Trump threatens ‘war’ on Chicago as thousands protest federal crackdown
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to unleash his newly rebranded “Department of War” on Chicago, as thousands of protesters marched in the city as well as in Washington, DC, to denounce the deployment of National Guard troops and immigration agents to Democratic-led cities. Trump’s threat, posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, featured a parody image from the movie Apocalypse Now, showing a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the skyline of Chicago, the US’s third-largest city. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. The post from Trump follows his repeated threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he has targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration is set to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, as it did in Los Angeles, and deploy National Guard troops. Democratic Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker, where Chicago is located, voiced outrage at Trump’s post and said the state “won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator”. “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal,” he wrote in a post on X. Thousands of demonstrators participate in the ‘We Are All DC’ national march, in solidarity with DC communities, and call for an end to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in the US capital [Amid Farahi/AFP] Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also denounced Trump’s threat as “beneath the honor of our nation”. Advertisement “The reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution. We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” Johnson wrote on X. Protests in Chicago, DC In addition to sending troops to Los Angeles in June, Trump has deployed them since last month in Washington, DC, as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover of the country’s capital. He has also suggested that Baltimore and New Orleans could get the same treatment and, on Friday, even mentioned federal authorities possibly heading for Portland, Oregon, to “wipe ’em out”, meaning the protesters. The US president on Friday also signed an order changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, saying it sends “a message of victory” to the world. The troop and federal agent deployments have prompted legal challenges and protests, with critics calling them an authoritarian show of force. On Saturday, more than a thousand protesters marched through the streets of downtown Chicago, with signs bearing slogans like “I.C.E. out of Illinois, I.C.E. out of everywhere”, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Speakers offered the crowd instructions on what to do if encountering ICE agents. They also drew comparisons between the proposed ICE crackdown on Chicago and Israel’s presence in Gaza. “We are inspired by the steadfastness of Palestinians in Gaza, and it is why we refuse to cower to Trump and his threats,” Nazek Sankari, co-chair of the US Palestinian Community Network, said to the crowd as many waved Palestinian flags and donned keffiyehs. Viviana Barajas, leader with the community organisation Palenque LSNA, promised that Chicagoans would “stand up” as Los Angeles had if Trump deployed the National Guard in their city. “If he thinks these frivolous theatrics to undermine our sovereignty will shut out the passion we have for protecting our people, this is Chicago, and he is sorely mistaken,” Barajas said. “We have been studying LA and DC, and they have stood up for their cities.” In the US capital, protesters at the “We Are All DC” march, who also included supporters of Palestinian statehood, marched behind a bright red banner reading, “END THE D.C. OCCUPATION”, in English and Spanish. They chanted slogans denouncing Trump and carried posters, some of which read, “Trump must go now,” “Free DC”, and “Resist Tyranny”. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro, reporting from Washington, DC, said the protesters were “furious” of Trump’s order, and were calling him “a fascist and an authoritarian”. Advertisement She noted that Trump had deployed the 2,000 troops last month to fight what he called a surge in violent crime, but that such offences in the US capital last year had hit “a 30-year low”. Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US diplomat who has been a DC resident for about a decade, told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday that he was worried about the “authoritarian nature” in which the administration is treating DC. “Federal agents, national guards patrolling our streets, that’s really an affront to the democracy of our city,” he said, adding that it is worse for DC residents due to their lack of federal representation. “We don’t have our own senators or members of the House of Representatives, so we’re at the mercy of a dictator like this, a wanna-be dictator.” Among the protesters on Saturday was Jun Lee, a printmaker artist, who showed up with a “Free DC” sign that she made on a woodcut block. She said she came to the protest because she was “saddened and heartbroken” about the impact of the federal intervention on her city. “This is my home, and I never, ever thought all the stuff that I watched in a history documentary that I’m actually living in person, and this is why this is important for everyone. This is our home; we need to fight, we need to resist,” she said. Trump has suggested that he has nearly limitless powers when it comes to deploying the National Guard. At times he has even touched on questions about his being a dictator. “Most
US Open: Sabalenka wins second straight title, defeats Anisimova
World number one Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open title with a straight-sets victory against Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova. Published On 7 Sep 20257 Sep 2025 Aryna Sabalenka retained her US Open crown with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win over American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the women’s final on Saturday, underlining her claim as the modern queen of the hardcourt. The Belarusian has not missed a hardcourt major final since 2022. Her latest trophy brings her Grand Slam haul to four, as she becomes the first woman to win back-to-back US Opens since Serena Williams claimed three consecutive titles from 2012 to 2014. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The battle between two of tennis’s hardest-hitting, biggest-serving women boiled down to unforced errors, as Sabalenka kept them down to 15 compared with 29 from her opponent. “I want to thank everyone who came here, who flew in to be there in my box,” said Sabalenka, who fell to her knees after clinching the match with an un-returnable serve, and jumped up and down with her coaches in the stands in a scene of utter joy. “I’m going to reach a lot more finals, and I don’t care where you are in the world, I want you in my box.” Playing in only her second major final, New Jersey-born Anisimova had the partisan fans at the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium on her side, but could never hang onto the momentum. “It’s been a great summer. Losing in two finals in a row is great, but it’s also super hard,” said 24-year-old Anisimova, who was left in tears yet again after the heartbreak of her 6-0, 6-0 drubbing in the Wimbledon final two months ago. “I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.” Sabalenka became the first woman to win the US Open in consecutive years since Serena Williams in 2014 [Timothy A Clary/AFP] Sabalenka sets the tone early Sabalenka, 27, had ice in her veins as she saved three break points in a nervy first game, and Anisimova handed over the early break when she sent a shot past the baseline in the second. Advertisement Anisimova hit her stride when she won a 12-shot rally with a forehand winner out of Sabalenka’s reach to break back in the third game. The American went up a break as her opponent hit one beyond the baseline in the fifth. The tiger-tattooed Belarusian prowled along the baseline in frustration and pounced on her chance to get the momentum back, breaking Anisimova to love in the sixth game and converting on another break point from the baseline in the eighth. Sabalenka closed out the first set with an un-returnable serve, and sent a backhand whizzing past her opponent to convert on a break point in the third game of the second set. Anisimova refused to give up as she levelled it in the sixth with a backhand winner of her own, whipping the fans into a frenzy. But the American party ended abruptly as their home hope sent the ball into the net on a break point in the seventh. Anisimova stayed in it as Sabalenka helped her break back with a flubbed smash in the 10th game. But she buckled to the Belarusian’s power in the tiebreak, where Sabalenka sprinted through to victory. Sabalenka, left, hugs Anisimova after winning the US Open [Charly Triballeau/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
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?)
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
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?)
Lebanon’s cabinet welcomes army plan to disarm Hezbollah, gives no timeline
Five Shia ministers walk out of cabinet debate as Hezbollah remains adamant it will hold onto its weapons. Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025 Lebanon’s army has presented a plan to the government’s cabinet to disarm Hezbollah, saying the military will begin executing it, as some ministers staged a walkout before the session began. On Friday, Lebanon’s cabinet met for three hours, which included the plan’s presentation by army commander Rodolphe Haykal. The plan did not set a timeframe for implementation and cautioned that the army had limited capabilities. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos told reporters after the session that the government welcomed the plan, but stopped short of saying the cabinet had formally passed it. He said the army would begin implementing the plan according to its logistical, material and personnel capabilities, which might require “additional time [and] additional effort”. Morcos said the plan’s details would remain secret. A national divide over Hezbollah’s disarmament has taken centre stage in Lebanon since last year’s devastating war with Israel, which upended a power balance long dominated by Hezbollah. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (centre), Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and members of the cabinet stand as they attend a cabinet session to discuss the army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters] Five Shia ministers, including those from Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement, walked out of the cabinet meeting, with the Lebanese armed group adamant it will hold onto its weapons. The walkout happened as Lebanon’s army chief Haykal entered the meeting to present a plan for disarming the group, local media reported. Advertisement Hezbollah and Amal ministers have now walked out of cabinet meetings three times over the disarmament issue. Hezbollah-aligned Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar told local media before the cabinet’s session had concluded that any decision taken in the absence of Shia ministers would be null and void, as it would be considered in contravention of Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem last month raised the spectre of civil war, warning the government against trying to confront the group and saying street protests were possible. Military and political analyst Elijah Magnier says it is not possible for the Lebanese army to confront Hezbollah, adding that it did not “have the appetite to start a civil war”. “It [also] doesn’t want a partition in the army, because the Shia members within the army would not side by the Lebanese army if it attacks Shia strongholds,” he told Al Jazeera. Calls grow to disarm The United States and Saudi Arabia, along with Hezbollah’s primarily Christian and Sunni opponents in Lebanon, have ramped up calls for the group to give up arms. US Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a joint statement in support of Hezbollah’s disarmament on Friday. “Lebanon deserves a free, prosperous, and secure future. That will only be possible if Lebanon is freed from the influence of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime,” the senators said. “We recognize that Lebanon’s government has made important progress in the past year, and we applaud the recent decision by Lebanon’s Council of Ministers to approve disarming militias in Lebanon. This commitment must be carried out to its full conclusion, including approving the Lebanese Armed Forces’ disarmament plan for Hezbollah.” The bipartisan statement underscores growing pressure from Washington on Beirut to curb Hezbollah’s influence, a longstanding demand of both the US and international partners. However, Hezbollah has pushed back, saying it would be a serious misstep to even discuss disarmament while Israel continues its air strikes on Lebanon and occupies swathes of territory in the south. Four people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday. Israeli forces have continued to carry out air attacks across Lebanon in near-daily violations of the November truce, causing deaths and injuries among civilians, including Syrian refugees, and destruction of properties and infrastructure. Adblock test (Why?)
Air Canada flight attendants reject wage offer
Canada’s biggest air carrier offered a 12 percent wage hike for those with five years on the job or less, and 8 percent for those with more than six. Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025 Air Canada’s flight attendants and its regional unit have voted against ratifying the carrier’s wage offer. The union announced the decision on Friday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Many of the flight attendants at Canada’s largest carrier were dissatisfied with wage increases in a tentative agreement that they had arrived at last month and that had helped end a crippling strike at the time. Air Canada had proposed a 12 percent first-year wage hike for Rouge flight attendants and mainline staff with five years of service or less, and an 8 percent increase for those with six years or more, the union said. The tension between the Montreal-based carrier and its flight attendants’ union comes only weeks after its roughly 10,500 flight attendants hit the picket line for three days. Disruptions led to cancellations impacting nearly half a million customers flying on Air Canada. It was the first time any union had defied a long-obscure “industrial peace” clause in Canada’s 40-year-old labour code — one that has been used to end strikes a half dozen times in just the past year and force workers back to their jobs. Several flight attendants had been unhappy both with the content of the offer and the way it was achieved under “duress”, Al Jazeera reported previously. Adblock test (Why?)
Belgium asks US not to destroy millions in contraceptives bound for Africa
The Trump administration has confirmed it plans to destroy the already purchased supplies, preventing their distribution. Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025 Belgium has called on the administration of United States President Donald Trump to abandon a plan to destroy a massive stockpile of contraceptives for women as part of its rollback on foreign aid. In an interview on Friday, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the stockpile was mostly bound for sub-Saharan Africa. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The Trump administration confirmed last month that it planned to destroy the supplies, which are unexpired and had been purchased by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under former President Joe Biden. “We continue through diplomatic channels to vigorously advocate against such waste,” Prevot told the Agence France Presse (AFP) news agency. The stockpile is estimated to be worth about $10m. It includes implants and intrauterine devices, long cornerstones for the humanitarian community’s birth control drives. Prevot said a portion of the supplies had already been moved from their original warehouse and were being kept in poor storage conditions. The Belgian diplomat also doused reports that suggested the contraceptives had been sent to France for incineration. “Whether here at the US Embassy or directly in Washington, we have intervened to say, ‘OK, you are changing your policy. We regret it, but please at least allow what has already been purchased to reach the appropriate recipients,’” he said. For its part, Flanders, the self-governing, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium, told the Reuters news agency that the contraceptives are currently being stored in a warehouse in Geel, a municipality in the province of Antwerp. Advertisement Even if the supplies were sent to another country, they could not be incinerated without a “formal derogation” from the region’s ban on destroying medical waste, the Flemish spokesperson explained. “To date, we have not received any such request,” the spokesperson said, adding the Flemish government was open to engaging with US authorities on the matter. The Trump administration has overseen a massive overhaul of US foreign aid since taking office in January. That has included dismantling USAID and cleaving billions of dollars in humanitarian funding. As a result of the US aid cuts, humanitarian organisations and United Nations officials have warned of shortages in critical supplies used to address hunger, staunch disease and prevent unwanted pregnancies. Earlier this week, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from allowing $4.9bn in congressionally approved aid funding to expire without being spent. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,289
Here are the key events on day 1,289 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025 Here is how things stand on Friday, September 5: Fighting Russian drones killed three people – two men and a woman – and injured three others in the village of Khotimlia in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. A Russian missile strike on a Danish-sponsored humanitarian demining mission near the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv has killed two people, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus. Another three were wounded in the attack, which Chaus said had purposely targeted the team from the Danish Refugee Council. All victims were Ukrainian. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed it destroyed a launch site for long-range drones with an Iskander missile strike in the same attack in the Chernihiv region. Russian troops have taken control of the village of Novoselivka in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry said. Ukraine wants to see improved performance by interceptor drones to counter Russian aerial attacks more effectively, top Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskii said. Coalition of the Willing Twenty-six nations have pledged to provide post-war security guarantees to Ukraine, which will include an international force on land and sea and in the air, French President Emmanuel Macron said after the “coalition of the willing” group met for a Paris summit of Kyiv’s allies to discuss those guarantees. “The day the conflict stops, the security guarantees will be deployed,” Macron told a news conference at the Elysee Palace, standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron initially said 26 nations – which he did not name – would deploy to Ukraine. But he later said some countries would provide guarantees while remaining outside Ukraine, for example, by helping to train and equip Kyiv’s forces. Zelenskyy said after the meeting that “we are working out which countries will take part in which security component”. He added that “26 countries agreed to provide security guarantees. Today, for the first time in a long time, this is the first such serious, very specific substance”. Germany is ready to step up funding for and training of Ukrainian forces, but will decide on further military commitments, including deploying troops to Ukraine, only after broader conditions are clarified, a government spokesperson said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron speak before their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, on September 3, 2025 [AFP] Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, indigestible for present and future aggressors, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the meeting. Macron also said he, fellow European leaders and Zelenskyy held a call with United States President Donald Trump after the summit, and US contributions to the guarantees would be finalised in the coming days. Macron said there is “no doubt” about Washington’s willingness to take part in the security guarantees offered to Ukraine, adding that the relevant planning work needed to be finalised with Washington. On that call, Trump told European leaders that Europe must stop buying Russian oil that he said is helping Moscow fund its war against Ukraine, a White House official said, striking a combative tone amid slow diplomatic progress to end the fighting. “The president also emphasised that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,” the official said. Advertisement Sanctions The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 11 more individuals and entities affiliated with the Russian state, targeting those involved in what it said were Moscow’s attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukraine’s children. Former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said Russia would take more Ukrainian territory and go after British property after London said it had spent about $1.3bn raised from frozen Russian assets on weapons for Ukraine. Russia has expelled an Estonian diplomat in a reciprocal move, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. In mid-August, Estonia expelled a Russian diplomat over alleged sanctions violations and other offences against the state. Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft has secured an additional deal on the supply of 2.5 million metric tonnes of oil to China via Kazakhstan, Interfax news agency quoted Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev as saying. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their visit to Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025 [KCNA via Reuters] Regional security North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would “fully support” Russia’s army as a “fraternal duty”, and Russian President Vladimir Putin called the two countries’ ties “special”, North Korean state media KCNA reported. Putin also reportedly sent Kim a congratulatory message for North Korea’s foundation day. “Your combat force’s heroic involvement in liberating the Kursk territories from the invaders is a distinct symbol of friendship and mutual aid between Russia and North Korea”, Putin’s message read, according to KCNA. “I am confident that we will continue to work together to consolidate the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries,” Putin said. Adblock test (Why?)
Indonesia in chaos: Five Indonesians give views on why and how to fix it
Demonstrations have gripped Indonesia since late August when anger at a faltering economy erupted into full-blown violence following reports that politicians received a $3,000 housing allowance on top of their salaries – a perk equal to between 10 and 20 times Indonesia’s monthly minimum wage. It was not the first time that Indonesians have taken to the streets this year. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In February and March, students turned out to protest against a range of unpopular government policies, including cuts to the national budget and a proposed new law expanding the role of the military in political affairs. As the latest wave of protests continues to wash over Indonesia, including on the islands of Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Al Jazeera spoke to five Indonesians* about the issues that ignited the demonstrations and what needs to change in their country of more than 283 million people. A protester throws a rock at riot police officers during a protest against lavish allowances given to parliament members, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 28, 2025 [Achmad Ibrahim/AP Photo] Death of a food delivery driver Anger peaked in late August when a motorcycle delivery driver, 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, was run over and killed by a police vehicle during protests in the capital Jakarta. Kurniawan was reportedly not taking part in demonstrations, but trying to fulfil a food delivery order at the time of his death. Several police officers are now being investigated over his death, and one has already been fired from his position. Advertisement Indonesia’s ubiquitous food delivery drivers are widely seen as a symbol of Indonesia’s lack of good employment opportunities and an ever-present reminder of the country’s poorly paid “gig-economy”, where workers are often economically exploited and socially marginalised. Imran, a food delivery driver from Langkat in North Sumatra, told Al Jazeera that “inequality” was the root cause of the mass protests that have shaken the country. “Including economic inequality, educational inequality, health inequality and unequal public services,” Imran told Al Jazeera. Protesters clash with police outside the parliament building in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, on August 30, 2025 [Made Nagi/EPA] Despite the economic hardships facing everyday people, the country’s House of Representatives still went ahead and asked for a housing allowance of 50 million Indonesian rupiah per month, equal to some $3,000, Imran said. “They are not concerned about our fate. They should be present to resolve the problems facing the community, not fan the flames. These protests arose from the community’s poor economic conditions,” Imran said. “We hope the government will quickly find a solution to address these issues so that people will no longer take to the streets to demand their rights,” he said. “We are part of a community that longs for peace. If our rights are fulfilled, there will be no more masses taking to the streets. We want clean and transparent bureaucracy,” he added. Local news outlet Jakarta Globe reported on Friday that the housing allowance has been scrapped as a result of the demonstrations, and that the House of Representatives had also decided on Thursday against raising the salaries of lawmakers and imposed a ban on their “non-essential overseas trips”. Economic woes Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who has been in power since October, promised on taking office to raise economic growth to 8 percent within the next five years. But, the president has struggled to balance the books, in part due to his free lunch programme for millions of schoolchildren, which is costing the government a reported $10bn per year. To make up for the budget shortfall, blamed in part on the free food initiative, Prabowo’s government slashed state expenditures by $18bn, with the deepest cuts felt in education, public works and healthcare. A prominent Indonesian political analyst* told Al Jazeera that many people feel “disgusted” by the cuts to government spending, and now that Prabowo has been in power for a year, they have a good idea of “how he actually governs”, compared with promises made during his election campaign. Advertisement “Prabowo promoted himself as an economic reformer, but the emperor has no clothes,” the analyst said. Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto speaking about recent violent protests during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 31, 2025 [Handout/Laily Rachev/EPA] Not all is lost yet, however, for the president. “He still has an opportunity to defuse this. The government still has a lot of room to manoeuvre to repair the damage and make concessions,” the analyst said. “A lot of it has to do with damage control as the protests are targeted against the elite and the establishment in general,” he said, adding the president could build goodwill with the public by holding people to account for corruption and excessive force in dealing with protesters. “He should fire a couple of people and arrest a few people and put them on trial. That would be the best way to save his presidency,” the analyst said. Right to protest Following the death of delivery driver Kurniawan, anger surged, and protesters ransacked the homes of parliamentarians and Indonesia’s Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Demonstrators were also blamed for setting fire to a regional government national assembly building in Makassar in Sulawesi, where three people were reported killed. As police deployed water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds in cities across the country, including on university campuses, Prabowo told the country’s security forces to get tough on protests that showed signs of “treason and terrorism”. Afifah, a women’s rights activist based in Jakarta, said there have been demonstrations since the start of the year, and not just in the past few weeks, due to “a real frustration about economic issues in Indonesia”. People were also “worried about the military expanding its authority over civilians, access to the job market and widespread poverty,” she said. In the face of the demonstrations, authorities used tear gas, which suppressed the people’s “right to protest” peacefully in Indonesia, Afifah said.