Noteworthy News

[LinuxGal]

It goes to intent.  If he didn't intend to break the law he may not be culpable.

True as far as it goes. But I can easily image the five people mentioned above contacting Jack Smith with a what-can-we-work-out message (they haven’t been indicted, so they have a bit of wiggle room). Trump floating an ‘advice of counsel’ defense is tantamount to throwing his lawyers under the bus. None of these people are going to prison for Trump.

Boru

[Bucky Ball]

The really great thing about Judge Chutkan is that last week she modeled / showed, other judges how to handle the orange fool in the courtroom, including how to keep "sensitive matters" (Grand Jury names, etc) confidential, and other insulting statements and witness threats off public media. She said something like "Oh please, he's a criminal defendant". 
I think she is a very important positive development.

[LinuxGal]

The really great thing about Judge Chutkan is that last week she modeled / showed, other judges how to handle the orange fool in the courtroom, including how to keep "sensitive matters" (Grand Jury names, etc) confidential, and other insulting statements and witness threats off public media. She said something like "Oh please, he's a criminal defendant". 
I think she is a very important positive development.

Trump: "That judge needs to recuse herself.  There's no way I can get a fair trial in her courtroom."

Jack Smith: "What do you mean?"

Trump: "Just look at her!"

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

The really great thing about Judge Chutkan is that last week she modeled / showed, other judges how to handle the orange fool in the courtroom, including how to keep "sensitive matters" (Grand Jury names, etc) confidential, and other insulting statements and witness threats off public media. She said something like "Oh please, he's a criminal defendant". 
I think she is a very important positive development.

It was encouraging to hear her demolish Trump's whinging about his 'free speech' being violated by pointing out (though not in so many words) that he's NOT free. He's a criminal defendant on conditional release.

Boru

[Fake Messiah]

'Very rich Italian' is left outraged after being chased down and reprimanded by a Saint-Tropez waiter for 'only leaving a 500 euro tip' after his meal

The diner, who has not yet been identified, was pursued by the staff member to the carpark of the restaurant in the glamourous French Riviera resort and told it 'wasn't enough'.

The waiter chastised the 'very rich' customer and told him to go back inside and pay another 500 euros to reach the 'minimum' tip amount of 1,000 euros (£859), reported local newspaper Nice Matin.

A French friend of the dismayed Italian said: 'He thought he had been generous by leaving 500 euros, instead he was reprimanded.

'The waiter told him that it wasn't enough and that he could still make a small effort to reach 1,000 euros because it was more consistent in approaching 20 per cent of the total amount of his bill.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...-meal.html

[Fake Messiah]

‘No Concept of Political Parties in Sharia’: Taliban Bans Democracy in Afghanistan

The Taliban in Afghanistan banned all political parties in the nation citing the Sharia and saying that such activities are against Islamic law. This new jolt to the fight for restoration of democracy and polity comes a day after the Taliban marked the second anniversary of the takeover of Kabul.

People have also pointed out that now foreign relief and aid will be hard to come by as this new development will not be accepted by the global community who will then restrict grants and aids.

At least 70 major and small political parties were formally registered with the Afghanistan justice ministry till 2021 but after Taliban reclaimed control of war-ravaged Afghanistan and subsequent withdrawal of US forces, the political system in the nation fell apart.

Taliban has curbed freedom of association, assembly and expression to suppress criticism against the government but it allows its supporters to enjoy these rights.

They have banned girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade. Afghan women have been banned from work and public life. Women now face restrictions even when it comes to self-care and beauty as salons have been closed.

https://www.news18.com/world/no-concept-...39051.html

[Thumpalumpacus]

ACCRA/NIAMEY, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The West African bloc ECOWAS stands ready to intervene militarily in Niger should diplomatic efforts to reverse a coup there fail, a senior official told army chiefs who were meeting in Ghana on Thursday to discuss the details of a standby force.

Niger military officers deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have defied calls from the United Nations, ECOWAS and Western powers to reinstate him, prompting West African heads of state to order the standby force to be assembled.

"Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa...are ready to answer to the call of duty," ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said.

"By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country," he told assembled defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in Gambia, Liberia and elsewhere as examples of readiness.

Niger has strategic importance beyond West Africa because of its role as a hub for foreign troops involved in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region and its uranium and oil reserves.

Western countries fear the junta could follow the lead of neighbouring Mali, where the military government threw out French troops and instead invited in mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, which has welcomed the coup in Niger.

In Niger's capital Niamey, where large crowds have taken part in protests against ECOWAS and in favour of the coup leaders, residents rejected the idea of an outside intervention to reinstate the elected president and civilian government.

"I'm not afraid because I know our armed forces are well prepared to deal with any eventuality," said radio technician Omar Yaye.

"ECOWAS is manipulated by foreign powers. When we see the reactions of France since the coup and especially the harshness of ECOWAS I can only think that these are coordinated actions between France and ECOWAS," he said, echoing anti-French rhetoric used by the junta since the coup.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/wes...023-08-17/

That shit will be ugly, I'm thinking Somalia-level ugly.

[Fake Messiah]

That shit will be ugly, I'm thinking Somalia-level ugly.

But not Haiti-level ugly

Haiti has fallen into chaos since president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021 and gangs began grabbing control of the country in bloody turf wars.

Harrowing human rights violations have become commonplace, 4.9 million people cannot regularly get enough food to eat, and cholera has returned amid the conflict.

Criminal groups have killed at least 2,000 people and kidnapped more than 1,000 in the first half of 2023, according to the UN.

The explosion of violence is being driven by about 150 gangs who are vying for control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/a...ghts-watch

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

ACCRA/NIAMEY, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The West African bloc ECOWAS stands ready to intervene militarily in Niger should diplomatic efforts to reverse a coup there fail, a senior official told army chiefs who were meeting in Ghana on Thursday to discuss the details of a standby force.

Niger military officers deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have defied calls from the United Nations, ECOWAS and Western powers to reinstate him, prompting West African heads of state to order the standby force to be assembled.

"Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa...are ready to answer to the call of duty," ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said.

"By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country," he told assembled defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in Gambia, Liberia and elsewhere as examples of readiness.

Niger has strategic importance beyond West Africa because of its role as a hub for foreign troops involved in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region and its uranium and oil reserves.

Western countries fear the junta could follow the lead of neighbouring Mali, where the military government threw out French troops and instead invited in mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, which has welcomed the coup in Niger.

In Niger's capital Niamey, where large crowds have taken part in protests against ECOWAS and in favour of the coup leaders, residents rejected the idea of an outside intervention to reinstate the elected president and civilian government.

"I'm not afraid because I know our armed forces are well prepared to deal with any eventuality," said radio technician Omar Yaye.

"ECOWAS is manipulated by foreign powers. When we see the reactions of France since the coup and especially the harshness of ECOWAS I can only think that these are coordinated actions between France and ECOWAS," he said, echoing anti-French rhetoric used by the junta since the coup.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/wes...023-08-17/

That shit will be ugly, I'm thinking Somalia-level ugly.

Coups are nothing new in West Africa and ECOWAS has been remarkable ineffective in dealing with them.

Boru

[Thumpalumpacus]

Coups are nothing new in West Africa and ECOWAS has been remarkable ineffective in dealing with them.

Boru

It's not the coup itself that makes me see this darkly, it's the neighbors' promise to invade, coupled with the citizens of Niger giving a bit of support to the junta. That is a recipe for atrocities large and small.