President Trump was left with a glowing impression of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their summit together in Singapore on Tuesday. "Really, he's got a great personality," Trump told Voice of America's Greta Van Susteren of the man who has executed more than 340 people since taking power in 2011. "He's a funny guy, he's very smart, he's a great negotiator. He loves his people, not that I'm surprised by that, but he loves his people."
Trump stressed that "I understand the past and, you know, nobody has to tell me he's a rough guy. He has to be a rough guy or he has to be a rough person. But we got along very well. He's smart, loves his people, he loves his country."
The comments are a rather shocking evaluation of Kim, who rules what Human Rights Watch calls "one of the most repressive authoritarian states in the world." The group notes that in 2017, Kim "continued to generate fearful obedience by using public executions, arbitrary detention, and forced labor; tightening travel restrictions to prevent North Koreans from escaping and seeking refuge overseas; and systematically persecuting those with religious contacts inside and outside the country."
Van Susteren pushed back on Trump's remarks, asking: "But he's starved them, he's been brutal to them. He still loves his people?"
"Look, he's doing what he's seen done, if you look at it," Trump replied. "But, I really have to go by today and by yesterday and by a couple of weeks ago because that's really when this whole thing started." Asked to address the North Korean people directly, Trump added: "I think you have somebody that has a great feeling for them … I think great things are going to happen for North Korea." Jeva Lange
The future of charter schools could be in doubt if Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) finds his way into the White House. Early reactions to the news are mixed.
Sanders, one of the frontrunners in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary unveiled an ambitious, 10-point education policy plan on Saturday — which is the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that made school segregation illegal — during a speech in South Carolina.
Sanders' proposal would put a halt to public funding for charter schools, at least until the completion of a national audit on such schools, which have become a "polarizing" topic in America, HuffPost reports. Sanders would also attempt to implement a ban on for-profit charter schools, which make up 15 percent of all charter schools. Sanders' reasoning is that charter schools can often "drain" communities of already limited resources, hurting traditional public schools in the process and leading to unofficial school segregation. However, HuffPost writes, polls show that black Democrats tend to hold more favorable views of charter schools than white Democrats. Amy Wilkins, the senior vice president of advocacy at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, called Sanders' plan "the opposite of the spirit" of the Brown v. Board decision.
Sanders is, to date, the only presidential candidate to have proposed a moratorium on charter school funding.
Other highlights of Sanders' plan are a minimum salary of $60,000 for teachers, tripling federal Title I funding, and providing universal school meals, Vox reports. Tim O'Donnell
It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect President Trump's quick trip to Ireland in June to meet with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar next month to go off without a hitch. But what seemed like a standard, mostly ceremonial visit is now in jeopardy because the two sides can't agree on a venue, putting Varadkar in an unenviable position.
Trump, who is planning on stopping in Ireland en route to Great Britain and France for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, reportedly really wants his meeting with Varadkar to take place at Trump's golf course and hotel in Doonbeg, an Irish government source familiar with the situation told CNN. The Irish government, though, thinks that it would be a bit "unseemly" for Varadkar to host Trump at his own hotel.
As a compromise, Ireland has proposed the two have dinner at a nearby venue, the Dromoland Castle, and then have a follow-up breakfast at Trump's property. "Leo is doing his best to minimize his exposure to Trump on this visit, but he is in a tricky position, as practically every American digital company's European headquarters are in Ireland," said the source.
The Trump visit was already complicated because the president is wildly unpopular in Ireland, CNN writes. At the same time, the prime minister wants to maintain positive relations with the United States as Ireland hosts headquarters for Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Apple, CNN reports. Tim O'Donnell
This story has been updated.
In a surprising turn of events, Australia's governing Liberal-National Coalition has reportedly defied predictions on Saturday to win the country's federal elections.
Only 70 percent of the nationwide votes have been counted so far, but the Coalition has won — or is ahead in — 74 seats, with main opponent Labor trailing with 66 seats. The Coalition needs 76 seats to claim a majority government for center-right Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The anticipated victory comes as a shock in light of most pre-election opinion polling, which largely pointed to a narrow victory for Labor and its leader, Bill Shorten. BBC writes that it would be difficult to "find someone who says they saw this result coming" and Morrison described the result as a miracle. Shorten accepted defeat and announced he would resign his post.
The election was considered a crucial one, BBC reports, because Australia has had a tumultuous decade-plus in the political realm. While elections in the country are held every three years, no prime minister has served a full term since 2007.
Australia has mandatory voting and a reported record 16.4 million voters enrolled for the election. Tim O'Donnell
Iran and the U.S. have both maintained they have no intention of becoming mired in a physical, on-the-ground war. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he does not believe such a conflict will break out and that no country is under the "illusion it could confront Iran."
But as tensions heighten between the two nations, media reports out of Saudi Arabia said that multiple Gulf states have agreed to a U.S. request to redeploy military forces in Gulf waters and territories as a form of deterrence should Iran attempt to use force, Al Jazeera reports.
The U.S. has taken other precautionary measures, as well. U.S. diplomats have issued warnings to commercial airliners flying over the Gulf. The diplomats said the planes could be misidentified as military planes, putting them at risk. That said, commercial planes will still be able to fly as normal in the region. Lloyd's of London, an insurance company, also warned of increased risks for ships passing through the region's waters. The advisories went into place after Washington increased sanctions on Iran and pulled non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, citing possible threats from Iran's proxy forces. Tim O'Donnell