An agreement has been reached between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for the repatriation of 1100 Pakistanis, locked up in Saudi jails, informed Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, reported Geo TV
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.
More on SOUTH ASIA ABROAD
Non-resident Nepalis to send 100 oxygen concentrators to Nepal
Amid increasing coronavirus cases in the country, non-resident Nepalis have decided to send 100 oxygen concentrators to assist the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reported The Himalayan Times
Will NYC elect a South Asian American on city council this time?
Despite vibrant South Asian communities - like the one in Jackson Heights - flourishing across Queens and New York for decades, New York City has never elected a South Asian American city council member
European Parliament resolution on the state of human rights in Pakistan was overdue
It would not have come as a surprise to any Pakistan-watcher that the European Parliament, in view of the “alarming” increase in the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, last week adopted a resolution calling for a review of the GSP+ status, the EU’s most beneficial trading relationship, which it had granted to the country
'Outpouring of support from Indian diaspora towards India COVID-19 relief'
Following remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris reiterating United States’ strong partnership with India in this "hour of need", Silicon Valley angel investor and entrepreneur MR Rangaswami, who founded Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian diaspora leaders, spoke of the outpouring of support from the Indian diaspora toward India’s COVID-19 relief efforts at a discussion hosted by the State Department
Helmed by a Pakistani, this London eatery serves 500 free meals daily
The brainchild of a Pakistani activist and businessman, an Asian community kitchen in West London is serving over 500 hot meals to low-income families, the homeless, and refugees for free each day
Space and aviation fellowships for several Indian-American women
The Brooke Owens Fellowship which recognizes undergraduate women and other gender minorities with space and aviation internships, senior mentorship, and a lifelong professional network, recently announced its Class of 2021 Brooke Owen Fellows, News India Times reported
Georgia governor appoints Indian-American lawyer as district attorney
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently appointed Indian-American Samir Patel as the new district attorney in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit in Georgia
US doctors of Indian origin rendering telehealth services to India
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical organization in the US with over 80,000 members, is facilitating interaction between US and Indian doctors to advise them about the treatment of COVID-19 patients through evidence-based protocols based on their own experience in dealing with the Covid surge in America last year
Two-thirds Americans support removing US troops from Afghanistan by September: Poll
Two-thirds of Americans support the Biden administration’s decision to pull US troops from Afghanistan by September, a new Charles Koch Institute poll revealed on Wednesday
Hillary Clinton warns of consequences in Afghanistan amid troops withdrawal
As foreign forces started to withdraw from Afghanistan, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of “huge consequences”
Global rights bodies concerned over media freedom in Bangladesh
Seven global and regional human rights bodies have expressed concern over the state of media freedom in Bangladesh and urged the United Nations Human Rights chief to engage Bangladesh authorities to protect and respect freedom of expression, The Daily Star reported
Bangladeshi American population grows 263 percent
The number of Bangladeshi Americans, among the fastest-growing Asian origin groups in the US, has shot up by 263 percent over the past two decades, Dhaka Tribune reported
Will disrupt any threat emanating from Afghanistan: Biden
The United States will remain “vigilant” about any threat emanating from Afghanistan, said US President Joe Biden, on the 10th anniversary of the raid by US special forces that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011
Silicon Vally veteran Vinod Khosla pledges USD 10 million for oxygen supply to Indian hospitals
Indian-American billionaire businessman and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla has pledged USD 10 million for supply of medical oxygen to hospitals in India, which is struggling to cope with a fierce second wave of the Coronavirus infection
