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| English tests for spouses may breach human rights, UK told Ireland sets sights on 50% rise in foreign students; Arizona investigated for accent discrimination; British Columbia offers lessons to child refugeesThe UK government's plans to introduce an English language test for those coming to Britain to marry UK citizens could breach human rights and race relations laws, leading human rights lawyers have said.A legal opinion by Rabinder Singh QC and Aileen McColgan, of Matrix Chambers, said the decision to impose the test from November has more to do with reducing the number of immigrants to Britain than minimising abuse.The lawyers said that the introduction of pre-entry tests amounted to a breach of the right to family life under human rights laws. They also said it was likely to be discriminatory to require someone with a degree in English from India to take the test but not someone from California who speaks only Spanish.The legal opinion was commissioned by the human rights group Liberty. Its director, Shami Chakrabarti warned that the opinion would support a high court challenge if the tests, which will affect more than 25,000 spouses a year, go ahead."We have warned that pre-entry English tests are discriminatory and unlawful – a view now endorsed by one of the foremost barristers in the country," Chakrabarti said. "If the government persists with this half-baked policy, it will face embarrassing litigation unworthy of a coalition built on fundamental freedoms."The tests apply only to those who come from non-English-speaking countries. The top five countries of origin of those coming to marry UK citizens are Pakistan (8,570), India (5,110), Bangladesh (2,780), the US (2,110) and Thailand (1,776).Ireland sets sights on 50% rise in foreign studentsThe Irish government has set a target to increase the number of international students at universities by 50% and in English language schools by 25% by 2015.The aim of the new five-year strategy, entitled Investing in Global Relationships, is to increase the contribution of the education sector to the Irish economy to $1.6bn by 2015, up from an estimated $1.2bn currently.As part of the strategy, the government has also launched new immigration rules for international students that reduce requirements but put in place additional safeguards that aim to prevent abuse of the system.A statutory code of practice and a quality mark for education institutions will be introduced to strengthen international marketing of Ireland as a study destination.Numbers of full-time students are intended to rise from the current level of 17,000 to 25,500 by 2015. Numbers of English language students would rise from 100,000 to 120,000, ministers said.Arizona investigated for accent discriminationEducation officials in Arizona are under investigation by the departments of justice and education to determine whether the state breached the civil rights of teachers who are not native English speakers by singling them out because of their accents.The state's education officials have defended their policy of monitoring the fluency in English of teachers who are teaching English language classes in schools with high numbers of non-English speakers.British Columbia offers lessons to child refugeesChildren from among a group of nearly 500 Tamil refugees who arrived by ship off the Canadian coast in August are being given English lessons while they accompany their parents, who are being held in custody. "The more we can give them a head start if they are settling in our country, the better off they will be," said Elliott Grieve, associate superintendent of the Burnaby Board of Education in British Columbia.Max de Lotbinièremax.delotbiniere@guardian.co.ukTeflInternational education newsIrelandArizonaRefugeesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Kosovo Coalition Coming Apart A junior partner in Kosovo's coalition government said it is pulling out, a move that throws the country into political turmoil and is likely to lead to a snap general election. online.wsj.com |
Chinese police refuse to register human rights lawyer as missing International concern for Gao Zhisheng, outspoken critic of state security, who has not been seen since AprilChinese police have refused to register an outspoken human rights lawyer who has not been seen since April as a missing person, his elder brother said today.The disappearance of Gao Zhisheng has caused international concern, particularly because he had previously made detailed claims of torture at the hands of security officials during detentions.Gao Zhiyi said he last saw his younger brother at their family home in the central province of Shaanxi in early April. "Our family is very worried about him so I came to Beijing to report the situation to police, but they will not register the case," he said."They told me: 'The situation occurred before, so just wait and you will find him again.'"He added: "The last time I saw my brother he just said he would return to Beijing to 'spend some relaxing days'. After that we couldn't find him."Human rights groups reported in February 2009 that security officers had taken the lawyer from his home overnight. He was not seen for more than a year and friends and human rights campaigners feared he might be dead.Once lauded by the government, he angered authorities by taking on clients including members of banned spiritual movement Falun Gong.As international concern about his case mounted, he suddenly re-emerged in March this year and gave several interviews. The committed Christian said he had been living at a sacred Buddhist site, miles away from his birthplace or Beijing home.Friends who spoke to him said they did not believe he was speaking freely. Shortly afterwards he vanished again.In a tweet, lawyer Teng Biao – who said he accompanied Gao Zhiyi to the police station – described Gao Zhisheng as China's bravest lawyer, citing his persistence in exposing the truth.Nicholas Bequelin, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "Gao Zhisheng is definitely one of the most worrying cases."The authorities seem to be deliberately using criminal methods as a way of silencing a human rights defender and intimidating others."Earlier this year, foreign minister Yang Jiechi said Gao's rights had been respected and that he had been convicted of incitement to subvert state power – apparently referring to the suspended sentence he received in 2006.In a separate development, more activists and dissidents have complained of increased pressure following the awarding of the Nobel peace prize to jailed author Liu Xiaobo.His wife remains under house arrest and his friend Yu Jie said in an email that police were now preventing him from leaving home, adding that he thought it might be linked to Liu's award or a Christian meeting.Friends of Cui Weiping, a Beijing Film Academy professor and social critic, said she was detained at a police station after security guards stopped her attending an art exhibition and concert at the Czech embassy tonight. The event was non-political but may have been considered sensitive because Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and former president, nominated Liu for the Nobel prize.Another dissident was prevented from attending and a third decided not to go after being warned to stay at home.Cui later tweeted that she was back home from the police station after the "very strange" incident. An employee at the station said they had not dealt with anyone of that name.ChinaHuman rightsTania Braniganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Fed boss: Regulators looking into foreclosure mess By JEANNINE AVERSA 2010-10-25T17:20:08ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal banking regulators are examining whether mortgage companies cut corners on their own procedures when they moved to foreclose on people's homes, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday.... hosted.ap.org |
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