International

U.S President-elect Biden to end travel ban on Muslim countries on Inauguration day

Published

3 years ago

January 18, 2021

Washington, Jan 18: US President-elect Joe Biden will be signing several executive orders, including rejoining the Paris climate accord, extending pandemic-related limits on evictions and ending the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries on his first day of office.

According to a report by The New York Times, on his first day in the office alone, Biden intends a flurry of executive orders that will be partly substantive and partly symbolic including rescinding the travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries, rejoining the Paris climate change accord, extending pandemic-related limits on evictions and student loan payments, issuing a mask mandate for federal property and interstate travel and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from families after crossing the border.

List of countries

It may be mentioned that the ban restricts travel from

Iran

Libya

Syria

Yemen

Somalia

Venezuela

North Korea

Except Venezuela and North Korea, all are Muslim countries.

‘In order to highlight the actions the president-elect is taking, we are spreading these initial executive actions over a ten-day period,’ Ron Klain, Biden’s incoming White House chief of staff, said in an official statement.

Four crises

On Inauguration Day, Biden will sign roughly a dozen actions to combat the four crises, restore humanity to the immigration system, and make government function for the people, he said.

‘On the day after the inauguration, Biden will be signing several executive orders to aggressively change the COVID-19 situation in the country and safely re-open schools and businesses, including by taking action to mitigate spread through expanding testing, protecting workers, and establishing clear public health standards.’

According to a Sputnik report, in his first days in office, Biden is also expected to launch a ‘100 Day Masking Challenge’ by issuing a mask mandate on federal property and inter-state travel to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the US.

The inauguration ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be taking place on January 20.

International

Erica Robin becomes first ever Miss Universe Pakistan

Published

5 days ago

September 17, 2023

Agencies

Erica Robin, a model from Karachi has been crowned “Miss Universe Pakistan 2023”, becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win the title.

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A post shared by Official Miss Universe Pakistan (@missuniversepakistan)

Four other models from different parts of the country participated in the beauty pageant, including Hira Inam from Lahore, Jessical Wilson from Rawalpindi, Pakistani-American Malika Alvi from Pennsylvania, and Sabrina Wasim. Jessica Wilson, a 28-year-old cyber security engineer was named first runner-up while Hira Inam (24), Malyka Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26) were the rest of the finalists.

Award-winning actress, mental health advocate, and former Miss International Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines was one of the distinguished panel of judges who picked the winner.

Robin will be the official representative of Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to be held in El Salvador later this year. Pakistan will be sending five models to compete in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. This landmark moment marks the first time Pakistan has ever been represented in the world’s most esteemed beauty competition.

International

Morocco earthquake: Death toll surpasses 2000

Published

2 weeks ago

September 10, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

According to state TV, the number of fatalities following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000. The death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake to strike the nation of North Africa in decades.

Also Read: Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said “we are hoping for miracles from the rubble,” CNN reported.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.

The quake was the most powerful to shake the area surrounding Marrakech in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.

International

Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Published

2 weeks ago

September 9, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

More than 800 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a massive earthquake that struck Morocco. It was the deadliest tremor to hit the country in more than 60 years, and it destroyed homes in isolated mountain towns while rescue workers searched through the debris for survivors, reuters reported.

As per reuters, a magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The Interior Ministry said 820 people had been killed and another 672 injured.

Most of the fatalities are in mountainous areas outside Marrakech, the nearest city to the epicentre, its updated toll showed.