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Tuesday 21 February 2006 |
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MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 51 for 2 – 8 December 2005[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]CONTENTS: IRAQ: Science scholarships for post-graduate students Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research introduced a scholarship programme on 1 December for students hoping to obtain Master’s degrees and doctorates abroad Full report IRAQ: Saddam’s trial resumes in chaos The trial of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein reconvened on 5 December for its fourth day amid chaos in the courtroom and accusations of unfair bias. Full report IRAQ: Hundreds of families flee fighting in Ramadi Hundreds of families have fled Ramadi, capital of the western Anbar Province, amidst fierce fighting between US military forces and Iraqi insurgents, according to aid agencies. Full report IRAQ: NGOs lament dangerous working conditions, urge release of colleagues NGOs working in Iraq complained bitterly on Wednesday about dangerous working conditions coupled with the absence of legal protection, calling for the release of all kidnapped humanitarian workers. Full report IRAQ: Islamic groups demand release of kidnapped aid workers in Iraq Islamic scholars and groups from the Middle East and Asia attending a conference in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, have issued a joint statement demanding the immediate release of four kidnapped aid workers in Iraq. Full report JORDAN: Teenagers given airtime to speak out on AIDS and violence Jordanian adolescents have been given the chance to speak on local and satellite television channels about critical issues, related to World AIDS Day and ahead of International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. Full report JORDAN: Islamic groups oppose draft anti-terror law Islamic groups in Jordan have rejected the government’s new draft anti-terror law saying that it intends to control the religion as a measure for preventing further terror attacks in the country. Full report JORDAN: Iraqis face discrimination in wake of bombings Reports of discrimination against Iraqis living in Jordan are on the rise following the November bomb attacks in the capital, Amman, which killed 54 and caused public outrage. Full report LEBANON: Government, NGOs cooperate on issue of gender violence Government ministries and civil society groups in the capital Beirut are collaborating for the first time to tackle the issue of violence against women, the open discussion of which is still considered taboo in some segments of Lebanese society Full report LEBANON: Discovery of second mass grave raises questions Following the discovery of the second mass grave in Lebanon within a month, international watchdog Amnesty International urged the Lebanese government to take immediate action to ensure that evidence at grave sites was properly preserved. Full report LEBANON: Homosexuals still facing discrimination With his hair band, groomed eyebrows and designer bag, Wisam nurtures a distinctively effeminate look. When the 30-year-old filmmaker crossed Sassine Square in East Beirut last April, four young men beat him up because they did not like his style. Full report LEBANON: Venue for Hariri trials still undecided Debate this week among Lebanese politicians was ongoing over the venue for the trials of Syrian officials suspected of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Full report YEMEN: Stigma, ignorance hampering fight against HIV/AIDS Ali (not his real name) is living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He says that, from the day he was diagnosed, he has been an outcast, a pariah with whom few want to associate. Full report YEMEN: Draft press law debated amid criticism Yemen’s Shura Council, or upper chamber of parliament, has begun reviewing a draft press law amid demands by journalists for legislation granting them greater rights and protection. Full report YEMEN: Women’s conference tackles rights issues, politics The position of women in the Middle East is in need of improvement in all fields, including the political, economic, social and cultural, a recent conference devoted to “Women’s Rights in the Arab World,? concluded. Full report YEMEN: Fears over increasing child trafficking “I was astonished when I saw a four-year old girl picked up by the police at the Saudi border,? said Haitham al-Jubairi, director of social affairs and labour in the Hajja governorate, 120 km north of the capital, Sana. Full report EGYPT: Web editor’s arrest raises concern for civil liberties The arrest of the editor of a local news website this week has raised fresh concerns among defenders of freedom of expression. Full report EGYPT: Opposition cries foul in final voting day In a highly charged conclusion to an already dramatic month of parliamentary elections, the runoffs for the third and final round of voting were marked by violent clashes between voters and security forces, charges of widespread election fraud and the arrest of an opposition party chief. Full report [ENDS]
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