In Mali, one million children under five are at risk of malnutrition amid polio and measles outbreaks, increased armed violence and displacement, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
World News in Brief: Crisis deepens for Mali’s children, human rights updates from Brazil, Montenegro
Scientists have revealed why pink diamonds are so rare
Scientists have revealed why pink diamonds are so rare, AFP reported, citing a scientific study. These gems are found almost exclusively in Australia. Their price is extremely high.
More than 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds are mined at the Argyle mine in the northwest of the country, which is currently closed.
Most of the diamond mining mines are located on other continents – for example in South Africa and Russia.
An Australian scientific team has conducted a study published in “Nature Communications”, according to which pink diamonds were formed when the first supercontinent of the Earth broke up 1.3 billion years ago.
Two components are needed to form a diamond, University of Perth geologist Hugo Olieruk told AFP. The first component is carbon. At less than 150 km depth, carbon is found in the form of graphite. The second component is high pressure. It is able to determine the color of the diamond. Less pressure leads to a pink color, and a little more pressure leads to brown, Olieruk explains.
According to Olieruk, the geological processes of the separation of the only supercontinent on Earth pushed the pink diamonds to the surface of today’s Australia like champagne corks.
Illustrative Photo by Taisuke usui: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-golden-ring-2697608/
Consumer credits: why updated EU rules are needed
MEPs have adopted new rules to protect consumers from credit card debt and overdrafts.
Parliament approved new consumer credit rules in September 2023, following an agreement reached with the Council in December 2022.
Consumer credits are loans for the purchase of consumer goods and services. They are often used to pay for cars, travel as well as for household goods and appliances.
Existing EU rules
The existing EU rules – the Consumer Credits Directive – aim to protect Europeans while fostering the EU’s consumer loan market. The rules cover consumer credits ranging from €200 to €75,000 and require creditors to provide information to allow borrowers to compare offers and make informed decisions. Consumers have 14 days to withdraw from a credit agreement and they can repay the loan early, thereby lowering the cost.
The rules were adopted in 2008 and needed to be updated to meet the current environment.
Why changes are needed
The difficult economic situation means more people are searching for loans, and digitalisation has brought new players and products to the markets, including non-banks, such as crowdfunding loan apps.
This means, for example, that it is easier and more widespread to take small loans online – but these can turn out to be expensive or unsuitable. It also means that new ways of disclosing information digitally and of assessing the creditworthiness of consumers using AI systems and non-traditional data need to be addressed.
The current rules do not protect consumers who are vulnerable to over-indebtedness well enough. In addition, the rules are not harmonised between the EU countries.
New consumer credit rules
The new rules say that creditors must ensure standard information to consumers in a more transparent way and allow them to easily see all essential information on any device, including a mobile phone.
Committee members stressed that credit advertising should not encourage over-indebted consumers to seek credit and it should contain a prominent message that borrowing money costs money.
To help determine whether a credit suits a person’s needs and means before it’s granted, MEPs want information such as current obligations or cost of living expenses to be required, but said social media and health data should not be taken into account.
The new rules require:
- Proper assessment of consumer creditworthiness
- Cap on charges
- 14-day unconditional withdrawal option
- Right to early repayment
- A clear warning in ads that borrowing cost money
The new rules cover credits agreements up to €100,000, with each country deciding the upper limit based on local conditions. MEPs want overdraft facilities and credit overrunning, which are becoming increasingly common, to be regulated, but say it should be up to EU countries to decide whether they apply the consumer credit rules to some loans, such as small loans up to €200, interest-free loans and loans to be repaid within three months and with minor charges.
The Council will also have to approve the new rules before they can come into force.
Venezuela continues crackdown on dissenters, UN rights experts warn
Marta Valiñas, Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, presented its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which covers the period from January 2020 to August this year.
The report, which was published last week, focused on two areas: the various “repression mechanisms” used by the State, and the need to monitor a new security force whose members include officers who allegedly were involved in crimes against humanity.
‘Repressive tactics’
“What we are witnessing is the accumulated impact of these repressive tactics which have given rise to a predominant environment of fear, mistrust and self-censorship. As a consequence, the fundamental pillars of civic and democratic fora have been seriously eroded in Venezuela,” said Mr. Valiñas, speaking in Spanish.
She warned that repressive measures are likely to increase in the run-up to the presidential elections next year.
During the reporting period, at least 58 persons were arbitrarily detained, according to the report.
They included trade union leaders, human rights defenders, members of non-governmental organizations, journalists, opposition party members, and others who voiced criticism of the Government of President Nicholas Maduro.
Arbitrary killings and torture
The Mission investigated nine deaths to determine if they were linked to detention, finding reasonable grounds to believe that five were arbitrary killings that could be attributed to the State authorities.
Furthermore, at least 14 individuals were forcibly disappeared for periods ranging from several hours up to 10 days. The Mission documented 28 cases of torture or degrading treatment in official or clandestine places of detention, with sexual and gender-based violence being most prevalent.
Ms. Valiñas said these incidents represent a decrease over previous reporting periods, reflecting a shift in the political and human rights crisis in Venezuela.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the end of opposition protests, and subsequent mass arrests, torture and large-scale reprisals.
Freedoms under attack
“Our conclusion is that in Venezuela, serious human rights violations continue, and that these violations are not isolated events. Rather, they reflect a policy of repressing dissent,” she said.
The Mission also investigated attempts against the freedoms of expression, assembly and peaceful association, and the right to participate in public life.
“Numerous cases” of selective repression were documented, including against trade unionists, journalists, human rights defenders, political leaders, and their relatives. Key civil society institutions, political parties and the media have also been targeted.
New strategic force
The report also expressed concern over a new police body, the Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Actions (DAET), created in July 2022.
The Mission concluded that the DAET is a continuation of the disbanded Special Action Forces (FAES), which it had identified as one of the structures most involved in extrajudicial executions, among other gross human rights violations, in the context of fighting crime.
Ms. Valiñas said 10 of the 15 top positions are held by former FAES leaders, “and these were already people who were named in former reports of our Mission because we believe that they have been involved in international crimes.”
She cited allegations around the new force’s involvement in operations last year that were linked to multiple assassinations and over 300 detentions.
“These actions were very similar to the strategies used by the Special Forces when they existed, including extrajudicial killings,” she said, calling for further investigation.
Ukraine: war crimes by Russian forces continuing, rights experts report
Russian forces in Ukraine faced new allegations of war crimes on Monday as UN-appointed independent rights experts published the findings of their latest report into Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Members of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that they have documented attacks with explosive weapons on residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and medical institutions, as well as torture and sexual and gender-based violence.
Rape allegations
Commission Chair Erik Møse provided harrowing details on the findings to the Council, noting that in the Kherson region, “Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years”, often together with threats or commission of other violations.
“Frequently, family members were kept in an adjacent room, thereby forced to hear the violations taking place,” Mr. Møse said.
‘Widespread’ torture
The Commission said that its investigations in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia indicate the “widespread and systematic” use of torture by Russian armed forces against persons accused of being informants of the Ukrainian military, which in some cases led to death.
Mr. Møse quoted a victim of torture as saying, “Every time I answered that I didn’t know or didn’t remember something, they gave me electric shocks… I don’t know how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity.”
Probe into child transfers a ‘priority’
The Commissioners also indicated that they have continued to investigate individual situations of alleged transfers of unaccompanied children by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation.
“This item remains very high on our priority list,” Mr. Møse assured the Council.
Possible ‘incitement to genocide’
The Commission expressed concern about allegations of genocide in Ukraine, warning that “some of the rhetoric transmitted in Russian state and other media may constitute incitement to genocide”
Mr. Møse said that the Commission was “continuing its investigations on such issues”.
Call for accountability
The UN-appointed independent rights investigators emphasized the need for accountability and expressed regret about the fact that all of their communications addressed to the Russian Federation “remain unanswered”.
In their report, the Commissioners also urged the Ukrainian authorities to “expeditiously and thoroughly” investigate the few cases of violations by its own forces.
No equivalence
Replying to questions from reporters in Geneva on Monday, the UN-appointed independent rights investigators strongly refuted any suggestions of an equivalence in the violations committed by both sides.
Mr. Møse stressed that on the Russian side, the Commission had found a “wide spectrum” and “large number of violations”. On the Ukrainian side, there were “a few examples” related to indiscriminate attacks as well as “ill-treatment of Russians in Ukrainian captivity”, he said.
More in-depth investigations
The latest update reflects the Commission’s ongoing investigations during its second mandate, which started in April this year.
Mr. Møse said that it was now undertaking “more in-depth investigations” regarding unlawful attacks with explosive weapons, attacks affecting civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on energy infrastructure.
“This may also clarify whether torture and attacks on energy infrastructure amount to crimes against humanity,” the Commissioners said.
The Commission
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was established by the Human Rights Council on 4 March 2022 to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law and related crimes in the context of the aggression against Ukraine by Russia.
Its three members are Chair Erik Møse, Pablo de Greiff and Vrinda Grover. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
The mandate of the Commission of Inquiry was extended by the Council last April for a further period of one year. Its next report to the General Assembly is due in October.
Palestine: Rights experts call for stronger torture prevention measures
The members of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) issued the appeal after concluding their first visit to the State of Palestine, conducted from 10 to 21 September.
Daniel Fink, who headed the delegation, said they received full cooperation from the Palestinian Authority to visit locations in the West Bank, “but we regret that, despite all efforts, we were unable to visit detention facilities in Gaza.”
The Palestinian Authority has administrative control over the West Bank while the militant group Hamas rules the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli blockade for more than 15 years.
High-level meetings
The delegation visited 18 detention places in different locations in the West Bank, including prisons, police stations, facilities of the security forces, a psychiatric hospital and a military detention centre.
Members met with high-level officials, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior, who coordinates the National Team for Monitoring the State’s Commitments.
They also held meetings with other State authorities, and the Independent Commission on Human Rights, involving its Gaza branch.
Establish monitory mechanism
The experts recalled that Palestine has been a party to the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol since 2014 and 2017, respectively.
States that ratify the Optional Protocol give the SPT the right to visit their places of detention and examine the treatment of people held there.
They said the Government has done much in the interim, pointing to recent positive relevant amendments to the penal code.
However, they remain concerned over the implementation of torture prevention measures during detention and the effective establishment of a monitory body, officially called the national preventive mechanism (NPM).
The delegation also engaged with entities working on drafting legislation related to the NPM and Mr. Fink expressed hope that their visit will prompt its swift formation.
“In particular, we look forward to seeing an independent body that can carry out its mandate in accordance with the State’s legal international obligations, including unannounced visits to any places of deprivation of liberty,” he added.
About UN experts
The SPT is composed of 25 independent and impartial experts from across the globe who monitor adherence to the Optional Protocol, which has been ratified by 93 countries.
They were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva, and are neither UN staff nor are they paid for their work.
Four members visited the State of Palestine, accompanied by two human rights officers from the SPT Secretariat.
The delegation will submit a confidential report to the Palestinian authority in the coming months, which they hope will be made public.
Liège, cradle of art: exceptional museums and galleries to explore
Liège, cradle of art: exceptional museums and galleries to explore
Located in Belgium, the city of Liège is a true artistic gem. Known for its rich cultural past, it is full of exceptional museums and galleries worth exploring. Whether you are a fan of modern, classic or contemporary art, Liège will satisfy all your artistic desires.
One of the city’s must-see museums is the Boverie Museum. Housed in a magnificent 19th century building, this museum houses an impressive collection of works of art spanning from ancient times to the present day. There you can admire paintings, sculptures, photographs and many other forms of art. The Boverie Museum also regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, offering a renewed artistic experience with each visit.
If you are passionate about contemporary art, don’t miss the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, also called MAMAC. This museum highlights contemporary Belgian and international artists and offers thematic exhibitions that reflect current trends in art. MAMAC is a dynamic venue that also organizes conferences, workshops and artistic performances, providing an immersive experience in the world of contemporary art.
Lovers of classical art will not be left out in Liège. The Curtius Museum is a real treasure for lovers of ancient art. Housed in a sumptuous 16th century residence, this museum houses a collection of works of art ranging from Antiquity to the Renaissance. You will be able to admire sculptures, paintings, antique furniture and many other objects of art which bear witness to the history and artistic wealth of the region.
In addition to these museums, Liège also has many art galleries that are worth a visit. The contemporary art gallery in the town of Chênée is an essential place for lovers of contemporary art. This gallery highlights emerging artists and offers temporary exhibitions that will allow you to discover new talents.
If you are interested in urban art, don’t miss the Liege Street Art gallery. Located in the Saint-Léonard district, this gallery exhibits works by renowned street artists such as ROA and Bosoletti. As you stroll through the streets of Liège, you will also be able to discover numerous frescoes and installations which are an integral part of the city’s urban landscape.
In addition to its museums and galleries, Liège also organizes numerous artistic events throughout the year. Don’t miss the Photography Biennale and the Les Transnumériques festival, which highlight new forms of digital and interactive art. These events are an opportunity to discover innovative artists and participate in unique artistic performances.
In conclusion, Liège is truly the cradle of art in Belgium. With its exceptional museums and galleries, the city offers a unique artistic experience. Whether you are a fan of modern, classic or contemporary art, Liège will seduce you with its artistic diversity and its rich cultural heritage. So don’t hesitate any longer, set off to discover this fascinating city and let yourself be carried away by the magic of art.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Free movement: Schengen reform to ensure border controls only as a last resort
Civil Liberties Committee MEPs backed proposals which would mean border controls within the free movement Schengen area can only be reintroduced when absolutely necessary.
On Wednesday, MEPs adopted a draft report on the reform of the Schengen Borders Code with 39 votes in favour, 13 against, and 12 abstaining, and authorised the start of negotiations with the Council with 49 votes in favour, 14 against, and 0 abstentions. In response to increasingly permanent border controls within the Schengen area, the proposal seeks to clarify rules, strengthen free movement within the EU, and introduce targeted solutions to genuine threats.
MEPs want to ensure a coherent EU response in cases of large-scale public cross-border health emergencies, allowing temporary restrictions on entering the Schengen area, but exempting from them EU citizens, long-term residents and asylum-seekers.
As an alternative to border controls, the new rules would promote police cooperation in border regions. Where third-country nationals with irregular status are apprehended during joint patrols and there is evidence they have arrived directly from another EU country, these people may be transferred to that country if it participates in joint patrols. MEPs want to exclude several categories, including unaccompanied minors, from such returns.
Justified and time-limited border controls, for maximum two years, when necessary
In the text, MEPs propose clear criteria for the imposition of border controls in response to serious threats that endanger the functioning of the Schengen area. There would need to be a justified reason such as an “identified and immediate” threat of terrorism, with tighter time limits for border controls in response to foreseeable threats, up to a maximum of eighteen months. If the threat persists, more border controls could be authorised by a Council decision.
The proposals would also allow for the reintroduction of border controls in several countries when the Commission receives notifications about a particularly serious threat affecting a majority of countries simultaneously, for a period of up to two years.
At the same time, MEPs propose removing certain migration-related concepts from the proposal. They argue that the provisions on the instrumentalisation of migrants (where third countries facilitate or encourage migrants to cross into EU territory with the aim of destabilising countries) should be covered by a separate, dedicated proposal, which EU lawmakers are also currently discussing.
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After the vote, rapporteur Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France) said: “Protecting the Schengen free movement area and what it represents for 450 million Europeans is at the heart of this report. The negotiations have been difficult, but I am delighted we have managed to safeguard the essence of one of the European Union’s greatest achievements.”
Background
The Parliament has called for a reform of the Schengen Borders Code “to strengthen mutual trust and solidarity, and to safeguard the integrity and full restoration of the Schengen area”, which currently encompasses 27 countries.
In a judgment in April 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that border controls re-installed because of serious threats may not exceed six months, and can only be extended when a new threat arises, unless there are exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk.
Reducing pollution in EU groundwater and surface waters
Parliament adopted its position on reducing groundwater and surface waters pollution and improving EU water quality standards.
MEPs want the EU watch lists – which contain substances posing a significant risk to human health and the environment – to be updated regularly to keep pace with new scientific evidence and new chemicals. They also want a subset of specific PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals”) as well as the PFAS total (parameter which includes the totality of PFAS with a maximum concentration) to be added to the lists for both groundwater and surface water pollutants. Several other substances, including microplastics and antimicrobial resistant microorganisms, should also be added to these lists as soon as suitable monitoring methods identified.
The adopted report also includes stricter standards for several pesticides (including glyphosate and atrazine) and pharmaceuticals.
Producers selling products that contain polluting chemical substances should help finance the monitoring costs, an activity currently financed only by member states.
MEPs adopted the report with 495 votes in favour, 12 against and 124 abstentions.
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After the vote, rapporteur Milan Brglez (S&D, SI) said: “The revision of EU water legislation, including the Water Framework Directive and its two daughter directives, is one of the key policy tools to implement our commitments under the Zero-Pollution Action Plan. Enhanced protection of EU waters is extremely important, especially in the context of the ever more pressing impacts of climate change – combined with industrial and agricultural pollution – on our fresh water resources.”
Next steps
MEPs are ready to start the talks on the final shape of the legislation, once Council agrees on its position.
Background
In line with the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition, the Commission tabled in October 2022 a proposal to revise the lists of surface water and groundwater pollutants that need to be monitored and controlled to protect the EU’s freshwater bodies. The new legislation updates the Water Framework Directive, the Groundwater Directive and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (Surface Water Directive).
In adopting this report, Parliament is responding to citizens’ expectations to protect and restore ecosystems and eliminate pollution, as expressed in proposals 2(4) and 2(7) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
World News in Brief: Ukraine nuclear plant update, Sudan health crisis, reproductive rights
Addressing the opening of the IAEA’s General Conference in Vienna on Monday, Mr. Grossi said that 53 missions mobilizing more than 100 agency staff have been deployed as part of a continued presence inside Ukraine’s five nuclear power plants.
These include the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, or ZNPP, on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, where Mr. Grossi said that the situation remained “very fragile”.
‘Courageous service’ by IAEA staff
The ZNPP is controlled by Russian forces but operated by its Ukrainian staff. It is Europe’s largest nuclear plant and the IAEA has been monitoring the situation there since the early days of the conflict.
In a message read out at the opening of the General Conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he applauded the “courageous service” of IAEA personnel stationed at the plant. He pledged that the UN will continue to do “all it can” to ensure the safe rotation of experts operating across Ukraine’s five nuclear facilities.
Chad: Sudan refugee health crisis escalating warns WHO
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent funding support in the face of a growing health crisis in eastern Chad, where over 400,000 people have fled the brutal military civil war in Sudan during the past five months.
The Senior Advisor to WHO’s regional office for Africa, Dr Ramesh Krishnamurthy, stressed the need to “ramp up” interventions in the areas of primary healthcare, mental health, maternal and child health, as well as nutrition.
WHO said on Sunday that in a recent screening in Chad, nearly 13,000 children under five were found to be acutely malnourished.
Hospital admissions of children with malnutrition have increased by more than half across the province of Ouaddaï, which is hosting more than 80 per cent of refugees from neighbouring Sudan.
In Ouaddaï, the UN health agency has continued to deliver critical aid to the town of Adré just a few hundred metres from the Sudanese border, working with partners to support the incoming refugees with health services, vaccination and medicines.
To date, WHO has delivered 80 metric tonnes of supplies to Adré, most recently handing over beds and mattresses to support medical and surgical care.
Reproductive rights must be respected in crises
States must ensure the right to sexual and reproductive health without discrimination, in particular in humanitarian crises, UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Monday.
The experts, who include the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health Tlaleng Mofokeng, warned of an “exacerbated” risk of violations of sexual and reproductive health rights in situations of emergency, humanitarian or conflict settings.
Women and girls are especially vulnerable to serious harm, the experts said, and urged countries to ensure access to modern contraceptive methods including emergency contraception, and access to legal and safe abortion.
They called for training for healthcare providers on safe abortion and aftercare, where resources are limited.
Welcoming decriminalisation
The experts also welcomed the “decriminalisation of abortion in some countries”. Earlier this month, Mexico’s Supreme Court abolished all federal criminal penalties for abortion and ruled that national laws prohibiting it were unconstitutional.
According to WHO, ensuring women and girls have access to safe, respectful and non-discriminatory abortion care is fundamental to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals relating to good health and well-being as well as gender equality.
WHO has also said that while contraceptive services are fundamental to health and human rights, over 200 million women in developing regions have an unmet need for contraception.
