Troops deploy in Chicago as US courts hears challenges

Five hundred US troops deployed in the Chicago area on Thursday as courts heard challenges to the use of the National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping crime and immigration crackdown.In Chicago, a federal judge held a hearing on a bid by the Democratic-led state of Illinois and local leaders to prevent the use of soldiers in America’s third-largest city.Simultaneously, a three-judge appeals court panel in San Francisco heard a Trump administration challenge to a judge’s order temporarily blocking the planned deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic-ruled Portland, Oregon.Illinois and Oregon are not the first states to file legal challenges against the Trump administration’s extraordinary domestic use of the National Guard.Democratic-ruled California filed suit after the Republican president sent troops to Los Angeles earlier this year to quell demonstrations sparked by a crackdown on undocumented migrants.A district court judge ruled it unlawful but the deployment was upheld by an appeals court panel.The government argues that the troops are needed in Chicago to protect federal agents during immigration raids in the Democratic stronghold, which the Trump administration depicts in exaggerated and lurid terms as a “war zone.”A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview “has been the target of actual and threatened violence,” requiring “assistance from the Department of War,” the Trump administration said in a court filing.The Democratic governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, and other local elected officials opposed to the deployment are seeking to “second-guess” the judgment of the president, it said.An AFP journalist who visited the Broadview facility on Thursday saw a few National Guard members and ICE personnel milling about on other side of the fence.About 15 protesters hurled insults, calling the agents “human traffickers” and “Nazis.””Show your faces, you cowards!” they yelled. “Are your mommies proud of you?”The deployment in Chicago features 200 National Guard troops from Texas and 300 from Illinois, the US Army Northern Command said. They have been mobilized for an initial period of 60 days.- Insurrection Act -Trump has said he could invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act — which allows the president to deploy the military within the United States to suppress rebellion — if courts or local officials continue “holding us up.”At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump repeated his claims that crime is rampant in Chicago and Portland.”We’ve launched a historic campaign to take back our nation from the gangs and the street criminals, violent repeat offenders, illegal alien law breakers, domestic extremists and savage, bloodthirsty cartels,” he said.The Republican has been accused by critics of growing authoritarianism as he tries to fulfill his campaign promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants.Raids by armed and masked federal agents have sparked allegations of rights abuses and illegal detentions.Local officials argue that city and state law enforcement are sufficient to handle protests against ICE agents and street crime.Pritzker, seen as a potential Democratic candidate in the 2028 presidential election, has called Trump “unhinged.””He’s a wannabe dictator. And there’s one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump: if you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me,” the governor said Wednesday.

UN unveils 60-day aid plan for Gaza once ceasefire starts

The United Nations said Thursday it had a detailed 60-day plan to rush aid into Gaza once a ceasefire is declared to start helping Palestinians in the war-ravaged territory.”Our plan, detailed and tested, is in place,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN head of humanitarian operations.”Our supplies, 170,000 metric tons, food, medicine and other supplies, are in place. And our team, courageous and expert and determined, are in place,” Fletcher told a press conference by video link from Saudi Arabia.Large swathes of the besieged Palestinian territory have been largely reduced to rubble by Israel’s military offensive following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.Israel’s blockade has seen life-saving aid to Gaza slashed, with the UN declaring a famine in parts of Gaza and hundreds of Palestinians dying of malnutrition.Fletcher said that the UN aimed to surge aid into Gaza so that hundreds of trucks enter the territory every day.”Famine must be reverted in areas where it has taken hold and prevented in others,” Fletcher said.- Food, water, health care – The plan calls for providing food to 2.1 million people — almost Gaza’s entire population — and specific nutritional aid to 500,000 who are severely malnourished.The plan will give food to people and also support bakeries, collective kitchens, and provide cash for 200,000 people so they can choose what food they want to buy.The initiative will also seek to provide 1.4 million people with water and sanitation services.”We’ll help to restore the water grid,” said Fletcher. “We will repair sewage leaks and pumping stations. We will move solid waste away from residential spaces, and will provide hygiene supplies, soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, sanitary pads.” The United Nations will work to restore Gaza’s decimated health care system — crippled by Israel’s military operations — by providing equipment and medicine, among other assistance.”We’ll help scale up emergency care, primary health, child health, sexual reproductive, maternal and neonatal health, non-communicable diseases, mental health and rehabilitation,” said Fletcher.With most of the buildings in Gaza destroyed by Israel’s offensive, the plan calls for bringing in thousands of tents per week.The United Nations also wants to get temporary schools set up for 700,000 children.But Fletcher said that for all this to succeed, there were a number of critical things that also needed to happen.They include sustained entry of at least 1.9 million liters of fuel every week and resumption of the flow of cooking gas.He said relief supplies need to come in through multiple corridors, and there need to be more scanners in place so aid convoys can move more swiftly, plus security guarantees to prevent looting.He said aid needs to come in unimpeded and there has to be money to pay for all of this. At the moment, only 28 percent of the $4 billion in a UN appeal for Gaza has been funded, said Fletcher.And the UN will need to go beyond the 170,000 tons of aid it now has pre-positioned in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Cyprus, which is not enough for the first 60 days after the war ends.”Let’s be clear, this problem won’t go away in two months,” said Fletcher.

Silver price hits decades high as gold rush eases

The price of silver hit a multi-decade high on Thursday as investors kept flocking to safe havens amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, while gold eased off a record run.Stock markets, meanwhile, were mixed as traders weighed a slew of issues: massive AI investments, corporate results, US interest rates, the US government shutdown, political turmoil in France and a Gaza ceasefire deal.The price of silver topped $50 an ounce, attaining levels not seen since 1980, according to Bloomberg. The surge comes in the wake of sister safe-haven gold, which retreated after hitting a record above $4,000 an ounce on Wednesday.”I think it’s a catch-up effect,” John Plassard, head of investment strategy at Cite Gestion Private Bank, told AFP.He cited concerns about the US economy, prospects of more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year and worries about France’s debt.”What’s also happening — and this is what gave silver an extra boost — is that we’ve started hearing talk of a shortage of silver,” Plassard said, noting that the metal is used as an investment asset as well as for industries such as solar panels.Gold and silver are seen as safe haven investments in times of uncertainty.The dollar firmed against main rivals as it rebounds following a deep retreat for much of 2025.The greenback’s recovery is “being propelled by a dual engine: deteriorating conditions abroad and recalibrated expectations at home,” said a note from Convera that pointed to political instability in France and “dovish pivots” in Japan.On the equities front, major US indices retreated from records the prior session amid a dearth of economic data due to a government shutdown.US stocks have been resilient despite Republicans and Democrats appearing no closer to reaching a deal to reopen the government over a week into the shutdown.”Even the most bullish markets take a break sometimes,” said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers.Investors are turning their attention towards company results.Shares in soft drink and snacks giant PepsiCo jumped 4.2 percent after reporting a third-quarter sales increase that beat expectations.Shares in Delta also climbed more than four percent after the airline posted strong profits and offered a bullish outlook on travel demand.But Boeing slid 4.1 percent following a Reuters report that Turkish Airlines could switch to Airbus for a recent plane order because of concerns about economic terms with engine supplier CFM International.The Paris stock market dipped as French President Emmanuel Macron races to find a new prime minister after the resignation of Sebastien Lecornu tipped the country deeper into political crisis.The Frankfurt DAX set a new record high.Ferrari had its worst slump since entering the Milan stock market in 2016, falling almost 15 percent at one point as an update to its 2030 financial guidance disappointed investors.In Asia, the Tokyo stock market closed up 1.8 percent after business-friendly Sanae Takaichi recently became leader of Japan’s ruling party.- Key figures at around 2010 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 46,358.42 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,735.11 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 23,024.63 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 9,509.40 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,041.36 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 24,611.25 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 48,580.44 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 26,752.59 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.3 percent at 3,933.97 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1558 from $1.1628 on WednesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3294 from $1.3404Dollar/yen: UP at 153.14 yen from 152.69 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.94 pence from 86.77 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.6 percent at $65.22 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.7 percent at $61.51 per barrel

Silver price hits decades high as gold rush eases

The price of silver hit a multi-decade high on Thursday as investors kept flocking to safe havens amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, while gold eased off a record run.Stock markets, meanwhile, were mixed as traders weighed a slew of issues: massive AI investments, corporate results, US interest rates, the US government shutdown, political turmoil in France and a Gaza ceasefire deal.The price of silver topped $50 an ounce, attaining levels not seen since 1980, according to Bloomberg. The surge comes in the wake of sister safe-haven gold, which retreated after hitting a record above $4,000 an ounce on Wednesday.”I think it’s a catch-up effect,” John Plassard, head of investment strategy at Cite Gestion Private Bank, told AFP.He cited concerns about the US economy, prospects of more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year and worries about France’s debt.”What’s also happening — and this is what gave silver an extra boost — is that we’ve started hearing talk of a shortage of silver,” Plassard said, noting that the metal is used as an investment asset as well as for industries such as solar panels.Gold and silver are seen as safe haven investments in times of uncertainty.The dollar firmed against main rivals as it rebounds following a deep retreat for much of 2025.The greenback’s recovery is “being propelled by a dual engine: deteriorating conditions abroad and recalibrated expectations at home,” said a note from Convera that pointed to political instability in France and “dovish pivots” in Japan.On the equities front, major US indices retreated from records the prior session amid a dearth of economic data due to a government shutdown.US stocks have been resilient despite Republicans and Democrats appearing no closer to reaching a deal to reopen the government over a week into the shutdown.”Even the most bullish markets take a break sometimes,” said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers.Investors are turning their attention towards company results.Shares in soft drink and snacks giant PepsiCo jumped 4.2 percent after reporting a third-quarter sales increase that beat expectations.Shares in Delta also climbed more than four percent after the airline posted strong profits and offered a bullish outlook on travel demand.But Boeing slid 4.1 percent following a Reuters report that Turkish Airlines could switch to Airbus for a recent plane order because of concerns about economic terms with engine supplier CFM International.The Paris stock market dipped as French President Emmanuel Macron races to find a new prime minister after the resignation of Sebastien Lecornu tipped the country deeper into political crisis.The Frankfurt DAX set a new record high.Ferrari had its worst slump since entering the Milan stock market in 2016, falling almost 15 percent at one point as an update to its 2030 financial guidance disappointed investors.In Asia, the Tokyo stock market closed up 1.8 percent after business-friendly Sanae Takaichi recently became leader of Japan’s ruling party.- Key figures at around 2010 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 46,358.42 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,735.11 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 23,024.63 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 9,509.40 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,041.36 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 24,611.25 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 48,580.44 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 26,752.59 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.3 percent at 3,933.97 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1558 from $1.1628 on WednesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3294 from $1.3404Dollar/yen: UP at 153.14 yen from 152.69 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.94 pence from 86.77 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.6 percent at $65.22 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.7 percent at $61.51 per barrel

Gaza aid flotillas to continue: Brazilian activist

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, one of the main organizers of the international aid flotilla to Gaza, said Thursday that the movement to get life-saving relief to the devastated Palestinian enclave would continue, after a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas.”There is nothing in the ceasefire agreements to indicate that the illegal blockade of Gaza by Israel, the United States, or any other nation will end,” he told reporters upon his return to Brazil.”As long as there is no justice for the Palestinian people, the flotilla will continue.”Avila was one of 13 Brazilians aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla of 45 vessels intercepted by Israel last week. Israel detained and deported more than 470 people aboard the boats, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.Israel has blocked several international aid flotillas in recent months from reaching Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has set in after two years of a devastating Israeli military offensive.Israel enforces a blockade on the territory, and has slashed the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the enclave while the war has raged.Several activists on board the flotilla reported mistreatment in detention, which Israel denied.”Obviously, there were violations that will be the subject of complaints in international courts, but they are nothing compared to what the Palestinians are suffering,” said Avila.He reported cases of “physical violence” and “forced interrogations” of activists. “Diabetics have gone three days without access to insulin,” he said.Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal after more than two years of war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has reduced much of Gaza to rubble — including schools, hospitals and basic infrastructure — and killed at least 67,194 people, according to the territory’s health ministry.