“We kept finding her on the streets so we involved her in our skate programs.”
Can skateboarding change lives? One organisation believes it can. Bangladesh Street Kids Aid supports children living on the streets by providing essentials, education, and skateboarding lessons. With over 3 million street children in Bangladesh – many facing poverty, addiction, or exploitation – this initiative offers a lifeline, especially for young girls.
An Israeli air attack on Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza killed at least two people, including journalist Hassan Eslaih. Patients and staff were among those injured when the hospital’s surgical unit was targeted.
Many people across the United States are rushing to replace their driver’s licenses and state IDs with federally compliant licences, known as Real ID cards, now required to board domestic flights.
As of May 7, all US citizens more than 18 years of age must show proof of identification that meets the 2005 Real ID Act’s rules, which set higher federal security standards. But this change in federal travel requirements is creating some confusion about what it means for noncitizens.
Passed two decades ago by Congress in response to the bipartisan 9/11 Commission’s recommendations following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, the aim of the programme was to raise security standards for domestic travel and federal and nuclear facility access.
But immigration experts say the law’s enactment during the second Trump administration has left noncitizens – including some of the 13.5 million people legally in the US on green cards, work and student visas and humanitarian parole – uncertain about what the rule change could mean for their travel.
US President Donald Trump has promised and prioritised mass deportations of criminals and undocumented people in the US. But in practice, his policies have swept up US citizens and people with a legal immigration status. He has also tried to end legal pathways that allowed people to temporarily live and work in the US. Many of these actions are being challenged in court.
Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about Real ID and its effect on citizen versus noncitizen travel.
The Department of Homeland Security says the aim of the Real ID requirements was to bring consistency to the minimum documentation requirements needed for state-issued IDs – driver’s license, learner’s permits and nondriver IDs.
Now, all states issuing Real ID-compliant cards require people applying for those cards to present certain documentation. The exact requirements vary by state, but in most cases, the minimum documents needed include:
A Real ID card bears a black or gold star or a US flag in its upper right corner. State-issued ID cards that don’t have these markers will not be accepted as proof of identity to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities.
Here are some examples of what Real IDs look like:
Examples of Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses posted on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
No, you can still travel domestically provided you have another form of identification that is Real ID-compliant.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lists many other forms of acceptable IDs, including options for people who are not US citizens. Among them:
There’s one big caveat: TSA says the list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice and advises travellers to check the list before travelling.
Although numerous forms of IDs are accepted for noncitizens, the Real ID policy could have a chilling effect on travelers whose documentation differentiates them from citizens, immigration experts told us.
As one example, immigration attorney Prerna Lal said that, in any interaction with federal authorities, carrying a foreign passport could lead to scrutiny of that person’s identity if they lack legal immigration status.
“Even with valid foreign passports, undocumented individuals and mixed-status families may avoid travelling due to concerns about interactions with TSA or law enforcement, despite passports remaining acceptable documentation,” Lal said. “This fear of enforcement, rather than access to IDs, is the primary chilling effect on the immigrant community.”
A TSA officer may ask a person to complete an identity verification process. If the identity is confirmed, that person will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.
Yes, the Real ID regulations define an individual in a “temporary lawful status” as a person who has a pending application for asylum; has a pending or approved application for temporary protected status; has approved deferred action; or has a pending application for lawful permanent resident or conditional permanent resident status.
The Real ID Act lets states issue temporary, Real ID driver licenses and ID cards to people with temporary status. People with a temporary immigration status are usually granted temporary valid employment authorisation and Social Security numbers, which they can use to apply for Real IDs. Their temporary Real ID will remain valid until their lawful status expires. Florida is one exception: The Sunshine State requires almost all immigrants with lawful status to renew their IDs annually. Green card holders in Florida don’t have to renew a REAL ID every year; their Real ID is valid until their green card expires. Most green cards are valid for 10 years, but people can apply for a renewal.
Also, people with valid student or work visas can present their unexpired passports, visas and I-94 forms – documents that show a person’s authorised period of stay in the US – for proof of identity and legal status and get a Real ID.
States that provide non-Real ID compliant ID cards to people without legal immigration status can still do so, according to DHS, but the cards must clearly state that they are not acceptable for Real ID purposes and must have a unique design or colour to differentiate them from compliant cards. These non-Real ID-compliant ID cards cannot be used as a form of identification for domestic travel.
Lal told PolitiFact that a Real ID alone does not prevent a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s arrest or confirm a lawful immigration status. Although Real ID-compliant identification requires proof of lawful presence for issuance, it is not proof of current immigration status.
“ICE conducts its own verification, and possessing a Real ID does not grant immunity from enforcement actions,” Prerna said.
A French court has handed down an 18-month suspended sentence to actor Gerard Depardieu after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021.
The Paris court announced on Tuesday morning that Depardieu, the 76-year-old who did not attend court for the verdict, would be placed on the sex offenders list.
In one of the country’s highest-profile Me Too cases, Depardieu, a prominent figure of French cinema who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) directed by Jean Becker.
One of the two plaintiffs, Amelie K, a 54-year-old set decorator, told the court that Depardieu had groped her as he trapped her between his legs and made explicit sexual comments.
“He touched everything, including my breasts,” she said, adding: “I was terrified, he was laughing.”
The second witness, a 34-year-old assistant director who was unnamed, said Depardieu initially assaulted her when she accompanied him from his dressing room to the set.
“It was nighttime … he put his hand on my buttocks,” she said, adding that the actor assaulted her on two other occasions.
Judge Thierry Donard said the actor’s explanation of the events had been unconvincing.
“I’m vulgar, rude, foul-mouthed, I’ll accept that,” Depardieu told the court, but added: “I don’t touch.”
“I adore women and femininity,” he also said, describing the Me Too movement as a “reign of terror”.
Depardieu also argued before the court that he did not consider placing a hand on a person’s bottom to be sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked.
Amelie K’s lawyer described Tuesday’s ruling as a “beautiful decision” that gave recognition to Depardieu’s victims.
After the sentencing, Depardieu’s lawyer said they would appeal the court decision.
In recent years, the French actor has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations, with about 20 women coming forward with accusations, but this case was the first to go to court.
Israel’s army has admitted to carrying out “a targeted attack” on the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing two people, including Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaih.
Gaza’s Government Media Office on Tuesday confirmed the killing of Eslaih, who was receiving treatment at the hospital’s burn unit for severe injuries sustained during an April 7 Israeli strike on a media tent located next to the hospital.
The AFP news agency footage from Nasser Hospital after Tuesday’s strike showed smoke rising from the facility as rescuers searched through the rubble by the light of torches.
A hospital worker who gave his name as Abu Ghali said the Israeli bombardment “does not differentiate between civilians and military targets”.
“This is a civilian hospital that receives injured people around the clock,” he told AFP.
Eslaih was the director of the Alam24 News Agency and a freelancer who contributed to international news organisations, including photos of the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
Israel has claimed Eslaih was a Hamas fighter who participated in the October 7 attack, an allegation he vehemently denied.
At least 178 journalists and media workers have been killed in Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon since the war began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Gaza’s Government Media Office put the death toll at 215.
Israel’s military said in a post on Telegram that the strike targeted a Hamas “command and control complex” at the hospital – the largest in southern Gaza – without providing further evidence.
“The compound was used by the terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and [military] troops,” the post said, in what appeared to be a reference to Eslaih and Hamas.
Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday condemned “the repeated targeting of hospitals and the pursuit and killing of wounded patients inside treatment rooms”, saying it “confirms Israel’s deliberate intent to inflict greater damage to the healthcare system”.
Hospitals in Gaza have been a frequent target of Israeli attacks since the war began in October 2023, although attacking health facilities, medical personnel and patients is illegal under the 1949 Geneva Convention.
According to officials in Gaza, Israel has bombed and burned at least 36 hospitals across the enclave since the war erupted.
Andy Murray will no longer be coaching former rival Novak Djokovic, ending their six-month partnership, the pair announced.
Djokovic stunned the tennis world in November when he said he had hired the retired Murray, who had no track record as a coach, to lead his off-court team.
But the two 37-year-old tennis greats have already parted company, with the former British player thanking Serbian star Djokovic for an “unbelievable opportunity”.
Their split comes after Djokovic, the winner of a record 24 men’s Grand Slam singles titles, endured a difficult start to the season, including losing his first match at his last two tournaments.
“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement released on Tuesday.
“I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season,” added the Scot, who defeated Djokovic in the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon finals to win two of his three Grand Slam titles.
Their partnership started well, with Djokovic defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, only to retire through injury during his semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
But success has since proved elusive, with Djokovic saying on Tuesday: “Thank you, coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun and support over last six months on and off the court, really enjoyed deepening our friendship together.”
Murray, who retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics, is a three-time singles Grand Slam winner and former world number one.
The pair go their separate ways less than two weeks out from the 2025 French Open, which begins on May 25 at Roland Garros, Paris.