At the request of the PETI Committee, the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs prepared this briefing to present the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, which is the European Commission's policy framework for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The strategy includes an ambitious set of actions and flagship initiatives until 2024 in various domains, linked to the UNCRPD. Five of the seven flagship initiatives have already been implemented, and the two remaining ones are expected to be published by early 2025. Most of the other policy actions included in the Strategy are also completed by 2024. Despite significant efforts to implement the UNCRPD across the EU, persistent gaps remain between persons with and without disabilities, for example, when it comes to poverty, access to jobs, inclusive education, housing, or healthcare services. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.

The Seychelles Coast Guard vessel, Saya de Malha, left on Monday on its latest recovery mission of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the island nation's waters, namely the outer islands.  The crew, who will be participating in the 21-day mission, was seen off at the Seychelles Coast Guard Base by Jean-Francois Ferrari, Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, and Dr. Jan Robinson, the chief executive of the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA). In addition to a scientific observer and a senior fisheries scientist from the SFA,  four students and a lecturer from the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) are taking part in the recovery mission. This is the third FAD Watch recovery expedition since the Sustainable Indian Ocean Tuna Initiative (SIOTI), the SFA, and the Spanish Association of Tuna Freezers (AGAC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in July 2023. Keeping drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) from becoming stranded and entangled in coral reefs, shallow water habitats, and coastal zones is the goal of the MOU. The area of focus for this third mission will be the outer islands, where the crew will intercept and recover FADs at drift that pose a risk of stranding in the shallow marine habitats. Fish aggregating devices are man-made and usually floating wooden structures with hanging nets to attract fish. These rafts can either be free-floating, known as drifting FADs, or anchored to the seabed, known as anchored FADs. Undersea life and marine creatures, including turtles and sharks, congregate around FADs and can become entangled in the floating nets attached to FADs. During the send-off, the CEO of the SFA provided the crew with everything they required for their trip. These consisted of neoprene vests, water shoes, and sunscreen. Robinson told the students to thoroughly appreciate the experience while keeping in mind their main purpose which is to collect as many FADs as possible «You've got all the tools at your disposal and what we want to see at the end of the mission is a lot of important information coming back from you, in particular from SFA to provide that information to us,» said Robinson. He added, «It's really important we know everything you are doing on a daily basis to try and locate and recover FADs so that we can report that to those who put the FADs in the water in the first place about how difficult it is to collect these devices.» Ferrari wished the team success and advised them to exercise prudence while at sea. He also expressed his gratitude to the SMA and SCG for their continued support and hoped that by the conclusion of the trip, the students would have learned new things and be ambassadors for these kinds of projects.  

As Kyiv braces for the potential of difficult talks with Russia, Biden hopes providing land mines and allowing long-range attacks will strengthen its hand.

Still critical of some who served in his first term, Trump has assembled a Cabinet of allies loyal to his agenda.

Plans by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget would leave little remaining except national defense and old-age programs.

[Daily Trust] Makurdi -- Residents of several villages in Katsina-Ala and Logo local government areas of Benue State yesterday fled their homes after gunmen killed many persons during a raid.

[Premium Times] Troops of the Nigerian army have killed «several» suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Imo State, Nigeria's South-east.

[allAfrica]

The CBI said two-thirds of its members were slashing their recruitment plans after the Budget, with firms switching to 'crisis containment' or 'damage limitation' mode.

Dzhamilya Timaeva, 20, told the Old Bailey she believed Chechnyan men must fight a 'Jihad' against Russians to secure their independence.

India's External Affairs Ministry expressed serious concerns over the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh following attacks on minorities and places of worship. The ministry condemned the denial of bail and urged Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of minorities, including their rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

The Election Commission announced by-elections for six Rajya Sabha seats across four states. Polling is scheduled for December 20th, with vote counting on the same day. These by-elections follow recent assembly and Lok Sabha by-polls where BJP and allies performed strongly, while Congress secured both Lok Sabha seats. Nominations for the vacant Rajya Sabha seats close on December 10th.

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea to switch back to ballot paper voting. The petitioner cited concerns about EVM tampering. The court rejected the argument. The petitioner also suggested regulating money and liquor use in elections. They also wanted a voter education campaign. Congress raised similar concerns after recent election losses. The Election Commission found no evidence of procedural compromise.

Sadhguru condemned the arrest of an Iskcon priest in Bangladesh, highlighting the country's shift towards theocracy. India voiced concerns over the treatment of minorities following attacks and the priest's arrest for alleged disrespect to the national flag. Bangladesh authorities detained the priest, who was also facing charges related to a Hindu rally.

Multiple staff from a backpacker hotel at the centre of suspected mass poisoning in Laos which have been arrested by police.

The actor, 51, 'burst the bubble' when he spilled filming secrets from his Christmas classic The Holiday on BBC Radio 2.

Malawi is burning, and its people are crying out for leadership. The fuel crisis is paralyzing livelihoods, the economy is on its knees, and the call for free and fair elections next year grows louder with each passing day. Yet, as ordinary Malawians brave the streets to demand accountability, one question looms large: Where is […] The post Opinion: Mutharika, get off Facebook! Malawians wants your presence on streets, suffer teargas with them appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Government has underscored the need for more access to finance as it will help in execution of ideas into practical work. Speaking on the sidelines of the official launch of the grants programme under Southern Africa Trade Connectivity Programme (SATCP), Minister of Trade and Industry Sosten Gwengwe highlighted the need for more support from development […] The post Government plead for more financial support to promote medium enterprises appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Once hailed as a technocrat steering the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), Dr. Dalitso Kabambe’s legacy now lies tarnished by a trail of corruption, mismanagement, and financial irregularities that drained the public coffers and deepened the economic woes of an already struggling nation. A forensic audit covering his tenure between January 2019 and June 2020 […] The post The untold story of Dalitso Kabambe: Former RBM Governor’s legacy of corruption, crookedness and mismanagement appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Mmodzi mwa a katswiri pa nkhani za malamulo mdziko muno a Bright Theu adzudzula mtsogoleri wa dziko lino a Lazarus Chakwera ndi mkulu wa apolosi mayi Merlyne Yolam ati pokhala chete pamene gulu la zigawenga lakhala likusokoneza ziwonetsero mzinda wa Lilongwe pogwiritsa ntchito zikwanje, mipeni ndi zida zina.   Polemba pa tsamba lawo la mchezo […] The post Loya Bright Theu wadabwa kuti a Chakwera ndi mkulu wa Polisi sakuyankhulapo za zipolowe appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The scenes that unfolded in Lilongwe yesterday paint a chilling picture of political violence in Malawi—scenes that should have no place in a democracy. Once again, the Malawian public witnessed a disturbing assault on their right to peacefully protest, as armed police and a group of masked assailants, wielding pangas and other weapons, viciously targeted […] The post As political violence escalate, Malawians ask: Why is our President silent? appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Polish farmers are demanding that the government reverse an agricultural tax hike and scrap a planned deal with South American nations Read Full Article at RT.com

US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene has hit out at Joe Biden for reported discussions about Ukraine obtaining a nuclear arsenal  Read Full Article at RT.com

A total of 16 people are missing after a tourist boat has sunk near Egypt’s Marsa Alam Read Full Article at RT.com

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will reportedly visit Russia’s Kaliningrad in early December to commission the INS Tushil Read Full Article at RT.com

«The minds of the Ukrainian population have been reformatted in a Russophobic way,» Alexander Bortnikov stated

Sergey Naryshkin stressed that Moldova is «following in its footsteps»

Alexander Bortnikov highlighted the active use of artificial intelligence technologies in developing and implementing targeted psychological measures

To strengthen security, intelligence services should not only scrutinize threats but also «forecast their development and exchange information and experience,» the Russian leader pointed out

Meanwhile, Alexander Bortnikov said that the US-led collective West can counter these processes only through «attempts to fuel global tensions» in a bid to preserve its dominance and continue its predatory colonial policy

Hold onto your book reviews, because X isn't the only app that some users are ditching in the wake of the U.S. election. Some readers say they've left Goodreads, a popular platform for tracking and reviewing books, in favour of The StoryGraph, coined as an «Amazon-free alternative.»