Zuzana Caputova Elected First Female President Of Slovakia - NPR

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Zuzana Caputova, elected as Slovakia's first female president, greets supporters on Saturday evening. Petr David Josek/AP hide caption

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Petr David Josek/AP

Zuzana Caputova, a liberal environmental activist and a political newcomer, was elected Slovakia's first female president Saturday, riding to victory on a wave of public outrage against corruption in government.

With 58 percent of the vote, Caputova edged out European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, a diplomat backed by the county's governing Smer-Social Democracy party.

In her acceptance speech, Caputova framed her win as a rebuke to the nationalist rhetoric on the rise in central Europe in recent years. Since 2015, nationalist parties have won victories in Hungary, Poland and Austria.

"I am happy not just for the result, but mainly that it is possible not to succumb to populism, to tell the truth, to raise interest without aggressive vocabulary," she told supporters.

Voters had been outspoken about their disgust with political corruption. After a journalist reporting on political corruption and his fiance were shot and killed last February, tens of thousands of Slovaks took to the street in protest, chanting "Enough with Smer." The protests would eventually prompt the resignation of the country's prime minister at the time, Robert Fico.

Ján Orlovský, who heads Slovakia's Open Society Foundations, told NPR at the time, "We have lots of these skeletons in the closet, which we need to address and one of the skeletons is corruption."

Caputova, a vocal participant in the protests that rocked the country, has promised to tackle corruption head-on. Casting herself as the anti-corruption candidate with the campaign slogan "stand up to evil," she vowed to shake-up the political establishment, which she says is currently run "by people pulling strings from behind."

Immediately after her victory, Caputova lit a candle at a memorial for the assassinated journalist, Ján Kuciak, and his fiancee, Martina Kusnírová.

First Slovak female president Zuzana Čaputová lit the candle for murdered journalist #JanKucia and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. It was first thing she did after elections.
Photo @tomas_halasz #Nikon pic.twitter.com/TTi7DJhdWU

— Filip Struhárik (@filip_struharik) March 31, 2019

Caputova gained popularity in Slovakia after her decade-long crusade to shut down a toxic waste dump, which was spewing poison into her hometown of Pezinok in western Slovakia. Her campaign to close the site earned her a prestigious Goldman Environmental prize in 2016, along with the nickname "Erin Brockovich of Slovakia."

Caputova will be Slovakia's fifth president since the country gained independence in 1993.

As NPR's Joanna Kakissis has reported, Slovakia's presidential post is "largely ceremonial," with the president wielding little day-t0-day power. But, Caputova has been outspoken about her desire to use the platform to promote transparency.

She will take office in June.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/03/31/708587211/the-erin-brockovich-of-slovakia-is-elected-the-country-s-first-female-president

2019-03-31 23:12:00Z
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Erdogan bloc 'loses Ankara' in local polls; Istanbul race tight - Aljazeera.com

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party is locked in a tight race for control of Istanbul, the country's largest city, as the main opposition alliance appears set to win the local election race in the capital, according to partial results.

With 99 percent of the votes counted in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim, the candidate of Erdogan's People's Alliance and a former prime minister, was in the lead with 48.7 percent, state-run Anadolu Agency said on Sunday. Ekrem Imamoglu, the candidate of the opposition Nation Alliance, had 48.65 percent. 

In Ankara, preliminary results showed that Nation Alliance candidate Mansur Yavas had garnered 50.6 percent, with 92 percent of the votes counted. He was followed by Mehmet Ozhaseki, the People's Alliance nominee in the capital, with 47.2 percent. 

In the third-largest city, Izmir, the Nation Alliance candidate Mustafa Tunc Soyer was in the lead with 58.1 percent. Nihat Zeybekci, the candidate of Erdogan's bloc, had 38.5 percent.

Nationwide, with 91.7 percent of the provincial votes counted, the People's Alliance, which is comprised of the AK Party and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), had secured 51.7 percent of the votes.

It was followed by Nation Alliance, a coalition made up by the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) and the right-wing Good Party, with 37.6 percent.

Erdogan vows economic reforms

The polls posed a major challenge for Erdogan given a backdrop of high inflation and rising unemployment sparked by a major currency crisis last year.

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Erdogan on Sunday acknowledged that his party had lost control in a number of cities, and pledged that he would focus on carrying out economic reforms.

Erdogan, who was elected last year as the country's first executive president, said the next polls would be held in June 2023, adding that Turkey would carefully implement a "strong economic programme" without compromising on free-market rules. 

Murat Yetkin, a Turkish political analyst, told Al Jazeera that if "the Erdogan-led AK Party-MHP alliance loses Istanbul [along with Ankara] as well, that means loss of control over five major cities in Turkey."

"Even if Istanbul, with 11 million voters, is won with a few thousand votes, it will be perceived as a major loss," he said.

"The results also show that the executive presidential system, which was designed to avoid coalitions, has led to a de facto coalition, since the AK Party cannot maintain majority without its symbiotic partnership with MHP."

Ozgur Dilber, a CHP volunteer, said the results showed that the AK Party's popularity was waning - even if  Erdogan's bloc won in Istanbul.

"To me, the results are a proof that the number of voters who want change is increasing," he told Al Jazeera outside the party's election monitoring office.

Focus on economy, security

Earlier this month, official statistics showed that in the last two quarters of 2018 the Turkish economy slipped into its first recession in a decade, as inflation and interest rates soared due to the currency meltdown.

190330150248508

In February, inflation stood at just under 20 percent, while the Central Bank's main interest rate is currently 24 percent.  

In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, the People's Alliance sought to link the local polls to internal and external risks threatening the country's security.

Erdogan has often blamed foreign powers and "speculators" for the currency fluctuations and other economic woes faced by Turkey - a message he repeated this week.

For its part, the main opposition alliance has focused its campaign on the economic situation and its effect on citizens.

It also used Turkish flags in their campaigns, rather than party banners, in an apparent bid to attract voters from different backgrounds.

Follow Umut Uras on Twitter @Um_Uras

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/erdogan-ruling-ak-party-takes-lead-key-local-polls-190331155748741.html

2019-03-31 21:47:00Z
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Erdogan bloc 'loses Ankara' in local polls; Istanbul race tight - Aljazeera.com

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party is locked in a tight race for control of Istanbul, the country's largest city, as the main opposition alliance appears set to win the local election race in the capital, according to partial results.

With 99 percent of the votes counted in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim, the candidate of Erdogan's People's Alliance and a former prime minister, was in the lead with 48.7 percent, state-run Anadolu Agency said on Sunday. Ekrem Imamoglu, the candidate of the opposition Nation Alliance, had 48.65 percent. 

In Ankara, preliminary results showed that Nation Alliance candidate Mansur Yavas had garnered 50.6 percent, with 92 percent of the votes counted. He was followed by Mehmet Ozhaseki, the People's Alliance nominee in the capital, with 47.2 percent. 

In the third-largest city, Izmir, the Nation Alliance candidate Mustafa Tunc Soyer was in the lead with 58.1 percent. Nihat Zeybekci, the candidate of Erdogan's bloc, had 38.5 percent.

Nationwide, with 91.7 percent of the provincial votes counted, the People's Alliance, which is comprised of the AK Party and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), had secured 51.7 percent of the votes.

It was followed by Nation Alliance, a coalition made up by the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) and the right-wing Good Party, with 37.6 percent.

Erdogan vows economic reforms

The polls posed a major challenge for Erdogan given a backdrop of high inflation and rising unemployment sparked by a major currency crisis last year.

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Erdogan on Sunday acknowledged that his party had lost control in a number of cities, and pledged that he would focus on carrying out economic reforms.

Erdogan, who was elected last year as the country's first executive president, said the next polls would be held in June 2023, adding that Turkey would carefully implement a "strong economic programme" without compromising on free-market rules. 

Murat Yetkin, a Turkish political analyst, told Al Jazeera that if "the Erdogan-led AK Party-MHP alliance loses Istanbul [along with Ankara] as well, that means loss of control over five major cities in Turkey."

"Even if Istanbul, with 11 million voters, is won with a few thousand votes, it will be perceived as a major loss," he said.

"The results also show that the executive presidential system, which was designed to avoid coalitions, has led to a de facto coalition, since the AK Party cannot maintain majority without its symbiotic partnership with MHP."

Ozgur Dilber, a CHP volunteer, said the results showed that the AK Party's popularity was waning - even if  Erdogan's bloc won in Istanbul.

"To me, the results are a proof that the number of voters who want change is increasing," he told Al Jazeera outside the party's election monitoring office.

Focus on economy, security

Earlier this month, official statistics showed that in the last two quarters of 2018 the Turkish economy slipped into its first recession in a decade, as inflation and interest rates soared due to the currency meltdown.

190330150248508

In February, inflation stood at just under 20 percent, while the Central Bank's main interest rate is currently 24 percent.  

In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, the People's Alliance sought to link the local polls to internal and external risks threatening the country's security.

Erdogan has often blamed foreign powers and "speculators" for the currency fluctuations and other economic woes faced by Turkey - a message he repeated this week.

For its part, the main opposition alliance has focused its campaign on the economic situation and its effect on citizens.

It also used Turkish flags in their campaigns, rather than party banners, in an apparent bid to attract voters from different backgrounds.

Follow Umut Uras on Twitter @Um_Uras

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/erdogan-ruling-ak-party-takes-lead-key-local-polls-190331155748741.html

2019-03-31 21:37:00Z
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Erdogan's bloc takes lead in key local polls - Aljazeera.com

Share of vote (20:30 GMT)

Istanbul: People's Alliance 49.7%, Nation Alliance 48.65%

Ankara: People's Alliance 47.2%, Nation Alliance 50.6%

Izmir: People's Alliance 38.5%, Nation Alliance 58.2%

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party is locked in a tight race for control of Istanbul, the country's largest city, as the main opposition alliance appears set to win the local election race in the capital, according to partial results.

With 99 percent of the votes counted in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim, the candidate of Erdogan's People's Alliance and a former prime minister, was in the lead with 48.7 percent , state-run Anadolu Agency said on Sunday. Ekrem Imamoglu, the candidate of the opposition Nation Alliance, had 48.65 percent. 

In Ankara, preliminary results showed that Nation Alliance candidate Mansur Yavas had garnered 50.6 percent, with 92 percent of the votes counted. He was followed by Mehmet Ozhaseki, the People's Alliance nominee in the capital, with 47.2 percent. 

In the third-largest city, Izmir, the Nation Alliance candidate Mustafa Tunc Soyer was in the lead with 58.1 percent. Nihat Zeybekci, the candidate of Erdogan's bloc, had 38.5 percent.

Nationwide, with 92 percent of the provincial votes counted, the People's Alliance, which is comprised of the AK Party and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), had secured 52 percent of the votes.

It was followed by Nation Alliance, a coalition made up by the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) and the right-wing Good Party, with 37.6 percent.

Erdogan vows economic reforms

The polls posed a major challenge for Erdogan given a backdrop of high inflation and rising unemployment sparked by a major currency crisis last year.

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Erdogan on Sunday acknowledged that his party had lost control in a number of cities, and pledged that he would focus on carrying out economic reforms.

Erdogan, who was elected last year as the country's first executive president, said the next polls would be held in June 2023, adding that Turkey would carefully implement a "strong economic programme" without compromising on free-market rules. 

"If the AK Party-MHP alliance loses Istanbul, it will only hold one - Bursa - among the six largest cities of Turkey. Even if it does not lose Istanbul, this is still a major loss," Murat Yetkin, a Turkish political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"These results show that although the country has a presidential system, we are actually governed by a coalition between the AK Party and the MHP. The ruling party needs the MHP for future elections."

Ozgur Dilber, a CHP volunteer, said the results showed that the AK Party's popularity was waning - even if  Erdogan's bloc won in Istanbul.

"To me, the results are a proof that the number of voters who want change is increasing," he told Al Jazeera outside the party's election monitoring office.

Focus on economy, security

Earlier this month, official statistics showed that in the last two quarters of 2018 the Turkish economy slipped into its first recession in a decade, as inflation and interest rates soared due to the currency meltdown.

190330150248508

In February, inflation stood at just under 20 percent, while the Central Bank's main interest rate is currently 24 percent.  

In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, the People's Alliance sought to link the local polls to internal and external risks threatening the country's security.

Erdogan has often blamed foreign powers and "speculators" for the currency fluctuations and other economic woes faced by Turkey - a message he repeated this week.

For its part, the main opposition alliance has focused its campaign on the economic situation and its effect on citizens.

It also used Turkish flags in their campaigns, rather than party banners, in an apparent bid to attract voters from different backgrounds.

Follow Umut Uras on Twitter @Um_Uras

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/erdogan-ruling-ak-party-takes-lead-key-local-polls-190331155748741.html

2019-03-31 20:59:00Z
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Zelensky to face Poroshenko in Ukraine runoff: exit polls - Aljazeera.com

Kiev, Ukraine - Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky will face incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in a runoff vote for Ukraine's presidency, exit polls have shown.

Zelensky, a political novice who is better known for playing a president in a TV sitcom, was projected to win 30.6 percent of the votes cast on Sunday, according to surveys conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Centre.

"This is just a first step towards a great victory," he told supporters after the publication of the exit polls. 

Poroshenko, who has been in power since 2014, was forecast to come second, with 17.8 percent of the votes.

"I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities," he said, accepting the projected results.

It was a different story for opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who disputed the surveys that showed her coming third, with 14.2 percent of the votes. 

"I urge not to consider exit polls as the ultimate truth. This is an absolutely manipulative dishonest thing," said Tymoshenko, who has sought the presidency twice before.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) is expected to announce preliminary results overnight on Monday. It said the voter turnout stood at 63.4 percent.

The decisive runoff will take place on April 21.

Zelensky's foreign policy

Dmitro Razumkov, Zelensky's political aide, told Al Jazeera that if the comedian won the second round of voting he would stand by the Minsk Agreement.

The accord was forged by France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia - the countries involved in talks known as the Normandy Format - to secure truce in the country's east between the Moscow-backed rebels and the Ukrainian army was a backbone to Ukraine's security.

Ukraine election - Comedian more popular than President Poroshenko (2:43)

"All sanctions put in place by the European Union against Russia are linked to the Minsk Agreement. If we try to annul it, we might lose these sanctions. It can't be," Razumkov said, speaking after Zelensky's speech at his campaign headquarters in Kiev.

"Zelensky's proposal is to add the United Kingdom and the United States to the Normandy Format as the signatories of the Budapest Memorandum to apply a joint pressure on Russia like a laser beam."

Under Zelensky, Razumkov said, Ukraine would continue aspiring to join the European Union and NATO, but it would hold a referendum on the issues only when the chance of doing so was realistic.

"We will not be selling air. Even Germany's [Chancellor] Angela Merkel said that the prospect is far. It doesn't mean that we will stop aspiring to join the EU; we must keep following the path and one day achieve it," he said.

"The story is similar with the NATO. We need to modernise the army and at the moment Ukraine is not in a position to do so.

"We will not be holding a referendum on these subjects 10-20 years ahead of time, but at a time when there is a realistic opportunity [to join the EU and NATO]."

Corruption, Russia, EU

The vote on Sunday was the first since the so-called Revolution of Dignity brought Poroshenko in power five years ago.

The 53-year-old, who was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014, seems to have failed to rally his electorate despite his efforts to be seen as a passionate defender of the country's territorial unity, as well as the champion of the goal of joining the EU and NATO.

During his time in office, Poroshenko has reinforced the country's army and ratified the Association Agreement with the European Union, the document that enabled Ukrainians to trade with and travel to Europe without restrictions.

The incumbent president also secured the independence of Ukraine's Orthodox Church from its Russian counterpart. But he failed to rid the country of corruption or recover money stolen from Ukraine's coffers before he came to power.

Boriak, 37, lamented the absence of candidates caring about female rights  [Oksana Parafeniuk/Al Jazeera]

At a polling station in central Kiev, Sviatoslav Yurash, a 23-year-old working for Zelensky's election campaign team, told Al Jazeera he was backing the comic because "he will be pro-market, pro-Ukraine, pro-Europe, pro-NATO".

Tetiana Boriak, 37, said she voted for Poroshenko because she believed he was the only candidate who would resist Russia. 

"I do not think that other candidates will be able to negotiate with [Russia's President Vladimir] Putin. Poroshenko is the only one who will resist the way I think is correct," she told Al Jazeera.

The elections took place against a backdrop of war in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk region, with government forces fighting Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 13,000 people. 

The conflict followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 which in turn came after Ukraine overthrew Moscow-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich earlier that year.

Several millions of the approximately 35 million eligible voters were unable or unwilling to cast their ballots in the occupied territories.

Poroshenko was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

Oleksandr Bondarenko, a 28-year-old software developer, said she had voted for Tymoshenko "because with her in the second round, we will have a better chance of defeating Poroshenko".

"This vote is very important for us because President Poroshenko has to leave. A lot of issues came up with his policies, especially with corruption," said Bondarenko.

Olena Peftiiva, 53, came to the polling station not only to cast her ballot but also make sure that her deceased husband's ballot is not used for rigging the elections.

"My husband has been dead for 10 years. But his election registration confirmation arrived at my address. This has not happened during previous polls. I came to the polling station to make sure that his ballot is destroyed," she said.

Follow Al Jazeera's Tamila Varshalomidze on Twitter @tamila87v

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/zelensky-face-poroshenko-ukraine-run-exit-poll-190331171422240.html

2019-03-31 20:39:00Z
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Zelensky to face Poroshenko in Ukraine runoff: exit polls - Aljazeera.com

Kiev, Ukraine - Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky will face incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in a runoff vote for Ukraine's presidency, exit polls have shown.

Zelensky, a political novice who is better known for playing a president in a TV sitcom, was projected to win 30.6 percent of the votes cast on Sunday, according to surveys conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Centre.

"This is just a first step towards a great victory," he told supporters after the publication of the exit polls. 

Poroshenko, who has been in power since 2014, was forecast to come second, with 17.8 percent of the votes.

"I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities," he said, accepting the projected results.

It was a different story for opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who disputed the surveys that showed her coming third, with 14.2 percent of the votes. 

"I urge not to consider exit polls as the ultimate truth. This is an absolutely manipulative dishonest thing," said Tymoshenko, who has sought the presidency twice before.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) is expected to announce preliminary results overnight on Monday. It said the voter turnout stood at 63.4 percent.

The decisive runoff will take place on April 21.

Zelensky's foreign policy

Dmitro Razumkov, Zelensky's political aide, told Al Jazeera that if the comedian won the second round of voting he would stand by the Minsk Agreement.

The accord was forged by France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia - the countries involved in talks known as the Normandy Format - to secure truce in the country's east between the Moscow-backed rebels and the Ukrainian army was a backbone to Ukraine's security.

Ukraine election - Comedian more popular than President Poroshenko (2:43)

"All sanctions put in place by the European Union against Russia are linked to the Minsk Agreement. If we try to annul it, we might lose these sanctions. It can't be," Razumkov said, speaking after Zelensky's speech at his campaign headquarters in Kiev.

"Zelensky's proposal is to add the United Kingdom and the United States to the Normandy Format as the signatories of the Budapest Memorandum to apply a joint pressure on Russia like a laser beam."

Under Zelensky, Razumkov said, Ukraine would continue aspiring to join the European Union and NATO, but it would hold a referendum on the issues only when the chance of doing so was realistic.

"We will not be selling air. Even Germany's [Chancellor] Angela Merkel said that the prospect is far. It doesn't mean that we will stop aspiring to join the EU; we must keep following the path and one day achieve it," he said.

"The story is similar with the NATO. We need to modernise the army and at the moment Ukraine is not in a position to do so.

"We will not be holding a referendum on these subjects 10-20 years ahead of time, but at a time when there is a realistic opportunity [to join the EU and NATO]."

Corruption, Russia, EU

The vote on Sunday was the first since the so-called Revolution of Dignity brought Poroshenko in power five years ago.

The 53-year-old, who was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014, seems to have failed to rally his electorate despite his efforts to be seen as a passionate defender of the country's territorial unity, as well as the champion of the goal of joining the EU and NATO.

During his time in office, Poroshenko has reinforced the country's army and ratified the Association Agreement with the European Union, the document that enabled Ukrainians to trade with and travel to Europe without restrictions.

The incumbent president also secured the independence of Ukraine's Orthodox Church from its Russian counterpart. But he failed to rid the country of corruption or recover money stolen from Ukraine's coffers before he came to power.

Boriak, 37, lamented the absence of candidates caring about female rights  [Oksana Parafeniuk/Al Jazeera]

At a polling station in central Kiev, Sviatoslav Yurash, a 23-year-old working for Zelensky's election campaign team, told Al Jazeera he was backing the comic because "he will be pro-market, pro-Ukraine, pro-Europe, pro-NATO".

Tetiana Boriak, 37, said she voted for Poroshenko because she believed he was the only candidate who would resist Russia. 

"I do not think that other candidates will be able to negotiate with [Russia's President Vladimir] Putin. Poroshenko is the only one who will resist the way I think is correct," she told Al Jazeera.

The elections took place against a backdrop of war in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk region, with government forces fighting Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 13,000 people. 

The conflict followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 which in turn came after Ukraine overthrew Moscow-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich earlier that year.

Several millions of the approximately 35 million eligible voters were unable or unwilling to cast their ballots in the occupied territories.

Poroshenko was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

Oleksandr Bondarenko, a 28-year-old software developer, said she had voted for Tymoshenko "because with her in the second round, we will have a better chance of defeating Poroshenko".

"This vote is very important for us because President Poroshenko has to leave. A lot of issues came up with his policies, especially with corruption," said Bondarenko.

Olena Peftiiva, 53, came to the polling station not only to cast her ballot but also make sure that her deceased husband's ballot is not used for rigging the elections.

"My husband has been dead for 10 years. But his election registration confirmation arrived at my address. This has not happened during previous polls. I came to the polling station to make sure that his ballot is destroyed," she said.

Follow Al Jazeera's Tamila Varshalomidze on Twitter @tamila87v

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/zelensky-face-poroshenko-ukraine-run-exit-poll-190331171422240.html

2019-03-31 20:20:00Z
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Trump aides stress president's resolve to close US-Mexico border | TheHill - The Hill

Members of the Trump administration on Sunday defended the president's vow to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border, referring to a "crisis" in the number of migrants attempting to cross over.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpSaudi King 'absolutely rejects' Trump measure on Golan Heights Five things to watch as 2020 Dems release their tax returns Baldwin returns to SNL to summarize Mueller report: 'Daddy won' MORE threatened earlier this week to shut down the border in response to growing warnings from the administration about a crisis at the border.

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Trump said multiple times last week that he could close parts of the border unless Mexico's government immediately stopped illegal crossings and while also blaming Democrats for "weak immigration laws" for making record high immigration numbers possible.

On Friday, he said there is “there’s a very good likelihood” he would shut down the border.

“Mexico is going to have to do something, otherwise I’m closing the border. I’ll just close the border. And with a deficit like we have with Mexico and have had for many years, closing the border would be a profit-making operation. When you close the border also you will stop a lot of the drugs from coming in,” Trump added to reporters in Florida.

“It certainly isn’t a bluff. You can take the president seriously," White House counselor Kellyanne ConwayKellyanne Elizabeth ConwayTrump says Schiff should be forced to resign Trump: Schiff should be forced out of office Schiff defiant: 'Undoubtedly, there is collusion' MORE later said on "Fox News Sunday."

"Congress can fix the problem of immigration that they’ve failed to fix. This president is looking at the metrics," she said, referring to Congress. She added that the U.S. has "never seen a surge" in immigration "like this."

Her comments come after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that immigration enforcement has reached a "breaking point."

McAleenan cited the apprehension of more than 4,000 migrants a day recently at ports of entry to argue that the system is strained and cannot handle anyone else.

Issues with backlogs of court cases and lack of proper facilities to hold those who seek asylum in the U.S. have been increasing with the growing tide of migrants. Roughly 100,000 people arrive at the southern border every month, according to Department of Homeland Security tracking.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneyHarris sends letter to Barr demanding answers over ObamaCare repeal efforts Overnight Health Care — Presented by the American Conservative Union — Trump says GOP senators writing 'spectacular' ObamaCare replacement | New ObamaCare fight puts spotlight on Mulvaney | NY attorney general sues Sackler family over opioid epidemic The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Pass USMCA Coalition - Trump to return to campaign stage MORE also appeared on the Sunday talk show circuit, telling ABC's "This Week" that it would take "something dramatic" for Trump not to shut down the border.

“When Jeh Johnson said it’s a crisis, I hope people now believe us. A lot of folks in the media… Democrats didn’t believe us a month ago, two months ago, when we said what was happening at the border was a crisis: a humanitarian crisis, a security crisis,” he explained.

The move to shut off the border would be a massive escalation for Trump, who has centered much of his presidency around creating a border wall and hard-line immigration policies.

Closing the border would have significant consequences for both those seeking asylum in the U.S. and for U.S.-Mexico trade. 

His messaging about threats from immigrants, that they cause crime and bring in drugs, closely mirrors his arguments in favor of shutting down the government for over a month in an attempt to secure funding for a border wall. 

Trump ended up declaring a national emergency in February to allocate roughly $8 billion in federal funds to construct additional miles of barriers to prevent further crossings after Democrats refused to provide his full request in the budget.

This is not the first time Trump has proposed closing the border in response to spikes in immigration. He threatened in November and in December of last year to do the same, but never followed through.

His tendency to issue the threat has made some question his resolve.

Sen. Dick DurbinRichard (Dick) Joseph DurbinOn The Money: Wells Fargo CEO steps down | Trump vows to keep funding for Special Olympics | House panel approves marijuana banking bill | Controversial Fed pick gains support in Senate DeVos says she fought 'behind the scenes' for Special Olympics funding Trump: 'The Special Olympics will be funded' MORE (D-Ill.) called the threat a "totally unrealistic boast" while on NBC's "Meet the Press." 

“What we need to do is focus on what’s happening in Central America, where three countries are dissembling before for our eyes and people are desperately coming to the United States," the Senate minority whip added. "The president cutting off aid to those countries will not solve the problem.”

The U.S. halted aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras on Saturday because of the number of migrants coming from them to the U.S. through Mexico.

Trump said on Friday that the countries "set up" migrant caravans to travel to the U.S. border.

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2019-03-31 19:08:54Z
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Erdogan's bloc takes lead in key local polls - Aljazeera.com

Istanbul, Turkey - Partial results show that Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is in the lead in Sunday's local elections seen as a test for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid concerns over the country's economy.

With 75 percent of the provincial votes counted as of 10pm (19:00 GMT), the AK Party-led People's Alliance had secured 52.2 percent of the votes countrywide, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. 

It was followed by Nation Alliance, a coalition led by the main opposition centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP), with 37.2 percent.

With 88 percent of the votes counted In Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic centre, Binali Yildirim, the candidate of People's Alliance and a former prime minister, was in the lead with 49.7 percent of the votes.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the Nation Alliance candidate, had 47.6 percent. 

In the capital, Ankara, preliminary results showed that Nation Alliance candidate Mansur Yavas had garnered 49.9 percent, with 78 percent of the votes counted. He was followed by People's Alliance nominee Mehmet Ozhaseki, with 47.8 percent. 

In the third-largest city, Izmir, the Nation Alliance candidate Mustafa Tunc Soyer was in the lead with 58.2 percent of the votes. Nihat Zeybekci, the candidate of Erdogan's bloc, had 38.2 percent. Seventy percent of the votes have been counted. 

Big test

The polls were seen as a major challenge for Erdogan and his party given a backdrop of high inflation and rising unemployment sparked by a major currency crisis last year.

Earlier this month, fficial statistics showed that in the last two quarters of 2018 the Turkish economy slipped into its first recession in a decade, as inflation and interest rates soared due to the currency meltdown.

In February, inflation stood at just under 20 percent, while the Central Bank's main interest rate is currently 24 percent.  

The AK Party entered the race with its ally in the last two polls, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), under the People's Alliance. For its part, CHP joined forces with the right-wing Good (IYI) Party in the Nation Alliance.

Both blocs fielded dozens of joint candidates in the country's provinces, districts and towns.

Turkish gov’t sets up discounted food stalls ahead of local elections

Different strategies

In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, the People's Alliance sought to link the local polls to internal and external risks threatening the country's security.

Erdogan has often blamed foreign powers and "speculators" for the currency fluctuations and other economic woes faced by Turkey - a message he repeated this week.

For its part, the main opposition alliance has focused its campaign on the economic situation and its effect on citizens.

It also used Turkish flags in their campaigns, rather than party banners, in an apparent bid to attract voters from different backgrounds.

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Ayse Kara, a 40-year-old voter in Istanbul, said she cast her ballot taking into account the stability of the country.

"I considered the economy and terror as the main issues while casting my vote. I believe everything will get more stable after the elections," Kara, who works in manufacturing, told Al Jazeera.

Ilke Beltinge, a 25-year-old student, said she did not like the country's current direction.

"I cast my vote for more freedoms, a better economy and a better educational system. And I hope that we will see change following these polls," she told Al Jazeera at an Istanbul polling station.

Two people were killed in the eastern province of Malatya, and dozens of others were wounded in various provinces of Turkey in fights that broke out in the voting process, state media reported.

Follow Umut Uras on Twitter @Um_Uras

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2019-03-31 18:58:00Z
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Zelensky to face Poroshenko in Ukraine runoff: exit poll - Aljazeera.com

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is projected to top the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, but his support is well short of the majority needed to win the presidency.

According to an exit poll following Sunday's vote, Zelensky has secured about 30.4 percent, followed by incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, with 17.8 percent.

Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was third with 14.2 percent.

The poll, which was conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Center, was based on nearly 18,000 responses to questioning at some 400 polling places as of 6pm (15:00 GMT), two hours before voting stations closed. 

A runoff between the top two candidates in the race will take place on April 21.

Speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters after the exit poll outcome was announced, Zelensky said: "This is just a first step towards a great victory." 

Ukraine election - Comedian more popular than President Poroshenko (2:43)

The comedian, who stars in a TV sitcome about a teacher who becomes president, is a political newcomer.

Like the popular character he plays, Zelenskiy, 41, made corruption a focus of his candidacy. He proposed a lifetime ban on holding public office for anyone convicted of graft.

Sunday's vote was the war-torn country's first time since the so-called Revolution of Dignity brought Poroshenko in power in 2014. 

Corruption, Russia, EU

The 53-year-old incumbent, who was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014, seems to have failed to rally his electorate despite his efforts to be seen as a passionate fighter for the country's territorial unity as well as the champion of Ukraine's dream of integration with the European Union and NATO.

Over the last five years, he has reinforced the Ukrainian army and ratified the Association Agreement with the European Union, the document that enabled Ukrainians to trade with and travel to Europe without restrictions.

The incumbent president also secured the independence of Ukraine's Orthodox Church from its Russian counterpart. But he failed to rid the country of corruption or recover money stolen from Ukraine's coffers before he came to power.

Boriak, 37, lamented the absence of candidates caring about female rights  [Oksana Parafeniuk/Al Jazeera]

At a polling station in central Kiev, Sviatoslav Yurash, a 23-year-old working for Zelensky's election campaign team, said he was backing the comic because "he will be pro-market, pro-Ukraine, pro-Europe, pro-NATO".

Tetiana Boriak, 37, said she voted for Poroshenko because she believed he was the only candidate who would resist Russia. 

"I do not think that other candidates will be able to negotiate with [Russia's President Vladimir] Putin. Poroshenko is the only one who will resist the way I think is correct," she said.

The elections took place against a backdrop of war in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk region, with government forces fighting Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 13,000 people. 

The conflict followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 which in turn came after Ukraine overthrew Moscow-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich earlier that year.

Several millions of the approximately 35 million eligible voters are unable or unwilling to cast their ballots in the occupied territories.

Poroshenko was elected with almost 55 percent of votes in 2014 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

Oleksandr Bondarenko, a 28-year-old software developer, said she had voted for Tymoshenko "because with her in the second round, we will have a better chance of defeating Poroshenko".

"This vote is very important for us because President Poroshenko has to leave. A lot of issues came up with his policies, especially with corruption," said Bondarenko.

Olena Peftiiva, 53, came to the polling station not only to cast her ballot but also to make sure that her deceased husband's ballot is not used for rigging the elections.

"My husband has been dead for 10 years. But his election registration confirmation arrived at my address. This has not happened during previous polls. I came to the polling station to make sure that his ballot is destroyed," she said.

Tamila Varshalomidze contributed to this report from Kiev. Follow her on Twitter @tamila87v

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2019-03-31 18:07:00Z
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Ukraine election: Comedian leads presidential contest - exit poll - BBC News

A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections, according to exit polls.

They say Volodymyr Zelenskiy - who played the president on TV - received 30.4% of the vote, with current leader Petro Poroshenko second on 17.8%.

The two - who have expressed largely pro-EU opinions - are set to take part in a run-off election next month.

Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko appears to have been eliminated on a projected 14.2%.

"I'm very happy but this is not the final result," Mr Zelenskiy told the BBC's Jonah Fisher minutes after the exit polls were announced.

Mr Poroshenko described his forecast second place as a "harsh lesson".

The interior ministry says hundreds of electoral violations have been reported, but foreign observers say the vote appeared to be mainly smooth.

A total of 39 candidates were on the ballot paper, and with none receiving 50% the top two will go forward to the run-off on 21 April.

The Ukrainian president has significant powers over security, defence and foreign policy and the ex-Soviet republic's system is described as semi-presidential.

Who is Volodymyr Zelenskiy?

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Mr Zelenskiy is aiming to turn his satirical TV show Servant of the People - in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption - into reality.

He has torn up the rulebook for election campaigning, staging no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different.

His extensive use of social media appealed to younger voters.

Mr Zelenskiy's readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, gained him support in Ukraine's largely Russian-speaking east.

How did we get here?

Mr Poroshenko, a chocolate magnate and one of Ukraine's wealthiest people, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.

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The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and the eastern separatists, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties.

The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine's 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014.

Mr Poroshenko aimed to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan "Army, Language, Faith".

He says his backing for the military has helped keep the separatists in check. He also negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU, including visa-free travel for Ukrainians. During his tenure the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become independent of Russian control.

However his campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations, including a scandal over defence procurement, which erupted last month.

Yulia Tymoshenko served as prime minister and ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She played a leading role in the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukraine's first big push to ally itself with the EU.

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2019-03-31 17:47:46Z
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Ukraine comedian 'leads' in presidential election - BBC News

A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections, according to exit polls.

They say Volodymyr Zelenskiy - who played the president on TV - received 30.4% of the vote, with current leader Petro Poroshenko second on 17.8%.

The two - who have expressed largely pro-EU opinions - are set to take part in a run-off election next month.

Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko appears to have been eliminated on a projected 14.2%.

The interior ministry says hundreds of electoral violations have been reported, but foreign observers say the vote appeared to be mainly smooth.

A total of 39 candidates were on the ballot paper, and with none receiving 50% the top two will go forward to the run-off on 21 April.

The Ukrainian president has significant powers over security, defence and foreign policy and the ex-Soviet republic's system is described as semi-presidential.

Who is Volodymyr Zelenskiy?

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Mr Zelenskiy is aiming to turn his satirical TV show - in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption - into reality.

He has torn up the rulebook for election campaigning, staging no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different.

His extensive use of social media appealed to younger voters.

Mr Zelenskiy's readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, gained him support in Ukraine's largely Russian-speaking east.

How did we get here?

Mr Poroshenko, one of Ukraine's wealthiest oligarchs, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and the eastern separatists, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties.

The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine's 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014.

Mr Poroshenko aims to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan "Army, Language, Faith".

He says his backing for the military has helped keep the separatists in check. He also negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU, including visa-free travel for Ukrainians. During his tenure the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become independent of Russian control.

However his campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations, including a scandal over defence procurement, which erupted last month.

Yulia Tymoshenko served as prime minister and ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She played a leading role in the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukraine's first big push to ally itself with the EU.

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2019-03-31 17:05:45Z
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PM may have to accept soft Brexit if Commons backs it, says minister - Cengiz Adabag News

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2019-03-31 14:44:37Z
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A TV Comedian Could Dominate Ukraine’s Election. That Is Not a Joke. - The New York Times

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian voters, who generally hold a dim view of their government, crowded into polling stations on Sunday to vote in a presidential election in which the unlikely front-runner was a young comedian who plays an accidental president on television.

The election will help to determine the future of a country that has become the European front line in a new era of confrontation between Russia and the West, spawning a grinding war that has left 13,000 dead and displaced millions since 2014.

The fact that Ukraine works as a real, albeit troubled, democracy is often cited as perhaps the most important aspect of the election. Unlike Potemkin elections in neighboring Russia and Belarus, voters have a real choice, and the outcome is unknown.

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Cardboard cutouts in Kiev on Friday depicting, from left, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia; Oleksandr Shevchenko, a Ukrainian presidential candidate; Ihor V. Kolomoisky, a Ukrainian oligarch; former Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko; and Mr. Zelensky.CreditSergei Supinsky/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A standout in a field of 39 candidates

In the last polls before Election Day, Volodymyr Zelensky, 41, a comedian with no political experience, was backed by almost 30 percent of voters in an electorate of 30 million. In a crowded field of 39 candidates, most of them politicians, Mr. Zelensky stands out as the star of a popular television series in which a schoolteacher is unexpectedly propelled into the presidency after his anticorruption tirade goes viral.

“He is doing well because there is a widespread mood in Ukraine of alienation from politicians and the political class, which is not unique to Ukraine,” said Robert Brinkley, a former British ambassador to Ukraine who is now chairman of the Ukrainian Institute in London, an educational and cultural center.

Two veteran political rivals, President Petro O. Poroshenko, a former chocolate tycoon, and Yulia V. Tymoshenko, a former prime minister making her third bid for the presidency, were running neck and neck for second place.

If the last survey by the Ukranian polling agency Rating was accurate, about a sixth of voters remained undecided leading up to the election. If no candidate captures more than 50 percent in the first round, then Mr. Zelensky is expected to face a runoff against either Mr. Poroshenko or Ms. Tymoshenko on April 21.

In southern Kiev, Artem Nechyporuk, 26, a computer programmer, emerged from a polling station on what was the first warm day of spring to say that he supported Mr. Zelensky.

“He is the only candidate who is not contaminated with our politics,” he said. “That is why he is the only candidate for me.”

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Mr. Zelensky, 41, a comedian with no political experience, voting in Kiev on Sunday.CreditGenya Savilov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Fresh-face appeal, and ties to an oligarch

The basic mantra of politics in Ukraine is that ever since the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, it has been run by a government of oligarchs, for oligarchs.

Despite two antigovernment uprisings, in 2004 and 2014, meant to bring greater democracy and transparency, the country’s fundamental character remains unchanged.

Avenues for the abuse of government contracts and other corruption have been reduced but not eliminated. The stigma of graft dogs the entourage around Mr. Poroshenko, and Ukraine still lacks a strong anticorruption watchdog.

Ukrainians seem more fed up than ever. A mere 9 percent say they have confidence in the government, and 91 percent see it as corrupt, according to a Gallup poll conducted in March.

That gave rise to Mr. Zelensky, who has blurred the lines between his television character and his candidacy. His show, “The Servant of the People,” became the name of his party. And many voters say they feel as if they know him after watching him on television for years, similar to what many Americans say about President Trump.

Despite his fresh-face appeal, however, questions hang over Mr. Zelensky as a possible surrogate for Ihor V. Kolomoisky, an oligarch and bitter rival of Mr. Poroshenko who moved to Israel after becoming embroiled in a banking scandal that cost Ukraine $5.6 billion. Although Mr. Zelensky has been a business partner with the oligarch through television and announced his candidacy on Mr. Kolomoisky’s channel, both men have denied any covert link.

Mr. Zelensky has been vague about how he would address critical issues, instead asking people on social media to help write his platform.

He is particularly popular among the young, who turned out in low numbers previously, and a runoff would focus more attention on whether a comedian could both confront Russia and solve socioeconomic issues.

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President Petro O. Poroshenko, who is running for re-election, has tried to sell himself as the most qualified commander in chief and the most likely to push Ukraine closer to Europe.CreditEmilio Morenatti/Associated Press

What are the campaigns focusing on?

The electorate’s main concerns are issues like raising wages and unemployment, as well as the war in eastern Ukraine. No candidate has offered a solid, detailed blueprint to solve those issues or has addressed concerns about the overall state of Ukraine that fueled the 2014 uprising.

Mr. Poroshenko, 53, has wrapped himself in the flag, campaigning under the slogan “Army, Language, Faith.” His campaign emphasized that he had restructured the army to strengthen it in its confrontation with Russia and had successfully pulled the Orthodox Church in Ukraine out of Moscow’s orbit.

In his campaign speeches, Mr. Poroshenko has tried to sell himself as the most qualified commander in chief and the most likely to push Ukraine closer to Europe. That clearly swayed some voters.

“I am voting for Poroshenko because he has already demonstrated his ability to do things, not just words,” said Nataliia Pavlik, 72, after she voted in Kiev on Sunday. She also named the ability to travel to Europe visa-free, church autonomy and the army as important considerations.

“He raised it from the ashes. I want him to anchor all of this for the next five years,” she added.

Ms. Tymoshenko, 58, has adopted populist positions like plans to cut gas prices in half and to raise wages without being specific about how to pay for them. Subsidized gas prices were raised at the insistence of the International Monetary Fund, whose support is critical to Ukraine’s recovery.

She also sells herself as being able to bargain with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia because she had dealt with him as prime minister. But she earned her own fortune through gas deals with Russia, a common source of wealth for the Ukrainian elite, earning the nickname “the gas princess.”

Ms. Tymoshenko was also prosecuted and imprisoned by the Russian-aligned former government. Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s onetime campaign manager who has been sentenced to prison in the United States over undeclared income from Ukraine, among other things, had orchestrated a long, expensive, smear campaign against her.

Anatoly S. Hrytsenko, a former defense minister, is fourth in the polls and a possible dark-horse candidate given his military background.

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Viktor F. Yanukovych, right, was ousted as Ukraine’s president after a populist uprising in 2014.CreditPavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Where does the Kremlin stand?

The Kremlin has depicted the election as a farce and the low poll numbers of the incumbent president as a sign that the 2014 uprising had been a failure.

Mr. Poroshenko was elected president three months after his predecessor, Viktor F. Yanukovych, fled to Russia in the face of the uprising. Mr. Poroshenko has made confronting Russia the centerpiece of his presidency, and Russian state television invariably presents him as a corrupt buffoon working for the West.

But Russia has not made any overt pronouncements about whom it supports, which would doom any candidate.

The infrastructure needed to vote was not set up in Crimea, which Russia annexed, or in the areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists, or for expatriate workers in Russia itself, leaving several million voters without polling stations.

A president other than Mr. Poroshenko would give the Kremlin a face-saving way to move past the events of 2014. Over all, the best outcome for Russia would be more uncertainty and instability emerging from the election. Russia still wants to exert influence over its neighbor and limit its ability to integrate with the European Union and NATO.

Toward that end, it is more interested in October elections for Parliament, when it would like to influence the largest bloc possible.

Has meddling or dirty tricks marred the campaign?

In January, Facebook announced it had removed 107 fake accounts, pages and groups, as well as 41 fake accounts on Instagram, that had originated in Russia and targeted users in Ukraine. The accounts, run by individuals who masqueraded as Ukrainians, shared general-interest news.

Western nations have also expressed concern that several hundred members of the National Militia, an ultranationalist paramilitary organization, have been given the right to act as poll monitors among many other organizations. Cindy McCain, the widow of Senator John McCain, who had supported Ukraine, is leading a delegation from the International Republican Institute.

There have also been accusations of vote buying and other abuses that are still to be investigated.

A few tactics typical of Ukraine have also been in play, like the campaign trick known as running a clone. A former construction worker named Yuri V. Tymoshenko, whose initials and surname are the same as Ms. Tymoshenko’s, is running in an apparent bid to sow confusion on the ballot.

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2019-03-31 12:08:37Z
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Trump moves to cut aid to Central America, amid caravans and flood of refugees - Fox News

Making good on a longstanding threat, President Trump moved this weekend to cut direct aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, whose citizens are fleeing north and overwhelming U.S. resources -- including as part of organized caravans that the White House has warned may eventually lead to the closure of the entire southern border with Mexico.

The dramatic step comes just days after Mexican Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez Cordero warned ominously that "the mother of all caravans" could be coming soon from the three nations.

"We have information that a new caravan is forming in Honduras, that they're calling 'the mother of all caravans,' and they are thinking it could have more than 20,000 people," Sanchez Cordero said Wednesday. A much smaller group of approximately 40 migrants left over the weekend, and a separate caravan of nearly 2,500 is currently making its way through Mexico.

OBAMA DHS CHIEF ADMITS 'CRISIS' AT SOUTHERN BORDER

And former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson acknowledged Saturday that America has a “crisis” at the southern border, and that the number of apprehensions exceed anything he encountered during his time serving under former President Barack Obama.

Last December, the U.S. pledged more than $10B in aid to Central America and Mexico to help keep migrants put. Later that month, Trump tweeted: "..Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries -- taking advantage of U.S. for years!"

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, move on a road in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

On Saturday, the State Department put those words into action, and notified Congress that it would look to suspend 2017 and 2018 payments to the trio of nations, which have been home to some of the migrant caravans that have marched through Mexico to the U.S. border.

In tweets posted Saturday, Trump blamed Democrats and Mexico for problems at the border and beyond, saying progressives are concerned only with changing domestic demographics to ensure more liberal voters.

"It would be so easy to fix our weak and very stupid Democrat inspired immigration laws," Trump tweeted Saturday. "In less than one hour, and then a vote, the problem would be solved. But the Dems don't care about the crime, they don't want any victory for Trump and the Republicans, even if good for USA!'

As far as Mexico's role, he tweeted: "Mexico must use its very strong immigration laws to stop the many thousands of people trying to get into the USA. Our detention areas are maxed out & we will take no more illegals. Next step is to close the Border! This will also help us with stopping the Drug flow from Mexico!"

The move comes as Trump, newly vindicated after the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia collusion probe, vowed to secure the borders and halt incoming caravans during a fiery rally earlier in the week.

When reporters asked Trump on Friday what closing the border could entail, he said "it could mean all trade" with Mexico and added, "We will close it for a long time."

Trump has been promising for more than two years to build a long, impenetrable wall along the border to stop illegal immigration, though Congress has been reluctant to provide the money he needs. In the meantime, he has repeatedly threatened to close the border, but this time, with a new group of migrants heading north, he gave a definite timetable and suggested a visit to the border within the next two weeks.

A substantial closure could have an especially heavy impact on cross-border communities from San Diego to South Texas, as well as supermarkets that sell Mexican produce, factories that rely on imported parts, and other businesses across the U.S.

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, move on a road in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

The U.S. and Mexico trade about $1.7 billion in goods daily, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said closing the border would be "an unmitigated economic debacle" that would threaten 5 million American jobs.

New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke out Saturday against cutting off aid to Central America, declaring that "foreign assistance is not charity; it advances our strategic interests and funds initiatives that protect American citizens."

And a group of House Democrats visiting El Salvador denounced the administration's decision to cut aid to the region.

"As we visit El Salvador evaluating the importance of U.S. assistance to Central America to address the root causes of family and child migration, we are extremely disappointed to learn that President Trump intends to cut off aid to the region," said the statement from five lawmakers, including Rep. Eliot L. Engel of New York, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The President's approach is entirely counterproductive."

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, take a break in Acacoyagua, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

The Trump administration has threatened before to scale back or cut off U.S. assistance to Central America. Congress has not approved most of those proposed cuts, however, and a report this year by the Congressional Research Service said any change in that funding would depend on what Congress does.

MEXICO WARNS OF IMPENDING 'MOTHER OF ALL CARAVANS'

Short of a widespread border shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the U.S. might close designated ports of entry to re-deploy staff to help process parents and children. Ports of entry are official crossing points that are used by residents and commercial vehicles.

President Donald Trump walks with, from left, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., during a visit to Lake Okeechobee and Herbert Hoover Dike at Canal Point, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Many people who cross the border illegally ultimately request asylum under U.S. law, which does not require asylum seekers to enter at an official crossing. Most people who make asylum claims are eventually rejected, because asylum applicants must show a specific and credible fear of persecution -- it is not enough to merely claim that conditions back home are economically dire.

Border officials are also reportedly planning to more than quadruple the number of asylum seekers sent back over the border to wait out their immigration cases, from 60 to nearly 250.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday his country was doing its part to fight migrant smuggling. Criminal networks charge thousands of dollars a person to move migrants through Mexico, increasingly in large groups toward remote sections of the border.

"We want to have a good relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said. He added: "We are going to continue helping so that the migratory flow, those who pass through our country, do so according to the law, in an orderly way."

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, move on a road in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, tweeted that his country "doesn't act based on threats" and is "the best neighbor" the U.S. could have.

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Alejandra Mier y Teran, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, said the mere threat of border closures sends the wrong message to businesses in Mexico and may eventually scare companies into turning to Asia for their supply chains.

"I think the impact would be absolutely devastating on so many fronts," said Mier y Teran, whose members rely on the Otay Mesa crossing to bring televisions, medical devices and a wide range of products to the U.S. "In terms of a long-term effect, it's basically shooting yourself in your foot. It's sending out a message to other countries that, 'Don't come because our borders may not work at any time.' That is extremely scary and dangerous."

Fox News' Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-moves-to-cut-aid-to-central-america-amid-caravans-and-flood-of-refugees

2019-03-31 13:55:07Z
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