Trump revokes Harvard's right to enrol int'l students
The Trump administration has halted Harvard University's ability to enrol international students, US Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
'I am writing to inform you that, effective immediately, Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Programme certification is revoked,' Noem said in a letter shared on X.
She said the Trump administration is...
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
The lesson Asean must draw from the Trump-Musk quarrel
THE public spat between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk should be viewed with detached clarity by Asean policymakers and observers. It is neither a signal of a shift in American foreign policy nor does it foreshadow a major realignment in the global tech landscape. In his second term, Trump has doubled down on his view that the US must be ruled not by institutions but by personalities. He has no patience with those who challenge his centrality. Musk, once an object of Trump's admiration, has become a rival personality. The former's influence spans multiple domains — space, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and digital media. In the eyes of Trump, this influence must be subordinate to political loyalty. Musk's criticism of Trump, whether on policy, personality or principle, has thus drawn an inevitable response. Yet Musk is no innocent bystander. His relentless need to comment, provoke and insert himself into the political arena has increasingly eroded the neutrality that once insulated Tesla and SpaceX from partisan warfare. Since acquiring Twitter — renamed X — Musk has made the platform a personal amplifier of his views, often blurring the line between corporate strategy and personal vendetta. Just as Trump cannot resist attacking, Musk cannot help but respond. The result is a digital 'blood sport'. At a deeper level, Musk's recent provocations may be to deflect attention from his growing troubles. Tesla, long seen as the undisputed champion of electric vehicles, is now steadily losing global market share to China's BYD. Despite Musk's early-mover advantage, the Chinese EV juggernaut has surpassed Tesla in both unit sales and technological innovation, especially in markets across Asia and the Global South. This shift is not just commercial — it is geopolitical. China's industrial policy, from lithium refining to battery standardisation, has enabled firms like BYD to undercut and outpace American competitors. Tesla, by contrast, faces domestic regulatory scrutiny, investor fatigue and inconsistent leadership. Musk, who once rode the wave of futuristic optimism, is now increasingly seen as a mercurial figure whose ventures are overextended and reactive. While American media and pundits obsess about this feud, Asean must resist being distracted. The region is entering a critical decade in which its ability to lead on green transition, artificial intelligence governance and maritime security will define its global role. Whether Musk and Trump call each other names or trade blows on social media is irrelevant to the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, or to the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Moreover, if there is a lesson to draw from this spectacle, it is the danger of personalising power. Asean's strength has always rested in its ability to temper egos through consensus and consultation. That is not a flaw but a survival mechanism. The bloc should be wary of importing political styles rooted in personality cults, where institutions are hollowed out in favour of personal charisma and performative leadership. Musk and Trump are both creatures of the same American pathology: the belief that individual willpower, when fused with wealth or fame, is enough to override complex systems. But Asean is different. The region's success depends not on dominant personalities but on the patient weaving of trust, rules and interdependence. Ultimately, Asean must tune out the noise. There are far more pressing issues to confront — from resolving the Myanmar crisis and addressing climate-induced migration, to strengthening regional supply chains and ensuring cybersecurity. The Musk-Trump bust-up may dominate headlines in Washington, but it is only a sideshow to the real geopolitical currents shaping Asia's future.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
'One hell after another': US travel ban deepens despair for Afghans awaiting visas
KABUL: Mehria had been losing hope of getting a visa to emigrate to the United States but her spirits were crushed when President Donald Trump raised yet another hurdle by banning travel for Afghans. Trump had already disrupted refugee pathways after he returned to power in January but a sweeping new travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan, will go into effect on Monday (June 9). The ban changes little for most Afghans who already faced steep barriers to travel abroad, but many who had hung their hopes on a new life in the United States felt it was yet another betrayal. "Trump's recent decisions have trapped not only me but thousands of families in uncertainty, hopelessness and thousands of other disasters," Mehria, a 23-year-old woman who gave only one name, said from Pakistan, where she has been waiting since applying for a US refugee visa in 2022. "We gave up thousands of hopes and our entire lives and came here on a promise from America, but today we are suffering one hell after another," she told AFP. The United States has not had a working embassy in Afghanistan since the Taliban ousted the foreign-backed government in 2021, forcing Afghans to apply for visas in third countries. The Taliban's return followed the drawdown of US and NATO troops who had ousted them two decades earlier in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The Taliban government has since imposed a strict view of Islamic law and severe restrictions on women, including bans on some education and work. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have applied for visas to settle in the United States, either as refugees or under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programme reserved for those who aided the US government during its war against the Taliban. Afghans with SIV visas and asylum cases will not be affected by Trump's new order but family reunification pathways are threatened, the Afghan-American Foundation said in a statement condemning the ban. Some 12,000 people are awaiting reunification with family members already living in the United States, according to Shawn VanDiver, the president of the AfghanEvac non-profit group. "These are not 'border issues'. These are legal, vetted, documented reunifications," he wrote on social media platform X. "Without exemptions, families are stranded." Refugee pathways and relocation processes for resettling Afghans had already been upset by previous Trump orders, suddenly leaving many Afghans primed to travel to the United States in limbo. The Trump administration revoked legal protections temporarily shielding Afghans from deportation in May, citing an improved security situation in Afghanistan. "We feel abandoned by the United States, with whom we once worked and cooperated," said Zainab Haidari, another Afghan woman who has been waiting in Pakistan for a refugee visa. "Despite promises of protection and refuge we are now caught in a hopeless situation, between the risk of death from the Taliban and the pressure and threat of deportation in Pakistan," said Haidari, 27, who worked with the United States in Kabul during the war but applied for a refugee visa. Afghans fled in droves during decades of conflict, but the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops from Kabul saw a new wave clamouring to escape Taliban government curbs and fears of reprisal for working with Washington. Pakistan and Iran have meanwhile ramped up deportation campaigns to expel Afghans who have crossed their borders. The Taliban authorities have not responded to multiple requests for comment on the new travel ban but have said they are keen to have good relations with every country now that they are in power -- including the United States. Visa options for Afghans are already severely limited by carrying the weakest passport globally, according to the Henley Passport Index. However, travel to the United States is far from the minds of many Afghans who struggle to make ends meet in one of the world's poorest countries, where food insecurity is rife. "We don't even have bread, why are you asking me about travelling to America?" said one Afghan man in Kabul. Sahar, a 29-year-old economics graduate who has struggled to find work amid sky-high unemployment, said the new rules will not have any impact on most Afghans. "When there are thousands of serious issues in Afghanistan, this won't change anything," she told AFP. "Those who could afford to travel and apply for the visa will find another way or to go somewhere else instead of the US." - AFP
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
US-China renewed dialogue seen lifting Malaysia's trade outlook
KUALA LUMPUR: Renewed trade talks between the United States and China are expected to boost investor confidence and strengthen Malaysia's trade momentum, an economist said. Putra Business School economist Professor Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff said any move to reduce tariffs between the two economic giants could steady the sails for Malaysia by boosting confidence and trade visibility. "If the US and China agree to resume talks and reach a deal to reduce tariffs on each other, Malaysia's trade environment and investor sentiment will become less volatile and uncertain," he told Business Times. "This would boost investor confidence and encourage continued investment in Malaysia," Razman added, noting that while tensions persist, Malaysia is taking steps to shield its economy. Razman also expects Malaysia's export markets and supply chains to remain competitive, although growth may moderate slightly. This, he said, is supported by ongoing efforts to diversify export destinations, grow the country's trading partnerships and enhance intra-Asean trade. Should US-China negotiations break down again, he said the impact on Malaysia would likely remain limited. "There will be some negative impact but it will be minimum as majority of Malaysia's products such as semiconductor will not be subjected to higher tariffs by the US," he said. Trump and Xi held a 90-minute phone conversation on Thursday, marking their first direct dialogue since Trump resumed office. The call, widely viewed as a positive step towards easing the prolonged trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, laid the groundwork for renewed bilateral cooperation and the resumption of high-level trade negotiations. Both leaders agreed to restart trade talks, with senior US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expected to meet their Chinese counterparts. The timing and venue for these negotiations have yet to be finalised but are anticipated to be announced in the coming weeks. Although the call sparked market optimism, US stocks closed lower as a sharp decline in Tesla shares outweighed the positive momentum from progress in US-China tariff negotiations. Tesla shares plunged over 14 per cent in heavy trading as the escalating public feud between Trump and businessman Elon Musk rattled investors, wiping out about US$150 billion in market value. Razman downplayed concerns over the spat saying, "The impact on Malaysia will be minimal, as the fallout primarily affects the SpaceX program and Tesla production."
