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PACE issues final statement on deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities

By
Torsten Hjelmar
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Council of Europe in Strasbourg
Council of Europe in Strasbourg, a primary human rights body in Europe. Photo credit: THIX Photo

The Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) review on the deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities acknowledged in a written comment the Council’s decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers (CM) for its reply to the Assembly’s Recommendation of April 2022. At the same time, Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman also pointed out the problem that the CM continue to maintain outdated viewpoints, reinforcing a human rights divide with the United Nations and civil society at large in regards to persons with mental health problems.

The Parliamentary Assembly with its Recommendation 2227 (2022), Deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities had reiterated the urgent need for the Council of Europe, “to fully integrate the paradigm shift initiated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into its work.” And secondly recommended the Committee of Ministers to “prioritise support to member States to immediately start transitioning to the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings.”

The Assembly as a final point had recommended that in line with the unanimously adopted Assembly Recommendation 2158 (2019), Ending coercion in mental health: the need for a human rights-based approach that the Council of Europe and its member states “refrain from endorsing or adopting draft legal texts which would make successful and meaningful deinstitutionalisation, as well as the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings more difficult, and which go against the spirit and the letter of the CRPD.”

Controversial possible new legal instrument

With this final point the Assembly pointed to the controversial drafted possible new legal instrument regulating the protection of persons during the use of coercive measures in psychiatry. This is a text which the Council of Europe’s Committee on Bioethics has drafted in extension of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The convention’s article 7, which is the main relevant text in question as well as its reference text, the European Convention on Human Rights article 5 (1)(e), contain viewpoints based on outdated discriminatory policies from the first part of the 1900s.

The Rapporteur, Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman, in the written comment of the Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development stated she was content that the Committee of Ministers “agrees with the Assembly on the importance of supporting member States in their development of human rights-compliant strategies for deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities.”

And at the same time she could not but reiterate a paragraph of the Assembly’s Recommendation to the Committee of Ministers: “[…] refrain from endorsing or adopting draft legal texts which would make successful and meaningful deinstitutionalisation, as well as the abolition of coercive practices in mental health settings more difficult, and which go against the spirit and the letter of the CRPD – such as the draft additional protocol […].”

“Unfortunately, the CM does not seem to agree that this should apply to persons with mental health problems confined to institutions, since it considers “persons with disabilities” to be a group “distinct from [,] persons with mental health problems,” Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman noted.

She stressed that, “Herein lies the crux of the matter. The Assembly has, since 2016, adopted three recommendations to the CM, underlining the urgent need for the Council of Europe, as the leading regional human rights organisation, to fully integrate the paradigm shift initiated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into its work, and to thus support ending coercion in mental health.”

Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman clarified the point, “Instead, the CM, as it points out itself in this reply, “has replied to several Assembly recommendations by reaffirming the mandate it gave to the Committee on Bioethics to draft an Additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine concerning the protection of human rights and dignity of persons with regard to involuntary placement and involuntary treatment within mental healthcare services.”

Additional Protocol is “not fit for purpose”

disabilities - Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman when she presented her report on deinstitutionalization to the PACE
Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman when she presented her report on deinstitutionalization to the PACE

“I want to be very clear here,” Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman added. “While I welcome the decision to draft a (soft-law) recommendation promoting the use of voluntary measures in mental healthcare services, as well as the plans of the CM to prepare a (nonbinding) declaration affirming the commitment of the Council of Europe to improving the protection and the autonomy of persons in mental healthcare services, this does not make the draft Additional Protocol – which will be a binding instrument – any more palatable.”

The drafted of this possible new legal instrument (additional Protocol) within the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers level has been severely criticized as despite its stated seemingly important intend of protecting victims of coercive brutalities in psychiatry potentially amounting to torture it in effect perpetuate a Eugenics ghost in Europe. The viewpoint of regulating and preventing as much as possible such harmful practices against persons with disabilities or mental health problems is in stark opposition to the requirements of modern human rights, that simply ban them.

Ms Reina de Bruijn-Wezeman finally pointed out that, “Creating a “package” of desirable and undesirable legal instruments should not and cannot distract from the fact that the draft Additional Protocol is not fit for purpose (in the words of the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner), and is incompatible with the CRPD (in the view of the CRPD Committee and the responsible UN Special Rapporteurs).”

Trafficking in the Sahel: Guns, gas, and gold

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United Nations News
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Trafficking in the Sahel: Guns, gas, and gold

Chili peppers, fake medicine, fuel, gold, guns, humans, and more are being trafficked via millennia-old trade routes crisscrossing the Sahel, and the UN and partners are trying out new, collaborative ways to thwart those attempting the illegal practice, a growing problem in this fragile African region.

In the first of a series of features exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News takes a closer look at what’s behind the growth of the phenomenon.

A tangled trafficking web has been woven across the Sahel, which spans almost 6,000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and is home to more than 300 million people, in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.

The Sahel is described by the UN as a region in crisis: those living there are prey to chronic insecurity, climate shocks, conflict, coups, and the rise of criminal and terrorist networks. UN agencies expect that more than 37 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023, about 3 million more than in 2022.

Food insecurity is affecting millions of people in Burkina Faso.
© UNICEF/Vincent Treameau – Food insecurity is affecting millions of people in Burkina Faso.

Unravelling security

Security has long been an issue in the region, but the situation markedly degraded in 2011, following the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, which led to the ongoing destabilization of the country.

The ensuing chaos, and porous borders stymied efforts to stem illicit flows, and traffickers transporting looted Libyan firearms rode into the Sahel on the coattails of insurgency and the spread of terrorism.

Armed groups now control swathes of Libya, which has become a trafficking hub. The terrorist threat has worsened, with the notorious Islamic State (ISIL) group entering the region in 2015, according to the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee’s Executive Directorate (CTED).

The G5 Sahel Force headquarters was destroyed by a terrorist attack in 2018 in Mopti, Mali.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko – The G5 Sahel Force headquarters was destroyed by a terrorist attack in 2018 in Mopti, Mali.

Markets across the Sahel can be found openly selling a wide range of contraband goods, from fake medicines to AK-style assault rifles. Trafficking medication is often deadly, estimated to kill 500,000 sub-Saharan Africans every year; in just one case, 70 Gambian children died in 2022 after ingesting smuggled cough syrup. Fuel is another commodity trafficked by the main players – terrorist groups, criminal networks, and local militias.

Closing corridors of crime

In order to fight trafficking and other evolving threats, a group of countries in the region – Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad – formed, with the support of the UN, the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel).

Meanwhile, cross-border cooperation and crackdowns on corruption are on the rise. National authorities have seized tons of contraband, and judicial measures have dismantled networks. Partnerships, such as the newly signed Côte d’Ivoire-Nigeria agreement, are tackling the illegal drug trade.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a leading player in efforts to bolster security by stopping trafficking attempts.

In 2020, for example, KAFO II, a UNODC-INTERPOL operation, successfully choked off a Sahel-bound terrorist supply route, with officers seizing a bounty of trafficked spoils: 50 firearms, 40,593 dynamite sticks, 6,162 ammunition rounds, 1,473 kilograms of cannabis and khat, 2,263 boxes of contraband drugs, and 60,000 litres of fuel.

Sting operations such as KAFO II provide valuable insights into trafficking’s increasingly complex and interwoven nature, demonstrating the importance of connecting the dots between crime cases involving firearms and terrorists across different countries, and taking a regional approach.

An international police operation coordinated by INTERPOL in 2022 targeting the movement of illicit firearms in Central and West Africa has led to some 120 arrests and the seizure of firearms, gold, drugs, fake medication, wildlife products, and cash.
© INTERPOL – An international police operation coordinated by INTERPOL in 2022 targeting the movement of illicit firearms in Central and West Africa has led to some 120 arrests and the seizure of firearms, gold, drugs, fake medication, wildlife products, and cash.

Corruption crackdown

These insights are backed up in a raft of new UNODC reports, mapping out the actors, enablers, routes, and scope of trafficking, reveal common threads amongst the instability and chaos, and provide recommendations for action.

One of those threads is corruption, and the reports call for judicial action to be bolstered. The prison system also needs to be engaged, as detention facilities can become “a university for criminals” to broaden their networks.

“Organized crime is feeding on the vulnerabilities and also undermining stability and development in the Sahel,” says François Patuel, head of the UNODC Research and Awareness Unit. “Combining efforts and taking a regional approach will lead to success in addressing organized crime in the region.”

Crisis poses ‘global threat’

Fighting organized crime is a central pillar in the wider battle to deal with the security crisis in the region, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres said poses a global threat.

“If nothing is done, the effects of terrorism, violent extremism, and organized crime will be felt far beyond the region and the African continent,” Mr. Guterres warned in 2022. “We must rethink our collective approach and show creativity, going beyond existing efforts.”

How the UN supports people of the Sahel

  • The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has provided direct support to the G5 Sahel Force to operationalize and implement measures to reduce civilian harm and respond to violations.
  • UNODC routinely joins national and global partners, including INTERPOL, to choke supply routes.
  • The International Organization for Migration (IOM) crisis response plan aims at reaching almost 2 million affected people while addressing the structural causes of instability, with a specific focus on cross-border fragility.
  • WHO launched an emergency appeal to fund health projects in the region in 2022, and works with 350 health partners in six countries.
  • The UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) provides direction for on-the-ground efforts in 10 countries.
  • The UN Support Plan for Sahel continues to foster coherence and coordination for greater efficiency and results delivery related to the UNISS framework, in line with Security Council resolution 2391.
The UN works at building food security, which in turn, builds climate security in Mali.
© UNDP Mali – The UN works at building food security, which in turn, builds climate security in Mali.

© UNICEF/Gilbertson – The Nigerien army patrols the Sahara desert targetting militant groups including ISIL and Boko Haram.

Talking on the phone can lead to high blood pressure

By
Newsdesk
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Using a mobile phone to talk can increase the risk of high blood pressure by up to 12%, scientists say. Depending on the duration of the conversations, the risk may be lower or higher.

Over three-quarters of people in the world over the age of 10 own a mobile phone. Phones emit low levels of radio waves. It has been found that there is a link between these waves and an increase in blood pressure after exposure to the waves.

Hypertension is another name for a condition of high blood pressure. In this condition, the blood in the arteries moves under pressure that is higher than normal. The presence of hypertension damages the blood vessels, thereby increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Over 1 billion people between the ages of 30 and 79 have high blood pressure.

The study, presented in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health, took data on phone use from a database of more than 200,000 volunteers without hypertension. They completed a survey about their weekly mobile device usage, as well as yearly.

The average age of the participants was 54 years, and 88% of them used their mobile phone to receive or make calls at least once a week. The study found that when the same participants were asked again 12 years later, mobile device users had a 7% higher risk of high blood pressure.

Proportionality was also found between the time spent talking and the risk of hypertension. Those who spent between 30 and 60 minutes talking on the phone in a week had an 8% increased risk of hypertension. Spending between 1 and 3 hours talking was associated with a 13% increased risk, and between 4 and 6 hours with a 16% increased risk. More than 6 hours of time spent on the phone talking increases the risk of hypertension by 25%.

Hypertension can be caused by many other factors, which include genetic traits that predispose to high blood pressure. The scientists included this factor in their study and found that if someone is genetically predisposed to high blood pressure and at the same time spends more than 30 minutes a week on the phone, they will have a 33% increased risk of hypertension.

Professor Xianhui Chin, from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, is the lead author of the study. She says: “Our results show that talking on a mobile phone may not affect the risk of high blood pressure as long as weekly talk time is less than half an hour. Further research is needed to replicate the results, but until then it seems reasonable to keep cell phone conversations to a minimum to preserve heart health.”

References:

European Society of Cardiology. (2023, May 4) Mobile phone calls linked with increased risk of high blood pressure. Retrieved 2023, May 5 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-mobile-linked-high-blood-pressure.html

Qin, X. (2023, May 4) Mobile phone calls, genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212,046 UK Biobank participants. Retrieved 2023, May 5 from https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024

Note: The material is informative and cannot replace consultation with a doctor. Before starting treatment, you must consult a doctor.

Photo by Kerde Severin: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-person-using-iphone-x-1542252/

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light opposes all forms of extremism, oppression and religious persecution

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News desk
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24

It is important to clarify that the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a faith community different from the better known Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 as a revival movement within Islam, emphasizing its essential teachings of peace, love, justice, and sanctity of life. Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the world’s largest Islamic community under one Divinely appointed leader, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (b. 1950). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 200 nations with membership exceeding tens of millions.

Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is calling all the people of the world from all walks of life, all nationalities and all backgrounds to acknowledge the Supremacy of the absolute one true God and promotes the ideals of peace, justice and humanity.

International human rights organization Amnesty International has released a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Algerian believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who were unlawfully imprisoned on 6 June 2022.

“Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release, and drop all charges against, three members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who were arrested earlier this week solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of religion, said Amnesty International today.

The authorities must also drop all charges against 21 other members of the group who are currently released pending investigation.”

– Amnesty International

Basic religious beliefs and moral views of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light faith community from their official website:

We believe that there is no deity but God, alone, with no partners. We believe in the truth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf), the Twelve Imams (pbut), and the Twelve Mahdis (pbut), whom are mentioned in the Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf). We believe that Muhammad (pbuhahf) and his Ahlulbayt (his daughter Fatima Al-Zahra, the Twelve Imams, and the Twelve Mahdis (pbut)) are all the closest creation to the one true God.

We believe that in every age there must be a divinely appointed leader who is an infallible Vicegerent of God, and is fully inspired and guided by Him, to whom submission and obedience would be obligatory, as he would be the one who perfectly fulfills the will of our Creator and guides humanity to the path of righteousness and true monotheism.

We believe that Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) is the infallible rightly guided Successor of God whom has been prophesied not only by the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), but also by all the other major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, etc.), to come in the End Times in order to uphold the word of the one true God, establish His Supremacy upon the Earth and fill the Earth with justice and equity as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny.

We believe that the soul never dies, and that the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies is true. We believe in Paradise and Hell Fire, and that one of them will be where the soul resides after completing all of its rounds as ordained to it by God Almighty. We also believe that God created us in His image, and that every soul’s purpose is to truly realize that it is far more than this physical body, that its boundaries are far further than this physical world, to break its attachments to them, and ultimately to spiritually elevate in order to reflect all the divine attributes and perfections – each according to the rank they attain through their sincerity.

We believe that there were 124,000 Prophets and Messengers whom were sent to the people of the Earth throughout history by the one true God. We believe in their infallibility and sacredness, as well as that they were all manifestations of God on Earth, whom were sent to guide the people towards the perfect complete absolute divine. Those Prophets and Messengers include Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Zeus, Moses, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Plato, Noah, Hermes, Jesus Christ and Muhammad (pbut). We also believe that the teachings, messages and holy books which they all came with, without exception, have been greatly distorted throughout history, and that the real message of love, peace, justice and mercy which they had come with, and the true holy scriptures inspired by God Almighty to them, will all be revealed by Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) in this time. 

We believe that we are living in the great age of the Raja’a, when all the Prophets and Messengers, the Ahlulbayt and all the righteous believers throughout history, incarnate once again, to support and give victory to Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (pbuhahf) and his Vicegerent and Messenger Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) in their mission, which is the same mission that all the Prophets and Messengers have always come with; Establishing the Supremacy of God, spreading monotheism all over the Earth, exposing falsehood and tyranny and putting an end to them, feeding the hungry, supporting the widows, taking care of the orphans and spreading mercy, justice and the truth, until the Divine Just State is established on the Earth.

It is upon every person to carefully investigate the path which leads them to God.

We say: Aba Al-Sadiq (fhip) is the Qa’im of the Family of Muhammad (pbut), and Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) is the leader of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. However, it is upon the truth-seeker himself to investigate the matter and return to God.

Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) has clarified many times, that he is not looking for blind followers, and warned people to use their own minds, research and scrutinize the matter in order to find the truth:

“We do not call upon anyone to believe through ignorance, without awareness or knowledge, rather research and examine closely our matter and our call. I do not want anyone to enter into this Call without knowledge and without awareness or research.”

– Sayings of Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (PBUH), p. 14, hadith 2

The Quran states: {Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.} Quran 2:256

UN agencies warn of rising hunger risk in 18 ‘hotspots’

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United Nations News
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UN agencies warn of rising hunger risk in 18 ‘hotspots’

Sudan, Burkina Faso, Haiti and Mali have been elevated to the highest alert level, joining Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

Additionally, a likely El Niño – a naturally occurring climatic phenomenon that has a warming effect on ocean surface temperatures in the central and east Pacific – is also raising fears of climate extremes in vulnerable nations.

Against ‘business-as-usual’

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to save lives and livelihoods, and to prevent starvation and death.

“Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today’s risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind,” said Dongyu Qu, the FAO Director-General.

He underlined the need for immediate interventions in the agricultural sector “to pull people from the brink of hunger, help them rebuild their lives, and provide long-term solutions to address the root causes of food insecurity.”

Worse than ever

Acute food insecurity is set to potentially increase in 18 hunger “hotspots”, comprising a total of 22 countries, according to the report.

“Not only are more people in more places around the world going hungry, but the severity of the hunger they face is worse than ever,” said Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director.

The Sudan conflict is already driving mass displacement and hunger. More than one million citizens and refugees are expected to flee the country, while an additional 2.5 million inside its borders are set to face acute hunger in the coming months.

The report warned that a possible spillover of the crisis raises the risk of negative impacts in neighbouring countries.  If the conflict continues, it could spark further displacement and disruptions to trade and humanitarian aid flows.

Economic shocks continue

Meanwhile, economic shocks and stressors continue to drive acute hunger in almost all the hotspots, carrying over trends seen globally in 2022, largely due to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest alert level for acute hunger.

Alongside Sudan, three other countries – Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali – also have been elevated to this level because of movement restrictions affecting people and goods.

“All hotspots at the highest level have communities facing or projected to face starvation, or are at risk of sliding towards catastrophic conditions, given they have already emergency levels of food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors. These hotspots require the most urgent attention,” the UN agencies said.

The report listed the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan and Syria as hotspots with very high concern, along with Myanmar.

All of these countries have a large number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months. 

The other hotspots are Lebanon, Malawi, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. 

Sudan food distributions

Meanwhile in Sudan, WFP began distributing food assistance on Saturday to thousands of people trapped in the capital, Khartoum, since fighting broke out six weeks ago.

The distributions came in the last days of the seven-day ceasefire agreed by the army, which was set to expire on Monday evening, local time

“This is a major breakthrough. We have finally been able to help families who are stuck in Khartoum and struggling to make it through each day as food and basic supplies dwindle,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP Country Director.

Staff have been working round the clock to reach people in the city since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and rival military group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), erupted in mid-April.

“A window opened late last week which allowed us to start food distributions,” Mr. Rowe said, adding that  “WFP must do more, but that depends on the parties to the conflict and the security and access they realistically guarantee on the ground.”

Stepping up support

WFP is rapidly expanding distribution of emergency food assistance across Sudan.

Latest updates including distributions to some 12,445 people in locations controlled by both sides in Omdurman, part of the Khartoum metropolitan area.

More food assistance has been prepositioned to continue distributions in the capital for as long as the security situation allows, with the goal of reaching at least 500,000 people.

Food and nutrition distributions also began over the weekend in Wadi Halfa in Northern State to around 8,000 Sudanese who have fled Khartoum and are making the long journey to Egypt. Last week WFP also began distributions to 4,000 newly displaced people in Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea Coast.

The UN agency has rapidly scaled up support to reach 675,000 people so far with emergency food and nutrition assistance in 13 of Sudan’s 18 states since resuming operations earlier this month. Activities were halted after three staff were killed in North Darfur on 15 April, the first day of the conflict.

As hunger rises, WFP is expanding to support 5.9 million people across the country  and requires $731 million to reach them.

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International Day of UN Peacekeepers honours 75 years of service and sacrifice

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United Nations News
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International Day of UN Peacekeepers honours 75 years of service and sacrifice

“United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the Day.

He called for continued support for these men and women, who help countries to transition from war to peace.

Hope and help

“They are also critical to the protection of civilians caught up in the chaos of these deadly conflicts, providing a lifeline of hope and help in some of the most dangerous contexts imaginable,” he added.

Mr. Guterres noted that many have paid the ultimate price as more than 4,200 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag.

“We stand in sympathy and solidarity with their families, friends and colleagues, and will forever be inspired by their selfless devotion to the cause of peace,” he said.

Support and recognition

Today, more than 87,000 peacekeepers from 125 countries serve in 12 UN operations located in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

They face rising global tensions and divides, stagnating peace processes, and more complex conflicts, the Secretary-General said.

“Despite these obstacles, and working with a wide range of partners, peacekeepers persevere,” he added

“To people living under the shadow of conflict, our teams of Blue Helmets represent hope.  As peacekeepers support humanity, let us always support and recognize them.”

‘Peace begins with me’

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers has been commemorated annually on 29 May, in line with a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in 2002.

The date marks the start of the first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), in Palestine in 1948.

The theme of the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping is ‘Peace begins with me’, which recognizes the service and sacrifice of blue helmets, past and present. It also pays tribute to the resilience of the communities they serve, who continue to strive for peace despite many obstacles.

Two officers take part in the Inside Out Action event held to commemorate UN Peacekeeping’s 75th anniversary in Times Square, New York City.

The annual ceremony marking the Day was held on Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York, where the Secretary-General noted that peacekeepers “are increasingly working in places where there is no peace to keep.”

The following day, the city played host to an interactive art installation in Times Square celebrating peacekeepers and all those who work together to build and maintain peace across the world, including community members and local influencers in places where UN missions operate.

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Bulgarian wine is number 1 in the world

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Newsdesk
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Vineyards Selection Tenevo of “Villa Yambol” is the highest rated red wine in the 30th edition of the Mondial de Bruxelles

Bulgarian winemaking has opened a new golden chapter in its development. A native wine was determined to be the best in the world. This is Vineyards Selection Tenevo, produced by Villa Yambol.

It received the highest rating during this year’s thirtieth edition of the prestigious Mondial de Bruxelles wine forum. The Bulgarian drink won the Revelation Red Wine title. The award-winning Vineyards Selection is produced from selected vineyards of “Vila Yambol” in the Tenevo microdistrict. It is made from three varieties – Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, vintage 2017. The cellar from Yambol is the winner of medals in our country. In addition to the Grand Gold Medal, he also won six other awards for white and red wines and two – for rosettes. Kabile Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Kabile Reserve Merlot, Kabile Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Kabile Reserve Syrah were awarded gold. Silver won Vineyards Selection Troyanovo from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay varieties. Gold was also awarded to rosettes in the Kabile and Vineyards Selection brands as the competition session for these was held earlier this year.

A total of 73 white and red Bulgarian wines took part in this year’s Mondial de Bruxelles, of which 27 received medals. This means almost 37% of awarded wines, surpassing the competition average of 25-28% and is another attestation of the quality of native winemaking. Among the medals won, the most prestigious award was the Large Gold. It is awarded to only 1% of the wines at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. In addition to 13 gold and 11 silver medals, Bulgaria was awarded three large gold medals, including Vineyards Selection Tenevo.

Vineyards Selection is the collector’s series of wines of “Villa Yambol”, created with the idea of unfolding the most captivating characteristics of the terroir of the Eastern Thracian lowland. Red wines are made from three microdistricts – Tenevo, Topolitsa and Bolyarovo. The plantations of the awarded in Tenevo are from 2005. The vineyards are planted according to the “Wind Rose” – a compass that determines the intensity of air currents, their direction and strength. The grape harvest starts in mid-August and lasts until mid-October, the grapes are picked by hand. Villa Yambol is one of the oldest in Southern Bulgaria. It manages nearly 10,000 decares of vineyards and is a leader in the more mainstream class of wines with the Villa Yambol brand of the same name.

The Mondial de Bruxelles traveling competition is held in a different location each year. This year, tasters and global wine experts from 45 countries gathered in Porec, Croatia in mid-May. There were 7,500 drinks shipped from 50 countries around the world. In terms of number of awards, the region of Bordeaux has the most – over 250. Next year, the prestigious competition will be held in America for the first time, hosted by Mexico.

Photo: Villa Yambol

Antidote for the most poisonous mushroom in the world found

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Newsdesk
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The toxins contained in 5 grams of green fly agaric (Amanita phalloides), also known as the “death cap, are enough to kill a 70 kg person

Green toadstools are nondescript mushrooms: with stumps the size of a neck knob and a pale green, white or bronze cap and silken, skirt-like membrane. The mushroom is said to be pleasant to the taste, so when its deadly effects occur 6 to 72 hours later, they are often a surprise. The mushroom’s amatoxin poison enters the liver through the intestinal tract, where it binds to enzymes used to make new proteins and inactivates them. As regular protein production is halted, the liver begins to die, causing nausea and diarrhea that are often followed by rapid organ failure, coma, and death.

Scientists from Australia and China believe they may have discovered the antidote for the most poisonous mushroom in the world, reports DPA, quoted by BTA.

Experts believe a type of medical dye, already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, could act as an antidote to poisoning with the deadly green fly agaric mushroom. This is according to the findings of the study published in the journal “Nature Communications”.

The researchers identified the main toxin that this type of fungus produces, called amanitin, as well as the protein needed to produce the toxic effect. They then analyzed a widely used fluorescent medical dye called indocyanine green and tested it on human cells and on mice exposed to the toxin. Thus, it was found that this type of dye acts as an antidote to poisoning and can help animals survive.

The researchers, from Australia’s Raven Institute of Medical Research, the University of Sydney and China’s Sun Yat-sen University, said more research was needed to assess the safety of the dye for use in humans.

Mushroom poisoning is the leading cause of death in food poisoning incidents worldwide, the study found.

Photo: iStock by Getty Images

Erdogan became Turkey’s longest-serving leader

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News desk
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With 99.66% of the ballots counted, Erdogan received 52.13 percent of the votes, and his rival Kemal Kulçdaroğlu – 47.87%. Voter turnout according to the votes counted so far is 84.3%.

27,579,657 voters voted for Erdogan, and 25,324,254 for Kemal Kulçdaroglu.

64,197,419 people had the right to vote in the second round.

Voting in the 81 Turkish districts took place without significant violations or incidents. Only in the afternoon, the Istanbul General Prosecutor’s Office announced that five people were detained for spreading provocative posts on social networks about the second round of the presidential elections.

As in the first round, President Recep Erdogan voted in the Yusküdar district on the Asian side of Istanbul, where his residence is located. In front of the section there were again many people who had been waiting for hours in the rain for the president. After casting his vote alongside his wife Emine, Erdogan, 69, said he expected the results to come out quickly as only two candidates were being voted on.

“For the first time in the history of Turkish democracy, we are witnessing a second round of presidential voting. At the same time, there are no other elections in history in which so many voters have participated,” Erdogan commented after exercising his right to vote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Recep Erdogan on his election victory in the runoff in Turkey. With 99% of ballots processed, Erdogan received 52.1% and his opponent Kemal Kulçdaroğlu – 47.9%.

  “The election victory is a natural result of the selfless work as the head of state of Turkey,” said the message of the Russian president.

“Congratulations to President Erdogan on his undisputed victory,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on social media. Earlier, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba also sent his congratulations, even as the counting of votes continued.

The President of Iran also congratulated Recep Erdogan. Ebraim Raisi described his likeness as “a sign of the continued trust of the people in Turkey.”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro congratulated “his brother and friend” Recep Erdogan on his “triumph”. Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also congratulated Erdogan on the victory.

Photo: May we have a nation that gives us another victory. Happy Turkish Century. Congratulations on our great Türkiye victory. / Recep Tayyip Erdoğan@RTErdogan

Global warming will push billions of people out of ‘human climate niche’

By
Gaston de Persigny
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Global warming will push billions of people out of 'human climate niche'
Photo by Ahmed Akacha - Pexel

New research shows that billions of people could be forced out of the “human climate niche” as the planet warms.

The Guardian reports that current climate commitments, which see global temperatures rise by 2.7C above pre-industrial levels, could push 2 billion people out of their “climate niche”.

Limiting warming to 1.5 °C would limit the number of people who would be pushed out of the climate niche by 80%, the paper said.

The newspaper notes that the climatic niche is defined by average annual temperatures above 29C. He continues: “The analysis is the first of its kind and is able to treat every citizen equally, unlike previous economic assessments of the damage from the climate crisis, which targeted the wealthy.”

The Times reports that on current emissions trajectories, more than one billion people could be forced to migrate.

The Press Association adds that “under worst-case scenarios of global warming of 3.6C or even 4.4C, half the worhttps://europeantimes.news/international/ld’s population could be left outside the climate niche, posing an ‘existential risk’.”

The Independent claims that “for every 0.1C warming above current levels, an extra 140 million people will be exposed to dangerous heat conditions”.

The South China Morning Post notes that in India and Nigeria, the population will be most exposed to dangerous heat.

Forbes quoted study author Tim Lennon as saying: “It’s easy to see how uncontrollable temperature increases will lead to extraordinary movements across borders.”

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