The Biden administration has indicated that it is still undecided on ending the Trump-era ban on issuing new H-1B visas, with the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asserting that the US government's top priority is the acute needs of individuals fleeing persecution. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/ Rediff.com The H-1B visa, the most sought after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. In January, then-President Donald Trump had extended the ban on issuing new H-1B visas till March 31, arguing that the country is having a very high unemployment rate and the US cannot afford to have more foreign workers. "His successor President Joe Biden has revoked dozens of the executive orders of Trump ... » Learn More about Biden admin ‘undecided’ on ending Trump-era H-1B visa ban
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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to three years jail on corruption charges
New Delhi: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in jail for corruption and influence-peddling on Monday (March 1). A French court found him guilty of trying to bribe a Magistrate by offering him a prestigious job in return for information about a criminal case against him. Sarkozy, however, will not go to prison as the court suspended two years of the sentence and allowed him to serve a year at home with an electronic tag. The 66-year-old is the first former French president to receive a custodial sentence, reported BBC. Along with Sarkozy, his former lawyer and the Magistrate involved in the bribery also received similar sentences. The three re expected to appeal against the order. The judge observed that Sarkozy knew what he was doing was wrong and that his actions and those of his lawyer had given the public "a very bad image of justice". The crimes were specified as influence-peddling and violation of professional ... » Learn More about Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to three years jail on corruption charges
Mobile sector senses big growth opportunities in China
Sun Juanjuan, a white-collar worker in Shanghai, had been using an iPhone X for more than three years before buying an iPhone 12 immediately after Apple Inc unveiled its first smartphones with 5G connectivity in October. "I have been waiting for Apple's 5G smartphone for a long time. When the iPhone 12 was unveiled, I decided to buy one immediately. I love the green color so much," Sun said. Consumers like Sun are pushing sales of Apple to new highs in China. The United States tech giant raked in its highest ever revenue in China in the fourth quarter, driven by the popularity of its iPhone 12 series. Apple said its China revenue came in at $21.31 billion in the three months ended Dec 26, up 57 percent from a year earlier. Apple CEO Tim Cook attributed the strong performance to "more than an iPhone story", adding that its other products also contributed a lot, but he also highlighted that the iPhone 12 was crucial in fueling phone upgrades. "China had a record number of ... » Learn More about Mobile sector senses big growth opportunities in China
Climate extremes seen harming unborn babies in Brazil’s Amazon
A new study that links extreme rains with lower birth weights in Brazil’s Amazon region underscores the long-term health impacts of weather extremes connected to climate change, researchers said on Monday. Exceptionally heavy rain and floods during pregnancy were linked to lower birth weight and premature births in Brazil’s northern Amazonas state, according to the researchers from Britain’s Lancaster University and the FIOCRUZ health research institute. They compared nearly 3,00,000 births over 11 years with local weather data and found babies born after extreme rainfall were more likely to have low birth weights, which is linked to worse educational, health and even income attainment as adults. Even non-extreme intense rainfall was linked to a 40% higher chance of a child being low birth-weight, according to the study, published on Monday in the Nature Sustainability journal. Co-author Luke Parry said heavy rains and flooding could cause increases in infectious diseases ... » Learn More about Climate extremes seen harming unborn babies in Brazil’s Amazon
Self-driving startup Aeva hires Waymo, Apple veteran to oversee supply chain
By Stephen Nellis Self-driving sensor startup Aeva Inc, founded by two Apple Inc alumni, has hired another former Apple executive to oversee manufacturing and supply chain operations ahead of an expected deal to become a public company later this month. Aeva, founded by former Apple engineers Soroush Salehian and Mina Rezk, makes a lidar sensor that helps cars gain a three-dimensional view of the road and detect how quickly distant objects are moving. The company said Tuesday it hired Tim Willis as vice president of global supply chain, manufacturing and strategy. Willis most recently oversaw manufacturing and supply chain operations at Waymo , Alphabet Inc's autonomous driving unit. Willis also worked at Apple and Motorola after a starting his career at Ford Motor Co. Willis said part of his job will be to develop supplier relationships well before Aeva launches production, drawing on his experience at Apple securing factory equipment. Aeva has deals to develop ... » Learn More about Self-driving startup Aeva hires Waymo, Apple veteran to oversee supply chain
Auto stocks jump as much as over 5 pc post rise in sales volume in Feb
Auto stocks on Tuesday increased as much as over 5 per cent after a rise in auto sales volume for February. With all the auto stocks ending in green, Tata Motors gained the most by ending at Rs 345.7, higher 5.36 per cent. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd spurted 4.98 per cent to Rs 859.9. Besides, Hero MotoCorp's scrip closed at Rs 3,474.8 by rising 3.73 per cent and Bajaj Auto went up by 3.53 per cent to Rs 3,947.55. In addition, Maruti Suzuki India closed at Rs 7,215.25 with 2.83 per cent gain and Balkrishna Industries Ltd rose 2.69 per cent to Rs 1,627.45. TVS Motor Company's scrip went higher by 2.4 per cent to Rs 631.5, Ashok Leyland closed the counter at Rs 132.6 with 2.28 per cent gain and Cummins India ended at 816.15, up 1.79 per cent. Also, Eicher Motors shares increased by 1.78 per cent to Rs 2,601.85 and that of Bosch went up by 1.37 per cent to Rs 15,443.1. Exide Industries ended the day at Rs 208.75, up 1.02 per cent and Amara Raja Batteries gained 0.78 per ... » Learn More about Auto stocks jump as much as over 5 pc post rise in sales volume in Feb
Chinese, U.S. local legislators vow to enhance cooperation
Video Player Close BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. local legislators vowed closer exchanges and cooperation at the Virtual Conference of the 5th China-U.S. Subnational Legislatures Cooperation Forum on Tuesday. It was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) of the United States. The forum was the first institutional activity of exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States to have resumed after the new U.S. administration took office. Addressing this forum, Lin Songtian, president of the CPAFFC, said the people and local governments of the two countries expressed mutual support in the face of COVID-19. They overcame the difficulties together, and the trade cooperation between the two countries grew despite the challenges. He said that the most confusion regarding China-U.S. relations resides in "understanding problems," and the fundamental ... » Learn More about Chinese, U.S. local legislators vow to enhance cooperation
Tokyo 2020 organizers to add 12 female board members
Video Player Close Muto Toshiro, CEO of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), speaks during a press conference following the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on March 2, 2021. (Tokyo 2020/Handout via Xinhua) TOKYO, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee on Tuesday nominated 12 women to its executive board in an effort to "restore trust" after former president Yoshiro Mori's sexist remarks. Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters after an executive board meeting that the total female board members will be increased to 19 from the current seven, accounting for about 40% from 20%. The total number of board members will rise to 45 from the current 34. Muto did not disclose the details of the 12 women, adding they will be officially approved at the executive board meeting on Wednesday. Several Japanese news outlets reported that Sydney Olympic marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi and ... » Learn More about Tokyo 2020 organizers to add 12 female board members
Exports dip marginally in Feb; trade deficit widens
After recording positive growth for two months in a row, India's exports dipped marginally by 0.25 per cent to $27.67 billion in February and trade deficit widened to $12.88 billion, according to preliminary data released by the government on Tuesday. Imports grew 6.98 per cent to $40.55 billion during the month, the data showed. The trade deficit stood at $10.16 billion in February 2020. Exports during April-February 2020-21 were $255.92 billion, compared with $291.87 billion during the same period of last year, exhibiting a negative growth of 12.32 per cent. Imports during April-February this fiscal also dipped 23 per cent to $340.88 billion. In February, oil imports declined 16.63 per cent to $$8.99 billion. It was down by 40.18 per cent to $72.08 billion during 11 months period of the current fiscal. Major commodities of export that have recorded positive growth during February include oil meals, iron ore, rice, meat, dairy and poultry products, carpet, ... » Learn More about Exports dip marginally in Feb; trade deficit widens
Automakers ride out of Covid blues; report double digit sales growth
Leading car makers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors reported robust sales growth in the domestic market in February as the demand for personal mobility amid COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive the market. Others, including Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), Mahindra & Mahindra, and Honda Cars India, also reported strong wholesale dispatches to dealers last month. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said its domestic sales increased 11.8 per cent to 152,983 units last month, as against 136,849 units in February 2020. The company's sales during the month were driven by compact and utility vehicle segments. Last month, sales company's compact segment models, including Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, increased by 15.3 per cent to 80,517 units, as against 69,828 cars in February last year. Similarly, utility vehicle dispatches to dealers, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, rose 18.9 per cent to 26,884 units, as compared to 22,604 ... » Learn More about Automakers ride out of Covid blues; report double digit sales growth