http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295317,report-raul-castros-cuba-keeps-up-repressive-machinery.html Washington - Cuba maintains its repressive machinery under new leader Raul Castro, the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Wednesday. Raul Castro inherited a system of abusive laws and institutions, as ... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:58:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295317,report-raul-castros-cuba-keeps-up-repressive-machinery.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295477,child-mortality-drops-in-20th-year-of-rights-convention.html New York - Child mortality rates have dropped by 28 per cent since the Convention on the Rights of the Child took effect 20 years ago, the UN Children's Fund said Thursday. An estimated 8.8 million children under five died from various diseases in 20... Health Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:34 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295477,child-mortality-drops-in-20th-year-of-rights-convention.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291169,rights-group-hamas-must-probe-attacks-on-israeli-civilians--summary.html Jerusalem/Gaza - Hamas authorities in Gaza should immediately launch a credible investigation into allegations of serious laws-of-war violations by its fighters during last winter's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said... Middle East,World Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:10:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291169,rights-group-hamas-must-probe-attacks-on-israeli-civilians--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290518,un-rights-expert-to-make-first-ever-trip-to-zimbabwe.html Geneva - A United Nations special expert on human rights will visit Zimbabwe later this month at the invitation of Harare, it was announced Friday, in the first such trip of its kind. It is the first time ever that the Zimbabwean authorities have ex... Africa,World Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:16:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290518,un-rights-expert-to-make-first-ever-trip-to-zimbabwe.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290516,un-human-rights-council-adopts-gaza-war-crimes-report--summary.html Geneva/Jerusalem - The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Friday the war crimes report of Justice Richard Goldstone regarding the conflict in and around the Gaza Strip last December and January, setting the stage for possible further interna... Middle East,World Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:58:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290516,un-human-rights-council-adopts-gaza-war-crimes-report--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289980,un-to-reopen-debate-on-gaza-war-crimes-report--summary.html Geneva - The United Nations Human Rights Council said Tuesday it will hold a special session to debate the war crimes report of Justice Richard Goldstone later this week. The special session would be held at the request of the Palestinian diplomatic ... World Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:04:51 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289980,un-to-reopen-debate-on-gaza-war-crimes-report--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291331,russian-human-rights-activists-win-eus-sakharov-prize--summary.html Strasbourg, France/Moscow - Three Russian human rights activists who campaigned to shed light on the crimes of the Soviet Union have won the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, parliament president Jerzy Buzek announced Thurs... Europe,World Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:22:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291331,russian-human-rights-activists-win-eus-sakharov-prize--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291326,china-executes-four-tibetans-over-2008-riots-group-says.html Beijing - China has executed four Tibetans convicted of murder, arson and other violent crimes during anti-Chinese rioting in March 2008, a Tibetan rights group reported on Thursday. The four men were executed on Tuesday in Lhasa, the capital of Chin... Asia,World Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:58:53 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291326,china-executes-four-tibetans-over-2008-riots-group-says.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289972,un-to-reopen-debate-on-gaza-war-crimes-report.html Geneva - The United Nations Human Rights Council said Tuesday it will hold a special session to debate the war crimes report of Justice Richard Goldstone later this week. The special session would be held at the request of the Palestinian diplomatic ... World Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:16:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289972,un-to-reopen-debate-on-gaza-war-crimes-report.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290886,supreme-court-strikes-blow-against-uruguayan-amnesty-law.html Montevideo - Uruguay's Supreme Court has struck a critical blow to an amnesty law that gave the military and police immunity for violations of human rights during the 1973-85 dictatorship. The court published its unanimous ruling Monday in the case o... America,World Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:04:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290886,supreme-court-strikes-blow-against-uruguayan-amnesty-law.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291543,poll-most-swiss-oppose-ban-on-minarets.html Geneva - A poll released Friday showed that 53 per cent of Swiss with voting rights oppose a referendum which aims to outlaw the building of minarets in the country. The poll, by SSR SRG idee suisse, found that 13 per cent of the population was undec... Europe,World Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:04:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291543,poll-most-swiss-oppose-ban-on-minarets.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292063,rights-group-tunisia-blocks-al-jazeeras-website-after-elections.html Cairo - Tunisia blocked access to the website of regional satellite news channel al-Jazeera after the results of the presidential election were announced, a rights group said Tuesday. The claim followed Monday's announcement that Tunisian President Z... Africa,World Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:46:50 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292063,rights-group-tunisia-blocks-al-jazeeras-website-after-elections.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294286,un-council-urges-warring-parties-to-respect-law-protect-civilians.html New York - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called unanimously on warring parties to strictly comply with international humanitarian law, human rights and refugee law, which protect civilians in conflict zones. Such a call has been ... US,World Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:34:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294286,un-council-urges-warring-parties-to-respect-law-protect-civilians.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294222,european-court-confirms-ban-on-basque-separatist-party.html Madrid - The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has definitively confirmed a 2003 ban on the Basque separatist party Batasuna, depriving it of all means to seek its legalization, Spanish media Wednesday quoted a court ruling as saying. Bata... Legal,General Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:34:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294222,european-court-confirms-ban-on-basque-separatist-party.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293090,political-fight-brewing-over-awarding-of-hungarian-radio-licenses.html Budapest - Hungary's largest commercial radio station turned to the courts on Tuesday as opposition politicians repeated calls for an investigation into alleged political bias in the awarding of FM broadcasting rights. US-owned pop music station Slag... Europe,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:29 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293090,political-fight-brewing-over-awarding-of-hungarian-radio-licenses.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293047,european-court-rules-against-italy-in-school-crucifix-case.html Strasbourg, France - Hanging up a crucifix in a school classroom limits parents' right to educate their children according to their own religious convictions as well as the student's right not to believe in God, the European Court of Human Rights rul... Europe,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:16:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293047,european-court-rules-against-italy-in-school-crucifix-case.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294593,polish-minister-under-fire-for-not-buying-swine-flu-vaccines.html Warsaw - A top Polish civil rights official threatened legal action Friday against Health Minister Ewa Kopacz, saying her delay in purchasing swine flu vaccines could endanger people's lives and health. Janusz Kochanowski, Ombudsman of Civil Rights P... Health Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:16:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294593,polish-minister-under-fire-for-not-buying-swine-flu-vaccines.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295631,un-panel-condemns-irans-crackdown-on-protesters.html New York - The UN General Assembly's human rights committee on Friday condemned Iran's violent crackdown on the crowd that protested alleged fraud during the June presidential elections. The committee voted 74-48 to condemn human rights violations, h... US,World Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295631,un-panel-condemns-irans-crackdown-on-protesters.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295610,un-celebrates-20-years-of-child-rights-convention.html New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called the 20-year-old Convention on the Rights of the Child as a beacon and guide to protect the youngest and most vulnerable members of society. The convention was signed into international law... US,World Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:10:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295610,un-celebrates-20-years-of-child-rights-convention.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295603,millions-of-children-select-mandela-machel-for-rights-prize.html Stockholm - Former South African president Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel were Friday named winners of a children's rights prize in a vote involving over 7 million children worldwide. We are extremely honoured to have been voted as the Dec... World Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:04:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295603,millions-of-children-select-mandela-machel-for-rights-prize.html