Trump says he has heard India will stop buying Russian oil
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Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
LOS ANGELES: Dr. Wafaa Alrashid noticed fewer of her patients were showing up for their appointments at the Los Angeles area hospital where she works as immigration raids spread fear among the Latino population she serves. The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital understood their fear on a personal level. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician, began carrying a receipt of his pending green card application around with him. Over the past few months, immigration agents have arrested hundreds of people in Southern California, prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite living in the US for a decade as one of thousands of residents married to US citizens, he was swept up in the crackdown. On July 13, Othmane was stopped while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. He quickly pulled out his paperwork to show federal immigration agents. 'They didn't care, they said, 'Please step out of the car,'' Alrashid recalled hearing the officers say as she watched her husband's arrest in horror over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately jumped in her car and followed her phone to his location. She arrived just in time to see the outline of his head in the back of a vehicle driving away. 'That was probably the worst day of my life,' she said. The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some US citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. Alrashid said her husband has been in the US since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card. After his arrest, he was taken to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with 'no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you're in a room with people, the bathroom's open,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application. The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said 'ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.' Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant. 'He's the kindest person,' Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags. 'He's brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music,' she said. More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility. A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there. 'In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance,' said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn't received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn't visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening. Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen. 'They should ultrasound your leg, don't take a risk,' she said. Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Until then, she'll continue waiting for his next phone call.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Trump reaffirms support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara
RABAT: US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying a Moroccan autonomy plan for the territory was the sole solution to the disputed region, state news agency MAP said on Saturday. The long-frozen conflict pits Morocco, which considers the territory as its own, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state there. Trump at the end of his first term in office recognized the Moroccan claims to Western Sahara, which has phosphate reserves and rich fishing grounds, as part of a deal under which Morocco agreed to normalize its relations with Israel. His secretary of state, Marco Rubio, made clear in April that support for Morocco on the issue remained US policy, but these were Trump's first quoted remarks on the dispute during his second term. 'I also reiterate that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute,' MAP quoted Trump as saying in a message to Morocco's King Mohammed VI. 'Together we are advancing shared priorities for peace and security in the region, including by building on the Abraham Accords, combating terrorism and expanding commercial cooperation,' Trump said. As part of the Abraham Accords signed during Trump's first term, four Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel after US mediation. In June this year, Britain became the third permanent member of the UN Security Council to back an autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty for the territory after the US and France. Algeria, which has recognized the self-declared Sahrawi Republic, has refused to take part in roundtables convened by the UN envoy to Western Sahara and insists on holding a referendum with independence as an option.
Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
India to keep buying Russian oil despite Trump remarks: Report
NEW DELHI — India will continue purchasing discounted oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that New Delhi would halt such imports, according to multiple media reports Saturday. The New York Times, citing two senior Indian officials, said India has no plans to stop buying Russian crude, while Russian state news agency Tass quoted a government source in New Delhi as saying there were 'no indications' of any policy change. The source added that Indian refineries would keep making purchases based on pricing and other economic considerations. Trump told reporters, 'I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step. We'll see what happens.' The U.S. president has repeatedly accused India of unfair trade practices and maintaining extensive energy and arms ties with Russia. On Wednesday, Trump announced 25% tariffs on Indian goods, escalating trade tensions between the two countries. — Agencies
