| Haiti – Six months on Source: BBC News Six
months after a devastating earthquake hit the small island nation of
Haiti, a new report by the the BBC examines the effects and
aftermath. Through images, video and articles, the BBC attempts to
provide information to its viewers on how the small nation recover from
such an overwhelming trauma.
Hope
for Cuban Freedom Fighters Nine Cuban prisoners were allowed to fly to exile in
Spain last week after the president of Cuba, Raúl Castro, announced
he would free more than 50 political prisoners. Spain, which has been
campaigning against a policy of linking economic aid and human rights,
helped broker the release. | President Urged to End Killings Source: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the new president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, to end the killings by government-controlled security forces and militia. Hundreds of Filipino citizens have been killed since 2001, and the government has only effectively prosecuted six cases. HRW encouraged the leader to adopt strong policies supporting justice.
China Calls for Alliance against
Poverty During the recent Poverty Alleviation
Conference of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the
Chinese president, Hu Jintao, called for allied efforts to help eliminate
poverty in Asia. Since 1978, China has worked to meet the
U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals by lifting 214 million rural
Chinese people out of poverty. |
| Colombian
Ex-Paramilitaries Tied to Massacre Source: Colombia Reports Thirty corpses, some bearing
marks of torture, have been discovered along the Colombia-Ecuador
border. U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or
Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston stated that Colombian ex-paramilitary
groups had disseminated ‘social-cleansing’ leaflets,
cautioning that they would execute prostitutes, drug traffickers, thieves
and drug addicts in the area. Argentina Legalizes Gay
Marriage After a 33 to 27 vote in the Argentinian
Senate, the country became the first in Latin America to legalize gay
marriage. Following weeks of protest between supporting and
oppositional groups and fourteen hours of debate in the senate, the new
law will allow for both same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption. | Microbicide
Gel To Prevent HIV Source: All Africa Scientists from the University of
KwaZuluNatal in Durban, South Africa and Columbia University in New York
report that a trial study for the use of an anti-HIV vaginal gel among a
group of South African women made them 39% less likely to contract HIV
during sex. The gel could enable women to protect themselves from HIV
infection even if their partners fail to practice safe sex. Darfur
Rebels Stop Child Recruiting A Sudanese rebel group, the
Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), signed an agreement to halt
recruitment of child soldiers. The agreement grants the U.N. access
to its bases to account for any children found within military zones.
UNICEF hailed the agreement and expressed hopes for other groups to
follow. |
| Bulgarian Roma Ghettos in Turmoil Source: Sofia Echo The occupants
of the Malinova Dolina borough ghetto in Bulgaria recently received a
thirty-day notice to vacate or face demolition of their settlement, which
is constructed on municipal land. Twice since January 2010,
Bulgarian authorities have demolished these illegal campsites, commonly
referred to as the “Roma Ghettos.” Police
Continue Investigating Belfast Riots Hundreds of protesters
gathered to demonstrate against the violent riots which have broken out
for three consecutive nights in Belfast. The "recreational
rioting" started when the summer school holidays began on July 12th.
Police believe the young rioters are led by dissidents trying to destroy
the peace process in Northern Ireland. | Israeli Security Barrier Harms
Palestinians Source: Al Jazeera Six years ago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to dismantle its illegally constructed “security barrier”, which limits access by Palestinians living in the West Bank. The wall separates families, splits farmers’ lands, and limits access to hospitals. The Israeli government indicates the wall will not be taken down, despite the ICJ ruling.
Amnesty International Denounces Stoning Execution
Amnesty International (AI) urges Iranian authorities not to execute a woman by stoning or any other means after she was sentenced to death for adultery in 2006. She claims that her confession was made under duress. AI states that capital punishment is inhumane and consensual sex between adults should not be criminalized.
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| Harsher
Penalties for Corporal Punishment Source: Times of India The government of India is
considering new legislation meant to deter corporal punishment.
Parents, relatives, and care givers may face a prison sentence or a heavy
fine for inflicting physical punishment on children. The
legislation will also cover other forms of child exploitation, such as
trafficking and child labor. Setback for Women’s
Rights The Women’s Rights movement in
Afghanistan will face old challenges if the Afghan government is compliant
with the Taliban. In its efforts to placate the Taliban, officials
have suggested amnesty. Since women are a common target of the
Taliban, activists fear that this political move will set the movement for
women’s rights back nine years.
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