Former Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith, who spearheaded the two federal prosecutions of President Donald Trump, has been subpoenaed by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.
Despite Smith’s previous offering to speak at an open meeting with the Republican-led panel looking into the indictments against Trump, the announcement was made on Wednesday.
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In a letter to Smith from committee chairman Republican Jim Jordan, the committee concluded that the committee believes that you have information that is essential to its oversight of this matter because of your service as Special Counsel.
Smith’s testimony was also requested by Jordan to provide records for the committee. Later this month, Smith will be scheduled for a closed-door interview.
One of the federal indictments that Smith spearheaded involved Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election’s outcomes and his actions on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
The second incident involved his resort in Florida’s hoarding of classified documents.
After Trump’s re-election in November 2024, both cases were dropped. A sitting president’s prosecution is prohibited by a long-standing Justice Department rule.
Trump has described the indictments as being part of a coordinated, politically motivated “witch-hunt.”
In a statement, Smith’s attorney, Peter Koski, criticized the planned deposition’s private nature.
The American people won’t have the opportunity to speak with Jack directly on these subjects, Koski said. “We are disappointed that offer was rejected.
In order to clarify the various falsehoods about his investigation, Jack looks forward to meeting with the committee later this month to discuss his work.
Republicans in Congress have been making headlines recently as to reports that Smith’s team analyzed some lawmakers’ phone records prior to the riot on January 6.
President Donald Trump and defense lawyer Todd Blanche are seen talking in a sketch of an ad during federal hearings on August 3, 2023.
The only basic information about incoming and outgoing calls, including their time, date, and duration, was maintained by Smith’s legal team, who maintained that the records did not include the contents of the phone conversations.
In a letter to lawmakers in October, Smith’s attorneys wrote to lawmakers that “Mr. Smith’s actions as Special Counsel were consistent with the decisions of a prosecutor who has dedicated his career to following the facts and the law, without fear or favor, and without regard for the political consequences.”
His investigative decisions had similar motivations, and the subpoena for toll records was lawful, accurate, and in line with established Department of Justice rules. Politics have never influenced Mr. Smith’s decision-making, they continued, despite the fact that Mr. Smith’s prosecutions of President Trump have, as one might expect, been politicized by others.
Trump repeatedly attacked Smith, calling him “a sick man,” when asked about the subpoena at a Wednesday press conference at the Oval Office.
The US-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee’s session in Naqoura brought together civil representatives from Lebanon and Israel, marking the first direct exchanges between the two nations in more than 40 years.
Nawaf Salam, the leader of Lebanon, stated on Wednesday that Beirut is willing to engage in negotiations that go beyond security concerns and that normalization is dependent on a peace process.
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According to Salam, these discussions are merely aimed at “the cessation of hostilities,” the release of Lebanese hostages, and “the complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory.
Salam claimed that Lebanon had no intention of striking a separate peace agreement with Israel despite its continued support for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which demands a full normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for its complete withdrawal from the 1967 occupied territory.
He claimed that the presence of civilian envoys could “defuse tensions,” noting recent Israeli airstrikes as a sure sign of rising escalation.
Along the Blue Line, the border between Israel and Lebanon, the committee met for roughly three hours.
The committee hoped to “nurture peace” along the long-volatile border, according to a statement released afterward that praised the addition of civilian envoys as an “important step” in “lasting civilian as well as military dialogue.
Renewed escalation
The committee’s role should go beyond just overseeing the 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as has been urged by the United States for months. The most recent meeting comes amid growing concerns that Israeli airstrikes may have continued into the capital of Lebanon.
Despite the ceasefire’s stipulation that it withdraw entirely, Israel has continued to launch regular air strikes in Lebanon, frequently claiming that it is attacking Hezbollah members and facilities. It has also kept troops in five areas in the south.
In an online press release, Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesman for the Israeli government, described Wednesday’s meeting as “historical development.”
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East led to this direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. There are unique opportunities to make peace with our neighbors, Bedrosian said, as the prime minister has stated.
Appointment is subject to investigation.
In the afternoon session, Lebanon’s presidential office announced Morgan Ortagus and Simon Karam, a lawyer and former US ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s, would represent Beirut.
According to a statement, the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker discussed his appointment after consultations.
Some Lebanoni political actors criticized the inclusion of Karam, who saw the move as a concession. Salman defended the decision, claiming that it had national support and was politically sound.
He claimed that Netanyahu had overstated the appointment’s significance and that Beirut had not yet engaged in peace talks.
After the Lebanese presidency made the announcement, Netanyahu had previously referred to Karam’s participation as “the first attempt to lay the groundwork for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”
Netanyahu’s office claimed that Israel had invited the deputy head of its foreign policy division to the meeting, citing the ongoing US-mediated dialogue.
Hezbollah de-armament
Salam said Lebanon is open to expanding the committee’s scope to include direct investigation into Israeli allegations that Hezbollah is re-arming and to monitor Lebanese army counterterrorism efforts.
When he inquired whether there might be French or US troops stationed there, he said, “of course.”
Political and diplomatic pressure is mounting on Hezbollah to disarm. After Israel launched attacks on Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 70, 000 people have been killed by Israel’s genocidal war, the group is being pressured to hand over its weapons by Israel and the United States.
Hezbollah has rejected calls for disarmament, citing them as part of a joint US-Israeli effort to stifle Lebanon. Naim Qassem, the head of Hezbollah, suggested that the Lebanese state had failed to protect the country’s southern from Israeli bombardment.
Qassem asserts that the organization has the right to react to the assassination of its top military officer by an Israeli airstrike last week in southern Beirut. The Lebanese organization has repeatedly criticized any “trap” negotiations with Israel.
According to Salam, “We have received Israeli messages suggesting a possible escalation, but without specific dates,” in response to Israeli calls for Hezbollah to cease operations.
He reaffirmed that Hezbollah must give up its weapons, calling it “one of the essential components” for its participation in state-building. He claimed that the government has “regained the decision over war and peace” and that Israel’s arsenal has not “deterred Israel and has not protected Lebanon.”
According to her attorney, Geslaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in the United States for her involvement in a alleged sex trafficking ring led by billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, intends to file a petition for her release.
The plan was made public on Wednesday, but it did not specify the legal arguments Maxwell would use in her petition. She was instructed to pursue her early release without the assistance of an attorney, it continued.
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The letter also urged against making public documents about Maxwell’s case because they might contain “untested and unproven allegations.”
If Maxwell’s petition for release were to be made public, it stated that “it would lead to undue prejudice such that it would make it impossible for a fair retrial.”
The late Epstein’s crimes and those who may have been aware of them are being investigated more seriously by the petition.
Particularly, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has been questioned about how his administration handled the case’s files, which may contain information about Epstein’s powerful associates.
Trump has also been under pressure to address his personal feelings toward Epstein.
speculation about a pardon
The billionaire financier committed suicide in August 2019 while he was incarcerated in a New York City jail.
Numerous women have come forward to say they have witnessed Epstein’s crimes. Many people want more accountability from Epstein’s political and business contacts.
Epstein’s death and his powerful social circle have also fueled conspiracy theories about possible cover-ups and unnamed accomplices.
Those who spread the conspiracy theories included members of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base, including officials like Kash Patel.
Prior to taking office, Patel, who is currently the FBI’s director, discussed the possibility that Epstein might have used a “client list” or “black book” to extort his contacts.
Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi later refuted those conspiracy theories by claiming there were no client lists or grounds to pursue additional defendants in a July memo.
Trump’s MAGA base was irritated by that memo, which also drew new attention to the president’s ties to Epstein.
Trump has made an effort to stop that speculation, but the president has already denied being close to the financier.
The Trump administration sent a Justice Department official to interview Maxwell over the course of two days in response to pressure to release all of the government’s Epstein-related files.
Maxwell claimed in a later transcript that she had never witnessed Trump in “any inappropriate setting.”
Maxwell was moved from a Florida prison to a Texas facility with lower security shortly after the July interview.
Document release pressure
Criticism has claimed that the Trump administration has avoided disclosing the relevant files despite promises to be transparent in its handling of the Epstein case.
Trump changed his mind about the subject by signing a law that requires the Department of Justice to release all unclassified materials related to Epstein in a “searchable and downloadable format” within 30 days.
Additionally, rumors are growing about whether Trump will pardon Maxwell or commute her sentence.
A whistleblower reported that Maxwell was working on a “Commutation Application” to be sent to the Trump administration in November, according to House Democrats.
A presidential pardon or commutation was opposed in a petition filed by Jamie Raskin, the top Democratic member on the House Judiciary Committee, a few weeks later.
Every Member should back this Resolution in order for President Donald Trump to send a clear and unambiguous message to him before he again mocks the pardon system, he said.
America opposes giving the unrepentant, unremorseful liar and criminal who was a key player in a vicious billion-dollar international child sex trafficking ring a get-out-of-jail card.
Washington, DC – A White House committee organizing the 2026 World Cup in the United States calls the event a “global moment of unity.”
The executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, told reporters on Wednesday, “We want to make sure that we’re as welcoming as possible.”
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However, Donald Trump’s increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are raising questions about Washington’s commitment to hosting a friendly tournament.
Giuliani praised the US Department of State’s efforts to shorten the time it takes to get interviews for visitor visas, which will allow fans from all over the world to visit the US during the World Cup, which Mexico and Canada will host together.
Giuliani also confirmed that fans from 19 nations that are subject to a US travel ban won’t be granted special World Cup exemptions. Additionally, he did not rule out removing undocumented immigrants from neighborhoods where matches are held.
Amnesty International USA’s Americas advocacy director, Daniel Norona, criticizes the US administration’s strategy.
If you’re pushing down on anyone who disagrees with you, repressing them, and promoting discrimination, you can’t have unity, Norona said to Al Jazeera.
If they are acting in a way that is contrary to what unity means, then I don’t believe we can refer to this as a moment of unity.
travel interdiction
Haiti and Iran, both of which are subject to the travel ban, are participating in the tournament.
Giuliani repeatedly reiterated that fans and direct support personnel from banned countries will be given visas, but that they may not, as he repeatedly said. Every single person who is present, he said, “is a national security issue.”
However, some Iranian delegation members have already been denied visas by the US for Friday’s World Cup group stage draw.
Andrew Giuliani addresses reporters in Washington, DC, on December 3, 2025. [Sherry L. Brukbacher/US State Department/Foreign Press Center]
Giuliani also defended the travel ban for Haitian fans, noting that Sebastien Migne, the national team’s coach, has never traveled to the Caribbean nation, which has experienced gang violence, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters.
Haitians outside Haiti are also subject to Trump’s ban. As the Trump administration continues to rescind immigration protections for Haitians living in the US, Norona also made a point about how the crackdown might affect them.
Norona argued that Trump’s policies are “the antithesis” of the World Cup, which celebrates openness and welcoming people from all over the world.
For the fans, players, and everyone involved in the World Cup, “we are concerned that this will create a non-welcoming and overall hostile environment,” Norona told Al Jazeera.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids aimed at World Cup venues were not approved by Giuliani.
About 14 million people who have never been granted permanent residency in the US have established new lives and families, many of whom are Latinos who love football.
Giuliani, the son of Trump’s former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, said, “I’ve known the president for 25 years.” The president doesn’t rule out anything that would improve the safety of Americans.
Norona claimed that no one is safe during immigration raids.
They only serve to spooky effect the rest of the football fans and the rest of the community who want to watch their games, he claimed.
Trump has a “unique style”
Trump’s crackdown has affected more than just undocumented immigrants.
Over the objections to Israel, the administration has pushed to deport people who are legal residents of the country, including visitors, foreign students, and permanent residents.
Sami Hamdi, a British journalist who fought for Palestinian human rights, was detained by ICE agents in October and held for two weeks before being taken out of the country for his advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
The undocumented population in the US is among the chilling effects, according to the author. Anyone who might disagree or be offended by the current administration has a chilling effect, said Norona.
Giuliani, for his part, argued that Trump does not want foreigners to enter the country because it is a “fictional narrative.”
He stated that “he wants to make sure that people can enter the United States legally.” He added to reporters that we can also ensure that the games and other experiences are secure.
Trump, however, had launched an anti-immigrant tirade on Tuesday, calling US Somali residents “garbage.”
Giuliani was questioned by Al Jazeera about Trump’s rhetoric and how it might conflict with the unity message US officials are putting forth during the World Cup.
The president “has a distinctive style.” In my opinion, Giuliani is a very effective leader, and I believe that is the justification for why he is the ideal host for this incredible World Cup, which will be the largest in human history,” Giuliani said.
He continued to make the case that Trump’s bigoted approach was honest.
He is unique in that regard in terms of the president’s rhetoric. Like me, he is a New Yorker. Giuliani remarked that there are times when we use words that are a little off-kilter than words for polished politicians.
“But I believe that’s also the reason why he’s been able to really touch the hearts of so many Americans because he is completely honest with them.”
However, Norona claimed that Trump’s statements send a “racist” and “discriminatory message.
He continued, “I don’t believe it’s style; it’s a deliberate choice of words.” It should be reprobable for everyone, the author writes.
After Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Trump looks at Gianni Infantino, who holds the golden glove trophy next to him.
FIFA Pace Prize
Trump has shown a lot of interest in football in general and the World Cup. He regularly hosts Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, at the White House and he recently watched the Club World Cup final in New Jersey in July.
During his visit to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he welcomed Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo to a state dinner in Washington, DC, last month.
The US president will also be present for the first FIFA Peace Prize presentation at Friday’s draw.
There have been calls for FIFA to require immigration protection at games. Additionally, the organization’s close ties to Trump have drawn criticism.
FIFA’s anti-racism messages were not promoted during the World Cup, which appeared to be in line with Trump’s opposition to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
By the time of publication, FIFA had not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
According to Minky Worden, the director of sport for Human Rights Watch, “FIFA’s so-called peace prize is being awarded in the wake of violent detentions of immigrants, national guard deployments in US cities, and the obsequious cancellation of FIFA’s own antiracism and anti-discrimination campaigns.”
Real Madrid won 3-3 at the Athletic Club in Bilbao thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s double, sealing Real Madrid’s title defense.
Los Blancos held on to Barcelona’s lead after their 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, who had temporarily moved four points clear of them at the top with their win. The French forward scored either side of Eduardo Camavinga’s header in both halves of the match on Wednesday.
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Real, who had been reeling from three straight draws, had also been severely beaten by Liverpool in their most recent dry spell, which meant that their fierce rivals had ascended to the top of the league.
Even though rumors were circulating that the former Real midfielder was facing more pressure in his first season in charge at Santiago Bernabeu, where he took the place of Carlos Ancelotti, were unflinching, there was little to be noted about Xavi Alonso’s side.
One of Real’s best performances of the season was at Athletic’s San Mames.
Mbappe put his first La Liga goal together in the opening minute with a nod from Camavinga before the break.
Mbappe’s 16th league goal of the season, scored by Mbappe, sealed Madrid’s victory with a second goal in the second half.
Alexander-Arnold and Camavinga were both substituted in the second half, which was one of the negatives for Los Blancos.
In the fourth minute, Mbappe almost gave Real Madrid the lead, but Unai Simon made a wise save near the post before Vinicius equalized.
In the seventh minute, Mbappe scored a brilliant goal to give Madrid a strong lead.
With a superb long pass, Mbappe scurried fearlessly into the box and delivered a flawless finish to beat Simon.
On one of Athletic’s rare forays forward, Gorka Guruzeta fired over and forced Thibaut Courtois into a good save at the other end.
Nico Williams and Alex Berenguer had the best of both of their chances, and Courtois put together a superb stop to negate this.
Madrid was woken up again, and Vizius, who was effectively collaborating with Mbappe, threatened twice as they took control.
With a low effort from a tight angle, the Brazilian winger attempted to block him off with a low effort from the post.
After Eder Militao had sent him through on goal, Vinicius was saved by the goalkeeper’s excellent save to stop him.
At the conclusion of a good team move, Madrid scored their second before the break when Mbappe nodded Alexander-Arnold’s cross across goal for Camavinga to head home from close range.
Early in the second half, Courtois tipped over Mikel Jauregizar’s fierce effort to prevent Athletic from gaining a foothold in the game.
When Alexander-Arnold pulled up with an apparent muscular injury and was replaced by Raul Asencio, Madrid’s night got worse.
Mbappe put the game beyond question with a second long-range strike that came in near the halfway point. Simon could have improved his efforts to prevent it, perhaps reversing some of his earlier excellent work.
Alonso suffered another potential injury when Camavinga was taken off injured later in a match between his former Real Sociedad teammates in the Basque Country.
An intergovernmental organization tasked with monitoring human rights has lodged a complaint against a Colombian man who was killed in a US military attack on a alleged drug smuggler in the Caribbean Sea.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) received the complaint a day prior, according to the AFP news agency on Wednesday.
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When President Donald Trump bombed a boat on September 15th, it claimed that the US violated Alejandro Carranza’s right to life and the rule of law.
Carranza’s family claims that he was killed by the explosion while aboard that ship.
The complaint claimed that “we know that Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, was in charge of the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on them.”
Hegseth, according to the report, gave the order to strike “despite the fact that he had no idea who the targets of these bombings and extrajudicial killings were.”
Carranza’s family has said he is a fisherman, but Carranza’s family denies that the US military struck his boat with drugs.
Trump himself “has ratified Secretary Hegseth’s conduct,” according to the complaint.
Carranza’s case has sparked a wave of opposition to the US bombing campaign in his native Colombia.
Since September 2, there have been 21 known military strikes the US has carried out on alleged drug smuggling vessels, totaling over 83 fatalities.
Even Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, has cited the case in official statements to denounce the bombings as extrajudicial killings.
On October 18, Petro wrote that “US government officials have murdered and violated our territorial waters.”
“The fisherman, Alejandro Carranza, did not have any ties to drug trafficking; he only went fishing every day.” The Colombian boat’s engine was inoperable, and it was adrift. The US government is still waiting for an explanation.
The Trump administration and Hegseth in particular are under increased scrutiny as a result of the family’s complaint.
According to rights groups, strikes are likely prohibited by both domestic and international law, which largely forbids attacks on civilians.
Self-defence laws do not apply because drug trafficking is not regarded as a form of combat under international law.
Following a so-called double-tap strike during the first known bombing on September 2, US media has reported on a heightened level of scrutiny in recent days. A second missile was dropped on the boat in response to reports that the US military’s initial attack appeared to leave two passengers alive.
According to legal experts, hitting on unarmed adversaries is likely to be a war crime. According to the Pentagon’s own manual, firing “upon the shipwreckd” is also prohibited by the laws of armed conflict.
Trump and Hegseth have since said the follow-up strike was ordered by Navy Vice Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, but they have since distanced themselves from the attack. According to the White House, the order was “given within his authority and the law.”
The administration has also stated that the strikes will continue. It has argued that the attacks are necessary to stop ‘narco-terrorists’ from importing drugs into the US.
The president of Colombia, Petro, has been a vocal critic of the strikes and has pledged to support Carranza’s family’s fight for justice.
Katerine Hernandez, Carranza’s widow, described her husband as a “good man” in an interview with the AFP in October.
She claimed that “he had no ties to drug trafficking, and his only daily pastime was fishing.”
Trump threatens possible land attacks on Venezuela as the US militaries its forces in the Caribbean increase.
Nicolas Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, claims that Trump is trying to change the Caracasi regime under the pretext of drug trafficking.
