A US drone strike in north-east Afghanistan has killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Mullah Fazlullah, according to Pakistani and Afghan officials. A spokesperson for Afghanistan’s ministry of defence said two other Taliban militants were also killed in the strike in Kunar province. Fazlullah led the insurgency in Pakistan’s Swat valley between 2007-09 and ordered some of the most shocking attacks in the country’s history, including an assault on a school that killed 132 children and the shooting of the young activist Malala Yousafzai.

“I confirm that Mullah Fazlullah, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, has been killed in an joint air operation [with the US] in the border area of Marawera district of Kunar province,” Mohammad Radmanish told Reuters. A spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan said a strike had been launched against a “senior leader of a designated terrorist organisation” but did not name Fazlullah or announce the death. The US had offered $5m (£3.8m) in March for information about his whereabouts.(theguardian)…[+]

Germany’s ruling coalition remains in a state of heightened suspense over a growing dispute on refugee policy between Angela Merkel and her interior minister that could yet bring down the fledgling government. Horst Seehofer remained poised to carry out his threat to introduce police controls on Germany’s southern border, according to reports, as leading members of his Christian Social Union, junior partners in Merkel’s government, urged the chancellor to back down over her opposition to turning away refugees if they have already applied for asylum in another EU country or had their applications rejected in Germany.

Merkel, who is in her fourth term as chancellor, has rarely found herself in such a precarious position. If Seehofer goes ahead and implements the most contested part of his immigration “masterplan”, she will have little choice but to sack him. But that would also lead to the collapse of her government, which has been in power for less than 100 days, and would almost inevitably end her chancellorship. A source from the interior ministry told German media that Seehofer would be able to implement his plan at any time. “All that’s needed is a phone call,” the source said.(theguardian)…[+]

BRIDGETOWN – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have signed an agreement to enhance capacity for mental health and psychosocial support in disaster management in the Caribbean.

“Despite the high vulnerability of the Region to these types of events, too often we have approached recovery and rehabilitation efforts by focusing on infrastructure and physical mitigation plans only. While ‘building back better’ is indeed necessary and critical, there is also a need to prepare populations to better cope with natural hazards by focusing on mental and psychosocial well-being. Strengthening social and individual resilience is—and always should be—a key component of any response to disasters,” said Monica La Bennett, Vice-President (Operations), CDB.

“As we begin the 2018 hurricane season, we are pleased to launch this project and partnership with CDB,” said Jessie Schutt-Aine, PAHO’s Subregional Program Coordinator for the Caribbean. “It is imperative that we support our Member States’ preparedness and response efforts. Mental health and psychosocial support needs to be a key part of this process.” Experiences and lessons learnt by the PAHO Health Emergencies team and key stakeholders from last year’s hurricanes Irma and Maria will be incorporated in project implementation to ensure better preparedness. The project aims to build capacity for mental health and psychosocial support within the health sector through regional and in-country training within the sector, as well as with agencies outside the sector, and the broader community. In addition, the project is expected to lead to the establishment of a roster of mental health professionals in the Caribbean, who can be mobilised to affected countries in the event of an emergency.

Other project components include strengthening countries’ competencies to conduct mental health and psychosocial support needs assessments and create action plans for mental health care and psychosocial support in disaster management. A communications campaign will also be developed for rollout during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, to increase awareness and acceptance of the need for mental health services in the aftermath of a disaster. Special attention will be paid to emphasizing the different needs of various groups that are often at greater risk during a disaster situation, such as children and adolescents; women; the elderly; indigenous people; those with pre-existing mental disorders; migrants; the disabled; homeless persons; and those living in shelters.(CDB)…[+]