Category Archives: Viva!

IOF to return 23 Palestinians’ corpses to their families today

PNN/Bethlehem

Israeli authorities are expected to hand over the bodies of 23 Palestinians from different areas of the occupied West Bank this Friday afternoon.

17 of them are from the Hebron area. The city’s governor, Kamel Hamid, following the announcement stated that the decision was made following continuous demands of the families of the slain Palestinians.

The names of the Palestinians from the Hebron district whose bodies are expected to be handover today :
1. Basil Bassam Sider
2. Fadhil Abdullah Qawasmah
3. Hamza Mousa al-Amlah
4. Saad Muhammad al-Atrash
5. Shadi Nabil al-Qudsi
6. Izz al-Din Nadi Abu Shkheidem
7. Humaam Adnan al-Sa’eed
8. Islam Rafiq Obeido
9. Mahdi Muhammad al-Muhtaseb
10. Farouq Abd al-Qadir Sider
11. Fadi Hassan al-Froukh
12. Malik Talal al-Shareef
13. Mustafa Fadhil Fanoon
14. Ibah Fathi Miswadeh
15. Omar Issa al-Za’aqeeq
16. Tahir Fanoon
17. Abd al-Rahman Miswadeh

The IOF still detain the bodies of nearly 50 Palestinians that have been killed in the past three months.

The bodies are handed back to their families under strict conditions that can include time, place, number of people in the funeral, and a potential fine.

On Wednesday, the IOF returned the body of Baseem Salah (38) from Nablus in terrible conditions.

The body was completely frozen, and his feet were blended one meter above the ground, which forced the family to wait till the body defrosts the next day  to bury him.

The bodies are kept in refrigerators that can reach up to 80 Celsius degrees below zero.

Several reports have accused Israel of harvesting organs and operating other violations on the dead bodies of Palestinians, in addition to placing tight restrictions in order to prevent anatomy and hide any theft of organs.

Since the start of October, 144 Palestinians have been killed, including 27 children and 7 women. Some 15,000 have been injured by live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and teargas.

Happy New Year: Possibilities for a Better Future

New Year's Day is a time to think about possiblities for a better future

New Year’s Day is a time to think about possiblities for a better future

Published January 1, 2016

WASHINGTON – With the new year celebration, it is time to think about the possibilities for a better future. Even with progress in Indian Country on many fronts, there are still many challenges that confront us. It is not good enough to seemly wish for a better new year. Each of us has to do our part to help bring about better futures for our families and communities.

New Year’s Day represents hope that this new year – 2016 – will be better than 2015 for all of us.

We at the Native News Online hope you make the best of the challenges and opportunties life affords.

As we look forward, here are some statistics to ponder:

On Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau  projected the United States population will be 322,762,018 on January 1, 2016. This represents an increase of 2,472,745, or 0.77 percent, from New Year’s Day 2015. Since Census Day (April 1) 2010, the population has grown by 14,016,480, or 4.54 percent.

NY 2016In 2016, the United States is expected to experience one birth every eight seconds and one death every ten seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 29 seconds. The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 17 seconds.

The projected world population on January 1 is 7,295,889,256, an increase of 77,918,825, or 1.08 percent, from New Year’s Day 2015. During January 2016, 4.3 births and 1.8 deaths are expected worldwide every second.

The Census Bureau’s U.S. and World Population Clock simulates real-time growth of the U.S. and world populations at <http://www.census.gov/popclock>.

Happy New Year!

The post Happy New Year: Possibilities for a Better Future appeared first on Native News Online.

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | A Wish for Peace, New Year 2016

It is midnight of December 30, 2015.  I am alone in my basement and a strange silence fills my house. Whenever I think about celebrating the first day of 2016, the word that comes into my mind is “peace.”And after that, I miss my husband and children. We are separated because I moved to Canada with the hope that one day my family will join me. I came here to find peace. I was raised in a country full of war, and I hate the war and warmongers. Peace is the biggest miracle; life is meaningless without peace. The pain of being away from my family for three years bothers me greatly; it is not easy to tolerate it. I feel very weak, but my dream for my children is peace and to live a peaceful life.In my former home, the war is not the only big issue for my countrymen. There are so many other challenges for my people such as vile customs, illiteracy, violence against women, terrorist forces, the judgment of the desert, lack of law, and the thousands of human rights violations.Peace is necessary for survival. Whenever I am passing down the narrow street to my house, I see a beautiful, colorful house with the beauty of a Christmas tree with a snowman in the center.  I feel a strange sense of happiness and I feel peace.My neighbors are celebrating the New Year and they buy gifts for their children, but I think what can I do? I remember my writing group. Yes, I can share my voice to celebrate the New Year.I wish the New Year of 2016 brings peace for all countries all around the world. May almighty Allah bring peace and happiness not only in my former home but in

We are separated because I moved to Canada with the hope that one day my family will join me. I came here to find peace. I was raised in a country full of war, and I hate the war and warmongers. Peace is the biggest miracle; life is meaningless without peace. The pain of being away from my family for three years bothers me greatly; it is not easy to tolerate it. I feel very weak, but my dream for my children is peace and to live a peaceful life.In my former home, the war is not the only big issue for my countrymen. There are so many other challenges for my people such as vile customs, illiteracy, violence against women, terrorist forces, the judgment of the desert, lack of law, and the thousands of human rights violations.Peace is necessary for survival. Whenever I am passing down the narrow street to my house, I see a beautiful, colorful house with the beauty of a Christmas tree with a snowman in the center.  I feel a strange sense of happiness and I feel peace.My neighbors are celebrating the New Year and they buy gifts for their children, but I think what can I do? I remember my writing group. Yes, I can share my voice to celebrate the New Year.I wish the New Year of 2016 brings peace for all countries all around the world. May almighty Allah bring peace and happiness not only in my former home but in

I was raised in a country full of war, and I hate the war and warmongers. Peace is the biggest miracle; life is meaningless without peace. The pain of being away from my family for three years bothers me greatly; it is not easy to tolerate it. I feel very weak, but my dream for my children is peace and to live a peaceful life.In my former home, the war is not the only big issue for my countrymen. There are so many other challenges for my people such as vile customs, illiteracy, violence against women, terrorist forces, the judgment of the desert, lack of law, and the thousands of human rights violations.Peace is necessary for survival. Whenever I am passing down the narrow street to my house, I see a beautiful, colorful house with the beauty of a Christmas tree with a snowman in the center.  I feel a strange sense of happiness and I feel peace.My neighbors are celebrating the New Year and they buy gifts for their children, but I think what can I do? I remember my writing group. Yes, I can share my voice to celebrate the New Year.I wish the New Year of 2016 brings peace for all countries all around the world. May almighty Allah bring peace and happiness not only in my former home but in

We are separated because I moved to Canada with the hope that one day my family will join me. I came here to find peace. I was raised in a country full of war, and I hate the war and warmongers. Peace is the biggest miracle; life is meaningless without peace. The pain of being away from my family for three years bothers me greatly; it is not easy to tolerate it. I feel very weak, but my dream for my children is peace and to live a peaceful life.In my former home, the war is not the only big issue for my countrymen. There are so many other challenges for my people such as vile customs, illiteracy, violence against women, terrorist forces, the judgment of the desert, lack of law, and the thousands of human rights violations.Peace is necessary for survival. Whenever I am passing down the narrow street to my house, I see a beautiful, colorful house with the beauty of a Christmas tree with a snowman in the center.  I feel a strange sense of happiness and I feel peace.My neighbors are celebrating the New Year and they buy gifts for their children, but I think what can I do? I remember my writing group. Yes, I can share my voice to celebrate the New Year.I wish the New Year of 2016 brings peace for all countries all around the world. May almighty Allah bring peace and happiness not only in my former home but in the all countries around the world.  I wish a Happy New Year not only for my family, but for all people around the world.By Mariam

Source: Afghan Women’s Writing Project | A Wish for Peace, New Year 2016

CPJ: Two Thirds of 2015 Journalist Deaths were Acts of Reprisal

By Katherine Mackenzie
ROME, Jan 1 2016 (IPS)

Of the 69 journalists who died on the job in 2015, 40 per cent were killed by Islamic militant groups like Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Startlingly more than two-thirds were targeted for murder, according to a special report by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in its annual reprot that nine of those killings took place in France, second to Syria as the most dangerous country for the press in last year.

Globally 69 journalists were killed due to their vocation, including those slain for their reporting and those caught in crossfire or in conflict. The total for 2015 is higher than the 61 journalists killed in 2014.

The CPJ says it is investigating the deaths of a further 26 more journalists during the year to determine if they too were work-related.

In 2012, 2013, and 2014, those killed in Syria exceeded those than anywhere else in the world. But the fewer number this year dying on the job in Syria only means it is so dangerous that there are fewer journalists working there, said the report. Many international news agencies chose to withdraw staff anf local reporters were forced to flee, said the CPJ.

The report cited difficulties in researching cases in conflict including Libya, Yemen and Iraq. CPJ went on a research mission to Iraq last year investigating reports that some 35 journalists from the Mosul area had gone missing, were killed or being held by Islamic State.

The militant group has a grip on the city so the CPJ said it could only confirm the deaths of a few journalists. The committee’s report said it had received reports of dozens of other journalists killed but could not independently confirm the deaths or if indeed, journalism was the reason. It said several of these journalists are currently on CPJ’s missing list.

A mural for Avijit Roy in Dhaka, one of four bloggers murdered by extremists in Bangladesh this year. Credit: AP/A.M. Ahad

A mural for Avijit Roy in Dhaka, one of four bloggers murdered by extremists in Bangladesh this year. Credit: AP/A.M. Ahad

The Charlie Hebdo massacre that took place in Paris last January was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Eight journalists at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were targeted.

Islamic State in October murdered two Syrian journalists living in exile in Turkey, Fares Hamadi and Ibrahim Abd al-Qader. Abd al-Qader was given CPJ’s 1015 International Press Freedom Award as he was an early member of Raqaa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a Syrian citizen journalist group.

“In Bangladesh, members of an Al-Qaeda affiliate or another local extremist group, Ansarullah Bangla Team, were suspected in the hacking or stabbing murders of a publisher and four bloggers, including U.S.-Bangladeshi writer Avijit Roy, who was attending a book fair when he was killed,”said the report.

The Taliban in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the shooting of Zaman Mehsud, president and secretary-general of the Tribal Union of Journalists’ South Waziristan chapter and reporter for the Urdu-language Daily Ummat and Daily Nai Baat newspapers.

A security officer investigates the murder of Somali journalist Hindia Haji Mohamed, who was killed by a car bomb in December. Credit: AFP/Mohamed Abdiwahab

A security officer investigates the murder of Somali journalist Hindia Haji Mohamed, who was killed by a car bomb in December. Credit: AFP/Mohamed Abdiwahab

In Somalia, Hindia Haji Mohamed, a journalist and the widow of another murdered journalist, was killed in December when a bomb blew up her car in an attack claimed by the Islamic militant group al-Shabaab.

Governments around the world were jailing at least 110 journalists on anti-state charges. This is out of 199 total jailed, according to CPJ’s most recent annual prison census.—It shows how the press is being cornered and targeted by terrorists and also squeezed by the squeezed by authorities saying there were committed to fighting terror as well, it said.

More than two thirds of the journalists killed in 2015 were targeted and murdered as a direct result of their work.

The report said about one third of journalists’ deaths worldwide were carried out by criminal groups, government officials, or local residents who were, in most cases, drug traffickers or those involved in organized crime. They included Brazilian Gleydson Carvalho, shot dead by two men while he was presenting his afternoon radio show. He was often critical of politicians and police Brazil had six killings last year, the highest since CPJ began keeping records in 1992.

But Brazilian judicial authorities have made headway in combating impunity by getting six convictions in murder cases in the last two years, said the report.

South Sudan registered for the first time on CPJ’s index of slain journalists when unidentified gunmen attacked an official convoy killing five journalists traveling with a county official. The motive is still unknown but there have been various accusations. Some say this could have been the result of the power struggle between former Vice President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir which set off the civil war in 2013.

The murders of the five landed South Sudan on CPJ’s Global Impunity Index, which highlights countries where journalists are murdered and there is no one held responsible so their killers go free.

South Sudan, Poland and Ghana appeared on CPJ’s killed database for the first time. In Poland, Łukasz Masiak, was fatally assaulted in a bowling alley after telling colleagues he feared for his life. He was the founder and editor of a news website and reported on crime and drugs and pollution. In Ghana, radio reporter George Abanga, was shot dead on his way back from covering a cocoa farmers dispute.

CPJ cites these trends from its research:

• Seventeen journalists worldwide were killed in combat or crossfire. Five were killed on a dangerous assignment.
• At least 28 of the 47 murder victims received threats before they were killed.
• Broadcast reporting was the most dangerous job, with 25 killed. Twenty-nine victims worked online.
• The most common type of reporting by victims was politics, followed by war and human rights.

CPJ, in 1992, began compiling detailed records on all journalist deaths. If motives in a killing are unclear, it is possible that a journalist died in relation to his or her work and CPJ classifies the case as “unconfirmed” and continues to investigate. CPJ said its list does not include journalists who died of illness or natural causes or were killed in car or plane accidents unless the crash considered hostile action.

(End)