The Minister of Commerce and Industry Fahd Al-Shariaan will be attending a meeting with the Indian ambassador to Kuwait, Sibi George in an effort to persuade the Indian government to exclude Kuwait from wheat ban exports against recent decision.

Kuwait and India enjoy historic trade relations between two countries, with the possibility of easing a ban on its wheat export as it has done with some other countries, reports Al Rai. Al Shariaan’s move towards India in this regard comes within the framework by the minister to ensure continuation of food grain flows to Kuwait in light of growing price increase in the global market./AT

Iran has placed a digital barrier on internet access in response to the intensifying outrage in the country over the collapse of a tower that has killed at least 34 people, experts said Tuesday.

The disruption has plunged the southwestern province into digital isolation, making it difficult for journalists to authenticate events on the ground and for activists to share footage and organize protests.

It's a tactic the Iranian government has repeatedly employed during times of unrest, rights activists say, in a country where radio and television stations already are state-controlled and journalists face the threat of arrest.

The internet interference in the oil-rich Khuzestan province started in early May, weeks before the fatal collapse, said Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, which focuses on digital security in the Middle East. The province, home to an ethnic Arab population that long has alleged discrimination, was a flashpoint in protests over the sinking economy and skyrocketing prices of food staples.

Disruptions then intensified in the area after the Metropol Building collapse last week, according to data shared by the Miaan Group.

The disaster ignited widespread anger in Abadan, where residents alleging government negligence gathered nightly at the site of the collapse to shout slogans against the Islamic Republic. Videos of the protests have circulated widely online, with some showing officers clubbing and firing tear gas at demonstrators.

The footage analyzed by The Associated Press (AP) corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The number of casualties and arrests remains unclear.

In response to the protests, Iranian authorities at times completely shut down the internet and other times allowed only tightly controlled use of a domestic intranet, reported the Miaan Group.

During the day, authorities also appear to have restricted bandwidths to make it very difficult for people to share large files, such as video, without leaving Abadan altogether, said Mahsa Alimardani, a senior researcher at Article 19, an international organization that fights censorship.

Last Friday, as massive crowds took to the streets to chant against top officials, a digital barricade of sorts went up between Iran and the world, data showed. Only certain government-approved national websites could stream content but not websites based abroad.

“There has been a pattern that we’ve seen when it gets dark where Google isn’t working but the website of the Supreme Leader is working well,” Rashidi said.

The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, rescue workers pulled another body from the rubble on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 34 amid fears more people could be trapped in the ruins. Five of the victims were school-age children, the official IRNA news agency reported. Another 37 people were injured in the collapse, with two still hospitalized.

Officials have blamed the building’s structural failure on shoddy construction practices, lax regulation and entrenched corruption, raising questions about the safety of similar towers in the earthquake-prone country. Authorities reported they evacuated residents from buildings near the disaster site, fearing structural damage.

The rising political and economic pressures come as talks to restore Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers have hit a deadlock. Hostilities have simmered as Iran accelerates its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the nuclear deal and last week seized two Greek tankers on a key oil route through the Persian Gulf.

In a sign of those rising tensions, Iran's Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday over its quarterly report released the day before on Iran's nuclear program.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh rebuked the report's findings that Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile had increased by 18 times since the 2015 nuclear deal as “not fair and balanced.”

The U.N. nuclear watchdog also said that Iran has still failed to explain traces of uranium particles that IAEA inspectors found at former undeclared sites in the country – long a sore point between Iran and the agency despite a recent push for a resolution by June.

Khatibzadeh said the agency's statements “did not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency."

“The agency should be watchful and not destroy the path we walked down, with difficulty," he told reporters in Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also on Tuesday addressed indirect negotiations with the United States over the collapsed nuclear deal, telling reporters he communicated Iranian concerns to Vice President Kamala Harris through a third party when they were in Munich earlier this year.

Iran has repeatedly demanded guarantees that no future president could unilaterally abandon the agreement, as former U.S. President Donald Trump did in 2018. The White House has said it cannot make such a commitment.

Amirabdollahian said he had asked the mediator to "tell Ms. Kamala Harris if a group of rebels are going to take over the White House, could you please let us know."

“Even if rebels take over, they must be committed to international agreements,” Amirabdollahian said.

The White House has not acknowledged any such message.

In a recent interview with France’s Le Figaro newspaper, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said his country was “always glad to help” when asked if Muscat was hosting new secret talks between Iran and the U.S. Oman hosted the secret talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal.

“I am hopeful that we can achieve a new dynamic to reach an agreement,” he said. “It is in the interest of our region and the world.”/AP

Oleksiy Shelestiy's night shift at the Chernobyl nuclear plant on Feb. 24 started as it usually did, but as evening descended and the sound of artillery fire crackled in the distance, it became clear that was about to change. The Russian troops were arriving.

More than 100 employees, who had arrived at the defunct plant for their night shift just hours earlier, were now trapped as Russian forces crossed into Ukraine and seized swathes of land on their way towards Kyiv.

The capture of Chernobyl by Russian forces kicked off a weekslong ordeal that saw power briefly cut at the facility and employees carefully monitored by the invaders.

"We were not mentally prepared for this," Shelestiy told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "But we had no way out."

As a night shift supervisor, Shelestiy oversaw a team of nearly a dozen people charged with monitoring electricity supplies at Chernobyl, where a massive sarcophagus covers the remains of a destroyed nuclear reactor to prevent radioactive contamination.

The plant was the site in 1986 of the world's worst nuclear accident. Since then, it has been maintained by thousands of Ukrainian workers and closely monitored by international experts to contain its radioactive waste.

For years, a carefully executed shift schedule and monitoring network kept a close eye on radiation levels at the facility. Then Russian forces poured across the border from Belarus and seized Chernobyl, holding its workers captive and cutting it off from the world.

"I understood that an accident was possible," Shelestiy recalled.

"Emotional and psychological pressure did not allow me to focus on this. We just tried to do our job and tried to control all the parameters so that nothing could happen."

Power struggle

The most harrowing period of the occupation began on March 9, when power was cut to the plant due to nearby fighting, Shelestiy said.

Experts acknowledged there would be no repeat of the 1986 meltdown in the absence of a working reactor on the grounds. But electricity is nonetheless vital to power the security infrastructure, including the cooling systems for the spent nuclear fuel storage facility.

For days, the workers relied first on their diesel supplies and later fuel provided by the Russians until they were able to reroute power through the Belarus grid.

All the while, the Ukrainians trapped at the plant were only able to catch snippets of what was happening outside Chernobyl by listening to radio broadcasts and through occasional calls back home on one of the plant's landlines.

The staff were not able to return home and became increasingly drained. That risked compromising their ability to fulfill their safety and security duties.

"It was mentally and emotionally difficult," Shelestiy explained.

Employees were also closely watched and forced to navigate a dizzying network of checkpoints set up by the Russians on the plant's grounds – hindering basic movements and maintenance at the facility.

Ukrainian authorities have since accused the Russians of showing wanton disregard for basic safety during their occupation of Chernobyl, saying its soldiers dug trenches and set up camps in contaminated areas of the facility that had received heavy doses of radiation.

"They dug bare soil contaminated with radiation, collected radioactive sand in bags for fortification, breathed this dust," said Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko in April, claiming the Russian forces had been exposed to a "shocking" amount of radiation.

"Every Russian soldier will bring a piece of Chernobyl home. Dead or alive," the minister added.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, later said "an increase in the levels" of radiation had been recorded at Chernobyl but insisted the matter was under control.

"The situation is not one that could be judged as posing a great danger to the environment and to people at the moment we were taking these measures," he added.

Shelestiy was unable to confirm details about alleged Russian misconduct at Chernobyl, where he was mostly forced to remain at his workstation and had little interaction with their troops.

'Worried, nervous'

Amid the uncertainty, Shelestiy said he tried to console his team, whose families in the nearby town of Slavutych had been largely surrounded by Russian forces.

Back in Slavutych, Mayor Yuriy Fomichev walked a fine line, managing relations with Russian forces, helping smuggle supplies into the besieged community and comforting the families of the captive workers.

"I had to calm them down and explain that it was necessary to be patient," said Fomichev.

Built in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident as a settlement for evacuated families who had been living near the plant in 1986, Slavutych was one of the last purpose-made towns constructed from scratch during the final days of the Soviet Union.

For many of its residents, seeing chaos engulf Chernobyl again was an unwelcome case of deja-vu.

"We were worried, nervous," said Tamara Shyrobokova, 75, a former Chernobyl employee who was resettled in Slavutych following the meltdown.

"I was literally shocked by the fact that Russia attacked Ukraine. No one could ever imagine this," she added.

The whole episode also perplexes Shelestiy. He was released following a round of negotiations days before the Russians retreated, after their troops were routed in the battle for Kyiv.

"They said they were trying to free me from something but I don't understand from what," said Shelestiy. "I can't understand it."/AFP

Age-related illnesses, the deaths of friends and family members and loneliness are among several factors that make depression common for older people, especially for those who had mental health problems earlier in life. Experts say there are clear steps family members should take.

A pall falls over your life and you ask yourself, "What's the point of going on?" Where once there was joy is now only emptiness.

Depression is a common mental disorder that affects an estimated 5% of adults globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), saying it's "a leading cause of disability around the world and contributes greatly to the global burden of disease."

Many of those affected are older people, who have to contend with age-related illnesses, the deaths of friends and family members, and often loneliness. Considering these common scourges of old age, it's easy to assume that depression occurs more frequently in the elderly than in younger people. But this isn't so.

"Depression isn't so much a reaction to difficult personal circumstances as it is an independent illness," says Ulrich Hegerl, professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy at the University of Frankfurt in Germany and chairperson of the German Depression Aid Foundation.

Most older people suffering from the mental disorder had depressive phases earlier in their life, notes Hegerl. But depression later in life is different in some ways.

"Your troubles aren't the same as they were in your youth or middle age," says Armin Rosl, vice chairperson of the German Depression League (DDL), which helps people with depression and their family members. Loneliness, for example, is a big problem, points out Rosl, who has suffered from depression himself and heads a support group.

While depression doesn't occur more frequently in old age, it's definitely more dangerous then, according to Hegerl. "There's an increased risk of suicide – exceedingly so – especially for men," he says.

And not getting out of bed for days, a lack of physical activity and not drinking enough fluids can be life-threatening. One possible consequence is thrombosis.

What should family members watch for in a loved one to head off the development of full-blown depression? Among the possible warning signs is extreme withdrawal, not responding to phone calls and revealing little about themselves. They may also lack the motivation to take care of their appearance, bath and get dressed.

Pronounced cheerlessness is typical as well. If their mood were a piece of music, it would be "in a minor key," remarks Rosl; they're usually quiet and "what they say is streaked with sadness."

What can family members and friends do then? They should definitely speak to the person about it, the experts advise, hard though it may be sometimes to find the right words. "It's better to check with them too often than too seldom," Rosl says.

The first place to turn is the person's GP surgery, where they can be referred to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. To provide support, family members can offer to accompany them to their appointments.

Particularly if it's the first time the person has displayed depressive symptoms in old age, the doctor should start by evaluating whether any underlying medical conditions could be the cause, Rösl says.

It should also be asked: Does he or she have a circulatory or immunological disorder, or perhaps chronic fatigue syndrome?

To answer questions like these, a close look must be taken at test results and brain structures. And sometimes Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia are mistaken for depression.

Although it's not curable in a conventional sense, depression can be effectively treated – often with a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

When an antidepressant is prescribed, care must be taken in selecting the one that's right for the patient. "Many older people have other illnesses for which they take medications, which can result in drug interactions," warns Hegerl.

In addition to medication and psychotherapy, there are things depression sufferers can – and should – do on their own to help themselves. "Simply swallowing medicine and waiting until [the depression] goes away doesn't work," Rösl says.

Taking time for a daily walk, for instance, can help older people with depression. "Or you could attend a church service once or twice a week," he suggests. Regularly taking part in activities at a senior center is another possibility.

Family members need to understand the nature of their loved one's illness. It's often difficult for them to grasp at first that the person can no longer do even the simplest things, notes Hegerl, "but it's not on purpose or due to self-neglect."

It's also important that family members don't blame themselves for the illness, and that they understand they're not responsible for restoring the person to sound mental health. "Depression can't be remedied by love alone any more than appendicitis can," Hegerl says./DPA

Prepared under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan, the presentation of the book "The World Is Our Common Home" featuring the inspiring stories of 28 environmental volunteers, will be held on Wednesday.

Authors, athletes, artists, chefs and representatives of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who have raised awareness with many significant names and environmentalist initiatives from Turkey and other countries have written about their experiences with the environment in the collection of stories to be published by Turkuvaz Publishing.

Inviting humanity to mobilize for a livable world, the names drew attention to many different issues in their personal stories, from the cleanliness of the sea and oceans to the protection of wildlife, sustainable fashion and the concept of waste-free culinary culture.

Recounting her personal environmentalism story in the "Don't Let the Tree's Story End Like This" section of the book, first lady Erdoğan recounted her childhood, which was intertwined with nature, and how she developed today's environmental awareness.

The presentation of the book will be held in the garden of the Presidential Complex State Guesthouse tomorrow with the participation of youth climate ambassadors. The book will be put on sale by Turkuvaz Publishing on the same day.

All proceeds of the book will be donated to the "Reforestation of Burning Forests Fund," which will be created specifically for the book by the Forestry Development and Forest Fire Fighting Services Support Foundation./DS

As Turkey marked World No Tobacco Day on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan found another opportunity to reiterate his fierce opposition to smoking. The architect of a landmark ban on indoor smoking, the president slammed the smoking rates and warned youth not to fall for smokeless electronic cigarettes, which are “not different from others.”

The president hosted a group of youth, from athletes to actors, for an event highlighting the dangers of smoking held at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.

He listed a series of measures the governments of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) took, from “indoors smoking ban to high taxes,” adding they were involved in an efficient struggle that helped “a relative decline in smoking rates.”

Erdoğan noted that young people who made Turkey proud with their accomplishments instilled in them hope for the future in the fight against tobacco products, wishing increasing awareness against “this fatal danger.”

“The tobacco pandemic tops the list of causes of deaths in terms of preventable diseases and is the biggest global health threat. Every year, 100,000 people in our country and 7 million in the world die of smoking-related diseases. Unfortunately, we are still not in a place we desire (in terms of curbing smoking rates),” he said.

The president, who is known for “seizing” cigarette packs of smokers he comes across, in return for a promise to quit the habit, said he has been fighting a struggle against smoking since his youth. “I am taking their cigarette packs because I love the people. I love my citizens and want to save them from something that would hurt them,” he said.

He also highlighted the danger of electronic cigarettes, hookahs and cigars, which have been replacing more popular cigarette brands. “We are expanding our fight against smoking,” he said.

Although days of people chain-smoking in hospital corridors and public buses may be long gone, Turkey is not entirely "smoke-free." Smoking addiction causes diseases that kill thousands in the country every year, making it the primary target of governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Smoking was banned at all indoor venues in 2008 in a revolutionary step for the country that gave rise to the term “smoking like a Turk.” However, figures show that more than 15 million people still smoke across the nation. Apart from the indoor smoking ban, the government implements all other options at its disposal to eradicate the addiction, from offering free treatment to addicts to placing steep taxes on tobacco products. The Health Ministry also runs a hotline for addicts, which, according to figures quoted by Anadolu Agency (AA), helped 40% of callers kick the habit last year. The hotline is linked to smoking cessation clinics set up across the country in the fight against smoking. The extent of the caller's addiction is tested before they are provided with individually tailored strategies to quit. Specialists guide them throughout the process, especially on methods to overcome nicotine deprivation, and staunch addicts are directed to clinics. Health care crews monitor addicts for one year to help and motivate them throughout the process. Last year, some 700,000 people called the hotline.

Official figures show that the rate of smokers rose to 28% in 2019, from 26.5% in 2016 – with 52.9% of males between the ages of 35 and 44 smoking daily according to official figures, while the figure for women stood at 24.1%. Figures by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 31% of fatalities among men in Turkey stem from diseases caused by smoking, while this rate is 12% for women./DS