On Oct. 6, Albanian Appeals Court Judge Astrit Kalaja was shot inside the Tirana courtroom where he oversaw a property dispute case, according to the International Commission of Jurists. Kalaja died of his wounds, and two others were injured in the shooting. The 30-year-old suspect has been arrested.

Kalaja’s killing quickly became a lightning rod for nationwide dissatisfaction with the Albanian judiciary. 

Former Albanian Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations Agim Nesho told Fox News Digital that reforms implemented almost a decade ago by the European Union and the U.S. were ‘intended to strengthen the rule of law,’ but have been ‘transformed into a political instrument, undermining democratic institutions and concentrating power in the hands of the executive.’

‘As a result,’ Nesho said, ‘the public’s confidence in the justice system has severely eroded, with institutional dysfunction reaching a level where some segments of society feel driven to take justice into their own hands — a dangerous sign of democratic backsliding.’

Opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha told Fox News Digital that Kalaja’s killing was ‘an abominable act and an alarm bell that should not be ignored.’

Berisha said that the ‘evident support that the act has garnered,’ including the creation of a now inactive GoFundMe to support the killer’s legal rights, demonstrates ‘protest against a dysfunctional judiciary, against a corrupt and politicized judicial system.’

Berisha said judicial reforms ‘left the country without a Constitutional Court and without a High Court for more than five years,’ creating a ‘staggering backlog’ of around 200,000 cases. He said that the process of vetting judicial personnel turned into ‘a witch-hunt against magistrates that were perceived [to be] independent or potentially right-leaning.’ According to Berisha, this led to the ‘weaponization of the judiciary against the opposition.’ 

A 2020 report on U.S. assistance to Albania describes American and EU efforts to ‘restore the integrity of the Albanian justice system.’ The report states that USAID assisted the High Court with creating a procedure to manage 72% of its 35,000 backlogged cases. It also stated that 125 of 286 judges and prosecutors put through vetting procedures had ‘been dismissed for unexplained wealth, ties to organized crime, or incompetence,’ while 50 judges chose to resign rather than go through vetting.

Berisha claimed that in the aftermath of reforms, it now takes about 15–20 years for the resolution of legal disputes. ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’ Berisha said.

Lawyer Besnik Muçi, formerly a prosecutor and a judge in the Constitutional Court of Albania, told Fox News Digital that judicial reforms aimed ‘to establish a credible, fair, independent, professional, service-oriented justice system that is open, accountable and efficient.’ He said that the Albanian justice system ‘has failed in almost all’ parameters. 

Muçi said the courts’ backlog consists of about 150,000 cases. He also noted that the closure of five appeal courts and some district courts has ‘almost blocked the citizens’ access to justice.’ He also explained that most court buildings do not ‘meet…the security conditions and standards necessary.’ 

‘Citizens do not believe in the justice system,’ Muçi said. 

After Kalaja’s murder, the Korça Bar Association and National Bar Association of Albania boycotted court proceedings on Oct. 9 and 10. Korça Bar Association Director Nevzat Tarelli told Albanian news station CNA that Kalaja’s killing highlighted the need for increased security for and trust in judicial personnel. He also said that ‘people who expect justice in a timely manner, if they do not receive it, no longer have faith in justice.’ 

Engjëll Agaçi, general secretary of Albania’s Council of Ministers, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about nationwide discontent with the judiciary or the size of Albania’s court case backlog. 

A State Department spokesperson declined to respond to questions about the success of U.S.-backed judicial reform efforts in Albania or address the issues that Kalaja’s killing has highlighted.

‘We offer our deepest sympathies to the victims of this attack and their families and strongly condemn the use of violence against judges and prosecutors,’ the spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump railed against Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown Saturday, and said he is directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to make sure military service members get paid next week. 

‘Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.’

He said he had directed Hegseth ‘to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.’

‘I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,’ he added. ‘The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’

The government shut down on Oct. 1, after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, with Democrats concerned that expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could raise premiums and that Medicaid cuts could leave people without coverage.  

Trump on Monday blamed Democratic lawmakers for the shutdown, saying he’d be ‘happy to work with the Democrats on their failed healthcare policies’ once the government reopens.

‘Democrats have SHUT DOWN the United States government right in the midst of one of the most successful economies, including a record stock market, that our country has ever had,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘This has sadly affected so many programs, services, and other elements of society that Americans rely on — and it should not have happened.’

‘I am happy to work with the Democrats on their failed healthcare policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our government to re-open,’ he added.

Schumer recently told Punchbowl News: ‘Every day gets better for us,’ regarding the Democrats’ shutdown strategy.

He added, ‘It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30 and we prepared for it … Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two.’

Republicans have blamed Schumer for the shutdown, saying it was meant to appease the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, particularly in his home state as Zohran Mamdani maintains the lead in New York City’s mayoral race and buzz swirls regarding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is potentially challenging Schumer in the next primary. She has not formally declared a Senate bid.

‘Chuck Schumer just said the quiet part out loud: Democrats are gleefully inflicting pain on the American people over their push to give illegal aliens free health care,’ White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement provided exclusively to Fox News Digital. 

Schumer recently shared with Fox News Digital remarks he made on the Senate floor. 

‘Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, the worse it gets for Americans — and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them. Each day our case to fix healthcare and end this shutdown gets better and better, stronger and stronger because families are opening their letters showing how high their premiums will climb if Republicans get their way. They’re seeing why this fight matters — it’s about protecting their healthcare, their bank accounts and their futures.’

Two years ago, I was kidnapped by Boko Haram. They held me captive, and every day I prayed that I would see my family again. By a miracle of God, I was able to escape. 

Sadly, most Christians who are captured by this terrible organization never live to tell their stories. And unless the West intervenes, kidnappings like mine — as well as killings — will only increase in my country, spread across the African continent and threaten the rest of the world. 

Today, as I travel throughout Nigeria providing relief as part of my work with iReach Global, I see that the violence has only grown—spreading like wildfire across the middle of my country, leaving behind a trail of ashes, mass graves and shattered lives. 

This year has brought wave after wave of coordinated attacks in Central Nigeria. More than 7,000 Christians have been killed. Entire villages — most of them Christian farming communities — were razed. Families now live in makeshift camps, traumatized and uncertain if they’ll ever return home. 

In early April, multiple coordinated assaults in the Bokkos area claimed hundreds of lives within a week. One community alone reported 52 deaths in a single attack, with thousands forced to flee. 

Later that month, in an area called Bassa, at least 51 people were slaughtered in a pre-dawn raid. The attackers came silently, setting homes ablaze and killing entire families as they slept. In Riyom, ambushes and targeted killings continued for months afterward. In one case, a bus full of passengers was stopped and attacked — 12 people killed on the spot. 

These are not random acts of violence. They are systematic, coordinated attempts to erase Christian communities from the region. 

As someone who has walked through burned villages and prayed with survivors, I can tell you the reality is even worse than the statistics suggest. I’ve seen mothers weeping beside mass graves. The smell of smoke from the smoldering remains of churches and schools still clings to my clothes. I’ve also spoken with children who no longer sleep through the night because they fear the next attack will come for them. 

This is not simply a matter of ‘clashes’ between farmers and herders, as government officials sometimes claim. It is a campaign of terror. It’s ethnic and religious cleansing disguised as conflict over land. 

And yet, the Nigerian government continues to downplay the crisis — failing to provide protection, food or medical care to the displaced. Some local leaders even warn communities not to speak to the media. But silence will not save us. 

I’ve seen mothers weeping beside mass graves. The smell of smoke from the smoldering remains of churches and schools still clings to my clothes.

The Nigerian government bears the primary responsibility to protect its people. That must begin with immediate and adequately resourced security deployments to protect vulnerable communities — especially during planting and harvest seasons when farmers are most exposed. Humanitarian corridors must be opened to deliver food and aid to thousands now living in desperate conditions. 

Independent investigations are also essential. Impunity is the oxygen that fuels these killings. Perpetrators must be identified and prosecuted—no matter their political connections or tribal affiliations. 

At the same time, Nigeria’s political class must stop turning our suffering into campaign slogans. I’ve heard politicians invoke the blood of victims as talking points during election campaigns while refusing to act. This must end. The lives of our people are not bargaining chips. 

The United States and other Western nations cannot look away. They have both the moral obligation and the diplomatic tools to press Nigeria toward real accountability. I believe the U.S. State Department must reinstate Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern for egregious violations of religious freedom. This would send a clear signal to my government that the world is watching, and the killing of Christians in Nigeria will not be ignored. 

In addition, international partners should expand support for independent investigations and humanitarian assistance. I have visited many of these camps; the needs are immense. In some camps, families survive on one meal a day, drinking from muddy puddles, with no one to treat their wounds. Children go months without schooling. The international community can help fund the rebuilding of homes and provide psychosocial support for those who have endured unspeakable loss. 

The victims of these attacks are not soldiers or combatants. They are farmers, families, children and elders. They want nothing more than to live in peace, tend their fields and worship freely. Yet they have become targets of a campaign of hate. 

If urgent action is not taken, we risk watching entire Christian communities vanish from Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Not only that, but the reign of terror will continue to grow across the Sahel region of Africa and could ultimately threaten global security. 

And the silence of the world will be remembered as complicity. 

As someone who has survived the terror of Boko Haram and now witnesses this unfolding genocide, I plead with the global community: Do not look away. The suffering here is real, and it is growing. 

Nigeria is bleeding. But it does not have to be this way. With courage and help from the international community, we can still stop the slaughter and begin the long work of rebuilding. 

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino is poised to play an even larger role in President Donald Trump’s administration, the president announced Sunday.

Trump says Scavino, in addition to his current role, will now lead the White House Presidential Personnel Office. The office was previously held by Sergio Gor, who is now transitioning to become the U.S. Ambassador to India.

‘I am pleased to announce that the great Dan Scavino, in addition to remaining Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, will head the White House Presidential Personnel Office, replacing Sergio Gor, who did a wonderful job in that position, and will now become the Ambassador to India,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

‘Dan will be responsible for the selection and appointment of almost all positions in government, a very big and important position. Congratulations Dan, you will do a fantastic job!’ he added.

Scavino’s new appointment comes as the Trump administration is in a pitched fight with Democrats to define the cause of the ongoing government shutdown.

Trump allies have pointed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to work with Republicans.

The president also sought to mitigate damage on Saturday by ordering War Secretary Pete Hegseth to make sure military service members get paid next week, regardless of the shutdown.

‘Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.’

He said he directed Hegseth ‘to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.’

The government shut down on Oct. 1, after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, with Democrats concerned expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could raise premiums and that Medicaid cuts could leave people without coverage.

Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report

A prominent Hamas leader lost his temper and stormed off from a live interview after being pressed on the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the devastating subsequent war in Gaza.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas’ longtime foreign relations chief and a co-founder of the terror group, tried to justify his organization’s crimes by saying Hamas ‘fulfilled its national duty’ and acted as ‘resistance to occupation’ in an interview on Arabic television. 

The host shot back and questioned whether the Hamas attacks had helped the Palestinian cause and if they had achieved anything meaningful for the Palestinians, according to The Jerusalem Post.

‘Was what you did on Oct. 7 to lead the Palestinians to liberation?’ the host asked in the interview Friday night.

Marzouk, who is based in Qatar and is one of Hamas’s founding members, bristled and insisted the question was disrespectful and that a small group of fighters could never ‘liberate’ Palestine on its own. 

‘No sane person would claim that on Oct. 7, with just a thousand or so fighters, it was possible to liberate Palestine,’ he said.

The journalist then continued, saying, ‘I am asking you the questions that are being asked on the streets of Palestine by the residents of Gaza.’

As the exchange grew tense, Marzouk snapped.

‘These are your questions. Show some respect for yourself. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to see you. Cut it out. Cut it out. Go to hell,’ he said.

Marzouk’s comments, which aired on the Egyptian-based Pan-Arab Al-Ghad’s ‘With Wael,’ quickly spread across social media and came amid growing infighting and turmoil within Hamas as the war comes to an end.

Once seen as a polished Hamas spokesperson, Arab commentators saw his on-air outburst as a signal of a widening rift among the organization’s leadership as Gaza lies in ruins.

Jamal Nazzal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian political and nationalist movement Fatah, slammed Marzouk’s remarks.

Nazzal said his comments were ‘a disgrace that exposes the moral and political bankruptcy of a crumbling group that can no longer look people in the eye,’ according to The Jerusalem Post. 

Earlier this year, Marzouk expressed regret over the Oct. 7 attacks, telling The New York Times he would not have supported the attack if he had known of the havoc it would wreak on Gaza.

‘If it was expected that what happened would happen, there wouldn’t have been Oct. 7,’ he said.

Marzouk has been described in multiple reports as a billionaire, though his exact fortune remains unclear. 

In a statement posted after The New York Times’ story, Hamas said that the comments were ‘incorrect’ and taken out of context.

The Israeli government approved and signed the first phase of the President Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza overnight Thursday. The agreement includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.