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March 27, 2025

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The S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, and Russell 2000 fell 10.5%, 13.8%, and 19.5%, respectively, from their recent all-time highs down to their March lows. Each index paused long enough and deep enough for a correction, with the Russell 2000 nearly reaching cyclical bear market territory (-20%).

At this point, there’s key price resistance on the S&P 500. Moving through it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re “in the clear.” However, failure to move through and then rolling back over increases the odds of another test of recent low price support. Check out the range I’m watching on the S&P 500:

Key price resistance, in my view, is at 5782 on the S&P 500. That was the gap support from early November and also the price support from mid-January. Now we’re trying to break above that resistance, while at the same time trying to hang onto now-rising 20-day EMA support.

As for support, the April and August lows in 2024 intersect beautifully with the March 2025 low. That’s something to keep an eye on if we begin to head lower again. The price support on the S&P 500 is now just above 5500, so a close beneath that level would be damaging – at least in the very near-term. I say that, because any new closing low would be accompanied by a higher PPO, a positive divergence. Many times, a reversing candle and a positive divergence will mark a significant bottom. So there’ll be plenty to watch over the next few days to few weeks.

I also want to show you how the S&P 500 is performing on a short-term chart vs. the NASDAQ 100, which is the more aggressive index:

It’s just a little thing, but the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 had been trading mostly in unison over the past week or two, but with this morning’s weakness, note that the NASDAQ 100 has moved back down to Monday’s opening gap higher, while the S&P 500 still remains well above it. Here’s one reason for it:

Since the Fed announcement one week ago, discretionary stocks (XLY) had reversed its downtrend vs. staples stocks (XLP). But check out today’s action! Maybe this is just short-term and we’ll see a reversal later, but it’s hard to be overly encouraged when staples goes up 1.14%, while discretionary drops 0.64%.

It’s a warning sign.

I know there are TONS of mixed signals out there and everyone wants to know whether this recovery is the REAL DEAL or if it was only temporary before the next shoe drops. Well, if you’re interested, I’ll be hosting a FREE event on Saturday.

Correction or Bear Market?

That’s the topic of our Saturday event, which will begin promptly at 10am ET. I will be providing multiple angles/charts/strategies and what each of them are telling us. If you’d like to join me on Saturday and would like more information, REGISTER NOW.

Even if you have a prior commitment on Saturday, we plan to record the event and send out the recording to all who register. So act now to attend and/or receive your copy of the recording.

Happy trading!

Tom

In this exclusive StockCharts video, Joe shares how to use multi-timeframe analysis — Monthly, Weekly, and Daily charts — to find the best stock market opportunities. See how Joe uses StockCharts tools to create confluence across timeframes and spot key levels. Joe then identifies strength in commodities, QQQ, and finishes up by reviewing symbol requests from viewers.

This video was originally published on March 26, 2025. Click this link to watch on Joe’s dedicated page.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

Gold at $3,100 and silver at $50? That might’ve sounded wild a year or two ago, but it’s now the upper trajectory some analysts are eyeing. With consumer confidence cratering to a 12-year low, inflation expectations rising, and central banks hoarding bullion like it’s the latest fashion, gold is holding firm above $3,000 per ounce and silver is knocking on $34.

There’s another thing to consider: the gold-to-silver ratio is still high, reaching 91:1 on Monday and 89.7 on Tuesday, hinting that silver may be massively undervalued. If the ratio snaps back to historical norms, silver could explode past $40, even $50, while gold edges toward $3,100 or higher.

FIGURE 1. CHART OF GOLD/SILVER RATIO. The historical average is at 65:1, well below the data on the chart. Any level above 87 signals a potential buying opportunity.

Note how the price of silver, namely its rallies highlighted in the shaded area below the chart, is responding to the ratio. I’m going to cover this in more detail below, as the ratio serves not only as guidance but also as an important component for an entry setup.

So, if analysts are targeting $3,100, where is gold now, and what setup might it present? Take a look at a daily chart.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF GOLD. Gold is pulling back, an ideal setup for those who are bullish on the yellow metal.

Gold has pulled back from its all-time high of $3,056, coinciding with an overbought reading in the Relative Strength Index (RSI). The Quadrant Lines give you a wide range of support levels for entry.

  • The second quadrant, containing the previous swing high at $2,960, may see some bulls jumping in.
  • Below that, the third and fourth quadrants coincide with the two previous swing lows near $2,890 and $2,840.

Staying within and bouncing from these quadrants could signal continued strength in the current swing. Below that level would indicate the end of the current uptrend, and whether the price reverses or falls into a range, you will likely find plenty of support at the two areas highlighted in magenta.

Next, take a look at a daily chart of silver.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF SILVER. According to the gold/silver ratio, silver may be poised for another leg up.

Take a look at the green circles highlighting where the gold/silver ratio exceeded 89. These are relatively high levels, considering that the average ratio reading is between 65 to 75 depending on the historical average you’re measuring. As soon as the ratio falls below that level, silver tends to rally. You see this twice in January, plus once in February and March; now that the ratio has risen above this level once again, will silver rally in response? That’s the big question, and one you should keep focused on.

The $40–$50 target range that many analysts are eyeing is still a distance away. The RSI, holding above the 50 line, suggests there’s room for more upside before hitting overbought territory.

If you’re bullish on silver, hoping for it to reach the projected levels above $40 and toward $50, here’s what you should focus on:

  • Silver would need to break above resistance levels at $34.25, the most recent swing high, and $34.75, which would see the grey metal enter its 12-year high territory, paving the way to $40 and above.
  • If silver pulls back, it should stay above (ideally) $32.75 and $31.75.
  • A close below $31.75, even if it finds support at the next swing low at $30.75, would signal weakness and likely invalidate the current uptrend.

What does this mean for investors using ETFs like SLV and GLD?

As a stock investor, you’re likely not seeking exposure to precious metals in the futures or spot market. The most commonly traded metals-backed options are the following ETFs:

  • SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which you could learn more about in the StockCharts’ Symbol Summary; and
  • iShares Silver Trust (SLV), whose info is also available in the Symbol Summary.

The prices will differ as ETFs are structured differently. With that said, what do these price moves mean for the ETFs?

  • If gold climbs to $3,100 an ounce, GLD—designed to track 1/10th of an ounce—could be trading in the $310 to $330 range.
  • If silver makes a run at $50, SLV could surge right alongside it, potentially hitting $50 per share.

If you’re looking to ride the metals rally without holding physical bullion, these ETFs offer a direct and highly liquid way to gain exposure. And if silver’s historical catch-up to gold kicks in, SLV could potentially deliver the bigger upside.

At the Close

Gold and silver are both showing signs of strength, backed by macroeconomic pressure, historical ratios (at least for silver), and the overall technical context. Silver could be setting up for a catch-up move that might outperform gold in percentage terms. So, stay nimble, watch your levels, and remember that when silver moves, it often moves fast.


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Resource companies Mkango Resources (TSXV:MKA,OTC Pink:MKNGF) and Euro Manganese (TSXV:EMN,ASX:EMN,OTCQB:EUMNF) received boosts this week when their respective assets were designated ‘strategic projects’ under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).

On Monday (March 24), the European Commission released a list of 47 strategic critical raw materials projects. Located across 13 EU member states, they cover one or more segments of the raw material value chain.

They also account for 14 of the 17 strategic raw materials included in the CRMA.

Among them are Mkango’s Pulawy project, which has been recognized for its role in supplying rare earth oxides, and Euro Manganese’s Chvaletice project, a contributor to the European battery materials supply chain.

Mkango Resources’ Pulawy rare earths separation project

Mkango’s Pulawy project is expected to play a role in establishing a secure European supply chain for neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, which are used to make electric vehicles and wind turbines.

On February 17, the company signed a land lease agreement through its Polish subsidiary, Mkango Polska, in collaboration with Grupa Azoty Puławy. It facilitates the construction of a rare earths separation facility in Puławy, Poland.

The proposed facility aims to produce 2,000 metric tons per year of neodymium and praseodymium oxides, plus 50 metric tons per year of dysprosium and terbium oxides. Lanthanum cerium carbonate will also be produced at the site.

With strategic project status, Pulawy will benefit from expedited permitting processes under the CRMA, ensuring that Poland’s regulatory authorities adhere to a maximum 15 month timeline for processing and refining projects.

The project will also gain access to coordinated support from the European Commission, member states and financial institutions, facilitating financing opportunities and connections with potential offtakers.

Aside from its work at Pulawy, Mkango is focused on developing sustainable sources of rare earth elements, as well as leading in recycled rare earth magnet production through its subsidiary, Maginito.

Maginito holds an interest in HyProMag, which focuses on rare earth magnet recycling in the UK and Germany, and Mkango Rare Earths UK, which specializes in long-loop rare earth magnet recycling.

Euro Manganese’s Chvaletice manganese project

Euro Manganese’s Chvaletice manganese project, located in the Czech Republic, aims to become a major supplier of high-purity manganese for the European battery industry. The CRMA lists high-purity manganese as a strategic raw material, essential for electric vehicle batteries and the broader clean energy transition.

The Chvaletice project stands out as a waste-to-value initiative, focused on reprocessing old mine tailings rather than developing a new mine. The project represents the only sizable manganese resource within the EU, positioning Euro Manganese as a key player in the region’s battery materials supply chain.

With strategic project designation, Chvaletice will benefit from streamlined permitting processes and access to financial support from institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It will also be eligible for funding from the European Development Fund and Cohesion Fund.

The Czech government has recognized the Chvaletice manganese deposit as a strategic resource, reinforcing the project’s importance in ensuring Europe’s supply independence. In March 2024, the asset received environmental and social impact assessment approval from the Czech Ministry of Environment. In January of this year, Euro Manganese secured a determination of mining lease permit, marking a key milestone in the project’s permitting process.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keith Weiner, founder and CEO of Monetary Metals, shares his outlook for gold in 2025.

While he’s been bearish in the past and doesn’t consider himself a cheerleader, Weiner believes currently a ‘buy the dips’ market for the yellow metal.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Battery Age Minerals Ltd (ASX: BM8; “Battery Age” or “the Company”) is pleased to advise of its participation at the Ignite Investment Summit being held this week in Hong Kong.

BM8’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Nigel Broomham, will be presenting the Company’s strategy for progressing its diversified & strategic portfolio of projects in Austria, Argentina and Canada today at 11.00am AWST. Attached is the presentation that Mr Broomham will be speaking to at the conference.

Investors can register to attend the conference at: weareignite.com/contact/#investor

Battery Age CEO Nigel Broomham commented:

‘Fresh from recent field visits to Austria and Argentina, and following positive advancements across our Bleiberg, El Aguila, and Falcon Lake projects, we look forward to presenting a number of updates and meaningful insights to a fantastic group of investors and stakeholders.”

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (March 26) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading at US$86,622.95, a 1.7 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The day’s trading range has seen a low of US$85,862.55 and a high of US$87,812.64.

The crypto market is under pressure following an executive order from US President Donald Trump to issue “secondary tariffs” of 25 percent on countries that purchase oil from Venezuela.

Bitcoin performance, March 26, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$2,002.36, a 3.6 percent decrease over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1.985.69 and a high of US$2,058.49.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$137.76, down 5.2 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$136.39 and a high of US$144.21 on Wednesday.
  • XRP is trading at US$2.38, reflecting a 3.3 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.36 and a high of US$2.45.
  • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.58, showing a 4.6 percent increase over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.52 and a high of US$2.64.
  • Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.7285, reflecting a 2.7 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Wednesday was US$0.722, with a high of US$0.7632.

Crypto news to know

GameStop’s Bitcoin bet sparks meme stock rally

GameStop (NYSE:GME) shares surged close to 20 percent on Wednesday after the company announced plans to add Bitcoin to its treasury reserve assets, mirroring Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR). The move comes as GameStop struggles with declining brick-and-mortar sales, having pivoted toward e-commerce under CEO Ryan Cohen.

Speculation around the retailer’s crypto ambitions grew after Cohen was seen with Saylor on social media last month. Analysts warn that GameStop’s exposure to Bitcoin could introduce more volatility to its stock.

The company, however, has been aggressive in cutting costs, doubling its fourth quarter net income to US$131.3 million despite a 30 percent revenue drop.

Microsoft declines after data center news

Shares of crypto miners and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) closed down after TD Cowen alleged that the tech conglomerate has abandoned plans for new data centers in the US and Europe.

Share prices for Bitcoin miners, including Bitfarms (NASDAQ:BITF), CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK), Core Scientific (NASDAQ:CORZ), Hut 8 (NASDAQ:HUT) and Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT), dropped between 4 and 12 percent. Microsoft closed down 1.31 percent, while daily losses for the miners fell between 7 and 12 percent.

According to Bloomberg, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) have picked up some of the leases Microsoft has allegedly canceled or deferred over the last six months, although neither company has confirmed. In a statement from Microsoft obtained by the publication, the company said “significant investments” have left it “well positioned to meet (its) current and increasing customer demand.”

“While we may strategically pace or adjust our infrastructure in some areas, we will continue to grow strongly in all regions,” the spokesperson said. “This allows us to invest and allocate resources to growth areas for our future.”

Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade launches on testnet

Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade launched on the Hoodi testnet on Wednesday after a series of technical issues delayed the mainnet launch, which was originally slated for sometime in March.

If the launch is successful, Pectra could hit the mainnet by April 25. The Pectra upgrade aims to improve Ethereum’s scalability, staking efficiency and developer capabilities.

USDC launches in Japan

Circle launched its stablecoin, USDC, in Japan on Wednesday. The launch was made possible through a strategic partnership with SBI Holdings (TSE:8473), a Japanese financial firm.

The launch comes after Circle and SBI received regulatory approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) earlier this month. The FSA’s green light paved the way for the companies to introduce USDC to the Japanese market, marking a significant step in the adoption of stablecoins in the country.

Following the regulatory approval, a launch date was announced on Monday (March 24).

At the time of this writing, USDC’s market capitalization was US$60.15 billion.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The lithium market continued to battle headwinds during the first quarter of 2025 as residual oversupply weighed on prices, pushing them to a four year low.

Weaker-than-expected demand to start the year also added pressure to the oversupplied market, resulting in the lithium carbonate CIF North Asia price to fall below US$9,550 per metric ton, its lowest point since 2021.

Analysts have suggested the persistent downturn is the signaling of a market bottom. This theory is further supported by a projected production reduction that will help absorb market oversupply.

“Lithium market conditions — particularly during the latter part of 2024 – led to growing producer restraint, both in China and elsewhere,” wrote Fastmarkets’ head of battery raw material analytics Paul Lusty. “Australian production cuts started in January 2024 but built momentum during the year, with several miners announcing production cuts, plans to place plants on care and maintenance and the suspension of planned expansions owing to market conditions.”

The global commodities firm is forecasting a shift in market dynamics, with analysts projecting a much tighter balance ahead. Initial estimates peg 2025’s surplus at 10,000 metric tons before the market moves into a deficit position in 2026.

How are Canadian lithium stocks performing against this backdrop?

This list was created on March 25, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener, and all data was current at that time. Only companies with market caps above C$10 million for the TSX and TSXV and above C$5 million for the CSE are included.

1. Power Metals (TSXV:PWM)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 163.04 percent
Market cap: C$196.57 million
Share price: C$1.21

Exploration company Power Metals holds a portfolio of diversified assets in Ontario and Québec, Canada. The company’s flagship Case Lake project in Ontario hosts spodumene-bearing lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites.

In November 2024, Power Metals identified a new pegmatite zone at Case Lake through soil sampling. The samples from the zone, located north-northwest of its West Joe prospect, revealed elevated levels of cesium, tantalum, lithium and rubidium, which the company said ‘affirmed prospective drill targets’ for its winter program.

On February 10, Power Metals announced the beginning of work associated with the maiden mineral resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment for Case Lake, which it plans to release in Q1 and Q2 of 2025 respectively. Days later on February 14, the company followed that announcement by releasing the final assays from its Phase 3 drilling at Case Lake, including “exceptional cesium oxide and tantalum intercepts” from the West Joe prospect.

The company’s share price rose in the weeks following the pair of announcements to reach a Q1 high of C$1.46 on February 25.

2. NOA Lithium Brines (TSXV:NOAL)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 41.18 percent
Market cap: C$46.99 million
Share price: C$0.36

NOA is a lithium exploration and development company with three projects in Argentina’s Lithium Triangle region. The company’s flagship Rio Grande project and prospective Arizaro and Salinas Grandes land packages total more than 140,000 hectares.

In late January, NOA reported its completion of 28 vertical electrical sounding geophysics tests at the Rio Grande project as part of its 2025 exploration program.

The recent testing expands on past studies and will aid NOA’s water exploration program, refining one of three identified potential water sources.

In a subsequent corporate update on February 7, NOA outlined its plans for Q1 2025, which largely focused on the advancement of the Rio Grande project through geophysical evaluation and water exploration drilling. The company also plans to review engineering proposals for preliminary economic assessment work.

The company’s share price began climbing in early February and reached a Q1 high of C$0.37 on March 13.

The high came days after a Simply Wall Street report highlighted insider buying at the company, a signal of strong internal confidence. According to the report, NOA insiders invested C$862,600 over the prior six months, with C$358,000 of that coming in a single transaction by CEO and Director Gabriel Rubacha. Additionally, they had not sold any shares in the prior 12 months.

3. Frontier Lithium (TSXV:FL)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 35.56 percent
Market cap: C$141.38 million
Share price: C$0.61

Pre-production mining company Frontier Lithium aims to be a strategic and integrated supplier of premium spodumene concentrates as well as battery-grade lithium salts in North America.

The Company’s flagship PAK lithium project, which is a joint venture with Mitsubishi (TSE:8058), holds the “largest land position and resource” in a premium lithium mineral district located in the Great Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. Frontier also owns the Spark deposit, located northwest of the PAK project.

Shares of Frontier Lithium reached a Q1 high of C$0.79 on March 4. After already trending upwards through February, its share price peaked alongside news that the Government of Canada and the Ontario Government supported the company’s plans to build a critical minerals refinery in Northern Ontario.

Once complete the proposed lithium conversion facility will process lithium from PAK into around 20,000 metric tons of lithium salts per year. “This expected capacity would support the production of batteries for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles per year,” Frontier’s statement reads.

4. Q2 Metals (TSXV:QTWO)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 30.77 percent
Market cap: C$144.59 million
Share price: C$1.02

Exploration firm Q2 Metals is exploring three lithium properties — Cisco, Mia and Stellar — in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Québec, Canada. Its Mia project hosts the Mia trend, which spans over 10 kilometers, and its Stellar lithium property comprises 77 claims 6 kilometers north of the Mia property.

In 2024, Q2 Metals acquired the Cisco lithium property and spent much of the year exploring the area. In December, Q2 acquired a 100 percent interest in 545 additional mineral claims, tripling its land position at the Cisco lithium property. A February 12 update reported that metallurgical testing on 2024 drill core showed that the primary lithium-bearing mineral in Cisco pegmatite is spodumene.

On February 26, Q2 announced that investors exercised 12.8 million share purchase warrants at C$0.60 each, generating C$7.68 million in proceeds for the company. The warrants were issued through a private placement in February 2023.

Shares of Q2 jumped to a Q1 high price of C$1.08 on March 18. The following day, later the company released some early results from its ongoing winter drill program, which is targeting 6,000 to 8,000 meters of drilling using two diamond drill rigs. The first four holes intersected “multiple wide intercepts of spodumene pegmatite, expanding previously identified mineralization.” The longest continuous interval of spodumene mineralization is 179.6 meters.

5. Wealth Minerals (TSXV:WML)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 20 percent
Market cap: C$18.47 million
Share price: C$0.06

Lithium exploration company Wealth Minerals owns three exploration-stage projects — Kuska, Pabellón and Yapuckuta— all located in Chile.

On February 3, Wealth Minerals released its first news of the year, announcing it penned a joint venture development deal with the Quechua Indigenous Community of Ollagüe for the development of the Kuska project.

Under the deal the Quechua community will hold a 5 percent free-carried interest and a board seat in the JV, ensuring community participation. The partnership may also explore additional projects in the region.

On February 6, Wealth Minerals acquired the Pabellón lithium project, consisting of a portfolio of 26 mineral exploration licenses with an area of 7,600 hectares located in Northern Chile near the Chile-Bolivia border. The project may serve as an additional source of material to Kuska.

The surface of Pabellón hosts South America’s only geothermal power plant, Cerro Pabellón, which is majority owned by electricity company ENEL (MIL:ENEL). Wealth Minerals stated it is considering installing a direct lithium extraction unit next to the plant.

The company’s share price spiked in mid-January, and touched a Q1 high of C$0.095 on January 31, February 7 and February 10.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday visited the high-security El Salvador prison where Venezuelans who the Trump administration alleges are gang members have been held since their removal from the United States. The tour included two crowded cell blocks, the armory and an isolation unit.

Noem’s trip to the prison — where inmates are packed into cells and never allowed outside — comes as the Trump administration seeks to show it is deporting people it describes as the “worst of the worst.”

The Trump administration is arguing in federal court that it was justified in sending the Venezuelans to El Salvador, while human rights activists say officials have sent them to a prison rife with human rights abuses.

At the prison, Noem toured an area holding some of the Venezuelans accused of being gang members. In the sweltering building, the men in white T-shirts and shorts stared silently from their cell without making a sound.

When Noem exited the building, the men could be heard shouting an indiscernible chant.

In a cell block holding Salvadoran prisoners, about a dozen were lined up by guards near the front of their cell and told to remove their T-shirts and face masks. The men were heavily tattooed, some bearing the letters MS, for the Mara Salvatrucha gang, on their chests.

After listening to Salvadoran officials, Noem turned her back to the cell and recorded a video message.

If an immigrant commits a crime, “this is one of the consequences you could face,” Noem said. “First of all, do not come to our country illegally. You will be removed and you will be prosecuted. But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.”

In a post on X Wednesday, Homeland Security indicated it would continue working with El Salvador, saying that Noem was slated to discuss how the US can “increase the number of deportation flights and removals of violent criminals from the US” during her visit with President Nayib Bukele.

Since taking office, Noem has frequently been front and center in efforts to highlight the immigration crackdown. She took part in immigration enforcement operations, rode horses with Border Patrol agents and was the face of a television campaign warning people in the country illegally to self-deport.

Noem’s Wednesday visit is part of a three-day trip. She’ll also travel to Colombia and Mexico.

The Venezuelans were removed from the US this month after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and said the US was being invaded by the Tren de Aragua gang. The Alien Enemies Act gives the president wartime powers and allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge.

In a setback for the administration, an appeals court Wednesday kept in place an order barring the administration from deporting more Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.

A central outstanding question about the deportees’ status is when and how they could ever be released from the prison, called the Terrorism Confinement Center, as they are not serving sentences. They no longer appear in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s online detainee locator and have not appeared before a judge in El Salvador.

The Trump administration refers to them as the “worst of the worst” but hasn’t identified who was deported or provided evidence that they’re gang members.

Relatives of some of the deportees have categorically denied any gang affiliation. The Venezuelan government and a group called the Families of Immigrants Committee in Venezuela hired a lawyer to help free those held in El Salvador. A lawyer for the firm, which currently represents about 30 Venezuelans, said they aren’t gang members and have no criminal records.

The US government has acknowledged that many do not have such records.

Flights were in the air March 15 when a federal judge issued a verbal order temporarily barring the deportations and ordered planes to return to the US.

The Trump administration has argued that the judge’s verbal directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldn’t apply to flights that had already left the US.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that about 261 people were deported on the flights, including 137 under the Alien Enemies Act.

Bukele opened the prison in 2023 as he made the Central American country’s stark, harsh prisons a trademark of his fight against crime. The facility has eight sprawling pavilions and can hold up to 40,000 inmates. Each cell can fit 65 to 70 prisoners.

Prisoners can’t have visitors. There are no workshops or educational programs.

El Salvador hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019, so the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have consular support from their government.

Video released by El Salvador’s government after the deportees’ arrival showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down.

They were later shown at the prison kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform – knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs – and placed in cells.

For three years, El Salvador has been operating under a state of emergency that suspends fundamental rights as Bukele wages an all-out assault on the country’s powerful street gangs. During that time, some 84,000 people have been arrested, accused of gang ties and jailed, often without due process.

Bukele offered to hold US deportees in the prison when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited in February.

At the prison Wednesday, El Salvador Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro showed Noem a cell holding Salvadorans he said had been there since the prison opened. “No one expects that these people can go back to society and behave,” he said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Sudan’s army said Wednesday it had recaptured Khartoum’s international airport, and the military chief flew back to the capital for the first time in nearly two years of war, bringing the military closer to regaining full control of the city from the rival Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

Footage put out by the military showed army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan landing at Khartoum International Airport, kissing the ground and raising his fist in the air to troops as he emerged from the helicopter onto the tarmac.

“Khartoum is now free. It’s over. Khartoum is free,” Burhan is heard telling cheering troops, according to video footage aired by Al Jazeera television. He later went to the Presidential Palace, the pre-war seat of the government which troops wrested from RSF control on Friday.

The RSF is still believed to hold scattered positions in Khartoum, and the government had not yet declared full victory in the city. But Burhan’s return capped a series of gains by his forces in the capital and marked a major symbolic landmark in the war. Burhan and his military-led government had to flee Khartoum, moving to the Red Sea coastal city of Port Sudan, soon after the war erupted in April 2023.

The war broke out when the military and the RSF turned against each other in a struggle for power. Their battles around Khartoum left the RSF in control of the airport, Presidential Palace and other neighborhoods, as the fighting spread around the country.

Seizing the capital doesn’t end the conflict, as the RSF still controls parts of the western Darfur region and other areas.

Earlier in the day, the military announced it had recaptured the RSF’s last major stronghold in Khartoum, the Teiba al-Hasnab camp. There was no immediate RSF comment.

“This is a pivotal and decisive moment in the history of Sudan,” Information Minister Khalid Aleiser, spokesman of the military-controlled government, declared on social media. “Khartoum is free, as it should be.”

Military control of the airport, along with calm in Khartoum, could allow aid groups to fly more supplies into the country where the fighting has driven some 14 million people from their homes and pushed some areas into famine.

At least 28,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher.

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