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United Arab Emirates plans AI-run government within two years

Sun, 03 May 2026 14:20:31 -0400

The United Arab Emirates just made one of the most aggressive moves yet in the global AI race. The country says it will integrate agentic artificial intelligence across half of its government operations within two years.

For context: Most governments are still debating whether to use AI. This plan puts speed and execution front and center and goes in the opposite direction of how governments typically handle major technology changes.

If it works, the UAE could offer a preview of how AI may reshape public services far beyond the Middle East. If it runs into problems, it could also highlight the risks of moving this fast when government decisions, personal data and public trust are all involved.

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UAE AMBASSADOR YOUSEF AL OTAIBA: US AND UAE FORGE GROUNDBREAKING HIGH-TECH PARTNERSHIP BASED ON AI

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What agentic AI means for the UAE government

Agentic AI refers to systems that can analyze information, make decisions and take action with minimal human input. In this model, AI can process requests, adjust workflows and improve outcomes in real time. It can also carry out certain government tasks from start to finish, instead of only suggesting what a person should do next.

So, how would that show up in everyday ways? Think faster permit approvals, automated public services or systems that respond instantly to changes in demand. Instead of waiting for human bottlenecks, processes move continuously.

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According to the announcement, AI will act more like an operational partner than a tool. That marks a change in how governments think about technology.

How the UAE plans to roll out AI across government

There is also a clear structure behind the rollout. The UAE has put a detailed plan in place with clear expectations from the start. Every ministry and government entity will be evaluated based on how quickly it adopts AI, how well it implements those systems and how effectively it redesigns workflows around them.

Oversight will come from Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior government leader who plays a key role in the country's executive decision-making. Day-to-day execution will be led by a task force chaired by Mohammad Al Gergawi, a longtime cabinet minister focused on government modernization.

How AI will change government jobs in the UAE

One of the biggest parts of this plan has less to do with machines and more to do with people. Every federal employee will receive AI training. The goal is to build a workforce that can work alongside intelligent systems rather than compete with them.

That matters because large-scale automation often raises concerns about job loss. The UAE is taking a different angle by focusing on reskilling and adaptation. If it works, it could become a model that other countries try to follow. If it struggles, it will highlight how difficult workforce transformation can be at scale.

Why the UAE is moving so fast on AI in government

This move fits into a broader strategy. The UAE has spent years positioning itself as a tech-forward economy. By embedding AI into government operations, the country hopes to improve efficiency, reduce delays and deliver faster services to residents and businesses.

It also sends a signal globally. The UAE wants to set the benchmark for how governments use AI in a big way. That puts pressure on other countries, including the United States, to rethink how quickly we adopt similar technologies.

Concerns about AI in government are already growing

For all the excitement, this kind of rollout raises real concerns. Critics point to accountability as one of the biggest questions. When AI systems start making decisions inside government, it can become harder to understand who is responsible when something goes wrong. Was it the system, the developer or the agency using it?

JOBS THAT ARE MOST AT RISK FROM AI, ACCORDING TO MICROSOFT

Privacy is another sticking point. Government systems already handle sensitive personal data. Expanding AI across those systems could increase how much data is collected, analyzed and stored, which makes some experts uneasy.

There is also the issue of bias. AI models learn from data, and if that data has gaps or flaws, the outcomes can reflect that. In a government setting, that could affect access to services, approvals or enforcement decisions in ways that are not always obvious.

Then there is trust. Even if the systems work as intended, people may still hesitate to accept decisions made by machines, especially when those decisions affect their daily lives.

Supporters argue that these risks can be managed with strong oversight and transparency. Still, critics say the speed of this rollout leaves little room for error, and that is where the debate is likely to intensify.

What this means to you

Even if you do not live in the UAE, this push has real implications. First, it raises expectations. When one government proves it can deliver faster services with AI, people elsewhere will start asking why theirs cannot.

Second, it accelerates the global AI race. Governments will need to balance speed with privacy, security and oversight. Third, it highlights a growing reality. AI is moving into decision-making roles beyond basic support functions. That changes how systems are built and how accountability works.

You may start to see similar experiments here in the United States, especially at the state or city level, where innovation can happen faster.

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Kurt's key takeaways

The UAE is betting big on a future in which AI plays a central role in how its government operates. The timeline is aggressive, and the scope is hard to ignore. What stands out most is how quickly this is moving from concept to execution. At the same time, the questions are just as big as the opportunity. Who is accountable when AI makes a decision? How much data is being used behind the scenes? And how much trust are people willing to place in systems they cannot fully see? This could become a model that other governments try to follow. It could also expose real challenges around transparency and control. Either way, it is a clear signal that AI is moving deeper into systems that affect our everyday lives.

If AI can start making real-time decisions inside government systems, how comfortable are you with that level of automation showing up in your everyday life? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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UN staff in Haiti told to stay off streets after gang coalition flexes muscle, US Marines face gunfire

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:28:57 -0500

Threats from Haitian gangs reportedly prompted the United Nations (U.N.) and foreign embassies to advise staff to stay off the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince Monday.

U.N. security directed staff to work remotely and restrict travel in the West region, while Haiti’s National Police canceled all personnel leave until further notice, according to The Miami Herald.

Mathias Gillmann, a spokesperson with the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, confirmed to ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an email that staff were asked to work from home for the day.

Public threats from a powerful Haitian gang leader began circulating on social media in recent days following weekend security operations from the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a multinational mission, authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

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Jimmy Chérizier, widely known as "Barbecue," appeared in a video shared Sunday by an independent Haitian media outlet, urging people to stay home on Nov. 17 so they wouldn’t "be a victim," according to a brief translation of his remarks.

"Those who don't need to, do not go out into the streets. Leave the streets to 'Viv Ansanm' and the police so that we can confront them," "Barbecue" is quoted as saying, according to HaitiLibre, an independent Haitian news site based in Port-au-Prince.

LEADER OR KILLER? A DAY WITH ‘BARBECUE’ IN HAITI'S CAPITAL

Viv Ansanm is a Haitian gang coalition that was designated by the U.S. State Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and Foreign Terrorist Organization in May.

It was formed in September 2023 through an alliance between the two main gang factions operating in Port-au-Prince, G-9 and G-Pép.

The GSF said in an X post on Sunday that, together with specialized units from the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti, it carried out a security operation against the leadership and members of the 400 Mawozo gang that led to the deaths of several gang members.

The Friday operation resulted in the seizure of multiple weapons, including an M50-caliber Barrett rifle, six assault rifles and three pistols, they said.

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"This operation sends a clear and unequivocal message: the era of unchecked gang dominance is over. Haiti’s security institutions are mobilizing all available capabilities; on land, at sea, and in the air, to restore peace, protect communities, and ensure that every Haitian can exercise their basic human rights without fear of violence," read a statement from GSF. "Joint intelligence-driven operations and continuous security patrols will persist until these criminal groups are decisively defeated."

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GSF said a Haitian National Police helicopter providing aerial support during the operation was forced to make an emergency landing due to a mechanical malfunction.

The team on board was evacuated by ground units, who came under heavy gang fire while conducting the rescue.

On Thursday, U.S. Marines protecting the American Embassy in Haiti exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members. No service members were injured in the incident.

India's parliament passes bill that would change Muslim land endowments

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:13:14 -0400

India's parliament passed a controversial bill that amends laws governing Muslim land endowments, known as waqfs, by including non-Muslims on the boards that manage these properties and increasing government oversight.
The government claims the changes aim to combat corruption and promote diversity, but critics argue it undermines Muslim rights and could lead to the confiscation of historic religious sites.
Muslim groups and opposition parties have expressed concerns that the bill is politically motivated, and could marginalize Muslims by altering ownership rules and requiring waqf boards to validate property claims.

India's parliament passed a controversial bill moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government to amend laws governing Muslim land endowments, while Muslim groups and opposition parties protested the move.

The bill would add non-Muslims to boards that manage waqf land endowments and give the government a larger role in validating their land holdings. The government says the changes will help to fight corruption and mismanagement while promoting diversity, but critics fear that it will further undermine the rights of the country’s Muslim minority and could be used to confiscate historic mosques and other property.

The debate was heated in both houses of parliament. The Lower House debated it Wednesday through early Thursday, while in the Upper House, the fiery discussion lasted more than 16 hours into early Friday.

The Congress-led opposition firmly opposed the proposal, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory against Muslims. Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lacks a majority in the Lower House, but its allies helped to pass the bill.

MUSLIMS IN INDIA VOICE CONCERNS THAT NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW COULD FURTHER MARGINALIZE THEM

In the Lower House, 288 members voted for the bill while 232 were against it. Similarly, 128 favored it and 95 voted against it in the Upper House. The bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent to become law.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the bill to change a 1995 law that set rules for the foundations and set up state-level boards to administer them.

Many Muslim groups, as well as the opposition parties, say the proposal is discriminatory, politically motivated and an attempt by Modi’s ruling party to weaken minority rights.

The bill was first introduced in parliament last year, and opposition leaders have said some of their subsequent proposals for it were ignored. The government has said opposition parties are using rumors to discredit them and block transparency in managing the endowments.

What’s a waqf?

Waqfs are a traditional type of Islamic charitable foundation in which a donor permanently sets aside property — often but not always real estate — for religious or charitable purposes. Waqf properties cannot be sold or transferred.

Waqfs in India control 872,000 properties that cover 405,000 hectares (1 million acres) of land, worth an estimated $14.22 billion. Some of these endowments date back centuries, and many are used for mosques, seminaries, graveyards and orphanages.

Law would change who runs waqfs

In India, waqf property is managed by semi-official boards, one for each state and federally run union territory. The law would require non-Muslims to be appointed to the boards.

Currently, waqf boards are staffed by Muslims, like similar bodies that help administer other religious charities.

During the parliamentary debate, Home Minister Amit Shah said non-Muslims would be included in waqf boards only for administration purposes and to help run the endowments smoothly. He added that they were not there to interfere in religious affairs.

"The (non-Muslim) members will monitor whether the administration is running as per law or not, and whether the donations are being used for what they were intended or not," he said.

Muslim groups, like The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said such comments were against the fundamentals of Islamic endowments as such bodies necessarily need to be governed by Muslims only. The board said the bill was "a blatant infringement on the constitutional rights of Muslim citizens" and called on citizens to hit the streets against it.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, said, "Why should waqf bodies allow non-Muslims as members when Hindu temple trusts don’t allow people of other religions in their fold?"

One of the most controversial changes is to ownership rules, which could impact historical mosques, shrines, and graveyards, since many such properties lack formal documentation as they were donated without legal records decades, and even centuries, ago.

Questions about title

Other changes could impact mosques on land held in centuries-old waqfs.

Radical Hindu groups have laid claim to several mosques around India, arguing they are built on the ruins of important Hindu temples. Many such cases are pending in courts.

The law would require waqf boards to seek approval from a district level officer to confirm the waqfs’ claims to property.

Critics say that would undermine the board and could lead to Muslims being stripped of their land. It’s not clear how often the boards would be asked to confirm such claims to land.

"The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights," Rahul Gandhi, the main opposition leader, wrote on social media platform X. He said the bill was an "attack on the Constitution" by the BJP and its allies "aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future."

INDIA’S RELIGIOUS DIVIDE CONTINUES TO WIDEN BETWEEN MUSLIM, HINDU COMMUNITY

Fears among Muslims

While many Muslims agree that waqfs suffer from corruption, encroachments and poor management, they also fear that the new law could give India’s Hindu nationalist government far greater control over Muslim property, particularly at a time when attacks against minority communities have become more aggressive under Modi, with Muslims often targeted for everything from their food and clothing styles to inter-religious marriages.

Last month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its annual report that religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate while Modi and his party "propagated hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities" during last year’s election campaign.

Modi’s government says India is run on democratic principles of equality and no discrimination exists in the country.

Muslims, who are 14% of India’s 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation, but they are also the poorest, a 2013 government survey found.

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Internet remains down in Bangladesh despite apparent calm following deadly protests

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:19:39 -0400

Bangladesh declared a public holiday on Monday and remained without internet for a fifth day following a Supreme Court ruling that reduced a government job quota system.
A curfew with a shoot-on-sight order was previously implemented, and military personnel were seen patrolling major areas, including the capital.
The country saw violent clashes between police and student protesters demanding an end to a 30% job quota for veterans' relatives.

Bangladesh remained without internet for a fifth day and the government declared a public holiday Monday, as authorities maintained tight control despite apparent calm following a court order that scaled back a controversial system for allocating government jobs that sparked violent protests.

This comes after a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order was installed days earlier and military personnel could be seen patrolling the capital and other areas.

The South Asian country witnessed clashes between the police and mainly student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. The violence has killed more than a hundred people, according to at least four local newspapers. Authorities have not so far shared official figures for deaths.

BANGLADESH URGES UNIVERSITIES TO CLOSE AFTER 6 DIE IN PROTESTS, BOMBS AND WEAPONS FOUND

There was no immediate violence reported on Monday morning after the Supreme Court ordered, the day before, the veterans’ quota to be cut to 5%. Thus, 93% of civil service jobs will be merit-based while the remaining 2% reserved for members of ethnic minorities as well as transgender and disabled people.

On Sunday night, some student protesters urged the government to restore internet services. Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, told the Associated Press that they were withdrawing their calls for a complete shutdown, which they attempted to impose last week.

"But we are issuing an ultimatum for 48 hours to stop the digital crackdown and restore internet connectivity," he said, adding that security officials deployed at various universities should be withdrawn, student dormitories reopened and steps taken so students can return to their campuses safely. Abdullah also said they wanted the government to end the curfew and ensure the country was back to normal within two days.

Students have also demanded some university officials to step down after failing to protect campuses. Sarjis Alam, another coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said that they would continue with their protests if all their demands weren't met. "We cannot step back from our movement like a coward," he added.

BANGLADESH PROTESTS PAUSE AS TOP COURT AGREES TO ABANDON MOST JOB QUOTAS

Another key organizer of the student protests, Nahid Islam, told reporters that the internet shutdown had disrupted their ability to communicate and alleged that authorities were trying to create divisions among protesters. "I am mentally traumatized ... our unity is being destroyed," he said.

The US Embassy in the capital Dhaka described Sunday the situation as "extremely volatile" and "unpredictable," adding that guns, tear gas and other weapons have been used in the vicinity of the embassy. They said the Bangladeshi army had been deployed and urged Americans to be vigilant, avoid large crowds and reconsider travel plans.

The protests have posed the most serious challenge to Bangladesh’s government since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won a fourth consecutive term in January elections that the main opposition groups boycotted. Universities have been closed, the internet has been shut off and the government has ordered people to stay at home.

Protesters had argued the quota system was discriminatory and benefited supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and wanted it replaced by a merit-based system. Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect regardless of political affiliation.

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The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has backed the protests, vowing to organize its own demonstrations as many of its supporters joined the student-led protests.

The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fueling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the country’s national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures.

Viral TikTok video reveals what former CIA officer could and couldn’t tell boyfriends

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:49:04 -0400

Former officer worked at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center while trying to find a husband

France's Macron declines resignation of PM for 'stability of the country' after chaotic election

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:03:27 -0400

French President Emmanuel Macron has refused Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation.
The French legislative election split the legislature among the left, center and far right, leaving no faction close to a majority.
Prime Minister Attal offered his resignation, but Macron immediately asked him to stay to ensure stability.

French President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation of the country’s prime minister, asking him on Monday to remain temporarily as the head of the government after chaotic election results left the government in limbo.

French voters split the legislature on the left, center and far right, leaving no faction even close to the majority needed to form a government. The results from Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union’s second-largest economy.

Macron gambled that his decision to call snap elections would give France a "moment of clarification," but the outcome showed the opposite, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, when the country will be under an international spotlight.

FRENCH PM TO RESIGN AS LEFTISTS NAB PLURALITY OF PARLIAMENTARY SEATS IN SNAP ELECTION

The French stock market fell on opening but quickly recovered, possibly because markets had feared an outright victory for the far right or the leftist coalition.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had said he would remain in office if needed but offered his resignation Monday morning. Macron, who named him just seven months ago, immediately asked him to stay on "to ensure the stability of the country." Macron's top political allies joined the meeting with Attal at the presidential palace, which ended after about 90 minutes.

Attal on Sunday made clear that he disagreed with Macron’s decision to call the surprise elections. The results of two rounds of voting left no obvious path to form a government for the leftist coalition that came in first, Macron’s centrist alliance or the far right.

Newly elected and returning lawmakers were expected to gather at the National Assembly to begin negotiations in earnest. Macron himself will leave midweek for a NATO summit in Washington.

RIVALS MOVE TO BLOCK FRANCE'S RIGHT-WING NATIONAL PARTY'S ELECTION MOMENTUM

Political deadlock could have far-ranging implications for the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability. Still, at least one leader said the results were a relief.

"In Paris enthusiasm, in Moscow disappointment, in Kyiv relief. Enough to be happy in Warsaw," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former European Union Council head, wrote late Sunday on X.

According to official results released early Monday, all three main blocs fell far short of the 289 seats needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly, the more powerful of France’s two legislative chambers.

The results showed just over 180 seats for the New Popular Front leftist coalition, which placed first, ahead of Macron’s centrist alliance, with more than 160 seats. Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its allies were restricted to third place, although their more than 140 seats were still way ahead of the party’s previous best showing of 89 seats in 2022.

Macron has three years remaining on his presidential term.

Rather than rallying behind Macron as he'd hoped, millions took the vote as an opportunity to vent anger about inflation, crime, immigration and other grievances — including his style of government.

The New Popular Front’s leaders immediately pushed Macron to give them the first chance to form a government and propose a prime minister. The faction pledges to roll back many of Macron’s headline reforms, embark on a costly program of public spending, and take a tougher line against Israel because of its war with Hamas. But it's not clear, even among the left, who could lead the government without alienating crucial allies.

"We need someone who offers consensus," said Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, which joined the leftist coalition and was still sorting out how many seats it won on Monday.

Macron warns that the left’s economic program of many tens of billions of euros in public spending, partly financed by taxes on wealth and hikes for high earners, could be ruinous for France, already criticized by EU watchdogs for its debt.

A hung parliament is unknown territory for modern France and many people reacted with a mix of relief and apprehension.

"What pollsters and the press were telling us made me very nervous so it’s a huge relief. Big expectations as well," said Nadine Dupuis, a 60-year-old legal secretary in Paris. "What’s going to happen? How are they going to govern this country?"

The political agreement between the left and center to block the National Rally was largely successful. Many voters decided that keeping the far right from power was more important than anything else, backing its opponents in the runoff, even if they weren’t from the political camp they usually support.

"Disappointed, disappointed," said far-right supporter Luc Doumont, 66. "Well, happy to see our progression, because for the past few years we’ve been doing better."

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National Rally leader Le Pen, who was expected to make a fourth run for the French presidency in 2027, said the elections laid the groundwork for "the victory of tomorrow."

Racism and antisemitism marred the electoral campaign, along with Russian disinformation campaigns, and more than 50 candidates reported being physically attacked — highly unusual for France.

Unlike other countries in Europe that are more accustomed to coalition governments, France doesn’t have a tradition of lawmakers from rival political camps coming together to form a majority. France is also more centralized than many other European countries, with many more decisions made in Paris.

Former intelligence chief nominated as new prime minister by the Netherlands' incoming government

Tue, 28 May 2024 12:50:26 -0400

Former Dutch intelligence chief Dick Schoof is set to be presented as the proposed prime minister of the incoming government of the Netherlands.
Geert Wilders, the election winner, reached an agreement on government formation with three other conservative parties after opting out of the top job himself.
Schoof, 67, currently holds a senior position at the Dutch ministry of justice and has led various agencies.

Former Dutch intelligence chief Dick Schoof will be presented on Tuesday as the proposed prime minister of the Netherlands' incoming right-wing government.

The four parties that will form the new government, led by Geert Wilders' nationalist PVV, announced a press conference with Schoof for 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

Election winner Wilders this month reached an agreement on forming the government with three other conservative parties, after ruling himself out of the top job in the cabinet.

DUTCH FIREBRAND GEERT WILDERS JOINS NEW GOVERNMENT AS EUROPE'S 'LIBERAL ELITES' PUT ON NOTICE

Schoof, 67, is currently the senior official at the Dutch ministry of justice, after having led the country's intelligence agency AIVD and anti-terrorism agency NCTV for years. He was the head of the Dutch immigration service in the early 2000s.

In its governing plan published on May 16, the coalition said it would aim for the "strictest-ever asylum regime" with stronger border controls and harsher rules for asylum seekers who arrive in the Netherlands, setting up a potential clash with the EU before even taking office.

Schoof would head a cabinet that the four parties have said would have looser ties to parliament. It could take weeks to put together, with the parties all negotiating over the portfolios and responsibilities.

Once he has formed a government, set to be the most right-wing in the Netherlands in decades, he will be sworn in by the king and officially become prime minister.

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"Congratulations Dick. Dick Schoof has a great track record, is not a member of any party and thus stands above the parties, is honest and, on top of it, very friendly," Wilders reacted on social media X.

That government will, however, have to stick to the agreement reached by the four parties, which is aiming to secure exceptions on EU asylum and environmental rules.

Far right leader Wilders last week said he expected the new government to be operational by end-June.

Besides his experience at the intelligence and anti-terrorism services, Schoof has also worked on reforming the Dutch police force.

Having worked mostly on Dutch domestic policies, Schoof, a divorced father of two, does not have a high international profile.

Tunisian journalists jailed for criticizing the government, sparking outcry over press crackdown

Thu, 23 May 2024 07:20:46 -0400

Two Tunisian journalists were sentenced to one year in prison for criticizing the government.
Each journalist received six months for disseminating "fake news" and an additional six months for "making false statements with the aim of defaming others."
Both journalists denied the allegations, citing Tunisia's laws protecting freedom of expression established after the 2011 revolution.

A Tunisian court on Wednesday sentenced two TV and radio journalists to one year in prison for criticizing the government on their programs and on social networks.

Borhane Bsaïs and Mourad Zeghidi were each given six months' imprisonment for disseminating "fake news" and an additional six months for "making false statements with the aim of defaming others," in reference to Tunisian President Kaïs Saied, court spokesperson Mohamed Zitouna said.

The sentences come less than two weeks after both were arrested. They are among a broader group of journalists, activists and lawyers charged under Decree 54, a law criminalizing the dissemination of "fake news" aimed at harming public safety or national defense.

TUNISIAN LAWYERS STRIKE IN PROTEST, ALLEGING TORTURE OF ARRESTED COLLEAGUE

The law, passed in 2022 to fight cybercrime, has been widely criticized by rights advocates who say the offenses are vaguely defined and are being used to crack down on the president's critics.

Both Bsaïs and Zeghidi denied the allegations. In court, they referred to laws protecting freedom of expression that Tunisia enshrined after its 2011 revolution, when it became the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to topple a longtime dictator. Both said they were simply doing their jobs, analyzing and commenting on political and economic developments in Tunisia.

"I am neither for nor against the president. Sometimes I support his choices, sometimes I criticize them. It’s part of my job," Zeghidi said.

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Bsaïs, host of the radio show "Emission Impossible" ("Impossible Program" in English) was accused of undermining the president on the air and in Facebook posts made between 2019 and 2022. It's unclear why authorities targeted old posts like his as they pursue a growing number of Saied's political critics.

He defended his opinions and in court objected to being brusquely arrested last week "like a dangerous criminal."

The trial has drawn international condemnation and sparked criticism in Tunisia, where many journalists gathered in front of the court in a show of support.

"We are all on provisional release because any journalistic work can give rise to prosecution," Zied Dabbar, president of Tunisia's National Journalists Syndicate, said of Decree 54. He said 39 journalists have been prosecuted under the law this year.

Saied has faced criticism for suspending parliament and rewriting the constitution to consolidate his own power three years ago. Critics have spoken out against the government’s approach to politics, the economy and migration in the Mediterranean in the years since.

Tunisian lawyers strike in protest, alleging torture of arrested colleague

Thu, 16 May 2024 13:58:20 -0400

Lawyers in Tunisia took to the streets on Thursday to protest a string of recent arrests.
One lawyer was arrested at the bar association headquarters, while the other was allegedly hospitalized due to injuries from the arrest.
The National Bar Association called for nationwide strikes and staged a "day of anger" with protests.

Lawyers in Tunisia took to the streets on Thursday to protest a string of recent arrests that have convulsed the country over the past week and provoked international outcry.

The demonstration in the North African country's capital came days after two lawyers were arrested — one brusquely extracted from the bar association headquarters and the other needing to be hospitalized after sustaining injuries while being apprehended by security forces.

Both were charged with violating a cybercrime statute outlawing fake news that authorities have increasingly used to target critics.

TENT CAMPS RAZED AND ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AS TUNISIA CLAMPS DOWN ON MIGRANTS

The National Bar Association called for nationwide strikes on Monday and staged a "day of anger" on Thursday that included protests and a second day of striking.

Along with activists and civil society groups, they gathered in front of the capital's courthouse chanting for freedom, in support of their colleagues and against what they called "a police state."

"We demand an apology from the authorities for the enormous blunders committed," Bar Association President Hatem Mziou said, referring to the two arrests.

"We are fighting for a democratic climate and respect for freedoms," Mziou added, threatening further action if authorities do not change course.

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Protests about civil rights have been routine since President Kais Saied froze Tunisia's parliament, consolidated his own power and fired top ministers in July 2021. But the speed and number of arrests this week — of the lawyers as well as journalists and prominent activists — have marked a new phase in his crackdown against dissidents.

The Bar Association said in a statement that Mehdi Zaghrouba, one of the lawyers arrested, was tortured and lost consciousness after being apprehended, leaving visible injuries throughout his body.

The government denied Zaghrouba had been tortured and said that the arrest had been carried out legally and without issue.

"Claiming torture is a way of evading justice" Interior Ministry spokesperson Faker Bouzghaya told IFM radio, a station where a journalist was also arrested this week.

Human rights group urges Thai government to halt forced repatriation of political dissidents

Thu, 16 May 2024 09:08:48 -0400

Human Rights Watch has urged Thailand to stop forcing dissidents back to dangerous home countries, citing violations of international law.
A report documented cases of Thai authorities expelling dissidents awaiting resettlement, often involving Cambodians.
The Thai government allegedly collaborated with neighboring countries to spy on dissidents.

A leading international human rights organization on Thursday urged the Thai government to stop forcing political dissidents who fled to Thailand for safety to return to authoritarian home countries, where they may face torture, persecution or death.

In a new report, Human Rights Watch said Thai authorities repeatedly violated international law by expelling the dissidents, many of whom were registered with the United Nations as refugees and were awaiting resettlement in third countries.

The report, titled "We Thought We Were Safe," analyzed 25 cases that took place in Thailand between 2014 and 2023.

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Many of the cases involved the forcible repatriation of Cambodians, with the suspected involvement of Cambodian security personnel. But the group also listed cases where dissidents from Vietnam, Laos and China were "tracked down and abducted," or "forcibly disappeared or killed."

The report said that in return for tracking down and returning the dissidents, the Thai government received cooperation from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to spy on Thai dissidents who had fled their own homeland to escape political repression.

Human Rights Watch called this a quid-pro-quo form of transnational repression "in which foreign dissidents are effectively traded for critics of the Thai government living abroad."

The group said such arrangements, informally known as "swap mart," became increasingly frequent after the Thai army staged a coup in 2024 ousting an elected government. Military and military-backed rule lasted 10 years, until an elected civilian government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin took office last year.

"The Srettha administration should launch an investigation into these allegations of harassment, surveillance and forced returns of asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand. It should investigate the disappearance of Thai anti-junta activists in other Southeast Asian countries," Elaine Pearson, director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division, told The Associated Press.

"I think there is an opportunity to end this practice and for the Srettha administration to show it is different from the previous military-led government," she added.

She noted that the Thai government is currently seeking a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council "and that comes with responsibilities to protect human rights."

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The report cited nine cases of Thai activists in Laos and Cambodia who were disappeared or killed in mysterious circumstances.

The mutilated bodies of two missing activists were found in late 2018 floating in the Mekong River. In 2020, a young Thai activist, Wanchalearm Satsaksit, was snatched off the street in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and never heard from again.

Thai authorities have repeatedly denied any connection with such events.

Dr. Francesca Lessa, an associate professor in International Relations at University College London, said there were some parallels with the way autocratic governments in Latin America made agreements to work together to eliminate their political opponents on each other's soil in the late 1970s to 1980s.

"Whether they follow right or left ideologies, these autocratic governments consider opposition and dissent as constituting a threat to their survival in power and, thus, to be eliminated, whatever the means required," Lessa told the AP.

Pandemic treaty stumbles as nations struggle to finalize global plan

Fri, 10 May 2024 07:59:10 -0400

The World Health Organization and global leaders have acknowledged the need for improvement in pandemic responses.
Efforts are underway to finalize a pandemic treaty to establish guidelines for future pandemic responses.
There are concerns about the lack of consequences for countries that do not comply with the treaty.

After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.

A ninth and final round of talks involving governments, advocacy groups and others to finalize a "pandemic treaty" is scheduled to end Friday. The accord's aim: guidelines for how the WHO's 194 member countries might stop future pandemics and better share scarce resources. But experts warn there are virtually no consequences for countries that don’t comply.

WHO’s countries asked the U.N. health agency to oversee talks for a pandemic agreement in 2021. Envoys have been working long hours in recent weeks to prepare a draft ahead of a self-imposed deadline later this month: ratification of the accord at WHO's annual meeting. But deep divisions could derail it.

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U.S. Republican senators wrote a letter to the Biden administration last week critical of the draft for focusing on issues like "shredding intellectual property rights" and "supercharging the WHO." They urged Biden not to sign off.

Britain's department of health said it would only agree to an accord if it was "firmly in the U.K. national interest and respects national sovereignty."

And many developing countries say it's unfair that they might be expected to provide virus samples to help develop vaccines and treatments, but then be unable to afford them.

"This pandemic treaty is a very high-minded pursuit, but it doesn’t take political realities into account," said Sara Davies, a professor of international relations at Griffith University in Australia.

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For example, the accord is attempting to address the gap that occurred between COVID-19 vaccines in rich and poorer countries, which WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said amounted to "a catastrophic moral failure."

The draft says WHO should get 20% of the production of pandemic-related products like tests, treatments and vaccines and urges countries to disclose their deals with private companies.

"There’s no mechanism within WHO to make life really difficult for any countries that decide not to act in accordance with the treaty," Davies said.

Adam Kamradt-Scott, a global health expert at Harvard University, said that similar to the global climate agreements, the draft pandemic treaty would at least provide a new forum for countries to try to hold each other to account, where governments will have to explain what measures they’ve taken.

The pandemic treaty "is not about anyone telling the government of a country what it can do and what it cannot do," said Roland Driece, co-chair of WHO’s negotiating board for the agreement.

There are legally binding obligations under the International Health Regulations, including quickly reporting dangerous new outbreaks. But those have been flouted repeatedly, including by African countries during Ebola outbreaks and China in the early stages of COVID-19.

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Suerie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Center at Geneva’s Graduate Institute, said it was critical to determine the expected role of WHO during a pandemic and how outbreaks might be stopped before spreading globally.

"If we fail to seize this window of opportunity which is closing … we’ll be just as vulnerable as we were in 2019," she warned.

Some countries appear to be moving on their own to ensure cooperation from others in the next pandemic. Last month, President Joe Biden’s administration said it would help 50 countries respond to new outbreaks and prevent global spread, giving the country leverage should it need critical information or materials in the future.

Yuanqiong Hu, a senior legal and policy adviser at Doctors without Borders, said it’s unclear what might be different in the next pandemic, but hoped that focusing attention on some of the glaring errors that emerged in COVID-19 might help.

"We will mostly have to rely on countries to do better," she said. "That is worrisome."

Scottish leader says he won't resign amid fallout of decision to end power-sharing agreement

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:51:23 -0400

First Minister Humza Yousaf has refused to resign amid growing pressure over his decision to end a three-year power-sharing agreement.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said Friday that he "absolutely" will fight a no-confidence vote that has been tabled against him.
A defeat could set off a chain of events that leads to Yousaf stepping down and a potential early election in Scotland.

Scotland's leader insisted Friday that he won't be resigning as he fights for his political survival amid the fallout of his decision to pull the plug on a three-year power-sharing agreement that has made his Scottish National Party a minority government.

The pressure on First Minister Humza Yousaf has ratcheted up sharply since he abandoned the power-sharing deal with the much smaller Greens on Thursday following a clash over climate change policies. He is set to face a no-confidence vote in the Scottish Parliament next week.

"I intend absolutely to fight that vote of no confidence, I’ve got every intention of winning that vote of no confidence," he said in a hastily arranged trip to Dundee.

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Following his decision to ditch the deal with the Greens, the Scottish Conservatives put forward a motion of no confidence in Yousaf as first minister.

The Greens, furious at their ejection from government, have already said they will vote against Yousaf himself, along with the other main opposition parties, including the Conservatives and Labour. Without the support of the Greens, who like the SNP back Scotland's independence from the U.K. Yousaf is two seats short of a majority.

A defeat could set off a chain of events that leads to Yousaf stepping down and a potential early election in Scotland, which isn't due until 2026.

Yousaf, who replaced long-time leader Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, will likely need the vote of a former SNP lawmaker, Ash Regan, to survive. Regan, who left the party last October to become the first lawmaker of a rival pro-independence party, Alba, has indicated that she would seek to extract a price from Yousaf in order to back him.

Of Parliament’s 129 seats, the SNP holds 63. Regan’s backing would result in the government having 64 votes at least. In the event of a tie, the chamber’s presiding officer — Scotland’s equivalent to the speaker — would be expected to vote in favor of the status quo.

On Friday, Scottish Labour, which is connected to the U.K.'s main opposition Labour Party, said it wants to lodge a no-confidence vote next week. With Alba indicating that it won't be looking to vote against the government, it looks like the no-confidence vote will have less chance of succeeding.

If Yousaf lost the vote, ministers in the government would be required to resign immediately and the legislature in Edinburgh would then have 28 days to see if it could create a new government with majority support. If that isn't possible, then an early election would be triggered.

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"It’s a matter now of when, not if, Humza Yousaf will step down as first minister," Scottish Labour's leader Anas Sarwar said. "It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected first minister on Scotland."

The SNP, which has dominated Scottish politics since 2007 even though it lost 2014's independence referendum, has been rocked by the news earlier this month that Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, has been charged with embezzlement in an investigation into the party's finances.

Although Scotland is part of the U.K., its government has widespread powers, including over health and education, as well as some limited powers over the raising of revenues.

Opinion polls are showing that the SNP, is facing stiff opposition from Labour in Scotland as the U.K. general election draws nearer — the SNP has 43 of Scotland's 59 seats in the U.K. Parliament. The vote will take place sometime in the coming months.

Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti as country continues to face deadly gang violence

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:53:35 -0400

Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister of Haiti, facilitating the formation of a new government in a country plagued by severe gang violence.
He announced his resignation on April 24, coinciding with the inauguration of a council tasked with selecting a new prime minister and Cabinet.
The council, created over a month ago by Caribbean leaders, will also appoint an electoral commission and establish a national security council.

Ariel Henry resigned Thursday as prime minister of Haiti, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country, which has been wracked by gang violence that killed or injured more than 2,500 people from January to March.

Henry presented his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated April 24, and released on Thursday by his office on the same day a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti was due to be sworn in.

The council would be installed more than a month after Caribbean leaders announced its creation following an emergency meeting to tackle Haiti’s spiraling crisis.

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The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new Cabinet. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council.

Gangs launched coordinated attacks that began on Feb. 29 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that has remained closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

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The onslaught began while Prime Minister Henry was on an official visit to Kenya to push for a U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country. He remains locked out of Haiti.

The international community has urged the council to prioritize Haiti’s widespread insecurity. Even before the attacks began, gangs already controlled 80% of Port-au-Prince. The number of people killed in early 2024 was up by more than 50% compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report.

Greek lawmaker will face criminal charges after physical altercation with a colleague in Parliament

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:47:16 -0400

Greece’s parliamentary speaker said that he would seek criminal charges against a lawmaker who allegedly punched a colleague during a debate on Wednesday.

The member of parliament, who hasn't been named, was suspended for 15 days after the fight, which occurred just outside the debate chamber and was witnessed by several colleagues.

"We can indict the perpetrator of this vile and barbaric attack, to charge him with a felony under a fast-track procedure," Speaker Constantine Tassoulas said.

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"Parliamentary immunity applies to misdemeanors, but not felonies," he said, adding that he had instructed parliament’s police department to escort the lawmaker to prosecuting authorities.

Separately, Greece’s Supreme Court later Wednesday excluded the small far-right Spartans from a list of political parties that fulfil the requirements to field candidates in the European Parliament election in June.

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The court did not immediately explain the reasons why the party was left off the list. The decision followed a petition by three political parties to exclude the Spartans for alleged ties to the extreme-right Golden Dawn party, whose leading members were jailed in 2020 after being convicted of belonging to a criminal organization.

United Nations forum pushes for extra funding into reparations progress: 'Back up your words with action'

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 19:00:43 -0400

Members of the United Nations forum on people of African descent called for extra funding to support its advancement towards reparations for descendants of African slaves who were captured and trafficked across Transatlantic countries.

A Howard University law professor who was hand-picked by the U.S. State Department to represent the U.S. at the forum urged the U.N. to pour more money into their reparations efforts, according to Reuters.

"Back up your words with action," Justin Hansford said.

The remarks were during a session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, Desiree Cormier Smith, said the United States needs to address its "profound racial injustice".

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"Although my country has never fully lived up to the values of freedom and equality for all, we have also never walked away from them - and that's largely thanks to civil society."

Per Reuters, U.N. General Secretary António Guterres said in a video message that racism stems from past enslavement of African people and colonialism and that reparations must address that issue today.

"There can be no real discussion about development without a discussion about reparations," said one of the members of PFPAD.

The U.N. General Assembly established the PFPAD on August 2nd, 2021 to act as "a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent," the U.N.’s website states.

The Transatlantic slave trade involved the kidnapping and trafficking of over 12 million African people across the Atlantic to North and South America – an effort known as the Middle Passage. Countries involved were the British, French, Spanish colonies that later became the United States.

These comments came after Guterres said that nations need to "overcome generations of exclusion and discrimination."

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Guterres has been calling for reparations for a few years, citing that the past laid the "foundations for a violent discrimination system based on White supremacy."

The remarks were delivered by the Chef de Cabinet, Earle Courtenay Rattray, on behalf of Guterres.

Furthermore, the U.N. released a report last year calling for countries to consider financial reparations and other measures as recourse for the enslavement of people of African descent.

The report by Guterres said no country has addressed the legacy of slavery that has occurred for more than 400 years.

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Similar calls for reparations have been gaining traction in the U.S., as measures are being introduced in state legislatures and being pushed by grassroots activists. Municipalities and states recently launched exploratory efforts on the matter, forming committees to examine the impact of slavery in order to calculate how compensation would be dispensed.

Reparations have also been proposed or are expected to be implemented in cities across California; Fulton County, Georgia; Shelby County, Tennessee; Boston; Detroit; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Durham, North Carolina.

UK doctors accept government pay offer, ending longest strike in National Health Service history

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 11:11:39 -0400

Senior doctors in England have accepted a pay offer from the government, ending a yearlong dispute marked by strikes.
83 percent of senior doctors approved the offer, which includes a pay increase for consultants with four to seven years of experience.
Junior doctors have remained in dispute, leading to service disruptions.

Senior doctors in England have accepted a pay offer from the British government that ends a yearlong dispute with unprecedented strike action.

The British Medical Association and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, which represent the senior doctors, who are known as consultants, said Friday that 83% of those casting a vote backed the offer.

The pay increases will see those who have been consultants between four and seven years getting a 2.85% uplift. It also addresses some gender pay issues in the state-owned National Health Service and enhances parental leave options.

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Consultants have held several strikes over the past year, which has hobbled the NHS as it tries to grapple with financial constraints and the backlogs caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Vishal Sharma, who chairs the BMA consultants committee, said the fight was "not yet over" and that there is "some way to go" before pay gets back to equivalent levels 15 years ago. The relative decline in pay for consultants has, he said, led to an exodus of senior doctors abroad.

Junior doctors — those at the early stages of their careers, who form the backbone of hospital and clinical care as they train up to be specialists in a particular field — remain in dispute with the government and have walked off the job for days at a time, with their senior colleagues drafted in to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services during the strikes.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said leaders in the health service will "breathe a sigh of relief" that consultants have settled but urged the government and junior doctors to come to an agreement.

"The potential for further junior doctor strikes looms large, which could lead to more operations and appointments being canceled and place more pressure on already stretched services," he said.

NHS figures show more than 1.4 million appointments and operations have been canceled over the past year of industrial action, with even more patients joining waiting lists.

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Britain has endured a year of rolling strikes across the health sector as staff sought pay rises to offset the soaring cost of living. Unions say wages, especially in the public sector, have fallen in real terms over the past decade, and double-digit inflation in late 2022 and early 2023, fueled by sharply rising food and energy prices, left many workers struggling to pay their bills.

On Friday, for example, much of England had no train services because of a fresh strike by drivers in their own long-running pay dispute.

Many groups within the NHS, such as nurses and ambulance crews, have reached pay deals with the government, but the union representing junior doctors has held out, and negotiations broke down late last year.

Britain's Conservative government has sought to put the blame for many of the problems in the NHS on the junior doctors, while the main opposition Labour Party, which is way ahead in opinion polls ahead of a general election, points the finger at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for personally blocking progress.

Sunak said the end of the consultants' strike is "excellent news for patients."

Austrian minister aims to tighten espionage law in response to concerns of foreign intelligence activities

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:09:43 -0400

Austria's justice minister seeks to tighten espionage rules, which currently allow spying on other countries or international organizations, but not Austria itself.
The move follows the arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer accused of spying for Russia.
Austria, an EU member with military neutrality, hosts various international organizations in Vienna, including the UN and OPEC.

Austria's justice minister said Thursday that she plans to tighten the country's rules on espionage, which currently is explicitly banned if directed against Austria itself but not if it targets other countries or international organizations.

Justice Minister Alma Zadic's push to tighten Austria's laws comes as the arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer on allegations of spying for Russia focuses attention on espionage activities in the country.

Austria is a European Union member that has a policy of military neutrality. Its capital, Vienna, is host to several U.N. agencies and other international groups such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC.

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Austria's criminal code currently states that anyone who "sets up or operates a secret intelligence service to the detriment of the Republic of Austria or supports such an intelligence service in whatever way" faces a prison sentence of between six months and five years. It also bans setting up, operating or supporting a "military intelligence service" for "a foreign power or a supra- or international body," which can carry a prison sentence of up to two years.

Zadic said in a statement to the Austria Press Agency that the country has long been accused of being an "island of the blessed" for intelligence services from around the world and lamented that "gaps in the law so far have allowed foreign intelligence services to spy with impunity in Austria."

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"We want to expand the espionage paragraphs so that, in the future, our law enforcement authorities can also act against foreign spies when they are not targeting Austria itself, but international organizations based here such as the U.N. or friendly states," she said.

Zadic is a member of the junior party in Chancellor Karl Nehammer's governing coalition, the Greens. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, a member of Nehammer's Austrian People's Party, told Oe1 radio he sees the need for tougher penalties for spying — but also renewed a call for authorities to be allowed to eavesdrop on calls via messenger services, something the Greens have balked at.

In attempt to connect with young people, Japan's royal family debuts on Instagram

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:17:07 -0400

Japan's imperial family made their debut on Instagram with the aim of shedding their reclusive image and connecting with younger generations.
The Imperial Household Agency, responsible for the family's affairs, posted photos and videos showcasing Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako's public engagements over the past three months.
Instagram was chosen due to its popularity among young people, with their account garnering more than 270,000 followers by Monday evening.

Japan’s imperial family made an Instagram debut with a barrage of posts on Monday, hoping to shake off their reclusive image and reach out to younger people on social media.

The Imperial Household Agency, a government agency in charge of the family's affairs, posted 60 photos and five videos showing Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako's public appearances over the past three months.

The agency said they wanted the public to have a better understanding of the family's official duties and that Instagram was chosen because of its popularity among youth.

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By Monday evening, their verified account Kunaicho_jp had more than 270,000 followers.

The first photo published was of the imperial couple sitting on a sofa with their 22-year-old daughter Princess Aiko, all smiling as they marked New Year’s Day. Other postings also included the Imperial couple’s meetings with foreign dignitaries, including Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah his wife.

A video of Naruhito addressing well-swishers during his Feb. 23 birthday celebrations garnered over 21,000 views in less than a day.

So far, the images are limited to the family’s official duties and do not include private or candid moments. The agency said it was considering adding activities of other royal members.

The Japanese royal family's social media debut comes 15 years after Britain’s royal family joined X, formerly Twitter, in 2009.

Naruhito’s father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito — who abdicated the throne in 2019 — and his wife were popular during their time. But currently, the royal family's fans largely belong to older generations.

Palace officials had been considering using social media to get more people interested in the family and their activities. Last year, the agency set up a team of experts to study the effects of using social media on the imperial family.

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The agency had become cautious after the Emperor’s niece Mako Komuro and her commoner husband faced a severe backlash on social media and in tabloids following concerns over her mother-in-law's financial situation, causing her marriage to be delayed. She also wasn’t given a dowry as her union was not fully celebrated by the public.

The former princess said, at the time, she suffered psychological trauma because of the media bashing, including those online.

Experts say social media could help bring the royal family closer to the people and give the agency the ability to control the narrative and respond to disinformation, but concerns over how the world’s oldest monarchy can be friendly without losing its nobility or avoid blowups remain.

The account doesn't interact with the public. Users can't comment on posts and can only press the "like" button.

Those who want to send messages to the imperial family have to use the official website.

Head Of United Nations calls for reparations to 'overcome generations of exclusion and discrimination'

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:57:56 -0400

The head of the United Nations on Monday called for reparations to "overcome generations of exclusion and discrimination" during their International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery.

United Nations General Secretary António Guterres called for reparations, citing the past laid the "foundations for a violent discrimination system based on White supremacy."

The remarks were delivered by the Chef de Cabinet, Earle Courtenay Rattray, on behalf of Guterres.

"We call for reparatory justice frameworks to help overcome generations of exclusion and discrimination," he told the U.N.'s General Assembly during International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. "We appeal for the space and necessary conditions for healing, repair and justice."

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"The original lie of White supremacy, which animated and justified the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Jim Crow laws and the Apartheid system, continues to poison communities and societies," he continued. "Today, as we recall centuries of injustice, it is our duty to reject and dismantle racist oppression, end the spread of hatred and lies online, and confront slavery’s lasting legacy of marginalization and impoverishment."

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Guterres’ statement came after the U.N. released a report in September calling for countries to consider financial reparations and other measures as recourse for the enslavement of people of African descent.

The report by Guterres said no country has addressed the legacy of slavery that has occurred for more than 400 years.

"Under international human rights law, compensation for any economically assessable damage, as appropriate and proportional to the gravity of the violation and the circumstances of each case, may also constitute a form of reparations," according to the report.

"In the context of historical wrongs and harms suffered as a result of colonialism and enslavement, the assessment of the economic damage can be extremely difficult owing to the length of time passed and the difficulty of identifying the perpetrators and victims," the report stated.

Similar calls for reparations have been gaining traction in the United States, as measures are being introduced in state legislatures and being pushed by grassroots activists. Municipalities and states recently launched exploratory efforts on the matter, forming committees to examine the impact of slavery in order to calculate how compensation would be dispensed.

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Reparations are even being considered at the federal level.

Kenyan doctors stage mass protest in the streets as national strike enters second week

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:08:44 -0400

Hundreds of Kenyan doctors protested for better pay and working conditions, continuing a nationwide strike now in its second week.
Demonstrators voiced grievances against the government, citing unfulfilled promises, including a collective bargaining agreement from 2017.
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union Secretary-General Dr. Davji Bhimji said the strike will continue until all demands are addressed.

Hundreds of Kenyan doctors protested in the streets Friday demanding better pay and working conditions in an ongoing nationwide strike that has entered its second week.

The doctors carried placards and chanted against the Kenyan government, saying it had failed to implement a raft of promises, including a collective bargaining agreement signed in 2017 after a 100-day strike during which people died from lack of care.

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union Secretary-General Dr. Davji Bhimji said the strike will continue until all the demands are met.

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"We have nothing else to lose but the chains of poverty and distress that we’ve been having," he said.

The standoff has left thousands of Kenyans without much-needed public health services.

Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha on Wednesday said she had instructed two top referral hospitals to recruit doctors to replace those taking part in the national strike.

Bhimji said the hiring of new doctors to replace those on strike would not settle the underlying labor concerns that caused the strike.

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"I’m very sure those doctors cannot run those hospitals because those terms are quite exploitative and demeaning," he said.

The doctors on Thursday stopped providing emergency services at public hospitals as they escalated the strike despite a court order calling for talks between the union and the Health Ministry.

Kenya’s head of the Public Service, Felix Kosgei, met late Thursday with union officials and various ministries and said the government is willing to implement the collective bargaining agreement, but in phases due to financial constraints.

US announces $100M for deployment of multinational force to violence-stricken Haiti

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:57:05 -0400

Haiti aid decision announced Monday, has the backing of regional trade bloc

Native American families remain frustrated with unsolved missing persons, killings cases

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:23:03 -0500

It was the winter of 2021 when Philbert Shorty’s family found his abandoned car stuck in the mud outside the small community of Tsaile near the Arizona-New Mexico state line. "We knew something happened from the get-go," said his uncle, Ben Shorty. "We couldn’t find any answers."

Family members reported the 44-year-old man missing. And for the next two years, they searched — hiking through remote canyons on the Navajo Nation, placing advertisements on the radio and posting across social media in hopes of unearthing any clues.

The efforts produced nothing. They had no way of knowing he’d been killed more than a week before they reported him missing.

They remained unaware even as U.S. prosecutors finalized a plea deal last summer with Shiloh Aaron Oldrock, who was charged in connection with Shorty's death as a result of a separate investigation into the killing and beheading of Oldrock's uncle. The 30-year-old Fargo, North Dakota, man told authorities his uncle had threatened to kill him during an alcohol-fueled fight that came eight months after the pair conspired to cover up Shorty's death by dismembering and burning his body on Jan. 29, 2021.

HAUNTING STORIES BEHIND MISSING POSTERS OF NATIVE WOMEN

In both cases, Oldrock told investigators, a night of heavy drinking and fighting ended in death at his uncle's home near Navajo, New Mexico.

The details of this tale are more gruesome than most. Yet to those living in Indian Country, the elements underlying the tragedy are all too familiar. Generations of unaddressed trauma combine with substance abuse to create a dangerous recipe that often ends in violence, and law enforcement resources and social support programs are too sparse to offer much help.

DEATHS AND DISAPPEARANCES ARE GETTING NOTICED. WILL IT HELP?

Shorty’s story is one of many across the United States and Canada, where high rates of missing persons and unsolved killings involving Indigenous people have captured the attention of policymakers at the highest levels.

In 2019, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a task force. Congress followed in 2020 by passing two key pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the crisis. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who had championed legislation as a congresswoman, has been working under the Biden administration to solve some of the systemic problems and jurisdictional challenges that have left victims' families feeling invisible.

The Interior Department is nearly three weeks passed a deadline for responding to a set of recommendations from a special commission that spent months traveling the country, speaking with family members, advocates and police officials about how best to tackle the epidemic.

Commission members heard hours of heartbreaking testimony from family members who have fought to keep their cases in the spotlight, often memorializing those lost with prayer vigils, special blankets and buttons, traditional ribbon skirts and red handprints painted on sidewalks and buildings.

CAR FOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA CREEK WITH HUMAN REMAINS MAY HOLD ANSWERS TO 1982 COLD CASE

Like others, Shorty's family now knows the suffering will linger despite the increased emphasis on solving such crimes.

Shorty's family "had been left in the dark about what happened," U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Alexander Uballez acknowledged in a November sentencing memo that referred to Shorty by only his initials — PS. Wrote Uballez: "They are just beginning to grieve as they were only informed recently that PS was deceased, rather than missing."

Uballez expressed hope that putting Oldrock behind bars would bring some closure, saying that Shorty's elderly aunt could stop looking down the driveway in hopes her nephew might one day return.

Uballez said Oldrock's convictions were part of the U.S. Justice Department's duty to bring answers to tribal communities. While no amount of investigation or prosecution will bring back a loved one, he said, law enforcement partners will meet each case "with urgency, transparency and coordination."

PROMISES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LEAD SOMEWHERE

That vow of transparency is what has Native American families frustrated. Many say authorities regularly fail to communicate about the status of pending cases. In Shorty's case, unanswered questions about whether there were any remains recovered have left his family guessing as to whether they can ever have a burial for him.

"The investigators never called me. They were supposed to but never did," Ben Shorty said in a recent interview. "It was all done behind closed doors."

The FBI’s most recent list of missing people from the Navajo Nation still included Philbert Shorty. That's despite investigators having had reason to believe he was dead as early as October 2021 with Oldrock's confession. A medical investigator’s report issued the following spring said that while it couldn't be confirmed conclusively, communications with law enforcement suggested that charred remains found at the home of Oldrock's uncle likely were those of Shorty.

Darlene Gomez, an Albuquerque attorney, has represented dozens of Native American families. The handling of Shorty's case doesn't surprise her.

"The FBI does this all the time," she said. "They don’t even talk to the family until there is an indictment. And very often they don’t say anything at all."

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While there is a need to keep confidential certain details as investigations move forward, federal authorities did not immediately respond to questions by The Associated Press about the process for sharing information with families and whether people were assigned to serve as liaisons to help families as cases move through the system.

The federal Not Invisible Act Commission devoted part of its 212-page report to related concerns and recommendations. The report references stories shared by families about difficulties in accessing police and autopsy reports: "Families are often kept waiting, not knowing if the person identified is their family member or not knowing the cause and circumstances of death nor how the body of their family member was handled."

It all rings true for Bernadine Beyale, the daughter of retired Navajo police officers who founded the non-profit 4 Corners K-9 Search and Rescue in Farmington, New Mexico, in 2022. Her group has conducted dozens of individual searches, and she has helped to build bridges between families and law enforcement to help families avoid feeling like their cases are falling through cracks.

"Even if (law enforcement) would just talk to the families, say, `We don’t have anything yet but we’re still working on it,' it would help," she said.

‘I TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE’

Records obtained by the AP show that a witness gave a ride to Oldrock in October 2021. He had cuts on his face and blood on his hands and clothes. He told the driver he had just killed his uncle, identified as Erwin Beach. He said he believed Beach had killed his grandmother a year earlier and was going to kill him, too.

Oldrock told the FBI he stabbed Beach repeatedly after Beach swung an axe at him during a drunken fight. Oldrock said the chain of violent events that October day began much the same way as when Shorty was killed months earlier — with heavy drinking. Oldrock was sentenced in November to 35 years in prison for second-degree murder in the killing of Beach and involuntary manslaughter in Shorty's death.

Whether details are unveiled through court documents or they come from investigators in the field, Beyale acknowledges it can be difficult to decide how to share information with victims’ families.

"If we find a body or remains, I don’t give a lot of details," she said. "But I try to be as transparent as possible and tell them we don’t have a positive ID but we found remains in this area."

Beyale tries to persuade families who want to conduct their own search to let her do it instead. "I always ask them if they are not only physically ready to do a search like that, but also mentally ready to find something," she said. "They always say, `Yeah, yeah.' But they are not. I've not found one family that was mentally ready."

Shorty’s family still hopes to have a funeral. They're ready for closure but are — still — waiting on investigators.

"What are we supposed to bury? Just nothing? At least some ashes or something," Ben Shorty said. "We got nothing still."

Canadian Foreign Minister says China, as an exporter, needs to increase Red Sea defense efforts

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:05:58 -0500

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Sunday said China should play a role in keeping the Red Sea safe for commerce because Chinese ships are at risk there as well, and urged Beijing to stop helping Russia sidestep international sanctions.

In an interview, Joly said she told China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a bilateral meeting on Saturday that Beijing needs "to help to influence the Houthis to keep the Red Sea open."

"It's in China's interests as an exporter," Joly told Reuters by phone on the last day of the Munich Security Conference.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have staged a series of attacks in the Red Sea on commercial vessels, including the oil tanker M/T Pollux that U.S. officials said was hit by a missile on Friday.

EUROPEAN UNION LAUNCHES NAVAL MISSION TP PROTECT SHIPS IN THE RED SEA FROM HOUTHIS ATTACKS

The attacks, which the Houthis say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, have raised the cost of shipping and insurance by disrupting a key trade route between Asia and Europe used widely by ships from China. The U.S. and Britain have both urged China to intervene through Iran to rein in the attacks.

Joly also said she spoke to Wang about making sure that Western sanctions against Russia hold as the war in Ukraine drags on.

"We need to put maximum pressure on Russia," Joly said. "Our sanctions are strong, but China cannot be the loophole in our sanction system."

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Last year Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia to become China's top crude oil supplier as the world's biggest crude importer defied Western sanctions to purchase vast quantities of discounted oil for its processing plants.

Chinese refiners use intermediary traders to handle the shipping and insurance of Russian crude to avoid violating Western sanctions.

After the Saturday meeting with Joly, Wang spoke of the need to "rebuild trust" with Canada after years of diplomatic tensions.

China-Canada relations turned icy in late 2018 when Canadian police detained a Chinese telecommunications executive. Shortly after, Beijing arrested two Canadians on spying charges.

Relations remained strained for most of last year as Canada's parliament probed alleged Chinese meddling in its elections, a claim China repeatedly denied.

WHO chief's dire warning: Disease X outbreak 'a matter of when, not if'

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 18:59:40 -0500

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Kosovo bans use of Serbian currency, prompting thousands of minority Serbs to protest

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:07:12 -0500

Thousands of minority Serbs in Kosovo protested the ban on the Serbian currency, sparking a crisis in relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
Kosovo's government prohibited the use of the dinar in Serb-populated areas, replacing it with the euro, effective Feb. 1.
The dinar was extensively used in Serbian-dominated regions for pensions, salaries and Serbian-run institutions like schools and hospitals.

Thousands of minority Serbs in Kosovo on Monday protested a ban of the use of the Serbian currency in areas where they live, an issue that has been the cause of the latest crisis in relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

Tensions escalated after the government of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, banned banks and other financial institutions in the Serb-populated areas from using the dinar in local transactions, starting Feb. 1, and imposed the euro.

The dinar was widely used in ethnic Serbian-dominated areas, especially in Kosovo’s north, to pay pensions and salaries to staff in Serbian-run institutions, including schools and hospitals.

SERBIA'S LEADER VOICES OUTRAGE AT KOSOVO'S BAN OF THE SERBIAN DINAR UN MEETING

The ban has angered both Kosovo Serbs and Serbia. The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo sparred over the issue at a meeting last week at the United Nations Security Council.

Protesters at the rally in the Serb part of the divided northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica said that abolishing the dinar violates the rights of the Serbs in Kosovo and is discriminatory. They urged the international community to put pressure on the Kosovo government to reverse the move.

"This virtually means taking away food from our tables," said Dusanka Djorovic, from a local pensioners' association.

Dragisa Milovic, a doctor, said that Kosovo's decision "is aimed at abolishing Serb institutions in these areas."

In Pristina, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti dismissed such criticism in a message to the Kosovo Serbs. Kurti insisted that the new measure is aimed at curbing illegal money flow and "does not stop Serbia from financially assisting the citizens of Kosovo’s Serb community."

TENSIONS RISE AMID CLAIMS OF RUSSIA, SERBIA INTERFERENCE IN KOSOVO FOLLOWING RECENT BLOODSHED

"Kosovo did not stop the dinar, or the dollar, pound, or Swiss franc," said Kurti. "The only change from Feb. 1 is that the cash cannot cross the border in sacks ... but should come through bank accounts and (be) withdrawn in euros."

In 1999, a 78-day NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Serbian forces were pushed out but Belgrade never recognized Kosovo’s independence and still considers it a Serbian province.

The European Union and the United States have expressed concern that Kosovo’s ban of the dinar could raise tensions in an already volatile region and called for consultations and a delay in the ban.

The EU has brokered negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo in a bid to normalize their relations but the talks have showed slow progress while occasional violent incidents have fueled fears of instability in the Balkans as the war rages in Ukraine.

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DEATHS AND DISAPPEARANCES ARE GETTING NOTICED. WILL IT HELP?

PROMISES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LEAD SOMEWHERE

‘I TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE’

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