Why is Israel banning the UN’s relief agency for Palestinians?
Israel’s parliament passed bills that would ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory. Israel’s move to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has provoked widespread international condemnation. A deeper catastrophe looms for millions of people, many of them already under Israeli attack. What will be the legal, diplomatic and humanitarian consequences of the ban? Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra Guests: Daniel Levy – President of the US/Middle East Project Gry Ballestad – Director of Development and Humanitarian Cooperation at Norwegian People’s Aid Triestino Mariniello – Professor of law at Liverpool John Moores University Adblock test (Why?)
More outrage after Trump calls controversial New York rally ‘a lovefest’
The United States presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing more blowback from a controversial Madison Square Garden rally marred by sexist and racist insults, by calling it a “beautiful” event and “an absolute lovefest”. Trump made the comments during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday, saying the rally in which a headline comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” was an unprecedented display of affection. Despite a firestorm of outrage on social media from Democrats and a host of Puerto Rican celebrities, as well as some leading Republicans, Trump made no apology for the racist comments by Hinchcliffe and others. Instead, he brushed off the critics who compared it to a 1939 Nazi event at the arena. “There was love in the room. The love in that room was breathtaking,” Trump said. “Politicians that have been doing this for a long time – 30 and 40 years – said there’s never been an event so beautiful,” he added. “It was like a love fest, an absolute love fest, and it was my honour to be involved”. “It was not full of love, except for him. There was a lot of love for Donald Trump there,” quipped CNN’s political reporter, Dana Bash. The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee, was quick to slam Trump’s characterisation of the event and called on voters to end his election hopes. “No explanation, no apology,” the group wrote on X. “He’s trash, throw him away in the dustbin of history in 7 days.” Trump’s comments were reminiscent of other notorious events which he has sought to describe in positive terms. When hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, injuring policemen in the process, Trump called it a “day of love.” Trump’s New York rally on Monday involved some 30 speakers dishing out multiple insults aimed at Black people, Latinos and Democrats. One speaker described Vice President Kamala Harris as “the devil” and “the antichrist,” while former Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked Harris’s biracial heritage. But the fiercest backlash came from Americans of Puerto Rican descent, some 500,000 of whom live in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. “Right now, we have no business and no relationship with Trump,” Angel M Cintron, the Republican party’s chair in Puerto Rico, said during a Monday talk show. “If Donald Trump doesn’t apologise, we won’t vote for him.” The popular Puerto Rican singer, Bad Bunny, released an eight-minute tribute video to his homeland on Tuesday. Touching on the controversy, he captioned it simply “garbage” on his Instagram page which has more than 45 million followers. “Not a joke” The rally also prompted a harsh editorial in the island’s leading newspaper, El Nuevo Dia, which called on Puerto Ricans who can vote in the United States to support Democrat Kamala Harris. “Politics is not a joke and hiding behind a comedian is cowardly,” wrote the paper’s editor, Maria Luisa Ferre Rangel, in the editorial that appeared on Tuesday’s front page and the website. But not all Puerto Ricans were offended. Trump was set to hold a rally later Tuesday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city with a large Hispanic population, where Puerto Rico’s shadow US senator, Zoraida Buxo, will join him, AP reported. Buxo, who does not have a vote in the Senate because Puerto Rico is not a state, voiced her support for Trump in a post on X. She said Trump is the “strong leader” that Puerto Rico needs. Trying to stem the damage, Trump’s campaign has sought to distance itself from the Puerto Rico quip by Hinchcliffe, even though it reviewed at least part of the routine beforehand, reported The Bulwark. Campaign spokesperson Daniella Alvarez said Hinchcliffe’s joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign”. Trump simply said, “I don’t know him, someone put him up there”, when asked about the comedian by ABC News. Colonial history The US took Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Philippines and other colonial possessions from Spain during the brief Spanish-American War in 1898. The first large wave of migration of Puerto Ricans to the US occurred after World War II to ease labour shortages on the mainland. Today, about 5.9 million people identify as ethnically Puerto Rican, according to 2022 estimates from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, making up the second-largest population of Hispanic origin in the US after Mexicans. Steve Herman, chief national correspondent at Voice of America, told Al Jazeera that Puerto Rican voters who choose to punish Trump at the ballot box could have a huge impact, especially in Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania is a bellwether state, and it’s very unlikely that either candidate will win enough electoral votes to become president without [it],” said Herman. “It’s possible that a few Puerto Ricans who were planning on voting for Trump would now be so angry that they would vote for Harris or not vote at all.” He added that a few thousand votes could be sufficient to swing the election result. “That’s just how tight this is.” Next stop Pennsylvania Trump spent much of his Tuesday news conference railing against the administration of his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, accused her of running “a campaign of absolute hate”. Trump zeroed in on immigration, a central issue of his, blaming Harris and President Joe Biden for weakening the US border, as well as “runaway inflation” and triggering global instability. “They’ve unleashed a war and chaos all over the world … look around, everything’s blowing up or getting ready to blow up,” said Trump, speaking in front of a banner with the words “Trump will fix it!” He also repeated several campaign pledges, including to ramp up tariffs, end taxes on social security and impose the death penalty for migrants who commit murder in the US. Trump also pledged that if he’s elected he will seize “the assets of the criminal gangs and drug cartels … and we will use those assets
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says Russia war is being pushed ‘beyond borders’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the thousands of North Korean soldiers expected to reinforce Russian troops on the front line in Ukraine are pushing the almost three-year war beyond the borders of the warring parties. Western leaders say North Korea has sent some 10,000 soldiers to help Russia’s military campaign and warn that its involvement in a European war could also unsettle relations in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he spoke to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and told him that 3,000 North Korean soldiers are already at military bases close to the Ukrainian front line and that he expects that deployment to increase to 12,000. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder on Tuesday said a “relatively small number” of North Korean troops are now in Russia’s Kursk region, where Russian troops have been struggling to push back a Ukrainian incursion, and a couple thousand more are heading in that direction. South Korea, which has been in close contact with NATO, the US and the European Union about the latest developments, warned last week that it could send arms to Ukraine in retaliation for the North’s involvement. “There is only one conclusion – this war is internationalised and goes beyond the borders” of Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. The Ukrainian president also said he and Yoon agreed to step up their countries’ cooperation and exchange more intelligence, as well as develop concrete responses to Pyongyang’s involvement. More US military support? In Washington, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Tuesday with Zelenskyy’s top adviser to discuss the North Korean troops, as well as a coming surge of weaponry that the US is delivering to Kyiv to help the Ukrainians harden protection of their energy infrastructure, The Associated Press news agency reported, citing White House officials familiar with their private talks. Sullivan and Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, shared concerns that North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia’s Kursk region and what such a development could mean for the war. The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly, said during the two-hour meeting at the White House, Sullivan also briefed Yermak on President Joe Biden’s plans to push additional artillery systems, ammunition, hundreds of armoured vehicles and more to Ukraine before he leaves office in January. Sullivan told Yermak that by year’s end, the US administration plans to provide Ukraine with 500 additional Patriot and ARAAM missiles to help bolster air defences, according to the officials. Later on Tuesday, Biden said Ukraine should strike back if North Korean troops crossed into the country. “I am concerned about it,” Biden said when asked about North Korean troops being present in the Kursk region. “If they cross into Ukraine, yes,” he said when asked if the Ukrainians should strike back. Meanwhile, North Korea said its top diplomat was visiting Russia, in another sign of their deepening relationship. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui arrived in Russia’s far east on Tuesday on her way to Moscow, Russian state media said. Russian state news agencies said it was not clear who Choe, making her second visit in six weeks, would meet. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had no plans to meet her. What role the North Korean troops may play remains unclear. “The numbers make this more than a symbolic effort, but the troops will likely be in support roles and constitute less than 1 percent of Russia’s forces,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank said in a note. “Russia is desperate for additional manpower, and this is one element of Russia’s effort to fill the ranks without a second mobilisation,” it added, noting the presence could grow. Ukraine cities bombarded Meanwhile, Russian drones, missiles and bombs smashed into Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s biggest cities, in nighttime attacks, killing four people and wounding 15 in a continuing aerial onslaught, authorities said Tuesday. Russia has bombarded civilian areas of Ukraine almost daily since its full-scale invasion of its neighbour, causing thousands of casualties. The Russian army is also pushing hard against front-line defences in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that Russian troops captured the Donetsk town of Hirnyk and the villages of Katerynivka, and Bohoiavlenka. Adblock test (Why?)
Walz mocks Trump’s age at Georgia rally, says he ‘does qualify for Social Security’
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mocked former President Trump’s age during a Tuesday evening rally in Georgia. Walz criticized Trump’s proposal to stop taxing Social Security checks while quipping that Trump himself would be eligible for the program, which is for Americans aged 62 and older. “Now, Trump came out with a plan that if we execute his plan, Social Security will go broke in six years,” he said, referring to a recent analysis of the effect of Trump’s tax proposals on Social Security. “Social Security might not be very important to a guy like that. If you’re a billionaire and your dad gave you $400 million – you pretty much squandered all that, but you can just limp along on $400 million…he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care that he gets a check.” GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE The crowd whooped as Walz quipped, “Now he is nearly 80, so he does qualify for Social Security.” “He does qualify, but he doesn’t give a damn. My mom cars who’s nearly 90. She uses her Social Security check,” Walz said. “[Democratic 2024 nominee Vice President Kamala Harris] and I will protect Social Security and Medicare and make it stronger.” The former president’s age has been a favorite political cudgel for Harris allies since 81-year-old President Biden dropped out of the race. The recent analysis from the Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), however, accused both Trump and Harris of a lack of sufficient answers on Social Security. On her campaign website, Harris promised to “protect” Social Security “by making corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in taxes,” though it does not elaborate much further. GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE “Unfortunately, neither candidate has presented plans to fix Social Security’s finances despite the looming $16,500 cut facing a typical couple retiring just before insolvency,” the CRFB analysis said. It did project, however, that Trump’s stated tax and tariff policies would advance the program’s expected solvency from fiscal year 2034 to FY 2031. The former president has vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare during numerous public appearances on the campaign trail. He told supporters as recently as Monday evening at his own Georgia event, “I’m the one that’s going to make Social Security strong again.” The evening rally was Walz’s last public stop in Georgia on Tuesday after multiple public events. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have poured enormous amounts of time and resources into the Peach State, which Biden won by less than 1% in 2020. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS The Trump campaign’s Georgia spokesperson Morgan Ackley said of Walz’s day-long swing, “Since Kamala Harris said she wouldn’t have done anything different from Joe Biden, Tim Walz is campaigning for another four years of unmanaged illegal immigration, skyhigh prices, and war abroad.” “Georgia voters know President Trump will fix what Kamala Harris broke and flock to the ballot box for his America First Agenda on November 5th,” Ackley said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on Walz’s specific remarks on Tuesday evening. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
There are warring depictions of Robert Roberson’s murder case. Here’s what to know.
Even before the Texas man’s death sentence became a political lightning rod, law enforcement and medical experts had differing opinions on the evidence that convicted him.
Puerto Rico Shadow Senator endorses Trump at PA rally after ‘Kill Tony’ controversy at MSG
One of Puerto Rico’s two “shadow senators” endorsed former President Trump only days after comic “Kill Tony” Hinchcliffe delivered a widely-criticized set demeaning the island protectorate at the Republican’s New York City rally. Shadow Sen. Zoraida Buxo, a Republican, said she was proud to be back in Allentown, Pennsylvania’s third-largest city, and the anchor of a key swing congressional district. Shadow Senators are elected officials who are not seated in the upper chamber, but are tasked with advocating for their territory and its statehood. In a recent Fox News Digital interview, Allentown Democratic Mayor Matt Tuerk said that for the first time, the city – settled by English loyalist William Allen and historically Pennsylvania Dutch – is Latino-majority. Only Hazleton and Reading reportedly have a higher proportion as of 2022. Allentown’s population is estimated at 126,000, and about one-quarter is Puerto Rican. JON STEWART DEFENDS COMEDIAN WHO JOKED ABOUT PUERTO RICO AT TRUMP RALLY: ‘I FIND THAT GUY VERY FUNNY’ Buxo nodded to that development in her speech, about two hours prior to Trump’s estimated speaking time. The president had been delayed leaving another event in Delaware County earlier in the day. Buxo said she is reminded of her home island’s “steadfast conservative values of community, family, faith and deep love of country.” “That is home. That is Puerto Rico,” she said. TRUMP CAMP RESPONDS TO BACKLASH OVER COMEDIAN’S PUERTO RICO JOKE AT RALLY Without mentioning Hinchcliffe by name in her address, she appeared to reference the controversy, saying “we won’t get rattled, we won’t yield to ignorance [or] foolishness… we will remain focused on what is very important.” “We all share a desire of change for the good,” she later added. Buxo slammed the “failed policies” of the Biden-Harris administration, touching on border security, law enforcement and the economy. She said there are nearly six million Puerto Ricans living stateside, and that about 500,000 reside in Pennsylvania. “We Hispanics are part of the soul of this country. We have made a difference, and we will again make a difference in this coming election to bring about much-needed change,” she said. “I urge you to watch out and stay focused on what is truly important when you go to cast your vote … We need change and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are not the option to bring about the kind of change that you need and want.” She closed her remarks with the endorsement: “We need the leadership of Donald J. Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and Dave McCormick for a renewed leadership in the United States Senate,” she said. THE LEFT TWISTS JOYFUL TRUMP RALLY! PLUS COMEDIAN TONY HINCHCLIFFE UNDER FIRE FOR JOKE “Pennsylvanians – Americans, all – a better future is in your hands – your vote is the most powerful tool you have to bring about change. And for Latinos: Dale a Trump la fuersa de ta voto (“Give Trump the force of your vote”). “And for those reasons, I strongly and fully support and endorse Donald J. Trump to be our 47th president to Make America Great Again and to Make Puerto Rico Shine Again.” Meanwhile, outside the rally – held at the PPL Center hockey arena and entertainment venue home to the Flyers affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms — a billboard reportedly displayed the Washington Post’s headline following Trump’s Madison Square Garden Event. Flipping between Spanish and English, according to the New York Times, the type read “Trump rally speakers lob racist insults, call Puerto Rico ‘island of garbage.” Conversely, the prayer to kick off the event was recited by Roberto Albino, who called himself a “proud Puerto Rican” and complimented Trump.
Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson case
The AG also said he’d make a criminal referral against the lawmaker, who apologized for texting a Court of Criminal Appeals judge about a new trial for the death row inmate.
Supreme Court denies RFK Jr effort to get his name removed from Michigan and Wisconsin ballots
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied separate appeals by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove his name from the ballots in Wisconsin and Michigan – a move supported by former President Trump. Kennedy, who was running as the independent presidential candidate, has been trying to get his name off ballots in key battleground states since he suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump. “Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election,” Cheri Hardmon, senior press secretary for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, said in a previous statement to NBC News. Fox News’ Bill Mears learned that both Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett referred the cases to the full Court for a vote. While they could have decided them solo, it’s expected with all election-related litigation that the individual Justices will defer to the full Court. RFK JR SAYS TRUMP MOVE IS SOMETHING NO OTHER PRESIDENT’S DONE BEFORE It is also not known how the votes went down, but the only public dissent is from Justice Neil Gorsuch – and only in the Michigan case. When he suspended his campaign, Kennedy said he planned to keep his name on the ballot in safe Democratic and Republican states, but didn’t want to be a spoiler in battleground states. “In about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler, I’m going to remove my name, and I’ve already started that process and urge voters not to vote for me,” Kennedy previously said. “Our polling consistently showed by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues.” RFK JR URGES CATHOLICS TO VOTE FOR TRUMP IN NEW AD Republican members of the commission in Wisconsin pushed to grant Kennedy his wish to no longer be on the ballot after he suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. The commission was deadlocked under opposition from Democrats, who pointed to Wisconsin state law that says once a candidate has filed for office, they must remain on the ballot unless they die. RFK JR BLAMES ‘CENSORSHIP’ FOR FAILED CAMPAIGN, GIVES DETAILS OF TALKS WITH TRUMP “We know Trump and Kennedy are playing games,” Democratic elections commission member Mark Thomsen said, according to the Associated Press. “Whatever games they’re playing, they have to play them with Kennedy on the ballot.” The presence of independent and third party candidates on the ballot could be a key factor in a state where four of the last six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes. Fox News’ Bill Mears, Shannon Bream, Bradford Betz, Danielle Wallace, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran’s cyber strike on Trump campaign: Stefanik slams FBI for ‘election interference’ to aid Dems
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik claimed that the FBI is “covering up” Iranian election interference to “tip the scales” for Democrats. Stefanik, a Republican, told Fox News Digital the FBI has been stonewalling her “very basic, easy” questions about the bureau’s knowledge of the Iran-linked hack of the Trump campaign in which data was then peddled to the Biden campaign and mainstream media news outlets. “I believe there was politicization from the Biden-Kamala Harris administration that they were notified prior to the Trump campaign to tip the scales,” she claimed. “The FBI has functioned like an arm of the Democrat Party.” The Trump campaign claimed in August it was hacked by Iran. In September, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that Iran had hacked the campaign and indicted three Iranian nationals for their alleged role in the scheme. On Sept. 19, the FBI conducted a closed briefing with Stefanik and other members of the Intelligence Committee on foreign election interference. During the briefing, Stefanik said FBI officials appeared “panicked” when she questioned them, but promised to follow up with answers. After the briefing, Stefanik wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding answers by Oct. 7. The FBI then said it would deliver answers at an in-person briefing, according to Stefanik. Then they promised written answers — which never came. Stefanik has been demanding to know when and how the FBI learned of the Iranian hack of the Trump campaign, when the FBI notified both campaigns of the hack, whether the FBI knew who was responsible for peddling the information to the media and the Biden or Harris campaigns and whether the FBI had used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to wiretap conversations related to the hack. TRUMP, STEFANIK CAMPAIGN FOR VULNERABLE NY REPUBLICANS AS BIG APPLE KICKS OFF EARLY VOTING The hackers had created fake email accounts and impersonated current or former U.S. officials and then duped Trump campaign staff using spear phishing into clicking on emails that reportedly contained malware. She said the FBI could reveal such information without impeding any investigations or revealing sources or classified information. “I’m one of the longest serving members on House Intelligence Committee. When the FBI won’t answer questions, it’s because you’ve hit on something and they’re hiding something. They are corrupt to the core.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI for comment. Stefanik also raised the issue in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal. “It is my duty to share with the American people what the FBI has failed to answer—and, I believe, is willfully covering up—about Iranian influence in the 2024 presidential election.” Numerous intelligence reports have revealed that U.S. foes like Iran, Russia and China have made efforts to meddle in the November election. In September, Trump’s campaign said that intelligence officials warned the Republican candidate of “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him.” A report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), released Tuesday, found that “efforts by Iran to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other former U.S. officials” are “likely to persist after voting ends, regardless of outcome.” IRAN REPORTEDLY EXECUTES CALIFORNIA MAN AMID ONGOING EXECUTION SPREE: ‘MURDERED BY THE REGIME’ The report definitively said that Iran prefers Vice President Kamala Harris and will focus efforts on stopping Trump, and that Russia prefers Trump and will continue to attack Harris. A Microsoft report found last week that Iranian government-linked hackers have been scouring election websites in swing states for vulnerabilities. Last week, Iran built a fake online persona known as “Bushnell’s Men,” calling on U.S. voters to sit out the election due to both candidates’ support of Israel’s military operations, the report found. Both Trump and his high-level officials who ordered the strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 have faced death threats from Iran. After the initial briefing, Stefanik demanded to know when and how the FBI learned of the Iranian hack of the Trump campaign, when the FBI notified both campaigns of the hack, whether the FBI knew who was responsible for peddling the information to the media and the Biden or Harris campaigns and whether the FBI had used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to wiretap conversations related to the hack.
Ken Paxton resisting Texas House members’ bid to hear Robert Roberson’s testimony
Members of a Texas House committee say in a Texas Supreme Court filing that Paxton’s office is blocking the death row inmate from complying with a legislative subpoena.