US President Donald Trump on Wednesday banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the US and imposed visa restrictions on seven others.
The move is similar to what many called the “Muslim ban” that he imposed in 2017 at the start of his first term.
Which countries are affected by the travel ban?
Mr Trump's executive order denies entry to all travellers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will not be able to apply for tourist or student visas or apply for permanent residence in the US.
Mr Trump said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.
Why was the travel ban imposed?
The White House said national security and visa overstays were the primary reasons for instigating the ban.
In a video posted on X, Mr Trump said the US “cannot have open immigration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen” travellers.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he said.
He opened his remarks by mentioning the recent “terror attack” attack in Boulder, Colorado. An Egyptian man has been charged with throwing Molotov cocktails at a demonstration in the city that was calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Mr Trump said that attack “underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas”.
However, Egypt is not included in the travel ban.
According to a White House fact sheet, the countries listed in the ban have high rates of citizens overstaying their visas and remaining in the US illegally. In some cases, the nations are not co-operative when US authorities try to send people back home.
For example, Myanmar and Chad have overstay rates of more than 55 per cent for several visa categories, the White House said.
“The high visa overstay rate for 2022 and 2023 is unacceptable and indicates a blatant disregard for US immigration laws,” the fact sheet reads.
When does it take effect?
The travel restrictions will go into effect from Monday, June 9, unlike the 2017 ban. That was imposed with immediate effect and resulted in chaos at airports in America and around the world as travellers from the affected countries were turned back.
Are there exceptions?
The new ban will not apply to current green card holders, people with existing US visas or to athletes travelling to the US for the football World Cup next year and the 2028 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Afghans eligible for special immigrant visas for helping the US during the war in Afghanistan are also exempted.
What was the 2017 travel ban?
The previous travel ban imposed by Mr Trump was issued by executive order on January 27, 2017, a week after he took office. Titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, the order was applied to seven Muslim-majority countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, although Iraq was later dropped from the list.
It blocked the entry of citizens of these countries for 90 days and the entry of all refugees for 120 days – indefinitely in the case of Syria – pending a review of the admission process. The ban led to protests and its enforcement was blocked by legal challenges, leading to several revisions until the US Supreme Court upheld an amended version in June 2018.
Faced with accusations that the choice of countries targeted indicated a bias against the Muslim community, the Trump administration said those nations had already been subject to restrictions under his predecessor, Barack Obama.
President Joe Biden revoked Mr Trump’s travel ban and related orders immediately after taking office on January 20, 2021.
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Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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Running time: 81 minutes
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The years Ramadan fell in May
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
