Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa charge is unlawful: US judge

A FEDERAL judge on Monday struck down a $100,000 fee that US President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, concluding that it constituted an unlawful tax that Congress never authorized.

Xi vows 'unwavering' support for Kim in rare Pyongyang visit

CHINA WILL not swerve from its commitment to safeguarding common interests with North Korea or waver in its sup-port for Kim Jong Un, President Xi Jinping told the North's leader on Monday during a rare Pyongyang summit.

New bilateral investment model: 2-yr local remedy window, no MFN clause

A MINIMUM two-year period for local remedies before initiation of international arbitration; no most-favoured nation clause; and, an exclusion of tax-related provisions.

These are the three key principles on which the Centre is re-modelling its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with countries.

MoU inked, Bengal finally comes under Ayushman Bharat ambit

AS WEST Bengal finally came under the ambit of the Ayush-man Bharat, with the signing of an MoU between the state and National Health Authority on Monday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda took potshots at the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government, stating that people of the state were deprived of the Centre's health scheme because the former CM kept saying 'hobe na' (won't happen). The Centre has also resumed implementation of the MGNREGS in Bengal - four years after it was suspended in the state.

Ayushman may cover beneficiaries of Bengal's Swasthya Sathi; state govt set to bear full cost

AS THE West Bengal government prepares to roll out the Ayushman Bharat scheme across the state, people covered under the local health policy -Swasthya Sathi - are also likely to be brought under the ambit of the Centre's flagship insurance scheme, sources said.

'Great Nicobar project will serve strategic interests, emerge as maritime focal point'

THE RS 81,000-crore Great Nicobar Islands (GNI) project will serve India's strategic interests and emerge as a maritime and economic focal point due to its proximity to the international maritime routes and Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs), top defence sources said on Monday.

Report: India likely to have expanded nuclear stockpile to 190 in 2025

INDIA IS believed to have slightly expanded its nuclear stockpile in 2025 and continued developing new types of nuclear delivery systems, while Pakis-tan's focus has been on new de-livery systems and accumulation of fissile material in 2025, according to a new report re-leased by the Stockholm Inter-national Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.

Hate speech Bill: MHA seeks clarification from Karnataka

THE MINISTRY of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought clarification from the Karnataka government over The Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, which was passed by the Assembly in December 2025, saying that provisions of the Bill were "already substantially covered under the existing provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and other prevailing laws".

Amid fresh strikes in West Asia, India calls for quick de-escalation, dialogue

WITH THE almost two-month fragile ceasefire disrupted by exchange of fresh strikes be-tween Israel and Iran, India ex-pressed concern at the renewed attacks in West Asia and called for immediate de-escalation, ensuring civilians stay un-harmed and talks to find a diplomatic solution.

Preventive detention not for punishing past conduct, says J&K HC

SAYING THAT the preventive detention is not intended to "punish a person for past con-duct", the J&K High Court has quashed the Public Safety Act (PSA) against a Srinagar resident, who had crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for arms training in 1989.

After 100 days of conflict, a backsliding

ONE HUNDRED days into the West Asia conflict, Iran and Israel have exchanged fire for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8. The escalation was hardly unexpected. Tehran has long insisted that any ceasefire must include an end to Israel's bombing campaign in Lebanon. That is something Donald Trump has also pursued publicly, and evidently unsuccessfully. The latest flare-up began after Iran fired ballistic missiles at northern Israel on Sunday in retaliation for Israeli strikes on southern Beirut.

Fifteen FTAs, 27 countries, four challenges

When it becomes cheaper to manufacture in an ASEAN country and export duty-free to

India than to produce in India, investment and jobs tend to move abroad. As a result, FTAS

can encourage firms to 'Make in ASEAN, Sell in India'

On India's EV transition, it's time to shift gears

EVs, in fact, reduce India's global vulnerabilities, whereas fossil fuel vehicles increase them. Why? Because batteries and magnets are not consumables, even if their imports stop, EVs already on the road will continue to operate

US-India special relationship is now cold-eyed transactionalism

To appreciate the US's changed strategic outlook towards India, we must understand its geopolitical view of Eurasia - from Europe, at one end of the supercontinent, to Japan, at the other end

The boost Centre's solar power schemes need

The rising electricity demand can only be met by further expansion of solar and other renewables.

Recent peak demands-in April and May this year during the day-were managed largely through solar power.

Confident of high growth in Q1 despite elevated energy prices'

DESPITE ENERGY prices remaining elevated due to the war in West Asia, the government is confident the economy has continued to perform well in the ongoing April-June quarter, with the high growth seen in January-March spilling over into the new fiscal year that started in April.

India's current account surplus narrows to $7.1 billion in Q4

INDIA'S CURRENT account surplus narrowed sharply to $7.1 billion, or 0.7% of GDP, in the fourth quarter ended March 2026, as a rising gold im-port bill and foreign investor outflows weighed on external balances, according to data re-leased by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday.

'India-US deal only after Section 301 probe is over'

INDIA AND US trade deal can be finalised only after US Section 301 probe comes to an end, a government official said, adding that New Delhi has sought assurance from Washington opens no further probes on the county after the trade deal is signed.

Exports rise 15% during Apr-May, says official

The country's merchandise exports have recorded about 15% growth during April-May 2026-27 despite global economic un-certainties, a senior government official said Monday. The Commerce Ministry will release the trade data for May on June 15. "During the two months, exports are up by 15%," the official said. Exports rose by 13.78% to $43.56 billion in April, the highest monthly outbound shipments in more than four years.