Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla on Friday rejected a new threat from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said U.S. ships would make a “small stop” off the island on their return from Iran.

---

President Donald Trump has issued a new threat against Cuba as U.S. officials reportedly press ahead with military planning for the Caribbean country, an escalation that coincides with an intensified oil blockade and UN vote scheduled for October 28.

At a campaign rally in Fort Myers, the Republican President laid out his plan in vivid terms. “What we are going to do with Cuba is we are going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships, we will pass by Cuba, we will have one of them stop about 50 yards (45 meters) from the coast. They will raise their hands and then we will send Marco Rubio to close the deal,” he said.

RELATED: Cuba Denounces U.S. Pressure Ahead of the UN Assembly Vote On Economic Blockade

The U.S. President closed the scene with a concrete promise: “We will take care of Cuba on our return from Iran. We will make a small stop.”

Cuba answered on X. “We reject all threats related to the ambitions of United States toward Cuba,“ wrote the Caribbean nation’s FM Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

He added a description of the coastline that carried an unmistakable warning. “Our coastline is full of beautiful beaches, but there ara also razor-sharp limestone spikes,” he said, referring to the karst rock formations along the shore. “Inhospitable to those who arrive with hostile intentions and dreams of domination,” he warned. The jagged coastal limestone, sharp and cutting, gave the response its edge.

We reject every threat related to US ambitions toward Cuba.

Our coastline is full of beautiful beaches, but there are also razor-sharp limestone spikes, an inhospitable environment for those who make it to our shores with hostile purposes and lust for domination.… pic.twitter.com/jrrBc1jR8S

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) October 23, 2026

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the same platform to urge those pushing for “change” on the island to engage in “discreet collaboration with the CIA.” In August, The New York Times reported that the intelligence agency had secretly set up a task force focused on Cuba.

The threat came amid a heated campaign in a state that is home to the largest Cuban community in United States. Its lawmakers and an influential segment of that community shape Washington’s decisions on Cuba.

Rodriguez Parrilla’s post also echoes another phrase from the current U.S. President. In March, speaking at the White House, Trump said he would have “the honor of taking Cuba” and that he “could do whatever he wanted with it.” He described Cuba then as a beautiful place, with “good land, landscapes, wonderful weather and great potential for tourism centers.”

On that occasion his unfamiliarity with the territory was on display. He argued that taking control would be good because the country is “not in the path of hurricanes.” “They won’t ask us for money for hurricanes every week,” he said in that time.

Passing by the island after Iran is not a new idea. In early May, while signing the Executive Order that launched an unprecedented wave of unilateral and illegal penalties against Cuba, Trump had already spoken of “taking control” once his military objectives in Iran were met. Following that, he has promised the war will end “immediately” after the November 3 elections, without explaining how.

The new threat coincides with the campaign Rubio himself is leading to sway the votes of UN member states on the resolution against the blockade against Cuba. In a recent press conference, Rodriguez Parrilla denounced the pressures and threats against governments to make them change their position.

In recent weeks the U.S. administration has seized fuel shipments bound for Cuba as part of an oil blockade. The campaign against Cuba’s international medical cooperation has intensified in parallel.

Elections Add Pressure

The escalation arrives at a difficult political moment for the U.S. President. Midterm elections take place on November 3, and the Republican Party could lose control of Congress. Trump’s approval has sagged, and a majority of voters now reject his management of the country’s main fronts, a rejection that cuts across every issue.

The domestic scenario is complicated further by the conflict with Iran. Tehran retains control of the Strait of Hormuz and has inflicted significant destruction on U.S. military bases in West Asia.

Fuel prices keep climbing in the meantime. The increase strikes U.S. households directly, and every rise deepens the damage to the President’s public standing at a moment when he can least afford it.

The pattern toward Cuba has hardened even as those pressures mount at home. The fuel seizures, the diplomatic campaign and the military planning all point in the same direction, toward an increasingly explicit posture of confrontation against the island.

With the United Nations vote set for October 28 and the U.S. midterm elections following days later on November 3, the coming weeks will reveal whether the planning described in U.S. media translates into further concrete action against Cuba, or whether it remains a lever of pressure in a campaign that already weighs heavily on the island.

Super typhoon weakening but large parts of Taiwan, including Taipei, still mostly closed and flights cancelled

Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday killing one person, injuring more than 500, and uprooting trees and severing power as it weakened and ⁠headed north toward ⁠the ​Chinese coast.

Earlier classified as a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the ⁠Pacific this year, Champi was still packing gusts of about 126km per hour (78 miles per hour) near its ⁠centre, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Continue reading...

© Photograph: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

• Kundi calls for decisive action against terrorists, stronger police capacity
• Says Centre ready to provide weapons, financial resources to KP police
• Insists peace essential for development, investment in province

CHARSADDA / PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday ruled out negotiations or concessions for elements who do not accept the Constitution, stressing that decisive action against terrorism and strengthening the province’s police was the only way to restoring peace.

Speaking to journalists after visiting the families of CTD DSP Imranuddin Khan and Constable Kazim Jan in Charsadda, Mr Kundi said elements working against the state should not be offered concessions.

He said the Pakistan Army, police and other security agencies had rendered immense sacrifices for the country’s security and stressed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be freed from terrorism.

Referring to a recent meeting of the National Apex Committee, the governor said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made it clear that a policy of zero tolerance would be adopted against terrorism.

He said decisive action against terrorists was necessary to restore lasting peace, adding that the public should distance itself from terrorists and refrain from providing them shelter.

Mr Kundi said police and other law enforcement agencies required modern weapons and equipment to confront terrorists and that he was prepared to divert funds from his development allocation for the purpose.

He added that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had assured him that the federal government was ready to provide the police with the required weapons and financial resources.

Mr Kundi said the compensation package for police personnel martyred in the line of duty had been enhanced and that police salaries were also being increased.

Asked about the non-functional chief minister Sohail Afridi, Mr Kundi said Mr Afridi was in safe hands, adding that nobody could predict what would happen in the future.

The governor’s adviser on information, Samar Haroon Bilour, said the police and Counter-Terrorism Department needed modern weapons, secure vehicles, tracking systems and protective equipment to improve their operational capacity.

She said sustained federal support was necessary to strengthen both institutions.

Earlier in the day, DSP Imranuddin and Constable Jan, who were martyred during an operation against terrorists in Karak district on Thursday, were laid to rest in their native villages in Charsadda with police honours.

Mr Kundi claimed that weapons left behind following the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan had fallen into the hands of terrorists. He said Pakistan’s long border with Afghanistan made surveillance difficult in some areas and that terrorists possessed sophisticated weapons.

Federal package

Separately, addressing a news conference at Governor House in Peshawar, Mr Kundi said demands presented by the provincial advisory council at the Apex Committee meeting on Thursday had been accepted by PM Shehbaz.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a package of Rs160 billion for the province. To resolve issues related to gas and wheat, the prime minister directed the secretary of food department to convene a meeting soon,” he said.

According to the governor, the meeting, attended by the prime minister and senior military leadership, focused on security, development and public concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Kundi said peace was essential for development and investment in the province. “If there is peace in the province, there will be development and investment will also come from abroad,” he said.

He added that the provincial advisory council would pursue KP’s rights on the basis of facts and said talks had also been held with representatives of the Awami National Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.

Mr Kundi said political parties needed to unite over the province’s rights.

He also raised the issue of KP’s water share, insisting that the province was not receiving its due allocation under the 1991 water accord. He said the federal government had heard the province’s position and tenders for packages one and four of the Chashma Lift Canal would be issued next month.

Ms Bilour said development priorities discussed with the federal government included road connectivity, educational institutions, information technology hubs and vocational training facilities.

She said improving security and providing young people with better educational and employment opportunities were both necessary for the province’s long-term development.

Mr Kundi said restoring peace, strengthening the police and securing the province’s constitutional and development rights were essential for KP’s future.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026

• Calls for stronger investment, private sector activity
• Aurangzeb stresses need to strengthen investor confidence

ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a push towards accelerating growth, the World Bank has advised Pakistan to move from stabilisation to sustainable growth, with a focus on strengthening investment and private sector activity.

This marks the second such endorsement from the international financial institution, which recently commended Pakistan’s stabilisation programme and urged a shift towards sustainable growth to generate employment opportunities for the youth. The IMF has also offered similar advice to Islamabad at a recent workshop on tax reforms.

World Bank Regional Practice Director for the Prosperity Vertical for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP) Sandeep Mahajan met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday. He was accompanied by Country Director Bolor­maa Amgaabazar and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Division Director Simon Andrews.

An official statement said the meeting discussed Pakistan’s economic reform agenda, the transition from stabilisation to sustainable growth and priorities for strengthening inve­stment and private sector activity.

Mr Mahajan congratulated Pakis­tan on restoring macroeconomic stability and commended the government’s management of the recent crisis arising from regional conflict.

He noted that buffers built through stabilisation efforts and a timely policy response had helped Pakistan manage external pressures. World Bank representatives emphasised the importance of sustaining these gains through continued reforms and effective implementation.

Mr Aurangzeb said the government’s priority was to make macroeconomic stability durable and translate it into sustainable, investment-led and export-driven growth.

He said that Pakistan had regained access to international capital markets, including through its recent $3 billion Eurobond issuance with five-year and 10-year maturities.

The minister also stressed the need to secure further credit rating upgrades, strengthen investor confidence and improve Pakistan’s sovereign credit profile.

Mr Aurangzeb underscored the importance of a credible transition framework that maintained fiscal discipline, addressed external sector vulnerabilities and strengthened the foundations for private sector-led, responsible and sustainable growth.

The discussion also covered international experience in strengthening fiscal frameworks and policy credibility to manage external risks and support investor confidence.

Policy continuity was highlighted as another key requirement for sustained economic progress. The finance minister noted that investment and productivity depended on a predictable policy environment and consistent implementation.

Mr Aurangzeb and the World Bank representatives also exchanged views on the government’s growth and jobs agenda, including opportunities to strengthen private sector investment, improve the regulatory environment and mobilise financing for infrastructure.

The discussion covered privatisation, the importance of clear regulatory frameworks and credible post-privatisation arran­gements, as well as the potential to develop infrastructure projects through appropriate financing structures and collaboration with development partners.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation between Pakistan and the World Bank, with a focus on sustaining macroeconomic stability, advancing structural reforms, strengthening policy continuity and translating reform gains into investment, employment and improved economic opportunities.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026

Footage broadcast on state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.

The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180km (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proposed amendments to the codes of conduct for political parties and contesting candidates, media and election observers to protect the electoral process from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence (AI).

The commission has shared the draft amendments with stakeholders and sought their feedback by Nov 20.

According to a draft notification issued on Friday, the ECP cited its constitutional duty under Article 218(3) to ensure honest, just and fair elections.

“Therefore, it is the core responsibility of the commission to take all necessary steps to guard against corrupt practices, which also include manipulation of the electoral process through misleading content generated using AI,” the notification said.

Draft bars digitally manipulated ‘defamatory content’; feedback sought by Nov 20

Under the proposed rules, political parties and contesting candidates would be required to clearly disclose all AI-generated campaign material, including deepfake images, audio, video and synthetic voices. Robocalls and voter outreach messages using cloned voices would have to disclose their AI-generated nature at the outset.

The draft prohibits AI-generated content intended to deceive voters or misrepresent individuals. It also bans false, derogatory or defamatory deepfake statements targeting candidates, party leaders, supporters, election officials, the judiciary, state functionaries or the armed forces.

Political parties would be barred from using automated bots or acco­unts to artificially inflate likes, comments, shares or followers to create a false impression of public support.

They would also be required to retain logs of all AI-assisted campaign content and submit them to the ECP upon request.

Print, electronic and digital media outlets, as well as social media influencers, would be required to explicitly label AI-altered election content. Media houses would remain legally responsible for the factual accuracy of content produced using AI tools for translation, anchoring or analysis.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency will actively monitor online platforms. They will submit compliance reports to the ECP, which retains the authority to order immediate content takedowns or re-labelling.

Election observers would be required to identify and promptly report AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation campaigns directly to the ECP without further spreading the misleading material.

They would also be prohibited from using AI to fabricate or embellish election photographs, videos, reports or field observations.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026

President Donald Trump told a Florida crowd Friday that a U.S. warship could force Cuba’s communist government to surrender after Iran, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent to “finish up the deal.”

The post Trump Tells Florida of Plans for USA to Topple Cuban Communist Regime appeared first on Breitbart.

A Honduras’ court issued arrest warrants with international alerts against former Congress president Luis Redondo and former state printing manager Edis Moncada over a parliamentary order for a vote-by-vote recount of the 2025 general election.

---

A Honduran court ordered the international capture of former National Congress president Luis Redondo and Edis Moncada, former manager of the National Graphic Arts Company, attaching international alerts to both warrants.

The measure took effect after the deadline expired for their voluntary appearance before charges filed by the Public Ministry.

RELATED: Honduras Congress Approves Funds for Maximum-Security Prison

The prosecutorial request names 14 former members of the now-defunct Permanent Commission of the legislative power. The criminal case brought by the Prosecutor’s Office contains 21 charges against the former leadership of that parliamentary body, alleging disturbance of institutional functioning, usurpation of functions and violation of officials’ duties.

#HCHNoticias | En exclusiva HCH le muestra la orden de captura contra el expresidente del Congreso Nacional, Luis Redondo, quien está acusado de dos delitos de violación a los deberes de los funcionarios.
FP pic.twitter.com/EzLfq095Wk

— HCH Televisión Digital (@HCHTelevDigital) October 23, 2026

14 Ex-Members Face Charges

The charges target two central decisions adopted by the legislature. One was the installation and institutionalization of the commission itself. The other was the promulgation of a sovereign decree ordering a vote-by-vote recount of the 2025 general election.

Opposition sectors describe the prosecution as part of a campaign to criminalize officials and mechanisms that flagged irregularities in those elections. The parliamentary order to audit the ballot count challenged the authority of the National Electoral Council and drew the reaction of power groups opposed to democratic control of the vote.

The activation of international alerts and the prosecution of numerous former legislative officials shows, in the view of critics, the use of the punitive apparatus to intimidate state institutions. The case sets a precedent against the power of elected representatives to safeguard the legitimacy and transparency of electoral processes, they argue.

The 2025 elections remain at the center of the dispute. The legislative power had demanded verification of the tally sheets after the vote, a step that conservative sectors rejected. The recount order sought to audit what those lawmakers considered irregularities in the results.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de Partido Libre (@partidolibreoficial)

Text reads: “Statement / LIBRE party: Requiring votes to be counted is not a crime! Defending democracy is not a crime! We denounce the political persecution against the deputies of LIBRE Party for demanding that the electoral count be completed and the popular will be respected. The defense of democracy cannot become a reason for persecution. Political persecution will not silence LIBRE or the Honduran people!”

Opposition Denounces Political Persecution

In September, former presidential candidate Rixi Moncada of the Freedom and Refoundation Party (LIBRE), publicly denounced what she called “systematic political persecution and the establishment of a judicial dictatorship” in Honduras.

Moncada questioned decisions by the National Congress and the judiciary that led to the abrupt dismissal of senior constitutional officials. Among those removed were the Attorney General, the President of the Supreme Court, a councilor of the National Electoral Council and a magistrate of the Electoral Justice Tribunal.

She also warned about regulations aimed at mass dismissals of public employees and an energy counter-reform designed to hand over the management of the National Electric Energy Company (ENEE, in Spanish), to banking corporations and private generators.

In her analysis, Moncada linked the parliamentary offensive to impunity rulings handed down by the courts. She highlighted the acquittal of former President Juan Orlando Hernández in the so-called Pandora Case, which investigated the diversion of 282 million lempiras (about 14,252,618 dollars) to parties of the traditional oligarchy of the country.

The international arrest warrants extend the reach of the judicial process beyond Honduran borders. The alerts would allow authorities in other countries to detain the former officials if they travel or are located abroad.

For now, the courts move forward with the charges while the opposition frames the case as retaliation against those who pushed to audit the 2025 vote. The next phase will determine whether the former officials appear before the court, are detained, or contest the prosecution as politically motivated.

President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States could launch another round of military strikes against Iran unless Tehran reaches an agreement, escalating his threats as Washington intensifies economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

The post Trump Threatens Iran Strike — ‘We May Do Another Little Epic Fury’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Republican rival Mike Rogers of questioning his loyalty to the United States during a heated Fox News interview Friday, while Rogers doubled down on allegations that his opponent has embraced the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The candidates both spoke separately with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier on "Special Report" in Detroit, 11 days before the Nov. 3 election.

Baier pressed El-Sayed about a 2012 statement involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

EL-SAYED, ROGERS CLASH OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, TRUMP AND GUNS: 5 FIERY DEBATE MOMENTS

"No, no, no, let me just stop there," El-Sayed interrupted. "You are asking this question to raise a question about whether or not I have dual loyalties."

Baier explained he was asking about allegations raised by Rogers' campaign.

"I will be loyal to the Constitution of the United States," El-Sayed said.

"Don't be Rogers' campaign," he continued.

ABDUL EL-SAYED GROWS AGITATED WITH REPORTER AFTER BEING PRESSED ON FAMILY'S ALLEGED MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES

"I'm asking a question," Baier replied.

"Be a journalist," El-Sayed shot back.

"I am," Baier responded.

El-Sayed accused Rogers of making his Muslim faith a campaign issue, calling the suggestion "sad" and "beneath him."

EL-SAYED'S PAST MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD COMMENTS RAISE RED FLAGS AS HE EYES POWERFUL ROLE

The controversy centers partly on a 2012 letter that the Washington Free Beacon reported El-Sayed signed supporting decisions by then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, including calls to purge Egypt's police and media.

El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny over social media posts from his half-sister describing their mother's alleged involvement in Muslim Brotherhood activism in the 1970s. He has denied personal or family ties to the organization and said he was raised by his father and stepmother.

In an Oct. 17 Fox News interview, El-Sayed acknowledged that his sister-in-law was a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging her alleged placement on a terrorist watchlist, but insisted she had done nothing wrong. The FBI declined to confirm or deny her watchlist status. The lawsuit does not establish wrongdoing.

Rogers rejected El-Sayed's characterization in his own interview.

ROGERS WARNS MICHIGAN VOTERS AGAINST EL-SAYED’S ‘EXTREME’ AGENDA AHEAD OF ELECTION

"I wore the uniform of the United States. Many in my family, including our son, wore the uniform of the United States so he can pray any way he wants," Rogers said. "It is not how he prays, it's how he thinks."

Rogers accused El-Sayed of embracing the organization's ideology and portraying himself as a victim.

"He has adopted the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood," Rogers alleged.

Baier noted that El-Sayed had denied ever belonging to the organization and pledged allegiance to the Constitution.

"Does he disavow? Does he really say it?" Rogers responded.

El-Sayed had explicitly disavowed the organization at an Oct. 17 town hall, answering, "Sure. Yeah, absolutely" when asked.

The candidates also differed over the war with Iran, which El-Sayed blamed for rising gasoline and grocery prices.

"We need a war powers resolution to end the capacity for this president to wage an illegal, unjustifiable war," El-Sayed said.

Rogers defended the original rationale for military action but said he has urged President Donald Trump to end the conflict.

"I've called for him to wrap it up. That's the right thing to do," Rogers said.

Turning to Michigan's economy, Rogers said the state has lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs and faces some of the nation's highest auto insurance costs. He also raised concerns about education, claiming roughly two-thirds of fourth graders cannot read at grade level.

Rogers defended Trump's influence in Michigan, pointing to his support among voters and crediting his trade policies with encouraging General Motors to bring Silverado pickup truck production back to the state.

But the Republican acknowledged a disagreement with Trump over trade with Canada.

"I've come out and said we shouldn't be doing the Canadian tariffs the way we are doing them," Rogers said.

Baier also pressed El-Sayed over Medicare for All, and whether middle-class taxes would rise.

"I'm fine with people keeping their private insurance if that's what they want, but I want guaranteed public insurance for everybody," El-Sayed said.

Rogers disputed El-Sayed's position, arguing that Medicare for All would eliminate private insurance and raise costs for Michigan families.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

El-Sayed touted upcoming campaign appearances with former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., while questioning whether Trump would help Rogers in Michigan.

With both Trump and Obama expected to campaign in Michigan over the weekend, the candidates are turning to their parties' most recognizable figures as they make their final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day.

Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this reporting.

METULA, Israel — Even amid a ceasefire, the sounds of war still reverberate through the countryside along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Few places have felt the ripple effects of the Iran war and the brunt of Hezbollah more than Metula, the northernmost community in Israel. Surrounded by Lebanon on three sides, the scenic town is uniquely exposed to attacks by the Iranian proxy group.

Until recently, an American flag flew beside Israeli flags in Metula’s town center. Then Mayor David Azoulay took it down.

He is that offended by President Donald Trump.

“I have massive gratitude to him because he really seriously helped release all the hostages” held by Hamas, Azoulay told MS NOW. “And he supports Israel in a lot of ways.”

“But we are not a banana republic, let us vote for whoever we want and don’t interfere with that,” Azoulay said.

Azoulay said Trump’s failure to finish the job in Iran and interference in Israeli elections with his eleventh-hour endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soured him on the American president.

“You have to understand that this regime in Iran sends its tentacles all over: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis,” Azoulay said. “I fully support the fact that this regime has to go.”

“We started this campaign together and regrettably, Trump is talking a lot and doing less,” he said.

Both Trump and Netanyahu have threatened to escalate attacks on Iran in recent weeks, with the U.S. leader hesitant to take action that could negatively impact his political party in the midterms.

After the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, most of Metula’s 2,500 residents were evacuated amid frequent missile and rocket bombardment from Hezbollah in northern Israel. Ninety percent of its homes have been destroyed or damaged.

In March, following the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, the Israeli military invaded Lebanon and pushed the threat from Hezbollah away from the border — causing extensive damage to infrastructure and civilian casualties in Lebanon in the process.

Over the past year and a half, the locals of Metula have returned, bringing life — and hope — back to the community. But the longer the Iran war drags on and U.S.-led peace talks between Israel and Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah remain precarious, the longer it will take for Metula to fully rebuild.

“We are still at war. … We try to lead a normal town life,” Azoulay said just steps away from a bustling cafe filled with families and kids running around.

Hagai Rosenbaum, a fruit farmer whose family has lived in Metula for generations, said the Netanyahu government should be doing more to help, especially when it comes to clearing remnants of rockets and unexploded ordnance from his farmland.

“A lot of cluster bombs were falling in Metula, and actually, I’m afraid,” he said, standing in his kiwi orchard amid peak harvest season. “Every time I walk, I look down more than before.”

Rosenbaum said locals encounter debris and parts of Iranian rockets “all the time.” Minutes later, he pointed out a mangled, charred piece of an exploded projectile.

As he walked through the rows of kiwi plants, the sound of a mortar round cracked throughout the valley.

“This is normal,” Rosenbaum reassured reporters with him, adding the jarring sound came from the Israeli military firing toward Lebanon, where destroyed structures were visible on the distant hills surrounding the harvest.

The post No love for Trump or Netanyahu in Israeli town battered by Hezbollah appeared first on MS NOW.

US secretary of state makes comments after Trump tells US rally warships could intervene on return from Iran

Marco Rubio urged Cubans seeking political change in their country to act, saying “now is the time” moments after Donald Trump told a Friday rally for candidates in south Florida that US warships could intervene in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war.

The US secretary of state, in his social media post addressed “to those who seek to create positive change”, urged Cubans to capitalize on Trump’s plans. “The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete [sic] partnership with the CIA,” Rubio said.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Pool Reuters/AP

© Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Pool Reuters/AP

© Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Pool Reuters/AP

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie LeDuff said in a Wednesday report that federal records had tied an 88-year-old retiree in Milan, Michigan, to nearly $4,500 in new ActBlue donations over six weeks, among them four logged on a day she had no internet access.

The post Michigan Retiree Without Internet Connection Credited with $4,500 in ActBlue Donations appeared first on Breitbart.

Le scorte disponibili nei negozi sono state esaurite in poche ore

Venezuela’s Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, inspected progress Friday on a package of 17 oil agreements signed with the United States, as the state of Zulia reported record output of 115,000 barrels per day.

---

The inspection covered joint projects aimed at extracting crude from national reserves. Eight of the 17 agreements involve the development of so-called green fields, new areas set aside for exploration and exploitation.

“We want to show the country the progress, to make clear that we do not leave things unfinished, that we go further: to action and to production. Once again, Zulia state broke its production record, reaching 115,000 barrels per day today,” Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said.

RELATED: U.S. Removes Venezuela From List of Countries Subject to Investment Restrictions

Rodriguez added that projections call for closing December at 120,000 barrels. The Acting President framed the tour as proof that the partnership has moved beyond paperwork into concrete output.

The cooperation framework was signed in August through North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP). The 17 strategic agreements target the extraction of 65 million barrels of crude from Venezuela’s reserves.

On maritime infrastructure and logistics, Rodriguez said activity in Zulia will jump from 100 to 900 vessels, an increase of 800% in mobilized capacity. The figure signals a major expansion of port and transport operations tied to the oil sector.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

The Acting President also outlined a plan for the progressive creation of jobs driven by industrial activity. Employment will begin in the food sector, continue in ironworks and industrial areas, and later extend to public accounts with the goal of raising working-class incomes.

Rodríguez said the central objective of the alliance is to develop the hydrocarbon industry and consolidate the country’s sovereign position. She stressed that Venezuela seeks to affirm itself as the nation with the largest oil reserves on the planet and to rank among the world’s leading producers and exporters. “We want to show the country the progress of these agreements,” she said.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

Benefits For People

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez insisted that rising production must translate directly into the welfare of the population. Following this, she pointed to concrete areas where the gains should appear: “In the daily life of Venezuelan men and women: in pay for workers, in health, public hospitals, schools, food, roads, water and public services. That is where Venezuela’s development goes,” she said.

The comments link oil revenue to social spending at a time when the government has promised greater transparency over hydrocarbon and mining income. The Acting President’s emphasis on hospitals, schools and food echoes longstanding official messaging that resource wealth should fund public services.

The Zulia figures mark a significant benchmark for the country’s oil industry, which has sought to recover output after years of decline. The jump from 100 to 900 vessels suggests broader commercial activity around the crude operations, beyond the wells themselves.

Eight green-field projects form part of the package, indicating that the partnership extends into undeveloped territory rather than relying solely on existing infrastructure. Rodríguez described the agreements as a path toward consolidating Venezuela’s position in global energy markets.

The inspection tour took place as the government pushes to showcase tangible results from the August accords. The Acting President’s visit to the field operations was intended to demonstrate that the agreements are generating activity on the ground, not only on paper.

The production target of 120,000 barrels by December would extend the record reported Friday. If achieved, it would reinforce the government’s narrative of recovery built around the US partnership and the state of Zulia’s role as the engine of national output.

Rodríguez closed her remarks by linking the oil gains to broader national development, arguing that the industry’s expansion must reach Venezuelans through wages and public services rather than remaining confined to export statistics.

No obvious legal authority supports a pre-emptive effort to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate election if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses.

© Kerry Tasker for The New York Times

Oscar Belgal, a Dominican immigrant, was shot in the neck on Oct. 8 and detained at a federal prison. His lawyers had said he needed outside medical care.

© Dakota Santiago for The New York Times

"Nos ocuparemos de Cuba a nuestro regreso de Irán. Haremos una pequeña escala", dijo Trump en la Florida y expuso la idea de un barco a unos metros de la costa, mientras Marco Rubio llamaba a colaborar con la CIA para forzar el cambio de régimen.

One of the officials threatens that 'there will be no more red lines' if the Islamic Republic is attacked, warning US not to 'play with fire'

La actriz neoyorquina ha estrenado cinco películas en 2026 y aspira a ganar su segundo Oscar con La odisea Leer