Greece: Baerbock calls for investigation into pushbacks at EU borders

After a report leaked by Spiegel magazine, Germany's foreign minister called in Athens for an investigation into alleged pushbacks by Greece's border patrol that Frontex knew and did nothing about.

Baerbock stated that Europe's ideals would drown in the Mediterranean if human rights

 weren't guaranteed at its borders

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has rebuffed Greek calls for further World War II reparations from Germany but expressed contrition for Greek people's suffering under occupation. She also called for a transparent and consistent investigation into reported pushbacks at Greek borders that involved the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Athens on Thursday. Later, her focus is to switch to strained bilateral ties with Turkey. 

What was on the program for Baerbock in Greece so far? 

To start off her visit in Greece, Baerbock commemorated the victims of the German occupation during World War II by visiting a former Nazi prison where thousands of resistance fighters and civilians were imprisoned and tortured between 1941 and 1944. 

After this, she placed flowers at the Athens Holocaust Memorial.

Greek media reported that Baerbock said that remembering German atrocities during World War II was a matter close to her heart.

"The responsibility for your own history never stops," she said. 

Despite this, Baerbock didn't acknowledge Greek calls for reparations. She said the new coalition government, elected in 2021, didn't see a change to the legal situation as perceived by past administrations, namely that such issues were settled in the immediate aftermath of the war and then again in 1990. 

Both Greece and Poland are trying to claim reparations, seeking negotiations about them with the German government. 

What did Baerbock have to say about the situation of refugees in Greece?  

Baerbock is set to visit the Greek prime minister and Turkey's foreign minister on Friday

Baerbock said it was crucial that the European Union ensure that human rights are guaranteed universally at borders. The pushbacks of refugees reported in German media recently would not be compatible with European law, she went on to say. 

Der Spiegel reported on Thursday as Baerbock departed that a leaked report accused Frontex of willfully ignoring the Greek border patrol, not allowing refugees to cross borders. The report goes on to state the Frontex was allegedly involved in these illegal activities, Spiegel reported. 

This behavior marked a human rights violation that Frontex knew and did nothing about. 

Baerbock called on the Greek authorities to systematically investigate the reports. While the EU had to protect its borders, European ideals must still be upheld, she said. 

"If we look away, our European ideals will drown in the Mediterranean", she warned. 

The foreign minister proposed an EU sea rescue program in which safeguarded migrants would be moved to other member states than the ones they arrived in. 

Baerbock had visited a refugee camp close to Athens alongside Greek Migration Minister Panagiotis Mitarachi, before making her strong statements.

Mitarachi denied the accusation that Greeke border forces were involved in pushbacks and preventing refugees from the right to apply for asylum. 

He said Greece had a right to protect its borders and that officials adhered to the rules even if there could be wrongdoing by individuals. 

According to EU law, Greece has an obligation to offer refugees the opportunity to apply for asylum. The European Commission has repeatedly appealed to the authorities to stop violent and illegal pushbacks of refugees at its borders. 

Pushbacks mean migrants are pushed back onto the ocean without being given the opportunity to apply for asylum beforehand. 

The number of refugees crossing into Greece, especially from Turkey, has increased by 30% in the first four months of the year. Often, they have fled countries such as Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq. 

Strained relations between Greece and Turkey 

Baerbock is scheduled to hold talks with Greece and Turkey, whose relationship has been strained recently, on Friday.

She will meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and her Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, first, to then fly out to Istanbul for talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. 

The relations between the countries have regressed as Turkey questioned the sovereignty of Greek islands and is demanding the withdrawal of Greek military installments, while Greece remains alert over the presence of Turkish landing boats. 

Baerbock said it was particularly important to her to visit both of these partners as Russia is trying to "divide the NATO alliance," of which both Greece and Turkey are members.

los/msh (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

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Greece: UN calls for end to 'deplorable' migrant pushbacks

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees slammed not only Greece but all European governments, saying the "deplorable" and illegal acts towards asylum seekers were being "normalized." 

Getting on: Hormones and microbiomes influence cat sociability


By Dr. Tim Sandle
Published July 28, 2022

Domesticated cats and their bigger cousins in the wild are highly prone to genetic kidney problems - Copyright AFP Amir MAKAR

Why do some cats live (mostly) content in the same community or household whereas other cats will not tolerate any other cat at all? For cats that can cohabit, why is this behaviour relatively rare among other feline species? The answers to these questions rests with a mix of hormones and microbiomes.

Researchers from Azabu University in Kanagawa, Japan, have been examining links between hormones, gut microbes, and social behaviour in cohabitating cats, attempting to figure out why some of these solitary animals live in high densities.

The researchers conducted a two-week-long study of three different groups of five cats living together in a shelter. To gather data, the researchers used video cameras to observe the cats’ behaviour. In addition, they measured hormone levels in their urine, and collected faeces to evaluate the mix of microbial species in the cats’ microbiomes. The microbiome is the community of microorganisms together with the genetic interactions.

The outcome of the data review showed cats with high levels of the hormones cortisol and testosterone had less contact with other cats. Plus, cats with high testosterone (a sex hormone belonging to the androgen family, is positively correlated with aggression) were more likely to try to escape. In contrast, cats with low cortisol and testosterone were far more tolerant in their interactions with other cats.

Cats with high levels of the hormone oxytocin did not display bonding behaviours described as “socially affiliative.” This contrasts with the presence of this hormone with other animals that do bond, indicating that oxytocin functions differently for solitary animals living in groups.

As well as hormonal differences, the researchers discovered a greater similarity of gut microbiomes between cats who had more frequent contact with each other. Plus, there was a connection between the gut microbiome, social behaviour, and cortisol levels. Changes in food resource niches can modulate gut microbiome.

It is highly probable that the gut microbes influence hormone secretions and behaviour mechanisms of individuals.

According to lead researcher Hikari Koyasu: “Low testosterone and cortisol concentrations in cats enabled them to share the space and live together, but the higher the oxytocin, the less affiliative behaviour with others and the more lonely they are. The function of oxytocin was different from that of affinity for a group-mate. Cats may not consider other individuals living in the same space as tight relationship group-mates.”

The research appears in the journal PLOS ONE, titled “Correlations between behavior and hormone concentrations or gut microbiome imply that domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) living in a group are not like ‘groupmates’”.

Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

THE CONVERSATION

Published: July 28, 2022

In Mexico an average of 94 people were murdered every day in 2021, an increase of 76% since 2015, demonstrating a rapid rise in killings across the country. Understandably, researchers and government officials are urgently looking for ways to bring down this number down. The rise in deaths is largely due to Mexico’s drug wars from 2006 onwards. Now, 35,000 people are murdered each year.

The answer might lie in the past. Before the beginning of the drug war, when the government tasked the army with confronting the cartels, Mexico had experienced a long-term reduction in the homicide rate of around 90% between 1940 and 2005. To find an explanation for this significant decline, my Mexico-based collaborator Pérez Ricart and I collected available and comparable data from the national censuses for the years from 1950 to 2005.

We published the results earlier this year in a paper for the Journal of Crime and Justice. Our findings show that Mexico was going through two historical processes other countries have also experienced after conflict – in Mexico’s case, this was the years following the revolution from 1910 to 1920 when the country experienced a long period of domestic reform and development and transitioned to a more peaceful society.

Between 1950 and 2005 Mexico tripled its GDP from US$3,741 (£3,105) to US$8,887 (£7,373) per capita, according to the World Bank, its population grew from 25 million to 106 million and the country almost eradicated illiteracy by making public schooling available to all.

Usually when a country goes through massive population expansion and urbanisation, violent crime also grows. But we found the opposite. And, interestingly, despite the population increases and considerable extra investment in public services, there was no significant territorial presence increase of police forces for law enforcement.
Expansion of schooling

So, why did homicide rates decline? After looking at a range of socioeconomic and state capacity data, we found that the increase in schooling years of the population – from an average of less than one year to eight years – seemed to be the leading cause.

Not even the chaotic urbanisation, a relatively young population (under 29s represented 68.94% of the population in 1950, rising to to 71.27% in 1980), and high unemployment in periods of economic crisis in 1976 and 1994, stopped this decline in homicide rates. Of course, in some Mexican states it declined quicker than others. For example, Mexico City had less than seven homicides per 100,000 inhabitants since the 1960s while Chihuahua had almost 20 in the same period.

The expansion of schooling in Mexico was an extraordinary achievement of the post-revolutionary Mexican government, which required that every municipality in Mexico had (and still has) access to a public school. Most people in Mexico now attend school for at least ten years – meaning that all citizens achieve primary schooling and the majority attend secondary school, but most do not complete years 10 to 12.

Another day, another funeral: an average of 94 people were killed every day in Mexico in 2021. EPA-EFE/Joebeth Terriquez

In Europe and Asia in post-war periods the decline of homicide rates has been attributed to the strength of the legal system and law enforcement. Latin America tends to be different: historically, many countries in this region have been unstable and economically weak – passing through continuous cycles of civil wars as a result. Which means the rule of law was difficult to establish, feeding into homicide rates.

Mexico is an example of how a state can establish practices and institutions capable of reducing violence differently: through development. In Mexico’s case, this was by opening schools – more than 200,000 by the end of the year 2000 according to the Secretariat of Education.

The renowned sociologist Michael Mann calls this “infrastructural power” – the idea of influencing the conduct of citizens and communities in diverse regions and territories through social policy. Mexico’s governments might have struggled to reach every region of the vast country with its army or police forces, but it managed to do so with teachers.
Educating for a peaceful society

So how does schooling reduce violence? It’s difficult to know in Mexico’s case, as the only data is at national level. But there are some scholarly ideas that are worth examining that could help explain.

The first comes from criminology and is known as “control theory” : the idea that schools, families and churches are institutions that can keep behaviour in check. Another is “social disorganisation theory” also formulated in criminology, meaning schools provide life pathways away from crime, particularly violent crime. The third is cultural: school transmits peaceful values and habits. According to criminologist Manuel Eisner and sociologist Norbert Elias, these are “civilisational values” necessary for equipping young people to be part of a functioning society.

Educational benefits: schoolchildren from Mexico City greeting the then German president, Christian Wulff, on his visit to the country in 2011. EPA/Wolfgang Kumm

There are examples of this from other countries. In England, for example, in the 18th century more widespread rates of schooling correlated with the decline of armed duels. In Chile after the 1859 civil war the state expanded primary schooling in rebel provinces – not as a concession but to teach pupils obedience and respect for authority.

In Mexico’s case, the lawlessness that has in recent years accompanied the drug wars has caused a sharp increase in homicides again. But the authorities should learn from the country’s historical success in bringing down violence through education. Mexico has succeeded in establishing universal primary education – but now needs to encourage and expand access to years 10 to 12 for pupils from the ages of 15 to 18.

The main principle here is that a peaceful society does not depend solely on political processes such as prohibition and/or punishment. Promoting education with the benefits that brings, such as the opportunity to get more highly skilled jobs and improve one’s income, can steer people away from extremism and violent or organised crime. It has worked before for Mexico – perhaps it’s time the government gave this approach some serious consideration.

Author

Raul Zepeda Gil

PhD researcher, King's College London

Murder scene: an all-too common sight in Mexico/ EPA-EFE/stringer

Under fire, US officials say monkeypox can still be stopped

WASHINGTON (AP) — The country’s monkeypox outbreak can still be stopped, U.S. health officials said Thursday, despite rising case numbers and so far limited vaccine supplies.

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press

Tom Temprano poses in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco, Thursday, July 28, 2022. Temprano was scheduled to get his second dose of the Monkeypox vaccine next week but was just notified that it is canceled because of short supply. He is frustrated that authorities have taken so long to respond, and noted they did so after LGBTQ politicians in his community raised their voices.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The country’s monkeypox outbreak can still be stopped, U.S. health officials said Thursday, despite rising case numbers and so far limited vaccine supplies.

The Biden administration’s top health official pushed back against criticism about the pace of the response and worries that the U.S. has missed the window to contain the virus, which has been declared a global emergency.

“We believe we have done everything we can at the federal level to work with our state and local partners and communities affected to make sure we can stay ahead of this and end this outbreak,” Xavier Becerra, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters on a call.

But he added that local health officials “must do their part. ... We don't have the authority to tell them what to do.”

The pushback from federal leaders came as they announced distribution plans for 780,000 shots of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine. The doses will be allocated to states, cities and other localities based on their case numbers and the size of their populations that are considered high-risk for the disease.

Health departments in San Francisco;, New York, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere say they still don’t have enough shots to meet demand and have stopped scheduling appointments for second vaccine doses to stretch supplies.

Becerra said the federal government has done its job and said the onus is now on local officials to use the tools available.

“We’ve made vaccines, tests and treatments well beyond the numbers that are currently needed available to all jurisdictions,” he said.

But one representative for specialty health clinics said Becerra's comments showed a “lack of understanding for the full breadth of this crisis.”

"Clinics around the country are pleading with federal health officials for the information, supplies and staffing they need to successfully bring an end to this outbreak,” said David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, in a statement. The group is pressing for $100 million in emergency funding for local health departments and clinics.

There were more than 4,600 reported monkeypox cases in the U.S. as of late Wednesday, according to the CDC, and federal officials expect those numbers to rise.

More than 99% of reported cases are in men and the vast majority of those are among men who reported sexual contact with other men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus.

The U.S. is now capable of testing 60,000 to 80,000 people per day, though Becerra said daily testing numbers are well below that.

The monkeypox virus mainly spreads through skin-on-skin contact, but it can also transmit through touching linens used by someone with the infection. People with monkeypox may experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. Many in the outbreak have developed sometimes-painful zit-like bumps.

The U.S. has ordered 5.5 million more vaccine doses for delivery by mid-2023 and has rights to the raw ingredients that could make 11.1 million more doses. U.S. officials said a massive vaccination campaign could still be avoided if communities and individuals take measures to avoid spread.

In San Francisco, Tom Temprano had an appointment to get his second dose next week but was recently notified that it was canceled due to limited supplies. Temprano, who is the political director of San Francisco-based Equality California, said he's frustrated that health authorities have taken so long to respond.

“Especially coming out of, still, two-and-a-half years into a pandemic, it’s just a very disappointing response for the first larger-scale public health crisis we’re facing coming out of that,” he said.

He also sees parallels to the slow government response to AIDS in the 1980s.

“I’ve heard from many folks ... that this feels similar in the lack of real concern and urgency to a disease that is right now disproportionately impacting the LGBTQ+ community,” said Temprano, who is 36.

The CDC estimates about 1.5 million Americans currently meet suggested criteria for vaccination, primarily men who have sex with men.

But officials on Thursday declined to set a figure for how many vaccine doses would be needed to stop the outbreak. Nearly 340,000 vaccine doses have been distributed, but a CDC official acknowledged the federal government doesn't know how many have been administered.

The additional 780,000 shots being sent to states this week were delayed by shipping and regulatory hurdles. They sat for weeks in storage in Denmark as U.S. regulators finished inspecting and certifying the facility where they were manufactured.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who belongs to the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, called the additional vaccines “significant.” But he added: “Of course, it’s not enough, and we know that we’re going to be getting millions more doses over the remainder of this year and into next year, which is not soon enough in terms of actually containing this outbreak.”

Georgia’s health department hasn’t had to postpone any second doses, but spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said: “Demand is still very high. Every time a health department or other provider opens appointments or slots at an event, they are taken up in a matter of minutes.”

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this story.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press

'Breaking point': Record numbers of people at risk of homelessness in UK

RENTIER CAPITALI$M; PROPERTY IS THEFT

By Andrea Carlo • Updated: 28/07/2022 - 

Pedestrians pass homeless people sleeping in front of a closed retail unit in London, 13 April 2022 (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) - Copyright AP Photo

Record numbers of people living in the UK risk being left homeless due to an upsurge in 'no-fault' evictions, a recent government report has shown.

Approximately 6,400 households in England were handed eviction notices from landlords between January and March 2022, the highest number since records began in 2018.

'No-fault' or 'section 21' evictions are where a landlord evicts their tenants without justification. They are still legal in the UK, although outlawed by many other European countries.

The latest figures mark an increase from the first quarter of 2020, in which 4,740 households were given 'no-fault' notices and forced to leave their property.

One Ukrainian refugee family of nine found themselves on the brink of homelessness, after a 'no fault' eviction forced them to leave their rented home only a few weeks after arriving in the UK.

They were rejected by fifteen landlords, despite raising over £20,000 in donations through an online appeal.

"We have trouble and money does not solve the problem. We didn’t expect it would be a big problem because in Ukraine when you have the money, you can rent any home you want," Maxim Henryk, the family's father, told The Independent.

The UK government is planning on banning 'no-fault' evictions as part of its Renters Reform Bill package, first introduced in April 2019.

But, with the cabinet in crisis following the resignation of Boris Johnson and the ongoing leadership race, campaigners worry that the current instability could undermine efforts to resolve the matter.

"It is deeply concerning that thousands are being forced from their homes and must now face an anxious battle to find somewhere new to live, all at a time when rents are going through the roof and people’s budgets are being squeezed to breaking point," said Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis UK, a homeless charity.

"How much more hardship are we going to let people endure? It’s crucial that whoever becomes our new prime minister in the next month prioritises introducing the Renters Reform Bill, so we can finally protect people from the trauma and turmoil that comes from being turfed from your home at a moment’s notice," he added.

Approximately 60 tenants living in a housing estate in the southwest city of Exeter were given 'no fault' eviction notices earlier this month. The landowning company said this was necessary to carry out 'essential' refurbishments, though residents claim their intention is to convert the property into lucrative student accommodation.

Studies by the UK's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have also shown an upsurge in households receiving council support to avoid falling into homelessness, with current figures standing at 74,230 - a 10% increase from the final quarter of 2021.

UN General Assembly declares access to clean and healthy environment a universal human right

28 July 2022

With 161 votes in favour, and eight abstentions*, the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution on Thursday, declaring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, a universal human right.

The resolution, based on a similar text adopted last year by the Human Rights CouncilOpens in new window, calls upon States, international organisations, and business enterprises to scale up efforts to ensure a healthy environment for all.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, welcomed the 'historic' decision and said the landmark development demonstrates that Member States can come together in the collective fight against the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

“The resolution will help reduce environmental injustices, close protection gaps and empower people, especially those that are in vulnerable situations, including environmental human rights defenders, children, youth, women and indigenous peoples”, he said in a statement released by his Spokesperson’s Office.

He added that the decision will also help States accelerate the implementation of their environmental and human rights obligations and commitments.

“The international community has given universal recognition to this right and brought us closer to making it a reality for all”, he said.

Guterres underscored that however, the adoption of the resolution 'is only the beginning' and urged nations to make this newly recognised right ‘a reality for everyone, everywhere’.

UN News/Laura Quiñones
Young climate activists take part in demonstrations at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Urgent action needed

In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also hailed the Assembly’s decision and echoed the Secretary-General's call for urgent action to implement it.



“Today is a historic moment, but simply affirming our right to a healthy environment is not enough. The General Assembly resolution is very clear: States must implement their international commitments and scale up their efforts to realize it. We will all suffer much worse effects from environmental crises, if we do not work together to collectively avert them now,” she said.

Ms. Bachelet explained that environmental action based on human rights obligations provides vital guardrails for economic policies and business models.

“It emphasizes the underpinning of legal obligations to act, rather than simply of discretionary policy. It is also more effective, legitimate and sustainable,” she added.
A resolution for the whole planet

The text, originally presented by Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland last June, and now co-sponsored by over 100 countries, notes that the right to a healthy environment is related to existing international law and affirms that its promotion requires the full implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

It also recognises that the impact of climate change, the unsustainable management and use of natural resources, the pollution of air, land and water, the unsound management of chemicals and waste, and the resulting loss in biodiversity interfere with the enjoyment of this right - and that environmental damage has negative implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective enjoyment of all human rights.

According to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, Mr. David Boyd, the Assembly’s decision will change the very nature of international human rights law.

“Governments have made promises to clean up the environment and address the climate emergency for decades but having a right to a healthy environment changes people’s perspective from ‘begging’ to demanding governments to act”, he recently told UN News

UN News/Laura Quiñones
The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland is formed naturally from melted glacial water and is perpetually growing while big blocks of ice crumble from a shrinking glacier.

A victory five decades in the making

In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Environment in StockholmOpens in new window, which ended with its own historic declaration, was the first one to place environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns and marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the air, water and the ocean, and the well-being of people around the world.

UN Member States back then, declared that people have a fundamental right to "an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being," calling for concrete action and the recognition of this right.

Last October, after decades of work by nations at the front lines of climate change, such as the Maldives archipelago, as well as more than 1,000 civil society organisations, the Human Rights Council finally recognised this right and called for the UN General Assembly to do the same.

“From a foothold in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, the right has been integrated into constitutions, national laws and regional agreements. Today’s decision elevates the right to where it belongs: universal recognition”, UN Environment chief, Inger Andersen, explained in a statement published this Thursday.

The recognition of the right to a healthy environment by these UN bodies, although not legally binding— meaning countries don’t have a legal obligation to comply— is expected to be a catalyst for action and to empower ordinary people to hold their governments accountable.

“So, the recognition of this right is a victory we should celebrate. My thanks to Member States and to the thousands of civil society organizations and indigenous peoples’ groups, and tens of thousands of young people who advocated relentlessly for this right. But now we must build on this victory and implement the right”, Ms. Andersen added.

CIFOR/Terry Sunderland
Restoring natural habitats can help to address climate and biodiversity crises.

Triple crisis response

As mentioned by the UN Secretary-General, the newly recognised right will be crucial to tackling the triple planetary crisis.

This refers to the three main interlinked environmental threats that humanity currently faces: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss - all mentioned in the text of the resolution.

Each of these issues has its own causes and effects and they need to be resolved if we are to have a viable future on Earth.

The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent, through increased intensity and severity of droughts, water scarcity, wildfires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.

Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization (WHOOpens in new window), air pollution is the largest cause of disease and premature death in the world, with more than seven million people dying prematurely each year due to pollution.

Finally, the decline or disappearance of biological diversity - which includes animals, plants and ecosystems - impacts food supplies, access to clean water and life as we know it.

* States who abstained: China, Russian Federation, Belarus, Cambodia, Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia.

Bachelet Calls For Urgent Action To Realize Human Right To Healthy Environment Following Recognition By UNGA

Friday, 29 July 2022
Press Release: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

GENEVA/NEW YORK (28 July 2022) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet hailed today’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by the UN General Assembly and called for urgent action to make it a reality for all.

“This decision reflects that all rights are connected to the health of our environment. Every person, everywhere, has a right to eat, breathe and drink without poisoning their bodies in doing so, and to be able to live harmoniously with the natural world, without constantly growing threats of ecosystem collapse and climate catastrophe,” Bachelet said.

The General Assembly’s resolution 76/300 follows a landmark text adopted by the Human Rights Council last October, in its own resolution 48/13.

“Today is a historic moment, but simply affirming our right to a healthy environment is not enough. The General Assembly resolution is very clear: States must implement their international commitments and scale up their efforts to realize it. We will all suffer much worse effects from environmental crises, if we do not work together to collectively avert them now,” Bachelet said.

Recognizing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and environmental degradation as the greatest human rights challenge of our era, Bachelet has long called for transformative economic, social and environmental policies that address inequalities and protect people and planet -- before tipping points are reached that would make any action too late.

“To survive and thrive, we must invest in environmental and social protection centred in human rights; hold governments and businesses duly to account for environmental harms; empower all people to act as agents of change for a healthy environment; and recognize and uphold the rights of those most affected by environmental degradation,” the High Commissioner stressed.

Environmental action based on human rights obligations provides vital guard rails for economic policies and business models. It emphasises the underpinning of legal obligations to act, rather than simply of discretionary policy. It is also more effective, legitimate and sustainable, as made clear by the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

“Today’s decision by the General Assembly marks the culmination of many years of advocacy by activists from all corners of the environmental justice movement. We know the scale of the dangers we face. If we are to protect our planet for present and future generations, it is now time for truly bold action by governments and the private sector as well. And for all of us to stand together to make the right to a healthy environment our lived and shared reality.”

© Scoop Media

Biden must extend the student-loan payment pause so borrowers don't have to choose between monthly bills and 'putting a roof over their heads,' 107 Democratic lawmakers say

Ayelet Sheffey

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 22: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks on student debt at the AFL-CIO on June 22, 2022 in Washington, DC. The AFL-CIO held an event to discuss “the importance of student debt cancellation for American workers.” Alex Wong/Getty Images

Over 100 Democrats signed a letter to Biden urging him to extend the student-loan payment pause.

They referenced the ongoing pandemic and inflation as reasons for continued relief.

The payment pause is currently set to expire on August 31, just over a month away.

Over 100 Democratic lawmakers have a message for President Joe Biden: extend the student-loan payment pause.

On Thursday, Sens. Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren, along with Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Lauren Underwood, and Tony Cárdenas, led 100 of their Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona pushing for an extension of the federal pause on student-loan payments. The pause, currently set to expire after August 31, is just over a month away, and millions of borrowers are still waiting for news on whether it might be extended again, along with Biden's decision on broad student-loan forgiveness.

"Resuming student loan payments would force millions of borrowers to choose between paying their federal student loans or putting a roof over their heads, food on the table, or paying for childcare and health care—while costs continue to rise and while yet another COVID-19 variant increases hospitalizations nationwide," the lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar, wrote. "Despite significant decreases over the last month, gas prices are still high, and many borrowers still have to pay exorbitant amounts each week in order to commute to their jobs."

Inflation levels in the US right now are at a 41-year high, and it has some members of Biden's administration worried that canceling student debt could exacerbate the high prices. Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, previously told The New York Times that restarting payments at the same time as canceling student debt could balance out any inflationary impact.

But yet, speculations of another possible extension are circulating. The Education Department in recent weeks has instructed student-loan companies to halt outreach to borrowers regarding the upcoming student-loan resumption, which is the same action the department took in March before extending the pause. But while Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said borrowers will receive "ample notice" on any changes to the timeline, August 31 is quickly approaching and uncertainty levels are high.

Biden is also in the process of making a decision on broad student-loan forgiveness, reportedly considering $10,000 in relief for borrowers making under $150,000 a year. But given the possibility of targeted relief, lawmakers and advocates say an extension of the pause is further warranted to ensure any relief can be fully implemented before borrowers are hit with another monthly bill.

The lawmakers referenced how resuming payments would "further complicate administrative actions already underway or contemplated by the Department" like forgiveness, along with temporary waivers for targeted loan forgiveness programs for public servants and low-income borrowers.

While the White House has not yet commented on another possible extension, Republican lawmakers have consistently criticized the possibility. GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx recently said Biden has "wildly overstepped" his authority by extending the payment pause four times, chalking them up to a "stimulus payment" because they have left money in borrowers' pockets during the pandemic.

When it comes to broad relief, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing this week that Biden "understands what this means for families, how burdensome this can be. I just don't have anything more to share. And he said himself, by the end of August, so that's right around the corner... He'll make a decision."

COMMODIFICATION OF SCIENCE

Gorgosaurus: Ancient dinosaur skeleton sells for $6m at auction

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The Gorgosaurus roamed the Earth about 77 million years ago

A rare ancient dinosaur skeleton has been sold in the US to an unknown buyer for just over $6m (£5m).

It was offered up by Sotheby's and sold at the firm's natural history auction in New York City on Thursday.

The fossil is that of a Gorgosaurus - a distant relative of the infamous and deadly Tyrannosaurus rex - that was discovered in 2018.

The anonymous buyer will have the unique opportunity to bestow a nickname on the one-time apex predator.

The sale is the second-ever of a fossilised dinosaur skeleton auctioned by Sotheby's. The first, a T-rex nicknamed Sue, was sold to Chicago's Field Museum in 1997 for $8.36m.

The Gorgosaurus was expected to attract bids of up to $8m.

It is the only specimen of its kind to be offered up for private ownership. There are only 20 fossils like it known to exist around the world.

The Gorgosaurus roamed the Earth about 77 million years ago and, like the T-rex, it had a large head, a mouth full of curved serrated teeth, and small two-fingered front limbs.

Though smaller than its cousin dinosaur, it was faster, fiercer and packed a stronger bite, optimised for "cutting into thick skin and penetrating deep into the flesh of their prey", according to Sotheby's.

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The fossil was discovered on private land in the US state of Montana. It has 79 bone elements, stands 10ft (3m) tall and is 22ft long.

While a nickname for the Gorgosaurus skeleton has not yet officially been announced, "Gorgeous George" emerged as a strong contender among Sotheby's social media followers.

Other natural history items up for auction on Thursday include a complete T-rex rooted tooth, which sold for just over $100,000, a Triceratops skull, which sold for $661,500, and a sabre-toothed tiger skull.

The world record price for dinosaur fossils remains $31.8m (£24.6m), sold at an online auction to a private buyer in 2020.

Some experts are concerned about dinosaur skeletons being sold on the private market.

"A skeleton like this is part of our collective natural heritage, a vestige of the Earth's past that is relevant to us all," said David Polly, a professor at Indiana University and former president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

"I feel that all such fossils should go into the public trust where they can be studied, visited and enjoyed by scientists and a wide range of other people."

Gregory M Erickson, a professor of anatomy and vertebrate paleobiology at Florida State University, told the BBC he worries the sale "sends a message that it's just any other commodity that you can buy for money and not for scientific good".

But he said those sales and the fanfare surrounding them are a by-product of our "dinomania" society.

"Right from childhood people are enamoured of dinosaurs, so I can see why people buy dinosaur fossils," he said.