U.S. deported hundreds despite court order

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that hundreds of Venezuelans alleged to be gang members were deported from the U.S. to El Salvador, just a day after a federal court in Washington ordered the Trump administration not to proceed with such deportations.

The timing of these deportations raises questions about the administration possibly disregarding a direct court ruling. The judge’s injunction was issued shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday, but videos from El Salvador show deportees arriving after dark. El Salvador is two time zones behind Washington. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele responded to the judge’s order with a social media post, stating “Oopsie… Too late.”

Context: The Trump administration is behind a new agreement with El Salvador that involves sending suspected gang members to the Latin American country. The plan to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law historically associated with the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, aims to bypass due process for Venezuelan gang members.

Reactions: The Venezuelan government denounced the attempt to apply the Alien Enemies Act as a “crime against humanity.”

Ukraine’s campaign in Russia nears end

Ukrainian forces have largely withdrawn from the Kursk region in Russia, according to military experts and soldiers, signaling a potential end to their campaign. Advancing Kyiv had intended to take and hold Russian territory but now tactics have shifted to fortifying positions to prevent Russian expansion towards the Ukrainian region of Sumy.

Learn how Kyiv’s campaign ended.

What’s next: Discussions about a cease-fire may come up as Steve Witcoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, indicated yesterday that President Trump could speak with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin about it this week.

The tragic stories of East African workers in Saudi Arabia

Many Kenyan women attracted by promises of high-paying jobs in Saudi Arabia as domestic workers, often return home bearing the scars of physical and sexual abuse. A Times investigation uncovered that at least 274 Kenyan workers have died in Saudi Arabia in the past five years. The situation is equally dire for Ugandan workers, though the Ugandan government has not released data. The abuse is underpinned by a network that benefits from the desperation and vulnerability of these workers.

Having led various lives as a farmer, publisher of poetry, and volunteer in World War II, Marumo now aims to keep skating until he reaches the age of 100.

Lives lived: Roy L. Prosterman, a corporate lawyer who transitioned to advocating for land reform in underdeveloped areas, passed away at the age of 89.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Shadow puppetry illuminates Iranian history

Behind the scenes at the New Victory Theater in New York, performers prepared “Song of the North,” an intricate shadow puppet show that brings to life stories from “Shahnameh,” or Book of Kings, a 10th-century Persian epic. The elaborate production, which combines puppetry and animation, has been a hit across three continents, with forthcoming shows planned for Canada and Saudi Arabia. Its purpose is to share the sophistication of Persian culture with audiences without the distorted views often held about Iran.