European Union suspends visa facilitation agreement for Russians

31 August 2022

EU foreign ministers agree to suspend visa facilitation agreement for Russians

On 30 and 31 August 2022, Prague hosted an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers known as a Gymnich. The ministers primarily discussed two topics, namely the EU’s relations with Africa and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The main outcome of the meeting was agreement among the Member States to suspend the visa facilitation agreement.

The main topic of the meeting of foreign ministers was the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its consequences. The ministers agreed that they would remain united in their approach to the hostile behaviour of Russia, and that they would provide Ukraine with the necessary support. Specific parameters of future military assistance to Ukraine were also discussed, with the ministers also addressing possible steps to strengthen the European Peace Facility to better meet the needs of the Ukrainian army.

The discussions also saw an important breakthrough in the visa policy in relation to Russia. The foreign ministers agreed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement that makes it significantly easier for Russian citizens to obtain Schengen visas.

In terms of our relations with Russia, we cannot continue as before. We have made progress at the meeting of foreign ministers and want to fully suspend the agreement that allows the simplified issuing of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation.
Jan LipavskýMinister of Foreign Affairs

According to Minister Lipavský, it is also however necessary to achieve mutual understanding between the Member States. On the one hand, there is the problem of the northern states that directly border Russia and which are seeing the arrival of large numbers of Russians. On the other hand, the individual Member States have differing stances on the issue. What is important now is that the European Commission and EU institutions prepare a proposal that reflects these different aspects.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell recalled at the press conference that EU Member States already have considerable autonomy when issuing visas for entry into their own territory. “Member States have wide discretion in regulating their visa policies. Every Member State can thus also adopt and implement national measures in connection with the issuing of visas,” he said.

Nor were the European Union’s relations with Africa and the situation in African states in the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine neglected. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský, it is essential to fight against Russian the propaganda narratives that Russia spreads in the region, and to offer African states advantageous cooperation with the European Union, for example in technology. High Representative Josep Borrell said that it is essential to work with the EU’s African partners in a coordinated manner.

As part of an informal lunch with the Associated Trio states, ministers discussed the European perspective of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and how these countries can be helped on their road to the European Union. The future of the Eastern Partnership, an important instrument for cooperation, was also discussed.

The Forum 2000 conference, to focus on assistance to Ukraine, will follow on from the Gymnich meeting. Its topics will be the European perspective of Ukraine, post-war reconstruction, the punishment of war crimes, the resilience of democracy, and security.

Due to a shortage of diplomats: Bulgaria has suspended visas for Russians

Gorbachev: “We have to renounce the politics of force”

European Parliament

31 August 2022

Mikhail Gorbachev made a plea for dialogue and renounced the use of force during a visit to the European Parliament.

The former president of the Soviet Union was at the Parliament in 2008 for the Energy Globe Award where he picked up a lifetime achievement award. To mark the passing on 30 August of the last leader of the Soviet Union, who was praised by many for his role in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end, we are republishing an interview from his visit. He talked about how countries should work together in the era of globalisation and his concerns about the environment.

You initiated momentous changes in the Soviet Union and did much to end the Cold War. What lessons can we draw from that experience when seeking a so called “world perestroika” to end the hot war against nature?

In the mid-80s the leaders of the big states realised that there is an urgent need to do something. Then God made the ways of Gorbachev, Reagan, Bush, Thatcher, Mitterrand and others – and they were wise enough to overcome clichés and prejudices regarding each other and start talking about the nuclear threat. Now the world and our times are different, there is globalisation, countries are more interdependent and countries like Brazil, China and India have come onto the stage.

The most important lesson we can take is that a dialogue has to be developed. Confidence has to be built. We have to renounce the politics of force, they bring nothing good. We have to understand that we all are in the same boat, we all have to paddle, if not, some are paddling, some are pouring water in, others might even be making a hole in it. Nobody will win in this manner in this world.

Look at the US in Iraq, everybody was opposed, even their allies, but they did not listen and what happened? They do not know how to get out of it now. Now we understand that… we are all linked to the US and if it falls apart it would be a real collapse. We have to help them to get out of there. That means that cooperation is needed, a new world order is necessary and global mechanisms to manage it.

After the Cold War everybody was talking of the new world order, even the Pope joined us and said a new world order is necessary, more stable, more fair, more human.

However, when the USSR fell apart – because of internal reasons first of all – the US could not resist the temptation to use the confusion. Political elites changed, those who brought the world out of the Cold War left the stage, the new ones wanted to write their history.

These errors of vision, poor decisions and missteps made the world ungovernable. We live in a world of chaos. New ways of life and new political mechanisms can emerge from the chaos, but the chaos can also lead to disruption, resistance and armed conflict.

Can we really call environmental degradation mankind’s no. 1 problem when so many people are living under the poverty line?

The major problems are poverty, air and water quality, unsanitary conditions, low agricultural productivity, but all of them are about ecology. It is nonsense to say that ecology is a luxury – it is the major priority of our times. The second priority is the fight against poverty because two billion are living on $1-2 a day. The third one is global security, including the nuclear threat and weapons of mass destruction. These are three urgent priorities, but I put ecology in the first place, because it directly touches all of us.

“Towards a New Civilization” is the motto of the Gorbachev Foundation. What does that New Civilisation look like? Where can the world get the huge resources needed for these fundamental changes?

It is not always about money. If international issues are handled in a disorderly way, you need more money. It is about trust, co-operation, dialogue, mutual help and mutual exchange. Why is Europe growing economically – because of the existence of the EU. This is the path of new opportunities and the EU is a good example.

Of course, not everything is perfect. In my view the EU is already overcharged as a system. It has to have wisdom and know when to stop, absorb, move forward, not just hurry and make hasty headlong jumps.

Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027: the Commission approves the first CAP strategic plans

European Commission

31 August 2022

Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027 — © European Commission

The new common agricultural policy is key to securing the future of agriculture and forestry, as well as achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Today, the European Commission approved the first package of CAP strategic plans for seven countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. This is an important step for the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on 1 January 2023. The new CAP is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector. Under the reformed policy, funding will be more fairly distributed to small and medium-sized family farms, as well as to young farmers. Moreover, farmers will be supported to take up new innovations, from precision farming to agro-ecological production methods. By supporting concrete actions in these and other areas, the new CAP can be the cornerstone for food security and farming communities in the European Union.

The new CAP incorporates a more efficient and effective way of working. EU countries will implement national CAP Strategic Plans, combining funding for income support, rural development and market measures. In designing their CAP Strategic Plan, each Member State chose from a wide range of interventions at EU level, tailoring and targeting them to address their specific needs and local conditions. The Commission has been assessing whether each Plan builds towards the ten key CAP objectives, which touch upon shared environmental, social and economic challenges. Hence, the Plans will be in line with EU legislation and should contribute to the EU’s climate and environmental goals, including on animal welfare, as set out in the Commission’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.

The CAP will benefit from €270 billion in funding for the 2023-2027 period. The seven Plans approved today represent a budget of over €120 billion, including over €34 billion dedicated exclusively to environmental and climate objectives and eco-schemes. This amount can be used to promote beneficial practices for soil, and to improve water management and grassland quality, for example. The CAP can also promote afforestation, fire prevention, restoration and adaptation of forests. Farmers participating in eco-schemes may be rewarded, inter alia, for banning or limiting the use of pesticides, and limiting soil erosion. Between 86% and 97% of the national utilised agricultural area will be farmed under good agricultural and environmental conditions. Substantial funding will also support the development of organic production, with most countries aiming to double or even triple their farming area. Areas under natural constraints, such as in mountains or on the coast, will continue to benefit from specific funding to maintain an agricultural activity.

In the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing commodity surge, the Commission invited Member States to exploit all opportunities in their CAP strategic plans to strengthen the resilience of their agricultural sector in order to promote food security. This includes reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers and scaling up the production of renewable energy without undermining food production, as well as promoting sustainable production methods.

Generational renewal is one of the main challenges facing European agriculture in the coming years. It is essential for the agricultural sector to stay competitive and to increase the attractiveness of rural areas. Specific support to young farmers features prominently in each approved Plan, with over €3 billion that will directly reach young farmers in the seven countries. Rural development funds will support thousands of jobs and local businesses in rural areas, while improving access to services and infrastructure, like broadband. In line with the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, the needs of rural citizens will also be addressed by other EU instruments such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) or the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).

After having approved the first 7 CAP Strategic Plans, the European Commission remains fully committed to a quick approval of the 21 remaining Plans, taking into account the quality and timeliness of reactions following the Commission’s observations.

Background

The European Commission presented its proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform in 2018, introducing a new way of working to modernise and simplify the EU’s policy on agriculture. Following extensive negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission, an agreement was reached and the new CAP was formally adopted on 2 December 2021.

The deadline set by co-legislators for Member States to submit their CAP Strategic Plan was 1 January 2022. After receiving the Plans, the Commission sent observation letters to all of the Member States by 25 May 2022. They were published on the Europa website together with the reactions of all Member States, in line with the transparency principle. A structured dialogue between the Commission services and national authorities resumed thereafter to solve remaining issues and finalise the revised CAP Plans. To be approved, each Plan must be complete and compatible with the legislation, and ambitious enough to deliver on the CAP objectives and EU environmental and climate commitments.

Potential Long-Term Treatment for Asthma Discovered

Guest Author

31 August 2022

Potential Long-Term Treatment for Asthma Discovered

Asthma is a disease that can cause your airways narrow and swell as well as produce additional mucus.

Rather than merely treating its symptoms, a new strategy targets one of asthma’s causes.

Researchers from Aston University and

Dr. Jill Johnson, Aston University’s School of Biosciences. Credit: Aston University

In the UK, about 1,200 people die from asthma every year, and just under 5.5 million people get treatment for it. Asthma results in symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath because the airways become thickened and constricted.

Current treatments, such as steroids, give temporary relief from these symptoms by relaxing the airways or decreasing inflammation. However, no existing medications target the structural changes that asthma causes in the airway and lungs in order to provide a more long-lasting treatment.

Lead researcher, Dr. Jill Johnson, from Aston University’s School of Biosciences, said: “By targeting the changes in the airway directly, we hope this approach could eventually offer a more permanent and effective treatment than those already available, particularly for severe asthmatics who don’t respond to steroids. However, our work is still at an early stage and further research is needed before we can begin to test this in people.”

The study focused on a kind of stem cell known as a pericyte, which is located primarily in the lining of blood vessels. When asthmatics have an allergic and inflammatory reaction, such as to household dust mites, the pericytes migrate to the airway walls. Once there, the pericytes mature into muscle cells and other cells that thicken and stiffen the airway.

This movement of the pericytes is triggered by a protein known as CXCL12. The researchers used a molecule called LIT-927 to block the signal from this protein, by introducing it into the mice’s nasal passages. Asthmatic mice that were treated with LIT-927 had a reduction in symptoms within one week and their symptoms virtually disappeared within two weeks. The researchers also found that the airway walls in mice treated with LIT-927 were much thinner than those in untreated mice, closer to those of healthy controls.

The team is now applying for further funding to carry out more research into dosage and timing, This would help them to determine when might be the most effective time to administer the treatment during the progress of the disease, how much LIT-927 is needed, and to better understand its impact on lung function. They believe that, should this research be successful, it will still be several years before the treatment could be tested in people.

Reference: “Chemokine CXCL12 drives pericyte accumulation and airway remodeling in allergic airway disease” by Rebecca Bignold, Bushra Shammout, Jessica E. Rowley, Mariaelena Repici, John Simms and Jill R. Johnson, 13 July 2022, Respiratory Medicine.
DOI: 10.1186/s12931-022-02108-4

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council.

Pakistan: WHO warns of significant health risks as floods continue

officialinstitutions

31 August 2022

Pakistan: WHO warns of significant health risks as floods continue

Major health risks are unfolding in Pakistan as unprecedented flooding continues, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday, warning of the threat of further spread of malaria, dengue fever and other water and vector-borne diseases.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN agency has classified the situation as a grade 3 emergency – the highest level of its internal grading system – which means all three levels of the organization are involved in the response: the country and regional offices, as well as its headquarters in Geneva.

“Floods in Pakistan, drought and famine in the Greater Horn of Africa, and more frequent and intense cyclones in the Pacific and Caribbean all point to the urgent need for action against the existential threat of climate change,” he said, speaking during his regular briefing from WHO headquarters.

Table of Contents

Millions affected

More than 33 million people in Pakistan, and three-quarters of all districts, have been affected by the flooding, which was brought on by monsoon rains.

At least 1,000 people have been killed and 1,500 injured, WHO said, citing national health authorities. More than 161,000 others are now in camps.

Nearly 900 health facilities across the country have been damaged, of which 180 are completely damaged. Millions have been left without access to health care and medical treatment.

The Government has declared a state of emergency, and the UN has launched a $160 million appeal for the country. Tedros also released $10 million from a WHO emergency fund to support the response.

Delivering life-saving supplies

“WHO has initiated an immediate response to treat the injured, provide life-saving supplies to health facilities, support mobile health teams, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” said Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

The UN agency and partners have conducted a preliminary assessment which revealed that the current level of devastation is much more severe than in previous floods, including those that devastated the country in 2010.

Ensuring access to services

The crisis has further aggravated disease outbreaks, including acute watery diarrhoea, dengue fever, malaria, polio, and COVID-19, particularly in camps and where water and sanitation facilities have been damaged.

Pakistan had already recorded 4,531 measles cases this year, and 15 cases of wild poliovirus, even before the heavy rainfall and flooding. A nationwide polio campaign has been disrupted in the affected areas.

“WHO is working with health authorities to respond quickly and effectively on the ground. Our key priorities now are to ensure rapid access to essential health services to the flood-affected population strengthen and expand disease surveillance, outbreak prevention and control, and ensure robust health cluster coordination,” said Dr. Palitha Mahipala, WHO Representative in Pakistan.

Flooding could worsen

With the floods projected to worsen over the coming days, WHO is immediately focused on these priorities.

Pakistan’s Government is leading the national response and is establishing control rooms and medical camps at the provincial and district level.

The authorities also are organizing air evacuation operations, and conducting health awareness sessions on waterborne and vector-borne diseases, as well as other infectious disease such as COVID-19.

WHO is working closing with the health ministry to increase surveillance for acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, and other communicable diseases to avoid further spread. The agency is also providing essential medicines and medical supplies to functional health facilities treating affected communities.

Expanding disease surveillance

Prior to the floods, WHO and partners had undertaken vaccinations against cholera in response to the pre-existing outbreak.

Pakistan is also one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, and teams in affected areas are expanding surveillance for both polio and other diseases. Furthermore, polio workers are now working closely with the authorities to support relief efforts, particularly in the worst-hit areas.

WHO has also diverted mobile medical camps to affected districts, delivered more than 1.7 million aqua tabs to ensure people have access to clean water, and provided sample collection kits for early detection of infectious diseases.

In India, youth is key to integrity, peace, health and sustainable development

United Nations News

31 August 2022

In India, youth is key to integrity, peace, health and sustainable development

New Delhi (India), 31 August 2022 – Youth, children and adolescents comprise the core of India’s 1.3 billion strong population. Over 27 percent of the country’s population is between the ages of 15-29 years. At 253 million, India is also home to the world’s largest adolescent population (10-19 years). Hence, it is essential to engage this young population with education and activity-based learning, not only on academic, professional and vocational skills, but also on life skills that concern society at large – and on which their actions matter.

In this context, the International Youth Day 2022 in India was marked with a joint consultation meeting convened by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for South Asia and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) with senior officials of 12 key institutions of the Government of India, under the theme ‘Mainstreaming education on integrity, peace, SDGs and health: Empowering Youth, Educators and Families’. This notion is also reflected in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

India’s massive youth population faces risks, however, including falling into drug use. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), over 400,000 children and 1.8 million adults need help for inhalant abuse and dependence. Law enforcement agencies and health experts have also raised concerns over the rising drug use among young people.

One of the participants highlighted the need for stronger cooperation and coordination to counter the drug problem, noting that “young people have a right to know what risks, challenges, and vulnerabilities surround them. For this, education must enable them to act as responsible citizens with integrity, empathy and a sense of purpose. Prevention is key when it comes to addressing drugs and crime”.

As a response to the calls for support and engagement, UNODC showcased good practices in immersive activity-based learning, including its initiatives aimed at engaging students, educators and parents through education.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== In India, youth is key to integrity, peace, health and sustainable development — *A participant during the Lockdown Learner Series. © UNODC*

The UNODC Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment – i.e., the Global GRACE Initiative – brings to the international community knowledge and experience working with educators, academics, youth, and anti-corruption authorities to foster a culture of rejection of corruption. The Family Skills Programme, meanwhile, targets the whole family and offer skills-building for parents on monitoring and supervision of children’s activities, communication and setting age-appropriate limits. Finally, the Lockdown Learners series, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers continuous capacity building of educators and students on critical issues such as corruption, cybercrime, discrimination, misinformation, gender inequality, and the environment, among others. At the same time, the series also built capacities of educators and provided mentorship and knowledge support to students to develop initiatives/solutions to address social challenges.

The participants of the event (including officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Delhi Directorate of Education, NITI Aayog policy think tank, National Council on Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Council on Vocational Educational Training (NCVET), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (a system of central government schools), the National Anti-Doping Agency and Sarvodaya Vidyalayas school chain, among others) welcomed the UNODC initiative, emphasizing that engaging young people, families and educators effectively was critical to efforts aimed at building back better from the pandemic.

Recommendations from the event to effectively incorporate integrity, crime prevention, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and health in the school educational framework, in line with INEP 2020, will feed into UNODC’s planned activities for student engagement and educators’ capacity building in India.

This activity contributed to SDG 4 and SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/.

Further information

To learn more about the work of UNODC’s Regional Office for South Asia, click here.

Raging Sons tell you to breathe easy, and you do

Bro O'Sullivan

31 August 2022

They come from Limerick, Ireland, the country where music is maybe drunk more than Guinness (and that’s a lot!) and they have the Irish musical blood in their veins. Not that they sound like trad folk and sing in Gaelic, but you can definitely feel the influence of U2, either in their bass lines, their production or the vocals. But it’s still a song of its kind.

“Breathe Easy” is very good pop-rock, well produced, and melodious song. I don’t know if it’s my imagination elaborating on their Limerick origin, but listening to it I could not help but having the sensation of flying above the green Irish grooves and clovers.

Besides that, they are four guys making the show: Fint Tynan is the singer, Colum Kelly plays guitar, Damien Ruddy’s got the bass (and sounds like Adam Clayton from U2), and Adam Reeves plays drums. Four young guys full of energy and poetry.

Here they tell you to breathe easy, which might be easy for you, unless you’re a young lady which gets crazy for these 4 folks, as it will surely happen in a very next future. Not that I’m a soothsayer, albeit sometimes I am, but I can predict without any backoff that Raging Sons will soon be one of the greatest rising bands on the European scene. They have everything for this, and above all, they make good music that makes you dream and cool down, even when it’s made of roaring distorted guitars.

Well, you understood, I liked it. Up to you now:

The song comes from their recently released album 20:20

CEC president highlights churches’ vision for reconciliation and unity in Karlsruhe

News desk

31 August 2022

CEC president highlights churches’ vision for reconciliation and unity in Karlsruhe

President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) Rev. Christian Krieger delivered greetings at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, welcoming the global ecumenical community in Europe with a hope that the assembly will “empower churches to strengthen their vision of reconciliation and unity, in our fractured world today.”

The WCC assembly commenced on 31 August in Karlsruhe, Germany, addressing the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity” with a strong participation from CEC Member Churches and Organisations in Partnership from across Europe.

Krieger said that “reconciliation and unity acquires new meaning in the light of current global realities such as global health crisis, migration, racism, rise of populist polarization and shrinking of democracy, continued destruction of the natural environment, and resurgence of armed conflict, including the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

He went on to say that the “WCC Assembly theme is at the heart of our mission, as we continue to lift up the voices of churches in increasingly plural and secular European societies, and especially with regard to the European political institutions, we are moved by the love of Christ that embraces the whole of creation.”

Krieger also introduced a report from the European Regional Pre-Assembly organised by CEC in February, sharing how the featured reflections show sentiment of the churches in Europe concerning the war in Ukraine, highlighting voices from Ukrainian churches.

He prayed that may the assembly be a “life-transforming event for the global fellowship of churches that will strengthen their common journey towards unity and reconciliation in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Mint and red pepper kill the appetite, lead to weight loss

News desk

31 August 2022

Which foods and products healthily reduce the desire to eat

A major factor in gaining weight is the enjoyment of food and the desire for more and more. Add mint to your menu and a miracle will happen to your figure – this herb induces a feeling of satiety and suppresses appetite, nutritionists say. According to them, the feeling of pleasure from eating occurs due to the production of endorphins, and mint contains a substance that helps to increase the level of this hormone of happiness.

Endorphins regulate mood and manage feelings of satiety. When consuming mint

menthol is released, which increases the production of the hormone in question

A study cited by the nutrition website Eat this, not that! found that people who smelled peppermint every two hours lost 2.2 kg of weight per month because their appetite decreased. The site advises weight-loss enthusiasts to keep peppermint extract in their purse and snort it often, especially when hungry. The lotion can be prepared at home with the essential oil of the herb. Sugar-free peppermint gum also helps.

And other products have been proven to lie about hunger and with them you can lose weight in a healthy way. Such are the nuts, which, although high in calories, contain appetite-suppressing fibers that are digested slowly and remain in the stomach longer, giving rise to a feeling of satiety. 1/4 cup of almonds, for example, contains 4 grams of such fiber. In addition, nuts are a source of healthy fats that lower cholesterol levels. Oatmeal is also rich in these fibers – there are 5 g of them in half a bowl. Porridge also increases levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone cholecystokinin.

Apples are a proven hunger killer, and they contain a lot of water, which is also satiating. The pectin in them protects against spikes in blood sugar, which increase the desire to eat.

And spices reduce the urge to chow down and increase metabolism. A study shows that people who season their soup with red pepper accumulate 60 fewer calories and burn 10 more calories per day than those who do not add the spice.

Avocados are full of monounsaturated fats, which are satiating. Half of this fruit on a piece of toast in the morning will kill your appetite until lunchtime.

So does edamame green soybeans—a half-cup serving contains only 95 calories, but more than 8 grams of filling protein.

Water-rich leafy vegetables fill the stomach permanently

Try a Brussels sprouts and kale salad for lunch.

The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed also suppress appetite, and a tablespoon of flaxseed contains 2.3 grams of them, as well as satiating fiber. The omega-6 in the seed increases cholecystokinin in the body. Chia seeds have a similar effect.

Eggs are a famous product for diets and the protein in them controls hunger for up to 36 hours. The ayrian protein drink burns excess fat and gives the body energy.

Eating acidic food curbs sweet cravings. In this regard, lemon is indispensable. Make a salad dressing with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, a spoonful of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of honey, two spoons of chia seeds, and you will satisfy your hunger.

Vinegar also kills appetite because it slows stomach emptying and lowers the glycemic index when consuming carbohydrates such as pasta. Some people drink apple cider vinegar every day because it is rich in vitamins and aids in digestion.

Other appetite-suppressing foods include soup, beans, salmon, fruits and vegetables, and green tea. And to suppress the appetite, a glass of water with a little lemon before a meal is indispensable. At the same time, it hydrates the body, and people sometimes confuse dehydration with hunger.

Photo by Kim van Vuuren:

Ukraine wants UNESCO to protect Odessa

Gaston de Persigny

31 August 2022

Russian forces have advanced several tens of kilometers from the city – Ukraine’s government will ask the UN cultural watchdog to add the historic port of Odessa to the list of protected world heritage sites as Russia’s invasion continues.

Russian forces have advanced several tens of kilometers from the city, which flourished after Empress Catherine the Great decreed in the late 18th century that it would be Russia’s modern gateway to the Black Sea.

Analysts believe Russian President Vladimir Putin may soon direct a Russian advance on Odessa to completely block Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea, possibly with heavy bombardments like those that destroyed the Mariupol port.

In late July, the commercial port and other areas of the city were hit by missiles just hours after Russia agreed to allow Ukrainian grain to be shipped from it.

“On July 24, 2022, part of the glass canopy and windows of the Museum of Fine Arts, opened in 1899, were destroyed” by the impacts, UNESCO’s cultural agency said after its director Audrey Azoulay met with Ukraine’s culture minister Alexander Tkachenko in Paris.

It said UNESCO experts already on the ground would provide technical assistance so that Odessa could be urgently added to both the World Heritage List and the list of heritage sites in danger.

She will ask the World Heritage Committee to include the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the historic center of Lviv, which are already recognized as UNESCO sites, in the list of endangered sites.

The addition of a remarkable site or traditional activity to the UNESCO list aims to mobilize attention to ensure that they are preserved against threats to their existence.

The agency said 175 Ukrainian cultural and historical sites have been damaged since Russia began its invasion in February, including monuments, museums, libraries and religious buildings.

Many have suffered despite being marked with the distinctive “blue shield” that indicates they are protected by the 1954 Hague Convention on Culture in Armed Conflict, to which both Russia and Ukraine are signatories.

“The agency has already mobilized nearly 7 million dollars and provided several aid measures and experts to advise the specialists” working to protect the sites or to move the works of art to safer places, UNESCO said.

In July, Ukraine also won recognition of the beetroot soup, known as borscht, on its list of intangible cultural heritage, which it says is under threat from the Russian invasion.

Photo by Valeriya Kobzar

Latest news of Europe and the world.

European Union suspends visa facilitation agreement for Russians

Gorbachev: “We have to renounce the politics of force”

Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027: the Commission approves the first CAP strategic plans

Potential Long-Term Treatment for Asthma Discovered

Rather than merely treating its symptoms, a new strategy targets one of asthma’s causes.

Pakistan: WHO warns of significant health risks as floods continue

Millions affected

Delivering life-saving supplies

Ensuring access to services

Flooding could worsen

Expanding disease surveillance

In India, youth is key to integrity, peace, health and sustainable development

Further information

Raging Sons tell you to breathe easy, and you do

CEC president highlights churches’ vision for reconciliation and unity in Karlsruhe

Mint and red pepper kill the appetite, lead to weight loss

Ukraine wants UNESCO to protect Odessa

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