US Implements Stricter Visa Screening and Security Measures

The United States has announced tighter global visa screening measures, introducing new rules and criteria aimed at strengthening security checks for travelers seeking entry into the country.

Tommy Pigott, deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said the Trump administration has rolled out “enhanced vetting procedures and updated guidelines” for visa issuance worldwide.

Under the new rules, consular officers are instructed to consider additional risk factors and apply stricter criteria before approving any visa application.

“Each visa decision is ultimately a matter of national security,” Pigott said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring that every application undergoes a more rigorous review than ever before.”

He added that the State Department continuously evaluates and updates its procedures to prevent anyone who could pose a potential threat from entering the United States.

“Our guiding principle is common sense: we must ensure that no individual who could harm the public is allowed into the country,” Pigott said. “We will keep refining and strengthening our policies to make the process even more secure and effective.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.

His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation push but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.

Pakistan gears up to witness the final supermoon of 2025 this evening

The final supermoon of 2025, called the Cold Moon, will be visible across Pakistan on the nights of December 4 and 5, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) announced Thursday.

A supermoon occurs when a full Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth, or perigee, making it appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full Moon.

December’s Cold Moon is the third consecutive supermoon of the year and the last of 2025.

It will reach peak illumination of 99.8% at 4:15 am PST on December 5, while in Pakistan, the Moon—99.2% illuminated—will rise at 4:58 pm PST on December 4, allowing skywatchers to enjoy the spectacle throughout the night.

Although slightly smaller than the November supermoon, the December full Moon will still appear 7.9% larger and 15% brighter than a regular full Moon, as the Earth–Moon distance on December 4–5 will be 357,218 km compared to 356,978 km in November.

Supermoons typically occur three to four times a year, depending on how closely the full Moon aligns with perigee.

While the difference may be subtle to the naked eye, exceptionally close alignments producing the brightest supermoons are rare and of scientific interest.

Suparco encourages the public, astronomy enthusiasts, students, and families to observe this natural spectacle.

No special equipment is required; the supermoon will be easily visible to the naked eye, provided the skies remain clear.

UNGA adopts resolution demanding Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Palestinian territory, with Pakistan, which voted in favour of the text, reiterating that Palestinians must be allowed to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.

The resolution, titled ‘Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine’, was adopted with 151 countries voting in favour, 11 voting against and 11 abstaining, according to the summary posted by the UN.

According to the summary, the UNGA, through the resolution, “stressed the need for urgent, collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final status issues in the Middle East peace process and called for the timely convening of an international conference in Moscow — as envisioned by Security Council resolution 1850 (2008) — to advance a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement”.

“The Assembly also called on both parties to act responsibly, urgently reverse negative trends and create the conditions necessary for a credible political horizon and the advancement of peace efforts,” it said.

It also called on Israel to “comply strictly with its international law obligations, including by ending its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, ceasing all new settlement activities and evacuating all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory”.

Addressing Israel’s presence in the West Bank, the UNGA “rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in Gaza and stressed the importance of unifying the strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority without delay”.

“Additionally, the Assembly called for Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, the realisation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights — primarily the right to self-determination — and a just resolution of the problem of Palestinian refugees,” it said.

Speaking during the UNGA debate, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said, “Today’s resolution is more than a statement of principle. It is a reminder that the world must now turn promises into action.”

Calling for the realisation of an independent Palestinian state, Ambassador Iftikhar said, “Pakistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people is steadfast, and we stand with them in their legitimate struggle for dignity, justice and self-determination.”

He further said that voting in favour of the resolution reflected Pakistan’s “long-standing and principled position on this matter”.

The UN envoy further said that the momentum generated at Sharm El-Sheikh, where the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was signed, must be sustained, particularly by advancing Palestinian-led governance, reconstruction and institution building, emphasising the role of the Palestinian Authority as “central”.

“Peace cannot be shaped without the direct involvement and ownership of the Palestinian people,” he stressed.

He further said that the Gaza ceasefire must be “implemented fully, with no unilateral actions or military activity”, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

He added that full humanitarian access should also be guaranteed to the Palestinian enclave.

“With winter approaching and large parts of Gaza destroyed, the population needs sustained life-saving assistance.

“Any obstruction of aid violates international humanitarian law and must not be allowed under any pretext,” he said, adding that reconstruction of the ravaged Gaza Strip should begin without delay.

He said that there must be no annexation, no forced displacement, and no division of occupied lands, adding that Gaza’s territorial integrity and its contiguity with the West Bank were fundamental to a viable, sovereign and independent Palestinian state.

He further said that all settlement activity should stop.

“Efforts to change the demographic or legal character of the occupied territories, including around Al-Haram Al-Sharif, are illegal and must end,” he said.

He added that in order to “break the cycle of violence”, it was necessary to end the Israeli occupation of all Arab territories, including in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.

“The imperative of a political horizon — a credible, time-bound political process anchored in relevant UN resolutions, leading to a sovereign, independent and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he said.

Kids ‘Less Safe’ Under Australia’s Social Media Ban, Says YouTube

YouTube on Wednesday sharply criticised Australia’s upcoming ban on social media use for under-16s, calling the world-first legislation “rushed” and warning it will leave children less safe online rather than more protected.

Under the new law taking effect December 10, Australians under 16 will be barred from accessing major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

“This law will not fulfil its promise to make kids safer online and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” said Rachel Lord, the company’s public policy manager. “We’ve heard these concerns echoed by parents and educators.”

YouTube had initially been exempted from the ban to allow young users access to educational content, but the government reversed its position in July, arguing that children must be shielded from “predatory algorithms”.

As part of compliance, YouTube said all Australian users under 16 will be automatically signed out on December 10 based on the age linked to their Google accounts.

While underage viewers will still be able to watch videos without logging in, they will lose key features including personalised recommendations, wellbeing tools and safety settings.

Lord said the regulation “misunderstands our platform and the way young Australians use it”, stressing that “at YouTube, we believe in protecting kids in the digital world, not from the digital world.”

'Outright weird'

YouTube said affected accounts would be archived rather than erased, allowing underage users to regain full access once they turn 16.

“We will not delete or remove any of their existing content or data — it will be waiting for them when they come back,” the platform said.

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed YouTube’s criticism as “outright weird”, arguing the company was effectively admitting its own platform was unsafe for younger audiences.

“If YouTube is reminding us that there is content not appropriate for age-restricted users on their website, that’s a problem YouTube needs to fix,” she said.

The world is closely watching whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can be enforced as regulators globally grapple with social media risks.

The government has acknowledged the rollout will be imperfect, and some underage users may slip through early loopholes as the system stabilises.

From next week, platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.

Meta has already begun deactivating accounts based on the age provided at sign-up.

Meanwhile, an internet rights group has filed a High Court challenge to stop the ban.

The Digital Freedom Project argues the new laws amount to an “unfair” restriction on free speech.

Afghan Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in U.S. National Guard Shooting Case

An Afghan man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House, killing one, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to murder and related charges.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was injured during the November 26 attack, entered the plea via video link from a hospital bed, U.S. media reported.

Lakanwal faces first-degree murder charges for the death of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, along with assault with intent to kill and firearms offenses. Another Guardsman, Andrew Wolfe, also from West Virginia, was critically wounded in the attack.

Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal to remain in detention until the next hearing, scheduled for January 14.

Death Penalty Sought

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that she intends to seek the death penalty for Lakanwal. He entered the United States through a resettlement program after the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and had previously been part of a CIA-supported "partner force" fighting the Taliban.

According to a criminal complaint, Lakanwal ambushed Beckstrom and Wolfe during a routine patrol outside a metro station in downtown Washington.

Another National Guard member reported seeing Lakanwal open fire while shouting "Allahu Akbar!" The soldier returned fire, wounding Lakanwal and restraining him as he attempted to reload.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested that Lakanwal may have been radicalized after entering the United States.

Investigators also noted that he allegedly drove across the country to carry out the attack, which shocked the nation just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Following the incident, the Trump administration suspended visas for all Afghan nationals and froze decisions on pending asylum applications.

Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration, though officials have criticized the vetting procedures of the previous administration for allowing his entry during the Afghan airlift.

Separately, the Justice Department announced that Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, of Fort Worth, Texas, has been charged with threatening to build a bomb and carry out a suicide attack on Americans.

Alokozay allegedly praised the Taliban and made the threats in a video shared on TikTok, X, and Facebook on November 23.

"Thanks to public reports of a threatening online video, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force apprehended this individual before he could commit an act of violence," FBI Dallas special agent in charge Joseph Rothrock said.

Alokozay faces up to five years in prison if convicted of making a threatening interstate communication.

US Suspends Immigration Applications from 19 Non-European Countries

The Trump administration has announced a pause on all immigration applications, including green card and U.S. citizenship processing, for immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing national security and public safety concerns.

The suspension affects countries that were already under partial travel restrictions since June, imposing further limits on immigration—an issue central to President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

An official memorandum outlining the policy references last week’s attack on U.S. National Guard members in Washington, in which an Afghan man has been arrested. One Guard member was killed, and another was critically wounded.

In recent days, Trump has also intensified rhetoric against Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage” and stating that “we don’t want them in our country.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has prioritized immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

While his administration has emphasized deportations, it has previously focused less on legal immigration changes.

The memorandum indicates that, following the National Guard attack, legal immigration will now receive heightened scrutiny under the banner of national security, with the administration also blaming former President Joe Biden’s policies for existing vulnerabilities.

The 19 countries affected include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, which faced the strictest restrictions in June, including nearly full entry suspensions.

The remaining countries under partial restrictions are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Under the new policy, all pending applications from these countries are on hold.

Immigrants will undergo a thorough re-review process, which may include interviews or re-interviews, to assess potential national security and public safety risks.

The memorandum cited several recent crimes suspected to have been committed by immigrants, including the National Guard attack.

Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the organisation had received reports of cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalisation interviews and adjustment of status interviews for individuals from countries listed on the travel ban.

Afghan man arrested in Texas threatened suicide attack: Justice Dept

An Afghan man has been charged in Texas with threatening to build a bomb and carry out a suicide attack, United States officials said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration vows a crackdown on Afghan migrants after a deadly shooting.

Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, of Fort Worth, allegedly made the threats in a November 23 video that he shared on TikTok, X and Facebook, the Justice Department said in a statement.

In the video, Alokozay allegedly praises the Taliban and threatens to carry out a suicide attack on Americans.

“Thanks to public reports of a threatening online video, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force apprehended this individual before he could commit an act of violence,” FBI Dallas special agent in charge Joseph Rothrock said.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Alokozay “came into America during the Biden administration and, as alleged, explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens”.

He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of making a threatening interstate communication.

Alokozay’s arrest comes a week after the shooting near the White House in Washington of two National Guard members.

A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the attack, which left one of the soldiers dead.

Lakanwal had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force” fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and entered the United States as part of a resettlement program following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday his administration intends to pause asylum decisions for “a long time” after the shooting.

“We don’t want those people,” he said on social media.