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Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
African students studying in U.S. advised against traveling amid Trump's new immigration policy
The Trump administration's revised immigration policy is raising alarm among African students in the United States, following the introduction of stricter visa conditions that could prevent them from leaving the country until after graduation. The Trump administration's revised immigration policy imposes stricter visa conditions on African students in the U.S. Many students and families express concerns about re-entry difficulties during emergencies or holidays. Students are advised to remain in the U.S. until completing their studies to avoid visa complications. Under the new rules, international students on F-1 visas, particularly those from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Cameroon, will now receive single-entry visas valid for only three months. African students who make up a growing share of international enrolments are among the hardest hit. In 2023, over 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa studied in the U.S., an 18% jump from the previous year This development has triggered concern among students and families about the implications for travel flexibility during emergencies, holidays, or internships abroad. This means students must enter the U.S. within that period, but once inside, they are permitted to remain for the full duration of their academic program. However, if they leave the U.S. before graduation, they risk being unable to return without undergoing a fresh and potentially delayed visa application process. The new visa framework, introduced by the U.S. State Department and effective from July 8, 2025, significantly tightens restrictions for most nonimmigrant and non-official visa categories. For Nigerian applicants, the policy shift is a sharp break from previous norms that allowed multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years. . With the fall semester approaching, many international students now face added pressure to navigate the evolving U.S. immigration landscape, one that may increasingly require them to choose between staying the course or risking denial of re-entry. Experts clarify new U.S. visa rules, dispel misinformation Business Insider Africa reached out to Sasha Ramani, Head of Corporate Strategy at MPOWER Financing, a U.S.-based lender that supports international students, for clarification following rising concern over the new U.S. visa policy, which has caused anxiety among prospective African students and their families. While the policy change has sparked widespread worry on social media and in the press, Ramani says the practical impact on students' academic plans is minimal. ' Nothing significant should change with regard to their educational plans, ' Ramani said. ' The process of obtaining a student visa remains the same. Once students enter the U.S., they are allowed to stay for the full duration of their studies.' Ramani explained that the new visa regulation mirrors rules long applied to countries like Vietnam and stems from the principle of reciprocity —where the U.S. adjusts visa conditions to reflect how its own citizens are treated abroad. Still, he acknowledged the emotional toll of restricted mobility. ' We recommend that students affected by this policy not leave the U.S. until after graduation, ' he added. ' Admittedly, we understand this may limit their ability to see family or attend to other personal priorities during their studies.' In response, MPOWER is expanding its student support efforts, offering free visa preparation courses, mock interviews with former U.S. visa officers, and tailored webinars to help international students navigate the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. ' Many students rely on agents or online forums that may not always provide accurate guidance,' Ramani noted. ' Our goal is to equip students with clear, expert-backed information so they can make informed decisions and stay focused on their academic goals.' He also stressed that fears of travel bans or blanket disqualifications are misplaced. ' We've spoken with students who incorrectly believe their country is now subject to a travel ban. That's simply not true,' he said. 'What's needed now is clarity—not panic.' Ultimately, affected students are advised to enter the U.S. within the three-month visa validity window and remain there until their studies are completed. While this may limit holiday travel, Ramani notes it could also reduce travel costs and help with long-term budgeting. 'The United States continues to welcome talented international students,' he emphasized. ' And with the right preparation, these recent policy adjustments shouldn't stand in the way of anyone's educational dreams. ' While the new visa policy introduces tighter travel restrictions, it should not discourage African students or aspiring travelers from pursuing their educational goals in the United States.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
How the Data Team measured heat stress in Chennai
This article forms a part of the Data Point newsletter curated by The Hindu's Data team. To get the newsletter in your inbox, subscribe here Welcome back, data enthusiasts! Your experience of a 36°C day may not be the same as everyone's. We at The Hindu Data Team have explored this concept in our latest interactive story titled: 'Taking on the heat.' The story covers the day-to-day experiences of four working class individuals across Chennai, with varying levels of exposure to direct sunlight. It details the respondents' heat management mechanisms and potential help they could receive for the same from the State. Where our stories generally explore sociology, policy, and more via numbers, our approach for this story differed, as we combined originally sourced data, reportage, and interactive graphics. The idea gained momentum when Dr. Srinivasan Ramani, deputy national editor at The Hindu, found inspiration in The New York Times' article 'Who Gets to Breathe Clean Air in New Delhi?' He noticed that they had taken recourse to a Raspberry-Pi Device along with air pollution monitors to build an interactive story, earlier in this decade, on differential impact of air pollution on two children from different class segments in New Delhi. Knowing that Arduino-based devices cost much lower than a Raspberry-Pi mini-computer, Dr. Ramani along with hardware engineer Mr. Sanjeevi Maran procured and built this device for measuring heat stress in Chennai. We scoured hobbyist/electronics sales' websites to buy the components for the device -- an Arduino Nano micro-controller, a DH22-temperature and humidity sensor, a data recorder/logger module, SD Card to store the data and batteries, all of which were to be fitted in a DIN case -- all of which cost us less than Rs 2,000 per device. We asked our respondents to keep the devices on for 24 hours from 9 AM on June 9 to 9 AM on June 10. Once this data was collected, the Data team sifted through the datasets procured from the SD cards and calculated the respondents' heat index. The goal was to determine how much heat stress one is suffering, not just the air temperature. Using this data, we gauged which parts of the day brought the most discomfort to our respondent. We spoke to them about their routines, which parts of the day were particularly unbearable and tried to understand the specificities of their experiences. Our photographers made sure to capture this visually. With the guidance of our Deputy Science Editor, Vasudevan Mukunth, we also consulted various experts on the subject of heat stress; its impact on the body, what amplifies it, how it can be reduced, and what is and is not being done about it. Our principal correspondent, Vignesh Radhakrishnan, and our editorial coder, Areena Arora, concocted how to best put forth the subtle distinctions in their day-to-day lives. We felt that loading the story with heat stress data on readers wouldn't have delivered the true impact of working in 60°C plus temperatures and we risked it reading like a scientific story. At the core of this project, while there is rich data collection and analysis, is a human, sociological aspect. Using intentional elements like a moving time counter, illustrated images and showing both real and heat index temperature really brought home the point - some professionals are exposed to dangerously high heat levels. We collaborated with our National Design Editor, Kannan Sundar, for art direction and our Chief Illustrator, Soumyadip Sinha who brought our respondents' stories to life through his illustrations. Click here to read the story. What we published in the last two weeks In the last three months, a string of dowry-related deaths have been reported from across India. We used numbers from the National Crime Records Bureau to understand how these cases are still prevalent in society and how their investigations are dealt with by the police. Dowry deaths in India: Long investigations, rare convictions Last Saturday, Animesh Kujur became India's fastest man by breaking the national record in the men's 100 metres, in under 10.20 seconds, clocking 10.18 at a meet in Greece. We looked at how this feat compares to past national records and how far India's sprinting benchmarks still are from global standards. How fast is India's fastest man, Animesh Kujur? | Data Custodial deaths continue across India, and especially in Tamil Nadu, without a single conviction between 2017–21. Despite hundreds of deaths and dozens of inquiries, zero custodial-death prosecutions succeeded in TN. We looked at the status of such cases in various States using data from the National Crime Records Bureau. Custodial deaths: Police convictions remain zero in Tamil Nadu and beyond Following the London-bound Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, we took a look at the high number of fatalities and incidents involving Boeing aircrafts, and more airlines are opting for Airbus, Boeing's rival aircraft manufacturer. Boeing faces headwinds from crashes and competition Here are some important News in Numbers this week: 5.8 Number of infections averted by global vaccine reserves since 2000 In millions. Global stockpiles of vaccines under programmes supported by 'Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance,' helped prevent more than 327,000 deaths from outbreaks in low and middle-income countries since 2000, according to a new study. The alliance, established in 2000, funds the roll-out and scale-up of new vaccines through routine healthcare systems and preventive campaigns. Source: PTI 33,000 Number of private sector jobs lost in the US in June 2025 According to the ADP chief economist Nela Richardson, layoffs remained rare, a slowdown in hiring and reluctance to replace departing workers led to job losses, particularly in professional services, education, and healthcare. Annual pay growth held steady at 4.4% for job stayers, while wage hikes for job switchers eased slightly to 6.8%. Source: AFP 1,628 Number of cases of illegal transfer of tribal land to be probed by MH More than 1,600 cases of the illegal transfer of tribal lands to non-tribal people have been identified for investigation in Maharashtra and a report will be submitted, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the legislative assembly on Wednesday. He stated that agricultural land can only be transferred to tribals, while non-agricultural transfers for commercial, industrial or residential purposes are subject to strict scrutiny under 34 conditions and Supreme Court guidelines. Source: PTI
New Indian Express
18-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Two octogenarians from Kerala amble into Europe. And then, into limelight
For most, retirement is a time for quiet reflection. But for Valsala Menon and Ramani Menon, octogenarian sisters from Wadakkancherry in Thrissur, it has become a 'passport' to explore the world. Their latest feat? A month-long journey across eight European countries, a dream brought to life by the boundless love and meticulous planning of their family. The sisters Valsala and Ramani, aged 86 and 84, respectively, began travelling in their 70s after moving in together following the death of Ramani's husband. Valsala had lost her husband at a young age and worked at the Account General's office in Thrissur. The duo began their journey with spiritual trips across India with the Adhyatmika Prabodhan Sangam group, and soon expanded to several Asian countries, each journey fuelling a desire to see the world. Their dream of Europe was ignited during a visit to Kashmir two years ago. 'After Kashmir, the desire to see Switzerland became very strong,' shares Gayathri, Ramani's granddaughter, who, along with her mother Bindu and brother Gautham, forms the backbone of the two sisters' travel team.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ECI to auto-remove names of deceased voters using integrated death data; experts warn of implementation challenges
Pune: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to integrate electronic death data to update voter rolls, but experts caution that physical verification is still necessary because of potential delays in updating death records and data discrepancies. ECI introduced this reform last month to obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India, which maintains a mandatory database following 2023 amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. This would eliminate dependence on booth level officers' field visits to gather data on deceased voters. V Ramani, former director general of Yashada, emphasised that the Representation of People's Act mandated specific procedures for deletion and addition of names. "Even if ECI has recommended using electronic data from birth and death registration, there is no guarantee that it is completely updated. There's a good chance that unless the data is foolproof, names will be accidentally deleted, considering the sheer volume involved," he said. Ramani argued that traditional door-to-door verification by booth-level officers remained more effective. "Checking data from the registration of birth and death may help BLOs double-check information, but they must visit each location to delete names. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em Uberlândia (consulte o preço) Alarmes Undo Else, there could be chaos during elections," he said, while suggesting that the birth and death registration website should serve as a reference tool only, not the primary deletion mechanism. The Registrar General of India (RGI) recently directed hospitals to report births and deaths within 21 days after finding many violations. Instead of immediate reporting, hospitals often wait for relatives to make a request in such cases. In a March 17, 2025 circular, the RGI stated 90% of events were registered, but "100% registration is yet to be achieved". "This shows that updates are not being completed in a timely manner. When the reference data itself is not up to the mark, ECI cannot use this as the benchmark for deleting voter data," Ramani said. Former bureaucrat Mahesh Zagade suggested that integrating birth and death registration data should be treated as a supplementary measure, and not a substitute, for ground verification by BLOs. "What we urgently need is a clean and error-free voter list that addresses both new registrations and the removal of deceased voters," he said. Zagade laid stress on transparency in the integration process, with voter rolls published booth-wise across the state's one lakh polling booths. "Citizens should be able to locate their names easily, raise objections and seek corrections. The BLOs' role in physically verifying and double-checking the data is crucial and must not be diluted," he added. Former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said there should be a system whereby the moment a death certificate was issued, the name on the voter rolls should be deleted. Election officials said they would look into all the recommendations. The officials said they would explore both the options once the data was made available. "It would be thoroughly checked," said a senior election official.
USA Today
31-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
You're not alone if you're frequently angry. But you should try and stop, for your health.
You're not alone if you're frequently angry. But you should try and stop, for your health. Show Caption Hide Caption Dating expert reveals signs a relationship is toxic Dr. Ramani explains how certain behaviors and conversations can indicate that your relationship is becoming toxic. Though a lot of us think of anger as a limiting or mostly negative emotion, there are times it can be useful. "Anger can be helpful when it signals that something isn't right or needs to change," says Raymond Chip Tafrate, a clinical psychologist and professor at Central Connecticut State University and the co-author of "Anger Management for Everyone: 10 Proven Strategies to Help You Control Anger and Live a Happier Life." Anger can reveal a problem that needs to be solved, motivate you to make a needed change or push you to have a tough conversation. Think becoming mad at a health condition like obesity and deciding to tackle it, participating in a public protest to affect social change or getting the courage to approach a friend or colleague to insist their treatment of you or others improve. At the same time, "anger can become a problem if it happens too often, is too intense or lasts too long," says Tafrate. And there's a big difference between anger helping motivate you to have a hard conversation in the first place and approaching someone in a state of anger instead of with measured words or behaviors. So what might it mean if you feel angry all the time and how can you go about managing the emotion to lead to more productive outcomes? What is anger? Anger is a common and often intense emotion that is characterized by feelings of frustration, friction, annoyance or conflict with another person, event or situation. It's an emotion that Tafrate says evolved as part of the body's fight -or-flight response to help our ancient ancestors survive a challenge or threatening situation. Today, though, "most of the things that make us angry aren't life-threatening situations," he says. Instead, we get upset about injustices in the world, poor treatment toward ourselves or others, the stressors of everyday life or concerns over one's social, physical or financial standing. Another perspective is that "anger is an emotion we experience when our view of what is right versus wrong has been violated and there's an opportunity for us to rectify the situation," offers Ethan Kross, a professor of psychology and the director of the self-control and emotion laboratory at University of Michigan. What is cortisol? All about the 'stress hormone' and what it does for the body Why am I always angry? What causes anger? It's because of this that some of the people who feel angry often are the ones more focused on these perceived violations or injustices – sometimes because they are surrounded by more of them in their day-to-day life and sometimes because they learn of them in the news or on social media. Other times, people commonly experience anger because they are in a profession or a family where they frequently feel attacked, treated unfairly or powerless. One might also experience anger more often because it was modeled as a go-to response in their childhood home or other environment. Anger can also be amplified by people or groups that use the emotion as a tool to energize or motivate others. "And various organizations and cultures have different standards for when and how it is acceptable or unacceptable to express anger," explains Heather Lench, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Texas A&M University – so some people may simply be more comfortable with confrontation or expressing anger than other people. Genetics may also play a role. Many people are born with a more reactive nervous system that can make them more prone to respond negatively to perceived threats, says Tafrate. Genes can also affect how we manage our emotional responses more generally, says Kross. Lack of sleep, a sickness or disease, drugs or alcohol, mental illness, and stress related to work, finances and relationships can also make some people more frequently prone to feeling anger or more likely to react to a situation angrily. Noted: What to know about cortisol, the hormone TikTokers say you need to balance How to manage anger issues No matter what's causing you to feel angry, learning to control and manage it can help you avoid hurting yourself and others and keep you out of trouble and embarrassing situations. Shouting, name-calling or using violence against another person or property, for instance, are all surefire ways to make an already intense situation even worse. It's also not good for your body to too often experience the flood of stress hormones associated with anger. While there are "no one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to managing anger," says Kross, "there are lots of tools you can use." For instance, learning to wait until emotions calm down or distancing yourself from the source of frustration until you are ready to approach them thoughtfully is a great way to avoid problems. "Anger typically subsides with the passing of time," says Kross, so it can be helpful to do something else until it does. Running your hands under cold water, counting backwards from 10, taking deep breaths, going for a run, repeating an uplifting mantra, stepping outside, distracting yourself with an engaging task, venting to a friend or listening to calming music are all proven options. Another option to feel less angry is to change your mindset toward a person or situation. It can also be helpful, when possible, to avoid the person or situations that frequently cause you to feel angry, whether that's a friend or colleague who rubs you the wrong way, news stories or doomscrolling on social media. And because anger is more likely to arise when you're overwhelmed, offers Tafrate, "prioritize self-care by getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and avoiding excessive substances like alcohol or caffeine."
