Dave Chappelle says that before Oscars slap, Will Smith 'did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years'

CNN  — 

On stage in Liverpool on Thursday night, Dave Chappelle delivered a stinging assessment of the Oscars slap heard ‘round the world.

Chappelle is in the midst of a joint comedy tour with Chris Rock, who in March was slapped while presenting on stage at the Academy Awards by actor Will Smith.

“A lot of people forget who Will Smith is,” Chappelle said on stage at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, according to British news outlet, The Telegraph. “Then 10 minutes before he was about to get the biggest award… he acted like he was back in Philadelphia.”

Smith won a best actor award for his role as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard.” But his win was overshadowed by his conduct that night, which was condemned by the Academy and earned Smith a 10-year ban from Academy events.

'Saturday Night Live' takes on Will Smith's Oscars slap

“Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us,” Chappelle said. “Whatever the consequences are… I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe….I see myself in both men.”

A representative for Chappelle confirmed The Telegraph’s reporting. CNN has reached out to representatives for Rock and Smith for comment.

Chappelle made the comments during the first of three shows as part of their UK tour. They have two consecutive dates scheduled this weekend at London’s O2 arena, with additional dates scheduled throughout Europe.

Rock reportedly also addressed the slap, joking that Smith “hit me over a bullsh-t joke, the nicest joke I ever told,” according to The Telegraph and The Times of London.

In July, Smith opened up about the incident in a video posted to Instagram, saying he was “deeply remorseful.”

#Dave #Chappelle #Oscars #slap #Smith #impression #perfect #man #years https://www.globalcourant.com/dave-chappelle-says-that-before-oscars-slap-will-smith-did-an-impression-of-a-perfect-man-for-30-years/?feed_id=19598&_unique_id=6312edf9a6707

Virat Kohli Takes Charge of Bowling in T20Is After 6 Years With an Economical Over Against Hong Kong

Former India captain Virat Kohli chipped in while defending a mammoth 193-run target by bowling an economical over at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Kohli was asked to bowl the 17th over of the innings when Zeeshan Ali and Kinchit Shah were batting in the middle. The 33-year-old didn’t leak any boundary and bowled an economical 6-run over.

Look who is bowling #INDvHK #ViratKohli #ViratKohli @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/KfCaw4fO6S

— Vinayaka M Poojary (@VinayakMPoojary) August 31, 2022

In 101 T20Is, Kohli has taken just 4 wickets and bowled just 152 deliveries during his illustrious career. The last time Kohli bowled in a T20I match was in 2016.

ASIA CUP 2022: FULL COVERAGE | SCHEDULE | RESULTS India beat Hong Kong by 40 runs to seal a place in the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2022. They are the second team to qualify for the next round after Afghanistan who also won their first two matches of the tournament. Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav’s fireworks in the last seven overs and combined with Kohli’s 31st T20I fifty propelled India to reach a daunting 192/2 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup Group A match. At 94/2 in 13 overs, when KL Rahul’s struggle ended at 36 off 39 balls, Suryakumar walked in and changed the complexion of India’s innings. With his drives, slashes, scoops and sweeps apart from audacious wrist play, he brought out a barrage of boundaries on Hong Kong’s bowlers to remain unbeaten on 68 off 26 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lku8xeD2x98[/embed]
His stroke-play made other batters on the side look as if they were batting on a very different pitch. Suryakumar also shared a 98-run stand off just 42 balls with Kohli, who made 59 in 44 balls, hitting four and three sixes and brought out some shots in the end as India got 78 runs in the last five overs. It was Kohli’s second T20I half-century this year and a crucial one for him to return to form ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup. He started a bit slow and took some time to get settled in the middle, however, managed to end the innings with a decent strike rate of 134.09 with some big shots at the fag end of the innings. Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here

#Virat #Kohli #Takes #Charge #Bowling #T20Is #Years #Economical #Hong #Kong https://www.globalcourant.com/virat-kohli-takes-charge-of-bowling-in-t20is-after-6-years-with-an-economical-over-against-hong-kong/?feed_id=18394&_unique_id=630fa4c85e0e4

Venezuela, Colombia reestablish diplomatic relations after three years

Fast News

"Relations with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and an imaginary line cannot separate us," said new Colombian Ambassador Armando Benedetti after arriving in Caracas.

Colombia's new ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, arrives in Caracas as the two sides resume diplomatic ties on August 28, 2022. (Twitter/@infopresidencia / Twitter)

Venezuela and Colombia have restored full diplomatic relations after a three-year break as a new leftist government in Bogota takes shape. A new Colombian ambassador, Armando Benedetti, arrived in Caracas and said on Sunday on Twitter, "Relations with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and an imaginary line cannot separate us." He was welcomed by Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Rander Pena Ramirez. Colombia's new leftist President, Gustavo Petro, and Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro announced on August 11 that they planned to restore diplomatic relations that were severed in 2019. That rupture was the culmination of years of tension between leftist Venezuela and Colombia under successive conservative presidents starting with Alvaro Uribe. Petro is Colombia's first leftist president. The last president in Colombia, Ivan Duque, did not recognise Maduro as president, but rather opposition leader Juan Guaido. The US also recognises Guaido as Venezuela's "interim president". READ MORE: Colombia announces border with Venezuela to 'open soon' Source: AFP

#Venezuela #Colombia #reestablish #diplomatic #relations #years https://www.globalcourant.com/venezuela-colombia-reestablish-diplomatic-relations-after-three-years/?feed_id=17197&_unique_id=630c248317cea

Europe facing its worst drought in 500 years: EU agency

The August report of the European Drought Observatory said 47 percent of Europe is under warning conditions, with clear deficit of soil moisture, and 17 percent in a state of alert, in which vegetation is affected.

Water scarcity in Europe is affecting lives and businesses across the continent. (Reuters)

Europe is facing its worst drought in at least 500 years, with two-thirds of the continent in a state of alert or warning, reducing inland shipping, electricity production and the yields of certain crops, a European Union agency has said. The August report of the European Drought Observatory (EDO), overseen by the European Commission, said on Tuesday 47 percent of Europe is under warning conditions, with clear deficit of soil moisture, and 17 percent in a state of alert, in which vegetation is affected. "The severe drought affecting many regions of Europe since the beginning of the year has been further expanding and worsening as of early August," the report said, adding that the western Europe-Mediterranean region was likely to experience warmer and drier than normal conditions until November. Much of Europe has faced weeks of baking temperatures this summer, which worsened the drought, caused wildfires, set off health warnings, and prompted calls for more action to tackle climate change. READ MORE: Europe broils as heatwave shatters temperature records The current drought appeared to be the worst in at least 500 years, assuming final data at the end of the season confirmed the preliminary assessment, the Commission said in a statement. Summer crops have suffered, with 2022 yields for grain maize set to be 16 percent below the average of the previous five years and soybean and sunflowers yields set to fall by 15 percent and 12 percent respectively. Hydropower generation has been hit, with further impact on other power producers due to a shortage of water to feed cooling systems. Low water levels have hampered inland shipping, such as along the Rhine, with reduced shipping loads affecting coal and oil transport. The EDO said mid-August rainfall may have alleviated conditions, but in some cases it had come with thunderstorms that caused further damage. The observatory's drought indicator is derived from measurements of precipitation, soil moisture and the fraction of solar radiation absorbed by plants for photosynthesis. READ MORE: Europe suffers record wildfire destruction this year: Data Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/europe-facing-its-worst-drought-in-500-years-eu-agency/?feed_id=14852&_unique_id=630526c55f38e

Breaking News Live Updates - 23 August 2022: China Announces Plan to Issue Visas to Stranded Indian Students After 2 Years of Delay Due to Covid

FOR 23rd August 2022

By News18/ Updated: August 23, 2022, 05:55 IST

Minute-by-minute news updates of happenings from around the world, with special focus on India. From daily coronavirus news about the probable third wave, number of infections, vaccination, and reopening of places and activities to all developments in the fields of politics, education, business, entertainment and sports – everything you to need to know, as it happens, and all in one place. Get instant news about elections, governments and political parties; updates on school and college exam results and admissions; and information about developments in the stock market, start-up sector and buzz about cryptocurrencies. If movies, daily soaps, web series and music are your interests, read latest updates about film and TV celebrities, their work and their personal lives, along with a sprinkling of gossip. Get news about trends in showbiz and exclusive interviews with your favourite stars. Find...Read More

Read more

If movies, daily soaps, web series and music are your interests, read latest updates about film and TV celebrities, their work and their personal lives, along with a sprinkling of gossip. Get news about trends in showbiz and exclusive interviews with your favourite stars. Find out what celebrities are posting on Instagram and Twitter and get quick updates about their lives. Sports lovers can follow ball-by-ball commentary of cricket matches involving India, latest news about football, tennis, Formula One, badminton and various other Olympic sports. All-in-all, if it is news, then News18.com’s breaking news live updates page is your one-stop-shop.

Read the Latest News and Breaking News here

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/breaking-news-live-updates-23-august-2022-china-announces-plan-to-issue-visas-to-stranded-indian-students-after-2-years-of-delay-due-to-covid/?feed_id=14544&_unique_id=63046664b15d1

Prosecutor accuses Argentina's VP Kirchner over fraud, seeks 12 years jail

Argentina's prosecutor alleged the influential left-wing Kirchner of defrauding the state and involvement in a scheme to divert public funds while president between 2007 and 2015.

Argentine Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner attends Argentina's state energy company YPF centennial celebrations, at the Tecnopolis Park, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 3, 2022. (Reuters)

Argentina's public prosecutor has asked that Vice President Cristina Kirchner be sentenced to 12 years in prison and disqualified from public office for life for alleged corruption during her two terms as president. Kirchner, 69, is accused of fraudulently awarding public works contracts in her fiefdom in Patagonia, but even if convicted she would not go to jail so long as she benefits from parliamentary immunity as an elected senator. Kirchner is among the leaders of the governing Justicialist Party. A verdict is expected at the end of the year. There are two ways she could lose her parliamentary immunity: either by losing her senate seat at the next election, or if the Supreme Court were to ratify an eventual guilty verdict. Minutes after public prosecutor Diego Luciani's request was made public, the office of President Alberto Fernandez issued a statement condemning "the judicial and media persecution" of Kirchner. "None of the actions attributed to the ex-president has been proved and the whole accusation is based purely on the function she exercised at that time, which sadly degrades the most basic principles of modern criminal law." Another 12 people are also accused of involvement in the illicit attribution of public works contracts in the southern Santa Cruz province in favour of businessman Lazaro Baez. READ MORE: Argentina's Fernandez faces inflation protests by party supporters 'Institutional corruption' The period investigated includes Kirchner's eight years in office from 2007 to 2015 and the preceding four years when her late husband Nestor Kirchner, who died in 2010, was president. Luciani hit out at "an authentic system of institutional corruption" which he said was "probably the biggest corruption operation the country has known." Sergio Mola, another public prosecutor, said "there were systematic irregularities in the tenders over a 12-year period." "The evidence clearly demonstrates illicit manoeuvres," added Mola, who said the defendants had sought to defraud the state through "discretion in the use of funds." "It is not credible that Cristina Fernandez (Kirchner) would not have known about anything in the solitude of her office," said Mola. Highly divisive but still popular amongst the left, Kirchner has long proclaimed her innocence and accused the prosecutor's office of political persecution and "lawfare" — the use of legal systems or institutions to discredit an opponent. She has been investigated in recent years in a dozen different cases for crimes such as bribery, money laundering, speculative damage to the state and obstruction of justice. Several of those have been dismissed but five remain active. Source: AFP

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/prosecutor-accuses-argentinas-vp-kirchner-over-fraud-seeks-12-years-jail/?feed_id=14516&_unique_id=6304509814edb

Türkiye saves 41,000 migrants left to die by Greece over 2 years

Fast News

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says "with the efforts of our Coast Guard... we have saved the lives of 41,000 people who were left to die by Greece" in the Aegean sea over the last two years.

Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal pushbacks, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law. (AA)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Türkiye saved the lives of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers illegally pushed back by Greece. “With the efforts of our Coast Guard, we have prevented deaths in the Aegean," Erdogan said at a Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy's graduation ceremony in the capital Ankara on Monday. "In the last two years, we have saved the lives of 41,000 people who were left to die by Greece," he said. Erdogan said the number of migrants apprehended by the Turkish Coast Guard has reached 245,000, adding Gendarmerie continues its fight against irregular migration and human traffickers. "If anyone still criticises our defence industry breakthroughs despite the military build-up in Greece, it means they have become deprived of strategic vision," he added. Türkiye has been a key transit point for migrants and asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children. READ MORE: Greece’s deadly pushback tactics, explained [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKfi4Od7DfI[/embed] Source: AA

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/turkiye-saves-41000-migrants-left-to-die-by-greece-over-2-years/?feed_id=14397&_unique_id=6303de7f78d3c

Recovery will take 'years' after flood destruction in New Zealand

Damage to roads and the city's infrastructure will "take years, not months" to repair, says the mayor of Nelson city, devastated by floods in the Pacific nation.

New Zealand has been lashed by wild weather with the Nelson-Tasman district on the South Island bearing the maximum brunt. (AFP)

A New Zealand city devastated by flooding will take years to recover, the mayor has said, as hundreds more homes were evacuated.

Several streets in the city of Nelson were flooded after the local river, the Maitai, burst its banks.

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese said on Friday the damage to roads and the city's infrastructure will "take years, not months" to repair.

She added that it was "critical" for Nelson's residents to conserve water as the city's supply was disrupted by a landslide that damaged the main line from the local reservoir.

The Pacific nation has been lashed by wild weather with the Nelson-Tasman district on the South Island bearing the brunt after 75 centimetres of rain reportedly fell over three days.

On a visit to witness the damage, New Zealand's Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty pledged $125,000 of aid and confirmed more than 400 homes have now been evacuated in Nelson, where a state of emergency remains in place.

He added that flooding and landslides have made 60 homes potentially uninhabitable.

McAnulty told reporters one of the most striking things he saw was a street on a housing development "where the road had just been washed out, (leaving) a crater deeper than I am tall".

Nelson resident Paul Maskell said a neighbour alerted him to the rising water on his street.

"By the time I got back, it was a foot deep in water with boulders running down the road. It was surreal," he told the New Zealand Herald.

READ MORE: Families flee as 'frightening' floods hit New Zealand

After watching Smith vs Fonterra in the Supreme Court yesterday and listening to the @fonterra lawyer representing NZ’s most climate polluting industry say they cannot be held responsible for the impacts of their industry, this climate flood hits home.pic.twitter.com/mulqqqnn7K

— Nick Young (@nickofnz) August 17, 2022

Homes without power

An elderly resident recovering after an operation had to be winched to safety by firefighters late on Thursday night after his home was threatened by flooding.

New Zealand's South Island was bracing for another lashing of heavy rain, but other regions did not escape the extreme weather.

The nearby city of New Plymouth endured its wettest August day since records began with 10 centimetres falling in 12 hours.

"More than a metre of rain has fallen causing significant flows down all rivers," said Taranaki Civil Defence controller Todd Velvin with flooding, road closures and fallen trees creating problems.

Kaitaia, a town near the top of North Island, was cut off by flooding and landslides, and around 400 homes were left without power in the far north.

Experts say the climate crisis driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and flooding.

Source: AFP

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recovery-will-take-years-after-flood-destruction-in-new-zealand/?feed_id=12841&_unique_id=62ff1bcd7be22

Sailor duel and Esteghlal with the presence of 2 big mascots; It has been several years without a win

According to IRNA, after losing in the first week of the 22nd season of the Iranian Premier League, Esteghlal Tehran football team will have to face their host Melvan Bandar Anzali in the second week. The match will be played at Takhti Anzali Stadium on Thursday at 19:30.

Led by Ricardo Sapinto, Tehrani blue-coats are looking to make up for the loss of the first week. On the other hand, Maziar Zare and his students have the same goal. In the first step, they lost to their hosts with one goal, and now they have a good chance to make up for it at home.

These two teams have faced each other 28 times in the history of the Premier League, the result of which was 14 wins for the capital team, four victories for Anzlichi and 10 draws. They have not lined up against each other in these competitions after the fall of Melwan in the 15th league, and it remains to be seen what the result of the conflict between these two teams will be after 6 seasons of absence.

In the first leg of the 15th League, Esteghlal passed the Melvan barrier with 2 goals by Omid Ebrahimi, but in the second leg, hosted by the representative of Gilan province, a 2-2 draw prevailed. In that meeting, Jaber Ansari and Mohsen Karimi scored for Esteghlal, and on the other hand, Seyed Jalal Rafkhai scored both goals for White Swans.

Tehrani blue-coats have always faced serious challenges in Anzali. They have not won in the last five meetings with Selvan at home and in the Premier League, and they have won 2 draws and 3 losses. The last victory of the capital team in the Takhti Stadium and in the Premier League dates back to 11 years, eight months and 20 days ago, or in other words, 4281 days ago. where they overcame their 10-man opponent with Hanif Omranzadeh's single goal. It has to be seen whether this spell will be broken in the second week of the 22nd league or not.

The sailors, on the other side of the story, have to break the spell. They have not won their last three games in the 15th league and failed to score in the first week of the season as they look for their first win in 2309 days in the Premier League. Their last win was against a Tehrani team in Anzali. Where the White Swans beat Saipa in the 27th week of the 15th League with a score of 3-2.

It should be seen whether the spell will break this week or not.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/sailor-duel-and-esteghlal-with-the-presence-of-2-big-mascots-it-has-been-several-years-without-a-win/?feed_id=12428&_unique_id=62fddcb606902

World leaders, foreign dignitaries wish Pakistan on 75 years of Independence

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. — Twitter/@RusEmbPakistan/@SecBlinken/AFP/File

As Pakistan celebrates its 75th Independence Day on Sunday wishes from world leaders and foreign dignitaries poured in to commemorate the country’s diamond jubilee.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his counterpart Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the occasion. In his message, President Putin wished for “Pakistan’s success in economic and social development, well-earned respect possessed by it on international arena.”

United States’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his message offered best wishes to the people of Pakistan.

“For more than seven decades, the US and Pakistan have worked together in partnership […] I look forward to strengthening our relationship in years to come as we look for opportunities to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.”

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent their wishes for the Pakistani nation and congratulated PM Shahbaz and President Alvi.

UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also extended their congratulatory messages to the PM and President of Pakistan.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, in a statement, also wished Pakistan and Canadian-Pakistanis on the auspicious occasion citing that his nation celebrates the strong bonds that unite Canadian and Pakistani people.

“Canada and Pakistan enjoy a longstanding relationship, and this year also marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. We remain committed to fighting climate change, advancing women's empowerment, and promoting regional peace and stability,” Trudeau stated.

Chinese ambassador in Pakistan Nong Rong tweeted a video sharing the bilateral ties and friendship shared by both nations through the years.

Taking to Twitter German Ambassador-Designate Alfred Grannas and Acting British High Commissioner Andrew Dalgleish also shared video messages for Pakistanis on the special occasion.

“Right now the UK and Pakistan are collaborating to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges from driving forward action on climate change to improving gender equality,” Dalgleish said.

British High Commissioner Christian Turner, shared a letter for Pakistanis on Twitter.

“Our history unites us but does not define our future. The UK and Pakistan are EK Saath,” Turner wrote in his letter.

Special message by the Charge d'Affaires of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Sardar Ahmed Shakeeb was also shared by the Government of Pakistan’s official twitter account.

“Since the establishment of the new Islamic government in Kabul, we have been supporting the vital interests of each other and facilitating close cooperation and affairs of trade, education, culture, health and people-to-people relations,” Shakeeb said, adding that the friendship between people of both the nations are “strengthening with each passing day”.

Australian envoy Neil Hawkins dressed up in green and white celebrated the people-to-people links between the two nations, also emphasising on the passion shared by both country’s for the game of cricket.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/world-leaders-foreign-dignitaries-wish-pakistan-on-75-years-of-independence/?feed_id=11014&_unique_id=62f9d056aec41

Mozambique’s former labor minister sentenced to 16 years for embezzlement

KIGALI, Rwanda

A court in Mozambique sentenced former Labor Minister Maria Helena Taipo to 16 years in prison Thursday for her involvement in the embezzlement of 113 million meticals ($1.7 million) in public funds and illicit participation in business, local media reported.

Taipo was sentenced along with three of her accomplices, who received similar sentences, according to the media report.

They include Anastacia Zitha, the former national director of migrant labor in the Labor Ministry, Jose Monjane, the former head of the finance department in the directorate, and Pedro Taimo, the former coordinator of the mineworkers' project in the directorate, Mozambique’s Jornal Noticias reported.

Five others were handed 12-year sentences for embezzlement, while two of the 11 accused were acquitted.

Judge Evandra Uamusse of the Maputo City Court ruled that “Taipo and her accomplices had embezzled 113 million meticals from the Directorate of Migrant Labor,” the report said.

The judge said she had given the former minister a maximum sentence as “a deterrent measure” and because she had not shown any sign of repentance during the trial apart from claims such as “I did nothing” or “What I did was for the good of the institution.”

The court also ordered Taipo and her accomplices to repay the embezzled funds.

During the two-month trial, the court heard that the Labor Ministry and the directorate officials working with private companies had signed fraudulent contracts and formed a group with a plan to misappropriate public funds.

The defendants were also accused of ignoring the procedures for withdrawing money from the directorate accounts, transferring money to personal accounts and had issued fraudulent invoices and receipts for events which never happened.

Taipo was particularly pinned over authorizing bogus payments which the court found to have opened space for the embezzlement of funds.

Taipo was labor minister during former President Armando Guebuza’s 10 years in office.

She also served as governor of the central province of Sofala and then as Mozambique’s ambassador to Angola under current President Filipe Nyusi.

She was fired from her ambassadorial job after investigations over corruption were opened against her.

The defense has 20 days to appeal against the court’s verdict and sentencing.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/mozambiques-former-labor-minister-sentenced-to-16-years-for-embezzlement/?feed_id=3662&_unique_id=62e36377dbfbc

Hundreds of human rights leaders killed in Colombia in 5 years

The state response has been "insufficient to reduce the levels of violence, prevent abuses committed by criminal organisations and adequately protect communities in the territories," according to the report.

Despite the peace agreement signed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and the government in 2016, violence has intensified. (AP)

More than 562 human rights defenders were killed in Colombia between 2016 and 2021, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Office.

The report, published Tuesday, revealed that at least 22 human rights defenders have been killed this year in Colombia, where rising violence perpetrated by criminal organisations that seek control of territories for drug trafficking is having a "devastating" effect. The number could be much higher, the report said, as the UN office has received up to 114 complaints, many of which are still in the process of being verified.

The state response has been "insufficient to reduce the levels of violence, prevent abuses committed by criminal organisations and adequately protect communities in the territories," according to the report.

Despite the peace agreement signed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and the government in 2016, violence has intensified.

READ MORE: FARC guerrilla group dissidents killed in Colombian military operation

After signing the peace deal, a FARC unit of dissidents said it would not lay down arms and would continue fighting. Other armed groups such as the National Liberation Army and the Gulf Clan also remain.

"In some places these groups seem to supplant some of the State's own functions and regulate many aspects of community life, even making decisions on family issues or local justice," said Juliette De Rivero, Colombian representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during the presentation of the report.

Achieving peace with all the criminal armed groups that still have a significant presence in the country is one of the biggest challenges that incoming President Gustavo Petro faces when he takes office August 7.

The report said the current military strategy has failed to stop armed groups' expansion and urged the incoming government to prioritise tackling violence that is particularly affecting women, children, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, community leaders and human rights defenders.

READ MORE: Clashes between Colombia rebels kill over two dozen

Source: AA

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/hundreds-of-human-rights-leaders-killed-in-colombia-in-5-years/?feed_id=2510&_unique_id=62e04f2935af1