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A federal appeals court rejected on Monday a request by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to allow it to revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans living in the United States, Reuters reported.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined, opens new tab to put on hold a judge's order halting the Department of Homeland Security's move to cut short a two-year "parole" granted to the migrants under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

The administration's action marked an expansion of the Republican president's hardline crackdown on immigration and push to ramp up deportations, including of noncitizens previously granted a legal right to live and work in the United States, according to Reuters.

The administration argued Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had discretion to categorically end the migrants' status and that the judge's order was forcing the U.S. government to "retain hundreds of thousands of aliens in the country against its will."

The U.S. Department of Education informed Harvard University on Monday that it was freezing billions of dollars in future research grants and other aid until the nation's oldest and wealthiest college concedes to a number of demands from the Trump administration, a senior department official said, Reuters reported.

The move represents the latest salvo from a Trump administration willing to use the power of the federal purse to force institutions, from law firms to universities, to make sweeping policy changes or else lose billions of dollars in federal grants and contracts.

In a letter to Harvard, U.S. Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon said the university must address concerns about antisemitism on campus, school policies that consider a student’s race, and complaints from the administration the university has abandoned its pursuit of “academic excellence” while employing relatively few conservative faculty members.

"This letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided," McMahon wrote, according to Reuters.

 U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers, deepening cuts at the Pentagon that have shaken the Department of Defense at the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office, Reuters reported.

Hegseth has long been vocal about how he views the senior-most ranks of the military as too big.

In a memo, the contents of which were first reported by Reuters, Hegseth said there will also be a minimum 20 percent reduction in the number of general officers in the National Guard and an additional 10% reduction among general and flag officers across the military.

"More generals and admirals does not lead to more success," Hegseth said in a video posted on X.

"This is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high ranking officers, nothing could be further from the truth," he said, according to Reuters.

Ukraine said it hit a drone command unit in the Kursk region, amid reports of fresh attempts to cross into Russia, BBC reported.

Sunday's attack on the unit was located near the Russian village of Tyotkino, according to the Ukrainian general staff.

Russian officials also reported an electrical substation in the town of Rylsk had lost power after being damaged in an attack by Ukraine. 

The reports come after Moscow claimed in April to have regained control of the entire region, nine months after a Ukrainian forces launched a surprise invasion. Kyiv insists it still has soldiers operating across the border, according to BBC.

Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to expand its military offensive against Hamas which includes the "capture" of Gaza and the holding of its territory, according to an Israeli official, BBC reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet had decided on a "forceful operation" to destroy Hamas and rescue its remaining hostages, and that Gaza's 2.1 million population "will be moved, to protect it".

He did not say how much territory would be seized by troops, but he stressed that "they will not enter and come out".

The cabinet also approved, in principle, a plan to deliver aid through private companies, which would end a two-month blockade the UN says has caused severe food shortages, according to BBC.

The parliament has directed the government to take initiatives for conducting an investigation into the suspicious death of Prisa Sah, a student of Kalinga Institute of Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India, and to make arrangements for ensuring the safety and security of other Nepali students abroad.

In Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Speaker Devraj Ghimire directed the government to find out what had happened in the case. “The back-to-back deaths of Nepali students who have gone abroad to study seeing a bright future is also a serious question related to the sensitivity and responsibility of the nation. I direct the government to find out the truth, initiate dialogue with the concerned parties and provide necessary judicial support to the family, taking a deep concern over the incident,” said Speaker Ghimire.

He also instructed the government to ensure the safety and security of other Nepali students living abroad. Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Federal Parliament, lawmakers drew the government’s attention to the death of Sah.

Some time ago, Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal was also found dead in suspicious circumstances in the same university. According to the lawmakers, the students studying there have felt more insecure as the incident of the same nature has been repeated again.
Lawmakers Devendra Paudel, Amresh Kumar Singh, Ram Krishna Yadav and Nirmala Koirala, among others, drew the government's attention to the death of Sah.

Similarly, a demand has been raised in the parliament to investigate the arrest of Resham Chaudhary, patron of the Nagarik Unmukti Party. Lawmaker Lalbir Chaudhary said his party would quit the government if the government did not respond to the issue of arrest of Resham Chaudhary on the basis of a fake letter of the Supreme Court. Singh alleged that Chaudhary was arrested out of the government’s conspiracy. 

Mahantha Thakur charged that the people of Tarai Madhes were being discriminated against by the state. Similarly, people of Madhes are being mistreated in public, he added. Thakur said the arrest of Resham Chaudhary was another form of discrimination.
Sita Kumari Rana demanded installation of a technology with early warning sensors in Dailekh district, which has an average of four deaths every year due to lightning in Nepal.
Meanwhile, lawmakers drew the government’s attention to contemporary issues during Zero Hour.

Bina Lama demanded the formation of a judicial inquiry committee to make public the truth about the March 28 Tinkune incident and immediate release of all those detained in that connection, including Rabindra Mishra.

Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said that the Palkiyamai Temple of Simraungadh is an identity and living symbol of history and everyone should pay attention to its conservation.

Shanti Shrestha drew the attention of the concerned bodies to complete the remaining road construction works before the rainy season as the condition of the road would be muddy in the rainy season and dusty at other times.

Saraswati Bajimaya also stressed the need of completing the road construction works on time as the people of hilly and mountainous areas have to face risks while travelling with the onset of monsoon season. Shiva Nepali demanded zero tolerance toward irregularities in the National Pride Projects and strict implementation of this policy. He also demanded a judicial probe into the arrest of Resham Chaudhary, patron of the Nagarik Unmukti Party.

Shishir Khanal drew the attention of the Ministry of Home Affairs to create a safe and dignified environment in Gongabu bus park area in view of the increasing complaints of indecent activities on the open road in the evening, noise pollution throughout the night and of passengers being robbed by offering various inducements.

Shobha Gyawali said that the contract should be approved only after evaluating the capacity and intention of the contractors before awarding them the contract as various projects are found not completed on time and their budget being frozen. Santosh Chalise suggested that the funds for the agriculture sector should be increased in the upcoming budget to create employment in the country and to make arrangements to connect farmers with the market.

Saraswati Subba demanded to bring a bill related to land, forest and park in the parliament immediately to provide rights including housing and agricultural land to the landless Dalits. Saraj Ahmed Farooqui said the concerned ministry should pay its attention to the risk of submergence of villages during the rainy season due to erosion in Kapilvastu constituency-3.

Shanti Chaudhary drew the attention of the government to the issue of timely distribution of fertilizers to the farmers while Sarita Bhusal demanded that the necessary budget be allocated for wetland conservation. Sita Mijar said the delay in the construction of the federal parliament building has raised doubts about the timely completion of other projects as well.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting on Monday.

During the discussion held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, they discussed recent political developments and other contemporary issues.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and the Prime Minister's Advisor on Human Rights and Transitional Justice, Agni Kharel, were present on the occasion.

Former Prime Minister and major opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal  has said the government's policies and programs are far beyond the realities. 

Presenting his views on the government's policies and programs for the fiscal year 2082-83 BS (2025-26) that were presented by President Ram Chandra Paudel in  the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Friday (May 2), the leader accused the government of bringing the policies and programs just for the sake of formality. 

“The document neither reviews past efforts nor proposes a concrete strategy to address the present challenges. It fails to respond to the pressing needs of the people and the nation,” he stated.

Dahal argued that the language used in the policies and programs is vague, uninspiring, and serves only ceremonial purposes. He also accused the government of  failing to address critical national priorities such as agriculture, water resources, forests, tourism, education, employment, federalism, and social justice.

Underlining the need for comprehensive reconsideration of the policies and programs, he wanted the government to present pro-people and productive programs.

The document has failed to present innovative and long-term visions to promote agriculture, he said, stressing that community-based rural economy should be the priority of the government, he added. 

 He expressed unhappiness over the withdrawal of various programs  such as  ‘Decade of Investment in Agriculture Campaign,’ the ‘Partnership Programme for Production and Employment,’ the ‘Plan to Connect  Agricultural Services with Farmers’ Identity Cards,’ the ‘Himal Prosperity Entrepreneurship Programme,’ the ‘Cow and Buffalo Resource Center,’ the ‘Model Farm Establishment Programme at the Ward Level,’ and the ‘Integrated Karnali Irrigation Programme.’

He further accused the government of overlooking the expectations and needs of the marginalized communities in the policies and programmes. 

He also claimed that during his leadership, the government had presented the policies and programs capable of bringing substantive changes in the livelihoods of Dalits, women, workers, people with disabilities, marginalized and the excluded communities. 

He expressed concern over the government's decision to halt legal procedures for establishing the High-Powered Dalit Development Authority and to withdraw the Remittance-Based Entrepreneurship Programme. 

He also utilized the forum to draw the government's attention to the need to implement the citizenship right to the non-resident Nepalis with economic, social and cultural rights.