Top World News

With Ohio’s Haitian refugees losing their protected status Monday, Springfield’s large population has begun being terminated from their jobs, a pastor who works with the community said on Tuesday.Without legal status, their work permits become invalid. They also face being forced to return to a nation that the International Rescue Committee says is “in the grip of an overwhelming humanitarian crisis.”Right now, gangs control Haiti. Kidnapping, murder, and rape are rampant. And the pastor, Carl Ruby, said one Springfield 12-year-old faces having to return to a place where he saw animals feeding on murdered corpses when he was just five.‘Thousands of people are now going to die violent deaths,’ says attorney for Ohio Haitian community“They’re just terrified for their physical safety,” Ruby said during a virtual press conference. “Many of them have already been traumatized… Some of them have been in prison. Some of them have been tortured. Some have been beaten. Some had been raped. Nearly all of them have seen friends or family members killed.”And some of those families — those who have had children since coming to the United States — face an excruciating choice: whether to take their children with them into the violent chaos that is Haiti or leave them behind in a relatively peaceful, prosperous place where their children’s citizenship gives them the right to stay.More than 330,000 Haitians have received temporary-protected status since an earthquake devastated the impoverished Caribbean country in 2010. Once in the United States, their status has been renewed as conditions in Haiti continued to deteriorate.Early last year, Ohio’s then-Attorney General Dave Yost and 27 other Republican state AGs wrote a letter to the Trump administration stressing the word “temporary” in temporary protected status.They claimed without evidence that it was safe for some with protected status to return to those home countries and urged a review.Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in November announced that she was terminating protected status for Haitians who had qualified, including about 45,000 in Ohio and roughly 15,000 in Springfield.Lawyers for the Haitians sued, arguing that Noem had failed to follow the 1990 law creating temporary protected status. It requires that the government conduct a mandatory review of conditions in a group’s home country to certify that it’s safe to return before forcing them to go.Lower courts blocked the termination.But in June, in a 6-3 ruling the U.S. Supreme Court reversed them, ruling that the TPS law itself barred most court challenges to the way its provisions were or were not applied.Attempt to halt imminent deportations of Haitians and Syrians blocked in US SenateThe court didn’t bar constitutional challenges, however, and SCOTUS Blog on Tuesday reported that some of those are in the works.But for Haitians in Ohio, that might seem a thin reed on which to lean. They and many others are bracing for a mass-deportation such as those conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in other regions. Ruby, the Springfield pastor, said no such operation has happened yet.“It could happen as soon as this week,” he said. “What we’re hearing from other reporting is that they’re planning on deporting them directly back to Haiti. There have been cases in the community where they have been picked up one day. Sent to a detention center the next day. And on the third or the fourth day they’re back in Haiti. It’s obviously not safe for them to go there.”The pastor added that jobs and support services are almost nonexistent when deportees get to Haiti.In addition to terror over what might happen in Haiti are worries about what’s next for Springfield.Ruby said that he and his colleagues have been working for the past 18 months to build “a very large coalition of faith leaders not only here in Springfield, but across the state of Ohio and across the nation who will stand with us if we have anything like what took place in Minneapolis.”He was referring to a mass-enforcement operation last winter in which masked ICE officers shot and killed two protestors, both of them citizens. Analysis of videos taken at the scene showed that neither protester posed the threat that Trump administration officials claimed after the shootings.Ruby stressed that he and other faith leaders want any protests of ICE enforcement actions to be peaceful, and that protesters have to be ready for the possible consequences of civil disobedience, such as going to jail.Gov. Mike DeWine has criticized some of his Republican colleagues for falsely demonizing Springfield’s Haitian immigrants.On Tuesday, his spokesman reiterated a statement DeWine issued last month when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling that effectively revoked their protected status.“Today’s decision is a legal decision,” DeWine said. “As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake.”DeWine later added, “The situation in Haiti could hardly be much worse. The violent gangs run most of the country. The government barely functions. And, the economy is in shambles.”Lynn Tramonte, founder of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, questioned whether DeWine would instruct the Ohio Highway Patrol not to assist ICE in enforcement operations.In the past, the Highway Patrol has worked with U.S. Border Patrol to apprehend undocumented immigrants, the American Immigration Council reports.Dan Tierney, DeWine’s press secretary, didn’t answer directly when asked if the Highway Patrol would assist ICE with enforcement operations in Springfield.Tramonte said DeWine could do more to help Haitians who suddenly find themselves without status.“The governor might claim he is powerless to do anything in the face of federal agents invading our state to take our people, but here are two things he can do,” Tramonte said in a text message.“He can instruct the Highway Patrol not to assist ICE in the enforcement of civil immigration laws. That’s not their job and they shouldn’t have to get involved. He can also underscore the same point for local police who often seem to think they should be on the hunt for immigrants instead of focusing on crime.”

The Trump administration State Department is issuing a mea culpa for using a bizarre map of Africa that mislabeled every country that was highlighted."A video of the presentation given at the AIDS 2026 conference in ⁠Rio de Janeiro ... shows the errant map displayed halfway during a presentation about the State Department’s new health agreements," reported The Guardian, noting the original image was caught by Reuters.The map highlights Nigeria, Mozambique, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Cameroon all in completely the wrong parts of the continent, and often with made-up borders that don't resemble the real ones. Nigeria, for instance, was depicted as in the middle of the Sahara Desert instead of its correct position on the Gulf of Guinea, while Mozambique was depicted where Ethiopia is near the Horn of Africa, instead of its real location in the southern part of the continent.In response to the viral controversy, a State Department spokesperson apologized, per The Washington Post."This was an unfortunate error caused by a team member who hastily altered the slide deck immediately before the presentation at the AIDS 2026 Conference," said the spokesperson. "We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners." The statement did not clarify how these "hasty alterations" could have led to the fictional borders as well as the mislabeled locations.The State Department has endured a number of recent humiliations, including Brazil denying visas to two high-ranking Trump administration officials over allegations of election meddling.

President Donald Trump erupted Wednesday following a surprise Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan earlier that morning, vowing to respond with a curse-laden threat.“We are going to beat the f------ s--- out of them,” Trump told Fox News, according to Trey Yingst. “We'll be hitting them hard, they're going to get a beating.”Following a brief lull in strikes between the United States and Iran, the U.S. Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan came under fire early morning Wednesday from a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles. No casualties have been reported as of Wednesday morning.“So clearly, the United States is going to respond to what the president described as a 'surprise attack,' he says U.S. forces had just minutes to shoot down these incoming Iranian ballistic missiles,” Yingst said. “The president says he has reviewed video of the shoot down, and it was U.S. forces conducting this operation to defend that area. He said it was real time, they were calling out coordinates and ensuring that none of this incoming Iranian fire got through.”Iran’s Revolutionary Guard acknowledged it had launched strikes at the U.S. base, according to the Associated Press, setting the stage for another round of escalation between the United States and Iran.“Again, President Trump telling Fox News 'we are going to beat the f-ing S out of them,' and that U.S. strikes will take place against Iran in response to the surprise attack overnight against U.S. forces in Jordan,” Yingst said."We are going to beat the f****** s*** out of them"- Trump in response to Iran's suprise attack on US base in Jordan pic.twitter.com/aDuzi9j1bB— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) July 29, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is running into a brick wall as he begs U.S. allies for support, according to a new report.After months of browbeating European nations to join his Iran war, Hegseth is now desperately seeking their assistance—only to discover that his previous bullying has consequences, Politico reported Wednesday.The Defense Secretary is proposing an international coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz, according to Politico. "Hegseth is urging the U.K. and France to help lead the naval coalition," according to the report. "But even with the assistance of U.K. Defense Minister Wes Streeting, he’s facing skepticism across Europe, according to four British officials and one U.S. official."European officials have expressed "deep frustration" over the President Donald Trump administration's treatment so far, stemming back to when the president launched airstrikes on Iran in February without consultation—no heads-up to Congress, no warning to longstanding partners."There was no consultation with Congress, no consultation with allies, just boom," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told Politico.Even America's closest ally is drawing firm lines. U.K. Defense Minister Wes Streeting cautiously agreed to help with maritime security but explicitly rejected further offensive operations. "The U.K. has 'not joined and will not join offensive U.S. military action in Iran,'" Streeting said, maintaining distinction between defending shipping lanes and supporting Trump's escalation agenda.Coons articulated the deeper problem, stating Trump is "deeply frustrated that Congress isn't supporting it, the American people aren't supporting it, our core allies aren't supporting it. You can't be surprised when you throw a party and you don't invite anybody."

President Donald Trump's relationship with multiple world leaders has soured, and even some of his longtime allies have snubbed him, according to an analyst.James Ball, political editor at The New World, described in an analysis for The i Paper on Monday just how much Trump's standing has faded among global powers. He pointed to Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was nominated for president in what "should have been a proud moment for Trump.""For years, the Bolsonaros have courted the Trump family – and yet, just as you’d have thought they would want the political support of the U.S. President in their corner, they seem to have dropped him entirely," Ball wrote."There is, of course, one obvious solution to the mystery: Trump is simply so politically toxic across the world these days that even his closest international allies are having to distance themselves from him," Ball explained.In his address, Bolsonaro shared a video message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentinian President Javier Milei. But it was clear — Trump was missing."Bolsonaro made no mention whatsoever of Trump – a snub the famously thin-skinned US President will surely be furious about," Ball wrote.The move was unusual, and might have been on purpose, considering the Bolsonaro family has been involved in Trump's administration and appeared at public events, Ball explained. Trump's tariffs could have something to do with it."Trump’s White House has spent most of the last 18 months alienating America’s oldest and closest allies, in a bid to court a new international coalition of its own making. Now it’s finding even they don’t want to pick up the phone. Trump’s remaining days in the Oval Office could become very lonely indeed," Ball added.

A conservative economic expert warned Monday that a Republican lawmaker worth millions had made a mistake after a CBS interview.Jessica Riedl, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and budget policy expert who has worked on four different presidential campaigns, described why Sen. John Kennedy's (R-LA) message on "Face the Nation" could backfire for the Republican Party with midterms looming."Americans aren't even willing to pay for causes they believe in and that directly benefit them (trust me, I'm a federal budget expert)," Riedl wrote on X. "Telling them to pay significantly for causes that most don't even care about (and right before an election!) is political malpractice."During the interview, Kennedy — who is worth an estimated $21 million — had claimed that Americans need to hang on, despite rising cost of living and the rapid increase of energy costs in the fallout over the Iran war."If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, we need to stay the course — at least for a few more months," Kennedy said.Political commentators and critics pointed out Kennedy's comments."It would probably be easier for people to accept the pain if wages rose above the cost of inflation and all of these higher prices. but in one of the richest countries in the world, apparently that's not a thing anyone cares about doing for Americans," Beth Bourdon, criminal defense attorney and writer, posted on X."'Kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys.' We need some fresh faces in the Senate," progressive commentator and veteran Mason wrote on X."No!! Why are we paying the electricity bills of data centers? Why are we paying for the water? Why are we paying for a stupid a-- war that wasn’t planned for properly? Why are we even at war? We can’t pay for everything!! The well is running dry!!!!!!!" X user LizzyR, who self-describes as "fact-checking, for voters," wrote."Translation: Republicans will do nothing to reign [SIC] in Trump. Gas prices will continue to rise. More Americans will die and Trump with [SIC] continue to waste billion [SIC] of dollars a week in a failed war with Iran," political and media consultant Marty Taylor, executive director of New Blue USA PAC, wrote on X.Americans aren't even willing to pay for causes they believe in and that directly benefit them (trust me, I'm a federal budget expert).Telling them to pay significantly for causes that most don't even care about (and right before an election!) is political malpractice. https://t.co/G4z00EC1nv— Jessica Riedl ???? ???????? (@JessicaBRiedl) July 27, 2026

President Donald Trump warned Iranian negotiators Monday that time was running out to reach a negotiated settlement to end the war, warning that unless a deal was reached soon, the United States would “go back to very strong military action,” Axios’ Barak Ravid claimed.“We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” Trump said in a phone call, Ravid claimed.When asked how much time he was “willing to give diplomacy,” Trump reportedly told Ravid “not much time,” and that for negotiations, “either it goes fast or not at all.”The U.S.-Iran tentative peace deal reached in June has since crumbled as the United States ramped up attacks on the Middle East nation earlier this month. A brief pause in the fighting began on Saturday, however, with reports suggesting the Trump administration was motivated to temporarily halt its strikes due to dwindling stockpiles of interceptors.Last week, Trump told Axios that he was ready to order a “massive attack” on Iran, though his inner circle almost unanimously believes such an attack to be a “terrible f------ idea,” Zeteo reported Monday.????Trump told me: "We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action"????Asked how long he's willing to give diplomacy, the president said: "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all" https://t.co/buEhUcTI8D— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 27, 2026

Amid the ongoing and deeply unpopular war against Iran, foreign policy analyst Trita Parsi floated an ominous theory Monday suggesting that the United States could soon be dragged into a second war.Parsi’s warning came just days after Iran’s Foreign Ministry claimed Ukraine had struck an Iranian shipping vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one and injuring others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine had carried out strikes in the Caspian Sea that included “vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.”As to how Ukraine’s recent strikes could drag the United States into a second war, Parsi laid out his theory clearly in a statement published Monday on Substack.“Ukraine is not trying to just enter the war with Iran. Rather, it appears it is trying to merge the Ukraine war with the Iran war,” Parsi, the co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wrote.“Why? Because if these two wars merge, Ukraine will be a belligerent in the Iran war and America will be a belligerent in the Ukraine war. That is, the US will no longer just be arming Ukraine, but also actively and openly fighting Russia with US personnel.”Furthermore, Parsi alleged that Zelenskyy had sought to pull the United States into a hot war with Russia “since 2022.” Similar allegations were floated in 2022 after Zelenskyy pressed NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s request was denied, with then-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warning that doing so could spark “a full-fledged war in Europe.”“The only way to implement a no-fly zone is to send Nato fighter planes into Ukraine’s airspace, and then impose that no-fly zone by shooting down Russian planes,” Stoltenberg said at the time.Zelenskyy lashed out at NATO after it had rejected its request, accusing NATO leadership of having given “the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages.”Ukraine is not trying to just enter the war with Iran. Rather, it appears it is trying to merge the Ukraine war with the Iran war.Why? Because if these two wars merge, Ukraine will be a belligerent in the Iran war and America will be a belligerent in the Ukraine war.That is, the US will no longer just be arming Ukraine, but also actively and openly fighting Russia with US personnel. That is the key objective Zelensky has tried to achieve since 2022... - Trita ParsiRead on Substack