ICC prosecutor whose Netanyahu warrant fueled Mamdani arrest threat is fired over sexual misconduct

The International Criminal Court prosecutor whose arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became central to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest the Israeli leader was dismissed Friday after member states voted to remove him over sexual misconduct allegations.

Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, was removed after a vote by the Assembly of States Parties, the court’s 125-member governing body, following disciplinary proceedings tied to allegations involving a junior female staffer in his office. Khan has denied wrongdoing.

The decision marked the first time in the ICC’s history that a sitting chief prosecutor has been removed from office. Khan’s removal comes days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a U.S. campaign to "dismantle" the ICC, accusing the court of threatening American sovereignty.

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN'T ARREST NETANYAHU

Khan became one of the world’s most controversial prosecutors after pursuing ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The ICC issued the warrants in November 2024, prompting fierce condemnation from Israel and the United States, neither of which is a member of the court.

The warrants also became a flashpoint in New York politics after Mamdani repeatedly invoked the ICC case against Netanyahu. Mamdani said during his campaign that he would seek to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister came to New York, and later acknowledged as mayor that the city lacks authority to enforce the warrant while calling on the federal government to do so.

The ICC, based in The Hague in Holland, is a permanent international court created under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.

WORLD COURT PROSECUTOR WHO WENT AFTER NETANYAHU FOR WAR CRIMES SUSPENDED OVER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

The allegations against Khan have triggered a crisis for the court. Reuters reported that 82 of the ICC’s 125 member states voted in favor of his removal, exceeding the absolute majority required. Khan had previously stepped aside in May 2025 while a U.N. oversight investigation was underway and was suspended in June 2026 pending the final vote.

The Associated Press reported that the court’s oversight body found Khan had committed "serious misconduct." The case involved allegations from a female aide who said Khan engaged in nonconsensual sexual conduct. Khan’s lawyers have denied the allegations and called the removal process legally flawed and unsupported by evidence.

The woman, identified only as Sarah, went public in a CNN interview last week. "There is no way for something to be consensual when you have such a power disparity," she told CNN.

Khan’s legal team rejected the vote and said he would challenge the decision. Tayab Ali, partner at Bindmans LLP and head of Khan’s legal team, said in a statement that the Assembly of States Parties had disregarded due process concerns raised publicly by more than 180 nongovernmental organizations and senior international lawyers.

"The decision is unsupported by any lawful or properly reasoned finding that Mr Khan KC committed misconduct or breached his duties as Prosecutor," Ali said. "He has denied the allegations from the outset and continues to do so." Ali said the allegations were investigated for more than a year by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services and argued that "there is not a single finding of misconduct, including sexual misconduct, anywhere in the OIOS report." He also said a three-judge panel unanimously determined in March 2026 that the factual findings made by OIOS did not establish misconduct or breach of duty by Khan.

Khan’s lawyers accused the Assembly of States Parties of removing him through a politically driven and procedurally unfair process, saying Khan and his lawyers were not allowed to make formal submissions to the Assembly before the vote.

"The Prosecutor of this Court has been removed by an executive vote while under sanctions and while the Court is under immense political pressure," Ali said.
Ali said Khan "will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms."

Israeli officials argued Friday that Khan’s removal undermined the legitimacy of the ICC’s actions against Netanyahu.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that Khan believed "by launching a political witch hunt against Israel and issuing a politically-motivated arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the world would ignore the grave sexual misconduct allegations against him."

"He was wrong," Danon said. "He sought to scapegoat Israel in an attempt to divert attention from his own misconduct. The international community rejected that cynical attempt today."

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI'S VOW TO ENFORCE 'BOGUS ARREST WARRANT'

Danon added, "The attacks against Israel, which were intended to distract from his disgraceful conduct, did not save Karim Khan, and they will not help Zohran Mamdani either."

Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital that Khan’s fall should not be viewed as an isolated scandal. "He unexpectedly requested arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister within weeks of discovering his sexual deviancy had been revealed. He accused his victim of being a Mossad agent. He and his lawyers constantly repeated the refrain that Israelis were behind the accusations."

Bayefsky claimed that Khan’s conduct has damaged the ICC itself. "Now there is a massive campaign to save the ICC from Khan. On this logic, Khan’s anti-Israel fanaticism never tainted his investigation of Israel, his arrest warrant request against Israelis, his submissions to the ICC Court, the evidence he placed before the Court, or the analysis and conclusions of the ICC Court that placed their trust in him when they decided to grant his warrant requests."

The ICC has not said Khan’s removal affects the Netanyahu and Gallant warrants, which were issued by judges after Khan’s request.

Requests sent to Khan's office for comment were not answered by the time of publication.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/Q5znILm

Romanian F-16 shoots down drone after airspace breach, marking first for NATO ally

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that entered the country’s airspace without authorization Friday, marking the first time the NATO member has intercepted and destroyed a drone inside its national airspace, authorities said.

Romanian officials have not yet identified the drone’s origin or purpose. Romania’s army chief said pilots described it as appearing to be a Shahed-type drone, Reuters reported, the Iran-designed attack drone widely used by Russia against Ukraine. 

The incident carries direct implications for the U.S. and its NATO allies, as repeated airspace breaches along the alliance’s eastern flank have fueled concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill across NATO borders. Romania, which borders Ukraine, has reported dozens of drone incursions or debris incidents since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the interception took place over an unpopulated area in Buzău County.

REPORT WARNS RUSSIA USING SHADOW FLEET TO PROBE NATO DRONE DEFENSES

"Today at 11:02 AM, a Romanian pilot flying an F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered our airspace without authorization — the first time a drone has been intercepted and destroyed in Romania's national airspace," Țoiu wrote on X.

Țoiu previously told Fox News Digital July 2 that Russian drones had been detected inside Ukraine roughly 19 miles from Romania’s border, prompting two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets operating from Romania’s 86th Air Base in Fetești to scramble under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission. A Romanian Air Force IAR 330 Puma helicopter was also deployed, she said at the time.

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS NATO IS EAGER TO HAVE

"Such incidents have constantly accompanied Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," Țoiu told Fox News Digital.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Defense Minister Radu Miruță reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting its airspace and investing in modern air-defense and anti-drone capabilities, according to Țoiu.

The incident underscores the growing danger along NATO’s eastern flank as Russia continues strikes across Ukraine and Kyiv increasingly targets Russian military and energy infrastructure deeper inside Russia.

RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY

The drone shootdown came as Ukraine reported deadly Russian strikes in the Kyiv region and Slovyansk. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a rescue operation was underway in the Kyiv region after a Russian missile strike killed six people and wounded dozens. Reuters later reported that Ukrainian officials and industry representatives said the strike killed 10 people and injured close to 100 at a site where a defense industry event was being held.

"There were also casualties in Slovyansk following guided aerial bomb strikes," Zelenskyy said. "Five people were killed. My condolences to their families. Nine others were injured. The Russians damaged ordinary homes, the consulate building, and vehicles."

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said Latvia’s honorary consulate building in Slovyansk, in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, was destroyed Friday morning in a Russian attack involving a KAB-250 guided aerial bomb, according to information provided by Ukrainian authorities.

Braže said Latvia’s honorary consul, Oleksandr Pavenko, was not injured, but two consulate staff members were wounded. She informed European Union and NATO foreign ministers and international organizations about the incident, while Latvia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and delivered a note of protest.

"Russia will be held accountable for this and other violations of international law," Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said. "All war crimes committed by Russia must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be brought to justice."

Zelenskyy called the strikes "brutal attacks on civilians" and again pressed Ukraine’s partners for air-defense support.

"Interceptors for Patriot systems are the number one priority," he said.

Ukraine also said its forces had struck one of Russia’s key military enterprises in Kirov, which Zelenskyy said supplies components for Russian aircraft and missile systems used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had also hit an oil facility nearly 840 miles away and that operations against Russian logistics supplying drone components, navigation equipment and military gear remained underway. Ukrainian outlet UNN reported that Zelenskyy confirmed the Kirov strike and the long-range strike on the oil facility.

The Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine Monday at 10 a.m., as requested by Ukraine, according to a United Nations schedule viewed by Fox News Digital. The meeting comes after Kyiv has repeatedly urged the international community to respond more forcefully to Russia’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

The back-and-forth comes as Kyiv is trying to show battlefield momentum despite continued Russian missile and drone attacks. 

Outgoing Ukrainian Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine had recaptured 270 square miles of territory in 2026 and was handing over to his successor "an army that is not only holding the defence but is also on the offensive," Reuters reported Wednesday. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian defense ministry but didn't receive a response in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/DdMIH2O

Could this African nation become Trump's next terror target as jihadists close in on power?

JOHANNESBURG: The U.S. is reportedly considering airstrikes against al Qaeda-linked terrorists in Mali, according to regional analysts and recent media reports.

The military junta that has been running this West African country in the Sahel region since coups in both 2020 and 2021 turned away from France and the U.S. to get military protection from Russia and its Africa Corps mercenaries against jihadist groups.

But now the largest of these groups, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has Mali’s capital under siege, is credited, along with another group, for killing 50 Malian soldiers this month, for the death of the country’s defense minister earlier this year and has reportedly sent battalions of Russian soldiers retreating on at least two occasions this year.

ISIS POISED TO EXPLOIT HISTORIC US IRAQ EXIT, TERROR GROUP 'ACTIVELY WAITING IN THE GAPS,' EXPERT WARNS

JNIM is said to want to change the country into an Islamist Jihadist state. If they succeed, Mali would be the first country in the world to be run by a jihadist group. The organization was designated officially as a Foreign Terrorist Organization during the first Trump administration in 2018.

Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist groups are also operating freely in Mali, and are linked to terror groups in neighboring Nigeria.

A State Department official didn’t respond to a Washington Post report that the U.S. is considering strikes against JNIM in Mali, but used strong language Thursday when talking to Fox News Digital, leading analysts to suggest the time for talking may be over.

"The United States unequivocally condemns the terrorist activity in Mali," the official said, adding, "in the Sahel, the United States is committed to promoting regional ownership and cooperation against terrorist threats, and monitoring indicators and warnings of threats to our homeland."

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British and United Nations diplomat, said the U.S. could order military action, to primarily try and stop jihadists becoming entrenched in Mali. Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital, "Mali is mainly important to the U.S. because, as a failed state becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and ISIS, it looks like the first of several African dominoes likely to fall."

Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, who until last year, served as the Department of War’s West Africa Coordination Element lead, said that with strike action the administration may be able to persuade Mali’s rulers to turn away from Russia, and towards the U.S. for protection – and purchases of military equipment.

RESOURCE-RICH NATION PRAISES US TIES AMID WASHINGTON-BEIJING CRITICAL MINERALS RACE

Ekman told Fox News Digital, "JNIM has a stranglehold on the government and much of the population. The Russians are woefully ineffective and extractive. Cooperation with U.S. forces offers a disproportionate and positive impact."

Ekman said that U.S. forces have supported partner-led operations against JNIM before, as recently as 2022, adding "⁠recent proposals amount to returning to similar cooperation against a mutual threat."

The administration may also be in a minerals frame of mind. Mali is one of Africa’s largest gold-producing nations. It also has substantial deposits of lithium, used extensively in rechargeable batteries.

Fitton-Brown said that "President Trump may be less reluctant than his predecessor to work with the juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, if they are losing faith in their Russian friends."

He continued, "The U.S. is certainly a more capable partner. France has already been displaced so all three countries might accept U.S. help if it comes only with strings attached that don’t offend or disadvantage them. Whether even the U.S. is capable of stopping the political decline of these countries, and the rise of militant Islam, is another matter. That cannot be achieved by military force alone."

The FDD’s Fitton-Brown said U.S. assets such as aircraft may not be directly involved if there is a strike, "The U.S. might work with French and other intelligence services to develop local intelligence for strikes on JNIM leadership, but this is unlikely to achieve much. The organization is resilient and will be able to replace those killed."

A former senior Department of War official told Fox News Digital the U.S. has at its disposal cruise missiles and long-range bombers. Attack drones would probably not come into play, and the U.S. Naval Institute’s Fleet Tracker shows no American aircraft carriers anywhere near African waters, effectively ruling out carrier operations.

However, Ekman believes airstrikes are under consideration, noting "JNIM and ISIS are a threat to U.S. interests, and are ascendant in West Africa."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/uAgo8ZU

Is Israel really isolated? Polls and diplomacy point in opposite directions

President Donald Trump predicted in recent days that additional countries would soon join the Abraham Accords, renewing debate over whether Israel is becoming increasingly isolated or continuing to expand its most important strategic relationships.

"The Abraham Accords have been, I think, a tremendous success," Trump said during a Tuesday Oval Office meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. "I think you’re going to see a lot of countries joining pretty soon."

Trump's prediction underscores a central debate about Israel's global position: Public support for the country has fallen sharply in the United States and across much of the world, yet Israel continues to build or preserve diplomatic, military, energy and technology relationships with foreign governments.

TRUMP CALLS ON ARAB NATIONS TO SIGN ABRAHAM ACCORDS

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sunday. Trump has made expanding the agreements a central goal of his Middle East strategy. 

The dispute depends partly on how isolation is measured. Critics point to worsening public opinion, pressure at international institutions and growing opposition among Democrats and younger voters. Israeli officials and conservative foreign-policy experts argue that government-to-government cooperation remains strong and, in some regions, is expanding.

Trump reinforced that strategy Thursday by saying a U.S. civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would depend on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords. The statement showed the administration attempting to use one of Washington’s most valuable offers to Riyadh to secure normalization with Israel, but it did not demonstrate that Saudi Arabia had agreed to do so.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon rejected the contention that Israel had become isolated.

"The claim that Israel is an isolated country is simply not true," Danon told Fox News Digital. "While the campaign to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization has drawn international criticism, Israel’s relationships with other countries have not weakened. They have evolved."

Former White House national security official Richard Goldberg similarly argued that Israel retains strong support among conservatives and that its electoral gains are translating into closer government relations.

"Polling in the United States shows massive support among conservatives and Republicans, including self-described MAGA, for Israel still," Goldberg told Fox News Digital. "And that’s reflected around the world, particularly among conservative candidates and parties that win elected office right now."

Goldberg pointed to political changes in Latin America, expanding partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean and Israel’s continuing defense and technology relationships as evidence that public criticism has not translated into comprehensive strategic isolation.

The dispute comes amid polling that shows Israel retaining deep support among Republicans while losing ground across the broader American electorate and much of the world.

POTENTIAL 2028 DEM CONTENDER UNLOADS ON NETANYAHU, ADMITS US-ISRAEL TIES AT 'CROSSROADS'

Eighty percent of self-identified MAGA Republicans said Israel’s security matters to U.S. security and prosperity, a Reagan Institute survey released in June found, while 73% supported sending Israel U.S. weapons. Among MAGA Republicans under 30, 63% said Israel’s security matters to the United States and 60% supported sending weapons.

The same survey found that broader support was narrowing. Sixty-five percent of Americans said Israel’s security matters to U.S. security and prosperity, down six percentage points from a year earlier. 

The figure fell nine points among Democrats to 57%, compared with 75% of Republicans and 80% of MAGA Republicans.

A Pew Research Center survey published in June found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries viewed Israel unfavorably, while 25% viewed it favorably. The findings came from Pew’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey.

In the United States, 60% of adults viewed Israel unfavorably, up from 53% in 2025 and 42% in 2022, according to a separate Pew survey conducted March 23 to March 29. Eighty percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents held an unfavorable view, while negative assessments were also widespread among adults under 50.

Israel no longer held a statistically significant advantage over the Palestinians in Americans’ sympathies, Gallup reported in February. Forty-one percent said they sympathized more with the Palestinians and 36% with the Israelis, although Gallup said the five-point difference was not statistically significant. 

In 2023, 54% sympathized more with Israelis and 31% with Palestinians.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel highlighted that erosion during a July 8 speech at Tel Aviv University.

"Support for Israel around the world is declining," Emanuel said, "The only diplomatic achievement Israel has secured in the past three years is Somaliland."

THE US-ISRAEL STRATEGIC ALLIANCE – PARTNERSHIP, NOT CHARITY

Emanuel’s conclusion focuses on Israel’s declining public legitimacy and its strained position in traditional diplomatic institutions. Goldberg and Danon argue that it overlooks expanding government-to-government relationships built around defense, intelligence, energy, technology and trade.

Goldberg pointed in particular to Latin America, where he said newly elected conservative governments have made closer ties with Israel an early priority.

"Every time a government in South America right now flips from left wing to right wing, one of the first things they do is reestablish better relations with Israel, withdraw recognition of a Palestinian state and see what else they can do to make Israel a strategic partner," Goldberg said.

He cited Argentina under President Javier Milei and the proposed "Isaac Accords," along with political changes in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia, as evidence of a broader realignment.

Goldberg also argued that Israel remains central to emerging partnerships involving energy, defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure.

"If you’re in the Eastern Mediterranean and you’re Greece and you are Cyprus, you’re thinking about how do we work with Israel to make the Eastern Mediterranean partnership even stronger," he said. "If you’re Armenia and Azerbaijan in a tough neighborhood between Turkey and Iran, you’re talking to Israel, you’re getting closer to Israel."

Israel, Greece and Cyprus reaffirmed their strategic partnership during a trilateral summit in December 2025, agreeing to expand cooperation in energy, security, emergency preparedness and regional connectivity.

Danon said the diplomatic shift is visible even inside the United Nations, an institution where Israel routinely faces critical resolutions and public condemnation.

"We see this every day in the corridors of the United Nations," he said. "While many South American countries were once highly critical of Israel in recent years, we are now cooperating with many of them. These discussions are happening in public and behind the scenes."

"As Israel’s official representative to the United Nations, I regularly meet with ambassadors from around the world, including from Arab countries, to quietly advance initiatives where we share common interests," Danon said.

Danon went further than Goldberg in assessing Israel’s position since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks and the subsequent war.

"Compared to the period before October 7th, Israel is in a far stronger geostrategic position," Danon said. "That is reflected not only in regional developments but also in the country’s diplomatic relationships around the world."

The competing evidence suggests that much of the disagreement depends on how isolation is defined.

Israel may be losing public support and influence in traditional international institutions while simultaneously preserving or expanding government-to-government cooperation in defense, technology, intelligence, energy and agriculture.

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN’T ARREST NETANYAHU 

Goldberg acknowledged that relationships driven by conservative political victories could become vulnerable when governments change.

But he argued that Israel is increasingly building relationships around durable national interests rather than political ideology alone.

The central risk for Israel is that today’s collapse in public opinion could eventually reshape tomorrow’s government policies. Conservative governments may currently protect and expand strategic ties, but younger voters and left-wing parties could alter those relationships after future elections.

Israel is scheduled to hold national elections Oct. 27, the country’s first since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Goldberg argued that a change in Israel’s government would provide a test of whether international opposition is directed primarily at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or at Israel itself.

"If there is somebody else who becomes prime minister next, we will have to evaluate," Goldberg said. "Those very loud detractors of Israel who right now use Netanyahu as their symbol for bashing and say it’s not about Israel, it’s about Netanyahu, they’ll be put to the test very quickly."

He noted that the boycott movement and anti-Israel campus organizations remained active during the previous government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, when Netanyahu was not prime minister.

"Is their hatred and venom really just about Bibi Netanyahu, or is it fundamentally about a Jewish state that they don’t like existing?" Goldberg asked.

For now, both realities appear to be unfolding at once: Israel remains a sought-after military, intelligence and technology partner for a growing group of governments, while its support among the global public has fallen to levels that could eventually threaten those relationships.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/N6u9IZ1

French modeling scout linked to Jeffrey Epstein found dead in Paris apartment

A French modeling scout with ties to Jeffrey Epstein was found dead inside his Paris apartment, prosecutors said.

The body of Daniel Siad, 69, was discovered Monday night, and an autopsy is pending. Siad's attorney, Menya Arab-Tigrine, told Fox News Digital that he died from a heart attack.

"While he died of a heart attack, the unbearable waiting, the stigma cast upon him—and, by extension, his loved ones—as well as the daily pressure and anxiety he endured, undoubtedly played a role," she said. "We must await the autopsy results to determine whether his body simply gave out."

Fox News Digital has reached out to French prosecutors. 

JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S PURPORTED SUICIDE NOTE UNSEALED BY FEDERAL JUDGE IN CELLMATE'S CASE

Siad's name appeared around 2,000 times in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department, Reuters reported.

"I am here in Barcelona I have girls staying with me from Australia Croecian origin, so you can speak with her very Sweet," Siad allegedly wrote to Epstein in one email.

"I am looking to place her here and Paris," he added.

DEMOCRAT CALLS HOWARD LUTNICK A 'PATHOLOGICAL LIAR' AFTER CLOSED-DOOR EPSTEIN TESTIMONY

"Photo?" Epstein replied.

Another email from Siad to Epstein from April 2009 included images of a 17-year-old Slovakian girl while he was scouting models in Bratislava.

At least 24 women have come forward as victims or witnesses of alleged acts committed by Siad or others following the February launch of a human trafficking and fraud probe, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told Reuters.

Investigators looked into Siad, but there wasn't enough evidence to justify his immediate arrest, said Arab-Tigrine.

"Let us not forget that he was never prosecuted, nor was he ever formally implicated in any legal proceedings," she said. "In the coming days, we must respect the grief of his loved ones. He has passed away, and he was innocent."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/5aZw8Sz

Nicaragua's parliament plans to eliminate elections to codify President Ortega's declaration

Nicaragua's lawmakers announced plans to abolish elections in the Central American country, following through on President Daniel Ortega's declaration over the weekend that there would be no more elections, which enraged the international community.

The move was revealed on Tuesday by Nicaragua's congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Lawmakers said planned constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua's "peace, security and stability."

With the announcement, lawmakers are making good on Ortega's promise of no more elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with Murillo, whom constitutional reforms elevated from vice president to "co-president."

"There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power," Ortega said on Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which Ortega participated in the overthrow of the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

NICARAGUA'S ORTEGA SAYS COUNTRY WILL 'NEVER AGAIN' HOLD ELECTIONS, SHUTTING OUT OPPOSITION

"The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again," he declared.

The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.

Ortega and Murillo expanded their authority through sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. The reforms included extending the presidential term from five years to six and placing the legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the presidency.

The pair now exercise control over nearly every branch of government, including the armed forces, police and judiciary.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, has remained in power until early 2028, although his statement on Sunday effectively canceled Nicaragua’s next elections, which had been scheduled for November 2027.

Critics say Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021.

REPUBLICAN REP MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR DECLARES, 'AFTER CUBA, NICARAGUA IS NEXT'

Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.

A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts said some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the unrest, according to international human rights groups.

Ortega's effort to abolish elections prompted widespread condemnation from foreign governments, including the U.S.

"Daniel Ortega’s declaration that under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never again hold elections lays bare their true authoritarian nature. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have abandoned even the pretense of popular consent," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

"The Nicaraguan people have the right to choose their own leaders through democratic elections. The United States calls on the international community to join forces to demonstrate to the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations when it is thwarting the basic tenets of our democratic hemisphere," he added.

The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their allies. The State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.

Volker Türk, the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, denounced Nicaragua's legislative ambitions on Wednesday, saying that "people of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office."

"These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law," Türk said in a statement.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/6PChF9d

Israeli UN envoy blasts Mamdani as 'clown' over call to arrest Netanyahu: 'It's a stunt'

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a "clown" for demanding federal authorities arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Netanyahu arrives in the city.

Danny Danon’s remarks came after Mamdani accused Netanyahu of being a "war criminal" and the "architect of a horrific genocide" against Palestinians while calling on the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan in September.

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI'S VOW TO ENFORCE 'BOGUS ARREST WARRANT'

"Those baseless remarks about harassing the prime minister — it's a joke, and he's a clown," Danon told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

"Everyone knows it's a show. It's a stunt," Danon added. "A mayor should be dealing with the homeless people, the garbage in New York, and leave foreign affairs to the people in Washington who are elected to do it. He should take care of the security of the people in New York, especially the Jewish community, which is seeing the rise of antisemitism. That is his first responsibility."

The YouTube channel for the New York City Mayor's Office released a video July 21, "Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal."

"Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people," Mamdani said, repeating comments he made in an interview with The New York Times.

Mamdani leveled a series of allegations against the Israeli leader, claiming he was "responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia."

He also accused Netanyahu of targeting neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers and alleged that he blocked food and humanitarian aid.

CNN LEGAL ANALYST CALLS OUT 'UTTERLY RIDICULOUS' CLAIM BY MAMDANI ABOUT NETANYAHU ARREST

"Just last month, the U.N. confirmed that Palestinian children continue to be deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli armed forces, more than eight months after the so-called ceasefire," Mamdani said. 

"All as we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing. There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest."

Danon pushed back sharply against the mayor's accusations.

"There is a lot of humanitarian aid coming into Gaza every day," Danon argued.

"Nobody speaks about those issues anymore, but he wants to resume spreading blood libels, promoting the claims of genocide, starvation and all those lies that were spread by him, by his wife and by other people during the war.

"He wants to go back to this situation, but today there are no humanitarian issues in Gaza," Danon added.

"Mamdani continues to promote those blood libels against Israel and against the Jews."

Mamdani also said that City Hall cannot act on the warrant unilaterally.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," Mamdani said.

"Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."

MAMDANI’S ‘DERANGED’ ISRAEL TAKE RESURFACES AS HE TARGETS NETANYAHU

Israeli officials strongly deny all charges. Netanyahu’s office has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, labeling it "a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis."

"People are smart; they know there's no legal basis for his remarks," Danon said. "The U.S. is not part of the ICC. There is no warrant that is actually effective against the prime minister in the U.S. So it's a political stunt."

"We have serious issues to deal with — the war with Iran and other critical matters.

"The prime minister is not actually dealing with Mamdani's remarks at all. He said it very clearly: He intends to come and speak at the U.N.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York and will speak in the General Assembly," Danon said. "The only thing the mayor can do is come to the U.N., grab a seat, listen to the Prime Minister and maybe learn something from his speech.

"Last year, Mayor Adams came to the prime minister's speech," Danon noted. "A local leader can come and hear. That's the only thing he can do."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/HxzLaq4