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Trump’s travel ban hits Pakistan, 26 % decline in non-immigrant US visas for Pak nationals in 2017

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Analysis by Politico shows “notable drop” in visas issued in Muslim-majority countries, in addition to the eight nations targeted under the travel ban

Pakistan may not figure on the list of Muslim-majority nations targeted by US President Donald Trump’s travel ban but the country is definitely being hit by the policy of its traditional ally. An analysis done by American political journalism magazine Politico for the six months since Trump’s travel ban came into effect shows a 26 per cent decline in the number of US non-immigrant visas issued to Pakistani nationals in 2017 compared to the corresponding average of the previous year.

The Politico analysis reported by Pakistan’s media major – Dawn – says there has been a “notable drop” in the number of visas issued to people from Muslim-majority countries overall, in addition to those targeted by Trump’s travel ban, with Arab states among the hardest hit. The US president had, shortly after being elected to office earlier this year, passed an executive order which initially barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Sudan from coming into America. Later Iraq and Sudan were dropped from the list and Chad, North Korea and Venezuela were added to it.

The report in Dawn states that although Pakistan is not on the list of countries that were barred by the Trump administration, it ─ along with a few other South Asian countries ─ has also seen a decline in the number of US visas issued to its citizens.

The issuance of visas to the seven countries initially named in the ban dropped 44 per cent this year compared to the monthly average data from March to August in fiscal year 2016, Politico reported, with Syria and Yemen seeing the steepest declines.

Visitor visas to Arab nations have seen a decline of 16 per cent, while the number of visas issued to people from 50 Muslim-majority countries in general has dropped by eight per cent.

The Politico analysis shows that from countries that are directly barred under the travel ban, Iran witnessed a 37 per cent decline in the number of visas issued over the six-month period since early-2017 compared to the period of March-August 2016, whereas Somalia saw a 42 per cent drop in visas in the same time period.

Interestingly, some Muslim-majority countries like the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan witnessed an increase in non-immigrant visas.

The decline in issuance of US visas to people from Muslim-majority nations may, however, also be because several citizens of these countries who otherwise aspired to go to the United States now choose against it, ostensibly to avoid the hassle and embarrassment of applying for the visa and being rejected.

How Politico conducted its analysis

Politico’s analysis is based on visa data provided by the US State Department. The magazine compared the average number of non-immigrant visas issued from March to August 2017 with the corresponding time period in 2016.

“Experts consulted for this story said the six-month sample offered an informative picture of visa issuances,” Politico said while releasing its findings.

The data does not take into account the number of visa applications, which makes it impossible to assess the difference in visa application rejections before and after the travel ban.

-Courtesy: Politico and Dawn

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid affair scandal, Colette Kress takes over

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned amid an affair-related controversy. The company’s CFO, Colette Kress, will serve as interim CEO while the board looks for a permanent successor.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, marking a major leadership change at the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company’s board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it begins the process of finding a permanent successor.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to espionage activities.

Huang’s departure comes after more than three decades at the helm of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. His leadership helped transform the business from a graphics chip manufacturer into a dominant supplier of processors powering the global artificial intelligence industry.

Colette Kress appointed interim Nvidia CEO

Following Huang’s resignation, Nvidia’s board appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive officer.

Kress, who has served as Nvidia’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, will continue to hold the finance portfolio alongside her interim leadership responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed.

Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years working in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has said it will consider both internal and external candidates as part of its search for a permanent CEO.

Nvidia has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first-ever chairman of the board.

Affair controversy surrounding Jensen Huang

Huang’s resignation follows a series of reports about alleged extramarital relationships that have raised questions about his position at the company.

One of the controversies involves Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of involvement in facilitating shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese companies.

Another report alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked under him.

Huang had earlier acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, taking responsibility for his actions and apologising to his family and colleagues.

The company’s board had also initiated an independent investigation into whether Huang had been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang’s departure marks a major change for Nvidia

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowsky. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics processing unit manufacturer primarily associated with gaming into a central player in the global AI industry.

Nvidia’s processors have become critical to companies developing and operating artificial intelligence systems, making the company one of the most influential businesses in the technology sector.

His departure also comes at a crucial time for Nvidia, with investors closely watching the company’s leadership transition and its ability to maintain its position in the rapidly expanding AI market.

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India, Canada discuss trade pact to boost bilateral commerce

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at expanding trade, investment and market access between the two countries.

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India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed trade agreement as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a Canadian delegation to India. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations for the proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The proposed pact is aimed at creating greater market access and opening up new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

India-Canada CEPA talks

Both sides discussed the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that can make use of the complementary strengths of the two economies.

The discussions also focused on deepening commercial engagement and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Goyal said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking the India-Canada economic partnership to a higher level, with CEPA serving as a catalyst for deeper commercial engagement.

India and Canada are working towards concluding the CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.

India-Canada trade

The proposed CEPA is aimed at improving market access and creating opportunities across sectors while strengthening the broader economic relationship between India and Canada.

The agreement is expected to provide greater opportunities for businesses in both countries and support deeper trade and investment ties.

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White House put on temporary lockdown after car crashes into signpost

The White House was temporarily placed under lockdown after a car crashed into a signpost near Lafayette Square in Washington, DC. The driver was detained after a confrontation with security personnel.

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The White House was placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday after a car crashed into a signpost at Lafayette Square near the presidential residence in Washington, DC.

The incident triggered a security response in the area, with the US Secret Service directing members of the White House press corps to move indoors and remain there temporarily.

Driver detained after confrontation with security personnel

The driver was detained following a confrontation with Secret Service officers and National Guard personnel, according to reports.

Video footage showed a silver sedan on the paved area at the northern end of Lafayette Square after striking a signpost. Smoke was also seen coming from the vehicle.

Authorities had not immediately disclosed the driver’s identity or established what led to the crash.

White House security restrictions imposed

The security response prompted temporary restrictions around the White House. The incident occurred at Lafayette Square, which is directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the presidential complex.

At around 10 am local time, Secret Service personnel instructed White House journalists to move indoors while security personnel dealt with the incident.

The White House was under the security restriction while President Donald Trump was at the premises, according to reports.

Motive behind crash remains unclear

It was not immediately known whether the crash was accidental or deliberate. Authorities had also not immediately confirmed whether anyone was injured.

The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the driver’s identity and possible motive, remained under investigation.

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