Prominent critic of Hezbollah found dead
According to The New York Times, Lokman Slim, a Lebanese Shiite Muslim who was known for his open citicism of Hezbollah, an extremeist group in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, was found dead last Wednesday with multiple bullet wounds. Slimhas condemned their use of violence and their backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Many are claiming that Slim’s death is the result of a political assasination, a claim that stirs fear among his supporters who are familiar with the country’s past of prolific political killings. Although his death is being investigated, few political killings in Lebanon are ever solved.
Former LRA commander convicted by ICC
Last Thursday, the International Criminal Court in The Hague convicted a former Ugandan rebel for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Dominic Ongwen was abducted by the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in 1998 and trained to be a child soldier. He later rose to the rank of commander of the militia and now faces life in prison for charges including rape, forced marriages, torture, enslavement and murder. His case has stirred controversy among international law experts who claim young Ongwen was victim to many of the same crimes he is now convicted of. However, in their decision, the judges did not cite his childhood experiences. Ongwen’s trial is the first trial to convict a top commander of the LRA, a militant group that has waged a violent campaign in Uganda since the 1980s. Over 4,000 victims of Ongwen’s crimes were represented by lawyers.
Canada declared Proud Boys a terrorist group
Last Wednesday, Canada formally designated the Proud Boys, a far-right, all-male organization involved in the violent attack against the U.S. Capitol, a terrorist group, becoming the first country to do so. According to The New York Times, this designation could result in financial seizures and allow the police to treat crimes committed by the organization as terrorist activity. The Canadanian government has commented that, although the move was already under consideration, the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 contributed to the decision.
Archeologists in Egypt find golden tongued mummies
Archeologists in Alexandria uncovered 16 human burial chambers and two mummies with golden tongues while working on a temple on the outskirts of the city. In Egyptian mythology, the golden tongues are said to allow the dead to speak in the afterlife. In addition to the golden tongues, many other artifacts were discovered, including a funeral mask with golden flakes arranged in the shape of a wreath and gilded decorations depicting Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. An Egyptian newspaper has reported that the two golden tongues will be studied at the Alexandria National Museum before being put on display in museums across Egypt.
