New Republican bill tightens H-1B, asylum rules

IANS | May 15, 2026 9:19 AM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) Indian professionals, students, and family-based immigrants could face sweeping new restrictions under a hardline immigration proposal introduced by influential Republican lawmaker Tommy Tuberville, including tougher H-1B rules, limits on work authorization for foreign students, and higher English requirements for citizenship.

AI arms race drives Pentagon overhaul

IANS | May 15, 2026 8:23 AM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) The Pentagon is aggressively restructuring its science and technology apparatus around artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and low-cost weapons as senior US defence officials warned lawmakers that future battlefields will be defined by speed, data dominance and mass deployment of affordable combat systems.

China’s Russia ties reshaping Baltic strategy, US lawmakers warn

IANS | May 15, 2026 7:55 AM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) Senior US lawmakers and State Department officials warned that China’s growing support for Russia’s war machine is rapidly reshaping how the Baltic states view Beijing, with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia increasingly treating economic relations with China as a national security issue linked directly to the war in Ukraine.

US military defends Iran strikes

IANS | May 15, 2026 7:51 AM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) The Trump administration’s Iran campaign came under intense scrutiny at a Senate hearing, with US military commanders claiming Tehran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded even as lawmakers warned of rising economic and regional risks.

California Governor appoints Indian American to Structural Pest Control Board

IANS | May 15, 2026 7:28 AM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of appointments across state agencies, including the appointment of Indian American business executive Yogesh “Yogi” Chugh to the Structural Pest Control Board, according to an official statement released by the Governor’s office.

UAE condemns terrorist attack on Indian vessel as PM Modi heads to Abu Dhabi

IANS | May 15, 2026 12:35 AM

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a sweeping condemnation on Friday of what it called a “terrorist attack” targeting an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Gulf nation later today for a high-stakes bilateral visit.

Pakistani forces kill civilian, disappear another in Balochistan

IANS | May 14, 2026 11:22 PM

Quetta, May 14 (IANS) As violence against civilians continues unabated across Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation on Thursday highlighted the extrajudicial killing of one civilian and the enforced disappearance of another, allegedly at the hands of Pakistani forces.