A photograph of PM Modi sharing a car with President Putin during his India visit was highlighted in the US Congress, with lawmakers warning that US tariffs risk pushing India closer to Russia.

Modi-Putin car ride highlighted as US Congresswoman criticizes Trump's India policy

A photograph of PM Modi sharing a car with President Putin during his India visit was highlighted in the US Congress, with lawmakers warning that US tariffs risk pushing India closer to Russia.

The widely circulated photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing a car ride with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter&rsquo;s recent visit to India made its way into the US Congress on Wednesday, sparking debate over Washington&rsquo;s approach toward New Delhi.
During Putin&rsquo;s two-day visit to Delhi last week, PM Modi personally welcomed him at Palam Airport, underscoring the significance of the India-Russia relationship.
The leaders then shared a car from the airport to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, a gesture described by both sides as a demonstration of personal rapport.&nbsp;
The two had previously shared a car at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China, traveling in a made-in-Russia Aurus sedan &mdash; a moment widely interpreted as a sign of their close working relationship.
The photograph was used as a poster during a Congressional hearing by Democratic Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia.
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Presenting the photo of PM Modi with Russian President Putin during the latter's recent visit to India, US representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove says, "Trump's policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face... Being a coercive partner&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/fHcakd75LA">pic.twitter.com/fHcakd75LA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1998880824536805409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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She warned that President Donald Trump&rsquo;s tariffs and confrontational stance toward India were pushing the US&rsquo;s strategic partner closer to Moscow.
"Trump's policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face, and this is doing real and lasting damage to the strategic trust and mutual understanding between our two countries," Kamlager-Dove said. Pointing to the poster, she added, "Being a coercive partner has a cost, and this poster is worth a thousand words."
"You do not get a Nobel Peace Prize by driving US strategic partners into the arms of our adversaries," she emphasized, highlighting the potential fallout of current US policies. Kamlager-Dove also criticized Trump for undoing decades of bipartisan progress, stating, "The Biden administration handed Trump a bilateral relationship at the height of its strength, with a revitalised Quad, a budding defence tech partnership and a trusted supply chain partner, only for it to be flush, flush, flush down the toilet."
Warning of historical consequences, she said, "Unless he changes course, Trump will be the American President who lost India." The tariffs she referenced included Trump&rsquo;s 25 per cent &ldquo;Liberation Day tariffs&rdquo; plus an additional 25 per cent levy on India&rsquo;s imports of Russian oil, bringing the total to a 50 per cent burden. Kamlager-Dove noted, "The tariff rate on India is currently higher than the tariff rate on China," calling the approach counterproductive.
Urging swift action to repair the US-India partnership, Kamlager-Dove concluded, "Congress understands the stakes on a bipartisan basis. And I thank the chair for putting this on the record today."

US President Donald Trump unveiled the million-dollar Trump Gold Card visa, offering companies a pathway to retain top foreign graduates and provide them a faster route to US residency and citizenship.

Donald Trump launches ‘Trump Gold Card’ visa allowing top foreign graduates to stay in US

US President Donald Trump unveiled the million-dollar Trump Gold Card visa, offering companies a pathway to retain top foreign graduates and provide them a faster route to US residency and citizenship.

US President Donald Trump has said it is a &ldquo;shame&rdquo; that students from countries such as India and China have to go back to their home countries after graduating from top American universities as he touted that the 'Trump Gold Card' will enable companies to hire and retain such talent in the country.
Trump on Wednesday announced the launch of the one million dollar 'Trump Gold Card' that will be a visa programme offering pathway for immigrants to US citizenship.
The Trump Gold Card is a visa based upon an individual&rsquo;s ability to provide a substantial benefit to the United States.
"It is a gift of getting somebody great coming into our country, because we think these will be some tremendous people that wouldn't be allowed to stay. They graduate from college, you have to go back to India, they have to go back to China, they have to go back to France. They have to go back to where ever they came from. Very hard to stay. It's a shame. It's ridiculous thing. We're taking care of that,&rdquo; Trump said during a roundtable in the White House.
Flanked by IBM's Indian-American CEO Arvind Krishna and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, Trump announced that the Gold Card website is live and companies can &ldquo;buy" the Gold Card to keep the students they hire from top American universities such as Wharton, Harvard and MIT in the US.
Trump said that he has heard from Apple CEO Tim Cook several times and other executives that they cannot hire people from the best colleges because &ldquo;you don't know whether or not you can keep the person.&rdquo;
Trump said students are &ldquo;thrown&rdquo; out of the country.
"You graduate number one from your college, and there's no way of guaranteeing... that they're able to stay in the country.&rdquo;
Trump said Cook spoke to him about this &ldquo;real problem&rdquo;.
&ldquo;It's not going to be a problem anymore. As you know, they used to send people up to Canada and other places, other countries. So we solved that,&rdquo; Trump said adding that through the Gold Card, the US will take in billions of dollars that will be used for the country.
&ldquo;So it'll be a great thing. We'll take in, I think, billions of dollars, many billions of dollars even. So that's very exciting,&rdquo; he said.
Trump added that the companies are now going to be very happy with the Gold Card, which will have greater advantages over a green card that offers permanent residency in the US.
He said companies will be able to go to the schools such as Wharton School of Finance, New York University&rsquo;s Stern Business School, Harvard, MIT, &ldquo;wherever you may get your students, any school, and you're able to buy a card and keep that person in the United States. So there's certainty.&rdquo;
Trump described the Gold Card as a &ldquo;Green Card, but much better, much more powerful, a much stronger path and a path is a big deal. Have to be great people, but much stronger path&rdquo;, which also helps companies.
He cited the example that if IBM wants to hire an individual at the top of his or her class at Wharton but can't guarantee the person stays in the country, the company can buy the Gold Card and "that employee can be there for essentially a very long period of time. It's so needed for the companies. It's basically a much better form of green card. And you can't get green cards. They are impossible to get. This is much better than a green card,&rdquo; Trump said.
Giving details of the Gold Card, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said it will cost one million dollars for an individual and two million dollars for a corporation and will involve &ldquo;full&rdquo; and &ldquo;best&rdquo; vetting to "make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Then the company can keep them here, and they have a path to citizenship. Obviously, they have to be perfect people in America, and having passed the vetting. After five years, they'll be available to become citizens,&rdquo; Lutnick said, adding that then the corporation can put someone else on the card.
&ldquo;For a company they can keep putting people on the card, one person per card, and for an individual, it's a million dollars. And it's a gift to the United States of America, to help America be great again under Donald Trump,&rdquo; Lutnick said.
Lutnick added that the Trump Gold Card is part of the already approved visas, so this will ensure that only the &ldquo;great people" come into this country. The average green card holder earned less than the average American, he said adding that &ldquo;they were more likely to be on the dole and on federal assistance programs than average Americans.
&ldquo;And the idea is from President Trump, he wants to raise it, bring in the best people into America. So same visas, but now just full of the best people,&rdquo; Lutnick said.
President Trump officially launched his &ldquo;gold card&rdquo; visa, a new immigration pathway that will allow foreigners to pay USD 1 million to expedite their visa application, or have companies pay USD 2 million to sponsor a foreign worker they want to bring into the US.
&ldquo;Very excitingly, for me and for the country, we&rsquo;ve just launched the &lsquo;Trump Gold Card,&rsquo;&rdquo; the president said at a White House roundtable event.
The visa website, trumpcard.gov, launched Wednesday afternoon and includes a link of the official application, promising &ldquo;US residency in record time.&rdquo;
&ldquo;For a USD 15,000 DHS processing fee and, after background approval, a contribution of USD 1 million, receive US residency in record time with the Trump Gold Card,&rdquo; the official website reads.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian PM Narendra Modi agreed to meet soon following a cordial phone call, as both nations advance high-level engagements, trade talks, and preparations for Netanyahu’s upcoming India visit.

Netanyahu, Modi to meet 'very soon': Israel PMO

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian PM Narendra Modi agreed to meet soon following a cordial phone call, as both nations advance high-level engagements, trade talks, and preparations for Netanyahu&rsquo;s upcoming India visit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday spoke to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and the two leaders &ldquo;agreed to meet very soon&rdquo;, officials here said.&nbsp;
Sharing about the talks between Netanyahu and Modi over the telephone, the Israeli PMO in a social media post said, &ldquo;At the end of the warm and friendly conversation, the two leaders agreed to meet very soon.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The much-anticipated trip of the Israeli prime minister would come on the heels of several high-level ministerial visits from both sides.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The strategic partnership between our nations continues to grow in security, technology and regional stability, and will be strengthened even further in the period ahead. Both leaders agreed to meet soon, and are committed to advancing this partnership at the highest level.
&mdash; Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1998834615570805126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Minister of Tourism Haim Katz, Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had visited India earlier this year as the strategic partners build up momentum to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).&nbsp;
The two countries signed a Bilateral &nbsp;Investment Treaty (BIT) during Smotrich&rsquo;s visit and then a Terms of Reference (TOR) leading to FTA during the visit of Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to Israel last month.&nbsp;
Informed sources in Israel rubbished reports recently that Netanyahu postponed his trip to India due to security concerns in the wake of Delhi blasts.&nbsp;
Israel had expressed &ldquo;full confidence&rdquo; in India&rsquo;s security apparatus, saying that the two sides are working on dates for Netanyahu's visit.&nbsp;

A Beechcraft 55 aircraft made an emergency landing on I-95 near Orlando, Florida, colliding with a car. One person was injured, while the pilot and passenger remained unharmed. NTSB investigates.

Narrow escape: Plane crashes into car during emergency landing on Florida highway | Watch

A Beechcraft 55 aircraft made an emergency landing on I-95 near Orlando, Florida, colliding with a car. One person was injured, while the pilot and passenger remained unharmed. NTSB investigates.

A small aircraft made an emergency landing on Interstate-95 (I-95) near Orlando, Florida, on Monday evening, colliding with a car during the landing and injuring one person.
The plane attempted to land on the southbound side of I-95 near mile marker 201 in Cocoa when it struck a vehicle, according to Brevard County Fire Rescue.&nbsp;
A dashcam video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows the aircraft descending onto the freeway and colliding with the Camry. The footage captures the plane landing on top of the vehicle, skidding along the roadway, and eventually coming to a stop.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
INSANE footage: plane lands RIGHT on a car in Brevard County, Florida <a href="https://t.co/u8Va7MENN3">https://t.co/u8Va7MENN3</a> <a href="https://t.co/TXM1NI41vY">pic.twitter.com/TXM1NI41vY</a>
&mdash; RT (@RT_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1998503602256843219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The aircraft, a fixed-wing, multi-engine Beechcraft 55, had two people on board: a 27-year-old pilot and a 27-year-old passenger. Both remained unharmed, Florida Highway Patrol confirmed.
The car involved was a Toyota Camry driven by a 57-year-old woman, who sustained minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, Fox 13 News reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot had reported engine issues before attempting the emergency landing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened an investigation into the incident.
According to the NTSB, the aircraft had departed from Merritt Island on an instructional flight. Shortly after takeoff, the plane lost power in both engines, forcing the pilot to land on the nearest highway.

Australia has become the first country to ban under-16s from major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Here's how the new rules will work, who’s affected, and potential penalties for non-compliance.

How Australia is banning under-16s from social media

Australia has become the first country to ban under-16s from major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Here's how the new rules will work, who&rsquo;s affected, and potential penalties for non-compliance.

Australia banned under-16s from the likes of Facebook and TikTok on Wednesday, a world-first move of huge interest to all those worried about the harms of social media.
Internet regulators the world over are watching to see if Australia can rein in the tech giants -- but questions remain about how it will work.
Here's what we know about how Australia will enforce the new restrictions.
 - Prove age -
Some of the world's largest social media platforms must remove all users under the age of 16 in Australia.
Hundreds of thousands of adolescents are impacted, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.
Not every Australian has to prove their age, only those suspected of falling foul of the ban.
And young users are still able to access some social media without logging in -- they just cannot register for their own accounts.
 - Verification -
Social media platforms are responsible for weeding out underage accounts.
A number of trials have looked at different ways to do so, but the Australian government has so far refused to settle on a universally agreed method.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has started deactivating accounts based on information such as the age given when they were created.
Account holders flagged by mistake could verify their age using a "video selfie" or by providing government-issued ID, Meta said.
 - Who's in and out -
Which platforms fall under the ban continues to be debated.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are covered, as are streaming platforms including Kick and Twitch.
YouTube was added, despite the government's suggestion that it would be exempt so that children could watch lessons online.
Other popular apps and websites such as Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are currently exempt -- but the list remains under review.
 - Just browsing -
Australia expects rebellious teens will do their best to skirt the laws.
Guidelines warn they might try to upload fake IDs or use AI to make their photos appear older.
Platforms are expected to devise their own means to stop this happening.
"Of course, no solution is likely to be 100 percent effective all of the time," the internet safety watchdog has said.
 - Harsh penalties -
Platforms face the threat of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) in fines if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply.
It remains unclear how Australia's internet safety regulator would interpret or enforce what counts as reasonable.
"'Reasonable steps' means platforms have to act to enforce the restrictions in a way that is just and appropriate in the circumstances," the regulator's guidelines say.

Australia has banned users under 16 from major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and TikTok, to protect children from harmful content, with fines of US$33 million for non-compliance.

Australia bans under-16s from social media in world-first crackdown

Australia has banned users under 16 from major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and TikTok, to protect children from harmful content, with fines of US$33 million for non-compliance.

Australia banned under-16s from social media in a world-first crackdown on Wednesday, declaring it was time to "take back control" from formidable tech giants.
A raft of popular apps and websites -- Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X among them -- face US$33 million fines if they fail to purge Australia-based users younger than 16.
Australia becomes one of the first nations to push back so forcefully against tech companies with immense political power, in a move other countries are looking at closely.
"Enough is enough," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
"It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced.
"We will take back control."
The government says unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from "predatory algorithms" filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence.
The laws came into effect after midnight local time across Australia.
Hundreds of thousands of adolescents woke up to find themselves locked out of apps they once scrolled through for hours each day.
Bianca Navarro, 10, was already counting the years until she could log in again to YouTube.
"It will be pretty sad because I have six years until I can watch it," she told AFP.
 - Blacklisted -
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Reddit are forbidden from creating or keeping accounts belonging to users in Australia under 16.
Streaming platforms Kick and Twitch are also on the government's blacklist, as are Threads and X.
The ban has been hailed as a godsend for parents sick of seeing children stuck to their phones.
Mia Bannister blamed social media for the suicide of her teenage son Ollie, who killed himself last year after he was bullied online.
He was also being served endless dieting videos that fuelled an eating disorder, she said.
"I'm sick of the social media giants shirking responsibility," she told AFP in the lead-up to the ban.
"The problem is we hand them a phone and we hand them the greatest weapon we could hand them."
A growing body of research suggests too much time online is taking a toll on teen wellbeing.
But it is hard to draw firm conclusions that separate phone use from other lifestyle factors, experts say.
Father-of-five Dany Elachi said the restrictions were a long-overdue "line in the sand".
"We need to err on the side of caution before putting anything addictive in the hands of children," he told AFP.
 - 'Really distracted' -
Tech-savvy teenagers the world over have taken an interest in Australia's measures.
"Students nowadays, they are really distracted," said Nigerian high-schooler Mitchelle Okinedo, 15.
"Social media today is very important for expressing yourself, no matter how old you are," said Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, from Mexico City.
YouTube, Meta and other social media giants have lined up to condemn the ban.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said children were already flocking to darker online spaces.
"We've consistently raised concerns that this poorly developed law could push teens to less regulated platforms or apps," the US-based firm told AFP in a statement.
"We're now seeing those concerns become reality."
Elon Musk's X told young users the ban was "not our choice".
"It's what the Australian law requires."
Lesser-known chat and image-sharing apps Lemon8 and yope, which are not currently listed in the social media ban, have shot up the download charts in Australia.
While most platforms have begrudgingly agreed to comply, for now, legal challenges are in the wind.
Online discussion site Reddit said Tuesday it could not confirm local media reports that said it would seek to overturn the ban in Australia's High Court.
An Australian internet rights group has launched its own bid to have teenagers re-instated to social media.
 - Rushed or reasonable? -
Australia's efforts will be closely watched by all those worried about the dangers of social media.
New Zealand and Malaysia are mulling similar restrictions.
The Australian government concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset and canny teenagers will find ways to slip through the cracks.
But platforms face the threat of Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) fines if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to stop this happening.
It remains to be seen how Australia's internet safety regulator will interpret what counts as reasonable.
Social media companies bear the sole responsibility for checking users are 16 or older.
Some platforms say they will use AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while young users may also choose to prove their age by uploading government ID.
Which platforms fall under the ban continues to be debated.
Popular apps and websites such as Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are currently exempt -- but the government has stressed that the list remains under review.
Most social media platforms already require users be at least 13, a legacy of US laws setting the minimum age for data collection without parental consent.

US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that he stopped the May conflict between India and Pakistan, even as India maintains no third-party intervention took place. Trump also made strong remarks on immigration and ongoing global tensions.

Trump Claims Role in India-Pakistan Conflict Resolution

US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that he stopped the May conflict between India and Pakistan, even as India maintains no third-party intervention took place. Trump also made strong remarks on immigration and ongoing global tensions.

US President Donald Trump said India and Pakistan &ldquo;were going at it&rdquo; and he ended the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, repeating the claim once again.
Trump has so far repeated the claim nearly 70 times that he stopped the conflict in May between India and Pakistan.
&ldquo;In 10 months, I ended eight wars, including Kosovo (and) Serbia, Pakistan and India, they were going at it. Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia.&hellip; Armenia and Azerbaijan,&rdquo; Trump said on Tuesday in remarks to his supporters at a rally on the economy in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
India has consistently denied any third-party intervention in resolving the conflict.
Meanwhile, Trump said Cambodia and Thailand have started fighting again and &ldquo;tomorrow&rdquo;, he will make a phone call to those countries.
&ldquo;Who else could say I'm going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia. They are going at it. But I&rsquo;ll do it. So we're making peace through strength. That's what we're doing,&rdquo; Trump said.
On immigration, Trump said that for the first time in 50 years, &ldquo;we now have reverse migration, which means more jobs, better wages and higher income for American citizens, not for illegal aliens.&rdquo;
He said that he has announced a permanent pause on &ldquo;Third World migration&rdquo;, including from &ldquo;hellholes" like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia and many other countries.
&ldquo;&hellip;Why can't we have some people from Norway, Sweden, just a few. Let's have a few from Denmark. Do you mind sending us a few people? Send us some nice people. Do you mind? But we always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime. The only thing they're good at is going after ships.&rdquo;
Last month, Trump had said he would &ldquo;permanently pause" migration from &ldquo;all Third World Countries&rdquo; and deport foreign nationals who are a &ldquo;security risk&rdquo; as his administration intensified its crackdown on immigration in the wake of the killing of a National Guard member by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new guidance allowing for &ldquo;negative, country-specific factors&rdquo; to be considered when vetting aliens from 19 high-risk countries.
These countries are Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.
These are the same countries that were subject to a travel ban announced by Trump in a proclamation issued in June this year.
The proclamation &lsquo;Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats' restricted and limited the entry of nationals of these countries into the US and applied to both immigrants and nonimmigrants.

The US State Department’s expanded social media checks have forced widespread H-1B visa appointment rescheduling in India, prompting an advisory from the US Embassy as applicants face delays and stricter scrutiny.

US social media vetting triggers major disruptions for H-1B visa applicants in India

The US State Department&rsquo;s expanded social media checks have forced widespread H-1B visa appointment rescheduling in India, prompting an advisory from the US Embassy as applicants face delays and stricter scrutiny.

The US State Department&rsquo;s expanded social media vetting policy has led to widespread disruptions for H-1B visa applicants in India, prompting the US Embassy to issue a formal advisory after a wave of rescheduled and postponed appointments.
The Embassy warned applicants not to appear on their earlier interview dates, saying doing so would lead to denial of entry.
In an advisory posted on X, it stated: &ldquo;Attention visa applicants &ndash; If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.&rdquo;
&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS - If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied&hellip;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/USAndIndia/status/1998399737075032568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;December 9, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
The disruptions follow the US State Department&rsquo;s new policy requiring enhanced scrutiny of online activity. According to Bloomberg, several interviews set for mid to late December have been moved to March next year, although the total number of rescheduled appointments remains unclear.
The intensified screening aligns with the Donald Trump administration&rsquo;s broader push on immigration enforcement, national security, and free-speech&ndash;related vetting.
In a separate post, the State Department said: &ldquo;85,000 visa revocations since January. President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to one simple mandate, and they won&rsquo;t stop anytime soon.&rdquo;
&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;85,000 visa revocations since January.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to one simple mandate, and they won&amp;#39;t stop anytime soon⤵️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/fbNYw9wj71"&gt;pic.twitter.com/fbNYw9wj71&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Department of State (@StateDept) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1998487390072000815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;December 9, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
A senior department official said more than 8,000 of these cancellations involved students. Offences including driving under the influence, theft and assault accounted for nearly half the visa revocations in 2025.
Other cancellations have been linked to support for terrorism, visa expirations, and politically sensitive activities. Earlier this year, visas were revoked for individuals accused of &ldquo;celebrating&rdquo; the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and international students involved in Gaza-related protests have faced tightening scrutiny.
Expanded Social Media Checks for H-1B Applicants
The latest directive orders H-1B applicants &mdash; and their H-4 dependents &mdash; to maintain public social media profiles, which US officials will review starting December 15. The State Department said: &ldquo;Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.&rdquo;
An internal memo dated December 2 directs consular officers to review resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants and accompanying family members to assess whether they have worked in sectors associated with &ldquo;misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety,&rdquo; among others.
The cable says such checks apply to all visa categories but calls for heightened scrutiny for H-1B holders because of their concentration in technology, social media and financial services &mdash; industries the administration links to &ldquo;suppression of protected expression.&rdquo;
The new requirements apply to both first-time and repeat applicants.
The Trump administration has made online free speech a central plank of its foreign policy agenda, publicly criticising European authorities for what it calls censorship of right-wing political figures in countries including Romania, Germany and France.
In May, Senator Marco Rubio threatened visa bans for individuals who censor speech by Americans, including on social media, and suggested foreign officials regulating US tech firms could face consequences.
The administration has already increased scrutiny of student visa applicants, directing officers to examine social media posts deemed hostile toward the United States. As part of a broader immigration crackdown, President Trump also imposed a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas in September.
Impact on Indian Workers and Ongoing Policy Actions
H-1B visas &mdash; heavily used by US technology companies that recruit from India and China &mdash; remain the primary route for skilled foreign professionals entering the United States. Many leaders from these industries backed Trump in the previous presidential election.
The State Department&rsquo;s announcement further adds to existing restrictions. After an Afghan national shot National Guard soldiers, the US also paused Green Card, citizenship and other immigration applications for individuals from 19 &ldquo;countries of concern.&rdquo;
The Embassy&rsquo;s advisory in India underscores the immediate consequences of these tightening rules, as rescheduled interviews and appointment delays continue to affect thousands of visa seekers.

Deadly fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified along disputed border zones, killing 10 people and forcing more than 140,000 civilians to flee.

Cambodia-Thailand clashes spread on border as toll rises

Deadly fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified along disputed border zones, killing 10 people and forcing more than 140,000 civilians to flee.

Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia spread Tuesday to new parts of their contested border as the toll rose to 10 killed and more than 140,000 civilians fled the violence.
The two countries have blamed each other for the renewed clashes over their century-old border dispute, which saw Thailand launch air strikes and use tanks against its neighbour on Monday.
Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen said his country had retaliated against Thailand, after Phnom Penh denied firing back for two days.
This week's clashes are the most deadly since the neighbouring nations engaged in five days of intense combat in July that killed dozens of people and displaced around 300,000 before a truce took effect.
Tens of thousands of people have evacuated from border regions since the fresh fighting began on Sunday, officials said.
Cambodian Poan Hay, 55, said she left her home in Oddar Meanchey province on Monday as soon as she heard gunfire -- the fourth time she evacuated this year due to on-and-off fighting on the frontier.
"I am so angry at the Thai army, but I ask them to stop firing at Cambodians," Poan Hay told AFP.
She is sheltering at a pagoda with relatives about 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the border in Siem Reap province's Srei Snam.
"For the last five months, I couldn't sleep a lot. I was worried about our safety," she said.
"Yesterday Thai jets flew along the border. I was so scared."
Phnom Penh accused Thai forces of shelling positions overnight, which killed two people travelling on a national road.
Seven Cambodian civilians have been killed in total and about 20 wounded this week, Cambodia's interior ministry said in a statement.
More than 21,000 people have been displaced from three border provinces, the ministry added.
The defence ministry said the Thai army had resumed attacks around 5:00 am Tuesday in border regions, including in the area of centuries-old temples, such as the UNESCO world heritage site, the Preah Vihear temple.
The Thai army said three soldiers have been killed since Monday.
One was killed Tuesday by indirect fire in Surin province while a grenade killed another soldier in the area of the Preah Vihear temple.
Nearly 500 temporary shelters have been established across several border provinces, housing more than 125,000 civilian evacuees, according to a government statement.
Thai navy spokesperson Parat Rattanachaiphan said in a press conference that Thai forces recently detected Cambodian troops, settlements and several weapon bases in a disputed coastal area of Trat province.
Parat accused Cambodia of escalating tensions by deploying unmanned drones to provoke Thai forces.
Early Tuesday, he said Thai forces "launched a military operation to drive them out".
 - Century-old dispute -
Cambodia's Senate president and former prime minister, Hun Sen, said Tuesday his country had retaliated after remaining "patient for more than 24 hours in order to respect the ceasefire and for time to evacuate people to safety".
"Now we fight in order to defend ourselves again," he said in a Facebook post.
The conflict centres on a century-old disagreement over borders mapped during France's colonial rule in the region, with both sides claiming a smattering of boundary temples.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters his country's military would remain resolute.
"Thailand must stand firmly behind those who protect our sovereignty. We cannot stop now," he said.
In Thailand's Surin province, Sutida Pusa, 30, who runs a small food shop, told AFP on Monday that her young and elderly relatives were moved to an evacuation centre the day before, while others stayed behind to guard their property.
She has travelled back and forth between the temporary shelter and her house -- located less than 20 kilometres from the border -- to care for family members in both places.
"I wanted to see the situation first, as the sounds of fighting aren't as loud as during the major clash on July 24," she said.
"We never trust the situation."
The Thai army said Tuesday that Cambodian shells had fallen on two civilian homes in Sa Kaeo province, with no casualties reported.
The United States, China and Malaysia, as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, brokered the cessation of fighting in July.
In October, US President Donald Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration, touting new trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia after they agreed to prolong their ceasefire.
But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month, and the two sides then traded accusations of fresh clashes.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the European Union and Malaysia's prime minister on Monday urged both parties to exercise restraint and halt hostilities.

A magnitude 7.5 quake off northern Japan injured at least 30 people, damaged roads, cut power to thousands, and triggered small tsunami waves before warnings were lifted.

Magnitude 7.5 quake hits northern Japan, injures 30 and damages roads

A magnitude 7.5 quake off northern Japan injured at least 30 people, damaged roads, cut power to thousands, and triggered small tsunami waves before warnings were lifted.

A big quake off Japan injured at least 30 people, authorities said Tuesday, damaging roads and knocking out power for thousands in freezing temperatures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude 7.5 quake at 11:15 pm on Monday (1415 GMT) -- downgraded from its first reading of 7.6 -- raised the chances of similar or larger tremors in the coming days.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 30 people were injured in the quake off the coast of the northern Aomori region, which triggered tsunami waves up to 70 centimetres (28 inches).
Daiki Shimohata, 33, a civil servant in Hashikami on Honshu island, told AFP that he and his family rushed outside their home.
"The tremor was something that we've never experienced. It lasted maybe for about 20 seconds," Shimohata said by phone.
"We were holding our children -- a two-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy -- in our arms. The shaking reminded me of the disaster (in 2011)," he said.
One person was seriously hurt in the main northern island of Hokkaido, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Footage showed people in a supermarket clinging to a table with items having fallen off shelves, as well as crevasses in roads and at least one car in a hole.
Elsewhere broken glass from windows was scattered on roads and pavements.
Initially there were reports of several fires but government spokesman Minoru Kihara said Tuesday that was one confirmed blaze at a house.
On the main northern island of Hokkaido, an AFP reporter said the ground shook violently for around 30 seconds as smartphone alarms alerted residents.
In the city of Hachinohe the quake reached upper six on Japan's seven-level Shindo scale of shakiness, the point at which it's impossible to move without crawling.
With temperatures around freezing point, around 2,700 homes were without power but by Tuesday morning electricity had been restored to most areas, according to utility providers.
At first the JMA warned of tsunamis up to three metres (10 feet), which could have caused major damage.
Around 28,000 people were initially advised after the quake to evacuate, emergency services said, and media reports said some makeshift shelters were full.
In the end the biggest waves recorded measured up to 70 centimetres and after several hours the tsunami warnings were lifted.
Shinkansen bullet-train service was suspended in some areas while engineers checked for any damage to the tracks.
No abnormalities were detected at the Higashidori or Onagawa nuclear power plants, operator Tohoku Electric Power said.
The JMA warned people to be cautious of further quakes of a similar intensity for about a week.
"Additionally, there is a possibility of even stronger earthquakes occurring, so please stay alert," it said.
Geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard said that there was no way to tell whether a strong earthquake will be followed by a similarly strong, or even stronger, one.
"Instead, we must rely on historical statistics, which tell us that very few large earthquakes are soon followed by even larger events," they said in their Earthquake Insights newsletter.
"It does happen, just not very often."
 - 'Megaquake' -
In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most tectonically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth's surface.
Quakes are extremely hard to predict, but in January a government panel marginally increased the probability of a major jolt in the Nankai Trough off Japan in the next 30 years to 75-82 percent.
The government then released a new estimate in March saying that such a "megaquake" and subsequent tsunami could cause as many as 298,000 deaths and damages of up to $2 trillion.

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A newlywed couple in Pakistan's Hunza&nbsp;Valley chose to ride in an excavator for their wedding procession.&nbsp;
Couches were fitted into the bucket of the vehicle, decorated with flowers however, the couple stood as they were driven around amid loud cheers from the crowd.&nbsp;
Video of the couple enjoying their unique wedding ride is trending on social media with mixed reactions from the users.&nbsp;
Some applauded the couple's eccentric choice of ride while some expressed concern over the couple's safety.&nbsp;

Newlywed couple in Pakistan arrive in village riding an excavator 

A newly married couple in Pakistan chose an excavator as their wedding ride. 
What a unique choice of transport for one's wedding! 

A newlywed couple in Pakistan's Hunza&nbsp;Valley chose to ride an excavator for their wedding procession.&nbsp;
Couches were fitted into the bucket of the vehicle, decorated with flowers.
The couple stood as they were driven around amid loud cheers from the crowd.&nbsp;
Video of the couple enjoying their unique wedding ride is trending on social media with mixed reactions from the users.&nbsp;
Some applauded the couple's eccentric choice of ride while some expressed concern over the couple's safety.&nbsp;

A newly married couple in Pakistan chose an excavator as their wedding ride.&nbsp;

A newlywed couple in Pakistan's Hunza&nbsp;Valley chose to ride an excavator for their wedding procession.&nbsp;
Couches were fitted into the bucket of the vehicle, decorated with flowers.
The couple stood as they were driven around amid loud cheers from the crowd.&nbsp;
Video of the couple enjoying their unique wedding ride is trending on social media with mixed reactions from the users.&nbsp;
Some applauded the couple's eccentric choice of ride while some expressed concern over the couple's safety.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/the-joy-we-all-need-today-viral-video-of-toddlers-melts-hearts-1631459098723">Watch this heart-warming&nbsp;video of toddlers meeting&nbsp;</a>

Japan lifted a tsunami advisory following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Aomori. No severe damage or injuries reported. Authorities warn of aftershocks and advise preparedness.

Japan Experiences Back-to-Back Earthquakes and Tsunami Advisory Lifted

Japan lifted a tsunami advisory following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Aomori. No severe damage or injuries reported. Authorities warn of aftershocks and advise preparedness.

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on Friday, the weather office said, days after an even larger tremor shook the region and injured at least 50.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) upgraded Friday's quake to magnitude 6.7 and warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) could hit the northern Pacific coastline.
In the end, waves of up to 20 centimetres were recorded on the main northern island of Hokkaido and in the Aomori region, the JMA said, before the tsunami advisory was lifted.
Broadcaster NHK said there was no obvious change at either of the ports where the waves hit.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also said that the quake measured 6.7 and was 130 kilometres (81 miles) off the city of Kuji in Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu.
NHK said that the level of shaking was less than the bigger 7.5 tremor late Monday, which knocked items off shelves, tore apart roads, smashed windows and triggered tsunami waves of up to 70 centimetres.
In the wake of that quake, an evacuation order was issued Thursday for residents living near a damaged 70-meter-high steel tower in Aomori, local media said, with authorities citing the risk of collapse.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Friday there were no immediate signs of abnormalities at the region's nuclear facilities.
Following Monday's tremor, the JMA published a rare special advisory warning that another quake of similar or greater size was possible for another week.
The advisory covered the Sanriku area on the northeastern tip of Japan's main island of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido, facing the Pacific.
The region is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed around 18,500 people.
In August 2024, the JMA issued its first special advisory, for the southern half of Japan's Pacific coast warning of a possible "megaquake" along the Nankai Trough.
The 800-kilometre undersea trench is where the Philippine Sea oceanic tectonic plate is "subducting" -- or slowly slipping -- underneath the continental plate that Japan sits atop.
The government has said a quake in the Nankai Trough and subsequent tsunami could kill as many as 298,000 people and cause up to $2 trillion in damages.
The JMA lifted last year's advisory after a week but it led to panic-buying of staples like rice and prompted holidaymakers to cancel hotel reservations.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth's surface.

More than 600 high-value artefacts, including items from India’s colonial era, were stolen from Bristol Museum’s British Empire and Commonwealth collection.

Artefacts from India among items stolen in ‘high value’ burglary at UK museum

More than 600 high-value artefacts, including items from India&rsquo;s colonial era, were stolen from Bristol Museum&rsquo;s British Empire and Commonwealth collection.

A number of artefacts from India dating back to the British colonial era are among over 600 &ldquo;high value&rdquo; items stolen in a burglary at a museum in Bristol, south-west England, the police said on Thursday.
The Avon and Somerset Police said the items were stolen from Bristol Museum's British Empire and Commonwealth collection on September 25 and released CCTV footage of four white male suspects in an appeal for information.
The historic collection documents the links between Britain and countries in the British Empire from the late 19th century onwards. &ldquo;Detectives investigating a high value burglary of museum artefacts are appealing for the public&rsquo;s help to identify these people,&rdquo; the police force said in a statement.
&ldquo;The building housed items from the Bristol Museum&rsquo;s British Empire and Commonwealth collection. More than 600 artefacts of various descriptions were taken by the offenders,&rdquo; the police said.
Among the items stolen in the robbery include an ivory Buddha and a waist belt buckle belonging to an East India Company officer.
&ldquo;The theft of many items which carry a significant cultural value is a significant loss for the city,&rdquo; said Detective Constable Dan Burgan of the Avon and Somerset Police.
&ldquo;These items, many of which were donations, form part of a collection that provides insight into a multi-layered part of British history, and we are hoping that members of the public can help us to bring those responsible to justice.
&ldquo;So far, our enquiries have included significant CCTV enquiries as well as forensic investigations and speaking, liaising with the victims,&rdquo; he said.
The officer appealed for members of the public to contact the force if they recognise anyone from the CCTV footage released this week or may have come across any of the possible items being sold online.
It remains unclear why the police appeal is being issued over two months after the burglary.
The Bristol Museum website states that its British Empire and Commonwealth collection is made up of household belongings, souvenirs, photographs and papers of British people who lived and worked in the colonies. It is designed to give visitors an insight into the workings of the British Empire and the lives of the people who made it function.
&ldquo;We make these sources available to help people and communities worldwide to explore difficult, forgotten or hidden histories from their own perspectives.
&ldquo;The majority of the collection was previously held by the former British Empire &amp; Commonwealth Museum in Bristol,&rdquo; the museum states.
The collection includes around 2,000 items in its film section, dating from 1920 to the 1970s, with &ldquo;strong amateur footage&rdquo; from India and countries in Africa.

Pakistan’s law minister warned that social media platforms, especially X, could face a ban for not cooperating with investigations, including inquiries linked to Imran Khan’s account and concerns over terrorism and misinformation.

Pakistan Considers Social Media Bans Amid X Account Probe

Pakistan&rsquo;s law minister warned that social media platforms, especially X, could face a ban for not cooperating with investigations, including inquiries linked to Imran Khan&rsquo;s account and concerns over terrorism and misinformation.

A Pakistan minister has warned that the government may consider banning social media platforms if they do not cooperate with authorities.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik made these remarks on Thursday, according to a Dawn report.
The social media platform X, which around 4.5 million people in Pakistan use, was blocked in February 2024, around 10 days after the general elections.
Speaking on Dawn News programme, Barrister Malik, responding to a question about a possible ban on incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan&rsquo;s X account, said &ldquo;investigations are ongoing.&rdquo; He added that while the government has contacted X, the platform has shown the least cooperation compared to other social media networks.
Criticising X, the minister said the platform should not operate with double standards. &ldquo;Posts related to Palestine are removed, and accounts blocked, within 24 hours. Here, we are talking about a matter of terrorism,&rdquo; he said.
He further noted that the government has issued reminders to social media platforms and warned that those that fail to cooperate or coordinate could face a ban, similar to actions taken by Brazil. &ldquo;Brazil&rsquo;s courts had issued orders, which were then accepted, and a fine of USD 5.2 million was paid. All content taken out of context was removed,&rdquo; Barrister Malik said.
X had 22 million users in Brazil before it was blocked on August 30 by Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes for failing to comply with a series of court orders aimed at combatting disinformation.
Barrister Malik said that today the government again issued a reminder, emphasising that it had already warned that these platforms are being used for terrorism, misinformation, and disinformation. &ldquo;We have asked them to open offices here in Pakistan, but there has been no response. Some social media platforms are cooperating well, but X is cooperating the least,&rdquo; he added.
Earlier, on October 4, the minister said that investigations regarding Imran&rsquo;s X account were ongoing and that contact with the platform was underway. He had said that any measures regarding a potential block of Imran&rsquo;s account would be disclosed once further evidence comes to light.
According to an October post on his official X account, Imran was also quizzed in prison by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials about his &ldquo;anti-state&rdquo; tweets, critical remarks on foreign policy and other topics.
A month before that, in September, a petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the alleged inflammatory posts made from the official X account of the PTI founder during his imprisonment. The petitioner requested the court to direct the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to conduct a thorough investigation to determine who has been operating the PTI founder&rsquo;s account while he remains incarcerated.
Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a &pound;190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023, reported Dawn.

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan, prompting a tsunami warning days after a stronger 7.5 quake injured dozens. No abnormalities reported at nuclear facilities as the region remains on alert.

6.7-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Japan, triggers tsunami alert

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan, prompting a tsunami warning days after a stronger 7.5 quake injured dozens. No abnormalities reported at nuclear facilities as the region remains on alert.

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake occurred off northern Japan on Friday, the weather office said, days after a 7.5-level tremor in the same region injured at least 50 people.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), upgrading its initial estimated magnitude of 6.5, also warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) could hit the northern Pacific coastline.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also said that the quake measured 6.7 and was 130 kilometres (81 miles) off the city of Kuji in Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu.
Broadcaster NHK said that the level of shaking was less than the bigger tremor late Monday which knocked items off shelves, tore apart roads, smashed windows and triggered tsunami waves of up to 70 centimetres.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Friday there were no immediate signs of abnormalities at the region's nuclear facilities.
Following Monday's tremor, the JMA had published a rare special advisory warning that another quake of similar or greater size was possible for another week.
The advisory covered the Sanriku area on the northeastern tip of Japan's main island of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido, facing the Pacific.
The region is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.
In August 2024, the JMA issued its first special advisory, for the southern half of Japan's Pacific coast warning of a possible "megaquake" along the Nankai Trough.
The 800-kilometre (500-mile) undersea trench is where the Philippine Sea oceanic tectonic plate is "subducting" -- or slowly slipping -- underneath the continental plate that Japan sits atop.
The government has said that a quake in the Nankai Trough and subsequent tsunami could kill as many as 298,000 people and cause up to $2 trillion in damages.
The JMA lifted last year's advisory after a week but it led to panic-buying of staples like rice and prompted holidaymakers to cancel hotel reservations.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth's surface.

The United States has approved a $686 million sale of F-16 fighter jet upgrades, including Link–16 systems, avionics updates, and training, aimed at modernising Pakistan’s fleet and supporting counterterrorism interoperability.

US Approves $686M Deal to Enhance Pakistan's F-16 Fleet

The United States has approved a $686 million sale of F-16 fighter jet upgrades, including Link&ndash;16 systems, avionics updates, and training, aimed at modernising Pakistan&rsquo;s fleet and supporting counterterrorism interoperability.

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for F-16 fighter jets valued at USD 686 million to Pakistan.
The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), in a letter sent to Congress on Monday, gave the approval, reported Dawn on Thursday.
The package includes Link&ndash;16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support.
The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it &ldquo;will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.&rdquo;
The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan&rsquo;s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns.
The letter notes that it will &ldquo;maintain Pakistan&rsquo;s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block&ndash;52 and Mid Life Upgrade F&ndash;16 fleet,&rdquo; the report said.
These updates will provide more &ldquo;seamless integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Force and the US Air Force in combat operations, exercises, and training, and refurbishment will extend the aircraft life through 2040 while addressing critical flight safety concerns,&rdquo; the letter adds.
The letter also emphasises Pakistan&rsquo;s readiness to absorb the technology, stating that the country &ldquo;has shown a commitment to maintaining its military forces and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.&rdquo;
It also addresses regional concerns, asserting that &ldquo;the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.&rdquo;
The total estimated value of the sale is USD 686 million, with major defence equipment valued at USD 37 million and other items at USD 649 million.
The letter concludes that the sale &ldquo;will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States&rdquo; while ensuring that Pakistan can continue to operate its F-16 fleet safely and effectively.

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