Travel
What human rights? My sick son is being held on secret charges in an Israeli prison.
[ad_1]
My son Amal is in an Israeli prison, where his life is at risk. My family and I are trying to free him.
For a year now, Amal has been held under administrative detention, meaning that he is imprisoned without charge, without trial, on the pretext of secret evidence we cannot see. This is documented by the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We do not know what he is accused of, or whether he will ever be released. The military court system can keep renewing his detention indefinitely – the last time was in January, just before his 18th birthday.
Amal has myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular disorder that causes such severe muscle fatigue that it can be hard to breathe or swallow food. When he had a lung tumor removed in July 2020, we were told he needed regular check-ins with both an oncologist and a neurologist to adjust his medication. We do not know what kind of medical treatment he is receiving in prison. When his medication was changed, we learned about it only after the fact.
Suffering in prison
The last time I was able to see him, at the Ofer Prison, he looked exhausted and weak, which pained my heart beyond what words can describe. During the last year I was allowed to visit him only twice, for only short periods. The visits took place behind a glass window and I could not give him a hug.
On Jan. 25, we learned that Amal had caught COVID-19 in jail. Over the past year, Israeli authorities disregarded repeated calls to release Amal that highlighted the grave risks he would face if infected, given his medical condition. Amal’s condition means he cannot take the Covid-19 vaccine.
On Jan. 26, instead of being released or even sent to a hospital, he was transferred to a medical clinic at another prison.
Columnist Connie Schultz:Ohio mayor who linked ice shanties and prostitution said he was joking, resigns
Columnist Jill Lawrence:Is this the beginning of the end for Trumpism or the Republican Party?
I feel the pain and helplessness of a father whose son is withering away and who is unable to do anything to save him. I wake up in the middle of the night worried that my son will die in detention without his medication, without the touch of a loving and caring hand, but under the merciless hand of prison guards who could not care less about his pain or my family’s.
Our lawyer has been unable to find out what Amal is accused of. In most of the hundreds of cases each year where Israel jails Palestinian children, they are accused of throwing stones.
Amal was beaten and detained in 2020, and military judges ordered his release, unconvinced by the prosecution’s attempts to portray him as a threat.
The CIA might be collecting data about you. Here’s why that’s wrong and why you should care.
But under administrative detention, Amal can’t even get his day in a military court. Which makes me wonder: Is justice being served, or is it the law of the jungle? In a world where due process of the law is denied – under Israeli occupation in the West Bank – there is no room for justice.
Achieving justice for Amal
There is no sanity or humanity in inflicting this suffering upon my son and upon my family. At this moment, I can only think of Amal in this cold weather: Is he cold? Is he in pain? Did they give him a hot drink, a warm blanket?
A crime is being committed by Israel against Amal as I write these words. He is threatening to go on hunger strike if the Israeli authorities continue his unlawful detention. He feels that he has nothing to lose, and he sees no hope for justice. The hunger strike is a desperate move. I am trying to find ways to bring justice and hope to this brutal situation.
Alexander Vindman:Why I’m seeking accountability from Trump allies in court
Israeli politicians have ignored demands for Amal’s immediate release from the United Nations and the European Union, but if Thomas Nides, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, or Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded Israel to respect Amal’s human rights by releasing him, they might save his life. He is detained unlawfully by a brutal regime. He is a teenager, and he is very ill.
I need your help to bring my son home because I want to seek medical treatment for him, and I want his ordeal to end, but also because no human being should be treated this way.
Muamar Orabi Nakhla, 50, is a Palestinian journalist and lawyer. He has two sons, Osama and Amal.
[ad_2]
Travel
Razzies royally torch 'Diana' musical and 'Space Jam 2,' show love to Oscar favorite Will Smith
[ad_1]
In its proclamation of the worst films of 2021, the Razzies lambasted a critically reviled Princess Diana musical and LeBron James’ “Space Jam” sequel, but spread love instead of hate for Will Smith.
The Golden Raspberry Awards, annually announced the day before the Academy Awards, bestowed five dishonors on Netflix’s “Diana: The Musical,” a filmed production of the recent Broadway show that closed after 33 performances. “Diana” beat out “Infinite,” “Karen,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “The Woman in the Window” for worst picture, plus picked up worst screenplay and worst actress for star Jeanna de Waal.
“New Legacy,” the live-action/animated hybrid basketball comedy featuring James hooping it up with Bugs Bunny and Co., earned three Razzie awards. James was named worst actor and also was saddled with worst screen couple – which went to James and “Any Warner Cartoon Character (or WarnerMedia Product) He Dribbles On” – while the movie snagged worst sequel.
How to watch the 2022 Oscars:Everything you should know about Sunday’s Academy Awards
“House of Gucci” star Jared Leto lost his Screen Actors Guild race for best supporting actor but nabbed the Razzie for worst. And Bruce Willis does so many VOD movies now that he received his own special category (worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie) that, to no one’s surprise, he won – for “Cosmic Sin.”
Smith, who’s expected to win the best actor Oscar Sunday for “King Richard,” received this year’s Razzie Redeemer Award for previous Razzie honorees who’ve come back with quality efforts. Recent winners include Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone, Melissa McCarthy and Eddie Murphy.
The full list of this year’s Razzie “winners”:
Worst picture: “Diana: The Musical”
Worst actor: LeBron James, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”
Worst actress: Jeanna de Waal, “Diana: The Musical”
Worst supporting actress: Judy Kaye, “Diana: The Musical”
Worst supporting actor: Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”
Worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie: Bruce Willis, “Cosmic Sin”
Worst screen couple: LeBron James and Any Warner Cartoon Character
(or WarnerMedia Product) He Dribbles On, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”
Worst remake, rip-off or sequel: “Space Jam: A New Legacy”
Worst director: Christopher Ashley, “Diana: The Musical”
Worst screenplay: “Diana: The Musical”
[ad_2]
Business
As more marijuana dispensaries get targeted by robbers, SAFE Banking Act lingers in Congress
[ad_1]
CHICAGO — In a ridiculous coincidence, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks wrote NCAA Tournament history on National Peacock Day with a thrilling upset of Purdue.
The mid-major became the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, outdoing previous No. 15 seeds Oral Roberts (2021) and Florida Gulf Coast (2013). Exactly 0.8% of people picked the Peacocks to get this far, with the school from Jersey City, New Jersey, defying all odds. Is Saint Peter’s the best Cinderella of all time?
Meanwhile, the ACC is sitting pretty with three teams – Duke and now North Carolina and Miami (Fla.) – in the Elite Eight on the same day the Big Ten saw its last team go down.
A look at three key takeaways from Friday:
Saint Peter’s writes NCAA history
Coach Shaheen Holloway has this team playing inspired basketball, and now the Peacocks (22-11) are just one win from the Final Four. The best Cinderellas of the last two decades to reach Final Fours – George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, Loyola-Chicago (2018) all were double-digit seeded mid-majors. But none was as highly seeded as this Saint Peter’s team that’s now beaten No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue.
WINNERS, LOSERS:Poised Saint Peter’s keeps the dream alive; bye-bye, Big Ten; hello, ACC
OPINION:Saint Peter’s embodies wackiness and uncertainty of this NCAA Tournament
ANALYSIS:Purdue’s loss leaves Big Ten shut out of Elite Eight. We could see this coming.
MORE:Legendary Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson: Coach K’s farewell tour ends Saturday
OPINION:Houston is leaving Phi Slama Jama in the 1980s for good
While other bracket-busting NCAA Tournament darlings of yesteryear have had flair (FGCU’s “Dunk City”) or a lovable fan (Loyola’s Sister Jean), this team from the MAAC is doing it with defense, namely with nine steals. In spite of being undersized against the Boilermakers, the Peacocks used aggressiveness and hustle to outduel their seemingly superior opponent behind 6-8 freshman Clarence Rubert and 6-7 junior Hassan Drame. Daryl Banks III (14 points) is the go-to scorer for Saint Peter’s, but Mr. Clutch has been guard Doug Edert (10 points) off the bench. One stat to note: a 19-for-21 clip from the free-throw line. What’s been most impressive is the Peacocks’ ability to stay hungry and poised under pressure, winning close games in all three NCAA Tournament matchups.
Blue-bloods show title potential
Duke and Villanova advanced on Thursday, and fellow blue-bloods Kansas and North Carolina will now join them in the Elite Eight. And yes, if both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels win Sunday, we could see them meet in the Final Four.
Ever since North Carolina embarrassed Duke in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Heels have been red-hot – knocking out No. 1 Baylor in the previous game in overtime. That continued against a UCLA team that reached the Final Four last year and seemed destined to get back. Caleb Love was brilliant again, finishing with 30 points off six three-pointers. Armando Bacot’s tip-in with 22 seconds left sealed the win in another impressive outing for coach Hubert Davis’ resilient team.
The last remaining No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, Kansas stayed alive, escaping Providence by five points. It’s coach Bill Self’s ninth trip to the Elite Eight with Kansas and 11th of his career, as the Jayhawks (31-6) are one win from the Final Four. They’ve now won eight in a row and are looking like a title contender after entering the NCAA Tourney having won the Big 12 tournament.
The secret weapon for Kansas has been guard Remy Martin. For the third consecutive tournament game, Kansas got a jolt off the bench from the fiery Martin (23 points), the Arizona State transfer who has erupted in these NCAAs after playing a reserve role throughout 2021-22.
ACC > Big Ten
Despite garnering nine NCAA Tournament bids on Selection Sunday – the most of any conference – the Big Ten is out following Purdue’s stunning exit vs. Saint Peter’s. The league tanked in the first two rounds, with No. 5 Iowa – the conference tourney champ – getting upset by Richmond in the first round. No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Illinois, No. 7 Michigan State and No. 7 Ohio State all lost in the second round. And now, with Michigan’s loss to Villanova, the overall underachievement is on full display. That’s a 9-9 finish in the tournament.
No Big Ten team has cut down the nets since 2000 (the Spartans), and it’s a depressing outlook for the league that posted the second-best NET score in 2021-22 and showcased several teams with Final Four potential.
The ACC, which finished with the sixth-worst NET score as a league, has Duke, North Carolina and Miami all in the Elite Eight. That’s after the Tar Heels, Hurricanes and Notre Dame were all bubble teams in early March. The NCAA Tournament is about matchups and pathways. No matter how well the Big Ten did in the regular season, much like the Pac-12’s surprising finish last year, the ACC is well-positioned with three teams still alive and two of them title contenders.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
[ad_2]
What are the conditions to play at Kubet?
Why You Should Take Advantage of Solventless Products
5 Ways to Track Direct Mail Effectiveness in Your Marketing Campaign
New Soundboard Review: Pricing is Not Always the Only Criteria
Advantages of Using CBG Oil
Computers Climb the List of the Top Gadgets in Forbes Magazine
-
Tech6 months ago
New Soundboard Review: Pricing is Not Always the Only Criteria
-
Health4 months ago
Advantages of Using CBG Oil
-
Tech6 months ago
Computers Climb the List of the Top Gadgets in Forbes Magazine
-
Latest6 months agoBest supplements: Two daily pills shown to lower cholesterol levels by up to 30 percent
-
Travel6 months agoWinter Olympics recap: Jessie Diggins wins Team USA's final medal, Finland wins men's hockey gold
-
Latest6 months agoMichigan basketball coach Juwan Howard strikes Wisconsin assistant at end of loss
-
Science6 months ago
Inspiration for 'Contact' still listening
-
Politics6 months ago'Invasion has already begun!' Sajid Javid warns Russia to face sanction fury from UK