Latest news with #Judiciary
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kokua Line: How can I check traffic tickets online?
Question : Regarding traffic-ticket scams, it's understandable why some people fall for it because so much government stuff (official ) is done on the phone now (after clicking a text link ). Not everybody knows when someone driving their car gets a ticket—a lot of us share a car. Answer : We've heard plenty of feedback from readers who share their cars with family members and didn't know right away about infractions that occurred when they weren't driving. Several said the proliferation of Division of Motor Vehicles impersonation scams highlights how important it is for everyone who shares a car, including new teenage drivers, to be forthright about real tickets they get and about any texts, emails or phone calls they receive about purported violations—the latter group may be scam attempts. Concealing such threats from the car's owner (generally a parent ) may worsen the situation. As scammers try to trick people into paying nonexistent fines, Hawaii's State Judiciary reminds motorists to use the eCourt Kokua system to check whether they actually have tickets pending. 'Anyone unsure whether they have an unpaid traffic citation should search by first and last name and also by license plate number in eCourt Kokua, the Judiciary's public online case look-up system. People who have been issued citations can check the status of those citations by using the 'case search' function in eCourt Kokua, ' the Judiciary said in a news release Thursday. Access eCourt Kokua via. The Judiciary says people statewide are receiving text messages falsely claiming to be from the DMV and demanding payment for unpaid traffic citations, and we've heard from readers who received emails as well. 'Please know, you will not get texts, calls, or emails about unpaid traffic citations from the state courts or DMV unless you contacted them first either in person, in writing or via phone with a specific question. Generally, all communication from the Judiciary regarding unpaid citations is handled through the U.S. mail, ' the news release said. The city says that anyone who receives such texts should block the sender and delete the text without responding. Q : It's pitch black in the Wilson Tunnel. No lights. Dangerous. What's being done about this ? A : Power to the Wilson Tunnel was turned off Wednesday and is expected to remain out for about two weeks while Hawaiian Electric Co. repairs two damaged overhead transmission circuits in the Koolau mountains, according to the state Department of Transportation. Hawaiian Electric has to de-energize the circuits during the repairs, the DOT said in a news release. The tunnel through the Koolaus, connecting Honolulu and Kaneohe on the Likelike Highway, will remain dark for the duration of the repair work, it said. 'HDOT advises motorists to turn on their lights and proceed with caution when approaching and driving through Wilson Tunnel.' Q : Regarding the COFA funeral fund, what if the deceased was a COFA citizen but their spouse (survivor ) is not ? A : The citizenship requirement applies to the person who died of COVID-19, not to the person seeking reimbursement for funeral expenses, according to We Are Oceania, the 501 (3 )c administering the city program. The nonprofit says on its website that the deceased must be a citizen of a Compacts of Free Association (COFA ) nation, namely the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Palau, residing in the City and County of Hono lulu, whose death was attributed to COVID-19 or complications from COVID-19. The applicant must be an immediate surviving family member of the deceased, including spouse, parent, child and sibling. Mahalo Recently I experienced a flat tire while I was shopping at a local Walmart. A young man who was parked nearby revealed he was a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and was kind enough to take the time to replace my flat with a spare until I could get to a local tire store. I feel ashamed that I cannot remember his name and am so very late with my sincere mahalo to this wonderful individual, who took the time to assist this elderly kupuna. Your parents must be so proud of you.—Susanne C.------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
The Star
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Feature: Kenyan youth embrace digital skills amid growing gig economy
NAIROBI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Sitting on a plastic chair at an information and communications technology (ICT) center in Ndhiwa town, about 366 km from Nairobi, Kenya's capital, Jackline Juma's fingers move swiftly as she taps on the computer keyboard. The 19-year-old high school graduate occasionally glances at the computer screen to check for errors before continuing to type. "I came to this center for training after completing Form Four in 2024 so that I can gain digital skills to use in life," Juma said. She said that without acquiring these skills, she would struggle to advance her education, find a job, or even communicate effectively. Juma is one of many young people in rural areas who visit such centers across the East African nation daily, eager to acquire new skills that can help them benefit from the growing opportunities in the gig economy. At the centers, the youth immerse themselves in various digital literacy programs, ranging from basic computer skills to more advanced ones such as coding, online entrepreneurship, data entry, virtual assistance, app and web development, and graphic design. The skills they are acquiring are helping them explore new career paths in the gig economy, including freelancing, digital content creation, virtual assistance, online surveys, transcription, and data entry. Kevin Aroka, manager of the ICT center, said the free training offered under the government-run Ajira Digital Program is equipping young people with essential digital skills. "Many youth now know that traditional employment opportunities have shrunk and are therefore exploring digital careers such as transcribing, content creation, and data entry," he said. The training, Aroka added, not only enhances their digital literacy but also prepares them for the expanding gig economy. Besides the courses that help the youth earn money online, Aroka said they also teach financial literacy and online work safety. He said that there are three other such centers in Ndhiwa, each training at least 50 students every three months. "Here in Kosewe, we have trained about 3,394 young people; in Kobodo, 1,930; in Ratanga, 2,851; and in Pala, 900. This has been over about two years, and many of them are now earning from the gig economy," he said, noting that the training is supported by the area's Constituency Development Fund. According to Aroka, one of the notable jobs completed by the center's digital skills graduates was transcribing documents for the Judiciary. "The learners were earning up to 25,000 shillings (about 193 U.S. dollars) a month from the work. This encouraged many others to enroll in the program, and now a good number are earning from online jobs," he said. The training program is one of the Kenyan government's job creation initiatives. So far, the government has established over 400 ICT centers across the country, providing training in online work opportunities, including freelancing and digital marketing, to over 500,000 people, according to John Tanui, principal secretary of the State Department for ICT and Digital Economy. Kenyan President William Ruto said recently that his government is using digital technology and innovation to create jobs and address the unemployment challenge in the country, where 30 percent of young people are jobless. The goal, he said, is to create a community of digital workers across Kenya, making it easier for global firms to hire young people in the country. According to the Mastercard Foundation, some 1.2 million Kenyan workers, most of whom operate informally, are employed in the gig economy, which is estimated to be worth 109 million dollars annually. For Brighton Odhiambo, one of the trainees, the future of work in Kenya, as in many parts of the world, is online. He said he plans to learn as many digital skills as possible so he can become versatile and earn a good income from the gig economy.
CBC
04-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Quebec law helps victims of non-consensual intimate image sharing remove photos
A Quebec law is coming into force, giving people new tools to obtain a court order to remove intimate images posted online. Under the Criminal Code, publishing, texting or sharing intimate images of someone without their consent is a crime. But for most victims, this does not always mean unlawfully shared images will get removed quickly. The new Quebec law allows victims to fill out a form online or at a courthouse and obtain an order from a judge requiring the images or footage to be removed. Failure to comply comes with stiff penalties — with fines up to $50,000 per day for a first offence or 18 months in jail. Quebec is the second province after British Columbia to pass legislation protecting victims of non-consensual image sharing.
HKFP
02-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Detained Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung to launch 36-hour hunger strike on Tiananmen crackdown anniversary
Hong Kong barrister-activist Chow Hang-tung has announced that she will launch a 36-hour hunger strike in prison on Wednesday to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. The 39-year-old activist, who has been detained since September 2021 pending trial under the national security law, said in a Patreon post on Sunday that she would commemorate June 4 and 'reaffirm our commitment' by fasting for 36 hours. This is the third year that Chow has planned a hunger strike behind bars to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. She began a 34-hour hunger strike on June 4, 2023, and vowed to extend her fast by one hour each year. 'I believe we all will have our own ways to remember the day,' read the post shared by Chow's Patreon account, which is managed by the activist's family and friends. Chow is the former vice chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organised Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen vigils. She is facing trial for incitement to subversion alongside the group and its two former leaders, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho. According to the Judiciary's website, Chow, Lee, and Ho are set to appear in court on August 4 for a second pre-trial review. Chow is also expected to make an application for quashing her indictment on November 3, a week before the 75-day trial is scheduled to begin on November 11. For three decades, the alliance organised an annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown, which occurred on June 4, 1989. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People's Liberation Army quashed a student-led pro-democracy movement in Beijing. The vigil in Victoria Park has been banned since Beijing imposed a security law on the city in June 2020. The Alliance voted a year later to disband after its former leaders were prosecuted. In the Patreon post, Chow also reflected on winning an appeal at the city's top court in March, which quashed her conviction and those of two other former Alliance members for failing to comply with a national security police data request. The three were jailed for four and a half months each in August 2023 and had completed their term before winning the final appeal. The case was a 'manifestation of justice and the rule of law' for those implicated, she said. However, there is still a need to reflect on 'how such injustice has occurred,' she added. Chow accused the Department of Justice and the court of concurring with 'false accusations' made by the national security police that the Alliance had been a foreign agent. She said the 'actual crime' in the case was the 'smearing and prosecution of citizens.' 'Indeed, the criticism for this so-called technical victory should have focused on the lenient treatments of these evildoers,' she wrote. Chow added she had demanded that Secretary for Security Chris Tang apologise after the top court's ruling, but she was 'not certain' about how long it would take for the apology to come. 'History tells us that it will likely take a very long time – The Tiananmen Mothers have been waiting for 36 years and still have not received an apology. However, they have not given up on holding the government accountable,' she wrote. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
Malay Mail
01-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
When comments are vulgar, humiliating, inappropriate, disrespectful and offensive, they are contemptuous — Hafiz Hassan
JUNE 1 — The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) announced on Friday (May 30) that it would pursue contempt of court proceedings against senior lawyer Shafee Abdullah, over his 'Nazi Germany' reference regarding ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's royal addendum case. In its statement, the AGC said Shafee's remark was made in the context of an ongoing case, and 'constitutes a serious and unwarranted attack' on the dignity, authority and independence of the Judiciary. Is there a legal basis for contempt of court proceedings against Shafee? Let's recall the case of Peguam Negara Malaysia v Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd [2021]. The facts in that case are straightforward. Malaysiakini published an article on June 9, 2020 about the acquittal of former Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman of 46 charges of corruption and money laundering. Coincidentally on the same day, the Office of the Chief Registrar issued a press release by the Chief Justice for all courts to be fully operational from July 1, 2020, in line with the announcement that the country was moving into the recovery phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO). Malaysiakini republished from Bernama that press release as an article. Following that press release, a number of comments (impugned comments) by third party online subscribers appeared on Malaysiakini's website on the same day. A week after, the Attorney General by way of an ex parte notice of motion applied for leave to commence committal proceedings against the publisher of Malaysiakini as the first respondent and its editor in chief as the second respondent for publishing the impugned comments. The rest, as they say it, is history. By a majority (2:1), the Federal Court found the first respondent, but not the second respondent, guilty of contempt of court. Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has made a "Nazi Germany" remark against the government. — Picture by Hari Anggara. Contempt of court is a generic term descriptive of conduct which tends to undermine proceedings in a court of law and can take many forms. The law on contempt is not to protect the dignity of individual judges but to protect the administration of justice. The courts cannot permit any interference with the due administration of justice. Its purpose is to maintain public confidence in the administration of justice. Accordingly, criticisms of judges as individuals, rather than as judges, are not the subject of contempt. In Malaysiakini's case the impugned comments, which need not be repeated here, were beyond doubt contemptuous in nature. The respondents themselves admitted that the comments were indeed offensive, inappropriate, disrespectful and contemptuous. Both duly regretted their publication and put it on record that they did not condone them. When comments are vulgar, humiliating and offensive, they go beyond justified criticisms and amount to simple insults. No one in the right frame of mind can say that such comments are done in exercise of freedom of expression and therefore protected. A day after his Nazi Germany reference, Shafee, through his legal firm, clarified the remarks. If the AGC indeed pursues proceedings against him, the senior lawyer will have his day in court. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
