News in Brief – August 8-14

Mail & Guardian

3 days ago

Microchipped: Audrey Crews. Photo: X
Bionic woman
After being paralysed for 20 years, the first woman to receive Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant was able to write her name by using thought alone, The Debrief reports. Audrey Crews, who lost the ability to move at 16, became a participant in Neuralink's Prime study and underwent an operation where a medical team implanted a brain-computer interface. 'They drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex,' Crews wrote on X. She also posted an image of a screen showing her name clumsily scribbled in her digital handwriting, which she formed through thought. Although she praised the medical team for their handling of the procedure, Neuralink has received criticism for using an invasive brain procedure rather than a non-invasive one. In particular, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine argues that invasive procedures come with the difficulty of repairing devices and a potential for severe medical complications. The committee also found fault with the company's inhumane treatment of animals, which were subjected to deadly brain experiments during testing.
Fruits of a smuggling operation
Paramedics who were attending a call about a woman struggling to breathe on a bus in Paraná, Brazil, discovered their patient had 26 Apple iPhones glued to her body, the New York Post reports. Passengers say the 20-year-old woman was on a bus travelling from Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná, to São Paulo, when she suddenly fell ill and collapsed. Emergency workers who spent 45 minutes trying to revive the woman without success say she died of cardiac arrest. They also discovered the packages of iPhones attached to her body, leading to local authorities being called in to investigate. The police, who also found bottles of alcohol in the deceased woman's suitcase, suspect she was part of a smuggling operation. Brazil, according to its revenue service, has a large black market for smartphones, with 10 000 entering the country illegally every day.
In poor taste
A Danish zoo thought it would be appropriate to ask its social media followers to donate unwanted pets to feed its captive predators, CBS News reports. Aalborg Zoo said pets like chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs would be accepted between 10am and 1pm on weekdays. If an individual chose to donate their horse, the zoo said, it would translate into a tax cut for the donor. 'If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us. The animals are gently euthanised by trained staff and are afterwards used as fodder. That way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being for our predators,' the zoo said on social media. Needless to say, there was a strong backlash leading to the zoo limiting comments on its post.
From parliament to prison
Police in Haiti have arrested a former senator and charged him with conspiring against the state and financing criminal organisations for alleged gang activity, the Times Union reports. The former senator of Nippes, Nenel Cassy, was arrested at a restaurant in Petionville, where he was handcuffed and escorted by armed officers wearing ski masks. Saturday's arrest comes months after police classified him as a wanted man, accusing him of backing gangsters who launched attacks on a neighbourhood known to house the nation's elite. Kenscoff neighbourhood, which was largely untouched by gang members until attacks in February, has continued to be a target. Just a day after Cassy was arrested, gang members raided an orphanage and abducted nine workers, according to the mayor. The orphanage said seven staff members and one youth were abducted. According to the UN, gangs are estimated to control at least 85% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, as they continue to gain territory through violent acts such as murder and rape.
Silenced by the junta
A Malian former prime minister has been detained and charged after publishing critical posts against the country's military government, Reuters reports. Prime Minister Moussa Mara, known for being one of the few public figures to openly criticise the increased erosion of democratic policies in the country, questioned the decision made to expand the military junta's power with a five-year mandate, sans elections. The mandate, which was approved last month, can be renewed as many times as necessary. The government obtained power after launching coups led by Assimi Goita in 2020 and 2021, and its extended powers come as jihadist groups initiate increased attacks in Mali. Following posts published early last July, Mara was called in for questioning several times and was later prevented from boarding a flight to Senegal for a regional conference on peace and security. He has been detained and charged with undermining the state's credibility and spreading false information, his lawyer said.
Bolsonaro under house arrest
Brazil's Supreme Court issued a house arrest order against former president Jair Bolsonaro as he faces trial in connection with the January 2023 demonstrations that saw his supporters ransack state institutions in response to his election defeat. Bolsonaro's representatives, Al Jazeera reports, confirmed his house arrest as well as the seizure of his phone by authorities. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the trial, cited a violation of precautionary measures, which involved Bolsonaro using his sons' social media to instigate attacks against the supreme court, as a reason for the arrest order. The decision comes a day after the far-right former president's supporters staged demonstrations across Brazil. Bolsonaro, who faces charges including attempting to stage a coup, has won favour from President Donald Trump and the US administration. The US recently imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil as a symbol of opposition to the trial and set sanctions against Moraes for allegedly suppressing free expression.
Oasis concert tragedy
A man fell to his death during an Oasis concert at London's Wembley Stadium, the Associated Press reports. The man, in his 40s, was found with injuries from the fall and was pronounced dead at the scene by officers and paramedics. Oasis members said they were 'shocked and saddened' by the tragic event and offered 'sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved'. Authorities have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward with information or video footage. The band's reunion tour, their first in 16 years, will continue with the remaining shows at Wembley as planned.
The trouble with Tommy
UK police have arrested far-right politician Tommy Robinson on suspicion of assault after an attack at London's St Pancras station, Al Jazeera reports. The anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim politician, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was taken into custody at Luton airport after he was identified in a widely circulated video showing him near an unconscious man lying on the ground. The man Robinson is suspected of attacking was hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. While Robinson claimed to have acted in self-defence, he faces a charge of assault. Robinson has multiple previous convictions for public order offences and was recently released from prison after serving a shortened sentence for contempt of court. He was jailed in October for ignoring an injunction that barred him from making false claims about a Syrian schoolboy, whom he had previously defamed in a libel case.
Music in chains
An American doctor has rallied support for her Tunisian husband after US immigration agents detained him last month, the Associated Press reports. Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician who has reportedly performed throughout southern California for years, was on his way to a Pasadena grocery store when he was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and transported to a detention facility. Fearing this day would come, he regularly carried his green card application, but officers disregarded it. Dr Wafaa Alrashid, Othmane's wife, says that her husband had been living in the US since 2015. He had overstayed his visa but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. The couple got married this year, and Othmane subsequently applied for a green card. In an email to the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged his expired visa but failed to note his 2020 deportation dismissal and his green card application. Over a week after his arrest, musicians and activists joined his wife to demonstrate outside the Los Angeles deportation facility, playing music they hoped the detainees would hear. Othmane has since been transported to a facility in Arizona and has a bail hearing set for this week. — Mamaputle Boikanyo