Airplane gifted by Qatar 'much too big', laments Donald Trump
The Qataris have given the US president a Boeing 747-8, a stretch model of the jumbo jet that is more than 18ft longer than the much older 747-200B that flies as the current Air Force One. 'Frankly, it's much too big,' Donald Trump told reporters.
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Reuters
41 minutes ago
- Reuters
Universities seek to lure US-bound students amid Trump crackdown
TOKYO/BEIJING/LONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - Universities around the world are seeking to offer refuge for students impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on academic institutions, targeting top talent and a slice of the billions of dollars in academic revenue in the United States. Osaka University, one of the top ranked in Japan, is offering tuition fee waivers, research grants and help with travel arrangements for students and researchers at U.S. institutions that want to transfer. Japan's Kyoto University and Tokyo University are also considering similar schemes, while Hong Kong has instructed its universities to attract top talent from the United States. China's Xi'an Jiaotong University has appealed for students at Harvard, singled out in Trump's crackdown, promising "streamlined" admissions and "comprehensive" support. Trump's administration has enacted massive funding cuts for academic research, curbed visas for foreign students - especially those from China - and plans to hike taxes on elite schools. Trump alleges top U.S. universities are cradles of anti-American movements. In a dramatic escalation, his administration last week revoked Harvard's ability to enrol foreign students, a move later blocked by a federal judge. Masaru Ishii, dean of the graduate school of medicine at Osaka University, described the impact on U.S. universities as "a loss for all of humanity". Japan aims to ramp up its number of foreign students to 400,000 over the next decade, from around 337,000 currently. Jessica Turner, CEO of Quacquarelli Symonds, a London-based analytics firm that ranks universities globally, said other leading universities around the world were trying to attract students unsure of going to the United States. Germany, France and Ireland are emerging as particularly attractive alternatives in Europe, she said, while in the Asia-Pacific, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and mainland China are rising in profile. Chinese students have been particularly targeted in Trump's crackdown, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday pledging to "aggressively" crack down on their visas. More than 275,000 Chinese students are enrolled in hundreds of U.S. colleges, providing a major source of revenue for the schools and a crucial pipeline of talent for U.S. technology companies. International students - 54% of them from India and China - contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Trump's crackdown comes at a critical period in the international student application process, as many young people prepare to travel to the U.S. in August to find accommodation and settle in before term starts. Dai, 24, a Chinese student based in Chengdu, had planned to head to the U.S. to complete her masters but is now seriously considering taking up an offer in Britain instead. "The various policies (by the U.S. government) were a slap in my face," she said, requesting to be identified only by her surname for privacy reasons. "I'm thinking about my mental health and it's possible that I indeed change schools." Students from Britain and the European Union are also now more hesitant to apply to U.S. universities, said Tom Moon, deputy head of consultancy at Oxbridge Applications, which helps students in their university applications. There has been an uptick in applications to British universities from prospective students in the U.S., said Universities UK, an organisation that promotes British institutions. It cautioned, however, that it was too early to say whether that translates into more students enrolling. Ella Rickets, an 18-year old first year student at Harvard from Canada, said she receives a generous aid package paid for by the school's donors and is concerned that she won't be able to afford other options if forced to transfer. "Around the time I was applying to schools, the only university across the Atlantic I considered was Oxford... However, I realised that I would not be able to afford the international tuition and there was no sufficient scholarship or financial aid available," she said. If Harvard's ability to enrol foreign students is revoked, she would most likely apply to the University of Toronto, she said. Analytics firm QS said overall visits to its 'Study in America' online guide have declined by 17.6% in the last year — with interest from India alone down over 50%. "Measurable impacts on enrolment typically emerge within six to 18 months. Reputational effects, however, often linger far longer, particularly where visa uncertainty and shifting work rights play into perceptions of risk versus return," said QS' Turner. That reputational risk, and the ensuing brain drain, could be even more damaging for U.S. institutions than the immediate economic hit from students leaving. "If America turns these brilliant and talented students away, they will find other places to work and study," said Caleb Thompson, a 20-year-old U.S. student at Harvard, who lives with eight international scholars.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Al-Nassr working on renewing Ronaldo deal, says club chief
RIYADH, May 30 (Reuters) - Al-Nassr are negotiating with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract extension but face competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d'Or winner, the Saudi side's sporting director Fernando Hierro said on Thursday. Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward's future intensified after Al-Nassr's season-ending match at Al-Fateh on Monday, with Ronaldo posting on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written." "Ronaldo's contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 30. We will work to renew his contract so he can continue with us, and there are many clubs interested in signing him," Hierro told a news conference. Despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the June 14-July 13 tournament in the United States. FIFA has created a special transfer window for clubs to sign players for the event, and while Wydad Casablanca had been linked with a move for Ronaldo a source close to the Moroccan side told Reuters last week they were not in talks to sign him. Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons and Hierro described him as a trailblazer for Saudi soccer. "Ronaldo's presence from the beginning is a national project," Hierro said. "Cristiano has opened up soccer in this country to the world. It's phenomenal that he had the courage to come here, stay here, and open up the Saudi Arabian league to the world."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Israel reportedly accepts US ceasefire proposal but Hamas says it fails to end war
Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly told the families of Israeli hostages that he has accepted a new ceasefire proposal presented by US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, local media reported. The prime minister's office has not confirmed or denied the report. It, however, denounced Channel 12, one of the Israeli media outlets that reported on the development, as a 'propaganda channel', alleging that one of its reporters had tried to 'smuggle' a recording device into Mr Netanyahu's office before his meeting with the families of the hostages. A Palestinian official involved in the mediation told Reuters that the discussions were continuing with the mediators and ' Hamas hasn't handed its response yet'. The Palestinian militant group, which has been at war with Israel since October 2023, confirmed it had received the new proposal and was reviewing it. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Israel had 'signed off' on the ceasefire proposal, which Mr Witkoff, had forwarded to Hamas for review. 'I can also confirm that those discussions are continuing and we hope a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home,' Ms Leavitt said at a briefing, according to Reuters. While the proposal was 'still under discussion' by Hamas, Al Jazeera reported, the group was of the view that, in its current form, it would only result in 'the continuation of killing and famine ' in Gaza. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that they would reject the proposal as it failed to meet their key demands, including an end to the war. The official said the group would issue a response in due time. Israel, meanwhile, has ordered the closure of al-Awda Hospital, the last functioning medical facility in northern Gaza, forcing health officials to urgently relocate remaining patients and staff. The forced closure of the hospital comes amid a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as Israel's tightening blockade continues to strangle the besieged Palestinian territory. Recent attempts to distribute scarce food supplies – led by a controversial group backed by the US and Israel called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – remained chaotic on Thursday, with scenes of disorder at designated distribution points. Several explosions were heard and Israeli gunfire reported near a distribution centre in central Gaza early on Friday. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said 'starvation is threatening the future of the children' in the Palestinian enclave. 'What's urgently needed is a political will to allow the UN and partners to provide assistance at scale without hindrance or interruption,' Lazzarini said in a post on X. 'Allow us to do our work.' As the starving Palestinians frantically attempted to find food, Israeli forces continued to conduct strikes across the territory, killing at least 70 people since early Thursday. Gaza's health ministry condemned the Israeli order to shut down al-Awda Hospital, describing it as a 'continuation of the violations and crimes' against the territory's healthcare system. Health officials said the hospital's closure followed fresh Israeli evacuation orders on Thursday, affecting large numbers of residents in the northern and eastern areas of Gaza City. In a statement, the health ministry urged 'all concerned sides to ensure protection for the health system in the Gaza Strip as guaranteed by international and humanitarian laws'. According to the World Health Organization, at least 97 people, including 13 patients, remain at al-Awda. The agency said it was planning a mission on Friday to evacuate them to another hospital. 'Due to impassable roads, the hospital's medical equipment cannot be relocated,' the WHO noted. According to the Guardian, the Israel Defense Forces issued a new evacuation order for a broad section of northern Gaza late Thursday, instructing residents of Al-Atatra, Jabalia, and the Gaza City neighbourhoods of Shujaiya and Al-Zaytun to move west. The Israeli military said these areas would be deemed 'dangerous combat zones' with immediate effect. Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians so far, according to the local health ministry, left the territory in ruins and displaced most of its 2.2 million inhabitants. The latest war on Gaza began in October 2023 after around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage during a Hamas attack on southern Israel.
