Latest news with #USDepartmentofState
Roya News
an hour ago
- Roya News
US maintains Level 2 Travel Advisory for Jordan; no departure planned for citizens
The US Department of State continues to advise travelers to Jordan to 'exercise increased caution,' maintaining the country's Level 2 travel advisory status. While contingency planning is ongoing, there are currently no plans to 'assist private US citizens with departure from Jordan,' according to a recent update from the US Embassy in the Kingdom. The embassy added that US citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive timely alerts and updates. Any changes regarding departure options will be communicated through its official channels. Travel and Border Crossing Information US citizens require a Jordanian visa to enter the country. Visas on arrival are available at both the northern and southern border crossings for a fee of 40 JOD (approximately $56 USD). Payment by cash is preferred due to occasional issues with credit card processing. All land border crossings will be closed on Saturday, June 21. US travelers exiting 'Israel' are subject to a $180 exit tax, payable in US dollars, 'Israeli' shekels, or by credit card. An e-visa is required in advance for travelers crossing via the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge. Applications can be submitted online at Travelers must have a passport valid for at least six months.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Visa interviews for international students set to open, subject to review of social media accounts
AI-generated image (For representative purposes only) Visa interviews for international students (those seeking a F-visa or M-visa) and those aspiring to visit US on an exchange visa (J visa) is set to open, but the news is mixed. The new requirement by the US Department of State (DOS) is that all applicants must make their social media accounts open for government review. In late May, DOS had paused consulate visa interviews for these categories of applicants to enable introduction and implementation of enhanced social media screening and vetting processes. A tersely worded statement, issued late night on Wednesday, by DOS states, 'We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the US, including those who pose a threat to US national security. Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public'. Several federal agencies under the Trump administration are issuing constant reminders that 'A US visa is a privilege, not a right,' – these words and the concern about 'national security' echo throughout this statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Doutor: Manter a massa muscular após os 50 anos depende deste hábito noturno Revista do Homem Saiba Mais Undo 'The US must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the US do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,' adds the statement. It may be recalled that in mid-March, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian PhD student at Columbia University, self-deported to Canada after her US student visa was revoked due to alleged campus activism. The subsequent weeks saw hundreds of F-1 visas and/or SEVIS records being revoked for a multitude of reasons including campus activism, some reasons were as trifling as a traffic violation. Several US district courts have granted temporary injunctions to international students against such revocations. In April, as was duly reported by TOI, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that the agency will 'begin considering aliens' antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. ' Given that this course of action existed, the pause on the issue of international student visas had taken the student community by surprise. According to immigration attorneys the need to have social media accounts 'public' is the marked difference. Given the past actions of the US authorities, a student from Pune, who was aspiring to study in the US had deleted all her social media accounts. 'My immigration attorney has now told me that even the lack of a social media presence could be held against me – it could indicate that I had things to hide,' she told TOI. Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at told TOI, 'All foreign students and scholars applying for F, M and J visas will need to ensure their social media accounts are public for review. Consular officers will screen for 'hostility' toward US citizens, culture, government, or institutions. There is absolutely no guidance on what these 'hostility indicators' mean or to what extent the US government will go to determine hostility. This vague criteria creates uncertainty for applicants and raises questions about consistency and fairness in the visa application review process.' New York based Cyrus Mehta, founder of an immigration law firm added, 'This is so very authoritarian and even creepy, and it is aimed at stifling all forms of critical speech that is integral to a student's education.' According to a recent report released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), there were 15.8 lakh international students in the US during 2024, with the Indian contingent of nearly 4.2 lakh students being the largest. However, recent trends have shown a decline in interest in studying in the US.
Leaders
2 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
US Military Preparations at its Peak: Col. Abbas Dahouk
Over the past few days, Trump has made several posts that suggest a direct US military involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, which erupted on Friday, June 13, 2025. His remarks included that the US has a 'total control of the skies over Iran' and that Tehran should submit to an 'unconditional surrender.' Then, he said about the US striking Iran 'I may do it, I may not do it.' In this context, the Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State and Member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on US-Arab Relations, Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, said that the Trump administration is preparing for a military operation while using coercive diplomacy. Military Operation Coming Speaking to BBC Arabic, Dahouk said: 'It seems that the Trump administration tries to gather all these elements to launch a military operation against the most fortified nuclear facility in Iran, which is Fordo.' 'But at the same time, the US continues to use coercive diplomacy to try to put pressure on the Iranian regime through the above-mentioned remarks, that the US is serious about the unconditional surrender,' he added. The Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State also suggested that the fact that Israel is dropping bombs on Tehran 'disappoints the Iranians and may push them to take a position on this war and take an action.' So, 'Trump's coercive diplomacy continues and at the same time, preparations go on,' he noted. Moving US Assets American officials told Israeli counterparts that the next 48 hours will be decisive, raising questions about what may happen. In the light of this, Col. Dahouk said: 'The military preparations seem to be at its peak. All these strategic assets have been moved.' These assets include refueling aircraft, US Navy destroyers and warships that have moved to the Middle East. Targeting Fordo All these elements come together to 'prepare for what could be a major strike on specific targets inside Iran,' Dahouk said. In case of US involvement, 'this engagement will be very specific and will target certain nuclear facilities, namely the Fordo nuclear compound, which requires US assets to destroy it,' he said. Moreover, US assets are needed to destroy 'the infrastructure related to Iran's nuclear program, an advanced infrastructure that contributes to building a nuclear bomb,' Dahouk added. Geopolitical Dilemma 'This requires a political decision. Trump has not decided yet on this operation, some elements in his administration want to destroy Iran's nuclear program once and for all, and topple the Iranian regime,' Dahouk noted. On the other hand, he said that other elements want Trump to fulfill his 'America First' promises and to not engage in new wars in the Middle East. Thus, it is a 'geopolitical dilemma' that Trump is trying to decide. But militarily, everything seems ready, according to Dahouk. Short link : Post Views: 75
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Amid Israel's Threat, Here's How Saddam Hussein Was Killed: Once-Dapper Leader Pulled Dirty From...
Last Updated: Saddam Hussein's execution in December 2006 sparked international controversy after a video surfaced online, showing witnesses taunting him moments before he was hanged. The deadly conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify, with both sides expanding the scope of their attacks. According to reports, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 200 people in Iran, including top military officials and civilians. Amid rising tensions, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggesting he could meet a fate similar to that of Iraq's Saddam Hussein. 'I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launch missiles towards Israeli civilians," Katz was quoted as saying in a Reuters report. He followed the warning by reminding of the fate of Saddam Hussein. How Did Saddam Hussein Die? Saddam Hussein ruled over Iraq from 1979 until he was overthrown and captured by a US-led coalition in 2003. Upon coming to power, he quickly eliminated political opposition, turning Iraq into a one-party state centred around a cult of personality. His regime was marked by brutal repression, including the torture, disappearance and execution of civilians who dared to speak against the government. He was accused by an Iraqi court of committing numerous massacres during his reign. Some of the most grave claims include the 1982 slaughter of Shias in Dujail and also the 1988 Halabja massacre, where he used chemical weapons to attack a Kurdish town, killing 30,000 people with the poisonous gas. The reason? The people dared to rise against him. At that time, the Iraqi people were not even allowed to vote to remove their government. 'Freedom of expression, association, and movement did not exist in Iraq. The media was tightly controlled—Saddam Hussein's son owned the daily Iraqi newspaper. Iraqi citizens could not assemble except in support of the government. Iraqi citizens cannot freely leave Iraq," stated the US Department of State. In short, he gave a simple yet terrible choice: remain silent or face the consequences. Following his capture during the Iraq War, Hussein was tried before an Iraqi tribunal and was convicted. In November 2006, he was found guilty of committing crimes against humanity, including illegal imprisonment, willful killing, deportation and torture, and thus sentenced to death by hanging. His execution left many families of the victims celebrating, while other Iraqis felt deeply upset over the chilling video of Hussein, who was once the president of their country. Cell phone footage captures Saddam Hussein in the final moments before his execution in 2006. — Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) April 6, 2025 On December 30, 2006, thousands of Iraqis watched as the once-feared leader walked towards the gallows, ultimately meeting a brutal end. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
US judge blocks Trump passport policy targeting transgender people
BOSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked US President Donald Trump's administration from refusing to issue passports to transgender and nonbinary Americans nationwide that reflect their gender identities. US District Judge Julia Kobick in Boston expanded a preliminary injunction she issued in April that allowed six transgender and nonbinary individuals who challenged the policy to obtain passports consistent with their gender identities or with an "X" sex designation while the lawsuit moves forward. Kobick did so after concluding the policy the US Department of State adopted pursuant to an executive order Trump signed likely discriminated on the basis of sex and was rooted in an irrational prejudice toward transgender Americans that violated the US Constitution's Fifth Amendment. While Kobick's April ruling was limited in its scope, the judge, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, on Tuesday granted the case class action status and halted the policy's enforcement against transgender, nonbinary and intersex passport holders. Kobick said granting class action status to two categories of passport holders was appropriate given that the administration's actions affected them uniformly "by preventing them from obtaining passports with a sex marker consistent with their gender identity." Li Nowlin-Sohl, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at the American Civil Liberties Union, called the ruling "a critical victory against discrimination and for equal justice under the law." White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly in a statement called the decision "yet another attempt by a rogue judge to thwart President Trump's agenda and push radical gender ideology that defies biological truth." The case is one of several concerning an executive order Trump signed after returning to office on January 20 directing the government to recognize only two biologically distinct sexes, male and female. The order also directed the State Department to change its policies to only issue passports that "accurately reflect the holder's sex." The State Department subsequently changed its passport policy to "request the applicant's biological sex at birth," rather than permit applicants to self-identify their sex, and to only allow them to be listed as male or female. Prior to Trump, the State Department for more than three decades allowed people to update the sex designation on their passports. In 2022, the Biden administration allowed passport applicants to choose "X" as a neutral sex marker on their passport applications, as well as being able to self-select "M" or "F" for male or female. — Reuters
