TRF's terror tag bolsters India's case
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Mint
a few seconds ago
- Mint
Nimisha Priya's 13-year-old daughter and husband appeal to Yemeni government for release of Indian nurse
Indian nurse Nimisha Priya's 13-year-old daughter, Mishel, and her husband have appealed to the Yemeni government for the woman's release. Priya was sentenced to death in Yemen. Mishel has travelled to Yemen to join Global Peace Initiative founder and evangelist Dr KA Paul in appealing to the Yemeni government for Priya's release. Priya, originally from the Palakkad district of Kerala, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. According to Yemeni court documents, Priya, in July 2017, allegedly drugged and killed Mahdi. She is currently lodged in a prison in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Earlier this month, India had said that it was in touch with Yemeni authorities as well as certain friendly nations as part of efforts to reach a 'mutually agreeable solution' in the case relating to Priya. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian government was making concerted efforts to give Priya's family more time to reach an understanding with Talal Abdo Mahdi's family. The MEA had appointed a lawyer to assist Priya's family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen. This includes exploring options for clemency or pardon under Sharia law. Under Sharia law, payment of blood money to the family of the deceased is permissible. 'This is a very sensitive matter, and the government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case. We have provided legal assistance and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged for regular consular visits by her family, and we are in touch with the local authorities, as well as the family members, to resolve this issue. This included concerted efforts in the recent few days to seek more time for the family of Ms Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party. The local authorities in Yemen have postponed carrying out her sentence that was scheduled for 16 July,' said Jaiswal. Last week, evangelist and Founder of Global Peace Initiative Dr KA Paul claimed in a video message from Sanaa in Yemen that Nimisha Priya's death sentence has been cancelled after days and nights of extensive efforts by Yemeni and Indian leaders. In the video message, Dr Paul thanked Yemeni leaders for their 'powerful and prayerful efforts'. He said: 'I want to thank all the leaders who are involved in making this a great success, that Nimisha Priya's death is cancelled. By God's grace, she will be released and taken to India. I want to thank Prime Minister Modi ji for preparing to send your diplomats... and take Nimisha professionally, safely.'
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Business Standard
a few seconds ago
- Business Standard
End US visa programs: Why Trump supporters want H-1B visa removed
Once again, the H-1B visa, much loved by Indian professionals, is back in the spotlight—this time, for all the wrong reasons. Amid a fresh wave of layoffs in the US tech sector, questions are mounting over why companies are continuing to hire foreign workers through the H-1B route while cutting jobs at home. After Microsoft laid off around 9,000 employees in phases earlier this year, Intel has now announced plans to slash over 25,000 jobs. The backlash has been swift. US Vice President JD Vance on Friday publicly criticised Microsoft, saying he does not buy the 'bulls**t story' that the company can't find qualified American workers. 'That displacement and that math worries me a bit,' Vance said at a bipartisan event hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum. 'We want the very best and the brightest to make America their home. But I don't want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, 'We can't find workers here in America.' That's a bulls**t story,' said Vance. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, a vocal critic of the H-1B system, called for an end to all employment-based visa programmes. 'We need to cut all the visa programs. If we are going to do it, let's do it hard-core and clean it up,' said Bannon on his podcast. He said foreign workers were not better educated, but tech companies wanted 'indentured servants' who would work under pressure for less money. 'The situation in Silicon Valley is a festering sore,' Bannon said, claiming that around 12 million trained IT graduates in the US are unemployed while jobs are given to visa holders. 'There is always a way to get 'Einsteins',' he said, adding that talented individuals should be encouraged to stay in their home countries and 'make them great again like they are doing in Japan'. Vance's remarks were quickly countered by an Indian-origin tech investor who accused him of misleading the public. In a post on X, the investor wrote, 'Microsoft didn't bring in new foreign workers after laying people off, they renewed visas for long-time employees who've been in the U.S. legally for many many years, stuck in green card backlogs.' He argued that companies were simply allowing employees to stay in the roles they had already earned. 'Saying that's 'replacing Americans' is like saying letting a loyal employee stay and renew his visa is the same as hiring someone new off the street,' the post said. The investor also pointed out that many of the 9,000 employees laid off were H-1B holders. 'They got no severance, no safety net, just a 60-day countdown to leave the country. If you care about fairness, fix the backlog. Don't weaponise lies.' US weighs change to H-1B selection system At the policy level, the Trump administration is reviewing changes to how H-1B visas are awarded. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a filing to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs earlier this month, proposed replacing the current lottery system with a 'weighted selection process'. The change would apply to the capped portion of the visa programme—85,000 visas per year, including 65,000 for general applicants and 20,000 for those with advanced degrees from US universities. The rule is still under review and the specifics are yet to be made public, but US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is listed as the implementing agency. 'The H-1B is the primary way through which the United States attracts high-skilled immigrants. That it is randomly allocated is insane,' said Connor O'Brien, a research analyst at the Economic Innovation Group. He added, 'Eliminating the H-1B lottery in favour of a system that prioritises higher earners first is a no-brainer... Giving away these visas randomly is an enormous, missed opportunity to attract truly scarce talent.' Federal agency warns against bias in hiring The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a warning to employers, saying that favouring foreign workers over American citizens in recruitment violates federal law. 'Unlawful bias against American workers, in violation of Title VII, is a large-scale problem in multiple industries nationwide,' said EEOC acting chair Andrea Lucas on February 19, 2025. She alleged that some companies had policies that preferred illegal aliens, migrant workers, and visa holders over American workers. 'The law applies to you, and you are not above the law,' she said. 'The EEOC is here to protect all workers from unlawful national origin discrimination, including American workers.' The agency outlined common reasons for such practices: * Lower wage costs through loopholes or off-the-books payments * Assumptions that foreign workers are less likely to raise complaints * Client preferences for foreign workers * Perceptions that foreign workers have a stronger work ethic Counterview: H-1B workers are well-paid and boost US economy The American Immigration Council disputes the notion that H-1B workers harm domestic employment. Its research shows that in 2021, H-1B holders had a median salary of 108,000, more than double the national average of 45,760. Between 2003 and 2021, their median wage rose by 52 per cent, compared to 39 per cent for the general workforce. 'The US economy relies on H-1B visas to address skilled labour shortages, particularly in technology, engineering, and healthcare, where domestic supply is insufficient,' Jidesh Kumar, managing partner at King Stubb & Kasiva, told Business Standard. 'Tech giants and startups alike depend on H-1B professionals for cutting-edge research and product development. Many also go on to become entrepreneurs, creating jobs and boosting the economy.' Kumar warned that tightening the programme could drive global talent to other destinations. 'Restricting the programme could force top global talent to seek opportunities in countries like Canada or the UK, potentially undermining the US's position as a leader in innovation and economic growth,' he said. Indian applicants dominate H-1B pool In the 2023 financial year, about 191,000 Indian professionals were granted H-1B visas. The number rose to approximately 207,000 in FY 2024. Despite this, over one million Indians remain stuck in the employment-based green card backlog due to country-specific quotas and annual limits, according to USCIS data. For FY 2026, USCIS selected 120,141 H-1B registrations—a sharp drop from previous years and the lowest since 2021. Analysts have linked this to increased scrutiny of multiple registrations and a hike in the application fee.
Hans India
a few seconds ago
- Hans India
J&K L-G hands over job assurance letter to daughter of official killed in Pak shelling
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday handed over a government job assurance letter to the daughter of additional district development commissioner (ADDC), Raj Kumar Thapa who was killed during unprovoked shelling by Pakistan in Rajouri town. An official statement said that L-G Manoj Sinha on Monday met Mareesa Thapa, Raj Kumar's daughter and Meenakshi Kundan Thapa, wife. 'The Lt Governor handed over an assurance letter to the daughter of the martyred ADDC that she will be appointed as an Assistant Law Officer after completion of her studies. The Lt Governor expressed solidarity with the family of Dr. Raj Kumar Thapa and reaffirmed the commitment of the administration to providing all possible assistance. 'Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu was also present on the occasion at Raj Bhawan," the statement read. After Indian armed forces carried out target specific strikes against terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan retaliated by heavy mortar shelling on the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and K including Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts. Eighteen civilians including the ADDC Raj Kumar Thapa were killed in Pakistan shelling on civilian facilities. Fourteen of these civilians were killed in Poonch district. Scores of homes, shops, other business establishments, a Gurudwara, a temple and a church were destroyed in Pakistan mortar shelling in Poonch town. After Pakistan targeted civilian and military installations, the Indian Armed forces under Operation Sindoor damaged 18 defence bases of Pakistan. It must be recalled that the target specific strikes by Indian Armed forces were carried out only against terror infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) but no civilian or military facility was targeted by India initially. Indian retaliation against Pakistan military started only after Pakistan escalated the tension.
