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American Woman Charged To Court For Insulting President Mugabe

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President Mugabe

An American woman Martha O’Donovan, appeared in court on Saturday after she was charged with subversion in Zimbabwe, for allegedly describing President Mugabe on Twitter as a “sick man”.

But a lawyer for 25-year-old O’Donovan, Rose Hanzi, told the court that the arrest was illegal because police did not explain the reasons for her client’s arrest when she was taken from her home in the capital, Harare, on Friday morning.

Fox News reports that the arresting officer is also being questioned in court.

O’Donovan is accused of calling 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe a “sick man” in a Twitter post that included a photo illustration of the president with a catheter.

The charge of subversion carries up to 20 years in prison. O’Donovan also is charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the president

O’Donovan has denied the allegations as “baseless and malicious.”

It was the first arrest since Mugabe last month appointed a cybersecurity minister, a move criticized by activists as targeting social media.

Zimbabwe was shaken last year by the biggest anti-government protests in a decade.

Frustration is growing in the once-prosperous southern African nation as the economy collapses and the president, in power since 1980, is already running for next year’s elections.

O’Donovan had been working with local social media outlet Magamba TV, which describes itself as producing “satirical comedy sensations.

“O’Donovan, a graduate of New York University, had called herself a manager for Magamba TV and a “media activist”.”

“Earlier this year, she presented a talk at a Re:publica digital culture conference on “How Zimbabweans Rebel Online.”

The group representing O’Donovan, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights says it has represented nearly 200 people charged for allegedly insulting Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state, in recent years.

“This arrest marks the start of a sinister new chapter in the Zimbabwean government’s clampdown on freedom of speech, and the new battleground is social media,” said Amnesty International’s deputy regional director, Muleya Mwananyanda.”

The statement said Zimbabwe authorities tracked tweets to O’Donovan’s IP address.

World

10 dead, 30 injured after vehicle drives into crowd in US

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At least 10 people have been killed after a vehicle drove into a large crowd in New Orleans, a city in Louisiana, United States.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the French Quarter, a popular tourist area, when a car sped down Bourbon Street.

Witnesses told CBS News that the driver reportedly got out and began shooting at pedestrians. Police returned fire, and two officers were injured in the exchange.

Anne Kirkpatrick, the city’s police superintendent, described the attack as “very intentional”.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” she said.

Kirkpatrick said attack began at 15:15 local time (21:15 GMT), adding that most of the victims appeared to be local residents, but the identities of those killed or injured are still being determined.

She said numbers could change, but confirmed 10 people were killed and at least 35 others injured.

She said it is unclear how many victims are tourists and how many are locals but added that she believed that the majority are local to New Orleans.

The superintendent said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will take over the investigation into the incident.

Althea Duncan, FBI agent, clarified that the shooting was not a terrorist incident, but noted that “improvised explosive devices” were found on scene.

Duncan said the FBI is working to find out if they are “viable” devices and urged the public to stay away from the area.

Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana, described the incident as a “horrific act of violence”.

Landry said he is praying for all the victims and first responders at the scene.

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South Korean court issues arrest warrant for impeached president

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A Seoul western district court has issued an arrest warrant against impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his botched martial law declaration.

It is the first time authorities have sought to detain a sitting South Korean president.

It is unclear when authorities would attempt to take Yeol into custody. January 6 was given as the deadline to execute the warrant.

“The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which includes officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), police, and the defence ministry, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The warrant comes after Yeol, who is being investigated for power abuse and inciting an insurrection, ignored three summons in the last fortnight.

The president’s legal team has called the warrant “illegal and invalid” and said they would challenge it in court.

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Biden declares January 9 national mourning day for Jimmy Carter

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United States President Joe Biden has declared January 9, 2025 as a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter.

Carter, the 39th US president, died on Sunday at 100. He was the first ex-US president to become a centenarian.

Biden described Carter as an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.

“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us,” Biden said in a statement following Carter’s death.

“He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.

“He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together,” he added, referencing Carter’s wife of 77 years who died in November 2023.

Biden ordered that flags be displayed at half-staff at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels for a period of 30 days from Carter’s death.

The president said similar arrangements applied to US representatives in foreign countries at embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad.

“I do further appoint January 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States,” Biden added.

The president urged Americans and people around the world who share in the grief to honour Carter’s memory on the said day.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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