A Cambodian man deported by the US to the African kingdom of Eswatini under the Donald Trump administration’s third-country programme was released on Wednesday to be repatriated, his lawyer said.
The man spent five months in detention at a maximum-security prison with other deportees.
Pheap Rom was deported to the southern African nation in October and held at the Matsapha Correctional Centre.
After his release, he took a commercial flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, to start his journey to Cambodia, his US-based lawyer Tin Thanh Nguyen told the Associated Press.
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The US has sent 19 migrants from other countries to Eswatini in three batches since July. Mr Rom is the second to be repatriated after a Jamaican man was flown home in September.
When Mr Rom and a group of nine other shackled deportees arrived in Eswatini on 6 October, they were greeted by 20 or 30 military personnel wearing masks and carrying machine guns surrounding the private jet.
None of the detainees knew where they were going, though some felt hopeful they would be freed after finishing their prison sentences. Mr Rom had finished his 15-year prison sentence in the US for attempted murder.
As they departed the airport and veered into a rural road, panic set in. “They pulled into the dirt road and you see nothing but dirt road. I was like, oh, yeah, they’re definitely going to kill us and just dump us on this dirt road,” Mr Rom, 43, said during a phone interview while he was still detained in Eswatini last week.
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Instead, they were escorted into Matsapha Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison, where the men would be detained, without any charges, and kept apart from inmates convicted of murder, terrorism, robbery and other crimes committed in that country.
The first two months were the hardest, Mr Rom said. Inmates were woken up at 7.30am, allowed 15 minutes outdoors, and were inside their cells at 5.30pm.
Phone use was permitted once a week and limited to 10 or 15 minutes. “And that once a week they will sit right there and listen to your conversation and then they will write down what you’re talking about in a book that they have, in the logbook that they had,” he said, referring to the guards.
If families were asleep, working or didn’t have WhatsApp, they were unable to call again for another week. Under those conditions, it was difficult to reach attorneys.
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A report released by the Senate Foreign Committee Relations estimated it cost about $413,000 to deport a person from the US to Eswatini.
Despite the expense, Mr Rom described impoverished conditions at the prison.
Inmates received one roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap per week.
Meals were often meatless. For breakfast, inmates received either porridge or a piece of bread with tea, Mr Rom said. For lunch and dinner, they received a scoop of rice and vegetable broth or a side of beans. Some days they received chicken, but often if they wanted protein, they had to buy boiled eggs, chicken or beef platters from the commissary.
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Conditions improved in the last three months of Mr Rom’s detention. Outdoor time was increased and inmates had access to the internet and cellphones to make international calls to family, friends and lawyers.
Mr Rom’s family moved to the US as refugees when he was a child and later became lawful permanent residents. Mr Rom lost his legal status during removal proceedings and was ordered deported. Though he has not lived in Cambodia, he said he was still excited to go there and be free.
“I hope that my repatriation sets a path for their repatriation, because these guys are still human beings, fathers, sons, uncles and they deserve due process,” Mr Rom said.
Mr Trump has taken a hard-line stance on immigration and the US has deported around 300 migrants to countries they have no ties with under the third-country programme, according to a report compiled by Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Lawyers have criticized the programme as unlawful.
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The US has struck deals with at least seven African nations to take some of those migrants. The US paid Eswatini $5.1 million to take up to 160 deportees, according to details of the deal released by the US State Department. While Eswatini’s government has previously said the migrants are there in “transit” on their way home, the deal allows them to be held in Eswatini for up to a year.
Mr Rom served a 15-year prison sentence in the US for attempted murder and was released in late 2024, Mr Nguyen said, adding in a statement that Mr Rom being held at the prison in Eswatini for five months was unlawful because he faced no criminal charges in the African country.
“Rom’s release proves what we have argued from the beginning. These third-country deportations are unnecessary and unlawful,” he said.
The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have defended third-country deportations as a means to quickly remove people who are in the US illegally. Many of the deportees sent to Eswatini were convicted of serious crimes and had completed their sentences in the US.
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But lawyers say sending migrants to countries they have no ties with is a tactic by the administration to bypass US immigration laws and denies the deportees their rights, including a fundamental principle that anyone being detained should be able to challenge it in court. Third-country deportations have been the subject of several legal cases, both in the US and in some countries where migrants are sent.
Last year, the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to go ahead with third-country deportations. In February, a US federal judge ruled that the policy was unlawful because it didn’t give migrants notice of where they were being sent or an opportunity to challenge their deportations. An appeals court lifted that order this month.
The deportations have been the subject of two legal challenges in Eswatini, which is ruled by a king and is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. An Eswatini lawyer acting on behalf of deportees being held at the Matsapha prison — where Mr Rom was also held — says he has been denied access to them and has sued the government.
In a separate case, local advocacy groups have challenged the legality of Eswatini holding foreign nationals for months in a prison.
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The Trump administration’s choice of African countries to strike deportation deals with and pay money to is also under scrutiny. It includes nations with notoriously repressive governments and sketchy human rights records such as Eswatini, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.
Eswatini’s King Mswati III has long been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements, sometimes violently.
The US has sent more than two dozen deportees to Equatorial Guinea, a small, authoritarian state in West Africa ruled by the same president since 1979 and where the government is accused of being one of the most corrupt in the world.
Democrats in the US have questioned the Trump administration over a $7.5 million payment it made to the government of Equatorial Guinea.
According to a UEFA report published in February, Spurs posted a pre-tax loss of £129m last year, the third-largest in Europe. Under EFL rules, which would apply to Spurs if they are relegated, Championship clubs are permitted to lose a maximum of £39m over a rolling three-year period. Some belt-tightening would be required.
The road has reportedly been closed since midnight
A major Cambridgeshire road has been closed for several hours due to a ‘police incident’. The A1134 Newmarket Road in Cambridge has been closed in both directions since around midnight.
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Traffic monitoring site INRIX is reporting the closure from Elizabeth Way and East Road to Cheddars Lane near Tesco and Aldi. The route is also reportedly closed to pedestrians.
The closure is in a busy part of Cambridge city centre. It is near to multiple supermarkets, as well as a retail park.
A spokesperson for the force said at 4.30am this morning (March 26): “Please be aware we are dealing with an incident on Newmarket Road. Road closures are in place on Newmarket Road to Elizabeth Way, Coldhams Lane and River Lane, which are likely to result in long delays. Please avoid the area and find alternative routes. Routes will also be closed to pedestrians.”
As a player, Gattuso did not sleep before big games. It’s similar as a manager but he now has the aid of sleeping pills from his doctor.
Otherwise, he says, “at 4.30 or 5am I wake up and I’m wide-eyed like a bat”.
Gattuso is carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. It’s a big responsibility.
The former AC Milan midfielder stepped into the role to replace Luciano Spalletti in June, and has won five of his six matches.
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“I’ve been coaching for a number of years now, but certainly this game is the most important fixture of my coaching career so far,” said Gattuso.
“I’m prepared and, believe me, I’m not thinking about things going badly, I’m thinking positively.
“I want to think big, and we certainly will compete and we’ll see how things come out.”
He has admiration from O’Neill, who in 2012 was tasked with a similar job of trying to lift a Northern Ireland side at a low point.
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Four years later they qualified for the Euros.
“The pressure of managing Italy is a lot different from the pressure of managing Northern Ireland,” O’Neill said.
“I have admiration for him coming in and taking the job at the time that he did, after the previous manager leaving after two games and then having to try to reverse a poor result in the first game for Italy away in Norway.
“I have great admiration for what he did as a player and, obviously, the job he’s done as a coach as well.”
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The terrible crash led to the deaths of all 170 people on board, and the frantic final moments in the cockpit were recorded in precise detail, including some of the pilots’ final words
One of the most chilling facts about aviation disasters is that, due to the fact that cabins and cockpits are meticulously monitored, the panicked last moments of those involved are recorded in precise detail.
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Such is the case with the final seconds of Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Flight 612, a flight which tragically crashed mid-journey on its way from southern Russia to St Petersburg in August 2006.
Things starting to go wrong when, around 30 minutes into the flight, the plane hit a severe thunderstorm. In a desperate attempt at reaching safety, the pilot requested permission to climb to 39,000 feet in order to avoid the turbulence.
Clearance was granted and the aircraft reported reaching cruising altitude shortly before 3:35pm.
Seconds later, the situation inside the cockpit began to unravel.
The autopilot was disengaged at 3:35:02pm. Almost immediately, the stall warning activated. The aircraft’s angle of attack surged to 46 degrees while its forward airspeed dropped to zero.
The jet entered a deep stall — a perilous aerodynamic condition from which recovery becomes increasingly difficult at high altitude.
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In the cockpit voice recording, the rising panic is unmistakable. As the aircraft was battered by the storm, the captain can be heard turning to his co-pilot and asking: “Can we move a little away from the thunderstorm, Igor?”
Several crew members can then be heard asking the pilot to descend, only for him to ignore them and call them “idiots.”
He can then be shouting orders at the others in and around the cock pit, demanding they stay calm. Clearly realising the gravity of the situation, another voice can be heard saying “We are really going down.”
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A person described as a trainee pilot in the official transcript then utters the following chilling words “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die… Don’t kill us, please.”
According to Anatoli Samoshin, Vice Flight Operations Director at Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise, “At an altitude of 37,000 feet, the aircraft sent three SOS signals, dropped sharply in altitude and sent another SOS at 9,800 feet.” After that, there were no further communications.
Two of the aircraft’s three engines flamed out during the stall. Air traffic controllers were aware the plane was descending, but the crew were unable to regain control.
At 15:38:29, just minutes after the first signs of trouble, the Tu-154 slammed into the ground near the village of Sukha Balka in eastern Ukraine, about 45 kilometres northwest of Donetsk.
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Witnesses on the ground later reported seeing the aircraft fall from the sky before bursting into flames on impact. The debris field stretched roughly 400 metres.
Investigators later concluded that the crash was caused by the aircraft being flown manually at excessive angles of attack, leading to a stall and subsequent flat spin.
The final report also cited inadequate training and poor crew resource management as factors that allowed the emergency to escalate into a fatal loss of control.
Taxi drivers across Cambridge have said they are living in “fear” after several break-ins over the last few months. Maninder Singh, the General Secretary of the Cambridge Taxi Driver Association, said more than 40 taxi drivers have had windows smashed and belongings stolen since the start of February.
Mr Singh said taxi drivers in the city are under constant stress due to the break-ins. He said: “I’ve spoken to a lot of drivers and they’ve said they can’t go to sleep at night because they are constantly worrying about their cars. They are scared to leave their cars and that’s a burden on the driver.
“They don’t just use these cars for work. They are for private use as well such as the school run, shopping, taking their children to clubs. Their lives are being impacted but they are stuck. They can’t do anything about it.”
One taxi driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said he left his car for a few minutes to get something from a shop before being told his taxi’s window had been smashed and the vehicle broken into.
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He said: “I was just standing there. I didn’t know what to do. I called someone and they couldn’t fix the glass for another three days so I couldn’t work. It cost me £240 for the window and all they took was around £30 and some change.”
The driver also has a contract to take special needs school children to and from school. He lost around £500 after he was unable to work for a few days after the incident.
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He said: “I had to tell the mums and dads that I couldn’t pick the kids up and they had to find someone else to do it. For the children, they don’t like being with different drivers. It disrupted their day.”
The driver said the situation has made him ‘angry’. He continued: “I think if the guy had knocked on my window and asked for the money in my car, I would have given it to him. That would’ve saved me a lot of hassle. To the police, it’s a petty theft. But the money I’ve lost out on in terms of trade, that’s part of my mortgage payment.”
Cambridgeshire Police has confirmed the force is investigating the incidents and enquiries are ongoing to identify those responsible. Police have received reports about break-ins across the city, including on Graham Road, Garden Walk, Coldham’s Lane, and Coleridge Road.
Mr Singha added the trade is “already struggling financially” because of inflation and these break-ins are only adding to drivers’ stress, as “they can’t make a living”. Some drivers have lost around £1,000 from missing out on weekend trade and having to pay to fix their car, he said.
Many taxi drivers believe they are being targeted because it is “very easy to identify” taxis by signs they are required to have on their vehicles. Mr Singh said he believes that people breaking into taxis search them for items to steal and if they don’t find anything, they look for other taxis to target.
Drivers have said they understand why taxis have to have signs on the vehicle but believe it is “ridiculously unfair” for drivers to be ‘penalised’ if they take them off their vehicles when not at work. Mr Singh said drivers feel like they have to choose between having their cars broken into or having points added to their private hire driver licence.
Cllr Natalie Warren Green, Lead Cabinet Member for Licensing for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The requirement for taxis to securely display their ID plates and Council and Operator signage has been part of our Taxi Licensing Policy for several years. We are aware that Police are investigating a recent general rise in vehicle break‑ins, including incidents involving taxis.
“As this is an active investigation, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the causes but we would urge everyone to follow the Police’s advice and ensure they do not leave personal belongings on show in cars when they are unattended.”
The centre, for up to 20 youngsters, would aim to ‘reintegrate pupils back into education, employment, or training’
A former office building is set to be used as an education centre for children who find it difficult to attend mainstream schools.
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Crown House, Walmesley Road, Leigh is the subject of plans submitted to the council in the past week by Intervention Academy, an Atherton-based education provider who aim to reintegrate pupils back into education, employment, or training.
They plan to educate and support up to 20 children at Crown House. A supporting letter from Lisa Alston and Yvonne Miller, directors at Intervention Academy has been published on Wigan council’s planning portal.
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It said: “We are an alternative provision, providing part-time, alternative education to students who find attending their usual school full-time difficult.
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“There will be a maximum of 20 students attending on any one day and a maximum of eight full-time staff. “We currently only have five students per day and have three members of staff, which includes the directors.”
Intervention Academy opened premises at Church Street in Atherton in September, 2024.
At that time director Yvonne Miller, said: “We want to create a supportive and inclusive environment that empowers children to reach their potential academically, socially, and emotionally.
“Our dedicated team will work closely with each student to develop a bespoke learning plan that aligns with their individual needs and goals.
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“Whether a student excels in hands-on activities, creative arts, or needs support to become more independent, we are committed to creating a tailored educational experience that empowers them to thrive.”
The change of use application for Crown House states that ‘we are proposing no changes, internally or externally, to the building’.
Previous marketing for Crown House describes it as an ‘extensive, detached and single storey office building’ of approximately 0.28 acres, which includes car parking for 15-20 vehicles.
It is next to Sacred Heart RC church and Sacred Heart Catholic school and opposite Leigh St Mary’s CE primary.
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Planners at the council will decide on the proposals in the coming weeks.
Monniky Fraga, who claimed she and her husband Lucas were ambushed by three armed men outside their home, has now been arrested for allegedly trying to stage her own kidnapping
An influencer has been arrested over claims she staged her own kidnapping – all to boost her followers online.
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Monniky Fraga, 27, claimed she and her husband Lucas were ambushed by three armed men outside their home in Igarassu, Brazil, last April. But now, almost a year since the incident, she has been arrested in a dawn raid by cops – who have said her husband, who was beaten and robbed, was unaware of the plot.
At the time, Fraga told her 48,000-plus followers it was a terrifying ordeal. In a video she said the gang threatened to torture them unless a ransom was paid and that Lucas was assaulted as they handed over their belongings. The pair were allegedly dragged to a wooded area, held for hours and only freed once cash was handed over.
Police now believe she staged the kidnapping to gain media attention. She secured coverage in several outlets to tell her story. Detective Cley Anderson told local media: “As the investigation progressed, it found indications that the alleged kidnap-for-ransom was in fact nothing more than a plot between the supposed victim and one of the perpetrators.”
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Thirty police officers took part in the operation, dubbed ‘Smokescreen of Likes’. Officers said three people, in addition to Fraga, were involved in the fake kidnapping.
Detective Anderson said: “The investigation suggests she not only knew about it, but agreed things in advance and stayed in contact with one of those involved afterwards.”
In a bizarre twist, Fraga’s husband, Lucas – who was also kidnapped, assaulted and robbed – was reportedly unaware of the plot. Detective Anderson said her husband knew nothing of the plot: “At all times, he has maintained that he genuinely believed it was a real kidnapping.”
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Fraga’s lawyers have requested she be released from custody and placed under house arrest, citing that she has young children. She maintains she was genuinely kidnapped.
She is expected to face charges of blackmail, perverting the course of justice and wasting police time. At the time in an online video she said: “I spent hours in the woods.
She add: “I didn’t know if I’d make it back. There was a river there, and the whole time I thought they were going to kill me and throw me in here, and I’d never see anyone again.
“All I could think about was my children. They beat up Lucas. They were after some gold chains I had posted about. And I said, ‘Those gold chains weren’t mine’.”
Manchester United have enjoyed a resurgence since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim at the helm, climbing into the top three and with only Arsenal and Manchester City having now lost more league games this term
United have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround since Carrick was installed as interim boss following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. The ex-Middlesbrough boss has led them to seven wins in 10 Premier League matches, pushing them into third in the table and closing in on a return to the Champions League.
It is clear that Carrick, who spent over a decade at the club as a player, making 464 appearances, winning five titles and the Champions League, has strong backing from the dressing room. Maguire insists it is down to the players to ensure they reclaim a spot at European football’s top table, before trusting the club’s hierarchy to make the right decision.
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And he believes that Carrick deserves to be “right in the mix” when it comes to appointing the next permanent manager – while predicting another “big summer” in terms of recruitment.
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United defender Maguire said: “Listen, Carrick coming in, he’s been amazing. He speaks really, really well. He’s tactically very, very good. He’s brought in some amazing staff. Steve Holland, amazing to bring his experience in and someone he can lean on.
“He’s got Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans there helping the younger defenders at the club and all the defenders giving us tips.
“Listen, it’s not up to us. I think there’s seven games left. We’ve put ourselves in a great position. I think we’ve got to finish the season strong, and I think he should go right into the mix of the other candidates and let the process begin.
“I’m sure it will do and I’m sure it’s going to be a thorough process, and it’s going to be a big summer. We know that for Manchester United. We need bodies in, bodies to help the squad. We know that. We need improvement in the squad. We need more bodies.
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“It’s going to be a big recruitment in the management department, and I’m sure that the hierarchy will get it right.”
Despite the impressive way Carrick has led United, it is far from certain he will become the club’s next boss, but other candidates have fallen by the wayside.
Thomas Tuchel, much admired, committed himself to England until 2028, the chances of Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner have faded and Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique – a dream appointment for some – looks set to stay in the French capital.
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They are also planning to spend big in the market with United keen to sign midfield talent with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson at the top of their hit-list.
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL
On Tuesday, Trump signalled the US may pursue both strategies at once. In a matter of hours, the Pentagon ordered ground troops to Iran, and US negotiators sent the Iranian regime a new 15-point peace plan. By Wednesday, the White House was urging Iran to accept the deal while threatening to hit the country harder than ever if it didn’t, stoking further confusion about Trump’s intentions.
Train services between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport are affected due to the incident near Mauldeth Road.
⚠️Services between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport are being disrupted due to Emergency Services dealing with an incident near Mauldeth Road.
🎫You can travel on the following train operators and routes at no extra cost: -Number 43 Bee Network bus between Manchester…
Northern say passengers can travel oon the following train operators and routes at no extra cost: -Number 43 Bee Network bus between Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly -Manchester Metro between Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly -TransPennine Express between Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly
Northern also announced this morning that yesterday’s disruption caused by trees falling on the lines at Lostock has now ended. Trains were cancelled throughout the day, with passengers being urged to check before travel yesterday.
A spokesman said: “Disruption caused by damage to the overhead electric wires at Bolton has now ended. Services are no longer affected by this problem.”
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