Hamas survivor refutes progressives downplaying terrorists’ sexual violence
A recently released Hamas hostage’s revelation of sexual violence against her fellow captives appears to refute anti-Israel progressives who tend to downplay or dismiss terrorists’ atrocities. Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48, was held hostage by Hamas with three of her children for 51 days following the Palestinian terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israelis. Her husband and eldest daughter were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the attack. CNN HOST CLASHES WITH PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT OVER HAMAS’ USE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE: ‘YOU TURNED IT BACK TO ISRAEL’ Goldstein-Almog and her children were released by the terror group, and the wife and mother gave an interview with the Israeli press on Dec. 11 about her time as a hostage. During her interview, Goldstein-Almog revealed she heard firsthand accounts of sexual violence from other female hostages by their Hamas captors. “I heard the testimony directly from girls and heard things second hand,” Goldstein-Almog said. “Some of the sexual violence happened well into our time in Gaza, not in the first week.” “But the way their bodies were desecrated, they don’t know how they will deal with that. It happened weeks into their time in Gaza,” she said. “If they were released earlier, they would’ve been saved from experiencing sexual violence,” Goldstein-Almog added. Goldstein-Almog said they “heard three stories firsthand of women saying they were sexually abused and we heard an additional story.” She added that “presumably, there are more instances” of sexual violence by Hamas. The former hostage also said she “was threatened once when they thought I was wandering around and looking free” in the first apartment they were taken to and that “there was a threat that” she would “be handcuffed, but it didn’t happen.” “I said I have kids and nothing happened to me,” Goldstein-Almog said. “It was the only time I felt under threat [of sexual violence].” A spokesperson for the Biden administration State Department noted earlier this month that one of the reasons Hamas does not want to release women hostages is because “they don’t want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them.” Many American progressives have been largely silent on Hamas’ sexual violence against Israelis, while some have downplayed or dismissed the reports of sexual assault. Briahna Joy Gray, a former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, tweeted earlier this month, “‘Believe all women’ was always an absurd overreach: woman should be heard, claims should be investigated, but evidence is required.” “The same is true of the allegations out of Israel,” Gray wrote in a Dec. 4 tweet. “But also, this isn’t a ‘believe women’ scenario bc no female victims have offered testimony.” “Zionists are asking that we believe the uncorroborated eyewitness account of *men* who describe alleged rape victims in odd, fetishistic terms,” Gray continued in a subsequent tweet. “Shame on Israel for not seriously investigating claims of rape and collecting rape kits,” she added. Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was torched after she clashed with CNN’s Dana Bash over the lack of widespread condemnation of Hamas’ use of sexual violence against Israeli women during the Oct. 7 attacks. The Washington state Democrat suggested that wasn’t true, and claimed she had already condemned Hamas’ treatment of women, before quickly turning the conversation back to Israel. “But I think we have to remember Israel is a democracy. That is why they’re a strong ally of ours. And if they do not comply with international humanitarian law, they are bringing themselves to a place that makes it much more difficult strategically for them to be able to build allies, to keep public opinion with them, and frankly, morally, we cannot say that one war crime deserves another. That is not what international humanitarian law says,” Jayapal said. “With respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel. I’m asking you about Hamas,” Bash said. The lawmaker said she had already answered the question and added, “We have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians. Fifteen thousand Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, three-quarters of whom are women and children.” “And it’s horrible,” Bash said. “But you don’t see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women.” “I don’t want this to be the hierarchies of oppressions,” Jayapal said. Jayapal has since issued a statement “unequivocally” condemning “Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as an act of war.” “This is horrific and across the world, we must stand with our sisters, families, and survivors of rape and sexual assault everywhere to condemn this violence and hold perpetrators accountable,” Jayapal said. Neither Jayapal nor Gray immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck contributed reporting.
Hunter Biden faces backlash after defying subpoena with press conference ‘stunt’: ‘Hold him in contempt!’
Hunter Biden is facing intense backlash after holding a Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday in which he refused to sit for a deposition before Congress, and declared his father, President Biden, was never “financially involved” in his business dealings. Calls to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress began almost immediately following the end of the press conference, while other critics pointed to the claims concerning his father’s relationship to his business dealings as “goalpost shifting.” “They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service,” Hunter said. “For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.” He added that “my father was not financially involved in my business,” saying he was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the United States. HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS “We have moved from Joe Biden saying he never discussed business with Hunter to a new argument of Joe Biden wasn’t financially involved at all with Hunter’s business & most media haven’t covered the changing stories. Hold Hunter in contempt & impeach Joe,” OutKick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis wrote on X. “Hunter Biden refuses to comply with [Rep. James Comer’s, R-Ky.] subpoena to be deposed behind closed doors and demands a public hearing so he can tell sob stories on TV. Reminder that Don Jr. testified behind closed doors for over 40 hours about the Russia hoax. Hold him in contempt!” conservative commentator Greg Price wrote. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee quickly reacted on social media, pushing back against Hunter’s “stunt.” Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., both echoed those calls to hold Hunter in contempt, accusing him of mocking Congress with a “stunt,” and calling his refusal an “obstruction of justice.” “Hunter Biden, this ain’t Burger King. You can’t Have It Your Way when it comes to congressional subpoenas. Quit the stunts, make your way to the deposition room, and let’s talk,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote. CALLS GROW FOR CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S FLIGHT LOGS DESPITE DEMOCRAT ‘STONEWALLING’ Donalds also responded to Hunter’s claim he was being targeted by “MAGA Republicans,” declaring, “‘MAGA Republicans’ did not impugn Hunter Biden’s character. Hunter Biden did that to himself.” “What’s Hunter Biden so afraid of?” wrote Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. “This is one HELL of a new qualifier from Hunter Biden. Hunter now says, “My father was not financially involved in my business” FLASHBACK: Joe Biden used to say he has never talked about business with his family. This is a major shift from the Bidens,” GOP communications strategist Steve Guest wrote. WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION Abigail Jackson, the communications director for Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., echoed Guest, noting that “we’ve gone from Joe Biden claiming he never even discussed business with Hunter to Hunter claiming Joe was never *financially* involved in his business. Big goalpost shifting and lots of lies from the Bidens.” “First, Joe Biden had no knowledge, then he had no involvement, and now he has no ‘financial’ involvement. Time to explain ‘10 held by H for the big guy,’ the reported bank records showing a money trail to Joe Biden, and Hunter’s messages saying Joe Biden financially benefited,” Republican National Committee strategic communications director Tommy Pigott wrote. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Home Ministry directs to launch security review in Parliament as opposition raise concerns at all-party meet
Home ministry was asked to launch a security review of Parliament as members of the opposition at an all-party meeting demanded a thorough probe into the incident of two persons jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber.
U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether to restrict abortion drug next year
Mifepristone has been used to terminate pregnancies after FDA approval 20 years ago. A federal judge in Amarillo attempted to ban it by suspending its regulatory approval. This is the first time the high court will decide an abortion case since its overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Supreme Court takes challenge to Jan. 6 charge that could have implications for Trump
The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to weigh in on Jan. 6 rioters’ case disputing an obstruction charge that could have implications for one of former President Donald Trump’s criminal cases. The justices agreed to review a lower court’s ruling that revived a charge against three defendants accused of obstructing an official proceeding. That charge refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith also brought an obstruction charge against Trump, among four counts brought against the 2024 Republican primary front runner. Trump’s trial in that case is slated to begin March 4th, but the Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case could impact Trump’s trial start date. SUPREME COURT AGREES TO DECIDE ON ABORTION PILL ACCESS, APPROVAL PROCESS Over 300 people have been charged by the Justice Department with obstructing an official proceeding in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. This case stems from three defendants – Garret Miller of Dallas, Joseph Fischer of Boston, and Edward Jacob Lang of New York’s Hudson Valley. A lower court judge earlier dismissed the obstruction charge against three defendants, ruling that their conduct didn’t warrant that charge. WHY JACK SMITH APPEALED DIRECTLY TO SCOTUS, WITH TRUMP TRYING TO DELAY CASE PAST THE ELECTION U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols found that prosecutors stretched the law beyond its scope to inappropriately apply it in these cases. Nichols ruled that a defendant must have taken “some action with respect to a document, record or other object” to obstruct an official proceeding under the law. Biden’s DOJ challenged that ruling, and the appeals court in Washington, D.C. agreed with prosecutors in April that Nichols’ interpretation of the law was too limited. SUPREME COURT: TRUMP MUST RESPOND TO SPECIAL COUNSEL’S PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY PETITION BEFORE CHRISTMAS Other defendants, including Trump, are separately challenging the use of the charge. Over 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot, and more than 650 defendants have pleaded guilty. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in this case in the coming months and issue a ruling by the summer. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democrat senator takes action to reverse Biden admin move ‘endangering our food supply’
Democratic Montana Sen. Jon Tester is joining forces with Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota to introduce legislation blocking the Biden administration from allowing beef imports that he says could contain a disease impacting U.S. food supplies. Tester and Rounds announced late Tuesday that they would introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that would overturn the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to lift a long-standing ban on beef imports from Paraguay. The USDA is expected to implement the decision as soon as Thursday over opposition from Tester, Rounds and U.S. livestock industry groups which have pointed to the South American nation’s history of cattle disease. “The Biden Administration has this one backwards — resuming beef imports from a country with a recent history of foot and mouth disease is bad news for both Montana consumers and producers,” Tester said in a statement Tuesday. “Montana ranchers work hard to produce the best quality beef in the world, and it’s clear that the USDA doesn’t have the data to show that Paraguay meets the same animal health standards,” the Montana senator continued. “I’m willing to take this fight to the Senate floor because it’s clear that bureaucrats in Washington are endangering our food supply while giving a raw deal to American ranchers and consumers.” BIDEN RIPPED FOR LATEST ‘LAND GRAB’ BLOCKING KEY ENERGY, AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT Rounds added that Americans should be able to “confidently feed their families beef that has met the rigorous standards” required in America. In November, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) finalized regulations to allow Paraguayan beef imports and issued a series of conditions importers must meet to ensure livestock diseases aren’t present in shipped products. Paraguay’s livestock industry has a history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which spreads quickly among livestock and could severely threaten the U.S. economy. LOCAL RESIDENTS EXPLODE AT BIDEN OFFICIALS OVER PLAN TO RELEASE GRIZZLY BEARS NEAR THEIR COMMUNITIES According to a readout of a September meeting between the Paraguayan government and the White House Office of the United States Trade Representative, the two sides discussed the process to authorize the import of raw beef products and Paraguayan officials expressed their desire to resume raw beef product trade “as soon as possible.” In addition, Paraguayan cattle industry associations and government agencies including the Embassy of Paraguay to the United States submitted comments in May in response to the proposed version of the regulations finalized last month. The comments similarly urged the USDA to immediately allow beef imports. GOP REP INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING UN FOR CALLING ON AMERICANS TO STOP EATING MEAT “The exportation of Paraguayan beef to the United States will benefit both Paraguayan and American business and consumers with increased choices for premium beef products,” the Embassy of Paraguay wrote in its filing. “The Government of Paraguay is committed to working closely with U.S. authorities to ensure that all food safety and quality regulations are met, and we are confident that Paraguayan beef will be a big success in the U.S. market.” However, the same federal rulemaking process garnered substantial negative feedback from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), regional affiliates of the group, the United States Cattlemen’s Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation, which all argued the action could lead to a FMD outbreak in the U.S. — which has been free of the disease since 1929 — causing massive economic damage. “USDA based their decision to allow beef imports from Paraguay on a deeply flawed risk assessment that uses old data from site visits that were conducted more than nine years ago,” Kent Bacus, the executive director of government affairs for the NCBA, the largest industry group representing U.S. cattle producers, said last month. “Paraguay has a history of FMD outbreaks, and it is unclear if their inspection system can provide an equivalent level of safety for animal health to prevent a possible FMD outbreak on U.S. soil,” he continued. “Paraguay heavily relies on private sector funding for most of its FMD mitigation measures, and USDA did not consider the risk associated with Paraguay’s economic downturn over the last several years.”
Tunisian opposition leader Chaima Issa gets suspended jail term
Military court hands Issa one-year suspended sentence for insulting the president, inciting soldiers to disobey orders. A prominent Tunisian opposition activist has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence for insulting the president, her lawyer says. Chaima Issa was convicted by a military court on Wednesday of inciting soldiers to disobey orders and insulting President Kais Saied, Islem Hamza said. Issa denies wrongdoing. The charges relate to comments Issa made accusing Saied of trying to create “tyranny”, saying parliamentary elections in 2022 were useless and calling on the army not to be involved. Issa’s sentence is widely seen by Tunisia’s opposition as a step to silence Saied’s critics. The president, who was democratically elected in October 2019, launched a power grab in July 2021, ousting the former parliament and prime minister and giving himself sweeping emergency powers. He has since pushed through a new constitution to weaken parliament and cracked down on his political opponents. Issa herself was among 20 political leaders detained in February on suspicion of “plotting against state security”. She was released in July pending her trial. Rights groups have urged authorities to free the other political detainees, including former parliament speaker and leader of the Ennahdha party Rached Ghannouchi. Saied has rejected such calls, describing the detainees as “terrorists” and “traitors” and warning that judges who release them would be abetting their crimes. Issa, a member of the National Salvation Front coalition, said after a court hearing on Tuesday that Saied’s opponents were being treated like “criminals”. “We are not criminals,” she said. “We are not plotters. We are not traitors. We are politicians, opponents of the coup of July 25, 2021.” ‘Opinion trials must end’ Rights activists slammed Issa’s conviction and the fact that she was tried under a military court. “She should have never been prosecuted for expressing her opinions nor tried by a military court,” Salsabil Chellali of Human Rights Watch said on X, formerly Twitter. En #Tunisie, la militante Chaima Issa vient d’être condamnée à un an de prison avec sursis par un tribunal militaire pour avoir critiqué le président Kais Saied. Elle n’aurait jamais dû être poursuivie pour avoir exprimé ses opinions, ni jugée par un tribunal militaire @hrw_fr https://t.co/Yc8lJ8zzS5 — Salsabil Chellali (@SaChellali) December 13, 2023 Samir Dilou, a senior official in the National Salvation Front and a lawyer for Issa, said: “The military court does not have the authority to try opponents. Opinion trials must end.” “A country in which there was a revolution against injustice would not have the right to put opponents on trial for their ideas and opinions,” Dilou said. Adblock test (Why?)
Finding a fix: Nigerian women lead drive to upcycle plastics
Lagos, Nigeria — For years, Maryam Lawani was really pained when it rained. She lived in the Oshodi Isolo area of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where canals often overflow messily into the streets during downpours. Additionally, she was always struck by the huge amount of plastic waste on the streets after the rains receded and how this in turn affected mobility or even made the roads deteriorate. After even a little rain in Lagos, the streets get muddy and potholes brimming by the side with broken plastics, gin sachets, pure water nylons, used diapers and other items. “I felt a strong need to prevent climate crises as a response to a personal pain point,” she told Al Jazeera. So she began to research the recurring problem and then discovered that plastic pollution was a global issue. According to the United Nations, on average, the world produces 430 million tonnes of plastic every year; wrappers for chocolate bars, packets and plastic utensils. And there are consequences; every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into water bodies. As a result, plastic pollution is set to triple by 2060 if no action is taken. UN reports also say that Nigeria generates about 2.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually. Of that, over 130,000 tonnes of plastic make their way into water bodies, putting the country among the top 20 contributors to marine debris globally. And while Nigeria has several dumping sites for waste, those in the environmental sector like Olumide Idowu, executive director for International Climate Change Initiative, say there is no exact data on their number or capacity to handle large volumes of waste sufficiently. So waste has visibly caused blocked drainages and pollution, even as climate shocks like floods hit parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This is most obvious in Lagos, the country’s most populated city, with an estimated 24 million people. [embedded content] Challenges Compared to other developing countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, which have banned single-use plastics or are gradually eliminating them, Nigeria hasn’t done much to combat plastic pollution, experts say. In 2020, the Ministry of Environment launched the Nigeria Circular Economy Policy to help transition the country to a circular economy and promote sustainable waste management. But Idowu says proper waste collection and recycling facilities are still needed for Nigeria to tackle plastic pollution effectively. “Nigeria may also need to strengthen existing regulations or introduce new ones to address plastic pollution,” he says, adding that the country’s large population could also be a challenge in enforcing them. ”[But] economic constraints and lack of alternative packaging options may hinder the transition away from single-use plastics.” “As more individuals, businesses, and the government recognize the value of upcycling, it is likely that the sector will grow and contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy in Nigeria,” Idowu says. Climate Lead’s Oladosu says there is a need to involve as many people as possible in the movement for a cleaner, greener Nigeria. “We need to make people understand that climate change is real, and it will affect everyone regardless of where they live, Ajegunle or Lekki,” she said. “We can all feel the heat of the sun, the impact of flooding, etc. There are different angles to mitigating climate change and recycling is just one. Another is responsible consumption. There is a need for everyone to be climate and environmentally conscious.” The recycling mission During her research, Lawani discovered she could recycle plastics to help clean up the neighbourhood mess. So in 2015, she founded Greenhill Recycling which now recovers an average of 100-200 tonnes of waste monthly, she says. Her business also provides a means of supplemental income for people around her, by paying them around 100-150 naira ($0.1265) for every kilogramme of trash collected. “We encourage and sensitise people not to thrash waste but to bag them neatly in their homes,” she told Al Jazeera. “We pick up from their doorstep, their homes and not in dump sites.” “Waste is a currency to address other issues around poverty, unemployment and the environment. People are able to exchange waste for profitable things like school fees, clothes and even food,” Lawani added. Like Lawani’s Greenhill Recycling, several other women-led upcycling and recycling companies have sprung up in Africa’s largest economy, in addition to the well-known Wecyclers social enterprise. In coastal Lagos, RESWAYE (Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment) works in communities with women and young girls who are trained to go into schools and estates to retrieve plastics. Their collections go to a sorting hub and from there to upscalers. Doyinsola Ogunye, founder of RESWAYE told Al Jazeera that it has reached 4000 women in 41 coastal communities in Lagos, while also giving personal hygiene kits to them and providing scholarships for children. There is also the nonprofit Foundation for A Better Nigeria (FABE) founded by Temitope Okunnu in 2006 to create awareness about climate change in schools. It operates across three states. “We visit primary, secondary schools and universities to sensitise young children about climate issues,” she said. “Behavioural change is still a big issue in this part of the country which is why we are focused on young children.” Through an initiative called EcoSchoolsNg, it teaches students skills such as sustainable waste management – by recycling, upcycling or composting – and sustainable gardening. FABE says it promotes plastic upscaling because according to Okunnu, “plastic is money but only a few people know this”, she told Al Jazeera. The increasing awareness about recycling plastic into usable products can also be great for keeping youth engaged, says Adenike Titilope Oladosu, founder of ILead Climate, a climate justice advocacy. A police officer stands next to boxes of expired AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines at the Gosa dump site in Abuja, Nigeria, December 22, 2021 [Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters] The need for more work Despite the work of these women and numerous non-profits to educate Nigerians on the adverse effects of climate
Pakistan court indicts jailed ex-PM Imran Khan in state secrets case
Guilty verdict could bring up to 10 years in prison in a case that reduces Khan’s chances of being released in time to campaign before elections next year. Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets under an indictment that deals a new blow to his chances of contesting Pakistan’s general election in February. The charges are related to a classified cable called a cypher sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington last year that Khan is accused of making public. “The charges were read out loudly in the courtroom,” government prosecutor Shah Khawar said on Wednesday, adding that Khan and his co-accused, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both denied the charges. Khan’s lawyer Gohar Khan contested the indictment, saying it would be valid only if signed by the accused. The former prime minister has previously said the contents of the cable appeared in the media from other sources. A guilty verdict under the Official Secrets Act could bring up to 10 years in prison, lawyers said. It is the second time Khan has been indicted on the same charges after a superior court struck down an earlier indictment on technical grounds, saying the correct procedure had not been followed. A new trial, being conducted in jail on security grounds, is due to begin on Thursday in the presence of his lawyers, family and a few selected journalists. Khan, 71, has been in jail since he was convicted and sentenced to three years on corruption charges on August 5. Khan says the cable was proof of a conspiracy by the Pakistani military and US government to topple his government in 2022 after he visited Moscow just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington and Pakistan’s military deny the accusations. The former international cricketer won the last general election in 2018, a victory that his opponents say was achieved with the backing of the military. Khan and the military later fell out, mainly because of differences over the appointment of the chief of the main spy agency. Khan has had dozens of legal cases filed against him, which he has denounced as an effort to banish him from politics. The corruption sentence has been suspended by a higher court, but he remains in prison in connection with other cases, including a charge of instigating violence after one of his arrests. Khan has been disqualified from contesting elections because of the conviction, but his legal team is pushing for his release on bail and an overturning of the ban. The new indictment reduces his chances of being released from jail to campaign for his party before the elections on February 8. Military trials of Khan supporters to begin Also on Wednesday, Pakistan’s top court allowed military courts to resume the trials of more than 100 supporters of Khan on charges of attacking military installations during violent demonstrations that broke out following his arrest in May. The latest order by the Supreme Court came less than two months after five judges on the same court stopped the trial of 103 civilians who were arrested as part of a crackdown on Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The violence subsided only after Khan was released on orders of Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Although Khan is also accused of inciting people to violence, he is not facing military trial. Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country for roughly half of its 76-year history and continues to exercise enormous power. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Neelam, civil services aspirant caught in Parliament security breach case?
Know here more about Neelam, the woman behind the Parliament security breach that occurred on Wednesday afternoon.