Ayoola Atitebi

US aid funding cuts have severely impacted Irish aid agencies working in developing countries, according to documents obtained by RTÉ News through Freedom of Information requests. The documents reveal significant uncertainty among Irish non-governmental organizations following President Donald Trump's executive order freezing and terminating foreign aid funding. As the Trump administration's review of US foreign aid concludes this weekend, Irish agencies are already dealing with job losses, suspended overseas programs, and operational uncertainty. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), previously one of the world's largest foreign aid donors, was effectively dismantled by the Trump administration in January. Emails and briefing notes show the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) maintained contact with Ireland's aid agencies as tens of millions in funding essentially disappeared. Hundreds of redundancies have occurred across Irish aid organizations, with development projects in countries including Sierra […]

The US Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members who are being detained in North Texas under an 18th-century wartime statute. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the government, arguing that the detainees haven't been given opportunities to challenge their cases in court. President Trump has deported accused Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador's notorious mega-jail by invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. This law grants the president authority to detain and deport citizens of "enemy" nations without typical legal processes. Historically, the act had only been utilized three times during wartime periods, with its last application during World War II when Japanese descendants were imprisoned without trial, and many sent to internment camps. Trump's aggressive immigration policies have faced several legal challenges since he took office in […]

A US senator has met with Kilmar Ábrego García, a man who Trump administration officials acknowledge was erroneously deported from Maryland to El Salvador's maximum-security prison. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen shared photos of the meeting, which appeared to take place in a hotel, as the administration continues fighting against Ábrego García's return despite Thursday's court ruling against the government. Following the encounter, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele stated the detainee would remain in the country's custody. The White House has accused Ábrego García of MS-13 gang membership, a designated foreign terrorist organization—allegations his lawyer denies. Trump responded on Truth Social, saying Van Hollen "looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone." The visit occurs amid an intensifying conflict between the president and the courts. On Thursday, the 4th […]

Donald Trump has criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates, declaring on social media that Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough!" The president's remarks came ahead of the European Central Bank's (ECB) third interest rate cut this year. On Thursday, the ECB reduced its key rate, citing "rising trade tensions" as a factor. Trump, who appointed Powell as Fed chair in 2017 during his first term, wrote that Powell "is always TOO LATE AND WRONG" regarding rate reductions. He added: "Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS. Too Late should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now." Contrary to Trump's claims, egg prices have actually increased to $6.23 per dozen according to official data, though oil prices have decreased […]