HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Dozens of U.N. Delegates Walk Out in Protest as Israel’s Netanyahu Addresses General Assembly
Sep 25, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech to a half-empty chamber at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, after dozens of delegations walked out in protest at the start of his address. Netanyahu assailed his critics as “antisemites” and lavished praise on President Trump for joining Israel’s strikes on Iran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump. I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world.”
Netanyahu’s remarks followed a speech by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the General Assembly by video stream, after the Trump administration denied visas to Palestinian delegates to attend the U.N. talks for the second year in a row. Abbas said Palestinians now face one of their most dangerous moments in history due to a “genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza as “the biggest lie of the century,” and he lashed out at critics, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “So, to all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you!”
New York Mayor Mamdani responded in a statement, “As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.”
Over 100 Protesters Arrested Outside U.N. Demanding Arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu
Sep 25, 2026
Netanyahu’s speech at the General Assembly sparked demonstrations outside the United Nations on Thursday. More than 100 people were arrested during a sit-in led by Jewish Voice for Peace that blocked roads near the U.N. headquarters. Protesters held banners that read “End the Genocide” and “Stop the U.S.-Israel War Machine.” Among those arrested were Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder. Democracy Now! spoke with democratic socialist congressional candidates Chris Rabb of Philadelphia and Darializa Avila Chevalier of New York City.
Darializa Avila Chevalier: “I’m here with so many New Yorkers to demand that Netanyahu be held accountable. He’s currently wanted by the ICC. And the irony is that so many New Yorkers here today will likely be the ones facing arrest, and not the person wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, before the very body that he’s set to speak in front of.”
Rep. Chris Rabb: “And for those of us who are going to Congress, we have a responsibility to speak up for all those folks who are on the right side of history but do not have enough people in Congress holding people like him to account. We are complicit in those atrocities. We are funding that genocide. We are showing up on the frontlines, letting people know we see them, we care, we stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and all over the Middle East.”
We will hear more voices from Thursday’s protest after headlines.
Separatists Attack Government Forces in Ethiopia’s Worst Fighting Since 2022 Ceasefire
Sep 25, 2026
In northern Ethiopia, Tigrayan separatists have seized control of three regional airports and launched heavy artillery attacks on government forces. The fighting erupted in Tigray on Wednesday and has spread to the Afar and Amhara regions. A leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front told the AFP news agency, “We are in the situation of full-blown war now.” It’s the worst fighting in Ethiopia since the government and Tigray rebels agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, ending a two-year civil war that displaced millions of people, triggered a famine and left 600,000 people dead, according to African Union estimates.
Opposition Groups Protest in Caracas as Venezuela’s Leader Promises Elections at the “Right Moment”
Sep 25, 2026
Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez delivered her first address to the U.N. General Assembly since the U.S. abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro back in January. Rodríguez vowed Venezuela would hold elections at the “right moment.”
Meanwhile, many in Caracas are demanding the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who’s been blocked from entering Venezuela three times. Machado has largely been sidelined by U.S. officials after Maduro’s abduction, even though she once had a friendly relationship with Trump as she pressured the U.S. to topple Venezuela’s government by force. She also gave President Trump her Nobel Peace Prize. This is an opposition supporter in Caracas.
Rosa Cacique: “Unfortunately, the hand of Donald Trump is involved here. It is regrettable, but that’s how it is. We are not fools; we notice what is happening. They are saying there is a change. My god, what change? Salaries are still the same. Hospitals still have no supplies. Political prisoners are still imprisoned. So what is the change? I don’t see it.”
U.S. Senate Defeats Iran War Powers Resolution on Vote of 49-50
Sep 25, 2026
The Senate has voted narrowly to reject a war powers resolution compelling President Trump to end attacks on Iran. The resolution failed on a vote of 49 to 50, with four Republicans voting in favor and Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman the lone Democrat in opposition. The House and Senate previously approved a war powers resolution in June, but the White House ignored it, arguing it infringed on President Trump’s powers as military commander-in-chief.
Trump Hosts Xi Jinping for State Dinner, Joined by U.S. Billionaires Worth $2.4 Trillion
Sep 25, 2026
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, with executives from some of the largest U.S. companies in attendance. The guest list included Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person; Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; Google’s Sundar Pichai; Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg; Nvidia’s Jensen Huang; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella; and Apple’s former CEO Tim Cook. Forbes reports the billionaires attending the dinner hold a combined worth of more than $2.4 trillion. They’ve nearly doubled their wealth since Trump won a second presidential term in 2024.
Banned Reporters Allowed Back into White House After Judge’s Ruling
Sep 25, 2026
In more news from Washington, the Trump administration allowed reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico back into the White House around noon on Thursday — 12 hours after a Trump-appointed federal judge reversed a ban on the three media outlets. However, by Thursday evening, a TV pool that provides video coverage of White House events remained suspended, with networks promising to boycott pool coverage until CNN’s participation is restored. On Thursday evening, President Trump lashed out at CNN and MS NOW on his social media site, blasting the networks for failing to provide live coverage of his meeting with President Xi Jinping.
Judge Tosses Trump’s Lawsuit Against Iowa Pollster and Newspaper, Citing First Amendment
Sep 25, 2026
An Iowa judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against pollster Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register over a poll that showed Kamala Harris narrowly leading Trump in Iowa on the eve of the 2024 election. Trump went on to win Iowa, 56% to 43%. Judge Scott Beattie rejected Trump’s claim that the poll constituted a “defective product,” writing, “Simply labeling the poll a product does not change the analysis. … The rights protected by the First Amendment are not a word game.”
David Ellison Considers Tapping Elon Musk as Investor in Paramount-Warner Bros. Megamerger
Sep 25, 2026
The merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is on hold again, despite settlements reached earlier this week among Paramount, the Writers Guild of America and a dozen state attorneys general. On Thursday, a U.S. district judge in California declined to immediately approve the consent decree, after advocacy groups filed an emergency motion seeking more time to file a formal challenge to the media megamerger. A lawyer with the Committee for the First Amendment, one of the groups opposing the $111 billion deal, said, “the consent decree fails to meaningfully address or mitigate the harms that will be caused by this monopoly merger to the entertainment industry, diverse storytelling, independent filmmaking, consumer interests, a free press, First Amendment rights, and fundamentally, democracy.”
Meanwhile, Semafor reports Paramount Skydance executives, including CEO David Ellison, asked trillionaire Elon Musk to join a team of equity investors in the media giant. David Ellison’s father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, previously invested $1 billion in Musk’s hostile takeover of Twitter and served on Tesla’s board of directors.
House Democrats Decry “Abusive and Life-Threatening Conditions” in Florida ICE Jails
Sep 25, 2026
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are demanding answers from the Trump administration after whistleblowers described dangerous conditions and illegal practices inside the Miramar ICE jail in Florida. In a letter to the acting director of ICE and the Homeland Security inspector general, Congressmembers Robert Garcia, Bennie Thompson and Maxwell Frost write, ”ICE is detaining people — including men, women, families, and elderly people with chronic medical conditions — for days to weeks in abusive and life-threatening conditions, including overcrowded cells, prolonged shackling, inadequate access to medical care and hygiene, insufficient food, and limited to no legal access. ICE is simultaneously attempting to cover up these horrific practices.” Miramar at one point held 342 people instead of its maximum capacity of 50.
Protests Erupt in Spanish Capital over Forced Eviction of 87-Year-Old Woman
Sep 25, 2026
In Spain, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Madrid and other cities across the country amid outcry over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home. Maricarmen Abascal resided in her apartment for most of her life — for more than 70 years. A developer bought the apartment building, more than tripling her rent to over $1,800. That’s more than Maricarmen’s monthly state pension of about $1,500. On Wednesday, police arrived at the residence and broke down the door of her home, forcibly removing her on a stretcher. She was reportedly given about 30 minutes to pack her essentials. As Maricarmen was driven away in an ambulance, supporters shouted “You’re not alone!” She remained hospitalized Thursday. Her eviction has renewed anger over Spain’s worsening housing affordability crisis, and calls for the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to enact stronger policies to protect tenants. This is a university employee speaking from Madrid.
Lucía Nistal: “It’s simply the best illustration. It shows exactly what these evictions in the service of big business are all about. What lies ahead is a continued pursuit of profit at the expense of a basic right. Right now there is a great deal of pain and a great deal of anger, but we’re going to keep fighting.”
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