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Mike Johnson, a staunch Louisiana conservative, is elected House speaker

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6 months ago

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, eagerly elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the major seat of U.S. power and ending for now the weeks of political chaos in their majority.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office, second in line to the presidency.

“The people’s House is back in business,” Johnson declared after taking the gavel.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party’s top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

President Joe Biden called to congratulate the new speaker and said it’s “time for all of us to act responsibly” with challenges ahead to fund the government and provide aid for Ukraine and Israel.

“We need to move swiftly,” the president said in a statement.

In the House, far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn’t want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson’s name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.

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SA users of Starlink will be cut off at the end of the month

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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Starlink users in South Africa are facing a major setback as the satellite internet service provider has issued a warning that their services will be terminated by the end of the month.

In an email sent to many South African users, Starlink stated that their internet access will cease on April 30 due to violation of its terms and conditions.

The email emphasized that using Starlink kits outside of designated areas, as indicated on the Starlink Availability Map, is against their terms. Consequently, users will only be able to access their Starlink account for updates after the termination.

Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, operates a fleet of low earth orbit satellites that offer high-speed internet globally. Despite its potential to revolutionize connectivity, Starlink has been unable to obtain a license to operate in South Africa from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

Icasa’s requirements mandate that any applicant must have 30% ownership from historically disadvantaged groups to be considered for a license. However, many in South Africa resorted to creative methods to access Starlink services, including purchasing roaming packages from countries where Starlink is licensed.

However, Icasa clarified in a government gazette last November that using Starlink in this manner is illegal. Additionally, Starlink itself stated in the recent email to users that the ‘Mobile – Regional’ plans are meant for temporary travel and transit, not permanent use in a location. Continuous use of these plans outside the country where service was ordered will result in service restriction.

Starlink advised those interested in making its services available in their region to contact local authorities.

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Nigeria: chibok abduction anniversary spurs demands for justice

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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Militants, alongside relatives of victims of the infamous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls that sparked global outrage in 2014, gathered in Lagos on Sunday, April 14, to renew calls for the release of the remaining girls in captivity.

The Sunday meeting was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction that affected 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

“What I would ask the government is to find a way to work towards bringing back our sisters because I know it is only the government that can help us bring back these girls,” said Grace Dauda, a rescued Chibok schoolgirl.

Another rescued schoolgirl, Rebecca Malu, added, “They should stay safe. They should stay strong, one day, they will be released like us.”

While some girls managed to escape on their own, others have been freed over the years through intense campaigns by civil society organizations and government negotiations. But this human rights activist, Ayo Obe, is calling for more action from the authorities.

“We know that we started with missing persons numbering two hundred and fifty-six; it is already an improvement that we are down to 91. But of course, 91 is 91 lives unaccounted for. We appreciate the fact that so many of them escaped during the abduction itself. We appreciate the fact that the government has brought back so many more of them, but we say that we don’t stop here. We need the momentum that has happened since the mass return during the Buhari administration in 2016-2017 to be maintained. We expected that the remaining girls would have been brought back,” she said.

Mass school children kidnapping in Nigeria has continued nearly unabated since Chibok. Around 1,700 students have been kidnapped in raids since 2014 according to Amnesty International.

A member of the Bring Back Our Girls movement and convener of the 10th-year anniversary in Lagos, Opeyemi Adamolekun, lamented this as unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, it became political between 2014 and 2015, part of the amplification of the movement was part of the 2015 presidential campaign. And we saw the effect of the first batch of 21 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government. The second batch of 82 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government as well. But unfortunately, it seems that energy sort of dissipated because the government doesn’t feel as much pressure as they used to feel,” she said.

For this group of Nigerians, the government must match words with more action to stem the tide of mass school kidnappings in the country.

According to the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, a charity that advocates for the Chibok schoolgirls, about 90 girls still remain in captivity while dozens of the schoolgirls freed over the years are living inside a military-run rehabilitation camp with surrendered Boko Haram fighters they married in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram’s main hideout.

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Trump trial update: Trump rebuked by judge for speaking during jury selection — and 7 jurors are seated

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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On Tuesday, the second day of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, Judge Juan Merchan rebuked defense lawyers after Trump was heard muttering his disapproval of an answer given by a potential juror in the case. “I won’t tolerate that,” Merchan told Trump lawyer Todd Blanche. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.” The proceedings moved swiftly, however, with seven jurors being sworn in and Merchan signaling that opening arguments could begin on Monday.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass began his questioning with a simple observation: “Let’s start with the obvious: The defendant in this case is both a former president and current candidate for that office.”

He told the jurors who had made it through a preliminary round of questioning that the trial was “not a referendum on President Trump.” “This case is about whether this man broke the law,” he continued. “Did he falsify business records to cover up an agreement to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election?”

Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s lawyers, began his questioning of potential jurors by saying the trial was “extraordinarily serious” and that it was important that Trump “get a fair shake.”

Blanche sought to disqualify several jurors because of their activity on social media. He questioned one woman about a video posted to Facebook on Election Day 2020 that showed people reacting to Biden’s victory. The woman said it captured what seemed like a “celebratory moment in New York City.” Merchan ruled that posting the video did not disqualify her from serving on the jury, to which Trump reacted with gestures and commentary.

That earned Trump his rebuke from the judge, who told Blanche to speak to his client.“ Yes, your honor,” Balance responded, while Trump looked on angrily.

Merchan did dismiss some jurors based on their social media activity, however. nIn all, Trump’s lawyers used six of the 10 challenges they were allowed to dismiss prospective jurors without giving a reason. Prosecutors also used six of theirs.

After he left the courtroom, Trump called Merchan a “conflicted judge” and added, “We’re having a hard time with the New York state system.” Court does not meet on Wednesdays, so jury selection continues on Thursday, with five more jurors and six alternates needing to be sworn in before opening arguments in the historic trial can get underway.

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