Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was the first EU leader to address the European Parliament in the “This is Europe” series of debates, on 9 March.
Opening the debate, Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “We need to re-assess the European Union’s role in this new world. We need to boost our investment in defence and innovative technologies. This is the time for us to take decisive steps to ensure the security of all Europeans. The time to build a real security and defence union and reduce our dependencies on the Kremlin.”
In the wake of the invasion of Ukraine and as prime minister of a country sharing a nearly 300km border with Russia, Kallas called for increased EU defence, decreased energy dependence and emphasised the importance of the Nato alliance.
She also talked about the importance of the future of Ukraine: “It is in our interest that Ukraine becomes more stable, more prosperous and is solidly founded on the rule of law. (…) But it’s not only in our interest to give Ukraine a membership perspective, it is also our moral duty to do so. Ukraine is not just fighting for Ukraine, it’s also fighting for Europe.”
She addressed Russian citizens directly, assuring them that the EU is not acting against them and that sanctions are intended to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his government. “We continue to hope for a stable and democratic Russia that is respectful of its neighbours and is governed by a rule of law.”
Political group leaders
Reacting to Kallas’s speech, MEPs called for more action to help Ukraine in its struggle, including providing more weapons. and reducing the EU’s reliance on Russian oil and gas. They also discussed the need to support Ukrainian refugees and defend European values.
Now that summer is in full swing in North America, people have been asking one of our favorite GMO questions again. Let’s clear up a point of confusion: there are no commercially available GMO watermelons!
Like all living things, the crops we eat have chromosomes inside the nucleus of their cells. This is where their genetic information is stored. Different organisms have different numbers of chromosomes and different numbers of copies of those chromosomes. For example, most humans are diploid creatures. We generally have two copies of 23 chromosomes for a total of 46.
Seedless watermelons are triploid, which means they have three copies of their chromosomes rather than two. This renders them sterile, which of course means no seeds to pick out. These watermelons are created by crossing a common diploid watermelon (two copies of each chromosome, just like most humans) with a tetraploid watermelon (which has four copies). Each plant passes on half its genetic information, so the prodigy ends up with three pairs of chromosomes and no viable seeds. Interestingly, our typical (Cavendish) bananas are seedless for the same reason: they are just triploid plantains!
Since some of you have asked, it should be noted that cube-shaped watermelons are also not genetically modified. Those are just grown in a cube-shaped container. Hybrid fruits such as tangelos and mandarinquats are also not GMOs—they are created with traditional crossbreeding methods.
MEPs backed Mario Draghi’s call to reform the EU to guarantee sustainable economic growth, during a “This is Europe” debate in Strasbourg on 3 May.
“The EU is facing another ‘whatever it takes’ moment,” Parliament President Roberta Metsola said when introducing Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi. She noted that he had steered the EU out of a crisis when he was President of the European Central Bank. “I have no doubt that we can rely on your experience again as the EU faces another existential crisis.”
Prime Minister Draghi said the combination of the current crises in Europe – the war in Ukraine, the increase in energy prices and refugee arrivals – “forces us to speed up the integration process”. “We must show the citizens of Europe that we are capable of leading a Europe that lives up to its values, its history and its role in the world.” He added: “We must move beyond using the principle of unanimity (…) and move towards decisions taken by a qualified majority”, for a “Europe capable of making decisions in a timely manner.”
On the Russian aggression against Ukraine, he said: “The priority is to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible.” “We want Ukraine in the EU,” he said. “We must also proceed as quickly as possible.”
Draghi also proposed increasing coordination among national defence systems, strengthening the way the EU manages migration, as well as curbing bills and fuel prices and supporting wages to help families.
Reacting to the speech, MEPs commended Italy’s leadership and commitment to the EU, especially during the pandemic. They stressed that EU cooperation and solidarity is needed more than ever in the light of Russian aggression and other crises Europe is facing, be it climate change or helping refugees. MEPs highlighted the importance of energy transition and independence as key to the EU’s long-term success as well as a measure to help Ukraine. You can watch political group leaders’ speeches here.
Bishop Rolando Alvarez, from the northern Nicaraguan Diocese of Matagalpa, had criticised the government’s closing of five Catholic radio stations, and then the police moved in.
They stopped him and six Catholic priests from leaving their residence and going to the nearby Cathedral to celebrate Mass.
Police officers have set up barriers, preventing people from freely coming or going.
Bishop Alvarez and 12 other people have been stuck in his residence since Thursday.
“They told us that we are under house arrest,” said Bishop Alvarez during a Mass on Saturday which he broadcast on social networks from his house in Matagalpa.
Nicaraguan authorities, who take their orders from President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have little tolerance for any voice of criticism or dissention. More than 150 opposition leaders are under lock and key.
Police accuse Bishop Alvarez of using media and social networks to incite acts of violence and destabilise the country, and say they are preparing formal charges.
He is appealing to authorities to stop this harassment, requesting that religious freedom be respected.
Physically prevented from going to the Cathedral on Thursday, the 55-year-old Bishop knelt on the sidewalk to give the Eucharistic blessing, saying: “We celebrate the Blessed Sacrament in the street, because Jesus Christ is the Lord of Nicaragua.”
The European Union says this police action is arbitrary and yet another violation of human rights as well as religious freedom.
Mediation efforts
The Church has been trying to act as mediator by seeking dialogue to resolve Nicaragua’s worsening crisis, which started with widespread anti-government protests in 2018, which were crushed.
76-year-old Daniel Ortega was again re-elected last November, after opposition candidates were barred from participating and jailed.
In March, the Government declared the then-Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua, Archbishop Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, persona non grata and expelled him.
Nicaragua then recalled their Ambassador to the Vatican.
LUGANO, SWITERZLAND, August 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — In an evolutionary process, which now seems unstoppable, Aleo Christopher has managed to put an important further step in the growth of the iSwiss finance company. The consolidation of the Swiss headquarters, which was rewarded by insiders and the specialized press, resulted in the opening of the Dubai offices.In what seems to many the new center of the world, also from the point of view of innovative finance for companies, the entrepreneur Aleo Christopher has taken the first steps towards a further expansion of his proposal.
A possible new market is Nigeria, thanks to the first contact of absolute value. The meeting venue is the iSwiss Dubai headquarters, where iSwiss CEO Aleo Christopher had the pleasure of hosting the black gold magnate, Awwal Garba CEO of Magma Petroleum Investment Limited, the main Nigerian oil company. The choice of this country is not accidental for iSwiss, Nigeria is, at present, among the emerging African economies certainly the most shining.
The Nigerian market is strongly interested in everything new finance, from crypto to blockchain to all the typical and exclusive services of the DeFi sector.
The numbers demonstrate this, with Nigeria among the major countries for the use of cryptocurrency, surpassed only by the United States of America. A country therefore ready to take a step forward, guided by the experience and expertise of Christopher Aleo and iSwiss, in an interesting sector such as that of Decentralized Finance, also open to small and medium-sized enterprises and no longer the exclusive prerogative of large companies. multinationals.
Once again, the change starts from the bottom and iSwiss and its soul, Christopher Aleo, can think about directing and guiding it.
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p class=”contact c1″ dir=”auto”>Aleo Christopher iSwiss Group A.G. email us here
The Central Bank of Zimbabwe has announced that it will start minting gold coins in the month of July. The decision is aimed at curbing record inflation, which has led to a severe devaluation of the local currency. Central bank governor John Mangudya said in a statement that the coins went on sale on July 25. They can be purchased by paying in local currency, US dollars and other foreign currencies. Their price is adjusted to the international price of gold and production costs, reports Reuters. The “Mosi-oa-tunya” coin is named after Victoria Falls, which is its name in the local Lozi language. It can be exchanged for currency and traded inside and outside the country, reports the central bank. The gold coin will contain one troy ounce of gold and can be purchased from gold refiner Fidelity Gold Refinery, local gold jewelry manufacturer Aurex and local banks. Gold coins are typically used by investors to hedge against inflation and in times of war. Zimbabwe raised its key interest rate from 80% to a record 200% and indicated it plans to recognize the US dollar as legal tender within five years.
The growing reawakens the population’s memories of the economic chaos during President Robert Mugabe’s nearly four-decade rule. Annual inflation, which hit 192% in June, has hampered current President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s attempt to revive the economy. Zimbabwe last switched to using foreign currencies in 2009 when the Zimbabwean dollar lost its value. The government accepted payment in local currency again in 2019, but now the country is once again facing a familiar problem.
Days after the two-day visit from the end of July of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Athens at the invitation of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the media in our southern neighbor released spicy details about his stay in the most expensive hotel – Four Seasons in Vouliagmeni.
The entire hotel, which has 100 rooms, 20 of which are suites, has been reserved for the prince and his entourage. Bin Salman, of course, was accommodated in the royal suite. Special order armored glasses were installed there.
In advance, it was requested to change the furniture, as well as to connect several rooms so that his closest relatives could be accommodated in them.
His personal belongings, along with his entire wardrobe in Greece, were transported in 180 suitcases.
Several of the rooms have been converted into a hospital.
All the cups, plates, cutlery and towels for the prince, as well as the bed linen, were brought from Saudi Arabia.
The food was also brought in by airplanes, which was taken care of by 20 people, including nutritionists and tasters.
The prince arrived in Athens with 700 people who traveled on 7 planes.
One plane carried the prince and the closest staff, while the others carried the delegation.
One of the planes was empty in case of an emergency.
Photo: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is greeted by Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. (SPA)
Salt is addictive, and addiction to it can become a risk factor for hypertension, says the doctor of medical sciences and nutritionist Mariat Mukhina. There are people who perceive sodium chloride – ie. table salt – as a “taste stimulant” and tend to constantly increase the amount of salt in their food, says the doctor.
“We did a study of people’s taste buds. Some people get used to salt as a taste stimulant. They develop a semi-narcotic addiction to salt. They constantly have to increase the dose to irritate the taste buds on their tongue. They haven’t tasted the food yet, but they are already starting to salt it,” Mariat Mukhina explains. Studies show that such behavior is characteristic of people suffering from hypertension – continues the nutritionist. Excessive intake of sodium chloride contributes to the development of this disease, which is why the amount of salt in food should be reduced to reduce the risk of hypertension, she warns. For those who are used to salty dishes, Mukhina advises adding salt with a reduced sodium chloride content to the dishes.
Scientists from the US have proven that people who put extra salt in their food are at greater risk of premature death. The study, which involved more than 500,000 people, is published today in the European Heart Journal. Sodium in table salt (NaCl) increases the risk of cancer, high blood pressure and stroke. Estimation of the total intake of an unhealthy dietary supplement can be done by urinalysis. However, this method may not reflect dietary habits, as many foods initially contain high levels of salt.
Therefore, the researchers, led by Professor Lu Qi from the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, decided to check how people’s habit of adding salt to food at the table affects their health. “In the Western diet, table salt accounts for 6-20% of total dietary intake. This provides a unique opportunity to assess the relationship between sodium intake and risk of death,” Professor Qi said. The scientists analyzed data from 501,379 people who participated in the UK Biobank. Between 2006 and 2010, participants were asked how often they added salt to their food. Individuals who chose not to respond were not included in the analysis. The researchers adjusted the analysis based on factors that could affect the results, such as age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet and general health. Study participants were followed for an average of nine years. Death before the age of 75 is considered premature. For those who like to eat more salty, the risk of early death is 28% higher compared to those who never or rarely use the salt shaker. The study also found lower life expectancy among people who always added salt. At age 50, the life expectancy of women and men who constantly added sodium chloride to their plate decreased by 1.5 and 2.28 years, respectively. These risks are slightly reduced in people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. As Professor Qi explains, they are a major source of potassium, which has a protective effect.
“To my knowledge, our study is the first to assess the relationship between added dietary salt and premature death,” he says. – “This provides new evidence to support recommendations for dietary behavior change. The scientist believes that even a small reduction in sodium intake by reducing the amount of salt added to the meal or avoiding extra servings of the taste enhancer can lead to significant benefits for health.
Scientists from Italy and France examined the wall coverings of three amphorae in July and found that ancient Roman winemakers used local grapes and their flowers while importing resin and spices from other regions of Europe, the PlosOne electronic library reported.
Experts led by Donatella Magri of the Sapienza University of Rome have examined amphorae used to store red and white wines with mass spectrometry and paleobotanical data on the pollen and tissues of the wild Vitis grape and its flowers. Their goal was to find out how the ancient Romans produced wine and where they got raw materials from.
The characteristic shape of the grape pollen, as well as the chemical composition of the walls of the amphorae, testify to the fact that local wild or cultivated grapes were used for the production of wine. In addition, there are traces of resins and aromatic substances, which were probably imported by winemakers from Calabria or Sicily.
Scientists have studied three amphorae that were discovered a few years ago on the coast near the Italian village of San Felice Circeo, in the Lazio region. According to experts, the vessels fell to the bottom of the Tyrrhenian Sea after the wreck of one or more ships, and the amphorae were subsequently washed ashore
A bill was introduced in the State Duma of Russia, which prohibits citizens of “enemy countries” from adopting Russians, Reuters reported.
Russia’s list of enemy states has expanded after many countries imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February. This list currently includes the US, UK, all of the EU, South Korea and Japan.
Beginning of April 2022 a series of constitutional amendments signed by President Vladimir Putin intensified Russia’s years-long crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. The wide-ranging amendments formally outlaw same-sex marriages and ban transgender people from adopting children. Marriage equality had been long treated as illegal in Russia, where LGBTQ+ people commonly face persecution from governmental authorities, but as local activists told the Washington Blade, the definition of a family unit as “exclusively… a union of a man and a woman” was absent from the country’s constitution prior to this week.
Other amendments signed by Putin include new presidential term limits allowing him to remain in power until 2036 and grant him total immunity from prosecution for the remainder of his lifetime, as the Associated Press reports. The president also approved language specifying “a belief in God” as central to Russian values along with vaguely worded restrictions on “negative foreign interference in the educational process.”
The latter measure has proven highly controversial, with more than 1,000 artists, academics, and leading Russian cultural figures warning that it stands to impact virtually “any public activity” in which “knowledge and expertise are disseminated” in a March open letter.
The targeting of queer and trans people follows a continued campaign of scapegoating vulnerable minorities in Russia. In 2013, Putin signed a law forbidding the spread of pro-LGBTQ+ “propaganda” to minors under the age of 18 — which has, in practice, served to target everything from Pride parades to carrying a pink iPhone case in school.
In the eight years since that law passed, hate crimes targeting people due to their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity have doubled. The semi-independent Russian territory of Chechnya recently marked the four-year anniversary of its infamous “gay purge,” in which individuals suspected of being LGBTQ+ are rounded up, beaten, tortured, and sometimes killed. Over 200 people are estimated to have been detained while at least three have died.
Putin, who oversees the Muslim majority region, has yet to speak out about the anti-LGBTQ+ campaign, which is ongoing. Russian leaders, meanwhile, have dismissed reports of violence, with a spokesperson for the Kremlin telling reporters in 2017 that there is no “reliable information about any problems in this area.”
Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova further claimed that the reports were fabricated by people who “plan to capitalize on this,” calling allegations of human rights abuses a “provocation.”
Even despite sanctions on Chechen leaders from the United States and European Union, Putin has defended his country’s record on LGBTQ+ rights. After singer Elton John slammed Russia’s censorship of gay scenes in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, Putin claimed that the singer’s characterization that he is hostile to “policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity” is a “mistake.”
“We [in Russia] have a very neutral attitude to members of the LGBT community,” the president said at the time.
Description photo: View of the Moscow Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral from Zaryadye Park in Moscow by Michael Parulava /unsplash.com
