Day: June 28, 2024

Former Uvalde police chief indicted over response to Robb Elementary shooting  The National

Blantyre, Malawi    — Malawi’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed the case of two applicants who wanted it to legalize same-sex relationships. State lawyers welcomed the ruling while lawyers for the applicants expressed disappointment.

The applicants, Jan Willem Akster from the Netherlands and a Malawian transgender man, Jana Gonani, brought their case to the Constitutional Court for interpretation of Malawi’s anti-homosexuality laws following their arrest in 2021.

Akster is currently facing nine charges of sexual abuse and sodomy, while Gonani is charged with unnatural offenses.

They said Malawi’s laws violate their fundamental rights, including a right to privacy and dignity.

However, Judges Joseph Chigona, Vikochi Chima and Chimbizgani Kacheche rejected their arguments.

Chigona said the applicants failed to bring evidence of how the provisions in the country’s laws discriminated against homosexuals.

Chigona also said Akster failed to prove that Malawi’s laws violated his right to health.

“The first applicant was asked in a cross examination if he had ever accessed a public hospital and replied that he had gone to Zomba Central Hospital after he had been involved in a car accident,” Chigona said. “When he was asked about his experience there, especially if he was asked about his sexual orientation before he was assisted, he said he was not. He actually said that he was medically assisted so well. The only complaint he had about the facility were spiders in the ward.”

Chigona said the court also dismissed claims that Malawi police violated Gonani’s right to privacy when they ordered him to undress, to confirm his claims that he was transgender.

“We know that by Section 24 of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code that police are empowered to search a suspect who is reasonably suspected of having committed a particular offense and who has been arrested,” the judge said. “The caveat is that the search only extends as it is reasonably required for discovering a thing upon this person in connection to the offenses he was suspected of.”

Minority rights activists and religious leaders attended the delivery of the judgment, which took over six hours.

Rights activist Michael Kaiyatsa of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation said he was not happy with the ruling but would comment more after going through the written judgment.

Defense attorney Bob Chimkango said, “To be honest, we are satisfied with the process, but the only thing that we may not be agreeing with is the judgment itself. But it’s too early to comment as you will notice it’s a 135-page document. We were just listening — we were not working on it. So we will be waiting for it to be given to us, analyze it and then advise the client accordingly.”

A spokesperson for Ministry of Justice, Frank Namangale told reporters outside the court that the government was happy with the ruling.

Same-sex marriages have been a controversial issue in Malawi.

In July 2023, religious leaders led street protests across the country against the potential legalization of same-sex marriage.

Friday’s judgment means homosexuality remains an offense in Malawi, punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The Constitutional Court said Friday that the applicants were free to ask parliament to amend the country’s homosexuality laws if they were not satisfied with its judgment.

Many Afghans are applying for resettlement in the U.S., including Nizakat Parsa. The journalist and his family embarked on a three-month journey through the Americas in search of freedom and security. From California, Fahim Sediqi reports, narrated by Elizabeth Cherneff. Camera: Fahim Sediqi .

This week the United States and 28 partner nations began the world’s largest naval war exercise off the shores of Hawaii. Known as Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, analysts say this year’s exercise gives partners a chance to work together while sending a strong deterrence message to China. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has details.

(NewsNation) — The Federal Communications Commission proposed a new rule Thursday that would require carriers to make cellphones unlockable within 60 days after purchase. 

The move would give cellphone users “freedom to take their existing phones and switch from one mobile wireless service provider to another more easily, as long as the consumer’s phone is compatible with the new provider’s wireless network,” the FCC said in a statement. 

Currently, most cellphones can’t be unlocked from a carrier until a contract is up or the phone is paid off, preventing consumers from using the phone on another network.

The agency said some cellphones may contain software that prevents them from being used on different mobile networks even when those networks are technologically compatible.

This software essentially locks the phone to another provider’s network, keeping users under the thumb of carriers, the FCC said. 

Mobile phone unlocking would increase consumer choice and competition in the wireless service provider marketplace. 

“Real competition benefits from transparency and consistency,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. 

 “That is why we are proposing clear, nationwide mobile phone unlocking rules. When you buy a phone, you should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier you want and not have the device you own stuck by practices that prevent you from making that choice.” 

The new rule would “increase competition by reducing consumer’s switching costs, and reduce customer confusion by applying the same unlocking rules to all mobile service providers,” the agency noted. 

The rule does not address how current users would fare under the rule, but under its “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” the agency is seeking comment on the proposal.

The proceeding would also seek comment on whether an unlocking requirement should be applied to existing contracts or future contacts. 

The agency said it’s also looking for comments on the impact of a 60-day unlocking requirement in connection with carriers’ incentives to offer discounted phones for postpaid and prepaid service plans and whether the requirement would benefit smaller providers, new entrants, and resellers.

The Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade, Bohdan Krotevych (Tavr), has received a response from the State Bureau of Investigation regarding his letter calling for the opening of proceedings against the former commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Sodol.

At least 3 One-Way Aerial Attack Drone were Detected earlier crossing the Israel Border from Southern Lebanon, before Impacting near Coastal Areas in the Western Galilee Region causing No Casualties. Interception was attempted by the Israeli Air Defense Array but Failed.

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 28, 2024