Kenya Insights

Category: Americas

  • 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.”

  • 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)

  • Trump Signs Order Declaring TikTok Sale Ready and Values It At $14 Billion

    Trump Signs Order Declaring TikTok Sale Ready and Values It At $14 Billion

    WASHINGTON, Sept 25 – President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok’s U.S. operations to U.S. and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law.

    The new U.S. company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, putting a price tag on the popular short video app far below some analyst estimates.

    Trump on Thursday delayed until January 20 enforcement of the law that bans the app unless its Chinese owners sell it amid efforts to extract TikTok’s U.S. assets from the global platform, line up American and other investors, and win approval from the Chinese government.
    The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets, but numerous details need to be fleshed out, including how the U.S. entity would use TikTok’s most important asset, its recommendation algorithm.

    “There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that we wanted to keep TikTok operating, but we also wanted to make sure that we protected Americans’ data privacy as required by law,” Vance told reporters at an Oval Office briefing.

    Trump’s order says the algorithm will be retrained and monitored by the U.S. company’s security partners, and operation of the algorithm will be under the control of the new joint venture.

    Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated approval of the plans. “I spoke with President Xi,” Trump said. “We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing and he said go ahead with it.”

    China’s foreign ministry on Friday reiterated that the government “respects the will of enterprises and welcomes them to conduct business negotiations on the basis of market rules to reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and achieve a balance of interests.”

    “We hope the U.S. will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the United States,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a press conference, without giving further details of the deal.

    TikTok did not immediately comment on Trump’s action.

    Trump has credited TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, with helping him win reelection last year. Trump has 15 million followers on his personal TikTok account. The White House also launched an official TikTok account last month.

    “This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said.

    He said that Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; Rupert Murdoch, the chairman emeritus of Fox News owner Fox Corp and newspaper publisher News Corp, and “probably four or five absolutely world-class investors” would be part of the deal.

    The White House did not discuss how it came up with the $14 billion valuation.

    TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, currently values itself at more than $330 billion, according to its new employee share buyback plan. TikTok contributes a small percentage of the company’s total revenue.

    According to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, TikTok was estimated to be worth $30 billion to $40 billion without the algorithm as of April 2025.

    Alan Rozenshtein, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, said the executive order left unanswered questions, including whether ByteDance would still control the algorithm.

    “The problem is that the president has certified the deal, but he has not provided a lot of information on the algorithm,” he said.

    Chinese media on Friday also painted a different picture of the TikTok agreement, suggesting ByteDance would continue to play a major or operational role.

    President Trump signed an executive order approving the sale of TikTok's US operations to American and global investors, citing compliance with 2024 national security law requirements
    President Trump signed an executive order approving the sale of TikTok’s US operations to American and global investors, citing compliance with 2024 national security law requirements

    ByteDance will set up a new U.S. company as part of the restructuring of TikTok’s U.S. operations, Chinese media outlet LatePost reported, citing sources.

    The new company to be set up by ByteDance will be responsible for e-commerce, branding operations and interconnection with international operations, the report said.

    The report also said the joint venture, as described by the White House and valued at $14 billion, would be responsible for U.S. digital security, safeguarding content and software as well as related local businesses.

    Another Chinese financial magazine, Caixin, also reported, citing people close to the deal, that ByteDance planned to set up a TikTok U.S. entity that will receive some revenue from the new TikTok joint venture.

    Both reports were taken down from their respective websites later on Friday.

    The White House and ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    ORACLE AND OTHERS TO OWN TIKTOK IN THE U.S.

    A group of three investors, including Oracle (ORCL.N) and private-equity firm Silver Lake, will take a roughly 50% stake in TikTok U.S., two sources familiar with the deal said on Thursday.

    A group of existing shareholders in ByteDance will hold a roughly 30% stake, one of the sources said. Among ByteDance’s current investors are Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic and KKR.

    Given intense investor interest in TikTok, the 50% stake may still shift, the source noted.

    Oracle and Silver Lake did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    CNBC reported earlier, citing sources, that Abu Dhabi-based MGX, Oracle and Silver Lake are poised to be the main investors in TikTok U.S. with a combined 45% ownership.

    MGX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the CNBC report.

    Republican House of Representatives lawmakers said they wanted to see more details of the deal to ensure it represented a clean break with China. “As the details are finalized, we must ensure this deal protects American users from the influence and surveillance of CCP-aligned groups,” said U.S. Representatives Brett Guthrie, Gus Bilirakis and Richard Hudson.

    The agreement on TikTok’s U.S. operations includes the appointment by ByteDance of one of seven board members for the new entity, with Americans holding the other six seats, a senior White House official said on Saturday.

    ByteDance would hold less than 20% in TikTok U.S. to comply with requirements set out in the 2024 law that ordered it shut down by January 2025 if ByteDance did not sell its U.S. assets.

    (Reuters)

  • James Comey Indicted Just Days After Trump Demanded US Justice Department to Act ‘Now’ to Prosecute Former FBI Director

    James Comey Indicted Just Days After Trump Demanded US Justice Department to Act ‘Now’ to Prosecute Former FBI Director

    Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Wednesday on allegations of obstruction and making a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 related to Comey’s testimony about Russian interference during the 2016 US presidential election, in which Trump won his first term in office.

    The move from the US Justice Department (DOJ) comes just days after President Donald Trump issued a public demand for the DOJ to act “now” to bring charges against Comey and other political foes of the president.

    “No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

    The indictment against Comey comes in the wake of Trump ousting the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Seibert, who according to sources from media reports had expressed doubts internally about bringing charges against Comey, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James, after Trump appointed Seibert to lead the office.

    After Seibert’s ouster, the president immediately installed Lindsey Halligan to lead the office. Halligan, a White House aide and Trump’s former defense attorney, was appointed to the position despite having no prior prosecutorial experience.

    The president hailed the indictment of Comey.

    “JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI,” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform.

    “Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”

    Earlier this week, federal prosecutors in Virginia informed Halligan that they could not establish probable cause to charge Comey, according to a report by ABC News.

    Despite the lack of clear evidence and ethical concerns about bringing a case without clear probable cause, Halligan still sought an indictment from the grand jury.

    “Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust.”

    “Every day, we continue to fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on,” Patel continued.

    “Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose.”

    “Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch. No one is above the law.”

    The current charges against Comey are the most dramatic so far in what critics have described as a campaign of retribution by Trump to use the powers of the federal government to enact revenge against his political enemies.

    Comey was fired by Trump during his first term in office over the investigation into the president’s 2016 campaign and its ties to Russia. Comey has been a vocal critic of what he says are Trump’s efforts to politicize the justice system.

    The tables are now turned after Comey’s indictment, with that same argument about politicizing the justice system likely to be central to his defense in the criminal case, according to legal experts.

    The outcome of Comey’s trial will likely also be a test for both the Justice Department and the federal judiciary.

    If convicted, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement that Comey faces up to five years in prison, but added that “actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.”

  • Trump Says He ‘Will Not Allow Israel To Annex The West Bank’

    Trump Says He ‘Will Not Allow Israel To Annex The West Bank’

    US President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to stop Israel from annexing the West Bank as he presses to end the Gaza war, ahead of a high-stakes visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Netanyahu will address the United Nations on Friday and later meet Trump in Washington as Israeli ministers muse of annexing the West Bank in response to recognition of a Palestinian state by France, Britain and several other Western powers.

    But Trump, who has offered crucial support to Netanyahu as Israel comes under mounting global pressure, made clear he would not back annexation, which far-right Israelis see as a way to kill any real prospect of an independent Palestine.

    “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”

    Trump voiced optimism about ending nearly two years of devastating war, echoing the confidence expressed a day earlier on the sidelines of the United Nations by his roving envoy, Steve Witkoff.

    “We’re getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza and maybe even peace,” said Trump, who also spoke to Netanyahu by telephone on Thursday.

    Trump met Tuesday at the United Nations with the leaders of key Arab and Muslim nations who warned him of consequences if Israel moved ahead.

    “I think the president of the US understands very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters.

    Saudi Arabia has mulled recognition of Israel in what would be a massive symbolic step, as the kingdom is home to Islam’s two holiest sites.

    The United Arab Emirates, whose 2020 normalisation with Israel is seen as a top achievement by both Netanyahu and Trump, has publicly warned Israel against annexation.

    Netanyahu nonetheless has defied Trump in recent months with attacks in Iran, Qatar and Syria amid US diplomacy.

    Abbas says no role for Hamas 

    Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in his own address to the United Nations on Thursday sought to allay concerns as he called for all countries to recognize Palestinian statehood.

    The veteran 89-year-old president of the Palestinian Authority was forced to address the General Assembly by video after the United States took the unusual step of denying him a visa to come to New York.

    Abbas made clear he was different from Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007.

    “Hamas will not have a role to play in governance. Hamas and other factions will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian National Authority,” Abbas said in a speech that received loud applause by delegates watching the video.

    He distanced himself from the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 — the deadliest day ever for Israel, in which 1,219 people died, mostly civilians — as well as frequent accusations by Israel’s supporters that the Palestinians are denying the rights of Jews.

    “Despite all that our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on October 7 — actions that targeted Israeli civilians and took them hostage — because these actions do not represent the Palestinian people, nor do they represent their just struggle for freedom and independence,” Abbas said.

    “We reject confusing the solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of antisemitism, which is something that we reject based on our values and principles,” he said.

    Abbas nonetheless called the nearly two-year Israeli assault in Gaza “one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy of the 20th and 21st century” — by implication putting it alongside the Holocaust against the Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II.

    Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,500 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

    (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

  • Trump Says Secret Service Probing ‘Sabotage’ Of Escalator at UN

    Trump Says Secret Service Probing ‘Sabotage’ Of Escalator at UN

    President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the Secret Service was investigating what he described as “sabotage” at the United Nations, alleging that an escalator malfunction, a teleprompter failure and sound problems disrupted his appearance at the world body a day earlier.

    Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said an escalator carrying him and his wife Melania “came to a screeching halt” on the way to the main floor, nearly causing them to fall. He called for the arrest of whoever was responsible.

    He also said his teleprompter went dark at the start of his speech and that world leaders in the hall could not hear him because the sound system had failed.

    “Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote.

    U.N. officials have said the escalator’s built-in safety mechanism had been triggered and that the teleprompter was operated by the White House, not the organization.

    Calling the series of events “triple sabotage,” Trump said he had asked the U.N. to preserve security camera footage and demanded an investigation. He said the Secret Service was looking into the matter.

    U.N. officials did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on Trump’s call for an investigation.

    U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday that a readout of the escalator’s central processing unit indicated it “had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator.”

    Dujarric said Trump’s videographer had been traveling backward up the escalator to capture his arrival with the first lady. “The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function,” he said.

    A U.N. official told Reuters on Tuesday that the White House had operated its own teleprompter.

    Responding to the allegation that delegates had not been able to hear Trump, the official said the sound system was designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through earpieces.

  • Trump Lashes Out As Suspended TV Host Kimmel Returns To Air

    Trump Lashes Out As Suspended TV Host Kimmel Returns To Air

    US President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday hours before Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was due to be back on the air in the United States, insulting the host, and threatening to “test ABC” over the move.

    Kimmel’s show returns Tuesday night after a week-long hiatus following government pressure on broadcasters that critics said amounted to a chill on free speech.

    However, two powerful companies that own dozens of ABC affiliates have said they will continue their boycott, giving viewers “other programming relevant to their respective markets.”

    Trump took to his Truth Social platform to insult Kimmel and accuse broadcaster ABC of “playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.”

    The 79-year-old Republican added: “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million dollars.”

    ABC agreed in December to donate $15 million to Trump’s eventual presidential library to settle a defamation suit instead of fighting it out in court.

    A separate $16 million settlement was paid by CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, to settle a different lawsuit over an interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.

    All eyes will be on Kimmel’s popular opening monologue Tuesday night, in which the comedian is expected to address his suspension, which came after comments he made in the wake of the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

    “I don’t want him to apologize as soon as he comes in,” 18-year-old Paul Dorner told AFP as he waited for a seat in the show’s audience.

    “I would love for him to just put up a fight and stand up for what he thinks.”

    Rogelio Nunez, 38, said he had traveled from San Diego for the taping in the heart of Hollywood.

    “We need to make sure that we’re not being censored,” he said.

    “So besides just coming for entertainment, I think it’s important to protect our rights.”

    – ‘The MAGA gang’ –

    Kimmel, who frequently skewers Trump and his inner circle, raised the ire of conservatives last week when he said “the MAGA gang” was trying to exploit Kirk’s college campus murder for their own political gain.

    Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten the licenses of ABC affiliates broadcasting the show unless they demanded Kimmel’s removal — something Trump himself has frequently called for.

    Two companies that own dozens of those affiliates — Nexstar and Sinclair — then announced they would be removing the show from their schedules, prompting Disney to suspend the show nationwide.

    Sinclair — which last week demanded Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to his right-wing activist group Turning Point USA — said Monday its affiliates would not be broadcasting the show when it resumed.

    On Tuesday, Nexstar followed suit.

    “We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’… We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” the company said.

    Kimmel’s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves sparked fury in liberal circles, with opponents saying he had been targeted because he is critical of Trump.

    Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech, which is an article of faith for many Americans, as well as a right enshrined in the country’s constitution.

    Some on the political right were also uneasy, including those who regularly count themselves as Trump allies, like conservative senator Ted Cruz, and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson.

    Trump often complains about negative coverage of him, going so far last week as to call it “illegal,” and has sued several media organizations.

    Disney’s ABC has already settled a lawsuit filed by the president, pledging a multi-million dollar sum in a move that observers said appeared to be an attempt to get the often-vengeful 79-year-old off its back.

    The company faced backlash after suspending Kimmel, with a rash of consumer cancellations and a wave of reproach from creators and Hollywood insiders over what many saw as a spineless response to government bullying.

    By Monday Disney had backtracked, saying the suspension had been an effort to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country” and calling Kimmel’s comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”

    But it said it was bringing the show back after days of “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”

    Actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan were expected to appear on Tuesday night’s show.

    Kimmel has made no public comment about the episode, but on Tuesday posted a photo on Instagram of himself with late producer Norman Lear — who was known for his advocacy of free speech — with the caption: “Missing this guy today.”

  • Trump Tells UN That Climate Change is ‘Greatest Con Job’ Globally

    Trump Tells UN That Climate Change is ‘Greatest Con Job’ Globally

    Sept 23 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job” in the world during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, doubling down on his skepticism of global environmental initiatives and multilateral institutions.

    Scientists say climate change is real, mostly caused by humans, and getting worse. They point to rising temperatures, stronger storms, and melting ice as clear signs.

    Groups like the UN have warned that waiting too long to act could cause serious damage to the planet and people.

    Trump spoke for several minutes out of his near-hour speech on climate change during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, criticizing the European Union for reducing its carbon footprint, which he claimed has taken a toll on its economy, and warning countries that have invested heavily in renewable energy that their economies will suffer.

    “It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion,” Trump told the General Assembly. “All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong.”

    He added: “They were made by stupid people that have cost their country’s fortunes and given those same countries no chance for success.”

    SECOND US WITHDRAWAL FROM CLIMATE PACT

    Once Trump took office in January, the U.S. submitted its withdrawal for a second time from the Paris Agreement, a 2015 pact agreed by 195 countries to strive to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 C, leaving it in the company of only Yemen, Iran and Libya.

    His administration is carrying out an “energy dominance” agenda that focuses on producing and exporting oil, gas and coal, as well as nuclear, while sidelining renewable energy, which has become cost-competitive.

    “We have the most oil of any nation anywhere, oil and gas in the world, and if you add coal, we have the most of any nation in the world,” he said.

    His remarks come a day before UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosts a climate summit at the UN that will focus on countries’ new climate action plans.

    Guterres has tried to keep the world focused on continuing a global transition away from fossil fuels towards clean energy.

    “Just follow the money,” Guterres said in June, adding that $2 trillion flowed into clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70% in a decade.

  • Trump Says NATO Countries Should Shoot Down Russian Aircraft That Violate Their Airspace

    Trump Says NATO Countries Should Shoot Down Russian Aircraft That Violate Their Airspace

    President Donald Trump said Tuesday he believes NATO member countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace as the defense alliance confronts the potential for an expansion of the war in Ukraine.

    “Yes, I do,” Trump said when posed a question about NATO shoot-downs during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

    Later, he stopped short of saying the United States would join in the effort to shoot down violating Russian aircraft.

    “Depends on the circumstance,” he said. “But you know, we’re very strong toward NATO.”

    NATO members have scrambled in recent weeks after Russian drones and aircraft violated their airspace.

    Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission Friday.

    That came the week after several Russian drones and fighter jets entered Polish airspace, prompting a scramble of F-15 and F-35 fighter jets.

    European allies warned Monday during a fiery emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that they would shoot down Russian jets or drones involved in any further violations of NATO airspace.

  • Trump Points Out Teleprompter Failure, Bad Escalator at UNGA, Says “Whoever is Operating It Is In Big Trouble”

    Trump Points Out Teleprompter Failure, Bad Escalator at UNGA, Says “Whoever is Operating It Is In Big Trouble”

    President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday for the first time since 2020 and made the UN audience laugh by pointing out a technical malfunction, including a teleprompter failure and a bad escalator.

    Trump faced an unexpected glitch at the UN General Assembly as his teleprompter malfunctioned at the start of his major foreign policy address.

    Trump quipped about the operator being in trouble, drawing laughter.

    Trump told the global body, “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle… and then a teleprompter that didn’t work,” he said.

    “If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood.”

    “I don’t mind making this speech without a teleprompter because the teleprompter is not working,” he said.

    “I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.” He added that this way, “you speak more from the heart.”

    Roughly 10 minutes after his speech started, Trump said that the teleprompter had started working.

    But Trump, who had switched to reading notes from a binder on the podium, said that he might prefer to continue reading it the old-fashioned way, as per the USA Today report.

    In a post on Truth Social, he called it a “great honor” to address the United Nations, adding that his speech was “very well received.”

    “It was a great honor to speak before the United Nations. I believe the speech was very well received. It focused very much on energy and migration/immigration. I have been talking about this for a long period of time and this Forum, was the absolute best from the standpoint of making these two important statements. I hope everybody gets to watch it!” Trump wrote.

    President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations General Assembly for the first time since his second term began, delivering a speech that extended “the hand of American leadership and friendship” to nations willing to collaborate on global safety and prosperity.

    Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, Trump’s address critiqued US allies on various issues, reflecting his assertive stance on international relations.

    During his speech, Trump launched a blistering attack on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, making the extraordinary claim that London wants to “go to sharia law,” and criticized European countries for their immigration and green energy policies.

    He dismissed efforts to curb climate change as a “green energy scam” and a “hoax.”

    The speech, which also saw Trump claim Christianity is the “most persecuted religion” and mention a planned meeting with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, concluded to muted applause.

    Reiterating his pride in addressing the world body, Trump added, “It is always an honour to speak at the United Nations, even if their equipment is somewhat faulty. Make America Great Again!”

    Building on his reflections, Trump also highlighted his efforts to negotiate ceasefires in multiple conflicts, claiming credit for seven agreements, despite Washington’s role in some of those initiatives being disputed.

    Presenting his record before world leaders, Trump argued that his actions showed the shortcomings of the United Nations.

    “It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them, and sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them,” he said.

    Reflecting further, Trump explained, “I didn’t think of it at the time because I was too busy working to save millions of lives, that is, the saving and stopping of these wars. But later, I realised that the United Nations wasn’t there for us.”

    Challenging the organisation’s role, Trump remarked, “That being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations? The UN has such tremendous potential … but it’s not even coming close to living up to their potential for the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up.”

  • US Secret Service Dismantles Massive Telecom Threat As World Leaders Gathered at UN HQ in New York

    US Secret Service Dismantles Massive Telecom Threat As World Leaders Gathered at UN HQ in New York

    NEW YORK (AP) — While close to 150 world leaders prepared to descend on Manhattan for the U.N. General Assembly, the U.S. Secret Service was quietly dismantling a massive hidden telecom network across the New York area — a system investigators say could have crippled cell towers, jammed 911 calls and flooded networks with chaos at the very moment the city was most vulnerable.

    The cache, made up of more than 300 SIM servers packed with over 100,000 SIM cards and clustered within 35 miles of the United Nations, represents one of the most sweeping communications threats uncovered on U.S. soil.

    Investigators warn the system could have blacked out cellular service in a city that relies on it not only for daily life but for emergency response and counterterrorism.

    Coming as foreign leaders filled midtown hotels and motorcades clogged Manhattan, officials say the takedown highlights a new frontier of risk: plots aimed at the invisible infrastructure that keeps a modern city connected.

    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows SIM card packaging that was seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)
    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows SIM card packaging that was seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)

    A broader investigation led to this discovery

    The network was uncovered as part of a broader Secret Service investigation into telecommunications threats targeting senior government officials, according to investigators. Spread across multiple sites, the servers functioned like banks of mock cellphones, able to generate mass calls and texts, overwhelm local networks and mask encrypted communications criminals, officials said.

    “It can’t be understated what this system is capable of doing,” said Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office. “It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? …. You can’t text message, you can’t use your cell phone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with UNGA, you know, use your imagination there, it could be catastrophic to the city.”

    U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool is interviewed in the agency’s New York Field Office, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
    U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool is interviewed in the agency’s New York Field Office, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

    Officials said they haven’t uncovered a direct plot to disrupt the U.N. General Assembly and note there are no known credible threats to New York City.

    Forensic analysis is still in its early stages, but agents believe nation-state actors — perpetrators from particular countries — used the system to send encrypted messages to organized crime groups, cartels and terrorist organizations, McCool said. Authorities have not disclosed details on the specific government or criminal groups tied to the network at this point.

    “We need to do forensics on 100,000 cell phones, essentially all the phone calls, all the text messages, anything to do with communications, see where those numbers end up,” McCool said, noting that the process will take time.

    An extensive, expensive operation

    When agents entered the sites, they found rows of servers and shelves stacked with SIM cards. More than 100,000 were already active, investigators said, but there were also large numbers waiting to be deployed, evidence that operators were preparing to double or even triple the network’s capacity, McCool said. He described it as a well-funded, highly organized enterprise, one that cost millions of dollars in hardware and SIM cards alone.

    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows part of a wall of SIM boxes that were seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)
    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows part of a wall of SIM boxes that were seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)

    The operation had the capability of sending up to 30 million text messages a minute, McCool said.

    “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled,” the agency’s director, Sean Curran, said in a statement.

    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows jamming equipment that was seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)
    This photo provided by the U.S. Secret Service, in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, shows jamming equipment that was seized by the agency. (U.S. Secret Service via AP)

    Officials also warned of the havoc the network could have caused if left intact. McCool compared the potential impact to the cellular blackouts that followed the Sept. 11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing, when networks collapsed under strain. In this case, he said, attackers would have been able to force that kind of shutdown at a time of their choosing.

    “Could there be others?” said McCool “It’d be unwise to think that there’s not other networks out there being made in other cities in the United States.”

  • Jimmy Kimmel Show To Return Tuesday

    Jimmy Kimmel Show To Return Tuesday

    Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show, which was abruptly pulled from the air last week after the US government threatened broadcasters, will be back on Tuesday, Disney announced Monday.

    The sudden suspension by ABC, which is owned by Disney, came after conservative complaints about comments Kimmel had made in the wake of the shooting of Christian activist Charlie Kirk.

    “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” said a company statement.

    “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.

    “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

    Kimmel’s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves, apparently after government pressure on broadcasters who distribute ABC, sparked fury in liberal America, with opponents saying Kimmel had been targeted because he is a frequent critic of President Donald Trump.

    Trump had celebrated Kimmel’s removal, calling it “Great News for America.”

    Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech, which is an article of faith for many Americans as well as a right enshrined in the country’s constitution.

    Some on the political right were also uneasy, including people who regularly count themselves as Trump allies, like Ted Cruz, the conservative senator from Texas, and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson.

    Trump has repeatedly complained about negative media coverage of him, and last week said he thought it was “illegal.”

    – FCC threat –

    The Kimmel episode unfolded a week after Kirk, a close Trump ally, was shot dead on a Utah university campus, setting off a bitter battle over responsibility in deeply polarized America, with conservatives — including Trump — blaming “the radical left.”

    Authorities have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and have not indicated they are looking for anyone else.

    In his show-opening monologue last Monday, Kimmel said “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid… as anything other than one of them.”

    He then showed footage of Trump pivoting from a question about how he had been affected by Kirk’s death to boasting about the new ballroom he is building at the White House, prompting laughter from the studio audience.

    “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel said.

    Two days later, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates that broadcast Kimmel’s show.

    “I think it’s past time these (affiliates) themselves push back… and say, ‘Listen, we’re not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out, because we’re running the possibility of license revocation from the FCC,’” he told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson.

    Nexstar — one of the country’s biggest owners of ABC affiliate stations, which is in the middle of a multi-billion-dollar merger requiring FCC approval — then announced it would be removing the show from its stations.

    Sinclair, another media group that also yanked the show, said Monday it would not return it to the airwaves, despite Disney’s announcement.

    “Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,” the company said on social media, using an industry term for removing a show.

    “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”

    – Hollywood stars –

    Before Disney’s about-face was announced on Monday, a constellation of Hollywood stars signed an open letter calling the decision to pull the show “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation (that is) unconstitutional and un-American.”

    “The government is threatening private companies and individuals that the President disagrees with. We can’t let this threat to our freedom of speech go unanswered,” said the letter by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

    Signatories to the letter included Marvel star Pedro Pascal, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro.

    After Monday’s announcement the ACLU welcomed the news, saying: “ABC made the right call.”

    (AFP)

  • US National Counterterrorism Center Warns of Threat From Al Qaeda

    US National Counterterrorism Center Warns of Threat From Al Qaeda

    WASHINGTON, Sept 19 – The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center said on Friday that recent calls by al Qaeda for attacks against the United States showed the group’s enduring threat to the country.

    Al Qaeda and its Yemen-based affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) “are likely seeking to leverage their media publications and global conflicts, particularly where there is U.S. support or military involvement, to inspire potential attackers,” it said in a memo to law enforcement.

    The memo urged government officials to avoid surveillance, to not post or publicly share details about travel plans, schedules and locations, and to remove badges and other forms of identification outside of work.

    It also warned of potential threats to targets that draw large crowds including sport and music events and urged law enforcement presence at those events along with organizing pre-event briefings on security measures.

    The United States designates al Qaeda as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington by al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people.

    A report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued late last year that evaluated different types of threats to the United States, said al Qaeda was committed to striking the U.S. and had “reinvigorated its outreach” to Western audiences.

    The NCTC, under the control of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, was created in 2004. It said information it was sharing with law enforcement will give them tools to combat targeting attempts by al Qaeda.

  • Trump Raises Fee For Skilled Worker Visas By $100,000, Despite Tech Sector Warnings

    Trump Raises Fee For Skilled Worker Visas By $100,000, Despite Tech Sector Warnings

    US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered an annual $100,000 fee be added to H-1B skilled worker visas, creating potentially major repercussions for the tech industry where such permits are prolific.

    The new measure, which could likely face legal challenges, was announced alongside the introduction of a $1 million “gold card” residency program that Trump had previewed months earlier.

    “The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump told reporters as he signed the orders in the Oval Office.

    H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialized skills — such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers — to work in the United States, initially for three years, but extendable to six years.

    The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system, with India accounting for around three-quarters of the recipients.

    Large technology firms rely on Indian workers who either relocate to the United States or come and go between the two countries.

    Tech entrepreneurs — including Trump’s former ally Elon Musk — have warned against targeting H-1B visas, saying that the United States does not have enough homegrown talent to fill important tech sector job vacancies.

    “All the big companies are on board,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who joined Trump in the Oval Office.

    Trump has had the H-1B program in his sights since his first term in office, but faced court challenges to his earlier approach, which targeted the types of jobs that qualify.

    The current iteration has become the latest move in the major immigration crackdown of his second term.

    According to Trump’s order, the fee will be required for those seeking to enter the country beginning Sunday, with the Homeland Security secretary able to exempt individuals, entire companies, or entire industries.

    The order expires in a year, though Trump can extend it.

    The number of H-1B visa applications has risen sharply in recent years, with a peak in approvals in 2022 under Democratic president Joe Biden.

    In contrast, the peak in rejections was recorded in 2018, during Trump’s first term in the White House.

    The United States approved approximately 400,000 H-1B visas in 2024, two-thirds of which were renewals.

    Trump also signed an order creating a new expedited pathway to US residency for people who pay $1 million, or for corporate sponsors to pay $2 million.

    “I think it’s going to be tremendously successful,” Trump added.

    (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

  • ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’ Songwriter Brett James Dies In US Plane Crash

    ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’ Songwriter Brett James Dies In US Plane Crash

    Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing the 2005 hit song Jesus Take the Wheel, has died in a plane crash in North Carolina.

    James, 57, was one of the three people aboard a single-engine Cirrus SR22T when it went down “under unknown circumstances in a wooded area”.

    All three passengers were killed in the crash, which occurred near Macon County Airport, authorities said. Flight tracking data shows the plane took off from an airport in Nashville.

    James earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Jesus, Take the Wheel, recorded by Carrie Underwood. Reacting to the news, Underwood called his death “just unfathomable”.

    The song, which also received a nomination for Song of the Year, became a defining hit of both their careers.

    “Brett was the epitome of ‘cool’,” Underwood said. “My favourite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him. Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away.”

    James also penned songs for a wide range of artists, including Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, and Jason Aldean. Aldean, who recorded The Truth, written by James, said he was “heartbroken”.

    “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy, and he helped change my life. Honoured to have met him and worked with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family,” Aldean said.

    Paul Williams, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), praised James as “a songwriting force of nature”, noting that he wrote more than 500 songs across genres.

    “He wrote big hits but had an even bigger heart,” Williams said.

    James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and won the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and 2010.

    The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates air accidents, will lead a probe into the crash.

  • US Judge Orders Deportation of Mahmoud Khalil Over ‘Misrepresented Facts’ on Green Card Form

    US Judge Orders Deportation of Mahmoud Khalil Over ‘Misrepresented Facts’ on Green Card Form

    A US immigration judge in the southern state of Louisiana ordered pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil be deported to Algeria or Syria over claims that he omitted information from his green card application, court documents showed on Wednesday.

    Khalil’s lawyers said they intend to appeal the deportation order while saying a federal district court’s separate orders remain in effect that prohibit the government from immediately deporting or detaining him as his federal court case proceeds.

    Immigration judge Jamee Comans wrote that Khalil “willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his application would be denied” in a court order dated September 12.

    “It is hereby further ordered that Respondent be Removed from the United States to Algeria, or in the alternative to Syria,” Comans said.

    Khalil’s lawyers submitted a letter to a federal court in New Jersey overseeing his civil rights case and said he will challenge Comans’ decision.

    Khalil, a 30-year-old permanent US resident of Palestinian descent and a Columbia University student, was detained by US immigration authorities for more than 100 days earlier this year as the Trump administration sought to deport him.

    His wife, who is a US citizen, was pregnant at the time and Khalil missed the birth of their child while in jail.

    He was released on June 20. US District Judge Michael Farbiarz of New Jersey said at the time, while referring to Khalil, that punishing someone over a civil immigration matter was unconstitutional.

    President Donald Trump’s administration has cracked down on pro-Palestinian protesters such as Khalil, calling them anti-Semitic and supporters of extremism. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government wrongly equates their criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.

    “It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said in a statement to the American Civil Liberties Union responding to the order.

    “When their first effort to deport me was set to fail, they resorted to fabricating baseless and ridiculous allegations in a bid to silence me for speaking out and standing firmly with Palestine, demanding an end to the ongoing genocide.”

    Rights groups continue to raise free speech and due process concerns over the deportation attempts and federal funding threats to universities where protests occurred.

    Columbia was at the heart of last year’s protests that demanded an end to Israel’s war and a divestment by universities of funds from companies that support Israel.

    (FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)

  • Obama Says US Faces ‘Political Crisis’ After Killing of Charlie Kirk

    Obama Says US Faces ‘Political Crisis’ After Killing of Charlie Kirk

    Former US President Barack Obama has warned of a “political crisis of the sort that we haven’t seen before” in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk.

    At an event in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Obama said he did not know Kirk and disagreed with many of his views, but called the killing “horrific and a tragedy”.

    He criticised Donald Trump’s remarks towards his political opponents and pointed to previous Republican presidents who, he said, emphasised national unity in moments of high tension, US media report.

    In response, the White House called Obama the “architect of modern political division”.

    Kirk, 31, died of a single gunshot wound while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on 10 September.

    On Tuesday, Tyler Robinson, 22, was formally charged with Kirk’s murder, weapons offences and other charges. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.

    Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said Robinson had sent text messages which allegedly said he shot Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred”.

    Before Robinson was captured, top Trump allies pinned blame for the killing on left-wing activists and rhetoric from Democratic lawmakers and their supporters.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi has suggested that the administration will crack down on “hate speech” – although there is no specific US hate speech law. Vice-President JD Vance has led calls to expose people who celebrated or condoned Kirk’s killing or were critical of him after his slaying.

    “Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” Vance said as he guest-hosted Kirk’s podcast.

    Speaking in Erie, Pennsylvania, Obama said: “I think at moments like this, when tensions are high, then part of the job of the president is to pull people together.”

    He urged Americans to “respect other people’s right to say things that we profoundly disagree with”.

    Obama praised Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a conservative Republican who he said had shown “that it is possible for us to disagree while abiding by a basic code of how we should engage in public debate”.

    He also endorsed the response of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, whose official residence was firebombed earlier this year in what police called a targeted attack.

    The former president contrasted those reactions with comments made by Trump and his allies.

    Obama said that he did not use a 2015 mass shooting by a white supremacist at a black church in South Carolina to go after his political enemies, and pointed out that after the 11 September 2001 attacks, President George W Bush “explicitly went out of his way to say, ‘We are not at war against Islam’.”

    “And so when I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents ‘vermin’, enemies who need to be ‘targeted,’ that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now and something that we’re going to have to grapple with, all of us,” Obama told the crowd, according to reports.

    In a statement to the BBC, a White House spokesperson rejected the allegations and accused Obama of stoking division while he was president.

    “Obama used every opportunity to sow division and pit Americans against each other,” the spokesperson said.

    “His division has inspired generations of Democrats to slander their opponents as ‘deplorables,’ or ‘fascists,’ or ‘Nazis.’”

    After leaving office, US presidents generally tend to temper criticism of their successors, however in recent months Obama has hit out at Trump’s moves against universities and judges, and has also criticised Democratic party leaders for failing to push back harder against White House policies.

    (BBC)

  • ‪Jimmy Kimmel Show Off Air ‘Indefinitely’ After Charlie Kirk Comments ‬

    ‪Jimmy Kimmel Show Off Air ‘Indefinitely’ After Charlie Kirk Comments ‬

    Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was pulled from the air Wednesday hours after the US government threatened to cancel broadcasting licenses because of comments the host made about the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

    The stunning move by network ABC to remove one of America’s most influential late-night shows was blasted by critics as government censorship, but celebrated by Donald Trump, who has long chaffed at the comedians who mock him.

    “Great News for America,” he wrote on his Truth Social page.

    “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

    Trump, who also rejoiced in July at the cancellation of Kimmel’s fellow late-night satirist Stephen Colbert, then urged that two other comedians be removed.

    “That leaves Jimmy (Fallon) and Seth (Meyers), two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

    In Hollywood, where Kimmel’s show is recorded, audience members were turned away at the door before taping began Wednesday.

    Tommy Williams, a longshoreman from Florida, told AFP the move felt un-American.

    “Any show that’s on TV that speaks out against Donald Trump, he’s trying to shut down,” the 51-year-old said.

    “We’re losing our freedom of speech. This is something that happens in Russia and North Korea and China, state-run TVs stuff.”

    – FCC threat –

    The furor comes a week after Kirk, a close Trump ally, was shot dead on a Utah university campus, setting off a bitter battle over responsibility in deeply polarized America, with conservatives — including Trump — blaming “the radical left.”

    Authorities this week said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was the lone gunman, and brought a murder charge against him.

    On Monday, Kimmel spoke about the shooting in his show-opening monologue.

    “The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and (doing) everything they can to score political points from it,” said Kimmel, referring to the president’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

    He then showed footage of Trump pivoting from a question about how he had been affected by Kirk’s death to boasting about the new ballroom he is building at the White House, prompting laughter from the studio audience.

    “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” said Kimmel.

    On Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr openly threatened the license of ABC affiliates who broadcast Kimmel’s show.

    “I think it’s past time these (affiliates) themselves push back… and say, ‘Listen, we’re not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out because we’re running the possibility of license revocation from the FCC,’” he told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson.

    “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

    Hours later, Nexstar, one of the country’s biggest owners of ABC affiliate stations, announced it would be removing the show from its stations.

    Nexstar is in the middle of a multi-billion dollar merger with a rival that will require FCC approval.

    ABC — which is owned by Disney — then followed suit, pulling the show nationwide.

    Kimmel did not immediately comment, and representatives for the entertainer did not respond to AFP queries.

    – ‘They are censoring you’ –

    The White House has fired several broadsides against cultural institutions it views as hostile to Trump’s brand of right-wing nationalism.

    Law firms, universities and the media have all been targeted, including with lawsuits that legal experts say are meritless, but which nevertheless have resulted in huge payments.

    ABC and Paramount-owned CBS have both coughed up.

    The settlements — which are to be paid to Trump’s future presidential library — were seen as being motivated by the desire of the news organizations’ parent companies to stay in Trump’s good graces.

    Democrats were quick to connect the dots on Wednesday.

    “President Trump and FCC Chair Carr made it clear: fall in line or be silenced,” US Senator Ben Ray Lujan posted on X.

    “Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous,” wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom.

    “They are censoring you in real time.”

    (AFP)

  • Kirk Suspect Faces Death Penalty For Aggravated Murder Charge

    Kirk Suspect Faces Death Penalty For Aggravated Murder Charge

    The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk appeared in court Tuesday charged with the conservative activist’s murder, as prosecutors said they were seeking the death penalty for a crime that has shaken the United States.

    Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump and the founder of student activism group Turning Point USA, was shot dead last week during an event on a Utah university campus.

    The 31-year-old’s death prompted waves of mourning across the political right — and dark threats of retribution.

    Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing a single bullet from a rooftop, fatally hitting Kirk in the neck in front of thousands of people, in an episode that has deepened divisions in an already polarized country.

    A huge manhunt ended 33 hours later when Robinson’s parents persuaded him to turn himself in after seeing photos of the wanted man.

    Robinson wore a suicide prevention smock — common in high-profile cases — when he appeared in a Utah court Tuesday to hear the charges levied against him.

    He spoke only to confirm his name and sat passively as District Judge Tony Graf read out the seven charges.

    The most serious charge is aggravated murder, while others include obstruction of justice and witness tampering, allegedly for ordering his roommate to stay silent.

    “I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told an earlier press conference.

    “I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”

    – Roommate texts –

    Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead on a university campus in Utah on September 10, 2025 in a murder that sparked fears of more political violence in the United States / AFP
    Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead on a university campus in Utah on September 10, 2025 in a murder that sparked fears of more political violence in the United States / AFP

    The press conference, carried live on cable news channels across the nation, offered the first glimpse into possible motives for the alleged killer after days of fevered speculation that has consumed social media and dominated conversations.

    Gray cited lengthy text message exchanges between Robinson and his roommate, whom he described as “a biological male who was transitioning genders.”

    Robinson and the roommate were in a romantic relationship, Gray said.

    Gray said on the day of the murder, Robinson had texted his roommate to say there was a message under his keyboard.

    “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” said the note.

    In one part of the exchange, the roommate, who was not named, asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk.

    “‘I had enough of his hatred.’” Gray cited the messages as saying. “‘Some hate can’t be negotiated out.’”

    He then tells the roommate to delete the exchange.

    Kirk, a father of two, used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for conservative talking points, including strong criticism of the transgender rights movement.

    A polarizing figure, he often posted edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.

    FBI Director Kash Patel has been heavily criticized for his actions in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, including having quickly announced the arrest of a suspect, only to confirm they had been released two hours later.

    Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged with killing political activist Charlie Kirk, attends a court appearance remotely from his jail cell in Provo, Utah / AFP
    Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged with killing political activist Charlie Kirk, attends a court appearance remotely from his jail cell in Provo, Utah / AFP

    One of the two people initially arrested was charged Tuesday with possession of child pornography, in a development Utah County Sheriff’s office said was unrelated to Kirk’s killing.

    On Monday, the White House said it would be pursuing an alleged left-wing “domestic terror movement” in the wake of Kirk’s killing, prompting alarm that such a campaign could be used to silence political dissent.

  • US State of Utah To Seek Death Penalty For Aggravated Murder in Charlie Kirk Shooting Case

    US State of Utah To Seek Death Penalty For Aggravated Murder in Charlie Kirk Shooting Case

    Prosecutors in the US state of Utah said Friday that they will seek the death penalty for Tyler James Robinson, 22, who has been charged with the fatal shooting last week of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.

    Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, a capital offense, and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury. Prosecutors alleged he targeted Kirk for his political views.

    Additional charges include obstruction of justice for concealing the rifle and clothing used in the attack, and witness tampering for directing his roommate to delete incriminating messages and remain silent if questioned. He also faces a misdemeanor count for committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.

    Robinson was taken into custody last Thursday in Washington County after relatives alerted law enforcement. A bolt-action rifle and bullet casings with engravings were recovered near the campus of Utah Valley University, where the deadly shooting took place, officials said.

    He remains in custody in Utah County Jail.