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HomeGlobal PulseGLOBAL PULSE: Trump's latest tweet controversy, Qatar's sanctions deadline extended and sex...

GLOBAL PULSE: Trump’s latest tweet controversy, Qatar’s sanctions deadline extended and sex education in taxis

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DONALD TRUMP TAKES DOWN CNN WITH A MEME

If there was any doubt about Donald Trump being the most unique head of state there is on social media, he ensured it was erased on Sunday. He tweeted a clip from a previous apperance in a wrestling show, except that instead of the head of the contestant he took down, was the symbol of perhaps his least loved channel CNN. “#FraudNewsCNN #FNN,” he tweeted with it, a clear reference to a retracted CNN story about links between a Trump aide and a Russian investment fund. While such memes aren’t uncommon on the internet, it’s perhaps the first time a head of state has used one. Which might explain the confusion over it. Is it an incitement of violence against CNN? His spokespersons have said at multiple media outlets it isn’t. Is it a leader in touch with the humour of his times? Is it yet another sign that the US President will never be any kind of statesman? It’s as much a mystery as what the US President will tweet next.

MORE SANCTIONS FOR QATAR

After refusing to accept any of the 13 conditions laid down by Saudi Arabia and other nations that have enforced a blockade against it, Qatar may be in for more sanctions. UAE diplomats have said Qatar could find itself suspended from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and sanctions could be imposed by nations like Saudi Arabia against nations trading with Qatar. Qatar refused to accede to any of the demands placed before it, including the shutting of news network Al Jazeera (which some have pointed out, is pretty outrageous). Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the head of state of Qatar, speaking in Rome on Saturday reportedly said the list “was meant to be rejected”, pointing to the fact that it arrived with a 10-day expiration date. The deadline has now been extended by 48 hours. Watch this space.

MACAU TAKES DOWN MONEY LAUNDERING

If you’re Chinese and withdrawing money from some ATMs in gambling hub Macau you now have to stare into a camera at the ATM for a few seconds. This is so that a facial recognition software can check whether you’re involved in one of the money laundering schemes in China, Bloomberg reports. The move is seen as a way to end people going to Macau to exchange their yuan for other currency or being involved in other money laundering schemes when they go gambling in Macau. Sure there are a lot of privacy concerns, but experts feel the Chinese are so used to giving up their personal data to the government now that they see nothing wrong with this new project.

EDUCATING MEN ABOUT HIV ONE RIDE AT A TIME

Lesotho in Africa has the second highest prevalence of HIV in the world. It might explain why any campaign to curb the transmission of the virus would be welcomed. One of them is the roping in of some taxi drivers in the capital Maseru to talk to passengers about male circumcision and how it can help prevent the spread of HIV. It’s not easy to engage with passengers but if they do show interest in it, the taxi driver gives them a referral to a clinic for a free consultation and procedure. While male circumcision is best with safe sex practices to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, even a circumcision is the most cost-effective way to prevent the spread of the virus.

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