Interesting Global News

Under sanctions for human rights abuses, Ortega himself had proposed the change, which also increases the Central American country's presidential term from five to six years.

Ortega, 79, has engaged in increasingly authoritarian practices, tightening control of all sectors of the state with the aid of his powerful wife, 73-year-old Vice President Rosario Murillo in what critics describe as a nepotistic dictatorship.

The ex-guerrilla had first served as president from 1985 to 1990, returning to power in 2007. Nicaragua has jailed hundreds of opponents, real and perceived, since then. Ortega's government has targeted critics, shutting down more than 5,000 NGOs since 2018 mass protests in which the United Nations estimates more than 300 people died. Thousands of Nicaraguans have fled into exile, and the regime is under US and EU sanctions. Most independent and opposition media now operate from abroad.

Ortega and Murillo accuse the Church, journalists and NGOs of having supported an attempted coup d'etat, as they describe the 2018 protests. The change also allows for stricter control over the media and the Church, so they are not subject to "foreign interests." And it gives the co-presidents the power to coordinate all "legislative, judicial, electoral, control and supervisory bodies, regional and municipal" -- formerly independent under the constitution.

The Geneva-based UN human rights office (OHCHR) in its annual report on Nicaragua warned in September of a "serious" deterioration in human rights under Ortega. The report cited violations such as arbitrary arrests of opponents, torture, ill-treatment in detention, increased violence against Indigenous people and attacks on religious freedom.

"Everything in the reform is what has actually been happening in Nicaragua: a de facto dictatorship," Dora Maria Tellez, a former comrade in arms of Ortega turned critic, told AFP from exile in the United States. When it was proposed by Ortega earlier this week, Organization of American States secretary general Luis Almagro described the amendment as "an aberrant form of institutionalizing the marital dictatorship."

Ambassador Antoine Michon faced Haiti's foreign minister on Thursday over what officials called "unfriendly and inappropriate" comments made by Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil.

Macron was caught on camera criticising the Caribbean country's decision to oust the prime minister earlier this month. "Frankly, it's the Haitians who have destroyed Haiti by letting in drug trafficking," he said while speaking to a bystander about Haiti's political and humanitarian crisis. "They are completely dumb, they should never have fired him," he added, describing the former prime minister as "great".

The comments referred to Garry Conille, who was removed on 10 November after five months in office amid worsening gang warfare. He was replaced by entrepreneur and former senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

Haiti's transitional presidential council expressed "indignation at what it considers unfriendly and inappropriate remarks which ought to be rectified" [...] During the meeting, the French ambassador acknowledged the remarks were "unfortunate", the Haitian Foreign Ministry said.

France has a complex relationship with Haiti, which gained independence in 1804 after a successful slave revolt. The country later paid France a "debt" for lost property – including slaves – that activists estimate at over $100 billion. Many believe this debt has contributed to Haiti's persistent economic and political struggles, with calls for reparations continuing today.

The nation's leadership has been wracked by infighting and three members of the transitional presidential council – tasked with restoring security and paving the way for elections – have been accused of corruption. They remain in their posts.

France has pledged 4 million euros to a UN fund financing a deeply under-resourced security mission mandated to help restore security in Haiti, as well as funding for French and Creole classes for its troops.

Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts in May after a jury found he had fraudulently manipulated business records to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors argued that concealing the alleged tryst was intended to help him win his first run for the White House.

"It is... ordered that the joint application for a stay of sentencing is granted to the extent that the November 26, 2024 date is adjourned," said judge Juan Merchan in an order.

Trump's legal team have cited a Supreme Court ruling giving presidents sweeping immunity for official acts. That landmark ruling saw the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, decide that presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for a range of official acts committed while in office.

Trump's former attorney general Bill Barr previously said that both the New York case as well as others around the country had been "plainly brought for political purposes (and) have now been extensively aired and rejected in the court of public opinion." Trump has repeatedly derided the hush money case as a witch hunt, saying it "should be rightfully terminated."

Alongside the New York case, brought by state-level prosecutors, Trump faces two active federal cases: one related to his effort to overturn the 2020 election and the other connected to classified documents he allegedly mishandled after leaving office. However, as president, he would be able to intervene to end those cases, and Smith, the special counsel handling both cases, has reportedly begun to wind them down.

Gunfire erupted on Thursday evening in the capital Juba, sparking concerns about the stability of the world's youngest country that is already plagued by power struggles, ethnic infighting and a deep economic malaise. The shooting around the home of Koor, who was fired by Kiir in early October and placed under house arrest, caused panic among local residents before it was contained after about an hour.

Following the meeting, South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said the incident took place after a "misunderstanding" between security forces attempting to relocate the ex-head of the National Security Services.

He said four people, two civilians and two soldiers, had been killed during the confrontation.

The meeting convened by Kiir included the heads of defence, police, national security and military intelligence. A source in the presidency press unit said Koor was also present. The Sudans Post newspaper quoted a security official as saying the meeting had "resolved all outstanding tensions" and that the spy chief and his family "have been assured of their safety".

Koor became head of the feared National Security Services (NSS) after South Sudan's independence in 2011 but was sacked in October leading to widespread speculation he had been planning to overthrow Kiir. After his dismissal from the NSS, Koor was appointed governor of Warrap State, Kiir's home state, but this was abruptly revoked by the president before he took the oath of office.

Koang said there had been a "misunderstanding" between two security services forces present at Koor's residence when a third unit arrived for the relocation. "That was the start of the armed confrontation that you heard," he said.

Koor's sacking came just two weeks after Kiir again postponed by two years, to December 2026, the first elections in the nation's history. The delay has exasperated the international community, which has been pressing the country's leaders to complete a transitional process, including unifying rival armed forces and drawing up a constitution.

The NSS was at the centre of controversy in July when parliament approved amendments to legislation allowing the agency to continue to arrest -- without a warrant -- anyone accused of offences against the state, raising alarm among rights groups and South Sudan's international partners.

The country has struggled to recover from a brutal civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and his now deputy Riek Machar from 2013 to 2018 that killed about 400,000 people and drove millions from their homes. It remains one of the poorest and most corrupt countries on the planet and continues to be plagued by chronic instability and climate disasters.

The warrants – issued late Thursday – mark the first time a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are accused of "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid and targeting civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif is accused of war crimes, including orchestrating the October attack on Israel and "sexual and gender-based violence" against hostages. Israel said it killed Deif in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.

The ICC's 124 member states must arrest suspects on their territory, though the court has no power to enforce this.

The ICC decision has sparked starkly different reactions across the globe. US President Joe Biden condemned the move, calling it "outrageous." He said: "There is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security."

France offered a measured response, acknowledging the court’s independence but declining to comment on potential enforcement. "True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court," the foreign ministry said. But Christophe Lemoine, a ministry spokesman declined to say whether France would arrest Netanyahu if he came to the country, saying it was "legally complex".

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell defended the court’s authority, stating: "It is a decision of a court of justice... and has to be respected." Austria rejected the warrants as "absurd", while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch ally of Netanyahu, described them as "outrageously impudent" and invited the Israeli leader to visit Hungary. [...] Netanyahu on Friday thanked Orban for showing "moral clarity" and "standing by the side of justice and truth".

Hamas, meanwhile, welcomed the move as a step towards justice. Senior official Basem Naim said it was "an important step" but warned that it must be "backed practically by all countries" to have real impact.

German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit reiterated Berlin’s support for the ICC, calling it a product of "German history". However, he acknowledged that Germany’s unique relationship with Israel demands careful consideration of the warrant’s implications. "At the same time, it is a consequence of German history that we share unique relations with and a great responsibility towards Israel," Hebestreit said in a statement. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said they were examining exactly what the warrant means for "implementation in Germany".

Meanwhile South Africa praised the ICC’s actions as "a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine." The country is also pursuing a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, which it claims violates the UN Genocide Convention.

Of the 56 warrants issued since the creation of the ICC in 2002, only 21 have been executed.

Mass protests were held in New Zealand this week over an effort to weaken the rights of the Maori, who often serve as environmental stewards.

“Indigenous rights have been one of the strongest roadblocks to corporate exploitation.”

“That redefinition could diminish Māori participation and environmental governance, as the treaty currently ensures that Māori involvement in managing national natural resources,” said Mike Smith, a Māori climate activist who has two climate lawsuits pending before the country’s high court. “So by limiting these rights, the bill may weaken the environmental stewardship practices that are rooted in Māori morals and values and thereby impact the country’s ability to address all the environmental challenges, and more particularly combat climate change effectively.”

The Kremlin strongman spoke out after a day of frayed nerves, with Russia test-firing a new generation intermediate-range missile at Ukraine -- which Putin hinted was capable of unleashing a nuclear payload. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky branded the strike a major ramping up of the "scale and brutality" of the war by a "crazy neighbour", while Kyiv's main backer the United States said that Russia was to blame for escalating the conflict "at every turn".

Intermediate-range missiles typically have a reach of up to 5,500 kilometres (3,400 miles) -- enough to make good on Putin's threat of striking the West.

In a defiant address to the nation, Russia's president railed at Ukraine's allies granting permission for Kyiv to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets on Russian territory, warning of retaliation. In recent days Ukraine has fired US and UK-supplied missiles at Russian territory for the first time, escalating already sky-high tensions in the brutal nearly three-year-long conflict.

"We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities," Putin said. He said the US-sent Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and British Storm Shadow payloads were shot down by Moscow's air defences, adding: "The goals that the enemy obviously set were not achieved".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov did however say Moscow informed Washington of the missile's launch half an hour before it was fired through an automatic nuclear de-escalation hotline, in remarks cited in state media. He earlier said Russia was doing everything to avoid an atomic conflict, having updated its nuclear doctrine this week. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Washington saw no need to modify the United States' own nuclear posture in response.

Criticising the global response to the strike -- "final proof that Russia definitely does not want peace" -- Zelensky warned that other countries could become targets for Putin too. "It is necessary to urge Russia to a true peace, which is possible only through force," the Ukrainian leader said in his evening address. "Otherwise, there will be relentless Russian strikes, threats and destabilisation, and not only against Ukraine."

The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said the new missile's deployment was "another concerning and worrying development," warning the war was "going in the wrong direction". Yet a US official played down the threat, saying on condition of anonymity that Russia "likely possesses only a handful of these" experimental missiles.

Russia's envoy to London on Thursday said that meant Britain was "now directly involved" in the Ukraine war, with Andrei Kelin telling Sky News "this firing cannot happen" without UK and NATO support. But the White House's Jean-Pierre countered that it was Russia who was behind the rising tensions, pointing to the reported deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to help Moscow fight off a Ukrainian offensive in Russia's border Kursk region.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid also criticised the arrest warrants, accusing the court of rewarding "terrorism". The arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were issued on suspicion of "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed" in Gaza since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Earlier, Netanyahu compared the ICC's decision to "a modern-day Dreyfus trial", referring to an infamous 19th century case in which French Jewish army captain Alfred Dreyfus was unfairly convicted of treason. He said Israel "rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and accusations made against it". The judges were "driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel", he said.

Netanyahu alleged that the warrants were an attempt by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan "to save himself from serious accusations of sexual harassment". Khan has denied the allegations. President Isaac Herzog described the court's move as a "dark day for justice", while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the ICC had "lost all legitimacy".

Israelis in Jerusalem echoed their comments, condemning the judges' actions. "It's a heartache that they act against the Jewish people with anti-Semitism," said a 75-year-old who gave his name only as Shmuel. Moshe Cohen, a 41-year-old factory worker, said: "Everyone around us is trying to bring us down... and I don't think we should let them."

Former defence minister Yoav Gallant said the arrest warrants issued against him and the prime minister set a "dangerous precedent". [...] "The decision sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defence and ethical warfare and encourages murderous terrorism."

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the government to respond by annexing the whole of the occupied West Bank, which the Palestinians claim as part of their future state. Opposition leader Lapid said: "Israel is defending its citizens' lives against terrorist organisations that attacked, murdered and raped our people. These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism."

But not everyone in Israel disagreed with the ICC. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem called on foreign governments to "enforce the warrants" against Netanyahu and Gallant, which it said marked "one of the lowest points in Israeli history". "Personal accountability for decision-makers is a key element in the struggle for justice and freedom for all human beings living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea," it said.

Israel's Arab-led communist party, Hadash, welcomed the court's decision, accusing Netanyahu and Gallant of "the total destruction of Gaza" and "mass murder".

Inorganic chloramines have been used for decades to remove pathogens from public water supplies. Though chlorine remains the most widely used disinfectant in the US and globally, chloramines have increasingly replaced it in many systems to reduce certain byproducts linked to bladder and colon cancer, low birth weight, and miscarriage.

Today, more than 113 million Americans rely on chloraminated drinking water, with the compound also in use across Canada, Asia, and Europe. "However, chloramines themselves decompose into products that are poorly characterized," said Julian Fairey, lead author of the study published in the journal Science, during a press briefing. One such product, identified more than 40 years ago but left chemically unresolved, was simply dubbed the "unidentified product."

Using a combination of traditional chemistry methods and modern tools like high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they identified the compound as "chloronitramide anion."

The compound was detected in all 40 chloraminated drinking water samples tested, with concentrations reaching up to 100 micrograms per liter -- exceeding typical regulatory limits for disinfection byproducts, which range between 60 and 80 micrograms per liter. Although toxicological studies have yet to be conducted, the researchers sounded a warning.

Water utilities could consider reverting to chlorine, Fairey suggested, though this would require secondary disinfectants to neutralize the known toxic byproducts chlorine produces.

From https://phys.org/news/2024-11-previously-unknown-compound.html

The researchers have now identified chloronitramide anion, chemically expressed as Cl–N–NO2−, as an end product of inorganic chloramine decomposition. While its toxicity is not presently known, its prevalence and similarity to other toxic compounds is concerning and warrants further study to assess its public health risk. Simply identifying the compound has been a challenge and breakthrough.

A young Australian woman was the latest confirmed death, and her friend was fighting for her life, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Two Danish citizens and an American had also died, officials said, after what media said was a night out in Vang Vieng where they drank possibly tainted alcohol. The group of about a dozen tourists became ill after going out on November 12, according to British and Australian media.

Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos' secretive communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago. The town was once notorious for backpackers behaving badly at jungle parties and has since re-branded as an eco-tourism destination. On their travel advice websites for Laos, UK and Australian authorities warn their citizens to beware of methanol poisoning while consuming alcohol in Laos.

Methanol can be added to liquor to increase its potency, but can cause blindness, liver damage and death. In neighbouring Thailand, at least six people died and more than 20 were hospitalised after drinking methanol-laced bootleg alcohol in August.

The US vetoed a UN resolution on Wednesday demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The other 14 members of the UN Security Council voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution, the most recent of many Gaza ceasefire resolutions to reach the Security Council, called for “an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” and “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” However, the US stated its opposition to the “unconditional ceasefire” which “failed to release the hostages.”

Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241121021115/https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/11/us-vetoes-fourth-un-security-council-gaza-ceasefire-resolution/

SpinScore: https://spinscore.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jurist.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F11%2Fus-vetoes-fourth-un-security-council-gaza-ceasefire-resolution%2F

Internet cables connecting Finland to Germany and Lithuania and Sweden were cut

Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241121002200/https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/danish-navy-tails-chinese-ship-suspected-in-european-undersea-cable-sabotage-swedens-defense-ministry-put-freighter-at-the-time-and-place-of-the-disruption

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Amnesty International condemned Monday the increasing harm inflicted on children in Ukraine due to Russian airstrikes, describing the situation as a grave violation of international law.

Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241120022913/https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/11/russia-airstrikes-killing-and-injuring-children-in-ukraine-constitute-war-crimes-amnesty-international/

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"The latest upsurge in violence in Haiti's capital is a harbinger of worse to come," UN rights chief Volker Turk warned in a statement. "The gang violence must be promptly halted. Haiti must not be allowed to descend further into chaos."

Violence has intensified dramatically in Port-au-Prince since November 11, as a coalition of gangs pushes for full control of the Haitian capital.

"At least 150 people have been killed, 92 injured and about 20,000 forced to flee their homes over the past week," Turk's statement said. In addition, "Port-au-Prince's estimated four million people are practically being held hostage as gangs now control all the main roads in and out of the capital".

Turk said that at least 55 percent of the deaths from simultaneous and apparently coordinated attacks in the capital resulted from exchanges of fire between gang members and police. He also highlighted reports of a rise in mob lynchings.

This was happening "at a time when the health system is already on the brink of collapse", he said, adding that "threats and attacks on humanitarian workers are also deeply worrying". "Gang violence must not prevail over the institutions of the State," he said, demanding "concrete steps ... to protect the population and to restore effective rule of law".

Organisers urged protesters not to bring farm machinery into central London, though some tractors drove past Downing Street covered with signs saying “the final straw” and “no farmers, no food.”

Archived version: https://archive.li/6qCeT

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Development banks sent $2.3 billion to industrial animal agriculture in 2023.

Recent data analysis conducted by a human rights advocacy organization found that nearly a dozen international finance institutions directed over $3 billion to animal agriculture in 2023. The majority of those funds — upwards of $2.27 billion — came from development banks and went towards projects that support factory farming, a practice that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as well as biodiversity loss.

The researchers behind the analysis are calling on the development banks — which include the International Finance Corporation, or IFC, part of the World Bank — to scrutinize the climate and environmental impacts of the projects they fund, especially in light of the World Bank’s climate pledges. (...)

Brazil's federal police have arrested five officers accused of plotting a coup that included plans to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections and kill then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241120020848/https://apnews.com/article/brazil-president-lula-coup-plot-85a793fcef04c7dbd96746b947129042

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Before it started, 56-year-old Kim Yun-suk fell asleep to the hum of insects and woke to the chirping of birds. Now, she is kept awake every night by what sounds like the soundtrack of a low-budget horror movie at top volume. "The peaceful sounds of nature... have now been drowned out," Kim told AFP. "All we hear is this noise."

The campaign is the latest manifestation of steadily-declining ties between the two Koreas this year, which have also seen Pyongyang test ever more powerful missiles and bombard the South with trash-carrying balloons.

Since July, North Korea has been broadcasting the noises for huge chunks of almost every day from loudspeakers along the border. The northern point of Ganghwa -- an island in the Han river estuary on the Yellow Sea -- is only about two kilometres (a mile) from the North. When AFP visited, the nighttime broadcast included what sounded like the screams of people dying on the battlefield, the crack of gunfire, bombs exploding, along with chilling music that started at 11:00 pm.

Experts said the new broadcasts almost meet the criteria for a torture campaign. "Almost every regime has used noise torture and sleep deprivation," Rory Cox, a historian at University of St Andrews, told AFP. "It is very common and leaves no physical scarring, therefore making it deniable."

Exposure to noise levels above 60 decibels at night increases the risk of sleep disorders, experts said, but AFP tracked levels of up to 80 decibels late at night on Ganghwa during a recent trip.

"I find myself taking headache medicine almost all the time," An Mi-hee, 37, told AFP, adding that prolonged sleep deprivation due to the noise has also led to anxiety, eye pain, facial tremors and drowsiness. "Our kids can't sleep either, so they've developed mouth sores and are dozing off at school." Distraught and desperate, An travelled to Seoul and got on her knees to beg lawmakers at the National Assembly to find a solution, breaking down in tears as she described the island's suffering.

Choi Hyoung-chan, a 60-year-old resident, said the South Korean government had failed to protect vulnerable civilians on the frontier. "They should come here and try to live with these sounds for just ten days," he told AFP, referring to officials in Seoul. "I doubt they could even endure a single day."