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Am Zürcher Bürkliplatz soll ein «Seerestaurant» entstehen. Der Gemeinderat hat den Projektierungskredit von 2,1 Millionen Franken am Mittwoch mit 94 zu 19 Stimmen unterstützt.

Die SCRJ-Spieler Melvin Nyffeler, Colin Gerber, Sandro Zangger, Gian-Marco Wetter und Jonas Taibel haben regelmässig Gänsehaut. In der Kältekammer in Rüti ZH bringen sich die Lakers-Stars auf Trab.

The audit "shows that the system for controlling bird flu in Brazil is failing", said French MEP Pascal Canfin (Renew).

Január 1-jétől új neve lesz a várnai Dr. Jozef Tiso utcának. Bár az illetékes bizottság a Sznf (SNP) nevet választotta, a városi képviselők a Mons. Jozef Noga névben egyeztek meg a szerdai ülésükön.

Schockierender Vorfall in Caerphilly, Wales: Ein Lieferwagen raste in Menschen, die gerade Weihnachtsgeschenke kaufen wollten. Zwei Personen kämpfen um ihr Leben. Ein junger Mann wurde wegen gefährlichen Fahrens unter Drogeneinfluss festgenommen.

Over 1 billion children have had their lives disrupted by disasters since 2000, with over 80,000 schools damaged or destroyed. Credit: Shutterstock

By Baher Kamal
MADRID, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Did you know that hundreds of millions of children around the world are currently suffering from physical, sexual, and psychological violence, including child labour, child marriage, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence, war, trafficking, bullying, and cyberbullying?

This is the grim reality of up to a billion children vulnerable to various forms of abuse, as depicted by the United Nations  Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.

Commenting on a special report on this issue, the UN Special Representative, Najat Maalla M’Jid, revealed that violence against children has reached “unprecedented levels.”

Meanwhile, the UN specialised bodies, led by UN Children Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others, have revealed staggering findings on the occasion of the 2024 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

No safe place for children

These findings revealed by the United Nations highlight that “there is no safe place for children” anywhere in the world.

Indeed, climate carnage, wars, human trafficking, slavery, and cyberviolence, among many other forms of abuse against the innocent children, stand behind their grim life.

See some of the most relevant facts:

• UNICEF and other UN bodies report that half of the world’s children are at “extremely high risk” due to climate impacts and related disasters,

• Over 1 billion children have had their lives disrupted by disasters since 2000, with over 80,000 schools damaged or destroyed,

• The number of children affected by destructive flooding worldwide has reached the highest levels in more than three decades,

• In the aftermath of a disaster, children face serious repercussions including disrupted education, nutrition and healthcare”

Punished and Abused

Should all these facts be not frightening enough, please also know that 400 million children under five regularly endure psychological aggression and physical punishment at home;

And that 300 million children have been affected by online sexual exploitation and abuse over the past 12 months.

Young Girls: the Most Vulnerable

“Today’s generation of girls is disproportionately affected by global crises of climate, conflict, poverty and pushback on hard won gains for human rights and gender equality,” reports the United Nations on the occasion of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child.

Did you know that:

• Nearly 1 in 5 girls are still not completing lower-secondary and nearly 4 in 10 girls are not completing upper-secondary school today.

• Globally, girls aged 5-14 spend 160 million more hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work than boys of the same age.

• Adolescent girls continue to account for 3 in 4 new HIV infections among adolescents.

• Nearly 1 in 4 married/partnered adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime.

• Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 100 million girls were at risk of child marriage in the next decade.

Rape: A Weapon of War

Add to all the above that more than 370 million girls and women alive today – or 1 in 8 – experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, warns UNICEF.

And that “children in fragile settings are especially vulnerable to sexual violence,” said Russell.

“We are witnessing horrific sexual violence in conflict zones, where rape and gender-based violence are often used as weapons of war.”

The Digital Threat

Among emerging challenges are the risks faced by children in the digital spaces, including the tactics used by armed groups to recruit and exploit children.

According to UN data, most childhood sexual violence occurs during adolescence, with a significant spike between ages 14 and 17.

“Studies show that children who experience sexual violence are more likely to suffer repeated abuse.”

Survivors often carry the trauma of sexual violence into adulthood, facing higher risks of sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, social isolation, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as challenges in forming healthy relationships.

Although more girls and women are affected, and their experiences are better documented, boys and men are also impacted, with an estimated 240 to 310 million boys and men.

Today’s children have been raised in a violent world, thus, they will most likely fall in the hellish trap of exercising violence in their adulthood.

These hundreds and hundreds of millions of children will be the backbone of the immediate future. Do you think that their tragic fate is on the agenda of political –and business- leaders?

The deal clears the way for a final vote on the new Commission by MEPs on 27 November.

Volodimir Zelenszkij szerint Ukrajna elveszítené a háborút, ha Washington, az országa fő katonai támogatója megvonja a támogatást.

Die SBB planen Komfort-Revolution in Fernzügen. Sofas, Einzelplätze mit Sichtschutz und Velozonen sollen eingeführt werden. Die Blick-Community zeigt sich eher skeptisch – und bringt eigene Ideen.

Der Bundesrat stellt sich nach wie vor gegen ein Verbot bezahlter Unterschriftensammlungen für Initiativen und Referenden. Dies geht aus seinen Antworten auf mehrere Vorstösse aus dem Parlament hervor.

Papst Franziskus hat eine grundlegende Änderung der Trauer-Zeremonien für Päpste genehmigt. Damit treten im Falle des Todes eines Papstes mehrere Neuerungen in Kraft: Vereinfachte Riten sollen etwa die Rolle des Pontifex als einfacher Bischof betonen.

Das populäre Spiel «Minecraft» kommt in die echte Welt. Spielentwickler Mojang hat mit dem Themenparkbetreiber Merlin Entertainment einen Vertrag abgeschlossen – für den Bau von zwei «Minecraft»-Themenparks. Das ist bisher bekannt.

Der Bundesrat hat am Mittwoch über ein Massnahmen-Paket diskutiert, mit dem er der Zuwanderungs-Initiative der SVP den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen will. Zu einem Abschluss ist er dabei nicht gekommen. Der zuständige Bundesrat Beat Jans muss über die Bücher.

Am Mittwochnachmittag brach in Kallnach im Kanton Bern ein Feuer aus. Wie Leserreporter berichten, soll der Hof, Johns kleine Farm, in Flammen stehen.

It is quite rare for the Danish military to comment publicly on individual vessels travelling in Danish waters.

La tension monte entre la Russie et l’Occident et, alors que le président américain réélu Donald Trump pourrait négocier un accord de paix sur l’Ukraine directement avec Vladimir Poutine, des fonctionnaires européens affirment que l’UE continuera à travailler avec l’administration Biden.

Frankreichs Premierminister Michel Barnier wird Anfang 2025 nach China reisen, sich für die Aufhebung von Beijings Importzöllen auf französischen Spirituosen einzusetzen. Die Zölle sind Teil eines eskalierten Handelskonflikts zwischen der EU und China.

L’interdiction des collectes rémunérées de signatures pourrait restreindre l’accès aux droits populaires pour certains acteurs, estime le Conseil fédéral.

L’interdiction des collectes rémunérées de signatures pourrait restreindre l’accès aux droits populaires pour certains acteurs, estime le Conseil fédéral.

Die Landungen werden im Skispringen ab sofort strenger bewertet. Während deutsche Springer die Änderung kritisieren, zeigt sich Simon Ammann überraschend optimistisch. Der Schweizer hofft, davon profitieren zu können.