by Kris Seals
UNITED STATES – Catholic Church Gets Billions in PPP Loans
The next time you go to church, you might want to think twice about putting something in the collection plate.
Multiple reports have claimed that the Roman Catholic Church operating in the U.S. has received “at least” $1 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and the number could be in excess of well over $3 billion.
While the PPP was made to help business navigate the pandemic, churches and other religious organizations netted over 3,000 loans to dip into the near $660 billion fund. Fifteen of the loans went to the Archdiocese of New York.
What made the churches eligible was a generous move by the Trump Administration, which made them exempt from the 500 employee cap rule on PPP loans.
There is no word if there is any rule banning churches from using PPP loans to pay off settlements because of sex abuse claims or other legal actions.
ASIA – Security Law Draws Concerns
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has expressed alarm at the arrest of demonstrators in Hong Kong, following China’s adoption of a national security law for the Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Spokesperson Rupert Colville told journalists in Geneva on Friday that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was continuing to analyze the new law after it came into force on July 1, regarding its compliance with international human rights obligations.
“I think several hundred people have been arrested since protests began … I think the last I heard, we understood 10 of those people have been charged under the new law, but I don’t have more details at this point on the nature of the charges at this point and so on.”
He added that colleagues are “very much actively counting, trying to get those kinds of details and we’ll see what kind of concerns we have about individual cases.”
Mr. Colville pointed to “vague and overly broad” definitions of some offences in the new law that had been adopted by China’s National People’s Congress.
“This may lead to discriminatory or arbitrary interpretation and enforcement of the law, which could undermine human rights protection,” he explained.
Reiterating concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression highlighted by High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the OHCHR official insisted that such laws “should never be used to criminalize conduct and expression that is protected under international human rights law.”
The “one country, two systems” governance framework that was introduced at the end of British rule also risked being undermined, the experts insisted, enabling the Chinese Government to establish “agencies” in Hong Kong “when needed.”
Provisions governing the offence of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security” contained in article 29 of the new law were also concerning, the OHCHR spokesperson added.
“This may lead to a restriction of civic space and of the possibility for civil society actors to exercise their right to participate in public affairs,” he said.
“These provisions could also lead to criminalizing human rights defenders and activists for the exercise of their right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”
AFRICA – Crooks Infiltrating Industry
A new INTERPOL report has found the billion dollar mobile money industry in Africa is being exploited by organized crime groups – a trend only set to increase as the service is rolled out across the continent.
The ‘Mobile money and organized crime in Africa’ report presents an overview of the criminal exploitation of mobile money services, including fraud, money laundering, extortion, human trafficking and people smuggling, the illegal wildlife trade and terrorism.
Africa is the “world leader” in the mobile money industry, accounting for nearly half of all registered mobile money accounts globally.
The prominent role that mobile money plays in African societies and economies, and the rapid pace at which its infrastructure has been developed, has enabled criminals to “exploit weaknesses in regulations and identification systems” and commit mobile money-enabled crimes.
The report notes that mobile money itself has proven to be a positive force for financial inclusion and economic development in many African countries, and that a more cash-based informal economy can sometimes present even graver challenges to law enforcement.
However, a lack of robust identity checks to verify users combined with a need for greater law enforcement resources and training on mobile money-enabled crimes have created a financial system distinctly vulnerable to criminal infiltration.
Types of ID required to register for a mobile money account are not standardized across Africa and acceptable documents range from national identity cards to company IDs, tax certificates and driver’s licenses.
While such a broad spectrum of acceptable IDs benefit the growth of mobile money services, it also increases their vulnerability to fraud, money laundering and other crimes.
In parallel, despite progress in conviction rates for mobile money-enabled crimes, the technical expertise and equipment required to complete investigations can prove difficult to integrate into the court process.
With mobile money poised for even greater growth in Africa, unless the vulnerabilities are addressed, these services pose a significant threat to consumers and national security.
By 2025, smartphone user rates in Sub-Saharan Africa alone are projected to rise from roughly 39 percent today to 66 percent. Higher smartphone adoption, combined with a wider array of mobile money services on offer, will likely increase the number of transactions performed through smartphone apps.
“The evidence shows that criminals are already exploiting mobile money services in Africa. The anonymity that these services too often allow and the technical nature of the industry also present a challenge to law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting these crimes,” said Cyril Gout, INTERPOL Acting Director of Operational Support and Analysis.
“This report emphasizes the need to act is now. By addressing the vulnerabilities highlighted by Project ENACT, we can ensure that the mobile money industry continues to grow throughout Africa without being compromised by those who seek to undermine it,” added Mr. Gout.
CARIBBEAN – Dusted
A massive dust storm currently blanketing many parts of the Caribbean, posing a significant threat to regional health, has revealed the importance of having effective warning systems in place, the World Meteorological Office (WMO) said.
The storm arrived in the Eastern Caribbean from North Africa last week, affecting a wide area so far, spanning from the northern coast of South America to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
“Sand and dust storms are severe hazards that can affect weather, climate, the environment, health, economies, transport and agriculture in many parts of the world,” said Dr. Oksana Tarasova, Head of WMO’s Atmospheric Environment Research Division.
“The ongoing dust storm, which has affected daily life in the Caribbean, shows the importance of forecast and warning services.”
Although dust blows from Africa across the Atlantic every year, the UN weather agency said this year’s event has been particularly intense and extensive.
The dust storm has darkened skies, contaminated rainwater and greatly reduced visibility. It also poses a significant health hazard.
Countries such as Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico have reported air quality levels in the “hazardous “category, with record values of PM10 – a particulate matter which can cause respiratory problems and disease.
Concentrations reported in Puerto Rico are at the highest level observed in the last 20 years.
Scientists at the University of Puerto Rico have also observed record high levels of aerosol optical thickness, or the measure of tiny solid or liquid particles in the air, such as dust, sea salt, or pollution from factories.
“This is a dust event of truly historic proportions”, said Professor Olga L. Mayol-Bracero at the University of Puerto Rico, and her counterpart, Dr. Andrea Sealy, meteorologist with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology.
Sand and dust storms are common in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. They are usually caused by thunderstorms, which create strong winds that can transport large amounts of sand and dust thousands of kilometers away.
Every year, around 2,000 million tons of dust enters the Earth’s atmosphere, according to WMO. While much of this occurs naturally, a large part is due to poor water and land management.
WMO on Friday released the latest edition of its annual Airborne Dust Bulletin which found that mineral dust concentrations last year generally were similar to 2018 levels.
Through its Sand and Dust Storm – Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS), the UN agency provides operational forecasting aimed at reducing impacts on the environment, health and economies.
It has regional centers providing forecasts for Asia, Northern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
