The University of Southern California canceled Muslim student Asna Tabassum's valedictorian speech this week– citing campus safety concerns and passions around the latest Middle East conflict. In an interview with Reuters, Tabassum urged the school to reconsider.

California

Muslim valedictorian urges U.S.C. to allow her speech

A Muslim valedictorian from the University of Southern California is pushing her school to reverse their decision to cancel her commencement speech. South Asian-American biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum was chosen as a valedictorian from nearly 100 qualified applicants, a dream come true at a prestigious university. Then, earlier this week, the school announced that Tabassum would not be able to speak at this year's commencement ceremony, citing security concerns and tensions around the current conflict in the Middle East. Tabassum says she is being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights. The 21-year-old spoke with writers on Wednesday. It's a matter of the freedom of expression and the freedom of speech and I urge USC to stay true to those values as an academic institution to again reverse the decision. Several pro-Israel student groups on campus called for Tabassum's removal as commencement speaker earlier this month. They claimed that she had espoused anti-Semitic views in the past, citing an Instagram link to a pro-Palestinian post advocating for, quote, complete abolishment of Israel. Tabassum told local media she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the post. To her understanding, some parties also took issue with other posts she has liked more recently that are critical of Israel and its war in Gaza. The claims against me are that I have a link in my bio as well as I've liked posts that disengage anti-Semitism from anti-Zionism. Tabassum doesn't see the connection between the, quote, healthy debate surrounding some of her activity online and genuine security threats. In fact, Tabassum said USC officials refused to share details of their security assessment in a meeting with her, which she characterized as a, quote, one-way conversation. In an emailed statement to Reuters on Wednesday, USC reiterated its decision to cancel the speech. It added the cancellation was not based on the background or viewpoint of the valedictorian, but instead on a review of the situation from a safety and security standpoint. USC did not outline what kind of security risks were feared by the institution and if there were any threats made. Tabassum said the university had not asked to review her speech before making their decision. You know what? I have no, I had no idea what my speech was going to be about, you know, and in fact, I might have thought of maybe doing something about the importance of having fun or the importance of having hope. Public safety officials and civil rights advocates have reported a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October. They have also noted an escalation in tensions related to the conflict on college campuses. USC's commencement ceremony, set for May 10th, is expected to draw 65,000 people to its downtown Los Angeles campus.

A smiling and healthy-looking King Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday (April 30) for the first time since he was diagnosed in February with cancer, paying a visit to a treatment center for the disease in London.

London

King Charles returns to public duties, visits cancer center

A 14-year-old boy is dead and multiple people injured after a daylight sword attack in Hainault, in east London. The alleged attacker tasered and arrested by Police shortly afterwards.

Hainault

Teenage boy killed in London sword attack

Brittany Higgins has failed in a bid to delay a defamation trial brought against her by Senator Linda Reynolds over social media posts made in July last year. Fiancé David Sharaz, also named in the case, calling for the Senator to drop the case.

Canberra

Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

Since taking office four months ago, Argentina's new president Javier Milei has slashed public employment in an effort to cut the country's deficit. So far, 24,000 people have been let go, and Milei has said he wants that figure to hit 70,000, about 10 percent of overall government employees.

Buenos Aires

Argentina's Milei slashes 24,000 government jobs

A Russian missile attack on an educational institution in a popular seafront park in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa killed at least five people and injured 32, local officials said. Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks, particular port infrastructure.

Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf resigned, further opening the door to the UK opposition Labour Party regaining ground in its former Scottish heartlands during a national election expected to be held later this year.

Edinburgh

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf quits

A 17-year-old girl charged with the stabbing murder of her 10-year-old sister in a suburb of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales will remain in custody.

Lake Macquarie

Teenager faces court over murder of 10-year-old sister

Columbia University began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest.

New York

Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian protesters

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Kharkiv

U.N. experts say North Korea missile landed in Kharkiv

Columbia University's president said that talks with pro-Palestinian activists over a protest encampment on the Ivy League campus in New York City had reached an impasse and urged demonstrators to voluntarily disperse or face suspension.

Protesters defy deadline to leave Columbia encampment

Spain's Prime Minister said he has decided to stay in office after days of publicly weighing his future, generating relief amongst leftist allies, exasperation among the public and ridicule from his opponents. Sanchez said last week that he was retreating from public duty to decide whether to quit.

Madrid

Pedro Sanchez stays on as Spain's prime minister

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Riyadh

Israel-Gaza War

U.S., U.K. urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal

G7 environment ministers have gathered in Turin for two days of talks, as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the city, some burning photos of the G7 leaders who they accuse of failing future generations over the climate crisis.

Turin

Climate Crisis

Protesters call for climate action ahead of G7 meeting in Turin

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Beirut

French FM says ‘a lot of progress’ in Lebanon talks

At least four people are dead, including an infant, after a series of tornadoes swept across Oklahoma. The weather system is threatening the region with more twisters, heavy rain and large hail in a band stretching from Missouri to Texas.

Sulphur

At least four dead in Oklahoma tornadoes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would stand in upcoming European Parliament elections, a move apparently calculated to boost her far-right party, although she would be forced to resign immediately under EU rules.

Pescara

Italian far-right PM Meloni says will stand in EU elections

At least four people died, including a four-month-old baby, in Oklahoma this weekend, after dozens of twisters swept the U.S. Southern Plains. The White House said, President Joe Biden has pledged federal support for Oklahoma as well as other states hit by severe storms.

Oklahoma

Deadly tornadoes rip through Oklahoma

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Wakeley

Sydney bishop returns to pulpit after stabbing

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Protest leaders hit out at Prime Minister over power 'abuse'

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "reiterated his clear position" on a possible invasion of the Gaza border city of Rafah, the White House said.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Biden tells Netanyahu U.S. doesn't support Rafah assault

Ukraine's top general says his troops have been forced to retreat as fighting on the country's eastern front intensified. Kyiv's forces have fallen back to new positions in at least three places along the front, west of the Donetsk region.

Donetsk

Ukraine troops retreating on eastern front

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on an unannounced visit, to meet senior officials to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Shanghai

Elon Musk makes surprise visit to China

Hamas's armed wing released video of two men held hostage in Gaza who are seen alive and urging Israeli authorities to strike a deal for the release of all the remaining captives.

Rafah

Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages

Defence Minister Richard Marles has revealed a fresh aid package to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, including $30 million in funding for drones. It marks more than one billion dollars in funding from Australia since the war began.

Lviv

Australia announces $100m in Ukraine aid

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Prime Minister joins rally calling for end to gendered violence

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Thousands block Tel Aviv streets in protest

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Israel 'gearing up' for Rafah ground offensive

Ohio police released video of a Black man who died at a local hospital after repeatedly telling officers "I can't breathe" as they pinned him to the floor of a bar and handcuffed him, evoking memories of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Canton

'I can't breathe' man tells Ohio cops before death

Witnesses in Gaza reported fresh Israeli strikes overnight around Rafah. It comes as Hamas says it is considering an Israeli ceasefire proposal, after a delegation from Egypt arrived in Israel to resume stalled negotiations.

Sderot

Gaza hit by fresh strikes amid ceasefire talks

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