World

Despite soaring summer temperatures, UAE remains a top travel destination attracting global tourists/Representative Image TL;DR: Expect extreme summer heat, often above 43–45 °C, with high humidity and occasional sandstorms. UAE enforces a mandatory midday outdoor work ban—June 15 to September 15, 12:30pm to 3:00pm to protect workers. Stay hydrated, avoid direct sun during peak hours,…

Streamlined eVisa process aims to attract GCC-based travellers and boost regional tourism/Representative Image TL;DR: Kuwait reopened its improved e‑Visa portal in January 2025, allowing certain GCC‑based residents to apply online or obtain visa‑on‑arrival. Eligible applicants must hold a GCC residency of 6+ months, a valid passport, and work in specified professional categories such as doctors,…

Over 32,000 visa violators were caught in early 2025, 70% deported, as UAE enforces penalties post-2024 amnesty deadline/ Representative Image The UAE’s 2024 visa amnesty ran from September 1 to December 31, offering legalisation or penalty-free exit. Despite a 2-month extension, many overstayers did not act and now face deportation and bans. Over 32,000 people…

Mobile authentication is set to replace SMS OTPs as UAE banks tighten digital security/ Representative Image TL;DR UAE banks will stop using SMS and email OTPs for online and money transfer verifications In-app authentication will be the new standard for confirming transactions The shift begins July 25, 2025, with full rollout required by March 31,…

Oman’s investor visa offers self-sponsored 5- and 10-year residency to global investors/Representative Image TL;DR: Oman grants 5- and 10-year renewable residencies to eligible foreign investors. Investment thresholds: OMR 250,000 (USD 650k) for 5 years; OMR 500,000 (USD 1.3 million) for 10 years. Investment options include real estate, business equity, government bonds, or bank deposits. Residency…

In a major legal decision, a federal judge in Tennessee has ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, while a separate ruling in Maryland has blocked any immediate attempt to expel him again.The two rulings, delivered within minutes of each other on Wednesday,…

The body of 22-year-old Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz has been found in the Mississippi River, four days after she vanished following a night out with friends. Heinz, who studied at Viterbo University, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday after leaving the Bronco Bar in La Crosse. Her body was discovered just…

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard There are stories that refuse to stay buried. This one comes wrapped in a manila folder, half-burnt, half-declassified, and now very much a political grenade.This week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard blew the dust off a long-suppressed House Intelligence Committee report that takes aim at one of the…

US President Donald Trump A US court on Wednesday ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, implementing a nationwide block on its enforcement.The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 ruling, representing the first appellate assessment since the Supreme Court’s June decision that restricted…

US President Donald Trump won a temporary legal victory allowing him to continue restricting media access to certain spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One. A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, has upheld an earlier ruling that enables White House officials to exclude the Associated Press (AP) from the rotating pool…