Category World News

Instead of settling down in a displacement camp following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, 73-year-old Aref Shamtan, opted to build a tent close to his destroyed home in northwest Syria.

Sipping tea at a tent close to his field, Shamtan said, “I feel good here, even among the rubble.”

Shamtan discovered the severely damaged village of al-Hawash, which was situated amid farmland in central Hama province, when he returned with his son after al-Assad was ousted in December.

His home’s walls and roof had shattered. However, according to Shamtan, “living in the rubble is better than living in the camps” close to the Turkish border, where he had resided since fleeing the conflict in 2011.

The International Organization for Migration reports that 1.87 million Syrians who were internally displaced or refugees have returned to their homes of origin since al-Assad’s downfall almost 14 years ago.

The greatest challenge facing returnees is attributed to the “lack of economic opportunities and essential services.”

Shamtan, who cannot afford rebuilding, recently made the decision to leave the camp with his family and his young children, and has since begun planting wheat on his property.

Al-Hawash had been under al-Assad’s control and had a border with the province of Idlib, which had become a haven for opposition fighters who helped launch the offensive that overthrew the then-president.

Even though “the village is all destroyed… and life is non-existent, lacking basic services and infrastructure, Shamtan argued, “we cannot stay in the camps,” he continued.

“We made the decision to remain here until things get better. He continued, “We are waiting for the state and organizations to assist us.” “Life is difficult.”

Abdel Ghafour al-Khatib, 72, a local official, has also reappeared after escaping from a camp close to the border in 2019.

“I only wanted to go home,” I said. I returned and pitched a stale tent because I was so excited. He asserted that living in my village is crucial.

He noted that “everyone wants to return.” In a nation where 90% of the population lives in poverty, many people are unable to afford transportation.

As he sat in his tent near what remains of his home, al-Khatib said, “There is nothing here – there are no schools, no health clinics, no water, no electricity.”

More than 500,000 people were killed and half of Syria’s pre-war population was displaced either internally or abroad, with many seeking refuge in Idlib province as a result of al-Assad’s brutal suppression of antigovernment protests in 2011.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hind al-Khourdary claimed that the GHF’s distribution of 8, 000 food boxes on Tuesday, which totaled 462, 000 meals, would not be enough to last long for families.

Khoudary described a typical box that contained four kilograms (8.8 lbs. ), two cans of fava beans, two tea bags, and some biscuits. Lentils and soup were present in small quantities in other food packages.

“We have been starving for a long time. We must provide food for our children. What other options do we have? A Palestinian father told Al Jazeera, “I could do anything to feed them.” Even if it meant taking a risk, we ran into people, and it was frightening. Fear, however, is not as bad as starvation.

By the time Abu Sa’da, the mother of three, reached Rafah, she had already accomplished her best efforts.

The experience was viewed as being incredibly humiliating by Abu Sa’da. She displayed inferiority and shame.

“I wore a scarf to the top of my head the entire time.” She continued, “I didn’t want anyone to recognize me getting a food parcel.”

Abu Sa’da claims she will do it again if necessary.

Water and electricity are not abundant.

In Gaza, access to scarce water and electricity is almost nonexistent, making it nearly impossible for people to use the few resources they can get.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, who was reporting live from Deir el-Balah, stated that it is “impossible to cook any dry food in Gaza, including lentils, rice, or even pasta,” without having water.

Additionally, he said, “You would also need electricity or a fuel source, which have both been completely disconnected from Gaza.

The GHF is what?

A newly established, US- and Israeli-approved organization that is distributing food to Palestinians in Gaza, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Following Israel’s three-month supply blockade in Gaza, the organization has already experienced delays and difficulties, with the UN claiming the organization is unable to deal with the dire humanitarian situation there.

Israel has attempted to present a solution by distributing aid via the US-backed GHF in response to growing pressure to lift the blockade on Gaza and allow essential supplies in. Jake Wood, a US military veteran who is in charge of the organization, has already resigned, claiming that it would not be able to uphold the values of “humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

Last week, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated at the Security Council that the GHF “restricts aid to only one portion of Gaza while leaving other dire needs unmet.” It places political and military goals before aid. It provides a bargaining chip for starvation. It’s a cynical sideshow. a deliberate disorientation. A recipe for displacement and further violence.

Working with the GHF would compromise values and put the teams and people who received aid in danger, according to the UN and other humanitarian organizations. According to them, Israel could rely on the GHF to forcefully relocate the population by requiring them to move nearby a few distribution centers or face starvation. Additionally, the UN has opposed facial recognition for assessing the status of those receiving aid.

How has Israel famined Gaza’s residents?

Israel’s nearly three-month-long blockade of the Gaza Strip has left one in five Palestinians in need of food. The euphemism of hunger that grips Gaza is illustrated by the chaos at the distribution point.

1.95 million people in the enclave, or 93 percent of the population, are experiencing acute food shortages, according to the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.

North Gaza and other governorates are experiencing higher levels of hunger.

Larry Hoover, a former gang leader in Chicago, was sentenced to a new federal drug and extortion sentence on Wednesday, according to President Donald Trump. Over the past five decades, Hoover has served multiple life sentences as a result of both state and federal convictions.

Hoover is currently being held in Florence, Colorado’s ADX Florence prison, a federal prison that is formally known as the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility.

Commuting a sentence means reducing its length, severity, or completely ending it. Federal sentences, but not state sentences, are subject to the president’s authority to commute.

What we know is as follows.

What is the purpose of the commuted sentence for Larry Hoover?

Hoover, 74, co-founded one of Chicago’s most powerful gangs, Gangster Disciples.

According to a copy of the document from Hoover’s legal team that was made available to The Chicago Tribune, the Trump administration commuted his federal sentence in a two-page order issued on Wednesday, stating that it ordered his immediate release and that it was done so with no further restitution, restitution, probation, or other conditions.

The order, according to Hoover’s attorneys, vindicated their efforts to reduce the sentence for their client.

The Courts have shown a total unwillingness to take into account Mr. Hoover’s considerable growth and complete rehabilitation, according to lawyers Jennifer Bonjean and Justin Moore in a statement. Mr. Hoover has been able to maintain his voice through the incredible efforts of many supporters and advocates despite the Court’s unwillingness to do the right thing. Thankfully, President Trump heard Mr. Hoover’s pleas and delivered justice to him.

Since Trump appointed Alice Johnson as his “pardon tsar” in February of this year, more people have been lobbying for Hoover’s pardon. Johnson was a non-violent drug user and served a life sentence for a conspiracy drug conviction, but Trump granted him a pardon in 2020.

What crimes did Hoover commit?

Hoover has been found guilty of both federal and state charges. A state crime is one that violates a state law, while a federal crime is one that violates the US Constitution, which could involve several states.

He was sentenced to 200 years in prison in 1973 on suspicion of the murder of 19-year-old drug dealer in Illinois.

Hoover was a prisoner from 1974 to 1974 at Dixon Correctional Center in western Illinois, according to state prison records online. He was charged with keeping the Gangster Disciples afloat while they were still in jail.

Hoover was found guilty in 1997 of extortion, federal drug trafficking, and continued to support a criminal order. According to his attorneys, Hoover has been imprisoned for nearly three decades at Colorado’s ADX Florence, a maximum security prison.

What crimes has the Gangster Disciples committed?

Between 1970 and 1995, Hoover was one of the gang’s leaders, according to court records. According to the records, the Gangster Disciples “sold a lot of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago” under Hoover.

According to an article published by the US Department of Justice that year, the gang was thought to have had 30 000 members in Chicago and had spread to at least 35 other states.

However, little is known about the Gangster Disciples’ recent activities in the general public.

What’s the like at the ADX Florence prison?

The highest level of security is attained at ADX Florence in Colorado, which is also known as an administrative maximum (ADX) prison.

1994 saw the opening of the prison. Prisoners are confined to 12-by-7 feet (3. 6 by 2-meter) cells with thick concrete walls so they can’t see one another. A thin mattress perched on a slab of concrete provides sleep for inmates. A bathroom, shower, and automated shower are also present in the cells.

Televisions, books, or other media may be available to prisoners. In ADX prisons, there is very little human interaction.

Is Larry Hoover currently free to leave?

No, Hoover is still serving his 200-year prison sentence following the murder conviction in 1973 in Illinois.

Now that his federal conviction has been commuted, it is unknown if or when Hoover will move to another prison to serve out his state convictions, such as the Dixon Correctional Center, an Illinois medium-security facility that opened in 1983. In response to security concerns, Illinois Department of Corrections officials have previously suggested that Hoover finish his state sentence in federal prison.

Can Hoover be released on bail?

Hoover will not be eligible for parole until October 2062, when he will turn 111 years old, according to Dixon Correctional Center’s online records. Is it uncertain if he will be eligible for parole later.

Trump cannot intervene because federal crimes are only covered by presidential clemency and not state crimes, according to the US Congress website. The governor of the state has the authority to commute state offenses. Republican JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, has so far not mentioned Hoover or any plans to grant him clemency.

What function did the media play in this case?

Former rapper Kanye West, Ye, has long pushed for Hoover’s pardon. Ye requested Hoover’s pardon in the first year of Trump’s presidency. A vocal anthem from Hoover’s son, Larry Hoover Jr., who thanked Ye for bringing up his father’s case in the Oval Office, is featured on the song “Jesus Lord” from Ye’s 2021 album. The junior Hoover is reportedly heard saying, “Free my father, Mr. Larry Hoover Sr.”

Hoover’s freedom was also a top priority for Rapper Drake. Ye and Drake collaborated on a “Free Hoover” concert in Los Angeles in 2021, letting aside personal angst.

Ye posted on X after the commutation order, “WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FROSSING LARRY HOOVER.”

WORDS CAN’T PRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR LARRY HOOVER’S FREEDOM, OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

Trump pardons people now, but why?

Hoover’s commutation’s precise justification is ambiguous. However, it comes as part of Trump’s string of pardons and commutations.

Former Republican congressman Michael Grimm, who was found guilty of tax fraud in 2015 and served a number of months in prison, received a pardon on Wednesday.

Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor of political science at Ashoka University, has gained the support of the police and judiciary in India as the most recent hate figure. He is being asked to prove his innocence in a classic case of “guilty until proven innocent” because he has been accused of a crime Mahmudabad has not committed. The more he makes an admission of innocence, the more suspicion grows against him because the Supreme Court of India has already questioned his intentions and made disparaging remarks about him before creating a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to examine two Facebook posts with 1,530 words. Mahmudabad is expected to explain himself and dispel any doubts raised by the country’s highest court, despite the clarity of his posts.

In these posts, Mahmudabad criticized Pakistan for hosting terrorists while applauding India’s military assault on its neighbor. He cited the applause received by two Muslim female military officers when they presented India’s case on a global scale. He did point out that these oaths of inclusivity would continue if the ongoing Muslim persecution in India did not.

What Mahmudabad wrote had various expressions in the hands of many others before him. At a press conference, Haryana’s Women’s Commission head Renu Bhatia suddenly started expressing his anger and claimed Mahmudabad had insulted the two female officers. Many people were perplexed by her charges. Mahmudabad responded by thoroughly explaining his posts to his lawyers. Bhatia, however, dissatisfied despite disproving the evidence she had presented. She couldn’t find any words or phrases that would denigrate the female officers when questioned by a TV anchor to identify them. She continued to insist that her offended thoughts were sufficient evidence that Mahmudabad must have written something abominable. She claimed that the police had the authority to find offensive phrases and that it was her responsibility to do so.

Numerous people and media outlets scrutinized Mahmudabad’s posts after she was accused. No offensive or offensive material was discovered. Mahmudabad’s leaders rallied behind the institution to protest the Women’s Commission’s actions.

A member of the ruling Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lodged a complaint with the Haryana police alleging that Mahmudabad had said something that hurt him and others as a result of Bhatia’s claims becoming public fodder. The complainant alleged that the same Facebook posts had offended him when they were repeated. The police charged Mahmudabad with serious crimes, including insulting religious groups, offending a community’s religious sentiments, and outraging women’s modesty. Mahmudabad was immediately detained.

Mahmudabad’s lawyers requested his release and a stay of the police investigation because they believed a close examination of his writings would expose the delusion of his accusations. However, 200 academics, including vice chancellors and heads of academic institutions, issued a statement before the hearing to urge the court to punish him. They claimed that Mahmudabad was trying to “destabilize communal harmony, undermine institutional integrity, and erode gender equality.” They urged the Supreme Court to take into account their wider socio-legal implications and characterized his posts as “veiled misogyny cloaked in pseudo-academic inquiry.”

The lawyer for Mahmudabad read the questioning posts aloud during the hearing. The court reacted sceptically, suggesting that his words sounded like dog whistles and had dual meanings. Someone who has an analytical mind will comprehend the language. The bench remarked that the words used could appear innocent but could be offensive to unintended audiences.

Three senior police officers “understand the complexity and properly appreciate the language used in the posts,” according to the Supreme Court, were then created as an SIT.

Thus, the Supreme Court’s rulings gave the impression Mahmudabad’s words could not be taken literally. Although his statements may seem benign, there must be a hidden purpose or motivation beneath his statements.

The court’s delegation of its interpretive duties to the police received a shocked public response. Was the court’s reading, analyzing, and understanding of the posts itself so challenging? Did the court’s members lack analytical minds to read and comprehend Mahmudabad’s writings? Wasn’t doing this their duty? Or did the court avoid making a decision on its own?

The SIT will operate in opposition to the court’s presumptions, which have already been refuted by Mahmudabad. How might he possibly shake such preconceived notions?

In the interim, Mahmudabad’s fog thickens. The police are looking into his family history, his devout Muslim identity, his ancestry in Pakistan, and his travels abroad. These variables will now serve as the context in which to interpret and read his posts.

Mahmudabad is being demonized by the media. Soon, the image of a devious, cunning, and plotting Muslim will appear in the collective imagination of Hindus, replacing his actual words with the dense fog of propaganda.

Mahmudabad has made an SIT appearance. The student wing of the BJP, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), has also made it known that it intends to stage a public demonstration against him. Because of his writing in “antinational posts,” it is asking Ashoka University to fire him. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ruling BJP’s and ABVP’s parent organization, has joined the chorus in urging Mahmudabad to take action.

With the aid of the media, police, and judiciary, the same playbook is being used to denigrate scholars like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, turning them into enemy figures within the BJP ecosystem.

One can only hope that the police officers read Mahmudabad’s plain lines with constitutional eyes and remain unwavering, unaffected by judicial remarks or shrill propaganda. His words, which were crafted by a Muslim mind, call for compassion, compassion, justice, equality, and dignity.

According to President Donald Trump, Harvard University won’t reveal its international students to the US government.

The federal government’s approval of Harvard, which allows it to enroll international students, was removed on May 22 by the Trump administration. The administration’s effort was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on May 23.

Trump stated to reporters on May 25 that “some of the issues with Harvard are that there are about 31 percent of foreigners coming to Harvard, but they won’t tell us who the people are.” We will determine whether those foreign students are acceptable and provide a list of them. Many people will, I assume, be alright. And I’m assuming there will be many bad students there.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Harvard did not provide the information the organization needed about its international students. That was one of the reasons Harvard’s certification was revoked, according to DHS. In its lawsuit against the Trump administration, Harvard, however, disagreed with that.

The decision regarding Harvard’s compliance with providing DHS with the additional information requested is still undetermined. DHS inquired about student activities, including “illegal” and “dangerous or violent activity.” Immigration law experts disagree with Trump’s claim that the US government is unaware of the identities of Harvard’s international students.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program, or SEVP, is required by the Department of Homeland Security for US colleges and universities that enroll international students.

Every student visa holder’s information is stored in SEVP’s database. Addresses, classes, grades, jobs, social media accounts, and many other things, according to Charles Kuck, an Emory University law professor and immigration attorney from Atlanta.

According to court records, Harvard has been granted the right to enroll international students since 1954. The university is required to provide the US government with detailed information about its international students as part of the certification process.

Every two years, schools renew their SEVP certification. Harvard claimed in its lawsuit that its compliance with the university’s “seamless recertification across this period, which included more than 14 presidential administrations.”

Additionally, all foreign students must apply for and receive student visas through the State Department in order to enter the US. A person must be enrolled in a SEVP-certified university to be eligible for a student visa. Students must provide the US government with in-depth biographical information during the application process for a visa.

A White House spokesman said Trump was “making a simple ask” for Harvard to abide by the government when we asked for comment.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program: What Is It?

According to the DHS website, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program “collects, maintains, analyses, and provides information so only legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors can enter the United States.” Additionally, SEVP makes sure that all institutions that accept students from other nationalities are certified and adhere to federal laws and regulations.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which manages records for foreign students and accredited universities, is managed by DHS as part of the program. What records must universities maintain and report in accordance with immigration law to maintain certification.

According to Sheila Velez Martnez, a professor of immigration law at the University of Pittsburgh, “US entry and exit data, US residential address changes, program extensions, employment notifications, and program of study changes” The US government has access to this information, the statement states.

Students are not granted visas by the certification program. Visas are issued by the state department. A person must complete a form and schedule an interview before applying for a student visa. Students are required to provide biographical and employment information, as well as information about their families, and respond to security questions, as well as information about their criminal histories as part of the application process.

The Trump administration claims Harvard provided no information to international students.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard a&nbsp on April 16 asking for details on every international student enrolled at the university. Noem requested “relevant information” regarding “illegal activity,” “dangerous or violent activity,” “known threats to students or university personnel,” and “known deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel.”

Noem claimed that disobeying the request would result in a “voluntary withdrawal” from the SEVP certification program.

According to Bunnell’s email, which is included in the court filing, on April 30, a Harvard lawyer,  reacted to Homeland Security with information about 5, 200 international students.

The university claimed it was not attempting to revoke the certification and that, while some Noem’s requests used terms that are not defined in the immigration law that require information from universities, “Harvard is committed to good faith compliance and is producing responsive materials that we believe are reasonably required” by law.

The information included student identification numbers, names, birthdates, nationalities, and enrollment details, such as academic status, coursework, and credit hours, according to Harvard’s lawsuit. In an email to DHS from Harvard, Harvard also provided details on international students who left and why they did so, which could include “a range of reasons, including but not limited to disciplinary action.”

DHS responded on May 7th, claiming that the information Harvard provided “does not completely fulfill the Secretary’s request.” It reaffirmed its original request.

On May 14, Harvard responded by stating that it had “not been aware of any criminal convictions” of international students and had identified three students with disciplinary consequences.

Harvard claimed it did not find any victims of students who violated the rights of their classmates, faculty, or staff.

Noem informed Harvard that its certification had been revoked on May 22 in a letter to the university.

You have lost your right to access information because you have refused to comply with numerous requests to provide it to the Department of Homeland Security.

Our decision

Trump claimed that the university “refuses” to disclose who its international students are.

Harvard and all other accredited universities must provide the US government with in-depth biographical information about each international student who enrolls at their institution. that includes information about the coursework they are taking, as well as their names, addresses, and contact information.

Additionally, all foreign students must obtain student visas before entering the US. Students who have enrolled in a government-certified university must apply through the State Department in order to receive these. Additionally, students must provide the federal government with biographical and security information during that process.