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Alec Baldwin hat tragischerweise Kamerafrau Halyna Hutchins am Set von «Rust» erschossen. Nun wird bekannt, dass die Produktion nur minimal versichert ist.

The European Commission has decided to investigate further whether the acquisition of the UK company Arm by the US chipmaker Nvidia breaches the EU merger regulation.

Every day, dozens of migrants from Central America, Haiti and Venezuela come early in the morning to the offices of the governmental Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid in downtown Mexico City to apply for asylum. Mexico is overwhelmed by the influx of migrants, to whom it has begun to apply harsh restrictions. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS

By Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY, Oct 27 2021 (IPS)

In September, 31-year-old Yesenia decided to leave her home on the outskirts of the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, driven out by violence and the lack of water.

“The maras (gangs) were threatening me, and it hadn’t rained, there was very little water. I had to leave, I had to go somewhere, anywhere. I want to stay wherever they let me,” the mother of a seven-year-old girl, who was a homemaker in one of the most violent cities in the world, told IPS.

It was the first time she had left her country. She reached the southern Mexican state of Chiapas (bordering Guatemala), and continued on by bus and hitchhiking. “We slept in the bushes, walked, went hungry, got rained on and sometimes froze,” she said, describing the journey she made with her daughter.

Yesenia, who is short and dark-haired with a round face, now lives in an area that she does not name for security reasons, and is applying for refugee status in the capital of Mexico, a country that has historically been a huge source of migrants to the United States as well as a transit route for people from other countries heading there as well. It has also become, over the last decade, a growing recipient of undocumented migrants.

Due to the large number of requests for asylum, which has stretched Mexico’s immigration and refugee system to the limit, it takes a long time for cases to be resolved. Although immigration advocacy organisations provide assistance in the form of money, food, lodging and clothing, these resources are limited and the aid eventually comes to an end.

Driven out by poverty, lack of basic services, violence and climate-related phenomena, millions of people leave their countries in Central America every year, heading mainly to the United States, to find work and to reunite with family.

But in the face of the increasing crackdown on immigration in the U.S. since 2016 under the administrations of Donald Trump (2016-January 2021) and current President Joe Biden, many undocumented migrants have opted to stay in places that were previously only transit points, such as Mexico.

The problem is that Mexico also tightened the screws, as part of the role it agreed with the U.S. to perform during the times of Trump, who successfully pressured the governments of Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-December 2018) and current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to step up their own anti-immigration measures. And this has not changed since Biden took office.

Like the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico and the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) are highly vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis. Drought and devastating hurricanes drive people from their homes to safer areas or across borders in search of better lives.

Honduras is one illustration of this phenomenon. Since 1970, more than 30 major tropical storms have hit the country, leaving a trail of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage. Hurricanes Eta and Iota struck in 2020. For this year, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) predicted 17 hurricanes on the Atlantic side before the official end of hurricane season on Nov. 30.

In early September, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández also declared a drought emergency, another increasingly recurrent and intense phenomenon in Central America.

The refugee club

Caribbean island nations such as Haiti are also suffering from the climate emergency. The country was hit by Hurricane Elsa in June and by Tropical Storm Fred and Hurricane Grace in August, on top of an Aug. 14 earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that claimed thousands of lives.

In 2017, a particularly lethal year, hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck Haiti. As a result, Sadaam decided to leave, heading first to Chile that year and now to Mexico, where he has applied for humanitarian asylum.

“Things got very difficult. The hardware store where I worked had to close because of the rains and I couldn’t work. I can do any kind of job and that’s all I ask for: work,” the 30-year-old Haitian migrant told IPS.

Tall and lean, Sadaam, originally from Port-au-Prince, also arrived in Mexico in September, with his wife and his son, as well as his brother and sister-in-law and their daughter. They are living temporarily in a hotel, with support from humanitarian organisations.

On Oct. 6, the Mexican government deported 129 Haitians to Port-au-Prince on a chartered flight from Tapachula, a city in the southern state of Chiapas. The measure was criticised by social organisations, while the U.N. called for an evaluation of the need for protection of Haitians and the risks of returning them to their country. CREDIT: INM

Climate disaster = displacement

Recent studies and migration statistics show that the paths followed by migrants and climate disasters in the region are intertwined.

Between 2000 and 2019, Cuba, Mexico and Haiti were the hardest hit, by a total of 110 storms which caused 39 billion dollars in damage, affected 29 million people and left 5,000 dead, 85 percent of them in Haiti, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In 2020, internal and external displacement due to disasters soared in El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. But the international migratory framework has not yet accepted the official category of climate refugee, despite growing clamor for its inclusion.

Armelle Gouritin, an academic at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences-Mexico, told IPS that the scientific community has linked the sudden events to the climate emergency, whose influence on internal and external migration flows is growing.

“There is evidence that they are increasing. It is quite difficult to say to what extent the volume of migration is growing, because there is little quantitative data. It is hard to compare. It tends to be invisible, especially because of slow onset processes such as drought and desertification,” she explained.

In her 2021 book “The protection of internal climate migrants; a pending task in Mexico”, the expert described scenarios linked to migration, such as gradual-onset phenomena, sudden-onset disasters (hurricanes or violence generated by water shortages), relocations decided by the authorities, sea level rise and the impact of renewable energy megaprojects.

As Mexico has become a magnet for migration, measures against immigration have been stiffened. This year, through August alone, immigration authorities detained 148,903 people, almost twice as many as in all of 2020, when the total was 82,379.

Of the current total, according to official data, 67,847 came from Honduras, 44,712 from Guatemala, 12,010 from El Salvador and 7,172 from Haiti.

Deportations are also on the rise, as up to August, Mexico removed 65,799 undocumented migrants, compared to 60,315 in the whole of 2020. Of these, 25,660 were from Honduras, 25,660 from Guatemala, 2,583 from El Salvador and 223 from Haiti.

The Haitian influx was triggered after the United States announced in August that it would halt deportations of those already in the country because of the earthquake, which drew thousands of Haitians who were in Brazil and Chile, where they had migrated earlier and where policies against them had been tightened.

In Mexico, according to official figures refugee applications increased from 70,406 in all of 2019 to 90,314 this year up to and including September, of which 26,007 were filed by Haitian migrants. Migrants from Honduras, Haiti, Cuba, El Salvador, and Venezuela account for the largest number of applications.

Despite the large rise in applications, Mexico only approved 13,100 permanent refugees in September: 5,755 from Honduras, 1,454 from El Salvador, 733 from Haiti and 524 from Guatemala.

On the night of Oct. 7, a military checkpoint found 800 migrants from Central America in three truck trailers on a highway in the state of Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico, bordering the United States, where they were headed. CREDIT: Elefante Blanco/Pie de Página

Fleeing the climate emergency

The World Bank study “Groundswell: Acting on Internal Climate Migration” warns that Mexico must prepare for the confluence of climate disasters and migration flows, and projects 86 million internal climate migrants in the world by 2050, including 17 million in Latin America.

The report, published on Sept. 13, estimates that the number of climate migrants will grow between 2020 and 2050, when between 1.4 and 2.1 million people will migrate in Mexico and Central America. Mexico’s central valley, where the capital city is located, and the western highlands of Guatemala will receive migrants, while people will flee arid, agricultural and low-lying coastal areas.

Although several international bodies link migration and the climate crisis, the concept of climate migrant or refugee does not exist in the international legal framework.

Gouritin understands the international reluctance to address the issue. “There are three narratives for mobility: responsibility, security and human rights. States are not willing to head towards the responsibility narrative. The security narrative predominates, we have seen it with the caravans from Central America (on the way to the United States through Mexico),” she said.

Few countries are prepared to address the climate dimension of migration, as is the case of Mexico. The general laws on Climate Change, of 2012, and on Forced Internal Displacement, of 2020, mention climate impacts but do not include measures or define people internally displaced by climate phenomena.

In the United States, undocumented Mexicans are experiencing the same thing, as deportations of Mexicans could well exceed the levels of all of 2020, since 184,402 people were deported that year compared to 148,584 as of last August alone.

Yesenia and Sadaam are two migrants who are suffering the statistics in the flesh, as victims of their own governments and the Mexican response.

“I’ll stay wherever I can get a job to support and educate my daughter,” said Yesenia. With refugee status, migrants can work freely.

Sadaam said: “I was offered a job as a cleaner in a hotel, but they asked me for a refugee card. The government told me that I have to wait for the call for the appointment. If I get a job, I will stay here.”

But above and beyond the detentions, deportations and refugee applications, migration will continue, as long as droughts, floods and storms devastate their places of origin.

Bonne nouvelle pour les élèves. Après avoir passé un Été marqué par les restrictions du coronavirus, les écoliers vont enfin pouvoir souffler un peu lors des « minis vacances » annoncé ce mercredi 27 octobre.

Dans un communiqué rendu public aujourd’hui ; le ministère de l’Éducation nationale a annoncé « 4 jours de repos pédagogique » pour les élèves des trois paliers (primaire, moyen, secondaire), et ce, à partir de demain jeudi.

« À l’occasion du 1 novembre (anniversaire du déclenchement de la Guerre de libération nationale), un repos pédagogue de quatre jours sera accordé aux élèves. Ce dernier s’étalera de l’après-midi du jeudi 28 octobre 2021 au 1er lundi novembre 2021. La date de la reprise est fixée pour le mardi 2 novembre au matin », lit-on dans le communiqué du ministère.

Les examens trimestriels approchent

Il convient de rappeler que le ministère a arrêté, le 18 octobre, le calendrier des examens trimestriels pour l’année scolaire 2021/2022. En effet, selon le département d’Abdelhakim Belabed, les épreuves du premier trimestre auront lieu dans un mois.

Les dates des examens du pour le cycle primaire ont été fixées du 30 novembre au 9 décembre 2021, et ceux des cycles moyen et secondaire du 28 novembre au 2 décembre 2021.

Quant aux examens du deuxième trimestre, ils sont fixés du 1er au 10 mars 2022 pour le primaire et du 27 février au 3 mars pour les cycles moyen et secondaire. Concernant le troisième trimestre, les épreuves auront durant le mois de Mai.

L’article Éducation : le ministère annonce « 4 jours de repos » pour les élèves est apparu en premier sur .

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the Mission recorded 435 ceasefire violations, including 86 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 205 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded 20 ceasefire violations, including three explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded three ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission followed up on reports of damage to an inhabited apartment in non-government-controlled Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, Luhansk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and construction of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and four checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission monitored the security situation in east and south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Bezimenne, Donetsk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced multiple instances of jamming and probable jamming.*

Meeting of the Working Group on the National Mental Health Strategic Plan, April 2019

By Saima Wazed and Nazish Arman
DHAKA, Oct 27 2021 (IPS)

Mental health is a state of well-being when both your body and your mind are in balance, and you are able to deal with the difficulties and challenges that come your way and easily find joy, peace, and happiness once the challenge is overcome. For many people though, the challenges often remain for too long – the pain of losing someone you dearly loved, being diagnosed with a chronic disease like cancer or a heart condition, losing your family/home/job or feeling like you failed to meet expectations. All those things and more can trigger so much intense stress and maladjustment, that if it goes unchecked and untreated, it may lead to a chronic disease, a mental health disorder. WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The majority of people are able to cope and get back to life as normal, but for the many who cannot, they begin to experience intense detachment from reality (experiencing delusions, pervasive sadness, uncontrollable fears, intense anger and/or fantasies and hallucinations). For those individuals, there is limited help and treatment in every country in the world. Those who suffer from mental health disorders and the brave professionals who learn to treat them are chronically stigmatized, under-appreciated and under-paid.

Mental health conditions, substance use disorders, suicide, and neurological disorders like dementia affect more than a billion people annually, account for an estimated third of the global burden of disability and result in 14% of global deaths. (Vigo et al., 2016). There has been increasing global recognition of the importance of mental health and the significant global burden of mental health conditions in both developing and developed countries. More than 80% of people experiencing them are living without any form of quality, affordable health care. Due to negligence and ignorance, we have high levels of mortality through suicide and increased comorbid medical conditions. According to a study published in 2016, it is estimated that 14.3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths per year are attributable to mental health disorders.

The 7th Five Year Plan (FYP) and Vision 2021 of the Government of Bangladesh recognized the urgency of addressing mental health and developed a comprehensive system of care that can be implemented within our well tiered health infrastructure. This plan emphasized that proper health is essential not only for physical well-being but also for economic livelihood. To realize the vision of the 7th FYP, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing its 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (4th HPNSP) from January 2017 to June 2022. The 4th HPNSP’s objectives include strengthening governance, institutional efficiency, expanding access and improving quality within the universal health care system. To achieve the SDGs target, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has committed to ensuring that mental health is a priority in the 4th HPNSP.

Saima Wazed, Chief Advisor to the Working Group on the National Mental Health Strategic Plan, at its meeting in April 2019

It is important to note that Bangladesh is among the first few countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region to place mental health as one of its top 10 priority health conditions. Mental health programming in Bangladesh has undergone several phases of evolution. Bangladesh passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018; is working on finalizing a Mental Health Policy; and has developed a National Strategic Plan after conducting a thorough situation analysis involving both professionals and those with lived experiences. The focus of the Mental Health Act is to protect the dignity of citizens with mental health conditions, provide them with healthcare, ensure their right to property and rehabilitate them. The law has 31 sections and will oversee the direction, development, expansion, regulation, and coordination of mental health related issues and duties entrusted to the Government. The National Mental Health Policy 2021 which is currently under final approval, provides an overarching direction by establishing a broad framework for action and coordination, through common vision and values for programing and mental health service delivery. Although still under review, this policy document acknowledges the significance and importance of relevant and useful local knowledge and practices, and adheres to global and regional thinking, taking into perspective the Bangladesh context.

Across the globe in most nations, mental health treatment is underfunded and lack a well-designed system of care within the health system primarily due to a limited understanding of how to treat adequately, severe social stigma, and complication of the conditions. The situation is similar in Bangladesh, where mental health has been a low priority in both health services delivery and planning for many years now. To address these issues, developing a comprehensive and multi-sectoral National Mental Health Strategic Plan was the only way forward to ensure access to quality mental health care services across the nation.

Saima Wazed, a licensed School Psychologist, is currently Clinical Instructor for the Department of School Psychology at Barry University. Additionally, she is Advisor to the Director General of WHO on Autism and Mental Health, Member of WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health, Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and NDDs in Bangladesh, Thematic Ambassador for “Vulnerability” of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, and Chairperson of Shuchona Foundation.

Nazish Arman is Lead Content Developer of Shuchona Foundation.

Shuchona Foundation is a non-profit organization focusing on advocacy, research, and capacity-building, specialising in neurodevelopmental disabilities, and mental health. It aims to construct an effective bridge between national and international researchers, policy makers, service providers, persons with NDDs and their families, to promote inclusion nationally, regionally, and globally. The Foundation is a member of the UN ESCAP Working Group on disability as of May 2018, and holds special consultative status with UN ECOSOC since 2019.

Shuchona Foundation was the member of the Working Group on the National Mental Health Strategic Plan; and Saima Wazed was its Chief Advisor.

 

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Excerpt:

[First of a two-part article]

Spanx-Chefin Sara Blakely hat gerade den Deal ihres Lebens gemacht. Deshalb will sie ihren Mitarbeitern etwas zurückgeben und macht ihnen ein grosses Geschenk.

Denník N: Kirabolták a nyár folyamán Robert Fico irodáját a pozsonyi Smer-székházban. A betörők arany pénzérméket és 50 ezer eurót vittek el. Fico a rendőrségen azért nem jelentette a rablást, hogy ne kelljen magyarázkodnia a pénz eredetéről, és arról, miért tart ekkora összeget az irodájában.

Pressure mounts on the military to restore civilian rule as international bodies respond.

The Subcommittee on Security and Defence discusses gender and disarmament: engaging women in disarmament and arms control with Izumi NAKAMITSU, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, on 27 October 2021. The discussion takes place within the framework of the second European Gender Equality Week.
Meeting agenda and documents
Live streaming
European Gender Equality Week
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Nigerians welcome the return of artefacts - including Cambridge University's cockerel - looted in 1897.

Die Freiheitstrychler trafen sich am Mittwochabend für einen Trauermarsch. Sie gedenken damit den Toten vom Altersheim in Giswil OW.

Der November wird für reiselustige Schweizerinnen und Schweizer zum Glücksmonat. Beliebte Feriendestinationen wie die USA, Thailand oder Singapur lockern bald die Einreiseregeln. Blick zeigt, was Sie bei Reisen in die Ferne beachten müssen.

Uber-Fahrern protestierten im Europäischen Viertel in Brüssel gegen ihre Arbeitsbedingungen in der sogenannten Plattform-Wirtschaft. Das Timing war gut, denn die EU-Kommission will bis zum Jahresende genau diese empfundenen Mißstände beheben. #BrusselsBureau

La police de Saint-Gall a identifié un de ses employés comme voix off d’une vidéo critiquant les mesures anti-Covid. Sanctions dans l’air.

Une commission du Sénat brésilien recommande la mise en accusation du président pour sa gestion de la crise du coronavirus.

War es ein tragischer Unfall, oder gab es tatsächlich erhebliche Sicherheitsmängel am Set? Die Behörden ermitteln und lassen dabei niemanden aussen vor.

Afrique Avenir reçoit Defustel Ndjoko, designer, égérie et fondateur de la marque Defustel

Bernie Ecclestone ist sich sicher, dass der Andretti-Deal mit Alfa-Sauber nicht klappen wird. Der Sohn von Mario Andretti habe sich verzockt.

A parlamenti közgyűlés nem tárgyal pénteken, az ülést csütörtökön délelőtt befejezik - egyezett meg a képviselői grémium. A munkát november 2-án folytatják.