TV News LIES

The only Muslim woman on US President Donald Trump's religious freedom committee is resigning, Middle East Eye can reveal. 

Sameerah Munshi served on the Advisory Board of Lay Leaders on the Religious Liberties Commission, and is leaving the role "in protest" of the White House's decision to remove anti-Zionist Catholic commissioner Carrie Prejean-Boller from the panel, her resignation letter, seen by MEE on Thursday, said.

Prejean-Boller revealed on X on Thursday that the president, who appoints all the commissioners, has now fired her for what she believes is her stand against genocide committed by Israel in Gaza, and her pushback against those who call her antisemitic for her anti-Zionist views. 

Boller's firing follows a viral video clip of a heated exchange at a February meeting of the commission, in which Prejean-Boller insists that Catholicism and Zionism are not compatible.

Middle East Eye has reached out to both the White House and the Department of Justice - under which the commission was established - for comment.

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Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public message Thursday since assuming power after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. The statement was delivered as a written text read by a presenter on state television. That unusual format immediately fueled questions about both his health and the degree of his control over the country at a moment of acute regional crisis.

Unlike his father, Ali Khamenei, who rose to the supreme leadership after serving as Iran’s president, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained almost entirely out of public view. This was not only his first message as supreme leader, but effectively his first known public political address.

That contrast matters because Ali Khamenei entered the office with years of visible national political experience behind him. Mojtaba Khamenei, by comparison, has never given interviews and has never spoken publicly, making Thursday’s statement his first known public address.

The tone of Mojtaba Khamenei’s first message appeared aimed at establishing continuity. Much of it presented the current crisis as an extension of the struggle led by his father, suggesting that although Ali Khamenei is dead, his political and ideological struggle continues.

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A US military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident US Central Command said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

It wasn’t immediately clear if there were casualties. A US official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.

The US has surged a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran.

In a statement, US Central Command said it was carrying out rescue efforts after the aircraft went down. The second aircraft landed safely.

“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” the statement said, using the name of the US operation against Iran.

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The suspect who killed one person and injured two others at Old Dominion University on Thursday was identified by authorities as Mohamed Jalloh, a former member of the army national guard who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State.

Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, told reporters the suspect had attempted to commit an “act of terrorism” and shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. He was subdued and killed by members of the university’s ROTC program in a university classroom, she said, praising them for demonstrating “extreme bravery and courage” and preventing further loss of life. (ROTC is a college-based program that allows students to train to become a US military officer while also earning a college degree.)

Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger identified ROTC instructor Lt Col Brandon Shah as the victim killed in the shooting.

“A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path,” she wrote on social media.

Kash Patel, the FBI director, said the bureau was investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism”.

“Earlier today, an armed individual opened fire at Old Dominion University, leaving one person dead and two others wounded,” Patel said on social media. “The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.

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Friday will mark two weeks since a retired Air Force major general who previously oversaw a base associated with UFO lore was last seen in Albuquerque, N.M. 

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) issued a Silver Alert for William “Neil” McCasland the day he went missing.

The retired general was last seen by his wife at their house around 11:10 a.m. on Feb. 27, and she reported him missing around 3:07 p.m., according to an updated timeline shared by the BCSO on Thursday afternoon. The BCSO said they “immediately” launched the investigation into his disappearance.

McCasland’s phone, prescription glasses and “wearable devices” were left behind at the residence, the department said. McCasland’s hiking boots, wallet and .38 caliber revolver are believed to be missing, according to the update.

BCSO investigators discovered a U.S. Air Force sweatshirt just over a mile from his home during the search effort last Saturday, which the agency noted has “not been confirmed” to belong to McCasland.

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Emmy-winning journalist and former New York news anchor Ernie Anastos has died at 82, station WABC confirmed.

Anastos' family confirmed his death to WABC, though no further details were shared.

"He was a news legend in New York and throughout the tri-state. He was also a news legend here at Channel 7 Eyewitness News. Tonight, we remember him," WABC anchor Bill Ritter said during the March 12 broadcast. "He was something unique and no matter your politics."

Ritter praised his longtime friend and collhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/03/12/ernie-anastos-news-anchor-dead/89126750007/eague for being trusted by viewers, adding that Anastos believed in reporting the truth and facts. He shared a note Anastos sent him two weeks earlier that read "Hi Bill, Love you, and stay happy and healthy. Ernie."

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The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping routes and a chokepoint for about one-fifth of the world's oil, is becoming a flashpoint in the Iran war as explosive-laden boats have attacked fuel tankers, setting ships on fire and killing at least one crew member, according to Reuters.

Iran has warned that commercial ships won’t be allowed through while the fighting continues, a threat that is already changing behavior at sea as shipping companies are backing away from the strait.

Despite U.S. strikes on mine-laying boats, insurers have pulled coverage, traffic has dropped sharply and dozens of vessels are sitting offshore. Even the threat of attacks in the narrow channel is enough to rattle markets and push prices higher.

Here's what to know about sea mines and why they're posing new dangers in the Strait of Hormuz:

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HRRC demands that Israel immediately stop all use of artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions in populated residential areas. The deployment of these weapons risks indiscriminately harming civilians, thereby violating international law. We also call on states that provide Israel with weapons to stop supplying the country with white phosphorus munitions.

On Monday, March 9, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a news release accusing Israel of unlawfully deploying munitions containing white phosphorus, a dangerous chemical substance, over civilian homes in Lebanon. According to images verified and geolocated by HRW, artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions were deployed on March 3 in a residential area of Yohmor, located in southern Lebanon, resulting in fires in at least two homes and one car.

White phosphorus can cause severe and extremely painful burns that are deep and slow to heal. The smoke can also irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, leading to a range of harmful health effects. It can take up to 24 hours for systemic effects to occur and, in severe cases of exposure, these effects can lead to death.

Although white phosphorus is not officially classified as a chemical weapon, munitions containing the substance may be considered incendiary weapons—weapons designed to start fires—and their use may violate international law in some circumstances. 

Under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), an international treaty that regulates the use of weapons that pose excessive risks to civilians, it is prohibited to “make the civilian population as such, individual civilians or civilian objects the object of attack by incendiary weapons.” However, white phosphorus munitions often have other purposes, such as obscuring or marking targets, and may therefore not always be technically classified as incendiary weapons when used in warfare.

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