President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, a 900-page opus of conservative policy recommendations published by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank. But he has nominated two of the document’s co-authors to Cabinet-level positions, and many others served in his first administration, which suggests the document may be a window into what the next four years could bring. On Monday, Trump nominated Brendan Carr, who wrote Project 2025’s chapter on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to head the agency. He has also appointed Tom Homan, a Heritage Foundation fellow named as a contributor to Project 2025, as his so-called “border czar.” Eighteen of the 40 co-authors and editors of the report served in the first Trump administration. Among them are Ken Cuccinelli, former acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security; Christopher Miller, former acting Defense secretary; and Russell T. Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought is reportedly being considered for another top post in the coming administration. During the 2024 campaign, Democrats sought to tie Trump to Project 2025 — a policy agenda they decried as “dangerous” and “shockingly radical” — framing it as a blueprint for his second term that is much more detailed than the GOP’s 28-page platform. The document focuses on proposals to expand presidential power, gut the federal bureaucracy, enact the priorities of the religious right, deregulate, and more. Trump at one point claimed to have “no idea who is behind it” and denied any connection with it when asked about it at the September presidential debate: “I have nothing to do with Project 2025. I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it purposely. I’m not going to read it.” However, since Trump’s reelection, some of his allies have suggested that the document was always intended to be the playbook for his second term. Trump’s nominations of Carr and Homan seem to support that idea. Neither will require additional Senate confirmation to take on their roles; through them, they will be in a position to advocate for Project 2025’s ideas on communications and immigration, respectively. Here’s what we know about Carr and Homan and the ideas relevant to their posts outlined in Project 2025. Brendan Carr Carr, a pick approved by Trump’s billionaire backer Elon Musk, currently serves as the senior Republican on the FCC and was previously its general counsel. Now, he is set to take the helm, steering the commission toward a hardline stance against Big Tech and what he describes in Project 2025 as its “attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” Among his key proposals in Project 2025 is ending legal immunities for internet platforms hosting user-generated content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That would require stricter content moderation on the part of these platforms or cutbacks to the degree to which users can contribute content, fundamentally changing the way people interact online. At the same time, he wrote in Project 2025 that he wants to ensure that “Internet companies no longer have carte blanche to censor protected speech.” That echoes some of Trump’s other Cabinet picks who are seeking to crack down on “wokeness” in their respective agencies. Carr also supports efforts to block TikTok in the US, identifying it, along with the Chinese smartphone producer Huawei, as a national security threat. He claims in Project 2025 that TikTok is part of a Chinese “foreign influence campaign by determining the news and information that the app feeds to millions of Americans.” However, there are reasons to believe that a TikTok ban would, as Vox previously reported, have “serious consequences for online expression,” which include shutting down what has proved a hub for activism. Carr may have some difficulty enacting his agenda initially, however. The commission will have a 3-2 Democratic majority until next June when Trump will be able to nominate a new member. Homan isn’t named as an author of a particular chapter of Project 2025 but as an overall contributor — and some of his stated hardline views on immigration and the border are reflected in the report. He started out as a Border Patrol agent in the 1980s and worked his way up through the immigration agencies, becoming the head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s removal operations arm under former President Barack Obama. There, he presided over the most immigrants ever deported in a single year, exceeding 400,000. Under Trump, Homan served as acting director of ICE but was never confirmed to the position permanently by the Senate. Homan’s new role as “border czar” appears to involve far-reaching responsibilities. Those include overseeing the implementation of Trump’s mass deportations policy — the centerpiece of the former president’s immigration agenda. That means Homan’s responsibilities will likely intersect with many of the numerous immigration priorities outlined in Project 2025. Here is a non-exhaustive list of what’s included: * Expanding the use of a legal authority known as “expedited removal” to quickly deport immigrants who crossed the border without authorization. * Deporting immigrants even in currently protected, sensitive zones like churches. * Ending large-scale parole programs that the Biden administration has relied upon as a deportation shield for individuals from certain countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. * Ending programs like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has protected hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children from deportation. * Creating a new legal authority akin to the Title 42 policy, which was implemented by Trump and maintained by Biden to rapidly expel immigrants arriving on the US southern border on the dubious public health grounds of stopping the spread of Covid-19. Homan has yet to indicate whether he or Trump fully endorses these policies. But unlike Trump, who claims to have never read Project 2025, Homan put his name to the document, and could draw from it in his new role.

Ending birthright citizenship has been on President-elect Donald Trump’s wish list for years, and he’s pledged to kill it once and for all in his next term. But ending it may not be as easy as he’s promised. Under a longstanding interpretation of the Constitution and federal law, children born in the US automatically become American citizens, even if their parents are undocumented. Trump, however, has promised that, “On day one of my new term in office, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward, the children of illegal immigrants will not receive automatic US citizenship.” Specifically, that executive order would mandate that at least one parent must be a US citizen or green card holder for their child to qualify for automatic citizenship. Federal agencies would be directed to deny passports, Social Security numbers, and public benefits to children with two undocumented parents. The executive order would almost certainly be challenged in court. Though it’s impossible to say what the Supreme Court may ultimately decide, history and precedent isn’t on Trump’s side. “I think that birthright citizenship is such a bedrock principle of American law that of all the things on the Trump agenda, this is the one least likely to be successful,” said Hiroshi Motomura, a professor at UCLA School of Law. Trump has framed the policy as a solution to “birth tourism” — when pregnant people travel to the US to give birth in order to secure US citizenship for their child — and a means of removing a pull factor for unauthorized immigration, which has sharply declined at the southern border in 2024. The policy also reflects Trump’s longtime efforts to assert a particular vision of what it means to be American in an era when the US’s white population is declining. In his first term, he reportedly eschewed immigration from “shithole countries,” referring to Haiti and African countries. And he has more recently claimed that immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of the country. It’s not clear how many people could be impacted by the policy. However, about 5.5 million American citizen children currently live in mixed-status households, some of them with two undocumented parents, which would have made them ineligible for automatic US citizenship under Trump’s proposed policy. That suggests that the affected population of future children born in the US could be large. What the law says The prevailing belief among legal experts is that ending birthright citizenship would require a constitutional amendment, that there is not enough support in Congress to pass one, and that Trump’s proposed executive order would not hold up in court. “President Trump cannot do this,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean at Berkeley Law school. “President Trump cannot change the Constitution by executive order.” He said that ending birthright citizenship by executive order contravenes the 14th Amendment, which was adopted after the Civil War to ensure that formerly enslaved people would be considered US citizens. The 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Chemerinsky said that this has “always been understood to mean that all born in the United States (or naturalized as citizens) are United States citizens,” in addition to any individuals under US jurisdiction abroad, such as children born to US military personnel in foreign countries. The phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” was intended to exclude only Native Americans born on tribal land as well as children of enemy occupiers and foreign diplomats. The Supreme Court’s 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark “makes clear that those born in the United States are citizens,” Chemerinsky added. That case concerned a child born in California to Chinese immigrants who were lawful permanent residents of the US. At the time, no Chinese citizens were allowed to become naturalized US citizens under the Chinese Exclusion Acts. The court ruled that the child was a US citizen because he was born in the US, even though his parents were noncitizens. Can Trump ban birthright citizenship anyway? Right-wing immigration hawks have argued that the “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” clause ought to be interpreted differently to exclude children of unauthorized immigrants from the benefits of automatic citizenship. The clause, they argue, was meant to exclude anyone who had any loyalties to a foreign power, including citizens of other countries. But even some of Trump’s allies — including Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, an anti-immigrant think tank — appear to acknowledge that he would face an uphill battle in court to realize his plan. “I think it would be immediately challenged in the courts, and I think that the challenge would have all of the history and the origins of the statute behind it,” Motomura said. “I can’t predict what any court will actually do, but I think the historical record is so clear.” Still, if Trump succeeds in enacting his executive order, its impact would be far-reaching. Birthright citizenship has served as an “engine of integration” for immigrant populations in the US, and ending it would also undermine America’s cultural identity as an “inclusive immigrant society,” Motomura said, adding that it would hit people of Mexican and Central American origin the hardest. “That aspect can’t be ignored,” Motomura said. “It’s the resurrection of the use of US citizenship rules with a real racial impact, and I think an intentional racial impact.”

Karachi: Pakistan has showcased its long-range air surveillance radar system for the first time at the ongoing International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) in Karachi.

Director Blue Search Private Limited Awais Rauf said that drones and ultra-high-speed missile systems have changed how wars are fought in the modern era. Be it the war between Russia and Ukraine or any other conflict in the world, the world is seeing that missile systems and drones are playing a key role in every situation, from monitoring military transport to devastating attacks on enemy combat targets.

He stated that radar is the most important tool for anticipating enemy attacks and monitoring air borders. Pakistan has also been using radar systems imported from other countries for this purpose and has faced international sanctions. However, Pakistan has now developed its own long-range air surveillance radar system.

Awais Rauf added that the Pakistani-made AM350S radar system, which can monitor the air up to 450 kilometers, is installed on a mobile platform that can be quickly moved anywhere.

This is a unique project that NRTC is taking forward in collaboration with the private sector. Pakistan's friendly countries have also expressed interest in this state-of-the-art radar system.

Experts hope Pakistan will soon be able to build its complete air defense system.

Kiev: Ukraine has attacked Russia for the first time with the British Storm Shadow missile.

According to media reports, Ukraine has used the British-made Storm Shadow missile to hit military targets inside Russia for the first time.

According to the report, US President Biden has also allowed Ukraine to attack Russia with American missiles.

It is pertinent to note that a few days ago, after American permission, Ukraine fired six US ballistic missiles at a Russian military installation.

Ukraine says that to defeat Russian air attacks, it needs to use long-range missiles, including Storm Shadow, including American Atacs that can attack up to 300 kilometers.

According to media reports, US-made missiles were used in the attack on Bryansk. On this occasion, the Russian air defense system shot down five missiles, while the sixth missile was damaged. The debris fell into the premises of the military installation and caught fire, which was controlled, but there were no casualties from the missile attacks.

What is the Storm Shadow missile?

According to a British media report, the Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile that can cover a maximum distance of about 250 kilometers. The French call it a ‘scallop’, and it is launched from an aircraft.

It flies to its target at almost the speed of sound and then detonates its ‘warhead’ (the part of the missile that contains explosives) before falling.

The Storm Shadow is considered an ideal weapon for penetrating fortified bunkers and ammunition depots, such as the missiles that Russia used in its war against Ukraine.

A Storm Shadow missile costs about $1 million, so before using them, cheap drones are used, which can weaken the enemy's air defenses and use up more of its ammunition to combat the drones, just like Russia does with Ukraine.

Storm Shadow has been used effectively in the past, with this missile targeting the Russian naval headquarters in the Black Sea in Crimea, after which Crimea was declared dangerous for the Russian Navy.

Lahore: Smog has targeted Lahore and the city is at the top of the most polluted cities in the world.

The air pollution rate in the garden city reached 593, while the Indian city of Delhi is second with an Air Quality Index (AQ)I of 372, and Karachi is third with an air quality index of 214.

AQI of 876 was recorded in Lahore Cantt, 840 in Shimla Pahari, and 682 in DHA.

It is pertinent to note that educational institutions were open yesterday due to a decrease in smog, while the working hours of business activities were also relaxed.

Karachi: The new date of the test for admission to medical colleges in Sindh has been announced under the Sukkur Institute of Business Administration (IBA).

According to the spokesperson of the Sindh Health Department, re-tests for admission to colleges in Sindh will be held in the province on December 8. The MDCAT re-test will be conducted through the Sukkur IBA.

According to the spokesperson, three centers will be established in Karachi, one each in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas, and one center each in Nawabshah, Sukkur, and Larkana.

According to the spokesperson of the Sindh Health Department, 38,609 students from all over Sindh will participate in the MD CAT exam.

He stated that the MD CAT tests will be conducted again under the IBA Sukkur on December 8.

Karachi: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Cooperative Crime Circle has arrested a businessman and registered a case on charges of sending 60 containers of soil and gravel to a Chinese company for Rs115 million instead of precious minerals.

According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials, a case has been registered against Syed Zeeshan Afzal Bilgrami, owner of M/s Danzo Traders, in the Corporate Crime Circle Karachi and he has been arrested.

The FIR was registered following a criminal inquiry that was initiated on a complaint by Ms Corrine Chen of a Chinese importing company.

According to the case, the accused Syed Zeeshan Afzal Bilgrami, and the Chinese importer Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Trade Corporation signed an agreement on January 17, 2024, under which Danzo Traders Karachi was to export 1,500 metric tons of chrome ore to the said Chinese company in China.

On February 11, Danzo Traders sent a shipment of containers from Karachi port to Xingang port in China, which were filled with soil, gravel, and stones instead of precious metal chrome ore.

According to the case, even before the said shipment reached China, accused Syed Zeeshan Afzal fraudulently executed the said LC held in his company’s bank account, and submitted fake and bogus documents for inspection certificate of quality and VAT deposit in the bank.

According to the FIA, accused Syed Zeeshan not only committed export fraud, but also committed banking fraud by submitting fake, fabricated, and bogus documents for the execution of LC in his favor. The accused not only cheated the Chinese importer but also defamed the name of the nation and the country.

The authorities stated that accused Zeeshan has also been arrested from his office located on II Chandigarh Road.

It is pertinent to note that chrome ore is a natural mineral that contains chromium, iron, and oxygen and is used to make ferrochrome, an important ingredient in stainless steel.

Islamabad: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with British Foreign Secretary for Pakistan and Afghanistan Hamish Faulkner.

The two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and Pak-UK relations in the Islamabad meeting. Joint measures to promote bilateral relations were also discussed. Federal Interior Minister expressed his best wishes to British Deputy Foreign Secretary Hamish Faulkner.

Mohsin Naqvi reiterated his commitment to further strengthen Pak-UK relations. The meeting emphasized the need for strong coordination between Pakistan and the UK on broader bilateral and regional issues.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott and Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Dr Muhammad Faisal were also present at the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Naqvi said that the UK is a strong and best friend of Pakistan. The time has come to transform cooperation into a sustainable economic partnership. Your visit to Pakistan will bring more warmth to bilateral relations.

Mohsin Naqvi further said that there is a need to take joint measures against those spreading baseless and misleading rumors and propaganda on social media. Minorities in Pakistan have all rights, and the protection of minorities is our top priority.