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US forces on Thursday struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing three people, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said, bringing the death toll from Washington’s controversial anti-narcotics campaign to at least 70.The United States began carrying out such strikes — which experts say amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers — in early September, taking aim at vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.The US strikes have destroyed at least 18 vessels so far — 17 boats and a semi-submersible — but Washington has yet to make public any concrete evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the United States.Hegseth released aerial footage on X of the latest strike, which he said took place in international waters like the previous strikes and targeted “a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.”The video showed a boat traveling through the water before exploding into flames.”Three male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed,” Hegseth said, without any further identifying information.”To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs — we will kill you,” he wrote.Like some previous videos released by the US government, a section of the boat is obfuscated for unspecified reasons.President Donald Trump’s administration has built up significant forces in Latin America, in what it says is its campaign to stamp out drug trafficking.So far it has deployed six Navy ships in the Caribbean, sent F-35 stealth warplanes to Puerto Rico, and ordered the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group to the region.The governments and families of those killed in the US strikes have said many of the dead were civilians — primarily fishermen. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly accused Trump of seeking to oust him.US bombers have also conducted shows of force near Venezuela, flying over the Caribbean Sea off the country’s coast on at least four occasions since mid-October.Maduro — who has been indicted on drug charges in the United States — insists there is no drug cultivation in his country, which he says is used as a trafficking route for Colombian cocaine against its will.The Trump administration has said in a notice to Congress that the United States is engaged in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, describing them as terrorist groups as part of its justification for the strikes.The United Nations has asked the United States to cease its campaign, with rights chief Volker Turk saying the killings have taken place “in circumstances that find no justification in international law.”

US President Donald Trump hosted all five Central Asian leaders on Thursday for the first time, a few months after they held separate summits with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping. The West has upped its interest with the resource-rich region, where Moscow’s traditional influence has been questioned since the Kremlin’s Ukraine invasion and where China is also a major player.- ‘Incredible importance’ of rare earths -“We’re strengthening our economic partnerships, improving our security cooperation, and expanding our overall bonds,” Trump said before a dinner with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.”One of the key items on our agenda is critical minerals,” Trump said at the so-called “C5+1” meeting.He hailed the countries’ “incredible importance and unbelievable potential.”On social media afterward, Trump announced “an incredible Trade and Economic Deal” with Uzbekistan, which he said included Tashkent investing nearly $35 billion over three years — and more than $100 billion in a decade — in key US sectors such as aviation, critical minerals, agriculture and IT.The United States and European Union are drawn by the region’s huge — but still mostly unexploited — natural resources as they try to diversify their rare earths supplies and reduce dependence on Beijing. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest uranium producer, Uzbekistan has giant gold reserves and Turkmenistan is rich in gas. Mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are also opening up new mineral deposits.  But exploiting these giant reserves remains complicated in the impoverished states with harsh and remote terrains. Almost as large as the EU, but home to only about 75 million people, Central Asia is landlocked and covered by deserts and mountains.It is sandwiched between countries that have strained ties with the West: Russia to the north, China to the east and Iran and Afghanistan to the south.- ‘Sent by heaven’ -Trump’s counterparts did not hesitate in offering praise to their host.”You are the great leader, statesman, sent by heaven to bring (back) common sense and traditions that we all share and value,” gushed Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was no less effusive.”Before that, none of the presidents of the United States of America ever treated Central Asia as you do,” he said.”In Uzbekistan, we call you the president of the world.”The five landlocked countries, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, have put on a united front for diplomacy.China — which shares borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — has presented itself as a main commercial partner for the region, investing in huge infrastructure projects.The ex-Soviet republics still see Moscow as a strategic partner but have been spooked by its invasion of Ukraine. – Abraham Accords -The biggest announcement of the day was that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords between Israel and mainly Muslim nations, in a largely symbolic move aimed at boosting Trump’s push for Middle East peace.Kazakhstan will be the first country to join since the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan signed up to normalize ties with Israel in 2020.The central Asian republic has already had diplomatic ties with Israel for decades, but US Vice President JD Vance said Kazakhstan’s decision would nevertheless boost the initiative’s “momentum.”Several states in the Middle East have refused to join the accords so far, most notably Saudi Arabia.- Muffled human rights -For Trump, who has expressed admiration for hardline regimes, economic cooperation with Central Asia has taken precedence over promoting democratic values. While the region has opened up to tourism and foreign investment, rights groups have sounded the alarm over the further deterioration of civil freedoms. “The summit is taking place while all participating governments have increased efforts to stifle dissent, silence the media, and retaliate against critics at home and abroad,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement ahead of the talks. 

US right-wing influencers falsely linked New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the Islamic State group, amplifying a fabricated statement that garnered millions of views on social media, researchers said Thursday.Mamdani — the first Muslim and South Asian elected to lead America’s largest city — secured a decisive victory this week in the face of fierce attacks on his policy proposals and religious background.A slew of anti-Mamdani accounts on the Elon Musk-owned platform X have circulated a statement purportedly from IS titled “Operation Manhattan Project,” which alluded to an attack in New York City on Election Day against what it called “American aggression.”Among the influencers who linked the fake communique to Mamdani was Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer who has Trump’s ear.”The Muslims can’t think of a better way for the Muslims to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayoral candidate today than by committing an ISIS (Islamic State) attack in NYC,” Loomer wrote in a post on X that racked up more than 200,000 views.Other conservative accounts cited the purported statement to falsely claim that the extremist group had endorsed Mamdani as mayor.The posts collectively amassed millions of views across the platform.The purported letter, which displayed the logo of the jihadists’ Amaq News Agency, was fabricated, according to multiple researchers including the disinformation watchdog NewsGuard.Meili Criezis, an American University academic, told the watchdog that the supposed communique did not bear the hallmarks of other statements that emanated from Amaq.”Amaq is used [by the Islamic State] to share news and claim responsibility for attacks,” Criezis said.”It doesn’t make threats like what is stated in the screenshot.”The Information Epidemiology Lab, another research group, also said the circulated communique “sharply” diverged from established IS “media practices in language, style, formatting, and distribution.”The fabricated statement appeared to first surface on the far-right message board 4chan, a known haven for conspiracy theories.In recent months, Mamdani, a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause, has vocally denounced antisemitism as well as the Islamophobia he himself suffered following the September 11, 2001 attacks.The 34-year-old state lawmaker — who appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living — has repeatedly been targeted by racist tropes and misinformation.In the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated election, AFP’s fact-checkers debunked several false internet claims targeting Mamdani, including that a noncitizen illegally voted for him and that one of his campaign staffers posed beside graffiti of Nazi swastika.

Travelers across the United States were left scrambling to rebook flights as the government shutdown heaps pressure on the country’s air traffic control system, prompting hundreds of Friday flight cancellations at major American airports.Airlines starting Friday will begin implementing up to a 10-percent reduction in flights for 40 high-traffic areas of the country, complying with a Federal Aviation Administration order made on safety grounds.More than 750 US flights scheduled for Friday have been preemptively canceled Thursday, according to tracking website FlightAware.American Airlines said in a statement it was reducing its flight schedules “amounting to 220 flights cancelled each day.”Delta Airlines was axing about 170 flights scheduled for Friday, the carrier said, while broadcaster CNN reported Southwest Airlines nixed around 100 flights set for that day.The shutdown has left tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, airport security staff and others without pay, causing personnel shortages.On Thursday, more than 6,400 US flights were delayed, with some 200 cancellations, FlightAware data showed, as passengers faced long lines at security checkpoints.Major airports were impacted, with travelers at Boston and Newark airports facing average delays of more than two hours, and those at Chicago’s O’Hare and Washington’s Reagan National more than an hour.Authorities said they wanted to act before an accident occurred.”We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself, when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.- Peak travel season -The reduction measures come as the country enters its busiest travel time of the year, with the Thanksgiving holiday just weeks away.As millions of Americans face likely travel chaos amid a shortage of air traffic control personnel, President Donald Trump’s administration sought to reassure people that flying remained safe.”It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said late Thursday on X.The new cancellations could affect thousands of flights every day. Flight reductions will begin at four percent on Friday and rise to 10 percent, media outlets reported.Flight reductions are set to hit some of the country’s busiest airports, including in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.Implementing the order on short notice will be a challenge for airlines, which operate complex networks that rely on many moving parts and personnel.United Airlines and Delta, two of the country’s largest carriers, have said they are complying with the order but that it would not affect their international routes.United added that “hub-to-hub” flying would also not be affected, indicating cancellations might hit more local routes.Federal agencies across the United States have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, with some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to national park rangers, still on enforced leave or working without pay.Many in high-stress aviation-related jobs are now calling in sick and potentially working second jobs in order to pay their bills, Duffy said Wednesday.FAA Administrator Bedford said the situation was unprecedented.”I am not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” he said Wednesday.”Then again, we’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

US lawmakers wrote to Britain’s disgraced former prince Andrew on Thursday requesting he sit for an interview about his friendship with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The letter was disclosed as King Charles III formally stripped his younger brother of his titles after last week’s announcement that Andrew was being banished from the monarchy.Sixteen Democratic Party members of Congress signed a letter asking Andrew to participate in a “transcribed interview” with the House of Representatives oversight committee investigating Epstein, who took his own life in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.”The committee is seeking to uncover the identities of Mr Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers and to understand the full extent of his criminal operations,” the letter read.”Well-documented allegations against you, along with your long-standing friendship with Mr Epstein, indicate that you may possess knowledge of his activities relevant to our investigation.”The letter asked Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, to respond by November 20.It was signed by Democrats who are in a minority in the House. US Congress also has no power to compel testimony from foreigners, making it unlikely that Andrew will give evidence.A spokesperson for the former prince did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.Emails recently released by the committee as well as a posthumous memoir written by Andrew’s sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre reignited UK anger over Andrew’s ties to Epstein.It culminated in Charles deciding to remove all of Andrew’s royal titles and honours and announcing that he would be ousted from his 30-room mansion on the royal estate at Windsor, west of London.Charles has formally made the changes with an announcement published Wednesday in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record.Andrew has always denied that he sexually abused Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to have sex with him on three occasions, twice when she was just 17.After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, died by suicide at her home in Australia in April.

A US man charged with using a sandwich to assault a law enforcement officer was acquitted Thursday after a jury decided that charges brought by President Donald Trump’s prosecutors were baloney.The prosecution made a surprise local hero of 37-year-old Sean Dunn, who was protesting Trump’s shock takeover of law enforcement in the capital Washington.He was accused of flinging a “sub-style sandwich” at an armed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent on August 10 in a busy nightlife district after shouting expletives at the officer.The officer was part of a huge crackdown ordered by Trump, with multiple agencies and troops deploying in Washington and several other Democratic-run cities, ostensibly to fight what the Republican president says are crime waves and anarchy.Prosecutors wanted serious felony charges, but a grand jury refused to indict Dunn — a rare occurrence. A misdemeanor charge was filed and Dunn faced a maximum of one year in prison if convicted.While prosecutors ultimately proved ham-fisted, Dunn had appeared to be in a serious pickle.Right after hurling his sandwich he was chased down, then released, only to be arrested in a raid on his home that was publicized by the White House.As video of the initial altercation went viral, Dunn was quickly dubbed “DC sandwich guy,” becoming a symbol of resistance to Trump. Stylized images of him in mid-sandwich-attack appeared on posters, graffiti, T-shirts and even a popular Halloween costume.  Trump’s much-touted crime crackdown has seen an increase in arrests and indictments, but US media analysis of the data shows much of that has come from pursuing minor offenses in court.The top Trump-appointed prosecutor for Washington, Jeanine Pirro, has pursued maximum penalties for all arrests since taking office, including in the Dunn case.Dunn was a paralegal at the Justice Department at the time of the altercation and was fired from his position.On Monday, as proceedings opened, Judge Carl J. Nichols noted that he expected the trial to be a short one as “this is the simplest case in the world.”Dunn’s defense did not dispute that he threw the sandwich at the officer, instead arguing that his action did not constitute an offense, and that the charges against him were a “blatant abuse of power.”Much of the case centered on the definition of key terms, including whether the throwing of a soft object constitutes an act that is “forcible,” and whether Dunn’s action impeded the officer in the conduct of their duties.On the first day of court proceedings, the defendant, dressed in a black-and-white patterned sweater, appeared subdued as his defense team engaged in feverish consultation.Dunn’s defense has contended that he was being selectively prosecuted due to his political views, having called the federal officers “fascists” before he threw the sandwich.

The US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration on Thursday to require passport applicants to be identified on the document by their biological sex at birth rather than their gender identity.The move is the latest blow to the rights of transgender and nonbinary Americans from the conservative-majority court, which includes three justices appointed by Republican President Donald Trump.Trump, after taking office in January, issued an executive order declaring that only two genders would now be recognized — male and female — ending recognition of a third gender, denoted by an “X” on US passports.In line with the order, passports issued by the State Department are now required to state the biological sex — “M” or “F” — of their holder at birth.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the move and a district court judge ordered the State Department to resume issuing “X” passports to transgender and nonbinary people affected by the policy change.An appeals court denied a Trump administration bid to overturn the district judge’s order, and the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency stay.In a brief unsigned order, the top court said the Trump administration’s passport policy could remain in place for now while the case proceeds in the lower courts. “Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the court said.The three liberal justices on the nine-member court dissented.The State Department first issued “X” passports in October 2021 under president Joe Biden, with the “X” gender marker reserved for nonbinary, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals.Senior ACLU counsel Jon Davidson condemned the Supreme Court order and said the legal fight would continue.”This is a heartbreaking setback for the freedom of all people to be themselves, and fuel on the fire the Trump administration is stoking against transgender people and their constitutional rights,” Davidson said in a statement.”We will continue to fight this policy and work for a future where no one is denied self-determination over their identity,” Davidson added.Trump also issued an executive order in January banning transgender Americans from military service, and the Supreme Court ruled in June that the ban could take effect while litigation challenging it plays out.

Kazakhstan said Thursday it will join the Abraham Accords between Israel and mainly Muslim nations, in a largely symbolic move aimed at boosting US President Donald Trump’s push for Middle East peace.The central Asian republic has had diplomatic ties with Israel for decades, unlike the four Arab states that normalized relations with Israel under the original accords signed in Trump’s first term.But with Trump aiming to shore up his fragile Gaza ceasefire deal, Washington is pushing to get as much support as possible behind a wider peace initiative.The announcement comes as Trump hosts Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the leaders of the other four central Asian republics — Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.After the leaders arrived at the White House, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he, Tokayev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had held a “great call.”An official signing ceremony will be announced soon, Trump said, adding that “there are many more Countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH.”Kazakhstan said Thursday it was “natural and logical” for it to join.”Our anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords represents a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy course — grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability,” the country’s government said in a statement.US special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier that a new country would join the accords, sparking initial speculation — later quashed — that it could be the elusive prize of Saudi Arabia.Kazakhstan will be the first country to join since the original Abraham Accords in 2020, when the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalized ties with Israel.- ‘Lot of people joining’ -Saudi Arabia had been in talks with the United States on normalizing ties with Israel, in what would be a historic milestone as the kingdom is home to Islam’s two holiest sites.But the Gulf kingdom stepped back after the Gaza war broke out following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.Saudi Arabia has long insisted it cannot normalize ties without progress toward an independent Palestinian state, a prospect long opposed by Netanyahu.Trump said at the America Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday: “We have a lot of people joining now the Abraham Accords and hopefully we are going to get Saudi Arabia very soon.”He then added jokingly to an audience which included the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, “But I’m not saying that. I’m not.”The US-brokered Gaza deal has been in place since October 10 but remains shaky, with Israel accusing Hamas of dragging its feet in returning the bodies of hostages.Israel has also launched a number of attacks despite the truce, claiming that its forces have come under attack, and says Hamas is not doing enough to give up its weapons.Witkoff, one of the key negotiators, said Thursday he was still hopeful it could hold, adding that they were “right in the middle of standing up a decommissioning process of weapons” by Hamas.Hamas insisted this process would depend on the deployment of an international security force, which would be greenlighted under a draft UN Security Council resolution presented by the United States this week, Witkoff said.

Donald Trump loves few things more than tackling a new political foe. But has he met his match in New York’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani?The mouthwatering showdown between the Republican and the young Democratic socialist could define the next phase of Trump’s presidency.Trump has appeared to relish having Mamdani as a foil, branding him a communist, mocking the name of the first Muslim and South Asian to lead America’s largest city, and threatening to cut federal funding for New York City.But his rival has shown he can play Trump at his own game.It’s rare for former reality TV star Trump to see himself upstaged, but 34-year-old Mamdani managed it at his victory rally on Tuesday night.”Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you — turn the volume up!” he said to huge cheers.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to reporters traveling with Trump on Air Force One the next day that the president had indeed watched Mamdani speak.- ‘Go through all of us’ -Trump and Mamdani are, at least partly, enemies with benefits.Leftist Mamdani used Trump as a bogeyman throughout his mayoral campaign, accusing him of “fascism” and comparing the billionaire property developer to the landlords he says are ripping off New Yorkers.He has also cannily positioned himself as part of the resistance to a president who has pushed his power to its limits and sent the National Guard into Democrat-run cities.”To get to any of us, you will have to go through all of us,” Mamdani said at the victory rally.For hapless Democrats who have struggled to find a winning message as Trump has savaged them in recent months, Mamdani represents a long-awaited chance to fight back. But for many on the right, Trump now has the ideal opponent to bash.As Republicans nursed their wounds from defeats in New York, Virginia and New Jersey, Trump said in a speech in Miami on Wednesday that Americans now faced a “choice between communism and common sense.”Trump also blew a dog whistle to the hard-right.”Mandami, whatever the hell his name is,” Trump said in the same speech — deliberately mispronouncing Ugandan-born Mamdani’s surname in the same way he did with his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris.- ‘Flashing red lights’ – Yet the stakes are far higher than a war of words.Trump has repeatedly threatened to put New York — his beloved home city — in the federal crosshairs like he has previously with Los Angeles and Chicago.”If he is a communist, there’s not going to be a lot of activity,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “So you wouldn’t need bridges and tunnels and all the different things that were being planned for New York.”Some allies meanwhile fear Trump could be playing with fire by focusing on a man whose rise was propelled by the affordability crisis that is now hurting Republicans in the polls.”There should be flashing red lights all over” for Trump, former White House strategy guru Steve Bannon told Politico. “People better understand they have a fight on their hands. This guy is a serious guy.”Both Trump and Mamdani have also indicated they may ultimately be ready to cool things off.Trump has veered between saying he wants to “make him succeed” because he loves New York, and in the same breath urging Mamdani to be “a little bit respectful of Washington.” And Mamdani will be aware that his campaign pledges of free city bus travel, childcare and city-run grocery stores will struggle if Trump cuts federal funding.”I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers,” he said on Wednesday.

A representative of a pharmaceutical company fainted Thursday during a White House announcement on slashing the cost of weight-loss drugs, forcing President Donald Trump to suspend the event.As one of the bosses of the two drug companies invited to announce the price deal was speaking, the man crumpled to the ground behind him.Trump, who was seated at the time, quickly stood up and remained behind his desk while several people attended to the man, whose identity was not made public.One of those helping him was Mehmet Oz, Trump’s administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and a medical doctor.”The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.The event resumed about an hour later.