US judge rejects release of pro-Palestinian activist
A US judge has denied Mahmoud Khalil's request to be released from detention after federal prosecutors changed their rationale for holding the Columbia graduate student as part of its crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.
Newark, New Jersey-based US District Judge Michael Farbiarz on Wednesday said the government could not use foreign policy interests to justify Khalil's detention.
On Friday the government said it was also holding Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States, on a charge of immigration fraud.
In response, Farbiarz said Khalil's lawyers had not successfully argued why it was unlawful for the government to hold him on the charge, which he has denied.
The ruling marked the latest turn in Khalil's fight to be freed from a Louisiana detention centre after his March arrest for involvement in the pro-Palestinian protest movement, which President Donald Trump has called anti-Semitic.
His detention was condemned by civil rights groups as an attack on protected political speech.
Marc Van Der Hout, a lawyer for Khalil, said the government practically never detained people for immigration fraud and the Syrian-born student was being punished for opposing Israel's US-backed war in Gaza following Hamas' October 2023 attack.
"Detaining someone on a charge like this is highly unusual and frankly outrageous," Van Der Hout said.
"There continues to be no constitutional basis for his detention."
Farbiarz had previously suggested legal residents like Khalil were rarely detained on the basis of immigration fraud.
On Friday, he said Khalil should seek bail from the immigration lawyer in his case.
As lawyers for the Syrian-born activist sought his release, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, another immigrant targeted by the Trump administration, pleaded not guilty to migrant smuggling charges after his wrongful deportation.
Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, was arrested by immigration agents in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan on March 8.
His US citizen wife, Dr Noor Abdalla, gave birth to the couple's first child while Khalil was detained in April.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Air India black box recovered as toll climbs to 270
The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight has been recovered as the death toll climbed to at least 270 people with recovery teams continuing to scour the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane came down shortly after take-off on Thursday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Dr Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed the facility had received 270 bodies, adding the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. "He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon," Gameti said on Saturday. The plane's digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had begun its work with "full force". The black box recovery marked an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post. The device would reveal information about the engine and control settings, as well as what the voice recorder would show about the cockpit conversations, Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement. "This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after take-off and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash," said Fromme, who heads the professional association's Aerospace Division. Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines. At least five people were were killed on the ground and about 50 injured, but many more victims victims were expected to be found in the search of the crash site. DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Narendra Modi's home state. "We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words," the Indian prime minister said on social media after visiting the site. The survivor met Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries. Viswashkumar Ramesh told India's national broadcaster that he still could not believe he was alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after take-off. He said the lights then came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed. He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane. "When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive," he said. US participants in the investigation will include people from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and General Electric. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. According to experts, there are about 1200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation. with Reuters The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight has been recovered as the death toll climbed to at least 270 people with recovery teams continuing to scour the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane came down shortly after take-off on Thursday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Dr Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed the facility had received 270 bodies, adding the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. "He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon," Gameti said on Saturday. The plane's digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had begun its work with "full force". The black box recovery marked an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post. The device would reveal information about the engine and control settings, as well as what the voice recorder would show about the cockpit conversations, Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement. "This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after take-off and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash," said Fromme, who heads the professional association's Aerospace Division. Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines. At least five people were were killed on the ground and about 50 injured, but many more victims victims were expected to be found in the search of the crash site. DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Narendra Modi's home state. "We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words," the Indian prime minister said on social media after visiting the site. The survivor met Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries. Viswashkumar Ramesh told India's national broadcaster that he still could not believe he was alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after take-off. He said the lights then came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed. He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane. "When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive," he said. US participants in the investigation will include people from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and General Electric. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. According to experts, there are about 1200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation. with Reuters The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight has been recovered as the death toll climbed to at least 270 people with recovery teams continuing to scour the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane came down shortly after take-off on Thursday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Dr Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed the facility had received 270 bodies, adding the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. "He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon," Gameti said on Saturday. The plane's digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had begun its work with "full force". The black box recovery marked an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post. The device would reveal information about the engine and control settings, as well as what the voice recorder would show about the cockpit conversations, Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement. "This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after take-off and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash," said Fromme, who heads the professional association's Aerospace Division. Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines. At least five people were were killed on the ground and about 50 injured, but many more victims victims were expected to be found in the search of the crash site. DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Narendra Modi's home state. "We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words," the Indian prime minister said on social media after visiting the site. The survivor met Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries. Viswashkumar Ramesh told India's national broadcaster that he still could not believe he was alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after take-off. He said the lights then came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed. He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane. "When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive," he said. US participants in the investigation will include people from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and General Electric. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. According to experts, there are about 1200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation. with Reuters The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight has been recovered as the death toll climbed to at least 270 people with recovery teams continuing to scour the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane came down shortly after take-off on Thursday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Dr Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed the facility had received 270 bodies, adding the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. "He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon," Gameti said on Saturday. The plane's digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had begun its work with "full force". The black box recovery marked an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post. The device would reveal information about the engine and control settings, as well as what the voice recorder would show about the cockpit conversations, Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement. "This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after take-off and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash," said Fromme, who heads the professional association's Aerospace Division. Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines. At least five people were were killed on the ground and about 50 injured, but many more victims victims were expected to be found in the search of the crash site. DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Narendra Modi's home state. "We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words," the Indian prime minister said on social media after visiting the site. The survivor met Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries. Viswashkumar Ramesh told India's national broadcaster that he still could not believe he was alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after take-off. He said the lights then came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed. He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane. "When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive," he said. US participants in the investigation will include people from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and General Electric. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. According to experts, there are about 1200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation. with Reuters
West Australian
2 hours ago
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Iran threatens full blown war with deadly reply and chilling warning to other countries who defend Israel
Iran has launched deadly missile strikes on Israel followed by a chilling warning that it will target any countries who try to defend the Jewish state. The retaliatory action on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded dozens after Friday's blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. 'New round of Honest Promise 3 attacks,' Tehran's state television reported, referring to the name of the military operation. It came as a senior Iranian official said the nation would broaden the war if other countries got involved. 'Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran's operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets.' In response, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz warned Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that 'Tehran will burn' if it keeps firing missiles at Israeli civilians. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv where another person is believed to have died. Mr Katz said the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will 'pay a heavy price for it'. In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvoes on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's original attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. But several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Israel's strikes on Friday had hit the country's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had also been destroyed. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. US officials said that American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation 'an act of national preservation'. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Mr Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. Dialogue with the US over Iran's nuclear program is 'meaningless', Tehran said, accusing Washington of supporting Friday's attack. 'The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory,' foreign ministry spokes-person Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying on the semi-official Tasnim news agency. He said Israel 'succeeded in influencing' the diplomatic process and Friday's Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, continually rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. Mr Trump admitted on Fox News that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord. Global leaders have called for de-escalation of the conflict including UN chief Antonio Guterres. 'Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv, enough escalation,' Mr Guterres said. 'Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail.'
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trump's negotiations with China over rare earth metals show their significance
Victory Metals Chief Executive Brendan Clark talks about the growing interest among investors in the rare earth metals sector and how recent political talks between the US and China underscore the importance of these resources. 'There's a lot of potential out of Saudi Arabia, they have a 2030 vision to divert from oil and gas reliance into refining critical minerals and rare earth elements,' Mr Clark told Sky News host Ed Boyd. 'As well as some opportunity out of Japan with some of the major trading houses. 'There's fifteen elements, very difficult, you can barely pronounce them, and it's been a very hard educational piece. 'When you see Donald Trump negotiating with China and it's all about rare earths, it's a wake-up, and that shows the significance of what we have, and we have it in our backyard.'
