50 years after Lebanon's civil war began, a bullet-riddled bus stands as a reminder
BEIRUT — It was an ordinary day in Beirut. In one part of Lebanon's capital, a church was inaugurated, with the leader of the Christian Phalange party there. In another, Palestinian factions held a military parade. Phalangists and Palestinians had clashed, again, that morning.
What happened next on April 13, 1975, would change the course of Lebanon, plunging it into 15 years of civil war. It would kill about 150,000 people, leave 17,000 missing and lead to foreign intervention. Beirut became synonymous with snipers, kidnappings and car bombs.
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Los Angeles Times
27 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rubio vowed to revoke Chinese student visas. Trump now says Chinese students are welcome
In a potential pullback after U.S. officials said two weeks ago that they would 'aggressively' revoke visas for Chinese students enrolled at U.S. universities and increase vetting of student visa applicants, President Trump said Wednesday that he had come to an agreement with China on students 'using our colleges and universities.' The president offered no details on the students in the announcement posted to his Truth Social platform as part of a brief outline of a trade deal with China that he said was pending approval by each side. But the decision appeared to relax a clampdown on America's second-largest international student group that has been under increased scrutiny since May 28, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the U.S. would broadly revoke Chinese student visas and target individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or who studied unnamed 'critical fields.' On Wednesday, Trump said that having Chinese students at U.S schools 'has always been good with me!' 'Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me. Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent! Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump said in his all-caps post. The State Department did not respond to a request for clarification on the visa matter, including the question of whether Rubio's comments still applied. The May policy to aggressively cancel Chinese student visas has roiled higher education nationally and in California. Universities depend on the full tuition fees paid by international students and see Chinese and other foreign students as integral to their academic operations and missions to foster diverse campuses. The May 28 Rubio announcement — and now the potential relaxing of it — has exacerbated growing uncertainty at universities, which have been dealt a barrage of actions under Trump, including grant cancellations, federal investigations into alleged antisemitism and investigations into admissions policies. International students have especially been in the crosshairs. There have been thousands of student visa cancellations over the spring for violations as minor as speeding tickets and attempted deportations of pro-Palestinian college activists who are international students. There is a pause of new student visa application appointments while the State Department increases security vetting procedures, including probing social media profiles for pro-Palestinian language and imagery. Trump's new travel ban, which went into place Monday, has also led some universities to advise incoming students from countries on the list to defer enrollment. Of the 1.1 million foreign students enrolled at U.S. universities, roughly 277,000 are Chinese — second only to Indians. The 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state's nearly 141,000 foreign students. The University of California has 17,832 Chinese students across all of its campuses. Locally, USC has nearly 6,000 and UCLA has 2,208. A UC spokesperson declined to comment on Trump's social media post and pointed The Times to the university's prior statement on Chinese student visa restrictions that said it was 'concerned about the U.S. State Department's announcement to revoke visas of Chinese students.' 'Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission,' the statement said. A USC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. While there are no data pointing to widespread security concerns over Chinese students and scholars, there have been incidents in recent years. This week, the U.S. said it arrested a Chinese scientist who was arriving in Detroit to pursue research at the University of Michigan. The scientist, from University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, is accused of illegally smuggling biological material related to worms that require a government permit. In an interview, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), a member of the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce, called the potential Trump shift on Chinese student visas an example of 'TACO,' a phrase some Democrats are using to say 'Trump always chickens out,' reflecting the president's policy shifts. Republicans have argued that the president's shifts are a negotiation strength. 'In allowing Chinese students to come here, it's part of the importance of the United States being a draw for students from everywhere,' Takano said. 'But his overreach, his interference in the operations of universities ... endangers the higher education enterprise of America.' There is also political value to the U.S. in having Chinese students here, experts said. 'For the United States, bringing Chinese students [here] isn't just about educating them in subjects like math and science — it is about educating them in American values, like democracy and freedom of speech,' said Emily Baum, an associate professor of modern Chinese history at UC Irvine. 'And the expectation is that either they will stay in the United States because they enjoy life here or take those values back to China and influence the political system.' It could be that some Chinese students are turned off by the vacillations of the Trump administration and decide to stay in China for university, one expert added. Gaurav Khanna, an associate professor of economics at UC San Diego, said that around the year 2000, China began a major campaign to build new universities. Within about half a decade, it had doubled the number of institutions in the country, he said. 'They invested heavily,' Khanna said. 'In some ways, they are well-suited to say, 'Hey, don't risk your future going to a second-tier American university. Why don't you stay back here in China and go to this really good university where ... there is funding for research?''
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump admin slams UK, Canada, Australia and others who sanctioned Israeli officials
The Trump administration slammed the U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia after the five nations imposed sanctions and travel bans—along with other actions—against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. "These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel." Israel Objects To Foreign Nations Sanctioning Its Officials Ben-Gvir praised Rubio for his statement, saying that "the American administration is a moral compass in the face of the confusion of some Western countries that choose to appease terrorist organizations like Hamas." He added that Israel would continue its fight against terrorism. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar also thanked Rubio for being "a clear moral voice" and said the U.S. official's statement "should be a compass to the international community, to all those preaching [to] Israel, ignoring realities." Sa'ar condemned the U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia's "outrageous" actions against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich on Tuesday. He said the "actions and decisions against Israel also contribute to hardening Hamas' stance in the negotiations for the hostage deal—and distance it and the ceasefire." Read On The Fox News App Netanyahu Accuses The Uk, France And Canada Of 'Enabling Hamas' In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were accused of inciting "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights." All five nations whose foreign ministers issued the joint statement have been critical of Israel as it pursued its post-Oct. 7 war against Hamas. In May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.K., France and Canada of "enabling Hamas" after the countries demanded that Jerusalem halt its military campaign in Gaza. "I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history." Australia and New Zealand also issued a joint statement on the Israel-Hamas war in December 2024 in which they called for a ceasefire in Gaza and scolded Israel over its treatment of U.N. agencies, such as the controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In his Tuesday statement, Sa'ar said Israel will convene a government meeting early next week to discuss its response to the actions taken against the article source: Trump admin slams UK, Canada, Australia and others who sanctioned Israeli officials
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Greta Thunberg Reacted To Trump Saying She Needs "Anger Management"
Greta Thunberg is speaking out after being detained by Israel. This month, the Swedish activist took part in a sail to Gaza organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to challenge Israel's blockade of the area's land, sea, and air. Along with 11 others, the Madleen carried a number of emergency supplies for Palestinians. However, a few days ago, the boat was intercepted by Israeli forces — despite groups such as Amnesty International calling the move illegal. The Israel Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, "The 'selfie yacht' carrying Greta Thunberg and the other so-called 'celebrities' is continuing its journey toward an Israeli port. Upon arrival, arrangements will be made for their return to their respective home countries." Related: The Internet Is Having A Field Day Over Marjorie Taylor Greene's Tweet About Homeschooling With An Altered Map Speaking to press in a Paris airport after being deported, Greta said, "We were illegally attacked and kidnapped by Israel and taken against our will to Israel, where we were detained. And then some of us [were] deported, some are still there. There are very big uncertainties, because it was quite chaotic and uncertain. So I don't really know what's going on. I haven't had a phone for many days." As for what conditions were like, Greta said, "They were absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine, especially Gaza right now. This is yet another violation of international rights, adding to the list of countless of such, especially towards Palestinians that Israel are committing. By blocking and preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, that is illegal." Related: A NSFW Float Depicting Donald Trump's "MAGA" Penis Was Just Paraded Around Germany, And It' When asked in another interview why she thinks so many are ignoring what's happening in Gaza, Greta replied, "Because of racism. That's the simple answer. Racism and basically desperately trying to defend a destructive deadly system that systematically puts short-term economic profit and to maximize geopolitical power over the well-being of humans and the planet. Right now it's very, very difficult to morally defend that." The clip was then "liked" by Bella Hadid on Instagram. Greta was also asked about President Donald Trump's comments about her. Earlier this week, he said, "She's a young, angry person. I don't know if it's real anger; it's hard to believe, actually. But I saw what happened. She's certainly different. Anger management. I think she has to go to an angry management class. That's my primary recommendation for her...I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg." In response, Greta told an interviewer, "I think the world needs a lot more young, angry women, to be honest, especially with everything going on right now. That's the thing we need most of." According to the FFC, two of the ship's members have been placed in solitary confinement during their ongoing detention in Israel, including European Parliament member Rima Hassan. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has said that Israel should expel the four French activists from the boat by the end of the week. You can learn more about the Madleen here. Also in In the News: JD Vance Shared The Most Bizarre Tweet Of Him Serving "Food" As Donald Trump's Housewife Also in In the News: This Senator's Clap Back Fully Gagged An MSNBC Anchor, And The Clip Is Going Viral Also in In the News: AOC's Viral Response About A Potential Presidential Run Has Everyone Watching, And I'm Honestly Living For It
