Gender equality has always been a priority for the EU. Discover the main issues and what the Parliament does to tackle them.
Source : © European Union, 2022 – EP
Top story – Gender equality in the EU – The EU fight for women’s rights
Fish can count – proved
New research reveals that fish are capable of solving simple mathematical problems, just like humans!
Researchers from Germany have found that both cichlids and stingrays are able to recognize and calculate small tasks without having to count – just as one looks at one’s small money on the table, reports “Study Finds”.
“We have trained animals to perform simple additions and subtractions,” said Dr. Vera Schlussel of the Institute of Zoology at the University of Bonn in a press release. “In doing so, they had to increase or decrease the initial value by one.”
Although some call fish “fools of the animal kingdom” because of their memory duration – which can last only three seconds – the new study reveals their ability to collect and subtract from one to five.
Their numerical skills are at the level of other species of invertebrates and vertebrates, and experts are beginning to suspect that they are as intelligent as birds and mammals.
In the experiments, the team trained the animals to recognize blue and yellow as symbols for addition or subtraction with a factor of one. Eight of the fish were freshwater stingrays and the rest were cichlids. During the experiments, blue meant “add one” and yellow “subtracted one”.
The authors of the study showed each of the fish cards with figures depicting one or the other color in their aquarium, and then presented them with two doors. They contained signs with different numbers of figures – one of which was the correct mathematical answer. For example, if a fish sees three blue figures, it will add one to three and swim through the door, which depicts four figures – receiving a food reward for the correct answer.
Six cichlid fish and three stingrays have learned to associate blue with addition and yellow with subtraction. On average, the cichlids needed 28 lessons to solve the math problems and the stingrays 68 lessons. Overall, they performed well, although collection was easier to digest. Overall, the success of cichlids is different, and they respond correctly in 296 of 381 tests (78%). At the same time, the stingrays responded to 169 out of 180 (94%). In the subtraction test, cichlids responded correctly to 264 out of 381 (69%), while stingrays responded correctly to 161 out of 180 (89%).
The team notes that their findings are surprising, as mathematical skills have no obvious benefit for either species.
“None of the species nests, nor is there information available about preferences for certain social groups,” the researchers said.
However, it is possible that fish that are good at math have important environmental benefits that scientists have not yet discovered.
“Arithmetic skills could be one of many cognitive by-products useful in improving individual recognition (eg by using phenotypic characteristics) or helping to detect changing environmental or social conditions,” the team explains. “Because both species live in complex habitats (rocky lake and coral reef environment), a degree of behavioral flexibility is essential for survival.”
The United States has arrested a crypto expert for ties to North Korea
Pyongyang has been studying the technology for a long time
An American cryptocurrency expert has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for preparing to help North Korea circumvent US sanctions by using crypto.
Virgil Griffith had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate US law.
He previously worked for the Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on the technology behind cryptocurrency ether.
The sentence is the minimum term of imprisonment sought by prosecutors.
He was also fined $ 100,000. The 39-year-old was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $ 1 million fine.
His lawyer said in a statement that while the verdict was disappointing, the judge “acknowledged Virgil’s commitment to continue productive life and that he is a talented man who has a lot to contribute”.
In September, Griffith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the United States International Emergency Economic Law by traveling to North Korean capital Pyongyang to present blockchain technology.
Griffith, who has a doctorate from the California Institute of Technology, traveled to North Korea via China in April 2019, although the US State Department denied him permission to go.
The information in Griffith’s presentations could have been used to circumvent the sanctions that Washington imposed on North Korea for developing nuclear weapons.
“The most important feature of the blockchains is that they are open. And the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] cannot stay away, no matter what the United States or the United Nations say,” Griffith said during a presentation, according to prosecutors.
In September, the US Department of Justice said he had “threatened the national security of the United States” by undermining sanctions.
Ethereum Foundation said during Griffith’s arrest that it did not approve or support his trip to North Korea.
Conference focuses on being human and care for creation
Study Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) Rev. Dr Peter Pavlovic stresses the importance of care for creation as an integral part of theology – calling them inseparable pillars of Christian diaconia. He was participating in the conference titled “On the way to human being and to creation” organised by Silesian Diaconia with support of the Silesian Evangelical Church A.C. in Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic, on 12 April.
“Christianity doesn’t have any meaning without the created world. Acknowledgment of responsibility for creation and efforts for social and environmental justice needs to be visible components of public theology,” underlined Pavlovic, a keynote speaker.
“This is how we respond to God, to his call and his gift of creation. They are important for Christian identity and action,” he added
The conference was a response from the Silesian Evangelical Church A.C. and Silesian Evangelical Diaconia to the growing need for an acknowledgment of churches’ action on environmental challenges, natural degradation, climate concerns and growing economic uncertainties.
About 90 participants listened to speakers, who elaborated on key features of social diaconia, education and care for creation.
Participants of the conference were enriched by the inspiration offered by the keynote address focusing on biblical aspects of care for creation and their relation to the work of diaconia. They shared the view that relationship to God, to the neighbour and to creation need to provide together an integral frame for a meaningful action of the church in responding to social, economic and ecological challenges. Faith underpinning the action, addressing social needs and at the same time responding to ecological challenges is the source of inspiration and hope.
Bishop of the Silesian Evangelical Church A.C. Tomas Tyrlik and director of the Silesian Diaconia Zuzana Filipkova encouraged participants to continue working to care for creation.
European church leaders send letter to Putin and Zelenskyy calling for an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
Press Release No: 09/22
13 April 2022
Brussels
CEC and COMECE presidents Rev. Christian Krieger and H.Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, sent a letter addressed to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, 11 April, calling for an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine from midnight on 17 April until midnight on 24 April.
In their letter, the presidents of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) ask for “a general ceasefire so as to give Christians in Russia and Ukraine, sisters and brothers in Christ, the opportunity to celebrate Easter in peace and dignity”.
“Such a truce would also be of benefit to all the citizens of both your countries, giving them a respite from the worrying uncertainty about the lives of their loved ones, who are either fighting in the conflicts or affected by them,” reads the CEC-COMECE letter addressed to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.
The appeal is made in the context of Easter, when Christians throughout the world remember the passion and death of Jesus Christ and celebrate his resurrection. These Paschal celebrations lie at the heart of the Christian faith and are the high point of the liturgical year.
The call from CEC and COMECE echoes that of Pope Francis on 10 April, when he said, “Put the weapons down! Let an Easter truce start. But not to rearm and resume combat but a truce to reach peace through real negotiations open to some sacrifices for the good of the people.”
Both CEC and COMECE presidents also informed H.H. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia about their appeal, urging him to support their initiative.
“You could demonstrate how much importance you attach to giving Christians in Russia and in Ukraine, sisters and brothers in Christ, the necessary respite to enable them to celebrate Easter in peace and dignity,” reads their joint letter to Patriarch Kirill.
The presidents of CEC and COMECE are urging church leaders and communities throughout Europe to join their call.
Since Russian troops entered Ukrainian territories on 24 February, CEC and COMECE have been engaged in prayer and advocating for peace.
Visit our page on Church response to Ukraine.
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Nigerian Christians call for improved security after persistent attacks
Christians are demanding improved security after an armed gang recently attacked a train in northern Nigeria, killing eight people, injuring two dozen more and abducting some of the 400 passengers.
The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State Rev. John Joseph Hayab, a Catholic priest, said the call was made after the March 28 attack, The Tablet reported.
The latest attack adds to unceasing and increasing attacks on Christians from Islamist organizations or other groups working with them.
The train derailed after the tracks were bombed and gunmen opened fire. Nigerians are increasingly outraged over the country’s worsening security situation.
Release International, that works for persecuted Christians, reported on on March 25 on an earlier attack by Islamist militants that left more than 30 people dead
The Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria said then that Christians were grieving “the continued killings, kidnappings, banditry and the unimaginable evil going on in our state unabated, without any substantial action by the government and security forces.”
Kidnapping for ransom has increased with three priests taken in March. At least 536 Nigerians were killed by terrorists in the first three months of 2022, many of the attacks taking place in the north of the country.
Groups such as Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operate in different parts on the northern region.
Boko Haram militants are conducting night-time raids on villages in Cameroon and killing all the men, according to a local priest.
Aid to the Church in Need reported on March 31 that Islamists “kill the fathers of the family and the teenagers, especially the boys, and then they pillage the family’s property and destroy everything they can’t carry off.”
Families have abandoned their homes as the raiders take cereals, goats, sheep, poultry and clothing.
Reveal International said that two weeks ago it had asked for people to pray for Christians in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state after the 30 believers were killed by Islamist militants.
It said that the violence has continued, with another 50 murdered in the same state and 100 abducted with homes burned down.
According to Nigeria’s Morning Star News (MSN) Fulani herdsmen killed around 50 believers in attacks on 10 predominantly Christian communities in Giwa county, Kaduna, on March 24.
Rev. Felix Zakari, was among around 100 taken captive. Locals reported that a church building as well as houses and stores had been burned down and animals killed.
Local resident Nuhu Musa told MSN by text message: “They didn’t allow even the dead bodies to be buried, as they shot at mourners and those who returned to the villages to conduct funerals for those killed.”
The latest report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has written a of religious freedom conditions in Nigeria deteriorating, “with both state and nonstate actors committing egregious violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief.
“Despite Nigeria’s constitution protecting freedom of religion and belief, Nigerian citizens faced violence by militant Islamists and other nonstate armed actors, as well as discrimination, arbitrary detentions, and capital blasphemy sentences by state authorities.”
Why are cats more attached to women?
Cats are among the most famous and beloved pets, but have you noticed that they are usually bred mainly by women and are always looking for their presence? In fact, there is evidence from research that cats prefer to be among women instead of men. And here are the reasons why this fact may be due:
Because of the softer voice
Cats love to listen to their owners talk, and they probably like the female voice much more because of its melody. In addition, women are more likely to turn and seek the company of their cats.
Because of the touches
Again, cats are more capricious than dogs when it comes to scratching, touching and petting. They prefer gentler caresses and this will logically be more pleasant if it is performed by a gentle female hand. Men usually have rougher hands and are more restrained. The mistakes you make with your domestic cats
Because of maternal instinct
Women, whether they have children or not, pass on their maternal care to their pets. In this case, cats prefer women because they feel more cared for and loved. And it is very likely that most of the duties at home, such as feeding and cleaning the cat, are performed by the woman. The woman’s care for the cat will remind you of the mother’s caresses and tenderness.
They have some similar features
For example, if we take dogs – they are considered the best friend of men, because they love the dynamics, the weather outside, sports and are usually tidier. By the same token, we can say that cats prefer women because they have similar traits – they are more impulsive, irritable and chaotic, but also more capricious and demanding. Did you know that cats can imitate the human voice?
Because they interact better
Perhaps the main reason for a pet to have a pet among the owners is the time that each of them spends with him and devotes to him. Usually women have the upper hand here, as they take care of cleaning the cat toilet, bathing, eating, etc. and therefore pay more attention to their pet. The cat is influenced just like humans – the more attention and care and attention, the more she will love you and become more hugging.
Of course, we are not saying that cats hate men, but with the above arguments we are trying to explain to you some of the very logical reasons why a cat can choose a woman instead of a man. However, raising a pet is a responsibility and it doesn’t matter what gender you are, if you take good care of it, it will reciprocate with love and respect.
Russian-made “Marker” robot with a “courier” function
The robot’s ability to autonomously transport cargo opens up prospects for its use as a “courier”, a warehouse worker, or to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield. This was announced by Aleksey Bogdanov, chief designer and head of the laboratory of the NPO Androidnaya Tekhnika.
“As part of the work on the” Marker “project, the technology of transporting goods in an autonomous mode is being worked out,” he told RIA Novosti November 15 last year. According to Bogdanov, cargo containers, specialized capsules for evacuating the wounded, equipped with a life support system, containers with fuel and much more can be used as cargo. The robotic platform can independently load and unload containers, as well as deliver to a designated point.
In the future, such systems can be used to automate warehouse operations and autonomously provide cargo to remote units of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as infrastructure facilities of state corporations and private companies.
The use of a group of percussion robots in an automatic mode makes it possible to achieve the so-called emergence effect, when the system acquires properties that are not inherent in its elements separately. “When we have a group of disparate robots, it’s just a set of machines, each of which has a certain efficiency that can be quantified. As soon as we combine them into a group, the efficiency of this group becomes higher than the sum of the efficiencies of its constituent elements,” – he explained.
In October 2021, Russia conducted field tests of five Marker percussion robots. The robots operated in an autonomous group without human participation, independently solving the tasks of distributing targets in the group and reaching optimal firing positions.
“A demonstration sample of a grouping of ground-based robotic systems was tested. The group involved five Marker robotic platforms – three on a wheeled chassis and two on a tracked chassis,” a source told RIA Novosti on October 19.
A group of robots, without human participation, conducted reconnaissance using equipment and technical vision installed on board. In the future, together with a group of robots, it is planned to conduct tests using unmanned aerial vehicles. As the source of the agency explained, “due to aerial drones, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of reconnaissance are significantly increased.”
Marker robots were first introduced two years ago. A Russian-made combat robot made its first demonstration trip at the Magnitogorsk test site.
12 highly alkaline foods that protect us from disease
Some foods we eat create an acidic environment in the body that slows down the metabolism and can be a prerequisite for health problems such as disease, weight gain and premature aging. In order to avoid these troubles, we need to eat alkaline foods that balance the acidity in the stomach. Here are some of the most useful alkaline foods that should be part of our menu.
Bananas – energizes and is a great start to the day as an addition to your breakfast. Contains iron, endorphins and vitamins. It can improve your mood. Recommended for people with kidney problems.
Broccoli – may not be a favorite of children, but they are among the most useful alkaline foods. They are rich in vitamins and minerals that promote the health of the kidneys, connective tissue and bones.
Avocado – extremely rich in vitamins, useful fatty acids and amino acids that take care of heart health. A great addition to your fresh salad!
Lemons – due to its high pH, this is the most alkaline of all product, which is extremely useful for the body. Lemon helps with colds and flu, to cleanse the liver, strengthen immunity, lose weight, regulate acidity. It’s a great idea to start the day with a glass of warm water with lemon.
Cucumbers – neutralizes acidity and improves digestion. It is composed mainly of water, which makes it great for any diet. You can eat as much as you want from her, and she will take care of the better appearance of your skin.
Celery – slows down aging, fills the body with amino acids, nutrients and minerals. Regulates blood sugar and improves metabolic processes in the body. Eat celery regularly.
Garlic – this appetizing addition to any dish is an alkaline food for health. It takes care of good immunity and has antimicrobial action. Let garlic always be present on your table.
Melon – with its high pH, melon is good to eat for kidney problems and colds. Helps improve mood, fights stress and insomnia. Great for dieting. Contains a lot of water and useful fiber.
Berries – are super useful for the whole body. They contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the body and slow down the aging process. Eat them in the morning with breakfast for an instant effect!
Grapes – add it to your menu as soon as the season comes, because it contains a lot of vitamins, helps to increase immune protection, to deal with stress and insomnia. Relieves nervous tension. Grapes have the property to rejuvenate the skin.
Spinach – one of the most useful green vegetables, rich in vitamins. Helps with anemia, asthma, diabetes. It can help keep your teeth, skin and hair in good condition. A real natural gift.
Flaxseed – a superfood that is rich in vitamin E and fiber. It has anti-inflammatory action. Helps deal with hot flashes during menopause. Add it to a milk breakfast, smoothie, shake, salad or other.
Turkmen chemists from local raw materials received a reagent for seawater desalination
One of the latest developments of Turkmen chemists is a method for obtaining coagulants (purifiers) for seawater desalination. This development for obtaining drinking water through the processing of sea by coagulation is intended for the development of large oil and gas producing industries and enterprises of the Caspian Sea.
And about. Khallymurad Ataev, director of the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Academy of Sciences, spoke about this in detail on the pages of the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
Now one of the coagulants widely used in industry – iron chloride – is bought for foreign currency. Within the framework of the state program of import substitution, scientists of the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan conducted research based on local raw materials. As iron chloride, it is proposed to use waste from metalworking enterprises and hydrochloric acid, which is produced by Turkmen entrepreneurs.
Nitric acid produced by Maryazot Production Association was used as an oxidizing agent. That is, all components are local: iron, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid. From them, 3-valent iron chloride (coagulant-purifier) was obtained, which successfully passed production tests at the Kiyanly gas chemical complex for the production of polymers.
Technical characteristics of the product meet the requirements of the state standard. In general, for the desalination of one ton of sea water, 12.5 grams of a coagulant solution is used – 3-valent iron of a certain concentration.
Chemists propose to introduce installations for its production in the Maryazot Production Association, since all the necessary ingredients are mainly located in this region, which will reduce transportation costs. Given the wide demand for these products on the part of the country’s enterprises and the possibility of their further export abroad, it follows the economic feasibility of establishing this production.
The Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan is the only specialized institution in the country that conducts scientific and practical work in the field of chemical technologies, it is entrusted with the functions of solving scientific and technological problems for the development of physical and chemical foundations for the complex processing of mineral, hydromineral and hydrocarbon raw materials, training of practical scientists. During its activity, the institute, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, has developed and put into production new technologies, recommendations of economic importance. By this date, the staff of the scientific center came with a solid research base and innovative technologies capable of promoting modern ideas and ensuring the development of the country’s economy.
