Facebook Will Rebrand As Meta

 

Facebook will be calling itself Meta. The world's most popular social media platform is undergoing a rebranding process. The company seeks to also do more with virtual reality. The circumstances surrounding this are not entirely about expanding the company. Facebook has come under criticism from the public and government for sharing user data with other corporations . The controversy of disinformation on its platform, content moderation issues,  and censorship have damaged Facebook's image. Privacy is not protected and what is classified as disinformation has a political bias. Claims that the platform contributes to worsening mental health can be disputed. Individuals would most likely have self-esteem or depression issues even if the social media giant did not exist.   The fact checking system need vast improvement. Facebook has been described as a monopoly, but there exist other social media platforms. MeWe, VK Media, and Myspace are other social media platforms. These companies have not attained the same amount of users. There will come a time in which Facebook will have formidable competition. Creating a metaverse which combines virtual and augmented reality. Corporations do change their names as a form of public relations offensive after scandals. The sudden rebranding is evidence of this. The other objective is to keep Facebook as dominant in the tech industry .   

Sudan Has Fallen To A Military Coup

 

After months of protests, another military coup has occurred in Sudan. Previous attempts were made to depose the civilian government, but were thwarted. The transitional government has been dissolved and a state of emergency declared. The ruling military junta has promised elections for 2023. Prime Minister Abdalla Homdok is being detained. Prime Minister Homdok failed to address the growing discord of the population exhausted from the major changes that came with the fall of Omar al-Bashir. Two years have passed since the fall of the regime, but stability and democratization has remained elusive.   The Sudanese public has reacted with more demonstrations being held in various cities. Concerned citizens took to the streets in both Khartoum and Omdurman. A large source of contention was the issue of handing over Omar al-Bashir to the International Crimes Court. This split the Sovereign Council The economic conditions have become worse. Inflation and the lack of certain goods was not being fully addressed by Prime Minister Homdok. Even with foreign aid, this has not produced dramatic improvements. The African Union, United Nations, and Arab League have expressed opposition to the political developments. Homdok's removal was a combination of rebel groups and political parties working with the military. Sudan's challenge is like  Algeria, Nigeria,  and Egypt.  The military is an obstacle to political change. Other African nations are dealing with military take overs such as Mali and Guinea. The African continent is seeing an increase in military coups over the past three years.  

Muammar Qaddafi Calls on Libyans To Resist NATO (2011)

 

Ten years ago Muammar Qaddafi was assassinated.  Libya was in a state of civil war, however this was induced by the UK, France, US, and NATO countries. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates also contributed to regime change in Libya. Protests did occur in response to the events in Tunisia. These were peaceful  demonstrations. Armed groups and terrorist organizations not associated with protestors started violence. Libya descended in civil war and NATO began a bombing campaign. Qaddafi called on all Libyans to resist aggressive war waged by NATO. The African Union was seeking  to end the conflict with diplomacy. This was ignored by both the UN and EU. The violent destruction of a prosperous African country was planned for decades. Libya's oil resources and influence in the global south made it a target of Western powers. Qaddafi earned much respect for his contribution to anti-colonial freedom struggles and the fight against white minority rule regimes in the Southern African region. His death was a major blow to the African continent. 

Allyson Felix Has Been Named Sportswoman of The Year By The Women's Sports Foudation

 

Allyson Felix has been named the sportswoman of the year by the Women's Sports Foundation. Her athletic performance  has gotten much praise. Felix holds seven  Olympic gold medals. Her total medal count is eleven.   Besides being active in track she also helps other athletes. Working with Athleta and the Women's Sports Foundation she developed a program that provides childcare grants for female athletes. This is an issue that women face in the world of athletic competition. That will no longer be the case when accommodations are expanded. Felix is currently the most decorated track athlete in US track and field. She is unsure on about continuing competition. Other plans and possible business ventures are part of her plans. Allyson Felix  could be making appearances at track meets in 2022. If not, she has end her athletic career with a stunning record. 

Colin Powell Makes The Case For The Iraq War At The UN (2003)

 

Colin Powell (1937-2021)  on February 5th 2003  made the case for war against Iraq at the UN. The speech he gave at the UN Security Council was designed to get a use of force authorization. Secretary of State Powell made the accusation that Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction and aiding terrorist  organizations. The evidence provided were satellite images,  phone calls, and testimony from other sources. What was presented to the UN Security Council  was not true. Iraq was not amassing arms nor was it assisting  al-Qaeda. The US did not get the multilateral military alliance it desired. Instead there was a dramatic shift to unilateral military intervention. The US Report on Iraq was a declaration of aggressive war. Colin Powell contributed to this. His reputation was damaged for his involvement. As time passed Colin Powell abandoned the Republican Party.  His service as Secretary of State lasted from 2001 to 2005. The US became more active in warfare generating international condemnation. 

Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and Samoa's New Political Era

Fiame Naomi Mata' afa  became prime minister of Samoa in may of 2021. She is the first woman to do so and this marks a significant change in the island's politics. Since 1998, Tuilaepa Sa' ilele Maleiegaoi had been prime minister. The Human Rights Protection Party held dominance for close to 40 years. Then a wave of change occurred. Prime Minister Maleiegoi refused to accept election results. That triggered a constitutional crisis. Once resolved, Mata' afa was able to take office. She is not new to politics. Her career as a politician started back in 1985 serving in parliament. Her family  has a history of being active in politics. Fiame's father Mata' afa  Faumunia Mulinu' u was Samoa's first prime minister. There may not be any radical change with a longtime establishment figure in power. Unpopular bills that were introduced that undermined the  independence of the judiciary. This caused the formation of a new political party known as Fa' atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi  Party.  Tuilaepa Sa' ilele Maleiegaoi has vowed to maintain staunch opposition to the  FAST  Party. The challenges are not only domestic. Relations with China, climate change, and the current status of the Pacific Island Forum are concerns. Samoa may need to extend diplomacy into the wider Oceania region.