Asteco United Star receives "Best Player Award"

10 December 2003 - Asteco United, a local boys football team supported by Asteco, UAE's largest property management consultancy recently celebrated the achievements of star player, Robert Newcombe-Hoban, who won the "Best Player Award" and shared the Golden Boot Award in the last JFL Tournament.

Elaine Jones, Managing Director of Asteco Property Management said," We are proud of the achievements of the Asteco United Team and look forward to the next game."

The next JFL tournament, co-ordinated by Kim of e-sports starts on the 22nd of January 2004, followed by the next three rounds at 4pm on the 12th of February, 26th of February and the 11th of March at the Exiles Football Club.

Caption: Robert Newcombe-Hoban of the Asteco United Team poses with the "Best Player Award". Robert also shared the Golden Boot Award in the last JFL Tournament.

Iraq: Tribunal established without consultation Pictures

LONDON - Amnesty International has expressed concern to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the Iraqi Governing Council about the decision to establish an Iraqi special tribunal that was taken without prior consultation with the Iraqi civil society or the international community.

"We have been urging that the proposals to establish the tribunal be subject to widespread consultation within Iraqi civil society, especially the legal profession and human rights groups, as well as the international community," said Amnesty International today. "Unfortunately, the draft statute of the tribunal was not made public before its adoption."

Under international humanitarian law, the authority of the CPA as an Occupying Power to establish a tribunal of the scope envisaged for the Iraqi special tribunal is doubtful at best. Amnesty International is concerned about reports that the tribunal will use Iraqi criminal code - some aspects of which are inconsistent with international human rights standards - to regulate trial procedures and define crimes and punishments.

"We are particularly concerned that the Iraqi Penal Code provides for the death penalty for crimes under the jurisdiction of the tribunal," said Amnesty International.Amnesty International is seeking a copy of the statute that was adopted in order to analyze it in detail.

Iraq: Law Creating War Crimes Tribunal Flawed Protections for Legitimate, Credible Trials Needed

(New York, December 11, 2003) -- The law establishing the Iraqi war crimes
tribunal lacks essential elements to ensure legitimate and credible trials
for perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human
Rights Watch said. The Iraqi Governing Council yesterday issued a law
creating a tribunal to try serious past crimes.

"Iraqis rightly insist that trials for past atrocities are of the utmost
importance," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice
Program at Human Rights Watch. "But any tribunal set up to try these crimes
should be fair and effective. Justice must be done and be seen to be done."

Human Rights Watch welcomes the provision of the law that allows for the
possibility of appointing non-Iraqi trial and appeals chamber judges with
experience in trying serious human rights crimes if the Iraqi Governing
Council deems it necessary. The law also includes some important protections
for the rights of the accused and applies definitions of international crimes
largely consistent with international standards, Human Rights Watch said.

At the same time, key provisions are lacking to ensure credible and
legitimate trials, Human Rights Watch said. The law does not require that
judges and prosecutors have experience working on complex criminal cases and
cases involving serious human rights crimes. Nor does the law permit the
appointment of non-Iraqi prosecutors or investigative judges, even if they
have relevant experience investigating and prosecuting serious human rights
crimes.

"Up until now, the most complex trials in Iraq have lasted no more than a few
days," said Dicker. "The law should require that international judges with
expertise trying serious human rights crimes sit on the bench alongside
Iraqis. This would assist, not replace, Iraqi judges in ensuring justice for
the horrific crimes committed."

Human Rights Watch is also concerned that the law does not prohibit the death
penalty or trials in absentia, and does not ensure that guilt must be proven
beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, the law does not sufficiently address
protection of witnesses and victims or security for the tribunal and its
staff.

"Allowing the death penalty and trials in absentia sends a message," said
Dicker. "The tribunal might be seen as a court of revenge, not justice."

The Iraqi Governing Council issued the tribunal law without providing any
opportunity for transparent consultation or public comment. The drafting
should have been transparent to help ensure an effective and fair
accountability process, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch had recommended that a Group of Experts including Iraqi and international specialists be created to suggest appropriate
accountability mechanisms and facilitate collection and preservation of
evidence. A mixed Group of Experts would have allowed Iraqi jurists to
leverage accumulated international experience in trying serious human rights
crimes, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch over the years has engaged in extensive work to document human rights violations in Iraq and press for justice for these crimes. Human Rights Watch played a particularly active role in documenting crimes
committed as part of the Iraqi government's genocidal Anfal campaign against
the Kurds in 1988. In 1992, Human Rights Watch obtained and analyzed 18
metric tons of Iraqi state documents. In 1994 and 1995, Human Rights Watch
urged states to bring a case against Iraq for genocide against the Kurds
before the International Court of Justice.Human Rights Watch is preparing a detailed analysis of the tribunal law.

 

Plans for Britain's biggest hospital redevelopment

Dec 10: Health Minister John Hutton today welcomed Barts and The London NHS
Trust's announcement of a preferred partner - Skanska Innisfree - to
redevelop The Royal London in Whitechapel and Barts in The City.

The £1bn redevelopment will mean two new hospitals for East London,
increasing capacity and improving patient experience for NHS
patients. The scheme will increase bed numbers by 186, making a total
of 1248 beds in a modern comfortable environment. The redevelopment
will also bring improved general and specialist services, and a new
Cancer and Cardiac Centre of Excellence.

Mr Hutton said:

"This is brilliant news for the people of East London. Barts and The
London NHS Trust have reached an important stage of a vital
redevelopment.

"The Government is committed to delivering an NHS infrastructure fit
for the 21st Century. We are on target to meet our promise of
building 100 new hospital schemes by 2010 and schemes such as Barts
and The London NHS Trust's indicate the outstanding quality of what
is being delivered to communities around England.

"An important part of this scheme has been the involvement of
hundreds of staff and clinicians in the evaluation of the plans.
Their involvement, and the involvement of patient and community
groups, is essential in providing the right environment for all of
those who will use these hospitals."

Mr Hutton also welcomed the involvement of English Heritage and The
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in the
redevelopment. English Heritage and CABE have advised the consortium
on the designs for the new building and restoration of the historic
buildings at both hospitals. -Keralamonitor.com