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Brazil lifts ban on Elon Musk’s X platform

Brazil lifts ban on Elon Musk’s X platform

The platform formerly known as Twitter was suspended in Brazil, one of its largest markets, at the end of August. Brazil’s Supreme Court has lifted a ban on Elon Musk’s X after the platform was blocked amid a dispute over disinformation. “I authorise the immediate return of the activities” of X, Judge Alexandre de Moraes said in his ruling, after the company paid millions of dollars in fines for failing to comply with a series of court orders. He gave Brazil’s communications regulator 24 hours to make the platform accessible again. Musk, the world’s richest man and a self-declared “free speech absolutist“, has yet to react to the decision. Through its Global Affairs account, X said it was proud to return to Brazil, adding that it would “continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law” in the countries where it operates. The platform formerly known as Twitter was suspended in Brazil, one of its largest and most-coveted markets, at the end of August in a standoff over online disinformation related to Brazil’s 2022 election campaign. X had also failed to name a legal representative in the country, as required by law. After Moraes blocked X, Musk lashed out at the judge, calling him an “evil dictator” and dubbing him “Voldemort” after the villain from the Harry Potter series. Moraes, for his part, accused the platform of undermining democracy by allowing disinformation to flourish – a position backed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who declared that the state would not “be intimidated by individuals, companies or digital platforms that believe themselves to be above the law”. X eventually complied with all of Moraes’s demands in order to have the suspension lifted. Last week, the judge confirmed that the company had also settled fines amounting to about $5.2m. The Brazil dispute was one of a series of recent face-offs between Musk, and governments including Australia and the United Kingdom seeking to prevent the spread of online misinformation. X had 22 million users in Brazil before it was blocked. Adblock test (Why?)

Mexico’s security minister says beheaded mayor asked for no protection

Mexico’s security minister says beheaded mayor asked for no protection

The Mexican government has revealed new details in the grisly murder of a mayor, Alejandro Arcos, who was found decapitated over the weekend. Arcos’s murder came nearly a week after President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, ramping up pressure on her administration to tamp down on cartel-related violence in the country. On Tuesday, Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch told reporters that Arcos, a prominent opposition figure, had not requested any security escorts on the day of his killing. “The mayor was going to Petaquillas for a meeting alone,” Garcia Harfuch said, referring to a town in the coastal state of Guerrero. “We know that he was going to a specific meeting, he was not accompanied, communication was lost in the community, and the discovery [of his body] was made hours later.” When pressed by journalists, the minister emphasised that Arcos had approached neither the Ministry of Security nor the National Guard for assistance, despite reports that the mayor had told local media he wanted extra protection. Garcia Harfuch also underscored that the investigation into Arcos’s death was ongoing. “There is a lot of information on this subject that we must guard for the sake of the investigation,” he said. Mourners pay their respects during the funeral service for Alejandro Arcos on October 7 [Oscar Ramirez/Reuters] A week into office Arcos’s death comes less than a week after he took office on September 30 as mayor of Chilpancingo, Guerrero’s capital city. With its isolated mountains and temperate Pacific climate, Guerrero has long been a hub for the production of opium poppies, the key ingredient in heroin. As many as 16 drug-trafficking gangs operate in the state, vying for control over the lucrative region. The armed gangs have openly challenged the local government too, most prominently in 2023. When two alleged members of the Los Ardillos gang were arrested, thousands of protesters took to the streets on the gang’s behalf to push for their release. They clashed with National Guard members and police in Chilpancingo, even using an armoured vehicle to smash through the gates of the state legislature. Multiple officials were taken hostage during the unrest. Arcos was headed to meet members of the Los Ardillos gang on Sunday, the day of his death, according to Reforma, a Mexican news outlet. But images soon emerged on social media showing Arcos’s severed head perched atop what appeared to be his pick-up truck. It was the second time in less than a week that a member of the municipal government had been found dead. Just three days prior, Francisco Tapia, another newly minted member of the city government, was shot to death. Elections marred by violence On Tuesday, Garcia Harfuch revealed that four other mayors — from Guerrero and another state, Guanajuato — had appealed for protection following Arcos’s death. Mexico has long grappled with political violence, as cartels and other gangs seek to exert influence over government affairs. This year, the country held its largest election in history, with nearly 20,000 public offices up for grabs, including local, state and federal positions. But the proceedings were marred by violence: An estimated 37 candidates were killed in the lead-up to the vote, many of them seeking local office. In other cases, the relatives of candidates were killed, in apparent intimidation attempts. The violence forced some candidates from the race. Others were assigned National Guard members for protection. In the wake of Arcos’s death, public officials voiced frustration and anger at the ongoing violence. “I strongly condemn the murder of the Municipal President of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos Catalán,” Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda wrote on social media. “His loss grieves the entire Guerrero society and fills us with indignation.” Alejandro Moreno, the head of Arcos’s conservative-leaning party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), said on Monday, “We will not allow his death to go unpunished.” Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar Garcia Harfuch speaks alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum at the unveiling of her security strategy on October 8 [Henry Romero/Reuters] Sheinbaum’s security strategy As government officials grappled with the fallout from Arcos’s death on Tuesday, President Sheinbaum — herself inaugurated on September 30 — revealed her proposals to bolster Mexico’s security. A member of the left-leaning Morena Party, she ruled out a return to hardline tactics. “The war on drugs will not return,” she said, citing a controversial United States-led initiative. Sheinbaum echoed her predecessor, the popular Morena leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in calling for measures that address the root causes of crime, like poverty. She also asserted that her government would not resort to excessive force to tackle crime. Mexico’s military and law enforcement have long been accused of committing extrajudicial killings — and even collaborating with the cartels. “We are not looking for extrajudicial executions, which is what was happening before,” Sheinbaum said. “What are we going to use? Prevention, attention to the causes, intelligence and [law enforcement] presence.” Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum’s political mentor, had been criticised for his “hugs, not bullets” approach to tackling crime — something Sheinbaum herself was accused of embracing on the campaign trail. 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Duterte legacy in the balance as he seeks return to Davao stronghold

Duterte legacy in the balance as he seeks return to Davao stronghold

Davao, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte has registered to run for his past position as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, in a potential last-ditch effort to save his family’s faltering political dynasty. The influence of the former president, notorious for his brutal “war on drugs” that saw thousands of extrajudicial killings, has waned in recent months after his family’s alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr began to unravel. Duterte’s son, current Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte, will be his father’s running mate. The powerhouse political family supported Marcos Jr’s successful presidential bid in 2022, but the alliance between the two families has unravelled in recent months. Vice President Sara Duterte, once seen as a probable successor to her father, resigned from her post of education secretary in June and has lost influence within the Marcos administration. The decision by her 79-year-old father to run for mayor comes as he faces an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into extrajudicial killings during the drug war. Lawyer Kristina Conti said last month that the ICC could file a warrant of arrest later this year. Duterte remains popular in Davao, long the family stronghold, but even there, his influence may be waning. Former President Duterte has come under pressure for his drug war and threats to opponents [File: Earvin Perias/AFP] Last month, Philippine authorities arrested religious leader and longtime Duterte ally Apollo Quiboloy, who faces child sex trafficking charges in the Philippines and the United States and had been hiding in a compound in the city. The arrest was seen as a strike by Marcos Jr against the Dutertes. Quiboloy, who calls himself the “Appointed Son of God,” announced on Tuesday that he would run for Senate in next year’s election. “After Quiboloy’s arrest, the possibility of arresting [Duterte] through Interpol and local police that is outside the control of the Dutertes seems more likely,” said Tyrone Velez, a columnist for the local publication MindaNews. Failed drug war In March, Sebastian Duterte announced he would continue the drug war started by his father, who had been Davao mayor for some 20 years before he became president and earned the nickname “The Punisher” for his brutal policies. In the ensuing days, at least seven drug suspects were killed in police encounters. The revival of the drug war was seen as an act of defiance by the Dutertes and it was not long before Marcos Jr responded. In May, the president removed Davao police chief Richard Bad-ang – a close Duterte ally who had been appointed to the post just before the killings – and dozens of other police officers. The Davao regional police office also announced a probe into the seven deaths. In July, a new police chief was finally appointed after being replaced three times in one day in a process Sebastian Duterte said was politically motivated. Drug killings have decreased – but have not stopped – in the Philippines since Marcos Jr took power, and in recent months, he has called for a “bloodless” drug war. Sixty-three people were killed in the central region of Cebu during anti-drug operations in 2024, according to the Dahas Project, an initiative of the University of the Philippines that tracks extrajudicial drug killings. Davao police killed a suspected drug dealer in a shootout on September 17, the first drug killing in the city since March, according to the Dahas Project. The alliance between the Dutertes and the Marcoses made them unstoppable in the last presidential election but the relationship has since unravelled [File: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Sebastian Duterte probably wanted to resume the drug war to solidify his support within Davao, Velez said, following criticism over his “lackadaisical leadership” and frequent absences from City Hall. “His camp must have thought restarting the drug war could make him a Digong 2.0 and make him relevant,” Velez said, using a popular nickname for Rodrigo Duterte. “But it was called off after a week.” The killings also took place as news of a potential ICC arrest warrant began to swirl. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019. But the court has said it still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes before that time, meaning Duterte could still face prosecution for thousands of killings. Closing in Removing pro-Duterte police officials has given Marcos Jr tighter control over anti-drug operations and taken power away from the Dutertes, even within Davao, Velez said. “The Marcoses want police directors in both the city and the Davao region who are not under the influence of the Dutertes.” The Marcos administration has also pushed out members of government loyal to Quiboloy, said Aries Arugay, chairperson of the Department of Political Science at the University of the Philippines, causing his national influence to “wane” in recent months. Quiboloy, who was Duterte’s spiritual adviser during his presidency, is himself a longtime player in Philippine politics. He supported Duterte’s 2016 campaign, lending the candidate his private jet, and supported Marcos Jr in 2022. Apollo Quiboloy, pastor and founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church, is running for senator in the May 2025 elections [Jam Sta Rosa/AFP] But as the Duterte-Marcos alliance frayed, Quiboloy used his television network, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), to broadcast misinformation and attack the Dutertes’s critics. In 2023, SMNI’s YouTube channel was taken down by Google and its broadcast licence suspended by the Philippines’s telecommunications commission. SMNI’s Facebook page was also no longer available. Earlier this year, Quiboloy claimed without evidence that Marcos Jr and his wife, Liza, were conspiring with Washington to assassinate him. Marcos rejected the allegations. Quiboloy, 74, was finally arrested after a weeks-long operation in which hundreds of his supporters formed human barricades to block authorities from searching inside the compound of his church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Marcos Jr has indicated he is open to extraditing Quiboloy to the United States after the completion of domestic criminal proceedings. The Marcos administration wants to “communicate that they are serious in working with

Tim Walz calls for elimination of Electoral College at California fundraiser, says ‘it needs to go’

Tim Walz calls for elimination of Electoral College at California fundraiser, says ‘it needs to go’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday called for the elimination of the Electoral College during a fundraiser in California, a move some Democrats have advocated for in the past after election defeats.  Walz was in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s private home in Sacramento when he remarked about the process by which U.S. presidents are elected.   “I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go,” he said, according to a pool report at the event, Bloomberg reported. “We need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.” THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS, DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS FROM GARLAND In 2023, the Minnesota governor signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement in which each state would allocate all its electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote for president, regardless of how individual states voted. The compact would take effect only if supporters secure pledges from states with at least 270 electoral votes.  Fox News Digital has reached out to the campaigns of Vice President Harris and former President Trump.  The Electoral College comprises a certain number of electors from each state who cast votes for the president and vice president. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., whichever candidate receives the most ballots in their favor is awarded all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. The winner needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election.  The Electoral College was created by the Founding Fathers in an effort to make sure large states didn’t dominate small ones in presidential elections or wield too much power. Abolishing the system would require a major constitutional change.  TRUMP CAN WIN ON THESE 3 KEY ISSUES, MICHIGAN VOTERS TELL FOX In recent years, some Democrats have called for eliminating the process in favor of a popular vote. Recent examples cited include former President Trump’s 2016 win over Hillary Clinton, in which she won the popular vote but received fewer electoral votes.  In 2000, former President George W. Bush lost the popular vote but narrowly won the electoral vote. Many Republicans have argued against getting rid of the Electoral College system, saying such a move would result in states with larger populations having undue influence. Others argue it would cause presidential candidates to focus on a few states during the campaign season while ignoring others. In 2012, Trump panned the electoral system, calling it “a disaster for a democracy.” In 2018, he again voiced support for the idea because a popular vote would be “much easier to win.” A majority of Americans – 63% – favor doing away with the Electoral College, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll released last month.