Representational Photo

Stricter H-1B visa rules, OPT Termination Will Make US Less Attractive for Indian and South Asian Students

It is not just Indian professionals, but this bill could result in a further drop in Indian students - the largest foreign student cohort in the US - showing interest in higher studies in the US. It is not just the H-1B visa by itself, but the proposal for ending the OPT which prospective students would be paying attention to. OPT helps students in drawing employment, gaining experience and potentially transferring to H-1B Visa status. In 2024-2025, over 140,000 Indian students were participating in the OPT program.

Musical Bridge-Building: A Cultural Challenge to the Cross-border Political Dynamics of India–Pakistan Relations

Le-Huu calls the Red EP “a bright exemplar of world fusion music… -- a folk duo blending South Asian and American traditions” layering “original Urdu, Hindi, and English lyrics over classical Indian ragas and beats borrowed from rock, reggae, and American roots music.”

Bulldozing War Memory: South Asia’s Selective Silence Over Desecration of Gaza's Commonwealth Graves

In the end, the need to remember our war dead transcends borders, alliances, and eras. These disturbed graves — British, Australian, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi in origin — call us to a solemn duty: To honour all who fell with dignity. Forgetting them, or allowing their memory to be selectively bulldozed, diminishes us all.

From Crisis Management to Crisis Prevention: South Asian Research Collective Working on AI-Driven Solutions

Together, the team conducts collaborative research and policy development initiatives across four  South Asian countries - Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Their work aims to strengthen national preparedness, improve crisis response systems, and support governments in building resilient, technology-enabled public safety infrastructure. Together, these researchers represent a growing national capability in applying Artificial Intelligence to real-world challenges.

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Mahatma Gandhi's glasses to go on sale in UK

A pair of Mahatma Gandhi's glasses will go on sale after staff at the East Bristol Auctions, the largest auction house in South West England, found them in a plain envelope

Lahore mosque manager suspended over a music video shoot

The manager of the historic 17th century Wazir Khan mosque in Lahore has been suspended over the shooting of a music video on the shrine's premises, it was reported on Monday

Afghan Olympic medalist Nikpa to be featured in Hollywood movie

The life story of Rohullah Nikpa, the first winner of the Olympic medal for Afghanistan, would be featured in the Hollywood film industry—a first such big podium for an Afghan athlete

Bangladesh youth sets world record

On July 30, Ashikur Rahman Zubayer received a letter from Guinness World Record at his house on Masjid Bari Road in Jhalakati. Barishal

Strife in ties has not impacted popularity of Bollywood stars in Pakistan

Cross-border COVID-19 concerns continue to shape the coverage in sections of Pakistani media dealing with entertainment. So Bollywood and its stars become the top news whatever be the state of India-Pakistan relations on political, diplomatic, and military levels

Immunity boosting bread and hot brews to fight Covid

Karnataka, one of the Indian states badly affected by Covid,  has launched eight startup-developed products to help in the fight against coronavirus

23 million students in western India to learn via Google

As part of the policy for universal education, the Maharashtra state government has tied up with Google to enable remote learning for 2.30 (23 million) crore students and teachers

Dine-in restaurants, salons to reopen on August 10 across Pakistan

Dine-in restaurants and beauty salons would reopen across Pakistan on August 10, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said Thursday in a televised address, as the efforts against the coronavirus pandemic seem to bear fruit

Women's cycling race starts in Afghanistan

The first female multi-stage cycling race started in the central province of Bamiyan with 46 cyclists from Ghazni, Faryab, Balkh, Kabul and Bamiyan provinces, and 12 will qualify for the national women’s cycling team

Celebrations and protests mark Ayodhya temple consecration in New York

Hindus and their supporters in this metropolis celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for the Ram Jhanmabhoomi Temple ignoring a ban on a video marking the occasion due to pressure from an Islamic group

More boys shun primary schools than girls despite Bangladesh’s efforts to curb dropouts

About 18 percent of the primary students drop out in Bangladesh with boys accounting for most of it, despite different efforts by the government

Bangladesh marks 159th birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray

Bangladesh marked the 159th birth anniversary of eminent Indian scientist and philosopher Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray

Majority Indians nod in favour of education in regional languages

The new National Education Policy (NEP) announced by the Modi government last week has introduced major reforms in Indian education at all levels

Raksha Bandhan goes digital this year

With travel restrictions and physical distancing becoming the new normal this year, traditional visits to siblings for rakhi this year are being substituted by virtual rakhis sent online

'Hardly any hilsa left in the rivers'

Chandpur, one of the biggest trading hubs of fish, is abuzz with sales. Wholesalers are happy due to the hilsa season. Local fishermen? Not so much