Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) US lawmakers pressed for greater clarity and consistency in President Donald Trump’s second-term policy toward Taiwan during a high-stakes congressional hearing on China’s efforts to marginalise the self-ruled island. At a Select Committee hearing titled “Lies, Lawfare, and Leverage: The CCP’s Gaslighting and Manipulation to Marginalise Taiwan” on Wednesday (local time), Ranking Member Ro Khanna questioned witnesses on whether the administration’s approach w…
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Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Lawmakers urged the State Department to back the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik amendment for Central Asian nations, arguing that the outdated provision hampers US investment and undercuts strategic competition with Russia and China. During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera pressed Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur to support legislative efforts to remove the trade restric…
New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s charge that the present government has “sold out Bharat Mata” over a trade and tariff framework with the United States would carry more weight if his own party’s record did not tell a very different story, say political observers. Before accusing others of compromising national interest, it is worth revisiting what happened in 2008, when the Congress-led UPA government negotiated and signed the Ind…
Washington, Feb 10 (IANS) A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation to end the H-1B visa program, arguing that it disadvantages American workers and prioritizes foreign labor over US citizens.US Representative Greg Steube announced the introduction of the Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act, known as the EXILE Act.The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by discontinuing the H-1B visa program, which allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupat…
Washington, Feb 10 (IANS) A US congressional briefing on Bangladesh warned that the country is heading toward a “political cliff,” with democratic institutions under strain and religious minorities facing growing threats ahead of national elections scheduled for February 12.Speaking at the briefing organized by HinduAction and CoHNA at the Rayburn House Office Building, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said how a country treats its religious minorities is …
Seoul, Feb 3 (IANS) South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday he plans to clearly explain to the United States parliamentary procedures in South Korea, after US President Donald Trump warned of a tariff hike citing a delay in Seoul’s legislative process to implement a bilateral trade deal. Cho made the remarks ahead of departing for Washington, where he is scheduled to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as Seoul seeks to allay doubts among the Trump administration on S…
Washington, Feb 2 (IANS) US Congressman Shri Thanedar has entered the 2026 election cycle with a strong financial position, reporting $6.4 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025, according to his year-end campaign finance filing released by his campaign.The Detroit-area Democrat said the fundraising advantage would allow him to communicate his record to voters in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District and highlight his legislative priorities ahead of the next election.“This ensures Congr…
Islamabad, Jan 25 (IANS) Terrorist groups continue to operate in Pakistan through multiple proxy networks and remain engaged in financing and promoting terrorism, though they have modified their funding mechanisms to evade international scrutiny, according to a report.The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan on its “grey list” three times between 2008 and 2022 over inadequate measures to curb terror financing.The Asia-Pacific Group (APG), a FATF-affiliated body, conducted an on…
Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) Indian and US officials are pushing to resolve the last few hurdles in a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with both sides close on substance but still divided on several sensitive tariff and sequencing issues, with both sides aiming for a durable deal that restores predictability and stability to bilateral trade.Negotiations over the last few weeks have narrowed to a small set of unresolved items, those familiar with the talk said. Technical teams are continuing disc…
Washington, Jan 24 (IANS) Driven by social media, encrypted services, and emerging Artificial Intelligence tools, online child sexual exploitation is expanding fast, lawmakers and child-safety experts have told members of the US Congress.“Protecting our children from online exploitation and abuse is one issue that unites all of us: Democrats, Republicans, parents, grandparents, and everyone in between,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, who chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee …