At one of Robert Mugabe's farms, workers said they are pained by the death of their boss and worried about their future - and some say they are hoping...</s>Two women have become the first couple to take advantage of marriage equality in Austria, exchanging their vows shortly after midnight on 1 January.

Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier were wed in the southern town of Velden just five minutes into 2019, when same-sex marriage officially became legal, reports ORF.

Austria’s Constitutional Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage on 4 December, 2017 after a complaint was brought before the court by a lesbian couple and four other couples, but the change didn’t take full effect until the beginning of this year.

The current government of Austria, a conservative coalition of the Austrian People’s Party and the Freedom Party of Austria, strongly oppose marriage equality but said they would respect the court’s decision, according to The Associated Press.

The unnamed lesbian plaintiffs in the case were allowed to tie the knot in October of last year, but Kopaunik and Paier are the first to do so since marriage equality was extended to the entire nation.

“Getting married was only a matter of time for us, or rather a matter of legal regulation,” Kopaunik told ORF.

“Now everyone has the chance to decide for themselves, if they want a “marriage for all” or a legal partnership, but that was not the case before.”

In 2009 Austria granted same-sex couples the right to enter into legal civil partnerships, but the 2017 ruling has allowed all couples the choice of civil union or marriage regardless of sexuality.

The newlyweds, who were reportedly engaged for four years prior to the ceremony, have chosen to take Nicole’s surname as their new family name.

The Kopauniks were supported by the Velden community in their bid to marry, with wedding planners and the local government helping to clear any obstacles that stood in their way.

Mayor Ferdinand Vouk thanked church officials and wedding registrar Klaus Gottwald for things going so smoothly, describing Velden playing host to the wedding as a “great pleasure and honour”.</s>BERLIN: Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups.

Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday that Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier wed in a ceremony in Velden, southern Austria, shortly after midnight Tuesday.

The couple, both 37, had reportedly been engaged for four years.

Austria's constitutional court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples should have the right to marry from January 1, 2019.

Previously, same-sex couples could only enter into a registered partnership that granted fewer rights than marriage.

Austria's current governing parties, the People's Party and the Freedom Party, had strongly opposed granting same-sex couples the right to marry, but said they would respect the court's ruling.</s>By The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups. Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday…

BERLIN (AP) — Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups.

Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday that Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier wed in a ceremony in Velden, southern Austria, shortly after midnight Tuesday.

The couple, both 37, had reportedly been engaged for four years.

Austria’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples should have the right to marry from Jan. 1, 2019. Previously, same-sex couples could only enter into a registered partnership that granted fewer rights than marriage.

Austria’s current governing parties, the People’s Party and the Freedom Party, had strongly opposed granting same-sex couples the right to marry, but said they would respect the court’s ruling.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>Haaretz In 2017, Austria’s constitutional court made a ruling that same-sex couples would be granted the right to marry on Jan....</s>Austria’s defence minister has said his nation will not be involved in the developing pan-European army, a pet project of leading globalists like Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron, saying the continent should concentrate on cooperation, not integration.

The comments from populist-right Freedom Party defence minister Mario Kunasek comes just weeks after French president Macron caused concerns among NATO allies by calling for a EU army to protect the continent from the United States, among other identified threats.

Speaking with the Austria Press Agency about achievements made by Austria during its now-completed possession of the rotating EU presidency and the future of European defence, Kunasek said Austria could not be part of a single EU army with a “command, a uniform, a leadership.”

Indeed, if the EU pushed through a single army regardless Austria would not “play” along, Kunasek saying the nation “will not be there.”

Europe needs “security and defence policy worthy of the name. But that is not comparable to a EU army… What we do not need is a large, closed formation of an army, but more cooperation,” said Kunasek.

Instead of integrating European armed forces into a single body, European leaders should look to cooperate more and utilise what strong defence structures already exist — such as NATO.

The minister said: “We all say yes to good, common structures, joint missions, joint exercises, cooperation and joint financing fund, but no to an EU army, as the citizen may imagine.”

“Many EU countries are NATO members. It would be illogical to build duplication. There will be strong cooperation with NATO in the future, but if we are serious about the EU, we need to think about common defence.”

The creation of a pan-European army was once dismissed as a febrile nightmare of British Eurosceptics, who heralded its coming as a clear sign of European integration that was working to subordinate the nations of Europe to a single federal superstate.

Former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg dismissed warnings of a single EU army by Brexit leader Nigel Farage as “a dangerous fantasy” during a debate in April 2014. Fast-forward to 2017, over a year after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, and member states signed up to a European Defence Union.

In November 2017, the unified EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said the bloc was working at “full speed” to create a “continental scale” defence force.

Globalist leaders Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel both turned up the rhetoric on creating an EU army in 2018. Germany called on France to give up their permanent seat on the UN security council — even as they campaigned to get their own seat — so EU headquarters Brussels could have it instead.

Meanwhile, France’s Macron used an event commemorating the centenary of the end of the Great War to herald a Franco-German alliance that would in his opinion prevent the world descending into “chaos”. U.S. President Donald Trump reacted poorly to Macron’s plans, however, calling “insulting” Macron’s assertion that Europe needed a single army to defend itself from the United States.

Oliver JJ Lane is the editor of Breitbart London — Follow him on Twitter and Facebook</s>Child marriage in developing countries remains pervasive. It means two children are forced to marry each other with the consent of the two families. The children are forced into the institution of marriage without knowing the real meaning of marriage and its significance. A child marriage is one in which the girl is below the age of eighteen and the boy is below the age of twenty-one year’s.

 Social reason to initiate child marriages is that the elders wanted to see the faces of their grandchildren or in some cases to protect girls from rapes and abduction. The problem of child marriage is at times justified on the basis of religious fatwas. Early childhood is lost forever due to such marriages and freedom to play and learn is also snatched in the process.

 The media also needs to adopt a more proactive role in generating awareness towards this heinous ritual. We have been focusing on peace, right to education and child marriage projects. We have organised three National Youth Peace Summits in Pakistan to involve youth in the decision-making process. We also work to address violence against Child Marriages and Gender-based discrimination.

 NADIA TALAT

 University of Central Punjab</s>WINDHOEK – Legal aid or legal representation is a welfare provision by the state to people who could otherwise not afford counsel from the legal system. 

 Legal aid also helps to ensure that welfare provisions are enforced by providing people entitled to welfare provisions, such as access to legal advice and the courts. 

 This is a foundation for equal access and enjoyment of right to a fair trial as it safeguards the fundamental fairness and public trust in the criminal justice process. 

 Established under the Legal Aid, Act 29 of 1990 in the Ministry of Justice, the Namibian government ensured that this statutory service lived up to its mandate of providing legal aid at state expense to indigent persons (i.e. those with inadequate means) to afford legal services of private legal practitioners to represent them in proceedings before the courts.

According to Moses Ndjarakana, Director in the Legal Aid Directorate that is administering the Legal Aid scheme in the ministry, the objective of the scheme is to ensure access to justice by providing equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.

 “Legal aid is essential to ensure equal rights for justice for all, especially for people with inadequate income also referred to as indigents. Applications for legal aid are considered through a means test and the merits of a case,” stressed Ndjarakana.

He further added that the process requires a legal practitioner to be instructed by the Directorate to carry out the mandate of legally-aided persons as per Article 12 and 95 of the Namibian Constitution as well as Legal Aid Act 29 of 1990, as amended.

“All clerks at magistrate’s offices, police and prison Warders, assists in completion of legal aid applications. The legal aid application forms are available at all magistrate offices countrywide and completed application forms should be submitted at the nearest magistrate office,” he explained.

 Through this initiative, the Namibian government guarantees the right to fair trial in its national legal systems which ensures that justice is equally accessible to all Namibians regardless of their economic status

Access to legal aid service ensure effective legal counsel, and so, the accused’s right to a fair trial. Without access to legal aid, the right to counsel becomes meaningless for many accused persons, as it may prevent them from accessing a lawyer to defend themselves against the charges they face. 

 Consequently, Legal aid services assured to support the most vulnerable in our country.

The statistics for Legal Aid from the year 2013-2018 availed by the Ministry of Justice are indicating that a total number of 42 156 applications were received by the directorate, whilst 28 083 applications which is 67 percent of total applications were granted the legal Aid services at the cost of government from various towns across Namibia. The few remaining of 9 640 applications which is 23 percent of the total were regrettably declined, with 4 433 applications which are equal to 10 percent pending and in these financial years the statistics are revealing that 1 234 applications are concluded.

This service continues providing legal representation, at state expense to persons whose means are inadequate to enable them to engage practitioners to assist and represent them. More specifically, for citizens who do not have sufficient financial means, the provision of legal aid by governments will increase the likelihood, within court proceedings, of being assisted by legal professionals for free (or at a lower cost) or of receiving financial aid.

 Based on the regulations made under the Legal Aid Act, 1990, it provides for a means test to be used to determine eligibility of the service. Simon Idipo, public relations officer at the Ministry of Justice, added that any person in Namibia have the rights to apply for legal aid in a civil or criminal case; however, the Director of Legal Aid has the discretion to grant or decline such an application.

“It is important that, any person(s) find themselves in the wrong side of the law, thus have the right to a fair trial despite of their financial means,” said Idipo.

 Idipo further emphasised there is no timeframe when one should apply, but it is always advisable to apply as soon as one is aware of the need for legal representation.

“The lawyers who represent people in legal aid cases do not work for free; they are either government employees, or private legal practitioners who are paid out of government funds. Therefore, Legal Aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial,” concluded Idipo.

With the government determined to bring services closer to all its citizens, legal aid lawyers are employed by government and assigned to 26 magistrate courts in the country with plans underway to have legal aid lawyers at more magistrate courts.

To access this service; there is a prescribed form that the applicant should complete and hand it to the Director of Legal Aid for consideration. It takes a maximum of ten (10) working days from the date the application is received for the applicant to get his/her response, provided all the requisite information is provided to the director of Legal Aid at the ministry.

One can obtain legal aid application forms as well as the checklist from any magistrates court in the country, most police stations, at correctional facilities as well as at the Directorate of Legal Aid that is housed in Kisting House no 10565 at the Corner of Mungunda and Richard Kamuhuka Street, Katutura, Windhoek. The application form is also available on the Ministry of Justice’ website: http://www.moj.gov.na/contact-us .

* Johannes Hangula and Josefina Nghituwamata are Senior Information Officers in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Directorate of Print Media Affairs: Media Liaison Services.
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Austria.