Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
Kellimni.com calls for mental wellbeing to be prioritised on a par with sanitary health
The coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll not only on elderly people with accompanying illnesses. Worries and anxieties related to the invisible threat are prodding a growing number of people to seek psychological counselling or simply talk to someone – safely over the Internet.
Malta, one of the last European countries to be hit by the coronavirus outbreak, makes no exception. Kellimni.com, an NGO-run project which offers online support to young people, registered 200 chats between last Monday and Friday – 80 more compared to the previous week.
As the service coordinator Kurt Abela told the Times of Malta, users’ main worry was about contracting the virus themselves or along with their loved ones. Abela says psychologically most vulnerable are those with a predisposition to mental illness like anxiety or depression.
And he calls for mental wellbeing to be prioritised along with sanitary health, given the rise in the calls for help over the past weeks. “There’s no point in having everyone being hygienic but then having them totally break down,” reiterates Abela.
Much of this anxiety is caused not by the possibility of getting infected, but by the inability to escape hearing about the virus 24 hours a day over mainstream and social media. So, Abela advocates spreading more positive messages, by any means.
A new helpline in Malta called Hear to Help, also reported a flood of calls by people experiencing anxiety due to fear of the unknown and loneliness related to the coronovirus. Helpline founder Sabine Agius Cabourdin, too, is taking social media to task for exacerbating the anxiety.
She advises people to spend less time on Facebook and other news-hungry sites and connect more with their loved ones. She also calls for a united front to address the economic fallout of the virus, as losing one’s job is another powerful source of stress.
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
The tool helps identify undeclared swimming pools and garden sheds
It will serve as a virtual companion to the municipal network of libraries in the country
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The tests are also experimenting with a charging point that is easier to maintain
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
The city thinks that it’s time to update pet-related street cleanliness rules for the 21st century
Yes, you guessed it right, that also includes baguettes and cheeses
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team