HARVARD, MIT SUE U.S. IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OVER NEW RULE FOR FOREIGN

STUDENTS: REPORT

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have

sued the Department of Homeland Security and the federal immigration agency

over new guidelines barring foreign students from remaining in America if

their universities switched to online-only classes in the Fall.

In the lawsuit filed in a Boston court, the two top universities sought a

temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction to bar the Department

of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from

implementing the proposed order that will force foreign students of

universities and colleges offering online-only classes for the upcoming fall

semester to leave the country.

“The order came down without notice—its cruelty surpassed only by its

recklessness,” Harvard University president Lawrence S Bacow wrote in an

email to affiliates. as reported by the campus news publication The Harvard

Crimson. “We believe that the ICE order is bad public policy, and we believe

that it is illegal.”

Harvard is among the institutions directly impact by the order as it had

announced plans to hold online classes only for the fall semester just hours

before ICE issued the guidelines on Monday, which had come completely

without warning as many colleges and universities were still planning their

fall reopening after a long break forced by the Covid-19 epidemic.

The push back to the new guideline came swiftly at home from US

institutions, with echoes around the world. India, which is the second

largest source of international students to the US with an estimated

200,000, brought up the issue at the “foreign office consultations” between

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and US under-secretary of state for

political affairs David Hale on Tuesday. Other countries are reported to

have reached out as well.

US ISSUES STERN MESSAGE TO BEIJING ABOUT ADDITIONAL ACTIONS AGAINST IT

The US is considering 'additional actions' against China, the White House

has said. The details regarding the presidential actions are, however, not

clear. "I'm not going to get ahead of the president on what our actions on

China will be, but you will be hearing about some upcoming actions that

pertain to China. So, I can confirm that," White House Press Secretary

Kayleigh McEnany said on Wednesday.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said that a number of

significant rollout measures would be seen over the coming days and weeks.

"There's no president that's ever stood up to China the way President Donald

Trump has. He was the first president to put a massive tariff on the Chinese

to stop the trade imbalance," he said.

The latest warning from White House come shortly after US Secretary of State

Mike Pompeo said that China took incredibly aggressive action in Galwan and

justified India's action saying, "The Indians have done their best to

respond to that'.

O'Brien described the Chinese actions on Hong Kong as one of the biggest

stories of the decade.

“We have Hong Kong that's basically been annexed by the People's Republic of

China, by the Communist Party of China, and they're imposing their will on

free and democratic people and not only are they doing it in Hong Kong, but

they're using this Hong Kong law to try and impose their will

extra-territorially,” he said.

“So, what the Chinese Communist Party is doing isn't just in Hong Kong. It's

affecting all of you. It's affecting how we operate in the United States and

we can't let that happen,” O'Brien told reporters.

WRITERS, ACADEMICS SIGN OPEN LETTER WARNING LIBERALS OF ILLIBERALISM

Acclaimed authors such as Salman Rushdie, JK Rowling and Margaret Atwood are

among around 150 writers, artists and activists to sign an open letter,

warning against the rise of “forces of illiberalism” impacting free speech.

The group, which also includes American activist Naom Chomsky and Indian

historian Meera Nanda, warns that the spread of “censoriousness” is leading

to “an intolerance of opposing views” and “a vogue for public shaming and

ostracism”. The open letter, published in “Harper’s Magazine”, acknowledges

the “Black Lives Matter” movement and other powerful protests for racial and

social justice, which are leading to overdue demands for police reform.

CHINA DEFENDS WHO, LASHES OUT AT US MOVE TO WITHDRAW

China on Wednesday defended the World Health Organization and lashed out at

the US decision to withdraw from the UN body.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the move was “another

demonstration of the US pursuing unilateralism, withdrawing from groups and

breaking contracts.”

WHO is “the most authoritative and professional international institution in

the field of global public health security,” Zhao said at a daily briefing.

The US departure from the organization “undermines the international

anti-epidemic efforts, and in particular has a serious negative impact on

developing countries in urgent need of international support,” Zhao said.

U.S., CHINA TRADE VISA CURBS OVER TIBET

The U.S. and China imposed visa restrictions on each other in tit-for-tat

moves over their disagreement on Tibet, adding fuel to the diplomatic fire

between the superpowers.

China announced on Wednesday its curbs on people from the U.S. who “behave

badly” on Tibet-related issues, in retaliation for American curbs unveiled a

day before.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that he was taking action

against an unspecified number of officials under a new U.S. law that presses

China to let Americans visit the far west region, renewing a call for

“meaningful autonomy” in the predominantly Buddhist area.

“Unfortunately, Beijing has continued systematically to obstruct travel to

the Tibetan Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas by U.S. diplomats and

other officials, journalists and tourists, while PRC officials and other

citizens enjoy far greater access to the United States,” said Mr. Pompeo. He

restricted visas to Chinese officials determined to be “substantially

involved” in the exclusion of foreigners from Tibetan areas.

The State Department declined to name the officials or say how many people

were affected, citing U.S. confidentiality laws.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian expressed China’s “firm

opposition” to the move and urged the U.S. to “immediately stop interfering

in China’s internal affairs through Tibet-related issues”. “In response to

the wrong actions of the U.S., China has decided to impose visa restrictions

on U.S. personnel who behave badly on Tibet-related issues,” he said.

TRUMP FORGOES INSULTS OF PAST, CALLS MEXICO CHERISHED FRIEND

President Donald Trump, who has denigrated Mexican migrants and threatened

the U.S. ally with crippling tariffs, welcomed President Andrés Manuel López

Obrador to the White House on Wednesday, called him a cherished partner and

claimed the countriesÂ’ economic and security ties were reaching new heights.

TrumpÂ’s warm words were in stark contrast to the days when he called

Mexicans “rapists” and railed against migrants entering the United States

illegally. López Obrador had cordial words for Trump, too, saying that while

they have disagreed, it was better to find common ground and avoid slinging

insults.

The meeting was billed as a celebration of economic ties and the new

U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, but critics in Mexico worried López

Obrador was being used as a political pawn to bolster the Trump campaign and

his “America first,” anti-illegal migration agenda. Despite the verbal

backslapping in the Rose Garden, thorny issues — from immigration to

investment — remain.

Trump has dialed back his harsh words since López Obrador took office a year

and a half ago. And López Obrador signaled he wanted to put the insults in

the past.

“As in the best times of our political relations, during my term as

president of Mexico, instead of insults toward me and more importantly

against my country, we have received from you understanding and respect,”

López Obrador said.

Their relationship is an odd bromance: López Obrador is a veteran leftist

and Trump tacks right.

IVORY COAST PM, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AMADOU COULIBALY DIES

Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, the presidential candidate of Ivory

CoastÂ’s ruling party, died Wednesday just days after returning from two

months of medical treatment in France, where he previously had undergone a

heart transplant.

The 61-year-old had been chosen as the ruling party's candidate for

October's presidential election, after Alassane Ouattara said he would not

seek a third term in office.

Mr Gon Coulibaly had only just returned from France where he had received

two-months' heart treatment.

President Ouattara said the country was in mourning.

He said Mr Gon Coulibaly had become unwell during a weekly cabinet meeting

and was taken to hospital where he later died.

His death creates huge uncertainty over the election.

CLIMATE CHANGE: 'RISING CHANCE' OF EXCEEDING 1.5C GLOBAL TARGET

The World Meteorological Organisation says there's a growing chance that

global temperatures will rise by more than 1.5C over the next five years,

compared to pre-industrial levels.

It assesses a 20% chance the threshold will be broken in one year before

2024 and a 70% chance it will be broken in one or more months in those five

years.

Scientists say it shows the tough task of controlling climate change levels.

The 2015 Paris accord had tasked world leaders with certain goals.

It committed them to pursue efforts to try to keep the world from warming by

more than 1.5C this century.

This new assessment, carried out by the UK's Met Office for the World

Meteorological Organisation (WMO), says there's a growing chance that this

level will be breached.

Researchers say that the Earth's average annual temperature is already more

than 1C higher than it was in the 1850s - and will probably stay around this

level over the next five years.

Some parts of the world will feel this rising heat more than others, with

the scientists saying that the Arctic will probably warm by twice the global

average this year.

They also predict that over the coming five years there will be more storms

over western Europe thanks to rising sea levels.

PAK AVIATION AUTHORITY SUSPENDS LICENSES OF 34 MORE PIA PILOTS

PakistanÂ’s aviation authority has suspended the licenses of 34 more pilots

of Pakistan International Airlines on suspicion of holding fake degrees,

according to media reports on Wednesday.

Last week, the national flag carrier terminated the services of 52 employees

on various charges, including fake degrees.

The PIA has grounded more than 140 pilots after it was revealed in the

National Assembly that some of them held ‘dubious and fake’ licenses.

According to a notification issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, licenses

of 34 more pilots will remain suspended till the inquiry against them has

not been completed, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday

ordered its 32 member states to bar Pakistani pilots from working, following

reports of fake licenses being issued to them, the report added.

The EASA has asked its member countries for details of Pakistani captains.