A top US university has canceled its plans for a graduation speech by a Muslim student over what it says are safety concerns, after pro-Israel groups criticised her selection.The decision by the University of Southern California is the latest controversy to roil American higher education since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in October.Asna Tabassum, who has been attacked online for "antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric," had been selected as class valedictorian.USC's valedictorian is chosen by college officials from among scores of applicants with high academic grades.They represent the graduating class and deliver a speech at graduation in front of up to 65,000 people.But on Monday the university's provost, Andrew Guzman, announced the May 10 ceremony would go ahead without the speech."Unfortunately, over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor," Guzman said in a statement."The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security."Guzman's statement gave no specifics, but the Los Angeles Times quoted Erroll Southers, the university's associate senior vice president for safety and risk assurance, as saying the institution had received threats by email, phone and letter.Individuals "say they will come to the campus," he said.Tabassum criticised the decision, which she said was the result of the university "succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice.""Although this should have been a time of celebration for my family, friends, professors and classmates, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all," she said in a statement.The fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict has been felt around the world, and is particularly intense on US college campuses, where both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups say they are being victimised and silenced.On Wednesday the president of the prestigious Columbia University in New York will become the latest campus leader to face questions from US lawmakers about whether her institution is doing enough to combat anti-Semitism in the student body.

PM urges world community to help stop warRomanian leader hails Qatar’s mediationHE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani renewed Qatar's condemnation of the targeting and killing of civilians — regardless of their backgrounds, the continuation of the collective punishment policy followed by Israel towards the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing escalation in the West Bank, which is increasing on a daily basis, causing more danger to the situation in the region.In a briefing held Wednesday with Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu, the prime minister pointed out that Qatar had clearly warned, since the beginning of the events on October 7, of the expansion of the circle of conflicts (which is seen on various fronts today) and its direct relationship to the escalation and war on the Gaza Strip.In this context, he called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and work to stop this war as well as the continuous targeting and killing of the Palestinian people in this manner, in addition to the policy of siege and starvation against them, and the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for political exploitation.Sheikh Mohammed pointed out the differing international positions regarding the situation in Gaza, deploring the double standards of some counties in evaluating conflicts. He also called on the international community to ensure that the standards be unified and applied on everyone, rather than being classified on the basis of identity of the aggressor and the victim.He stressed that there will be no permanent solution or sustainable peace without the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.In regard to the file of ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages, the prime minister explained that the negotiations are going through a sensitive phase and some faltering, indicating that the negotiations — unfortunately — range between moving forward and faltering. Qatar is making efforts to address this matter and move forward to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and recover the hostages at the same time, he added.“Qatar is an advocate of peace, not of war, and it demands that there be similar and compatible positions alongside it from the Israeli side, so that a solution can be achieved and the Palestinian people can live in safety,” he continued.During the briefing, the PM spoke about Qatari-Romanian relations, stressing that they are characterised by trust and keenness to exchange views on various issues in the Middle East and Europe. In this regard, he pointed out the continuous exchange and permanent political consultation between the two countries over the past years.During the past few years, the two countries signed a group of agreements in several fields, including youth, sports, economy, health, medicine, culture, trade, industry, education and co-operation, he explained, adding that a memorandum of understanding was signed today regarding livestock and food security, which embodies the ambitions of the two countries to strengthen and develop the relations to broader horizons.Today, there was a chance to discuss the regional developments that the Middle East is going through, especially since the region is experiencing sensitive circumstances and a dangerous escalation, the PM indicated, calling on all parties to reduce the escalation and spare the region from sliding into a new cycle of conflicts.His counterpart Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said his visit to Doha sends a strong message indicating that his country stands alongside Qatar, the US and partners in the European Union to support peace efforts and restore security in the Middle East.He stressed the need for all countries to adopt a balanced stance and work to encourage dialogue and restraint to avoid dangerous events in the region, and for diplomacy and dialogue to be stronger than weapons.In this regard, he hailed the role of Qatari mediation over the years in dealing with complex international files, which contributed to reducing the escalation in and outside the region, emphasising Romania's readiness to join relevant regional and international efforts to become part of a constructive solution, in order to avoid expanding the conflict in the Middle East.The Romanian leader expressed appreciation for Qatar's efforts, which demonstrated its important role in the region, especially regarding the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, including Romanian citizens. He pointed out that these efforts led to the safe return of Romanian citizens to their homes, commending Qatar's support for Romania during the Coronavirus pandemic, which strengthens the friendly bilateral relations and their ability to build an in-depth partnership centred around strategic projects of mutual interest, in fields such as transportation, energy, economy, agriculture and digitalisation.He also expressed the hope that Romania would be the gateway to Qatari investment in the European Union, and that such co-operation would continue for the benefit of the two friendly countries and their peoples.

Al Jazeera English channel was named ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ at the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards for the eight consecutive year, a statement said Wednesday.The channel collected an array of gold, silver and bronze medals for its news and programmes coverage. The ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ award, goes to the media organisation that wins the highest number of gold medals.The awards featured entries from over 50 countries, covering content screened on the US and international broadcasters including ITV, BBC, NBC and CBC.Al Jazeera English won a total of six gold medals, including one for its news coverage of the Sudan conflict in 2023. Al Jazeera English’s Witness’ film “Rescue Mission Gaza” also earned a gold.The other gold medals went to episodes from the Fault Lines and 101 East documentary strands. The channel also won six silver and eight bronze medals, for episodes from the news-analysis show The Listening Post and the environment-focused series “Earthrise”.“We are delighted to be named Broadcaster of the Year by the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards,” said Issa Ali, acting managing director of Al Jazeera English.Other divisions in the Al Jazeera Media Network also won top awards. The Al Jazeera Investigative Unit won three golds for its film “Gold Mafia - The Laundry Service.” Al Jazeera Digital’s explainer show “Start Here – On the Road” also won a gold.All content was screened and judged by the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards Grand Jury of over 200 producers, directors, writers and other creative media professionals from around the globe.Al Jazeera English in recent years has won three Royal Television Society awards, a Peabody and several Emmy awards, among other awards.