Photos: Qatar reach AFC Asian Cup final with 3-2 victory against Iran
From the first minute of a breathless match, Qatar and Iran went directly at each other when in possession and they delivered a treat to watch. Iran opened the scoring in the third minute with Sardar Azmoun producing a brilliant overhead kick, leaving the Qatari goalkeeper and the defence as spectators. Jassam Gaber got the equaliser on 17 minutes and Akram Afif gave Qatar a 2-1 lead minutes before half time, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Iran’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh drew Iran level with a penalty after Qatar’s Ahmed Fathy was penalised for a handball. Local hero Almoez Ali restored Qatar’s lead on 82 minutes, setting up a breathless finale as Iran threw everything they had at Qatar. Iran struck the post and won a multitude of corners – with the goalkeeper sent forward in a desperate search for an equaliser – but Qatar held on to secure their passage to the final where they will meet Jordan. Adblock test (Why?)
Federal investigators asked to reopen fraud case against Texas House candidate Jared Woodfill
Woodfill’s former client fears that politics played a role in the case, which she said was mishandled and abruptly closed by the Harris County DA’s office.
Biden’s French president gaffe just the latest instance of his confusion about long-dead people
President Biden’s latest mix-up, this one involving a dead French president, is just one in a string of similar occurrences in recent years. On Sunday, Biden told a Las Vegas crowd he met with François Mitterrand, a French president who has been deceased for 28 years. Biden made the blunder while retelling the story of a gathering with French President Emmanuel Macron at a G7 meeting shortly before he entered the Oval Office. “I sat down, and I said, ‘America’s back,’” Biden told the crowd. “And Mitterrand from Germany – I mean from France – looked at me and said …” Biden then assembled his thoughts to complete the sentence: “Well, how long are you back for?” BIDEN TORCHED FOR CLAIMING THAT HE RECENTLY MET WITH DEAD FORMER PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: ‘NOT A HEALTHY SIGN’ Mitterrand, to whom Biden had referenced, was France’s president from the early 1980s to mid-1990s and died in early 1996. Biden’s gaffe from this past weekend follows several instances that involved deceased people, from referencing conversations with people who died before he was born to asking where they were during events. One such instance occurred at a Florida gathering in the fall of 2022 as Biden told supporters that he spoke with the man who “invented” insulin. “How many of you know somebody with diabetes and needs insulin?” Biden asked the attendees. “Do you know how much it costs to make that insulin drug for diabetes? … It was invented by a man who did not patent it because he wanted it available for everyone. I spoke to him, OK?” Insulin was co-discovered by Frederick Banting, who died in 1941, and John Macleod, who died in 1935. Biden, meanwhile, was born in 1942. BIDEN REPEATEDLY ASSAILED ‘F—ING A–HOLE’ TRUMP IN PRIVATE TO AIDES: REPORT Shortly before that, while speaking at a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022, Biden appeared to scan the audience for the late Indiana Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski who died in a car crash in August 2022. “I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like … Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative … Jackie, Jackie, are you here?” Biden said while searching for her. “I think she was going to be here to help make this a reality.” The incident led to Republican lawmakers questioning his cognitive abilities. “Joe Biden’s diminished capacity is so blatantly obvious that even the White House press corps couldn’t hide their concern,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News Digital at the time. Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who acted as a physician for Presidents Obama and Trump, called for Biden to take a cognitive test. BIDEN’S TOP SUPER PAC RECEIVES MILLIONS IN NEW DARK MONEY FUNDS, FILINGS SHOW “In yet another pathetic display of incompetence, Joe Biden not only thought my departed colleague was alive, but he also had his puppet-master, Karine Jean-Pierre, deny he was confused,” Jackson said in a statement. “It doesn’t take a neurologist to realize he’s in serious cognitive decline,” he continued. “The American people know what’s going on here, and they don’t think the Commander-in-Chief is capable of doing his job.” Biden has also repeatedly told an Amtrak story that has been hit with multiple fact checks due to the timelines not matching up, including comments at a 50th anniversary event for Amtrak in 2021. “There was an article, I guess my fourth or fifth year as vice president, saying Biden travels 1,300,000 miles on Air Force One [Two]. I used to – the Secret Service didn’t like it – but I used to like to take the train home,” Biden said in 2021. “My mom was sick, and I used to try to come home almost every weekend as vice president to see her. I got on the train, and Angelo Negri came up and he goes, ‘Joey, baby,’ and he grabbed my cheek like he always did. I thought he was going to get shot. I’m serious. I said, ‘No, no, he’s a friend.’” “He said, ‘Joey, what’s the big deal? 1,300,000 miles on Air Force Two? Do you know how many miles you traveled on Amtrak?’ I said, ‘No, Angie, I don’t know.’ He gave me the calculation, and he said you traveled 1,500,000 miles on Amtrak. The fact is, I’d probably take Angie’s word before I’d take the word of what the article said.” However, this narrative doesn’t add up. Biden’s office didn’t celebrate him hitting 1 million miles on Air Force Two until 2015, which was a year after former Amtrak conductor Angelo Negri died. Biden also entered the fourth year of his term as vice president around 2013, and Negri’s obituary states he retired from Amtrak in 1993, while Biden was still a senator. Meanwhile, Biden’s mother, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan, died in 2010. A couple of years before that event, when Biden ran for president in 2019, he told a group of donors that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who died in 2013, was worried about the United States under Trump’s leadership. Biden later rectified himself, explaining he meant to say British Prime Minister Theresa May. He chalked it up as a “Freudian slip.” A White House spokesperson responded to Fox News Digital’s inquiry in a statement that said Biden has achieved “unprecedented results for the American people” and saying he has the “strongest economic and jobs growth in the world.” “President Biden’s fighting every day to add to those results for families while many Republican officials are siding with fentanyl traffickers over the Border Patrol Union and quadrupling down on criticisms of the President that failed in 2020, 2022, and 2023 – except, that is, when it comes to entertaining headlines: ‘After Calling Joe Biden Senile, Republicans Complain He Outsmarted Them,’” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote.
Senate tanks immigration, foreign aid spending package after GOP backlash against border provisions
The Senate on Wednesday failed to pass a supplemental spending agreement that included aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as an ambitious border security and immigration package that drew widespread opposition from conservative Republicans in both chambers since its release on Sunday. The vote was 49-50. It needed 60 votes to pass. The vote went mostly along party lines except five Democratic no votes, and four Republicans voting yes. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren voted against, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also voting against as a procedural move to allow it to be reconsidered at a future time. Republicans voting yes were Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, James Lankford, R-Okla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitt Romney, R-Utah. SENATE RELEASES LONG-AWAITED BORDER LEGISLATION, MAJOR ASYLUM CHANGES The package had been negotiated for months by Sens. Lankford, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Biden administration officials — and it was unveiled on Sunday evening. The $118 billion package included $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, aid to Taiwan and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and $20 billion in measures to tackle the historic and ongoing crisis at the southern border. It came in response to a White House supplemental funding request submitted to Congress late last year. At the core of the border package was an “emergency border authority” to mandate Title 42-style expulsions of migrants when migration levels exceed 5,000 a day over a seven-day rolling average. It also would narrow asylum eligibility while expediting the process from years to months, provide immediate work permits for asylum seekers and fund a massive increase in staffing at the border and more immigration judges. It also includes increased numbers of green cards, extra funding for NGOs and cities receiving migrants, $650 million for border wall funding and $450 million for countries to take back and re-settle illegal immigrants. But while the administration and negotiators talked the bill up as a tough but fair way to tackle the border crisis, Republicans in the House immediately declared it a non-starter and conservative opposition in the Senate quickly stacked up. More than 20 Republican lawmakers in the upper chamber argued this week the provisions would not sufficiently reduce the historic number of illegal migrant crossings, and warned it would normalize record-high levels of illegal immigration. “We supported a negotiation to bring commonsense border security to this country,” Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, said on Tuesday. “We did not agree to a border fig leaf to send another $61 billion to Ukraine.” “But the fact of the matter is the package includes catch and release still providing additional continuing incentives for people to come to the country illegally knowing they’ll be released into the interior and it does nothing to stop the Biden administration from abusing something called parole” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. It also found opposition from some liberal Democrat senators and left-wing immigration groups who claimed it would harm migrants seeking asylum. Menendez had called the bill an outright betrayal to the communities we have sworn an oath to protect and represent.” The text was released on Sunday night and by Tuesday morning, GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said it had no chance of passing. IMMIGRATION HAWKS WARN CONGRESS THAT SENATE DEAL WILL HANDCUFF FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS ON SECURING BORDER “I think, in the end, even though the product is approved by the [National Border Patrol Council] that adores President Trump, most of our members feel that we’re not going to be able to make a law here,” said McConnell, a strong supporter of aid to Ukraine. With the border and foreign aid package now dead, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will proceed to tee up a vote on the supplemental package without the border security section, although the timing on that was not immediately clear. But Republicans are likely to oppose that too, having promised that they would only approve more funding for Ukraine once the southern border is secure. Supporters of the package expressed disappointment about the bill’s failure. “Both Democrats and Republicans are probably pretty happy that we’re not going to do anything about border security,” Sinema told Fox News’s Bill Hemmer on America’s Newsroom before the vote. “But as Arizona’s senator, I can tell you, this is devastating to my state.” Schumer told reporters at their weekly press conference on Tuesday the package “is so important for the security of America at the border for the security of Ukraine and Israel” when asked if the Senate would consider repackaging the foreign aid provisions and move forward on just those items without the border bill. “We’re going to keep at it,” Schumer said. “This is not the last Republicans will hear from us.” IMMIGRATION HAWKS WARN CONGRESS THAT SENATE DEAL WILL HANDCUFF FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS ON SECURING BORDER Republicans, meanwhile, expressed their commitment to securing the border before agreeing to Ukraine aid. “Although that legislation has fallen short of expectations, Republicans must remain committed to securing the border and not walk away from the position that they have promised to uphold for months to the American people,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah wrote on X. “Republicans should always put the safety and security of the American people FIRST. Passing Ukraine aid without achieving REAL border security not only betrays that agreement, but also undermines our unity as a conference.” The debate over the border part of the package touched on years-long differences between Republicans and Democrats over how to handle the border. Republicans have demanded the administration stop releasing migrants into the interior, and have called for the restoration of Trump-era policies they believe solved the border crisis. They have subsequently claimed that President Biden does not need extra authority or legislation to solve the border crisis, and just needs to adopt the correct policies. The administration has claimed it is working within a “broken” system that needs funding and comprehensive immigration reform. Officials have also repeatedly called for a
Fox News Politics: Losing to ‘none of these’
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s Happening? – Senate tanks border deal – McConnell scoffs at GOP critics as deal collapses – Biden leads Trump in 2024 poll if the former president is convicted During Nevada’s unusual dual primary-caucus election, Nikki Haley was the only candidate on the GOP primary ballot. Despite that, she suffered a landslide loss against another option on the ballot as about two thirds of Republican voters selected “None of these candidates.” Nevada’s Tuesday primary had a Democratic and a Republican ballot, but the GOP isn’t awarding any delegates from the election. Instead, Nevada Republicans will hold its traditional caucuses on Thursday — where Haley will not be on the ballot. Haley’s did not spend any measurable money or resources on campaigning in Nevada, but the symbolic loss was quickly used against her. A number of Trump’s supporters took to X to rub salt in Haley’s wound, including former 2020 Trump campaign official Marc Lotter, who wrote: “Nikki Haley lost New Hampshire by 11% to Trump. Nikki Haley lost Nevada by 30% to LITERALLY NO ONE! Nikki Haley is losing [her] home state by 27%. How does she go on?” FLAG ON THE PLAY: Biden dodging Super Bowl interview draws questioning about his campaign strategy …Read more KEY WITNESS: Tony Bobulinski to testify as part of Biden impeachment inquiry …Read more BIDEN THE BASHER: Biden’s reported profanity about opponents in private cuts against civility message …Read more ‘SHORT-SIGHTED’: Biden admin unveils eco regulations cracking down on manufacturing, energy …Read more DOWN IN FLAMES: Senate rejects border deal …Read more ‘THEY HAD THEIR SHOT’: McConnell scoffs at GOP critics after border deal collapse …Read more ‘DISCORD AND STRIFE’: Sen. Paul attacks GOP leadership over bipartisan border deal: ‘Current law is sufficient’ …Read more SECRET HOSPITALIZATION: House lawmakers to grill Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin …Read more ‘CLEAR VIOLATION’: Top House Dem faces renewed ethics complaint over wife’s $1.5M stock payday …Read more SCHUMER’S PLAN B: As Senate border deal goes down in flames, Dems prep backup plan …Read more ‘DANGEROUS NEW PRECEDENT’: These Republicans voted against Mayorkas impeachment …Read more ‘TYRANNICAL’: Blue state advances bill to boot Trump from ballot …Read more ALL TIED UP: Biden-Trump and Biden-Haley November showdowns all knotted up …Read more POLLING WOES: Kamala Harris ratings plummet ahead of 2024 presidential election …Read more ‘ESPECIALLY CONCERNING’: New poll shows Democrats hitting historic lows with 2 key groups they historically rely on …Read more ‘CAN’T HIDE’: Haley mocks Trump in effort to entice debate with former president ahead of South Carolina primary …Read more CHANGE COMING: Trump recommends replacement for Ronna McDaniel at RNC: Source …Read more FLORIDA ABORTION: Florida Supreme Court will decide whether abortion amendment belongs on November ballot …Read more ‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’: Justice Thomas ally says media, Dems are trying to push him to recuse himself before Trump ballot arguments …Read more ‘GIVE ME A BREAK’: Conservatives respond after Biden says Trump is the ‘only reason’ the border is not secure …Read more ASSAULT ON SCIENCE: Abortion pill study unlawfully retracted, according to authors …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Top Republican to boost Kari Lake in Arizona as flipping state seen as crucial to GOP Senate majority
EXCLUSIVE: A top Senate Republican is heading across the country this month to hit the campaign trail with conservative firebrand Kari Lake in Arizona, a state seen by many in the GOP as crucial to the party winning a majority in Congress’ upper chamber, as well as the White House, in November. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who serves as chair of the Senate Republican conference, will join Lake in Phoenix on Feb. 29 for a number of campaign stops that will focus on the border crisis and the economic issues they say are plaguing Americans under the Biden administration. “Kari Lake has put Arizona on the map for a Republican takeover in November. Kari Lake will bring Arizona hard work and no-nonsense to the U.S. Senate. I’m excited to campaign with her in Arizona,” Barrasso told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. HALEY MOCKS TRUMP IN EFFORT TO ENTICE DEBATE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT AHEAD OF SC PRIMARY: ‘CAN’T HIDE’ Barrasso was the first major congressional leader to endorse Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor in 2022, in the days following her campaign launch last October. The move was followed by a number of other big names that view the former news anchor as the best chance for Republicans to flip the seat currently held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Those names include former President Donald Trump, Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Burgess Owens, R-Utah. “I am so thankful for Senator Barrasso’s endorsement, advice, and support. He is a conservative warrior in the Senate. The Senate Majority will run through Arizona, and having Senator Barrasso on the campaign trail shows just how important this race will be for the future of our country,” Lake told Fox News Digital. TRUMP WORLD, DEMOCRATS UNITE IN TROLLING NIKKI HALEY AFTER LOSS TO ‘LITERALLY NO ONE’ IN NEVADA PRIMARY Arizona is expected to be one of the most closely watched races in 2024, and is widely seen as one of the best flip opportunities for Republicans, alongside West Virginia, Ohio, Montana and Nevada. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority with the support of Sinema and her fellow independent Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine. In recent cycles, races in the state have been decided within tight margins, including in 2022 when incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly defeated Republican businessman Blake Masters by less than 5%, a 2020 special election when Kelly defeated appointed Republican Sen. Martha McSally by less than 3%, and in 2018 when Sinema defeated McSally by just over 2%. This time, though, Republicans say Lake is a stronger candidate than her predecessors, and that the outlook of her race is already better than those in some of the other states holding elections this year. HISPANIC BUSINESS OWNER, GOP CANDIDATE RIPS DEM CRIME POLICIES AFTER DRUG ADDICTS TORCH HIS LAS VEGAS PROPERTY “Kari Lake is the presumptive Republican nominee and is running a really strong race in Arizona. Her fundraising numbers are very competitive, and she is polling better than other GOP challengers in Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She is in a strong position to flip this seat red,” one Republican strategist told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Lake’s only major opponent in the Republican primary is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, and, should she become the nominee, will likely face Phoenix-area Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in the general election. Early polling of a hypothetical matchup between Lake and Gallego suggests a tight race, even when including Sinema, who has not yet said whether she will run for re-election after announcing her departure from the Democrat Party in Dec. 2022. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
White House says ICE will reduce deportations, detention capacity if Republicans don’t pass border bill
The White House on Thursday announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will soon be “forced” to reduce operations at the southern border due to lack of funds. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that because Republicans have not passed the bipartisan border security agreement with funding for Israel and Ukraine, the administration is left with no choice but to pull back from the border. “Because congressional Republicans are choosing partisan politics over our national security and refusing to pass the bipartisan national security agreement that includes significant border reforms and funding, over the coming weeks, ICE will be forced to reduce operations because of budget shortfalls,” Jean-Pierre said during a gaggle on Air Force One. “We have asked Congress for additional funding and resources, and every time Congress has provided less than we asked for, or most recently, completely ignored our supplemental request,” she said. SENATE TO VOTE ON FUNDING FOR ISREAL AND UKRAINE AS IMMIGRATION DEAL SET TO DO GOWN IN FLAMES The announcement that ICE will reduce enforcement operations comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported more than 3.2 million encounters with illegal immigrants at the border, the highest ever recorded. Jean-Pierre said that without additional appropriations, “ICE would be forced to reduce its removal operations, its total detention capacity and more.” SEN. RAND PAUL SLAMS GOP LEADERSHIP FOR ‘DRAGGING’ CAUCUS INTO ‘DEAD’ BIPARTISAN BORDER BILL WITH DEMOCRATS “When ICE can’t conduct these operations, our national security and public safety will be harmed. Speaker Johnson and congressional Republicans should be held accountable. This was their choice,” she said. The bipartisan border security bill Jean-Pierre referenced, negotiated by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Chris Muprhy, D-Conn., has drawn backlash from more than 20 GOP senators since its release, who argue it would not stem the historic levels of illegal migrant crossings. Several Democrats also oppose the bill, saying it would hurt migrants seeking asylum. IMMIGRATION HAWKS WARN CONGRESS THAT SENATE DEAL WILL HANDCUFF FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS ON SECURING BORDER The border agreement was tied to funding for Israel and Ukraien in a $118 billion national security supplemental package. The immigration portion of the bill includes heightened asylum restrictions and gives President Biden the authority to suspend the bill on an emergency basis. The emergency bill introduces a new three-year authority, akin to COVID-era Title 42, enabling officials to shut down entries into the U.S. at the southern border. This provision occurs when there is a seven-day average of 5,000 daily encounters or 8,500 in a single day. DHS must then expel all migrants, except unaccompanied children, until encounters drop at least 25% for seven consecutive days, with a 14-day deadline for ending the authority. However, the bill states that if the president “finds that it is in the national interest to temporarily suspend the border emergency authority, the President may direct the Secretary to suspend use of the border emergency authority on an emergency basis.” Essentially, the “border emergency” triggered at 5,000 crossings per day within a week can be overturned by Biden. House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have declared the bill “dead on arrival,’” arguing that the 5,000 daily crossings threshold is an invitation for illegal immigration, not a deterrent. Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Jeffries hints at bipartisan talks skirting House GOP leadership on Ukraine, Israel aid
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., suggested that Republicans and Democrats are discussing a way to force comprehensive global security aid through Congress behind the backs of House GOP leaders. “There are several Republicans who are not in leadership, who have reached out to my colleagues on the Democratic side here in the House, to indicate a willingness to work together to advance a comprehensive national security package,” Jeffries said at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. House Republicans faced two major setbacks on Tuesday night when legislation aimed at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a standalone bill giving $17.6 billion to Israel both failed along bipartisan lines. GOP SENATORS RALLY AGAINST BIPARTISAN BORDER DEAL, CITING BIDEN’S POWER TO SUSPEND ‘EMERGENCY’ BILL The Israel bill was Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to undercut negotiations between the Senate and White House on a $118 billion supplemental security package with aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Gaza and that also included conservative border policy reforms. But an avalanche of GOP opposition since the text was released on Sunday has put the deal on “life support,” as Johnson, R-La., put it during a Tuesday press conference. IMMIGRATION ACTIVISTS, LIBERAL SENATE DEMS TRASH BORDER DEAL OVER LACK OF AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS Jeffries during his own press conference on Wednesday acknowledged reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is getting ready to put a security bill without border policy up for a vote, something several Republican senators have suggested they would support. He said Republican lawmakers in the House have approached Democrats looking for pathways for a similar proposal. “We’ll see what the Senate does in a few hours. But either way, here in the House of Representatives, the only way forward is for Democrats and Republicans to come together to meet the national security needs of the American people in a bipartisan fashion, and that is exactly what we are committed to do in the next few days,” Jeffries said. In answer to a question by Fox News Digital, Jeffries said several Republicans have discussed with Democrats a package “that meets the needs of Israel in a time of war, Ukraine who are fighting for their lives in a brave and courageous fashion against brutal Russian aggression, as well as our allies in the Indo Pacific like Japan and South Korea who are dealing with the threat of China and North Korea, and of course provides humanitarian assistance to civilians who are in harm’s way.” GOP SENATORS DEMAND ‘ADEQUATE TIME’ TO REVIEW BORDER SECURITY BILL “There are Republicans, we believe, who have increasingly recognized that the ‘my way or the highway’ approach of MAGA extremists is not working,” Jeffries said. Meanwhile, House conservatives who opposed Johnson’s Israel aid bill, specifically because it did not offset the $17 billion with spending cuts elsewhere, appear to be working on their own proposal to help the Middle Eastern ally. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital there are “ongoing conversations” to shape a conservative Israel aid bill that would pair it with either policy changes or spending cuts. “We’re having ongoing conversations about what we need to do to stand with Israel, but do it responsibly,” Roy said. “Which means we’ve got to factor in paying for it, or, and/or dealing with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) and all of the ridiculous things this administration is doing to fund Israel’s enemies…and/or, what can we do about our own border.”
Thailand, Muslim separatists agree on new plan to end violence
Talks resume after one year in Malaysia to bring end to conflict that has killed more than 7,000 people since 2004. Thailand’s government and Muslim separatist rebels in the country’s south have agreed “in principle” on an updated roadmap to try to end decades-long fighting. Malaysian facilitator Zulkifli Zainal Abidin told reporters on Wednesday that both sides have agreed in principle to an “improved” peace plan. “It is a major breakthrough after the dialogue was stalled the past year due to the Thai election,” he said. The sides held two days of talks in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, and will meet again over the next two months to iron out details of the plan. They hope to agree to a ceasefire covering the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts on March 10, and the Thai festival of Songkran in mid-April. Malaysia has hosted and facilitated talks between separatist groups and the Thai government since 2013, but little progress has been made. “The [peace plan], if the technical teams agree, will be signed as soon as possible. … There is light at the end of the tunnel. Both parties are willing to put pen on paper. Previously, there was no talk of signing any documents,” the facilitator said. More than 7,000 people have died in the violence in Thailand’s largely ethnic Malay, Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat since 2004. The population of the provinces, which belonged to an independent Malay, Muslim sultanate before Thailand annexed them in 1909, is 80 percent Muslim while the rest of the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist. Relatives sit next to the body of a suspected Muslim separatist in southern Thailand’s Yala province [File: Surapan Boonthanom/Reuters] The fighting is intermittent but brutal with the separatists carrying out drive-by shootings and bombings. Malay Muslims accuse security forces of routine abuses, including prolonged and arbitrary detentions without charge as well as extrajudicial killings. Southern Thai Muslims – whose ethnicity, culture and language differ from the Buddhist majority – believe they are treated as second-class citizens and have the sympathy of many Malaysians, about 60 percent of whom are Muslim. Anas Abdulrahman – the head of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani, the largest of the separatist groups – told reporters that he has high hopes for a lasting solution under the new Thai government, led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The Thai government last year appointed Chatchai Bangchuad, the first civilian to head the talks. Chatchai said any signing of the peace plan depends on the outcome of the technical discussions. Adblock test (Why?)
EU launches legal action against Hungary’s ‘sovereignty’ law
The legislation is viewed as a threat to political opponents, media and civil society. The European Commission has launched legal action against Hungary for its recent enactment of laws on “protecting national sovereignty”. The European Union executive said on Wednesday that it has sent a formal notice to Budapest informing it that the legislation violates the bloc’s democratic values and fundamental rights. Opponents of Prime Minster Viktor Orban’s authoritarian regime claim the new laws threaten to stifle his political rivals, as well as critical media and civil society. The Commission has been at loggerheads with Orban for years over Hungary’s rule of law, and more recently over his efforts to block aid to Ukraine. It was widely expected to launch such an infringement procedure after the laws were passed by the Hungarian parliament, dominated by the ruling Fidesz party, in December. The nationalist Orban insists that the legislation, which clamps down on the foreign funding of political candidates, as well as any body or individual with influence over public discourse, is vital to curb foreign influence. Political candidates violating the rules on funding will face up to three years in prison. The newly established Office for the Defence of Sovereignty, led by a government appointee, has the power to probe recipients of foreign funding. It can demand public and private information from targets, as well as Hungary’s intelligence services. Critics warn that the laws, viewed as similar to draconian laws implemented by President Vladimir Putin in Russia, hand Orban the power to set the security services on opponents and critics. Orban shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin [Reuters] Chilling effect The Commission said that the law violates a wide range of fundamental values, including the principle of democracy, the right to privacy, protection of personal data, freedom of expression, information and association, and the right to a fair trial, among others. “The setup of a new authority with wide-ranging powers and a strict regime of monitoring, enforcement and sanctioning also risks to seriously harm democracy,” a Commission spokesperson said. Hungary will have two months to respond. The letter of formal notice is the first step under the EU’s infringement procedure, which can lead to a lawsuit in the EU’s Court of Justice and potentially fines. The United States has previously warned that the law offers the government “draconian tools that can be used to intimidate and punish those with views not shared by the ruling party”. Analysts tell Al Jazeera that the EU will very likely force Orban to scrap the legislation eventually but warn that, in the meantime, it will have a chilling effect on the political opposition, independent media and civil society. Adblock test (Why?)