Child slavery primes Syrian kids to become sex workers when they grow up
In Lebanon, short-sighted refugee policies are driving children into slavery and a future of exploitation as prostitutes. In Beirut, Martin Jay sheds light on their plight on World Day Against Child Labor.
"I must be in school. It's my right to be educated, to have an ID, a house, medical care," Mohamed says with stern conviction.
Yet this young eight year old, who comes from Halab in Syria, has the odds stacked up against him in fulfilling his dream of becoming a human rights lawyer and reproaching the Lebanese landowner for how he treats child workers.
According to a growing number of NGOs, they are now "child slaves," as gone is the endearing euphemism of "forced labor." At least 80 percent of Syrian kids in the Bekaa Valley work in the fields for around four dollars a day and - because the rent on their tents is to be paid to the same landlord - work under the auspices of a relationship akin to modern day slavery.
Inside Bangladesh’s killing fields: bloggers and outsiders targeted by fanatics
First they came for the bloggers, the atheists, the secular intellectuals. Then the three-year murder spree spread to aid workers, minority religions and Muslims who did not want their country reshaped by extremist Islam
The attack on Professor Rezaul Karim Siddiquee was so frenzied that its traces remain more than a month later, arcs of dried blood spattered up a pink wall and a pile of sand covering bloodstains that had pooled on the ground where the softly spoken lecturer was all but beheaded.
He was killed on his way to work in the city of Rajshahi by four men who knew their target and his routines well. At least one of the killers was a former student who had a reputation for barracking the professor in class about the “immorality” of the English literature he taught, police believe.
Neighbours in the narrow alley where Siddiquee was murdered overheard him greet someone moments before his death. “You’re here?” he asked his killer. His final words were spoken in surprise but not fear, because Siddiquee never imagined that he would be a target for extremists, his family says.Gao Yu family appeals to Merkel ahead of China trip
The family of Chinese journalist Gao Yu has urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to pressure Beijing to allow the 71-year-old to travel to Germany for medical treatment. Merkel is headed to China for an official visit.
Gao Yu's brother Wei expressed hope Saturday that the German chancellor would raise the case in Beijing, "so these problems can be resolved as soon as possible."
Gao Yu, who has worked for DW, was convicted in April 2015 of leaking state secrets. The longtime Communist Party critic is currently under house arrest on medical parole. The journalist suffers from heart problems and has no pension or access to long-term support in China. She has a passport and a German visa, but despite multiple offers of aid from Germany, China has rejected pleas to let her leave the country.
Chancellor Merkel travels to Beijing later on Saturday with six of her ministers and five permanent secretaries for the fourth Sino-German joint cabinet meeting on Monday.
Venezuela’s Maduro says no recall referendum in 2016
Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro vowed Saturday that no referendum on ending his term would be held until next year, amid mounting pressure as the country teeters on the brink of economic collapse.
Maduro’s opponents are racing to call a referendum before January 10, as a successful recall vote before that deadline would trigger new elections rather than transfer power to the vice president.
If the opposition meets all requirements with their bid to oust him, “the recall referendum will be held next year. Period,” the elected leftist populist said.
For months now, Maduro has faced increasing hostility, with opponents accusing him of driving oil-rich Venezuela to near economic demise and launching a marathon process to call a vote on ousting him from office.
Babri demolition, Godhra riots led youths to al-Qaeda: Delhi Police
- PTI
In its charge sheet filed against 17 accused, some of them had gone to Pakistan for the purpose of jihad.
Indians joining Al-Qaeda were moved by the 1992 Babri mosque demolition and 2002 Godhra riots and were committed to establish base of terror outfit Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) here, Delhi Police has told a court in Delhi.
In its charge sheet filed against 17 accused, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police said for the purpose of jihad, some of them had gone to Pakistan and had met Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and several other dreaded terrorists.
“While delivering jihadi speeches in various mosques, he (arrested accused Syed Anzar Shah) met Mohd Umar (one of the absconding accused) and they discussed atrocities on Muslims in India, especially Godhra and Babri Masjid issues. Umar was impressed with his jihadi ideology and speeches and committed himself to the cause of jihad and expressed the desire to receive arms/ammunition training from Pakistan,” the charge sheet filed before Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh said. It said that Umar was operating from Pakistan.'Starving to death': Boko Haram displaced facing food crisis
AFPAt least 10 people are "starving to death" every day in a camp in northeast Nigeria for people displaced by Boko Haram violence, highlighting warnings about a food crisis in the Lake Chad region.
A civilian vigilante and a soldier said the deaths were occurring in the town of Banki where they are based, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
Troops liberated the remote town near the Cameroon border last September.
"People are dying in large numbers in the camp every day from lack of food," the vigilante, who asked not to be identified because of his job assisting the military, told AFP Thursday.
"They are starving to death on a daily basis. Between 10 and 11 people, including men, women and children, die daily since the IDP (internally displaced persons) camp was opened three months ago.
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