Iranian woman among migrants deported from the US to the Central African Republic
June 12, 2026, 5:14 AM ET
By JEAN FERNAND KOENA and MARK BANCHEREAU Associated Press
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — An Iranian woman is among around two dozens migrants set to arrive Friday in the Central African Republic on a deportation flight from the United States, lawyers said, in the latest example of the Trump administration’s widely criticized deals with African and Latin American nations to take third-country deportees,
The Central African Republic, a deeply impoverished country plagued by conflict, is one of at least nine other African nations that has agreed to take third-country nationals deported by the U.S.
Under a series of often-secret agreements that are part of a broad U.S. crackdown on immigration, the Trump administration has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, advocates say.
The Trump administration uses deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home countries, immigration lawyers said.
It was unclear exactly how many migrants were on the deportation flight that left Louisiana late Thursday on the way to the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui.
Among those set to be deported Thursday were people from Iran, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Afghanistan, according to Ali Rahnama, the head of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, who has been in touch with some of the migrants.
Three Iranian women in the U.S. were originally scheduled to be sent to Central African Republic, according to Sahar Jalili Pawelski, one of their immigration lawyers, who said two of them received emergency court orders temporarily stopping their deportation while judges reviewed whether the government was acting legally.
All three had been granted court protection against deportation to Iran after judges ruled they faced credible fears of persecution on the basis of politics or religion, Jalili Pawelski and Rahnama both said.
An elderly Syrian man also was set to be deported to the Central African Republic but received an emergency temporary order halting his deportation, his lawyer Margaret Stock said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday would not comment on the case, saying it would not confirm future removal operations for security reasons. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Central African Republic has been plagued by years of conflict between pro-government forces and armed groups and is one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite vast reserves of gold, one in three people live on less than $2 a day.
It also is one of the countries where Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, was first active in Africa. The group has been responsible for President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s security and fighting rebel groups.
The country is one Russia’s closest allies in Africa despite recent tensions between Touadéra and Russia after Moscow demanded Wagner be replaced with the Africa Corps operated by the Russian government.
Rahnama of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund expressed concerns about an Iranian asylum seeker being sent to the Central African Republic, noting Russia’s influence in the country and Moscow’s close security ties with Iran.
___
Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana contributed from Washington.
Other countries agreeing to accept US deportees:
Several countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Eswatini, Mexico, Panama, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have agreed to accept U.S. deportees. This practice has been part of the U.S. government’s efforts to manage immigration and has raised significant human rights concerns. Council on Foreign Relations PBS
It is an eye-opener for me to read the history behind Saudi Wahaabi influence, written so clearly by Wajeeh Lion, Substack, June 11, 2026. Here is an extract:
The ideological penetration extended deeply into the Western hemisphere. Saudi charities aggressively subsidized the construction and operational budgets of mosques and Islamic centers across North America and Europe. In the United States, extensive congressional testimonies and independent intelligence reports detailed the “mosque takeover” model. Following a Saudi offer to subsidize the construction of a community center—such as the highly publicized Bridgeview Mosque in Chicago—Saudi-affiliated organizations like the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) would assume the title, vote out moderate leadership, and install Wahhabi-trained imams receiving direct stipends from the Saudi government. A 2005 Freedom House investigation analyzing hundreds of documents from mosques across major U.S. cities confirmed that Saudi state-produced literature, heavily featuring intolerant and radicalizing themes, had become the principal educational resource for Muslims in America. This infrastructure’s complicity in global terrorism was targeted by massive civil litigation, notably a 154-page lawsuit filed by a Lloyd’s of London syndicate seeking over $215 million from Saudi charities (including the SJRCK and the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia) and banks for intentionally providing the material support and resources necessary for Al-Qaeda to execute the September 11 attacks.
And yet, money talks:
May 2024:
By Elias Al Helou
May 15, 2024
$3.7 billion Saudi investments set to boost North East England’s economy, generate 2,000 jobs: U.K. Official
An Education Task Force will be also established to promote cooperation in higher education
In addition to the economic partnership, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia are strengthening cultural and educational ties.
North East England is set to receive a major economic boost with a GBP3 billion ($3.7 billion) investment from Saudi Arabia, as revealed by the British deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden. The investment is expected to sustain approximately 2,000 jobs in the region, further strengthening the local economy.
Strengthening U.K.-Saudi relations
The two-day GREAT Futures Initiative Conference, held in Riyadh, witnessed virtual remarks from U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
How Wahhabism Led the Fight Against the British in the Gulf
At the end of the 18th century, the empire’s trade began to encroach on the routes of the kingdoms and sultanates of the Arabian Peninsula. It was Wahhabism that gave religious justification to their anti-colonial resistance
Mohamed Shaaban AyubMohamed Shaaban Ayub is a scholar and author on the history and culture of the Middle East
Trump has predicted an Iran deal 38 times since March: Prediction markets say it won’t happen soon
Story by Daragh Thomas
• 2d
MAGA Commentator Warns Trump
President Donald Trump is again promising an Iran deal is days away, but a new CNN count revealed it is at least the 38th time he has said so since March 23.
And today it seems as popular as ever, reaching the rich and powerful, but made available to those with mental issues they were born with, have acquired or have fallen into. One example is the now common diagnosis of ADHD, and to control the socially problemmatic behaviour, Adderall is the drug often prescribed:
What is Adderall?
Adderall is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Adderall may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Warnings
Adderall may be habit-forming, and this medicine is a drug of abuse. Tell your doctor if you have had problems with drug or alcohol abuse.
Stimulants have caused stroke, heart attack, and sudden death in people with high blood pressure, heart disease, or a heart defect.
Do not use this medicine if you have used a MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine or have received a methylene blue injection.
Adderall may cause new or worsening psychosis (unusual thoughts or behavior), especially if you have a history of depression, mental illness, or bipolar disorder.
You may have blood circulation problems that can cause numbness, pain, or discoloration in your fingers or toes.
Call your doctor right away if you have: signs of heart problems – chest pain, feeling light-headed or short of breath; signs of psychosis – paranoia, aggression, new behavior problems, seeing or hearing things that are not real; signs of circulation problems – unexplained wounds on your fingers or toes.
You may not be able to use Adderall if you have glaucoma, overactive thyroid, severe agitation, moderate to severe high blood pressure, heart disease or coronary artery disease, vascular disease, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.
You may not be able to use Adderall if you are allergic to any stimulant medicine. You may not be able to use Adderall if you have:
glaucoma;
overactive thyroid;
severe anxiety or agitation (stimulant medicine can make these symptoms worse);
high blood pressure;
heart disease or coronary artery disease;
vascular disease or hardening of the arteries; or
a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Some medicines can interact with amphetamine and dextroamphetamine and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Tell your doctor about any other medications you are using. Be sure your doctor knows if you also take opioid medicine, herbal products, or medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. Ask your doctor before making any changes in how or when you take your medications. Symptom of serotonin syndrome may include agitation, hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not real), coma, fast heart rate, dizziness, sweating, feeling hot, muscle rigidity or shakiness, seizures, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Stop Adderall immediately if you experience these symptoms.
Stimulants have caused stroke, heart attack, and sudden death in certain people. Tell your doctor if you have:
heart problems or a congenital heart defect;
high blood pressure; or
a family history of heart disease or sudden death.
To make sure Adderall is safe for you, tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has ever had:
depression, anxiety, mental illness, bipolar disorder, psychosis, problems with aggression, or suicidal thoughts or actions;
motor tics (muscle twitches) or Tourette’s syndrome;
seizures or epilepsy;
an abnormal brain wave test (EEG); or
liver or kidney disease; or
blood circulation problems in the hands or feet.
Taking Adderall during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The medications in Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine) can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using this medicine.
Adderall is not approved for use by anyone younger than 3 years old.
7 Joe Rogan Experience episodes about psychedelics you have to see
By Derek (Herbalist)
14 Aug 2020
Odds are that if you have been researching psychedelics on YouTube, you have encountered some of Joe Rogan’s videos at least a couple of times. The American comedian, podcast host and mixed martial artist commentator currently has over 9 million subscribers and covers some truly exciting subjects with his fascinating guests. One topic Rogan can’t seem to get enough of himself, is psychedelics. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, the host is always able to insert a random ‘Have you ever heard of DMT’ in the discussion. In this article we present you with 7 Joe Rogan Experience episodes you must watch if you – like us – love this subject as well.
Joe Rogan Experience #782 – Rick Doblin
In this interesting talk, Rogan interviews MAPS Founder Rick Doblin about the last thirty years of psychedelic science, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, ayahuasca-assisted therapy, and the future for psychedelic medicine. Joe Rogan highlights MAPS, stating, “You guys are so important when it comes to the dialogue of psychedelics.” And I mean, they are. MAPS literally stands for ‘Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies’ and has been researching stuff like psilocybin, DMT and marijuana since 1986. Although it isn’t Joe’s best interview (he can be quite interrupting in this one), Doblin has a lot of interesting things to say.
Since 1986, MAPS has worked tirelessly to build and share the blueprint for ending psychedelic prohibition. This MAPS blueprint is being used throughout the world to take an evidence-based approach to psychedelic healing. As a nonprofit, MAPS has relied on the support of people like you to pursue our mission, build a movement, and change the way people think about, talk about, and consume psychedelics through research, education, and advocacy.
From Text Message to Law: How Joe Rogan Convinced Trump to Fast-Track Ibogaine for Veterans with PTSD (2026 Update)
On April 18, 2026, Trump signed an executive order committing $50 million to accelerate psychedelic research for PTSD and TBI — and it may never have happened without a text from Joe Rogan. Here’s what the order actually does and what it means for veterans seeking ibogaine treatment.
Tech bros love talking about microdosing – but the legality of psychedelics is a messy grey area
Despite surging social and scientific support for drugs such as psilocybin, many advocates still live in fear of jail or personal ruin. Io Doddsreports on the psychedelic community’s long struggle out of the shadows
And seemed to want to prevent others from going down this dangerous path.
And as Musk becomes a trillionaire today (12th June 2026), thanks to deregulation and tax fixes, the man must be on a high:
Given that a 2024 Wall Street Journal story ran with the subhead, “Some executives and board members fear the billionaire’s use of drugs – including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine – could harm his companies,” what does it mean that this country’s financial systems are turning themselves into propulsion systems to ensure that Musk becomes a trillionaire this Friday?
The UK Isle of Grain Terminal, storage for Supplies of LNG gas, was a long term National Grid energy security plan, set up in 2025:
Key highlights
Grain LNG delivers vital energy security for the UK, providing critical LNG import/export, regasification and rapid response gas storage capacity to balance the energy system
Aligned with Centrica’s strategy of investing in regulated and contracted assets supporting the energy transition, delivering predictable long-term, inflation-linked cash flows, with 100% of capacity contracted until 2029, >70% until 2038 and >50% until 2045
Opportunities for efficiencies to create additional near-term value, and future development options including a combined heat and power plant, bunkering, hydrogen and ammonia
Highly efficient funding structure, with Centrica’s equity investment of approximately £200 million alongside non-recourse project financing
Strong life of asset returns aligned with Centrica’s financial framework, with an expected unlevered IRR2 of around 9% and an equity IRR2 of around 14%+
Underpins delivery of £1.6 billion end-2028 EBITDA target3 – Centrica’s share of EBITDA expected to be approximately £100 million per annum and cash distributions expected to be around £20 million on average per annum for 2026-2028, representing an attractive yield on Centrica’s equity investment
Partnership with ECP (part of Bridgepoint Group plc), one of the largest private owners of natural gas generation and infrastructure assets in the U.S. with direct experience in supporting grid reliability
The UK began receiving LNG from Qatar, supplier of 20 percent of the world’s LNG.
The US-Israeli illegal wat against Iran, which is now nearly 4 months in duration, has ended the supplies of Qatari LNG, from whom the UK received 80% of its LNG security requirements.
How Quickly Can Qatar Restart the World’s Largest LNG Export Hub?
QatarEnergy has declared force majeure on LNG exports after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz halted.
Restarting LNG production could take weeks or months, as plants must shut down when storage fills and require a slow, sequential restart process to avoid damaging cryogenic equipment.
Global gas markets face a significant supply shock, with European and Asian prices surging nearly 50%, while U.S. LNG exports have little spare capacity to replace the lost Qatari supply
LNG stands for Liquefied Natural Gas, which is mainly sourced through fracking.
Cooling methane gas into liquid form allows the oil and gas industry to shrink its volume by 600x and sell it abroad at high profit.
U.S. LNG exports have grown from near zero in 2016 to almost 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2024, making the U.S. the world’s top exporter. If all approved projects are built, exports could equal nearly half of total U.S. gas production.
A 2024 Department of Energy study found that rising LNG exports could raise U.S. gas prices by 30%, costing the average household more than $100 per year by 2050.
LNG extraction, processing, and export release major pollutants—including methane, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, benzene, and formaldehyde—that harm human health and drive climate change.
The majority of LNG export terminals are concentrated along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas near environmental justice communities where low income communities and communities of color already face disproportionate pollution and health burdens.
LNG’s carbon footprint can exceed coal’s when methane leaks and its long supply chain are considered, and its continued use threatens our climate and undermines investments in clean energy solutions.
A Norwegian LNG pipeline does provide us from their North Sea sources, whereas UK North Sea supplies have declined:
UK North Sea LNG supplies have declined due to the mature state of the basin, which means that most of the easily accessible resources have already been extracted. Additionally, ongoing production has not kept pace with the decline, leading to increased reliance on imports. oeuk.org.uk stopcambo.org.uk
The historians amongst you will also understand the importance of Kronstadt to a regime that likes to fashion itself as a reborn USSR. It is not just strategically important for the present Russian navy as one of its few vital facilities on the Baltic, it is historically resonant.
The meaning of the attacks was obvious. The Ukrainians were saying to Putin (and the rest of the world) that you cannot protect major facilities of strategic importance in Russia’s second city and that you certainly cannot protect public events.
for Epstein’s China-related business plans and potential partners. He worked with David Stern, a German business associate who was close to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Epstein also communicated about China with the veteran UK Labour politician Peter Mandelson; Chinese entrepreneur and author Desmond Shum; banker and Jiang Zemin biographer Robert Kuhn; and senior JPMorgan executives.
Summary of European Lawsuits against Jiang Zemin and his Accomplices from the Chinese Communist Party
By a European practitioner
2005-03-16
Since July, 1999, Jiang Zemin has used the Chinese Communist Party to stage a campaign of genocide against Falun Gong. This unprecedented persecution has lasted for over five years and caused the deaths of at least 1,482 innocent Falun Gong practitioners. In addition, over 100 million practitioners, along with their families and friends, have experienced violations of human rights.
Alvin Jiang:
Star China investor Boyu seeks to navigate Xi Jinping’s tech crackdown Private equity firm whose founders include ex-president Jiang Zemin’s grandson rode sector’s long boom Jack Ma at Alibaba’s New York IPO in 2014. The listing also meant payday for one of his early investors,…
Boyu Capital, which has offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore, is led by cofounder Alvin Jiang, the grandson of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. The investment aims to boost Starbucks’s expansion deeper into the Chinese market, providing fresh funding and stronger logistical support.
Epstein’s African connections included presidents, heirs and recruiters
The revelations from the Epstein files show that the American businessman’s network reached into Africa, where he forged ties with influential figures to advance his business dealings and consolidate his power.
By Morgane Le CamPublished yesterday at 10:54 am (Paris)
………
From Senegal to Côte d’Ivoire, via Morocco and Rwanda, Jeffrey Epstein’s shadow stretched long across Africa. The three million documents released by the US Department of Justice on January 30 revealed that the American sexual predator and businessman, who died in 2019, used the same practices on the continent as he did elsewhere.
In West Africa in the 2010s, Karim Wade, son of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and a major political figure, drew the attention of Epstein…… his name appears 504 times in the published Epstein files.
After their meeting in 2010, Epstein described Wade as”one of the most important players in Africa”in an email to Jes Staley, the former head of Barclays Bank.
The U.S. Senate passed a bill that funds ICE/Border Patrol operations through the end of Trump’s term; Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to vote no.
What to know about Trump’s immunity deal with the IRS
It’s “a legal absurdity,” said one expert.
June 3, 2026
……………
But acting attorney general Todd Blanche said this week he’s not backing down from giving immunity to the president over his past taxes — despite the questions about why Trump would need immunity and whether a president can do this.
“This is a breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system,” said Brandon DeBot with the independent Tax Law Center at New York University Law in a statement.
“Presidents don’t have the authority to immunize themselves from personal liability for not paying their taxes,” said Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. “So much of this is sending the message that there is no rule of law anymore, there are no restraints on the president, and the law is whatever Donald Trump says it is. And that’s a legal absurdity.”
Corruption by heads of government is not a new problem. However, it has more serious consequences today when practiced by dictators or authoritarian leaders. The mobility of wealth prevents effective recovery of the assets; the size of the stolen funds has major economic consequences for the country’s economic development. The problems that new governments experience in recovering corruption proceeds involve matters that are sensitive in terms of politics, law, and international relations. Ferdinand Marcos was President of the Republic of the Philippines from November 1965 until his flight in February 1986. Marcos declared martial law and imposed an unjust dictatorship in 1972. Marcos, his wife, and their associates probably looted, diverted, and laundered at least 5 billion dollars in public assets that represented foreign economic and military assistance and kickbacks from public works contracts in the Philippines. Marcos used an extensive and complex system of laundering money through Swiss and offshore banks. Swiss law, practice, and other factors posed major obstacles to recovering the hidden wealth. The Philippine Government identified the Swiss bank accounts from documents left behind by the deposed president. A Filipino banker devised a plan to recover the Marcos fortune. The banks admitted to the accounts’ existence only after awareness of the overwhelming evidence about them. Changes in Swiss law since 1986 should affect the acceptance of dictators’ funds in Switzerland; the laws will be important in all future cases of corruption involving heads of foreign governments
Isabel Kukanova dos Santos is an Angolan businesswoman, the eldest child of Angola’s former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled the country from 1979 to 2017. (Picture via Nuno Coimbra, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Darling, grab your champagne flute because this is one royal saga dripping with billions, betrayal, and bikini-clad defiance to make the Chivayo divorce saga look like a picnic.
Isabel dos Santos was once the undisputed princess of Angola, Africa’s richest woman with a fortune that made jaws drop and eyes widen in envy. Forbes once pegged her at a cool US$3.5 billion, a glittering empire built on diamonds, telecoms, banking, and oil.
But oh honey, how the mighty have fallen. Today, stripped of assets worth over US$2 billion across continents, she is fighting her legal battles from a swanky 31st-floor apartment in Dubai Marina, where she treats us to videos of herself dancing poolside like the world is not watching her every move.
Born on 20 April 1973 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to Angola’s long-ruling president José Eduardo dos Santos and his Russian wife Tatiana Kukanova, Isabel entered the world with a silver spoon the size of an oil rig.
Her father ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years, from 1979 to 2017, and little Isabel was nicknamed “the princess” back home for good reason. She attended an all-girls boarding school in England before studying electrical engineering at London’s prestigious King’s College.
But this was no ordinary heiress content with trust funds. “I was taught to make my own way in life, and never to depend on any man, be it father, brother, or husband,” she once declared, painting herself as a self-made trailblazer with a fierce independent streak.
Her entry into business was pure glamour. At just 24, she snapped up a stake in Miami Beach, a chic beach bar and restaurant in Luanda overlooking the Atlantic. Picture it: weekends filled with the city’s elite sipping cocktails as waves crashed nearby. It was the perfect launchpad.
She built stakes in diamonds, telecom giant Unitel, Efacec in Portugal, EuroBic bank, and even chaired the state oil company Sonangol. By her forties, she was everywhere, from cement to media. Forbes crowned her Africa’s first female billionaire and the continent’s youngest, with an empire spanning hundreds of companies.
The trivia surrounding Isabel is deliciously extravagant. She married Congolese art collector and businessman Sindika Dokolo in 2002 in a lavish ceremony. For their 10th anniversary, they flew dozens of friends and family to Angola for a three-day blowout that screamed old money meets new power.
borderslynn 
You must be logged in to post a comment.