Dear Friends,

Please find attached a fact finding report prepared by Odhikar on
'Mohammad Ruhul Ali allegedly killed by BSF at the Shingnagar Border
of Shibganj Upazila in Chapainawabganj district'. The incident took
place on April 04, 2012.



Best regards,

ASM Nasiruddin Elan
Director
Odhikar
Ph: 9888587
Website: <http://www.odhikar.org>www.odhikar.org





















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Greece: No to austerity and Merkel, winds of change, Tsipras

Syriza leader meets 'Gauche' in Paris, today in Berlin

22 May, 09:28

Hollande to reiterate Eurobond proposal in Brussels

http://www.agi.it/english-version/world/elenco-notizie/201205211518-pol-ren1057-hollande_to_reiterate_eurobond_proposal_in_brussels

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The route of the undersea cable between Israel, Cyprus and Greece

(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, APRIL 30 - PPC Quantum Energy S.A., a subsidiary of electricity giant Public Power Corporation, this week formally announced the launch of the construction of a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable to link up the electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece. The company, as Athens News Agency reported, has notified the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) and CERA, the corresponding authority in Cyprus, over the "EuroAsia Interconnector" project. In a joint letter to the company, both authorities underlined that the implementation of such an ambitious project will decisively contribute to ensure the safety of power supply for the entire region of SE Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. They also suggested a meeting to take place between the company and the parties involved for the formal presentation of the project. The total length of the undersea cable will be 1,000 kilometers, making it the world's biggest. It will be placed as deep as 2,000 meters from the surface at some points. The project will be completed within three years and cost some 1.5 billion euros, with the participation of PPC's Israeli counterpart. Its revenues in the long term are estimated at up to 17 billion euros.

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/economics/2012/04/30/Energy-Greece-Cyprus-Israel-undersea-cable-announced_6794729.html

(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, MARCH 28 - More than 1.5 million Greeks are considering moving from the city to the provinces, daily Kathimerini reports quoting the results of a survey commissioned by the Agricultural Development Ministry that were made public Tuesday. The survey, conducted by polling firm Kapa Research on a sample of 1,286 respondents in Athens and Thessaloniki, found that seven out of 10 (68.2%) have considered leaving the city for a new life in the provinces while one in five (19.3%) has already made the initial moves to relocate. Three-quarters of the respondents who expressed a desire to move to the provinces are aged under 44. Around half said they were interested in going into farming -- with most drawn to cultivating olives or producing olive oil -- while 18.3% would like to work in the tourism or culture sectors. Cultivation was not the only pastime of interest to those eyeing the agricultural and food sectors.

Some said they would like to work in the processing or distribution of agricultural goods. Two-thirds of those who said they would like a new life in the provinces have been to college with a quarter of them boasting a postgraduate degree. The majority of respondents (70%) said they would accept a lower salary for a better quality of life. An initiative launched by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which is renting out small parcels of farmland for a nominal fee to cash-strapped Greeks who want to grow their own fruit and vegetables, has already received some 4,000 applications, Skai TV reported earlier this month.

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2012/03/28/visualizza_new.html_157851339.html

Lebanon: NGO Amel, alert for exploitation of foreign women

Alert for exploitation of foreign women, goal is preventing suicides

10 May, 15:00

'Justice for all Overseas Filipino Workers' is the slogan of a demonstration in Manila after the death of three OFWs in Lebanon

(ANSAmed) - ROME - Mistreated, enslaved, sometimes abused. According to estimates, very often, even every single week, some of them can't take any more and decide to put an end to their life. They are so upset that they commit suicide. We are talking about foreign women workers who migrated to Lebanon in search of a job. They come from Ethiopia, from Bangladesh, from Philippines and from other countries. 200,000 women in total, of 13 different nationalities. They often are illegal immigrants; however, most times their identity documents are seized by their "masters". The NGO Amel ("Amel means work in Arabic) tries to help them by supplying social, psychological and medical care. Zeina Mohanna is her organisation's coordinator of the project for the defence of migrant women in Lebanon. These days, she is in Italy with a delegation of Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese social workers in order to study a system providing protection and assistance for migrants and enabling the fight against human trafficking in her country.

The NGO she works with is one of the major organizations in Lebanon and has obtained the status of consulting member of the United Nations (Ecosos). ''Amel", Mohanna told," manages a wide network of healthcare points all over Lebanon's territory, especially in the Valley of Beqaa, in southern Lebanon and in the suburbs of Beirut." The NGO provides assistance also to refugees from Iraq and Sudan and, now, to approximately 12,000 Syrian evacuees. "Our goal is to support anyone who needs help, regardless of their religion or other things." The phenomenon of suicide among foreign workers is of particular concern. Human Rights Watch had already exposed such phenomenon in 2008-2009. Physical and verbal abuse, impossible working hours, total prohibition to leave the house they work in, very low salaries, passport seizure are all common facts. "These women", Mohanna continues, "access the country through a so-called sponsorship. They are registered under the sponsorship of their employer or someone else in the family. And then, their identity documents are automatically seized." That's when the sponsor becomes the person responsible for the worker's actions.

''We are fighting in order to allow these women to enter Lebanon through a visa and a regular working permit. We want to prevent them from becoming the property of their employer." The phenomenon is even enhanced by recruiting agencies. There are 520 of them all over the country, Mohanna specified. Only 160 of them are regularly registered in the syndicate and are, therefore, legal. All the other are completely unlawful and they often promise jobs that do not actually exist. Helping these women to get out of this situation is possible. "We are asking for them to be protected either by a specific law regulating their work and their rights or by ordinary labour legislation, just as any other worker." An awareness-raising campaign is much needed. "Part of our work consists of raising awareness of both Lebanese citizens and migrant women, making them understand their rights and inviting them to ask for help to people who can support them." Amel organised a help line for those who need social, psychological, medical and legal assistance. ''We work with Caritas, Un ponte per.. and other organizations. This afternoon in Rome, Mohanna will take part in the conference "The Mediterranean, a sea of slaves", organised by "Un ponte per..", focusing on data and main issues related to immigration and exploitation of foreign workers in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

"We are here to learn best practices implemented in Italy and to study how to organise the "shelters" (reception centres for first aid of women needing assistance and subjected to mistreatment, e.n).

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2012/05/10/Lebanon-NGO-Amel-alert-exploitation-foreign-women_6847511.html

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, JULY 8 - The European Commission is ''awaiting'' clear explanations on the final decision by the Elections Court on Albania's local elections, with the win by Lulzim Basha, right-wing majority candidate under PM Sali Berisha, against Edi Rama, leader of the socialist opposition and outgoing mayor. This was said in Brussels today by Maja Maja Kocijancic, on behalf of European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule in response to journalists' questions. ''We have been watching the developments in the May 8 elections,'' noted the EU Commission spokesperson, ''carefully and with much concern. We are waiting to see the what the reasons are behind it to gain a clearer perspective.'' Before making any comments, ''we first need to see details of the decision,'' Kocijancic reiterated. The spokesperson then noted Brussels' position on the possibility of Albania as part of the EU: ''We want to see mature political dialogue and progress in the field of reforms.''

http://www.ansamed.info/en/news/ME.XEF89628.html