Free Republic

A new proposal by Senator Jim Banks aims to restructure the H-1B visa system, drastically raising wage requirements and limiting alternatives companies use to hire foreign workers. -snip- The American Tech Workforce Act includes three main reforms. First, it increases the minimum required salary for H-1B visa holders from $60,000 to $150,000, which may disincentivize companies to look abroad for talent. The bill would also eliminate the OPT program, which allows foreign graduates to work in the U.S. for up to three years post-graduation. Thirdly, the bill replaces the current lottery system with a model awarding visas to the highest-bidding...

The Trump administration is planning to add a $100,000 to the fee for H-1B visa applications, taking aim at a program that is used to attract highly skilled workers to the U.S. The additional fee, which was confirmed to CBS News by a White House official, would impact employers including tech giants such as Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and Google, which have relied on the program to hire foreign workers. President Trump could sign a proclamation adding the new fee as soon as Friday, and which would restrict H-1B workers from entering the U.S. unless accompanied by the $100,000 payment, according...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin stole the spotlight at the Shanghai Cooperation Council summit in Tianjin with their warm gestures and camaraderie. The two leaders walked together, shared light moments, and exchanged jokes, showcasing a bond that appeared stronger than ever. Modi was seen hugging Putin on the sidelines, a moment that fuelled headlines amid growing Western unease over India’s oil trade with Russia.

THIS is the bizarre moment Vladimir Putin is seen holding hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an "anti-Nato" summit. The inseparable pair were seen giggling and smiling at one another as they met up with Chinese despot Xi Jinping for crunch talks in Tianjin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced “discriminatory” Western sanctions abetted by an unfair financial system as his country’s economy teeters on the brink of recession, wounded by trade restrictions and the cost of his war in Ukraine. Putin made the comments in an interview with China’s official Xinhua news agency published on Saturday, on the eve of his trip to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and attend a massive parade commemorating the end of World War II after Japan’s formal surrender. “It is essential to end the use of finance as an instrument of neo-colonialism, which runs counter...

The leaders of China and India say there is now deepening trust between them after years of tension that includes a long-running border dispute. China's President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the port city of Tianjin. It is Modi's first time in China in seven years. Xi told Modi that China and India should be partners, not rivals while Modi said there was now an "atmosphere of peace and stability" between them. President Putin is also at the summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, but...

Donald Trump has imposed a hefty 50% tariff on Indian goods, a move prompted by India's continued purchase of Russian oil. This action endangers over half of India's exports to its biggest market. According to New Delhi, the tariffs that come into effect today (Wednesday, August 27) will impact £35.8billion ($48.2bn) worth of exports. Initially, the US President announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods. However, earlier this month, he signed an executive order for an additional 25% tariff in response to India's purchases of Russian oil. This brings the total tariffs levied by the United States on its ally...

As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar prepares for crucial talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, India finds itself at the centre of a diplomatic storm. President Trump has unleashed his most aggressive economic assault on India in recent memory, wielding tariffs and sanctions as weapons to force New Delhi away from its Russian partnerships. The pressure campaign began in August 2025 with sweeping 25% tariffs on Indian exports, later doubled to 50% specifically targeting Russian oil imports. For a nation whose economic planners depend heavily on US markets, this represents a devastating blow. Nearly 70% of India's...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday accused India of profiteering from cheap Russian oil imports during the war in Ukraine, describing the practice as "arbitrage" and condemning it as unacceptable. "They are just profiteering. They are reselling," Bessent told CNBC's "Squawk Box" in an interview. "This is what I would call the Indian arbitrage — buying cheap Russian oil, reselling it as product." "They've made $16 billion in excess profits — some of the richest families in India," Bessent said.

Trump's imposition of additional tariffs is "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", the Ministry of External Affairs said. Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25% tariffs on India on Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement, noting that the country will "take all all actions necessary to protect its national interests." The additional import levies have been slapped by Trump to "penalise" India for its continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The MEA, in its statement, said India's imports are based on market factors and done with the "overall objective of ensuring the energy security of...

President Trump took executive action Wednesday to hammer India with an additional 25% tariff due to its continued purchases of Russian oil. The move, which will take effect Aug. 27, will increase the total US tariff rate on India to 50% and comes ahead of Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to make peace with Ukraine or face secondary tariffs or sanctions — penalties on countries that continue purchasing energy from Moscow. “The actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United...

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing an additional 25% tariff on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian oil. More to come...

Russia on Tuesday weighed into the growing spat between India and the U.S., with the Kremlin saying New Delhi is free to choose its own trading partners. -snip- The Kremlin, an important trading partner of India's and one which had stayed silent as the spat erupted in the last few days, commented Tuesday that Trump's tariff threats are "attempts to force countries to stop trade relations with Russia." "We do not consider such statements to be legitimate," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov continued, speaking to reporters Tuesday. "We believe that sovereign countries should have, and have the right to choose...

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday that it is "illegal" to issue statements threatening to force countries to stop trading with Russia. He referred to comments made by United States President Donald Trump, who said he will impose tariffs on India because it buys "massive amounts" of Russian oil and resells it for "big profits." Peskov underlined that sovereign countries have the right to choose their trade partners.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that he was contemplating a significant increase in tariffs on Indian imports within the next 24 hours due to India's procurement of Russian oil. Trump remarked in a CNBC interview that India has not been a favourable trading partner, pointing out that while India conducts extensive trade with the US, the US does not reciprocate. He added that although the tariff was initially set at 25 per cent, he expected to increase it substantially within a day due to India's purchase of Russian oil. "India has not been a good trading partner, because...

India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT

A top aide to President Donald Trump on Sunday accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, after the U.S. leader escalated pressure on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil. "What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump's most influential aides. Miller's criticism was some of the strongest yet by the Trump administration about one of the United States' major partners...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that India's purchases of Russian oil are helping to sustain Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine and it is "most certainly a point of irritation" in New Delhi’s relationship with Washington, although not the only point of irritation. In an interview with Fox Radio, Rubio claimed that the US President is frustrated with the fact that India continues to buy oil from Russia despite having so many other oil vendors available and helping to fund Russia's war effort against Ukraine. -snip- One of the biggest points of contradiction that has stopped India...

The US has sanctioned eight India-based companies and five Indian nationals as part of its latest Iran-related sanctions action targeting entities engaged in trade of Iranian oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals, and those identified as part of a shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani — the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran. In the latest action, announced Wednesday, the US Department of the State imposed sanctions on 20 entities and identified 10 vessels as blocked property. Simultaneously, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated more...

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on Thursday regarding threats issued by U.S. President Donald Trump to BRICS, an organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Trump claimed the group has "anti-American policies" and said he will impose tariffs on it and its allies, with Peskov replying that BRICS "does not respond to threats" and is not aligned against any country, News.Az reports citing foreign media.