Thursday, November 25, 2021

Six In The Morning Thursday 25 November 2021

 

Demonizing Black victims is an old racist trope that didn't work for defense attorneys this time


Updated 1237 GMT (2037 HKT) November 25, 2021


Ahmaud Arbery was the victim. But for weeks, he was painted as a brute and a thug in the trial of the three White men who killed him. This tactic isn't new, but rather the latest example in a long history of court cases that criminalize and dehumanize Black victims.

Emmett TillJordan DavisTrayvon MartinBotham JeanGeorge Floyd -- all of them Black, all of them victims, just as Arbery was.
Arbery's family can now feel a sense of justice after Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan Jr. were convicted on Wednesday, but that outcome is a rare exception to the rule.




Apple tells Thai activists they are targets of ‘state-sponsored attackers’


At least 17 people including protest leaders have received alerts about devices possibly being compromised


 and Navaon Siradapuvadol


Thai activists who have called for reform of the monarchy are among at least 17 people in Thailand who say they have been warned by Apple that they have been targeted by “state-sponsored” attackers.

Warnings were sent to the prominent activists Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul and Arnon Nampa, according to Panusaya’s sister May and the administrator of Arnon’s Facebook page. Panusaya and Arnon are in pre-trial detention after leading demonstrations calling for the power of the monarchy to be curbed.

Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, a rapper known as Hockhacker with the group Rap Against Dictatorship, said on Facebook he had also received an alert from Apple, and posted a screengrab of the message. The group’s music has taken aim at the monarchy and the military-backed government, and Dechathorn faces charges of sedition.


Danish journalist union advises against travel to Qatar


Denmark’s Union of Journalists is urging journalists not to travel to Qatar to cover next year’s World Cup, saying the Arab country cannot be trusted



Denmark’s Union of Journalists is urging all Danish journalists not to travel to Qatar to cover next year's World Cup, saying the Arab country cannot be trusted.

“I do not trust Qatar," said Allan Boye Thulstrup, the union’s deputy leader. "I am afraid that the sources critical of the government risk disappearing or going to prison for a long time, and that they will not be treated nicely in prison," he added, speaking Wednesday to industry magazine Journalisten.

“It is of no use that Qatar first promises the press can work unhindered and that they then arrest journalists,” Boye Thulstrup said. His union has more than 18,000 members.




South Africa: Scientists detect new COVID-19 variant

South Africa's health minister has said a newly identified coronavirus variant is of "serious concern." Scientists said the variant could be behind a major spike in cases in the country.


South African scientists have detected a new COVID-19 variant that is posing a "major threat" to efforts to curb the virus, officials announced at a press conference on Thursday.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the variant, called B.1.1.529, is behind an "exponential" increase in reported cases in the country.

"[It] is now a variant of serious concern which driving the spike in numbers," said Phaahla.

Virologists have detected almost 100 cases linked to the variant in the country.


Interpol success throws spotlight on high-flying Emirati general

Interpol's new president has lived a life rich in awards and achievements, but none has attracted such controversy as his latest success which was accompanied by allegations of torture.

Emirati General Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi always looked favourite to win Thursday's vote over veteran Czech police officer Sarka Havrankova, and he duly delivered 68.9 percent of the votes cast by member countries.

It is far from the only success for a man who became head of the United Arab Emirates' security forces in 2015 and has held several high-level police positions, including general director of central operations in the Abu Dhabi force.

Thousands rally in Sudan to demand full civilian rule


Thousands resume protests in Sudan days after the military signed a new power-sharing deal with the prime minister.


Thousands of Sudanese have taken to the streets in the capital, Khartoum, renewing their demand for a civilian government and denouncing the country’s military rulers who led a coup last month.

The protests on Thursday came just days after the military signed a new power-sharing deal with the prime minister, after releasing him from house arrest and reinstating him as head of government.








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