World

In Georgia, four years of US election fraud claims resonate among voters

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2024

In Georgia, four years of US election fraud claims resonate among voters

As the rumours surrounding the dumpster and the false claims of thrown-out ballots spread, Ben Johnson, a local tech entrepreneur, tweeted at L Lin Wood, a lawyer who led efforts to challenge the 2020 results in Georgia and Michigan on behalf of Trump.

Johnson claimed to have “the source video for ballots found in the dumpster in Spalding County”, as reported by the Daily Beast, citing since-deleted posts.

Less than a year later, Johnson, whose posts also appear to support pro-QAnon conspiracy theories, became chair of the Spalding County election board.

Most recently, in August, Gabriel Sterling, a top Republican election official in the state, posted on X that the “actual evidence points to no fraud” in Georgia’s 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections.

Johnson shot back, “Gabe’s pic[ture] is beside the definition of #gaslighting on dictionary.com”

But Dexter Wimbish, a local lawyer and one of two Democratic members on the election board, feels there is more behind Johnson’s appointment. Prior to 2020, the election board was divided evenly between Republicans and Democrats. The fifth and final member was chosen by coin toss.

But after the election, Republican state legislators passed a law mandating that three top county judges instead choose the final board member. As those judges are conservative, Wimbish explained, the change all but guaranteed that Republicans would dominate the board.

“I really believe that Spalding County is sort of a test site for the right in terms of coming up with local strategies to to interfere with the election process,” Wimbish said.

He pointed to a recent decision by the board to require hand-counting audits of one local and one federal race, which he argued could lead to protracted litigation after election day, while stoking confusion.

Concerns peaked when Georgia’s state board passed new election rules that allowed county officials to investigate and potentially not certify election results in some cases. A report by Pro-Publica identified Spalding, along with Troup and Ware, as counties in Georgia with election boards dominated by election sceptics that could have outsized influence in light of those rules.

However, a Georgia judge has since declared the new rules “illegal, unconstitutional and void”, saying that local officials were mandated to certify the election results. The state’s Supreme Court has said it will not intervene before the election.

Spalding County Democratic Committee vice chair Elbert Solomon speaks from his office in Griffin, Georgia [Joseph Stepansky/Al Jazeera]

But in places like Spalding County, there may still be trouble, local observers warn.

Wimbish, the Democrat member of the Spalding County election board, told Al Jazeera, “it’s clear that the majority of the board welcomes litigation because they think the litigation is going to bring about their their desired outcome…I still think there’s a strong possibility that we’re going to see some sort of election controversy in Spalding County with the upcoming election.”

Elbert Solomon, the vice chair of the Spalding County Democratic Committee, has also been a vocal critic of the new board.

“Here in Spalding, if they could come up with some reason not to certify the election, I believe they would,” Solomon told Al Jazeera from his office in Griffin.

“They have the majority vote.”

For his part, Johnson has maintained during public meetings that the board seeks to act in a non-partisan manner. He did not respond to a request for an interview from Al Jazeera.

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World

Zelenskyy offers cutting-edge drone defense to Gulf allies as Ukraine seeks missile support

Published

43 minutes ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Zelenskyy offers cutting-edge drone defense to Gulf allies as Ukraine seeks missile support

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is turning battlefield innovation into bargaining power, offering Ukraine’s anti-drone systems to Middle Eastern allies, while seeking more air-defense support as the war with Russia drags into its fourth year.

Zelenskyy met Friday in Abu Dhabi with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the two discussed an agreement by which Ukraine would provide its cutting-edge counter-drone technology in exchange for ballistic missile support and financial aid.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News after the meeting, Zelenskyy detailed how Ukraine’s battlefield innovations, namely its anti-Russian drone systems, are influencing defense partnerships worldwide.

ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy detailed how Ukraine’s battlefield innovations are influencing defense partnerships worldwide. (Fox News)

“We have, for example, drone interceptors. We have [a] system of electronic warfare and a lot of things. All these jointly work in one system. This is what we have [that] nobody has,” Zelenskyy told Fox News correspondent Matt Finn in Abu Dhabi.

Ukraine is now sharing elements of that system with at least four Persian Gulf nations — the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — as they confront growing threats from Iran’s drone capabilities.

But Zelenskyy emphasized the partnership must be reciprocal. Ukraine continues to face a “big deficit” of critical air defense weapons, particularly PAC-3 Patriot missiles used to intercept ballistic threats.

“We are ready to help Middle East countries with our expertise and with our knowledge, and we hope … that they can help with anti-ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine has already signed 10-year defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with a similar deal with the UAE expected soon, according to the AP.

TRUMP MEETS WITH ZELENSKYY; TALKS COULD UNLOCK FIRST ZELENSKYY-PUTIN CALL IN FIVE YEARS: SOURCE

A plume of smoke rises from the site of a strike in Tehran early on March 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Zelenskyy also warned that increasing U.S. military focus on the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran and the ongoing “Operation Epic Fury” could slow the flow of weapons to Ukraine.

He claimed Russia is already strengthening Iran’s military by sharing drone technology, including Shahed “kamikaze” drones, as well as battlefield tactics developed during the war.

“Russia will share all they know about this war. … They’re already sharing with Iranians,” Zelenskyy said.

While he stopped short of confirming missile transfers, Zelenskyy suggested Moscow has a strategic interest in prolonging instability in the Middle East to divert U.S. attention away from Ukraine.

“This is what they do,” Zelenskyy said.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine will not cede territory in the contested Donbas region, arguing it would weaken defenses, damage troop morale and displace tens of thousands of civilians.

“I think their morale will decrease,” Zelenskyy said.

He also urged the Trump administration not to lose sight of Ukraine while addressing Middle East tensions.

AS UKRAINE WAR DRAGS ON, TRUMP HITS PUTIN BY SQUEEZING RUSSIA’S PROXIES

Destroyed homes after a Russian drone attack March 28 in Odesa, Ukraine. (Viacheslav Onyshchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

More than 270 Russian drones struck Ukraine overnight Friday, leaving at least five people dead, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, according to AP.

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“I hope that President Trump … will find a way to end this war with pressure on the Iranian regime, and I hope that also they will not forget about … the war of Russia against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Matt Finn currently serves as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He began working with FNC in 2013 as part of the Junior Reporter program based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

World

The EU's recipe for trade deals : easy on beef, tough on wine

Published

2 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Within weeks, the European Commission has wrapped up deals with Mercosur, India and Australia. Yet despite the backlash over the Latin America agreement, Brussels is sticking to a familiar playbook: offensive on wine and cars, defensive on beef.

World

Secret Service Agent Assigned to Jill Biden Shoots Self in Leg

Published

12 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Secret Service Agent Assigned to Jill Biden Shoots Self in Leg

A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to former First Lady Jill Biden accidentally shot himself in the leg early on Friday near Philadelphia International Airport, according to a source familiar with the incident.

In a statement that did not mention Biden, the Secret Service said the incident occurred just after 8:30 a.m. EST and the agent suffered a non-life-threatening injury.

“There was no impact to the protectee’s movement and they were not present at the time of the incident,” the statement said.

The agent “accidentally discharged his firearm” while traveling in an unmarked SUV near the airport, Philadelphia Police Department Cpl. Jasmine Colón-Reilly said in a statement.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and the agent was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in stable condition, Colón-Reilly said.

“The Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility will be reviewing the facts and circumstances of this incident,” the Secret Service said.

The Secret Service is responsible for providing security to current and former presidents, vice presidents and their families and foreign leaders and is also an investigative agency.

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(Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; editing by Scott Malone and Chris Reese)