Japan, S Korea, US concerned over N Korea’s cyber-fundraising

The allies say North Korea uses funds from its ‘malicious’ cyber-operations to finance weapons development.

The United States, South Korea and Japan have expressed deep concern over what they described as North Korea’s “malicious” cyber-activities in support of its banned weapons programmes.

Cryptocurrency funds stolen by North Korean hackers have been a key source of funding for the country’s weapons programmes, according to the United Nations, with such theft reaching a record last year.

“We reiterate with concern that overseas DPRK IT workers continue using forged identities and nationalities” to evade UN sanctions and raise funds for missile programmes, the three countries’ envoys said in a joint statement on Friday, using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kim Gunn, South Korea’s envoy, held talks with his US and Japanese counterparts this week and condemned North Korea’s continued weapons tests.

Japan’s envoy also “strongly condemned” the “unprecedented frequency and manner” of North Korea’s missile launches as a serious and imminent threat to regional security, Japan’s foreign ministry said. Japan on Friday announced a two-year extension of its trade ban on North Korea, with exemptions for humanitarian reasons.

The US and South Korea have been conducting a series of annual springtime exercises since March, including air and sea drills and their first large-scale amphibious landing drills in five years.

North Korea has reacted furiously to the exercises, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.

In response, it has unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads, and fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States. It has also tested what it called a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone.

As Pyongyang continues to develop its military arsenal, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has also called for raising awareness over the continued human rights abuses in the country.

In its first publicly released report on the situation last week, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said North Korea executes its citizens for drugs, religious activities and sharing South Korean media.

Pyongyang has long rejected international criticism of its human rights record as a US agenda to overthrow its regime.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS

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US job growth strong in March, unemployment falls to 3.5 percent

The strong job numbers could lead the Fed to continue to raise interest rates.

The US economy continued to churn out jobs at a brisk pace in March, pushing the unemployment rate down to 3.5 percent, signs of persistent labour market tightness that could see the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates again next month.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 236,000 jobs last month, the Department of Labor said in its closely watched employment report on Friday. Data for February was revised higher to show 326,000 jobs were added instead of 311,000 as previously reported.

Some of the slowdown in hiring reflected the fading boost from the unseasonably mild weather in January and February.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising 239,000. Estimates ranged from 150,000 to 342,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population.

As with most recent economic data, it was too early for financial market stress, triggered by the failure of two regional banks in March, to show up in the employment report.

The unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in February. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent in March after gaining 0.2 percent in February. That lowered the annual increase in wages to 4.2 percent from 4.6 percent in February, which was still too high to be consistent with the Fed’s 2 percent inflation target. Fed officials will now await inflation data later this month to gauge the effectiveness of their year-long monetary policy tightening campaign.

Financial markets were leaning towards the US central bank increasing rates by another 25 basis points at the May 2-3 policy meeting, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

The Fed last month raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, but indicated it was on the verge of pausing further rate hikes in a nod to financial market stress. It has hiked its policy rate by 475 basis points since last March from the near-zero level to the current 4.75 percent-5.00 percent range.

But the labour market is losing its shine. The Department of Labor’s annual revisions to the weekly claims and continuing claims data published on Thursday showed significant upgrades to both series.

Surveys from the Institute for Supply Management this week offered a downbeat assessment of the labour market. Job openings fell below 10 million at the end of February for the first time in nearly two years, though there were 1.7 job openings for every unemployed person that month, government data showed.

The labour market is expected to considerably loosen up starting in the second quarter as companies respond more to slowing demand caused by the higher borrowing costs.

Credit conditions have also tightened, which could make it harder for small businesses and households to access funding. Small businesses, like restaurants and bars, have been the main drivers of job growth since the recovery from the pandemic.

Some economists have predicted that payrolls will turn negative in the second half of the year, a development which they said would compel the Fed to start cutting rates to avoid plunging the economy into a deep recession. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has pushed against this assumption.

Economists who have forecast a rate cut this year argued that parts of the economy, like housing, are already in recession, while tighter lending standards adopted by banks mean credit is going to be more restricted in the economy.

They also noted that business sentiment was at recessionary levels, while consumer confidence remained lacklustre. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao and Chizu Nomiyama)

SOURCE: REUTERS

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Ethiopia to integrate regional forces into central army, police

 Ethiopia’s 10 regions currently enjoy a degree of autonomy, ranging from having their own armies to the right to use their own language.

The Ethiopian government has said it intends to integrate all regional special forces either into the national army or the federal or regional police, a move likely to be perceived as an attempt to diminish the autonomy of individual regions.Ethiopia’s 10 regions currently enjoy a degree of autonomy, ranging from having their own armies to the right to use their own language.

“The government has set a direction to build one strong and centralized army … it has started practical steps that will allow special forces of every region to be integrated into different security structures,” the government said in a statement on Thursday.

Hours before the announcement, local media from the Amhara region, Ethiopia’s second largest, reported clashes between national and regional forces brought about by a refusal among Amhara Special Forces’ units to surrender weapons as part of the integration process.Amhara spokesperson Gizachew Muluneh, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In its statement, the government confirmed tensions had arisen in Amhara but blamed it on a misunderstanding of the policy and on fringe groups within the regional force.Amhara forces backed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops against rebellious forces in northern Tigray when conflict erupted there in 2020.It is not the first time that unrest has broken out in the region.In May 2022 the former commander of Amhara region’s forces, a prominent critic of Abiy’s, was arrested alongside local journalists.Three years earlier, an uprising led by a different dissident general killed the regional president and chief of army staff.

Critics say Abiy, who won a Nobel Peace Prize after taking power as a reformist in 2018, is cracking down on dissent around Ethiopia. He says he is guaranteeing stability as well as law and order in the multi-ethnic nation.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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World champions Argentina return to top of FIFA rankings

 La Albiceleste return to the summit after a gap of six years. France are second while Brazil fall to third.

World Cup winners Argentina have returned to the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in six years.

Lionel Scaloni’s side, which captured their third world title with a thrilling win against France in the Qatar World Cup final in December, won friendlies against Panama and Curacao during the March international break.

Captain Lionel Messi achieved two milestones in those fixtures, netting his 800th career goal in a 2-0 victory over Panama before reaching 100 international goals as he scored a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Curacao.

Argentina last topped the rankings in 2017, but La Albiceleste dropped as low as 12th the following year after an underwhelming campaign at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Argentina replace rivals Brazil at the summit after the Selecao suffered a surprise friendly loss to World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in March, a result that sees them drop to third.

France are second in the rankings after their Euro 2024 qualification wins over the Netherlands and Ireland while the rest of the top 10 remains unchanged.

Belgium stay fourth, and England are fifth, followed by the Netherlands in sixth, Croatia seventh and Italy eighth. Portugal and Spain complete the top 10.

Morocco, which have joined Spain and Portugal in a 2030 World Cup bidding plan, stayed at 11 to lead the African teams.

The Central African Republic were the biggest movers in the latest rankings, jumping 10 places to 122nd.

The United States remained 13th, two ahead of regional rival Mexico.

World rankings – Top 10

1. Argentina
2. France
3. Brazil
4. Belgium
5. England
6. Netherlands
7. Croatia
8. Italy
9. Portugal
10. Spain

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Tennessee Republicans vote on expelling Democrats for gun protest

 Vote takes place days after deadly Nashville school shooting, with advocates calling possible ousting ‘undemocratic’.

The Republican-controlled Tennessee state legislature is set to vote on expelling three Democrats who took part in a gun control protest at the state house in the wake of last week’s deadly school shooting in Nashville.

Protesters began to gather early Thursday at the state capitol before the vote, which is expected to pass easily with Republicans controlling 75 seats to Democrats’ 25 in the 100-seat chamber.

In the resolutions calling for their expulsion, Republicans accused the Democrats – Representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson – of engaging in “disorderly behavior” by taking part in the protest, saying they “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions”.

The trio had used a bullhorn on Friday to lead protesters in chanting demands for stricter gun laws in the state, days after an assailant welding two “assault-style weapons” and a pistol fatally shot three 9-year-old students at three adults at the Covenant School, a private Christian primary school in the city. The protest briefly halted legislative proceedings.

A two-thirds majority vote is required for the expulsion.

More than 200 state legislators from across the country, in letter to Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, called the possible removal “anti-democratic”.

“From Tennessee, to Oklahoma, to Florida, we are witnessing courageous state lawmakers across the country standing with the people and defending our freedoms,” the legislators wrote. “Actions to strip lawmakers away from their duly-elected positions undermine the people’s will and represent a direct threat to our democracy everywhere”.

If expelled, it would be the first time a legislator has been removed from the chamber without facing investigation or accusations of serious misconduct since the Civil War era. It would also represent the first partisan removal of legislators.

Together, the three lawmakers represent nearly 200,000 people.

One legislator was previously expelled in 1980 for soliciting a bribe in exchange for blocking legislation, and another was expelled in 2016 after being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women. Both those expulsions were made with overwhelming, bipartisan votes.

In a tweet, one of the state representatives facing removal, Jones, said, “It’s morally insane that a week after a mass shooting took six lives in our community, House Republicans only response is to expel us for standing with our constituents to call for gun control.”

On Wednesday, he wrote, “We’ll not be intimidated. THE PEOPLE are demanding we act to stop kids from being murdered in school.”

Speaking on MSNBC Thursday morning, Representative Johnson, a former high school teacher said the shooting showed the priorities of Republicans in the chamber.

“After this shooting in Nashville, where we lost Evelyn, Hallie, William, Cynthia, Katherine and Mike,” she said, referring to the Covenant school victims by their first names, “the first action this body took was not to do something about gun violence, but to expel three members who spoke up against gun violence.”

Johnson has said she plans to re-introduce a so-called “Red Flag” gun bill this year that would allow authorities to take guns away from people in mental crisis.

Nashville’s shooting has again prompted national calls for increased gun control, with US President Joe Biden calling for reforms, including a federal ban on assault-style weapons, while admitting any efforts would rely on the US Congress breaking a deadlock on the entrenched issue.

Republican leaders in Congress have said in the wake of the latest attack that it was premature to act on gun reforms, instead stressing a need for increased mental health support and school safety.

On Wednesday, thousands of students walked out of classrooms across the country to call for actions. The gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety said about 300 demonstrations across 41 states were planned throughout the week.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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DR Congo enjoys new bank holiday to honour clergyman

 Congolese people are celebrating a new public holiday to honour Simon Kimbangu, who founded his church on 6 April 1921, when the country was still under colonial rule.

This fulfills a promise made by President Félix Tshisekedi to honour the man viewed as one of DR Congo’s independence heroes.

Father Kimbangu called for the liberation of black people from colonial rule. After only five months of preaching, he was arrested and was charged with undermining public security and disturbing the peace.

He was convicted and sentenced to death before King Albert of Belgium commuted the sentence to life in prison.

He died in jail on 12 October 1951, after 30 years in detention.

His church, the Kimbanguist church, was officially recognised by the World Council of Churches in 1969 and is believed to count about six million believers, mainly in the Central African region and the African diaspora today.

Source: BBC

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Ghana deploys officers to town bordering Burkina Faso

 The authorities in Ghana say 1,000 soldiers and police officers are being deployed to a north-eastern border town after gunmen killed an immigration officer and left two others in hospital.

It is not yet clear who opened fire on their vehicle in Bawku on Tuesday but there is concern about the security situation there because of the escalating jihadist conflict in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

There are fears that Islamist militants causing havoc across the Sahel region could destabilise countries further south – including Ghana and Ivory Coast. Bawku also has a long history of ethnic tensions with outbreaks of violence.

Source: BBC

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Kenya opposition demands review of constitution

 Kenya’s opposition Azimio coalition wants a review of the country’s 13-year-old constitution to be part of discussions in its proposed dialogue with the government to end protests in the country.

A statement released by opposition leader Raila Odinga, after a meeting with Azimio’s parliamentary group, says they will be adding a review of the constitution “to remove the last vestiges of an imperial presidency”.

The opposition referred to Kenya’s “winner-take-all culture”.

In February, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was widely criticised for saying the government was like a company with shares, in which some have large stakes and others none at all.

He has since defended himself, saying he was referring to government appointments, which he said must be given to people who support the president’s agenda, and not state resources, which he said will be equitably distributed.

Mr Odinga has been holding bi-weekly protests since 20 March against the cost of living and to oppose the appointment of a new electoral commission without consultations.

He has also been questioning the legitimacy of President William Ruto, who was elected last year and had his election validated by the Supreme Court.

At least three people have been killed in the protests, businesses destroyed and private property vandalised especially in the main cities of Nairobi and Kisumu.

Last Sunday, President Ruto asked Mr Odinga to halt the protests and allow a parliamentary dialogue on the formation of a new electoral commission, to which Mr Odinga agreed.

But on Tuesday the opposition leader added a fresh demand for an external dialogue akin to the 2008 National Accord, which was led by former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan after the disputed elections of 2007.

Some government leaders have strongly opposed such a move and accused Mr Odinga of trying to sneak back into government.

In 2007, the accord led to a coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki, in which Mr Odinga was made Prime Minister.

Mr Odinga insists he does not want a similar arrangement, but an honest conversation about electoral justice with solutions for more honest elections.

He insists he will go back to the streets if the talks don’t bear fruit.

The government parliamentary group is yet to offer its counter-proposal on the grounds for the talks, but the president has been clear that his election will not be up for discussion.

Source: BBC

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Sex Is A ‘Beautiful Thing’, Pope Says In Documentary

 Pope Francis has praised the virtues of sex in a documentary released on Wednesday, describing it as “one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person.”

The 86-year-old pontiff made the comment in the Disney+ production “The Pope Answers”, which captures a meeting he had last year in Rome with 10 people in their early 20s.

Francis was quizzed by them on a variety of topics, including LGBT rights, abortion, the porn industry, sex, and faith and sex abuse within the Catholic Church.

“Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person,” he said in the documentary.
“To express yourself sexually is a richness. So anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness,” he said, referring to masturbation.

Francis was also asked whether he knew what a “non-binary person” is, and he replied affirmatively. He repeated that LGBT people must be welcomed by the Catholic Church.
“All persons are the children of God, all persons. God does not reject anybody, God is a father. And I have no right to expel anyone from the Church,” he said.

On abortion, Francis said priests should be “merciful” towards women who have terminated a pregnancy, but said the practice remains unacceptable.
“It good to call things by their name. It is one thing to accompany the person who had one (abortion), quite another to justify the act,” he said.

The pope’s remarks were published by L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, which described his conversation with the young people as an “open and sincere dialogue”.

Source: Reuters

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