Holiday Apartment In Cyprus
US Department Of State Post Report
Turkey’s economy grew on average about 5% per year over the past 10 years, but growth has been volatile over this period, characterized by a series of sharp upward and downward swings. Average annual inflation of over 70% exacerbated income disparities and accentuated the uncertainties that hung over Turkish markets. Increasing pressure on Turkey’s pegged lira exchange rate led to two crises of investor confidence in November 2000 and February 2001, resulting in large capital outflows from Turkish markets. In reaction to these crises, the Government of Turkey renegotiated its loan program with the IMF, which substantially increased its level of support for Turkey in exchange for a strengthened reform program. One of the key reforms undertaken by Turkey was to move to a free-floating exchange rate regime. This in turn caused a nearly 50% depreciation of the lira over several months in early 2001 (though the lira eventually stabilized and appreciated i ... [Read More]
Belarus
On February 24, the Ministry of Information ordered the opposition newspaper Vcherny Stolin to suspend its printing activities for 3 months for alleged "flagrant violations" of the law, inciting social intolerance, and publishing classified material about a police investigation into corruption in the local government without permission. The Ministry also cited the newspaper's failure to properly report that the newspaper was switching the focus of its reporting from economic issues to political issues. On March 8, following Vcherny Stolin's suspension, Alexander Ignatyuk, editor-in-chief of Vcherny Stolin, launched another newspaper, Provintsialka, which continued to provide critical reporting of local officials. A local official successfully sued the newspaper over a report accusing the official of accepting a bribe and was awarded approximately $990 (2 million rubles). On April 18, the Ministry of Information suspended Provintsialka for 3 months on the grounds that Provi ... [Read More]
Israel and the Occupied Territories
THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES (INCLUDING AREAS SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY) Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 War. Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) now administer the West Bank and Gaza Strip to varying extents. The PA does not have a constitution; however, the Basic Law provides for freedom of religion, and the PA generally respects this right in practice. The Basic Law names Islam as the official religion but also calls for "respect and sanctity" for other religions. There was deterioration in the status of the PA's respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report. The PA failed to halt several cases of seizures of Christian-owned land in the Bethlehem area by criminal gangs. There were credible report ... [Read More]
Romania
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US Department Of State Post Report
HousingLast Updated: 7/8/2005 6:09 AM As in many urban areas, houses are rare in central Riga; all Embassy employees are housed in apartments. A fairly stable leasing pool has been established and most newcomers are placed in permanent housing as soon as they arrive. Riga has undergone and is continuing a restoration stage and most Embassy apartments are located in beautifully restored buildings, some with elevators. [Read More]
Romania
The Government generally respected the rights of its citizens; however, its human rights record was poor in some areas. Police use of excessive force resulted in four deaths. Police officers continued to beat detainees and reportedly used excessive force and harassed Roma. The Government investigated some police officers suspected of abuse and in some cases indicted those accused of criminal activities in military courts. However, investigations of police abuses generally are lengthy and inconclusive and rarely result in prosecution or punishment. While some progress was made in reforming the police, cases of inhuman and degrading treatment continued to be reported. Prison conditions, although somewhat improved, remained harsh, and overcrowding remained a serious problem. At times authorities violated the prohibition against arbitrary arrest and detention. The judiciary remained subject to executive branch influence. Authorities evi ... [Read More]
Belarus
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Israel and the occupied territories
(The Report on the occupied territories is appended at the end of this Report.)Israel is a parliamentary democracy with a multiparty system and free elections. There is no constitution; a series of "basic laws" provide for fundamental rights. The legislature, or Knesset, has the power to dissolve the Government and limit the authority of the executive branch. On January 28, elections for the Knesset were held. Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon was re-elected Prime Minister. The judiciary is independent. Since the Intifada began in September 2000, and during the year, Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza continued to perpetrate terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. Terrorist organizations such as the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Hizballah, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), among others, committed numerous acts of terrorism in Israel and th ... [Read More]
2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Romania
The Government increased its efforts against trafficking ,and police officers continued to pursue cases via their Human Trafficking Task Force. The police assigned 15 officers at headquarters in Bucharest and over 87 officers in 15 zonal centers across the country to investigate trafficking. Of the 87 officers assigned to zonal centers, 42 were women who had received training in antitrafficking procedures. They continued to expand interagency and local resources assigned to trafficking, and the Government established itself as a strong participant in regional law enforcement cooperation. In addition, the Government, through the Interministerial Working Group (IWG), began the process of creating an office at the national level, which would coordinate all trafficking-related matters and focus on the protection of victims. During the first 9 months of the year, police identified a total 964 victims of trafficking (573 women, 391 men). Of this number, 217 were minors (80 boys, 137 girls). ... [Read More]
2003
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