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A panel of judges has declared the entire 51 defendants in France’s mass rape case to be responsible, after a three-month trial that despatched shockwaves all over the world.
Dominique Pelicot – described by his household because the worst sexual predator in latest French historical past – was convicted by a French court docket of the aggravated rape of his then spouse, Gisèle Pelicot, and sentenced to 20 years in jail.
For practically a decade, Pelicot drugged his spouse in order that he and strangers he recruited on-line may assault her. Fifty different males have been accused alongside Pelicot. The court docket discovered 46 of them responsible of rape, two responsible of tried rape and two responsible of sexual assault.
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Who’re the boys convicted of rape and assault? They embody a soldier, a nurse, a butcher, a truck driver, a grocery store employee and dozens extra. However the Pelicot youngsters have stated they’re “disappointed by the low sentences”, Agence France-Presse reviews.
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What occurs now? “The surge of united feminist feeling that has risen throughout France is a springboard from which we can continue our battle for equality and justice,” stated Clémence Guetté, the vice-president of France’s nationwide meeting.
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Trump planning to focus on progressive non-profits, watchdog warns
Donald Trump and his Republican allies are planning to goal progressive teams they understand as political enemies in an indication of deepening “authoritarianism”, a watchdog warns.
“Trump has made it clear that he plans to use his second term to attack the progressive ecosystem and his perceived enemies,” Adrienne Watson, of the Congressional Integrity Mission, advised the Guardian. “This is a worrying progression of Trump’s authoritarianism that would undermine our democracy.”
Trump’s agenda overlaps with Mission 2025, a coverage blueprint from the Heritage Basis that features plans to assault non-profits, researchers and civil society teams.
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What levers may Trump pull to assault critics? He may use the justice division and Inner Income Service to focus on non-profits and researchers, launch politically motivated investigations and move laws to limit their actions.
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What have Trump’s nominees for high authorities roles stated? Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, has vowed to “come after” media shops and non-profits that he falsely claims “helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections”.
Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of genocide for limiting Gaza water provide
Israel’s restriction of Gaza’s water provide to ranges beneath minimal wants quantities to an act of genocide and extermination as against the law towards humanity, a report from Human Rights Watch has alleged.
It has accused Israeli forces of deliberate actions supposed to chop the supply of unpolluted water so drastically that the inhabitants has been pressured to resort to contaminated sources, resulting in the outbreak of deadly ailments, particularly amongst youngsters.
Israel’s actions have killed many hundreds of Palestinians and represent an act of genocide, HRW argues, citing declarations by ministers within the nation’s ruling coalition that Gaza’s water provide could be lower off as proof of intent. Israel rejects the report.
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How has the shortage of unpolluted water affected folks in Gaza? There have been practically 670,000 recorded instances of acute watery diarrhoea for the reason that battle started, and greater than 132,000 instances of jaundice, an indication of hepatitis.
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How do HRW’s findings differ from Amnesty Worldwide’s? An Amnesty report this month concluded that Israel had dedicated genocide in Gaza. The HRW allegations aren’t as broad as Amnesty’s, focusing particularly on the Gaza water provide, however the organisation claims the proof is overwhelming that Israel has used water as a weapon towards the Palestinian inhabitants collectively, with deadly outcomes.
In different information …
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Vanuatu’s public well being system dangers being overwhelmed amid rising waterborne illness, support companies have stated after Tuesday’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
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Wall Road fell sharply on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 closing down virtually 3%. It got here after the Federal Reserve lower rates of interest to between 4.25% to 4.5%.
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The Russian safety council’s deputy head stated the editors of the Instances of London have been “legitimate military targets”, after a newspaper editorial stated Ukraine’s assassination of a Russian common was reputable.
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A controversial examine that promoted hydroxychloroquine as a remedy for Covid-19 has formally been retracted.
Stat of the day: Uber and its CEO donate $1m every to Trump’s inauguration fund
Uber and its CEO have donated $1m every to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, becoming a member of a rising record of companies searching for to garner favor with the administration. Meta additionally gave $1m, with Amazon and OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, reportedly planning comparable donations.
Don’t miss this: Why do boomer males refuse to decelerate?
These born within the child boomer era are coming into the longest section of elderhood in historical past. As males age, they’re more likely to really feel strain to stay self-reliant and keep away from perceived weak spot. These demographic and sociological realities increase thorny questions for boomer males and their households.
Local weather examine: The rise of the ‘balcony power plant’
Producers say that putting in two 300-watt photo voltaic panels will save as much as 30% on a typical family’s electrical energy invoice. Panels have already been put in on about 1.5m German balconies, the place they’re so widespread the time period Balkonkraftwerk (balcony energy plant) has been coined.
A toadstool with tooth, a vine smelling of marzipan, and a flower that has cheated its means out of getting to photosynthesise are amongst new plant and fungus species found in 2024. There are 400,000 named plant species, and an estimated 100,000 ready to be recognized.
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