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Juli Borrell i Pla (Spanish, 1877 - 1957) Epiphany, 1896 Museu Nacional D'art de Catalunya
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lescroniques · 2 years
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La inseguretat residencial augmenta el risc de mala salut mental, segons un estudi
La inseguretat residencial augmenta el risc de mala salut mental, segons un estudi
La mala salut mental és més elevada en dones amb inseguretat residencial, que a la vegada també pateixen pobresa energètica i alimentària. Aquesta és la principal conclusió d’un estudi del CIBER d’Epidemiologia i Salut Pública i el grup d’Habitatge i Salut de l’Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona publicat a la revista Journal of Urban Health. Segons l’estudi, mentre que la probabilitat de…
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thefugitivesaint · 5 months
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Julio Borrell (1877-1957), ''La Ilustración artística'', July 16, 1906 "El demonio de los celos apoderóse del bueno de Pedro y no le dejaba sosegar" (The demon of jealousy took hold of good Pedro and would not let him rest) Source
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usafphantom2 · 10 months
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'Dozens' of Ukrainian pilots began training to fly the F-16 fighters
Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 06/15/2023 - 16:00 in Military, War Zones
Several NATO countries have announced the beginning of the training of Ukrainian military pilots to fly modern fighters, such as the F-16, which opens the possibility of considering the decision to hand them over to Ukraine when the pilots are ready for it.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this before the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday, June 15.
"I welcome the decision of several NATO allies to provide training for [Ukrainian] fighter pilots. This is important and will allow us, at the most recent stage, to also make decisions to deliver fourth-generation fighters, such as the F-16," he said.
He also praised Denmark for playing a leading role in facilitating this agreement, offering to train Ukrainian pilots and continue to provide significant support to Ukraine.
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"It's too early to say when exactly this decision will be made. But the fact that the training has started gives us the option to also decide to deliver the planes and then the pilots will be ready to fly them," Stoltenberg said.
He recalled that earlier this week he visited Washington to discuss preparations for the Vilnius summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. Among the main topics of these negotiations were aid to Ukraine, the need to strengthen the promise of investment in defense of NATO and other important issues for the alliance.
A two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers began in Brussels on June 15. The main issues of the summit are the continuation of assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and the preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius from 11 to 12 July.
As part of the meeting, there will be a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission and a meeting of the United States-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group. One of the key issues of this meeting will be the creation of the so-called fighter coalition, which will contribute to the supply of modern fourth-generation fighters to Ukraine for its self-defense and fight against Russian aggression.
On May 22, Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union, announced that the Ukrainian pilots had already started training the F-16.
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F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter. (Photo: Radoslaw Jozwiak/AFP/Getty Images)
However, on May 23, Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish's interim defense minister, said that Ukrainian pilots can start F-16 training only in July.
He also indicated that it can take up to six months before the necessary conditions for the use of F-16 fighters in Ukraine are established.
Eight European countries have already joined the “F-16 fighter coalition” supporting Ukraine, with the Netherlands and Denmark leading the collaborative effort.
The United States announced that, in the coming months, Ukraine's military allies will collaborate to determine the time, participants and the number of aircraft to be transferred to Ukraine. However, the delivery of fighters will depend on Ukraine's commitment to refrain from using them in attacks on Russian territory.
Tags: Military AviationF-16 Fighting FalconWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine
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Fernando Valduga
Fernando Valduga
Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.
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mariacallous · 1 month
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The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added Belgrade-based companies Goodforwarding, Kominvex, Research and Development Company TR Industries, plus Novi Banovci-based Soha Info, to its sanctions list on Friday as Washington imposed restrictions on hundreds more individuals and entities it believes are aiding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
The US also blacklisted Dragan Dragas, owner of Soha Info and Marko Svorcan, owner of Kominvex.
The US Treasury said that the two individuals and three of the companies were sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for operating or having operated in a sector of the Russian economy to support Moscow’s military-industrial base. The reasons for sanctioning Goodforwarding were not given.
Radio Free Europe reported in November 2023 that Soha Info, Komnivex and Goodforwarding have been exporting electronic devices and dual-use goods in Russia.
Friday’s sanctions were imposed to mark “Russia’s two years of unprovoked and unlawful full-scale war against Ukraine and [come ] in response to the death of opposition politician and anticorruption activist Aleksey Navalny”, the US Treasury said in a statement.
Individuals and companies added to the US Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List have their assets blocked in the US, and US citizens are prohibited from dealing with them.
Also on Friday, ahead of the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union adopted a 13th package of sanctions against Russia.
As part of the package, the EU imposed export restrictions on one Serbian company over “dual use goods and technologies, as well as goods and technology which might contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defence and security sector”. The company was not named.
“We remain united in our determination to dent Russia’s war machine and help Ukraine win its legitimate fight for self-defence and restore its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement announcing the package of sanctions.
In July last year, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the then head of Serbia’s Security Information Agency, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of involvement in various corrupt activities. It claimed pro-Russian politician Vulin was implicated in transnational organised crime, illegal narcotics operations and misuse of public office.
Serbia voted for a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, and in April voted for the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council UNHRC.
Serbia also voted in October 2022 for the UN General Assembly Resolution condemning Russia’s attempt to annex four regions of Ukraine.
But despite pressures from the EU and US, it has refused to join EU sanctions on Russia, despite being a candidate for membership of the bloc.
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head-post · 6 days
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EU agrees to move forward on use of Russian assets for Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the leaders of the EU member states have agreed to allocate to Ukraine the proceeds from frozen Russian assets subject to EU sanctions and their implementation is expected this summer.
At the end of the first day of the EU summit in Brussels, von der Leyen commented on EU decisions on Ukraine. She announced on Thursday that leaders had endorsed a proposal by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, saying:
“This will provide funding for military equipment to Ukraine.”
It expects about 3 billion euros ($3.25 billion) in 2024 and similar amounts in subsequent years, von der Leyen said. If the proposal is finalised quickly, the first 1 billion euros could be transferred as early as 1 July.
Read more HERE
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beardedmrbean · 1 month
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UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday he had no intention of resigning and hoped the EU would continue to fund his agency, after allegations staff members were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel.
"No, I have no intention to resign," Lazzarini, who heads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told reporters in Brussels following a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Members of the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu have called on Lazzarini to step down after serious allegations against his staffers emerged.
"We have one government calling for (my) resignation. We might have other voices, but I haven't heard any other government," Lazzarini explained.
Last month, Tel Aviv claimed 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas against Israel, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and sparked a war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinians.
The grave accusation, revealed by Israel on the same day the UN's top court ordered it to prevent genocide in Gaza, sparked fears of possible infiltration by Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the EU, into the Western-funded UN agency.
Lazzarini suggested, however, that Israel had yet to provide evidence to substantiate its accusations.
Over the weekend, the Israeli Defence Forces also alleged they had uncovered Hamas’ data and communications centre in a tunnel directly beneath UNRWA's Gaza headquarters. Lazzarini has since said he had no knowledge of the tunnel.
Following discussions with representatives of the European Commission, Lazzarini said there was a "mutual commitment" to address the concerns that prompted the EU executive to launch a review into its funding to UNRWA.
Whilst the Commission assured its humanitarian assistance would continue "unabated" following the allegations, it suggested its €82 million donation in development aid due in late February would be conditional on UNRWA auditing its recruitment procedures, bolstering its internal oversight mechanisms and vetting its 30,000-strong workforce.
Lazzarini said that his conversations with Commissioners on the issue had been "very constructive."
Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign policy chief, strongly suggested that EU cash would flow as anticipated given that UNRWA had launched the investigation the bloc had called for.
"The Commission has never asked for the investigation to finish, but to be launched," Borrell said. "We are clever enough to understand that this can not be finished in 20 days."
The independent review into UNRWA is being led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna. An interim report is expected in late March.
Defunding UNRWA 'will affect Europeans'
Several nations have paused payments to UNRWA in the wake of the scandal. These include Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, in a devastating blow to the donor-reliant agency.
Lazzarini said that if governments maintain their decisions, it would strip UNRWA of $450 million (€418 million) this year alone. He said he was engaged with "a number of countries" to assess their expectations to allow the release of these funds.
Without any freeze in funding, the agency's cash flow would have been secured until July, Lazzarini noted, but the announced suspensions meant it would be negative as of March.
A defiant Borrell said such decisions amounted to "collective punishment" rather than "individual accountability."
"To discontinue the support of UNRWA would mean the interruption of vital services to millions of people in need, and a greater humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which has to be avoided," Borrell told reporters.
"Not only because it is a humanitarian imperative. But also because it would have dangerous repercussions on regional stability and would affect Europeans too."
While seven member states have paused funding, other countries, like Spain, Belgium and Ireland, have firmly backed the agency's role in the Palestinian Territories and the broader region, with some even calling on the Commission to boost its financial aid.
In his remarks on Monday, Borrell slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attempts to "cancel" the work of UNRWA. He assured that only when statehood has been given to Palestinians that the agency's work can be rightfully discontinued, saying that its existence 75 years after it was founded was in itself "deplorable."
On Sunday, a committee in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, approved a draft bill to end the operations of UNRWA in Jerusalem, and will be voted on preliminary on Wednesday.
Rafah situation 'extraordinarily challenging'
Lazzarini also decried the situation in Gaza's southern town of Rafah, which Israel claims is Hamas' last stronghold and where overnight the Israeli forces launched a military offensive. About 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to be in the area after fleeing from other parts of Gaza. 
Israel has ordered them to evacuate, but Borrell explained incredulity at the demand given that they cannot flee south past the Egyptian border.
"They are going to evacuate where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?" he questioned.
Lazzarini explained that UN agencies are unable to operate with the minimum required protection because the local police force "might not be functional anymore, since many of them have been killed" and many officers are reluctant to assist because aid convoys had been targeted by "hundreds of young people."
"The coming days will tell us if yes or not, we will be able to continue to operate in an extraordinary, extraordinary, challenging environment," he explained
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ukrainenews · 2 years
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Daily Wrap Up August 31, 2022
Under the cut:
The EU has agreed to suspend a visa travel deal with Moscow to curb the number of Russian nationals entering the bloc for holidays and shopping, stopping short of a full tourist visa ban demanded by some central and eastern European countries
Ukrainian forces have had “successes” in three areas of the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, according to a Ukrainian regional official
United Nations inspectors arrived on Wednesday in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on a mission to prevent a nuclear accident at a Russian-occupied power plant where nearby shelling has prompted global fears of disaster
Russia halted gas supplies via Europe's key supply route on Wednesday, intensifying an economic battle between Moscow and Brussels and raising the prospects of recession and energy rationing in some of the region's richest countries
There are multiple reports of heavy explosions in the Nova Kakhovka area of the Ukrainian region of Kherson in the south
“The EU has agreed to suspend a visa travel deal with Moscow to curb the number of Russian nationals entering the bloc for holidays and shopping, stopping short of a full tourist visa ban demanded by some central and eastern European countries.
Meeting in Prague, the EU’s 27 foreign ministers promised to suspend the 2007 visa facilitation agreement with Russia that makes it relatively easy to obtain travel documents.
The EU’s high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said there had been a “substantial increase of border crossings” from Russia into the EU since mid-July, which he described as “a security risk for these neighbouring states”.
While the EU had already suspended the visa facilitation agreement for officials and entrepreneurs soon after the Russian attack on Ukraine in February, ordinary Russians could continue to come to the EU for holidays or other reasons.
“We have seen many Russians travelling for leisure and shopping as if no war was raging in Ukraine,” Borrell said. “Member states considered that we are not business as usual. It cannot be business as usual.”
The informal agreement struck on Wednesday still needs to be translated into EU law and it was not immediately clear when the suspension would come into force. Borrell said it would become more difficult and take longer for Russians to get a visa from an EU member state, and the number of new travel documents would be reduced “substantially”.
The European Commission has been tasked with coming up with guidance about the stock of 12m existing visas for Russians. The Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, acknowledged there was no quick fix. “There are various ways forward and we can’t answer this straight away,” he said, without going into details.
The common policy will mean EU member states can continue to issue visas to Russians, after France and Germany argued against a blanket ban.”-via The Guardian
~
“Ukrainian forces have had “successes” in three areas of the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, according to a Ukrainian regional official.
Yuriy Sobolevskyi, the deputy head of Kherson’s regional council, said Ukrainian troops had enjoyed successes in the Kherson, Beryslav, and Kakhovka districts.
Sobolevskyi did not provide any details about the alleged success of the Ukrainian troops, but his comments came as Russia’s defence ministry claimed that Ukraine’s attempts to mount a counter-offensive in the south of the country had failed.
In its daily briefing, the Russian defence ministry said Ukraine’s forces had suffered heavy losses in equipment and men.
It also said its forces had shot down three Ukrainian helicopters and that Ukraine had lost four fighter jets during two days of fighting around the Mykolaiv-Kriviy Rih frontline and in other areas of southern Ukraine.
It has not been possible to independently verify either side’s claims.”-via The Guardian
~
“United Nations inspectors arrived on Wednesday in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on a mission to prevent a nuclear accident at a Russian-occupied power plant where nearby shelling has prompted global fears of disaster.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team reached the city 55 km (34 miles) away from the plant, where they were likely to spend the night before arriving at the facility on Thursday.
Although Russian-installed officials suggested the visit might last only one day, the IAEA hopes for longer.
"If we are able to establish a permanent presence, or a continued presence, then it’s going to be prolonged. But this first segment is going to take a few days," its chief, Rafael Grossi, told reporters in Zaporizhzhia.
"It's a mission that seeks to prevent a nuclear accident," he said.
Russia captured the nuclear plant, Europe's largest, in early March and its military force has been there ever since, as has most of the Ukrainian workforce who have toiled to continue running the facility, which had supplied 20% of Ukraine's electricity.
Fighting was reported near the power station and further afield on Wednesday, with Kyiv and Moscow both claiming battlefield successes amid a Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture southern territory.
Ukraine repelled Russian attempts to attack in the direction of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, two towns located north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, its armed forces' general staff said on Wednesday. Pro-Moscow troops have focused on Bakhmut in their push to extend control over the Donbas region, it said.”-via Reuters
~
“Russia halted gas supplies via Europe's key supply route on Wednesday, intensifying an economic battle between Moscow and Brussels and raising the prospects of recession and energy rationing in some of the region's richest countries.
European governments fear Moscow could extend the outage in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed after it invaded Ukraine and have accused Russia of using energy supplies as a "weapon of war". Moscow denies doing this and has cited technical reasons for supply cuts.
Russian state energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said Nord Stream 1, the biggest pipeline carrying gas to its top customer Germany, will be out for maintenance from 0100 GMT on Aug. 31 to 0100 GMT on Sept. 3. 
The president of the German network regulator said that Germany would be able to cope with the three-day outage as long as flows resumed on Saturday.
"I assume that we will be able to cope with it," Klaus Mueller told Reuters TV in an interview. "I trust that Russia will return to at least 20% from Saturday, but no one can really say."
Further restrictions to European gas supplies would deepen an energy crunch that has already triggered a 400% surge in wholesale gas prices since last August, squeezing consumers and businesses and forcing governments to spend billions to ease the burden. 
In Germany, inflation soared to its highest in almost 50 years in August and consumer sentiment soured as households brace for a spike in energy bills.”-via Reuters
~
“There are multiple reports of heavy explosions in the Nova Kakhovka area of the Ukrainian region of Kherson in the south.
The town, which is occupied by Russian forces, is strategically placed on river Dnipro, with a bridge that has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces.
In the last few weeks, ammunition depots in the area have also been struck.
Local social media accounts speak of air strikes and a large fire in the vicinity of a furniture factory.
There are also reports of fresh explosions near the main Antonivskiy bridge across the Dnipro south of Kherson city, as well as explosions in the nearby Oleshkiy area.
There has been no official comment from either side on the reports.
The reports come days after Ukraine announced a new offensive in the south aimed at dislodging Russian forces in Kherson.”-via CNN
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EU summit with Latin America: What's at stake?
EU, Latin American and Caribbean leaders are meeting for the first time in eight years. Free trade and climate change are on EU-CELAC summit agenda.
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The two-day EU-CELAC summit on July 17 and 18 in Brussels is the first time European Union, Latin American and Caribbean leaders have met in eight years — and they have much to discuss.
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union wants to intensify relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said regions of the world that share similar values have to develop a strategic network. He has also said the EU needs to become less dependent on China.
That makes Latin American and Caribbean states potential suppliers of raw materials and energy as well as target markets and partners in the fight against climate change. With that in mind, the European Commission published its New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean in early June.
"We are key allies to strengthen the rules-based international order, stand up together for democracy, human rights and international peace and security," said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We also have an interest in strengthening our political partnership and engagement."
Continue reading.
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euroadventure · 2 years
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Potsdammer hutte - Alpengasthof Praxmar (Etappe 2 - Sellrainhutteronde - 10,5 km)
Dinsdag 26 juli
Het heeft de hele nacht geregend, maar wanneer we wakker worden is het gelukkig droog. Het uitzicht vanuit de hut belooft een magische dag.
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Na ons ontbijt (eierkoeken en krentenbollen 🤣) vertrekken we dan ook vrij snel. Het is nog bewolkt en na nog geen tien minuten vallen toch de eerste druppels. Regenbroek en regenjas gaan aan, maar het is daarmee behoorlijk warm. Na weer een half uur stopt de regen en gaat alles weer uit. Dit herhalen we vandaag een paar keer...🙃.
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Ondanks de bewolking is het echt schitterend! Het lijkt soms wel een beetje op Nieuw-Zeeland, Schotland, Wales en zelfs IJsland.
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De wolken hangen soms magisch in het dal of rond de bergen.
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Het ene moment lopen we in de mist, het andere moment komt de zon en blauwe lucht tevoorschijn.
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Ondanks dat het soms wat fris is op de bergpassen die we over moeten steken, nemen we lekker veel pauzes om op ons gemakje te kunnen genieten van de omgeving.
Waar sommige wandelaars waarschijnlijk al op tijd bij de volgende hut arriveren, nemen wij juist alle tijd.
Het laatste stuk is na het vele klimmen een verademing denken we...maar 1200 meter dalen is voor onze knieën iets minder prettig 🙈. Ik glij nog uit en beland voorover met mijn knie in de modder. Door mijn zware rugzak rol ik ook nog eens een stukje verder. Hilarisch om te zien en gelukkig heb ik niks behalve een vuile broek (wat ik nog het vervelendste vind 😂).
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Wanneer we Alpengasthof Praxmar in het vizier krijgen lijkt het alsof we er al bijna zijn, maar helaas. Als een fata morgana opdoemend in de verte, maar niet dichterbij komend.
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Uiteindelijk wanneer we aan de laatste kilometer beginnen zien we nog een prima plekje voor onze afternoon borrel 🤪. De tweede en tevens het laatste flesje wijn maken we hier open, samen met wat tuc en worstjes genieten we nog even van de mooie omgeving voor we het Alpengasthof binnenstappen.
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Tijdens onze laatste meters begint het weer net te spetteren, maar we zijn net op tijd binnen 💪🏻.
Het Alpengasthof is eigenlijk meer een hotel. We hebben hier een eigen tweepersoonskamer geboekt, inclusief een wc, douche en zelfs een bad! Ook kunnen we hier gebruik maken van de sauna. Wat een luxe en heerlijk na zo een dag!
Ook het avondeten is heerlijk. Eind van de dag bekijken we nog onze foto's en filmpjes. Een ritueel wat we elke dag deze week even doen om zo nog een keer te kunnen genieten van de mooie dag!
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valkyries-things · 4 months
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ANDREE BORREL // SOE AGENT
“She was a French women who served in the French Resistance and as an agent for British clandestine SOE in WWII with the codename Denise. In September 1942, she was the first female agent of SOE to arrive in France by parachute. Based in Paris, she became a member of the SOE’s Prosper network in occupied France where she worked as a courier. Prosper was SOE’s largest and most important network in France and Borrel was an important figure in its leadership. She was arrested by the Gestapo in June 1943 and was subsequently executed in July 1944 at the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.”
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Juli Borrell i Pla (Spanish, 1877 - 1957) Entry of Jesus in Jerusalem, 1896 Museu Nacional D'art de Catalunya
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cyberbenb · 8 months
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Reuters: EU warns that Russia seeks to create dependencies through cheap grain
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The EU has warned developing countries and the Group of 20 (G20) members that Russia is offering cheap grain “to create new dependencies,” Reuters reported on Aug. 3, citing a letter it has obtained.
“As the world deals with disrupted supplies and higher prices, Russia is now approaching vulnerable countries with bilateral offers of grain shipments at discounted prices, pretending to solve a problem it created itself,” the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said in the letter seen by Reuters on Aug. 2.
“This is a cynical policy of deliberately using food as a weapon to create new dependencies by exacerbating economic vulnerabilities and global food insecurity."
Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17. The deal, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export its grain amid the full-scale Russian invasion.
Ukraine’s grain exports are vital to the world’s food supply. Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was the fifth-largest wheat exporter globally. The grain deal had allowed for nearly 33 million metric tons of food to be exported through Ukrainian ports while it was in force, according to the U.N.
Soon after its withdrawal from the deal, Russia intensified its strikes against Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain stockpiles in the country’s south.
The grain deal’s collapse and the subsequent attacks caused wheat prices to rise and sparked fears about food security worldwide, especially in the Global South.
During the Africa-Russia Summit in St. Petersburg on July 27-28, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country is ready to supplant Ukrainian exports to Africa both as free aid and on a commercial basis.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that a “handful of donations to some countries” will not mitigate the fallout of the grain deal’s collapse.
Timothy Ash: Solutions need to be found for grain exports
On July 17, 2023, Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The initiative was originally brokered in August 2022 by Turkey between Russia and Ukraine. It had been successful in facilitating the export of 32.5 million tonnes of grain out of Ukrainian ports, leaving in over 1,
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The Kyiv IndependentTimothy Ash
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willibald66 · 8 months
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Der Schwarze Peter geht an Kiew
Mittwoch, 26. Juli 2023 Facebook Telegram Twitter Youtube Rss Fundierte Medienkritik – Thomas Röper Newsticker Borrell meint, dass die Bedeutung des Konflikts in der Ukraine in der Welt unterschiedlich wahrgenommen wird25. Juli 2023 Französischer General bezeichnet die versuchte „Gegenoffensive“ der Ukraine als dramatischen Fehlschlag25. Juli 2023 In Ukraine wurde eine Bloggerin verhaftet,…
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warningsine · 8 months
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Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has been removed from his post four weeks after his last public appearance.
State media said on Tuesday that Qin, who held the role for just seven months, will be replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. No reason was given for the move.
The mysterious absence of 57-year-old Qin, once seen as close to President Xi Jinping, had sparked widespread speculation. Officials had previously cited “health reasons”, without elaborating.
Here is what to know.
Who is Qin Gang?
Born in the northern city of Tianjin in 1966, Qin studied international politics at China’s prestigious University of International Relations in Beijing and entered the diplomatic service. He worked in several jobs at the foreign ministry as well as at the Chinese Embassy in Britain.
Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi’s interactions with foreign leaders.
According to Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, Qin’s rise in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was “rapid and meteoric”.
At the age of 57, he became in December 2022 one of the youngest officials to be named foreign minister, after serving as ambassador to the United States for two years.
“Qin managed to achieve in years what would have taken other officials decades,” Yu said from Beijing.
As ministry spokesman, he stood out for being one of the first diplomats to speak aggressively in defence of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, a style that became known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy.
But he also displayed willingness to work with the United States, declaring upon his arrival in Washington as ambassador in July 2021 that relations held “great opportunities and potential” although they did not markedly improve during his time as ambassador.
Qin, who is married with one son, visited various countries after becoming foreign minister, including several in Africa and in Europe, where he pushed China’s call for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In his first comments as foreign minister, Qin said in solving challenges common to all mankind, China’s diplomacy would offer “Chinese wisdom, Chinese initiatives and Chinese strength”.
One of China’s youngest-ever foreign ministers, Qin also ended his term as the country’s shortest-serving official to hold the post.
Who is Wang Yi?
Wang is the country’s top diplomat, outranking Qin in the government hierarchy as the head of China’s top foreign policy decision-making body.
The 69-year-old held the post of foreign minister for almost a decade from 2013 onward and also filled in for Qin during his absence over the past month.
Yu said Wang’s dual role is leading some analysts to believe that his appointment could be temporary until a new foreign minister is named.
“Wang is experienced, a familiar face and [someone who is seen as] a stabilising force at a time marked by a lot of upheaval,” she noted.
A fluent Japanese speaker, Wang previously served as China’s ambassador in Tokyo and head of China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office.
As head of the CCP Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang was seen as instrumental in brokering a surprise peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March this year.Play Video
Video Duration 02 minutes 38 seconds02:38China’s Xi welcomes ‘old friend’ Henry Kissinger in Beijing
What has happened in recent weeks?
Qin was last seen in public on June 25, when he held talks with counterparts from Russia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Since then, he has been conspicuously absent from his duties at a time of intense diplomatic activity for Beijing, including efforts to stabilise relations with Washington.
Qin had been scheduled to meet European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on July 4, but EU officials announced that China cancelled the talks without explanation with only a few days’ warning.
Qin then failed to attend closely-watched meetings with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US climate envoy John Kerry.
His ministry said on July 11 that he was unable to attend a meeting in Indonesia for unspecified “health reasons”. It declined any further comment on his status, creating an information vacuum in which rumours swirled.
During a meeting of foreign ministers at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta last week, China was represented by Wang.
What happened to Qin Gang?
No reason has been given for Qin’s dismissal, while his whereabouts remain unknown.
His removal was announced by state media saying that “China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister … as it convened a session on Tuesday. Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister.”
Al Jazeera’s Yu said the mystery surrounding Qin’s whereabouts highlights the secretive nature of the Chinese government.
“It’s not uncommon for well-known personalities such as businesspeople or celebrities to temporarily disappear from the public eye after falling foul of authorities,” she said. “But for it to happen to such a powerful government figure is rare indeed.”Play Video
Video Duration 28 minutes 30 seconds28:30Is ASEAN at risk of being used by more powerful countries?
Why does the change matter?
Analysts say the sudden leadership shift at the foreign ministry is expected to cause disturbance in Beijing’s diplomatic ranks.
“This is a huge embarrassment for China,” Nicholas Bequelin, a senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center, told Al Jazeera.
“Qin Gang, the foreign minister, is the public face of China with the world on the international stage and it’s hard to overstate the negative impact that this is having among diplomats around the world,” he said.
Qin was also known as one of Xi’s most trusted advisers.
“Qin Gang was very much handpicked by Xi himself to leapfrog many more established candidates to become the foreign minister last year,” Neil Thomas, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, told Al Jazeera.
“So he really is a captain’s pick, even more so than many other Xi allies in terms of the speed of their rise through the Communist Party ranks.”
Bequelin noted that it is Xi himself who has been driving the direction of China’s foreign policy, with Wang tasked with implementing the strategy.
“Qin Gang, as the foreign minister, is the one who sort of runs the day-to-day machinery. But that is nonetheless very important because diplomats rely on trust, on knowing each other, on the ability to reach out to each other. So it’s highly concerning when you have the foreign minister disappear for a month without a proper explanation,” he said.
Bequelin argued that the development “puts back in the mind of people that China is unpredictable – that at any point people can disappear, that you have no guarantee what comes on the next day”.
“I think that is the reminder that China is trying to avoid as it casts itself as a sort of very stable, trustworthy and reliable architect of the new world order that is supposed to come after the US-led one,” he said.
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mariacallous · 2 years
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EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told media that the meeting on Thursday in the Belgian capital between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti did not yield any progress towards resolving current tensions.
Borell said after a series of meetings, which lasted over five hours, that “we did not get to an agreement today but it is not an end to the story”.
The meetings took place after tensions escalated two weeks ago when Kosovo Serbs protested against a Kosovo government decision to impose new entry and exit procedures for people with Serbian documents and the re-registration of cars with Serbian car plates.
Kosovo police on July 31 closed the country’s border crossings after local Serbs set up barricades. Under US advice, Pristina then decided to postpone the changes until September 1, causing the protests to subside.
Borrell expressed hope that a solution could be reached. “Both leaders agreed that the process needs to continue and the discussion will resume in the coming days,” he said.
“There is still time until the 1st of September, I don’t give up,” he added.
Vucic and Kurti last met at an informal dinner with the EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, on May 4 in Berlin.
The two leaders met twice during the summer of 2021 but neither the first nor second meeting produced any apparent progress.
On June 21, so-called “technical level” delegations from both countries agreed to a “road map” to further implement energy agreements made in 2013 and 2015.
However, after the recent protests, both Vucic and Kurti hardened their rhetoric.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia does not recognise its sovereignty. Talks have been ongoing in Brussels for over a decade in an attempt to normalise relations.
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