Every Human Has Rights

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 7, 2011 (IPS) - The United Nations commemorates World Population Day next week against the backdrop of an upcoming landmark event: global population hitting the seven billion mark by late October this year. According to current projections, and with some of the world's poorest nations doubling their populations in the next decade, the second milestone will be in 2025: an eight billion population over the next 14 years.Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), told IPS seven billion represents a challenge, an opportunity and a call to action. On World Population Day Jul. 11, he will be launching a campaign called "7 Billion Actions".
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SWAZI AUTHORITIES BEG FOR FUNDS WITH ONE HAND, WHILE WRECKING THE RULE OF LAW WITH THE OTHER, SAY AFRICAN LEGAL BODIES

JOHANNESBURG – Regional and continental legal bodies have condemned the suspension of Swazi High Court Justice, Thomas Masuku, and demanded his immediate reinstatement – as well as urging South Africa to carefully reconsider any financial support for the country in light of this latest assault on the judiciary and the rule of law in Swaziland.

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There are no doubts that the African continent is very endowed with natural resources and able bodied men some whose ancestors were used to build other continents in the era of slavery. Africa controls a significant proportion of world’s natural resources such as oil, minerals and some even of rare variety. The environment has for centuries been endowed with huge forests, natural foods and fruits, huge rivers, waterfalls and generally un-disturbed environment.

Moreover changes in the global spectrum have changed the political, economic and social dispensation in Africa. Many would blame colonialism and neo-colonialism for the mess in Africa but even then a close examination of Africa’s leadership leaves a lot to be desired.

Kenya has may not have gone through too much of the mess that has beset most of the African states such as civil wars and state collapse. However, it can also provide a study of what leadership can do and what it has not done.

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By Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

ANDIJON, Uzbekistan -- A man who took part in antigovernment protests in the southern Uzbek city of Andijon six years ago has died in prison, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports.

Abdumannon Ortiqov, 34, was convicted of terrorism for his role in the 2005 Andijon protests, which were brutally suppressed by Uzbek security forces and led to hundreds of deaths.

The Andijon Justice and Revival Organization responding by saying it knows of 10 Andijon protesters who have died in Uzbek prisons since 2010.

Rustam Sobitov, a friend of Ortiqov and member of the Andijon Justice and Revival Organization in Sweden, told RFE/RL on July 7 that Ortiqov died in prison on June 24. Read more...