Washington, Sep 23 (IANS) Days after US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to significantly curtail the H-1B visa programme, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed to “amend its regulations” governing the process.The DHS proposal seeks to scrap the existing lottery system and implement “a weighted selection process that would generally favour the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secu…

Washington, Sep 23 (IANS) US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has indicated that the Donald Trump administration may be willing to ‘fix’ the additional 25 per cent tariffs imposed on India over its purchases of Russian oil.In an interview with the NBC News, Rubio spoke about the US measures to end the conflict in Ukraine and hoped that the additional tariffs against India could be fixed.“We have already seen the measures we have taken with regards to India, although that’s something we ho…

United Nations, Sept 23 (IANS) US President Donald Trump claimed credit again on Tuesday for ending the India-Pakistan conflict, which has been discounted by New Delhi, while repeating his lament for not getting the Nobel Peace Prize.”I ended seven wars, and in all cases, they were raging, with countless thousands of people being killed,” he said in a rambling address to the General Assembly’s high-level session.That includes the “violent war that was Pakistan and India”, he said.Prime Ministe…

New York, Sep 23 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron’s convoy was stopped by police in New York City late Monday night as roads were blocked for US President Donald Trump’s motorcade, a viral video has revealed. The incident happened during Macron’s New York visit to address the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows a NYPD cop telling the French President that he can proceed further due to the traffic restrictions i…

Colombo, Sep 23 (IANS) Sri Lanka should implement the Thirteenth Amendment to its Constitution, not for India’s benefit, but for its own future, an analyst wrote on Monday while citing that it remains important for unity and stability of the island nation. As speculation swirls over whether Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power (NPP) government will hold provincial council elections in 2026, a bigger question arises on whether the NPP will move ahead with these polls, or is it preparing to end…

Toronto, Sep 23 (IANS) Highlighting the defence agreement signed recently between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and also the comprehensive strategic partnership signed between Russia and North Korea in 2024, a report detailed on Tuesday that beneath the solidarity lies asymmetry in both the pacts with “junior partners” North Korea and Pakistan seem to be providing military support which the “senior partners” Russia and Saudi Arabia may not reciprocate in future. On September 17, Saudi Arabia and Pak…

Kathmandu, Sep 23 (IANS) Nepal’s import of electric four-wheelers has slumped in the past two months, largely due to the disruption of two key trade routes with China caused by massive landslides and floods. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported just 486 electric four-wheelers in the first two months of the current fiscal year 2025-26, which began mid-July. This marks a sharp decline from the 1,602 units imported during the same period in the last fiscal.China, Nepal’s largest…

Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS) Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader and senior BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, on Tuesday, alleged that the ‘remote control’ of the Karnataka State Permanent Backward Classes Commission lies elsewhere and the Commission is not being run by those who are officially part of it. The Commission is entrusted with the task of conducting a caste census in the state.Narayanaswamy led the BJP delegation to the Commission Chairman Madhusudhan Naik, demanding the ca…

Aizawl, Sep 23 (IANS) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday highlighted that a large number of National Highways are in poor condition, with potholes and surface scratches appearing across many stretches. An official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the Chief Minister stressed the importance of carrying out timely and proper repairs during the Contractor Liability Period. Lalduhoma on Tuesday held a meeting with various agencies and organisations, including National Highway…

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) On the call of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Ministers, MLAs, Councillors, city BJP leaders and MCD teams undertook cleanliness drives across the circular Ring Road on Tuesday, an official said.The mega Swachhta Abhiyan was executed in coordinated patches across Ring Road with ministers, MLAs, councillors, and MCD commissioners leading parallel spot drives to cover the entire Ring Road of Delhi.Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa led the cleanliness drive at R…