U.S. Visa Restrictions for Palestinians Spark Concerns, While NATO Chief Emphasizes Need for U.S. Support in Europe
Washington, D.C. – New U.S. visa restrictions for Palestinians and ongoing debates about European defense capabilities without U.S. support were key topics of discussion this week. Activists expressed concerns that the new visa policies would negatively impact diplomacy, while NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte asserted that Europe is currently unable to defend itself without U.S. military assistance.
Palestinians can no longer apply for U.S. visas using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, a move that activists fear will further sideline Palestinians, according to NPR Politics. The policy change was described as "another sign...that the Trump administration is sidelining Palestinians."
Meanwhile, in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed EU lawmakers, stating that Europe would need to more than double its current military spending targets to achieve independent defense capabilities. "If anyone thinks here that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can't," Rutte said, as reported by the Associated Press.
In other news, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting concluded this week, with Chairman Jerome Powell expected to announce a hold on the base interest rate, remaining in the range of 3.5 to 3.75, according to Fortune. CME's FedWatch barometer indicated only a 2.8% likelihood of a rate cut.
Also this week, TikTok's updated U.S. privacy policy caused concern among users due to the explicit listing of citizenship or immigration status among the types of sensitive information the platform may process, Fortune reported. However, experts noted that the specific wording related to immigration status appeared in earlier versions of TikTok's policy, including the version from August 19, 2024, according to Paroma Mitra, policy analyst.
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