Numbers of children requiring hospitalisation for complications due to severe malnutrition rising as WHO warns ‘health system is collapsing’.
More than 2,700 children below the age of five in Gaza have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition, marking a steep increase in the number of children suffering from the serious medical condition since screening in February, the United Nations reports.
Of almost 47,000 under-fives screened for malnutrition in the second half of May, 5.8 percent (or 2,733 children) were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, “almost triple the proportion of children diagnosed with malnutrition” three months earlier, the UN said on Thursday.
The number of children with severe acute malnutrition requiring admission to hospital also increased by around double in May compared with earlier months, according to the report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to data from the Nutrition Cluster cited by OCHA, more than 16,500 children below the age of five have been detected and treated for severe acute malnutrition in Gaza since January, including 141 children with complications requiring hospitalisation.
Despite the increase in children suffering serious malnutrition and requiring hospitalisation, “there are currently only four stabilisation centres for the treatment of [severe acute malnutrition] with medical complications in the Gaza Strip,” the OCHA report states.
“Stabilisation centres in North Gaza and Rafah have been forced to suspend operations, leaving children in these areas without access to lifesaving treatment,” it adds.
The UN’s latest warning on the health of young children in Gaza comes as the Palestinian territory’s entire population deals with starvation, and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the enclave’s “health system is collapsing”.
Issuing an appeal for the “urgent protection” of two of Gaza’s last remaining hospitals, the WHO said the “Nasser Medical Complex, the most important referral hospital left in Gaza, and Al-Amal Hospital are at risk of becoming non-functional”.
“The relentless and systematic decimation of hospitals in Gaza has been going on for too long. It must end immediately,” the WHO said in a statement.
“WHO calls for urgent protection of Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital to ensure they remain accessible, functional and safe from attacks and hostilities,” it said.
“Patients seeking refuge and care to save their lives must not risk losing them trying to reach hospitals.”
UN experts, medical officials in Gaza, as well as medical charities, have long accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting health workers and medical facilities in Gaza in what has been described as a deliberate attempt to make conditions of life unliveable for the Palestinian population in the Strip.
WHO calls for urgent protection of Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital in the Gaza Strip
WHO warns that the #Gaza Strip’s health system is collapsing, with Nasser Medical Complex, the most important referral hospital left in Gaza, and Al-Amal Hospital at risk of becoming… pic.twitter.com/Rd3ZjASuBp
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 5, 2025
What does the Dominican Republic’s crackdown on Haitian refugees and migrants reveal about the story of two neighbours?
The Dominican Republic has deported nearly 150,000 people it claims are of Haitian descent since October 2024. Many of them are unaccompanied minors or people born in the Dominican Republic but stripped of citizenship in 2013. While officials say they are enforcing immigration laws, a recent Al Jazeera documentary points to a deeper history of anti-Blackness and anti-Haitian sentiment on the island.
However, he told GB News he believed Yusuf had “had enough” of politics, which can be “totally unrelenting”.
Farage said he had “suspicions” Yusuf might quit after he seemed “very disengaged” when the pair spoke on Wednesday morning but was only given a “10-minute warning” his resignation was coming.
Asked about reports that some in the party found Yusuf difficult to deal with, Farage said “not everyone got on with him”.
He added: “Were his interpersonal skills at the top of his list of attributes? No. But I always found him, with me, very polite.”
In a post on X, Yusuf wrote: “11 months ago I became chairman of Reform. I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30% [in national polls], quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.
“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”
Earlier, Yusuf had criticised Sarah Pochin – who won last month’s Runcorn and Helsby by-election – for urging Sir Keir Starmer to ban the burka “in the interests of public safety” during her Prime Minister’s Questions debut on Wednesday.
He said it was “dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do”.
Pochin’s call appeared to go down well with Reform’s other MPs, although a party spokesman said it was “not party policy”.
The party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, said there should be a “national debate” about a possible ban.
However he declined to state what his position would be in such a debate.
In response to Yusuf quitting, Pochin said he had been “a great friend and colleague”, adding that “the professionalisation he brought to Reform UK will have a lasting legacy”.
Watch: Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin calls on PM to ban the burka
Yusuf, who was previously a member of the Conservative Party, became Reform UK’s chairman shortly after last year’s general election.
A former banker who sold his tech start-up company for more than £200m, Yusuf has described himself as a “proud British Muslim patriot”.
He donated £200,000 to Reform during the general election campaign and as chairman he was given the job of professionalising the party, wooing donors and increasing Reform UK’s activist base.
Yusuf was seen as central to Reform’s operation and had been spearheading the party’s so-called Doge teams to cut wasteful spending in the councils it now controls.
The acronym refers to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.
Tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, who was brought in to lead the Doge unit, said he was stepping down with Yusuf.
“I have a huge amount of respect for the work that the councils are doing to save taxpayer money, and reduce wastage,” he wrote on X.
But he added that Yusuf “got me in and I believe it is appropriate for me to leave with him”.
Yusuf’s unexpected resignation came after he had spent recent days trumpeting the Doge initiative, which was only formally launched this week.
He has previously hailed Farage as the UK’s “next prime minister” who “will return Britain to greatness”.
Prominent Reform supporter Tim Montgomerie said he was “a big fan” of Yusuf but added: “He was a young man in a hurry – he upset quite a lot of people who didn’t want the party to professionalise, to modernise.
“He faced a lot of prejudice, not necessarily from inside the party but on social media, I think that affected him.
“I think the row over the burka question that the new MP asked yesterday may have been the last straw for him.”
He said Reform was “looking like a party with too many internal tensions, but there is time to put that right”.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: “By sacking himself, Zia Yusuf seems to be leading the ‘UK Doge’ by example. You have to admire his commitment to the cause.
“It’s already clear Reform UK cannot deliver for the communities they are elected to stand up for. Instead, they have copied the Conservative playbook of fighting like rats in a sack.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “If Nigel Farage can’t manage a handful of politicians, how on earth could he run a country?
“He has fallen out with everyone he has ever worked with. Reform are just not serious.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Reform is not a political party. It is a fan club.”
Reform has seen its support in national polls grow since last year’s general election, when the party won 14.3% of the vote share and secured five MPs.
However, it has been dogged by infighting which culminated in Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe being expelled from the party.
It came after he was accused of harassing staff members and threatening “physical violence” against Yusuf.
Full restoration of the North Korean navy destroyer is expected before a major communist party meeting later this month.
North Korea has raised a capsized warship and moored it at a port in the country’s northeast for repair, after the vessel was damaged during a failed inaugural launch in May, the country’s state news media reports.
KCNA reported that “after restoring the balance of the destroyer early in June, the team moored it at the pier” in the city of Chongjin on Thursday.
The report on Friday aligns with South Korea’s military assessments and recent commercial satellite images, which indicated that the 5,000-tonne destroyer has been restored to an upright position following the “serious accident” on May 21, when it suffered damage to its hull after a transport cradle detached prematurely during a launch ceremony.
The failed side-launch of the ship, which was witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, also left the vessel partially capsized in a port.
Kim described the incident as a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness”. As part of a probe into the accident, four officials were arrested and accused of tarnishing North Korea’s national dignity, according to KCNA.
Experts will now examine the warship’s hull for the next stage of restorations, to be carried out at Rajin Dockyard over the coming week to 10 days, KCNA said. The ship’s full restoration is expected to be completed before a ruling party meeting later this month.
Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, was quoted by KCNA as saying that the “perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail” before the deadline set by the country’s ruler, Kim.
The damaged warship is North Korea’s second known destroyer and is seen as a crucial asset in Kim’s goal of modernising his country’s naval forces.
The South Korean military estimates, based on its size and scale, that the new warship is similarly equipped to the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon, which North Korea also unveiled last month.
Pyongyang has said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the “most powerful weapons”, and that it would “enter into operation early next year”.
South Korea’s military said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian assistance, possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of soldiers to help Moscow fight Ukraine.
This undated picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in April 2025 shows the test-firing of a weapons system from the deck of North Korea’s latest destroyer, the Choe Hyon [KCNA via KNS/AFP]
Kim has framed the modernisation of his military as a response to threats from the US and South Korea, who are key allies and regularly conduct military drills together.
The North Korean leader has also said that the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be the next step in strengthening his country’s navy.
On Wednesday, Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang in the latest sign of the countries’ deepening ties, which were elevated when they signed a mutual defence pact in June last year that obliges them to provide immediate military assistance to each other using “all means” necessary if either faces “aggression”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends what state media report was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea, in September 2023 [File: KCNA via Reuters]
These are the key events on day 1,198 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here’s where things stand on Friday, June 6 :
Fighting
Russian drones attacked Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, where authorities said drone fragments had fallen in at least three districts of the city. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, said the strikes triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of the city. There were no immediate reports on casualties.
Air defence units were in action repelling Russian drones, according to military authorities in Kyiv, as news outlets reported a series of explosions in the city.
International monitors at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have reported hearing repeated rounds of gunfire that appeared to be aimed at drones apparently attacking the site’s training centre, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said.
The nuclear plant’s Russian management had earlier said that Ukrainian drones landed on the roof of the training centre in “yet another attack” on the facility. The management said there had been no casualties or damage. The nuclear facility’s reactors are in shutdown mode amid the war.
Russian investigators announced that they have opened a criminal case into an “act of terrorism” after a stretch of railway track in Russia’s Voronezh region was damaged in an explosion.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, at his daily briefing with reporters, described the latest rail attack as “nothing other than terrorism at the state level”. Russia has not yet provided evidence that Ukraine ordered the rail attacks, and Kyiv has not acknowledged responsibility.
Politics and diplomacy
Russia will respond to Ukraine’s latest attacks – which have included an audacious drone attack on heavy bomber warplanes in Siberia – as and when its military sees fit, the Kremlin said, accusing Kyiv of state terrorism as US President Donald Trump downplayed prospects for an immediate peace between the countries.
Speaking to reporters before his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said he believed that “at some point” there would be peace between Russia and Ukraine. When asked if he would impose further sanctions on Russia, Trump responded, “When I see the moment where it’s not going to stop … we’ll be very, very, very tough. And it could be on both countries, to be honest. You know, it takes two to tango.”
Trump also said that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to not retaliate after Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia’s airbases.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promised to “unconditionally support” Russia in its war in Ukraine and said he expects Moscow to emerge victorious, the country’s state media reported.
Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it had put Artyom Timofeyev, a Russian citizen who was born in Ukraine, on a national wanted list on suspicion of taking part in the attacks on Russian military airfields, state news agency TASS reported. Russian media reported earlier that Timofeyev, who reportedly owns a freight forwarding company, had left Russia for Kazakhstan.
Russian warplanes targeted in the June 1 drone attack were damaged but not destroyed, and they will be restored, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. The US has assessed that up to 20 warplanes were hit and around half were destroyed during the attack.
Germany needs up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, the country’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in advance of the meeting between Trump and Merz on Thursday. NATO is focused on building up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat from Russia.
The Trump administration has announced the nomination of US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich as the next top US general in Europe, and said he would also assume the traditional role of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused British intelligence of using the British Council, which promotes international education and cultural relations, as a cover to undermine Russia. The security service said it had identified teachers at leading universities who cooperated with the London-based charity. The United Kingdom is now considered “enemy number one” by Russian officials, amid the intensifying conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Slovakia’s parliament, in a thinly attended session, approved a resolution calling on the government not to vote in favour of new sanctions on Russia, raising questions over the country’s future stance on European sanction packages.
Economy
Ukraine’s export losses are set to reach $800m for the period June to December this year, following the expected end of free access to the European Union market, the country’s central bank deputy governor, Serhiy Nikolaichuk, said.
Washington, DC – Donald Trump’s travel ban is the latest instalment in the United States president’s anti-immigration push, which plays to his right-wing base, advocates say, stressing that the order is not about public safety.
The decree, released late on Wednesday, bars and restricts travellers from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
While Trump has argued that the ban was put in place to protect the US from “foreign terrorists”, many believe the president has other motivations for implementing it.
“The latest travel ban is absolutely part and parcel of the administration’s agenda to weaponise immigration laws to target people who are racial and religious minorities and people with whom they disagree,” said Laurie Ball Cooper, vice president for US legal programmes at the International Refugee Assistance Project.
Abed Ayoub, executive director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said that while the administration is presenting the ban as related to vetting travellers, the move aims to “placate” Trump’s supporters.
“It’s the ‘tough on immigration’ stance that this administration has taken on a number of issues since coming into office,” Ayoub told Al Jazeera.
Since his inauguration in January, the Trump administration has gutted the US refugee programme, aggressively stepped up deportations and targeted foreign students critical of Israel – in some cases, pushing to remove them from the country.
Immigration experts said they had been anticipating the travel ban since Trump signed an executive order in January that paved the way for it.
That order directed US officials to compile a list of nations “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries”.
Trump said in the statement announcing the ban that the targeted countries “remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting”.
2025 ban vs 2017 ban
This is not the first time Trump has ordered a travel ban. Wednesday’s order has several predecessors – multiple iterations of a ban that the US president imposed during his first term as president.
One week after taking office in 2017, Trump barred citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, an order that became widely known as the “Muslim ban”.
As a candidate in 2015, he called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States”, and the 2017 proclamation appeared to be a reflection of that proposal.
However, there are key differences between the latest order and the one implemented in 2017, which sparked disorder and protests at airports and initially applied to legal permanent residents and people who already had visas.
Wednesday’s order lists specific exemptions, including for existing visa holders, who will still be able to come to the US using their visas, which will remain valid. Immediate relatives of US citizens will also be able to apply for and obtain visas.
Trump has also ordered it to go into effect on Monday – five days after the executive order was signed – whereas the original “Muslim ban” was implemented immediately and chaotically as soon as he announced it.
Moreover, the latest travel ban targets countries with people from different religious backgrounds across four continents, making it difficult to argue religious bias in any court challenge.
Also, the early bans of Trump’s first term were struck down by federal judges before the Supreme Court eventually upheld the third and last version his administration issued.
“It seems like a lot more thought went into this, a lot more reasoning from their end,” Ayoub said. He added that in some ways, the ban is “not as bad” as the 2017 one and it will be difficult to challenge.
With the courts unlikely to block the order, Ayoub said he hopes the administration will issue more exemptions and work with the targeted countries to take steps that would remove them from the list.
Cooper said the impact of the ban will be devastating.
For example, the exemption on immediate relatives does not include the parents and children of permanent residents – people who have followed the rules and may have been waiting for years to get their immigration interviews to join their loved ones in the US.
“There are still people on the cusp of reuniting with their families, on the cusp of arriving to safety in the United States who will be cut off from that family reunification and from that access to safety by this travel ban,” Cooper told Al Jazeera. “Families will be kept apart.”
Why now?
The timing of Wednesday’s decree also differs from the original “Muslim ban”. It came more than five months into Trump’s second term.
Trump has tied the travel ban to an attack on Sunday that US authorities attributed to an Egyptian asylum seeker. They accused him of using a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to injure 12 people who were protesting in Boulder, Colorado in support of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
However, Egypt is not on the list of banned countries, and when asked why not on Thursday, Trump told reporters that the country is a US ally that has “things under control”.
“And why now? I can say that it can’t come soon enough, frankly,” Trump said.
“We want to keep bad people out of our country. The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people, and we are getting them out one by one.”
Cooper said the Trump administration is “exploiting the tragedy” in Colorado by rolling out the order in its aftermath.
“Ultimately, if you look at the travel ban and the way that it operates, I am not convinced that this is a response to that,” she said.
“But even if it were, even when there is a tragedy, even when something awful happens, punishing groups of people based on their nationality because of what one other person allegedly did is not the right answer.”
Cooper added that the order is “arbitrary”, noting that it includes exemptions for athletes competing in next year’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics but not for students.
Some Democrats have accused Trump of imposing the ban now to distract from his issues at home, including an enormous tax bill advancing through Congress and his feud with his former billionaire aide Elon Musk.
“Anytime you ban people coming to the United States from other countries, it has a real impact,” Senator Chris Murphy told MSNBC.
“But it is chiefly in service of trying to get us all talking about that … instead of talking about the centrepiece of this story, which is this bill to make the rich even richer at the expense of everybody else.”
“David finally gets a knighthood… and Posh to be a Lady” writes The Sun in an exclusive, heralding the footballer’s supposed new title “Sir Becks”. It reports he will get the “gong next week” in the Birthday Honours List of King Charles III. The BBC has not verified the report.
It’s “civil war” for Reform UK as the party’s chair Zia Yusuf quits the party, writes the Daily Telegraph. Reform leader Nigel Farage was given “just a 10-minute warning” before Yusuf posted his resignation on X after he called a question by the party’s MPs over banning burkas “dumb”. A “bitter slanging match” between Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump also makes the front page after the tech billionaire wrote “without me, Trump would have lost the election”.
The FT also leads with Yusuf’s resignation, with the former Reform chair saying he didn’t think the position was a “good use of my time”. Nigel Farage has called him “enormously talented” and said he was “genuinely sorry” he had stepped down. On the world stage, “Trump and Xi dial down rhetoric and agree to new round of trade talks”.
Labour has banned the bosses of 10 water companies from receiving bonuses “with immediate effect” over “serious sewage pollution” reports The Guardian. In the past decade, they have been paid £112m in bonuses. Last year, sewage pollution “rose to a record 2,487 events”, according to the paper. “Bosses should only get bonuses if they’ve performed well” the paper quotes Environment Secretary Steven Reed.
The Times covers Musk and Trump’s disagreement too, highlighting the X founder’s comment that the president had appeared “in the Epstein files” as a barb that “signals war”. Trump was named in one document released by a judge last year regarding a connection with the disgraced financier – but this carries no inference of wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on the allegations. Also on the front page an image of four Chelsea pensioners doffing their hats atop mobility scooters.
The i Paper’s front page is mostly taken up by the news of the UK water bosses “finally” receiving a bonus ban “amid public anger at sewage scandal”. The paper draws attention to how it had “campaigned for tougher powers to restrict such payments”.
“Russia blames UK for drone attack on jets” and “says it could lead to World War Three” reads the top headline of the Daily Mail. Kremlin ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin said the UK military’s tech had helped Ukraine hit the targets inside Russia, the tabloid reports. It also picks up Trump and Musk’s argument calling it a “war of words”.
The Daily Mirror headlines on a promise by Health Secretary Wes Streeting to “end corridor care”, as he says £450m will go towards tackling the issue. The Mirror also runs the story of the race attack on Bhim Kohli on its front page that resulted in his death as his teen attackers have now received their sentences. “They can rebuild their lives, we can’t” writes the paper, describing the “anguish” of Kohli’s family.
A veteran standing by two tombstones appears on the front page of the Daily Express as “our last D-Day heroes remember fallen friends 81 years on”. “Never forget their sacrifice”, the paper writes.
For the Daily Star, it’s “blast orders” as it writes “most of us say we’re off down the pub if there’s a nuclear war”.
Yamal inspires Spain to thrilling 5-4 win over France to book a final against Iberian rivals Portugal.
Lamine Yamal won the battle of Ballon d’Or contenders by scoring twice as Spain eclipsed France 5-4 in their Nations League semifinal.
The 17-year-old Yamal outshone French counterparts Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele on Thursday as Spain initially ran riot against Didier Deschamps’s tired-looking team to book its place in Sunday’s final against Portugal.
Thursday’s game had been billed as a contest between young stars, but it was clear that Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win in Munich on Saturday had added more weight to French legs, with PSG stars Doue and Dembele disappointing.
It was the highest-scoring game in the Nations League’s short history, but three of the four French goals came after Yamal had made it 5-1 and the Spanish players eased up, thinking the game was won.
“It was a great game. In the end, it was a little close, but we played very well and I think deserved to win,” Yamal said.
Nico Williams opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after Yamal threaded the ball through to Mikel Oyarzabal, who held off two defenders and served it on a plate for Williams to rifle to the roof of the net.
Mikel Merino, the hero when Spain last played in Stuttgart, made it 2-0 three minutes later after playing a one-two with Oyarzabal.
Theo Hernandez struck the crossbar and Spain needed goalkeeper Unai Simon to deny Doue, then Mbappe and Dembele.
But Spain looked capable of scoring at any time. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen thought he had scored spectacularly after a brilliantly worked free kick, only to have the goal ruled out for offside.
It was the 20-year-old Huijsen’s third game for Spain. It looks like he is set to stay.
Adrien Rabiot conceded a penalty for a mistimed challenge on Yamal, who dusted himself off to make it 3-0 from the spot in the 54th.
Pedri scored a minute after that, taking Williams’s pass with his first touch and dinking it past the bewildered Mike Maignan with his next.
Pedro Porro’s foul gave Mbappe his chance from the penalty, but Yamal replied to that by prodding the ball past Maignan for 5-1.
Substitute Rayan Cherki scored late on his France debut after Yamal scored Spain’s fifth, then Spain defender Daniel Vivian conceded an own goal, and Cherki set up fellow substitute Randal Kolo Muani in stoppage time as France ultimately came close to an improbable comeback.
Three Maori Party MPs were suspended from New Zealand’s Parliament for performing a haka in protest of a bill backed by a far-right coalition partner that they say was an attack on Indigenous people. The bill was defeated, but tensions remain high.
Gaza City – As the Madleen sails towards Gaza to try to deliver life-saving aid to its people, little is known about the woman the boat was named after: Madleen Kulab, Gaza’s only fisherwoman.
When Al Jazeera first met Madleen Kulab (also spelled Madelyn Culab) three years ago, she had two children, was expecting her third and lived a relatively quiet life in Gaza City with her husband, Khader Bakr, 32, also a fisherman.
Madleen, now 30, would sail fearlessly out as far as Israel’s gunship blockade would allow to bring back fish she could sell in a local market to support the family.
When Israel’s war on Gaza began, the family was terrified, then heartbroken when Israel killed Madleen’s father in an air strike near their home in November 2023.
They fled with Madleen nearly nine months pregnant to Khan Younis, then to Rafah, to Deir el-Balah and then Nuseirat.
Now, they are back in what remains of their home in Gaza City, a badly damaged space they returned to when the Israeli army allowed displaced people to head back north in January.
Responsibility and pride
Madleen sits on a battered sofa in her damaged living room, three of her four children sitting with her: baby Waseela, one, on her lap; five-year-old Safinaz beside her; and three-year-old Jamal – the baby she was expecting when Al Jazeera first met her – at the end.
She talks about what it felt like to hear from an Irish activist friend that the ship trying to break the blockade on Gaza would be named after her.
“I was deeply moved. I felt an enormous sense of responsibility and a little pride,” she says with a smile.
“I’m grateful to these activists who have devoted themselves, left their lives and comforts behind, and stood with Gaza despite all the risks,” she says of the group of 12 activists, who include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
“This is the highest form of humanity and self-sacrifice in the face of danger.”
Madleen Kulab and her husband, Khader Bakr, with their four children in their damaged Gaza City home [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
Khader sits on another sofa with six-year-old Sandy. He holds out his phone with a photo of the Madleen on it, flying the Palestinian flag.
Madleen has been fishing since she was 15, a familiar figure heading out on her father’s boat, getting to know all the other fishermen and also becoming well-known to international solidarity activists.
In addition to bringing home the fish, Madleen is also a skilled cook, preparing seasonal fish dishes that were so famously tasty that she had a list of clients waiting to buy them from her. Especially popular were the dishes made with Gaza’s ubiquitous sardines.
But now, she can’t fish any more and neither can Khader because Israel destroyed their boats and an entire storage room full of fishing gear during the war.
“We’ve lost everything – the fruit of a lifetime,” she says.
But her loss is not just about income. It’s about identity – her deep connection to the sea and fishing. It’s even about the simple joy of eating fish, which she used to enjoy “10 times a week”.
“Now fish is too expensive if you can find it at all. Only a few fishermen still have any gear left, and they risk their lives just to catch a little,” she says.
“Everything has changed. We now crave fish in the middle of this famine we’re living through.”
The Madleen has several prominent figures on board aiming to break Israel’s siege of Gaza, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
Sleeping on a bare floor, newborn in her arms
After the air strike near the family home in November 2023, Madleen’s family’s first displacement was to Khan Younis, following Israeli army instructions that they would be safer there.
After searching for shelter, they ended up in a small apartment with 40 other displaced relatives, and then Madleen went into labour.
“It was a difficult, brutal birth. No pain relief, no medical care. I was forced to leave the hospital right after giving birth. There were no beds available because of the overwhelming number of wounded,” she says.
When she returned to the shelter, things were just as dire. “We didn’t have a mattress or even a blanket, neither me nor the kids,” she said.
“I had to sleep on the floor with my newborn baby. It was physically exhausting.”
She then had to tend to four children in an enclave where baby formula, diapers and even the most basic food items were almost impossible to find.
The war, she says, has reshaped her understanding of suffering and hardship.
In 2022, she and Khader were struggling to make ends meet between Israel’s gunship blockade and the frequent destruction of their boats. There was also the added burden of being a mother with small children and undertaking such physically taxing work.
But now, things have gotten far worse.
“There’s no such thing as ‘difficult’ any more. Nothing compares to the humiliation, hunger and horror we’ve seen in this war,” she says.
A ship named Madleen
Throughout the war, Madleen remained in touch with international friends and solidarity activists she had met through the years.
“I would share my reality with them,” she says.
“They came to understand the situation through me. They felt like family.”
Her friends abroad offered both emotional and financial support, and she is grateful for them, saying they made her feel that Gaza wasn’t forgotten, that people still cared.
She is also grateful for being remembered in the naming of the Madleen, but she worries that Israeli authorities will not let the ship reach Gaza, citing past attempts that were intercepted.
“Intercepting the ship would be the least of it. What’s more worrying is the possibility of a direct assault like what happened to the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara in 2010 when several people were killed.”
Regardless of what happens, Madleen believes the mission’s true message has already been delivered.
“This is a call to break the global silence, to draw the world’s attention to what’s happening in Gaza. The blockade must end, and this war must stop immediately.”
“This is also a message of hope for me. They may have bombed my boat, but my name will remain – and it will sail across the sea.”
Trump’s first travel ban triggered protests across the US in 2017
US President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping new travel ban for people from 12 countries, revisiting a hallmark policy of his first term in office.
There are some key differences, however.
The original travel ban suffered a series of legal defeats. This time, the policy appears to have been designed to avoid the same pitfalls.
Its predecessor, which targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries and was dubbed the “Muslim ban” by critics, was ordered just a week after Trump took office in 2017, during his first term in the White House.
The ban was amended twice to overcome court challenges, after opponents argued it was unconstitutional and illegal because it discriminated against travellers based on their religion.
A scaled-back version was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, which this new ban closely resembles.
Legal experts told the BBC that it appeared Trump had learned lessons from his first attempt.
Christi Jackson, an expert in US immigration law at the London firm Laura Devine Immigration, said the new ban was more legally robust as a result.
While the first lacked “clarity”, the new restrictions were “wider in scope” and had “clearly defined” exemptions, she said.
While there are some similarities in the nations chosen by the 2017 ban and the 2025 ban, Muslim-majority states are not the express target of the latest order.
Barbara McQuade, professor of law at the University of Michigan and former US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, told the BBC World Service’s Newshour programme that, on this basis, it seemed likely to win the approval of the Supreme Court, if it was ever referred up to that level.
The 12 countries subject to the harshest restrictions from 9 June are mainly in the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean, including Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia.
There will be partial restrictions on travellers from another seven countries, including Cuban and Venezuelan nationals.
Trump said the strength of the restrictions would be graded against the severity of the perceived threat, including from terrorism.
But besides Iran, none of the 12 countries hit by the outright ban are named on the US government’s state sponsors of terrorism list.
In a video announcing the ban posted on X, Trump cited Sunday’s incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which a man was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators attending a march for Israeli hostages.
The alleged attacker was an Egyptian national. However, Egypt does not appear on either list.
Watch: President Trump announces travel ban from “high-risk regions”
Trump also specified high rates of people overstaying their visas as a reason for listing certain countries.
However, Steven D Heller, an immigration lawyer based in the US, said there was a “lack of clarity” over what threshold had to be met by a country’s overstaying rate in order for that country to be placed on Trump’s ban list. That could be the basis for a successful legal challenge, he suggested.
“If they’re relying on this notion of excessive overstay rates… they have to define what that actually means,” he told the BBC.
Unlike the first ban, which was to last for only 90 to 120 days, today’s order has no end date.
It has been met with dismay in the targeted countries.
Venezuela has described the Trump administration as “supremacists who think they own the world”, though Somalia has pledged to “engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised”.
The original ban spurred mass protests and sowed chaos at US airports.
It was repealed in 2021 by Trump’s successor, President Joe Biden, who called the policy “a stain on our national conscience.”
“Sometimes you let them fight for a little while.” Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine are like two children fighting in a park and sometimes it’s better to wait before breaking them up. He was speaking in an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who said America is in a strong position to end the war.
Indonesia shut out China 1-0 in their Asian Football Confederation Group C qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Indonesia have kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for only the second time in their history with a nervy 1-0 win that has ended opponents China’s hopes of qualifying.
Oli Romeny scored the only goal of Thursday’s game from the penalty spot in the first half of the Asian Football Confederation qualifier in Jarkarta.
The spot kick was awarded after Yang Zexiang brought down Ricky Kambuaya on the stroke of half-time. It dealt a blow to the Chinese, whose defence was mounting pressure on the hosts, given the expectations on them.
In the first kickoff of the day in the group, Australia took a giant stride towards sealing another qualification spot by beating already qualified Japan 1-0.
Aziz Behich scored the winner with a curling effort from the edge of the box in the 90th minute.
Saudi Arabia hosted Bahrain in the final kickoff of the day in Group C. Anything other than a win for the home side would guarantee Australia’s progress while Bahrain needed a win themselves to retain a chance of climbing above Indonesia into the final playoff spot.
Indonesia’s Ole Romeny scores their first goal from the penalty spot past China’s Wang Dalei [Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters]
Kambuaya had Indonesia’s first sighter, but the effort from range flew wide of the right-hand upright.
Wang Yudong, making his international debut at 18, was the brightest spark in China’s start and steered an effort wide after a counter off the back of mounting pressure from the hosts.
Han Pengfei had China’s best chance, though, when he flashed his header over the bar from Serginho’s corner.
Romeny had twice had near misses himself, one just wide and the other too close to the keeper, before slotting home the crucial kick from the spot.
Indonesia travel to Japan for their final group game on Tuesday.
Israel’s international allies are growing louder in their condemnation of its war on Gaza and its continued construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
United Nations experts, human rights groups and legal scholars have all previously told Al Jazeera that Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza and committing abuses that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank.
And yet less than two weeks after receiving a stern warning from its Western allies, Israel approved 22 illegal settlements in the West Bank, amounting to what has been described as the largest land grab since Israeli and Palestinian leaders inked the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993.
“Israel is all about showing [the world] who calls the shots. They are saying … you can condemn us all you want, but in the end, you will bow down to us and not the other way around,” said Diana Buttu, a legal scholar and political analyst focused on Israel and Palestine.
The Oslo Accords were ostensibly aimed at creating a Palestinian state, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
However, in practice, Israel has continued to expand illegal settlements and render the two-state solution impossible, analysts told Al Jazeera.
Troubling pattern
Israel has often announced the building of new illegal settlements in response to signals of support for Palestinian statehood from the UN or its allies.
In 2012, Israel went so far as to approve 3,000 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank after the Palestinian Authority (PA) – the entity created out of the Oslo Accords to govern swaths of the West Bank – was granted non-member observer status in the UN General Assembly.
Last year, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, warned that a new illegal settlement would be built for every country that recognises a Palestinian state.
The announcement came after Spain, Norway, and Ireland took the symbolic step in May 2024.
“I certainly think there is a pattern where Israel responds to pressure regarding its occupation – or anything else – by announcing settler expansion,” said Omar Rahman, an expert focused on Israel and Palestine for the Middle East Council for Global Affairs.
“We see that pattern repeated over and over again,” he told Al Jazeera.
As global pressure mounts against Israel’s war on Gaza, Israel has continued to test the patience of its allies.
On May 21, Israeli troops fired warning shots at a group of European, Asian and Arab diplomats who were on an official mission to assess the humanitarian crisis in Jenin refugee camp, which has been subjected to a months-long attack and siege by the Israeli army since the start of the year.
“I don’t know where the red line is. It is clear that there is no red line,” said Buttu.
Justifying inaction
After Zionist militias ethnically cleansed some 750,000 Palestinians to make way for the state of Israel in 1948 – an event referred to as the “Nakba” or catastrophe – Israel has increasingly annexed and occupied the little that remains of Palestinian land.
Annexation of the occupied West Bank has accelerated in recent years thanks to far-right settlers who occupy positions in the Israeli government, said Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.
He believes Israel was always planning to approve the 22 illegal settlements irrespective of the joint statement issued by France, the UK and Canada, as it fit in with the state’s ultimate goal of expanding Jewish settlement of the occupied West Bank.
“Nobody can really think that if those countries didn’t issue an announcement that [further] annexation wasn’t going to happen. Of course, it was going to happen,” he told Al Jazeera.
Rahman, from the Middle East Council, believes Israel’s tactic of announcing pre-planned settlement expansion in the face of Western pressure simply aims to dissuade its allies from taking concrete action.
He suspects Canada, the UK and France will likely not slap on targeted sanctions against Israeli officials, as they have threatened to do, instead using the argument that any moves against Israel will lead to a backlash against Palestinians.
“[Canada, UK and France] may say they are acting for the preservation of the two-state solution by not doing anything to save the two-state solution,” Rahman told Al Jazeera.
Analysts believe that sanctions on Israel would be the only way to rescue the two-state solution and end Israel’s war on Gaza, but accept that comprehensive sanctions against the Israeli state would still be unlikely at this stage.
Instead, Western countries like Canada, France and the UK may target sanctions at the far-right ministers most associated with pro-settler policies, Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“These men … are trying to jam in everything they can do now because they know there is no guarantee they will maintain their positions of power indefinitely,” Elgindy told Al Jazeera.
Buttu fears that European countries will merely resort to more symbolic measures such as “recognising Palestine”, which will have little impact on the ground.
“By the time everyone gets around to recognising Palestine, there won’t be any land [for Palestinians] left,” she told Al Jazeera.
Watch: President Trump announces travel ban from “high-risk regions”
Donald Trump has signed a ban on travel to the US from 12 countries, citing national security risks.
There are also seven additional countries whose nationals will face partial travel restrictions.
The US president said the list could be revised if “material improvements” were made, while other countries could be added as “threats emerge around the world”.
It is the second time he has ordered a ban on travel from certain countries. He signed a similar order in 2017 during his first term in office.
Which countries are affected?
Trump has signed a proclamation banning travel to the US from nationals of 12 countries:
Afghanistan
Myanmar
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
Nationals from these countries will not be allowed to enter the US unless they qualify for an exemption.
There are an additional seven countries whose nationals face partial travel restrictions:
Burundi
Cuba
Laos
Sierra Leone
Togo
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Those under the partial restrictions will not be able to travel to the US with certain visas.
The ban takes effect on Monday at 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT), a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at US airports when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice eight years ago.
No end date has been provided. The order calls for periodic review.
Why has a ban been announced?
The White House said these “common sense restrictions” would “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors”.
In a video posted to his Truth Social website, Trump said the recent alleged terror attack in Boulder, Colorado “underscored the extreme dangers” posed by foreign nationals who had not been “properly vetted”.
Twelve people were injured in Colorado on Sunday when a man attacked a group gathering in support of Israeli hostages, throwing two incendiary devices and using a makeshift flamethrower.
The man accused of carrying out the attack has been identified as an Egyptian national, but Egypt is not included on the list of banned countries.
Trump has close ties with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has in the past been described by the US president as his “favourite dictator”.
Only two of the 19 countries are on the US government’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list – Iran, which has a full ban, and Cuba, which faces partial travel restrictions.
But national security is given as a partial reason for the choices.
In the proclamation, Trump said many of the countries listed have a “historic failure to accept back their removable nationals” from the US, as well as having “taken advantage” of the US by exploiting its visa system.
He added that nationals from certain countries also “pose significant risks” of overstaying their visas.
World Cup players allowed – who else is exempt?
There are a number of people from affected countries who may still be able to enter the US due to a number of exceptions. The order does not apply to:
“Lawful permanent” US residents
Their immediate family members who hold immigrant visas
US government employees with Special Immigrant Visas
Adoptions
Dual nationals when the individual is not travelling on a passport from one of the affected countries
Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visas
Holders of “immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran”
Foreign nationals travelling with certain non-immigrant visas
Athletes, their teams (including coaches and supporting staff), and their immediate family when travelling for major sporting events, such as the men’s football World Cup in 2026 and the Summer 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
In addition, the US Secretary of State may grant exemptions to individuals on a “case-by-case” basis, if “the individual would serve a United States national interest”.
What has been the reaction to the ban?
Trump’s latest order, which is expected to face legal challenges, drew a swift response, at home and abroad.
Somalia promised to work with the US to address any security issues, with ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, saying his country “values its longstanding relationship” with the US.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello warned that “being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans”.
The African Union, which represents all 55 countries on the continent, called on the US to “engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned”.
It appealed to the US to exercise its right to protect its borders and its citizens’ security “in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the United States and Africa”.
The union said it remained concerned about the “potential negative impact of such measures”.
Democrats were quick to condemn the move.
“This ban, expanded from Trump’s Muslim ban in his first term, will only further isolate us on the world stage,” Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat congresswoman from Washington, wrote on social media.
Another Democrat, Congressman Don Beyer, said Trump had “betrayed” the ideals of the founders of the US.
Human rights groups have also criticised the ban.
Amnesty International USA described it as “discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel”, while the US-based Human Rights First called it “yet another anti-immigrant and punitive action taken” by the president.
But others support the ban.
Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana said travel to the US was “a privilege, not a right”.
He claimed on BBC Radio’s Today programme that Americans had “had enough of immigrants coming to our country, violating our laws and committing violence among our people”.
Greg Swenson, chairman of Republicans Overseas UK, said the list of countries subject to the travel ban proves the White House is using a “common sense policy”, but expressed suprise that Egypt had not been included.
“I think what the president has decided was that Egypt, despite having one particular incident from an illegal migrant, might have some policies that are in place which are better than other countries,” he said.
How is it different to last time?
Trump’s original ban took place in 2017, during his first White House term, and featured some of the same countries as his latest order, including Iran, Libya and Somalia.
Critics called it a “Muslim ban” as the seven countries initially listed were Muslim majority, and it was immediately challenged in courts across the US.
The White House revised the policy, ultimately adding two non-Muslim majority countries, North Korea and Venezuela. It was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.
Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump as US president, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience”.
US immigration law expert Christi Jackson said the new ban suggested “lessons have been learned” from Trump’s first attempt.
The latest ban was not being implemented immediately, the restrictions were “wider in scope” and it had “clearly defined” exemptions, she told the BBC.
Professor of law and former US attorney Barbara McQuade said the last travel ban had “caused chaos at the border”, while this time Trump had given some advance notice.
“The first time around it included lawful permanent residents or Green Card holders, people who had established status in the United States, which courts found to be a violation of the Constitution,” she told BBC Newshour.
“This time I think there has been more thought given to this,” she said, adding it was “very likely” to be upheld by the Supreme Court.
Follow the twists and turns of Trump’s second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the third day of Hajj. Here’s how to say ‘Eid Mubarak’ in different languages.
Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, is observed on the third day of Hajj, which falls on the 10th of Dhul-Hijja, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar.
Eid al-Adha is the second major festival in the Islamic calendar, celebrated roughly 70 days after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
When is Eid al-Adha?
This year, the first day of Eid al-Adha falls on June 6 in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries, while some other countries will mark it on June 7.
There are about 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, approximately 25 percent of the world population. Indonesia has the world’s highest Muslim population, with some 230 million Muslims living in the country. Pakistan is second with about 212 million Muslims, followed by India (200 million), Bangladesh (150 million) and Nigeria (100 million).
What happens during Eid al-Adha?
In the days leading up to Eid al-Adha, Muslims prepare by preparing their homes, buying new clothes and planning special meals for the occasion.
On the first day of Eid, those who are financially able are required to sacrifice an animal – usually a sheep, goat, cow, or camel – and distribute a portion of the meat to the less fortunate. This act commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s (Ibrahim) willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmail (Ismael) in obedience to God.
The rest of the holiday is spent visiting family and friends, exchanging greetings and gifts, and sharing festive meals.
Palestinians gather to celebrate alongside Muslims worldwide on the first day of the Eid al-Adha feast, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem’s Old City, on July 20, 2021 [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Eid greetings in different languages
The most common greeting is Eid Mubarak. The Arabic saying translates to “blessed Eid”.
Here is how people say Eid Mubarak in different languages around the world.
Football’s world governing body has reduced prices on thousands of tickets before tournament opener in Miami on June 14, despite the presence of football superstar Lionel Messi.
Hoping to fill a lot of empty seats, FIFA is reportedly slashing ticket prices for the June 14 Club World Cup opener hosted by Inter Miami.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that “tens of thousands” of seats at the 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, remain unsold for the 8pm ET match between football superstar Lionel Messi’s MLS club and Egyptian side Al Ahly.
FIFA rejected a suggestion that fewer than 20,000 tickets had been sold, insisting the number is “much higher” but declining to provide a specific total.
“We are introducing many new, successful clubs from all over the world to the world through this tournament being staged in the 11 cities across the United States,” FIFA said in a statement. “Overall, we anticipate great attendances throughout the competition for this first-ever edition – a tournament that we believe will grow edition-on-edition.”
As of Tuesday night, tickets for that game had dropped to $55 on Ticketmaster – half of what they were going for last month. The cheapest seat available after the tournament draw in December was $349 but had dropped to $230 by December, per The Athletic.
The 32-team FIFA Club World Cup runs through to July 13 and includes MLS clubs Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC, plus global powerhouses like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Inter Miami’s forward #10 Lionel Messi is playing in the FIFA Club World Cup opening match on June 14, but there are already concerns that there will be thousands of empty seats at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, despite the star power of the Argentinian player [File: Chris Arjoon/AFP]
Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart, who led the head coach search along with Thelwell, said Martin was the “standout candidate”.
The Ibrox club spoke to former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti and former Feyenoord manager Brian Priske, while former manager Gerrard and ex-Ajax head coach Francesco Farioli were among those also linked with the post.
“Our criteria were clear: we wanted a coach who will excel in terms of how we want to play, improve our culture, develop our squad, and ultimately win matches,” Stewart said.
“This appointment is about building a winning team and a strong culture. He is no stranger to our club, we expect success and Russell knows that. We are excited for his leadership.”
Thelwell suggested Martin’s time in the Premier League “has sharpened his approach, both tactically and personally”.
Giving an insight into what a Rangers team under Martin will be like, he added: “His teams play dominant football, they control the ball, dictate the tempo and impose themselves physically. They press aggressively and work relentlessly off the ball.
“These are all characteristics that we believe are required to be successful at home, away and abroad.”
Every weekday, 38-year-old Fatima Musa grips her son’s hand as they step onto a makeshift bridge in Fori, a community in Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. Together, they cross the poorly constructed structure to reach the primary school he attends, and later make the same journey home.
The original Fori Bridge collapsed during the devastating floods of September 2024, which inundated Maiduguri and its environs, leaving dozens dead and thousands displaced. The destruction severed vital connections between Bama Park and Market, the University of Maiduguri, and several neighbourhoods.
With no official intervention, local youths erected a makeshift crossing far from Fatima’s home. Constructed from wooden planks, logs, and sand-filled sacks, the narrow bridge hovers precariously over the Ngadda River, the same river that swept away homes, businesses, and livelihoods just months ago.
The disruption forced residents like Fatima to undertake perilous detours or depend on the makeshift bridge, which is far away from her home.
A car crossing the Fori makeshift bridge. Photo: Abubakar Muktar Abba/HumAngle
The community’s improvised fix has restored a semblance of connectivity, but it is fragile. In less than two months, seasonal rains will return, swelling the Ngadda once again. Residents told HumAngle they fear the structure will be destroyed, cutting them off from schools, hospitals, and markets, and deepening the isolation they already face.
The original Fori Bridge, a vital link for residents across several communities in Jere, was the first structure to collapse when the floods ravaged the area.
A photo collage of the Fori Bridge showing different angles of the destroyed bridge, damaged nearby structures, and large gaping holes that pedestrians carefully manoeuvre around in their daily routines. Photo: Abubakar Muktar Abba/HumAngle
A student’s dread
For 27-year-old Zainab Yahaya, a student at the University of Maiduguri, the broken bridge is more than a daily inconvenience, it threatens her future. She crosses the makeshift bridge every day to attend classes. As the rainy season looms, her anxiety increases.
“I use the makeshift bridge now, but when the water returns, the bridge won’t survive it,” she said. “And then, everything becomes more difficult, more expensive, more dangerous and more exhausting.”
Last year’s flood destroyed her neighbourhood. This year, she fears her education may be next. Without the bridge, Zainab would be forced to take longer detours that significantly increase both cost and travel time.
“What used to cost ₦100 will now jump to ₦400,” she explained. “And the hours I lose taking detours, it’s hard to keep up with school. I will be exhausted before I reach class.”
Crossing by canoe is not an option she trusts. “It’s dangerous. The water is unpredictable, the canoes are unstable, and sometimes you don’t even know if the person paddling them is a professional or not,” Zainab added.
Canoes are parked at the shallow river banks. Photo: Abubakar Muktar Abba/HumAngle
Her frustration is echoed throughout the community. “The government hasn’t done anything tangible. No repairs, no support, not even a visit,” she says. “We’re left on our own.”
A cycle doomed to repeat
A HumAngle investigation published in 2024 traced the flood’s origins to a combination of infrastructural decay, poor planning, and delayed emergency response at the Alau Dam.
Originally designed in 1986 to hold 112 million cubic meters of water, the dam’s capacity has swelled to an estimated 279 to 296 million cubic meters, primarily because of unchecked sediment buildup.
Every year, during the June-to-September monsoon, stormwater flows from the Mubi highlands into the Yedzeram River. This major tributary quickly swells and merges with the Gambole River, before entering the wetlands of the Sambisa Forest to form the headwaters of the Ngadda.
From there, the Ngadda empties into Lake Alau, held back by the Alau Dam, a large reservoir on the outskirts of Maiduguri. When rainfall is heavy upstream, the rivers surge downstream with little delay, raising water levels sharply in Lake Alau.
The dam is gate-controlled, designed to hold and release water in a regulated manner.
However, another dam downstream lacks this control. Without gates, it simply overflows once water reaches a certain level, releasing torrents into vulnerable communities with no warning. This unregulated spillway worsened last year’s catastrophe in Maiduguri.
In February, the federal government announced a ₦80 billion rehabilitation and expansion project for the Alau Dam to prevent any disaster in the future. On March 2, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, officially flagged off the project, stating it would be executed in two phases over 24 months.
Yet, a visit by HumAngle to the site in May painted a different picture.
Three bulldozers sat idle in the sun. No workers were present. The dam, still visibly broken, lay open like an unhealed wound. A makeshift sand barrier was the only sign of intervention, containing stagnant water where a flowing river once ran.
Three bulldozers were parked near the dam. Photo: Abubakar Muktar Abba/HumAngle
Nearby, fishermen cast their nets into the shallow puddles, making do with what remains of their vanishing livelihood.
“They [referring to government contractors] brought those bulldozers months ago,” said Musa, a wiry young man watching the water. “All they did was pile sand to block the flow. Since then, nothing.”
Adamu, another resident and a fisherman, leaned against a tree and shook his head. “This sand is like candy floss,” he muttered. “It will melt when the floods come. Then we’ll flood again.”
A fisherman gazes at the pond, waiting patiently for a sign from his fish trap. Photo: Abubakar Muktar Abba/HumAngle
At 53, Bulama Isa no longer moves with the vigour of his youth. Yet he frequently walks his farmland along the banks of the Ngadda River, inspecting what remains of his farmland.
“This place used to feed my whole family,” he says, gesturing at the gaping holes where his garden once stood. “Now I don’t have a farm.” Isa has farmed near the Alau Dam since the early 2000s. He watched the flood swallow his fields last September and his year’s harvest. When the water receded, he was left with a gaping hole.
Now, with no compensation and no clear plan from the government, he survives on support from relatives and the little his wife makes selling fried groundnuts.
Residents who spoke to HumAngle expressed frustration over the lack of progress and now fear that this year’s flood could be even worse than the last.
As of May 2025, neither the Fori Bridge nor the Alau Dam has been repaired.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has projected that the onset of the rainy season in Borno State will occur between early June and July 2025. In northern states, flooding will likely occur at the peak of rainfall between July and September, according to NiMet. Urban areas with poor drainage systems are particularly at risk of flooding during this period.
HumAngle reached out to the Ministry of Water Resources through the state commissioner, Tijjani Goni Alkali, to inquire about the project’s status and the concerns of nearby communities. As of press time, no response had been received.
With the forthcoming rains, many fear that their lives will be uprooted once again.
A liberal group and social media users shared posts that say President Donald Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” for tax and spending would let him reschedule or eliminate elections.
“If the Senate passes the ‘one big beautiful bill’ and Trump signs it, that’s it. It becomes law,” said the viral graphic on Meta and X. “And here’s what that really means. He can delay or cancel elections – legally.” The post included a long list of other claims about what the bill would accomplish; for this fact-check, we are focusing on the elections claim.
The group Being Liberal, which calls itself “one of the oldest social media liberal political brands”, took down the graphic after we reached out for comment. The group told us it didn’t create the post and removed it because the elections claim wasn’t accurate.
The earliest reference for the graphic we found online was from an anonymous blog post on May 23.
The bill does not give Trump power to delay or cancel elections, an action that would be unconstitutional.
“The bill would not directly give the president any authority over elections,” said Eric Kashdan, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, a group that advocates for voting rights and this year sued the Trump administration over a voter registration executive order.
A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson, Griffin Neal, told PolitiFact, “The bill obviously does not provide the President of the United States with the authority to cancel or delay elections.”
The US House passed the tax and spending bill May 22 and it now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers could make changes. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate majority leader, said he hopes the bill can be sent to Trump by July 4.
The bill includes one provision related to democracy and checks and balances; it would expand the executive branch’s power by curtailing judges’ ability to hold people in contempt of court. Provision critics said it could take away the courts’ power to restrain the federal government if it violates the Constitution or breaks the law.
We found no provision in the bill that says the president can delay or cancel an election.
In July 2020, amid the pandemic and a surge in voting by mail, Trump floated the idea of delaying the election. At the time, he was running for re-election.
But the Constitution empowers Congress to set the date by which states must choose their presidential electors, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found in 2020.
“Since 1845, Congress has required states to appoint presidential electors on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, which represents the date by which voters in every state must cast their ballot for President,” the report said.
Congress still has that power, said Edward Foley, an Ohio State University constitutional law professor.
The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 added a new definition of “Election Day” that makes it clear that a voting extension can occur only through state law specified in advance and under tightly restricted conditions, such as a catastrophe, Foley said.
That means Election Day “cannot otherwise be cancelled or delayed” and the president plays no role in any alteration of Election Day, Foley said.
Congress can change the Election Day date by enacting a new statute, as it did with the Electoral Count Reform Act, Foley said.
Erwin Chemerinsky, a University of California, Berkeley law professor, told PolitiFact nothing in the bill lets Trump cancel or delay elections.
“The Constitution provides that elections for Congress be held every two years and for President every four years,” Chemerinsky said. “There is no constitutional authority to cancel elections.”
A view of an agenda with the words ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, on the day of a House Rules Committee’s hearing on US President Donald Trump’s plan for extensive tax cuts in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025 [File: Nathan Howard/Reuters]
Bill provision would make it harder for judges to find Trump in contempt of court
The bill includes a different provision that some experts called a threat to democracy, but not at the ballot box.
Section 70302 would make it harder for judges to find a defendant in contempt of court for ignoring a judge’s orders. Here’s how: The legislation would require plaintiffs to pay a security bond before a judge could find the defendant in contempt of court. That would mean judges could no longer waive the security bond requirement, something that frequently happens in cases against the government.
The section references a federal rule that says a court may issue a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order only if the plaintiff pays a security bond to cover costs and damages by any party “found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained”.
A security bond is an insurance policy to protect someone wrongfully accused of wrongdoing from financial losses during litigation, Kashdan said. The courts can require plaintiffs to pay money that the court holds until the end of the litigation
“If they win, they get their money back,” Kashdan said. “If they lose, and the person they sued had a right to do whatever it was they were prevented from doing during the lawsuit, they get to keep that money to help compensate them for any losses they experienced during the litigation.”
However, “those seeking such court orders generally do not have the resources to post a bond, and insisting on it would immunise unconstitutional government conduct from judicial review,” wrote Chemerinsky for the website Just Security, which publishes a Trump litigation tracker. “It always has been understood that courts can choose to set the bond at zero.”
A March White House memo that criticised organisations for suing the federal government said enforcement of the security bond rule “is critical to ensuring that taxpayers do not foot the bill for costs or damages caused by wrongly issued preliminary relief by activist judges and to achieving the effective administration of justice”.
The House bill provision raised concern among groups that have defended the judiciary’s role to provide a check on Trump’s power.
As of May 23, at least 177 court rulings have temporarily paused Trump administration actions, according to The New York Times.
Our ruling
Social media posts say the Republican tax and budget bill will let Trump “delay or cancel elections – legally”.
We found nothing in the bill that would let Trump cancel or delay elections. A provision would make it harder for judges to hold people in contempt of court, but that is not the same as cancelling elections.
Only Congress can change a presidential election’s date, not the president, and this bill doesn’t change that.
