“Niger’s military rulers on Tuesday withdrew French humanitarian NGO Acted’s licence to operate amid tensions with its former colonial ruler. Acted has been working in the impoverished country since 2009, notably tending to displaced people in a nation hit by jihadist violence. … Another non-profit, Niger’s APBE, likewise saw its licence withdrawn. ‘The march towards national sovereignty is in full progress in Niger!’ said pro-government personality and influencer Ibrahim Bana on social media.” (11/13/24)
“Hours after Donald Trump was elected president for the second time, Dr. Clayton Alfonso had two messages from patients seeking to replace their IUDs. Over the next few days, three women inquired about getting their tubes tied. All of them said the election was the reason they were making these choices now. Requests for long-term birth control and permanent sterilizations have surged across the nation since the election, doctors told The Associated Press. And companies that sell emergency contraception and abortion pills say they’re seeing significant spikes in requests from people who are stockpiling the medications — one saw a 966% increase in sales of emergency contraception from the week before in the 60 hours after the election.” (11/13/24)
“The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Wednesday that the slogan ‘Russian warship, go fuck yourself’ cannot be claimed by Ukraine as an EU trademark. The accidental war slogan was at the center of a heated trademark battle between Ukraine’s State Border Guard and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The phrase was first coined by a Ukrainian soldier responding to the Russian navy’s demand to surrender as it prepared to attack Snake Island in the Black Sea in the early hours of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In the years since, the phrase has become a symbol of Kyiv’s resilience against Moscow. But Ukraine claimed that authorship of the phrase should belong to Kyiv, to avoid anyone else claiming the trademark and profiting off the slogan.” (11/13/24)
“President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Pentagon privately lobbied Trump during his first White House term to pardon former members of the U.S. armed forces accused or convicted of war crimes, including a Navy SEAL chief who allegedly gunned down a young girl and elderly man in Iraq. Pete Hegseth is an Army veteran who has used his role as a ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host to praise Trump, make the case for a preemptive strike against North Korea, peddle anti-Muslim bigotry, express support for Israel’s U.S.-backed assault on Gaza, and divulge bizarre details about his lack of personal hygiene.” [editor’s note: As usual, the truth lies somewhere between this progressive rant posing as “news” and the Fox account – SAT] [additional editor’s note: As usual, the truth is almost certainly not a Solomon-like cutting in half of the baby. Hegseth appears to be entirely a turd – TLK] (11/13/24)
“Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira received a 15-year sentence in federal prison for leaking classified military documents on Discord in a Boston federal court …. The leak included information about the Ukrainian and Russian troop movements and military equipment used in the war in Ukraine and Russia’s attempts to obtain more weapons from Egypt and Turkey.” (11/12/24)
“A secluded commune on the North Coast, known locally as ‘Yee Haw,’ has been labeled an ‘urgent health hazard’ by Humboldt County officials after inspectors found alarming sewage issues on the property. Owned by Charles Garth, the property of Yee Haw in Trinidad, California, has housed hundreds of people over the last four decades in homes made of scavenged materials and renovated buses. Residents celebrate Yee Haw as a hub of community and environmental stewardship, and Garth’s supporters paint him as a charitable figure who offers housing amid a statewide crisis. Critics, including some local officials, see him as a negligent landlord whose lack of oversight jeopardizes Yee Haw residents as well as the surrounding community and the environment. In September, Humboldt’s Planning and Building Department gave an overview of nearly 30 years of enforcement actions against Yee Haw.” (11/13/24)
“Ghana’s Supreme Court restored the ruling party’s majority in the parliament on Tuesday ahead of the Dec. 7 election, with an order that the speaker’s declaration of four seats as vacant was unconstitutional. Last month, two members of parliament from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and one from the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) announced that they would run as independent candidates in the election, while an independent candidate joined the NPP. The Speaker of the Parliament Alban Bagbin declared their seats vacant, arguing that the constitution does not allow MPs to defect. The parliament was indefinitely adjourned after the declaration.” (11/12/24)
“Blasts have been heard over Kyiv as Ukraine accused Russia of launching its first missile attack on the capital since August and urged residents to take cover. The attack by Vladimir Putin’s forces involved missiles launched by strategic bombers as well as ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s military said. No casualties or damage have been reported so far. Ukraine has been faced nightly drone attacks but has been anxiously awaiting a mass Russian attack on energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.” (11/13/24)
“The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned Tuesday amid criticism over his apparent failure to properly investigate decades-worth of allegations of child abuse by a Church volunteer in the UK and Africa. Welby, the head of the Church of England and the leader of the third-largest Christian communion in the world, said he was stepping down ‘in sorrow’ for the victims, following widespread pressure from within the Church itself as well as from political figures, including from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Welby was made aware of the allegations after becoming archbishop in 2013, a report published last week found, but the abuse, which took place in the UK, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, did not come to light publicly until 2017.” (11/12/24)
“A jury awarded three former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq $42 million this week. An eight-person jury reached its decision following an earlier trial this year, in which jurors were unable to agree on whether CACI, a Reston, Virginia-based company, should be held responsible for the actions of its civilian interrogators who operated alongside the U.S. Army at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004. The jury granted $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages to each of the plaintiffs — Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili and Asa’ad Al-Zubae. The three men testified that they endured beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity and other severe mistreatment while held at the prison. While the plaintiffs did not claim that CACI’s interrogators directly inflicted the abuse, they argued that the company was complicit, alleging that its interrogators conspired with military police to ‘soften up’ detainees through harsh treatment in preparation for questioning.” (11/12/24)
