Tammy’s Daughter Kayla Was Brutally Murdered By An Illegal Alien MS-13 Gang Member
WASHINGTON – The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office today released a video featuring the mother of Kayla Hamilton. On July 27, 2022, 20-year-old Kayla was brutally raped and murdered by an illegal alien and MS-13 gang member released into the United States by the Biden Administration.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump stand with the victims of illegal alien crimes and their families.
“This Mother’s Day, Secretary Noem is honoring Tammy Nobles and all the mother’s who lost loved ones to illegal alien crime,”said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.“Kayla’s life was tragically taken by a criminal illegal allen and known MS-13 gang member who was released into our country by the previous administration. We must never forget Kayla, and the many other beautiful American lives lost to illegal alien crime. These sons, daughters, mother, fathers, brothers and sisters should still be with us today, and their absence is a painful reminder, every day, of the importance of a secure border. President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to fight for the victims of illegal alien crime.”
The following are just a few example of the murderous crimes committed by MS-13 members:
Secretary Noem relaunched the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office. The VOICE office was shuttered by the previous administration, which left victims of alien crime without access to many key support services and resources. The office was first launched in 2017 by the Trump administration as a dedicated resource for those who have been victimized by crime that has a nexus to immigration.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a crime committed by an illegal alien, you are not alone.
Attribute to Tairāwhiti Area Commander Inspector Danny Kirk:
The Gisborne community will notice additional Police on patrol ahead of a tangi for a patched gang member on Monday morning.
A large number of gang members and associates are expected to be in town for the tangi, and Police will have additional resources on hand to provide staff the support they need for a gathering of this size. Extra staff from neighbouring Police districts will be in Tairāwhiti, ensuring we can respond to any scenario that threatens public safety. The Police helicopter, Eagle, will also provide aerial support through Monday.
We are mindful of providing a space for whānau and friends to grieve peacefully while balancing the safety of the community.
Police have been in contact with local gang leaders to outline our expectations, including around the wearing or displaying of gang insignia in a public place, which Police will act upon. We have also been in communication with whānau of the deceased.
Our focus is on the safety of everyone. We will not tolerate behaviour that aims to threaten or intimidate, and officers will be working to reduce disruption to the public.
Police will have extra patrols around Gisborne and the wider area, including on the roads. Even if we can’t take enforcement action on the day, staff will follow up on reports of illegal activity.
At the heart of this is the safety of our community and I urge anyone who has immediate concerns for their safety to please call Police on 111.
If you are reporting matters after the fact, please make a report online or call 105, referencing file number 250511/1622.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 26, 2024 shows a partial view of a reclamation project in Macao and part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in south China. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Macao Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has welcomed 10 million inbound and outbound passengers since January, official data showed on Friday.
As of 3 a.m. on Friday, the number surpassed 10 million, according to the data from the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)’s Public Security Police Force (CPSP).
The average daily cross-border passenger volume at the port in the period this year reached 78,000, an increase of 11.1 percent compared to the same period last year.
This year’s 10-million mark was reached 13 days earlier than in 2024. According to the CPSP, the growing passenger flow reflects increasingly frequent cross-border movement and highlights the bridge’s role in promoting integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Regarding distribution, 50.5 percent of travelers passed through the Hong Kong-Macao hall, 15 percent through the Zhuhai-Macao hall, and 34.5 percent used vehicle channels.
As the greater bay area develops, the bridge has solidified its position as a vital transportation hub.
A teenager has died after a serious incident in Napier overnight.
Police were called to a disorder event on Alexander Avenue in Onekawa, about 3.10am today, said Detective Inspector Martin James, District Manager Criminal Investigations.
“On arrival, a teenage boy was found critically injured at an Alexander Avenue address. Despite all efforts by ambulance staff, he died at the scene.
“At the same time, a second injured teenager was located at a Cottrell Crescent address. He was transported to hospital in a serious condition but has since been discharged.
“Enquiries are in the very early stages and Police are providing support to the whānau of both victims.”
Detective Inspector James said a disorder event involving a group of people on Dinwiddie Avenue may be linked to the incident.
A scene examination is ongoing, and cordons remain in place at the intersections of Hitchings Avenue and Alexander Avenue, Dinwiddie Avenue and Wallis Place, and Alexander Avenue, near Dinwiddie Avenue.
“Police will have a noticeable presence in the area while that work continues.
“We are speaking with a number of people as part of the investigation, but we urgently want to hear from anyone who was in the area, or anyone who took photos or video of the altercation on Dinwiddie Avenue.
“A number of investigators are working to determine what occurred and why, and we urge anyone who can assist our enquiries to contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information is asked to make a report online, or by calling 105. Please quote the reference number 250511/1317.
Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555.
Police investigating an aggravated robbery in Marton are appealing for information from the public.
On Saturday 10 May, Police received a report of a person entering a commercial premises on Broadway at around 10pm.
The alleged offender threatened an employee with a weapon before taking cash.
The employee was uninjured, however is understandably shaken by the incident.
Prior to Police arrival, the alleged offender fled the area on foot.
Manawatu Police would like to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the aggravated robbery or may have information that could assist in our invesitgation.
Police would also like to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage in the Broadway area between 9.30pm and 11pm on Saturday night.
Anyone with information that can assist Police in our investigation is urged to contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.
Please use the reference number 250511/1196.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
On April 24, 2025, Indonesia made a masterful geopolitical move. Jakarta granted Fiji US$6 million in financial aid and offered to cooperate with them on military training — a seemingly benign act of diplomacy that conceals a darker purpose.
“There’s no need to be burdened by debt,” declared Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the bilateral meeting at Jakarta’s Merdeka Palace.
More significantly, he pledged Fiji’s respect for Indonesian sovereignty — diplomatic code for abandoning West Papua’s struggle for self-determination.
This aligns perfectly with Indonesia’s Law No. 2 of 2023, which established frameworks for defence cooperation, including joint research, technology transfer, and military education, between the two nations.
This is not merely a partnership — it is ideological assimilation.
Indonesia’s financial generosity comes with unwritten expectations. By integrating Fijian forces into Indonesian military training programmes, Jakarta aims to export its “anti-separatist” doctrine, which frames Papuan resistance as a “criminal insurgency” rather than legitimate political expression.
The US $6 million is not aid — it’s a strategic investment in regional complicity.
Geopolitical chess in a fractured world Indonesia’s manoeuvres must be understood in the context of escalating global tensions.
The rivalry between the US and China has transformed the Indo-Pacific into a strategic battleground, leaving Pacific Island nations caught between competing spheres of influence.
Although Jakarta is officially “non-aligned,” it is playing both sides to secure its territorial ambitions.
Its aid to Fiji is one move in a comprehensive regional strategy to diplomatically isolate West Papua.
Flashback to West Papuan leader Benny Wenda (left) meeting Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Suva in February 2023 . . . At the time, Rabuka declared: “We will support them [ULMWP] because they are Melanesians.” Image: Fiji govt
By strengthening economic and military ties with strategically positioned nations, Indonesia is systematically undermining Papuan representation in important forums such as the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), and the United Nations.
While the world focuses on superpower competition, Indonesia is quietly strengthening its position on what it considers an internal matter — effectively removing West Papua from international discourse.
The Russian connection: Shadow alliances Another significant yet less examined relationship is Indonesia’s growing partnership with Russia, particularly in defence technology, intelligence sharing, and energy cooperation
This relationship provides Jakarta with advanced military capabilities and reduces its dependence on Western powers and China.
Russia’s unwavering support for territorial integrity, as evidenced by its position on Crimea and Ukraine, makes it an ideal partner for Indonesia’s West Papua policy.
Moscow’s diplomatic support strengthens Jakarta’s argument that “separatist” movements are internal security issues rather than legitimate independence struggles.
This strategic triangulation — balancing relations with Washington, Beijing, and Moscow– allows Indonesia to pursue regional dominance with minimal international backlash. Each superpower, focused on countering the others’ influence, overlooks Indonesia’s systematic suppression of Papuan self-determination.
Institutionalising silence: Beyond diplomacy The practical consequence of Indonesia’s multidimensional strategy is the diplomatic isolation of West Papua. Historically positioned to advocate for Melanesian solidarity, Fiji now faces economic incentives to remain silent on Indonesian human rights abuses.
A similar pattern emerges across the Pacific as Jakarta extends these types of arrangements to other regional players.
It is not just about temporary diplomatic alignment; it is about the structural transformation of regional politics.
When Pacific nations integrate their security apparatuses with Indonesia’s, they inevitably adopt Jakarta’s security narratives. Resistance movements are labelled “terrorist threats,” independence advocates are branded “destabilising elements,” and human rights concerns are dismissed as “foreign interference”.
Most alarmingly, military cooperation provides Indonesia with channels to export its counterinsurgency techniques, which are frequently criticised by human rights organisations for their brutality.
Security forces in the Pacific trained in these approaches may eventually use them against their own Papuan advocacy groups.
The price of strategic loyalty For just US$6 million — a fraction of Indonesia’s defence budget — Jakarta purchases Fiji’s diplomatic loyalty, military alignment, and ideological compliance. This transaction exemplifies how economic incentives increasingly override moral considerations such as human rights, indigenous sovereignty, and decolonisation principles that once defined Pacific regionalism.
Indonesia’s approach represents a sophisticated evolution in its foreign policy. No longer defensive about West Papua, Jakarta is now aggressively consolidating regional support, methodically closing avenues for international intervention, and systematically delegitimising Papuan voices on the global stage.
Will the Pacific remember its soul? The path ahead for West Papua is becoming increasingly treacherous. Beyond domestic repression, the movement now faces waning international support as economic pragmatism supplants moral principle throughout the Pacific region.
Unless Pacific nations reconnect with their anti-colonial heritage and the values that secured their independence, West Papua’s struggle risks fading into obscurity, overwhelmed by geopolitical calculations and economic incentives.
The question facing the Pacific region is not simply about West Papua, but about regional identity itself. Will Pacific nations remain true to their foundational values of indigenous solidarity and decolonisation? Or will they sacrifice these principles on the altar of transactional diplomacy?
The date April 24, 2025, may one day be remembered not only as the day Indonesia gave Fiji US$6 million but also as the day the Pacific began trading its moral authority for economic expediency, abandoning West Papua to perpetual colonisation in exchange for short-term gains.
The Pacific is at a crossroads — it can either reclaim its voice or resign itself to becoming a theatre where greater powers dictate the fate of indigenous peoples. For West Papua, everything depends on which path is chosen.
Ali Mirin is a West Papuan from the Kimyal tribe of the highlands that share a border with the Star Mountain region of Papua New Guinea. He graduated with a Master of Arts in international relations from Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office today released a video featuring the mother of Kayla Hamilton. On July 27, 2022, 20-year-old Kayla was brutally raped and murdered by an illegal alien and MS-13 member released into the United States by the Biden Administration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump stand with the victims of illegal alien crimes and their families. Secretary Noem relaunched the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office. The VOICE office was shuttered by the previous administration, which left victims of alien crime without access to many key support services and resources. The office was first launched in 2017 by the Trump administration as a dedicated resource for those who have been victimized by crime that has a nexus to immigration.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a crime committed by an illegal alien, you are not alone.
Call 1-855-48-VOICE (1-855-488-6423).
Since 2024, the Police Force has partnered with three post-secondary institutions to offer the Diploma of Applied Education – Police Cadet Training Programme. Through classroom learning, physical training and outdoor experiences, the programme aims to better prepare young people who aspire to join the force.
Personal growth
One such trainee is Park Hae-jun, a 27-year-old born in Hong Kong to Korean parents. Before joining the programme, he voluntarily returned to Korea to complete his military service, hoping to build discipline and confidence.
“I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I consider Hong Kong my home – that is why I chose to come back,” he said.
He shared that the programme offered far more than textbook knowledge. Instructors taught him how to manage conflict and overcome challenges.
“When we face stress or setbacks, most of us want to give up. But here, we are trained to solve problems. The perseverance we have learned will not only help us in our careers but also in life.”
Hands-on learning
Another trainee, 19-year-old Sae-ung Wing-man, described the field trips as being the most valuable part of the programme.
“They helped me to understand the work of the department I want to join, and how officers deal with different situations every day.” .
Wing-man has long aspired to join the force in order to support the public.
“The job is meaningful. It helps citizens solve problems. I want to be someone people can rely on.
“In preparation, I will further improve my physical fitness, stress management, legal knowledge and communication skills.”
Preparatory training
The Police Cadet School was established in 1973 and fulfilled its historical mission by 1990. Chief Inspector Wong Tak-choi, now responsible for physical and experiential training at the Police College, was once a cadet himself.
He hopes that the trainees of the Police Cadet Training Programme can carry forward the spirit of the Police Cadet school.
“Training methods may have changed, but our purpose remains the same – we want to nurture passionate young people who are ready to serve the community,” he said.
He also noted that many who fail to complete police training often lack physical or mental preparation – areas the cadet training programme addresses directly.
Course structure
The Police Force has co-organised this one-year training programme with the Caritas Institute of Community Education, the Hong Kong College of Technology, and the Hong Kong Institute of Technology.
Apart from core and supplementary subjects, the curriculum includes a 180-hour elective cluster titled “Police Cadet Training”, which is composed of “Police Studies”, “Police Recruit Preparatory Training” and “Physical & Mindset Development”.
Upon graduation, the trainees can attain a qualification equivalent to Level 2 in five Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education subjects, meeting the academic requirement for police constable recruitment.
Final challenge
After completing 22 weeks of police cadet training, the cadets took part in a passing-out parade. The event was inspected by Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming, who witnessed their growth and expressed his high expectations for their future success.
He highlighted that the final challenge includes a five-day, four-night “hell week” involving outdoor endurance tasks similar to the Outward Bound adventure training. Mr Chow joined cadets on the final early morning hike to Tai Mo Shan and expressed that he was impressed by how spirited they were.
“Some cadets had been injured earlier and could not complete the whole week, but they still tried to take part. Others felt exhausted, but they would still hold their heads up and pressed on.”
During a sharing session on the mountain, cadets reflected on their experiences and Mr Chow shared his own.
“The police career is long. Sometimes it feels lonely or dark – like the weather that day. But when you work as a team, someone will lead, and soon you will see the sunshine.”
Future vision
Mr Chow revealed that the cadet programme took more than three years to develop. He acknowledged the challenges, but praised his team for their dedication.
“It was like witnessing the birth of a child,” he stated.
In addition to preparing future officers, Mr Chow stressed that he hopes the programme will revive the spirit of the former cadet school, whose graduates served with distinction across the force.
“They lived by the values of wisdom, courage, integrity and perseverance. I hope this new generation will carry that torch forward.”
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force are investigating the death of a 58-year-old male involved in a single vehicle crash that occurred last night about 500 metres North of Emerald Springs on the Stuart Highway.
Around 8:55pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a truck that had collided with a tree. Upon police arrival, initial investigations suggested the driver had hit a bull and veered off the road.
Investigations remain ongoing with police on scene of the crash.
The Stuart Highway will be temporarily closed at the crash site for a duration of time this morning as further investigations are conducted, and the vehicle is retrieved.
The lives lost on Territory roads now stands at 11.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
NT Police have arrested and charged a 44-year-old male after he hit a pedestrian and did not stop to render assistance nearby the Mandorah Jetty on Saturday morning.
About 1am, police received reports of a pedestrian strike that left a male with a serious leg injury. Belyuen Clinic staff attended the scene to provide first aid assistance while the Palmerston general duties members deployed to the scene.
Upon police arrival, further reports were made of the vehicle allegedly driving erratically losing control prior to the incident. The pedestrian was evacuated to Royal Darwin Hospital via Careflight for medical treatment of his leg injuries.
Police later located and arrested the male and subsequently located and seized the vehicle. He has since been charged with
One person has died and another has serious injuries following a two-vehicle collision in Hastings overnight.
Emergency services were called to the crash on Southampton Street West, near the intersection with King Street South, about 12.20am.
Sadly, one of the drivers died at the scene, while the other was transported to hospital in a serious condition. There were no other occupants in either car.
Police are providing support to the next of kin.
The Serious Crash Unit has carried out a scene examination and enquiries into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
Fatal Car V Pedestrian Crash, Bass Highway, Travellers Rest
Sunday, 11 May 2025 – 6:37 am.
At approximately 10pm on Saturday the 10th May 2025, a crash occurred on the Bass Highway at Travellers Rest with a West bound Mercedes Benz striking a pedestrian on the highway. The crash scene was attended to by emergency services however the pedestrian, a 28 year old male from Devonport, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes Benz submitted to mandatory drug and alcohol testing following the crash. Numerous specialised police investigators and forensics attended the crash scene and are investigating the circumstances of the crash and death. Police are appealing for members of the public who observed a pedestrian on the highway at Travellers Rest prior to the crash or the manner of driving of the Mercedes Benz or who have relevant dash cam footage, to contact Northern Crash Investigation Services. Reference OR 774563. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
Cordons are in place following a serious incident in Napier overnight.
Police were called to Alexander Avenue in Onekawa about 3.10am.
Cordons are in place at the intersections of Hitchings Avenue and Alexander Avenue, Dinwiddie Avenue and Wallis Place, and Alexander Avenue, near Dinwiddie Avenue.
A scene examination is under way this morning and cordons are expected to remain in place through the day.
At this early stage, Police are unable to comment further.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
05.10.25
Cantwell Celebrates New Redmond-Bellevue Light Rail Extension
Sound Transit hosts grand openings at new Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond stations to celebrate 2 Line extension; 3.4-mile line extension connects Redmond to Bellevue; future completion of the full 2 Line will connect entire Eastside to Seattle
REDMOND, WA –Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined leaders of Sound Transit, Microsoft, and the City of Redmond to celebrate the grand opening of the Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension.
The 3.4-mile extension will connect Redmond to Bellevue, adding two new Light Rail stations at Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond.
“Redmond has always been a technology leader,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Redmond builds half of the world’s satellites. Right here in Redmond, Washington — we are celebrating these innovations, because when it comes to building great businesses, you also have to build great transportation systems. And those transportation systems get people to where they work, where they want to play, restaurants, sporting events and concerts.”
“If we want to innovate, you have to make infrastructure investment,” she continued. “So everybody, get ready to use your ORCA card.”
A full transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks today is HERE.
The Marymoor Village Station includes a 1,400-stall parking garage and will provide convenient access to concerts and recreational activities at Marymoor Park. The Downtown Redmond Station is close to shopping and dining at Redmond Town Center, as well as new transit-oriented housing in the city’s downtown core. Residents of Downtown Redmond will have just a six-minute commute to Redmond Technology Station at Microsoft headquarters on the 2 Line, and a 19-minute commute to downtown Bellevue. Trains will run every 10 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week between the South Bellevue and Downtown Redmond stations.
Including the East Link Extension, Sound Transit expects to see 43,000 to 52,000 daily riders by 2026. Last summer, opening day ridership on the 2 Line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology Station saw 35,000 riders; at its peak during the summer of 2024, there were approximately 150,000 total monthly boardings.
When the full 2 Line opens, it will add the Mercer Island and Judkins Park stations and connect to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown Station in downtown Seattle.
Additionally, Sound Transit has partnered with Bellwether Housing to provide 328 units of affordable housing, active businesses on the ground floors, and space for a community hub at the Overlake Village Station. The project will break ground later this year and will begin accepting residents in 2027. At Marymoor Village Station, a 3.5-acre site adjacent to the station will be the home to future development, which is anticipated to include a large amount of affordable housing units.
The Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension was funded in part by a $521 million transit loan through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA). The subsidized interest rate for TIFIA funding was less than half of what Sound Transit would have gotten otherwise, reducing lending costs on the projects by $200 million to $300 million. In addition, Sound Transit worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation to refinance five TIFIA loans, including this project, resulting in savings of more than $500 million for the agency.
Sen. Cantwell is a longtime champion of ongoing investments in Washington state’s light rail system. In April 2024, she joined local, state, and federal leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the new Sound Transit East Link Starter Line, which connected South Bellevue to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond. In August 2024, she joined the community to celebrate the Lynnwood Link Extension connecting Lynnwood, Montlake Terrace, and Shoreline to the Light Rail system.
Upon finalization of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the inclusion of $329.14 million for the Federal Way Link Light Rail Extension – which fully funds the project three years ahead of schedule — and $254 million for the Lynnwood Light Rail Extension. As then-chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell helped deliver large funding increases for transportation in the Biden-Harris Infrastructure Law.
All secondary schools were open today to allow students who had exams early next week to attend in person to obtain a new password.
On Friday afternoon we noticed some unusual e-mail activity on our schools and early years IT network. As a precautionary measure we reset passwords across our schools and early years network – including those of our students.
All secondary schools were open today from 10.15am to 12noon to allow students who had exams early next week to attend in person to obtain a new password.
Education, Children and Families Convener Councillor James Dalgleish said:
“We saw approximately 2,500 young people attend their secondary schools to reset their passwords this morning – and I’m delighted that our dedicated school staff were on hand to support them and minimise the impact on their exam preparations.
“My thanks once again to our colleagues for their quick thinking and vigilance – without which this could have been far worse – and for their work throughout the weekend to ensure the attack was contained and our networks remain secure and protected.
“Close monitoring will continue over the coming days and we’re keeping the Scottish Government and Police Scotland up-to-date.
“I’d like to wish all of our students sitting exams in the coming days and weeks the very best of luck.”
It has had significant impact on advancing the status of women and girls in the ACT.
This is through educational programs, campaigns and projects, including:
petitioning to mandate teaching gender equality in schools
a Sports Puberty Program and Period Dignity project. This contributed to the early thinking about the ACT Government’s commitment to free period products.
“[This award] is so important because it will help me to expand the program,” Lauren said.
Jayanti Gupta is the founder and presenter of Gender Equity Matters, a weekly 2XX radio program.
Jayanti provides women with training in radio presentation and leadership skills. She has broadcast about issues relating to gender, women and girls in the ACT.
Jayanti is the Founder and Chair of the Integrated Women’s Network (IWN). She is also one of the founders of Integrated Cultures ACT Inc.
“I always like to fight for the underdog, and I realised that women are not getting the same rights as men,” Jayanti said.
2025 ACT Young Woman of the Year Award
Anjali Sharma– climate change activist
Anjali Sharma co-introduced the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Equity) Bill.
She also coordinated the Melbourne School Strike and was lead litigant in a court case that found the Federal Government had a duty of care towards future generations (later overturned).
She works to develop the capacity of young women as climate activists in the ACT. Anjali is currently leading a team of young women in Canberra to advocate for and champion the Duty of Care Bill.
“… the need to tackle [climate change] is focused on people, including women and young people, and the rights of all these communities to thrive and prosper the way generations before us have been able to,” Anjali said.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.
You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.
You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man who claimed to be a pastor of a church in Orange, New Jersey was indicted on April 25, 2025, for sex trafficking, forced labor, and, along with his wife, conspiring to commit forced labor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today.
The indictment, which was unsealed on May 7, 2025, charges Treva Edwards, 60, and Christine Edwards, 63, with conspiracy to commit forced labor. It also charges Treva Edwards with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and forced labor. Both defendants were arrested on May 7, 2025 and made their initial appearances on May 8, 2025 and were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa and were detained.
“These charges are an example of my office’s tireless commitment to combatting human trafficking in our community. If you engage in human trafficking, we will find you, and we will prosecute you. We are committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who target the most vulnerable are brought to justice.”
– U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain. These charges reflect our unwavering focus on protecting victims and prosecuting those who commit forced labor and sex trafficking.”
“Treva and Christine Edwards turned a source of hope into a tool of fear by allegedly exploiting religious faith to manipulate victims and expose them to sexual violence and forced labor conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of HSI Newark Division. “Seeking justice for human trafficking victims in cases like this is of utmost importance to HSI Newark. Anyone who may believe they are a victim of trafficking can be assured our investigations are victim-centered and that we will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for anyone’s freedom that has been held ransom.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”
According to the indictment and statements made in court:
Defendants Treva Edwards and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired to coax and coerce vulnerable victims to work with no pay.
Between 2011 and 2020, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution from God, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm.
The defendants preached to the victims that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The defendants secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, and the defendants dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. The defendants did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor.
The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The defendants instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. The defendants isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and by convincing them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. The defendants deprived the victims of sleep, typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected one victim to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnated her, and instructed her to get an abortion.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum sentence of twenty years or life imprisonment if the government proves at trial that the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge against both defendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment.
This investigation was conducted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky, and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
HSI is asking anyone with information about the defendants to contact the HSI Human Trafficking Hotline at (866) 347-2423 (option 2), and reference Edwards or Jesus is Lord Church, or to email hsinewarkhumantrafficking@hsi.dhs.gov. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
####
Defense counsel:
Treva Edwards: Michael Thomas, Esq., AFPD
Christine Edwards: F.R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq., Hoboken, NJ
NERMEEN SHAIKH:We begin today’s show looking at Israel’s ongoing targeting of Palestinian journalists. A recent report by the Costs of War Project at Brown University described the war in Gaza as the “worst ever conflict for reporters” in history.
By one count, Israel has killed 214 Palestinian journalists in Gaza over the past 18 months, including two journalists killed on Wednesday — Yahya Subaih and Nour El-Din Abdo. Yahya Subaih died just hours after his wife gave birth to their first child.
Meanwhile, new details have emerged about the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the renowned Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist who was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier three years ago on 11 May 2022.
She was killed while covering an Israeli army assault on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Shireen and another reporter were against a stone wall, wearing blue helmets and blue flak jackets clearly emblazoned with the word “Press”.
Shireen was shot in the head. She was known throughout the Arab world for her decades of tireless reporting on Palestine.
AMY GOODMAN: Israel initially claimed she had been shot by Palestinian militants, but later acknowledged she was most likely shot by an Israeli soldier. But Israel has never identified the soldier who fired the fatal shot, or allowed the soldier to be questioned by US investigators.
But a new documentary just released by Zeteo has identified and named the Israeli soldier for the first time. Below is the trailer to the documentary Who Killed Shireen?
DION NISSENBAUM: That soldier looked down his scope and could see the blue vest and that it said “press.”
ISRAELI SOLDIER: That’s what I think, yes.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: US personnel have never had access to those who are believed to have committed those shootings.
DION NISSENBAUM: No one has been held to account. Justice has not been served.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: She is the first American Palestinian journalist who has been killed by Israeli forces.
DION NISSENBAUM: I want to know: Who killed Shireen?
CONOR POWELL: Are we going to find the shooter?
DION NISSENBAUM: He’s got a phone call set up with this Israeli soldier that was there that day.
CONOR POWELL: We just have to go over to Israel.
DION NISSENBAUM: Did you ever talk to the guy who fired those shots?
ISRAELI SOLDIER: Of course. I know him personally. The US should have actually come forward and actually pressed the fact that an American citizen was killed intentionally by IDF.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: The drones are still ongoing, the explosions going off.
CONOR POWELL: Holy [bleep]! We’ve got a name.
DION NISSENBAUM: But here’s the twist.
Who Shot Shireen Abu Akleh? Video: Zeteo/Democracy Now!
NERMEEN SHAIKH:The trailer for the new Zeteo documentary Who Killed Shireen? The film identifies the Israeli soldier who allegedly killed Shireen Abu Akleh as Alon Scagio, who would later be killed during an Israeli military operation last June in Jenin, the same city where Shireen was fatally shot.
AMY GOODMAN:We’re joined right now by four guests, including two members of Shireen Abu Akleh’s family: her brother Anton, or Tony, and her niece Lina. They’re both in North Bergen, New Jersey. We’re also joined by Mehdi Hasan, the founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo, and by Dion Nissenbaum, the executive producer of Who Killed Shireen?, the correspondent on the documentary, longtime Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent based in Jerusalem and other cities, a former foreign correspondent. He was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
We welcome you all toDemocracy Now!Dion, we’re going to begin with you. This is the third anniversary, May 11th exactly, of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. Talk about your revelation, what you exposed in this documentary.
DION NISSENBAUM: Well, there were two things that were very important for the documentary. The first thing was we wanted to find the soldier who killed Shireen. It had been one of the most closely guarded secrets in Israel. US officials said that if they wanted to determine if there was a crime here, if there was a human rights violation, they needed to talk to this soldier to find out what he was thinking when he shot her.
And we set out to find him. And we did. We did what the US government never did. And it turned out he had been killed, so we were never able to answer that question — what he was thinking.
But the other revelation that I think is as significant in this documentary is that the initial US assessment of her shooting was that that soldier intentionally shot her and that he could tell that she was wearing a blue flak jacket with “Press” across it.
That assessment was essentially overruled by the Biden administration, which came out and said exactly the opposite. That’s a fairly startling revelation, that the Biden administration and the Israeli government essentially were doing everything they could to cover up what happened that day to Shireen Abu Akleh.
‘Who Killed Shireen?’ Zeteo premiered an explosive investigative documentary that reveals the identity of the soldier who shot Shireen Abu Akleh.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, let’s go to a clip from the documentary Who Killed Shireen?, in which Dion Nissenbaum, our guest, speaks with former State Department official Andrew Miller. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs in 2022 when Shireen was killed.
ANDREW MILLER: It’s nearly 100 percent certain that an Israeli soldier, likely a sniper, fired the shot that killed or the shots that killed Shireen Abu Akleh. Based on all the information we have, it is not credible to suggest that there were targets either in front of or behind Shireen Abu Akleh.
The fact that the official Israeli position remains that this was a case of crossfire, the entire episode was a mistake, as opposed to potentially a mistaken identification or the deliberate targeting of this individual, points to, I think, a broader policy of seeking to manage the narrative.
DION NISSENBAUM: And did the Israelis ever make the soldier available to the US to talk about it?
ANDREW MILLER: No. And the Israelis were not willing to present the person for even informal questioning.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was State Department official — former State Department official Andrew Miller, speaking in the Zeteo documentary Who Killed Shireen? He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs in 2022 when Shireen was killed.
I want to go to Shireen’s family, whom we have as guests, Anton Abu Akleh and Lina, who are joining us from New Jersey. You both watched the film for the first time last night when it premiered here in New York City. Lina, if you could begin by responding to the revelations in the film?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Hi, Amy. Hi. Thank you for having us.
Honestly, we always welcome and we appreciate journalists who try to uncover the killing of Shireen, but also who shed light on her legacy. And the documentary that was released by Zeteo and by Dion, it really revealed findings that we didn’t know before, but we’ve always known that it was an Israeli soldier who killed Shireen. And we know how the US administration failed our family, failed a US citizen and failed a journalist, really.
And that should be a scandal in and of itself.
But most importantly, for us as a family, it’s not just about one soldier. It’s about the entire chain of command. It’s not just the person who pulled the trigger, but who ordered the killing, and the military commanders, the elected officials.
So, really, it’s the entire chain of command that needs to be held to account for the killing of a journalist who was in a clear press vest, press gear, marked as a journalist.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Anton, if you could respond? Shireen, of course, was your younger sister. What was your response watching the documentary last night?
ANTON ABU AKLEH: It’s very painful to look at all these scenes again, but I really extend my appreciation to Zeteo and all those who supported and worked on this documentary, which was very revealing, many things we didn’t know. The cover-up by the Biden administration, this thing was new to us.
He promised. First statements came out from the White House and from the State Department stressed on the importance of holding those responsible accountable. And apparently, in one of the interviews heard in this documentary, he never raised — President Biden never raised this issue with Bennett, at that time the prime minister.
So, that’s shocking to us to know it was a total cover-up, contradictory to what they promised us. And that’s — like Lina just said, it’s a betrayal, not only to the family, not only to Shireen, but the whole American nation.
AMY GOODMAN: Mehdi Hasan, you’ve backed this documentary. It’s the first big documentary Zeteo is putting out. It’s also the first anniversary of the founding of Zeteo. Can you talk about the proof that you feel is here in the documentary that Alon Scagio, this — and explain who he is and the unit he was a part of? Dion, it’s quite something when you go to his grave. But how you can absolutely be sure this is the man?
MEHDI HASAN:So, Amy, Nermeen, thanks for having us here. I’ve been on this show many times. I just want to say, great to be here on set with both of you. Thank you for what you do.
This is actually our second documentary, but it is our biggest so far, because the revelations in this film that Dion and the team put out are huge in many ways — identifying the soldier, as you mentioned, Alon Scagio, identifying the Biden cover-up, which we just heard Tony Abu Akleh point out. People didn’t realise just how big that cover-up was.
Remember, Joe Biden was the man who said, “If you harm an American, we will respond.” And what is very clear in the case of Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen who spent a lot of her life in New Jersey, they did not respond.
In terms of the soldier itself, when Dion came to me and said, “We want to make this film. It’ll be almost like a true crime documentary. We’re going to go out and find out who did it” — because we all — everyone followed the story. You guys covered it in 2022. It was a huge story in the world.
But three years later, to not even know the name of the shooter — and I was, “Well, will we be able to find this out? It’s one of Israel’s most closely guarded secrets.” And yet, Dion and his team were able to do the reporting that got inside of Duvdevan, this elite special forces unit in Israel.
It literally means “the cherry on top.” That’s how proud they are of their eliteness. And yet, no matter how elite you are, Israel’s way of fighting wars means you kill innocent people.
And what comes out in the film from interviews, not just with a soldier, an Israeli soldier, who speaks in the film and talks about how, “Hey, if you see a camera, you take the shot,” but also speaking to Chris Van Hollen, United States Senator from Maryland, who’s been one of the few Democratic voices critical of Biden in the Senate, who says there’s been no change in Israel’s rules of engagement over the years.
And therefore, it was so important on multiple levels to do this film, to identify the shooter, because, of course, as you pointed out in your news headlines, Amy, they just killed a hundred Palestinians yesterday.
So this is not some old story from history where this happened in 2022 and we’re going back. Everything that happened since, you could argue, flows from that — the Americans who have been killed, the journalists who have been killed in Gaza, Palestinians, the sense of impunity that Israel has and Israel’s soldiers have.
There are reports that Israeli soldiers are saying to Palestinians, “Hey, Trump has our back. Hey, the US government has our back.” And it wasn’t just Trump. It was Joe Biden, too.
And that was why it was so important to make this film, to identify the shooter, to call out Israel’s practices when it comes to journalists, and to call out the US role.
AMY GOODMAN: I just want to go to Dion, for people who aren’t familiar with the progression of what the Biden administration said, the serious cover-up not only by Israel, but of its main military weapons supplier and supporter of its war on Gaza, and that is Joe Biden, from the beginning.
First Israel said it was a Palestinian militant. At that point, what did President Biden say?
DION NISSENBAUM: So, at the very beginning, they said that they wanted the shooter to be prosecuted. They used that word at the State Department and said, “This person who killed an American journalist should be prosecuted.” But when it started to become clear that it was probably an Israeli soldier, their tone shifted, and it became talking about vague calls for accountability or changes to the rules of engagement, which never actually happened.
So, you got to a point where the Israeli government admitted it was likely them, the US government called for them to change the rules of engagement, and the Israeli government said no. And we have this interview in the film with Senator Chris Van Hollen, who says that, essentially, Israel was giving the middle finger to the US government on this.
And we have seen, since that time, more Americans being killed in the West Bank, dozens and dozens and dozens of journalists being killed, with no accountability. And we would like to see that change.
This is a trajectory that you’re seeing. You know, the blue vest no longer provides any protection for journalists in Israel. The Israeli military itself has said that wearing a blue vest with “Press” on it does not necessarily mean that you are a journalist.
They are saying that terrorists wear blue vests, too. So, if you are a journalist operating in the West Bank now, you have to assume that the Israeli military could target you.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, let’s go to another clip from the film Who Killed Shireen?, which features Ali Samoudi, Shireen Abu Akleh’s producer, who was with Shireen when she was killed, and was himself shot and injured. In the clip, he speaks to the journalist Fatima AbdulKarim.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: We are set up here now, even though we were supposed to meet at the location where you got injured and Shireen got killed.
ALI SAMOUDI: [translated] We are five minutes from the location in Maidan al-Awdah. But you could lose your soul in the five minutes it would take us to reach it. You could be hit by army bullets. They could arrest you.
So it is essentially impossible to get there. I believe the big disaster which prevented the occupation from being punished and repeating these crimes is the neglect and indifference by many of the institutions, especially American ones, which continue to defend the occupation.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: [translated] We’re now approaching the third anniversary of Shireen’s death. How did that affect you?
ALI SAMOUDI: [translated] During that period, the occupation was making preparations for a dangerous scenario in the Jenin refugee camp. And for this reason, they didn’t want witnesses.
They opened fire on us in order to terroriSe us enough that we wouldn’t go back to the camp. And in that sense, they partially succeeded.
Since then, we have been overcome by fear. From the moment Shireen was killed, I said and continue to say and will continue to say that this bullet was meant to prevent the Palestinian media from the documentation and exposure of the occupation’s crimes.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was Ali Samoudi, Shireen Abu Akleh’s producer, who was with Shireen when she was killed, and was himself shot and injured.
We should note, Ali Samoudi was just detained by Israeli forces in late April. The Palestinian journalist Mariam Barghouti recently wrote, “Ali Samoudi was beaten so bad by Israeli soldiers he was immediately hospitalised. This man has been one of the few journalists that continues reporting on Israeli military abuses north of the West Bank despite the continued risk on his life,” Mariam Barghouti wrote.
The Committee to Protect Journalists spoke to the journalist’s son, Mohammed Al Samoudi, who told CPJ, quote, “My father suffers from several illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a stomach ulcer . . . He needs a diabetes injection every two days and a specific diet. It appears he was subjected to assault and medical neglect at the interrogation center . . .
“Our lawyer told us he was transferred to an Israeli hospital after a major setback in his health. We don’t know where he is being held, interrogated, or even the hospital to which he was taken. My father has been forcibly disappeared,” he said.
So, Dion Nissenbaum, if you could give us the latest? You spoke to Ali Samoudi for the documentary, and now he’s been detained.
DION NISSENBAUM: Yeah. His words were prophetic, right? He talks about this was an attempt to silence journalists. And my colleague Fatima says the same thing, that these are ongoing, progressive efforts to silence Palestinian journalists.
And we don’t know where Ali is. He has not actually been charged with anything yet. He is one of the most respected journalists in the West Bank. And we are just seeing this progression going on.
AMY GOODMAN: So, the latest we know is he was supposed to have a hearing, and that hearing has now been delayed to May 13th, Ali Samoudi?
DION NISSENBAUM: That’s right. And he has yet to be charged, so . . .
AMY GOODMAN:I want to go back to Lina Abu Akleh, who’s in New Jersey, where Shireen grew up. Lina, you were listed on Time magazine’s 100 emerging leaders for publicly demanding scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, the horror.
And again, our condolences on the death of your aunt, on the killing of your aunt, and also to Anton, Shireen’s brother. Lina, you’ve also, of course, spoken to Ali Samoudi. This continues now. He’s in detention — his son says, “just disappeared”.
What are you demanding right now? We have a new administration. We’ve moved from the Biden administration to the Trump administration. And are you in touch with them? Are they speaking to you?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Well, our demands haven’t changed. From day one, we’re calling for the US administration to complete its investigation, or for the FBI to continue its investigation, and to finally release — to finally hold someone to account.
And we have enough evidence that could have been — that the administration could have used to expedite this case. But, unfortunately, this new administration, as well, no one has spoken to us. We haven’t been in touch with anyone, and it’s just been radio silence since.
For us, as I said, our demands have never changed. It’s been always to hold the entire system to account, the entire chain of command, the military, for the killing of an American citizen, a journalist, a Palestinian, Palestinian American journalist.
As we’ve been talking, targeting journalists isn’t happening just by shooting at them or killing them. There’s so many different forms of targeting journalists, especially in Gaza and the West Bank and Jerusalem.
So, for us, it’s really important as a family that we don’t see other families experience what we are going through, for this — for impunity, for Israel’s impunity, to end, because, at the end of the day, accountability is the only way to put an end to this impunity.
AMY GOODMAN: I am horrified to ask this question to Shireen’s family members, to Lina, to Tony, Shireen’s brother, but the revelation in the film — we were all there last night at its premiere in New York — that the Israeli soldiers are using a photograph of Shireen’s face for target practice. Tony Abu Akleh, if you could respond?
ANTON ABU AKLEH: You know, there is no words to describe our sorrow and pain hearing this. But, you know, I would just want to know why. Why would they do this thing? What did Shireen do to them for them to use her as a target practice? You know, this is absolutely barbaric act, unjustified. Unjustified.
And we really hope that this US administration will be able to put an end to all this impunity they are enjoying. If they didn’t enjoy all this impunity, they wouldn’t have been doing this. Practising on a journalist? Why? You know, you can practice on anything, but on a journalist?
This shows that this targeting of more journalists, whether in Gaza, in Palestine, it’s systematic. It’s been planned for. And they’ve been targeting and shutting off those voices, those reports, from reaching anywhere in the world.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:And, Anton, if you could say — you know, you mentioned last night, as well, Shireen was, in fact, extremely cautious as a journalist. If you could elaborate on that? What precisely —
ANTON ABU AKLEH: Absolutely. Absolutely. Shireen was very careful. Every time she’s in the field, she would take her time to put on the gear, the required helmet, the vest with “press” written on it, before going there. She also tried to identify herself as a journalist, whether to the Israelis or to the Palestinians, so she’s not attacked.
And she always went by the book, followed the rules, how to act, how to be careful, how to speak to those people involved, so she can protect herself. But, unfortunately, he was — this soldier, as stated in the documentary, targeted Shireen just because she’s Shireen and she’s a journalist. That’s it. There is no other explanation.
Sixteen bullets were fired on Shireen. Not even her helmet, nor the vest she was wearing, were able to protect her, unfortunately.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Mehdi Hasan, you wanted to respond.
MEHDI HASAN: So, Tony asks, “Why? Why would you do this? Why would you target not just a journalist in the field, but then use her face for target practice?” — as Dion and his team reveal in the film. And there is, unfortunately, a very simple answer to that question, which is that the Israeli military — and not just the Israeli military, but many people in our world today — have dehumanised Palestinians.
There is the removal of humanity from the people you are oppressing, occupying, subjugating and killing. It doesn’t matter if you’re an American citizen. It doesn’t matter if you have a press jacket on. It only matters that you are Palestinian in the sniper’s sights.
And that is how they have managed to pull of the killing of so many journalists, so many children. The first documentary we commissioned last year was called Israel’s Real Extremism, and it was about the Israeli soldiers who go into Gaza and make TikTok videos wearing Palestinian women’s underwear, playing with Palestinian children’s toys. It is the ultimate form of dehumanisation, the idea that these people don’t count, their lives have no value.
And what’s so tragic and shocking — and the film exposes this — is that Joe Biden — forget the Israeli military — Joe Biden also joined in that dehumanisation. Do you remember at the start of this conflict when he comes out and he says, “Well, I’m not sure I believe the Palestinian death toll numbers,” when he puts out a statement at the hundred days after October 7th and doesn’t mention Palestinian casualties.
And that has been the fundamental problem. This was the great comforter-in-chief. Joe Biden was supposed to be the empath. And yet, as Tony points out, what was so shocking in the film is he didn’t even raise Shireen’s case with Naftali Bennett, the prime minister of Israel at the time.
Again, would he have done that if it was an American journalist in Moscow? We know that’s not the case. We know when American journalists, especially white American journalists, are taken elsewhere in the world, the government gives a damn. And yet, in the case of Shireen, the only explanation is because she was a Palestinian American journalist.
AMY GOODMAN:You know, in the United States, the US government is responsible for American citizens, which Biden pointed out at the beginning, when he thought it was a Palestinian militant who had killed her. But, Lina, you yourself are a journalist. And I’m thinking I want to hear your response to using her face, because, of course, that is not just the face of Shireen, but I think it’s the face of journalism.
And it’s not just American journalism, of course. I mean, in fact, she’s known to hundreds of millions of people around world as the face and voice of Al Jazeera Arabic. She spoke in Arabic. She was known as that to the rest of the world. But to see that and that revealed in this documentary?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Yeah, it was horrifying, actually. And it just goes on to show how the Israeli military is built. It’s barbarism. It’s the character of revenge, of hate. And that is part of the entire system. And as Mehdi and as my father just mentioned, this is all about dehumanizing Palestinians, regardless if they’re journalists, if they’re doctors, they’re officials. For them, they simply don’t care about Palestinian lives.
And for us, Shireen will always be the voice of Palestine. And she continues to be remembered for the legacy that she left behind. And she continues to live through so many, so many journalists, who have picked up the microphone, who have picked up the camera, just because of Shireen.
So, regardless of how the Israeli military continues to dehumanise journalists and how the US fails to protect Palestinian American journalists, we will continue to push forward to continue to highlight the life and the legacy that Shireen left behind.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:Well, let’s turn to Shireen Abu Akleh in her own words. This is an excerpt from the Al Jazeera English documentary The Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.
SHIREEN ABU AKLEH: [translated] Sometimes the Israeli army doesn’t want you there, so they target you, even if they later say it was an accident. They might say, “We saw some young men around you.” So they target you on purpose, as a way of scaring you off because they don’t want you there.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So, that was Shireen in her own words in an Al Jazeera documentary. So, Lina, I know you have to go soon, but if you could just tell us: What do you want people to know about Shireen, as an aunt, a sister and a journalist?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Yes, so, we know Shireen as the journalist, but behind the camera, she was one of the most empathetic people. She was very sincere. And something not a lot of people know, but she was a very funny person. She had a very unique sense of humor, that she lit up every room she entered. She cared about everyone and anyone. She enjoyed life.
Shireen, at the end of the day, loved life. She had plans. She had dreams that she still wanted to achieve. But her life was cut short by that small bullet, which would change our lives entirely.
But at the end of the day, Shireen was a professional journalist who always advocated for truth, for justice. And at the end of the day, all she wanted to do was humanise Palestinians and talk about the struggles of living under occupation. But at the same time, she wanted to celebrate their achievements.
She shed light on all the happy moments, all the accomplishments of the Palestinian people. And this is something that really touched millions of Palestinians, of Arabs around the world. She was able to enter the hearts of the people through the small camera lens. And until this day, she continues to be remembered for that.
AMY GOODMAN: Before we go, we’re going to keep you on, Mehdi, to talk about other issues during the Trump administration, but how can people access Who Killed Shireen?
MEHDI HASAN: So, it’s available online at WhoKilledShireen.com, is where you can go to watch it. We are releasing the film right now only to paid subscribers. We hope to change that in the forthcoming days.
People often say to me, “How can you put it behind a paywall?” Journalism — a free press isn’t free, sadly. We have to fund films like this. Dion came to us because a lot of other people didn’t want to fund a topic like this, didn’t want to fund an investigation like this.
So, we’re proud to be able to fund such documentaries, but we also need support from our contributors, our subscribers and the viewers. But it’s an important film, and I hope as many people will watch it as possible, WhoKilledShireen.com.
AMY GOODMAN:We want to thank Lina, the niece of Shireen Abu Akleh, and Anton, Tony, the older brother of Shireen Abu Akleh, for joining us from New Jersey. Together, we saw the documentary last night, Who Killed Shireen? And we want to thank Dion Nissenbaum, who is the filmmaker, the correspondent on this film, formerly a correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. The founder of Zeteo, on this first anniversary of Zeteo, is Mehdi Hasan.
Youths charged in relation to aggravated robbery at Prospect
Saturday, 10 May 2025 – 10:51 pm.
Police have charged two youths in relation to an aggravated robbery at a shop at Prospect Marketplace yesterday (Friday). Police will allege that around 2.10pm, two youths entered the store and stole a quantity of money. During the incident, a man in the store sustained minor injuries when they reportedly attempted to restrain a youth. A 14-year-old from Invermay and a 16-year-old from Newstead have been charged with aggravated robbery and appeared before the Youth Justice Court today.
You can also find plenty of places that run workshops and classes. Some of these include:
Note: This is but a small selection on what you can find in our crafty capital.
Why craft?
Whichever your craft of choice, it likely offers benefits beyond the final product.
The activity is known to improve wellbeing. Crafting of all kinds can promote mindfulness, relieve stress and improve dexterity for people of all ages.
Crafting groups also allow people to
build social connections
learn new skills
volunteer their time and talent
practise English.
And of course, it’s lots of fun.
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Social grant fraudster,Anele Gxumeka, was on Thursday sentenced to six months of direct imprisonment on charges of fraud, by the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court.
In a statement on Friday, the Eastern Cape South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) said the sentence stems from an incident on 9 February 2023, when the 41-year-old visited the SASSA Lusikisiki Local Office for a medical assessment after securing an appointment with a doctor.
On that day, customer care officials conducted queue walks and noted that there were discrepancies in the details of the accused’s medical document.
The gender listed on the medical card did not match that on the Identity Document (ID); and the age reflected in the submitted document also contradicted the medical card.
“These discrepancies were further confirmed by the attending doctor, who contacted the Holy Cross hospital where the accused claimed to have been examined. The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital confirmed that there were no records of such a client,” the statement read.
The matter was subsequently handled by the SASSA Risk and Compliance Unit, which referred the case to the South African Police Services.
The accused was apprehended and later released pending further investigation and court appearances.
On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to six months of direct imprisonment.
In response to the sentencing, SASSA Eastern Cape Regional Executive Manager, Bandile Maqetuka, commended the front-line desk staff for their diligence.
He noted that most fraudulent activities are discovered only after significant financial losses.
“It is commendable that the agency has not incurred any financial loss in this case. We appreciate the collaborative efforts of SAPS and SASSA in ensuring that justice was served.
“While this may seem like a minor fraudulent case, the sentence sends a strong message that fraud will not be tolerated at SASSA,” Maqetuka said. – SAnews.gov.za
The South African government has called for a de-escalation in the brewing tensions between India and Pakistan.
This according to Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, who delivered remarks at the Solidarity Conference on Women, Peace and Security held in Tshwane, on Friday.
The India-Pakistan tensions – which have seen both sides launching attacks – stems from a terrorist attack, which killed some 26 people in an India-controlled part of Kashmir, last month.
“The South African government expresses concern over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. We call for de-escalation and restraint.
“All efforts should be taken to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure while ensuring that there are concerted efforts from both parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the rising conflict,” Lamola said.
On the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Lamola said the war has “become a flashpoint of global tensions”, with economic consequences that reach beyond Europe’s borders.
“This includes disruptions to global food supply chains and energy markets. South Africa has always contended that once a ceasefire is in place, everything must be discussed and that we need to continue to call for a ceasefire… that peace must be found on the negotiation table by both parties with the help of the international communities,” he said.
Turning to the Israel-Hamas conflict currently playing itself out in Gaza, Lamola said the war “poses a grave threat not only to local peace, but also to the broader regional stability”.
“It is a conflict that reverberates across international diplomatic corridors. It’s a conflict that is unfolding in the full glare of the world.
“South Africa’s decision to bring a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice was not taken lightly. It was grounded in the belief that pursuing justice is never without cost, that truth often challenges entrenched power and that moral leadership requires the courage to confront global injustice,” he said.
The Minister reiterated the South African government’s foreign policy grounded in elements including non-alignment, respect for international law, commitment to multilateralism, diplomacy and peaceful negotiations.
“In summary, we are anti-war. We are a peace-loving nation. These values are rooted in our own history of struggle against injustice and reflect our aspirations to contribute to a fairer and more peaceful international order.
“In a polarised world, South Africa has maintained open diplomatic channels. South Africa has long supported the peace process that aligns with its foreign policy principles of promoting peace, stability and development on the continent with a vision to build a better South Africa and better world,” Lamola said. – SAnews.gov.za
The Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has reiterated the urgent need for a multisectoral approach to effectively end Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
Speaking at a mini plenary session in the National Assembly, on Friday, Letsike emphasised that addressing GBVF requires coordinated efforts across all sectors of society.
“This [approach] will help in bringing together government departments, civil society organisations, business, traditional leaders, and academic institutions to drive a coordinated efforts to confront GBVF as a national crisis and violation of human rights,” Letsike said.
Letsike led a debate on addressing Gender Based Violence and Femicide as a national crisis, during the National Assembly’s mini plenary session, held in Cape Town, on Friday.
The Deputy Minister, who led the parliamentary debate on “addressing Gender Based Violence and Femicide as a national crisis”, said South Africa continues to face a grim reality of GBV, where violence against women and girls persists at alarming levels, and undermines the nation’s collective vision of a democracy rooted in the principles of inclusivity, or Ubuntu.
“The 2022 GBV Prevalence Study indicates that one in three women, roughly 7.3 million, have faced physical violence during their lives. This means nearly one in ten women report having encountered sexual violence, and over a quarter have suffered abuse from intimate partners,” Letsike said.
During her address, Letsike outlined key priority issues that required collective action towards ending the scourge of Gender Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa.
These include, among others: • The evolution of government plans towards dealing with Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. • The government structures established to deal with GBVF. • Educational and advocacy programmes available for societal consumption. • Progress on the implementation of the GBVF National Strategic Plan towards ending Gender Based Violence and Femicide. • A need for Education for young boys through the adoption of a bottom-up approach to GBVF.
Letsike also highlighted South Africa’s progress in strengthening the legal framework to address GBVF.
Parliament passed key legislative amendments, aimed at improving victim protection, enhancing access to justice, and ensuring stricter accountability for perpetrators.
Among the legislations passed include the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act, Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act, in 2021. – SAnews.gov.za
NERMEEN SHAIKH:We begin today’s show looking at Israel’s ongoing targeting of Palestinian journalists. A recent report by the Costs of War Project at Brown University described the war in Gaza as the “worst ever conflict for reporters” in history.
By one count, Israel has killed 214 Palestinian journalists in Gaza over the past 18 months, including two journalists killed on Wednesday — Yahya Subaih and Nour El-Din Abdo. Yahya Subaih died just hours after his wife gave birth to their first child.
Meanwhile, new details have emerged about the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the renowned Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist who was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier three years ago on 11 May 2022.
She was killed while covering an Israeli army assault on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Shireen and another reporter were against a stone wall, wearing blue helmets and blue flak jackets clearly emblazoned with the word “Press”.
Shireen was shot in the head. She was known throughout the Arab world for her decades of tireless reporting on Palestine.
AMY GOODMAN: Israel initially claimed she had been shot by Palestinian militants, but later acknowledged she was most likely shot by an Israeli soldier. But Israel has never identified the soldier who fired the fatal shot, or allowed the soldier to be questioned by US investigators.
But a new documentary just released by Zeteo has identified and named the Israeli soldier for the first time. This is the trailer to the documentary Who Killed Shireen?
DION NISSENBAUM: That soldier looked down his scope and could see the blue vest and that it said “press.”
ISRAELI SOLDIER: That’s what I think, yes.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: US personnel have never had access to those who are believed to have committed those shootings.
DION NISSENBAUM: No one has been held to account. Justice has not been served.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: She is the first American Palestinian journalist who has been killed by Israeli forces.
DION NISSENBAUM: I want to know: Who killed Shireen?
CONOR POWELL: Are we going to find the shooter?
DION NISSENBAUM: He’s got a phone call set up with this Israeli soldier that was there that day.
CONOR POWELL: We just have to go over to Israel.
DION NISSENBAUM: Did you ever talk to the guy who fired those shots?
ISRAELI SOLDIER: Of course. I know him personally. The US should have actually come forward and actually pressed the fact that an American citizen was killed intentionally by IDF.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: The drones are still ongoing, the explosions going off.
CONOR POWELL: Holy [bleep]! We’ve got a name.
DION NISSENBAUM: But here’s the twist.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:The trailer for the new Zeteo documentary Who Killed Shireen? The film identifies the Israeli soldier who allegedly killed Shireen Abu Akleh as Alon Scagio, who would later be killed during an Israeli military operation last June in Jenin, the same city where Shireen was fatally shot.
AMY GOODMAN:We’re joined right now by four guests, including two members of Shireen Abu Akleh’s family: her brother Anton, or Tony, and her niece Lina. They’re both in North Bergen, New Jersey. We’re also joined by Mehdi Hasan, the founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo, and by Dion Nissenbaum, the executive producer of Who Killed Shireen?, the correspondent on the documentary, longtime Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent based in Jerusalem and other cities, a former foreign correspondent. He was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
We welcome you all toDemocracy Now!Dion, we’re going to begin with you. This is the third anniversary, May 11th exactly, of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. Talk about your revelation, what you exposed in this documentary.
DION NISSENBAUM: Well, there were two things that were very important for the documentary. The first thing was we wanted to find the soldier who killed Shireen. It had been one of the most closely guarded secrets in Israel. US officials said that if they wanted to determine if there was a crime here, if there was a human rights violation, they needed to talk to this soldier to find out what he was thinking when he shot her.
And we set out to find him. And we did. We did what the US government never did. And it turned out he had been killed, so we were never able to answer that question — what he was thinking.
But the other revelation that I think is as significant in this documentary is that the initial US assessment of her shooting was that that soldier intentionally shot her and that he could tell that she was wearing a blue flak jacket with “Press” across it.
That assessment was essentially overruled by the Biden administration, which came out and said exactly the opposite. That’s a fairly startling revelation, that the Biden administration and the Israeli government essentially were doing everything they could to cover up what happened that day to Shireen Abu Akleh.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, let’s go to a clip from the documentary Who Killed Shireen?, in which Dion Nissenbaum, our guest, speaks with former State Department official Andrew Miller. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs in 2022 when Shireen was killed.
ANDREW MILLER: It’s nearly 100 percent certain that an Israeli soldier, likely a sniper, fired the shot that killed or the shots that killed Shireen Abu Akleh. Based on all the information we have, it is not credible to suggest that there were targets either in front of or behind Shireen Abu Akleh.
The fact that the official Israeli position remains that this was a case of crossfire, the entire episode was a mistake, as opposed to potentially a mistaken identification or the deliberate targeting of this individual, points to, I think, a broader policy of seeking to manage the narrative.
DION NISSENBAUM: And did the Israelis ever make the soldier available to the US to talk about it?
ANDREW MILLER: No. And the Israelis were not willing to present the person for even informal questioning.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was State Department official — former State Department official Andrew Miller, speaking in the Zeteo documentary Who Killed Shireen? He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs in 2022 when Shireen was killed.
I want to go to Shireen’s family, whom we have as guests, Anton Abu Akleh and Lina, who are joining us from New Jersey. You both watched the film for the first time last night when it premiered here in New York City. Lina, if you could begin by responding to the revelations in the film?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Hi, Amy. Hi. Thank you for having us.
Honestly, we always welcome and we appreciate journalists who try to uncover the killing of Shireen, but also who shed light on her legacy. And the documentary that was released by Zeteo and by Dion, it really revealed findings that we didn’t know before, but we’ve always known that it was an Israeli soldier who killed Shireen. And we know how the US administration failed our family, failed a US citizen and failed a journalist, really.
And that should be a scandal in and of itself.
But most importantly, for us as a family, it’s not just about one soldier. It’s about the entire chain of command. It’s not just the person who pulled the trigger, but who ordered the killing, and the military commanders, the elected officials.
So, really, it’s the entire chain of command that needs to be held to account for the killing of a journalist who was in a clear press vest, press gear, marked as a journalist.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Anton, if you could respond? Shireen, of course, was your younger sister. What was your response watching the documentary last night?
ANTON ABU AKLEH: It’s very painful to look at all these scenes again, but I really extend my appreciation to Zeteo and all those who supported and worked on this documentary, which was very revealing, many things we didn’t know. The cover-up by the Biden administration, this thing was new to us.
He promised. First statements came out from the White House and from the State Department stressed on the importance of holding those responsible accountable. And apparently, in one of the interviews heard in this documentary, he never raised — President Biden never raised this issue with Bennett, at that time the prime minister.
So, that’s shocking to us to know it was a total cover-up, contradictory to what they promised us. And that’s — like Lina just said, it’s a betrayal, not only to the family, not only to Shireen, but the whole American nation.
AMY GOODMAN: Mehdi Hasan, you’ve backed this documentary. It’s the first big documentary Zeteo is putting out. It’s also the first anniversary of the founding of Zeteo. Can you talk about the proof that you feel is here in the documentary that Alon Scagio, this — and explain who he is and the unit he was a part of? Dion, it’s quite something when you go to his grave. But how you can absolutely be sure this is the man?
MEHDI HASAN:So, Amy, Nermeen, thanks for having us here. I’ve been on this show many times. I just want to say, great to be here on set with both of you. Thank you for what you do.
This is actually our second documentary, but it is our biggest so far, because the revelations in this film that Dion and the team put out are huge in many ways — identifying the soldier, as you mentioned, Alon Scagio, identifying the Biden cover-up, which we just heard Tony Abu Akleh point out. People didn’t realise just how big that cover-up was.
Remember, Joe Biden was the man who said, “If you harm an American, we will respond.” And what is very clear in the case of Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen who spent a lot of her life in New Jersey, they did not respond.
In terms of the soldier itself, when Dion came to me and said, “We want to make this film. It’ll be almost like a true crime documentary. We’re going to go out and find out who did it” — because we all — everyone followed the story. You guys covered it in 2022. It was a huge story in the world.
But three years later, to not even know the name of the shooter — and I was, “Well, will we be able to find this out? It’s one of Israel’s most closely guarded secrets.” And yet, Dion and his team were able to do the reporting that got inside of Duvdevan, this elite special forces unit in Israel.
It literally means “the cherry on top.” That’s how proud they are of their eliteness. And yet, no matter how elite you are, Israel’s way of fighting wars means you kill innocent people.
And what comes out in the film from interviews, not just with a soldier, an Israeli soldier, who speaks in the film and talks about how, “Hey, if you see a camera, you take the shot,” but also speaking to Chris Van Hollen, United States Senator from Maryland, who’s been one of the few Democratic voices critical of Biden in the Senate, who says there’s been no change in Israel’s rules of engagement over the years.
And therefore, it was so important on multiple levels to do this film, to identify the shooter, because, of course, as you pointed out in your news headlines, Amy, they just killed a hundred Palestinians yesterday.
So this is not some old story from history where this happened in 2022 and we’re going back. Everything that happened since, you could argue, flows from that — the Americans who have been killed, the journalists who have been killed in Gaza, Palestinians, the sense of impunity that Israel has and Israel’s soldiers have.
There are reports that Israeli soldiers are saying to Palestinians, “Hey, Trump has our back. Hey, the US government has our back.” And it wasn’t just Trump. It was Joe Biden, too.
And that was why it was so important to make this film, to identify the shooter, to call out Israel’s practices when it comes to journalists, and to call out the US role.
AMY GOODMAN: I just want to go to Dion, for people who aren’t familiar with the progression of what the Biden administration said, the serious cover-up not only by Israel, but of its main military weapons supplier and supporter of its war on Gaza, and that is Joe Biden, from the beginning.
First Israel said it was a Palestinian militant. At that point, what did President Biden say?
DION NISSENBAUM: So, at the very beginning, they said that they wanted the shooter to be prosecuted. They used that word at the State Department and said, “This person who killed an American journalist should be prosecuted.” But when it started to become clear that it was probably an Israeli soldier, their tone shifted, and it became talking about vague calls for accountability or changes to the rules of engagement, which never actually happened.
So, you got to a point where the Israeli government admitted it was likely them, the US government called for them to change the rules of engagement, and the Israeli government said no. And we have this interview in the film with Senator Chris Van Hollen, who says that, essentially, Israel was giving the middle finger to the US government on this.
And we have seen, since that time, more Americans being killed in the West Bank, dozens and dozens and dozens of journalists being killed, with no accountability. And we would like to see that change.
This is a trajectory that you’re seeing. You know, the blue vest no longer provides any protection for journalists in Israel. The Israeli military itself has said that wearing a blue vest with “Press” on it does not necessarily mean that you are a journalist.
They are saying that terrorists wear blue vests, too. So, if you are a journalist operating in the West Bank now, you have to assume that the Israeli military could target you.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, let’s go to another clip from the film Who Killed Shireen?, which features Ali Samoudi, Shireen Abu Akleh’s producer, who was with Shireen when she was killed, and was himself shot and injured. In the clip, he speaks to the journalist Fatima AbdulKarim.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: We are set up here now, even though we were supposed to meet at the location where you got injured and Shireen got killed.
ALI SAMOUDI: [translated] We are five minutes from the location in Maidan al-Awdah. But you could lose your soul in the five minutes it would take us to reach it. You could be hit by army bullets. They could arrest you.
So it is essentially impossible to get there. I believe the big disaster which prevented the occupation from being punished and repeating these crimes is the neglect and indifference by many of the institutions, especially American ones, which continue to defend the occupation.
FATIMA ABDULKARIM: [translated] We’re now approaching the third anniversary of Shireen’s death. How did that affect you?
ALI SAMOUDI: [translated] During that period, the occupation was making preparations for a dangerous scenario in the Jenin refugee camp. And for this reason, they didn’t want witnesses.
They opened fire on us in order to terroriSe us enough that we wouldn’t go back to the camp. And in that sense, they partially succeeded.
Since then, we have been overcome by fear. From the moment Shireen was killed, I said and continue to say and will continue to say that this bullet was meant to prevent the Palestinian media from the documentation and exposure of the occupation’s crimes.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was Ali Samoudi, Shireen Abu Akleh’s producer, who was with Shireen when she was killed, and was himself shot and injured.
We should note, Ali Samoudi was just detained by Israeli forces in late April. The Palestinian journalist Mariam Barghouti recently wrote, “Ali Samoudi was beaten so bad by Israeli soldiers he was immediately hospitalised. This man has been one of the few journalists that continues reporting on Israeli military abuses north of the West Bank despite the continued risk on his life,” Mariam Barghouti wrote.
The Committee to Protect Journalists spoke to the journalist’s son, Mohammed Al Samoudi, who told CPJ, quote, “My father suffers from several illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a stomach ulcer . . . He needs a diabetes injection every two days and a specific diet. It appears he was subjected to assault and medical neglect at the interrogation center . . .
“Our lawyer told us he was transferred to an Israeli hospital after a major setback in his health. We don’t know where he is being held, interrogated, or even the hospital to which he was taken. My father has been forcibly disappeared,” he said.
So, Dion Nissenbaum, if you could give us the latest? You spoke to Ali Samoudi for the documentary, and now he’s been detained.
DION NISSENBAUM: Yeah. His words were prophetic, right? He talks about this was an attempt to silence journalists. And my colleague Fatima says the same thing, that these are ongoing, progressive efforts to silence Palestinian journalists.
And we don’t know where Ali is. He has not actually been charged with anything yet. He is one of the most respected journalists in the West Bank. And we are just seeing this progression going on.
AMY GOODMAN: So, the latest we know is he was supposed to have a hearing, and that hearing has now been delayed to May 13th, Ali Samoudi?
DION NISSENBAUM: That’s right. And he has yet to be charged, so . . .
AMY GOODMAN:I want to go back to Lina Abu Akleh, who’s in New Jersey, where Shireen grew up. Lina, you were listed on Time magazine’s 100 emerging leaders for publicly demanding scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, the horror.
And again, our condolences on the death of your aunt, on the killing of your aunt, and also to Anton, Shireen’s brother. Lina, you’ve also, of course, spoken to Ali Samoudi. This continues now. He’s in detention — his son says, “just disappeared”.
What are you demanding right now? We have a new administration. We’ve moved from the Biden administration to the Trump administration. And are you in touch with them? Are they speaking to you?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Well, our demands haven’t changed. From day one, we’re calling for the US administration to complete its investigation, or for the FBI to continue its investigation, and to finally release — to finally hold someone to account.
And we have enough evidence that could have been — that the administration could have used to expedite this case. But, unfortunately, this new administration, as well, no one has spoken to us. We haven’t been in touch with anyone, and it’s just been radio silence since.
For us, as I said, our demands have never changed. It’s been always to hold the entire system to account, the entire chain of command, the military, for the killing of an American citizen, a journalist, a Palestinian, Palestinian American journalist.
As we’ve been talking, targeting journalists isn’t happening just by shooting at them or killing them. There’s so many different forms of targeting journalists, especially in Gaza and the West Bank and Jerusalem.
So, for us, it’s really important as a family that we don’t see other families experience what we are going through, for this — for impunity, for Israel’s impunity, to end, because, at the end of the day, accountability is the only way to put an end to this impunity.
AMY GOODMAN: I am horrified to ask this question to Shireen’s family members, to Lina, to Tony, Shireen’s brother, but the revelation in the film — we were all there last night at its premiere in New York — that the Israeli soldiers are using a photograph of Shireen’s face for target practice. Tony Abu Akleh, if you could respond?
ANTON ABU AKLEH: You know, there is no words to describe our sorrow and pain hearing this. But, you know, I would just want to know why. Why would they do this thing? What did Shireen do to them for them to use her as a target practice? You know, this is absolutely barbaric act, unjustified. Unjustified.
And we really hope that this US administration will be able to put an end to all this impunity they are enjoying. If they didn’t enjoy all this impunity, they wouldn’t have been doing this. Practising on a journalist? Why? You know, you can practice on anything, but on a journalist?
This shows that this targeting of more journalists, whether in Gaza, in Palestine, it’s systematic. It’s been planned for. And they’ve been targeting and shutting off those voices, those reports, from reaching anywhere in the world.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:And, Anton, if you could say — you know, you mentioned last night, as well, Shireen was, in fact, extremely cautious as a journalist. If you could elaborate on that? What precisely —
ANTON ABU AKLEH: Absolutely. Absolutely. Shireen was very careful. Every time she’s in the field, she would take her time to put on the gear, the required helmet, the vest with “press” written on it, before going there. She also tried to identify herself as a journalist, whether to the Israelis or to the Palestinians, so she’s not attacked.
And she always went by the book, followed the rules, how to act, how to be careful, how to speak to those people involved, so she can protect herself. But, unfortunately, he was — this soldier, as stated in the documentary, targeted Shireen just because she’s Shireen and she’s a journalist. That’s it. There is no other explanation.
Sixteen bullets were fired on Shireen. Not even her helmet, nor the vest she was wearing, were able to protect her, unfortunately.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Mehdi Hasan, you wanted to respond.
MEHDI HASAN: So, Tony asks, “Why? Why would you do this? Why would you target not just a journalist in the field, but then use her face for target practice?” — as Dion and his team reveal in the film. And there is, unfortunately, a very simple answer to that question, which is that the Israeli military — and not just the Israeli military, but many people in our world today — have dehumanised Palestinians.
There is the removal of humanity from the people you are oppressing, occupying, subjugating and killing. It doesn’t matter if you’re an American citizen. It doesn’t matter if you have a press jacket on. It only matters that you are Palestinian in the sniper’s sights.
And that is how they have managed to pull of the killing of so many journalists, so many children. The first documentary we commissioned last year was called Israel’s Real Extremism, and it was about the Israeli soldiers who go into Gaza and make TikTok videos wearing Palestinian women’s underwear, playing with Palestinian children’s toys. It is the ultimate form of dehumanisation, the idea that these people don’t count, their lives have no value.
And what’s so tragic and shocking — and the film exposes this — is that Joe Biden — forget the Israeli military — Joe Biden also joined in that dehumanisation. Do you remember at the start of this conflict when he comes out and he says, “Well, I’m not sure I believe the Palestinian death toll numbers,” when he puts out a statement at the hundred days after October 7th and doesn’t mention Palestinian casualties.
And that has been the fundamental problem. This was the great comforter-in-chief. Joe Biden was supposed to be the empath. And yet, as Tony points out, what was so shocking in the film is he didn’t even raise Shireen’s case with Naftali Bennett, the prime minister of Israel at the time.
Again, would he have done that if it was an American journalist in Moscow? We know that’s not the case. We know when American journalists, especially white American journalists, are taken elsewhere in the world, the government gives a damn. And yet, in the case of Shireen, the only explanation is because she was a Palestinian American journalist.
AMY GOODMAN:You know, in the United States, the US government is responsible for American citizens, which Biden pointed out at the beginning, when he thought it was a Palestinian militant who had killed her. But, Lina, you yourself are a journalist. And I’m thinking I want to hear your response to using her face, because, of course, that is not just the face of Shireen, but I think it’s the face of journalism.
And it’s not just American journalism, of course. I mean, in fact, she’s known to hundreds of millions of people around world as the face and voice of Al Jazeera Arabic. She spoke in Arabic. She was known as that to the rest of the world. But to see that and that revealed in this documentary?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Yeah, it was horrifying, actually. And it just goes on to show how the Israeli military is built. It’s barbarism. It’s the character of revenge, of hate. And that is part of the entire system. And as Mehdi and as my father just mentioned, this is all about dehumanizing Palestinians, regardless if they’re journalists, if they’re doctors, they’re officials. For them, they simply don’t care about Palestinian lives.
And for us, Shireen will always be the voice of Palestine. And she continues to be remembered for the legacy that she left behind. And she continues to live through so many, so many journalists, who have picked up the microphone, who have picked up the camera, just because of Shireen.
So, regardless of how the Israeli military continues to dehumanise journalists and how the US fails to protect Palestinian American journalists, we will continue to push forward to continue to highlight the life and the legacy that Shireen left behind.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:Well, let’s turn to Shireen Abu Akleh in her own words. This is an excerpt from the Al Jazeera English documentary The Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.
SHIREEN ABU AKLEH: [translated] Sometimes the Israeli army doesn’t want you there, so they target you, even if they later say it was an accident. They might say, “We saw some young men around you.” So they target you on purpose, as a way of scaring you off because they don’t want you there.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So, that was Shireen in her own words in an Al Jazeera documentary. So, Lina, I know you have to go soon, but if you could just tell us: What do you want people to know about Shireen, as an aunt, a sister and a journalist?
LINA ABU AKLEH: Yes, so, we know Shireen as the journalist, but behind the camera, she was one of the most empathetic people. She was very sincere. And something not a lot of people know, but she was a very funny person. She had a very unique sense of humor, that she lit up every room she entered. She cared about everyone and anyone. She enjoyed life.
Shireen, at the end of the day, loved life. She had plans. She had dreams that she still wanted to achieve. But her life was cut short by that small bullet, which would change our lives entirely.
But at the end of the day, Shireen was a professional journalist who always advocated for truth, for justice. And at the end of the day, all she wanted to do was humanise Palestinians and talk about the struggles of living under occupation. But at the same time, she wanted to celebrate their achievements.
She shed light on all the happy moments, all the accomplishments of the Palestinian people. And this is something that really touched millions of Palestinians, of Arabs around the world. She was able to enter the hearts of the people through the small camera lens. And until this day, she continues to be remembered for that.
AMY GOODMAN: Before we go, we’re going to keep you on, Mehdi, to talk about other issues during the Trump administration, but how can people access Who Killed Shireen?
MEHDI HASAN: So, it’s available online at WhoKilledShireen.com, is where you can go to watch it. We are releasing the film right now only to paid subscribers. We hope to change that in the forthcoming days.
People often say to me, “How can you put it behind a paywall?” Journalism — a free press isn’t free, sadly. We have to fund films like this. Dion came to us because a lot of other people didn’t want to fund a topic like this, didn’t want to fund an investigation like this.
So, we’re proud to be able to fund such documentaries, but we also need support from our contributors, our subscribers and the viewers. But it’s an important film, and I hope as many people will watch it as possible, WhoKilledShireen.com.
AMY GOODMAN:We want to thank Lina, the niece of Shireen Abu Akleh, and Anton, Tony, the older brother of Shireen Abu Akleh, for joining us from New Jersey. Together, we saw the documentary last night, Who Killed Shireen? And we want to thank Dion Nissenbaum, who is the filmmaker, the correspondent on this film, formerly a correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. The founder of Zeteo, on this first anniversary of Zeteo, is Mehdi Hasan.
Leo, 69, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, is originally from Chicago, and has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru.
He became a cardinal only in 2023 and has become the first-ever US pope.
PCC general secretary Reverend James Bhagwan said he was not a Vatican insider, but there had been talk of cardinals feeling that the new pope should be a “middle-of-the-road person”.
Reverend Bhagwan said there had been prayers for God’s wisdom to guide the decisions made at the Conclave.
“I think if we look at where the decisions perhaps were made or based on, there had been a lot of talk that the cardinals going into Conclave had felt that a new pope would need to be someone who could take forward the legacy of Pope Francis, reaching out to those in the margins, but also be a sort of a middle-of-the-road person,” he said.
Hopes for climate response Reverend Bhagwan said the Pacific hoped that Pope Leo carried on the late Pope Francis’s connection to the climate change response.
He said Pope Francis released his “laudate deum” exhortation on the climate shortly before the United Nations climate summit in Dubai last year.
“The focus on care for creation, the focus for ending fossil fuels and climate justice, the focus on people from the margins — I think that’s important for the Pacific people at this time.
“I know that the Catholic Church in the Pacific has been focused on on its synodal process, and so he spoke about synodality as well.
“I know that there were hopes for an Oceania synod, just as Pope Francis held a synod of the Amazon. And I think that is still something that’s in the hearts of many of our Catholic leaders and Catholic members.
“We hope that this will be an opportunity to still bring that focus to the Pacific.”
He said they were confident Pope Leo would pick up many of the issues Francis was well known for, like speaking up for climate change, human trafficking and the plight of refugees; and within the church, a different way of meeting and talking with one another — known as synodality — which is an ongoing process.
“I think any pope needs to be able to challenge things that are happening around the world, especially if it is affecting the lives of people, where the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer.”
Pope Leo appeared to be a very calm person, he added.
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Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Bryan Miller, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging DAVID MORRIS with trafficking 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition from Georgia to Lower Manhattan. MORRIS was arrested earlier today while following the sale of 17 firearms and cocaine to undercover officers. The defendant is expected to be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, David Morris illegally trafficked dangerous drugs and 47 firearms from Georgia to New York City. The unchecked flow of illegal firearms is a threat to every New Yorker. Anyone who is thinking about illegally trafficking guns to New York City should know that our Office and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we will hold you accountable for jeopardizing the safety of our streets.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller said: “Today’s arrest serves as a notice to those who think they are above the law and can illegally traffic guns into our communities. The men and women of ATF NY will never waver in our commitment to protect the public and to aggressively target firearms traffickers. I thank our partners at NYPD and SDNY for their diligent work and tireless dedication to our shared public safety mission.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “David Morris trafficked illegal firearms, ammunition, and narcotics into our city—but our brave officers were one step ahead, stopping these weapons and drugs from ever reaching the streets. Gun traffickers fuel violence in our communities, and the NYPD will never stop working to shut down these pipelines. I’m grateful to the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this critical case.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:
On or about March 28, April 18, and May 9, 2025, MORRIS sold 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition to undercover law enforcement officers with the New York City Police Department in the vicinity of Catherine Slip and South Street in Lower Manhattan. MORRIS transported the firearms from Georgia and stated that he works with a team of other individuals in Georgia, has been selling firearms for approximately ten years, and has access to machine gun conversion devices, which are used to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.
MORRIS also trafficked narcotics to the undercover officers on or about April 18 and May 9, 2025. On or about April 18, MORRIS provided one of the undercover law enforcement officers a “sample” of a substance that contained cocaine. On or about May 9, MORRIS sold to one of the undercover officers’ plastic baggies of white powder consistent with, and that MORRIS represented to be, cocaine. A photograph of the contraband seized from MORRIS is depicted below:
* * *
MORRIS, 31, of Georgia, is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and the NYPD’s Joint Firearms Task Force and the 5th Precinct’s Field Intelligence Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
SAN DIEGO – The United States has filed a civil complaint alleging that two brothers fraudulently obtained more than $8 million in pandemic-related loans by lying on applications and claiming funds for three businesses that don’t exist.
The loans were issued through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP offered relief by authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars in potentially-forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses.
The loan applications required the borrower to certify the type of business, the number of employees the business supported, and that the business was in operation as of February 15, 2020. Borrowers were eligible to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan proceeds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses.
The civil complaint alleges that between March 25, 2021, and April 28, 2021, brothers Duraid A. Zaia and Kusay Karana obtained four PPP loans for four businesses, two purportedly owned by Zaia and two by Karana. The complaint alleges that the businesses were either non-existent or were grossly exaggerated in size. The complaint alleges that Zaia and Karana obtained approximately $8.3 million dollars in PPP loans through those fraudulent applications.
In one example, the complaint alleges that Zaia applied for a PPP loan for a business called “Ramona Egg Ranch.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified in his application that this business employed 75 people and had annual payroll costs exceeding $9.5 million. But, according to the complaint, federal income tax returns that Zaia submitted in support of that loan reported annual payroll costs of just $62,848.
In another example the complaint alleges that soon after Zaia submitted the Ramona Egg Ranch application, he submitted a second application for a business called “The Duriad A. Zaia Sole Proprietorship.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified that the business employed 137 people and that it was established in 2016. But, according to the complaint, the business could not have operated at all in 2020 because it did not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) until March 30, 2021. As the complaint explains, without an EIN a business could not legally pay employees because it would not have a tax identification number to report employee wages, payroll taxes, or its own income taxes.
The complaint also alleges that Zaia and Karana bolstered their loans by fabricating lists of employees who worked at their businesses. The complaint asserts that the lists of employees are fraudulent because they show a large percentage of employees simultaneously working at two or more different businesses on a full-time basis. In one example, the complaint describes how Zaia submitted a list of 108 employees that supposedly worked at one of Zaia’s businesses, and Karana submitted a list of 110 employees that supposedly worked at one of Karana’s businesses. But 41 people with the same name and the same full-time equivalent salary appeared on both lists.
The complaint alleges that after Zaia and Karana were denied forgiveness of their loans and then defaulted on all their loans, the United States, through the Small Business Administration (SBA), repaid the lenders that issued the loans. The complaint asserts that taken together, the principal, interest, and processing fees for the brothers’ loans resulted in a loss of over $8.6 million to the United States.
The United States’ complaint asserts that Zaia and Karana violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The United States filed its complaint after it intervened in a lawsuit filed by a private citizen against Zaia and the Ramona Egg Ranch. Under its so-called qui tam provisions, the FCA allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the federal government to sue on behalf of the government and potentially receive a portion of recovered funds.
“COVID-relief programs were designed to help people and businesses under extreme financial stress during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This complaint seeks to hold accountable those who took advantage of those programs by fraud. My office will continue to pursue those who knowingly cheat taxpayers by abusing the Paycheck Protection Program and other pandemic-related programs.”
“Intentional misrepresentation to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of wrongdoers who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. Wong of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.
Seattle – The second of two defendants sought for possession of more than 7 kilos of fentanyl powder appeared today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Santana Sandoval, 21, appeared on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-Defendant Kevin Torres Velasquez, 45, was arrested April 11, 2025, and has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. Sandoval was arrested in the Western District of Virginia on April 24, 2025, and was delivered to the Western District of Washington today. He too remains detained at the federal detention center at SeaTac.
According to the criminal complaint, Sandoval came to the attention of law enforcement in early 2025 as someone distributing fentanyl in the King and Snohomish County areas. Law enforcement worked with a confidential source to purchase fentanyl from Sandoval.
Law enforcement traced Sandoval to an Everett apartment and on January 24, 2025, agents and officers from the Seattle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served a search warrant on the apartment. In addition to the 7 kilos+ of fentanyl powder, they found cocaine, methamphetamine, scales, and more than $12,000 in cash.
On the day of the search the men were arrested on state charges. They were released from the Snohomish County Jail, and law enforcement located them for the federal arrest weeks later.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department, DEA and HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.