Italy close to the regime: Berlusconi wants impunity on its crimes

Everyone knew that would have imposed a genuine dictates to those who had dared to criticize him (read Finian). In essence, Mr. Berlusconi wants its total impunity, justice will bend to their will, or will go to vote. Of course, in this decision, the role of President of the Republic is not even covered in style Berlusconi.

PDL strong theme of the meeting of yesterday was as usual justice. Berlusconi wants his reform. Reform of the CSM (too hostile to B), short process (you never know, the Constitutional Court in December may find unconstitutional "such failure"), a new Lodo Alfano, separation of the careers of judges and, above all, revival of Law on interception is so dear to mobsters and criminals but also includes very strong restrictions on press freedom. Everything Else (federalism, fiscal reform, and security plan of the south) are just an option, smoke and mirrors.

Gaetano Sparti: as a small event becomes an international incident

The more we go back to the case of Gaetano Sparti, seized more than two years in the UAE and literally abandoned by the Italian institutions, and more comes out the stench of rotten one (apparently) little story like this hiding. Is there really all that much we are obliged to prepare a long dossier to summarize the history and the Italian and international implications that it entails.

Remove Catherine Ashton from the role of represented European Affairs. Support Hamas

The umpteenth harmful visit of the High Representative for European foreign policy, Catherine Ashton, in the Gaza Strip coupled with the nth argument in favor of oppressive policy of Hamas urge us to ask the European bodies responsible for the replacement of the HR policy that European foreign, or alternatively, to require an act of courage of Ashton with the presentation of his immediate resignation as an employee.

U.S., EU and U.N. sanctions on Iran

A new round of U.S. and European sanctions targets Iran's dilapidated oil sector from top to bottom, msking it more difficult to maintain output capacity and domestic supplies of fuel.

Murmurs of Ahmadinejad’s Impeachment

By Bahram Rafiee - In a pointed speech on Tuesday, the head of the Majlis Research Center Ahmad Tavakkoli blasted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reminded him that the Majlis can legally remove him through impeachment or a vote of no confidence. Tavakkoli made the remarks in response to Ahmadinejad’s refusal to implement certain Majlis bills and articles of the Constitution, as well as numerous statements that the chief executive had made in which he accused the Majlis of passing bills that violated the Constitution or Islamic law.

Guinea-Bissau could head towards new chaos

Years of struggle to provide Guinea-Bissau with political stability and economic progress may be at stake if the country's uneasy military forces are not brought under control, the UN warns.

Somaliland: opposition wins poll

Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo will be the new President of the breakaway state of Somaliland following an election defeat of incumbent President Dahir Riyale Kahin.

Case of Gaetano Sparti: no secret services, only great companies and millionaire affairs

Of the case that  sees involved the Italian citizen Gaetano Sparti (Here is a summary table of contents, but just do a search to find any information on the site) it was said  everything and more, but truth is not said never. When someone (journalists and even deputies) they are interested they are always felt to say to be to the wide one, that there had involved the secret services of different nations and that the case was very complicated. Nothing falser. The case is of a disarming simplicity and doesn't have anything to whether to do with intrigues international or other things from 007, but it has to do with millionaire affairs of firms and characters (also Italian) involved to various title in the colossal business of the United Arabic Emirates.

Africa’s displaced people: out of the shadows - African Union convention breaks new ground

It was a departure they never had time to prepare for. Seeking to escape death — sometimes amidst fighting between the Senegalese army and rebels in the southern region of Casamance — thousands fled their homes and abandoned livestock and property. Over the past two decades many have resettled in successive waves in Ziguinchor, a major city in Casamance. Since then returning home has been an elusive dream. “We want to, but we fear we might get killed,” Gabriel Tandar, an elder who fled after his village was attacked in 1991, told a Radio France Internationale reporter in December. Up to now their lives have gotten no better, he complained. “We have no jobs, nothing to do and we rely on others for our basic needs. We cannot even go out there to look for firewood. We are afraid.”

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Report: Africa is the most profitable place to invest

Leading financial consulting firms McKinsey and BCG agree that Africa is the most profitable place to invest. Not only does Africa provide the best growth rates; analyses also show that investments in Africa 2000-2009 had yielded the highest profits world-wide.

Film disinformation reports: Sahrawi refugee to court, "I'm not a slave"

Sahrawi refugee Fetim Salam Hamdi has been portrayed as a slave in a poorly translated documentary film. But Ms Hamdi insists she is a free woman and now goes to court to stop the film's screaning.

To the Person Who Turned Neda into a Voice

By Farahmand Alipour (Rooz 1197)- I am writing this in honor of someone I have never seen, Neda, who through the last moments of her life recorded Iran’s voice and cry. And as blood gushed out of her heart and eyes only the screams of her cries could be heard.

Another sad birthday for Aung San Suu Kyi. Protests worldwide

Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 65th birthday Saturday locked in her dilapidated lakeside compound as calls for her freedom erupted around the world.

Ghana: a huge toxic waste dump

Despite international conventions prohibiting the export of dangerous waste to developing countries, enormous quantities of outdated and destroyed electronic equipment from Europe end up in Ghana's Agbogbloshie dump each week.

Ahmadinejad (probably drunk) accuses Obama of meddling in Iran

Iran's hardline president on Wednesday accused Barack Obama of meddling in his country after the US leader called for global support for Iranians in their fight for greater democracy.

Iran: conspiracy against the leaders of the green movement

By Fereshteh Ghazi (Rooz 1193) - Though, one year after the Khordad 22 election coup, complaints filed by families of post-election martyrs remain to be ignored, the regime is trying to implement a new scenario by forcing the families of martyrs, through threats and intimidation, to speak out and file complaints against the leaders of the green movement.

Iran: Thirty-One Arrests in Two Weeks

By Kaveh Ghoreishi - As civil society and political activists continue to be arrested in Tehran and other cities across Iran, security agents have arrested 31 Azerbaijani political activists in the past two weeks. In this connection, the Association for the Defense of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAP) released a report detailing the arrests of civil society activists in Tabriz, Urumiyeh, Ardebil, Rasht, Meshkinshahr, Moghan, Naghdeh, Soufian, Miandoab, Maku, Hamedan, Tehran and Karaj. In interviews with families and lawyers of the arrested activists, as well as human rights activist in Azerbaijan, Rooz has asked about the latest condition of the prisoners.

UN envoy accuses rights forum of turning blind eye

An independent United Nations expert accused the main U.N. rights forum on Friday of turning a blind eye to killings in much of the world while concentrating on alleged abuses by Israel.

UN committee moves to keep out gay-lesbian NGO

A United Nations committee that decides which nongovernmental organizations can be accredited to the world body moved on Thursday to keep out the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Iran: arrest, Interrogation and Lashes for Journalists

By Leyla Tayeri (Rooz 1183) - The third round of mass arrest of journalists and political activists began in Iran as the first anniversary of last year’s June 12 disputed presidential election approaches. After arresting two journalists, Azam Veisameh and Mahboubeh Khansari, security agents failed in their attempt to arrest several other young reformist activities and one political prisoner’s wife. Until the time of publication of this report, no information was available of the fate of Saba Vasefi, a human rights activist who was targeted by security agents for arrest. The conviction of filmmaker and journalist Mohammad Nourizad, and his sentencing to 3.5 years imprisonment and 50 lashes was also widely covered in news circles and sparked protests from his family.

Iran: Soft Genocide

By Saeed Razavi Faghih - In recent years, particularly since the growth of the reform movement, the totalitarian and suppressive ruling faction in Iran has increasingly and rapidly resorted to violence. Illegal, arbitrary and unusual arrests, torture, solitary confinement, unethical interrogations, attacks on the dignity of citizens, unacceptable detentions, heavy and shameful prison sentences for uncommitted acts, massive and unfounded closure of critical and independent newspapers, serial murders and revengeful killings, attacks on peaceful gatherings, brutal and pre-meditated assaults on student dormitories and election campaign offices, opening fire on innocent and unarmed civilians, in the streets and many other acts are only examples of the disgraceful record of the suppressive machine in recent years which unfortunately continue as the elite remain lethally and deeply silent.  Greater pressure on political prisoners and ultimately the revengeful executions of recent days are the most recent circles in this shameful chain of atrocities.

Malawi gay couple gets maximum sentence

The Blantyre court today gave a young gay couple the maximum sentence of 14 years of imprisonment over "gross indecency" and "unnatural acts". The sentence may lead to cut in donor aid to Malawi.

Shirin Did Not Want to Go

By Fereshteh Ghazi (Rooz 1170) - The tradition for prisoners facing the death sentence is that they are informed of their execution the night before so they can pronounce their will and say farewell to their family. Even though they did not do this with Shirin Alam-Hooli, she was suspicious when prisoner guards asked her to step out of her cell, which they immediately locked behind her after she was out. She was then dragged out of the ward.

Biodiversity in Africa's protected areas declining fast

The status of biodiversity "is progressively declining" in African protected areas according to environmentalists. Over half of the protected areas investigated in a study showed degrading biodiversity.

Iran: concerns Over Reopening of Kahrizak Torture Facility

As the government is gearing up to begin enforcement of two new programs both of which are reminiscent of  the Kahrizak detention facility that was shut last year, one dealing with women’s Islamic attire and the other with cleaning city streets off thugs and criminals, Mehdi Khazali, the son of one of Iran’s most influential clerics published an open letter to the head of the country’s judiciary about the plans to reopen Kahrizak.  The letter reports that the facility is being reopened under a new name, “Soroush 111,” and has many political and human rights activists as well as members of the public outraged.

Iran: imminent executions as we go towards june elections anniversary - 16 political prisoners on death row

Jaras: Growing concerns for conditions of Farzad Kamangar and Masoomeh Yavari, the two political prisoners condemned to death.

Iran: conspiracy to Eliminate Reformist Leader

From Arash Bahmani - While in recent days some pro-administration media outlets have released reports about the illness of former Majlis speaker and reformist Mehdi Karoubi, now the secretary general of the Etemad Melli (National Trust) party and one of the two presidential candidates opposing the 2009 election results, university students warned against  government’s efforts to eliminate the reformist leader.  The Liberal Students and Alumni of Iranian Universities released a statement noting that the Islamic republic was responsible for Karoubi’s safety, adding, “We warn against any assassination attempts on the life of sheikh Mehdi Karoubi and, given that he is fully healthy according to his family, regard any hard, fatal and incurable ailment that he may be afflicted with in the coming months to be a conspiracy by coup-perpetrators to eliminate one of the brave and progressive leaders of the Iranian people’s green democracy movement.  The coup-perpetrators and their foreign supporters will undoubtedly be held responsible for such an event.”

World Bank Steps Up to Plate in War on Malaria with U.S.$200 Million for Bed Nets

Backing a call for greater action from the United Nations Special Envoy for Malaria, the World Bank today committed $200 million to provide people in sub-Saharan Africa with treated bed nets to protect them from a disease that kills nearly 1 million people every year.

Urgent - Great Britain stops the deportation in Iran of Bita Ghaedi

While the whole world keeps on condemning the hard repression from the Iranian regime of the dissent, while the sentences are wasted for the continuous executions in Iran, Great Britain keeps on extraditing the Iranian dissidents well knowing what it waits for them.

Gust of death sentences in Iran

Abdolreza Ghanbari, 47 year-old teacher, and is death row inmate for the crime of Moharebeh (fighting of god). Judge Salavati has justified that the crime of Moharebeh and is effected through “contacts with hostile fighting groups, documented through messages suspicious email and you contact with a television media to the foreign countries.”

Turkey: military operations against the Kurdish ones and tortures in the jail. Here is Turkey that wants Europe

In a recent relationship sent by Secondo Protocollo to the European union, to the United Nations and the Committee for the Human Rights of the U.N. some serious violations of the Human Rights are described of which Turkey is stain lately.

Iran: alarming report about Influence of interrogators in Evin

By Leyla Tayeri - Abdollah Momeni - the spokesperson of Iran’s largest university student alumni group - who was released in mid-March after posting $800,000 in bail, was returned to prison at the end of his temporary release.  Momeni returned to prison yesterday after being subjected to extreme pressures by Iran’s security apparatus.  His wife, Fatemeh Adinevand, told Rooz yesterday, “Every week they presented him with some request, and there was no way Abdollah could satisfy them.”  Meanwhile, Kalame website close to reformists released a report about the condition of political prisoners and behind-the-scenes interrogation practices in Iran’s prisons.

Sudan ruling party offers opposition govt posts

Source: Reuters - Sudan's ruling party, in an apparent bid to heal a rift over accusations of vote fraud, said on Wednesday it would invite opposition groups to join the government if it won elections currently in progress.

Africa: food crisis spreading to entire Sahel

Humanitarian organisations are warning that the developing food crisis goes far beyond the known drought areas in Niger and Chad. Millions are facing malnutrition and hunger all over the Sahel, from Mauritania and Guinea to Nigeria and Sudan. Food aid is already under-financed.

Catholic sex abuse "in Africa too"

The Catholic Archbishop of Johannesburg, Buti Tlhagale, has warned that also clergy in Africa have committed sexual abuse of children. Abuse was not a Western problem, it affected Africa too, he said.

Geneva: green economy strategies discussed

More than 600 delegates at the 30th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will look at the five sectors that have been identified as key green investment opportunities – agriculture, industry, tourism, cities and transportation – many of which are open in the developing countries.

Iranian Banks Under Military Control

By Ardalan Sayami - “Ansar Bank Serving Citizens” is a slogan that is repeatedly broadcast on the national Islamic Republic television these days.  Ansar was a financial institution that became a private bank after it obtained a permit from Iran’s Central Bank; the same permit obtained by the “Mehr Iranian Organization” and “Ghavamin Charity Fund.”  These institutions all belong to the Islamic Republic’s military establishment.  Ansar and Mehr Iranian were founded by the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and Ghavamin belongs to the Iranian police.

Is computer learning becoming redundant in Africa?

Teachers and technologists gathering at the eLearning Africa 2010 conference in Zambia will be debating a billion dollar question, attempting to work out whether future African students will learn from the telephones in their pockets or from the laptops in their classrooms.

Iran: worrisome Report about Panahi’s Condition in Prison

By Fereshteh Ghazi - Zahra Rahnavard called for the release of political prisoners and individuals detained during protests against the election results, referring to the prisoners as noble people who do not want anything but respect and greatness for themselves and their nation.  Manwhile, Jafar Panahi’s wife send a report detailing the condition of the prominent filmmaker and revealed that he has been transferred to a smaller prison cell.

International Criminal Court: a bombshell hangs over Kenya

By Lawrence Keketso - Could a decision by judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Kenya's post-election violence mean the end to the already shaky unity government?

Obama’s Nowruz Message to the Movement or the Republic?

By Masih Alinejad - Mr. Obama! What New Year festivities and what congratulations are we talking about?

We have not received a Nowruz congratulatory message from you this year. But let’s assume that you will send a message like you did last year. Will this one be addressed to the Iranian nation or the Islamic republic?

EU forgives Gaddafi, Africa still angered

Both the European Union (EU) and the US have issued humiliating apologies to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, thus normalising ties and securing further investments in Libya's vast oil sector. Meanwhile, African leaders are still shocked by Mr Gaddafi's proposals to split Nigeria.

Report: The Dark Side of China Aid

Source New York Times - By CHRISTOPHER WALKER and SARAH COOK - A growing number of developing countries receive billions of dollars a year in assistance, loans, and investments from China. Already in 2010, Beijing has committed $25 billion to Asean nations. In March, Zambia’s president returned from a trip to China with a $1 billion loan in hand.

Gay rights in Africa: Eritrea said "Homosexuality against Eritrean values"

Eritrean government officials for the first time have answered to rights activists' questions about the country's tough anti-homosexuality laws. Legalisation was out of question, the official said.

Iran: Mir-Hossein Mousavi said "We Cannot Retreat"

Mir-Hossein Mousavi declared that retreating from popular demands would be an act of treason to the nation, for Islam and the blood of martyrs, adding, “We must truly be concerned about turning our backs on the demands of the people.”

Central African gorillas towards extinction

New research reveals that gorilla populations in the Congo Basin are diminishing much faster than previously supposed. Poaching and illegal logging may cause gorilla extinction by the mid-2020s, new data show.

Homophobia divides Africa

Homophobic laws in Uganda and an anti-gay court case in Malawi are only two current examples demonstrating a conservative wave regarding sexual minorities in Africa. But in other countries, in particular South Africa, gays and lesbians are enjoying increased freedom.

There is a belt of current conservative reactions to homosexuality spanning from Zimbabwe to Ethiopia, including most of Southern and East Africa. One after another, countries in the region hit international headlines over homophobic actions.

Malawi: fierce discrimination against gays

The two Malawi men detained for three months over homosexual acts will face a full trial in April, a Blantyre court ruled today. The two risk prison sentences of up to 14 years.

Iran: latest News from Political and Journalist Prisoners

By Fereshteh Ghazi - While a number of journalists and political prisoners were released yesterday, speaking to a group of families of political prisoners Tehran’s prosecutor general warned that he would not release individuals whose families had spoken about the matter to media networks.  

Libyan follies: Gaddafi says "Split Nigeria into two nations"

The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a speech to African student in Tripoli said Nigeria should be split into two nations; one Muslim and one Christian. "Nothing" else could "stop the bloodshed," Mr Gaddafi warned.

EU ready to take unilateral sanctions against Iran but not against the Iranian people

The European Union is ready to unilaterally impose new sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner confirmed Sunday.

Tanzania, Zambia "too corrupt to trade ivory"

British and US environmentalists have angered Tanzanians and Zambians with a new report strongly advising against legalising the sale of local ivory stocks, saying "official corruption" would lead to further illegal ivory trade.

Iranian Feminism after June 2009: A Conversation with Zillah Eisenstein

Source Tehran Bureau - The world has now witnessed the extraordinary presence of Iranian women in the democratic struggles of their nation -- both before and after the June 12, 2009 presidential election.

Egypt: systematic use of torture (report)

A new report documents the "systematic use" of torture and other human rights violations in Egypt's counter-terrorism efforts. Those suspected of terrorism, which has a wide definition, can expect torture, illegal detention and unfair trials, the report released today found.

Sanctions against Iran will only bolster its regime

By Abolhassan Bani-Sadr - On her recent visit to the Persian Gulf, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated an obvious fact that is finally becoming clear to outsiders: Iran is moving toward military dictatorship.

Women's rights improving in Middle East (maybe)

Women's rights have improved in 15 of 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa over the past five years, although violence against women remains widespread throughout the region, a US study has found.

Iran: Enough of Fratricide (by Shirin Ebadi)

By Shirin Ebadi - No doubt Iran is going through hard and decisive times because of which any comment, statement, decision or measure by anyone inside or outside the government, is important and must be made with a responsibility.

Iran: no accountability, only threats

By Fereshteh Ghazi - More than 72 individuals lost their lives in post-election protests in Iran but, nine months after the electoral coup, none of the murderers have been identified and the Islamic Republic officials do not regard themselves to be accountable for the deaths.  Rooz has spoken with the families of the killed protesters about their complaints, the responsiveness of officials, and threats and pressures facing them.  The families, whose numbers are increasing as the popular protests continue, are under enormous pressure not to investigate the deaths of their loved ones.

Discovered arms smuggling between Italy and Iran: Tehran thinks of revenge against Italy

Yesterday we gave the news of the arrest of seven people, including five Italians and two Iranians suspected of belonging to the Iranian secret services, involved in trafficking arms to Iran. Yesterday evening have been released the names of those arrested and there have been surprises.

2011-2020 declared decade of road safety

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the period from 2011 to 2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety to spur national and global efforts to halt or reverse the increasing trend in road traffic deaths and injuries around the world.

Iran: Mousavi declares spreading awareness main strategy

MirHosein Mousavi announced that the main strategy of the Green Movement is an expansion of social networks and dissemination of information, and he invited supporters to inform the disadvantaged strata of the society in the framework of “every citizen, a media.”

Rwandan genocide: Ephrem Setako sentenced to twenty years

The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan genocide has sentenced a former top officer in the country’s armed forces to 25 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Iran: Student Movement Under Greater Attack. Pressure Mounts to Dissolve Daftar Tahkim Vahdat

Pressures continue on Iran’s largest student organization, Daftar Tahkim Vahdat (Office to Strengthen Unity). Earlier in the week, news came that Amin Nazari, a member of the central council of the student group and the head of its human rights division was arrested, despite his poor health. Till today, no details about his situation have been put forth by authorities.

Proposal: Nobel Prize for Peace to the iranian green movement

In recent years, the Nobel Prize for Peace has become something very abstract when not political. If we think that in 1994 was awarded to Yasser Arafat in 2001 at the United Nations in 2007 to Al Gore in 2009 and even to Barack Obama with a few notable and deserved interlude (we think that sacrosanct given to Shirin Ebadi in 2003 or that of Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991) then we wonder what really serves the award of the Nobel Peace Prize and has the same values that he had time of its formation.

South Sudan: World Bank vows to speed spending

The World Bank acknowledged on Thursday it needs to speed up funding for rebuilding war-torn South Sudan but said it also had to ensure the aid was not wasted through corruption or mismanagement.

Letter to Iran's leader: son of opposition figure harshly beaten inside mosque

The wife of one of Iran's opposition leaders accused the nation's supreme leader Sunday of allowing violence and abuses to crush opponents, including the alleged beating of her son during last week's protests.

URGENT - Silent march in protest of the human and civil rights violations taking place in Iran

"Every revolution was first a thought in one man's mind." Ralph Waldon Emerson - “A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind.” Daisaku Ikeda quotes

IRAN: Internet access, text-messaging service down as 22 Bahman protests approach

In the last week, Internet connections across Iran have slowed to a crawl, with sources in Tehran reporting that, when service is available at all, it is so slow that checking e-mail is nearly impossible.

Iran: unveiled plans to assassinate Khatami

With only three days remaining until the Iranian Green Movement’s 22 Bahman rally (this is the 11th of February coinciding with the victory of the 1979 revolution), a commander of the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) explained what he referred to as “details of the plan to assassinate Mohammad Khatami and the martyrdom conspiracy,” raising concerns in political circles about the possibility of the assassination of one of the Green Movement’s leaders in the coming days.

Open letter of Iranian Journalists to Foreign Colleagues

Dear Fellow Journalists

A group of Iranian journalists have written a letter to foreign reporters who are invited to Iran by Iran’s government to provide media coverage to the celebrations of the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

New shocking video from taliban: how to convert an infidel with flogging

A new shocking video was released by the Taliban. In the video you can see the flogging of some men who do not respect the Taliban rules. Back to the controversy between Secondo Protocolo and YouTube for censorship applied by the most famous video platform on these movies.

China Action Day in Support of Freedom in Iran: Friday, February 5, 2010

STOP CRACKDOWNS ON IRANIAN PEOPLE - Demand China end support for Ahmadinejad and Basij Militia
WHERE -(1) Outside Chinese embassies and consulates including Washington D.C., Chicago, and Houston in US and beyond (Other cities are expected to be added) (2) Chinese Consulate in Chicago 100 West Erie Street , Chicago, IL60611 (Gathering is on the Opposite Side of the Street)
WHEN - Friday, February 5th, 11:30 am - 1pm

Africa Union and World Bank together to promote peace in Africa

The African Union and the World Bank are combining efforts to promote innovative approaches to achieving long lasting peace, economic development, and security in conflict-affected countries through collaboration of two flagship projects: The African Year of Peace and Security and the World Development Report 2011 on conflict, security and development.

Western Sahara: new talks in the United States between Morocco and Polisario Front

The parties in the dispute over the status of Western Sahara, where fighting broke out between Morocco and the Frente Polisario after Spain’s colonial administration ended in 1976, have agreed to a United Nations proposal to hold their next set of informal talks next week in the United States.

Uganda: anti-homosexuality law threat to fighting AIDS

The so-called ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’ under consideration by the Ugandan Parliament not only violates the fundamental human rights of Ugandans, but will also impede efforts to combat HIV, a United Nations independent expert warned today.

Protests in Iran: the next meeting on 11 February

Bells chimed across Iran on Monday to mark the return from exile in 1979 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the trigger for a revolution which spawned an Islamic state now engulfed in a deep political crisis.

Iran: signs of a Lasting Revolution

By Claude Salhani - The Islamic Republic of Iran has sentenced two demonstrators of the recent troubles that have perturbed the country since the contested election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to death by hanging.

Iran: Questions by the Participation Front to the Head of the Parliament

A special thanks to the iranian activists for translation from Persian

Dear Mr. Larijani the honorable Head of the Judiciary, The news of the execution of 2 prisoners accused of being Moharebs created a spark of surprise and astonishment amongst the nation of Iran and during a time when the political atmosphere is one of fervent hope to wipe out the dark clouds of hatred and vengeance, this faulty action by the judiciary system was only further proof that there is no willingness and desire to create calm in the country's political atmosphere.

Urgent: demonstration in London today in front of the embassy of Iran

As you are most likely aware, yesterday two of the political prisoners in Iran were executed without even notifying their lawyers or their families.

Iran executes two over election unrest

Iran executed two people on Thursday over widespread street unrest that erupted after the Islamic Republic's disputed presidential election in June, an Iranian news agency reported.

Iran accuses U.S. of seeking to use Internet against it

By Reza Derakhshi - Iran's supreme leader accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to use the Internet as a tool to confront the Islamic Republic, declaring that such a policy only showed Washington's frustration.

Report - 2009 Global Hunger Index

From International Food Policy Research Institute - The Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows that worldwide progress in reducing hunger remains slow. The 2009 global GHI has fallen by only one quarter from the 1990 GHI. Southeast Asia, the Near East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean have reduced hunger significantly since 1990, but the GHI remains distressingly high in South Asia, which has made progress since 1990, and in Sub-Saharan Africa, where progress has been marginal.

The billionaires of the Iranian regime: where does the money of the people hungry

Iranian dissidents issued a list of 66 billionaires Iranians, all linked directly to the regime, which brought millions of funds abroad, while in Iran, people die of hunger. Among them are the son of Khameni, Ahmadinejad and other senior politicians in Iran.

Global warming: Environment ministers of China, South Africa, Brazil and India are meeting today in New Delhi

The environment ministers of China, Brazil and South Africa are scheduled to meet Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh today to work out a common strategy ahead of formal-climate change negotiations.

23rd January is the Birthday of the beloved Neda Agha Soltan

23 January 2010 would have been the 28th birthday of Neda Agha-Soltan, the Iranian woman who was shot and killed by the Iranian government on 20 June 2009. Her murder was captured on video and became a symbol for the Iranian government's brutality against its own citizens.

Burkina Faso device strategies to adapt to climate change

Burkina Faso farmers are devising strategies to adjust to the changing weather patterns following a disappointment from the Copenhagen to help poor nations minimises the effects of global change in developing nations.

Poor nations’ children’s education at stake

The global financial crisis threatens to deprive millions of children in the world’s poorest countries of an education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, with a knock-on effect on future economic growth, poverty reduction and progress in health and other areas, according to a United Nations report released yesterday.

World Bank: online consultations to help poor nations’ energy strategy

The World Bank Group launched online consultations today to gather input for a new energy sector strategy, which is expected to be completed in early 2011.

Iran's nuclear program: No agreement on sanctions

Diplomats from key nations focused on possible new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program at a meeting Saturday, but they reached no agreement.

Iran: challenges Facing the Women’s Movement

By Asieh Amini - The main demand of all social movements in Iran in the past decade has been to move through social and civil paths toward democracy.  The women’s movement, as a leading movement in this field, has also advanced its civil struggle based on “changing the law” and using “peaceful” methods.  Today, however, the question is whether the women’s demands and movement, as well as methods of struggle, are going to change now that the civil atmosphere is becoming more unstable and insecure.  When the regime cannot tolerate change, and responds to the movement’s peaceful demands with the harshest reaction, employing torture, rape and murder, are we still committed to changing the women’s legal status within the present legal framework?

Iran: today's meeting of 5 +1. Find an agreement?

Six major powers are on Saturday to mull a response to Iran's nuclear defiance but China is sending a lower-level diplomat in a signal of its reluctance to back tougher sanctions pushed by the West.

Iran: now the regime attacked the religious. Arrested Mohammad Taghi Khalaji

Iran has stepped up pressure on the opposition, arresting a dissident cleric and warning against using SMS and email messages to organise anti-government protests, reports said on Friday.

UN-backed microfinance project to benefit thousands of refugees

Tens of thousands of displaced people around the world will get micro-loans to set up their own businesses and become self-sufficient thanks to a new agreement between the UN refugee agency and a microfinance services organisation set up by Bangladeshi Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus.

YEMEN: IDPs beyond the reach of aid agencies

By IRIN - Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the northern Yemeni governorate of Al-Jawf, some 270km east of Sanaa, have not yet been reached by humanitarian agencies, according to local officials and aid workers.

Mehdi Karroubi - An Open Letter to The People

Mehdi Karroubi in a letter addressed to the people of Iran while condemning the actions and brutality of plain clothes Basij thugs and security and police forces especially on Bloody Ashura, stated his five step resolution for the current crisis.

Iran: Karroubi accused the regime of "suppress the people in the name of religion"

Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi on Monday accused the Iranian authorities of "suppressing people in the name of religion" and vowed to remain defiant in the face of threats.

Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill – Briefing

Death penalty proposed for consenting same-sex relations Misreported & unreported aspects of the legislation. By Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner London, UK – 11 January 2010

Middle East: US Senators say Iran government may be on the ropes

JERUSALEM - Two U.S. senators traveling in the Middle East said Sunday that opposition protests in Iran suggest this was the beginning of the end for Tehran's clergy-led regime.

Iran: Bahais held over protests to face trial this week

Yesterday Iran told that members of the outlawed Bahai group arrested in connection with anti-government protests would soon face trial, as a spokeswoman for the group rejected charges they had weapons in their homes.

Iran: Regime coward - thirty mourning mothers have been arrested

Thirty mourning mothers were arrested yesterday in Tehran. The regime has once again proven to be composed entirely of men cowards.

Iran: appeals to the big of entertainment, music, cinema and information

For many months the people of Iran is fighting for his freedom. Thousands of youths have been arrested and tortured. Hundreds have died. Incarcerated girls were raped sexually. All because they called for freedom and human rights for the people of Iran.

South Sudan and secession: the fears of people living in the north

By Opheera McDoom - Southern Sudanese living in the north fear intimidation or even war if a referendum next year results in secession from the rest of the country and many are calling for international monitoring to protect their rights.

Iran: the regime into a corner

By Raghida Dergham - The news from Iran is still in the limelight both in the region and in the world at large, and will continue to be so for some time, given that this internal affair has become an international issue, and since the regime in Tehran has been shaken, while its aura, stature and the absolute powers given to the Supreme Leader seem to have collapsed.

Urgent and alarming - Shots Against Karroubi

The armoured car of one of Iran's opposition leaders, Mehdi Karroubi, was hit by gunfire in the northern town of Qazvin, his party's website reported on Friday, but only the windows were damaged.

Urgent (update): 2 Steps, 1 Minute, to Support for People of Iran

The visit of EU representatives in Iran has been postponed but not canceled. We want to be permanently canceled. Please follow these guidelines

Iran may change: it's time for action not for sanctions

By Bahman Baktiari - If the Iranian rulers had hoped that they'd finally gotten opposition protesters under control after the June 2009 disputed elections, the recent demonstrations should have disabused them. The latest protests have shaken the Iranian establishment, plunging it into the worst political crisis it has ever seen.

Video Shock: What happens in Iranian prisons

A video that showing realistically what happens  in the iranian prisons to the Iranian dissidents  and young boys and girls who  have protested

Iran: the demands of the green movement

A group of Iranian intellectuals abroad has made a list of demands of the green movement. The names of the intellectuals are: Abdolkarim Soroush, Akbar Ganji, Mohsen Kadivar, Abdolali Bazargan, and Ataollah Mohajerani

Campaign against the visit of the European Union in Iran

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN. WE NEED HELP FROM ALL FRIENDS WHO WANT A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC IRAN!!

URGENT - IRAN: Reporter and Journalist, Nasrin Vaziri, Missing

Committee of Human Rights Reporters in Iran –  The family of Nasrin Vaziri, reporter and journalist taken into custody since Monday, December 28th, report that their inquiries have gotten nowhere.

Speech of Mir Hossein Mousavi on January 1, 2010

In the name of God the Compassionate and the Merciful

It was constantly said to me and [my] friends that if we don’t issue any statements, people would not take to the streets and would quit their protests and demands, and peace would return to the country. I, as one of those accompanying the great Green movement of the people, was not in favour of this idea and believed that things would not go back to normal unless the necessary reforms based on the clear principles of the constitution were carried out.