Brussels, from our correspondent. “Inform me step by step of all developments of the Qatar goal”. Giorgia Meloni had recently received a “note” from the Strasbourg-based patrol of the Brothers of Italy, before her debut at the European Council, asking them to be kept up to date. In public, the prime minister struck an inflexible and non-partisan tone. He therefore spoke of a “worrying scenario” and of a “resolute reaction without compromise” in the face of a situation with “devastating” contours. And yet the bribery scandal that is rocking a piece of the European Parliament also affects Meloni as Conservative President, and very much so. The news of this hour seems to shake the pact between the EPP and the Socialists. It certainly denies any non-aggression agreement. “Barely a week after the beginning of the scandal, the socialists have not recognized the real problem: a corrupt network of politicians and assistants within their own political family, which is covered by dubious NGOs,” was the very harsh note of the Ppe. That doesn’t mean that the Ursula majority that governs the Eurochamber is skipping, but certainly the Conservatives are among the interested observers of this meat grinder. Approaching the PSA. A way to break into the hated mainstream and abandon Salvini’s League and Le Pen’s Rassemblement National to their fate.

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Updated on 12/16/2022 at 8:38 pm

• After another massive artillery bombardment, power and water failed in several regions of Ukraine on Friday.
• According to the authorities, about 40 missiles were registered in Kyiv’s airspace.
• EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the attacks as “war crimes” and “barbaric”.

More news about the war in Ukraine

After a massive Russian artillery bombardment of the Ukrainian power grid, power and water failed in several regions of the country on Friday. State energy provider Ukrenergo explained that restoring power supply in sub-zero temperatures may take longer and that priority was given to hospitals and water and heat supply systems. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the “arbitrary terror” of the Russian attacks.

Ukraine has reported Russian attacks on several cities. At least three people died in the town of Kryvyi Rih, according to the governor of the region of the same name, Valentyn Resnichenko. A child is still being sought in the rubble of a house. Two other children were among 13 wounded in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown.

For Kyiv, it was one of the biggest attacks since the start of the war.

In Kyiv, residents in winter coats crowded metro stations after the air raid alarm was raised. Local officials said the capital had withstood one of the biggest rocket attacks since the war broke out in February.

About 40 missiles were registered in Kyiv’s airspace, 37 of them could have been “destroyed”, the military administration of the Kyiv region said on the Telegram online service. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, there were problems with the water supply.

Several cities in Ukraine also reported power outages after the Russian attacks. The governor of the Kharkiv region said the city of the same name in the region was left without power after the Russian attacks. Power also went out in the cities of Poltava and Kremenchuk.

Millions of people are without electricity and heat in sub-zero temperatures

Russia has been regularly attacking Ukraine’s power infrastructure for weeks. As a result, millions of people in Ukraine are left without electricity and heat when temperatures dip below freezing. According to Ukrenergo, about half of Ukraine’s power grid is seriously damaged. Because of the “massive” wave of Russian attacks, there may be emergency shutdowns, he said on Friday.

Borrell called the bombings “war crimes” and “barbaric”. The “inhumane” attacks were aimed at aggravating human suffering. “All those responsible will be held accountable,” he warned.

NATO calls for “not to underestimate Russia”

NATO assumes that Russia is prepared for a “long” war in Ukraine. There is no sign that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has given up on his goal of “controlling Ukraine”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told AFP.

“We shouldn’t underestimate Russia. Russia is planning a long war,” Stoltenberg said. The Russian leadership is mobilizing more forces and is willing to accept “numerous casualties” among its troops. It can also be seen that Russia is trying to obtain more weapons and ammunition for its war of aggression.

Stoltenberg described it as necessary for NATO states to continue to support Ukraine with arms deliveries. Such deliveries must continue until Putin understands that he “cannot win on the battlefield”.

US wants to expand training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany

Meanwhile, the United States has announced that it intends to expand the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. The new program is expected to start at the beginning of the year and “train about 500 Ukrainian soldiers a month,” a US Department of Defense spokesman announced.

Washington has provided massive military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s war of aggression began in February. Ukrainian soldiers were also trained for US supplied weapons. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said the new program would include more complex training. Among other things, Ukrainian soldiers must be trained in the best possible interaction between infantry and artillery and joint maneuvers must be carried out.

Read too: President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian people receive Charlemagne Prize

The new training program will be held in Germany. It will be organized in addition to special training courses already held on handling US weapons delivered to Kyiv, Ryder said. According to him, the US has so far trained about 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers, and its allies have trained about 12,000 other Ukrainian soldiers (afp/jst)

Updated on 12/16/2022 3:04 pm

The Ukrainian military spoke of one of the heaviest attacks in the Kyiv region since the start of the war. Explosions and attacks on important parts of the infrastructure were also reported in other cities.

Cases of post-COVID-19 illness, also known as long COVID, remain high and pose a serious health burden, according to a recent study.

• Also read: Health transfers: There was no agreement with Duclos, Dubé replies

• Also read: Negotiations with the public sector: “I contribute” employees remain in their positions

A group of researchers from the CHUS Research Center (CRCHUS), including Dr. Alain Piché, microbiologist and infectiologist, studied the prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms related to the Omicron variant in Canada.

Of 300 cases from people who contracted the virus between December 2021 and April 2022, a period consistent with the high prevalence of the Omicron variant, the study shows that 47% of these patients were still symptomatic one month after receiving a positive result had.

The average age of those monitored is in their early forties, another worrying factor, to say the least, given that it is estimated that between 25% and 50% of those with long-term COVID are still partially or fully absent from work after a year.

According to forecasts, between 3 and 4 million Quebecers could have the Omicron variant, if 10% of them are likely to develop COVID long-term, this could pose an important problem for the healthcare system.

The most persistent symptoms identified in this study were fatigue (48.2%), shortness of breath (32.6%) and cough (24.1%).

These ongoing post-COVID-19 symptoms pose a significant health burden.

The risk that many of them will develop persistent symptoms is a major health concern.

Given these results, the relevance of establishing specialized clinics for post-COVID-19 diseases no longer needs to be proven.

The specialized clinic of the CIUSS de l’Estrie – CHUS, led by Dr. Alain Piché, provides care and medical support to people living with long-term COVID, on referral from their doctor or healthcare professional.

Caracas, December 17 (Prensa Latina) Complaints about human rights abuses in Venezuela have fallen by 38 percent since 2018, the state ministry reported today.

A company press release said the information was provided by Republic Attorney General Tareck William Saab in relation to this week’s commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by the United Nations Organization .

From the above year through 2021, cases of alleged human rights abuses gradually declined, falling from 13,234 to 8,237, a trend forecast to continue in 2022.

The highest official of the Venezuelan authorities pointed out that the statistical evidence reveals the tedious work of investigating and punishing these events, which “produce changes in the behavior of officials”.

Saab announced that as of last November, 1,493 state security officers have been charged with alleged human rights abuses and 61 people have been charged as collaborators.

He explained that a total of 779 people from various security forces and 46 individuals were deprived of their liberty, while 1,640 officers and 81 individuals were charged.

The Attorney General pointed out that a significant number of 277 officers and 101 collaborators had been convicted.

He commented that the fight for justice and human rights “will not faint for a second” and the results are significant as fewer and fewer legal leaders dare to break them.

Regarding the prosecutor’s attention to those deprived of their liberty, Saab stressed that since August 2017 they have provided assistance for 3,173 days, which included 2,908 visits to pre-trial detention centers.

The assistance consisted of nearly 98,000 legal counsel and more than 9,000 legal or psychiatric medical examinations consisting of the care and delivery of medicines to 179,188 detainees, in addition to expediting cases.

lam/jcd