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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Historic milestone' as court hears the horrors of Peru's forced sterilisation programme
During the 1990s, Peru's government carried out a ruthless campaign of forced sterilisation, depriving hundreds of thousands of women of the right to bear children. Now, for the first time, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has held a public hearing on the abuses – a case hailed as a 'historic milestone': Celia Ramos vs Peru. Celia Ramos was, like most affected by the mass sterilisation scheme, a woman living in poverty. Houses in her village of La Legua, Piura, were made of canes and mud, had limited electricity and no sewage system. Yet despite the hardships, Ramos, a mother to three girls, was a woman 'full of life,' her eldest recalls. Then, in July 1997, 34-year-old Ramos was sterilised – despite repeatedly refusing – as part of the National Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme. Nineteen days later, after suffering respiratory arrest from medication used during the operation, she died. 'It was very abrupt – she was young and healthy and cheerful,' said daughter Marisela Monzón Ramos, who was 10 at the time. 'The entire family was shaken. My grandmother had to be sedated because the pain was too great. We felt the impact at every level.' Ramos was one of at least 270,000 women sterilised under the national programme, launched and overseen by then-president Alberto Fujimori and his health ministers between 1996 and 2001. The Peruvian government has argued the sterilisation programme was part of a broader reproductive health policy, claiming it would decrease poverty, lower maternal and infant mortality rates, and curb fertility. But estimates suggest fewer than one in ten of those sterilised gave consent, while most of those affected were poor and indigenous, and often illiterate or non-Spanish speaking. Ramos' ordeal began with a visit to the local health centre for a routine check-up, where nurses encouraged her to undergo sterilisation – which she refused. According to family testimony, health workers then visited Ramos' home at least five times to 'harass' her into the procedure. 'They came insistently on several occasions,' said Monzón Ramos told the court on Thursday. 'I thought, why do they come so much looking for my mother? She didn't want to have the procedure.' Carmen Cecilia Martínez, an associate director for legal strategies at the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR), which represents the family, said that health workers were 'under pressure to meet 'goals' that were imposed to execute the national policy'. Lawyers say doctors were given compulsory sterilisation quotas and received financial incentives for performing the operations. 'The doctors obeyed a scale of orders that were controlled by the highest level of the country. We have evidence of the goals and quotas,' María Ysabel Cedano García, who also represents Ramos's daughters, told the Telegraph last year. Testimonies reveal that thousands of women were harassed and threatened into undergoing the procedures, with many blackmailed, and others tied down, blindfolded and knocked out with horse tranquilliser. Ramos underwent a tubal ligation on July 3. Her legal team – which also includes DEMUS (The Legal Study for the Defense of Women's Rights) and the Centre for Justice and International Law – insists she never gave consent. 'She was subjected to forced sterilisation,' said Martínez. 'The health centre was unfit for any medical procedure, the conditions were precarious, and she died.' Peru's Ombudsman's office has linked 18 deaths to the scheme. Last year, the Telegraph reported on the ongoing fight for justice. Florentina Loayza recalled how at the age of 19 she was sterilised under the pretence of receiving vaccinations. 'The doctor put a drip in my arm and I fell unconscious. That is when they mutilated me,' she said. 'Since then, I have been living in hell.' In another case, 27-year-old Mavila Rios De Rengiro, went to a clinic believing she was having a smear test. 'They told me I was having a pap smear, and then they locked us in,' she said. 'I was afraid. The doctor didn't speak to me. I woke up in terrible pain and with a lot of blood.' It took years for the scale of abuse in Peru to become public knowledge, partly because it unfolded against the backdrop of a brutal internal conflict that left nearly 70,000 dead. Many of Fujimori's supporters continue to deny that forced sterilisations ever took place. The Ramos case was first brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2010. In 2021, the Commission declared the Peruvian State responsible for violating Ramos' rights and recommended reparations. However, Peru failed to act, and in 2023 the case was referred to the Inter-American Court. 'This is a historic opportunity to establish the responsibility of the Peruvian state – not only for multiple human rights violations committed against Celia Ramos but also for the thousands of affected women,' said Martínez. In 2024, a landmark UN commission ruling concluded that Fujimori's policy amounted to sex-based violence and intersectional discrimination. It said that widespread and systematic forced sterilisation could constitute a 'crime against humanity' under the Rome Statute. Yet the CRR said that the Peruvian State 'adopted a denialist position' during Thursday's hearing. 'It denied that forced sterilisations were systematically committed and questioned the existence of human rights violations affecting thousands of women,' it said. Nancy Northup, the president of the CRR said that the 'decades of silence have only prolonged the cruelty'. 'Every survivor, and those like Celia Ramos who tragically did not survive, deserves her day in court.' Ramos's legal team have requested the court declare the Peruvian state responsible for committing crimes against humanity and for violating multiple rights, including the right to life, personal integrity and health, reproductive autonomy and protection of Ramos and her family. María Elena Carbajal, who was also a victim of the programme, said that the 'road to justice is long'. 'It's been over 28 years of uncommitted and unaccountable governments,' she said. Monzón Ramos said she and her sisters hoped that 'after nearly three decades since our mother's death, the truth of what happened will be acknowledged'. 'That justice will be done, that a real and thorough investigation will be opened, and that the State will recognise and repair the harm we have suffered,' she said. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Big high street retailer shutting city-centre store TODAY following string of closures
A quarter of the brand's stores are expected to close SHUT DOWN Big high street retailer shutting city-centre store TODAY following string of closures A MAJOR fashion retailer with more than 350 stores will close a city-centre location today. New Look will shutter it's shop in Chelmsford, Essex amid a string of other closures. 1 New Look is planning to close nearly 100 stores Credit: Google The retailer has not confirmed any plans to open another branch in the area. 'Our store in Chelmsford is set to close on 28th May," a New Look spokesperson said. "We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years. "We hope customers continue to shop with us online at where our full product ranges can be found.' What's happening at New Look? New Look began ramping up its store closure programme prior top April's National Insurance hike. Approximately a quarter of the retailer's 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire. This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on it's 8,000 strong workforce. The company has restructured its store estate twice in the past six years, reducing its portfolio from around 600 UK stores in 2018. For the time being, stores remain open as usual, and no final decisions regarding closures have been made. The move to accelerate store closures is understood to be driven by the increase in National Insurance, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October. Shock Closure: Fisher Tours Ends Operations After 22 Years Employers currently pay NICs for most workers earning more than £9,100 a year. The sum they pay is the equivalent of 13.8% of the employee's earnings above that threshold. For an employee earning £30,000, the employer would pay NICs of £2,884.20. However, in the Autumn Statement, the Treasury announced it would increase the tax rate to 15% and reduce the threshold at which firms must pay to £5,000. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." A New Look spokesperson said: "Our store estate is an important part of our business, alongside our best-in-class website and app. "We have recently invested over £3million in our stores in Greater Manchester to trial new omnichannel initiatives to improve customer experience. "We also continue to invest in our thriving online platform which has resulted in a strong online sales performance, with volumes significantly outpacing last year and an improved online margin." "On occasion we do have to close stores, either due to the landlord's request or because the site becomes unviable. "However, we always remain on the lookout for appropriate new opportunities across the country and continue to invest in our existing store estate."
Cision Canada
23-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CRR Extends Reach into the Clearwater with Strategic Roadway Acquisition
CALGARY, AB, May 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Canadian Resource Roadways (CRR), a leader in resource infrastructure ownership and operations, is pleased to announce it has concluded a definitive agreement to acquire a 24 km section of the East Exit Road, together with ancillary existing roadways in Alberta's Clearwater region. The transaction, involving Sequoia Resources Corp. (by and through its trustee in bankruptcy PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. through a court approved sale) and certain other vendors, marks another milestone in CRR's growth and geographic expansion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of May. The Clearwater region is one of Alberta's most active and strategically important resource plays. With the acquisition, CRR assumes ownership and operation of critical infrastructure that underpins ongoing and future development in the area. "Our entry into the Clearwater is a natural next step for CRR," said Mark Tysowski, President & Founder of CRR. "This acquisition grows our presence in an active region and aligns with our strategy to acquire, operate, and optimize infrastructure that's essential to our partners." Supported by its financial sponsor, CBRE Investment Management, CRR continues to identify and execute on high-value opportunities across Alberta and beyond. The Clearwater deal demonstrates the company's momentum — and its ability to work alongside top-tier producers to unlock value through roadway infrastructure. "We're just getting started in the Clearwater," said Stacey Clark, Chief Operations and Finance Officer at CRR. "This region represents the kind of long-term growth and partnership potential we're built for. We're proud to support our clients with the roads and infrastructure they need to operate safely, efficiently, and sustainably." RBC Capital Markets acted as CRR's financial advisor on the transaction. About Canadian Resource Roadways (CRR) CRR is an infrastructure business focused on owning and operating industrial access roads in Canada's resource sectors. By partnering with CRR, resource companies can monetize non-core road assets, redeploy capital into core operations and benefit from CRR's leading road maintenance and administration capabilities. Headquartered in Calgary, CRR is jointly owned by funds managed by CBRE Investment Management, directors and management. More information on CRR can be found at About CBRE Investment Management CBRE Investment Management is a leading global real assets investment management firm with $149.1 billion in assets under management* as of March 31, 2025, operating in 20 countries around the world. Through its investor-operator culture, the firm seeks to deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles and execution formats so that its clients, people and communities thrive. CBRE Investment Management is an independently operated affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE Investment Management harnesses CBRE's data and market insights, investment sourcing and other resources for the benefit of its clients. For more information, please visit *Assets under management (AUM) refers to the fair market value of real assets-related investments with respect to which CBRE Investment Management provides, on a global basis, oversight, investment management services and other advice and which generally consist of investments in real assets; equity in funds and joint ventures; securities portfolios; operating companies and real assets-related loans. This AUM is intended principally to reflect the extent of CBRE Investment Management's presence in the global real assets market, and its calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and from its calculation of regulatory assets under management for purposes of certain regulatory filings. For further information please contact: For CRR: Mark Tysowski President Canadian Resource Roadways LP 1100, Sixth Avenue SW | Calgary AB | T3P 0S8 C: (403) 919-2454 [email protected] For CBRE IM: Josh Stoffregen-Foye Head of Media Relations CBRE Investment Management 200 Park Avenue | Suite 2001 | NY, NY 10166 C: (347) 882-0148 [email protected] | LinkedIn
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CRR Extends Reach into the Clearwater with Strategic Roadway Acquisition
CALGARY, AB, May 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Canadian Resource Roadways (CRR), a leader in resource infrastructure ownership and operations, is pleased to announce it has concluded a definitive agreement to acquire a 24 km section of the East Exit Road, together with ancillary existing roadways in Alberta's Clearwater region. The transaction, involving Sequoia Resources Corp. (by and through its trustee in bankruptcy PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. through a court approved sale) and certain other vendors, marks another milestone in CRR's growth and geographic expansion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of May. The Clearwater region is one of Alberta's most active and strategically important resource plays. With the acquisition, CRR assumes ownership and operation of critical infrastructure that underpins ongoing and future development in the area. "Our entry into the Clearwater is a natural next step for CRR," said Mark Tysowski, President & Founder of CRR. "This acquisition grows our presence in an active region and aligns with our strategy to acquire, operate, and optimize infrastructure that's essential to our partners." Supported by its financial sponsor, CBRE Investment Management, CRR continues to identify and execute on high-value opportunities across Alberta and beyond. The Clearwater deal demonstrates the company's momentum — and its ability to work alongside top-tier producers to unlock value through roadway infrastructure. "We're just getting started in the Clearwater," said Stacey Clark, Chief Operations and Finance Officer at CRR. "This region represents the kind of long-term growth and partnership potential we're built for. We're proud to support our clients with the roads and infrastructure they need to operate safely, efficiently, and sustainably." RBC Capital Markets acted as CRR's financial advisor on the transaction. About Canadian Resource Roadways (CRR) CRR is an infrastructure business focused on owning and operating industrial access roads in Canada's resource sectors. By partnering with CRR, resource companies can monetize non-core road assets, redeploy capital into core operations and benefit from CRR's leading road maintenance and administration capabilities. Headquartered in Calgary, CRR is jointly owned by funds managed by CBRE Investment Management, directors and management. More information on CRR can be found at About CBRE Investment Management CBRE Investment Management is a leading global real assets investment management firm with $149.1 billion in assets under management* as of March 31, 2025, operating in 20 countries around the world. Through its investor-operator culture, the firm seeks to deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles and execution formats so that its clients, people and communities thrive. CBRE Investment Management is an independently operated affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE Investment Management harnesses CBRE's data and market insights, investment sourcing and other resources for the benefit of its clients. For more information, please visit *Assets under management (AUM) refers to the fair market value of real assets-related investments with respect to which CBRE Investment Management provides, on a global basis, oversight, investment management services and other advice and which generally consist of investments in real assets; equity in funds and joint ventures; securities portfolios; operating companies and real assets-related loans. This AUM is intended principally to reflect the extent of CBRE Investment Management's presence in the global real assets market, and its calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and from its calculation of regulatory assets under management for purposes of certain regulatory filings. For further information please contact: For CRR: Mark TysowskiPresidentCanadian Resource Roadways LP1100, Sixth Avenue SW | Calgary AB | T3P 0S8C: (403) For CBRE IM: Josh Stoffregen-FoyeHead of Media RelationsCBRE Investment Management200 Park Avenue | Suite 2001 | NY, NY 10166C: (347) | LinkedIn SOURCE Canadian Resource Roadways LP View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Major high street retailer to shut at popular shopping centre as huge closing down sale launched
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR high street chain is shutting one of its stores for good in a busy shopping centre — and launching a huge closing-down sale. Shoppers are gutted after finding out a popular Superdry store near Silverburn, just outside Glasgow, is set to close for good. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Superdry is set to shut its popular branch near Silverburn for good Credit: Alamy The store has slashed prices by 50 per cent to clear remaining stock. One disappointed shopper shared the news on Facebook, writing: 'For anyone near Silverburn, just outside Glasgow — Superdry are closing their store this Saturday. 50% off all stock.' However, another user later revealed the discount had jumped to a whopping 75 per cent. While some believe high street closures like this are now expected, others still express frustration at how quickly long-standing shops are disappearing. Similar cases across the UK have seen stores shut amid rising business rates and increasing pressure on employers. In Ipswich, the Trespass shop on Westgate Street has repeatedly put up 'closing down' posters, most recently this month, prompting debate among locals over whether it's genuinely closing or simply using a tactical sales approach. The Aylesbury branch, however, appears to be the real deal. Staff have reportedly told customers the final day of trading will be this Sunday, with all remaining stock being cleared out at discounted prices. This closure comes during a rough patch for British retail. Other high street names like Sports Direct, New Look, and WHSmith have also shut stores or announced downsizing in recent months. According to the British Retail Consortium, a mix of higher running costs, tax changes, and increased National Insurance contributions are placing a £2.3 billion burden on the retail sector, pushing more shops off the high street. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." DEATH OF THE HIGH STREET Retailers have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
