UNITED NATIONS, United States: The United States has ended emergency food aid for 14 countries, endangering the lives of millions of hungry or starving people, a United Nations agency said Monday.
The World Food Program (WFP), which was already grappling with a 40 percent drop in funding for this year, said it had been advised of the new American aid halt to 14 countries.
In comments on X, the agency did not name these countries.
“If implemented, this could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation,” the agency said.
The WFP is not the only UN body hit by US funding cuts, as the United States under President Donald Trump turns sharply inward and stops trying to help other countries around the world as part of an isolationist agenda.
The Trump administration told the UN Population Fund, an agency dedicated to promoting sexual and reproductive health, that it was ending two programs, the organization told AFP Monday.
One of programs was for Afghanistan, while the other involved Syria.
Other countries besides the United States have also announced funding cuts in recent months, causing alarm among NGOs and international organizations.
The Trump administration has largely gutted USAID, the main US humanitarian assistance organization. It previously had a yearly budget of $42.8 billion, which was 42 percent of all aid money disbursed around the world.
US aid cuts a ‘death sentence’ for millions: UN
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US aid cuts a ‘death sentence’ for millions: UN
- The Trump administration has largely gutted USAID, the main US humanitarian assistance organization
‘Trump 2028’ merch for sale on US president’s store
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s online store is selling merchandise emblazoned with “Trump 2028,” the year of the next US presidential election, in which the Republican is constitutionally banned from running.
The 78-year-old, who has seen his approval rating sink to new lows in recent opinion polls, has not ruled out serving a third term — even though it would require amending the Constitution.
Most political experts, including his own Attorney General, say that would be tough to pull off.
Yet, a social media account linked to Trump shared a photo Thursday of his son Eric sporting one of the new red caps, which is priced at $50.
“Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat,” a product description on the Trump Store website says.
The shop is also selling T-shirts in navy and red, priced at $36, which read “Trump 2028 (Rewrite the Rules),” with matching beer can coolers for $18.
Opinion polls have reflected American concerns over his handling of key issues during the first 100 days of his second term, including living costs and chaotic tariff policies.
The 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution states that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Trump, who also served as president from 2017 to 2021, has insisted he is “not joking” about a third term, saying last month there are “methods” that would allow it to happen.
Any serious effort to amend the founding document would send the United States into uncharted territory.
Changing the US Constitution to allow a third presidential term would require a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
An amendment would also need ratification by at least 38 of the 50 US state legislatures, another slim possibility.
Trump has amassed an impressive range of branded products to promote his political career alongside his real estate empire.
They include Mother’s Day-inspired gifts such as pink pajamas and pickleball paddles with Trump logos.
Also on sale are earrings and necklaces styled with the numbers 45 and 47 to represent Trump’s two presidencies.
On Wednesday, Trump also offered an invitation to a private dinner to the top 220 investors in his lucrative cryptocurrency, dubbed $TRUMP, the New York Times reported.
In the past, the billionaire has flogged everything from steaks to “Trump University” courses to stock in his own media company, best known for the platform Truth Social.
He has also released the “God Bless the USA Bible,” priced at $59.99, in a collaboration with American country singer Lee Greenwood.
Trump slams Harvard as funding fight heads to court
- The latest outburst from Trump comes as his administration cracks down on US universities on several fronts, alleging widespread anti-Semitism, anti-white bias, and the promotion of ‘gender ideology’
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday bashed Harvard as an “Anti-Semitic, Far Left Institution,” as the prestigious university battles his administration’s funding freeze in court.
The latest outburst from Trump comes as his administration cracks down on US universities on several fronts, alleging widespread anti-Semitism, anti-white bias, and the promotion of “gender ideology” by protecting trans students.
The administration has threatened several top-tier universities with funding freezes and other punishments, prompting concerns over declining academic freedom.
It has also moved to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in the protests, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel provoked the war.
Harvard, which has seen billions in federal funding frozen after it rejected wide-ranging government oversight, filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday.
“The place is a Liberal mess,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also complaining that the university has admitted students “from all over the World that want to rip our Country apart.”
His broadside came a day after he issued an executive order targeting higher education, upending how federal authorities decide which universities and colleges can access billions of dollars from certain grants and student loans.
The executive order seeks to clamp down on what Trump brands “unlawful discrimination” — that is any measures that seek to promote the representation of “racial and ethnic minority individuals.”
On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Trump could not withhold funds from public schools that operate equality and diversity policies which have been a particular target of the president.
The ruling issued in New Hampshire does not apply across the board but instead to the largest US teacher union, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED) non-profit which promotes the recruitment of Black teachers.
The ruling will apply in schools employing members of the NEA, or contracting with the CBED.
Trump and his White House team have publicly justified their campaign against universities as a reaction to what they say is uncontrolled anti-Semitism and a need to reverse diversity programs aimed at addressing historical oppression of minorities.
The administration claims that protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept across US college campuses last year were rife with anti-Semitism.
Several Jewish lawmakers accused Trump on Thursday of weaponizing anti-Semitism to attack universities for his own ends.
“We reject any policies or actions that foment or take advantage of anti-Semitism and pit communities against one another; and we unequivocally condemn the exploitation of our community’s real concerns about anti-Semitism to undermine democratic norms and rights,” the Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, wrote in a joint letter.
Many US universities, including Harvard, cracked down on the protests over the allegations at the time, with the Cambridge-based institution placing 23 students on probation and denying degrees to 12 others, according to protest organizers.
Trump’s claims about diversity tap into long-standing conservative complaints that US university campuses are too liberal, shutting out right-wing voices and favoring minorities.
In the case of Harvard, the White House is seeking unprecedented levels of government control over the inner workings of the country’s oldest and wealthiest university — and one of the most respected educational and research institutions in the world.
Professor Kirsten Weld, president of the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), told AFP “this is an increasingly autocratic, authoritarian government that is trying to dismantle not just our universities, but the higher education sector as a whole.”
Right-wing Reform UK party under scrutiny over online posts by election candidates
- BBC investigation, following allegations by an anti-racism group, confirms several candidates posted Islamophobic content or promoted far-right conspiracy theories
- The messages were on public view despite claims by party leader Nigel Farage that Reform’s candidate-vetting system is ‘as good if not better than other parties’
LONDON: The British right-wing political party Reform UK is under renewed scrutiny after an anti-racism campaign group alleged that several of the party’s candidates for local elections had posted hateful and extremist content online.
The offensive messages were discovered despite assurances by party leader Nigel Farage that a rigorous vetting system was in place for the selection of candidates.
The group Hope Not Hate said last week it found evidence that a number of Reform UK candidates for the May 1 local elections in England had promoted far-right conspiracy theories or made Islamophobic remarks on social media. The party has more than 1,600 candidates standing in next week’s polls.
In a report published on Thursday following an investigation into the allegations, the BBC confirmed it had found several offensive messages, including a call to “nuke” Islam, a claim that a British town with a large Muslim population was a “s***hole,” and support for a “demographic jihad” conspiracy theory that accuses Muslims of seeking to replace the native population of the UK.
Some of the posts were recent, others dated back several years, but they could still be viewed when the candidates were selected by Reform.
One of them, Steven Biggs, who is standing in North Durham, had posted a message that stated “Islam has no place on this earth” and linked to content from extremist right-wing anti-Muslim group Britain First.
A candidate in Doncaster shared content alleging an Islamic colonization plot, while a third, in Lincolnshire, endorsed the idea that Muslim immigration was a strategy to supplant native populations.
At a campaign event in Dover on Thursday, Farage said Reform UK had put in place a vetting system “as good if not better than other parties.” He added that “hundreds” of applicants were rejected because of offensive or “outrageous” remarks.
Farage has long rejected claims that Reform UK harbors extremists. The party is chaired by Muslim entrepreneur Zia Yusuf, and has taken steps to distance itself from figures such as jailed anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson. Farage previously said he would “never want anything to do with” Robinson.
Hope Not Hate, which said it focuses on monitoring the far right, argued that the examples of hate speech it uncovered call into question Reform UK’s vetting claims. Some of the posts the group highlighted were subsequently deleted or hidden.
Reform UK has yet to respond publicly to the latest report.
Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use
- Former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva, 82, provided no evidence to support his claims
- 'Put simply, I’ve been slandered,' the Colombian President Gustavo Petro said
BOGOTA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that accusations by his former foreign minister that he is a drug addict are slander, after the ex-official published a letter recounting an incident he alleges took place in France.
Alvaro Leyva, who was foreign minister for nearly two years until May 2024, said in a lengthy public letter posted on X on Wednesday that Petro had “disappeared” for two days during an official visit to France in 2023. The letter also alleged that the president has “a drug addiction problem.”
Leyva provided no evidence to support his claims and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters has no independent information corroborating the accusations.
“Put simply, I’ve been slandered,” Petro said on X late on Wednesday, adding in a separate post that during the 2023 visit he had been spending time with his eldest daughter and her family, who live in France.
Petro’s daughter, Andrea, also posted on X, saying he had been with her family.
Petro’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking further comment.
Leyva, an 82-year-old conservative, was appointed by leftist Petro when he took office in August 2022 and said in his letter that he felt the president’s ability to govern was being affected by several ongoing situations, including what he said was Petro’s use of his speeches to “incite a class war.”
Colombia’s former justice minister, Wilson Ruiz, said on Wednesday he had asked the investigative committee of the lower house to look into Petro’s mental and physical health because of the alleged drug use.
Contact information for Ruiz was not immediately available.
St. Peter’s Basilica stays open overnight for public viewing of Pope Francis due to strong turnout
- After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square
- The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica, near his favorite Madonna icon
VATICAN CITY: So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour and a half Thursday morning for cleaning.
The basilica was bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis, who died Monday at age 88 after a stroke.
The hours spent on line up the stately via della Conciliazione through St. Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica has allowed mourners to find community around the Argentine pontiff’s legacy of inclusion and humble persona.
Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting in line around midnight, and after two hours still had not reached the basilica.
“I don’t even care how much time I wait here. It’s just the opportunity to (show) how I admired Francisco in his life,” said Fernandez, whose admiration for the pope grew during his 2016 visit to Mexico.
Robert Healy, a pilgrim from Ireland, flew on the spur of the moment from Dublin just to pay his respects.
“I think it’s just really important to be here, to show our respect to the Holy Father,” he said. “We flew from Dublin last night, we’re staying for one day, home tonight then. We just felt it was really important to be here.”
The last numbers released by the Vatican said more than 90,000 people had paid their respects by Thursday evening, a day and a half after opening. The basilica closed for just a short time Thursday morning, and will stay open Thursday night as long as there are mourners, the Vatican said.
Among the first-day mourners was a church group of 14-year-olds from near Milan who arrived for the now-suspended canonization of the first millennial saint, as well as a woman who prayed to the pope for a successful operation and an Italian family who brought their small children to see the pope’s body.
“We came because we didn’t bring them when he was alive, so we thought we would bring them for a final farewell,’’ said Rosa Scorpati, who was exiting the basilica Wednesday with her three children in strollers. “They were good, but I don’t think they really understood because they haven’t yet had to deal with death.”
Like many others, the Scorpati family from Calabria was in Rome on an Easter vacation, only to be met with the news of Francis’ death on Easter Monday.
Out of devotion to the pope and his message of inclusion, the grieving faithful joined the procession of mourners that wended from St. Peter’s Square through the basilica’s Holy Door, with the repentant among them winning an indulgence, a form of atonement granted during the Jubilee Holy Year. From there, the line extended down the basilica’s central aisle to the pope’s simple wooden casket.
After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square. The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica, near his favorite Madonna icon.
Security
Italian authorities have tightened security around the Vatican, adding drones to foot and horse patrols to their controls along the Tiber River and Via della Conciliazione, which leads to St. Peter’s Square, to secure the area for mourners and foreign delegation expected for the funeral.
The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. Among those confirming their attendance are US President Donald Trump with the First Lady Melania Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini, told a news conference on Thursday that “I believe that the ‘security machine’ is ready,” but will remain flexible and ”ready to reshape and above all transmit a sense of serenity.”
Paying respects
The death of Franci s capped a 12-year pontificate characterized by his concern for the poor and his message of inclusion, but he was also criticized by some conservatives who felt alienated by his progressive outlook.
A procession of priests, bishops and cardinals accompanied Francis’ body Wednesday on its journey from a private viewing inside the Vatican to St. Peter’s Square. The pageantry contrasted with the human interactions of rank-and-file mourners at the public viewing.
Francis lay in state in an open casket, perched on a ramp facing mourners, with four Swiss Guards standing at attention. As the crowd reached the casket, many lifted their smartphones to snap a photo.
One nun accompanying an elderly woman with a cane walked away sobbing, “My pope is gone.’’
Such despair was rare. The mood was more one of gratitude for a pope who had, by example, taught many people to open their minds.
“I am very devoted to the pope,” said Ivenes Bianco, who was in Rome from Brindisi, Italy, for an operation. ”He was important to me because he brought many people together by encouraging coexistence.” She cited Francis’ acceptance of the gay community and his insistence on helping the poor.
Humbeline Coroy came to Rome from Perpignan, France, for the planned canonization Sunday of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, which was suspended after the pope’s death. She stayed to pay respects to Francis, enjoying exchanges with Japanese mourners they met as they waited under the sun in St. Peter’s Square.
“For me, it is a lot of things. In my job, I work with disabled children, and I traveled to Madagascar to work with poor people. Being here, and close to the pope, is a way of integrating these experiences, and make them concrete,’’ she said.
Cardinals convene
Cardinals continued to arrive in Rome for Saturday’s funeral, and numbered 113 by Thursday. During a morning session “the cardinals started a conversation on the church and the world,” the details of which remain private.
No sooner than May 5, after nine days of official mourning, cardinals under 80 years of age will meet in a conclave to choose a new pope. That number is expected to be 134, after Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares said he would not make it to Rome for health reasons. Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljic, meanwhile, confirmed his participation after getting cleared by doctors, the Sarajevo diocese said.
“We have not yet opened the Conclave, and one feels that,” said French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, arriving for the cardinals’ meeting. “For the moment I do not believe the cardinals are saying ‘who will be the next?’ For the moment we are here completely for Francis.”
