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Indonesia: New Prisoners of Conscience in the Post-Suharto Era
10 July 2003
Syria/Lebanon: The authorities must urgently investigate cases of death in custody
LONDON - Following reports on the recent death in Syrian custody of Lebanese national Joseph Huways, and the recent denial of the Syrian authorities of the presence of any Lebanese political detainees in Syria, Amnesty International today called on the Syrian authorities to open an investigation into the case and allow prisoners access to lawyers, families and medical treatment.In a statement carried by the media on 5 July, the Syrian Minister of Interior has denied the presence of any Lebanese political detainees in Syria. More
Iran: Student activists and demonstrators must be treated in accordance with international human rights standards Indonesia: New Prisoners of Conscience in the Post-Suharto Era - Community Radio Broadcasting Special Feature
Syria: Charges must be dropped against Haytham al-Maleh
Amnesty International today called on the Syrian authorities to halt the trial of lawyer Haytham al-Maleh before the Military Court which is scheduled to convene tomorrow 12 July in Damascus, and for all charges brought against him to be dropped. More
Media Monitor
FIRST PHASE AREAS IN METROS UNDER CAS NOTIFIED
NBCC RECONSTRUCTS SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN EARTHQUAKE AFFECTED AREAS OF GUJARAT
Wireless Digital Phone Camera adding new problems
A rising tide of consumer enthusiasm for new wireless camera phones promises to turn into a flood that might be both good and bad for society.These days it costs as little as $3 a month for someone with a camera-equipped wireless phone to take and send digital photos to friends or family.
The trouble, it seems, is that camera phones make it easy to take and share pictures from either the park or the women's locker room.Nonetheless, the wireless phone manufacturers are rushing more camera phones to market to meet surging consumer demand.
John Jackson, a wireless analyst with the Yankee Group in Boston, projects that by 2007 more than half of all wireless phones will contain built-in cameras, a dramatic increase from 2002, when camera phone sales were less than 1 percent. Chris Ambrosio, an analyst at Strategy Analytics in Boston, predicts 30 to 40 percent of wireless phones will have cameras by 2007.Full Report
Bush points finger at CIA
The White House has blamed the US Central Intelligence Agency over a false accusation that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa. President Bush said on Friday his charge that Iraq had tried to buy nuclear material from Niger had been approved by his "intelligence services", and US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said the CIA had confirmed the specific wording of the statement. The White House acknowledged this week it had been a mistake to say Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been trying to get African uranium because documents alleging a transaction between Iraq and Niger were found to have been forged. Full ReportNBCC RECONSTRUCTS SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN EARTHQUAKE AFFECTED AREAS OF GUJARAT
National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd. (NBCC), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Urban Development has completed reconstruction of 24 school buildings in the earthquake affected regions of Gujarat. Construction of 23 other school buildings is in progress. Reconstruction of school buildings has been funded by the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Out of 24 school buildings reconstructed so far, 3 are in Kutch, 1 in Porbander, 11 in Jamnagar, 1 in Kadana, 2 in Rajkot, and 6 in Patan. About Rs. 20.94 crore have been spent on the reconstruction of these school buildings which include boys and girls’ high schools, higher secondary schools and Sainik School.
Out of 23 school buildings under construction, 8 are in Jamnagar, 13 in Rajkot, and one each in Patan and Ahmedabad. Total value of contracts for reconstructing these school buildings is more than Rs. 13 crore.Construction work of two school buildings – one at Rajkot and other at Jamnagar is to be taken up shortly.
Media Monitor
FIRST PHASE AREAS IN METROS UNDER CAS NOTIFIED
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has notified the areas in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata in which all pay TV channels would compulsorily be shown through an addressable system (CAS) from 1st September 2003. So far as Chennai is concerned the entire Chennai Metropolitan area has been notified. A notification to this effect has been issued by the Ministry last evening. In supersession of the earlier notification S.O.39(E), dated 14th January, 2003, the new notification notifies the 1st day of March 2003 as the date within six months from which it shall be obligatory for every cable operator to transmit/retransmit programmes of every pay channel through an addressable system in the areas specified below, namely:-
i) In the Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai, the area to the West of the main line of Central Railway between Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) station and Sion Railway Station, including the area from Navy Nagar (in the south) upto the CST Railway Station (in the north), including Ballard Estate, bound by the Sion-Bandra Link Road and the Mahim Causeway on the northern side and includes the areas Colaba, RC Church, World Trade Centre, Maker Towers, Nariman Point, Cuffe Prade, Fort, Fountain, Bombay Stock Market, Prince of Wales Museum, CIDCO, Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Horiman Circle, Reserve Bank of India, Churchgate, Ballard Estate, Town Hall, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Madam Cama Road, Veer Nariman Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Dr. Dadabhai Navroji Marg, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Kalbadevi, Thakurdwar, Girgaum, Walkeshwar Road, Nepensea Road, Cumbala Hill, Malabar Hill, Grant Road, Khetwadi, Breach Candy, Peddar Road, Hajiali, Mahalaxmi, Worli, Tardeo, Altomout Road, Dr. Dadasheb Bhadkamkar Marg, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road, Saat Rasta, Lala Lajpatrai Marg, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Dr. Annie Besant Marg, N.M.Joshi Marg, Gokhale Road, Dr. Moses Road, Prabhadevi, Dadar (West), Shivaji Park, Cadell Road, Lady Jamshedji Road, Sitladevi Road, Mahim, Gen Arunkumar Vidya marg.
ii) In the National Capital Territory of Delhi, area covering Chanakyapuri, Motibagh, Vsant Vihar, Safdarjung, Vasantkunj, Chattarpur, Madangir, Kalkaji, Sarita Vihar, Maharani Bagh; bounded in the East by Yamuna River (from Delhi-Haryana border near Badarpur to Bhairon Marg;bounded in the West by Welliongton Crescent, Sardar Patel Marg, NH8 (from Dhaulakuan to Gurgaon Border); bounded in the South by Delhi-Haryana border (from Gurgaon to Badarpur and Yamuna River); bounded in the North by Bhairon Marg, Rajpath (from National Stadium to Vijay Chowk), Parliament House, Talkatora Road upto Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
iii) In the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, the areas whose northern boundary is the eastern bank of the river Hoogly up to the confluence with Tolly’s Nalla on the right; eastern boundary is the line along the western bank of Tolly’s Nalla starting from its confluence with river Hooghly in the north, running south along the Tolly’s Nalla/Kaorapukur Khal to the mouzas of Magurkhali; Southern Boundary is along the line following the southern boundaries of mouzas Magurkhali, Ramjibanpur, Sajnaberia, Gopalnagar, Kalua, Hanspukuria area within Police Station Behala proceeding towards the southrern boundaries of mouzas Kalagachhia Sankharipota, Naoabad, Khanberia, Chandigar, Shibhugli and Ramesuhwarpur with Police Station Meheshtola.
Thereafter the same line following the southern boundaries of mouzas Betuabi Rajarampur, Santoshpur, Uttar Raipur, Benjan Haria Charial, Eastern and southern mouzas of Nischintapur and southern boundaries of mouzas of Uttar Ramchandrapur, Raghunathpur, Rajarampur, Achhipur within Police Station Budge Budge.
And then proceeding further westward in a straight line and meeting the western boundary-line of District 24 Parganas in the river Hoghly; and western boundary is the line along the east bank of river Hoghly starting from the confluence of Tolly’s Nala running south-south-west where it meets the line of District 24 Parganas in the river Hooghly.
iv) Chennai Metropolitan area.
INDIA TO TAKE UP CONSERVATION OF ANCIENT COMBODIAN TEMPLE
India will take up conservation of Ta Prohm temple in Combodia, one of the well known temples of the world with the cost of about 20 crore rupees. Archaeological Survey of India has already prepared an action plan and the project will be launched in full swing by the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Shri Jagmohan during his proposed visit to Combodia shortly. India will also organise a festival of folk dance at Combodia to strengthen existing cultural ties between the countries. It was agreed in a meeting between Combodian Princess and Minister for Culture, Ms. Pupha Devi and Minister for Tourism and Culture, Shri Jagmohan here today.
Ta Prohm is one among the three most important temples of Combodia, other two are Angkor Wat, Bayon. It was constructed by Jayavarman VII of the Khmer dynasty in the 12th –13th centuary, AD. The archaeological Survey of India will undertake preservation of existing structures of the temple and will reset precariously damaged structures. The project will be implemented in six phases. India has also done conservation of famous Angkor Wat temple earlier.
Recalling historical bonds between the country, Shri Jagmohan said India would like to further strengthen cultural relationship with Combodia. He proposed translation of classics of both countries in Combodian and Indian languages. The Minister also proposed taking up Buddhist exhibition to Combodia.
