International
US revokes visas of 6,000 students for terrorism, others
US revokes visas of 6,000 students for terrorism, others
The U.S. government says it has revoked over 6,000 student visas since January for violation of American laws and overstays amid intensified efforts by President Donald Trump to crack down on mass immigration.
According to the State Department, the vast majority of the visa cancellations were due to the individuals committing various crimes, including assault, driving under the influence, burglary, and “support for terrorism”.
“Every single student visa revoked under the Trump administration has happened because the individual has either broken the law or expressed support for terrorism while in the United States,” a senior State Department official said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The statement added, “About 4,000 visas alone have been revoked because these visitors broke the law while visiting our country, including records of assault and DUIs.”
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While the State Department did not specify what they meant by “support for terrorism”, the Trump administration has relentlessly targeted student visa holders who have been vocal about their support for Palestine amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
“We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities,” U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio told Congress earlier in May.
As part of the Trump administration’s plan to prevent individuals with anti-American and anti-Israeli stances from entering the U.S., the White House has also mandated that visa applicants must submit their social media usernames to determine their admissibility for American visas.
US revokes visas of 6,000 students for terrorism, others
International
Badenoch Rejects Slave Trade Apology, Says African Kingdoms Also Profited From Slavery
Britain’s Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has rejected calls for the United Kingdom to issue a fresh formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, arguing that African kingdoms, rulers and merchants also participated in and profited from the trade.
Badenoch said it would be unfair to focus exclusively on Britain’s involvement while overlooking the role played by African authorities and traders who captured, sold and supplied enslaved people.
Her comments have reignited debate over Britain’s historical responsibility for slavery, following renewed calls for an official apology ahead of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.
In a statement published on her X account on Saturday, October 31, the Conservative Party leader argued that slavery was a global evil involving people from different continents, insisting that Britain’s role in abolishing the transatlantic slave trade should also be recognised.
She challenged Caribbean countries demanding a formal apology from Britain to consider whether similar demands should be directed at descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who participated in capturing and selling enslaved Africans.
“If Caribbean countries are asking Britain for a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, will they also be asking the same of the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade?” she asked.
Badenoch also rejected demands for slavery reparations, whether through direct financial compensation or debt relief, arguing that present-day British taxpayers should not be held financially responsible for events that occurred generations ago.
She described the renewed push for an apology as a distraction from more pressing economic and security challenges facing Commonwealth countries.
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According to her, the Commonwealth should concentrate on strengthening economic partnerships, improving prosperity and deepening military and security cooperation rather than repeatedly revisiting historical grievances.
Badenoch also questioned whether British leaders should continue attending Commonwealth summits if such meetings increasingly became platforms for demands for financial compensation.
She maintained that Britain had already expressed regret over its historical involvement in the slave trade, referring to comments made by former Prime Minister Tony Blair nearly two decades ago.
However, the distinction between an expression of regret and a formal state apology remains central to the current debate. The Associated Press reported that Britain has never formally apologised for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
The debate intensified after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated that his government was open to discussing a formal apology ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to take place in Antigua and Barbuda.
In an article published in The Guardian, Burnham described the slave trade as a grave historical injustice and argued that Britain needed to confront both its involvement in human trafficking and its subsequent role in abolition.
He, however, ruled out direct financial reparations, proposing instead that Britain could work with other wealthy countries and investors to help poorer Commonwealth nations restructure their debts on more favourable terms.
Burnham also indicated that former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown would assist with the proposed debt-restructuring initiative.
The proposal received a cautious welcome from Caribbean leaders, who have long demanded acknowledgement, reparatory justice and compensation for the consequences of slavery.
The Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, said an apology would represent an important first step but warned that an apology without meaningful reparative measures would remain incomplete.
Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and CARICOM chairman, welcomed Burnham’s willingness to discuss the issue but maintained that Caribbean countries were seeking a broader response.
Their demands include investment in education and healthcare, development programmes for Indigenous communities, debt cancellation, repatriation and financial compensation.
King Charles III, who is currently visiting the Caribbean, has also acknowledged the suffering and injustices associated with the region’s history of slavery, although he has not announced a formal apology or reparations.
Historically, Britain became involved in the transatlantic slave trade in the 16th century and eventually emerged as one of its largest operators. According to the Associated Press, British traders transported more than three million Africans across the Atlantic.
The British Parliament outlawed the slave trade in 1807, while slavery was abolished across most of the British Empire in 1833.
Although British abolitionists played a significant role in the campaign against slavery, Britain’s earlier participation in the trade and the economic benefits derived from it remain central to demands for historical accountability.
The disagreement between Badenoch and Burnham therefore reflects a wider debate over whether Britain’s historical acknowledgement of slavery should extend to a formal apology and what responsibilities, if any, should follow such an apology.
Badenoch Rejects Slave Trade Apology, Says African Kingdoms Also Profited From Slavery
International
Trump Steps In as Ghana Demands Justice for 15-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead on Way to School in US
Trump Steps In as Ghana Demands Justice for 15-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead on Way to School in US
US President Donald Trump has agreed to facilitate an emergency visa for the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy fatally shot while walking to school in New York, following an appeal by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as Ghana intensifies diplomatic efforts to secure justice for the teenager.
The intervention followed a telephone conversation between Trump and Mamdani on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after concerns emerged over the mother’s inability to travel from Ghana to the United States to mourn her son.
The victim, identified as Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong, was shot dead in the Bronx neighbourhood of New York City on Thursday, October 29, while reportedly heading to school.
Announcing Trump’s intervention, Mamdani said the American president had agreed to facilitate an immediate visa for the teenager’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, who lives in Kumasi, Ghana.
The mayor described the incident as a devastating tragedy, saying the mother deserved an opportunity to travel to the United States and say a final goodbye to her son.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mamdani said.
He added that he had spoken with Trump, who agreed to help facilitate the mother’s visa.
The announcement followed growing appeals from the Ghanaian community and public officials for assistance to enable Gyamfi to travel to New York following her son’s death.
However, the announcement was made by Mamdani, and there was no independent White House confirmation of the arrangement in the reports available at the time. It was also unclear whether the visa had been formally issued.
Ghana’s government has welcomed Trump’s reported intervention and pledged to cover the mother’s travel expenses, assist with visa arrangements and support the funeral of the teenager.
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The country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that the government had already begun making arrangements to assist the bereaved mother.
Ablakwa said he had spoken with Gyamfi on Friday and assigned officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support her visa application.
He thanked Trump and Mamdani for their intervention, describing the development as timely given the family’s circumstances.
The minister also reaffirmed the administration of President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to ensuring that those responsible for the teenager’s death are identified and brought to justice.
Ghana’s intervention followed an earlier statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the killing and promising legal and consular assistance to the bereaved family.
Officials of Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York had also visited the family to express the government’s condolences and solidarity.
The teenager was reportedly shot in the abdomen on Thursday morning, October 29, while walking to school in the Bronx.
According to police accounts, the shooting occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. near Crotona Park. Officers who responded to the incident found him suffering from a gunshot wound and rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) subsequently launched an investigation and began searching for three suspected teenage assailants.
As of October 31, police had not announced any arrests or publicly established a motive for the shooting.
Frimpong moved from Ghana to the United States in October 2025 to reunite with his father, Thomas Frimpong, and continue his education.
He was a 10th-grade student at DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx and reportedly hoped to become a medical doctor.
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His father described him as an intelligent young boy with a promising future, recalling that becoming a physician was one of his son’s biggest ambitions.
“He was very clever, so he always says he wants to be a physician,” Thomas said.
The teenager’s death has also brought renewed attention to allegations of bullying at his school.
His father disclosed that Javits had complained about persistent bullying involving other students at DreamYard Preparatory School.
According to him, two students were reportedly suspended following complaints about their alleged conduct towards his son.
The father expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the killing. However, investigators had not established any connection between the reported bullying and the fatal shooting.
Police had also not publicly identified the suspected attackers or confirmed whether the shooting was connected to an earlier dispute at the school.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s government has vowed to pursue justice for the teenager and ensure that those responsible for his death are held accountable.
In a statement issued on October 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ablakwa had spoken directly with Thomas Frimpong to convey condolences on behalf of President Mahama and assure the family of government support.
The minister described the killing as a painful loss, insisting that the teenager did not deserve to die in such circumstances.
“We will pursue justice, and we will make sure that those who did this do not get away with it,” Ablakwa said.
The ministry called on relevant American authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that anyone found responsible was brought before the law.
It also pledged to work with US authorities through Ghana’s diplomatic mission in New York to provide appropriate legal and consular assistance to the family.
The killing has attracted reactions from American public officials and members of the Ghanaian community in New York.
Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres expressed sadness over the teenager’s death, describing it as the loss of a young person whose future had been cut short.
The New York City Department of Education also expressed condolences to the family and school community, offering counselling services to students, families and school employees affected by the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Ghanaian residents, religious leaders and neighbours have expressed grief over the incident, with calls for justice and a thorough investigation.
The killing has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, particularly incidents involving young people travelling to and from school.
For the Frimpong family, the immediate priority is to enable Javits’ mother to travel from Ghana to mourn her son alongside his father and other relatives.
With Ghana promising financial and diplomatic assistance and Trump reportedly agreeing to facilitate the mother’s visa, attention is now focused on the travel arrangements and the continuing police investigation.
Authorities have yet to announce arrests or establish a motive for the shooting.
Trump Steps In as Ghana Demands Justice for 15-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead on Way to School in US
International
US Midterm Elections: Democrats Outpace Republicans as Early Voting Hits Record 48 Million
Nearly 48 million Americans have cast their ballots ahead of the November 3, 2026, United States midterm elections, setting a new early-voting record as registered Democrats maintain a significant lead over Republicans in states that track voters’ party affiliations.
Figures released by the University of Florida‘s Election Lab showed that 47,922,669 Americans had voted by midday on Friday, October 30, surpassing the previous midterm early-voting record of 45.9 million recorded in 2022.
The surge in participation has been particularly pronounced in several politically competitive states, where voters are preparing to decide closely contested Senate, House of Representatives and gubernatorial races.
The election is expected to be a major test of President Donald Trump’s political standing and the Republican Party’s control of Congress, with Democrats hoping to regain majorities in both chambers.
According to the figures, Democrats account for approximately 44 per cent of early voters in states that report party affiliation, compared with 31 per cent for Republicans and 25 per cent for independent and minor-party voters.
The early-voting figures represent a substantial increase in participation compared with the 2022 midterm elections, when approximately 45.9 million Americans voted before Election Day.
In Texas, one of the most closely watched battleground states, more than six million people had voted by October 28. In-person early voting was approximately 50 per cent higher than at the same stage of the 2022 elections.
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North Carolina also recorded a significant increase, with early voting rising by nearly 37 per cent compared with the corresponding period four years ago.
South Carolina had already surpassed its entire 2022 midterm early-voting total by October 26, despite having five additional days of early voting remaining.
In Kansas, where Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing a challenging re-election contest, advance voting was also substantially ahead of the 2022 figures.
The increases have reinforced attention on the Senate contests, particularly in states where Democrats are seeking to make gains against Republican candidates.
The latest figures suggest stronger early-voting participation among registered Democrats than Republicans.
University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald, who oversees the Election Lab, has also highlighted increased participation among Black and Hispanic voters in states that provide racial and ethnic voting information.
He pointed to particularly strong turnout in predominantly Hispanic communities along the Texas-Mexico border.
Georgia has also recorded a major milestone, with in-person early voting surpassing the state’s previous midterm record on October 29.
Women accounted for approximately 56 per cent of ballots cast in Georgia by that date, compared with 44 per cent for men.
The state’s top elections official, Brad Raffensperger, attributed the record participation to voters’ confidence in the electoral process.
Despite the Democratic advantage in early voting, election analysts have warned against interpreting the figures as an indication of the eventual winner.
Party registration does not necessarily reveal which candidates voters support, while millions of Americans are still expected to cast their ballots on Election Day.
Republicans have historically recorded stronger participation on Election Day in several recent elections, a pattern that could reduce or potentially reverse the Democrats’ current advantage.
There are also differences in voting patterns across states, as some rely more heavily on mail-in ballots while others record greater participation through in-person voting.
Consequently, the early-voting figures provide an indication of voter participation and party mobilisation rather than a reliable prediction of the final results.
The November 3 midterm elections will determine the political balance of power in the United States Congress during the final two years of Trump’s current presidential term.
Republicans currently control both chambers, holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
Democrats are seeking to win enough seats to take control of Congress, a development that could significantly affect the president’s legislative agenda and the direction of federal policymaking.
The midterm elections, traditionally held halfway through a president’s four-year tenure, are widely viewed as a referendum on the performance of the sitting administration.
The outcome will therefore provide an important indication of public sentiment towards Trump’s presidency, although the final results will depend on turnout across the country and the outcome of closely contested races.
US Midterm Elections: Democrats Outpace Republicans as Early Voting Hits Record 48 Million
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