INTERNACIONAL
Trump threatens to halt all US aid, conduct ‘vicious’ military attack in Nigeria over Christian persecution
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President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the U.S. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians, and may even go into the country «guns-a-blazing» to «completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists» responsible.
«I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,» Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. «If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!»
The post comes after the president on Friday designated Nigeria as a «country of particular concern,» citing the widespread killings of Christians.
I’M A CHRISTIAN FROM NIGER. DON’T IGNORE HORRIFYING ATTACKS ON AFRICAN CHRISTIANS
President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, said the country has taken action to safeguard religious freedom. (Ton Molina/Getty Images)
«Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,» Trump posted to Truth Social Friday. «Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’—But that is the least of it.»
He said Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and members of the House Appropriations Committee were directed to look into the reports and present findings to him at a later date.
«The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,» Trump wrote. «We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!»
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO SURGE IN CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION CRISIS ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Pope Leo XIV condemned the killings of up to 200 people in Yelewata community in Nigeria. (Associated Press)
The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has reached crisis levels, as Islamist militants burn down villages, massacre worshipers and displace thousands across the north and central regions.
Attackers in June invaded a bishop’s village days after he testified before Congress, killing more than twenty people.
Other assaults in Plateau and Benue states have left hundreds dead, with survivors describing militants shouting «Allahu Akbar» as they burned churches and homes.
Members of St Leo Catholic Church hold a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)
International watchdog group Open Doors reported nearly 70% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in Nigeria.
Groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani militants are blamed for most attacks, often targeting Christian farmers. Rights groups estimate 4,000–8,000 Christian deaths annually.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital 50,000 Christians have been killed and 20,000 Christian schools and churches destroyed in the country since 2009, calling it «a crisis of religious genocide.»
Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, urged stronger U.S. pressure on Nigeria’s government, calling the violence a humanitarian crisis. He also pledged to work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to strengthen U.S. advocacy.
I WAS KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM, AND SURVIVED. NO THANKS TO THE WEST’S SILENCE
The White House and global leaders have condemned the violence, warning it could spread across Africa. However, Nigerian officials have denied systematic persecution, calling U.S. reports «misleading.»
Hours before Trump’s threat Saturday, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu posted a statement on X, noting Nigeria «stands firmly» as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.
«Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,» Tinubu wrote in the statement. «The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.»
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«Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,» he continued. «Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.»
Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
terrorism,africa,white house,islam,donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
El veto de Hungría y Eslovaquia bloquea el paquete de sanciones de la Unión Europea a Rusia
Los ministros de Exteriores de la Unión Europea fallaron este lunes en alcanzar la unanimidad necesaria para aprobar el vigésimo paquete de sanciones contra Rusia, debido al veto ejercido por Hungría y Eslovaquia. Esta decisión frustra el objetivo de la UE de presentar nuevas medidas restrictivas al cumplirse cuatro años de la invasión a gran escala de Ucrania. La alta representante para Asuntos Exteriores y Seguridad, Kaja Kallas, calificó el resultado como “un revés y un mensaje que no queríamos enviar hoy”, aunque subrayó que las negociaciones continúan.
La disputa se centra en la reanudación del suministro de petróleo ruso por el oleoducto Druzhba, dañado por ataques rusos según Kiev. Hungría y Eslovaquia condicionan su apoyo a las sanciones a la restauración de dicho suministro, mientras el gobierno húngaro acusa a Ucrania de bloquear el flujo por motivos políticos, un argumento rechazado por las autoridades ucranianas, quienes insisten en que trabajan para reparar la infraestructura bajo condiciones extremas de frío. Kallas defendió la prioridad ucraniana de restablecer la energía para su población, tras denunciar que el 80 % de la infraestructura energética de Ucrania ha resultado dañada.
La Comisión Europea propuso el 6 de febrero vetar completamente los servicios marítimos a petroleros rusos y extender las sanciones a nuevas empresas energéticas y bancos, con el objetivo de impedir el acceso de productos sensibles a Rusia. Sin embargo, el doble veto húngaro también afecta el paquete de ayuda macrofinanciera y militar a Ucrania por valor de 90.000 millones de euros, cuya aprobación requiere la unanimidad del Consejo Europeo. De esa suma, 60.000 millones están previstos para apoyo militar y 30.000 millones para respaldo macroeconómico en los próximos dos años.
El presidente del Consejo Europeo, António Costa, envió una carta al primer ministro húngaro, Viktor Orbán, exigiendo respeto a las decisiones adoptadas en la cumbre de diciembre y recordando que incumplir compromisos supone “una violación del principio de cooperación sincera”. Costa urgió a Orbán a desbloquear el préstamo, asegurando que “no se puede permitir a ningún Estado miembro socavar la credibilidad de las decisiones tomadas colectivamente por el Consejo Europeo”.
El gobierno ucraniano, por su parte, condenó lo que calificó de “chantaje” y “ultimátum” por parte de Hungría y Eslovaquia, señalando que Kiev ha ofrecido rutas alternativas para suministrar petróleo no ruso. La tensión se incrementa ante la proximidad de las elecciones legislativas en Hungría, donde Orbán enfrenta su mayor desafío político desde 2010, con la oposición liderando las encuestas. El mandatario ha intensificado su retórica contra la UE y Ucrania, atribuyendo a ambos intentos de interferencia electoral y de desestabilización mediante el bloqueo energético.
Líderes europeos como el canciller alemán Friedrich Merz y el presidente francés Emmanuel Macron reiteraron en Berlín y París su compromiso de apoyo a Ucrania. Merz instó a mantener la presión económica sobre Moscú para forzar el fin del conflicto, subrayando que “debemos secar la financiación de guerra de Moscú”. Por su parte, el presidente finlandés Alexander Stubb calificó la guerra como un “fracaso estratégico y económico” para Rusia, aunque advirtió que Vladimir Putin no parece dispuesto a pactar la paz.
Desde el inicio de la invasión, la UE ha entregado a Ucrania 194.900 millones de euros en asistencia financiera, mientras la mayoría de los países ha reducido o eliminado las importaciones energéticas rusas. No obstante, Hungría y Eslovaquia han mantenido —e incluso aumentado— su dependencia, amparándose en exenciones temporales concedidas por Bruselas en el marco de las sanciones. El futuro del paquete de sanciones y del préstamo a Kiev depende ahora de las negociaciones directas con Budapest y Bratislava, en un contexto marcado por la fragmentación y las presiones electorales internas.
La alta representante Kallas compartió con los Estados miembros un documento detallando las condiciones que la UE consideraría exigibles a Rusia para el cese de la guerra, incluyendo la retirada de tropas de los territorios ocupados, en línea con los compromisos internacionales previos. Se prevé que la cuestión será planteada a Orbán por Costa y la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, durante su visita a Kiev en el aniversario de la invasión.
(Con información de EFE, AP y Europa Press)
Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe,Bratislava
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Democratic lawmakers in one major blue state are facing backlash over their latest attempt to blunt federal immigration enforcement through a new bill crafted around a vulgar acronym.
The F—ICE Act, with the acronym spelled out in practice, is officially the «Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act» and would permit civil action for violations of the U.S. Constitution related to immigration enforcement. The measure was introduced after a clash between a federal agent and a democratic socialist councilman.
Tensions between local and state officials and DHS had soared this month after federal authorities reportedly detained nearly a dozen people on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Jersey City. Jake Ephros, a Democratic Socialist councilman who went to the scene, was rebuffed by a federal agent who told him, «I don’t need a warrant, bro.»
Assembs. Ravi Bhalla and Katie Brennan, two Democrats from neighboring Hoboken, crafted the F—ICE Act in response to the incident. Bhalla also announced several other bills seeking to restrict New Jersey’s cooperation with the federal government, according to the Hudson County View.
BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE
New Jerseyans protest ICE. (Charly Triballeau/Getty Images)
Bhalla said that when he was mayor of neighboring Hoboken, his first move was to enact a sanctuary city ordinance. The city is famously home to Frank Sinatra and sits across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan.
«ICE has no place in our communities,» he said in a statement. «Now, the stakes are even higher, and it is incumbent on all of us to use the power we have to keep our residents safe.»
Brennan cited Ephros’ run-in with ICE in comments to People, adding that she cannot «sit back and do nothing while they violate people’s constitutional rights.»
«These bills strengthen local protections and make sure these agents of chaos face accountability. We have to use the full force of our state government to protect the people of New Jersey.»
Brennan told NJ Advance Media that while critics have voiced concern about her acting «unbecoming» and «unladylike,» she said it was fellow Hoboken Democrat state Sen. Raj Mukherji who came up with the acronym.
HOCHUL ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: ‘POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE’
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mukherji has said ICE has sown «seeds of chaos» nationwide.
Not all lawmakers were on board, including some from the state’s more conservative, rural northwest.
«So, they’re doing acronyms now,» said Assemb. Michael Inganamort, R-Chester.
«This sort of radicalism is the inevitable result of an unchecked, 25-year Democratic Majority. It’s what our Republican Minority stands against and why elections matter,» Inganamort said in a statement on X.
Assemb. Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, said the bill’s title is «wild» but the premise is «wilder.»
«[I] don’t have the text yet, but if it means what it sounds like, that’s illegal entry followed by a state-created pathway to sue over enforcement,» she said.
«If I was a bettin’ woman, I’d guess NJ taxpayers will be footing the legal bill.»
«Katie and Ravi need their mouths washed out with soap,» quipped conservative commentator Matt Rooney of «Save Jersey.»
Assemb. Paul Kanitra, R-Point Pleasant Beach, suggested the state should deal with the F—ICE Act the same way it deals with people who submit applications for off-color tags.
«Much like the state DMV has to turn down and in some cases even repossess license plates that are deemed vulgar, this should suffer the same fate,» Kanitra said.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill could not immediately be reached for comment.
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In one of her first acts in Trenton, Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement in their areas.
«I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe and, as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver. This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations,» Sherrill said in a statement at the time.
homeland security,mikie sherrill,bills,new jersey,sanctuary cities
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