The news that matter in Europe
The news that matter in Europe
Francia ha llevado a juicio a 11 presuntos miembros de alto rango del Partido de los Trabajadores del Kurdistán (PKK), acusados de extorsión, financiación del terrorismo y propaganda para la organización, informó AFP. Declarada organización terrorista por Estados Unidos, la Unión Europea y Turquía, el PKK ha…
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China’s actions represent the biggest threat to the Netherlands’ economic security and innovation. The head of the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Erik Ackerboom, told The Associated Press in connection with the agency’s annual assessment of the…
Vitaly Merinov, cuatro veces campeón mundial de kickboxing, murió la semana pasada en el hospital como resultado de las lesiones en las piernas sufridas mientras luchaba para las fuerzas armadas ucranianas en Luhansk. El atleta se unió al ejército ucraniano como voluntario pocos días después del inicio de la invasión rusa de Ucrania….
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Des milliers de Polonais ont manifesté aujourd’hui pour défendre la réputation de l’ancien pape Jean-Paul II, récemment accusé d’avoir dissimulé des crimes pédophiles alors qu’il était archevêque, ont rapporté l’AFP et Reuters. A cheval, en costumes d’époque, ou simplement avec le drapeau du Vatican en jaune et blanc…
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Steven T. Collis is a storyteller and law professor at the University of Texas School of Law. He serves as the faculty director of Texas’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and Law and Religion Clinic. Collis is a sought-after speaker nationwide on religion and law and is the author of Deep Conviction: True Stories of Ordinary Americans Fighting for the Freedom to Live Their Beliefs.
His background studying law and religion led him to his new book, The Immortals: The World War II Story of Five Fearless Heroes, the Sinking of the Dorchester, and an Awe-inspiring Rescue. The book tells one of the most inspiring true stories in military and American history. Collis highlights the sacrifices made by the Four Chaplains and a Black petty officer to save hundreds of soldiers on the SS Dorchester, during World War II.
In 1943, German U-Boats lurked in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, eager to bring down Allied ships. As the Four Chaplains aboard the Dorchester descended into the lower holds, the troops knew something was going on. A vague announcement played over the loudspeakers: Submarines were estimated to be in the vicinity. The Four Chaplains advised soldiers to put on their life jackets as tensions arose. The book further elaborates on Alexander Goode, John Washington, George Fox, and Clark Poling, also known as the Four Chaplains. The Chaplains each came from different backgrounds but fostered a safe environment through prayer and reassurances during a life-threatening time for over 900 soldiers
Then disaster struck. One German U-Boat fired a torpedo directly at the Dorchester, scoring a direct hit. The Immortal Chaplains are well-known for their heroism and were an inspiration to the nation, after calmly helping soldiers through the chaos of abandoning the ship and distributing life jackets, including their own, when supplies ran out. They remained a beacon of hope as the boat sunk, and in their final minutes, witnesses reported seeing the Four Chaplains standing together with their arms linked, praying in their respective languages of faith. They encouraged the panicked men floating in life jackets in the frigid ocean, even in their final moments.
Private First-Class William Bednar, a survivor, reported, “I could hear men crying, pleading, praying. I could also hear the chaplains preaching courage. Their voices were the only thing that kept me going.”
Collis is also a pioneer in storytelling, as he delves into the valiant story of Charles Walter David Jr., the fifth and often unattributed hero. David’s story has predominantly remained untold until now. He served as a petty officer and was aboard a Coast Guard cutter traveling with the SS Dorchester crew. Heroism is at the forefront of David’s story as he dove into the glacial waters several times and fought through hypothermia to rescue soldiers who had fallen overboard while the ship was sinking.
Collis effortlessly tells his readers the story of how a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic priest, a Methodist minister, a Protestant minister, and a Black petty officer showcased heroism and unity when it was needed most, despite their differences. During conflicting times like ours, the book offers a refreshing perspective that explores the power of faith and sacrifice. It serves as a narration for five heroic men with vastly different backgrounds that put their beliefs and differences aside to work in consonance and placed the lives of others above their own, in a selfless act of outstanding bravery.
The non-fiction book alternates between the points of view of the Nazi U-Boat captain and crew and the survivors of the SS Dorchester. The survivors credit their survival to the Four Chaplains and David; Collis conducted rigorous research to provide the Nazi U-Boat perspective, which he attained through interviews and journal entries.
The Immortals: The World War II Story of Five Fearless Heroes, the Sinking of the Dorchester, and an Awe-inspiring Rescue, is published by Shadow Mountain Publishing and is available on Indie Bound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BAM, Walmart, Target, and anywhere books are sold.
To view the book trailer for The Immortals, please visit https://youtu.be/1qP5L9oxdSM.
Vienna (Austria), 9 August 2021 – As 2021 marks the 20th Anniversary of the UN Firearms Protocol and the Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), UNODC, jointly with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), recently held a high-level side event on the margins of the 7th Biennial Meeting of States on the PoA (BMS7).
With a focus on the continued importance of the two instruments and their complementarity in today’s evolving scene of small arms and light weapons, the virtual event welcomed over 120 participants from around the world. A panel of experts took stock of previous successes and challenges in the area of small arms and provided key takeaways for the way forward in the framework of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly pinpointed the importance of the Firearms Protocol as “the only international instrument requiring States to criminalize the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition.” She also stressed the importance of UNODC’s Global Firearms Programme (GFP) as the custodian of the Firearms Protocol and its role to support Member States in implementing this instrument, in addition to guidance in terms of legislation, criminal justice responses, and marking, among others. Indeed, in the last decade, the Programme has seen great success, training over 2,700 criminal justice practitioners from Africa and the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The event’s co-host, ODA Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Thomas Markram, meanwhile referred to the complementarity of the two instruments, both in nature and character, and explained how they represent the “architecture of efforts” to address the nefarious consequences of the most commonly used weapons globally. Mr. Markram shared his perspective on the progress States have made to date, mentioning the vital role played by global, regional, sub-regional actors, including civil society organizations, academia experts, UN entities, and other international organizations, flagging that “arms control is not just an affair of the military and the security institutions.” While efforts have led to progress, there remains a necessity for continued commitment by States and stakeholders to implement small arms control measures overarchingly.
Experts’ discussions focused on three areas, featuring practitioners who shared their experiences with small arms control measures within the context of the two instruments: key achievements over the past 20 years in the fight against illicit small arms trafficking; key remaining challenges in countering their illicit trafficking; and linkages with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the important role of women, youth, and civil society.
The Chair of the 8th Meeting of the Working Group on Firearms, Amb. Luis Javier Campuzano, spoke on upcoming challenges in countering the illicit trafficking of small arms, expressly the growing use of 3D printing for weapons manufacturing and how that brings about novel challenges for tracing and marking firearms. Mr. Campuzano also raised the alarm on the speedy upsurge of cryptocurrencies as a favored resource of organized criminal groups worldwide, and stressed the importance of recognizing firearms as the most significant enablers of crime. Finally, he recommended a gendered approach to all policies, analyses, and actions relating to the issue of firearms.
The gesture is on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Bonaparte’s death
Russia returns to France the remains of General Charles-Étienne César Gudin de La Sablonnière (13 February 1768 – 22 August 1812), who fought in 1812 with Emperor Napoleon I near Smolensk, TASS reported. Negotiations between Moscow and Paris lasted for two years. The ceremony marked the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death on May 5, but a later date was set for the pandemic.
The general’s bones were discovered by archaeologists in 2019. Since his death on August 22, 1812, his tomb has been considered unknown. The remains were identified by the missing left leg, detached from a Russian cannonball. After he was wounded, doctors struggled for three days to save his life by amputating the rest of his left leg. But he died of gangrene at the age of 44. His heart was then removed from the field hospital to be buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His body remained unknown to historians, and two years ago his skeleton was found buried in a municipal park in Smolensk.
The Battle of Valutino, as the French call it after a nearby village (for the Russians it is the Battle of Lubino, after another village) took place on August 19, 1812 on the right bank of the Dnieper. 30,000 French clashed with 30,000 Russians from the rearguard covering Prince Bagration’s retreat. The casualties on the French side were 8,000, and on the Russian side – 5,000. After Smolensk, Napoleon continued to pursue the Russian army on August 25. General Gudin had been a close ally of Bonaparte’s since military school in Brienne. His name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as a hero of France.
His remains were identified not only by the marks of the wound, but also by DNA examination compared to samples from the remains of his close relatives. They will be met in France at the Home for the Disabled (L’hôtel national des Invalides), where Napoleon’s sarcophagus is located, and their reburial will be at the Pere Lachaise.
Photo: Portrait of General Gudin (1839) by Georges Rouge and his remains as found in Smolensk
On 7th June 2021, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, will take part in a high-level discussion at the Zero Corruption: Democracy in Action Conference organised by Democracy in Action in partnership with the Government of Ukraine in Kyiv.
The Deputy Secretary General will deliver a speech (online) at the Heads of States Conversation: Leadership in Times of Restoring the Power of Democracy panel discussion. This will be followed by a question and answer session with other panellists.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė of Lithuania to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (3 June 2021) to discuss the preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit.
On Friday 4 June 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will give a keynote speech to preview the NATO Summit in Brussels on 14 June. His speech “NATO 2030: a transatlantic agenda for the future” will be made online at an event organised by NATO together with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and The Brookings Institution. The speech will be followed by a question and answer session with the Secretary General.
On Thursday 03 June 2021 the NATO Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will meet with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Ms Ingrida Šimonytė, at NATO Headquarters.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hailed the UK as a key Ally in talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday (2 June 2021), focused on preparations for the NATO Summit on 14 June.