The US State Department has revoked at least 300 visas, many to foreign students, as it cracks down on people who participated in protests against Israel's war in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. It comes two days after a Turkish doctoral student was arrested on the street and taken to a distant detention centre.
The State Department has focused on students who joined pro-Palestinian protests last year, including former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil over his involvement as a lead negotiator for the student protests at the New York institution.
“We do it every day,” Mr Rubio told reporters during a press conference in Georgetown, Guyana. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take it away.”
The administration of President Donald Trump has been outspoken in its disdain for those who took part in the protests, claiming they are anti-Semitic or supportive of Hamas. On Tuesday, immigration enforcement agents wearing hoodies and masks arrested Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Critics say a video of Ms Ozturk being detained looks more like a kidnapping than a standard arrest. Democratic representative Ayanna Pressley accused the Trump administration of moving to “abduct students with legal status”.
“This is a horrifying violation of Rumeysa's constitutional rights to due process and free speech. She must be immediately released,” Ms Pressley said in a statement.
Ms Ozturk, who was detained while walking to meet friends for iftar, had been moved to an immigration detention centre in Louisiana by the time her lawyer went to court and a judge ordered her to be kept in the state of Massachusetts, US government lawyers said in a court document on Thursday.
Mr Rubio told The National he had not seen video of Ms Ozturk's arrest, but that agents often had to hide their faces to protect their identities.
A senior Department of Homeland Security representative told the AP that Ms Ozturk was detained after an investigation found she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organisation that relishes the killing of Americans". The department provided no evidence for the claims.
The Trump administration has responded that the US constitutional protection of free speech does not apply to non-citizens and has accused activist students of creating a dangerous atmosphere for Jewish students.
Ms Ozturk wrote an opinion piece in March 2024 that was critical of her university's response to several resolutions on the Gaza war, including acknowledging the “Palestinian genocide”.
“We revoked it,” Mr Rubio said of her visa. “If you apply for a visa to enter the United States to be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you're coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalising universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, we're not going to give you a visa.
“If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States, and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we're going to take away your visa."
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
RESULTS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
Zayed Sustainability Prize
THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
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Torque: 630Nm
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Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
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* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
