News of the World
Yesterday, 10:35 PM
(This post was last modified: Today, 01:57 AM by kyonides.
Edit Reason: Added Article on Damascus + Man Arrested in NJ
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USA
Quote:WASHINGTON — The US military killed four alleged “narco-terrorists” in the latest strike on a boat deemed to be trafficking drugs off the coast of Venezuela, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday.
The operation targeted a “vessel affiliated with designated terrorist organizations,” killing four men who were “transporting substantial amounts of narcotics headed to America to poison our people,” Hegseth wrote on X.
“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” the secretary insisted.
“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”
The boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000” people, the White House said in a separate post to X.
“BE WARNED!” the message omniously added.
Friday’s strike is at least the fifth hit since Sept. 2 targeting drug cartels designated by the Trump administration as enemy combatants, bringing the total number of purported traffickers killed in the strikes to 24.
Quote:GREENBELT — A California resident who attempted to assassinate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his Maryland home was sentenced Friday to over eight years in prison by a federal judge, who imposed a punishment that is significantly more lenient than the Justice Department’s recommendation.
Sophie Roske, a transgender woman charged under her legal name, Nicholas Roske, had faced a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman sentenced her to eight years and one month behind bars followed by a lifetime of court supervision. Prosecutors had asked for a prison sentence of no less than 30 years, which was the low end of the range recommended by sentencing guidelines.
Roske, then 26, had a pistol, a knife, zip ties and burglary tools in her possession when a taxi dropped her off outside Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just after 1 a.m. on June 8, 2022. Noticing two U.S. Marshals Service deputies guarding the residence, Roske kept walking down the street and took a phone call from her sister. Then she dialed 911, reported having suicidal and homicidal thoughts and said she needed psychiatric help.
The judge said law enforcement didn’t know anything about Roske’s plot until she called 911 and reported her crime unprompted. Boardman described Roske’s conduct as “reprehensible” but credited her with abandoning the plot before police detected her presence in Kavanaugh’s neighborhood.
“This is an atypical defendant in an atypical case,” she said.
Roske apologized to Kavanaugh and the justice’s family “for the considerable stress I put them through.”
“I have been portrayed as a monster, and this tragic mistake that I made will follow me for the rest of my life,” Roske said before learning her sentence.
Boardman acknowledged that Roske’s plot caused “real harm” to Kavanaugh and his family.
“He’s a justice of the Supreme Court, but he’s a human being,” the judge said.
After her arrest, Roske told investigators she was angry about a leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court intended to overrule Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion case, according to an FBI affidavit. Roske also was upset about the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws, the affidavit said.
Roske’s case underscores the pervasive threat of political violence in a polarized nation: The number of threats and “inappropriate communications” directed at federal judges and other court employees more than quadrupled over a seven-year span, from 926 incidents in 2015 to 4,511 in 2021, according to the Marshals Service.
Roske targeted three of the high court’s justices, prosecutors said. Killing one judge could change the decisions of the nine-member court “for decades to come,” Roske wrote over an encrypted messaging platform to another user in May 2022. Roske added, “I am shooting for 3.”
Roske, 29, of Simi Valley, California, searched the internet for justices’ home addresses and other information, including techniques for breaking into homes and quietly killing somebody. Roske also wrote about killing judges in encrypted messages.
“The thought of Roe v Wade and gay marriage both being repealed has me furious,” Roske wrote.
Roske pleaded guilty in April to an attempted assassination charge without reaching a plea agreement.
Prosecutors recommended a prison term of no less than 30 years, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
“The defendant’s objective — to target and kill judges to seek to alter a court’s ruling — is an abhorrent form of terrorism and strikes at the core of the United States Constitution and our prescribed system of government,” they wrote.
Roske’s attorneys asked for a prison sentence of eight years. They said she is ashamed and remorseful for frightening Kavanaugh and his family.
“I am very glad I did not continue,” Roske wrote in a letter submitted to the court. “I am also sorry for contributing to a trend of political violence in American politics. I can see now how destructive and misguided such acts are, and am ashamed to have not recognized these things sooner.”
Roske’s lawyers said she was struggling with mental illness and her gender identity. She came out to herself as a transgender woman in 2020 but kept it a secret from her parents. She recently resumed receiving gender-affirming care while imprisoned, according to her attorneys.
Roske was severely depressed and suicidal in May 2022 when Politico published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s abortion rights opinion. Roske decided she could “give her life some meaning” by stopping the Supreme Court from overturning Roe v. Wade, her lawyers said.
“Crucially, she stopped short of causing harm to another person,” they wrote. “Her actions resulted in large part from isolation and inadequately treated mental illness. But in her deepest moment of crisis she showed her humanity.”
Prosecutors said Roske’s mental illness isn’t an excuse.
Quote:A visiting professor at Harvard Law School has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly firing a pellet rifle outside a Brookline synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur.
Carlos Portugal Gouvea, 43, was arrested Wednesday night after police said he fired two shots near Temple Beth Zion on Beacon Street in what he later claimed was “hunting rats,” Brookline.News reported.
Investigators do not believe that Gouvea was targeting the synagogue, but he was charged in Brookline District Court with illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and malicious damage of personal property, according to court records.
Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal told The Post that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.”
The Harvard Crimson first reported his suspension.
The school has not announced any further disciplinary action. The Post has sought comment from Harvard Law School, Temple Beth Zion and Gouvea.
Police said the incident triggered a large response involving more than a dozen officers as congregants gathered for services marking the start of the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Two private security guards working at the synagogue reportedly confronted him after hearing “two loud shots” and spotting him holding a pellet rifle.
When the guards approached, Gouvea allegedly set down the gun before a “brief physical struggle” broke out as they tried to detain him, the outlet reported, citing a police account.
Police said Gouvea then ran into his nearby residence before emerging moments later, where he was handcuffed and arrested. Officers later discovered a shattered car window and a pellet lodged inside the vehicle, according to the police report cited by Brookline.News.
Gouvea was arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty to all charges, the court docket shows. He was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court in early November.
Quote:A 69-year-old who was allegedly assaulted by Mark Sanchez in Indianapolis and then stabbed the former Jets quarterback has been pictured bloody and battered in his hospital bed.
Grisly photos show the alleged victim, who reportedly got into an altercation with Sanchez shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, wearing a neck brace and covered in blood, with savage wounds to his cheek and jaw.
“His family says he was cut in the fight and it went through his cheek and hit his tongue,” Fox59 anchor Angela Ganote said, sharing the pictures on social media.
The grease truck driver, identified solely by his initials PT, had reportedly parked his truck in an alley while he was collecting cooking oil from a nearby hotel when Sanchez approached him, according to an affidavit seen by Fox59.
“PT did not have his hearing aids in because his truck is very loud when he is exchanging the frying oil for the hotel, so he had to lean in close to Mr Sanchez to hear him,” the affidavit reads.
“When PT leaned in, he stated that Mr Sanchez smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred,” the affidavit continues.
Shortly afterward, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Sanchez, 38, allegedly hurled the driver against a wall before throwing him to the ground, at which point the driver said he stabbed the Fox Sports analyst in self-defense.
Sanchez remains in the hospital in a stable condition, and has been charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication endangering the life of another, according to the affidavit.
Quote:A former Israeli-American hostage who was freed earlier this year said he was thankful to President Trump for securing the deal that saved his life — as he hopes the latest US proposal will do the same for the friends he was forced to leave behind.
Keith Siegel, 66, said Sunday that he was optimistic that the Trump administration will be able to secure the cease-fire deal to free the remaining 48 hostages being held by Hamas, including the four people he met while being tortured inside the terror group’s tunnel network.
“I am eternally grateful to President Trump for saving my life and returning me to my family,” Siegel told ABC’s “This Week.”
“I am optimistic. I am always optimistic,” he said of the current deal being hashed out between Israel and Hamas. “But until all of my four friends I met in captivity… until they are all released and back home with their families, I still continue my mission to advocate for their release.”
Siegel spent 484 days in captivity until he was freed in February during the short-lived cease-fire deal the Trump administration helped secure.
During the majority of his days as a hostage, Siegel said he would spend his days alone, stuffed inside Hamas’ terror tunnels with “very little food, very little water.”
“I spent time in the tunnels, suffocating 33 feet underground, gasping for breath,” Siegel recalled.
Eventually, Siegel would come to meet twins Gali and Ziv Berman, noting that the brothers had been injured and separated by Hamas.
Siegel also met Matan Angrest, one of the men who tried to protect the American’s home during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, as well as Omri Miran, who was featured in a Hamas propaganda video in April.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them,” Siegel said. “I would have never imagined that I would be free, and all the hostages that I knew are still there in captivity.”
Quote:The Trump administration has federalized hundreds of Illinois National Guard troops and deployed them to Chicago along with additional law enforcement agents as tensions in the city boil over amid an expanded immigration crackdown and violence against federal agents.
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon for further information and comment by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday evening.
Why It Matters
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker warned on Saturday that the Trump administration would move to federalize hundreds of the state's National Guard troops after the Prairie State previously refused to deploy troops to Chicago.
The move escalates tensions that have simmered between Pritzker, a Democrat, and President Donald Trump over the past month as the president continued to deliberate publicly whether he would deploy troops to Chicago as part of his expansion of mass deportations across the country, with attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on the rise.
The Pentagon set the stage for wider operations in the "Windy City" in early September when it authorized the use of Naval station Great Lakes, a base just outside of Chicago, as a staging ground for operations targeting undocumented immigrants.
And tensions exploded on Saturday after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday morning announced that law enforcement officers had "fired defensive shots" after multiple vehicles had "boxed in" federal agents patrolling Chicago, with the agents opening fire at an "armed US citizen," a woman who drove herself to the hospital to get care for her wounds.
What To Know
In an emailed statement to Newsweek, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson confirmed: “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”
Pritzker made clear his opposition to the deployment, which he said Saturday morning was going to happen "in the coming hours."
"The Trump Administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard," the governor wrote. "They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance -- not a serious effort the protect public safety."
"For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control," Pritzker wrote, adding that the demand followed "unprecedented escalations of aggression against Illinois citizens and residents."
Quote:The police chief of the Chicago suburb of Broadview is threatening to tear down the defensive fencing holding back the unruly protesters outside an ICE facility.
Broadview officials and Police Chief Thomas Mills have gone on the attack against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and claimed it is they, rather than the violent protesters surrounding the ICE facility, who are “endangering nearby village residents.”
On Wednesday, Mayor Katrina Thompson, Chief Mills, and Acting Fire Chief Matt Martin held a press conference to blast legal federal law enforcement actions around the Broadview facility.
“The relentless deployment of tear gas, pepper spray and mace at the ICE facility is endangering nearby village residents, harming police officers, harming firefighters and American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights,” Mayor Thompson claimed.
For his part, Chief Mills complained that ICE agents have been short-tempered with Broadview police officers. He also accused ICE of breaking the law by putting up protective fencing around the federal facility, and even threatened to use “heavy machinery” to tear the fence down.
“We are experiencing an immediate public safety crisis,” the anti-ICE chief said. “The deployment of tear gas, pepper spray, mace, and rubber bullets by ICE near the processing center in the village of Broadview is creating a dangerous situation for the community.”
“This is not Putin’s Russia,” Mayor Thompson added. “This is America.”
The city also claimed they are opening “criminal” investigations into ICE. Instead of criticizing the increasingly violent protesters constantly surrounding the facility, Mills claims that ICE officers shot pepper balls at a news reporter, hit protesters with federal vehicles, and caused “criminal damage” to property, and that they are at fault.
Meanwhile, Illinois radical left-wing Democrat Governor JB Pritzker also encouraged the protesters — who are becoming increasingly violent — to continue engaging in obstruction of federal agents.
Meanwhile, ICE and federal law enforcement officials have announced that they have taken more than 800 dangerous criminals off Chicago’s streets since Operation Midway Blitz was launched.
Quote:U.S. Border Patrol agents shot an armed woman in Chicago Saturday after an angry mob tried to attack the law enforcement officers.
The group of agents were conducting their routine patrol near 39th Place and South Kedzie Avenue in the city’s South Side “when they were attacked and rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars,” the Department of Homeland Security said.
“The officers exited their trapped vehicle, when a suspect tried to run them over, forcing the officers to fire defensively,” according to DHS, which called the incident “an evolving situation” and noted FBI agents were currently on the scene.
The suspect, who is a U.S. citizen, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.
The gun-toting woman was already known to the federal agency for allegedly publicly identifying agents and encouraging people to attack them, according to McLaughlin.
“The armed woman was named in a CBP intelligence bulletin last week for doxing agents and posting online ‘Hey to all my gang let’s f–k those mother f–kers up, don’t let them take anyone,’” McLaughlin wrote on X.
More federal agents were set to be deployed because of the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
“Today in Chicago, members of our brave law enforcement were attacked—rammed and boxed in by ten vehicles, including an attacker with a semi-automatic weapon.I am deploying more special operations to control the scene. Reinforcements are on their way,” she wrote.
“If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them,” Noem added.
The armed woman, who was not immediately identified, drove herself to the hospital after the shooting “to get care for her wounds,” McLaughlin added.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department told the Chicago Sun-Times the woman was later found and taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
The fire department could not immediately be reached for comment.
The time and location of the shooting weren’t immediately clear.
“Thankfully, no law enforcement officers were seriously injured in the attack,” wrote McLaughlin, who then ripped the lefty Illinois governor for failing to help with the fallout of the gunfire.
Quote:An unhinged man who charged a cop with a shovel outside an Anaheim, California, elementary school was gunned down after he continued to swing at the officer despite warning shots, harrowing new bodycam video shows.
An officer responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious man, possibly on drugs, who was wielding a brick and a shovel about 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 15.
When 36-year-old Rudy Anthony Martinez II saw the cop car across an intersection, he sprinted toward the officer, brandishing his shovel.
In the dashcam footage, the officer — who was not named — shouts “oh s–t” after spotting Martinez.
The officer is barely out of his cruiser before the madman starts swinging the implement.
The officer tries to tell Martinez to stand down, shouting “sit down” and “you’re gonna get shot”, while Martinez continues to slash through the air, walking toward him.
The officer fires two warning shots, but Martinez continues to charge.
That’s when the Anaheim cop opens fire.
“When the officer arrived and encountered the subject, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” said the Anaheim Police Department in a press release.
The shooting happened near the parking lot of John Marshall Elementary School. The school went into lockdown, but police said that no students witnessed the shooting.
Quote:Two people were killed and 12 others wounded in Montgomery Saturday night as two rival groups started indiscriminately spraying bullets at each other in the middle of a crowd in the state capital’s downtown.
Montgomery Police Department Chief James Graboys said at a Sunday afternoon press conference that the shootout “started as a result of an individual who we believe was targeted,” prompting “multiple people in the crowd” to draw their own weapons and start firing.
Seven of the victims are teenagers, and five of those shot are facing life-threatening injuries, authorities said. At least two victims in the shooting were armed. Graboys said “multiple” calibers of ammo were used, and that “multiple weapons” were recovered at the scene.
The victims killed in the shooting were identified as Jeremiah Morris, 17, and 43-year-old Shalanda Williams.
The massacre happened in the city’s busy tourist district downtown just after the football game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, two historically black universities in the state. Reed told reporters Sunday that the shooting had no connection to the football game.
The fracas escalated into a running gun battle that saw the perps — whose weapons had “very high-capacity magazines” — firing wildly into a crowd, hitting bystanders.
Graboys said the department had been questioning “multiple” victims, and the “very complex” investigation is underway including a mass assortment of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF.
“This was very much avoidable. The individuals responsible for this carried the weapons into the crowd. They could have walked away from what was happening but they did not,” Graboys said.
“We will pursue every avenue available to us.”
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, speaking forcefully at the press conference, said he and the council president contributed cash to bring the reward for tracking down those respoinsible to $50,000,
“Dangerous criminals and people who are this reckless with life don’t deserve to be free and don’t deserve to walk our streets,” he said, even hinting the city would examine revising its bail statutes.
Quote:California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that his administration will take legal action against President Donald Trump's deployment of 300 California National Guard personnel to Portland, Oregon.
The deployment comes one day after U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut blocked Trump's attempt to federalize Oregon's National Guard, ruling that it violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law prohibiting military enforcement of domestic laws.
Trump has said the troops were needed in Portland to respond to demonstrations taking place at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek on Sunday: "President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement. For once, Gavin Newscum should stand on the side of law-abiding citizens instead of violent criminals destroying Portland and cities across the country.”
Why It Matters
The California troops, originally federalized months ago in response to unrest in Los Angeles, are now being redirected to Oregon despite the federal court's Saturday ruling that there was no legal basis for National Guard deployment to Portland.
This latest deployment represents an escalation in the constitutional conflict between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states over the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement.
Immergut, appointed by Trump, emphasized in Saturday's ruling that the case involves "the relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government."
This marks the second time in recent months that federal courts have blocked Trump's National Guard deployments, following a ruling that his deployment of 4,700 Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles was illegal.
What To Know
Newsom characterized the deployment as "a breathtaking abuse of the law and power" in his Sunday press release, accusing the Trump administration of "unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself." The governor emphasized that the administration is "ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the President himself, as political opponents."
"This isn't about public safety, it's about power," Newsom stated, directly challenging the administration's justification for the deployment. "The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens."
The governor's office noted that the 300 California National Guard personnel had been federalized months ago in response to civil unrest in Los Angeles—conditions that, according to Newsom, "never necessitated their deployment in the first place, and have long since subsided anyway." The redeployment of these troops to Oregon, rather than returning them to state control, represents what Newsom calls a circumvention of the federal court's ruling.
The controversy centers on the ICE building in Portland, which has been the site of nightly protests following expanded deportation raids under Trump's immigration policies. However, Immergut found that demonstrations were "small and uneventful" in the days leading up to Trump's deployment order, typically drawing only a couple dozen people in a one-block area of the 145-square-mile city.
The federal court determined that Trump's statements regarding the deployment were not "conceived in good faith" and were "simply untethered to the facts." The judge wrote that accepting the administration's arguments would risk "blurring the line between civil and military federal power — to the detriment of this nation."
Quote:A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order Saturday in response to a lawsuit brought by the state of Oregon and the city of Portland, ruling that the deployment would violate both the U.S. Constitution and federal law prohibiting military enforcement of domestic laws.
The Defense Department had announced plans to place 200 members of Oregon's National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or are likely to occur.
Trump previously called the city "war-ravaged" and directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide troops "to end the radical left reign of terror in Portland once and for all," according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek on Saturday, “President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court.”
Why It Matters
Judge Immergut emphasized that the case involves "the relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government."
The decision marks the second time in recent months a federal court has blocked Trump's National Guard deployments. Last month, a judge ruled that Trump's deployment of 4,700 National Guard soldiers and Marines in Los Angeles was illegal. The pattern suggests potential legal limits to the president's approach to deploying troops in Democratic-led cities, which also includes Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Memphis.
Trump has also ordered a review of federal aid to Portland, with the White House stating, "we will not fund states that allow anarchy," though no specific funds were identified. The president has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding as punishment for political opponents, despite such funding being mandated by Congress.
What To Know
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland has been the site of nightly protests following expanded deportation raids under Trump's immigration policies.
However, Judge Immergut found that demonstrations were "small and uneventful" in the days and weeks leading up to Trump's order. The protests and occasional clashes with law enforcement have been limited to a one-block area in a city covering approximately 145 square miles with 636,000 residents. Recent protests typically drew a couple dozen people before the deployment announcement.
While presidents generally receive significant deference to federalize National Guard troops when regular law enforcement cannot execute federal laws, Judge Immergut determined this standard was not met in Portland. She wrote that plaintiffs successfully demonstrated the protests were not significantly violent or disruptive, concluding that "the President's determination was simply untethered to the facts."
Oregon filed the lawsuit on September 28 after Governor Tina Kotek failed to convince Trump to cancel the deployment during a 10-minute phone call. The state argues that sending 200 National Guard troops to guard a single building is "not about public safety, it's about the President flexing political muscle under the guise of law and order," according to Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
The controversy intensified after conservative journalist Nicholas Sortor was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during a protest. The White House called the arrest part of a "troubling trend" and said the Justice Department's civil rights division was reviewing whether it constituted "viewpoint discrimination."
The Portland Police Bureau responded that "arrests are based on observed behavior and probable cause — not political affiliation or public profile."
Quote:President Trump on Sunday deployed 300 California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon defying a federal order blocking the move – as Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to sue in response.
“After a federal court blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, Donald Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon,” Newson said in a post on X, later calling the order “un-American.”
“They are on their way there now. We are taking this fight back to court. The public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States.”
Newsom’s fiery threat comes hours after a federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration from sending 200 Oregon National Guard troops to the “war ravaged” city that has been under siege by anti-ICE agitators for more than 100 straight days.
Last week, the commander in chief ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to unleash “all necessary troops” to Portland and use “full force” to protect immigration authorities from “domestic terrorists.”
Oregon immediately sued to block the president from deploying the troops.
US District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump nominee, ruled Saturday that deploying active-duty troops to Portland would not only violate the US Constitution but defy federal law barring military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
She also said that Trump’s order did not reflect the reality of the protests taking place at the immigration processing facility in south Portland.
“Overall, the protests were small and uneventful,” she wrote in her ruling.
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”
The temporary restraining order stopping Trump from mobilizing troops expires Oct. 18.
Newsom – who has spent months trolling the president on social media – blasted the rogue move as a blatant power grab.
“His deployment of the California National Guard to Oregon isn’t about crime,” he said in another post on Sunday.
“It’s about power. He is using our military as political pawns to build up his own ego. It’s appalling. It’s un-American. And it must stop.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Since June, unruly protests have ravaged Portland, with Antifa mobs in bizarre costumes swarming and vandalizing an ICE detention center and violently clashing with federal agents.
Federal immigration officials said the facility has endured nightly attacks, with agitators hurling bottle rockets and rocks at the building – while local police reportedly providing minimal support or enforcement.
Protesters have also followed ICE staff to their home and doxxed employees, Portland ICE office Director Cammila Wamsley told Fox News this week.
Quote:During a Sunday interview appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said some federal agents have been targeted amid increasing immigration enforcement throughout the country by having bounties placed on them by "gangs, cartel members and known terrorist organizations."
Newsweek has reached out to the DHS for further comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
These developments arrive amid a major escalation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Chicago and other cities, raising concerns about overall safety, civil rights, and the broader impact of federal intervention in local jurisdictions.
President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and thousands of immigrants residing in the country illegally and legally, with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained.
The allegations of bounties being placed on federal agents' heads mark a new level of threat that Noem said is "unprecedented" and come as state and local officials voice strong opposition regarding federal tactics.
What To Know
Amid ongoing immigration enforcement, Noem described a violent incident in Chicago on Saturday that ended with agents shooting a civilian, saying that a caravan of 10 vehicles followed and cornered federal agents on duty.
"They had followed them [the agents] and gotten them cornered, pinned them down, and then our agents, when getting out of their cars, they tried to run them over, and had semi-automatic handguns on them to where our agents had to protect themselves, and shots were fired, and an individual ended up in the hospital that was attacking these officers," Noem said, adding it was a "very dangerous situation."
"This individual had threatened them previously and had told them that they all needed to go down and shouted expletives at them," Noem said.
The woman who was shot by federal agents was taken in fair condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt told the Chicago Sun-Times Saturday. There have been no updates on the patient's status as of early Sunday morning.
Noem said the incident wasn't isolated but part of a larger, organized targeting of federal agents.
According to Noem, intelligence reports have indicated the attackers were organized and had previously threatened agents.
"We have specific officers and agents that have bounties that have been put out on their heads. It's been $2,000 to kidnap them, $10,000 to kill them," the DHS secretary said. "They've released their pictures. They've sent them between their networks, and it's an extremely dangerous situation and unprecedented."
When asked who was behind the bounties, Noem said that "it was gangs, cartel members and known terrorist organizations, so foreign terrorist organizations as deemed by the president but also ones that we have known for many, many years."
She added: "They are making sure that they know which officers are out there and being extremely effective, and they want to take them down, because they want to try to stop the operations that are going, that are keeping them from making money off their criminal networks."
Over 900 arrests have been made in Illinois as part of "Operation Midway Blitz." Witnesses reported aggressive detentions and expressed fears about indiscriminate arrests, noting that some affected residents are asylum-seekers or legal residents, local news station WLS reported.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Democrats are shamelessly standing by the party’s scandal-scarred Attorney General nominee for Virginia, Jay Jones, after vile texts surfaced of him fantasizing about then-Republican state House Speaker Todd Gilbert being assassinated.
Virginia Beach Dems insist Jones will serve with “integrity and accountability,” and gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger has refused to disavow him — despite sickening text messages where Jones fantasized about Gilbert getting “two bullets to the head” and called his young children “little fascists.”
“Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes,” Virginia Beach Democrats declared in a statement. “We say, let those without sin cast the first stone.”
“Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized, and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows. Virginians deserve a leader who learns, grows, and stands for everyday people—and Jay is that leader.”
Jones has been in a nail-biter race against conservative incumbent AG Jason Miyares, according to most polling.
On Friday, the National Review published a bombshell story about a multitude of disturbing messages Jones sent back in 2022
“Three people, two bullets,” one of the vile texts sent at 8 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2022, subsequently obtained by The Post, read. “Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot.”
“Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones continued, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
The texts, first reported by National Review on Friday, were sent by Jones at around 8 a.m., on Aug. 8, 2022, to Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner, who was clearly troubled by the messages.
Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner, who was on the receiving end of those messages, wrote back, “Jay. Please stop.”
Jones was previously a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, having served from 2018 through January 2022.
“It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them,” she continued.
Jones had begun the text exchange, whining about the “glowing tributes” from Republicans that centrist Democrat Joe Johnson Jr. — a former state legislator who died days earlier — was receiving.
Quote:A woman was fatally shot and a man was shot and wounded in two separate shootings at South Carolina State University on Saturday.
Live 5 News reported the shootings occurred “during the university’s annual Homecoming celebration several hours after the football game.”
The gunfire reportedly came from Hugine Suites, a residence hall which is located on the South Carolina State University campus.
The campus was locked down for an unknown amount of time following the shootings. FOX News noted that all of Sunday’s homecoming events have been cancelled in light of the violence.
Sen. Tim Scott ® used an X post to comment on the incident, saying, “My office is closely monitoring the situation at South Carolina State University.”
He added, “Praying for everyone’s safety on campus.”
Quote:A New Jersey man was arrested after allegedly toting a Molotov cocktail outside a Washington, DC Catholic church that was hosting a special mass to celebrate the start of the Supreme Court term, according to authorities.
Louis Geri, of Vineland, New Jersey, was cuffed on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday after setting up a tent full of “suspicious” items and refusing to leave, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Geri, 41, had already been banned from the Cathedral premises, officers learned, though the reason for his barring was not specified.
After cops noticed “multiple suspicious items,” including vials of liquid and possible fireworks, inside his tent, the MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force arrived to search his belongings, police said.
Geri was arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry, Threats to Kidnap or Injure a Person, and Possession of a Molotov Cocktail, according to authorities.
St. Matthew’s was celebrating its Red Mass, an annual celebration on the Sunday before the first Monday in October to mark the opening of the Supreme Court’s term.
...
The area was secured, and the front entrance of the cathedral remained closed as the scene was processed, police said.
Geri’s motive remains unclear.
The incident will be investigated by members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Last Month...
Quote:WASHINGTON — An FBI investigation launched in the wake of the the 2020 election scrutinized nearly 100 Republican and GOP-aligned groups or people — including Turning Point USA, co-founded by slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, unclassified bureau files released Tuesday show.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) published files related to the probe — codenamed “Arctic Frost” — during a panel hearing, saying the records revealed “Arctic Frost was much broader than just an electoral matter” and that the investigation “expanded to Republican organizations.”
“Some examples of the groups the [Christopher] Wray FBI sought to place under political investigation included the Republican National Committee, Republican Attorneys General Association and Trump political groups,” Grassley went on.
“On that political list was one of Charlie Kirk’s groups, Turning Point USA,” he added.
“In other words, Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to politically investigate Trump. It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.”
Arctic Frost kicked off in April 2022 and focused on at least 92 Republican-linked entities like Kirk’s youth activist organization. That November, the case was handed over to special counsel Jack Smith.
Smith would go on to federally charge President Trump with unlawfully hoarding national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and wrongly seeking to overturn the 2020 election results.
The investigation pursued lines of inquiry about purportedly false election fraud claims, fake elector schemes, frivolous lawsuits, financial fraud and pressure on state officials to flip vote counts in Trump’s favor.
“This conspiracy involved subjects from the private sector, in numerous battleground states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Mexico, and Arizona), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the White House,” one of the newly released FBI documents stated.
The FBI documents also show that the bureau pursued potential crimes related to “J6 $,” an apparent reference to groups that may have backed Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally or participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that temporarily halted certification of Biden’s electoral victory.
Honestly, I'd claim that such a probe on Trump might have flipped more votes in Trump's favor than anything the Biden's DOJ could have ever suspected to find in Mar-a-Lago.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:Pigs to the slaughter.
An estimated 13,000 swine were horrifically burned to death on a farm in Ukraine, after a Russian drone strike overnight ignited a massive fire that tore through the pen, the country’s emergency service reported.
Graphic photos released show the pig carcasses charred and mutilated at the farm in Novovodolazka, a community in the Kharkiv region, near the eastern border with neighboring Russia.
“The destruction is catastrophic,” Oleksandr Kolisnyk, the farm’s director, told Ukraine’s public broadcaster, adding as many as two dozen Russian drones pounded the farm.
“They purposefully beat right at the pigsty,” he said. “For four hours with an interval of 20-40 minutes, they banged on the sheds.”
Eight pig sheds were destroyed in the widespread blaze, which also injured one worker, authorities said.
“It’s very scary, it can’t be expressed in words,” added Dmytro Yaroshenko, one of the farm’s workers. “A lot has been destroyed.”
Only 2,000 of the farm’s 15,000 pigs survived, with farmers unable to enter the burning sheds and trying to save the swine wherever they could.
“There is no justification for this,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry blasted on X. “Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure, including peaceful farms.”
Some 32 firefighters were called to battle the blaze, with Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Synehubov calling the removal of the pig carcasses “a complex process” on Saturday.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, more than 6 million animals are estimated to have been killed in the war, according to animal rights organization UAnimals.
Quote:At least 30 civilians were injured and one person killed in a “savage” Russian drone strike on a Ukrainian railway station Saturday — as Moscow escalates attacks on the country’s rail and power grids ahead of the winter.
The body of a 71-year-old man was found in one of the carriages, according to regional prosecutors, after he died in the double-tap strike.
Moscow struck two passenger trains in quick succession in Shostka, a city northeast of Kyiv in the Sumy region, about 40 miles from the Russian border.
“The Russians could not have been unaware that they were striking civilians. And this is terror the world must not ignore,” blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X.
“Every day Russia takes people’s lives. And only strength can make them stop.”
Footage of the aftermath showed charred passenger locomotives that were still in flames, with plumes of black smoke rising into the air.
Three children were among the dozens injured.
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin recently stepped up strikes on Ukraine’s railway network — which the war-torn country uses for military transport — hitting its infrastructure almost daily over the past two months.
And the tyrant has also ramped up attacks on its power grid, in what Kyiv has called an attempt to weaponize the approaching winter, in an attempt to leave its citizens in the dark and cold.
Overnight Friday, Russia pounded Ukraine’s power grid, for the second day in a row.
Drones ignited fires that sparked blackouts for 50,000 households close to the Russian border, according to utility supplier Chernihivoblenergo.
In response, the G7 held an emergency meeting Saturday, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported.
Representatives from more than 100 nations and international organizations were present, including the US and the EU.
“It’s an obvious attempt to deprive Ukrainians of light and heat in the autumn-winter period. The Russians did not give up the intentions of plunging Ukraine into darkness on the eve of the new heating season,” said Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Andarak.
Quote:At least five people were killed as Russia launched air strikes in western Ukraine early Sunday, raining missiles and drones on the Lviv region near the Polish border — forcing the NATO country to scramble jets to lock down its skies.
Lviv — only 43 miles from Poland — was pounded for hours overnight by missiles and Russian drones as air defenses fired furiously in all directions to fend off the attack, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said five people died and at least 10 others were injured in the attack. He estimated that Russia launched more than 50 missiles and 500 drones.
“Today, the Russians once again targeted our infrastructure – everything that ensures normal life for our people,” Zelensky said. “We need more protection and faster implementation of all defense agreements, especially on air defense, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning.
“A unilateral ceasefire in the skies is possible – and it is precisely that which could open the way to real diplomacy. America and Europe must act to make Putin stop,” Zelensky said.
A witness told The Post the latest strike is “definitely the worst hit in Lviv since the beginning of the war.”
“We’ve been under a massive attack for about 4 hours now, and it still continues,” the Lviv source said.
“Drones, and two types of cruise missiles have been uses. Countless explosions were heard throughout these 4 hours and it continues even now. Black smoke and a putrid odor covers the city, as air defense is still active and the buzz of drones are heard even this moment.”
Polish officials said they ramped up air patrols after suspected Russian drones were recently spotted over several NATO countries.
“Polish and allied aircraft are operation in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said in a post on X early Sunday.
“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened region.”
INTERNATIONAL
Quote:Syria’s government has asked factions within the military to prepare for operations against the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on 29 September.
According to SOHR, Turkish-aligned factions in the Syrian army were asked to “prepare for operations” against the SDF in Deir Hafer and the Tishreen Dam area.
SOHR added that officials in Damascus have requested that a campaign against the SDF not take more than a week.
The operation would aim to pressure the Kurdish group into accepting the agreement signed with Damascus in March this year.
Recent days have seen a significant buildup of both Syrian army forces and SDF troops in eastern Aleppo.
On Monday, SOHR reported escalating clashes in eastern Aleppo. More than 10 artillery shells struck areas around the Tishreen Dam following exchanges between the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian factions.
Earlier in the day, SOHR sources confirmed that orders were issued to deploy “show-of-force” units with heavy vehicles, tanks, and artillery to the Deir Hafer frontline in anticipation of possible SDF operations.
There are also reports that the SDF has stationed kamikaze drones, rocket launchers, and long-range artillery near the local sugar factory.
Military reinforcements from Turkiye also arrived at Kuweires Airport, while the Aleppo–Raqqa Road in Deir Hafer remained closed for a third consecutive day. Additional forces from both the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian units have gathered around the Tishreen Dam, heightening concerns over an escalation.
SOHR added that an SDF drone strike destroyed two positions of Turkish-backed Syrian factions in Qashla village on Sunday.
There has been tension between the SDF and the government over a deal signed in March calling for the Kurdish group’s integration into Damascus’s forces.
The two sides disagree about the deal’s implementation, particularly the SDF’s wish to remain under Kurdish command and enter the army as a bloc rather than dissolve and conscript.
Skirmishes between the SDF and the Syrian army have broken out several times since last month.
Ankara’s proxy, the Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition, was incorporated into Syria’s military after the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government last year. These Turkish-backed forces have been at odds with the SDF for years and are responsible for war crimes against Kurdish civilians in northern Syria.
The SDF is made up predominantly of People’s Protection Units (YPG) forces. The YPG is the Syrian branch of Turkiye’s enemy, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The Turkish army, which occupies Syria and has operated against the SDF in the past, may be gearing up for a new campaign, self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said earlier this month.
Turkiye “may act militarily if full integration is not achieved by December,” Sharaa warned.
In late May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the SDF to “quit stalling” and integrate with the Syrian army.
Turkiye is currently training Syria’s new extremist-dominated military.
The National reported on 17 August that Damascus is assembling a force of 50,000 to capture Deir Ezzor and Raqqa from the SDF.
Quote:Exiled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was hospitalized recently after being poisoned while hiding out in Russia, according to a human rights watchdog.
al-Assad, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was rushed to an emergency room on Sept. 20 in critical condition, but was released nine days later after receiving medical care, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights first reported Thursday.
He was poisoned while at home in a villa near Moscow that the report claims is heavily guarded by Russian authorities.
His movements are restricted, but al-Assad has had many visitors to the villa.
“Whether the poisoning was a result of confusion or more, no one knows,” reads the report. “When Bashar al-Assad was admitted to the hospital, he was admitted in an emergency room and in critical condition in intensive care in a private hospital in or near the Moscow suburbs.
“Only the party that carried out the operation knows whether it was to kill Bashar al-Assad or to embarrass the Russian government,” the report adds.
Sources claim the Russia government had nothing to do with the poisoning, according to the report, which suggested “it may have been intended to implicate the Russian government,” and to show “that President Putin is incapable of protecting him.”
Russian officials remain mum on the matter.
al-Assad was ousted from power last December, after an Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, toppled his regime.
Amid the rebel assault, al-Assad assured his military that help was inbound from the Kremlin.
Not even 24 hours later, he fled Damascus with his wife and three children on a plane to Moscow.
Quote:The jihadist “interim” government of Syria sent a delegation to Moscow on Thursday for talks to facilitate better communication with the defense ministries of both countries, reports claimed – a challenge following Russia’s decades-long support of former dictator Bashar Assad, who the current government deposed.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a jihadist formerly known as “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani” who ran the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has attempted to rebrand since the demise of the Assad regime as a pragmatist primarily concerned with attracting foreign investment for post-war reconstruction in Syria. These efforts have included multiple friendly meetings with American President Donald Trump and a bizarre public appearance last month alongside retired Gen. David Petraeus, who awkwardly noted that Sharaa was once his prisoner as the head of U.S. forces in Iraq.
Sharaa has nonetheless maintained a distance from Russia and endeavored to bring Syria closer to the government of Ukraine, which has been attempted to fight off a full-scale Russian invasion for three years. Complicating matters is Russia’s ongoing military presence in the country, including at least two bases, which Moscow has expressed interest in maintaining despite the fall of ally Assad.
The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on Thursday that the Syrian delegation on Moscow “was led by Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian transitional government’s armed forces, Major General Ali Al-Naasan” and focused on facilitating communication. The military leaders’ visit precedes a planned visit to Moscow by Sharaa himself later in October.
“This visit is part of efforts to enhance coordination mechanisms between the defense ministries of both countries,” the Russian government stated.
Some reports indicated that the Sharaa government has attempted to explain the meeting as a routine visit to elevate Syria’s diplomat status abroad, but has faced pushback at home given Russia’s poor reputation in Syria. The local affairs outlet Syrian Observer reported that Damascus has continued to engage Russia given the country’s presence at two major military sites, “the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval facility” and the two sides are believed to be engaged in discussions on what to do with those sites. The government itself has not offered specifics on the nature of the talks this week, however.
Quote:Christians in the Syrian provinces of Hama and Homs called a general strike, blocked roads, set fire to a security checkpoint, and marched to demand justice after two of their number were murdered and a third was injured by masked gunmen wearing the uniforms of the General Security Service, the national police force of the central government controlled by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The attack occurred on Wednesday evening in the village of Anaz, located in a region of Homs known as Wadi al-Nasara, or the “Valley of Christians.” According to eyewitnesses, four masked men wearing government security uniforms rode up to the village mayor’s home and opened fire on a group of young men gathered outside, downing three victims with a hail of at least 30 bullets.
The gunshot victims were identified as three Christians named George Mansour, Shafiq Rafiq Mansour, and Pierre Hreikos. Cousins George and Shafiq Mansour were killed instantly, while Hreikos was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Early reports said he had died of his wounds, while an update on Thursday evening said he was still alive. Several other injuries were reported from the shooting.
News of the attack spread like wildfire among Christians who have been fearful of persecution ever since Sharaa, a former leader in the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, and his alliance of jihadi groups overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in December.
Sharaa has promised to deliver an inclusive, but still Islamist, government that will respect the rights of Syria’s many ethnic and religious groups. He has won support from international leaders hoping to rebuild Syria and end the massive humanitarian crisis caused by its bloody 14-year-long civil war, including President Donald Trump.
There have been incidents of mass violence against minorities in Syria since Sharaa took power, including attacks on the Alawite Muslims, an offbeat sect of Shia Islam that counted the Assad dynasty as members, plus the Druze living near the border with Israel, and Syrian Christians.
In every case, the attackers included jihadis allied with Sharaa’s organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Eyewitnesses frequently reported the attackers were wearing uniforms or insignia of the new Syrian central government’s security services, as was the case in Anaz. Troops from the central government openly assisted Bedouin Muslims with killing the Druze in July, prompting Israel to intervene with strikes on Syrian military convoys and headquarters buildings.
Sharaa and his officials have responded to these allegations by either claiming the killers were rogue members of the HTS alliance, or blaming the victims for initiating violent encounters. Sharaa promised to investigate the worst reports of violence against the Druze, for example, but also claimed Druze “outlaws” were working with Israel to destabilize his government.
The Syrian government’s head of security for Homs province, Brig. Gen. Murhaf al-Nusan, denounced the Anaz shooting and described the masked gunmen as criminals seeking to exacerbate tensions in the region. He urged residents of the province to “remain calm and avoid being drawn into rumors or provocations.”
“We condemn this heinous crime in the strongest terms and categorically reject all forms of violence that threaten the safety and stability of society. The aim of this criminal act is to destabilise security, spread fear in the region, and attempt to influence the parliamentary election process,” he said.
Syria is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 5, although they will not quite be a triumph of democracy and representative government.
Quote:President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he had no choice but to accept his cease-fire proposal, Israeli television’s Channel 12 reported Saturday.
“Netanyahu had reservations but I told him that this is his opportunity for victory,” Trump told reporter Barak Ravid in a phone call Saturday. “He accepted it. There is no other choice, with me you have to be okay.”
“Bibi went too far in Gaza and Israel lost a lot of support in the world,” Trump added. “Now I will bring back all that support.”
Trump spoke with Netanyahu by phone Friday, according to Channel 12.
The Saturday report comes a day after Hamas accepted certain key parts of Trump’s plan, including the release of Israeli hostages and ending the war in Gaza.
Quote:President Trump expressed wariness Sunday about whether Hamas truly wanted lasting peace and warned the terror group they would face “complete obliteration” if they refused to cede control of Gaza — as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted all hostages will be freed in the “coming days.”
As Israeli and Hamas negotiators hash out Trump’s 20-point cease-fire deal, the president said the terrorists must adhere to all the demands listed, including calls to disarm and abandon power over the Gaza Strip, which the group has ruled for nearly 20 years.
If Hamas fails to comply, it would result in their “complete obliteration,” Trump texted CNN’s Jake Tapper.
On Friday, Hamas agreed to release all Israeli hostages — both dead and alive — but it would not commit to disarmament or relinquishing power in Gaza to an international force.
When pressed by Tapper on whether Hamas was truly behind the cease-fire deal, the president said, “We will find out. Only time will tell!”
However, Trump noted that Netanyahu was fully on board with his vision for peace, with the prime minister allegedly agreeing to end Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza to support Trump.
Trump’s plan calls for an immediate cease-fire, an exchange of all the 48 hostages, a staged withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the creation of a transitional government spearheaded by an international body.
“After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE,” he added.
Trump also told reporters on Sunday that the outcome of the ongoing negotiations will be revealed in the next “couple of days,” adding that there might be some changes.
“We don’t need flexibility, because everyone has pretty much agreed to it, but there’ll always be some changes,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a televised address to the nation, Netanyahu vowed that the hostages would be freed during Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which lasts from Monday to Oct. 13.
During his first public response to Trump’s deal on Saturday, Netanyahu also hailed it as a complete victory for Israel while claiming it would not have been accomplished without the nearly two years of war in Gaza.
Quote:LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) – London police arrested dozens of protesters for supporting a banned pro-Palestinian group at a demonstration on Saturday which went ahead despite requests to call it off after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester.
Two people were killed in the attack in the northwestern English city on Thursday and police shot dead the assailant, a British man of Syrian descent who counter-terrorism police said may have been inspired by extremist Islamist ideology.
Organizers refused requests by the police and government to call off Saturday’s demonstration, which had been announced before the attack, to protest against the banning of pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws.
STARMER CALLS FOR CALM
Calling for calm on X on Saturday morning, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognize and respect the grief of British Jews.”
“This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together,” he said.
Police arrested protesters in Trafalgar Square in central London as they wrote slogans on placards declaring support for Palestine Action, which was proscribed in July after members broke into an airbase and damaged military planes.
Hundreds gathered for the protest, applauding and cheering those arrested as they were carried through the crowd by police without resisting. Onlookers chanted “shame on you” at officers.
“I’m disgusted by the police actually, they shouldn’t be arresting non-violent protesters here,” said protester Angie Zelter. “We have a right to protest and Palestine Action is not a violent organization, should never have been proscribed in the first place.”
Six people were arrested separately after unfurling a Palestine Action banner on Westminster Bridge outside parliament.
SERIES OF PROTESTS
The demonstration is the latest in a series of protests, during which hundreds have been arrested for defying the ban which makes it an offense to show support for Palestine Action.
Quote:Members of a pro-Palestine protest in Rome reportedly defaced a statue honouring the late Pope John Paul II with graffiti that described him as a “fascist”.
The statue of Pope John Paul II in the Piazza Cinquecento outside of Rome’s Termini railway station was spray-painted with the communist hammer and sickle symbol and the words “fascist shit”. Meanwhile, a keffiyeh headdress was wrapped around the statue’s neck.
The act of vandalism was discovered on September 26th by the Carabinieri national gendarmerie following a pro-Palestine demonstration in the Italian capital, La Repubblica reported on Saturday.
Responding to the incident, Deputy Italian PM Matteo Salvini remarked, “Desperately seeking a brain for these poor imbeciles.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the anti-Israel vandals, saying: “They say they’re taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace.”
“An unworthy act committed by people blinded by ideology, demonstrating total ignorance of history and its protagonists.”
Indeed, rather than being a “fascist”, Pope John Paul II was a Polish survivor of the Nazi occupation of his country as a younger man and had personally saved a Jewish woman during the Holocaust.
He further survived the Soviet occupation of Poland and became a leading voice against communist authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe through his spiritual leadership.
The disclosure of the vandalism came as hundreds of thousands protested again across Italy over the weekend.
At the pro-Palestine demonstration in Rome, 11 people were arrested, and a further 262 have been identified as being involved with clashes with police, Il Sole 24 Ore reported.
The paper reported that hundreds of hooded protesters set fires and clashed with police in the evening, resulting in 35 officers being injured and prompting the force to deploy water cannons against the mob.
Prime Minister Meloni said of the violent scenes: “A heartfelt thank you to the Law Enforcement Agencies for the extraordinary work carried out in these complex days, despite having had to face attacks, objects thrown at them, and organised attempts at confrontation.
“I stand with all the agents who were injured: their professionalism and courage represent an indispensable safeguard for the security of our Nation.”
Quote:VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) – Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and forced the shutdown of Vilnius Airport, delaying flights for hours, authorities said.
The balloons interfered with 30 flights, impacting some 6,000 passengers, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Flights resumed at 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) Sunday.
While the balloons turned out to be ferrying cigarettes, Europe is on high alert after intrusions into NATO’s airspace reached an unprecedented scale last month. Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATO´s response, which raised questions about how prepared the alliance is against Russia.
Lithuania and the rest of the Baltics are especially concerned. On July 10, a drone identified as a Russian-made Gerbera flew into Lithuania from Belarus and crashed in Vilnius County.
Another crashed at a military training ground on July 28 and was found a week later. The military later said it was carrying an explosive device. After those incidents, the parliament voted to allow the armed forces to shoot down any unmanned drone violating its airspace.
Two of the balloons flew above Vilnius Airport, according to spokesperson Darius Buta. More than two dozen reached the wider Vilnius County. The balloons were recorded flying between roughly 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
Border police recovered 11 balloons and some 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in various locations, Buta told The Associated Press.
Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, is located some 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the border with Russian ally Belarus. Belarusian smugglers are increasingly using the balloons, which are much cheaper than drones, for smuggling cigarettes into the European Union, Buta said.
Similar incidents, but with fewer balloons, were reported in August. Last year, 966 hot-air balloons entering from Belarus were intercepted by Lithuanian authorities. There have been 544 recorded this year.
“Both smuggling balloons and drones are criminal activities, but not as provocations or acts of sabotage,” Buta said.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
![[Image: SP1-Reporter.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GmxWbHyL/SP1-Reporter.png)
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
