World

Christmas Island Detention Center Set to Open

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Australia is set to open a controversial new detention center for asylum seekers, on an island off the coast of Indonesia, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The country’s center-left Labor government has so far been unwilling to use the much-criticized complex on Christmas Island, which it inherited from the previous administration. Yet a recent influx of more 135 refugee boats has changed all that, and immigration officials have confirmed the opening of the multi-million-dollar facility, which can hold hundreds of people. Immigration opponents say the mandatory detention policy is fair for people who arrive by boat without entry visas, but refugee workers and politicians have called the complex “bleak” and “forbidding.” The government said that women, children and family groups would not be held there.

Environment

Africa: Power from the Rift

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East Africa’s Rift Valley may be a huge source of geothermal power, and could transform a continent where two billion people have no access to electricity. SciDev.Net of London reports that pilot drilling in Kenya showed that geothermal energy, which is generated from steam from underground water heated by the Earth’s interior, could be a viable and economic source of power for several African countries. Heading up the project is the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility, which said if the technology is implemented properly, various geothermal sites in the region could produce at least 4,000 megawatts of electricity. The Rift Valley spans several countries, including Kenya, Mozambique and Djibouti. If investment plans are successful, the project will expand to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania.

Democracy & Civics

Kenya: Protesting Reporters Arrested

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Seven journalists were arrested in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last week, where they had joined activists gathered to protest against a controversial new media bill. The Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation said the Kenya Communications Bill, which recently passed in parliament, gives the government the power to raid media centers, confiscate broadcast equipment and shut down all media during national emergencies. Police broke up the peaceful protest outside the Nyayo Stadium, where President Mwai Kibaki was scheduled to lead celebrations marking Kenya’s 45th year of independence. The media bill, described by Reporters Without Borders as “draconian,” also allows Kenya’s information minister to control what, when and how media broadcasts can occur. Nairobi’s police say the protesters had gathered without giving them adequate warning, and were arrested for wearing T-shirts with slogans critical of the government, according to Agence France-Presse.

Democracy & Civics

No Joy in Malawi Radio Closure

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Malawi has closed an independent radio station said to be lauded for its contribution to free speech and civic information. The Nyasa Times reports that the Joy FM radio station is accused of violating a federal law that prohibits broadcast licenses from being issued to any entity “which is of a party-political nature.” Although the newspaper claims that Joy FM lacks any party affiliation, a report in Malawi’s Daily Times newspaper notes that the station’s holding company, Atupele Properties, is owned by former President Bakili Muluzi and his wife. Although the Nyasa Times hailed Joy FM for exposing government corruption, failed policy and rights abuses, comments on the newspaper’s Web site questioned that claim, said other stations had greater credibility, and that political conflict between the current and former presidents was the real issue. Malawi’s private media sector is considered by many to be a valuable government watchdog.

Democracy & Civics

An American University in Iraq

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Around 150 miles north of Baghdad, the year-old American University of Iraq-Sulaimani is beginning to transform Iraq’s educational landscape by introducing its students to Western-style learning. Jane Arraf, writing for the Christian Science Monitor, said the 256 students, most of them undergraduate, are encouraged to debate, think freely and question critically, instead of sitting quietly and being lectured to. Officials and investors of the private school hope the students will become the educated, politically astute leaders the country will need throughout its reconstruction. Many of the students have never used a computer or written essays, the Monitor said. The school’s curriculum currently highlights topics that will have immediate practical consequences for Iraq’s economy and political stability.

World

Betrayal in Estonia? NATO Claims a Russian Spy

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A former Estonian defense official has been arrested for allegedly selling NATO and European Union secrets to Russia, reports Der Spiegel. Herman Simm, the accused official, has been under surveillance for months and was arrested in September, although news of the arrest is only just becoming public knowledge. Upon Estonia’s acceptance into the EU in 2004, Simm was responsible for setting up and running a system to handle the country’s classified information, including top-secret documents from NATO allies, information about Russia’s war in Georgia, and the controversial U.S. missile defense program. State officials believe the KGB recruited Simm in the 80s, before the collapse of the Soviet Union. NATO and EU officials are investigating the extent of the alleged betrayal.

Democracy & Civics

Gallows May See New Traffic in Jamaica

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Jamaica’s parliament voted this week to keep the death penalty, turning aside an attempt to ban capital punishment in the island nation. Although capital punishment — hanging, specifically — is currently legal in Jamaica, no executions have occurred for almost 20 years. The Jamaica Gleaner said members have been debating the issue for several weeks. Opponents such as Minister of State Andrew Gallimore say there is no proof the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent. “The fact of the matter is that hanging people five, six or eight years from now is not going to stop murder from happening again,” he said.

Democracy & Civics

Abortion Stirs Passions in Jamaica

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A committee of Jamaica’s Parliament is hearing both protest and advocacy around abortion. Although an advisory panel convened by former Health Minister John Junor called for legalization to lower the rate of maternal deaths, one doctor denounced the move as creating a “license to kill.” Currently, Jamaicans who aid or abet an abortion can receive a life sentence in prison; a reformist measure would provide medical training and facilities, as well as abortion counseling and education. The World Health Organization estimates that non-professionals perform 35 illegal abortions per 1,000 Jamaican women annually. In May, The Ministry of Health and Environment launched a campaign to reduce the maternal mortality rate by 75 percent births by 2015 — however, critics said there was no such data to warrant the group’s suggestions.

Democracy & Civics

Spain's Mass Graves Closed for Now

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A Spanish judge who pledged to investigate the deaths of thousands during the Spain Civil War and the Franco regime conceded mass grave exhumation to regional courts after pressure from Spanish conservatives. The Times of London reports that Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the exhumation of 25 mass graves across Spain thought to hold over 114,000 people who disappeared throughout General Franco’s 36-year dictatorship. In addition to the remains of Spain’s most famous poet, Garzon hoped to identify the bodies of union members and Franco’s left-leaning opponents at the behest of family members. Garzon alleged that tens of thousands of people were killed on orders from 44 high-ranking regime leaders and Franco himself, accusing them of crimes against humanity
Opposition to Garzon’s move came from members of the conservative Popular Party, the Catholic Church, and the public prosecutor’s office, which said a federal investigation would violate a 1977 national amnesty agreement. Other objectors stated the prosecution of 70-year-old crimes was a needless reopening of past scars.

Democracy & Civics

Lip-Syncing the Cultural Revolution

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China’s Ministry of Culture announced it may punish individuals, groups and organizers who lip-sync or pretend to play an instrument in live commercial performances. The ministry’s website noted that those who attempt to “cheat the public” would be punished, though specific penalties were not listed. According to Agence France-Presse, the “semi-official” China News Service suggested that first-time offenders would be publicly exposed. The Guardian reports that professional performers could have their business licenses revoked for multiple offenses in a two-year period. A ministry representative said officials plan to consult the public before settling on final details.