In a poignant ceremony that lit up more than just candles, a memorial service honoring United Nations staff who lost their lives in 2025 unexpectedly stirred controversy. The event, which aimed to pay tribute to these dedicated employees, inadvertently included a name that later raised eyebrows—a U.N. employee posthumously identified as a Hamas commander.

Held in June, the annual service commemorated 136 U.N. workers who passed away while on duty that year. During the gathering, Secretary-General António Guterres, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, and the Security Council President at the time, Leonor Zalabata Torres, united to light a symbolic “eternal flame.” As somber violin notes filled the air, one name read aloud was Imad Youssif El Samhouri, causing unforeseen ripple effects.

El Samhouri had served as a teacher and later the principal of the UNRWA Rafah Preparatory Boys School B under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. This accolade turned controversial when, on August 8, he was revealed via the messaging platform Telegram by Hamas to have been a field commander in their Al-Qassam Brigades.

Amidst these developments, António Guterres emphasized the heavy toll taken on U.N. personnel, particularly in Gaza, stating, “More U.N. colleagues have been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict or disaster in the history of the United Nations. Some died alongside their families, in places they thought safe; others perished while fulfilling their duties.” Guterres called for a global remembrance of these tragedies, stressing unequivocally, “U.N. personnel must never be targeted.”

Guterres also said, “In keeping with long-standing practice, we have sought the consent of families to read aloud the names of those we honor. Tragically, in the case of men who served with UNRWA, we could not reach those families because they, too, have been killed or forced to flee.”

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, has written an open letter to Guterres and Baerbock asking both to issue an apology for the incident and acknowledge that UNRWA is “unwilling or unable” to roust terrorists from its schools.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, told News Media during a press briefing last week, “[UNRWA] and we are always very deeply concerned when allegations against the former staff is raised. Obviously, when his name was included, the agency was not aware. I will remind you that the list of all UNRWA staff is shared with the Israeli parties as they are every year. His name was shared in the list of 2024. No concerns were raised based on that information from the Israeli side, and obviously, had those allegations been raised before, his name would likely not have been included.”

When pressed further about whether Guterres would retract the honors or issue an apology, Dujarric seemed to put the blame on Israel, “We’re now stating our position, which makes it clear. Had we known, and had we been told, his name would probably not have been included.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told News Media, “It is outrageous to watch the U.N. spokesperson struggle to clearly condemn the crimes committed by former UNRWA employees. Israel repeatedly warned the U.N. that active Hamas terrorists were operating within UNRWA and played a significant role in the atrocities of Oct. 7. The U.N. spokesperson’s response reflects Secretary-General Guterres’ entire tenure: the organization has lost its moral compass. It is because of terrorists like Imad Youssif El Samhouri and others that Israel ended UNRWA’s operations in Israel.”

Neuer has accumulated multiple social media posts that he says are attributed to El Samhouri, which demonstrate his support of so-called Palestinian martyrs, his praise for the kidnapping of Israeli teens, and his support for the “good news” of Hamas attacks between 2012 and 2014. 

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El Samhouri’s case is one of about 200 cases that senior fellow at UN Watch Salo Aizenberg told News Media he has cataloged in which terror groups shared posthumous proof that journalists, NGO personnel, aid workers, lawyers and medical personnel were part of their organizations. Citing the Institute for Palestine Studies, which says El Samhouri was killed June 8, 2025, when Israeli forces targeted his tent with no warning, Aizenberg noted on X that El Samhouri was “using the cover of the humanitarian zone as a human shield” when he was targeted.

In a martyr video viewed by News Media that the Israel Defense Forces provided, El Samhouri stands before multiple grenades and a weapon and states that “the call to arms has resounded in the hearts of the faithful and they have answered the call.” He also says that “we have chosen jihad as our path; our anthem is that Death in the cause of Allah is our highest aspiration, and our resolve will not waver, no matter how long the road or how great the sacrifices.” 

In the same video, while standing within what appears to be an underground tunnel, El Samhouri thanks God, “who has honored us with the tunnels and made them a means of resistance, a means by which the Zionist enemy never imagines we will emerge from beneath the ground.”

Neuer told News Media, “Samhouri publicly glorified terrorism, circulated Hamas battlefield propaganda and brought Hamas officials into UNRWA school life. Photographs show his own principal, Muhammad Al-Bardawil, repeatedly appearing at school events with Jumaa Al-Ghoul, Hamas’ representative in Rafah.” He said, “The evidence shows clearly that many officials in the UNRWA school system knew about Samhouri’s support for terrorism and ties to Hamas, and that they actually tolerated or even encouraged it.”

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El Samhouri is far from the first UNRWA employee exposed for support of Hamas. Neuer added that “in UN Watch’s network map of more than 400 UNRWA employees, Hamas terrorists and their supporters have served as school principals, teachers and leaders of UNRWA’s powerful staff unions. Hamas influences UNRWA hiring and promotions, mobilizes strikes to protect extremists and intimidates international managers whenever even mild disciplinary action is attempted. Hamas pays some of its agents by getting them hired by UNRWA.”

According to Neuer, “The deeper problem is that the international leadership of UNRWA and of the U.N. rarely act. This is hardly a vetting oversight — it’s a system failure. UNRWA has demonstrated that it is either unwilling or unable to remove Hamas terrorists from its schools. UNRWA cannot be reformed; it must be dismantled if Gaza is ever to be deradicalized and given a real future for peace and success.”

UNRWA did not respond to News Media’s questions about El Samhouri’s social media activities, or whether his employment with the agency was further proof of its infiltration by Hamas.

The USAID Office of Inspector General is currently investigating 1,500 UNRWA employees for possible ties to Hamas. Thus far, the USAID OIG has referred 108 UNRWA staff to the State Department, requesting they be suspended or barred from further cooperation with organizations that receive U.S. funding.

A senior State Department official told News Media that “USAID OIG’s independent and ongoing investigation is revealing the pervasive extent to which UNRWA has aided and abetted Hamas. The investigation demonstrates that UNRWA hired droves of Hamas-linked terrorists and turned over their infrastructure to the terrorist group.”

The official stated, “This can never happen again, and other U.N. agencies would be wise to study the USAID OIG’s ongoing work to understand how to avoid a repeat.”

Democrats in Nassau County are stepping up efforts against human trafficking with the introduction of a comprehensive measure designed to curb illicit activities in massage parlors. This initiative aims to set a precedent for strict enforcement of anti-trafficking laws across New York.

The newly proposed Nassau County Anti-Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Protection Act mandates rigorous compliance from massage parlors, requiring them to uphold licensing standards, maintain detailed employee payroll records, and prohibit any residential use of their premises. The legislation imposes escalating fines that can reach as high as $25,000 for violators.

Additionally, the bill seeks to hold landlords and property owners accountable, particularly those associated with repeatedly raided parlors for sex trafficking. These individuals could face legal consequences if their properties are tied to continuous investigations.

“For too long, we’ve seen the brunt of law enforcement efforts target those least empowered in trafficking situations—the victims,” stated Democratic Nassau Legislator Viviana Russell. “While the exploited individuals face arrest, the core operators often evade significant scrutiny, disappearing into the background.”

Russell emphasized that, “It is unjust for the victim to be the easiest target for punishment; our legal framework needs to consider the entirety of these operations and not just the individuals caught at the lowest level of the hierarchy.”

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The money the county would collect from the fines, Russell said, would flow into a new human trafficking victim assistance fund that would cover emergency housing, counseling, transportation, legal services, workforce development and language assistance for survivors of trafficking. 

The legislation would go even further by establishing a new countywide human trafficking response working group that would bring together police, prosecutors, social services, health professionals, educators and survivor advocates to help coordinate how the county identifies victims, prosecutes traffickers and connects survivors to services. 

This proposed bill would expand on a Nassau County law already on the books that combats sex trafficking in hotels and motels by banning hourly motel bookings, requiring hotels to keep a detailed log of all guests, preserve all security footage for at least 90 days, and increasing financial pressure on those found to be illicit operators.

The bill is now being reviewed by Republicans — who hold an 11-8 majority — who, along with the legislature’s Presiding Officer Howard Kopel, will decide whether the legislation will be put up for a vote next month.

Earlier this week, Jelly Roll found himself in the eye of a storm following his comments about former President Donald Trump while guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!

On the final night of his hosting stint on the popular ABC late-night show, the 41-year-old country singer became visibly emotional. As he fought back tears, he clarified that his political stance is neutral, emphasizing he is not affiliated with any political party.

“Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks, I’m pretty down the middle,” he explained. “I am a Christian, I am a country music singer, I’m a farmer, I’m a bow hunter, and most of the things I eat, I prefer to catch with a stick and a string.”

The controversy began when Jelly Roll, on his first night as guest host, joked that Trump could benefit from shedding some pounds, humorously suggesting it might help him ‘see [his] penis again.’

“It’s funny,” he remarked, “before this week, everyone thought I was MAGA, and now they assume I’m a liberal snowflake.” Reflecting on the situation, he added, “I guess I’m just not used to others projecting their beliefs onto me. After all, a few years ago, I was so large you could project a movie onto me.”

Jelly Roll replayed a clip of a Fox News commentator Jesse Watters – who accused the three-time Grammy winner of having TDS ( Trump Derangement Syndrome) and being a ‘phony’ who only made jokes about the president for a big Hollywood paycheck.

‘First of all, I didn’t do this for the check. I’m rich, y’all,’ said the Son of a Sinner songwriter, who is worth an estimated $20 million. ‘And listen, I don’t want to throw my buddy under the bus, but Jimmy Kimmel is cheap as hell.’

Jelly Roll also reminded viewers that he supported the UFC Freedom 250 event, which took place in June on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C.

‘Just because I watched a fight on TV doesn’t mean I support everything this administration does, just like hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics,’ Jelly Roll insisted.

On a serious note, he went on: ‘This year it wasn’t the hosting gig that I was looking forward to. It was the platform to get some very personal stuff off of my chest.

‘For the last six months, I’ve watched people decide who I am, what I am, what I believe, what I support and what I don’t support. And I felt that even more this week, just because I told a couple of jokes. And honestly, this goes back further for me, y’all. This goes back to February this year.’

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Jelly Roll was speaking about his controversial backstage interview at the 2026 Grammys, in which he declined to comment when asked about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other hot political topics.

‘Looking back, I don’t necessarily regret asking for more time before I spoke,’ he said. ‘I wish more people took more time before they spoke. But I do wish I had found the words to express my heart just a little bit sooner. But I was afraid that anything I was going to say was going to be immediately taken as a political statement. And ironically, by trying so hard not to make a political statement, I became one.’

He said that he ‘had a microphone and I didn’t use it the right way. So I’m going to try and do the right thing right now.

‘Human dignity isn’t Republican nor Democrat. Compassion isn’t left-wing, and mercy isn’t right-wing. Pain and healing knows no partisanship. Hurting hearts are more important than poll numbers. And there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.’

Jelly Roll, whose divorce from Bunnie Xo was finalized in May after 10 years of marriage, shared that his late father, Horace ‘Buddy’ DeFord, who died in 2019 and was a United States Marine Corps veteran, had been a ‘blue Democrat.’

‘This might be a hot take, but out of respect for him, and everybody who has ever served and continues to serve this country, I will always shake the hand of the sitting president of the United States when asked. My father would have been disappointed had I done anything other than that,’ he insisted.

Jelly Roll, who met and shook hands with Trump at the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden in November 2024, continued: ‘I’m proud that I was able to shake the  the president of the United States’ hand. I’m also proud that I live in a country where I can make jokes about him. Ain’t that what’s great about being an American? The democracy, the freedom of speech.

‘I will shake the hand of any president that occupies that office because a handshake is not an endorsement. A conversation is not allegiance. And a joke is not a political point of view. And in my business, taking a picture with a political figure, or anybody else for that matter, doesn’t mean you agree or disagree with their policies or politics. More often than not, I f***ing don’t.’

Lindsay Clancy could face a complex and uncertain future if a jury determines she is not criminally responsible for the tragic strangulation of her three children. Her potential commitment to a mental institution would be subject to yearly reviews, a process that introduces significant unpredictability regarding the duration of her hospitalization, according to insights from a retired judge.

Clancy is unlikely to receive a “life sentence in a public mental hospital,” as noted by Carol Erskine, a former Massachusetts judge and advocate for child welfare. In a post on X, she elaborated, “While Clancy could potentially remain in a hospital setting for many years, or even indefinitely, this would only continue as long as she meets the legal requirements for civil commitment.”

Erskine stressed that the trial judge plays a pivotal role in this process, a point she later conveyed to News Media.

“The judge’s order is the initial step in this process,” Erskine detailed. “Should the judge issue such an order, it would mandate a 40-day evaluation within a secured facility.”

After that, there would be an evaluation and hearing on whether she should be committed for further.

“If the recommendation is for a civil commitment because there’s likelihood of serious harm under the statute, then there would be a commitment for a period of six months,” she said. “And that would, again, be in a locked unit.”

Beyond that, Clancy would be up for review every year to determine whether there is still a likelihood of serious harm and if she should still be be committed to a mental institution, she said.

“It’s really impossible to say how long she would be committed if she’s committed because it all depends on if she is initially committed [and] these yearly evaluations,” Erskine said.

After the evaluation, the facility’s superintendent could recommend discharge. If there is a petition to discharge, the district attorney’s office and Clancy’s defense attorney can be heard in court.

That’s just one potential outcome as jurors, who began deliberating Thursday, weigh Clancy’s fate.

Clancy is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, who was 8 months old. Jurors could find her guilty of first- or second-degree murder, manslaughter, or not criminally responsible via the insanity defense.

Investigators have said that after strangling them with exercise bands, she attempted to kill herself by cutting herself and jumping out a second-floor window. The resulting injuries have left her paralyzed.

But her limited mobility is likely not going to be a factor when she is evaluated for her potential for harm in the future, Erskine said.

“I don’t think it would play a huge role in how they evaluate whether she has a mental illness that creates a likelihood of serious harm because we’re talking about serious harm to herself as well,” she explained.

In a recent development involving Green Bay Packers running back, Josh Jacobs, legal troubles have surfaced as he faces charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. The charges arise from an alleged altercation with his former girlfriend at his Wisconsin residence. District Attorney David L. Lasee has disclosed that surveillance video supports the statements made by the woman to the officers in the report filed after the incident on May 23.

Identified in the police report as “ANM,” Jacobs’ former girlfriend recounted to law enforcement that during her attempt to leave through the garage door, she was met with confrontation.

According to the report, “Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, resulting in her head hitting the floor and causing an injury. He then seized her phone as she lay there. ANM remained on the ground for some time before managing to get back into the house,” the document details.

Lasee confirmed the presence of security footage which captures these actions within the garage.

“Footage from the garage’s surveillance system at the Tretni Mar residence, recorded on May 23, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 8:38 a.m., verifies key elements of ANM’s account. It shows both ANM and Jacobs leaving and returning to the home in their vehicles, as well as the subsequent interactions inside the garage,” Lasee explained.

“The surveillance video further shows Jacobs took ANM’s phone while she was on the floor of the garage, and approximately 40 seconds later, Jacobs returns to the garage and appears to damage ANM’s phone.”

The video is not public as of Friday.

The alleged altercation began over Jacobs’ ex-girlfriend accusing him of “talking to other girls.”

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The woman sustained “a bump on the back of her head” and “described that she was in pain,” officials wrote in the incident report.

Jacobs turned himself in three days after the incident occurred on May 23.

“The Brown County District Attorney has reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence,” Jacobs’ attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media. Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney’s office and the process it followed.”

The Packers said in a statement Thursday they are aware of the incident and cooperating with the NFL.

The NFL said it has “been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review” in a statement following the prosecutors’ decision on Thursday.

Jacobs, who’s been active through training camp and the preseason, could face a steeper punishment from the league if the surveillance footage is released.

Former NFL running back Ray Rice saw the demise of his career when a video of him hitting his then-fiancée Janay Palmer inside of an elevator at an Atlantic City casino was released in 2014.

He initially received a two-game suspension for the domestic violence incident that July — before he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL when the video surfaced in September .

Vin Diesel recently found himself at the center of a social media storm after his tribute to Dolly Parton, who passed away at the age of 80 following a private battle with cancer, became the subject of widespread ridicule.

The 59-year-old actor took to Instagram to share an emotional rendition of Parton’s iconic hit “I Will Always Love You.” This heartfelt performance, marked by a trembling voice, quickly captured the internet’s attention.

Originally sung by Parton in 1973, the song reached legendary status when Whitney Houston delivered a powerful version for the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard.” Nearly everyone recognizes this iteration as the definitive cover, overshadowing many others that followed.

Despite the enduring popularity of Parton and Houston’s performances, Diesel’s attempt to honor the beloved country superstar sparked a divided reaction among listeners, illustrating the challenges of stepping into the shoes of music giants.

One commenter on social media emphatically questioned, ‘I THOUGHT THIS WAS A JOKE WHEN I SAW IT ON TWITTER. WHAT IS HE DOING?’ accompanied by a cascade of crying emojis, capturing the bewilderment felt by many.

Others posted: ‘This is really weird,’ and: ‘Haven’t we been through enough?,’ while one went as far as to quip: ‘This cover is actually what killed her.’

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Diesel for comment. 

‘You have 24 hours to delete this,’ one cracked, as another marveled at the resources poured into the venture, asking: ‘How much did this studio session cost.’

Still another, apparently reeling from the recent deaths of Parton, Tim Curry, Hayden Panettiere and Daveigh Chase, wrote: ‘2026 is taking All my childhood idols.’

Diesel’s post was not without fans, who wrote spirited defenses like: ‘I think this is actually pretty sweet,’ ‘Leave him alone because yall see jlo in concert,’ and: ‘I can’t hate on a dude for expressing his emotions good on ya vin and rest in piece dolly.’

Diesel briefly embarked on a music career during the COVID-19 pandemic, releasing the singles Feel Like I Do and Days Are Gone through Kygo’s label Palm Tree Records.

Parton wrote I Will Always Love You in 1973 about the experience of cutting ties with her former business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner when she set her sights on pursuing a solo career.

The song reached the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart twice, first in June 1974 and again in October 1982.

Parton famously refused to let Elvis Presley record his own version after his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded she sign over half of the publishing rights.

‘I wouldn’t let Colonel Tom Parker,’ Parton recalled in an interview with BBC Radio 2 in 2023. ‘See, Elvis loved the song. In fact, I talked to Priscilla not very long ago. She said: “You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we were walking down the courthouse steps when we got divorced.”

‘He loved the song, wanted to do it, had it worked up, they’d already called me to come down to the studio to meet him, and to be part and hear the song.

‘And the night before, Colonel Tom Parker calls me and says: “Well, you know we don’t record anything with Elvis unless we have publishing on it, or at least half the publishing.”

‘Well, I said, because I had a number one song on it, I said: “This is the most important copyright in my whole publishing company, and I can’t do that.”

She added that Parker said they couldn’t do that, and the song fell apart, with Parton adding she was, ‘heartbroken’ because she always wanted to hear Presley sing it.

She was vindicated in her determination to retain the rights when Whitney Houston recorded the song for her 1992 film The Bodyguard, whereupon it became an thunderous international hit that carried the soundtrack album to 18 times platinum.

As news spread of Parton’s passing Tuesday, it emerged that she had been privately battling cancer, although the specific strain was left undisclosed.

Parton will be buried beside her husband of over half a century, Carl Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.

The news was confirmed Wednesday by Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver, who announced the country icon’s death at the age of 80 the previous day, via TMZ.

Seaver, who acted as Parton’s head of security, specified that she will be laid to rest in the same mausoleum that houses her husband’s remains.

Dean died aged 82 of causes that have remained private in March 2025, two months before what would have been his and Parton’s 59th wedding anniversary. 

Seaver shared Wednesday that Parton will be interred in a comfortable cotton dress, as well as a pair of the high heels that became part of her trademark look.

Often referred to as the Queen of Country, Parton enjoyed an illustrious music career spanning six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5. 

Her passing came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her wellbeing. 

In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had declared she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’ and vowed to continue ‘working as long as I can to see everything come to life,’ via People.

She explained that she had been grappling with ‘some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.’