Foreign News

Trump Bans Citizens Of Chad, Congo, 10 Others From Entering US

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  President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing national security concerns. The full travel ban affects nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The restriction will take effect on June 9, 2025. In addition to the full bans, the proclamation imposes partial restrictions on citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. There are some exemptions, including athletes travelling for major sporting events, some Afghan nationals and dual nationals with citizenship in unaffected countries, according to the BBC. Trump stated that the measure is intended to prevent individuals considered potential security risks from gaining entry into the US. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,” he said in a video message posted on X on Wednesday. According to the White House, the countries facing the harshest restrictions were deemed to have a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” poor cooperation on visa-related security measures, and inadequate systems for verifying travelers’ identities. The administration also cited issues such as poor record-keeping of criminal histories and high visa overstay rates as contributing factors. The new directive builds on Trump’s broader immigration crackdown initiated at the beginning of his second term. On January 20, the president signed an executive order mandating stricter security checks for foreign nationals and instructing federal agencies to review which countries should face entry suspensions due to inadequate vetting procedures. This move echoes Trump’s controversial travel ban during his first term, which initially targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries and was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018. The ban was later repealed by President Joe Biden in 2021, who described it as “a stain on our national conscience.” Punch

France To Ban Smoking Publicly July 1

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  France will ban smoking in outdoor areas where children are likely to be present, starting July 1, 2025. This includes beaches, parks, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues. Health and Family Minister, Catherine Vautrin, made this known on Thursday, May 29. “Tobacco must disappear where there are children. “The freedom to smoke stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts,” Vautrin told Ouest-France newspaper. The rule will also stop students from smoking in front of schools. Anyone who breaks the rule may be fined up to €135 ($154). However, the ban does not apply to France’s famous outdoor cafe terraces or to electronic cigarettes. France already bans smoking in many public places like workplaces, airports, train stations, and playgrounds. Anti-smoking groups have long called for wider restrictions. According to the World Health Organisation, about 35 per cent of France’s population smokes—more than the average in Europe (25 per cent) and around the world (21 per cent).

Gary Lineker Quits BBC Role After Social Media Post Sparks Backlash

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  Former England football captain Gary Lineker will leave the BBC at the end of the season, it was confirmed on Monday, days after he shared a social media post that contained anti-Semitic imagery. “Gary Lineker will leave his presenting role following the conclusion of Match of the Day for the 2024/25 season,” the BBC said in a statement. “He will not be part of the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup coverage.” Last week Lineker apologised “unreservedly” for sharing an Instagram story about Zionism, which he deleted, and which had featured a picture of a rat, saying: “I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.” In a fresh statement on Monday Lineker said: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember — both on the pitch and in the studio. “I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic — it goes against everything I stand for. “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.” Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.” Davie described Lineker as a “defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades”. Lineker, 64, had already planned to end his 26-year stay as host of popular Premier League highlights programme Match of the Day at the end of the season. However, he had been due to lead the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup and FA Cup next season. Instead, Sunday’s Match of the Day following the final round of Premier League fixtures will be his final show. Lineker was the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.35 million ($1.8 million) a year from the publicly funded broadcaster. His outspoken views on social media have caused headaches for BBC bosses due to the corporation’s rules on impartiality. In March 2023, Lineker was briefly taken off air after comparing the language used to launch a British government asylum policy to the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany. Lineker was reinstated just over a week later — after a revolt by several of his colleagues in sympathy with him — but the BBC launched an independent review of its social medial guidelines as a result of the incident. AFP

UK Haults Overseas Social Care Recruitment In Major Immigration Shake-Up

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  The UK government has banned international recruitment for social care roles and announced a dramatic cutback on so-called “low-skilled migration,” declaring that “skilled must mean skilled.” The hardline move, detailed in the new 82-page Immigration White Paper released Monday, forms the backbone of the most significant immigration reset in a generation. “We will close social care visas to new overseas applications,” the Home Office stated. “This route has been exploited and overused in ways that damage public confidence and do not support long-term workforce sustainability.” This is a sweeping overhaul of Britain’s immigration system, a statement obtained from the UK Home Office website revealed. The paper, titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” marks a decisive shift toward reducing net migration, which the government says has spiralled out of control, quadrupling from 2019 to 2023. End Line For Care Worker Visas The decision to block new overseas applications for social care roles takes immediate effect. Existing care workers already in the UK will only be able to extend or switch their visas until 2028, pending the rollout of a new domestic workforce strategy. It read further, “The health and social care sector must move away from reliance on low-wage overseas recruitment,” the document declared. “We will instead support long-term workforce planning and training within the UK.” Skilled Must Mean Skilled At the heart of the reforms is a redefinition of ‘skilled work’ under the points-based immigration system. The government is raising thresholds on salary, qualifications, and English language across most routes, removing what it calls “loopholes for low-skilled migration under a skilled label.” “We are tightening the definition of skilled work — skilled must mean skilled,” the White Paper insists. “Work that does not meet the bar will not be eligible for a visa, no matter the sector.” The controversial Immigration Salary List — which allowed employers to hire workers below the general salary threshold — will be abolished. “We will remove the Immigration Salary List to prevent undercutting of UK wages and to ensure that migration supports, rather than suppresses, the labour market,” it declared. Shifting Burden To Employers In future, employers will be required to demonstrate domestic recruitment efforts before turning to foreign labour, particularly in sectors previously reliant on overseas workers. “No employer should be allowed to default to migration. We are rebalancing the system to reward training, not reliance,” the Home Office said. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the plan “a bold, necessary reset.” “We are acting to bring numbers down and restore control. We must rebuild public trust and end the perception that immigration is a substitute for skills planning,” Cooper said. The White Paper’s tone is uncompromising throughout: “We will not allow temporary migration routes to become permanent. Our reforms will restore integrity and ensure immigration works for Britain — not the other way round.”  

Bill Gates To Give Away 99% Of His Fortune

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  Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has disclosed intentions to give away nearly all of his $200 billion wealth, leaving only one per cent for himself, as he shuts down the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Microsoft co-founder stated on Thursday in a post on his personal blog, Gates Notes, that the foundation, which is considered to be among the most significant charitable organisations globally, will close its doors by December 31, 2045. “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that “he died rich” will not be one of them. “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” he said. He added, “That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned. I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently.” In a chart shared in the blog post, Gates revealed that he plans to give away 99 per cent of his wealth by 2045, leaving just one per cent, or about $1.6 billion, for himself and his family. Founded in 2000 with his now ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, the foundation has spent over $100 billion on global health, education, and poverty alleviation, helping to fund vaccine development, medical research, and emergency aid around the world. He also notes a shift from the original plan. “This is a change from our original plans. When Melinda and I started the Gates Foundation in 2000, we included a clause in the foundation’s very first charter: The organisation would sunset several decades after our deaths. A few years ago, I began to rethink that approach. “More recently, with the input from our board, I now believe we can achieve the foundation’s goals on a shorter timeline, especially if we double down on key investments and provide more certainty to our partners,” he stated. Daily Mail reports that the remaining one per cent of his fortune may ultimately go to his three adult children: Phoebe, Rory and Jennifer. Outlining the foundation’s achievements, he said, “I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished in our first 25 years. “We were central to the creation of Gavi and the Global Fund, both of which transformed the way the world procures and delivers lifesaving tools like vaccines and anti-retrovirals. Together, these two groups have saved more than 80 million lives so far. Along with Rotary International, we have been a key partner in reviving the effort to eradicate polio. “We supported the creation of a new vaccine for rotavirus that has helped reduce the number of children who die from diarrhea each year by 75 percent. Every step of the way, we brought together other foundations, non-profits, governments, multilateral agencies, and the private sector as partners to solve big problems—as we will continue to do for the next twenty years.” Despite decades of impact, the Gates Foundation has drawn criticism from some who say Gates holds too much sway over global health funding decisions. But, in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, he remains unapologetic, saying, like any private citizen, he can choose how to spend the money he earns “I think 20 years is the right balance between giving as much as we can to make progress on these things and giving people a lot of notice that now this money will be gone,” he said. Punch

Spain Faces Chaos After Major Blackout

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  A massive power outage across Spain caused widespread panic on Monday, with customers rushing to withdraw cash from banks and crowds filling the streets in a futile attempt to get a mobile signal. Carlos Condori, one of millions affected in Spain and Portugal, was travelling on the Madrid metro when the blackout brought his journey to an abrupt halt. “The lights went out, and the train stopped,” said the 19-year-old construction worker, adding that the train eventually crawled into the station. “People were stunned because this had never happened in Spain,” he continued. “There’s no phone coverage, I can’t call my family, my parents—nothing. I can’t even go to work.” At Cibeles Square, one of Madrid’s busiest areas, the failure of traffic lights led to a chaotic scene of sirens, whistles, and car horns as police tried to control the traffic jam. Bewildered office workers stood in the streets with their computers useless without an internet connection, while others were relieved not to have been trapped in lifts. Marina Sierra, disoriented and trying to contact her father, was looking for a way home after her school was shut. “The building we were in was giving off smoke, so they had to evacuate us quickly… I’m shocked because everything is totally out of control,” said the 16-year-old student. ‘Not the End of the World’ Transport chaos also gripped Spain’s second-largest city, Barcelona, as locals and tourists flooded the streets, desperate for information. Student Laia Montserrat, who lives an hour outside Barcelona, was in the middle of a presentation when the blackout hit her school, leaving her in a difficult situation. “As the internet wasn’t coming back, they told us to go home, but there were no trains either,” Laia said. “Now we don’t know what to do.” Leonor Abecasis, visiting Barcelona from Portugal, was in a shop when the power went out. “We’re waiting for the electricity to come back,” said the 27-year-old consultant. She admitted she was “a little” worried about her return flight to Lisbon later that day. In Madrid, Pilar Lopez tried to put the confusion and panic of her colleagues into perspective as they fretted about the food left in their freezers. “We’ve suffered a pandemic; I don’t think this is worse,” said the 53-year-old higher education administrator. “It’s like anything— you get used to it and start to think that this isn’t the end of the world.” For Lopez, the widespread chaos offered a valuable lesson: “Maybe we should go back to basics and not depend so much on electricity for certain things.” She added, “I can’t even pay because my mobile isn’t working. Sometimes you have to be a bit more analogue; this proves it.” AFP

Trump Threatens Further 50% Tariffs On China

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  US President Donald Trump threatens steep additional tariffs on Chinese imports if Beijing does not drop its retaliation plans, adding that Washington is open to negotiations with other countries. “If China does not withdraw its 34 percent increase on top of their long-standing trade abuses by tomorrow, April 8, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL tariffs on China of 50 percent, effective April 9th,” Trump writes in a Truth Social post. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House, where he met with Trump, becoming the first foreign leader to personally plead for a reprieve from stinging US tariffs that have shaken the world. Also, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the global economic consequences of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs “could be profound”. Speaking at the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Birmingham on Monday, Starmer reaffirmed the UK-US alliance as “special” and “close”, adding that “we have to step up. We can’t be cowed” by US tariffs. Similarly, Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that her country, which is the top US trading partner and has been hit by tariffs on its automobiles, steel and aluminum, will “not rule out” imposing reciprocal tariffs on US goods. The New York Stock Exchange as Wall Street stocks traded mixed late morning amid speculation the market may be bottoming out following steep losses triggered by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements. AFP  

Netanyahu Meets Trump, Seeks Tariffs Truce, Gaza, Iran Support

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  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington on Monday to meet Donald Trump, whom he will likely ask for a reprieve from US tariffs while seeking further backing on Iran and Gaza. Netanyahu becomes the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the US capital since the “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement sent global markets crashing. He was also due to discuss the war in Gaza, following the collapse of a short-lived truce that the United States had helped broker. Arriving in Washington direct from a visit to Hungary, Netanyahu’s chief objective was to try to persuade Trump to reverse the decision or, at the very least, to reduce the 17 per cent levy set to be imposed on Israeli imports before it takes effect. Upon arrival, Netanyahu met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to his office. Before leaving Budapest, Netanyahu had said his discussions would cover a range of issues, including “the tariff regime that has also been imposed on Israel”. “I’m the first international leader, the first foreign leader who will meet with President Trump on a matter so crucial to Israel’s economy,” he said in a statement. “I believe this reflects the special personal relationship and the unique bond between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time.” Analysts said Netanyahu would seek to secure an exemption from the tariffs for Israel. “The urgency (of the visit) makes sense in terms of stopping it before it gets institutionalised,” said Jonathan Rynhold, head of political studies at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. Such an exemption would not only benefit Trump’s closest Middle East ally but also “please Republicans in Congress, whose voters care about Israel, but are unwilling to confront Trump on this at this point,” he said. Israel had attempted to avoid the new levy by moving preemptively a day before Trump’s announcement and lifting all remaining duties on the one per cent of American goods still affected by them. But Trump did not exempt Israel from his global salvo, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with the country, the top beneficiary of US military aid. The Israeli leader’s visit is “also a way for Netanyahu to play the game and show Trump that Israel is going along with him,” said Yannay Spitzer, a professor of economics at Hebrew University. “I would not be surprised if there is an announcement of some concession for Israel… and this will be an example for other countries.” Netanyahu will also discuss the war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and the “growing threat from Iran”, his office said. Israel resumed intense strikes on Gaza on March 18, and the weeks-long ceasefire with Hamas that the United States, Egypt and Qatar had brokered collapsed. Efforts to restore the truce have failed, with nearly 1,400 people killed in renewed Israeli air and ground operations, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory. Palestinian militants in Gaza are still holding 58 hostages, including 34, the Israeli military says, are dead. On Iran, Trump has been pressing for “direct talks” with Tehran on a new deal to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme. But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said Tehran’s proposal for indirect negotiations was “generous, responsible and wise”. There has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no agreement is reached. Baghai also said that Iran was ready to respond in case of attack. “Should the threats against Iran be realised, they would precipitate a swift, immediate and global response from Iran’s side,” he said. AFP

US Varsity To Lay Off 2000 Employees, Cites Termination Of USAID

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  US university Johns Hopkins on Thursday announced plans to lay off more than 2,000 of its employees around the globe, noting that the move is coming on the heels of President Donald Trump’s administration’s massive reduction in foreign aid funds. In a statement made available by the school on Thursday, the leading scientific said, “This is a difficult day for our entire community. The termination of more than $800 million in USAID funding is now forcing us to wind down critical work.” The university is based in Baltimore, Maryland, the largest city an hour’s drive north of the US capital, but is eliminating at least 1,975 jobs in projects across 44 countries and 247 jobs in the United States. New US President Donald Trump and his senior advisor, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, have embarked on a campaign to slash federal spending, targeting in particular support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for foreign aid, research and development. Johns Hopkins University is one of the institutions hardest hit by these drastic reductions. In early March, its president Ronald Daniels explained in a message to students and professors that federal money accounted for nearly half of the backing it funds received last year. Referring to a “historical relationship” between the “first American research university” and the government, he warned that students, researchers and professors would see damage to programs designed to improve health, hygiene and medicine across the world. – Drinking water – Thursday’s announcement confirmed that the cuts hit the university’s medical school and school of public health as well as Jhpiego, a global non-profit organization founded more than 50 years ago and which works to improve health in countries worldwide. “Johns Hopkins is immensely proud of the work done by our colleagues in Jhpiego, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the School of Medicine to care for mothers and infants, fight disease, provide clean drinking water, and advance countless other critical, life-saving efforts around the world,” the university said. The university receives roughly $1 billion annually in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is currently running 600 clinical trials, according to The New York Times, which added that Hopkins is one of the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging such cuts. USAID, the largest funding agency for Jhpiego, distributes humanitarian aid around the world, with health and emergency programs in around 120 countries. Trump, whose appointees are dismantling the humanitarian agency, signed an executive order in January demanding a freeze on all US foreign aid to allow time to assess expenses. Critics warn that slashing USAID work will endanger millions of lives. Punch

UK Teen Sentenced To Life For Killing Schoolgirl Over Teddy Bear

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  A London court, on Thursday, sentenced a teenage boy to life in prison for stabbing to death a 15-year-old schoolgirl in a row over a teddy bear. Hassan Sentamu, 18, was ordered to spend a minimum of 23 years in jail for knifing to death Elianne Andam in Croydon, south London, on her way to school in September 2023. She was attacked by Sentamu, the ex-boyfriend of her friend after a dispute between the pair over returning each other’s belongings, including the soft toy. Sentamu, who was 17 at the time of the killing, was found guilty of murder and having a knife in January following a trial. Passing sentence, judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb told Sentamu that he was driven by his “short temper and aggressive tendencies” condemning his actions as “senseless and evil”. “Elianne was 15 when you murdered her, she will always remain just 15, she will never realise the potential of her life,” she said. The judge added Sentamu had carried on “mercilessly killing her on the floor as she begged for mercy. You walked away showing no remorse as if her life meant nothing”. Sentamu, who the court heard acted in a “white hot rage” after feeling he had been teased by the two girls the day before the killing, sat with head in his hands in the dock and wiped away tears as he was sentenced. The killing is one of a string of fatal knife attacks involving teenagers that have horrified the nation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called rising knife crime a “national crisis”. Elianne’s father, Michael Andam, told the court: “The thought of her final moments torments me – wondering if she was calling out for me, hoping I would save her – but I wasn’t there. I couldn’t protect her”. Elianne’s mother Dorcas Andam said her daughter had dreamed of becoming a lawyer. She described her as the “kindest, most loving daughter” who was “vibrant, creative, and purposeful”. She loved to sing and braid hair. “Now the music has stopped, the laughter is gone. All that remains is a deafening silence,” she said in a victim impact statement. AFP

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