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Accused of rape, Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week
British comedian and actor Russell Brand on Friday spoke of an "extraordinary and distressing week" in his first public comments since rape and assault allegations were aired against him, but did not address the claims. "Obviously it's been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information you are being presented with," he said on a video posted to his YouTube channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers. "I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would," he added. But he did not comment on the joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 television in which four women made claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse against him. Then on Thursday, a woman accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008. Brand criticized the British government for asking tech companies to take action against him. Denouncing what he described as "deep state and corporate collusion" and "media corruption and censorship", he said he would post a longer video on Monday. In a video released last week, just before the story broke, Brand, 48, denied the allegations against him, which are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013. He said his relationships had always been "consensual", even during a period when he admitted he was "very, very promiscuous". Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman called the allegations "very serious and concerning". Sunak "has been clear there should never be any space for harassment, regardless of where it is found", he added. Brand's publisher Bluebird announced that "all future publishing" with the comedian had been put on hold. Video-sharing platform YouTube has also demonetized his content. /jj © Agence France-Presse The post Accused of rape, Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UK media investigate sex assault claims against comedian Brand
The BBC and Channel 4, former employers of British actor and comedian Russell Brand, said Sunday they were investigating claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse over a seven-year period, which the 48-year-old has denied. Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 when Brand was at the height of his fame working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2, Channel 4 and acting in Hollywood movies, a joint media investigation said Saturday. The broadcasters BBC and Channel 4, along with the production company Banijay UK, said Sunday that they would open internal inquiries into the claims. "We are urgently looking into the issues raised," a BBC spokesperson told AFP. The allegations were made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches. "Banijay UK has launched an urgent internal investigation and will cooperate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies," the production firm said. According to the Times investigation, several women have made a range of accusations about Brand's alleged controlling, abusive and predatory behavior. In a video released Friday, Brand denied the "very serious criminal allegations". He said he had received letters from a TV company and a newspaper listing "a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks". "Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said in the video clip posted online. According to the media reports, one woman alleged that Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while another claims he assaulted her during a three-month relationship while she was 16 and still at school. Known internationally as the former husband of pop star Katy Perry, Brand began his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 2000s. He was the host of the chat show Big Brother's Big Mouth, a spin-off of the popular reality series, for three years from 2004. He also played rock star Aldous Snow in the 2008 film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and its 2010 sequel "Get Him To The Greek". London's Metropolitan Police told AFP that while it was aware of the allegations, "At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this". "If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police," it said. The post UK media investigate sex assault claims against comedian Brand appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2015 Vatican decree on Mediatrix not binding!
The claims of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Vatican that Pope Pius XII had officially decreed that the Mediatrix apparitions were of “no supernatural character or origin” is not exactly true. If it is proven not true, the Papal “decree” is not binding and the faithful are allowed not to follow the decree, based on Canon Law. The CBCP released Circular 23-04 dated 14 July 2023 — quoting the official Dicastery document Protocol 226/1949 — stating that “in 1951, the Dicastery, the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy See, after due examination of the documents made available, declared the alleged apparitions in Lipa (of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace) to have no supernatural character or origin, a decision directly approved by Pope Pius XII.” There has been no document in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official Vatican publication, that said that Pope Pius XII had indeed approved the decree. It was never formalized into an official “promulgation,” which is a requirement of Canon Law, to be binding. In other words, the Dicastery Decree is official, but not the Papal Decree. Protocol 226/1949, authored by the Dicastery, did not clarify that the Pope Pius XII Decree had not yet been official and binding in a formal promulgation. Then apostolic administrator Bishop Rufino Santos said, in his decree of 12 April 1951, that he was still awaiting the Vatican decision regarding Lipa, contradicting Protocol 226/1949 that said a decision had been made. I, therefore, challenge the CBCP and the current Dicastery to produce documentary evidence that there was indeed an existing official Papal Decree of Pope Pius XII in fulfillment of the Canon Law ruling. The decree of Pope Pius XII is important because it was the basis for the recent order of Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera to suppress Mediatrix activities in all churches in Lipa. “Vatican directs CBCP to cease 75th celebration of Lipa apparition” (CNN Philippines 28 July 2023). The CNN article reported that the Vatican reaffirmed its 1951 decree, precisely the questionable Pope Pius XII decree. Only the Pope has the authority to confirm and declare a Marian apparition. If the 1951 Pope Pius decree is now in question, so also are all the recent bans and suppressions of Mediatrix activities in Lipa. The added sentence reads, “The Confraternity of the Mediatrix of All Grace is a movement with dozens of chapters nationwide.” Confraternity members report that a Filipino priest very close to Pope Francis approached him to forward the sentiments of the Mediatrix devotees. He said the Pope simply passed the ball to the Dicastery. And since the Dicastery is vehemently anti-Mediatrix, it was a dead end, a failed attempt. Many Confraternity members were disappointed. The Confraternity has a nationwide presence, although its membership keeps moving dynamically forward and backward. There are chapters whose memberships are strong and keep growing, but there are some whose memberships have decreased. The dynamic chapters include Cebu, Iloilo, Guimaras, Kidapawan, Davao City, General Trias, and Jaro, to name a few. However, the Confraternity is different from the devotees. Confraternity members are essentially professionals, educated and articulate. They are well organized and subject to meetings and activities. The ordinary Mediatrix devotees are peasants, farmers, and fishermen, and are simply humble churchgoers, not so organized. But there are so many who have a strong faith and devotion to Mama Mary in their hearts. They do not even know the issues in the conflict. Their devotion is based on their hearts, not their minds. When the entire Philippine Church was held in submission by the Vatican under threat of excommunication or alienation, it was the laity that took up the cudgels, out of reach of the clutches of the Vatican and the CBCP. The Confraternity distributed hundreds of life-size Mediatrix statues nationwide. They laid the infrastructure for devotion to spread like wildfire to the sea of marginal devotees. It is estimated from Confraternity reports that Mediatrix devotees are broadly around four million nationwide. Herein lies the victory of the Virgin over the Vatican. Despite 70 long years of suppression and repression since the 1951 apparitions to this very day, Mediatrix devotion proliferates. The Vatican and the CBCP have succeeded in silencing Filipino nuns, priests, bishops, and cardinals but they are helpless against the true Marians among the masses. Even the suppressed Church prelates still believe in the silence of their hearts in the Mediatrix. Suppression has ironically strengthened the Filipino Marians. The Confraternity says it has devised a simple strategy. They will suffer and ignore the suppression without opposition, and discern the will of the Lord and Our Lady, and focus on divine messages, teachings, and pray, pray, pray, especially for the Pope, the Vatican and the CBCP. *** eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post 2015 Vatican decree on Mediatrix not binding! appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse
The president of Japan's biggest boyband agency admitted on Thursday that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars, decades after the allegations against him first emerged. Johnny Kitagawa died of a stroke aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups including SMAP, TOKIO and Arashi that amassed adoring fans across Asia. Allegations of abuse surfaced in Japanese media in 1999 but it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "Both the agency itself and I myself as a person recognize that sex abuse by Johnny Kitagawa took place," said Julie Fujishima, a niece of the accused music mogul who died in 2019. "I apologize to his victims from the bottom of my heart," she told a packed news conference in Tokyo while announcing she was stepping down as head of Johnny & Associates "to take responsibility". "I take seriously what happened." Fujishima, who said she had stepped down on Tuesday, named singer and actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran member of the talent agency, as her successor. "It will take an enormous amount of time before we can regain trust," Higashiyama said. "I will stake the rest of my life on addressing this problem." Fujishima said she will remain in the agency's leadership to help "compensate" victims. - Defamation - Before his death, Kitagawa had successfully sued for defamation over the claims, although the verdict was partially overturned on appeal. He was never criminally charged. A panel of experts last month released the results of its first, in-depth probe into the allegations against Kitagawa, concluding that his abuse went as far back as the 1950s, even before the company was founded. Over the years, aspiring boyband idols collectively dubbed "Johnny's Jrs" sought his tutelage, and the panel estimated that at least "a few hundred" of them had been victimized. The report also quoted former recruits alleging in graphic detail how Kitagawa would perform oral sex on them, fondle them in their genitals or force his way into their beds at night. The panel said Fujishima, who was named Kitagawa's successor after his death, had been "remiss" in her duties because she failed to probe the allegations despite her knowledge of them. Her attitude perpetuated the leadership's tendency to look the other way, the report said. Fujishima, for her part, offered an apology in May but denied she had known about her uncle's predatory history. She chalked her ignorance up to what she framed as the extremely opaque, family-run nature of the boyband empire. "We do not believe there was no problem," she said in May, expressing her regret that she had let herself grow inured to the "abnormalness" of the agency's inner workings. Her apology came after Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto spoke publicly of his experience of being sexually assaulted repeatedly by Kitagawa. tmo/stu/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Leadership row resurges over Maguindanao Norte
The conundrum continues. As one sage claims: put five lawyers in a room to interpret a legal riddle and you will have five differing answers. Legal hermeneutics is cerebral calisthenics lawyers are trained for. We see this in the on-and-off legal and political maneuverings for the governorship of the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province. Some wise observers compare it to the Game of Thrones, especially the first major story, “The Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros,” which describes the “web of political conflicts among the noble families... to claim the throne.” We thought the exercise by the President of his inherent power of appointment, as this column suggested in previous articles, to fill the lacuna of leadership had written finis to the controversy. We thought wrong. The province is plunged again into a political crisis. As a caveat, the following is an off-the-cuff commentary substantially based on reports published in tri- and social media. We haven’t read the text of the decision. We had to observe caution because the case is still pending and therefore covered by the sub judice rule which prohibits public discussion of the merits of a pending case under pain of contempt of court. The recent imbroglio springs from a report of an alleged decision by a Division of the Supreme Court litigating an issue (a Mandamus not a Quo Warranto petition) regarding the appointment by then Acting Vice Governor Aimee Sinsuat of the Provincial Treasurer of the newly created province of Maguindanao del Norte. The decision includes a statement that the appointment made by Sinsuat was “valid.” Then-elected Vice Governor Aimee Sinsuat of the mother province of Maguindanao assumed the office of Acting Governor by virtue of the transitory provision of the law which called for a plebiscite for the splitting of Maguindanao into del Sur and Norte. The assumption by Sinsuat was questioned, inter alia, for the alleged inapplicability of the law because the plebiscite was conducted after the 2023 national and local elections (the law was premised on the plebiscite being conducted before the elections). The BARMM Ministry of Local Government debunked the claim of Vice Governor Sinsuat to the office. The BARMMN leadership then recommended Senior Minister Abdul Raof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua for Acting Governor to prevent paralysis of the government service. This was approved by the President who issued an appointment designating Macacua as Acting Governor and Bai Sinsuat as Acting Vice Governor, with the latter accepting it without a whimper of protest. This calmed the stormy political waters, grumbling, and maneuvering for the province’s Governorship until a Division of the Supreme Court came out with a decision upholding the appointment made by then Acting Governor Sinsuat. This has resurrected hope in the camp of Sinsuat that their interpretation of the law was correct, ergo, she should be the Acting Governor and not Macacua. This has ruffled political feathers and created confusion among Maguindanaons. Who is the legal Acting Governor of the province? Speculations on the effect of the decision flew thick and fast prompting Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim Murad to appeal to the public not to spread rumors that tend to create political instability. There are valid questions that beg answers. Was the Supreme Court aware of the appointment by the President of Macacua as Acting Governor and Sinsuat as Vice Governor? If yes, will this not lead to a constitutional crisis with the judiciary questioning the exercise of a presidential prerogative absent abuse or irregularity in the process? Was the acceptance by Sinsuat of her appointment by the President as Vice Governor without reservation made her estopped from questioning the legitimacy of the appointment of Macacua? Does the dispositive part of the decision about the legality of the appointment made by then Acting Governor Sinsuat constitute the fallo of the case or was it a mere obiter dictum? Meantime, the decision has not yet acquired finality. The BARMM will definitely file a Motion for Reconsideration. There’s still a long way to go. This column echoes the appeal of the Interim Chief Minister for the public to refrain from making any unnecessary comments that will add fuel to the controversy. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Leadership row resurges over Maguindanao Norte appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Total frenzy’: Swift fever grows in Latin America
Excitement is building among Taylor Swift fans in Latin America who have endured months-long queues, expensive tickets and, in one case, assault to realize their dream of seeing the pop superstar. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter, who holds the women's record for most number one albums, will bring her "Eras" tour to the region from Thursday starting in Mexico, followed by Argentina and Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, Renan Rodrigues camped out for several nights to buy tickets for Swift's November 17-19 concerts at the Nilton Santos stadium. The 24-year-old DJ, who performs at parties for Swifties, as the pop star's devoted fans are known, got tickets to all three performances. But he paid a high price -- an assailant hit him on the head with a bottle for resisting an attempted robbery while he was waiting. "They wanted to take my cellphone, and inside the case was my card from the only bank authorized for ticket sales. I just thought: they won't take my card," said Rodrigues, who suffered superficial injuries. Tickets for Taylor Swift shows in Brazil cost between $35 and $468. In Mexico, where young people earn an average salary of $366 a month according to official data, fans had to pay between $55 and $614. Ingrid Cruz, founder of the official Mexican fan club, described the high cost as "abuse" and complained that VIP packages were prioritized over regular tickets. Fans also reported problems with the platform of US retail giant Ticketmaster. The vendor operates in Mexico as part of the powerful CIE entertainment and media group, which in turn controls around two-thirds of the local market for live shows. Pre-sales for the four concerts in Mexico City were based on a previous registration of "verified fans" by email. But even Joel Aguilar, creator of Taylor Swift MX, a fan site with some 20,000 followers from 20 countries, failed to qualify, he said. Denisse Castro, 26, who has been unemployed for six months, hoped that building a credit history and obtaining a card from the bank sponsoring the concert would help her to secure good seats. Unfortunately for her, the bank recently tightened its credit restrictions, so Castro could only afford the cheapest tickets. In the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, a group set up camp outside the River stadium in June, five months before the concert, to ensure they have places near the stage. "It's going to be a total frenzy," said Iara Palavencino, one of the fans, who take it in turns to reserve their spots. Tickets sold out quickly in Argentina, despite the country's serious economic crisis. In Chile, President Gabriel Boric, a self-proclaimed Swiftie, made an unsuccessful appeal to Swift to include his country on her tour. And in Mexico, proving that the pop star's popularity transcends age, a 64-year-old Supreme Court judge outed himself as a Swiftie earlier this year. "There's nothing trivial about Taylor Swift," Arturo Zaldivar wrote in a newspaper in June. The post ‘Total frenzy’: Swift fever grows in Latin America appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bills up amid P24-B recovery
Luzon customers may soon pay for additional charges in their monthly electricity bills as the Energy Regulatory Commission, or ERC, prepares to issue an order that will implement a high court-approved recovery of at least P24 billion in generation losses. In an interview with reporters last week, ERC chairperson lawyer Monalisa Dimalanta disclosed that the collection, which will likely be on a staggered basis within three years, takes effect next year. “We have calculated it, so the timing (of collection) is what we care about now. The cost is somehow hefty so we will spread the collection for three years,” Dimalanta said. ERC order According to her, the ERC will issue an order to allow the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, or IEMOP, to start the Luzon-wide collection of generation charges. “It will be co-collected with the consumers, but not all generation companies have claims, there are others who will pay for it,” she noted. For Manila Electric Co., or Meralco alone, the development means that customers will collectively pay to recover as much as P22.64 billion in generation loss from way back in 2013. This is part of the Supreme Court, or SC, ruling released last year. SC voids ERC order It can be recalled that the SC — through a decision promulgated on 3 August 2021, a copy of which was only released online on 1 July 2022 — voided the ERC order that was supposed to regulate prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, or WESM for November to December 2013. The move, according to ERC, should have capped spot market prices for the period to cut rates and lessen the high prices impact on customers by more than a third, or to just P7 million from P24 billion. The SC pointed out that the ERC’s order cannot be implemented due to the possibility of market power abuse, which could affect electricity prices. Address abnormal spike However, in its order, the ERC argued that it only wanted to address the abnormal spike and unreasonable electricity costs imposed by generation companies, or gencos during the period. The regulatory body also investigated alleged collusion among gencos to manipulate prices of electricity in the spot market during the maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility for a similar period. Yet, the SC pointed out that the ERC failed to notify the affected parties about its probe, which violated the gencos’ right to due process. The post Bills up amid P24-B recovery appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump indicted in classified documents probe
Donald Trump said Thursday he has been indicted over his handling of classified documents after leaving office, the US ex-president's most serious legal threat yet as he pursues a second White House term. "The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he broke the bombshell news of a historic moment for the United States: the first time a sitting or former commander-in-chief has faced federal charges. There was no immediate confirmation from the Justice Department. Trump attorney Jim Trusty told CNN that his client has been indicted on seven charges including the willful retention of documents in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements, obstruction of justice and a count of conspiracy. Though the precise details of the charges were not immediately clear, people familiar with the matter told The New York Times the conspiracy charge was related to obstruction of justice. In his post, Trump, who is running for president again, said he has been summoned to a federal courthouse in Miami next Tuesday -- the day before his 77th birthday. His announcement came a day after US media said federal prosecutors had informed his lawyers that he is the target of the probe into his handling of classified documents. Trump was already the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime -- in his case over election-eve hush money payments to a porn star who said she had an affair with him. That indictment was handed down by Manhattan's district attorney in March. In a statement after his initial online posts, the Trump campaign lashed out at what it called an "unprecedented abuse of power," and called for the indictment to be thrown out. 'Dark day' In a defiant video released after he shared the news, Trump repeatedly declared his innocence and framed the indictment as a form of election interference by a Justice Department "weaponized" by the Biden administration. "They come after me because now we're leading in the polls again by a lot against Biden," Trump said in the clip. "Our country is going to hell and they come after Donald Trump... We can't let this continue." Fellow Republicans swiftly stood by him, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, who has had a rollercoaster relationship with Trump. "Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him," McCarthy said in a statement. "I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rival for the GOP presidential nomination, echoed Trump's claims of a "weaponized" DOJ, adding on Twitter that he would "excise political bias" if elected president. The Twitter account of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee posted a repeated Trump slogan: "WITCH HUNT." Special counsel Jack Smith, named by US Attorney General Merrick Garland, has been looking into a cache of classified documents that Trump had stored at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after leaving the White House. The FBI carted away some 11,000 papers after serving a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago in August, and obstruction-of-justice charges could be a result of his resisting efforts to recover the trove. Trump eventually turned over 15 boxes containing almost 200 classified documents to the National Archives in January 2022 but was subpoenaed for any outstanding records in his possession. When asked about the charges Thursday night, Smith's spokesman Peter Carr told AFP: "We are declining to comment." The White House said it learned of the indictment from media coverage and a spokesperson declined to comment on the news, noting that the DOJ "conducts its criminal investigations independently," CNN reported. Mounting legal woes Some Democratic lawmakers spoke out following Thursday's revelation. Trump's indictment "is another affirmation of the rule of law," House Democrat Adam Schiff said. "For four years, he acted like he was above the law," he added. "But he should be treated like any other lawbreaker. And today, he has been." Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the documents case, telling a Fox News town hall event on June 1 that "everything I did was right." But he has openly acknowledged taking and storing the documents, undermining his lawyers' suggestion that he took the stash inadvertently in the confusion of a chaotic departure. "This evidence just adds to the mound of stuff that already exists, and no one piece is the 'be all and end all,' but when you put them all together, the case is so strong," former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks told MSNBC. "You cannot imagine his getting away with this." The latest indictment comes with Trump facing numerous other probes as he bids to be the Republican nominee to challenge Joe Biden for the presidency in 2024. Smith is also looking at whether Trump should face charges over the 2021 US Capitol riot, and Georgia prosecutors are investigating whether Trump illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcome there. Trump has already been charged with dozens of financial crimes as part of the alleged hush money scheme to silence the porn star, and is due to go on trial next March, in the middle of primary election season. The post Trump indicted in classified documents probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Saints by day, demons by night’
A former seminarian has exposed the Catholic Church’s vast sex abuse network in Bolivia where men of the cloth victimized children and adults. Pedro Lima, 54, said he and other men training to become priests were also subjected to abuse often by clergymen who arrived from Spain. Lima, who has lived in Paraguay since 2011 where he works as a blacksmith, returned home last month to give evidence in a vast investigation into child predation at schools countrywide, including a boarding school for poor, rural kids in Cochabamba. “The children lived through hell,” he recounted of things he said he saw. “These abusive priests were saints by day, demons by night.” At the center of the latest scandal is Spanish priest Alfonso Pedrajas, who died in 2009. In his journal, recently discovered and published by a newspaper, Pedrajas confessed to having harmed dozens of people, possibly as many as 85. He also noted that senior clergy had known about his crimes and kept quiet. Lima, who said he had encountered Pedrajas personally, claims he was expelled from the Jesuit order in 2001, while studying to become a priest, for reporting abuse. Since then, he has compiled a list of alleged wrongdoers, most of them now dead. “It wasn’t only one priest, there is a structure of priests who helped and supported each other so this (abuse) could continue to happen,” he told Agence France-Presse. Priests heard young victims’ complaints, then rebuked them and expelled them from school, Lima alleged. The post ‘Saints by day, demons by night’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Twitter blocks troll hunters
For years, a band of science-loving “troll hunters” hounded climate change deniers off Twitter — but Elon Musk’s takeover has upended their efforts, with many ousted accounts back, pushing fresh disinformation. Despite the threat climate change poses to the planet, disinformation about it has gone largely unsanctioned on Twitter. But a secretive global community of about 25 scientists and activists, calling themselves Team Ninja Trollhunters, found a roundabout way to tackle it. Since its founding in 2019, TNT claims to have secured the suspension of some 600 accounts of climate change denialists by reporting them for other infringements, including hate speech, that are officially recognized by the platform as valid grounds for termination. “If they’re saying something racist or offensive or misogynist, we can get them kicked off,” one Germany-based TNT member, a 45-year-old scientist who asked to be identified as Tom, told AFP in a Zoom interview. Like other TNT members interviewed by AFP, he requested that his real identity be withheld to avoid online harassment. TNT members showed AFP archives documenting their campaigns, including a spreadsheet logging thousands of Twitter accounts they reported on grounds ranging from spam and harassment to hate speech and threats. They also shared screenshots confirming numerous suspensions. “We make sure that we’re as under the radar as possible... to get (climate) deniers and ‘sceptics’ and just generally nasty people reported on Twitter,”” a Canada-based member named Peter told AFP. “We’re more effective if we’re very quiet about it. These deniers are quite often very violent in their responses to climate misinformation being corrected. Intimidation and abuse are very common.” The post Twitter blocks troll hunters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jury trial pits Trump, alleged rape victim
The civil trial of former United States president Donald Trump over his alleged rape of an ex-magazine columnist in the mid-1990s starts Tuesday with the selection of jury members. Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll, 79, is accusing the presumptive Republican nominee for next year’s presidential election of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store and then defamed her after she went public with the allegations years later. The former columnist for Elle magazine, claims Trump raped her in the changing room at the luxury Bergdorf Goodman department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Carroll is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for psychological harm, pain and suffering, loss of dignity, and damage to her reputation. The rape allegation was first made in an excerpt from Carroll’s book published by New York Magazine in 2019. Trump denies the allegation, saying he never met Carroll and calling it a lie. Carroll first sued Trump for defamation in 2019 but was unable to include the rape claim because the statute of limitations for the alleged offense had expired. But a new law took effect in November last year in New York that gives redress to victims of sexual assault decades after attacks may have occurred. It gave sexual assault victims in the state a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers even when the abuse occurred long ago. The trial comes just weeks after Trump’s historic arraignment on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment made to a porn star just before the 2016 election. The post Jury trial pits Trump, alleged rape victim appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Del Rosario’s wake open to public
The public may now pay their last respects to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario whose remains arrived in the country on Saturday as the late diplomat’s family opened the public visitation for his wake on Sunday. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas blessed the casket of Del Rosario on the first day of his wake at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City. Among those who first visited the wake of Del Rosario were former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio — both convenors of the 1Sambayan, a broad coalition that attempted to form a united opposition for the May 2022 poll. Del Rosario was one of the convenors of the coalition. Meantime, Dr. Inge del Rosario, daughter of the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, said that his father’s remains arrived in the country from the United States at around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. “A patriot has returned to his beloved family and his home, the Philippines,” the family’s statement read. Inge confirmed that his father “breathed his last” at the age of 83 on Tuesday, 18 April, while en route to San Francisco with his wife and son-in-law. “While there were valiant attempts to resuscitate him by two doctors who were passengers on the same flight, these efforts were to no avail,” the family said. “Following an investigation by the coroner’s office in San Francisco, California, it was determined that the causes of death of Ambassador del Rosario were cardiac insufficiency, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. He had suffered a massive heart attack,” it added. According to the family, Del Rosario “died in the arms of his wife of more than 60 years, Gretchen.” The family disclosed that Del Rosario embarked on a trip to California on short notice in hopes to pray at a private devotion to our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. “He was a devotee of the Rosary and sought to pray for better health as he believed he continued to have a mission to fulfill for his country,” they revealed. “He had suffered over the past twenty years from various ailments and had had numerous back and knee surgeries but persevered despite the pain and suffering to serve as Philippine ambassador to the United States and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.” Del Rosario stepped down from his post as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2016, citing health issues. Del Rosario took the helm of the DFA chief for five years. During his stint, he ushered the Philippines’ case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration and challenged the latter’s historic nine-dash claim in the South China Sea. On 12 July 2016, The Hague-based arbitral tribunal favored the Philippines’ claims in the West Philippine Sea — a landmark decision that the People’s Republic of China continues to reject. Del Rosario’s family is asking the Filipino people to “pray for the peaceful repose of his soul and for consolation in our time of grief.” “We are deeply proud of our former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Albert F. del Rosario, and are grateful for the outpouring of support for the family. Our Papa, a loving husband, father and grandfather, a Patriot, has returned home to our Merciful God and rests now in the arms of our Blessed Mother. He is home to stay,” his family said. The post Del Rosario’s wake open to public appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Almost 100,000 sexual abuse claims filed against US Boy Scouts
Almost 100,000 victims of sexual abuse that took place in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) had come forward by Monday evening, the deadline to receive compensation from the organization, a lawyer for the victims told AFP. .....»»
China academy abuse claims disturbing , says NBA
Claims of physical abuse at NBA basketball academies in China are "disturbing", a senior official said, while adding that none of the coaches provided by the league were accused of wrongdoing......»»
China academy abuse claims disturbing , says NBA
Claims of physical abuse at NBA basketball academies in China are "disturbing", a senior official said, adding that none of the coaches provided by the league were accused of wrongdoing......»»
EXPLAINER: Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what is the death toll?
(Reuters) -Divers recovered the remains of two of the six missing workers more than a day after a cargo ship smashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bodies of two men were found in a red pickup truck submerged in the icy waters of the Patapsco River. Rescuers pulled two workers from the water.....»»
FOCAP condemns Chinese embassy’s claims on ‘manipulated’ West Philippine Sea videos
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines strongly rejected and condemned yesterday China’s “false and baseless” claims that journalists manipulate videosthey recorded in the South China Sea to present the Philippines as a victim......»»
India backs Philippines in dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
India backs Philippines in sea dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
Pia binasag nga ba si Heart sa ‘worth ng kababaihan’ campaign?
MAY “silent war” nga ba sina 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach at Kapuso international fashion icon na si Heart Evangelista? Yan ang nakakaintrigang tanong ng mga netizens nang mapansin nilang tila sinagot ni Pia ang lumang Instagram post ni Heart noong January, 2024. Usap-usapan ngayon ng mga Marites ang matapang na statement ni Pia para.....»»