“A tech billionaire performed the first private spacewalk hundreds of miles above Earth on Thursday, a high-risk endeavor reserved for professional astronauts — until now. Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman teamed up with SpaceX to test the company’s brand new spacesuits on his chartered flight. The daring feat also saw SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis going out once Isaacman was safely back inside. … There were a few glitches. Isaacman had to manually pull the hatch open instead of pushing a button on board. Before heading out, Gillis reported seeing bulges in the hatch seal. … Until Thursday, only 263 people had conducted a spacewalk, representing 12 countries. The Soviet Union’s Alexei Leonov kicked it off in 1965, followed a few months later by NASA’s Ed White.” (09/12/24)
“President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Thursday that a Russian missile struck a cargo ship in the Black Sea that was carrying wheat to Egypt, and a Ukrainian military spokesman said that the attack took place in Romanian waters. If confirmed, it would be the first such direct attack on a civilian vessel in open water since Ukraine established a new maritime export route last year. Mr. Zelensky said on social media that there were no casualties in the attack, which he said had happened overnight. He did not describe the extent of any damage. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the claim; and Russia’s defense ministry did not mention it on its Telegram channel.” (09/12/24)
“Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday said there will not be another debate against his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. The former president in a Truth Social post claimed that he won his first debate against Harris on Tuesday night. He cited as evidence the fact that Harris’ campaign had challenged him to another debate shortly after the first one ended. … ‘When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH.’’ … ‘KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!'” (09/12/24)
“Turkey has opened an investigation into the death of a Turkish-American activist believed to have been shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank and will request international arrest warrants, Ankara said on Thursday. The body of the woman, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, will arrive in Turkey on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said. Israel has taken responsibility for the death of Eygi, who was killed last Friday while taking part in a protest against Jewish [squat] expansion in the West Bank. The Foreign Ministry said she ‘was deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians.'” (09/12/24)
“The United States supports creating two permanent United Nations Security Council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced on Thursday. The move comes as the U.S. seeks to repair ties with Africa, where many are unhappy about Washington’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, and deepen relations with Pacific Island nations important to countering Chinese influence in the region. … The United States does not support expanding veto power beyond the five countries that hold it, Thomas-Greenfield said.” (09/13/24)
“Peru’s former president Alberto Fujimori has died of cancer aged 86, his family announced on Wednesday. The hardline conservative led the South American nation in 1990-2000, during which he oversaw an economic revival and crushed the Shining Path guerrilla group while exerting an authoritarian grip on the country’s politics. In 2009 he was convicted of human rights abuses and corruption during his tenure and given a 25-year sentence. … He was released from prison in December last year on humanitarian grounds over his ailing health and left jail on the outskirts of the capital Lima last year in an oxygen mask.” (09/12/24)
“A North Dakota judge vacated the state’s near-total abortion ban on Thursday, saying that a pregnant resident had a ‘fundamental right’ to choose an abortion until their fetus was viable. State District Judge Bruce Romanick also said that the ban was ‘unconstitutionally void for vagueness’ in how it defined exceptions. The ban, passed by the Republican-led state Legislature last year, allows abortions only in the case of rape or incest, and only then in the first six weeks of pregnancy, before many people know they’re pregnant. An exception also exists for patients facing life-threatening health risks. The lawsuit challenging the ban was filed by several North Dakota physicians and the Red River Women’s Clinic, which until 2022 was the state’s sole abortion provider.” (09/12/24)
“New York’s high court tossed out former President Trump’s appeal of the gag order in his hush money criminal case Thursday. The gag order, which remains in partial effect ahead of Trump’s sentencing, bars the former president from making public remarks about prosecutors involved in the case or their families. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) and Judge Juan Merchan remain fair game. In a brief order, the court said ‘no substantial constitutional question is directly involved’ and that it would dismiss Trump’s appeal. The former president has argued the gag order violates the First Amendment rights of him and his millions of supporters, emphasizing his status as a presidential candidate in this year’s election.” (09/12/24)
“The European Central Bank announced its second interest rate cuts in three months Thursday, with a quarter-point cut to the deposit rate, down to 3.5% from 3.75%. Analysts had anticipated the deposit rate cut, however the ECB declined to commit to any further cuts this year — most traders bet there will be at least one further 0.25% this year. The ECB’s move comes ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s widely anticipated meeting next week, at which it is also expected to cut the cost of borrowing by 0.25% as inflation comes into its target 2% range.” (09/12/24)
“Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on additional sex crimes charges, Manhattan prosecutors said at a Thursday hearing, according to the Associated Press. The indictment for the disgraced Hollywood producer remains under seal until Wednesday. The new charges come ahead of a retrial for Weinstein, after a previous rape conviction collapsed this year. … Weinstein was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison in the New York trial. He was convicted of forcibly performing oral sex on a former production assistant, Mimi Haleyi, at his apartment in 2006; and of rape in the third degree for an attack on aspiring actress Jessica Mann at a hotel in 2013. But in a 4-3 split decision, a majority of the appellate judges concluded that the trial court erroneously allowed other women to testify about Weinstein’s alleged pattern of abuse, even though he was not being prosecuted for crimes against those witnesses.” (09/12/24)
