Month: July 2023

Surging numbers of Wagner Group forces have prompted both Poland and Lithuania to consider shutting their borders with Belarus, government officials have confirmed. And western nations have been warned operatives may disguise themselves as asylum seekers in order to cross into EU states. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Arnoldas Abramavicius, Lithuania’s deputy interior minister, admitted concerns over the presence of thousands of mercenaries was a factor. He said: “The considerations are real. The possibility of closing the border exists.” Wagner fighters have been relocating to territory of the close Russian ally with the blessing of its President, Alexander Lukashenko, in ... Read more

Joe Biden‘s administration pledged on Friday a major package of military aid to Taiwan in a bid to prevent China from invading the self-governing island. The aid being provided will be worth some £268million ($345m) and will include defence, education and training for the territory. Two sources described as US officials claimed the military package includes man-portable air defence systems known as MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities as well as firearms and missiles. This decision is historic, as it marks the first time Mr Biden draws on the US’ own stockpiles to send help to Taiwan. This comes amid major ... Read more

The United States has pledged its “unflagging support” to the ousted Nigerian President, saying it will work to ensure the full restoration of the constitutional order in the country. Mohamed Bazoum was detained by soldiers from his Presidential Guard on Wednesday, before being replaced by General Abdourahmane Tchiani as head of state in a military coup. The 63-year-old’s overthrow represents a huge blow to Niger’s democratic aspirations and opens the door for Russia to gain further influence in Africa. In a late phone call on Friday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken offered the deposed Niger President his complete support. ... Read more

Ukraine is keeping its ground against a barrage of Russian attacks in the Donetsk region, according to one of Kyiv’s officials. The head of Ukraine’s ground forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said his country’s soldiers are “holding their defences firm” on the eastern frontline. Russia, he explained, is constantly attacking the direction of Kupiansk, located in the Kharkiv region north of Donetsk, and Lyman, near the borders with the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions. The experienced Colonel General said the main task for Ukrainian troops at the moment was to knock out enemy artillery where possible. While providing an update on ... Read more

A former Russian Lieutenant Colonel has described vivid scenes of chaos and slaughter in Putin’s army. In an emotional appeal, he also urged senior officers to disobey Kremlin orders and stop the war in Ukraine. Sergey Gulyaev served many years as a high-ranking officer in the Soviet Army. As part of his military service, he spent two years with the 58th automobile brigade in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Since leaving the army, he has become a political activist and strident Putin critic, as well as a renowned journalist. He was forced to flee from Russia this May after publishing a ... Read more

Wagner Group warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin dismissed claims his mercenaries are leaving the African continent. In a telephone interview with French-speaking Afrique Média, a man believed to be Mr Prigozhin stated: “We aren’t reducing [our presence in the continent].” After thanking the newsreader for going directly to the source to seek information, he told the Cameroon-based news outlet that Wagner is “ready to increase our various contingents” and will continue to fulfil all its obligations in Africa. The warlord added his paramilitary group was ready to develop and deepen relations with African nations. The telephone interview was shared on the news ... Read more

By Richard J. Nowak, MD, as told to Keri Wiginton  Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune condition without a cure. But it’s treatable. And as long as you work with your doctor to optimize your treatment plan, which can be different from one person to the next, there’s a good chance you can live symptom-free or close to it.  What Is Remission? This medical term gets thrown around loosely. But there are specific definitions for remission. You can read about each one by searching online for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status. But I’ll break down ... Read more

Gamers rejoice! There used to be a time when trying to get your hands on a PS5 used to seem impossible but that has drastically changed from today.  Major retailers like Amazon, Very, GAME and Argos have been chopping the price of the PS5 to less than £400 and some bundles even include freebies that you can grab along with the console.  It comes after Sony announced that it had sold 40 million consoles worldwide and now it wants to ship even more out to the world with price cuts across the board.  With the Sony summer sale, you can ... Read more

By Lisa Plymate, MD, as told to Keri Wiginton  At 75, I’ve learned life is full of experiences and opportunities. This illness is just another one. I wouldn’t have chosen to get a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) just before turning 70. But knowing and helping other people with this condition has enriched me. I turn to my MG community as much as I do my health care team. And as a retired internal medicine doctor and geriatrician, I’m impressed by their insight. What I learn from them goes much deeper than the straight medical info I get at my ... Read more

July 13, 2023 — About 20 out of every 100 adults with epilepsy may also have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and new research shows the more un-controlled seizures a patient has, the higher risk that patient has of having ADHD as well. Both conditions often begin early in life – it’s estimated that 30% to 40% of children with epilepsy have ADHD. Since epilepsy is so common — it affects  about 50 million people worldwide — researchers are striving to fgure out more about this connection.  A new study from Taiwan found that ADHD and epilepsy share a common genetic background and many ... Read more