Dunya TV
Dunya TV |
- 'Thank the aliens': Thousands displaced for China's huge telescope
- Iraqis chase IS jihadists in Mosul with local help
- Syria regime shelling kills 21 civilians in east Aleppo: monitor
- UN Security Council hits N Korea with toughest ever sanctions
- Myanmar's Suu Kyi vows 'reconciliation' amid Rohingya crisis
- Seven dead in southeast US wildfires: media
- Karachi: 7 accused arrested in police operation
- US congratulates Gen Bajwa on appointment as COAS
- Govt makes new formula to finish the load-shedding
- Murder cases surge with rise in crime rate in Lahore
- Murad Ali Shah says there is room for improvement in Sindh
- 8th anniversary of Dunya News celebrated in UK, Sri Lanka
- Cavani helps PSG win to keep them one point away from top spot
- US Supreme Court reviews long term detention for immigrants
- Manchester United reach semifinals of the EFL Cup
| 'Thank the aliens': Thousands displaced for China's huge telescope Posted: PINGTANG (AFP) - Humanitys best bet at detecting aliens is a giant silver Chinese dish the size of 30 football fields -- one that simultaneously showcases Beijings abilities to deploy cutting-edge technologies and ignore objectors rights as it seeks global prominence.The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in the countrys southwest, which began operations in September and cost 1.2 billion yuan ($180 million) to build, is the worlds largest radio telescope. Once fully operational, FAST will be able to peer deeper into space than ever before, examining pulsars, dark matter and gravitational waves -- and searching for signs of life.Authorities also hope it will bring tourist dollars to the province of Guizhou, one of Chinas poorest regions.But it comes at the cost of forcibly displacing about 9,000 villagers who called the site in Pingtang county their home.Many were outraged at being forced to leave the valley surrounded by forested karst hills and hundreds of families are now suing the government, with some cases being heard this week.Octogenarian Han Jingfu drank pesticide days after being made to sign a relocation contract and died at his front door, neighbours and relatives said. China built FAST as part of efforts to take on international rivals and raise its embarrassingly low tally of Nobel Prizes, explained Peng Bo, director of Chinas National Astronomical Observatories, which oversees the telescope.The 500-metre-wide (1,640 feet) dish dwarfs its nearest competitor, the USs Puerto Rico-based Arecibo telescope, which is only 305 metres across. We said we had to be a little more daring, because we had to surpass the US no matter what, Peng said.I think we can get a few Nobel prizes out of it. We as Chinese people really want to win them.The worlds most populous country and second-largest economy has so far only won one scientific Nobel, awarded last year to chemist Tu Youyou for medicine.FASTs receivers are more sensitive than any previous radio telescope, and its pioneering technology can change the shape of the dish to track celestial objects as the Earth rotates.It could catalogue as many pulsars in a year as had been found in the past 50, Peng said.But he acknowledged that FAST will be overtaken by the larger Square Kilometre Array telescope in South Africa and Australia, which will be built over the next decade.FAST needs a five kilometre-wide (three miles) radio silence buffer zone around it with electronics banned in order to reduce interference with the skys much fainter frequencies.Relocated residents would enjoy better living standards, the official Xinhua news agency said when the dish was completed in July. Villagers in nearby communities admired their luck, saying they should thank the aliens, it added.But locals allege land grabs without compensation, forced demolitions and unlawful detentions, and up to 500 families are suing the Pingtang county government.Lu Zhenglong, whose case was heard Tuesday, said officials demolished his house without warning or consent when he was not even present, burying his furniture.What would have happened if I had been inside? he told AFP, adding that authorities had pushed ordinary people into a corner. Its really unbelievable.A neighbour also surnamed Lu said: Theyve chased us all off to some wasteland and ordered us to live there with no way to maintain our old standards of living. For 90 percent of us, basic survival is a problem.The rubble of their homes now lies under soil and new saplings in a tourist park just outside the radio silence zone, with a museum, a space-themed hotel and visitor reception facilities which will sell tickets for nearly $100 each.According to the Pingtang county government website, the park was aimed at high-end people from developed cities and cost over 1.5 billion yuan -- more than the telescope itself.Meng Xiujun, whose Elites Law Firm in the southern city of Guangzhou is handling most of the cases, said officials tried to intimidate him, telling him he should see the bigger picture for a key national project.But he told AFP: This isnt just a matter of economic interests -- once you start asking average citizens to kneel down or beat them, it becomes about human rights and problems with Chinas rule of law.The Pingtang county government did not respond to requests for comment by AFP.Andreas Wicenec, head of data intensive astronomy at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia, said that FAST had world class potential and its engineering was absolutely a marvel.Unusually, the FAST programme was remarkably, extremely open to outside collaboration, he said. It was not clear how many tourists have visited the park since it opened -- almost none were present when AFP visited recently.But authorities have high hopes.Along the roadside, government-sponsored billboards emblazoned with the dish declared: Rapidly build a unique astronomy tourism site based on Chinas eye to the sky.  |
| Iraqis chase IS jihadists in Mosul with local help Posted: MOSUL (AFP) - Lieutenant Ali Hussein listened intently as the elderly man explained where he thought the jihadist fighters were over the rattle of machinegun fire.My neighbour shouted to me and told me he saw them, the white-haired man said. The three jihadists were still thought to be in a nearby house.Iraqi special forces were battling Wednesday to clear the Al-Bakr neighbourhood of Mosul as they thrust deeper into territory controlled by the Islamic State group.Despite fighting their way into the district the day before, pockets of IS fighters were still putting up resistance.Shots echoed down the residential street where the Iraqi forces were based and the smouldering wreckage of an armoured yellow truck bomb still packed with undetonated explosives stood at the corner of the block.Hussein immediately turned to his troops and ordered them to follow the mans lead.Take bazookas and flamethrowers with you, he said.Be careful, he told them over the walkie-talkie as they disappeared down the street. God bless youA few minutes later the call came back that the house was empty.As the Iraqi forces have pushed into Mosul many residents have stayed behind -- either taking a conscious decision to remain or unable to run the gauntlet to leave.While the large numbers of civilians has hampered the use of air power against IS their presence has its upside for the Iraqi forces -- they provide valuable intelligence tip-offs on the ground.It is very important. It happens every time we liberate a district, Hussein told AFP.The most important thing about it is that there are sleeper cells of jihadists whose whereabouts the locals can reveal.Hussein said that the special forces were also building up a network of informants to supply information on IS movements in areas that they are yet to capture.When we enter a district we have informants. They contact their relatives in other districts so they become new informants for us when we enter those districts, he said.As explosions rang out nearby some soldiers from the Najaf regiment that Hussein commands took shelter in a nearby civilian house where the family cut down oranges from a tree in the garden and offered them around.Standing in the gateway of the house Amer Ali, 66, said residents were often all too happy to help the advancing Iraqi troops.Weve been waiting for them with all our heart, Ali said. We were in a big prison for two years.Ali said that in the area around there were not many jihadists and that most withdrew ahead of the Iraqi armys entrance into the district.But the elite Counter-Terrorism Service was taking no chances and commander Hussein told his men to go door-to-door through every house around.  |
| Syria regime shelling kills 21 civilians in east Aleppo: monitor Posted: BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian government artillery fire killed 21 civilians, including two children, in an eastern district of Aleppo early Wednesday, a monitoring group said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least eight of those killed were civilians who had fled from elsewhere in the east as government forces advance, and sought refuge in rebel-held Jubb al-Qubbeh.The Britain-based monitor said dozens more were wounded in the fierce shelling, and many people were stuck under the rubble of collapsed buildings.Tens of thousands of people have poured out of the rebel-held northeast in recent days, with some crossing into territory held by either the government or Kurdish forces, but others moving south into remaining rebel-held territory.The White Helmets rescue group published photos of the aftermath of the attacks, showing an apocalyptic scene with bodies and parts of flesh strewn on a street among the rubble of surrounding buildings.In one image, a young man appeared to weep next to two bodies, their top halves obscured by blankets.The feet of one body were clad in pink socks, the other wore red boots done up with white laces.Suitcases and plastic bags were strewn among the bodies, which the White Helmet workers carefully transferred into orange body bags.Some of the displaced have been sleeping in streets after arriving in remaining rebel-held territory, with others seeking refuge in abandoned buildings left behind by earlier waves of fleeing residents.East Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the conflict that began in March 2011 with anti-government protests before spiralling into a civil war after a regime crackdown.The government announced in September that it planned to retake all of the city, and on November 15 launched a new operation, pounding the east with air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire.The operation has killed nearly 300 civilians in east Aleppo, including more than 30 children, the Observatory has said.Rebels have also fired rockets into western Aleppo, killing nearly 50 people since the latest assault began, according to the monitor.Syrian state news agency SANA on Wednesday said that eight civilians including two children had been killed in rebel rocket fire on the west of the city. Another seven people were wounded, the agency said, citing a police source in Aleppo. Government forces now hold at least a third of eastern Aleppo, and are pressing ahead with an assault that could deal rebels their worst blow since the conflict began.More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Syrias conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests calling for Assads ouster.  |
| UN Security Council hits N Korea with toughest ever sanctions Posted: UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously imposed its toughest ever sanctions on North Korea, placing a cap on its key coal exports after the states defiant nuclear tests.The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.The resolution demands that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and takes aim at the states exports of coal -- its top external revenue source.Under the resolution, North Korea will be restricted from exporting beyond 7.5 million tons of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 percent from 2015.Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700 million in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.Power, speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, called the resolution the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation.So long as the DPRK makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat, said Power, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations, said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.Ban said he was still committed to sincere dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.China is North Koreas primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Uns regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the neighboring states defiance.Chinas UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing strongly opposes the North Korean nuclear tests -- but also made a veiled criticism of joint exercises between the United States and South Korea.Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation, he said at the Council. This situation must be changed as soon as possible, he said.The UN Security Council resolution condemns in the strongest terms North Koreas test on September 9 -- the communist states second just this year.Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturized warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.North Korea insists that its nuclear weapons are a deterrent to US aggression and has brushed aside earlier sanctions, which have notably targeted its weapons exports and access to financial markets.In addition to coal, the Security Council banned North Korea from exporting certain metals including copper, silver, zinc and nickel that bring in an estimated $100 million a year, as well as statues and helicopters.The Security Council also added 10 companies and 11 individuals, including the former North Korean ambassadors to Egypt and Myanmar, to a blacklist under which their travel is restricted and assets frozen due to their alleged role in Pyongyangs military programs.The outgoing US administration of President Barack Obama has generally favored dialogue over conflict but has taken a tough line on North Korea after Pyongyang rebuffed early overtures.Power said that the latest resolution was groundbreaking in that it also took North Korea to task for its human rights violations.In another rare clause, the resolution threatens North Korea with some losses of diplomatic rights at the United Nations if it violates resolutions.  |
| Myanmar's Suu Kyi vows 'reconciliation' amid Rohingya crisis Posted: SINGAPORE (AFP) - Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed on Wednesday to work for peace and national reconciliation amid mounting international condemnation of a bloody army crackdown on her countrys Muslim Rohingya minority.The Nobel Peace Prize winner did not mention the violence in Rakhine state, but told a business forum in Singapore that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment.Suu Kyi started a three-day visit to wealthy Singapore, the largest foreign investor in Myanmar after China, as international pressure mounted on her government to address the Rohingya crisis.Crowds of Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting terrorists behind deadly raids on police border posts last month.Thousands also fled into China this month after clashes broke out between the army and ethnic rebels in northern Shan state, home to one of the many decades-old insurgencies rumbling in Myanmars borderlands.As you know, we have many challenges. Were a country made of many ethnic communities, and we have to work at achieving stability and rule of law which you in Singapore take pride in, the 71-year-old leader said.Businesses do not wish to invest in countries which are not stable. We do not wish to be unstable but weve had a long history of disunity in our nation. So national reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for us, she said.Criticism of Buddhist-dominated Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya has been intense in Muslim-majority neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority country, after Singapore but postponed the trip in the face of public protests and a thwarted bomb plot against the Myanmar embassy.A senior cabinet minister in Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin, on Wednesday called for a review of Myanmars membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because of what he called its large-scale ethnic cleansing in Rakhine.Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally at the weekend to protest the crackdown on Rohingyas, an official from his office said Tuesday, as the United Nations rights agency reiterated its claim the stateless minority may be victims of crimes against humanity.An estimated 30,000 people have fled their homes in Rakhine and analysis of satellite images by campaign group Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.Suu Kyi led her party to victory in elections last year but, barred from becoming president by a junta-era constitution, instead holds a specially created post of state counsellor.She appointed fellow Nobel laureate, former UN chief Kofi Annan, to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides in impoverished Rakhine.Annan began a week-long trip to Myanmar on Tuesday.  |
| Seven dead in southeast US wildfires: media Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - Seven people have died in the US southeast as wildfires blazed across a mountainous tourist region, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying or damaging hundreds of structures, US media reported Wednesday.High winds and parched vegetation caused by the worst drought in nearly a decade provided fuel for the fires that burned in the eastern part of Tennessee, threatening two tourist resort towns.The seven dead have not been identified, however, the authorities said three were found in a home, a fourth in a burned-out hotel and three more in the same neighborhood, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. Forty-five people had been treated at an area hospital, officials said.The fires burned to the doorstep of a well-known theme park, Dollywood, founded by country music legend Dolly Parton, located in the touristic hamlet of Pigeon Forge.The towns authorities have lifted a mandatory evacuation, while the restriction remains in place for nearby Gatlinburg, a city seven miles (11 kilometers) southeast, which serves as a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The towns are both located in Sevier County, whose mayor, Larry Waters, said on Wednesday afternoon that 700 homes and businesses have been burned this week, the News Sentinel said.Of those, 300 buildings were inside Gatlinburgs city limits.More than 14,000 of the citys residents and visitors were believed to have been evacuated from the Gatlinburg alone, officials reported Tuesday.I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken, Parton, 70, said Tuesday. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe.Dollywood will remain closed until 2:00 pm (1900 GMT) Friday, while the Great Smoky Mountains -- the most visited national park in the United States -- said it had closed all park facilities and many trails.Twenty-six active fires have burned nearly 12,000 acres (4,855 hectares) across the state, Tennessees Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday.A temporary flight restriction remains in effect in the area and numerous roads are closed or blocked by fallen trees and power lines, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.Meanwhile, at least eight counties experienced severe weather overnight, including tornado touchdowns. The storm systems killed at least two, the agency said.  |
| Karachi: 7 accused arrested in police operation Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News) - Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as seven more accused were taken into custody by police during operations in different parts of the city, Dunya News reported.According to details, police arrested two accused in injured condition after an encounter in Buffer Zone Sector-16 area. Police have also recovered two TT pistols from the arrested accused. Separately, police have recovered a dead body from a house in New Karachi Sector 11-E.Police also conducted an operation in Pak Colony area and apprehended two gang war accused. On the other hand, police conducted a raid in Sarjani Town area and arrested two street criminals named Mauman and Zubair. Police sources said that a stolen motorcycle and arms were also recovered from them. Another accused involved in street crime was arrested from Madina Colony.  |
| US congratulates Gen Bajwa on appointment as COAS Posted: WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Mark Toner, while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Wednesday said that the United States welcome and congratulate General Qamar Javed Bajwa on his appointment as Pakistan Army Chief. Answering a question, Mark Toner said that US maintains a close cooperation with Pakistan in counter-terrorism operations.“With respect to our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan, that’s ongoing. We work with them quite closely. They’re aware of some of our concerns, which include a safe haven for some terrorist groups that are active in the region,” Toner said.Mark Toner further said that Pakistan has also paid the price of terrorism and added that it is in Pakistan’s interests to crack down on any terrorist group that may be finding safe haven within its borders.  |
| Govt makes new formula to finish the load-shedding Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Government has made a new strategy, plan to finish the load-shedding as advanced metering and infrastructure would be used, reported Dunya News.In first phase, 1 million AMI metres would be set up, which is a technology which would eradicate the electricity theft and also the load-shedding. This technology would lessen the load of electricity at the place.Apart of new metres, there would be a device to deliver the messages if there will be less electricity. If someone would not submit the bill on time, control room would finish their connection.The work on advance metering and infrastructure would start from 15 December and it would take years to complete. 17 billion dollars would be spent on the project and funds would be provided by Asian Development Bank.  |
| Murder cases surge with rise in crime rate in Lahore Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) – Target killing incidents in Lahore increased twofold as compared to Karachi in the month of November. At least two murder cases were reported everyday in Lahore in November. According to details, at least 419 people were murdered in Lahore in the 11 months of 2016. Sources revealed that 27 people were killed in the month of January, 33 in February, 31 in March, 29 in April and 40 people were murdered in the month of May.Sources further informed that 52 people were killed in the month of June, 27 in July, 44 in August, 37 in October and 40 people were killed in October. The highest number of murder cases was reported in the month of November in which 59 people were killed.The residents of Lahore are of the view that concrete measures are needed to check the alarming increase in crime rate in the city.  |
| Murad Ali Shah says there is room for improvement in Sindh Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) - Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah admitted that there are flaws in Sindh but things are improving and getting better, reported Dunya News.Murad Ali Shah was talking to Kamran Shahid in program One The Front as he was asked about the condition of schools in Sindh and Pakistan Peoples Partys (PPP) stronghold Larkana. Kamran Shahid pointed out that condition of roads of Larkana is poor and teachers in schools of interior Sindh are not qualified enough to be in that position.Murad Ali Shah said that he partly agrees and he is doing efforts to make things better. He said that recruitments were done before their time and there are too many schools so there are not enough teachers for them.The CM also said that they are getting funds from World Bank and they are being monitored by them, which shows that they are doing best efforts for education in the province.Murad Ali Shah talked about Larkana that they have work done to improve drainage and sanitation system in Larkana and plans were not up to the mark previously but now they are making sure that things get better. He also defended the health facilities in the province.He defended Bilawal Bhutto Zardari by saying that he is a born leader and people love, support him. He said that people are voting for them because they are doing work for the public.Watch the video here:  |
| 8th anniversary of Dunya News celebrated in UK, Sri Lanka Posted: LONDON (Dunya News) – The 8th anniversary of Dunya News was also celebrated London. Cake was also cut to mark the event in a colourful ceremony which was attended by federal commissioner for overseas Pakistanis, Zubair Gul and other dignitaries of Pakistani community. Speaking on the occasion, Zubair Gul said that Dunya News is highlighting Pakistans positive image across Europe including the UK. The members of Pakistani community appreciated the efforts and journalistic values of Dunya News.Dunya News anniversary was also celebrated in Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Cake was also cut in a function arranged in this regard. A large number of Pakistani community living in Colombo attended the function.  |
| Cavani helps PSG win to keep them one point away from top spot Posted: PARIS, Nov 30, 2016 (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain hotshot Edinson Cavani bagged his 100th goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Angers on Wednesday to keep the reigning Ligue 1 champions on the heels of leaders Nice.Cavani scored from the spot, adding to Thiago Silvas opener to round off a win for the Parisians, who trail Nice by a solitary point after the Cote dAzure table-toppers handed Guingamp a first home defeat.Uruguayan Cavanis big moment came after Hatem Ben Arfa strode forward on a mazy run only to be brought down by Romain Thomas.The goal machine, having made it 19 goals in 18 matches so far this season, promptly earned a booking for taking off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt slogan paying homage to Brazilian side Chapecoense, the club decimated by an aircrash in Colombia.Cavani joined PSG from Napoli in 2013 for a French record fee of 64 million euros ($67.8m) and now is the clubs fourth top goalscorer -- now just one adrift of Dominique Rocheteau.Out in front with 156 is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for Manchester United last summer.Moroccan Younes Belhanda bagged the only goal for Nice, this seasons surprise package, in the fifth minute with a sumptuous strike from the edge of the box.Nice won in the absence of the injured Mario Balotelli, who has a calf problem.The southerners badly missed Balotelli in their weekend draw with Bastia but on loan Dynamo Kiev star Belhandas effort was enough to drag them over the line, to the relief of coach Lucien Favre.We knew it would be tough to take the points here, said Favre.Having got the first goal we didnt manage to get to 2-0. If you dont then you have to hold on to what you have -- and we did that.Everyone must pull together. There is a fine margin between success and failure.Nice will meet PSG just before the Christmas break and Favre said that encounter would be crucial -- albeit they are not looking that far ahead.If we take the three points in that one then all well and good. (But) beforehand we have Toulouse, who are a tough opponent. May I remind you they are the only side to have beaten both Paris SG and Monaco, so that will be a big match.Monaco, through at the expense of Tottenham to the last 16 of the Champions League, are third, three points off the pace, following their 1-1 draw Tuesday at Dijon.Lyon stormed into fourth place albeit eight points behind Monaco, with a crushing 6-0 win at hapless Nantes, the eight-times champions, who suffered their worst top flight home reverse.Nantes are second bottom and staring the droip in the face after an eighth league defeat in 15 games left only Lorient below them.Nantes coach Rene Girard is hanging onto his job after the Canaries were outclassed with Lyon scoring at will through Corentin Tolisso, an Alex Lacazette penalty, Maxime Gonalons, Mathieu Valbuena, Mouctar Diakhaby and Nabil Fekir.Marseille stay in midtable after a goalless draw at Saint Etienne in a battle of fallen giants while Bordeaux drew 1-1 at Bastaia, enough to stay in fifth spot ahead of Rennes on goal difference.  |
| US Supreme Court reviews long term detention for immigrants Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments about whether the authorities have the right to force thousands of legal immigrants to endure months or even years of detention without a hearing.The issue has taken on special significance following the presidential election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and ramp up deportations when he takes office in January.The case concerns a class action lawsuit filed by Alejandro Rodriguez and several other immigrants, and supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leading civil rights group.Rodriguez arrived from Mexico as a child, attained legal permanent resident status and worked as a dental assistant.After he was convicted for driving a stolen car and arrested for drug possession, the authorities sought to deport him.He spent three years behind bars before ultimately prevailing in his fight to remain in the country.Millions of legal immigrants like him are under threat of being deported even for minor offenses -- or detained indefinitely if they contest expulsion orders.Another category of immigrants under Supreme Court review Wednesday are those who have sought asylum in the United States claiming fear of prosecution in their home countries.The example of Ahilan Nadarajah is telling.Repeatedly tortured as a member of an ethnic minority in his homeland Sri Lanka, he sought asylum in the United States in 2001.The authorities detained him, and he remained behind bars for four years and five months as one release request after another was rejected. He eventually received American citizenship.What matters about this case is that youve got people who are fighting their deportation, who are being locked up without bond hearings, Judy Rabinovitz, a member of the ACLU legal team, told AFP.Many of them have strong challenges to removal and if they had a bond hearing they wouldnt be found to be a danger of flight risk.The eight justices currently on the nations highest court appeared receptive to the ACLUs arguments, criticizing the excessive lengths of detention imposed on immigrants.But they expressed doubts about an automatic introduction of a possible bond hearing after six months of detention.The governments representative defended the application of the law as it stands.Congress provided extensive, substantive and procedural protections for aliens whom the government wishes to remove, acting Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn argued.But at the same time, (it) addressed the real concerns about recidivism and flight risk by providing for mandatory detention during removal proceedings for certain categories of criminal aliens and aliens arriving at our shores.With cases averaging a reported 13 months, and conditions in detention centers facing criticism, the authorities have been under pressure to find a solution.Someone has to look at the detention and decide, is this a detention which remains reasonable? ACLU lawyer Ahilan Arulanantham said.Prolonged detention is often indistinguishable from penitentiary time: immigrants are forced to wear prison garb, they can be placed in handcuffs and are subjected to standard prison surveillance.They can even be placed in solitary confinement.Family visits are often conducted through glass panes or by video.One of my clients (a detained immigrant), her kids came to visit her and she was not allowed to touch them, no contact, Rabinovitz said.Donald Trump took a hard line against immigrants during his campaign, pledging to expel millions of undocumented immigrants.Despite current administrative decrees under President Barack Obama aimed at bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows, he will leave office having deported for more people than any of his predecessors.At least 2.4 million have been escorted to the border or sent back to their home countries through immigration orders over the past eight years.  |
| Manchester United reach semifinals of the EFL Cup Posted: MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial scored twice as Manchester United crushed West Ham United 4-1 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, while Arsenal were unexpectedly humbled by Southampton.United manager Jose Mourinho served a one-game touchline ban after his dismissal for kicking a water bottle during Sundays 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham, but his absence had no ill-effects.Ibrahimovic put United ahead in the second minute and although Ashley Fletcher equalised, Martials second-half brace restored the hosts control before the Swede added a fourth goal in added time.United, who have made their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1989, joined Southampton, 2-0 victors at the Emirates Stadium, Liverpool and Hull City in the draw for the semi-finals.The game at Old Trafford notably saw Bastian Schweinsteiger make his first appearance of the season for United as a late substitute.The former Germany captain has only recently returned to the first-team squad after being frozen out by Mourinho and received a huge ovation as he came on.West Ham had needed less than two minutes to take the lead in Sundays game, but on this occasion United were the early birds.Wayne Rooneys clever reverse pass picked out the advancing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the Armenians alert back-heel freed Ibrahimovic to lift the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.West Ham levelled in the 35th minute with a bolt from the blue as David de Gea spilled Dimitri Payets shot and former United youngster Fletcher tucked in his first senior goal in front of the Stretford End.Fortunately for United, they started the second half as sharply as they had attacked the first, a move down the right culminating in Mkhitaryan squaring for Martial to sweep home.  |
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