IRAN: Airlines Avoid Flying In Iran Air Space After US Ban

Qantas will re-route flight paths to avoid parts of Iran after the United States aviation regulator issued an emergency order banning US airlines from certain areas amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday banned US carriers from flying in Iran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, after Iran shot down an American surveillance drone.

The FAA said there were numerous civilian aircraft operating in the area when the drone was shot down and that it was concerned about the escalation of tension and ministry activity close to high-volume aircraft routes.

The US carrier United Airlines has also suspended its flights from Newark in New Jersey and Mumbai, India, which goes through Iranian airspace following a thorough safety and security review.

Qantas flights to and from London, both via Singapore and non-stop from Perth, frequently fly over Iran.

A spokesman for the airline said it was adjusting our flight paths over the Middle East to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf
of Oman until further notice.

The airline also often flies through Iraq as an alternative passage through the Gulf region, and expects the impact on flying time to be negligible.

Other carriers such as Singapore Airlines commonly used by Australians flying to Europe fly the same route over Iran.

Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways flights in the area prohibited for US carriers at 1pm on Friday.

The FAA’s directive does not apply to Australian-flagged carriers, and Australia’s aviation regulator does not have the power to tell airlines where they can or cannot fly.

Australian airlines use their own safety management systems to decide whether to avoid flying in certain areas. Those systems consider safety advice from numerous sources, including bodies like the FAA.

The FAA's announcement came over an Iranian surface-to-air missile on Thursday bringing down the US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk, an unmanned aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 737 jetliner and costing over $US100 million ($144 million).

The US said it made plans for limited strikes on Iran in response, but then called them off.

The downing of the drone was the latest of a series of incidents in the Gulf region, a critical artery for global oil supplies, that included explosive strikes on six oil tankers.

The FAA previously warned commercial aircraft of the possibility of Iranian anti-aircraft gunners mistaking them for military aircraft.

In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine, killing all 298 on board, prompting carriers to take more steps to uncover threats to their planes.


Tourism Observer

QATAR: Qatar Airways Commences Doha To Da Nang, Vietnam

Qatar Airways has inaugurated its first flight to Da Nang, the airline’s third destination in Vietnam. The Doha carrier deployed its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on this new route.

Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker who was pleased to extend the airline’s reach into Vietnam by launching its third gateway into this beautiful country.

The addition of Da Nang to our global network further demonstrates our commitment to the Far East region, a highly important market for Qatar Airways.

And we are excited for passengers traveling to and from central Vietnam to experience our award-winning service and product for themselves, he added.

There are up to 56 weekly flights to and from Vietnam with Qatar Airways, offering significant connectivity through its Doha mega-hub.

The route also coincided with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Qatar. Al Baker noted that through this expansion into Vietnam, it will make ties between both countries even stronger.

The airline’s relationship with Vietnam has stemmed since 2007, which is less than between the 25 years of diplomatic ties of the countries.

Services to Ho Chi Minh City began in 2007 and launched services to Hanoi three years later.

In order to extend its presence in the Vietnamese market, October 2017 saw the airline sign an interline partnership with VietJet Air, allowing QR passengers to travel to and from points in Vietnam not served directly by Qatar Airways using a single reservation across both networks.

This is the 14th route launch from the carrier this year, earmarking significant growth for 2018 overall. 2019 will see the airline launching services into the likes of Valletta, Malta as well as Isfahan, Iran.


Tourism Observer

IRAN: Civil Aviation Organization Of Iran Grounds Aseman Airlines ATR Planes After Crash Of ATR72-200 EP-ATS

The Civil Aviation Organization of Iran has grounded Iran Aseman Airlines’s entire fleet of Avions de Transport Regional turboprops.

This is in the wake of the crash of ATR72-200 EP-ATS on Sunday, February 18, near Semirom, in southern Iran, which killed all 66 passengers and crew onboard.

The regulator said in a statement last week the measure was precautionary and would allow it to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the crash.

Iran Aseman Airlines operates two ATR72-200s averaging 24.8 years of age and two ATR72-500s averaging 17.3 years of age.

They are used to run domestic sectors across Iran focussing on connectivity to Tehran Mehrabad and Shiraz.

Iran Aseman Airlines also known as Aseman, is an airline headquartered in Tehran, Iran. It operates scheduled domestic passenger services and regional international services.

Aseman is Iran's third-largest airline by active fleet size.

The airline was established and started operations in 1980.The airline's historic links go back to 1958 to the airline Air Taxi Co., which was rebranded as Pars Air in the 1970s and later Iran Aseman Airlines.

In March 2007, it was owned by Iranian Civil Pension Fund Investment Company and had 298 employees. It has since been privatized.

In July 2016, the CEO of the airline was issued an arrest warrant because of an alleged sum of approximately $37 million in public debts to Iran Airports & Air Navigation Company.

In February 2017, it emerged that Aseman Airlines was in talks with an Irish firm to lease seven Airbus A320neos.

In April 2017, the airline signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Boeing for the purchase of 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with options for another 30 aircraft.

In June 2017, Iran Aseman Airlines signed a final deal to buy 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

On 4 October 1990, an Iran Aseman Fokker F27 Friendship, registration EP-ANA overran the runway upon landing at Ramsar Airport, and came to rest at a concrete wall 100 metres behind the runway.

There were no fatalities amongst the 46 passengers and four crew members on board, and the aircraft was fully repaired.

On 12 October 1994, Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 746, a Fokker F28 Fellowship, registration EP-PAV en route from Isfahan to Tehran suffered a sudden loss of power in both engines at 23:05 local time, 35 minutes after take-off from Isfahan International Airport.

The aircraft spiralled into an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Natanz, killing all 59 passengers and seven crew members on board.

On 18 July 2000, Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 775, a Fokker F28 Fellowship, registration EP-PAU en route from Tehran to Ahwaz, was damaged beyond repair when the pilot missed the runway upon a low-visibility landing attempt at Ahwaz Airport and instead touched down next to it.

A successful go-around was executed, and there were no injuries amongst the 84 passengers and four crew members on board.

On 26 August 2010, a Fokker 100 registration EP-ASL operating Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 773 from Tehran to Tabriz overran the runway upon landing at Tabriz International Airport and was substantially damaged when it plunged into a canal.

Two out of the 103 passengers on board were injured, while none of the seven crew members were hurt.

On 10 May 2014, a Fokker 100, registration EP-ASZ, was damaged in a landing accident at Zahedan Airport (ZAH), Iran.

The airplane operated Flight 853 from Mashhad Airport (MHD). The left hand main undercarriage failed to extend or lock prior to landing. A forced landing was carried out on runway 35.

The airplane swerved to the left and came to rest 1450 meters (4760 feet) past the runway 35 threshold and 23 meters (75 feet) to the left of the centreline.

On 18 February 2018, Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704, an ATR 72-200, registration EP-ATS flying from Tehran to Yasuj, crashed into the Zagros Mountains, south of Isfahan after it disappeared from radar, 50 minutes after taking off from Mehrabad Airport.

All 59 passengers and six crew were killed.



Tourism Observer

USA: US Administration Has Reversed Policy On Travel And Ban Takes Effect

US President Donald Trump's administration reversed a decision late on Thursday and said fiancés would be considered close family members and therefore allowed to travel to the United States as its revised travel ban took effect.

The US State Department concluded "upon further review, fiancés would now be included as close family members," said a State Department official who requested anonymity.

The Trump administration had previously decided, on the basis of its interpretation of a US Supreme Court ruling, that grandparents, grandchildren and fiancés travelling from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen would be barred from obtaining visas while the ban was in place.

The 90-day ban took effect at 8 pm EDT (0000 GMT Friday), along with a 120-day ban on all refugees.

On Monday, the Supreme Court revived parts of Trump's travel ban on people from the six Muslim-majority countries, narrowing the scope of lower court rulings that had blocked parts of a March 6 executive order and allowing his temporary ban to go into effect for people with no strong ties to the United States.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, who also requested anonymity, said it would be updating its guidance to state that fiancés would not be barred from obtaining visas while the ban was in place.

The Supreme Court exempted from the ban travellers and refugees with a "bona fide relationship" with a person or entity in the United States. As an example, the court said those with a "close familial relationship" with someone in the United States would be covered.

The state of Hawaii asked a federal judge in Honolulu on Thursday evening to determine whether the Trump administration had interpreted the court's decision too narrowly.

Hawaii said in a court filing that the US government intended to violate the Supreme Court's instructions by improperly excluding from the United States people who actually have a close family relationship to US persons, echoing criticism from immigrant and refugee groups.

Hawaii called the refusal to recognise grandparents and other relatives as an acceptable family relationship "a plain violation of the Supreme Court's command."

Hawaii's Attorney General Doug Chin asked US District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu, who blocked Trump's travel ban in March, to issue an order "as soon as possible" clarifying how the Supreme Court's ruling should be interpreted.

Watson ordered the Justice Department to respond to Hawaii's request by Monday, and said he would allow Hawaii to reply by July 6.

A senior US official did not answer directly when asked how barring grandparents or grandchildren would make the United States safer, but instead pointed to Trump's guidance to pause certain travel while we review our security posture.

The US government expected things to run smoothly and business as usual at US ports of entry, another senior US official told reporters.

A handful of immigration lawyers gathered at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Thursday in case of any problems.

We're going to keep fighting this ban, even if it applies very narrowly, said Sirine Shebaya, a senior staff attorney at Muslim Advocates. It's still a Muslim ban, and its still trying to send a message to a whole community that they're not welcome here.

The administration said refugees who have agreements with resettlement agencies but not close family in the United States would not be exempted from the ban, likely sharply limiting the number of refugees allowed entry in coming months.

Hawaii said in its court filing it was preposterous not to consider a formal link with a resettlement agency a qualifying relationship. Refugee resettlement agencies had expected that their formal links with would-be refugees would qualify as bona fide.

The administration's decision likely means that few refugees beyond a 50,000-cap set by Trump would be allowed into the country this year. A US official said that, as of Wednesday evening, 49,009 refugees had been allowed into the country this fiscal year.

The State Department said refugees scheduled to arrive through July 6 could still enter.

Trump first announced a temporary travel ban on January 27, calling it a counterterrorism measure to allow time to develop better security vetting.

The order caused chaos at airports, as officials scrambled to enforce it before it was blocked by courts.

Opponents argued that the measure discriminated against Muslims and that there was no security rationale for it.

A revised version of the ban was also halted by courts.

The State Department guidance, distributed to all US diplomatic posts on Wednesday evening and seen by Reuters, fleshed out the Supreme Court's ruling about people who have a bona fide relationship with an individual or entity in the United States.

It defined a close familial relationship as being a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling, including step-siblings and other step-family relations.

A department cable said grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, fiancés, "and any other 'extended' family members" were not considered close family.

The guidelines also said workers with offers of employment from a company in the United States or a lecturer addressing US audiences would be exempt from the ban, but that arrangements such as a hotel reservation would not be considered bona fide relationships.


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USA: New Criteria For Visa Applicants From Six Mainly Muslim Nations

The US administration has set new criteria for visa applicants from six mainly Muslim nations and all refugees that require a close family or business tie to the United States.

The move comes after the Supreme Court partially restored President Trump's executive order that was widely criticized as a ban on Muslims.

Visas that have already been approved will not be revoked, but instructions issued by the State Department say that new applicants from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen must prove a relationship with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the United States to be eligible.

The same requirement, with some exceptions, holds for would-be refugees from all nations who are still awaiting approval for admission to the U.S.

Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, fiances or other extended family members are not considered to be close relationships, according to the guidelines that were issued in a cable sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates late on Wednesday.

The new rules take effect at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday, according to the cable.

As far as business or professional links are concerned, the State Department said a legitimate relationship must be formal, documented and formed in the ordinary course rather than for the purpose of evading the ban.

Journalists, students, workers or lecturers who have valid invitations or employment contracts in the U.S. would be exempt from the ban.

The exemption does not apply to those who seek a relationship with an American business or educational institution purely for the purpose of avoiding the rules, the cable said.

A hotel reservation or car rental contract, even if it was prepaid, would also not count, it said.

Consular officers may grant other exemptions to applicants from the six nations if they have previously established significant contacts with the United States,significant business or professional obligations in the U.S., if they are an infant, adopted child or in need of urgent medical care, if they are traveling for business with a recognized international organization or the U.S. government or if they are a legal resident of Canada who applies for a visa in Canada, according to the cable.

Critics said they are watching closely to see how the guidelines are used.

Initial reports reflect that the government may try to unilaterally expand the scope of the ban, for example, by arbitrarily refusing to treat certain categories of familial relationships as bona fide.

On Monday, the Supreme Court partially lifted lower court injunctions against Trump's executive order that had temporarily banned visas for citizens of the six countries.

The justices' ruling exempted applicants from the ban if they could prove a bona fide relationship with a U.S. person or entity, but the court offered only broad guidelines,suggesting they would include a relative, job offer or invitation to lecture in the U.S. as to how that should be defined.

Senior officials from the departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security had labored since the decision to clarify the ruling and Wednesday's instructions were the result.

The new guidance will remain in place until the Supreme Court issues a final ruling on the matter.

Arguments before the justices will not be held until at least October, so the interim rules will remain in place at least until the fall.

Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered the refugee ban and a travel ban affecting the six countries, plus Iraq.

He said it was needed to protect the U.S. from terrorists, but opponents said it was unfairly harsh and was intended to meet his campaign promise to keep Muslims out of the United States.

After a federal judge struck down the bans, Trump signed a revised order intended to overcome legal hurdles. That was also struck down by lower courts, but the Supreme Court's action Monday partially reinstated it.

The initial travel ban led to chaos at airports around the world, but because the guidelines exempt previously issued visas, similar problems are not expected.

After a judge blocked the original ban, Trump issued a scaled-down order and the court's action Monday further reduced the number of people who would be covered by it.

Also, while the initial order took effect immediately, adding to the confusion, this one was delayed 72 hours after the court's ruling.

Under the new rules, would-be immigrants from the six countries who won a coveted visa in the government's diversity lottery,a program that randomly awards 50,000 green cards annually to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States will also have to prove they have a bona fide relationship within the U.S. or are eligible for another waiver or face being banned for at least 90 days.

That hurdle may be a difficult one for those immigrants to overcome, as many visa lottery winners don't have relatives in the U.S. or jobs in advance of arriving in the country.

QATAR: Qatar Diplomatic Crisis And Its Effects

The 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis occurred as a result of several countries abruptly cutting off diplomatic relations with Qatar.

These countries included Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. The severing of relations included withdrawing ambassadors, and imposing trade and travel bans.

Saudi Arabia and other countries have criticized Al Jazeera and Qatar's relations with Iran, and accused Qatar of funding terrorist organizations. Qatar denied that it supports terrorism, given that it has assisted the United States in the War on Terror and the ongoing military intervention against ISIL.

Saudi Arabia's actions were verbally supported by United States President Donald Trump. Many countries in the region, including Turkey, Russia and Iran, called for the crisis to be resolved through peaceful negotiations.

Qatar has had differences with other Arab governments on a number of issues: it broadcasts Al Jazeera; it is accused of maintaining good relations with Iran; and it has supported the Muslim Brotherhood in the past.Qatar is an American ally, hosting the largest American base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base.

The countries withdrawing diplomatic relations accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, of interfering with their internal affairs and of maintaining relations with Iran.Qatar denies allegations that it supported terrorism, and pointed out that it has been contributing to the U.S.-led fight against ISIL.

Qatar maintains relatively good relations with Iran. Qatar and Iran share ownership of South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field,by far the world's largest natural gas field, with significant geostrategic influence.

In April 2017, after a 12-year freeze, Qatar lifted a self-imposed ban on developing the gas field with Iran,which would require cooperation between the two countries.According to Jim Krane, energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute, Qatar used to be a kind of Saudi vassal state, but it used the autonomy that its gas wealth created to carve out an independent role for itself.

Above all, gas prompted Qatar to promote a regional policy of engagement with Shiite Iran to secure the source of its wealth.Since he took power in 1995, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani believed Qatar could find security only by transforming itself from a Saudi appendage to a rival of Saudi Arabia.

The crisis has turned into a proxy battle between partners and adversaries of Iran and Qatar invests billions of dollars in the U.S. and Europe and then recycles the profits to support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and groups linked to al Qaeda.

Qatar hosts the American military base from which the U.S. directs its regional war against extremism, yet it also owns media networks responsible for inciting many of the same extremists.

Qatar has tried to cultivate good relations with countries and organizations that are at odds with each other.To establish a massive base for the US military on its territory, while at the same time flirting with Iran; to fight terror, but fund the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front in Syria.

But Qatar failed to understand that the new regional power, now more than ever, is Saudi Arabia.

Qatar also used its contacts to help negotiate peaceful exchanges of hostages for the safe evacuation of civilians from areas affected by the Syrian Civil War.However, Qatar also sent its forces to fight against alleged Iranian-backed militias in the current Yemeni Civil War and has supported rebels fighting the Iranian-allied government of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War.

Qatar has supported the Muslim Brotherhood in the past.Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies see the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat, as it ideologically opposes hereditary rule.The government of Egypt has long viewed the Muslim Brotherhood as "enemy number one".

In 2011, during the Arab Spring, Qatar supported the Egyptian protesters agitating for change, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood. By contrast, Saudi Arabia supported Hosni Mubarak and currently supports Abd El-Fattah El-Sisi since the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état.

Qatar has been accused of sponsoring terrorism.Some countries have faulted Qatar for funding rebel groups in Syria, including al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front,although the Saudis have done the same.Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been involved in the CIA–led Timber Sycamore covert operation to train and arm Syrian rebels.

Qatar has hosted officials from the Afghan Taliban and Hamas. Qatar defends this move by saying it is trying to act as an intermediary in regional conflicts.For example, Qatar hosted talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in 2016.

On 27 May 2017, the newly-reelected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held a phone call with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.Rouhani told Qatar's emir, the countries of the region need more cooperation and consultations to resolve the crisis in the region and we are ready to cooperate in this field.

Former US Defense Secretary and ex-CIA chief Robert Gates stated in May 2017 that he does not know instances in which Qatar aggressively goes after (terror finance) networks of Hamas, Taliban, Al-Qaeda,and that My attitudes toward Al-Udeid and any other facility is that the United States military doesn’t have any irreplaceable facility.

Qatar hosts the largest American base in the Middle East, the Al Udeid Air Base, which has been used by the United States in its campaigns in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

In 2002, Saudi Arabia removed their ambassador from Qatar over Al Jazeera's alleged critical stance towards Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic relations were re-established in 2008, after assurances that Al Jazeera would limit its coverage of Saudi Arabia.

In March 2014, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates removed their ambassadors from Qatar, citing interference with their internal affairs, but the situations were eventually defused after Qatar forced Brotherhood members to leave the country eight months later.

In February 2015, Egypt–Qatar relations deteriorated after the Egyptian Air Force conducted airstrikes on suspected ISIL positions in neighboring Libya following the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians.The airstrikes were condemned by Al Jazeera, who broadcast images of civilian casualties.

Additionally, Qatar's foreign ministry expressed reservations over the airstrikes. This prompted Tariq Adel, Egypt's Arab League delegate, to accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Egyptian citizens also launched an online campaign denouncing the Qatari government.

The Gulf Cooperation Council rejected Egypt's accusations and its secretary general regarded the statements to be false.Shortly after, Qatar recalled its ambassador to Egypt for "consultations".

The exact reasons for the diplomatic break-offs are unclear, but contemporary news coverage primarily attributes this to several events in April and May 2017.

In April 2017, Qatar was involved in a deal with both Sunni and Shi'ite militants in Iraq and Syria. The deal had two goals. The immediate goal was to secure the return of 26 Qatari hostages including Qatari royals who had been kidnapped by Shi'ite militants while falcon hunting in Southern Iraq and kept in captivity for more than 16 months.

The second goal was to get both Sunni and Shi'ite militants in Syria to allow humanitarian aid to pass through and allow the safe evacuation of civilians.This deal allowed the evacuation of at least 2,000 civilians from the Syrian village of Madaya alone.

What outraged Saudi Arabia and the UAE is the amount of money Qatar had to pay to secure the deal. According to the Financial Times Qatar paid $700 million to Iranian-backed Shi'a militias in Iraq, $120-140 million to Tahrir al-Sham, and $80 million to Ahrar al-Sham.

As part of the Riyadh Summit in late May 2017, many world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump visited the region. Trump gave strong support for Saudi Arabia's efforts in fighting against states and groups allied with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, leading to an arms deal between the countries. Trump's support may have induced other Sunni states to fall in line with Saudi Arabia to take a stance against Qatar.

The Qatar News Agency website and other government media platforms were allegedly hacked in May 2017. According to Qatar-based Al Jazeera, hackers posted fake remarks on the official Qatar News Agency attributed to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that expressed support for Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel.

The emir was quoted as saying: Iran represents a regional and Islamic power that cannot be ignored and it is unwise to face up against it. It is a big power in the stabilization of the region.Qatar reported that the statements were false and did not know their origin.

Despite this, the remarks were widely publicized in the various Arab news media, including UAE-based Sky News Arabia and Al Arabiya.On 3 June 2017, the Twitter account of Bahraini foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was hacked.

Initially alleged Intelligence gathered by the US security agencies indicated that Russian hackers were behind the intrusion first reported by the Qataris. However, a U.S. official briefed on the inquiry told the New York Times that it was unclear whether the hackers were state-sponsored and The Guardian diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour reported that it is believed that the Russian government was not involved in the hacks; instead, freelance hackers were paid to undertake the work on behalf of some other state or individual.

A U.S. diplomat said that Russia and its ally Iran stood to benefit from sowing discord among U.S. allies in the region, particularly if they made it more difficult for the United States to use Qatar as a major base.The FBI sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the hacking incident.

Later New York Times reported that the hacking incidents may be part of long running cyberwar between Qatar and other Gulf countries that was only revealed to the public during the recent incidents and they noted how Saudi and UAE media picked up the statement made by the hacked media in less than 20 minutes and began interviewing many well-prepared commentators against Qatar.

In May 2017, the email account of the UAE's ambassador to the U.S., Yousef Al-Otaiba, was hacked. The emails were seen as "embarrassing",because they allegedly showed links between the UAE and a pro-Israeli group, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The story was covered by Al Jazeera and HuffPost Arabi, both of which are funded by Qatar. Arab countries saw the media coverage of the alleged email hack as a provocation by Qatar, and deepened the rift between the two sides.

On 9 June, Al Jazeera's media network was the victim of a cyber attack across all its platforms.

A variety of diplomatic actions were taken. Saudi Arabia and the UAE notified ports and shipping agents not to receive Qatari vessels or ships owned by Qatari companies or individuals.Saudi Arabia closed the border with Qatar.Iran offered to send food shipments to Qatar.

Saudi Arabia restricted its airspace to Qatar Airways. Instead, Qatar has rerouted flights to Africa and Europe via Iran.Saudi Arabia's central bank advised banks not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals.

Qatar verbally criticized the ban. The Foreign Ministry of Qatar criticized the ban, arguing that it undermined Qatar's sovereignty.The foreign minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said that Saudi statements regarding Qatar were contradictory: on one hand, Saudi Arabia claimed Qatar was supporting Iran, on the other hand, it claimed Qatar was funding Sunni extremists fighting against Iran.

All GCC countries involved in the announcement ordered their citizens out of Qatar.Three Gulf states,Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries.The foreign ministries of Bahrain and Egypt gave Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave their countries.Qatar was expelled from the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.Kuwait and Oman remained neutral.

Kuwaiti mediators in Riyadh were presented with a list of Saudi demands to Qatar. These included cutting off all links with Iran and expelling resident members of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, curbs on the freedom of al-Jazeera, to stop “interfering” in foreign countries’ affairs and to cease any funding or support for terrorist organisations.

As of 10 June 2017, eight sovereign governments have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

- Bahrain

- Comoros

- Egypt

- Maldives

- Mauritania

- Saudi Arabia

- United Arab Emirates

- Yemen

The Tobruk-based government of Libya claimed to have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar despite having no diplomatic representation in that country.The government of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland announced on 10 June 2017 that it has cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt.

As of 12 June 2017, six countries have downgraded diplomatic ties with Qatar without fully cutting relations.

- Chad

- Djibouti

- Eritrea

- Jordan

- Niger

- Senegal

Multiple countries and the United Nations called for the resolution of the diplomatic crisis through dialogue:

- Algeria

- Guinea

- India

- Indonesia

- Iran

- Morocco

- Russia

- Somalia

- Sudan

- Tunisia

- Turkey

- Pakistan

- United Kingdom

Germany's foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed support for Qatar and criticized the severing of ties.He accused US President Donald Trump of stirring up conflict in the Middle East.

India said that it viewed the crisis as an internal matter of the Gulf Cooperation Council and was primarily concerned with the Indian expatriates in the region.

Indonesia foreign minister said the diplomatic disconnection by Arab countries against qatar is very influential on Indonesia. And Indonesia asks the state to break the ties with qatar to negotiate. Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants Indonesia to have a role in resolving the conflict in middle East, Jokowi admitted still finding out the point of the real problem before determining what steps can be done by Indonesia.

On June 10, 2017 Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo called the president of Turkey and amir Qatar to find a way to resolve the conflict considering Indonesia itself is an Islamic country and this conflict occurred in Ramadhan.

Israel said that the crisis opened up opportunities for cooperation in the fight against terrorism, claiming that the Arab countries that cut off their diplomatic relations with Qatar did not do so because of Israel or the Palestinian issue, but because of their fear of radical Islamic terrorism.

Reports that Mauritius had cut ties with Qatar were refuted by the Mauritian government.A report in the Saudi Gazette incorrectly stated that Mauritius had broken off ties with Qatar and that Mauritius' Vice Prime-Minister had issued a communiqué pledging his country's support for Saudi Arabia.

This prompted further erroneous reports by other outlets. However, Mauritian Vice Prime Minister Showkutally Soodhun in an interview with Le Défi Media Group of Mauritius refuted claims that he had issued any such communiqué, and Mauritius' Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that Mauritius continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Qatar.

Pakistan stated that it had no plans to cut diplomatic relations with Qatar.Member of the Parliament passed a resolution in National Assembly of Pakistan urging all countries to show restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.Federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources said that Pakistan will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.

A six-member Qatari delegation headed by a special envoy of the Qatari Emir visited Pakistan and asked Pakistan to play a positive role in resolving the diplomatic crisis. Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan would do all it can to help resolve the crisis and called on the Muslim world to play a role in ending hostilities.TRT in a report said that Pakistan would deploy 20,000 troops in Qatar but the Foreign Office denied media report.

The Philippines suspended the deployment of migrant workers to Qatar on 6 June.However, on 7 June, they allowed the deployment of the returning workers and those with Overseas Employment Certificate, but still suspended the deployment of new workers. The suspension was later fully lifted on 15 June.

United States President Donald Trump claimed credit for engineering the diplomatic crisis in a series of tweets.On 6 June, Trump began by tweeting: "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!"

An hour and a half later, he remarked on Twitter that it was "good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!

This was in contrast to attempts by the Pentagon and State department to remain neutral. The Pentagon praised Qatar for hosting the Al Udeid Air Base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security." U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, sent a similar message.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State had taken a neutral stance and called for dialogue.Qatar hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the forward operating base of United States Central Command that plays a commanding role in US airstrikes in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

A Pentagon spokesperson claimed the diplomatic crisis would not affect the US military posture in Qatar.On 8 June, President Donald Trump, during a phone call with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, offered as a mediator in the conflict with a White House meeting between the parties if necessary.

The offer was declined, and Qatari official stated, The emir has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade.

On 9 June, Trump once put the blame on Qatar, calling the blockade hard but necessary while claiming that Qatar had been funding terrorism at a very high level and described the country as having an extremist ideology in terms of funding.

This statement was in conflict with Secretary of State Tillerson's comments on the same day, which called on Gulf states to ease up the blockade.

In 13 June 2017 after meeting with Tillerson in Washington, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated that there was no blockade and what we have done is we have denied them use of our airspace, and this is our sovereign right and that the King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief would send food or medical aid to Qatar if needed.

On 7 June, the Turkish parliament passed, with 240 votes in favor and 98 against, a legislative act first drafted in May allowing Turkish troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar.In 13 June 2017 during a speech, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the isolation of Qatar as inhumane and against Islamic values and that victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose.

Gabon's foreign ministry also made a statement condemning Qatar for failing to respect international commitments and agreements on counter-terrorism.

On 8 June, Egypt's deputy U.N. Ambassador Ihab Moustafa called for the United Nations Security Council to launch an investigation into accusations that Qatar paid up to $1 billion to a terrorist group active in Iraq to free 26 Qatari hostages, including members of its royal family, which would violate U.N. resolutions.

The Qataris were kidnapped 16 December 2015 from a desert camp for falcon hunters in southern Iraq. The hostages were released eighteen months later in April 2017. Qatari diplomats responded to the Egyptian calls for an investigation by reaffirming their commitment to the U.N. resolutions towards eliminating the financing of terrorism.

Eritrea refused a request by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to cut relations with Qatar, citing its strong ties with the brother people of Qatar.On 12 June, however, they issuing a statement calling the isolation of Qatar one initiative among many in the right direction that envisages full realization of regional security and stability while not breaking off relations themselves.

The United Kingdom's foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, stated that Qatar needs to do more to stop the funding of extremist groups but also urged Gulf states to ease the blockade.

In June 2017, the government of Qatar hired American attorney and politician John Ashcroft to lobby on its behalf and rebut international allegations of supporting terror.

Amnesty International condemned the crisis and accused Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the (UAE) are toying with people's lives. James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Global Issues Programme, claimed These drastic measures are already having a brutal effect, splitting children from parents and husbands from wives.

People from across the region not only from Qatar, but also from the states implementing these measures risk losing jobs and having their education disrupted.

All the states involved in this dispute must ensure their actions do not lead to human rights violations. Amnesty International received reports from victims unable to visit their family members, students being standed and workers being unable to return to their jobs in opposing nations.

Norwegian Refugee Council expressed fears that the crisis would affect reconstruction in Palestine as Qatar is a major source of humanitarian and infrastructure aid to Palestine.

On 6 June 2017, Emirates Post of UAE, halted postal services to Qatar.

Nearly 80 percent of Qatar's food requirements come from Gulf Arab neighbors, with only 1 percent being produced domestically and even imports from outside the Gulf states usually crossing the now closed land border with Saudi Arabia.Immediately after the cutting of relations, local reports indicated residents swarmed grocery stores in hopes of stockpiling food.

Many food delivery trucks were idled along the Saudi-Qatari border. On 8 June 2017 Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said, We're not worried about a food shortage, we're fine. We can live forever like this, we are well prepared.

Qatar has been in talks with both Turkey and Iran to secure supply of water and food. On 11 June 2017 Iran sent four cargo planes with fruit and vegetables and promised to continue the supply.Turkey has pledged food and water supplies to go along with their troop deployment at their Turkish military base in Qatar.

Large airlines based in these countries, including Emirates, suspended flight service to Qatar.Gulf Air,EgyptAir,FlyDubai, Air Arabia, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Etihad Airways and Royal Air Maroc suspended their flights to and from Qatar.Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are also banning overflights by aircraft registered in Qatar.

Instead Qatar has rerouted flights to Africa and Europe via Iran.

Qatar Airways in response also suspended their flight operations to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain.

Pakistan International Airlines sent special flights to bring back over 200 Pakistani pilgrims stuck at Doha airport.Over 550 Pakistani pilgrims in Doha were subsequently flown to Muscat.

Private jet travel is also being impacted by the crisis. Business aviation officials said private flights between Qatar and the countries that cut diplomatic ties now need to make a technical stop in a third country.

Aircraft registered in Qatar cannot fly to the countries that cut diplomatic ties and vice versa. While business jet operators can request a nonstop routing, two officials said requests so far have been turned down necessitating a stop in a third country.

Due to the blockade of Qatar Airways from the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Oman Air has taken up a significant role transporting travelers from and to Doha, mostly through Iranian airspace, while still allowing Qatar passport holders to book flights.

The travel embargo has had a significant impact on foreign nationals living and working in Qatar, with about 100'000 Egyptians and citizens from other countries stranded there, unable to book direct flights or obtain travel documents for their return.

Per request from Qatar, the blockade is currently under review by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN-agency seeking consensus-based solutions for the resolution of the crisis.

The United Arab Emirates banned Qatar-flagged ships from calling at Fujairah. It also banned vessels from Qatar from the port and vessels at the port from sailing directly to Qatar.Similar restrictions were put in place at Jebel Ali. Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also banned Qatar-flagged ships from their ports.

On June 8,2017 shipping giant Maersk was unable to transport in or out of Qatar entirely. Due to Qatar's shallow ports, large cargo ships are required to dock at Jebel Ali or other nearby ports where a feeder service transports the goods into Qatar.

In response, Maersk and also Swiss-based MSC vessels for Qatar were rerouted to Salalah and Sohar in Oman.Particularly smaller shipments of perishable and frozen foods have taken that route.

On June 12, 2017, Chinese shipping company COSCO announced suspension of services to and from Qatar. Taiwan's Evergreen Marine and Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line have already suspended services.

Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the Attorney-General of the United Arab Emirates announced on 7 June that publishing expressions of sympathy towards Qatar through social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form is considered illegal under UAE's Federal Penal Code and the Federal law on Combating Information Technology Crimes.

Violators of this offense face between 3 to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 500,000 emirati dirhams ($136,000) or both.Bahrain also issued a similar statement with penalty up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE all blocked access to Qatari news agencies, including one of the most popular Arab news outlets, Qatar-based Al Jazeera.Saudi Arabia shut down the local office of Al Jazeera Media Network.The BBC speculated that changes to Al-Jazeera would be a necessary part of any peaceful resolution.

The International Monetary Fund said it was too soon to judge the economic impact of the diplomatic crisis.Standard & Poor's downgraded Qatar's debt by one notch from AA to AA- as the Qatari riyal fell to an 11-year low.Qatar's stock market dropped 7.3% on the first day of the crisis, and reached a 9.7% drop by 8 June.

As per S&P Global Ratings, banks in Qatar are strong enough to survive pull out of all Gulf country deposits.

Qatar is a global leader in liquefied natural gas production. Despite the severing of ties, Qatari natural gas continues to flow to the UAE and Oman through Abu Dhabi based Dolphin Energy's pipeline. The pipeline meets about 30-40 percent of UAE's energy needs.

Shipping constraints from the crisis have also rerouted multiple shipments of oil and gas to and from the Gulf, which has caused reverberations in many local energy markets. On 8 June 2017 United Kingdom, with nearly a third of all imported gas arriving from Qatar, gas futures spiked nearly 4 percent.

We pray that this crisis is sorted out soon and amicably.

UAE: Expressions Of Sympathy With Qatar Banned

The United Arab Emirates has banned people from publishing expressions of sympathy towards Qatar and will punish offenders with a jail term of up to 15 years.

The United Arab Emirates, along with several other powerful Arab states, severed diplomatic ties with fellow Gulf state Qatar Monday over its alleged support for Islamist groups and Iran. Qatar denies the accusations.

U.S. President Donald Trump took sides in the deep rift in the Arab world Tuesday, praising Middle East countries' actions against Qatar, but later spoke by phone with Saudi King Salman and stressed the need for Gulf unity.

Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form, UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi declared.

On top of a possible jail term, offenders would also be hit with a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams citing a statement to Arabic-language media.

Since the diplomatic row erupted, slogans against and in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic, which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Newspapers and television channels in the region have also been engaged in a war of words over Qatar's role.

Meanwhile, A man armed with a hammer shouted "this is for Syria" before attacking police officers on Tuesday outside France's Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the interior minister said.

The assailant wounded one officer before he was shot and wounded by other officers. The Paris prosecutor's office swiftly began a counter-terrorism investigation.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the attacker was carrying the identification card of an Algerian student. He said preliminary information indicated the attacker had acted alone.

Dozens of armed police sealed off the area and the cathedral in central Paris that is visited by millions of tourists every year was locked down while the security forces secured the area.

It is the first attack since President Emmanuel Macron won last month's election and comes days before a parliamentary poll in which opinion surveys show Macron on course to win a landslide majority. His rivals portrayed him as weak on security during the presidential campaign.

Situation under control, one policeman injured, the assailant was neutralized and taken to hospital, Paris police said on Twitter.

France is under a state of emergency after a wave of militant attacks since early 2015 that have killed more than 230 people across the country. Soldiers patrol its streets alongside police to guard tourist sites, government buildings and events.

Hundreds of tourists were inside the cathedral when the attacker struck.

One holidaymaker inside Notre Dame posted on Twitter: Not the holiday experience wanted. Trapped in Notre Dame Cathedral after police shoot a man. We are with our 2 terrified children.

Karine Dalle, a spokeswoman for the Paris diocese, told BFM TV 900 people were inside the cathedral as police secured the area.

Both France and Britain have suffered a spate of militant attacks in recent months.

In London, militants on Saturday drove a van at high speed into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing night revelers on the street and in nearby bars, killing at seven people and wounding dozens. That followed a suicide bombing in Manchester that killed 22 people.

In France, days before the first round of the presidential election in April, a policeman was shot dead and two others wounded. ISIS claimed the attack as well as those in London and Manchester.

In September, three women were arrested after police found a car laden with gas cylinders abandoned near Notre Dame. The interior ministry at the time said it was likely an attack had been imminent.

IRAN: Iranian Airline to Resume Direct Flights From Tehran To Brussels

The Iranian Qeshm Air will resume its flight from Tehran to Brussels and vice versa, airline’s Managing Director Mahmoud Shekarabi announced.

“The move will be considered as a step towards the expansion of tourism relations with Europe,” Shekarabi said in a meeting with Belgian Ambassador to Tehran François Delhaye.

He reiterated that the direct flights between Iran and Belgium will be launched in the near future.

“The aim of launching new air route is to expand Qeshm Air’s flights to Europe, Shekarabi said, adding, “Belgium is a country which is located at the center of Europe and therefore, enjoys a special strategic significance.”

The Belgian ambassador, for his part, said that Iran enjoys high capacities to attract foreign tourists.

“The Belgian people welcome establishment of the direct flights between Brussels and Tehran,” Delhaye said.

He underlined that Tehran-Brussels air route will have positive impact on the development of bilateral relations, specially in the areas of tourism, investment and economy.

In late October, Tehran and Brussels signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to broaden their bilateral ties in economic and trade fields.

The MoU was signed between Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Mojtaba Khosrotaj and visiting Belgian trade delegation in Tehran.

“The volume of trade exchanges between Iran and Belgium nearly hit $200 million which we hope it would grow due to Belgium’s high potentials,” Khosrotaj said.

He said that the MoU aims to broaden scientific, technological and infrastructural cooperation between Iranian and Belgian firms.

The MoU has made a framework on developing investment and trade cooperation between the two countries.

The visiting Belgian economic-trade delegation comprises 200 representatives of 140 firms; the first economic mission of Belgium in Iran in post-JCPOA era.

Following agreements between Tehran and Baku to expand cooperation in tourism sector, the number of flights made between Iran and Azerbaijan has significantly increased and airlines from both countries intend to significantly increase their number of flights, an Iranian tour operator told Trend.

The Chairman of Iran’s Aysan Parvaz travel agency, Mohsen Dastmalchi said that Iran earned about $1.5 billion in revenue from Azerbaijani visitors in 2015 as around 1.5 million tourists from the north-western neighboring country arrived in the Islamic Republic over the past year.

This is while the number of Iranian tourists arriving in Azerbaijan has also considerably increased, he added.

Iran currently launches nine flights to Azerbaijan on a weekly basis and it is capable of bringing about 1,350 tourists to the neighboring country per week.

In the meantime Azerbaijan’s flag carrier airline known as AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) continues its regular flights between the two countries.

Elaborating on the opportunities for cooperation in tourism sector between the two countries, he called on Azerbaijani tourists to visit various Iranian cities particularly the holy city of Mashhad.

Iran’s revenue from tourism over the last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20) amounted to $8 billion.

USA: Trump Travel Ban Religiously Motivated

The Latest on the legal challenges to President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targeting six-Muslim majority countries:

4 p.m.

An attorney challenging President Donald Trump's revised travel ban says the Republican's anti-Muslim rhetoric is evidence that the policy was motivated by hostility to the religion.

Omar Jadwat of the American Civil Liberties Union urged a 13-judge panel of the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Monday to uphold lower court ruling that blocks the president's revised travel ban.

Jadwat said Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric continued even after he was elected.

He noted that Trump's call for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the country remained on his campaign website after he took office. The statement, was still online Monday morning, appeared to have been taken down before the hearing.

Judge Robert B. King said the case appears to hinge on whether the court considers Trump's statements or focuses solely on the text of the order, which is religiously neutral.

3:25 p.m.

An attorney for President Donald Trump is urging a federal appeals court to focus on the religiously neutral text of Trump's revised travel ban rather than the Republican's anti-Muslim campaign statements.

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall told the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday that the court should not second-guess the president's national security decisions because of comments made on the campaign trail.

A 13-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is examining a ruling that blocks the administration from temporarily barring new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

A handful of judges appeared skeptical of Wall's arguments that they shouldn't give weight to Trump's campaign statements.

The judge's aren't expected to issue a ruling Monday.

___

2:55 p.m.

Dozens of demonstrators are gathered in front of the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, as a hearing is underway on whether to allow an executive order targeting immigrants from six predominantly Muslim countries to go into effect.

Rabbi Michael Knopf of Bend the Arc Jewish Action said on Monday that people were there to assure the Muslim community that they oppose the ban imposed by President Donald Trump's administration and they want to invite all Americans of conscience to join them in saying they oppose any ban any time. He said the ban has caused Muslim men, women and children to live in fear.

Attorneys for the Justice Department are defending Trump's executive order before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It's the first time an appeals court has heard arguments on the revised travel ban, which was issued in March.

The court is examining a ruling that blocks the administration from suspending new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

___

8:10 a.m.

Three judges appointed by President Bill Clinton will hear the Trump administration's appeal of Hawaii's so-far successful challenge to the president's travel ban that targets six predominantly Muslim countries.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will listen to arguments on May 15 at its Seattle courthouse. The 9th Circuit hears appeals from federal courts in nine western states.

A federal judge in Hawaii blocked the travel ban in March, ruling that it unfairly targets Muslims. Hawaii's attorney general argued the ban would harm the state's universities and tourism industry.

The three 9th Circuit judges who will consider Trump's Hawaii appeal are Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez. Hawkins was appointed in 1994. The other two were appointed in 1999.

___

10 a.m.

A panel of 13 appeals court judges in Virginia will hear a challenge to President Donald Trump's revised executive order targeting six predominantly Muslim countries.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Judge Allyson K. Duncan and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III will not hear arguments in the case Monday. Wilkinson's son-in-law is Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, who's arguing the case on behalf of Trump.

It was not immediately clear why Duncan isn't on the panel. Both judges were appointed to the court by Republican presidents.

Of the 13 judges remaining, three are Republican appointees and nine are Democratic appointees. Chief Judge Roger Gregory was given a recess appointment to the court by President Bill Clinton and was reappointed by President George W. Bush.

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3:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump is hoping that a federal appeals court will approve his revised travel ban that targets six Muslim-majority countries.

Attorneys for the Justice Department will defend Trump's immigration executive order before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. It's the first time an appeals court will hear arguments on the revised travel ban, which was issued in March.

The court in Richmond, Virginia, will examine a ruling that blocks the administration from suspending new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The revised travel ban has also been blocked by a judge in Hawaii. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in that case next week.

USA: US Courts To Hear Trump Travel Ban Again

Legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s temporary travel ban on people from some Muslim-majority countries heat up again next week when two US appeals courts consider whether it is constitutional.

The legal fights may end up at the U.S. Supreme Court perhaps in the fall, many months after Trump first issued an executive order in January saying there was an urgent need to halt some immigration to the United States for 90 days while officials reviewed the visa process.

Trump dropped the original travel order after unfavourable legal rulings and replaced it with a more limited ban which is itself now being challenged in appeals courts on two coasts.

Arguing that the United States needed to tighten national security measures, Trump’s attempt to limit travel was one of his first major acts in office.

The fate of the ban is one indication of whether the Republican can carry out his promises to be tough on immigration and national security.

Omar Jadwat, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who will be arguing the case at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia on Monday, said the fact that so much time has passed since the ban was issued is proof that there was no pressing national security need for it in the first place.

The court fight will give those challenging the order an opportunity to argue that the government never intended for the travel pause to be temporary, said Buzz Frahn, an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in Palo Alto, California whose firm has been closely tracking the ongoing litigation.

Now almost 100 days after the original travel ban, the government says the period of 90 days was reset when the administration issued the new order in March.

The Department of Homeland Security “is, and will be, continuously examining ways to enhance the screening and vetting process to shut down terrorist and criminal pathways into the United States,” agency spokesman David Lapan said.

Some improvements will be classified, others will be public, but the Department has only just begun ways to enhance the security of our immigration system, he said in an email.

Opponents including states and civil rights groups - say that both the first ban and the revised ban, which also put a halt to all refugee admissions to the country for four months, discriminates against Muslims.

The government argues the text of the order does not mention any specific religion and is needed to protect the country against attacks.

Court Procedures

The 4th Circuit will decide the fate of a ruling from a Maryland district judge that struck down a section of the revised executive order barring visitors from Syria, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.

The hearing will take place before 14 full-time judges of the appellate court. Ten of them were appointed by Democrats, and four by Republicans.

Then, on March 15, a three-judge panel at the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will review a decision from a Hawaii judge that halted not just the travel portion of the ban but also the section that barred refugees.

The judges who will sit on a panel in Seattle have been assigned but their identities have not been made public.

The 9th Circuit blocked Trump’s first ban in February, in a unanimous vote by one Republican-appointed judge and two-Democratic appointees.

Trump lashed out at the ruling on Twitter and said he is ready for a fight at the Supreme Court.

The nation’s highest court is more likely to hear a case if the federal appeals courts reach opposite rulings or if the issue is of great national importance, according to legal experts.

But the Supreme Court’s session ends in June, and if it take the case it would probably not be heard until after the justices return in October.

TURKEY: Tourist Arrival Numbers Fall, Oman Air Wins Award

Turkish tourism revenue reached $3.4 billion in the first quarter of the year with a 17.1% year-on-year decrease, amid the continuing decline in the number of foreign arrivals, data from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK).

According to TUIK, while some 71.8% of this income, excluding GSM roaming and marina service expenditures, was obtained from foreign visitors, the remaining 28.2% were obtained from Turks residing abroad.

The number of foreign arrivals to Turkey fell to 3.8 million in the first three months of the year with a 6.4% decrease compared with the same period of 2016, according to the data from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced.

About 1.6 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in March, with a 4% year-on-year decrease.

While the number of arrivals from Europe continued to decline in March, there was a significant increase in the number of arrivals from Russia in March, data showed.

A total of 565,643 people from European countries visited Turkey in March, with an almost 25% year-on-year decrease.

In the same month, the number of arrivals from Russia to Turkey showed a 145% year-on-year increase, hitting 58,654.

Most tourists arriving in Turkey were from Iran, Georgia, Bulgaria, Germany and Russia in March.

In the first three months of the year, 1.4 million Europeans visited Turkey with a 23% year-on-year increase.

In the same period, 138,039 Russians visited Turkey with a 109% year-on-year increase.

Number of Turkish citizens visited abroad increased by 4%

In this quarter number of Turkish citizens visited abroad increased by 4% compared to same quarter of previous year and reached to 1 million 897 thousand 554. Average expenditure was $ 451 per capita.

Meanwhile, Oman Air, the National Carrier of Sultanate of Oman, is celebrating the latest in a string of prestigious wins, following the presentation to the airline of the ‘Best Arab Air Carrier supporting Arab Tourism’ award.

The 2017 Arab Tourism Media Awards ceremony organised by the Arab Centre for Tourism Media was held at Roda Al Bustan Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

On behalf of Oman Air, Mahfood Al Harthi, Senior Vice President Sales (GCC, Middle East and Africa) of Oman Air received the award and commented:

“Oman Air is pleased and proud to accept the ‘Best Arab Air Carrier supporting Arab Tourism’ award and we would like to thank the judges and everyone else at the Arab Tourism Media Awards for this accolade.

Since last year, Oman Air saw the introduction of 11 aircrafts joining the airline's fleet. And with the addition of the new aircraft Oman Air’s fleet currently stands at 52.

This will not only offer more people a superlative passenger experience, but also enable even more people to visit Oman and discover for themselves the unique beauty and timeless culture of this wonderful country, which is increasingly renowned at an international level as a distinguished tourist destination.”

The airline continues to be recognised for its award winning on board experience; winning an array of industry awards in 2016 to add to its growing collection and continue its progress to becoming a successful, sustainable company of the highest quality: “To Become the Best.”

Recently, the National Carrier has been voted recently the ‘Best In-Flight Duty Free’ provider in the Middle East by readers of the German passenger services industry publication, Pax International Magazine.

In addition, awards in 2016 include World’s Leading Airline – Economy Class at the World Travel Awards in the Maldives, and Foreign Airline of the Year by Sector to the Middle East at the annual KLIA Awards, introduced in 2006 to recognize the best in Malaysian aviation industry.

The coveted Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, from the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 2016 and winner for the best airline in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

The accolades are not limited to the passenger operation; Oman Air Cargo was also awarded “Best Cargo Airline for Valuable Goods – North and East” at the India Cargo Awards 2016 held in Delhi.

UAE: Are UAE Tourists Exempted From Traffic Fines?

A card with a Dubai Police logo has gone viral on social media, saying that tourists and visitors who flout traffic rules could be let off.

The General Department of Traffic of the Dubai Police denied rumours that the visitors and tourists in the UAE are exempted from minor traffic fines. The denial came in the wake of a card going viral on social media that the Dubai Police will pardon visitors who caught by radars.

The card, which was circulated in social media, read as follows: "Dear driver, as you are a guest in the UAE and came on visit visa to Dubai, you are welcomed and we wish you a good stay. We are sorry to inform you that you are caught by radars as you did not abide by traffic law. Despite that, we will not issue you a traffic fine. We do not want to issue a fine to you, but our goal is your safety."

Major-General Mohamed Saif Al Zafeen, Head of the Traffic Prosecution Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs, said that the Dubai Police did not circulate the card that had a Dubai Police logo on it.

"A few years ago, the Dubai Traffic Department had exempted tourists who commit minor traffic violations from paying fines to make them happy. However, the Dubai Police have not taken any such decision recently and it is just a rumour. If there is any such decision, that will be announced by the Dubai Police through its official channels."

Maj.-Gen. Al Zafeen urged the public to confirm the news before circulating that to avoid legal action.

Citizens of UAE and India are eligible to visit Russia's Far East without visas, Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Monday.

Medvedev said tourists and businessmen from 18 nations can visit the Russian Far East without visas.

The list of 18 countries comprises UAE, India, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Qatar, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and Japan.

"I have recently approved the list of countries, whose nationals can take advantage of the preferential regime. Businessmen and tourists will not need to undergo the traditional procedure of Russian visas receipt," the Prime Minister said. It will be enough for foreigners "to enter their data on a special website in the Internet," Medvedev said.

"We are proactively forming the modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the Far East; the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March," Medvedev said.

Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen "will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the Far East," the prime minister said. The region will earn more money from tourist traffic growth, he added.

Eighteen countries from various regions selected by the reciprocity principle were included into the list, Medvedev said. "This is not because these states are situated at a closer or longer distance - we are appropriately introducing bilateral agreements on visa-free travel for those ready to use such an approach for us," he was quoted as saying by TASS.

USA: Judge Allows Hawaii State To Challenge New Travel Ban

Hawaii requested emergency court intervention on Wednesday to halt a revised executive order from President Donald Trump placing U.S. entry restrictions on refugees and travellers from six Muslim-majority countries.

Arguing that the new travel ban violates the U.S. Constitution, the state asked a Hawaii federal court to grant a temporary restraining order that should apply nationally.

U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson ruled earlier in the day that the state could sue over Trump's new order, which was signed by the president on Monday.

It is the first legal challenge to the revised order.

Watson said the state could revise its initial lawsuit, which had challenged Trump's original ban signed in January.

A hearing is set for March 15, a day before the new ban is to go into effect.

The government has said the president has wide authority to implement immigration policy and that the travel rules are necessary to protect against terrorist attacks.

Some legal experts have said court challenges will be more difficult now because changes to the order give exemptions to more people.

The revised travel order changed and replaced the original, more sweeping ban issued on Jan. 27 that caused chaos and protests at airports and was challenged in more than two dozen lawsuits around the country. A federal judge in Seattle put the first order on hold, in a decision upheld by an appeals court in San Francisco.

The new order is much more narrowly tailored. It keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, but excludes Iraq and applies the restriction only to new visa applicants. It also removed an indefinite ban on all refugees from Syria.

The order no longer covers legal residents or existing visa holders, and makes waivers possible for some business, diplomatic and other travellers.

Immigration advocates have said the new ban, like the original one, discriminates against Muslims.

But the first hurdle in a lawsuit is proving "standing" to sue, which means finding someone who has been harmed by the policy. With so many exemptions, legal experts have said it might be hard to find individuals that a court would rule have a right to sue.

Hawaii claims its state universities would be harmed by the order because they would have trouble recruiting students and faculty. It also says the island state's economy would be hit by a decline in tourism. The court papers cite reports that travel to the United States "took a nosedive" after Trump's actions.

The state was joined by a new plaintiff named Ismail Elshikh, an American citizen from Egypt who is an Imam at the Muslim Association of Hawaii whose mother-in-law lives in Syria, according to the lawsuit.

"This second Executive Order is infected with the same legal problems as the first Order," the state said in court papers filed on Tuesday. The President's order "is subjecting a portion of Hawaii's population, including Dr. Elshikh, his family, and members of his Mosque, to discrimination and second-class treatment," Hawaii said.

The lawsuit says that Elshikh fears his mother-in-law will not be able to enter the country under the new order. "The family is devastated," the filing said.

One of the groups eligible for waivers under the new ban are those seeking to visit or live with a close relative and who would face hardship if denied entry.

Adam Lauridsen, a San Francisco attorney representing students challenging Trump's first order, said the waiver provisions in the new ban are similar to case-by-case exemptions allowed in the first ban. Earlier legal challenges were allowed to move forward despite those waivers, he said.

In support of its actions, the Trump administration has cited a section of law that says the president can suspend entry to the United States by "any class" of foreigners if he finds it would be "detrimental to the interests" of the country.

Emirates Changes Pilot, Crew Rosters on US Flights After Trump Order

Emirates airline has changed pilot and flight attendant rosters on flights to the United States following the sudden US travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, highlighting the challenges facing airlines trying to deal with the new rules.

The world’s largest long-haul carrier, which flies daily to 11 US cities, has made “the necessary adjustments to our crewing, to comply with the latest requirements,” an Emirates spokeswoman told Reuters by email on Sunday. She added US flights continue to operate to schedule.

President Donald Trump on Friday suspended the entry of people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The decision caught airlines off guard, according to the International Air Transport Association.

“I cannot think of anything comparable. This brings a mix of administrative confusion, impact and uncertainty for many travellers as well as practical operational headaches and complexities for airlines in planning their flight programmes,” independent aviation consultant John Strickland told Reuters.

The ban applies to pilots and flight attendants from the seven countries, even though all flight crew who are not US citizens already need a special visa to enter the country.
Nicoley Baublies, from the German cabin crew union UFO, said the move was very unusual and meant uncertainty for airlines in terms of planning.

“Lufthansa has always ensured it has very diverse crews, with staff of different nationalities and that means that we are for the first time in decades having to look at where people come from,” he said at Frankfurt airport.

A spokesman for Lufthansa said on Sunday it was too early to comment on the effects of the order but that airlines and passengers were required to follow the new rules.

Another Emirates spokeswoman said the impact of the ban on operations would be minimal. The airline employs over 23,000 flight attendants and about 4,000 pilots from around the world, including the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi said the airline had “taken steps to ensure there will be no issues for flights departing over the coming weeks”.

Japan Airlines (JAL) on Monday said it had begun screening passengers from the countries affected by Mr Trump’s travel ban before their departure for the United States.

JAL officials would contact the US Customs and Border Protection agency to confirm whether passengers would be allowed entry, a spokesman for Japan’s second-biggest carrier said.

It is unclear if the ban applies to dual nationals – those who hold one passport from a country on the list and another from a non-US country that is not.

Etihad said on its website that dual citizens could travel to the US using their non-banned passport. Iata have told its members that the ban does not apply to dual nationals if they have a passport not on the list, according to an email seen by Reuters.

However, the Guardian reported on Saturday, quoting State Department officials, that dual nationals were banned.
US officials said on Sunday holders of green cards need to check with a US consulate and will be cleared on a case by case basis.

On Sunday, Iata sent another email to member airlines, seen by Reuters, asking for examples of Green Card holders being denied boarding. It also said it was seeking more information from authorities in Washington.

Baublies said the uncertainty over the rules was not helping.

“Trump reacts in 140 characters, we don’t know what it means – for people with the wrong entries in their passports or with dual nationality or married to someone from one of the countries affected, are they allowed to travel?” There are also concerns the restrictions could dampen travel demand. “Ultimately this could feed through to the role airlines play in the global economy in supporting business and tourism due to as yet unquantifiable impacts on demand & cost,”Strickland said.

Mr Baublies said airlines were usually among the first affected by global crises.

“We hope it doesn’t mean that seats are left empty because people don’t know where they can travel with which passport.”
Dubai-based Emirates and Etihad Airways are both owned by the governments of the United Arab Emirates, a US ally and Muslim-majority country.

Both carriers said they would continue to comply with the new rules on US immigration but where possible would offer to refund or rebook affected passengers.

Emirates and Etihad have also said that passengers were affected by the ban over the weekend but their flight crews had not been impacted.

Qatar Airways declined to comment on the impact of the ban on flight operations, although on Saturday it issued a statement on its website that passengers would need a green card or diplomatic visa to enter the US Emirates and Etihad issued similar statements.

IRAN: Iran Wants Free Visa With India, China, Russia, Azerbaijan

Having secured visa-free regimes with Armenia and Georgia, Iran is now seeking visa-simplification frameworks with India and China, as the country is increasingly realizing the importance of tourism following an international sanctions relief.

Iran is willing to commence visa-waiver discussions with China as it has already started the same talks with Russia, Azerbaijan, and India, ISNA quoted Ali Baqer Nemati-Zargaran, the director for promotion and marketing affairs at Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization as saying on Friday.

“For the time being, Azerbaijan offers visas on arrival to Iranian travelers while Iran has abolished the visa regime with Azerbaijani citizens,” Nemati-Zargaran explained.

The CHTHO fosters close collaboration with Foreign Ministry’s Consular Affairs Office which leads the visa waiver negotiations, he added.

In November, some sources reported that Iran and Russia have come to an agreement to waive visas for certain tour groups of 5 to 50 people for up to 15 days. The deal is expected to come into effect by 2017.

Based on the new agreement tour groups of 5 to 50 people heading to Russia from Iran or vice versa will be granted a visa-free stay of up to 15 days.

Earlier in July, Iran extended visa on arrival from 1 month to 3 months to open its doors for the return of foreign tourists following the landmark agreement nuclear deal, under which Iran is committed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for international sanctions relief.

Bases on statistics compiled by Passport Index, Iranian passport currently ranks 92 that is based on the freedom of travel it provides, in other words the number of countries the passport holder can travel to without applying for a visa.

IRAN: American Citizens Barred From Visiting Iran In Retaliation To President Trump's Decree On Travel To USA

Iran seeks to lift visa restrictions with a number of countries in an effort to help boost the mutual tourism ties with the target countries.

The country plans to abolish visas for travelers from 36 countries, including tourists from Russia, said Iranian Vice President for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Zahra Ahmadipour.

A full list of countries is not named yet.

Currently, Russians who plan to visit Iran are obliged to obtain entry visas in advance in the consular department of the Iranian Embassy in Moscow. The term of visa issuance is less than 10 days, the fee is €35.

In July 2016, Iran increased its visa on arrival extension from 1 month to 3 months, while citizens of 190 countries can obtain visa on arrival at the country’s airports with one-month validation.

Also, the citizens of Turkey, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt, Syria and Armenia can travel to Iran and stay in the country without visa from 15 to 90 days under the visa requirement regulations.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry declared that for now, American citizens will be barred from entering their country.

The Islamic Republic announced that they have decided to bar Americans from entering their territory in response to US President Trump’s new decree to halt the entry of citizens from 7 majority Muslim countries including Iran.

“The ban is a clear insult to the Islamic world and especially to the wonderful Iranian nation,” the Iranian side said.

USA: US Customs And Border Protection (CBP) Agency Oders Airlines To Board Passengers From Seven Banned Countries

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has issued an advisory to airlines allowing them to board passengers from previously barred Muslim-majority countries after a US judge temporarily halted a controversial travel ban.

The decision was taken after Seattle District Judge James Robart announced a temporary suspension of President Donald Trump's week-old executive order temporarily barring refugees and nationals from seven countries from entering the US.

Spokespersons for Qatar Airways and US-based United Airlines confirmed that they will board all passengers with valid travel documents that are affected by the order after receiving an advisory to do so from the CBP.

"As directed by the US Customs and Border Protection, nationals of the seven affected countries listed below and all refugees seeking admission presenting a valid, unexpired US visa or green card will be permitted to travel to the United States and will be processed accordingly upon arrival," read a travel alert posted on Qatar Airways' website.

All airlines flying from Tehran to the US on Saturday would board Iranian nationals with valid visas.

The judge's temporary restraining order represents a major challenge to Trump's action, although his administration could still appeal the ruling and have the policy upheld.

It comes on the heals of a week's worth of spontaneous protests at airports across the country.

The US state department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to work out how Friday's ruling affects its operations, and will announce any changes affecting travellers as soon as information is available.

The White House said it would file an appeal as soon as possible.

"At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the president, which we believe is lawful and appropriate," the White House said in a statement. A revised statement released later omitted the word "outrageous".

"The president's order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people," the White House said.

Trump's executive order bars Syrian refugees indefinitely and blocks citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen entry into the US for 90 days. Refugees from countries other than Syria are barred from entry for 120 days.

The state department said on Friday that up to 60,000 foreigners from the seven countries concerned had their visas cancelled as a result of the order. A justice department attorney, however, told a court hearing in Virginia that about 100,000 visas had been revoked.

The ban caught the airline industry off guard, with some carriers forced to re-roster flight crew in order to abide by the order.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee celebrated the decision as a victory for the state, adding: "No person - not even the president - is above the law.

"There is still more to do," he said in a statement. "The fight isn't yet won. But we should feel heartened by today's victory and more resolute than ever that we are fighting on the right side of history."

The judge's decision was also welcomed by groups protesting the ban.

"This order demonstrates that federal judges throughout the country are seeing the serious constitutional problems with this order," said Nicholas Espiritu, a staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center.

Eric Ferrero, Amnesty International USA spokesman, lauded the short-term relief provided by the order but added: "Congress must step in and block this unlawful ban for good".

But the fluid legal situation was illustrated by the fact that the ruling came just hours after a federal judge in Boston declined to extend a temporary restraining order allowing some immigrants into the United States from countries affected by Trump's three-month ban.

The immigration ban has popular support, with 49 percent of Americans agreeing with the order and 41 percent disagreeing. Some 53 percent of Democrats said they "strongly disagree" with Trump's action while 51 percent of Republicans said they "strongly agree".

USA: Executive Order On Immigrants Bad For US And World Tourism

President Donald Trump's executive order blocking immigrants from seven majority Muslim nations will hit tourism to the US, the UN's World Tourism Organization warned today.

The ban on nationals from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen has triggered a domestic and international uproar, but supporters argue it is a temporary measure aimed at boosting national security.

In a statement, the Madrid-based UNWTO voiced "deep concern and strong condemnation" over the immigration clampdown.

The move is "contrary to the principles of freedom of travel" and will "hinder the immense benefits the tourism sector brings in terms of economic growth and job creation," added the agency.

Rather than increased security, the travel ban will lead to "growing tensions and threats," said UNWTO chief Taleb Rifai.

He added that "the image of a country which imposes travel bans in such a hostile way" would affect potential visitors the world over and "risk dumping travel demand to the USA."

Trump's executive order, which has also temporarily halted refugee arrivals, has seen immigrants and even legal permanent US residents detained in several airports.

Some were turned away and put on departing flights, but many were released into the US, often with the help of US attorneys, after a delay.

KENYA: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Receives Over 90 Somali Deported From USA

More than 90 Somali nationals and two Kenyans on Wednesday arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after being deported from the United States.

The deportees, believed to have been affected by US President Donald Trump’s implementation of his pledge to crack down on illegal immigrants, arrived at the airport at midday aboard Omni, an American Charter Airline.

The Somalis then boarded a flight that left for Mogadishu at 3pm.

Security sources at the airport said the travellers were accompanied by security officers, who also accompanied them to Mogadishu.

Airport OCPD Zipporah Waweru confirmed that there had been a plane carrying Somalis in transit to Mogadishu, but she could not confirm whether they were deportees.

“They have left and to me, they looked happy so I cannot for sure tell you that they were deported or not,” Ms Waweru said.

Mr Trump had vowed during the campaign for the White House to kick out illegal immigrants and immigrants with criminal records, saying they would be deported at their own cost.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump said he was ready to build a wall on the Mexican border and send away illegal immigrants as he rolled out a series of immigration decrees.

Officials said Mr Trump had directed that migrant quotas and programmes be cut, thus slowing down the processing of visas.

The orders would restrict immigration and access to the United States for refugees and visa holders from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, according to American media.

During his campaign, Mr Trump said he would deport or jail up to three million illegal migrants.

EGYPT: EgyptAir Implementing Trump Travel Ban, Someone Tell Trump It Is Bad For America Tourism And Travel

EgyptAir has confirmed that it’s the among the airlines implementing a travel ban for Muslims from seven countries following a directive by US President Donald Trump.

According to Hossam Hussein, an EgyptAir official who is responsible for the carrier’s daily flight to New York, authorities there had notified them hours earlier of the new restrictions.

The directive calls for airlines to prevent U.S. immigration visa holders from seven Muslim-majority countries from boarding flights to the United States.

The countries affected are Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia and Libya.

Officials at EgyptAir however said holders of diplomatic passports or government officials from the affected countries would be allowed to board.

The move by the US President has sparked confusion and anger after immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and left stranded in airports.