Afghan addict can stay because Taliban are too hard on drug users
An Afghan drug addict has won the right to stay in the UK after a judge ruled that the Taliban would be too hard on him if he returned.
The unnamed man, who left Afghanistan when he was a child, has succeeded in an asylum application because his dependence on illegal substances made him too 'westernised'.
A judge said that if the 'vulnerable' asylum seeker were to be returned to Afghanistan he would be forced to go 'cold turkey', which would affect his mental health.
Judge Rebecca Chapman further ruled that he would be at risk of persecution because his drug use meant that he would be perceived as 'non-Muslim'.
Afghanistan is the world's second-largest producer of opium and heroin, having recently been overtaken by
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Trump travel ban on 12 countries and Harvard international student visas threatened: Morning Rundown
Donald Trump announced a ban on nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States. An impending pause to the Jobs Corps program puts thousands of students in limbo. And current and former teammates weigh in on what makes the OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a true MVP. Here's what to know today. Trump announces travel ban on 12 countries and partial restrictions for 7 others Nationals from a dozen countries will be barred from entering the U.S. from Monday under a proclamation signed yesterday by President Donald Trump, who framed the decision as necessary to bolster national security and combat terrorism. Seven more countries will face partial travel restrictions. The 12 countries targeted in the ban are primarily in Africa or Asia. They are: Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Several of the countries regularly declined to accept the return of their nationals or had visa overstay rates the Trump administration deemed 'unacceptable,' according to the proclamation. Others on the list, including Sudan, Yemen and Somalia, were included for inadequate screening and vetting measures. In addition, seven countries will be under partial travel restrictions, in which entrance into the U.S. under several visa programs was suspended but an outright ban was not implemented. Those countries are: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. There are some exemptions, including for any lawful permanent resident of the U.S., as well as diplomatic visas and immediate family immigrant visas, among others. There are also exemptions for adoptions, dual nationals with passports from unrestricted countries and athletes or teams traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup or the Olympics. In a White House video, Trump cited the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, as justification for a renewed travel ban. But the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is from Egypt, and he entered the country on a tourist visa before he applied for asylum. During his first term, Trump similarly banned foreigners from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., a move that the Supreme Court ultimately upheld in a split decision. Already in his second term, Trump has limited refugee admissions from almost all countries. More immigration news: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide hundreds of migrants sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador with opportunities to challenge their detentions and removals under the Alien Enemies Act. ICE made the most immigration arrests in a single day in its history on Tuesday, detaining more than 2,200 people, as the agency responds to pressure to rapidly and dramatically increase arrests. Trump ramps up battles with Harvard and Columbia Trump escalated his attack on Harvard University last night with a proclamation declaring he will deny visas for foreign students trying to come to the country to attend the school. The proclamation also noted that the State Department would review the status of existing foreign students under certain visas to see whether they should be revoked. The announcement came a week after a federal judge blocked his administration's attempt to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students. The president has attacked the Ivy League school, claiming it has not done enough to combat antisemitism on campus during Israel-Hamas war demonstrations. Read more about Trump's proclamation targeting Harvard. Earlier Wednesday, the Trump administration ramped up its battle with another Ivy League school — Columbia University — by threatening its accreditation. The Education Department said in a statement that it has notified the accreditor for Columbia that the school violated anti-discrimination laws, alleging Columbia 'acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students' in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Columbia said that it has addressed the Trump administration's concerns directly with the accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The loss of accreditation would lead to Columbia losing access to student aid funds. But even if that happened, it most likely wouldn't happen immediately. Read more about the Trump administration's threat against Columbia. Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Moscow is planning to retaliate against Ukraine's major drone attack, casting doubt that a peace deal to end the war could come soon. Trump is weighing when and how to respond after he was 'caught off guard' — but 'not entirely surprised' — by Elon Musk's pressure campaign to sink the tax and spending package, a White House official said. Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent. Trump is signaling a new approach to building the judiciary in his second term, leaning toward unapologetically combative, MAGA-friendly nominees and slamming the Federalist Society, the group he once relied on heavily. Trump ordered a wide-ranging investigation into Joe Biden and officials in his administration, particularly Biden aides' alleged use of 'autopen' signatures to cover up his 'cognitive decline.' New York City Democrats' first primary debate in the mayoral race saw frontrunner and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the receiving end of repeated attacks from all eight of his opponents. Job Corps faculty and alumni are scrambling to provide assistance to students who rely on the program for free housing and food after the Labor Department announced last week that it would pause operations at 99 contract-operated centers by the end of the month. The closures are part of President Donald Trump's sweeping attempt to reduce the federal workforce, but critics have argued the cuts are jeopardizing Americans' safety and health. Job Corps targets low-income students and gives them access to free career training and education, housing, meals, basic medical care and a living allowance. A Labor Department spokesperson said a 'comprehensive review' of the program revealed systemic issues, including 'serious incidents, poor student outcomes and unsustainable costs.' But those who have benefitted from the program said the Job Corps has afforded them life-changing opportunities. Read All About It A father and daughter who vanished during a hike in Maine were found dead after an extensive search. Coca-Cola has recalled Topo Chico Mineral Water sold at Costco stores in five states over a possible bacteria contamination. 'Dance Moms' star Abby Lee Miller sued a prominent Los Angeles hospital, accusing doctors of leaving a catheter inside of her abdomen after spinal surgery. Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise to league MVP has been unexpected. He was traded after his rookie season, and the Thunder missed the playoffs multiple times even as he took his game to another level. So how did SGA become one of the league's best? I spoke to a few of Gilgeous-Alexander's former and current teammates, who explained how his unique traits on and off the floor have earned him the game's highest individual recognition and has helped lead Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals, which begin tonight. — Rohan Nadkarni, sports reporter NBCU Academy: The home that gives runaway teens much-needed support Tatiyana Rich was 7 years old when her father was murdered. After her mother remarried, Rich said there was a lot of fighting and instability in the home. At age 16, she was kicked out. 'I wasn't officially homeless, but I was getting there,' Rich said. 'That was my next step.' A Tampa-based nonprofit called Starting Right, Now took in Rich and offered her the support she needed, providing unaccompanied homeless youth with safe housing, academic help and mental health support. See how Starting Right, Now's 65-bed home is offering runaway teens like Rich stability and healing. NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech. NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Dermatologists helped the NBC Select team find the best anti-chafing products for the summer. That way you can enjoy a run or workout without worrying about any inner-thigh friction. Plus, we asked dentists about the best flosses based on users' teeth-cleaning habits. here.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Why has Trump banned travel from these 12 countries?
A travel ban issued on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump is set to primarily affect countries in Africa and the Middle East. Twelve countries face full bans, which will come into force on Monday. People from a further seven nations are facing partial restrictions. Trump has depicted it as a matter of national security. He cited a recent attack on members of Colorado's Jewish community, which was allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national. Egypt itself is not on the banned reasons cited include alleged breaking of US visa rules by people from the countries in question. Here is a closer look at some of the president's reasoning. Afghanistan A range of accusations have been made against Afghanistan in a presidential proclamation signed by Trump. The document highlights that the Taliban, which controls the country, is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. The move comes just weeks after the Trump administration appeared to signal that it believed the situation had improved in Afghanistan, when it announced the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans living in the is further accused by Trump of lacking a "competent or co-operative" central authority for issuing passports or civil documents. As with other countries on Trump's list, the issue of Afghan nationals overstaying their visas is also cited. Trump's travel ban: Follow live updatesBBC Verify Live: Fact-checking Trump's reasoningEverything we know about the ban so farTrump suspends foreign student visas at Harvard Iran Trump's proclamation identifies Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism - a longstanding charge that the Middle Eastern nation has previously rejected. The US has previously censured Tehran, Iran's capital, for its alleged sponsorship of proxy groups operating in the region, such as Hamas and new proclamation from Trump says the country is "the source of significant terrorism around the world", does not co-operate with the US on security risks and has "historically failed to accept back its removable nationals".The move comes amid diplomatic wrangling between the two sides over the creation of a new deal over Iran's nuclear weapon-building capabilities. Somalia and Libya Similar reasons are given in the case of Somalia. The east African country is branded by Trump as a "terrorist safe haven". Like Iran, it is also accused of failing to accept its nationals when removed from the a further point was made by Trump: "Somalia stands apart from other countries in the degree to which its government lacks command and control of its territory, which greatly limits the effectiveness of its national capabilities in a variety of respects."Somalia's internationally-based government faces a significant challenge from armed Islamists. It has pledged to "engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised" by in north Africa, is cited for its "historical terrorist presence", which is painted as a security threat to and Somalia are also among the countries on Trump's list which have been criticised for their perceived incompetence at issuing passports. Haiti The document highlights that "hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration". Trump points to various perceived risks that this has entailed - including the creation of "criminal networks" and high visa overstay from the US Census Bureau suggested more than 852,000 Haitians were living in the US in February 2024, though it does not give a breakdown of when those migrants arrived. Many came after a devastating earthquake in 2010, or after fleeing gang violence that took hold in the Caribbean nation. The US president also points to a lack of central authority in Haiti for matters including law enforcement. Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea These countries are solely accused by Trump of having relatively high visa overstay rates. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines an "overstay" as a person who remains in the US beyond their authorised period of admission, with no evidence of any extension. The "rate" signals the proportion of people who central African nation Chad is singled out for showing a "a blatant disregard for United States immigration laws". The document highlights an overstay rate of 49.54% by Chadians on business or tourist visas in 2023, citing a DHS and Equatorial Guinea have equivalent rates of 29.63% and 21.98% respectively. But these rates are lower than Laos, which faces a lesser restriction. Myanmar Myanmar - referred to as Chad in the Trump proclamation - is similarly accused of a high visa overstay rates. As with others on the list, including Iran, the country is further accused of not co-operating with the US to accept deported Burmese nationals. Eritrea, Sudan and Yemen For each of these countries, the first allegation made by Trump is that they have questionable competence at issuing passports and civil documents. Eritrea and Sudan are further accused of having relatively high visa overstay rates. Eritrea is also blamed for failing to make the criminal records of its national available to the US, and of refusing to accept deported with Somalia, Yemen is also accused of lacking control over its own land. Trump's proclamation highlights that it is the site of active US military operations. The US has been combating Houthis, who have seized much of the north and west of the country during an ongoing civil war. Partial restrictions People from seven other nations face partial restrictions:Venezuela is accused of lacking a "competent or co-operative" central authority for issuing passports and similar documents. Allegations of visa overstays and a refusal to accept deportees are again mentioned. In response, the South American country has described the Trump administration as "supremacists who think they own the world"Cuba is labelled as another "state sponsor of terrorism" - a designation that was made by the US in 2021, and condemned by Havana. An alleged refusal to accept deportees is also mentioned, as are visa overstays Visa overstays are again presented as the key issue in the cases of Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Reform in chaos as Zia Yusuf brands own MP's burka ban call 'dumb'
Zia Yusuf, the powerful chairman of Nigel Farage's party, hit out at Runcorn and Helsby MP Sarah Pochin's call at Prime Minister's Questions this week for Muslim women to be banned from wearing full-face coverings. Pochin's question was dismissed on Wednesday by Keir Starmer but provoked outrage. READ MORE: Outrage as Reform UK MP calls for burka to be banned However, Reform has also distanced itself from the call, with a party spokesperson saying that banning the burka was 'not party policy'. Farage himself also refused to explicitly back Pochin's demand, saying only that he thought there should be a wider debate about people wearing face coverings in public, 'of which I see the burka being a part'. (Image: Yui Mok/PA) Asked on Twitter/X about the party's position by right-wing pundit Katie Hopkins – who insisted that a 'burka ban MUST be party policy' – Yusuf (above) replied: 'Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy. Busy with other stuff. 'I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do.' READ MORE: Donald Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries It is not the first time that Reform UK high command has found itself at odds with its own MPs. Rupert Lowe was removed from the party fold after backing mass deportations, with Yusuf and others alleging the Great Yarmouth MP was a bully. Lowe called these complaints 'vexatious' and said he had been culled because his hardline opinions put him at odds with Farage. Pochin was approached for comment.
