Threat to revoke visas puts Chinese students in US in limbo
Announcement by Rubio affects over 270,000 now in American colleges
Fu Ting, Kanis Leung and Huizhong Wu
©Associated Press
Today at 21:30
Chinese students studying in the US are scrambling to figure out their futures after secretary of state Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that some of them would have their visas revoked.
The US will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 'critical fields' and 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party', according to the announcement.
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Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Letters: Elon Musk's break with Donald Trump may offer opportunities to Ireland and rest of the EU
This is no ordinary falling-out. For once, Mr Trump is confronting a rival with genuine leverage – technological, communicative, financial and, perhaps, psychological. The implications could extend far beyond American shores. If this rupture holds, I could see Mr Musk pivoting towards Brussels, offering the EU and countries like Ireland his full innovation portfolio – satellites, electric vehicles, AI – at preferential rates. He may well find European regulators less volatile than a president nursing a grudge. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Tesla boss made a mistake trusting president, but he will be formidable enemy Monica Hesse doesn't hold back on the character of billionaire Elon Musk ( 'Good riddance to Musk, who did not need to do any of this', Irish Independent, June 4). But that's what drives billionaires, that's how they get there. Sitting back is not within Musk's DNA. While it is hard to have any sympathy for a billionaire who gets fired, he was naive to trust Trump. Perhaps if nothing else, Musk will be a man scorned and a formidable enemy for President Trump. In that his destructive stint into politics may prove invaluable and electrifying to America and democracy at large. Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 Billionaire's attack could turn Republicans against their leader and his bill For months, US president Donald Trump has been heralding his 'big, beautiful' spending bill as being a key piece of his agenda, containing tax cuts for the rich and benefits cuts for the vulnerable. We now know that this will also add trillions to America's debt, to the point that some are now sounding the alarm, warning of a 'debt bomb' about to hit the US economy. What the White House didn't bet on was that one of those leading critics would be Elon Musk, who has turned fire on his former boss in spectacular fashion, calling the legislation a 'disgusting abomination' and ominously warning US senators that voters will fire those politicians who 'betray America'. I am not an advocate of Musk but on this one , I believe that he's not wrong. It leaves me wondering: will the words of Musk spook Republicans into defying Donald Trump? I am also curious as to how the president will react to Musk's missives. John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Israel will stop at nothing in its war on Gaza, so it's time for Ireland cut all ties The US representative to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, repeated Washington's message as part of the veto of a resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, that Israel has the 'right to defend itself'. Unsurprisingly, there was no mention of the right to life for Palestinians. This was the latest example of the United States' unwavering support of Israel's annihilation of Gaza. Israel's UN representative, Danny Danon, eerily replied to the veto: 'Don't waste more of your time.' He added that no resolution, no vote, 'will stand in our way'. If the UN can't put a stop to the carnage, then it falls to small nations such as our own to take a stand, and at least to end our own complicity. The Irish Government must, like TCD, cut all ties with Israel. It must enact the Occupied Territories Bill, enact the Arms Embargo Bill, and stop the Central Bank regulating Israeli war bonds. After 20 months, 56,000 Palestinians are dead. How many more need to die before our Government honours its obligations as a signatory to the Genocide Convention? Aisling Brady, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Thunberg's voyage to Palestine offers haunting echoes of famine ship Kudos to Martina Devlin for highlighting the humanitarian ship Madleen on its way across the Mediterranean with vital food, medicine and other essential supplies ('Greta Thunberg's aid ship for Gaza won't get through – but that doesn't make it a failure', Irish Independent, June 6). Readers may recall the story of the Jeanie Johnston, now parked on Dublin's Custom House Quay and which began its journey in Blennerville, just outside of Tralee. This replica 'famine ship' tells the unique story of Ireland's past and the thousands of Irish people who crossed the Atlantic to escape starvation and destitution. Not one soul was lost on the original ship, which crossed the ocean dozens of times. Former RTÉ journalist Fintan Drury, whose new, deeply researched book on what is happening in Gaza, Catastrophe, asks: 'Where is the outrage?' He convincingly argues that what is now being perpetrated on a defenceless people did not begin on October 7, 2023, but rather eight decades earlier ('Author hoping to convert Kerry readers not convinced of Palestinian cause at talk in Listowel', The Kerryman and Irish Independent, May 28) The Madleen ship may be turned away by Israel but world is watching as Netanyahu and co deliberately use starvation as a shocking and cowardly tactic in their latest attempt to suppress an indigenous race. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Income tax may be deeply unfair, but its burden should fall evenly on us all The news that so many workers are exempt from income tax in one way or another presents a real moral dilemma (Irish Independent, June 5). On the one hand, income tax is a 200-year-old hangover from the Napoleonic wars; an immoral way for the State to monetise our waking hours that has no place in a free and democratic society in which the particularly altruistic can donate what they please to the Exchequer. As such, bully for those who don't have to pay it, whatever the reason. On the other hand, if the blight of income tax is to exist, it should be applied evenly, if for no other reason than to reduce the burden it places on those of us who do have to pay it. In that sense, the workers who don't pay should have to, with a view to reducing what is due from the rest of us. Killian Foley-Walsh, Kilkenny city
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
What caused Trump & Elon Musk's explosive fallout? – from NASA spat to key role of Don's teen relative, I know the truth
THE richest man in the world going toe-to-toe with the most powerful man on the planet . . . what could possibly go wrong? And has the most outlandish politician in American history finally met his match? Advertisement 7 Elon Musk, left, looks down on Donald Trump during a White House press conference Credit: AP 7 Musk toured the swing states at last year's election telling the world that Trump was the greatest thing since sliced bread Credit: AFP 7 Trump was considering selling his own Tesla, which has spent weeks parked outside the Oval Office Credit: AP From the moment neuro-diverse rocket man Elon Musk backed New York real estate heavy Donald J. Trump to return to I hear it's the galaxy and beyond that has been at the centre of their tensions, but more on that later — as last night Washington was awash with claims Musk's attempts to befriend 'Bankrupting America is not OK – kill the bill' But the powerful pair certainly have fallen out, trading public blows on their social media sites of choice — the very tech platforms that have both made them and could yet see them crash to back down to earth. Asked if they could reconcile yesterday, Trump slammed Musk as 'the man who has lost his mind'. Advertisement In the end, the most famous bromance in political history lasted less than a year, and the fallout risks dragging them both down. Musk claims credit for his $300million in donations swinging the election Trump's way, while the White House says that's fake news and the car salesman is sulking because he's not getting much bang for his buck. The pair clashed publicly over Trump's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' — legislation that he says will deliver a slew of campaign promises like banning taxes on tips for millions of American workers. 7 Trump was tiring of Elon's 'ketamine-fuelled' antics Credit: AFP Advertisement 7 Richest man in the world Musk is going toe-to-toe with the most powerful man on the planet Credit: AFP But Musk — appointed to the administration to cut eye-watering federal expenditure — baulked at the increase in government spending tacked on to the law by Congress, branding it an 'abomination'. Most read in The Sun Breaking He irked Trump by urging senators to vote it down, adding it could be 'big or beautiful but it cannot be both'. Musk raged on social media: 'This spending bill contains the largest increase in the debt ceiling in US history! It is the Debt Slavery Bill… Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.' Advertisement Trump crushes hopes of 'peace talks' call with Musk as he insists Elon has 'lost his mind' after feud went nuclear It's a long cry from when Musk toured the swing states at last year's election telling the world that Trump was the greatest thing since sliced bread and organising well-oiled get-out-the-vote operations. But behind the scenes I'm told Trump was already at the end of his tether with Musk who some sources accuse of 'gurning away' on the campaign trail and in meetings. Brought in to help slash costs through his Department of Government Efficiency, tensions reached a head after the New York Times ran a well-sourced hit piece accusing Musk of enjoying recreational drugs such as ketamine and ecstasy throughout his brief foray into politics. Those claims were not denied when Musk was confronted by Fox News in an Oval Office press conference last week. Advertisement Musk's coterie of love-children and his stated desire to help repopulate the planet with, what his former lovers have claimed, he calls genius offspring have also rubbed Trump up the wrong way. Teetotal Trump wanted rid of him but also wanted to give his big donor a decent goodbye, so lavished praise on him after he departed as special government employee last week. Yet despite all the niceties, the former allies are locked in a Cold War stand-off this weekend. 7 Devout Trump-backer Steve Bannon called for South African-born Musk to be deported Credit: The Mega Agency Advertisement Will they both retreat to their bunkers and realise mutually assured destruction is in neither of their interests, OR will they be unable to help themselves and launch a thermonuclear blow-out that burns them both up? Musk came close to that on Friday night, with his outlandish allegations that the President was sitting on files about billionaire deceased paedo-financier Jeffrey Epstein — because Trump himself is named as a murky connection. White House sources say that is nonsense and were that bombshell evidence to be sitting in a government file somewhere, surely previous Democrat governments would have leaked it by now. Musk ended his online diatribe with calls for Trump to be impeached, adding a menacing suggestion he could back the Democrats. Advertisement It's a mess, but one that was very obviously cooking Harry Cole Yet even some of his closest allies and supporters were left begging any friend possible to strip Musk of access to his own X platform before he caused any more damage. It's a dangerous game for the mercurial billionaire to play — because the President hit back that he was going to suspend US subsidies and government contracts for the entrepreneurs' many, many firms. Musk's electric car firm Tesla shares were down 14 per cent yesterday — the biggest one-day drop since the company went public, wiping $152billion off its value. And that's before the $3billion personal hit to Musk on the back of an evening of lively tweeting. Advertisement In a further snub, Trump was last night considering selling his own Tesla which has spent weeks parked outside the Oval Office, in a move which could spark a wave of similar fire sales across the US amongst his fans. 'Musk is an illegal alien and should be deported' The Tesla Cybertruck gifted to the President's granddaughter Kai is presumably for the chop too. Meanwhile, the row threatens to spark a wider war between various right-wing camps that run Washington, with implications felt in Congress and across the political spectrum. Devout Trump-backer Steve Bannon called for South African-born Musk to be deported from the US, saying yesterday: 'They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien and should be deported from the country immediately.' Advertisement 7 Twitter exchanges between the pair Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed autistic automaker said he could launch a new political party — an idea backed by 80 per cent of the millions of respondents to his social media poll yesterday. But this wasn't just a political knife-fight but also a brawl in the casino of capitalism. In short, it's a mess, but one that was very obviously cooking. Musk is a libertarian, free-marketeer who has his sights on the moon and Mars and beyond. Advertisement Trump is the tariff-loving protectionist who believes it's America First and everyone else can fall in line behind that. Prior to SpaceX, they couldn't even transport their own astronauts to the International Space Station and had to rely on outdated Russian rockets Dr Rainer Zitelmann Add to that their tensions on China that Trump sees as an existential threat to the US, while Musk views it as an opportunity to produce his electric cars on the cheap. It's amazing that things took so long to come to a head. And then it came down to space, where Musk obviously has a major financial interest as the boss of SpaceX — the rocket firm hat has all but colonised America's space projects. Advertisement As top economist Dr Rainer Zitelmann puts it: 'Without SpaceX, the US does not currently have much to offer. "Prior to SpaceX, they couldn't even transport their own astronauts to the International Space Station and had to rely on outdated Russian rockets — and paid exorbitant prices to do so. 'SpaceX is responsible for 86 per cent of all US launches.' But things were coming to a head when Trump blocked a Musk ally to take over Nasa last month, infuriating his former 'First Buddy'. Advertisement Moment of maximum danger Insiders say Musk's attempts to take over Nasa were a step too far that left America's future security beholden to a private company run by a wildly unpredictable boss. Sources claimed Musk recently had his high-level security clearances revoked by the White House as tensions mounted, leading to Friday's pyrotechnics. What happens next is a moment of maximum danger for Trump. Brits will be familiar with what happens when a leader and their dangerous right-hand man fall out. Advertisement Boris Johnson found out the hard way that if the snubbed guru bears enough of a grudge, it is fatal. Read more on the Irish Sun The White House will be hoping this weekend that Elon holds less resentment than equally unstable I wonder whether that might be a bit of wishful thinking . . .
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
International Criminal Court comes out fighting in wake of US sanctions
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has described sanctions imposed by the US as 'a clear attempt to undermine its judicial independence'. Within hours of the announcement on Thursday evening, the European Union came out strongly in support of the court, praising it as 'a cornerstone of international justice' whose independence and integrity must be protected.' In a post on X, European Council president Antonio Costa wrote: 'The ICC does not stand against nations, it stands against impunity. The rule of law most prevail over the rule of power.' The sanctions were imposed by US secretary of state Marco Rubio on four judges for what he called 'illegitimate actions' targeting the United States and Israel. READ MORE The judges were named as Beti Hohler of Slovenia, Luz de Carmen Ibānez Carranza of Peru, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin. Hohler and Alapini-Gansou were two of the judges who authorised the ICC arrest warrants for Israeli premier, Binyamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, accused of war crimes in Gaza following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7th, 2023. Bossa and Ibāñez Carranza were involved in authorising an ICC investigation into alleged abuses by US troops and CIA officials in Afghanistan. 'As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC's illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel', Rubio alleged. 'The ICC is politicised and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies.' Such assertions, he said, were 'dangerous' and infringed upon 'the sovereignty and national security of the United States'. In February the US also imposed sanctions on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan for his role in pursuing the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. It froze his bank accounts, left him without email, and barred him from entering the US or doing business with US companies or agencies. The latest sanctions on the judges were imposed under the same executive order signed by President Trump. As a result of that order, Americans who work for the court in The Hague have been warned they could face arrest if they return home. The International Federation of Human Rights representative to the ICC, Danya Chaikel, noted that the sanctions being employed were originally designed to 'disrupt terrorist networks, weapons traffickers and human rights abusers – not international justice institutions'. Neither the US nor Israel is a member of the ICC and they do not recognise the court's jurisdiction. In an unrelated development, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan took leave of absence last month pending an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.
