Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas that has killed 500 Palestinians, including a growing number of civilians.
Israeli tanks poured shells and machinegun-fire into suspected militant positions and war planes struck as Hamas fighters fought back with mortars and rockets.
Hamas kept up rocket attacks against southern Israel, defying efforts by the Middle East's most powerful army to achieve Israeli leaders' declared aim of removing the threat of cross-border salvoes.
"It's a very very interesting, demanding, tough first 24 hours right now, and we are committed to follow through to continue as long as needed to achieve our objectives," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said as he met Tony Blair, the envoy of powers sponsoring Middle East peace talks.
European Union foreign policy chiefs launched a mission to seek a ceasefire in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip but acknowledged they faced a difficult task.
At least 42 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed on Sunday as Israeli shells slammed into houses and Gaza's main shopping district, medical sources said.
Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians in the Gaza Strip as "human shields", saying the Islamist group has been firing rockets at Israeli towns from densely populated areas and storing weapons in homes and mosques.
Among the Palestinian casualties were five civilians killed and 40 wounded when tank shells slammed into Gaza City's main shopping area. Two children were dismembered by another blast from a tank, medical workers said.
A foreign Red Crescent doctor said: "Civilians are being killed ... shells are severing people's legs, shrapnel is going into people's bodies and into people's homes, a lot of people are being cut down. Everyone is terrified."
The head of emergency services in the Gaza Strip told Al Jazeera television that three Palestinian rescue workers were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday, raising to seven the total number of medical staff who have died in nine days of bloodshed.
The Saturday night invasion of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip followed a week of Israeli bombardments from land, sea and air -- the most serious Israeli-Palestinian fighting in decades.
The total Palestinian death toll tallied by Gaza medical officials in Israel's "Operation Cast Lead" rose to 512. A UN agency said at least a quarter of the dead were civilians. A Palestinian human rights group put the figure at 40 per cent.
One Israeli soldier was killed and 32 were wounded in the ground offensive, Israel said. Four Israelis have been killed by the Hamas rocket strikes since Dec. 27.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Taliban bans co-education in restive Pakistan tribal areas
After banning girls' education in Swat district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan, Taliban militia Sunday imposed restrictions on co-education in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Pamphlets attributed to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were distributed in the restive tribal areas of the country, asking school owners and teachers to close down all institutes offering co-education even at the pre-school level.
The pamphlets in Urdu asked the government to stop issuing identity cards to women "with or without pictures". According to Pakistani rules, every adult above 18 years of age has to have an identity card with his/her photo pasted on it.
The pamphlet said all co-education schools and issuance of identity cards should be stopped by Monday. "No school should open Monday with co-education," the pamphlet warned.
However, there was no mention if the girls can go to schools reserved for them in the tribal areas.
Taliban leaders in the restive Swat district declared Dec 26 that any girl found going to school after Jan 15 will be dealt with according to the "Islamic laws".
"All the private and government schools have been given a 15-day deadline to close down the female education facilities. They have also banned women from visiting markets," said Mohamed Osman, a school teacher and social worker.
"We have no choice but to follow the orders. The government cannot give us protection. Taliban runs a parallel government in 90 percent of the area of the district and they execute everyone who opposes them," Osman said.
The TTP had then said the Swat leadership of the Taliban would be asked to review the ban.
Pamphlets attributed to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were distributed in the restive tribal areas of the country, asking school owners and teachers to close down all institutes offering co-education even at the pre-school level.
The pamphlets in Urdu asked the government to stop issuing identity cards to women "with or without pictures". According to Pakistani rules, every adult above 18 years of age has to have an identity card with his/her photo pasted on it.
The pamphlet said all co-education schools and issuance of identity cards should be stopped by Monday. "No school should open Monday with co-education," the pamphlet warned.
However, there was no mention if the girls can go to schools reserved for them in the tribal areas.
Taliban leaders in the restive Swat district declared Dec 26 that any girl found going to school after Jan 15 will be dealt with according to the "Islamic laws".
"All the private and government schools have been given a 15-day deadline to close down the female education facilities. They have also banned women from visiting markets," said Mohamed Osman, a school teacher and social worker.
"We have no choice but to follow the orders. The government cannot give us protection. Taliban runs a parallel government in 90 percent of the area of the district and they execute everyone who opposes them," Osman said.
The TTP had then said the Swat leadership of the Taliban would be asked to review the ban.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
International Detention Monitor
Issue 2: December 2008 In this our second International Detention Monitor, the International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants (IDC) has compiled the latest immigration detention news, member updates, resources and jobs from around the world, an IDC brief on detention of asylum seekers in Japan and developments in Malaysia. Please send items for next edition: info@idcoalition.org International Detention News Europe UK- Struggle for rights of young asylum seekers ends in triumph http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2008/11/11/109928/lifting-uncrc-reservation-offers-hope-for-asylum-seekers.html UK - Detention units 'fail on health' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7739849.stm Italy- UN Experts Call on Italy to Uphold Human Rights in its response to immigration http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/BD8D204D07A1E588C125750100691187?opendocument France - French detention and immigration policies risk reducing human rights protection http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/News/2008/081120FranceMemo_en.asp US Legal Orientation Program provides for more efficient immigration court system http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/nov/19/legal-orientation-program-provides-more-efficient-/ Detention of migrant women faulted by UA researcher http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/103211.php Panel Explores Psychological Effects of Torture http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2008/11/21/panel-explores-psychological-effects-torture US detention practice exposed http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081211/NEWS/812110329/-1/NEWS06 Asia Pacific Australia - First report on the inquiry into immigration detention http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/mig/detention/report.htm Malaysia - Thousands of Migrants Already Deported and More Being Held for Deportation http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7582793.stm The Americas The Bahamas - Gov't Tackling Immigration http://www.jonesbahamas.com/news/45/ARTICLE/18826/2008-12-04.html Africa South Africa - Notorious Detention Facility Closes http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20081122082802575C170768 For more international detention news visit: http://www.idcoalition.org
Friday, 12 December 2008
bugti tribes man shuter down strikes
11th december bugti tribes man posted nawab brahimdug bugti pictures and BRA flag in sui bazar and main choak but pakistan army raided whole city arrested many bugti shop keeper from bazar and beaten them badly and arrested more than 20 bugti and took them in their cantonment for doing torture.in the reaction of this brutal act of army bugti tribal man call for shutter down bazar and vehical jam strikes.this thing happen first time in dera bugti district to strike in such way.today 12th dec.bugti tribes man pasted nawab brahimdug,shaeed balaach marri and nawab akbar bugti in sui main bazaar and stand every where BRA and BRP flag at whole sui in road bazzar and homes after this reaction ugti tribes two thousand people carried a protest rally chanting slow against pakistan army and governement and chanting slowgun in favour of brahimdag and shaeed balaach.this rally was carried first time after shaeedat of nawab sahib.sui city was full of BRA flag.today bugti celeberated there this success step in favour of freedom fighter.this rally was in favour of BRA,BLA ,BLF.pakistan army want to flop this rally but bugti baloch resist very angerly they successed from army.first time bugti tribe show off big majority in favour of freedom fighter.this thing was happening other part of balochistan but in dera bugti it was difficult because due to two division of army deployed in dera bugti district.it was full fledge army coup in dera bugti.it was ban on protest rally raise any flag of BRA any baloch national party.today bugti tribes man broke up this ban for ever.
Women's Human Rights in an era of Globalization Institute (Toronto, 4 May to 5 June 2009)
As it has done every year for the past five, the Center for Women's Studies in Education (CWSE) of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto is hosting the Women's Human Rights in an era of Globalization Institute from May 4 to June 5, 2009. This coming year offers two innovations: the first one is that there will be a one-week intensive program on CEDAW which will be held in the middle of the five-week institute, so that participants can choose to either come to the full five weeks or only to the one-week program. And the second innovation is that IWRAW-Asia Pacific, the Malaysian based non-profit international women's organisation dedicated to promoting the domestic implementation of international human rights standards with a specific focus on CEDAW, has come on board to coordinate with us this exciting week.
Women activists, academics and NGO professionals worldwide bring experiences, knowledge and ideas to this Institute. From this Institute's rich programs, participants strengthen their knowledge and develop their perspectives and gain tools to bring back to their field, which then contribute to building a sustainable capacity within their work. In 2009, the Institute will be held from May 4 to June 5 and is currently accepting applications.
Directed by Alda Facio, an internationally renowned feminist human rights activist, jurist and writer, this year's Institute is led by a multigenerational team of scholars and practitioners, including Angela Miles, a feminist activist professor at OISE who is also the head of CWSE, and Angela Lytle, who brings an expertise in educational program design and grassroots transnational activism. The Institute provides participants an opportunity to reflect on their work, learn theories and international women's human rights tools, and gain inspiration from other participants. It will also be a rejuvenating opportunity provided with a full access to the rich resources that the University of Toronto and the world's most diverse city, Toronto, can offer. You may consider this Institute as an opportunity to expand the capacity of the participants and their organizations. While the Institute focuses on reaching out to the global economic south, past participants from Canada, the U.S. and Europe have also found it beneficial.
More details such as the faculty, program contents, testimonies from past participants and fees, can be found at: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/cwse/humanrights_09.htm
You are welcome to contact us:
Executive Assistant, humanrights@oise.utoronto.ca, Tel. +1(416)978-2080.
For academic information about the Institute:
Alda Facio, Director of the Institute, aldafacio@gmail.com or
Angela Miles, amiles@oise.utoronto.ca, Tel +1 (416) 978-0809.
Women activists, academics and NGO professionals worldwide bring experiences, knowledge and ideas to this Institute. From this Institute's rich programs, participants strengthen their knowledge and develop their perspectives and gain tools to bring back to their field, which then contribute to building a sustainable capacity within their work. In 2009, the Institute will be held from May 4 to June 5 and is currently accepting applications.
Directed by Alda Facio, an internationally renowned feminist human rights activist, jurist and writer, this year's Institute is led by a multigenerational team of scholars and practitioners, including Angela Miles, a feminist activist professor at OISE who is also the head of CWSE, and Angela Lytle, who brings an expertise in educational program design and grassroots transnational activism. The Institute provides participants an opportunity to reflect on their work, learn theories and international women's human rights tools, and gain inspiration from other participants. It will also be a rejuvenating opportunity provided with a full access to the rich resources that the University of Toronto and the world's most diverse city, Toronto, can offer. You may consider this Institute as an opportunity to expand the capacity of the participants and their organizations. While the Institute focuses on reaching out to the global economic south, past participants from Canada, the U.S. and Europe have also found it beneficial.
More details such as the faculty, program contents, testimonies from past participants and fees, can be found at: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/cwse/humanrights_09.htm
You are welcome to contact us:
Executive Assistant, humanrights@oise.utoronto.ca, Tel. +1(416)978-2080.
For academic information about the Institute:
Alda Facio, Director of the Institute, aldafacio@gmail.com or
Angela Miles, amiles@oise.utoronto.ca, Tel +1 (416) 978-0809.
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva
The Anti-Discrimination Unit at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva is urgently looking for an intern from 15 January 2009 (latest 1 February) to 30 April 2009. Minimum requirements for prospective candidates: fluency in English, Bachelor degree in international law, international relations, political science, current enrolment in post-graduate study (Master, Ph.D. etc). Preference will be given to those who have specialized in human rights issues.
Please send as soon as possible a CV and a cover letter to tnaydenova@ohchr.org.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. United Nations internships are not remunerated and interns are responsible for making their own travel and visa arrangements.
Tania Naydenova
OHCHR
E-mail: tnaydenova@ohchr.org
Please send as soon as possible a CV and a cover letter to tnaydenova@ohchr.org.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. United Nations internships are not remunerated and interns are responsible for making their own travel and visa arrangements.
Tania Naydenova
OHCHR
E-mail: tnaydenova@ohchr.org
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