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Pollock’s painting discovered in Bulgaria was for the actress Lauren Bacall

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The discovered painting believed to be by Jackson Pollock was of American actress Lauren Bacall, wife of Hollywood star Humphrey Bogart. This was announced by the deputy city prosecutor of Sofia, Desislava Petrova.

It said that the canvas was for her birthday. Her real date of birth was also written, and there was a signature, Petrova also pointed out.

“Dedicated to my very talented and dear friend Lauren Bacall, Happy Birthday,” reads the back of the painting along with the date September 16, 1949, and a signature. The date coincides with the actress’ birthday. This was explained by Deputy City Prosecutor Desislava Petrova, spokesperson of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office at a media briefing.

Petrova added that so far there is a conclusion and expertise that indicate that the canvas may be original. An analysis of the paint binder would be useful but was not possible at this time. In order to establish whether the canvas is genuine, the tools of international cooperation will also be used.

The Bulgarian who held it indicated that he did not know whether it was authentic or not. Therefore, the process of selling the canvas had not yet started. The painting was not wanted and is not known to have been in Pollock’s catalogue.

Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Persky (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress and model known for her signature voice. In 1999, the American Film Institute listed Bacall at number 20 on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema.

Bacall, now deceased, was named one of the 20 most powerful women in Hollywood. She was the wife of the legend Humphrey Bogart for 12 years. Then she had a relationship with Frank Sinatra.

Prosecutor Petrova announced that in connection with the painting, an expert report has been prepared by two experts from the National Art Gallery, as well as expertise made by a three-member commission.

According to her, the expert report says that in terms of style, execution technique and artistic specificity, the painting corresponds to the aesthetic features characteristic of Jackson Pollock’s paintings from the period 1945-1950.

The expert said that the fluorescence analysis carried out, which allowed finding the exact chemical composition of each colour used in the painting, showed that the pigments in it were similar to the pigments used by Pollock in other works. “This is an important but not decisive element to the author’s identification,” the experts add, and say that it would be useful to analyze the binder of the paints, which research requires taking a sample.

Further examination of the seized painting is to be done to determine whether the painting is an original work and a movable cultural asset. The tools of international legal assistance, including European investigation orders, will be used to establish all the circumstances related to the possible movement and path of this painting, prosecutor Desislava Petrova also commented.

It is also yet to be established whether the painting has anything to do with Romania, the prosecutor’s office added, adding that it had not been declared wanted or catalogued.

However, Romania has not yet confirmed the version that the picture has something to do with him.

To BNT, the Romanian art critic and expert on state art collections, Adrian Buga, said that until now, in the archives of the Romanian secret services Securitate, there is no evidence that a painting by Jackson Pollock was part of Nicolae Ceausescu’s collection. The Romanian police have already contacted him for more information on the case.

“Ceausescu’s collection consists exclusively of Romanian paintings. Communist art that extols the Romanian spirit. Ceausescu lacks a taste for American art, especially in the style of Pollock,” said Adrian Buga. Each painting in this collection is stamped and numbered on its back and label.

“If the painting came from America, there is a good chance that some trace will be found in the archives. I have not found any foreign paintings in his house. He may have received gifts, but there is no trace of such paintings,” said Adrian Buga.

Ceausescu’s son-in-law, the husband of his daughter Zoya, told the BBC that he did not remember seeing abstract works in their home. “Ceaușescu was not an art collector. So there is no way,” said Prof. Mircea Operan.

Despite these claims, information has already appeared that, according to Romanian media, our northern neighbour will also have claims for the painting. Jackson Pollock’s family foundation announced to the Bulgarian media that no one had sought them from Bulgaria in connection with the find.

Photo: Lauren Bacall in a 1944 publicity still from Howard Hawks’s “To Have and Have Not,” her first film. Credit…Warner Bros.

Physicists Confirm 50-Year-Old Hypothesis About Selfish Behavior

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Physicists have verified a fifty-year-old hypothesis that explains the formation of herds as a result of selfish behavior.

“Surprisingly, when individuals act out of purely selfish reasons, this can lead to a fair situation within the group,” says physics professor Clemens Bechinger. This was demonstrated in a recent study by his team at the Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior (CASCB) at the University of Konstanz, which is part of the Cluster of Excellence.


The researchers used computer simulations to explore how herd animals can reduce their predation risk. The study is based on the idea suggested by W.D. Hamilton in 1971, that individuals in a herd position themselves so that their own predation risk becomes reduced at the expense of their neighbors. The results were published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

The reason why many animals organize themselves in herds is not necessarily the result of gregariousness or social behavior. One example is seals: On their own, they are easy prey for orcas or sharks. Instead, it is much safer within a group, because then the danger of an attack is spread out among many individuals. It is safest in the middle of the group where animals are crowding together in a very small space and an attack there is more likely to target a close neighbor than oneself. At the edge of the group with only a few neighbors, on the other hand, the predation risk is considerably larger. Each animal, therefore, tries to get to one of the coveted spots in the middle.

Selfishness leads to a fair distribution of risk

With the help of artificial intelligence (reinforcement learning), Clemens Bechinger and his colleagues studied how individuals must alter their positions optimally to keep the distance between themselves and others as small as possible, which, in turn, reduces their own risk of being attacked.


“Because this strategy increases the risk for neighbors, it is clearly considered a selfish motivation,” says Veit-Lorenz Heute, who is working as a doctoral student on the project. Just as Hamilton predicted, the physicists observed that individuals that were spread out at first then formed a dense herd, because this decreases their distance to neighbors and thus reduces the individual risk of being attacked.

“Considering reinforcement learning for collectives opens up a range of new possibilities in understanding animal behavior,” Iain Couzin, speaker of the CASCB and Professor for Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz adds. “It provides an elegant way to ask how adaptive behaviors may emerge in the complex social context characteristic of flocks and swarms.”

The researchers were surprised, however, to see what happened after the herd had formed.

Their simulations show that the time-averaged predation risk is exactly equal for all individuals. Obviously, members at the center of the herd are not able to defend such advantageous positions as other animals push toward this coveted spot.


“This is a result of the high dynamics within the group which makes it impossible for individuals to maintain specific optimal positions,“ says Samuel Monter, who is also involved in the study. Another interesting observation is that, as a result of this permanent competition for the best positions, the group begins to rotate around its gravitational center, similar to what is observed in many herds of animals.

“Our study shows that the formation of groups does not necessarily result from their gregarious behaviors but can also be explained by the entirely selfish motivations of individuals to gain an advantage at the expense of others,” Bechinger concludes. “Not only does our study help to understand collective behaviors in living systems, but the results may also be useful in the context of finding optimal strategies of how autonomous robotic devices have to be programmed to master collective tasks.”

“We have long observed vortices in animal groups and this work provides an insight into why that may be the case,” Iain Couzin adds. “If each individual acts to reduce risk, by approaching others, but is also penalized for collisions, rotating swirls, as we see in fish schools and even some herding animals, naturally emerge.”

Reference: “Dynamics and risk sharing in groups of selfish individuals” by Samuel Monter, Veit-Lorenz Heuthe, Emanuele Panizon and Clemens Bechinger, 2 February 2023, Journal of Theoretical Biology.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111433


The study was funded by the Cluster of Excellence “Center of the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior.”

UNICEF alert to save millions from desperate hunger in Yemen

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UNICEF alert to save millions from desperate hunger in Yemen

Eight brutal years of conflict have left around 11 million children in need of humanitarian assistance and many of their families facing serious malnourishment.

“The lives of millions of vulnerable children in Yemen remain at risk due to the almost unimaginable, unbearable, consequences of the crushing, unending war,” said Peter Hawkins, the agency’s representative in the country.

“UNICEF has been here, providing desperately needed support throughout the past eight years, and before, but we can only provide so much support to children and families affected without a lasting peace.”

Perpetual cycle of hopelessness

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen stems from 2015, when Houthi militias clashed with the forces of the internationally-recognized Government, dividing the country, displacing millions and destroying essential services and infrastructure.

Despite a long truce and recent progress along the road to peace, a devastating convergence of compounding factors has unfolded: eight years of fierce conflict, economic collapse, and a crippled social support system, denying the vulnerable essential services.

Between March 2015 and November 2022, more than 2.3 million children have been displaced, 11,000 have been killed or seriously injured, over 4,000 have been recruited by the warring parties, and there have been more than 900 attacks on – and the illegal military use of – educational and health facilities. These are verified figures, but the true toll is likely much higher, UNICEF said.

“After eight years, many children and families feel stuck in a perpetual cycle of hopelessness,” Mr. Hawkins said. “Visiting a family recently who have been displaced from their homes for over seven years, you realize that for too many families, little of their situation has changed beyond the children’s faces.

Children have grown up knowing little but conflict, providing these children with some room for hope of a peaceful future is absolutely critical.”

© UNICEF/Moohialdin Fuad

A young boy plays while his mother lines up at a water point in a camp for displaced people in Aden, southern Yemen.

‘Hope, not fear’

UNICEF urgently requires $484 million to continue its life-saving humanitarian response for children in Yemen in 2023. If funding is not received, UNICEF might be forced to scale down its vital assistance.

“The children of Yemen should be able to look to the future with hope, not fear,” Mr. Hawkins said. “We call on all parties to help us deliver that hope by committing to the Yemeni people, and pulling a country, and a weary population, back from the brink.”

 

Reaching millions in Yemen

Despite ongoing challenges, in 2022 UNICEF was able to:

  • Treat more than 375,000 children for severe acute malnutrition in 4,584 primary health care facilities and 34 therapeutic feeding centres.
  • Dispense emergency cash transfers to 9 million people.
  • Provide access to safe and sustained drinking water to 6.2 million people, including fuel to support the production and distribution of clean water to 36 local water and sanitation corporations in 15 governorates.
  • Inoculate more than 2.1 million children with measles and polio vaccines.
  • Support psychosocial services for more than 478,000 children and caregivers in conflict-affected areas, and life-saving mine-risk education for over 5.2 million children and community members.
  • Reach more than 2.7 million people living in remote rural areas with access to public healthcare centres.
  • Provide support for mother, newborn and child health services in 24 hospitals.
  • Scale up malnutrition services at 4,500 static outpatient therapeutic programme centres and 288 mobile teams.
  • Provide individual learning materials to more than 538,800 children to enable them to continue their schooling.

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Leena Ylä-Mononen selected as next Executive Director of the European Environment Agency

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On 23 March 2023, the Management Board of the European Environment Agency (EEA) decided to nominate Leena Ylä-Mononen, a Finnish national, as the next Executive Director of the EEA. The decision was taken after the Management Board interviewed shortlisted candidates, as a result of a pre-selection by the European Commission following an open call for applications.

Leena Ylä-Mononen currently holds the position of Director General at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Prior to this, she has held a senior management position at the European Chemicals Agency, after working at the European Commission’s DG Environment. Leena Ylä-Mononen holds a Master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Helsinki.

Laura Burke, EEA Management Board Chair, said, ‘Congratulations to Leena Ylä-Mononen. I am confident that the Management Board has selected an outstanding candidate to lead the European Environment Agency. We look forward to working with Leena Ylä-Mononen to further strengthen the role of EEA and its Eionet network in support of Europe’s environment and climate policies.’ 

Leena Ylä-Mononen and Laura Burke on 23 March 2023

EEA Executive Directors are appointed for five years, renewable once. After ten years in office, the current Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx’s term will end on 31 May 2023.

Leena Ylä-Mononen may be invited to provide a statement in front of the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee, followed by an exchange of views with Members of the European Parliament.

The formal appointment will be made once the required formalities have been completed.

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Former Eugenics leader Ernst Rüdin on trial in Romania

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Torsten Hjelmar
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Former Eugenics leader Ernst Rüdin on trial in Romania
Crédit photo : Daniel Bone de Pixabay

The International Mock Trial on Human Rights of Ernst Rüdin was held in the plenary hall of the Romanian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday 22nd March.

A distinguished panel of Judges consisting of two judges from the Constitutional Court of Romania and the vice-President of the Romanian Senate preceded over this educational Mock Trial. Judge Ms Laura-Iuliana Scântei summarized the decision stating that if the defendant former Eugenics leader and prof. of psychiatry, Ernst Rüdin (1874-1952) would have been standing before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, we would have heard these words of the president of that tribunal: “ERNST RÜDIN, The Tribunal finds you guilty of charges 1, 3 and 4 consisting of incitement to crimes against humanity; inciting as well as directly causing the crime against humanity called sterilization; and membership of criminal organizations [the Association of German Neurologists and Psychiatrists] defined according to the Nuremberg Principles.”

Constitutional Court Judge, Ms Laura-Iuliana Scântei, pointed out that the defendant Ernst Rüdin, was one of the founders of the Nazi racial hygiene movement, promoter of eugenic ideas and policies in Germany, of the Nazi eugenic sterilization law and other policies that aimed to kill children and patients with physical and mental disabilities considered genetic defects, in a heinous extermination program euphemistically called Euthanasia.

The International Mock Trial on Human Rights of Ernst Rüdin was held in the plenary hall of the Romanian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday 22nd March. It was a first for Romania and Europe. The International Mock Trial on Human Rights which is an action part of an educational program for young leaders initiated by Dr. Avi Omer from the Social Excellence Forum had previously been held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 31st January.

The initiative to hold the Mock Trial in Romania was taken by the Magna cum Laude-Reut Foundation and the “Laude-Reut” Educational Complex, together with the Social Excellence Forum team and the Embassy of the State of Israel in Romania.

The prosecution and defendant litigators consisted of pupils and students from the “Laude-Reut” Educational Complex and other colleges and universities in Bucharest, Iasi, Ploiesti, Buzău and Sibiu.

A struggle of all those who believe in freedom

“I greatly appreciate the openness of the Romanian Parliament to bring to the fore and shed light on a difficult page from the past. Today we are facing a historic moment and a first in Romania – a mock trial of one of the Nazi criminals directly responsible for the racial genocide. It is a trial that was necessary to take place even post-mortem for past, present and future generations and for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and their families (…) It is a constant and assumed struggle of all those who believe in freedom, dignity and moral values. This struggle is also fought through education. With today’s simulation, I believe that we have made a valuable contribution to the knowledge of the truth and with it to the fight against anti-Semitism and extremism”, said Tova Ben Nun-Cherbis, President of the “Laude-Reut” Educational Complex.

The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, underlined that the action in the Parliament brings back into focus the importance of learning to use international human rights instruments and the historical reparation made in memory of the generations of victims of the Holocaust.

The Minister of Culture of Romania, Mr Lucian Romașcanu, pointed out that: “The fact that we are in the Parliament’s plenary hall and not in a court of law, this mock trial is more than symbolic, because in this hall people elected to be here can vote on laws, can do things that do not allow what you are called today to judge. It is again a symbol that over the years, no matter how many have passed, bad things are not forgotten, and the Holocaust, the great crimes against the Roma, against the communist prisoners must remain in memory. (…) No matter how many years go by, guilt surfaces and the guilty are punished.”

The distinguished panel of Judges consisted of:

Mr Marian Enache – President of the Constitutional Court

Ms Laura-Iuliana Scântei – Judge of the Constitutional Court of Romania

Mr Robert Cazanciuc – Vice-President of the Romanian Senate

O8A0752 1024x683 - Former Eugenics leader Ernst Rüdin on trial in Romania
Expert Witness Dr. David Deutsch, International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. Other witnesses included Prof. Alon Chan, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Prof. Marius Turda, Department of History, Philosophy and Religion, Oxford Brookes University. Photo credit: THIX Photo.

Promoters of racial hygiene played a major role in the Holocaust

Israel’s ambassador to Romania, Mr Reuven Azar, put it straight when he said: “Today’s conference is meant to evoke an obligation on all of us not to forget the horrors that happened just 78 years ago. (…) During the Nazi regime, more than 400,000 people were forcibly sterilised and some 300,000 of the patients in psychiatric institutions were killed, while 70,000 of them were killed in gas chambers. Promoters of racial hygiene, including Ernst Rüdin, played a major role in the Holocaust, which victimised Jews as well as Roma, Slavs, coloured persons and people with physical or intellectual disabilities. The consequence of the Nazi regime was the Holocaust. This is a unique phenomenon compared to any other genocide in human history.”

Deadly Syria earthquake provides chance to move forward: UN envoy

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Deadly Syria earthquake provides chance to move forward: UN envoy

War-torn Syria and neighbouring Türkiye were rocked by twin earthquakes on 6 February, which killed more than 56,000 people and caused widespread destruction, displacing millions.  

“The situation today is so unprecedented that it calls for leadership, bold ideas and a cooperative spirit,” said Mr. Pedersen, speaking via videoconference from Geneva. 

“A political solution is the only way forward for Syria. We may not be able to reach that in one step – but I believe we can progress towards it gradually.”  

Maintain calm on the ground 

The UN envoy said it is absolutely vital to continue to provide resources to support the earthquake response and ongoing humanitarian operations related to the war, which this month entered its 12th year.  Security Council resolution 2254, adopted in December 2015, outlines a roadmap for a ceasefire and political solution to the conflict.  

He stressed the need for sustained calm on the ground, especially in those areas affected by the earthquake.  

“The week after the earthquakes saw signs of such calm emerging, with a relative lull in violence in most quarters,” he said.  “For brief moments, the unimaginable became real – parties on each side of the front-line largely refraining from hostilities. Since then, we have seen a creeping rise in incidents.” 

Catalyst for progress 

Expressing concern for civilians, Mr. Pedersen warned of the risk of escalation.  In this regard, he has been working with key stakeholders towards a sustained calm, particularly in earthquake-affected areas in northwest Syria, the last opposition stronghold.   

“In the same way that we have seen moves from different sides in the humanitarian sphere, this logic can and must be applied to address post-earthquake rehabilitation and broader political challenges,” he said. 

Prior to the earthquake, humanitarian convoys brought aid into northwest Syria via a single authorized border crossing with Türkiye.  Two additional crossing points were subsequently re-opened, and he said there have also been “new openings” on sanctions. 

“This shows that different sides can make constructive moves,” he said. “I sense, from all the discussions I have had, that there is an opportunity to move forward with additional moves on all sides beyond the immediate emergency.”  

Engagement with all sides 

To advance on this front, Mr. Pedersen called for engaging with the Syrian parties on how they can create an environment conducive to post-earthquake rehabilitation.  Engagement with “outside actors” will also be required to determine how they can provide enhanced resources and remove hindrances, including those related to sanctions. 

He listed some of the issues that will have to be discussed, such as security, civilian protection, basic services, energy infrastructure, livelihoods, and land for housing; but also conscription or detention, which he said are vital for Syrians, including refugees and internally displaced persons.  

“I believe that verifiable steps implemented mutually and reciprocally from all sides are doable,” he said. “I am convinced that such steps could enable us to move forward incrementally into post-earthquake rehabilitation and, in the process, on political confidence building on issues in Security Council resolution 2254.” 

Cooperation is critical 

Mr. Pedersen stressed that “a degree of cooperation across divides is essential” in finding a way forward. 

“The Syrian Government, the Syrian Opposition, the Western players, the Arab players, the Astana players, other interested parties – none alone can move this process forward. Individual approaches will not make the kind of qualitative difference that a coordinated approach could make,” he said. 

“But if all are prepared to put practical points on the table, and if players coordinate and work together, I am more convinced than ever that it is possible and essential to move forward – step for step, and step by step.” 

More suffering for millions 

The Council also heard an update on the earthquake response from Tareq Talahama, an Acting Director with the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.  

“We cannot lose sight of the reality that this immense tragedy struck millions of people in Syria already suffering the poverty, displacement and deprivation of 12 years of conflict,” he said. 

Teams continue to clear away the rubble from the earthquake, which caused some $5.2 billion in losses, according to the World Bank, although the actual amount is likely much higher. 

UN support continues

The UN responded quickly to the tragedy, releasing some $40 million in emergency funding within days, and continues to work with partners on the ground. 

Some 2.2 million people have received food assistance to date, and more than a million medical consultations have been conducted.  Nearly 380,000 people have been provided water and sanitation services. 

“The expanded cross-border modality has also proved essential in northwest Syria. More than 900 trucks with aid from seven UN agencies, have now reached northwest Syria from Türkiye via the three available border crossings,” he said. 

Needs are mounting  

But more needs to be done in the weeks ahead, in areas such as shelter, returns, family reunification, and protection services, especially for women and girls. An ongoing cholera outbreak and other public health emergencies will also have to be monitored. 

Mr. Talahama underlined the important role of donor support and welcomed an international conference held this week in Brussels, which netted seven billion Euros in pledges for Syria and Türkiye.  

However, with needs deepening, continued international support will be necessary. The $4.8 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria this year – the largest worldwide – is only six per cent funded.  

“The generosity demonstrated in recent weeks must be extended to—and not come at the expense of—the ongoing humanitarian response across Syria to ensure lifesaving and early recovery assistance reaches all those in need,” he said.  

“And further action is required to create a more enabling environment, one where humanitarian assistance can reach communities in a safe, predictable, and timely fashion.” 

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Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps

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Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps

The devastation caused by the cyclone in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique has increased the spread of cholera and malaria, as well as malnutrition.

Meanwhile, more than 300 health facilities have been destroyed or flooded in the three countries, limiting health care access.

The cyclone’s destruction increased public health risks including a surge in the spread of cholera, malaria, malnutrition, COVID-19, and other vaccine-treatable diseases.

WHO said that Malawi was still in the midst of its “worst-ever” cholera outbreak, although cases are declining. In Mozambique, cholera cases have more than doubled over the past week, to almost 2,400.

“With a double landfall in less than a month, the impact of Cyclone Freddy is immense and deepfelt”, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.

“While we work to understand the full extent of the devastation, our priority is to ensure that affected communities and families receive health assistance for immediate needs as well as to limit the risks of water-borne diseases and other infections spreading,”

Helping communities prepare for climatic hazards

Overall, flooding, and torrential rains have affected more than 1.4 million people in the three countries. WHO and partners are providing support in the form of cholera treatment centers, medical supplies, and health worker training.

WHO has provided U$7.9 million and sent over 60 experts to the affected countries to assist with the emergency response.

Around 184 tons of important medical supplies have been shipped to support the cyclone and cholera emergency response. In Malawi, WHO has redistributed cholera response operation centres to hotspot districts, to help disease control efforts.

“With the rise in climate-related health emergencies in Africa, it’s clear that more needs to be done to bolster preparedness to climatic hazards so that communities can better cope with the impacts of the devastating natural disasters,” said Dr Moeti.

The cholera outbreaks are currently affecting 14 African countries and are being made worse by extreme climate events and conflicts that leave countries more vulnerable. Many people have been forced to flee their homes, to face uncertain living conditions.

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Haiti: Amid rising hunger levels, ‘world cannot wait for disaster before it acts’, WFP warns

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Haiti: Amid rising hunger levels, ‘world cannot wait for disaster before it acts’, WFP warns

“Haiti can’t wait,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director for the country. “We cannot wait for the scale of the problem to be expressed in deaths before the world responds, but that is where we are heading.”

Half the population – 4.9 million people – are now struggling to access food, according to the new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis. Findings reveal a substantial increase in the number of severely hungry people in Haiti, with the number tripling since 2016.

Eight out of ten Haitians are currently spending less on meals, and the country is among the top ten most affected by food price inflation, according to the World Bank.

Farmers crippled by violence, high costs

Farmers have been forced to reduce areas sown due to the high cost of seeds and fertilizers at a time when the spread of armed groups has plagued rural areas with violence.

The multiple emergencies are having a significant impact on the health and nutrition of Haitian children who have limited access to nutritious food. Malnourishment is compromising their immunity, making them vulnerable to diseases like cholera, and causing other lifelong health issues including poor cognitive development.

An estimated one million children are out of school in Haiti due to insecurity and other factors.

Life-saving food assistance needed

Sustained humanitarian aid has managed to support the most vulnerable communities in Cité Soleil, an area of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. However, WFP operations are underfunded and compromised and require $125 million over the next six months.

“It is critical that both life-saving food assistance keeps reaching the most vulnerable Haitians and resilience and safety-net initiatives continue being prioritized so we can address the root causes of hunger,” Mr.  Bauer said. “We desperately need an increase in funding and political will to be mobilized. The world cannot wait for a big disaster before it acts.”

The agency’s focus remains on strengthening national social protection and food systems that are critical to Haiti’s recovery efforts and development. While it is certain that life-saving assistance is an urgent need, building long-term resilience for the people of Haiti needs to be a top priority, he said.

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A painting by Jackson Pollock worth millions of euros found

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A painting by the world-famous American artist Jackson Pollock was discovered in Sofia during a special operation of the Main Directorate “Fighting Organized Crime” at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria in cooperation with Europol. The work is estimated at 50 million euros, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. Actions against the trafficking of cultural objects were held both in Athens and on the island of Crete. Several people were detained – one Bulgarian and three Greek citizens.

For Bulgaria ON AIR, Europol confirmed that an investigation is underway against an organized group against the trafficking of cultural objects. The name of the artist is visible in the lower right corner of the open painting.

The Jackson Pollock painting has been handed over to the National Gallery of Art, but they declined to comment as it is under investigation.

The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office carries out the management and supervision of the investigation with the discovered work.

“The painting is kept under appropriate conditions and with the necessary security. An expert opinion on the authenticity and identification of the painting has been appointed in the case,” said the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office.

The pre-trial proceedings were started as a matter of urgency on 18.02.2023 by the Main Directorate “Fighting Organized Crime” with the drawing up of the protocol for the first action of the investigation and were initially conducted under the direction and supervision of the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office for material concealment – a crime under Art. 215 of the Criminal Code.

After an investigation with a decree of a prosecutor in the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office dated 21.03.2023, the case was sent to the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office and was immediately accepted by a prosecutor from the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office.

The pre-trial proceedings will continue to be conducted for a crime under Art. 278a of the Criminal Code, and in the course of it, it will be determined whether the painting is a cultural asset that has not been identified and registered, and whether it is offered for alienation or has been alienated.

During the course of the investigation, a painting believed to be the work of American artist Jackson Pollock was entered into physical evidence in the case.

The picture is stored under suitable conditions and with the necessary security.

An expert opinion on the authenticity and identification of the painting has been assigned to the case. According to the conclusion, expert examination shows that the painting could be authentic, but further research is needed.

The work is believed to be from 1949, and its price could reach up to 50 million euros at an auction house.

The painter Pravdolyub Ivanov says that Jackson Pollock is one of the brightest artists of modern art. Although he died too young – only 44 years old, he left a bright mark in art.

“I guess it’s from his early period, which is filled with incredible energy. Such an energy emanates from them that you just know that this man is a really great artist. Then Abstract Expressionism comes in, and with him it’s about something, which eliminates a thousand-year-old tradition in art – that the artist always touches the material with the tool. At one point, he tears this thing off and starts pouring the paint,” commented Pravdolyub Ivanov.

Pollock is at the core of the abstract expressionism movement and is one of those artists who influence people and give them freedom by looking at the works.

“A generation that is before and a little after the war, one of the brightest representatives of the first movement that America creates – abstract expressionism. For 100 years America is secondary to European art – copying, trying to catch up, and around the war and after war appears this boom of something that is not there,” Ivanov said.

During a parallel operation by the Greek police on the island of Crete and in Athens, five other works by famous authors were seized.

Photo: mvr.bg

Tanzania confirms first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg Virus Disease

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Lab tests were carried out after eight people in the region developed symptoms of the “highly virulent” disease, including fever, vomiting, bleeding, and kidney failure.

Five of the eight confirmed cases have died, including a health worker, and the remaining three are being treated. The agency also identified 161 contacts of those infected, who are currently being monitored.

“The efforts by Tanzania’s health authorities to establish the cause of the disease is a clear indication of the determination to effectively respond to the outbreak. We are working with the government to rapidly scale up control measures to halt the spread of the virus and end the outbreak as soon as possible,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. 

While this is the first time Tanzania has recorded a Marburg case, the country has first-hand experience responding to other crises including COVID-19, cholera, and dengue within the past three years. In September 2022, The UN health agency conducted a strategic risk assessment that revealed the country is at high to very high risk for infectious diseases outbreaks.

“The lessons learnt, and progress made during other recent outbreaks should stand the country in good stead as it confronts this latest challenge,” said Dr Moeti. “We will continue to work closely with the national health authorities to save lives.”

Marburg virus commonly causes hemorrhagic fever, with a high fatality ratio of up to 88 per cent.

It is part of the same family as the virus that causes Ebola. Symptoms associated with the Marburg virus start suddenly, with high fever, severe headache, and intense malaise, said WHO.

The virus is commonly transmitted to humans from fruit bats and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces, and materials.

While there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus, supportive care, rehydration, and treatment of specific symptoms increase chances of survival.

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