Trump says Hamas will release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander
US President Donald Trump on Monday said in a post on Truth Social that Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander will be released by Palestinian militant group Hamas.Hamas said earlier that it would release Alexander.
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Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
H-1B visa registrations drop 27% due to fee hike and policy changes
The number of H-1B visa cap registrations for FY 2026 has declined significantly, according to new data released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ). Only 3.58 lakh registrations were submitted this year, marking a 26.9% fall from the 4.78 lakh entries received in 2025. Compared to FY 2024, this marks a sharp drop of over 54%. Out of the total registrations this season, 120,141 have been selected for the next stage. The H-1B programme allows 85,000 work visas each year, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with US master's degrees. The programme remains vital for Indian IT professionals and US tech employers. The USCIS attributed the lower registration numbers to recent policy enforcement, changes in the registration process, and increased costs. The agency has taken action against fraud, particularly targeting duplicate entries. 'Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we undertook extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution,' USCIS said in an official statement. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The statement added: 'We are also reviewing the FY 2025 and FY 2026 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric selection process.' The agency said it will continue strict enforcement, including petition denials, revocations, and criminal referrals. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ US tech company penalised by Department of Justice for favouring H‑1B visa workers over American candidates US: Social media post alleges Indians face frozen bank accounts before deportation; no official confirmation yet What's changing for international students in the US right now? « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT The most notable policy change this year was the increase in the registration fee, from $10 to $250. This cost shift has deterred some potential applicants, particularly international students and early-career professionals. The changing mood around H-1B is also leading some to explore options outside the US. Countries like Australia, Germany, and the UAE are gaining attention. These developments may alter the flow of Indian students to the US. 'The ' American Dream ' of immediate employment at a high salary with full sponsorship of an H-1B visa will elude most foreign students.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Why Israel attacked Iran's military facilities: 'Point of no return'
Residents of Tehran were jolted awake by loud explosions as Israel launched a major offensive targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities. State television reports claim that Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, was among those killed in the strikes, which impacted several cities An Israeli military official confirmed that the assault involved 'dozens' of strikes, including a key facility in Natanz, central Iran. He also warned that Iran possessed enough enriched material to produce up to 15 nuclear bombs within days. These attacks have come amid concerns about Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. On Thursday, for the first time in 20 years, the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran's nuclear programme has been a matter of concern for several Western countries. The massive level at which nuclear enrichment is conducted is much above the level required for civilian purposes and hence a cause for concern. Iran also recently announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more advanced ones. For years now, Israel has warned Iran that it will not allow it to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want, even though the officials there have repeatedly warned it could. Following the strikes on Friday, the Israeli military said that they were forced to carry out strikes based on intelligence information, which proved that Iran was "approaching the point of no return" in the development of a nuclear weapon. In an X post by the Israel Defence Forces, they stated that Iran is 'producing thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, alongside decentralised and fortified enrichment compounds, in underground, fortified sites.' Due to this, it is said the regime is closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. They said that in order to defend the civilians of Israel, the IDF is left with no choice. (With inputs from agencies)
India.com
22 minutes ago
- India.com
Israel-Iran war: Israel strikes at the heart of Iran, what makes Natanz nuclear site so critical and why Netanyahu is targeting Iran's most sensitive nuclear site?
Israel-Iran war: Israel strikes at the heart of Iran, what makes Natanz nuclear site so critical and why Netanyahu is targeting Iran's most sensitive nuclear site? War has officially broken out between Israel and Iran, bringing the Middle East to the edge of a new disaster. On Friday morning, Israel launched a powerful attack on Iran, raining down missiles and targeting key locations from the air. The Israeli airstrikes caused major destruction and reportedly left Iran badly hit. Not only were some of Iran's top officials killed, but the attacks also struck Natanz, the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Israel has named this military action 'Operation Rising Lion.' Early on Friday, Israeli fighter jets carried out multiple air raids on Iran's nuclear site in Natanz, aiming to damage Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons. According to several reports, the attack killed General Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's elite military force IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), along with Sardar Rashid, a top military commander, and two leading nuclear scientists, Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi and Dr. Tehranchi. Israel said the mission's goal was clear: to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The situation is now extremely tense, and the world watches closely as conflict escalates in the region. Israel's attack on Natanz nuclear site Reports say that Israel has destroyed Iran's Natanz nuclear site in a major airstrike. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization himself confirmed that the Natanz reactor has been heavily damaged. For Israel, this is seen as a big success because Natanz is considered the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Its destruction has dealt a serious blow to Iran's defense and scientific capabilities. The Natanz nuclear site is located in Iran's Isfahan province and is central to its uranium enrichment operations. This means it plays a key role in making uranium useful either for producing energy or, as some Western countries and Israel claim, for building nuclear weapons. There are two major facilities at Natanz: one above the ground and one built deep underground. The underground facility was specially designed to protect it from missile and air attacks. Because of this heavy protection, targeting Natanz was both a technical and military challenge. Despite the difficulty, Israel has carried out repeated attacks on the site and has now managed to damage it significantly. Natanz uses centrifuge technology to enrich uranium, a process that can turn natural uranium into a material powerful enough for either generating electricity or creating a nuclear bomb. This is why Natanz has long been a point of international concern, and now its destruction marks a major turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. How much damage did Natanz Suffer? Israel's recent strike has caused severe destruction to the underground facility at Iran's Natanz nuclear site. Reports suggest that several advanced centrifuge machines were destroyed in the attack. These machines are essential for enriching uranium, and their loss is expected to set back Iran's nuclear program by several years. Eyewitnesses in the area described loud explosions and thick black smoke rising from the site. The scale of the damage indicates that heavy aerial bombing took place over Natanz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, 'We have delivered a decisive blow to Iran's nuclear threat.' This strike marks a significant moment in Israel's effort to halt what it views as a dangerous and growing threat from Iran's nuclear ambitions.
