Rubio defends Vance’s Munich speech as CBS host suggests ‘free speech’ caused the Holocaust
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Vice President JD Vance’s speech in Germany slamming Europe’s penchant for censorship on Sunday. Rubio clashed with CBS host Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” after she suggested that free speech had been “weaponized” to bring about the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Brennan highlighted Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference in Germany last week, which criticized European allies for adopting a “soviet”-style approach to censorship. “What did all of this accomplish, other than irritating our allies?” Brennan asked. HEGSETH SAYS HE AND VANCE ARE ‘ON THE SAME PAGE’ DESPITE VP’S REMARK ON US TROOPS IN UKRAINE “Why would our allies or anybody be irritated by free speech and by someone giving their opinion? We are, after all, democracies,” Rubio said. “The Munich Security Conference is largely a conference of democracies in which one of the things that we cherish and value is the ability to speak freely and provide your opinions. And so, I think if anyone’s angry about his words, they don’t have to agree with him, but to be angry about it, I think actually makes his point.” VANCE WARNS THE US WILL USE SANCTIONS, MILITARY ACTION IF PUTIN DOESN’T AGREE TO UKRAINE PEACE DEAL: REPORT “Well, he was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide,” Brennan replied. “He met with the head of a political party that has far-right views and some historic ties to extreme groups. The context of that was changing the tone of it. And you know that.” “Well, I have to disagree with you. No- I have- I have to disagree with you,” Rubio said as the pair talked over one another. “Free speech was not used to conduct a genocide. The genocide was conducted by an authoritarian Nazi regime that happened to also be genocidal because they hated Jews and they hated minorities and they had a list of people they hated, but primarily the Jews.” He added, “There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none. There was also no opposition in Nazi Germany. They were the sole and only party that governed that country. So that’s not an accurate reflection of history.” Rubio went on to reiterate Vance’s point that European leaders should be able to continue working with the U.S. and other like-minded nations despite facing criticism, at which point Brennan ended the segment.
Border Patrol agents to stop wearing body cameras after social media post reveals ‘security risk’
Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will no longer wear body cameras during field operations after a social media post publicized how to identify individual agents. “All U.S. Border Patrol Agents will cease the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) in all operational environments,” CBP said in a statement to NewsNation, which originally reported the news. The directive comes after a post on Reddit claimed that the mobile application BLE Radar, which uses Bluetooth to scan for low-energy devices such as phones, smartwatches and speakers, can also track CBP body cameras from a distance of 100 yards and can also trigger improvised explosive devices. FRUSTRATED CHICAGOANS BACK ICE DEPORTATIONS, APPLAUD DOJ LAWSUIT TARGETING SANCTUARY POLICIES CBP officials sent out a directive following the post informing agents of a “potential security risk” while immediately pulling body cameras from use in the field. “Pending completion of investigation and risk mitigation, all Agents will stand down the use of their BWCs [body worn cameras] until further notice. Additional guidance and information will be disseminated as it is received,” the directive said. Sources told NewsNation that the cameras used by CBP agents are Avon body cams, which the social media post claims are devices BLE Radar, which was developed by F-Droid, can detect. DAILY AVERAGE OF KNOWN GOTAWAYS AT SOUTHERN BORDER PLUMMETS, DOWN 93% FROM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HIGHS The directive comes as both CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have ramped up enforcement efforts in the weeks since President Donald Trump took office, an effort that was a cornerstone of the president’s campaign to return to the White House. Since the beginning of February, the daily average of gotaways, or illegal immigrants who successfully enter the U.S. without being apprehended, at the southern border has fallen to just 132 per day, a 93% drop from highs seen under former President Joe Biden, a senior Department of Homeland Security source told Fox News. Data obtained by Fox News showed that during FY 2023, 670,674 known gotaways were recorded by the agency, or more than 1,800 per day. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP CBP did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
New Fastag rules from tomorrow: Users may incur additional charges if…; check details
The new rules aim to streamline toll payments, reduce disputes and curb fraud.
White House scorches ‘moron’ left-wing senator for seething over ‘obvious’ Trump family parody account
The White House slammed Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy as a “moron” on social media after the Connecticut lawmaker posted an expletive-riddled admonishment against a Lara Trump parody account he seemingly believed belonged to the president’s daughter-in-law. “You are a moron, Chris. It is obvious this page is not affiliated with President Trump, his family, or the administration. We do, however, support your right to make such a statement, no matter how imbecilic it makes you look,” the White House’s X account, Rapid Response 47, said in a message posted on Friday. The rapid response account is a new White House account that was launched in January to hold “fake news accountable.” The White House was responding to Murphy singling out a social media post he ostensibly believed Lara Trump posted regarding border czar Tom Homan potentially arresting Rep. Alexandira Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Murphy included a screenshot of the alleged Lara Trump tweet, showing the handle for the account belongs to an X page called the “Lara Trump Page,” a parody fan account – not her official X account. HOMAN, AOC CLASH OVER WEBINAR TO HELP IMMIGRANTS ‘EVADE’ ICE RAIDS: ‘I THOUGHT I EDUCATED HER’ “If you support Border Czar Tom Homan arresting AOC for giving illegal aliens instructions on how to avoid deportation, post a [thumbs up emoji] in the comments,” the fan page account posted on Thursday. “Make your voice heard.” Murphy responded to the social media post by arguing the Trump administration has “some f—ing gall” discussing free speech when advocating for the arrest of a Democrat. ‘STUNNING AND BRAVE’: DEM SENATOR MOCKED AFTER HYPING ALL-NIGHTER STUNT IN PROTEST OF TRUMP NOMINEE “It takes some f—ng gall to have Vance lecturing Europe on ‘free speech’ when at the exact same time the Trump regime is threatening Democrats back home with arrest if they even explain people’s rights to them,” Murphy posted to X on Friday. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR Murphy’s tweet was hit with a community note, detailing that he was responding to a parody fan account and that Lara Trump did not issue such a tweet. “This is a screenshot of a parody account of Lara Trump. Her real account is below and no such post exists,” the community note states. AOC’S OFFICE ADVISES MIGRANTS ON HOW TO AVOID DEPORTATIONS IN LIVE WEBINAR Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy’s office for comment Sunday morning, but did not immediately reply. The parody account’s message was likely referring to Ocasio-Cortez’s office posting a webinar “Know Your Rights” guide about how illegal immigrants can avoid deportation amid the Trump administration’s border crackdown following the immigration crisis that rocked the U.S. under the Biden administration. Homan, former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and current border czar under the second Trump administration, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham last week that he asked the Justice Department if Ocasio-Cortez’s guide crossed a legal line. “Is that impeding our law enforcement efforts?” Homan said on the “Ingraham Angle.” “If so, what are we going to do about it? Is she crossing the line? So I’m working with the Department of Justice and finding out. Where is that line that they cross? So maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now.” Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Trump tariffs spark ‘exciting time’ for Ohio steel plant as CEO eyes adding jobs, boosting productivity
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be a boon for an Ohio-based steel mill and its employees, the CEO of JSW Steel USA, a subsidiary of a massive India-based steel manufacturer, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “It’s a good piece of the formula that results in our company increasing utilization in the next 12 months, from 68% to probably 84%, and beyond that in years to come. So it’s a very exciting time for us,” JSW Steel USA CEO Robert Simon told Fox News Digital of Trump’s tariff plan in a phone interview on Thursday evening. Simon has served as the CEO of JSW Steel USA since March of last year, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in the steel industry. He spoke to Fox News Digital following Trump announcing his administration’s “fair and reciprocal plan on trade,” which he celebrated during a press conference as a project that will flood the U.S. with jobs as trading partners move their industries to U.S. soil to avoid tariffs. JSW USA is a subsidiary of Mumbai-headquartered JSW Group, which owns India’s second-largest private steel company, JSW Steel. JSW USA has two steel locations in the U.S., one at Mingo Junction, Ohio, and another operation in Baytown, Texas. TRUMP DETAILS HIS RECIPROCAL TARIFF PLANS, ASKS FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO ‘TREAT US FAIRLY’: ‘DELIVER RECIPROCITY’ Simon told Fox News Digital that across his more than 30 years in the industry, U.S. steel manufacturers have complied with strict environmental and safety practices, and paid their employees fairly, while foreign steel manufacturers could skirt U.S. regulations while exporting their goods to the U.S. “We, as steel producers, we paid our employees fair wages, treated them fairly, met some of the most – if not the most strict – environmental requirements in the world, and those practices in our markets, with the simple supply-demand equation establishes market pricing.” “The frustration is, how is it fair that others that don’t treat their employees the same way, don’t follow the same rules, don’t follow environmental practices… they get government subsidies. How is it fair that they can come into our markets and take market share when it’s not an equal playing field?” he said. Simon said the Ohio plant alone will likely see a minimum increase of 100 jobs in the next year under Trump’s tariff plan. “As you look at that increase in utilization coupled with the overall increase in production that we foresee in the next three to five years, we estimate, at a minimum, a 100 jobs increase in the next 12 plus months associated with that utilization rate increase,” he said. WHO GETS HIT HARDEST BY STEEL AND ALUMINUM TARIFFS? Trump’s administration issued a fact sheet last week restoring a 25% tariff on steel, which detailed “domestic steel and aluminum industries and achieving sustainable capacity utilization of at least 80%.” JSW Steel USA told Fox News Digital that they are already on track to increase their utilization rate from 68% to 84% – higher than Trump’s target number of 80%. Under the first Trump administration, JSW Steel USA notably sued the federal government in 2019 over tariffs regarding imported steel-slab materials. The company now makes all domestic steel-slab materials as part of the JSW Group’s belief that its facilities both make products and supply the product in the communities they serve. Simon celebrated in his comments to Fox Digital that Ohio families that had long worked in the steel industry are making a return to the factory as the industry reinvigorates under the first and second Trump administrations. JSW USA purchased the Ohio factory in 2018, after it had operated as a Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel plant, but sat dormant for years. TRUMP ADVISOR TEASES NEW ‘GOLDEN AGE’ OF U.S. STEEL AND ALUMINUM “This is a company that had been shut down for over seven years, when we acquired it. We hired a workforce, trained a workforce, all from the local area. What’s really cool to see is we’ve got employees whose grandparents and great-grandparents worked in this same company, which ended up being shut down, and they’re part now of reviving that company and bringing it to an offering of products that’s extremely competitive and extremely impressive in terms of its value added products,” Simon said. Trump announced a reciprocal tariff plan on Thursday, tapping Howard Lutnick, his nominee for commerce secretary, to produce a report on reciprocal trade relations within 180 days. Lutnik said Thursday that he will have the report ready for Trump by April 1. WHAT ARE TARIFFS, HOW DO THEY WORK AND WHO PAYS FOR THEM? ”On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff – meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple,” he said at the White House on Thursday. Trump touted that the plan will lead to a job boon in the U.S. as foreign trading partners move operations stateside to avoid the reciprocal tariffs. “They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here,” Trump said Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office. “And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs.” Simon told Fox News Digital that Trump’s business and deal-making abilities are “obvious to everybody” as he whips through dozens of executive actions and orders in just a few weeks back in the Oval Office, remarking that it’s “pretty amazing.” “It’s become obvious to everybody that Mr. Trump is not a politician, right, but, more of a business person stepping in and leading our country, from much more of a business perspective than as a career politician. Like it
African Art Renaissance: Voices from the continent and the diaspora
Exploring contemporary African art with three influential women bridging the continent and its global diaspora. In this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera, we delve into the dynamic world of contemporary African art. From the vibrant scenes of the Dakar Biennale to global platforms, three influential women – a Senegalese art critic, an African-American photographer, and a Senegalese curator – share their insights. They discuss reclaiming Africa’s artistic narratives, the interplay between history and modernity, and the evolving role of the diaspora in shaping the continent’s cultural future. Adblock test (Why?)
Marco Rubio meets Netanyahu as Israel strikes Rafah despite ceasefire
NewsFeed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first official visit to Israel made no mention of Palestinians in a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spending most of his time criticising Iran’s influence in the Middle East. During Rubio’s visit, less than two weeks since Netanyahu met Trump at the White House, Israel killed two people in southern Gaza. Published On 16 Feb 202516 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Teams, schedule, venues, tickets, how to stream
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy returns after an eight-year hiatus, with Pakistan hosting the tournament from February 19 to March 9. The tournament will be the ICC’s only men’s limited-overs competition in 2025, with eight teams vying to lift the trophy and adorn the winners’ white blazers. Here’s Al Jazeera’s ultimate guide to the tournament: What’s the Champions Trophy and why is it so important for Pakistan? The championship, originally named the ICC Knockout, was conceived as an elite tournament among cricket’s Test-playing nations and devised to fill the four-year gap between the ICC’s 50-over World Cup and help expand the game globally. The inaugural edition was held in Bangladesh in 1998 and won by South Africa. With the introduction of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC World Test Championship in 2019, the Champions Trophy was discontinued after the 2017 edition, which was hosted by England and won by Pakistan. As the tournament makes its comeback for the ninth edition, the holders are hosting Pakistan’s biggest international sport event in 29 years. Advertisement The South Asian nation last hosted an ICC event in 1996, and the March 2009 gun attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore caused the cancelation or disruption of professional cricket tours in Pakistan for years to come. For Pakistan, hosting a successful international tournament can help change the country’s perceptions, cricket experts told Al Jazeera. Pakistan will host their first ICC tournament since 1996 [File: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters] Which teams are participating in the Champions Trophy 2025 and what’s the format? Hosts Pakistan and the top seven ODI teams from the 2023 Cricket World Cup group qualified for the Champions Trophy. The tournament has been divided into a simple group-stage and knockout-stage format. The 2025 edition sees high-flying limited-overs side Afghanistan make their tournament debut. Following their round-robin fixtures, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals. Group A: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand Group B: Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, England Afghanistan are gearing up for their maiden #ChampionsTrophy outing 🏏 pic.twitter.com/LSYyv71XuM — ICC (@ICC) February 13, 2025 When is the opening match and when is the Champions Trophy final? Pakistan will host New Zealand in the tournament opener at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday, February 19. The final is scheduled for March 9, with the venue subject to India’s qualification for the match. Group stage matches will be held from February 19 to March 2 and the semifinals will be played on March 4 and 5. Advertisement The tournament’s full match schedule is available here. Why aren’t India playing their matches in Pakistan? Up until a few weeks before the opening fixture, the tournament’s schedule hinged on India’s refusal – ostensibly based on their government’s directions – to travel to Pakistan and the host nation’s reluctance to move their neighbour’s matches to a neutral venue. The months-long standoff was resolved when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) begrudgingly accepted a tit-for-tat hybrid model for the tournament, wherein India would play its Champions Trophy matches at a neutral venue and Pakistan would do the same for any upcoming ICC events hosted by India. The ICC and the PCB then agreed to move India’s three group matches and one semifinal to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The final is set to be hosted at Pakistan’s cricket headquarters in Lahore but could move to Dubai should India qualify for it. India and Pakistan met in the final of the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 [File: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters] Where will the Champions Trophy matches be played? Pakistan selected Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as its three host cities for the tournament. Dubai was added to the list as a neutral venue in December 2024. National Stadium, Karachi: One of the oldest and most famous cricket grounds in Pakistan, the National Stadium has hosted hundreds of iconic Tests and limited-overs matches since its opening in 1955. The 30,000-capacity venue in Pakistan’s largest and most populous city has undergone major refurbishment for the Champions Trophy and will host the tournament’s opening match. Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: The headquarters of the PCB and Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy, Gaddafi Stadium is steeped in history and has hosted the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996, when Sri Lanka lifted the trophy in front of a rapturous crowd. Located in the city known as the beating heart of Pakistan, the 34,000-capacity venue will host three group matches, the second semifinal and the final – subject to India’s qualification. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium: Despite its relatively smaller size and capacity of 18,000, the Pindi Stadium is famous for always being packed to the rafters for most international fixtures – whether Test matches or limited-overs games. The venue’s location in the Pakistani capital Islamabad’s twin city makes it easily accessible for fans. It will host three group matches, including Pakistan’s fixture against Bangladesh on February 27. Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE: In the 16 years since its inauguration, the venue has established itself as Pakistan and the ICC’s go-to “neutral” venue for international tournaments. With its modern “ring of fire” lighting and compact design, the venue is set to become a cauldron when India play their three group games, including the all-important match against Pakistan. Dubai will also host the first semifinal on March 4 and the final on March 9, should India qualify. Labourers work to finalise an enclosure at the Gaddafi Stadium before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 [File: KM Chaudary/AP Photo] When and where is the India vs Pakistan group match? While the marquee fixture was originally scheduled for Lahore on March 2, the match was moved to Sunday, February 23, in Dubai following an impasse and eventual agreement between both nations. Advertisement Due to the suspension of bilateral tours between the South Asian rivals, the teams play each other only during the ICC tournaments, making this match the only India vs Pakistan men’s fixture in
Man wanted in Canada’s biggest gold heist found living in THIS Indian city, he is…
He is found living with his family including his wife Preety Panesar, a former Miss India Uganda, a singer and an actor.
Trans migrant finding sanctuary in NYC accused of raping 14-year-old
A transgender woman wanted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is accused of stalking and raping a 14-year-old boy in New York City. Nicol Suarez, a 30-year-old trans migrant from Colombia, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly following the child into the bathroom of a bodega across the street from Thomas Jefferson Park and attacking him, according to a report in the New York Post. The boy was able to leave the bathroom and flag down witnesses after the attack, resulting in Suarez’s arrest the next day. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ Suarez was already wanted in both New Jersey and Massachusetts at the time of the crime, the report notes, while ICE had a detainer on the Colombian migrant, the agency’s way of requesting that any law enforcement agencies that arrest the suspect hold him to be turned over to federal authorities. That detainer means ICE could quickly deport the individual if local authorities cooperate, a source told the New York Post. “It just goes to show that Donald Trump and [border czar] Tom Homan are correct that you need to get the violent people out of New York City and Eric Adams, Letitia James and Kathy Hochul should all cooperate because this person has an ICE detainer,” the source said. TRUMP’S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’ “ICE could just pick this person up and deport them back,” the source continued, adding that New York City’s “sanctuary laws” will mean local police “can’t do anything.” Prosecutors asked for $500,000 bail and $1.5 million bond for Suarez, according to the report, a number that was shot down by Judge Elizabeth Shamahs, who settled on a $100,000 bail or $250,000 bond. But the source believes the amount shows that the city is still not concerned with the true victims of migrant crimes. “I feel really bad for the kid that has to go through this because his life will never be the same,” the source said. “We worry about the migrants but what about the victim? This is a true victim.”