More than 5,000 people are believed to be dead and 10,000 missing after storm rains in northeastern Libya caused two dams to collapse, CNN reported Tuesday, citing Tamer Ramadan, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ delegation to Libya.
“The death toll is enormous,” she said.
At least 5,300 people are believed dead, Libya’s interior ministry in the eastern administration said Tuesday, state media LANA reported. CNN was unable to independently verify the number of dead or missing.
Some 6,000 people remain missing in the eastern city of Derna, which suffered the worst destruction, Osman Abduljalil, the health minister of Libya’s eastern administration, told Almasar TV. He called the situation “catastrophic” after touring the city on Monday. According to authorities, entire neighborhoods in the city have been washed away.
Hospitals in Derna are no longer operating and morgues are overcrowded, emergency services spokesman Osama Ali said. Corpses were being left outside morgues on sidewalks, he said.
“There are no emergency services. People are currently working to collect rotting bodies,” said Anas Barghati, a doctor who is currently volunteering in Derna.
Storm Danielle, which hit several towns in northeastern Libya, was the result of a cyclone that caused catastrophic flooding in Greece last week and then spread to the Mediterranean Sea. The storm caused two dams to collapse, causing water to rush toward Derna, causing catastrophic damage, authorities said Tuesday.
“Three bridges were destroyed. The flow of water carried away entire neighborhoods, eventually dumping them into the sea,” said Ahmed Mismari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Libya’s vulnerability to extreme weather has been exacerbated by a protracted political conflict and power struggle between two rival administrations.
The UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Abdulhamid Dbeibe sits in Tripoli in northwestern Libya, while its eastern rival is controlled by Commander Khalifa Haftar and his LNA, who support the east-based parliament. led by Osama Hamad.
Derna, about 300 kilometers east of Benghazi, falls under the control of Haftar and his eastern administration.
47% of Ukrainians perceive corruption as the biggest obstacle to the development of entrepreneurship in the country, according to a survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in cooperation with the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on July 3-17, 2023.
“According to the survey conducted in July 2023, corruption is perceived by citizens as the biggest obstacle to the development of entrepreneurship in the country. This was noted by 47% of respondents. For comparison: 37% named the destruction caused by the war as the biggest obstacle, 36% – inadequate tax administration and control system, 36% – weak support from the state,” the report on the results of the study published on Monday on the official website of the Fund says.
As noted, “problems that directly depend on the quality of public administration occupy three of the top four positions that, according to Ukrainians, hinder the development of entrepreneurship. At the same time, the next most negative impact on entrepreneurship is the outflow of specialists and entrepreneurs abroad (29%) and the outflow of employees abroad (28%).”
Sociologists have recorded that corruption as an obstacle to entrepreneurship was mentioned somewhat more often in the East (55%) and less often in the West (43%) of the country. Similarly, critical attitudes toward tax control are noticeably increasing from the West (30%) to the East (43%). Respondents in the eastern (40%) and southern regions (33%) mentioned the outflow of specialists and entrepreneurs abroad more often than in the western (22%) and central regions (27%), which were less affected by the hostilities. The same situation is with the outflow of workers: it was mentioned more often in the east (37%) and south (31%) than in the west (25%) and center (24%).
“It is significant,” the report says, “that there is a distrust in society of domestic agents of post-war economic and infrastructure recovery. In particular, in July 2023, only 17.5% of respondents agreed with the opinion that state-owned Ukrainian companies and banks could effectively and without corruption carry out the country’s post-war recovery. The level of trust in Ukrainian private companies and banks is even lower – 8%.
Currently, large Western companies and banks (28%) and international financial organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank (19%) have the highest, but also low, levels of trust. Large non-Western companies and banks (China, UAE, Saudi Arabia) have the lowest level of trust – only 3% of respondents.
The survey was conducted face-to-face in all regions of Ukraine, except for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. In Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, the survey was conducted in the territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine and not subject to hostilities. 2011 respondents aged 18 and older were interviewed.
The European Commission (EC) has downgraded its forecast for eurozone economic growth in 2023 to 0.8% from the previously expected 1.1%.
In 2024, eurozone GDP is expected to grow by 1.3% rather than 1.6%, the EC said in a review.
The forecast for EU economic growth for this year has been worsened to 0.8% from 1% and for next year to 1.4% from 1.7%.
“The latest statistical data confirm that economic activity in the EU has been subdued in the first half of 2023 due to the severe shocks facing countries in the region. Weakness in domestic demand, especially consumer spending, shows that high prices for most goods and services are putting more pressure on the economy than we believed in our previous forecast,” the survey said.
“The sharp contraction in bank lending suggests that monetary tightening in the euro area is having an impact on the economy,” the EC said. – Various surveys point to a slowdown in economic activity over the summer and the following months. Weakness in the industrial sector persists, and the impetus for growth in the services sector is weakening”.
EC experts emphasize that the situation in the world economy in the first half of the year was slightly better than expected, despite the weak dynamics in China. Nevertheless, the EC forecasts for the world economy and international trade volumes are practically unchanged, which means that European countries cannot count on support from external demand.
The EC expects global GDP to expand by 3.2% both this year and next year.
“The momentum towards slower growth in the EU is likely to continue into 2024, as tight monetary policy will continue to constrain economic activity. At the same time, we expect GDP growth to pick up slightly next year as inflation slows, the European labor market remains strong and household incomes gradually recover,” the EC review said.
The eurozone inflation forecast (HICP index) for this year has been lowered to 5.6% from 5.8%, for next year – raised to 2.9% from 2.8%. In the EU, according to the EC’s updated forecast, inflation will be 6.5% this year (previously 6.7%) and 3.2% next year (previously 3.1%).
The EC expects that energy prices in Europe will continue to decline until the end of 2023, but more slowly than before. At the same time in 2024 they may again slightly increase due to the expected rise in oil prices.
The EC review notes that the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical factors still carry risks for Europe.
In addition, experts warn that the tightening of monetary policy may put more pressure on the economy than expected at the moment. On the other hand, it may lead to a faster easing of inflation and, accordingly, accelerate the recovery of real incomes, the review notes.
According to the EC’s forecast, Germany’s GDP will contract by 0.4% in 2023 and grow by 1.1% next year. Previously expected to increase the first indicator by 0.2%, the second – by 1.4%.
France’s economic growth forecast for 2023 has been raised to 1% from 0.7%, for the next year it has been lowered to 1.2% from 1.4%.
Italy’s economy is expected to grow by 0.9% and 0.8% in 2023 and 2024 respectively, while Spain’s is expected to grow by 2.2% and 1.9%.
Experts Club Research Project and Maxim Urakin recently released an analytical video about the economy of Ukraine and the world.
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The National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine is organizing a forum in Kyiv on “Inclusion and Participation: Persons with Disabilities at the Center of Humanitarian Response Policy in Time of War”.
| September 12-13, 2023
Online / offline
Premier Hotel Rus м. Kyiv, 4 Hospitalna str.
|
The forum aims to bring together more than 70 representatives of organizations of people with disabilities, activists representing the interests of people with various disabilities, parents raising children with disabilities, older people, civilians and military from different regions of Ukraine who have suffered and acquired disabilities to:
✔Discuss the participation and contribution of organizations of persons with disabilities to the humanitarian response over the 1.5 years of the full-scale invasion; ✔share experiences and discuss existing challenges in humanitarian response; ✔develop joint recommendations for including disability issues in the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan. |
The forum is a unique opportunity for representatives of public organizations of people with disabilities, international institutions, UN agencies, clusters, government agencies and the media to discuss the provision of humanitarian assistance to people with disabilities and the elderly during martial law.
Partners.
September 13 (online / offline)
9:30 Registration
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome speech
10:15 – 12:00 Closing discussion panel: “Humanitarian Response Priorities 2024: Inclusion and Contribution of Persons with Disabilities” (summarizing the thematic discussions).
12:00 Free communication
*Thematic discussions:
The National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine invites interested institutions to actively participate in the Forum, which is an open platform for communication in solving specific problems.
The number of participants in the offline event is limited.
For media: for accreditation and additional information, please contact
the press service of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine at +380 66 292 14 39.
You can follow the updates and news of the NAPDU on the Facebook page and on the organization’s website.
| The National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine has more than a hundred organizations representing the interests of people with various disabilities. Since the first days of the war, organizations have been providing humanitarian aid to people with disabilities and the elderly from different regions of Ukraine: food, hygiene products, assistive technologies, medicines, and non-food essentials. The organizations have created shelters (5 regions), spaces for children (various locations in 18 regions), and provide counseling and psychological support. The NAIU works with civilians and military personnel who have acquired disabilities as a result of the war, advocates for the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in various areas, and more. |
The event is organized by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine with the support of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) as part of an international technical assistance project aimed at increasing the accessibility of political and public life, as well as the full inclusion of all citizens in the democratic process. Any opinions expressed during the event are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IFES.
NAEK Energoatom and the US-based Westinghouse have signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on the introduction of SMR 300 small modular reactors in Ukraine, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports.
According to Westinghouse President Patrick Fragman, the SMR 300 will be a good complement to the larger capacity AP 1000 reactors.
Similar memorandums have already been signed by Westinghouse with Slovakia and Finland.
NAEK and Westinghouse also signed a memorandum to extend the exclusivity period of cooperation for the construction of AP1000 units in Ukraine.
“Certain equipment for the construction of AP1000 in Ukraine has already been manufactured in the United States and thus we will accelerate the process of delivery and construction of the unit,” he specified.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) after the notification of suspicion of the former ultimate beneficiary of PJSC CB PrivatBank (Kiev) took measures to arrest his assets.
“On the basis of the decision of the Director of the NABU, agreed by the head of the SAP, for a period of 48 hours seizure of shares in the authorized capital of companies, which the suspect owns directly or indirectly, in the context of 307 legal entities, including joint-stock companies, with an estimated value of more than 3 billion UAH, as well as almost 1 thousand real estate, more than 1.6 thousand vehicles and ships”, – reports the press service of the NABU in the Telegram-channel.
It is noted that the basis for such a decision was the need to ensure the possible confiscation or special confiscation of property in criminal proceedings on the facts of embezzlement of funds of PrivatBank in a particularly large amount, legalization of proceeds of crime and official forgery committed by an organized group.
A motion to seize the above-mentioned property has been sent to the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court.
As reported, on September 7, law enforcers notified Kolomoisky and five of his former top managers of PJSC CB PrivatBank on suspicion of taking possession of the bank’s funds worth more than UAH 9.2 billion.
According to the investigation, in January-March 2015, the ultimate beneficiary of the bank, at that time – the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, developed a plan to take over the funds of PJSC CB PrivatBank in order to further finance a controlled offshore company and increase his own share in the authorized capital of the bank. For this purpose, the bank was artificially obliged to pay more than UAH 9.2 billion to the controlled company under the pretext of allegedly repurchasing its own bonds at an inflated value.
Later, part of the amount of more than UAH 446 million was transferred to the accounts of three related legal entities under the guise of securities purchase and sale transactions, and then – to the accounts of two more. Eventually, the funds were transferred to the personal account of the ultimate beneficiary of PJSC CB PrivatBank. He disposed of them at his own discretion – he contributed them to the authorized capital of the bank in compliance with the requirements of the National Bank of Ukraine.
The actions of the defendants in the case are qualified under Art. 191, 209, 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The deputy head of the direction – director of the interbank dealing department of the bank, who at the same time was a trusted representative of a non-resident company connected with PrivatBank, was detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
