On The Day George Floyd Died, Police Across The US Shot And Killed At Least Five Other Men
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Saturday, June 27, 2020
Turkey sentences 121 people to life in prison for 2016 coup attempt
FASCIST ERDOGAN AND HIS REICHSTAG FIRE
Turkey: Journalists in Danger
Of the 121, one former colonel was handed nine times aggravated life imprisonment over "deliberate murder."
More than 1,900 people have already been sentenced to life in prison by Turkish courts over coup links as of December, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
Under the Turkish legal system, an aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention and was enacted to replace the death penalty, which Turkey abolished in 2004 as part of an effort to join the EU.
Read more: Turkey's Erdogan clamps down further on media amid coronavirus crisis
More than 1,900 people have already been sentenced to life in prison by Turkish courts over coup links as of December, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
One of many coup-related trials
Friday's trial is one of more than 280 coup-related proceedings that comprise the biggest legal process in modern Turkish history.
Turkish court sentences hundreds of coup 'ringleaders'
Trials are starting again following a three-month pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said last week said 15 trials are underway.
This includes a trial considered to be one of the most important, which started in 2017 and focuses on events at an air base near Ankara seen as hub for the coup leaders.
wmr/mm (AFP,dpa)
FASCIST ERDOGAN AND HIS REICHSTAG FIRE
A Turkish court has issued life imprisonment for "attempting to violate the constitution" in the failed 2016 coup.
A Turkish court in Ankara on Friday handed down life sentences to 121 people in connection with the attempted overthrow of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, state media reported.
According to the Turkish government, at least 248 people, excluding 24 coup-plotters, were killed on July 15, 2016, when a section of the military tried to overthrow Erdogan at the Gendarmerie General Command in the Turkish capital.
Eighty-six of the defendants were sentenced to "aggravated" life imprisonment for "attempting to violate the constitution." Another 35 individuals were given life sentences for the same crime.
A total of 245 defendants were on trial during Friday's proceedings.
1,900 already given life in prison
The failed 2016 coup attempt led to hundreds of thousands of arrests, detentions, and sackings from public sector jobs – with critics alleging that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the small military uprising as a pretext for pursuing his opponents.
Read more: Mass firings in Turkey: 'We have been given a social death sentence'
A Turkish court in Ankara on Friday handed down life sentences to 121 people in connection with the attempted overthrow of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, state media reported.
According to the Turkish government, at least 248 people, excluding 24 coup-plotters, were killed on July 15, 2016, when a section of the military tried to overthrow Erdogan at the Gendarmerie General Command in the Turkish capital.
Eighty-six of the defendants were sentenced to "aggravated" life imprisonment for "attempting to violate the constitution." Another 35 individuals were given life sentences for the same crime.
A total of 245 defendants were on trial during Friday's proceedings.
1,900 already given life in prison
The failed 2016 coup attempt led to hundreds of thousands of arrests, detentions, and sackings from public sector jobs – with critics alleging that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the small military uprising as a pretext for pursuing his opponents.
Read more: Mass firings in Turkey: 'We have been given a social death sentence'
Turkey: Journalists in Danger
Of the 121, one former colonel was handed nine times aggravated life imprisonment over "deliberate murder."
More than 1,900 people have already been sentenced to life in prison by Turkish courts over coup links as of December, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
Under the Turkish legal system, an aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention and was enacted to replace the death penalty, which Turkey abolished in 2004 as part of an effort to join the EU.
Read more: Turkey's Erdogan clamps down further on media amid coronavirus crisis
More than 1,900 people have already been sentenced to life in prison by Turkish courts over coup links as of December, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
One of many coup-related trials
Friday's trial is one of more than 280 coup-related proceedings that comprise the biggest legal process in modern Turkish history.
Turkish court sentences hundreds of coup 'ringleaders'
Trials are starting again following a three-month pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said last week said 15 trials are underway.
This includes a trial considered to be one of the most important, which started in 2017 and focuses on events at an air base near Ankara seen as hub for the coup leaders.
wmr/mm (AFP,dpa)
Berlin sees fresh Black Lives Matter protest
The anti-racism rally may not have drawn the huge crowd of three weeks ago, but police praised attendees for keeping to social distancing measures. Protesters gave their personal experiences of racism in Germany.
More than a thousand people attended a Black Lives Matter protest in Berlin on Saturday, with participants making efforts to abide by social distancing regulations.
By about 2 p.m. local time (1200 GMT/UTC), police said about 1,100 people had shown up although local reports found many more people turned up later.
DW reporter Emmanuelle Chaze said safety rules were being respected with masks and distancing.
The protesters met at the Berlin Victory Column junction, in the city's massive Tiergarten park.
DW's Chaze said protesters were showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter in the United States following the death of George Floyd, but also to denounce institutional and everyday racism in Germany.
"In the Black German community, there was really a feeling that people in Europe and Germany were not really aware that there is also a racism issue here. That black Germans are confronted with racism nearly on an everyday basis," she said.
"Not necessarily openly racist attacks, but acts of everyday racism such as their CV not being taken because of their picture or their name or people looking at them in the street."
Attendees spoke of their experience of everyday racism in Germany and called for change.
Police told reporters that attendees had behaved in an exemplary manner.
Read more: Racism on the rise in Germany
Vegan conspiracy theorist attempts to disrupt
The event was largely unaffected by the attempts of semi-prominent German nationalist and conspiracy theorist, Attila Hildmann, who reportedly drove past the protest in a convoy of about 100 cars adorned with German and US flags.
The vegan chef has in the past made unsavory remarks about Jewish people and the migration crisis as well as claiming the coronavirus is a hoax.
The anti-racism rally may not have drawn the huge crowd of three weeks ago, but police praised attendees for keeping to social distancing measures. Protesters gave their personal experiences of racism in Germany.
More than a thousand people attended a Black Lives Matter protest in Berlin on Saturday, with participants making efforts to abide by social distancing regulations.
By about 2 p.m. local time (1200 GMT/UTC), police said about 1,100 people had shown up although local reports found many more people turned up later.
DW reporter Emmanuelle Chaze said safety rules were being respected with masks and distancing.
The protesters met at the Berlin Victory Column junction, in the city's massive Tiergarten park.
DW's Chaze said protesters were showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter in the United States following the death of George Floyd, but also to denounce institutional and everyday racism in Germany.
"In the Black German community, there was really a feeling that people in Europe and Germany were not really aware that there is also a racism issue here. That black Germans are confronted with racism nearly on an everyday basis," she said.
"Not necessarily openly racist attacks, but acts of everyday racism such as their CV not being taken because of their picture or their name or people looking at them in the street."
Attendees spoke of their experience of everyday racism in Germany and called for change.
Police told reporters that attendees had behaved in an exemplary manner.
Read more: Racism on the rise in Germany
Vegan conspiracy theorist attempts to disrupt
The event was largely unaffected by the attempts of semi-prominent German nationalist and conspiracy theorist, Attila Hildmann, who reportedly drove past the protest in a convoy of about 100 cars adorned with German and US flags.
The vegan chef has in the past made unsavory remarks about Jewish people and the migration crisis as well as claiming the coronavirus is a hoax.
HITLER WAS VEGAN
Three weeks ago, some 15,000 people gathered in Berlin for a similar demonstration against racism, while thousands of others rallied in other German and European cities.
Read more: Berliners make socially distanced human chain to protest racism
LGBT+ protests
Also on Saturday, Berlin played host to large-scale anti-homophobia protests on Christopher Street Day, after the traditional Pride parade was canceled due to the pandemic.
About 3,500 people marched from Nollendorfplatz to Alexanderplatz to protest against discrimination experienced by those in the LGBT+ communities. Police said they too largely observed coronavirus restrictions.
In Berlin, another 49 people were confirmed positive for the coronavirus, bringing the city's total to 8,144. The all-important reproduction rate remains below 1.
DW RECOMMENDS
#BlackLivesMatter protests amid COVID-19 crisis
Protests against racism and social injustices in Europe threaten to spur coronavirus cases and hinder governments' efforts to fight the virus. The protests have also led to a reduction in social distancing behavior. (22.06.2020)
Coronavirus: Queer solidarity shines in troubled times
Against the backdrop of social distancing and quarantines, LGBTIQA+ people in Berlin are going online to support marginalized individuals, especially the elderly and the sick. (04.05.2020)
European LGBT+ equality survey shows east-west divide
The largest survey of its kind found vast discrepancies between countries — and only gradual progress. Even in high-scoring Germany, more people felt there had been a reduction rather than an increase in tolerance. (14.05.2020)
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC
Berlin’s Black Lives Matter Demonstration
Racism: How to heal the hurt?
Three weeks ago, some 15,000 people gathered in Berlin for a similar demonstration against racism, while thousands of others rallied in other German and European cities.
Read more: Berliners make socially distanced human chain to protest racism
LGBT+ protests
Also on Saturday, Berlin played host to large-scale anti-homophobia protests on Christopher Street Day, after the traditional Pride parade was canceled due to the pandemic.
About 3,500 people marched from Nollendorfplatz to Alexanderplatz to protest against discrimination experienced by those in the LGBT+ communities. Police said they too largely observed coronavirus restrictions.
In Berlin, another 49 people were confirmed positive for the coronavirus, bringing the city's total to 8,144. The all-important reproduction rate remains below 1.
DW RECOMMENDS
#BlackLivesMatter protests amid COVID-19 crisis
Protests against racism and social injustices in Europe threaten to spur coronavirus cases and hinder governments' efforts to fight the virus. The protests have also led to a reduction in social distancing behavior. (22.06.2020)
Coronavirus: Queer solidarity shines in troubled times
Against the backdrop of social distancing and quarantines, LGBTIQA+ people in Berlin are going online to support marginalized individuals, especially the elderly and the sick. (04.05.2020)
European LGBT+ equality survey shows east-west divide
The largest survey of its kind found vast discrepancies between countries — and only gradual progress. Even in high-scoring Germany, more people felt there had been a reduction rather than an increase in tolerance. (14.05.2020)
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC
Berlin’s Black Lives Matter Demonstration
Racism: How to heal the hurt?
Sweden rejects WHO coronavirus risk warning
ANOTHER TRUMP MINI-ME
ANOTHER TRUMP MINI-ME
Sweden's head of virus response has denied the World Health Organization's claim that the country is experiencing "accelerated transmission." He says rising numbers are down to increased testing.
WHAT'S WITH THESE WHITE PEOPLE AND THEIR
WHAT'S WITH THESE WHITE PEOPLE AND THEIR
ARYAN SENSE OF INVINCIBILITY
A top Swedish official lashed out at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday in response to a coronavirus risk warning issued by the organization.
"Unfortunately it is a misinterpretation of the data," said Anders Tegnell, the epidemiologist with the Swedish Public Health Agency told Radio Sweden.
"We find a rising number of cases in Sweden because we test a lot more than before." The WHO made a "total mistake," he added.
Read more: Sweden starts to doubt its outlier coronavirus strategy
Tegnell also noted a decline in intensive care cases and hospital admissions in Sweden. He said the WHO has been in touch to get a more "nuanced picture" of virus transmission rates in the country.
The WHO warning was issued on Thursday by Hans Kluge, head of the body's European regional office.
Kluge said that 11 countries within the Europe region, which includes parts of central Asia, including Armenia, Albania, Ukraine and Sweden had "accelerated transmission that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again."
Sweden's high death rate
Tegnell says the claim that Sweden was experiencing a "very significant resurgence" was incorrect and that the country was being incorrectly categorized alongside countries that are experiencing their first serious wave of infections.
The epidemiologist has been a key figure in Sweden's virus response since the first cases were recorded in the country.
Read more: Architect of Sweden's coronavirus approach admits shortcoming
Sweden has courted controversy with its relative lax coronavirus restrictions and "herd immunity" strategy, with people enjoying far more freedom than its Scandinavian neighbors.
The country's death rate stands at over 5,000 — one of the highest in the world, in terms of size of population.
Numbers have declined in recent weeks with around 10 patients a day being admitted to intensive care units, while Sweden has more than doubled its COVID-19 testing rates in the past month.
ed/mm(AFP, dpa)
A top Swedish official lashed out at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday in response to a coronavirus risk warning issued by the organization.
"Unfortunately it is a misinterpretation of the data," said Anders Tegnell, the epidemiologist with the Swedish Public Health Agency told Radio Sweden.
"We find a rising number of cases in Sweden because we test a lot more than before." The WHO made a "total mistake," he added.
Read more: Sweden starts to doubt its outlier coronavirus strategy
Tegnell also noted a decline in intensive care cases and hospital admissions in Sweden. He said the WHO has been in touch to get a more "nuanced picture" of virus transmission rates in the country.
The WHO warning was issued on Thursday by Hans Kluge, head of the body's European regional office.
Kluge said that 11 countries within the Europe region, which includes parts of central Asia, including Armenia, Albania, Ukraine and Sweden had "accelerated transmission that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again."
Sweden's high death rate
Tegnell says the claim that Sweden was experiencing a "very significant resurgence" was incorrect and that the country was being incorrectly categorized alongside countries that are experiencing their first serious wave of infections.
The epidemiologist has been a key figure in Sweden's virus response since the first cases were recorded in the country.
Read more: Architect of Sweden's coronavirus approach admits shortcoming
Sweden has courted controversy with its relative lax coronavirus restrictions and "herd immunity" strategy, with people enjoying far more freedom than its Scandinavian neighbors.
The country's death rate stands at over 5,000 — one of the highest in the world, in terms of size of population.
Numbers have declined in recent weeks with around 10 patients a day being admitted to intensive care units, while Sweden has more than doubled its COVID-19 testing rates in the past month.
ed/mm(AFP, dpa)
Gay Pride at 50: Celebrations go online due to coronavirus fears
Issued on: 27/06/2020 -
British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell (C) leads a march with veteran campaigners and supporters to mark the 50th anniversary of the London Gay Liberation Front's formation in 1970 in London on June 27, 2020. AFP - JUSTIN TALLIS
Text by:NEWS WIRES|
Video by:FRANCE 24Follow
Fifty years on from the first Gay Pride march, the LGBT community and their supporters took many of their events online Saturday, responding to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
While some activists took to the streets to mark the event, much of the movement's energy was channelled into Global Pride, a 24-hour online event broadcast live online.
London Pride, one of the biggest events in the Gay Pride calendar, was one major victims of the new restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
Online events replaced it under the slogan: "Postponed, but still united".
But veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell, wearing a rainbow-coloured mask, led a group of 12 fellow activists to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the London Gay Liberation Front.
"We are seeking to reclaim Pride as an event for LGBT+ human rights," said the 68-year-old campaigner.
Some events were broadcast on the giant screen in Piccadilly Square and London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, tweeted his support. "We may be apart, but we are still united, as neighbours, as allies, and as one city."
Here in London, you are free to be who you want to be, and love who you want to love.
Whilst our Pride celebrations this year are very different, they are more important than ever.#PrideInLondon #PRIDE2020 #LoveIsLove #Pridepic.twitter.com/818otDyDz2— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 27, 2020
In Berlin, police estimated that around 3,500 people marched in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted a message of support to the Global Pride event: "Be proud of yourself! No matter who you love, no matter where you live."
In Vienna, around 200 cars and motorbikes decked out in rainbow flags and inflatable unicorns paraded down the city's famous Ringstrasse on Saturday afternoon.
Organisers said around 5,000 people turned out to watch the scaled-down event. Vienna's Rainbow Parade, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of people, was otherwise replaced by online events.
'Exist, persist, resist'
The online Global Pride event -- running with the slogan "Exist, persist, resist" -- got underway at 0500 GMT in London.
Fronted by singer and drag queen Todrick Hall, known for his role on the American Idol talent show, it also featured stars such as Kesha and Ava Max.
Politicians were also appearing, including Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, whose country has just legalised gay marriage.
Global Pride, put together by the organisers of several of the major Gay Pride events around the world,was aiming to attract hundreds of millions of viewers around the world.
In the United States, former president Barack Obama released a video message paying tribute to the gay New Yorkers who rioted at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, effectively launching the modern gay rights movement.
"Because of the movement they sparked and the decades of work that followed, marriage equality became the law of the land five years ago and just this month the Supreme Court ruled that employers can no longer discriminate against LGBTQ workers," he said.
Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden issued his own message on video, in which he referred to a recent Supreme Court ruling reaffirming LGBT workers.
"Pride is particularly poignant this year," he said.
In Argentina, public buildings and monuments will be lit in the rainbow colours of the gay rights movement, and local activists have organised a week of online events, even though Gay Pride is normally celebrated there in November.
The first Gay Pride march was held in 1970 in New York, to mark the first anniversary of the city's Stonewall riots, a landmark event in the gay rights struggle.
(AFP)
London Pride, one of the biggest events in the Gay Pride calendar, was one major victims of the new restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
Online events replaced it under the slogan: "Postponed, but still united".
But veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell, wearing a rainbow-coloured mask, led a group of 12 fellow activists to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the London Gay Liberation Front.
"We are seeking to reclaim Pride as an event for LGBT+ human rights," said the 68-year-old campaigner.
Some events were broadcast on the giant screen in Piccadilly Square and London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, tweeted his support. "We may be apart, but we are still united, as neighbours, as allies, and as one city."
Here in London, you are free to be who you want to be, and love who you want to love.
Whilst our Pride celebrations this year are very different, they are more important than ever.#PrideInLondon #PRIDE2020 #LoveIsLove #Pridepic.twitter.com/818otDyDz2— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 27, 2020
In Berlin, police estimated that around 3,500 people marched in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted a message of support to the Global Pride event: "Be proud of yourself! No matter who you love, no matter where you live."
In Vienna, around 200 cars and motorbikes decked out in rainbow flags and inflatable unicorns paraded down the city's famous Ringstrasse on Saturday afternoon.
Organisers said around 5,000 people turned out to watch the scaled-down event. Vienna's Rainbow Parade, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of people, was otherwise replaced by online events.
'Exist, persist, resist'
The online Global Pride event -- running with the slogan "Exist, persist, resist" -- got underway at 0500 GMT in London.
Fronted by singer and drag queen Todrick Hall, known for his role on the American Idol talent show, it also featured stars such as Kesha and Ava Max.
Politicians were also appearing, including Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, whose country has just legalised gay marriage.
Global Pride, put together by the organisers of several of the major Gay Pride events around the world,was aiming to attract hundreds of millions of viewers around the world.
In the United States, former president Barack Obama released a video message paying tribute to the gay New Yorkers who rioted at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, effectively launching the modern gay rights movement.
"Because of the movement they sparked and the decades of work that followed, marriage equality became the law of the land five years ago and just this month the Supreme Court ruled that employers can no longer discriminate against LGBTQ workers," he said.
Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden issued his own message on video, in which he referred to a recent Supreme Court ruling reaffirming LGBT workers.
"Pride is particularly poignant this year," he said.
In Argentina, public buildings and monuments will be lit in the rainbow colours of the gay rights movement, and local activists have organised a week of online events, even though Gay Pride is normally celebrated there in November.
The first Gay Pride march was held in 1970 in New York, to mark the first anniversary of the city's Stonewall riots, a landmark event in the gay rights struggle.
(AFP)
Berlin holds substitute Pride parade
Despite the pandemic, more than 3,500 protesters took to the streets of the German capital to support freedom for LGBT+ people. Activists feel their rights are threatened in countries like Russia, Ukraine and Poland.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) rights activists marched through Berlin in a smaller version of one of the largest pride festivals in the world on Saturday.
The German capital's annual pride parade and festival, known as Christopher Street Day (CSD Berlin), routinely draws more than a million people but was canceled this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was due to take place on July 25.
Berlin police expected more than 1,000 people to attend the demonstration but later estimated that about 3,500 people took part.
Parade organizers called on attendees to maintain a safe distance from one another and wear face masks while on the parade route.
Attendees mostly kept to organizers' requests.
March to Alexanderplatz
Marchers carried rainbow flags, the common symbol of LGBT+ rights, through Berlin's streets to Alexanderplatz.
They carried signs and placards with slogans including "No freedom until we are all equal” and "Black trans lives matter” in support of both LGBT+ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Black Lives Matter also held a demonstration in Berlin on Saturday.
Attendees' demands focused primarily on the situation for LGBT people in Poland, Russia and Ukraine.
They also wanted to draw attention to what they called "the dramatic situation of the Berlin scene/community” as many clubs and bars frequented by LGBT persons have been threatened due to the pandemic.
June is considered "Pride Month” by LGBT+ rights activists, with parades and events taking place around the world.
Sunday is the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which is considered to be the catalyst for increased awareness of LGBT+ rights in the United States.
DW RECOMMENDS
Berlin sees fresh Black Lives Matter protest
Berlin has played host to two major protests — one on LBGT+ rights and the other on Black Lives Matter. Police said attendees at both observed coronavirus restrictions well. (27.06.2020)
Balkan LGBT+ artists still fighting for Pride
EuroPride was to happen for the first time in the Balkans in June, a coup for an LBGTQI community facing embedded discrimination. Despite the cancellation due to COVID-19, artists from the region are still coming out. (20.06.2020)
LGBT job protection ruling in US a surprise in many ways
The Supreme Court's LGBT employee protection ruling widened the definition of sex and provides more clarity. It's viewed as a milestone, but the Trump administration's opposition shows there's still a bumpy road ahead. (18.06.2020)
Date 27.06.2020
Author Kai Dambach
Related Subjects LGBT+ rights, LGBT+, Berlin
Keywords Gay Pride, Anti-homophobia, Berlin, LGBT+
Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3eRVO
BOYCOTTS WORK!
Facebook, Twitter shares drop as European consumer giant pulls ads
The company behind brands such as Ben and Jerry's, Dove and Marmite said it would halt US advertising on social media platforms. Ad boycotts have led Facebook to institute a ban on hateful conduct and false claims.
Shares of Facebook and Twitter plummeted 7% on Friday following a decision from European consumer giant Unilever to pull US advertisements until the end of the year.
The Anglo-Dutch company, which is behind brands such as Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Dove soap, Lipton tea and Marmite spread, said Friday it was halting ads on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the United States due to the country's "polarized election period."
Twitter's vice president of global client solutions, Sarah Personette, said the company is "respectful of our partners' decisions and will continue to work and communicate closely with them during this time."
Unilever has joined a growing number of advertisers that have pulled back from online platforms after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for the boycott as part of the "Stop the Hate for Profit" campaign.
On Thursday, American telecoms company Verizon joined a boycott on Facebook advertising. Last week, North Face, an outdoor clothing brand, became the first major marketer to participate in the boycott.
According to Axios, Unilever spent $2 million (€1.8 million) on Facebook advertising in June. The American news website said Proctor and Gamble, Unilever's main competitor, spent 10 times that amount this month and has yet to announce a similar boycott.
Later on Friday, Coca-Cola said it would suspend ads on social media for at least 30 days due to concerns about racist content on the platforms.
Facebook bans 'hateful conduct' in ads
Later Friday, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his platform will flag all "newsworthy" posts from politicians that break its rules, including those from US President Donald Trump.
The new policy on hateful content will "prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page.
"We're also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from ads suggesting these groups are inferior or expressing contempt, dismissal or disgust directed at them."
Facebook is also banning false claims intended to discourage voting in the 2020 US elections. Zuckerberg had previously refused to take action against Trump posts suggesting that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud.
Social media companies have come under increasing pressure to monitor inflammatory posts and misinformation. Last month, Twitter put labels on Trump tweets for the first time, which drew ire from the US president.
Facebook, Twitter shares drop as European consumer giant pulls ads
The company behind brands such as Ben and Jerry's, Dove and Marmite said it would halt US advertising on social media platforms. Ad boycotts have led Facebook to institute a ban on hateful conduct and false claims.
Shares of Facebook and Twitter plummeted 7% on Friday following a decision from European consumer giant Unilever to pull US advertisements until the end of the year.
The Anglo-Dutch company, which is behind brands such as Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Dove soap, Lipton tea and Marmite spread, said Friday it was halting ads on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the United States due to the country's "polarized election period."
Twitter's vice president of global client solutions, Sarah Personette, said the company is "respectful of our partners' decisions and will continue to work and communicate closely with them during this time."
Unilever has joined a growing number of advertisers that have pulled back from online platforms after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for the boycott as part of the "Stop the Hate for Profit" campaign.
On Thursday, American telecoms company Verizon joined a boycott on Facebook advertising. Last week, North Face, an outdoor clothing brand, became the first major marketer to participate in the boycott.
According to Axios, Unilever spent $2 million (€1.8 million) on Facebook advertising in June. The American news website said Proctor and Gamble, Unilever's main competitor, spent 10 times that amount this month and has yet to announce a similar boycott.
Later on Friday, Coca-Cola said it would suspend ads on social media for at least 30 days due to concerns about racist content on the platforms.
Facebook bans 'hateful conduct' in ads
Later Friday, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his platform will flag all "newsworthy" posts from politicians that break its rules, including those from US President Donald Trump.
The new policy on hateful content will "prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page.
"We're also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from ads suggesting these groups are inferior or expressing contempt, dismissal or disgust directed at them."
Facebook is also banning false claims intended to discourage voting in the 2020 US elections. Zuckerberg had previously refused to take action against Trump posts suggesting that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud.
Social media companies have come under increasing pressure to monitor inflammatory posts and misinformation. Last month, Twitter put labels on Trump tweets for the first time, which drew ire from the US president.
'Slight' radioactivity rise in Nordic countries
Slightly raised radioactivity levels across northern Europe have put the spotlight on western Russia. But its nuclear power operator says plants near St. Petersburg and Murmansk have been operating "within the norm."
RUSSIA HAS RAMPED UP ITS LEAKY RADIATION PROGRAM OF NUCLEAR POWER OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS INCLUDING A FLOATING PLANT IN THE ARCTIC
Russia's power operator Rosenergoatom has downplayed observations by Nordic nuclear safety agencies of slightly increased levels of radioactive isotopes across parts of Finland, southern Scandinavia and the Arctic in recent days.
The Netherland's public health agency said Friday it analysis of Nordic data showed that radionuclides had come "from the direction of Western Russia," indicating "damage to a fuel element in a nuclear power plant."
Aside from Russia, Finland and Sweden operate nuclear power generation plants but have not reported safety incidents.
On Saturday, the Russian news agency Tass quoted a Rosenergoatom spokesman as saying radiation levels at the Leningrad plant near St. Petersburg and Kola near Russia's northern city of Murmansk "have remained unchanged in June."
On Friday, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) tweeted that its sensors had detected "harmless" isotopes, identified as Caesium 137, Caesium 134, and Ruthenium 103, "very much probably of civilian origin."
According to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency based in Vienna, Western Europe has 108 reactors and Central and Eastern Europe 73 reactors.
Chernobyl remembered
Memories remain of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster when the fourth reactor at the-then Soviet nuclear plant, north of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, exploded.
It polluted swathes of Europe and prompted control attempts by thousands of Soviet emergency personnel, often fatal long-term.
A giant protective dome, financed internationally, was put in place in 2016.
Chernobyl's three other reactors generated power until they closed in 2000.
Read more: Moscow residents fight back against 'second Chernobyl'
The site of the Chernobyl reactor was covered by a protective dome in 2015
France closing Fessenheim
On Friday, France ruled out any further full closures of nuclear sites after next Monday's planned shutdown of its second, remaining reactor at Fessenheim, near the German border
France plans to reduce its share of atomic power in its electricity mix to 50% by 2035 from the more than 71% currently, sourced from 18 nuclear plants.
Shutting down Fessenheim became a key goal of anti-nuclear campaigners after the catastrophic meltdown at Fukushima in Japan in 2011.
Read more: Fukushima: How the ocean became a dumping ground for radioactive waste
12% in Germany
Nuclear power makes up only 12% of Germany's electricity generation, with its six last nuclear stations to go offline by late 2022.
Renewables, mainly wind power, deliver roughly half of Germany's electricity, with 19% from lignite (brown coal) and 9% from hard coal. Still uncomplete are controversial high-capacity electricity cables foreseen to conduct electricity from Germany's windy north to industry in its south.
ipj/dr (AP, AFP)
China sent martial artists to India border before deadly clash: state media
NOT JET LEE MORE LIKE JACKIE CHAN
Issued on: 28/06/2020
NOT JET LEE MORE LIKE JACKIE CHAN
Issued on: 28/06/2020
An Indian fighter jet flies over Leh, the joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh, on June 25, 2020, part of a show of strength after a border showdown between Delhi and Beijing Tauseef MUSTAFA AFP
Beijing (AFP)
China reinforced its troops near the Indian border with mountain climbers and martial arts fighters shortly before a deadly clash this month, state media reported.
Tensions are common between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in the mountainous border terrain, but this month's fighting was their deadliest encounter in over 50 years.
Five new militia divisions including former members of a Mount Everest Olympic torch relay team and fighters from a mixed martial arts club presented themselves for inspection at Lhasa on June 15, official military newspaper China National Defense News reported.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of hundreds of new troops lining up in the Tibetan capital.
Tibet commander Wang Haijiang said the Enbo Fight Club recruits would "greatly raise the organization and mobilization strength" of troops and their "rapid response and support ability," China National Defense News reported, although he did not explicitly confirm their deployment was linked to ongoing border tensions.
Chinese and Indian troops clashed later that day in the most violent confrontation between the two powers in decades, in the Ladakh region 1,300 kilometres away.
India says 20 of its own soldiers were killed in brutal hand-to-hand combat that day, while China suffered an unknown number of casualties.
Both sides have blamed each other for the battle, which was fought with rocks and batons without any shots fired.
India said Thursday that it had reinforced troops in the contested Himalayan border region, saying it was matching a similar buildup by China.
Chinese state media have in recent weeks highlighted military activity including high-altitude anti-aircraft drills in the Tibet region bordering India.
The new troops were recruited with the aim of "strengthening the border and stabilizing Tibet," China National Defense News said.
India claims Chinese troops ambushed Indian soldiers and forced them down a ridge where they had gone to remove a Chinese "encroachment".
A bilateral accord prevents the use of guns, but the fighting was still fierce, with rudimentary weapons.
China has in turn accused Indian soldiers of twice crossing the Line of Actual Control, the unofficial boundary, provoking its troops.
The two countries fought a war over the border in 1962. There is an understanding between the nuclear-armed neighbours that their troops in the disputed and inhospitable region will not use firearms.
© 2020 AFP
Beijing (AFP)
China reinforced its troops near the Indian border with mountain climbers and martial arts fighters shortly before a deadly clash this month, state media reported.
Tensions are common between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in the mountainous border terrain, but this month's fighting was their deadliest encounter in over 50 years.
Five new militia divisions including former members of a Mount Everest Olympic torch relay team and fighters from a mixed martial arts club presented themselves for inspection at Lhasa on June 15, official military newspaper China National Defense News reported.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of hundreds of new troops lining up in the Tibetan capital.
Tibet commander Wang Haijiang said the Enbo Fight Club recruits would "greatly raise the organization and mobilization strength" of troops and their "rapid response and support ability," China National Defense News reported, although he did not explicitly confirm their deployment was linked to ongoing border tensions.
Chinese and Indian troops clashed later that day in the most violent confrontation between the two powers in decades, in the Ladakh region 1,300 kilometres away.
India says 20 of its own soldiers were killed in brutal hand-to-hand combat that day, while China suffered an unknown number of casualties.
Both sides have blamed each other for the battle, which was fought with rocks and batons without any shots fired.
India said Thursday that it had reinforced troops in the contested Himalayan border region, saying it was matching a similar buildup by China.
Chinese state media have in recent weeks highlighted military activity including high-altitude anti-aircraft drills in the Tibet region bordering India.
The new troops were recruited with the aim of "strengthening the border and stabilizing Tibet," China National Defense News said.
India claims Chinese troops ambushed Indian soldiers and forced them down a ridge where they had gone to remove a Chinese "encroachment".
A bilateral accord prevents the use of guns, but the fighting was still fierce, with rudimentary weapons.
China has in turn accused Indian soldiers of twice crossing the Line of Actual Control, the unofficial boundary, provoking its troops.
The two countries fought a war over the border in 1962. There is an understanding between the nuclear-armed neighbours that their troops in the disputed and inhospitable region will not use firearms.
© 2020 AFP
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