The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued long-awaited guidance on October 20, 2025 clarifying the applicability of the newly introduced USD 100,000 one-time fee on certain H‑1B visa petitions, bringing much-needed clarity for international students, employers and visa applicants. The fee, initially announced in a presidential proclamation on September 19, 2025, had triggered widespread uncertainty about whether it would apply across the board.  The origina

Global funding dynamics are shifting dramatically as artificial-intelligence (AI) startups gobble up a growing share of venture-capital (VC) investments. According to recent data, AI-related companies accounted for over half of all VC funding in early 2025, marking a major turning point in the tech investment landscape. The Numbers Tell the Story

Walmart Inc. has temporarily halted its job offers to candidates requiring H-1B work visas, according to people familiar with the company’s internal hiring policy. The decision follows the Trump administration’s recent move to impose a $100,000 application fee on new H-1B petitions — a significant shift in immigration policy that has prompted widespread reassessment among U.S. corporations employing international talent. The temporary hiring freeze primarily affects Walmart’

Washington, D.C. — City transportation officials are urging caution as pressure mounts to approve autonomous food delivery robots on District sidewalks. Despite growing interest from technology firms eager to deploy their devices across Washington, the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) says it will not rush to authorize the new technology without first addressing safety, accessibility, and regulatory concerns. At a Wednesday hearing before the D.C. Council’s Committee on

Google has announced plans to establish its largest artificial intelligence (AI) hub outside the United States in Andhra Pradesh, marking one of the most ambitious technology investments in India to date. The project, valued at USD 15 billion, is set to unfold between 2026 and 2030, transforming the southern state into a major centre for AI research, innovation, and digital infrastructure. The initiative represents a significant step in Google’s long-term strategy to expand its global AI ca

NEW JERSEY — Residents across New Jersey may soon notice changes in their mail delivery services as the United States Postal Service (USPS) rolls out a new generation of delivery vehicles and facility upgrades ahead of the busy holiday season. The transformation comes as part of the Postal Service’s sweeping $40 billion nationwide investment aimed at improving delivery speed, safety, and overall efficiency. The new delivery step vans, equipped with advanced technology and safety

Meta has unveiled a significant India-focused update for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, introducing three major features tailored for local users: UPI Lite payment support, full Hindi language integration, and an AI voice inspired by Bollywood star Deepika Padukone. These enhancements aim to improve accessibility, boost engagement, and make the glasses more relatable to Indian consumers. As part of Meta’s broader localisation strategy, the update reflects a growing emphasis on cultural

Amazon is reportedly preparing for another significant round of job cuts, this time targeting its human resources division as part of a broader organizational shift toward automation and artificial intelligence. According to people familiar with internal discussions, the company may reduce up to 15 percent of staff within its People eXperience and Technology (PXT) department, a key unit responsible for managing employee relations and corporate culture. While the exact number of layoffs and th

Concerns about artificial intelligence surpassing human capability have circulated for decades, but the arrival of accessible AI tools has renewed public unease about how these systems might reshape society. In Ohio, one state lawmaker has even proposed legislation to ensure that artificial intelligence systems cannot be legally recognized as people. While the idea may sound like science fiction, a researcher at Ohio State University believes it highlights an important misunderstanding of wha

Salesforce announced plans to invest $15 billion in San Francisco over the next five years to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence among businesses. The move reinforces the company’s goal to remain a leading force in enterprise software as AI-driven tools become an essential part of global business operations. The technology giant, founded and headquartered in San Francisco since 1999, has steadily integrated AI across its suite of cloud-based products, including the

In a massive boost to India’s digital infrastructure, Google has announced a $10 billion investment to establish a giga-scale AI and data centre hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This is part of a larger $15 billion plan over the next five years, marking the largest Google AI hub outside the United States, as confirmed by Google Cloud Global CEO Thomas Kurian. Kurian described the project as not just a technological investment but a transformational one. The facility will

When researcher Kevin Cantera from Las Cruces, New Mexico, began experimenting with ChatGPT at the education technology firm where he worked, he believed he was future-proofing his career. Encouraged by his supervisors, he adopted artificial intelligence as a daily assistant to streamline his writing, research, and communication tasks. His results were exceptional, and he quickly became one of the company’s most productive employees. But only months later, Cantera was unexpectedly

Two Ohio state lawmakers are proposing legislation that would expand the state’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws to protect residents from the growing threat of deepfakes and unauthorized digital impersonations. The bill seeks to apply the same principles that allow college athletes to profit from their personal brand to everyday Ohioans, ensuring that all individuals have control over how their likeness is used in the digital age. Republican state representatives Adam Mathew

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has announced its Winter Internship Programme for 2025, aimed at students who wish to gain practical experience in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and cybercrime investigation. The programme offers aspiring professionals a platform to learn directly from experts engaged in safeguarding India’s digital infrastructure. Applications must be submitted by October 17, 2025. The in

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has reported a significant decline in its global workforce, with nearly 20,000 employees exiting during the quarter ending September 30. The reduction, which is substantially higher than earlier projections, has drawn attention from employee advocacy groups and industry observers amid ongoing restructuring efforts at the technology giant. According to the company’s quarterly disclosure for Q2FY26, TCS’ total employee strength dropped from 6,13,069

India is rapidly emerging as an economic superpower, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit to Mumbai on Thursday. He highlighted that India, the world’s largest democracy, is on track to become the third-largest economy by 2028. “The United Kingdom is perfectly placed to be a partner in this journey,” Starmer said while addressing reporters in Mumbai. Earlier in the day, Keir Starme

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced a model curriculum for a Minor Degree in Defence Technology, marking a significant move toward strengthening India’s defence education framework. The programme is designed for undergraduate engineering and technology students who wish to pursue careers in defence research, the armed forces, and defence manufacturing industries. This initiative opens new opportunities for young engineers to contribute to the nation’s securit

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has expressed support for reforms to the H-1B visa programme in the United States but warned that the proposed $100,000 application fee could have serious consequences for innovation and access to global talent. Speaking in a recent discussion, he said the idea of tightening the system to prevent misuse was good in principle but added that such a steep financial barrier could transform the American dream into a privilege for the few. The proposed increase in H-

A UC Berkeley physicist has joined the ranks of Nobel laureates after being recognized for groundbreaking work that expanded the frontiers of quantum mechanics. John Clarke, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering experiments that reshaped the scientific understanding of how particles behave on a macroscopic level. Clarke shares the honor with Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis of the Univer

Livermore, California, has lost out to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in its ambitious bid to host Pacific Fusion’s $1 billion nuclear fusion research facility. The Livermore City Council had earlier approved a proposal packed with financial and tax incentives, but despite the effort, Pacific Fusion selected Albuquerque as the home for its new 225,000-square-foot research center. What Livermore Offered