International

Trump signs a decree to ban the teaching of race and gender theories in schools

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that prohibits the use of federal funds in schools that teach what he considers “critical race theory” and other content related to race and gender identity.

Those educational centers that do not comply with this measure could lose their federal funding.

The order, aimed at schools for students between 5 and 18 years old, states that federal funds cannot be allocated to the “indoctrination” of children with “anti-American ideologies”, such as “radical gender ideology and critical theory of race”.

“Imposing anti-American, subversive, harmful and false ideologies on the children of our nation not only violates in many cases the civil rights laws against discrimination, but also usurps the basic authority of the parents,” says the document signed by Trump.

The term “critical race theory” has been used by conservative sectors of the US to encompass a wide variety of educational content that they reject. However, in the academic field, this theory studies how racism is rooted in American laws and institutions.

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In addition, the order instructs the future Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, and other senior government officials to develop, within 90 days, a strategy to “eliminate indoctrination” in schools.

McMahon, an executive of the wrestling company World Wrestling Entertainment, has yet to receive Senate approval to assume the position of Secretary of Education.

During his campaign for the November elections, Trump promised that as soon as he arrived at the White House he would sign an executive order, like the one signed today, to cut federal funding for schools that promote the critical theory of race or content that he considers inappropriate.

The federal government, however, has limited power in the day-to-day life of schools in the United States, which receive the most funding from state and local sources.

Trump signed an executive order to identify foreign students and faculty who participated in pro-Palestinian university protests in order to deport them.

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The document instructs the Secretaries of State, Education and Homeland Security to request U.S. universities to monitor and report on activities of foreign students and professors who may be considered anti-Semitic, in order to take action in accordance with the law and, if appropriate, act to expel them from the country.

The order establishes several provisions on anti-Semitism, but focuses especially on the protests that broke out in April 2024 on campuses throughout the United States against the war in Gaza and Washington’s support for Israel, which lasted for about three months and left a balance of about 3,100 detainees.

In the text, Trump emphasizes that he decided to sign this executive order on anti-Semitism after returning to the White House on January 20, noting that “Jewish students, in particular, faced anti-Semitic harassment in schools and university campuses.”

Although the document assumes that the demonstrators committed anti-Semitic acts, they have denied that their protests had that intention or that they supported Hamas in any way, and maintain that they demonstrated against the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has left more than 47,000 dead.

The Islamic-American Relations Council (CAIR), one of the country’s main organizations in defense of the rights of Muslims, warned that if the order is implemented it will be challenged in court.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”