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European Commission may slap Google with a serious fine over Android. 13 April 2018. SHARE. Via @Osuta_Yusuf. Over the past several years, Google has faced three antitrust cases by the European Commission regarding Google Shopping, AdSense, and Android’s dominance in the smartphone market. The Commission’s ruling regarding Android will likely arrive in the next several months, slapping Google with a possible multi-billion dollar fine. But rivals and market watchers believe fines and regulations won’t make a significant difference. Outside Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android is the dominant operating system in the smartphone market. It’s typically unaltered packing first-party apps such as Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search and so on, peppered with apps developed internally by smartphone makers. Typically, any “customization” involved relies on visual tweaks to the overall interface and special “launchers” that change the appearance of the home screen and app drawer. Device makers have attempted to offer smartphones with altered, “forked” versions on Android. Amazon made such an attempt with its failed Fire Phone in 2014: A 3D-enabled phone powered by a modified version of Android the company calls Fire OS. It’s the same platform Amazon uses for its Kindle Fire-branded tablets, Fire TV, Echo, Echo Dot, and more. Meanwhile, Samsung’s use of Tizen initially seemed the end of Android on its smartphones, but the company still uses Google’s operating system on its Galaxy devices. That said, there is no real alternative to Android. Even more, Google commands 90 percent of the European search market and provides revenue sharing payments to smartphone makers who pre-install Google Search. Individuals siding with the European Commission claim the company provides strong incentives, too, leaving smartphone makers unable to promote alternatives to Google’s apps. Anything distributed outside Google Play could be considered as untrustworthy by users. That’s because Android’s app-related problem spans years. In the early days, smartphone makers were altering Android to distinguish their products against competitors. Meanwhile, third-party app stores not governed by Google or device manufacturers lured in device owners. The resulting malware epidemic seemingly pushed customers to prefer “pure” Android builds and Google Play apps. The only exception is Amazon’s Android apps store, which still must be side-loaded on Android devices. Seemingly to keep the “pure” theme intact, Google pushes smartphone makers to install the Chrome browser and other first-party apps if Google Play is present. But smartphone makers still have an option to install their own stores and apps, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Apps store on Galaxy-class smartphones. Obviously, Google isn’t completely banning third-party apps from Android, but the European Commission still seems to think that some type of regulation is in order. But European Commission sources claim that it can’t simply order Google to change its Android business under European law. If anything, the Commission can slap Google with a fine and make suggestions: Stop enforcing first-party app installation and stop paying device makers for installing Google Search. Will that make a difference in the overall Android picture? Probably not. “Android is utterly dominant,” CCS Insight’s Geoff Blaber told Reuters. “Whatever the ruling, manufacturers are heavily reliant [on Android] so nothing is going to change dramatically.”

European Commission may slap Google with a serious fine over Android . 13 April 2018. SHARE. Via @Osuta_Yusuf. Over the past several years, Google has faced three antitrust cases by the European Commission regarding Google Shopping , AdSense, and Android’s dominance in the smartphone market. The Commission’s ruling regarding Android will likely arrive in the next several months, slapping Google with a possible multi-billion dollar fine. But rivals and market watchers believe fines and regulations won’t make a significant difference. Outside Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android is the dominant operating system in the smartphone market. It’s typically unaltered packing first-party apps such as Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search and so on, peppered with apps developed internally by smartphone makers. Typically, any “customization” involved relies on visual tweaks to the overall interface and special “launchers” that change the appearance of the home screen and app drawer. Device makers

targeted defense ministry. Rebels have stepped up missile attacks agianst Saudi targets. 12 April 2018. Auto published Via Bloomberg and Osuta Yusuf web. ______________________________________________________________________ Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles and shot down drones sent from Yemen, in the latest attack by pro-Iranian rebels that showed improved military capabilities more than three years into the conflict. One missile was intercepted over Riyadh, with loud blasts heard in the night sky above the Saudi capital on Wednesday. Two other missiles were intercepted over the southern areas of Jazan and Najran, authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it also downed a drone targeting an airport in the southwestern province of Abha and another in Jazan. The missiles were fired just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. would strike Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are backed by Russia and Iran, over a suspected chemical weapons attack. The State Department said the Houthi attacks on Saudi population centers were “fueled by the Iranian regime’s dangerous proliferation of weapons and destabilizing activities in the region.” “It’s hard to see the timing of the latest Houthi strike on Saudi Arabia as purely coincidental,” said Hani Sabra, founder of Advisory, a New York-based consultancy. The attack is probably an Iranian message to embarrass Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is wrapping up a foreign tour to world capitals and has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to destabilize the kingdom, he said. The Houthis have been aiming their ballistic missiles at major Saudi cities and targets more regularly in the past few months than any other period in the three-year war. The kingdom and its allies accuse Iran of arming the Houthis, a charge Tehran denies. Iranian Message? “The Houthis have indeed been stepping up their attacks on their northern neighbor, but with regional tension sharply escalating, particularly as a result of recent Syria-related developments, Iran, through the Houthis, probably wanted to send Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a message,” Sabra said. A missile fired in December was aimed at the main royal palace during a cabinet session headed by King Salman. Last month, Saudi defenses intercepted seven ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh and other cities by the Houthis, the biggest such barrage since the war began in March 2015. The Houthis, who have repeatedly targeted the kingdom in retaliation for its offensive inside Yemen, said Wednesday’s attack on Riyadh was directed at the defense ministry. Increasing Risks “The Houthis’ capabilities have improved -- with outside assistance -- over the course of the conflict, and it is reasonable to expect that they will continue to do so for the duration of the conflict,” said Allison Wood, an analyst with Control Risks. And while Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s best defense systems, the risk of a missile or a drone hitting targets “at some point” will increase with more regular attacks, he said. Saudi Arabia and its allies have been able to recover areas in southern Yemen from the Houthis, but the rebels still control the capital Sana’a and territories in the north. The conflict has caused a humanitarian disaster with thousands of civilian deaths, disease, hunger and displacement.

targeted defense ministry. Rebels have stepped up missile attacks agianst Saudi targets. 12 April 2018. Auto published Via Bloomberg and Osuta Yusuf web. ______________________________________________________________________ Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles and shot down drones sent from Yemen, in the latest attack by pro-Iranian rebels that showed improved military capabilities more than three years into the conflict. One missile was intercepted over Riyadh, with loud blasts heard in the night sky above the Saudi capital on Wednesday. Two other missiles were intercepted over the southern areas of Jazan and Najran, authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it also downed a drone targeting an airport in the southwestern province of Abha and another in Jazan. The missiles were fired just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. would strike Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are backed by Russia and Iran, ov

Zuckerberg apologizes, promises reform as senators grill him over Facebooks failings. 11 April 2018. Via REUTERS. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat down before lawmakers on April 10, and apologized, explained and defended the tech giant amid controversies over data privacy. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg endured an hours-long grilling by dozens of U.S. senators Tuesday during which he repeatedly apologized and promised privacy reforms but also pointedly defended his company against the threat of new legislation. Zuckerberg invoked Facebook’s unlikely journey — from a tiny start-up he co-founded in his Harvard dorm room 14 years ago to a social media behemoth — in explaining Facebook’s frequent privacy missteps and its failure to spot and defeat Russia’s aggressive campaign to manipulate American voters in 2016 and beyond. Senators repeatedly challenged Zuckerberg’s explanations in the wide-ranging hearing, a rare joint session before two Senate panels — the Commerce and Judiciary committees — with 42 senators questioning the Facebook executive. Keep Reading “If Facebook and other online companies will not or cannot fix these privacy invasions, then we will,” said Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), the highest-ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee. But for more than four hours, there was no flash point or loss of composure for Zuckerberg, who was appearing in his first congressional hearing after avoiding such scrutiny for years. His steadiness in the face of tough questioning helped quell the air of crisis that surrounded not just Facebook but also Silicon Valley in general, where collecting user data is essential to many businesses. 1:01 Zuckerberg has a lot of things to ‘follow up’ on after Hill hearing 0:00 / 1:01 Here are all the times the Facebook CEO said he would "follow up" on a question or request during a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee (Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post) Facebook’s stock price, sagging since last month’s revelations about how the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to personal information on 87 million Facebook users, rose during his testimony to end up 4.5 percent for the day, outperforming a generally strong market. Still, the issues raised in the hearing strike at deep problems for one of the most highflying technology companies. Gallup found in a poll released this week that 43 percent of Americans are “very concerned” about Facebook’s invasions of privacy — an increase of 13 percentage points since 2011, when Gallup conducted a similar poll. Zuckerberg, who traded his trademark T-shirt and hoodie for the standard Capitol Hill garb of a dark suit and tie, had holed up with advisers in Washington over the weekend to prepare for the hearing. His tone was one of practiced and patient contrition as he described the company’s recent failings and efforts to remedy them. “It’s clear now that we didn’t do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well,” Zuckerberg said. “And that goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.” Zuckerberg took responsibility for the missteps. “We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. And it was my mistake, and I’m sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here.” Yet there was a broader context to the hearing, coming amid rising complaints about how a range of leading tech companies profit from virtually unfettered access to user data — something increasingly restricted in Europe and elsewhere in the world. In other comments, Zuckerberg singled out Facebook’s inability to identify and combat Russian disinformation efforts as one of his “biggest regrets” and added, “One of my top priorities in 2018 is getting this right.” The scene in Washington as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg faces Congress for the first time View Photos After years of sending his deputies in his place, the chief executive testifies on Capitol Hill. He also confirmed for the second time since February that Facebook officials have been interviewed by investigators for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who have been looking into Russia’s role in influencing the 2016 election. The exchanges between the 33-year-old billionaire and lawmakers were often tense. But Zuckerberg also caused spectators to laugh when he turned down an opportunity for a break, saying he could keep answering questions for 15 more minutes before stopping. Zuckerberg’s acknowledgments of responsibility punctuated an extraordinary shift in tone for him and the company. He has strained in recent weeks to convince lawmakers, users and regulators that Facebook is determined to deliver meaningful change after repeated privacy controversies. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has its own hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning. Several senators asked for detailed answers about how private, third-party companies gained access to personal data on tens of millions of Americans. Others questioned whether the very business model of Facebook — which makes money by selling online advertisements based on what it learns about users on the platform — was flawed. “Mr. Zuckerberg, in many ways, you and the company that you’ve created, the story you’ve created, represent the American Dream,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce Committee. “Many are incredibly inspired by what you’ve done. At the same time, you have an obligation, and it’s up to you, to ensure that dream doesn’t become a privacy nightmare.” In one sharp exchange, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) asked Zuckerberg whether he agreed with a 2016 memo written by Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth, a longtime Zuckerberg deputy. In the memo, Bosworth appeared to suggest that bad outcomes — including bullying and even death — were unfortunate but inevitable side effects of the company’s mission to connect the world. At first, Zuckerberg tried to sidestep the question, saying that most people at the company didn’t agree with the memo. Graham shot back, saying, “If somebody who said this worked for me, I’d fire him.” Zuckerberg replied that he believes it’s important to create a work environment where people feel free to speak their minds. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said later in the hearing, “We’ve seen the apology tours before. . . . I don’t see how you can change your business model unless there are different rules of the road.” Facebook’s recent controversies have generated a rare level of bipartisan consensus about the power of social media to twist public discourse and jeopardize the functioning of democracies. Many lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats — are calling for new legislation, fines or greater regulation. In one of the most contentious exchanges of the afternoon, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) accused Facebook of a “pervasive pattern of political bias” against conservatives. Zuckerberg disputed the allegation, saying he worked to prevent such bias despite acknowledging that Silicon Valley was “an extremely left-leaning place.” Another pointed exchange took place when Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Zuckerberg what hotel he stayed at Monday night and the names of anyone he messaged this week. Zuckerberg, appearing amused by the question, declined to answer. Durbin shot back, “I think that may be what this is all about: your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote, ‘connecting people around the world.’ ” The air of expectation around the hearing was remarkable, even by the standards of televised Capitol Hill political theater. Spectators lined up along the walls of the Hart Senate Office Building hours in advance, snaking from the 138-seat hearing room on the second floor. To account for the expanded roster of members attending the hearing — amounting to almost half the Senate — congressional staffers added an extra table to the dais. One attendee arrived dressed as a Russian troll — in a scout-like uniform with fake troll hair and a scarf resembling a Russian flag. Three others in the crowd rose before Zuckerberg entered to protest. Wearing neon-colored, oversize glasses that read “stop spying,” they displayed poster boards — labeled Code Pink — with slogans like“stop corporate spying” and “protect our privacy” and “Like us on Facebook.” Outside, on the Capitol’s lawn, 100 life-size cutouts of Zuckerberg sported T-shirts reading, “fix fakebook” — the work of an advocacy group, Avaaz, calling attention to how fake accounts spread disinformation on the social network. Tech News Email Alerts Breaking news about technology and tech companies. Sign up Facebook has been reeling since the November 2016 election, during which phony news reports spread widely on its platform and Russian operatives mounted an ambitious campaign to divide American voters, damage Democrat Hillary Clinton and bolster the chances of Republican Donald Trump. Facebook appeared to be recovering from those controversies until last month’s revelations about Cambridge Analytica. Facebook last week acknowledged a separate problem in which “malicious actors” were able to identify and collect data on Facebook users on such a massive scale that most of the company’s 2.2 billion users were affected. As the company has mobilized to quell rising political opposition, Facebook also has wrestled government investigations in the United States and Europe. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating potential violations of a 2011 consent decree over privacy policy at Facebook that could lead to record fines for the company. Follow The Post’s tech blog, The Switch, where technology and policy connect. Comments Craig Timberg is a national technology reporter for The Washington Post. Since joining The Post in 1998, he has been a reporter, editor and foreign correspondent, and he contributed to The Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the National Security Agency. Follow @craigtimberg Tony Romm is a technology policy reporter at The Washington Post. He has spent more than eight years covering the ways that tech companies like Apple, Facebook and Google navigate the corridors of government -- and the regulations that sometimes result. Follow @tonyromm Elizabeth Dwoskin has been reporting from Silicon Valley since 2013. She was the Wall Street Journal's first full-time beat reporter covering big data and artificial intelligence. In 2016, she joined The Washington Post as Silicon Valley correspondent, becoming the paper's eyes and ears in the region and in the wider world of tech. Follow @lizzadwoskin Paid Promoted Stories Celebrities at the Airport in the 1970s: The Photos Esquire Getting Around the Obstacles to Multi-Factor Authentication in Today’s Access Environment CSO Online Looking back on ayear full of trhill and adventures as Trip 360 completes a year The Adventure Beat How to Make a Strong First Impression GROCO CPAs & Advisors Recommended by Most Read 1 Zuckerberg apologizes, promises reform as senators grill him over Facebook’s failings 2 Transcript of Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate hearing 3 Trump executive order strengthens work requirements for neediest Americans 4 Xi vs Trump: Who has the better hand in potential trade war? 5 Analysis ‘Your user agreement sucks’: Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate grilling, in 10 key moments The story must be told. 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Zuckerberg apologizes, promises reform as senators grill him over Facebooks failings. 11 April 2018. Via REUTERS. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat down before lawmakers on April 10, and apologized, explained and defended the tech giant amid controversies over data privacy. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg endured an hours-long grilling by dozens of U.S. senators Tuesday during which he repeatedly apologized and promised privacy reforms but also pointedly defended his company against the threat of new legislation. Zuckerberg invoked Facebook’s unlikely journey — from a tiny start-up he co-founded in his Harvard dorm room 14 years ago to a social media behemoth — in explaining Facebook’s frequent privacy missteps and its failure to spot and defeat Russia’s aggressive campaign to manipulate American voters in 2016 and beyond. Senators repeatedly challenged Zuckerberg’s explanations in the wide-ranging hearing, a rare joint session before two Senate panels — the Commerce and Judic

MTN, UCC defend selves over hacking MPs simcard. 10 March 2018. Automatically published from @Dailymonitor, to @OsutaYusuf. _________________________________________________________________ In his application, MP Mwine Mpaka accuses MTN of hacking into his mobile money account and extorting more than Shs40 million from his contacts Western Youth Member of Parliament, Mwine Mpaka accuses MTN of hacking into his mobile money account and extorting more than Shs40 million from his contacts. FILE PHOTO BY AGENCIES IN SUMMARY MTN says it pays over Shs350 billion to URA annually and therefore, government shouldn't be put at a risk of losing such sums of cash.UCC says they tried to strike an outside court settlement as provided for under section 45 of the UCC act with the applicant in vain. Telecom giant MTN Uganda and Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC) have defended themselves against accusations of hacking into the mobile money account of Mwine Mpaka, the Western Youth Member of Parliament. The legislator took the Telecom Company and regulator to the High Court Civil Division on April 05, 2018. In his application, Mpaka accuses MTN of hacking into his mobile money account and extorting more than Shs40 million from his contacts. In the same application, Mpaka accuses Uganda Communications Commission and Bank of Uganda of failing to regulate communication and Mobile Money transactions respectively, which exposes mobile money users to fraudsters. In his application, Mpaka wants UCC not to renew MTN's license because of the alleged irregularities. He also wants the company to pay for the damage caused under his name. On Monday, MTN filed its defence against the application through its lawyer, Yona Tumusingize before the High Court Civil Division Deputy Registrar, Joy Kabagye. In his submission, Tumusingize objected to Mpaka's application on grounds that MTN has a number of customers who cannot suffer because of an incident, which happened to a single person. He argued that MTN has over 11.5million clients, 5million of whom are registered mobile money users and over 1,200 employees and cannot risk losing their jobs because of a single incident. Above all, Tumusingize told Court that MTN company pays over Shs350 billion to Uganda Revenue Authority annually in form of tax, arguing that government shouldn't be put at a risk of losing such sums of cash. "While the rights of the applicant have to be looked at, these so far also have to be considered bearing in mind the balance of inconvenience," Tumusingyize told court. The UCC Lawyer, Abdul Salaam Waiswa also told court that they tried to strike an outside court settlement as provided for under section 45 of the UCC act with the applicant in vain. "The Commission wrote to the applicant seeking to settle the matters outside court, but he never replied the letter," he said. Kabagye adjourned court to April 11, 2018 to allow Waiswa to summarize the UCC defense. Bank of Uganda will also present its defence on the same date. Two MTN employees believed to have hacked into the mobile money accounts of Mpaka, lands minister Persis Namuganza and agriculture state minister Christopher Kibazanga are standing trial at Buganda road Court. They are Nasser Kigenyi and Henry Magembe.

MTN, UCC defend selves over hacking MP's simcard . 10 March 2018. Automatically published from @Dailymonitor, to @OsutaYusuf. _________________________________________________________________ In his application, MP Mwine Mpaka accuses MTN of hacking into his mobile money account and extorting more than Shs40 million from his contacts Western Youth Member of Parliament, Mwine Mpaka accuses MTN of hacking into his mobile money account and extorting more than Shs40 million from his contacts. FILE PHOTO BY AGENCIES IN SUMMARY MTN says it pays over Shs350 billion to URA annually and therefore, government shouldn't be put at a risk of losing such sums of cash.UCC says they tried to strike an outside court settlement as provided for under section 45 of the UCC act with the applicant in vain. Telecom giant MTN Uganda and Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC) have defended themselves against accusations of hacking into the mobile money account of Mwine Mpaka, the Western Youth M

Somalia parliament speaker resigns ahead of motion against him - lawmaker. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Automatically published Via REUTERS. 9 April 2018. The speaker of Somalia’s parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, has resigned ahead of a confidence motion against him, a lawmaker said, ending weeks of political tension. “We were in the parliament house this morning ready for the motion against the speaker. Then the deputy speaker came in and read a resignation letter from the speaker,” lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow told Reuters. The Constitutional Affairs of Somalia, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, tweeted the news. We applauded and his resignation was accepted as per the constitution. That is the end of the political crisis. “We applauded and his resignation was accepted as per the constitution. That is the end of the political crisis.” Jawari had earlier defied calls to resign, saying ‘I do not work for them, I am not going to resign’. The crisis, which was fuelled by accusations of abuse of power and obstruction of constitutional reform against Jawari, put the executive and legislature at loggerheads for weeks. Jawari had held his position since August 2012 and has clashed with other lawmakers, including over a decision to withdraw an impeachment motion against the then president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in 2015. Somalia has been in a state of lawlessness since the early 1990s, when dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was toppled by warlords. It has also had to contend with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab which carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu and other regions, in a campaign to topple the government.

Somalia parliament speaker resigns ahead of motion against him - lawmaker . ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Automatically published Via REUTERS. 9 April 2018. The speaker of Somalia’s parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, has resigned ahead of a confidence motion against him, a lawmaker said, ending weeks of political tension. “We were in the parliament house this morning ready for the motion against the speaker. Then the deputy speaker came in and read a resignation letter from the speaker,” lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow told Reuters. The Constitutional Affairs of Somalia, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, tweeted the news. We applauded and his resignation was accepted as per the constitution. That is the end of the political crisis. “We applauded and his resignation was accepted as per the constitution. That is the end of the political crisis.” Jawari had earlier defied calls to resign, saying ‘I do not work for them, I am not go

Sierra Leone president sets up cross party committee to address post election violence. 9 April 2018. Auto Applet run from Osuta Yusuf website. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Efforts to reconcile the newly elected Sierra Leone president, Julius Maada Bio and losing candidate Samura Kamara intensified over the weekend, amidst reports of clashes between the two main political parties. On Saturday, members of the Kamara’s All People’s Congress Party (APC) including the presidential candidate, his running mate and the secretary general of the party paid a courtesy visit to president Bio at his Juba Residence in Freetown. At the end of the meeting which addressed political violence and intimidation, the office of the president released a statement saying Bio had initiated a cross party committee to address political violence. President Julius Maada Bio has instructed the cross party committee to work in concert with the Sierra Leone police to investigate all complaints of violence and intimidation. According to the statement, the committee will comprise the leadership of both APC and Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). ‘‘President Julius Maada Bio has instructed the cross party committee to work in concert with the Sierra Leone police to investigate all complaints of violence and intimidation, and to ensure that the law is applied with full force against anyone found culpable,’‘ read part of the statement. On Sunday, Bio and Kamara, together with their wives, attended the same church service, as part of efforts to strengthen the reconciliation between the two parties following the March 31 presidential runoff election. Following the announcement of results announcing Bio as winner of the election, violence erupted among supporters of the SLPP and APC. The areas that were affected included Kenema,Makeni and Freetown where people sustained serious injuries. There were also reports of confrontation of security forces in which many civilians and police officers were seriously injured . The National Grand Coalition (NGC),which came third party in the March 7th election (first round) called on the leadership of both parties to take immediate steps to call their supporters to order. Before the Saturday meeting, the secretary general of APC, Osman Yansanneh complained that their supporters had come under attack and that efforts to get the SLPP chairman to rein in his supporters had been fruitless until the Saturday meeting was granted.

Sierra Leone president sets up cross party committee to address post election violence . 9 April 2018. Auto Applet run from Osuta Yusuf website. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Efforts to reconcile the newly elected Sierra Leone president, Julius Maada Bio and losing candidate Samura Kamara intensified over the weekend, amidst reports of clashes between the two main political parties. On Saturday, members of the Kamara’s All People’s Congress Party (APC) including the presidential candidate, his running mate and the secretary general of the party paid a courtesy visit to president Bio at his Juba Residence in Freetown. At the end of the meeting which addressed political violence and intimidation, the office of the president released a statement saying Bio had initiated a cross party committee to address political violence. President Julius Maada Bio has instructed the cross party committee to wor

Ghost Squad Hackers or by the abbreviation "GSH" is a politically motivated hacktivist team led by the administrative de facto leader known as "s1ege". The groups prime intent and focus is embedded on anti-governmental/organization cyber protests within current involvements of media speculation and real life happenings in 2016 to present.[1][2] In Jan. 2016, GSH started its very first attacks by the defacing of Ethiopian government websites in response to the killing of nearly 500 students and activists by Ethiopian Security Forces during protests that became extremely violent in the latter part of 2015 and then sparked again in August–October 2016 Ethiopian protests.[3] They then went on to target Donald Trump with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in protest of what they saw as racist comments made towards Mexicans and refugees.[4] The group gained more notoriety after having successfully leaked data of the Israeli Defense Force on April 7, 2016. This was the day #OpIsrael was launched along with Anonymous, leaking the Database of Israel Defense Forceposting thousands of IDF soldiers, boarder patrol, and Israeli Air Forcepersonnel information online.[5] On April 23, 2016 GSH targeted the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan by taking their websites down in the protest of racism while Anonymous vs. KKKprotests were happening in the state of Georgia, U.S.A.[6] Ghost Squad Hackersdid the same however, in a turn of events taking down Black Lives Matter's official website after claiming the organization fueled further racism. After encountering further opposition and confrontation between Anonymous activists and BLMgroup that led to GSH shutting down Black Lives Matter's website over 100 times.[7] Word was quick to spread as GSH and Anonymous were both put in spot light by the TV Series Mr. Robot in an article published online.[8] GSH and Anonymous worked in correlation together when "Operation Icarus" was first launched in February 2016.[9] The op was aimed at attacking the central banking system which the attackers accused the banks with corruption and wanted to raise public awareness. This attack sparked the invitation of more hacking teams and affiliations of Anonymous to focus their attention towards that of the Central Banks in direct regards of further scrutiny and cyber attacks. Ghost Squad Hacker's leader 's1ege' claimed responsibility for the attacks which were carried out on the Bank of England email server and dozens of other banking websites including the New York Stock Exchange, Bank of France, Bank of Greece, Bank of Jordanand the Bank of South Korea, among others. "s1ege" went on to state that they want to "start an online revolution" to retaliate against the "elite banking cartels putting the world in a perpetual state of chaos."[10] Notoriety of the group continued to escalate as the heat was turned up during the month of June, 2016. After censoring of media coverage in regards to OpIsrael, OpSilence was initiated targeting mainstream media outlets such as CNN and Fox News.[11] A data dump was later leaked after hacking the United States Military personnel files and releasing information on close to 2,437 army personnel.[12] The information contained in the link was uploaded to an onion link on the dark web along with a paste-bin link which contained credit card numbers and personal information on U.S. Army personnel. July 19, 2016 the sub domain of Baton Rouge City government website was hacked twice in one day by GSH after previously making news after attack towards both the KKK and BLM.[13]These attacks however were targeting the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in protest against police brutality in which a city native Alton Sterling was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police officers on the 5th earlier that month. The Baton Rouge website was defaced along with a picture of Alton Sterling with a message that read, "Being black is not a crime! This is for the shooting of Alton Sterling, just because he's black does not mean he is a bad guy. You will pay. We are the justice. We are Ghost Squad Hackers. /R.I.P. Alton Sterling." Later in the same month GSH took over the official Twitter account of Afghanistan's Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in an effort to raise awareness against corruption and alleged drug deals between Afghanistanand the U.S.[14] They also targeted the Afghan Public Credit Registry websiteby defacing it which also further allowed them access to several social media accounts including Dr. Abdullah's in which they tweeted, "Afghanistan Gov Hacked by GhostSquadHackers #CheifExecutiveOfficer Can you hear me now? twitter.com/afgexecutive. We found an exploit in the government server and pulled every login we could. We have more also but Dr. Abdullah was not using phone restriction and 2FA was not enabled," a member of GSH stated. The attacks on the Afghan governmentcontinued relentlessly on the first of September after prior targeting of Afghanistan's Chief Executive Twitteraccount, GSH further assaulted the government by defacing twelve websites in one day all of which were affiliated with the Afghan government.[15] This included the Afghanistan's Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, and the Afghan Attorney General's Office. Further assaults continued in hopes of raising awareness for Palestine as part of OpSilence and OpIsrael after shutting down the Israeli Prime Minister and the Bank of Israel. [1] The groups focus in 2017 shifted slightly towards targeting ISIS and removing them off the internet and social mediacompletely. A multitude of accounts from Facebook, Twitter, and Telegramalike were hacked and added to an extensive list of ISIS removed. Further efforts by GSH later revealed bomb instructions and plans to be carried out by ISIS.[16] A guide was also published as an Anonymous move to help enlist the talent of other hackers in hopes to further the attack on ISIS. The influence of Ghost Squad Hacker's achievements have made a large impact on the modern day fine grey line that borders that of activists and hackers alike, helping to raise awareness towards both corporate and governmental injustices.

Ghost Squad Hackers or by the abbreviation " GSH " is a politically motivated hacktivist team led by the administrative de facto leader known as "s1ege". The groups prime intent and focus is embedded on anti-governmental/organization cyber protests within current involvements of media speculation and real life happenings in 2016 to present. [1] [2] In Jan. 2016, GSH started its very first attacks by the defacing of Ethiopian government websites in response to the killing of nearly 500 students and activists by Ethiopian Security Forces during protests that became extremely violent in the latter part of 2015 and then sparked again in August–October 2016 Ethiopian protests . [3] They then went on to target Donald Trump with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in protest of what they saw as racist comments made towards Mexicans and refugees. [4] The group gained more notoriety after having successfully leaked data of the Israeli Defense Force on