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A debate in Mexico City’s congress descended into a brawl Monday as lawmakers yanked hair, traded blows and shoved one another across the dais after an opposition protest over the city’s transparency institute erupted into chaos.

Video from inside the chamber showed the dispute turning violent within seconds, with lawmakers lunging at each other as others stood back and filmed the melee.

Reuters reported the fight broke out during a debate over dissolving Mexico City’s transparency institute.

The clash began when one woman grabbed another’s hand, prompting the second woman to yank her hand back and jab her in the stomach with an elbow.

CONGRESS MELTS DOWN: MEMBERS UNLEASH PERSONAL ATTACKS AFTER WEEKS OF SHUTDOWN DRAMA

A Mexico City debate over the city’s transparency institute erupted into a chaotic brawl as lawmakers shoved, struck and filmed one another, forcing the session to move. (Mexico City Congress Handout)

The first woman retaliated by striking her in the back, then seized the other woman’s hair as the scuffle escalated.

A man stepped in and tried to pry her hand loose, but more lawmakers rushed forward as shoving spread across the dais.

HOUSE DEM CRASHES MIKE JOHNSON PRESS EVENT AS TENSIONS ERUPT OVER SHUTDOWN

A Mexico City debate over the city’s transparency institute erupted into a chaotic brawl as lawmakers shoved, struck and filmed one another, forcing the session to move. (Mexico City Congress Handout)

Several women were seen pushing and grappling while bystanders lifted phones to record the chaos.

Lawmakers from the opposition National Action Party had taken over the congressional podium to protest the measure at the center of the debate.

TRUMP TELLS MEXICO TO FIX CROSS-BORDER SEWAGE PROBLEM FLOWING INTO US COMMUNITIES ‘IMMEDIATELY’

Pictured: An Aerial view of Mexico City on Sep. 8, 2016, Mexico. (Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)

The opposition accused Morena – the ruling party – of breaking an agreement to create a new transparency body, sparking the podium occupation.

The session unraveled as shouting escalated, and rival groups clashed across the chamber.

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The meeting was ultimately suspended and relocated to another venue, so lawmakers could resume deliberations, local media reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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President Donald Trump calls Rob Reiner ‘a deranged person’ as he doubles-down on criticism of murdered movie director

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Hollywood director Rob Reiner, and his producer-photographer wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were remembered by their friends as “unselfish and inspiring” after they were killed over the weekend.

“Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens… They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish and inspiring,” the statement made by friends, including actors Billy Crystal, Martin Short and Larry David, and released by the Associated Press, read.

Their son Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the brutal killings on Tuesday. The 32-year-old was arrested Sunday, hours after the bodies of his parents were found at their Brentwood estate.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the charges carried a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. No decision has been made on the death penalty, he said.

Nick reportedly attended a holiday party with his parents on Saturday night, hours before their bodies were found. Sources told NBC News that some partygoers found his behavior concerning.

Now that prosecutors have decided to file charges, Reiner is expected to appear in court once he’s medically cleared.

Rob Reiner death: Key points

Watch: MTG says Trump’s attack on Rob Reiner after his murder was ‘classless’

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a once loyal ally to Donald Trump, called the president “classless” for his attack on Rob Reiner after the director and his wife were brutally murdered.

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 03:40

Rob Reiner said he’s ‘made mistakes’ with Nick, but that his son was in a ‘really good place’ months before brutal murder

Rob Reiner said he’s “made mistakes” with Nick Reiner, but that his son is in a “really good place” months before the director was brutally murdered.

Rob and his wife, Michele Reiner, were allegedly stabbed to death by Nick over the weekend.

NPR re-released an interview from September with Rob, in which he spoke about his relationship with Nick and his son’s history with drugs.

Rob told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross that he was “never, ever too busy” for his son.

“I mean, if anything, I was the other way. You know, I was more hands-on and trying to do whatever I thought I could do to help. And, you know, I’m sure I made mistakes,” Reiner said.

He said of Nick: “He’s been great. He hasn’t been doing drugs for over six years. I mean, he’s in a really good place, much better place. He’s a good place now.”

Nick’s drug addiction started when he was a teenager. He has experienced homelessness because of his addiction.

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 03:20

‘They were a special force together’: Rob and Michele Reiner’s friends honor their love of film and country

The group said in a statement first released to The Associated Press: “Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary, he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”

It continued: “His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant,” highlighting Reiner’s films including A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally…, and The Princess Bride.

The Associated Press17 December 2025 03:00

Person close to the Reiners disputes reports that son Nick got into argument with father before his murder

A person close to Rob and Michele Reiner has disputed reports that their son, Nick Reiner, got into an argument with his father before allegedly murdering both his parents.

There have been reports that Nick, 32, attended a holiday party at comedian Conan O’Brien’s home Saturday night with his parents, and that his behavior was concerning. Reports say Rob and Nick got into an argument at the party, hours before the famous director and his wife were found stabbed to death.

The person close to the family, who spoke with The New York Times, denied that the argument happened. Although, the publication said the source was not in a position to dispute the reports.

The person said the situation was being overblown and that any conversation that might have taken place between Rob and Nick may have been misinterpreted.

Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with his parents’ brutal deaths.

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 02:40

Watch: Trump supporter Rob Schneider criticizes president’s attack of Rob Reiner following his murder

Comedian Rob Schneider, a supporter of Donald Trump, criticized the president’s attack of director Rob Reiner following his brutal murder.

Trump said Monday that Reiner, a liberal, suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” after he and his wife Michele were allegedly killed by their son Nick over the weekend.

Schneider told Fox News, “He must rise above it, and he seems incapable of rising above the situation.”

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 02:20

ICYMI: Jimmy Kimmel tears into Trump’s ‘vile’ Reiner post

Jimmy Kimmel delivered a scathing monologue about Donald Trump’s “vile” claim that the deaths of director Robert Reiner and his wife were caused by Trump Derangement Syndrome.

The late-night show host branded the president as “hateful” after Trump made the widely-condemned post on Truth Social.

“Just when you think he can’t go any lower, he somehow finds a way to do that,” Kimmel said Monday night. “It’s so hateful and vile. When I first saw it, I thought it was fake.

“My wife showed it to me this morning. I was like, well, even for him that seemed like too much, but nothing is ever too much for him.”

Owen Scott17 December 2025 02:00

Maria Shriver thanks Fox News panel for criticizing Trump’s attack on Rob Reiner following his murder

Maria Shriver, the former first lady of California and current NBC News special anchor, thanked a Fox News panel for criticizing President Donald Trump’s attack on director Rob Reiner following his brutal murder.

“This is good. Thank you all for speaking up,” Shriver, wrote on X Tuesday.

Shriver has said that Rob and his wife Michele, who was also allegedly stabbed to death over the weekend by their son Nick, were “among my closest friends.”

Trump had said Reiner, a liberal, suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 01:30

Watch: Republicans slam Trump’s attack against Rob Reiner following his murder

President Donald Trump wrote a bizarre post on social media following the murder of Rob Reiner, a Hollywood liberal, and his wife Michele.

“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday morning.

The Reiners were allegedly stabbed to death over the weekend by their son Nick. Authorities have yet to reveal an official motive for the killings.

Republican lawmakers called Trump’s comments “classless” and “very disappointing” when speaking with CNN’s Manu Raju.

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 01:00

Full list of movies directed by Rob Reiner

Hollywood icon Rob Reiner was known for directing some of the most famous movies of the past 40 years. Over the weekend, Reiner and his producer-photographer wife, Michele, were allegedly stabbed to death by their son Nick.

Here is the full list of films and TV movies Reiner has directed in chronological order:

• Sonny Boy (1974)
• Likely Stories, Vol. 1 (1981)
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
• The Sure Thing (1985)
• Stand by Me (1986)
• The Princess Bride (1987)
• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• Misery (1990)
• A Few Good Men (1992)
• North (1994)
• The American President (1995)
• Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
• I Am Your Child (1997)
• The Story of Us (1999)
• Alex & Emma (2003)
• Everyday Life (2004)
• Rumor Has It (2005)
• The Bucket List (2007)
• Flipped (2010)
• 8 (2012)
• The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
• And So It Goes (2014)
• Being Charlie (2015)
• LBJ (2016)
• Shock and Awe (2017)

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 00:31

In pictures: Rob Reiner remembered on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Flowers were placed on Rob Reiner’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame following his and his wife, Michele’s, murder (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)Rob Reiner directed famous films, including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men (Chris Pizzello/AP)Rob and Michele Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with their fatal stabbings (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Rachel Dobkin17 December 2025 00:10

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NEED TO KNOW

• Gwyneth Paltrow’s two children, Apple and Moses Martin, accompanied her to the New York City premiere of Marty Supreme on Tuesday, Dec. 16
• There, Apple wore one of her mother’s iconic dresses from the ’90s
• Apple took it one step further and twinned with her mother as they both donned chic and sleek black ensembles

Apple Martin is happy to steal from her mother Gwyneth Paltrow’s closet.

Paltrow was joined by her two children, Apple, 21, and Moses, 19, at the New York City premiere of Marty Supreme on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The actress shares both with her ex-husband, Chris Martin.

Apple took coordinating with her Oscar-winning mom one step further by wearing the same sleek, sexy black Calvin Klein gown that Paltrow wore to the July 1996 New York City premiere of Emma.

Like her mother, Apple styled the look simply, wearing her long blonde hair in a stylish updo with a pair of diamond stud earrings.

Paltrow, 53, wore a sophisticated black ensemble that included a black velvet bodice that featured a boat neckline and an oversized bow on one shoulder. The gown’s black sheath skirt included a deep slit and matching velvet pointed-toe pumps. 

Apple Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow on December 16, 2025 in New York City.

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

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Paltrow’s children have been joining her at Marty Supreme events as she marks her first on-camera movie role since 2019. Moses accompanied Paltrow to the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Dec. 8.

There, Paltrow sported a strapless black gown from her label, Gwyn. Moses wore a brown-and-black suede sweater with matching corduroy pants and shoes. 

Gwyneth Paltrow on July 22, 1996 at the Paris Theatre in New York City.

Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage

Before Apple donned her mother’s Calvin Klein ensemble, Paltrow shared how her daughter has an affinity with the label’s designs from the ’90s. In an April 2024 conversation on Today with Hoda & Jenna, Paltrow revealed Apple is “abscond[ing] with many ’90s Calvin Klein skirts, tube skirts, and all kinds of slip dresses,” adding, “She’s very into the ’90s as all the kids are apparently right now.”

“She loves to go into the archive and try things on, and it’s really fun,” Paltrow said

In September, the pair opened up to Vogue about sharing clothes — or, in Apple’s case, borrowing her mother’s vintage pieces. 

“Weirdly, I started saving clothes for Apple about 15, 20 years before she was born,” Paltrow told the magazine. “I don’t just see a top, I’ll see a moment in my life and all the circumstances surrounding it. I’ve always saved everything in hopes that I had a daughter one day who would want to go in there.” 

Apple Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Moses Martin on December 16, 2025 in New York City.

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

The Goop founder added, “Sometimes we just play dress up and she’ll put on my Oscar dresses and stuff like that.” 

Apple noted that her mother is “such a badass when it comes to fashion and has just done what she wants and doesn’t really care.”

She acknowledged that her mother “influenced” her, adding, “I feel like I’m finally getting to the place where I don’t really care what people think.”

Marty Supreme opens in theaters on Dec. 25.

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Liam Wall, 36, was arrested on Tuesday evening after absconding from HMP Prescoed on Sunday

Liam Wall has escaped

A fugitive prisoner has been apprehended following a police manhunt. The authorities have confirmed that 36 year old Liam Wall is now back in custody.

Gwent Police verified that the escapee was arrested on the evening of Tuesday, December 16, after making his getaway on Sunday.

Following his escape from HMP Prescoed, the force sought public assistance and issued a warning that he should not be approached under any circumstances, , reports Wales Online.

Wall was found guilty of drug offences at Cardiff Crown court in 2017. He was described as being about five foot eight inches tall, bald, with brown eyes and a brown beard.

A spokesperson for the force stated: “Liam Wall, 36, who absconded from HMP Prescoed, on Sunday 14 December, has now been arrested. He’s currently in police custody.

“Thanks for sharing our appeal.”

The arrest follows Gwent Police’s activation of an operational plan to locate the escaped prisoner.

Wall was part of a four-member drugs gang that were imprisoned due to their role in operating “the busiest drugs line in Cardiff”. He was apprehended along with two others while driving a blue BMW on the M4 at Coldra in November 2016 as they journeyed from Liverpool, where they had gone to purchase more drugs.

During the investigation, police seized around £22,000 worth of drugs, including 2kg of amphetamine.

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BREAKINGBREAKING,

The order comes a week after the US military seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

Published On 17 Dec 202517 Dec 2025

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United States President Donald Trump has ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all US-sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

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“For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump said.

“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” he said.

Trump’s comments come a week after US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and as Washington has ordered a huge build-up of US military forces off the Venezuelan coast in an operation said to target drug smuggling.

The US military has killed at least 90 people since September in attacks on dozens of vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, in what international law experts have criticised as extrajudicial killings.

Washington claimed the vessels were involved in drug trafficking but has provided no evidence to support its allegations.

Caracas has long said the deployment of US forces to the region was aimed at allowing “external powers to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and gas wealth“.

Despite holding the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has faced severe restrictions on its exports in recent years under US sanctions first imposed during the first Trump presidency.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.

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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has disputed portions of a Vanity Fair article in which she paints an unflattering picture of the Trump administration and many of its top officials.

In the interview, Wiles described Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality” and Vice President JD Vance as having been a “conspiracy theorist” for a decade.

But in a post on X, Wiles said that Vanity Fair disregarded “significant context” to create “an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative” about the administration.

Wiles, 68, played a key part in Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign before becoming the first woman to be White House Chief of Staff.

In a New York Post interview, Trump defended Wiles, describing her as “fantastic” and suggested she had been “deceived” by the writer.

The president also said he thought Wiles’ comments about his personality mirrored remarks he previously made.

Over the course of nearly a dozen interviews with Vanity Fair, Wiles talked about a wide range of issues, including handling of Epstein files, Trump’s legal actions against political rivals, and also about personalities around the president.

She admitted that “there may be an element of” retribution in Trump’s efforts to pursue criminal cases against political adversaries or perceived foes.

“I don’t think he wakes up thinking about retribution,” she added. “But when there’s an opportunity, he will go for it.”

Wiles is widely considered among the most powerful members of the Trump White House in his second term.

Prior to becoming chief of staff, Wiles had a long history working with Trump, including as his campaign manager in Florida in 2016 and as the head of his fundraising apparatus, Save America.

In the interview, she credits her upbringing with an alcoholic father as what enabled her to work with the president.

“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink,” she said. “So I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities.”

While the president does not drink, she said Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality” and governs with the mindset that “there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing”.

Vance on report that Susie Wiles called him a ‘conspiracy theorist’. Wiles disputes portions of the article.

Among the other figures that Wiles commented on was JD Vance, a one-time critic of Trump who has since become a close ally and vice-president.

Wiles suggested that Vance’s shift in perceptions was “sort of political”.

Speaking to reporters at an event on Tuesday, Vance said he had not read the article, but that he only believes in conspiracy theories that are “true” – citing reports of former President Joe Biden’s ill-health as an example.

Her strongest comments were reserved for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who led cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency – or Doge – before leaving the government in May.

Shortly thereafter, Musk and Trump had a public spat that saw the two men trade barbs and insults over social media.

Wiles described Musk as an “avowed Ketamine [user]” who “sleeps in a sleeping bag in the EOB”, the Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House.

“He’s an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are,” she said. “You know, it’s not helpful, but he is his own person.”

Looking back on Musk’s cost-cutting efforts, Wiles said that she was against the gutting of the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, saying she was “initially aghast” at the idea.

“I think that anybody that pays attention to government and has ever paid attention to USAID believed, as I did, that they do very good work,” she recalled.

“Elon’s attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you’re an incrementalist, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles said. “With that attitude, you’re going to break some china. But no rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody.”

On Tuesday morning – hours after the Vanity Fair article was published – Wiles took to X, accusing the magazine of a “disingenuously framed hit piece” aimed at her, Trump and other cabinet members.

“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team,” she wrote.

When contacted for comment on the story, the White House also defended Wiles.

In a statement sent to the BBC, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Wiles “has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history.”

“President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie,” Leavitt added. “The entire administration is grateful to her steady leadership and united fully behind her.”

Speaking to reporters outside the West Wing later in the day, Leavitt accused Vanity Fair of “bias of omission” by excluding other interviews conducted with White House staff and taking Wiles’ words “wildly out of context”.

Musk have yet to comment on the Vanity Fair piece.

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What you need to know:

• Nationals from Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan will be prohibited from coming to the US
• People on Palestinian Authority issued-travel documents are also subject to a total ban
• Sierra Leone and Laos moved from partial to full restrictions
• Measures come after an Afghan immigrant was charged in November in the shooting of two National Guards
• New restrictions to go into effect on January 1

US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Tuesday further restricting the entry of foreign nationals to the United States.

Here’s what we know so far:

Which countries are affected by Trump’s lastest travel bans to the US?

Total travel bans

Syria, as well as the African nations of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan, are now subject to total travel bans.

The Trump administration also fully restricted entry for people with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.

The administration had previously made it nearly impossible for anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport from receiving travel documents to visit the US for business, work, pleasure or educational purposes.

Nationals from Sierra Leone and Laos, who were previously subject to partial travel restrictions, are now fully restricted from entering the US.

Citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen were already subjected to a full travel ban imposed in June, 2025.

This brings to 19 the total number of countries under a full travel ban, plus the Palestinian Authority.

Partial travel bans

An additional 15 countries are being added to the list of countries facing partial restrictions, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa.

African nations are Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Tonga have also attracted partial bans.

The countries of Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela continue to be under a partial travel ban imposed in June, 2025.

This means 19 countries are now under a partial travel ban after the US on Tuesday lifted its partial suspension on travel from citizens of Turkmenistan.

What does the US travel bans mean?

The restrictions apply to both people seeking to visit the US, such as tourists, students and business travelers, as well as people wanting to emigrate there.

People who already have visas, are lawful permanent residents of the United States or have certain visa categories such as diplomats or athletes are exempt from the restrictions.

People whose entry into the country is believed to serve US interest are also exempt from the restrictions.

The government said these latest restrictions would take effect from January 1, 2026.

Videos of US immigration arrests swamp social media

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Why is Trump further restricting travel to the US?

While Trump has made a crackdown on immigration a cornerstone of his presidency, the latest travel bans look to be influenced by several recent events.

The Trump administration first suggested it would expand travel restrictions after the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops in November.

Since the shooting, the US has halted all asylum claim decisions and suspended the processing of immigration applications from the initial 19 countriessubject to travel restrictions.

Trump also threatened military action against Nigeria in early November. The US president claims Christians are being persecuted in the country, which is disputed by Nigeria.

Donald Trump threatens military action in Nigeria

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More recently, on Saturday Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” against Syria after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed there by a suspected “Islamic State” attacker.

In its statement, the White House said that it was difficult to vet citizens of many of the countries hit by the new restrictions because of “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records.”

It also said some countries had high rates of people overstaying their visas or refused to take back their citizens.

Edited by: Kieran Burke

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The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

The U.S. Capitol has unveiled a statue of teenage civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns, who is known for protesting poor conditions at her segregated Virginia high school.

The statue serves as a pointed replacement for the previously removed figure of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

An unveiling ceremony in Emancipation Hall featured Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and the state’s congressional delegation.

Over 200 members of Johns’ family attended, with the Eastern Senior High School choir performing renditions of “How Great Thou Art,” “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Roundf” and “Total Praise.”

Speaker Johnson praised Johns as “one of America’s true trailblazers, a woman who embodied the essence of the American spirit in her fight for liberty and justice and equal treatment under the law, the indomitable Barbara Rose Johns.”

The new statue replaces that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee which was removed several years ago. (Jack Mayer/Office of Governor of Virginia, File)

Johns was 16 years old in 1951 when she led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The students’ cause gained the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that would become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education. The high court’s landmark 1954 decision declared “separate but equal” public schools unconstitutional.

Johns later married the Rev. William Powell and became Barbara Rose Johns Powell, raised five children and was a librarian in the Philadelphia Public Schools. She died at 56 in 1991.

“She put God first in her life. She was brave, bold, determined, strong, wise, unselfish, warm and loving,” said Terry Harrison, one of her daughters.

The statue shows the young Johns standing to the side of a lectern, holding a tattered book over her head. Its pedestal is engraved with the words, “Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it?” It also features a quote from the Book of Isaiah, “And a little child shall lead them.”

The statue replaces one of Lee that was removed in December 2020 from the Capitol, where it had represented Virginia for 111 years. The removal occurred during a time of renewed national attention over Confederate monuments after the death of George Floyd and was relocated to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery,” Jeffries said at the ceremony.

Johns’ sister, Joan Johns Cobbs, read from a journal entry by Johns: “And then there were times I just prayed, ’God, please grant us a new school, please let us have a warm place to stay where we won’t have to keep our coats on all day to stay warm. God, please help us. We are your children too.’”

The Johns piece is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the Capitol, in which each state can contribute two statues. The other statue representing Virginia is of George Washington.

National Statuary Hall displays 35 of the statues. Others are in the Crypt, the Hall of Columns and the Capitol Visitor Center. Johnson said the Johns statue will be placed in the Crypt.

Former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam had requested the removal of the Lee statue. In December 2020, a state commission recommended replacing Lee’s statue with a statue of Johns.

The Johns statue, sculpted by Steven Weitzman of Maryland, received final approval from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library in July.

Johns is also featured in a sculpture at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial outside the state Capitol in Richmond. The former high school is now a National Historic Landmark and museum.

“It’s an incredibly profound moment, a moment to stand in a tar shack classroom with a hot potbelly stove as a heater, tar paper walls, shabby desks, right where 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns courageously organized her schoolmates and stood up to the lie — the lie was separate but equal,” Youngkin said of the museum.

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“What do I buy for the man who (seemingly) has everything?” This is the age-old predicament that rattles around my brain during the holidays. No matter how much prep work I enact and shopping guides I read: Dads, brothers, husbands, uncles, and boyfriends have proven to be the hardest people to shop for. 

That’s why this year, I took it upon myself to accumulate a list of 19 products that the men in your life will actually be excited to unwrap — no offense to the socks and whiskey glasses of Christmas past. Below, you’ll find thoughtful picks that span from sporty choices like an indoor putting green to cozy finds like Lululemon sweatpants. The best part? Everything is under $50.

Best Gifts for Men Under $50

For the Homebody

For the Sportsman

For the Culiarian

For the Epicurean

For the Audiophile

Best Fashion Gifts for Men

Lululemon Soft Jersey Tapered Joggers

lululemon

One thing I know for certain? Men love Lululemon. As such, they’ll be elated to unwrap these ultra-soft and stretchy joggers. The material is ideal for lounging on the couch, but also allows for casual physical activity thanks to the lightweight and sweat-wicking material. In addition to coming in sizes from XS to XXL, the joggers are available in three lengths to accommodate varying heights and builds. 

Best Sports Gifts for Men

Vevor Indoor Golf Putting Mat

Best Buy

Golf is the thing that makes my boyfriend’s soul shine (in addition to hanging out with me, of course). In the past, I’ve gifted him golf balls, golf tees, golf clothes — essentially the whole lineup of golf-related items. My latest stroke of genius was this indoor putting mat that allows him to practice, despite there being snow on the ground, courtesy of the N.Y.C. winter. 

It has an automatic ball return, a sleek velvet surface that mimics an actual green, and an anti-slip bottom to prevent irritating wrinkles.

Best Kitchen Gifts for Men

Stanley Stay-Chill Beer Stein

Amazon

A mug that actually keeps his beer cold is a gift that keeps on giving. This Stanley can keep a beverage chilled for up to 20 hours. That’s more than enough time to sip on a pale ale or two while he mans the grill or shovels the driveway. 

One pleased customer wrote, “This stein is not just a vessel for your favorite brew; it’s a game changer that enhances the entire beer-drinking experience.” They added that they appreciated the mug’s heavy-duty handle and durable stainless steel construction. 

Best Fancy Gifts for Men

Longconn 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station

Amazon

A swanky gadget that improves the ease of everyday life is invaluable. This wireless charging station falls right into that category. Compatible with Apple products, the device is capable of charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time. Thanks to its wireless design, it’s also an easy way to eliminate cable clutter on a bedside table or desk. Shoppers agree that the station charges devices quickly. 

Best Music Gifts for Men

Udreamer Wireless Vinyl Record Player, $40 with Prime

Amazon

If I had a penny for every time a man told me “nothing sounds better than vinyl,” well, I’d have a lot of pennies. Music lovers will love this nostalgic feeling of owning a record player, plus it comes with a built-in hobby of vinyl collecting. Recipients can opt to use the two speakers on the base of the device, or there are connection capabilities for external speakers. This also doubles as a wireless speaker, so they can use it to play music off their phone or tablet.

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Mourners have gathered at the Chabad of Bondi to say goodbye to Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was gunned down during the Bondi Beach massacre.

The father-of-five, age 41, died shielding his family when two men opened fire on hundreds of Jewish Australians as they celebrated the first day of Hanukkah at the iconic Sydney beach just after 6.40pm on Sunday.

He was one of the 16 people killed, including one of the gunmen.

Rabbi Schlanger’s wife, Chaya, was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday.

Their two-month-old baby remains at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick after being struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack, and will not be able to attend his father’s funeral.

Ahead of the service on Wednesday morning, police officers lined Wellington Street which has been closed off for the funeral – the Chabad was packed and some had to wait outside.

Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who is also the father in law of Rabbi Schlanger, could not stop crying as the casket was removed from the hearse.

Mourners were seen embracing outside – one had an Australian flag around her shoulders, while another broke down in tears and blamed Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong for the massacre.

‘What is needed is education, it’s not about stopping a bullet, I just feel so frustrated and so does everyone,’ he said, choking on his words as he fought back tears.

The service began with a rabbi saying: ‘We are crying in unbearable pain… in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated in our city … We mourn the loss of every precious life.’

He pledged to continue celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach – an event has been going for 31 years, and 18 Rabbi Schlanger had been involved for 18 years.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger (pictured) was laid to rest at a service at Chabad of Bondi on Wednesday

Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s family are pictured arriving at the Chabad of Bondi for his funeral

Mourners can be seen crying over Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s casket before the funeral

Pictured: Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman is pictured in tears as the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger arrived at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue

Rabbi Eli Schlanger is pictured being unloaded from the hearse on Wednesday morning

‘Eli was ripped away from us in the midst of doing what he did best – spreading love and joy, caring for his people with needless self-sacrifice. 

‘In life and death, he towered above as one of the holiest souls. This is a massive loss for the entire Jewish nation. For us, the loss is unspeakable.’

He said every soul who knew Rabbi Schlanger touched would be ‘forever grateful’ to have known him.

He told the rabbi’s five children that their father would always be with them.

Prayers were read from the Torah by different Jewish leaders.

Rabbi Schlanger’s father-in-law Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman gave a heartbreaking eulogy to the packed, becoming overwhelmed with emotion at several times throughout.

He said: ‘When those animals who look like humans try to destroy is, they try to make us dormant.

‘They want us to never go to Bondi Beach again because this is what’s happened, but that’s not the answer.

‘Eli lived and breathed this idea – we can never allow them to not only not succeed, but every time they try something, we become greater and stronger.’

Rabbi Eli Schlanger was killed in the Bondi Beach massacre on Sunday. He is pictured with his wife and four of his five children

Mourners are pictured in tears as they arrive for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Mourners can be seen embracing moments before the funeral at Chabad of Bondi

Mourners are pictured arriving at the synagogue for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger

As rabbi Ulman struggled to choke back tears, loved ones could be heard sobbing with him, with one mourner reaching out to hand a tissue to him as he bravely continued on.

‘What I say today will be such an understatement of what you meant to everybody. You became a son to us as much as she’s our daughter, you became everything to me my hands, my feet.’

Rabbi Ulman said Rabbi Schlanger never wanted to be in the limelight.

‘Any time he went to visit chief rabbis of Israel, he refused to be in any photos, they all loved him in his own right. Everyone just fell in love with him.

‘Eli was the best husband, the best father, the best son,’ Rabbi Ulman said, again struggling to get out the words.

‘Our community suffered our own 7th of October, proportionately that’s what it is,’ he added.

Rabbi Ulman said he wished he had told Rabbi Schlanger how much he loved him, and how much he meant to him.

‘It should’ve been said more. And to all of us I’m saying: “Don’t leave things for tomorrow, you’ve got something to say to those close to you, say it today”.’

He added his wife saw his son-in-law as her best friend, and prompted a laugh from the grief-stricken crowd when he added ‘second to me of course’.

Rabbi Ulman spoke of Rabbi Schlanger’s selflessness, describing how he would drive three to four hours each way to speak with prisoners.

‘I promise every day of your life, special milestones, he will be with you, even more than all of us physically present,’ he said.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s two-month-old son (pictured) remains in hospital and will miss his father’s funeral

Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathering at a flower memorial by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday

Flowers are seen at a makeshift memorial on Wednesday at the Bondi Pavillion following the massacre on Sunday

He continued: ‘It is unthinkable that we talk about you in past tense. Everything we did together. We are told it’s forbidden to bring in coffin into a synagogue and to hold funeral in a synagogue.

‘One exception is a great leader among the Jewish people, and a holy martyr who gave his life.’

‘Eli, Eli, i never thought that it’s going to happen, but the second part I always knew, I knew that there’s nobody greater than you.’

On Tuesday, a close friend of Rabbi Schlanger’s wife Chaya told Sky News said the baby is ‘not out of the woods’.

‘The sheer horror and evil for somebody to shoot at babies, at women, at old people, it’s horrific,’ friend Sorella said.

‘Chaya was hiding, trying to protect herself and, more importantly, her two-month-old baby. She does not recall getting hit because of the adrenaline, but suddenly somebody next to her said, “You’ve got blood on your back”,’ Sorella said.

‘At the same time as Chaya was hit by a bullet, she was also trying to keep her husband alive and begging the local nurse and surfer to keep doing CPR.’

Rabbi Schlanger was originally from the UK, but led the Chabad mission in Bondi for nearly two decades.

He was one of the organisers for the Chanukah by the Sea event targeted by the gunmen.

His cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, on Monday described the moment he received news of the massacre.

He told the British Jewish News: ‘I left shul this morning and saw messages from my wife and sister on the family WhatsApp group. 

‘They recognised one of the names people were being asked to pray for. It quickly became clear what had happened.’

Rabbi Lewis said his family was only just coming to terms with the sudden loss.

‘We are just beginning to process this,’ he said. ‘It makes no sense at all. How can a joyful rabbi who went to a beach to spread happiness and light, to make the world a better place, have his life ended in this way?’

‘Eli loved helping people, encouraging people to do mitzvot (good deeds). He was so bubbly, almost eccentrically so.’ 

Following the attack on Sunday, the alleged gunmen were quickly identified as father and son, Naveed Akram, 24, and Sajid Akram, 50.

Sajid was shot dead by police, while Naveed is recovering from bullet wounds in hospital.

He is under police guard and is likely to face criminal charges on Wednesday.

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