Human rights and democracy in the world

The EP annual report on human rights in the world in 2007 looks at a range of human rights issues as well as highlighting the situation in countries of particular concern such as China , Iran and Russia . It also evaluates the EU's efforts to promote human rights through its policies.

A further report on EU election observation missions is the first of its kind, and generally supports the EU's observation missions, underlining how crucial they are, especially in developing countries. The committee wants to increase the role of the EP, especially in the immediate post-election period when the new parliaments are called, and legislators need advice on how to function in a democracy.

 
Establishment of European Works Councils

MEPs will debate the revision of the Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishments of a European Works Council. The Directive imposes a works council or an information and consultation procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings on the basis of an agreement to be reached by a special negotiating body.

It also defines the procedures for the operation of this body. In the cases identified by the Directive in which an agreement cannot be reached, it stipulates the provisions which subsidiary requirements to be established by the Member States must satisfy. The purpose of this Directive is to improve the right of employees in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings to be informed and consulted.

EU-US relations

Parliament will debate the next Transatlantic Economic Council (13 May 2008 in Brussels ) after hearing a statement from the Commission. The Transatlantic Economic Council was created at the April 2007 EU-US Summit to help the economic integration of the US and the EU. It is chaired by Commissioner Günter Verheugen and Daniel Price (Assistant to the President on International Economic Affairs) from the US side. The House will also vote on a resolution on this topic.

Trade relations with South East Asia

Glyn Ford ( PES , UK ) will be putting forward a report on trade and economic relations with the countries of South East Asia (ASEAN) The EP International Trade Committee is in favour of concluding a free-trade accord between the EU and the 10 countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, say MEPs in the committee, the agreement must meet certain conditions regarding sustainable development, the fight against fraud and respect for human rights. The members of ASEAN are: Brunei Darussalam , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar ( Burma ), the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam .

Other items on the EP Agenda:

·         Arlene McCarthy (PES, UK) for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will be asking questions of the Council on misleading 'Directory companies' (e.g. 'European City Guides') Over the past years, a number of so-called 'Directory companies' (for instance 'European City Guides') have been operating cross-border in several EU Member States applying misleading and fraudulent business practices.

·         Parliament will debate the activities of lobbyists in the European institutions.  A mandatory public register for lobbyists, common to the Council, Commission and Parliament and providing for "full financial disclosure", is proposed by the Constitutional Affairs committee. Lobbyists would also have to comply with a code of conduct and face sanctions if they infringed it.

·         Parliament will also debate the Commission's White Paper on Sport. The fight against doping should be stepped up, and clearer guidelines are needed on how EU rules should apply to sport, says an own-initiative report proposed by the Committee on Culture, Education and Sport. In a report that outlines the EU's policy on sport, MEPs in the committee voice concern about the possible deregulation of gambling markets; warn against new rules that could create direct discrimination in player selection and the selling of TV rights.

·         EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering will announce that the written declaration on microcredit has been adopted. It calls on the Commission and the Council to lend greater support to microcredit projects and to bolster programmes to help women. The written declaration calls for human and financial resources to be allocated to microcredit projects in the developing countries and in the Mediterranean .

The above is a brief synopsis of the main issues to be discussed next week.  www.europarl.ie

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Plenary Session ( Brussels ) 7-8 May

The session opens on Wednesday at 3pm with a debate on EMU at 10 - successes and challenges after 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union . 

MEPs will discuss prospects for the euro area, after hearing a statement from the Commission marking the 10th anniversary of the decision – in May 1998 – to move to the creation of the euro.  Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia will present to Parliament the conclusions of a Communication on the subject, to be adopted earlier in the day on 7 May.

Look out for us in  Portugal, Italy, Estonia and Belgium over the coming months.

Thursday 26th June
PORTUGAL
Évora

Wednesday 16th July
ITALY
Nembro (Bergamo)
Villa Compostella
Festival Andar per Musica 08

Thursday 17th July
ITALY
Ancona
(More info for Italy gigs from: http://www.frameevents.com/)

Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th July
ESTONIA
Viljandi Folk Music Festival
www.folk.ee

Saturday 9th August
BELGIUM
FESTIVAL Folkin’Ro 2008
http://www.folkinro.be/main.html

Turkey, R.Ireland V France, Switzerland and Spain

Ireland played france on Sunday, in the UEFA U17 Finals, and held off French pressure until Irish score inthe 37th minute.

Gregory Cunningham gathered the ball on the left and crossed for Murphy in the penalty effort with his fierce effort giving Anthony Mfa Mezui in the France goal no chance.

After the interval, the french piled on the pressure, and it paid inthe 65th minute with a French well dribbled goal.

The irish held on to the last minute, before efore Lacazette – who had come on for Sunu – settled matters at the death, to win 2-1 for France.

##

Today  Rep Ireland play Switzerland, and on Saturday eveing Ireland play Spain.
Misfortune has hit the irish in the current match today, and with 76 minutes  gopne, Ireland train the Swiss 0-1, an own goal scored by Irishman Gunning.

 www.uefa.com  keep in touch with the scores.

Michael Hoey’s one-shot victory at the Banque Populaire Morroccan Classic on the European Challenge Tour made it a double for Ireland after Peter Lawrie’s win at the Open de España earlier in the day.

Hoey held his nerve and survived a late charge from overnight leader Greig Hutcheon of Scotland to secure a third Challenge Tour title which saw him climb to sixth place in the Rankings.

The man from Belfast, who looked to be cruising to victory until he dropped shots on the 14th and 16th holes at El Jadida Sofitel Golf Resort, birdied the 17th for a round of 68 and a 12 under par aggregate score to finish one clear of Hutcheon and France’s Julien Quesne. 

Hoey, a former British Amateur Champion and a member of the triumphant 2001 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, has now set his sights on a top five finish in the Rankings and a return to The European Tour.

The 29 year old said: “My short game was very good today, and it has been all week. Chipping and putting well normally wins you golf tournaments, and so it proved. I didn’t think I would win today because Greig’s been playing well and I started the round a few shots back, so it was a nice surprise.

“I came into the tournament in good form after a decent finish in France last week, so my confidence is slowly returning after I missed a few cuts out in South America. I won a Challenge Tour event at about the same stage last season, but then got too technical and made too many changes to my swing, which meant I lost my way a little. But I’ve gone back to basics, and I’m going to keep it simple from now on.”

Commenting on the current state of golf in Ireland following Lawrie’s play-off victory in Seville, Hoey said: “Irish golf is obviously in rude health at the moment. Padraig [Harrington] started the trend at The Open last year, and we’ve gone on from there.

“Seeing the likes of Damien McGrane and Darren Clarke win recently has made me even more determined to earn my place back on The European Tour. This is the first major step on that road.” 

Hutcheon’s final hole birdie for a second consecutive round of 70 was not enough to secure his second title on Moroccan soil, but it was good enough to claim second place alongside Quesne, who carded six birdies and a solitary bogey en route to a round of 67.

Earlier in the day, England’s Adam Gee had shot a 64 to set a new course record. Gee, who finished the first day as joint leader but subsequently dropped out of contention after two indifferent rounds, carded eight birdies in a flawless round of golf to finish in a tie for 25th on three under par.

###

Michael Hoey at -12 collected his €24k victory cheque
while Stephen Browne at -7 finsihed  in joint 17th.

Moriarty, and O'Keeffe failed to make the cut.

What a starty to the year for Irish golfers, first McDowell in Korea took the Belntine title, McGrane 3 weeks ago took the Volvo China Open.

A week late Darren Clarke won the BMW Asian Open ,and this past week, Peter Lawrie won the first European Tour Championship on European soil this year, with the Spanish Open, after his dramatic play-off victory over home favourite Ignacio Garrido in the Open de España at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla.

Lawrie’s maiden European Tour title – secured at the second extra hole thanks largely to a superb bunker shot – followed the breakthrough victory of his close friend and compatriot Damien McGrane at the Volvo China Open, and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke’s first win for two-and-a-half years at last week’s BMW Asian Open.

McGrane – his room-mate on Tour – had turned the Volvo China Open into a procession, winning by nine shots, but Lawrie was made to work far harder for his victory in soaring temperatures in Seville.   

Sitting on eleven under par after 12 holes of his final round, Lawrie’s chances of victory appeared remote. But four birdies in his last six holes saw the 34 year old installed as the clubhouse leader on 15 under par.

Overnight leader Garrido – playing in the final group with compatriot Miguel Angel Jiménez – had toiled on the front nine, dropping three shots; but a revival after the turn meant he needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to take the tournament to a play-off.

The Spaniard, whose father Antonio won the Spanish Open in 1972, duly rolled in a superb 30ft putt on the 18th green to ensure there would be more drama on an already eventful day in Seville.  

And so to the play-off, with both men finding the fairway off the 18th tee. Lawrie landed his approach shot around 30 feet from the pin, whilst Garrido hit a sublime shot to within six feet of the hole.

Lawrie miraculously sunk his putt – via the left hand edge of the cup – to put the pressure back on Garrido. The Spaniard duly followed him in for birdie, meaning the pair returned to the 18th tee.

This time Lawrie found a fairway bunker, but found the heart of the green with a superbly struck eight iron from the sand. 

In contrast, Garrido could only look on in horror as his approach pitched at pin height, but spun viciously back into the lake guarding the green.

And so Lawrie, after Garrido had pitched on for four, was left with two putts to seal his maiden European Tour victory and claim a £262,000 winner’s cheque which saw him climb from 88th to 12th on the Order of Merit.

Dubliner in his first ever European Tour victory said: “It feels unbelievable – I’m lost for words. I thought I’d already won the tournament once, because I didn’t think Ignacio would hole that putt on the 18th.

“So I had to regroup for the play-off, and ended up hitting one of the best putts of my life to keep myself in contention. It was a one in a hundred chance, and luckily it dropped in. I guess you have to get the rub of the green if you’re going to win a golf tournament these days.

“I knew if I got things going today, I would have a decent chance of winning. I’ve been playing quite well lately, without really getting my rewards, so maybe it was just my turn today. It was nice to add another trophy for the Irish contingent. Damien [McGrane], my room-mate on Tour, started the ball rolling in China, then Darren [Clarke] picked up the baton last week.

“I’m glad to keep the run going, after the French guys had a run of their own recently. Hopefully this sets up the rest of the season nicely for me, and I can kick on now. I’m not really a party person, but I’ll certainly enjoy this moment.”

##

Peter Lawrie won at -15, taking a handsome chaque for €333,330

Darren Clarke had a fine middle 2 rounds to end at -7 and a cheque of €20k

McGinley at -5 was the next best of the Irish,
while Gary Murphy and Gareth Maybin failed to reach the cut

First reports were that the couple, Eamon McGuckin, aged 34, and his wife Antoinette, aged 32, from Maghera, Co. Derry, were due to attend a hearing at the Family and Minors Court in Faro yesterday afternoon. The couple were understood to have fled Portugal in the wake of their booze-up just hours into their holiday.
“We understand that they have left Portugal and are en route to the UK. They are either en route or have already returned.

There were no legal restrictions on them having to stay and there was no obligation for them to be in court,” said British foreign office authorities.

Hotel staff in Vilamoura called police over concerns Eamon and Antoinette McGuckin’s children, aged one, two and six, were very distressed and would not stop crying.

The hotel manager said the couple and their three children went out for dinner nearby at about 8pm local time last Friday.

It is alleged that, upon their arrival back at the hotel about two hours later, Mr McGuckin passed out on a sofa in reception while Ms McGuckin fell asleep in the bar.

A spokesman for the local police said they were contacted by hotel staff because “the children were crying and they could not revive the parents, who were both out cold”.

Yesterday, a councillor who knows the couple from their Derry home town, insisted Ms McGuckin was merely unwell.
SDLP councillor Kate Lagan said she believes something was added to their drinks in a bar that made them pass out.
“Something happened to make Antoinette extremely and violently ill on arrival in the hotel, and Eamon fell asleep,” she said. “I’ve spoken to relatives and they have said there is absolutely no way they were in a drunken stupor.”

She could not understand why authorities took the action they did against the couple, who are from Upperlands. The McGuckins had arrived in Portugal to begin their holiday on Friday.

Caherciveen couple killed by drink driver in Alicante Spain

John and Mary O'Connell were on an anniversary holiday in Spain's Costa Blance, were walking along the main road by Orihuela Costa, just after midnight.  A 35 year old Spanish man, over the legal drink limit,  ploughed into the couple killing them instantly.

They had been celebrating their 25th Wedding anniveversary, and returned to a resort they had visited a number of times before. The place where the tragedy happened is a well-known accident black spot with very few crossing places, despite the fact that dozens of bars and restaurants line the busy road.
It is a very dangerous road for pedestrians, especially at night,” said local man Mr Alejandro Garcia.

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3122

Republic of Ireland Under 17 Manager, Sean McCaffrey, is happy with how preparations are going.

He said: “We have settled in great here in the tournament hotel. The food is good and the weather is fantastic.

"The players are acclimatising well to the hot Turkish weather. The training has been really good with all the players working very hard. They are very tuned in and are really enjoying it.

“We have five players who are carrying injuries who have not taken part in some training which is a concern but the medical staff of Tom Boyce and Colin Dunleavy are working hard with these players to get them fit ahead of the game on Sunday.

"Three players (Gavin Gunning, Paul Murphy and Danny Joyce) trained in part today and did well and we are hoping that Robbie Brady and Johnny Dunleavy will continue to improve.”

The Republic of Ireland Under 17 side will face France, Spain and Switzerland in Group B of the UEFA Under 17 UEFA Championships.

Ireland will open their series against the French on May 4 before taking on Switzerland three days later.

Their final group tie comes against title holders Spain on May 10. Should Ireland progress through the group, they will play their semi-final on May 13 with the final penciled on for May 16.

Republic of Ireland Under 17 Manager, Sean McCaffrey, is happy with how preparations are going.

He said: “We have settled in great here in the tournament hotel. The food is good and the weather is fantastic.

"The players are acclimatising well to the hot Turkish weather. The training has been really good with all the players working very hard. They are very tuned in and are really enjoying it.

“We have five players who are carrying injuries who have not taken part in some training which is a concern but the medical staff of Tom Boyce and Colin Dunleavy are working hard with these players to get them fit ahead of the game on Sunday.

"Three players (Gavin Gunning, Paul Murphy and Danny Joyce) trained in part today and did well and we are hoping that Robbie Brady and Johnny Dunleavy will continue to improve.”

The Republic of Ireland Under 17 side will face France, Spain and Switzerland in Group B of the UEFA Under 17 UEFA Championships.

Ireland will open their series against the French on May 4 before taking on Switzerland three days later.

Their final group tie comes against title holders Spain on May 10. Should Ireland progress through the group, they will play their semi-final on May 13 with the final penciled on for May 16.

The Irish Amateur Boxing Association have named a ten-man squad for next week's training camp in France.

Hosts France, Cuba, England, Germany, Thailand, Philippines and Ireland will take part in the camp which begins in Bugeat on May 5.

Irish 2008 Olympians Paddy Barnes, John Joe Joyce and John Joe Nevin have been included on the Irish panel.

Ken Egan and Darren Sutherland, who have also qualified for Beijing, will not be travelling to France.

According to High Performance Director Gary Keegan, they will make a decision on whether they will compete in a mini-tournament with the six nations taking part in the training camp in Bugeat, in Saint Quentin, France between May 14-18, early next week.

The Irish squad will be using the training camp as part of their build up toward June's European Union Championships in Poland, Augusts Olympic Games in Beijing, and Novembers European Championships in Liverpool.

Irish squad for Bugeat France Training Camp (May 5t-13):
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
54Kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan)
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata)
57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
57Kg: Carl Frampton (Midland White City)
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Grangecon)
60Kg: Anthony Cacace (Holy Trinity)
64Kg: John Joy Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy)
91Kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/?jp=mhgbaukfqlkf&c=world