The US on Friday said it will deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority seeking to attend next month’s UN General Assembly in New York, where France is leading an effort to recognise a Palestinian state.
A State Department official confirmed on Saturday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is among the officials who will be denied a visa. "Abbas is affected by this action along with approximately 80 other PA officials," a State Department official said.
The State Department said waivers would be granted for the Palestine mission at the UN.
The move will serve to undermine an international push at the General Assembly in September, when several nations including Canada and Australia, have said they will recognise Palestinian statehood. France and Saudi Arabia will host a meeting at the start of the assembly to focus on the two-state solution.
Washington, firmly aligned with Israel, says statehood amounts to a reward for the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
“Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism including the October 7 massacre and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO,” a State Department statement read on Friday.
Under an agreement as host of the UN in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body.
But the US has targeted Palestinian officials by visa denials, including when former leader Yasser Arafat tried to go to the UN in 1988 and 1990.
Other figures seen as hostile to the US including former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Libya's Muammar Qaddafi and former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez all had visas to visit the UN.
“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision," said Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Saturday. "This decision will only increase tension and escalation.
“We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday he “deplores” the US decision.
"The UN headquarters is a sanctuary in the service of peace. It should not be subject to any access restrictions,'' he said after meeting with his counterparts from around the EU.
The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas issued a statement about the revoked visas. ‘’In light of the existing headquarters agreements between the UN and its host state, we urge for this decision to be reconsidered,'' she said.
Friday's move is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to target Palestinians with visa restrictions and comes as the Israeli military declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone.
Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, told The National it was “one more sign of how the UN is a symbolic battlefield in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
Mr Gowan said the move would also “provide ammunition for other UN members whose officials have run into visa restrictions on visiting New York, like the Russians, to argue that the UN should quit Manhattan or at least conduct more business in other centres like Geneva”.
The State Department also suspended a programme that had allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to travel to the US for medical treatment after a social media outcry by conservatives.
The Palestinian presidency called Friday's move unlawful and called on the Trump administration to reconsider and reverse its decision.
“The presidency stressed that this decision contravenes international law and the Headquarters Agreement, especially since the state of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations,” Wafa news agency reported.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hailed the US move as a “bold step”.
“We thank [President Donald Trump] and the administration for this bold step and for standing by Israel once again,” Mr Saar posted on his official X account.
The State Department said the PA must end its attempts to bypass negotiations through “international lawfare campaigns”, including appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and “efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state.”
“Both steps materially contributed to Hamas’s refusal to release its hostages, and to the breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire talks.”
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said blocking international diplomats from participating in UN debates “damages American leadership in the world and undermines the ability of the UN to serve as a forum for debating and addressing challenging world issues.”
The US said it remains open to re-engagement “that is consistent with our laws, should the PA/PLO meet their obligations and demonstrably take concrete steps to return to a constructive path of compromise and peaceful coexistence with the state of Israel.”
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN that he hopes the matter will be resolved.
“It is important that all member states and permanent observers be able to be represented, especially, in this case with, as we know, the upcoming two-state solution meeting that that France and Saudi Arabia will host at the beginning of the General Assembly,” he said.
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
