reviews

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday that they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.

The lawmakers said they did not know whether last week’s Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns.

“This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), when asked about a follow-up strike aimed at people no longer able to fight, said Congress does not have information that that happened. He noted that leaders of the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate have opened investigations.

“Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act,” Turner said.

Turner said there are concerns in Congress about the attacks on vessels that the Trump administration says are transporting drugs, but the allegation regarding the Sept. 2 attack “is completely outside anything that has been discussed with Congress, and there is an ongoing investigation.”

The comments from lawmakers during news show appearances come as the administration escalates a lethal maritime campaign that it says is needed to combat drug trafficking into the United States.

On Saturday, President Trump said the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety,” an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S. pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Maduro’s government accused Trump of making a ”colonial threat” and seeking to undermine the South American country’s sovereignty.

After the Post’s report, Hegseth said Friday on X that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.”

“Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said in a joint statement late Friday that the committee “will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.”

That was followed Saturday by the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, and ranking Democratic member, Washington Rep. Adam Smith, issuing a joint statement saying the panel was committed to “providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean.”

“We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question,” Rogers and Smith said, referring to U.S. Southern Command.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), asked about the Sept. 2 attack, said Hegseth deserves a chance to present his side.

“We should get to the truth. I don’t think he would be foolish enough to make this decision to say, ‘Kill everybody, kill the survivors,’ because that’s a clear violation of the law of war,” Bacon said. “So, I’m very suspicious that he would’ve done something like that because it would go against common sense.”

Kaine and Turner appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” and Bacon was on ABC’s “This Week.”

Freking writes for the Associated Press.

Nov. 27 (UPI) — Foreign nationals from 19 nations of concern will undergo reviews of their visas following Wednesday’s attack on two National Guard members in Washington.

President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials to review the visas held by individuals from those nations.

“At the direction of [the president], I have directed a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said on Thursday in a social media post.

“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount,” Edlow continued in another post.

“The American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” he said. “American safety is non-negotiable.”

Edlow on Wednesday announced USCIS has stopped all processing of immigration requests from Afghan nationals after West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot about two blocks from the White House while patrolling the capital.

The suspect, Rahmanulla Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 through the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome that was intended to protect Afghans who assisted the U.S. military.

Trump and others in his administration have accused the Biden administration of improperly vetting visa applicants.

When asked which nations’ citizens will undergo additional scrutiny, USCIS officials directed NBC News to the president’s related executive order made in June.

The Trump administration identified a dozen nations as national security and public safety risks and potential sources of terrorism and suspended or limited visa approvals for their respective citizens.

They include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea. They also include Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The Trump administration also identified seven nations for partial suspension of visa approvals.

Those are Barundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Tofo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Judges are reviewing the UK government’s decision to ban the activist group Palestine Action under counter-terror laws. Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego was at the court where police were arresting people for displaying pro-PA signs.

Escape to the Dolomite mountains in northern Italy this winter for stunning scenery and rooms with a view at this striking treehouse spa hotel

There’s certainly something magical about being in the mountains at this time of year, and if you’re looking for an upmarket alpine escape, Brixen in Italy’s Dolomites region ticks all the boxes.

South Tyrol’s oldest town, Brixen – also known as Bressanone – is a popular destination for domestic and international holidaymakers alike, who come for skiing in the winter and walking in the summer. With German as the locals’ first language, the region feels much more Austrian than Italian. It was, in fact, part of Austria-Hungary until the end of the First World War.

If you’re lucky enough to have snow when you visit, Brixen will look like a scene from a snowglobe, with medieval churches, traditional Christmas markets and a festive light and music show held throughout the small town.

Brixen is easily accessible from Bolzano, Innsbruck, Venice and Verona airports, but if the flights work for you, do try to fly via SkyAlps, South Tyrol’s very own airline, direct from London to Bolzano. The journey is a delight, and you’ll feel like you’ve gone back to a golden age of aviation as you board the little propeller plane, which carries no more than 76 passengers. Drinks and snacks (many of which are local to the region) are complimentary, and you get to enjoy stunning views of the mountains as you fly over them.

My Arbor hotel

The My Arbor hotel, a few kilometres uphill from Brixen, has the wow factor as soon as you pull up to it. Perched on the side of a mountain, half of the hotel is raised up on what look like impossibly spindly stilts, as if the architect sketched a design for a treehouse after watching War Of The Worlds . The result is modern yet also completely in tune with the surrounding nature.

The ‘tree hotel’ theme continues as you step through the front door, with huge trunks hanging from the ceiling of the spacious lobby, leading onto a terrace that opens out onto views of the valley below.

The bedrooms are wood-panelled too, in a contemporary chalet-style design. The highlight is the huge daybed in the windows of the rooms, putting you right among the treetops as you lounge with your morning coffee, watching the clouds clear off the mountains in the distance. For total luxury, you can stay in one of three Treetop Suites, which have private terraces and their own whirlpool hot tubs.

The spa at My Arbor

The Spa Arboris is the star of the show at My Arbor, with two entire floors dedicated to wellness, and it’s clearly popular with guests. The first floor allows clothing and has a large indoor/outdoor pool, sauna and plenty of beds. But if you want to embrace German spa culture and leave your swimsuit and your inhibitions behind, then head down to the ‘textile-free’ floor (no one is looking, trust us), where you’ll find lots more saunas, steam rooms and an outdoor hydropool. It’s down here where ‘sauna infusions’ take place four times a day too, involving intense heat, powerful music and essential oils.

Outside, cosy heated ‘cuddle nests’ can also be booked for two-hour periods, filled with snuggly blankets and uninterrupted views.

My Arbor

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From about £225 per person, per night

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Book here

A striking treehouse-style hotel in Italy’s beautiful South Tyrol, with stunning views, seven-course dinners and a world class spa.

The food at My Arbor

Most guests at My Arbor stay half-board, and you certainly won’t go hungry here. Dinner consists of a seven-course menu with a changing theme every night, alongside buffet salads, cheese boards and desserts. To accompany it is a huge wine list that the helpful staff are only too happy to advise on. Impressively, our waiter expertly talked us through the 600-bottle offering in English, his third language.

At breakfast you’ll find a selection of all the usual continental favourites – breads, meats, cheeses and pastries – as well as healthier options such as kefir water, freshly squeezed blueberry juice and different flavours of porridge every day.

What to do around My Arbor

The Plose ski resort and cable car is nearby, but locals tell us it’s not one of the Dolomites’ major ski destinations. Instead, most visitors come for the walking, with dozens of picturesque, well-signposted trails around the area. We visited earlier in the year, so our hiking routes felt like scenes straight out of The Sound Of Music , taking us past wildflower meadows, bleating baby goats, ancient churches and trickling streams. We don’t think it gets any more idyllic than that.

How much does it cost to stay at My Arbor?

Rooms at My Arbor start from about £225 per person, per night. SkyAlps operates flights from London Gatwick to Bolzano three times a week, from around £140 each way. Children under two travel free of charge.