Sudan: new wave of refugees pour into Chad after RSF atrocities
Over 18,500 Sudanese refugees have fled into eastern Chad in the past two weeks, following devastating attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp and the city of al-Fasher in Darfur. The 11 April assault by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) left at least 400 dead in Zamzam after months of starvation and siege. Eyewitnesses report widespread atrocities including executions, torture, and sexual violence. The RSF destroyed the camp’s only medical centre, killing nine aid workers, and burned large sections of the camp. Once home to 500,000 people, Zamzam is now nearly abandoned. Many fleeing refugees, including children and pregnant women, are severely malnourished and traumatised. Chad, already hosting 1.3 million refugees - nearly 800,000 from Sudan - is overwhelmed and struggling to provide adequate shelter, food, and medical care. UNHCR officials, fearing more suffering ahead as the humanitarian situation deteriorates rapidly, are calling for urgent international assistance and intervention.
Rwanda: talks with USA about receiving immigrants
Rwanda has confirmed it is in early discussions with the Trump administration about potentially receiving immigrants deported from the USA. Foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe stated the talks are ongoing but not finalised. The move follows US efforts to find foreign partners for deportations as part of Trump’s expansive immigration enforcement strategy, which includes invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act - granting the president wartime authority to deport noncitizens without due process. In April, the USA deported an Iraqi man accused of IS ties to Rwanda. Reports also suggest that migrants with criminal records might be sent to Rwanda or Libya. In 2022 Rwanda had agreed to accept asylum-seekers from the UK, but Keir Starmer’s government scrapped the deal due to legal and human rights concerns. A spokesperson for UNHCR has said: ‘People fleeing war, conflict and persecution deserve compassion and empathy. They should not be traded like commodities and transferred abroad for processing.’
USA: Trump offers $1,000 illegal immigrants to ‘self-deport’
Donald Trump’s administration has launched a voluntary ‘self-deportation’ initiative offering $1,000 to illegal immigrants who choose to leave the USA. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem described it as a safer, more cost-effective alternative to forced removal. In addition to the cash incentive, the government will cover travel costs and provide return assistance via an app called CBP Home. Participants would be ‘deprioritised’ for detention and only receive the payout after their return is verified. The Department of Homeland Security highlighted the fiscal rationale: removing someone through standard procedures costs over $17,000. Trump, who made mass deportation central to his platform, argues this strategy fulfils his promises more economically. Critics, however, question its effectiveness and ethics. During his campaign, he repeatedly said that he planned to carry out ‘the largest deportation operation’ in American history, but so far the numbers have not matched his promises.
Justin Bieber says God’s grace has transformed his life
Amid public concern over his mental health, Justin Bieber has shared deeply personal reflections on Instagram about how God’s grace has transformed his life. The 31-year-old artist opened up about his past struggles with anxiety, fear of failure, and a relentless need to earn love and acceptance - feelings that left him restless and insecure. Bieber credited God’s grace with liberating him from those burdens, saying it shifted his identity from striving to belonging, from fear to trust. He described experiencing God’s love as being fully accepted, without shame or accusation. Emphasising that this love cannot be earned but only received, Bieber encouraged others to stay rooted in God’s internal work rather than external expectations. He warned against confusing pressure with the voice of Jesus, who leads gently, never with force. Fans and peers, including Bear Grylls, praised his openness. Bieber acknowledged past flaws and the pull of fame but expressed a desire to grow, serve, and advocate for love, truth, and equality.
