International News Briefs for Wednesday, September 3, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
Israel Kills 113 More Palestinians in Gaza, Including 33 People Seeking Aid
Sep 03, 2025
Officials in Gaza say Israel has killed 113 Palestinians over the past day, including 33 people seeking aid. Al Jazeera reports an Israeli drone strike killed several children who were in line for water in al-Mawasi, which had been designated to be a “safe zone.” This comes as Israel intensifies its attack on Gaza City, where Israel is attempting to forcibly remove the city’s entire population of over 1 million people.
On Tuesday, mourners gathered at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to hold prayers for those killed in Israeli strikes.
Nasr Nasr: “They had gone out to get clothes. We fled our homes with nothing. They went to get clothes and to get food from their homes, to bring clothes for their children and to get food for themselves because of the situation. We are sitting in tents. We fled with nothing. And look now: They came back as martyrs. And most of the martyrs are either from the Zikim crossings, because they were getting aid, or from when they went to bring clothes, a blanket or a mattress to sleep on.”
Topics:
Israel Mobilizes 60,000 Reservists for Gaza City Offensive
Sep 03, 2025
Israel has begun mobilizing 60,000 reservists for its push into Gaza city. Here’s Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces, speaking with reservists.
Eyal Zamir: “We are preparing for the continuation of the war, continuation of fighting. We are going to enhance and deepen our operation, and that’s why we called you.”
It comes as hundreds of reservists say they won’t report for duty if they are called to serve in the Gaza City offensive. At a Tel Aviv press conference, Sergeant Max Kresch said, “We are over 365, and counting, soldiers who served during the war and have declared that we will not report for duty when called again.”
Meanwhile, protesters in Jerusalem took over the roof of the National Library building overlooking the parliament, calling for an end to the war. Israel’s Army Radio reported that 13 protesters were arrested.
Ravid Vexelbaum: “We came here today to demonstrate in front of the house of the parliament to demonstrate and to tell them to bring our hostages back home and to end the war. We need our soldiers back home. We need our hostages back home now. It’s been too long for them to stay there. Stop the war now.”
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Belgium to Recognize Palestinian State at the U.N. General Assembly
Sep 03, 2025
Belgium will recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this month, according to the country’s foreign minister. It comes as France, Britain, Canada and Australia have all announced that they were also prepared to recognize the state of Palestine at the UNGA. Belgium also plans to impose 12 sanctions on Israel, which include a ban on all products from illegal settlements in the West Bank and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies.
This comes as the Trump administration faces growing criticism for suspending visas for Palestinian passport holders, including for Palestinian officials set to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly.
Topics:
- Israel
- Israel & Palestine
- Gaza
- Belgium
- Canada
- Australia
- France
- United Kingdom
- United Nations
- Palestine
Maduro Warns U.S. Seeking Regime Change in Venezuela as U.S. Attacks Boat, Killing 11
Sep 03, 2025
President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. attacked a boat in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 people. Trump claimed the boat was carrying drugs from Venezuela, but offered no proof of the claim. The Pentagon recently sent warships to the region after Trump secretly authorized the use of military force in Latin America under the guise of the war on drugs. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly warned Trump is seeking regime change in the oil-rich country. This is Maduro speaking on Monday.
President Nicolás Maduro: “Mr. President Donald Trump, you must be careful, because Marco Rubio wants to stain your hands with blood — South American, Caribbean, Venezuelan blood. They want to drag you into a bloodbath, to tarnish the Trump name forever with a massacre against the Venezuelan people, with a terrible war across South America and the Caribbean. This would be a full-scale continental war. They want to stain Donald Trump’s hands with blood.”
U.S. Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump’s Use of Alien Enemies Act to Deport Venezuelans
Sep 03, 2025
Image Credit: U.S. Army photo
In immigration news, a U.S. federal appeals court has blocked President Trump from rapidly deporting Venezuelans suspected of being gang members under the 18th-century wartime Alien Enemies Act. In a 2-1 ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a preliminary injunction “to prevent removal because we find no invasion or predatory incursion” had occurred. The 5th Circuit is considered to be one of the most conservative appeals courts in the country. The case is expected to head to the Supreme Court. We’ll have more on this story later in the broadcast.
Federal Judge Rules Trump Admin Broke the Law When Deploying Troops to Los Angeles
Sep 03, 2025
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration broke the law when deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles this summer to quell protests against immigration raids. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer raised concerns that the deployments are “creating a national police force with the President as its chief.”
The ruling comes as President Trump said, “We’re going in,” when asked about federal troop deployments to Chicago and Baltimore. He repeatedly called both cities a “hellhole.”
Yesterday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was joined by Chicago officials when he reiterated his opposition to federal troops in the city.
Gov. JB Pritzker: “Trump and his team will be looking for any excuse to put active-duty military on our streets, supposedly to protect ICE. We have reason to believe that the Trump administration has already begun staging the Texas National Guard for deployment in Illinois.”
We’ll speak to Democratic Congressman Chuy García of Chicago after headlines.
Bloomberg: ICE to Receive Access to Israeli Spyware Program
Sep 03, 2025
In other immigration news, Bloomberg is reporting ICE is about to get access to a controversial spyware program built by the Israeli-based company Paragon. A $2 million contract was signed last year, but the Biden administration then issued a stop order blocking government agencies from using the spyware, which has been used to target activists and journalists in Europe.
Pentagon Authorizes 600 Military Lawyers to Serve as Immigration Judges
Sep 03, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges. The head of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Ben Johnson, warned the decision will gut due process and undermine the immigration court system. He told the Associated Press, “It makes as much sense as having a cardiologist do a hip replacement.”
House Oversight Committee Releases Thousands of Epstein-Related Documents
Sep 03, 2025
The House Oversight Committee has released over 33,000 pages related to the federal investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell, but according to Democratic lawmakers, 97% of the files were already public and the files are just a tiny fraction of the total documents.
On Tuesday, a number of Jeffrey Epstein survivors met privately with House Speaker Mike Johnson and a bipartisan group of members of the House Oversight Committee. Meanwhile, Republican Congressmember Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna are holding a press conference today with Epstein survivors. Massie has also filed what’s known as a discharge petition to force a floor vote to compel the Justice Department to release all of its files on Epstein. If every Democrat backs the measure, Massie will need the support of five other Republicans for the move to succeed.
A group of Epstein survivors and family members have also done a joint interview with NBC News’s Hallie Jackson. She asked them about their interactions with the Justice Department.
Hallie Jackson: “Show of hands: Did any of you hear from the Justice Department before they released that memo, that two-page memo earlier this summer? No hands. Were any of you told that Todd Blanche would be speaking with Ghislaine Maxwell prior to that interview over the course of two days?”
Survivors: “No.”
Hallie Jackson: “No. Were any of you told about the prison transfer that Ghislaine Maxwell” —
Survivors: “No.”
Hallie Jackson: “Were any of you — do any of you feel that the DOJ has communicated with you enough this year?”
Survivors: “No.”
Hallie Jackson: “Have any of you had any communication with the DOJ?”
Survivors: “No.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping Hosts Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un at Military Parade
Sep 03, 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other world leaders at one of the largest military parades in Chinese history today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. For the first time, China unveiled its triad of nuclear-capable missiles, as thousands of Chinese troops goose-stepped across Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In a post on social media, President Trump addressed President Xi: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
Putin and Kim also met on the sidelines of the military parade. Putin reportedly thanked Kim for sending North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine last year.
Coup Trial of Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Enters Final Phase
Sep 03, 2025
In Brazil, the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro has entered its final phase. Bolsonaro and seven of his allies are accused of plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 race to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. On Tuesday, the court indirectly criticized the Trump administration for interfering in the trial. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been sanctioned by the U.S., said from the bench, “We will never lack the courage to reject those who threaten our national sovereignty or the independence of the judiciary.” On Tuesday, Lula criticized the U.S. meddling.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: “There’s no reason to fear an American accusation. What’s happening with the U.S. is that it has exacerbated anything we’ve known in the history of humanity, of a government meddling to judge the conduct of another country’s justice system.”
Judge Rules Google Does Not Need to Sell Chrome in Antitrust Case
Sep 03, 2025
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Google does not need to sell its Chrome web browser, but it does need to share its search data with rivals. The ruling is widely seen as a victory for the company, as the Justice Department had asked the judge to force Google to share more of its data and sell Chrome, in an effort to break up Google’s power as a search monopoly. Google is still scheduled to go on trial in a separate case brought by the DOJ about its monopoly in online advertising.
WaPo: Trump’s BLS Nominee Discussed Gender Differences in IQ Scores with Interns
Sep 03, 2025
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, reportedly discussed gender differences in IQ scores with interns at the Heritage Foundation. According to The Washington Post, Antoni remarked that women’s scores clustered around average IQ scores, while men were more likely to display scores at the higher and lower end of the distribution. Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump fired after he accused her of changing a jobs report that showed lower-than-expected employment growth.