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Trump Says Iran Appears to Be Standing Down After Missile Attack

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing US troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing US troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
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Trump Says Iran Appears to Be Standing Down After Missile Attack

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing US troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing US troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday there were no American casualties in the Iranian strikes on military bases housing US troops in Iraq and that Tehran appeared to be standing down.

Speaking from the foyer of the White House, Trump announced that the US will immediately place new sanctions on Iran "until Iran changes its behavior." He defended his targeted killing last week of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. He added that Americans should be "extremely grateful and happy" that no Americans were harmed when Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops early Wednesday.

"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties," Trump said.

Trump says Iran "appears to be standing down" and is crediting an early warning system "that worked very well" for the fact that no Americans or Iraqis were killed.

The launch was Tehran´s most brazen direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran and came days after Trump authorized the targeted killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran´s elite Quds Force.

Iran had pledged to retaliate, bringing the two countries closer to the brink of war.

Trump reiterated his position that "Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon" and called for new nuclear negotiations to replace the 2015 nuclear deal from which he withdrew the US.

Trump also announced he would ask NATO to become "much more involved in the Middle East process."

TRUMP FACING ELECTION THIS YEAR

Trump's reaction in the immediate aftermath of the attacks had been to say on Twitter that "All is well!" and that Washington was assessing damage.

US and European government sources said they believed Iran had deliberately sought to avoid US military casualties in its missile strikes to prevent an escalation.

Earlier on Wednesday, an Iranian army spokesman had denied "foreign media reports" suggesting there had been some kind of coordination between Iran and the United States before the attack to allow bases to be evacuated, Fars news agency said.

The US president, who was impeached last month and faces an election this year, had at the weekend threatened to target 52 Iranian sites if Iran retaliated for Soleimani's killing.

Iranian state television said Iran had fired 15 ballistic missiles from its territory at US targets in its neighbor Iraq early on Wednesday. The Pentagon said al-Asad airbase and another facility in Erbil were struck.

Iranian state television had said 80 "American terrorists" had been killed and US helicopters and military equipment had been damaged. But it did not say how it obtained that information.

Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Poland said none of their troops in Iraq were hurt. Britain, which also has personnel in Iraq, condemned the Iranian action and said Tehran "should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks".

Iraq said its forces did not suffer casualties.

More than 5,000 US troops remain in Iraq along with the other foreign forces in a coalition that has trained and backed Iraqis against the threat of ISIS militants.

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World

China Says Its Military Took Necessary Steps to Warn Australia in Jet Incident

In this undated photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, a Seahawk helicopter prepares to take off from the deck of HMAS Hobart during flying operations while on a regional presence deployment off northern Australia. Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (LSIS Matthew Lyall/Australian Defense Force via AP)
In this undated photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, a Seahawk helicopter prepares to take off from the deck of HMAS Hobart during flying operations while on a regional presence deployment off northern Australia. Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (LSIS Matthew Lyall/Australian Defense Force via AP)
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China Says Its Military Took Necessary Steps to Warn Australia in Jet Incident

In this undated photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, a Seahawk helicopter prepares to take off from the deck of HMAS Hobart during flying operations while on a regional presence deployment off northern Australia. Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (LSIS Matthew Lyall/Australian Defense Force via AP)
In this undated photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, a Seahawk helicopter prepares to take off from the deck of HMAS Hobart during flying operations while on a regional presence deployment off northern Australia. Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (LSIS Matthew Lyall/Australian Defense Force via AP)

China said on Tuesday its military took steps to warn and alert an Australian aircraft after Australia blamed a Chinese fighter jet for endangering one of its military helicopters during an "unsafe" confrontation over the Yellow Sea.
The incident could create a new rift between the nations trying to rebuild ties following a 2020 low, when Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, and Beijing responded with trade barriers.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese air force J-10 jet dropped flares above and several hundred meters ahead of an Australian MH60R Seahawk helicopter on a routine flight on Saturday, Reuters said.
No one was hurt in the incident, which happened during an operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was "unacceptable" for Australian defense personnel to be put at risk in international airspace.
On Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the Australian aircraft deliberately flew within close range of China’s airspace in a "provocative move" that endangered maritime air security.
"The Australian military aircraft flew near China's airspace in a threatening way," the spokesperson, Lin Jian, told a regular news briefing.
"The Chinese military took necessary measures at the scene to warn and alert the Australian side," he said, adding that the situation was handled in a manner consistent with China's law and regulations, and was professional and safe.
"China has lodged serious protests with the Australian side over its risky moves," Lin said. "We urge the Australian side to immediately stop the provocations and hype to prevent misunderstanding and miscalculation."
China has also been accused of unsafe behavior in the skies by other countries, including Canada and the United States.
Australia has also previously charged China with "unsafe and unprofessional" actions at sea.
In Sydney, Albanese told broadcaster Nine's Today Show the Australian Defense Force personnel were "in international waters, international airspace," as they worked to ensure that the UN sanctions imposed on North Korea were enforced.
"They shouldn't have been at any risk," he said, adding that the Australian public expected an explanation from China about the incident, and Australia had made "very strong representations at every level to China".
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to visit Australia next month, he said, adding, "We will make our position clear as well in discussions."
The helicopter, flying from destroyer HMAS Hobart, dodged the flares. The confrontation put the aircraft and those on board at risk, although no one was hurt, Australia's defense department said in a separate statement.
The incident is the second in six months to mar what has otherwise been a growing rapprochement between the two countries after years of strained relations and trade disputes.
In November, Australia said a Chinese naval vessel injured some of its divers in Japanese waters using an underwater sonar. China denied it had used its sonar; however Australia rejected the explanation.
In 2022, Australia protested after a Chinese navy vessel pointed a laser at an Australian military aircraft close to Australia's northern coast.
In a separate incident in 2022, Australia said a Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea, releasing a "bundle of chaff" with pieces of aluminum that were ingested into the Australian craft's engine.
Liu Jianchao, head of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party, said during a visit to Australia in November the Australian navy's movements in the South China Sea and East China Sea appeared to be an effort to contain China.
Australia has rejected this, saying it respects the right of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law.
China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. An international tribunal in 2016 said China's expansive claim had no legal basis.
Chinese navy vessels have been tracked off Australia's coast several times in recent years, including monitoring exercises with the US military.

World

Japan Tells US That Biden’s ‘Xenophobia’ Comment Is Regrettable 

US President Joe Biden speaks during a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 May 2024. (EPA)
US President Joe Biden speaks during a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 May 2024. (EPA)
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Japan Tells US That Biden’s ‘Xenophobia’ Comment Is Regrettable 

US President Joe Biden speaks during a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 May 2024. (EPA)
US President Joe Biden speaks during a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 May 2024. (EPA)

Japan has described as "regrettable" US President Joe Biden's comment that "xenophobia" is stifling the Asian nation's economic growth, the top government spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Last week Biden said "xenophobia" in economies from China to Japan and India was hobbling their growth, while arguing at a Washington fund-raising event that migration has been good for the US economy.

"We lodged representations to the United States that the comment was not based on the correct understanding of Japan's policy and regrettable," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular news conference, without elaborating.

Hayashi was quick to add, however, that Japan's ties with its security ally the United States were more solid than ever, and Tokyo will strive to make them even stronger.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington in April for a summit with Biden and unveiled plans for military co-operation and projects from missiles to moon landings, so as to strengthen ties with an eye to countering China and Russia.

At last week's event to raise funds for his 2024 re-election campaign, Biden said, "One of the reasons why our economy's growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants."

"Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong."

Japan, which prides itself on its homogeneity, has long been reticent about immigration, although its falling birth rate and a rapidly ageing population point to an acute labor shortage in the coming decades.

Asked in a Newsweek interview if he wanted to spur immigration to reverse the population decline, Kishida said Japan must consider inviting skilled workers, but ruled out a full-fledged immigration program.

"For highly capable and motivated workers to be invited into Japan to provide support to Japanese society is what we would like to enable," Kishida said in the interview, published last week.

"There are still some in Japanese society who are resistant to the idea of continuous, indefinite immigration of labor from overseas."

World

Putin is Starting His 5th Term as President

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 3, 2024. Sputnik/Aleksey Babushkin/Kremlin via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 3, 2024. Sputnik/Aleksey Babushkin/Kremlin via REUTERS
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Putin is Starting His 5th Term as President

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 3, 2024. Sputnik/Aleksey Babushkin/Kremlin via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 3, 2024. Sputnik/Aleksey Babushkin/Kremlin via REUTERS

Vladimir Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president in an opulent Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and consolidating all power in his hands.
Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin’s new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he is constitutionally eligible to run for another six years.
He has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a pariah state that threatens global security. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other regimes like China, Iran and North Korea for support.
The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of another six years, both at home and abroad.
Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched-earth tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition. Both sides are taking heavy casualties.
Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscow’s goals in Ukraine, and do what is needed to “defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens.”
Shortly after his orchestrated reelection in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and he declared he wanted to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.
At home, Putin's popularity is closely tied to improving living standards for ordinary Russians.
He began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five global economies, vowing it should be “modern and dynamic.” Instead, Russia's economy has pivoted to a war footing, and authorities are spending record amounts on defense.
Analysts say now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and pressure more men to join the military.
At the start of a new term, the Russian government is routinely dissolved so that Putin can name a new prime minister and Cabinet.
One key area to watch is the Defense Ministry.
Last year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came under pressure over his conduct of the war, with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launching withering criticism against him for shortages of ammunition for his private contractors fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin's brief uprising in June against the Defense Ministry represented the biggest threat to Putin's rule.
After Prigozhin was killed two months later in a mysterious plane crash, Shoigu appeared to have survived the infighting. But last month, his protege, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, was detained on charges of bribery amid reports of rampant corruption.
Some analysts have suggested Shoigu could become a victim of the government reshuffle but that would be a bold move as the war is still raging in Ukraine.
In the years following the invasion, authorities have cracked down on any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times. There is no sign that this repression will ease in Putin's new term.
His greatest political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been imprisoned or have fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear for their security.
Laws have been enacted that threaten long prison terms for anyone who discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don't hew to what Putin has emphasized as Russia's “traditional family values.”

World

At Least 10 Casualties in Hospital Attack in Southwestern China, Suspect Arrested

The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China April 29, 2020. (Reuters)
The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China April 29, 2020. (Reuters)
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At Least 10 Casualties in Hospital Attack in Southwestern China, Suspect Arrested

The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China April 29, 2020. (Reuters)
The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China April 29, 2020. (Reuters)

Chinese state media are reporting a knife attack with possible deaths at a hospital in the country’s southwest.
The official Xinhua News Agency said there were more than 10 casualties in what it called a “vicious assault” on Tuesday in Yunnan province. An online post from Guizhou province television citing unnamed authorities said that two had died and 23 people were injured, The Associated Press said.
A suspect has been arrested, the Guizhou TV post said. The attack took place at Zhenxiong County People’s Hospital in Zhaotong city.

World

Kabul: Around 1,000 Afghan Migrants Deported from Pakistan, Iran

Afghan refugees arrive in trucks and cars to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 31, 2023. (AFP)
Afghan refugees arrive in trucks and cars to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 31, 2023. (AFP)
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Kabul: Around 1,000 Afghan Migrants Deported from Pakistan, Iran

Afghan refugees arrive in trucks and cars to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 31, 2023. (AFP)
Afghan refugees arrive in trucks and cars to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 31, 2023. (AFP)

The Afghani Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs announced on Monday that nearly a thousand Afghan migrants returned to the country after being expelled by Pakistan, the Khaama news agency said.
According to a newsletter released by the ministry on Sunday, 913 Afghan migrants residing in Pakistan have entered the country.
The newspaper also said the migrants who had been expelled returned to the country on May 5th.
Both Pakistan and Iran have recently intensified the expulsion of Afghan citizens from their territories, with hundreds of Afghans, including families and individuals, entering the country daily through various border crossings.
Pakistan and Iran consistently cite the lack of legal documentation for residency in their countries as the primary reason for the expulsion of Afghan migrants.
Meanwhile, the Afghan refugees who were forcibly deported from Iran have complained of inhumane treatment at the hands of the Iranian government. They reported being beaten by Iranian government forces. Baseer, a refugee who spent two years in Iran and was recently deported with his three children, said, “When they wanted to search us, I resisted, and they beat me.”
He told the Afghan Tolo television channel on Sunday, “Now, I don't know if my rib is broken. I can't even lift two kilograms.”
Some Afghan migrants in Pakistan also expressed concern about the growing challenges they face and asked for international attention to the plight of Afghan migrants.
Late last month, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said more than two thousand Afghan migrants have re-entered the country after being expelled by the governments of Pakistan and Iran.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Red Cross donated $100,000 to assist recent flood victims in the country.
According to the Chinese ambassador in Kabul, the country's Red Cross deposited this money with Mullah Nuruddin Turabi, the Deputy of the Red Crescent of Afghanistan. Previously, China had announced that it would send 100 million yuan to “address humanitarian challenges.”
China has had good relations with Afghanistan in the past two years, and Chinese officials have repeatedly visited Afghanistan to expand political, economic, and transit relations with authorities.
In the past two years, Beijing has helped Kabul with education, health, construction, and sending humanitarian aid.

World

IAEA Urges Tehran on Concrete Steps to Revive Agreements

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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IAEA Urges Tehran on Concrete Steps to Revive Agreements

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi suggested concrete steps to Iranian officials over a year ago to improve the IAEA’s oversight of Tehran’s nuclear activities.
However, diplomats and analysts see Grossi’s influence as limited and warn against unverifiable promises.
During a recent visit to Tehran, Grossi focused on unresolved issues, including the international investigation into uranium traces at secret sites and restoring inspection operations.
Tehran halted implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty three years ago.
Grossi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian and Atomic Energy Organization Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi.
Additionally, Grossi held separate talks with Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, and the deputy foreign minister.
Before heading to Isfahan for a nuclear conference, Grossi wrapped up high-level talks in Tehran, suggesting practical steps to boost a joint agreement made in March 2023. This agreement aimed to rebuild trust and transparency.
His visit coincides with Iran’s uranium stockpile nearing levels sufficient for about three nuclear bombs.
Grossi is expected to present a key report later this month at a meeting in Vienna. However, doubts linger over his influence, especially given the Biden administration’s cautious stance on Iran.
Grossi’s last visit was in March 2023, resulting in a roadmap to address issues. However, recent reports suggest little progress on promises made.
Grossi hoped the agreement would lead to reinstalling surveillance equipment, but only a fraction has been replaced.
The March 2023 agreement emphasized three points: communication, cooperation on safeguards, and voluntary access for IAEA inspections.
Grossi’s return to Tehran faces challenges amid worsening relations and Tehran’s ongoing enrichment program, sparking concerns.
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Mohammad Eslami had expressed confidence that talks with Grossi would address doubts and improve ties with the IAEA.
Since the collapse of the nuclear deal in 2018, Iran has ramped up uranium enrichment, reducing cooperation with the UN agency.
Grossi highlighted inadequate inspections in Iran, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring.
Iran’s uranium enrichment nears levels suitable for nuclear weapons, raising alarm among Western nations.

 

World

Dutch Police End Pro-Palestinian Demonstration at Amsterdam University

A protester (C) is escorted into a bus by police during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 07 May 2024. EPA/EVA PLEVIER
A protester (C) is escorted into a bus by police during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 07 May 2024. EPA/EVA PLEVIER
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Dutch Police End Pro-Palestinian Demonstration at Amsterdam University

A protester (C) is escorted into a bus by police during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 07 May 2024. EPA/EVA PLEVIER
A protester (C) is escorted into a bus by police during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 07 May 2024. EPA/EVA PLEVIER

Dutch riot police ended a pro-Palestinian demonstration at an Amsterdam university early on Tuesday, arresting some 125 people in sometimes violent clashes, authorities said.
In messages posted overnight on social media X, police said they had to act to stop the event and dismantle tents that been set up by protesters, who used violence against police at the site.
"The police's input was necessary to restore order. We see the footage on social media. We understand that those images may appear as intense," police said.
Local media showed demonstrators shooting fireworks at police officers but there were no immediate reports of injuries on either side.
"All is now quiet ... police stay in the vicinity of the Roeterseiland campus," police said later on X, according to Reuters.
Outgoing Education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said universities are a place for dialogue and debate and he was sad to see that police had to intervene.
Student protests over the war and academic ties with Israel have begun to spread across Europe but have remained much smaller in scale than those seen in the United States.
Last Friday, police in Paris entered France's prestigious Sciences Po university and removed student activists who had occupied its buildings.
More than 100 students occupy the Ghent university, in Belgium, in both a climate and a Gaza protest that they want to prolong until Wednesday.

World

Columbia University Cancels Main Commencement after Weeks of Pro-Palestinian Protests

Police stand guard near an encampment of protesters supporting Palestinians on the grounds of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 30, 2024. (Reuters)
Police stand guard near an encampment of protesters supporting Palestinians on the grounds of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 30, 2024. (Reuters)
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Columbia University Cancels Main Commencement after Weeks of Pro-Palestinian Protests

Police stand guard near an encampment of protesters supporting Palestinians on the grounds of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 30, 2024. (Reuters)
Police stand guard near an encampment of protesters supporting Palestinians on the grounds of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 30, 2024. (Reuters)

Columbia University is canceling its large university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled its campus and others across the US, but it will hold smaller school-based ceremonies this week and next, the school announced Monday.

“Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, and to forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15,” officials at the Ivy League school in upper Manhattan said in a statement.

Noting that the past few weeks have been “incredibly difficult” for the community, the school said in its announcement that it made the decision after discussions with students. “Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,” officials said. “They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their school’s invited guest speakers.”

Most of the ceremonies that had been scheduled for the south lawn of the main campus, where encampments were taken down last week, will take place about 5 miles north at Columbia’s sports complex, officials said.

Columbia had already canceled in-person classes. More than 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green or occupied an academic building were arrested in recent weeks, and similar encampments sprouted up at universities around the country as schools struggled with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses.

The University of Southern California earlier canceled its main graduation ceremony while allowing other commencement activities to continue. Students abandoned their camp at USC early Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest.

Other universities have held their graduation ceremonies with beefed-up security. The University of Michigan's ceremony was interrupted by chanting a few times Saturday, while in Boston, some students waved small Palestinian or Israeli flags as Northeastern University held its commencement Sunday in Fenway Park.

The protests stem from the conflict that started Oct. 7 when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages. The student protesters are calling on their schools to divest from companies that do business with Israel or otherwise contribute to the war effort.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Israeli strikes have devastated the enclave and displaced most of its inhabitants.

World

Russia Warns Britain It Could Strike Back after Cameron Remark on Ukraine

A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows British Foreign Secretary David Cameron meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 May 2024. (EPA/ Presidential Press Service Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows British Foreign Secretary David Cameron meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 May 2024. (EPA/ Presidential Press Service Handout)
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Russia Warns Britain It Could Strike Back after Cameron Remark on Ukraine

A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows British Foreign Secretary David Cameron meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 May 2024. (EPA/ Presidential Press Service Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows British Foreign Secretary David Cameron meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 May 2024. (EPA/ Presidential Press Service Handout)

Russia warned Britain on Monday that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory, then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere.

British Ambassador Nigel Casey was summoned to the foreign ministry for a formal protest after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last week that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.

Russia's foreign ministry said the Cameron remarks recognized that Britain was now de facto a part of the conflict and contradicted an earlier assurance that long-range weapons given to Ukraine would not be used against Russia.

"Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad" could be targeted, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry said it considered Cameron's remarks a serious escalation.

"The Ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way."

Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv last week, told Reuters that Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether or not to do so.

Reuters could not immediately reach British officials for comment on Monday.

World

UCLA to Resume In-Person Classes after Gaza Protest Crackdown

Police riot gear lays on the grass next to steel barriers set up outside Royce Hall at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP)
Police riot gear lays on the grass next to steel barriers set up outside Royce Hall at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP)
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UCLA to Resume In-Person Classes after Gaza Protest Crackdown

Police riot gear lays on the grass next to steel barriers set up outside Royce Hall at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP)
Police riot gear lays on the grass next to steel barriers set up outside Royce Hall at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP)

In-person classes will resume Monday at the University of California, Los Angeles, college officials said, after they were moved online following clashes on campus between pro-Palestinian protesters and police.

Demonstrations against Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza have rocked US campuses across the country for weeks, prompting crackdowns, mass arrests, and a White House directive to restore order.

UCLA said Friday it had moved classes online after a large police contingent forcibly cleared a sprawling encampment. Clashes have also broken out between the protesters and pro-Israel counter-demonstrators.

"The campus will return to regular operations (on Monday)... and plans to remain this way through the rest of the week," read a statement posted Sunday on the university's website.

"A law enforcement presence continues to be stationed around campus to help promote safety," the post added.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said "urgent changes" were needed in the campus' security operations, adding that a new office would lead the effort.

"It is clear that UCLA needs a unit and leader whose sole responsibility is campus safety to guide us through tense times," he said in a statement on Sunday.

Rick Braziel, the former head of the Sacramento Police Department, was named to lead the office.

More than 2,000 arrests have been made in the past two weeks across the United States, some during violent confrontations with police, giving rise to accusations of use of excessive force.

President Joe Biden, who has faced pressure from all political sides over the conflict in Gaza, has said that "order must prevail" on US campuses.

The Gaza war started when Hamas fighters staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.