GOP lawmakers berate Haverford College president for not discussing discipline for antisemitism
WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of Haverford College was berated by Republican lawmakers in a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism Wednesday, with some suggesting the school should lose federal funding because of her refusal to discuss student discipline in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests.
Wendy Raymond appeared alongside two other college presidents on Capitol Hill but was singled out as the only one who would not detail punishments for students and faculty accused of anti-Jewish bias. Asked repeatedly, Raymond said her institution does not publicize the outcomes of disciplinary processes.
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Winnipeg Free Press
43 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oman foreign minister says there will be sixth round of negotiations between Iran and US on Sunday
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and the United States will hold a sixth round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program this Sunday in Oman, the sultanate's foreign minister said Thursday, as regional tensions have spiked in recent days. The announcement by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi comes as the U.S. is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest. Meanwhile, there have been warnings that ships could be targeted in regional waters over the tensions. Al-Busaidi made the announcement on the social platform X. 'I am pleased to confirm the 6th round of Iran US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday the 15th,' he wrote. Iran for days had been saying there would be talks, but Oman, which is serving as the mediator, had not confirmed them until now. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Reaching a deal is one of the several diplomatic priorities being juggled by U.S. President Donald Trump and his trusted friend and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. An accord could see the U.S. lift some of its crushing economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for it drastically limiting or ending its enrichment of uranium. But a failure to get a deal could see tensions further spike in a Middle East on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Iran's economy, long ailing, could enter a free fall that could worsen the simmering unrest at home. Israel or the U.S. might carry out long-threatened airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. And Tehran may decide to fully end its cooperation with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog and rush toward a bomb. Iran and the U.S. have held previous talks in Muscat and Rome.
Japan Forward
an hour ago
- Japan Forward
EXCLUSIVE: Russian Soldier Speaks Out on War Fatigue and Disillusionment
In May, a Russian soldier in his 20s, currently deployed in Ukraine, spoke with The Sankei Shimbun while on leave in Moscow. It is highly unusual for an active-duty Russian soldier to grant an interview to Japanese media. In an exclusive interview, he discussed his reasons for joining the military and why he believes the Russian army's advance in Ukraine has slowed. He also candidly expressed deep dissatisfaction with Russian society's lack of empathy for soldiers. His ultimate personal mission, he said, is simply "to survive," and he admitted to feeling envious of Japanese society. The man agreed to the interview on the condition that neither his name nor his unit be revealed. He said he is currently serving in reconnaissance and sniper roles in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine. He first enlisted as a volunteer shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, serving from March to October that year. He later left the military but rejoined in 2024. The soldier explained that he joined the army because he "didn't want to see something like the Maidan Revolution happen in Moscow." The 2014 Maidan uprising saw Ukraine's pro-Russian government overthrown by mass protests. Russia views the Maidan Revolution as an illegal coup orchestrated by the United States and European countries. In its aftermath, Russia annexed Crimea, and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas regions (Donetsk and Luhansk) rose up with Moscow's support, sparking a conflict in eastern Ukraine. That conflict, along with Ukraine's growing ties to the West, helped set the stage for Russia's full-scale invasion. "I believe that even if Russia hadn't annexed Crimea or interfered in the country, Ukraine would eventually have been incited by the West to attack Russia," the man said. "I'm not an extreme patriot, but I believe in fighting to defend where I live." He also stated, "Ukraine has no money. Without military and financial aid from the West, it wouldn't be able to fight. It's a very dependent country." Firefighters work at an apartment building that was hit by a Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 23. (©Reuters via Kyodo) Currently, the Russian military is attempting to hold territory in southern Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Meanwhile, it is slowly advancing in eastern regions, such as Donetsk, the main battleground. However, it has struggled to capture and hold strategically important cities for extended periods. Asked why he thought the pace of the Russian advance had slowed, the soldier pointed to the deaths and injuries of skilled and courageous commanders over more than three years of fighting. "Now we have commanders with little experience in modern warfare who rely on outdated tactics. Officers and generals rarely risk themselves to show us how it's done. That's why regular soldiers are increasingly distrustful of headquarters." He also commented on the so-called "Easter Truce" reached in April 2024 between Russia and Ukraine, which had little impact on the battlefield. "During the ceasefire, I was injured in two separate Ukrainian shellings. My comrades were killed. Naturally, our unit stopped honoring the ceasefire and retaliated." The soldier said he has learned from experience what makes a good fighter. "People who enlist for money are more useful than those who join to be heroes or to kill. In my unit, there was someone who joined because he wanted to 'kill Ukrainians,' but he died quickly." "From the start, I gave myself one supreme order: to survive. But whether I can do that — I don't know." Although he said he joined out of personal conviction, the soldier criticized Russian society for its lack of respect for soldiers and general indifference toward the war. "Most Russians don't respect soldiers. Recently in Moscow, I tried to use a free public transport pass, one of the perks for soldiers, but was refused because I was missing one document," he lamented. "No one tried to help. They just don't care about soldiers or the war." Near the front lines, shops are constantly price-gouging. Cigarettes and milk I have to buy myself cost two to three times more than in Moscow," he added. "In Donetsk, when an air raid siren sounds, people rush to shelters. But in Moscow, people don't even know where the shelters are." In closing, the man recalled images he had seen on television of Japan during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, saying he could never forget them. "To me, Japan has a spirit of cooperation and unity. Sadly, Russia doesn't have that," he said with a somber expression. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
45 minutes to pack up a lifetime as Pakistan's foreigner crackdown sends Afghans scrambling
TORKHAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The order was clear and indisputable, the timeline startling. You have 45 minutes to pack up and leave Pakistan forever. Sher Khan, a 42-year-old Afghan, had returned home from his job in a brick factory. He stared at the plainclothes policeman on the doorstep, his mind reeling. How could he pack up his whole life and leave the country of his birth in under an hour? In the blink of an eye, the life he had built was taken away from him. He and his wife grabbed a few kitchen items and whatever clothes they could for themselves and their nine children. They left everything else behind at their home in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Born in Pakistan to parents who fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ensuing war, Khan is one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have now been expelled. The nationwide crackdown, launched in October 2023, on foreigners Pakistan says are living in the country illegally has led to the departures of almost 1 million Afghans already. Pakistan says millions more remain. It wants them gone. Leaving with nothing to beat a deadline 'All our belongings were left behind,' Khan said as he stood in a dusty, windswept refugee camp just across the Afghan border in Torkham, the first stop for expelled refugees. 'We tried so hard (over the years) to collect the things that we had with honor.' Pakistan set several deadlines earlier this year for Afghans to leave or face deportation. Afghan Citizen Card holders had to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31, while those with Proof of Registration could stay until June 30. No specific deadlines were set for Afghans living elsewhere in Pakistan. Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him a blow to his family's dignity. 'We are happy that we came (to Afghanistan) with modesty and honor,' he said. As for his lost belongings, 'God may provide for them here, as He did there.' A refugee influx in a struggling country At the Torkham camp, run by Afghanistan's Taliban government, each family receives a SIM card and 10,000 Afghanis ($145) in aid. They can spend up to three days there before having to move on. The camp's director, Molvi Hashim Maiwandwal, said some 150 families were arriving daily from Pakistan — far fewer than the roughly 1,200 families who were arriving about two months ago. But he said another surge was expected after the three-day Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha that started June 7. Aid organizations inside the camp help with basic needs, including healthcare. Local charity Aseel provides hygiene kits and helps with food. It has also set up a food package delivery system for families once they arrive at their final destination elsewhere in Afghanistan. Aseel's Najibullah Ghiasi said they expected a surge in arrivals 'by a significant number' after Eid. 'We cannot handle all of them, because the number is so huge,' he said, adding the organization was trying to boost fundraising so it could support more people. Pakistan blames Afghanistan for militancy Pakistan accuses Afghans of staging militant attacks inside the country, saying assaults are planned from across the border — a charge Kabul's Taliban government denies. Pakistan denies targeting Afghans, and maintains that everyone leaving the country is treated humanely and with dignity. But for many, there is little that is humane about being forced to pack up and leave in minutes or hours. Iran, too, has been expelling Afghans, with the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, saying on June 5 that 500,000 Afghans had been forced to leave Iran and Pakistan in the two months since April 1. Rights groups and aid agencies say authorities are pressuring Afghans into going sooner. In April, Human Rights Watch said police had raided houses, beaten and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. Officers demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan, the group added. Searching for hope while starting again Fifty-year-old Yar Mohammad lived in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir for nearly 45 years. The father of 12 built a successful business polishing floors, hiring several workers. Plainclothes policemen knocked on his door too. They gave him six hours to leave. 'No way a person can wrap up so much business in six hours, especially if they spent 45 years in one place,' he said. Friends rushed to his aid to help pack up anything they could: the company's floor-polishing machines, some tables, bed-frames and mattresses, and clothes. Now all his household belongings are crammed into orange tents in the Torkham refugee camp, his hard-earned floor-polishing machines outside and exposed to the elements. After three days of searching, he managed to find a place to rent in Kabul. 'I have no idea what we will do,' he said, adding that he would try to recreate his floor-polishing business in Afghanistan. 'If this works here, it is the best thing to do.'
