May 31, 2023

Berliner Tageszeitung: Criminal complaint in Berlin, Germany, against Elon Musk and Twitter for possible fraud to the detriment of users

BERLIN, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG reports today that a criminal complaint has been filed with the Berlin public prosecutor’s office against Elon Musk, file number: 253 UJs 1012/23, alleging that Musk charged Twitter users on their credit cards but blocked them without giving any reason.

Source: https://www.BerlinerTageszeitung.de/wirtschaft/269895-criminal-complaint-in-berlin-germany-against-elon-musk-and-twitter-for-possible-fraud-to-the-detriment-of-twitter-users.html

“Blocking user accounts is a daily occurrence at Twitter, but the fact that they then continuously charge money to users’ credit cards makes the matter explosive and is currently occupying the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office (Federal Republic of Germany). In any case, the question arises as to how much power a medium like Twitter can be granted at all and when the regulatory authorities should intervene to protect Twitter users.”

Incidentally, this is not the first time Elon Musk has been investigated, as there is also currently an investor lawsuit against Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The lawsuit is about Musk’s tweets in August 2018 with the premature announcement that he wanted to take the electric car company off the stock market and had secured the financing to do so. It later emerged that there were no firm commitments from investors.

“Elon Musk lied,” said a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

US Judge Edward Chen (Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California) had already found in the 2022 trial that Musk’s statements in the tweets had not been true.

“We will continue to monitor the case closely and report further developments as new information becomes available. It remains to be seen how the criminal charges against Elon Musk and Twitter will develop and what the consequences might be.

From a factual point of view, it should be noted that according to Article 48 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the presumption of innocence applies to defendants and accused persons, which must also apply in the case of the criminal charges against Elon Musk for “suspected fraud to the detriment of Twitter users”.

META KEYS: Elon Musk, Elon Musk Twitter, Elon Musk Strafanzeige, Twitter accounts, Thierry Breton, Thierry Breton Twitter, Berlin public prosecutor’s office against Elon Musk, Twitter users, BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG, verified Twitter accounts

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3c50532-be3a-4bad-8e85-7253731d594c

Press Contact:

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG
Press Contact: P. Hansen
Unter den Linden 21
10117 Berlin
Germany
Mail: Info@DeutscheTageszeitung.de
Web: http://www.DeutscheTageszeitung.de

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8849854

May 31, 2023

Economic woes dash job prospects in low income countries: ILO

In its new Monitor on the World of Work report, ILO shows that while in high-income countries, only 8.2 per cent of people willing to work are jobless, that number rises to over 21 per cent in low-income countries – or one in every five people.

Low-income countries in debt distress are worst affected, with more than one in four people who want to work unable to secure employment.

Widening jobs gap

ILO’s Assistant Director-General for Jobs and Social Protection, Mia Seppo, said that global unemployment was expected to fall below pre-pandemic levels, with a projected rate of 5.3 per cent in 2023, equivalent to 191 million people.

However, low-income countries, especially those in Africa and the Arab region, were unlikely to see such declines in unemployment this year.

The 2023 global jobs gap, which refers to those who want to work but do not have a job, is projected to rise to 453 million people, she said, with women 1.5 times more affected than men.

Africa hit hardest

The UN agency further indicated that Africa’s labour market had been hit the hardest during the pandemic, which explained the slow pace of recovery on the continent.

Unlike wealthy nations, debt distress across the continent and a very limited fiscal and policy space, meant that few countries in Africa could put in place the kind of comprehensive stimulus packages they needed to spur economic recovery, ILO explained.

Inadequate social protection

Ms. Seppo stressed that without improvement in people’s employment prospects, there would be no sound economic and social recovery. Equally important is investment in welfare safety nets for those who lose their jobs, the ILO senior official insisted, which is often inadequate in low-income countries.

According to the agency’s research, boosting social protection and expanding old age pensions would increase gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in low and middle-income countries by almost 15 per cent over a decade.

Social investment benefit

The annual cost of such measures would be around 1.6 per cent of GDP – a “large but not insurmountable” investment. Ms. Seppo suggested that the amount could be financed by a mix of social contributions, taxes and international support.

“There is an economic gain to investing in social protection”, she said.

Ms. Seppo also insisted that the need to create fiscal space for social investment in low-income countries should be considered “with urgency as part of the ongoing global discussion on the reform of the international financial architecture.”

Prepare for the future of work

While the unemployed divide projected by the report was worrisome, it was “not inevitable”, Ms. Seppo said, and the right concerted action on jobs and social protection funding could support a recovery and reconstruction which leaves no one behind.

In calling for improved capacity to develop “coherent, data-informed labour market policies” that protect the most vulnerable, the ILO senior official insisted that these should have an emphasis on upskilling and reskilling the labour force to prepare it for a “greener, more digital world of work”.

Source: EMM/ UN

May 31, 2023

Only 8 Counties Published The 4 Quarterly Budget Implementation Report

International Budget Partnership Kenya (IBPKenya) has announced that only eight counties have published all the four quarterly budget implementations.

Speaking at a Nairobi hotel Wednesday, during the lunch of the County Budget Transparency Survey (CBTS2022) Report, IBPKenya lead researcher Kipkorir Biegon said that by not publishing these reports, counties missed the opportunity to communicate with the public on how their spending is reaching its intended targets.

Biegon said the Constitution of Kenya and Public Finance Management require each of the 47 counties to publish and publicize Budget documents through the budget cycle.

“Despite the progress made by counties in enhancing budget transparency, there was still a lot of information that counties are not making publicly available,” he said.

The Lead researcher said according to the CBTS2022 Report, West Pokot, Makueni and Kwale counties emerged with the most transparent budget, while Kwale County emerged as the most improved county by scoring 74points from 23points from the year 2021.

“In the CBTS 2022, the budget documents which counties had previously published in CBTS 2021, were not published, which allows counties to sustain the gains realized by consistently publishing budget documents which are previously available,” said Biegon.

International Budget Partnership County Manager Dr. Abraham Rugo said by promoting the principles of transparency and public participation anchored in the Public Finance Management Act (PFM), counties enhance on their credibility by building a community of citizens that are actively involved in budget processes and can hold their governments to account.

West Pokot County Governor Simon Kachapin said that they had good maintenance of public funds which were published timely.

“By promoting IBP, we urge citizens to participate in decision making processes in terms of budget. This will yield trust between the Government and citizens,” said Kachapin.

At the same time, he disclosed that they have steps in the county, which enhance public transparency including publishing detailed budgets in a timely manner in the county websites, capacity building programmes and equipping their staff with skills and knowledge to foster transparency.

He emphasized that they have established platforms for dialogue for citizens to contribute towards the budget survey transparency.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 31, 2023

165 Youths Benefit From Digital Training Program

Computer for Schools Kenya (CFSK) and Huawei in partnership with the office of the Woman Representative in Kisii have successfully trained 165 young people on digital skills as part of the county’s efforts to bridge the persistent digital divide.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony held in Kisii town, CFSK Head of Training and Academics Dr. Martin Kathurima said the participants had received comprehensive education and essential technological skills through the innovative DigiTruck program.

Dr. Kathurima noted the training helps the learners to navigate the digital landscape and seize promising opportunities for personal growth and empowerment.

The Head of Training underscored the need for partnerships with county governments and like-minded organizations to ensure that young people acquire the necessary skills for advancement adding that their training programs span across 30 counties and 4,000 youths had benefitted.

He pointed out that they were expanding their efforts with the aim of reaching grassroots levels, specifically targeting sub-counties and wards, to ensure a broader impact within the community.

Kisii Woman Representative, Dorice Aburi noted the program’s significance in equipping young individuals with computer skills that are increasingly essential in securing employment.

Aburi lauded a unique aspect of the initiative that provided mentorship and counseling services to young people who often experience mental health challenges.

Geoffrey Machoka, one of the beneficiaries of the program, commended the office of the Woman Representative for its commitment to empowering young people by equipping them with the necessary digital skills through the free initiative.

This collaboration between the Computer for Schools Kenya, Huawei Kenya, and the office of the Woman Representative stands as a transformative effort to bridge the digital divide, empower the youth and address mental health concerns within the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 31, 2023

Residents Urged To Embrace HPV Immunisation, Routine Cancer Screening

Residents of Kakamega County have been urged to embrace Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination and routine cancer screening to enable early diagnosis and timely treatment.

Speaking during the launch of the county’s Malezi bora campaign at Kivaywa Primary school in Matete Sub County, Kakamega Governor’s wife Janet Barasa said the HPV vaccine administered to young girls is important in the prevention of cervical cancer.

While rubbishing claims that the vaccine is meant for family planning, Barasa said cervical cancer is on the rise worldwide and currently it is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in Kenya.

She said nine women die every day of cervical cancer and the number is likely to double by 2040 hence appealed to stakeholders particularly parents and community leaders to ensure all the female children in the targeted age group are vaccinated.

“Cervical cancer affects girls and women. In the ongoing campaign we are targeting girls aged 10-14 years with a two dose vaccine administered 6 months apart.

If we don’t vaccinate our female children against HPV and they get infected they will not be able to bear children in future,” she stated.

She told men that the virus causing cervical cancer in women is responsible for causing breast cancer in men hence they should not assume they are safe.

She said: “When our children are being vaccinated against HPV, we as parents should also go for screening. Let men go for breast and prostate cancer screening as women go for breast and cervical cancer screening.”

On the malezi bora campaign, Ms Barasa who is also the county nutrition champion, reminded mothers that it is imperative for them to ensure their children get a healthy upbringing in their first 1000 days.

She noted that the one week campaign is meant to accelerate uptake of health services targeting children aged five years and below, expectant mothers, lactating mothers and women of reproductive age.

During the period, according to Barasa, both the health workers and the community collaborate to ensure children get the necessary package of care to give them a health start in life.

She said children will be immunised, dewormed and be given vitamin A supplements.

The other services she said will include malaria prevention using insecticide treated nets, improved antenatal care and family planning and administration of HPV vaccines to adolescent girls.

Barasa noted that this year’s focus will be offering vitamin A supplements to all children aged 6 to 59 months as data indicates that mothers no longer take children for vitamin A supplementation at the health facilities.

“This is saddening because vitamin A is vital for growth and development of the child. When they do not receive the supplements and they don’t eat food rich in vitamin A, the children end up with vitamin A deficiency diseases.

“This is a public health problem and lack of the vitamin weakens the immunity of the children exposing them to diseases and early deaths. The deficiency is also the leading cause of preventable child blindness,” she said, urging mothers to ensure their children receive

the supplementation after every six months.

Barasa also emphasised on the importance of routine child immunisation saying it has been the most successful and cost effective public health intervention in history.

She said: “For instance, small pox was eliminated through immunisation and the prevalence of diseases such as poliomyelitis has been significantly reduced due to immunisation.

Generally, immunisation eliminates diseases which otherwise would have been very expensive for our health systems.

The vision of the immunisation agenda 2030 is a world where everyone everywhere at every age fully benefits from the vaccines for good health and well-being.”

Kakamega County Public Health Chief Officer George Mukodo who spoke earlier said cervical cancer is dangerous and if not detected early in most cases it leads to death.

He emphasised on the need of all parents to embrace the ongoing HPV vaccination in schools.

“The HPV virus causes cervical cancer. If a girl child is vaccinated at the tender age of 10-14 years she will be safe.

I am also urging mothers to go for frequent screening because if the disease is detected at an early stage it can be managed,”Mukodo said.

Lugari Sub County Medical Officer of Health Evans Sena noted that vitamin A deficiency is a public health concern affecting children and the ministry of health has put in place several strategies to curb the problem.

“Malezi bora campaign is one of the strategies aimed at enhancing the coverage of vitamin A supplementation. We have routine supplementation at the health facilities, but we still miss out on some children, thus not achieving the targeted coverage,” he explained.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 31, 2023

CS Kindiki Orders Transfer Of All Isebania Border Post Security Officers

Interior and National Government Administration Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. Kithure Kindiki has ordered for the transfer of all police officers serving at Isebania border post in a bold move to mitigate rising insecurity within and around the border.

The decision comes in the wake of heightened armed attacks and public violence that has so far left six people dead and property destroyed.

Addressing a high-flying closed door security meeting followed by a public meeting at the border town this morning, Kindiki regretted the act of ineptness by the security officers in the recent past.

He emphasised that police officers deployed to protect wananchi and their property had neglected their duties leading to security gaps that the locals blamed on the officers.

Last week, armed thugs raided the town in broad daylight killing one businessman, sparking a public violence that left five locals dead after being shot by police officers.

The local community had tried to storm the local police station, while protesting the death of the businessman prompting the police to shoot at the huge crowd killing the five victims.

Addressing the public, Kindiki who was flanked by the area county commissioner (CC) David Gitonga and police commander Mark Wanjala said that a new team of police officers had already been posted in the region to help restore peace and order within the region.

At the same time, Kindiki announced that all non-security personnel serving the government in various department would be replaced with other officers.

These include officers working at the customs, KEBS, immigration and anti-counterfeit departments who have been identified to have overstayed in their stations.

“The government agenda going forward will be to summarily dismiss of non-performing police and non-police officers without transferring their problems elsewhere,” he remarked.

Kindiki said the state will not shy away from fighting the ongoing illicit trade, singling the illegal business of smuggling drugs, counterfeit goods and illicit ethanol from the neighbouring Tanzania.

The CS however urged the local community to stop fueling violence against security officers posted in the area, warning that the culprits would be punished severely if arrested.

Source: Kenya News Agency