Guinea's Junta Seizes Government Officials' Passports and Freezes Bank Accounts

Guinea's Junta Seizes Government Officials' Passports and Freezes Bank Accounts

Guinea's Military Junta Tightens Grip: 

In a bold move echoing the iron grip of the ruling military junta, Guinea's government officials find themselves stripped of their passports and frozen bank accounts. This dramatic action follows the mysterious dissolution of the administration, leaving citizens and international observers alike perplexed.

Since their seizure of power through a coup in September 2021, the military leadership has consistently flexed its muscles, solidifying control with each decree. The latest announcement, made on Monday, marks the dissolution of the sitting government, which had been in power since July 2022.

General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, standing before state television cameras flanked by a formidable group of soldiers, delivered the directives with an air of authority. The junta's orders include the freezing of bank accounts belonging to government officials, the confiscation of their travel documents, and the stripping of privileges such as service vehicles, bodyguards, and assistants.

Curiously, the junta has chosen to remain silent regarding the motivations behind these drastic measures. However, amidst the silence, one recurring theme emerges – a commitment to combatting corruption, a rallying cry often associated with military takeovers across West Africa.

The state broadcaster, RTG, further propagated the image of junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya as a resolute leader navigating through "moments of adversity." Yet, the tribute lacks substance, leaving observers to ponder the true intentions behind the junta's actions.

Reports suggest mounting tensions within the government ranks, culminating in a rare protest in the capital city, Conakry, earlier this month. The junta's response has been swift and harsh, with the prohibition of all demonstrations and the detention of opposition figures, civil society activists, and journalists. Additionally, internet access has been severely restricted, amplifying concerns over human rights violations.

Under international pressure, Colonel Doumbouya has made promises of returning the government to civilian control by the end of 2024. This transitional period, as argued by the military, is deemed necessary to implement sweeping reforms in Guinea, a nation rich in resources yet grappling with economic challenges.

As Guinea navigates through this tumultuous period, the eyes of the world remain fixed on the unfolding developments, apprehensive of what the future holds for the West African nation.

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Former US First Lady Dies At 96

Former US First Lady Dies At 96

The wife of former United States President, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter has died at the age of 96 on Sunday.

Rald News Media understands that her death was announced by the Carter Center two days after she entered hospice care at the couple’s home in Plains, Georgia.

Hospice care is specialized care that provides physical comfort and emotional, social and spiritual support for people nearing the end of life.

The former US First Lady is survived by her husband, four children, 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a legacy of mental health advocacy.

According to the UK Independent, Jimmy Carter, 99, who is also in hospice care, paid tribute to his wife in the Carter Center statement, saying: “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished.

“She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

The couple’s son Chip Carter said: “Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right. Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans.”

A devout Baptist and mother of four, she was diminutive and outwardly shy, with a soft smile and softer Southern accent. That was the “magnolia.” She also was a force behind Jimmy Carter’s rise from peanut farmer to winner of the 1976 presidential election. That was the “steel.”

Through more than 77 years of marriage, until her death on Sunday at the age of 96, Rosalynn Carter was business and political partner, best friend and closest confidant to the 39th president.

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Israeli Ship ‘Galaxy Leader’ Hijacked By Yemen’s Houthis In Red Sea

HIJACK HORROR Israel cargo ship Galaxy Leader ‘hijacked by Iran-backed militia’ in Red Sea with up to 52 people on board

AN ISRAELI-owned cargo ship has reportedly been hijacked by an Iran-backed militia group.

Rald News Media reported that up to 52 people are reported to have on board the Galaxy Leader vehicle carrier when she was seized.

It comes after the Houthis – based in Yemen – vowed they would target all ships owned by Israel or flying their flag in the Red Sea.

Israeli officials confirmed the rebels had taken over the ship that is partially owned by one of their companies, according to Axios.

However, the IDF went on to deny the ship was Israeli.

The exact ownership of ships is often difficult to discern due to various different companies owning stakes in or leasing the vessels.

Various media outlets have reported the ship is owned by Israeli shipping businessman Rami Ungar.

The nationality of the crew remains unknown – but Israel has insisted they have no nationals on board the ship.

Galaxy Leader reportedly had not reported its position to ship tracking services for 26 hours.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel is believed to have been in the Red Sea when it was attacked by the Houthis.

Lebanon-based outlet Al Mayadeen reported there were 52 people on board the ship when it was seized.

Other reports stated the number of crew was 22.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “The hijacking of the cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very serious event on a global level.

“This is a ship that left Turkey on its way to India with an international civilian crew, without Israelis.”

But he insisted the ship was no Israeli.

Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi threatened to seize shipping in a rant last week.

He said: “Our eyes are open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli ship in the Red Sea.”

The group’s spokesman said they would issue a statement in the coming hours after the reports of the hijacked ship.

The rebel group have made several missile and drone attacks against Israel since the massacre by Hamas on October 7.

They control Yemen and its coast along the Red Sea.

It is widely believed they receive support from Iran – and often operate as one of its proxies.

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Sam Altman sacked as CEO of ChatGPT

Sam Altman, the Silicon Valley CEO behind the artificial intelligence-powered chatbots ChatGPT and GPT-4, has been sacked by the company’s board of directors which said it has lost confidence in him.

 

Announcing the sack which has sent stunning shockwaves through the budding AI industry, the board said an internal investigation found that Altman was not always truthful.

 

The statement read;

 

“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”

 

OpenAI announced Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is chosen.

ChatGPT launched late last year, making Altman an overnight quasi-celebrity and the face of a new crop of AI tools that can generate images and texts in response to simple user prompts. The technology is called generative AI and has since been deployed by Microsoft on its search engine and other tools. Google has a rival called “Bard,” and other generative AI tools have been developed in recent months.

 

Not long after its release, ChatGPT became a household name almost synonymous with AI itself. CEOs used it to draft emails, people built websites with no prior coding experience, and it passed exams from law and business schools.

Although Altman has long been an advocate of AI, he is also one of its biggest critics. In testimony before Congress earlier this year, Altman described the technology’s current boom as a pivotal moment.

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Google Set To Delete Gmail In December

 

Google Set To Delete Gmail In December

In a recent blog post, Google said it deems an account inactive if the user has not logged in or done any activity in two years

The tech giant considers actions like signing in; reading or sending an email; using Google Drive; watching a YouTube video; sharing photos; downloading an app; and searching while signed in to be activities.

The company added that starting December 1, accounts in the aforementioned category will be deleted.The policy only applies to personal accounts, not those tied to an employer, school, or other organisation.

Google products reserve the right to delete your data when your account has not been used within that product for a 2-year period,” the post reads.

“December 1, 2023 is the earliest a Google Account will be deleted due to this policy.”It is understood that there are other exceptions to this; such as if your account was used to purchase something in the Google Play store or if your account has a gift card with an active balance.

Google said it would inform users in advance by sending emails to the accounts of affected users as well as any available recovery email addresses.

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Rwanda: Ex-doctor goes on trial in France over 1994 genocide

A Rwandan former gynaecologist went on trial in France on Tuesday on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 massacres in his home country, in an investigation stretching back nearly three decades.

It is one of France’s longest-running cases, with Sosthene Munyemana appearing at the Assize Court in the French capital nearly 30 years after a complaint was filed against him in the southwestern French city of Bordeaux in 1995.

The 68-year-old former doctor, accused of organising torture and killings during the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda, arrived late for the hearing scheduled to begin at 9:00 am (0800 GMT).

Wearing a blue striped shirt and a grey jacket, Munyemana apologised for the delay, before stating his identity.

He has lived in France since 1994.

Munyemana, who denies the charges, faces life in prison if convicted. The trial, scheduled to last five weeks, will be recorded for historical archives.

It is the sixth such trial in France of an alleged participant in the massacres, in which around 800,000 people, most of them ethnic Tutsis, were slaughtered over 100 days.

– ‘Waiting for justice’ –

“We’re waiting for justice to be done at last,” Rachel Lindon, a lawyer representing 26 victims, said ahead of the trial. “The more time passes, the fewer witnesses we have,” she added.

In 2008, France rejected an asylum request by Munyemana, who worked in a hospital at Villeneuve-sur-Lot in southwest France for a decade.

But it also in 2010 rejected an extradition request from Rwanda after Munyemana’s lawyers argued he could not receive a fair trial there.

In 2011, a French court charged the father of three on suspicion he took part in the 1994 genocide.

An ethnic Hutu, he lived in Butare in southern Rwanda at the time of the massacre.

France has been one of the top destinations for fugitives fleeing justice over the Rwandan slaughter.

Rwanda under President Paul Kagame has accused Paris of not being willing to extradite genocide suspects or bring them to justice.

Since 2014, France has tried and convicted several figures including a former spy chief, two ex-mayors and a former hotel chauffeur.

– ‘Well-known man’ –

“He was a doctor, a well-known man who was much appreciated,” said Emmanuel Daoud, a lawyer for the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights League (LDH).

“He could not have been unaware of what was happening,” he added.

Munyemana was close to Jean Kambanda, the head of the interim government established after the plane carrying then-president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down by a missile in 1994.

He is accused of helping draft a letter of support for the interim government, which encouraged the massacre of the Tutsis. He is also accused of keeping Tutsi civilians in inhumane conditions in local government offices to which he had the key.

Munyemana does not deny having held the key but argues that the offices served as a “refuge” for Tutsis who were seeking protection.

Munyemana’s lawyer, Jean-Yves Dupeux, argued that the case “rests only” on eye-witness accounts that date back to decades ago.

“It’s very difficult to rely on testimonies about something that happened so long ago,” he said.

Munyemana worked as an emergency doctor in southwestern France before switching to geriatrics.

More than 800,000 people, mainly minority Tutsis, were massacred by Hutu soldiers and extremist militias in the Rwandan genocide from April to July 1994, according to UN figures.

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Gay Israeli soldier proudly displays LGBTQ flag on Gaza soil in war against Hamas

 Gay Israeli soldier proudly displays LGBTQ flag on Gaza soil in war against Hamas

A gay Israeli soldier unfurled an LGBTQ flag on Gaza soil keeping to his vow to bring a rainbow pride flag into the battle against Hamas.

Yoav Atzmoni, 31, revealed he posed for photos holding up a rainbow flag with the words “In The Name of Love” written across it while stationed in Gaza in defiance of the territory’s deep anti-gay laws and imposed rhetoric.

Atzmoni was called up to serve in the Israel Defense Forces following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack against the Jewish state, which killed about 1,200 Israelis, according to Insider.

Since then, Israel has retaliated against Hamas, launching a military campaign that has killed thousands in Gaza.

The images began circulating online over the weekend as some social media users noted how the flag was a powerful statement considering how LGBTQ people are oppressed in the Gaza strip under Hamas rule.

Atzmoni told Insider late last month he hoped to display the pride flag on his tank and bring it to Palestinians.

The soldier told The Post he fulfilled his wishes two weeks ago which is when the photos of him that are making the rounds online were taken in the Al-Atatra in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Another photo he provided Insider shows him standing in front of a tank with a flag of Israel which features rainbow colors at the top and bottom.

Atzmoni told the outlet that if Hamas is victorious, he fears he will lose his hard-fought rights.

“I WON’T LET THEM BRING ME BACK INTO THE CLOSET,” HE SAID, STRESSING THE FLAG REPRESENTS THE SUPPORT ISRAEL SHOWS THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.

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 US Man Missing for 2 Weeks at Sea Found Alive, Survived by Eating Salmon

In a remarkable turn of events, a fisherman who had been missing for two weeks was discovered floating in a life raft approximately 110 km off the west coast of the United States. The US Coast Guard had previously suspended the search for the missing fisherman, as reported by the Morning News. 

During his ordeal, the man managed to survive by consuming salmon.

The fisherman, who remains unidentified, had departed from Grays Harbor in Washington state on October 12 on his vessel.

The rescuers, identified as Ryan Planes and his uncle John from Sooke, a town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, spotted what appeared to be a life raft in the distance. They used binoculars and saw the man shoot off a flare. They quickly pulled him aboard, and the emotional rescue took place.

The survivor shared that he had spent 13 days alone on the raft and had relied on salmon for sustenance.

“We made him breakfast. He drank three bottles of water,” John recounted. “He was pretty hungry, poor guy.”

Authorities reported that the Canadian Coast Guard, along with another Canadian rescue agency, transported the man back to shore.

According to King-TV, the man was subsequently taken to a hospital in Tofino, British Columbia

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Israel Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu: Nuking Gaza Is An Option

Israel Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu: Nuking Gaza Is An Option

A minister from the extremist Otzma Yehudit party says one of Israel’s options in the war in Gaza is to drop a nuclear bomb on the Strip.

Asked in an interview with Radio Kol Berama whether an atomic bomb should be dropped on the enclave, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu says “this is one of the possibilities.”

Eliyahu, of Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right party, is not part of the security cabinet which is involved in the wartime decision-making, nor does he hold sway over the war cabinet directing the war against the Hamas terror group.

Eliyahu also voices his objection during the interview to allowing any humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying “we wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid,” and charging that “there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”

He backs retaking the Strip’s territory and restoring the settlements there. Asked about the fate of the Palestinian population, he says: “They can go to Ireland or deserts, the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”

He says the northern Strip has no right to exist, adding that anyone waving a Palestinian or Hamas flag “shouldn’t continue living on the face of the earth.”

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Two children die in Niger boat mishap

 Two children die in Niger boat mishap

Two children have been confirmed dead while two others sustained various degrees of injuries in a boat mishap that occurred in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Overseeing Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Alhaji Salihu Garba, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Saturday.

Garba said the incident occurred on Friday at about 6:00 pm when the boat engine caught fire due to a mechanical failure and inflamed a gallon of petrol stored inside the vessel.

He further disclosed that 145 passengers were in the boat, adding that they were from Danbo community in Kogi State.

Garba added that the passengers were on their way back from Katcha market when the incident occurred.

He said that the body of one of the deceased children had been recovered while the search for the remains of the second missing child was still ongoing.

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