World
Mexican president defends sharing NYT reporter's number; says privacy laws don't apply to him
- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador defended Friday his decision to publicly disclose a New York Times reporter’s phone number.
- López Obrador subsequently claimed “the political and moral authority of the president of Mexico is above” a law guaranteeing privacy, and that “no law can be above the sublime principle of liberty.”
- López Obrador, a leftist firebrand, frequently accuses the media of partaking in a right-wing conspiracy to undermine him.
Mexico’s president on Friday defended his decision to disclose a reporter’s telephone number, saying a law that prohibits officials from releasing personal information doesn’t apply to him.
Press freedom groups said the president’s decision to make public the phone number of a New York Times reporter Thursday was an attempt to punish critical reporting, and exposed the reporter to potential danger.
Mexico’s law on Protection of Personal Data states “the government will guarantee individuals’ privacy” and sets out punishments for officials and others for “improperly using, taking, publishing, hiding, altering or destroying, fully or partially, personal data.”
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President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that “the political and moral authority of the president of Mexico is above that law,” adding that “no law can be above the sublime principle of liberty.” He also accused U.S. media of acting with “arrogance.”
He also downplayed the risks to journalists, saying it was “an old song that you (reporters) use to discredit our government,” and suggesting the Times reporter should just “change her telephone number.”
Mexico is one of the deadliest places in the world for reporters outside of war zones. The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, has documented the killings of at least 55 journalists in Mexico since 2018, when López Obrador took office.
Jan-Albert Hootsen, the Mexico representative for the CPJ, noted the publication of a reporter’s phone number in Mexico can be dangerous.
“The vast majority of threats and harassment and intimidation that reporters in this country, both foreign and domestic, receive, are conveyed through messages on messaging apps to mobile phones,” Hootsen said.
The situation began Thursday when López Obrador denied allegations contained in a New York Times story about a U.S. investigation into claims that people close to him took money from drug traffickers shortly before his 2018 election and again after he was president.
The story cited unidentified U.S. officials familiar with the now shelved inquiry and noted that a formal investigation was not opened, nor was it known how much of the informants’ allegations were independently confirmed.
As is common practice, the Times reporter had sent a letter to López Obrador’s spokesman asking for the president’s comment on the story before it was published, and included her telephone number as a means of contacting her.
At his daily press briefing that day, the president displayed the letter on a large screen and read it aloud, including her phone number.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador gives his daily briefing on June 10, 2020, in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the New York Times wrote that “This is a troubling and unacceptable tactic from a world leader at a time when threats against journalists are on the rise.”
Asked about the issue Friday at a White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “obviously, that’s not something we support.”
“It is important for the press to be able to report on issues that matter to the American people freely and in a way that, obviously, you all feel secure and safe and in a way that you’re not being doxed or attacked. That is, you know, that is something that we will obviously reject,” she said,
Mexico’s National Institute for Transparency and Information Access, the agency charged with upholding personal data laws, announced Thursday it is launching an investigation into the president’s actions.
But it is unclear how much good that will do: López Obrador has frequently criticized the institute and has proposed abolishing it.
Leopoldo Maldonado, of the press freedom group Article 19, said “Obviously, he is doing it with the intention of inhibiting the work of journalists and trying to prevent the publication of issues of public interest concerning his administration and the people around him.”
“This is something the president has done before,” Maldonado noted.
In 2022, López Obrador published a chart showing the income of Carlos Loret de Mola, a journalist who had written stories critical of the president.
The president said he got such information — which Loret de Mola has said is wrong — “from the people,” but later said he based the chart in part on tax receipts, which would have been available only to the party who wrote them or the government tax agency.
López Obrador regularly lashes out at the media, claiming they treat him unfairly and are part of a conservative conspiracy to undermine his administration.
He has also expressed anger at what he claims is U.S. tolerance for such media reports. It is the second time in recent weeks that the foreign press has published stories signaling that the U.S. government has looked into alleged contacts between López Obrador allies and drug cartels.
In late January, ProPublica, Deutsche Welle and InSight Crime published stories describing an earlier U.S. investigation into whether López Obrador campaign aides took money from drug traffickers in exchange for facilitating their operations during an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2006.
In that instance, López Obrador placed blame squarely at the feet of the U.S. government and wondered aloud why he should continue discussing issues like immigration with a government that was trying to damage him.
On Thursday U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “There is no investigation into President López Obrador.”
World
Trump tips DoorDash driver $100 for delivering McDonald’s to Oval Office
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had two bags of McDonald’s delivered to the Oval Office on Monday by a DoorDash driver he tipped $100, using his favorite food and a reality TV flourish to promote a tax policy he says has meant big rebates for Americans who earn gratuities.
Sharon Simmons, dressed in a “DoorDash Grandma” T-shirt, walked up to the Oval Office’s exterior door and knocked as media cameras rolled. Trump popped out and said, “Hello. Nice to see you,” before proclaiming, “Look at this!” and then, glancing toward a pack of nearby reporters, offering, “This doesn’t look staged, does it?”
It was, of course. Making it onto the White House grounds alone requires obtaining prior permission and passing through security, while accessing the Oval Office — not to mention getting so close to the president — would have been impossible without additional screenings and background checks.
Still, the White House has attempted to call more attention to a piece of the Trump-backed tax and spend package approved last summer that allows Americans to temporarily deduct some federal taxes from income earned on tips. It lets certain workers deduct up to $25,000, but phases out for those with higher incomes.
Officials are intensifying the publicity effort ahead of Tax Day on Wednesday — even as the issue has been overshadowed for weeks by the war in Iran that has raised gas prices and spooked financial markets, and more immediately by Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV.
McDonald’s is a longtime favorite of the president — and fare he’s used to political ends before.
He famously ordered it, along with vast piles of other fast food, to serve the visiting NCAA football champion Clemson Tigers in 2019 during his first term, when a government shutdown had reduced White House kitchen staff. Trump also staged one of the most memorable stops of his successful 2024 reelection campaign by visiting a Pennsylvania McDonald’s restaurant, where he worked the fry station and took reporters’ questions from the drive-thru window.
On Monday, Simmons, who DoorDash said was from Arkansas, recounted how the tax changes had helped reduce the amount of income she had to claim. Simmons subsequently told reporters she had earned more than $11,000 in tips a year. Exact figures on her savings were difficult to verify without Simmons’ tax statement wasn’t provided to reporters.
Trump then asked, “Would you like to do a little news conference with me?” and had her stand awkwardly beside him as he took questions about his threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and his refusal to apologize to Pope Leo.
The president eventually asked Simmons: “I think you voted for me. Do you think?” To which she responded, “Um, maybe.” Undaunted, Trump continued: “I heard you’re a great supporter. We appreciate it.”
When a reporter later asked if the White House was a good tipper, Simmons hesitated: “Um … potentially.”
“Wait,” Trump crowed, reaching into his pocket for a $100 bill and handing it to Simmons with a grin. She took the money, laughed and finished, “Yes, very,” as the president patted her on the back and beamed.
Trump also invited Simmons and her husband to a UFC bout he’s helping to stage on the White House lawn to mark his 80th birthday in June. And he turned to Simmons again to press her on if she believes “men should play in women’s sports” — a frequent topic of his as he blasts Democrats for being too supportive of transgender rights.
“I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Simmons replied, prompting Trump to push, “I’ll bet you do.”
“No, no,” she insisted. “I’m here about no tax on tips.”
The White House later said that Trump personally delivered the food — consisting of cheeseburgers and fries — to West Wing staff.
It didn’t say if he got a tip for doing so.
World
Iran secures UN role with backing from UK, France, Canada, Australia as US stands alone
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Western democracies, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia, are facing backlash after allowing Iran and other authoritarian regimes to secure seats on influential United Nations (U.N.) bodies, with the United States standing alone in opposition.
The controversy stems from decisions by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a 54-member body that plays a central role in shaping U.N. policy and staffing key committees.
Critics warn the outcome could allow governments accused of human rights abuses to influence global policy and control which civil society groups are granted access to the United Nations.
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Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution to unblock the Strait of Hormuz during a meeting on Iran and the Middle East at U.N. headquarters in New York on April 7, 2026. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
ECOSOC nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the U.N.’s Committee for Program and Coordination Wednesday, a body that helps shape policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism.
The nomination is widely expected to be finalized, as the United Nations General Assembly typically approves such recommendations without a vote.
At the same session, ECOSOC elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which oversees accreditation and access for thousands of NGOs operating within the U.N. system.
The United States was the only member state to formally break from consensus.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
In remarks delivered April 8, U.S. Representative to ECOSOC Ambassador Dan Negrea said the U.S. “disassociates from consensus” on both decisions, calling several of the countries involved unfit for such roles.
“The regime threatens its neighbors and has, for decades, infringed on the Iranian people’s ability to exercise their basic human rights,” Negrea said, adding that “we believe Iran is unfit to serve” on the committee.
The decision drew sharp criticism from UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog group.
Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital: “By their cynical actions at the UN, major Western states have betrayed their own human rights principles, severely undermining the rules-based international order that they claim to support.”
“We note that the EU states clearly had another option. They did take action in recent years to stop Russia from getting elected to similar bodies, and so we deeply regret that they failed to do the same now to stop the election of serial violators such as Iran, China, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.”
“We salute the United States for their moral clarity and leadership in objecting to the election of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other brutal regimes.”
Neuer warned the composition of the NGO committee could allow authoritarian governments to influence which organizations are accredited, potentially sidelining independent human rights groups.
“This means dictatorships will have a majority on the committee in order to deny United Nations accreditation to independent organizations that call out their human rights violations, and to accredit more fake front groups created by the regimes,” he said.
Israel’s mission to the United Nations also pointed to political tensions surrounding the vote, saying Iran attempted to challenge Israel’s candidacy during the same ECOSOC session.
AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ LAYS OUT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ VISION FOR US LEADERSHIP AT THE UN
Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani attends a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
Israel was elected to several U.N. bodies, according to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, including the Commission on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee, despite opposition.
“Iran also tried to turn the elections at the UN into an arena for incitement against Israel and failed,” Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said. “Those who oppress women and trample on human rights in their own country will not teach us what women’s rights are.”
Ahead of the vote, around 70 civil society groups warned that countries with poor human rights records could secure seats on key oversight bodies, but the elections proceeded without a formal vote, a process known as approval “by acclamation.”
Critics argue that this procedure allows controversial candidates to secure influential roles with limited transparency or accountability.
The developments are likely to intensify scrutiny over how U.N. bodies are staffed and whether political considerations are outweighing human rights concerns.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
Fox News Digital reached out to the UK, France, Canada, Australia and U.S. mission for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
World
UN experts slam attacks on Gaza shelters, forced displacement in West Bank
Panel details incidents of violence by Israeli forces and settlers against displaced Palestinians in Gaza and occupied West Bank.
Published On 13 Apr 2026
United Nations experts have reiterated calls for an end to Israeli attacks on displaced Palestinians in Gaza as well as forced displacement measures in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement issued on Monday by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), the experts detailed several incidents in March in which Israeli air strikes set tents of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on fire, killing many.
“This cycle of displacement, terror, and targeted attacks serves an ultimate purpose: to make life unbearable for Palestinians and permanently force them from their land,” the panel said.
“The vast majority of Gaza’s population has already been displaced multiple times which amounts to forcible transfer,” the panel said, adding that “targeting areas known to shelter displaced civilians is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.”
The experts noted that civilians in tents and makeshift shelters are already experiencing grave health risks, including hunger, freezing, flooding, and a lack of basic services. The panel said that “women and children bear a disproportionate share of deprivation”.
The panel also criticised “the sharp escalation in forced displacement” across the occupied West Bank, driven by the Israeli army and what the experts called “State-backed settler terrorism”. This includes “daily attacks resulting in killing, injury, and harassment of women and children, and the widespread destruction of Palestinian homes, farmland and livelihoods”.
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced amid expanding illegal settlement activity in 2025, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office.
The experts said that “the scale and pattern of these actions shows once again the ongoing broader policy of ethnic cleansing across the occupied Palestinian territory”.
They urged Israel to end all ongoing forced displacement in the West Bank and to facilitate the safe return of displaced Palestinians.
“States must bring Israel’s unlawful occupation to an end,” they said, urging countries to remember their legal obligations, call for investigations, and avoid assisting Israel while its occupation of Palestinian territory continues without accountability.
The panel of 13 experts was made up of UN special rapporteurs, including on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, the rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur, the right to food, Michael Fakhri, and on the violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem.
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