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Showing posts from January 24, 2021

Tim Cook slams social media companies for allowing extremism and polarisation

Apple is getting ready to roll out a new privacy control to prevent iPhone apps from secretly shadowing Apple CEO Tim Cook lambasted social media companies, though without naming them, accusing them of prioritising user attention and data collection at the cost of allowing and even rewarding dangerous conspiracies, extremism and polarisation. Too may are still asking the question how much can we get away with?' when we should be asking what are the consequences?' What are the consequences of not just tolerating but rewarding content that undermines public trust in life-saving vaccinations? What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups and then perpetuating an algorithm that recommends more?" he said Thursday. Speaking at a virtually held International Conference on Computers, Privacy and Data Protection, Cook said it's time to stop pretending that this approach doesn't come with a cost" of polarization, lost trust an

We must stem toxic tide of extremism

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Australia, we have a problem. There is something pathetic about men hiding behind balaclavas and play-acting at being neo-Nazis in a popular national park.   Chants of ″⁣Ku Klux Klan″⁣ and ″⁣Heil Hitler″⁣ smack of sad, delusional behaviour. But these white supremacists were not play-acting, and being pathetic doesn’t mean that they don’t represent a threat. Their antics in the Grampians come just three weeks after angry, far-right extremists violently stormed the US Capitol and attempted an insurrection. They were a motley crew and pathetic too, but their actions saw five lives lost and very nearly resulted in many more deaths. Thankfully, we don’t have a problem with far-right militia groups on anything like the scale that America does. Nor do we face the sort of far-right terrorist threat that the US does, where the vast majority of terrorist attacks are linked to far-right extremism. Nor are we having to deal with neo-Nazi groups infiltrating our police and military in t

Why the US is wrong to designate the Houthis as ‘terrorists’

On January 10, then US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the Trump administration was designating Ansar Allah, the de facto Houthi-led government in North Yemen, as a terrorist entity, “to hold [it] accountable for its terrorist acts”. As most commentators pointed out, this designation would dramatically worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, making it extremely difficult to provide much-needed aid to the country and undermine the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the war. As damaging, but rarely noted, is the unprincipled politicisation of America’s “terrorism” designation and its selective use as a tool of warfare against political opponents. It undermines any credibility that the US might retain in a facts-based, even-handed designation of terrorist actors around the world. It also further exposes the US as a belligerent actor that has knowingly harmed the people of Yemen for the past six years. There is no doubt that since the start of the Saudi-UAE-le

Why Somali Clan Elders Could Negotiate With Al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab continues to pursue its goal of installing itself in power. To achieve this, it aims to overthrow the western-backed Somali government and eject foreign forces from the country. For its part, the Somali government relies largely on international support to deliver stability and reconstruction. To resolve the conflict, some observers have urged the government to initiate dialogue with Al-Shabaab. Somalia's solution warrants a localised and contextualised approach to negotiation. Since senior clan elders are perceived to be credible and legitimate, and are trusted by both Al-Shabaab and the Somali government, some Somalis suggest they could initiate early informal talks that could lead to a broader political dialogue, ultimately paving the way for direct negotiation, writes  Mohammed Ibrahim Shire  for  The Conversation Africa.   Source:  https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00076522.html

Central African Republic declared a 15-day state of emergency

The Central African Republic has declared a 15-day state of emergency. Presidential spokesperson Albert Yaloke Mokpeme is reported to have said that the state of emergency, which starts on January 22, 2021,  will allow authorities "to make arrests without going through national prosecutors". The announcement follows a surge in attacks by armed groups seeking to overturn the December 27 presidential election. President Faustin Archange Touadera has been declared the winner by the country's constitutional court. Only one third of eligible voters cast their ballots, primarily due to security concerns. The top UN official in the country has appealed to the Security Council more peacekeepers and equipment. Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in recent weeks Source:  https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00076542.html

African Human Rights Deteriorate in Wake of Coronavirus

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Africa:    Governments Exploited Covid-19 to Crack Down on Human Rights - Report allAfrica, 22 January 2021 Covid-19 and the emergency measures taken to combat it have affected the poor in Africa particularly badly, and some governments have exploited the pandemic to restrict human…  Read more » Ethiopia:    Human Rights, Security Erode as Govt Struggles to Keep Order allAfrica, 22 January 2021 An excerpt on Ethiopia from the annual Human Rights Watch publication, World Report 2021:  Read more » Zimbabwe:    Abductions, Torture, Arbitrary Arrests Continued in 2020 allAfrica, 22 January 2021 An excerpt on Zimbabwe from the annual Human Rights Watch publication, World Report 2021:  Read more » Nigeria:    Nation's Human Rights Record in 2020 allAfrica, 22 January 2021 An excerpt on Nigeria from the annual Human Rights Watch publication, World Report 2021:  Read more » South Africa:    Xenophobic Attacks Continued in 2020 - Rights Report allAfrica, 22 January 2021 An excerpt on South

'Racism is in the bones of our nation': Will Joe Biden answer the 'cry' for racial justice?

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In his first few minutes as America’s new president, Joe Biden made a promise so sweeping that it almost seemed to deny history. “We can deliver racial justice,” Biden pledged to his factious nation. It wasn’t a commitment presented in any detail as he moved on to asserting that America would again be the leading force for good in the world, a claim that draws its own scrutiny. But Biden acknowledged that the ground has shifted over demands for racial justice in the US following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May and the violent white nationalism of Donald Trump. “A cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be  deferred no longer ,” said Biden. “And now, a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.” The coronavirus pandemic has compounded the urgency given its disproportionate toll on minority communities because of economic inequality and a heal

Let’s raise the US$1bn target to fight terrorism – Akufo-Addo to ECOWAS

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  President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is also the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged member countries to continue their contributions to the one billion United States dollar (US$1 billion) ECOWAS Regional Security Fund (ERSF), created in support of the 2020-2024 Anti-Terrorism Action Plan. He said raising this money has to be a high priority for members, because it enables the region to act independently in this crisis. Mr Akufo-Addo made the appeal during the Virtual Summit 58th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, On Saturday, 23rd January 2021. “I thank all Member States that are making significant efforts to support our initiatives, in this regard, especially those that have begun to pay their financial contribution to the one billion United States dollar (US$1 billion) ECOWAS Regional Security Fund (ERSF), created in support of the 2020-2024 Anti-Terrorism Action Plan. Raising this money has to be a

ICC has arrested Central African Republic war crimes suspect Said: statement

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  Seleka fighters gather before crossing a river near town of Kuango, close to the border of Democratic Republic of Congo June 9, 2014. The International Criminal Court on Sunday said it had taken into custody a former Central African Republic commander of the “Seleka” faction suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In a statement, the court said Mahamat Said Abdel Kain had surrendered to the court on Sunday and had been arrested under a warrant issued under seal on Jan. 7 2019, relating to alleged crimes from 2013. A date for his initial appearance in The Hague has not yet been set. The arrest comes against the backdrop of a state of emergency in the Central African Republic, with fighting between the country’s army, backed by U.N., Russian and Rwandan troops, and rebels seeking to overturn a Dec. 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner. A judge for the court said there was reasonable grounds to believe that Said, 50, was responsible f

Kapedo: A village stalked by death, fear and sorrow

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Nobody lingers any more over a drink or a meal at the village restaurant at Chemolingot trading centre, 30km north of Kapedo – a troubled area at the border of Baringo and Turkana counties. The restaurant is now closed and the owner says it is likely to stay that way for another month or so. That is hardly surprising, given that six men were abducted in the area and later killed, in what villagers believe to be extra-judicial killings, following the brutal murder a senior police officer on January 17. More chilling is the fact that there are a few customers left in the village within Baringo County, as dozens of men have fled in fear of a massive security operation. The recent killing of General Service Unit (GSU) Operation Commander Emadau Tebakol and that of Chief Inspector of Police in charge of Rapid Redeployment Unit (RDU) a day after, heightened tension in the region. Read More   1  Kuppet threatens to withdraw teachers from Kapedo, Baringo over insecurity   2  MCA grilled over i

US Police Weigh Officer Discipline After Rally, Capitol Riot

For two Virginia police officers who posed for a photo during the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection, the reckoning has been swift and public: They were identified, charged with crimes and arrested. But for five Seattle officers the outcome is less clear. Their identities still secret, two are on leave and three continue to work while a police watchdog investigates whether their actions in the nation’s capital on Jan. 6 crossed the line from protected political speech to lawbreaking. The contrasting cases highlight the dilemma faced by police departments nationwide as they review the behavior of dozens of officers who were in Washington the day of the riot by supporters of President Donald Trump. Officials and experts agree that officers who were involved in the melee should be fired and charged for their role. But what about those officers who attended only the Trump rally before the riot? How does a department balance an officer’s free speech rights with the blow to public trust that c

War crime suspect from Central African Republic surrendered to International Criminal Court

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Representative Image The Hague [Netherlands], January 25 (ANI/Sputnik): The Central African Republic (CAR) has surrendered a suspected war criminal to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the court's statement. "Today, 24 January 2021, Mr Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, also known as 'Mahamat Said Abdel Kain' and 'Mahamat Said Abdelkani' ('Mr Said'), was surrendered to the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court") by the authorities of the Central African Republic ('CAR') on account of an ICC warrant of arrest issued under seal on 7 January 2019. Mr Said is suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Bangui (CAR) in 2013," the statement reads. Among Said's purported crimes are torture, persecution, enforced disappearance and cruel treatment - all committed during his alleged service as a commander for the Seleka rebel Islamist group during the armed struggle against f

Indian Army Foils Chinese PLA's Attempt to Intrude into Indian Territory at Naku La

Gangtok, January 25:  In an attempt to intrude into Indian territory, the Chinese soldier has tried to move towards and across the border last week, as per reports. However, their attempt was foiled by the Indian army officials. The incident reportedly took place in Naku La in the Northern Sikkim, when the Chinese soldiers tried to cross over the Indian side of the border.  China Violated Bilateral Agreements, Responsible for Stand-Off in Ladakh, Reiterates India. Also Read |  China: 11 Workers Rescued From Gold Mine in Shandong Province After 2 Weeks As per reports, a clash broke out between the Indian and Chinese army, and the Indian men successfully foiled their attempt to intrude into the country. As per sources around 20 Chinese soldiers were injured in the clash at Naku La in Sikkim. On the Indian side, four soldiers reportedly sustained injuries.  Ladakh Standoff: India, China Have Reached 5-Point Consensus After Talks, Says Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Indian men reportedly su

Turkey Seeks Surviving Crew Members After Pirate Attack Off Nigeria

ISTANBUL: Turkey sought on Sunday to rescue surviving members of a container ship after pirates attacked it off the coast of Nigeria, killing one person and kidnapping 15, according to the Turkish and Azeri governments and state media. Three crew members remained aboard the Turkish vessel, called Mozart, after the attack on Saturday morning in the Gulf of Guinea. One crew member, an Azeri, was killed during the incident and 15 were kidnapped by the pirates, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency said. The ship, abandoned by the pirates and now headed toward Gabon’s coast, initially had a full crew of 19. Turkish media cited Istanbul-based ship owner Boden company as saying the owners and operators of the vessel were abducted at gunpoint. It had been headed to Cape Town from Lagos. Boden was not immediately available. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke twice by phone with one of the captains who remained on the ship, Furkan Yaren, his office said, adding he directed officials on the resc