The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has exercised a hold on a $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel, The Hill has learned, allying with her counterpart in the House and underscoring deep mistrust with the Trump administration and Israeli government.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has expressed frustration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done nothing to address concerns from, specifically, Democratic lawmakers over the high civilian death tolls in Gaza, Israel’s bombing in Syria and escalating violence against Palestinians by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The weapons package includes 40,000 one-ton bombs, munitions that the former Biden administration held back from sending to Israel for its indiscriminate destruction, contributing to the high death toll in the Gaza Strip.
An estimated 70,000 Palestinians were killed over the course of the three-year war between Israel and Hamas, according to Palestinian health officials, but that does not distinguish between militants and civilians.
Shaheen, as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, has authority to hold back the Trump administration from moving ahead on weapons sales over a certain dollar amount. It’s generally an informal consultative process, where the State Department works to address a lawmaker’s concerns and get the green light before moving ahead on the arms sale.

#Israel #israeli #weapons #democrat

CAIRO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday in a government-organized show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.
Iran's government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday, it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.
Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as "Janfaday-e Iran," or the "ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.
For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with **** ault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.
Tehran's Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.

#government #training #since

President Donald Trump's administration says it has approved the sale of nearly 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a policy shift for the US that has raised concerns from some members of Congress.
Saudi Arabia has sought for years to buy the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection.
Washington had resisted, partly because it supplies F-35s to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed under US law to receive top-of-the-range American weapons compared with those its regional neighbours can access.
Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh, which is the largest customer for US weapons.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, opposed the sale on Thursday.

#saudi

With aviation often a prohibitively costly industry for individual players without major backing, several smaller and charter carriers did not survive the spike in jet fuel prices that came at the start of 2026 following the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran.
Major recent news in this ***** e includes the collapse of Spirit Airlines and the bankruptcy filing of Latvian flag carrier AirBaltic. Smaller carriers that shut down in 2026 include Mexican holiday airline Magnicharters, Finnish charter airline Jetflite, and most recently in September 2026, French charter carrier AirAiles.
And in Colorado, charter broker and indirect air carrier OneFlight International is reportedly pausing all flights for 30 days as a long string of financial problems catches up with it.
The company does not own any aircraft but functions as a broker, organizing chartered flights by private jet and jet card subscriptions.
A jet card is a membership in which customers book flight hours on a private plane at fixed rates. Along with fractional ownership, it is one of two main ways that passengers who fly private book their flights.

#carrier #card

GENEVA (AP) — Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N.'s top human rights body say they have found "reasonable grounds" to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran, including on a school in the southern city of Minab.
The international fact-finding mission on Iran says the findings center on a pair of airstrikes that killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children.
At the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in February, at least one U.S. missile hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, according to an ****** ociated Press investigation. There has been no final accounting of what happened. Iranian state media have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children.
"Following the United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects," the fact-finding team said in a statement.
The Trump administration has yet to directly accept the blame or release findings of a Pentagon investigation into the school bombing.

#school

On August 14, the Pentagon announced framework agreements with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) and RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) to increase component production for the SM-3 Block IIA and SM-3 Block IB interceptors. Both agreements are intended to increase the output of a group of ship-fired, surface-to-air interceptors that serve as the foundation for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, the sea-based shield used by the US Navy to intercept ballistic missiles.
The announcement had little impact on the shares of both companies, with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) down around 0.4% and RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) down about 1% during the day.
RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) alone inked five separate Pentagon deals earlier this year to greatly boost output of Tomahawk cruise missiles, AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and the Standard Missile family, with Tomahawk production expected to increase sixteenfold, from approximately 60 to 1,000 units per year.
Congress has provided financial support for the effort. The 2026 defense spending bill provided multiyear procurement authority for eight critical munitions and more than $6.3 billion for 13 critical munitions, while the Pentagon's fiscal 2027 budget request calls for roughly $95 billion in missile procurement.
Rising tensions with Iran have added urgency to rebuild US missile inventories. During the June 2025 12-day Israel-Iran war, US forces reportedly used more than 150 THAAD interceptors. This highlights the pressure that sustained conflict can place on American missile-defense stockpiles.

#missile #corporation #missiles #pentagon

By Siddharth Cavale
NEW YORK, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled $3 higher on Tuesday after shipping industry sources said crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub of Yanbu had been suspended and Riyadh had canceled some cargo deliveries to European customers, deepening concerns that disruptions to a critical oil-export route ‌could persist for weeks.
Gains in U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures outpaced Brent on Tuesday, as fears that Saudi Arabia's supply troubles were widening sent investors rushing ‌into U.S. crude as an alternative.
Brent finished up $3.07, or 2.9%, at $108.75 a barrel, while WTI closed up $4.44, or 4.38%, at $105.83 a barrel. Both contracts closed at their highest since May 19.
The port of Yanbu has taken on outsized importance for global supply since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that was the conduit for one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

#brent

A European independent power producer is expanding its ******* et base on the continent. Israel-headquartered Econergy on September 15 said it is entering the French market with a €134-million ($155 million) acquisition of Escofi, a private wind energy platform of about 740 MW.Econergy, which has offices across Europe, said the deal significantly expands the company's European wind ******* et base, bringing its total renewable portfolio to 13 GW. Escofi, founded in 1988, originates, finances, builds, and operates onshore wind projects, with its wind energy portfolio across four development stages: 128 MW in commercial operation, 34 MW under construction, 147 MW in advanced development stage (with building permits and grid connection approvals in place and construction due to commence between 2028 and 2030), and 432 MW in early and mid-stage development.Escofi's portfolio is concentrated in the Hauts-de-France and Grand Est regions of northern France, which officials said have the strongest onshore wind conditions and regulatory environments in the country.
More than 90% of Escofi's operational and under-construction capacity benefits from 20-year contracted revenues under France's Contracts for Difference (CfDs) regime, providing a stable, long-term revenue stream for the portfolio. Escofi in July of this year secured additional CfDs for three more projects totaling 46 MW at prices above €80/MWh ($92/MWh) for 20-year terms, further strengthening the portfolio's contracted revenue base."The acquisition of Escofi is a significant strategic step for Econergy, establishing our presence in France and materially expanding our European wind platform," said Eyal Podhorzer, CEO of Econergy. "Escofi brings us a proven, 37-year-old French onshore wind operator with a high-quality operational fleet and a strong pipeline of projects with 20-year CfD revenues located in the best wind regions in France. Combined with our existing European platform, this gives Econergy a stronger and more geographically diversified base of long-term, contracted cash flows to build on."Escofi's 309 MW of operational, under-construction, and advanced-development projects are expected to generate annual revenues of €59-65 million and EBITDA of €47-53 million on a representative-year basis. By 2030, on completion of the projects under construction and the 147-MW advanced pipeline, Escofi's operational capacity is expected to reach about 300 MW, with project-level EBITDA of about €42–44 million. Escofi's effective ownership across projects stands at about 91%, and the 432-MW early- and mid-stage pipeline provides the platform's long-term growth runway, according to the company.

#econergy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Wednesday that he's going to block a proposed sale of $2.8 billion in heavy weaponry to Israel over concerns that the powerful bombs may not be used in line with U.S. and international law.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York said he would withhold approval for the sale because of "grave, unresolved concerns" about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
"The Trump administration has not provided sufficient ****** urances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians," Meeks said in a statement. "I therefore will not clear this sale at this time."
Meeks' objections, however, will not likely affect the sale, which was informally notified to lawmakers on Tuesday. Once it is formally notified to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio can bypass the normal congressional review process by making an emergency determination that the transaction is an urgent national security interest.
Rubio has done so in the past, including bypassing a normal congressional review process to approve a nearly $3 billion sale to Israel last year. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion in January.

#used

The fate of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour is suddenly uncertain after all of the British singer's remaining opening acts quit in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore, who was dropped from the remaining North American dates over pro-Palestinian comments.
Hours after Sheeran released a statement saying it was the promoter's decision to remove Macklemore from the tour and not his, the rest of his supporting acts — Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Danish pop band Lukas Graham and songwriter Finneas — as well as Sheeran's house band, Beoga, announced that they were pulling out in protest.
"Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish, wrote in a note posted to Instagram. "I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people."
The Irish artists cited their country's history of oppression in their decisions to drop out.
"I don't take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this," Rowe wrote in his own Instagram post. "But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children."

#irish #Instagram

BAGHDAD (AP) — Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of a decades-long U.S. military presence and the disarmament of non-state armed groups.
The U.S. withdrawal is underway, and officials say the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by the Sept. 30 deadline.
The Iraqi government has linked the U.S. withdrawal to an ultimatum for militias to lay down their weapons. But most have indicated they have no plans to do so.
That leaves major questions about what the day after will look like in Iraq.
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have struck U.S.-linked targets both inside and outside of Iraq since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. They also have coordinated with Yemen's Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia.

#sept #iranian

Critics are slamming Norway over new legislation that they say singles out Jews. The proposed law could send individuals to prison for up to three years for knowingly conducting certain forms of business with Israeli communities in the West Bank.
The proposal, introduced by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would prohibit the importation of goods originating in Israeli communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the exportation of goods to those communities. It would also restrict certain real estate transactions, construction and engineering services and investments in businesses headquartered and operating there.
Intentional violations could result in fines, imprisonment for up to three years or both, while negligent violations could carry fines, imprisonment for up to six months or both, according to Section 7 of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official consultation document.
Israel's E1 Plan Explained: The Jerusalem-area Corridor Sparking International Backlash
(L-R) Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide addressed the media following the 9th Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution Meeting and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) Meeting, focusing on international aid for Palestinians and the revitalization of the peace process.

#west

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - U.S. homebuilder sentiment dropped to a one-year low in September as rising mortgage rates dampen demand for housing, a survey showed on Wednesday.
The ‌National **** ociation of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index fell three points to 32 ‌this month, the lowest reading since September 2025, from 35 in August. The decline also reflected labor shortages amid an immigration crackdown as well as rising costs because of tariffs on imports.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index easing to 34. Sentiment is likely to remain subdued in the months ahead as mortgage rates have been rising in tandem with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.76% ‌last week, the highest level in ⁠more than a year, up from 6.71% in the prior week, data from mortgage finance firm Freddie Mac showed.
The 10-year government bond yield on Tuesday hit ⁠5.041%, the highest since July 2007, driven in part by expectations that the Federal Reserve would on Wednesday start raising interest rates to quell inflation that is being driven by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Longer-dated yields have also risen amid concerns over the nation's ballooning debt.

#housing

JERUSALEM, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a new documentary film which alleges that mass civilian deaths were routinely built into targeting ‌decisions in Gaza was part of a wave of global incitement against Jews.
"NAZA", directed ‌by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday and received a 25-minute standing ovation when it was screened on Thursday.
The film takes its **** le from an Israeli military term for expected "collateral casualties" and is built around anonymous interviews with intelligence officers and soldiers involved in the war.
"It's shocking. We are fighting global antisemitic incitement and when it comes from ‌within us it is intolerable," Netanyahu ⁠said in a video posted on Telegram. "And now two Israeli directors portraying the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) as war criminals receive applause at the Venice festival."
Netanyahu's ⁠comments followed a statement from the Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, who said the film constituted an attack on the state of Israel.

#global

Comedian Bill Maher called Democratic politicians "cowards" while doubling down on his stance that the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were not — a position that infamously led to ABC canceling his show more than two decades ago.
In a segment on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday, the comedian reaffirmed his opinion that "the terrorists weren't cowards" which he initially said after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I know a guy whose show got canceled just for saying the terrorists weren't cowards. And that guy was right. They weren't cowards, but I'll tell you who is: Democratic Party politicians," Maher said.
He added that this "moral confusion" within the party is most notable when talking about "a place called Gaza."
"A little strip of land that was not part of the original Israel, but which they won in a war launched against them, but then gave back as a peace gesture," he said.

#cowards #democratic #called #politicians

A Palestinian fashion designer says she nearly closed down her fashion brand until Olivia Rodrigo stepped in.
In a new interview, designer Yasmeen Mjalli told Vogue Arabia that her brand Nöl Collective, founded in 2020, almost exclusively imported natural fibers to create their clothes. She recalled the numerous challenges and hardships of creating new pieces in the West Bank.
Mjalli told the magazine she once ordered a shipment of naturally dyed handwoven wool for the brand's autumn collection, only for it to have been held and ultimately destroyed by Israeli customs. She said she made an attempt to source replacement fabric in Jerusalem, but her efforts were thwarted due to the army closing down roads out of Ramallah.
"I was genuinely like, maybe we should stop, maybe this is our last effort. I was just so tired," Mjalli said.
COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.

#down

Comedian Bill Maher spent the first night of Rosh Hashanah taking aim at Macklemore and other anti-Israel celebrities, arguing that calling the war in Gaza a genocide is fueling a global rise in antisemitism.
During Friday night's episode of HBO's "Real Time," Maher first criticized members of the Democratic Party who have spoken out against Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.
"Because nowhere has this moral confusion become more obvious than in a place called Gaza," Maher said. "A little strip of land that was not part of the original Israel, but they won in a war launched against them, but then gave back, gave back as a peace gesture — did they tell you that part on TikTok, kids?"
Bill Maher Blasts Democratic Party, Says It Is Fine With Religion 'As Long As That Faith Isn't Jewish'
Bill Maher arrives for the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

#first

The Dallas Cowboys will have another running back on the active roster to go along with Javonte Williams, Emari Demercado, and Hunter Luepke. They have signed Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad as a counter move to Malik Davis going on injured reserve with a hip injury. Sources indicate it could be season-ending.
Cowboys placed RB Malik Davis on injured reserve and signed RB Israel Abanikanda to their active roster from their practice squad.
Abanikanda first came to the Cowboys last November after spending time with the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and the Green Bay Packers. In January, he signed to a reserve/future contract before getting waived in August during final roster cuts. However, he was signed to the practice squad the next day.
This gives the Cowboys another option at running back that is fully up to speed on the offense and should be able to contribute if asked. He hasn't had much production with just 70 rushing yards and 43 receiving yards, but team will not ask much of him right away as Demercado should pick up much of the work.

#abanikanda #squad

Mexico's government is slashing financial ******* istance for the state energy major by as much as 70% despite Pemex's continued struggle to pay down debt and boost production. The decision rests on expectations that the company will benefit from the oil and gas price rally spurred by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.
Per a Bloomberg report from this week, the government of Mexico sees Pemex posting a rare cash surplus of some 95 billion pesos, or around $5.63 billion, as a result of the oil price rally. Based on those expectations, the Scheinbaum government stipulated financial help of just 81 billion pesos for the company in next year's budget, equivalent to some $4.8 billion. This was down by 70% from this year.
"We said that by 2027, support for Pemex would be very limited, and that's indeed the case," President Sheinbaum told media this week. "Pemex now receives very little support from the Mexican government, and its own finances will sustain its development."
Mexico's energy major is the most indebted company in the world, with a load of some $105 billion as of mid-2025, of which some $20 billion is in unpaid bills to suppliers. Since then, the company has managed to reduce the debt pile to some $79 billion as of the end of the first quarter of this year. The company said in a news release at the time that this was the lowest its debt has been since 2014.
Meanwhile, however, boosting refining output has turned out to be a challenge, and issues with crude quality—including high water content—have alienated key buyers over the past couple of years. The previous administration of Mexico focused on supporting the company by turning it back into a monopoly on the Mexican energy market. The Scheinbaum government, on the other hand, moved to open up the Mexican oil industry to other players as well, launching a new contract framework for joint ventures, the so-called mixed contracts. In mixed development allocations, Pemex can enter into an agreement with one or more private firms.

#PEMEX #government #scheinbaum #since

Sept 10 (Reuters) - The Israeli military destroyed Hezbollah underground infrastructure at the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister ‌Israel Katz said on Thursday, adding that the operation completed the consolidation ‌of a security zone in the area.
Israeli forces would remain in the area to prevent the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militant group from re-establishing its presence and rebuilding its capabilities, the two officials said in a joint statement.
The Ali al-Taher ridge, about 15 km (10 miles) from the Israeli border, has become one of the most contested areas of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah ‌is believed to have built ⁠an underground command centre and weapons stores there, according to Lebanese security sources who spoke to Reuters in July.
Lebanon's state news agency ⁠NNA said the Israeli military carried out a powerful blast at the ridge, with tremors and the sound of the explosion felt across Nabatieh and surrounding areas.
The Israeli military said its forces had established "operational control" over the ridge, both above and below ground, before dismantling the ‌infrastructure. The network extended for more than 2 km (1.24 miles) and contained dozens of rockets, missiles and drones, as well as anti-tank missiles, mines and explosive devices, it said.

#israeli #hezbollah #minister #infrastructure

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hated the governments and policies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but said she loved America and Israel during an interview Thursday.
"I have said repeatedly I love Israel and I hate Netanyahu's government and his policies. I love America, and I hate Trump's government and policies. I think it's bad, in the first case for Israel, what's happening, and I think it's really bad for the United States, what's happening," Clinton told MS NOW's "Morning Joe."
Clinton spoke to the MS NOW panel about Israel and achieving peace in the Middle East.
Hillary Clinton Breaks With Democratic Critics By Backing Trump's Gaza Plan As The 'Only Game In Town'
Hillary Clinton said she hated the governments of President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview on "Morning Joe," Sept. 10, 2026.

#president #Trump #prime

By Alexander Cornwell and Rami Amichay
TEL AVIV/PSAGOT, West Bank, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Israel has given Britain 30 days to close its East Jerusalem consulate in response to sanctions on goods from settlements, a measure Britain's leader said on Wednesday was needed to "stand against injustice" in the occupied West Bank.
In the West ‌Bank, where Israeli settlements have eaten into territory Palestinians seek for a state, settler business owners said the sanctions — announced on Tuesday by Britain, France and Canada — ‌would dent their revenues and at least one said they could force him to close his date farm.
The sanctions are among the strongest collective actions taken by Western countries that Israel once counted as close allies, highlighting its growing isolation over the war in Gaza and expansion of settlements in occupied territory.
ISRAEL SETS DEADLINE FOR BRITAIN TO CLOSE CONSULATE

#britain #sanctions #settlements

Sen. John Fetterman has faced a tide of public criticism from fellow Democrats as he stakes out lonely ground as a critic of the far-left wing of his party — and another wave rolled in Wednesday after he made a surprise video appearance at the Republican midterm convention.
So far, however, his Senate colleagues haven't joined the pile-on.
Democratic senators are staying above the fray as they work to flip the majority in November amid constant speculation that the 57-year-old Pennsylvanian could trigger a nightmare scenario by leaving the party and caucusing with the GOP.
Some have worked to publicly bat down suggestions that Fetterman could abandon Democrats for the final two years of his term — something he has denied considering, even as he continues to raise eyebrows with his outspoken support of Israel, bashing of democratic socialists and close relationships with Senate Republicans.
"John Fetterman is a friend and an important member of our caucus. It's a waste of energy to get spun up about his voting record or place in our party — he votes with us 90 percent of the time," Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, who is close with Fetterman, said in a statement to POLITICO before the convention appearance. "We need a big tent if we're going to win in November."

#party #democrats #appearance

An illegal immigrant from El Salvador was returned to his home country this week after the Department of Homeland Security took him into custody in sanctuary Fairfax County, Virginia, where he had just served an abbreviated jail sentence, and deported him.
The case is the latest in a string of controversies involving illegal immigrants plaguing the Democrat-led county adjacent to Washington, D.C., where sanctuary policies run up against the Trump administration's heavy-handed approach to removing people who do not belong in the U.S.
"This groper is gone," an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Illegal Immigrant Israel Flores-ortiz Gets 360 Days For Groping Girls At Fairfax County Va. High School
A photo of the Fairfax High School campus in Fairfax, Va., from March 15, 2022. At right is a mugshot of Israel Flores-Ortiz, accused of groping girls at Fairfax High School, taken in March 2025.

#county #Israel #immigrant

Olivia Rodrigo gave Palestinian designer Yasmeen Mjalli a reason to keep going. Mjalli said her fashion brand nearly shut down before Rodrigo's commission. The singer ordered a dress for her Daisy Chain Fields Festival. Mjalli described the opportunity as "divine intervention."
Mjalli founded Nöl Collective in 2020. The Palestinian brand works with women's cooperatives and individual embroiderers. Its designs preserve traditional Palestinian craftsmanship through contemporary clothing. However, operating from the West Bank has created major challenges.
Mjalli said a shipment of handwoven wool was held by Israeli customs. She said authorities eventually destroyed the materials. She then tried sourcing replacement fabric in Jerusalem. However, road closures prevented her from reaching the city.
"I was genuinely like, maybe we should stop, maybe this is our last effort," Mjalli told Vogue Arabia. She said she was "just so tired" after facing repeated obstacles. The situation nearly became the brand's breaking point.
Then Rodrigo commissioned Nöl Collective to create a dress. Mjalli described the commission as "divine intervention." The project gave her a reason to continue despite the challenges.

#reason

Pop star Pink is under fire online for resharing an anti-Israel message and then following it up with a series of Instagram posts directed at her detractors.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, supported British musician Ed Sheeran on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a show called Loop Tour on September 4 and 5. Donning a keffiyeh in front of an 80,000-strong audience, the rapper shouted "Free Palestine" and addressed Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying that they are not being forgotten.
"Every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom," he added, as reported by Variety.
The rapper then performed his protest song "Hind's Hall," which featured flashes of Gaza on the stadium screens. Macklemore referenced Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, named after student demonstrators at Columbia University who renamed a campus building in her honor. The rapper then addressed Jewish concertgoers, saying that criticizing Israel and condemning their actions as genocide is not a condemnation of Jewish people and that his message is a message of peace and dignity for everyone.
American pop diva, whose legal name is Alecia Beth Moore Hart, posted a video with the message "Awful" to her Instagram Story, claiming that Jewish fans who came to see Sheeran's performance are exposed to propaganda against Israel. According to Pink, Macklemore's speech and video presentation amount to a false accusation of genocide, and people who came to the concert are entitled to "apologies and refunds."

#Instagram #macklemore

By Enas Alashray, Nayera Abdallah and Jana Choukeir
CAIRO/DUBAI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis attacked four cities in the south of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the six-month-old Middle East war.
The Houthis, who ‌control most of Yemen's populated areas including the capital, said they had launched a broad operation deep into Saudi territory. They used drones and missiles to strike a ‌Saudi airbase in the southern city of Khamis Mushair, and targets belonging to Saudi Arabia's state oil company in nearby Abha, Najran on the Yemeni border and Jazan, a major Red Sea port.
Saudi authorities described blazes at the sites and said women and children were among the 73 people hurt. The reports of such large numbers of wounded suggested the attacks were among the biggest carried out against Saudi Arabia since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.
Confirmed images of the aftermath of the attacks in the Saudi cities were not immediately available. The Houthis released pictures of an explosion of what they said were trucks from Saudi Arabia they had struck at the border in another area.

#saudi #major #enas

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who claimed asylum in Australia have confirmed their pivotal refusal to sing the national anthem during the Women's Asian Cup in March was a protest against Tehran.
The first media interview with Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, and Fatemeh Pasandideh, 22, since they abandoned their team to become refugees was broadcast Sunday on Australia's "60 Minutes" current affairs program.
"We just wanted to stand with our people. I was scared at times, but I just tried to do what was right and say that no one should be killed just for protesting," Ramezanisadeh told Nine Network through an interpreter.
The team was criticized in Iran and branded as traitors in the media there for remaining silent when the Iranian national anthem was played ahead of their opening loss against South Korea on March 2.
Some saw it as an act of resistance, while others interpreted it as a show of mourning following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on their homeland which began on Feb. 28. The team offered no public explanation.

#team #ramezanisadeh

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran state media on Monday said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine: Tehran "will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out."
The report by Iran's state news agency repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been "tested" against a U.S. warship. But it was not clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described, the solid-fueled Qassem Basir.
The U.S. on Saturday said ballistic missiles were launched at U.S. warships and it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response. Experts called the launch a dangerous escalation, noting that until then Iran's attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping during six months of war. The U.S. said the warships evaded the attacks.
Iran's messaging in recent days has become more ***** ertive, and Monday's report said the Qassem Basir marks "a turning point in Iran's defense strategy." It described the missile as having greater range and accuracy and a half-ton warhead. The missile was unveiled last year, when it was described as having at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.
Concerns about Iran's ballistic missile program were one of the stated reasons the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran early this year, sparking the war.

#missile #described #Iran #tested

CAIRO (AP) — The new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Sunday said Tehran plans to announce an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels it believes are attempting to transit the waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei's comments to Iran's state broadcaster came with few details, a day after the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at U.S. warships. Experts called the launches a dangerous escalation after Iran's previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping.
The new zone should be announced in the coming days and weeks and "will begin from the line of the U.S. naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz, and from this side continue into the Persian Gulf," Rezaei said. "Any ship that enters this area with the intention of passing through the Strait of Hormuz and is identified will be placed on our sanctions list."
It is not clear where Iran defines the location of the weekslong U.S. blockade, which is aimed at Iranian ports and keeping Tehran from shipping out its oil. The U.S. military has said over 20 warships are supporting the blockade, which as of Sunday had redirected 92 commercial ships and disabled three.
The U.S. has been introducing new measures to increase the economic pain on Iran after negotiations collapsed and no end to the intermittent fighting appears in sight. Meanwhile, Iran continues to attack some ships trying to transit the strait, which has become an important source of leverage for Tehran in the war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes.

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