Archive for May 5th, 2015

05/05/2015

Qatar Cover-up? Doha Detains German Reporters Investigating FIFA World Cup

Human Wrongs Watch

5 May 2015 (RT)* Journalists from Germany’s biggest television networks were reportedly detained, questioned and not allowed to leave Qatar for days while working on a story about FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Doha’s vexed nomination for the 2022 football World Cup.
**Photo: Advertising board for Qatar's bid | Author: daly3d and | Wikimedia Commons

**Photo: Advertising board for Qatar’s bid | Author: daly3d and | Wikimedia Commons

Reporter from ARD German TV Florian Bauer tweeted that all of his, as well as colleagues’, materials for ARD and WDR networks have been erased and equipment destroyed.

He and his colleagues were interrogated by the police as well as secret service, Bauer claimed, and were forced to stay in the country for days.

Bauer, a long-time critic of the longtime FIFA president, has been working on a documentary titled ‘The Selling of Football: Sepp Blatter and the Power of FIFA,’ which was scheduled to air on Monday in Germany.

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05/05/2015

Why Are Ethiopian Israelis Protesting?

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**Photo: Andreas Hackl/IRIN | Women of Ethiopian origin at a human rights demo in Tel Aviv, January 2012

A Tel Aviv rally turned violent on Sunday night, with police firing stun grenades and water cannons. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Ethiopian community leaders Monday, and another rally is expected outside his Jerusalem residence.

But who are the Ethiopian Israelis and why are they so angry?

Click here for IRIN’s interactive guide.

05/05/2015

South Africa: the Man Who Walked 321km for Harmony

Human Wrongs Watch

By Johannes Thengi Jiyane

4 May 2015 (Pressenza)* — Mr. Duncan Nyawo is a teacher by profession who is troubled by a few things deep in his soul, and this caused him to walk from Nelspruit to Pretoria which is about 321 km just to deliver a message of peace and hope to the Presidency at Union Buildings in South Africa.

South Africa: the man who walked 321km for harmony

Duncan Nyawo – in green (Image by Duncan Nyawo) | Source: Pressenza

His memorandum covered particular issues; stop attacking white farmers; stop threatening the white people of South Africa by saying they must pack their bags and go!; stop defacing statues – to mention but a few.

When interviewed Mr. Nyawo said: South Africa needs whites,  Chinese, coloureds, blacks whatever. Therefore, let us live together as we need one another.

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05/05/2015

Two Handbooks to Help States Tackle Terrorism

Human Wrongs Watch

Terrorism continues to represent one of the greatest global challenges to international stability and security, and given the international nature of modern terrorism, no country is immune. To counter this threat, there are many important steps that States need to take, with establishing a strong legal system against terrorism key among them, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on 4 May 2015.* 

UNODC

UNODC

In light of this, two new UNODC-developed handbooks – one on human rights and another on air and sea terrorism prevention – aim to assist States in strengthening their efforts against terrorist activities.

The guides are part of UNODC’s ongoing Counter-Terrorism Legal Training Curriculum, a knowledge-sharing platform designed to build capacity among national criminal justice officials to enhance their legal efforts against terrorism.

The Curriculum integrates training materials on related topics, such as money laundering and organized crime, addressing this scourge in a holistic manner.

This helps the target audience – including law enforcement officials such as police, prosecutors and judges; policymakers; and officials from departments such as Foreign Affairs, Justice and Interior – to better draft relevant laws and apply international treaties.

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05/05/2015

UN Warns of ‘Tsunami’ of Electronic Waste ‘Rolling Out Over the World’

Human Wrongs Watch

Geneva – The head of the United Nations body tasked with setting the global environmental agenda on 4 May 2015 stressed the need to limit the use of dangerous chemicals and to find a solution to the masses of electronic waste building up around the world, as a Conference of Parties to three major Conventions on the subject began in Geneva on 4 May 2015.

E-waste. Credit: ITU | Source: UN

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), told journalists that the “tsunami of e-waste rolling out over the world” not only accounted for a large portion of the world’s non-recyclable “waste mountain” but also needed dealing with because many elements found in electronic equipment are potentially hazardous to people and the environment.*

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05/05/2015

Every Four Minutes a Child Dies from a Traffic Accident – A World #SaveKidsLives Campaign

Human Wrongs Watch

Each day some 500 children die from road traffic crashes, thousands more are injured and the situation is only getting worse, the United Nations on 4 May 2015 warned as it launched #SaveKidsLives, a global campaign to generate action to make streets safe for children.

Photo: WHO

Photo: WHO

According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), every four minutes, a child dies from a traffic accident. For adolescents aged 15 to 17, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death worldwide, with boys accounting for nearly twice as many road traffic deaths as girls.*

And one third of these deaths are children in cars but two thirds outside cars.

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