When the puck dropped in Montreal’s Bell Centre on Saturday night, Team Canada’s Brandon Hagel dropped his gloves along with Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk.
It was the first of three fights that took place between the hockey rivals in nine seconds for their 4 Nations Face-Off matchup.
Because of the aggression and fists flying, not to mention the aggressive checking from both benches throughout the 3-1 win for the United States, many are wondering if we’re going to expect more of the same on Thursday night in Boston for the tournament’s championship game.
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Team Canada forward Brandon Hagel controls the puck during the third period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team Finland at TD Garden.(Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Hagel said that his decision to fight Tkachuk the moment the game started wasn’t to put on a show for those in the seats and watching at home.
There was pride for country.
“Listen, what happened the other night, I did it for the flag and not for the cameras,” Hagel said.
US, CANADIAN HOCKEY STARS GET INTO NUMEROUS FIGHTS IN OPENING SECONDS OF 4 NATIONS RIVALRY AFTER ANTHEM BOOS
Before that fight occurred, there was a lot of tension from Canadian fans booing the U.S. national anthem. Both teams have a strong sense of pride for the country they wear on their sweaters, so it’s understandable why Tkachuk, his brother, Brady, and J.T. Miller all fought someone in the first nine seconds of the game.
For Hagel’s bout, he was seen egging on the crowd after getting back on his skates, trying to use home ice to Canada’s advantage.
Team Canada forward Brandon Hagel (38) plays the puck and Team United States defenseman Charlie McAvoy defends in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre.(Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
With roles reversed this time, as Team USA will be playing in Boston’s TD Garden against Team Canada, Hagel expects the same sense of pride from both squads.
“I think it’s going to be the same way,” he said.
Whether that means immediate fights remains to be seen.
Matthew Tkachuk admitted that he “didn’t like it” when Canadian fans booed during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and after hearing a mixture of cheers and boos on Monday night during Team Canada’s matchup with Team Finland in the TD Garden, the U.S. fans could reciprocate on Thursday night.
Team United States forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Team Canada forward Brandon Hagel fight in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre.(Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
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Either way, Team Canada is looking for revenge and bragging rights as winners of this tournament after allowing three unanswered goals, with Connor McDavid’s goal kicking off the scoring, on Saturday night.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Progressive groups across the country once again protested President Donald Trump on Monday. The “Not My Presidents Day” or “No Kings Day” protests were organized by the 50501 Movement, a coalition of activists united against Trump’s “executive overreach.”
From Austin, Texas, to Orlando, Florida, and Boston to Phoenix, demonstrators gathered in cities across the United States holding handmade signs, singing songs of resistance and chanting in protest. More than a thousand gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., this Presidents Day.
“On Monday, we call on organizations and activists across the nation to once again stand united,” Sarah, a 50501 Movement and Voices of Florida organizer, said in a statement ahead of Presidents Day. “We will not cede ground to fascism quietly. We will fight back against Project 2025, and we will fight for the future of all of our beautiful communities.”
Protesters at the nation’s capitol on Monday carried signs calling to “impeach” Elon Musk, resist the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and save our republic. Fox News Digital spoke with several protesters in Washington, D.C., about why they felt compelled to protest. Protesters said they gathered to reject Elon Musk and DOGE.
TOP TRUMP AGENCY RECOVERS EYE-POPPING SUM AFTER LAUNCHING DOGE TASK FORCE
A protester holds a flag with a sign saying “We The People Serve No King,” during the “No Kings Day” protest on Presidents Day against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 near the Capitol in Washington, D.C.(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“I’m here to protest the president, protest Elon Musk, and protest all the executive orders. He is not our president. Everything he’s done is a destruction of this country. He only cares about himself and his pockets and the pockets of his cronies. He’s not here to help any of the working Americans. Everything he’s doing is mass destruction. He is a weapon of mass destruction,” Jennifer, a protester in Washington, D.C., said.
PROTESTS ERUPT AROUND THE COUNTRY AGAINST THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POLICIES
Jennifer said Trump might be president, but he is not a president for the people. Mary Hart, an educator at the protest, said her immigrant and trans students have been targeted by the administration, and she wanted to be a part of the resistance.
“I’m an educator, and I’m scared for my immigrant students,” Hart said. “I’m scared for my trans students. I’m scared for my country. I just had to show up and be part of the resistance. They’re being targeted and dehumanized by multiple people in this government. They’re coming to school scared, interrupting their learning. They’re being targeted and bullied by people who are emboldened by this administration, and it’s not right.”
Jerome Bobowski, a girl dad from Detroit, led a “Where is Congress?” chant at the Washington, D.C., rally. He said he protested to protect his daughters’ rights.
Thousands gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., for the “No Kings on Presidents Day” protest on Feb. 17, 2025.(Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
“My kids are power women, and they have to have as many rights as my wife, who is a power woman too. We want justice. We don’t want a country without laws. That’s why they all come here. Because we have rules. We are not kings,” Bobowski said.
Protesters said they were afraid of losing personal liberties, but the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump is a “leader for all Americans.” Responding to the “Not My Presidents Day” protests, the Trump administration emphasized his “resounding mandate” from the American people on Election Day and his commitment to delivering on his campaign promises.
“This Presidents Day, we honor the leadership of President Trump. He received a resounding mandate from the American people and swiftly took action to deliver on his promises of restoring common sense policies, strengthening the economy and re-establishing America’s dominance on the world stage. President Trump is a leader for all Americans, and he will continue to prioritize America’s interests in every decision,” principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said.
A protester holds up a “NO MUSK” sign at the “No Kings on Presidents Day” protest in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17, 2025.(Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
The 50501 Movement, which means 50 protests in 50 states on one day, began with a Reddit post, Sarah, who is a national core member of 50501, explained. From there, #buildtheresistance and #50501 gained traction on social media. On Feb. 5, they mobilized over 20,000 people across the country to protest Trump’s policies and Project 2025.
“All of this happened very organically and very fast,” Sarah told Fox News Digital. “I think that people didn’t know where to put their feelings. They didn’t know how to move. I think that they were just shell shocked, and when that Reddit post happened, it gave people the power to go make their voices heard.”
The 50501 Movement is taking a decentralized approach, allowing individual groups and cities across the country to articulate their own mission. Sarah is also the executive director of Voices of Florida, which emphasizes reproductive rights, immigrant rights and queer rights.
Demonstrators join more than a thousand people protesting the policies of the Trump administration marched from the Boston Common past City Hall to the North End on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 in Boston.(AP/Michael Casey)
“It goes down to what the states and the smaller groups want. We don’t tell people what their demands should be. To sum it up in a broad way, it’s to push back against Project 2025 and give the power back to the people,” Sarah added.
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The 50501 is not affiliated with a political party, and there is no clear leader of the organization. At the protest in Washington, D.C., the organizers preached peace and emphasized civil disobedience was not welcome.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
Two planes sent by Venezuela returned home Monday with nearly 200 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. illegally as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan.
The 190 migrants returned to Venezuela signals a possible ease in tensions between the two longtime adversaries and a win for the Trump administration as it seeks to have countries take back their citizens found in the U.S. without authorization.
The Conviasa airline flights arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas from Fort Bliss, a U.S. Army base in El Paso, Texas.
“Two planes of illegal immigrants left El Paso today headed to Venezuela – paid for by the Venezuelans,” Trump envoy Richard Grennell, who oversaw the deportations, wrote on X.
FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM SENDING DETAINED VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANTS TO GUANTÁNAMO BAY
Two planes sent by Venezuela returned to the country from El Paso, Texas, on Monday with nearly 200 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. illegally.(AP)
Deportation flights from the U.S. to Venezuela had been stopped for years, except for a brief period in October 2023 under the Biden administration.
Large numbers of Venezuelans began arriving at the southern border in 2021 and are still among the nationalities with the most people entering the U.S. illegally, which has made Venezuela’s refusal to accept their return a major hurdle.
Venezuela’s newfound willingness to take back the migrants came after Grennell visited Caracas a few weeks ago.
“This is the world we want, a world of peace, understanding, dialogue and cooperation,” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said.
TRUMP DEPORTING CRIMINAL ALIENS TO GUANTANAMO BAY: MEET THE HARDENED TERRORISTS THEY’LL JOIN
Venezuelans deported from the United States arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025.(AP)
The Venezuelan government confirmed the flights earlier on Monday, criticizing in a statement the “ill-intentioned” and “false” narrative surrounding the presence of Tren de Aragua gang members in the U.S. The statement said most Venezuelan migrants are decent and hard-working people and that American officials are attempting to stigmatize the country.
The deportation flights on Monday came days after some illegal aliens were sent to the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp, where they are separated from 15 detainees who were already there, including planners in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
A federal judge in New Mexico temporarily blocked the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan men to Guantánamo Bay on Sunday. Lawyers for the trio argued that their clients “fit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantánamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.”
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, front left, walks off a plane that transported deportees from the United States at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025.(AP)
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The flights also came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached agreements with El Salvador and Guatemala for those countries to accept their citizens and U.S. deportees of other nationalities.
Trump said after Grennell’s visit that the Venezuelan government had agreed to accept “all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua,” and pay for their flights home. Half a dozen Americans held in Venezuela were released at the time.
Meal Monday, also known as Oatmeal Monday, is a traditional holiday observed by the ancient universities of Scotland. This annual event is celebrated on the second Monday of February every year. Meal Monday 2025 falls on Monday, February 10. The annual event of Meal Monday was a traditional observance in Scottish universities during the 17th century and was originally a designated holiday for students. Scottish university students lived in a basic accommodation facility and were required to bring their own fuel and firewood to maintain a fire. Their diet was meagre too, largely consisting of oatmeal, which they would make into porridge. February 2025 Holidays and Festivals Calendar: Get Full List of Major Events in the Second Month of the Year.
As most students at the time thrived on an oatmeal diet and had to bring their own provisions to university, this break allowed them to return home to restock their food supplies. This lifestyle was typical until the late 19th century. In this article, let’s know more about the Meal Monday 2025 date and the significance of the annual event in Scotland.
Meal Monday 2025 Date
Meal Monday 2025 falls on Monday, February 10.
Meal Monday History
Until 1885, these Meal Mondays would occur regularly in several universities across Scotland. The University of Edinburgh had one on the first Monday of every month. However, by 1896, Edinburgh established just one official holiday, on the second Monday in February. Meal Monday or Oatmeal Monday was widely observed in Scotland during the late 19th and 20th century, with Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities also having the academic holiday. As the students’ homes were at a distance from the city universities, an occasional long weekend was scheduled to permit them to replenish their supplies. By the beginning of the 21st century, however, the Universities no longer afforded their students an official Meal Monday holiday.
Meal Monday Significance
Meal Monday tradition highlights the simple lifestyle of Scottish students during the 17th century, which continued the same until the 19th century. Oatmeal was a staple food due to its affordability and nutritional value, making it an essential part of their daily meals. Over time, as university accommodations and food provisions improved, the need for Oatmeal Monday diminished, and the tradition eventually faded.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2025 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Brazil’s leftist president recently told the country’s citizens not to purchase expensive grocery items in an effort to combat soaring food prices.
In a video being shared online, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Brazilians to be frugal when grocery shopping.
“If you go to the supermarket in Salvador and you suspect that a certain product is expensive, don’t buy it,” he said. “Look, if everyone thought like that and didn’t buy things they thought were expensive, whoever is selling is going to have to lower the price in order to sell it.
HOW BRAZILIAN POLICE SAY BOLSONARO PLOTTED A COUP TO STAY IN OFFICE
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the national technology conference in Brasilia, Brazil, July 30 2024. (Reuters/Adriano Machado//File Photo)
“Because if they don’t, it’s going to spoil.”
On Thursday, da Silva said he was worried about rising food prices but projected the increases would slow and voiced an optimistic tone about the economy.
“The Brazilian economy is living its best moment,” Lula said during an interview with radio stations, Reuters reported.
The leftist leader noted that Brazil’s real was still at a low level against the U.S. dollar but sees the rate “adjusting,” according to Reuters.
BERING AIR PLANE VANISHES IN ALASKA WHILE CARRYING 10 PEOPLE
A salesman at a vegetable stand at a supply center in Brasilia, Brazil, May 9, 2023. (Reuters)
In January, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said he expected food prices to decline this year due to strong agricultural production.
Prices tend to stay at high levels until food production “corrects this price distortion to an adequate level,” he told a local news outlet.
Haddad added that officials predict Brazil’s economy will grow 2.5% in 2025, slowing from an expected 3.5% last year.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends a ministerial meeting on plans to support Rio Grande do Sul state, which was affected by floods, at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, May 13, 2024.(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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“I believe we have room to grow 2.5% by reducing inflation,” he told RedeTV, according to Reuters.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports Wednesday and vowed the order will also apply to border security for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.
Trump said he will instruct Noem “to deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes try and get into the Games.”
Earlier Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
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“He does expect the Olympic committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in women’s sports,” Leavitt said. “I think the president, with the signing of his pen, starts a very public pressure campaign on these organizations to do the right thing for women and for girls.
“Again, this is an incredibly popular position. There have been many notable female athletes who have had the courage to speak out against some very powerful institutions in this country. They deserve to have a voice and a say. The president is bringing their voice to the highest level of the White House. He expects these organizations to comply with this federal executive order he will be signing today.”
HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE
There was controversy surrounding gender eligibility at the Paris Olympics in July and August.
Boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won gold medals in women’s boxing. Both athletes had previously been disqualified from international competitions for failing gender eligibility tests. However, the IOC and current President Thomas Bach voiced support for both athletes. The IOC also insisted that both athletes were biologically female.
Before that, Laurel Hubbard, a transgender woman, competed in weightlifting for the New Zealand team, and Canadian soccer player Quinn came out as nonbinary and transgender in 2020.
With Bach preparing to leave office later this year, the IOC’s next president could help carry out Trump’s vision on the issue more cooperatively.
Former British Olympic champion Sebastian Coe is a candidate to be the next IOC president and has suggested he will take action to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s events.
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Coe published a manifesto for his vision as IOC president as he campaigns for the position, and it stressed the importance of protecting female athletes.
Unlike Bach, Coe opposes transgender inclusion in the women’s category and said he would explore a complete ban on transgender athletes in an interview with Sky News.
“We will have a very clear policy that will be unambiguous,” Coe said. “We’ve been very clear in World Athletics that transgender athletes will not be competing in the female category at the elite level.”
Lord Sebastian Coe speaks during a memorial service for Kevan Gosper in the Olympic Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Sept. 17, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. Gosper was an Olympian, former AOC president and IOC vice president who died July 19, 2024, after a short illness. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images for the AOC)
Coe is the current head of World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field competition. In 2023, the governing body tightened its regulations on transgender athletes to exclude transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in the female category. That regulation also lowered the maximum testosterone level for eligible female competitors.
Coe said if he becomes IOC president, the new Olympic policy on transgender inclusion will “probably” reflect the one he has established in World Athletics. Coe has also said the controversy surrounding Khelif and Yu-ting made him feel “uncomfortable.”
NCAA PREZ SUGGESTS ONUS ON FEMALE ATHLETES TO USE OTHER FACILITIES IF UNCOMFORTABLE SHARING WITH TRANS PLAYERS
The United Nations released study findings saying that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.
The study, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.
“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males,” the report said.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
President Donald Trump urged Iran to begin negotiating with the U.S. for a “nuclear peace agreement,” downplaying the possibility of a devastating military strike on the Islamic nation.
Trump made the statement on social media Wednesday morning, reaffirming the U.S. position that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon. It comes just one day after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” Trump wrote.
“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!” he added.
IRAN ‘TERRIFIED’ OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS IRANIAN CURRENCY FALLS TO AN ALL-TIME LOW
President Donald Trump gives his second presidential inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2024.(Fox News)
INTELLIGENCE REPORT SAYS IRAN WILL KEEP TRYING TO KILL TRUMP REGARDLESS OF ELECTION OUTCOME
The call for negotiations comes after Trump raised eyebrows Tuesday night by saying the U.S. will “take over” control of the Gaza Strip.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump stated. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.”
Netanyahu praised Trump’s ability to “think outside the box” during their joint press conference.
President Donald Trump called on Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to begin nuclear deal negotiations.(Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hamas also wrote a statement criticizing Trump’s comments just hours after his meeting with Netanyahu.
“We reject Trump’s statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region,” the group said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, praised President Donald Trump’s ability to “think outside the box” regarding a U.S. takeover of Gaza.( REUTERS/Leah Millis)
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Hamas has recently reaffirmed control over the Gaza Strip following the start of the ceasefire and has said they will not release hostages without an end to the war and Israeli forces’ full withdrawal.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
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JOHANNESBURG – President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to cut off all foreign aid to South Africa because he claimed it is “confiscating” land “and treating certain classes of people very badly” in “a massive human rights violation” has provoked strong reaction from the South African presidency and commentators.
“The South African government has not confiscated any land”, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a statement, adding “We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters”.
Last week, Ramaphosa signed a bill into law permitting national, provincial and local authorities to expropriate land – to take it -“for a public purpose or in the public interest,” and, the government stated “subject to just and equitable compensation being paid”. However, sources say no expropriation has happened yet.
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, center left, waves as he walks past Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, during a family photo session in front of the Osaka Castle at the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.(Tomohiro Ohsumi/AFP via Getty Images)
On his Truth Social Media platform, President Trump hit out at South Africa, posting “It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump later repeated his comments while speaking to the press on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Pieter du Toit, assistant editor of South African media group News 24, posted on X “The U.S. President, clearly advised by Elon Musk, really has no idea what he’s talking about.”
South African-born Musk is trying to expand his Starlink internet service into South Africa, but President Ramaphosa has reportedly told him he must sell off 30% of his company here to local broad-based so-called Black empowerment interests.
In response to the South African president’s statement, Musk fired back on X, asking Ramaphosa, “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”
INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks to supporters during the ANC Siyanqoba Rally held at FNB Stadium on May 25, 2024 in Johannesburg.(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital that President Trump may be referring to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he posted that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.
“President Trump’s recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country’s farmers. Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country’s commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population.”
Cronje said there may be agendas in play behind President Trump’s statements.
“Such seizures may also apply to the property of American investors in South Africa. Cronje is an adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom. He added “with regards to land specifically, the legislation could enable the mass seizure of land which has been an oft expressed objective of senior political figures in the country. To date, however, there have been no mass seizures, in part because there was no legislative means through which to achieve such seizures.”
Farmers inspect show sheep at the Philippolis Show in Philippolis, South Africa, on Nov. 1, 2024.(Photo by PAUL BOTES/AFP via Getty Images)
Now, with the bill having been signed into law, Cronje says that has changed.
“The comments around property rights in South Africa must be read against broader and bipartisan US concern at developments in South Africa. In 2024 the US/South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced (in Congress) amid concerns that the South African government’s relationships with Iran, Russia, and China threatened US national security interests.”
Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. “Last week, South Africa’s government, together with that of Cuba, Belize and four other countries supported the formation of the ‘Hague Group’ in an apparent move to shore up the standing of the International Criminal Court, amid the passage through Congress of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act that prescribes sanctions against any country that is seen to use the court to threaten US national security interests. South Africa has in recent years been prominent in employing both that court and the International Court of Justice in the Hague to press for action against Israel and Israeli leaders.”
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized South Africa’s new land expropriation law.(Evan Vucci/AP/RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)
South Africa’s Ramaphosa played down the importance of U.S. aid, stating “with the exception of PEPFAR (The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids program, there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa.” President George W. Bush introduced PEPFAR in 2003.
Analyst Justice Malala, also speaking on ENCA, said that, under the Trump administration, “the United States is going to upend South Africa in many ways.”
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Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to the acting FBI director Friday evening directing him to terminate eight FBI employees and identify all current and former bureau personnel assigned to Jan. 6 and Hamas cases for an internal review, Fox News has learned.
Bove’s memo to acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, which was obtained by Fox News, asserts the Department of Justice cannot trust the FBI employees to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The subject of the memo is “Terminations.”
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM
“This memorandum sets forth a series of directives, authorized by the Acting Attorney General, regarding personnel matters to be addressed at the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Bove wrote.
Bove, a former Trump defense attorney, directed Driscoll to fire eight specific FBI employees by Monday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former Trump attorney, directed the FBI acting director to fire seven specific employees by Monday.(Angela Weiss/Pool/Getty Images)
“I do not believe that the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully,” Bove wrote in the memo.
Bove cited comments made by President Trump on his first day back in office, in which Trump accused the Biden administration’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies of going after Biden’s political adversaries.
“The American people have witnessed the previous administration engage in a systemic campaign against its perceived political opponents, weaponizing the legal force of numerous Federal law enforcement agencies and the Intelligence Community against those perceived political opponents in the form of investigations, prosecutions, civil enforcement actions, and other related actions,” Bove’s memo noted. “This includes the FBI.”
ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING JACK SMITH ELECTOR CASE AGAINST PRESIDENT: WHISTLEBLOWER
Bove said the FBI’s “prior leadership actively participated in what President Trump appropriately described as ‘a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years’ with respect to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“The weaponization of the FBI’s security clearance process is similarly troubling,” Bove continued. “So too are issues relating to the FBI’s reticence to address instructions and requests from, among other places, the Justice Department.”
The seal for the Justice Department in Washington Nov. 18, 2022.(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Bove said the problems “are symptomatic of deficiencies in previous leadership that must now be addressed.”
Bove wrote that he “deem[s] these terminations necessary, pursuant to President Trump’s January 20, 2025 Executive Order, entitled ‘Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government’ in order to continue the process of restoring a culture of integrity, credibility, accountability, and responsiveness to the leadership and directives of President Trump and the Justice Department.”
Beyond the terminations of the eight employees, Bove directed Driscoll to identify by noon Tuesday, Feb. 4, “all current and former FBI personnel assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions” relating to “the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021” and United States v. Haniyeh, a terrorism case against six Hamas leaders charged with planning and carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
The defendants in that case include Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, high-level Hamas leaders believed to have been assassinated in 2024 by Israeli operatives.
MAJOR FBI CHANGES KASH PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 IF CONFIRMED AS DIRECTOR
Bove ordered that the lists of employees Driscoll should compile “should include relevant supervisory personnel in FBI regional offices and field divisions, as well as at FBI headquarters.”
“For each employee included in the list, provide the current title, office to which the person is assigned, role in the investigation or prosecution, and date of last activity relating to the investigation or prosecution,” Bove directed. “Upon timely receipt of the requested information, the Office of the Deputy Attorney General will commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”
Fox News also obtained the letter Driscoll sent to bureau employees Friday evening after receiving Bove’s memo. In it, Driscoll notified employees he was directed to fire the specific employees Bove identified “unless these employees have retired beforehand.”
“I have been personally in touch with each of these impacted employees,” Driscoll wrote.
The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C. (Brooks Kraft/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
As for the directive to compile a list of FBI employees involved in the Jan. 6 and Hamas cases, Driscoll said that request “encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts.”
“I am one of those employees, as is acting Deputy Director Kissane,” Driscoll wrote. “As we’ve said since the moment we agreed to take on these roles, we are going to follow the law, follow FBI policy, and do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people — always.
“We will be back in touch with more information as soon as we can. In the meantime, stay safe, and take care of each other.”
The FBI declined to comment on any personnel matters, including names, titles or numbers.
The DOJ directive comes after Acting Attorney General James McHenry earlier this week fired more than a dozen key officials who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting Trump. Fox News Digital exclusively reported the action Monday.
Special counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an indictment, including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Justice Department Aug. 1, 2023, in Washington, D.C.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
A DOJ official Monday used similar language to that seen in Bove’s letter, telling Fox News Digital McHenry “does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the president’s agenda.”
The directive also comes a day after Fox News Digital exclusively reported that whistleblower emails were shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, revealing that a former FBI agent, Timothy Thibault, allegedly broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying President Donald Trump to the probe without sufficient predication.
Bove’s memo also comes a day after President Trump’s nominee to lead the bureau, Kash Patel, testified during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Trump and allies have maintained the law enforcement agency was weaponized against him and conservatives across the nation.
The House Judiciary Committee, for months, investigated the FBI for the creation of a memo targeting Catholics and parents at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Trump on Friday evening denied any involvement in the DOJ directive.
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“We have some very bad people over there,” Trump said Friday. “They came after a lot of people like me, but they came after a lot of people. No, I wasn’t involved in that.
“I’ll have to see what is exactly going on after this is finished,” he added. “But if they fired some people over there, that’s a good thing, because they were very bad. They were very corrupt people, very corrupt, and they hurt our country very badly with the weaponization. They used, they used the Justice Department to go after their political opponent, which in itself is illegal. And obviously it didn’t work.”
The second month of the year is just around the corner, and it is filled with fun celebrations, religious holidays, and days of political importance. Many people will be planning house parties or getaways for the holidays, taking advantage of long weekends, or organising lunch or dinner parties that might include alcohol. However, if you are planning any such event, a dry day could disrupt your plans. But what is a dry day? Dray days are specific days when the sale, purchase, or serving of alcohol is strictly prohibited in restaurants, liquor shops, bars, or pubs. So, you might want to make a note of the below list of dry days that will be observed in the country in February 2025. February 2025 Holidays and Festivals Calendar: Basant Panchami, Valentine’s Day, Maha Shivratri and More – Get Full List of Major Events in the Second Month of the Year.
Dry days are very strictly observed in India in order to maintain public decorum and order the festival, celebration, or event. The restrictions are imposed by the government to honour the festival or event. Dry days often coincide with religious festivals, celebrations, or even political events. Hence, it is advised to stock up on alcohol beforehand so it can be enjoyed from the privacy of your home and it does not cause any inconvenience or impact your holidays and celebrations. If you’re wondering where to find a full list of upcoming dry days, look no further and simply scroll below. To help, we have curated a list of upcoming dry days in the month of February 2025.
The below days have been marked as no-alcohol days or dry days. The list of dry days in February 2025 includes the Delhi elections, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti 2025, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti 2025, and Maha Shivratri 2025 celebrations. List of Long Weekends in 2025 in India: Check Out the New Year Calendar for the Holiday Dates To Plan Vacations and Weekend Getaways.
List of Dry Days in February 2025 With Festival & Event Dates
Dates
Days
Festival/Event
February 3–5
Monday – Wednesday
Delhi Elections
February 8
Saturday
Delhi Elections
February 19
Wednesday
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti (Maharashtra)
February 23
Sunday
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti
February 26
Wednesday
Maha Shivratri
Dry days are not always observed across the entire country. Depending on the event or festival, it could be observed in the country, only a state, or a particular city. It depends entirely on what is being observed in the state or city. To know the exact dates of the dry days, always check with local authorities beforehand or refer to the guidelines issued by the state excise department.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2025 02:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
