According to author Joan Williams, populism has been pushed into the party by elitism.
Author Joan Williams contends that the United States Democratic Party’s elitism is still driving people away as the popularity of the party reaches historic lows.
Williams is the author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back and the founder of the Equality Action Center at the College of Law in San Francisco.
The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, will remain there until 2026, with an exception for an “orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal” starting in 2027, according to a UN Security Council vote on Thursday.
Israel and the United States have heavily pushed for UNIFIL’s closure, despite the fact that UNIFIL has not fulfilled its stated purpose. They claim that the organization has provided political cover for Hezbollah since the 2006 war.
In addition to its invasion of south Lebanon in October, Israel is still occupying at least five locations in Lebanon. Israeli troops should leave south Lebanon, according to a ceasefire agreement reached in November, but that has not yet been done.
What does the closure of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mean for Israel’s border region? What information is necessary here.
South Lebanon will remain under UNIFIL’s control until December 31, 2026.
After that, it will have a year to leave its forces and give the Lebanese Army command of the area.
Given Israel’s disproportional position in terms of military might, technology, and US support, the development seems to favor Israel. Israel’s air force regularly violated Lebanon’s airspace with surveillance flyovers even before Hezbollah started fighting with Israel in October 2023.
Andrea Tenenti, a UNIFIL spokesman, questioned how Israeli forces’ continued support for UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was put into effect at the end of the 2006 conflict.
If the [Israeli military] are still present in the south, how can they be deployed everywhere in the south? he inquired.
These are the things that are challenging to comprehend, so to put it another way.
After Israel invaded southern Lebanon earlier that year, the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) was established to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel would retake control of south Lebanon in 1982 before Hezbollah expelled them in 2000.
More than 10,000 peacekeepers from 47 nations make up UNIFIL, with Indonesia and Italy serving as the country’s top two.
It records violations of UN Resolution 1701 and monitors the entire border region.
Israel has focused its attacks on Naqoura, a coastal town with its headquarters in Naqoura. After the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024, not during fighting, according to Al Jazeera’s report earlier this year.
UNIFIL has 50 positions on Lebanese territory and 1, 060 square kilometers (409 square miles) of southern territory where it conducts its operations.
Only in self-defense or to defend armed civilians.
UNIFIL typically doesn’t fire on either Hezbollah or Israel because of its role as a peacekeeping force.
UNIFIL has recently used non-lethal force to defend itself in situations where its vehicles have been attacked.
They don’t support fans.
In the past, Israel has attacked UNIFIL’s peacekeepers, and UNIFIL accused Israel of intentionally attacking its peacekeepers during the conflict last year.
UNIFIL is a body with an international mandate and legitimacy that publishes reports on Israeli attacks and violations in southern Lebanon, in contrast to Gaza, where Palestinian voices are the only ones authorized to voice information about Israeli attacks or civilian killings.
The US sees UNIFIL as a waste of money because it doesn’t address Hezbollah’s influence in south Lebanon directly.
The US has increasingly adopted Israel’s position on UNIFIL under President Donald Trump.
The United States will support an extension of UNIFIL for the last time, according to Dorothy Shea, the acting US ambassador to the UN. The first letter in UNIFIL, “i,” denotes “interim.” The UNIFIL mission needs to come to an end.
Hezbollah is perceived by Israel and the US as a “terrorist” organization.
In response to Israel’s occupation of Lebanon and the subsequent expulsion of the occupiers from south Lebanon, Hezbollah was established in the 1980s. Although Lebanon contributed the majority of the casualties and damage during the two parties’ inflicted war to a stalemate in 2006.
Israel saw Hezbollah as a primary threat and its weapons as a deterrent to military action between 2006 and last year. Israel’s military has attacked southern Lebanon and occasionally struck closer to Beirut without restraint since the ceasefire was reached, despite an assurance that hostilities would end.
Israel claims that it is attacking Hezbollah targets despite the fact that civilians were frequently killed in Israeli airstrikes last year and continue to do so.
UNIFIL’s renewal was supported by the current Lebanese government.
Nawaf Salam, the prime minister, applauded the decision to renew UNIFIL’s mandate, stating that it “reaffirms the necessity of extending state control over all of its territory” and “reiterates the call for Israel to withdraw its forces from the five sites it continues to occupy.
With the exception of the Lebanese government, UNIFIL has a wider range of viewpoints in south Lebanon.
Many Lebanese residents have publicly criticized the peacekeepers’ presence, despite the fact that some do so.
In south Lebanon, armed civilians attacked a UN vehicle in May with axes and rods. Many southerners have expressed anger toward UNIFIL troops because many of them are unable to return to their homes in South Lebanon due to Israel’s destruction of their villages or because there are still Israeli-style assaults on them. Some people reportedly have a suspicion toward them.
Conflicts between Lebanese civilians and UNIFIL troops are documented on violent videos. After an argument, a local smacks a Finnish UNIFIL peacekeeper across the face in one.
China’s president Xi Jinping has informed 20 world leaders that he hosted a summit in northern Tianjin that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) security forum now bears “greater responsibility” for preserving regional peace and stability.
As he hosted and addressed the high-profile gathering at a banquet on Sunday evening, Xi also emphasized the SCO’s commitment to the development and prosperity of its member states.
According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi was quoted as telling the assembled leaders that the ongoing SCO summit has the crucial task of fostering consensus among all parties and fostering momentum in cooperation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most notable guests at the two-day summit. This is his first visit to China since 2018 following years of tense relations following an Indian and Chinese troops clashed in 2020 at a disputed Himalayan border.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is also present, as is Vladimir Putin, who is facing a 2023 international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant.
The court has no authority in China because it is not a member of the ICC and not a member of the original Rome Statute.
China and Russia have occasionally compared the SCO to the NATO military alliance. The summit, which will be held in Washington, is the first since Donald Trump’s second term as president of the United States, which will begin in 2025. It is a powerful demonstration of global South solidarity in the face of global wars, conflicts, and Trump’s tariffs, which are shaking up the world’s economies.
Xi and Modi made a promise earlier on Sunday to work together and to improve cooperation along the border.
In his opening remarks, Modi claimed that “there is a peaceful environment at the borders after disengagement” and that ties with China have “moved in a meaningful direction.”
According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, he also noted “the importance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas for the continuation of bilateral relations.”
Our cooperation is a “connection between our cooperation and the interests of 2.8 billion people in both countries.” Modi told Xi, “This will also open the door for the welfare of the entire humanity.”
The two most populous countries are fiercely allied to each other in South Asia as they vie for dominance. For the first time in five years at a summit in Russia, Modi and Xi had a meeting in October.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi stated in regards to ties with India that he hoped the Tianjin meeting would “further elevate” and “promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of bilateral relations.”
According to Xi, the two sides should “not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship,” adding that their main concern should be economic development.
China-India relations will flourish and advance steadily as long as they keep their commitment to the overarching goal of being partners, not adversaries, and providing development opportunities, not threats, according to Xi.
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, flew to New Delhi earlier in August to make an announcement about their reconciliation.
Both parties made promises to resume border negotiations and resume direct flight and visa issues.
When anti-immigration demonstrators and counter-protesters clashed, police in Australia used pepper spray. Nationalist “March for Australia” rallies were attended by thousands of people all over the nation, which the government decried as “spreading hate.”
Iran’s network of Middle Eastern allies has suffered severe blows over the past two years. President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria fell apart. Hezbollah faced mounting pressure to disarm in Lebanon after being forced to lay down its weapons under a ceasefire negotiated by the United States. After US forces massively bombarded infrastructure and civilian areas in Yemen, the Houthis were forced to stop preventing maritime traffic through the Red Sea. Ahmed al-Rahawi, their prime minister, and several other ministers were killed on Thursday in an Israeli attack.
Iran’s once-formidable deterrent has dramatically decreased. And now it appears that its influence in Iraq is waning by the day. The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a group of predominately Shia paramilitary units, are under increasing pressure from the US to rein in Iranian allies.
Although it may be difficult and risky to integrate the PMF into the Iraqi army, it could if it were to be done. However, it could help to advance the country’s sovereignty and state.
The PMF’s brief history  exemplifies Iraq’s wider setbacks of trying to balance pressures from the US and Iran with its wider situation.
In response to the country’s security vacuum, which was directly at the root of the country’s rise of ISIL (ISIS) in 2014, it established its paramilitary organizations. After the US invasion, the Iraqi army was disbanded in 2003, and the reconstituted force lacked the morale and readiness to defend the nation.
The PMF succeeded in halting ISIL’s advance where the regular army had failed, but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) co-opted many of its members as regional influence tools.
The PMF still has a significant influence in Iraq today. It includes hardline groups that are unwaveringly loyal to Iran and groups that genuinely seek integration with the Iraqi military.
Mohammed al-Sudani, the prime minister of Iraq, is being under increasing US pressure to overthrow his own ruling coalition, which has strong support from the PMF.
The proposed American strategy, which would allow compliant units to join the regular army and remove militia leaders from positions of authority, is nothing less than a complete overhaul of Iraq’s security structure. Some Iraqi lawmakers have pushed the PMF to become a military force for the first time in the process by passing legislation that would permanently enshrine it.
The PMF’s integration bill, which was introduced in March, aims to make it a permanent, independent military body with a budget, a command structure, and a military academy. Additionally, it would give the PMF commander a ministerial rank, institutionalizing what Washington perceives as Iranian influence within the Iraqi government.
The bill was temporarily withdrawn from parliament thanks to US pressure. Marco Rubio, the US’s secretary of state, made a clear warning that a comprehensive analysis of US-Iraqi relations, possibly involving sanctions, would result from passing such legislation. Given Washington’s recent 35 percent tariffs on Iraq, this threat had weight.
The processing of electronic transactions by Iraqi state-owned Al-Rafidain Bank caused a disruption in the payment of PMF fighters’ salaries in June, which was brought on by US pressure.
US lawmakers have been calling on Al-Rafidain Bank to be sanctioned for a 2022 corruption scandal, in which $2.5 billion in state funds were allegedly stolen from it because of allegations that people close to the PMF were involved.
No longer is it about whether the PMF should remain in its current form in Baghdad. In Washington, that query has been resolved. Al-Sudani is under a lot of pressure to stop the Iraqi state’s parallel army from aligning with Iran.
Iraq’s course of action is clear. Under constant American pressure, Iran’s political order, which has long been dominated by its allies and endured systemic corruption, isundergoing fundamental change. Washington appears to be determined to not leave the outcome in the hands of Tehran’s final significant regional stronghold.
Because of his lack of other options, Al-Sudani will cling to American pressure. The regular army will include all factions who are willing to distance themselves from Tehran. Refusing to participate will be isolated, destroyed, or their funding will be severed for those who refuse. Not when, but when will determine this outcome.
There are a lot of risks. Iranian-affiliated paramilitary organizations may violently repress dissolution. Despite its weakened regional standing, Tehran can still stoke chaos across Iraqi territory.
Iraq may yet be hurled back into civil conflict as a result of the ghosts of 2006 returning. However, if Iraqi institutions are able to withstand the storm, stronger sovereignty would result in a state that has been sorely lacking since the US invasion of 2003.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has left Barcelona, Spain’s port city, with the intention of “reversing Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.”
Around 3:30pm on Sunday, the boats started leaving the port, and there were crowds of supporters, supporters, and well-wishers waiting to see the crews.
“Nobody was expecting so many people to wave goodbye to the volunteers,” remarked Mauricio Morales, who was on board the Familia, one of the Flotilla boats. In this particular boat, people are strangers, and the spirits of each have a distinct role.
Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and other prominent individuals who were sailing with the Flotilla spoke out hours before their departures about Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
Israel’s statements regarding their genocidal intentions are very explicit. They want to oust Palestine as a whole. Thunberg criticized politicians and governments for “failing to uphold international law” and said they wanted to take control of the Gaza Strip.
She claimed that they are breaking their most fundamental legal obligations to take action to stop their complicity and support of the Palestinian occupation and genocide.
Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek criticized Israel’s use of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in Gaza. He claimed that because of a government’s intentional starvation, “Palestinians are being starved to death.”
According to Abukeshek, “the government intentionally bombs Palestinian children and families every day to kill as many Palestinians as possible.” Your main objective is essentially to eliminate the presence of the Palestinian population when you bomb hospitals, bomb schools, or bomb educational facilities.
As part of its plan to overtake Gaza City and forcefully retake the area’s population, Israel stepped up its efforts to seize the city and forcefully retake the area, which was followed by the United Nations declaring a state of famine in Gaza this month.
Thunberg mentioned “dozens” of vessels, but the Global Sumud Flotilla, which describes itself as an independent organization unaffiliated with any political party or government, did not specify how many would sail or when would the ships would arrive.
Sumud in Arabic means “persistence.”
Everyone who signed up for the Flotilla has a strong belief in its goal.
From aboard the Familia, Morales said, “It was difficult to say goodbye to my two kids, but I’m doing this because I think keeping track of what our colleagues in Gaza and the West Bank are doing… this is easy compared to what they endure every day.”
The flotilla, which is made up of delegations from 44 nations, will be joined by “many more boats from different ports” in Greece, Italy, and Tunisia, according to Yasemin Acar, the organizer of the flotilla.
By mid-September, the maritime convoy is anticipated to arrive in Gaza along with activists, European legislators, and prominent public figures.
The flotilla was “a legal mission under international law,” according to left-leaning Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortagua, who will join the mission, last week.
Israel had previously blocked two attempts by activists to send aid by ship to Gaza.
12 activists on board the Madleen were detained by Israeli forces 185 kilometers (115 miles) west of Gaza in June. Acar and Thunberg were among the passengers who were detained and eventually expelled.
21 activists from 10 nations were detained on a different vessel, the Handala, as they attempted to get to Gaza in July.
We attempted to sail with the Handala two months ago, according to the Madleen. And the Zionist entity also targeted, abducted, and brought our way against our will. However, Acar claimed that they did say they would return.
The flotilla was “an important act of symbolic resistance” that would “create a spectacle,” according to Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, with Israel likely finding it “logistically challenging” to deal with the number of vessels arriving at the same time.
They will ultimately be intercepted, they say. They will be detained or otherwise returned, he said. The famine won’t be solved by this, says one expert. Governments doing their jobs to stop genocide and deliberate starvation are ultimately what will solve the famine.