RSF files second war crimes complaint with ICC over Gaza journalists killed
Latest complaint by Paris-based press freedom group asks the court in the Hague to probe the deaths of seven Palestinian journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed its second complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian journalists in Gaza. The latest complaint by the Paris-based press freedom group filed on Friday asks the court in the Hague to investigate the deaths of seven Palestinian journalists killed in the besieged enclave from October 22 to December 15. The list of journalists includes last week’s killing of Al Jazeera Arabic cameraman, Samer Abudaqa. “RSF has reasonable grounds to believe that the journalists named in this complaint were the victims of attacks amounting to war crimes,” a statement issued by the group said. “According to the information collected by RSF, these journalists may have been deliberately targeted as journalists. It is for this reason that RSF is describing these deaths as intentional homicides of civilians.” The RSF filed its first ICC complaint since the war began on October 31 over the death of seven other journalists. The group says it has confirmed the deaths of 66 Palestinian journalists since October 7 when the Israeli assault began. More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since. The other journalists named in the RSF complaint are Asem Al-Barsh, a radio journalist for Al Najah who was killed by sniper fire, and his colleague Bilal Jadallah of the Palestinian Press House, who fell victim to a direct missile attack on his car. Montaser Al-Sawaf, a cameraman for the Turkish Anadolu Agency, and photojournalist Rushdi Al Siraj were also killed in Israeli air raids on their homes. Hassouna Salim of the Quds News agency was killed by a missile after receiving death threats, and photojournalist Sari Mansour died in the same attack, according to RSF. Al Jazeera’s Abudaqa “appears to have been killed by a precision shot fired from a drone”, the RSF said. The incident, which the Al Jazeera Media Network has also decided to refer to the ICC, took place on December 15, when Abudaqa and Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh were reporting on the bombing of a school used as a shelter for displaced people in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Dahdouh – who lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson in a previous Israeli bombing – was wounded in the attack but managed to reach a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. Rescue teams were unable to immediately reach Abudaqa and others at the site as they needed approval from Israeli forces to bulldoze through the debris to get to the location. By the time first responders arrived five hours later, the journalist had bled to death. The RSF said it also supported the complaint filed by Al Jazeera Media Network about the fatal shooting of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in the north of the Occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022. Targeting journalists is a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute. “In view of the massacre of journalists in Gaza and the targeting to which they seem to be subjected, we call on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to clearly state that he is making it a priority to elucidate the crimes committed against journalists in Gaza and to prosecute those responsible,” RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said in the statement. Adblock test (Why?)
US Supreme Court declines to speed up ruling on Trump immunity claim
Decision by the nation’s top court turns down a request by prosecutor Jack Smith to expedite review of immunity plea. The top court in the United States has declined to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can claim immunity for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, rejecting efforts by prosecutors to expedite review of the question. The Supreme Court rebuffed the request from US Special Counsel Jack Smith on Friday, kicking it back to a lower court for continued review. The decision came as Trump faces a slew of legal troubles, some of them related to his efforts to seize office after the 2020 election despite his loss to current President Joe Biden. Earlier this week, a top court in the state of Colorado ruled that Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters, in an effort to halt the certification of his election loss, disqualified him from appearing on the state’s ballot in the 2024 election. Trump has said that he should be immune from charges relating to efforts to overturn the 2020 election on the grounds that former presidents cannot face charges for actions related to their official responsibilities. Prosecutor Jack Smith has alleged that Trump worked to obstruct Congress and defraud the US government through a wide-ranging effort to reject the will of the voters. A Congressional panel investigating the January 6 riot concluded that Trump knew that his persistent claims that the election had been stolen through massive fraud were devoid of evidence, but pushed to nullify the election results anyway. Those findings have done little to change Trump’s popularity within the Republican Party, and he remains the conservative party’s clear frontrunner to challenge Biden in the 2024 presidential election. On December 1, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that Trump was not immune from prosecution relating to his efforts to overturn the election. Trump quickly appealed that decision, and his trial is paused until the appeal is sorted out. Special Counselor Smith then petitioned the Supreme Court on December 11 to review the case, asking the highest court to leapfrog the lower court in order to speed up the trial, currently scheduled to begin in March. The court declined that request on Friday, sending it back to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signalled that it will move quickly to resolve the matter. Adblock test (Why?)
November saw nearly quarter of a million migrant encounters amid new border surge
November saw nearly a quarter of a million migrant encounters at the southern border, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Friday, making it the third-busiest month of a migrant crisis that has smashed records and overwhelmed Border Patrol agents. There were 242,418 migrant encounters at the southern border in November, including migrant encounters at ports of entry and illegal immigrant encounters by Border Patrol between ports of entry. It’s higher than the 235,173 encountered during Nov. 22, and is only behind September (269,735) and December 2022 (252,315) in terms of the number of migrants encountered. It is the highest November number on record. Meanwhile, there were 17 apprehensions of people on the terror watch list in November. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT BORDER SOAR PAST THE 200K MARK IN DECEMBER, WITH OVER A WEEK STILL TO GO It comes as Border Patrol has been dealing with increased numbers after a FY 23 that broke the record for encounters in a single fiscal year. Agents have been overwhelmed by a surge of migrants from across the globe in places like Lukeville, Arizona, and Eagle Pass, Texas. Monday saw a record 12,600 encounters, the highest recorded in a single day. CBP sources told Fox this week that December has already exceeded 200,000 encounters and could easily eclipse November’s numbers given that agents are encountering 10,000+ a day. Meanwhile, sources told Fox News on Friday that Border Patrol has released more than 386,000 illegal immigrants into the U.S. with Notices to Appear. That does not include those released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and does not include migrants paroled into the U.S. via the CBP One app at ports of entry. Republicans have blamed the crisis on Biden-era policies, including the rolling back of policies put in place by the Trump administration, and have passed legislation in the House to limit releases and increase border security. The Biden administration has said it needs more funding and its own sweeping legislation to fix a “broken” system and deal with a hemisphere-wide crisis. Meanwhile, it has said it is increasing consequences for illegal entry while expanding “lawful pathways.” In a statement, CBP said it had surged resources to respond to increases and is screening every individual encountered. It said that since May, over 400,000 individuals have been removed from the country. “CBP continues to execute its important mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity by implementing operational plans, surging personnel and decompressing areas along the southwest border while processing and vetting migrants who are encountered humanely, safely, and efficiently, consistent with our laws. We are facing a serious challenge along the southwest border and CBP and our federal partners need more resources from Congress — as outlined in the supplemental budget request — to enhance border security and America’s national security.” acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement. “Despite ongoing challenges, in November, the men and women of CBP continued their tireless work and recorded increased seizures of illegal narcotics while facilitating lawful trade and increased holiday travel.” The White House this week had appeared to downplay the crisis, saying that such increases in numbers are “not unusual.” 5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS “What we’re seeing here at the border, the increased migration flow, certainly, it ebbs and flows. And we’re at a time of the year where we’re seeing more at the border. And it’s not unusual. This is an immigration system that has been broken for decades. And the president has taken this very seriously to try to do more. That’s why we have the comprehensive immigration policy legislation that the president put forth on day one,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Negotiations are ongoing in Congress for the White House’s supplemental funding request, which includes $14 billion for border operations. Republicans have demanded limits on asylum and restrictions on the use of parole. President Biden has said he is open to “significant compromises” but so far a deal has not been reached, despite optimism from lawmakers. Meanwhile, the administration continues to face pressure from state and local officials at the border and elsewhere in the U.S. Mayors of sanctuary cities like Chicago and New York City have demanded more funding to help them deal with the massive numbers of migrants they have seen come to their cities and that have strained their social services. Last week, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced that she was mobilizing the National Guard to help federal officials and attempt to reopen the Lukeville port of entry, while accusing the federal government of inaction. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, has expanded his transports of migrants to “sanctuary” cities by flying migrants into Chicago. He also signed an immigration bill this week to allow law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants in an attempt to stop what he called a “tidal wave” of illegal immigration. Meanwhile, the Border Patrol union made clear agents’ displeasure with the way the crisis is being handled. “While our agents are more than willing to sacrifice the holidays to protect fellow Americans, that’s not what they will be doing,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said on Friday. “They will be processing the illegal border crossers for release into the U.S. while large parts of the border will be left wide open to exploitation by organized crime. These will not be happy holidays for the hard working men and women of the Border Patrol.”
Former Mueller prosecutor claims Americans died in Civil War to keep candidates like Trump off ballot
Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann claimed on MSNBC that Americans died in the Civil War to bar candidates “who engaged in insurrection” from running for office. Weissmann made the claim on Thursday while speaking in a panel discussion on the Colorado Supreme Court moving to keep Trump off the state’s primary ballot. “This is not new. It is true that this provision of the Constitution is new to lots of people, because we’ve never been in a situation where you would have somebody running for office who engaged in insurrection or a rebellion,” Weissmann said. DEM-APPOINTED COLORADO JUSTICE SAYS TRUMP BALLOT BAN UNDERMINES ‘BEDROCK’ OF AMERICA IN FIERY DISSENT Weissmann said it was “remarkable” to him that the ruling from the Democrat-appointed court justices “isn’t really the unanimous finding in the Colorado case because you had no one dissenting on the issue of did he do it.” “No one was saying, oh, no, this was insufficient proof,” Weissmann said. “There were lots of procedural issues, and I don’t mean to minimize them, that the dissent raised, but there was a district court finding and there was a majority opinion with no dissents on the fact that the leading contender for the Republican nomination had done what we had a civil war about.” “And the reason for this amendment was because, after the Civil War, people said, if you have engaged in this kind of conduct you cannot be any longer the president, the vice president, or any federal position,” Weissmann continued. “So this is historically really important in terms of what many people died for in this country,” he added. Weissmann served on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The investigation probed the 2016 Trump campaign over alleged collusion between the campaign and Russia, but there was insufficient evidence found by Mueller linking the two. The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to ban Trump from the state’s primary ballot undermines a “bedrock principle” of American democracy, one of the court’s Democrat-appointed justices wrote in a fiery dissent. Justices Carlos Samour, Maria Berkenkotter and Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright all dissented, but Samour was particularly critical of the 4-3 ruling. Samour and Boatright were each appointed by Democratic former Gov. John Hickenlooper, and Berkenkotter was appointed by current Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat. “The decision to bar former President Donald J. Trump — by all accounts the current leading Republican presidential candidate (and reportedly the current leading overall presidential candidate) — from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot flies in the face of the due process doctrine,” Samour wrote. “Even if we are convinced that a candidate committed horrible acts in the past — dare I say, engaged in insurrection — there must be procedural due process before we can declare that individual disqualified from holding public office,” he wrote. Samour went on to argue that allowing states to decide individually whether to allow Trump’s candidacy “risked chaos in the country.” The justice conjured visions of state governments divided on the legitimacy of a victorious presidential candidate. “This can’t possibly be the outcome the framers intended,” Samour argued. The disqualification, which was made under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The 14th Amendment states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” While the 14th Amendment was one of the Reconstruction Amendments adopted in the aftermath of the Civil War, the war was largely fought over the issue of slavery, not whether a presidential candidate could be kept off the ballot. Fox News Digital has reached out to Weissman for comment. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed reporting.
Former Trump aide asks judge to dismiss ‘half-baked’ Hunter Biden laptop civil case
A former aide to President Donald Trump involved in a civil lawsuit filed by Hunter Biden is asking the judge to toss the case. Former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler filed a motion for a federal judge in the Central District of California to dismiss the case due to its basis in “half-baked legal challenges.” “Plaintiff alleges no facts which demonstrate Defendants ever accessed any computer, storage, or service which Plaintiff either owns or has exclusive control over,” the motion filed by Ziegler’s attorneys reads. Ziegler’s attorneys also claim that their client’s posts sharing the contents of the laptop “constitutes protected activity because it involves a public figure and is a matter of public importance.” HUNTER BIDEN SUES FORMER WH AIDE FOR ALTERING, PUBLISHING ‘PORNOGRAPHIC’ PHOTOS FROM LAPTOP HE DENIES IS HIS The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses Ziegler and his company — Marco Polo USA — and 10 unidentified associates of spreading “tens of thousands of emails, thousands of photos, and dozens of videos and recordings” from the laptop that were considered “pornographic.” Ziegler’s legal team alleges that Biden’s lawsuit is “aimed at chilling the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech.” FBI AGENT INVOLVED IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DOES NOT BELIEVE POLITICS WERE INVOLVED In the 14-page civil complaint, Biden’s attorneys allege that Ziegler is a “zealot” who has unleashed a “sustained, unhinged and obsessed campaign” against the entire Biden family for over two years and “spent countless hours accessing, tampering with, manipulating, altering, copying and damaging computer data” with his associates. “While Defendant Ziegler is entitled to his extremist and counterfactual opinions, he has no right to engage in illegal activities to advance his right-wing agenda,” attorneys Abbe Lowell, Bryan Sullivan, Zachary Hansen and Paul Salvaty previously wrote. In the motion to dismiss, Ziegler’s legal representation also questions the existence of a connection between their client and the state of California. The attorneys claim this would invalidate the jurisdiction of the state where the lawsuit was filed. Hunter Biden is currently facing nine criminal counts in the same California court where he has filed three civil lawsuits. The president’s son is also currently suing Rudy Giuliani and lawyer Robert Costello for illegally accessing his laptop computer, and former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne for defamation. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Supreme Court declines to issue expedited ruling on Trump immunity case
The Supreme Court has declined to issue an expedited ruling Friday on whether former President Trump has immunity from prosecution related to the 2020 election interference case. Appellate courts are hearing the immunity case, but the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that it would proceed as normal. This is a developing story.
Biden approval rating numbers dismal compared to previous modern presidents, Gallup finds
President Biden is experiencing approval ratings lower than any other modern president at this point in their term. Biden’s job approval rating currently sits at 39%, a slight uptick from October and November when it was reported at 37%, according to a new poll from Gallup. His approval rating has dipped under 40% five times during his term. Biden’s poor performance is the lowest among modern presidents seeking re-election at this point in their term, according to Gallup. TRUMP EDGES BIDEN AGAIN IN NEW 2024 POLL, BUILDS SUPPORT WITH YOUNGER VOTERS At this point in his first term, former President Donald Trump held an approval rating of approximately 45%, the analytics company reported. Former President Barack Obama held a 43% approval rating at this same point. All other presidents reaching back to Jimmy Carter had approval ratings above 50%. TRUMP KEEPS MASSIVE LEAD, HALEY TIES DESANTIS FOR SECOND IN NEW 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY POLL George W. Bush boasted the highest approval rating of the group with 58%. Biden is complaining to close aides as his low approval rating continues to frustrate him and first lady Jill Biden, according to a new media report. “After pardoning a pair of turkeys, an annual White House tradition, Biden delivered some stern words for the small group assembled: His poll numbers were unacceptably low, and he wanted to know what his team and his campaign were doing about it,” The Washington Post reported. “He complained that his economic message had done little to move the ball, even as the economy was growing and unemployment was falling, according to people familiar with his comments, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation,” according to The Post, whose headline noted Biden’s “dismal poll numbers.” The Biden family’s complaints date back months, with Joe and Jill Biden telling “aides and friends that they are frustrated by the president’s low approval rating and the polls that show him trailing former president Donald Trump,” the report continued. Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
France grounds flight carrying 303 Indians on suspicion of human trafficking
France halted a plane transporting 300 Indians due to suspected involvement in ‘human trafficking’.
Trump pushed Michigan election officials not to certify 2020 results in phone call: report
Former President Trump urged two members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a report from The Detroit News. The Detroit News claims to have reviewed tapes from a Nov. 17, 2020 phone call between Trump and GOP canvassers Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, when he urged them not to sign the certification. “We’ve got to fight for our country,” said Trump on the recording, according to The Detroit News. He added, “We can’t let these people take our country away from us.” BIDEN TEAM’S CENTRAL 2024 MESSAGE PAINTS TRUMP AS ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’: REPORT Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was also present on the phone call, the report alleges. “If you can go home tonight, do not sign it,” McDaniel reportedly told the canvassers in Michigan. “We will get you attorneys.” JACK SMITH WANTS ‘DOWN AND DIRTY’ TRUMP CONVICTIONS TO INFLUENCE 2024 ELECTION: ALAN DERSHOWITZ “We’ll take care of that,” Trump allegedly added. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the report. Palmer and Hartmann, who had already voted to certify the election, unsuccessfully attempted to rescind their votes the next day. The two canvassers then claimed in signed affidavits that they were bullied into siding with Democrats. “I voted not to certify, and I still believe this vote should not be certified. Until these questions are addressed, I remain opposed to certification of the Wayne County results,” Hartmann said in his affidavit. Palmer said in her affidavit that she faced “accusations of racism” and threats to her family.
UN Security Council passes resolution on increased Gaza aid delivery
BREAKINGBREAKING, The US abstains on resolution that it lobbied to weaken over the course of several days, allowing it to pass. The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza, following several delays over the last week as the United States lobbied to weaken the language regarding calls for a ceasefire. The resolution, which calls for steps “to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”, passed on Friday with 13 votes in favour, none against, and the US and Russia abstaining. The vote comes amid international calls to bring the months-long conflict to an end, as Israeli forces pummel Gaza with one of the most destructive campaigns in modern history and humanitarian conditions in the besieged strip reach critical levels. More to follow. Adblock test (Why?)