The Taliban’s morality police are contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans, according to a UN report published Tuesday. Edicts and some of the methods used to enforce them constituted a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the report said.
The Taliban set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” after seizing power in 2021.
Since then, the ministry has enforced decrees issued by the Taliban leadership that have a disproportionate impact on women and girls, like dress codes, segregated education and employment, and having a male guardian when they travel.
“The punishments attached to non-compliance with instructions and decrees are often arbitrary, severe and disproportionate,” said the report from the UN Mission in Afghanistan. “Sweeping bans with a discriminatory effect on women have been introduced. Human rights violations, as well as the unpredictability of enforcement measures, contribute to a climate of fear and intimidation among segments of the population.”
The mission said it documented at least 1,033 instances between August 2021 and March 2024 where ministry employees applied force during the implementation of orders, resulting in the violation of a person’s liberty, and physical and mental integrity.
“This includes the use of threats, arbitrary arrests and detentions, excessive use of force by de facto law enforcement officials and ill-treatment.” These instances mostly affected men, who were punished for allegedly violating Taliban orders or because their female relatives had breached them, according to the report.
It said the ministry’s role was expanding into other areas of public life, including media monitoring and eradicating drug addiction.
“Given the multiple issues outlined in the report, the position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls,” said Fiona Frazer, the head of UNAMA’s Human Rights Service.
The ministry rejected the UN report, calling its findings false and contradictory.
“Decrees and relevant legal documents are issued to reform society and should have their implementation ensured,” the ministry said.
The mission’s report comes a week after a Taliban delegation traveled to Qatar to attend a UN-sponsored meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan amid the country’s economic challenges and humanitarian crises.
That meeting sparked anger from rights groups and activists because it excluded Afghan women and civil society.
UN: Taliban’s morality police contributing to a climate of fear among Afghans
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UN: Taliban’s morality police contributing to a climate of fear among Afghans
- Taliban set up a ministry for the ‘propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice’ after seizing power in 2021
- Ministry’s role expanding into other areas of public life, including media monitoring and eradicating drug addiction
Trump says he is naming Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor in DC
Trump says he is naming Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor in DC
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital after abandoning his first pick for the job.
Pirro, who joined Fox News in 2006, cohosts the network’s show “The Five” on weekday evenings. She was elected as a judge in New York’s Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county’s elected district attorney.
Trump tapped Pirro to at least temporarily lead the nation’s largest US Attorney’s office after pulling his nomination of conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. for the position earlier Thursday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was naming Pirro as the interim US attorney in Washington, D.C., but didn’t indicate whether he would nominate her for the Senate-confirmed position on a more permanent basis.
“Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York. She is in a class by herself,” Trump wrote.
Trump withdrew Martin from consideration after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“He’s a terrific person, and he wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. He later added, “But we have somebody else that will be great.”
Martin’s leading role in Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement was demoralizing for subordinates who spent four years prosecuting over 1,500 riot defendants only to see the president pardon them en masse. Pirro has her own connection to the baseless conspiracy theories of election fraud.
In 2021, voting technology company Smartmatic USA sued Fox News, Pirro and others for spreading false claims that the company helped “steal” the 2020 presidential election from Trump. The company’s libel suit, filed in a New York state court, sought $2.7 billion from the defendants.
Pirro is the latest in a string of Trump appointments coming from Fox News — a list that includes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who co-hosted “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“Jeanine Pirro has been a wonderful addition to The Five over the last three years and a longtime beloved host across Fox News Media who contributed greatly to our success throughout her 14-year tenure. We wish her all the best in her new role in Washington,” a Fox News Media spokesperson said in a statement.
Martin has served as acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump’s first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background. Martin had never served as a prosecutor or tried a case before taking office in January.
Martin has stirred up a chorus of critics during his brief but tumultuous tenure in office. He fired and demoted subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases. He posted on social media about potential targets of investigations. And he forced the chief of the office’s criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration.
Martin’s temporary appointment is due to expire May 20.
Pirro, a 1975 graduate of Albany Law School, has significantly more courtroom experience than Martin. She led one of the nation’s first domestic violence units in a prosecutor’s office.
After her elected terms as a judge and district attorney, Pirro briefly campaigned in 2005 as a Republican to unseat then-Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton before announcing that she would would run for New York attorney general instead. She lost that race to Andrew Cuomo, son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Pirro became an ubiquitous television pundit during O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, often appearing on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” During her time on Fox News, she has frequently interviewed Trump.
In the final minutes of his first term as president, Trump issued a pardon to Pirro’s ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
Rejoicing Peruvians see Pope Leo XIV as one of their own after his many years in Peru
- “For us Peruvians, it is a source of pride that this is a pope who represents our country,” said elementary school teacher Isabel Panez
- ope Leo XIV is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, where he first served as a missionary and then as a bishop
LIMA, Peru: Peruvians were elated Thursday after a Catholic cardinal who spent years guiding the faithful in the South American country and who they see as one of their own was elected pope.
Pope Leo XIV is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, where he first served as a missionary and then as a bishop. That made him the first pope from each country.
In Peru’s capital, Lima, the bells of the cathedral rang after Cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as Pope Francis’ successor. People outside the church quickly expressed their desire for a papal visit.
“For us Peruvians, it is a source of pride that this is a pope who represents our country,” said elementary school teacher Isabel Panez, who was near the cathedral when the news was announced. “We would like him to visit us here in Peru.”
Leo, standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time as pope, addressed in Spanish the people of Chiclayo, which sits just 9 miles (14 kilometers) from Peru’s northern Pacific coast and is among the country’s most populous cities.
“Greetings... to all of you, and in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith,” he said.
Thomas Nicolini, a Peruvian who studies economics in Rome, said he went to St. Peter’s Square as soon as he heard Prevost was the new pope.
“That’s a beautiful area, but one of the regions that needs lots of hope,” he said referring to Chiclayo. “So, now I’m expecting that the new pope helps as many people as possible, and tries to reignite, let’s say, the faith young people have lost.”
Diana Celis, who attended several Masses officiated by Prevost in Chiclayo, told The Associated Press that he would often repeat that he had “come from Chicago to Chiclayo, the only difference is a few letters.”
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost has held Peruvian nationality since 2015, Peru’s national register agency confirmed Thursday. In 2014, he served as the administrator and later bishop of Chiclayo and remained in that position until Francis summoned him to Rome in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
“He will be very sensitive to the social doctrine of the Church and will undoubtedly be attentive to the signs of the times,” the Rev. Edinson Farfán, bishop of Chiclayo, told reporters.
But a network of survivors of Catholic clergy sex abuse raised concerns about Prevost’s handling of complaints filed while he was bishop of Chiclayo in 2022. The Peruvian Bishops’ Conference did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP regarding the mishandling accusations alleged by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Janinna Sesa, who met Prevost while she worked for the church’s Caritas nonprofit, said he is the kind of person who will “put on boots and wade through the mud” to help those most in need. She said he did just that in 2022, when torrential rains affected Chiclayo and nearby villages.
He also delivered food and blankets to the remote Andean villages, driving a white pickup truck and sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor. In those villages, Sesa said, Prevost ate whatever was offered to him, including the peasant diet consisting of potatoes, cheese and sweet corn. But, if the opportunity came up, he would enjoy carne asada – one of his favorite dishes – accompanied by a glass of Coca-Cola.
“He has no problem fixing a broken-down truck until it runs,” she said, highlighting his automotive interest.
Sesa added that Prevost was also the driving force for the purchase of two oxygen-production plants during the coronavirus pandemic, which killed more than 217,000 people across Peru.
“He worked so hard to find help, that there was not only enough for one plant, but for two oxygen plants,” she said.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said Prevost’s election was a “historic moment” for Peru and the US
“He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture, and dreams of this nation,” she said in a video message in which she also recalled that Prevost chose to become a Peruvian citizen “as an expression of his profound love for Peru.”
North Korea says leader Kim supervised missile tests simulating nuclear strikes against rivals
- Kim stressed the need to strengthen the role of his nuclear forces in both deterring and fighting war
SEOUL, South Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of short-range ballistic missile systems that simulated nuclear counterstrikes against US and South Korean forces, state media said Friday, as the North continued to blame its rivals for escalating tensions through their joint military exercises.
The report came a day after South Korea’s military detected multiple launches from North Korea’s eastern coast and assessed that the tests could also be related to the country’s weapons exports to Russia during its war in Ukraine.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday’s tests involved a mobile ballistic missile system apparently modeled after Russia’s Iskander, as well as 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers that South Korean officials classify as ballistic due to their self-propulsion and guided flight. Both are part of a growing lineup of weapons systems that the North says could be armed with “tactical” nuclear weapons for battlefield use.
KCNA said the tests were intended to train military units operating missile and rocket systems to more effectively execute attacks under the North’s nuclear weapons control system and ensure a swift response to a nuclear crisis.
The agency criticized the United States and its “vassal states” for expanding joint military exercises on and around the Korean Peninsula, which the North claims are preparations for nuclear war, and said Thursday’s launches demonstrated the “rapid counteraction posture” of its forces.
Kim stressed the need to strengthen the role of his nuclear forces in both deterring and fighting war, and called for continued efforts to improve combat readiness and precision strike capabilities, KCNA said.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said multiple missiles of various types were launched from the area around the eastern port city of Wonsan on Thursday from about 8:10 to 9:20 a.m., with the farthest traveling about 800 kilometers .
Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs, said in a briefing the North Korean launches were possibly intended to test the performance of weapons it plans to export, as the country continues to send military equipment and troops to fuel Russia’s warfighting against Ukraine.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that none of the North Korean missiles reached Japan’s exclusive economic zone and there was no damage to vessels or aircraft in the area.
It was the North’s first known ballistic activity since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles hours after US and South Korean troops began an annual combined military exercise, and the country’s sixth launch event of the year.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile program and supply weapons and troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Thursday’s launch came a day after North Korean state media said Kim urged munition workers to boost the production of artillery shells amid his deepening alignment with Moscow.
US envoy reassures Panamanians about contentious military deal
- The agreement allows US military personnel to deploy to Panamanian-controlled bases along the canal
PANAMA: The new US ambassador to Panama on Thursday reassured its citizens that an agreement signed by the two countries last month does not permit the return of American military bases.
US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to “take back” control of the Panama Canal from what he calls excessive Chinese influence has caused alarm in the Central American nation.
The agreement signed by Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and President Jose Raul Mulino’s administration allows US military personnel to deploy to Panamanian-controlled bases along the canal for training, exercises and “other activities.”
“Nowhere” does the agreement “talk about opening military bases,” Trump’s ambassador, Kevin Cabrera, told a news conference.
This agreement “will strengthen our cooperation against drug trafficking and protect the canal,” which the United States built and controlled until 1999, he added.
The recent deal has sparked protests from Panamanians who oppose any perceived infringement of their country’s sovereignty after a 1989 US invasion to depose then-leader General Manuel Noriega.
Cabrera said that “false” information was being spread about the agreement “for political reasons.”
Mulino on Thursday ruled out canceling the pact, which he said did not allow “any form” of US military base in his country.
“There is no cession of territory here,” he told a news conference.
Ransomware group Lockbit appears to have been hacked, analysts say
- Lockbit is one of the world’s most prolific cyber extortion gangs and it has survived past disruptions
WASHINGTON: The ransom-seeking cybercriminals behind the extortion group Lockbit appear to have suffered a breach of their own, according to a rogue post to one of the group’s websites and security analysts who follow the gang.
On Wednesday one of Lockbit’s darkweb sites was replaced with a message saying, “Don’t do crime CRIME IS BAD xoxo from Prague” and a link to an apparent cache of leaked data.
Reuters could not immediately verify the data, which appeared to capture chats between the hackers and their victims, among other things. But others who sifted through the material told Reuters it appeared authentic.
“It’s legit,” said Jon DiMaggio, the chief security strategist with the cybersecurity company Analyst1.
Christiaan Beek, senior director of threat analytics at cybersecurity firm Rapid7, agreed the leak “looks really authentic.” He said he was struck by how it showed Lockbit’s hackers hustling even for modest payouts from small businesses.
“They attack everyone,” he said.
Reuters could not immediately reach Lockbit or establish who had apparently leaked their data. Some darkweb sites associated with Lockbit appeared to be inoperative on Thursday, displaying a note saying they would be “working soon.”
Lockbit is one of the world’s most prolific cyber extortion gangs — diMaggio once called it “the Walmart of ransomware groups” — and it has survived past disruptions. Last year British and US officials worked with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies to seize some of the gang’s infrastructure. A few days later, the group defiantly announced it was back online, saying, “I cannot be stopped.”
Behind the bravado, diMaggio said this week’s hack was an embarrassment.
“I think it will hurt them and slow them down,” he said.
