PAX GAEA WORLD POST HUMAN RIGHTS HEADLINES (12/8)
Guantanamo detainees going to new prison
By MICHAEL MELIA, Associated Press Writer
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The U.S. military transferred the first group of detainees on Thursday to a new maximum-security prison at Guantanamo Bay designed to restrict contact among the prisoners and prevent attacks on guards. More than 40 detainees were brought to the $37 million prison perched on a plateau overlooking the Caribbean Sea from another maximum-security facility at the U.S. naval base in eastern Cuba, said Navy Cmdr. Robert Durand. The 178-cell prison, constructed beside another maximum-security prison built in 2004, will allow the base to phase out an older facility, Durand said. Yahoo News (12/8)
Vasiljkovic to face extradition hearing
Accused Croatian war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic has lost a final bid to prevent his extradition hearing going ahead. Croatia is seeking Vasiljkovic over his alleged involvement in war crimes between 1991 and 1993. Vasiljkovic, known to his supporters as Captain Dragan, is accused of killing civilians and instructing others to commit murder during his time as a commander of Serbian paramilitary forces. Sydney Morning Herald (12/8)
Jailed media worldwide hits record: US watchdog
NEW YORK - The number of journalists jailed worldwide for their work rose for the second year with Internet bloggers and online reporters now one third of those incarcerated, a U.S.-based media watchdog said on Thursday. A Committee to Protect Journalists census found that a record 134 journalists were in jail on December 1 -- an increase of nine from the 2005 tally -- in 24 countries with China, Cuba, Eritrea and Ethiopia the top four nations to imprison media. While print reporters, editors and photographers again made up the largest number of jailed journalists -- with 67 cases -- there were 49 imprisoned Internet journalists, making them the second biggest category, the New York-based committee said. ABS-CBN (Philippines) (12/8)
Sri Lanka asks Norway to arrange talks with LTTE
Colombo, Dec. 8 (Xinhua): The Sri Lankan government said on Friday that the Norwegian peace facilitators have been asked to facilitate the next round of direct talks with the Tamil Tigers. Keheliya Rambukwella, the Government's defence spokesman told reporters that the Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer left today morning for the LTTE-held territory of Kilinochchi on the government's request. "We have asked him to arrange the next round of talks," Rambukwella said, adding that the Norwegian envoy would also take up the matter of food supplies to the northern Jaffna peninsula. The Hindu (India) (12/8)
Haniyeh vows Hamas gov't will never recognize Israel
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed on Friday that his Hamas-led government will never recognize Israel and will continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem. "The world arrogance (US) and Zionists ... want us to recognize the usurpation of the Palestinian lands and stop jihad and resistance and accept the agreements reached with the Zionist enemies in the past," Haniyeh told thousands of Friday prayer worshippers at Teheran University. Jerusalem Post (12/8)
Israel’s terror against Palestinian children continues
The number of Palestinian children detained in the occupied West Bank has noticeably surged since the start of the second Palestinian Intifada or Uprising which broke out six years ago, the Palestinian Ministry for Prisoners Affairs and the NGO, Defence for Children International can confirm that. Contrary to the constant denial by Israeli officials, there are probably hundreds of Palestinian children in the Israeli dungeons. Israeli forces and police had long been targeting Palestinian children between 12-17, and have actually arrested many as young as nine. Al Jazeera (12/8)
Mugabe succession race turns into public brawl
Harare, Zimbabwe Zanu-PF’s succession battle -- once confined behind closed doors -- is fast turning into a public brawl being fought in the courts, reflecting the former liberation movement’s failure to handle the contentious issue and giving President Robert Mugabe enough reason to hang on to power, analysts said. Emmerson Mnangagwa, long touted as Mugabe’s natural successor, but who saw his political star wane in 2004, is to sue Zanu-PF national chairperson John Nkomo for defamation arising from the latter’s claims that he funded a failed “smart coup” against Mugabe and his top lieutenants Mail & Guardian (12/8)
Rise of far right leads to fear and mistrust for Japan's neighbours
By Evan Williams in Tokyo
On the tenth floor of a typical Tokyo office block, ranks of uniformed men with Japanese flags and militaristic insignia are holding a meeting. Reciting a 19th-century Imperial Japanese creed, they call on citizens to courageously sacrifice themselves for the nation and to guard the honour of the Imperial Throne. They are members of Taiko-Sha, one of Japan's growing number of shadowy right-wing groups. And it is groups like these who are at the forefront of a concerted push to get Japan to move away from its post-war pacifism. Independent (UK) (12/8)
Hope for the poor in Latin America?
Latin America's Catholic bishops will be meeting next year in Brazil, perhaps with the pope in attendance: condemnation of leftist populism may be coming
by Samuel Gregg Few realize it, but May 2007 could be a decisive moment for Catholic Latin America. In the midst of a region paralyzed by endless political and economic crises, Latin America’s Catholic bishops will meet in Brazil for the Fifth General Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Bishops (CELAM) to consider the profound challenges confronting the area. The importance attached to this event by the whole Catholic world is evident from the fact that Pope Benedict XVI will be attending. Some of the difficulties to be addressed at this CELAM meeting were identified in the event’s main preparatory document, drafted by key Latin American bishops and published in September 2005. These include the inadequate religious formation received by many Catholic Latin Americans, syncretistic tendencies among some Catholics, and some Latin Americans’ failure to act consistently with what they say they believe as Catholics. Argentina Star (12/8)
A new plan to insure all
Proposal would require Illinoisans to get health coverage
By Judith Graham, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Crystal Yednak contributed to this report
A state task force on Thursday endorsed an ambitious plan to provide medical coverage to 1.5 million uninsured residents--at a cost to government and employers of more than $5 billion a year.The groundbreaking proposal calls for a series of complicated, expensive reforms that would expand public medical programs, overhaul private insurance and guarantee the availability of medical coverage to all Illinois residents. In turn, every state resident would be required to step up to the plate and obtain health insurance from their employers, from public programs or by buying it on their own. If not, they would pay a penalty. Chicago Tribune (12/8)
posted by Dave Carroll @ 12/08/2006 06:33:00 AM
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