
More than 80,000 Russian servicemen confirmed killed in Ukraine, majority of whom were civilians before full-scale war — BBC and Mediazona — Meduza
Mediazona and BBC News Russian, together with a team of volunteers, have identified the names of 80,973 Russian military personnel killed in the Russia-Ukraine war since February 2022.
More than half of the confirmed deaths (52 percent of total losses) were individuals who were not part of the Russian military at the time of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This includes those who voluntarily signed contracts after the war began. The updated report notes that the “rapid increase in losses” among volunteer soldiers continues…

In Turkey, women’s march marked with violence, arrests as well as threats of deportations · Global Voices
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva.
November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. As women across the world took to the streets to mark the day, similar scenes were also witnessed in Turkey.
As in previous years, bans on public gatherings, roadblocks, heavy police presence and subsequent violence did not go unnoticed. According to some accounts, some 200 people were detained. The number of femicides keeps growing, and this year was no exception. According to We Will Stop Femicide, a local group documenting and monitoring violence against women, more than 400 women were killed in 2024 thus far. Another website called Anit Sayac (Turkish for “monument tracker”) reports the number at 412 for 2024.
Women’s rights groups say the rise of femicides is the doing of the ruling Justice and Development Party and that the state’s policies against abuse are inadequate and are heavily influenced by religious values and outdated norms that condone both abuse and abusers. The ruling government’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention has only worsened the environment of impunity for women in the country, even if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denies that this is the case.
Istanbul Convention
Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention — a treaty signed by member states of the Council of Europe to prevent violence and domestic abuse against women — over what the ruling government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) called the treaty’s “normalization of homosexuality.” At the time of the withdrawal from the convention, scores of ruling party supporters rushed to endorse the decision, calling the convention “wrong,” “marginal,” “evil.” Meanwhile, President Erdoğan assured women that the state will rely on national laws to prevent gender-based violence. However, numbers reported and documented by local women’s organizations tell a different story.
As Esin Izel Uysal, a lawyer for We Will Stop Femicides Platform told DW, “Violence against women has taken on a new dimension. The crimes are becoming more brutal, and the victims and perpetrators are getting younger.” Exposure to violence within homes, attacks on the streets, and lack of changes on an institutional level attest that the promises to protect and prevent gender-based violence delivered by the authorities have thus far failed.
On the opposite end of the domestic political discourse is a proposal by Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu who announced a new “360 degree action plan,” on November 25. The plan includes, among many things, making streets safer for women, introducing incentives for women’s economic independence, and policy reforms. The mayor also promised a return to the Istanbul Convention.
“We have worked tirelessly to stand by women and children in this city, and we will continue to do so. Women and children will always be our priority. We will stand with you. You will never walk alone,” said the mayor, speaking in Istanbul on November 25.
Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Turkey witnessed a series of femicides. In October, two women were killed in Istanbul. İkbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil were killed by 19-year-old Semih Çelik, who took his own life after committing the crimes. Çelik reportedly had previous convictions and struggled with mental health. He also was connected to numerous “incel” (involuntary celibate) groups in Turkey, which are known for calling on men, via social media platforms, to rape, harass, and murder women. Rojin Kabaiş, a 21-year-old university student who was missing for 18 days, was also found dead.
Also in October, a two-year-old baby died after weeks in a coma after being sexually abused in Tekirdağ province. Speaking to journalists, the head of the Tekirdağ Bar Association, Egemen Gürcün, said child abuse has been on the rise in the province, “citing 283 requests for lawyers in child abuse cases from the bar association in 2023 alone, with 172 requests so far in 2024,” reported Bianet news website.
In September, a 26-year-old policewoman was killed by an assailant who held 26 criminal offenses. The same month, the country was rocked with the devastating news that eight-year-old Narin Güran’s body was found near the village where she lived with her family. The little girl’s death triggered country-wide protests and calls for state accountability.
In total, 48 women were killed in October and 34 in September. The data for November is yet to be shared by the We Will Stop Femicides platform.
Şebnem Gümüşçü, associate professor of political science at Middlebury College, recently penned a piece for the Wilson Center, in which the author arguing that the issue is political. The legislation, specifically Article 6284, which on paper serves to prevent all forms of violence and abuse against women, is not enforced, and the responsibility is with the state and its institutions, according to Gümüşçü. “Since 2012, hundreds of women have been killed by their partners or other family members. Many were seeking protection from authorities after submitting several complaints to the police. Authorities’ reluctance is partly cultural. However, the ruling party, the AKP, did not attempt to address the cultural components to prevent crimes against women and children. Instead, the party and its leader, Tayyip Erdoğan, not only failed to resolve the problem but exacerbated it in various ways. Erdoğan’s ideology and political concessions to different groups to stay in power played a crucial role in this process,” opined Gümüşçü.
The conservative Islamist narrative is one element, while weak institutions and protective measures are another. Official statements also add insult to injury. On November 21, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya blamed victims for their own murders on the grounds that they failed to follow the rules. Mor Cati, a leading Turkish NGO working to prevent and document domestic violence, responded in a statement blaming the authorities for the lack of state protection and support mechanisms, which often force women to seek their own solutions, including communicating with the perpetrator out of fear if they do not agree, they would subject to further violence.
“Yerlikaya’s statement is also an example of the problems caused by treating the fight against violence against women as a public order problem in Turkey. It is not possible to combat violence by only issuing protective measures to women without any social work. We remind once again that the state’s duty is not to blame women for being subjected to violence but to establish gender equality, protect women from violence, and punish the perpetrators, and that it should do so in coordination with the Family and Social Services Ministry,” read the rest of Mor Cati’s statement.
Detentions
While most of those detained during the march on November 25 have been released, at least three foreign nationals remain in custody facing possible deportation. They are Azerbaijani citizens and queer activists Ali Malikov, and Parvin Alakbarova. Both have been subject to ill-treatment and beating. They are currently in Kocaeli Immigration Detention Center, one of many immigration detention centers where abuse and mistreatment are rampant, as per international watchdog reports. Friends who have had the opportunity to speak with the activists say the conditions in which the two are currently being held are inhumane and that both have been heavily mistreated by the police since their detention…

Video: Miles Johnston’s Art + Blank Page Necessity by Bojana Stojčić – Happiness Between Tails by da-AL
Party or mourn or hide in a corner or all the above. ‘Tis the holiday season, which here in the U.S. officially kicks off on Halloween. Now with today’s Indigenous People’s Day of Mourning, aka Thanksgiving, days off from work start in. In the interest of staying my course of seeking literary representation for my novels during this extra short week, I’ll dive in with this bit of Miles Johnston’s art that reflects my current mood…

He produced this fascinating and beautiful video about art-making. The final ten minutes turn philosophical in a way that applies to all modes of creativity…
Today’s guest, writer/teacher Bojana Stojčić, is from Serbia and lives in Germany. Many publications feature her work — most exciting of all, she just published her first book of fiction! Read to the end for how to get a copy of Knives All Blade…

The Necessity of a Blank Page by Bojana Stojčić
“We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content.” — Émile Zola
Ever since I’ve taken up reading seriously, and it’s been a while ago, I became deeply aware of the power of words. In contrast to real life, through, where “the tongue has the power of life and death,” being able to either encourage or break you beyond repair, books, no matter how sad, melancholy and/or hard to digest, do exactly the opposite. Most importantly, they don’t judge, letting us be whoever we want to be.
Having recently had a book published myself, made me even more aware of this. Of the need to pace myself (while eating, reading, walking.) The need to take time for myself, make room for doing things I find fulfilling. Listen to non-verbal cues, and ask more questions than I think I need to and, yes, have zero tolerance for bullshit, which is why I’m self-employed (and happy.)
As a writer, to capture the moment is to cup the swirl of emotions, feelings and sensations associated with an experience in your hands and to then share what you hold with your audience. However, being a writer can be pretty daunting, as the journey we take is a long and solitary one. Intimate, if you will. It’s just you and endless blank pages that will become smeared with dirt, sweat and blood once you’ve let go of your restraints, both physical and emotional, of everything that holds you back, be it moderation, sobriety or shame, once you’ve overcome your poor self-esteem and your fears, unlearning an almost compulsive need to be liked and showing your vulnerability without feeling weak. And no one but a blank page can take that much. Not even your loved ones, nor other writers. All the time, that is. Let’s face it, writers are chronic complainers, moaning and groaning. All.the.time. We bitch because we didn’t get published. Then we bitch after we do, regretting all the words and thoughts that could have and should have been included in the book, we bitch for not being valued enough, but feel oddly uncomfortable when recognition finally comes. Telling you, no one but a blank page could take it. Including us who write, which is why we hold the blank page in such high regard, treating it as some sort of deity.
We are all tabula rasas (blank slates) at birth, Mr. Locke taught us. That’s how we start this journey called life—as white paper void of all characters, without any ideas, or rules for processing data. With simple ideas that we, with time, combine into more complex ones. Authors too take so much for granted, though not the blank page. Never the blank page. Even literally, when holding your own/someone else’s book in your hands.
So, why do we leave blank pages and what does a blank page really mean, besides being a sheet of paper that doesn’t have anything written on it? Seems like a waste of paper, doesn’t it? Well, not exactly.
First and foremost, books start with blank pages, marked “intentionally left blank,” for both aesthetic and practical purposes, creating a cleaner look for the book’s opening, and enabling a smoother transition into the text, particularly for works of fiction where the author may want to set a specific tone and atmosphere from the very first printed page. What’s more, this allows for personalization when gifting a book, which is kind of neat.
I read once that for Indians any good deed begins with praying to God, the first blank page being left in God’s name so that his blessings stay with us while we use the notebook to acquire knowledge. This is very relatable, although I’m not a religious person (in any traditional sense of the word.) Maybe because, in my world, reading a book is a spiritual experience, sacred even. Avid readers and book nerds (which is actually a compliment) will get it.
Personally, I wanted my readers to take their time. I, for once, wouldn’t like to be rushed into reading a book the moment I open it. I always pace myself. I check out the covers, illustrations, if any, I smell it, open the pages slowly, thoughtfully, enjoy each and every moment along the journey. It’s a very personal connection. Or is it just me, and my obsession with white space, which my amazing editor Suzanne Craig-Whytock (who also writes books and blogs) didn’t ask me to get over, greeting it with a warm embrace instead. Most likely because she’s a writer herself, deeply aware of all those blank pages craving to be filled with content.

Now a bit about my debut book — Knives All Blade (DarkWinter Press)
This full-length story collection depicts mostly female characters, but isn’t solely women’s fiction. It’s an inward-bound journey, because I’m not a plotter. I don’t plot well.
Though examining the current contemporary life, which at times overlaps with the recent past, presented through flashbacks, with people “flock(ing) to Holland to see all those colors oozing from the stems,” and “land(ing) in the dark of Afghanistan—ugly, but not the way he imagined,” most stories are, however, set in anonymous places, engaging ominous and strange landscapes in plot twists and turns. While the endings are, as a rule, sad, abrupt and/or left up to readers’ interpretation, sometimes nothing is resolved, the characters ending up “just plain numb,” which makes this collection anything but a fun and easy read. Rather unpredictable as well, since you’re never quite sure where the story might lead you.
Grab your copy by clicking on this link, folks. I hope you like roller-coasters. (Some like it wild.)
Do you ever feel like you’re swimming against a current of your own making?
Pause And Be Present – YouTube – Jonna Jinton

First Vietnamese American legislator makes history in Utah – AsAmNews
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9982 Haiku ‹ jllopart ‹ Reader — WordPress.com
Entre la niebla
la indeterminación,
crea fantasmas.
j.ll.folch 15/11/24
Source: 9982 Haiku ‹ jllopart ‹ Reader — WordPress.com


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