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Secretary Rubio Criticizes China’s Bullying for Detaining DOZENS of Panama-Flagged Cargo Ships

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Rubio decries China’s bullying

Panama’s ships caught between the rock and a hard place.

While the Russia-Ukraine war brings danger to the Black Sea, the military conflicts in the Middle East brought about Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

But we’d do well not to forget about the vital Panama Canal and the geopolitical consequences of Donald J. Trump’s administration shutting China out of its infrastructure.

Last Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called out China’s ‘bullying’ for ‘detaining or holding up dozens of Panama-flagged ships’.

Even though the ships were held for a short period of time, it comes as a retaliation after Panama seized control of two ports on the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based company.

China denies the bullying allegations.

Associated Press reported:

“Panama has been caught in a broader rivalry between the United States and China after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Beijing last year of running the Panama Canal. The Trump administration sees the critical maritime trade route as strategically important, both commercially and militarily, and Trump has talked about retaking the Panama Canal since his campaign.

‘China’s decision to detain or otherwise impede Panama-flagged vessels engaged in lawful trade destabilizes supply chains, raises costs, and erodes confidence in the global trading system’, Rubio said on social media. ‘The United States stands with Panama against any retaliatory actions against its sovereignty and will always support our partners in the face of bullying’.”

No less than 75% of the ships detained for inspection in Chinese ports in March – 92 vessels – were Panama-flagged.

“The Panama-flagged ships were typically detained for a few days — as short as one day or as long as 10 days — before being released.

That is up drastically from the previous two months, when 19 out of 45 ships — or more than 40% — held in February were Panama-flagged, and 23 out of 71 — or over 30% — in January hung the Panama flag.”

Read more:

FBI Warns Congress of ‘Major’ Cyber Hack Involving China That Could Threaten National Security

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WATCH: Radical Democrats in New York Battleground Congressional District Call to Abolish ICE or ‘Go Back to the Drawing Board’ During Debate, One Candidate Declares ‘Everyone Will be Held Accountable’

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Panel discussion featuring four speakers at a conference, with a focus on community engagement and collaboration, set against a decorative backdrop.

Panel discussion featuring four speakers at a conference, with a focus on community engagement and collaboration, set against a decorative backdrop.

Democrats hoping for the chance to unseat Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in New York’s battleground 17th Congressional District made their radical positions on immigration enforcement crystal clear at a candidate forum this week.

In video footage from the Westchester County Democratic Committee’s pre-primary debate on Thursday, at Manhattanville College, a moderator asked the candidates, “Abolish, reform, or keep ICE?”

The responses from three leading contenders left little doubt about their desire to see the agency keeping Americans safe destroyed.

Beth Davidson, the Rockland County legislator who leads early polling in the Democratic primary, responded first.

“Go back to the drawing board,” Davidson said. “We need a system that is humane and streamlined that keeps people safe and allows everyone who plays by the rules a full path to citizenship.”

Effie Phillips-Staley, a progressive Tarrytown Village Trustee and self-described “unapologetic progressive,” was blunter.

“Abolish ICE!” she declared.

Phillips-Staley has made abolishing the agency a centerpiece of her campaign.

On her official website, Phillips-Staley lists “abolishing ICE” among her priorities and published a press release in January titled “A New Vision for a Civil Immigration System,” calling for demilitarizing immigration enforcement and treating it as a civil administrative matter rather than a “paramilitary” operation.

Cait Conley, an Army combat veteran and former election security official from Ossining, framed ICE agents as the problem.

“Everyone will be held accountable,” she said, describing federal agents on American streets who “assault, harass, and kill people sworn to serve.”

Conley’s campaign site states she will fight to “rein in ICE” as part of opposing what she calls the Trump administration’s “unlawful and authoritarian agenda.”

WATCH:

New York’s 17th District, which includes parts of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, is a battleground seat.

The Democrat primary is scheduled for June 23.

Davidson currently leads the crowded field in fundraising and name recognition, according to recent polls reported by Politico and Patch.

The district has been a top target for national Democrats hoping to flip the House in the midterms.

Lawler has consistently supported strong border security and interior enforcement measures.

The post WATCH: Radical Democrats in New York Battleground Congressional District Call to Abolish ICE or ‘Go Back to the Drawing Board’ During Debate, One Candidate Declares ‘Everyone Will be Held Accountable’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JUST IN: African Charity Sentebale Sues Estranged Founder Prince Harry for Libel

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Harry and Sentebale’s chairwoman Sophie Chandauka: lawsuit

An African headache for the self-exiled British Royal.

Twenty years ago, British Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho co-founded a Charity in Africa called Sentebale.

For Harry, it was reportedly a way to honor his late mother, Princess Diana, and ​help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho ​and Botswana.

Harry and Chandauka in happier times

In early 2025, Harry quit his role as a patron for the charity, following high-profile mudslinging in the press, in which he was accused of ‘bullying and harassing’ Sentebale’s chair of ​the board, Sophie Chandauka.

Now, it arises that Sentebale is suing Harry for libel ‌at the High Court in London.

Reuters reported:

“According to a record made public on Friday, ​Sentebale lodged a defamation claim last month at the High Court against Harry and one of his close friends Mark Dyer, who was also ​a trustee of the charity.

There were no details as ​to what the lawsuit involved. Neither Harry’s spokesperson nor the charity immediately responded ‌to ⁠a request for comment.”

UK’s Charity Commission investigated Sentebale

Chandauka reported Harry and the trustees to Britain’s charity regulator ‘for alleged bullying and harassment’.

“After a review, the Charity Commission reported it had ⁠found ​no evidence of bullying, but said ​there had been weak governance and criticized all parties for allowing an internal ​dispute to become public.”

Read more: UK Charity Commission Finds Prince Harry Did Not Bully or Harass African Charity Chairwoman – The Duke of Sussex Torches Dr. Chandauka, But She Fires Back

The post JUST IN: African Charity Sentebale Sues Estranged Founder Prince Harry for Libel appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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DEVELOPING: Suspect Throws Molotov Cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s Home

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

A man threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home on Friday morning.

The suspect was taken into custody.

Nobody was hurt.

According to OpenAI, the male suspect also made threats outside of its San Francisco headquarters very early Friday morning.

The suspect has not been identified.

Sam Altman has not released a statement on the incident.

NBC News reported:

San Francisco police early Friday arrested a person who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman’s home and made threats outside the AI giant’s San Francisco headquarters, the company said in a statement.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” OpenAI said.

“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation,” the company added.

Altman has not publicly addressed the arrest.

In a separate statement, the San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to a home in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco around 4:12 a.m. PT Friday “regarding a fire investigation.”

The officers learned that an unknown man had thrown “an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate,” police said.

The suspect fled on foot, and his description was broadcast to all officers.

DEVELOPING…

The post DEVELOPING: Suspect Throws Molotov Cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s Home appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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