TV News LIES

When Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the international condemnation from Europe and elsewhere was loud and clear. Leaders did not expect legal threats to shift Vladimir Putin or end war crimes by his troops. But they understood the importance of naming what had happened as an illegal act of aggression, and of seeking to hold those responsible accountable.

The same countries have been strikingly muted since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. This too was an act of aggression. Spain’s Pedro Sánchez has been lonely in his forthright condemnation, though Norway and others also pointed to the breach of international law. Meanwhile, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, offered unreserved support and Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, declared that it was “not the moment to lecture our partners and allies”.

As in Ukraine, the original sin has quickly been compounded, with the deaths of over a thousand civilians reported in Iran alone – including in the strike on a girls’ school which killed at least 175 people, mostly children: evidence points to US responsibility. Serious violations of the laws of war, reckless as well as deliberate, constitute war crimes. The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, declared on Friday that “no quarter will be given” to the enemy – a violation of international humanitarian law. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks defending Iran, are at a minimum disproportionate – as Katja Kallas, the EU foreign affairs chief, has implied – with vast civilian displacement and damage to infrastructure. That Iran is also committing war crimes does not lessen US or Israeli culpability.

The contrast between the west’s rhetoric about universal standards and its selective outrage is glaringly and increasingly evident to people around the world. They noted the bleak contrast between the passionate defence of Ukraine and the apparent indifference to genocide in Gaza. Some lives appear more important than others. When the Trump administration hit alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and kidnapped Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, allies said little. Each time, the belief in international law as an essential framework for conduct was further undermined. Each time, implicit licence was given for further breaches.

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Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors as the conflict with Iran rages on, US officials told Semafor.

Israel had reportedly entered the current war already low on interceptors that were fired during last summer’s conflict with Iran. Israel’s long-range defense system has strained under Iran’s attacks; CNN reported that Iran was adding cluster munitions to its missiles, which may exacerbate the depletion of the stock.

The US has been aware of Israel’s low capacity for months, one US official said: “It’s something we expected and anticipated.”

This official emphasized to Semafor that the US is not running similarly low on interceptors of its own. That comment comes amid broader concerns about interceptor depletion from a longer military engagement in Iran leaving the US in a poor position.

It’s also unclear whether the US might seek to sell or share any of its own interceptors with Israel, which would pose its own strain on domestic supplies. The US has included missile defense assets in past provisions of military aid to Israel.

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A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration unlawfully took the position last year that it couldn’t request more funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila ordered the agency’s acting director, Russ Vought, to continue requesting the necessary funds from the Federal Reserve to carry out the CFPB’s obligations.

It’s a legal loss for top Trump administration officials as they look to curtail the consumer watchdog agency. Created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis with largely Democratic support, many conservatives have targeted the CFPB as unaccountable.

It’s a legal loss for top Trump administration officials as they look to curtail the consumer watchdog agency. Created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis with largely Democratic support, many conservatives have targeted the CFPB as unaccountable.

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A federal judge ruled Saturday that the Kennedy Center must provide Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) a “meaningful opportunity” to participate in next week’s board meeting on the storied institution’s revamp, but they don’t have to let her vote.

Beatty, an ex-officio member of the board, alleged that she was being barred from the March 16 session. Her lawyer later conceded she was in fact extended an invitation; it just went to her email spam folder.

In his 37-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said federal law prevents Beatty’s categorical exclusion from the meeting.

“Rarely should a trustee, in any setting, be denied all material information and any opportunity to voice her dissent on a vote as consequential as one to close and potentially rebuild the trust’s sole piece of real estate,” Cooper wrote.

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A correctional officer on duty the night convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., announced Friday that former guard Tova Noel will appear for a “transcribed interview” on March 26.

“Due to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, and documents obtained by the Committee, the Committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation,” Comer wrote in a letter to Noel.

The committee is also seeking interviews with several high-profile figures connected to Epstein, including Bill Gates, Kathryn Ruemmler, Leon Black, Lesley Groff, Sarah Kellen, Ted Waitt and Doug Band.

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Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to revoke broadcasters' licenses over coverage of the Iran war, after President Trump accused news outlets of "intentionally misleading" the American public.

Trump criticized print media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, for reporting Friday that Iranian strikes damaged five U.S. Air Force refueling planes in Saudi Arabia. The president said four of the five tanker planes suffered "virtually no damage and are already back in service."

"The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife "Papers" and Media actually want us to lose the War," Trump said in a social media post, calling the journalists "sick and demented people."

Carr in a follow-up post warned the FCC would consider Iran war coverage when renewing broadcasters licenses.

"Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up," he wrote in a social media post. "The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."

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Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank are reportedly exploiting movement restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran, leading to increased attacks on Palestinians. Rights groups and medical personnel warn that military roadblocks are impeding ambulances from swiftly reaching victims.

Since the commencement of US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran on 28 February, at least five Palestinians have been killed by settlers in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. An additional man died after inhaling teargas fired during an attack, as reported by Israeli rights group B'Tselem.

The Israeli military implemented significant curbs on movement on the first day of the conflict, blocking numerous West Bank roads with iron gates and earth mounds, and largely closing crossings with Israel. The military states these measures are preemptive while it conducts airstrikes on Iran and against Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has launched missiles at Israel in solidarity with Tehran.

Palestinians residing in remote West Bank villages describe feeling increasingly vulnerable to settler violence due to these roadblocks. They also note that the Israeli military has continued its frequent raids in Palestinian cities and towns, often resulting in arrests without charge, a practice common even during peacetime.

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US air defence systems and troops have been withdrawn from East Asia. Pleas for missile interceptors in the oil-rich Gulf have been "stonewalled". Even an air base in Romania has been roped into the US-Israeli war on Iran.

What US President Donald Trump has characterised as a “little excursion” is fast becoming the biggest drain on the security architecture of the world’s foremost superpower since the end of the Cold War.

The US is taking a lot from its partners across the globe to wage war on the Islamic Republic, even as lawmakers and world leaders question what the purpose of the conflict is.

To make matters worse, the Trump administration has yet to provide answers to tactical questions about how it will break Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz or tame energy prices that have skyrocketed as a result.

“The problem the US will need to recover from is the loss of credibility as it opened a Pandora’s box without thinking through what would happen next. Lack of competence is a terrible thing to display in public,” Peter Frankopan, a professor of global history at Oxford University, told Middle East Eye.

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