“I felt like I was on a suicide mission”: volunteers leave Ukraine
Thousands of foreign volunteers fought in Ukraine in four years of war, but not all are convinced they made the right choice. The dissolution of one of the international brigades exposed the problems: heavy losses, lack of communication and scarcity of resources. For many, the only solution is to abandon the defense of Ukraine.
Harm recently returned to the Netherlands. The Dutchman volunteered on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. Disillusioned, he returned home with the bitter feeling of having narrowly escaped an announced death.
“The air is full of drones. They’re pointing at you. It makes your insides freeze.”
Harm was a drone pilot in the International Brigade. The group, now dismantled by the Ukrainian Army, accumulated high losses and faced many difficulties in internal communication. Foreign volunteers often felt left to their own devices.
“We eat, sleep and do everything in a hole. There are a lot of rats that run over you while you sleep.”
As a drone pilot, he monitored Russian troop movements, but his work never took him away from the line of fire. The psychological pressure was constant: each step out of shelter could be the last.
A spiritual motivation and a shock with reality
Harm admits the decision to leave wasn’t just political. It was personal and, to some extent, spiritual.
“I wanted guidance. I had no choice. It was a message from above. I’m not the best Christian, but it was one of the reasons I went.”
Before reaching the front line, Harm helped with logistical tasks, including transporting the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. Remember the containers full of dead people and the emotional difficulty of dealing with those moments. Training as a drone operator then took him to combat zones. And it was there that, for the first time, he realized the size of the imbalance of resources between Russians and Ukrainians.
“We have little of everything. We work with what we have. The enemy is stronger, we are a little smarter, but the enemy is still stronger.”
“I felt like I was on a suicide mission”
The Dutch volunteer lasted two weeks on the front line. The intensity of the fighting and the lack of resources convinced him to tear up the contract and ask for an immediate return to his country. The decision still weighs heavily on Harm.
“My head is still there. Life here doesn’t really matter. Many friends were and are still without me. Of course I feel like I abandoned them.”
Harm’s testimony comes at a time when several military sources confirm recurring difficulties in international brigades: lack of equipment, operational wear and tear and divergent expectations between volunteers and Ukrainian command.
Viral challenge on TikTok causes serious poisoning in children
The alert sounded at Epicura Hospital, in Hornu, Belgium. Three minors, including an 11-year-old child, were hospitalized for paracetamol overdoses. The cause? A challenge that is circulating on TikTok.
The most recent case is that of a young man who ingested several one-gram tablets, in total the amount of paracetamol was well above the safe limit.
“It was to feel good, to get a little ‘high’. I saw a video on TikTok and took it. The next day I started to feel bad and realized I had done something stupid. I regret it.”
The family only discovered what had happened when the young man arrived at school and asked for help.
“He didn’t tell us anything. It was only this morning, at school, that we found out. Even though we are vigilant, sometimes things escape us.”
This was the third case in 48 hours, in the Belgian city, the youngest patient is 11 years old. In all cases, the young people said they had seen videos that promoted the challenge of ingesting paracetamol while filming themselves.
Despite being a common painkiller, paracetamol is one of the substances that most frequently causes serious poisoning. Overdose can be fatal.
“The toxicity of paracetamol is mainly hepatic. The liver is its main target. In the most severe cases, patients may even need a liver transplant.”
Excessive intake does not cause any psychoactive effects, contrary to what many young people think. Health professionals see these cases as a worrying sign of the impact of social networks on the health of young people.
After all, what is “American”? Political boycott confuses consumers in the Netherlands
More and more consumers in the Netherlands are trying to boycott North American products in response to Donald Trump’s political positions. But the reality of European supermarkets shows that identifying what is truly “American” can be a huge challenge.
Diplomatic tensions between the United States and Europe are leaving the political debate and going straight into shopping carts. 55% of Dutch people say they are considering reducing their consumption of American products or have already done so. On the streets, this trend can already be seen. In Almere, many consumers insist on avoiding US brands for political reasons.
“I don’t buy it. Because they are Americans and I don’t agree with what is happening in America.”
Still, political conviction does not always resist the complexity of the shelves. Replacing Coca-Cola is a challenge. A consumer says she started buying Pepsi Max, but didn’t know that the brand is also American.
“Are you American too? I thought you weren’t.”
A study carried out in the Netherlands reveals that around 40% of products sold in supermarkets belong to companies in the United States. Many do not appear to have any connection to the American market.
“If you think about a product like Kraft Heinz honey, you realize it’s not Dutch. The same with Côte d’Or chocolate, which many assume is Belgian, but is from an American company, Mondelez.”
Among the most unexpected products identified as American is Ajax, a detergent that many consumers mistakenly believe to be Dutch. But does this movement have consequences for North American companies? According to specialist Paul Moera, the impact is indirect and limited.
“The profits go to American companies, it’s true. But almost all the factories are in Europe and this is where they create jobs.”
In other words, the boycott may affect revenues, but it does not eliminate the local economic role of these companies. With global products masked under local identities, the debate gains strength and shows how even the most everyday decisions, such as choosing a soft drink, become part of international political tensions.
Can two cups of coffee a day reduce the risk of dementia?
A new study published in the scientific journal JAMA points to a possible association between moderate consumption of coffee and tea and a lower risk of developing dementia. Despite the encouraging results, experts emphasize that there is still no proof that these drinks have a direct protective effect.
At New Heights Coffee Roasters in Houston, Carlos Galan tastes a new batch of coffee. Always drink it the same way. It is a daily ritual that he follows religiously.
“Always black, no cream or sugar. I try to only drink two cups of coffee a day.”
Two cups a day may even be the right measure. According to the study released now, moderate consumption of tea and coffee may reduce the risk of dementia. Researchers analyzed data from more than 130,000 adults over four decades to assess the link between drinking caffeinated beverages and the risk of cognitive decline. According to the study, people who drank two to three cups of coffee a day or one to two cups of tea had a lower risk of dementia when compared to those who did not consume caffeine regularly.
Although the research opens up new clues, experts warn of the importance of not changing habits without medical guidance.
“For those with high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias or reflux, coffee may not be the best choice.”
Those responsible for the research speak of an encouraging finding, but admit that the effect is small. Therefore, to protect cognitive abilities as you age, it is important to exercise, eat well and get the hours you need.
shows the different perspectives and cultural diversity in reports from more than 40 SIC partner television stations. Saturday, at 3:30 pm, on SIC Notícias.
