Emergency response rooms are finding innovative approaches to providing rapid assistance to millions facing war in Sudan.
Teams of volunteer medical staff, engineers and other emergency experts across the country are addressing civilian needs amid theĀ current bout of violence and insecurity stemming from clashes with rival military forces in April 2023.
So far, ERRs have reached more than four million civilians, bucking bureaucracy and finding innovative solutions.
UN News met with three young volunteers who visited UN Headquarters in New York to attend meetings with officials and actors in the humanitarian field.
The goal is simple: reach those facing the risk of death, famine, disease and difficulty obtaining drinking water, electricity and communication services.
Needs are great, they said. The ongoing conflict has led to the departure of humanitarian agencies, collapse of state institutions and interruption of basic services in large parts of the country amid soaring civilian casualties and large-scale displacement.
More than 7.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety within and outside Sudan.Ā
Operating in states across the country, ERRs function like a ālocal emergency governmentā.
Youth-led emergency response rooms expanded after the outbreak of war in Sudan to fill the vacuum created by the departure of international humanitarian organizations.
‘Filling a vacuum’
After the outbreak of war, Hanin Ahmed, a young Sudanese activist with a masterās degree in gender and specializing in peace and conflict, founded an emergency room in the Omdurman area with one of her colleagues.
She and her colleagues visited UN Headquarters to, among other things, shed light on the Sudan issue, which she said does not receive enough attention despite the catastrophic deterioration of the situation on the ground.
āWe are united by humanitarian work and the sense of responding to the repercussions of war and helping people,ā she told UN News.
The emergency rooms contribute to filling part of the vacuum left behind when international humanitarian organizations left, Ms. Ahmed explained.
Each initiative enjoys intense community participation by young people of all political orientations, she said, highlighting some of their success stories, from assisting victims of sexual violence to providing pathways to safety.
āThrough our youth networks and our personal relationships, we were able to open safe corridors to evacuate citizens from neighbourhoods under attack and take them to shelter centres,ā Ms. Ahmed said.Ā
āWe are proud of that.ā
āBut, we face theft and are exposed,ā she said. āYoung people are targeted, arrested and killed while they work in very difficult conditions.ā
A simple, practical structure āaway from bureaucracyā
Youth-led emergency responders are helping communities in the face of war.
The efforts expanded after the war broke out in April.
āWe tried to find a simple and practical structure to carry out tasks, away from bureaucracy,ā he said. āSo far, we have been able to provide food, electricity, water and protection services to nearly four million people in Darfur and Khartoum.ā
Where there is a need, ERRs take action. Unstable electricity services are addressed by volunteers carrying out maintenance operations.
Amid spreading violence, emergency rooms have so far been able to evacuate about 12,000 people, including more than 800 from the Al-Fitaihab area in Omdurman in December, Mr. Al-Ebaid said.
Children and women queue to collect clean and safe water in Zalingei town in central Darfur.
āAn emergency local governmentā
Darfur emergency rooms coordinator AbuZar Othman said these initiatives amount to āa local emergency governmentā that seeks to provide continuous humanitarian services managed by Sudanese men and women āin order to build solidarity that preserves our social fabric and dignity and covers our needsā.
Hanin Ahmed (left) and Muhammad Al-Ebaid work in emergency response rooms in Sudan.
Pointing to the enormous suffering that people in Darfur have been experiencing due to the armed conflicts since 2003 through the current war, he said violations against civilians āhave risen to being described as crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing, leaving behind an extremely complex humanitarian, economic and social realityā.
At a time when the war is expanding alongside intertwined challenges, he said establishing emergency rooms in four states is a decisive step towards providing the necessary support and rapid response to citizensā needs.
From the spread of weapons to ethnic tensions, Mr. Othman said the challenges are broad, including addressing the ongoing agricultural and grazing sector crises, interruptions of communications networks and a lack of health services.
Finding innovative solutions
At UN Headquarters, the three volunteers called on the international community to recognize emergency rooms as an actor in the humanitarian field and provide support to them.
āWe are trying to adapt to all the challenges that exist and find innovative solutions to them, but we still need development, and we need a strong system that is compatible with all these challenges,ā Ms. Ahmed said.
āWe in emergency rooms cannot cover all the needs in conflict areas, therefore, we ask the international community and international organizations to shed light on the Sudanese issue and to put pressure to silence the sound of guns, protect civilians and provide more support to help those affected by the war.ā
Fast facts
What are emergency response rooms (ERRs)?
Informal community-led initiatives in Sudan
Driven by local actors, including growing numbers of youth
Mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic
Expanded following the outbreak of war in 2023
Rapid responders to urgent needs
Providers of essential humanitarian services to affected populations
The city had a pre-war population of 220,000 people, now reduced to 90,000.Ā
The attacks also caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure on both sides of the frontlines, according to both the Ukrainian Government and Russian-installed authorities in the occupied territory east of Kramatorsk.Ā
āOn the humanitarian response, aid organizations immediately delivered assistance, including emergency repair materials, to communities on the Ukrainian side of the frontlineā, said Mr. Dujarric.
And humanitarians provided aid to the front-line town of Kurakhove, which has been impacted by 10 years of hostilities, following Russiaās initial annexation of territory in 2014.
The aid consisted of 13 tonnes of medical and hygiene supplies, including for people with disabilities, and other supplies to support civilians whose access to basic services is severely disrupted, the Spokesperson added.
Afghanistan: More than $400 million needed for post-earthquake recovery
A staggering $402.9 million will be needed to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in western Afghanistan following the devastating earthquakes last year, according to a UN-backed report published on Wednesday.
More than 1,500 people were killed, and 2,600 were injured, in the series of earthquakes which struck Herat province on 7, 11 and 15 October 2023.
People living in Herat Province, Afghanistan, are coming to terms with the devastation caused to property by the earthquake.
The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) reportā published by the UN together with the World Bank, the European Union, and the Asian Development Bank ā surveyed nine districts, covering some 2.2 million people.
It highlights the scale of the disaster, which caused direct physical damage up to $217 million and losses reaching nearly $80 million.
Housing was the most severely affected sector and represents 41 percent of the total recovery needs, or $164.4 million.Ā Nearly 50,000 homes were damaged in the earthquakes, with 13,516 being completely destroyed.Ā
Education followed in second place, and the report noted that 180,000 students and 4,390 teachers currently face disruptions. Meanwhile, the agriculture sector, which accounts for the majority of jobs and income in the affected areas, has suffered considerable setbacks.Ā
The assessment revealed that over 275,000 people were affected, including pregnant women, infants, and people with severe disabilities.
The earthquakes hit vulnerable communities with limited resilience to handle multiple shocks. Herat is among provinces hosting the largest numbers of Afghans who have been internally displaced due to conflict and drought, resulting in severe impacts on access to services, land, and shelter which has only worsened.
The report stressed the need to transition from immediate humanitarian aid to long-term recovery, prioritizing strategies for building community resilience, service restoration, earthquake-safe housing, social protection, and access to basic services.
US companies dump āforever chemicalsā with impunity: UN experts
In the United States, the DuPont and Chemours chemical companies are dumping toxic so-called āforever chemicalsā into the local environment, completely disregarding the rights and well being of residents along the lower Cape Fear River in North Carolina.
Thatās according to a group of nine independent UN human rights experts, who released a statement on Wednesday warning of the dangerous effects from the chemicals, commonly referred to as PFAs, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, and said members of impacted communities have reportedly been denied access to clean and safe water for decades.
PFAs come from products such as shampoo, nail polish and the synthetic coating on carpets or fabrics.Ā
They are known as forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade in nature and can cause harm for decades, even centuries.
Even though the companies are aware of the toxic impact of PFAs, they continue to discharge them, the experts said.
They also raised alarm over exports of PFAs and hazardous waste from the Netherlands to the United States, in apparent breach of international law.
Inadequate and insufficient
The experts said enforcement and remediation measures have been inadequate where legal action has been taken against the two companies.Ā
āHealth and environmental regulators in the United States have fallen short in their duty to protect against business-related human rights abuses, including providing the public – particularly affected communities in North Carolina – with the type and amount of information necessary to prevent harm and seek reparation,ā the experts said.Ā
The UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts have raised these concerns with the US Government, which has yet to reply.
Special Rapporteurs and other experts work on a voluntary basis and do not receive a salary, serving entirely in their individual capacity.Ā
Multilingual education, a useful tool for tackling learning crisis
Finally, Wednesday isĀ International Mother Language Day, and education, science and culture agency UNESCO is calling on all countries to pursue a policy of multilingual education.Ā
Thatās because itās key to fighting the current global learning crisis, having produced positive results in the past.Ā
According to a recent agency study, children are more likely to start reading earlier when they are taught in their mother tongue during the earliest school years.
Lessons from Africa
Proof can be found across Africa. The continent has the worldās highest linguistic diversity, but only one in five children are taught their mother tongue.
To change that, Mozambique expanded bilingual learning to a quarter of its schools, and children are already performing around 15 per cent better in basic reading and mathematics, UNESCO said.
While people communicate in more than 6,700 languages around the world, 40 per cent of them are threatened with extinction in the long term, due to falling numbers of speakers.
By Natalya Trauberg (interview given in the fall of 2008 given to Elena Borisova and Darja Litvak), <a href=”http://expert.ru/expert/2009/19/hristianstvo_eto_neudobno/”>Expert No. 19(657), May 18, 2009</a>
To be a Christian means to give up oneself in favor of one’s neighbor. This has nothing to do with a particular denomination, but depends only on the personal choice of a person and therefore is unlikely to become a mass phenomenon.
Natalia Trauberg is an outstanding translator from English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. The man who revealed to the Russian reader the Christian thinker Gilbert Chesterton, the apologist Clive Lewis, the evangelical plays of Dorothy Sayers, the sad Graham Greene, the meek Wodehouse, the children’s Paul Gallico and Frances Burnett. In England, Trauberg was called “Madame Chesterton”. In Russia, she was the nun Joanna, a member of the board of the Bible Society and the editorial board of the magazine āForeign Literatureā, broadcast on radio āSofiaā and āRadonezhā, taught at the Biblical-Theological Institute of St. Apostle Andrew.
Natalia Leonidovna loved to talk about what Chesterton called āsimply Christianityā: not about retreating into the āpiety of the holy fathers,ā but about Christian life and Christian feelings here and now, in those circumstances and in the place where we are placed. About Chesterton and Sayers, she once wrote: āThere was nothing in them that turns one away from āreligious lifeā – neither gravity, nor sweetness, nor intolerance. And now, when the āPhariseesā leavenā is again gaining strength, their voice is very important, it will outweigh much.ā Today these words can fully be attributed to her and her voice.
It so happened that Natalia Trauberg gave one of her last interviews to Expert magazine.
Natalia Leonidovna, against the background of the spiritual crisis experienced by humanity, many are waiting for the revival of Christianity. Moreover, it is believed that everything will begin in Russia, since it is Russian Orthodoxy that contains the fullness of Christianity throughout the world. What do you think about it?
It seems to me that talking about the coincidence of Russianness and Orthodoxy is a humiliation of the Divine and Eternal. And if we begin to argue that Russian Christianity is the most important thing in the world, then we have big problems that call us into question as Christians. As for revivals… They never happened in history. There were some relatively large appeals. Once a certain number of people thought that nothing good was coming out of the world, and followed Anthony the Great to escape into the desert, although Christ, we note, spent only forty days in the desert… In the 12th century, when the mendicant monks came, many suddenly They felt that their life was somehow at odds with the Gospel, and they began to set up separate islands, monasteries, so that it would be in accordance with the Gospel. Then they think again: something is wrong. And they decide to try not in the desert, not in a monastery, but in the world to live close to the Gospel, but fenced off from the world with vows. However, this does not greatly affect society.
In the 70s in the Soviet Union, a lot of people went to church, not to mention the 90s. What is this if not an attempt at revival?
In the 70s, the intelligentsia, so to speak, came to the church. And when she āconverted,ā one could notice that not only did she not show Christian qualities, but, as it turned out, she also stopped showing intellectual qualities.
What does it mean – intelligent?
Which remotely reproduce something Christian: to be delicate, tolerant, not to grab yourself, not to tear off anotherās head, and so on… What is a worldly way of life? This is āI wantā, ādesireā, what in the Gospel is called ālustā, āconcupiscenceā. And a worldly person simply lives as he wants. So here it is. In the early 70s, a number of people who had read Berdyaev or Averintsev began to go to church. But what do you think? They behave as before, as they want: pushing the crowd apart, pushing everyone aside. They almost tear Averintsev to pieces at his first lecture, although in this lecture he talks about simple gospel things: meekness and patience. And they, pushing each other away: āMe! I want a piece of Averintsev!ā Of course, you can realize all this and repent. But how many people have you seen who came to repent not only for drinking or committing adultery? To repent of adultery is welcome, this is the only sin that they remember and realized, which, however, does not prevent them from leaving their wife later… And that a much greater sin is to be proud, important, intolerant and dry with people, to scare away, to be rude…
It seems that the Gospel also says very strictly about adultery of spouses?
It’s been said. But not the entire Gospel is devoted to this. There is one amazing conversation when the apostles cannot accept the words of Christ that two should become one flesh. They ask: how is this possible? Is this impossible for humans? And the Savior reveals this secret to them, says that real marriage is an absolute union, and adds very mercifully: āWhoever can accommodate, let him accommodate.ā That is, whoever can understand will understand. So they turned everything upside down and even made a law in Catholic countries that you cannot get divorced. But try to make a law that you canāt yell. But Christ speaks about this much earlier: āHe who is angry with his brother in vain is subject to judgment.ā
What if itās not in vain, but to the point?
I am not a good biblical scholar, but I am sure that the word āin vainā here is an interpolation. Christ did not pronounce it. It generally removes the whole problem, because anyone who gets angry and yells is sure that they are not doing it in vain. But it is said that if āyour brother sins against you, reprove him between you and him alone.ā Alone. Politely and carefully, as you would like to be exposed. And if the person did not hear, did not want to hear, ā…then take one or two brothersā and talk to him again. And finally, if he did not listen to them, then he will be like a āpagan and a publicanā to you.
That is, as an enemy?
No. This means: let him be like a person who does not understand this type of conversation. And then you step aside and give space to God. This phrase – āmake room for Godā – is repeated in Scripture with enviable frequency. But how many people have you seen who heard these words? How many people have we seen who came to church and realized: āI am empty, I have nothing but stupidity, boasting, desires and the desire to assert myself… Lord, how do you tolerate this? Help me improve!ā After all, the essence of Christianity is that it turns the whole person upside down. There is a word that comes from Greek āmetanoiaā – a change of thinking. When everything that is considered important in the world – luck, talent, wealth, one’s good qualities – ceases to be valuable. Any psychologist will tell you: believe in yourself. And in church you are nobody. No one, but very beloved. There a person, like a prodigal son, turns to his father – to God. He comes to him to receive forgiveness and some kind of presence, at least in his fatherās yard. His father, poor in spirit, bows down to him, cries and lets him go forward.
So what is the meaning of the expression āpoor in spiritā?
Well, yes. Everyone thinks: how could this be? But no matter how you interpret it, it all comes down to the fact that they have nothing. A worldly person always has something: my talent, my kindness, my courage. But these have nothing: they depend on God for everything. They become like children. But not because children are beautiful, pure creatures, as some psychologists claim, but because the child is completely helpless. He does not exist without his father, he will not be able to eat, he will not learn to speak. And the poor in spirit are like that. Coming to Christianity means that a certain number of people will live a life that is impossible from a worldly point of view. Of course, it will also happen that a person will continue to do what is typical for us, pathetic, unhappy and funny. He can get drunk like a gray horse. You may fall in love at the wrong time. In general, everything human in him will remain. But he will have to count his actions and thoughts from Christ. And if a person accepted it, opened not only his heart, but also his mind, then conversion to Christianity occurred.
Partisanship instead of love
Most Christians know about the existence of different faiths, some are interested in canonical differences. Does this matter to the daily life of a Christian?
I think no. Otherwise, it turns out that when we came to church, we simply came to a new institution. Yes, it is beautiful, yes, there is wonderful singing there. But it is very dangerous when they say: they say, I love such and such a church, because they sing well there… It would be better if they kept quiet, honestly, because Christ never sang anywhere. When people come to church, they find themselves in an institution where everything is the other way around.
This is ideal. And in fact?
In fact, this is very common today: ours is yours. Who is cooler – Catholics or Orthodox? Or maybe schismatics. Followers of Father Alexander Men or Father Georgy Kochetkov. Everything is divided into tiny batches. For some, Russia is an icon of Christ, for others, on the contrary, it is not an icon. Itās also common among many of us, isnāt it? I took communion, went out into the street, and I despise everyone who hasnāt joined the church. But we went out to those to whom the Savior sent us. He called us not slaves, but friends. And if for the sake of ideas, convictions and interest we begin to spread rot on those who do not live according to our ālawā, then we are not Christians, really. Or there is an article by Semyon Frank, where he talks about the beauty of Orthodox churches: yes, we saw a world of wondrous beauty and loved it very much, and realized that this is the most important thing in the world, but there are people around us who do not understand this. And there is a danger that we will begin to fight them. And we, unfortunately, are moving in this direction. For example, the story of the miracle of the Holy Fire. To think that we, Orthodox Christians, are the best, because only for us, on our Easter, the Holy Fire appears, and for everyone else – fuck, this is amazing! It turns out that people born, say, in France, where there is Catholicism, are rejected from God. From God, who says that a Christian must, like the sun to man, shine on the right and the wrong! What does all this have to do with the Good News? And what is this if not party games?
Essentially, is this hypocrisy?
Yes. But if Christ did not forgive anyone, then only the āself-righteous,ā that is, the Pharisees. You cannot build a life according to the Gospel using the law: it doesnāt fit, this is not Euclidean geometry. And we also have delight in the power of God. But why? There are plenty of such religions. Any pagan religion admires the power of God, magic. Alexander Schmemann writes, yes, maybe they wrote before, that Christianity is not a religion, but a personal connection with Christ. But what’s going on? Here are young guys, smiling, talking, going to communion… And behind them are old women with chopsticks, after surgery. And it wouldnāt even occur to the guys to miss the grandmothers. And this is right after the liturgy, where once again everything was said! I didnāt go to take communion several times out of anger at it all. And then on radio āRadonezhā, which is usually on Sunday, she told listeners: āGuys, today I didnāt take communion because of you.ā Because you look, and already in your soul something is happening that, not only to take communion, but also to be ashamed to look at church. Communion is not a magical act. This is the Last Supper, and if you came to celebrate with Him the now eternally celebrated evening before His death, then try to hear at least one thing that Christ added to the Old Testament and which turned everything upside down: ā…love one another, as I have loved you… Ā»
The commonly quoted phrase is āDonāt do what you donāt want to do.ā
Yes, love for every good person means this golden rule. Quite reasonable: donāt do this and you will be saved. The Old Testament matrix, which was later taken over by Islam. And Christian love is a heartbreaking pity. You may not like the person at all. He may be absolutely disgusting to you. But you understand that, besides God, he, like you, has no protection. How often do we see such pity even in our church environment? Unfortunately, even this environment in our country is still most often unpleasant. Even the word āloveā itself is already compromised in it. Threatening the girls with hellfire for having abortions, the priest says: āAnd the main thing is love…ā When you hear this, even with complete non-resistance, there is a desire to take a good club and…
Isn’t abortion evil?
Evil. But they are deeply private things. And if the main Christian activity is the fight against abortion, then there is some charm in this – in the original understanding of the word. Suppose some girl wanted love, like any normal person, and found herself in a situation in which it was difficult to give birth. And the priest tells her that if she dies during the abortion, she will immediately go to hell. And she stamps her feet and shouts: āI wonāt go to any of your churches!ā And heās doing the right thing by stomping. Well, come on, Christian, go ban abortions and scare the hell out of the girls who have heard that there is nothing higher than falling in love and that you canāt refuse anyone because itās old-fashioned, or un-Christian, or whatever. Itās terrible, but Catholics have such habits…
What about the Orthodox?
We have more on the other side: they ask whether it is possible to keep dogs in a house where icons hang, and one of the main topics is fasting. Some strange pagan things. I remember when I was just starting to broadcast on a small church radio channel, they asked me a question: āPlease tell me, is it a big sin if I eat before the star on Christmas Eve?ā I almost burst into tears then on the air and talked for two hours about what we are talking about now.
Deny yourself
So what can we do here?
But thereās nothing so scary about it. When we didnāt have the concept of sin for so long, and then we began to accept anything as sin except self-love, āthe ability to live,ā self-will, confidence in our righteousness and perseverance, we need to start all over again. Many had to start over. And whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. Here, for example, is Blessed Augustine, a great saint. He was smart, he was famous, he had a wonderful career, if we measure it in our terms. But life became difficult for him, which is very typical.
What does it mean: it became difficult for Augustine to live?
This is when you begin to realize that something is wrong. Nowadays people relieve this feeling by going to a beautiful church and listening to beautiful singing. True, then they most often begin to hate it all or become hypocrites, never having heard what Christ said. But this was not the case with Augustine. A friend came to him and said: āLook, Augustine, even though we are scientists, we live like two fools. We are looking for wisdom, and everything is not there.ā Augustine became very excited and ran out into the garden. And I heard from somewhere: āTake it and read it!ā It seems that this boy was shouting to someone on the street. And Augustine heard that it was for him. He ran into the room and opened the Gospel. And I came across the message of Paul, on the words: āPut on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not turn the cares of the flesh into lusts.ā Simple phrases: deny yourself and take up the cross, and donāt turn concerns about yourself into your idiotic desires, and understand that the most important worldly law in the world – to do what my head or, I donāt know what else, wants – is not for a Christian doesn’t matter. These words completely changed Augustine.
Everything seems to be simple. But why does a person so rarely manage to deny himself?
Christianity is actually very uncomfortable. Well, letās say they let someone be the boss, and he must think that it is very difficult to behave like a Christian in such a situation. How much wisdom he needs! How much kindness is needed! He must think of everyone as of himself, and ideally, as Christ does of people. He must put himself in the place of everyone who walks under him and take care of him. Or, I remember, they asked why, when I had such an opportunity, I did not emigrate. I answered: āBecause it would kill my parents. They would not dare to leave and would remain here, old, sick and lonely.ā And we have a similar choice at every step. For example, someone from above flooded your apartment, and he doesnāt have the money to compensate you for the repairs… You can sue him or start arguing with him and thereby poison his life. Or you can leave everything as is, and then, if the opportunity arises, do the repairs yourself. You can also give up your turn… Be quiet, not important… Don’t be offended… Very simple things. And the miracle of rebirth will happen gradually. God honored man with freedom, and only we ourselves, of our own free will, can break. And then Christ will do everything. We just need, as Lewis wrote, not to be afraid to open the armor in which we are shackled and let Him into our hearts. This attempt alone completely changes life and gives it value, meaning and joy. And when the Apostle Paul said āRejoice always!ā, he meant just such joy – at the highest heights of the spirit.
He also said āweep with those who weepā…
The thing is that only those who know how to cry can rejoice. Shares their sorrows and sorrows with those who cry and does not run away from suffering. Christ says that those who mourn are blessed. Blessed means happy and have all the fullness of life. And His promises are not heavenly, but earthly. Yes, the suffering is terrible. However, when people suffer, Christ offers: āCome to Me, all you who suffer and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.ā But with one condition: take My yoke upon you and you will find rest for your souls. And the person really finds peace. Moreover, there is deep peace, and itās not at all like he will walk around like heās frozen: he just begins to live not in vanity, not in disarray. And then the state of the Kingdom of God comes here and now. And maybe, having learned it, we can help others too. And here is a very important thing. Christianity is not a means of salvation. A Christian is not the one being saved, but the one who saves.
That is, he should preach and help his neighbor?
Not only. Most importantly, he introduces a tiny element of a different type of life into the world. My godmother, my nanny, introduced such an element. And I will never be able to forget that I saw such a person and knew him. She was very close to the Gospel. A penniless servant, she lived as a perfect Christian. She never did harm to anyone, never said an offensive word. I remember only once… I was still little, my parents went somewhere, and I wrote letters to them every day, as we agreed. And one woman who was visiting us looks at this and says: āWell, how to deal with a childās sense of duty? Never, baby, do anything you donāt want to do. And you will be a happy person.” And then my nanny turned pale and said: āPlease forgive us. You have your own home, we have ours.ā So once in my entire life I heard a harsh word from her.
Were your family, parents, different?
My grandmother, Marya Petrovna, also never raised her voice. She left the school where she worked as a teacher because there she had to say anti-religious things. While grandfather was alive, she walked around him like a real lady: in a hat and a formal coat. And then she moved in with us. And it was not easy for her, a very tough person, apparently by type, with us, careless people. Here is my mother, her daughter, here is her unmarried husband, a film director and a bohemian in general… My grandmother never said that he was a Jew, because a normal Christian cannot be an anti-Semite. And how much she suffered with me! I, a seventeen-year-old cretin who didnāt go to school, went to university and there I almost went crazy with delight, success, falling in love… And if you remember all the stupid things I did! I fell in love and stole my grandfatherās wedding ring, believing that the great feelings I felt gave me the right to stuff this ring with cotton wool, put it on my finger and walk around with it. The nanny would probably have said more softly, but the grandmother would have said harshly: āDonāt do this. Nonsense.”
And is this tough?
For her – very much. And my mother, in order for me to dress more fashionably than I thought possible after my grandmotherās and nannyās upbringing, could bang my head against the wall to prove something to me. But she, tormented by the bohemian life, also alien to her due to her upbringing, which she, however, was forced to lead, cannot be judged. And she always believed that she had to dissuade me from faith, since I was ruining myself. Even Messinga invited me to bring me to my senses. No, she didnāt fight Christianity, she just understood that it would be hard for her daughter. And not because we lived in the Soviet Union, where they declared that there was no God. In any century, parents try to dissuade their children from Christianity.
Even in Christian families?
Well, for example, Anthony the Great, St. Theodosius, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi… All four stories have Christian parents. And all about the fact that all children are people like people, and my child is a cretin. Theodosius does not want to dress as smartly as his class should, and devotes a lot of energy and time to good deeds. Catherine takes care of the sick and poor every day, sleeping for an hour a day, instead of going out with her friends and taking care of the house. Francis refuses a cheerful life and his father’s inheritance… Such things have always been considered abnormal. Well, now, when the concepts of āsuccessā, ācareerā, āluckā have practically become a measure of happiness, even more so. The pull of the world is very strong. This almost never happens: āstand on your head,ā according to Chesterton, and live like that.
What is the point in all this if only a few become Christians?
But nothing massive was envisaged. It was not by chance that Christ spoke such words: āleavenā, āsaltā. Such tiny measurements. But they change everything, they change your whole life. Keep the peace. They hold any family, even one where they have reached absolute disgrace: somewhere, someone, with some kind of prayers, with some kind of feat. There, a whole world of this strange at first glance opens up: when itās easy, do it, when itās difficult, talk, when itās impossible, pray. And it works.
And also humility, with the help of which only one can overcome the evil that triumphs around.
Illustration: Iconographic type āHealing a demoniac sleepwalkerā
The Russian bookstore Megamarket was sent a list of books to be removed from sale due to “LGBT propaganda”. Journalist Alexander Plyushchev published a list of 257 titles on his Telegram channel, writes The Moscow Times.
The list includes not only literary novelties, but also classics. For example, the store should remove from its website advertisements for the books “Netochka Nezvanova” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Pyrrhus” by Plato, “The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio, “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf, “In Search of Lost Time” by Marcel Proust and “It” by Stephen King.
Among those prohibited for sale are works by other world classics – Stefan Zweig, Andre Gide, Yukio Mishima, Patti Smith and Julio CortĆ”zar, as well as contemporary authors such as Haruki Murakami and Victoria Tokareva.
Plyushchev does not specify who specifically insisted on the removal of the books of all these authors from sale. “Megamarket” is owned by Sberbank (85%), M. Video-Eldorado (10%), as well as the founder of M.Video and goods.ru (5%).
In December 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning LGBT propaganda, pedophilia and gender reassignment. Liability for breaking the law applies to persons of any age. Previously, LGBT propaganda was prohibited only among minors.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the “international public LGBT movement”, which does not exist, to be extremist and banned in Russia. According to the court decision, “participants in the movement are united by the presence of certain morals, customs and traditions (for example, gay parades), … a specific language (the use of potentially feminine words, such as leader, director, author, psychologist). “
The court believes that the “LGBT movement” can distort children’s understanding of traditional values and has a destructive ideological impact on Russians.
The “movement” has become a threat to Russia’s national interests and the demographic situation, the Supreme Court of Russia wrote in its decision. It is said that to achieve this, the LGBT movement uses propaganda – putting LGBT symbols on toys, clothes, producing special literature and holding events near schools and children’s libraries.
Illustration: Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. Portrait by Vasily Perov c. 1872
The new regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising aims to get Europe up to speed with the radically changed environment of political advertising, which is now cross-border and increasingly online. It aims to enhance the integrity of election campaigns and help fight disinformation and foreign interference.
When: Tuesday, 27 February 2024, 14.30 CET
Where: European Parliament in Strasbourg, Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room (WEISS N -1/201)
How: Accredited media representatives can attend the press conference physically. Journalists wishing to ask questions remotely need to connect via Interactio (https://ep.interactio.eu/1dxr-tkkf-mpje).
The press conference will also be web streamed live and recorded on the Parliamentās Multimedia Centre.
Interpretation will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish.
In the digital age, ensuring the security of our devices has become paramount, especially for iPhone users. iPhones are renowned for their robust security features, yet they are not impervious to spyware attacks. Spyware, malicious software designed to gather your personal information covertly, can significantly compromise your privacy and security. It can track your location, steal sensitive data, and even listen to conversations.
Given the potential for Spyware to significantly compromise your privacy and security, it is crucial to understand how to detect and remove it from your iPhone. Fortunately, steps can be taken to mitigate these risks and safeguard your device. As highlighted by cybersecurity experts, one of the first steps to protect your iPhone is to remove spyware from the iPhone. By staying informed about the dangers of Spyware and learning how to combat it effectively, iPhone users can enjoy their devices with peace of mind, knowing their data is secure.
Apple logo in a dark background ā artistic impression. Image credit: Duophenom via Pexels, free license
Spyware represents a significant threat to iPhone users, undermining privacy and personal data integrity. Spyware is malicious software designed to infiltrate your device, operating stealthily to collect sensitive information without your consent. The impact of Spyware on iPhone users can be profound, ranging from minor annoyances to severe personal and financial data breaches.
There are several types of Spyware, each with its own method of infection and data collection techniques. Adware, for instance, bombards users with unwanted ads and can serve as a conduit for more malicious Spyware tracking personal information and activities. Trojans disguise themselves as legitimate applications, deceiving users into installing them. Once installed, they can steal information ranging from passwords to banking details. Keyloggers are another invasive spyware; they record every keystroke, capturing everything from casual messages to sensitive login credentials. Tracking cookies and web beacons, while not always malicious, can be used to monitor online behavior extensively, often without explicit user consent. More insidious forms like infostealers, system monitors, rootkits, and stalkerware delve deeper, extracting a wide array of personal data and exerting control over the deviceās functions, often without any visible signs to the user.
The varied nature of these spyware types illustrates the multifaceted risks they pose to iPhone users, emphasizing the need for vigilance and robust security measures to protect personal information and maintain privacy.
Signs Your iPhone May Have Spyware
Recognizing the presence of Spyware on your iPhone is crucial for maintaining its security and privacy. Some common signs that may indicate a spyware infection include overheating your device, even when not in heavy use, which suggests malicious background activity. A suddenly drained battery is another red flag, as spyware operations can consume significant power. An increase in unexpected pop-up ads can also signal adware, a type of Spyware. Additionally, a surge in data usage might indicate Spyware transmitting data from your device. If new apps appear without your knowledge, or if there are forced redirects and changed settings in your browser, these could be symptoms of spyware presence. Paying attention to these indicators can help identify and remove potential threats to your iPhoneās securityāā.
Signs Your iPhone May Have Spyware
Identifying Spyware on your iPhone is critical to safeguarding your personal information. Several indicators may signal an infection. If your iPhone frequently overheats without heavy use, this could point to Spyware running in the background. A battery that drains more quickly than usual is another common symptom, as spyware processes can consume significant power. An increase in unexpected pop-up ads can also suggest the presence of adware, a spyware variant.
Additionally, noticing an unusual surge in data usage might indicate Spyware is sending information from your device. Other signs include:
Finding new apps that you still need to download.
Experiencing forced redirects to unwanted websites.
Discovering unauthorized changes to your browser settings.
Being alert to these signs can help detect and address spyware infections earlyāā.
Removing Spyware From Your iPhone
Ensuring the security of your iPhone against Spyware requires a proactive approach. Follow these steps to remove existing threats and safeguard your device against future infections.
Step 1: Update iOS
Keeping your iOS system up-to-date is crucial for protecting your iPhone against spyware attacks. Apple frequently releases updates that patch security vulnerabilities, making it harder for malicious software to infiltrate your device. To update iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, download and install it. This simple action can prevent many spyware attacks, as many exploit outdated software vulnerabilities.
Step 2: Clear Browsing Data and History
Clearing browsing data and history is a vital step in removing traces of Spyware from your iPhone. To do this in Safari, the default browser on iOS, follow these steps:
Open the Settings app and scroll down to Safari.
Tap āClear History and Website Data.ā
Confirm by tapping āClear History and Data.ā
This process will remove your browsing history, cookies, and other cached data, potentially eradicating spyware-collected information. Remember, this action will log you out from websites and remove your browsing history across all devices signed into your iCloud account.
Step 3: Factory Reset
If Spyware persists, performing a factory reset may be necessary. This action erases all content and settings, returning your iPhone to its original state. Before proceeding, ensure you back up your data using iCloud or iTunes to prevent data loss. To factory reset:
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap āErase All Content and Settingsā and follow the instructions.
After the reset, you can restore your data from the backup. While drastic, a factory reset can eliminate any hidden spyware.
Step 4: Use Antivirus Software
Finally, installing reputable antivirus software can provide additional protection against future spyware infections. Applications like Norton and TotalAV offer comprehensive security solutions designed for iOS, including real-time protection, virus scans, and web protection. By regularly scanning your device, these apps can detect and remove Spyware, safeguarding your personal information against unauthorized access.
Implementing these steps will significantly enhance your iPhoneās security, protecting your privacy and data from spyware threats.
Preventing Future Spyware Infections
To safeguard your iPhone from future spyware infections, adopt a proactive approach to digital hygiene. First, be cautious of suspicious links and downloads. Avoid clicking on unknown links or downloading apps from outside the App Store, as these are common ways Spyware is installed. Utilize secure Wi-Fi connections; public networks often lack robust security, making them hotspots for spyware distribution. Always connect to trusted networks and consider using a VPN for an added layer of security. Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts adds a crucial security layer, making unauthorized access significantly more challenging. By implementing these strategies, you enhance your defenses against the sophisticated tactics employed by spyware developers, keeping your personal information secure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, protecting your iPhone from Spyware is essential to ensuring your personal information remains secure and your privacy intact. From understanding what Spyware is and recognizing the signs of its presence to actively removing it and taking preventive measures against future infections, this guide has equipped you with the knowledge and tools necessary to defend your device. Keeping your iOS updated, clearing browsing data, performing a factory reset if needed, and using reliable antivirus software are all critical steps in maintaining your iPhoneās security. Moreover, adopting good digital hygiene practices, such as avoiding suspicious downloads, using secure Wi-Fi, and enabling two-factor authentication, further fortifies your defense against Spyware. By remaining vigilant and proactive, you can enjoy your iPhoneās benefits without compromising security or privacy.
We can all agree that pets are good for the soul. They comfort us, make us laugh, are always happy to see us, and love us unconditionally. Even though cats can sometimes be hard to tell because they have a more independent and often aloof nature, you can be sure that your purring friend loves and cares for you! It’s just that some cats express their love in certain ways.
Having a pet is also good for children as it can teach them a number of things:
Time spent outside
It’s true that cats don’t go out like dogs, but if you live in a house with a yard or you’ve taught your purring companion to walk on a leash and you take him on your walks in the mountains – what better way to have your child accompany you! This is a great incentive to put down the phone and enjoy some fresh air in the company of the purring friend!
Building trust and a stronger bond with another living being
Studies show that children often believe that pets are better confidantes than people and take comfort in having a four-legged friend to talk to. If you have more children – the purring friend can contribute to their good relationship, as they will have a common interest in playing and caring for the cat.
Learning responsibility
Everyone knows that caring for an animal is a responsibility! Raising a pet will inculcate in the child responsibility, habits and care – giving food, changing the water, cleaning the cat toys or putting them away.
Showing tenderness
Caring for a pet teaches children to respect all animals and treat them with kindness and compassion. It is important to teach them to:
ā¢ Be gentle when shaving the cat.
ā¢ Always pet or cuddle the animal when it allows and respect its personal space.
ā¢ Avoid picking up the cat when it doesn’t want it. It is important for the child to know that this is not a stuffed toy, but an animal that has emotions, feelings and pain.
Sure, kids and cats can get along and get along great, but it has to happen with conversation and training on both sides. The purring friend needs to be trained to follow certain rules, and children must learn to care for and respect the purring friend’s boundaries.
Illustrative Photo by Jenny Uhling: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blonde-child-with-dog-in-mountains-17807527/
In a landmark move, the European Union has taken a significant step towards addressing the pressing issue of air pollution. Late this evening, a consensus was reached between the Parliament and the Council on the new Air Quality Directive, aiming to drastically cut pollution limits across the EU by up to 2.5 times lower than the current targets by the year 2030. Despite the ambitious initiative, the agreement has been met with mixed reactions, as it does not fully align with the more stringent recommendations provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Nicolae ČtefÄnuČÄ, serving as the Greens/EFA Group Shadow Rapporteur for the file, expressed a bittersweet sentiment towards the agreement. “This deal is a step forward in reducing air pollution in Europe by 2030,” ČtefÄnuČÄ stated, acknowledging the progress made. He highlighted significant advancements introduced by the Directive, including groundbreaking rights for individuals affected by air pollution. “Thanks to our efforts, the Directive will introduce the right for people who get cancer to claim compensation if their authorities are not complying with the new pollution limits. It also includes the right for citizens to bring non-compliant authorities to court,” he elaborated.
Despite these achievements, ČtefÄnuČÄ voiced concerns over the deal’s shortcomings. “However, Europe will not be able to breathe easy until we take much bolder steps to tackle the kind of pollution we are witnessing right now in places like Milan. This deal is a missed opportunity to put the Directive on track to meeting the recommendations made by the World Health Organization for air quality,” he lamented. The MEP did not shy away from criticizing the current political climate, which he believes undermines environmental protection efforts. “It is disgraceful that every year, hundreds of thousands of people die prematurely from air pollution in Europe. The current reactionary attack on the Green Deal and environmental protection measures is undermining efforts to get a grip on pollution.”
The new directive promises to usher in a new era of air quality management within the EU. It sets forth stricter limits for harmful particles, with the ultimate goal of achieving zero pollution by 2050. Furthermore, it empowers citizens, especially those residing in heavily polluted areas, with unprecedented rights. For the first time, individuals will be able to seek justice and demand compensation for health damages attributable to the inaction of public authorities regarding air quality standards.
As the EU embarks on this ambitious journey towards cleaner air, the mixed reactions to the new Air Quality Directive underscore the challenges ahead. While the agreement marks a significant step forward, the call for more robust action in line with global health standards remains louder than ever. The path to achieving zero pollution by 2050 is fraught with obstacles, but the directive’s provisions offer a glimmer of hope for those affected by air pollution, advocating for a healthier future for all European citizens.
Jacobroecker, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This month, ourĀ āChristian Heritage month by monthāĀ column presents the church of Saint Elisabeth, the 20thĀ century āblue churchā in the Archdiocese of Bratislava, in Slovakia.
Originally planned as a small chapel adjacent to the royal Catholic grammar school of one of the growing districts of Bratislava at the time, the Church of Saint Elisabeth ā today known as the āblue Churchā ā is an exemplary feature of the cultural and architectonic Christian landscape of the Slovak capital.
Although the religious building was meant to only serve the needs of school students and staff, it became clear at the beginning of the 20th century that such a church also had to be designed to welcome the rising number of city dwellers in the area.
To celebrate the 700th anniversary of the birth of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, the first stone was laid in 1909 and the works to build a place of contemplation and prayer in honour of the Saint began, supported by modest citizens and noble families alike. Later consecrated in 1913, the church was built in Hungarian-Secessionist style and in its specific colour, obtained by tiny blue ceramic plates, both on the external walls and on the roof.
The leitmotif of the roses is also evidently present and it is a powerful reminder of the story of St Elisabeth, patron of charity, who tenaciously helped the poor and the emarginated by generous acts of charity.
Today, the church has become a sightseeing attraction, due to its unconventional colour. Yet, it also powerfully reminds both tourists and faithful of the generosity of Saint Elisabeth and the devotion of the citizens of Bratislava to the Hungarian Saint.
From January 1, 2023, Croatia adopted the Euro as its national currency. Thus, the country that entered the European Union last became the twentieth country to introduce the single currency.
The country has chosen four designs for the national side of the euro coins, with the distinctive Croatian chess motif in the background. All coins also feature the 12 stars of the European flag.
The 2 euro coin features a map of Croatia and the poem “Oh beautiful, oh dear, oh sweet freedom” by the poet Ivan GunduliÄ is written on the edge.
A stylized image of the small predator zlatka adorns the 1 Euro coin (in Croatian the animal is called kuna).
The face of Nikola Tesla can be found on the 50, 20 and 10 cent coins.
The 5, 2 and 1 cent coins are inscribed with the letters “HR” in Glagolitic script.
The ā¬2 coin depicts a mythological scene from a mosaic in Sparta (3rd century BC), showing the young princess Europa abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull. The inscription on the edge is ĪĪĪĪĪĪĪĪ ĪĪĪĪĪĪ”ĪĪ¤ĪĪ (REPUBLIC OF GREECE).
The ā¬1 coin reproduces the Athenian owl design that appears on the ancient 4 drachma coin (5th century BC).
The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins depict three different Greek statesmen:
10 cents: Rigas-Ferreos (Velestinlis) (1757-1798), forerunner of the Greek Enlightenment and Confederation and visionary of the liberation of the Balkans from Ottoman rule; 50 cents: Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831), the first governor of Greece (1830-1831) after the Greek War of Independence (1821-1827) (20 cents), and Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936), a pioneer of social reform who played a key role in the modernization of the Greek state.
The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins depict typical Greek ships: the Athenian trireme (5th century BC) on the 1 cent coin; the corvette used during the Greek War of Independence (1821-1827) on the 2 cent coin and the modern tanker on the 5 cent coin.
Austria
Austria’s euro coins are designed around three main themes: flowers, architecture and famous historical figures.
In addition to public consultation through opinion polls, a group of 13 experts selected the winning designs by the artist Josef Kaiser.
The ā¬2 coin features the portrait of Bertha von Suttner, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905.
The ā¬1 coin features the portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the famous Austrian composer, accompanied by his signature.
The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins depict architectural works in Vienna: the towers of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (10 cent), a masterpiece of Viennese Gothic architecture; the Belvedere Palace (20 cents), a jewel of the Austrian Baroque style, and the Secession building in Vienna (50 cents), a symbol of Austrian modernism and the birth of a new era.
The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins depict alpine flowers representing Austria’s obligations and commitment to the environment: gentian (1 cent); the edelweiss (2 cents), a traditional symbol of Austrian identity, and the primrose (5 cents).
Austrian euro coins have the peculiarity of showing the nominal value on the national obverse as well.
There are two different series of Spanish Euro coins in circulation.
The ā¬1 and ā¬2 coins depict the image of the new head of state, His Majesty King Felipe VI, in profile to the left. To the left of the image, round and in capital letters, the name of the issuing country and the year of issue “ESPAĆA 2015”, and to the right the mint mark.
Spain has updated the design of the Spanish national face on the ā¬1 and ā¬2 coins, which have been produced since 2015, to illustrate the change in the position of the head of state. The ā¬1 and ā¬2 coins from previous years with the old Spanish national face will remain valid.
The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins depict the bust of Miguel de Cervantes, author of “Don Quixote of La Mancha”, a masterpiece of Spanish and world literature.
The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins show the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a jewel of Spanish Romanesque art and one of the most famous places of worship in the world.
From that point on, the year mark appears on the inside of a coin, along with the mint mark and the name of the issuing country. The twelve stars in the outer ring are depicted as on the European flag, without relief around them.
Estonia
The design of the national side of the Estonian euro coins was chosen after a public competition. A jury of experts pre-selected the 10 best designs.
The winning design was chosen by telephone voting, which was open to all Estonians. It was created by the artist Lembit Lemos.
All Estonian euro coins contain a geographical image of Estonia accompanied by the word “Eesti” and the year “2011”.
The inscription on the edge of the ā¬2 coin is “Eesti” repeated twice, once upright and once inverted.
Estonian euro coins have been in circulation since 1 January 2011.
Italy
Italian euro coins carry a different design for each denomination, chosen from masterpieces of the country’s cultural heritage. The final choice was made by the public through a television program broadcast by RAI Uno, Italy’s largest television station.
The ā¬2 coin reproduces the portrait painted by Raphael of the poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), author of the Divine Comedy. The inscription on the edge repeats “2” six times, alternating upright and inverted numerals.
The ā¬1 coin features the Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing showing the ideal proportions of the human body.
The 50 cent coin reproduces the pavement design of the Piazza del Campidoglio with the equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
The 20-cent coin features a sculpture by Umberto Boccioni, a master of the Italian Futurist movement.
The 10-cent coin depicts a detail from The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli’s famous painting, and a triumph of Italian art.
The 5 cent coin depicts the Colosseum in Rome, the famous amphitheater built by the emperors Vespasian and Titus, opened in AD 80.
The 2 cent coin depicts the Mole Antonelliana tower in Turin.
The 1 cent coin depicts “Castel del Monte” near Bari.
In 2005, the Central Bank of Cyprus launched a competition to select the design of the Cypriot euro coins, which were to have three different motifs reflecting the specifics of the country in terms of culture, nature and the sea.
The winning projects, approved by the Council of Ministers of Cyprus, were jointly created by Tatiana Soteropoulos and Eric Mael.
The ā¬1 and ā¬2 coins reproduce the Pomos Idol, a cross-shaped idol dating from the Chalcolithic period (c. 3000 BC), representing the country’s contribution to civilization since prehistoric times.
The 10-, 20-, and 50-cent coins depict the Kyrenia (4th century BC), a Greek merchant ship whose remains are believed to be the oldest of the Classical period discovered to date. It is a symbol of the insular nature of Cyprus and its historical importance as a commercial center.
The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins feature the mouflon, a type of wild sheep representative of the island’s wildlife.
Belgium
There are two different series of Belgian Euro coins in circulation.
All notes of the first series issued in 2002 show the face of His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians, surrounded by the twelve stars of the European Union with the royal monogram (capital ‘A’ and crown) to the right. The Belgian euro coins were designed by Jan Alphonse Koistermans, director of the Turnhout Municipal Academy of Fine Arts, and selected by a committee of high-ranking officials, numismatic experts and artists.
In 2008, Belgium made a slight change in the design of its national sides to comply with the general guidelines recommended by the European Commission. The new national sides continue to bear the effigy of His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians, surrounded by twelve stars, but the royal monogram and date of issue are depicted on the inner part of the coin ā not the outer ring ā along with two new elements: the signs of the mint and the country name abbreviation (“BE”).
From 2014, the second series of Belgian coins shows on each note the face of the new head of state, His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, in profile to the right. To the left of the effigy, the Issuing Country designation ‘BE’ and the Royal monogram above. Below the statue, the mint master notes to the left and the mintmark to the right the year of issue.
The outer ring of the coin features the 12 stars of the European flag.
The inscription on the edge of the ā¬2 coin “2” is repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Coins from previous years with the old Belgian national face remain valid.
Luxembourg
The national faces of Luxembourg were designed by Yvette Gastauer-Claire in agreement with the Royal Household and the national government.
All Luxembourg coins bear the profile of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri in three different styles: a new linear for the ā¬1 and ā¬2 coins; traditional linear for the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins and classic for the 1, 2 and 5 cent coins.
The word “Luxembourg” is written in Luxembourgish (LĆ«tzebuerg).
The inscription on the edge of the ā¬2 coin is “2” repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pile-of-gold-round-coins-106152/
