Video of Zaid Hamid's hate speech is from 2013, not after Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan - Alt News
Pooja Chaudhuri
17th August 2021 / 6:23 pm / Last updated: 17th August 2021
A video of Pakistani commentator Zaid Hamid’s remarks during an ARY News broadcast has surfaced on social media after the Taliban took over Afghanistan. He can be heard saying, “Danish, if you truly ask me, I pray to Allah that the Americans withdraw from [Afghanistan], and leave the Indians there; it has been a long time since we massacred Hindus in Afghanistan. Historically, it was always like that, and that is why the mountains in Afghanistan are called ‘Hindu Kush.’ ‘Hindu Kush’ means a place where Hindus are to be beheaded, a place that kills Hindus. Historically, whenever Hindus entered Afghanistan, they were butchered there. We pray to Allah that the US withdraws from Afghanistan, and leaves the Bania [Hindu community of merchants] in their place. The things we would do to the Bania in Afghanistan would make them refrain from looking toward Afghanistan and Pakistan for thousands of years.”
Twitter handle @pakistan_untold tweeted the video claiming it showed Pakistan’s plans for Hindus after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s plans for Hindus after US withdrawal from Afganistan. Live on Pak TV.
(ARY is 2nd largest News agency of Pak. ARY was also the official partner/distributer of Aamir Khan’s blockbuster movie PK in Pak)pic.twitter.com/JiYM9YgHdF
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) August 15, 2021
TV9 Bharatvarsh news anchor Shubankar Mishra shared the video with the exact text. He did not specify the date of the ARY News broadcast.
Pakistan’s plans for Hindus after US withdrawal from Afganistan: Zaid Hamid
Live on Pak TV.
(ARY is 2nd largest News agency of Pak. ARY was also the official partner/distributer of Aamir Khan’s blockbuster movie PK in Pak)#Pakistan #Afhganistan #hindu
pic.twitter.com/geByzJyPI7
— शुभांकर मिश्रा (@shubhankrmishra) August 17, 2021
The video is widespread on Twitter and Facebook alike.
Alt News has also received verification requests for the video on its WhatsApp helpline number (76000 11160) and mobile application.
Media outlet Newstracklive has penned an article on the video without verifying the date of the broadcast.
Incidentally, Twitter handle @pakistan_untold had also shared the video last year. This itself proves that Zaid Hamid did not make the statements after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“We have not slaughtered Hindus for quite some time. Let’s do it now in Afghanistan.”
Panelist on Pak TV ARY (same group with whom Aamir Khan launched his movie PK in Pakistan). Accompanied by Pak Air Vice Marshal.
Islamophobia is on the rise in Moodi’s India. pic.twitter.com/JiYM9Yyi5d
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) December 15, 2020
A keyword search took us to links from December 14, 2013 that shared the video. However, the video has been taken down from YouTube for violating the platform’s rules on hate speech.
However, we did find a copy of the video [a section of Pakistan-based ARY News broadcast] uploaded in 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT30KDfDD9A
Transcription of the complete statement given by Hamid was found on the website mimri.org. The excerpt in the first paragraph of this fact-check report has been taken from this website. The transcription was published in 2014. The website says that the broadcast dates back to August 11, 2013. Zaid Hamid spoke about how Pakistan should treat India’s presence in Afghanistan after the US troop withdrawal planned by the end of 2014.
Former US president Barack Obama had ordered the US military to make plans to fully pull out American troops from Afghanistan by 2014. Obama’s plan was subsequently withdrawn but the number of troops was reduced. It was further truncated by the next president Donald Trump. Last year, before Trump was voted out, the US signed a deal with the Taliban which said that the US would withdraw all troops within 14 months if the Taliban does not allow Al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in areas under the Taliban’s control. The complete withdrawal of US troops finally took place during the first presidential term of Joe Biden.
Now coming back to Zaid Hamid’s speech. While the Pakistani commentator’s remarks were not recent, Hamid is routinely criticised for xenophobia and hate speech against non-Muslim faiths. He has taken an anti-India stand several times in the past and his Twitter account is also withheld in the country. Hamid had claimed that the 2001 Parliamentary attack convict Ajmal Kasab was an Indian Hindu. (Note: For those who wish to see the hyperlinked tweet, use Tor browser). Hamid is known to spew vitriol against the Hindu community through hate speech and disinformation. Alt News has penned several articles on him before his account was withheld.
Several Pakistanis had condemned Hamid’s statements back in 2013.
Zaid Hamid wants America to leave Afghanistan, so that all Indian Hindus in Afghanistan can be massacre. Why is he allowed on air?
— Sadaf Khan (@nuqsh) August 11, 2013
Zaid Hamid is on crack? Hindus temporarily in the land? People still talk like this? So disrespectful
— Mahim Maher (@MahimMaher) August 11, 2013
A provocative speech against Hindus by Zaid Hamid in 2013 has been shared against the backdrop of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News.
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Investigating the masked woman photographed during JNU violence - Alt News
Jignesh Patel, Pratik Sinha & Mohammed Zubair
10th January 2020 / 7:25 pm / Last updated: 12th January 2020
Late in the evening of January 5, a mob wielding sticks and iron rods stormed hostels of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Most individuals who were a part of the mob had their faces covered. Soon after, videos and images of the incident began doing the rounds on social media. In the video below, several masked individuals can be seen inside a hostel.
Horrible videos coming out from JNU. In this, a horde of alleged ABVP goons unleashing terror inside Sabarmati hostel, JNU.#JNU #CAA_NRCProtests pic.twitter.com/YZNxtcvKut
— Asim Ali (@AsimAli6) January 5, 2020
One of the individuals was alleged to be Komal Sharma, a member with RSS-affiliated ABVP’s Delhi chapter. A Facebook user claimed, “The girl who is found on multiple videos vandalising JNU Girls Hostel is Komal Sharma. She is from Delhi University ABVP unit.”
The girl who is found on multiple videos vandalising JNU Girls Hostel is Komal Sharma. She is from Delhi University ABVP…
Posted by Reetam Singh on Sunday, 5 January 2020
An Instagram user Anuja Thakur posted a screen recording of an Instagram conversation with a person whose name on the platform reads – ‘komal❤sharma😎 ABVP ❤’. The corresponding username being ’26_saravashisth’. Thakur claimed that the conversation was with Sharma, the woman alleged to be part of the mob. In the screen recording which has an audio clip, Sharma is confirming her presence in the campus during the incident. Alt News was unable to access the said Instagram account as it may have been deleted or deactivated.
View this post on Instagram
Komal Sharma Student Activist from ABVP was my junior in college as well as in school. Last night I messaged her just to confirm the fact if she was there at JNU campus or not but I asked her indirectly starting from that ‘I saw you today at Munirka’ and ‘if she was wearing red white checkered shirt’ and her admission to all my questions (which were my urges to confirm her presence there at the campus) with the following audio in which she says ‘Didi, please kisiko matt batana’ is the legal evidence that she is the same person as in the pictures that were leaked yesterday confirming the fact that she was the girl with the iron stick in the “unidentified mobs”. I screen recorded her audio and chat as her Instagram account is no longer found. Share this as much as you can. #goonsofabvp @reallyswara @umar_khalid87 @youthkiawaaz @kanhaiyakumar @ravishndtv @peeinghuman @unbhakt @akashbanerjee.in @mallikadua @anuragkashyap10 @vidushak
A post shared by Anuja Thakur (@anujathakur30) on Jan 6, 2020 at 2:38am PST
In her detailed post, Thakur wrote, “Komal Sharma Student Activist from ABVP was my junior in college as well as in school. Last night I messaged her just to confirm the fact if she was there at JNU campus or not but I asked her indirectly starting from that ‘I saw you today at Munirka’ and ‘if she was wearing red white checkered shirt’ and her admission to all my questions (which were my urges to confirm her presence there at the campus) with the following audio in which she says ‘Didi, please kisiko matt batana’ is the legal evidence that she is the same person as in the pictures that were leaked yesterday confirming the fact that she was the girl with the iron stick in the “unidentified mobs”. I screen recorded her audio and chat as her Instagram account is no longer found.”
The video of the conversation can be seen below.
Speaking with Alt News, Thakur reiterated that she interacted with Sharma from her Instagram account.
Apoorv Thakur, brother of Anuja Thakur, posted the same on Facebook. In his post, he shared an additional screenshot which shows Sharma responding to Anuja Thakur’s question as to why she has become a topic of conversation on social media. In her response, Sharma sent the viral picture alleged to be hers.
Alt News was able to independently confirm that the Instagram account seen in the video is of ABVP activist Komal Sharma. But ‘@26_Saravashisth’ is either deactivated or deleted at the moment. However, we were able to find an archived version of the profile. Below, we have compared a screenshot of the Instagram handle and profile picture seen in the video with a screenshot of the archived version.
Sharma’s Facebook profile which goes by the name ‘Komal Sharma ABVP’ is also inaccessible at the moment. Although, her old Facebook profile and a barely active Twitter handle (Sara Vashisth) which share the name given on her Instagram account confirm her identity. Both the accounts existed at least a year ago and have an image of Komal Sharma in the profile picture. In the case of her Facebook profile, the profile picture dates back to July 2017.
We located two more accounts of Sharma – Facebook, Twitter – where she refers to herself as ‘Sara Vashisth’.
Komal Sharma had also tweeted in support of ABVP member Bharat Sharma who was caught on camera kicking a person. This tweet was made on December 18, 2019. “I support you bhai. Well done. You are a true brother. I am proud of you. For protecting me that day from those goons of the left,” she wrote. Now, this account too is deleted or deactivated. An archived version of the tweet can be seen here.
Based on multiple corroborations, Alt News was able to establish that ABVP activist Komal Sharma was caught on camera in the viral video of masked individuals inside JNU campus.
[Update: After this report, Komal Sharma’s Twitter account was deactivated or deleted. Hence, a screenshot of the tweet was added later in the report in place of the embedded tweet.]
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Pakistani Journalist Takes Intelligence Agency to Court Over Harassment · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Journalist Taha Siddiqui is taking the Federal Investigation Agency to court over what he has described as efforts to “harass” and intimidate him. Photo courtesy: Siddiqui's Twitter account.
A Pakistani journalist is taking on the country's powerful Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over what he has described as efforts to “harass” and intimidate him in response to his investigative reporting.
Taha Siddiqui, a young award-winning journalist, filed a petition under Article 199 of the Constitution in court alleging that the FIA had harassed him over the phone. He gave a public account of a call he received from the FIA, which left him worried not only about his own safety but also about that of his confidential sources:
Around 7pm on Thursday, 18th May 2007, I received a call from an unknown number. The person on the other end asked me if I was Taha Siddiqui, which I confirmed. He went on to introduce himself from the Counter-Terrorism Department of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and asked me to appear before him at the FIA Headquarters for an interrogation.
After the phone call, Siddiqui filed a petition against the FIA to the Islamabad high court, an unprecedented move by a journalist.
Pakistan's FIA is a border control, counter-intelligence, and security agency that reports to the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan; its investigation jurisdiction includes terrorism, smuggling, espionage, federal crimes and under the recently passed cybercrime law it also deals with crimes committed on the internet.
This incident comes at a time when journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders face routine threats from state and non-state actors. Pakistan has long been the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. According to comprehensive data collected by Committee for Protection of Journalists, 88 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan since 1992.
The violence extends to netizens as well. In the beginning of 2017, as many as five Pakistani activist-bloggers went missing, four of whom are known for their secular and left-leaning views. While four of the five have since returned to their families, activist Samar Abbas remains missing. Most of the five routinely criticized the military and spoke up openly about sectarian violence and terrorism in the country.
Siddiqui has covered terrorism, persecution of minorities, economic instability, corruption, and civil-military affairs for multiple foreign publications including the Guardian, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and France24. He was awarded the Albert Londres Award — referred to as the French Pulitzer — in 2014 for his work on “La guerre de la polio” (“The Polio War”) for France 24. He currently serves as the bureau chief for World Is One News (WION).
Siddiqui also is an avid social media user and critic of the military. On Twitter, he has referred to the Pakistani army as “#PindiBoys“.  The city of Rawalpindi, often referred to as pindi, is the headquarters for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency — the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan responsible for national security — and the term “pindi boys” is often used to refer to ISI officers.
In his petition to the court, Siddiqui explains that he was “reluctant to go to the FIA Headquarters” citing previous reports of journalists who had received similar calls:
[the] person who is to be interrogated sets out to the FIA Headquarters, he is either picked up and disappeared or detained illegally.
On May 24, 2017, the Islamabad high court ordered the FIA to refrain from harassing Siddiqui.
The petition Siddiqui filed with the court reveals details about the harassment he has faced. “It is inconceivable that the counterterrorism department of the FIA should be calling up a journalist who has nothing to do with terrorism and is a person of the pen,” the petition said. It continues: “The petitioner has noticed that plain-clothed persons have conspicuously been pointing at his house at which the petitioner has taken due precautions.” Siddiqui alleges that this has forced him to restrict his movements; an integral part of his job as a reporter.
جن کی آزادیوں کو سلب کیا جا رہا ہے وہ عدالت کا دروازہ کھٹکٹائیں گے۔یہ عدالتوں کابہت بڑا امتحان ہوگا: عاصمہ جہانگیرhttps://t.co/sdia6EXMh3 pic.twitter.com/1fJL8wdam4
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) May 21, 2017
Those who are deprived of the freedom of speech will knock the door of justice. This will be a test case for the courts. Asma Jahangir (lawyer of Taha Siddiqui)
Recently, the FIA identified dozens of “suspects” alleging they are involved in an “organized” campaign on social media against the country's military. Despite strong condemnations from opposition parties and netizens, Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan ordered the FIA to crack down on online criticism of the armed forces.
An FIA official told Reuters, “We have received a huge list of suspects, active against national institutions, but we have identified 18 out of over 200 social media activists. They are accused of spreading negative material against the army and other institutions.” Shortly after the statement, a list was circulated online containing names of several netizens. The authenticity of the list couldn't be confirmed and due to security concerns, we aren't linking to it.
Despite court orders, the FIA has continued to target Siddiqui by delivering a summons ordering the journalist to appear for questioning at its counter-terrorism department:
Despite high court orders, FIA pursuing action against me under counter terrorism saying i m “well aware of enquiry”. Just got served notice
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) May 25, 2017
He tweeted that social media users in the country are in constant fear:
Many friends have also confided tht seeing me go thru all wht i've had to has made thm self censor even more. Climate of fear persists
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) 29 de mayo de 2017
Journalists who have been critical of the military and intelligence agencies have faced threats, intimidation and physical harm in Pakistan, though these incidents are often underreported.
In April 2014, senior journalist Hamid Mir, a critic of the military and host of a popular TV-show “Capital Talk” on Geo TV, was shot several times by unknown gunmen in Karachi. Mir blamed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the attack, and Geo TV repeatedly aired the picture of Zaheerul Islam, the then-head of ISI. The same year, another prominent liberal journalist Raza Rumi, known for criticizing the Taliban, narrowly escaped death in Lahore. His young driver was killed in the attack.
Umar Cheema, an investigative journalist and vocal critic of government practice, was picked up by intelligence agencies in 2010. There was no case filed against him. Cheema informed the Committee to Protect Journalists that he was tortured, humiliated and videotaped nude in comprised positions; he is the only journalist in Pakistan ever to go on record about being tortured in custody.
The Committee for Protection of Journalists has urged the FIA to stop harassing Siddiqui and respect the court order. A statement issued May 26 read:
“Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency should abide by the Islamabad High Court's order to stop harassing journalist Taha Siddiqui,” Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia Program Coordinator, said from Washington, D.C. “Pakistani security forces should not use terrorism as a pretext for targeting journalists.”
The Human Rights Commission also published a detailed statement demanding an end to the crackdown on freedom of expression. Civil rights group Media for Democracy Pakistan called out authorities:
Gov categorically denied any intention to use #PECA2016 to crackdown on dissent. Yet, here we are. @TahaSSiddiqui https://t.co/ev9U0DHNBc
— MediaForDemocracy (@mmfd_Pak) May 27, 2017
Civil rights group Freedom Network, which works on freedom of expression issues in Pakistan, condemned the FIA's targeting of Siddiqui:
@pressfreedompk condemns harassment of #Journalist @TahaSSiddiqui by govt investigating agency despite court order https://t.co/DKDztFTXye
— Freedom Network (@pressfreedompk) May 26, 2017
Former Senator Afrasiab Khattak, from the Awami National Party, called out the hypocrisy of FIA's crackdown:
Hope the High Court takes FIA to task for violating its orders. Wish they are half that active against banned orgs and terrorists. https://t.co/DBgpCK4wto
— Afrasiab Khattak (@a_siab) May 25, 2017
Siddiqui's hearing has been postponed and he's currently awaiting the next date to be announced. The FIA has not provided any details to the court about their reasons for pursuing Siddiqui. Despite the situation, Siddiqui has vowed to continue his work and fight for the rights of reporters in the country. By taking this issue to the court, Siddiqui has taken a bold step to challenge state agencies involved in curbing freedom of expression and harassing journalists who are simply doing their job by speaking truth to power.
My aim was & will remain to continue to report & comment abt #pindiboys even tho many advise restraint. Urge all of u to not b silenced too
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) 29 de mayo de 2017
I feel I m being targeted for reporting abt army w/out selfcensorship. Freedom of speech not crime but democratic right. I'll not b silenced
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) May 22, 2017


Bangladesh fire: Deadly blaze engulfs building in Dhaka - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Abubakar Abubakar
March 28, 2019
At least sixteen people have been confirmed dead and scores more injured after a fire broke out in a high-rise office building in Dhaka, officials have said.
Many people were trapped inside the building when the fire broke out in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday and rescue workers warned that the death toll could rise as firefighters search the charred structure.
The fire had lost some of its intensity but was not fully extinguished
The blaze at the FR tower, located on a busy avenue in Dhaka’s Banani commercial district, was the latest in a city where flouted building regulations and safety norms have made deadly blazes common.
Witnesses described seeing people shouting for help from windows on the upper floors of the building. Some workers slid down a television cable on the side of the building, while others grabbed ropes that were lowered by emergency service helicopters which pulled them out of the blaze.
At least six people died after jumping from the 22-floor building.
Helicopters dropped water on the blaze as flames and thick black smoke poured out of the windows.
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World Thrombosis Day: Hematologist Advises Air Travelers To Take Less Alcohol - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
October 14, 2019
AProfessor of Hematology and Blood Transfusion at the College of Medicine,University of Lagos Sulaiman Akanmu has advised air travellers to know what isthrombosis and the risks.
Hesaid that knowing the dangers would guard against coming down with thrombosis, a deadly condition caused by the formation of potentiallydeadly blood clots, blood that has turned into solid form within the bloodvessels.
Akanmugave the advice at a media briefing organized by Sanofi, a multinationalpharmaceutical company, to mark the 2019 World Thrombosis Day.
TheWorld Thrombosis Day  is marked annually on October 13 andit focuses attention on the often overlooked and misunderstood condition ofthrombosis, an urgent and growing health problem.
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Egypt: Egyptians Give Advice to Syrians  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Egyptians are dishing out advice to Syrians – on Twitter. Under a dedicated hash tag, the advice ranges from “do not take photographs with tanks” to “take advice from someone else.” The move follows news from Damascus this afternoon that three of Syrian president's inner circle have been killed in a bomb blast in Damascus. They include the Defense Minister, whose successor has since been named.
Yousry Salama notes:
Ibrahim Elgarhi advices:
Esraa Mahfouz has more:
@esraamahfouz: Don't forget Bashar's wife. She should be buried with him. Do not leave her free and do what some idiots I know have done
And on a serious note, Salma Mubarak tweets:
@PiercedMajesty: Do not expect the struggle to be over in a year & a half, do not expect it to be perfect, do not give up & whine.
Many netizens tried to reason why the hash tag was created.
Mamdouh Jalal explains:
@FinalRule: This hash tag pokes fun at us really … because in reality Syria's rebels are carrying arms and are freeing their land and not like us sitting on Twitter
Israa Elsakka shares a similar sentiment:
@IsraaElsakaa: this hashtag in which Egyptians advice Syrians …shows how Egyptians r frustrated.”peaceful revolutions” r naive
Egyptians were the second to oust their dictator this so-called Arab Spring, when the got rid of Hosni Mubarak's 32-year reign in February 2011. The Tunisians were the first. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled Tunisia with an iron fist for 23 years, fled to Saudi Arabia in January 2011. The Libyans rid themselves of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's 40-year reign in October 2011. And the Yemenis saw the back of Ali Abdulla Saleh in January 2012, after he granted himself immunity from prosecution for crimes he committed during his 33-year rule. Should the Syrians succeed in toppling Al Assad and his Baath regime, they will be Arab country number five to score a victory.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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Janine Mendes-Franco

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Fake Twitter handle impersonating Chinese journalist ‘Wang Wenwen’ tweeted thanking Rahul Gandhi for his support towards China - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 19, 2020
Screenshot of a tweet purportedly from the Twitter handle (@WangChinaR) allegedly of Chinese journalist ‘Wang Wenwen’ is doing the rounds on social media. The tweet has a video of Rahul Gandhi and the text ‘Thank you @RahulGandhi for speaking in favour of my country’. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Chinese journalist ‘Wang Wenwen’ tweeted thanking Rahul Gandhi for speaking in favour of China.
Fact: The official Twitter handle of Chinese journalist ‘Wang Wenwen’ is ‘@WenwenWang1127’, not ‘@WangChinaR’. So the tweet thanking Rahul Gandhi is not from ‘Wang Wenwen’s’ official Twitter account. Also, in the video in that tweet, Rahul Gandhi hasn’t spoken anything supporting China. Hence the claim made is FALSE.
‘Wang Wenwen’ is the Chief reporter and opinion writer of ‘Global Times’. The official Twitter handle of ‘Wang Wenwen’ is ‘@WenwenWang1127’, not ‘@WangChinaR’.
The tweet from ‘@WangChinaR’ seen in the screenshot has a video of Rahul Gandhi speaking about the recent faceoff between India and China. In the video, Rahul Gandhi asks PM Narendra Modi why is he silent on the death of 20 Indian soldiers and China’s attempts to grab Indian territory. Nowhere in the video, Rahul Gandhi mentioned anything supporting China as described in the tweet. Also, this twitter profile is created very recently in April 2020 and started tweeting only since 16 June 2020.
Thank you @RahulGandhi
For speaking in favour of my country.
Dear @narendramodi
Why are you silent?
Where are you hiding?
Come Out.#Darpok56Inch#IndiaChinaFaceOff pic.twitter.com/BWxy1qP25G
To sum it up, a fake Twitter handle (@WangChinaR) in the name of Chinese journalist ‘Wang Wenwen’ (@WenwenWang112) tweeted thanking Rahul Gandhi for his support towards China.
Did you watch our new video?


Iran Is Poised to Limit Press Freedom Even More Than It Already Does · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

Activist protest the ban of newspapers in Iran. Photo from payvand.com.
When President Hassan Rouhani was elected to office in 2013, he was lauded for his mandate of “hope and prudence” and promises to bring more freedoms to the media and telecommunications realm.
Yet today, his administration is making significant changes to the country's press laws that may restrict freedom of expression even more so than the status quo.
Read Iran's current Press Law, ratified in 1986, on the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center website. Article 3, 6 and 7 are the sections that will be transformed under this new legislation.
His administration reportedly plans to do this through two bills: one designed to ultimately replace the current Press Law and the other to create a state media commission. While the new Press Law may appear relatively similar to the current one, it leaves more room for interpretation when determining if someone has committed an offence. This could make it easier for prosecutors or judges with political motivations to silence journalists or newspapers through arbitrary charges.
The proposed Media Affairs Commission bill to “oversee the journalism profession” would make journalists and media agencies more directly accountable to the government. The Commission will be responsible for issuing permits to journalists, draft a Journalism Ethics Code and ensure “high moral standards” in the media. At present, local Iranian journalists do not need permits to work for publications, in contrast to foreign journalists who go through a rigorous accreditation process through the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's foreign press department. Only special accreditation is applied for journalists through their new agencies to attend official settings such as Parliament, or speeches by the President and Ministers.
The majority of the commission would be staffed by state officials or people who have the state's interests at heart, not media workers.
Hardline politician Hossein Entezami, well known for repressing media freedoms, reportedly will take a leading role in the Commission. His appointment to this post, by the Rouhani Administration, is leading to feelings of disquiet for freedom of the press in Iran.
Media are already restricted in Iran — year after year the country comes in near the bottom in world press freedom rankings — and the country's current Press Law bans a litany of things, including:
The proposed Comprehensive Mass Media Regulatory Plan would take things a step further. According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Article 20 criminalizes some new types of content and brings greater specificity to some of its previous items:
When talking about these two bills on August 6, 2016, former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati gave the impression that they were necessary and for the good of Iran's media:
The Comprehensive Mass Media Regulatory Plan will be introduced as a bill to reform the Press Law and is designed to prevent many of the problems facing media publishers that sometimes result in the closure of newspapers or the arrest of journalists. There is also a need to introduce changes to incorporate digital media…One of the things people in the journalism profession have always asked for is a Media Affairs Commission, similar to what doctors have, that would streamline relations between journalists and the government…
Jannati's mention of journalist arrests is important. While arrests of journalists are nothing new in Iran, they often face charges under relatively broad sections of the law such as spreading propaganda against the ruling system, conspiring against officials and insulting authorities. Some recent cases of journalists newly sentenced to jail terms because of these broad offences typically reserved for political prisoners, include Afarin Chitzaz, Ehsan Mazandarani and Saman Sadarzaee, all of whom were writing for publications sympathetic to the Rouhani administration. These arrests are often interpreted as ways the judiciary and intelligence undermine the Rouhani administration. The newly proposed changes signal a complicity in this from his administration.
The newly proposed law does offer greater specificity, thereby theoretically indicating where the “red line” falls. Yet Iranian legal experts caution that this can still be subject to interpretation within the bill such as ‘undermining the foundation of Islam’ and ‘sowing discord among various classes of society’.
The Media Affairs Commission was originally proposed in September 2014, but it was set aside after much criticism from the journalism community. A closer look at some of its conditions will clarify why it has caused such alarm within Iran's media (translation by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran).
“The Passage of the Media Affairs Commission Bill Will Mean the End of Independent Journalism”, read this ILNA headline.
Reformist journalists who have been subject to extensive repression have noted that this bill comes by way of elements within Iran's intelligence establishments — namely the Intelligence Ministry, the Revolutionary Guard’s Intelligence Organization, the police forces, and national security organizations.
The Rouhani administration's appointment of Hossein Entezami as deputy of media affairs within the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance, the body responsible for press regulation, has further exacerbated the worries of media workers.
Amongst the many appointments that Entezami has attained throughout his career, a few define his hardline position. He started his press career in 1989 as the Tehran bureau chief for Qods, an ultra-conservative daily newspaper. He was also the founder of Jam-e Jam newspaper in 2000, the official mouthpiece for the national broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, taking a vocal and hostile stance toward the reformist administration of Mohammad Khatami between 1994 and 2004.
Throughout the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Entezami was involved in the founding and administration of a number of other hardline media outlets.
Apart from his direct role within the media, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran mentions that Entezami has connections to Iran’s intelligence apparatus.
Ali Asghar Ramazanpour, a former official in the Khatami administration and reformist journalist now living in exile, cautioned in an interview with Radio Farda on August 17, 2016 about Entezami's motivations:
Entezami is a former Intelligence Ministry analyst who has been intent on controlling the press from the very beginning…With [these bills], he’s mostly trying to satisfy the wishes of the intelligence agencies and the Judiciary to gain more control of the media. This will be a shameful stain on Mr. Rouhani’s government if it goes forward with this bill.
Such developments and appointments are sobering warnings of the values held by the Rouhani administration, which previously had established themselves as darlings of reformists (the popular former reformist President Mohammad Khatami famously endorsed Rouhani), or those expecting improvements in rights and freedoms under his relatively progressive 2013 election campaign. These proposed changes to Iran's media regulation indicate that the moderate administration still favors the repressive tendencies of the Islamic Republic.


Talk in Milwaukee of Creating a 'Children's Zone' to Surround Kids with Support | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM
Published December 11, 2014 at 12:39 PM CST


Criminal Case Against Indian Poet Provokes Controversy Over Speech Rights · Global Voices
Devika Sakhadeo

Image from Flickr by Jennifer Moo. CC BY-ND 2.0
A poet in West Bengal, India has been charged with “deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings,” a criminal offense punishable by a minimum of three years in prison.
His crime? A poem alluding to State Assembly elections in India. Srijato Bandopadhyay's 12-line poem entitled ‘Abhishap’ or ‘Curse’ references the recent elections in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party swept opponents aside and elected Yogi Adityanath as the state's Chief Minister.
Yogi Adityanath, who is a Hindu priest, was a surprise appointee by the Bharatiya Party. The poem referenced the election and the ‘Trishul’, a trident said to be used by Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
The poem was posted on Facebook on World Poetry Day — but its verses were not welcomed by everyone.
A complaint was registered against the contemporary poet at the Siliguri Metropolitan Station for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The Siliguri police pressed non-bailable charges against Srijato under Sections 295A (deliberate or malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 57 of Information Technology Act on Wednesday. They also reportedly contacted Facebook and asked the company to remove the poem.
Some spoke out in defence of freedom of speech, while others condemned the poet's writing:
On international poetry day, there is an FIR against beloved bengali poet Srijato, few voices remaining in Bengal, who dare,a translation. pic.twitter.com/TiHJTab2qc
— Sudeshna Basu (@basusudeshna) March 22, 2017
Exclusive interview with Poet Srijato on FIR booked against him for hurting religious sentiments https://t.co/rDrJpyGGRV
— Samya Sen (@Samya_tweets) March 22, 2017
The likes of Srijato may please note that they don't have the right to insult any community/culture under the pretext of creativity.
— Surajit Sengupta (@sgsura1) March 22, 2017
The furore over the poem has also highlighted cleavages between followers of the country's two largest religions.
Why was Srijato silent when I was hounded out of Bengal by Muslim fundamentalists: Taslima Nasreen https://t.co/XokN2BZUsL via @dna
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 30, 2017
A Bengali blogger expressed support for both poets on Twitter:
Both r Bengali authors.Both r hounded by religious fanatics. Both r incredibly brave.Both r fantastic writers. #Bengal stands with #Srijato https://t.co/xa6MFYBxvy
— Saileena (@saileenas) March 24, 2017
Stop.interference with the freedom of writers .freedom of speech is the fundamental human rights.attack on mandakranta &srijato is barbaric pic.twitter.com/ArdyOJe5Gz
— Bikashranjan (@bikashranjan51) March 30, 2017
After much uproar, the poem was removed from Facebook on March 26:
#Facebook has removed my poem: #Srijatohttps://t.co/wYNKJ8ajUr
— EnglishPost (@english_post) March 26, 2017
It is unclear whether the US-based social media company removed the poem in response to a direct request from the Indian government, or simply due to users flagging the poem under Facebook's “Report Abuse” system. Facebook's internal “Community Standards,” which dictate the rules for participation in the network, do not explicitly prohibit this type of speech. However, the company does implement country-level censorship if it receives a legitimate court order proving that a specified piece of content stands in violation of the country's laws.
On March 27, the social networking site restored the poem and apologised for removing it.
#Facebook apologises for ‘mistakenly’ removing poet #Srijato‘s controversial poem, restores post#ReligiousSentimenthttps://t.co/ii9R3zbMxF
— India Blooms (@indiablooms) March 27, 2017
Mandakranta Sen, another poet hailing from West Bengal, expressed public support on Facebook for Srijato Bandopadhyay and his poem. She reported to police that soon after, people on Facebook began sending her obscene messages and threats of gang rape. These messages stand in violation of Facebook's Community Standards, which explicitly prohibit harassment and threats of violence.
The right to freedom of speech is enshrined by India's Constitution, but not without limitations. And recent events have raised doubt over the extent to which this particular freedom is tolerated in the world's largest democracy by population in practice. This intolerance has been widespread, and multiple artists such as authors, comedians and filmmakers have found themselves on the wrong side of the issue.
Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression. The freedom of speech and expression means the right to express one's conviction and opinions freely by word of mouth, writing, printing, pictures or any other mode. This is one of six fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These fundamental rights however aren’t absolute. The Freedom of Speech and Expression cannot be extended to sedition, slander, defamation and obscenity since all citizens are equal before the law and have a right to seek legal help.
Artists have a right to publish their work and express their opinions — and so can those who feel offended by their work and ideas. Debate is a vital component of any democracy.
But when it comes to freedom of speech in India, cases like this suggest that the question of “how free” still is yet to be answered.


China: Beijing can’t find itself on Google News · Global Voices
John Kennedy

They haven't been call the SchizOlympics for nothing (that piece is serious though, and worth a second read), and now Google News is behaving oddly; read all about it at Danwei: “The absence of China from news searches does not appear to be a Net Nanny phenomenon or at least it does not resemble the usual blocking and filtering.”


Malaysia: Moral Police  · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Unspun compares the religious moral policing in Malaysia with the relatively liberal attitude in Indonesia.


9 Oyo Model Schools ready for commissioning | EduCeleb
Confidence Evwodere
1st September 2019
Nine of the model schools constructed by the Oyo State government are ready for commissioning.
The schools, which are said to be well equipped with learning facilities were funded through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
They are located across the Three Senatorial districts in Oyo State.
The Oyo SUBEB Chairman, Nureni Adeniran said the Model Schools, under the UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects are ready for commissioning across the State and would be utilised by students from the 2019/2020 academic session.
EduCeleb.com gathered that the projects were initiated under the Abiola Ajimobi led administration and continued by the Seyi Makinde administration in the state.
The Schools have facilities such as classrooms, sick-bays sciencelabs, computer rooms, libraries and halls.
Dr Adeniran revealed to us that efforts were ongoing to complete the remaining ones across the state.
Those ready include; OLGC Primary School, Ayegun; Elekuro Community . Junior High School, St. Mathias Primary School, Orogun Community Primary School, Agbopa and Community Primary School, Idi Osan, Eleyele. Others are in Oyo, Igbeti and Ofiki.


Poland: Wedding Survival Guide · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian shares “15 things you need to know about Polish weddings – the survival guide.”


South AFrica: new blog · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Floyds Perspectives is a new South African blog by a young “politically active and thereof a young activist or perhaps a student activist. Lots of hope for the future and believe that distribution of resources should be responsive of sociatal needs not intended on profiteering.” In his latest post he had a couple of poems which he calls  “Floeytry… Poetry According to Floyd”


Lassa Fever: Health Ministry Confirms Outbreak In Abia Community - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
January 8, 2020
The Abia state Ministry of Health has confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in Olokoro community, Umuahia-South Local Government Area of the State.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary,Egbulefu Eze, told newsmen in Umuahia that a 28-year-old man who died in thecommunity was diagnosed of Lassa fever.
Eze allayed the fears of possible epidemicin the State, saying the ministry is taking measures to contain the spread ofthe disease. He said the victim died on January 1st at the Federal Medical Centre,Umuahia, where he was admitted.
The Permanent Secretary noted that theState government had always contained previous outbreaks and was already on topof the situation.
He explained that in the course ofthe investigation, all those that came in close contact with the deceased hadbeen identified and placed on surveillance.
The Medical Director of Federal MedicalCentre, Umuahia,   Azubuike Onyebuchi,while speaking on the disease, said that the deceased was initially suspectedto be suffering from acute appendicitis, adding that further examination on theman however, revealed the case of Lassa fever.


China’s Resistance Art Beyond Ai Weiwei · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Despite high-handed repression, resistance in the form of action art is getting popular in China. While Ai Weiwei is the most internationally known Chinese art-activist, there are many similar initiatives unknown to the western world.
Li Ning (李凝) the Body Art Guerrilla Group, Made-in-J Town (凌雲焰肢體游擊隊), are among one of the most interesting groups. Recently, they released three action art performances from 2008 through Youtube. The year of the Beijing Olympics – 2008 – dissent voices in the country faced the harshest repression. The 11-year imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, because of his Charter 08 initiative, is the most well-known example. These videos from 2008 give a glimpse into the resistance culture among young people in China.
The first one, Shandong: Olympic + Demolition (山東：奧運＋拆遷), criticizes the 2008 Olympics from a humanistic point of view:
Acopy.net has a brief explanation of the video:
2008 is the year of Beijing Olympic. In order to show the strength of the country, demolition had taken place in all major cities. Even though Jinan was not the hosting city, the scale of demolition and re-development had been huge. Li Ning and Body Art Guerrilla Group, Made-in-J Town, produced a short video showing the Olympic Torch relay in Jinan and the demolition. In the video, Li Ning performs the flesh and blood in the demolition scene, which creates a sharp contrast with the propaganda of the torch relay.
The second one, Fee for selecting school (擇校費), shows a body protest:
Below is acopy.net's description:
Li Ning and Body Art Guerrilla Group, Made-in-J Town, is frustrated with the extra fee for selecting the schools imposed onto the parents by elementary schools. They believe it is a form of corruption and want to protest against it with action art. In 2008, Li Ning wrapped himself with red tape and tied an amplifier on his body, playing slogan in front of a school. Police officers appeared accusing him of moral corruption…
The third one, Currency at the intersection leading to the underworld (冥幣路口), is an action art performance that shows the negative power of money:
Explanation of the video via acopy.net:
Li Ning and Body Art Guerrilla Group, Made-in-J Town planned an action art in a Jinan highway in 2008. They wanted to create a fuss by spreading paper money in the highway. They had successfully escaped from the police and recorded their performance on tape.
(The thumbnail image is captured from the video: Shandong: Olympic + Demolition)


Kyrgyzstan: Lying Satellites and Political Course · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan Hamm opines on the political situation in Kyrgyzstan, which has conducted constitutional referendum last Sunday. “Voters cast their ballots for peace and stability”, and legitimization of interim government shall become a first step to settling the enormous list of issues.


NNS Spotlight: ‘I feel defeated after I watch the news’: Podcast creators work to change narratives, spur civic action | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
July 24, 2019
Bridge the City co-creators Ben Rangel (left) and Kyle Hagge (center) interview Keith Stanley of the Near West Side Partners. (Photo provided by Bridge the City)
Editor’s note: This story is part of an occasional series that highlights groups and people worth knowing in Milwaukee. To nominate a person or a group, email<EMAIL_ADDRESS>and put “Spotlight” in the subject line.
Kyle Hagge and Ben Rangel are tired of the same media narratives about Milwaukee and its communities of color.
“I feel defeated after I watch the news,” Hagge said.
So the civic-minded young men decided to do something about their frustrations. In 2017, they launched “Bridge the City,” a podcast that investigates politics, criminal and youth justice, elections and other systems that some traditional media outlets exploit but don’t always explore.
The podcast explores such topics as how to start a block club, voting in the school board and other elections, visiting a different part of the city or just calling your alderman.
Instead of just highlighting problems, however, the podcast focuses on solutions― and action.
“We end every episode with effective ways that people in our city can help make it a better place,” Hagge said.
Bridge the City co-creators Kyle Hagge (left) and Ben Rangel have partnered with NEWaukee to co-host open mic events. (Photo provided by Bridge the City)
Rangel, a Racine native, and Hagge of Minnesota met four years ago as AmeriCorps participants with College Possible, a nonprofit focused on getting low-income students access to college. Both would go on to complete Marquette University’s Trinity Fellows graduate program, which develops leaders committed to social and economic justice.
Believing that one person can make a difference can be a hard sell, Rangel said.
“The status quo has not created an equitable society for those who are historically disadvantaged,” Rangel said. “Many people don’t believe the systems we have in place are capable of helping them, and I can’t blame them for thinking that.”
But Rangel, a third-generation Mexican American who grew up in a low-income household and was the first in his family to go to college, hopes he can help show them how. He also wants people to know that voting is only one way to make a difference.
“Oftentimes people think of voting as the only way to make change, but there are non-traditional ways to get involved,” Rangel said.
In fact, voting is just the beginning, said State Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, a recent guest on “Bridge the City.” He gave an example of how one community got fed up with a nuisance corner store. Residents spoke up, got organized and helped to create a law that holds stores accountable to residents or else the businesses could lose their license.
“People get too disillusioned and disheartened about what’s going on today in our society,” Goyke said. “People want to see change and be a part of it.”
The podcast has attracted many influential guests, including Mayor Tom Barrett, Vidhya Ananthakrishnan, director of Columbia University’s Justice Lab, activist and author Deanna Singh and Reggie Jackson, head griot at America’s Black Holocaust Museum.
Its staff has expanded to six members and they partner with social architecture firm NEWaukee to co-host political open-mics. The next one will likely take place in September.
Most important, though, according to Hagge, is that members of the team believe they are inspiring people to help make a difference.
“Yes, Milwaukee has its issues, but there are many people doing great things here and others who want to help,” Hagge said. “People are more than willing to meet you there if they know how.”
You can catch the “Bridge the City” podcast on all major podcasting platforms, including Spotify and iTunes.


Guatemala: A Tale of 2 Lakes, Macaws and a Queen · Global Voices
Renata Avila

The Laguna del Tigre National Park - a critical reservoir of wetlands and tropical dry forest habitats – is currently threatened by human encroachment, out-of-control fires, and oil exploitation. While the 25-year contract expired, the company Perenco Guatemala LTD is seeking its renewal, but environmentalists and activists are opposing to it strongly, organizing campaigns on Facebook [es] and other websites. On behalf of Guatemala, the The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) for Guatemala with the representation of the Environmental and Social Legal Action Center  [es](CALAS for its initials in Spanish), filed an Environmental Submission before the Secretariat for Environmental Matters stating that the country is failing in the implementation of its protected areas and not respecting the laws with the extension of the 2-85 contract for oil operations in the Laguna del Tigre National Park in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve.
Photo by MikeMurga and used under a CC license.
In other words, many are concerned about the destruction of the homes of many living creatures, as explained by the blog Guatemalan Birdwatching :
Guatemala has like 19 ecosystems, 300 microclimates, more than 37 volcanoes, rivers, lakes and beaches that are united in our ethnic diversity forming a destination of mystical magic and adventure. Biological diversity has enabled Guatemala to stand among the 25 countries with the most variety of natural resources in the world. Millions of species living in its varied ecosystems, more than 700 species of birds, mammals like the jaguar, tapir and a variety of reptiles and insects.
Savia, a school for learning how to respect and protect the planet created a video, where the story of the Laguna del Tigre is told and why they feel it is important to protect it (with English subtitles).
The campaigns and pressure from environmental groups has been effective — delaying President Colom decision. It is still uncertain whether he will extend the contract to the oil company, which may go against the will of members of his own Cabinet, as is the case with Luis Ferraté, the Minister of the Environment who is not in favor of extending the contract.
The park is considered a Scarlet Macaw Sanctuary for birdwatchers, and is one of the reasons why Guatemalan birding School blog expresses its concerns. It is estimated that there are only 300 Scarlet Macaw families left in the Mayan Biosphere.
Dayamn shares the sad story of Poc Duck, now extinct:
Maybe it is a name most of the people in the world haven’t and will never get to hear. This beautiful kind of duck became extinct a long time before a lot of us were even born. It inhabited one of the biggest lakes in Guatemala. n 1966, the Ecologist Anne LaBastille started a campaign to save the duck from extinction but her efforts were in vain. Her natural reserve wasn’t enough to counteract the damage we did to their environment and finally in the year 2004 after a study made by the UICN with the sponsorship of BirdLife International, the bird was officially considered extinct.
For the lake in Atitlan, the place where Poc duck disappeared the story is different.  Alan Mills points out that the lake did not collapsed overnight but it was the result of the irresponsible hippie-chic tourism development that took place there, and all the empty beer bottles and rubbish left behind by wild parties, neither improving the living conditions of the extremely poor people from the villages around, which did not increase the environmental friendly tourism. For Guatemala Solidarity Network, the Lake is crying, too:
The writer, Aldous Huxley, famously wrote wrote of Lake Atitlán,”Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing.” While, I’ve never been to Lake Como I have been to Lake Atitlán and it is stunning. However, there is a fear that the lake is dying and will become marshland through man-made interventions. These interventions include, for example, farming, tourism, and the lack and/or breakdown of public services to manage human waste.
While there are opinions saying that there is nothing left at the Laguna del Tigre National Park, archaeologists working in the region with communities clarified that a substantial amount of forest canopy remains intact within the  enclave zone.
The governor of Petén regrets [es]that they did not act before to protect our jungle. However, it is not only about preserving the environment. One of Laguna del Tigre's greatest treasures is a 2,500-year-old city of the ancient Maya world, called Waka´(500 BC) or El Peru. It host among other treasures, the tomb of a Mayan Queen.
¿Que te pasa Guatemala? [es] reported that CALAS filled a claim against the Ministry of Energy, who is in favor of extending the oil exploration contract in the middle of the rain forest. The blogger Tokoloshte suggests visiting  Laguna Lachua to be “industrialized” by the government (they will create a highway across the reservoir).
Manuel Boloma a young Maya Q’eqchi’ [es]Social Anthropologist from the North (near the reservoir) strongly rejects the President's attitude and the apathetic role of people, doing nothing to rescue our future. He saids that it is not an economy-environmental issue but rather the government distorted priorities, a suicide for Guatemala future. He asks Guatemalans to open their eyes and see how they are destroying a valuable tomorrow.


Health Commissioner forced to resign in wake of “egregious public health failure” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 12, 2018
Health Commissioner Bevan Baker speaks at an event in November. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead services lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
Mayor Tom Barrett accepted Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Bevan Baker’s resignation Thursday because the department failed to ensure that families of 8,000 children with elevated lead levels in their blood were notified.
“This is an egregious public health failure that was in direct non-compliance with procedures put forth by Common Council resolution,” according to a Common Council statement.
At issue is the Health Department’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the department’s delay in implementing a resolution that directed it to update recommendations and messaging regarding lead in water, according to aldermen and Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC) Spokesperson Robert Miranda.
Barrett’s special assistant Jodie Tabak did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Baker, who served for 13 years, was also chairman of the City-County Opioid, Heroin and Cocaine Task Force. He is the second chairman to leave the task force. Hector Colon, former director of Milwaukee County Health and Human Services, left the county in June to become president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
The lead resolution passed unanimously by the Common Council late last year directed the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) to update recommendations regarding those most at risk for lead poisoning from water and how often children should be tested. It also directed the department to communicate these changes to care providers and the public. The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reported on Jan. 2 that MHD had made no effort to implement the recommendations.
A Jan. 4 email to Milwaukee Health Department Communications Officer Sarah DeRoo sent by Ald. Tony Zielinski’s office requested that “media advisories, community updates, written recommendations, etc., be issued by the Health Department in compliance with the resolution. DeRoo responded on Jan. 5 saying, “MHD has received the below and will follow-up with information for you next week.”
“We still haven’t heard anything,” Zielinski said.
DeRoo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, Ald. Bob Donovan, public safety and health committee chair, agreed to bring up the issue at the committee’s next meeting.
Benjamin James, a former MHD employee, sent an email to Barrett and all 15 alderpeople raising questions about the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and whether MHD is doing enough to protect people from lead exposure.
Ald. Michael Murphy called the recent revelation “very troubling,” adding that it “calls into question the status of the health of our citizens and especially our children.”
But Zielinski said, “Today, we discovered there are more egregious issues than that even.” He declined to comment further.
A joint statement signed by all 15 alderpeople said the Common Council will investigate the matter to determine what processes and procedures MHD has ignored, mishandled or not complied with. “The protection of our children must remain our highest priority,” the statement said, “Our review of this matter will be handled with a seriousness appropriate to a failure of this magnitude.”
A special Steering and Rules Committee Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 1:30 p.m. will be the first step in that process.
Miranda said the issue is bigger than Baker, adding that responsibility “rises to the highest level of local government,” and that “elected leaders did not take this matter to heart.”
He said, “Not only do I expect to see more people being either reprimanded or being exposed, but I see political careers being threatened.”
Edgar Mendez contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated incorrectly that Mayor Tom Barrett asked for Baker’s resignation.


As GST collections pickup, traditional frontrunner states still contribute the most to GST collections
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2022
After a major fall in GST collections in 2020-21 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in 2021-22 by more than 20%. Almost all the states reported an increase in GST collections in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20 with the traditional frontrunner states of the West & South contributing the most.
The Goods and Service Tax (GST) is an indirect tax that has subsumed most of the earlier indirect taxes in India. Indirect Tax revenues form a key part of both the Union & State Government’s revenue of which GST has a major share.
GST is levied on the supply of goods and services and hence is intrinsically linked to the economic activity in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic-related containment measures like lockdowns, curfews, etc. have limited the scope of economic activity in the country. While there was an impetus for online commercial activity, the limitations on the overall economic activity in the country due to the pandemic cannot be denied.
In an earlier story in June 2021, we highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the Union Tax revenues including the fall in revenue through GST during the period.  Apart from the first wave in 2020, the country experienced a severe wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2021.
As the country is on the path of recovery, GST revenues provide a crucial data point on the state of the economy and its direction post-pandemic. The data for the story is based on the information available on the official GST Portal.  A dashboard on GST collections developed by Factly can be accessed here. It has data from the launch of GST in 2017.
Increase in Gross GST collection for 2021-22, but the collections fall short of estimates
In the financial year prior to the onset of the pandemic i.e., 2019-20, the Gross GST collection was Rs.12.11 lakh crores. Gross GST includes CGST, SGST, IGST & IGST on imports. While the early months of 2020-21 were impacted by the pandemic, there was an improvement in the later months of the year. Factly’s story on these trends can be read here. However, the overall GST collections for 2020-21 were lower than the previous year with only Rs. 11.32 lakh crores.
Since the launch of GST, revenues fell short of the Budget estimates, however, 2020-21 was the first instance when the revenue was lower than the previous year.
In terms of the Gross GST collections, there was a strong recovery in 2021-22, with total collections reaching Rs.14.76 lakh crores. This is 28% higher than the previous year and 23% more than 2019-20.
Out of the Rs. 14.76 lakh crores in 2021-22, CGST & Cess accounted for 3.68 lakh crores, SGST was Rs. 3.44 lakh crores, IGST was Rs. 3.85 lakh crores and IGST on imports at 3.79 lakh crores.  While the GST collections increased even compared to the pre-pandemic year, the numbers still fell short of estimates.
Among the different components of GST, IGST on imports. In the earlier year, IGST on imports increased to Rs.3.79 lakh crores in 2021-22 compared to 2.68 lakh crores in 2020-21.
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu continue to have the highest Gross GST collection
The varying trends of Gross GST collection witnessed during the last three years have not affected the share of collection and the position of the States. Nearly all the states had a fall in the GST collection for 2020-21 compared to 2019-20 and had a recovery in 2021-22. The GST collection of almost all the states in 2021-22 is higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20.
IGST on imports is excluded from the Gross GST collection of the States.
Here is a snapshot of the Gross GST collection of the States:
As was the case prior to the pandemic, the major contribution of GST is from two regions – the five southern states and the two western states of Maharashtra & Gujarat. The other major contributors of GST – Delhi, Haryana & West Bengal are home to large metros of New Delhi & Kolkata.
The pandemic and the later recovery have not influenced the status quo with the same traditional centres of GST collections maintaining their positions & contribution.
Near 50 % increase in Odisha’s GST collection compared to 2019-20
As noted earlier, the GST collection of nearly all the states fell during 2020-21 and recovered in 2021-22. A comparison of the GST collection between the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20 and 2021-22 provides insights into the extent of recovery as the effects of the pandemic are slowly waning.
The most significant improvement in GST collection is made by Odisha. In fact, it is one of the two large states whose GST collection did not fall even in 2020-21 while the other is Chhattisgarh. After a slight improvement in 2020-21, the GST collection of Odisha in 2021-22 increased by 49% compared to 2019-20. In 2019-20, Gross GST collections of the state were Rs. 29.6 thousand crores which increased to Rs. 44.3 thousand crores in 2021-22.  Jharkhand & Punjab are the other states which reported more than a 20% increase in GST collections in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20.
GST refunds could bring down the Net GST collections
GST refund allows the taxpayers to seek a refund of the excess amount paid by them compared to their GST liability. This implies that a part of the gross GST collections by the government would be lost in the form of refunds. Available data regarding refunds indicates that there is an increase in both the number of applications for GST refunds as well as the amount of refunds.
As per a response provided in Lok Sabha on 08 March 2021, as of February 2021, there were around 3.56 lakh refund applications during the year amounting to around Rs. 1 lakh crores.
In the year before, there were 3.42 applications filed on the GST portal amounting to a claim amount of Rs. 1.03 lakh crores.
It is the prerogative of the GST department to review these refund requests and process the valid requests. Hence there are chances that a portion of the refund claim amount is rejected. However, the trends in the claim amount does indicate that a considerable portion of the GST collected is returned in the form of refunds.
The wise information available is not for the year of the collection but the year of the filing of the refund request. As per available data, the total refund claim amount between 2017-18 and 2020-21 constitutes around 7% of the Gross GST collected during that period.
Continuing the trend, GST collections fall short of government estimates
Various factors could influence the trend in the GST collection. The number of Tax filings or those eligible to file GST does not show much variance compared to last year.  A case can also be made that the increase in the quantum of GST collections in part could be due to the increase in GST rates. It ought to be noted that various products attract different GST rates, and the government has over the period, made changes to GST rates.
A large number of GST rate changes were made by the 45th GST council meeting in September 2021.  While relief was provided to a few healthcare-related goods in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were other goods for which the GST rates were increased.
In addition, an increase in the volume of trade & economic activity also could have significantly contributed to the increase in GST collections. However, this increase in the GST collections does not match with the government estimates presented during the budget. While there is a month-on-month increase in GST collections being reported, this may not be adequate to match the estimates.
Featured Image: GST collections


Danae Davis, to receive 2016 Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jewish Community Relations Council
May 17, 2016
Danae Davis has been selected to receive the 2016 Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award. The award was established in 2014 by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, and attorney James H. Hall received the inaugural award.
Davis has devoted her professional life to helping the most vulnerable. Currently executive director of Milwaukee Succeeds, Davis was formerly CEO of Pearls for Teen Girls, a Milwaukee based nonprofit organization that uses a nationally recognized model for girl empowerment and leadership development for adolescent girls ages 10-19. She has also served as Diversity Affairs Director at Miller Brewing Company and Director of Diversity Management and Work/Life Programs of Kraft Foods. She has worked on labor and human resources at the city, state, and federal levels.
Davis also gives of her free time to community organizations, including Milwaukee Charter School Advocates and formerly the UW System Board of Regents. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Danae is a tireless advocate for social and economic justice, leaving fingerprints wherever she works. JCRC is so pleased to highlight her work as part of Bob Friebert’s legacy,” said JCRC Chair Michael Pollack.
“Danae’s broad and energetic approach to social justice brilliantly reflects the spirit of this award,” said Brian Schupper, chair of the award committee and Friebert’s son-in-law. “She is a true community leader.”
Davis will receive the award at the JCRC’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 9. Click here for more information and to register for the event.
Robert H. Friebert (1938-2013) dedicated himself to the pursuit of social justice and the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world). A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, Friebert was a founding partner of the law firm Friebert, Finerty and St. John S.C.
He argued four cases in the United States Supreme Court and served as the first public defender for the State of Wisconsin from 1966-1968. Friebert was also extremely active in local, state and national Democratic politics in his pursuit of social justice. In addition to his legal and political work, Friebert held significant leadership roles in numerous organizations, boards and commissions. For more on Friebert and the award, click here.


Plants grown by students at MPS’ Morse•Marshall on sale | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
July 5, 2013
Morse•Marshall student Matt Gruber with his first-place MPS Science Fair project: vertical aquaponics
Plants and flowers from bamboo to basil, marigold to morning glory and peas to peppers – all grown by students participating in the aquaponics and sustainability program at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Samuel Morse•John Marshall School for the Gifted and Talented – are going on sale this summer at farmers markets across the city.
Students, along with aquaponics/sustainability teacher Thomas Baker, will sell plants, flowers and recycled art at these markets:
The sales will raise money to support growing the aquaponics and sustainability program at Morse•Marshall. In the program, students engineer a system in which they grow fish, the fish waste fertilizes plants and the plants in turn filter the water for the fish.
“It teaches them to identify a problem and solve it,” Baker said. “Our students are getting a hands-on education in science and engineering that develops their critical thinking skills,” Baker said.
The school’s students have taken first- and second-place awards at the MPS Science Fair over the last two years and have presented their work to community partners including Growing Power. MPS’ science curriculum is based upon the rigorous Framework for K-12 Science Education, the basis for the Next Generation Science Standards.
Part of what will be on sale is the work of Matt Gruber, a rising Morse•Marshall senior, whose first-place MPS Science Fair project adapted the large-scale aquaponics system he saw on a school visit to Growing Power into a size that allows families to grow vegetables year-round in their own homes.
“I was growing vegetables all winter,” Gruber noted. He said he’s always been an independent thinker but the program has helped that blossom.
Morse•Marshall, which serves students in grades 6 through 12 who have a gifted and talented recommendation letter from a teacher, has a waiting list for 6th-grade seats but a handful of openings for 9th grade. Interested families should contact the school at<PHONE_NUMBER>.
Plants (not produce) on sale include: tomato, pepper, spider, bamboo, basil, parsley, chives, pea, bean, pumpkin, gore, squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, mint, corn and watermelon
Flower plants (in bloom) on sale include: sunflower, marigold, china astor, daises, morning glories, lavender and purple cornflower


Ukraine: Holodomor Vote · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes about the Famine vote and its significance for the Party of the Regions: “As the figures were flashed up on the screen in the VR I'll bet a stab of anxiety when through some of the PoR deputies. There are other divisive votes looming soon, e.g. on the budget.”


Exciting New Exhibit Chronicles First Days in Canada - New Canadian Media
NCM Anonymous
June 9, 2014
A travelling exhibition which highlights the experiences of immigrants to Canada officially launched in Nanaimo, British Columbia, this week.
Canada: Day 1 is a Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21’s legacy project to commemorate Canada’s 150anniversary in 2017. The exhibit explores immigrant experiences from Confederation to present day.
“We are very excited to have our first travelling exhibition cross Canada with this beautiful and engaging exhibition which presents the Museum’s collection of stories in innovative and thought-provoking ways,” says Dan Conlin, curator at Pier 21. The exhibition, currently showing at the Nanaimo Museum, in partnership with the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, offers a combination of historical objects and reproductions; oral history accounts and original artwork.
Examples include war bride documents, an oral history from a descendant of Black Prairie pioneers in Alberta, and artwork by Lin Xu entitled Holder of Dreams, a used suitcase filled with ceramic pillows, each printed with words conveying feelings and emotions in different languages. Curators are hoping the exhibition will allow the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to reach a greater audience and express the Museum’s national mandate, as well as build relationships with community groups, individuals, and museums across Canada, says Cailin MacDonald, communications manager at the museum. “Creating this exhibition also helps build and diversify our collections as we seek new stories and oral histories about people’s immigration experience,” she explains. “That first day of physical arrival to Canada is a symbolic, personal and official milestone in the process of becoming Canadian.” Dates & locations for the exhibition include:
Nanaimo Museum, British Columbia June 2 – September 1, 2014
Markham Museum, Ontario January 16 – June 10, 2015
The exhibition will travel for a total of five years and so far includes shows in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Edmonton and Gatineau.
To find out more, check out
Pier 21’s website


N400m Oyo school building fails structural test in less than two years | EduCeleb
17th November 2020
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, paid an unscheduled assessment visit to Oba Akinbiyi High School, Oremeji, Ibadan, to physically assess the structural challenges in the school building.
The school was built by the immediate past administration of late governor Abiola Ajimobi via direct labour at a cost of N400 million.
According to Makinde, the initial contract for the building was cancelled and subsequently approved to be executed by Direct Labour.
A statement by Mr Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor indicate that state officials have been asked to investigate the reason behind the immediate past administration’s termination of contract for the school building and the subsequent approval for its execution by Direct Labour at the said cost.
The governor was accompanied to the school by the Commissioner for Education, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, officials of the Ministry, the Auditor-General of the State and officials of the Ministry of Works, among others.
The governor said, “In the file that came to me, this place was commissioned the week that I took over, 29th of May, 2019, a year plus ago. You can see it out there. Even the Oba Akinbiyi they wrote (the signboard) there, is falling off. If you go inside, the tiles are broken.
“The structural integrity of the entire building is doubtful, and we have teachers and students in there. We don’t want the building to collapse on anybody. So, we came to check.
“The borehole is not working. According to the principal, they have 57 toilets in here, but the students still go to the bush to do stuff. From the report that came to me, the contract was terminated from the original contractor and over N400 Million was released by the government to complete it through direct labour.
“So, I believe they will have to make some explanations as to why, first, the contract was terminated; second, why N400 Million was spent and the tiles, the doors, everything is basically broken.”
Governor Makinde pledged to investigate the structural challenges in the building, stating that anyone found culpable would be made to face the wrath of the law. He asked the Auditor-General and the Ministry of Works to investigate the situation further and get back to him.
“If, in one year, this whole thing is fallen into pieces, and people build their own houses and expect to live there for at least 25 years, this is obviously not acceptable to us. And we will get to the root of it,” he stated.
The statement maintained that the visit became important following reports that the building has structural challenges and staffers and students could not feel at ease inside the structure completed only a year and some months ago.
The governor said his administration would not watch while the lives of teachers and students are endangered.


False child kidnapping rumours revived in Gujarat with illegal organ trade claim - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
14th June 2019 / 6:51 pm / Last updated: 14th June 2019
“ઈકો ગાદી લઈને આવે છે નાના બાળકો લઈ જાય છે અને કિટની વેચે છે જલ્દી સારે મોબાઇલ મા ફોરવર્ડ કરો હમારા બાળકો ની જીદગી બચી જાય મહેસાણા પાટન પાલનપુર જલ્દી જપ્ત કરાવો GJ19AF 0827 (They come in Ecco car and kidnap your children and sell their kidneys. Immediately forward this message to all the mobile phones to save the lives of our children. Seize this car GJ19AF 0827 Alert Mehsana Patan Palanpur -translated)”
The above message is being shared on WhatsApp with a set of images and a video. It was also shared on Facebook and Twitter with the same set of images in the past as well. The description of the visual and photographs are as followed:
Alt News found the video and images to be old. They do not depict a gang of child kidnappers involved in the illegal organ trade.
A close analysis of the policemen’s uniform hinted that he might be an officer with the Uttar Pradesh police force. With keyword a search on Google – “boy beheaded Uttar Pradesh” – we found an article published by Hindustan Times on February 22, 2017. “Drug addict beheads 7-year-old boy, eats his flesh in UP’s Pilibhit”, reads the headline of this article. Mohammed Monis, the victim, was reportedly playing outside his house when his twenty-year-old neighbour lured him inside his house and killed the child. According to a police officer, the body of the boy was lying on the floor with his decapitated head placed beside it. “The skin on the abdomen was missing and internal body parts and bloodstains were scattered across the room,” he said. We also found a video on YouTube corroborating the incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPGAHnIIVxs
This image was published by Patrika in an August 26, 2017 report. A gang of thieves was arrested by Hoshangabad police in Madhya Pradesh. The gang had a modus operandi of forming different teams for recce, the crime (robbery), and the selling of loot.
This photograph has been circulating on social media with the infamous “child kidnapping” rumours since 2018. In June 2018, Alt New had debunked several other pictures, including this one, shared with the identical child kidnapping narrative. We couldn’t independently verify the image and its origin. However, it was fact-checked by Kannada newspaper Prajavani in 2018. The media outlet reported that according to Karnataka police, the said photo is 3-4 years old. At the time, police had appealed to people to not believe such rumours circulating on WhatsApp.
Regarding the registration number of a vehicle circulating with the claim, Alt News contacted Bardoli (Surat) police. They said that they are looking into the matter.
Since 2014, child-lifting rumours have sparked mob-lynchings across India, leading to the death of at least 30 people. The police had undertaken steps to quell the rumours however, they resurface on social media every now and then. The messages are circulated with slightly changed narratives but similar videos and images. For instance, Rohingya Muslims were made a part of the rumour last year. These messages are usually circulated in the language suited to the state where they are being shared. Similar to the message now circulating in Gujarati, Alt News had debunked a rumour last year, days before a pauper woman was mob-lynched in broad daylight in Ahmedabad. The best way to cross-check such rumours is to look for news reports, the absence of which is a hint the social media claims are most likely unverified.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
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China: Banned words on Blogcn- Danwei · Global Voices
Paul Frankenstein

Danwei reports that a chinese blogger has discovered–and published–the list of banned words that China's second largest blog provider maintains. There are no real surprises on the list, though the absence of swear words and sexual content is kinda interesting.


$6 million in workforce grants to create 600 Milwaukee County apprenticeships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 15, 2015
jsonline.com


Ukraine: Hutsul Wedding Video · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Stefan of Dykun offers his readers a break from Ukrainian politics: an annotated video of a Hutsul wedding. “The wedding was that of a cousin of a friend, Anna. Much of Anna's heritage is Hutsul. Hutsuls and their descedents have lived in their part of the Carpathians for some 500-600 years. The sign at the entrance to Anna's home village of Jabloniv boasts 450 yrs of settlement.”


Armenia: Police beat opposition protesters in Yerevan · Global Voices
Artur Papyan

Bloggers were faster then most media covering the violent events of yesterday. Unzipped, Narjan (am), Aramazd (am) here (am), here (am) and here (am), HyeBlog (ru), E-channel blog (am), A1plus blog (am) were among the first to react, mostly bringing information as it came, while the posts made already today have more accuracy and analysis.
Unzipped has video and information: “A1+ just reported that police and security forces brutally oppressed peaceful demonstration of opposition movement using force, beating demonstrators and using tear-gas towards journalists and demonstrators.”
Aramazd (am), a blogger as well as one of the opposition leaders from the Impeachment block was perhaps the first to report the news:”Today, after the rally organized by the IMPEACHMENT bloc, REPUBLIC and NEW TIMES parties, the special police forces beat participants of the rally and march to KGB, where the hero of Shushi, Zhirair Sefilyan, was jailed.”
Pigh(ru) has a completely different perspective of the event:
“I never judge anybody, I don't have the right to it, and I respect the points of views of people, if they are genuinely honest, and I don't want the blood of people, who're just pushed forward by the provokers, no matter what side they come from: “Impeachment” or government. The whole business stinks, but someone needs this stink… And yesterday it once again became obvious for me, that wherever you have HHSh(former ruling party) – it will always stink…
Guys, take care of yourselves, neither Serge (Armenian PM), nor Robert (Armenian president), nor Nikol (leader of Impeachment opposition block) are worth even the smallest scratch on your bodies…”
There's a lot of controversy Kornelij Glas(ru) says, and its hard to understand who really provoked whom, however, looking at the overall context of the elections Kornelij Glas (ru) is amazed just how stupid the authorities are behaving by arresting Alexandr Arzumanyan and beating people at the rally like that. “This is just a pointless annoyment of the people”, without having any reasons to behave like that, as the main contenders for the parliament are the two big pro-government parties anyway. And now, as a result of such actions the atmosphere will overheat and people will get over their apathy, which can lead into far reaching consequences, the blogger concludes.
Anarchists from the ALS Movement are also looking at the global picture:
It all has a simple historically-materialist explanation: when a businessmen makes an investment, he must also take care of protecting his business interests. [] What we saw yesterday is nothing less then the Armenian rulling elite trying to protect its business interests. I expected police brutality after the elections, but hardly 3 days before. At stake is not Impeachment’s ideology, but a much more basic right to be able to hold peaceful rallies and to voice protests in contemporary capitalist Բարգավաճների Հայաստան Armenia belonging to the prosperous. Last night the Armenian state has demonstrated its paranoia, and where its fears are. It fears when people take to the streets in numbers. A paradoxical irony: Armenian state fears its own people.
Photo from A1plus, used with permission.


Saudi: Women Can Vote! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Some good news from saudi. Sabbah says that 600 Saudi women are expected to participate in the elections of the chamber of trade and industry.


Milwaukee NNS reporter arrested after taking photos of police squad cars in district lot | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
August 8, 2018
Edgar Mendez took this photo as police ran his ID on West Lincoln Avenue.
Putting the final touches on an article about Milwaukee Police Department response times, reporter Edgar Mendez stopped at the District 2 police station Sunday to take photos of squad cars in the parking lot.
According to Mendez, an award-winning reporter employed by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service since its launch in 2011, he was walking through the lot with his camera when a nonuniformed officer with a badge around his neck walked past him. Mendez told him he was a reporter taking photos for a story, and the officer “waved in a manner that suggested ‘carry on.’” While he was taking the photos, Mendez saw a uniformed officer in the distance and waved to him. He was in the lot for about five minutes.
Edgar Mendez
As he drove away, he noticed a police van following him, and he was pulled over at about 12:10 p.m. The officer asked what he was doing in the lot, and he said he was a reporter taking photos for a story. The officer asked whether he had seen the “no trespassing sign,” and he replied that he would not have taken photos in the lot if he had seen the sign. He informed the officer that he’d taken photos earlier that day at District 5 and had no problems. The officer took his driver’s license and went back to his squad car.
“I had a bad feeling about the situation but nonetheless never expected what happened next,” Mendez said.
At that point, another squad car pulled up, and the two officers told Mendez that he was going to get a ticket for trespassing, and that he had to go to the station with them. They asked him to place his hands behind his back, and he was handcuffed and placed in the back of the van, but was never searched.
“They knew I was no threat,” Mendez said.
He was taken to District 2 and handcuffed to a bench near the garage. After about a half hour he was brought into the station.
The “no trespassing” sign is circled in red in this screenshot from Google Street View.
A third officer questioned Mendez again about what he was doing in the police lot. Mendez told him that he didn’t see the “no trespassing” sign and if the officer he encountered in the lot had informed him that he wasn’t supposed to be there, he would have left immediately.
“After that I thought I was being let out but I was led into another area of District 2 and asked to step into what appeared to be an interrogation room,” Mendez said. There he was questioned by two nonuniformed officers, who Mendez believed were detectives, for about 30 minutes. Mendez said that he asked if he needed a lawyer and one of the officers responded that they were making sure that his story “checked out.” Mendez told them that a Google search would demonstrate that he is a reporter for Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, and “he still chose to question me,” Mendez said.
According to Mendez, the officer told him that if he wanted a lawyer, he could end up being taken to the county jail. The officer then asked to look at the photos. Mendez said he initially refused, but after the officer threatened to confiscate the camera, he agreed to show him the photos, all of which were of squad cars. The officer asked him to erase three of them, purportedly because they showed personal vehicles of policemen, although, “I didn’t see them in the photos,” Mendez said.
Mendez, a longtime South Side resident who was raised in District 2 and still lives there, was given a municipal citation for $181 with a September court date. He was accompanied out of the station and told to “have a good day” at about 2:25 p.m. Sunday.


China: Wedding bikes · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

DongXia He from China Hush has translated a light hearted story about a wedding in Sichuan. In the wedding, the groom rode the bikes with 18 of his friends to pick up his bride.


Egypt: RIP General Saad El Din El Shazly · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Egypt today lost the untold hero of the 1973 October War, Saad El Din El Shazly. On Twitter, tweeps pay their respects to the man, who was dismissed from his post as Egyptian ambassador to Portugal and sent into exile in Algeria, after publicly criticising the Camp David Accords, signed by former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.
On Twitter, tweeps were quick to point out that Shazly, who was the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces during the October War, was a true veteran.
Here are some of the comments from Twitter:
@_Camara_: The untold hero of the 1973 October War, Saad El Shazly May mercies of Allah be upon you Sir! you sure died in great days. #Jan25 #Egypt :(
@iyad_elbaghdadi: FYI, when #Egypt's army was being pounded in the 1967 war, Saad Al-Shazly was INSIDE Israeli territory and was the last to retreat.
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Saad Al-Shazly recounted his life story in an Aljazeera program called “Witness to History”; part 1 starts here: http://bit.ly/i1lQNl (Arb)
@iyad_elbaghdadi: God I'm at the verge of tears. I really loved that man. Saad Al-Shazly, may we accomplish what they did not let you finish. #Jan25
@iyad_elbaghdadi: For those wish to know more about Saad Al-Shazly: http://bit.ly/huJky6. This is the true hero of 1973 – not #Mubarak. #Jan25
@iyad_elbaghdadi: More can be found here: http://bit.ly/gfIJXv, website dedicated to the life & times and military genius of Saad Al-Shazly #Jan25
@Krimnoor: We lost a great Egyptian ,worrior General and patriot RIP Marshall Saad al Din El Shazly
@digitalhammad: http://el-shazly.com/ Saad El-Shazly , thats a veteran not @DictatorMubarak
@YosriFouda: Rest in peace Shazly, you did well with your life and you shall always be in our hearts #Egypt #Jan25
@izzarian: My great uncle Saad El-Shazly has passed away today إنا لله و إنا إليه راجعون a hero and great man. #Egypt
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.