New York/Washington: In a move that could adversely impact Indian professionals on visas in the US, President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H1-B visas to a staggering USD 100,000 annually, the latest in the administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration. White House staff secretary Will Scharf…
Beijing/Kabul: China and the Taliban on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to reclaim Afghanistan’s strategic Bagram air base near the Chinese border, with Beijing cautioning against efforts to stir regional confrontation and Kabul reiterating that Afghans never accepted foreign military presence. The sprawling Bagram air base was abandoned by American troops four years…
London: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is “very close” to India and shares a strong personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British PM’s countryside residence, Trump said he has a “very good relationship” with Modi and also…
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday said it has “locked” the national identity cards of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, effectively barring her from voting in the general elections scheduled for February next year. “Anyone whose national identity (NID) card has been locked cannot vote from abroad,” EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at…
New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had a “wonderful” phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which he extended birthday greetings to his “friend” and thanked the Indian leader for his support on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The call, which came a day before Modi turned 75, is being seen…
Houston: President Donald Trump has decried immigration policy forged under his predecessor, Joe Biden, in the wake of the brutal beheading of an Indian-origin motel manager in Dallas, allegedly by an undocumented Cuban immigrant with a prior criminal record. Posting on Truth, his social media platform, Trump called the attacker an “Illegal Alien” who should…
Beijing: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has rebuffed the US call to G7 countries to impose tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, saying that war cannot solve problems and “sanctions only complicate them”. “China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement…
Kathmandu: Senior advocate Sabita Bhandari was appointed as the attorney general of the Nepal government, becoming the first woman to hold the position. President Ramchandra Paudel appointed Bhandari as the attorney general on the recommendation of interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, according to a notice issued by the President’s Office. Bhandari has now become the…
Beijing: China on Sunday congratulated Sushila Karki on taking office as the prime minister of Nepal’s interim government, stressing the “time-honoured friendship” between the two neighbouring countries. Karki, 73, took over as the head of the interim government on Friday following a week of violent protests. “China congratulates Madam Sushila Karki on becoming Prime Minister…
Houston: Indian-Americans overwhelmingly favour Democratic candidates, contributing nearly three times more to their campaigns than to Republicans, a new study shows. The research, titled “An Emerging Lobby: An Analysis of Campaign Contributions from Indian-Americans (1998–2022),”was conducted by Karnav Popat and Vishnu Prakash of Ashoka University, along with Joyojeet Pal of the University of Michigan. A…
