May 2, 2019

First politician allowed into Colombia's war crimes tribunal; at least 40 to follow

by Jake Kincaid April 29, 2019



David Char (R) and other members of Colombia's Caribbean jet-set (Image: El Heraldo)


The first politician submitted to Colombia’s war crimes tribunal, and at least 40 are set to follow and be investigated over their role in war crimes.

The first one to submit to the transitional justice system is former Senator David Char, a former congressman and a member of the powerful Char dynasty, multiple local media reported.

The sins of Colombia’s ruling class
Char was arrested in 2017 as one of 14 dynasty politicians from the Caribbean region who used paramilitary death squads to advance their political ambitions.

His case will now be transferred to the transitional justice system, but the politician is not immediately allowed to be released from jail unlike former guerrillas and members of the military who submitted to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

More:
https://colombiareports.com/first-politician-allowed-into-colombias-war-crimes-tribunal-at-least-40-to-follow/

May 2, 2019

Chimpstagram: video of ape browsing app goes viral - but what is going on?

The internet has been captivated by Sugriva and her use of Instagram, but some animal experts haven’t been so impressed

Oliver Milman in New York

@olliemilman
Thu 2 May 2019 01.00 EDT

Chimpanzees are known to use at least 22 types of tools in the wild but in captivity a less rudimentary device now appears to be within ape capabilities – Instagram.

Last week, a video showing a chimpanzee casually swiping through Instagram on a smartphone was posted on the photo-sharing application by Kody Antle, son of Mahamayavi Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who is founder of Myrtle Beach Safari, a 50-acre wildlife reserve in South Carolina.

The post showed the chimp, named Sugriva according to Antle’s caption, scrolling through pictures and tapping on a video showing the animal leaping into the arms of Mike Holston, an American former professional football player, who now posts videos of various exotic animals on social media under the moniker The Real Tarzann (sic).

The video highlighted the curiosity and adaptive nature of chimps, which share 99% of their DNA with humans, making them our closest living relatives in the natural world.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/02/instagram-chimp-video-ape-browsing-app-goes-viral

May 2, 2019

Brazil's Bolsonaro wants police in schools, discipline code

Brazil's Bolsonaro wants police in schools, discipline code
Diane Jeantet and Eraldo Peres, Associated Press Updated 11:34 pm CDT, Wednesday, May 1, 2019



Photo: Eraldo Peres, AP
IMAGE 1 OF 20
In this March 28, 2019 photo, Major Edney Freire salutes the flag during a ceremony in the main courtyard of the Ceilandia state school No. 7 in Brasilia, Brazil. The administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is pushing to expand schools that are co-run by armed police to improve behavior and academic results.

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — When students at Ceilandia state school No. 7 in Brazil's capital came back from their break in February, they were met by two dozen uniformed police officers in a place they barely recognized anymore.

Guns in their holsters, the officers ordered students to form rows in the schoolyard. The students were given white T-shirts pending the arrival of their new uniforms. From now on, hair would have to be kept short for boys and tied at the back for girls. No more shorts, caps, brightly colored nail varnish, earrings or any distinctive pieces of clothing. Students arriving late wouldn't be let in.

"Sometimes we feel intimidated," said Michael Pereira da Silva, 17, who was against the decision to hire police to instill military-like discipline in the school. "Just going out into the hall, we are obligated to bow our heads or say hello to police officers."

Although experiments began in previous years, the quasi-military approach is one of the most visible educational efforts being championed under new President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain who campaigned on promises to improve Brazilian schools, which are widely recognized as a problem. A 2015 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked educational performance in Brazil as 63rd out of 72 countries and regions.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Brazil-s-Bolsonaro-wants-police-in-schools-13812425.php