#union health ministry

[exampurnaukariadda]

COVID-19: India Logs 441 Fresh Infections As Active Cases See Dip

The Union Health Ministry confirmed on Saturday that 441 new COVID-19 infections have been reported in India, while the number of active cases has dropped to 3,238. The ministry’s statistics, updated at 8 am, shows that no deaths were reported in a 24-hour period. The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5. However, with the arrival of a new COVID-19 variety, JN.1, and the…

[newsmrl]

Corona, JN 1: Becomes a matter of concern, new update from WHO comes

COVID JN 1: Update came from WHO regarding the new variant of Corona. WHO said that based on the available evidence, the risk from JN.1 is very low. The World Health Organization has described it as a variant of interest. Earlier it was said that this virus is changing its form with time. However, it is a matter of relief that the organization has not described it as very fatal. The new variant…

[suchananewsblog]

India To Get Clean And Hygienic 100 Food Streets Across The Country

Street food is an intrinsic part of Indian cuisine. It represents the essence of local food culture and also drives the economy by promoting tourism. Many Indian street foods like samosa and vada pav enjoy global recognition. Our food streets are always buzzing with tourists and locals, but there are many people who avoid these foods due to health safety concerns. But this may soon be a thing of…

[healthwire]

Our collective responsibility should not only be to protect ourselves but also to make sure that our actions result in protecting the environment.

[head-post]

Polish patients waiting promised discounts as health ministry delays drug list publication

Poles are still waiting for the implementation of the government regulation, as the Health Ministry is delaying the publication of the medicine list, despite last year’s decree to reduce the prices of domestically produced medicines and drugs containing Polish components.

The government resolution was supposed to be a way to save money for patients and support the domestic pharmaceutical sector. The amendment envisages a 10% reduction in patient fees for medicines produced in Poland and a 15% reduction for medicines containing active substances originating in the country.

However, as of today, the Ministry of Health has not published a list of such drugs, which prevents pharmacies from dispensing medicines with discounts to patients.

Read more HERE

[27moremoons]

Dozens of medical workers, ambulance drivers, civil defense, and others have been martyred or wounded. Over 40 martyrs in the Lebanese health sector.

10 Lebanese firefighters have ascended to martyrdom after IOF warplanes launched an airstrike targeting the fire station of the Union of Municipalities of Bint Jbeil District located in Baraachit last night, in southern Lebanon.

isreal is purposely targeting civil workers. This is an international war crime.

Al Mayadeen: Five hospitals in Lebanon have been compelled to shut down amid the intensifying israeli aggression.

Lebanese Ministry of Health: Recent Update

2,083 martyrs and 9,869 injured since the start of the "israeli" aggression on October 8, 2023. 22 martyrs and 111 injured from yesterday's "israeli" aggression on towns and villages in southern Lebanon, Nabatiyeh, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, and Mount Lebanon, distributed as follows: - 15 martyrs and 46 injured in the Mount Lebanon governorate. - 3 martyrs and 19 injured in the southern governorate. - 12 injured in the Bekaa governorate. - 8 injured in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate.

[sayruq]

A general strike has been declared in the West Bank

A comprehensive strike in the occupied West Bank to protest Israel’s violent incursions paralysed life in the occupied territory on Sunday. The strike came in response to calls from political forces, unions, and civil society organisations after the Israeli army raided the Tulkarm city and the Nur Shams camp in the northern West Bank. At least 14 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military raids on the Nur Shams refugee camp, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Saturday. Earlier Saturday, Faisal Salama, the head of the services committee in the Nur Shams camp, told Anadolu that the Israeli attack caused massive damage to infrastructure in the camp. Parallel to its onslaught on the Gaza Strip since 7 October, the Israeli army has escalated raids and arrests in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

[reasonsforhope]

"The Netherlands is pulling even further ahead of its peers in the shift to a recycling-driven circular economy, new data shows.

According to the European Commission’s statistics office, 27.5% of the material resources used in the country come from recycled waste.

For context, Belgium is a distant second, with a “circularity rate” of 22.2%, while the EU average is 11.5% – a mere 0.8 percentage point increase from 2010.

“We are a frontrunner, but we have a very long way to go still, and we’re fully aware of that,” Martijn Tak, a policy advisor in the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and water management, tells The Progress Playbook. 

The Netherlands aims to halve the use of primary abiotic raw materials by 2030 and run the economy entirely on recycled materials by 2050. Amsterdam, a pioneer of the “doughnut economics” concept, is behind much of the progress.

Why it matters

The world produces some 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, and this could rise to 3.4 billion tonnes annually by 2050, according to the World Bank.

Landfills are already a major contributor to planet-heating greenhouse gases, and discarded trash takes a heavy toll on both biodiversity and human health.

“A circular economy is not the goal itself,” Tak says. “It’s a solution for societal issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and resource-security for the country.”

A fresh approach

While the Netherlands initially focused primarily on waste management, “we realised years ago that’s not good enough for a circular economy.”

In 2017, the state signed a “raw materials agreement” with municipalities, manufacturers, trade unions and environmental organisations to collaborate more closely on circular economy projects.

It followed that up with a national implementation programme, and in early 2023, published a roadmap to 2030, which includes specific targets for product groups like furniture and textiles. An English version was produced so that policymakers in other markets could learn from the Netherlands’ experiences, Tak says.

The programme is focused on reducing the volume of materials used throughout the economy partly by enhancing efficiencies, substituting raw materials for bio-based and recycled ones, extending the lifetimes of products wherever possible, and recycling.

It also aims to factor environmental damage into product prices, require a certain percentage of second-hand materials in the manufacturing process, and promote design methods that extend the lifetimes of products by making them easier to repair.

There’s also an element of subsidisation, including funding for “circular craft centres and repair cafés”.

This idea is already in play. In Amsterdam, a repair centre run by refugees, and backed by the city and outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, is helping big brands breathe new life into old clothes.

Meanwhile, government ministries aim to aid progress by prioritising the procurement of recycled or recyclable electrical equipment and construction materials, for instance.

State support is critical to levelling the playing field, analysts say...

Long Road Ahead

The government also wants manufacturers – including clothing and beverages companies – to take full responsibility for products discarded by consumers.

“Producer responsibility for textiles is already in place, but it’s work in progress to fully implement it,” Tak says.

And the household waste collection process remains a challenge considering that small city apartments aren’t conducive to having multiple bins, and sparsely populated rural areas are tougher to service.

“Getting the collection system right is a challenge, but again, it’s work in progress.”

...Nevertheless, Tak says wealthy countries should be leading the way towards a fully circular economy as they’re historically the biggest consumers of natural resources."

-via The Progress Playbook, December 13, 2023

[labuenosairesfrancaise]

Halton House

Hace un instante

Hi guys!!

I'm sharing Halton House. This is the 15th building for my English Collection and the second Rothchild house I recreated.

I decorated some interiors for reference, but I could not find the real distribution of the house, so I just worked with pictures I found.

You might be familiar to the central hall and stairs, as they are the ones used for Bridgerton House in the series.

I chose to build the version with the conservatory, as I think this was a glory lost to time.

History of the house: Halton House is a country house in the Chiltern Hills above the village of Halton in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built for Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild between 1880 and 1883. It is used as the main officers' mess for RAF Halton and is listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.

There has been a manor house at Halton since the Norman Conquest, when it belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas Cranmer sold the manor to Henry Bradshaw, Solicitor-General in the mid-16th century. After remaining in the Bradshaw family for some considerable time, it was sold to Sir Francis Dashwood in 1720 and was then held in the Dashwood family for almost 150 years.

The site of the old Halton House, or Manor, was west of the church in Halton village. It had a large park, which was later bisected by the Grand Union Canal. In June 1849 Sir George Dashwood auctioned the contents and, in 1853, the estate was sold to Lionel Freiherr de Rothschild.

Lionel then left the estate to his son Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild in 1879. At this time the estate covered an approximately 1,500-acre (610-hectare) triangle between Wendover, Aston Clinton, and Weston Turville.

It is thought the architect was William R. Rodriguez (also known as Rogers), who worked in the design team of William Cubitt and Company, the firm commissioned to build and oversee the project in 1880. Just three years later the house was finished.

The house was widely criticised by members of the establishment. The architect Eustace Balfour, a nephew of the Marquess of Salisbury, described it as a "combination of French Chateau and gambling house", and one of Gladstone's private secretaries called it an "exaggerated nightmare".

At Halton all were entertained by Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild. However, Halton's glittering life lasted less than thirty years, with the last party being in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. Devastated by the carnage of the war, Freiherr de Rothschild's health began to fail and he died in 1918. Alfred had no legitimate children, so the house was bequeathed to his nephew Lionel Nathan de Rothschild. He detested the place and sold the contents at auction in 1918. The house and by now diminished estate were purchased for the Royal Air Force by the Air Ministry for what was even then a low price of £115,000 (equivalent to £7.08 million in 2023 pounds).

Architecture

For the style of the house Alfred was probably influenced by that of plans for the nearly completed Waddesdon Manor, the home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, his brother-in law. While not so large there is a resemblance, but other continental influences appear to have crept in: classical pediments jut from mansard roofs, spires and gables jostle for attention, and the whole is surmounted by a cupola. The front of the house features a porte-cochère. A Rothschild cousin described it as: "looking like a giant wedding cake".

If the outside was extravagant, the interior was no anti-climax. The central hall (not unlike the galleried two-storey hall at Mentmore Towers) was furnished as the "grand salon". Two further drawing rooms (the east and west) continued the luxurious theme. The dining and billiards rooms too were furnished with 18th-century panelling and boiseries. The theme continued up the grand, plaster panelled staircase to the bedrooms. The whole was furnished in what became known as "Le Style Rothschild", that is, 18th-century French furniture, boulle, ebony, and ormolu, complemented by Old Masters and fine porcelain.

A huge domed conservatory known as the winter garden was attached to the house.

For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halton_House

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This house fits a 64x64  lot (You can fit the main building to the 50x50 or 50x40 lot if you lose the garden and conservatory)

I furnished just the principal rooms, so you get an idea. The rest is unfurnished so you create the interiors to your taste!

Hope you like it.

You will need the usual CC I use:

all Felixandre cc

all The Jim

SYB

Anachrosims

Regal Sims

King Falcon railing

The Golden Sanctuary

Cliffou

Dndr recolors

Harrie cc

Tuds

Lili's palace cc

Please enjoy, comment if you like it and share pictures with me if you use my creations!

Early access: 08/18/2024

DOWNLOAD: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=75230453

[cathkaesque]

Statement on Israel’s Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War in Gaza by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Palestine

For five days, Israel has attacked Gaza with the aim of total destruction, and the situation is at an unprecedented level of urgency. Israel’s actions have amounted to a humanitarian catastrophe of unfathomable proportions. At the time of publication, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports 1,055 martyrs and approximately 5,184 injured.

Israel has declared a total warfare stance on Gaza, imposing a ruthless blockade that denies over two million Palestinian residents of Gaza access to electricity, water, food, fuel, medical supplies, and any humanitarian aid. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explicitly stated this strategy on 9 October 2023, saying: “We are imposing a complete siege on [Gaza]. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel – everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.”

Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war demands the international community immediately respond with unwavering urgency and resolve.

Israel is indiscriminately decimating hospitals, schools, mosques, markets, and entire neighborhoods. Further, Israel threatened Egypt that it would bomb humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, prompting Egypt to withdraw its aid convoys. The Rafah Crossing into Egypt, the sole international exit from Gaza, has been bombed by Israel three times in a 24-hour period. This calculated assault severs Gazans’ only means of escape from ceaseless bombings or access to essential humanitarian aid. With Israel cutting off Gaza’s source of electricity, the only source of power was the Gaza Power Plant, which has just run out of fuel. In the case that it receives more fuel, Israel has threatened to attack the plant.

Israel’s assault is deliberately destroying any infrastructure that allows Gazans to support themselves. Vital agricultural and fishing infrastructure, crucial for food production, have been mercilessly attacked. Fisher folk cannot access the sea, into which sewage is spilling. The seaport is damaged, and tools are obliterated. Farming areas, often near the fence, have become vulnerable targets in Israeli airstrikes, and farmers whose land has not been destroyed cannot access it for daily agricultural practices. The Ministry of Agriculture reports that the bombing has done immense damage to agricultural areas and poultry farms, but the conditions make it impossible to precisely assess the situation in the field. There is a catastrophic decrease in food stocks, with shops across Gaza reporting severe shortages. The land and sea will face unimaginable environmental damages following these attacks, further preventing efforts to rebuild livelihoods.

Israel’s strategy aims to ensure that those who survive the bombs are condemned to a future without sustenance.

OCHA reports that the assaults have disrupted the UNRWA food operation, impacting at least 112,759 families. The poultry and livestock sectors are on the brink of collapse due to the severe shortage of fodder, endangering the livelihoods of more than 1,000 herders and affecting over 10,000 producers. This jeopardizes the provision of animal protein and the availability of meat and fresh sources of protein for Gaza’s entire population. Transportation of poultry to markets has virtually halted, and dairy cattle milk cannot be refrigerated nor marketed to factories, resulting in an expected daily spoilage of 35,000 liters of milk. More than 4,000 fisheries are at risk due to the closure of the sea. Gaza’s agriculture, poultry, cattle, fish, and other products are suffering from a lack of refrigeration, irrigation, incubation, and other machinery due to electricity cuts, causing spoilage.

Israel’s use of these tactics is not new by any means. Before Saturday, around 65% of the Gazan population was food insecure. More than 46% of the agricultural land in Gaza was inaccessible, and the fishing industry was severely struggling since fishing off the coast of Gaza has been restricted by Israel to 3 to 6 nautical miles.

Food insecurity is a human-made crisis, and Israel is manufacturing a mass starvation of the Gazan people.

It is the moral and legal obligation of the international community to intervene and end this crisis immediately. Food, as a basic necessity, must be allowed to reach the people of Gaza, and the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure must cease without delay.

We call upon the international community to take immediate action to stop Israel’s massacre of the Gazan population, demand the lifting of the siege, and establish humanitarian corridors for entry of aid.

[thelampisaflashlight]

The ghouls, but specifically stuff about the water/water hybrids ghouls. Let's go.

-Due to the instability of his vessel, Water, the first ghoul to hold the bass position in the band, was destroyed by his own magic, and thus returned to the pit.

His successor, Lake, and Lake's subsequent replacement, River, also succumbed to this same issue, but, after an unfortunate amount of trial and error, the ministry was able to create their first viable water ghoul; Delta.

However, until Mist's summoning not long after, the ministry could not confirm whether or not they truly fixed the issue or not, as Delta was a hybrid, leading to the false conclusion that his quintessence magic kept him from succumbing to his water side.

-It's largely Delta's fault that there's a tradition of "bullying the new guy" among the band ghouls, generally speaking, but especially in regards to new water ghouls.

Delta teased Mist, Mist teased Dew... and then Delta decided to tease Dew, too.

Rain managed to escape this particular hazing ritual largely because Delta enjoyed teasing Dew more than him, and because Dew elected to go the, "I don't want to talk to you." route instead.

-Since leaving the band, Delta has been more in-tune with his quintessence side, and so he has taken up a position in the abbey's infirmary as part of the medical staff.

This is the only place where his antics involving Dew/teasing him are strictly not allowed, a rule which he respects due to his want to retain his job.

He also does not use any of Dew's -or anyone's- health information in his jokes, as even he thinks that would be crossing a line.

-Mist and Rain are saltwater variant ghouls, whereas Delta and Dew are freshwater, with their secondary subcategories...

Mist-Abyssopelagic Zone (The Abyss) variant, Rain-Mesopelagic Zone (The Twilight Zone) variant, Dew-Tundra/Plains Hybrid variant, Delta-Wetland/Temperate Forest Hybrid variant.

...This basically means they're all water, but their relationship with it is very different.

Mist's water magic is survival/instinct based, meaning it is used predominantly for hunting, whereas Rain's is used more so for camouflaging him, allowing him to glamour himself more readily than others.

Since Delta and Dew are hybrids, their magic is a bit more specific in terms of which form they have the most control of it in.

Delta can only manipulate freshwater containing dirt and debris, meaning he's good at removing impurities from water and cleaning it/cleansing wounds, which makes him an excellent addition to the medical staff.

And Dew can... Dew can make ice? Act like a humidifier?

...Yeah, he kind of got the short end of the stick on that one.

And lastly;

-The water ghouls all have a pact that if anyone messes with one of them, then they're all obligated to jump said person, no further questions asked.

One witness to such an event heard the "victim" shouting, "THE BITCHES HAVE UNIONIZED!" and indeed, indeed they had.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Ruthie Blum

Following the strike on Saturday in Gaza that eliminated 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, international media outlets promptly published the lie told to them by residents of the Strip about the number and identity of the casualties. Nothing novel about that.

Since the start of the war on Oct. 7, the press has cited Gaza Health Ministry figures—and the global bodies that gleefully buy them—to bolster false accusations of crimes committed by the Israel Defense Forces against civilians in the Hamas-run enclave. Nor has factual evidence caused the claims to dissipate.

This is partly the fault of the IDF, which is often very late in refuting the rumors. Worse, its spokesman’s unit rarely seems to prepare in advance for the anti-Israel propaganda onslaught that always comes on the heels of military moves that provide photos of rubble—whether or not the images even depict the areas under discussion. Indeed, sometimes, the pictures are taken from other countries and conflicts.

What makes this failure of preemption especially disturbing is that IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari is always quick to announce the launch of investigations relating to the potentially inappropriate behavior of soldiers in and beyond the battlefield. The phenomenon is part of Israel’s obsession with having the “most moral,” rather than fiercest, army in the world.

Since Israel’s ethics are intact, it shouldn’t be necessary to prove it at every juncture, especially not to those who wish it ill or never give it the benefit of the doubt. Still, playing catch-up with sensationalist reports is both exhausting and ultimately pointless.

After all, once a piece of juicy slander is out there, it’s hard to reverse its damage. The current deception is a perfect case in point.

Take CNN’s headline on the incident, for example, which reads: “Israeli strike on mosque and school in Gaza kills scores, sparking international outrage.”

Then there’s the post on X by chief European Union Israel-basher Josep Borrell, who hastened to write: “Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, w/ reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres.”

The predictable list goes on.

But here’s what actually happened. The IDF and Israel Security Agency carried out a pinpoint attack on a Hamas command-and-control center that was embedded in a mosque inside a school compound. As Hagari’s office explained, albeit with customary tardiness, “The strike was carried out using three precise munitions, which … cannot cause the amount of damage that is being reported by the Hamas-run Government Information Office in Gaza.”

Furthermore, it added, “no severe damage was caused to the compound where the terrorists were situated. Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of a small warhead, aerial surveillance and intelligence.”

That’s not all. It turns out that men, women and children were located on different floors of the building in question, and Israel’s security forces targeted and hit only the level on which the terrorists were located. It’s the kind of feat for which the IDF continues to arouse awe among urban-combat experts.

By now, anyone who denies that Hamas purposely ensconces its warriors in schools, mosques and hospitals, using the people it controls as human shields, is either sympathetic to the terrorists’ goal of annihilating the Jewish state or serves as a fellow traveler on that pernicious journey.

All other arguments about what’s going on in Gaza constitute ill-intentioned background noise that should be ignored.

[simply-ivanka]

Blaming Israel for Rescuing Its People

Hamas hid four hostages in a crowded civilian area and fired on rescuers.

Wall Street Journal

By The Editorial Board

It’s rare good news in a grinding war. On Saturday Israeli commandos rescued four hostages from two civilian buildings near the heart of Gaza’s Nuseirat market. It was a high-risk but well-planned and -executed mission that is a morale boost for Israelis.

Arnon Zamora was killed while leading the rescue mission at the head of his force. He will go down in history with Yoni Netanyahu, the fallen leader of Israel’s 1976 raid to free hostages in Entebbe, Uganda.

Noa Argamani, age 26, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were all abducted during the music-festival massacre. A video showed Ms. Argamani begging for her life. Eight months later she heard a knock on the door: “It’s the IDF, we’ve come to rescue you.” She can now visit her terminally ill mother. Mr. Jan was mobbed on his return by friends chanting, “He is one of us, and we will never give him up,” a refrain of sports teammates now given new meaning. Mr. Jan’s father died hours before his son’s return.

The non-surprise is that professional anti-Israel voices, United Nations officials and the European Union foreign-policy chief rushed to attack Israel. Egypt condemned the operation “in the strongest terms.” How dare Israel rescue its own citizens. Didn’t it know there would be casualties? The BBC asked whether Israel gave a warning that the rescue raid was coming. Seriously? A tip-off to terrorists? Perhaps read them Miranda rights too.

“BREAKING: Gaza’s Health Ministry says 274 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli operation,” reports the Associated Press, only 48 hours after it had exposed how the Hamas ministry’s daily death tolls are “at odds with underlying data.” When will the media stop taking the kidnappers at their word?

Haters of Israel will blame it and excuse Hamas every time, and the media are easily manipulated into playing along. The Hamas figure is likely inflated, and it includes the terrorists killed trying to stop the rescue as well as those who hid the hostages.

Hamas started the war with a massacre, took these hostages and hid them in a crowded civilian area. Then, when Israel came to free them, Hamas responded with heavy fire, including RPGs—yet people are condemning Israel. It makes us wonder if the West has lost the moral discernment and instinct for self-preservation needed to defend itself in a world of killers.

Hamas could not survive if not for its enablers around the world.

[mesetacadre]

Latest news from Ukraine

❗️Air Pollution

A dust storm has once again swept across Ukraine, with the highest levels of air pollution recorded in the Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Kherson, and Donetsk regions.

❗️Ugledar

Military criticizes the situation on the front: "Ugledar was doomed, but the order to retreat never came," said Voroshnov, an aerial scout from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, it was impossible to save the city, and everyone knew that "the countdown was in days and hours," but no order for withdrawal was issued. "Where will we retreat to? No one knows. As long as the enemy has the strength to push us back, we will keep moving backward."

Moreover, "Out of 50 recruits sent to reinforce the 72nd Brigade in Ugledar, only four made it to the front lines, and they deserted after the first rotation," said soldier Boyko. He noted that mobilized men aged 52-56 were sent to the brigade, with 30 of them being reassigned to rear units and hospitals due to health issues. Of the remaining 20, 16 deserted on the second day, leaving only four soldiers who also deserted after the first rotation. Boyko describes the loss of Ugledar as a "localized collapse of the front" and claims that similar situations are occurring along the entire front line. He also criticizes and calls for the dismissal of the military leadership of the country.

❗️Salary Reductions and Tax Increases

In October, Ukrainians will receive lower wages due to an increase in the military tax. The law will come into effect after October 15. Until then, advances will still be paid with the military tax at 1.5% (since the law hasn't taken effect yet). However, for the remainder of October, the tax will be 5%, including the advance. Employers won't be able to reclaim the paid advance, so the Ministry of Finance suggests deducting these funds from the final salary payment. As a result, wages will decrease not only by 3.5% due to the tax hike but also by the amount already deducted from the advance.

❗️Freedom of Speech

The restriction on language use in schools will only apply to Russian, while teaching in EU languages or the languages of indigenous peoples alongside the state language will not be considered a violation, according to a new bill. The document also notes that private schools will be able to choose their language of instruction, except for the language of the "aggressor country." The bill will be sent to the relevant committee for review today.

It is also worth noting that Article 10 of the Ukrainian Constitution guarantees the free development, use, and protection of Russian and other minority languages in Ukraine.

❗️Money Laundering

"Energoatom" has ordered protective measures for the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant worth nearly 600 million UAH ($16.4 million). According to reports, the construction of engineering protection for critical elements of the station will take over a year. A contract with PJSC "Yuzhenerhrostroi" was signed without an open tender, with the work to be completed by December 25, 2025, according to the media. The contract terms are hidden, given the wartime conditions.

via Union of Communists of Ukraine

[catdotjpeg]

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, one of the four remaining functional hospitals in the Gaza Strip, was included in an Israeli evacuation order on Monday, the Deir al-Balah municipality announced on Monday. The Gaza-based Palestinian health ministry said that the hospital continued to operate as of Monday afternoon local time, despite the Israeli evacuation order, and despite the proximity of Israeli troops. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is the only operating hospital in the overcrowded central governorate of Deir al-Balah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have been concentrated due to multiple displacements fleeing Israeli bombings. Currently, the hospital is treating some 100 resident patients. The Israeli army has been reducing the area it had designated as a “safe zone” to less than 25 square kilometers, pushing more people into the already-crowded center of Deir al-Balah under extreme sanitary conditions. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel’s violations against medical staff in a statement on Monday. According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel has killed some 500 health workers in the Gaza Strip since October 7. In the same context, the union of the northern Gaza municipalities said in a joint statement on Monday that “the Gaza Strip is lacking the most fundamental services amidst a grave environmental catastrophe.” The statement was made by a group of municipality representatives who spoke to the media in the center of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. According to their statement, Israel has destroyed over 1.5 million square meters’ worth of roads and streets, 35 water wells, five principal sewage water pumps, 200,000 meters of water pipelines, 100,000 meters of sewage pipelines, 5,000 meters of rain drainage pipelines, 57 power plants used to operate wells and sewage pumps, and about 95% of municipal machines and equipment used for garbage collection and public works. The statement added that most of the municipal facilities in some 37 buildings were also destroyed by Israeli forces, in addition to 15 public parks and the main water desalination plant that used to serve all of the north of the Strip. The statement also said that Israeli forces have destroyed 45,000 residential units in the north, rendering 75% of inhabitants homeless. The municipalities also warned of floods and deteriorating sanitary conditions as winter approaches due to the destruction of infrastructure. The municipal officials called on the international community to provide urgent assistance, especially repair parts, reconstruction material, and machine equipment. The officials called on international citizens to pressure their respective governments “to stop the war of genocide and destruction and save what remains of human life in the Gaza Strip.”

-- From "‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 325: As ceasefire talks falter, Israeli army orders evacuation of al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital" by Qassam Muaddi for Mondoweiss, 26 Aug 2024

[mariacallous]

With 4,773 registered cases since March last year, Romania has the fifth highest rate of measles infections in the wider European region and the highest in the European Union, according to the latest data from the World Health Organisation, WHO.

Kazakhstan tops the chart with 36,292 cases registered between March 2023 and April 2024, followed by Azerbaijan [28,855], Russia [18,977] and Kyrgyzstan [14,472].

In all five countries, vaccination rates are low.

The Romanian government has urged parents to vaccinate their children against measles, with Health Minister Alexandru Rafila warning in mid-May that, “in general, outbreaks occur where there are communities with a low degree of vaccination coverage”.

According to the WHO statistics, the incidence of measles in Romania is 239.94 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Romania’s own figures are even more worrying. According to the health ministry, 15,763 measles cases were registered between January 1, 2023, and May 19, 2024, 16 of which resulted in death.

In 1990, the measles vaccination rate in Romania was over 90 per cent. By 2019 it was at 86 per cent and in 2021 it had fallen to 81 per cent, amid growing ‘antivaxxer’ sentiment, particularly on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the WHO, Turkey is right behind Romania with 4,698 cases registered between April 2023 and March 2024.

“There are 200-300 recorded cases ever month, and in May, June and July [2023] it peaked at 1,000,” Emrah Kirimli from the Turkish Medical Association, TTB, was quoted as telling the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet in January.

“Measles is a deadly disease,” he said. “It’s a serious illness.”