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Newsweek
3 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Green Card Update: Immigration Officials Issue Warning Over Applications
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released its September 2025 visa bulletin, providing key updates for applicants across family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa categories. The bulletin notes that employment-based (EB) categories, particularly EB-2 and EB-3 for applicants from India, could reach their annual limits by the end of September, potentially causing final action dates to retrogress or freeze. Why It Matters The monthly visa bulletin serves as an important reference for individuals and families navigating the complex and often lengthy process of obtaining permanent residency in the United States. For green card applicants, monitoring the visa bulletin is critical. It provides guidance on when they may be eligible to adjust their immigration status, typically based on the priority date established when an employer or family member filed a sponsorship petition. This priority date differs from the date of the permanent residence application itself, as the visa bulletin determines when applicants can move forward with their green card applications. The release of the new bulletin comes amid a significant backlog at USCIS, which currently has 11.3 million pending applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony held at the New York Public Library, in New York City. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony held at the New York Public Library, in New York City. Dennis Van Tine/Sipa via AP Images What To Know This situation reflects typical fiscal-year-end pressures, during which visa categories may retrogress or temporarily freeze, potentially delaying eligibility until the start of the new fiscal year in October, when new visa allocations are released. For applicants in employment-based categories, this means careful attention to filing deadlines and readiness to submit documentation promptly to avoid potential delays. Family-based applicants also saw some movement in the September bulletin. The F2A category, which includes spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents, remains open for filing as of June 1, 2025, and final action dates remain static. This stability allows eligible applicants to continue submitting petitions, though they should remain attentive to future updates, as changes in one category can sometimes influence movement in related categories. The Diversity Visa (DV) program is nearing its deadline for the 2025 cycle, with the final month of eligibility in September. Applicants who have not yet submitted or completed their entries must act quickly, as the program officially ends on September 30, 2025. Final action dates for the DV program continue to progress, but the approaching deadline emphasizes the urgency for eligible participants to complete their submissions before the September 30 deadline. What People Are Saying Morgan Bailey, a partner at Mayer Brown and a former senior official at DHS, told Newsweek: "For the DV lottery, anyone who was part of that group really needs to submit their paperwork, attend the interview and obtain the visa before September 30th or they won't be eligible after October 1." Bailey added, "There is the benefit of knowing that October 1, the new fiscal year will begin. And so fiscal year 2026 will have a new set of allocation. And so we will likely see significant movement in October, opening up options for employment, as well as for family." What Happens Next The September 2025 visa bulletin offers essential guidance for navigating the U.S. immigration process. Staying informed and tracking official updates can help applicants avoid last-minute complications.
Global News
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Trump takes surprise walk on White House roof, jokes he'll install ‘missiles'
Anyone undertaking a home renovation knows they should look at the project from all angles – which appears to be what U.S. President Donald Trump was doing when he took a surprise stroll on the White House roof Tuesday morning. 'Sir, why are you on the roof?' reporters shouted from below after Trump emerged from a door connected to the State Dining Room and stepped out onto the roof above the press briefing room. 'Taking a little walk,' Trump shouted back. 'It's good for your health.' View image in full screen U.S. President Donald Trump on the roof of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Trump appeared on the roof of the White House near where he has proposed a new ballroom to be built. Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images No stranger to real estate and renovations, the president was trailed by a small group, including James McCrery, the architect behind the newly announced US$200-million privately funded East Wing ballroom project, WCNC News reported. Story continues below advertisement According to the outlet, the group moved slowly, as they wandered the roof for about 20 minutes, with Trump frequently gesturing and pointing at the roof and grounds. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At one point on Tuesday's rooftop tour, he shouted to journalists that he was looking at 'another way to spend my money for this country.' Later, near the end of his appearance on the roof, Trump was asked what he was going to build. Presumably joking, he quipped, 'Nuclear missiles,' while making the gesture of a rocket launching. He also took time to survey the newly paved Rose Garden, a contentious project that recently saw the grounds' manicured grass lawn paved over to make way for a white stone patio. View image in full screen Work continues in paving over the White House Rose Garden lawn on July 23, 2025 in Washington, the weekend, Trump defended his idea to level the garden that first opened in 1913 and was used to host receptions and annual ceremonies, telling reporters on Sunday: 'When we had a press conference, you'd sink into the mud. It was grass and it was very wet, always wet and damp and wet and if it rained, it would take three, four, five days to dry out and we couldn't use it really for the intended purpose.' Story continues below advertisement The unexpected walk on the rooftop comes as Trump looks to leave a lasting footprint on what's often referred to as 'The People's House.' He has substantially redecorated the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes and cherubs, presidential portraits and other items, and installed massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns to fly the American flag. View image in full screen President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on June 5, 2025 in Washington, last week, his administration announced that construction on a massive, 90,000-square-foot ballroom will begin in September and be ready before Trump's term ends in early 2029. The president claims the ballroom, estimated to cost $200 million, will be paid for by him and as-yet unnamed donors rather than by taxpayers. According to the White House, the new addition would have a seating capacity of 650 — approximately three times the space available in the East Room, which is currently the largest room available on the 18-acre complex. Story continues below advertisement 2:11 'It'll be really beautiful': Trump plans to build $200M ballroom in D.C. — With files from The Associated Press
National Geographic
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
These real-world destinations inspired the most popular video games
At least 35 percent of U.S. travelers are inspired to book a trip overseas based on a video game they've played, according to Skyscanner's recent survey As technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, video games continue to gain points other traditional media can't quite reach. May Naidoo is not surprised. He's a filmmaker and Pokémon Partner who travels for video game content, and he sees the clear benefits. 'Movies are influential because they take you back to a specific scene, but video games are more interactive. They place you in the moment with the character and story. You're engaging far more with the sensory experience,' he says. Gamer Didier South agrees, 'Games are reaching new levels of realism, with both graphics and storytelling. It raises the excitement of seeing it in real life, but it also raises the expectations of authenticity.' (Related: For travelers with disabilities, video games are windows to the world.) South is one of a growing number of travelers diving into video game tourism. His current game of choice is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a 2025 role-playing game set in 15th-century Bohemia. He has more than 100 hours of gameplay, but he's not just playing a video game; he's also taking notes on locations and cultural sites within the game and planning to see them in Czechia later this year. Now, you can join this growing trend by exploring the real places that inspired game developers, and you can immerse yourself in video games brought to life as tourist attractions like Super Nintendo World™. Here are seven next-level, real world experiences for gamers. (Related: The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King.) 1. Ultimate game day in Orlando The recent opening of Super Nintendo World™ at Universal Epic Universe Orlando will certainly attract gamers who are fans of video game franchises, such as Super Mario and Donkey Kong. Photograph by Sipa USA, Alamy Stock Photo Take the family to the recently opened Super Nintendo World™, one of five new immersive worlds in Universal Epic Universe Orlando. Ride Yoshi's Adventure repeatedly while searching for glowing eggs or careen through the jungle in Donkey Kong's Mine-Cart Madness. Let the grown-ups show the kids how it's done with Orlando's retro arcades, like Arcade Monsters. One entry price allows gamers to play more than 200 pinball machines and arcade games. Discover the science behind video games at the Orlando Science Center, meanwhile, the 'DC Super Heroes' exhibit, on-site through September 7, 2025, will test your superhero skills and allow you to step into the iconic worlds of legendary superheroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. (Related: The ultimate guide to visiting Orlando.) 2. Tokyo's electric town Pokemon's Pikachu is on display in front of a store in the Akihabara District of Tokyo, Japan. Photograph by Sipa USA, Alamy Stock Photo The first stop for any gamer is the famous Akihabara District (also known as Akiba) in Tokyo. This is the heart of gaming with high-end tech stores, fan-favorite collectibles, and arcades. Grab a bite at nearby Monster Hunters Bar, which features a menu straight from the game, including Kirin's Lightning Strike Parfait G. Walk it off with a visit to Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, and watch out for rare Pokémon along the way. For a bonus level of culture, visit the Tokyo National Museum for pottery from the Jōmon period. It's the real-life inspiration for key scenes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. (Related: Don't leave Tokyo without these must-do experiences.) 3. Valhalla and the Northern Lights Gamers who enjoy playing God of War: Ragnarök can visit Jotunheimen National Park in Norway to walk along Besseggen Ridge, which is featured in the popular video game. Photograph by Steve Taylor ARPS, Alamy Stock Photo Prepare for Valhalla with immersive high-tech displays at The Viking Planet, Oslo's first digital museum dedicated to the Viking Age. The interactive exhibits include a digital walkthrough of the historic Viking ships (the Oseberg and the Gokstad) as well as virtual reality (VR) experiences of a Viking Raid. Then test your survival skills at Jernaldergarden, a living museum set during the Iron Age in the Stavanger region—inspiration for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Explore the landscape of the Besseggen Ridge (including glaciers) within Jotunheimen National Park, which gamers may recall as part of the video game God of War: Ragnarök. And if you travel as far as Tromsø for the Aurora Borealis, refuel at Burgr with a gaming-inspired meal before heading out to chase the Northern Lights. (Related: Was the Oseberg Ship a tomb for a Viking Queen?) 4. Escape to Montana The Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park inspired the scenery in Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. Photograph by Danita Delimont, Alamy Stock Photo In addition to Far Cry, Ghost of Tsushima has used Glacier National Park's landscape and nature as inspiration for elements in the games. Photograph by Michael Wheatley, Alamy Stock Photo Head to Big Sky Country in Montana to visit Glacier National Park, where key points of interest like Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake, inspired the scenery in the video games, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. When you're ready to return to civilization, head to Bozeman for the American Computer & Robotics Museum, which covers 4,000 years of human history from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers. Parents can take their kids along the Montana Dinosaur Trail to follow Dr. Alan Grant and his dinosaur digs featured in the video game LEGO Jurassic World. Make this fictional game a real-life, family-friendly adventure. (Related: Everything you need to know about Glacier National Park.) 5. Luxor's path to the pharaohs In Luxor, Egypt, travelers can visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which pays homage to Ancient Egypt's only female pharaoh, who was also a gamer. Photograph by Reinhard Dirscherl, Alamy Stock Photo While we don't recommend leaping from rooftop to rooftop as seen in Assassin's Creed: Origins, the video game offers showstopping graphics for Egypt's temples. Travel to Luxor to see the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, in honor of Ancient Egypt's only female pharaoh and 'Gaming Queen,' with her own Senet board game. Across the River Nile, Karnak Temple is instantly identified by its towering walls. Then head to nearby Luxor Souk in the Haba Raba district, where street vendors serve ful medames, an Egyptian stew recipe seen in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In the video game, Indy also recommends the hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon). Travelers with adventurous palates can taste it at Sofra Restaurant & Cafe, one street from the East Bank. Cooking classes are also offered to round out your authentic Egyptian experience. (Related: The last missing tomb from this wealthy Egyptian dynasty has been found.) 6. Melbourne's playable city A photo of the interior of ACMI, formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph by Brian Smith, Alamy Stock Photo A mother and son watch Gentoo Penguins swimming at SEA LIFE Aquarium. While visiting, guests should also see the Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Photograph by Jason Edwards, Nat Geo Image Collection Local indie games like Eastern Market Murder are the best way to explore Melbourne's famous laneways, using the true crime murder of Frank Stevens in 1899 to unlock the history of Melbourne's CBD (Central Business District). Gamers can dive into the development of other video games like Hollow Knight: Silksong on display at ACMI (formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Grab a tavern lunch at Fortress, where patrons will find gaming consoles at their table. Chill with penguins at Sea Life Aquarium and the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Secret bonus level: Catch Tram 96 from the Aquarium to St. Kilda Pier for the city's Little Penguin Colony. Although the viewing boardwalk is currently closed, you may spot penguins from the end of the pier. Remember to give them their space and no flash photography. (Related: March of the penguins: meeting the feathered locals of Phillip Island, Australia.) 7. Paris: Space Invaders tour and Pokémon events Gamers should plan a tour of the Catacombs of Paris when visiting the City of Light. The bone-chilling tomb was the inspiration for the final scene in the video game Assassin's Creed: Unity. Photograph by Konstantin Kalishko, Alamy Stock Photo Grab your comfy shoes for a walking tour in Paris to discover its street art and modern history. The tour's route is marked with hidden graphics and icons from the retro-video game, Space Invaders. It's just like exploring Parisian-inspired Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A! Paris also plays host to real-life Pokémon events such as Pokémon GO Fest as well as special in-game features like Furfrou's La Reine Trim costume design. Furfrou's La Reine Trim. Gamers have an opportunity to catch rare in-game Pokémon in the gardens of Parc de Sceaux, too. Finish your journey with a tour of the Catacombs of Paris, the inspiration for the final scene in Assassin's Creed: Unity. The massive crypt holds the remains of six million people and just as many untold stories. (Related: Want to see the real Paris? Walk this way.) 8. Peruvian clues for treasure A stela, a stone column or slab, is seen on display as a collection in one of the gallaries at the National Museum of Archaeology and History in Lima, Peru. Photograph by Suzuki Kaku, Alamy Stock Photo Gamers can live out their dream as an adventurous archaeologist like fictional character Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legend by discovering historic gems like this gold pin of Chimu culture found at the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History. Photograph by Suzuki Kaku, Alamy Stock Photo Before you live out your Uncharted dreams, take survival notes at the Botanical Gardens in the Parque de las Leyendas in Lima. Look for the Kantuta bush (Flor de la Cantuta), Peru's national flower and star of Inca myths and legends. Learn more about these stories at the Casona of the National University of San Marcos, home to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Its extensive collection of pottery and artwork provides clues to treasures found in the Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World Museum—like Lara Croft in the video game Tomb Raider: Legend. It all comes together with a visit to the ancient Chachapoyas citadel Kuelap; the carved stone walls and buildings hidden in the Amazon Forest directly inspire the opening scene in the PlayStation game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (Related: Go on a luxury rail journey through the Peruvian mountains.) Fortunately, most developers take creating virtual worlds seriously—some often based on real destinations—because they respect the culture and their fans. Creative Director at MachineGames , Axel Torvenius is part of the team behind the new game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person adventure game set in the 1930s across numerous destinations: the Vatican, Egypt, Thailand, Iraq, and China. Part of the design process included team members traveling to places like the Vatican Necropolis, consulting with local specialists, and referencing historic black-and-white photos for time-specific details. It's more than just visual cues; it is an immersive experience with culture-specific puzzles, references to real artifacts, taking photos to find clues to solve puzzles, and more. At some companies, it's important to encourage gamers to be good travel stewards and responsible travelers, too. 'We have been working with external consultants to make sure that the time and period were right for certain assets, and we also treated each culture and nation with respect. We do, for example, never harm any temples in the game,' says Torvenius. Local tourism bureaus and operators are catching up. For example, Visit Czechia worked with media outlets and local tour operators to promote how the country's famous attractions and locations are featured in the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Some researchers even argue that this can encourage cultural heritage preservation, conservation and restoration . It's a win-win situation: fans get an authentic video game connection, and cultural heritage unlocks a new level of awareness and support. ( Related: The real history of Yasuke, Japan's first Black samurai .) Ann-Marie Cahill is a travel writer who loves to connect contemporary pop-culture with historic travel adventures—follow her on Instagram.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
We Are Living Through a Creative Inflection Point
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. We are at a historic inflection point in creativity and innovation. For the first time, the bottleneck to building groundbreaking products isn't capital, connections or technical skills—it's imagination. With the rise of generative AI, anyone with an idea can now create. You no longer need coding skills, venture funding or elite credentials. You simply need the courage to start and the right tools. But our systems have yet to catch up. They still prioritize credentials over curiosity, pedigree over potential. As a result, millions of brilliant ideas remain trapped in notebooks, never reaching the world—not because they lack merit, but because their creators never had permission to build. I know this reality intimately because I lived it. Growing up, I devoured books on everything from ancient Egypt to Henry Kissinger, maxing out library cards with an insatiable hunger for knowledge. Although we spoke Mandarin at home, I understood early that fluency in English was a gateway to opportunity, prompting me to painstakingly teach myself pronunciation using early internet dictionaries. Generative AI at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival, an exhibition dedicated to artificial intelligence, on August 2, 2024, in Cannes, France. Generative AI at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival, an exhibition dedicated to artificial intelligence, on August 2, 2024, in Cannes, France. Sipa via AP Images My father never attended university. He started as a security guard at a stock brokerage firm, relentlessly studied from within, and eventually became a broker himself. He instilled in me a profound belief: your potential isn't defined by paperwork. Still, I initially took the conventional route. A prestigious scholarship sent me to the National University of Singapore—a golden ticket with strings attached. Post-graduation, I was bound by years of government service. Yet my entrepreneurial urgency was too intense to ignore. To reclaim my freedom, I made the pivotal choice to repay the entire $50,000 scholarship myself, emptying my savings and leaning on family support. It was a steep price, but it bought me something invaluable: permission to build immediately. From Big Tech To Bigger Dreams That decision led me into Big Tech, scaling Twitter across international markets after its IPO, launching regional offices for Brandwatch, and negotiating strategic global partnerships at Samsung. Working among exceptional minds, I saw clearly that brilliance alone didn't guarantee success. All too often, the freshest ideas—especially from Southeast Asia and younger, unconventional voices—were overlooked in favor of ideas polished by established credentials. Then generative AI emerged, dissolving barriers I'd spent years climbing. Suddenly, you didn't need extensive engineering experience or a Silicon Valley pedigree to build something impactful. Like many entrepreneurs, I was technical enough to prototype but still dependent on others to ship. AI changed that friction overnight. It meant an idea could become reality in minutes. This profound shift inspired me to launch ChatAndBuild—an AI-powered platform enabling anyone to transform ideas into fully functioning apps without code, capital or gatekeepers. I didn't have a safety net, but I had conviction. I've always believed failing is an option, but fear is not. The real risk was never trying, it was missing the moment. When building ChatAndBuild, I thought about my younger self, my father's self-made success, and countless individuals worldwide with untapped potential. I also reflected on insights from my recent postgraduate studies in AI at Oxford, where classmates from Nairobi to New York debated the intersection of AI and human agency—not as theoretical abstractions but as personal realities. These experiences affirmed a fundamental truth: talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Beyond Apps To Intelligent Agents As generative AI advanced, a deeper insight emerged. People don't just want to create static products, they desire dynamic companions—digital entities that remember, evolve and collaborate. Responding to this, we expanded our vision to include Non-Fungible Agents (NFAs): intelligent, blockchain-based agents with persistent identities and memory. NFAs go beyond traditional digital assets. They're companions that evolve with you—writing poetry, managing your communications, coaching you or simply providing entertainment. Unlike standard bots, NFAs retain context, preferences and goals across interactions. The best part? Creating an NFA requires no coding, only vision and curiosity. ChatAndBuild makes it possible to turn imagination directly into living, digital experiences. We stand at the threshold of extraordinary potential. AI is more than a tool, it's infrastructure for human creativity. To fully harness this moment, we must rethink educational, social and economic systems to nurture everyone's creative potential. We must celebrate experimentation and reward imagination as the most valuable currency. Execution is no longer the moat. Imagination is. Let's not allow brilliant ideas to perish simply because they emerge from unconventional places or lack elite validation. Let's build a world where curiosity doesn't just speak, it ships. Christel Buchanan is the founder and CEO of Pivotal, the company behind ChatandBuild, an AI-powered platform that transforms ideas into fully functional apps in minutes.
New York Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft prospects: Corey Pronman updates his ranking ahead of the lottery
Today is a quick update of my 2025 NHL Draft big board ahead of the draft lottery and with the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships concluded. There are some mild changes to the order, and some movement within tiers, although the top of the draft remains mostly unchanged. Despite this draft being led by a defenseman at No. 1, this class is known for its forward depth (and lack thereof on defense), especially at center with several premium center prospects in this class. Advertisement Ranked players are placed into tiers and given tool grades. Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). 'Average' on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor. Player comparables are my best attempt at giving readers an idea of what I think these prospects could realistically become in the NHL. (Photos of Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa: Mathias Bergeld / Sipa via AP Images and Dennis Pajot / Getty Images)
