Social media firestorm erupts after massive Georgia immigration raid: ‘Taking bold action’
Social media erupted across the political spectrum following Thursday’s federal immigration raid at a Hyundai mega plant in Georgia that resulted in the arrests of about 475 suspects, most of whom were Korean nationals. The raid, about 20 miles outside of Savannah, was part of a long-term investigation and is one of many notable worksite operations that have occurred amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Hyundai officials said they do not believe any of their direct employees were arrested but said it would “comply with all laws and regulations.” LG Energy Solution, which also plays a role in the plant, also said it will work with authorities. Some took aim at the fact that the factory was touted by former President Joe Biden, as both Democratic and Republican politicians have hailed the project as a win for American manufacturing. The EV manufacturing part of the facility is not believed to have been impacted, but the battery factory under construction was the focus of the multi-agency effort. MASSIVE DHS RAID HITS GEORGIA HYUNDAI FACTORY THAT BIDEN TOUTED AS MAJOR VICTORY FOR ‘NEW AMERICAN JOBS’ “Even when Democrats pretend to be America-First, they are secretly America Last. Every. Single. Time. That is truly unbelievable,” scientist Matt Van Swol posted to X. “We as an American company with legal workers are always cut out of those mega projects, because we are too expensive. Finally this problem gets addressed,” Maik Peters, CEO of Pitco Engineering, posted. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Time to pull the licenses of these construction companies for hiring illegals,” another user wrote. FEDERAL AGENTS ARREST HUNDREDS AT HYUNDAI PLANT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN GEORGIA Others criticized the Trump administration, as the South Korean government also expressed concerns about the operation. “Completely incredible. Lutnick and Trump brag about getting South Korea to invest billions in the U.S., then turn around and arrest South Koreans who were here temporarily in the U.S. to help Hyundai set up a factory in Georgia. The stupidity burns,” writer James Surowiecki posted. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., wrote that the raid was an “act of cruelty and injustice” by the Trump administration. “Reportedly, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have also been wrongfully detained,” she posted. “This administration is actively working to instill fear and chaos within our most marginalized communities. Due process is not optional, it is the law. The administration needs to follow it and abide by the constitutional rights of every worker affected.” FEDERAL AGENTS CONDUCT IMMIGRATION RAID IN LOS ANGELES DESPITE FIERCE OPPOSITION FROM DEMOCRAT MAYOR In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said Democrats enabled the illegal immigration issues in the U.S. “for far too long.” “That’s no longer the case under President Trump and Operation Take Back America. I applaud the Trump Administration and our brave law enforcement officers for taking bold action to put American workers first and protect our communities from the scourge of illegal immigration,” Carter wrote. “For anyone who thinks they can take jobs from hardworking Americans and give them to illegal immigrants, take note: not under Donald Trump’s watch.”
JD Vance clashes with anti-Trump social media personality over cartel killings: ‘I don’t give a s—‘
JD Vance pushed back against an anti-Trump social media personality Saturday after he criticized a post the vice president made on X. The clash between Vance and Brian Krassenstein began when Vance wrote, “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” Vance made the remark following a U.S. military strike against an alleged drug-laden Venezuelan boat in the southern Caribbean. Officials said 11 suspected Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists were killed on Tuesday. When Krassenstein responded that “killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime,” Vance told him, “I don’t give a s— what you call it.” TRUMP CAPS WEEK WITH BOLD MILITARY MOVES FROM PENTAGON NAME CHANGE TO CARTEL CRACKDOWN Krassenstein later claimed that Vance “should be impeached for this tweet.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, “It’s a new day. It’s a different day, and … this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere.” Hegseth described the strike as a direct hit against a “narco-terrorist organization” that aims to “poison” the U.S. with illicit drugs. TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’ President Donald Trump shared footage of the fiery explosion, declaring that the strike should serve as notice to anyone attempting to traffic narcotics into the United States. He also emphasized that no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation. The president later confirmed the blast occurred in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility while the alleged terrorists were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics to the U.S. “It won’t stop with just this strike. Anyone else trafficking in those waters, who we know is a designated narco-terrorist, will face the same fate, and it’s important for the American people to protect our homeland and protect our hemisphere,” Hegseth said. Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Billionaire backer of NYC Democratic socialist Mamdani funds controversial ‘woke math’ program: report
Philanthropist and billionaire heiress Liz Simons, who donated $250,000 to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a PAC supporting Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, oversees a foundation that is reportedly behind the push to bring “woke math” to public schools. Critics told the New York Post that the math program was aimed at turning children into socialist revolutionaries. While a typical math problem challenges a child to answer a quantitative question, race-neutral math incorporates social issues into questions and doesn’t focus on numbers alone. The outlet noted that while the approach has been embraced in states like California, others, including Florida, have rejected it. PRO-MAMDANI SUPER PAC TAKES HEFTY CHECK FROM ULTRA-WEALTHY DONOR DESPITE SAYING BILLIONAIRES SHOULDN’T EXIST The Heising-Simons Foundation, which Simons co-founded with her husband, Mark Heising, has given $1.7 million since 2023 to the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics (RJEM) Project at Chicago’s Erikson Institute, according to the Post. RJEM was established in December 2019 and led by Dr. Jennifer McCray of the Erikson Institute and Dr. Danny Bernard Martin of the University of Illinois Chicago. A January 2023 press release by the Erikson Institute says the project “focuses on addressing issues of systemic racial injustices in the math education of young learners.” BERNIE SANDERS, ZOHRAN MAMDANI TEAM UP TO ‘FIGHT OLIGARCHY’ IN NYC The statement goes on to describe RJEM’s main goals as identifying issues of racial injustice in early math that spark “difficult (and often uncomfortable) conversations” about racism and offer educators the opportunity to develop practices “that foster racial justice.” On its website, the Heising-Simons Foundation says its mission is “to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking research in science, enhance the education of our youngest learners and support human rights for all people.” Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, stunned observers when he secured the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor in June. Despite his far-left stances, Mamdani has gotten the backing of Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. Another establishment Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., meanwhile, has been more cautious of Mamdani. Mamdani has also been supported by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and he hosted an event Saturday in Brooklyn with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Fox News Digital reached out to the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Mamdani campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
What is Eswatini? Meet the African country where Kilmar Abrego Garcia could go next
The looming possibility of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s latest deportation led to global Google searches for the small African nation of Eswatini. Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is largely surrounded by South Africa and is partially bordered by Mozambique. It has a population of over 1.2 million, according to the World Bank. At just 6,704 square miles, it’s a similar size to the land area of Hawaii. Abrego Garica was originally going to be deported to Uganda from the U.S., but his attorneys listed Uganda as a “persecution or torture risk,” along with over 20 other countries, many of which are in Latin America. ABREGO GARCIA RENEWS PUSH FOR ASYLUM IN US, REVEALS NEW COUNTRY WILLING TO ACCEPT HIM “That claim of fear is hard to take seriously, especially given that you have claimed (through your attorneys) that you fear persecution or torture in at least 22 different countries,” an ICE notice states. The Department of Homeland Security posted to X on Friday that “Homie is afraid of the entire western hemisphere.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The name was changed to Eswatini by its king in 2018. It was part of the British empire as a protectorate in 1903 and became its own country in 1968. However, it is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, along with dozens of other former parts of the British Empire, despite having its own patriarch. DEMOCRATS OUTRAGED THAT ALLEGED GANG MEMBER COULD BE SENT TO UGANDA On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement commemorating the country’s Independence Day. “On behalf of the United States of America, I extend best wishes to the people of Eswatini as you celebrate the 57th anniversary of your independence. The longstanding friendship between our nations reflects a shared commitment to security, public health, and economic opportunity,” Rubio stated. “We look forward to continued cooperation and effective partnerships that advance our mutual safety, strength, and prosperity. “Please accept our sincere congratulations as you mark this special day.” FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BARS ABREGO GARCIA FROM DEPORTATION TO UGANDA The State Department has the country at a level two travel advisory, suggesting that American travelers “exercise increased caution,” which is the case for many countries around the globe, including in Europe and Africa. As for Abrego Garcia, he was deported to El Salvador in March, which led to intense backlash from Democrats about due process concerns for immigrants. He was then brought back to the United States to face human smuggling charges based on a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. The State Department maintains he is an MS-13 gang member who has allegedly beaten his wife and engaged in human trafficking. He is in federal custody in Virginia, as U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis halted the possible deportation to Uganda. “None of those things are true, full stop,” Chris Newman, an attorney for Abrego Garcia’s family, told Fox News Digital regarding the charges and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem describing him as a “human trafficker, serial domestic abuser and child predator.”
America’s largest gun lobby speaks out as Trump administration mulls possible trans firearms ban
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has sounded off on reports that the Trump administration is mulling a way of limiting transgender people’s ability to purchase firearms. The gun lobby group, the largest in the U.S. with 5 million members, according to its website, released a statement Friday reinforcing its commitment that all law-abiding Americans have a right to bear arms. It comes as Department of Justice officials have had several internal meetings about placing restrictions on trans people after Annunciation School shooter Robin Westman, who identified as trans, killed two people and injured 18 others late last month. Westman’s guns were purchased legally, according to The Associated Press. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT APPROVES ILLINOIS RESTRICTIONS ON CARRYING GUNS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT “The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase and use firearms,” the statement says. “NRA does not, and will not, support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.” The Gun Owners of America (GOA) issued a clear, uncompromising stance on the issue. “GOA opposes any and all gun bans. Full stop,” the GOA wrote on X. In another post, the group quoted Senior Vice President Erich Pratt as saying, “Gun Owners of America does not compromise with our support for the right of all people to keep and bear arms.” The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), another major gun lobby group, has not formally weighed in on the issue, but its president, Dudley Brown, said he opposes the idea. He argued on X that labeling people “mentally defective” to strip them of gun rights would be a due process violation. The DOJ officials’ conversations are in an early stage, and no concrete steps have been taken, multiple sources told Fox News. One source pointed to a “pattern” of shootings carried out by transgender people, including Westman’s attack. Audrey “Aiden” Hale, who identified as transgender, killed six at The Covenant School in Nashville in 2023. Alec McKinney, a transgender teen, was one of two shooters at STEM School in Colorado, where one person was killed and eight others were wounded. Another source said the DOJ’s discussions about banning transgender people from buying or owning guns have involved the Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice to the executive branch. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS NEW MEXICO’S 7-DAY WAITING PERIOD FOR GUN PURCHASES, SAYING IT VIOLATES 2ND AMENDMENT The source indicated that the DOJ officials are thinking through a feasible legal framework. Such discussions would likely rope in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is part of the DOJ and has authority over federal rules related to firearms. When asked about the talks, a DOJ spokesperson downplayed the discussions targeting transgender people. “The DOJ is actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders,” the spokesperson said. “No specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.” One of the sources said DOJ officials “are reviewing ways to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell.” People with mental health conditions are typically not banned from buying guns under current laws, which the Supreme Court reaffirmed as recently as 2024 in United States v. Rahimi. But in some instances, such as a court deeming someone mentally incompetent, that information is supposed to crop up during a background check and block a customer from obtaining a gun license. LGBTQ advocates called the idea of a ban misguided and dangerous, arguing that the vast majority of mass shootings in the U.S. are carried out by men and do not involve transgender people. “Transgender people are less than 2% of the overall population, yet four times as likely to be victims of crime,” GLAAD said. “Everyone deserves to be themselves, be safe and be free from violence and discrimination. We all deserve leaders who prioritize keeping all of us safe and free.” Since President Donald Trump returned to office, his administration has removed transgender people from military service, scrubbed some federal websites of mentions of them and is trying to bar changing the sex marker on passports. The administration has also been vehemently opposed to allowing biological males to compete in female sports and curtailed access to gender surgery. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top Biden officials questioned and criticized how his team issued pardons, used autopen: report
Top Biden administration officials questioned and criticized the way the former president’s team handled pardons and made use of an autopen in the waning days of his White House term, a report said, citing internal emails. A person familiar with the clemency process told Axios that after President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Dec. 1, 2024, “there was a mad dash to find groups of people that he could then pardon — and then they largely didn’t run it by the Justice Department to vet them.” The news agency reported Saturday that several senior Justice Department officials raised concerns with the White House counsel’s office regarding the process to pardon individuals. Three days before Biden left office, the president announced he was “commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy and practice.” BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING “With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history,” Biden said in a statement Jan. 17. However, Axios reported that the following day, senior Justice Department ethics attorney Bradley Weinsheimer argued in a memo that describing those who were pardoned as nonviolent was “untrue, or at least misleading.” “Unfortunately and despite repeated requests and warnings, we were not afforded a reasonable opportunity to vet and provide input on those you were considering,” Weinsheimer wrote, according to Axios. The news agency said Weinsheimer mentioned a man who pleaded guilty to murder-related charges. Weinsheimer described how the Justice Department labeled the man as “problematic,” yet Biden commuted his sentence, Axios reported. “I have no idea if the president was aware of these backgrounds when making clemency decisions,” Weinsheimer reportedly added. Ed Siskel, the former head of the White House counsel’s office, and representatives for Biden did not immediately respond Saturday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. ‘SHOULD BE PROSECUTED’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT Senior Biden White House officials also pushed back internally on requests to use the autopen, according to Axios, which cited emails it obtained. It said Biden White House staff secretary Stef Feldman repeatedly asked for more information and confirmation of Biden’s intentions with the autopen. “When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?” Feldman reportedly wrote in a Jan. 7 email regarding the use of autopen to sign an executive order. “I’m going to need email from … original chain confirming [Biden] signs off on the specific documents when they are ready,” she was cited by Axios as writing in a Jan. 16 email about using autopen to commute cases linked to crack cocaine sentences. The developments come as President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into Biden’s administration, alleging that top officials used autopen signatures to cover up the former president’s cognitive decline. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” Biden said in a statement in June. “This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.” Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Alcaraz vs Sinner – US Open final: Match time, head-to-head, stats, Trump
The latest chapter of arguably the most riveting rivalry in modern-day men’s tennis is to unfold in New York when Carlos Alcaraz takes on Jannik Sinner in the final of the US Open 2025. For the tennis fans, it’s a chance to see the present and future of the game – nicknamed “Sincaraz” – duel in a Grand Slam final for the third time in 2025. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list For the young stars, the meeting offers an opportunity to put their hands on another major trophy as the year’s Grand Slams come to a close. Here’s everything you need to know about the match: When is the Alcaraz vs Sinner US Open final? The match is scheduled for Sunday at 2pm (18:00 GMT). Where will Alcaraz and Sinner play the final? The final will be played on the famous blue hardcourts of the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. What happened in the last Alcaraz vs Sinner match? The pair last faced each other in the final of the Cincinnati Open on August 18, but the match ended prematurely when Sinner retired over health concerns. The Italian felt unwell in the sweltering conditions and pulled out of the match after 23 minutes of play. Alcaraz was crowned champion but said: “This is not the way that I want to win trophies.” How many times has Alcaraz beaten Sinner? Nine. The Spaniard has got the better of his rival in their 13 meetings since they first faced each other in 2021. Sinner has managed one win in the pair’s five meetings in 2025. When was the last time Sinner beat Alcaraz? Sinner beat Alcaraz to lift his first Wimbledon trophy in July. The match lasted four sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and just over three hours as the Italian picked up his second Grand Slam title of 2025. Advertisement How long was the Alcaraz-Sinner match at the French Open final? The young stars enthralled crowds with top quality tennis in one of the most engaging Grand Slam finals of the modern era when they battled for five hours and 29 minutes in the final of the French Open 2025. Alcaraz emerged victorious in the five-set classic (4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6) for his second consecutive Roland Garros title. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played a five-set, five-and-a-half-hour final at the French Open 2025 [File: Aurelien Morissard/AP] How many US Open titles has Alcaraz won? One. The US Open gave Alcaraz his first taste of Grand Slam success when he won the trophy in 2022. He was unable to repeat the feat in 2023 when he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals and had a shock second-round exit in 2024 at the hands of Botic van de Zandschulp. Have Alcaraz and Sinner ever played against each other at the US Open? The pair’s only previous meeting at the tournament came in the quarterfinals in 2022. It was another epic that kickstarted their rivalry. Alcaraz won in four sets in a match that lasted five hours and 15 minutes, finishing just before 3am in New York. How many Grand Slam titles have Alcaraz and Sinner won? Alcaraz has five titles to his name – one at the US Open (2022), two at Wimbledon (2023, 2024) and two at the French Open (2024, 2025). Sinner has won four Grand Slam finals – one at the US Open (2024), two at the Australian Open (2024, 2025) and one at Wimbledon (2025). What are the overall Alcaraz vs Sinner stats? Win-loss record in 2025: Alcaraz: 60-6Sinner: 37-4 Career win-loss record Alcaraz: 269-62Sinner: 300-84 Titles in 2025 Alcaraz: 2Sinner: 6 Career titles Alcaraz: 22Sinner: 20 Career prize money Alcaraz: $48.5mSinner: $46.3m Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after the men’s singles final at Wimbledon [File: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images] What was Alcaraz’s route to the US Open final? First round: defeated Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 Second round: defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 Third round: defeated Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 Fourth round: defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 Quarterfinals: defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 Semifinals: defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 What was Sinner’s route to the US Open final? First round: defeated Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 Second round: defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 Third round: defeated Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 Fourth round: defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 Quarterfinals: defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 Advertisement Semifinals: defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 What has Alcaraz said about the final? “Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match. “I’m thinking I’m doing that in this tournament, which I’m really proud about. ” What has Sinner said about Alcaraz and the final? “On court, we like to see each other, you know, because it means that, considering our ranking, it means that we are doing well in the tournament. “Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again. “I feel like our rivalry started here, playing an amazing match. We are two different players now with different confidence too.” Why will President Donald Trump attend the US Open final? The US president plans to attend the tennis showpiece in his latest appearance at a major sporting event after trips to the Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July. The president will attend the final as a client guest and will watch the match from that client’s suite, a spokesperson for the US Tennis Association said. The association did not identify which client Trump will be a guest of. It’s to be Trump’s first appearance at the Grand Slam tournament in New York since 2015. Alcaraz said he would “try not to think” about the president’s presence at the final. “I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it, but I think, attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have
Cancelled concert shows political, social rifts in Iran amid war tensions
Tehran, Iran – By now, a celebrated Iranian singer was supposed to have performed a mega-concert at Tehran’s iconic Azadi Tower in a state-organised demonstration of national unity after the 12-day war with Israel. But the much-hyped late Friday public concert by 50-year-old Homayoun Shajarian, a traditional vocalist and son of legendary Mohammad Reza Shajarian, was cancelled by the authorities after days of speculation. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Two days before the event, Shajarian announced online that instruments and equipment for the 30-member orchestra that was to accompany him on stage were not permitted onto the site. He also said state organisers lacked a plan to manage the crowd, which could number up to a million people. Videos circulating online showed that Tehran Municipality workers welded shut gates at the square surrounding the tower, preventing the setup of audio equipment. The square is regularly used for state-organised affairs, having been heavily decorated a month earlier to host thousands marking the mourning ceremonies of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Alireza Zakani, the hardline former lawmaker who has been mayor of Tehran since 2021, suggested a lack of coordination between government officials was to blame, and that the event should be held in a stadium instead. People walk past a billboard with a picture of nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes and Iranian centrifuges, on a street in Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters] The incident created a firestorm online, with the many interpretations surrounding it showing political and social divides at a tense time when biting United Nations sanctions could soon be reinstated by the West, and there are concerns that Israel and the United States will attack Iran again. Advertisement For some, the free concert in the heart of Tehran was a welcome proposal as it could bring a rare moment of joy to thousands at a time of hardship, which also includes surviving in an ailing economy defined by persistent chronic inflation. For others, including a number of Iranians abroad who are opposed to the theocratic establishment, the concert was seen as an attempt by the state to further lean into nationalist sentiment to muster any popular support while leaders in Israel and the West openly discuss regime change in Iran. Some of the foreign-based critics of the Iranian establishment lambasted Shajarian for allegedly backing the state through the concert, especially considering that his late father was known as a “voice of the people”. Other critics had hoped the massive public gathering would lead to antigovernment protests. Hardline member of parliament Hamid Resaee suggested the government organised the rushed concert in an attempt to “distract the people” from widespread power blackouts, a water crisis, and the devaluing national currency. The culture ministry apologised for the cancelled event, saying “we all lost” a missed opportunity for unity. A billboard with a caricature of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is displayed on a building in Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters] Meanwhile, local media predominantly backed the concert, with some rare support also coming from hardline and conservative outlets that generally oppose major public festivities that are not entirely controlled by the state. Such is the controversy around the event that even the pro-reforms Shargh newspaper slammed the anti-establishment diaspora for its opposition to the concert, saying they were too extreme and “have taken the people hostage”. Shajarian told reporters that he originally applied to take the performance to the stage seven years ago and only received government permission this week, without any official explanation as to why the concert was blocked repeatedly before and why it was greenlit this week. After the event was cancelled, the singer released a lengthy post online to address the criticism. He pleaded for the effort not to be entangled with politics, and insisted it was not aimed at “covering up problems, but providing a moment of good feelings to people who deserve joy”. Outside pressure grows Despite the failed concert attempt, the Iranian state continues to emphasise unity and increasingly uses millennia-long Iranian history dating back to before Islam to invoke nationalist sentiment – something it rarely did prior to the recent war with Israel. Advertisement In Tehran and across the country in recent months, authorities have installed sculptures of ancient Iranian figures, erected banners showing Persian kings defeating invading foes, and talked extensively about territorial integrity and unity among Iran’s diverse ethnic groups. Pressure by the US, Israel and their European allies has only been mounting against Iran with the stated goal of dismantling its nuclear programme. France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the remaining European signatories to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal that US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, are pushing to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the landmark accord. With Western powers trying to internationally blacklist Iran unless a deal is reached on its nuclear programme, the country’s markets are also on edge. The US dollar changed hands for about 1.02 million rials in Tehran on Saturday – slightly better than the new all-time low of 1.06 million rials, registered earlier in the week. The main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange slightly grew on Saturday to reach 2.54 million points, but the index has dramatically plunged in reaction to the war with Israel, having stood at about 3.15 million points in April when negotiations with the US started. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel bombs more Gaza City high-rises after forced evacuation orders
Published On 6 Sep 20256 Sep 2025 The Israeli army has bombed another high-rise in Gaza City after telling Palestinian residents to evacuate or face being killed amid its ongoing siege and imposed mass starvation in the enclave. The Israeli military designated more high-rise towers as targets in a map released on Saturday. Shortly after releasing the map, it bombed the 15-storey Soussi Tower, which is located opposite a building belonging to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “These attacks are causing panic amongst the people, especially considering the time they are given to evacuate. Half an hour or an hour is not enough time for people to escape from these buildings,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said, reporting from Gaza City. The Israeli military said in a statement, without offering evidence, that the buildings struck were used by Hamas to gather intelligence to monitor the locations of the Israeli army. It also said armed Palestinian groups planted “numerous explosive devices” and dug a tunnel in the area. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected the claims and called them “part of a systematic policy of deception used by the occupation to justify the targeting of civilians and infrastructure” and forcibly displace Palestinians from their homes. It said 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Israel. The targeted buildings were near the 12-storey Mushtaha Tower, which on Friday was similarly bombed and razed to the ground, as Israel moves to seize Gaza City despite international criticism. At least 68 Palestinians were killed and 362 wounded across the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military over the past day, the enclave’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday afternoon. Advertisement The toll includes 23 aid seekers killed and 143 wounded by Israeli forces. At least six more Palestinians also died of Israeli-induced starvation, bringing the total number of starvation deaths during nearly two years of war to 382, including 135 children. At least 64,368 Palestinians have been killed and 162,367 wounded by Israel since the start of the war in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel declares new ‘humanitarian zone’, bombs the area Sources at Nasser Hospital, located in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, told Al Jazeera that at least two Palestinians were killed and many wounded in an Israeli air strike on a tent housing displaced people in the al-Mawasi area. While this area was designated as a “humanitarian” or “safe” zone by the Israeli army early in the war, it has been repeatedly bombed, leading to the deaths of hundreds of displaced civilians. Hours before the latest bombings, the Israeli army had announced the establishment of another similar zone in al-Mawasi, which runs along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. It claimed the area will have infrastructure such as field hospitals, water lines, desalination facilities and food supplies. Palestinians mourn the loss of loved ones killed by the Israeli military on September 6, 2025 [Hamza ZH Qraiqea/Anadolu] Reporting from central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said Palestinians do not trust the so-called humanitarian area as tents in similar zones have been attacked by Israel many times before and nowhere is safe. But people in Gaza City have few options: If they stay, they risk being killed, and if they leave, they face dangers on the road and may have to spend considerable money to move their belongings south. Those who have returned to their homes in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, where Israeli forces withdrew recently after weeks of ground assaults, have found everything they owned destroyed. “What we have built in 50 years was flattened in five days,” resident Aqeel Kishko told Al Jazeera. “Nothing remains standing – buildings, roads and infrastructure. We are walking not only on ruins but also on dead bodies of our loved ones.” Nohaa Tafish said it would be impossible for Gaza’s largest urban centre to be revived. “What would people return to? There is nothing to return to,” she said. Ahmed Rihem also had his home in Gaza City reduced to rubble. “It is as if the entire Zeitoun neighbourhood was hit with a nuclear bomb,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Don’t Break the Sword: Why India’s Air Force is right to worry about theatre commands
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, is pushing hard for “theatre commands” – a fancy term for putting Army, Navy and Air Force units under single commanders for different regions. He calls it the “next orbit” of making our forces work together better.