south africa

UN rights body adopts first resolution to protect rights of intersex people

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UN rights body adopts first resolution to protect rights of intersex people

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to protect the rights of intersex people, with 24 countries voting in favor and none against. Experts say 1.7% of babies are born intersex, and the resolution aims to combat discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against them. The resolution also calls for a report on discriminatory laws and policies. This initiative is seen as a landmark advancement in human rights.

Deaf dreams to digital realities

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Deaf dreams to digital realities

Fact: Two brothers, George Geratziotis and Dr Alexandros Geratziotis, developed an app called Connect Deaf to bridge the communication gap for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

World Court orders Israel to halt Gaza famine; Hamas says ceasefire needed

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World Court orders Israel to halt Gaza famine; Hamas says ceasefire needed

The World Court ordered Israel to ensure basic food supplies to Gaza’s Palestinian population and halt spreading famine.

‘Adopt a penguin egg’ Easter campaign helps endangered African birds [PHOTOS]

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‘Adopt a penguin egg’ Easter campaign helps endangered African birds [PHOTOS]

– A South African conservation group, SANCCOB, is incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were previously rescued from two colonies.
– The African penguin population has decreased to less than 10,000 breeding pairs in 2024, with extinction projected by 2035.
– The main threat to the penguins is commercial fishing, which has depleted their food sources of sardines and anchovies.
– SANCCOB is soliciting donations to help cover the costs of incubating and raising the penguin eggs until they can be released back into the wild.

Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

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Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

Achilleas Demetriades, a human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate in Cyprus, proposed converting the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) into a truth commission during a meeting in the UK parliament. His proposal aims to enable the CMP to investigate the circumstances and cause of death of missing persons, beyond its current function of locating and disinterring missing individuals. Demetriades suggests amending the CMP’s terms of reference to allow investigations into how 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots disappeared. He argues for statutory immunity from prosecution for those providing information to the commission, noting that current guarantees might not suffice for the broader scope of a truth commission. Transitional justice processes like truth commissions, exemplified by South Africa’s Truth Commission established in 1995, are highlighted as effective in overcoming conflict and promoting reconciliation. The article also mentions the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy to Cyprus, Maria Holguin, and the potential for establishing a truth commission in Cyprus, with support from the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, emphasizing the importance of truth for reconciliation and preventing the repetition of conflicts.

Focus on Cyprus on Against Racism Day

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Focus on Cyprus on Against Racism Day

Human rights commissioner Maria Stylianou-Lottides emphasized that combating racism and promoting equality and mutual respect are collective responsibilities. She highlighted the importance of International Day Against Racism and Discrimination, observed on March 21, as a reminder for states to combat racism and xenophobia. Lottides mentioned the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’ 2023 report “Being Black in the EU,” which indicates that people of African descent still face racism, discrimination, and hate crimes despite anti-discrimination laws in the EU. She also noted that racist incidents and xenophobic rhetoric have worsened in Cyprus, partly due to an increase in asylum seekers and economic difficulties. Examples of such incidents include a video from July 2022 showing a violent attack on an African woman with a baby, attacks against foreign food delivery drivers in Nicosia, and recent incidents in Chloraka and Limassol. Lottides called for prompt and decisive intervention by authorities to address racism effectively.

The story behind first Cyprus production on Netflix

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The story behind first Cyprus production on Netflix

– Cypriot filmmaker Stelana Kliris sold the rights of her romantic comedy “Find Me Falling” to Netflix, set to premiere on July 19.
– Stelana Kliris began her film career in 2004 and has worked on various projects including romantic comedies and social dramas.
– She founded her own company, Meraki Films, and utilized her experiences to produce “Find Me Falling.”
– The film was completed in 2023 and sold to Netflix after a private screening for distributors.
– The original title of the film was “The Islander,” but Netflix changed it to “Find Me Falling.”
– The film was inspired by an article about a kind man living near a ‘suicide hotspot’ in Sydney.
– “Find Me Falling” was shot over six weeks in May/June 2022 in Peyia and Nicosia, Cyprus.
– The main cast includes Agni Scott, Ali Fumiko Whitney, and Harry Connick, Jr.
– The film received funding from the deputy ministry of culture and was the first to utilize both the national fund and the Cyprus Film Commission’s cash rebate.
– Stelana Kliris is preparing her next feature “Apart from Her” and developing other projects.

Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel

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Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel

– Almost 9,000 people, including artists, curators, and museum directors, have signed an online appeal for Israel’s exclusion from the Venice Biennale art fair, accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.
– The appeal was triggered by Israel’s offensive in Gaza following an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
– The Hamas raids resulted in 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages, as per Israeli reports, while Israeli actions in Gaza have led to nearly 30,000 deaths and the displacement of most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, according to Palestinian health officials.
– Israel denies the accusations of genocide.
– The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) collective made the statement, comparing the situation to past exclusions of South Africa and Russia from the Venice Biennale.
– Notable signatories of the appeal include Faisal Saleh, Nan Goldin, and Jesse Darling.
– The Venice Biennale, titled “Foreigners Everywhere”, is set to feature pavilions from 90 countries from Apr. 20-Nov. 24.

More than 6 million took to the stress to protest Iraq war in 2003

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More than 6 million took to the stress to protest Iraq war in 2003

On February 15, some major events occurred including an assassination attempt on U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, Canada adopting the Red Maple Leaf as its flag in 1965, Britain adopting decimal currency in 1971, the execution of Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo in 1994, the blowing up of a historic railway viaduct in Germany in 1997, a wave of peace protests against the war in Iraq in 2003, the execution of Chinese serial killer Yang Xinhai in 2004, the display of the most expensive Hot Wheels car in New York in 2008, a fire in a Honduran prison in 2012, a possible meteor shower over Russia in 2013, and Cyril Ramaphosa being sworn in as South Africa’s president in 2018.