Australia
New legislation passed in Australia would hold social media companies accountable for violent or hateful material contained on their platforms. The companies could expect fines, and the executives of the companies could face jail time for failure to remove violent content from their websites. The legislation results from the Facebook Live video of the New Zealand gunman attacking two mosques in March. Some social media and technology companies are against the proposal, stating it may be considered censorship of free speech.
Original article by Damien Cave, April 3, 2019. The New York Times.
Kampala, Uganda
An American woman was kidnapped while visiting a popular safari destination in Uganda and held for a $500,000 ransom. The woman, Kimberly Sue Endicott, was with her Ugandan tour guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, when they were kidnapped by a group of gunmen believed to be linked to Hutu militias involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The gunmen used Endicott’s cellphone to demand the ransom for their return.
Original article by Joseph Goldstein, April 3, 2019. The New York Times.
Seoul, South Korea
The South Korean government declared a national disaster after wildfire spread across the northeastern coast of the nation. About 4,000 people evacuated their homes and returned the next day as tens of thousands of firefighters, police officers and soldiers worked to put out the largest fires. At least one person died in the disaster and an estimated 1,297 acres of land burned in the wildfires, which is equivalent to more than 730 soccer fields.
Original article by Choe Sang-Hun, April 5, 2019. The New York Times.