Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Campuses across the US were on edge on Wednesday after pro-Palestine protests at the University of California, Los Angeles, turned violent and police at Columbia University in New York made hundreds of arrests during a raid on a building that demonstrators had occupied.
Arrests and scuffles also broke out at other institutions, including the University of Wisconsin and the City College of New York, as administrators called in the police to deal with demonstrations that have rocked campuses in a mass movement not seen since the Vietnam War protests in the 1960s and 70s.
The violence at UCLA broke out overnight after Israel supporters attacked a camp set up by pro-Palestinian protesters. The university called police, who moved in to restore order.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the violence “absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable” in a post on social media platform X and said officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were on the scene.
“Due to the distress caused by the violence that took place on Royce Quad late last night and early this morning, all classes are cancelled today,” UCLA said in a statement.
Officers from the New York Police Department entered Columbia's campus on Tuesday night after the university requested help clearing a tent encampment and reclaiming Hamilton Hall, which protesters had seized hours earlier.
Columbia president Nemat Shafik said she had asked police to clear all encampments and maintain a campus presence through at least May 17. It was the second time the university had requested police assistance in responding to student protests.
Mr Shafik said in statement that seizing the building was a “drastic escalation of many months of protest activity” that “pushed the university to the brink, creating a disruptive environment for everyone and raising safety risks to an intolerable level”.
“Our academic leaders spent eight days engaging over long hours in serious dialogue in good faith with protest representatives,” she said.
“Our efforts to find a solution went into Tuesday evening, but regrettably, we were unable to come to resolution.”
Undeterred by the arrests, students and faculty members regrouped on Wednesday at the main gates of the campus to make their voices heard.
“Honestly, it was very scary to watch what happened and we thought that all the trust had been broken between admin and students before, but now it just decimated it,” one student, who did not wish to be identified, told The National.
“A lot of kids have been describing it as 'dystopian'.”
A faculty member, who asked to be referred to only as Lorraine, told The National: “We know that the administration is misusing the money. This is a trend that we see all over academia. What's happened in the past days is very much linked with financial interest.”
Blocks away at the City College of New York, demonstrators were in a stand-off with police outside the public institution's main gate.
A video posted on social media by reporters on the scene late on Tuesday showed officers putting some people on the ground and shoving others as they cleared the street and pavements.
New York Mayor Eric Adams and police have accused “outside agitators” of radicalising students, with officials pointing to a “change in tactics” used by protesters as evidence that outside actors had been attempting to sow “chaos” during demonstrations.
They did not, however, indicate whether any of these alleged agitators had been arrested, saying only that “certain individuals … well known to us” had been involved in demonstrations.
Almost 300 people were arrested, officials said.
At the University of Wisconsin, police on Wednesday began dismantling a protest encampment at the school in Madison.
And at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, police in riot gear closed in on an encampment late on Tuesday and arrested about 20 people for trespassing.
University officials had warned earlier in the day that students would face criminal charges if they did not disperse.
At George Washington University in the nation’s capital, there was a sense of shock and disbelief at the violence across the country.
“It is extremely disheartening to see how the NYPD and the Columbia administration have resorted to violence and brutalised their students instead of committing to full divestment,” Yaya, who is one of a handful of demonstrators chosen to speak to the media, told The National.
The fourth-year student, who wore a mask to help conceal her identity, said protesters were “always cognisant” of the possibility that such violence may eventually unfold here.
Raf Hawa, a third-year student whose family is from Jerusalem, said what happened at UCLA and Columbia broke his heart.
“To see that these universities don't really stand with their students, which as universities, is their main job to keep us safe, and universities across the globe yesterday did not do that,” he said.
Students at George Washington University start protest camp to support Gaza – video
Mr Hawa attributes the relative calm that has characterised the encampment at George Washington to the community, which he called “a phenomenal thing”.
A lone pro-Israel supporter protested across the street from the encampment, periodically shouting “Israel has a right to exist”, but it was a peaceful scene.
“They've been chanting for the last week 'from the river to the sea Palestine, will be free,” said Michael Willie, one of the protesters.
“That’s a genocidal phrase.”
He added that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser should have “cleared this encampment when she had the chance”.
Protesters have spent weeks demanding universities shed any investments in companies or funds that are connected to Israel, as well as asking colleges to cut academic ties with Israeli institutions.
The protests have let to an outcry from politicians, including US President Joe Biden, who have condemned protesters' tactics that have led to campuses being shut down during final exams and weeks before graduation ceremonies.
Republicans accuse the pro-Palestinian protesters of being anti-Semitic and have suggested the National Guard should be deployed to end the movement.
During a Wednesday press conference, Representative Tom Cotton of Arkansas called the encampments “little Gazas” that were full of “terrorist sympathisers”.
On Tuesday, a Republican-backed bill passed the House of Representatives, with the piece of legislation calling for the codification of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism into the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Advocates say the bill is necessary for the protection of Jewish students and provides clarity for agencies that enforce the law, while critics say it will outlaw criticism of Israel as discriminatory and “chill constitutionally protected speech”.
Mr Biden is monitoring “the situation closely”, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
She said that while students have a right to peacefully protest, a “small percentage” of people were making their peers feel unsafe on campus.
Police dismantle student encampment – in pictures
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Our legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Company%20profile
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
