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Ukraine’s parliament extends martial law until August

Ukraine’s parliament extends martial law until August
Activists carry a makeshift coffin draped with the Ukraine flag as they march in the "Ukraine will never surrender" protest near US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 14, 2025 (AFP)
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Updated 16 April 2025
Reuters
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Ukraine’s parliament extends martial law until August

Ukraine’s parliament extends martial law until August
  • Extension delays timing of new elections
  • Also allows Ukraine to continue mobilizing troops
Updated 16 April 2025
Reuters
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KYIV: Ukraine’s parliament has extended martial law until August, lawmakers said, delaying the timing of new elections that the United States and Russia have been pushing for. As the war with Russia rages on, an overwhelming majority of 357 deputies on Wednesday supported the extension. It allows the country to continue mobilizing troops and suspends the election cycle. President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced pressure to hold elections from US President Donald Trump, who called him a dictator — criticism that prompted Ukrainians to rally around Zelensky and boosted his approval ratings. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy after his term ended in 2024. But in line with the Ukrainian legislation, elections are impossible during martial law. As peace talks led by the Trump administration created hopes for a potential ceasefire and eventual elections, some Ukrainian opposition politicians started criticizing Zelensky more openly. Petro Poroshenko, a former president and leader of the largest opposition party, “European Solidarity,” said there was no doubt martial law should be extended, especially after deadly Russian strikes on Sumy and Kryvyi Rih this month. But he accused Zelensky of attempting to strengthen his powers during martial law. “I want to stress that we should recognize the obvious — the government has started to abuse martial law, using it not only to defend the country, but to build an authoritarian regime,” Poroshenko said during parliamentary debates on Tuesday. However Poroshenko’s party overwhelmingly supported the extension of martial law, with only one lawmaker from the party voting against it.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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A New York man is charged with hiding his role in the Rwanda genocide to get US citizenship

A New York man is charged with hiding his role in the Rwanda genocide to get US citizenship
Updated 56 min 19 sec ago
AP
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A New York man is charged with hiding his role in the Rwanda genocide to get US citizenship

A New York man is charged with hiding his role in the Rwanda genocide to get US citizenship
  • Citing witnesses, prosecutors said Faustin Nsabumukunzi set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and participated in killings
  • Nsabumukunzi was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted on genocide charges in absentia by a Rwandan court
Updated 56 min 19 sec ago
AP

CENTRAL ISLIP, New York: A New York man told federal agents, “I know I’m finished,” when he was arrested Thursday on charges that he concealed his leadership role in the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 in his applications for a green card and US citizenship, prosecutors said.
Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, was charged with hiding from US authorities his role as a local leader in Rwanda when the genocide began in 1994. An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed during the three-month-long genocide. The indictment of the Bridgehampton man was unsealed in Central Islip on Long Island.
At an initial court appearance, Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty to visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud and was released on $250,000 bail. The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a gardener.
Evan Sugar, a lawyer for Nsabumukunzi, described his client in an email as “a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener who has lived on Long Island for more than two decades.”
He said Nsabumukunzi was “a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence.”
Sugar said Nsabumukunzi was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence and planned to “fight these 30-year-old allegations” while maintaining his innocence.
In a detention memo seeking detention, prosecutors said interviews of witnesses who knew him in Rwanda indicated that Nsabumukunzi falsely assured Tutsis at public meetings when the genocide began that they would be protected.
But, they said, he then, in private meetings, urged Hutus to begin killing Tutsis, the memo says.
Prosecutors said witnesses told them that Nsabumukunzi not only participated in the killing of Tutsis, including in his administrative offices, but he also encouraged Hutu men to rape Tutsi women as a genocidal tool.
Prosecutors said that when the charges were described to Nsabumukunzi as he was arrested Thursday morning, he responded: “I know I’m finished.”
According to the indictment, Nsabumukunzi was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted on genocide charges in absentia by a Rwandan court. He’d been accused of using his leadership position to oversee the killings of Tutsis in his local area.
He allegedly set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and participated in killings, the indictment says.
In 2003, Nsabumukunzi applied to settle in the US as a refugee and received a green card in 2007 before applying for citizenship in 2009 and 2015, authorities said.
In his applications, they added, he falsely asserted that he was not involved in the genocide.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a release that Nsabumukunzi participated in “heinous acts of violence abroad and then lied his way into a green card and tried to obtain US citizenship.”
“For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate, a luxury that his victims will never have,” said US Attorney John J. Durham in Brooklyn.

Topics: Rwanda genocide Faustin Nsabumukunzi Tutsis Hutus

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‘Trump 2028’ merch for sale on US president’s store

‘Trump 2028’ merch for sale on US president’s store
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP
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‘Trump 2028’ merch for sale on US president’s store

‘Trump 2028’ merch for sale on US president’s store
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP

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.

Topics: Trump Returns

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Trump slams Harvard as funding fight heads to court

Trump slams Harvard as funding fight heads to court
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP
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Trump slams Harvard as funding fight heads to court

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’
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP

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.”

Topics: Trump Returns Harvard

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Right-wing Reform UK party under scrutiny over online posts by election candidates

Right-wing Reform UK party under scrutiny over online posts by election candidates
Updated 25 April 2025
Arab News
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Right-wing Reform UK party under scrutiny over online posts by election candidates

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’
Updated 25 April 2025
Arab News

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.

Topics: UK Reform UK Islamophobia Nigel Farage

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Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use

Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use
Updated 24 April 2025
Reuters
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Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use

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
Updated 24 April 2025
Reuters

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.

Topics: Colombia Colombian President Gustavo Petro

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