An already crippled agricultural production has been made worse by extreme drought. Now the Zimbabwean government says nearly three million people will go hungry this year.
Reuters journalists report how villagers can be seen standing in groups, waiting for their names to be called so they can receive some grain, peas and cooking oil to help their families survive.
– We are grateful, but the food will only last a month. My crops have withered,says a 71-year-old woman.
Since the turn of the millennium, the country has faced serious food production problems after then-President Robert Mugabe decided to confiscate farms owned by white Zimbabweans and hand control over to people with little or no experience in agricultural production.
Zimbabwe’s political leadership claimed that the seizure of white farmers’ farms was a “fairness” measure to “correct the imbalance in land distribution” – but critics have pointed out that the move not only violated the farmers’ basic human rights, but that the farms were often given nepotistically to people loyal to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
State of emergency may be introduced
The decision led to a complete collapse of the country’s food supply, and for almost 25 years many Zimbabweans have had to rely on aid to survive in a country once known as the “breadbasket of Africa.
The food crisis has been exacerbated by a particular type of drought affecting many countries in Africa, with 2.7 million or more people now at risk of starvation. The “El Nino drought” that has hit Zimbabwe usually occurs only once a decade, but in the worst case it can last for a year or more.
According to Reuters, the government is even considering declaring a state of emergency after, among other things, maize production fell by 50%.
The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) says it has so far helped some 270,000 people in four particularly drought-stricken districts, but does not have the resources to feed everyone.
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US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has presented a plan for all Americans to wear body-monitoring technology that tracks their health in real time.
The measure is described as a crucial part of the national initiative MAHA – Make America Healthy Again – which aims to reverse America’s widespread public health crisis using modern technology.
During a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, Kennedy revealed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch one of its most extensive campaigns ever – to get Americans to wear so-called wearables, body-worn technology that collects health data around the clock.
– We’re about to launch the biggest advertising campaign in HHS history to encourage Americans to use wearables, Kennedy said.
Products mentioned in the initiative include FitBit, Oura Ring, and Apple Watch – popular devices that can measure heart rate, movement, sleep, and in some cases even blood glucose.
– It’s a way people can take control over their own health. They can take responsibility. They can see, as you know, what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics, as they eat it, he explained in a statement also published on the X platform.
“Key to the MAHA agenda”
Kennedy emphasized that he sees the technology as a crucial part of his vision:
– We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda of making America healthy again and my vision is that every American is wearing a wearable in four years.
Wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people.
We’re launching one of the largest HHS campaigns in history to encourage their use—so every American can take control of their health, one data point at a time.
The Secretary, who belongs to the influential Kennedy family, often emphasizes individual responsibility for health but also links the issue to national security. During his Senate hearing, he described America’s obesity epidemic – which now affects about 40 percent of the population – as a threat to military readiness.
“Reduce global metabolic suffering”
One of the leading advocates for this type of technology is also President Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means. She is co-founder of Levels, a company that develops and sells Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) – sensors attached directly to the skin that send blood glucose values to an app in real time.
Means claims in a blog post that “these small plastic discs” can “reduce global metabolic suffering” and provide much-needed help to the “93.2 percent of people” suffering from metabolic issues.
The food industry is also affected by MAHA. Kennedy recently revealed that Starbucks will make changes to its menu in line with the agenda – even though the company already avoids several common additives such as artificial colors, flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup.
Earlier this year, Kennedy implemented a ban on artificial colors in U.S. food production – one of his first major interventions as Secretary. Critics have questioned both methods and priorities in the MAHA policy, but Kennedy sees it as a first step toward a healthier and more responsible nation.
Concerns about mass surveillance
The use of wearable health technology has raised questions about users’ right to privacy. Most health trackers collect large amounts of sensitive information – including heart rate, sleep patterns, movement, and blood glucose levels – stored in apps connected to companies.
Critics argue that there is a lack of clear transparency in how this data is used, shared, or sold, and that state-encouraged collection of health data risks blurring the line between voluntary health monitoring and systematic surveillance.
While Kennedy emphasizes voluntariness, some analysts warn that large-scale campaigns and technology adaptations by major companies may create indirect pressure to participate.
As more institutions – such as employers, schools, or businesses – adapt to health tracking, there is a risk that those who opt out may be seen as deviant, receive worse conditions, or be excluded from parts of society.
Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of Israel and his call for the country to stop bombing Iranian targets has not been well received by the influential and bellicose Israel lobby.
American-Israeli opinion maker and lobbyist Emily Schrader is one of those calling for the hostilities to continue, going so far as to claim that Trump “is in bed with Qatar”.
Although the stated goal of the Israeli and then US attacks on Iran was initially claimed to be to eliminate the country’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, a long line of Israeli and neoconservative American voices have quickly shifted focus and are now demanding that the Iranian regime be overthrown – with US help.
After Trump criticized Israel in harsh terms and ordered the country’s military to stop bombing Iran, the Israeli lobby’s anger was not long in coming – and several of the figures who recently praised Trump for bombing Iranian nuclear facilities are now trying to discredit the president and portray him as an enemy.
One of those most upset that Trump has taken a stand against Israel’s bombing is Emily Schrader, who has long been involved in two issues: overthrowing and replacing the Iranian regime and increasing US support for Israel.
The lobbyist, who has both US and Israeli citizenship, claims that Trump “is in bed with Qatar” because he has demanded that the bombings stop.
Trump literally bombed Iran — he did that! — for this country’s government.
The next day, if he doesn’t obey the next order they make up for him to do, Netanyahuists say he’s part of the Qatar World Conspiracy. Clockwork.
She also states that Iran’s leadership must be overthrown – and claims that no other alternatives are acceptable.
“The only way to ensure peace in the region is a regime change in Iran. It doesn’t have to be done through war, but it must be done. Trump is painfully naive as to the ideology and motivating factors of the Islamic regime in Iran”, she claims.
In another angry post, she claims that “In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump guaranteed a future war”.
In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump guaranteed a future war.
Critics point out that the Israel lobby is never satisfied – regardless of the concessions and efforts the US makes to appease Tel Aviv – and that they are only interested in supporting Trump if they can exploit him for their own purposes.
“Trump literally bombed Iran – he did that! – for this country’s government. The next day, if he doesn’t obey the next order they make up for him to do, Netanyahuists say he’s part of the Qatar World Conspiracy”, says Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative.
“If this isn’t evidence they’ll discard and mock him once he’s no longer president and they’ve used him, nothing is”, he continues.
AIPAC endorsed 362 candidates and won in every primary we had a candidate on the ballot!
We helped our friends win and defeated 11 anti-Israel candidates.
The Nordic Times has previously highlighted the remarkable influence of the Israel lobby over American politics – and, among other things, pointed out how AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group, openly boasted during the last election that almost all the candidates they had financed won their respective elections.
“AIPAC endorsed 362 candidates and won in every primary we had a candidate on the ballot! We helped our friends win and defeated 11 anti-Israel candidates”, they proudly declared.
President Donald Trump is beginning to realize that Israel does not want peace – but is doing everything it can to drag the US into a major war with Iran. This is the conclusion of Middle East expert and political scientist Trita Parsi.
“If Trump wants peace and for the US and Iran to strike a deal, he has no choice but to FORCE Israel to accept that America has to put America first”, he emphasizes.
In a widely shared video clip on social media, President Donald Trump launches a fierce attack on Israel shortly after the country intensified its bombing of Tehran just hours after Trump announced that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire.
– Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out, and they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before, the biggest load that we’ve seen. I’m not happy with Israel. When I say, ‘Okay, now you have 12 hours’, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So, I’m not happy with them.
– I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel’s going out this morning because of one rocket that didn’t land that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn’t land. I’m not happy about that. We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the [bleep] they’re doing. Do you understand that? said the visibly upset president to a journalist.
WOW!
The longer video in which Trump says Israel and Iran “don’t know what the FUCK they are doing” is really important to watch.
He is really unhappy with Israel because as soon as a ceasefire was struck, Israel used the last hours of the war to massively attack Iran.
Even on his own platform, Truth Social, Trump sharpened his tone toward the Israelis and ordered them to stop the bombings.
“Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now!” he wrote.
Photo: facsimile/Trump/Truth Social
Continued bombing
In a later post, Trump claimed that “Israel is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘plane wave’ to Iran”.
“Nobody will be hurt, the ceasefire is in effect”, he promised.
Shortly thereafter, however, Iranian news agencies reported that Israel had carried out attacks in the western part of the country. According to ISNA, explosions were heard near the cities of Babol and Babolsar, while the Mehr news agency said the projectiles struck an empty, uninhabited area.
Israeli officials told The Times of Israel that the IDF had carried out “a minor strike” against an Iranian radar north of Tehran in response to an earlier attack by Iran.
“The US must put its own interests first”
Swedish-Iranian political scientist and Middle East expert Trita Parsi has reacted to Trump’s tone towards his closest ally and believes that Trump seems to be beginning to understand that Israel is not interested in creating peace in the region – and will do everything it can to drag the US into the war.
“Trump is also starting to discover the core of the problem: Israel doesn’t want peace and doesn’t want to allow the US to stay out of the war Israel unnecessarily started. If Trump wants peace and for the US and Iran to strike a deal, he has no choice but to force Israel to accept that America has to put America first “, he writes on X, continuing:
“If he doesn’t, Netanyahu will make sure that Trump puts Israel first and drags the US into an endless war with Iran. There are no other choices”.
In an interview with Democracy Now, Parsi elaborates on his reasoning. He believes that Trump is very frustrated that Israel is ignoring US directives and doing everything it can to escalate the conflict – and ensure that the US also intensifies its military involvement.
– Israel wants to continue this war. Israel wants only unilateral ceasefires in which it is allowed to continue to bomb the countries in question. That’s exactly what it has done in Gaza, that’s what it has done in Lebanon, and they wanted the same thing here. And they wanted to make sure that the United States could not keep itself out of the war that Israel unnecessarily started, Parsi assesses.
As Trump lashes out at Israel for continuing to strike Iran even after his announcement of a ceasefire, analyst @tparsi says the core problem the U.S. president is encountering in his Middle East diplomatic efforts is that “Israel does not want peace.” pic.twitter.com/xAYuHingsc
He believes that Trump is genuine in his desire to reach a sustainable ceasefire agreement and put an end to the fighting – but that the president has chosen the wrong path and methods.
– I think he was genuine about getting the ceasefire, staying out of this. We have seen the revolt that has taken place in large parts of his own base. And now, he’s discovering that the Israelis, at the end of the day, wanted to drag him to this point in order to keep him in the war, not allow him to get out of the war or not allowing a peace or a ceasefire to break out.
Initially, the bombing campaign against Iran was said to be about preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons – a message repeated by neoconservatives and Israeli voices for over 40 years.
However, Israeli representatives and Republicans soon began declaring that the Iranian regime must be overthrown, by force if necessary, and replaced with a more pro-Israel and Western-friendly government. Even Trump has expressed support on social media for forcing regime change in Iran, which has led to harsh criticism from his own voter base.
In the middle of Florida’s swamplands, the state is now building a new migrant detention center. According to the authorities, nature’s own predators will contribute to security—and make the facility both cheap and effective.
The new facility, informally known as “Alligator Alcatraz”, is being built at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a defunct airport facility 36 miles west of Miami. The site is surrounded by wetlands and swampy areas that are home to alligators, pythons, and other predators.
– You don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter. If people get out, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons, said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in a presentation video.
The video describes the detention center as key to implementing President Trump’s plan for mass deportations, accompanied by slow-motion clips of attacking alligators.
Uthmeier calls the project “cost-effective” and describes the area as “an old, virtually abandoned airport facility right in the middle of the Everglades”. According to information from the Department of Homeland Security, the facility is expected to cost the state approximately $450 million per year to operate. He has also confirmed that the Florida National Guard will participate in the operation of the center, which will consist of lighter infrastructure such as tents and trailers.
Alligator Alcatraz: the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. pic.twitter.com/96um2IXE7U
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) June 19, 2025
“Cost-effective and innovative”
The facility is scheduled to be completed in the first week of July and will be one of several temporary facilities that Florida is setting up to meet the increasing strain on the federal system. According to Uthmeier, the federal government has approved the state’s plans to create 5,000 detention places in Florida as early as this summer.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called the initiative “cost-effective and innovative” in a post on X, highlighting the collaboration with Florida as an example of how capacity can be expanded in a matter of days. The state’s offer to purchase the land from Miami-Dade County for $20 million is based on an executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis and an emergency order from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed to deliver cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens. We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our…
The Minister of Justice assures that the rule of law will be upheld.
– We will give them the legal process that the courts say they are entitled to, Uthmeier said in an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
Environmental activists are furious
However, the initiative has drawn criticism from political opponents, particularly environmental activists and groups advocating mass immigration. Friends of the Everglades, which took part in a protest against the construction over the weekend, has warned in an open letter that the project threatens an ecologically sensitive area.
The group calls the site “critical to the future of the Everglades” and warns against opening it up to development in what it describes as one of America’s most iconic and vulnerable ecosystems.
– It really strikes you as a clueless idea that was off the cuff, the group’s executive director, Eve Samples, told CNN. She also pointed out that the same site was the subject of protests back in the 1970s, when plans for a huge airport were halted after massive public opposition.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has also expressed concern about the project.
– We continue to have significant concerns about the scope and scale of the state’s effort, particularly regarding the environmental safeguards, she said in a statement, warning that the rapid pace of implementation leaves little time for reflection and risk assessment.
