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Trump To Patrol Washington Streets With Troops

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President Donald Trump said he plans to patrol Washington’s streets on Thursday with troops he deployed to the US capital in a show of force against what he claims is a “crime emergency.”

 

Trump ordered hundreds of National Guard to deploy in Washington last week vowing to “take our capital back,” despite protests by some residents and statistics showing violent offenses falling.

“I’m going to be going out tonight I think with the police and with the military of course… We’re going to be doing a job,” the Republican told Todd Starnes, a host for right-wing media outlet Newsmax.

He spoke one day after his vice president, JD Vance, was greeted by boos and shouts of “Free DC” — referring to the District of Columbia — on his own meet-and-greet with troops deployed in the city.

The DC National Guard has mobilized 800 troops for the mission, while Republican states Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are sending a total of around 1,200 more.

They have been spotted in major tourist areas such as the National Mall and its monuments, the Nationals Park baseball stadium and others.

In addition to sending troops onto the streets, Trump has also sought to take full control of the local Washington police department, attempting at one point to sideline its leadership.

Some residents have welcomed the crackdown, pointing to crime in their areas — but others have complained the show of force is unnecessary, or has not been seen in parts of the US capital where violence is concentrated.

Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller visited troops at Washington’s Union Station on Wednesday.

Loud boos could be heard from outside as Vance walked into a fast-food restaurant at the train station. People also shouted expletive-laden jeers and slogans, including “Free DC! Free DC!”

Vance dismissed the hecklers as “a bunch of crazy protesters.”

 Data shows crime falling 

US President Donald Trump speaks prior to signing a presidential proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on August 14, 2025. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

 

Several incidents involving the surge of law enforcement have gone viral as capital residents voice their discontent, including the arrest of one man who was caught on camera throwing a sandwich at an agent after a night out.

Banksy-style posters honoring the so-called “sandwich guy” have popped up around the city.

The National Guard troops have provided “critical support such as crowd management, presence patrols, and perimeter control in support of law enforcement,” according to statements on their official X account.

The overwhelmingly Democratic US capital faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness, and financially mismanaged.

But data from Washington police showed significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, though that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.

The deployment of troops in Washington comes after Trump dispatched the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles, California, that was sparked by immigration enforcement raids.

 

 

AFP

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5 Key Players Barca Will Let Go This Summer

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Barcelona are set to let five key players leave the club this summer, as they plan a squad overhaul, according to reports.

 

The Blaugrana are currently sitting nine points clear at the top of LaLiga, and are set to romp to a second consecutive title ahead of rivals Real Madrid.

However, after more disappointment in the Champions League, in which they were dumped out by Atletico Madrid, Hansi Flick and the board at Barcelona are preparing to rebuild their squad at the end of the campaign.

Spanish media outlet Marca are reporting that there are five players who have ‘completed a cycle at the club’ and will likely be moved on come the summer.

Marcus Rashford is one of those players. Barcelona can buy the 28-year-old, who is on loan from Manchester United, for £26million under the terms of the deal, but reports have emerged that they are not willing to exercise that option.

The 28-year-old has contributed 12 goals and 13 assists this season to help the Catalan giants run rampant in LaLiga, and as recently as last week, it was believed that Barca would like to keep him.

However, they have made a failed bid to renegotiate the £26m fee with United, who are refusing to budge on the clause which expires on June 15 – four days after the World Cup kicks off in North America.

It means there is a strong chance that Rashford will be forced to return to his boyhood club following England duty if he is selected for the tournament this summer.

Another attacker who seems set for the exit door is none other than Robert Lewandowski.

The Pole, who joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2022, is out of contract in the summer, and there has been little indication that he will sign a new deal at the club.

It is believed that both Lewandowski’s ‘age and recent physical problems’ have thrust his future at Barca into doubt.

Barcelona are said to be looking at freeing up some financial legroom, and for that reason, they want to offload stars on big wage packets.

One of those players is Frenkie de Jong, who is understood to be on just under €400,000 (£348,000) per week, and Marca suggest that he could be sold to ‘ease the financial burden’ on the Spanish giants.

Former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen and La Masia graduate Marc Casado are also said to be on the proverbial chopping block.

Christensen played 161 games in six seasons with the Blues before making the move to Catalonia in 2022 on a four-year deal. That deal is now set to expire, and there are no plans for an extension at this moment in time.

Casado, however, still has two years left on his contract, but due to a lack of minutes, could be forced to find a new club.

The defensive midfielder has failed to break into the team ahead of Pedri, Eric Garcia, and Gavi, and has started only one of the last eight LaLiga games.

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Gunman Kills Tourist, Injures Six In Mexico

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A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and wounded six other people on Monday at Mexico’s famed Teotihuacan archaeological site, authorities said.

 

The gunman killed himself after opening fire at the heavily visited destination in central Mexico, home to pre-Aztecan pyramids, according to a security official.

The shooting occurred on the Pyramid of the Moon, a 45-meter (nearly 150-foot) high monument visitors are allowed to climb using steep steps carved of volcanic rock.

Six people were wounded by gunfire and taken to local hospitals, including a Canadian woman, a Colombian woman and child, a Brazilian and two Americans.

Seven other people were injured in the scramble for safety and were treated at the scene after the gunman — identified as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez of Mexico — opened fire.

The midday shooting stunned tourists at one of Mexico’s most visited pre-Hispanic sites, less than two months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off with games in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

AFPTV footage showed a body wrapped in a white sheet being walked down the steps of the pyramid.

State authorities at the scene seized a firearm, a knife and unused ammunition and evacuated tourists from the premises.

More than 2,000 years old, the pyramid city near Mexico City attracted over 1.8 million visitors in 2025, tourism officials said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in a post on X called the attack “a horrific act of gun violence.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for a thorough investigation, and said she sent personnel to the site to provide assistance.

“What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us,” Sheinbaum posted on X.

 ‘Send security’

Forensic experts and members of the Red Cross transport a body on the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacan archaeological zone following a shooting in Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, on April 20, 2026. Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP

 

Located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital Mexico City, Teotihuacan draws domestic and foreign tourists to see its pyramids and its Avenue of the Dead.

Federal security officials said police and the national guard were dispatched to the area following the attack.

Videos on social media showed the gunman firing periodic shots from a pistol about halfway up the Pyramid of the Moon while some tourists took cover behind stairs below and others fled.

“A person is opening fire on us, take care friends, send security,” a voice from one video, which AFP has not verified, can be heard saying.

Other videos show authorities examining the pyramid in a complex cordoned off with crime-scene tape.

Designated as a World Heritage site of “outstanding universal value” by the United Nations, the monuments at Teotihuacan were built in the pre-Hispanic Classic period — a golden age of Mesoamerican history — between the first and seventh centuries.

Mexico’s nearly 200 archaeological sites are popular with tourists, and although accidents have been reported, this is the first reported case of armed violence in decades.

While Mexico continues to struggle with frequent drug gang-related violence, untargeted mass shootings are relatively rare, especially compared to the country’s northern neighbor, the United States.

Mexico expects over 5.5 million visitors for the World Cup in June, when the popular football contest hosts national teams from around the world.

American tourist Anna Durmont, a 37-year-old art historian, told AFP she was walking towards the pyramid when she was startled by the sight of emergency vehicles and police.

“It actually felt extremely calm,” Durmont said, explaining she hadn’t heard gunfire.

“It was very measured. The park is full of souvenir sellers and they hadn’t left. It wasn’t clear to us until we got closer that there was a serious emergency,” she said.

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Snakebite Victim Dies After Family Immerses Him in River

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‎A 13-year-old teenager in India tragically lost his life after his family kept him immersed in the Ganges River for 12 hours following a snake bite instead of seeking medical help, the country’s media reported.

 

‎The death of the young boy recently caused outrage throughout India and reignited the heated debate regarding the potentially deadly consequences of superstition and the denial of proper medical care.

‎Acting on the instructions of a ‘witch doctor,’ a rural family kept their 13-year-old son immersed in the holy Ganges River for 12 hours, instead of taking him to a hospital after he got bitten by the poisonous snake.

‎The boy, whose name was given simply as Amit, a Class 4 student from Pitampur village in Uttar Pradesh, was bitten by the snake last week Thursday.

‎He immediately told his family what happened, but instead of rushing him to a hospital, they decided to consult a witch doctor.

‎The man reportedly told the family to tie Amit to bamboo poles and keep his body immersed in the Ganges River, so that the holy water of the river could cure him.

‎Indian media reported after 12 hours, the family noticed that Amit had become unconscious, and then they finally decided to take him to a medical doctor, but by that time, there was nothing to be done.

‎Even after learning of Amit’s death, the family allegedly tried to throw his body into the Ganges, hoping for a miracle.

‎Dr. Shashank Chaudhary of the health centre in the village told reporters that he and his colleagues routinely conduct awareness-raising campaigns, urging people to come to the hospital immediately after getting bitten by snakes, as every minute counts.

‎Amit’s preventable death sparked outrage on social media, with many asking that his parents should face consequences for their negligence.

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