Canada, US, EU and Britain discussing sanctions against Belarus
Sep 3 2020
Canada, US, EU and Britain discussing sanctions against Belarus

Canada, the United States, the European Union and Britain are discussing possible sanctions against Belarus over its crackdown against protests following a disputed election, a Canadian source directly familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (2 September).

If sanctions were imposed, they would come “in the not too distant future”, said the source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.

Protests erupted after a 9 August election that the opposition says was rigged to prolong President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year rule. Lukashenko denies electoral fraud and has shown no sign of backing down.

UN human rights investigators say they have received reports of hundreds of cases of torture, beatings and mistreatment of anti-government protesters by police.

“There have been a number of things that have happened since the election that are reprehensible,” said the Canadian source.

“We’ve made it clear the situation cannot stand and that’s precisely the reason we are looking, with other partners, at some sort of sanctions we could put in place.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington and European partners were reviewing imposing targeted punitive measures against anyone involved in human rights abuses in Belarus.

The EU made a half-decision on sanctions meant to mainly target those accused of being responsible for the fraudulent elections and the violent crackdown on peaceful protests.

The EU is looking at sanctioning 10 to 15 Belarusian figures, a US State Department official said on Wednesday.

“My understanding is that the EU … is thinking of about 10 to 15 names,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent during a virtual appearance at the German Marshall Fund think tank. Kent also said the United States was not, “at this point,” suspending sanctions waivers that he said had allowed Belarus to purchase North American crude oil earlier this year.

In the meantime, EU members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced their own sanctions in the form of entry bans against Lukashenko and 29 other high-ranking officials.

Lithuania and Estonia have asked fellow EU nations to blacklist Lukashenko , diplomatic sources said.

Any sanctions need unanimity from all members of the EU, which usually does not target top political figures with a view to keeping communications channels open.

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EEAS Vacancy Notice: Contract Agent FGIII – Communication and Information Systems Assistant – EEAS Headquarters – job n° 347905
Sep 1 2020
EEAS Vacancy Notice: Contract Agent FGIII – Communication and Information Systems Assistant – EEAS Headquarters – job n° 347905

We are:

The European External Action Service (EEAS), which supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent EU foreign policy. The EEAS supports his tasks of conducting the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in his capacity as Vice President of the Commission with regard to his responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the EU’s external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) is the permanent structure supporting the Civilian Operations Commander. The Civilian Operations Commander is the overall commander at the strategic level of currently 11 civilian CSDP crisis management missions and provides strategic guidance and direction to the Heads of Mission. The Civilian Operations Commander reports directly to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and through him to the Council of the EU. Under the political control and strategic direction of the Political and Security Committee and the overall authority of the High Representative, the Civilian Operations Commander ensures the effective planning and conduct of civilian CSDP crisis management operations, as well as the proper implementation of all mission-related tasks.

The Missions Operational Support Division (CPCC.4) is responsible for CIS, IT applications as well as logistics and procurement at Headquarters level. The Division manages the delivery of equipment to the 11 civilian CSDP Missions, ensuring that all the financial and legal rules are adherent to in the procurement and usage of such equipment. In this function, CPCC.4 also liaises with the civilian CSDP Warehouse located in Southern Sweden and managed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Furthermore, CPCC.4 assists the civilian Missions in defining and managing their budgets with the relevant stakeholders (EU Member States and Foreign Policy Instruments). CPCC.4 is the contact point of the CPCC for the RELEX Working Group of the Council.

We propose

The position of Communication and Information Systems Assistant in the Missions Operational Support Divison (CPCC.4) – contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

We look for

The person to be recruited will work under the supervision of the Head of the Missions Operational Support Division within the CPCC.4. We are seeking a highly motivated colleague who is expected to perform the following tasks:

  • To support in the planning and implementation of technical aspect of CIS projects for central services for CSDP Missions in cooperation and coordination with other members of the team.
  • To configure and implement Mission Support Platform IT infrastructure in cooperation with other IT colleagues.
  • To implement all technical aspects of Mission Support Platform IT projects.
  • To perform tasks in coordination with consultants, external experts, and outsourced services in support of the development and maintenance of the Mission Support Platform IT Infrastructure.
  • To assist in the planning, support, repairs and installation of Mission Support Platform IT equipment in several locations including for desktop, laptop, printers and servers.
  • To advise the Head of Division and the Team Leader in IT and InfoSec on matters related to the information systems used within CSDP missions and the central IT infrastructure in Brussels.
  • To produce precise reports for the hierarchy concerning CIS issues and recommend improvements for future developments.
  • To participate in fact-finding missions and technical assessment missions.

Other specific requirements:

  • Assist in the overall implementation of IT Projects.
  • First and second level end-user support in Office 365 and Windows 10 environment.
  • Technical administration of the existing Azure data center and the future SharePoint online infrastructure.
  • Maintenance of end-user hardware and software.
  • Ethernet infrastructure, routers and switches configuration, cabling and maintenance.
  • Technical experience in designing and implementing IT centralized services based on public and private cloud solutions and virtualisation techniques, including installation and maintenance of server environments.
  • To undertake any other related tasks as requested by the Head of Division.

Legal basis

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). 1

The successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function group III); renewable contract for a maximum duration of 6 years (with a valid CAST exam).

Eligibility criteria

Candidates for this contract agent III post should:

  • (i) have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid FG for this post

or

  • (ii) be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST in a valid FG for this post https://epso.europa.eu/apply/job-offers_en?keyword=&contract=37&grade=Al…
  • have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma or a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education and appropriate professional experience of three year;
  • have the capacity to work in languages of CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an asset.
  • Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

Selection criteria

  • After having fulfilled the above requirement, at least 3 years of relevant and proven full-time professional experience in Information and Communication Technology support and implementation
  • Have experience on providing first and second level user support in Office 365 and Windows 10 environment (Training and/or certification in Microsoft technologies is a strong asset)
  • Have a good knowledge on Cloud Services (Azure, AWS, …) and virtualization (VMware), if possible attested by relevant certification and/or training
  • Good knowledge of client administration in Windows environments and demonstration of technical skills and hands-on experience in troubleshooting of related information systems issues.
  • Have a good experience in drafting technical procedures for the use and management of computer systems and networks.
  • Have a good knowledge in project management and ITIL standards (certifications are an asset).
  • Have a good knowledge of different products, services, technologies and commercial actors related to the IT sector and their possible applications in European public administrations.

Specific conditions of employment

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service.

The successful candidate might be required to undergo security vetting if she or he does not hold already a Personal Security Clearance to an appropriate level, in accordance with relevant security provisions.

Equal opportunities

The External Action Service applies an equal opportunities policy.

Application and selection procedure 2

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number) via email to

cpcc.administration@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending applications: 25/09/2020 at 18.00 (CET).

Candidates shall draft their CV following the European CV form which can be found at the following internet address: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv.

Late applications will not be accepted.

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and professional experience described in the CV and motivational letter, and will produce a shortlist of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the pre-selection phase.

The candidates who have been preselected will be invited for an interview by a selection panel. The panel will recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment. The Authority may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

Place of employment: EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: as of 01/10/2020

CONTACT: Mohamed Tabit, Deputy Head of Division CPCC.4 Tel: +32 2584 3181 Email: Mohamed.Tabit@eeas.europa.eu

1 Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CE…

2 Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by ADMIN(2019)8 Decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The privacy statement is available on the Europa website: (http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm) and on the EEAS Intranet: (https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-s…).

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WHO says Europe can live with COVID-19 with local lockdowns: Live
Sep 1 2020
WHO says Europe can live with COVID-19 with local lockdowns: Live

  • Europe can live with COVID-19 without a vaccine by managing outbreaks with localised lockdowns, the World Health Organization’s director for the region said, adding he did not expect a return to full national-level restrictions.

  • Hong Kong has started mass testing for coronavirus in an initiative that has been undermined by suspicions of China and concerns about privacy.
  • Nearly 25.5 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 850,535 people have died. Some 16.8 million people have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Tuesday, September 1

12:30 GMT – Guatemala’s international airport to resume flights on September 18

Guatemala’s Aurora international airport will reopen to commercial flights on September 18, the government has announced, as the Central American country relaxes its coronavirus lockdown.

Guatemala registered more than 74,000 coronavirus infections and 2,760 deaths during the pandemic. The airport has been shut since mid-March.

12:10 GMT – Mexican president gains popularity during pandemic – poll

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s approval ratings have risen during the coronavirus pandemic, with a majority of surveyed voters applauding his campaign to crack down on political corruption, an opinion poll showed.

Lopez Obrador now holds a 65 percent approval rate, according to a nationwide survey of 1,000 voters in face-to-face interviews conducted by pollster Parametria from August 26 to 30.

The rate rose from 54 percent in March, just as the coronavirus crisis took hold in Latin America’s second-largest economy. Lopez Obrador will give a state of the nation address on Tuesday, as Mexico stands in fourth-place globally for most lives lost to the pandemic.

Frontline Mexico: The Fight Against COVID-19 | Featured Documentary

11:50 GMT – Coronavirus cases to peak this month in Indonesia, says president

Indonesia’s coronavirus outbreak will likely peak this month, President Joko Widodo has said, adding he was “very confident” about access to a safe and effective vaccine by the end of this year.

The upbeat assessment came as Indonesia – which has one of the world’s lowest per-capita testing rates – saw record new cases on three successive days last week, when 11 percent of its total 177,571 infections were recorded.

Its 7,505 COVID-19 deaths are the most in Southeast Asia.

Coronavirus: What did they get wrong? | Start Here

11:20 GMT – 900,000 in Finland download virus tracing app

Finnish health authorities have said that some 900,000 people have downloaded a coronavirus tracing app a day after it was launched.

The Koronavilkku app is aimed at finding out whether a person has been exposed to the coronavirus, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said, adding that the free-of-charge application was created to help break infection chains.

App users send a randomly generated code via Bluetooth to others when in close contact.

10:50 GMT – Germany sees economy recovering faster than expected in 2020

Germany expects the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to be less severe than originally feared this year, but it sees a weaker rebound for Europe‘s largest economy next year due to sluggish foreign demand.

Presenting the government’s updated forecasts, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said the economy was doing better than expected and was recovering quickly from the coronavirus shock thanks to a strong response from the state.

10:30 GMT – Spain PM concerned at Madrid spike in virus infections

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said his government is concerned about a spike in coronavirus infections in the capital Madrid.

Spain was one of the hardest-hit countries when the coronavirus struck Europe this year before a strict lockdown helped reduce the outbreak’s spread.

But infections have surged since the lockdown measures were fully removed at the end of June, especially in Madrid, with the rise in infections often linked to the return of nightlife and social gatherings.

Exclusive: Inside hospital battling coronavirus in Spain

10:15 GMT – South African state firms request bailouts over COVID-19

South African state companies have requested billions of rand in funding from the government to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus crisis, a finance ministry presentation to parliament showed.

Loss-making state companies have long been an Achilles heel for Africa’s most industrialised economy, requiring bailouts that have placed its public finances under huge strain at a time of weak economic growth and helped push its sovereign credit rating to “junk” status.

10:05 GMT – Poland bans direct flights from Spain, Israel due to coronavirus fears

Poland is banning from Wednesday direct flights from 44 countries including Spain, Israel and Romania in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Central European country, the government has said.

The United States, Malta, Montenegro, Mexico, Brasil, Argentina and India are also on the list of countries, but local media reported that Russia and China had been removed from it.

The move follows measures to reintroduce restrictions on public life in the worst affected parts of the country, as the government tries to tackle the spread of the virus without resorting to a complete lockdown.
Poles

09:50 GMT – Philippines raises limits on attendance at religious services

Philippine authorities have raised the limit on attendance at religious services in the capital to 10 percent of a  venue’s capacity, up from just 10 people since June.

The new rules allow Catholic churches and other places of worship to be filled up to 10 percent of their capacity in the Metro Manila region, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

09:25 GMT – Children in Wuhan return to school

Children have returned to school in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic that underwent months of lockdown but which has not seen new cases of local transmission for weeks.

State media reported 1.4 million children in the city reported to 2,842 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools as part of a nationwide return to classes.

China: Truth In A Pandemic | 101 East

09:10 GMT – Malaysia to bar long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia, Philippines

Malaysia has said it will bar entry of long-term immigration pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines from September 7, in a bid to curtail imported coronavirus cases amid a spate of new clusters in the country.

Health authorities in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy have recorded over 9,300 cases as of Tuesday, and 128 deaths, with new cases found in clusters detected in at least four states.

08:50 GMT – French children head back to school

Millions of French children have started going back to school despite a recent rise in virus infections, in a nationwide experiment aimed at bridging inequalities and reviving the economy.

“The virus is still there, and you have to protect yourself,” President Emmanuel Macron said in an Instagram video aimed at France’s more than 12 million schoolchildren on their first day back.

08:30 GMT – Philippines confirms 3,483 more coronavirus cases, 39 deaths

The Philippines’ health ministry has reported 3,483 additional novel coronavirus infections and 39 more deaths.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections had reached 224,264, more than half of which were reported in the past 30 days, while deaths had increased to 3,597.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday kept partial restrictions in and around the capital for another month until end-September to stem the continuous rise in infections.

08:15 GMT – Indonesia reports 2,775 new coronavirus cases, 88 deaths

Indonesia has reported 2,775 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total tally to 177,571, data from the country’s COVID-19 taskforce showed.

The Southeast Asian country also added 88 new deaths on Tuesday, taking the total number to 7,505, the highest coronavirus death toll in Southeast Asia. 

08:00 GMT – Russia’s coronavirus case tally passes one million mark

The total number of coronavirus cases in Russia have passed the one million mark after 4,729 new infections were reported.

That brought the country’s total tally to 1,000,048. Russia’s coronavirus crisis centre said 123 new deaths had been confirmed in the last 24 hours. 

07:30 GMT – India’s case surge eases slightly as millions take exams

India’s tally of coronavirus infections have surged to nearly 3.7 million, as millions of masked students sat for college admission exams after the government refused to defer them.

India, the world’s third most affected country by the pandemic after the United States and Brazil, reported 69,921 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the lowest in six days.

07:15 GMT Ghana to reopen international airport after five months

Ghana will reopen its international airport but with new regulations in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the president has announced.

Kotoka International Airport, located outside the capital Accra, was closed in March along with other border points in a bid to contain the virus in the west African country.

“I am glad to announce that Kotoka International Airport will reopen and resume operations from Tuesday, September 1, 2020,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a nationwide broadcast. He said land borders would remain closed.

06:55 GMT – Chinese students begin full return to school

Chinese students began a full return to regular classes following two weeks without new cases of local transmission in the country.

Reports said students had their temperatures checked on arrival but rules on social distancing and mask wearing varied depending on the region.

What is China’s post-coronavirus strategy? I Inside Story

06:40 GMT – Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,218

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany have increased by 1,218 to 243,599, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. 

The reported death toll rose by 4 to 9,302, the tally showed. 

06:05 GMT – Hungary reopens borders to some eastern neighbours

Hungary has decided to let tourists from its three East European neighbours, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia enter the country with a fresh negative coronavirus test, just as a lockdown on its borders took effect.

Last week Hungary said it would close its borders to foreigners from Tuesday to curb a rise in coronavirus cases. Returning Hungarian citizens can leave a 14-day quarantine only if they provide two negative COVID tests.

Hi, this is Elizabeth Melimopoulos in Doha taking over the live updates from my colleague Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

05:20 GMT – Sanofi says arthritis drug failure as COVID-19 treatment

French drugmaker Sanofi says its rheumatoid arthritis drug Kevzara does not work as a treatment for coronavirus. 

With Kevzara’s failure to meet the main goals of a US study testing it among the most critically-ill COVID-19 patients, Sanofi and Regeneron do not anticipate any further clinical studies for the drug in relation to the disease, Sanofi added.

“Although this trial did not yield the results we hoped for, we are proud of the work that was achieved by the team to further our understanding of the potential use of Kevzara for the treatment of COVID-19,” said Sanofi’s Global Head of Research and Development John Reed.

Big Pharma and the cost of developing COVID-19 drugs and vaccines | Counting the Cost

04:20 GMT – Students return to school after months of home learning

Children in Europe and parts of Asia are returning to school this week after months away from their classrooms.

China’s state-run media showed pictures of primary and middle school children returning to class – with physical distancing and other measures in force – in Shanghai.

Students in France and Belgium are also due to resume classes on Tuesday after the summer break, with pupils in England and Wales returning later in the week after six months away.

Regulations differ in each country, but most children over the age of 12, as well as all staff are required to wear face masks. Physical distancing and regular handwashing have also been made part of the new routine. 

03:40 GMT – More than 10,000 tested in first two hours of Hong Kong’s universal testing

The South China Morning Post is reporting that more than 10,000 people were tested for coronavirus in the first two hours after the territory’s controversial mass testing programme began.

Testing centres opened at 8am local time (00:00 GMT), and small queues formed outside some, the newspaper said. Hong Kong chief executive was among a number of government officials and health experts who took the test.

Hong Kong

People queuing outside a testing centre in Hong Kong on Tuesday as a mass testing campaign began [Kin Cheung/AP Photo]

03:15 GMT – Researchers find COVID-19 has disrupted cancer care in US, Australia

Researchers from the University of Sydney and Duke University in the US studying the impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatments say the pandemic has fuelled a shift towards online consultations, forced the suspension of research and clinical trials and required doctors to assess the risks of administering standard treatments given patients’ vulnerability to COVID-19.

“In light of physical distancing restrictions due to COVID-19, standard cancer procedures are being altered or delayed, including surveillance imaging; non-emergency surgical procedures; and clinical trials,” said Professor Alex Broom, health sociologist and the lead Sydney researcher.

“The suspension of clinical trials is especially detrimental for patients with rare cancers. For them, enrolling in a clinical trial for a promising new therapy may be the best option.”

However, the team noted that as a result of the pandemic there was also increased identification of non-essential drugs and better identification of treatments which did not offer significant improvements to quality or quantity of life. The findings were published in Clinical Cancer Research.

02:50 GMT – Cases, deaths ease in Victoria

The Australian state of Victoria has been releasing its latest coronavirus numbers and the picture seems more encouraging.

The number of deaths – 5 – was the lowest in two weeks, while the number of new cases – 70 – was the lowest in more than eight weeks. All the deaths were linked to homes for the elderly. 

With active cases in rural Victoria lower than in the state capital Melbourne, state premier Dan Andrews plans to unveil two separate roadmaps out of lockdown, local media reported. The details will be released on Sunday.

02:00 GMT – Coronavirus fuels ‘Kannywood’ boom in Nigeria

‘Kannywood’, the film industry named after the city of Kano in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria, is booming even with coronavirus.

The industry has 502 production firms and employs 30,000 people, and Northflix, its fledgling streaming platform has seen subscribers double and revenue triple since lockdowns were imposed in March.

“Coronavirus has been a blessing to us business-wise, despite the disruptions caused to the global economy,” CEO and co-founder Jamil Abdussalam told AFP. Northflix switched to a flat rate subscription model charging the equivalent of $4 a month as the pandemic deepened and Nigerians looked online for entertainment. 

‘Kannywood’ films cover themes of love, revenge and betrayal but follow strict Islamic rules.

00:15 GMT – Hong Kong begins mass testing programme 

Hong Kong begins mass testing for coronavirus this morning, with the assistance of 60 experts from China.

This is the first time Chinese health officials have provided direct help to Hong Kong in the pandemic, and the move has fuelled concerns about privacy among members of the pro-democracy movement following China’s imposition of national security legislation at the end of June. Activists have urged the territory’s 7.5 million people to boycott the initiative.

Still, the government said that, as of 6pm (10:00 GMT) on Monday just over 500,000 had registered for the programme via its online booking system, and 97 of the 141 community testing centres were fully booked for September 1.

The programme aims to “identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, and to cut the transmission chain on the community,” the government said in a statement. 

23:30 GMT –  Coronavirus disrupts healthcare in 90 percent of countries

A World Health Organization survey of 105 countries shows that 90 percent have experienced disruption to their health services as a result of the coronavirus, with low- and middle-income countries the most affected.

Up to 70 percent of service interruptions have been for essential services including routine immunisation, diagnosis and treatment for non-communicable diseases, family planning and contraception, treatment for mental health disorders and cancer diagnosis and treatment, the United Nations health agency said.

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

Read all the updates from yesterday (August 31) here.

Newsdesk 0 Comments
Montenegro facing political turmoil after uncertain government victory - Vatican News
Sep 1 2020
Montenegro facing political turmoil after uncertain government victory – Vatican News

By Stefan J. Bos

Supporters of several parties celebrated in the streets of Montenegro’s capital Podgorica.

Official results indicated that Montenegro could experience its first-ever transfer of power through the ballot box. So far, this small mountainous nation near the Adriatic Sea had been ruled by the pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS.

The DPS still received roughly 35 percent of the ballots. But it was closely followed by its main pro-Serb and pro-Russia rivals, For the future of Montenegro, with nearly 33 percent. And analysts suggest they may be better positioned to find allies and have a workable majority to form the next government.

Opposition leader Zdravko Krivokapic already declared victory when meeting supporters. “People of Montenegro, freedom has happened after some thirty-one years,” he said.

It comes after long-time Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic faced accusations of corruption, autocracy, and criminal links.

On Sunday, the election was also marked by a dispute over a religious rights law that is staunchly opposed by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church.

It fears the government wants to seize its properties in favor of an independent Montenegrin church, charges the government denies.

President Djukanociv admitted that his DPS party would face a tough battle to form the next government.

Djukanovic made clear late Sunday that his party is ready to respect and acknowledge any election outcome. But he expressed hope that the future government would keep Montenegro on track to join the European Union.

He already defied Russia in 2017 to lead his country into the NATO-military alliance, after gaining independence from much-larger Serbia in 2006.

However, the issues over corruption and religion have fueled divisions in this nation of 620,000 people.

The country remains split over relations with the West and traditional Slavic allies Serbia and Russia.

officialinstitutions 0 Comments
Steel Strips Wheels bags orders worth 5,000 from US, European Union
Sep 1 2020
Steel Strips Wheels bags orders worth $455,000 from US, European Union

Auto component maker Steel Strips Wheels on Tuesday said it has received orders worth over USD 455,000 (about Rs 3.32 crore) for about 42,000 wheels for the US and EU trailer market.

In a regulatory filing, Steel Strips Wheels Ltd (SSWL) said it has received new export orders worth over USD 455,000 from the US and European Union (EU) trailer market to be executed in September and October from its Chennai plant.

The company said orders of similar capacity are anticipated from the same customer base as businesses have picked up speed.

On Monday, SSWL said it has received orders worth over USD 46,000 for about 3,700 wheels for the US caravan trailer market.

Last week, SSWL had received orders worth over EUR 253,000 (around Rs 2.20 crore) for about 37,000 wheels for the EU caravan trailer market.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Juan Sanchez Gil 0 Comments
Ecumenical Patriarch: Life of the Church is an applied ecology - Vatican News
Sep 1 2020
Ecumenical Patriarch: Life of the Church is an applied ecology – Vatican News

By Vatican News

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has issued a message to Orthodox bishops and faithful, calling for a renewed commitment to protecting the environment.

His message comes on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, September 1, which also marks the beginning of the Byzantine ecclesiastical year. The Day of Prayer was originally established by Bartholomew’s predecessor, Dimitrios, in 1989, and later adopted by other Orthodox churches. In a significant ecumenical gesture, Pope Francis in 2015 announced that the Catholic Church would also observe the Day on September 1.

An unprecedented threat

In his letter, the Ecumenical Patriarch says, “It is a shared conviction that, in our time, the natural environment is threatened like never before in the history of humankind.” While modern advances have provided great benefits, they can also prove destructive if misused.

Bartholomew continues, “Protection of the common good, of the integrity of the natural environment, is the common responsibility of all the inhabitants of the earth.” However, while many individuals and communities have shown their commitment to ecology, “nations and economic agents” have been unable to make decisions for the good of the environment.

“How much longer,” asks Bartholomew, “will nature endure the fruitless discussions and consultations, as well as any further delay in assuming decisive actions for its protection?”

Human culpability for the ecological crisis

The reduction of pollution that has resulted from the lockdowns and other measures during the coronavirus emergency demonstrates “the anthropogenic nature of the contemporary ecological crisis,” says Bartholomew. Therefore, he says, there must be “a change of direction toward an ecological economy.”

Economic concerns must be balanced against genuine concern for the environment: “It is inconceivable that we adopt economic decisions without taking into account their ecological consequences.”

A pioneer in protecting the environment

Bartholomew notes the efforts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in recent decades in the field of protecting the environment. This commitment, he says, is “an extension of its ecclesiological self-awareness,” and not simply a “circumstantial reaction to a new phenomenon.”

The ecological concern of the Orthodox Church is a part of the nature of the Church, he says: “The very life of the Church is an applied ecology.” Care for creation, says Bartholomew, is an act of praise of God, while “destruction of creation is an offence against the creator.”

Faith strengthens Christian witness

Finally, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew says the Orthodox tradition of care for the environment provides a defence against certain aspects of contemporary culture, founded on the idea of the “domination of man over nature.”

In the face of the grave challenges of the environmental crisis, faith in Christ can help us not only see the problems with the current culture, but also help us to see the “possibilities and prospects of contemporary civilization.”

Bartholomew calls especially on “Orthodox young men and women to realize the significance of living as faithful Christians and contemporary people,” adding, “Faith in the eternal destiny of man strengthens our witness in the world.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch concludes his Message with best wishes for “a propitious and all-blessed new ecclesiastical year, fruitful in Christ-like deeds, for the benefit of all creation and to the glory of the all-wise Creator of all.”

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AstraZeneca's Imfinzi wins EU approval for aggressive form of lung cancer
Sep 1 2020
AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi wins EU approval for aggressive form of lung cancer
?m=02&d=20200901&t=2&i=1531747843&r=LYNXMPEG80256&w=20

FILE PHOTO: The company logo for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

(Reuters) – AstraZeneca Plc’s Imfinzi has been approved in the European Union to treat an aggressive form of lung cancer in previously untreated adult patients, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.

The approval will allow the use of Imfinzi to treat patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).

The approval by the European Commission was based on positive results from a late-stage study in which Imfinzi plus chemotherapy showed a statistically significant improvement in overall survival of patients with ES-SCLC, AstraZeneca said.

AstraZeneca has already carved out a niche for Imfinzi, which enables the immune system to detect and attack certain cancer cells, in the more common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) types, with approval for tumours that have only spread in the chest.

In small-cell cancer treatments, Astra is seeking to catch up with Roche, whose immunotherapy Tecentriq won U.S. approval for the disease type a year ago.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths from the disease.

Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Netanyahu, Trump and Obama Doctrines on Display
Sep 1 2020
Netanyahu, Trump and Obama Doctrines on Display

Photo Credit: Tomer Neuberg/Flash90

{Reposted from the JNS website}

When does a three-hour commercial flight from one nation to a neighboring country represent a major diplomatic achievement? When the flight originates in Israel—a peace-seeking nation that has been subject to more hostility and double-standards than nearly every other nation on earth.

El Al flight #971 from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi represents the beginning of the end of the longstanding Arab boycott on Israel and the start of a new era in which Israel is transforming from a regional pariah into a recognized superpower in the Middle East. Just a day beforehand, the Emirates cancelled a longstanding boycott law banning commercial activities with Israel or the sale of Israeli products.

It is widely believed that the flight, made possible by the soon-to-be-signed “Abraham Accord” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, will lead to normalization with other countries across the Middle East and North Africa, including Bahrain and Oman, which both had representatives at the rollout of the Trump administration’s “Peace to Prosperity” vision for Israelis and Palestinians at the White House in January, as well as possibly Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

The historic flight represents the first Israeli commercial flight to fly over Saudi airspace.

Further, the normalization may lead to the strengthening of ties between Israel and its immediate Middle Eastern neighbors, Egypt and Jordan.

At a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday with President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner and U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Netanyahu stated, “Yesterday, the Emirates officially abolished the anachronistic boycott of the Jewish state. This opens the door for what I can only call unbridled trade, tourism, investments, exchanges between the Middle East’s two most advanced economies.”

Netanyahu added that “today’s breakthroughs will become tomorrow’s norms. It will pave the way for other countries to normalize their ties with Israel.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Jared Kushner, senior advisor to President Donald Trump, and National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien at a press conference. Credit: Prime Minister’s Office.

The accord, expected to be formally signed at the White House in the coming weeks, has come about due to a combination of factors.

The first has been what is now touted as the Netanyahu Doctrine: the prime minister’s decade-long insistence that solving the greater Israeli-Arab conflict would precede the otherwise intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Yet working parallel to Netanyahu’s peacemaking efforts—some of which took place above ground with other efforts taking place out of view—has been the shifting policies of the United States.

Over the past four years, Trump has radically altered the U.S. approach towards seeking peace in the Middle East. This included challenging several long-held state department principles:

  • That suburban Israeli housing in the biblical regions of Judea and Samaria—often referred to as West Bank settlements—are illegal and the primary obstacle to peace in the region.
  • That weakening Israel by forcing it to cede tracts of land will lead to peace.
  • That Palestinian rejection of any Israeli offer should necessitate even grander Israeli offers.
  • That holding up recognition of Israeli sovereignty over lands it fully controls, including Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, will entice Palestinians to come to the negotiating table.

The Trump administration’s willingness to challenge these principles, while adopting the Netanyahu doctrine that ending the wider Arab boycott of Israel will significantly reduce the Palestinian’s bargaining position, has been cause for great celebration in Israel.

Its policy to make America energy independent has similarly weakened the position of Arab states to dictate American Middle Eastern policy. When America was fully dependent on oil from Gulf States—at whatever prices a Gulf-influenced oil cartel set—those states had significant influence over U.S. foreign policy in the region. With America now turning from importer to oil exporter, the balance of policy leverage has similarly been reversed.

Gulf States, under threat from Iran, still recognize that it is within their strategic interest to maintain strong ties with the United States—the world’s largest military power. And today, strengthening ties with the United States includes improving ties with America’s greatest ally in the region: Israel.

Yet Netanyahu has not one, but two American presidents to thank for the Emirates’ pivot towards Israel. The second is Trump’s immediate predecessor, Barack Obama.

It was Obama’s misguided betrayal of longstanding American allies and cozying to the region’s most malign actors that ultimately paved the path towards Israel’s emergence as a regional superpower.

Even before taking office, Obama pledged that he would create “daylight” between America and Israel, and that he would work to isolate Israel in diplomatic forums, particularly in Western Europe and at the United Nations.

Obama’s betrayal of pro-Western Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and subsequent support of the Muslim Brotherhood and new president, Mohamed Morsi, nearly destroyed Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt. Shortly after, Obama referred Turkey’s dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—who has been consistently hostile towards Israel—as one of the leaders the American president trusted most.

Rather than take these American policy shifts sitting down, Obama unwittingly challenged Netanyahu to dramatically improve Israel’s diplomatic ties around the world.

Over the past 11 years, Netanyahu has worked tirelessly to improve relations with the world’s largest and most powerful nations, including China, India, Russia and Australia. Simultaneously, he sought to counterbalance the weight of antagonist Western European leaders by drastically improving relations with Eastern European leaders—many of whom were tiring of the Muslim immigration policies being hoisted upon them by Western European leaders. These nations revered Israel’s strong sense of nationalism and commitment to secure borders.

Netanyahu did not stop there. He made historic trips to Latin America and Africa, pitching the benefits, flexibility and low cost of Israeli technological breakthroughs to solve pressing problems in the fields of security, energy, water and agriculture.

Gulf States took notice of Israel’s improved worldwide diplomatic status.

Yet it was Obama’s signing of the JCPOA, the Iranian nuclear deal that truly defined Netanyahu’s leadership. The deal emboldened Iran with more than $150 billion and gave the Islamic Republic what Kushner referred to Sunday as a “glide path to a nuclear weapon.” And as Iranian leaders were working to build nuclear-weapons’ capability, they routinely called Israel a “cancerous tumor” and threatened to wipe the Jewish State “off the map.”

Here, too, Netanyahu did not take the threat lying down. In March of 2015, as the Obama administration was negotiating the JCPOA, Netanyahu gave a defining address before a joint session of the U.S. Congress, stating emphatically that “we must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation and terror.”

It was that speech, coupled with Israel’s continuous military and covert actions across the region to block Iran from producing nuclear weapons and marching towards regional hegemony, which led Arab Gulf States to turn in towards Israel.

Israel has acted time and again to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Cyber warfare against Iranian nuclear facilities and the assassination of nuclear scientists are among actions rumored to have been conducted by Israel during Netanyahu’s tenure. And the public raiding in 2018 of a secret Iranian archive demonstrated Israel’s capabilities to identify and undermine Iranian nuclear ambitions.

Just last month in July, The New York Times reported that Israel may have detonated a bomb at Iran’s Natanz centrifuge, further setting back Iran’s nuclear program.

The soon-to-be-signed “Abraham Accord” is a clear validation of Netanyahu’s diplomatic efforts, in the face of extreme adversity. They are similarly a validation of Trump’s policies with regard to the Middle East and energy independence in stark contrast to the suspect policies of the Obama administration.

It may be no coincidence that these realizations are on display less than 100 days before a U.S. national presidential election, when Americans will choose between Trump, and Democratic candidate Joe Biden who served as vice president during the Obama administration and has pledged to return America to the JCPOA.

While Netanyahu clearly prefers working with a friendly Trump administration over his often-antagonistic Democratic rivals, he has also demonstrated his ability to improve Israel’s diplomatic position in the region and around the world, regardless of which American political party is in power.

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EU urged to put anti-Iran ‘terrorists’ on trial
Sep 1 2020
EU urged to put anti-Iran ‘terrorists’ on trial

Tehran, Sep 1 (IANS) A top Iranian official has urged the European Union (EU) to put anti-Tehran “terrorists” on trial, while regretting that some member states of the bloc have given these elements shelter.

“Over 17,000 oppressed Iranian citizens have been victimized by terrorist acts and clear and systematic violations of the basic human rights, including the rights to life, security, and health,” the Iranian Parliament’s Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Zohreh Elahian said in a letter on Monday to Maria Arena, the head of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights.

Members of the exiled Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) were responsible for many of these terrorist acts, Xinhua news agency quoted Elahian as saying in the letter.

“Most of the terrorists have sought asylum in European countries and keep on plotting against the people of Iran,” she added.

The Iranian lawmaker reminded the European governments’ commitments to cooperate “in matters such as the identification and prosecution of offenders, their extradition and the seizure of their assets in order to compensate victims”.

Elahian asked the European Parliament to take action, and hoped that European governments will “support the victims of terror and their family members, deliver justice to victims, and put the terrorists who live in these countries on trial to end impunity”.

Elahian sent a similar letter to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, calling on the Foreign Ministry to make preparations for prosecuting MKO terrorists.

“Unfortunately, today the majority of these terrorists continue to hatch plans against the Iranian people by fleeing the blade of justice and seeking refuge in European countries,” she said in the letter.

According to a report in the state-run Fars News Agency, the MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community.

Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where they received support from then-dictator Saddam Hussein.

In 2012, the US State Department removed the MKO from its list of designated terrorist organizations.

–IANS

ksk/

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Downing Street hits back at EU for 'unnecessarily difficult' Brexit talks after France blames UK for deadlock
Sep 1 2020
Downing Street hits back at EU for ‘unnecessarily difficult’ Brexit talks after France blames UK for deadlock
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The UK Government has said the European Union is making <a href="/topic/brexit" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4536801-/topic/brexit" data-vars-event-id="c23">Brexit</a> talks "unnecessarily difficult" after <a href="/topic/france" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4536801-/topic/france" data-vars-event-id="c23">France</a> accused the UK of deliberately stalling in negotiations.































It comes as Britain and the bloc remain in a stalemate as they try to agree on future trade ties. 































UK-EU talks ended with little progress last week amid warnings of a no-deal Brexit if key issues are not settled within weeks. 




































With just four months until the transition period ends, both sides have failed to resolve various sticking points, like fisheries and state aid policy.


The UK Government hit back, accusing the EU of making it “unnecessarily difficult to make progress” (AFP via Getty Images)

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has now blamed Britain for the deadlock, saying talks are not advancing because of the “intransigent and unrealistic attitude of the United Kingdom”.

He told his country’s ambassadors that the bloc of 27 nations will not buckle under pressure from London.































“On Brexit we always showed unity and proved wrong those who saw signs of an overall implosion of <a class="wpil_keyword_link " href="https://www.europeantimes.news"  title="Europe" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Europe</a>," he said. 


































"It is in staying united that we can stick to our line of a global accord."
The EU’s chief negotiator arriving at Downing Street for talks earlier this summer (PA)

But Downing Street hit back, accusing the EU of making it “unnecessarily difficult to make progress”.

A spokeswoman said: “We have been clear from the outset about the principles underlying the UK approach: we are seeking a relationship that respects our sovereignty and which has a free trade agreement at its core, similar to those the EU has already agreed with like-minded countries.























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“However, the EU is still insisting not only that we must accept continuity with EU state aid and fisheries policy, but also that this must be agreed before any further substantive work can be done in any other area of the negotiation, including on legal texts, making it unnecessarily difficult to make progress.
The prime minister gesticulates during a video call to the EU (via REUTERS)

“We will continue to work hard to reach agreement and look forward to the next round taking place next week.”

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It comes after Germany reportedly scrapped plans for Brexit talks at the EU ambassadors summit next week after a "completely wasted" summer of negotiations.























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The German government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU council, had planned to discuss Brexit during the meeting on September 2, according to the Guardian.































<aside class="inline-block inline-related item-count-4 align-right"><h2 class="box-title">Read more</h2>

</aside>But an EU diplomat told the publication that Brexit has been "taken off the agenda" due to the lack of "tangible progress".































While Angela Merkel had been pegged as a potential dealmaker when negotiations resume and enter a critical stage on September 7, the diplomat said: “Over the recent months Franco-German cooperation has gained new traction.







“Given this new reality it would be futile to wait for a white knight from Paris or Berlin to come to the rescue.”







Both sides have said September is an effective deadline for an agreement to allow time for it to be ratified before Britain leaves EU rules at the end of December.








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Divergent Diplomatic Paths on Belarus Across the Former Soviet Union
Sep 1 2020
Divergent Diplomatic Paths on Belarus Across the Former Soviet Union

More than three weeks after Belarus’ presidential election, in which President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory with 80 percent of votes per state figures, the resulting public protests have been massive and unrelenting. 

Western eyes have been largely on Russia, where President Vladimir Putin said recently that Lukashenko asked him to be prepared to send support. “There is no such need now, and I hope there won’t be,” Putin reportedly said. He went on to comment on alleged “foreign forces” trying to turn the situation to their advantage. “They want to influence those processes and reach certain decisions, which they think conform with their political interests.”

In an earlier call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, per a Kremlin readout, “Russia pointed out that foreign attempts to interfere in the country’s domestic affairs were unacceptable and could further escalate tensions.”

While analyzing the politics of Belarus are outside my ambit here at The Diplomat, the response to the election and the protests from across the former Soviet Union is worth drawing attention to. Not only is the raising of the specter of a “color revolution” par for the course frequently trod by Eurasia’s autocrats, but in viewing the whole of the former Soviet Union we can see which way their political winds blow: West, or toward Russia.

I wrote more on the perception of color revolutions in 2016, after then-Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarvbayev warned that foreign actors were stirring up that summer’s protests in a possible bid to trigger a revolution: 

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In Central Asia, fear of color revolutions drives many government conversations about the rare instances of violence and unrest — that or Islamic extremism. The characterization of the color revolutions in the post-Soviet space in the early 2000 is colored by where one stands. In the West, the color revolutions (particularly Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution, Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, and Kyrgyzstan’s 2005 Tulip Revolution) are framed as popular uprisings in response to entrenched and corrupt leaders. In Russia, the color revolutions have been described as a form of subversive warfare – with the implication that the United States, in particular, not just inspires but finances them.

Those former Soviet republics with the closest ties to the West and Europe have led the way in crying foul after the Belarus election. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate, was forced to flee to Lithuania, which along with Estonia and Latvia has targeted Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials with travel bans. The three Baltic states are backed by movement in the wider European Union to sanction Belarus. 

Ukraine has frozen its relations with Belarus, choosing abstinence over too quickly taking a side. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said recently that all contacts have been put on hold. “As soon as we see that these contacts are not fraught with any reputational, moral or ethical risks for Ukraine, they will be resumed.”

Further afield from Europe, the states of the former Soviet Union have been less decisive than the Baltics. In the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan finally agree on something: that Lukasheno was victorious. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (who, it has to be noted, came to power propelled by street protests) and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev extended congratulations. 

Georgia has kept quiet, though Tbilisi has seen rallies in support of the Belarusian protesters.

And then there’s Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan all sent quick congratulations. According to Belarusian state media, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev lauded the “high turnout” as demonstrating “the huge trust of the Belarusian people” in Lukashenko. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov probably sent congratulations too (I just can’t find a news report on it), but he definitely wished Lukashenko a happy birthday this week.

Most interesting, to me at least, is Kyrgyzstan. While Bishkek traipses around the same circles as Belarus — the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) — the current Kyrgyz state was built on a so-called color revolution. Arguably, the Kyrgyz authorities have moved away from the cries for democracy that motivated both the 2005 and 2010 revolutions, but they remain central to the state’s political consciousness. The Kyrgyzstan angle is all the more fascinating because even as Bishkek congratulated Lukashenko, it sent a note of protest because Belarus is harboring a few fugitive former Kyrgyz leaders.

After exit polls on August 9 showed Lukashenko with nearly 80 percent of the vote, Tsikhanouskaya told the media, before being disappeared for several hours and reappearing in Lithuania, “I believe my eyes, and I see that the majority is with us.”

The sustaining of protests in Belarus amid crackdowns, the forced flight of Tsikhanouskaya, and a global pandemic combined into a significant challenge for Lukashenko. If he falls, Belarus’ Central Asian and Caucasian partners will have some awkward diplomatic dances to do. The divergent diplomatic tracks for the states of the former Soviet Union in response to the election and protests in Belarus are perhaps not surprising — European and Euro-friendly states condemning and Russian-leaning congratulating — but it is an interesting marker in the political development of the region writ large.

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Armenian Republican Party: European Parliament appoints new Standing Rapporteur on Armenia
Sep 1 2020
Armenian Republican Party: European Parliament appoints new Standing Rapporteur on Armenia

Vice-President of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashtoyan today posted the following on his Facebook page:

“I received a message from the European Parliament according to which the European Parliament has appointed a new Standing Rapporteur on Armenia.

Former President of Romania, pro-Azerbaijani Traian Basescu will be replaced by Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Andrey Kovatchev, who is from a political party that is a member of the European People’s Party and has a good notion of Armenia and the region.”

Juan Sanchez Gil 0 Comments
Healthcare professionals see distinctive role for community during pandemic | BWNS
Sep 1 2020
Healthcare professionals see distinctive role for community during pandemic | BWNS

JOUBERTON, South Africa — Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have been working tirelessly to keep people around the globe safe from the coronavirus. The Baha’i World News Service spoke with some Baha’is engaged in this field to highlight a few practical examples of the role of strong community ties in dealing with the health crisis.

In South Africa, Sina Parastaran describes recent efforts of a clinic he operates in the Jouberton township to draw on the strength of the community to respond to different needs arising from the health crisis. “New possibilities emerge when you realize that every human being has the potential to serve their society.”

Drawing on the assistance of those who have recovered from the coronavirus, Dr. Parastaran and his colleagues have created an online network of people in the area who can share their experience with others. This network allows people to provide emotional support to those who are quarantined and recovering from mild cases of COVID-19 and to help answer their non-medical questions.

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A group of youth group in Soweto, South Africa, participating in an outdoor devotional gathering while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government. Baha’is working in healthcare in the country have been drawing on the strength of the community to respond to different needs arising from the health crisis.

Prakash Kaushal, a senior medical official in Indore, India, explains the significance of the spiritual life of a community in assisting those who are ill. “A community has a great role in creating a supportive environment for patients and their families. This can be through praying together, staying constantly in touch, and providing them with certain necessities if needed. This is the time the family and the patient need love from the community. This keeps their spirits up and helps them to overcome the disease with a spirit of peace, confidence, and faith in God by surrounding them with love, support and prayers.”

Early on in the pandemic, Nasim Ahmadiyeh, a doctor in a Kansas City, US, hospital, realized how close friendships fostered through years of community-building efforts of the Baha’is of that city could be channeled to assist residents of a neighborhood in which cases of the coronavirus were growing.

Dr. Ahmadiyeh and others quickly mobilized resources to meet a pressing need—the translation and dissemination of accurate information about COVID-19 in the language commonly spoken in this neighborhood. More recently, those engaged in these efforts have been hosting a series of discussion spaces—while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government—allowing residents in this neighborhood to consult on various protective measures.

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4 images
Efforts in a Kansas City, US, to mobilize local resources to meet pressing needs have led to a series of discussion spaces—while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government—allowing residents in this neighborhood to consult on various protective measures, including the production of masks for community members.

These healthcare professionals all describe how, in spite of the physical and mental fatigue they experience each day, consciousness of spiritual reality allows them to tap into a vast reservoir of energy and strength. Kgomotso Mabilane, an anesthesiologist in a South African hospital that has had to manage an outbreak in Pretoria, explains that joining others for prayer and reflection on profound concepts found in the Baha’i teachings has helped her and her colleagues to navigate such taxing times with hope and determination.

“The thing about COVID-19 is that it isolates people,” says Dr. Mabilane. “Being part of a community and having support from others is essential. The online devotions that I have with friends not only bring comfort and hope in times of grief, but open my mind to other ways of looking at difficulties we encounter every day, seeing the joy of serving others and the opportunities for personal growth. This is how you go home and become whole again to be of service to more patients tomorrow.”

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Parliament in gold to support children fighting cancer | News | European Parliament
Sep 1 2020
Parliament in gold to support children fighting cancer | News | European Parliament

Parliament has joined the global Gold September campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer by lighting up its Brussels building in gold on 1-6 September.

Every year, more than 35,000  children are diagnosed with cancer in Europe. Although the average survival rate at five years is 80%, there are significant differences between European countries due to unequal access to the best care and expertise.

500,000  ;Estimated number of childhood cancer survivors in Europe in 2020

Leukaemia appears to be the most frequent and most lethal cancer in children, accounting for more than 30% of new cases and deaths per year.

Fighting cancer is a priority for the EU. In June, the European Parliament set up a special committee to look at how the EU can take concrete  measures to help beat cancer.

The special committee on beating cancer will evaluate: 
  • the possibility of improving quality of life for patients and families 
  • scientific knowledge on prevention and specific action on tobacco, obesity, alcohol, pollution etc.  
  • how to support research into prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood and rare cancers, where an EU approach offers the best chance of success 
  • early detection and screening programmes 
  • how to support non-profit clinical trials  
  • possible EU action to facilitate the transparency of treatment prices to improve affordability and access 

Polish EPP member Ewa Kopacz, who is the Parliament coordinator on children’s rights, said: “While we should strive for the prevention of paediatric cancer, we must also work to ensure that all children facing a cancer diagnosis have equal access to treatment and proper care throughout their treatment and recovery.”

The Parliament Vice-President, who is a former paediatrician and health minister, added: “By lightning the European Parliament in gold we send a strong signal of solidarity and support to children and adolescents fighting cancer, their families, childhood cancer survivors and professionals serving them.”

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20200827STO85802

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Coronavirus and creation: Bringing lessons learned into prayer, action
Aug 31 2020
Coronavirus and creation: Bringing lessons learned into prayer, action

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — During the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe and North America, city-dwellers — including Pope Francis — were struck by the hush on the streets, the blueness of the skies and the songs of birds.

The experience gives added meaning to the theme of the 2020 celebration of the Season of Creation, “Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope.”

The Season of Creation begins Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, an observance initiated by the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1989 and adopted by Pope Francis for the Catholic Church in 2015. The season runs through Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

The theme, “Jubilee for the Earth,” refers to the biblical jubilee years in Leviticus 25 — a sacred time every 50 years for renewing one’s relationship with God, restoring justice to individuals and letting the land recuperate.

Father Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, an official at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said the theme was chosen by an ecumenical organizing group before the COVID-19 pandemic began. They wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day April 22.

But, “the theme has become so relevant in the context of lockdown, and the pandemic is still raging across the world,” he said. While the lockdown had a hugely negative impact on the poor, who could not work from home, it “gave us a taste of an environment with much less pollution, the skies were clear, the dolphins came back” to the waters off of Italy.

The “small gap” of the lockdown, he said, showed that, if given a chance, “nature can flourish again.”

In a joint letter urging Christians to mark the celebrations, the ecumenical Conference of European Churches and the Catholic Council of European Bishops’ Conferences said the biblical call to a jubilee “underlines that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities.”

“The lesson from the biblical concept of jubilee points us toward the need to restore balance in the very systems of life, affirming the need for equality, justice and sustainability and confirming the need for a prophetic voice in defense of our common home,” said the letter released Aug. 25.

Celia Deane-Drummond, director of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute at Campion Hall at England’s Oxford University, said a jubilee implies rest for the land — by, for example, letting a field lie fallow for a year — and rest for human beings, especially those enslaved by others, but also those who feel driven to work almost 24/7 for earnings or status.

“That’s what integral ecology is all about it; bringing together the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor means not focusing on one or the other but both at the same time,” she told Catholic News Service Aug. 25. “Trying to get a balance between those aspects is sometimes quite challenging, but a jubilee is sort of like, ‘Let’s stop and listen and think about how we need to do things differently.’”

The professor, who has doctoral degrees in both biology and theology, said she thinks there are things people learned during the lockdown that will endure. For example, she expects online meetings to continue to replace many international conferences, reducing the carbon footprints of people who fly all over the world for meetings. Also, she said, many people will continue to enjoy beauty they discovered in their own neighborhoods and the joys of walking, hiking or running near home.

But another important aspect of a jubilee is forgiveness, she said. “The tendency is to put too much emphasis on blaming people for the crisis we’re in and not enough on the mercy of God and forgiveness and the possibility of starting again or of doing things differently.”

“I would always want to go back and say, ‘Well it’s not too late’” if an individual or business owner takes responsibility for harming the environment and truly changes, which is different from “green washing,” the practice of marketing a company as environmentally friendly when it is not.

Pope Francis’ call to “listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet” has been consistent since the publication five years ago of his ecological encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”

But that call has been more insistent during the coronavirus pandemic.

At his weekly general audience Aug. 19, Pope Francis defined as a “scandal” government pandemic assistance to companies that “do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good or the care of creation.”

“Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste,” Pope Francis said during a special prayer service in an empty, rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square in March.

People did not “listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet,” he said. “We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.”

Father Kureethadam said invoking a jubilee and encouraging prayer is a holistic approach to environmental concern; it includes asking forgiveness of God and of one another.

“Our real hope and prayer is that it will allow us to renew humanity, renew solidarity, renew ourselves in our relationship with God and with one another and the environment,” he said.

Marking the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ in May, the pope published a prayer that asked God to “enable us to succeed in listening and responding to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. May their current sufferings become the birth-pangs of a more fraternal and sustainable world.”

Copyright ©2020 Catholic News Service / U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Send questions about this site to cns@catholicnews.com

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Europe must clarify position in global economy, Orbán says in Bled
Aug 31 2020
Europe must clarify position in global economy, Orbán says in Bled
 MTI – Econews

 Monday, August 31, 2020, 13:55

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Europe must clarify its position in the global economy and the related consequences during a panel discussion with other prime ministers from the region at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on Monday, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

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Image by Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock.com

Orbán said Europe is “in trouble” as “we havenʼt identified our new position in the global economy”.

He said Europe is no longer a “game-changer”, as are China and the United States, and needs to “clarify” its position and the consequences.

He explained that the “science center” of the modern economy is “related very much to the armies”, and because there is no European army, “we donʼt have the scientific center to be at the forefront of technological advancement”.

Orbán said a common military capacity, enlargement, and a competitive economy, with Central Europe as an engine of growth, are key to Europeʼs strategy for the future.

“Without enlarging the European Union and accepting Serbia as a full member we cannot complete the security architecture of Europe,” he argued.

Addressing questions on concerns over the state of democracy in Hungary, Orbán insisted that Hungaryʼs democracy is of the same quality as those of Germanyʼs or Italyʼs.

“The problem is not the member states and the political systems…the problem is that we donʼt have strong common policies on the three major areas: global competition, good economies, and security enlargement,” he said.

He said a “kind of fight for intellectual sovereignty” is going on in Hungary today, more so than in other countries.

“We are fighting for the sovereignty to have a Christian and democratic approach to the European institutions and politics as such,” he said.

He acknowledged that liberal and conservative political philosophies had been unified in their fight against the totalitarian regime but stressed that the two philosophies are distinct.

“We would like to get back to the age, intellectually, when we can dispute clearly the main values, like family, nation, cultural tradition, religion, migration…We would like to have not just one single concept which must be accepted by everybody, because we donʼt have a liberal concept [for] that, we have a Christian democratic concept [for] all these issues,” he said.

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