Palestinian student remains detained in Vermont with a hearing set for next week

Palestinian student remains detained in Vermont with a hearing set for next week
Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP)
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Updated 24 April 2025
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Palestinian student remains detained in Vermont with a hearing set for next week

Palestinian student remains detained in Vermont with a hearing set for next week
  • In court documents, the government argues that Mahdawi’s detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process”
  • Mahdawi is still scheduled for a hearing date in immigration court in Louisiana on May 1, his attorneys said

BURLINGTON, Vermont: A large crowd of supporters and advocates gathered outside a Vermont courthouse Wednesday to support a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.
Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on April 14. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday during which a judge extended a temporary order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a hearing for next week.
Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.
“What the government provided thus far only establishes that the only basis they have to currently detaining him in the manner they did is his lawful speech,” attorney Luna Droubi said after the hearing. “We intend on being back in one week’s time to free Mohsen.”
In court documents, the government argues that Mahdawi’s detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process” and that district courts are barred from hearing challenges to how and when such proceedings are begun.
“District courts play no role in that process. Consequently, this Court lacks jurisdiction over Petitioner’s claims, which are all, at bottom, challenges to removal proceedings,” wrote Michael Drescher, Vermont’s acting US attorney.
According to his lawyers, Mahdawi had answered questions and signed a document that he was willing to defend the US Constitution and laws of the nation. They said masked ICE agents then entered the interview room, shackled Mahdawi, and put him in a car.
“What we’re seeing here is unprecedented where they are so hellbent on detaining students from good universities in our country,” attorney Cyrus Mehta said. “These are not hardened criminals. These are people who have not been charged with any crime, they have also not been charged under any of the other deportation provisions of the Immigration Act.”
Mahdawi is still scheduled for a hearing date in immigration court in Louisiana on May 1, his attorneys said. His notice to appear says he is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act because the Secretary of State has determined his presence and activities “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling US foreign policy interest.”
Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges.
According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.
As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024.
US Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, a Democrat, met with Mahdaw i on Monday at the prison and posted a video account of their conversation on X. Mahdawi said he was “in good hands.” He said his work is centered on peacemaking and that his empathy extends beyond the Palestinian people to Jews and to the Israelis.
“I’m staying positive by reassuring myself in the ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy,” Mahdawi said in Welch’s video. “This is the reason I wanted to become a citizen of this country, because I believe in the principles of this country.”
Mahdawi’s attorney read a statement from him outside the courthouse Wednesday in which he urged supporters to “stay positive and believe in the inevitability of justice.”
“This hearing is part of the system of democracy, it prevents a tyrant from having unchecked power,” he wrote. “I am in prison, but I am not imprisoned.”
Meanwhile, the government is appealing a decision by a different Vermont judge who said another detained student, Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, should be returned to Vermont.
On Tuesday, members of Congress from Massachusetts traveled to Louisiana to meet with Ozturk and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. US Sen. Ed Markey and US Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern expressed concern at a news conference Wednesday that the students, as well as other detainees, were being deprived of nutritious meals, sleep and blankets in the cold facilities.
Khalil and Ozturk have not committed any crimes, the delegation said — they are being unlawfully detained for exercising their right to free speech.
“They are being targeted and imprisoned because of their political views,” McGovern said.


Vietnam says 'positive progress' in trade talks with US

Vietnam says 'positive progress' in trade talks with US
Updated 4 sec ago
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Vietnam says 'positive progress' in trade talks with US

Vietnam says 'positive progress' in trade talks with US
  • The Vietnamese team sought help during its time in the United States from US tech and industry giants, including Lockheed Martin, SpaceX and Google
  • Trump visited the Vietnamese capital in 2019 for his abortive second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
HANOI: Vietnam said on Thursday "positive progress" has been made in trade talks with Washington, as it tries to slash President Donald Trump's threatened 46 percent levy imposed on the country in his global tariff blitz.
The ministry of industry and trade however said both sides have "groups of issues for further discussion" in the coming rounds of talks, with the next scheduled for early June.
The southeast Asian nation has the third-biggest trade surplus with the United States of any country after China and Mexico and is anxious to address the imbalance to head off the tariff threat.
At the end of three days of talks in Washington, both sides had identified matters of common concern "in the spirit of goodwill, frankness... and balance of interests", the ministry said in a statement on its website.
The Vietnamese team sought help during its time in the United States from US tech and industry giants, including Lockheed Martin, SpaceX and Google.
It also signed an agreement with US company Westinghouse Electric on nuclear power development.
President Trump's real estate group on Wednesday broke ground in Vietnam on a $1.5-billion luxury resort and golf course 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of the capital Hanoi.
His son, Eric Trump, an executive vice president of The Trump Organization, and his wife Lara attended the event, as well as local partner the Kinhbac City Development Corporation (KBC).
He is also due to scout locations this week for a potential tower project in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's southern business hub.
Trump visited the Vietnamese capital in 2019 for his abortive second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
He described Hanoi at the time as an "incredible city", praising Vietnam for "the job they've done -- economic development".

Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 3 dead and 1 missing

Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 3 dead and 1 missing
Updated 18 min 58 sec ago
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Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 3 dead and 1 missing

Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 3 dead and 1 missing
  • More than 500 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney
  • Some New South Wales areas forecast to receive as much as 30 centimeters of rain in the next 24 hours

MELBOURNE: Record floodwaters on Australia’s east coast left three people dead and one missing, officials said Thursday, as more heavy rain was forecast in the area.
More than 500 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney. The area has been hit with heavy rain since Tuesday. The flooding exceeds local records set in 1921 and 1929.
New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns said some areas were forecast to receive as much as 30 centimeters (1 foot) of rain in the next 24 hours. He said 50,000 people were warned to prepare to evacuate or be isolated by floodwaters, telling reporters: “We are bracing for more bad news.”
The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon, Fire and Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said. A coroner will determine whether a pre-existing medical condition played a part in his death, he added.
The body of a man, aged in his 30s, was recovered from floodwaters near Rosewood early Thursday, a police statement said. He had disappeared while attempting to drive through a flooded intersection on Wednesday night.
A 60-year-old woman was found dead on Thursday after her SUV became trapped in floodwaters near Brooklana on Wednesday night. The SUV was found earlier on Thursday, police said.
A 49-year-old man also failed to return home after walking near a flooded road at Nymboida on Wednesday night, police said.
Minns said more than 500 people had been rescued from floodwater in just over two days, many after trying to drive across flooded roads.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said 330 flood rescues were conducted in the past 24 hours. Helicopters have been used to rescue people stranded by floodwaters from rooftops and verandahs.
“We’ve seen more rain and more flooding in the mid-to-north coast area than we’ve ever seen before,” Dib said.
The flooding has hit communities including Taree, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbor and Bellingen in New South Wales.
Taree received a month’s rain in 24 hours, an official said.
“Up around the Taree area, we’ve seen communities that have never flooded in recorded history now flooding,” Fewtrell said.
The region has opened 14 evacuation centers as of Thursday.
Government meteorologist Angus Hines said a low-pressure weather system had stalled over the flooded region since Monday, bringing 60 centimeters (2 feet) of rain to some parts.
“If it had only been one day and then it had gone, we would have seen some minor or moderate flooding but it wouldn’t have been too bad. But four days in a row of this amount of rainfall and we see this significant and extensive, widespread and major flood event happening in front of our eyes,” Hines said.
The rain was losing intensity on Thursday, Hines said.


European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington

European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington
Updated 22 May 2025
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European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington

European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington
  • Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were fatally shot while leaving an event at a Jewish museum

European leaders issued strong condemnations Thursday following the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, denouncing the act as a barbaric expression of anti-Semitic violence.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was “shocked” by the incident, which occurred late Wednesday. “There is no justification for anti-Semitic violence,” he posted on X.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called the attack “an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity.” He wrote on X: “The murder of two members of the Israeli embassy near the Jewish Museum in Washington is an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity. Nothing can justify such violence.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani “forcefully” condemned the shooting, describing it as having caused “scenes of terror and violence.” Posting on X, he warned that “anti-Semitism... must be stopped. The horrors of the past must not return.”

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also expressed shock, emphasizing that “there is and should be no place in our societies for hatred, extremism, or anti-Semitism.” She extended her condolences to the victims’ families and to the people of Israel.

 


Netanyahu says he has ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide

Netanyahu says he has ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide
Updated 10 min 28 sec ago
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Netanyahu says he has ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide

Netanyahu says he has ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide
  • The measure came after a gunman who shouted shot dead two embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has ordered enhanced security measures at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide after a gunman who shouted shot dead two embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
“I have instructed to enhance security arrangements at Israeli missions around the world and to increase protection for state representatives,” he said.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of anti-Semitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel.”
Gunfire broke out late Wednesday outside the Capital Jewish Museum in the center of Washington as the venue held a social event for young professionals and diplomatic staff.
A video clip circulating on social media showed a young bearded man in a jacket and white shirt shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was led away by police.
The victims were a young couple who planned to get married, according to the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “devastated” by the fatal attack but said the two countries would “stand united in defense of our people.”
“This is a despicable act of hatred, of anti-Semitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy,” Herzog said.
“America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar too pledged that Israel would not give into “terror,” saying he was “horrified” by the attack.
“Israeli representatives around the world are constantly exposed to heightened risk — especially in these times,” he said.
“We are in close contact with American authorities. Israel will not surrender to terror.”


UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius

UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius
Updated 22 May 2025
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UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius

UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius
  • In 1965 Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory
  • The agreement was due to be signed Thursday morning at a virtual ceremony

LONDON: A British court blocked the UK from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, to Mauritius, hours before the agreement was due to be signed on Thursday.

The UK has agreed to hand sovereignty to Mauritius of the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The UK would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

US President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, gave its approval, but finalizing the agreement was delayed by last-minute negotiations over costs.

The agreement was due to be signed Thursday morning at a virtual ceremony.

But a High Court judge granted an injunction in the early hours of Thursday putting a hold on the agreement. It came in response to a claim by two of the original residents of the islands.

The Chagos islanders, many of whom relocated to Britain in the 1960s and 70s to make way for the Diego Garcia base, say they were not consulted over the agreement

In 1965 Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius — a former colony that became independent three years later — to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Financial details of the deal have not been set out.

Media reports have put the cost to Britain at £9 billion.