TV News LIES

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will remain in detention at the International Criminal Court after appeals judges on Friday rejected a request to release him on health grounds.

The octogenarian is facing charges of crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs when in office, first as the mayor of a southern city and later as president.

Duterte’s lawyers failed to show that an October decision by lower chamber was unreasonable, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza said, addressing the full courtroom in The Hague.

The former president was not in court on Friday.

Last month, judges decided to keep Duterte in custody, finding that he was likely to refuse to return for trial and could use his freedom to intimidate witnesses.

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be quaking in his boots at the decisive victory of Zohran Mamdani in the 4 November New York City mayoral election. Not because of absurd allegations of antisemitism for which there is no evidence, but because Mamdani has broken the longstanding taboo for successful New York candidates against criticizing the Israeli government. And he has only reinforced his approach in the month since his election.

New York has the largest Jewish population in the United States – and the second-largest of any city in the world after Tel Aviv. The longstanding assumption was that many Jewish voters prioritized the defense of the Israeli government over other issues, so criticism of Israel would set them against a politician.

Mamdani blew that assumption out of the water. During the campaign he spoke accurately and openly about the genocide that Israel was committing in Gaza. He insisted that all residents of Israel should have equal rights. He said he would arrest Netanyahu were he to show up in New York. Yet one-third of New York’s Jewish voters cast a ballot for him. As did many others.

Some Jews may have been uncomfortable with Mamdani’s criticism of Israel but liked other aspects of his candidacy, such as his relentless focus on affordability. Others, myself included, were attracted by his candor on such an important issue as Israel. Many were also probably appalled by the efforts of Mamdani’s principal opponent, Andrew Cuomo, to tar Mamdani with fact-free allegations of antisemitism.

Mamdani has only continued his openness on Israel since the election. In his remarkably friendly meeting with Donald Trump in the White House on 21 November, Mamdani repeated his genocide views and noted that the US government was funding it. Trump let the comment slide without a response.

After a major Manhattan synagogue hosted a group that was encouraging American Jews to emigrate not only to Israel (a normal enough appeal) but also to Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank, Mamdani noted the illegality of the settlements. That is an accurate reflection of article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population to occupied territory.

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The suspected shooter of two national guard members in Washington DC on Wednesday worked with CIA-backed military units during the US war in Afghanistan, the agency has confirmed.

The alleged gunman, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, came to the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome program that gave some Afghans who had worked for the US government entry visas to the US. He was granted asylum in April this year, under the Trump administration, Reuters reported.

Lakanwal’s ties to the Central Intelligence Agency, which worked alongside US special forces in Afghanistan, were confirmed by the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, to media outlets.

The New York Times reported that the shooting suspect had worked for several US government agencies in Afghanistan, including CIA-backed units in the southern province of Kandahar, a stronghold of the Taliban.

The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, said those CIA-backed units included counterterrorism squads known as the “zero units”, which were involved in combat missions to seize or kill suspected terrorists.

“The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including CIA,” Ratcliffe told Fox News digital, adding that Lakanwal’s involvement with the agency was “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation”.

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Vladimir Putin has said that the outline of a draft peace plan discussed by the US and Ukraine could serve as a basis for future negotiations to end the war – but insisted Ukraine would have to surrender territory for any deal to be possible.

“In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements,” Putin said, noting that the version of the plan discussed by Washington and Kyiv in Geneva had been shared with Moscow.

“We see that the American side takes our position into account in some areas,” he added. “But in otMore...her points, we clearly need to sit down and talk.”

The Russian president’s uncompromising remarks – in which he again described Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “illegitimate” – suggested that, despite White House optimism, there is little sign of movement on the core sticking points needed to end the war.

Speaking to reporters during a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin said Russia would halt its offensive only if Ukrainian forces withdrew from unspecified areas currently under Kyiv’s control. “If Ukrainian troops leave the territories they occupy, then we will stop fighting,” he said. “If they don’t, we will achieve our aims militarily.”

TVNL Comment: Putin will show the world that invading a foreign country has its rewards. Demand land before peace.  It isn't enough that he took Crimea with no opposition.  Now he wants more.

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Israeli forces launched an extensive military assault on the northern occupied West Bank city of Tubas on Wednesday.

Troops stormed Palestinian homes in the early morning hours in the towns of Tammun, Tayasir and Aqaba, turning several houses into temporary military barracks. Residents were forcibly removed from their homes.

Israeli forces also closed roads and erected earth mounds, obstructing the movement of people across the area.

According to local media, Apache helicopters were seen flying over the city, reportedly firing arbitrarily at civilian homes.

Several videos posted online appear to show Israeli forces setting up equipment on the roofs of civilian homes. Additional footage shows troops blocking ambulance crews attempting to reach Palestinians in need.

Due to the intensified military incursion, the Tubas Governorate announced the suspension of work in all governmental and private institutions - including schools - with operations shifting online for the day.

The governor of Tubas said the Israeli army is justifying its latest operation - which he expects to last several days - by claiming it is pursuing wanted Palestinians. He stressed, however, that no such individuals are present in the area.

Israeli Army Radio reported that a military division comprising three brigades is taking part in the Tubas operation. 

In a statement, an Israeli army spokesperson said the military, alongside the Shin Bet intelligence agency and Border Guard forces, is conducting a large-scale campaign to stop what they described as “terrorist activities” in the occupied territory.

He added that the army “will not allow terrorism to take root and will work proactively to thwart it”.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told European allies that the U.S. wants a peace deal before it agrees to any security guarantees for Ukraine, according to a European diplomat and a person with knowledge of the conversations.

That condition has underscored American proposals to Kyiv over the past week, the people said. Rubio, on a Tuesday call with European officials, argued President Donald Trump will negotiate long-term guarantees for Ukraine’s safety, they said, that would ensure Kyiv feels secure.

Ukraine’s leaders have held Western security guarantees as a cornerstone for any feasible deal with Russia, although NATO members have struggled to figure out how to support the war-scarred country either militarily or with intelligence support. Trump has said he won’t invite Ukraine’s leader to the White House until a deal is signed.

The situation is changing rapidly and European allies are scrambling to understand the multiple messages from the administration. Rubio also told European allies that security guarantees for Ukraine are a priority for the administration, and an issue separate from other points of discussion that have already been agreed on, according to a second European diplomat, and the U.S. wants an entire package done quickly.

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