On 30 July 2020, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/1132[1].
The Council Decision updated the list of persons and entities involved in terrorist acts as laid down by EU Common Position 2001/931 of 27 December 2001.
The Candidate Countries Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania[2], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align with this Council Decision.
They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.
The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.
[1] Published on 31.07.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 247 , p.18.
[2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
COVID-19 is posing potential catastrophic impacts on people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) , with projected deaths to increase up to 10, 20 and 36 per cent for HIV, TB and malaria patients, respectively, over the next five years, according to UNAIDS, the UN agency dedicated to tackling the virus.
UNAIDS calls on countries to adopt urgent measures to reinforce social protection programmes to shield the most vulnerable people from the health and socio-economic impact of #COVID19.
“Countries must ensure that everyone is able to receive essential services, including health care, and they must invest adequately in social protection programmes to keep people safe and to shield them from the consequences of losing their livelihoods,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
The most impacted
The highly disadvantaged will be most gravely impacted, particularly those in countries already afflicted by conflict, economic or climate crises.
And refugees are among the groups facing the greatest dangers.
At the same time, some 150 million full-time jobs were lost in the first quarter of the year and millions of other people are set to lose their livelihoods in the months ahead.
“Today, only 29 per cent of the world’s population has access to adequate social protection coverage,” said Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
“Governments must act to ensure the sustainability of livelihoods, businesses and jobs and the protection of workers’ health, rights and incomes during and after COVID-19”.
A case for women
Women are particularly vulnerable to the economic crisis.
Disproportionately employed in the informal sectors, they are most likely to lose their incomes.
Comprising 70 per cent of the health and social care workforce, they are also often employed on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.
Furthermore, women carry out the bulk of unpaid domestic duties in the home, childcare and other caring functions.
And with the lockdown triggering and increase in gender-based violence, it is imperative for Governments to invest in social protection programmes designed specifically for women and girls, UNAIDS said.
Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it — UNICEF chief
Youth in crosshairs
School closures, which have affected more than 90 per cent of the world’s student population, have not only interrupted education but also pupils’ access to crucial social services, such as school meals.
“Children and young people are suffering disproportionately from the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
“Before the outbreak, two-out-of-three children had no or inadequate social protection fund.”
Moreover, the socio-economic crash caused by the pandemic is placing an entire generation of young people at risk.
“Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it,” she added.
Call for action
The call for Governments to invest adequately in social protection programmes is endorsed by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank.
Student-members of the Health Brigade outside the latrines of Dikolelayi Primary School in Kananga, Kasai-Occidental province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The memorial to victims of Nazism and Stalinism cuts right to the heart of the tiny Catholic Church in Estonia.
The EU member state’s first Catholic bishop following the Reformation was deported to the Soviet Union in 1942. Archbishop Eduard Profittlich died in a Soviet prison in hatred of the faith, like many other Estonians.
The nation recalled those numerous victims with a solemn ceremony in the capital, Tallinn, on Sunday.
Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Day of Remembrance.
Tributes to fallen family members
Bishop Jourdan said the ceremony took place at the new Memorial to the Victims of Communism.
The names of 22,000 Estonians are inscribed there, in tribute to their deaths during the deportations of 1940.
“For a small country like Estonia, that’s quite a lot,” said Bishop Jourdan. “In almost every Estonian family there is at least one person who died.”
The Soviet Union occupied Estonia in June 1940, and vast numbers of people were deported, many because they were ethnic Germans.
Listen to the full interview
Refusing to flee
Archbishop Eduard Profittlich was one of the unfortunate ones. He had received orders from Soviet authorities to return to Germany.
But he refused to abandon his Catholic flock, and chose to stay in Tallinn, despite the obvious risks.
Archbishop Profittlich was arrested on 27 June 1941 and sent to a Soviet prison camp. He died from exposure and starvation in Kirov prison on February 22, 1942.
Bishop Jourdan noted that his predecessor’s cause for beatification is currently under review in Rome.
“I would say it is coming along at a good pace,” he said, “because we received the ‘Decree of Validity’ from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in June.”
That means the documents which have been gathered over the past 17 years regarding the Servant of God Profittlich are sufficient and complete.
Recognizing tragic moment in history
Bishop Jourdan expressed his hopes that the Pope will one day clear the way for Profittlich’s beatification.
“It’s important for the Catholic Church here in Estonia, because he would be our first saint,” he said.
Since Archbishop Profittlich shared in the tragic fate of so many Estonians, his beatification would mean quite a lot to even secular Estonian society.
“It’s a way for the universal Church to recognize what happened here in those years,” he concluded. “It’s important for all our families that this part of our history would be recognized.”
The newly formed Vatican John Paul I Foundation released a statement on Wednesday. It states that on the 42nd anniversary of Pope John Paul I’s pontificate, they are pleased to communitate the members of the Foundation’s Ccientific Committee.
These persons were appointed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and President of the new Foundation, during a meeting of the Administrative Board that took place on 3 July.
The people who make up this Scientific Committee will serve for a five-year period.
Dr Stefania Falasca, Vice President of the Foundation, will coordinate the new Scientific Committee which is made up of:
– Professor Carlo Ossola, Philology Professor, Collège de France, Paris
– Professor Dario Vitali, Director of the Department of Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
– Msgr. Gilfredo Marengo, Vice President of Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences
– Professor Mauro Velati, collaborator of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences and the cause of canonization of John Paul I relating to the Venetian years.
– Fr Diego Sartorelli, Director of the Library and Historical Archive of the Patriarchate of Venice
– Dr Loris Serafini, Archivist, Director of the Albino Luciani Museum in Canale d’Agordo
The statement also reads that the Prefect of the Vatian’s Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano, and the Prefect of the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, Fr Cesare Pasini, will also play a role on the Scientific Committee.
Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said, “[We] respectfully request our spiritual leaders to bring this much-needed message of hope to our suffering countrymen in order to stave off more incidents of self-destruction.”
The Justice Secretary, who is also a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said they had asked the Catholic Church and other denominations for their assistance to provide counseling and guidance to those suffering from depression and distress as the pandemic continues.
Minister Guevarra said he had spoken with Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the IATF national task force, about “the alarming increase in the number of suicides during these pandemic times.”
Challenging times
The rise in suicides and depression is being blamed on the economic fallout due to the pandemic. The period of lockdown has also led to feelings of isolation and anxiety.
The World Health Organisation describes mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can make a contribution to his or her community.”
According to the WHO, there has been a drastic increase in mental health disorders in the country since the start of the outbreak.
In a recent study, the health body said, “Thinking of whether life will ever return to normal, and how one will survive amid the pandemic, are some of the questions making ordinary Filipinos very anxious.”
“Likewise, questions like how will one survive economically and financially amid a pandemic; the sudden changes in everyday life and how to cope with them; the unremitting fear of being infected, the fear of dying from the virus, or the fear that a family member or relative might be infected with COVID-19 and die, and the fear of not being able to receive medical treatment in time are also playing on the minds of many Filipinos.”
As part of its public health response, WHO says it “has worked with partners to develop a set of new materials on the mental health and psychosocial support aspects of COVID-19.”
Covid Hopeline already in place
One diocese that is already providing assistance to those struggling with anxiety and depression in these uncertain times is the Diocese of Kaloohan in Metro Manila which has set up a phone in counseling service known as “Covid Hopeline”.
During the months of lockdown in the Philippines, the National Centre for Mental Health reported a significant increase in the number of people experiencing mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.
One of the shortest pontificates in history could bring to the honour of the altars another pope of the 20th century. John Paul I lived only 34 days on the Chair of Peter, but his testimony – not only in that short period of time, but more so in the previous decades as bishop and pastor, esteemed even outside the Italian borders – remains very tangible in the Church even today.
It was 42 years ago that Albino Luciani, the Patriarch of Venice, was elected pope on the fourth ballot on August 26, 1978, and assumed the double name “John Paul”, in homage to his immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. The former appointed him Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, thus including him among the Fathers of the Council; while the latter transferred him to Venice and created him cardinal.
The “Smiling Pope”
The month-long pontificate of John Paul I earned for him from the media the title, “the Smiling Pope”. The world came to learn that the mild character that his expression revealed was never an indication of a lack of spiritual clarity and pastoral energy. Proof of this was his attitude and the work he did at the Second Vatican Council.
Breath of the Universal Church
During the working sessions of the Council, the future pope lived an intense experience of the Universal Church. “In the Council hall,” he wrote to the faithful of his diocese in 1963, “it is enough for me to raise my eyes to the steps in front of me.” “There they are, the beards of missionary bishops, the black faces of Africans, the protruding cheekbones of Asians.” “And it’s enough for me to exchange a few words with them, and visions and needs open up, of which we have no idea”. In other words, one feels the breath of “Christian optimism”, which promises to be the fruit of the Council, against the “widespread pessimism” of relativistic culture.
Towards beatification
The cause of the sainthood of John Paul I has been underway since 2003. After three years of the diocesan phase, the documents arrived in Rome in 2006, and the “positio” (formal argument for sainthood) of Pope Luciani began to be examined by experts at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A meticulous investigation of the testimonies and documents led to the conclusion of the case in November 2017. A miracle that will clear him for beatification is currently being examined. It concerns a presumed extraordinary healing through the intercession of John Paul I that took place in 2011 in Argentina, in the Diocese of Buenos Aires.
In his greetings to Polish-speaking faithful during the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis took note of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, honoured as the Queen and Protectress of Poland.
Recalling his own visit to the Shrine of Jasna Gora during his visit to Poland for World Youth Day in 2016, the Holy Father said, “I unite myself today to the thousands upon thousands of pilgrims who are gathered there, together with the Polish episcopate, to entrust themselves, their families, the nation, and all of humanity to her maternal protection.”
Pope Francis invited the faithful gathered at the Shrine to “pray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for us all, especially for those who in different ways are suffering from the [Covid-19] pandemic, and bring them relief.”
The Polish Episcopal Conference met together at Poland’s national shrine ahead of their 386th Plenary Assembly, which formally opens on Thursday in Jasna Gora. It is the first plenary meeting held this year, as earlier gatherings scheduled for March and June were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A sign of God’s grace in dark times
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary goes back to the earliest days of Christianity in Poland, says Father Michal Legan, spokesman for the Jasna Gora Sanctuary. “It was the most important sign of the Lord’s grace during the very, very difficult history, even in the darkest moments of our national history,” he said in an interview with Vatican Media’s Emanuela Campanile. “Even in the darkest hours of the personal story of each of us, she was present, and she was the point of the hope and of the faith,” he said.
“She’s the most important way to Jesus” for each of us, he added.
Entrusted to Our Lady of Czestochowa
Father Legan said that throughout the pandemic, the people of Poland “are looking to Our Lady with faith and prayer, with all our hopes.” That, he said, “is why the Polish episcopate is gathered here during the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, to proclaim the act of devotion an act of love and hope,” to express to the Madonna “that we of the nation are her children and we want her as our queen.”
Father Legan noted that, during his visit to Jasna Gora four years ago, Pope Francis said Poland had a great privilege, “because we have our mother as the queen, and our queen as the mother.”
Prayer to the Blessed Mother during the pandemic
Poles have felt the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and have turned to her in prayer throughout the coronavirus crisis. Father Legan noted that the sanctuary has seen far fewer pilgrims since the beginning of the pandemic. But even if the faithful are not able to come to Jasna Gora, he said, there is still a special, spiritual bond, “with the sanctuary, with the holy icon, and this is something we know deeply in our hearts.”
That is why “we pray every day to our Black Madonna for all the people who are sick, and for all who work” in the field of medicine.
And, he said, “we can assure you that here in the Sanctuary of Our Lady, this prayer, will be continued.”
On the second day of the Republican party convention, First Lady Melania Trump took to the podium against the backdrop of the White House Rose Garden, making a plea for racial harmony.
Her speech came amid racial unrest that has engulfed the country since the death of black man, George Floyd, who was pinned under the knee of a white police officer in Minnesota.
Only this week there were more protests after another black man was shot and left paralyzed by police in Wisconsin.
Racial Unity
“I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals,” Mrs Trump said.
She also called on people to stop the “violence and looting being done in the name of justice and never make assumptions based on the colour of a person’s skin.”
“Like all of you”, the First Lady said, “I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country.”
“It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage you to focus on the future while still learning from the past.”
Coronavirus
In her speech, Melania Trump also expressed her sympathy for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My deepest sympathy”, she said, “goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one.”
“And my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know: You’re not alone.”
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 178,000 people in the U.S. and the President’s wife acknowledged that since March “our lives have changed drastically.”
Of her husband, Mrs Trump said, “you have a president who will not stop fighting for you and your families.”
In her role as First Lady over the last four years, Melania Trump has promoted a number of causes including the “Be Best” public awareness campaign, which focuses on well-being for youth, and advocating against cyberbullying and drug (particularly opioid) use.
This second day of the convention also featured President Trump’s children Eric and Tiffany as well as a pre-recorded appearance by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household announced on Wednesday that as of Wednesday, 2 September, Pope Francis’s General Audience will once again take place “with the participation of the faithful.”
Following the hygiene directives issued by the competent authorities, the audiences for the month of September will be held in the Apostolic Palace’s San Damaso courtyard.
The statement says that attendance at these General Audiences “is open to anyone who wishes” to participate. It also notes that no ticket is necessary and that it begins at 9:30 am.
The Bronze Door under the right colonnade of St Peter’s Square will serve as the entrance to the Courtyard. People wishing to attend will be allowed to enter beginning at at 7:30 am.
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque has announced the imminent end of the blanket quarantine, at the beginning of the coming month.
He explained that Colombia will carefully start up a new phase, during which isolation will be specifically selective, with an emphasis on individual responsibility involving common sense.
Each region’s situation and plight will be individually monitored and assessed. This could lead to a graduated resumption of economic activity, while health measures will continue to be applied.
National air transport will be re-established, but the worst affected places will remain closed down.
Balancing lives and livelihoods
It’s a bold and controversial calculated risk.
So far, Colombia has over 540,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 17,000 have already died from it.
Latin America remains the epicenter of the pandemic.
All of this must be balanced against the corrosive and rapidly worsening impact on economies.
The considerable gamble involves lives and livelihoods.
This week marks the launch of one of WHO/Europe’s new flagship initiatives: mental health. Mental health is a key public health concern in the WHO European Region – over 110 million people are living with some kind of mental health condition, accounting for over 10% of the population.
The 4 new flagships – mental health, digital health and innovation, behavioural and cultural insights, and immunization – represent identified priorities for WHO/Europe in the coming 5 years. The mental health flagship will bring together a broad coalition of mental health leaders, champions, service users and other partners to improve mental health policies and practices across the Region.
Mental health and COVID-19
Mental health has been an essential programme within WHO’s agenda since its founding in 1948. But in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a renewed focus on mental health is particularly important. Apart from the fear and uncertainty regarding infection itself, measures brought in to contain the spread of the virus, such as quarantine and lockdown, have been psychologically challenging. These compound social isolation for many and add to existing anxieties and stresses.
For frontline health-care workers and for those suffering from existing conditions, the pandemic has taken a significant toll on well-being. Furthermore, the socioeconomic fallout is exacerbating pressures on the population’s mental health. Precarious work conditions, unemployment and uncertainty with regard to the future are expected to contribute to a sharp increase in mental health conditions, just as they did in the wake of the global financial crisis a decade ago.
As the world begins to adjust to and recover from the initial impacts of the pandemic, renewed attention to the mental well-being of affected vulnerable populations and of the public at large will be crucial.
Supporting countries
Reform and development of the mental health system is an area of work for which many countries across the Region have been requesting help. WHO has responded with guidance, capacity-building and technical support.
Now, a more concerted effort is required to secure better mental health for all, both through intensified country support and intercountry initiatives at regional and global levels. By marking mental health as a fundamental element of the European Programme of Work, existing opportunities and evidence-based approaches for mental health promotion, protection and care can be seized, scaled up and sustained.
Poor mental health already claims the lives of 140 000 people per year by suicide in the Region. We urgently need to address long-standing gaps and deficiencies in mental health service delivery and financing, and to implement prevention and mitigation strategies to stem any worsening of the mental health situation across the Region.
What will the flagship do?
People with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities have long been stigmatized. One of the core components of the WHO mental health flagship will therefore involve challenging stigma and discrimination by improving mental health awareness and literacy among not only the public but also service providers and decision-makers.
Another key pillar of the new initiative will be enhancing access to person-centred, rights-based mental health care in communities. This will expedite progress towards universal health coverage for people with mental health conditions and make the case for a parity of esteem between mental and physical health.
The pandemic has shone a light on the fragility of existing institution-based systems and the need for community-based support and care (delivered through digital means where necessary or applicable). The mental health flagship will encourage efforts and investments to relocate care away from institutions and towards community services, including through the integration of mental health into primary health care and other priority programmes such as adolescent health and noncommunicable diseases.
Since mental health is an integral element of individual and collective well-being, protecting and promoting it during times of adversity and uncertainty is especially important, as is ensuring the availability and continuity of quality care for those living with mental health conditions. It is time to instigate long-awaited reforms to mental health services and deconstruct social stigma around mental ill health. Through collaboration with a strong coalition of partner organizations and citizens, WHO/Europe looks forward to building a more positive approach to and future for mental health across the Region.
Vatican News English Africa Service – Vatican City
“We stand with the truth that the Catholic Bishops so ably articulated,” reads a statement issued by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe President, Bishop Never Muparutsa -the Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assembly of Zimbabwe. Bishop Muparutsa referred to a “multi-layered crisis of … economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity, corruption, and human rights abuses” in Zimbabwe. With all these happening, EFZ stands with the Catholic Bishops, Muparutsa explained.
“We stand with the truth that the Government is focused on things other than national democratic priorities,” said the EFZ head.
We pledged not to allow politicians to divide us
Speaking in an interview with Jayson Casper, of Christianity Today, Bishop Never Muparutsa said the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe had decided to side with the Catholic Bishops because Churches in Zimbabwe have in the past discussed ecumenical cooperation and unity. The Churches have pledged not to allow themselves be divided by politicians.
“We realised that when we are divided, politicians take advantage. We have not eradicated this completely; politicians still divide us for particular agendas. But we have all agreed that in national matters we must be united, in order to move society in a positive direction. The Church must be nonpartisan, but at the same time, be concerned about the well-being of the general population. We must be the voice of the weak and the voiceless. We must hold our government accountable when it comes to looking after the vulnerable. Sometimes this makes us look like we are pro-Opposition. But we have nothing to do with the Opposition because they are not in power. Our interactions instead are with those in power, because they bear the responsibility,” Bishop Muparutsa told Christianity Today.
Pastoral Letter condemned Government crackdown on dissent
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) on 15 August issued a strong Pastoral Letter that criticised the country’s heavy-handed clampdown on dissent. Many activists, political actors and journalists are still being held in prison after the 31 July protests. The Pastoral Letter also condemned corruption, widespread human rights abuses, and the Government’s handling of an economy in free fall.
Government’s attacks on Catholic Bishops
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, responded to the Pastoral Letter with a personal attack on the Archbishop of Harare, Robert Christopher Ndlovu. The Government called the Archbishop “evil minded” and went on to cast aspersions on his integrity and that of the country’s Catholic Bishops as a whole.
While it comes naturally for Catholics and some civil society organisations to come to the defence of the Catholic Bishops, the voice of Zimbabwe’s Evangelical Churches speaks to a history of ecumenical unity.
We stand with Catholics because an insult to one is an insult to all
Bishop Muparutsa explained that the Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Letter meant well.
“The Catholic (Bishops’ Pastoral) Letter was trying to provoke discussion, not give an insult. It pointed out problems like all of us were doing. But it received such a strong (Government) backlash. We felt that given the situation in the country if we just stand by and watch, we don’t know what will happen. We have journalists and activists in prison. There have been abductions with perpetrators unidentified, making us all vulnerable. So, this prompted us to stand with the Catholics, because an insult to one is an insult to all,” said Muparutsa.
Widespread disillusionment in Zimbabwe
Muparutsa also spoke of the disillusionment many Zimbabweans now find themselves in. When President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office in 2017, many were encouraged by his talk of the dawn of a new era.
“The former President (Rober Mugabe) left us with a system of mis-governance, human rights issues, and international sanctions. We were all very happy when (President Mnangagwa) was elected, hearing that he would turn over a new leaf. There was so much hope. Having been part of the system, we expected he would learn the lessons of the past and bring us back into the family of nations. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, problems began to multiply. We were already suffering, and our health situation became dire. The majority of our people live hand-to-mouth. But as workplaces closed due to the lockdown, there was civic upheaval because people were hungry,” said Bishop Muparutsa.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday (25 August) said he was “deeply concerned” by initial findings that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned, and endorsed a European Union-led investigation into the circumstances of his illness.
It was the first formal statement issued by Pompeo since Navalny collapsed on a plane last week while returning to Moscow from Siberia.
Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Sunday was airlifted in a coma for treatment at a clinic in Berlin, where doctors found indications of a toxic substance in his body.
“The United States is deeply concerned by reported preliminary conclusions from German medical experts that … Navalny was poisoned,” Pompeo said. “If the reports prove accurate, the United States supports the EU’s call for a comprehensive investigation and stands ready to assist in that effort.”
“Navalny’s family and the Russian people deserve to see a full and transparent investigation carried out, and for those involved to be held accountable,” Pompeo said.
His statement came after the Kremlin said it saw no reason for now for an investigation and that the German clinic’s findings were not yet conclusive.
Earlier Monday, the Charité hospital in Berlin said its clinical tests on Navalny “indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors”.
Cholinesterase is an enzyme needed for the central nervous system to function properly. Its inhibitors are used to make medicines and insecticides, but also nerve agents such as sarin.
“Alexei Navalny’s prognosis remains unclear; the possibility of long-term effects, particularly those affecting the nervous system, cannot be excluded,” the hospital said on Twitter.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday called for an investigation and said Russia should hold the perpetrators accountable. The top EU diplomat on Tuesday called for such a probe, a stance echoed on Tuesday by the US ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan.
A feminist pianist who decided to convert to Orthodox Judaism to marry her Jewish partner has claimed her experiences over the last three years are a ‘far cry’ from those depicted in the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox.
Ivi Chin, 35, fron London, spoke to Glamour about what it’s really like to join the religion – which has been accused of misogyny and the oppression of women – after growing up in a secular household.
She suggests a lot of the scenes in the show are over-dramatised for effect, yet acknowledges that some of the customs, including not being allowed to handle her partner’s plate or sleep in the same bed as him when she is on her period, do in fact still apply.
Ivi Chin, 35, has spent the last three years converting to Judaism and claims accusations of misogyny concerning the Orthodox Judaism faith are unjust
religion in order to marry her partner. Pictured: a scene from the Netflix series Unorthodox” width=”634″ height=”356″ data-src=”https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/25/15/32366010-8662567-image-a-1_1598366992949.jpg” />
Ivi suggests the portrayal of Orthodox Judaism is a ‘far cry’ from what she has experienced while converting to the religion in order to marry her partner. Pictured: a scene from the Netflix series Unorthodox
Conversion can take up to 10 years to complete, and those hoping to join are expected to immerse themselves in the faith, homes and communities of other Orthodox Jews.
Since starting her conversion three years ago, Ivi has been studying Judaism under the London Beth Din, which provide a central religious authority for Jewish communities in London and throughout the United Kingdom.
In her case, she has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion.
But she says since the release of Unorthodox – which depicts the fictional journey of 19-year-old Esther Shapiro (Esty), a member of the ‘ultra-orthodox’ Satmar Haredi Jewish sect – she has had lots of people asking if her experiences have been similar to those in the show.
She said: ‘I have been asked, “Why would you want to join a community that treats women in this way?”, but the way Esty is treated is a far cry from my experience of Judaism which has given me huge unexpected joy and fulfilment.’
Instead, she remarked that all women in all societies face misogyny – like that depicted in Unorthodox – and insisted the ‘draconian’ treatment of women in the show was not what she had experienced.
By contrast, she suggests women are revered in the religion and claims Judaism is one of the ‘earliest champions’ of feminism.
Ivi said her favourite example of women’s importance in the Jewish community is through the Ayeshet Chayil (Woman of Valour) which is sung to them every Friday evening.
The self-professed feminist boasted that instead of getting one card a year as a show of appreciation, her man serenades her and brings her flowers every week.
Ivi acknowledged that while there are stark contrasts between her experience and that depicted in the Netflix show, there are also similarities.
In the programme the newlywed couple struggle to consummate their marriage and continue to try for months – something Ivi said was most likely put in for ‘fantastic drama’.
She noted that Jewish law forbids married couples from having sexual relations when there is ‘disharmony’ between them.
Ivi has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion
Judaism also stipulates that men and women cannot have any sort of physical contact with each other when her period begins and for seven days after she stops bleeding.
For this reason, Ivi says most couples sleep on two single beds joined together, which can be easily separated when necessary.
The separation, according to Ivi, is designed to spark up the ‘honeymoon feeling’ once again.
Although many people assume the procedure is linked to periods being seen as ‘impure’, Ivi said it is actually treated as a time to work on the non-physical needs of your partner.
The women are not allowed to do certain chores such as serve their husbands food or pour a glass of water in front of him.
Another custom in the programme which Ivi said is adhered to in real life is Orthodox women only allowing their husband and female family members see their real hair.
In the show, Esty is forced to shave off her hair the night before her wedding – a tradition which dates back to medieval Hungary
Instead they wear scarves or wigs – something which is also worn on their wedding day.
In Unorthodox, Esty is forced to shave off her hair before her wedding – harking back to a former practice from medieval Hungary in which men would shave their future bride’s heads in order to repel feudal lords from bedding them before they were married – something Ivi said she had never seen in her experience.
And while phones and internet are banned in Unorthodox, Ivi only has to put down her luxury electrical items from sunset on Fridays to nightfall on Saturday.
During that time, the community gathers to eat meals together and do fun activities away from technology.
As she continues on her journey of converting to Judaism, Ivi acknowledged that the rules she must adhere to are not for everyone and may seem restrictive to people in the secular world.
She said: ‘A boundless life is analogous to a violin – when the strings of a violin are not bound, they are free yet purposeless. It is only when the strings are bound that they make beautiful music.’
“Finland has the opportunity to modernize its anti-corruption laws and incentive whistleblowers to risk their careers by reporting violations of law. Whistleblowers are a key part of government transparency and accountability and they must be fully protected,” said Stephen M. Kohn, a partner in the whistleblower law firm of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP.
Because the Directive sets forth the “common minimum standards” for whistleblower protection required by each European Union (“EU”) Member State, the Directive permits Member States, such as Finland, to extend protections beyond these minimum standards. When implementing the Directive each Member State has an opportunity to create robust whistleblower programs that protect whistleblowers, incentivize the reporting of crimes or regulatory violations, and enable law enforcement agencies to effectively combat corruption.
Although traditionally Finland has a decent record of supporting whistleblowers, even suspending investigations where necessary to protect whistleblowers, it is lacking a comprehensive whistleblower law. Therefore, in accordance with Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP’s recommendations, Finland should focus on harmonizing its current legal scheme with the new proposed whistleblower law, incentivizing credible whistleblowers to come forward, and creating clear rules for whistleblower disclosures.
Based on an expert review by Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto attorneys, specific recommendations for new whistleblower legislation include:
Expanding whistleblower protections to cover disclosures permitted under international anti-corruption treaties signed by Member States;
Narrowly interpreting a provision in the Directive that could result in retaliation against whistleblowers (Article 22);
Enacting whistleblower reward laws to combat financial frauds, money laundering, foreign bribery, ocean pollution tax evasion and other crimes; and
Adopting language and procedures that have proven effective in protecting whistleblowers when implementing Articles 6-7, 11, 14-16, 19-21, and 23-24 of the Directive.
The survey also found non-government school graduates were more likely than state school graduates to hold a bachelor’s degree, and to believe that school had prepared them for success at university.
Forty-eight per cent of respondents who attended an independent school said they held at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 41 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 27 per cent of government school graduates.
But the gap was significantly narrower on the broader question of whether school had set people up for career success, with 55 per cent of government school graduates believing it had, compared with 60 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 63 per cent of independent school graduates.
The Australian Schools and the Common Good report, released on Wednesday, said it was widely held that since the 1980s, “the ideology of neoliberalism has redefined education policy and the subsequent educational purposes within Australian schooling”.
“Within this view, education’s main function is to improve social mobility and an individual’s economic or psychological wellbeing,” it said.
“Attachments and obligations to neighbour, community, city or nation are downplayed. Common good is understood as the sum of the private goods of discrete individuals.”
The report was commissioned by a group of six Christian school associations.
Co-author Dr Darren Iselin said the study also sought to analyse how education had influenced people’s personal relationships, ability to deal with problems in life and attitudes towards volunteering and giving.
“There’s an important conversation around privatisation and self-interest that has taken place [in society] and let’s face it, Christian schools and the non-government sector have been the beneficiaries of that, but we were really wanting to explore a more holistic narrative,” Dr Iselin said.
Just 22 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 20 per cent of independent school graduates grew up in religious families, compared with 13 per cent of government school graduates, the survey found.
This compared with 43 per cent of graduates from the six Christian school associations that commissioned the research.
“Whilst there can be an emphasis in [non-government] schools around an ethos of spiritual and religious values, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it translates to that in later life,” Dr Iselin said.
“Some of the selection processes around school choice certainly come down to providing that upward mobility.”
The report found a majority of graduates from all school sectors had donated to a charity or cause in the past year, but that volunteering rates were much lower.
It also found a significant gap in income and educational attainment between city and regional dwellers, although this gap was smallest among government school graduates.
These findings raise concerns about advantage and equity that “threaten social ties across the nation”, the report argued.
Communications officer Hella Ibrahim went to a mix of government and religious schools, including a Catholic primary and two private Islamic schools.
“While I really liked the school I completed VCE at, I don’t think it did set me up for success,” Ms Ibrahim said.
Instead it came down to the varying commitment levels of her teachers. She recalls one brilliant English literature teacher, who inspired her to high marks, and another teacher who didn’t even bother to check her homework, to the point that she stopped bothering to do it.
“Teacher attitudes matter,” Ms Ibrahim said.
With Hannah Schauder
Adam Carey is Education Editor. He joined The Age in 2007 and has previously covered state politics, transport, general news, the arts and food.
Schools in the Jewish-religious sector and Druze sector led in a number of fields in rankings released by the Education Ministry this week.The <a href="https://www.jpost.com/tags/education">Education</a> Ministry announced that there was a slight drop in the percentage of high school students that were eligible for a matriculation certificate (bagrut) in the 2019 school year.<div>69.7% of students earned a matriculation certificate compared to 69.9% in the previous year. In the Bedouin sector, the percentage of students eligible for a matriculation certificate fell 4%. In the haredi sector, the eligibility rose by 1.9%.</div><div>Some 71.8% of female students were eligible for a matriculation certificate, while only 67.2% of male students were eligible.</div><div>A number of <a href="https://www.jpost.com/tags/druze">Druze</a> towns lead the country in matriculation eligibility including Peki'in, with the highest rate (98.7%) in Israel, Hurfeish (97.1%) and Beit Jan (96.2%).</div><div>Ariel (97.7%), Kiryat Ekron (96.6%), Givat Shmuel (96.5%), Elkana (95.6%), Kaukab Abu al-Hija (94.5%), Tzura-Kadima (94.2%) and Ramat Hasharon (93.9%) were also in the top ten in Israel.</div><div>Modi'in Illit, a haredi city in the West Bank, had the lowest matriculation rate in Israel at only 4.7%, followed by Bnei Brak (95), Beitar Illi (15.9%), Rehasim (25.5%), Jisr az-Zarqa (31.5%), Tel Sheba (36.7%), Hazor HaHagalilit (37.1%), Segev Shalom (38.6%), Elad (39.6%) and Ofakim (47.4%).</div><template async="" id="4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6"> cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });</template><div>Some 46 high schools in Israel achieved 100% matriculation eligibility. Most of these schools were state Jewish-religious schools. Five of the schools were religious-ecclesiastical schools in the Arab sector and nine of the schools were general state schools.</div><div>A number of the schools that achieved 100% matriculation eligibility have acceptance requirements and charge thousands of shekels in tuition payments.</div><div>The Education Ministry also published a ranking of schools based on the percentage of students who earned an "outstanding" matriculation certificate, which means that they learnt five units of English and at least four units of Math with an average grade of 90. The students must also achieve excellence in a program for personal development and social-community involvement.</div><div>The Darchei Noam Jewish-religious school for girls led the list of schools concerning "outstanding" matriculation certificates and was joined by six additional Jewish-religious schools for girls in the top 17 schools in this regard.</div><div>The Al-Qasemi Academy in Baqa-El-Gharbia ranked in second place in this regard and was joined by four other schools in the Arab sector and one school in the Druze sector in the top 17. Four general state schools ranked within the top 17 as well.</div><div>On Tuesday, the Education Ministry published a list of 755 "outstanding" high schools based on a number of paramaters including special education, IDF enlistment, civil services, matriculation eligibility and improvement.</div><div>Some 48% of the schools on the list were Jewish-state schools, 32% were Jewish-religious schools, 7% were in the Arab sector, 3.5% were haredi schools, 2.3% were Druze schools and 2.3% were Bedouin schools.</div><div>Eight out of the top ten outstanding schools were Jewish-religious schools.</div><div>The outstanding schools were split into four levels, with teachers in each school receiving grants based on the level the school achieved ranging from NIS 3,119 to NIS 8,318.</div>
European leaders must clearly declare the conditions for Ukraine to gain full membership in the European Union, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“I believe that an understandable position of Europe towards Ukraine is very important for Ukrainians. I asked a question to many European leaders: You should answer the Ukrainians that you want Ukrainians to take step by step to become the EU members,” the head of state said in an interview with the Euronews television channel.
According to Zelensky, after receiving a specific list of steps, it will be clear what needs to be done and how long it takes for Ukraine’s European integration.
“Both Ukraine and Europe should have an understanding of what we need now. It seems to me that we just need to make the kind of country that Europe really wants, but Ukraine must decide,” the president said.
In his opinion, despite the fact that not all EU countries want to see Ukraine in the EU, the European Union as a whole wants Ukraine to be a partner and have membership.
Zelensky said that the countries of Europe and the EU support Ukraine and stand firm in the position of protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“We see how Europe acts with sanctions today, how it supports us, losing money due to sanctions against the Russian Federation. I am grateful to them for that,” he said.
BANJUL – Africa is becoming a new COVID-19 epicentre. In the recent weeks, South Africa reported a 60% increase in natural deaths, suggesting a higher COVID death toll than reported. And the World Health Organization recently warned that cases are proliferating across Sub-Saharan Africa, including my country, The Gambia. Unless the European Union urgently rethinks its protectionist trade policies – beginning with the Common Agricultural Policy – a sharp uptick in food insecurity will turn the COVID-19 crisis into a catastrophe.
The CAP subsidizes European farmers to the tune of €42 billion ($50 billion) annually, thereby giving them an unfair advantage in foreign markets, such as Africa. As a report released by the NGO network Coordination SUD last year showed, such subsidies, together with the abolition of market-regulation mechanisms (such as milk quotas), have strengthened EU producers’ ability to export agricultural products at low prices to markets in the Global South.
Such policies distort markets, destabilize developing-country economies, and destroy livelihoods. For example, the CAP has devastated agricultural production in West Africa, particularly for wheat and milk powder. And the problem extends far beyond Africa: local industry and agriculture in Caribbean and Pacific countries have been undermined as well.
The EU’s protectionist policies mean that developing-country farmers, who have access to significantly less support, cannot compete with European imports. In fact, though 60% of Sub-Saharan Africans are smallholder farmers, a staggering 80% of local food needs are met by imports. EU subsidies to its own farmers, along with what the UN Food and Agriculture Organization describes as “unfair trade agreements,” have enabled EU farmers to undersell African farmers dramatically. This protectionist stifling of local producers partly explains why, even before the pandemic, half of Africa’s population faced food insecurity.
Last month, there was a glimmer of hope that the EU was finally rethinking the CAP, at least within Europe. One proposal that was put forward focused on helping small farmers in Europe by expanding community-supported agricultural (CSA) schemes, which directly connect farmers to consumers. Proposed reforms also reflected criticisms of industrial animal farming and trade in livestock over long distances – practices that facilitate the emergence and spread of viral infections similar to COVID-19.
But this approach once again remains inherently detrimental to African producers, who would continue to be subject to EU protectionism in the guise of “free trade.” It is precisely in regions like West Africa, where a large number of smallholder farmers are currently being crowded out of the market by protectionist policies, that CSA schemes would be particularly valuable.
What is needed from the EU is a fairer, more holistic approach that accounts for the effects of its policies on African farmers. In the meantime, European policymakers have shelved the proposals until at least the end of 2022, owing to the pandemic.
Making matters worse, to increase its own crisis stockpiles, the EU is preparing to limit food exports. This could directly constrain Africa’s food supply without supporting African farmers, compounding disruptions to global food-supply chains, while placing additional pressure on smallholder farmers.
The CAP is not the only EU policy that is devastating developing-country agriculture. Its 2019 ban on palm-oil imports, ostensibly implemented to prevent deforestation, is similarly misguided.
A blanket ban on palm oil – a common food product also used in biofuels – may simply shift demand to less efficient, more land-intensive agricultural products, such as sunflower and rapeseed oil, resulting in even higher rates of deforestation and greater environmental strain. (Some policy experts believe that this is the point: despite the guise of environmentalism, the ban is fundamentally a protectionist effort aimed at boosting the EU’s own oilseed industries.)
Whatever the motivation, there is no doubt that the ban devastates the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, who comprise 50% of palm-oil producers. Add to that the decline in overall demand caused by the COVID-19 crisis, and smallholder farmers in Malaysia – one of the world’s largest palm-oil producers – are facing a veritable “survival crisis,” despite the tremendous progress the country has made in ensuring sustainable production.
Again, there is some evidence that the EU is rethinking its approach. But the needed changes are far from guaranteed.
As the COVID-19 crisis escalates in Africa, the economic, social, and, eventually, political fallout will be significant. The harmful effects of poorly conceived policies and practices will intensify and multiply. And, in lieu of strong action, millions of people will go hungry.
If the EU really wants to help Africa, during the pandemic and beyond, it must urgently reform its trade policies to ensure a level playing field and enhance food security. We are all in this crisis together. We in West Africa hope that we will not be left alone in addressing it.
The first thing you notice about Samantha, a Community National Health Service (NHS) Physiotherapist in Bournemouth in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is her beaming smile, energy and passion for her work. Her outstanding professionalism and capabilities mean that it takes most people she meets a while to notice her disability. Four years ago, Samantha fell 50 m off the side of a mountain in Austria while sledding, sustaining a brain injury and multiple fractures to her spine. Months of rehabilitation were needed for her physical, cognitive and speech difficulties which earned her huge gains, but limitations with her right arm movements are permanent. She says, “I have adapted and deliver the same high standard of care anyone else could.”
Samantha delivers rehabilitation to individuals that experienced injury, surgery, illness, or a fall. Many of Samantha’s current patients are recovering from COVID-19. Data from the United Kingdom’s chartered Society of Physiotherapy shows that 62% of COVID-19 patients who were in intensive care will need rehabilitation once they return home. After the acute rehabilitation phase in hospital, rehabilitation may continue in long-term care or at home.
Rehabilitation is key to improving the functioning and quality of life of a person affected by COVID-19 while reducing potential long-term disability. WHO’s Regional Office for Europe has published “Support for Rehabilitation Self-Management after COVID-19 related illness” which advises on exercises and activities to empower and facilitate recovery after discharge from hospital, which Samantha says is an “extremely useful resource for the provision of rehabilitation services to people recovering from COVID-19”.
To ensure patient needs are met and the continuation of vital rehabilitation services in the community, infection prevention and control measures have been implemented. Samantha says, “Before entering a patient’s home, I clean my hands, then put on my apron, then my mask, eye protection, and finally my gloves. The use of each type of personal protective equipment is based on the risk of exposure to body fluids, which I conduct every time I see a patient. I’ve been vigorously washing my hands.”
As for many with disabilities, Samantha has found adhering to infection prevention and control measures difficult. “I couldn’t fit the medical mask myself as I can’t lift my arm to the back of my head to tie the knot needed to secure it in place. I had to ask for masks with elastic ties I can fit with just one hand. I also have to tie the aprons at the side rather than at the back as I can’t reach and it’s a struggle to put the gloves on. All of this takes time, so I have to allow myself more time in my planning.” Samantha finds the WHO issued COVID-19 guidance for those with disability useful to prevent and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 and elaborates, “It helps me as a rehabilitation professional with disability to do my job properly.”
Samantha describes an elderly patient suspected to have COVID-19 which she treated. “Burt is an elderly gentleman with dementia who was referred because he was finding it difficult to walk, felt like he had a lot of mucus in his lungs, and had a temperature. He was already having daily visits from his primary health doctor and carers were visiting him three times a day to help with personal care.” Burt did not want to go to hospital for treatment, so his family and the medical team jointly decided to care for him at home. Samantha provided a walker and advised his family on exercises Burt could follow to clear his chest secretions and maintain his mobility. She also facilitated the installation of a downstairs hospital bed and commode. Burt recovered, thanks to the efforts and services of the community team and his family.
“No one ever questions my ability to do my job because of my disability. Most people don’t even notice,” says Samantha. “Once I have explained what I’ve been through and overcome, they are usually in shock and awe. My patients trust and work so much harder with me because I’ve been through it myself. I love being a rehabilitation professional and having a positive impact on someone’s life.” Samantha’s passion to overcome challenges from disability isn’t just limited to her professional life. Samantha has found ways to ski, rock climb and swim. Her ultimate goal is to climb Mount Everest, the highest point in the world!
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religion in order to marry her partner. Pictured: a scene from the Netflix series Unorthodox” width=”634″ height=”356″ data-src=”https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/25/15/32366010-8662567-image-a-1_1598366992949.jpg” />
European leaders must clearly declare the conditions for Ukraine to gain full membership in the European Union, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.