Latest news with #pro-Palestine
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
2 Fulton County Jail inmates die in past week in unrelated incidents
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office announced two inmates had died in the past seven days. Fulton County detainee Shon Disola, 53, experienced a medical emergency while on free time in the evening of May 17. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The sheriff's office said Disola was taken to the hospital for treatment and was pronounced dead on May 25. According to the sheriff's office, Disola was arrested on Feb. 2, 2023 by the Atlanta Police Department and was being held without bond. Separately, Benjamin Pike, 55, was found unresponsive in his cell on May 27. TRENDING STORIES: Burned body found at Stone Mountain Park, GBI on scene Class president banned from MIT graduation over pro-Palestine speech VIP pool party promoted by alleged squatters doesn't happen at DeKalb home While jail and medical teams tried to perform lifesaving measures, they were unsuccessful and Pike was pronounced dead at the jail. The sheriff's office said Pike was arrested in February 2024 by Georgia State University police and was being held at the jail on a $2,500 bond. The Atlanta Police Department is conducting a death investigation, the sheriff's office said. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct autopsies on both men to determine exact causes of death. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office extended its condolences to the loved ones of both Disola and Pike after the men's deaths. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Memri
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Memri
Imam Tom Facchine At Staten Island Islamic Center: The Nation of Israel Must Be Abolished – We Cannot Settle for Anything Less; Allah Will Topple the Zionist Regime Within a Decade
During a May 21, 2025 panel discussion titled The Nakba Never Ended at the Muslim American Society (MAS) Staten Island Center, Imam Tom Facchine of Utica, New York stated that the pro-Palestine movement must unify around the message that Israel must be abolished. He said that advocating for a 'generic freedom' is not enough—the 'nation of Israel must be abolished,' and declared: 'We cannot settle for anything less.' Facchine claimed that Zionists will not stop until they 'change the Quran,' citing EPIC City as an example, and added: 'It's everything or nothing.' He asserted that a maximalist Zionist world is one without Muslims or Palestinians. According to Facchine, Allah has promised Muslims victory if they simply try, and he expressed absolute confidence that within a decade Allah will topple 'the Zionist regime.' The panel was moderated by Abdullah Akl, an activist with Within Our Lifetime and the political director of the Islamic center. Other participants included British activist Sami Hamdi and Abdelrahman Badawy, imam and resident scholar of MAS Staten Island.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Harvard President's Trump Dig Gets Standing Ovation During Graduation Event
Harvard University's Class of 2025 graduated on Thursday amid a deepening standoff between the university and the Trump administration over foreign student admissions. The ceremony saw Harvard President Alan M Garber deliver a veiled but firm message against recent federal actions, earning him a standing ovation from graduates and attendees. Alan Garber, speaking at the historic Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard, addressed the global makeup of the university's student body. "To the Class of 2025, from down the street, across the country, and around the world. Around the world, just as it should be," he said, in a pointed response to US President Donald Trump's moves to restrict international enrollments. BREAKING: At the Harvard Graduation Ceremony moments ago, Harvard President Alan M. Garber just got a standing ovation after taking a subtle shot at President Trump. "To the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world. AROUND THE WORLD! JUST AS… — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) May 29, 2025 Alan M Garber, 69, a Harvard alum with a PhD and MD from Stanford, became Interim President in 2024 after Claudine Gay's exit over pro-Palestine protest backlash. His remarks came days after the Trump administration revoked Harvard's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), halting its ability to admit new foreign students, a move affecting around 6,800 international students. This followed an earlier freeze on $2.2 billion in federal grants, citing Harvard's refusal to scrap diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes and screen students for ideological bias. Harvard filed a federal lawsuit, calling the move a "blatant violation" of free speech and due process. A judge temporarily blocked the ban, and the White House extended Harvard's deadline to contest the decision from 72 hours to 30 days. Defending the crackdown, Trump told reporters, "Harvard has got to behave themselves," and floated a 15 per cent cap on non-US students. The administration has also accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism, campus unrest, and ties to the Chinese Communist Party, claims the university has firmly denied. The State Department has ordered stricter vetting of all Harvard-bound individuals worldwide, including students and visitors. Visa officers, guided by Secretary Rubio, must review social media and can deny visas for limited or private online activity. "If you are coming here to create problems, you're probably going to have a problem," Rubio said at a press briefing last month. Rubio also revealed that he has revoked hundreds, possibly thousands, of visas over concerns that individuals were engaged in behaviour contrary to US foreign policy.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Megha Vemuri, Indian-origin student banned from graduation ceremony by one of the biggest technology universities in America: She deliberately ...
Image credit: @KassyAkiva Indian-American student Megha Vemuri , president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Class of 2025, was barred from attending her own graduation ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestine speech during an official event on May 29. MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles reportedly sent an email to Vemuri announcing that she will no longer serve as student marshal at the commencement and that both she and her family were banned from campus for most of the graduation day. In an email cited by The Boston Globe, Nobles told Vemuri, 'You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers. While we acknowledge your right to free expression, your decision to lead a protest from the stage, disrupting an important institute ceremony, was a violation of MIT's time, place and manner rules for campus expression.' In response to the email, Vemuri reportedly acknowledged that her speech was a 'protest from stage,' but called the ban an 'overreach.' Megha Vemuri deletes LinkedIn profile by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Vemuri's speech quickly went viral on social media, with many criticizing the student president. Facing online backlash, Vemuri has now deleted her profile on LinkedIn. An X user shared a screenshot of her deleted profile: What Megha Vemuri said in her Pro-Palestine speech During an on campus event, Vemuri took the stage wearing a red keffiyeh—a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. In her speech, she sharply criticized MIT's research ties with Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 'The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with; this means that Israel's assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school,' she said. She called on fellow graduates to take a stand, adding, 'We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.' 'As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni that MIT cuts the ties,' Vemuri said. Vemuri also praised students who supported Palestinian rights despite pushback. 'Last spring, MIT's undergraduate body and Graduate Student Union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military. You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus,' she said. The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which identified the student as Megha Vemuri. Who is Megha Vemuri Born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, Vemuri graduated from Alpharetta High School in 2021. She went on to pursue an undergraduate degree at MIT in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics and recently completed her degree while also serving as class president. She is affiliated with Written Revolution – a student group at MIT that promotes anti-imperialist and revolutionary thought. Before enrolling at MIT, she interned at the UCT Neuroscience Institute in South Africa and participated in various youth leadership and science outreach initiatives. As of now, Vemuri has not released a formal statement in response to her exclusion from the graduation ceremony. Her supporters, however, have rallied online, with many criticizing MIT for what they view as censorship of political speech. Universities' crackdown on campus protests Vemuri's speech is the latest flashpoint in a broader national debate over student-led protests on college campuses amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. In recent months, several U.S. universities have taken disciplinary action against students and faculty who have voiced support for Palestine in ways deemed disruptive to institutional events. Last month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos' diploma after he gave an unsanctioned commencement speech in which he spoke out against what he described as the 'atrocities currently happening in Palestine' amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. MIT has faced pressure from both internal and external groups over its response to campus activism. In April, pro-Palestinian student groups organized sit-ins and walkouts, calling on the university to disclose and sever any financial or research ties to Israel's defense sector. MIT has acknowledged some of those ties in public statements but defended them as part of broader academic and research partnerships. Powerbeats Pro 2 – Apple's Most Powerful Workout Buds Yet! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Scottish nurse saw dead toddler rushed into Gaza hospital
Mel Graham, 50, from Elderslie, recounted her harrowing experiences in Gaza, where she was stationed for two months. The Glasgow Royal Infirmary intensive care unit nurse was working at a UK Government-funded emergency field hospital in Al Mawasi when the ceasefire ended. Mel said: "I was in Gaza last year and didn't think it could possibly get any worse… but it has. "The first night the ceasefire shattered was easily the worst thing I have ever experienced. "Even though we knew it was coming, it was still such a shock. 'The sound of explosions and fighting were so close to the hospital, so we knew we were going to be busy. "At maybe two or three in the morning the first casualties started coming in. "It was a conveyor belt of carnage." Read more: Activists surround police van at Glasgow pro-Palestine protest Mel worked in a emergency field hospital (Image: Supplied) During the overwhelming night, Mel was responsible for triaging patients, one of whom was a two-year-old girl, brought in dead on arrival. Mel said: "There wasn't a mark on her and I just remember standing there thinking how can this happen? "She looked completely perfect and was just covered in a thick layer of dust. "The shockwave had fatally affected her tiny wee lungs. 'The porters went to get a body bag for her, but the shortage of aid getting in meant there were only adult body bags available. "She just disappeared into it. 'We took her to the temporary mortuary at the back of the hospital. "We put two chairs out for the family to come in… but no-one ever came." The image of the young girl remains vivid in Mel's memory. She said: "The sight of that little girl will haunt me forever. "It is the thing that I think about most. "It's at the forefront of my brain. "It is not natural for a child to die like that. 'I didn't want to leave her there alone, but I had to get back to help the many other casualties who had been rushed in.' Mel was part of the team at one of the UK Government-funded field hospitals, operated by UK-Med, which has so far provided care for more than 400,000 patients during the ongoing crisis. Read more: Gaza protest march to take place in Glasgow this weekend Mel was part of the team at one of the UK Government-funded field hospitals, operated by UK-Med (Image: Supplied) The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has pledged £129 million in aid for the 2024–25 financial year to support humanitarian relief in Gaza. Mel, who has also completed two deployments to conflict-hit Ukraine, said the situation in Gaza was far beyond anything she'd previously experienced. She said: "Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it out. "That's how scary it was. "I'm a bit embarrassed to say that because the people in Gaza are experiencing that 24/7, 365 days a year. "I was working with people who've been working in the aid sector for over 30 years and every one of them said Gaza is just the worst thing they've ever seen. "It is hell on earth." Since returning to Scotland, Mel has found solace in spending time with her family — especially her two-and-a-half-year-old nephew, Hunter. She added: "Hunter has been getting extra tight cuddles since I returned to Scotland. "He keeps me very busy and that's good for me because quiet moments are difficult because things I experienced in Gaza kind of flash into your brain. "He is lucky he has his whole life ahead of him, unlike that poor little baby I saw who had been killed in Gaza." Mel's account adds to the growing body of testimony from healthcare workers and humanitarian staff detailing the devastating human toll of the conflict, which has reportedly killed over 50,000 people and displaced more than 90 percent of Gaza's population.
