The health of coral reefs will be monitored with the help of artificial intelligence.
A British study cited by Science Daily shows that coral reefs have a complex sonic landscape that can be used to judge their health. One of the main difficulties is that visual and acoustic studies of reefs are usually based on labor-intensive methods, so scientists rely on artificial intelligence.
For this purpose, they create a unique algorithm in which they insert records of healthy and diseased coral reefs. Thus, artificial intelligence learns to make a difference, and in subsequent tests it does correctly in 92 percent of cases. The team suggests using this approach to track the progress of reef restoration projects. Lead author Ben Williams says coral reefs face numerous threats, including climate change, so tracking their health and the success of conservation projects is a matter of vital.
The Austrian power plant Simmering already has a different employee – a robot, affectionately called by his colleagues Energy Dog. This is the first robot dog of its kind in Europe to be used in the regular operation of the power plant and will report faults autonomously there. The robot is already circling the site of the power plant, but is still in training mode and is fed with knowledge by experts to learn how the systems work in normal mode. From the spring of 2023, it will be used 24 hours a day to help secure electricity for more than 800,000 households in Vienna.
The energy dog learns from his fellow people, provides valuable knowledge and makes daily work easier and safer for employees. With the help of artificial intelligence, they get rid of routine activities and focus on complex activities and problem solving. Future routine tours of the plant will be taken over entirely by the Energy Dog. It will not replace any employee, but will only provide high-tech support. The energy dog is equipped with a number of special cameras and sensors, including a thermographic camera, as well as an acoustic sensor and a sniff sensor.
The digital assistance system inspects the facility for about 90 minutes and detects potential sources of danger at an early stage, such as a gas leak. In difficult situations, it will no longer be necessary for people to enter the danger zone, but they will be able to use the dog to safely and accurately identify faults and then resolve them.
The research project is funded by the Innovation Fund of the Vienna Municipal Utilities.
War changes many things, first of all – the consciousness of the people, but also the habitual course of time. What takes years and even decades in peacetime takes months or even years in war.
On May 27, the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the highest body of ecclesiastical government, after long debates disagreed with the position of Patriarch Kirill on the war in Ukraine and adopted amendments to the Statute of the UOC, “testifying to the full independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.” church “. [1]
At this stage there is no possibility for a detailed analysis of the decisions of the Assembly of the UOC. Not all documents have been published yet and there are no official comments on them.
Not surprisingly, today, when information is not enough, commentators have split into two irreconcilable camps. Some believe that the UOC is saving its reputation and distancing itself from the ROC is insincere, fully coordinated with the Moscow Patriarchate. Others believe that an important step has been taken towards the autocephaly of the Church, towards true independence from Moscow.
In this text I will try to reconstruct the logic in the actions of Metropolitan Onuphrius, hoping that in this way the decisions of the Council of the UOC will be placed in the right context.
Thus, literally in the first days of the war, a number of UOC dioceses refused to mention Patriarch Kirill in protest against his anti-Ukrainian position, and this decision received the tacit support of Metropolitan Onufriy. A little later, calls began to be heard for a council and a decision to be made “for the future of the Church,” which many saw as a clear separation from the Moscow Patriarchate. Metropolitan Onufriy was in no hurry to convene a council, and his closest entourage – Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanic) and deacon-oligarch Vadim Novinsky – took an openly pro-Moscow stance. It is difficult to say how well Metropolitan Onufriy understood the mood of the Ukrainian flock in March-April. But he was much more aware of Patriarch Cyril’s position: if during the pandemic the patriarch called him every week, he had not called him once in the three months of the war. And that silence was very eloquent.
The situation changed dramatically on May 12. On this day a meeting of St. Synod of the UOC, the documents for it as always prepared by the Governor of the UOC Metropolitan Anthony. There was not a word in them about holding a fair. Moscow did its best to maintain the status quo and would not give its prior approval for a council. The first unexpected thing happened at the meeting of the Synod. Metropolitan Onuphrius insisted that the decisions of the synod be included in response to the appeals of the clergy and that a meeting be held with the participation of the clergy and the laity. And here’s how it was formulated in the end:
“A meeting will soon be convened with the participation of bishops, priests, monks and laity to discuss the problems arising from the war in church life, which concern us all. At the same time, we emphasize that we must do everything possible so that the discussion on this or that issue does not take us out of the canonical field and does not lead us to new divisions in the Church. “[2]
The discussion of this short and rather streamlined wording took two hours due to the resistance of some members of the Synod. In any case, Metropolitan Onuphrius succeeded in upholding the need for a meeting.
Seeing how strong the opposition to such initiatives was on the part of the supporters of maintaining unity with Moscow, Metropolitan Onufriy took over the preparation of the meeting and in fact removed Metropolitan Anthony from participating in the preparation of the substantive part. This is the second unexpected thing. This had never happened before.
This was obviously difficult for Onuphrius, but the only possible solution. On the one hand, he did not have a prepared team to organize such a meeting, and on the other hand, if Anthony and Vadim Novinsky had gained access to the draft documents, Moscow would have known in advance the scenario for the upcoming meeting and would have found an effective way to opposes him.
Metropolitan Onuphrius acted quickly and decisively and appointed the council for May 27, ie only thirteen days after the decision to hold it. During this time he received a large number of letters from various parishes, which helped him see the real mood of the clergy and laity.
An obvious shortcoming of this decision was the lack of any regulation to nominate delegates to the meeting. Elections for delegates took place in only two dioceses. In the remaining fifty delegates were appointed by the ruling bishop. And these were not authoritative or theologically educated people at all.
None of the people gathered on May 27 imagined what exactly they were going to do, what issues there were and how they would solve them. Metropolitan Onufriy’s grand plan was revealed only in the middle of the day. At the end of the meeting, at which the majority of those gathered spoke in favor of the independence of the UOC from Moscow, Metropolitan Onufriy announced an extraordinary meeting of St. Synod, which in turn immediately convened a Council of Bishops, which in turn announced the holding of a Council of the UOC with the participation of clergy and laity.
It must be acknowledged that Metropolitan Onufriy’s bold plan paid off. Moscow’s supporters were confused and their resistance was not as strong as expected. The actual opponents of Metropolitan Onufriy were Vadim Novinski and the Zaporozhian Metropolitan Luka (Kovalenko).
However, if in the morning of the meeting about 60% of the participants were in favor of secession from Moscow, then at the assembly the amendment “for independence” was supported by 70-80% of the voters. And this is the result of a unique situation for the modern Orthodox world: for many gathered, the authority of Metropolitan Onufriy is so high that they are ready to follow him even if they themselves doubt or declare their opposition to secession from Moscow.
At the Council, Metropolitan Onuphrius himself did his best to avoid using the word “autocephaly.” He spoke of “independence” and thus confused his opponents and even some of his supporters.
Three days have passed since the assembly, but the changes in the Statute of the UOC have not been published yet. There are no official comments from Metropolitan Onuphrius on the final decisions.
I guess he’s deliberately pausing. The situation in Ukraine and more broadly – in Ukrainian society – is so complicated that Metropolitan Onuphrius wants to see what the reaction will be: how many supporters there are; what arguments opponents have; and how many are his opponents?
It did not go unnoticed by Metropolitan Onufriy. He did not take advantage of the support of the Council to renew the composition of St. Synod, and left in it his open opponents; did not remove from his post the deputy of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra the odious and frankly pro-Moscow Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed).
It remains unclear who will provide Metropolitan Onufriy with confidential contacts with the heads of the local Orthodox churches in order to reach their position and possibly his plan for further action.
It is obvious that the decisions of the parliament dramatically change the established balance of power: internally, the UOC, separating from Moscow, became stronger, but at the same time significantly weakened. Strictly speaking, the UOC has lost its clear canonical status and is teetering on the brink of division. In conditions of war, this is perfectly acceptable, but in the long run this status must change.
Given that it is impossible to return to the ROC, there are only three ways:
1. Joining (unification) with the PCU, which has already received the Tomos for autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarch – but judging by the firm wording of the Council regarding the PCU, this time will be complex and long, probably noticeable results can be expected only in the distant perspective.
2. Establishment of an Exarchate (or several Exarchates under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the territory of Ukraine) – but therefore there must be the will of the Ecumenical Patriarch in the first place and it is not certain that the representatives of Metropolitan Onuphrius can negotiations.
3. Receiving de facto recognition from at least some local Orthodox churches and existence in the “gray zone” – at first glance without a clear autocephalous status, but local churches will not give up communion, as it would be madness to push in a schism a church in which there are 52 dioceses and 12,000 parishes, and which does not want to enter into a schism; this time it can be called “RCC 2.0”; it is very likely that this is the main plan of Metropolitan Onuphrius.
One day after the Council of the UOC, the Moscow Patriarchate responded to Metropolitan Onufriy and the entire Ukrainian Church with ill-concealed threats. [3] However, Metropolitan Onuphrius is clearly not afraid of them.
It is difficult to say how long and painful the path of autocephaly of the PCU will be. Now, however, it is important to help Ukraine’s largest religious community gain new status. This is an opportunity to show the solidarity of the local Orthodox churches with the UOC. It is obvious that in recent years the churches have been quite frugal in showing solidarity.
Maybe the time has come when it’s worth it?
[1] Resolution of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of May 27, 2022. https://kdais.kiev.ua/event/postanova-27052022/
[2] Statement of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of May 12, 2022. https://news.church.ua/2022/05/12/zayavlenie-svyashhennogo-sinoda-ukrainskoj-pravoslavnoj-cerkvi-ot-12-maya-2022-goda/?lang=ru
[3] MAGAZINE of the Holy Synod of May 29, 2022. https://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5931468.html
Sergey Bortnik, a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy and an employee of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Department of External Relations, spoke about the motives of the Kyiv council to declare independence from the MP and attempts to meet public expectations in Ukraine without the UOC splitting. The decision of the Kiev Council was “pastoral” and not “in the canonical field.” Therefore, the word autocephaly has not been used and has not been announced. At the same time, the UOC will not apply the decisions of the governing bodies of the ROC to itself. The decision is addressed to believers in Ukraine and local authorities to show that the UOC is politically independent of its center in Moscow. Since the beginning of the war, Moscow Patriarch Kirill has refused to talk to Mitr. Onuphrius did not pick up the phone and refused any communication. The Council has not formulated an opinion on the position of Patriarch Cyril for the war, but only expressed “disagreement”. The main reason for the dissatisfaction with the ROC is “the personal position of Patr. Cyril for the war “, because of which the Ukrainian episcopate does not want to be subordinated to the Ministry of Justice. The ideology of the “Russian world” has been discussed, but not condemned.
– Can you tell us how the declaration of independence of the UOC happened?
– There was a meeting of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which grew into a council – a legally important assembly, which is authorized to decide important issues and which accordingly took this decision. If you read the decision of this council, you will see that the word “autocephaly” does not occur there – and it does not occur for reasons of principle. This is a canonical term, a term from ecclesiastical law. Therefore, I believe that this document is not ecclesiastical, but pastoral, addressed to believers and also to the Ukrainian state.
Autocephaly could have been proclaimed, but it was not. Filaret did something similar in 1992, when there was a split in the Moscow Patriarchate, motivated by the independence of the state of Ukraine. However, it remained a split that was not recognized, and the UOC-MP now does not want to take this path.
In this sense, what the UOC has done is an option that is not in the canonical field. This is not a question of the official status of our church. We declare that we are politically independent of our center in Moscow. In this case, it is done for the believers and for our country, which is at war with Russia.
– What does this mean?
– The UOC renounces its status as a subordinate of the Moscow Patriarchate, but does not sever ties. We do not go into schism, but at the same time we stop considering the decisions of, say, the Synod or the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow to be binding on us.
This is evidenced by the fact that yesterday (May 29) during the liturgy, our Metropolitan Onufriy mentioned the heads of local churches, including Moscow Patriarch Kirill. This is proof that the connection is preserved, but he did not mention it as “our great lord and father,” but simply among the other heads of the local churches.
In other words, we do not completely sever ties, but we do not consider ourselves responsible and dependent on the Moscow Patriarchate.
– Can this be considered a symbolic gesture?
– No. This is not a symbolic gesture, but a real one. We will no longer carry out the decisions of the Council and the Synod of the ROC for us.
This is important for our status in Ukraine – so that we are not accused of being associated with the ROC. (We pointed out that) we are independent. We announced it ourselves, we intend to observe it ourselves…
From now on, we do not want to recognize the power of the ROC over us. We will decide for ourselves how to live. However, we do not interrupt the prayerful communion with the ROC.
There were options when some hotheads said that we should condemn Patriarch Kirill, condemn the heresy of the “Russian world”. He was said to have no place in the family of Orthodox churches. We did not follow this path, we maintain communication, but our relations are no longer subordinate, but equal.
– What is the reaction of the UOC to the words of Patriarch Cyril for the war?
– No official opinion was expressed. The situation is such that the war has been going on for three months now and we have not heard any condolences for the priests who died or for the churches destroyed by the Russian troops. Not once did something like that sound from Patr’s mouth. Cyril. But when the Ukrainians entered a military unit and a priest from the Russian Orthodox Church was killed there, the patriarchate sent an official condolence.
Mitr. Onuphrius said he had been trying to call Patr for three months. Cyril more than once. He wanted to talk to him and clarify the situation, but it did not work out.
Now the reaction of the Synod of the ROC and the Patriarch is that we (the UOC) have made the decision for independence involuntarily and under pressure from the authorities – this is not true. This is a solution in a difficult situation, but it is free and conscious.
We had a discussion – very active, there were many different positions. There are 53 dioceses in the UOC, 14 of which are currently under Russian control. The metropolitans of these places – including Crimea and Donbass – spoke differently from the majority on the other side of the front.
That is why some wording acceptable to the UOC as a whole was sought. This was found in one of the points of the decision: the dioceses located in the occupied territories can make their own decisions about their lives if they are under Russian occupation. It is clear that it is impossible to reach a compromise position for all, but the decision was made taking into account the position of the majority.
– The Crimean Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church decides to remain under the rule of Patriarch Cyril. Was it expected?
“I think that was expected.” Prior to that, they were part of the UOC and repeatedly consecrated weapons to the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and the interaction on the ground was with the Russian state. We were blamed for that, so it was expected that their position would not change in any way, it was practically Russian and it has remained so. If Crimea remains Russian, church structures that once belonged to the UOC will likely become officially Russian. The probability of this is quite high.
At the same time, there are three dioceses in Crimea and officially they have always remained part of the UOC, ie we turned a blind eye to the fact that they actually exist in another country, that their activities differ from those in the rest of Ukraine. We closed our eyes to that. It was difficult for us because we were criticized for it. We didn’t like that.
– However, we can not say that relations with the Russian Orthodox Church are completely severed?
– From the point of view of the current parliament, this should be the case – we will not accept the recommendations of the ROC, which does not recognize our independent status. This means that we will act administratively as we see fit and as we see fit.
At the same time, the prayer connection remains, our miter. Onuphrius is ready to mention Patriarch Cyril among the other leaders, but all other hierarchs of the UOC should not mention Patriarch Cyril. If they mention it, they will show a clear rejection of the decision of the UOC council. For example, in Crimea they will not implement the decision of this UOC council. But most dioceses are on the Ukrainian side. Some of them said earlier that they would not mention Patriarch Kirill.
– What was the interaction between the UOC and the ROC in the past?
– In fact, the interaction was not very active. Even if we take not only Patr. Cyril, but also Patr. Alexis. He was on the territory of Ukraine three times – twice in 1990 and once in 2008. That is to say, there was a huge pause for eighteen years when he did not come to Ukraine at all.
The UOC is used to living alone. We were not always ready to agree with what was accepted in Moscow. When in 2009 came Patriarch Cyril, he started coming to Ukraine all the time and that was a big change. We realized that we did not want such care from Moscow. We needed her rhetoric and tried to obey the Ukrainian Church. There was sabotage on the part of our bishops, but there was no need to state this clearly. Now is the time.
In general, it was the higher authority that upheld our decisions. For example, if the UOC elected a new representative. When the miter was elected. Onuphrius, we chose him ourselves – but the candidate is blessed and finally approved by the ROC.
We have also created new dioceses over the years, but the final confirmation that this is legal was done at a local council of the ROC. There will be no such dependence today.
– Is the decision of the council in Kyiv fully in force?
– From the point of view of this document, the decision shall enter into force immediately. There is nothing that requires its application after some time.
There was some improvisation in this decision, in particular a great role played by the miter himself. Onuphrius. He is a spiritual man and does not always adhere to formalities. Obviously, further clarification will be needed. We have declared our independence, but our further actions are still unclear. It should be understood that these decisions do not contain a norm.
– What do the parishioners say about this decision?
– Many are happy. There is a situation of war between Ukraine and Russia and it would be bearable if Patriarch Cyril had at least spoken out, but he expressed unequivocal support for the Russian Federation’s military action.
This caused bewilderment, bitterness, and on the part of our critics of the UOC was a stone in our garden. In this sense, it (the decision for independence) is an emotional decision, it is not completely canonical, but I think it is a great relief for many believers of our church in many parts of Ukraine.
– What does this mean in practical terms?
– First of all, it helps us in conflict situations for parishes. Since the beginning of the war, about 400-500 of our parishes have moved to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Our (representatives of the UOC) often talk about the forcible transfer and seizure of churches.
The main motive for these transitions was not that we are bad, but that we are part of the ROC, and the ROC is led by Patriarch Cyril, who supports this war. This chain is already broken. We express our disagreement with Patriarch Cyril, his position is no longer an order or an authority for us, we say that there is no reason to blame the UOC for its relations with the ROC. This is done in order to preserve the parishes, to preserve the flock and the structure of the UOC in Ukraine.
We ourselves have long been perceived as independent of Moscow, this is not a fundamental change in our self-consciousness. Obviously, this is a coercive measure; we want to make it clear that we are not part of the ROC, whose head blesses the war.
– How will the autonomy of the UOC affect the ROC?
– Now the ROC is losing a significant part of its church. It is estimated that we have twelve thousand parishes, and the ROC – about thirty thousand, including those in other countries. In terms of the number of parishes and priests, the ROC is significantly reduced.
Perhaps the situation in Ukraine will encourage other countries to sever ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. Perhaps a chain reaction will follow, which will lead to the dioceses and parishes belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate beginning to clearly express their disagreement.
– Is it possible that this will lead to complete isolation of the ROC?
– It is unlikely to reach complete isolation, unless the ROC itself so wishes. But the desire to communicate in this situation will decrease. In the current military situation, it is obvious that Ukraine is a victim of aggression. Reasonable Christian attitude is always on the side of the victim, so the votes of support will obviously not be on the side of the ROC.
– What is your assessment of the role of Patr. Cyril in this war?
– He did not say a word in support of Ukraine. Earlier, he said that the UOC was being attacked in Ukraine, and for him this was also a reason to start a war. If we look at yesterday’s decision of the Synod of the ROC, we can hear the rhetoric that we are under pressure from local authorities. The rhetoric of the ROC is very close to the rhetoric of Russian propaganda.
Only five Ukrainian refugees traveled by train from Varna to the interior that morning. According to preliminary information, based on a survey of Ukrainians housed in the complexes around the city, between 200 and 250 people were ready to leave on May 29, 2022.
The Bulgarian institutions had set up an organization, the police had provided a corridor for the movement of refugees, four buses had been provided to transport them from Golden Sands to Varna railway station, but they arrived empty-handed. At the station, volunteers from the Bulgarian Red Cross and other organizations had provided drinks and food, as well as a children’s playground.
The idea was to move about 200-250 people today, but this morning most said they had decided not to travel but to look for accommodation themselves or go to Ukraine, Varna Regional Governor Blagomir Kotsev said. According to him, today the teams created by various departments are again going to the hotels in the complexes to find out how many people want to travel tomorrow.
In the Varna region, about 20,000 Ukrainians are accommodated in hotels, of which nearly 3,000 have already left. Seven thousand people had expressed readiness to move to the interior of our country by June 1, but at the moment the situation is clearly quite different, said Kotsev.
The district governor added that departmental bases in the Varna region can accommodate between 500 and 1,000 people and the places are reserved for the most needy among refugees.
Vyacheslav Radovanov from Odessa answered questions from the media from the Ukrainians who arrived at the station. The young man said that he was here with his grandmother. He said that he did not know exactly what the condition of the base where they were moving would be, his worries were that there would be only one pharmacy there. Radovanov did not express disappointment that he was leaving Varna, saying the trip was important to him.
Early in the morning, Mariana Tosheva, chairwoman of the State Agency for Refugees, arrived at the city’s train station. She expressed satisfaction with the established organization and thanked both the employees of the individual institutions and the volunteers. Tosheva announced that over 5,000 Ukrainian citizens have left our country in the last 24 hours. She said that the relocation of willing refugees from the sea to the interior of the country will take place in various bases, which are not reported for security reasons.
The trips will be made in stages, and the accommodation – according to the needs of the people, because among them there are many vulnerable groups, said Tosheva. According to her, the fact is taken into account that those accommodated in the individual hotels by the sea have already established their communities and the Bulgarian authorities are trying to respect their desire to stay together and where they will be relocated.
The flow of Ukrainian refugees leaving the country through the Durankulak border checkpoint is drastically increasing, said the director of the Dobrich Regional Council of the Bulgarian Red Cross, Dr. Artyun Erinozov.
On the 31st of May, from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, 35 buses left for Romania, and only one with about 50 people entered Bulgaria, BNT reported.
For the past 24hrs, there were 38 buses leaving the country and four arriving. The number of refugees leaving by this transport is also increasing, according to the Border Police.
Data from the border checkpoints with Romania show that from May 16 to 22 there were 9,500 Ukrainians entering and 13,000 leaving, while in the last seven days 8,000 people sought refuge and 18,000 left, mainly in “Danube Bridge” and “Durankulak” border checkpoint.
There is a tendency for the arriving buses to carry 10-15 people, while on the way back they return full.
The head of the State Agency for Refugees, Mariana Tosheva, told BNR that many Ukrainians had left hotels on the Black Sea coast by bus and in their own cars.
The accommodation of refugees from Ukraine began today at the military base in the Sarafovo district of Burgas and at a temporary center in Elhovo. They will be there for several days before being transferred to state bases.
As part of its mission of dialogue with the EU institutions, COMECE gathered EU Military Bishops and experts of the Military Ordinariates on Wednesday 1 June 2022 to exchange on the current and emerging security challenges in Europe.
COMECE General Secretary, Fr. Barrios Prieto, together with Lt. Gen. Bart Laurent, Director of Operations, EU Military Staff. (Credit: COMECE)
Following the first meeting held in 2019, Military Ordinaries from EU Member States gathered at the COMECE Secretariat to meet with EU officials and national representatives to the EU Military Committee and discuss the challenges for the Common Security and Defence Policy.
In light of the current international context, they highlighted the EU’s specific role in promoting human security and peace. Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, stated that “the Russian invasion of Ukraine did not only bring war to the country, but it has also questioned the entire security order in Europe and the world”.
“Inspired by Pope Francis’Encyclical Letter ‘Fratelli tutti’ – Fr. Barrios Prieto continued – COMECE promotes the vision of a new architecture of peace based ona global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family”.
The EU and its Member States should engage responsibly and collaboratively on security in line with the principles of international law and ethical standards. These efforts, according to COMECE, should be embedded in an integral approach, especially in the context of the implementation of the recently adopted EU Strategic Compass.
“Since peace goes beyond security – stated the General Secretary of COMECE – a comprehensive European peace strategy should equally promote integral human development, justice and care of Creation”.
The meeting also identified ways in which Military Ordinariates can contribute to the peace-building process. Thanks to their specific mission, they remain in the field during all stages of a conflict cycle, accompanying the members of the armed forces, while being close to the needs of civilians, and fostering intercultural and interreligious ties.
In Ukraine, nearly 100 days since the Russian invasion, at least two children have been killed every day with many more injured, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday, the International Day for Protection of Children.
Highlighting the devastating and lasting consequences of the war on millions of the country’s youngsters, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, maintained that most of the victims were from “attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas”, a claim supported by the UN human rights office,OHCHR.
“1 June is International Day for the Protection of Children in #Ukraine & across the region. Instead of celebrating the occasion, we are solemnly approaching June 3 – the 100th day of a #war that has shattered the lives of millions of children”, – @unicefchiefpic.twitter.com/aT19JLi4V0
“June 1 is the International Day for Protection of Children in Ukraine and across the region,” saidUNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Instead of celebrating the occasion, we are solemnly approaching June 3 – the 100th day of a war that has shattered the lives of millions of children. Without an urgent ceasefire and negotiated peace, children will continue to suffer – and fallout from the war will impact vulnerable children around the world.”
Health facilities and schools attacked
The scale and speed of the emergency in Ukraine have not been seen since World War Two, the UN agency said in a statement, which estimated that 5.2 million children there, now need humanitarian assistance; three million inside the country and more than 2.2 million in refugee-hosting countries.
As intense artillery exchanges continue between Russian and Ukrainian forces in eastern Donetsk region and amid reports that Russian troops now control much of the city of Sievierodonetsk, UNICEF said that almost two in three children in Ukraine have been displaced by fighting.
“Civilian infrastructure on which children depend continues to be damaged or destroyed,” the agency explained. “This so far includes at least 256 health facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported ‘Safe Schools’ in the country’s east. Hundreds of other schools across the country have also been damaged. Conditions for children in eastern and southern Ukraine where fighting has intensified are increasingly desperate.”
Trauma and exploitation risk
In addition to the trauma of fleeing their homes, UNICEF underscored that children fleeing violence faced a significant risk of family separation, abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking.
The long-lasting mental health toll of the war on youngsters has also contributed to an acute child protection crisis, made worse by the fact that many displaced families are out of work and unable to meet their children’s basic needs.
“These children urgently need safety, stability, child protection services, and psychosocial support – especially those who are unaccompanied or have been separated from their families. More than anything, they need peace,” UNICEF insisted, in a renewed call for a ceasefire after 99 days of fighting.
The UN agency also reiterated its call for “full humanitarian access” so that teams can “safely and quickly reach children in need wherever they may be”.
A ten-year-old boy walks in the courtyard in front of his family’s apartment in central Chernihiv, Ukraine, which was destroyed in an air strike.
Millions helped
Inside Ukraine, UNICEF and partners have already distributed life-saving health and medical supplies for nearly 2.1 million people in war-affected areas.
Equally important, critical safe water access has also been secured for more than 2.1 million people living in areas where networks have been damaged or destroyed.
Over 610,000 children and caregivers have also received mental health and psychosocial support, while nearly 290,000 children have been given learning supplies.
In addition, almost 300,000 vulnerable families have registered for a humanitarian cash assistance programme run by UNICEF and the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy.
In countries hosting Ukrainian refugees, the UN agency continues to look out for the most vulnerable youngsters by providing anti-trafficking training for border guards and encouraging local authorities to integrate refugee children into schools.
Providing vaccines and medical supplies for displaced Ukrainians is a key component of UNICEF’s response, and so too is establishing play and learning hubs to provide young children with a much-needed sense of normalcy and respite.
In total, 25 UNICEF-UNHCR “Blue Dots” – one-stop safe havens that provide support and services for families on the move, have been established along major transit routes in Moldova, Romania, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovakia, the agency said.
In Moldova, moreover, more than 52,000 refugees, mostly in female-headed households, have been reached through a UNICEF-UNHCR multi-purpose cash assistance programme.To support this essential humanitarian work, UNICEF needs $950 million.
Despite fierce resistance, Russia’s military continues to inch out gains in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow over strikes on a chemical plant in the eastern city of Severodonetsk. Those in the town have been warned not to leave bomb shelters and urged to prepare masks to protect against toxic fumes.
Elsewhere in the Donbas region, human suffering continues as well.
In Slovyansk, residents are desperate after at least three people were killed and six injured in a Russian missile strike on this eastern city. “I feel devastated. Where did all this come from and until when,” a crying woman said in her destroyed apartment. “We were living very well, quietly, calmly. And now what is this?” she wonders. “Where am I with all these things now?”
Another woman tearfully agrees. “Okay, we can deal with all this destruction. But life, human life, human life, how?”
But the death toll keeps rising as Russian forces continue further into Ukraine’s industrial heartland after facing initial defeats elsewhere in the country.
In response, the United States is rushing to send advanced rocket artillery systems. US President Joe Biden said the goal was to help Ukraine defend itself.
Agreement not to target Russian territory
However, President Biden earlier said that Washington was not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. “We’re not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia,” Biden told reporters.
But Russia isn’t convinced. In another sign of mounting East-West tensions, Russia’s nuclear forces reportedly began holding drills in the Ivanovo province, northeast of Moscow.
Russia’s Interfax news agency cited the Russian defense ministry as saying Wednesday that some 1,000 servicemen are exercising in intense maneuvers.
The ministry said they use over 100 vehicles, including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.
The drills are held as NATO considers a bid from Sweden and Finland to join the Western military alliance.
one billion methamphetamine tablets seized in East and Southeast Asia
UNODC report: over one billion methamphetamine tablets were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2021 as the regional drug trade continues to expand
Bangkok (Thailand), 2 June 2022 –A new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns that the synthetic drug trade continues to expand in East and Southeast Asia, with production and trafficking hitting record levels in 2021.
“Organized crime syndicates and armed groups have exploited the pandemic and political instability in the Golden Triangle and border areas of Myanmar to expand production the past year,” remarked Jeremy Douglas, UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, referring to the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. “There are very few drug labs found in the region outside the Triangle anymore, the supply continues to surge, and governments and agencies continue to report the same source.”
Lao PDR has become a major transshipment point for trafficking into Thailand and other parts of the Mekong and Asia Pacific, and Malaysia has also been used extensively for transit and trafficking to Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Douglas added that “the scale and reach of the methamphetamine and synthetic drug trade in East and Southeast Asia is staggering, and yet it can continue to expand if the region does not change approach and address the root causes that have allowed it to get to this point, including governance in the Golden Triangle and market demand.
“Organized crime have all the ingredients in-place that they need to continue to grow the business, including territory to produce, access to chemicals, established trafficking routes and relationships to move product, and a massive population with spending power to target,” Douglas continued.
A record amount of methamphetamine – nearly 172 tons – was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2021, with over 1 billion methamphetamine tablets recorded for the first time. The total is seven times higher than it was 10 years ago, when just more than 143 million tablets were seized, and over thirty-five times higher than it was close to 20 years ago. Nearly 79 tons of crystal methamphetamine was also seized in 2021– approximately eight times the 10 tons seized a decade ago.
The supply of Golden Triangle methamphetamine also expanded further into South Asia in 2021. Crystal methamphetamine in distinct Golden Triangle packaging and tablets were increasingly seized in northeastern India, in a pattern similar to Bangladesh a few years ago.
The price of both tablet and crystal methamphetamine also continues to drop across Southeast Asia. Malaysia and Thailand have reported that wholesale and street prices had decreased to all-time lows in 2021 as the supply surged. “The drop in the price of crystal methamphetamine is particularly concerning, as it has become much more accessible and available to those that could not afford it before. The social consequences of increased use are significant, and health and harm reduction services remain limited across the region,” observed Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul, UNODC regional synthetic drugs analyst for the Global SMART Programme.
Although methamphetamine is the primary concern of authorities across the region, other synthetic drugs which can pose significant harm to drug users are also widely available, notably ketamine.
“Addressing the methamphetamine situation is a top priority for the Government of Thailand and the region, but other synthetic drugs and combinations of drugs have emerged in recent years and early warning is more important than ever,” noted Thanakorn Kaiyanunta, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand. “We are working with UNODC and international and regional partners to update our laws and policies, develop important forensic, data and operational capacities, and address priorities including chemical trafficking.”
UNODC is working closely with countries in East and Southeast Asia through the Global SMART Programme and the Mekong Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control to monitor the drug situation; provide advice on cooperation, detection, precursor chemical control and public health strategies; and help countries collaborate on joint and cross-border operations.
Further information
UNODC works with governments and regional partners to address the challenges related to drugs and precursor chemicals in Southeast Asia. Click here to learn more.
She put on a dress for the ceremony and it turned out that she was not the only one who chose this
Queen Letizia of Spain has a great sense of style and humor. Seeing at a public event a woman in exactly the same dress as hers, Her Majesty laughed and came to hug the “competitor”.
For every fashionista to see one of the guests of a public event in the same outfit as you, like a terrible fashion failure, but not for the Spanish queen.
King Philip’s wife attended a meeting of the Royal Council for the Disabled, where she arrived in a black and white midi dress with a belt from the Mango brand worth $75. In exactly the same dress was one of the guests of the event.
Seeing this, Queen Letizia laughed, and the two women embraced tightly.
Earlier, the Spanish queen showed support for the Ukrainians by wearing an embroidered shirt, which was sewn by a woman from Ivano-Frankivsk.
Recall that Queen Letizia is known for her exquisite sense of style, however, in addition to expensive designer outfits, Her Majesty often wears clothes of democratic brands. She also sometimes appears in public in vintage dresses or suits that once belonged to her mother-in-law Queen Sofia.
