Marjorie Taylor Greene urges Trump to commute George Santos’ federal prison sentence: ‘Far worse offenses’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is urging that President Donald Trump commute former Rep. George Santos’ seven-year sentence, calling the punishment “a grave injustice” and an “abusive overreach by the judicial system.” The former New York congressman was sentenced to 87 months, or just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos reported to prison on July 25 to begin serving his sentence. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. Santos’ guilty plea followed an investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. FORMER CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS DELIVERS ‘GLAMOROUS’ FAREWELL BEFORE GOING TO PRISON: ‘THE CURTAIN FALLS’ On Monday, Greene said in a post on X that she sent a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney urging Trump to commute Santos’ sentence. “A 7-year prison sentence for campaign-related charges is excessive, especially when Members of Congress who’ve done far worse still walk free,” she wrote in the post. “George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice. We must demand equal justice under the law!” Greene addressed her letter to the Honorable Edward R. Martin Jr., pardon attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and she acknowledged the gravity of the actions by her former colleague. ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS SEEK SANCTIONS ON TRUMP OFFICIALS OVER STONEWALLING, DEFYING COURT ORDERS “As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office,” she wrote. “He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice. “While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges,” Greene continued. “I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.” Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican Party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos’ family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. TRUMP COMMUTES SENTENCE OF MAJOR POLITICAL DONOR IN LATEST ROUND OF CLEMENCY He also stole credit card information from donors, including “victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline” and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars, which he spent on “designer clothing.” During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP. His resumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People’s House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. Greene and the White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Biden’s doctor thought cognitive tests were ‘meaningless,’ ex-aide Bruce Reed told investigators
Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor previously dismissed cognitive tests as “meaningless,” ex-Biden administration aide Bruce Reed told House investigators on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the proceedings. Reed, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is the ninth member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle to sit down with House Oversight Committee lawyers. A source familiar with his interview told Fox News Digital that Reed attributed Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump to the former president’s stutter, a condition that’s been well-documented and Biden himself has publicly acknowledged. But his meandering and seemingly tired demeanor on stage with Trump alarmed both Democrats and media pundits, who saw it as a glaring sign of Biden’s advanced age. It precipitated both a public and private push by left-wing lawmakers to get Biden to drop out of the race — which he did in July 2024. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ When asked whether public concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were legitimate, however, the source told Fox News Digital that Reed said he believes Americans should not have had any concerns about the ex-president’s mental faculties. Reed also told investigators that “the president’s communications team anticipated that the issue of a cognitive test would likely be raised” in Biden’s interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos following the debate. “Mr. Reed further explained that President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, dismissed cognitive tests as ‘meaningless,’” the source said. O’Connor was among the first former White House officials summoned by House investigators, and sat down with them last month after being compelled via subpoena. But his sit-down lasted less than an hour, with the doctor opting to invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering all questions but his name. His lawyers said at the time that was due to concerns about violating doctor-patient confidentiality. In his own interview Tuesday, Reed also defended the Biden 2024 campaign’s preference to hold the debate earlier than typical for a presidential cycle, the source said. “During his interview, Mr. Reed stated that the decision to hold the debate early was a deliberate strategy to get ahead of early voting and the Olympics. He emphasized that the campaign’s push for the early debate was unrelated to concerns about President Biden’s age,” the source said. Excerpts of Reed’s opening statement to investigators, obtained by Fox News Digital via a second source familiar with the interview, show he emphatically defended Biden’s cognitive abilities. “While I can only speak to my own observations, I had the benefit of working with President Biden nearly every day of his presidency. Despite his age, President Biden maintained an unrelenting work ethic, embraced complex policy issues, and approached decisions with diligence and deliberation,” Reed said, according to the source. LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION Reed also described Biden as “a demanding boss who routinely grilled staff members on a topic until he reached the limits of our knowledge so he could judge whether to have confidence in our advice,” though “that didn’t mean he’d take it.” “From the first days in the White House to the last, President Biden governed the same way he’d gotten there, by trusting his own values and instincts,” Reed said, according to the source. “There is no tougher test than the presidency: President Biden asked tough questions, made tough decisions, and led his country well in challenging times for the nation and the world.” Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing whether Biden’s senior aides worked to cover up evidence of mental decline in the former president, and whether that meant Biden was not making the final decision on executive matters signed by autopen. Of particular interest to Comer is the myriad of clemency orders Biden signed in the latter half of his presidency, though the former president told The New York Times last month that he was behind every decision. His allies have also dismissed Comer’s probe as purely political. Fox News Digital reached out to Reed’s counsel and lawyers for O’Connor for comment but did not hear back by press time.
Trump admin strikes new deportation deal with Rwanda to get illegal aliens off American soil
Rwanda has agreed to take in illegal immigrants deported from the United States amid the Trump administration’s plans to send deportees to third countries. Under the agreement, the country will take up to 250 deportees from the U.S., with “the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told The Associated Press. DHS ANNOUNCES ‘THIRD COUNTRY DEPORTATION FLIGHT’ LANDED IN SOUTHERN AFRICA’S ESWATINI A State Department official told Fox News Digital that the U.S. works with Rwanda on a range of “mutual priorities” and that ongoing engagements with other governments is “vital to deterring illegal and mass migration and securing our borders.” Rwanda would be the third country to take in illegal immigrants from the U.S. Last month, the Trump administration sent 13 men it described as dangerous criminals who were in the U.S. illegally to South Sudan and Eswatini in Africa after their native countries refused to take them back. The U.S. has said it is seeking more agreements with African nations. “The United States is constantly engaged in diplomatic conversations with foreign nations who are willing to assist us in removing the illegal aliens that Joe Biden allowed to infiltrate American communities,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. EUROPEAN NATION AGREES TO ‘TEMPORARILY’ HOST DEPORTED IMMIGRANTS FROM US AMID TRUMP PUSH In addition to Rwanda, the U.S. has also deported hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador. In early July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to deport certain migrants to countries other than their homeland. In 2022, Rwanda struck a deal with the United Kingdom to accept migrants who arrived there to claim asylum. The deal was scrapped once Britain’s Labour government took over. Criticis of the deal voiced concerns regarding Rwanda’s human rights record and the possible dangers for refugees. In addition, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the deal was unlawful because Rwanda was not a safe third country for migrants. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘Speedway Slammer’ is red state’s answer to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility
EXCLUSIVE: Indiana will be getting their own version of Alligator Alcatraz in Florida with 1,000 beds. The “Speedway Slammer” will be located at the Miami Correctional Center in Miami County, which is in between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The name is a nod to Indiana’s racing culture, such as the annual Indianapolis 500. “We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement on Tuesday. “Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.” RED STATES CONSIDER ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ SPINOFFS AS WH URGES THEM TO FOLLOW DESANTIS’ LEAD: ‘LOTS OF BEARS’ The funds are sourced from a reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump last month, dubbed the “one big, beautiful bill.” According to DHS, it provided the funding for the 287(g) program, which fosters collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local governments, in addition to 80,000 ICE detention beds. “COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer. Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Thanks to Governor Braun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana’s Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App.” TRUMP SAYS ONLY WAY OUT OF ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ IS DEPORTATION The Trump administration has continued deportation operations as it encourages people who are in the country illegally, but do not have an additional criminal record, to self-deport. The administration is offering $1,000 and free travel out of the country if people exit on their own, which opens up the door for the individual to return legally, according to DHS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Alligator Alcatraz opened this summer under the purview of federal officials and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and it’s meant to be a stopping point before individuals in the country illegally are deported. The facility used state funds at first, but will also get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It can hold 2,000 people but is expected to hold 4,000 in the future, and deportation flights already started at the end of last month. “I’m pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We’ve already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we’ve had hundreds of illegals [that] have been removed from here,” DeSantis said at the time. SELF-DEPORT OR END UP IN ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,’ NOEM WARNS MIGRANTS DURING TRUMP VISIT The facility was a defunct airport in the Everglades, and a second center is likely to be built in Florida, according to WJHL. Sunshine State leaders faced scrutiny from both left-wing immigration and environmental activists due to its location and purpose. “Building a bare-bones tented detention center on hot tarmac in the middle of the Everglades and exposing imprisoned immigrants to the elements is a cruel and absurd proposal,” Melissa Abdo, PhD, National Parks Conservation Association Sun Coast Regional Director, said in a July 1 statement in opposition to the facility. “The Everglades’ intense heat, humidity, and storms can be hazardous without proper precautions. This facility’s remote, harsh nature could leave people in very real danger, especially as Florida’s heat index skyrockets and hurricane season escalates.”
WATCH: Trump says FBI ‘may have to’ help Texas round up AWOL Dem lawmakers
President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening that the FBI “may have to” round up a group of Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to avoid voting on the state’s proposed redistricting map. This comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and several Texas leaders, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, have demanded that the 50 Democratic members of the state legislature who fled the state return or face consequences. The Democrats fled the state in an effort to deny Republicans the necessary two-thirds quorum required to vote on the redistricting map, which would likely give the GOP an edge in elections and potentially add five House seats to the Texas Republican congressional delegation. National Democrats have praised the stunt. During a press conference on Sunday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a leading Democratic figure, shared his support for the Texas Democrats, describing their departure as a “righteous act of courage,” while claiming Republicans want to silence “millions of voices, especially Black and Latino voters.” FBI URGED TO LOCATE OR ARREST TEXAS DEMOCRATS WHO FLED STATE TO STALL REDISTRICTING VOTE Abbott said the lawmakers’ commitment to voting as elected state officials is a duty and is “not optional.” The governor also said a legislator determined to have “forfeited his or her office due to abandonment” can be removed from office under the Texas Constitution, thereby creating a vacancy, which the governor can “swiftly fill” under Article III, Section 13. After the Democrats failed to meet Abbott’s 4 p.m. CT Monday deadline to return, Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows announced he would sign arrest warrants against any absent Democrat lawmakers if authorized by a vote of the chamber. Shortly thereafter, the House did approve the warrants and Abbott then swiftly called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the “delinquent Texas House Democrats.” The attorney general has stated that the lawmakers “should be found and arrested no matter where they go.” Trump weighed in on the political intrigue Tuesday at the White House when he was asked by a reporter, “Do you want the federal government and the FBI to help locate and arrest these Texas Democrats who have left the state?” ‘ALL-OUT WAR’: FLEEING TEXAS DEMS SIDE WITH NEWSOM AS REDISTRICTING STANDOFF CONTINUES: ‘FIRE WITH FIRE’ The president responded that it is a bad look for Democrats to “abandon” the state rather than fight it out in the legislature. “Well, I think they’ve abandoned the state,” he said. “Nobody’s seen anything like it, even though they’ve done it twice before. And, in a certain way, it almost looks like they’ve abandoned the state. Looks very bad.” Pressed further on whether the FBI should get involved, Trump answered, “Well, they may have to.” “They may have to,” he repeated. “No, I know they want them back. Not only the attorney general, the governor wants them back. If you look, I mean the governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.” ‘BUTTER KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT’: DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER RIPS HIS PARTY’S STRATEGY IN REDISTRICTING BATTLE Asked by Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy whether he thought Texas’ redistricting plans were worth risking blue states similarly retaliating, Trump answered, “They’ll do it anyway.” “Why, if we stop over there, they would have done it anyway,” he said. “Look, a lot of these states, you know, I watched this morning as Democrats are complaining and they’re complaining from states where they’ve done it, like in Illinois, like in Massachusetts.” “The Democrats have done it long before we started. They’ve done it all over the place. They did it in New York. They did it in a lot of different states,” Trump went on. CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM’S ‘HYPER-PARTISAN’ MAP IS ‘UNIQUELY CORRUPT,’ GOP LAWMAKER ARGUES The president went on to praise Texas’ redistricting plans, saying, “There’s tremendous support for it.” He also praised Abbott, saying the future of the plans depends on him. “Texas is a place that’s done very well with a free enterprise kind of an attitude, with the exact opposite of what’s happening in New York with a communist mayor. And they know what they’re doing. And they’re doing the right thing,” he said. “So, we’ll see what happens. We have a wonderful governor in Texas. He feels strongly about it. It’s going to be up to him.”
RFK Jr cancels $500 million in mRNA research, HHS to prioritize ‘safer’ vaccine alternatives
A total of 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts totaling roughly $500 million have been canceled, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday. The mRNA investments were part of the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS that drives some of the country’s most advanced scientific research, such as the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools to fight national health threats. The termination of the 22 BARDA contracts follows a several-weeks-long internal review to determine a path forward when it comes to these investments. “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.” RFK JR SCRAPS VACCINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN EFFORT TO RESTORE ‘PUBLIC TRUST’ In a short video explaining the move, Kennedy said the benefits simply do not outweigh the risks associated with mRNA vaccines. Kennedy went on to point out that not only do mRNA vaccines – as shown during the COVID-19 pandemic – not perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract, but they also do not defend against mutations of the viruses they are intended to go after. “This dynamic drives a phenomena called anogenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” Kennedy said in the video. For example, the HHS secretary pointed to the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which infected many millions, including those who had been vaccinated against COVID. “A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” Kebbedy added, noting that the same risks also apply to the flu virus. HHS SLAMS ‘UNDER-TESTED’ MRNA TECHNOLOGY AS TRUMP CUTS MODERNA’S VACCINE FUNDING The move to cancel the mRNA contracts under BARDA will not entirely cancel all mRNA vaccine research done by the government, a source familiar with the move indicated. In addition to allowing some final-stage contracts to run their course to completion in an effort to preserve prior taxpayer investments, ongoing mRNA research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will not be impacted by this latest move. Meanwhile, in lieu of the terminated mRNA research and investments at BARDA, HHS will focus on “safer, broader vaccine strategies,” Kennedy indicated. “To replace the troubled mRNA programs, we’re prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies like whole virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate,” Kennedy said in his video explanation about the terminated mRNA investments. During the video, Kennedy reiterated his support for “safe, effective vaccines” for any American who wants them. “That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.”
The airdrops on Gaza are a PR stunt, not a humanitarian operation
Last week, I saw aid dropping from the sky near my central Gaza neighbourhood of az-Zawayda. Neither I nor any of my neighbours had the courage to chase after it because we knew that the moment it hit the ground, a battle would erupt. If the aid survived the air, it wouldn’t survive the looters. It is almost always the same scene. Gunfire breaks out the second the plane drops the boxes. Armed gangs are already waiting on the ground, ready to take the goods by force. Whoever gets there first, whoever shoots first, also walks away with the food. It is never those who need it the most. Later, we would see those same “aid boxes” in the market in Deir el-Balah, their contents up for sale at exorbitant prices. Recently, my little brother was craving a biscuit. I saw biscuits from an aid package at the market and asked for the price. It was 20 shekels ($5) for a biscuit, something we could not afford. The aid dropped from the sky not only fails to feed the hungry, but it also kills them. On Monday, an airdropped pallet hit a tent for the displaced and killed Uday al-Quraan, a medic working at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A week ago, 11 people were injured when another airdropped pallet hit tents in northern Gaza. Last year, in other failed airdrops, people also died. Five were killed in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City when the parachute of a pallet did not open; 12 drowned trying to reach boxes that dropped into the sea; six were killed in a stampede after a crowd of people rushed to an airdrop location. Advertisement The idea for these latest airdrops came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called on the world to help with the process. Many governments welcomed the idea and some joined the effort, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and European countries. But Netanyahu knows very well that the airdrops will not stop the starvation of Palestinians, which is why he called for them instead of opening the land crossings into Gaza and allowing United Nations agencies to distribute aid in a fair and orderly fashion, just like they have always done. While, the global public may be deceived that something is being done about the hunger, inside Gaza, these airdrops aren’t seen as a real solution or a humanitarian gesture. We see them as nothing more than a PR show – a way to cover up a crime that hasn’t stopped: starving an entire population under tight siege by preventing thousands of trucks from entering while a few boxes fall from the sky for the cameras. It’s all part of a strategy to extend the starvation and ease international pressure on Israel. And so the famine proceeds at full speed. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 180 people have died from hunger, including 92 children. It is not just in Gaza that airdrops are seen as inefficient and dangerous. In Afghanistan in 2001, airdropped aid was packaged in the same way as cluster bombs. The latter would get mistaken for food boxes by children who would get killed running after them. In Syria, aid airdropped into a besieged area did not reach the starving civilians because it was either damaged or fell into ISIL (ISIS)-held territory. It is well known that airdrops do not work and when other options are available, there is no reason to use them. The UN has repeatedly said this method is ineffective and ground delivery is safer and far better. A truck can carry four to 10 times more aid than a parachute. It is also much cheaper. Thousands of trucks are waiting on the Egyptian side of the border, enough to feed people and prevent more deaths from starvation. And yet, we see this futile spectacle once again in Gaza. Here we know not to look to the sky with hope. The same sky that drops bombs can’t be trusted to drop food. This “humanity with parachutes” is a fig leaf deployed to try to cover the world’s shame and its decision to silently watch starvation. Gaza is not only under siege by bombs but also by lies, by complicity, by soft language covering bloody massacres. Everyone who stays silent, who justifies, who treats the killer and victim as equal is a partner in this crime. Advertisement And we, the Palestinians, are not just victims – we are witnesses. We see the world refuse to act, we see countries continue to arm Israel, to trade with it, to give it diplomatic cover. We see governments think of pitiful excuses not to impose embargoes – as they are obliged to do under international law – on a nation committing genocide. And tomorrow, when history is written, it won’t be in the language of diplomacy with euphemisms and excuses. It will be in the language of facts with the names of those complicit in the mass killing and starvation of Palestinians written in clear letters. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands in Sudan’s besieged el-Fasher at ‘risk of starvation’, UN warns
Thousands of families trapped in the besieged city of el-Fasher in western Sudan are at “risk of starvation”, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns as the country’s brutal civil war rages well into its third year. Since May last year, el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been at war with the government-aligned Sudanese armed forces (SAF) since April 2023. The RSF has encircled the city, blocking all major roads and trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians, who have dwindling food supplies and limited humanitarian access. “Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, the WFP’s regional director for East and Southern Africa. “People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war. Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.” El-Fasher is the last major city in the Darfur region still held by the SAF. It has come under renewed attack by RSF fighters this year since the paramilitary was ousted from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. A major RSF assault on the Zamzam displacement camp near el-Fasher in April forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. Many have sought shelter in the state capital. According to the WFP, prices for staple foods like sorghum and wheat, used to make traditional flatbreads and porridge, are as much as 460 percent higher in el-Fasher than in other parts of Sudan. Markets and clinics have been attacked while community kitchens that once fed displaced families have largely shut down due to a lack of supplies, the United Nations agency added. Advertisement Desperate families are reportedly surviving on animal fodder and food waste while acute malnutrition is soaring, especially among children. According to the UN, nearly 40 percent of children under five in el-Fasher are now acutely malnourished, and 11 percent are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The rainy season, which peaks in August, is further hampering efforts to reach the city as roads rapidly deteriorate. Last year, famine was first declared in Zamzam and later spread to two other nearby camps – al-Salam and Abu Shouk – and some parts of southern Sudan, according to the UN. ‘Irreversible damage’ The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises. The country in effect is split in two with the army controlling the north, east and centre of Sudan and the RSF dominating nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. Last month, a Sudanese coalition led by the RSF announced it was establishing an alternative government in a challenge to the military-led authorities in Khartoum. The new self-proclaimed government could deepen divisions, worsen the humanitarian crisis and lead to competing institutions as the war rages. The crises are happening as UN agencies face one of their worst funding cuts in decades, compounded by decisions by the United States and other donor states to slash their foreign aid funding. Funding cuts are now driving an entire generation of children in Sudan to the brink of irreversible harm amid a scaling-back in support, UNICEF warned on Tuesday. “Children have limited access to safe water, food, healthcare. Malnutrition is rife, and many good children are reduced to just skin, bones,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, said, speaking via videolink from Port Sudan. Children were being cut off from life-saving services due to funding cuts while the scale of need is staggering, UNICEF said. “With recent funding cuts, many of our partners in Khartoum and elsewhere have been forced to scale back. … We are being stretched to the limit across Sudan with children dying of hunger,” Yett said. “We are on the verge of irreversible damage being done to an entire generation of children in Sudan.” Only 23 percent of the $4.16bn global humanitarian response plan for Sudan has been funded, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “It has been one year since famine was confirmed in Zamzam camp, and no food has reached this area. El-Fasher remains under siege. We need that access now,” Jens Laerke of OCHA said. Advertisement Meanwhile, a cholera outbreak in North Darfur has further added to the desperation of families there. Deaths due to the water-borne disease have risen to 191 in the region, according to Adam Rijal, spokesman for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur. At least 62 people have died from the disease in Tawila in North Darfur, Rijal said in a statement. Nearly 100 people have also died in the Kalma and Otash camps, both displacement camps located in the city of Nyala in South Darfur state. About 4,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the region, according to the statement. Adblock test (Why?)
Man Utd and Newcastle make Sesko bids as Leipzig admit ‘concrete’ interest
Benjamin Sesko tops the summer’s transfer targets, with striker’s club Leipzig revealing ‘concrete interest’. Premier League sides Manchester United and Newcastle have both placed competing bids for in-demand RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, German tabloid Bild reported Tuesday. Bild said the Red Devils made an initial bid of 85 million euros ($98.2) on Tuesday for the 22-year-old centre forward. Newcastle had offered a reported 80 million euros ($92.4) for the striker on Saturday, upping that to 85 million ($98.2) with bonuses on Monday. The Slovenian striker scored 13 goals and laid on five assists in a disappointing league campaign for Leipzig last season. He has scored 16 times in 41 appearances at the international level. Sesko was stood down from Saturday’s home friendly against Serie A side Atalanta, won 2-1 by the visitors, due to a potential transfer. Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer confirmed this, saying Sesko would not play “due to the very concrete interests from several clubs”. United are rebuilding after their worst top-flight campaign in 51 years, along with defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. United were toothless in attack and have already brought in forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer window. Sesko’s arrival could push under-pressure striker Rasmus Hojlund towards the exit, with reports emerging that United could sell the Denmark forward for 35 million ($40.4) euros, less than half of what they paid to bring him from Atalanta in 2023. Newcastle qualified for the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish last season, but are reportedly in danger of losing striker Alexander Isak to Premier League champions Liverpool. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Satyapal Malik, former J-K Governor, dies at 79 after prolonged illness
Satyapal Malik, who passed away on Tuesday, served as the Governor of J-K from August 2018 to October 2019. It was during his tenure that the historic abrogation of Article 370 happened which transformed Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.