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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Trump has responsibility towards media: UN

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GENEVA: The UN rights chief said on Monday that US President Donald Trump bears “a heavy responsibility” for how the media is portrayed and that his remarks could have a knock-on effect that make the situation for journalists more difficult in other countries.


“To label the press in this way is very worrisome,” Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein said in an interview before his four-year term ends.


“Because it also has a demonstration effect, other leaders in authoritarian settings will do same thing. We’ve seen now how they mimic President Trump and so what could already be a difficult situation in other countries becomes even more difficult for the press to operate and for journalists to uncover stories and for lawyers to do their work and for human rights defenders to do their work,” Zeid said.


In another development, US First Lady Melania Trump renewed her campaign to tackle cyber bullying on Monday, as her husband lit up the Internet with a stream of invective against his perceived foes.


Appearing at a health department building outside Washington, the Slovenia-born first lady urged tech companies to listen more to “children’s ideas and concerns” about online bullying.


“Let’s face it: most children are more aware of the benefits and pitfalls of social media than some adults,” she said.


“In today’s global society, social media is inevitably a part of our children’s daily lives. It can be used in many positive ways, but also can be destructive and harmful when used incorrectly,” she said.


Since coming to office Melania Trump has spoken relatively infrequently in public.


She was treated at Walter Reed hospital on May 14 for what aides called a “benign” kidney condition and was released a few days later.


Her signature “be best” campaign for public decorum has been largely overshadowed by her husband’s daily insults and public hectoring.


On Monday morning he called the taxpayer-funded lawyers and prosecutors investigating Russia’s influence in the 2016 election a “National Disgrace.” — Reuters/AFP


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