#and at least 30 000 injured

[ibtisams]

The death toll in Gaza has reached 13,000, with at least 5,500 being children and 3,500 being women

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Contemporary descriptions of the Robespierrist execution compilation

(from description closest in time to the execution to the one furthest away)

Today, Monday afternoon, Robespierre and his 21 conspirators are taken to the Revolutionary Tribunal to have their condemnation confirmed, because, being outlaws, their trial is over. It is decreed that they will be put to death at Place Louis XV, today Place de la Révolution. They were taken there and passed along rue Saint-Honoré and everywhere they were insulted by the people, indignant at seeing how they had deceived them. And they had their heads cut off at 7 o'clock in the evening. In 24 hours it was done; they hardly expected to die so quickly, those who wanted to massacre 60 000 men in Paris. This is how God lets the scoundrels, at the moment of executing their projects, perish. Robespierre was the soul of the conspiracy with another villain, Couthon, who assisted him. It is said that he wanted to recognize himself as King in Lyon and in other departments and marry Capet's daughter. How can a private individual put such a project in his head? Ambitious villain, that's where your pride has led you. With him dying as leader of the conspiracy, everything falls with him. Journal de Célestin Guittard de Floriban, bourgeois de Paris, sous la Révolution, présenté et commenté par Raymond Aubert (1974) page 437-438. Cited in Comment Sortir de la Terreur - Thermidor et la Révolution. Diary entry July 28 1794.

It was around six o'clock in the evening that the tyrant and twenty-one of his principal accomplices left the Conciergerie to advance towards the scaffold. They were in three tumbrils: Hanriot, drunk, as usual, was beside Robespierre the younger; the tyrant was next to Dumas, the instrument of his fury; Saint-Just sat close to the mayor of Paris; Couthon was in the third tumbril. Hanriot and Robespierre the younger had their heads smashed and were covered in blood; Couthon had a bandeau; the tyrant had his whole head, except his face, bandaged, because he had received a pistol shot in the jaw. It is not given to a man to be more hideous and more cowardly: he was dull and downcast. Some compared him to a muzzled tiger, others to Cromwell's valet, for he no longer had the countenance of Cromwell himself. All those around him had, like him, lost their audacity. Their baseness added to the indignation against them. We remembered that, at least, the conspirators who preceded them had known how to die. They did not even have the strength to speak to each other, nor to address the slightest word to the people. The crowd was innumerable; the accents of joy, the applause, the cries of: A bas le tyran! Vive la République!, imprecations of all kinds resounded from all sides along the way. The people thus avenged themselves for the eulogies commanded by terror, or for the homage usurped by a long hypocrisy. It was about half past seven when the traitors arrived at the Place de la Revolution. Couthon was executed first; then Robespierre younger; the head of the tyrant was the penultimate, and that of Fleuriot Lescot the last. They were shown to the people, who made the air resound with long prolonged cries of Vive la Convention! Vive la République!” Suite de journal de Perlet number 675 (July 30 1794)

From 11 Thermidor — Yesterday, around half-past seven in the evening, the twenty-two conspirators arrived at the place of execution, Place de la Révolution, amid prolonged and unanimous cries of Vive la République! Robespierre the elder had his head wrapped in a bandage and bloodied from a pistol shot he had fired at himself when he saw himself abandoned by the traitors Hanriot had arranged for him. This one was also all scarred on the face and injured in the arms from the defense he had put up against the gendarmes responsible for arresting him. Only Lebas, former deputy, killed himself. The heads of Robespierre, Hanriot, Dumas and a few others were shown to the people, who, during the whole course of the journey of these infamous conspirators, from the Palais de Justice to the scaffold, bore witness to them in the most energetic of all its indignation and all its horror. Courrier républican, July 30 1794

It was the evening before last, at seven o'clock, that Maximilien Robespierre, his brother, Saint-Just, Couthon, Hanriot, Fleuriot, mayor, Payan, national agent, Dumas, Lavaleyte, Coffinhal, Bernard, Gobeau, Geney, Vivier, Simon, Laurent, Wouarmé, Forestier, Guérin, D'Hazard, Bourgon and Quenet, municipal, were executed. Lebas had killed himself. Never have we seen such a crowd of people as at this performance. Women, children, old people, all of Paris was there. Who could return the joy which burst on all faces? In all the streets through which the conspirators passed, in the whole extent of the Place de la Révolution, everywhere there was only a unanimous cry: Ah! the scoundrels! Vive la République! Vive la Convention! and all the hats were up in the air in satisfaction. Eyes were particularly fixed on Maximilien Robespierre, Couthon and Hanriot, whose heads were bloody from the wounds they had received at the time of their arrest. Annales de la République française, July 30 1794

The torment of a tyrant is truly a feast for the world. The French have made it a decade-long celebration, and the joy of yesterday proved how long and strong the oppression had been under which all souls, all hearts, all spirits had groaned. Yes, public joy developed yesterday in all its fullness and guarantees us freedom forever. Neither the punishment of Louis XVI, nor that of his wife and of all the traitors who have since suffered the fate of treason, nor any celebration, not even those of victories, had had so many spectators, had inspired a joy as felt, as universal, as expansive as the misery of Robespierre, Couthon, Saint-Just, etc. How horrible must the long passage from the Palais de Justice to the Place de la Révolution, in front of an immense people applauding, shouting incessantly: Vive la République! Perish the traitors and the hypocrites always speaking of virtue, and having crime in their hearts! have been for them (if they were still susceptible to any shame). If they had been able to see in the National Garden all the citizens returning from their torture, throwing themselves into each other's arms, embracing each other, congratulating each other on finally being delivered from an odious yoke, crying out , repeating everywhere: ”Finally, we are free, we will no longer poison our thoughts, our intentions; our mistakes will no longer be turned into crimes; the interior of our households will at least be a safe haven against the espionage of denunciation; sweet intimacy, brotherhood, friendship and their consoling charms will be returned to us; the tyrant is no more!” If they could have seen all this, I say, they would have shuddered with rage at having so grossly deceived themselves by counting on a perished people to serve their projects of domination and subjugation. Journal des hommes libres de tous les pays, July 31 1794.

Robespierre and his principal accomplices had been arrested towards the middle of the night between 9th and 10th Thermidor. They were handed over to the executioners on the morning of the 10th. The procession left the Palace of Justice, and set off about five o'clock in the evening. Never had one seen, on the passage of the tortured, such an influx of people. The streets were clogged. Spectators of all ages and sexes filled the windows; men were seen climbing up to the tops of the houses. Joy was universal. It manifested itself with a kind of fury. The more the hatred felt for these scoundrels was suppressed, the louder the explosion. Everyone saw in them his enemies. Everyone applauded drunkenly, and seemed to regret not being able to applaud more. One thanked Heaven, one blessed the Convention. The horsemen who escorted the patients shared the universal joy; one even saw, in this meeting, what one had never seen before: these horsemen waved their sabers in sign of joy, and accompanied this movement with the cry: Vive la Convention! Eyes were especially attached to the cart which carried the two Robespierres, Couthon and Hanriot. These poor things, mutilated and covered with blood, resembled bandits whom gendarmes had surprised in a wood, and could therefore only seize by wounding them. Robespierre, extraordinarily pale, and covered with the same coat he wore on the day when he had dared to proclaim, at the Champ de Mars, the existence of the Supreme Being, lowered his eyes, and leaned his head, which looked horribly deformed by the dirty, bloody linen that enveloped him, on his chest. Hanriot, having no clothing but a shirt and a waistcoat, was covered with mire and blood. His hair, his bloody hands, the eye which was only held together by filaments, formed a picture so disgusting and so appalling, that one didn’t dare to stare at him for a long time. “Here he is, here he is,” said the people, “as he was when he left St-Firmin, after having cut the throats of the priests there!” Robespierre the younger and Couthon were likewise disfigured by bruises, and covered with blood. The horrible deformity with which all these unfortunates presented themselves to the eyes of their fellow citizens at the last moment of their lives, appeared to even the least religious man a chastisement from heaven. Men, in fact, who after having bathed in blood, were completely defiled by descending to the tomb, testified in a striking manner that divine justice exercised its terrible vengeance on them, and wished to inspire great horror in their assassinations. The procession having arrived in front of the house where Robespierre was staying, the people compelled the executioners to stop. They obeyed. A group of women then performed a dance in front of the cart carrying Robespierre. When the patients had reached the middle of the former royal street which leads to the execution, a woman of middle age, neatly dressed, and showing by her manners and her countenance an education above the common, sprung from the crowd , seized with one hand the bars of the cart where Robespierre was, and threatened him with the other, and cried to him: "Monster spewed up from hell, your supplication intoxicates me with joy. I have only one regret, you don't have a thousand lives to enjoy the pleasure of seeing them all snatched one after the other. Go away, scoundrel; descend to the tomb with the curses of all the wives, of all the mothers!” Robespierre had without a doubt deprived this woman of a husband or son. He looked languidly at her, and without saying a word, shrugged. On the scaffold, Robespierre had a new suffering to endure. The executioner, before stretching him out on the board where he was going to receive death, abruptly tore from him the bandage placed on his wounds. The lower jaw was thus detached from the upper jaw, causing waves of blood to flow, which made the head of this unfortunate man a monstrous object. When this head had been cut off, it presented the most horrible picture that one can paint. Hanriot had to suffer a no less painful torture: one of the executioner's servants, before he mounted the scaffold, brutally tore out his eye where he had been wounded. Each falling head excited loud applause. The number of those executed that day was twenty-two. Histoire de la conjuration de Maximilien Robespierre (1795) page 221-225. The descriptor, Galart de Montjoie, was 48 years old by the time of the execution. According to wikipedia, he was forced to go into hiding in Bièvres in April 1793 due to writing royalist pamplets. This means he might not have actually been an eye witness during thermidor.

At four o'clock in the evening the sinister procession left the courtyard of the palace. Never have we seen such an affluence of people. The streets were clogged. Spectators of all ages and sexes filled the windows; men were seen climbing up to the tops of the houses. Joy was universal. It manifested itself with a kind of fury. The more the hatred felt for these scoundrels was suppressed, the louder the explosion. Everyone saw in them his enemies. Everyone applauded drunkenly, and seemed to regret not being able to applaud more. Eyes were especially attached to the cart which carried the two Robespierres, Couthon and Hanriot. These poor things, mutilated and covered with blood, resembled bandits whom gendarmes had surprised in a wood, and could therefore only seize by wounding them. It was noticed that Robespierre had, in going to scaffold, the same tailcoat as he had had on the day when he had proclaimed the existence of the Supreme Being at the Champ de Mars. It is difficult to paint his appearance. Nothing recalled the idea of ​​the supreme power which he exercised twenty-four hours earlier. He was no longer the tyrant of the Jacobins, nor the insolent ruler of the Convention; he was a wretch, whose face was half covered by a dirty and bloody linen. What one perceived of his features was horribly disfigured. A livid paleness completed his frightful appearance. Whether he was overwhelmed by the pains caused by his wounds, or whether his soul was disheartened by the remorse caused by the memory of his crimes, he affected to have his eyes lowered and almost closed. It was in this condition that he crossed the streets and Rue Saint-Honoré. Arriving in the middle of the former royal street, he was pulled from the lethargy in which he was by a circumstance which deserves to be preserved by history. A woman was waiting for him in this place. She was neatly dressed and of middle age. Seeing the tumbrel carrying Robespierre, she pushed through the crowd and seized the bars of the tumbrel with one of her hands. The countenance and expression of this woman announced that she had received the best education. Attached to the tumbrel by one of her hands and shaking Robespierre with the other, she cried out to him: "Monster spewed up from hell, your supplication intoxicates me with joy." At these words, Robespierre half opened his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “Abominable monster,” continued this woman, ”I have only one regret, you don't have a thousand lives to enjoy the pleasure of seeing them all snatched one after the other. ” This new apostrophe seemed to importune Robespierre; but he did not open his eyes. Then the brave woman said to him as she left him near the scaffold: ”Go away, scoundrel; descend to the tomb with the curses of all the wives, of all the mothers!” It has been presumed that Robespierre saw this woman deprived of a husband or a son. Her painful accents must have penetrated his soul. This moral torture was no doubt very weak to expiate crimes as enormous as those of which Robespierre had been guilty; but it was at least a satisfaction for sensitive souls to learn that this monster had experienced it, and that it had been able to increase the horror of the too severe torture which he had to undergo. When the tumbril arrived at the foot of the scaffold, the executioner’s assistants lifted down the tyrant and laid him on the ground until it was his turn to meet death. One observed that during the time his accomplices were being executed, he didn’t show any sign of sensibility. His eyes were constantly closed, and he didn’t reopen them until he felt himself transported to the scaffold. They say that in perceiving the fatal instrument he uttered a painful sigh, but before receiving death, he had a cruel suffering to endure. After having thrown away his tailcoat, which was crossed over his shoulders, the executioner teared off the bandage that the surgeon had put on his wounds. The lower jaw was thus detached from the upper jaw, causing waves of blood to flow, the head of this poor thing wasn’t more than a monstrous and disgusting object. Once this appalling head had been cut off, and the executioner took it by the hair to show it to the people, it was the most horrible image one can imagiene. Les Crimes de Robespierre et de ses principeax complices (1797) page 121-126. The descriptor, Nicolas Toussaint Le Moyne Des Essarts (1744-1810), was 49 by the time of the execution. This is clearly a variation of Montjoie’s account to some extent.

Where shall I find the true colors with which to paint a picture of the public happiness that existed in the midst of this terrible spectacle, to describe the explosion of burning joy that spread and resounded as far as the scaffold itself? His name, accompanied by curses, is in every mouth; they no longer called him the Incorruptible, the virtuous Robespierre, the mask has fallen away. They execrate him, they blame him for every crime of both committees, they surge forward from the shops, boutiques, and windows. Rooftops are covered with people, thronged by a huge mob of spectators drawn from every class of society, all with only one desire, to see his death. Instead of sitting on a dictator’s throne, he is half-sitting, half-lying in the tumbrel that also holds his accomplices, Couthon and Hanriot. The noise and tumult that accompanies him is composed of a thousand cries and mutual congratulation. His head is enveloped in dirty bloodstained bandages; only half of his pale, ferocious face is visible. His mutilated, disfigured companions look less like animals than wild beasts caught in a trap. Even the burning sun cannot deter the women from exposing the lilies and roses of their delicate cheeks to its rays; they want to see the executioner of these citizens… On the scaffold, the executioner, as if spurred by the public’s hatred, roughly tears away the bandage covering his wounds; he roars like a tiger; his lower jaw snaps off from the upper jaw and blood spurts out, changing this human head into the head of a monster, the most horrible sight imaginable. His two companions, no less hideous in their torn, bloodstained clothing, were the acolytes of this famous criminal, for whose suffering no one can summon a vestige of pity… The crowd surged forward, so as not to miss witnessing the exact second when his head would go beneath the blade, that blade to which he himself had sent so many others. The applause lasted for more than fifteen minutes. 22 heads fell with his.” Le nouveau Paris (1797) volume 6 page 101-104. The descriptor, Louis-Sébastin Mercier (1740-1814) was 54 by the time of the execution. Note that he was actually in prison during Thermidor, and thus cannot really be considered an eye witness.

Taken to the Conciergerie, and a few hours later brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal, which was only to establish his identity, he (Saint-Just) was sent to the scaffold on the evening of 10 Thermidor (July 28, 1794). He marched to the execution with calm and firmness, casting his gaze disdainfully over the immense crowd which served as his escort, and seeming entirely insensitive to the vociferations of the multitude, as well as to the insults heaped upon him by some men who, a few days before, were his accomplices or the servile instruments of his crimes. When his guilty head fell on the scaffold, which he himself had so long watered with innocent blood, Saint-Just was still only 26 and a half years old. Biographie nouvelle des contemporains (1827) volume 18 page 558. The descriptor, Antoine Vincent Arnault, was 28 by the time of the execution.

The pen can only give an imperfect idea of ​​what passed around this poor thing, from the tribunal, where his identity was ascertained, to the place where he satisfied the national vindictiveness. On this road, still deserted the day before when the condemned men passed by, everywhere he met the crowd who, to see him, crowded under the wheels of the tumbrel, slowing down its progress. There wasn’t a look that didn't strike him down, a mouth that didn't insult him, a fist that didn't rise to threaten him. The tongues, so long chained, were loosed; hatred had broken the silence which terror had commanded for twenty months; and as each had only a short time to satisfy such long resentments, each hastened to expectorate the curses heaped up for so long in his heart. Terrifying concert! We had never seen the example of such unanimity: no voice rose to pity him; no face expressed compassion; and yet he was in a pitiful state! A pistol shot had shattered his head, leaving him only enough life to suffer, to feel the pain of his wound and the terror of his inevitable fate. Isolated in the midst of his party, he did not even have the friends that crime gives. Struck with the same blow as he, his accomplices had no more pity for him than he had pity for them. As ferocious as everyone else, I ran to the place of execution, less, however, to feast my eyes on the sufferings of this monster than to convince myself with my eyes of the death of the one whose life threatened that of anything that had life. I ran there to seek certainty that he had not escaped like the day before. I found it. A cry which the pain wrung from him, when the device which covered his wound was removed, broke for the first and the last time the silence which he had kept for twenty-four hours; and at the same moment, from the same place where I had seen Danton disappear, I saw Robespierre disappear. That day did not stop the shedding of blood, but from that day, at least, innocent blood ceased to flow. Before Robespierre's head, several heads had fallen, and among others those of the proud Saint-Just, the sweet Couthon, the ignoble Henriot, and also that of Robespierre the younger, who, accomplice in his revolt, had not been of his tyranny. Public exasperation was so great on this day of revenge, that so generous a devotion, however odious its object, did not even obtain pity. No circumstance, no incident, moreover, gave the execution of Robespierre a character different from that which it was to have had. Danton is ennobled in his last moments; Danton mounted as a hero the horrible trestles to which crime had led him; his courage turned it into a theatre. There was only a scaffold for Robespierre. The universal feeling about the end of this forever execrable man is quite well expressed in this naive epitaph: “Passerby, do not mourn my fate; If I lived, you would be dead.” Souvernirs d’un sexagénarie (1833) volume 2 page 105-108. The descriptor, Antoine Vincent Arnault, was 28 by the time of the execution.

”During the fatal journey, Robespierre’s head was wrapped in a bloody linen, so that you could see only half of his pale and livid face. The horsemen of the escort showed him with the points of their sabers to people eager to see him in this horrible state. When he had arrived at the scaffold, the executioners ripped of the bandage that supported his lower jaw, and snatched from him, with the deepest pain, the only cry that he had uttered during his long agony. This man, that his enemies without cease had represented as shy and even heartless, retained his firmness until the last moment, and fell under the blade without having given the slightest sign of terror. Saint-Just, whom Robespierre draggad with him in his downfall, died with his full constance. None of the outlaws showed weakness. With each cut of the blade, the applause testified the ferocious joy of the spectators, since long too accustumed to eagerly contemplate scenes of carnage. Maximilien Robespierre was 35, Saint-Just 26, Robespierre the younger the same age.” Historie complète de la Révolution française (1834) volume 5 page 325-326. The descriptor, Pierre-François Tissot (1768-1854), was 26 years old by the time of the execution.

The scaffold had been erected in the Place de la Révolution. An immense crowd covered the streets where the procession was to pass, as well as the place of execution. Among Robespierre's enemies, who followed the cart in which he was dragged, and who overwhelmed him with insults and imprecations, Carrier distinguished himself by this continual and furious cry: Death to the tyrant! Robespierre and those who shared his destiny showed perfect impassivity. When he had ascended the steps of the scaffold, the executioner violently tore from him the apparatus which covered his wounds, and delivered him up for a time, pale, disfigured and bleeding, to the gaze of the multitude. 21 of his supporters were guillotined that day with him. We give their names in the lists of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Portrait de Robespierre by anonymous, cited in Histoire Parlamentaire de la Révolution Française (1834-1838) volume 34 page 96-97

I can never forget the day of his execution. The crowd that lined the streets he passed through was immense, and the shouts of joy and vengeance were deafening. I could not make my way to witness his last moments; but it is said to have been a most horrid sight. The executioner tore off the dressings of his fractured jawbone with such brutal violence, that his roar of agony, like that of a wounded lion, or rather tiger, was heard at an incredible distance. Recollections of Republican France 1790 to 1801 (1848) page 317. The descriptor, J.G Millingen, was twelve years old by the time of the execution.

I saw the carts containing the doomed men with their escort proceed on their way through the Rue Saint-Honoré to go to Place de la Révolution. The immense throng obstructed the streets and was an obstacle to the rapid progress of the procession, but the prevailing feeling was not only that of unanimous rejoicing, but of deliverance, and yet this feeling did not venture to break out in words and escape from the hearts so long oppressed until it had become a recorded fact that the ”head of Robespierre had really fallen on the Place de la Révolution.” The baskets of the executioner were then carries away to the cemetery of the Madeleine, and interred in the place designated as the tombe capétienne.  Memoirs of Barras, member of the directorate (1895) volume 1 page 235

[cyberbenb]

17 months of Ukraine’s resistance: Russia-Ukraine war in numbers

Photo: Zelenskyi official telegram channel

Casualties.

As of July 16 25671 civilian casualties were recorded as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including 9 287 killed and 16384 injured according to UN OHCHR. OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations with intense hostilities has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. Since the start of the war, more than 1574 children have been injured or killed by Russian armed forces. 497 children were killed due to military activities, more than 1077 children were injured mostly due to shelling and airstrikes.

Forced migration.

5 868 000 individual Ukrainian refugees were recorded across Europe as of July 18, 2023.

Deportation.

19553 children have been reportedly taken to Russia according to Ukrainian government figures. As of July 26, 385 Ukrainian children have been returned to their families. 

Demining.

About 30% of Ukrainian territory, i. e. 173 530 km2 has been exposed to military operations and will require demining measures. The area, contaminated with land mines, unexploded bombs, artillery shells and other byproducts of fighting already amounts the size of Florida or Uruguay, thus making Ukraine the most mined country in the world.

Demining measures are estimated to take approximately 757 years to complete, under the condition that 500 demining teams will continue operating simultaneously. According to the World Bank it will cost $37.4 billion over the next 10 years.

Environmental security.

On June 30, the first meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War took place in Kyiv. The established International Working Group will focus on three specific areas: (1) assessment of the consequences of war for the environment; (2) developing recommendations for finding mechanisms to bring the aggressor to justice for environmental crimes so that Russia pays in full for the destruction it has caused; and (3) environmental restoration.

According to the Head of the Environmental Safety and Mine Action Department at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russian attacks against the country’s military objects have caused over UAH 305 billion in environmental damage, including over UAH 300 billion as soil pollution caused by waste from the ruined infrastructure; about UAH 700 million as soil contamination with petroleum products and other dangerous chemical substances; about UAH 4 billion as unorganized emissions of pollutants into the air. He also noted that the amount of the damage caused to the forests is about UAH 7 million.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, as a result of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station explosion, almost all the fish in the reservoir were practically wiped out. In total, at least 11388 tons of fish have been lost.

As a consequence of Russians blowing up the Kakhovka dam, 100% of the Lower Dnipro National Park territory has been flooded. The rise in water levels resulted in a massive loss of animal and plant species unique to the area. According to preliminary estimates, the damage caused by the Kakhovka dam explosion to the Lower Dnipro National Park is approximately UAH 46.5 billion.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the estimated amount of losses caused to the environment by the dam explosion is approximately $1.5 billion. Around 150 tons of oil leaked during the explosion. The salinity level of the Black Sea near Odessa is nearly three times lower than the norm, Kyiv School of Economics said in its report as of June 30.

Food security.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics, as a consequence of Russians blowing up the Kakhovka dam, the destruction of crop plantations, livestock, and fish stocks has resulted in agricultural damages of $25 million. Moreover, the Kakhovka Reservoir was used to supply water for irrigation systems and livestock farming across a total area of 584,000 hectares. As a result, indirect losses for crop production are projected to increase by $182 million annually. Other sectors of the industry will be losing up to $49 million per year.

Energy security.

The energy sector accounts for over a quarter of the total damages caused by the explosion at the hydroelectric power plant, amounting to $586 million. Total damages to the sector are $624 mln. The annual economic losses incurred by the state-owned company Ukrhydroenergo due to the destruction of the power station exceed $100 million.

Education.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 3536 education institutions have suffered bombing and shelling, 3199 of them have been damaged and 337 have been destroyed completely. 

Culture.

As of 25 June, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, more than 664 cultural heritage sites were damaged or destroyed, excluding cultural infrastructure such as libraries or other institutions located in modern buildings. 24 of them were destroyed completely.

As for cultural infrastructure objects, as of June 26, 1582 objects have suffered damage, about one third (585) were completely destroyed. In particular, 598 Ukrainian libraries have been damaged since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

29 objects of the cultural heritage were damaged on a single night of July 23, when Russian missiles attacked Odesa. Due to the enemy attack, the buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries were damaged, including the Manuk-Bey Mansion, the Porro House, the Chyzhevych House, the Zhdanova House, the Kovalevskiy House, the Mashevsky House, and others. In addition, the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was under UNESCO protection, the House of Scientists, and the Zhvanetskiy Boulevard were destroyed.

Media.

In the year and five months since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed 524 crimes against journalists and media in Ukraine. In July 2023 five freedom of speech violations committed by Russia were recorded. Namely, injuring reporters. Moreover, during the seventeenth month of the war, four media workers who defended Ukraine from the Russian invaders were killed on the frontline: Konstiantyn Hnietsky and Dmytro Rybakov. As of July 24, a total of 65 media workers died in Ukraine, with 10 of those dying while reporting. Furthermore, five media workers (both Ukrainian and foreign) were injured in the seventeenth month of the war.

The post 17 months of Ukraine’s resistance: Russia-Ukraine war in numbers first appeared on Share the Truth. Updates from Ukraine.

[hsjpanya]

Purchasing Real Estate - Active Or Passive?

Many investors happen to be turned off by real estate because they do not have the time or inclination to become landlords and property managers, both of which are actually, a career in themselves. If the investor is a rehabber and / or wholesaler, real estate becomes more of a business rather than the investment. Many successful property "investors" are actually real estate "operators" in the real property business. Fortunately, there are other ways pertaining to passive investors to enjoy many of the secure and inflation explanation benefits of real estate investing without the hassle. Active participation throughout property investing has many advantages. Middlemen fees, charged through syndicators, brokers, property managers and asset managers are generally eliminated, possibly resulting in a higher rate of return. Farther, you as the investor make all decisions; for more effective or worse the bottom line responsibility is yours. Even, the active, direct investor can make the decision to sell while he wants out (assuming that a market exists just for his property at a price sufficient to pay off all liens and encumbrances). Passive investment in real estate is the utilize side of the coin, offering many advantages of its own. Place or mortgage assets are selected by professional investment managers, who spent full time investing, analyzing and curbing real property. Often , these professionals can negotiate smaller prices than you would be able to on your own. Additionally , when a volume of individual investor's money is pooled, the passive individual is able to own a share of property much larger, healthier, more profitable, and of a better investment class in comparison to the active investor operating with much less capital. Most properties is purchased with a mortgage note for a large part of the purchase price. While the use of leverage has many advantages, the individual real estate investor would most likely have to personally guarantee the note, positioning his other assets at risk. As a passive investor, typically the limited partner or owner of shares in a Investment Trust would have no liability exposure over the amount of first investment. The direct, active investor would likely be unable to diversify his portfolio of properties. With ownership only three, 3 or 4 properties the investor's capital can be easily injured or wiped out by an isolated problem at only one among his properties. The passive investor would likely own a smallish share of a large diversified portfolio of properties, therefore lowering risk significantly through diversification. With portfolios regarding 20, 30 or more properties, the problems of any one or perhaps two will not significantly hurt the performance of the account as a whole. Types of Passive Real Estate Investments REITs Real Estate Investment Trusts are companies that own, manage and operate source of income producing real estate. They are organized so that the income produced will be taxed only once, at the investor level. By law, REITs have got to pay at least 90% of their net income as dividends in their shareholders. Hence REITs are high yield vehicles who also offer a chance for capital appreciation. There are at this time about 180 publicly traded REITs whose shares are actually listed on the NYSE, ASE or NASDAQ. REITS are skilled by property type (apartments, office buildings, malls, warehouses, hotels, etc . ) and by region. Investors can get dividend yields in the 5-9 % range, ownership through high quality real property, professional management, and a decent danger for long term capital appreciation. Real Estate Mutual Funds You can get over 100 Real Estate Mutual Funds. Most invest in a find portfolio of REITs. Others invest in both REITs along with other publicly traded companies involved in real estate ownership and realty development. Real estate mutual funds offer diversification, professional control and high dividend yields. Unfortunately, the investor concluded on paying two levels of management fees and expenses; one particular set of fees to the REIT management and an additional administration fee of 1-2% to the manager of the mutual fill. Real Estate Limited Partnerships Limited Partnerships are a way to commit to real estate, without incurring a liability beyond the amount of your own investment. However , an investor is still able to enjoy the features about appreciation and tax deductions for the total value from the property. LPs can be used by landlords and developers to obtain, build or rehabilitate rental housing projects using other's money. Because of the high degree of risk involved, investors on Limited Partnerships expect to earn 15% + annually on the invested capital. Limited Partnerships allow centralization of managing, through the general partner. They allow sponsors/developers to maintain deal with of their projects while raising new equity. The words and phrases of the partnership agreement, governing the on-going relationship, will be set jointly by the general and limited partner(s). After the partnership is established, the general partner makes all day to evening operating decisions. Limited partner(s) may only take radical action if the general partner defaults on the terms of your partnership agreement or is grossly negligent, events which could lead to removal of the general partner. The LPs appear in all shapes and sizes, some are public funds with numerous limited partners, others are private funds with only 3 or 4 friends investing $25, 000 each.

[writer-at-heart96]

Life Works in mysterious ways - Chapter 1

Summary of the story: 

Maureen is just a small town girl fighting for her dream to become an author. what seemed to have been shitty start to a shitty year suddenly turns into the beginning of a wonderful story which many girls can only dream off. Join Maureen as she starts a new chapter in her life. Does Have some R rated scenes but they are few and in between and can be skipped.

****

For five days now Maureen had been in New York for the last five days now. It was the last place she had expected to be after the start she'd had in 2018. late last month she'd decided that years of practice better make good on something. A year of dedicated work of finishing one of her many stories, only a handful original, it seemed to be the right time. If you didn't take a chance once in a while, she wouldn't get them out there anyway. She'd sent them off to several publishers in the UK and states. She needed to know if one of her biggest passions was worth the time she put in it.

Over the months, the answers had slowly started to trickle in. She'd written her story in English being a Dutch native speaker it had required some practice and definitely a challenge. She thought there was no point of approaching a Dutch publishing house. The reason she'd written in English was to reach a broader public in the first place.

So far all six answer of them had been a definite no. Something always seemed to be lacking for them. She couldn't hold it against them really. She was a first-time writer, not a professional writer. What did she know about anything of publishing, except for the writing part and she wasn't even sure about that?

But for the sixth one, she had at least been given a meeting, willing to meet with her. The meeting had been pretty quickly over when Maureen learned that they had wanted to buy the rights, just to pass it on to someone else. Basically earning money from her passion and love for writing, without them paying much at all. She'd literally walked out of that meeting, not even wanting to deal with such cheats, she'd rather not get published than to work with them. It was her passion, yes and she hadn't been paid for it for years, it didn't mean she loved it any less. But she wanted it to be her name on that book, not someone else giving the impression they had written it.

One thing she'd done right before she'd sent her work off, she'd gotten all the rights to it, beforehand. No one even if they wanted to screw her over could take her story and make it theirs. She might only have just turned 22 but she wasn't blind to the world's unfairness.

And then out of the blue, yesterday the last and final publisher had called her up. Inviting her over to New York to discuss a possible contract with her. Whether it was luck or faith she didn't know, but she was already in New York. She took it however after the year she'd had she was willing to go all unplanned about. Her gut feeling was something that she always went by, but lately, she'd forgotten how to do it. She was taken back the control, however. So she told them she could meet up anytime they wanted.

The meet had been set up for the very next morning, which had been earlier today. And to say that Maureen was still reeling from the surprise she'd gotten there was an understatement. Penguin Random House had decided through the acquisition meeting earlier that week that they wanted to work either. They wanted her to be one of their authors and her book to be one of their acquisitions. Knowing that there wouldn't be any other offer, cause all of them had said no by now, she agreed. All you needed was one yes between no's, right?

She'd been introduced to her editor, a middle-aged no-nonsense kind of woman. She was given a cheque for 20 000£ just so they could have the right to be published. Then there was a whole lot of things added to it which made up part of the contract. Her book was to be published two months from now. They seemed to be having quite a bit of faith in her book at this point. Something the world would like and want right now and they wanted to be the ones to publish it and offer it to the world. From the moment her books had sold enough copies to make up for the advance that she'd received, the royalties would kick in. They weren't small either, to begin with. Ebooks 60% of the selling price, softcovers 15%, Hardcovers 12%. If her book sold a certain amount of books by a certain date, the royalties would go up to 70% for ebooks, 25% for hardcovers and 30% softcovers.

Not that she understood much of it or the capacity of it all. She'd been ready to just get her book out of there and she readily sighed the deal. Tomorrow she'd meet up with Kathleen again, to make a cover for her books and then they'd be sent off to print.

Right now though she needed a moment to collect herself and overcome the hectic and unbelievable morning she'd had. So many people had told her, whenever she had a dream that she wouldn't be able to do it, wouldn't be able to accomplish anything in other words. Yet here she was, she had just gotten her book published or rather about to be published. The regret that she hadn't pushed through at 12 when she wanted to do the same for acting was very much present. Now more so that she had finally been able to accomplish something as big as this. Well maybe she shouldn't write it off anymore, anything was a possibility when you worked hard enough for it.

New York had always been in her top ten places she ever wanted to visit. Now being here, that in itself was a surreal experience as well. Damn if she wasn't going to get the most out of it. So far she'd been stuck in two museums most of the time: The MET and the Natural History Museum. Back and from between the two of them, she simply couldn't stop the love she had for those two as a history geek, both human and that of the earth.

Walking through the Greek and Roman section of the MET after going through the medieval part. Even though she'd been there before, she simply couldn't help but let her eyes wander once more. There was something intriguing about the biggest collection that represented pretty much every civilization.

When she felt someone bump into her, she turned to look at a tall and big man to her right. Maureen stumbled a lit as she bumped into a bench on her left as the man took her arm and apologised. "I'm sorry Miss. are you alright?" he asked her as he helped her stand up straight again.

"It's alright, don't worry. It's easy to get distracted into all these beautiful objects," she told the tall and handsome man to her right whilst she rubbed the side of her leg where she'd bumped into the seat.

'Wow.' she thought to herself when she watched the guy with black curly hair and bright blue eyes and a bright smile on his face.

"That it is." he agreed with her in what seemed to be a weak British accent. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself too badly?" he asked her as he strained his neck to look at her leg, which a bruise was forming already, she could feel it.

"I'm sure the bench didn't injure itself too badly," she told him with a small chuckle as she gazed at the bench beside her as the guy let out a chuckle of his own. "Well, in that case, I think I should be apologising to the bench," he noted, looking at the bench for a split second with that smile that made her a little faint in the knees.

"I think you should." she agreed with an amused seriousness and sheepish smile in his direction. "Anyway, I best be on my way, before I bump into any more benches," she noted with red cheeks as she tucked a strand of her escaped brunette locks behind her ear.

"At least let me buy you a drink to make it up to you?" he asked her as he walked after the witty and seemingly intriguing woman, who was glad to be off.

He hadn't expected to be running into anyone today, not at all. He had a baseball cap over his head, hiding a little from everyone. He loved coming here and admiring the physical proof of all those brilliant civilizations in ancient times. He'd been admiring the statues in such a manner, he hadn't noticed the small young women doing the same. She'd made him smile within a moment of meeting him, which didn't very often and certainly not after the day he'd had. His baseball cap seemed to be doing a pretty good job at hiding his identity as well as she didn't seem to recognise him at all.

"My mothers always taught me to never accept anything from strangers. Particularly handsome and clumsy ones." she teased him with a smile thrown over her shoulder as she kept on walking from sight. Shaking his head a little, he couldn't imagine what had happened in the last five minutes.

Here was this beautiful young woman, admiring things that most her age wouldn't be interested in at all. Yet she'd seemed to be lost in her admiration for the works around them. Running towards the direction she'd disappeared to. He shook his head a little when he noticed she was completely gone.

What was he thinking for crying out loud? He'd come here to escape things and not get recognised. To admire the works in this great museum. Not to get recognise and flirt with a young woman.

***

Having been in the offices of Penguin publishing house for almost the entire day. She'd been sat together with the graphic designer for the cover. Sat together with her literary agent together to get a more overall look at the company and such.

"When are you leaving?" Kathleen asked the young woman as she gathered her stuff in order to head towards the airport. She'd decided on the cover for her book, written her dedication page to published along with her book. Now it was time to head back home and wait till her book got published on June 25th to be exact.

"In four hours," Maureen told her as she looked at the clock on the wall. "You better get a move on then. Manhattan traffic is no joke." Kathleen told her with a smile and hint of amusement. "I will," Maureen assured her with a smile of her own as she stuffed her things in her handbag.

"I'll call you when we need something of you. Just get working on that sequel we can't wait for it." Kathleen told her as she came to stand before Maureen as the two women said goodbye to each other and Maureen was off to catch her flight.

She went to pick up her luggage she'd made that morning before she'd left to go to the offices and she was off. It had been a lousy hotel she'd been staying, it hadn't been much. But it had been all she could afford and she couldn't complain in the end. She got to see New York and she had her book being published. Her family had cut in a little, all trying to get her to New York, even though they were convinced she wouldn't be able to do it. Their thoughts had probably been that if she heard it from the actual people that went into business with authors, she'd all of a sudden realise that she wouldn't be worth quid. Well, that had failed massively, she wasn't sure if her book was going to be a success, but at least she got a chance to try it out. Earlier that week she'd told them that she hadn't succeeded after Bloomsbury. It had been to her own surprise when Penguin called in after that. They would certainly be in for a surprise when she told them that bit. Just the way she liked it.

Hurrying over to Check-in, she dropped her luggage off and made her way through the airport. She had her usual game at customs when she needed to be checked when the alarm went off. Once she made it past that stage, she hurried over to the gate. She'd been a bit too late at the check-in and her plane was leaving in five minutes. She was definitely cutting it short today.

"You need to be on this flight?" the gate attended asked her when an already apologetic tone went in her voice, Maureen had a sinking feeling. "I do," she confirmed with a small nod of her head as she adjusted her handbag on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but somehow our flight got overbooked and we don't have any place available." The gate attended informed Maureen who was slowly starting to shake her head in disbelief. "No that can't be." Maureen tried, almost willing it not to be true as her head tilted to the side.

"Isn't there any other way I can get home?" Maureen asked her as her mind was starting to run in all directions for a moment. She needed to get home. there was no way she'd be able to buy a new ticket home, temporarily forgetting the big cheque she'd just gotten. It had already been a fuss for her to get to New York and get a hotel to begin with.

"Let me have a look." the woman told her with a soft reassuring smile as she turned to look on her computer and she made a call. "It seems we'll be able to bump you up to first class." The woman informed her as Maureen nodded her head, any way to get home would great at this point.

"Will I have to pay more for it?" she worried with a deep sigh as the woman shook her head. "No, it's the airline's mistake. We have one more seat open and the problem should be solved that way." The woman explained to the seemingly eager young woman in front of her.

"Thank god." she chuckled in relief as the attended gave her a comforting smile. "No problem," she assured her as she instructed Maureen what to do to get to the plane and to First Class. Once there she was met with a flight attended who showed her to her window seat.

She couldn't help but let her eyes wander over the first class though when she walked into it. It was so much more than normal class and she wasn't going to complain about the mistake about this point anymore. She noticed a guy sitting in the seat beside her, but couldn't see his face as she sat down, the barrier up between them.

Placing her handbag and computer in the right compartment she let herself relax in the seat. Her heart finally calming down after the rush of first trying to get there in time. and to then rush through the giant airport and to then have to worry about the possibility of not being able to get home. The hostess handed her a flute of champagne, promising Maureen it was all with the upgrade and for the trouble they may have caused.

Looking out the window, she felt herself relax as the plane went down the runway and up in the air. Turning over Manhattan, she couldn't help but be glued to the window. She'd always been fascinated by flying and it hadn't lessened with time. She turned to her left when she heard a noise. Realising it was the barrier having fallen down she came face to face with the guy who'd run into her the day before.

"Oh no," she muttered, wanting to sink through the floor of the plane as the guy chuckled whilst shaking his head. "It seems we meet again," he told her as she nodded her head with an amused expression on her face.

"So it seems. I planned to have you run into me yesterday and to then get upgraded to first class," she told him in her usual wit as she shook his head in amusement. "Really?" he grinned at her as she let out a small chuckle. "No, the flight got overbooked, was running late and they upgraded me here," she explained not wanting to give the guy the wrong impression that she was used to flying first class.

"Happens to the best of us," he told her as she rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement at the same time.

"You ran off pretty quickly yesterday." he pointed out as she tilted her head to the side. "Invisibility power," she told him with a failed attempt at seriousness as he shook his head with a smile on his face.

"You'll have to teach me." he grinned at her in a cheeky manner as she rolled her lower lip between her teeth, a smile on her face. What the hell was she doing? Here was plain old fat Maureen, a guy who'd never looked twice in her direction. Yet here was this guy handsome guy and they were bantering back and forth and both of them seemed to be enjoying it as well. Maybe liking it a bit too much for their own good.

"Henry," he told her as his hand extended over the barrier between them. "I remember you telling me you didn't let strangers buy you a drink. At least my name is a start," he explained with a smile when she tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner when he'd told her his name and offered his hand.

"Maureen," she told him, slipping her way smaller hand into his soft and much bigger one. "Now I can buy you that drink," he told her with a chuckle and she couldn't help but smile and shake her head in amusement as a giddy feeling filled her chest. "Maureen, not a common name," he noted, his head tilted to the side in thought.

"Maybe, I don't know many Maureen's where I'm from." she agreed as she tucked her legs under her. "Where are you from?" he wondered as he moved his body towards her as his head tilted to the side in a sexy manner.

"Belgium, You?" she asked him, realising she was falling into her easy routine of being able to talk to basically anyone. Put her in a room with a hundred stranger and let her out the next day. The chance was huge she'd have talked to them all and gotten to know them. It was a trait she loved having. She could meet anyone and start chatting them up, getting to talk them about whatever it was.

"Jersey, an island of the French Coast, but it belongs to England," he explained and she nodded her head in understanding. "Long way from home," she noted rhetorically, not that she was close to home either.

"For both of us," he noted as she nodded her head. He couldn't help but be intrigued. More so than he cared to admit to himself. Even without the baseball cap, she didn't seem to be recognising him at all.

She was a pretty spontaneous, witty and loveable person. Her elegant and beautiful looks weren't too bad either to look at. They'd been in their flight for two hours, had their dinner together with the barrier down and their continuous talking. It wasn't hard, there seemed to be an ease between the both of them. It wasn't forced or anything, just natural to be two strangers, only having met each other for a moment the day before. They were both intrigued by the other and interested to learn their stories for being where they were at that moment. But most of all they were the pleasant company that kept them from getting bored on the flight. It seemed they had a lot of things in common, a lot of passions to be talking about. They hit it right off from the bat, certainly for their mutual love and respect for history and ancient civilizations. A sense of chemistry hung between them and neither could explain it. Nor did they want to for they were enjoying it way too much.

"what' such a lovely woman from Belgium doing in the big apple on her own?" he wondered, so far he'd learned they had a common love for a lot of their seemingly common interests. Her love for history, art, ancient civilizations, books, preservation, animals, the list seemed to be adding on with each second. She had a love for his country that most Brits lacked, she seemed to be a Brit in anything but her nationality.

"I came to New York to get my book published," she admitted with an honest tone as she tucked her legs back under her before turning her body in his direction.

"Really?" he asked her in a surprise and even more intrigue than before as she nodded her head. "Out of seven publishers, I sent my work too. I had one willing to take a chance on it. So I haven't had a bad week so far." she told him as redness rose to her cheeks and sheepish smile played on her lips.

"What is it about?" he wondered. Someone with a love for the things she had, it couldn't possibly be a boring story. "Guess you'll have to find out when it gets published on June 25th," she told him with a teasing and cheeky tone and he couldn't help but smile and shake his head at her manners.

"A small preview?" he asked her as she tilted her head to the side in thought. "I'd like to think it's something different to what's out there already," she told him with a passionate tone and far off look in her eyes. "That's no answer," he told her with a small nudge of his elbow as they sat beside each other in the bar of the plane.

"It's about strength, mystery and rising up to expectations. I can't give away to much," she told him with a small smile before lifting the glass of wine to her lips and taking a sip. "Alright." he agreed, knowing all too well what that was not being able or not being allowed to tell anything.

"Did you always want to write books. You're only 22 after all." he wondered as she gave him a small smile, before returning her glass to rest on the bar. "Not really," she admitted with a snort and shake of her head.

"I wanted to be different things growing up, just like anyone I would suspect." she started and he nodded his head understandingly. "Promise me you won't laugh?" she asked him and he nodded his head softly. She'd been mocked by enough people whenever she spoke of this desire, this dream she wished would one day become a reality.

"In the final year in primary school, it was customary for the class to perform a play." she continued, telling her biggest desire above all else for such a long time now, ten years to be exact. Well, that beside her passion and dream for writing, learning and expanding her growing knowledge.

"I was sold from the start. I just fell in love with how you could tell a story by pretending to be something or someone else for a while. I always loved movies, I admit I was more intrigued by the behind the scenes than the actual movies." she admitted with a chuckle and shake of her head as she had his undivided attention on her.

But he couldn't help it when a small tinge of fear settled in his chest. Scared she'd been keeping him for a fool this entire time. But he didn't want to believe that someone as genuine as the woman in front of him would be the person to do that. He knew people, he understood them quite a bit through his years of meeting people and acting. So he decided to follow his gut and keep listening. If she truly did know she'd admit it at one point, even by accident.

"I was intrigued by them, so when we finished. I had to make a decision of what I was going to do in secondary school. I told my mum about it that I wanted to go to acting school." Maureen paused as she looked down at her hand in her lap for a moment. "she just laughed at me and told me to pick a real course that would lead to a real job. that I should grow up and not hold on to such a funny, unattainable and stupid dreams and hopes." She told him with an empty chuckle and shake of her head.

"I was told so often that I finally made the decision to go somewhere else with my life. I don't regret it, cause it's led me here, but still, I have some regret of not having pushed through on that dream. Maybe I wasn't mean to do that though." she told him with a small shrug of her shoulder as she took another sip of her glass of wine.

"Maybe it'll still come your way," he told her with a small smile as she tilted her head to the side. "We'll see," she noted, looking down at her glass as she twirled it around in her hand. "So how did you get into writing?" he wondered with a smile.

"I used to hate reading, whenever we had to do a book summary for school, I just looked it up. I didn't see the point of wasting my time with reading a book," she told him with a small chuckle. "And then I started reading the fanfictions of the stories and movies I loved. Mostly it was Lord of the rings and Chronicles of Narnia. And then at one point, I started with the originals you know." she explained with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"And you fell in love with reading," he stated as Maureen nodded her head with a smile. "From that point on I was either reading the books or fanfictions. And then at one point, I figured why shouldn't I try my hand at it." she continued with a small smile and sigh as she took a break to take a sip of her glass.

"At fanfiction, so I did. One story became two and then three and now I have over 15 fanfictions where I still work on regularly, to escape. The more I wrote, the better I like to think I got and I loved it. I loved putting what I knew into these stories so others were able to learn something from it as well." she paused as he nodded his head in understanding.

"I loved getting the positive reviews, I loved getting emerged into these worlds that I got to create. Knowing I was creating an escape for other people when they read it. And in a lot of ways, it was the same as acting, getting emerged into something that wasn't me to tell a story." she told him with a such a passionate voice he realised how much she loved it. She couldn't hide it, her voice portraying her feelings. He realised that writing was such a deep and almost embedded into her. He simply couldn't look away from her. Her bluish eyes became more alive and bright when she started talking about it. He could read her like an open book and it wasn't hard to do either.

"And then I turned to making original stories, which is why I'm here," she told him with a shrug of her shoulders. "I ignored people telling it wasn't a real job this time. I just followed my heart and gut, something I should have done ten years earlier. But maybe I wouldn't have written the stories that I have had I gone and done that." she told him with a tilt of her head as she let out a small sigh.

"Whatever will be will be," he noted as she nodded her head in agreement. She couldn't have said it better herself. "Couldn't agree more." she agreed, looking into his eyes and both of them felt a shiver go down their spines.

"So what's a nice guy from Jersey doing in the big apple?" she asked him, repeating the same question he'd asked her earlier. "Promise not to scream, yell or act any different?" he asked her as she raised a brow in his direction, a questioning look in her eyes.

"Alright," she noted with a small smile and nod of her head after a moment of silence and looking into his eyes for an answer. "I promise," she added with another nod of her head. "I came to do an audition for a new project," he told her as her eyes widened a bit and her head tilted to the side. "For a movie?" she questioned, not knowing of where this conversation had suddenly turned to.

"Yes, I'm an actor," he told her, just having heard her own desire to have been one at such a young age. Funnily enough, they had found their desire to act in the same way and manner, by doing a play in school and having fallen in love with it. He noticed the change in her eyes and braced himself against what was to come, the change there would certainly be. He knew this couldn't last.

"Really?" she asked him, surprising him a bit. "Yes." he chuckled with a nod of his head. "Anything I would know?" she wondered as both of them reached to take a sip from their glass of wine. "Superman, Justice League, Batman vs Superman, Tudors, Man from U.N.C.L.E." he listed as she let out a chuckle and shake of disbelief.

"No way, I've been meaning to get to this, just never found the time to do it," she admitted with an honest tone and he felt his heart relax a little. The look in her eye only conveyed honesty and truth. He was glad and relieved that she wasn't changing her manner around him so far.

"I'll definitely have to get to see them now." she chuckled with a raise of her brow in a cheeky manner. "What do you love about it the most?" she asked him with a true and honest manner. It reminded him of how he'd approached Russell Crowe all those years ago. He couldn't believe it still though. Here was a young woman, having dreamt to be an actress herself. Having been told time and time again she couldn't be and do it. Now he'd just told her he was an actor and a pretty known one at that. Those who she apparently hadn't gotten to and she wasn't treating him like any other would have. Her first question wasn't if she could get an autograph or picture of them together. No, she continued treating him like she'd done before. He could have told her he was the President and she still wouldn't have changed her ways of talking to him.

"Same as you I suppose," he admitted with a small chuckle and smile on his lips. "Telling a story, teaching someone even if it's a new moral through storytelling and acting, pretending to be someone else you aren't," he explained as she nodded her head in an understanding manner. Her head tilted to him in full attention as she listened.

"Do you like playing Superman?" she wondered with a chuckle as he nodded his head. "Loved it." he grinned at her and she let out a small chuckle.

"What would you like to do in the future?" She asked him, her head tilted to the other side as she held a true interest in what he had to say. "Playing Alexander the Great," he told her immediately and she let out a small chuckle.

"No way." she grinned at him. "I think you'd be great at it," she told him with certainty as she nodded her head at him. "What would you like to play?" he wondered if she'd had the choice of playing anything.

"Something with space," she told him off the bat with a chuckle and shake of her head. "He'd heard about her love for space and how it had ignited her hunger for knowledge in her. "And strong women," she told him with a grin as he nodded his head in understanding. He couldn't imagine her portraying anything but strong women. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling that she'd already seen her fair share of things in life. It was in the depth in her eyes and the way she spoke about things. She was wise beyond her years and he couldn't help but want to know more about her. He wished their flight would last longer, just for that reason.

As the end of their flight neared, Maureen was having that same wish of wanting to extend their flight as well. She loved talking to Henry, she didn't mind that he was an actor. In her mind, she had come to know him as a person first and then came to know he was an actor. Or maybe it was cause she had no context or had any idea of how a big of a deal he actually was.

The thing she cared about the most was that he didn't look at her the wrong way for being a bit curvy. Something she had started working on before she'd left for New York. She didn't want to stay this way and now that she realised she could accomplish things, she was even more determined than ever to get herself in shape.

He got to know her and he didn't call her a woman with a big mouth or someone that needed to learn where their place was. They had an almost endless list of interests for some unknown reason. Henry was thinking the same thing but in a different way all at once. They couldn't believe they'd walked into each other like that, two days after one another. To find someone just like that with whom you had an instant connection with.

When they landed in Heathrow, he turned to her as the plane was being taxed. "So I have to be in Belgium for some research next week. Maybe we could meet up, you could show me around a little?" he asked her with a hopeful tone, wanting some more time to talk to her and get to know her. "I'd like that." she agreed, not knowing what had gotten into her on this entire flight but she pulled out her phone and handed it to him.

"Why don't we exchange numbers and you can send me a text or call me when you get there?" she suggested as she held out her phone. He took her phone immediately and typed in his number. "My number." he started to say as he looked up at her, pausing from his typing.

"For my eyes only, I won't let it get into another person's hands," she promised, holding up her hand as she gave him a reassuring smile. Giving her a grateful smile, he turned back to her phone, continuing to type his number, before giving his phone for her to do the same. "You do the same when you come to London," he told her as she nodded her head.

"Why don't you come and visit me on set sometime this summer?" he asked her as she gave him a small smile. "Maybe I should," she noted as they got up and walked off of the plane together.

"I'll see you next week." He told her as he dropped her off at her gate for Brussels. "Next week." she agreed with a nod of her head and smile on her face.

"Thanks for not making it a boring flight," she told him with a chuckle as she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Have a good night," she told him as she waved at him over her shoulder as she walked down the gate to get to her plane.

With a shake of his head and making sure his baseball cap was in place he headed for the exit. Pulling out his phone, he couldn't help but send her a text.

"Thanks for making my flight more interesting. :-p."

"I couldn't let Superman bore to death. :-p." was her quick reply and he couldn't help but shake his head in laughter. Oh, she was a breath of fresh air that was for sure, especially in a world where a lot of women just wanted to please him.

Maureen’s outfits 

Meeting Henry 

Going on the plane 

[kasperelectric]

Why to Hire an Electrician in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, Florida

​According to studies, there are approximately 1000 deaths reported per year due to electrical injuries. More or less 400 people die due to high-voltage electrical injuries. As many as 300 people succumb to electrical hazards. More terribly, at least 30 000 shock incidents are reported per year. In most cases, the casualty or injuries happen due to the casual approach of the deceased or injured to the electricity. Poor handling of the electrical appliance causes several mishaps. Hence, hiring the services of an electrician in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, Florida, is essential. Like any other appliances in the home, electrical systems require necessary upkeep and maintenance. Periodic servicing keeps the system in good working order, ensuring a long lifespan. Moreover, with expert electricians handling the problem areas, chances of electrocution, shocks, and injuries are reduced to a minimum. Proper care of the system will keep it operating at its peak, too. They Can Figure Out the Real Issue: Handling electrical appliances is a demanding job. The reason to hire an electrician is that they can instantly find out what’s wrong with the system. On-time repair and replacement will reduce the damage a home takes on. Gather as much information as possible about an electrician before hiring for the job. A little bit of research and legwork will help one find the right hire for the undertaking. Adding on New Outlets: When adding new outlets to a home, homeowners might want to find the right electrician to complete the job. The process is a little complicated as it entails running a wire and getting the new outlet installed at once. No wonder self-handling of this job can lead to many problems that might worsen, thereby resulting in unnecessary reworks and repairs. Finding Problems Before They Become a Big Issue A professional electrician is trained and qualified to detect the small issues in the system even before it becomes a significant problem. By engaging an electrician to inspect the system, a homeowner will have the problems detected and addressed without delay. Devote a considerable amount of time and effort into each of the electricians in the area to find the best fit for the job. It could be a little laborious and time-consuming, but it will be more than worth it in the end. Scheduled or preventive maintenance boosts home electric safety by multiple folds: A seasoned electrician can tell which components need to be replaced or repaired or which components might go off shortly. Letting an expert professional manage the electrical maintenance schedule will ensure that the building and equipment remain compliant and operational. Today, homeowners can save a lot of money and time by engaging an electrician for the job. They can take the trouble of fixing things up for the clients. They also provide clients with free inspection and quotes. Before making a hiring decision, be sure to compare the prices and find the right electrician for the job. Apart from fixing the necessary electrical appliance, they can also install landscape lighting in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, Florida. Irrespective of the electrical needs, reach out to the nearby electrician and find their services to fix the system.

[bzalma]

Limited Stacking Provisions in Auto Policies Limits Recovery of UM/UIM Benefits

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Barry Zalma

RTFP (Read the Full Policy)

Benefits Limited to Statutory Limits

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (“American Family”) appealed the entry of summary judgment in favor of Ms. Courtney Jones (“Jones”) on her claim for additional uninsured motorist (“UM”) benefits under two policies insuring two vehicles she was not driving at the time of her accident. In Courtney Jones v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., No. WD84018, Court of Appeals of Missouri, Western District, Third Division (August 24, 2021) the insurer asked the Court of Appeals to limit the recovery to that required by state statute.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On August 4, 2017, Jones was traveling on Southwest 3rd Street in Lee’s Summit, Jackson County, Missouri, when a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction turned left in front of Jones, causing a wreck. Jones was insured under two automobile insurance policies and one motorcycle policy issued by American Family under which Jones was insured (all three policies are referred to collectively as “the policies”). The wreck was the direct and proximate result of the negligence of the other driver, who was an uninsured motorist as that term was defined in the policies. When the wreck occurred, Jones was driving the 2014 Toyota Sequoia, which was insured under the Sequoia policy.

American Family paid Jones $150,000 in UM benefits: $100, 000 under the Sequoia policy and the $25,000 Missouri Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) minimum limit under the Camry and Cycle policies.

Jones sued American Family seeking an additional $150,000 in UM benefits, for a total of $300,000 in UM coverage under the three policies. The parties stipulated that Jones’s damages from her injuries caused by the other driver’s negligence were at least $300,000.

The parties each filed motions for summary judgment and the trial court denied American Family’s motion, ranted Jones’s motion, and entered judgment in her favor and against American Family in the amount of $150, 000 on July 31, 2020.

The trial court determined that the owned-vehicle exclusion was unenforceable in all three insurance policies. The trial court concluded that the policies were: “ambiguous, when read as a whole, because the policies unequivocally and unconditionally promise $300,000 in UM coverage . . . but then, in a manner that would be confusing and ambiguous to a lay person when a policy attempts to take away coverage in the Exclusions section of the Endorsement 53 to the Uninsured Motorist Coverage-Missouri.

ANALYSIS

The parties agree that there are three policies; that the Declarations page of each policy states $100,000 UM coverage; that the Declarations page of each policy expressly notes in capitalized and bold letters – “PLEASE READ YOUR POLICY”; and that Jones is entitled to $100,000 in UM coverage under the American Family policy on the Sequoia, the vehicle involved in the accident.

American Family asserts that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to Jones and in denying its cross-motion for summary judgment because the court misapplied the law. American Family contended that the owned-vehicle exclusion and the minimum-financial-responsibility clause, when read together with all other applicable coverage provisions of the UM policies, unambiguously limits the UM coverage under the Camry and Cycle policies to the $25,000 per person minimum required by the MVFRL. Therefore, American Family argued that stacked UM coverage is limited to a maximum total of $150,000 per person (i.e., $100,000 of UM coverage from the Sequoia Policy and $25,000 apiece from the Camry and Cycle policies).

The purpose of UM coverage is to take the place of the liability coverage the insured would have received had he or she been involved in an accident with an insured motorist. Under the MVFRL, an automobile liability insurance policy must provide UM coverage “for the protection of persons insured thereunder who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners or operators of uninsured motor vehicles because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death, resulting therefrom.” [§ 379.203.1.] Public policy flowing from this statutory requirement requires that multiple uninsured motorist coverages must be allowed to be stacked.

The minimum-financial-responsibility clause in each policy provides UM coverage of $25,000. Policyholders are informed that coverage will be provided up to the statutory minimum, here $25,000 per person, if the insured is injured while occupying a vehicle he or she owns but is not covered by the same policy covering the vehicle involved in the accident.

The mere presence of an exclusion does not render an insurance policy ambiguous. The appellate court is required to consider the entire policy and not just isolated provisions and it, eventually did so and ruled in favor of the insurer. The appellate court is compelled to enforce unambiguous policy language as written. Consistent with case precedent interpreting similar and even identical owned-vehicle exclusion clauses, the court concluded that the owned-vehicle exclusion is unambiguous and enforceable when considered within the context of the policy.

The insured should receive the statutory minimum UM coverage required by the MVFRL on each vehicle owned by the insured, but not involved in the accident. The Court of Appeal concluded that the trial court misapplied the law in ruling that the owned-vehicle exclusion was ambiguous and unenforceable.

The trial court’s judgment granting summary judgment to Jones was reversed, and the cause is remanded with directions that the trial court enter judgment in favor of American Family consistent with the relief sought in American Family’s motion for summary judgment and consistent with our ruling today.

ZALMA OPINION

RTFP – Read the Full Policy – is required in the interpretation of any insurance policy. The Missouri Court of Appeal did just that and was required to follow statute and precedent to apply the limits as called for by the policies, the UM/UIM statutes and state law to limit the insured to the policy limit on the vehicle she was driving at the time of the accident and the statutory – $25,000 – limit on the other vehicles whose policies she wished to stack onto the primary UM/UIM coverage.

  © 2021 – Barry Zalma

Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders.

He also serves as an arbitrator or mediator for insurance related disputes. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 54 years in the insurance business.

He is available at http://www.zalma.com and zalma@zalma.com. Mr. Zalma is the first recipient of the first annual Claims Magazine/ACE Legend Award. Over the last 53 years Barry Zalma has dedicated his life to insurance, insurance claims and the need to defeat insurance fraud. He has created the following library of books and other materials to make it possible for insurers and their claims staff to become insurance claims professionals.

Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://anchor.fm/barry-zalma;  Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library/  The last two issues of ZIFL are available at https://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/  podcast now available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zalma-on-insurance/id1509583809?uo=4

[armeniaitn]

European Parliament adopts resolution on Armenian Prisoners of War (full debate)

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/politics/european-parliament-adopts-resolution-on-armenian-prisoners-of-war-full-debate-73767-20-05-2021/

European Parliament adopts resolution on Armenian Prisoners of War (full debate)

The European Parliament voted 607 to 27 with 54 abstentions to adopt a resolution on Armenian Prisoners of War.

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

– having regard to the EU-Armenia Partnership Council meeting of 17 December 2020 and the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council meeting of 18 December 2020 and their respective conclusions,

– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations (UN), the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War,

– having regard to the tripartite ceasefire statement by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia of 9 November 2020, which came to effect on 10 November 2020,

– having regard to the Human Rights Watch report of 19 March 2021 entitled ‘Azerbaijan: Armenian POWs Abused in Custody’,

– having regard to the EU statement of 28 April 2021 on captives from the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,

– having regard to the Statements by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group of 25 October 2020, 30 October 2020, 14 December 2020, 13 April 2021 and 5 May 2021,

– having regard to the European Court of Human Right’s notification to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers of 9 March 2021, under Rule 39 of the Rules of the Court, of interim measures in relation to the recent armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,

– having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas since the first war over Nagorno-Karabakh between 1988 and 1994, the international community has been trying to broker a lasting and comprehensive peace settlement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, led by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs;

B. whereas the most recent armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan from 27 September to 10 November 2020 took the lives of more than 5 000 soldiers, injured and killed hundreds and displaced thousands of civilians; whereas it continues to afflict the population owing to a lack of information about the whereabouts of relatives, the return of only some prisoners of war and other captive persons, problems with the return of human remains, impediments to access to humanitarian assistance and the destruction of basic infrastructure;

C. whereas the people affected over the course of this long-standing conflict have already experienced excessive suffering; whereas overall, the conflict has led to extensive and unacceptable civilian casualties;

D. whereas hostilities ended after 44 days following an agreement on a complete ceasefire in and around Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, which was signed on 9 November 2020 and entered into force on 10 November 2020;

E. whereas point 8 of the tripartite ceasefire statement stipulates that prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees, as well as the remains of those killed, must be exchanged; whereas these exchanges should be conducted according to the ‘all for all’ principle;

F. whereas both Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties to the Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which in Article 118 stipulates that prisoners of war must be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities; whereas Article 13 of the Geneva Convention (III) stipulates that prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated, any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the Convention; whereas the Convention also protects prisoners of war (POWs) against acts of violence or intimidation, insults and public curiosity;

G. whereas military personnel and civilians detained before and after the ceasefire enjoy different statuses under international law; whereas, on the one hand, military personnel taken into captivity before and after the ceasefire should be recognised as POWs and benefit from protection under the Geneva Conventions; whereas, on the other hand, civilians detained during the conflict must be recognised as protected persons and are also protected under the Geneva Conventions; whereas civilians detained after the ceasefire are instead protected under international human rights law;

H. whereas since the hostilities were suspended, several exchanges of prisoners, both military and civilian, have been conducted, with the most recent taking place on 4 May 2021;

I. whereas according to worrying reports, approximately 200 Armenians are being held in Azerbaijani captivity; whereas the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) stated that it has received complaints regarding 249 Armenians captured by Azerbaijan; whereas the ECtHR has applied interim measures with regard to the 229 Armenians, and 183 still remain in force; whereas the ECtHR concluded on 9 March 2021 that Azerbaijan had failed to comply with the measures, judging the information provided as too general and limited; whereas the Azerbaijani authorities acknowledged that 72 Armenians are in their captivity; whereas with regard to a further 112 individuals, no information has been submitted by Azerbaijan to the ECtHR; whereas the fate of the other Armenian POWs is unknown; whereas since the cessation of hostilities, 73 Armenian POWs and civilians have been repatriated to Armenia;

J. whereas the ECtHR has also received complaints in relation to 16 Azerbaijanis allegedly captured by Armenia, 12 of whom were repatriated in December 2020; whereas the ECtHR suspended its examination under Rule 39 in relation to the other four individuals, given the nature of the information received from the Government of Armenia;

K. whereas credible reports have been made that Armenian service personnel and civilians have also been taken prisoner since the cessation of hostilities on 10 November 2020; whereas the Azerbaijani authorities claim that these hostages and prisoners are terrorists and do not deserve POW status under the Geneva Convention;

L. whereas Human Rights Watch reported on 19 March 2021 that Azerbaijani security and armed forces had abused Armenian POWs, subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment and torture either when they were captured, during their transfer, or while in custody at various detention facilities; whereas Azerbaijani forces have used violence to detain civilians and have subjected them to torture and inhuman and degrading conditions of detention, leading to the death of at least two detainees in Azerbaijani captivity; whereas Azerbaijani forces detained these civilians even though there was no evidence that they posed any security threat that could justify their detention under international humanitarian law; whereas Azerbaijan denies accusations that Armenian POWs have been subjected to treatment violating the Geneva Conventions;

M. whereas videos circulated on the Internet and social media reportedly show evidence of abuse and ill treatment of captives by members of the armed forces of both sides; whereas there is no indication that the Azerbaijani or Armenian authorities have conducted prompt, public and effective investigations into these incidents, or that the investigations, if any have taken place, have resulted in criminal prosecutions; whereas there are allegations that POWs and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and desecration of the dead;

N. whereas on 17 May 2021 the Commission announced the allocation of an additional EUR 10 million in humanitarian aid to help civilians affected by the recent conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, bringing the EU’s assistance to people in need, since the start of the hostilities in September 2020, to over EUR 17 million;

O. whereas all sides should provide up-to-date maps of minefields to permit civilians to return to former conflict regions;

P. whereas the ‘Park of Military Trophies’ inaugurated in Baku on 12 April 2021 reportedly displays Armenian military equipment, wax mannequins depicting dead and dying Armenian soldiers and models of Armenian POWs chained in a cell, which may be perceived as a glorification of violence and risks inciting further hostile sentiment, hate speech or even inhumane treatment of remaining POWs and other Armenian captive civilians, thereby perpetuating the atmosphere of hatred and contradicting any official statements on reconciliation;

Q. whereas on 12 May 2021, troops from Azerbaijan temporarily entered the territory of Armenia, which amounts to a violation of the territorial integrity of Armenia and of international law; whereas this violation of Armenian sovereign territory follows worrying statements by Azerbaijani representatives, including the president, which appeared to raise territorial claims and threaten the use of force and thereby undermine the efforts towards security and stability in the region;

R. whereas the repatriation of human remains and the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations severely affected by the conflict has taken place over the past months;

S. whereas renewed efforts are needed to build confidence between both countries and make progress towards sustainable peace;

1. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict, and that Azerbaijan refrain from making arbitrary detentions in the future; urges the parties to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, which provides for an exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees, as well as the remains of those killed during hostilities;

2. Deplores the violence that took place during the most recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh; expresses solidarity with the victims and their families; deplores the violation of the ceasefire, which led to further human suffering, loss of life and destruction; condemns all attacks targeting civilians and recalls states’ obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilian lives;

3. Urges the Government of Azerbaijan to provide exhaustive lists of all persons held in its captivity in connection with the armed conflict and to provide information about their whereabouts and health, including of those who have died in captivity;

4. Recalls that failure to disclose information regarding the fate and whereabouts of missing persons may amount to enforced disappearance, which both Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to preventing; calls on all sides to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared and to treat dead bodies with dignity;

5. Demands that the Government of Azerbaijan respect legal safeguards, allow access for lawyers, doctors and human rights defenders to the Armenian prisoners and facilitate their communications with relatives;

6. Expresses its grave concern about credible reports, according to which Armenian prisoners of war and other captive persons have been and are being held in degrading conditions, and that they have been subjected to inhuman treatment and torture when captured or during their detention; condemns all instances of torture and enforced disappearances, including those perpetrated in armed conflict, as well as the ill-treatment and desecration of bodies;

7. Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those still in custody are provided with all protections required under international human rights and humanitarian law, including freedom from torture and inhuman treatment; calls on the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities to conduct independent, prompt, public and effective investigations and prosecute all credible allegations of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international law and war crimes, in order to ensure accountability of those responsible and redress for the victims, possibly with the assistance of an international dedicated mission; calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to fully cooperate with the ECtHR to investigate the validity of reports of dehumanising treatment of Armenian prisoners and to hold those responsible to account;

8. Recalls that there is currently no publically available credible information about Azerbaijani POWs and detainees in Armenian captivity;

9. Reminds all the parties to the conflict of their obligation to respect international humanitarian law, which prohibits torture and other degrading or inhumane treatment, and reiterates that torture and ill-treatment of POWs constitute war crimes;

10. Strongly condemns the incident that took place on 9 April 2021, when the Azerbaijani authorities dispatched an empty plane which was supposed to repatriate Armenian detainees; considers this a highly insensitive act and, moreover, one that illustrates a generally degrading attitude from Azerbaijan towards Armenian detainees and their families;

11. Insists on the urgent need to refrain from any hostile rhetoric or actions that may be perceived as inciting hatred or outright violence or as supporting impunity, or that risk undermining the efforts to establish and promote an atmosphere conducive to trust and reconciliation, cooperation and sustainable peace;

12. Calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to cooperate fully with the ECtHR on the issue of Armenian prisoners and to comply with the interim measures of the Court, which ordered Azerbaijan to provide detailed information on the conditions of detention of the prisoners, their state of health and measures undertaken to return them;

13. Expresses its belief that a full exchange of prisoners and remains of the deceased and the final settlement of this issue is a humanitarian emergency, especially for the families of those affected, and would be a first, desperately needed trust-building measure to bring rudimentary stability to the region;

14. Calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to guarantee free and unimpeded access to prisoners for relevant international organisations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

15. Highlights the urgent need to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need, that the security of the Armenian population and its cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is ensured, and that internally displaced persons and refugees can return to their former places of residence;

16. Strongly insists that both parties refrain from any actions destroying Armenian heritage in Azerbaijan and Azeri heritage in Armenia; calls for the full restoration of demolished sites and for greater involvement of the international community in protecting world heritage in the region;

17. Recalls the efforts of the international community spearheaded by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to find a peaceful, lasting, comprehensive and sustainable solution on the basis of the OSCE 2009 Basic Principles (Non-Use of Force, Territorial Integrity, and the Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples) with the objective of determining the future status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region; recalls that this can only be achieved through a negotiated political solution with genuine commitment from all concerned parties; calls on the parties to resume high-level political dialogue at the earliest opportunity, under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group; calls on the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments, as well as international mediators, to systematically include women in the peace process and consult with women human rights defenders;

18. Regrets that the EU Member States participating in the OSCE Minsk Group were not present when the ceasefire agreement was brokered, and that the EU did not demonstrate leadership in bringing two of its highly valued Eastern Partners to the negotiating table;

19. Deplores the opening of the so-called Trophy Park in Baku, open to the public since 14 April 2021, as it further intensifies long-lasting hostile sentiments and undermines mutual trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan; urges, therefore, that it be closed without delay;

20. Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and the Commission to offer all necessary assistance to both Armenia and Azerbaijan to consolidate the ceasefire, and support any efforts leading to stability, reconstruction, confidence building and post-war rehabilitation, as well as to closely follow the implementation of the provisions of the ceasefire, especially with regard to its monitoring mechanism; calls on the European External Action Service, the Commission and the Member States to increase their support for and cooperation with civil society and human rights defenders, in particular in relation to restrictions on their work; considers that the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus has an important role to play in this regard;

21. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue supporting the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance and the work of international organisations in this area and on the protection of cultural and religious heritage, as well as to support civil society organisations in Armenia and Azerbaijan that genuinely contribute to reconciliation;

22. Calls on the VP/HR, together with the Member States, to also address security, stability and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus at the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in autumn 2021;

23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations Secretary-General, the OSCE Secretary-General, the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the President, Government and Parliament of Armenia and the President, Government and Parliament of Azerbaijan.

Read original article here.

[crazy4tank]

Here's What Made The 1970s Porsche 930 Turbo So Fast | HotCars

New Post has been published on https://coolcarsnews.com/heres-what-made-the-1970s-porsche-930-turbo-so-fast-hotcars/

Here's What Made The 1970s Porsche 930 Turbo So Fast | HotCars

There’s grounds people call the Porsche 930 the particular “Widowmaker. ” And the which means is mostly meant to be taken actually; handing the raw strength of 930 Turbos has been so hard that the cars would certainly frequently go out of control, accident, and injure/kill their motorists. The 930 Turbo has been ruthless in terms of power plus uncanny in terms of lightness; causing a crazy power to weight percentage that hardly any other sports vehicle could compete with.

Needless to say that the 930 Turbo was an untamed speed maniac. But if your generating skills could match the particular wilderness of the Porsche, wow boy, you could be the kingpin of the streets.

ASSOCIATED: Revisit The ‘80s In This Weird Porsche 930 Turbo For Sale

Over time of toying around along with turbocharger technology, Porsche lastly began the development of the turbo charge 911 in 1972. To be able to comply with homologation regulations, cars needed to be available on the market as creation cars for sale through producer dealer networks.

(Homologation is the process that will takes for the whole car to become approved and match particular criteria laid out by the authorities for all the vehicles in a nation; made or imported. )

The FIA announced in 1976 the new regulations require producers to produce at least 400 systems within two years to gain acceptance for Group 4. The particular Porsche marketed their brand new turbocharged vehicle as a street-legal race car (similar towards the 1973 Carrera 2 . 7 RS . ) their entry to get Group 4 was the 934.

Group five required a car derived from the homologated version of a vehicle from Group 3 or 4. Porsche developed the 935 with regard to Group 5 which demonstrated itself to be one of the most prosperous race cars of its time.

Although the 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo was initially intended to gain homologation for that 1976 racing season, it had been able to quickly gain plenty of popularity among the car towns.

Dr . Ernst Fuhrmann, chairman of Porsche AG at the time, took the particular turbo-technology that initially has been used for the 917/30 CAN-AM model and put it for the 3. 0 L flat-six engine in the Carrera RS 3. 0; a new dark night was born. Porsche dubbed this as the 930. Hail towards the newborn knight!

RELATED: 9 Greatest Porsche Sports activities Cars Ever Made (1 That will Sucked)

The 930 Turbo (or simply Turbocharged, or, Widowmaker if you may) was much more impressive compared to standard Carrera it was depending on. While Corvettes were offering nothing more than 210 horsepower, Porsche's lightweight champion was producing more than 230 horsepower. The particular suspension, Brakes, and transmission were massively improved for that 930 as well.

A major flaw for the widowmaker was its turbo-lag. This disappoints you for a few mere seconds when you put your feet on the gas, then the turbocharged starts to kick in at 3 thousands rpm and makes you think that your soul is pulling a few inches behind a person until you reach 6000 rpm.

Because of its rear-engine layout, Porsche needed to associated with engine as light as is possible to avoid oversteering. Although the 911 engine was small plus light, adding a turbocharged on it meant extra 60-70 pounds.

In order to fight back the weight imbalance, the particular 930 came with its well-known bulky and muscular body framework and wide tires. The rear spoiler was also put into the car in order to get more air flow to the engine as well as to generate more downforce.

For the 1978 model, Porsche added an air-to-air intercooler which increased the power result to 296 horsepower in 5, 500 rpm plus 304 lb-ft of torque on 4, 000 rpm. The trunk "whale tail" spoiler would have to be raised to make more area for the intercooler on top of the particular engine which gave the particular spoiler its infamous popularity as the "tea tray" vender by the car community.

While these changes and upgrades delivered lots of power to the 930, this made the rear part of the vehicle even heavier, which significantly affected the handling as well as the character of the car when compared to earlier 3. 0 T models.

Right after some years of absence in america market because of emission rules, being boosted up to 325 hp in Europe, plus coming back to the US marketplace with a power output associated with 282 hp at five, 500 rpm in 1986, Porsche discontinued the 930 in 1989. The 1989 model was the first plus last 930 that showcased a five-speed manual transmitting.

The particular 930 was built to release raw power… when the turbocharged kicked in. If you allow its trickster-type of character fool you into considering it’s a slow trip before you reach 3000 rpm, you could potentially add to its popularity as the “Widowmaker; " it had been meant to race; it was designed to blow your mind.

The 930 was not for your faint of heart. However , If you can keep the Widowmaker on a teather (and made sure you're directed towards exactly where you want to be once the turbo spooled up), you would be an unstoppable pressure that could only be murdered by an unmovable item.

NEXT: The Porsche 911's Evolution Over The Years