European Health Data Space to support patients and research

EU Health Data Space to support patients and research

EP and Council negotiators agreed on the creation of a European Health Data Space to ease access to personal health data and to boost secure sharing for the public interest.

The provisional political agreement on a European Health Data Space (EHDS), reached early on Friday by Parliament and the Belgian Presidency of the Council, outlines that patients will be able to access their personal health data electronically across the EU’s different healthcare systems. The bill also gives health professionals access to their patients’ data, based strictly on what is necessary for a given treatment, and patients will also be able to download their health record free of charge.

Electronic health records (EHR) would include patient summaries, electronic prescriptions, medical imagery and laboratory results (so-called primary use).

Each country would establish national health data access services based on the MyHealth@EU platform. The law would also create a European electronic health record exchange format, and outline rules on data quality, security and the interoperability of EHR systems that will be monitored by national market surveillance authorities.

Data-sharing for the common good with safeguards

The EHDS would allow anonymised or pseudonymised health data, including health records, clinical trials, pathogens, health claims and reimbursements, genetic data, public health registry information, wellness data and information on healthcare resources, expenditure and financing, to be shared for public interest purposes (so-called secondary use). These reasons would include research, innovation, policy-making, education and patient safety purposes.

The sharing of data for advertising or assessing insurance requests will be prohibited. During negotiations, MEPs ensured that secondary use would not be allowed concerning decisions on labour markets (including job offers), lending conditions and other types of discrimination or profiling.

Stronger safeguards for sensitive data

The law ensures patients will have a say in how their data is used and accessed. They must be informed each time their data is accessed, and they will have the right to request or correct incorrect data. Patients will also be able to object to healthcare professionals accessing their data for primary use, except where this is necessary for protecting the vital interests of the data subject or another person. MEPs secured the right for patients to opt out of secondary use, with certain exceptions for public-interest, policy-making or statistics purposes, and protections for intellectual property rights and trade secrets when relevant data is shared for secondary use.

National data protection authorities will monitor the enforcement of health data access rights and will be empowered to issue fines in the event of shortcomings.

Quotes

Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia), Environment Committee co-rapporteur, said: “The European Health Data Space will put citizens in control of their health data by providing a safe framework for storing and accessing their personal health records that will be accessible anywhere in the EU – enhancing healthcare at a national and cross-border level. the EHDS will also facilitate the responsible sharing of health data to researchers – boosting research and innovation in the EU, and ensuring the development of new treatments.”

Annalisa Tardino (ID, Italy), Civil Liberties Committee co-rapporteur, said: “The EHDS will contribute to providing state-of-the-art healthcare to patients everywhere in the EU. We have succeeded in including in the text significant reinforcements regarding the protection of sensitive personal data, in particular with the possibility for patients to opt-out both for primary and secondary use of their health data. In that regard, Parliament’s mandate was stronger and provided even more safeguards, but the majority of LIBE political groups considers that the final agreement strikes a balance between exchanging health data for treatment and for life-saving research, and protecting the privacy of our citizens.”

Next steps

europeThe provisional agreement still needs to be formally adopted by both institutions before it can enter into law.

How To Introduce A New Cat To Your Household

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Newsdesk

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16 March 2024

It’s an exciting time when bringing a new feline friend into your home, but introducing a new cat to your household requires careful planning and consideration to ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved. Proper introduction is crucial as it can set the tone for harmonious relationships among all your pets, preventing conflict and stress. By following some simple steps and patience, you can help your new cat feel welcome and comfortable in their new environment, creating a happy and peaceful home for all your furry companions.

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Preparing for the New Arrival

Setting Up a Safe Space

Space is key when it comes to introducing a new cat to your household. Before bringing the new cat home, designate a quiet room where the cat can acclimate to their new environment. This space should include all the vitals like a litter box, food and water dishes, toys, and a cozy bed.

Gathering Essential Supplies

Supplies are vital for a smooth transition for the new cat. Purchase high-quality food specifically designed for cats, a litter box with low-entry for easy access, comfortable bedding, interactive toys, and scratching posts. These supplies are crucial for meeting the cat’s basic needs and keeping them entertained and comfortable.

To ensure your new cat feels welcomed and secure in their new environment, it is important to provide a range of supplies that cater to their physical and emotional well-being. From nutritious food to engaging toys, these vitals will help your new feline companion settle in smoothly and feel right at home.

‘We cannot abandon the people of Gaza’: chiefs of UN agencies and NGOs unite in appeal for UNRWA

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16 March 2024

‘We cannot abandon the people of Gaza’: chiefs of UN agencies and NGOs unite in appeal for UNRWA

Despite the “horrifying” allegations that 12 UNWRA staff were involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October, “we must not prevent an entire organization from delivering on its mandate to serve people in desperate need”, said the UN-led group of aid agencies, known collectively as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).

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Regional collapse

“Withdrawing funds from UNRWA …would result in the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, with far-reaching humanitarian and human rights consequences in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and across the region,” warned the IASC panel, headed by UN emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless and “on the brink of famine”, the IASC Principals said, since Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion began after the Palestinian militants butchered some 1,200 people in Israeli communities and took more than 250 others hostage.

Historic role

UNRWA – the largest aid agency in Gaza whose key role in education, healthcare and more in the enclave dates back to 1949 – provides a lifeline to more than two million people in the Strip.

Its future is in jeopardy after several major donors halted funds pending probes into Israel’s allegations that 12 of the agency’s 30,000 staff played a role in the 7 October attacks.

Probe activated

A full and urgent investigation is already underway by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) – the highest investigative body in the UN system – the IASC chiefs said, noting in addition that UNRWA had announced an independent review of its operations.

“Decisions by various Member States to pause funds for UNRWA will have catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza,” the IASC statement continued. “No other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2.2 million people in Gaza urgently need.”

In its latest humanitarian update, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted that the death toll in Gaza since continuing “intense” Israeli bombardment began had now risen to at least 26,751, according to the enclave’s health authorities.

Hostilities continued to be “particularly intense” in the southern city of Khan Younis, OCHA reported late on Tuesday, “with heavy fighting reported near Nasser and Al Amal hospitals, and reports of Palestinians fleeing to the southern town of Rafah, which is already overcrowded, despite the lack of a safe passage”.

Ground operations and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups were also reported across much of Gaza, OCHA noted, with new evacuation orders issued to neighbourhoods in western Gaza city on Monday and Tuesday, including Ash Shati Refugee Camp, Rimal Ash Shamali and Al Janubi, Sabra, Ash Sheikh ‘Ajlin, and Tel Al Hawa.

“The new order covered an area of 12.43 square kilometres…This area was home to almost 300,000 Palestinians before 7 October and, subsequently, 59 shelters with an estimated 88,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) seeking refuge there,” OCHA said.

Shrinking space to shelter

Mass evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military that began on 1 December cover a total of 158 square kilometres, amounting to 41 per cent of the Gaza Strip. “This area was home to 1.38 million Palestinians before 7 October and, subsequently, it contained 161 shelters hosting an estimated 700,750 IDPs,” according to the UN aid coordination office.

As of 30 January, 218 Israeli soldiers have been confirmed killed and 1,283 injured, citing the Israeli military.

The past week has also seen “large numbers of Palestinian men” detained by the Israeli military at a checkpoint in Khan Younis “with many of them stripped to their underwear, blindfolded and taken away”, the OCHA update reported.

Vulnerable populations in northern and central Gaza are increasingly beyond reach because of “an increasing trend in denied and restricted access”, the UN aid coordination office reported. “The reasons include excessive delays for humanitarian aid convoys before or at Israeli checkpoints and heightened hostilities in central Gaza. Threats to the safety of humanitarian personnel and sites are also frequent, impeding the delivery of time-sensitive and life-saving aid and pose serious risks to those involved in humanitarian efforts.”

The IASC signatories to the appeal are:

Martin Griffiths, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Jane Backhurst, Chair, ICVA (Christian Aid)
Jamie Munn, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
Amy E. Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (SR on HR of IDPs)
Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Michal Mlynár, Executive Director a.i., United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat)
Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women
Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

I lost hope and will to live, in Russian jail, says Ukraine POW

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16 March 2024

I lost hope and will to live, in Russian jail, says Ukraine POW

Latest graphic findings from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine – created by the Human Rights Council two years ago – highlight the ongoing grave impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

“I lost any hope and the will to live,” one Ukrainian soldier and former prisoner of war told the Commission of Inquiry, describing how he had been “repeatedly subjected to torture and left with broken bones, broken teeth and gangrene” on an injured foot.

After trying to kill himself at a prison in the town of Donskoy in Tula region, south of Moscow, the soldier recounted how his captors “subjected him to further beating”, said Erik Møse, Commission Chair.

“Victims’ accounts disclose relentless, brutal treatment inflicting severe pain and suffering during prolonged detention, with blatant disregard for human dignity. This has led to long-lasting physical and mental trauma,” he told journalists in Geneva.

“They beat him on his buttocks in the isolation ward, causing bleeding from his anus,” the investigators reported. “In the yard, they beat him on his face and injured foot, leading to bleeding. They knocked out some of his teeth. He begged them to kill him.”

Erik Møse, Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine (centre), Commissioner Vrinda Grover (left) and moderator Todd Pitman, OHCHR, at a press conference in Geneva

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Rape, beatings

Testimonies of rape and other sexual attacks against women “also amount to torture”, the Commissioners maintained, pointing to threats of rape against male prisoners of war and the use of electric shocks intended to hurt or humiliate detainees.

“There were beatings, verbal abuse, electronic devices being used on areas, body parts, there was very limited access to food, water necessities,’ Mr. Møse continued. “The whole treatment of the prisoners of war and the picture drawn up, emerging from the way they were dealt with – how they were treated over long periods, months – enables us to use the word ‘horrific’”.

Graphic testimony

The 20-page report relies on testimonies from hundreds of individuals in order to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed by Russian forces and authorities.

The publication focuses on the siege and indiscriminate bombardment of Mariupol at the outset of the invasion, the use of torture and rape against civilians, prisoners of war and alleged collaborators, the unlawful transfer of 46 children from a care facility in Kherson to Russian-occupied Crimea in October 2022 and the destruction and damage of protected cultural treasures.

“The evidence shows that Russian authorities have committed violation of international human rights and international humanitarian law and corresponding war crimes,” insisted Commissioner Vrinda Grover. “Further investigations are required to determine whether some of the situations identified may constitute crimes against humanity.”

Mariupol and the ‘road to death’

Detailing the ordeal endured by all those besieged in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the report noted how survivors emerged from shelters and “recalled seeing large number of dead bodies on the streets in the rubble of their houses and in the cities’ hospitals”.

At least 58 medical centres were destroyed along with 11 power stations, the investigators said, adding that women who fled on foot from the front line called it “the road to death” and expressed a “pervasive feeling of fear”.

“Often, Russian armed forces failed to take feasible precautions to verify that the affected objects are not civilian,” maintained the rights experts, who work in an independent capacity and are not UN staff.

Genocidal intent concerns

Confirming continuing deep concerns about allegations of genocidal intent by the invading forces, Ms. Grover said the Human Rights Council-mandated probe would “look further” into likely “direct and public incitement to commit genocide” by Russian media.

“We have gone through a large number of such statements and have found that many of them used are using dehumanizing language and calls for hate, violence and destruction,” she said. “And we are concerned with statements supporting the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, calling for the killing of a large number of persons.”

The report is due to be presented to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday 19 March. Watch the launch in Geneva here: https://webtv.un.org/en/schedule/2024-03-19

What Are 2D Materials, and Why Do They Interest Scientists?

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16 March 2024

What Are 2D Materials, and Why Do They Interest Scientists?

If you’ve read any stories about quantum research lately, in Columbia News or elsewhere, you may have heard the term 2D or two-dimensional materials.

An illustration of the atomic structure of graphene, a form of ultra-strong 2D carbon.

In January, Columbia chemists published a study about the first 2D heavy fermion, a class of material with very heavy electrons. In November, the Engineering school published a story on “Laser-Driving a 2D Material.” And earlier last year, researchers found both superconductivity and ferroelectricity in the same 2D material. The list goes on.

So, what are 2D materials and why are scientists so interested?

Two-dimensional materials are just what they sound like: Materials that are just 1 or 2 atoms thick but wider in every other direction. Often the 2D materials scientists are working with are a few square micrometers large– invisible to the naked eye, but visible with the kind of microscope you might have used in high school science classes. The 2D materials that scientists are working with are a mix of naturally occurring materials, like graphene, a form of ultra-strong carbon discovered at Columbia in 2004, and materials synthesized in labs, like CeSil, a crystal first assembled at Columbia last year, composed of cerium, silicon, and iodine. These materials usually begin as three-dimensional, and scientists peel them down to two dimensions to run experiments on them and find out what physical properties, like superconductivity or magnetism, might emerge when the materials are atom-flat. Scientists are working on developing new ways to make 2D materials from scratch, without needing to peel them down from 3D, but the quality of these is still imperfect.

Many things make 2D materials interesting but a primary one is that they confine the ways that particles like electrons can move within them. Columbia Chemist Xavier Roy used a traffic analogy to explain:

“Think of it like this: If we had flying cars that could travel in three-dimensional space, we would be able to reduce most of the traffic in New York. But since our current cars can only travel in two-dimensions, we end up with huge traffic jams in Times Square,” Roy said in a recent interview.

“The same thing happens for electrons when we move from 3D to 2D, but in our case, ‘traffic’ between electrons is beneficial! As these electron-electron interactions become stronger, we can completely change the properties of a material. For example, as the thickness of 3D heavy fermion materials is reduced (i.e. as they become more 2D), they can transition from being magnetic to superconducting.”

Two-dimensional materials can also be relatively easily tweaked: Stacking them with slight angles between the layers, applying forces like electric fields and magnetic fields, and straining the materials by twisting or applying pressure to them can change their properties. Take just one example: By simply stacking two sheets of a material called tungsten diselenide on top of each other, twisting them, and adding or removing electric charge, the material can switch from an electricity-conducting metal to an electricity-blocking insulator and back again.

Scientists are also excited by 2D materials’ potential uses in technology, which scientists often refer to as “applications.”

Two-dimensional materials will likely play a vital role in the next generation of electronics, including still-under-development quantum computers. Why? In large part, because 2D materials are ultra-small with unique, controllable properties (like superconductivity), and technology is always on the hunt for something that can achieve results more quickly, more efficiently, and using less space.

Source: Columbia University

Gaza: Aid operations in peril amid funding crisis

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15 March 2024

Gaza: Aid operations in peril amid funding crisis

“It’s difficult to imagine that Gazans will survive this crisis without UNRWA…(we) have received reports that people in the area are grinding bird feed to make flour,” said Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza and UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Citing “colossal” needs now facing over two million people in the enclave who depend on UNRWA for their “sheer survival”, he warned the already dire humanitarian situation risks getting worse following the decision of 16 donor countries to cut the agency’s funding.

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Terror link accusation

The development follows allegations that some UNRWA staff colluded with Hamas during its terror attacks on southern Israel on 7 October that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.

The UN’s highest investigative body is already conducting a probe into the allegations at the request of UNRWA, which plays a key role in Gaza as the largest humanitarian organization there. Of its 13,000 staff, more than 3,000 continue working.

Shortly after UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini announced the immediate dismissal of staff facing the allegations and his decision to involve the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services in New York, a number of donor countries suspended $440 million in funding.

Guterres appeal

“UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza. I appeal to all Member States to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s lifesaving work,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the Palestinian Rights Committee on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, with no let up in Israeli bombardments across Gaza – and particularly in the southern city of Khan Younis – humanitarians warned that the exodus of people seeking shelter in the south has continued unabated.

“Rafah has become a sea of people fleeing bombardments,” said Mr. White, as UNRWA reported that tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee shelling and fighting in Khan Younis just this week, adding to the more than 1.4 million people already crammed in the southern governorate of Rafah.

“Most are living in makeshift structures, tents or out in the open and now also fear they might no longer receive any food or other humanitarian assistance from UNRWA,” the UN agency said in a statement.

Pointing to longstanding obstacles to humanitarian aid access in the north of Gaza since war erupted on 7 October, UNWRA issued a new warning that famine “is looming”.

“We continue to coordinate with the Israeli Army to be able to go to the north, but this has been largely denied,” said Mr. White. “When our convoys are finally permitted to go to the area, people rush to the trucks to get food and often eat it on the spot.”

2.5 years in prison for killing the cat Eros in Turkey

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Newsroom

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15 March 2024

A court in Istanbul sentenced Ibrahim Keloglan, who brutally killed the cat named Eros, to 2.5 years in prison for “Intentional killing of a pet.” The defendant was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment. The decision was met with a great reaction from the public in Turkey.

The case is being considered for the second time after Ibrahim Keloglan was arrested for the brutal murder of the cat named Eros in Basaksehir district, in the European part of Istanbul.

The 16th Criminal Court, located in the Küçükçekmeçe district, at first instance sentenced the defendant Ibrahim Keloglan to 3 years in prison for “deliberate killing of a domestic animal”.

The court later granted the defendant a sentence reduction for good behavior, reducing the sentence to 2.5 years. A measure of judicial control was imposed on the defendant by imposing a ban on foreign travel. With this decision, the defendant Ibrahim Keloglan will not go to prison, because the sentence has become conditional.

Loud protests were heard from the sidelines of the court after the announcement of the decision. Animal rights activists have shown their reaction to the release of Keloglan with scans.

The accused in custody, Ibrahim Keloglan, defended himself by repeating his first defense and said: “I am not a cruel person as they say about me. I’m not a crime machine. I lost control in a moment of anger and made a mistake that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I bought pounds of food every chance I got and fed cats and dogs in mountainous and rural areas.

Eating animals has been therapeutic for me. And I promise that I will do these things and get psychological support as much as I can in the future.

After the hearing on February 8th, I did this and donated food to an animal shelter.

This incident was misrepresented by social media and some people, pushing people towards hatred and hostility towards me. My wife and family were also reviled by the public and I was unable to go out in public. No punishment I will receive here right now is comparable to what I have experienced so far. I have nothing else to say,” he concluded.

Counsel for the appellants requested that the defendant, Kellogglan, be sentenced to the maximum sentence and be remanded in custody.

He recalled defendant Ibrahim Keloglan’s statement “I have a cat too” in his previous defense and said: “Sex offenders have children too. Female killers have wives, mothers and sisters. Therefore, the defendant’s statement that he is an animal owner is an attempt to exonerate the crime he committed. The defendant was accused from the beginning of the trial. To this day, he makes statements aimed at getting out of jail, but the charity is following the case closely,” he noted.

In announcing his opinion on the merits, the prosecutor requested that defendant Keloglan be sentenced to a prison term close to the upper limit on the grounds that he “killed the cat by torturing it with monstrous acts.”

Eros the kitten was born in the parking lot of a gated complex in Istanbul and lived there for years.

Video footage from the day of the crime, January 1, 2024, shows Ibrahim Keloglan killing Eros by pinning him in the elevator and continuing to kick him hard in a corridor of the building, pinning him against a wall.

As a result of the violence, which lasted for 6 minutes, Eros lost his life.

Thanks to this security camera recording, it was understood that Eros’s killer was Ibrahim Keloglan, and a complaint was immediately filed with the police. The attacker was detained, then released on a “good behavior discount” at the first hearing on February 8.

Kellogglan’s release despite being caught on camera has sparked backlash from lawyers and animal lovers. Prosecutors and lawyers objected to the decision. Posts were made on social media with Eros’ name.

In front of the place where Eros was killed, demonstrations were held and 250 thousand signatures were collected for the arrest of Keloglan.

Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-cute-sleeping-cat-416160/

Gaza: Rafah ground assault would increase risk of atrocity crimes

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15 March 2024

Gaza: Rafah ground assault would increase risk of atrocity crimes

Spokesperson for Volker Türk in Geneva, Jeremy Laurence, told journalists that an already catastrophic situation could “slide deeper into the abyss” in the coming days if Israeli forces make their move on the southern border city, carrying through with their threat to invade, unless Hamas militants hand over remaining hostages by the start of Ramadan.

The holy month for Muslims worldwide begins this weekend, a “period that is meant to honour peace and tolerance”, said Mr. Laurence.

Gazans who have nowhere else to run to, are living in “deplorable sub-human conditions” in Rafah, he added: “Any ground assault on Rafah would incur massive loss of life and would heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes.

“This must not be allowed to happen. We also fear that further Israeli restrictions on access by Palestinians to East Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan could further inflame tensions.”

The UN human rights chief repeated that “there must be an immediate end to this conflict and that the killing and destruction must stop.”

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Release hostages unconditionally

The hostages seized by Hamas and other militants during the 7 October terror attacks have endured 150 days of suffering and torment, Mr. Türk added, calling for their unconditional release and return.

In continuing its offensive, Israel, as the occupying power, “must – we repeat – fully comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law to provide the increasingly desperate civilian population of Gaza with the necessary food and medical supplies, or, if it is unable to do so, ensure that the population has access to critical life-saving humanitarian assistance commensurate with their needs”, Mr. Laurence stressed.

Furthermore, border crossings and corridors must be fully opened and steps must be taken to ensure the free and secure movement of aid convoys to civilians wherever they are located.

Settlement expansion violates international law

Mr. Türk on Friday also deplored Israel’s latest decision to greenlight the construction of a further 3,476 homes in the occupied West Bank, saying “the drastic acceleration in settlement building is exacerbating long-standing patterns of oppression, violence and discrimination against Palestinians”

“Reports this week that Israel plans to build a further 3,476 settler homes in Maale Adumim, Efrat and Kedar fly in the face of international law,” he added.

In a report to the Human Rights Council, Türk said that the establishment and continuing expansion of settlements amounts to Israeli transferring its own civilian population into the territories that it occupies – a war crime under international law.

The report covering the period from 1 November 2022 to 31 October last year details that around 24,300 housing units within existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank were advanced, the highest on record since monitoring began in 2017. This included approximately 9,670 units in East Jerusalem.

The report finds that the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government appear aligned, to an unprecedented extent, with the goals of the Israeli settler movement to expand long-term control over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to steadily integrate this occupied territory into the State of Israel.

“They also run counter to the views of a broad range of States laid out during hearings just two weeks ago at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” the High Commissioner said, referring to the hearings tabled by South Africa examining the legal consequences of Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Over 600 settler attacks

“The West Bank is already in crisis”, Mr. Türk said. Yet, settler violence and settlement-related violations have reached shocking new levels, and risk eliminating any practical possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian State”.

Latest UN figures show that, since 7 October, there have been 603 settler attacks against Palestinians. A total of 1,222 Palestinians from 19 herding communities have been displaced as a direct result of settler violence.

Since 7 October, UN rights office OHCHR has documented nine Palestinians killed by settlers using firearms. A further 396 have been killed by Israeli security forces, and two killed by either Israeli security forces or settlers.

Since 7 October, 592 people, including 282 children, have been displaced in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, after their homes were demolished due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain, OHCHR said.

Gaza casualties mount

According to the latest situation update from the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, 78 Palestinians were killed, and 104 Palestinians were injured – based on figures from the Gaza health ministry. This brings the total fatalities in Gaza to at least 30,878, with 72,402 Palestinians injured.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that an estimated 8,000 patients need to be medically evacuated from Gaza, including around 6,000 trauma-related cases.

More to come on this developing story…

How to interact with a shy cat?

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Newsroom

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15 March 2024

Purring animals often appear confident and fearless. But in reality, they can be shy and fearful of their surroundings. There are several reasons for this, but sometimes it’s just their genetics. Other times it is due to a traumatic past. Fortunately, there are many ways you can interact with shy cats. When interacting with a shy cat, move slowly so as not to frighten it.

Create a comfortable environment that includes plenty of places to hide and keep loud noises to a minimum. Always wait for your cat to come to you and use soft, gentle tones when talking to her. Establishing a consistent routine will help your cat feel more comfortable, as will using treats every time the cat shows courage.

Shyness in cats manifests itself in different ways. Some fearful cats appear nervous and scared, while others go home where they feel safe. Even if you have created a safe and secure environment for your cat, it may not be enough to stop her from being afraid.

Why is my cat so shy?

There are many reasons why cats feel nervous and hesitant. It usually comes down to:

• Genetics: Some cats are naturally fearful.

• Upbringing: Cats that are not properly socialized can become shy and fearful of people.

• Past experiences: Trauma and abuse can make cats fearful and nervous.

Likewise, environmental factors can cause a purring friend to become shy and withdrawn. They include:

• Other pets in the home

• Loud noises

• Rampant children

• Moving to a new home

• Unfriendly owners

To ensure a comfortable and happy life for your cat, you may want to consider teaching it to be less shy and more confident when in your presence.

How to increase a cat’s confidence

With effective socialization techniques, you can boost your cat’s confidence so that she feels less shy and more comfortable around you. It is important to remember that it will not work for all cats. But you can make yours feel happier in their environment, regardless of their personality. To boost your cat’s confidence, try the following:

• Offer physical contact

• Create a routine

• Create a safe environment

• Provide places to hide

How to get a shy cat to trust you

Building a bond with your cat is a rewarding process. After all, this is probably why you chose your pet. But it’s not always easy to do, especially if you’re dealing with a shy cat.

However, all is not lost. With some time and patience, you can get your cat to trust you. Follow these steps to get started:

• Respect your cat’s space

• Don’t get angry with your cat no matter what it does. Yelling and scolding her will only scare her more.

• Watch body language

• Learn your cat’s limits

• Positive support – reward her with treats when she is braver and comes to you

How to get a shy cat to come to you

It’s only natural to want to pet and play with your cat. This is difficult to do when you have a shy cat, so you should encourage her to come to you when she feels comfortable. Maintain a quiet, calm presence at all times. In this way, your cat will start to feel less shy.

Motivate your cat to come to you with these easy methods:

• Sit quietly near your cat for a while, allowing her to sniff you.

• Talk to her in a calm, gentle way.

• Stand still if your cat approaches you. Sudden movements will scare her.

• Give your cat a treat after it approaches you. Gradually increase the amount of time it takes you to give your cat a treat.

• Gently toss a ball or other toy to play together.

• If your cat runs away, do not chase it. Try again when she seems calmer and less anxious.

Bringing an insecure cat out of its “shell” is rewarding, but not always possible. A shy cat can still be a good pet, but you will need to respect its boundaries and be gentle when interacting with it.

Illustrative Photo by Doğu Tuncer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-domestic-cat-16112164/

More determined efforts needed to combat anti-Muslim prejudice amidst surge in hatred, OSCE says

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15 March 2024