‘Stop genocide’ plea by performer at Sanremo Music Festival sparks diplomatic row

‘Stop genocide’ plea by performer at Sanremo Music Festival sparks diplomatic row
Ghali Amdouni attends 2023 Time100 Next at Second on October 24, 2023 in New York City. (AFP)
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Updated 12 February 2024
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‘Stop genocide’ plea by performer at Sanremo Music Festival sparks diplomatic row

‘Stop genocide’ plea by performer at Sanremo Music Festival sparks diplomatic row
  • Israeli ambassador accuses artist of spreading hate in “superficial, irresponsible way”; broadcaster accused of censorship after editing performance
  • Italian Tunisian rapper Ghali made his on-stage appeal for peace in Gaza during the final of the 5-day event on Saturday night

LONDON: The Sanremo Music Festival sparked controversy at the weekend as a result of an on-stage plea by one of the performers, Italian-Tunisian rapper Ghali, to “stop the genocide” in Gaza.

Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Alon Bar, said the festival, which is officially known as the 74th Italian Song Festival and is a major TV event during which Italy’s Eurovision contestant is chosen, was being exploited to “spread hatred and provocation in a superficial, irresponsible way.”

Expressing his disappointment, Bar said in a message posted on social media that festival organizers had missed an opportunity to show solidarity with the victims of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, many of whom were young festivalgoers.

Ignazio La Russa, president of the Italian Senate and an MP for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, criticized the festival for allowing discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian issue in what he described as a one-sided manner, stating: “You cannot entrust the issue to a singer who expresses a one-sided statement.”

Noemi Di Segni, president of the Italian Jewish Community, also condemned Ghali for his statement, describing it as offensive to “the history of our country and the whole of Europe.”

Ghali’s comment came on Saturday during the final of the five-day festival. Asked on Sunday for his thoughts about Bar’s response, the rapper, whose parents came from Tunisia, said he had been discussing the issue since childhood.

He criticized the ambassador for his stance and said people are hesitant to speak out in support of peace in the current climate, out of fear about the possible reaction.

Mohammed Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association of Italy, thanked Ghali for “his clear words against the extermination” in Gaza.

Roberto Sergio, the CEO of Rai, the state broadcaster that airs the festival, expressed “heartfelt solidarity with the Israeli people” and said that “every day” the network remembers “the tragedy of the hostages at the hands of Hamas” and “the massacre of children, women and men on Oct. 7.”

Ghali was not the only performer to make an anti-war statement during the festival or voice support for a ceasefire in Gaza. Renowned Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti said: “Nearly 500,000 children live in conflict zones. No more blood, no more wars.”

Fellow Italian performer Dargen D’Amico said: “There are children under the bombs, without water and without food. Our silence is co-responsibility.”

D’Amico faced criticism during a follow-up event when he expressed pro-immigration views at odds with those of the Italian government.

Ghali’s “stop the genocide” call was edited out of Rai’s coverage of the Sanremo event, and a post-performance interview with D’Amico was shortened. The broadcaster faced a backlash on social media and accusations of censorship.

The winner of contest was Angelina Mango, with the song “La Noia (The Boredom).” She will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.


Meta says Malaysia’s social media licencing plan lacks clarity, threatens innovation

Meta says Malaysia’s social media licencing plan lacks clarity, threatens innovation
Updated 30 October 2024
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Meta says Malaysia’s social media licencing plan lacks clarity, threatens innovation

Meta says Malaysia’s social media licencing plan lacks clarity, threatens innovation
  • Malaysia to require social media licenses by Jan. 1, says platforms must step up monitoring
  • Meta says undecided if it will apply for licencing by deadline due to “exceptionally accelerated” iter and unclear obligations

KUALA LUMPUR: A Meta Platforms official on Wednesday criticized Malaysia’s plan to require social media platforms to apply for a regulatory license by January, saying the proposal lacked clear guidelines and gave social companies little time to comply, risking digital innovation and growth in the country.
Malaysia said in July it will require social media platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users to obtain a license, as part of efforts to curb financial scams, cyberbullying and sexual crimes online.
The companies could face legal action if they failed to do so by Jan. 1, 2025.
The plan has faced a backlash, with an Asian industry group that includes Meta urging the government in August to pause the move. Malaysia however has said it will not delay the proposed regulations, with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil saying tech companies must comply with local laws to continue operating the country.
Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia Rafael Frankel said the firm has not yet decided if it plans to apply for the license ahead of the January deadline, due to a lack of clarity over the new regulations.
The timeline to apply for a license was “exceptionally accelerated” and the obligations for social media firms under the plan remained unclear, Frankel said in an interview with Reuters.
“These regulations tend to take a couple years to go through multiple iterations... to properly structure them and to balance the need for safety and ensure that you don’t inadvertently cap innovation and digital economic growth,” he said.
Malaysia’s communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the interview.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday following a meeting with Meta representatives a day earlier, communications minister Fahmi thanked the company for its willingness to cooperate with the government but urged it to take more proactive measures against sexual content involving minors on its platforms.
Frankel said Meta shared the Malaysian government’s goal for a safe online environment and was working closely with the communications regulator to remove or restrict harmful content from its platforms.
“We don’t need a licencing regime in order to take online safety seriously. We already take it seriously,” he said.
Meta has shared its concerns with the government and hopes to “bridge the differences” over the proposed regulations before they are implemented, Frankel added, without providing details.
Malaysian authorities deem online gambling, scams, child pornography and grooming, cyberbullying and content related to race, religion and royalty as harmful.
Malaysia reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content earlier this year and urged social media firms, including Facebook parent Meta and short video platform TikTok (8645.HK), to step up monitoring on their platforms.


Journalist shot dead in crime-riddled western Mexico

Journalist shot dead in crime-riddled western Mexico
Updated 30 October 2024
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Journalist shot dead in crime-riddled western Mexico

Journalist shot dead in crime-riddled western Mexico
  • Mauricio Cruz Solis was a host on local radio station La Poderosa Uruapan who also published news on the Minuto x Minuto outlet
  • Mexico is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, news advocacy groups say

MORELIA, Mexico: A journalist was shot dead Tuesday night in western Mexico, a local prosecutor’s office said, in a part of the country hit hard by organized crime.
Mauricio Cruz Solis, a host on local radio station La Poderosa Uruapan who also published news on the Minuto x Minuto outlet, was killed in the city of Uruapan.
One other person was wounded in the attack, the prosecutor’s office said.
The radio station where Cruz Solis worked mourned his killing in a statement published on social media.
“Mauricio was more than a colleague, he was an unconditional friend, a source of inspiration and a tireless voice in the service of our community,” the station said.
Wracked by violence related to drug trafficking, Mexico is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, news advocacy groups say.
Reporters Without Borders says more than 150 newspeople have been killed in Mexico since 1994.
Cruz Solis’s murder is the first killing of a journalist under the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office on October 1, although there have been other attacks on media this month.
On October 18, gunmen shot at the front of the El Debate newspaper’s office in Culiacan, the state capital of cartel stronghold Sinaloa, which has been shaken by weeks of gang infighting.
A day later, a delivery worker with the outlet was abducted by presumed criminal groups and there has been no news about his whereabouts.


Google reports strong growth driven by AI, cloud

Google reports strong growth driven by AI, cloud
The results showed that Google is holding its own despite worry that the search engine juggernaut has been caught short in the A
Updated 30 October 2024
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Google reports strong growth driven by AI, cloud

Google reports strong growth driven by AI, cloud

San Francisco - USA
San Francisco, Oct 29, 2024 (AFP) -Google's parent company Alphabet reported robust third-quarter results on Tuesday, with revenue climbing 15 percent year-over-year to $88.3 billion, powered by strong performance from its crucial advertising business and growth in cloud services.
The technology giant's net income surged 34 percent to $26.3 billion, while earnings per share increased 37 percent to $2.12.
Operating margins expanded significantly, rising 4.5 percentage points to 32 percent, reflecting improved cost efficiency at one of the world's biggest companies.
"Our commitment to innovation, as well as our long-term focus and investment in AI, are paying off with consumers and partners benefiting from our AI tools," said CEO Sundar Pichai, referring to the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.
The results showed that Google is holding its own despite worry that the search engine juggernaut has been caught short in the AI race.
Google also faces increasing pressure as its world-dominating search engine competes for ads with a widening array of platforms, including Meta, Amazon, Apple, TikTok and even streamers such as Netflix.
But Emarketer senior analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf said Google proved that its defense "is locked in, and it heads into the holiday season well-positioned to win ad budgets."
The company also satisfied questions about whether its search engine will withstand the growing popularity of generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which can answer many queries directly in lieu of an internet search.
In response to these pressures, Google earlier this month reshuffled its search engine business, replacing the division chief after a four-year tenure.
The company also moved its Gemini chatbot team to Google DeepMind, separating it from the search group.
Pichai said that Google Search's AI Overviews, which display a snapshot of information at the top of the results page, was proving a success and available to one billion users in more than 100 countries.
"We are definitely expanding what's possible in search and it's been really heartening to see users adapt," Pichai told analysts.
Google Cloud emerged as a standout performer in the June-to-September period, with revenue jumping 35 percent to $11.4 billion, driven by increased adoption of AI infrastructure and solutions.
That business, which trails market leaders Amazon and Microsoft, provides businesses with computing power, data storage and AI tools delivered over the internet.
The company's core Google Services segment, which includes Search, YouTube, and other advertising products, grew 13 percent to $76.5 billion.
YouTube hit a significant milestone, with total advertising and subscription revenues exceeding $50 billion over the past four quarters for the first time.
After the release, investors sent Google's share price higher by five percent in after-hours trading.
Despite the solid earnings, Google faces significant legal challenges, at least in the long-term.
In August, a federal judge found that Google's search engine was an illegal monopoly, with the US government suggesting a company breakup might be appropriate.
A separate antitrust lawsuit challenges its dominance of online advertising.
Additionally, Google has been ordered to open Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops following a case brought by Fortnite-maker Epic Games, though that decision has been suspended pending appeal.
While those legal battles are expected to take years to resolve, they have raised questions about the company's long-term strategy and its heavy reliance on search engine advertising revenue.


CNN issues apology after panelist’s ‘terrorist’ remark directed at Mehdi Hasan

CNN issues apology after panelist’s ‘terrorist’ remark directed at Mehdi Hasan
Updated 29 October 2024
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CNN issues apology after panelist’s ‘terrorist’ remark directed at Mehdi Hasan

CNN issues apology after panelist’s ‘terrorist’ remark directed at Mehdi Hasan
  • Political commentator Ryan James Girdusky said he hoped Hasan’s ‘beeper doesn’t go off,’ in apparent reference to Israel’s pagers attack
  • ‘There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN,’ network said

LONDON: CNN issued an apology after a panelist on its program suggested that fellow guest Mehdi Hasan was a “terrorist.”

The incident occurred on Monday night’s broadcast of NewsNight, when conservative commentator Ryan James Girdusky told Hasan, the founder of the recently launched news site Zeteo and former MSNBC host, that he hoped his “beeper doesn’t go off.”

This appeared to reference Israel’s recent targeting of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon using explosive pager devices, which killed 12 and injured many more.

“Did your guest just say I should be killed on live TV?” Hasan asked the show’s anchor, Abby Phillip.

After a commercial break, Phillip issued an on-air apology to Hasan and viewers and said Girdusky had been removed from the show.

“I want to apologize to Mehdi Hasan for what was said at this table. It was completely unacceptable,” she said. “I want to apologize to the viewers at home.”

Hasan also did not reappear on the show after the commercial break, leading to some speculation that he was also asked to leave, although Philip later said in a video on X, which was also reposted by Hasan, that the network “really wanted him to come back and finish the show.”

The exchange began when the two guests were invited to discuss the upcoming US election and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Hasan referenced Donald Trump’s recent rally and accusations that the Trump campaign is spreading Nazi-style ideas.

Girdusky then accused Hasan, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, of being “the most antisemitic person at this table,” a label Hasan said he frequently faces due to his views.

“Yeah, well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” Girdusky then said, before attempting to justify his words by claiming he thought Hasan said he supported Hamas.

“You didn’t think I said Hamas. I said I’m a supporter of Palestinian rights,” Hasan said, adding, “At least have the guts to support your racist comment.”

In a later post on X, however, the conservative political consultant and writer appeared to double down on his remarks, saying, “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media,” he said. “Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”

Following the exchange, CNN announced that it would no longer feature appearances from Girdusky.

“There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” the network said in a statement. “We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate including between people who profoundly disagree with each other in order to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding.

“But we will not allow guests to be demeaned or for the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back at our network.”

The incident prompted widespread condemnation, with several people describing the comments as an overtly racist attack.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is Muslim and Palestinian-American, wrote on X: “CNN has played a central role in normalizing this kind of open anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian hate, and it’s sadly totally unsurprising to see such disgusting statements aired so casually on its network now.”


Report: Washington Post loses more than 200,000 subscriptions following non-endorsement

Report: Washington Post loses more than 200,000 subscriptions following non-endorsement
Updated 29 October 2024
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Report: Washington Post loses more than 200,000 subscriptions following non-endorsement

Report: Washington Post loses more than 200,000 subscriptions following non-endorsement
  • The reported loss of subscriptions of that magnitude would be a blow to a news outlet that is already facing financial headwinds

NEW YORK: More than 200,000 people have canceled subscriptions to The Washington Post since the newspaper announced its decision last week not to endorse a candidate for president, a published report said Monday.
NPR reported the figure, citing “two people at the paper with knowledge of internal matters.”
The reported loss of subscriptions of that magnitude would be a blow to a news outlet that is already facing financial headwinds. The Post had more than 2.5 million subscribers last year, the bulk of them digital, making it third behind The New York Times and Wall Street Journal in circulation.
A Post spokeswoman, Olivia Peterson, would not comment on the report when contacted by The Associated Press.
The Post’s editorial staff had reportedly prepared an endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris before announcing instead Friday that it would leave it up for readers to make up their own minds. The timing, less than two weeks before Election Day, led critics to question whether Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had been concerned about whether Republican Donald Trump might retaliate if he were elected president.
The Post’s retired former editor, Marty Baron, had denounced the decision on social media as “cowardice, with democracy as its casualty.”
Some journalists, including Post columnist Dana Milbank, urged readers not to express their anger at the decision by canceling subscriptions, for fear it could cost reporters or editors their jobs.
The Post’s decision came only days after the Los Angeles Times also said it would not endorse a presidential candidate, which the newspaper has acknowledged has cost them thousands of subscribers.
An article on the Post’s website about the fallout from the non-endorsement had more than 2,000 comments, many of them from readers saying they were leaving.
“I am unsubscribing after 70 years,” wrote one commenter, claiming to have lost hope and belief that the Post would publish the truth.