Headline

Los Angeles Invaded By Illegal Aliens, Criminals, Says Trump

Published

1 month ago

June 9, 2025

National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles on Sunday amid ongoing protests against immigration raids, despitethat California Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections.

Newsom formally requested the Trump administration rescind the order to deploy the troops.

The governor requested a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, which he then shared on X.

“We didn’t have a problem until (U.S. President Donald) Trump got involved.

“This is a serious breach of state sovereignty – inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re needed,” Newsom wrote.

“Rescind the order. Return control to California.”

Trump signed a memorandum on Saturday deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen “to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” the White House said.

An expert cited by The New York Times said this is the first time in 60 years that a president has deployed a state’s National Guard without the governor’s consent.

The last instance was in 1965, when President Lyndon B Johnson used troops to protect predominantly Black demonstrators during the civil rights movement in Alabama.

The protests began on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers executed search warrants across the city as Trump pushed forward with his goal of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Newsom appealed to protesters to remain peaceful and not give the government an excuse to act.

“Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis in LA County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos,” he wrote on X.

“Don’t take the bait. Never use violence or harm law enforcement.”

Los Angeles Police said protests continued on Sunday, even when authorities had declared it an unlawful, gathering.

Protesters had blocked traffic on a freeway and had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre where soldiers had formed a perimeter around the building.

“Officers are reporting that people in the crowd are throwing concrete, bottles, and other objects. Arrests are being initiated,” police wrote on X.

Cars had also been stopped and set alight on roads, the police said.

An Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Guard “has deployed approximately 300 soldiers to 3 separate locations in the greater Los Angeles area, the U.S. Northern Command posted on X.

“They are conducting safety and protection of federal property and personnel,” it added.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Los Angeles had been “invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.”

“Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations. But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve,” he wrote.

He had directed his officials “to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots,” he said.

“Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city would “always stand” with those who call it home.

“Deploying federalised troops on the heels of these raids is a chaotic escalation,” she wrote on X.

“The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it’s felt in our communities and within our families and it puts our neighborhoods at risk.

“This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful,” Bass said.

“Los Angeles will always stand with everyone who calls our city home.”

Trump’s administration has threatened to deploy regular armed forces domestically, which would represent an even greater breach of norms.

Hegseth stated that, if necessary, U.S. Marines stationed in California could also be mobilised.

Newsom condemned Hegseth’s threat to deploy U.S. soldiers against its own citizens on U.S. soil, calling it “deranged behavior” in a post on X.

Hegseth responded to Newsom on X stating that the National Guard “and Marines if need be” stood with ICE.

“There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job,” he wrote.

The U.S. Northern Command said about 500 Marines were “in a prepared to deploy status” should they be needed.

(NAN)

Headline

19 Dead As Bangladesh Fighter Jet Crashes Into School

Published

7 hours ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

A Bangladeshi training fighter jet crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens more in the country’s deadliest aviation accident in decades.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw fire and rescue officials taking away the injured students on stretchers, while military personnel helped clear the wreckage.

A military statement said 19 people were killed, including the pilot, and 20 others were critically wounded.

At least 51 people, mostly students, were undergoing treatment at Dhaka’s National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, its director Mohammad Nasir Uddin told AFP.

The Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft crashed moments after students were let out of class at 1:00 pm (0700 GMT) at the Milestone School and College.

A witness said he heard a huge blast that felt like an earthquake.

“We have two playgrounds, one for the senior students and one for the juniors,” said Shafiur Rahman Shafi, 18, who is enrolled at the school.

“We were on the playground for the seniors. There were two fighter planes… Suddenly one of the two planes crashed here (in the junior playground),” he told AFP.

“It created a boom, and it felt like a quake. Then it caught fire, and the army reached the spot later.”

The interim government of Muhammad Yunus announced a day of national mourning on Tuesday.

Grieving parents and relatives of the victims thronged the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

Tofazzal Hossain, 30, broke down in tears on learning that his young cousin had been killed.

“We frantically searched for my cousin in different hospitals,” Hossain told AFP.

“He was an eighth grader at the school. Finally, we found his body.”

Yunus expressed “deep grief and sorrow” over the incident in a post on X.

“The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” he said.

“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”

The crash was the worst aviation accident in the country in several decades.

The deadliest ever disaster happened in 1984 when a plane flying from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, killing all 49 on board.

Last month, a commercial aircraft crashed in neighbouring India, killing 260 people.

Headline

S’African President Sacks Education Minister Accused Of Lying To Parliament

Published

7 hours ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday dismissed his embattled higher education minister, weeks after a key party in his unity government filed criminal charges accusing her of lying to parliament.

Ramaphosa has faced mounting pressure in recent months as several ministers from his African National Congress (ANC) party have been accused of corruption, deepening tensions within the 10-party ruling coalition.

The second largest group in government, the Democratic Alliance (DA), earlier this month filed a complaint accusing Minister Nobuhle Nkabane of lying to parliament to cover up the “fraudulent” appointment of ANC-linked figures to education authority boards.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from the role of Minister and (sic) Higher Education and Training,” the presidency announced in a statement Monday night, after Nkabane failed to attend key parliamentary meetings where she was meant to clarify the controversial appointments.

The DA — which joined government after the ANC lost its majority last year due to voter disillusionment with corruption and mismanagement — has said graft had become “standard practice” under Ramaphosa’s rule.

It has also laid corruption charges against Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane over allegations of fraudulent billing to the national electricity supplier Eskom.

Ramaphosa also had to suspend his police minister on July 13, after bombshell accusations by a provincial police chief who alleged he had received payments from a corruption suspect and colluded with organised crime.

South Africa ranks 82nd in the world according to the corruption perception index of the NGO Transparency International.

AFP

Headline

Russia Strikes Ukraine After Kyiv Offers Fresh Talks

Published

16 hours ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

Russia fired a volley of drones and missiles at Ukraine early on Monday, hitting apartment blocks and a nursery in Kyiv, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed holding a fresh round of peace talks.

Moscow has not responded to Zelensky’s call for new negotiations this week or an ultimatum by US President Donald Trump to make progress on a peace deal or face massive sanctions.

Two people were killed across the country, Zelensky said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in the capital, Kyiv, while rescuers were still sifting through the rubble.

Zelensky condemned the strikes as an “assault on humanity” and said at least 15 other people had been wounded in the attacks, including a 12-year-old boy.

Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the three-year war have stalled in recent weeks.

The two sides last met for direct negotiations more than a month ago in Istanbul.

They did not make any progress towards a ceasefire, instead agreeing to a series of prisoner exchanges.

Six districts of Kyiv came under attack on Monday, sparking fires at a supermarket, multiple residential buildings and a nursery, authorities said.

An AFP reporter saw damage to multiple buildings, as well as debris and shattered glass on streets.

Russia launched 450 drones and missiles in total, according to Ukraine’s air force.

The strikes also caused damage in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk and the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, according to Zelensky.

Meanwhile, travel chaos that began during the weekend continued in Russia, as Kyiv targeted Moscow with drones;

The attacks forced Vnukovo airport — a transport hub for the Russian government — to briefly suspend flights.

•⁠ ⁠Top French diplomat in Kyiv –

An entryway to the Lukyanivka metro station in Kyiv was also damaged by the overnight strikes.

French foreign minister Barrot condemned the attacks during a visit to the station.

“The shelters themselves are no longer entirely safe, as the metro station behind me, which is being used as a shelter for the people of Kyiv, has been targeted,” he said.

“This comes even as President Zelensky’s statement on Saturday morning, that showed Ukraine’s willingness to enter into new negotiations with Russia,” he added.

The European Union agreed on Friday an 18th package of sanctions on Moscow that targeted Russian banks and lowered a price cap on oil exports.

Barrot said the sanctions were aimed at increasing the cost of war for Russia to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.

The Kremlin said this month it was ready to continue talks with Ukraine after Trump gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal or face sanctions.

At talks last month, Russia outlined a list of demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede more territory and to reject all forms of Western military support.

Kyiv dismissed them as unacceptable and at the time questioned the point of further negotiations if Moscow was not willing to make concessions.

AFP