Latest news with #Pierce
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
US resumes student visa but anti-American social media posts risk rejection
Good news for international students: The United States has resumed processing student visa applications. But there's a new condition—applicants must now set all their social media accounts to 'public' so consular officers can examine their online activity. In a notice made public on June 18, 2025, the US State Department said it has lifted the freeze on student and exchange visitor visa appointments but warned that applicants who refuse to unlock their accounts may be turned away. Officers have been directed to scrutinise posts for anything that could be seen as hostile towards the US, its government, institutions or values. 'To facilitate this vetting,' the department said, 'applicants will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to public. The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country.' Applicants flagged for being private online The State Department's internal guidance now suggests that a refusal to share public accounts could signal an attempt to evade scrutiny. Officers have also been instructed to watch for activity that appears anti-American or disruptive to campus life. The updated policy follows weeks of halted interview scheduling across embassies after Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a pause pending tighter vetting rules. 'If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements… we're not going to give you a visa,' Rubio said in March, after a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University was arrested and later released on bail. Indian applicants may face tough choices Experts say students from India and other countries will find little room to negotiate these new conditions. Any attempt to hide or edit past posts now could backfire. 'Visa applicants likely cannot do much to avoid refusal,' Daniel Pierce, partner at Fragomen's Washington, DC office told Business Standard. 'Setting accounts to private may cause the government to assume the applicant is hiding something. Deleting or editing posts at this stage could also raise concerns that the applicant previously shared problematic content.' According to Pierce, even applicants who are not on social media might be viewed with suspicion. 'A lack of social media presence might lead the government to assume the person is attempting to hide their views from scrutiny,' he said. Few legal options if a visa is denied For those rejected due to social media activity, legal remedies are limited. US courts generally do not interfere in visa decisions made by consular officers abroad. 'Challenging individual visa denials in federal court is extremely difficult,' said Pierce. 'There may be ways to challenge the State Department at the policy level—for example, if its guidance to consular offices is flawed or if it exceeds constitutional free speech principles. But individuals who receive denials will likely have no direct legal remedy and will need to reapply and hope for a different outcome.' Sofia Cope, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, had earlier criticised the direction the US was taking. 'Penalising a would-be foreign student or visitor for not being active on social media or keeping their online presence shielded from the general public is an outrageous overreach by the administration,' she said.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
On this day: Pierce, Jefferson, Allen, Bradley drafted; Jones born
On this day: Pierce, Jefferson, Allen, Bradley drafted; Jones born On this day in Boston Celtics history, the 1998 NBA draft was held in General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and in it, the Celtics took only one player of note. The Celtics selected forward Paul Pierce out of Kansas with the 10th overall pick of the draft, a team the Californian was no fan of as a youth. Even casual fans know the legacy of "the Truth" -- as he was dubbed by future teammate Shaquille O'Neal in 2001 -- has had on the franchise. An instrumental part of the 2008 title that brought Boston its league-record 17th championship, the Oakland native racked up a finals MVP for that series as well. Over the course of his career with the Celtics, Pierce amassed 10 All-Star and four All-NBA elections, All-Rookie First Team, election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and several other honors He averaged 21.8 points, 6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with Boston over 15 seasons. It is also the date of the 1992 NBA draft -- held in Portland, Oregon's Memorial Coliseum -- in which the Celtics took two players of note. The first was shooting guard John Barry (son of Rick and brother of Scott, Brent, and Drew), taken with the 21st pick out of Georgia Tech. Barry never played for Boston, however, traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for big man Alaa Abdelnaby. The Celtics also drafted center Darren Morningstar out of Pitt with the 47th overall pick. Like Barry, Morningstar never suited up for Boston, waived before he made the regular-season roster. This is also the date of the 2004 NBA draft, held in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Celtics took four players of note, the first of which being forward Al Jefferson, taken 15th overall directly out of high school. Jefferson made All-Rookie Second Team in his first season with Boston and would play for the team for three seasons. Over that stretch, he averaged 10.3 points and 6.9 points per game, after which he was dealt with Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, and Sebastian Telfair for Kevin Garnett in 2007. The Celtics also drafted point guard Delonte West with the 24th overall pick out of St. Joseph's. West played four seasons for the Celtics in two separate stints, and recorded a 9.8 point, 3-board, 3.7-assist career average with the team. With the next pick of that draft, Boston selected shooting guard Tony Allen out of Oklahoma State University. Allen won a championship with the Celtics and averaged 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game before leaving the team for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010. The 2010 NBA draft (also held at Madison Square Garden in New York City) was also held on this date, in which Boston took two players of note. The first was guard Avery Bradley, a 6-foot-3 prospect out of Texas selected with the 19th overall pick. The Celtics also took big man Luke Harangody with the 52nd pick of the draft out of Notre Dame. He averaged 2.3 points and 2 rebounds per game in one season with Boston, dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It is also the date of the 1995 NBA expansion draft, held to populate the two new Canadian teams, the Toronto Raptors, and Vancouver Grizzlies. The Celtics lost center Acie Earl to the Raptors, who had been drafted 19th overall in the 1993 NBA draft and averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 points per game with the team. It is also the birthday of former Celtics Sam Jones and Alaa Abdelnaby. Abdelnaby was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1968, and was traded to Boston in the deal noted above. He played two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 boards per game. Finally, Hall of Fame Boston forward Sam Jones was born in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1933, and became a true Celtics legend after being drafted by the team out of North Carolina Central in 1957. The Carolina native would go on to win 10 banners with Boston and be elected to five All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams over the course of his career, all spent with the Celtics.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish business which worked on Liverpool FC's Anfield eyes growth
Accounts filed with Companies House last July show the turnover of J&D Pierce Contracts was £103.8 million in the year to December 31, 2023. In recent years, J&D Pierce has supplied structural steel for high-profile construction projects across the UK, including at the Formula One racetrack at Silverstone as well as Anfield. It has also worked on the redevelopment of Edinburgh Haymarket and Dundee railway stations, as well as on the Queen Street project. The business, which employs 540 people across five sites, noted it is currently providing steel structures for 'a range of blue-chip clients' across the UK and Europe. It observed that the village of Glengarnock 'was famed for its steelworks which operated from 1840 to 1985'. J&D Pierce has recently opened a dedicated shotblast and paint plant in Bellshill, and also has a specialist bridge manufacturing facility in East Kilbride, as well as offices in Durham and Scarborough. The Bellshill operation is the former Clydesdale Tube Works, and required around £13m of investment to transform the one-third-of-a-mile-long building into what J&D Pierce describes as 'one of the biggest paint facilities in Europe'. J&D Pierce sources supplies from British Steel as well as 'electric arc-furnaced' steel from Europe. It processes around 1,000 tonnes of steel per week. The firm flagged a growing demand for more sustainable materials. Managing director Derek Pierce said the cyclical nature of different UK industries has provided opportunities throughout the history of the business, and will continue to do so. Read more He said: 'We've always been able to adapt and cater for a wide range of industries depending on where there is investment and growth. Sectors come and go in phases, and the nature of our highly specialised products means we've been able to grow with the times. In the early 2000s, we saw real growth in retail, supermarkets and distribution centres. 'Then, the investment in Scotland's education estate meant we were supplying structures for new schools across the country.' Mr Pierce added: 'The investment going into the UK's renewable energy industry is one opportunity for the whole construction sector, in the critical infrastructure such as converter stations as well as the development which will be needed to service that industry such as new factories, offices and the social requirements such as new homes and healthcare.' J&D Pierce noted the business was started in 1975 by Derek Pierce's father, Jim, who 'found himself out of work and started with a week's dole money from a small workshop attached to the family home, supplying gates and railings to local houses'. Derek Pierce left school in 1982 and started working with his father while completing his apprenticeship as a fabricator welder. In 1986, they took on their first employee, Alex Rose, who is still with the business and runs the Skills Development Academy and all in-house training and development. In the late 1980s, the business won a contract to supply a metalwork package as part of a major regeneration project for local authority housing. J&D Pierce's main production facility in Glengarnock, at the former Glengarnock Steelworks site, now employs more than 200 staff. Turnover grew steadily during the 1990s and 2000s. In the early 2000s, the company was chosen to provide the structural steel for Blackpool Football Club's new Bloomfield Road stadium. J&D Pierce opened its own training academy in 2012, and employs 60 modern apprentices. Derek Pierce said Storskogen's acquisition of a majority stake in the business in 2022 has enabled J&D Pierce to 'invest in growth, while retaining its family culture'. His two sons, Jamie and Fraser, work in the business, having completed their fabrication and welding apprenticeships. J&D Pierce said: 'They went on to steel erecting and site management, understanding every aspect of the business and now both fill significant roles within the company.' Derek Pierce said: 'Our owners recognised that we know every inch of our business inside and out. They trust us to run the company and seek out the opportunities which we think will benefit us most. The partnership has also opened doors in Europe and with main contractors. 'At the same time, J&D Pierce is still very much a family business in look and feel. We have many people who have been with us for all of their careers. As one of the largest employers in North Ayrshire, it's important we retain that culture, and grow our own skills and talent. Attracting and retaining good people is as challenging in our industry as any other, so fostering a family culture alongside providing valuable training opportunities and long-term careers is absolutely vital for us.'
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection'
Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection' Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a persistent dream come true for countless fans of the franchise. He helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships and had numerous moments of transcendent individual personal greatness that no one will ever forget. But for players and fans of other teams, he was a frightening nightmare. While no athlete has ever been truly unstoppable, Bryant reduced many defenders to rubble throughout his 20-year career. When he faced the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, Paul Pierce spent time trying to guard him. Pierce admitted on Fox Sports 1's "Speak" how difficult it was for him to go up against the "Black Mamba." "If I had to sum it up in one word -- just one word -- facing Kobe was stressful," Pierce said. "... It was hard to get sleep because now you going against the Mamba -- the second coming of [Michael] Jordan. I idolized, but when I saw and looked at Mamba's eyes, I saw Jordan's reflection. "... This guy, he just showed us he could go for 60 in a half." Pierce's Celtics got the best of Bryant and the Lakers by winning the 2008 title in six games. But after defeating the Orlando Magic in the 2009 finals, the Lakers went up against the Celtics again in the 2010 championship series, and this time, they prevailed in seven games. Even when Bryant shot poorly versus Boston — and he certainly had some bad shooting games in the finals versus Boston — he kept coming and remained aggressive. Simply the fact that he continued to attack offensively put pressure on whoever was trying to guard him.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Pierce Brosnan thinks marriage is just 'solving one problem' after another
Pierce Brosnan thinks marriage is just "solving one problem" after another. The 72-year-old actor has been married to Keely Shaye Smith, 61, since 2001, and insisted that they are "blessed to have each other" and "hard work" is the key to their success. He told FoxNewsDigital: "Keely and I love each other and are blessed to have each other as companions in this life. "And we've created a good life for ourselves of hard work and perseverance of life. "You know, it's just solving one problem after the [other], whether it's the washing machine or how far the finances are going to go or what your dreams are. But, ultimately, we just enjoy each other's company enormously." The pair exchanged vows in his native Ireland in August 2001, after they met at a party in 1994 following the death of Pierce's first wife Cassandra Harris in 1991, who died of ovarian cancer just weeks after her 43rd birthday. Pierce adopted Cassandra's children Chris, 52, and Charlotte - who died from the same disease as her mother in 2013 - after their father Dermot Harris passed away in 1986, and the 007 star went on to have Paris, 28, as well as 24-year-old Dylan with Keely. When it comes to the longevity of his marriage to Keely, the Mamma Mia star! explained that his wife had "given him the wings to fly" and focus on his movie career while she stays at home. He said: "She's given me wings to fly and lets me, you know, gallivant around the world here making movies. But we're here, and Hawaii is her home and our home." As Pierce's son Paris begins to follow in his footsteps, The Unholy Trinity actor advised his son to always "know his lines" when he arrives on set. He said: "Paris is now working as an actor. He's doing his first feature. Know your line, be prepared. No one's gonna direct you. You direct yourself!"
