INTERNACIONAL
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S.
At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas.
«The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas,» Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital.
UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG
Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s minister for foreign affairs, talks with Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, April 24, 2023. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Bayefsky said there is «a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security.»
The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department’s website, «if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited.» The Department of State also explains that «Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 – 4 and NATO-1 – 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview.»
Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it «appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise.» While not requiring interviews of personnel has «become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country.»’
Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. «We are mindful of our adversaries’ activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them.»
Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi displays the photo of Gen. Kasim Soleimani at the United Nations. (Peter Aitken for Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers «have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason.»
Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that «U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it’s a blanket coverage.» He added that «immunity breeds impunity.»
REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM
Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed «a young female in his department.» Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization.
Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas.
Dugan said that if U.N. personnel «knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently.»
China’s Vice President Han Zheng addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21, 2023. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department «generally does not provide» revocation statistics. They also said that «all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States.»
The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. «are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence.» They added that this «applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well.»
Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.
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In addition to qualifying for «rubber stamp» G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
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Polling data tracking voters’ real-time reactions to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, showed Independents and Republicans were highly motivated when the president urged members of Congress to pass restrictions on congressional stock trading, but Democrats appeared less enthused.
This moment in Trump’s address was one of the few moments during the speech when Democrats inside the House chamber, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., offered standing applause.
«They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it,» Trump quipped after calling for an end to congressional stock trading. «Think Nancy Pelosi would stand up if she was here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay,» the president continued to a roaring applause. During one moment, a camera panned over to Warren, who could be seen standing and clapping.
Republicans and Independents showed a marked difference in positive feelings, as opposed to Democrats, after President Trump urged lawmakers to pass tougher restrictions on congressional stock trading. (Fox News)
The dial test administered by Lee Carter, the president of Maslansky & Partners, showed that after Trump said the Stop Insider Trading Act must be passed «without delay» that Democrats remained largely stagnant, but Republicans and Independents reacted far more positively.
As the crowd inside the House chamber Tuesday night continued to applaud following Trump’s remark that a law on congressional stock trading restrictions should be passed immediately, the Democrats’ dial returned to baseline. It had taken a turn downwards after Trump took a jab at Pelosi over the matter. She has long been the brunt of criticism over the success of her stock portfolio and the manner in which certain trades have lined up with matters in front of lawmakers.
The group of voters monitored during the president’s speech Tuesday night, included 29 Democrats, 41 Republicans and 30 Independents.
Warren and other Democrats could be seen giving a standing ovation to the president’s urgency around adding stricter restrictions to congressional stock trading. Warren was also reportedly seen standing after Trump insisted Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
When asked to respond to Trump’s jab at her Tuesday night, Pelosi told Trump to «look at your own self.»
DEMOCRATS’ BIG MISFIRE AT STATE OF THE UNION HAS GOP STRATEGISTS SALIVATING: ‘HUGE MOMENT’
«The inference he wants to draw is there was something wrong with that, which there wasn’t, and if there was, people get prosecuted for it. For a long time now we’ve been trying to pass this law. It doesn’t have — now it has more support than it had before, and —» Pelosi said before being cut off by CNN’s Kasie Hunt, who pointed out Warren stood up to applaud Trump’s urging to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act.
«Well, we all did. I did too,» the former House speaker shot back. «He said, ‘Did Nancy stand up?’ Yeah, I did too. A lot of people stood up, a lot of Democrats stood up.»
Lawmakers attend the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Stop Insider Trading Act would go beyond the current rules members of Congress must follow when trading on the stock market, ushered in by the 2012 STOCK Act. Since 2012, lawmakers have attempted to implement tighter federal restrictions to no avail.
While Trump’s urging to get the latest restrictions passed was one of the rare moments that Democrats appeared to applaud the president during his SOTU speech, left-wing nonprofit groups have simultaneously argued that the Stop Insider Trading Act does not actually go far enough to stop insider trading.
«Passing SITA would hide insider trading instead of stopping it, leading to the same concerns we see today,» said a statement earlier this month from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). «The only path forward that can rejuvenate the American people’s faith in Congress is serious reform though meaningful bipartisan cooperation.»
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CREW points to a bill it believes would do a better job at reining in insider trading among lawmakers called the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which «effectively bans members of Congress from buying, selling and owning stocks and their equivalents and ends the conflicts of interest that have plagued Congress for far too long.»
«Abandoning viable, bipartisan legislation in favor of partisanship and ineffectual half measures would be a political and ethical failure that would further erode Americans’ trust in government,» CREW insisted.
Fox News Digital’s Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.
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INTERNACIONAL
US military aircraft involved in ‘incident’ during training in Philippines, service members sent for treatment
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A U.S. military aircraft slammed into a concrete barrier during a takeoff attempt from a Philippine roadway, according to a report, and officials confirmed American service members on board were injured.
The incident happened Tuesday in Central Luzon, Philippines, as the aircraft was conducting training, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed to Fox News Digital in a statement.
«Two service members were transported to a medical facility for medical attention,» the statement said. «One of the individuals has been discharged, while the other remains in medical care and is in stable condition. No civilians were injured.»
The command said that the incident is currently under investigation.
The U.S. military did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital about the reported incident involving a U.S. Air Force transport plane crashing into a concrete barrier during takeoff in the Philippines on Tuesday. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images, File)
The accident happened during contingency training on a bypass road in Laoac town, The Associated Press reported, citing a local police report.
The aircraft had successfully landed but veered off course during takeoff and struck a concrete barrier, Philippine officials told the outlet.
Two American soldiers are seen in front of a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle parked outside the World Trade Center during the 2024 Asian Defense and Security Exhibition (ADAS), in Pasay City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Sept. 25, 2024. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Philippine officials reportedly said that the training exercise, which was fully coordinated with local civilian, police and military authorities, was designed to prepare forces for emergencies when traditional runways are unusable due to disasters such as typhoons or earthquakes.
SEVEN US SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED IN VENEZUELA RAID TO CAPTURE MADURO, OFFICIAL SAYS
U.S. forces frequently deploy aircraft in the Philippines to assist with humanitarian relief following natural disasters. The 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement allows U.S. troops to train alongside Filipino forces.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the region, particularly in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have clashed over disputed territory.
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese coast guard ship uses water canons on a Philippine Coast Guard ship near the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea as they blocked its path during a re-supply mission on Aug. 5, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP, File)
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The U.S. has reaffirmed that it would defend the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty if its forces were attacked.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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La Asamblea Nacional de Panamá volvió a aprobar en tercer debate el Proyecto de Ley 78, una iniciativa que busca incorporar neumáticos fuera de uso y otros materiales reciclados en la mezcla asfáltica para la construcción, rehabilitación y mantenimiento de la red vial del país, luego de que la norma fuera objetada parcialmente por el presidente José Raúl Mulino por razones de inconveniencia institucional.
La propuesta legislativa apunta a introducir una transformación en la infraestructura vial, combinando objetivos de economía circular, sostenibilidad ambiental y mejora de la durabilidad de las carreteras, en un contexto donde múltiples zonas del país, especialmente áreas rurales y apartadas de la capital, presentan deficiencias estructurales en sus vías o ausencia total de pavimentación.
De acuerdo con el texto del proyecto, la ley establece la utilización de productos reciclados de neumáticos fuera de uso (NFU) y material fresado o reciclado de pavimentos (RAP) en las mezclas asfálticas, con el fin de reducir la contaminación ambiental, disminuir costos y mejorar la calidad de la red vial nacional.
La norma integra el concepto de economía circular, permitiendo el aprovechamiento de residuos sólidos que actualmente representan un problema de gestión ambiental en el país.
Entre los aspectos centrales, la ley dispone que el Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) determine las rutas y proyectos donde se aplicará la tecnología, además de fortalecer el departamento de ensayo de materiales, responsable de validar la calidad del producto reciclado y su desempeño técnico en el pavimento. También se establece que los materiales reciclados deben provenir del consumo local, prohibiendo su importación, con el objetivo de impulsar la industria nacional del reciclaje.
El proyecto fija además un porcentaje mínimo de aplicación de materiales reciclados en la red vial, incorporando neumáticos fuera de uso y pavimentos reciclados dentro del plan anual de trabajo del MOP, lo que representa un cambio estructural en la política de construcción de carreteras en Panamá y abre un mercado potencial para empresas dedicadas al reciclaje.
El Proyecto de Ley 78 establece parámetros técnicos mínimos para la incorporación de materiales reciclados en la mezcla asfáltica, fijando como referencia un porcentaje base de al menos 5% de neumáticos reciclados y 5% de material asfáltico recuperado (RAP).
La norma busca introducir gradualmente la mezcla modificada en la red vial nacional, priorizando proyectos de construcción, rehabilitación y mantenimiento, con el objetivo de mejorar la resistencia del pavimento, reducir costos y dar salida al creciente volumen de llantas fuera de uso en el país.
El proyecto fue aprobado inicialmente en septiembre, objetado parcialmente por el Ejecutivo y nuevamente avalado tras modificaciones. Tomada de la Asamblea Nacional
Sin embargo, pese a su aprobación inicial en septiembre, el Órgano Ejecutivo devolvió la norma sin sanción, formulando una objeción parcial basada en la existencia de vicios en la distribución de competencias institucionales. En particular, el Ejecutivo advirtió que el proyecto asignaba funciones al MOP que corresponden a otras entidades, como la Autoridad de Aseo Urbano y Domiciliario y el Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias, especialmente en materia de trazabilidad, certificación y control de residuos sólidos.
Entre las observaciones, se objetó el artículo que extendía la obligatoriedad del uso de materiales reciclados a obras privadas y contratistas independientes, planteando que la política debía circunscribirse inicialmente a proyectos estatales. Asimismo, se cuestionó la facultad del MOP para validar el producto reciclado sin considerar la participación de otras instituciones regulatorias, lo que generaba riesgos de duplicidad de funciones.
Tras el análisis legislativo de las objeciones, el proyecto fue modificado y nuevamente aprobado en segundo y tercer debate, incorporando ajustes para clarificar la distribución de competencias, reforzar la coordinación interinstitucional y garantizar que la implementación de la ley respete el marco regulatorio vigente en materia ambiental, sanitaria e industrial.
La normativa también introduce mecanismos de fiscalización, certificación técnica y reporte anual, obligando tanto al MOP como a las empresas recicladoras a presentar informes sobre el volumen de material reciclado utilizado, su origen y tratamiento previo, con el objetivo de asegurar transparencia y trazabilidad en el proceso.
Además, la ley prevé que los vertederos puedan aceptar neumáticos fuera de uso bajo condiciones reguladas, promoviendo su reutilización y evitando su disposición inadecuada, lo que representa una medida clave para enfrentar el problema de acumulación de llantas en el país y su impacto ambiental.
Con su nueva aprobación legislativa, el proyecto será remitido nuevamente al Ejecutivo para su sanción, lo que abre la fase final del proceso y determinará si Panamá adopta formalmente una política nacional de pavimentación con materiales reciclados, una tendencia que ya ha sido implementada en diversos países y que busca mejorar la resiliencia de las carreteras, reducir emisiones y optimizar recursos.
En el plano práctico, la ley podría tener efectos directos en la mejora de la conectividad rural, la reducción de costos de mantenimiento vial y la creación de nuevas oportunidades en la industria del reciclaje, aunque su éxito dependerá de la reglamentación, la capacidad técnica del Estado y la articulación entre instituciones responsables.
A nivel mundial, el uso de neumáticos reciclados en pavimentación se ha consolidado como una de las principales soluciones para la gestión de este residuo. Cada año se generan cerca de 1,000 millones de neumáticos fuera de uso en el mundo, lo que equivale a unas 17 millones de toneladas de desechos, convirtiéndose en un desafío ambiental significativo.
En este contexto, el asfalto con caucho reciclado representa el mayor mercado de reutilización del material, especialmente en Estados Unidos, donde se consumen alrededor de 12 millones de neumáticos anualmente en la producción de mezclas asfálticas.
Además, el mercado global del asfalto reciclado muestra una tendencia de crecimiento sostenido impulsada por políticas de infraestructura sostenible y economía circular, con una expansión estimada hasta 2030 debido a su capacidad para reducir emisiones, costos y consumo de agregados naturales.
Diversos países ya han implementado esta tecnología en sus redes viales. Estados Unidos fue pionero en su aplicación desde la década de 1960 en Arizona, mientras que naciones europeas utilizan mezclas con polvo de caucho para mejorar la resistencia del pavimento y reducir el ruido del tráfico.
En Asia, América Latina y Europa se ha extendido el uso del asfalto modificado con neumáticos por su mayor durabilidad y desempeño mecánico, lo que permite carreteras más silenciosas y con menor deterioro.
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