83 m. ago As a white Afrikaner, I can claim asylum in Trump’s America. What an absurdity | Max du Preez

We are not victims, there is no genocide. This rhetoric shows that the US administration doesn’t understand my thriving countryI am a blue-blood Afrikaner, at least in terms of ancestry: both my grandfathers were young Boer soldiers in the Anglo-Boer war and I am directly related to the president of the old Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. I am a descendant of Dutch, French and German settlers who were brought to the southern tip of Africa in the 17th century. Unlike other colonial societies in Africa, my ancestors never left.They occupied the whole country, displacing and oppressing the Indigenous inhabitants. Eventually, their concept of white supremacy developed into a formal state policy, apartheid. The UN classified this as a crime against humanity. Miraculously, my country has been a thriving democracy and open society ever since the formal end of apartheid in 1994.Max du Preez was the founding editor of Vrye Weekblad, an anti-apartheid, Afrikaans weekly newspaper Continue rea...

Events

6 h. ago ‘There is no ceasefire. Attacks are ongoing’: how Putin’s envoy played US over Ukraine

White House welcome for key member of Russian president’s inner circle raises fears over America’s commitment to peaceKirill Dmitriev’s meetings with US officials in the White House last week went largely below the radar. And deliberately so.The dapper investment envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who also serves as a key negotiator for Moscow on Ukraine, posted an image of his flight plan on social media to make the point that a senior sanctioned Russian official was being welcomed by the Trump administration. Otherwise, details of what was discussed remain opaque. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago Ukrainian refugees accidentally told to leave in mistaken email

240,000 Ukrainians came to the U.S., fleeing the war under former President Joe Biden

Events

14 h. ago Mahmoud Khalil says his arrest was part of ‘Columbia’s repression playbook’

Green-card holder and activist led campus pro-Palestinian rallies and is now fighting Trump effort to deport himMahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student activist who led campus pro-Palestinian rallies and is now resisting the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, has accused the university of laying “the groundwork for my abduction” and called on the student body to continue demonstrations and protests.Khalil, a green-card holder who is in custody in Louisiana as his case moves through the courts, was detained on 8 March. The Trump administration is seeking to deport him under a provision in federal immigration law that permits the state department to deport non-citizens considered to be a threat to US foreign policy. Continue reading...

Events

16 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests take off across US and Europe to oppose Trump agenda – live

Protesters gather at more than a thousand events across the US and in cities abroad, such as London, Berlin and ParisHundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration.Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “Hands Off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.We see the foundations of our society, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, the very safety nets that people have fought for, for generations, to ensure that our country lives up to its promise, are being targeted by the billionaires and the oligarchs and the corporations.This insidious rise of authoritarianism is fueled by corrupt billionaires and mega corporations who believe that they have the right to control every aspect of our lives, our healthcare, to our schools, to our thoughts, to our very free sp...

Politics

17 h. ago Trump live updates: Millions protesting at ‘Hands Off’ rally nationwide to push back on Trump and Musk agenda

Demonstrators on Saturday are calling for the Trump administration to get its ‘hands off’ Medicaid, Medicare, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ rights

Politics

17 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests take off across US and in Europe to oppose Trump agenda – live

Protesters gather at more than a thousand events across the US and in cities abroad, such as London, Berlin and ParisHundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration.Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “Hands Off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.We see the foundations of our society, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, the very safety nets that people have fought for, for generations, to ensure that our country lives up to its promise, are being targeted by the billionaires and the oligarchs and the corporations.This insidious rise of authoritarianism is fueled by corrupt billionaires and mega corporations who believe that they have the right to control every aspect of our lives, our healthcare, to our schools, to our thoughts, to our very free sp...

Politics

18 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests take off across US to oppose Trump agenda – live

More than a thousand events expected in a show of defiance against US president’s ‘authoritarian overreach’Hundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration.Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “Hands Off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.We see the foundations of our society, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, the very safety nets that people have fought for, for generations, to ensure that our country lives up to its promise, are being targeted by the billionaires and the oligarchs and the corporations.This insidious rise of authoritarianism is fueled by corrupt billionaires and mega corporations who believe that they have the right to control every aspect of our lives, our healthcare, to our schools, to our thoughts, to our very free speech under...

Politics

18 h. ago Trump administration apologizes for telling Ukrainian refugees to leave US

Some resettled Ukrainians reportedly were told Homeland Security would terminate their legal protectionsUS protests live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s presidential administration has acknowledged and apologized after it says it accidentally informed some Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country’s invasion by Russia that they needed to leave the US because their legal status was being revoked.Some 240,000 Ukrainians have been settled in the US as part of the Uniting for Ukraine – or U4U – program launched during Joe Biden’s presidency. But according to CBS News, some resettled Ukrainians received emails this week telling them that the US Department of Homeland Security would be terminating their legal protections. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests begin across US to oppose Trump agenda – live

More than a thousand events expected in a show of defiance against US president’s ‘authoritarian overreach’Hundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration. Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “hands off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin. The movement has been organised by more than 150 groups, including civil rights groups and trade unions. Among the protesters in London was Clarke Reinstein, 73, from Rhode Island, who told the PA news agency he was “disappointed in my fellow Americans” over the election of Donald Trump. “I’ve been in London for two months and I like being over here because people think a little differently,” he said, adding, “They made a mistake over Brexit – but they didn’t fall over like the Americans have.” A 37-year-old woman ...

Politics

19 h. ago NY public schools tell Trump administration they won't comply with DEI order

New York state school officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with its demands to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices, despite the administration’s threats to terminate federal education funding

Politics

20 h. ago Scottish MP calls for 'special' visa for Americans fleeing Donald Trump administration

Christine Jardine has called for a ‘special fast track’ process

Politics

21 h. ago Hundreds gather in central London for protest against Trump administration

Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon with banners which read ‘No to Maga hate’ and ‘Dump Trump’.

Politics

21 h. ago US protests live: Demonstrations planned across US to oppose Trump agenda

More than a thousand events to be held across the country in a show of defiance against Trump’s ‘authoritarian overreach’Several congressional members are expected to make apperances and deliver speeches at the Hands Off protest in Washington DC today.They include Democrats Jamie Raskin and Glenn Ivey of Maryland, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Katherine Clark of Massachussetts and Don Beyer of Virginia, as well as Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy and our basic rights – enabled by Congress every step of the way.They want to strip America for parts – shuttering social security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid – all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services and our democracy to the ultra-rich.I...

Politics

22 h. ago Trump live updates: Thousands to protest at ‘Hands Off’ rally nationwide to push back on Trump and Musk agenda

Demonstrators on Saturday are calling for the Trump administration to get its ‘hands off’ Medicaid, Medicare, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ rights

Politics

24 h. ago Trump officials quietly move to reverse bans on toxic ‘forever chemicals’

EPA bids to change chemical risk evaluations, which could expose public to higher levels of PFAS and other pollutantsThe Trump administration is quietly carrying out a plan that aims to kill hundreds of bans on highly toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” and other dangerous compounds in consumer goods.The bans, largely at the state level, touch most facets of daily life, prohibiting everything from bisphenol in children’s products to mercury in personal care products to PFAS in food packaging and clothing. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago Musk may soon leave the White House, but his bromance with Trump will remain

Rather than an explosive split that many predicted, Musk instead appears set to keep close ties with Trump and retain influence on US politicsAfter months of exerting extraordinary power over the US government and becoming a mascot for Donald Trump’s new administration, the first signs that Elon Musk may shift away from his prominent role in the White House began to appear this week.Both Trump and JD Vance have stated in interviews over the past few days that Musk would eventually leave the administration and the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) that he founded, their most direct statements yet on his tenure. Politico also reported on Wednesday that Trump had told members of his inner circle that the Tesla CEO would be departing in the coming weeks, though Musk called the article “fake news”. Musk is a “special government employee”, a designation that technically carries a 130-day term that, depending on how the administration chooses to log those days, could run out at ...

Politics

27 h. ago Trump administration eviscerates maternal and child health programs

Alarm over ‘the health of the nation’s children’ follows federal workforce cuts by health secretary RFK JrMultiple maternal and child health programs have been eliminated or hollowed out as part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) layoffs, prompting alarm and disbelief among advocates working to make Americans healthier.The fear and anxiety come as a full accounting of the cuts remains elusive. Federal health officials have released only broad descriptions of changes to be made, rather than a detailed accounting of the programs and departments being eviscerated. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago Voices from coal country say closures of MSHA offices will endanger mine safety

Stanley “Goose” Stewart, who survived the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster that killed 29 workers 15 years ago Saturday, calls a recommendation by the Trump administration to close three dozen offices of the Mine Safety and Health Administration across the country “idiotic.”

Politics

32 h. ago Defying a court order, Trump administration refuses to fund Radio Free Europe

Delay in financing has forced the news organization to furlough some staff and cut some programs.

Politics