20 April 2023

An international investigation has found that Russian services are spying with multiple antennas on their embassies in Europe. The building in Sofia is no exception, reports NOVA.

The investigation was conducted in dozens of countries. According to him, there are 189 antennas on 30 buildings of Russian embassies in Europe, which are not used for civilian purposes, but for espionage. It is indicated that, in addition to state secrets and politicians, Russia also monitors ordinary citizens who declare a pro-Ukrainian position.

Journalists who took part in the investigation claim that the antennas are used to identify participants in events that support Ukraine through the unique IMEI numbers for each phone. It turns out that a large part of the expelled Russian diplomats were engaged in precisely such activities and were specialized in computer systems.

Another topic of discussion is the use of facial recognition cameras in Russia. In Moscow, they recognize men fit for conscription – between 18 and 27 years old. The technology is then linked to a database, allowing for easier tracking of recruits.

Russian embassy in Brussels festooned with spy antennas for eavesdropping

The technique can intercept military and police communications, an investigation shows.

17 spy antennas are located on the building of the Russian embassy in Brussels, which is a record number of similar technical means of a Russian diplomatic mission in Europe. This is clear from an investigation by local media.

In order to maintain an encrypted connection, the embassy does not need so many antennas, but they can be used to monitor phone and satellite conversations, an investigation by several European media added. It is noted that with such antennas it is possible to intercept messages related to the work of aviation, shipping, the military and the police, specifies BTA. .

Belgian security services have clarified that they have been using an encrypted connection since 2011, which should provide the necessary privacy. The services do not rule out that in the meantime the technologies have advanced enough to make a breakthrough possible.

It is noted that the number of antennas of the Russian embassy in Brussels has attracted the attention of the Belgian counterintelligence and this has been confirmed by the Minister of Justice Vincent van Kikenborn. According to him, it is difficult to establish the type of equipment used by the Russian diplomatic mission in the country.

Photo: pixabay

A huge racist scandal in France: The coach of PSG did not want Muslims and people of color

By

Gaston de Persigny

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20 April 2023

He received over 5,000 threats on social media

A serious racist scandal has rocked French football, and the main actor in it is the coach of the multimillion-dollar national team Paris Saint-Germain.

The 56-year-old Frenchman was accused by his former manager of openly resenting the presence of too many colored players, as well as Muslims, in his squad.

The incident took place in Nice, where Galtier coached for a year before receiving an offer from PSG, where he has coached since last July. The accusation comes from the former director of Nice – Julien Fournier, who shared about disturbing conversations and emails from Galtier.

The coach has directly told him several times that it is unacceptable for Nice’s team to be filled with people of color and Muslims, and according to Galtier, the local people did not like this either.

“He said that as he dined around the city’s elite restaurants, people were outraged by the number of people of color and Muslims on the team. Galtier shared this sentiment, and I just couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.

He told me that he found a team, in which half are black, and the other half spends half the day in the mosque, “says the former director Fournier.

The revelations led to a serious scandal, and Christophe Galtier has already received over 5,000 messages on social networks, all filled with insults and threats.

Naturally, he himself denied these words and in a message published by his lawyer announced that he was the victim of false accusations.

But the topic is yet to be unraveled, because PSG have started their own investigation into the case, and also the most serious ultras group of Parisians announced that they are closely following the topic and the French capital may turn out to be tight for Galtier if these words of his are confirmed.

All this comes at a time when Galtier’s future in Paris is not particularly certain anyway.

Despite having Messi, Mbappe and Neymar in their squad, he and PSG were once again knocked out of the Champions League quite early, and despite the looming title, it will come after a run of unconvincing results, and we know the club’s Arab owners have far more big ambitions from just winning League 1.

Illustrative Photo by Andres Ayrton:

Maria Gabriel: Only 54 percent of European citizens have basic digital skills

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20 April 2023

Collaboration and investment are key to the future of digital education in Europe. 20 million digital professionals is our ambition by 2030. Currently, only 54% of European citizens have basic digital skills. This is the position of the Bulgarian European Commissioner Maria Gabriel regarding the improvement of digital skills in the field of education, informs the press center of the European Commission in Sofia.

At a press conference in Strasbourg, Gabriel presented a package of recommendations to EU member states to improve training in this area. The recommendations will focus on the key factors contributing to the success of digital education in classrooms and ways to improve the digital skills of teachers and students.

“80% of people of working age have basic digital skills and 20 million are digital professionals is our ambition by 2030. Currently, only 54% of European citizens have basic digital skills. With the new package of recommendations to improve digital skills, we aim to help overcome the challenges Member States face in the field of digital education. Investment, infrastructure and training are key to this,” said Maria Gabriel.

The recommendations are part of the leading initiative of the Bulgarian European Commissioner – the Action Plan in the field of digital education and are key to the construction of the European educational space until 2025.

The aim is to support European citizens’ access to high-quality and inclusive digital education and training.

The two recommendations are drawn up on the basis of consultations and structural dialogues held with all Member States in 2022. They will contribute to the creation of a highly effective digital ecosystem, including infrastructure, equipment and content, and support the digital skills and competences of teachers and students.

These two priorities require good coordination and cooperation at local, national and European level.

“The recommendations presented today are the basis and engine of our joint work with Member States, with teachers, students and educational institutions to ensure high-quality and accessible digital education and training. In the coming months, we will establish a high-level expert group with representatives from all Member States , which will support the successful implementation of the recommendations,” concluded Commissioner Gabriel.

The European Commissioner for Innovation, Scientific Research, Culture, Education and Youth Maria Gabriel is visiting yesterday Novi Sad, northern Serbia today, where, together with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, she will inaugurate the new building of the BioSense Institute, Tanjug reported, quoted by BTA.

During the visit, Gabriel, Serbian Minister of Education Branko Ruzic and UNICEF Serbia Director Dejan Kostadinov will visit the Milan Petrovic Primary and Secondary Education School. On this occasion, equipment for the integration of technologies in schools worth 20,000 euros will be delivered.

Gabriel will visit the gallery of Matitsa Srabska together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Maja Gojkovic. The European Commissioner will familiarize herself with the achievements of Novi Sad as the European Capital of Culture for 2022 and with the heritage of Serbian art in a wider European context.

Gabriel visited the “OPENS” Youth Center and met with representatives of the youth in Serbia, with whom she talked about the experience of the time when Novi Sad was the European Youth Capital in 2019.

The announcement of the EU Office in the country emphasizes that Serbia has been participating since 2019 in the largest program to support education, training, youth and sports – Erasmus+, as a full member. With EU support, young people, athletes and students from Serbia participate in exchange and training projects on par with their EU peers.

More than 16,000 Serbian students have received scholarships to study in EU member states, while more than 80 organizations and sports associations from Serbia have benefited from the projects in the field of sports. At the same time, Serbian institutions have attracted more than 4,300 young people, students and teachers from Europe.

The EU has invested more than six million euros in the construction and renovation of more than 40 sports facilities throughout Serbia, and thanks to this assistance, more than 100,000 citizens and children can actively use the renovated or newly built sports centers, swimming pools and gyms in the main and secondary schools in Serbia.

Deep Sleep for Astronauts and Its Effect on Human Body and Aging

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19 April 2023

When you think about space travel, there is a good chance the first thing that comes to mind is SpaceX. Specifically, you are probably thinking about their goal of reducing the cost of space transportation to colonize Mars.

For most people, the mission to colonize Mars sounds like a sci-fi pipedream straight out of Star Trek and Mass Effect. However, SpaceX’s recent efforts to build the most powerful and reusable rocket may soon turn that pipedream into reality.

If their Starship launch in December 2022 is a success, their progress will look hopeful. If things go according to SpaceX’s plans, humanity stands to build a new life on the red planet within this century.

However, that also begs the question: how would the average person fare during space flight? Specifically, how does space flight affect the human body during sleep? This article will cover the basics of sleep stages and how they change for astronauts during their missions.

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The Stages of Sleep Explained

Before delving into how astronauts sleep during their missions, one must first understand how humans sleep on Earth. Sleep is as crucial to a person’s health as exercise and food. Fatigue can deeply impair a person’s judgment and physical functions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies state that the average adult needs about seven hours or more sleep per day. While the human body sleeps, it goes through four stages, each of which has a specific purpose. These four stages are Stage 1 (N1), Stage 2 (N2), Stage 3 (N3), and Stage 4 or REM sleep.

Stage 1 or N1

Also known as the “dozing off” stage, stage 1 typically lasts about one to five minutes. Although the brain and body activity slows down with some twitching, the body has not completely relaxed yet.

Light changes in the brain’s activity occur during stage 1, which is associated with falling asleep. It is easy to wake someone up during this stage. However, if the person is left undisturbed, they move on to Stage 2 quickly.

Stage 2 or N2

During stage 2, the body experiences a drop in temperature, relaxed muscles, and slowed heart rate and breathing. Essentially, this stage is when the body is in a more subdued state.

Additionally, eye movement halts and the brain waves exhibit a new pattern. While the brain’s activity slows down, there are still minuscule bursts of activity called sleep spindles. These bursts of activity help a person resist waking up from disturbances of external stimuli during stage 2.

The duration of stage 2 varies from ten to twenty-five minutes after entering the first sleep cycle. Each stage 2 can grow long during the night. In total, the average person spends about half their time asleep in stage 2.

Stage 3 or N3

Stage 3, also called deep sleep, is the sleep stage from which people are significantly more difficult to wake. During stage 3, a person’s pulse, breathing rate, and muscle tone decrease as their body relaxes further.

Brain activity during this stage has a specific pattern referred to as delta waves. That is why some refer to stage 3 as slow-wave sleep (SWS) or delta sleep.

Most experts firmly believe that stage 3 is the most crucial in restorative sleep. That is because delta sleep enables the body to grow and recover. Stage 3 may also boost a person’s critical bodily processes and immune system.

Despite the reduced brain activity, studies suggest there is a link between deep sleep and creativity, memory, and insightful thinking.

Stage 4 or REM sleep

REM in sleep is the abbreviation of rapid eye movement. During stage 4 or REM sleep, brain activity increases close to the same levels as when the person is awake. Additionally, the body experiences temporary muscle paralysis with the exception of the muscles that control breathing and the eyes.

Despite the eyes being closed, you can actually see them moving rapidly through the lids. That is how REM sleep got its name.

Many believe that REM sleep is critical to cognitive functions such as creativity, learning, and memory. REM sleep is when the most vivid dreams happen, which explains the significant spike in brain activity.

Dreams are not exclusive to REM sleep, as they can occur in other sleep stages. However, they are not as intense or common in the other stages. Typically, people do not experience REM sleep until they have been asleep for at least ninety minutes.

How Astronauts Sleep and Age in Space

Biologically speaking, aging is the result of the accumulation of varieties of cellular and molecular damage over time. Studies suggest that adequate and quality sleep can help slow the aging process while making a person healthier.

A study by Kuniaki Otsuka revealed that sleep quality for astronauts improved while on the International Space Station (ISS). The test Otsuka and his team ran based on a ten-point scale provided higher scores for undisturbed sleep. Upon close examination, their sleep patterns increased by two points on the ISS compared to their results while on Earth.

Sleep Well and Age Slow in Space

While space travel does have certain drawbacks, like space radiation and feelings of isolation, the benefits are also considerable. For one, it provides the opportunity of being one of the first colonists of Mars. For another, the estimated seven-month voyage to Mars may leave you looking younger and healthier than ever.

Nearly 2 million Ukrainians provided with crucial cash assistance

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United Nations News

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19 April 2023

Nearly 2 million Ukrainians provided with crucial cash assistance

Stéphane Dujarric described the direct transfer of money, mostly to those who have been displaced and lost their jobs due to the fighting, as “a continuation of crucial assistance that we, along with our partners, have provided in most regions of Ukraine”.

He said last year, some six million people across different parts of Ukraine had been provided with cash, and this year more than $200 million had been transferred to help Ukrainians meet their basic needs.

“This was made possible through the coordinated efforts of [more than] 20 partners, including UN agencies, national non-governmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations as well”, said Mr. Dujarric.

One billion target

He added that the target overall, was to provide cash assistance to around 4.4 million people, transferring close to $1 billion in total.

And overall, humanitarians are hoping to provide some kind of relief to more than 11 million people of the nearly 18 million who need assistance in Ukraine.

“To this end, we and our partners requested $3.9 billion for the response”, the UN Spokesperson continued. “So far, we received a total of $900 million so we count on the international community to sustain its support to the humanitarian response in the country, as the war continues to drive a grave humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly in the east and the south.

Over the weekend, the UN managed to provide shelter materials and other vital items to more than 1,500 people in a community along the Dnipro River in Kherson region.

It’s the first time that aid workers have managed to reach the area just a few hundred metres from the frontline, “where the level of destruction is appalling”, according to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) in Ukraine.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Denise Brown, said on Monday that in getting two convoys into the Donetsk and Kherson regions last Friday, UN teams were “inching our way towards the frontline, to relieve the suffering of these communities who are under constant shelling”.

UN, African and Arab leaders to hold virtual talks on Sudan crisis

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United Nations News

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19 April 2023

UN, African and Arab leaders to hold virtual talks on Sudan crisis

The UN chief spoke earlier in the day to President William Ruto of Kenya and with the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki.

Mr. Guterres will attend a virtual meeting on Sudan on Thursday, bringing together the AU Chairperson, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Executive Secretary of the East African bloc, IGAD, and other relevant organizations, to discuss ways the international community can help end the violence and restore order inside Sudan.

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UN fully engaged

“Obviously, today he will continue to be fully engaged, making phone calls, trying to secure a 24-hour ceasefire, which will enable a much-needed reprieve to all affected civilians in Khartoum,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists attending his daily noon briefing in New York.

The UN Special Representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes, also continues engagement with parties on the ground, key Sudanese leaders and Member States, in trying to secure an immediate de-escalation in the fighting.

The crisis between the Sudanese armed forces and formerly allied Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries emerged as the country appeared to be returning to the path towards democratic transition. The sides are at odds over the process of restoring civilian rule.

New 24-hour ceasefire

The deadly clashes erupted on Saturday. An initial 24-hour ceasefire, announced for 6 pm, local time, on Tuesday, collapsed within minutes of the deadline.

The parties committed to a new 24-hour truce on Wednesday, also beginning at 6 pm, local time, but some international media reported that the shelling has continued.

The UN, AU and IGAD – known as the Trilateral Mechanism – issued a statement appealing to the sides “to create necessary conditions during this period for the civilians to seek safe shelter, food and medical care.”

Devastating impact on civilians

Mr. Dujarric said the continued heavy fighting is having devastating consequences for civilians, as well as UN staff and other members of the international community.

“We reiterate to the parties to the conflict that they must respect international law,” he said.

“They are obliged to protect civilians and ensure the safety and security of all United Nations and associated personnel as well as their premises, our assets, and trapped civilians must be able to receive assistance, access essential supplies and evacuate to safer zones as needed.”

Vital supplies dwindling

As the crisis deepens, humanitarians warn that people are running out of food, fuel and other vital supplies, and many urgently need medical care.

“We desperately need a humanitarian pause so that wounded and sick civilians can reach hospitals,” Mr. Dujarric said, adding “people in Khartoum have been unable to safely leave their homes to buy food and other essential items for days.”

He reported that the humanitarian response remains severely hampered, calling for an end to attacks against aid workers and looting of humanitarian facilities.

“Humanitarians must be able to safely carry out their work. Aid agencies must be able to safely move staff and replenish critical supplies,” he stressed.

Health system concerns

The UN is also worried that Sudan’s healthcare system could completely collapse as hospitals need additional staff and supplies, including blood.

The violence and attacks have forced 16 hospitals across the country to close, nine in Khartoum alone, Mr. Dujarric said, citing the World Health Organization (WHO). Another 16 hospitals, including in Darfur states, could close soon due to staff fatigue and lack of supplies. 

“It goes without saying that we condemn all attacks on health personnel, on facilities and ambulances – which is putting more lives at risk,” he said. “These are flagrant violations of international law, and they must stop.”

Sudanese refugees seek safety in neighboring Chad following an outbreak of violence in Darfur.

Sudanese refugees arrive in Chad

As fighting rages on in Sudan, humanitarian agencies are also monitoring the arrivals of new Sudanese refugees in neighbouring Chad, a representative of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said early on Wednesday.

UNHCR’s Laura Lo Castro tweeted about a joint mission conducted with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Chad’s national commission in charge of refugees, to observe the influx of new Sudanese refugees in the east, “assess urgent needs and agree on [a] response plan”.

She said there were an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 new refugees in the first three sites visited.

Any new arrivals will be entering a situation marked by soaring humanitarian needs and chronic underfunding.

Just last week, before the military power struggle erupted in Sudan, WFP warned that hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people in Chad could face hunger because there was no funding for food assistance beyond this coming May.

“Don’t touch them!” US warns Russia about American nuclear technology in Ukraine

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19 April 2023

“Don’t touch them!” US warns Russia about American nuclear technology in Ukraine

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine apparently contains secret U.S. nuclear technology, which is why the United States has warned Moscow not to touch it.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Image credit: IAEA Imagebank via Flickr, CC BY 2.0

This warning about sensitive nuclear technology that is physically located in the Zaporizhzhia power plant was officially stated in a letter from the U.S. Department of Energy sent to the Russian state company Rosatom on March 17, 2003, according to the article published by CNN which refers to a Ukrainian media resource RBC Ukraine.

It is not known what specific American technologies are deployed in the Ukrainian energy facility.

Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Nonproliferation Policy, Andrea Ferkile wrote in a letter to the CEO of a Russian state-owned company Rosatom that Ukraine’s Zaporozhye nuclear power plant “contains US-origin nuclear technical data that is export-controlled by the United States Government.”

The letter explicitly noted that goods, software, and technology are subject to US export controls, particularly when there is a potential for their use in a manner that harms US national security interests.

The Ukrainian nuclear power plant is still operated and maintained by Ukrainian workers and nuclear specialists. However, the facility is de facto controlled by Rosatom after it was occupied by the invading Russian army.

This is probably the first publicly known case when the U.S. Department of Energy has warned the Russian state-owned company that any actions by citizens or organizations of the Russian Federation with American technology which is present in Ukraine are illegal.