Trump, Bukele find common cause on trans sports ban and border crackdown
President Donald Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele share common ground on banning biological men from women’s sports – underscoring the growing alignment between their administrations as they coordinate efforts to curb illegal immigration to the U.S. “Do you allow men to play in women’s sports? Do you allow men to box your women?” Trump asked Bukele from the Oval Office on Monday. Trump’s comments came after discussing immigration and implementing “common sense” policies. “That’s violence,” Bukele said in response. “That’s abusive… but we have people that fight to the death because they think men should be able to play in women’s sports,” Trump said. STATE DEPT UPGRADES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR EL SALVADOR, CONSIDERED SAFER THAN FRANCE, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Bukele then said that despite previous efforts to advance women’s rights and prevent abuse, new efforts would “backtrack” on these initiatives and perpetuate violence against women instead. “I think those laws were great because there were a lot of men abusing women, but now some of the same people are trying to backtrack and actually trying to make new laws allowing men to abuse women, as in sports,” Bukele said. “So actually, that doesn’t make sense.” Trump signed an executive order in February barring those assigned male at birth from competing in women’s sports, titled, “No Men in Women’s Sports.” The order bans those assigned male at birth from using women’s restrooms and orders the Department of Education to spearhead investigations into cases of possible violations. In response, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that it would follow the guidance and permit only those assigned female at birth to participate in women’s sports. “The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes. We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement in February. The exchange is one of several emphasizing common ground between Trump and Bukele. The two are partnering to address illegal immigration in the U.S. after the two countries agreed on a $6 million deal to deport hundreds of U.S. deportees to a detention facility in El Salvador this year. Both Trump administration officials and Bukele agreed that they didn’t have the authority to return a Maryland resident, Abrego Garcia, to the U.S. who was deported to El Salvador in an “administrative error” by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld last week a lower court’s order that “requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” While Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters that El Salvador would call the final shots on whether it would return the Maryland resident, Bukele said it was “preposterous” for El Salvador to do so. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don’t have the power to return him to the United States,” Bukele said. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Ilhan Omar quashes Senate bid rumors with re-election announcement
High-profile “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar effectively closed the door on rumors she would seek Minnesota’s open Senate seat in 2026, with an announcement launching a House re-election bid. “At a time when our rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to fight back against the chaos, corruption, and callousness of the Trump Administration,” the Minneapolis Democrat told Minnesota Public Radio. “In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. Our campaign is ready to build on our successful grassroots organizing efforts to have a record turnout for the midterms and help win back the majority,” she said. She won her last race for the 5th Congressional District seat handily, defeating Iraq-born Republican journalist Dalia al-Aqidi by about 50 points. OMAR SLAMS TRUMP, MUSK FOR CHANGES AT USAID, ACCUSES PRESIDENT OF RUNNING A DICTATORSHIP Omar had been one of several names bandied about as potential successors to Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., who announced last month she would not seek re-election. Almost immediately, fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan threw her hat in the ring, while Omar and other top potential candidates remained silent. One of Omar’s fellow “Squad” members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been rumored as a potential 2028 primary opponent to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. In February, Smith – who was originally appointed by then-Gov. Mark Dayton to succeed Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations – said in February that she was ready to spend more time with her family. “This decision is not political, it is entirely personal, but it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership right now, maybe more than ever,” Smith said. REP ILHAN OMAR CRITICIZES NETANYAHU’S GAZA ACTION Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also declined to seek Smith’s seat, leaving his deputy – Flanagan – as the highest-profile Democrat in the race to date. “At this point in time, I don’t want to have my thumb on the scale in any way,” Walz said in February. “I just know we’ve got a deep bench. We’ve got good folks,” said Walz, who may instead consider a third term in St. Paul. If elected, Flanagan – who is Ojibwe – would be only the fifth U.S. senator of Native American heritage and the second currently in office, alongside Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On the Republican side, retired Marine and Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze announced a bid and called it his “most important mission of them all.” Additionally, former Sacramento Kings player Royce White announced his own bid. White previously lost the 2024 GOP Senate primary. The race to succeed Smith will be the Land of 10,000 Lakes’ first open Senate race since 2006 – when Dayton declined to run for re-election and Sen. Amy Klobuchar defeated then-Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., by about 19 points. Franken has endorsed Flanagan. Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s campaign for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
Potential 2028 presidential rivals rally behind Shapiro after arson at governor’s mansion
Governors across the country who are rumored as fellow potential 2028 presidential candidates united behind Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., after an arsonist set fire to the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg early Sunday morning. Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested after allegedly setting fire to the residence while Shapiro and his family slept inside. Shapiro, who is Jewish, said he and his family were forced to evacuate their home after celebrating the first night of Passover. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., who is rumored to be mulling a 2028 presidential run along with Shapiro, thanked first responders and said it must have been disturbing for the governor to wake up to such a scene on the first night of Passover. Another potential presidential candidate, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., added that no one “should ever be targeted for doing their job or standing up for what they believe in.” PENNSYLVANIA POLICE ARREST SUSPECT AFTER GOVERNOR’S MANSION SET ON FIRE WHILE GOV JOSH SHAPIRO, FAMILY SLEPT Gov. Gavin Newsom, also considered a likely 2028 presidential contender, said it was “disturbing and disgusting” that someone set fire to Shapiro’s home while his family slept. The National Governors Association Chair, Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., another potential 2028 presidential candidate, condemned the attacks in a joint statement with Vice Chair Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., on Sunday, extending solidarity and support “on behalf of the nation’s governors” to Shapiro. “We strongly condemn all acts of violence and ask our citizens to rise above these kinds of destructive actions,” the governors said in a statement. A 2023 Reuters study revealed the United States is experiencing the largest sustained increase in political violence since the 1970s. Exactly nine months before Shapiro’s family was targeted in their home – just across the critical presidential battleground state – an attempted assassin fired shots at President Donald Trump as he addressed a crowd of supporters, shooting Trump in the ear and killing Corey Comperatore, a Pennsylvania father and former fire chief. PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR’S MANSION ATTACK SUSPECT CODY BALMER ADMITTED ‘HARBORING HATRED’ TOWARD SHAPIRO: POLICE Trump was the target of another assassination attempt two months later at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. A more recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute released this April revealed that 38% of respondents said it was “at least somewhat justified” to murder Trump. The same study analyzed the surge in attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships since Elon Musk was appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency during Trump’s second term. Nearly 40% of respondents said it was “somewhat acceptable” to destroy a Tesla dealership in protest. “This type of violence is not okay,” Shapiro told reporters outside the damaged governor’s mansion on Sunday. “This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not okay and it has to stop. We have to be better than this. We have a responsibility to all be better.” “No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” Shapiro said, although no motive for the attack has been released by authorities beyond Balmer “harboring hatred” toward Shapiro. Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Penn., who have both said to expect announcements this summer on whether they will challenge Shapiro in Pennsylvania’s 2026 gubernatorial election, thanked law enforcement as Meuser condemned the violence. Vice President JD Vance, who could be the future of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement and could potentially face off against one of the Democratic governors in 2028, thanked God that Shapiro and his family were not harmed during the attack and called it “disgusting violence.” Trump responded to the arson Monday, telling reporters, “Certainly, a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.”
‘Up to El Salvador’: Trump admin punts on return of wrongfully deported Maryland resident
Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Monday that it is “up to El Salvador” whether they will choose to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident deported in what Trump officials have acknowledged was an “administrative error,” saying that if the country chooses to do so, then the U.S. would “provide a plane.” Her remarks came as President Donald Trump hosted El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele at the White House on Monday for a bilateral summit focused largely on immigration – and the hundreds of migrants deported by the U.S. to El Salvador for detention in the country’s maximum-security prison. When asked by reporters Monday about Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was deported in error to El Salvador, Bondi said the matter was up to Bukele’s administration. “That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That’s not up to us,” Bondi said. STEPHEN MILLER DOUBLES DOWN ON DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED GANG MEMBER: ‘NOT MISTAKENLY SENT’ “The Supreme Court ruled precedent that if El Salvador wanted to return him,” she continued. “This is international matters, foreign affairs.” Bondi said that “if they wanted to return him, we would facilitate it – meaning to provide a plane,” Bondi said. The Supreme Court ruled last week that a lower court’s order “requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” Bukele received a warm welcome from Trump, who praised the Salvadorian leader as a “fantastic” president who is “taking care of a lot of problems,” including accepting hundreds of U.S. migrants into their detention facility, part of a roughly $6 million deal struck by U.S. officials and El Salvador earlier this year. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller doubled down on Bondi’s assertion, noting that Abrego Garcia is a Salvadorian national. “It’s very arrogant, even for American media, to suggest that we would even tell El Salvador how to handle their own citizens as a starting point,” Miller told reporters, claiming that “two courts” had found Abrego Garcia to be a member of the MS-13 gang. In fact, Abrego Garcia was granted temporary protection status in the U.S. by a court in 2019 from being removed to El Salvador, after it determined he would face criminal prosecution from gangs if he were removed to his home country. Bukele, for his part, did not seem to think he had the authority to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., suggesting Monday that the move would be beyond the scope of his authorities. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don’t have the power to return him to the United States,” Bukele said. FEDERAL JUDGE HAMMERS DOJ ON WHEREABOUTS OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER FOLLOWING SCOTUS ORDER Also in attendance at Monday’s meeting were several members of Trump’s Cabinet, including the aforementioned Bondi, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and an architect of Trump’s immigration policies. The meeting comes as El Salvador has received hundreds of migrants from the U.S., including more than 200 Venezuelan nationals abruptly removed in March under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, and alleged members of the Salvadorian gang MS-13. Most recently, U.S. officials said they deported 10 more migrants to El Salvador over the weekend. As of this writing, the Trump administration has not returned any of the individuals who have been sent to El Salvador’s sprawling, high-security prison, including any Venezuelan nationals who may have been mistakenly identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and one Maryland resident whom U.S. officials acknowledged was wrongfully deported. In March, after the first migrant flights arrived in El Salvador despite a federal judge’s order that the flights be “immediately” returned to U.S. soil, Bukele took to social media to mockingly share footage of their arrival. “Oopsie…Too late,” he said on X, using an irreverent tone slightly emblematic of Trump’s own style. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO El Salvador has already accepted hundreds of migrants from the U.S., drawing praise from President Trump and other hard-line immigration hawks – but critics warn the removals may violate due process protections under the U.S. Constitution. Immigration advocates have also raised concerns that deported individuals have not had a chance to challenge their removals in court. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said on Monday that he has requested a meeting with Bukele this week to discuss the return of Abrego Garcia. He said in a letter Monday that he has met with Abrego Garcia’s family members, including his wife and brother, who expressed to him that they are “extremely concerned” about his safety. “If Kilmar is not home by midweek – I plan to travel to El Salvador this week to check on his condition and discuss his release,” Van Hollen said. Most recently, a federal judge ordered Trump officials last week to provide the court with daily updates about its efforts to “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia, the wrongfully deported Maryland resident. In a court filing submitted Sunday evening, Justice Department lawyers argued they are not required to comply with a judge’s order to “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvadorian prison in what administration officials have since acknowledged was an “administrative error.” They argued that the order itself likely exceeds the power of the courts, arguing they “have no authority to direct the Executive Branch to conduct foreign relations in a particular way, or engage with a foreign sovereign in a given manner.” Meanwhile, Trump officials continue to publicly rail against so-called “activist judges,” whom they have argued are attempting to stymie Trump’s agenda and his priorities on immigration enforcement. Noem on Monday praised the Supreme Court’s recent emergency ruling that upholds, for
Russia’s latest strikes in Ukraine kill four in Kharkiv after Sumy attack
The strikes in eastern Ukraine follow an attack in Sumy that killed more than 30 people, sparking condemnation. Russian strikes on eastern Ukraine have killed at least four civilians, a day after one of the deadliest attacks in recent months left more than 30 people dead in Sumy in the northeast and drew condemnation. Local officials in the Kharkiv region reported that artillery and rocket fire on Monday hit the town of Kupiansk, a strategic rail junction once held by Russian forces and retaken by Ukraine in 2022. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, also came under renewed drone attack overnight, underscoring Moscow’s concerted efforts to gain ground in the northeast. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said a 68-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman were killed in Monday’s shelling while a rocket strike claimed the lives of a 77-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man. ‘Russian mistake’ The attacks follow Sunday’s twin missile strike on the centre of Sumy, where Christian civilians had gathered to mark Palm Sunday. Ukrainian officials said at least 34 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the blast. Among the dead were two children. Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a deliberate targeting of civilians. He urged United States President Donald Trump in an interview on the CBS TV network’s 60 Minutes news programme to “please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead”. Despite the heavy civilian toll, Trump, who has previously faced criticism for his perceived leniency towards Russia and President Vladimir Putin, called the Sumy attack a “mistake” and a “horrible thing”. ‘Human shields’ claim The Kremlin said it struck a military target, saying two Iskander-M tactical missiles hit a meeting of Ukrainian officers in Sumy and blamed Kyiv for using civilians as “human shields” without providing any evidence. Russia accused Ukraine of endangering civilians by carrying out military operations in urban areas. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defence, the target was part of an operational command centre and the attack killed more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers. There has been no confirmation of that from Ukraine’s side. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Monday urged Trump and his advisers to recognise that Putin is “mocking their goodwill”. Several other European Union leaders and the United Kingdom condemned Russia on Sunday. Russia accuses Germany of escalation In the meantime, the Kremlin warned Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, over suggestions his government might consider sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Advertisement Merz told German media that if there was a consensus among European allies, he would support the move. “That would be one way of finally putting this country [Ukraine] strategically – to stay with the term – ahead of the situation,” adding that he was not convinced that “Putin would react positively to weakness and peace offers”. Merz called the Sumy attack “a serious war crime”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that such a step would “inevitably lead only to a further escalation” and accused Western leaders of fuelling the war. Berlin, one of Kyiv’s top arms suppliers, has so far held back from providing Taurus missiles despite repeated Ukrainian appeals. Adblock test (Why?)
It is time Liberia enacts legislation banning FGM
In 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) announced a three-year moratorium on female genital mutilation (FGM). A year later, the council made another proclamation to ban FGM and then held ceremonies to end the practice in five of the 11 counties where FGM is practised. However, despite the ban, there have been continuing reports of FGM activity. In September 2024, the National Coalition Against Harmful Practices (NACAPH), a coalition of civil society actors, released a statement expressing concerns about “widespread resurgence of Female Genital Mutilation activities in various regions of Liberia”. It is now clear that the measures already taken have been ineffective. With the three-year ban having expired in February, Liberia needs to move decisively against the practice. Lawmakers must pass a law criminalising FGM, which should be accompanied by government measures to convince communities to end the practice. FGM usually involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. This practice is prevalent in Liberia as it is part of the practices of the Sande Society, a powerful, traditional, secret society, which initiates girls into adulthood in bush schools. Advertisement According to the United Nations, more than 50 percent of Liberian women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone the harmful procedure. However, the exact percentage is difficult to estimate because the secret nature of the Sande Society has resulted in FGM activities being largely underreported, as victims maintain a code of silence. There have also been instances of journalists being targeted and threatened with forceful cutting due to their reporting on FGM, which has further added to the problem of underreporting. Thus far, the fight against FGM has largely been championed by the international community and Liberia’s civil society. But the influence of the Sande Society, traditional beliefs, and patriarchy have largely prevented any attempts to take legal measures against the practice. For example, in 2016, members of Liberia’s lawmakers removed a clause banning the practice from a proposed domestic violence bill, and in 2022, a bill banning the practice was introduced in the Liberian parliament, but it did not get enough support to pass. Pressure to end the practice has resulted so far in interim measures only, which have been largely ineffective. In 2018, on her last day in office, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed an executive order that placed a one-year ban on FGM. This was followed by a one-year ban on the practice by NACCEL in 2019, and then the 2022 three-year moratorium and the 2023 ban. There are several problems with tasking NACCEL with the enactment and enforcement of a ban. First, a ban declared by the traditional council does not have the force of law. While the council has traditional authority and influence over the communities who engage in the practice, it remains unclear how it can hold those who breach its prohibitions accountable. Advertisement Second, some of the chiefs and elders themselves encourage FGM or are not necessarily opposed to it. Third, entrusting the issue of FGM in the hands of NACCEL means that any action on it is based on the political will of whoever is in charge of the council at a given time. The enactment of a law criminalising FGM can solve all of these problems. The state and its agencies have the operational capacity to supervise and enforce a legal ban throughout Liberia. Facing the prospect of punishment would also have a more powerful effect on discouraging the practice. In addition to the law, the Liberian government should also set up a robust reporting and witness protection system to ensure FGM is adequately reported. FGM is largely a taboo topic and reporting could lead to ostracisation. Individuals who choose to inform the authorities when the law is broken should be adequately protected. The implementation of a legal ban should also go hand-in-hand with other initiatives to fight the practice. It has to be recognised that FGM is also an economic matter, as most zoes – female chiefs who traditionally lead initiation rites for the Sande Society and perform FGM – charge for the service. Ending the practice would mean a loss of livelihood for hundreds of women. Therefore, the government should also seek to expand programmes that provide zoes willing to leave behind the practice with training and skills so they can find alternative livelihoods. There is also a cultural element that needs to be recognised. The Sande bush schools have been around for centuries, and they involve various other practices, rituals, and training to prepare girls for their lives as adult women. The government needs to work with communities to ensure that these schools can continue functioning without the FGM component. The NACCEL can help in this regard and with communities accepting the criminalisation of FGM. Advertisement The best time to enact a law is now, as the political will to do so is higher than it has ever been. Over the past few years, more traditional chiefs have demonstrated openness on the issue, which could influence lawmakers to vote in favour of such legislation. Liberia remains one of the few countries where FGM is endemic that does not have a law criminalising it. This is despite the fact that it is a signatory to a number of regional and international instruments, including the Maputo Protocol, that call for the end of this harmful practice. It is time for Liberia to take action to protect its girls and fulfil its international commitments to end FGM. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudan war to enter third year as RSF assaults in Darfur intensify
The United Nations and rights groups are calling for an end to the violence in Sudan as the second anniversary of its civil war looms and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified its attacks in Darfur, killing dozens of people in recent days. As representatives from dozens of countries are to meet in London on Tuesday to try to resolve the Sudan crisis, Human Rights Watch urged the international community to “urgently work to protect civilians and guarantee safe, unfettered aid provision” in the country. “For the last two years, Sudan’s warring parties have subjected the population to horrific abuses and suffering, and blocked aid, plunging the country into the world’s worst humanitarian disasters,” Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Monday. “International leaders should ensure that discussions to improve the humanitarian situation go hand in hand with commitments at the highest level to protect civilians.” This week marks two years since war broke out on April 15, 2023, between the RSF and the Sudanese military. It has killed thousands of people, displaced nearly 13 million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and sparked a hunger crisis in parts of the country. Advertisement In recent weeks, the army has managed to push RSF fighters out of the capital, Khartoum, but the paramilitary group has been claiming advances in the western region of Darfur, where an already dire humanitarian crisis has been worsening. On Sunday, the RSF said it took control of the Zamzam camp for displaced people near el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur state. The assault has killed dozens of people, including 23 children and nine aid workers, according to the UN. ‘Thousands of displaced trapped and cut off from aid’ The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday that the fighting near el-Fasher, which has been under an RSF blockade, is hampering access to humanitarian assistance. “Thousands of displaced people are trapped & cut off from aid,” OCHA Sudan said in a social media post. “Hostilities must stop now. All those engaged in the conflict must ensure safe passage for civilians and humanitarian access.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had condemned the attacks on civilians in and around el-Fasher, urging an end to the fighting. “The Secretary-General emphasizes that attacks directed against civilians and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Guterres said in a statement issued via his spokesperson on Sunday. “Humanitarian relief personnel and medical personnel must be respected and protected. The perpetrators of these attacks must be brought to justice. Safe, unhindered and sustained access to the area, including the Zamzam camp, is urgently needed. Civilians who want to leave must be allowed to do so safely.” Advertisement In a joint statement on Monday, Egypt and Qatar also expressed “grave concerns over the ongoing armed conflict in the Sudan and emphasized the importance of an immediate cessation of military operations”. Warring rival generals But the violence continued on Monday. Al Jazeera Arabic quoted local sources in reporting that RSF fighters were shelling the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people outside el-Fasher. Sudan has seen growing instability since longtime President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in 2019 after months of antigovernment protests. In October 2021, the Sudanese military staged a coup against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, leading to his resignation in early 2022. Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his rival general Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the RSF, shared power after the coup but then started fighting for control of the state and its resources in April 2023. Davis Makori, humanitarian policy and advocacy specialist, highlighted the impact of the war on children – including psychological trauma, gender-based violence and inability to attend school – saying minors make up half of the civilians affected by the conflict. “While there are pockets of states in Sudan that are not actually active conflict zones, this humanitarian crisis has spread to almost every facet of life,” Makori told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)
Bukele says Trump has 350 million Americans to ‘liberate’ by ending crime, terrorism
El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele told President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Monday that he has 350 million Americans to “liberate” by ending crime and terrorism in the United States. “We know that you have a crime problem and a terrorism problem that you need help with. And we’re a small country, but we can help,” Bukele said. “We actually turned the murder capital of the world — that was [what] the journalists called it – the murder capital of the world to the safest country in the Western Hemisphere.” “And I like to say that we actually liberated millions,” Bukele said, with the line drawing praise from Trump. STATE DEPT UPGRADES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR EL SALVADOR, CONSIDERED SAFER THAN FRANCE, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES “Mr. President, you have 350 million people to liberate,” Bukele told Trump. “You cannot just, you know, free the criminals and think crime is going to go down magically, you have to imprison them so you can liberate 350 million Americans that are asking for the end of crime and the end of terrorism, and it can be done.” Trump also referenced how the left has pushed for biological men to compete in women’s sports. 4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE YOUNG CONSERVATIVE ANTI-CRIME PRESIDENT OF ECUADOR WHO WAS JUST RE-ELECTED “Do you allow your men in women’s sports? Do you allow men to box women?” Trump asked Bukele. The president of El Salvador remarked, “That’s violence.” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Inside the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Coast Guard amid border security blitz
The Trump administration is overhauling the Coast Guard in an attempt to crack down on illegal migrant crossings and drug interdictions. This month, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to overhaul its organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology—fulfilling directives from President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The proposal seeks to bolster the Coast Guard’s force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and assess which specialties need reinforcement to expand training, responding to Trump administration calls to ramp up efforts against illegal immigration and drug smuggling, according to a Department of Homeland Security official familiar with the plan. “This is focusing our efforts on where do we need to make investments in our current training centers and even look at opening new training centers to support growth in the service,” the official told Fox News Digital on Thursday. COAST GUARD RESCUES 4 PASSENGERS FROM CAPSIZED BOAT OFF FLORIDA COAST The Coast Guard is the only military service that falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security. However, the blueprint’s restructuring plans seek to adapt certain standards for the Coast Guard to better align with the military branches that fall under the Department of Defense. For example, the proposal calls for following the Department of Defense’s standards for physical fitness, body composition, and grooming standards. Unlike other military services, the Coast Guard did not enforce fitness standards unless personnel were attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams. However, the Department of Homeland Security is coordinating with the Pentagon to change that. The Coast Guard is still determining whether this initiative will involve an annual fitness test, but the proposal directs the Coast Guard to adhere to Department of Defense physical fitness standards as closely as possible. “We’ve definitely put an increased focus on what are the physical fitness requirements for the Coast Guard to be most successful in its missions for the nation,” the official said. Likewise, the blueprint also calls for organizational changes, including installing a secretary for the service, as well as creating a Coast Guard headquarters director of staff to enhance decision-making and other functions at a high operational level. The blueprint aligns with legislation introduced in the Senate that would establish a civilian secretary for the Coast Guard, akin to the structure of the Navy, Army and Air Force. Currently, the Coast Guard only has an active duty commandant that oversees the service. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced the measure on April 1 in an attempt to enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to adapt to its mission. “The establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard is an important step in ensuring our nation’s maritime security is led with the strength and efficiency it deserves to ensure it can fulfill its mission and adapt to any challenges,” Scott said in a statement on April 1. COAST GUARD AIRLIFTS CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER WHO HAD STROKES 300 MILES OFF HAWAII COAST Companion legislation is underway in the House, and Republican Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi introduced a similar measure on April 3 to “give the Coast Guard the same level of recognition and advocacy that other military branches receive,” according to a statement. The Coast Guard is already implementing changes included in the force design and is slated to complete the modernization effort in three years. “We’ve been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward,” the official said. “The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028.” The plan is already rendering results, according to the official. The service is surpassing drug seizures from last year. So far, the Coast Guard has seized 11% more cocaine in FY25 than it did for all of FY24, according to DHS data. Additionally, the service is combating the recruiting problems that have plagued all the military services in recent years, and is already bringing in more guardsmen than last year. The service has brought in more than 4,250 new recruits this fiscal year – 1,200 more than the service did at this same point last year. “We are now filling out our training center to max capacity, with reservations already locked in all the way through September,” the official said. “So we went from a recruiting deficit to a recruiting surge right now, and we are on track to exceed all recruiting goals for the year.”
Man takes unique vow 14 years ago, PM Modi fulfils it by…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an image of a people’s PM who connects with them personally through audio/video discussions, meeting them in person or acknowledging their life’s success and struggles. Through meeting, talking to people and acknowledging their work, PM Modi intends to inspire others to make an impact in their lives. In one such incident, he met a man in Haryana’s Kaithal and fulfilled his 14-year-old wish. The man is a big supporter of PM Modi who has been wishing for him a great success and even wanted to meet him.