Kenya Insights

Author: Agencies

  • ‪How The Govt Shutdown Will Impact Americans‬

    ‪How The Govt Shutdown Will Impact Americans‬

    The US federal government has shut down after Republican and Democratic lawmakers failed to resolve a budget stand-off.

    The impasse affects the funding of government operations throughout October and beyond, and is poised to cause widespread disruption for Americans in areas ranging from air travel to zoo visits.

    The political gridlock is also expected to put 40% of the federal workforce – about 750,000 people – on unpaid leave.

    This is how its impact could be felt across the US.

    Your next flight

    A federal shutdown could hit flyers in a variety of ways, potentially leading to long security queues and delays caused by unpaid air traffic controllers choosing to stay home rather than work for free.

    Air traffic control and Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers are considered “essential”, so they will continue to go to work.

    But they will not be paid until the shutdown ends. When this last happened in 2018-2019, these workers increasingly began to call in sick, leading to delays that had a ripple effect across the country.

    Americans planning to travel abroad could also be impacted, with US passport agencies warning that it could take longer than usual to process travel documents.

    No work – or pay – for federal workers

    Federal employees are expected to be hardest hit, as they will not receive any pay cheques while the shutdown continues.

    Law enforcement officers will continue to work through the government shutdown – though more than 200,000 of them will do so unpaid, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.

    Also continuing their work as usual are border protection staff, including ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, in-hospital medical care staff and air-traffic controllers.

    According to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, the five government departments with the most furloughed staff are:

    • Department of Defense (civilian staff): 334,904 furloughed, 406,573 retained
    • Department of Health: 32,460 furloughed, 47,257 retained
    • Department of Commerce: 34,711 furloughed, 8,273 retained
    • Department of State: 16,651 furloughed, 10,344 retained
    • Nasa: 15,094 furloughed, 3,124 retained

    Some workers may choose to take second jobs, as they have done during previous shutdowns. Employees who are not deemed to be essential will be forced to stay at home. In the past, these workers have then been paid retroactively.

    Several agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are likely to furlough many workers, affecting ongoing research and experiments already in progress.

    US President Donald Trump, who has slashed government spending and cut federal jobs since taking office, has warned repeatedly that a shutdown could accelerate further layoffs and allow him to cut services and programmes he says are important to Democrats.

    Contractors who work for federal agencies but are not directly employed by the government will miss out on work, too. These workers historically have not received any back-pay, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

    Members of Congress, however, will still be paid. They are protected under the US Constitution – a convention that has been opposed by some lawmakers.

    National Parks with no staff

    Federal lands, including National Parks and National Forests, have been closed off to visitors during past shutdowns, since the rangers and other employees were asked to stay at home.

    During the last shutdown, the Trump administration made the decision to leave parks open, with few to no federal workers there to staff them.

    The decision led to vandalism in parks, as visitors drove through protected landscapes, looted historical sites, and rampantly littered, according to park advocates.

    A group of more than 40 former park superintendents have appealed to the White House to completely close the parks in the event of a shutdown.

    “We don’t leave museums open without curators, or airports without air traffic controllers – and we should not leave our national parks open without National Park Service workers,” said Emily Thompson of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.

    Visit to the zoo

    The famous Smithsonian Institution museums will stay open until at least Monday, 6 October.

    On the Smithsonian website, the organisation said it had money available from years prior to help it keep operating.

    Animals at the National Zoo “will continue to be fed and cared for”, according to the Smithsonian, which runs the zoo.

    But the popular webcams will be shut off, as they have been deemed non-essential by zoo staff, so viewers won’t be able to peek at the pandas, lions, elephants and naked mole rats.

    Healthcare for the elderly and poor

    Medicare and Medicaid, social health programmes for the elderly and poor, will continue, but staffing shortages could lead to some interruptions.

    Food assistance programmes will also be impacted, with the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) expected to rapidly run out of funds.

    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) is expected to continue for longer, but is at risk of running out of funding.

    Emergency disaster relief will also be largely unaffected, however other work done by disaster agencies will be impacted.

    The National Flood Insurance Program will be closed, delaying some mortgages on properties that require policies from the government-run programme.

    But if the shutdown drags out, it is possible that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema) could run out of money for its Disaster Relief Fund.

    Mail will still arrive

    The US Postal Service has previously been unaffected by government shutdowns – and this time is no different.

    In a statement posted on its website earlier this week, the service said all post offices would remain open for business as usual.

    This is because the postal service does not depend on Congress for funding. It is an independent entity that is generally funded through the sale of its products and services, not by tax dollars.

    (BBC)

  • Trump’s Africa Pivot Threatens to Unravel Decades of Counterterrorism Progress in Kenya and East Africa

    Trump’s Africa Pivot Threatens to Unravel Decades of Counterterrorism Progress in Kenya and East Africa

    In a jarring address to over 800 generals at Marine Corps Base Quantico this week, President Donald Trump declared that America’s military has no business “policing the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia” while the nation faces what he termed an “invasion from within.”

    The remarks, delivered with characteristic bluntness, represent more than rhetorical flourish.

    They signal a potentially seismic realignment of U.S. security priorities that could fundamentally alter the counterterrorism architecture in the Horn of Africa at precisely the moment when such partnerships matter most.

    The timing is particularly striking. Just sixteen months ago, the Biden administration designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally, a status reserved for America’s most trusted security partners.

    The symbolism was powerful: Kenya, with its strategic position and capable defense forces, would anchor U.S. counterterrorism efforts in a region where al-Shabaab continues to pose existential threats to regional stability.

    Now, that partnership faces an uncertain future, caught between Trump’s America First doctrine and the grinding realities of transnational terrorism.

    The implications extend far beyond diplomatic niceties. For nearly two decades, the U.S. military presence at Manda Bay in Lamu County has served as the nerve center for drone surveillance and intelligence operations against al-Shabaab.

    Kenyan Defense Forces, benefiting from American training, equipment, and intelligence sharing, have been the backbone of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.

    This isn’t charity; it’s strategic investment. Al-Shabaab’s ambitions don’t respect borders, and its capacity for spectacular violence has been demonstrated repeatedly, from the 2013 Westgate Mall attack to the 2019 assault on a U.S. military base at Manda Bay itself that killed three Americans.

    Trump’s pivot inward rests on a false dichotomy.

    The president frames overseas military engagement as antithetical to homeland security, as if resources devoted to countering terrorism in Somalia somehow leave American cities vulnerable.

    This fundamentally misunderstands how contemporary security threats operate.

    Terrorist organizations thrive in ungoverned spaces, using them as training grounds, revenue sources, and launching pads for increasingly sophisticated attacks. The lesson of September 11 was supposed to be that distant threats become proximate with terrifying speed.

    The economic argument doesn’t hold up to scrutiny either. The five-year defense cooperation agreement signed with Kenya in 2023 was worth approximately one hundred million dollars, a rounding error in the Pentagon’s budget.

    Yet it leveraged that modest investment into outsized security returns. By enabling Kenyan forces to take the lead in regional operations, Washington achieved strategic objectives at a fraction of the cost of direct American military involvement. This is burden-sharing, not profligacy.

    What makes Trump’s comments particularly troubling is their potential to create a security vacuum that adversaries will eagerly fill. China has already expanded its influence across Africa through infrastructure investment and its first overseas military base in Djibouti.

    If Washington retreats from its security commitments, Beijing will hardly hesitate to deepen its footprint. The same applies to Gulf states and other actors seeking to reshape the regional order. The question isn’t whether someone will fill the vacuum, but who.

    For Kenya, the stakes are existential. Al-Shabaab maintains a stated objective of establishing an Islamic caliphate across East Africa, with Kenya as a prime target given its role in Somalia.

    The group has demonstrated both intent and capability to strike deep into Kenyan territory. Without American intelligence support, training programs, and technological assistance, Nairobi faces the prospect of confronting this threat with significantly diminished resources.

    This doesn’t just endanger Kenyan security; it threatens the entire regional counterterrorism framework that has, however imperfectly, kept al-Shabaab contained.

    The president’s address also arrives amid Kenya’s complicated involvement in Haiti, where Nairobi has led a multinational security mission that Trump’s own administration has now sought to expand through the United Nations.

    The contradiction is stark: Washington wants Kenya to project force abroad to stabilize the Caribbean while simultaneously questioning whether America should support Kenya’s own security needs.

    This inconsistency undermines the credibility of U.S. security partnerships and sends a chilling message to allies worldwide about the reliability of American commitments.

    There’s a broader pattern here that extends beyond military policy. The African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provided preferential trade access to dozens of African nations including Kenya, expired this week with only tepid support from the Trump administration for a one-year extension.

    Combined with the president’s rhetoric about ending overseas military commitments, a picture emerges of systematic American disengagement from Africa precisely when Chinese influence is ascendant and regional security challenges are intensifying.

    The irony is that Trump’s transactional worldview should make him appreciate the value of the Kenya partnership.

    For minimal investment, the United States has secured a forward operating base, a capable regional ally willing to shoulder significant security burdens, and intelligence cooperation that enhances American homeland security.

    This is the kind of deal that should appeal to a president who styles himself as a master negotiator.

    Yet ideology appears to be trumping strategy.

    The president’s focus on what he calls an invasion from within, his plans to deploy military forces to American cities, and his broader retreat from multilateral engagement reflect a worldview in which security threats are primarily domestic and territorial rather than transnational and networked.

    This represents a fundamental misreading of the contemporary threat landscape.

    The challenge for American policymakers, both within the administration and in Congress, is to salvage the substantive security relationship even as presidential rhetoric undermines it.

    There are bureaucratic pathways to maintain cooperation, institutional relationships that can weather political turbulence, and career professionals who understand the strategic value of these partnerships. But presidential statements matter.

    They shape resource allocation, influence partner nation confidence, and signal priorities to adversaries.

    Kenya, for its part, has already begun hedging its bets. President William Ruto has cultivated relationships with European partners, Gulf states, and even explored security cooperation with other global actors.

    This is rational statecraft in the face of American unreliability, but it fragments the coordinated approach that has been most effective in countering al-Shabaab.

    No single partner can replicate the intelligence capabilities, technological sophistication, and training expertise that the United States brings to the table.

    The coming months will reveal whether Trump’s remarks represent genuine policy intent or merely rhetorical excess.

    If the administration follows through with significant reductions in military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and training programs, the consequences will be felt far beyond East Africa.

    Every U.S. security partner will be forced to recalculate the value of alignment with Washington. Adversaries will sense opportunity. And the painstaking work of building effective counterterrorism partnerships will unravel.

    The irony, ultimately, is that withdrawing from places like Kenya doesn’t make America safer.

    It makes America more isolated, less informed, and more vulnerable to the very threats Trump claims to be prioritizing. Counterterrorism requires forward presence, partner capacity building, and sustained engagement.

    There are no shortcuts, no walls high enough to keep out threats that originate thousands of miles away but metastasize through networks that span continents.

    The president spoke at Quantico of defending the homeland as the military’s first priority. He’s right about that.

    But he’s profoundly wrong about what defending the homeland requires in the twenty-first century.

    It requires exactly the kind of partnerships with countries like Kenya that his rhetoric now threatens to destroy. The question is whether cooler heads will prevail before the damage becomes irreversible.

  • Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Are Suing Sex Tape Ex-Star Ray J For Defamation

    Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Are Suing Sex Tape Ex-Star Ray J For Defamation

    Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner sued R&B singer Ray J on Wednesday, alleging he defamed them when he claimed they were under a federal RICO investigation.

    The lawsuit alleges that Ray J has attempted to exploit the Kardashians’ fame ever since a “fleeting relationship” with Kim that ended 20 years ago.

    The suit alleges that Ray J first floated the idea that the Kardashians should be criminally investigated on a TMZ special in May, when he said that racketeering charges would be “appropriate.”

    He revisited the topic on a Sept. 24 livestream, when he said, “The federal RICO I’m about to drop on Kris and Kim is about to be crazy,” and “the feds is coming,” the lawsuit states.

    “Ray J’s public statements are blatantly false,” the lawsuit states. “No such federal investigation exists… Ray J’s conduct represents an egregious abuse of social media and public platforms to weaponize lies about nonexistent criminal investigations while fully aware that such allegations, even when baseless, carry the power to damage Plaintiffs’ livelihoods and hard-earned reputations.”

    Ray J and Kim Kardashian at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, on March 22, 2006.
    Ray J and Kim Kardashian at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, on March 22, 2006.

    The suit alleges that the recent comments fit a pattern of sensationalized and inflammatory comments from Ray J over the years.

    To qualify as defamation, Ray J’s statements would have to go beyond merely hostile opinions and instead assert a provably false statement.

    The suit alleges that Ray J’s comments on the livestream were intended as “factual assertions,” and not his speculation.

    In the complaint, he is quoted as saying “The feds is coming, there’s nothing I can do about it,” and “Anybody that is cool with Kim, they need to tell her now, the rain is coming, the feds is coming.”

    He also said, “It’s worse than Diddy,” referencing the federal trafficking and RICO charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

    His comments were picked up by TMZ. As a result, the lawsuit states, the Kardashians have “been at the center of a media storm speculating as to their alleged criminal behavior.”

    Kardashian and Jenner are represented by Alex Spiro, who has handled several other celebrity cases.

    “Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian have never brought a defamation claim before nor have they been distracted by noise – but this false and serious allegation left no choice,” Spiro said.

  • Musk Becomes World’s First Half-Trillionaire

    Musk Becomes World’s First Half-Trillionaire

    Tesla boss Elon Musk has become the first person ever to achieve a net worth of more than $500bn (£370.9bn), as the value of the electric car company and his other businesses have risen this year.

    The tech magnate’s net worth briefly reached $500.1bn on Wednesday afternoon New York time, before dipping slightly to just over $499bn later in the day, the Forbes’ billionaires index reported.

    Alongside Tesla, valuations of his other ventures, including the artificial intelligence startup xAI and rocket company SpaceX, have also reportedly climbed in recent months.

    The milestone further cements Musk’s status as the world’s richest person, well ahead of rivals in the global tech sector.

    According to Forbes’ billionaires index, Oracle founder Larry Ellison is the world’s second richest person, with a fortune of about $350.7bn.

    Mr Ellison briefly overtook Musk last month after shares in Oracle soared by more than 40%, boosted by the firm’s surprisingly rosy outlook for its cloud infrastructure business and artificial intelligence (AI) deals.

    Musk’s huge wealth is closely tied to his more than 12% stake in Tesla, which has seen its shares rise sharply this year.

    Tesla shares were more than 3.3% higher at the end of New York trading on Wednesday and have now risen by over 20% this year.

    The company’s shares have been making gains in recent months as investors welcome Musk focusing more time on his companies rather than politics.

    He faced criticism earlier this year over his work with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the body tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs.

    Musk, who also owns the X social media platform, has also been vocal about his views on issues such as immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes.

    The chair of Tesla’s board, Robyn Denholm, said in September that Musk was now “front and centre” at the carmaker.

    The company’s board also said Musk could receive a pay package worth over $1tn if he hits a list of ambitious targets over the next decade.

    To get the package he would need to boost Tesla’s value eightfold, sell a million AI robots, sell another 12 million Tesla cars, and hit several other goals.

    Also last month, Musk announced that he had bought about $1bn worth of Tesla shares in what has been seen by some investors as a vote of confidence in the firm.

    Tesla has faced a number of challenges in recent years, including tough competition from rival electric car makers such as China’s BYD.

    The company is also in the process of transitioning into an AI and robotics business.

    By BBC

  • ‪Germany Arrests Three Alleged Hamas Members On Suspicion of Plotting Attacks‬

    ‪Germany Arrests Three Alleged Hamas Members On Suspicion of Plotting Attacks‬

    Three alleged members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of plotting attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany, officials said.

    The suspects are set to appear in court Thursday. A judge will then determine whether the trio can be held in custody ahead of a trial.

    Germany’s federal prosecutor alleged that they have been involved in procuring firearms since earlier this summer.

    Various weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, and ammunition were found during a raid.

    Two of the suspects are German citizens. The federal prosecutor’s office described the third as being born in Lebanon. They were only named as Abed Al G., Wael F. M., and Ahmad I., in line with German privacy rules.

    Hamas has carried out hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians over the years but has rarely operated outside Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    Questions will likely be raised over whether the suspects were acting on orders from Hamas’s leadership or if they were merely sympathizers with Hamas or the Palestinian cause.

    The arrests took place as Hamas said it would study US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal to end the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.

    A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel nearly two years ago killed some 1,200 people and 251 others were abducted.

    Most of the hostages have been freed under previous ceasefire deals, but 48 are still held in Gaza – around 20 believed by Israel to be alive.

    Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll, but has said women and children make up around half of the dead.

    (FRANCE 24 with AP)

  • Diddy’s Downfall: Prosecutor Seeks 11-Year Prison Sentence

    Diddy’s Downfall: Prosecutor Seeks 11-Year Prison Sentence

    A US judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by Sean “Diddy” Combs to overturn his criminal conviction on felony prostitution-related charges, after prosecutors said the hip-hop mogul should spend more than 11 years in prison.

    U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan found “overwhelming evidence of Combs’ guilt” related to his treatment of two former girlfriends: rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura, and a woman known in court as Jane.

    Prosecutors said Combs arranged for male prostitutes to travel across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual performances known as Freak Offs with his girlfriends, while he watched, recorded videos and masturbated.

    Ventura and Jane testified that Combs physically attacked them, and threatened to cut off financial support if they resisted the performances.

    “The government proved its case many times over,” the judge wrote.

    Subramanian also rejected arguments that evidence used to support the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges on which Combs was acquitted tainted the prostitution case.

    Lawyers for Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in Manhattan did not immediately respond to similar requests.

    Combs, 55, was found guilty by a Manhattan jury on July 2 of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, following an eight-week trial. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appeal his conviction.

    Prosecutors asked Subramanian to sentence Combs to 11-1/4 years in prison at the scheduled October 3 sentencing.

    Defense lawyers asked for no more than 14 months, which if granted could result in Combs’ freedom this year because he would get credit for time served at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 16, 2024 arrest.

    COMBS HELD ‘ALL THE POWER,’ U.S. SAYS

    Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is credited with popularizing hip-hop in American culture.

    But in seeking a 135-month sentence, prosecutors cited evidence at trial that Combs led a different life outside the public eye, physically beating his girlfriends and giving them illegal drugs.

    “The defendant tries to recast decades of abuse as simply the function of mutually toxic relationships,” prosecutors wrote. “But there is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up bloodied and bruised.”

    In a letter to the judge, Ventura, known as Cassie, said Combs used violence, threats and drugs to “trap” her into Freak Offs, starting when she was 19.

    “Sex acts became my full-time job,” Ventura wrote. “His power over me eroded my independence and sense of self until I felt I had no choice but to submit.”

    Subramanian rejected Combs’ arguments that the prostitution convictions under the Mann Act should be thrown out because Combs lacked a financial motive and did not engage in sex he paid for.

    The judge said it was enough that Combs transported escorts who were financially motivated, and intended for them to engage in prostitution.

    He also said requiring Combs to have taken part in the sex “would narrow prostitution almost out of existence,” shielding even owners of brothels from prosecution.

    Subramanian also said a conviction did not violate Combs’ First Amendment constitutional rights as “an amateur pornographer and consumer of pornography,” and that conduct did not become legal just because he filmed the sex performances.

    While agreeing with Combs that the Mann Act has evolved since its 1910 passage, Combs’ conduct “sits at the heartland of the Act’s legitimate proscriptions. Unsurprisingly then, his conviction raises no constitutional problem.”

  • Indian Court Tells Doctors To Fix Their Handwriting

    Indian Court Tells Doctors To Fix Their Handwriting

    At a time when most people use keyboards to write, does handwriting really matter?

    Yes, say Indian courts, if the writer is a doctor.

    Jokes around the notoriously bad handwriting of many doctors that can only be deciphered by pharmacists are common in India, as around the world.

    But the latest order emphasising the importance of clear handwriting came recently from the Punjab and Haryana High Court which said that “legible medical prescription is a fundamental right” as it can make a difference between life and death.

    The court order came in a case that had nothing to do with the written word. It involved allegations of rape, cheating and forgery by a woman and Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri was hearing the man’s petition for bail.

    The woman had alleged that the man had taken money from her promising her a government job, conducted fake interviews with her and sexually exploited her.

    The accused denied the charges – he said they had a consensual relationship and the case was brought on because of a dispute over money.

    Justice Puri said when he looked at the medico-legal report – written by a government doctor who had examined the woman – he found it incomprehensible.

    “It shook the conscience of this court as not even a word or a letter was legible,” he wrote in the order.

    The BBC has seen a copy of the judgement which includes the report and a two-page prescription which shows the doctor’s unreadable scrawl.

    “At a time when technology and computers are easily accessible, it is shocking that government doctors are still writing prescriptions by hand which cannot be read by anybody except perhaps some chemists,” Justice Puri wrote.

    The court asked the government to include handwriting lessons in the medical school curriculum and set a two-year timeline for rolling out digitised prescriptions.

    Until that happens, all doctors must write prescriptions clearly in capital letters, Justice Puri said.

    Dr Dilip Bhanushali, president of Indian Medical Association that has more than 330,000 doctors as members, told the BBC that they’re willing to help find a solution to the problem.

    In cities and bigger towns, he says, doctors have moved to digital prescriptions, but it’s very difficult in rural areas and small towns to get prescriptions that are clear.

    “It’s a well-known fact that many doctors have poor handwriting, but that’s because most medical practitioners are very busy, especially in overcrowded government hospitals,” he says.

    “We have recommended to our members to follow the government guidelines and write prescriptions in bold letters that should be readable to both patients and chemists. A doctor who sees seven patients a day can do it, but if you see 70 patients a day, you can’t do it,” he adds.

    (BBC)

  • US Government Shutdown Begins as Partisan Division Rules Washington

    US Government Shutdown Begins as Partisan Division Rules Washington

    WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, grueling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.

    There was no clear path out of the impasse, while agencies warned that the 15th government shutdown since 1981 would halt the release of a closely watched September employment report, slow air travel, suspend scientific research, withhold pay from U.S. troops and lead to the furlough of 750,000 federal workers at a daily cost of $400 million.
    Trump, whose campaign to radically reshape the federal government is already on track to push out some 300,000 workers by December, warned congressional Democrats that a shutdown could clear the path for “irreversible” actions including cutting more jobs and programs.
    The shutdown commenced hours after the Senate rejected a short-term spending measure that would have kept government operations afloat through November 21. Democrats opposed the legislation over Republicans’ refusal to attach an extension of health benefits for millions of Americans that are due to expire at the end of the year. Republicans say the issue must be addressed separately.

    At issue on the government funding front is $1.7 trillion for agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government’s total $7 trillion budget. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.

    Independent analysts warn the shutdown could last longer than the budget-related closures of the past, with Trump and White House officials threatening to punish Democrats with cuts to government programs and the federal payroll. Trump budget director Russell Vought, who has called for “less bipartisan” appropriations, threatened permanent layoffs last week in the event of a shutdown.

    RECORD DATES TO FIRST TRUMP TERM

    The longest government shutdown in U.S. history stretched over 35 days during December 2018 and January 2019 during Trump’s first term in office, in a dispute over border security.

    “All they want to do is try to bully us. And they’re not going to succeed,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech a day after a White House meeting with Trump and other congressional leaders that ended with the two parties far apart.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the failed short-term spending bill as a “nonpartisan” measure devoid of partisan policy riders that Democrats have had no problem accepting in years past.

    “What’s changed is, President Trump is in the White House. That’s what this is about. This is politics. And there isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters.

    Trump’s Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, but legislative rules require 60 of the 100 senators to agree on spending legislation. That means that at least seven Democrats are needed to pass a funding bill.

    DEMOCRATS FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE FUNDING

    Democrats are under pressure from their frustrated supporters to score a rare victory ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s term.

    The healthcare push has given them a chance to unite behind an issue that resonates with voters.

    Along with the extended health subsidies, Democrats have also sought to ensure that Trump will not be able to undo those changes if they are signed into law. Trump has refused to spend billions of dollars approved by Congress, prompting some Democrats to question why they should vote for any spending legislation at all.

    University of Chicago professor Robert Pape said the unusually polarized U.S. political climate in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the growing power on the extreme wings of both parties could make it harder for party leaders to agree on a deal to reopen the government.

    “The rules of politics are radically changing and we can’t know for sure where all of this is going to end,” said University of Chicago political science professor Robert Pape, who studies political violence.

    “Each side would have to backtrack against tens of millions of truly aggressive supporters, their own constituents, which is going to be really hard for them to do,” he said.

    Before the shutdown, Trump reached out to his own supporters with a deepfake video showing manipulated images of Schumer appearing to criticize Democrats while top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries stood next to him, with a crudely drawn sombrero and mustache imposed over his face.

    “It was childish. It was petty,” Schumer told reporters. “It’s something that a 5-year-old would do, not a president of the United States. But it shows how unserious they are. They don’t give a damn about the harm they will cause with their shutdown.”

  • ‪UN Security Council Approves New Military Force To Fight Gangs in Haiti‬

    ‪UN Security Council Approves New Military Force To Fight Gangs in Haiti‬

    The new force can now have a maximum of 5,500 uniformed personnel, including police officers and soldiers, unlike the current mission, which is just law enforcement.

    US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the vote by 12 council members “to transform the Multinational Security Support mission to the new gang suppression force, a mission five-times the size of its predecessor” showed the “international community was sharing the burden.”

    “This resolution offers Haiti hope. It is a hope that has been rapidly slipping away as terrorist gangs expanded their territory, raped, pillaged, murdered and terrorized the Haitian population,” he said.

    Washington co-sponsored the enlargement push with Panama.

    Currently, just 1,000 police officers, mostly from Kenya, are deployed in Haiti under the Multinational Security Mission (MSS) to support the overwhelmed Haitian police in their fight against rampant gang violence.

    But the mission, which was approved in 2023, has had mixed results.

    Violence-ravaged Haiti is 'a nation at war,' its leader Laurent Saint-Cyr warned at the United Nations on Thursday, as he appealed for help from the international community to defeat gangs that have overrun the Caribbean country. AFP
    Violence-ravaged Haiti is ‘a nation at war,’ its leader Laurent Saint-Cyr warned at the United Nations on Thursday, as he appealed for help from the international community to defeat gangs that have overrun the Caribbean country. AFP

    “This marks a decisive turning point in my country’s fight against one of the most serious challenges in its already turbulent history,” said Haiti’s ambassador to the UN Ericq Pierre.

    “Multiple heavily armed gangs have extended their control over large parts of the territory, particularly in the capital.

    “These gangs are no longer mere groups of petty criminals. They have for some time now become powerful criminal organizations that mock and challenge the authority of the state and even threaten regional stability.”

    ‘Merciless gangs’

    Haiti’s Laurent Saint-Cyr, who heads the country’s Transitional Presidential Council, had thrown his support behind the US and Panamanian proposal to evolve the MSS into a more resilient force for an initial period of one year.

    Laurent Saint-Cyr, chairman of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters. AFP
    Laurent Saint-Cyr, chairman of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters. AFP

    “The Council can help restore peace in a nation currently suffocated by merciless gangs,” Panama’s ambassador to the UN Eloy Alfaro de Alba said ahead of the vote.

    Kenya’s president William Ruto said last week that “with the right personnel, adequate resources, appropriate equipment and necessary logistics, Haiti’s security can be restored.”

    The major force boost will be accompanied by the creation of a support office within the UN, suggested several months ago by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to provide the required logistical and financial support.

    China had expressed skepticism about the role of the MSS without political transition in Haiti, but it abstained during the vote to create it in 2023, as did Russia.

    China and Russia abstained again on Tuesday’s vote.

    “Resorting to military force to combat violence with violence at this juncture is not only unlikely to succeed, but could further complicate Haiti’s already intractable situation,” said China’s ambassador to the UN Fu Cong.

    Children in a shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. AFP
    Children in a shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. AFP

    He warned the resolution left specifics like the rules of engagement and force composition unanswered, saying Beijing did not block the resolution only “in light of Haiti’s dire security situation.”

    The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has long suffered at the hands of violent criminal gangs that commit murders, rapes, looting, and kidnappings against a backdrop of chronic political instability.

    The situation has worsened significantly since early 2024, when gangs drove then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

    The country, which has not held elections since 2016, has since been led by a Transitional Presidential Council.

  • Trump Says US cities Should Be Military ‘Training Grounds’

    Trump Says US cities Should Be Military ‘Training Grounds’

    S President Donald Trump told a rare meeting of top military officers Tuesday that the country faces a “war from within” and suggested American cities be used as “training grounds” for troops.

    In a dark speech before hundreds of generals and admirals summoned from around the world, the Republican told them to prepare for a greater role in crackdowns on Democrat-run cities.

    The assembled top brass were separately warned by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of a different challenge, as he vowed to eliminate “fat generals” and to roll back what he called decades of decay.

    Trump told military leadership to be ready for a greater role in crackdowns on US cities
    Trump told military leadership to be ready for a greater role in crackdowns on US cities

    “I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military,” Trump said in front of a huge US flag at a military facility in Quantico, near Washington.

    He added that “we’re going to straighten them out one by one, and this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war too — it’s a war from within.”

    Trump has sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington as part of what he calls a crackdown on crime and immigration. He has also ordered deployments to Memphis and Portland, which he described as a “war zone,” and said Chicago would be next.

    Each of those cities is run by a Democrat mayor, from Trump’s rival political party.

    The 79-year-old — who traveled to make the speech as the US government hurtled towards a spending shutdown — began by saying that under his administration the US military was now “reawakening the warrior spirit.”

    But his 72-minute address then took on an even more overtly political tone, in a break with previous presidents who have tended to avoid domestic politics when addressing troops.

    – ‘Fat generals’ –

    Former Fox News host-turned Defense Secretary Hegseth summoned the highly unusual meeting last week. Trump then announced that he would also speak.

    Speculation had swirled about the purpose of gathering the whole US top brass in one place, with talk of a major military announcement.

    But in the end it was largely a doubling down on restoring what Iraq war veteran Hegseth called the “military ethos.”

    Striding the stage, Hegseth told all ranks they must now take a physical fitness test twice a year. “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” he said.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared an end to 'ideological garbage' in the military
    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared an end to ‘ideological garbage’ in the military

    Hegseth also insisted on “grooming standards” including short hair and shaving, adding: “If you want a beard you can join special forces. If not, then shave. We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans.”

    He declared an end to “ideological garbage,” citing concerns over climate change, bullying, “toxic” leaders and promotions based on race or gender as examples.

    The speeches by Trump and Hegseth came as the US military faces controversy both at home, amid the deployments to key cities, and abroad.

    – ‘American muscle’ –

    Internationally, Trump has ordered lethal strikes on small, alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, despite questions over the legality of the attacks.

    He also ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran-backed Yemeni rebels.

    In a sometimes rambling speech, the US president said he was “discovering American muscle” and that the country had the “strongest military anywhere in the world.”

    Trump has overseen a rare purge of senior officers after taking office.

    In May, Hegseth ordered major cuts to the number of general and flag officers in the US military, including at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals.

    Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has also purged top officers, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff general Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.

    Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the leaders of the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.

    Hegseth defended the firings on Tuesday, saying: “it’s nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people who helped create — or even benefited from — that culture.”

  • ‪Tony Blair Could Help Run Gaza Under Trump Peace Plan‬

    ‪Tony Blair Could Help Run Gaza Under Trump Peace Plan‬

    US President Donald Trump has said Sir Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, wants to join the international body overseeing Gaza under an American plan to end the war.

    Sir Tony became the first named member of a new “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump, to be tasked with temporarily supervising Gaza’s governance if Hamas accept the plan. “Leaders from other countries” on the board will be named later, Trump said.

    The board is part of a 20-point plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas – including a process of demilitarising and redeveloping Gaza.

    Sir Tony said the plans were “the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering”.

    A Palestinian source familiar with the ceasefire negotiations told the BBC that Hamas officials had been given the White House’s 20-point proposal.

    Earlier, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that the group remained open to studying any proposal that could end the war in Gaza, but stressed that any agreement must safeguard Palestinian interests, ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and bring the war to an end.

    Sir Tony, who was UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and who took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003, has been part of high-level talks with the US and other parties about the future of Gaza.

    After leaving office, he served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, EU, Russia and the UN). He focused on bringing economic development to Palestine and creating the conditions for a two state-solution.

    In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described as “very comprehensive” – though little else was disclosed about the meeting.

    Under the plan, unveiled by Trump on Monday evening, the war would “immediately end” once both sides agreed to it.

    It would also see all 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of more than two dozen who are believed to be dead returned within 72 hours.

    Israel would then release 250 life-sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans detained since the war began on 7 October 2023.

    “Full aid” would immediately be sent to Gaza, the plan says. A multinational stabilisation force would deploy to support security and train local police. Israeli forces would withdraw in stages.

    According to the text of the plan, “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza.

    “This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the ‘Board of Peace,’ which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair.”

    Hamas, the plan states, would have no role in governance, “directly, indirectly, or in any form”.

    Trump said that if Hamas rejected the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have his “full backing” to “do what you would have to do”.

    The plan also leaves the door open to an eventual Palestinian state, but only if the Palestinian Authority carries out sweeping reforms.

    The president also hit out at countries for “foolishly” recognising Palestine statehood – as the UK, Australia, Canada and France did last week.

    Responding to the announcement, Sir Tony said: “President Trump has put down a bold and intelligent plan which, if agreed, can end the war, bring immediate relief to Gaza, the chance of a brighter and better future for its people, whilst ensuring Israel’s absolute and enduring security and the release of all hostages.

    “It offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering and I thank President Trump for his leadership, determination and commitment.

    “In particular, his willingness to chair the Board of Peace to oversee the new Gaza is a huge signal of support and confidence in the future of Gaza, of the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians finding a path to peace and of the potential for a broader regional and global alliance to counter the forces of extremism and promote peace and prosperity between nations.”

    The plan announced on Monday marks a shift from earlier ideas floated by the Trump administration. In February, Trump declared the US would take over the Gaza Strip and build a “riviera of the Middle East”

    The idea would have involved the forced displacement of Palestinians in the territory and be in violation of international law, a step Sir Tony’s office vowed not to support.

    The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

    At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

    A UN-backed body recently confirmed that famine was taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza – which Israel strongly rejects.

  • Trump and Netanyahu Agree New Gaza Peace Plan

    Trump and Netanyahu Agree New Gaza Peace Plan

    US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say they have agreed a new peace plan for Gaza, warning Hamas to accept it.

    The plan proposes an immediate end to military operations, with Hamas releasing 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of the more than two dozen hostages who are believed to be dead within 72 hours, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans.

    A Palestinian source familiar with the ceasefire negotiations told the BBC that Hamas officials have been given the White House’s 20-point proposal.

    It demands that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza, and leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.

    Speaking at a news conference following talks at the White House, Trump called the plan “a historic day for peace”.

    But he said that Netanyahu will have US backing to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas” if Hamas does not agree to the plan.

    Netanyahu then said Israel “will finish the job” if Hamas rejects the plan or does not follow through.

    The Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has called the US president’s efforts as “sincere and determined”.

    In a statement published by its WAFA news agency, the authority said it “renews its joint commitment to work with the United States, regional states, and partners” to end the war on Gaza, ensure sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the release of hostages and prisoners.

    At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
    At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023.

    The proposal, if followed, would begin with the immediate cessation of military operations. It also says existing “battle lines” would be frozen in place until conditions are met for a staged withdrawal.

    Under Trump’s plan, Hamas would lay down its arms and its tunnels and weapon production facilities would be destroyed.

    For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 dead Gazans, the plan says.

    The plan also stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip”.

    The US also outlines its plan for the future governance of Gaza.

    It says a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” will govern temporarily “with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, called the Board of Peace, which will be headed” by Trump.

    Former UK PM Sir Tony Blair will be part of the governing body alongside other leaders “to be announced”. Sir Tony called the plan “bold and intelligent”.

    Blair wants to be on board that will oversee Gaza, Trump says

    British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the plan, saying, “We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalise this agreement and bring it into reality.

    “Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages,” Sir Keir added.

    European Council President Antonio Costa said he was “encouraged by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s positive response” to the proposal. He added “all parties must seize this moment to give peace a genuine chance”.

    French president Emmanuel Macron praised the proposal, saying: “France stands ready to contribute” to the efforts to end the war and release hostages.

    “These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution,” said Macron.

    The plan adds that Hamas must have no role in governance, “directly, indirectly, or in any form”.

    Much of the plan is focused on what the US calls an “economic development plan” to rebuild Gaza. It also says “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza” and its forces will withdraw from the territory in stages over time.

    In a shift from Trump’s earlier statements, Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza. Instead, the document said: “We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.”

    The plan also leaves the door open to an eventual Palestinian state.

    A Palestinian source familiar with the ceasefire negotiations told the BBC “Qatari and Egyptian officials have handed over the White House plan to end the war in Gaza to Hamas officials in Doha”.

    Earlier, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that the group remained open to studying any proposal that could end the war in Gaza, but stressed that any agreement must safeguard Palestinian interests, ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and bring the war to an end.

    Asked about the group’s weapons, the official said: “The weapons of the resistance are a red line as long as the occupation continues.

    “The issue of arms can only be discussed within the framework of a political solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.”

    The announcement of the plan comes just days after Netanyahu attacked the recognition of a Palestinian state by multiple Western countries during a combative speech at the UN General Assembly.

    Netanyahu labelled the recognition moves a “mark of shame” that sent the message that “murdering Jews pays off”.

    Dozens of officials and diplomats staged a walk-out as he took to the UN podium, leaving large parts of the conference hall empty.

    While Trump has staunchly backed Netanyahu since returning to the White House for a second term, he has become increasingly frustrated with Israel’s moves in recent weeks.

    Trump expressed annoyance at Israel’s recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.

    Before Monday’s news conference, Netanyahu called Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar from the White House to express his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman.

    The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

    At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

    A UN-backed body recently confirmed that famine was taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza – which Israel strongly rejects.

  • Madagascar President Dissolves Government Following Deadly Protests

    Madagascar President Dissolves Government Following Deadly Protests

    ANTANANARIVO, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday he was dissolving the government following youth-led protests over water and power cuts in which the United Nations says at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured.

    Inspired by the so-called “Gen Z” protests in Kenya and Nepal, the three days of demonstrations are the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years, and the most serious challenge Rajoelina has faced since his re-election in 2023.

    “We acknowledge and apologise if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” Rajoelina said in speech on state broadcaster Televiziona Malagasy (TVM).

    The president said he wanted to create space for dialogue with young people, and promised measures to support businesses affected by looting.

    “I understand the anger, the sadness, and the difficulties caused by power cuts and water supply problems. I heard the call, I felt the suffering, I understood the impact on daily life,” he said.

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the casualties include protesters and bystanders killed by members of the security forces, but also others killed in subsequent widespread violence and looting by individuals and gangs not associated with the protesters.

    Madagascar’s ministry of foreign affairs rejected the casualty figures reported by the UN, saying the data did not come from competent national authorities “and are based on rumors or misinformation.”

    On Monday protesters gathered at a university where they waved placards and sang the national anthem before attempting to march towards the city centre, footage from 2424.MG news channel showed.

    Police fired teargas to disperse the crowd, after authorities declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew last week.
    The protesters have adapted a flag used in Nepal where protesters forced the prime minister to resign this month and have also used similar online organisation tactics as protests in Kenya last year that culminated in the government scrapping proposed tax legislation.

    Rajoelina first came to power in a 2009 coup. He stepped down in 2014 but became president again after winning the 2018 election, and secured a third term in a December 2023 poll that his challengers said was marred by irregularities.

  • The US Navy Killed 17 in Deadly Strikes. Now Venezuela is Giving Civilians Guns

    The US Navy Killed 17 in Deadly Strikes. Now Venezuela is Giving Civilians Guns

    When Edith Perales was younger, he enlisted in the National Bolivarian Militia, a civilian force created by the late President Hugo Chávez in 2009 to help defend Venezuela.

    “We have to be a country capable of defending every last inch of our territory so no one comes to mess with us,” Chávez said at the time.

    Sixteen years on, Perales, who is now 68, is joining thousands of other militia members getting ready for a potential US attack.

    The rag-tag force, mainly made up of senior citizens, has been called up following the deployment of US navy ships in the South Caribbean on what US officials said were counter-narcotics operations.

    Many of those training with the militia said they had never handled a weapon
    Many of those training with the militia said they had never handled a weapon

    The US force has destroyed at least three boats it said were carrying drugs from Venezuela to the US, killing at least 17 people on board.

    Venezuela’s defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, said the attacks and the US naval deployment amounted to a “non-declared war” by the US against Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro swiftly called the militia into active duty.

    Perales has got his uniform and boots at hand, ready to defend his “bastion” – the Caracas neighbourhood where he lives.

    He lives in 23 de Enero, an area in the capital which has traditionally been a stronghold of Chavismo – the leftist ideology founded by the late President Chávez and adopted by his handpicked successor in office, Nicolás Maduro.

    A loyal government supporter, he says he is “ready to serve whenever they call me”.

    “We have to defend the fatherland,” he tells the BBC, echoing speeches given by President Maduro in the wake of the strikes on the boats.

    Graffiti in a pro-government neighbourhood reads: 'If you mess with Maduro, you mess with the neighbourhood"
    Graffiti in a pro-government neighbourhood reads: ‘If you mess with Maduro, you mess with the neighbourhood”

    While experts have told the BBC that the deployment of US naval forces in the South Caribbean is large, they have also pointed out that it is not large enough to suggest that it is part of a planned invasion.

    There is little doubt though that the relationship between Venezuela and the US – which has long been strained – has deteriorated further since Donald Trump returned to office.

    The US is among a raft of nations which have not recognised the re-election of Maduro in July 2024, pointing to evidence gathered by the Venezuelan opposition with the help of independent observers showing that his rival, Edmundo González, won the election by a landslide.

    Shortly after coming into office for the second time, Trump declared the Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, a terrorist group, which he has used as justification for deporting Venezuelan migrants from the US and for the recent military action in the Caribbean.

    The Trump administration has also accused Maduro of being in league with drug cartels and recently doubled the reward it is offering for information leading to his capture to $50m (£37.3m).

    Maduro has vehemently rejected Washington’s accusations and has defended his government’s actions against drug trafficking.

    But the Maduro government has also co-operated with the Trump administration by taking back Venezuelan migrants deported from the US, whom US officials had accused of being gang members.

    After the first boat strike, Maduro also sent a letter to his US counterpart calling for a meeting – an approach which has been rebuffed by the White House.

    But his rhetoric internally has remained combative.

    Maduro has ordered the Venezuelan military – the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) – to train local militias like the one to which Edith Perales belongs.

    These groups are mostly made up of volunteers from poor communities, although public sector workers have reported being pressured into joining them as well.

    In the past, the militia has mainly been used to boost numbers at political rallies and parades.

    Its members tend to be much older than those who join the feared “colectivos” – gangs of hard-core government supporters which have been accused of committing human rights abuses and which are often used to break up anti-government protests.

    But seemingly jittery in the face of what it perceives as a US threat, Maduro’s government is now training up the militia.

    On a Saturday afternoon, soldiers fan out in Caracas’ Petare neighbourhood to fulfil Maduro’s order that “the barracks come to the people”.

    The soldiers’ task is to teach the locals how to handle arms to respond to “the enemy”.

    The training scenario includes tanks, Russian-made rifles – not loaded – and instruction posters.

    A soldier is giving instructions to a small group on a loud speaker.

    “The important thing is to familiarise yourselves with the weapons; we aim at the target and make a hit.”

    Armoured vehicles were on display at one of the militia exercises in Caracas
    Armoured vehicles were on display at one of the militia exercises in Caracas

    Everyone in the neighbourhood, including women and children, is listening.

    Most of the volunteers taking part in the training exercise have no experience in armed fighting, but what they lack in experience they make up for in enthusiasm.

    “If I have to lay down my life in battle, I’ll do it,” Francisco Ojeda, one of the locals taking part, tells BBC News Mundo.

    The 69-year-old hurls himself on the sun-baked tarmac and holds a combat position as he clutches an AK-103 rifle. A soldier corrects his form.

    “Even the cats will come out here to shoot, to defend our fatherland,” he says.

    His eagerness is matched by that of Glady Rodríguez, a 67-year-old woman who recently joined the militia. “We are not going to allow any US government to come and invade,” she insists.

    Home-maker Yarelis Jaimes, 38, is a little more hesitant. “This is the first time I grab such a weapon,” she says. “I feel a bit nervous, but I know that I can do it.”

    But while the residents in Petare are learning to handle a rifle, outside of Maduro’s strongholds, life goes on as normal, with few seeming to give much thought to the possibility of an invasion.

    Even just a few metres from where Francisco Ojeda was taking position in the dusty street, residents go about their daily routine unperturbed. Street sellers display their wares, while other people do the shop for the weekend without even glancing at the militia members carrying out their exercises.

    Benigno Alarcón, a political analyst at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, says Maduro’s plan for the militia is not for it to engage in battle but rather to act as a “human shield”.

    Prof Alarcón argues that by calling up civilians, the Maduro government wants to increase the human cost any potential US military action would incur by making the possibility of human casualties much higher.

    According to Prof Alarcón, it therefore does not matter if the militia are not well trained or even if they are unarmed.

    Maduro has claimed that more than 8.2 million civilians are enlisted in the militia and in the reserves, but this figure has been widely questioned.

    Perales, who has been in the militia for decades, sees his role as a “defender” of his street, the neighbourhood where he lives, what he knows.

    While he has taken part in previous training exercises, he has opted out of the more recent ones, due to his age and health.

    But were a conflict to happen, he says he is ready: “We must defend the territory. To wear the uniform already implies a responsibility.”

    (BBC)

  • US Actress-singer Selena Gomez Weds Music Producer Benny Blanco

    US Actress-singer Selena Gomez Weds Music Producer Benny Blanco

    American actress and singer Selena Gomez married her boyfriend, music producer Benny Blanco, in a star-studded southern California wedding ceremony on Saturday.

    The “Only Murders in the Building” star posted a slideshow of pictures and videos on Instagram from the wedding, showing Gomez, 33, in a wedding dress and Blanco — real name Benjamin Joseph Levin — donning a tuxedo, with the couple seen in a variety of affectionate poses.

    The post is captioned “9.27.25” between two white emoji hearts, with Blanco commenting: “my wife in real life.”

    The ceremony was held in Santa Barbara County’s Hope Ranch, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, according to Vogue Magazine.

    Among the 170 guests were US pop superstar — and longtime Gomez best friend — Taylor Swift, as well as British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, socialite Paris Hilton, and Gomez’s “Only Murders” co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.

    The fashion magazine also reported the couple wore wedding outfits from Ralph Lauren.

    The high-profile couple went public with their relationship in December 2023, with the pair becoming engaged a year later, according to Vogue.

    Blanco, 37, had a hand in producing some of Gomez’s biggest chart hits, including 2015 singles “Same Old Love” and “Kill Em with Kindness.” The duo released a collaborative album, “I Said I Love You First,” in March.

  • Obama Says There’s No ‘Military Rationale’ For Israel’s Offensive In Gaza

    Obama Says There’s No ‘Military Rationale’ For Israel’s Offensive In Gaza

    Former President Barack Obama on Friday criticized Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza, saying that “there’s not a military rationale for continuing to pummel what is already rubble” and arguing for Palestinian statehood.

    “I think that it is important for us to acknowledge those of us who are not direct parties to the violence to say, right now, children can’t starve. Right now, there’s not a military rationale for continuing to pummel what is already rubble,” Obama said at an event in Dublin, Ireland, according to a transcript released by his office.

    He continued, “It is unacceptable to ignore the human crisis that is happening inside of Gaza, and it is necessary for us to insist that both sides have to find a path in which a Palestinian state and autonomy exist side by side with a secure Israel.”

    The rare public comments from the former president on the war in Gaza come as world leaders are gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, a meeting roiled by the grinding conflict.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out Friday at Western countries’ recent recognition of Palestinian statehood, accusing world leaders of “buckling under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs.”

    Obama criticized political leaders for failing to resolve hostilities and singled out Netanyahu, referencing his fraught relationship with the Israeli leader and commenting that “we did not always get along.”

    “Unfortunately, oftentimes the leadership, the politicians have a vested interest in maintaining the notion that it is simply us and them, and it’s their fault because that helps keep them in power,” he said. “It’s a cynical game. I watched it throughout my presidency, and I was not always popular in that region because I would call them on it. I think it’s fair to say that me and the prime minister of Israel, who’s still there, were not the best of friends.”

    The former president, however, added that “Hamas’s vicious approach to trying to solve a problem that puts all their people at risk is the height of cynicism that I reject as well.”

    Israel launched its ground incursion into Gaza City earlier this month, after approving a plan in August to take over and occupy the heavily bombarded city, which it said is one of the last remaining Hamas strongholds.

    The United Nations has warned that Israel’s plans to invade Gaza City would put about 1 million Palestinians who live there at risk of being forcibly displaced. The Israeli military told CNN Tuesday that 640,000 people have left the city since. It’s not possible to verify that estimate.

    The Trump administration is also pressing for an end to the conflict. This week, US envoys proposed a 21-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza to Arab leaders.

    And President Trump has signaled his own frustration with Netanyahu’s leadership. Speaking Thursday in the Oval Office, he said he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, drawing a rare red line over Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territory.

    “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” the president said, acknowledging that he had spoken to Netanyahu earlier in the day on the topic. “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”

  • Curfew Declared in Madagascar Capital After Violent Protests

    Curfew Declared in Madagascar Capital After Violent Protests

    ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – Authorities in Madagascar on Thursday imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the capital, after protests over frequent power outages and water shortages turned violent, according to a top security official.

    Police fired teargas to disperse the thousands of mostly youth protesters who were marching and carrying placards, in Antananarivo, the capital, according to a Reuters witness.

    The demonstrators were denouncing the government and demanding restoration of reliable water and electricity across the country.

    Chaos erupts in Madagascar's capital as protests over frequent power outages and water shortages turn violent
    Chaos erupts in Madagascar’s capital as protests over frequent power outages and water shortages turn violent

    “There are unfortunately individuals taking advantage of the situation to destroy other people’s property,” General Angelo Ravelonarivo, who heads a joint security body that includes the police and the military, said in a statement he read on privately owned Real TV late on Thursday.

    To protect “the population and their belongings,” the security forces decided to impose a curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. “until public order is restored,” the statement said.

    Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is mired in poverty, and some people blame the government of President Andry Rajoelina, who was re-elected in 2023, for not improving conditions.

    During the protests earlier on Thursday, a large shopping mall in the capital was looted and then burned, and the homes of two lawmakers were looted and vandalised, according to the Reuters witness.

    The protesters, who defied an earlier police ban on the demonstration, marched while chanting, “We need water, we need electricity.”

    After the protests were dispersed, they later spread into various neighbourhoods of the capital.

    A security forces spokesperson, Zafisambatra Ravoavy, could not be reached for comment.

    On Wednesday, the national police chief, Jean Herbert Andriantahiana Rakotomalala, warned that security forces would “take firm preventive…measures against those tempted to break the law.”

    (Reuters)

  • Netanyahu Says Palestinian State Would Be ‘National Suicide’ For Israel

    Netanyahu Says Palestinian State Would Be ‘National Suicide’ For Israel

    United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Friday in an angry UN address to block a Palestinian state, accusing European leaders of pushing his country into “national suicide” and rewarding Hamas.

    Netanyahu, who said his speech was being partially broadcast on Israeli military loudspeakers in Gaza, vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas even as President Donald Trump said he thought he had sealed a deal on a ceasefire.

    Days after Britain, France and other Western powers recognized a state of Palestine, Netanyahu said that they had sent “a very clear message that murdering Jews pays off.”

    “Israel will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats,” Netanyahu said. “We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down the hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.”

    Hamas carried out the worst-ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a relentless Israeli offensive in Gaza.

    Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, a rival of Hamas, condemned the attack as well as antisemitism in his own address Thursday, which he delivered virtually after the United States refused him a visa.

    Netanyahu — who has opposed a Palestinian state for decades — mocked Western support for Abbas and called the Palestinian Authority “corrupt to the core.”

    But Palestinian foreign ministry official Adel Atieh called Netanyahu’s address “the speech of a defeated man.”

    Netanyahu notably did not touch on the issue of annexing the West Bank, which some members of his cabinet have threatened as a way to kill any prospect of a real Palestinian state.

    Trump, normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, has warned against annexation as he pitches a peace plan on Gaza that would include the disarmament of Hamas.

    Netanyahu went out of his way to praise Trump, whom he will meet Monday in Washington.

    Trump said Friday just after Netanyahu spoke, “I think we have a deal.”

    Former British prime minister Tony Blair was floated in some media reports as a possible leader of a transitional authority for Gaza under the US proposals.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose government has championed Hamas, said Friday he backed any ceasefire in Gaza.

    Protests and circuitous route

    With Netanyahu facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over war crime allegations, including using starvation as a weapon, the Israeli prime minister took an unusual route to New York that included flying over the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.

    As he walked up to the General Assembly rostrum many delegations walked out. Protesters marched nearby in Times Square calling for his arrest.

    “War criminals don’t deserve any peace of mind. They don’t deserve any sleep,” said Andrea Mirez, a young woman who kept up an overnight noisy protest outside Netanyahu’s hotel.

    Netanyahu in his address aggressively challenged allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, noting Gazans were repeatedly urged to flee.

    However, humanitarian law also considers forced displacement to be a war crime. Nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced during the war.

    The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally from Israeli official figures, in the deadliest day in the country’s history.

    Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,549 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

    Twenty people across Gaza were killed Friday ahead of Netanyahu’s speech alone, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported.

    Medical charity Doctors without Borders said Friday it had been forced to suspend its work in Gaza City because of the ongoing Israeli offensive.

    ‘Not forgotten you’

    Netanyahu said that his speech was broadcast in part on loudspeaker in hopes of reaching both Hamas leaders and hostages still held since the October 7, 2023 attack.

    “We have not forgotten you — not even for a second,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew.

    A number of hostage families have criticized Netanyahu’s renewed military campaign and sought a ceasefire to save their loved ones.

    Netanyahu spoke months after he ordered a major bombing campaign of Iran’s nuclear sites.

    During his speech he showed a map of the Middle East, taking out a pen to cross out adversaries Israel has killed. Iran boycotted the speech.

  • Tony Blair In Discussions To Run Transitional Gaza Authority

    Tony Blair In Discussions To Run Transitional Gaza Authority

    Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair has been involved in discussions about leading a post-war transitional authority in Gaza, the BBC understands.

    The proposal, which is said to have backing from the White House, would see Blair lead a governing authority supported by the UN and Gulf nations – before handing control back to Palestinians.

    His office said he would not support any proposal that displaced the people of Gaza.

    Sir Tony, who took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003, has been part of high-level planning talks with the US and other parties about the future of Gaza.

    In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described as “very comprehensive” – though little else was disclosed about the meeting.

    The plans could see Blair head a body named the Gaza International Transitional Authority (Gita), according to reports in the Economist and Israeli media. It would seek a UN mandate to be Gaza’s “supreme political and legal authority” for five years.

    The plan would be modelled on the international administrations that oversaw East Timor and Kosovo’s transitions to statehood. It would initially be based in Egypt, near Gaza’s southern border, before entering Gaza once the Strip is stable, alongside a multinational force.

    As PM, Blair took the decision to commit British forces to the 2003 Iraq War that was heavily criticised in the official inquiry into the conflict, which found he had acted on flawed intelligence without certainty about the production of weapons of mass destruction there.

    After leaving office in 2007, Blair served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, EU, Russia and the UN). He focused on bringing economic development to Palestine and creating the conditions for a two state-solution.

    Reports of discussions about his involvement in a transitional authority for Gaza come after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that he was ready to work with Trump and other world leaders to implement a two-state peace plan.

    Abbas stressed his rejection of a future governing role for Hamas in Gaza and demanded it disarm.

    Throughout the conflict, varying proposals for the future of Gaza have been tabled by multiple parties.

    In February, Donald Trump floated plans – which since appear to have been dropped – for the US to take “a long-term ownership position” over Gaza, saying it could be the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

    The idea would have involved the forced displacement of Palestinians in the territory and be in violation of international law. The US and Israel said it would involve “voluntary” emigration.

    In March, the US and Israel rejected an Arab plan for the post-war reconstruction of the Gaza Strip that would allow the 2.1 million Palestinians living there to stay in place. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas welcomed the Arab plan, which called for Gaza to be governed temporarily by a committee of independent experts and for international peacekeepers to be deployed there.

    In July, a French and Saudi-led international conference in New York proposed a “transitional administrative committee” for Gaza which would operate “under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority”. Neither the US nor Israel attended. The so-called New York Declaration was backed by a majority of the UN General Assembly in a resolution earlier this month.

    Earlier this week, the UK formally recognised the State of Palestine, alongside France, Canada, Australia, and several other countries.

    In his speech, Abbas thanked them for taking the step, including, he said, Denmark, though that country has not yet recognised Palestine. It says it will only do so if certain conditions are met.

    The UK and others reiterated calls for a two-state solution, which would see the creation of an independent Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside Israel.

    Israel and the US criticised the move as a “reward for Hamas”.

    The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

    At least 65,502 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. A UN commission of inquiry has said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denies.

  • US Revokes Colombian President’s Visa During UN Visit

    US Revokes Colombian President’s Visa During UN Visit

    The US State Department said on Friday it would revoke the visa of Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.

    The decision was based on the leftist leader’s “incendiary actions” during a pro-Palestinian street protest in New York, the State Department added.

    Petro was already en route to Bogota from New York on Friday night, according to Colombian media cited by Agence France-Presse.

    Earlier in the week, Petro likened the Trump administration’s airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea to an “act of tyranny” in an interview with the BBC.

    On his social media account, Petro shared a video of himself speaking Spanish to a large crowd through a megaphone on Friday.

    His translator relayed his remarks urging “nations of the world” to contribute soldiers for an army “larger than that of the United States”.

    “That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the United States Army not to point their rifles at humanity,” he said.

    “Disobey Trump’s order! Obey the order of humanity!” Petro added.

    In response, the State Department strongly criticised his action.

    “Earlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence,” the State Department said in a post on X.

    “We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,” it said.

    Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti wrote on X on Friday night that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visa should have been revoked rather than Petro’s.

    “But since the empire protects him, it’s taking it out on the only president who was capable enough to tell him the truth to his face.”

    Petro, whose country is the world’s biggest cocaine producer, has said he suspects some of those killed in the US boat strikes were Colombian.

    Washington contends the actions are part of a US anti-drug operation off the coast of Venezuela, whose president Washington accuses of running a cartel.

    Under Petro – the country’s first ever left-wing leader – Colombia has seen worsening ties with the Trump administration.

    The US also denied visas for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and 80 Palestinian officials, blocking them from attending the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

    (BBC)