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Montenegro’s Parliament Sacks Minister Over Srebrenica Genocide Denial

Angel Gimalo
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Montenegro’s Parliament Sacks Minister Over Srebrenica Genocide Denial

Montenegro’s parliament adopted a resolution on the 1995 Srebrenica genocide late on Thursday and dismissed the pro-Serb justice minister over his denial of the massacre, a move that may threaten the stability of the bickering ruling coalition.

In the resolution, the 81-seat parliament condemned the Srebrenica genocide when about 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb forces. It also banned public denial of the atrocity.

However, the pro-Serb Democratic Front (DF), the dominant pro-Serb party which supported Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic’s Cabinet, which is comprised of pro-Western parties and those which favour close ties with Serbia, voted against the resolution, potentially harming the government’s stability.

In April, Krivokapic launched a procedure to dismiss Justice Minister Vladimir Leposavic, who has no party affiliation, over his denial of the Srebrenica genocide.

Leposavic, a pro-Serb politician, said the Srebrenica genocide was not “unequivocally established” as fact.

The DF remained staunchly opposed to Leposavic’s dismissal and he refused to quit.

“By proposing the sacking of the minister, I risked being labelled as an enemy and a traitor only because of justice and truth,” Krivokapic told deputies.

The genocide resolution is in line with Montenegro’s pledge to protect human and minority rights as part of its push to join the European Union.

Krivokapic and his allies came to power last August after narrowly winning a parliamentary election, ousting an alliance led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) loyal to the long-serving President Milo Djukanovic.

The DF also asked for Krivokapic’s resignation and a new coalition agreement, but it was not immediately clear whether the crisis would lead to the collapse of the government or a cabinet reshuffle.

In Bosnia, where rival ethnic groups could not agree to pass a similar resolution on the Srebrenica genocide, Sefik Dzaferovic, a Muslim Bosniak member of the country’s tripartite presidency, hailed Montenegro’s move as an “enormous contribution to strengthening peace and trust”.

Nigeria holds Workshop On Human Rights Education

Precious Obazee
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Nigeria holds Workshop On Human Rights Education

A two day workshop on the implementation of Human Rights education in school system in Nigeria has began.

The workshop, organised by the National Human Rights Commission, with support from Danish Institute for Human Rights, is aimed at bringing to fore the importance of human rights in the school system in Nigeria.

The activity focuses on key education institutions that plays pivotal role in policy development and implementation as well as development of curriculum.

Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu said the workshop was designed to enrich the knowledge of participants on the implementation of human rights education in Nigeria’s school system and also develop strategies, build partnership among stakeholders.

He said it would also ensure monitoring and reporting on the integrating human rights education in school system in the country.

The Chief Human Rights Officer who was represented by Abdulrahman Yakubu at the opening ceremony of the workshop commended the Danish Institute for Human Rights for supporting the activity.

According to him, the support is of immense benefit to the smooth implementation of Human Rights Education in school system in Nigeria.

The Deputy Director, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Hussaina Alkali, said her agency was pleased with the fruitful collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria.

According to her, her agency has played an active role in participating as a data partner on human rights education survey that seeks to improve quality of data globally on human rights education programme implementation.

The Deputy Director added that among others, the workshop was expected to facilitate a situation assessment of the gaps and challenges.

The two days workshop is expected to end on the 18th June, 2021.

Khamenei Votes In Iran Election

Angel Gimalo
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Khamenei Votes In Iran Election

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei voted on Friday in a presidential election likely to be won by his close ally Ebrahim Raisi, a judge fiercely loyal to the religious establishment.

Large numbers of Iranians are expected to ignore the vote due to discontent with economic hardship, hardline rule and anger over the disqualification of prominent moderates.

After placing his votes in the balllot boxes Khamenei said election day was a “day of the Iranian nation”.

With uncertainty surrounding Iran’s efforts to revive its 2015 nuclear deal, and growing poverty at home after years of U.S. sanctions, voter turnout is seen by analysts as a referendum on the leadership’s handing of an array of crises.

Vietnam Introduces Nationwide Code Of Conduct For Social Media

Angel Gimalo
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Vietnam Introduces Nationwide Code Of Conduct For Social Media

Vietnam introduced national guidelines on social media behaviour on Friday which encourage people to post positive content about the Southeast Asian country and require state employees to report “conflicting information” to their superiors.

The code prohibits posts which violate the law and “affect the interests of the state” and applies to state organisations, social media companies, and all their users in Vietnam.

“Social media users are encouraged to promote the beauty of Vietnam’s scenery, people and culture, and spread good stories about good people,” reads the code, which was contained in a decision from the information ministry and dated June 17.

It was not clear to what extent the decision was legally binding, or how it would be enforced.

Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party tolerates little criticism, retains tight control over media and has in recent years presided over an intensified crackdown on dissidents and activists, some of whom are serving lengthy jail terms for posts on Facebook and Google’s YouTube.

In November last year, Reuters exclusively reported that Vietnamese authorities had threatened to shut down Facebook if the social media giant did not bow to government pressure to censor more local political content on the platform.

Vietnam is a major market for Facebook, which serves about 60 million users in the country and generates revenue of nearly $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the numbers.

The new code requires social media providers in Vietnam to “deal with users in accordance with Vietnamese law” when requested by authorities to remove content from their platforms.

It encourages social media users to create accounts using their real identities, share information from official sources, and avoid posting content which violates the law, contains bad language, or advertises illegal services.

In January, Vietnamese social media users used fake weather reports and football scores as a creative means to discuss Communist Party leadership wrangling after an official ban on speculation ahead of a Party congress.

N.Korea’s Kim Says To Prepare For Dialogue And Confrontation With U.S.

Angel Gimalo
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N.Korea’s Kim Says To Prepare For Dialogue And Confrontation With U.S.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country should prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, particularly confrontation, state media KCNA reported on Friday, in his first direct comment on the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Kim gave a detailed analysis of the Biden administration’s North Korea policy at a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s central committee on Thursday, and laid out “appropriate strategic and tactical counteraction” to deal with Washington, KCNA said.

“The General Secretary stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development.”

Such moves would “reliably guarantee the peaceful environment and the security of our state,” KCNA said. Kim also emphasized the need to create a “favorable external climate” for the North’s own initiatives.

The report did not provide details of any course of action.

Kim’s remarks came two days before the newly appointed U.S. envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on his first visit since assuming the role last month.

He will hold talks with South Korean and Japanese counterparts and meet other Seoul officials during his stay until June 23, the State Department said on Thursday.

Kim’s comments continue a “wait and see” policy, while refraining from provoking the Biden administration, said Vipin Narang, a nuclear affairs expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

“It seems to suggest that Pyongyang thinks the ball is in the U.S. court at the moment, and it is waiting to see how the Biden administration outreach goes,” he said. “Given reports of North Korea’s food and COVID-19 situation, one presumes that Kim is also happy to avoid a near term confrontation.”

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said Kim appeared to be sending a message to Washington that he would be willing to return to talks at some point.

“Despite mentioning confrontation, he refrained from criticising both the South and the United States while highlighting the need to maintain a stable geopolitical situation,” Yang said.

Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held their first summit in May, injecting fresh urgency into efforts to bring the North back to denuclearisation negotiations.

North Korea lashed out at the United States and its allies in South Korea last month in a series of statements saying comments from Washington on its North Korean policy were proof of a hostile policy that required a corresponding response from Pyongyang.

North Korea’s plenary meeting kicked off on Tuesday to review progress on major policies and devise steps to resolve pending issues.

Association Of African Universities To Hold 15th General Conference

Precious Obazee
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0
Association Of African Universities To Hold 15th General Conference

The Association of African Universities, AAU, says all is set to hold it 15th Quadrennial General Conference of African University Leaders and Higher Education Stakeholders Virtually.

In a statement issued to Journalists ahead of the Conference, the Secretary General of the AAU, Professor Etienne Ehile, said the current environment beckons on the higher education community to position itself as a beacon to accelerate transformation from promises to reality.

Professor Ehile further stated that the 15th General Conference is a key step that will ultimately foster development of a cohesive and vibrant African higher education community , as a driver of Africa’s development agenda.

The 2021 General Conference, with the theme: “The Future of African Higher Education” will, among other things, provide an opportunity for African academics to share scientific and research information on the theme, as well as provide a platform for sharing best practices with policy makers, and strengthen networking among African higher education institutions.

The Conference is to assess the activities implemented by the AAU in the past four years against the background of its Work Programme and Strategic Plan approved at the previous Conference.

It will also approve the plan of activities and budget estimates for the next four-years.

The Conference will also feature statutory sessions which are specific to the Association, such as election of a new Governing Board from among the Vice Chancellors, Presidents and Rectors of the member universities.

The 15th General Conference which coincides with the 21st Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities COREVIP, will jointly be held under the following sub- themes.

Theme 1: The Future of African Higher Education Post-COVID-19;

Sub-Theme 2: Contributions of African Higher Education Institutions to Addressing the Challenges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic;

Sub-Theme 3: Contributions of African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;

Sub-Theme 4: Funding of African Higher Education Institutions in the face of unpredictable Economy;

Sub-Theme 5: Mainstreaming e-learning and the digital divide

Sub-Theme 6: Contributions of the Diaspora to African Higher Education.

The AAU, Africa’s apex continental Higher Education body with a membership of over 400 higher education institutions, convenes its General Conference, an assembly of representatives of all member institutions and key higher education stakeholders including policy makers, academics, researchers, development partner representatives and others, once every four years.

The Association of African Universities is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization created by African Universities to promote cooperation amongst them and between them as well as the international academic community.

Former Juventus Leading Goal Scorer, Boniperti Passes On At 92

Angel Gimalo
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0
Former Juventus Leading Goal Scorer, Boniperti Passes On At 92

Giampiero Boniperti, the former Juventus forward and one of Italy’s greatest players, has died, the Serie A club said on Friday. He was 92.

He spent his entire playing career at Juventus, winning five Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles between 1946 and 1961. With fellow forwards John Charles and Omar Sivori, he was part of the club’s ‘Magical Trio’.

Italian media said Boniperti died due to heart failure.

Boniperti was Juve’s all-time top scorer for more than 40 years until Alessandro Del Piero broke his record of 182 goals in 2006. He was also named the Serie A top scorer in the 1947-48 season for his 27 goals.

“From up there, now, there is another star in the black and white firmament that shines: it is that of Giampiero Boniperti, one of who gave the most to Juventus,” the club said in a statement.

Boniperti had eight goals in 38 games for Italy and played at the 1950 and 1954 World Cups. He also participated at the 1952 Summer Olympics with the Azzuri.

He retired in 1961 and became Juve’s honorary chairman ten years later.

Singapore To Allow Restaurant Dining With Two Person Limit

Angel Gimalo
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0
Singapore To Allow Restaurant Dining With Two Person Limit

Singapore will allow dining at restaurants to resume from Monday under loosened coronavirus restrictions, though will limit diners to groups of two, instead of up to five as previously planned, the health ministry said on Friday.

Similarly, gyms and fitness studios may resume indoor exercising in groups of up to two people, it said.

Barring new COVID-19 outbreaks, authorities will allow such activities to increase to group sizes of up to five from mid-July, the ministry said.

Sudan Signs Nine Concession Deals For Gold, Copper Mining

Angel Gimalo
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0
Sudan Signs Nine Concession Deals For Gold, Copper Mining

Sudan on Thursday signed nine concession agreements for gold and copper mining with eight local and foreign companies, the state news agency SUNA said.

All the agreements are related to gold mining except one for copper, the agency quoted Minister of Minerals Mohamed Bashir Abdalla as saying.

Three companies from Iraq, China, South Africa won four gold mining concessions, and a fourth one from Armenia won the single copper concession, the report said. Four local companies took four gold concessions.

All concession areas are located in the Red Sea State, the West Kordofan state and the Northern State.

Sudan sold 13,327,657 grammes of gold worth $437,983,965 from 2015 to 2020, Abdalla said on Thursday, compared with 2,752,889 grammes worth $140,805,290 from June 2020 to February 2021.

Gold sales from March to May reached $36,295,970, the minister said during the concession agreements ceremony.

Sudan took steps last year to open up trade in the precious metal further to private investors, allowing them to handle all exports and taking the business out of state hands.

Sudan has been cracking down on gold smuggling to generate more foreign currency. For years, the central bank had a monopoly on exports, buying gold locally at fixed prices at collection sites nationwide, which led to the illegal trade.

The country also had approved the establishment of stock exchanges for gold, minerals and agricultural commodities.

Kenneth Kaunda’s Legacy (1924 – 2021)

Angel Gimalo
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0
Kenneth Kaunda’s Legacy (1924 – 2021)

In foreign policy, Kenneth Kaunda provided logistical help to other African liberation movements, including the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the breakaway Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Southern Rhodesia and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa.

The ANC’s Radio Freedom was allowed to broadcast from Lusaka and it was under Kaunda’s protection that the ANC waged an armed struggle, then a diplomatic one against apartheid.

Zambia also helped Zimbabwe gain its independence from white minority rule in 1980.

But during his time in power, Zambia became a one-party state – effectively giving him absolute control.

Kaunda banned the political opposition in 1973. He was forced to reverse this decision in 1991 due to popular pressure provoked by shortages of basic foodstuffs as well as increasing international pressure for greater democracy in Africa.

He fell from power with the advent of multiparty democracy. In 1991, he lost presidential elections to Fredrick Chiluba from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) after a fiercely contested campaign.

Kaunda accepted defeat waving his trademark white handkerchief.

Kaunda had continued to engage in national politics and in 1996 tried to stand for the presidency. However, the Chiluba government changed the constitution so that anyone whose parents came from outside the country was deemed a foreigner and could therefore not run for office.

Chiluba later attempted to deport Kaunda alleging that he was a Malawian. In 1997, Chiluba threw Kaunda in jail on Christmas Day for allegedly being involved in a foiled coup attempt.

In 1999, during Chiluba’s rule, he was declared stateless by a Zambian High Court, but he challenged this decision in the Supreme Court of Zambia, which declared him to be a Zambian citizen the following year.

Kaunda became an AIDS campaigner, announcing publicly one of his sons had died from the illness.

Throughout the African continent, many streets, buildings and airports are named after him. And even in old age, he repeatedly raised his voice in public against perceived injustices as well as the oppression of minorities.

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