January 15, 2024

Islamabad’s first anti-rape crisis cell (ARCC) was established at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Monday to provide timely response and expedite justice for victims of sexual violence. The cell was set up by the ministries of health and law and justice with support from the UK government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Legal Aid Society. According to a press release issued by the law ministry, the inauguration of the ARCC came as a part of the implementation of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, which necessitated the establishment of anti-rape cells across districts to provide survivors with access to multiple services including the registration of first information reports (FIR), collection of evidence and a medical examination within six hours. “Survivors of sexual violence suffer tremendously from physical impacts emotional trauma and even social stigmatization. Therefore, confidential and quick medico-legal services must be available to help them receive justice and hope,” it said. “This ARCC will be helpful in addressing the critical issues of gender-based violence,” the press release quoted Raja Naeem Akbar, secretary of the law ministry, as saying. “We are working, through the Special Committee on Anti-Rape Law and National Commission on Rights of Child, with all provinces to ensure that similar Anti-Rape Crisis Cells are established and are fully functional across Pakistan to ensure timely and effective assistance to survivors of rape,” he added. Meanwhile, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani noted that the need for a 24/7 helpline or app was suggested as a means for survivors to access the services provided, particularly in light of the stigma attached to speaking up about rape. He also emphasised the need for self-defence training for girls in schools. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the chairperson for the Special Committee on Anti-Rape Law and National Commission on Rights of Child, stated that the government’s goal was to allow every citizen, especially women, to claim public spaces and travel on public routes without any fear of sexual violence. Separately, UNFPA representative Dr Luay Shabaneh termed rape “an ugly crime” and a crisis that warranted a “collective response”. “I hope this Anti-Rape Crises Cell will be the first building brick based on the Sexual Violence Response Framework and will be expanded throughout the country,” he said. Speaking at the inauguration, Pims Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikandar asserted that rape cases would be addressed through a holistic approach and with respect, care and confidentiality throughout the medical examination. According to a report published by Sahil — a non-profit organisation — last year, 12 children on average were subjected to sexual abuse every day in Pakistan from January to June 2023. It stated that in 2023, the total number of abuse victims was 2,227, of which more than half (54 per cent) were girls. The number of boys abused had risen to 1,020. Meanwhile, a policy brief released by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) on March 8, 2023, said that around 63,000 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) had been reported in Pakistan over the past three years. The NCHR, quoting Ministry of Human Rights data, said 80pc of these cases were related to domestic violence, while some 47pc pertained to domestic rape, wherein married women experienced sexual abuse. The data was based on reported cases; the actual number is feared to be much higher. Source:https://www.dawn.com/news/1806051/islamabads-first-anti-rape-crisis-cell-set-up-at-pims

A group of skydivers jumped from a hot air balloon floating over the Arizona desert just moments before it crash-landed Sunday, leaving four of its remaining passengers dead and another person critically injured, police announced. The “devastating incident” happened around 7:50 a.m. in Eloy, a city about 65 miles south of Phoenix, the local police department said in a news release. It came down in a desert area east of Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Road. The aircraft was carrying 13 adults – a balloon operator, four passengers and eight skydivers, according to Eloy Mayor Micah Powell. Shortly after all the skydivers completed their planned jump from the aircraft, “something catastrophic occurred with the balloon, causing it to crash to the ground,” said Eloy Police Chief Byron Gwaltney at a news conference. Though the exact cause of the crash is unknown, preliminary information suggests it occurred after the balloon had an “unspecified problem with its envelope,” said the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident. A witness on the ground told authorities that in the seconds leading up to the impact “the material of the hot air balloon was just straight up and down, and the impact was fairly, fairly large,” the mayor said. Hot air balloon crash (approximate) One person died on the scene and three other people died after being taken to a hospital, according to the mayor. The person who was critically injured was transported to a trauma center in Phoenix, he said. The family of Katie Bartrom, 28, identified her as one of the people who died in the incident. Bartrom was a registered nurse from Indiana who loved skydiving and adventure, her mother Jennifer Hubartt told CNN affiliate KNXV. Hubartt said her daughter had traveled from Indiana to Arizona with friends and that she was “really enjoying the experience and having fun and seeing a new place that she had never seen before.” Enter your email to sign up for CNN’s “Meanwhile in China” Newsletter. close dialog “It’s kind of somber here at home. We’re crying about her on and off and talking about her on and off still trying to make it real,” Hubartt told KNXV. “She was a beautiful person, she recently became an RN and was making it on her own.” Authorities in Arizona are not publicly releasing the names of the victims until families are notified, the Eloy Police Department said. The close-knit city has a “very large skydive community presence” and boasts a large “drop zone,” or area where skydivers can land, according to the mayor. NTSB investigators were at the scene Sunday night documenting the crash site and examining the aircraft, which will be brought to a secure facility for further analysis in the coming days, an agency spokesperson told CNN. The aircraft was an A-160 passenger balloon manufactured by Cameron Balloons, according to the NTSB. The model can carry a pilot and up to seven riders, the manufacturer’s website says. CNN has sought comment from Cameron Balloons. The Eloy Police Department said it is working with the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation. “While we continue our efforts, we ask for your thoughts and support for the families and loved ones affected during this difficult time,” police said. Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/14/us/hot-air-balloon-crash-eloy-arizona-deaths/index.html

Israeli attacks continue unabated overnight killing and wounding dozens of civilians in northern, central and southern Gaza. US aircraft shoot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis at an American destroyer in the Red Sea. Numerous overnight raids on the occupied West Bank with two Palestinian teenagers shot dead and dozens of students arrested. At least 24,100 people killed and more than 60,800 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139. At least five Palestinians injured by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank: Report Israeli forces have fired at and injured a Palestinian at the Qalandia military checkpoint, the main crossing point between Ramallah and Jerusalem, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. The Red Crescent Society said the 28-year-old was struck by a bullet in the lower abdomen at the checkpoint. WAFA also reported that four Palestinians were injured during an Israeli raid on the city of Nablus. Citing Ahmed Jibril, director of the Red Crescent Ambulance and Emergency Center in Nablus, the report said the injured included: A 15-year-old who was injured in the head A 71-year-old who was wounded in the abdomen A 9-year-old child was injured after being struck with shrapnel in the head A 27-year-old who was also wounded by shrapnel Click here to share on social media Gaza war boosted Hamas’ popularity in Gaza and West Bank: Poll The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research has said that the war also led to a significant decline in the standing of the Palestinian Authority‘s leadership. “Support for Hamas in the West Bank increased considerably by more than three times to 44 percent but increased slightly in the Gaza Strip to 42 percent. Support for Fatah [a secular political party that dominates in the government of the Palestinian Authority] dropped considerably to 17 percent only (16 in the West Bank and 18 in the Gaza Strip),” according to the findings. The poll also found that the October 7 war also led to a significant rise in support for armed struggle in the occupied West Bank. Click US to send 1,500 soldiers to Iraq, Syria amid regional standoff The United States is sending 1,500 troops to Iraq and Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIL (ISIS), even as its regional standoff with Iran-aligned groups in those countries is rapidly heating up. A report by US outlet CBS News showed soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard being celebrated and honoured by New Jersey state Governor Phil Murphy before their deployment, which is reportedly their largest since 2008. The soldiers will first head to Fort Bliss in Texas for training before going to the Middle East. This is happening while US-opposed forces in Iraq and Syria have targeted US bases at least 130 times since the start of the war in Gaza. The government of Syria considers US forces to be an “occupying” force, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said last week that he wants a “quick” exit of US forces. Click UK’s alleged use of Cyprus bases to arm Israel and hit Yemen draw protests Andrew Wilks Crowds of angry Cypriots have gathered at a British air base to protest against the alleged funnelling of weapons to Israel for its brutal war in Gaza. Akrotiri, near Limassol in southern Cyprus, is one of two military sites retained by the United Kingdom’s military under the 1960 treaty that saw the island gain independence from colonial rule. Since the latest escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict began on October 7, locals have seen a “daily” increase in the number of flights from Akrotiri, which is 40 minutes flying time from Tel Aviv, said Charis Pashias, head of the Cyprus Peace Council. Israeli police arrest Palestinian suspect after attack in Raanana near Tel Aviv Earlier, we reported on a suspected car-ramming attack in the city of Raanana near Tel Aviv. Israeli police now say that a man from Bani Naim, near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, was arrested for that incident. A second man from Hebron, a relative of the suspect, was also arrested. In a statement, police said the man stole three cars during the suspected car-ramming attack. The Magen David Adom emergency service said at least 14 people were wounded, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition. At least one was reported to have been stabbed. Click PM Netanyahu needs to push amended budget through Sara Khairat Reporting from Tel Aviv First of all, you have those who are evacuated from their homes, both in the northern towns as well as the southern towns. You’re looking at more than 120,000 Israelis. Even in Tel Aviv here, the hotels are filled up and that costs a lot of money. Then you also have the reservists who are waiting around. Some have been sent into Gaza, some haven’t, but they’re not doing their jobs fully, and they need some sort of money to help them get through with daily life. This is one of the most expensive countries in the world, Tel Aviv being one of the most expensive cities. Then you also have the tourism sector. Israel relies heavily on that and it has completely dried up. So once this budget goes through, we know the prime minister has said this war will continue. US can’t call for restraint while backing Israel’s war on Gaza: Iran FM In a televised joint press conference with his Indian counterpart in Tehran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on US officials “not to tie the security and national interests of the US to the fate of Israel’s prime minister, who is falling”. He also told the United States it cannot call for restraint while supporting Israel’s war on Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian demanded a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the besieged enclave. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beirut, Lebanon [File: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters] Click here to share on social media WHO paints grim picture of