New Delhi, Dec 04 (ANI): File Picture of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google Sundar Pichai as he has been appointed as the CEO of Google's parent firm Alphabet Inc on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)
Most of the CEOs come from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) which has an acceptance rate of less than two per cent. …reports Asian Lite News
Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, and the top bosses of IBM, Adobe, Palo Alto Networks, VMWare and Vimeo all have a common denominator. They are all of Indian origin, Bhutan Live reported.
As per the statistics, there are four million minorities and among them, the Indian-born Silicon valley CEOs are among the wealthiest and most educated in the US, Bhutan Live wrote. About a million of them are scientists and engineers. More than 70% of H-1B visas, and work permits for foreigners issued by the US go to Indian software engineers, and 40% of all foreign-born engineers in cities like Seattle are from India. The recently appointed CEO of Youtube is also of Indian Origin, Bhutan Live reported.
Cloud will be foundational to scaling India’s digital journey: Satya Nadella
Most of the CEOs come from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) which has an acceptance rate of less than two per cent. Only the topmost of Indian brains secure admission there and this speaks volumes about the quality of engineers who migrate to the USA.
Bhutan Live reported that India has a good education system with a huge focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Indian immigrants are among the most highly educated in the US; 77.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2016 – the highest share of any top-origin country – compared to 31.6% of native-born Americans. Engineers who go to the USA are usually from upper-middle-class families who can afford to go to English Medium school. So speaking flawless English makes it all the easier to assimilate and climb the American Corporate ladder. And thanks to their GRE score, a large chunk of them manage to get scholarships for their graduate programmes.
As per US Officials, Bhutanese students usually pursue higher education in the United States mainly through government partnerships, and special scholarships offered through select institutions.
According to officials from the Department of Adult and Higher Education (DAHE), Ministry of Education, there are 15 undergraduate (UG) scholarship students under government funding, 14 self-financing students and three undergoing postgraduate studies in the US.
If Indian engineers are climbing such great ladders, then Bhutanese youth should also not stay behind, Bhutan Live wrote. (ANI)
U.S. President Joe Biden attends a signing ceremony of the Respect for Marriage Act at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, Dec. 13, 2022. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua/IANS)
The expected action is the latest effort by the White House to target China’s military and technology sectors…reports Asian Lite News
The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by U.S. companies in an effort to limit China’s ability to acquire technologies that could improve its military prowess, according to a U.S. official familiar with the deliberations.
The soon-to-be-issued executive order from President Joe Biden will limit American investment in advanced technologies that have national security applications — such as next-generation military capabilities that could help China improve the speed and accuracy of military decision making, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The expected action is the latest effort by the White House to target China’s military and technology sectors at a time of increasingly fraught relations between the world’s two biggest economies.
In October, the Biden administration imposed export controls to limit China’s ability to access advanced chips, which it says can be used to make weapons, commit human rights abuses and improve the speed and accuracy of its military logistics.
China and us flag. (Photo:Xinhua/IANS)
The complicated relationship has become further strained in recent weeks after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon last month that traversed the country. The Biden administration has also publicized U.S. intelligence findings that raise concern Beijing is weighing providing Russia weaponry for its ongoing war on Ukraine.
The tensions were on display as top diplomats from the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations ended a contentious meeting in New Delhi on Thursday with no consensus on the Ukraine war and concerns about China’s widening global influence dominating much of the talks.
Meanwhile, China this past week blasted the new House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party after it held its first hearing on countering Beijing’s influence. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning demanded its members “discard their ideological bias and zero-sum Cold War mentality.”
Administration officials have been consulting with allies as they’ve worked on formulating the new regulations on U.S. investment, according to the official.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Saturday that the Treasury and Commerce departments delivered reports to lawmakers on Friday detailing plans for the new regulatory system to address U.S. overseas investment in advanced technologies. The agencies said they expected to seek additional money for the investment screening program in the White House budget, which is scheduled to be released on March 9, according to the Journal.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment on the Treasury and Commerce reports, but noted that administration officials have kept Congress apprised on its progress in crafting an approach to overseas investment.
The expected action is certain to face pushback from U.S. firms. Administration officials have sought to signal to the business community that even as they look to examine rules on U.S. investment in China, they are mindful of not overreaching.
“One of the most important things we can do, from my perspective, is make sure that we draw clear lines between what is competition and what is national security because, fundamentally, my view is that the United States does well when we’re competing on a level playing field with any country in the world,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said at recent Council on Foreign Relations event. “But we also want, in the narrow spaces where we see national security risk, be able to use the tools at our disposal to protect the national security of the United States of America.”
A bipartisan group of lawmakers last year urged Biden to establish a tougher screening system for investments in foreign adversaries with China being top of mind.
File photo of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. (Photo credit: Secretary Gina Raimondo Facebook account)
The US Commerce Department’s Entity List (blacklist) includes a separate category titled, “Ballistic Missile and Unsafeguarded Nuclear Activities”.
An unspecified number of Pakistani companies have been added to a list of 14 entities put on a US trade blacklist for their alleged involvement in missile and nuclear activities, the media reported.
The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added 37 entities to its Entity List (blacklist) for allegedly contributing to Russia’s military and/or defence industrial base, supporting China’s military modernisation, and facilitating or engaging in human rights abuses in Myanmar and in China, Dawn reported.
The list includes a separate category titled, “Ballistic Missile and Unsafeguarded Nuclear Activities”.
The statement said that “fourteen entities based in China and Pakistan are being added to the Entity List for contributing to ballistic missile programs of concern, including Pakistan’s missile program, and for involvement in unsafeguarded nuclear activities”.
“We act to stand against proliferators, oppose military aggression in the case of Russia and China’s military modernisation, and protect and advance human rights,” US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said in a statement issued with the list, Dawn reported.
“The US will not allow diversion of peaceful trade in ways that undermine our values and weaken our security. That’s exactly what we are saying today,” added Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan F. Estevez.
US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. (Photo: twitter@USEmbZagreb)
Thursday’s listings include three entities in Russia, Belarus, and Taiwan added to the list for their allegedly significantly contribution to Russia’s military and/or defence industrial base.
Eighteen entities based in China were added to the list for acquiring and attempting to acquire US origin items in support of China’s military modernisation efforts, and for supplying or attempting to supply a sanctioned entity in Iran, Dawn reported.
Six entities based in China and Myanmar were added for violations of human rights.
The statement claimed that Chinese entities had engaged in the collection and analysis of genetic data, which posed a significant risk of contributing to monitoring and surveillance by the Chinese government, including the targeting, detainment, and repression of ethnic minorities in China as well as diversion of such information to the Chinese military programmes, Dawn reported.
New Delhi, Mar 03 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meet on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo)
QUAD ministers reiterated their unwavering support for the comprehensive reform agenda, including expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council….reports Asian Lite News
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) on Friday reiterated its support for the UN Charter, including the expansion of permanent and non-permanent seats of the 15-member world body.
The Quad Foreign Ministers carried out a comprehensive review of various issues, ranging from Indo-Pacific to ASEAN in a meeting presided by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Yoshimasa Hayashi and US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken attended the meeting held at the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2023 here today.
Talking about the reforms in United Nations Security Council, the Quad foreign ministers said, “We concur that the rules-based international order is anchored in international law, including the UN Charter, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of all states. We are committed to cooperating to address attempts to unilaterally subvert the UN and international system, in consultation with our partners and through multilateral and international platforms,” the statement read.
New Delhi, Mar 03 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meet on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo)
“We reiterate our unwavering support for the UN Charter, including its three pillars, and our steadfast commitment to strengthening the UN and international system through a comprehensive reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council. In this regard, we commit to active and constructive engagement in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) process on Security Council Reforms with an overall objective of making the UN Security Council more effective, representative, and credible,” it added.
In September last year, a joint statement was issued following a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly committed towards expanding the UNSC. That meeting was attended by Penny Wong of Australia, S Jaishankar of India, Hayashi Yoshimasa of Japan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Meanwhile, the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, from March 2-4, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and chief guest, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered the keynote speech.
The meeting came a day after foreign ministers of the G-20 countries met in Delhi under India’s presidency.
Quad also reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific and strongly supported the peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threats or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight.
New Delhi, Mar 03 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meet on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo)
“Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad’s steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” according to the statement released by Quad.
These statements came against the backdrop of growing China’s assertiveness in the region.
The conference, organised under the theme ‘Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?’, is witnessing the participation of representatives from over 100 countries. (ANI)
The Quad is not a military grouping and it is now engaged in working together to help countries to deal with humanitarian situations in natural disasters, said Blinken…reports Asian Lite News
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad is not a military grouping, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, adding it is now engaged in working together to help countries to deal with humanitarian situations in natural disasters.
“We are working on things that are really critical,” Blinken said at a panel discussion of the Quad Foreign Ministers themed “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon” in the national capital. The Quad Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue the flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy organised by the Ministry of External Affairs with the Observer Research Foundation. India, US, Japan and Australia are members of the Quad grouping.
“Quad is not a military grouping…but one of the things that we are doing through the Quad is trying to bring together not only governments, academia, experts to look at where we can collaborate together on the technology, on innovation, benefits in other areas that remains to be seen. But clearly, our four countries in particular are very well placed to increase in a variety of ways our collaboration…,” Blinken said.
Quad according to the US Secretary of State is a force for good, positive, and affirmative action.
On Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, Blinked said that allowing Russia to do what it is doing will be a message to aggressors everywhere.
“If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that’s a message to the aggressors everwhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” Blinken said at the discussion chaired by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and where Foreign Ministers of Australia, Penny Wong and Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi participated.
“For us the future is so much in Indo-Pacific…Even as we are rightly focussed on what is happening in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, not just because it matters to Ukrainians and to Ukraine and Europe, but because it matters to the entire world,” Blinken said.
The eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, from March 2-4 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and chief guest Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered the keynote speech .
The conference, organised under the theme “Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?” is witnessing the participation of representatives from over 100 countries. (ANI)
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad is not a military grouping, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, adding it is now engaged in working together to help countries to deal with humanitarian situations in natural disasters.
“We are working on things that are really critical,” Blinken said at a panel discussion of the Quad Foreign Ministers themed “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon” in the national capital. The Quad Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue the flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy organised by the Ministry of External Affairs with the Observer Research Foundation. India, US, Japan and Australia are members of the Quad grouping.
“Quad is not a military grouping…but one of the things that we are doing through the Quad is trying to bring together not only governments, academia, experts to look at where we can collaborate together on the technology, on innovation, benefits in other areas that remains to be seen. But clearly, our four countries in particular are very well placed to increase in a variety of ways our collaboration…,” Blinken said.
Quad according to the US Secretary of State is a force for good, positive, and affirmative action.
On Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, Blinked said that allowing Russia to do what it is doing will be a message to aggressors everywhere.
“If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that’s a message to the aggressors everwhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” Blinken said at the discussion chaired by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and where Foreign Ministers of Australia, Penny Wong and Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi participated.
“For us the future is so much in Indo-Pacific…Even as we are rightly focussed on what is happening in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, not just because it matters to Ukrainians and to Ukraine and Europe, but because it matters to the entire world,” Blinken said.
The eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, from March 2-4 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and chief guest Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered the keynote speech .
The conference, organised under the theme “Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?” is witnessing the participation of representatives from over 100 countries. (ANI)
Ryabkov emphasized that Russia’s decision to suspend the 2010 New START treaty was a response to the U.S. and NATO’s involvement…reports Asian Lite News
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov issued a warning that increasing Western support for Ukraine could lead to a catastrophic conflict between nuclear powers.
In a speech at the U.N. conference on disarmament, Ryabkov criticised the U.S. and its allies for openly declaring their goal of defeating Russia in a “hybrid” war, which he argued violates international agreements and could lead to the war in Ukraine spiralling out of control.
Ryabkov emphasized that Russia’s decision to suspend the 2010 New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the U.S., was a response to the U.S. and NATO’s involvement in the military confrontation in Ukraine.
He accused the U.S. and NATO of fuelling the conflict and increasing their military involvement, which he warned could result in “a direct military clash with catastrophic consequences.”
The Russian diplomat’s warning comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies have expressed support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia-backed separatists, while Russia has accused the West of interfering in its internal affairs.
The situation has raised concerns about the potential for a larger conflict between nuclear powers.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said allowing Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine will be a message to aggressors everywhere.
“If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that’s a message to the aggressors everwhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” Blinken said at the meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers in New Delhi.
Blinken was speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2023 in Delhi themed “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon,” where all Quad Foreign Ministers participated in-person.
“For us the future is so much in Indo-Pacific…Even as we are rightly focussed on what is happening in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, not just because it matters to Ukrainians and to Ukraine and Europe, but because it matters to the entire world,” Blinken added.
Earlier, Blinken said that he urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to end the Ukraine war and engage in meaningful diplomacy.
Addressing a press conference after the day-long deliberations at the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, Blinken, while referring to his brief unscheduled meeting with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the conference, said he told Lavrov to end the “war of aggression” and “engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and lasting peace”.
Blinken added that the Ukraine war “could end even tomorrow” if Russia wanted.
Cap reached for H-2B visas for second half of FY 2023
The agency further said that it will continue to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap…reports Asian Lite News
The US has received a sufficient number of applications to meet the congressionally-mandated H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year 2023, the country’s federal agency for immigration services announced.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said February 27 was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date on or after April 1 and before October 1.
Currently, the congressionally-mandated cap for H-2B visa is set at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (October 1-March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1-September 30).
The agency also announced the filing dates for the supplemental H-2B visas for FY 2023, made available under the supplemental visa temporary final rule.Under this rule, the USCIS began accepting H-2B petitions increasing the cap by up to 64,716 additional H-2B non-immigrant visas for FY-2023.
These supplemental H-2B visas are for US employers seeking to petition for additional workers at certain periods of the fiscal year before September 15.
They are available only to US businesses that are suffering irreparable harm or will suffer impending irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition, the USCIS said.
The agency further said that it will continue to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap, which includes current holders of this visa in the US who wish to extend their stay and, if applicable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers.
Others who are exempt include, fish roe processors, fish roe technicians and/or supervisors of fish roe processing; and workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam (until December 31, 2029).
The H-2B visas are issued for seasonal/temporary jobs which allow employers to hire skilled or unskilled workers to fulfil the shortage of workers in the US.
The employer must obtain a Department of Labor certification before the visa application can be initiated.
Republican lawmaker George Santos( https://www.instagram.com/p/ClOUUjPOR-g/?igshid=OTRmMjhlYjM=)
Santos admitted to fabricating several aspects of his work experience and education, following his election last year…reports Asian Lite News
The US House Ethics Committee announced that it has established an investigative panel to look into issues surrounding disgraced Republican lawmaker George Santos.
Santos, the Representative for New York’s 3rd congressional district, admitted to fabricating several aspects of his work experience and education, following his election last year.
The subcommittee shall have jurisdiction to determine whether Santos “may have: engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office”, the panel said in a statement.
“The mere fact of establishing an investigative subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” it said.
No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with committee rules, it added.
Santos’s office tweeted on Thursday that the congressman is “fully cooperating” with the Ethics Committee’s investigation, saying that “there will be no further comment made at this time”.
Expelling a member from the House of Representatives requires the support of two thirds of members under the country’s Constitution.
This photo taken on Jan. 16, 2023 shows a flooded area in Byron, Contra Costa County, California, the United States. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua/IANS)
Three month ago, the data showed that all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels….reports Asian Lite News
The recent rain and snow from a series of winter storms topped annual precipitation averages across the US West, especially over the Sierra and coastal ranges and Rocky Mountains, resulting in freeing half of California from drought.
According to the latest data released by US Drought Monitor (USDM) on Thursday, moderate or severe drought still covered about 49 per cent of the Golden State, while nearly 17 per cent of the state was free of drought or a condition described as abnormally dry. The remainder is still abnormally dry.
It said central California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills were free of drought and abnormal dryness for the first time since January 2020.
The central coast from Monterey Bay to Los Angeles County was also drought-free, along with two counties on the far north coast.
Three month ago, the data showed that all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels.
“The rain has improved California soil moisture and streamflow levels, while the snow has increased mountain snowpack to much above-normal levels. Most California reservoirs have refilled with water levels near or above average, but groundwater levels remain low and may take months to recover,” the summary of the USDM’s weekly report read.
California Water Watch issued by the state’s Department of Water Resources found that as of Thursday major reservoir levels were at 96 per cent of average lever and statewide snowpack, which provides about a third of the state’s water resource, was about 170 per cent of the historical average level.
US Justice Department has rejected Trump’s argument that he is immune from the claims….reports Asian Lite News
Former President Donald Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said Thursday in a federal court case testing Trump’s legal vulnerability for his speech before the riot.
The Justice Department told a Washington federal appeals court in a legal filing that it should allow the lawsuits to move forward, rejecting Trump’s argument that he is immune from the claims.
The department said it takes no position on the lawsuits’ claims that the former president’s words incited the attack on the Capitol. Nevertheless, Justice lawyers told the court that a president would not be protected by “absolute immunity” if his words were found to have been an “incitement of imminent private violence.”
“As the Nation’s leader and head of state, the President has ‘an extraordinary power to speak to his fellow citizens and on their behalf,’ they wrote. “But that traditional function is one of public communication and persuasion, not incitement of imminent private violence.”
The brief was filed by lawyers of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and has no bearing on a separate criminal investigation by a department special counsel into whether Trump can be criminally charged over efforts to undo President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election ahead of the Capitol riot. In fact, the lawyers note that they are not taking a position with respect to potential criminal liability for Trump or anyone else.
Trump’s lawyers have argued he was acting within the bounds of his official duties and had no intention to spark violence when he called on thousands of supporters to “march to the Capitol” and “fight like hell” before the riot erupted.
“The actions of rioters do not strip President Trump of immunity,” his lawyers wrote in court papers. “In the run-up to January 6th and on the day itself, President Trump was acting well within the scope of ordinary presidential action when he engaged in open discussion and debate about the integrity of the 2020 election.”
A Trump spokesperson said Thursday that the president “repeatedly called for peace, patriotism, and respect for our men and women of law enforcement” on Jan. 6 and that the courts “should rule in favor of President Trump in short order and dismiss these frivolous lawsuits.”
