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‘Time for a change’: Outside 30 Rock, New Yorkers trade chants and arguments during tense mayoral showdown

‘Time for a change’: Outside 30 Rock, New Yorkers trade chants and arguments during tense mayoral showdown

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa faced off in their first general election debate on Thursday night, and, with no live audience, supporters flooded 50th Street outside 30 Rock, cheering on their preferred candidates with campaign signs and lobbing verbal attacks at their opponents.  With less than three weeks until Election Day, the debate gave voters their clearest side-by-side look yet at the candidates vying to lead the nation’s largest city. On the debate stage, candidates made commitments to delivering affordability and public safety for New Yorkers. Outside the venue, while speaking to Fox News Digital, Mamdani supporters told Fox News Digital they are ready for change, while those cheering on Cuomo said they were voting for him for his experience.  “He’s very experienced,” Emily, a Cuomo supporter who lives in Brooklyn, told Fox News Digital. “I feel that he’s going to keep our city safe and that he is going to keep small businesses alive and that he just has the right amount of experience for the job.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’ New York state Sen. Robert Jackson, who was cheering on Mamdani from across 50th Street, said Cuomo already had his chance to deliver for New Yorkers as governor, telling Fox News Digital Cuomo “was not the leader that we wanted. He never came through on it.” On the flip side, Jackson praised Mamdani for getting New Yorkers excited about politics, explaining that he loved Mamdani’s “straightforward” and “no nonsense” policies. MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’ However, both Emily and Anthony Braue, a Bronx union worker, said Mamdani’s policies are driving their support for Cuomo.  “Giving away free stuff is not the answer,” Brau said, telling Fox News Digital he appreciates how Cuomo supports union workers, wants to build infrastructure in New York City and make it a safer place to live.  Emily added that Mamdani is “not experienced,” and his “policies seem too extreme.” “Nothing’s free. Giving free stuff means the hard-working people’s taxes are going to pay for the free stuff,” Braud said. “There’s nothing free. It never works out. It might be a good selling campaign pitch, but I don’t think it’s the right thing.” Braue said he couldn’t understand why members of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, a union supporting hospitality workers, were across the street cheering for Mamdani. Ahead of the debate, the New York City Police Department designated three respective pens for supporters to gather.  “I don’t know exactly what they’re doing over there,” he said. “They should be on this side with the rest of the union workers, but everyone’s got their own opinion. They’re entitled to it.” After Thursday night’s debate, Mamdani met with a roundtable of union workers at the Service Employees International Union headquarters Friday morning in Manhattan.  “The reason I support Zoran Mandani is because he’s a make-it-make-sense politician,” SEIU member Pedro Francisco told Fox News Digital ahead of the debate. “He really understands what this city needs. The city needs to be affordable for all of us.” While acknowledging that Cuomo is a “great politician” with great ideas, Francisco said, “Cuomo was the past, Zohran is the present and the future of New York City.” Jim Golden, a 67-year-old New Yorker, agreed that “it’s time for a change, simple as that.” “We’ve screwed up this city enough, and it’s time to let some other people try and fix it. It’s a mess,” he said.  Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa all greeted their supporters ahead of the debate on Thursday night, with Mamdani sparking the most raucous commotion as he marched through a gaggle of reporters and glad-handed his supporters lined up along a police barricade.  Thursday’s mayoral debate was hosted by NBC 4 New York/WNBC and Telemundo 47/WNJU, in partnership with Politico. Election Day is Nov. 4 in New York City in the race to replace Mayor Eric Adams, who suspended his re-election campaign last month. 

Maria Corina Machado: Venezuela’s Nobel Peace laureate in hiding

Maria Corina Machado: Venezuela’s Nobel Peace laureate in hiding

Venezuela’s opposition leader on life in hiding, and her movement’s fight for transition and change. Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader and now Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks from hiding about the cost of resistance and the hope driving millions demanding democracy. Barred from elections and under threat of arrest, she discusses the country’s deepening crisis, where nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled, and the challenge of confronting a system that has survived sanctions, protests, and global isolation. In this in-depth interview, Machado reflects on her fight for democracy. Published On 17 Oct 202517 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)

US carries out new drug boat strike in Caribbean, as admiral resigns

US carries out new drug boat strike in Caribbean, as admiral resigns

The United States military has reportedly carried out a strike on another alleged drug smuggling vessel, as the admiral overseeing the Trump administration’s controversial campaign in the Caribbean announced his shock departure. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the strike on Thursday. The official said that, in what appeared to be a first, there were also survivors among the crew. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The official did not offer additional details about the incident, which has not been previously reported. The Pentagon and US President Donald Trump are yet to publicly confirm the attack. Prior to this latest strike, the US had carried out five attacks on alleged drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean since early September, killing at least 27 people. The strikes have drawn the condemnation of legal experts, rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, who criticise their extrajudicial nature and question whether they adhere to US and international law. The Trump administration argues the strikes are legitimate as the US is already engaged in a war with “narco-terrorist” groups from Venezuela, and drug traffickers are unlawful combatants who must be met with military force. Venezuela has repeatedly condemned the strikes, most recently on Thursday when Caracas’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, called on the UN Security Council to investigate what he called the “series of assassinations”. In his speech, Moncada described an attack on a small boat in the Caribbean on Tuesday – the most recent to be confirmed by President Trump – as a “new set of extrajudicial executions”. Advertisement Six people were killed in that attack, including reportedly two fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago, whom Moncada referenced in his speech. “There is a killer prowling the Caribbean,” Moncada said, holding up local newspaper The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, which featured a story detailing the lives of the two men. Only a couple of miles separate Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, with the ongoing military strikes spooking fishermen in the Caribbean island dual-nation. “People from different countries … are suffering the effects of these massacres,” he added. “There is no justification at all … They are fabricating a war.” Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is yet to comment. Following Washington’s first strike on a vessel on September 3, she said, “I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently”. The strikes come against the backdrop of an unprecedented US military buildup in the Caribbean, as President Trump escalates a standoff with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Since late August, the US has deployed guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and about 6,500 troops to the region with the stated goal of combating drug trafficking. Trump has also floated the idea of conducting land strikes against Venezuelan cartels, while he authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside the country on Wednesday. Caracas has accused Washington of attempting to overthrow Maduro – whom the US accuses of leading a narco-empire and has offered a $50m reward for – to instigate regime change in the nominally socialist South American country. Speaking in a televised address following Trump’s authorisation of ground operations in Venezuela, Maduro spoke directly to the US public as he declared “no to CIA-orchestrated coups d’etat”. “No to regime change, which reminds us so much of the endless, failed wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and so on,” he said. On behalf of the Department of War, we extend our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at year’s end. A native of Fort Valley, Georgia, Admiral Holsey has exemplified the highest… — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 16, 2025 Also on Thursday, the US admiral overseeing the strikes in the Caribbean announced he will retire just a year into his tenure. Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of US Southern Command that is responsible for forces operating in Central and South America, did not provide an explanation for his departure, which comes two years ahead of schedule. Advertisement “Effective 12 December 2025 I will retire from the US Navy,” Holsey said in a statement posted on Southern Command’s X account. “It’s been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend the Constitution for over 37 years,” he added. In a post on X, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised Holsey’s career and said the admiral “demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation”. “His tenure as Military Deputy Commander and now Commander of United States Southern Command reflects a legacy of operational excellence and strategic vision,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)

Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans barred from Europa League game in UK

Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans barred from Europa League game in UK

Safety advisers in Birmingham City and UK police said Israeli team fans should not attend match due to ‘risks to public safety’. Fans of the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv have been barred from attending a Europa League game against Aston Villa in the United Kingdom next month because of security concerns, the English club said. Birmingham City’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) – the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches at Villa Park, where the game is to be played – informed Aston Villa that Maccabi Tel Aviv away fans will not be permitted to attend. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Aston Villa confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the “club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group”. “Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night,” the club said. Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv. — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 16, 2025 West Midlands Police said they had classified the match as high risk based on “current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam”. “Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety,” the police force said. Last year’s clashes in Amsterdam between pro-Palestinian supporters and Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv led to dozens of arrests and five people imprisoned. WMP supports Safety Advisory Group decision regarding Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv football match. Click for our statement 👉 https://t.co/NMLkntX08n pic.twitter.com/GgxeYvc7Xm — West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) October 16, 2025 Advertisement While accusations of anti-Semitic attacks quickly circulated following the clashes in Amsterdam on November 6 and 7, reports soon emerged of Israeli fans provoking the violence and of rampaging through the Dutch capital, assaulting residents, destroying symbols of Palestinian solidarity and chanting racist and genocidal slogans against Palestinians and Arabs. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and the London-based Jewish Leadership Council have all criticised the ban. Starmer said in a post on social media that the ban was “the wrong decision”. “The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation,” he said. This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.https://t.co/8aBeqE4qbA — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2025 Israel’s Foreign Minister Saar described the ban as a “shameful decision” and called on authorities in the UK to “reverse this coward decision”. Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision! https://t.co/K5h32VpYa6 — Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) October 16, 2025 The Jewish Leadership Council said it was “perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety”. “Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors,” the organisation added in a statement. The move to ban away fans from the fixture in Birmingham comes amid growing calls to ban Israeli football teams from international competition over Israel’s genocide in Gaza. “We collected and verified extensive evidence of this systematic instrumentalisation of football culture in genocide,” Ashish Prashar, a campaign director at Game Over Israel, which has been pushing to ban Israel from FIFA and UEFA, told Al Jazeera. “This report integrates findings – from stadium racism, to assaults in Europe, to soldiers turning genocide into football propaganda – and demonstrates why Israel’s place in global sport is indefensible.” More than 30 legal experts wrote earlier this month to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, saying that banning Israel from competitions was “imperative”, citing a report by United Nations investigators that confirmed Israel is carrying out a genocide against Palestinians. Advertisement The signatories highlighted the damage that Israel is inflicting on the sport and athletes in Gaza. “These acts have decimated an entire generation of athletes, eroding the fabric of Palestinian sport,” the experts said. “The failure of the Israel Football Association (IFA) to challenge these violations implicates it in this system of oppression, rendering its participation in UEFA competitions untenable,” they said. “UEFA must not be complicit in sports-washing such flagrant breaches of international law, including but not limited to the act of genocide,” they added. Adblock test (Why?)