Ivorian jailed for saying president should not have been born
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Meta facing $1bn lawsuit for livestreaming Oct. 7 Hamas attack
LONDON: Survivors and relatives of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the American tech giant of enabling and amplifying the atrocities through its platforms. The plaintiffs are seeking nearly 4 billion shekels ($1.17 billion) in damages. The figure comprises 200,000 shekels for each victim whose suffering was broadcast or documented on Meta platforms and 20,000 shekels for every Israeli who was exposed to the footage. The suit, filed with the Tel Aviv District Court, could set a precedent for social media companies. It alleges that Facebook and Instagram became 'a pipeline for terror,' allowing Hamas militants to livestream and upload videos of killings, kidnappings and other atrocities. The plaintiffs claim Meta failed to block or remove the footage in real time and left some content online for hours or even days. Israeli news website Ynet reported that the legal action was initiated by the Idan family, who said Hamas gunmen stormed their home, held them hostage and murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan — all while livestreaming the attack on the mother's Facebook account. The father, Tsachi, was abducted to Gaza and later killed. 'They livestreamed the murder of our daughter, our other children's trauma and our cries for help,' the mother was quoted as saying. 'Facebook and Instagram enabled the broadcast of a brutal terror attack. And Meta is still allowing the footage to circulate.' Another plaintiff said she learned of her grandmother Bracha Levinson's abduction and death only after Hamas uploaded the footage to her Facebook page. The lawsuit also includes claims from members of the public who say they were exposed to graphic and traumatic content simply by logging on to the platforms that day. They accuse Meta of failing to act quickly to protect users from the livestreamed violence. The platforms, they argue, became 'an inseparable part of Hamas' terror infrastructure.' Meta is also accused of violating victims' privacy and dignity, and of profiting from the viral spread of the footage. Plaintiffs argue that the company failed to activate rapid response systems or prevent its algorithms from promoting the violent content. 'Our hearts go out to the families affected by Hamas terrorism,' a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company had set up dedicated teams working round the clock to remove the content and continued to remove any material that supported or glorified Hamas or the Oct. 7 attack. The case is one of several filed in Israel and the US targeting actors accused of aiding or enabling Hamas propaganda and logistics. Last month, families of more than 120 victims sued the Palestinian Authority, claiming its 'pay-for-slay' policy — providing monthly stipends to convicted attackers or their families — constituted material support for the massacre.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
At least 10 killed, 14 wounded in South Sudan cattle raid
At least 10 people have been killed and 14 wounded in a cattle raid in South Sudan, officials said Wednesday, weeks after the United Nations said cattle raids had killed hundreds since December. The impoverished nation, which gained independence in 2011, is once again seeing politically and ethnically driven violence even as it recovers from a civil war between 2013 and 2018. Clashes over access to resources and cattle rustling are frequent in the poverty-stricken east African nation, which also faces extreme droughts and floods. President Salva Kiir also recently declared a six-month emergency in Warrap State and Mayom County after a surge of violent inter-communal cattle raids. The attack on Tuesday evening by armed assailants in Central Equatoria State's Mangala area targeted herders who had transported some 5,000 cattle to a nearby market for sale. James Monday Enoka, spokesperson for the South Sudan police service, told AFP that 10 people were killed, including two security personnel deployed to guard the cattle, six civilians, and two attackers. Fourteen people were wounded, including five of the assailants, he said. 'The attackers ambushed the security forces guarding the traders and made away with an unknown number of cattle, though early estimates suggest more than 3,000 were stolen,' he said. The incident sparked condemnation and fears of renewed inter-communal tensions. Enoka said preliminary investigations suggested the attackers may have been armed youth from neighbouring Bor County of Jonglei State. The police said the assailants claimed the cows were stolen from them, and were now being sold by the traders. Gola Boyoi Gola, Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, condemned the attack. Such incidents impacted trade, discouraging those who had chosen to peacefully work rather than cattle raiding, he said. Authorities said the situation was now under control, with officers pursuing the attackers and cattle. In June, the United Nations said cattle raids and revenge attacks had killed hundreds in escalating intercommunal violence since December.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Cameroon court rejects opposition leader's presidential candidacy: lawyer
YAOUNDE: Cameroon's constitutional court on Tuesday rejected the candidacy of President Paul Biya's main opponent in October's presidential election, the contender's lawyer said. The Constitutional Council ruled that the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, a high-profile critic of the longtime president, 'cannot be valid and the immediate consequence is that he will not participate in the presidential race,' Hippolyte Meli Tiakouang told reporters after the hearing. Biya, 92, has been in power since 1982 and is seeking an eighth term in office in the October 12 contest. Kamto, 71, who resigned from the MRC at the end of June, came second to Biya in the 2018 presidential election. He sought to run this time as the candidate for the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) and had officially submitted his candidacy last month. In the 2018 election, Kamto stood for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) but under the electoral code, parties wanting to run in the presidential election must have MPs in parliament or deputies in municipal councils. The MRC boycotted the last legislative and municipal elections in 2020. Constitutional Council president Clement Atangana ruled Kamto's appeals were admissible for the court to hear but then judged them 'unfounded.' Another MANIDEM candidate submitted his candidacy, but that was also rejected. After the ruling, Kamto did not comment. MANIDEM president Anicet Ekane called it 'a political decision. We take note of it. 'For the time being, we will not make a statement. We are reflecting on the decision and will decide,' said Ekane. No media outlet was authorized to broadcast the Constitutional Council's debates and decisions live. The ministry of territorial administration announced the arrest of several people accused of disturbing public order near its premises. Cameroon's opposition is struggling to challenge the Biya administration. On Saturday, a group of representatives from several parties published a statement in which they committed 'to the choice of a consensus candidate around a common program' without any name being put forward. In the run-up to Kamto's exclusion, Human Rights Watch had warned that not allowing him to stand would raise concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. 'Excluding the most popular opponent from the electoral process will leave a shadow over whatever results are eventually announced,' warned Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Africa researcher at HRW. The NGO warned that the move reflected 'the government's long-standing intolerance of any opposition and dissent, and comes amid increased repression of opponents, activists, and lawyers since mid-2024.' So far, Cameroon's Election Commission has approved 13 out of 83 prospective candidates,including Biya and former government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
