World – Page 2 – The Speaker News Journal

Bolivian city famous for its carnival announces emergency action to clean up a major environmental disaster on lake that has become a ‘sea of plastic’

March 29, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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The city of Oruro, a major mining and tourist center with a World Heritage carnival celebration, is responding to videos showing Lake Uru Uru chock-full of plastic waste, which has resulted from urban dwellers dumping their trash into drainage canals.

Mayor David Choque announced a major clean-up of the lake on April 8–9 with the participation of a recycling firm, and asked the country’s environmental ministry to participate by providing logistics assistance.

The situation of the lake caused alarm when the environmental devastation on some 25 acres of the lake’s edge showed it mostly solid with plastic containers and the lake as a whole covered with garbage and mining residue contamination that includes arsenic and heavy metals.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Heavy fighting rages for 5th day in 3-year Muslim insurgency in Mozambique, threatening Africa’s biggest private investment gas project

March 29, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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Dozens of civilians and an unknown number of military deaths, some by decapitation, were reported by Human Rights Watch, as communications have been shut off in the strategic town of Palma since al-Shabab insurgents attacked the town from three directions Wednesday. The renewed violence affects the fate of the liquefied natural gas project by the French energy company Total.

About 200 foreign workers who sought refuge at the Hotel Amarula along Palma’s beach have become the targets of insurgent attacks while others trying to reach the hotel were reported killed. Locals have taken to the dense forests outside town to outrun the rebels. Palma is near the border with Tanzania.

Mozambique’s defense and security forces are “working tirelessly to re-establish security and order as fast as possible,” said the Ministry of Defense through a spokesman, adding they will “do everything to guarantee the security” of the local population and of “economic projects.”

Total has issued a statement indicating it has suspended all its operations in the Afungi peninsula and that none of its staff at the site were victims of the attack. “Total trusts the government of Mozambique whose public security forces are currently working to take back the control of the area.”

Al-Shabab already holds Mocimboa da Praia, a town 31 miles south of Palma since their victory there in August. They have no known connections to Somalia’s jihadist rebels of the same name.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Brazilian court orders Bolsonaro to pay damages to reporter for sex proposition claims

March 28, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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SAO PAOLO, Brazil – The president of the Republic of Brazil has been sanctioned by a court and ordered to pay indemnification for “moral damages” stemming from his use of sexual innuendo to discredit the veracity of reports by Folha de S. Paulo journalist Patricia Campos Mello, repeating an accusation that she had offered sex in exchange for damaging information about him. In Brazil, such a charge, when unfounded, is considered a sexual harassment offense.

Campos Mello’s report pointed out that digital marketing company Yacows’ possible participation in a message-triggering scheme through WhatsApp during the elections that fraudulently issued national identification numbers to generate texts in names of politicians, disseminating fake news. A former Yacows employee first made the accusation against Campos Mello without presenting any proof.

The reporter sued, asking for R$50k–about $8700–in damages for pain and suffering.

The judge’s ruling said, “It remained evident that the defendant’s individual exercise of the right to freedom of expression violated the plaintiff’s honor, causing her moral damage, and should therefore be held responsible.”

Bolsonaro was ordered to pay a $3,500 fine plus court and attorney fees. He has 15 days to appeal.

“It is a great day for women journalists. A great day for professional journalism,” said the Brazilian group Journalists Against Harassment, in a tweet.

By Milan Sime Martinic

One dead and one wounded in deadly Insein protest

March 28, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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YANGON, Myanmar – Security forces stuck out against a morning protest in Insein township, leaving one dead and one wounded.

“At first, the security forces were hiding because of fear of the crowd, but then we marched forward to confront them and they shot at us,” a protester said.

While the military was celebrating the 76th anniversary of armed forces day in the capital, there were huge casualties throughout the country due to the violent crackdown of the Myanmar security forces.

Also, the American Embassy has confirmed that an unidentified person a the car shot at the U.S. Information Center, but there were no injuries. They are investigating to the incident.

By Htay Win

Myanmar citizens call for release of two detainees

March 28, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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YANGON, Myanmar – Citizens in Dala town called for to release of two women in custody in the police station, with thousands assembling and surrounding the police outpost until evening Saturday.

The police eventually dispersed the crowd, firing live rounds that night, resulting in eight death and eighteen injuries.

Kawmu area in Dala township, located across Yangon river, was Aung San Suu Kyi’s constituency for the parliamentary election where she won the parliamentary election twice.

By Htay Win
Photo credit Myanmar Now

Incan suspension bridge conserved yearly for more than 500 years collapses due to lack of maintenance

March 27, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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The Q’eswachaka suspension bridge, which has been maintained in its original state from generation to generation since the 15th century and is a declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, collapsed due to the deterioration of its ropes that could not be renewed due to the pandemic, according to the cultural authority of Cusco in Peru.

The structure of the 90-ft long bridge over the Apurímac River is just over 3 feet wide and is built of a vegetable fiber braided into ropes. Farmers in the area have rebuilt the rope walkway every year between May and June for five centuries. It is the last bridge of its kind.

A technical team is assessing the damage.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Unidentified people set fire to NLD headquarters

March 27, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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YANGON, Myanmar – Unidentified people threw a burning torch into National League for Democracy headquarters in Bahan township at 4am Friday.

Neighbors put out the flames using buckets of water and fire extinguishers after finding there was no water available for nearby hydrants. After they had put out the fire, the local fire service arrived, which also did not bring water with them.

“The strange thing was that the water was cut off,” one bystander told Myanmar Now. “There was no water supply at all around the office. There was no water from the hydrants when we tried to put out the fire. We had to use buckets of water. It’s lucky that there were fire extinguishers ready.”

There was some structural damage as well as damage to office furniture.

NLD representatives said they would report the arson to the police.

The NLD Party was formed after the 1988 democratic revolution. Standing as an opposition party, the NLD party entered the parliamentary by-election in 2012.

By Htay Win
Photo credit Myanmar now

Mercosur meeting that promised incorporation of Bolivia to the group results in an invitation to Uruguay to ‘jump ship’

March 27, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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Argentinian president Alberto Fernandez, who has spent the last weeks leading up to the current Mercosur virtual summit promising to work to incorporate Bolivia into the bloc as a member-in-full, took a complaint from the Uruguayan president and flippled into an invitation to leave the group.

Uruguay’s Luis Lacalle Pou said, “It should not be a burden, we are not willing to make it a corset in which our country cannot move, that is why we have talked about flexibility,” in a speech referencing Argentina’s opposition to negotiations outside the group.

The speech was fiery and so was Fernandez’s response, “We don’t want to be anyone’s burden. For me, it is an honor to be part of Mercosur … If it is a burden, the easiest thing is to abandon ship.”

Uruguay is one of the four founding remembers of the 30-year-old group. Bolivia has been in observer status since the 1990s and its president announced at the summit, the country’s “immediate willingness to carry out the tasks necessary to assume full membership,” a step that requires the approval of Brazil.

The meeting will continue on April 22.

By Milan Sime Martinic

NYC first US city to pass resolution to end qualified immunity for police

March 27, 2021March 26, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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NYC lawmakers announced that they voted to pass a resolution to “ensure that officers who violate Constitutional rights in the course of a search and seizure or by the use of excessive force are not entitled to qualified immunity.”

Qualified immunity protects police from punishment even when they break the law, and was originally established in 1967 to prevent Freedom Riders from coming after officials in Mississippi. Although it is just case law, not law, it is widely used.

The new bill’s purpose is to push back against QI.

“This legislation is simple,” said Council Member Stephen Levin, who sponsored the resolution, “It creates a set of civil rights here in New York City, mirroring those conferred by the 4th and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, so that people in New York City can hold officers accountable if those officers violate their civil rights. It eliminates the shield of Qualified Immunity to allow victims the opportunity to seek justice.”

Opinion is divided, and a little confused, as to what this move will mean in practice. Many believe the local law will at least send a message that the city is in favor of a change in the direction away from QI.

The Legal Aid Society expressed support for the move but commented that it was just a first step and more meaningful change would happen if New York state passes legislation that addresses relief for victims of police misconduct, specifically A4331/S1911.

But critics have raised the point that removing the shield of QI may prevent or discourage police from thoroughly enforcing the law.

The resolution was passed this week along with several other police reforms that are part of a broader plan to reform NYC police under Mayor Bill de Blasio.

By Sid Douglas

Protesters in Bagan curse military coup leader

March 26, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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YANGON, Myanmar – Protesters cursed the military coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing, in temples and pagodas, specifically that the military wouldn’t be successful in the coup against the will of the people.

They also prayed for their fallen heroes in what they consider to be the democratic struggle for control of Myanmar.

So far, a total death toll has reached 270 throughout Myanmar, including casualties in Bagan when security forces dispersed the crowd with live rounds.

In ancient times, the people in Bagan cursed those who destroyed the pagodas and temples they built. With thousands of temples and pagodas in the same place, Bagan is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Myanmar.

By Htay Win
Photo credit Aye Yarwaddy

Photos of Bolivian ex-president in prison keep making the media, daughter charges ‘psychological and physical torture’

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021 by The Speaker Editors

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Jeanine Añez is held by Bolivian courts as a “flight risk” and because of fear she might “interfere with investigations,” but her daughter Carolina Ribera says that by allowing pictures of the jailed former leader prison authorities are interfering with her mother’s privacy in actions that amount to psychological and emotional torture, and “physical harassment.”

Ribera says the ruling MAS party is using her mother as a political trophy and “so they believe they have the right to violate her in all those ways.”

“It is a type of harassment to take her pictures clandestinely, without her authorization, to Photoshop it, edit, and to publish it in all the networks and to tell lies about her. It is because of this that my mother is suffering physical and emotional torture,” said her daughter in a television interview decrying a widely published picture of her mother on her prison bed, eating. The picture was later shown to be Photoshopped with the addition of fries and a Burger King bag. This was relevant because Añez has claimed health issues with high blood pressure and, according to a Bolivian verification site, she was eating an avocado and not fried fast foods.

“She is feeling harassed in this form because this generates certain rejection, certain discomfort in the condition in which she is because she feels invaded,” charged her daughter.

Añez is being held in La Paz’s Miraflores Women’s prison among high-security inmates who are serving sentences of more than 8 years.

By Milan Sime Martinic