Friday 26 December 2014

Dec 10, 2014 Nobel Peace Laureates Draw Attention To Children's Rights (Image source: Getty Images / Nigel Waldron) BY SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ Malala Yousafzai received her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Wednesday, but she wasn't alone. Slightly overlooked, prominent children's rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi also received the prize in recognition of his work to liberate children from slavery in India. Although Yousafzai naturally attracted more attention — she's the youngest laureate ever, and her shooting in 2012 made headlines globally — the two have something in common: They both work on behalf of children. (Video via Nobel Foundation) Satyarthi said, "I refuse to accept that all the temples and mosques and churches and prayer houses have no place for the dreams of our children." For more than 30 years, Satyarthi's work has included leading raids on factories and mines in India that often bind whole families into forced labor, and he has reportedly freed tens of thousands of children. (Video via The Guardian) Yousafzai has focused her efforts on the education of children, girls in particular, and it was because of her vocal support for children's right to be educated that the Taliban tried to kill her. (Video via World Bank) The pair's recognition this year is especially significant considering the United Nations says 2014 has been one of the worst years for children around the world. A report the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, put out this week detailed how the number of international crises, from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to the rise of ISIS, have piled on and interrupted the lives of millions of children. (Video via UNICEF) "As many as 15 million children are caught up in violent conflicts in the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, the State of Palestine, Syria and Ukraine. ... Globally, an estimated 230 million children currently live in countries and areas affected by armed conflicts." UNICEF also pointed out the sad irony that this report comes on the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and said it was beholden on all nations to make 2015 better. This video includes images from Getty Images and music from Chris Zabriskie / CC BY 3.0.

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Spain's Princess Cristina facing trial

Dec 22, 2014 Spain’s Princess Cristina To Face Unprecedented Fraud Trial (Image source: Getty Images / David Ramos) BY CLIFF JUDY A long-running investigation that got a Spanish princess banned from royal events and may have even played a part in her father abdicating the throne will go to trial. In unprecedented accusations, prosecutors say Princess Cristina helped her husband embezzle millions of dollars from local governments nearly a decade ago. While her attorneys have repeatedly declared her innocence over the years, prosecutors say a company run by Cristina’s husband vastly overcharged to run sporting events and then transferred some of that money to another company owned by the couple. (Video via Sky News & Euronews) The scandal not only tarnished the princess’ reputation, but that of her father — an impressive feat when you consider how beloved King Juan Carlos was during his four decades on the throne. Instead of keeping control of Spain as a dictator when he was named king in the mid-70’s, King Juan Carlos led the country’s transition into democracy and free elections. Still, when the king abdicated the throne in June, his health, a lavish hunting trip during tough economic times and the lingering investigation into his daughter were among the most cited reasons Juan Carlos stepped down. (Video via BBC) Princess Cristina and her husband are two of more than a dozen defendants who’ll now stand trial in the tax fraud case. She remains sixth in line to the Spanish throne. This video includes images from Getty Images.

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