Early Gossips

People denied entry to the United States under President Donald Trump’s first travel ban can now reapply for visas following a legal settlement reached in a federal court.

The US government will now contact individuals turned away at borders as a result of the executive order that came into force on January 27.

The agreement does not guarantee that applicants will receive new visas.

Trump signed the original order in January barring people from seven Muslim countries from entering the US.

The move sparked numerous protests and legal challenges.

Trump later defended the executive order, saying it was “not a Muslim ban.”

A week after it was implemented, a federal judge in Seattle suspended it nationwide, allowing banned visitors to travel to the US, pending an appeal by the administration.

The new legal agreement, which was announced on Thursday, obliges the US government to act in “good faith” when processing the paperwork of all applicants.

The seven countries affected by the initial 90-day travel ban were Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Iraq was later removed from the list.

Some visa categories, such as diplomats and UN workers, were not included in the suspension.

Among the individuals initially barred from entry to the US were two Iraqi nationals: Hameed Khalid Darweesh and Haider Sameer Abdulkhaleq Alshawi.

They were stopped and detained on arrival at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Human rights groups, including the National Immigration Law Centre (NILC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), filed a lawsuit in New York to demand the release of the two men, who were in the air bound for the US when the executive order was signed.

Darweesh, who had worked as a US Army interpreter, was later released by border officials.

“Although the government dragged its feet for far too long, it has finally agreed to do the right thing,” said Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The settlement, Gelernt says, provides those excluded under the first Muslim ban with “proper notice of their right to come to the United States”.

He added that while this was progress, the “legal fight against Muslim ban 2.0” would continue with a Supreme Court hearing in October.

Hundreds of nationals from the countries affected by the ban in January were detained on arrival despite having valid visas and residency documents.

The move was suspended on 3 February after it was challenged in court.

On March 6, Trump attempted to revise the ban on individuals from the six countries to include grandparents and other relatives of US residents.

In July, the US Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s revised executive order but judges gave the government the right to enforce a separate ban on refugees, pending a government appeal against a federal court order. (BBC)

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How To Grow Your Beard in Five Simple Steps

We all have stress in our lives, but imagine if you could reduce your stress levels by making some small, simple and effective changes?

These 7 techniques will help to drastically reduce stress from your life and can easily be integrated into any lifestyle or routine.

1. Go to Bed Earlier and Wake Up Earlier

We all know how important sleep is. Going to bed earlier and waking up earlier can help you start the day off just right. If your mornings are chaotic, it is likely that the rest of your day will also follow this energy. To prevent this from happening, give yourself time in the morning so you can relax and get ready for your day at a more leisurely pace. You can even organize yourself the night before, so you can spend time in the morning doing things that you actually enjoy like reading, journaling, meditating and so on. You can even create your own power morning ritual.

2. Make Lists

Start your morning off by making a list of all the things you have to do. This will help you stay on track and keep you organized for the day ahead. It can also be satisfying to cross off or check each item as you complete it. If you find it overwhelming to make a list, try to only include things that are 100 percent necessary for you to do that day. This way, it will stop you from feeling overwhelmed and help you to know definitively what needs to be done and what will just have to wait for another day.

3. Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control

Worrying takes up a lot of energy and sucks time out of the day. Don’t waste your time worrying about things that you cannot control. No amount of worrying is going to change the situation so it is not worth your time. If the situation is in your control however, keep your mind focused on solutions rather than the problem. When you give energy to a problem, it grows and becomes more complicated and difficult to manage. But, if you instead divert your energy to a solution, whatever you are dealing with becomes much easier and less complicated to handle.

4. Learn to Say ‘No’

One of the most powerful ways to reduce stress in your life is learning how to say ‘No’ to the things that you don’t really want to do. If you find yourself agreeing to things because you feel bad or because you “should” do them, you may want to reconsider this line of thinking. Putting pressure on yourself like this can lead to a lot of unnecessary stress and can also leaves you less time to do the things that you actually want to do. Learning how to say ‘No’ is powerful and the more you practice using it, the more room you will create in your life for things you actually want to say ‘Yes’ to.

5. Limit Distractions

Take a moment to reflect back on how you spent your time last week, are there distractions that you could have avoided? Do the effects of your weekend partying spill over into the rest of your week? Do you spend hours a day checking Facebook and scrolling through social media? Take the time to identify things that are distracting you from moving forward and actually doing the things that you want to do with your life. Once you have identified these habits, perhaps see if you can make some changes so they become less of an issue. For example, if you are spending roughly 5 hours a week on social media, consider cutting this time in half and using the rest of the time to take up a new hobby or do something that feels rewarding and purposeful.

6. Eat Well

Poor nutrition can actually make it harder for your body to adapt to stress. When you nourish your body with a wide variety of healthy foods, it gives you the fuel you need to get through the day. If you don’t already, try to incorporate lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, protein, healthy fats and whole grains into your diet. Also remember to drink lots and lots of water through the day, as this can also help to restore energy levels and improve the functioning of your body. Foods to avoid include fast foods, processed foods and foods that contain artificial preservatives, colorings and flavors. This includes artificial sweeteners and manufactured sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.

7. Practice Gratitude

One of the easiest ways to eliminate stress from your life is to be thankful for all of the amazing opportunities and experiences in your life. At the end of every day, make it a point to reflect on 7 things that you feel grateful for. Perhaps even get into the habit of asking yourself- “What is the best thing that happened to me today?” This is also a great question to ask your family over dinner or to share with your roommates or partner as you are winding down for the night.

So, there you have it. 7 simple ways to reduce stress from your life so you can make it through your day with ease and grace.