People protest against US President Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban, at Los Angeles International Airport. Reuters
People protest against US President Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban, at Los Angeles International Airport. Reuters
People protest against US President Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban, at Los Angeles International Airport. Reuters
People protest against US President Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban, at Los Angeles International Airport. Reuters

Trump considers expanding travel ban by 36 countries, including Syria and Egypt


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The Trump administration is considering a dramatic expansion of its travel ban to include citizens by 36 countries, including Syria and Egypt, according to a US State Department cable seen by The Washington Post.

The internal cable, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to US diplomatic missions on Saturday, outlined concerns about the listed countries and gave them 60 days to address shortcomings or face possible travel restrictions.

“The department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” the cable stated.

Among the reasons given are governments’ inability or unwillingness to issue reliable identity documents, “questionable security” of passports, and lack of co-operation in repatriating citizens ordered removed from the US.

The cable also flagged visa overstays, as well as terrorism-related activity, anti-Semitism, and anti-American conduct by nationals from some of the countries. However, it emphasised that not all criteria applied to every country on the list.

The proposed expansion would mark one of the largest enlargements of the travel restrictions first implemented under Mr Trump in 2017, which initially targeted several Muslim-majority countries and sparked widespread protests and legal battles. A list of 12 countries was issued on June 5.

The countries that could face a full or partial ban if they fail to address these concerns within the next 60 days include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This would mark a major expansion of the ban implemented earlier this month, which initially places restrictions on citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Additionally, entry restrictions have been partially imposed on individuals from seven other nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The State Department has given those countries until Wednesday to present an initial plan for meeting the new requirements.

The new internal memo comes just a week after Mr Trump reinstated his first-term travel ban, imposing a full entry ban on 12 countries and new travel restrictions on seven others.

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Fighting with My Family

Director: Stephen Merchant 

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell        

Four stars

Essentials

The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes. 
 

Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes. 


In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes. 
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.

The biog

Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists. 

Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.

Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic 

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Updated: June 16, 2025, 12:17 PM`