EU migration delegation ordered deported from eastern Libya on alleged entry violations
A statement from the prime minister of the eastern part of Libya, Osama Hammad, said the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, Malta and the EU migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, were 'persona non-grata' after they were denied entry shortly after their arrival in Benghazi. It said the ministers had entered illegally and had not followed Libyan diplomatic conventions.
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an hour ago
- Yahoo
US suspends visa processing in Zimbabwe, embassy says
HARARE (Reuters) -The United States has stopped processing most visas in Zimbabwe until further notice, its embassy in the capital Harare said on Wednesday, citing unspecified concerns with the government. "We have paused routine visa services in Harare while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe," the embassy said in a post on X. It said the move was not a travel ban and that current visas would remain valid. The government of the Southern African country did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The pause took effect on August 7, according to a notice on the U.S. State Department's website, which said it applied to all visa services with the exception of most diplomatic and official visas. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has restricted travel from a number of African countries, saying it is working to prevent visa overstaying and misuse. Zimbabwe had a visa overstay rate of 10.57% in 2023, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report. Starting this week, the U.S. will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some visitor visas. The Trump administration has also paused visa processing in Niger. Harare resident Angella Chirombo said her 18-year-old son had received a scholarship to do his bachelor's degree at Michigan State University and had been waiting for a visa interview when the pause hit. "He was supposed to be in school already. I paid for everything else and was waiting for the visa so I could buy tickets," she told Reuters. She said other parents were considering booking interviews at other U.S. embassies in Southern Africa, but that she wouldn't be able to afford the travel. "Now they are saying we can go to Zambia and Namibia. I don't even have money right now and I don't know where to get this money. They are so many students that have been affected." Solve the daily Crossword
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Israel's Netanyahu slams ‘weak politician' Albanese, accuses Macron of fuelling ‘antisemitic fire'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Australian and French leaders for their recognition of a Palestinian state. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese informed Netanyahu prior to announcing the decision. French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the allegations of antisemitism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised both Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and French President Emmanuel Macron over the recognition of a Palestinian state. 'History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews,' Netanyahu said in a post on X on Tuesday. In response, Albanese said on Wednesday that he treated leaders of other countries with respect. 'I don't take these things personally, I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders,' Albanese said during a media briefing. Netanyahu's personal attack on Albanese has further strained relations between the two countries. Ties soured after Australia decided last week to conditionally recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Albanese told reporters that he had informed Netanyahu about Australia's decision to support a Palestinian state before his centre-left government formally announced the plan. 'At that time, I gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a clear indication of my view and Australia's view going forward but also a clear indication of the direction in which we were headed,' Albanese said. 'I gave him the opportunity to outline what political solution there was and gave him that opportunity.' AFP reported that France on Tuesday slammed as 'abject' and 'erroneous' an accusation from Netanyahu that Macron's move to recognise a Palestinian state was fuelling antisemitism in his country. READ | EU urges Israel to stop West Bank illegal settlement plan which 'undermines the two-state solution' France 'protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens', Macron's office said, adding that a letter from Netanyahu containing his allegation 'will not go unanswered'. 'This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation,' the French presidency added. In July, Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the first G7 country to do so. The move drew a swift rebuke from Israel. In a letter sent to Macron, seen by AFP, Netanyahu claimed that antisemitism had 'surged' in France following the announcement. 'Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas' refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets,' Netanyahu wrote in the letter. Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto via AFP Reuters reported that Israel this week revoked the visas of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority after Albanese's Labour government cancelled the visa of an Israeli lawmaker over remarks the Australian government considered controversial and inflammatory. France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally. Australia joined the list earlier this month, announcing its intention to recognise a Palestinian state in September. 'Violence against the (French) Jewish community is intolerable,' the French presidency said. 'That is why, beyond criminal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 - and even more so since the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 - to show the strongest action against perpetrators of antisemitic acts,' it said. Macron's minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, separately said in reaction to Netanyahu's letter that France has 'no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism'. The issue 'which is poisoning our European societies' must not be 'exploited', Haddad added. France is home to Europe's biggest Jewish community. Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1 676 in 2023, before dipping to 1 570 in 2024, according to the interior ministry. Israel has been facing increasing international pressure over its military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed thousands of civilians and plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, displacing most of its population. The offensive began nearly two years ago after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1 200 people and taking 251 more hostage.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
French President Emmanuel Macron Just Reacted To Trump's Shocking Hot Mic Comment On Vladimir Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron shared his reaction to Donald Trump's declaration that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to strike a deal to end his war in Ukraine because of him, during a conversation between the two men caught on a hot mic Monday. European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, descended on Washington, D.C., a few days after the Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, to present a united front in support of Ukraine and make sure Kyiv does not get pressured into an unfavorable agreement that rewards Putin's aggression. Related: During the impromptu defense summit at the White House, Trump was caught on a hot mic, telling Macron: 'I think [Putin] wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds.' @atrupar/X / Via In an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, Macron said it was 'great' hearing Trump be optimistic about his ability to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv. 'Your president, indeed, is very confident about the capacity he has to get this deal done, which is a good news for all of us,' Macron said. Related: Still, Macron said he was not convinced that Putin is ready to end the conflict prompted by his full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, expressing skepticism about the Russian president's intentions. 'As far as I'm concerned, when I look at the situation and the facts, I don't see President Putin really willing to get peace now, but perhaps I'm, I'm too pessimistic,' Macron said. Related: 'I think at a point of time, probably we will have to increase the pressure on Russia to be sure they want peace, because as long as President Putin and his people will consider they can win this war and get a better result by force, they will not negotiate,' he continued. Trump, though, does not seem to share Macron's reservations about Putin, even though the Russian dictator has made no concrete concessions indicating his commitment to peace. 'This gentleman wants it to end, and Vladimir Putin wants it to end,' Trump said speaking alongside Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Related: 'I think the whole world is tired of it, and we're going to get it ended,' Trump added. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
