Former Liberian president Charles Taylor on Monday pleaded not guilty to war crimes, then beamed and blew kisses, appearing confident before an international tribunal determined to set an African example for holding dictators to account.
Taylor initially said he could not plead on the charges, which stem from his alleged role in Sierra Leone's civil war, because he did not recognize the court. But after Justice Richard Lussick insisted, Taylor said calmly: "Most definitely, your honor, I did not and could not have committed those acts against the sister republic of Sierra Leone."
Lussick accepted Taylor's comment as a plea of "not guilty."
As the hour-long hearing ended, Taylor stood, smiled and blew kisses to relatives who were in the courtroom.
In a statement released later, the court's chief prosecutor, Desmond de Silva, said aylor's appearance was a watershed, proving that "those who commit atrocities and violate international humanitarian law will be held accountable ... no one is above the law."
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Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
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