Supreme Court allows end of migrant parole protections
The US Supreme Court on Friday lifted a lower court order that had blocked the Trump administration from ending humanitarian parole protections for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, according to Associated Press.
The Biden administration introduced the program in late 2022, allowing qualifying migrants to stay and work in the United States for two years. It aimed to relieve strain on the southern border.
President Donald Trump ordered the termination of all parole programs shortly after commencing his second term. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem carried out the directive in March.
The Court's judgment also allows the end of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, putting roughly one million migrants at risk of deportation, Associated Press reported.
Bhotojatra festival to be observed on Sunday, public holiday in Kathmandu Valley
The Bhotojatra festival will be observed on Sunday.
The cultural festival includes the ritual of displaying the legendary gem-studded Bhoto or vest believed to belong to the Rato Matsyandranath, the deity of good harvest.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has, through a notice today, declared a public holiday in the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur - for Sunday on the occasion of the Bhotojatra.
Mexico demands explanation on US deal with Mexican drug trafficker
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday questioned the US government for reaching a plea deal with Damaso Lopez Serrano, a former Sinaloa Cartel leader, despite labeling the cartel a “Foreign Terrorist Organization.”
“The US says it doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, yet it makes deals with them,” Sheinbaum said, demanding an explanation, according to Xinhua.
Lopez Serrano, known as “El Mini Lic,” pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in the US. He was first arrested in 2017 and again last year on similar charges. The US designated the Sinaloa Cartel a terrorist group in February.
Houthis target Ben Gurion Airport; Israel intercepts missile
Yemen's Houthi force claimed responsibility for shooting a hypersonic ballistic missile at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday night. The group claimed the attack was in retaliation to Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza and pledged to continue targeting Israeli aviation traffic until the crisis is resolved and the blockade is lifted, Xinhua reported.
The Israeli military acknowledged that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before it reached its target. There were no casualties or damage reported.
A day earlier, Israeli airstrikes hit the Sanaa airport in Yemen, destroying the runway, key facilities, and the last remaining passenger aircraft.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have carried out several missile and drone attacks against Israel since November 2023 in support of the Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, as stated by Xinhua.
