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  • Foreign students no longer have to leave the US if their classes shift online

    Foreign students studying the United States will no longer be forced to leave the country if their classes shift online after the Trump administration reversed their decision on the matter. The government announced the decision following widespread condemnation of the move and pressure from colleges and major businesses.

    US officials announced last week that international students at schools that had moved to online-only classes due to the coronavirus pandemic would have to leave the country if they were unable to transfer to a college with at least some in-person instruction.

    According to Reuters, the government said it would drop the plan amid a legal challenge brought by universities. But a senior U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the administration still intended to issue a regulation in the coming weeks addressing whether foreign students can remain in the United States if their classes move online.

    There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students, who often pay full tuition.

    The July 6 move by the administration blindsided many universities and colleges that were still making plans for the fall semester, trying to balance concerns about rising cases of the novel coronavirus in many U.S. states and the desire to return to classes.

    A flurry of lawsuits were filed challenging the rule, including one brought by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and another by a coalition of state governments. Dozens of big companies and colleges and universities filed “friend-of-the-court” briefs opposing the rule.

    Harvard has planned to hold all of its classes online for the upcoming academic year, a decision which President Donald Trump thinks is ridiculous.

    The universities argued the measure was unlawful and would adversely affect their academic institutions.

    In a highly anticipated court hearing on Tuesday in the case brought by Harvard, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said the U.S. government and the two elite universities that sued had come to a settlement that would roll back the new rules and restore the previous status quo.

    The hearing lasted less than four minutes.

    The controversy began after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it would re-instate rules for international students on F-1 and M-1 visas that limit the number of online courses foreign students can take if they want to remain in the United States. Those rules had been temporarily waived due to the public health crisis.

    The DHS official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the details of any future regulation on this issue remain under discussion. In particular, DHS officials are still deciding whether to treat students already in the United States differently than students seeking to enter the country for the first time, according to the official.

  • Govt considers reopening marriage halls in Punjab from September

    Govt considers reopening marriage halls in Punjab from September

    The Punjab government has considered reopening marriage halls in the province from the first week of September after country-wide protests by halls association against continuous closure of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

    According to reports, the Marriage Halls Association on Monday threatened to march towards the Chief Minister House in Karachi if they were not allowed to restart their businesses under suggested coronavirus SOPs.

    Head of the Marriage Halls Association Rana Raees said that wedding halls remained closed till date due to the coronavirus spread.

    “The government has allowed other businesses to reopen under devised SOPs. However they remain reluctant to allow marriage halls to operate,” he said.

    He said that they had given a sample to the government to reopen marriage halls while following the SOPs.

    “We have gone bankrupt due to the ongoing financial crisis amid the pandemic,” said Raees and demanded the government to allow halls to resume their work under SOPs.

    He also warned that if the ban will continue then they could extend the scope of their protest and could march towards the chief minister’s house for the fulfilment of their demands.

    Following the protests, the Punjab government announced that the marriage halls will be allowed to operate in the province from the first week of September if the coronavirus situation improves in the province.

    Provincial Minister for Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal reached out to the protesting owners of the wedding halls outside the Punjab Assembly.

    “You will be allowed to arrange wedding functions from the first week of September,” he said adding that he would meet their representatives for outsourcing functions after two days.

    The protestors, however, refused to accept his offer and demanded to immediately reopen activities of the marriage halls.

    https://twitter.com/GOPunjabPK/status/1283036958575517700?s=20
  • ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ gets the green signal from Senate HR committee

    ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ gets the green signal from Senate HR committee

    The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has given the green signal to Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha and has allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19. The film had stirred up controversy for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

    Chairperson of the committee and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar made the announcement on social media and said that the committee found nothing wrong with the film. He said that the film can be screened when cinema halls open post-COVID.

    While detailed reasoning on the committee’s decision is awaited, Senator Khokhar while speaking to The Current said: “It was a unanimous decision by all Senators of the Human Rights Committee who watched the movie together in Senate’s committee room. Nobody thought there was anything wrong with it. Waleed Iqbal from PTI was also one of the senators who watched it, even though he wasn’t part of the Human Rights Committee.”

    He added: “It’s a very good movie, I was touched by it; was beautifully shot. I would recommend that everyone should watch it once it’s released.”

    Zindagi Tamasha, which was scheduled to hit screens on January 25, was stopped from being released days before its release after the federal and provincial governments feared public unrest.

    While the Federal Government had said that the film will be reviewed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the Punjab Government had directed the filmmaker to hold a screening on February 3 so that the film can be reviewed again. However, no screening has taken place to date. It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial and central censor boards had earlier cleared the film for release with a few cuts.

    Sarmad had also appealed to the Prime Minister, President, Chief of Army Staff and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to facilitate the release of the film.

    https://twitter.com/KhoosatSarmad/status/1217818381149229062?s=20

    Senator Khokhar on March 11 had announced that the HR Committee had taken notice of the ban on the film.

    Written by Nirmal Bano and directed by Khoosat, Zindagi Tamasha starres Arif Hassan, Samiya Mumtaz, Eman Suleman and Ali Qureshi in the lead. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a secret of Khawaja’s is leaked.

    The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”

    The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival held in October 2019 where it also won the prestigious Kim Ji Seok Award.

    Watch trailer:

  • These pictures of Gwadar Marine Drive after CPEC works will take your breath away

    Stunning views of Gwadar Marine drive after the completion of roads and other construction work under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are breaking the internet, and we guarantee you that the following pictures will take your breath away.

    The pictures were first shared by official handle of the CPEC on Twitter as the completion of construction work was announced.

    It wasn’t later that Twitterati among other netizens started reacting to the pictures and expressed their delight.

    Here is what Marine Drive looked until around three years ago.

    Earlier, it was reported that Gwadar’s population is set to exceed two million people in the long run with high-paid expatriate professionals accounting for up to 80 per cent of the population.

    High-paid jobs, tax-free environment, high-tech industries, mega shopping malls, luxury resorts, manmade islands and Pakistan’s largest international airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in 2019, are all included in the new Gwadar Smart City Masterplan that will see Gwadar become the third-largest city in Pakistan by economic output with assistance from China under the CPEC.

    The governments of Pakistan and China project Gwadar’s economy to surpass $30 billion per annum in the long-term, creating 1 to 1.2 million high-paid jobs with an income per capita of $15,000. Pakistan’s current income per capita meaning the economic output the country generates per person is around $1,500 which Gwadar will eclipse by some 1,000%.

  • India gets $10 billion from Google to accelerate digital economy while disgruntled Pakistani software engineers leave country

    India gets $10 billion from Google to accelerate digital economy while disgruntled Pakistani software engineers leave country

    Google has announced investing $10 billion in India to accelerate its digital economy at a time when software engineers on this side of the border leave the country in “hopeless” times led to by systematic limitations.

    Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi lauded Google’s initiative to invest in India which would eventually improve the lives of country’s “farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs”.

    How will Google invest $10-billion funds?

    Google said its $10 billion-fund would focus on areas such as enabling affordable access to the internet and information to every Indian in their own language; building new products and services in segments like consumer tech, education, health and agriculture; empowering businesses, especially small and medium ones, to transform digitally; leveraging technology and artificial intelligence for digital literacy, outbreak predictions, and support for rural economies.

    “This mission is deeply personal to me. When I was young, every new piece of technology brought new opportunities to learn and grow. But I always had to wait for it to arrive from someplace else. Today, people in India no longer have to wait for technology to come to you. A whole new generation of technologies are happening in India first,” said Google Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai in an editorial note.

    Pakistan vs India:

    But while tech giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google have pledged billions of dollars to the Indian economy, software engineers in Pakistan are disgruntled and are leaving the country due to the lack of support, systemic barriers, incompetence of leadership, and lack of will of the establishment.

    Here is a post doing the rounds on the internet.

    K Awan is among many others who have left the country over the past decade, alleging that those with the power to make decisions are incompetent.

  • Eid ul Adha: Cattle markets to operate from 6 am to 7 pm

    Eid ul Adha: Cattle markets to operate from 6 am to 7 pm

    The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) has decided to allow cattle markets to function between 6 am to 7 pm.

    According to reports, the decision was taken in a meeting held in Lahore by Federal Minister for Planning and NCOC chief Asad Umar.

    “The movement of cattle and people between villages and cities increases the risk of the virus spreading,” said the minister, adding that better management of livestock markets was essential to prevent its spread.

    He told that about 700 cattle markets had been set-up across the country. However, the size of the markets will be small and the number of people visiting it at time will be controlled.

    The meeting reviewed the management of cattle markets and standard operating procedures (SOPs), which have been given to all relevant departments.

     No cattle markets will be allowed inside cities. Wearing masks inside the market was made compulsory and all the visitors will be screened at the entrance. Children and the elderly won’t be allowed to come to the cattle markets.

  • Hadiqa Kiani collaborates with Turkish singer to honour Kashmiri martyrs

    Hadiqa Kiani collaborates with Turkish singer to honour Kashmiri martyrs

    Hadiqa Kiani has collaborated with Turkish singer Ali Tolga for a song dedicated to Kashmiri martyrs and those during the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.

    The song titled Daimi Bahar, which means ‘eternal spring’ opens with the line: “In everlasting memory of our beloved martyrs: July 13, 1931, Kashmir Martyr’s Day, July 15 2016, Failed Turkish Coup Attempt.”

    The song features lyrics in both Urdu and Turkish, with Hadiqa singing in both the languages.

    The music video features some stunning shots of Indian-occupied Kashmir in all its snow-covered glory, clips of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, the plight of the Kashmiris and the struggle against the failed coup in Turkey back in 2016.

    https://youtu.be/X6z1ET4O0GY

    Daimi Bahar hits all the rights notes and your heart goes out to all those suffering in the picturesque valley.

    Kiani has often raised her voice against Indian atrocities in Kashmir. Earlier, the singer had said that the Kashmir issue is no longer Pakistan vs India but is in fact an issue for humanity, for families, “for the greater good”.

  • VIDEO: Ex-RAW officer says Dawood Ibrahim murdered Sushant Singh

    VIDEO: Ex-RAW officer says Dawood Ibrahim murdered Sushant Singh

    Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case has become a mystery with various theories being linked to it.

    Amid speculations regarding sudden death of the actor, a former officer of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — India’s foreign intelligence agency — has claimed that Sushant was “murdered by [notorious Indian crime boss and drug dealer] Dawood Ibrahim”.

    According to NK Sood, Sushant was murdered by Dawood with a “foolproof plan”. In a widely-shared video, the ex-RAW officer stated that though Dawood doesn’t live in Mumbai now but still has a strong hold over the city and Bollywood.

    “Many B-town celebrities participate in the events organised by Dawood’s team abroad and help the gangster earn money which is used for funding terrorism. The celebrities also receive a huge sum of money in return,” said Sood.

    Sushant was reportedly getting death threats over the phone before his demise, and thus the actor had even changed his SIM almost 50 times. The actor was so scared for his life that he had even slept in his car at a remote place fearing that someone might kill him at his house.

    Sood claimed that Sushant was murdered by professional criminals and that was why the CCTV cameras at his apartment complex were shut off a day before his demise and the duplicate keys of his room were also misplaced.

    All this evidence is enough to conclude that the actor was murdered, said the ex-RAW officer and added that Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, his close friend Sandeep Singh and his domestic help were well aware of the trouble brewing in Sushant’s life.

    “But they chose to stay away from it and leave the actor alone.”

    He also alleged that the police were trying to put up a show that they were probing the case sincerely, but in reality, they were trying to save the culprit.

  • PIA likely to face losses over Rs100 billion amid bans, coronavirus

    PIA likely to face losses over Rs100 billion amid bans, coronavirus

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is expected to incur losses over Rs100 billion due to suspension of international flights amid the fake licences controversy and the coronavirus pandemic.

    As per details, the national carrier is expected to incur losses up to Rs100 billion due to ban on flight operations by the United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU) and the United States (US). The target of revenue for the current year was set at Rs196 billion.

    Moreover, PIA would also suffer losses of up to Rs12 billion in terms of Hajj operations this year after the Saudi authorities decided to hold the annual pilgrimage on a limited scale, while the airline is also facing losses up to Rs9 billion due to closure of Umrah operations.

    It is pertinent to mention here that that on July 10, PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik had apprised Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan regarding the status of ongoing dialogues with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the resumption of flight operation. He had also given a briefing to the premier regarding the restructuring process of the national carrier.

    Malik had reportedly presented a comprehensive plan to PM Imran for turning PIA into a profitable national entity and the premier had directed the PIA CEO to expedite the reform process of the national flag carrier.

    He had also summoned the framework for reform agenda within seven days.

  • Saudi Arabia honours Pakistani doctor for his work as ‘captain’ of COVID-19 team

    Saudi Arabia honours Pakistani doctor for his work as ‘captain’ of COVID-19 team

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has awarded Pakistani doctor Zia Ullah Khan Dawar a medal to acknowledge his work as one of the ‘captains’ of the country’s COVID-19 team.

    Dawar, a public health specialist, has been residing in Saudi Arabia for the past four years. He worked on programs to stem tuberculosis, dengue fever and malaria. He is now working with the country’s health ministry in Jeddah with a COVID-19 surveillance and data analysis team.

    Speaking to Arab News, Dawar said that it was proud moment for him and the country.

    “Saudi Ministry of Health gave awards to doctors and health professionals in recognition of 100 days of their services in fighting against the virus and I am one of the foreign doctors [awarded]. I am feeling so proud to get the recognition of my services. I come from North Waziristan so it is not only an honour for me but [also for] my area and for Pakistan.”

    “We were working in a mobile team which is a challenging and risky job,” Dawar added. “Whenever any positive case was reported, we immediately had to go to the site and do the needful.”

    Saudi Arabia has reported over 235,000 COVID-19 cases so far.