An immigration judge ruled on Friday that Mahmoud Khalil could be expelled from the United States because of his participation in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. The decision, delivered by Judge Jamee Comans in a Louisiana courtroom, was part of a broader federal push to remove Khalil, a Syrian-born U.S. permanent resident, due to his activism.
Judge Comans declared that the federal government had “established by clear and convincing evidence that [Khalil] is removable,” following a hearing that lasted about two hours.

Lugging around boarding passes and needing to check in for flights will be scrapped as part of the biggest aviation industry shake-up in 50 years, The Times reported. Within the next “two to three years,” passengers will be able to upload their passports on their phones to pass through the airport using only their face for verification. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body responsible for policy, plans to replace the existing rules for airports and airlines with a new “digital travel credential” that will allow passport information stored on devices to be used for travel.

The Palestinian Authority has extended a formal invitation to the Trump administration, requesting that it verify the implementation of a newly restructured welfare program that has long faced criticism for allegedly promoting terrorism. This was disclosed to The Times of Israel on Friday by both a U.S. official and a representative of the PA.
The invitation was conveyed in a letter sent on Wednesday by Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior aide to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In an uncommon move, senior Iranian officials recently pressed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to approve renewed discussions with the United States concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions, warning that failure to negotiate could lead to the downfall of the Islamic Republic, according to a report from The New York Times published Friday.
The Biden administration and Iranian representatives are slated to meet in Oman on Shabbos to address concerns over Iran’s advancing nuclear program.

President Donald Trump is sending a firm message to Iran, signaling that every possible strategy is under consideration to stop Tehran from becoming a nuclear-armed nation, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a media briefing on Friday.
Her remarks came ahead of planned negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are set to take place on Saturday in Oman.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the recent wave of protest letters circulating in the name of reserve soldiers, dismissing them as a political stunt orchestrated by a vocal minority. Speaking on Friday, he portrayed the campaign as a rehashed effort aimed at undermining his administration.
“Again the same letters,” said Netanyahu, “Sometimes in the name of pilots, of Navy veterans, and so on. The public no longer buys into their propaganda lies that are so impressive to the media. These letters were not written in the name of our heroic soldiers. They were written by a small group of thorns, who are operated by foreign-funded organizations with one goal – to overthrow the right-wing government.”

The Trump administration has directed immigration authorities to confirm whether non-citizens have submitted their personal details to a digital registry, marking a new phase in the broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
According to a directive issued to field agents, any migrant found without proof of registration should be “treated as an immigration enforcement priority,” and the matter should be “referred to the US Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.”
An internal source at ICE noted that officials expect a large portion of undocumented migrants will avoid registering, effectively placing them in immediate jeopardy of detention and removal.

Former President Donald Trump reiterated his call on Friday for permanent Daylight Saving Time, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to promote legislation aimed at extending evening daylight throughout the winter months.
“The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!”
Trump, now 78, had previously championed the change but seemed to express hesitation just last month, pointing out concerns voiced by people in northern states about students having to travel to school before sunrise during winter.

Turkish news outlets reported that six individuals, including three members of the same family, have been handed lengthy prison sentences totaling 100 years for allegedly spying on behalf of Israel’s Mossad. The charges centered around espionage activities and intelligence collection against specific individuals.
The arrests were initially made in April 2024 by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), which had been monitoring the group in Istanbul before launching a coordinated operation to detain eight suspects.

Members of Israel’s elite military intelligence Unit 8200 have penned a collective letter urging the government to prioritize the return of the hostages held in Gaza—even if that means halting combat operations—according to reports in Israeli media on Friday.
The letter, signed by a wide range of individuals including reservist officers, current service members, and veterans, mirrors a recent public message released by Israel Air Force personnel. KAN reported that the initiators plan to disseminate the letter in a similar fashion.