Latest news with #NewarkInternationalAirport
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Dream to nightmare: Illegal immigrant from Haryana duped by agent; returns after 15-month US ordeal
When 27-year-old Vishal left his village of Nandgarh in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar district in April 2024, he carried with him the hopes of his family and a dream - to make it big in the United States. What he did not know was that the journey would lead him through jungles, jails, and the very edge of survival. Videos of Vishal being handcuffed and pinned down by US immigration officers at Newark International Airport last month had sparked outrage and confusion online. Many assumed he was a student. But he was an illegal immigrant for sure. But the truth, however, is far more complex and heartbreaking. Tracked down by this reporter on Wednesday, a visibly shaken Vishal had returned to his village just a week ago, on June 26, after 15 harrowing months. He is not a student, but a farmer, a Class 10 pass-out who once tilled his family's land. And he had been duped out of Rs 45 lakh by a Karnal-based agent who promised him an American work visa. 'My family sold our land to pay the agent,' Vishal said quietly. 'He told us I'd first go to Europe and then be taken to the US through Central America. One of our relatives in Italy helped me get a nine-month farm visa. I reached Verona, stayed there for eight days, and then flew to Rome.'
Boston Globe
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
All day and all night, Greenlanders revel in 24-hour sunlight to play soccer
Advertisement The U.S. president hasn't ruled out military force despite strong rebukes from the governments of Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland. Danish and Greenlandic leaders say the island is not for sale and have condemned reports of the U.S. stepping up intelligence gathering on the semiautonomous Danish territory. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But Patrick Frederiksen, captain of the national team, thinks CONCACAF's rejection came down to money. 'We all know it's really expensive to travel to Greenland,' he said. Earlier this month, the first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital, Nuuk. The one-way ticket from Newark International Airport in New Jersey cost roughly $1,200. The return flight from Nuuk had a $1,300 to $1,500 price tag. Other flights require a layover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark. Advertisement CONCACAF didn't respond to a request for comment. Greenland, technically European territory, might have been expected to seek membership in UEFA. But the European federation only allows members from countries recognized as independent per sovereignty rules introduced in 2007. CONCACAF has no such restrictions. Despite the recent headlines, the Arctic island's inhabitants are more concerned this summer with getting to the nearest field. They want to take advantage of the 24-hour sunlight even if the temperatures hover around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) in Nuuk. 'We meet outside and play football all night long,' player Angutimmarik Kreutzmann said. 'It's not getting dark and we have so much freedom.' 'Come watch a game' From youth clubs to the national team, soccer energizes the entire island. Picturesque outdoor fields, featuring views of drifting icebergs and snow-capped mountain peaks even in late June, range from artificial turf to dirt to real grass, though older players remember dribbling across gravel pitches. 'You should come watch a game,' said Oscar Scott Carl, coach of the B-67 club in Nuuk. 'You can see how much people go into the game, how much cheering from the attenders.' 'It's also a big part of creating unity in the country, having a sport to gather around and celebrate wins and being a part of something bigger than only football, to be honest,' he added. The Kalaallit Arsaattartut Kattuffiat, Greenland's national football association, was founded in 1971 and regulates multiple men's and women's teams. Community projects are also important to the island's soccer culture and national team players serve as role models for local youth. 'They want to take pictures with us or get our autograph,' Frederiksen said. 'We get a lot of attention and a lot support from the kids.' Advertisement During the long winter, many players turn to futsal. The sport is a form of indoor soccer, generally played with a special ball on a handball court with five players on a side. Even the national team plays: They traveled to Brazil in March for the Intercontinental Futsal Cup. 'Something to show the world' The national team of the Faeroe Islands, a semi-independent Danish territory in the North Atlantic, is a member of FIFA and UEFA, which oversees European soccer. It's a sore spot for Greenlanders, especially after CONCACAF's decision. The Faeroe Islands team joined the tournaments more than three decades ago, before there were requirements such as a stadium with tens of thousands of seats, among others. Visit Greenland, the government's tourism agency, said that a national stadium has 'long been on the wish list for many in Greenland.' But with such a small population, an arena with a minimum of 40,000 seats — more than 70% of the island's inhabitants — 'is sadly not in the pipeline,' the agency wrote on its website. Still, Jimmy Holm Jensen, chairman of Nuuk's B-67 club, wishes Greenland's teams could at least play in international soccer tournaments. Right now, they only can compete in friendly matches abroad. 'I think we have something to show the world,' he said. AP journalists Stefanie Dazio and Ciarán Fahey contributed to this report from Berlin.
Irish Independent
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
I'll keep on speaking out for Palestine, says freed US activist
©Associated Press A Palestinian activist who was detained in the US for more than three months pushed his infant son's stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home by supporters including US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey's Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana.
Al-Ahram Weekly
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza after release from detention - War on Gaza
A Palestinian activist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son's stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home Saturday by supporters including US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey's Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza. 'The US government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,' he said. 'This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.' Joining Khalil at the airport, Ocasio-Cortez said his detention violated the First Amendment and was 'an affront to every American.' 'He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,' she said. 'The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle,' Ocasio-Cortez added. 'They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law.' Khalil, a 30-year-old legal resident whose wife gave birth during his 104 days of detention, said he also will speak up for the immigrants he left behind in the detention center. 'Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you're not illegal. That doesn't make you less of a human,' he said. Khalil was not accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. However the administration has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views it considers to be antisemitic and 'pro-Hamas,' referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Khalil was released after US District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual' for the government to continue detaining a legal resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence. The government filed notice Friday evening that it was appealing Khalil's release. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Nahar Net
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue protesting Gaza war after release from detention
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 June 2025, 17:05 A Palestinian activist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son's stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home Saturday by supporters including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey's Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza. "The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide," he said. "This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine." Joining Khalil at the airport, Ocasio-Cortez said his detention violated the First Amendment and was "an affront to every American." "He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech," she said. "The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle," Ocasio-Cortez added. "They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law." Khalil, a 30-year-old legal resident whose wife gave birth during his 104 days of detention, said he also will speak up for the immigrants he left behind in the detention center. "Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you're not illegal. That doesn't make you less of a human," he said. Khalil was not accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. However the administration has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views it considers to be antisemitic and "pro-Hamas," referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Khalil was released after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be "highly, highly unusual" for the government to continue detaining a legal resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence. The government filed notice Friday evening that it was appealing Khalil's release.
