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Hundreds in Turkey Protest Arrest and Ouster of Opposition Mayor Linked to Kurdish Group

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Hundreds gathered Thursday in Istanbul to protest the arrest and removal from office of a mayor from Turkey’s main opposition party for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militant group.

Ahmet Ozer, mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district and a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained on Wednesday by anti-terrorist police over his alleged connection to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey’s government then replaced Ozer with Istanbul’s deputy governor, a move the CHP’s leader Ozgur Ozel and other politicians described as a “coup.”

Demonstrators filled a square in Esenyurt after the government banned a rally outside the municipality building. Some carried banners that read: “(We want) an elected mayor not an appointed mayor” and called for the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

“In our view, this (government), which acts against the law and violates the constitution, has carried out a political coup. We will never accept it,” said Tulay Hatimogullari, the leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party.

Ozer, 64, is a former academic originally from eastern Turkey. He was elected mayor of Esenyurt, a western suburb in Istanbul’s European side, in March local elections. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said an investigation found Ozer had maintained contacts with PKK figures for more than 10 years.

Politicians and members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish movement have frequently been targeted over alleged links to the PKK, which is considered a terror organization. The CHP’s metropolitan mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, is currently appealing a prison sentence and political ban imposed by a court.

Thousands of North Korean Troops Positioned Near Ukraine Border, Poised to Enter Battle, U.S. Says

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Thousands of North Korean troops are now positioned near Ukraine’s border and are likely to enter combat in the coming days, the U.S. says.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the North Korean soldiers, who are wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian gear, have been trained by Russian troops in artillery, drones and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing.

Blinken said this “strongly indicates” the North Koreans would be used on the front line, and therefore become legitimate targets for Ukrainian forces. He estimated there are around 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, including up to 8,000 in the Kursk border region.

“We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” Blinken said on Thursday after meeting with his South Korean counterpart.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia “in the strongest possible terms” and called for their immediate withdrawal. The U.S. also said China should do more to rein in North Korea.

The deployment of North Korean troops is a result of the close relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two countries struck a mutual defense pact in the summer, and North Korea has already provided munitions to Russia for its war effort.

In exchange, there are concerns about what military aid Russia may now provide to North Korea, which test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday. The U.S., Japan and South Korea condemned the launch as a “flagrant violation” of U.N. resolutions.

The involvement of North Korean forces marks a significant escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drawing in a new, authoritarian regime against the backdrop of the upcoming U.S. elections. The U.S. has vowed to continue providing security assistance to Ukraine in the face of these evolving threats.

Trump Sues CBS for $10 Billion Over Kamala Harris Interview, as Madonna Endorses Candidate

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Former President Donald Trump has sued news network CBS over an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, court filings show.

Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages, claiming the “60 Minutes” interview was “doctored” and misleading. CBS firmly rejected the allegation, explaining that the network aired a different part of Harris’s answer on its “Face the Nation” program than on “60 Minutes” due to time constraints.

“When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point,” CBS said. The network also rebuked previous suggestions that Trump could sue, telling the former president his demands are based on a “faulty premise.”

The lawsuit centers on a question asked of Harris about why Benjamin Netanyahu was not listening to the US in Israel’s approach to Gaza and the Middle East crisis. CBS claims the “60 Minutes” segment included a more “succinct” portion of Harris’s answer compared to “Face the Nation.”

While Trump battles CBS in court, pop icon Madonna has revealed who she is endorsing in the upcoming election. The singer took to social media to publicly back a candidate, though details of her endorsement were not immediately clear.

Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against CBS represents the latest legal and political drama surrounding the former president as the 2024 election cycle heats up. The network has defended its editorial decisions, setting the stage for a closely watched court battle over media coverage of political figures.

Spain Battles Looting After Deadly Flood, with 39 Arrested Amid ‘Apocalyptic’ Chaos and Agonizing Recovery of Hundreds of Bodies

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Drenched Spain is now fighting looters after apocalyptic floods soaked the country, with officials fearing hundreds of bodies could be found as the agonizing recovery process begins.

Cops have arrested 39 people who were allegedly trying to take advantage of the horrendous conditions and steal, with officers sent to patrol shopping centers where looters were targeting electronics like cellphones and computers.

The devastating rainstorms that started on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday have caused widespread flooding, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. So far, officials have confirmed 105 dead, with hundreds more bodies expected to be found as search and rescue teams go door-to-door through the thick mud that has covered homes and streets.

Four victims were found Thursday morning in a garage, while others were discovered inside cars when they were unable to flee the rising waters. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with over 1,000 soldiers deployed to the worst-affected areas.

The cleanup could be stymied, however, as a number of weather warnings threaten to bring more heavy rain to the region in the coming days. The Castellon coast and parts of the interior have an extreme risk red warning in place, with forecasts of up to 180mm of rain over a five-hour period.

Spain’s Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, said she is “not optimistic” about how high the death toll could climb, and the number of missing people is still unknown. The Foreign Office has warned holidaymakers to brace for chaos, with journeys potentially affected by the flooding.

One of the dead was a 71-year-old British man who suffered a heart attack after being rescued from his home in the outskirts of Malaga. The region of Valencia has been hit the hardest, with 92 of the 95 deaths recorded so far.

As the nation grapples with the catastrophic aftermath of the floods, authorities are also working to crack down on looters trying to take advantage of the chaos. The cleanup and recovery efforts face ongoing challenges, with the threat of further rainfall looming over the already devastated communities.

Escalating Conflict: 5 Killed in Israel, 8 Killed in Lebanon as Tensions Soar

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Five people were killed in northern Israel on Thursday by projectiles fired from Lebanon, including four foreign workers, authorities said. Meanwhile, the Israeli military warned people to evacuate from more areas of southern Lebanon as airstrikes across the country killed at least eight people.

The developments come as mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict. However, Hezbollah’s newly named leader, Naim Kassem, said the militant group will keep fighting in its war with Israel until it is offered ceasefire terms it deems acceptable.

Palestinian officials also reported that an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killed three people. The Israeli military said its forces were targeting militants in the area of the Nur Shams refugee camp.

The death toll from more than a year of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has passed 43,000, Palestinian officials reported, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.

Israel’s military also said it struck Hezbollah weapons depots and bases in Syria, claiming the group has been attempting to smuggle arms into Lebanon along the border. The airstrikes have intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis by blocking key routes for supplies and impeding access for those fleeing to safety.

Elon Musk Ordered to Court Over Potentially Illegal $1 Million Giveaway in Pennsylvania

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Elon Musk has been ordered to appear in a Philadelphia courtroom after the city’s top prosecutor accused the world’s wealthiest person of illegally awarding $1 million to registered voters in the state.

The lawsuit, filed by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, claims Musk’s political action committee is running an “illegal lottery scheme” to influence voters ahead of the 2024 election. The sweepstakes, which offers a daily $1 million prize to registered voters in seven swing states, has drawn warnings from election law experts that it could be seen as an illegal vote-buying operation.

Krasner’s office alleged that Musk’s posts about the contest on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) “immediately triggered an avalanche of posts from Musk’s followers,” including “antisemitic attacks” against the district attorney and threats of violence. The complaint states that one account responded to posts about the lawsuit at least 19 times by “inviting political violence” and posting Krasner’s home address.

In response, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas Judge Angelo Foglietta moved the planned hearing on the lawsuit from Friday to Thursday, and ordered that all parties, including Musk and representatives of his America PAC, must be present.

Musk has defended the contest, claiming the petition supporting the First and Second Amendments is not designed to register people to vote. However, Krasner’s office argued the “random” drawing “appears to be false,” alleging that multiple winners have been individuals who have attended Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit marks the first legal action against Musk’s stunt, which has also drawn a warning from the Department of Justice. Pennsylvania is at the center of growing litigation surrounding the 2024 election, with Musk’s case adding to the state’s high-profile election issues.

The court’s decision to expedite the hearing and require Musk’s attendance underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating the potential for the billionaire’s social media activity to incite threats and undermine the electoral process. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for campaign finance and election integrity going forward.

independent.co.uk

Texas Woman Dies After Doctors Delay Treating Miscarriage Due to Abortion Ban

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Josseli Barnica was suffering from a deadly infection from a miscarriage while at a hospital in Houston, Texas, but doctors had to wait to treat her due to the state’s abortion ban that limited how much care they could provide as her baby maintained a heartbeat.

Josseli Barnica

“They had to wait until there was no heartbeat,” her husband told ProPublica in Spanish. “It would be a crime to give her an abortion.”

Barnica, a 28-year-old Honduras immigrant, was 17 weeks pregnant when the miscarriage was “in progress.” After 40 hours in pain from the infection, she delivered the fetus after there was no longer a detectable heartbeat. She was then treated and told to go home, but three days later, she was dead.

More than a dozen medical experts told ProPublica that Barnica’s death was “preventable,” explaining that waiting that long to receive care opened her up to a fatal infection. Her cause of death was ruled to be “sepsis due to acute bacterial endometritis and cervicitis following spontaneous abortion of a 17-week stillbirth fetus with retained products of conception.”

However, the hospital stated that it was their “responsibility” to comply with state and federal laws and regulations, even though the Texas Heartbeat Act in place at the time threatened civil penalties for anyone who “aids or abets” the performance of an abortion.

Dr. Steven Porter, an OB-GYN in Cleveland, said: “We know that the sooner you intervene in these situations, the better outcomes are.” A Tennessee-based fetal-medicine specialist, Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, acknowledged the physicians treating Barnica “absolutely didn’t do the right thing,” but noted they were in an untenable position due to the state laws.

Barnica’s tragic death highlights the devastating consequences of confusing laws surrounding reproductive care in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Her case is not an isolated incident, as other patients have shared similar horror stories about being denied vital medical care due to the changing legal landscape.

The hospital’s statement underscores the difficult position healthcare providers now find themselves in, torn between adhering to the law and providing the best possible care for their patients. As the debate around abortion rights continues, the human toll of these policies is becoming increasingly clear.

Australian Man Cleared of Murdering British Woman During Home Invasion

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An Australian man has been cleared of murdering a British woman during a break-in at her home in Australia.

Emma Lovell, 41, was stabbed after confronting two intruders in a suburb north of Brisbane on Boxing Day 2022. The judge-only trial heard it had been accepted the second defendant, who was 17 at the time, did not stab anyone himself. The matter in contention was whether he knew his co-accused, also then aged 17, was carrying a knife.

The judge ultimately ruled there was no proof beyond reasonable doubt that the cleared man had knowledge of the knife. He was convicted of burglary and assault, but cleared of more serious charges including the alternative charge of manslaughter.

Mother-of-two Mrs Lovell emigrated from Ipswich in Suffolk in 2011 with her daughters and her husband Lee, who was also injured in the attack. Speaking outside court, an emotional Lee Lovell described the verdict as “a bit of a joke”, saying “I don’t feel justice for Emma one bit.”

The case was heard by a judge alone because the issue of youth crime was a key debate during last weekend’s state government elections, and it was feared this could prejudice a jury. The Liberal National Party swept to power in Queensland, with a campaign that promised tougher sentences for juveniles.

The other man admitted murder earlier this year and was jailed for 14 years. The judge remanded the cleared man in custody, awaiting a pre-sentence report by early December, with his defense indicating he may be eligible for release soon given the time already served.

The verdict has left the Lovell family feeling that justice has not been served, as they grapple with the tragic loss of Emma Lovell during the home invasion. The case has reignited debates around youth crime and sentencing in Australia.

2 Mexican Journalists Killed in Less Than 24 Hours in Western States

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Two Mexican journalists were shot dead in less than 24 hours in western states, according to authorities, as the country faces a flare-up of violence in the region.

Patricia Ramirez, also known by her nickname Paty Bunbury, was shot dead in the western state of Colima on Wednesday afternoon, according to the state prosecutor’s office. Ramirez worked as an entertainment reporter.

This came a day after Mauricio Cruz, the head of an online news outlet in Mexico, was killed late on Tuesday in the city of Uruapan in the violence-plagued western state of Michoacán. Another person was also wounded in the shooting.

The killings marked the first of journalists under the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office at the beginning of this month and has pledged to combat violence and crime. However, Sheinbaum has said her government would not wage a new war on Mexico’s drug cartels.

Mexico is ranked as one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists by press freedom groups. Uruapan, where Cruz was killed, is known for brazen crimes such as beheadings stemming from fighting between drug cartels or clashes with law enforcement.

Patricia Ramirez shot dead by gangs

The back-to-back killings of the two journalists underscore the persistent threat and risks faced by members of the media in certain regions of Mexico, where violence linked to organized crime remains a major challenge. The new administration will be closely watched for its response and efforts to improve the safety of journalists.

VOA

US Airstrikes Target Islamic State in Syria, Killing Up to 35 Militants

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The U.S. military has struck a number of Islamic State group camps in Syria this week, killing as many as 35 militants, U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.

The airstrikes in the desert of central Syria were conducted on Monday evening and targeted multiple locations as well as senior leaders of the group. The attacks came on the heels of a number of joint operations with Iraqi forces that targeted IS militants in Iraq.

Pentagon officials have said that the Islamic State group remains a threat in the region, but it is no longer as powerful as it was 10 years ago when the militants swept across Iraq and Syria, taking control of large swaths of the two countries.

U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes in Syria will disrupt the group’s ability to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians and U.S. and allied forces in the region. It stated there were no indications of civilian casualties in the strikes.

The targeted airstrikes in Syria are part of the ongoing efforts by the U.S. military and its partners to combat the enduring threat posed by the Islamic State group. While the militants have lost much of the territory they once controlled, they continue to operate cells and carry out attacks in the region.

The U.S. and its allies remain vigilant against the resurgence of the Islamic State, conducting periodic strikes and joint operations to degrade the group’s capabilities and limit its ability to plan and execute terrorist activities. The latest strikes in Syria demonstrate the continued focus on eliminating the remnants of the militant organization.

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