Citizens in Colombia are protesting a tax overhaul and the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic
Colombia recorded 20 deaths at protests over the weekend, but Human Rights Watch says the actual count may be closer to 60
Colombian city Cali has become the epicentre of anti-government protests. Over the weekend, individuals in civilian clothing opened fire on demonstrators. Authorities later confirmed one of the gunmen was an off-duty police officer.
The officer allegedly killed two people before the crowd lynched him.
The month of protests come in response to recently proposed social and economic policies. President Ivan Duque has since withdrawn the proposed tax reform.
Since the tax reform was withdrawn, protesters’ demands expanded to include a basic income and an end to police violence. Protesters also called for an end to police violence, including the dissolution of the feared anti-riot unit ESMAD.
In response to the protests, Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez deployed military personnel to thirteen cities to assist local police.
However, critics say this will only fuel the violence and not help end it.
Authorities are investigating 10 police officers who allowed civilians to shoot at protesters
Meanwhile, the protests continue in Colombia, with another one reportedly planned for Wednesday. The attorney general’s office also reportedly linked three additional deaths to protests.
In an interview with a German broadcaster, Jose Miguel Vivanco from Human Rights Watch said the situation in Cali could deteriorate with the deployment of the military.
Colombian security forces have “a very poor record with regard to the use of force,” Vivanco added.
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TikTok users could soon find that the popular social media service is either under new ownership or could be outright banned in the United States.
President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that requires TikTok to find a new owner—or face a ban in the United States.
Over the past several months, Washington D.C. has been under pressure to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app.
Lawmakers and security experts have long raised concerns that the Chinese government could tap TikTok’s trove of personal data about millions of U.S. users.
TikTok’s CEO said the bill is disappointing and reiterated that the company has committed to challenge it.
David Zhang from China Insider. joins Veronica Dudo to discuss
Threads, the social media platform owned by Meta, is gaining traction with a surge in daily active users, outpacing X in the U.S.
With Threads averaging 28 million daily active users compared to X’s 22 million, Meta’s ambitions to reach a billion users seem within reach despite a slowdown in growth. While X still boasts 550 million monthly active users globally, Threads’ focus on user experience and avoidance of real-time and political content could position it as a formidable competitor moving forward.
This weekend’s entertainment lineup has something for everyone.
Apple TV+ brings “Sugar,” a drama set in New York City, while “Civil War” offers historical intensity.
“Challengers” with Zendaya brings a saucy sport drama to life, and superhero buffs can catch the trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” for action-packed fun.
With options spanning drama, history, reality, and superheroes, there’s excitement in store for all this weekend.