Trump makes English official language of US, irks Hispanics

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.

The order allows government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in language other than English.

It rescinds a mandate from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

“Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society,” according to the order signed by Trump on Saturday.

Hispanic advocacy groups and others expressed confusion and frustration at the change. The White House said at the time it was committed to bringing the Spanish language version of the website back online. As of Saturday, it was still not restored.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message about whether that would happen.

Trump shut down the Spanish version of the website during his first term. It was restored when President Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021.

US policies align with our own: Kremlin

The vision of the new Donald Trump administration “largely coincides” with that of Russia, a Kremlin spokesperson said, as reported by Al Jazeera. In an interview to state television aired on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations.” “This largely coincides with our vision,” he added. Trump has publicly sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he “trusts” the Russian President is sincere in his desire to end the war on Ukraine.