Did the stepson of Ukrainian billionaire Pinchuk settle Ernest Hemingway’s casino debt from 1959?

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16 May 2024

Uncertainty in Gaza amplified by closure of key border crossings

In its latest warning to the Israeli authorities not to pursue mass evacuation orders from eastern Rafah, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, insisted that a mass evacuation on such a scale would be “impossible to carry out safely”.

“There are nine sites sheltering displaced people in the area. It is also home to three clinics and six warehouses,” OCHA said in its latest update on the emergency, which noted that more than three quarters of the Gaza Strip is under evacuation orders.

“Any escalation of hostilities resulting from a full-scale incursion into Rafah will push residents and displaced people currently living there past their breaking point.”

The warning relating to Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings followed an urgent appeal from UN Secretary-General António Guterres late Monday to both sides “to go the extra mile” and make an agreement to end seven months of devastating conflict, his spokesperson said in a statement.

In Geneva, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, told journalists that permission had not been granted by the Israeli authorities to reach the Rafah crossing.

“We currently do not have any physical presence at the Rafah crossing as our access to go to that area for coordination purposes has been denied by COGAT,” he said, in reference to the Israeli Government organisation overseeing relief deliveries in Gaza. “So, that means that currently the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza have been choked off.”

Mr. Laerke further warned that existing humanitarian stocks in Gaza could be expected to last no more than about a day. He also noted that Rafah is the only entry point for fuel, without which generators, trucks and communications equipment cannot function.

“If no fuel comes in for a prolonged period of time, it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave,” he continued, noting that Rafah “is in crosshairs”. “IDF is ignoring all warnings about [what] this could mean for the humanitarian operation across the Strip.”

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Famine call

Echoing those concerns, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that a military assault on Rafah would massively complicate aid delivery.

“It is hard to see if [Rafah] closes for an extended period how aid agencies avert famine across the Gaza Strip…families’ coping capacity has been smashed. Families are hanging on psychologically and physically by a thread. I do not remember meeting a single family, and I met scores, who hadn’t lost a home, a loved one or both,” UNICEF’s spokesperson James Elder said.

Women bearing brunt

Meanwhile, UN humanitarians have issued new data confirming the war’s major, negative impact on women and girls sheltering in Rafah.

According to UN Women, more than nine in 10 women interviewed in the southernmost governorate reported feelings of indescribable fear, while over half said they had medical conditions needing urgent attention.

“Women and girls in Rafah, as in the rest of Gaza, are in a state of constant despair and fear already,” the UN agency said, adding that an Israeli ground invasion would have caused further suffering among Rafah’s 700,000 women and girls who have “nowhere to go to escape the bombing and killing”.

Seven months since Israeli strikes began in response to Hamas-led terror attacks, more than 10,000 women have been reportedly killed in Gaza, among them 6,000 mothers. Some 19,000 children have been orphaned, UN Women said.

The UN agency’s survey of 360 respondents, including 182 women in Rafah, revealed disturbing data that more than six in 10 pregnant women reported complications, including 95 per cent with urinary tract infections and 80 per cent with anaemia. In households with nursing mothers, 72 per cent reported challenges in breastfeeding and in meeting the nutritional needs of their babies.

Compounding pressures

The UN agency data indicated that mothers also reported struggling to protect their children, both physically and mentally, while living in tents and overcrowded households.

According to eight in 10 of the survey’s female and male respondents, mothers now take on more responsibility than men to provide emotional support for adult family members and children alike.

The Human Rights of Anne Frank released to forgotten

By

Gabriel Carrion Lopez

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16 May 2024

Anne Frank was a German girl of Jewish descent, who was born in a time where intolerance towards said people spread throughout Europe thanks to Nazism

Sometimes stories cross paths with you. They balance on the pages of a newspaper and jump to get between the Brioche and the café con leche, while sitting on an old terrace, listening to a bit of jazz by the acclaimed, but never completely known, John Coleman.

One, once old enough, never looks for new stories on the front pages of European newspapers. He stoically searches the loose section, for small news, and with the wisdom that comes with the years (old cat) he lets himself be carried away by some of those complementary news items that on page 12 or later, help the newspaper layout artists to bear the weight of history day after day. And then, suddenly, as if from the corner of the eye, a small curiosity is found: in a German town, a daycare center had decided to remove the name of Anne Frank, for any other name.

I grabbed my Montblanc pen and circled the news. I finished breakfast and began to walk in the autumn of ocher leaves and the flavor of growing Christmas. I already had a story for my next article.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== The Human Rights of Anne Frank released to forgotten

Annelies Marie Frank, known worldwide as Anne Frank, was born in Frankfurt am Main (in German Frankfurt am Main, although known worldwide as Frankfurt) on June 12, 1929, and died in March 1945. Anne, as I will call her , was a German girl of Jewish descent, who was born in a time where intolerance towards said people spread throughout Europe thanks to Nazism, a cursed ideology that only seeks its own benefit. A totalitarian ideology that seeks the annihilation of the Jew and the subjugation of the rest. Something similar, for example, to what happens with many ideologues of Islam who continue to practice anti-Semitism and propagate it without immodesty.

Anne became famous worldwide when her father Otto Frank published a diary in Dutch titled The house behind. Known worldwide and later as Ana Frank’s diary. In this narrative, Ana wrote in diary format, an intimate account of the approximately two and a half years she spent hiding from the Nazis in the city of Amsterdam, along with her family and a few other people. This occurred during World War II.

Of course, and due to the denunciations of the “kind” collaborationists (collaborateur), Ana and her family were captured, separated and taken to different concentration camps. The girl was sent directly to the Auschwitz concentration camp on September 2, 1944 at the age of 14.

Anne became famous worldwide when her father Otto Frank published a diary in Dutch titled The house behind. Known worldwide and later as Ana Frank’s diary. In this narrative, Ana wrote in diary format, an intimate account of the approximately two and a half years she spent hiding from the Nazis in the city of Amsterdam, along with her family and a few other people. This occurred during World War II.

Of course, and due to the denunciations of the “kind” collaborationists (collaborateur), Ana and her family were captured, separated and taken to different concentration camps. The girl was sent directly to the Auschwitz concentration camp on September 2, 1944 at the age of 14.

For those who have been today on the land where that concentration camp was installed, if they are sensitive, they will have noticed how the land, the space where the barracks, the gas chambers or the infamous mass graves were located, is overwhelming. Searching the sources of the Jerusalem Memory Museum, one million three hundred thousand Jews were sent to said camp, 900,000 were directly murdered upon arrival. They undressed them, separated their clothes, their boots, their belongings, and naked they made them pass starving, infected with fleas, barefoot, with the promise of a good shower and a hot meal on the other side, to the Barracks of Death. They were gassed and, as remains, they were all thrown into common graves or incinerated, after examining their mouths in order to extract the molars or gold teeth, which many of them had.

Of those four hundred thousand remaining Jews, two hundred thousand suffered the same fate as their companions as the months passed. Two hundred thousand were registered as prisoners or transferred. Among them, Ana was transferred to Bergen-Belsen, an SS camp, where between 1941 and 1945 nearly 50,000 prisoners died. Overcrowding permanently caused death from typhus, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and dysentery. Anne Frank lasted in those harsh conditions, alone and abandoned to her fate, for just a few months. In late February or early March 1945, at the age of 15, she was found dead in her bed, dressed in rags and in her bones.

The only one in the family who survived the genocide at the end of the war was Otto Frank, Ana’s father, who, as I mentioned before, published his diary.

That publication was a narrative blast of the horrors experienced prior to the girl’s entry into the Nazi hell. But it nevertheless brought many adolescents and adults closer to a historical memory that needs to be reviewed with some assiduity. Due to that publication, after a few years, in Germany and other places in the world, many schools, streets or squares adopted the name of Anne Frank, in memory of that girl. But the conflict in Gaza and the anti-Semitism rooted in certain religious cultures seems to be beginning to take its toll, even in Germany itself.

In that newspaper clipping Frankfurter Allgemeinewhich I was reading at breakfast, I came across the following loose book from which I extract some notes: The director of a daycare center, Linda Schicho, acknowledges that they have had to change the name of the center, which was called ANA FRANK, because the Muslim ancestry of the vast majority of the parents requested it. For them, according to her own words, it was difficult for them to explain the topic of the Holocaust and the topic of the Jews to their children. “They preferred a less political name.” Anne Frank was just a girl punished for intransigence and I am worried that in Germany they are once again making a journey towards intolerance, but in the opposite direction.

Well, basically those Muslim parents, three hours and about 1,200 words later, maybe they can read this little chronicle to their children. And explain to them that there was a dark regime that killed millions of people and among them millions of Jews. And perhaps with a certain level of honesty, I suppose you could add that HAMAS, the organization that started the conflict in the Gaza Strip, is terrorist and totally and deeply anti-Semitic. An organization that, in the purest Nazi style, keeps men, women and children, some of them just a few years old, stuck in tunnels in inhumane conditions, causing them so much terror that they and their families will remember it as long as they live.

What will be next in colonized Germany, make duplexes on the grounds of each of the concentration camps so that everything is forgotten. Let us hope that the historical memory of the people, based on the truth, and not on the self-serving lies of those who lead them, can remain intact.

Originally published at LaDamadeElche.com

How To Incorporate European Fashion Trends Into Your Wardrobe

By

Newsdesk

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16 May 2024

You can elevate your style game by incorporating European fashion trends into your wardrobe. European fashion is known for its elegance, sophistication, and innovation, making it a great source of inspiration for those looking to stand out. From Parisian chic to Italian flair, there are countless trends to choose from. By implementing these fashion trends into your daily outfits, you can create a unique and stylish look that sets you apart from the crowd. Let’s probe some key tips on how to infuse your wardrobe with a touch of European charm.

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Identifying Current European Fashion Trends

One European Fashion To Copy This Summer can provide a great insight into the latest fashion trends coming out of Europe. By staying up-to-date with the fashion scene across the pond, you can bring a touch of European flair into your wardrobe.

Key Trends to Watch in European Fashion

Watch out for bold prints, oversized silhouettes, and statement accessories as key trends in European fashion this season. European designers are embracing maximalism, playing with vibrant colors and daring combinations to create bold and eye-catching looks. Keep an eye out for unique textures and unconventional patterns that add a touch of individuality to your outfit.

Seasonal Must-Haves from Europe’s Fashion Capitals

The seasonal must-haves from Europe’s fashion capitals are imperative pieces that capture the essence of European style. These can include tailored blazers from Paris, sleek leather pieces from Milan, or effortlessly chic separates from Copenhagen. Embrace the sophisticated simplicity and timeless elegance that are characteristic of European fashion by incorporating these key pieces into your wardrobe.

Integrating European Trends into Your Personal Style

Balancing Trendiness with Timelessness

Some fashionistas may find it challenging to strike a balance between incorporating the latest European trends into their wardrobe while maintaining a timeless appeal. Integrating trendy pieces with classic staples is the key to achieving a harmonious and stylish look. Invest in timeless crucials like a tailored blazer, a quality pair of denim jeans, and a versatile little black dress, and then add a pop of European flair with trendy accessories or statement pieces.

The Art of Mixing and Matching

On the quest to infuse your wardrobe with European fashion trends, mastering the art of mixing and matching is crucial. On one hand, be bold and experiment with combining different textures, patterns, and colors to create visually interesting outfits. On the other hand, ensure that there is a cohesive theme or color palette running through your ensemble to maintain a polished and sophisticated look.

Understanding the principles of balance and cohesion in mixing and matching will allow you to create unique and fashion-forward outfits that reflect your personal style while embracing European trends.

Accessible Ways to Embrace European Fashion

Not sure how to incorporate European fashion trends into your wardrobe? Check out our blog post on Women’s European Fashion – At Home for inspiration and tips.

Shopping Tips for Finding European-Inspired Pieces

Finding European-inspired pieces for your wardrobe can be exciting and rewarding. Look for clean lines, neutral colors, and classic silhouettes when shopping. Opt for high-quality materials like linen, wool, and leather to achieve an authentic European look. Don’t forget to explore boutiques and online stores that cater to European brands for unique finds. After all, quality over quantity is key when embracing European fashion.

DIY Approaches to Euro-Chic Styling

Tips to DIY Euro-chic styling involve incorporating minimalist accessories, mixing and matching pieces, and experimenting with layering. Add scarves, belts, and statement jewelry to elevate your look. To truly embody European style, focus on simplicity and elegance in your outfits. Whether it’s a French-inspired beret or a Spanish-influenced ruffle blouse, let your creativity shine through. To truly embrace Euro-chic styling, remember that less is more.

Maintaining Your Updated Wardrobe

To stay on top of the latest European fashion trends, it’s vital to keep your wardrobe updated with fresh and modern pieces. One way to get inspired is by exploring European Summer Wardrobe: Outfit Inspiration For 2023. This will give you a glimpse of the chic styles that are currently in vogue and help you make informed choices when adding new items to your collection.

Care and Maintenance of Trendy Garments

Trendy garments require special care to ensure they maintain their quality and style. Always check the care label before washing or storing your trendy pieces. Avoid overwashing to prevent wear and tear, and consider investing in a good steamer to keep them looking fresh and wrinkle-free. Storing them properly, such as hanging delicate items and folding knits, will also extend their lifespan.

When to Update and When to Keep Classics

When it comes to updating your wardrobe with trendy pieces versus keeping classic staples, it’s important to strike a balance. Investing in timeless pieces like a tailored blazer, a little black dress, or a quality pair of jeans is vital for a well-rounded wardrobe. However, don’t shy away from incorporating trendy items to keep your look current and fashion-forward. Consider updating your wardrobe with seasonal colors, prints, or silhouettes while mixing them with your classic pieces for a stylish ensemble.

To wrap up

Hence, incorporating European fashion trends into your wardrobe can be a fun and creative way to refresh your style. By understanding the key elements of European fashion, such as tailored silhouettes, classic patterns, and quality fabrics, you can easily elevate your look to emulate the effortless elegance often associated with European style. Remember to mix and match pieces, experiment with accessories, and most importantly, embrace your individuality while incorporating these trends into your wardrobe. Stay confident and have fun exploring the world of European fashion in your everyday outfits!

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

By

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15 May 2024

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

The current situation has reached an “unprecedented emergency level”, he said, and the most recent evacuation order by Israel has forced tens of thousands to flee.

As part of the contingency effort, WHO and partners have been establishing field hospitals and supporting restoration of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, which will be used as a main referral hospital and with the aim of re-establishing basic health services.

“We have installed a large warehouse in Deir Al Balah and we moved the majority of supplies to ensure rapid access and movement of supplies to Khan Younis, Middle Area and north Gaza,” he added.

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Hospitals already ‘overloaded’

There are currently three hospitals operating in Rafah, including the Emirati Maternity Hospital, and over the past weeks WHO has been ensuring that they are fully prepared and supported in terms of medical supplies.

Dr. Dahir said the hospitals are already “overloaded with patients” and recent developments have affected access. He cited the example of Al-Najjar Hospital, which provides dialysis services for more than 100 patients.

“Unfortunately, the hospital is among the blocks which were ordered by the Israeli Government for evacuation, so patients are afraid to seek services,” he said.

“We are also hearing that there are many patients who are being admitted in this hospital who start to move from the hospital.”

He emphasized that WHO has always advocated for hospitals to be protected.

“We have set clear mechanisms for a referral pathway between the hospitals and in case that hospitals will not be accessed, what are the other alternatives? And that’s why we have been supporting the restoration of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.”

Asked about the situation of pregnant women and newborns, Dr. Dahir noted that the Emirati Maternity Hospital is one of the key facilities of its kind across Gaza, delivering more than 100 babies each month.

“We have been ensuring that the hospital is fully occupied. And in case we lose accessibility, then we will be able to refer pregnant mothers, for instance, to field hospitals in Al Mawasi area as well as the Nasser Medical Complex,” he said.

Fuel running out

Meanwhile, fuel critical for humanitarian operations in Gaza could run out “tomorrow” and some food stocks might only last to the end of the week, a senior UN aid official in the region said on Tuesday.

Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has severed access to fuel, affecting the entry of critical relief items and curtailing the movement of aid workers.

Speaking from Jerusalem, Mr. De Domenico said lack of fuel is a particular concern as humanitarians have just around 30,000 litres of diesel available when they normally use 200,000 litres a day.

Priority is being given to health, water and communication, with some fuel set aside as contingency for the secure movement of staff.

“That will leave us basically with no fuel as of tomorrow,” he said.

“The Israelis have provided assurances that they are working out a way to bring in more fuel and they are hoping to be able to organize this tomorrow. We will see,” he added, noting that distribution will also be a challenge “if Rafah is caught in the middle of the military operation”.

Communication networks affected

Mr. De Domenico explained that communication companies are unable to receive the daily quantities of fuel required to sustain their networks.

“This means that as of a couple of days, people will not have access to information, we will not be able to gather information for people to understand their needs, and families will not be able to connect during displacement if they get separated”.

He recalled that over 75 per cent of the Gaza population has been displaced and “may now have no option but to remain in an ever-decreasing area of land”.

Lack of shelter

People are moving to sites that do not have latrines, water points, proper drainage, or shelter.

“It is impossible to improve the situation in the existing and the new displacement sites without the entry of supplies and without the fuel to transport them to the locations where the people are concentrating,” he said.

Meanwhile, aid partners working in the shelter sector only have some 1,500 tents. He said lack of tents combined with the high percentage of damaged or destroyed homes in Gaza, means that displaced people leaving Rafah are forced to find other shelter options.

“They need shelter materials such as tarpaulins, ropes, plastic shelter, nails, and those tools are simply not available in in Gaza. And without the humanitarian assistance that will bring those in, we will not be able to support them.”

Food stocks dwindling

Additionally, most food distributions in the south have been suspended since Monday as many warehouses are in the part of Rafah that has been affected by hostilities. Furthermore, he estimated that most aid partners could run out of food to support people south of Wadi Gaza by the end of the week.

Humanitarians are also running out of fuel to dispatch remaining commodities for distribution to households and to 16 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).

The embattled health sector also will be impacted if military operations continue, as the three remaining hospitals in Rafah will become inoperable, depriving 1.2 million people of care.

Water and waste management

Mr. De Domenico further warned that “without fuel tomorrow, the main water production will be shut down in the north, depriving the entire population of access to drinking water.”

The same would apply in the south and middle governorates in the coming days, affecting 1.9 million people.

There is also the “huge issue” of solid waste collection, which also relies on fuel supply, and collection points in the south have already been reduced.

“We estimated there will be a production of 1,400 tonnes of waste per day that will accumulate in the streets all over. And this was already a big challenge because also we do not have access yet to the landfill where we could deliver and drop all the garbage,” he said.

He added that the sewage pumping station in East Rafah has already stopped working due to the military operation, impacting 80,000 people.

Concern for unaccompanied children

UN agencies on Tuesday highlighted the plight of women and girls, as well as children, and Mr. De Domenico also focused on the issue of unaccompanied and separated minors.

He said their numbers “will rapidly increase while our ability to provide them basic support will be heavily reduced if the situation in Rafah evolves with a further military operation.

World News in Brief: Children in eastern DR Congo, Iran death sentence, support for Haiti

By

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15 May 2024

World News in Brief: Children in eastern DR Congo, Iran death sentence, support for Haiti

Concluding a five-day visit to the region, UNICEF Deputy Director Ted Chaiban noted that fighting has reached new heights and created the worst humanitarian crisis there since 2003.

He highlighted growing concerns for safeguarding children’s rights and protection of civilians as the situation worsens.

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Grave violations mount

“Children are being killed, maimed, abducted, and recruited by armed groups with verified grave violations the highest ever; their rights to education and a safe childhood have been shattered,” he said.

UNICEF warned that the all-time high of 7.2 million internally displaced persons in eastern DRC could further spiral as armed groups take control of ever more territory and as fighting spreads.

These developments are occurring at the same time as the UN peacekeeping mission begins to depart from the country.

“We are seeing growing numbers of children killed and wounded with the recent shift to the use of heavier and sophisticated arms,” Mr. Chaiban said.

While in the region, he met with Congolese authorities and visited sites hosting thousands of displaced families.

“The only way to reduce this suffering is to double down on efforts by regional actors and the international community to negotiate a political solution to the conflict, including the Luanda process, Nairobi dialogue and other diplomatic efforts,” he said.

Rights experts urge Iran to revoke death sentence against activist

UN-appointed human rights experts on Monday urged Iran to revoke the death sentence against an anti-corruption activist.

Mahmoud Mehrabi was convicted on charges of “corruption on Earth”, a term they said “refers to a broad range of offences, including blasphemy and ‘crimes’ relating to Islamic morals”.

He was rearrested on 16 March 2023 in connection with his online activism on justice and corruption.

He later faced additional charges, including propaganda against the state, incitement of police and military forces to disobedience, incitement to war, crimes against national security and insulting the founder and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“It is alarming that Iran’s punishments for freedom of expression include the death penalty or long-term prison sentences,” the experts said, noting that local rapper Tomaj Salehi also received the death penalty two weeks ago.

They noted that at least five people were sentenced to death in connection with nationwide protests in 2022 against the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. At least 15 others are at imminent risk.

“We urge Iranian authorities to amend the Constitution and the penal code to prohibit executions and commute all death sentences,” they said.

The statement was issued by Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran; Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

The experts receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.

A woman displaced by gang violence is now living in a former theatre in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Humanitarians continue support to Haitians affected by gang violence

Aid organisations continue to provide emergency assistance to thousands of people across Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, amid ongoing gang activity, UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on Monday.

OCHA warned that some residents are extremely vulnerable, with armed groups continuing to perpetrate coordinated attacks.

On Friday, the commune of Gressier, south of Port-au-Prince, was attacked and several houses set on fire, forcing an unknown number of people to flee.

Humanitarian partners are conducting assessments both in Gressier and nearby areas where people fled.

Currently, some 362,000 people are displaced in Haiti, half of them children, with 160,000 in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

During the period from 8 March through 9 April, some 95,000 people fled the capital, 60 per cent of them to the southern departments, according to UN migration agency IOM.

Humanitarians remain steadfast in their commitment to assist the Haitian people. Since March, the World Food Programme (WFP) has helped more than 800,000 people nationwide through its school feeding, emergency and resilience programmes.

WFP has also distributed more than 825,000 meals to over 95,000 displaced people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan zone.

Belgium and Europe join forces to support plant health, biodiversity and the economy

By

Newsdesk

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15 May 2024

According to Lieven Van Herzele, head of the Belgian plant health service (COPH) and head of the “Plant Protection” unit at the FPS SPSCAE:

A broad coalition of partners from across Europe have joined forces to launch the second year of the #PlantHealth4Life campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the deep links between plant health and our daily lives. The objective? Stimulate citizen action to protect plant health. Belgium, through the Federal Public Service of Public Health, Safety of the Food Chain and Environment (FPS SPSCAE), is once again participating in the campaign led by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission (EC) and 21 other European countries.

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How does plant health affect our lives?

Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and clean the air we breathe. But that’s not all: healthy plants mean good agricultural yields, which affects the availability and price of food for consumers. Climate change and human activities such as trade and travel are putting a lot of pressure on plants; The spread of pests and plant diseases can have disastrous economic and environmental consequences.

Think of Ralstonia solanacearum, a bacterium that puts potato production at risk, which represents more than 100,000 hectares of agricultural land in Belgium. Similarly, fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis) have a major impact on fruit and vegetable production and the trade chain, with potential losses amounting to €10 billion per year in the European Union.

“Belgian citizens could be made more aware of plant health. This is where the #PlantHealth4Life campaign comes in: it promotes a collective awareness of the risks to plant health and pushes us to think about the role that each of us can play in protecting plants throughout Belgium and Europe, and taking action.”

Tobin Robinson, Head of EFSA’s PLANT HEALTH Unit, who will present the campaign at the “Plant Health Without Borders” symposium organised today in Brussels by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, said:

” Plant health has an impact not only on the environment, the economy and the European food chain, but also on our present and future – by preserving plant health, we protect life. It is therefore a source of pride to see how Europeans are engaged in this area, as evidenced by the unprecedented participation of Member States in the #PlantHealth4Life campaign,”

“Enlightened European citizens, armed with accurate information on plant health, can help protect and preserve our biodiversity” said Claire Bury, Deputy Director-General for Food Sustainability at DG SANTÉ. “Plant health is a priority for the European Commission under the One Health approach. By informing citizens about the importance of not importing pests into the European Union and by giving them the knowledge to take appropriate action, we can make a difference.»

Every European can do something about it!

The actions of every European are essential to keep plants healthy. Visit the #PlantHealth4Life campaign website and find out how you can keep plants healthy. You will find resources available in all EU languages, including press materials, social media posts to share on your channels and videos.

You may find them useful, especially if you are:

a curious traveler who loves to explore the world and nature;
a gardener who grows and cares for his vegetables, flowers and trees at home, in his garden or on his balcony;
a parent, concerned about the food their children eat, and eager to protect farming communities, the environment, and biodiversity for future generations.

This year offers many opportunities to participate in the campaign, which will tour trade fairs, exhibitions and schools in the participating countries. Check the national page of the campaign website to see what’s happening in your country, and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!

A multi-country campaign

#PlantHealth4Life is a multi-year, multi-country campaign designed at the request of the European Commission and based on an in-depth analysis of perceptions and behaviours related to plant health across the European Union, in which Belgium is participating for the second year in a row. This year’s campaign involves 21 Member States and one candidate country, doubling the reach of the previous year: Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Montenegro.

Italy’s national broadcaster places discrimination against non-national university teaching staff, Lettori, in the spotlight

By

Henry Rodgers

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15 May 2024

Last weekend, Rai 3, a television channel of Italy’s national broadcasting service, aired a programme on Italy’s failure to fulfil its obligations as a member of the European Union. How adherent a member state is to these obligations is measured by the number of infringement proceedings taken against it by the European Commission for perceived breaches of Treaty commitments. Widely perceived as one of the most pro-European states, comparative statistics of infringement proceedings taken by the Commission against member states over time show that Italy has a markedly poor record in respecting EU law.

Not surprisingly, the discrimination against “Lettori”, the non-national teaching staff in Italian universities, was addressed in the Rai 3 programme. The discrimination represents the longest-running breach of the parity of treatment provision of the Treaty in the history of the EU. Further, it is newsworthy in that last July the Commission took the decision to refer yet another infringement case against Italy to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). A series of articles in The European Times traces the legal history of the Lettori and their campaign against the discrimination they have suffered from the first of the Allué rulings in 1989 to the decision of the College of Commissioners to refer the latest infringement proceedings against Italy to the CJEU in July of last year.

John Gilbert is National Lettori Coordinator for FLC CGII, Italy’s largest trade union. Interviewed by Rai 3 at the University of Florence, where he teaches, he briefly outlined the background to the discrimination case under scrutiny. In the line of litigation which leads from the Allué ruling of 1989 to the pending infringement case against Italy, the Lettori have won 4 cases before the CJEU on the issue of parity of treatment with their Italian colleagues. This statistic most probably shocked the Rai audience, given the general perception that sentences of the CJEU are final and definitive. The duration of the litigation has meant that many Lettori have retired without ever having worked under the non-discriminatory conditions to which the parity of treatment provision of the Treaty entitles them. Further, the discrimination is also in effect a gender-based discrimination: 80% of the 1,500 Lettori who teach or have taught before retirement in the Italian universities are women, Mr. Gilbert pointed out.

That FLC CGIL, the largest trade union in the country, would call on the European Commission to prosecute Italy for its discriminatory treatment of the non-national Lettori was obviously a persuasive point for an audience of Italian viewers. Mr. Gilbert referred to the seven recent representations to Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, in favour of the Lettori. In addition to these representations, and together with Asso.CEL.L, an official complainant in the Commission’s infringement proceedings against Italy, FLC CGIL conducted a national Census of Lettori, which documented to the commission‘s satisfaction the prevalence of discrimination against Lettori in the Italian universities and was influential in the opening of the present infringement proceedings.

The coverage of the Lettori case by RAI, the official national broadcaster, continues the recent interest shown in the Lettori case by the Italian media. The one-day FLC CGIL strike of June 2023 in campuses across Italy was well covered in sympathetic local Italian media, with television coverage of the protests in Florence. Padova, and Sassari. The national broadcaster was particularly sympathetic to the Lettori case, stressing their high qualifications and the fundamental teaching role the Lettori play in the Italian universities. As an investigative, current-affairs programme, the conclusions drawn will carry weight with public opinion. In particular, Rai 3 was scathing that a discrimination which could eventually result in the imposition of heavy fines on Italy should have been allowed to continue for decades in defiance of CJEU sentences.

As yet, no date has been set for the hearing in the Commission’s case against Italy, listed in the CJEU register as Case C-519/23. Beyond the obvious interest shown in Italy, the case is being closely followed across Europe, especially by scholars of EU law. This is because the history of the case and the issues at stake go to the very heart of the efficacy of the infringement proceedings as a means to enforce EU law. For a better understanding of these undoubtedly complex issues and their important implications for the administration of EU justice, it is instructive to recall the 2006 enforcement ruling of the CJEU in Case C-119/04. It was for non-implementation of this ruling that the Commission took the infringement case which is now pending before the Court.

In Case C-119/04, the Commission recommended the imposition of daily fines of €309.750 on Italy for its continuing discrimination against Lettori. Italy enacted a last-minute law in March 2004, the provisions of which the CJEU held could remedy the discrimination. In the absence of evidence in the depositions as to whether this law had been properly implemented, the Court declined to fine Italy. That the Commission opened follow-on infringement proceedings clearly shows that it takes the view that the provisions of the March 2004 law were never subsequently correctly implemented.

The Lettori case then gives rise to a number of important considerations in relation to the conduct of infringement proceedings:

1. The Treaty provisions for infringement proceedings: The Treaty of Rome empowered the Commission to take infringement proceedings against member states for perceived violation of Treaty obligations. Later, a provision of the Treaty of Maastricht further empowered the Commission to take enforcement proceedings for non-implementation of infringement rulings and gave the CJEU the power to impose fines for non-compliance. Clearly, then the enforcement proceedings were introduced to bring closure. The Lettori case shows they have failed to do so.

2. Evidence: In Case C-119/04 the judges pointedly noted that there was no evidence from the Lettori in the Commission depositions to counter Italy’s claims that the March 2004 law had been correctly implemented. Had this evidence been made available to the Court, the case would obviously have had a very different outcome. Safeguards are needed to ensure that complainants, on whose behalf the Commission takes infringement proceedings, can check and respond to the deposition evidence of member states.

3.The confidentiality requirement. Though infringement proceedings are taken on behalf of complainants, the complainants are not technically party to the proceedings, and exchanges between the Commission and the member state remain confidential. In fairness to the Commission, it has gathered ample documentation from the Lettori complainants over the course of the present proceedings. However, under present arrangements, complainants remain in the dark as to a member state’s response to their submissions. At “La Sapienza” University of Rome, for example, the Commission has been informed that a contract deemed discriminatory in a 2001 ruling of the CJEU remains in force today. Lettori, in service for decades, can receive the same pay as colleagues hired years after the Allué rulings in defiance of the same 2001 judgement. Access to a member state’s counterarguments in situations like these would be instructive and helpful for complainants.

4.Retrospective member state legislation to interpret CJEU rulings

Following on the ruling in Case C-119/04 and the Court’s acceptance that the terms of the Italian law of March 2004 could remedy the discrimination, local Italian courts routinely awarded Lettori plaintiffs uninterrupted settlements for reconstructions of career from the date of first employment. But, in December 2010 Italy enacted the Gelmini Law, a law which purported to provide an authentic interpretation of the March 2004 law, and by implication the attendant ruling of the CJEU.

Gelmini limits the full reconstruction of career due to Lettori to the year 1995-a limit nowhere prescribed in the CJEU ruling, or in the March 2004 law. At variance with rulings of the local Italian judiciary, it is also at variance with recent decisions of some Italian universities, such as Milan and Tor Vergata, which have awarded their Lettori uninterrupted reconstructions of career.

The point at stake here is obvious and does not need to be overlaboured. That a member state could be allowed to retrospectively interpret legislation on which the CJEU has already ruled, and to its own advantage, would set a precedent with very serious implications for the rule of law in the EU.

Kurt Rollin is Asso.CEL.L representative for retired Lettori. Commenting on the Rai 3 programme and the pending CJEU case against Italy, Mr. Rollin said:

“The intransigence of the Italian state has drawn the Lettori into a legal quagmire for over four decades. Despite recourse to all the available means for redress, Italy, with apparent impunity, has withheld our Treaty right to parity of treatment. It is heartening that RAI, Italy’s national broadcaster, and FLC CGIL, Italy’s largest trade union, have come out so clearly in favour of the non-national Lettori. Hopefully, the pending infringement case before the CJEU will deliver an overdue justice for our category.”

Princeton Theological Seminary Students visit Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s Residence where he wrote his book Dianetics

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Newsdesk

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15 May 2024

KingNewsWire. Professor Afe Adogame led Princeton Theological Seminary students on a tour of L. Ron Hubbard’s former residence in Bay Head, NJ, where Hubbard wrote “Dianetics.” The visit, enriched by historical insights from Mayor William Curtis, highlighted Hubbard’s impact and the home’s significance as a historic site.

In the community of Bay Head, New Jersey, a group of students, from Princeton Theological Seminary set out on an insightful tour through history guided by Professor Afe Adogame, a renowned expert in the exploration of emerging religious movements. This excursion took place before the commemoration of the release of “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” a significant publication, by L. Ron Hubbard, the esteemed American writer and founder of Scientology.

The famous L. Ron Hubbard Residence, where Mr. Hubbard penned his New York Times bestselling book, was the setting for this learning experience. This residence, currently recognized on the National Register of Historic Places represents a period in Mr. Hubbard’s life and the wider story of religious movements, in America.

Professor Adogame, who earned a doctorate in the history of religions from the University of Bayreuth in Germany is presently teaching Religion and Society at Princeton. Additionally as associate professor of World Christianity and religious studies, and director international at School of Divinity, New College, at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. His scholarly path and administrative role have positioned him as a figure, in religious studies.

Throughout the tour students learned about Mr. Hubbard’s impact, on religious thinking and the historical background surrounding his endeavors. The house, where Mr. Hubbard resided between September 1949 and April 1950 stands as the sole property, in Bay Head recognized so far by the U.S. Department of the Interior for its historical importance.

The group was welcomed by Bay Head’s Mayor William Curtis, who recently honored Hubbard posthumously with the first-ever Key to the City. Mayor Curtis shared insights into the city’s seafaring heritage and its community’s warmth and friendliness, which he described as the essence of Bay Head’s uniqueness.

The visit also highlighted the longstanding ties between the town and Princeton Theological Seminary, recalling how seminary leaders helped establish the Bay Head Chapel, a local landmark.

Reflecting on the experience, Professor Adogame praised Hubbard’s exceptional qualities, noting his charisma and profound impact on addressing existential and spiritual issues. “Visiting Hubbard’s residence not only connects us with a pivotal moment in religious history but also enriches our understanding of the complex dynamics that shape spiritual movements,” said Adogame.

The L. Ron Hubbard Residence continues to offer tours, attracting visitors keen to trace Hubbard’s steps and explore the origins of Scientology. As the 74th anniversary of “Dianetics” just occurred, the residence remains a pivotal site for those interested in the intersections of religion, history, and culture.

Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is now translated into over 50 languages and with over 22 million copies in the hands of readers in 160 countries.

Born on March 13th, 1911, Mr. Hubbard originally took occupancy of the Bay Head house in the first week of September 1949 and compiled 12 years of independent research into the Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health book. It was additionally in New Jersey that he trained the first Dianetics practitioners. Then, too, plans were laid at the Bay Head house for the first Hubbard Dianetics Research Foundation and thus the framework of a movement now spanning better than 150 nations. L. Ron Hubbard’s Bay Head, New Jersey, home is where the saga of Dianetics began.

No aid getting into Gaza, says UN aid agency

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14 May 2024

No aid getting into Gaza, says UN aid agency

“We’re not receiving any aid, the crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone,” said Scott Anderson, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. “We are hearing continued bombardments in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has entered into the Gaza Strip and this is disastrous for the humanitarian response.”

The development comes amid deepening international concerns including from the UN Secretary-General about a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, fuelled by the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing following a deadly rocket attack claimed by Hamas last weekend, and the seizure of Rafah crossing on Tuesday by Israeli forces, dashing ceasefire hopes.

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Forced to evacuate

In addition to concerns over dwindling supplies of fuel, food and other basic necessities in Gaza, UN humanitarians reported that tens of thousands of people in Rafah have been uprooted once more by Israeli evacuation orders.

“Every day we are displaced. Every hour we are displaced,” said Rafah resident Salah Rajab Gazan speaking to UN News inside the enclave. “We expected that the deal would be reached and we’d go [back] to Gaza City. But, what we expected did not happen, and the opposite happened.”

Gaza ‘has no future’

In another interview with our Arabic service correspondent there, a former resident of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza described his exhaustion and loss after seven months of war which had claimed the lives of his children.

“I can’t find a mattress to sleep on,” he said. “I used to have a house and floors. I am tired of life because there is no life in Gaza. Gaza has no future.”

Guterres concern

In a bid to secure an end to the war and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a direct appeal to the Government of Israel late Tuesday “to stop any escalation and engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks”.

Posting on X late on Tuesday, the UN chief said that he was “disturbed and distressed” by the Israeli Defense Forces’ renewed military activity in Rafah, just as he called on Hamas leaders and Israel “to show political courage” and secure a ceasefire.

“After more than 1,100 Israelis killed in the Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, after more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, haven’t we seen enough?” Mr. Guterres asked.