KABUL, Afghanistan: The Taliban released two foreign journalists working with the UN refugee agency and several of the aid organization’s Afghan staff on Friday, UNHCR said, hours after news broke about their detentions in the capital, Kabul.
The announcement followed a tweet by the Taliban-appointed deputy minister of culture and information, Zabihullah Mujahid, who said they were detained because they didn’t have documents that properly identified them as UNHCR. Mujahid said they were freed after their identities were confirmed.
“We are relieved to confirm the release in Kabul of the two journalists on assignment with UNHCR, and the Afghan nationals working with them,” the Geneva-based organization said in a brief two-sentence statement. “We are grateful to all who expressed concern and offered help. We remain committed to the people of Afghanistan.”
The development in Kabul comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order that promised $3.5 billion — out of $7 billion of Afghanistan’s assets frozen in the United States — would be given to families of America’s 9/11 victims. The other $3.5 billion would be freed for Afghan aid. The order would allow US financial institutions to facilitate access to the money by humanitarian groups, which would then give it directly to the Afghan people.
One of the detained foreign journalists was Andrew North, a former British Broadcasting Corporation journalist who has worked extensively in Afghanistan. His wife, Natalia Antelava had earlier issued a plea on Twitter for his release.
“Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR @Refugees trying to help the people of Afghanistan,” Antelava said. “We are extremely concerned for his safety & call on anyone with influence to help secure his release.”
The Committee to Protect Journalist had also condemned the detentions and called for the immediate release of the journalists.
“The Taliban must immediately release Andrew North and all other journalists held for their work, and cease harassing and detaining members of the press,” the CPJ statement said, noting they were detained on Tuesday.
The Taliban swept over Afghanistan, capturing Kabul and much of the country in mid-August, as US and NATO troops were in the final, chaotic weeks of their pullout following the 20-year intervention.
“The Taliban’s detention of two journalists on assignment with the UN refugee agency is a sad reflection of the overall decline of press freedom and increasing attacks on journalists under Taliban rule,” Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, said in Washington.
Also released on Friday was Parvaneh Ibrahimkhel, a women’s rights activist detained more than two weeks ago. She spoke to local TOLO TV to confirm that she was free but few other details were immediately available. The international community had also demanded her freedom, as well as that of four other women activists.
Since taking control, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions, many of them directed at women. Women have been banned from many jobs, outside the health and education field, their access to education has been restricted beyond sixth grade and they have been ordered to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab. The Taliban have, however, stopped short of imposing the burqa, which was compulsory when they previously ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Universities for women have also begun to re-open and Taliban have promised girls would be allowed to resume their education beyond grade 6 after the Afghan New Year at the end of March.
In January, the Taliban stormed the Kabul home of activist Tamana Zaryabi Paryani who was among about 25 women who took part in an anti-Taliban protest a few days earlier against the hijab. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Paryani was also being released, but there have been international demands for her freedom as well.
The international community has been wary of officially recognizing Afghanistan’s new rulers, concerned the Taliban would impose the same harsh rule as they did when they were in power the first time.
In the wake of the takeover, international funding was suspended and billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s assets abroad, mostly in the US, were frozen and financial aid to the government was largely halted, pushing the Afghan economy further into a tailspin.
Taliban free detained UNHCR staff, 2 foreign journalists
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Taliban free detained UNHCR staff, 2 foreign journalists
- The development in Kabul comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order that promised $3.5 billion — out of $7 billion of Afghanistan’s assets frozen in the United States — would be given to families of America’s 9/11 victims
US to call for Google to sell Chrome browser: report
- Determining how to address Google’s wrongs is the next stage of a landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta
SAN FRANCISCO: The US will urge a judge to make Google-parent company Alphabet sell its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the Internet giant, according to a media report Monday.
Antitrust officials with the US Department of Justice declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that they will ask for a sell-off of Chrome and a shake-up of other aspects of Google’s business in court Wednesday.
Justice officials in October said they would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business — even considering the possibility of a breakup — after the tech juggernaut was found to be running an illegal monopoly.
The government said in a court filing that it was considering options that included “structural” changes, which could see them asking for a divestment of its smartphone Android operating system or its Chrome browser.
Calling for the breakup of Google would mark a profound change by the US government’s reglators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google dismissed the idea at the time as “radical.”
Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress, released a statement arguing that what justice officials reportedly want is “fantastical” and defies legal standards, instead calling for narrowly tailored remedies.
Determining how to address Google’s wrongs is the next stage of a landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
Requiring Google to make its search data available to rivals was also on the table.
Regardless of Judge Mehta’s eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, potentially prolonging the process for years and possibly reaching the US Supreme Court.
The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google’s confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple.
These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google’s search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.
The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform.
From this position, Google expanded its tech empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
According to the judgment, Google controlled 90 percent of the US online search market in 2020, with an even higher share, 95 percent, on mobile devices.
Remedies being sought will include imposing measures curbing Google artificial intelligence from tapping into website data and barring the Android mobile operating system from being bundled with the company’s other offerings, according to the report.
Roblox tightens messaging rules for under-13 users amid abuse concerns
- Video game maker said it removed ability to message others outside games on its platform for users under-13
- Roblox said it will also allow parents and caregivers to remotely manage their child’s Roblox account
LONDON: Video game maker Roblox said on Monday that it is implementing new safety measures for users under 13, including permanently removing the ability to message others outside games on its platform.
However, under-13 users can still message others in-game with parental consent.
The gaming platform, which reported around 89 million users last quarter, said it will allow parents and caregivers to remotely manage their child’s Roblox account, view friend lists, set spending controls, and manage screen time.
Roblox has faced claims of child abuse on its platform. In August, Turkiye blocked access to Roblox following a court order, as prosecutors investigated concerns about user-generated content potentially leading to abuse.
A 2022 lawsuit filed in San Francisco claimed that Roblox facilitated the sexual and financial exploitation of a California girl by adult men, allegedly encouraging her to drink, abuse prescription drugs, and share sexually explicit photos.
The company said it has also introduced a built-in setting that will let users under the age of 13 access public broadcast messages only within games or experiences.
Roblox will replace age-based content labels with descriptors ranging from “Minimal” to “Restricted,” indicating the type of content users can expect. By default, users under nine can only access games labeled “Minimal” or “Mild.”
These new restrictions will also prevent users under 13 from searching, discovering, or playing unlabeled experiences, the company said.
Restricted content will remain inaccessible until a user is at least 17 years old and has verified their age.
Twitch adds ‘Zionist’ to hate speech policy amid war tensions
- Amazon-owned streaming platform said term will still be allowed in discussions about political movement as long as they do not target individuals
- Decision follows pressure by US lawmakers and ADL, who accuse Twitch of failing to curb antisemitism on its platform
LONDON: Streaming platform Twitch has updated its hate speech policy to include the term “Zionist” as a potential slur, reflecting heightened sensitivity in online moderation amid escalating tensions stemming from Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon.
“Starting today, using the term ‘Zionist’ to attack or demean another individual or group of people on the basis of their background or religious belief is against our rules,” Twitch, owned by Amazon, announced in a blog post.
The platform, widely popular among video gamers, clarified that as “Zionist” and “Zionism” are political terms, they will still be allowed in discussions about the political movement, whether supportive or critical, provided the language does not target individuals.
“Our goal isn’t to stifle conversation about or criticism of an institution or ideology, but to prevent coded hate directed at individuals and groups of people,” the company said.
The policy update comes amid a spike in hateful content on social media platforms following the Oct. 7 attacks.
A report released in June by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue highlighted alarming increases in antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric online, including a 51-fold surge in antisemitic comments on YouTube and a 422 percent rise in anti-Muslim hate speech on X.
Twitch’s move follows pressure from US Congressman Ritchie Torres and the Anti-Defamation League.
In a letter to Twitch executives, Torres criticized the platform’s handling of hate speech, singling out prominent Turkish-American streamer Hasan Piker as a “poster child” for what he described as “terrorism apologist” comments following the Oct. 7 events.
Torres, who recently secured re-election with significant support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, accused Twitch of failing to adequately address antisemitic content and called for stricter moderation.
Twitch’s announcement aligns it with other platforms tightening their moderation policies.
In July, Meta began removing posts targeting “Zionists” when the term was used to demean Jewish people or Israelis, rather than in reference to the political movement.
This step followed allegations that Meta mishandled pro-Palestinian content, including findings from an Arab News investigation last year.
Netflix says 50 million households worldwide tuned in for Paul-Tyson match
Netflix said on Saturday that 60 million households worldwide had tuned in for the highly anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, and the event peaked at 65 million streams, according to a statement.
The bout between the 27-year-old social media influencer-turned-prize fighter Paul and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Tyson, which Paul won, was streamed live on Netflix.
Nearly 50 million households tuned in for the co-main event between Ireland’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s featherweight champion Amanda Serrano, according to Netflix.
“The bout is likely to be the most watched professional women’s sporting event in US history,” Netflix said in its statement.
There were some hiccups during the live-stream of the match, with over 90,000 users reporting problems on Netflix at its peak, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.
However, the streaming platform was back up on Saturday after the outage that lasted roughly 6 hours in the United States.
Renowned Lebanese journalist quits MTV over death threats by alleged Hezbollah supporters
- ‘I decided to leave MTV because of the intimidations that reached the point of death threats,’ says Dr. Eman Shweikh on X
- Samir Kassir Eyes Center reports that since Nov. 12 Shweikh had been subjected to a campaign of threats, incitement, accusations of treason
DUBAI: A renowned Lebanese journalist has taken to social media platform X to announce her departure from MTV following alleged death threats believed to have been made by supporters of Hezbollah.
Not mentioning the Iran-backed group by name, Dr. Eman Shweikh, a TV presenter at MTV, journalist and university professor, wrote: “I decided to leave MTV because of the intimidations that reached the point of death threats and the harassment that I am exposed to, which reached the point of following me home and chasing me on the road, in addition to harassing my family.”
The Samir Kassir Eyes Center reported that since Nov. 12 Shweikh had been subjected to a campaign of threats, incitement and accusations of treason due to her political opinions that she publishes on X, and because of her work for MTV.
The purported threats and harassment prompted her to leave her job at the channel.
The TV presenter added in her tweet: “The (Lebanese) state is absent, and laws are inexistent, and I do not want to expose my life and the lives of my family to danger. I want to live in safety and peace. Thank you to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MTV Michel Murr.”
Shweikh’s tweet received thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets and comments.
Speaking to Arab News, Shweikh said things got worse since the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
“In addition to the threats from Hezbollah supporters, my old friends sent me very negative comments, saying they wouldn’t allow me to enter the south, where my family house is located in Tyre, or return to my hometown of Al-Mansoury, she said.
“Some relatives even threatened to send me to Syria to be killed by criminals. I believe that the best decision for me now was to quit my job, although I am very sad and shocked. However, I believe that Hezbollah’s control will end very soon.
“As for my plans, I am ready to work as an anchor or perhaps a TV hostess, but I will not declare my political opinions until the appropriate moment,” she added.
Replying to her tweet, advocate Tarek Chindeb said: “The threat to kill journalist Eman Shweikh makes us believe at every moment that we cannot build a state in Lebanon in the presence of illegal weapons and militias outside accountability.”
Expressing solidarity, Chindeb hoped that the Lebanese security and judicial authorities would do their duty to protect her, and arrest the culprits.
Political analyst Magdi Khalil also replied to Shweikh’s tweet, saying: “Ideological militias do not know participation, but rather overpowering. They do not know dialogue, but rather the threat of violence.”
MTV journalist Nawal Berry and cameraman Dany Tanios were attacked in July while attempting to cover the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold.
It was not the first time Berry and her team had been assaulted by Hezbollah loyalists. During the early days of the Oct. 17 revolution in 2019, she and her team faced a violent attack and had their camera smashed.
Supporters of Hezbollah have a history of assaulting and threatening journalists. Targets have included Layal Alekhtiar, who received death threats in 2021 and faced legal action last year for interviewing an Israeli spokesperson; Dima Sadek; Ali Al-Amin; and others.
At the time of publishing, Shweikh could not be reached for comment.
