#russia🇸🇰

[xtruss]

The US Sent Cluster Munitions to Ukraine But Activists Still Seek to Bolster a Treaty Banning Them

Backers of an international agreement that bans cluster munitions are striving to prevent erosion in support for it after what one leading human rights group calls an “unconscionable” U.S. decision to ship such weapons to Ukraine for its fight against ...

— By Jamey Keaten | September 5, 2023

Police officers look at collected fragments of the Russian rockets, including cluster rounds, that hit Kharkiv, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 3, 2022. Backers of an international agreement that bans cluster munitions are striving to prevent erosion in support for it after what one leading human rights group calls an “unconscionable” U.S. decision to ship such weapons to Ukraine for its fight against Russia. Advocacy groups in the Cluster Munitions Coalition released their latest annual report on Tuesday Sept. 5, 2023. AP Photo/Libkos . The Associated Press

Geneva, Switzerland — Backers of an international agreement that bans cluster munitions are striving to prevent erosion in support for the deal after what one leading human rights group calls an “unconscionable” U.S. decision to ship such weapons to Ukraine for its fight against Russia.

Advocacy groups in the Cluster Munitions Coalition released their latest annual report on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting next week of envoys from the 112 countries that have acceded to or ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The treaty prohibits the explosives and calls for clearing areas where they litter the ground because they harm and kill many more civilians than combatants,

A further 12 countries have signed the convention. The United States and Russia are not among them.

Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, who has long championed the 15-year-old convention, says the coalition was “extremely concerned” about the U.S. move in July, after an intense debate among U.S. leaders, to transfer unspecified thousands of 155mm artillery-delivered cluster munition rounds to Ukraine.

More than 20 government leaders and officials have criticized that decision, the coalition says.

Hoping to avoid defections from the convention, Wareham says supporters hope signatories will “stay strong — that they do not weaken their position on the treaty as a result of the U.S. decision. And we don’t see that happening yet. But it’s always a danger.”

U.S. officials argue that the munitions — a type of bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller “bomblets” across a wide area — could help Kyiv bolster its offensive and push through Russian front lines.

Photo: Sergei Supinsky/AFP Via Getty Images

U.S. leaders have said the transfer involves a version of the munition that has a reduced “dud rate,” meaning fewer of the smaller bomblets fail to explode. The bomblets can take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.

But Wareham cited “widespread evidence of civilian harm that (is) caused by these weapons. It was just an unconscionable decision.”

The report says civilians accounted for 95% of cluster munition casualties that were recorded last year, totaling some 1,172 in eight countries: Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. The monitor noted efforts in places like Bulgaria, Peru and Slovakia to destroy their stockpiles of the munitions in 2022 and earlier this year.

Children made up 71% of casualties from explosions of cluster-munition remnants last year, the report said.

It said Russia had “repeatedly” used cluster munitions in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine in February last year, while Ukraine had used them “to a lesser extent.”

Washington’s decision “is certainly a setback,” said Wareham, “but it’s not the end of the road for the Convention on Cluster Munitions by far.”

[girlactionfigure]

HERE is the list of the 134 countries that are NOT supporting South Africa's 🇿🇦 claims of genocide against Israel 🇮🇱:

🇦🇩 Andorra 

🇦🇴 Angola 

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 

🇦🇷 Argentina 

🇦🇲 Armenia 

🇦🇺 Australia 

🇦🇹 Austria 

🇧🇸 Bahamas 

🇧🇧 Barbados 

🇧🇾 Belarus 

🇧🇿 Belize 

🇧🇹 Bhutan 

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 

🇧🇼 Botswana 

🇧🇬 Bulgaria 

🇧🇮 Burundi 

🇨🇻 Cabo Verde 

🇰🇭 Cambodia 

🇨��� Canada 

🇨🇫 Central African Republic 

🇨🇱 Chile 

🇨🇳 China 

🇰🇲 Comoros 

🇨🇬 Congo 

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 

🇭🇷 Croatia 

🇨🇺 Cuba 

🇨🇾 Cyprus 

🇨🇿 Czech Republic 

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 

🇩🇰 Denmark 

🇩�� Dominica 

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 

🇹🇱 East Timor (Timor-Leste) 

🇪🇨 Ecuador 

🇸🇻 El Salvador 

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea 

🇪🇷 Eritrea 

🇪🇪 Estonia 

🇸🇿 Eswatini 

🇪🇹 Ethiopia 

🇫🇯 Fiji 

🇫🇮 Finland 

🇫🇷 France 

🇬🇪 Georgia 

🇩🇪 Germany 

🇬🇭 Ghana 

🇬🇷 Greece 

🇬🇩 Grenada 

🇬🇹 Guatemala 

🇭🇹 Haiti 

🇭🇳 Honduras 

🇭🇺 Hungary 

🇮🇸 Iceland 

🇮🇳 India 

🇮🇪 Ireland 

🇮🇹 Italy 

🇯🇲 Jamaica 

🇯🇵 Japan 

🇰🇪 Kenya 

🇰🇮 Kiribati 

🇰🇵 Korea, North (North Korea) 

🇰🇷 Korea, South (South Korea) 

🇽🇰 Kosovo 

🇱🇦 Laos 

🇱🇻 Latvia 

🇱🇸 Lesotho 

🇱🇷 Liberia 

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 

🇱🇹 Lithuania 

🇱🇺 Luxembourg 

🇲🇬 Madagascar 

🇲🇼 Malawi

🇲🇹 Malta 

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands 

🇲🇺 Mauritius 

🇲🇽 Mexico 

🇫🇲 Micronesia 

🇲🇩 Moldova 

🇲🇨 Monaco 

🇲🇳 Mongolia 

🇲🇪 Montenegro 

🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) 

🇳🇷 Nauru 

🇳🇵 Nepal 

🇳🇱 Netherlands 

🇳🇿 New Zealand 

🇳🇮 Nicaragua 

🇲🇰 North Macedonia (Macedonia) 

🇳🇴 Norway 

🇵🇼 Palau 

🇵🇦 Panama 

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 

🇵🇾 Paraguay 

🇵🇪 Peru 

🇵🇭 Philippines 

🇵🇱 Poland 

🇵🇹 Portugal 

🇷🇴 Romania 

🇷🇺 Russia 

🇷🇼 Rwanda 

🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis 

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia 

🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

🇼🇸 Samoa 

🇸🇲 San Marino 

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 

🇷🇸 Serbia 

🇸🇨 Seychelles 

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 

🇸🇬 Singapore 

🇸🇰 Slovakia 

🇸🇮 Slovenia 

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 

🇪🇸 Spain 

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 

🇸🇪 Sweden

🇨🇭 Switzerland 

🇹🇼 Taiwan 

🇹🇿 Tanzania 

🇹🇭 Thailand 

🇹🇴 Tonga 

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 

🇹🇳 Tunisia 

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 

🇹🇻 Tuvalu 

🇺🇦 Ukraine 

🇬🇧 United Kingdom (UK) 

🇺🇸 United States of America (USA) 

🇺🇾 Uruguay 

🇻🇺 Vanuatu 

🇻🇦 Vatican City 

🇻🇳 Vietnam 

🇿🇲 Zambia 

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

[worldssexiest]

📍PHOTO FINDER - COUNTRY

🇩🇿 Algeria 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇧🇧 Barbados 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇿 Belize 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 🇹🇩 Chad 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇨🇩 DR Congo 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇩🇪 Germany 🇬🇷 Greece 🇭🇳 Honduras 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇮🇷 Iran 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇱 Israel 🇮🇹 Italy 🇯🇲 Jamaica 🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇴 Jordan 🇰🇼 Kuwait 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇧 Lebanon 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 🇳🇪 Niger 🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇦 Panama 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 🇷🇴 Romania 🇷🇺 Russia 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇿 Tanzania 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇾 Uruguay 🇻🇮 US Virgin Islands 🇺🇸 USA 🇻🇪 Venezuela 🇻🇳 Vietnam 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

[marblecakemix]

Pls only Europeans, there will be a poll for USA sisters'!!

[korshrimpski]

I included Russia and Türkiye with Asia

[honoringthor]

Christmas Spider 🕷️

Christmas spider is an Eastern European legend found in 🇺🇦 Ukraine, Germany 🇩🇪, Poland 🇵🇱 Denmark 🇩🇰 Norway 🇳🇴 Sweden 🇸🇪 Finland 🇫🇮 Russia 🇷🇺 and Eastern Slovakia 🇸🇰.

Mostly Ukraine.

It tells of an impoverished woman and her kids who dropped a pinecone while bringing firewood 🪵 into their hut. One of the seeds fell out and germinated. The family let the tree grow so they would have a tree that winter. 🌲 When Christmas came mom couldn’t afford to get presents for the kids nor could they decorate the tree for some reason. They went to bed only to be surprised n the morning. Spiders 🕷️ had come in at night for warmth and in gratitude spun webs in the tree. Then the sun shone through the window illuminating the webs and turning them gold and silver.

The family never lived in poverty again.

In some versions it’s Father Christmas or baby Jesus instead of the sun.

This legend may have originated in Ukraine in the 19-20th century.

Some Ukrainians decorate a small tree with a spider called pavuchky and webs.

Finding a spider in your tree brings luck.

May have inspired tinsel.

There are some very nice spiders on Etsy.

Christmas spider

[jollygood21]

Average age people lose their virginity:

🇲🇾 Malaysia: 23

🇮🇳 India: 22.9

🇸🇬 Singapore: 22.8

🇨🇳 China: 22.1

🇹🇭 Thailand: 20.5

🇭🇰 Hong Kong: 20.2

🇻🇳 Vietnam: 19.7

🇳🇬 Nigeria: 19.7

🇯🇵 Japan: 19.4

🇪🇸 Spain: 19.2

🇮🇩 Indonesia: 19.1

🇵🇱 Poland: 19

🇮🇹 Italy: 18.9

🇹🇼 Taiwan: 18.9

🇷🇺 Russia: 18.7

🇲🇽 Mexico: 18.7

🇿🇦 South Africa: 18.7

🇫🇷 France: 18.5

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 18.3

🇨🇭 Switzerland: 18.2

🇨🇦 Canada: 18.1

🇳🇱 Netherlands: 18.1

🇬🇷 Greece: 18.1

🇺🇸 United States: 18

🇦🇺 Australia: 17.9

🇹🇷 Turkey: 17.8

🇳🇿 New Zealand: 17.8

🇸🇰 Slovakia: 17.8

🇩🇪 Germany: 17.6

🇧🇷 Brazil: 17.4

🇮🇪 Ireland: 17.3

🇭🇷 Croatia: 17.3

🇦🇹 Austria: 17.3

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: 17.2

🇨🇱 Chile: 17.2

🇧🇪 Belgium: 17.2

🇵🇹 Portugal: 16.9

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: 16.9

🇮🇱 Israel: 16.7

🇫🇮 Finland: 16.5

🇳🇴 Norway: 16.5

🇸🇪 Sweden: 16.2

🇩🇰 Denmark: 16.1

🇮🇸 Iceland: 15.6

According to Face of Global Sex report, which has been published by The Daily Star.

[katkats-world]

⭒ hii!! welcome to my blog :) ⭒

୨୧ about me ୨୧

⸰ 𖥔 ͙ࣳ scorpio | “trilingual” | bisexual ⸰ 𖥔 ͙ࣳ

i just kinda post whatever…

reading, writing, and painting make me happy

currently studying french (b2) & russian (a1)

music i adore: taylor swift, lana del rey, lizzy mcalpine, paramore, gracie abrams, suki waterhouse, beabadoobee, tv girl, alex g, billie eilish, olivia rodrigo, faye webster, phoebe bridgers, deftones, radiohead, fiona apple, clairo, pink floyd, frank ocean, maya hawke, eliza mclamb, fleetwood mac, mitski, big thief, noah kahan, and jeff buckley

i love horror, foreign, and female rage films<3

world bucket list 🌎: france 🇫🇷, greece 🇬🇷, italy 🇮🇹, canada 🇨🇦, romania 🇷🇴, austria 🇦🇹, germany 🇩🇪, switzerland 🇨🇭, argentina 🇦🇷, belgium 🇧🇪, chile 🇨🇱, hungary 🇭🇺, colombia 🇨🇴, iceland 🇮🇸, egypt 🇪🇬, mexico 🇲🇽, estonia 🇪🇪, peru 🇵🇪, finland 🇫🇮, portugal 🇵🇹, japan 🇯🇵, poland 🇵🇱, russia…🇷🇺, turkey 🇹🇷, slovakia 🇸🇰, spain 🇪🇸, sweden 🇸🇪, ukraine…🇺🇦, venezuela 🇻🇪, and ANTARCTICA :)

DNI: hômophob!a, tran$phob!a, raci$m, $exism, pro-israel, etc.

꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜

˖ ࣪⭑ links ˖ ࣪⭑

꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜ ꩜

p.s.

also looking for mutuals/friends so if you made it this far and are interested in talking lmk ;)

[ongolecharles]

WORLD'S MOST PEACEFUL NATIONS

Where does your country stand?

Rank Country

---- -------

1 🇮🇸 Iceland

2 🇮🇪 Ireland

3 🇦🇹 Austria

4 🇳🇿 New Zealand

5 🇸🇬 Singapore

6 🇨🇭 Switzerland

7 🇵🇹 Portugal

8 🇩🇰 Denmark

9 🇸🇮 Slovenia

10 🇲🇾Malaysia

11 🇨🇦 Canada

12 🇨🇿 Czech Republic

13 🇫🇮 Finland

14 🇭🇺 Hungary

15 🇭🇷 Croatia

16 🇧🇪 Belgium

17 🇯🇵 Japan

18 🇳🇱Netherlands

19 🇦🇺 Australia

20 🇩🇪Germany

21 🇧🇹 Bhutan

22 🇲🇺 Mauritius

23 🇪🇸 Spain

24 🇪🇪 Estonia

25 🇰🇼 Kuwait

26 🇧🇬 Bulgaria

27 🇸🇰 Slovak Republic

28 🇳🇴 Norway

29 🇶🇦 Qatar

30 🇱🇻 Latvia

31 🇱🇹Lithuania

32 🇵🇱 Poland

33 🇮🇹 Italy

34 🇬🇧United Kingdom

35 🇲🇪Montenegro

36 🇷🇴Romania

37 🇴🇲 Oman

38 🇲🇰North Macedonia

39 🇸🇪 Sweden

40 🇬🇷 Greece

41 🇻🇳 Vietnam

42 🇦🇱 Albania

43 🇹🇼 Taiwan

44 🇲🇬Madagascar

45 🇲🇳Mongolia

46 🇰🇷South Korea

47 🇦🇷Argentina

48 🇮🇩Indonesia

49 🇱🇦Lao P.D.R.

50 🇧🇼Botswana

51 🇹🇱Timor-Leste

52 🇺🇾Uruguay

53 🇦🇪United Arab Emirates

54 🇷🇸 Serbia

55 🇬🇭 Ghana

56 🇽🇰 Kosovo

57 🇿🇲 Zambia

58 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

59 🇰🇿Kazakhstan

60 🇺🇿Uzbekistan

61 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

62 🇳🇦 Namibia

63 🇲🇩 Moldova

64 🇨🇱 Chile

65 🇹🇿Tanzania

66 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

67 🇯🇴 Jordan

68 🇧🇴 Bolivia

69 🇱🇷 Liberia

70 🇰🇭Cambodia

71 🇹🇯Tajikistan

72 🇦🇴 Angola

73 🇵🇾Paraguay

73 🇹🇳 Tunisia

75 🇹🇭 Thailand

76 🇦🇲 Armenia

77 🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Republic

78 🇲🇦 Morocco

79 🇲🇼 Malawi

80 🇳🇵Nepal

81 🇧🇭 Bahrain

82 🇬🇲The Gambia

82 🇹🇲Turkmenistan

84 🇸🇳 Senegal

85 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau

86 🇫🇷 France

87 🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago

88 🇨🇳 China

88 🇨🇾Cyprus

90 🇩🇿 Algeria

91 🇯🇲Jamaica

92 🇷🇼 Rwanda

93 🇧🇩Bangladesh

94 🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea

95 🇲🇷Mauritania

96 🇵🇦 Panama

97 🇩🇴Dominican Republic

98 🇨🇺 Cuba

99 🇵🇪 Peru

100 🇬🇪Georgia

100 🇱🇰Sri Lanka

102 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia

103 🇸🇿Eswatini

104 🇵🇭Philippines

105 🇪🇬Egypt

106 🇦🇿Azerbaijan

107 🇸🇻El Salvador

107 🇲🇿Mozambique

109 🇨🇮Côte d’Ivoire

110 🇨🇬Republic of the Congo

111 🇬🇾Guyana

112 🇧🇾Belarus

113 🇳🇮Nicaragua

114 🇧🇯 Benin

115 🇵🇬Papua New Guinea

116 🇮🇳 India

117 🇬🇹Guatemala

118 🇬🇦 Gabon

119 🇩🇯Djibouti

120 🇹🇬T ogo

121 🇬🇲Zimbabwe

122 🇰🇪Kenya

123 🇭🇳Honduras

124 🇬🇳 Guinea

125 🇱🇸Lesotho

126 🇺🇬Uganda

127 🇿🇦 South Africa

128 🇱🇾 Libya

129 🇧🇮Burundi

130 🇪🇨Ecuador

131 🇧🇷Brazil

132 🇺🇸United States

133 🇮🇷 Iran

134 🇱🇧Lebanon

135 🇹🇩 Chad

136 🇪🇷 Eritrea

137 🇨🇲Cameroon

138 🇲🇽Mexico

139 🇹🇷Türkiye

140 🇵🇰Pakistan

141 🇳🇪Niger

142 🇻🇪Venezuela

143 🇭🇹 Haiti

144 🇪🇹Ethiopia

145 🇵🇸Palestine

146 🇨🇴Colombia

147 🇳🇬Nigeria

148 🇲🇲Myanmar

149 🇻🇺Burkina Faso

150 🇨🇫Central African Republic

151 🇮🇶Iraq

152 🇰🇵North Korea

153 🇸🇴Somalia

154 🇲🇱Mali

155 🇮🇱 Israel

156 🇸🇾 Syria

157 🇷🇺 Russia

158 🇨🇩Democratic Republic of the Congo

159 🇺🇦Ukraine

160 🇦🇫Afghanistan

161 🇸🇸South Sudan

162 🇸🇩 Sudan

163 🇾🇪 Yemen

But what's the TRUE PEACE??

Only JESUS is the true PEACE ...

● "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." ... John 44:27

● "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." ... Romans 12:18

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

***

Source: Global Peace Index 2024.

[unhonestlymirror]

Rating food of the countries I've been to, from West to East:

Disclaimer: it's veeery subjective

***

Spain🇪🇸 : 7/10. It's okay. I expected their fish and seafood to be better, tho. A LOT of relatively cheap fresh juices, 10/10 for health. They also make surprisingly amazing pasta and surprisingly average paella.

France🇫🇷: 9/10. Never visited cafes or restaurants there, but Carrefour has an incredible variety of good meat. I love their pineapple pie, too. There are a lot of products for vegetarians, Muslims, and, in general, different people who have different eating styles. There's a lot to see. And omg, their bazaar days are something worth attending: I still regret that I never tried clams with white wine.

UK🇬🇧 : 6/10. Not impressed. Something tells me that they deliberately make fish-n-chips that terrible. But I absolutely loved the strawberries under hot chocolate, which was sold by two cheerful Polish girls near Madam Tussaud museum.

Switzerland 🇨🇭: 6/10. Migros has nice buns with spinach and those Japanese "sandwiches", overall, your whole salary is gonna be spent on food. (Lithuania core lol😭) McDonald's there SUCKS.

Norway🇳🇴: 4/10. I expected a lot for some reason. Prices gonna cause you a heart attack, the quality is gonna give you a second heart attack. Also!!! THERE WAS NO FISH IN THE SHOPS EXCEPT THE CANNED!!! I was deeply injured. Norwegian salmon is super popular in Ukraine, how can they not have any normal fish in the big supermarkets...

Germany🇩🇪: 1/10. I may be just unlucky, but every time I visit Germany and pick a random cafe with lots of people(!), it has the worst food I've ever tasted in my life. It's like that scene from Desperate Housewives: "Really? A woman who orders Chinese food for Christmas dinner cooked a pineapple pie?" I understand now why Ukrainian women often marry Germans. My heart bleeds when I see what exactly you eat. I want to cover you with a blanket and cook you a normal soup.

Czech Republic 🇨🇿: 7/10. The soup was nice, ставлю вподобайку👍

Poland🇵🇱 : 8/10. Soup in bread, my beloved. Doughnuts were some kind of overcooked in oil, tho.

Montenegro🇲🇪: 10/10. I love you. I love your salads, your seafood, and I LOVE YOUR LEMON ICECREAM!!!!!

Slovakia🇸🇰: 7/10. I don't really remember what I ate, I am sorry. But I was really impressed with your supermarkets for some reason. Gotta visit it again.

Hungary🇭🇺: 6/10. It was my first time I've ever tried street food, and I liked it. You guys know how to cook meat.

Greece🇬🇷: 7/10. One day, I'll find the guy who can cook Karavidopsiha and beg them to cook it once again. Nice fish!!! I remember your arbutus honey as old women remember their best lovers. But. One time, a man served my family with unpeeled shrimps in batter. :/ What the hell was that? Is that some kind of a national dish I'm not aware of? Minus three points for such bullying.

Cyprus 🇨🇾: 7/10. I shouldn't be obsessed with your carob tree pastille that much.

Lithuania🇱🇹: 10/10. I love you. Although, I'd love to spend less money on food too. I love your Maxima and Rimi and Iki. I love your cafes. I love your bakery, I love your cocktails, I looooooove your soups, and I love your Asian food too. It's very easy to become an alcoholic with such delicious wines and tinctures.

Latvia🇱🇻: 11/10. Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm on my knees. Your cream chanterelle soup and Lidl croissants and marinated onion and šašlyk and fish and dairy products🛐🛐🛐. You guys know how to serve. I've never seen such pretty food designs anywhere. And of course, Lido. It brings me in tears of joy and makes me remember Puzata Hata. No, for real, is there any dish you don't know how to cook?

Finland🇫🇮: 7/10. That's okay. Nice street food.

Belarus ⚪️🔴⚪️: 9/10. Oh my dear Belarus, you're gonna be the best chef in Europe once you're free from russia. I wish I ate more machanka and drank your pine tincture when I had the chance. I love your chicory, it's a bit greyish, but it's much more delicious than an average chicory. Delicious meat in the shops. Other food is soviet-like, which makes me nauseous.

Ukraine 🇺🇦: ♾️/10. Вітчизно моя! Ти як здоров'я, наскільки ти цінна, тільки той знає, хто тебе втратив. I don't know if my favourite shops still work. I loved every single cafe I've been to, yes, even that shitty prorussian Mafia and Eurasia. I loved Puzata Hata. I loved Khlibna Kava, and its amazing cherry cupcakes. I loved Moloko Vid Fermera. I loved little kiosks with fresh Makadamia nuts and huge variety of vegetables and fruits. I loved Flagman and Silpo, Lvivśki croissants, and chocolate shops. I loved my seafood store. I loved giant frappes in Shevchenko Park. I loved my Continent with its old classical French background songs. I love my Japanese food stores. There are so many places I love. I used to find my bazaar so ugly and dirty, but I would give everything to buy the sea ​​buckthorn jam from the cheerful old lady. But it's not gonna happen. My bazaar was shelled by russians to the ground.

Turkey🇹🇷: 9/10. Your Katmer, seafood soup and baked shrimps(?) are something 🛐.

Jordan🇯🇴: 7/10. Nice! You cook paella better than Spain, be proud of yourself. Although, I'd love to not be scared for my life as a woman all the time. Your bazaar seemed very interesting, but unfortunately, I don't speak Arabic. And I am a woman, which also sucks, I guess. I was totally covered in black, except for the face and hair, and people still stared at me like on a zoo exponate. McDonald's kinda sucks too, but not as much as in Switzerland.

Egypt🇪🇬: 7/10. It's okay. I've tasted only hotel food.

Sakartvelo🇬🇪 : 10/10. Our guide forgot about our existence, and we had to find any source of food to not die from hunger, so we went to your local bazaar and asked to fry some cheap fish. It had lots of bones, and I hate fish with bones, but I ate it all, and it tasted amazing.

Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦: 6/10. Most of the week, I just cooked some simple spiceless products like pasta and eggs from the small store. You are far from the level of grocery stores in Turkey. Although, your cold orange juice bottle saved my life from dying in the middle of the desert.

Qazaqstan 🇰🇿: 7/10. I don't really remember your supermarkets, I guess they were okay. But your bazaars are definitely something worth attending. Millions of varieties of honey with millions of tastes and very salty hard cheese Kurt.

[mokhosz-nafo]

TOP NEWS TODAY 👀🔝

🇺🇦 Guevo, Oleshnya and Goncharovka of the Kursk region under UA control.

🔥 BAVOVNA in Kursk, Voronezh, Horlivka, Shebekino and Kursk region.

✅ More than 1,000 Russian soldiers have been captured in the last 4 days.

🥈 Iryna Kolyadenko wins silver medal for Ukraine at the Olympics!

👊 Ukrainian Air Force shot down 53/57 Shahed UAVs.

🇸🇰Slovak Way Industries and 🇮🇹Italian FAE start the production of their unmanned mine clearance vehicles in Ukraine.

🚫 Russia has failed to push back Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, - FT

[lizard-reads-the-world]

🎊 2-Year Anniversary! 🪅

I started the World Challenge around April 2022, so here's my little 2-year celebratory post with a bunch of stats that no one cares about!!

The stats:

Books read: 70

Countries completed: 66

Total pages read: 23,918

Average rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3.9 stars

Average publication year: 2015

Average page count per book: 341

Native authors: 74%

Queer books: 24%

YA or MG genre: 68%

As you can see from the number above, it can be hard to find queer books for certain countries. I have also somehow managed to generally pick books that I like, as the ratings show!

Top Genres:

Sources:

Total spent: $41.39

Most of the spent is 2 months of Scribd, and some Kindle sale books. The "Other" is, ahem, when there were no affordable options, and thankfully that was low! Otherwise I managed well with libraries and free trials! (all digital)

Time Periods:

I've also spent the majority of time in the modern world.

Keep reading for the full list of books I've read so far:

🇦🇫 Afghanistan - One Half from the East, Nadia Hashimi

🇦🇷 Argentina - Furia, Yamile Saied Méndez

🇦🇺 Australia - Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan - The Orphan Sky, Ella Leya

🇧🇸 Bahamas - Facing the Sun, Janice Lynn Mathers

🇧🇴 Bolivia - Woven in Moonlight, Isabel Ibañez

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina - The Cat I Never Named, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

🇧🇼 Botswana - Entwined, Cheryl S. Ntumy

🇧🇬 Bulgaria - Wunderkind, Nikolai Grozni

🇨🇦 Canada - This House is Not a Home, Katłıà

🇨🇫 Central African Republic - Beasts of Prey, Ayana Gray*

🇹🇩 Chad - Told by Starlight in Chad, Joseph Brahim Seid

🇨🇳 China - Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan

🇨🇺 Cuba - A Tall Dark Trouble - Vanessa Montalban

🇨🇿 Czech Republic - Torch, Lyn Miller-Lachmann

🇩🇰 Denmark - The Shamer's Daughter, Lene Kaaberbøl

🇪🇪 Estonia - The Man Who Spoke Snakish, Andrus Kivirähk

🇫🇯 Fiji - The Wild Ones, Nafiza Azad

🇫🇷 France - Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow, Faïza Guène

🇬🇪 Georgia - Giorgland Fables, Tamuna Tsertsvadze

🇬🇷 Greece - Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulou

🇬🇱 Greenland - Last Night in Nuuk, Niviaq Korneliussen

🇬🇩 Grenada - Sugar Money, Jane Harris

🇮🇳 India - Lioness of Punjab, Anita Jari Kharbanda

🇮🇩 Indonesia - The Songbird and the Ramubutan Tree - Lucille Abendanon

🇮🇷 Iran - Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

🇮🇶 Iraq - Yazidi!, Aurélien Ducoudray & Mini Ludvin

🇮🇪 Ireland - All Our Hidden Gifts, Caroline O'Donoghue

🇯🇵 Japan - Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Mizuki Tsujimura

🇯🇴 Jordan - West of the Jordan, Laila Halaby

🇱🇹 Lithuania - Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepatys

🇱🇺 Luxembourg - The Elf of Luxembourg, Tom Weston

🇲🇾 Malaysia - The Weight of Our Sky, Hanna Alkaf

🇲🇹 Malta - The Maltese Dreamer, Catherine Veritas

🇲🇽 Mexico - Secret of the Moon Conch, David Bowles; Guadalupe García McCall

🇲🇦 Morocco - Thorn, Intisar Khanani*

🇳🇵 Nepal - What Elephants Know - Eric Dinerstein

🇳🇱 Netherlands - On the Edge of Gone, Corrine Duyvis

🇳🇬 Nigeria - An Ordinary Wonder, Buki Papillon

🇲🇰 North Macedonia - A Spare Life, Lidija Dimkovska

🇵🇸 Palestine - Travellers Along the Way, Aminah Mae Safi

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea - Tales from Faif, Baka Barakove Bina; Emily Sekepe Bina

🇵🇱 Poland - When the Angels Left the Old Country, Sacha Lamb

🇵🇹 Portugal - Mariana, Katherine Vaz

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico - The Wicked Bargain, Gabe Cole Novoa

🇷🇴 Romania - And I Darken, Kiersten White

🇷🇺 Russia - Night Watch, Sergei Lukyanenko

🇷🇼 Rwanda - Our Lady of the Nile, Scholastique Mukasonga

🇱🇨 St. Lucia - 'Til I Find You, Greta Bondieumaitre

🇼🇸 Samoa - Telesā: The Covenant Keeper, Lani Wendt Young

🇸🇲 San Marino - The Gladiator, Harry Turtledove

🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe - The Exiles of Crocodile Island, Henye Meyer

🇬🇧 Scotland - The Library of the Dead, T.L. Huchu

🇸🇳 Senegal - No Heaven for Good Boys, Keisha Bush

🇸🇬 Singapore - Sofia and the Utopia Machine, Judith Huang

🇸🇰 Slovakia - Impossible Escape, Steve Sheinkin

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka - I Am Kavi, Thushanthi Ponweera

🇸🇩 Sudan - Home is Not a Country, Safia Elhillo

🇸🇪 Sweden - The Circle, Sara Elfgren; Mats Strandberg

🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago - When the Vibe is Right, Sarah Dass

🇹🇳 Tunisia - Other Names, Other Places, Ola Mustapha

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates - Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson*

🇺🇸 United States - Elatsoe, Darcie Little Badger

🇻🇪 Venezuela - The Sun and the Void, Gabriela Romero Lacruz

🇾🇪 Yemen - When a Bulbul Sings, Hawaa Ayoub

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe - All That It Ever Meant, Blessing Musariri

*inspired fantasy world

[workersolidarity]

Photo: Getty Images

🇸🇰 SMER WINS MOST VOTES IN SLOVAK ELECTIONS, ROBERT FICO TO BECOME PRIME MINISTER

Robert Fico, leader of Direction- Social Democracy, known by its Slovakian acronym SMER, will attempt to form a coalition Monday after winning national elections on Saturday.

Fico's SMER-SSD Party took 22.9% of the vote, giving the Leftist political party 42 of 150 seats in Parliament according to the Slovak Statistics Office.

Early polls had predicted Fico's win, however as the election approached, polls tightened significantly, with some poll in the run-up to election day even showing the incumbent party holding onto control by the skin of their teeth. But in the end it wasn't enough, and SMER has won a convincing victory.

Robert Fico has previously served as Prime Minister of Slovakia twice before from 2006-2010 and again from 2012-2018 and Fico is known for following the opinions of his voters.

This election however, Fico has emerged as the primary opposition to continued funding of weapons and arming of Ukraine in its fight against Russia and has reaffirmed that position since Saturday's win, telling reporters SMER was not changing its view.

Fico told reporters his party was “not changing [its view] that we are prepared to help Ukraine in a humanitarian way … we are prepared to help with the reconstruction of the state. But you know our opinion on arming Ukraine.”

Fico and SMER ran on a campaign of "Not A Single Round" of ammunition for Ukraine.

Fico said after his Party's victory that he would "do everything" in his power to start negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

"More killing is not going to help anyone."

#source

#source2

[tyiaunia-harris]

Name: Slavomír Radoslav Age: 31 (physically 20 years old) Personality: free-spirited, romantic, and charming. Slavomír is a very chill guy with a love for ice hockey, his wife, and his friends. Slavomír enjoys teasing Celestin to get cute reactions out of her and may have a thing for being dominant by his wife. Although he can be a bit messy and relax, he can also be quite strong when the time calls for it. Likes: His friends and family, his wife, his pet bear. Dislikes: Russia, his wife's wrath. Qoutes: "You're so beautiful." (To Czeh Republic, to get a reaction out of her) "One day, we'll have a huge family." (While daydreaming about his future with Celestin) Aph Slovakia 🇸🇰 💍🐻 🏀

[korshrimpski]

I included Russia and Turkey with Asia

[myroslaw]

🌍 Mapping 13 Countries Inside Ukraine 🇺🇦: A Fascinating Thought Experiment! 🌍

Ever wondered how big Ukraine really is? Let's play a game of geopolitical Tetris! 🎮 📍 Countries Inside Ukraine's Borders 📍

🇦🇱 Albania finds its place in the Northwest, specifically in Volhynia.

Historical Note: Like Ukraine, Albania also struggled for its independence and faced various invasions.

2. 🇨🇿 Czechia snugly fits in the West, in the regions of Galicia-Podolia.

Did You Know?: Both the Czech Republic and Ukraine are Slavic countries with historical ties that span over a thousand years. They have shared moments of solidarity, especially during the Velvet Revolution and Ukraine's own struggle for democracy. The Czech civil society has often been supportive of Ukraine's European aspirations, and both nations have a rich folklore tradition.

3. 🇸🇮 Slovenia nestles in the Southwest, in Transcarpathia.

Cultural Insight: Slovenia and Ukraine share a love for mountainous landscapes.

4. 🇦🇹 Austria takes its spot in the North, covering areas like Polesia, Kyiv, and Siveria. Historical Insight: the Austrian Empire once controlled the region of Galicia, which is now part of modern-day Ukraine. The Austrian rule has left a lasting impact on the culture and architecture of the region.

5. 🇸🇰 Slovakia finds its home right in the Center of Ukraine.

Historical Ties: Slovakia and Ukraine share a border and have a complex history of interaction.

6. 🇷🇸 Serbia is located in the Black Sea Coast and Zaporizhzhia region.

Conflict Legacy and External Influence: Both countries have recent histories of conflict and are still dealing with its aftermath. Russia often leverages shared historical narratives to influence Serbian politics, further complicating Serbia's geopolitical stance.

7. 🇲🇪 Montenegro fits into Southern Bessarabia/Budjak.

Tourism Angle: Montenegro is a tourism gem, something Ukraine is aspiring to become.

8-9. 🇨🇾 Cyprus and 🇹🇷 Northern Cyprus share the southern part of Kherson region.

Political Intrigue: The division of Cyprus into two entities echoes Ukraine's own territorial issues.

10. 🇭🇺 Hungary is situated in the East, covering Poltava region and Sloboda Ukraine.

Historical and Current Ties: Hungary ruled over Transcarpathia for centuries, a region primarily inhabited by Ukrainians. During its rule, Hungary implemented policies aimed at assimilating the local population. Even today, Hungarian politicians occasionally make territorial claims against Ukraine and other neighboring countries.

11-12. 🇮🇱 Israel and 🇵🇸 Palestine are located in the Azov Sea region.

Historical Trauma: Prior to World War II, Ukraine had one of the largest Jewish populations in the world. In many cities, Jews made up between 20% to 50% of the population. Tragically, most were exterminated by German Nazis during the Holocaust, with estimates suggesting that around 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews were killed.

13. 🇦🇲 Armenia finds its place in Crimea.

Historical Trauma: Both Ukraine and Armenia have faced historical tragedies, including genocides and wars.

📊 By the Numbers 📊

Total Area: 511,000 km² (That's 92,000 km² less than Ukraine! Enough room left for Switzerland and Denmark 🇨🇭🇩🇰)

Population: 66.1 million (That's 42% more than Ukraine! 🤯)

Wealth: Only Austria 🇦🇹 and Israel 🇮🇱 are considered wealthy. The rest range from average to poor.

GDP: A staggering $1.9 trillion (nominal) and $2.8 trillion (PPP), which is 9 times Ukraine's GDP pre-Russian invasion. 💰

🤔 What Does This All Mean? 🤔

All these countries have faced historical challenges similar to Ukraine, especially the scars left by the World Wars. Yet, their paths have diverged significantly, leading to different economic and social outcomes.

💬 Your Thoughts? 💬

What do you think led to such drastic differences? Share your thoughts, theories, or even personal stories related to these countries.