King Salman Extends Condolences to Zambia's President on Passing of Former Leader
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a message of condolence to President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema on the passing of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, SPA reported.
In his message, King Salman expressed his sincere condolences to the Zambian president, the family of the deceased, and the friendly people of
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Trump banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the US. Here's what to know
DAKAR, Senegal: President Donald Trump has banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricted access for those from seven others, citing national security concerns in resurrecting and expanding a hallmark policy from his first term that will mostly affect people from Africa and the Middle East. The ban announced Wednesday applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The heightened restrictions apply to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the US and don't hold a valid visa. The policy takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. and does not have an end date. Here's what to know about the new rules: How Trump justified the ban Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The travel ban stems from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the US The aim is to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes,' the administration said. In a video posted on social media, Trump tied the new ban to a terrorist attack Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The man charged in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. US officials say he overstayed a tourist visa. Who is exempt from the ban, Which countries are affected Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public-safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report about tourists, businesspeople and students who overstay US visas and arrive by air or sea, singling out countries with high percentages of nationals who remain after their visas expired. 'We don't want them,' Trump said. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on special immigrant visas, who were generally the people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade war there. The list can be changed, the administration said in a document, if authorities in the designated countries make 'material improvements' to their own rules and procedures. New countries can be added 'as threats emerge around the world.' State Department guidance The State Department instructed US embassies and consulates on Friday not to revoke visas previously issued to people from the 12 countries listed in the ban. In a cable sent to all US diplomatic missions, the department said 'no action should be taken for issued visas which have already left the consular section' and that 'no visas issued prior to the effective date should be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.' However, visa applicants from affected countries whose applications have been approved but have not yet received their visas will be denied, according to the cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting on Monday. How the ban differs from 2017's Early in Trump's first term, he issued an executive order banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on flights to the US or detained at US airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. Reactions to Trump's order Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro's government condemned the travel ban, characterizing it in a statement as a 'stigmatization and criminalization campaign' against Venezuelans. Chad President Mahamat Deby Itno said his country would suspend visas for US citizens in response to the ban. Aid and refugee resettlement groups also denounced it. 'This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America. But reactions to the ban ran the gamut from anger to guarded relief and support. In Haiti, radio stations received a flurry of calls Thursday from angry listeners, including many who said they were Haitians living in the US and who accused Trump of being racist, noting that the people of many of the targeted countries are Black. Haitian-American Elvanize Louis-Juste, who was at the airport Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the US are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest in their country. 'I have family in Haiti, so it's pretty upsetting to see and hear,' Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. 'I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's very upsetting.' William Lopez, a 75-year-old property investor who arrived from Cuba in 1967, supports the travel ban. 'These are people that come but don't want to work, they support the Cuban government, they support communism,' Lopez said at a restaurant near Little Havana in Miami. 'What the Trump administration is doing is perfectly good.'
Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Gulf leaders congratulate King Salman and Crown Prince on success of Hajj
Saudi Gazette Report JEDDAH — Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states congratulated on Sunday Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on the success of this year's Hajj season. In a cable sent to King Salman and the Crown Prince, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman praised the great efforts made annually by the Saudi government to serve pilgrims and to provide all necessary facilities and services to ensure the smooth, safe, and easier performance of the Hajj rituals. In a cable sent to King Salman, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al- Khalifa congratulated the Saudi leadership for the distinguished organization of this year's Hajj season. He praised the round-the-clock efforts and resources dedicated to organizing and facilitating Hajj, thus enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort. President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan congratulated King Salman on the great success of this year's Hajj season. He specially highlighted the generous care provided by King Salman, his government, and its institutions to ensure pilgrims perform their Hajj rituals in safety with peace of mind. In a cable of congratulations sent to King Salman, Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani expressed his wishes for further progress and prosperity for Saudi Arabia. In a cable sent to the Crown Prince, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah congratulated on the successful Hajj season of 2025. The Emir praised the ongoing expansion works at the Grand Mosque and the development of modern smart services across the holy sites, which meet pilgrims' needs and facilitate the performance of rituals.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Gulf leaders congratulate Saudi leadership for organizing successful Hajj
RIYADH: Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations have congratulated the Saudi leadership on successfully managing and organizing the Hajj pilgrimage, which nearly 1.4 million Muslims have undertaken since Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received on Sunday congratulatory messages from the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar, and Emir Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait. Saudi Arabia has employed artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to manage this year's Muslim pilgrimage, one of the world's largest annual gatherings. The Kingdom's authorities provided over 1 million Muslim pilgrims with essential services during the Hajj, including water, food, accommodation, transportation, and healthcare at various holy sites in Makkah and Madinah.
