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Meta, Google quit tech summit over organizer’s Israel remarks
Meta and Google have pulled out of the Web Summit, one of the tech sector's biggest annual events, after the organizer criticized Israel's actions following the Hamas attacks, the companies said on Friday. A spokesman for Meta confirmed to AFP that it would not take part in this year's event, with Google telling the Irish Independent that it too would not be making the trip to Lisbon. Irish entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was "shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments." "War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are," Cosgrave wrote on October 13. Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the area under attack. More than 3,700 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza. The boycott by Meta and Google follows other exits by companies and tech figures, including Intel, Siemens and US comedian Amy Poehler and X-files actor Gillian Anderson. The Web Summit is due to host some 2,300 startups and more than 70,000 people on November 13-16 in Lisbon. Silicon Valley figure Garry Tan, of start-up backer Y-Combinator, initially kicked off the boycott and other big names in the industry quickly followed. Cosgrave issued an apology on Tuesday. "I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologise deeply," he said. "What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that," the statement said. Cosgrave said he "unreservedly" condemns Hamas's "evil, disgusting and monstrous" attack on Israel and "unequivocally" supports Israel's "right to exist and to defend itself." He also said that Israel should adhere to the Geneva Conventions, "ie, not commit war crimes." The post Meta, Google quit tech summit over organizer’s Israel remarks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US condemns latest attack on Cuban embassy
The United States on Monday condemned the latest attack on Cuba's embassy in Washington, in which a man allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails at the mission. The communist nation described the incident Sunday night as a "terrorist attack." No one was injured. "All attacks and threats against diplomatic facilities are unacceptable," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "We are in contact with Cuban embassy officials and, consistent with our obligations under the Vienna Convention, the department is committed to the safety and security of diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work in them," he said. He said the State Department was coordinating with Washington police in the investigation. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez earlier wrote on social media that an individual threw two Molotov cocktails in the "terrorist attack." Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera said the embassy had "immediately communicated with United States authorities, who were given access to the mission to take samples of the Molotov cocktails." The attack took place hours after Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel returned to Havana after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York and other activities with Cubans in the US. In New York, Cubans had demonstrated against Diaz-Canel's presence at the UN, according to posts and videos shared on social media. "The anti-Cuban groups resort to terrorism when feeling they enjoy impunity, something that Cuba has repeatedly warned the US authorities about," said Rodriguez after Sunday's attack. It was the second attack against the Cuban mission in Washington in recent years, after a man opened fire on the building in April 2020. There were no injuries from that attack either. At the time, the Cuban foreign minister summoned the then-US charge d'affaires in Havana, Mara Tekach, to express his "energetic protest" over what he called a "terrorist aggression" against his embassy. That shooting left bullet holes in exterior walls and columns, broke a street lamp and damaged several panes of glass and moldings on the front of the building. US authorities arrested Alexander Alazo over the shooting, charging him with multiple offenses including "a violent attack on a foreign official or official premises using a deadly weapon," according to the US Justice Department. The Cuban embassy reopened as a full mission after a reconciliation bid by former US president Barack Obama. His successor, Donald Trump, backed by staunchly anti-communist Cuban Americans, reversed many of Obama's overtures. The post US condemns latest attack on Cuban embassy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Año condemns latest NPA attacks
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Monday condemned another “bomb and gun attack” by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians which seriously wounded three people, including a barangay captain, in Masbate province on 12 August. “We strongly condemn the latest atrocities by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians in Barangay Bonifacio, Uson, Masbate, where a local government official and two others were seriously injured following a bomb and gun attack by members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front,” Año said. He stressed that the continued use of banned landmines by the NPA and its persistent attacks on civilian targets are both gross violations of international and domestic laws. “The perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly act will not go unpunished. Justice will be served for Barangay Captain Democrito Rivera, Romneck Lumabab, and Alex Balayan, all of Barangay Bonifacio, who was shot by a five-man NPA hit team after being hit by a remotely-detonated explosive device,” said the security advisor. The post Año condemns latest NPA attacks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Año condemns ‘dastardly’ NPA landmine attack in Masbate
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Monday condemned another “bomb and gun attack” by the New People’s Army against “unarmed” civilians, which seriously wounded three people, including a barangay captain, in Masbate province on 12 August. "We strongly condemn the latest atrocities by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians in Barangay Bonifacio, Uson, Masbate, where a local government official and two others were seriously injured following a bomb and gun attack by members of the communist terrorist group, CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front)," Año said. Año stressed the continued use by the NPA of banned landmines and its persistent attacks on civilian targets are both gross violations of international and domestic laws. “The perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly act will not go unpunished. Justice will be served for Barangay Captain Democrito Rivera, Romneck Lumabab and Alex Balayan, all of Barangay Bonifacio, who was shot by a five-man NPA hit team after being hit by a remotely-detonated explosive device,” he said. Año said the latest attack perpetrated by the NPA “only shows the group’s brand of violence”, the reason why they are considered the 15th deadliest terrorist organization in the world as indicated in the 2023 Global Terrorism Index. “We commiserate with the victims and their families and the countless others who were hurt, maimed, or killed by this godless and inhumane communist armed group. This terrorist group deserves no less than the condemnation of all freedom and peace-loving Filipinos here and all over the world,” he said. Año said the NPA is already “a spent force and a dying group of ideologues gasping for its last breath.” He assured the public that the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will be relentless in hunting down the NPA remnants “who continue to sow terror in our communities, with impunity if only to stay relevant and project a false image of strength.” The national security adviser reiterated the government’s strong commitment to uphold the tenets of the IHL of the Geneva Convention and Republic Act No. 9851 or An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity. Likewise, the government strongly upholds the enforcement of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, he added. “In light of this recent atrocity, let us continue to provide the national government a strong hand and vibrant mechanisms,” he said, noting that National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict will continue its whole-of-nation approach to finally put an end to the communist insurgency. International humanitarian law covers two areas, including the protection of those who are not, or no longer, taking part in the fighting. The other area covers restrictions on the means of warfare – in particular weapons – and the methods of warfare, such as military tactics. The Philippines also has Republic Act 9851, An Act Defining and penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts, and for Related Purposes, since 2009. A provision under Section 4 states that combatants are prohibited from using APMs as it can cause "superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering or which are inherently indiscriminate.” The post Año condemns ‘dastardly’ NPA landmine attack in Masbate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Over 30 peacekeepers injured in clashes in northern Kosovo
Over 30 peacekeepers deployed in a NATO-led mission in Kosovo were injured Monday in clashes with Serb protesters who demanded the removal of recently elected ethnic Albanian mayors, as tensions flare in the Balkan nation. NATO'S Kosovo Force (KFOR) said it had faced "unprovoked attacks" while countering a hostile crowd after demonstrators clashed with police and tried to force their way into a government building in the northern town of Zvecan. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said 52 Serbs were hurt, three seriously, while one was "wounded with two gunshots by (ethnic) Albanian special forces". Hungary's defense minister said on Facebook that "more than 20 Hungarian soldiers" were among the wounded, with seven in serious but stable condition. Italy's foreign minister said three of its soldiers were seriously wounded, and the country's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, joined NATO in calling for "all parties to take a step back to lower tensions". Kosovo's Serbs boycotted last month's elections in northern towns, which allowed ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils despite a minuscule turnout of under 3.5 percent of voters. Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government officially installed the mayors last week, defying calls to ease the tensions by the European Union and the United States, which have both championed the territory's 2008 independence from Serbia. Many Serbs are demanding the withdrawal of Kosovo police forces -- whose presence in northern Kosovo has long sparked resistance -- as well as the ethnic Albanian mayors they do not consider their true representatives. Early Monday, groups of Serbs clashed with Kosovo police in front of the municipal building in Serb-majority Zvecan and tried to enter, after which law enforcers responded by firing tear gas, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. NATO-led peacekeepers in the KFOR mission at first tried to separate protesters from the police, but later started to disperse the crowd using shields and batons, an AFP journalist saw. Several protesters responded by hurling rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers, but were quickly repelled a few hundred meters away from the Zvecan municipal building. "While countering the most active fringes of the crowd, several soldiers of the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingent were the subject of unprovoked attacks and sustained trauma wounds with fractures and burns due to the explosion of incendiary devices," the NATO force said in a statement. Eleven Italian soldiers were injured with "three in a serious condition", Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said. "We will not tolerate further attacks against KFOR," said Meloni. "It is essential to avoid further unilateral actions by the Kosovo authorities and for all parties to take a step back to lower tensions". NATO strongly condemned the "unprovoked" attacks against KFOR troops, adding that such actions were "totally unacceptable". "Violence must stop immediately. We call on all sides to refrain from actions that further inflame tensions, and to engage in dialogue," NATO said in a statement. KFOR commander Division General Angelo Michele Ristuccia slammed the "unacceptable" attacks and underlined that KFOR will "continue to fulfill its mandate impartially". Kosovo police said "organized" demonstrators rallied in northern Kosovo towns, home to many ethnic Serbs who reject Kosovo's independence from Serbia. "The protesters, using violence and throwing tear gas, tried to cross the security cordons and make a forced entry into the municipality facility" in Zvecan, Kosovo police said in a statement. "Police were forced to use legal means, such as (pepper) spray, to stop the protesters and bring the situation under control." Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and Belgrade and its key allies Russia and China have refused to recognize it, effectively preventing Kosovo from having a seat at the United Nations. Serbs in Kosovo remained largely loyal to Belgrade, especially in the north, where they make up a majority and reject every move by Pristina to consolidate its control over the region. KFOR said it had bolstered its presence in northern Kosovo following the latest developments and urged Belgrade and Pristina to engage in an EU-led dialogue to reduce tensions. "We call on all sides to refrain from actions that could inflame tensions or cause escalation," KFOR said in a statement. Police had already used tear gas Friday to disperse Serbs in northern Kosovo who protested the installation of the mayors. Belgrade responded by placing its army on high alert and ordered forces towards the Serbian border with Kosovo. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, speaking on a visit to Kenya, said that "Serbs are fighting for their rights in northern Kosovo". "A big explosion is looming in the heart of Europe, where NATO in 1999 carried out an aggression against Yugoslavia," Lavrov said, referring to the 1999 NATO intervention against Belgrade that effectively ended the war between Serb forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas. The US ambassador and European Union envoy have summoned the ethnic Albanian mayors to a meeting in Pristina in a bid to ease tensions. France said it "condemns this violence in the strongest possible terms and calls on all parties, in particular the Kosovo government, to take immediate steps to reduce tensions". Two media teams from Pristina reported that protesters had slashed their tires and spray-painted their vehicles, while a local journalists' association called on law enforcers to provide a safe working environment for the media. After his first-round victory at the French Open on Monday, Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic penned the message "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a television camera. "Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, center of the most important things for our country," Djokovic told reporters. The post Over 30 peacekeepers injured in clashes in northern Kosovo appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ULAP condemns recent ambush of local gov t officials
MANILA - The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) has condemned the recent attacks against elected local government officials, calling for the speedy administration of justice for the victims."It is deeply concerning and reprehensible that an individual or a group would attem.....»»
CHR condemns indiscriminate terroristic attacks
MANILA- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday reiterated its condemnation of the series of "indiscriminate" terroristic incidents in parts of the country, particularly in Mindanao.In a statement, CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said "any act of armed rebellion that see.....»»
China denies Microsoft hack, condemns US allies
China on Tuesday sharply denied US allegations it carried out a massive Microsoft hack, countering that Washington was the "world champion" of cyber attacks while raging at American allies for signing up to a rare joint statement of condemnation......»»
Attacks on lawyers and associated impunity worse with terror law
The Public Interest Law Center condemns and views Calbayog City PNP’s letter to a local court asking for names of lawyers handling cases of alleged members of communist-terrorist groups......»»
Church group decries relentless attacks against Bakwit Schools
NCCP condemns the violent intrusion of the elements of the PNP Regional Office in Cebu into the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus where the Lumad Bakwit School is taking refuge......»»
Senate condemns brazen attacks on lawyers
Crossing party-lines, eight senators who are also lawyers on Wednesday filed a resolution condemning the killings and violent attacks on their colleagues in the legal profession......»»
EU Parliament condemns ‘rapidly deteriorating’ state of human rights, press freedom in Philippines
The resolution, adopted Thursday with 626 votes in favor, seven against and 52 abstentions, denounced the thousands of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations related to the government’s internationally condemned war on drugs and the attacks and the harassment against activists, trade unionists and journalists......»»
Palace condemns NPA attacks in Misamis
The government yesterday denounced the burning of houses and a chapel by suspected New People’s Army guerrillas in Misamis Oriental......»»
Philippines’s Marcos pledges action in response to China’s ‘dangerous attacks’
President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines has issued a strong statement in response to recent confrontations in the South China Sea, stating that the country.....»»
China: PH is ‘straying down a dangerous path’
MANILA, Philippines — China continued to blame the Philippines and its ally, the United States, for the continued tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In a statement on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian warned that the Philippines is going down a dangerous path. READ: No letup in Chinese water cannon attacks.....»»
DMW sets April 15 deadline for kin of deceased Saudi OFW wage claimants
DMW sets April 15 deadline for kin of deceased Saudi OFW wage claimants.....»»
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......»»
Scientists group condemns harassment of researchers near Pag-asa Island
The Advocates of Science and Technology for the People condemned the harassment of Filipino marine scientists who were conducting research at sandbars near Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island. .....»»
New Zealand accuses China of hacking parliament, condemns activity
The revelations that information was accessed through malicious cyber activity targeting New Zealand’s parliamentarian entities comes as Britain and the US accuse China of a wide-sweeping cyber espionage campaign.....»»
US condemns China’s latest aggression in WPS
The Philippines reported on Saturday that the Chinese Coast Guard blocked and damaged a Filipino supply boat with water cannons while it was on its way to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), causing injuries to personnel onboard......»»