Injunction Against Rwanda Deportations Denied by Court of Appeal
The London Court of Appeal on Mon. denied a proposed injunction to the UK government's plans to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda. The first flight is set to go ahead as early as Tues., despite the controversial policy facing criticism from charities, religious leaders and international human rights groups.
The news comes after the High Court in London on Fri. denied the injunction brought by lawyers representing asylum-seekers set for deportation, alongside the Public and Commercial Sevices union and migration charities Care4Calais and Detention Action.
In April, an agreement was made between the UK and Rwanda to send anyone who has illegally entered Britain since Jan. 1 to the African country. This is reportedly intended to prevent people-smuggling networks and to deter migrants from crossing the Channel to the UK.
Pro-establishment narrative
This is an important win. There is public interest in preventing illegal immigration, particularly dangerous Channel crossings that have already claimed many lives.
Establishment-critical narrative
The UK government's appalling policy is an attempt to shift its responsibilities onto another country. The UK itself has even denounced Rwanda's human rights records, and yet the government is trying to make it out to be a suitable place to send vulnerable refugees.
Tens of Thousands Rally Against Gun Violence in US
Around 50k people gathered on Washington DC's National Mall on Sat. in support of the introduction of federal gun control measures after a recent spate of mass shootings in the US.
The "March for Our Lives" rally-goers made calls for legislation restricting the use of military-style weapons, and many vowed to reflect their opposition to inaction via the ballot box.
March for Our Lives was co-founded by David Hogg, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that killed 17 students and teachers in 2018. Their first march saw 200k gather in protest against gun violence in the same year.
Democratic narrative
More than 450 rallies were held across the US to press lawmakers to take action in protecting innocent American lives. Legislation is progressing, but, with at least 254 mass shootings having taken place in the US this year, it's time for federal action on gun control.
Republican narrative
Despite rally-goers attempting to pressure Senators into eroding the Second Amendment, undermining Constitutional rights will not help protect any American from gun violence. The wave of recent mass shootings needs to be addressed but it is an issue of mental health, not gun control measures.
Bolivia: Former President Jeanine Áñez Sentenced Over Alleged Coup
On Fri., Bolivia's former Pres. Jeanine Áñez was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a national court on charges of dereliction of duty and violations of the constitution.
Áñez, who wasn't allowed to attend the trial in person, has been detained since Mar. 2021 under accusations of terrorism, conspiracy and sedition.
This is the latest development in a Bolivian political crisis that started in 2019, when mass protests led longtime socialist president Evo Morales to flee the country despite his claims of electoral victory that would have seen him take up a fourth term.
Narrative A
While Jeanine Áñez had never intended to become the national leader, she was brave enough to assume her responsibility for Bolivia when every other politician in the line of succession failed to do so. This MAS-led revenge trial can only bring shame to Bolivia as it violates the rule of law to attack an innocent woman.
Narrative B
This decision ensures that democracy and justice are respected in Bolivia, reinforcing the message that those trying to stage a coup will be punished. Evidence and witness testimony has proved that Áñez's self-proclamation was in accordance neither with the line of succession nor with the Senate's quorum standing rules, and that security officials were backing her seizure of power.
Cynical narrative
The political turmoil in Bolivia has challenged democratic institutions and both sides have politicized the legal system when given the opportunity. Recent developments represent a threat to democracy itself that hasn't been restrained to Bolivia as several countries in Latin America are facing the same problems.
Day 110 Roundup: Russia Accused of War Crimes in Kharkiv, Reports 3 Civilians Killed in Eastern Ukraine
In a 44-page report issued Mon., Amnesty International accused Russia of committing war crimes in the Ukrainian border city of Kharkiv, alleging that hundreds of civilians have been killed "by indiscriminate Russian shelling using widely banned cluster munitions and inherently inaccurate rockets."
The medical director for the Kharkiv region, Maxim Haustov, told Amnesty that 606 civilians had been killed and 1,248 injured in Russian attacks between Feb. 24 and Apr. 28.
The report came as Ukraine's governor for Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, said on Mon. that three civilians – including a six-year-old boy – were killed overnight in Russian shelling of Lysychansk, a small city east of Severodonetsk separated by the Siverskyi Donets river.
Anti-Russia narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after a fraudulent election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Pro-Russia narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
Nerd narrative
There's a 54% chance that more than 100,000 people will be killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
31 Members of Far-Right Group Arrested at Idaho Pride Event
31 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front, including their national leader, were arrested on Sat. for allegedly attempting to start a riot at a Pride march in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.
Members of the group were found in the back of a U-Haul truck that contained riot gear. The city's Police Chief alleged at a press conference that the group was planning to riot in multiple areas of the city's downtown.
Police were tipped off by a resident about the group's suspicious activities. Law enforcement representatives stated that the successful arrests may not have been possible without the timely observations and actions of the resident.
Right narrative
Patriot Front is a bonafide hate group, and its members deserve to be arrested for planning to disrupt a peaceful event for transgender people and their families. But are they dangerous? Probably no more so than Antifa and elements of BLM - these groups are also comprised of radicals whose actions often fall short of their grandiose rhetoric.
Left narrative
Idaho is becoming a ground zero for the far-right in America. The state has become a magnet for extremists who work in lockstep with elements of the GOP to assume control of governance, and cruelly target all opposition. Abuse of LGBTQ+ and minority communities is increasingly prevalent in the state, and the entire country needs to pay close attention to what this means for the evolution of America's right-wing.
McConnell Voices Support for Senate Gun Framework
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tues. said he would support the recent bipartisan gun legislation reportedly already backed by ten Republicans.
The package includes expanding the "convicted domestic violence abusers" list to include all romantic partners past and present, enhancing background check reviews for purchasers under the age of 21, and strengthening penalties for straw purchasing and illegal gun trafficking. Billions of dollars in funding for mental healthcare and a federal grant program to incentivize states to enact their separate red flag laws could also be included.
In a closed-door GOP meeting Tues., co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), presented his Republican colleagues with polling data that show a vast majority of American gun owners support all three gun-related aspects of the bill.
Right narrative
What is McConnell thinking right now? The GOP is headed for a landslide victory in the midterms and they've decided to support a bill that could decrease Republican voter turnout. At this rate, we could even see the GOP cave on immigration next.
Left narrative
These proposals fall way short of what's needed to reduce the likelihood of another mass shooting, but if McConnell sticks to his word and the eventual legislation passes, it'll represent the first significant move toward gun control in the US in decades. Of course, there's no telling what the GOP will do considering how much they're even bashing these modest reforms.
Cynical narrative
Don't celebrate this compromise too hard yet. The lobbying against these measures won't start until there's an actual bill. We've been here before only to see lawmakers fail to pass meaningful gun legislation over the past several decades.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 1.38 small firearms per capita in the USA by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Judge Temporarily Halts Investigations Into Families of Trans Youth
On Fri., a judge temporarily stopped the state of Texas from investigating families of transgender children who have received gender-reassignment treatment such as hormone therapy.
This comes about a month after an order from GOP Gov. Greg Abbott prompted a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court that allows the state to investigate the parents of transgender children for child abuse.
Judge Jan Soifer's ruling is in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal and prevents inquiries into three families.
Democratic narrative
The Abbott-sanctioned investigations are ruining the lives of innocent families. The threat of child abuse investigations damages the welfare of trans children and interferes with the kind of medical care that can mitigate the distress and anxiety of gender dysphoria.
Republican narrative
Gender-reassignment treatments constitute abuse under Texas law. Not only do the procedures carry many risks, but they are also life-altering. Authorities must continue to fight to protect children.
Nerd narrative
There is a 30% chance Beto O'Rourke will win the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
France Elections: Left Surge Puts Macron's Majority At Risk
The results of the first round of the French parliamentary elections held on Sun. indicate that Pres. Macron's Ensemble party may lose its majority as the left-wing coalition led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon has robust results.
Whilst turnout marked a record low at 47.5%, Mélenchon's bloc received 25.66%, virtually tying with Ensemble, which won 25.75% of the votes. A run-off election will be held on June 19.
This comes a few months after Macron became the first French president to be re-elected since 2002.
Left narrative
While Macron hopes to obtain a comfortable majority and lead in the next round of voting, this is far away from reality. Mélenchon and his coalition's success have highlighted a clear message that France is not happy with the path that Macron and his party have been leading France down.
Right narrative
Macron's re-election has made him the first French president in two decades to win a second term. This is a clear indication of the positive work he's done for France. Though perhaps painful and against the will of the left-wing parties and activists, the reforms he's initiated are paying off. He must stay the course to enable France to prosper again.
Cynical narrative
If Macron's party is unable to reach a majority this would be a major setback for the French President. This could end up in messy, bill-by-bill deals with differing parties in parliament, with no party able to implement a true direction in policy. Such a development would be detrimental to France and French politics.
Google Engineer Suspended after Claiming AI Chatbot 'Sentient'
A Google software engineer who went public with claims that the company's LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) chatbot system is sentient has been suspended.
Blake Lemoine, who works for Google's Responsible AI team, began chatting with LaMDA in the fall of 2021 to test the artificial intelligence system for instances of discriminatory or hate speech.
After interviewing LaMDA, Blake came to believe that the AI system had achieved a level of sentience, something that a growing chorus of technologists has been warning about.
Pro-establishment narrative
Lemoine's claims were carefully reviewed by Google's own AI experts and they were found to be lacking in evidence. Google is engaged in a restrained and careful approach to AI innovation - just like many other organizations who are working on developing similar language models - with a focus on valid concerns based on fact and fairness.
Establishment-critical narrative
Large language model-based AI programs are already widely in use, and there are a number of reasons to be mindful of their potential downsides, including widespread loss of employment for starters. We should not trust the assurances of these innovators that their code is to "not be evil."
Cynical narrative
This is nothing more than a distraction. Scientists and ethicists are forced to rebut the nonsensical claim that a data-centric computational model is 'sentient' while the companies driving AI innovation continue to expand metastatically, laying claim to ever-larger portions of the decision-making and core infrastructure that guides our social and political institutions.
US Ends COVID Test Requirement for International Travelers
As of Sun., international travelers headed to the US no longer need to present a negative COVID test, but proof of vaccination is still required.
While the CDC still recommends that travelers test before and after air travel and after exposure to a person with COVID, it claims that scientific data - along with tools to fight infection - show that the mandate is no longer needed.
This comes two weeks after leaders of the industry groups Airlines for America and the US Travel Association met with White House officials to call for the removal of the testing requirement.
Left narrative
We're in a new phase of the pandemic and this move is a logical next step. While previously crucial, effective vaccines and widely available treatments mean the mandate is no longer needed. The decision will encourage tourism and contribute to broader US economic recovery.
Right narrative
The testing requirement was always senseless considering the thousands pouring across the southern border without any health checks. While the move is welcome, it must be taken with a grain of salt as the CDC isn't acquiescing its power grab and could easily reinstate the mandate down the road.
Syria Halts Flights After Israel Missile Attack
On Fri., Syria halted flights to and from Damascus International Airport following an Israeli missile attack.
According to Syrian authorities, the missiles were intercepted and most of them were brought down. However, the attack reportedly wounded one civilian and damaged the airport's runway and one terminal.
The airport is located south of Syria's capital where opposition activists claim Iran-backed militiamen have arms depots.
Establishment-critical narrative
Israel's repeated attacks are a brazen violation of both international law and Syria's sovereignty. These acts of aggression, based on false pretexts, are carried out with the sole purpose of creating instability in the region. The international community must condemn the attacks, or risk empowering the Zionist regime.
Pro-establishment narrative
Any attacks by Israel are in response to a long history of Syrian and Iranian aggression, which includes the development of deadly nerve agents for use against both Israel and Syria's own people. Casualties are deeply tragic and unfortunate but inevitable in war.
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