Summary

Ursula Haverbeck, a prominent Holocaust denier in Germany, died at 96 while appealing a conviction for inciting hatred.

She was repeatedly convicted for denying the Holocaust and served two years in prison.

Summary

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others have been charged by federal police with conspiracy and attempting to overthrow the country’s democracy through a right-wing coup.

The accused include top allies, such as former defense ministers and intelligence officials.

The charges follow an investigation into efforts to dismantle the constitutional state, backed by evidence from financial records and plea deals.

This comes days after arrests in a separate plot to assassinate President Lula da Silva and other officials.

Bolsonaro denies involvement in the 2022 election conspiracy.

Elon Musk has said UK MPs “will be summoned to the United States of America to explain their censorship and threats to American citizens” in a fresh escalation of tensions between the world’s richest man and Labour.

Musk, who has been a fixture at the side of Donald Trump since his re-election as US president, was responding to a Guardian report on Wednesday that the Commons’ science and technology select committee would call him to give evidence in the new year in its inquiry into the spread of harmful content on social media after the August riots.

The committee’s chair, Chi Onwurah, a Labour MP, said she wanted to see how Musk, who owns the X social media platform, “reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation”.

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Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum united to condemn the decision by a three-judge panel of the international criminal court to issue arrest warrants for the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Netanyahu’s office described the warrants as “an antisemitic decision … equivalent to the modern Dreyfus trial”, referring to the 1894 trial of a French artillery captain of Jewish descent that has become one of the most prominent examples of antisemitism.

Netanyahu added: “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and charges against it by the international criminal court, which is a biased and discriminatory political body.”

Under the Rome statute that established the ICC, the court was set up to be an independent body that stands apart from international politics.

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An Australian teenager has died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos in what Australia’s prime minister on Thursday called every parent’s nightmare. An American and two Danish tourists also died, officials said, following reports that several people had been sickened in a Laotian town popular with backpackers.

Zelensky said that when Russia invaded in 2022, he “asked Israel’s leaders to help us and support, but they have been afraid of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”

“I think that Israel made a mistake” on a political level, the Ukrainian leader told Fox News, noting that Ukraine’s connection with Israeli society had always been strong.

Summary

Ling’er, a 28-year-old transgender woman in China, won a record 60,000 yuan ($8,200 USD) in compensation after being subjected to involuntary electroshock conversion therapy at a hospital.

Her parents admitted her in 2022, opposing her gender identity, and she endured seven sessions over 97 days, causing lasting health issues.

The court ruled her personal rights were violated, marking the first legal victory for a trans person against such practices in China.

LGBTQ+ advocates hailed the decision, highlighting persistent challenges and legal grey areas surrounding conversion practices in the country.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/62174

Summary

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and during the October 2023 attacks.

The court alleges actions like depriving Gaza civilians of essential resources.

Israel and the U.S., non-members of the ICC, reject the warrants, with Netanyahu calling them antisemitic.

Hamas also criticized the decision.

The practical enforcement of these warrants remains uncertain, as the ICC lacks authority to compel arrests.

Summary

Australia has introduced a bill to ban social media access for children under 16, enforcing strict penalties of up to AU$50 million for non-compliance.

The law would require biometric or government ID for age verification and prohibits parental consent as an exemption.

While aiming to protect children from harmful content, critics argue it may drive teens to unregulated platforms.

Some services, like YouTube and WhatsApp, will be exempt for educational or messaging purposes.

The bill has bipartisan support but faces scrutiny from independents and child welfare advocates.

Summary

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is considering leaving Elon Musk’s X due to its role in spreading misinformation, ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said at POLITICO’s Health Care Summit.

“Twitter, or X, is now in every newspaper. Everybody is leaving X, and maybe for good reasons. We are discussing this as well at ECDC at the moment,” she stated.

Rendi-Wagner stressed the need for clearer, engaging communication to rebuild trust, while acknowledging social media’s potential for positive community engagement.

The administration claimed that blocking arms transfers would embolden Hamas — ignoring Israel’s genocidal slaughter.

"I can't count how many times I had a gun pointed at me, how many times soldiers and police officers pushed and hit me at demonstrations," one activist said.

A few days ago, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an extensive report documented by testimonies that reveals an increase in deportations of foreign pro-Palestinian activists by the Israeli authorities, as part of a new and clear policy led by the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Summary

The Biden administration has moved to forgive $4.7 billion in U.S. loans to Ukraine as part of a $9.4 billion loan package authorized by Congress in April to support Ukraine’s government during its war with Russia.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the decision, which Congress could still block.

The Senate is set to vote on a disapproval motion introduced by Senator Rand Paul, though bipartisan support for Ukraine remains strong.

President Biden is expediting aid ahead of his term’s end, amid concerns President-elect Trump may restrict future support.

The taped banana - now perhaps one of the most expensive fruits ever sold - was actually bought earlier in the day for a mere $0.35, according to the New York Times.

Summary

Japan’s English proficiency ranking dropped to 92nd out of 116 countries, the lowest ever recorded.

The decline is attributed to stagnant English proficiency among young people, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Netherlands ranked first, followed by European countries, while the Philippines and Malaysia ranked 22nd and 26th, respectively.

Summary

Ukraine has used UK-made Storm Shadow missiles against Russia for the first time.

The decision to deploy the missiles was prompted by Russia's deployment of North Korean troops on its border with Ukraine, which is seen as a significant escalation of the conflict.

The missiles struck a target believed to be a command headquarters in the village of Maryno, and videos and images circulated on social media showing fragments of the missile.

Summary

The U.S. plans to invest $800 million in military upgrades on Tinian, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, to bolster its Indo-Pacific defense strategy amid growing tensions with China.

The development includes rehabilitating a WWII-era airfield, building training facilities, and upgrading port infrastructure.

Governor Arnold Palacios supports the project, citing regional security concerns, including China’s missile tests and military activity near Taiwan.

Tinian’s strategic location serves as a backup to Guam and enhances U.S. power projection.

Critics note the upgrades’ potential vulnerability in a conflict. Completion is expected by 2025.

The US envoy Amos Hochstein has said there is “positive progress” towards a ceasefire in Lebanon after talks in Beirut aimed at ending 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hochstein has met Lebanese officials over the past two days after Hezbollah indicated it had agreed to the text of a US ceasefire proposal, although with some comments. He said on Tuesday that the gaps between Hezbollah and Israel had “narrowed”, raising optimism about a deal between the two parties.

Hochstein will meet Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, on Thursday.

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