Israeli Public Figures Demand "Crippling Sanctions" on Israel Vantage with Palki Sharma
31 prominent Israeli figures, including a former attorney general and parliament speaker, are calling for "crippling sanctions" on their country over its war in Gaza. The call comes as global opinion turns against Israel amid a starvation crisis in Gaza. Polls show most Americans also disapprove of Israel's actions. Will this force US president Donald Trump to abandon Israel? Palki Sharma tells you.
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India.com
23 minutes ago
- India.com
US tightens rules for issuing Green Cards with focus on married couples; how will it affect Indians?
(Representational image: New Delhi: America has tightened the rules for issuing green cards for married couples. The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a guideline in this regard. It talks about tightening the scrutiny of family-based immigrant visa applications, especially marriage-based applications. Its purpose is to eliminate fraudulent claims and ensure that green cards are approved only based on genuine relationships. This decision will also have a direct impact on Indian citizens, as Indians make up a large number of foreigners living in America. When were the new rules implemented? The new rules regarding green cards have come into effect on August 1. It also applies to all pending and newly filed petitions. USCIS has said that fraudulent visa petitions undermine confidence in family-based methods of obtaining lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. In such a situation, we are committed to keeping Americans safe by detecting foreigners with bad intentions. What are the new changes? The new guidelines tighten strict scrutiny and documentation processes. These include improved eligibility checks and adjudication processes for family-based petitions. Clear documentation along with photos, shared financial details and family affidavits will be required to prove a bona fide marriage. Couples will also undergo mandatory personal interviews, aimed at evaluating the authenticity of the relationship. Along with this, there will be a thorough scrutiny of immigration history. USCIS has added more stringent checks to its policy, especially for applicants who are already in the US on other visas and seek status adjustment through marriage. If a US citizen sponsors a foreign spouse, such as someone from India, then the couple will now have to provide solid proof of a bona fide relationship. What is the Green Card? The Green Card is officially called the US Permanent Resident Card. It is proof of the right to live and work permanently in the USA. It looks like a plastic card. It contains the person's information, photo, and fingerprints. The Green Card holder is considered a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
Economic Times
24 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump 2.0's China playbook ruffles partners. Outreach to Pakistan, cold-shoulder to Taiwan during China talks raise concerns
Synopsis Donald Trump's recent moves suggest a softer stance on China, raising concerns among allies like India and Taiwan. Hosting Pakistan's army chief, cancelling a Taiwan dialogue, and lifting Nvidia's AI chip ban are seen as major shifts. Critics warn these concessions, driven by trade pressures and political deals, undermine long-term Indo-Pacific strategies and sideline key partners in countering China. Is there a shift in Trump's China policy? While it's too early to make that call, there are worrying indications that point to a more accommodating Trump trade posture on China even if it means reversing his own security decisions. For India, the Quad and most of the Indo-Pacific, that's worrying as it's accompanied by no exception for allies or partners on the tariff begin with, he is cold-shouldering Taiwan while warming up to China's all-weather friend Pakistan. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir in Washington, but in the same month, his administration apparently cancelled a planned defence dialogue with Taiwan as trade talks with China were on. Just recently, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called off a trip to South America because US did not allow him a stopover, though Taiwan sought to cover for the embarrassment by citing other pressing engagements as most glaring, one on which there is considerable discomfort within his own camp, is removing restrictions on Nvidia to resume selling of H20 chips to China for AI development. Trump had imposed these restrictions in April following China's surprise advancement with DeepSeek. It emerged that the H20 chips, which were customised for China and meant to be slightly less advanced than the high-end H100 Nvidia chips for AI, were in effect not that July 28, a bunch of former security officials, including Matt Pottinger, former Deputy NSA in Trump 1.0, wrote to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urging him to reconsider the decision. The letter stated that H20 was a "potent accelerator" of China's AI capabilities and was "not an outdated chip". It warned that H20 outperforms the H100 in "inference tasks" and should not be other worry highlighted in the letter was that H20 will never be restricted to just the civilian domain and will support China's military purposes under its "military-civil fusion strategy". But it appears the call was made during a meeting between Trump and Nvidia at an expensive Mar-a-Lago dinner. Even China has found this US backing-off difficult to digest. Its Cyberspace Administration summoned Nvidia officials with questions on whether the H20s have a backdoor that enables unauthorized access and surveillance. The US company has denied it, though Beijing is likely to carry out its own all the tough talk on China, these are significant concessions from Trump, some through individual deals and others due to the political pressures arising from squeezing Chinese supply chains, especially on rare earths and magnets, without credible actions, however, sit oddly with his MAGA politics and Trump's core support base. And so, indications are that they are going ahead with their own play in the US Congress. Amid all the cautiousness in White House on China, a bipartisan bill called the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act of 2025 was moved recently in the US the legislation was moved by the Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and co-sponsored by Republican Representative John Moolenaar, who heads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Several Democratic Congressmen have supported the legislation, which seeks to expand existing sanctions, imposes visa bans and restricts U.S. government contracts linked to forced many ways, the limits of Trump's transactional approach have hit the Chinese wall. Given China's dominance in trade and supply chains, the plan was always to adopt a coordinated strategy with allies and partners to develop alternatives. Because for now, China literally holds the the Trump Administration has ended up in a bargaining match with Beijing, which might get some purchase in the short term, but has put its main partners in building and executing the long-term counter China strategy in question - namely Taiwan and the Quad.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Applying For US Visa? You Could Soon Be Required To Pay Up To $15,000 As Visa Bond
The Donald Trump administration proposed new changes this week that would impact the business and tourist visa categories for those seeking entry into the United States. The State Department announced plans to launch a pilot program requiring visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000, Reuters reported. This bond is intended to serve as a financial guarantee that tourists will not seek asylum or overstay their visas while in the US. State Department employees were informed of the development on August 4, and the notice has already been submitted to the Federal Register. The final version of the new rule is expected to be published for public viewing on Tuesday, with the program potentially coming into effect as early as August 20.
