Breaking News Live Updates: Harvard calls Trump ban on its new foreign students 'retaliatory'
05 Jun 2025 | 07:40:34 AM IST
Breaking News Live Updates: Harvard University called an executive order issued by Donald Trump Wednesday banning it from bringing in new foreign students for six months "retaliatory" amid an escalating battle between universities and the US president. Breaking News Live Updates: Harvard University called an executive order issued by Donald Trump Wednesday banning it from bringing in new foreign students for six months "retaliatory" amid an escalating battle between universities and the US president."This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students," said a Harvard spokesman. Show more A group representing auto suppliers in the United States called on Wednesday for immediate action to address China's restricted exports of rare earths and other minerals, warning the issue could quickly disrupt auto parts production.MEMA -the Vehicle Suppliers Association said parts companies are facing "serious, real-time risks" to their supply chains."The situation remains unresolved and the level of concern remains very high," the group said. "Immediate and decisive action is needed to prevent widespread disruption and economic fallout across the vehicle supplier sector." Harvard University called an executive order issued by Donald Trump Wednesday banning it from bringing in new foreign students for six months "retaliatory" amid an escalating battle between universities and the US president."This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students," said a Harvard spokesman. The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a June 11 hearing on President Donald Trump's nomination of Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the Federal Aviation Administration.Bedford, a pilot and industry veteran of more than 30 years, previously headed two other carriers and oversaw a significant expansion of Republic Airways. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has asked Congress for tens of billions of dollars to modernize the aging U.S. air traffic control system to address airport congestion, flight delays and a shortage of 3,500 certified controllers. A US- and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in Gaza pushed back the reopening of its facilites set for Thursday, as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were "considered combat zones".The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) closed its aid distribution centres after a string of deadly incidents near sites it operates that drew sharp condemnation from the United Nations.Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 48 people across the Gaza Strip, including 14 in a single strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, the civil defence agency said.A day earlier, the civil defence and the International Committee of the Red Cross said 27 people were killed when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF site in southern Gaza. The military said the incident was under investigation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday announced that India has been elected to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for the term 2026-28. He expressed India's commitment to championing development issues and to keep working to strengthen the ECOSOC.He thanked member states of the UN for their support and trust in India. He also appreciated the efforts made by India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New York.In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "India was elected to the Economic and Social Council for the term 2026-28 @UN today. Thank member states for their overwhelming support and reposing their trust in us. Appreciate the efforts of @IndiaUNNewYork. India remains committed to championing development issues and keep working to strengthen the ECOSOC." President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed his administration to investigate Joe Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor's 'cognitive decline' and raising questions about his use of the autopen to sign pardons and other documents.The order marked a significant escalation in Trump's targeting of political adversaries, and it could lay the groundwork for claiming that a range of Biden's actions were invalid despite the president's pardon power being enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.'This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,' Trump wrote in a memo. 'The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.'Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington to handle the investigation. Representatives for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Syria's new government has agreed to give inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, the agency's head told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The International Atomic Energy Agency's director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, spoke in an exclusive interview in Damascus, where he met with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other officials.He also said al-Sharaa expressed an interest in pursuing nuclear energy for Syria in the future, adding, 'Why not?' Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being responsible for the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that claimed the lives of 11 and injured 30 others.Kumaraswamy alleged that the incident was caused by the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister's "impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility."Addressing a late-night press conference at his official residence in New Delhi, the Union Minister demanded that "the person responsible for this tragedy must be immediately sacked from the cabinet."He criticised the Congress government in Karnataka as being run by "arrogant fools" and said, "We have a Chief Minister who is completely inactive. He has no control over the Deputy CM. As for the State Home Minister, there's no point in discussing it. He merely obeys commands." The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain.A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to U.S. Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime.There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday offered an apology after 11 people were killed in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru following RCB victory celebrations.Speaking to ANI, DK Shivakumar said, "This should not have happened and we never expected such a big crowd...The stadium's capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people were there...Gates (of the stadium) have been broken...We apologise for this incident...We want to know the facts and give a clear message..."He accused the BJP of politicising the incident. "BJP is doing politics...We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future..."The Congress leader also said that all government events scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed after the tragedy."...Tomorrow, except the cabinet meeting, all programmes have been postponed. No celebrations, including the World Environment Day..."The Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased killed in the stampede.
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Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘What's bad about that?': Netanyahu admits Israel supported armed Gaza group opposing Hamas, sparks controversy
File photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Picture credit: AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel is backing an armed faction in Gaza that opposes Hamas, amid widespread criticism and warnings from security experts about empowering what has been described as a criminal gang. His remarks follow claims by former defence minister Avigdor Liberman that weapons were transferred to the group at Netanyahu's direction. 'What did Liberman leak? That security sources activated a clan in Gaza that opposes Hamas? What is bad about that?' Netanyahu said in a video posted Thursday. 'It is only good, it is saving the lives of Israeli soldiers.' According to news agency AFP , the group in question is linked to a local Bedouin tribe in Rafah and led by Yasser Abu Shabab, described by the European Council on Foreign Relations as heading a 'criminal gang' accused of looting aid trucks. The ECFR also said Hamas had previously jailed Abu Shabab for drug smuggling. Israeli and Palestinian media have reported that this group, calling itself the Popular Forces, has received weapons, money and shelter from Israeli security forces. Hamas recently claimed that the group had 'chosen betrayal and theft as their path' and accused them of working in coordination with the Israeli army to loot humanitarian aid and fabricate crises in Gaza. Michael Milshtein, a Palestinian affairs expert at Tel Aviv's Moshe Dayan Center, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that the Israeli decision to support Abu Shabab's group 'was a fantasy' and warned, 'I really hope it will not end with catastrophe.' The controversy comes at a time of deepening crisis in Gaza. Palestinians marked Eid al-Adha amid destroyed homes, with prayers held in the rubble of collapsed mosques and widespread food shortages. 'There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes,' said Kamel Emran in Khan Younis. 'This is the worst feast that the Palestinian people have experienced.' Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Since then, more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to Gaza's health ministry. Around 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced, and the United Nations warns that the entire territory is at risk of famine. In response to aid looting and distribution challenges, Israel had backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group of largely American contractors, as an alternative to the UN. However, amid rising violence, all its centres were shut on Friday. The Foundation urged residents to stay away from distribution points until further notice. The Popular Forces, in a Facebook statement, denied collaborating with Israel. 'Our weapons are simple, outdated, and came through the support of our own people,' it claimed. Despite this, four of its members were reportedly killed by Hamas in recent days, with local tribal leaders labelling Abu Shabab a 'collaborator and gangster.' As per AFP, Netanyahu's decision has triggered serious concerns among Israeli analysts and critics who fear the move could destabilise the region further. 'The Shabak or the military thought it was a wonderful idea to turn this militia, gang actually, into a proxy,' Milshtein said.
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First Post
41 minutes ago
- First Post
US judge halts Trump's order to suspend new visa for international students at Harvard
A federal judge late Thursday temporarily blocked a proclamation by President Donald Trump that banned foreign students from entering the US to attend Harvard University read more A federal judge has halted US President Donald Trump's latest move to block international students from coming to Harvard University. On Thursday, the US District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order on Trump's decision. The ruling came hours after the university urged the court to step in on an emergency basis to block a proclamation Trump signed a day earlier. Trump's proclamation, issued Wednesday, was the latest attempt by his administration to prevent the nation's oldest and wealthiest college from enrolling a quarter of its students, who accounts for much of Harvard's research and scholarship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Harvard filed a legal challenge the next day, asking for a judge to block Trump's order and calling it illegal retaliation for Harvard's rejection of White House demands. Harvard said the president was attempting an end-run around a previous court order. A few hours later, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a temporary restraining order against Trump's Wednesday proclamation. Harvard, she said, had demonstrated it would sustain 'immediate and irreparable injury' before she would have an opportunity to hear from the parties in the lawsuit. Burroughs also extended the temporary hold she placed on the administration's previous attempt to end Harvard's enrollment of international students. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork to them for their visas, only to have Burroughs block the action temporarily. Trump's order this week invoked a different legal authority. If Trump's measure were to survive this court challenge, it would block thousands of students who are scheduled to come to Harvard's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the summer and fall terms. 'Harvard's more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government's escalating campaign of retaliation,' Harvard wrote Thursday in a court filing. While the court case proceeds, Harvard is making contingency plans so students and visiting scholars can continue their work at the university, President Alan Garber said in a message to the campus and alumni. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Each of us is part of a truly global university community,' Garber said Thursday. 'We know that the benefits of bringing talented people together from around the world are unique and irreplaceable.' Harvard has attracted a growing number of the brightest minds from around the world, with international enrollment growing from 11% of the student body three decades ago to 26% today. As those students wait to find out if they'll be able to attend the university, some are pursuing other options. Rising international enrollment has made Harvard and other elite colleges uniquely vulnerable to Trump's crackdown on foreign students. Republicans have been seeking to force overhauls of the nation's top colleges, which they see as hotbeds of 'woke' and antisemitic viewpoints. Garber says the university has made changes to combat antisemitism. But Harvard, he said, will not stray from its 'core, legally-protected principles,' even after receiving federal ultimatums. Trump's administration has also taken steps to withhold federal funding from Harvard and other elite colleges that have rejected White House demands related to campus protests, admissions, hiring and more. Harvard's $53 billion endowment allows it to weather the loss of funding for a time, although Garber has warned of 'difficult decisions and sacrifices' to come. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But cutting off students and visiting scholars could hamstring the university's research and global standing.
NDTV
42 minutes ago
- NDTV
What Trump Travel Ban Means For 2026 World Cup And 2028 Olympic Games
Geneva: US President Donald Trump often says the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are among the events he is most excited about in his second term. Yet there is significant uncertainty regarding visa policies for foreign visitors planning trips to the U.S. for the two biggest events in sports. Trump's latest travel ban on citizens from 12 countries added new questions about the impact on the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, which depend on hosts opening their doors to the world. Here's a look at the potential effects of the travel ban on those events. What is the travel ban policy? When Sunday ticks over to Monday, citizens of 12 countries should be banned from entering the US. They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Tighter restrictions will apply to visitors from seven more: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Trump said some countries had "deficient" screening and vetting processes or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. How does it affect the World Cup and Olympics? Iran, a soccer power in Asia, is the only targeted country to qualify so far for the World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico in one year's time. Cuba, Haiti and Sudan are in contention. Sierra Leone might stay involved through multiple playoff games. Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Libya have very outside shots. But all should be able to send teams to the World Cup if they qualify because the new policy makes exceptions for "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state." About 200 countries could send athletes to the Summer Games, including those targeted by the latest travel restrictions. The exceptions should apply to them as well if the ban is still in place in its current form. What about fans? The travel ban doesn't mention any exceptions for fans from the targeted countries wishing to travel to the US for the World Cup or Olympics. Even before the travel ban, fans of the Iran soccer team living in that country already had issues about getting a visa for a World Cup visit. Still, national team supporters often profile differently to fans of club teams who go abroad for games in international competitions like the UEFA Champions League. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup - an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices - are often from the community, wealthier, and could have different passport options. A World Cup visitor is broadly higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Visitors to an Olympics are often even higher-end clients, though tourism for a Summer Games is significantly less than at a World Cup, with fewer still from most of the 19 countries now targeted. How is the US working with FIFA, Olympic officials? FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly built close ties since 2018 to Trump - too close according to some. He has cited the need to ensure FIFA's smooth operations at a tournament that will earn a big majority of the soccer body's expected $13 billion revenue from 2023-26. Infantino sat next to Trump at the White House task force meeting on May 6 which prominently included Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. FIFA's top delegate on the task force is Infantino ally Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner whose two-year run as U.S. Soccer Federation president ended in controversy in 2020. Any visa and security issues FIFA faces - including at the 32-team Club World Cup that kicks off next week in Miami - can help LA Olympics organizers finesse their plans. "It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration and I actually want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," LA28 chairman and president Casey Wasserman said Thursday in Los Angeles. "It's very clear that the federal government understands that that's an environment that they will be accommodating and provide for," he said. "We have great confidence that that will only continue. It has been the case to date and it will certainly be the case going forward through the games." In March, at an IOC meeting in Greece, Wasserman said he had two discreet meetings with Trump and noted the State Department has a "fully staffed desk" to help prepare for short-notice visa processing in the summer of 2028 - albeit with a focus on teams rather than fans. IOC member Nicole Hoevertsz, who is chair of the Coordination Commission for LA28, expressed "every confidence" that the U.S. government will cooperate, as it did in hosting previous Olympics. "That is something that we will be definitely looking at and making sure that it is guaranteed as well," she said. "We are very confident that this is going to be accomplished. I'm sure this is going to be executed well." FIFA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the new Trump travel ban. What have other host nations done? The 2018 World Cup host Russia let fans enter the country with a game ticket doubling as their visa. So did Qatar four years later. Both governments, however, also performed background checks on all visitors coming to the month-long soccer tournaments. Governments have refused entry to unwelcome visitors. For the 2012 London Olympics, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko - who is still its authoritarian leader today - was denied a visa despite also leading its national Olympic body. The IOC also suspended him from the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.
