Category World News

Syrians are fighting for justice and accountability in a new battle almost a year after the Assad regime was overthrown.

Every scandal-filled period of American government exists. Trump’s innovation is to incorporate scandal into the political philosophy. The Trump regime’s corruption is a perversion of American democracy, but the truth is more unsettling: it’s a mirror. It’s open profiteering, using the state as an instrument of vengeance and self-enrichment. Trump’s era and those before it differ in one way: there isn’t corruption, but there is visibility and the nation’s inability to feel scandalized as a result.

In the United States, corruption has been moralized as a disgrace for decades as a disgrace to an otherwise valid system. American capitalism has always depended on the conversion of public office into private profit, from the railroad barons and company towns of the 19th century to Wall Street’s and Washington’s revolving door in the 20th and 21st. The mechanisms of corruption were disguised as professionalism, efficiency, or expertise when politicians became lobbyists and habitual insider traders, corporations wrote legislation, bank executives and political donors received bailouts from the government, and hospital executives became wealthy on public subsidies as their patients and workers fell into precarity. We were taught to value morality in market value and to associate success with it by the neoliberal order.

By the time Trump arrived, corruption was recognized as realism. Trump merely stripped it of its polite fictions in both domestic and foreign policy, where the US has long used language of democracy and human rights to justify its violence. For instance, Trump’s extrajudicial killings of unidentified people by unilateral military strikes in Latin American waters are a naked display of the practice that previous administrations have carried out under the guise of impunity and euphemism. Similar to Trump, there hasn’t been a single instance of brutality or cruelty against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Instead, it was largely a dramatized, made-for-TV adaptation of what Barack Obama pioneered as he developed Tom Homan’s, now-Trump’s so-called border czar career. Obama and Trump both had admirations for Homan, winning him the 2015 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of his passion for detaining immigrants, separating children from their parents, and incarcerating people in detention facilities.

We are already aware that Trump’s corruption and cruelty, including nepotism, grift, self-dealing, the open auctioning of government contracts and justice, serve the wealthy people who own them, whether directly or indirectly through their donations and lobbyists or via networks of influence, bribery, and extortion. A weary acceptance that things have always worked this way replaces the outrage that might have once followed.

In this way, Trump is a revelation as opposed to an aberration. Trump uses capitalism as pure id: unrestrained appetite and unashamed greed, as opposed to earlier administrations who moralized it as a meritocracy to boost the egos of billionaires and the politicians they allowed into power. His corruption is the disavowed truth made flesh rather than a disease of the system.

Legality has been destroyed, but it also contains the psychic structure that once made it seem objectionable. What was once thought to be transgression is now thought to be truth-telling. We are no longer subject to prohibitions, but instead the superego commands us to watch blatant displays of power and our own complicity.

The exposure of corruption does not lead to a collective moral renewal in a society where every aspect of life has been subordinated to the logic of accumulation, where medicine, education, and even care itself are governed by profit. Everyone has a suspicion that there isn’t any moral precedent to defend, which it confirms. The end result is some sort of political paroxysm. We can identify corruption, but we can’t stop it because it would require the dismantling of the very system we’ve been taught to believe is inevitable and the foundation of our country as we know it.

For the same reason, liberal responses to corruption falter. They make no objection to the fact that these values have lost their institutional and cultural foundation, instead appealing to morality, decency, fairness, and honesty. Meanwhile, the right has developed strategies to exploit this emptiness. Trump’s genius lies in his ability to make corruption look like it’s real, and to portray it as being violent like freedom. His supporters are correct to say that corruption permeates elite life and that it is at the source of it. They observe a lack of decadence in bureaucrats as opposed to billionaires and monopolies as immigrants.

If corruption no longer causes a meaningful response, let alone a popular uprising, it’s because, as the Democratic Party claims, “the resistance” has been made profitable. Cynicism is a badge of sophistication, while anger has evolved into a lifestyle. Political criticism and condemnation have been extensively commodified, making them popular in the culture industry, a process that produces aphorisms about tyranny and publishes corrupt politicians’ memoirs alongside. When politics turn into entertainment and outrage turns into a corporate aesthetic, fascism no longer needs to hide its virtue; it simply needs to put on a show that is better than its alleged foes.

Trump’s corruption continues unchecked because no one else notices it, but because they no longer consider it to be possible. After all, to be scandalized is still to believe in a morally righteous world. A society that no longer believes in its own chance of redemption is what we are currently dealing with.

More than just exposing corruption, it will take a lot to rekindle an ethical imagination. It will require investing in forms of collective, reciprocal caregiving that give democratic ethics concrete life and value, as well as creating real public and civic institutions that are meant to serve working-class people as opposed to the interests of the wealthy.

Corruption flourishes in solidarity’s crumbling remains. We must create a society where truth and honesty are not a matter of individual performance but rather of shared public purpose, confrontation with our oppressive past, and real detachment from it.

The US and Chinese presidents met in South Korea to come to a consensus on a lower trade tension. In addition to imposing new restrictions on the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping made new commitments regarding the supply of crucial agricultural commodities and rare earth minerals.

The most deadly raid in Brazilian history occurred in a state police operation targeting a major drug gang in Brazil, killing 132 people in low-income neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro.

Less than half of those killed in the favelas, the Portuguese word for slum, were initially reported by authorities. Since then, protests against excessive police use have erupted, and activists have called on the governor of Rio to step down for what they have called a “slaughter.”

According to state police, the Tuesday operation had been planned for months. The “sting” aimed to entice suspects into a hillside of protected wilderness where special operations units were awaiting their ambush.

Difficulty of favela residents gathered in front of the state government’s main office the day after, yelling “assassins”! shortly after family members in one of the targeted areas dumped dozens of bodies.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was one of those who expressed shock at the death toll. Lula, Brazil’s justice minister, claimed that the federal government had not been informed or asked to participate in the operation in advance.

What transpired?

In Rio’s northern neighborhoods of Penha Complex and Alemao Complex, police launched a predawn raid on foot and in armored cars, targeting the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, one of Brazil’s oldest criminal organizations.

The gang, which began in Rio’s prisons in the 1970s, has since grown and is now a dominant force in the Amazon. Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and protection racketeering are some of its criminal activities.

2,500 police and soldiers were involved in the assault on Tuesday. Many people waited close to the targeted sites in wooded areas, where the majority of the killings took place. The two neighbourhoods experienced chaos as a result of Red Command’s response to the government forces.

Schools were closed in the affected areas, and several roads had been blocked. A nearby university had cancelled its classes. Additionally, many stores in the two districts shut down on Wednesday.

How many people were killed, and what was taken?

According to Rio state governor Claudio Castro, a far-right ally of Jair Bolsonaro, forensic investigations are still being conducted. He maintained that there were currently 58 people killed, including four police officers, at the time.

However, a report from the public attorney’s office, which assists the underprivileged, stated that the figure was actually 132.

The state government claimed 118 weapons and more than a tonne of drugs were taken following the raid. Castro referred to the operation as a “success” on Wednesday. In a video released on X, he described the raid as a “historic day in the fight against crime in Rio de Janeiro.”

Sigo acompagnonating this historical dia without waging a war against Rio de Janeiro’s criminality.

A decision must be made in order to determine whether or not the next two years will be necessary to determine the number of probable passes in the present. pic. https://twitter.com/seFOP9JmIu

A hearing with the governor and the heads of the military and civil police are scheduled for Monday in Rio and Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court ordered Castro to provide information about the police operation.

Residents of Penha gathered next to numerous bodies laid out in a square on Wednesday and yelled “justice”! before the remains were retrieved by forensic experts.

Brazilian crime journalist Rafael Soares claimed that Red Command has recently launched an offensive in Rio de Janeiro, reclaiming territory it had lost to First Capital Command, as its main rival.

Are there any violent police raids in Brazil?

In Brazil’s favelas, police frequently launch deadly raids against criminal organizations.

However, police in Brazil that have over 20 fatalities are “very uncommon” in Soares’ opinion. And Rio is the hub for those.

Prior to this, the city’s most deadly police raid in the Jacarezinho neighborhood in 2021 resulted in 29 fatal injuries. 19 people were killed in a second raid on the Alemao Complex in 2022, which involved 400 officers, helicopters, and armored vehicles.

In Sao Paulo in 1992, when police stormed the Carandiru Penitentiary to oust a rebellion, 111 prisoners were killed.

What response does the government offer?

Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski described the raid as “very bloody” and expressed his condolences to the families of those who were “innocent people” killed while on a trip to the state of Ceara on Tuesday. According to him, Lula was “horrified” by the number of fatalities.

The government will also be monitoring public responses. Prior to the national elections in the upcoming year, national violence is a crucial issue. According to a survey conducted by Parana Pesquisas, a national pollster, nearly 50% of Brazilians believe security has declined under Lula.

Lula stated on social media that organized crime in Brazil continues to “destroy families, oppress residents, and spread drugs and violence across cities.”

The president was previously accused of protecting criminal organizations by opposition lawmakers the day before. The president of the traffickers must be angry. In reference to gang members who died during the Rio de Janeiro operation, Gilvan da Federal told Congress. “He lost voters in Rio.

What was the response of the raid’s response from humanitarian organizations?

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Marta Hurtado, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN, has been critical of the brutality of the raid this week.

We fully comprehend the difficulties that come with dealing with violent and well-organized organizations like Red Command, she said.

She added that Brazil should “break this cycle of extreme brutality” and make sure law enforcement uses of force are compliant with international standards.

Who: Australia vs. India
What: Second T20 international of five-game series
Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia
When: Friday, October 31, at 7:15pm (08:15 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 5:45 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

After the first match was rained off on Wednesday, Australia and India will try again on Friday for their second T20 international.

The Indians, the T20 team with the best record in the world and the only team with the World Cup, are second only to the Australians.

The second game in a highly anticipated series that is a part of the 2026 T20 World Cup preparations is examined by Al Jazeera Sport.

What transpired during India’s first T20 appearance in Australia?

After being given a score of 9.4 overs by Australia, the series’ opener was called off. Before the rain brought the game to an end, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and opener Shubman Gill lit up the play with the latter scoring two fours and a six in the final three deliveries.

With Suryakumar and Gill sharing a 62-over partnership, Suryakumar and Gill were 39 off 24 while Gill was hit 37 off 20.

How has Australia fared in the T20 World Cup in the past?

Australia have won seven of their previous eight T20 bi-lateral series, continuing their unbeaten run.

The last four games have all ended in victories. In cricket’s shortest format, both stats correspond to their longest streaks.

How is India faring in preparation for the T20 World Cup in 2026?

With a nine-series unbeaten run in bilateral T20 matches, India is one better than Australia.

The Indians have won six straight games.

Where is the 2026 T20 World Cup and how did India triumph in the final round?

In the 2024 T20 World Cup final, India defeated South Africa by seven runs to win by seven runs.

In their final T20 encounter this year, the Indians defeated Australia to claim the trophy. India’s 24-run victory over them in Saint Lucia sent them out of the Super Sixes.

India and Sri Lanka will host the 2026 stage from February 7 through February 8, with the final match taking place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

Stat attack: Australia vs. India

India had won seven of its final eight T20 matches against Australia, including the final three.

Australia’s record of winning more than one match on their own soil against India is disappointing reading, as is the result of their home-grown success.

The last three bilateral T20 matches between Australia, both home and away, have also been won by India.

Is Melbourne the world’s largest cricket stadium?

Although the MCG has a staggering 90,000 capacity, it is not the largest in international cricket. The 132, 000-person Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, will take the title. In contrast, the world’s most well-known cricket ground, Lord’s Cricket Ground, has 31, 100 seats.

Are T20 matches between Australia and India still on sale?

The series’ second match has been a complete sellout for some time. The series’ final three games in Hobart, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane are limited to just three tickets.

In Melbourne, are Australia and India competing with Oasis?

Oasis are playing in Australia at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Friday night for the first time in 20 years, which makes the sellout at the MCG even more impressive. However, it is anticipated that India’s blue support will far outweigh its home support in green and yellow.

🎥 𝘼𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨#TeamIndia reach Melbourne for 2nd #AUSvIND T20I 🛬 👌 pic. twitter.com/MIadTIuEWz

What has Australia said prior to their second game against India?

Tim David and Nathan Ellis are both in line to make their first appearances at the renowned MGC on Friday despite having played nearly 100 internationals together.

The guys who haven’t been there and done it will have an experience, Ellis said.

“I was just talking to [Marcus Stoinis] about the first days of the BBL], when he described the Melbourne Derby as being exciting and cool, and gave us an overview of his experiences there.

It’s an exciting prospect because I’m so excited to play in front of a sizable crowd at MCG. That one has been on the calendar for a while for a few of us.

What time will the Australia-India T20 series take place?

Second T20I vs. India, MCG, Melbourne on October 31.
• Third T20I match between India and Australia on November 2 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
• Fourth T20I vs. India, November 6 at Gold Coast Stadium in Gold Coast
• Fifth T20I vs. India, The Gabba, Brisbane on November 8.

news from the Australian national team

The team that likely launched the series’ first abandoned T20 international is likely to be Australia.

Josh Hazlewood’s final game in the series is up for grabs, and Sean Abbott will have one more to come. The pair will then play first-class Sheffield Shield matches before starting the Ashes Test series against England.

Adam Zampa is unable to participate in the series because of paternity leave, while Cameron Green misses the entire series to focus on the Ashes.

With a back injury, Pat Cummins misses the series and will miss the first Test against the English.

While Glenn Maxwell is recovering from a broken wrist, Ben Dwarshuis, who is also recovering from injury, will take Abbott’s place after the second game. After this game, Mahli Beardman will also be a member of the squad as a reinforcement and could make his international debut.

News from the India team

The same side that was named after the opening T20 game will also be named by India.

After missing the ODI series, Jasprit Bumrah made his return to the India squad for the T20s.

Hardik Pandya’s injury-plagued Hardik Pandya was replaced by Nitish Kumar Reddy for the tour, the only addition to the squad chosen for the successful Asia Cup campaign in September. The fast-bowling all-star had a left quadricep injury that required him to miss the series’ first three games.

slated starting lineup for Australia

Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh (captain).

India starting lineup was anticipated

Authorities failed on Thursday to clear the air and lower pollution levels by seeding the city with thick smog, which blanketed New Delhi. The trial is the most recent attempt by officials to improve the city’s more than 30 million residents’ air quality.