The freeze on security aid to Pakistan, announced by the Donald Trump Administration early this year has been incorporated in the $1.3 trillion spending bill which will fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal 2018. Congressional leaders, after weeks of negotiations, on Wednesday reached a deal on federal spending till September 30, two days before a deadline to fund the government or risk a shutdown. The 2,232-page draft bill provides the largest funding increase for the US military in 15 years and makes significant investments in national priorities like infrastructure a ... Read More

China has sold Pakistan a powerful optical tracking and measurement system that could speed up the development of multi-warhead missiles by Islamabad, according to a media report on Thursday. Chinese authorities declassified information about the deal through a statement on the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) website. The statement, evidence that Beijing is supporting Islamabad’s rapidly developing missile programme, said China is the first country to export such sensitive equipment to Pakistan. India and the US have long accused China of supporting Islamabad’s missile and nuclear ... Read More

Petitions for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, will be accepted from April 2, a federal agency announced on Wednesday. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions, which are subject to the annual caps. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China The ... Read More

China has announced it is building the world’s fastest wind tunnel to develop a new generation of super-fast airplanes, but it could also be used for hypersonic missile technology. Wind tunnels test how air will pass over a solid object, helping designers improve aerodynamics or reduce stress points for objects as they reach high speeds. State-run Xinhua news agency ran a report late Monday revealing the development of what it said would be the world’s fastest hypersonic wind tunnel. The 265-meter-long tunnel can be used to test hypersonic aircraft that can travel at speeds of up ... Read More

When President Donald Trump spoke critically Tuesday of an arms race that was getting out of control, he wasn’t talking about the one U.S. officials fret is gaining steam in the Middle East. But the comments, ostensibly aimed at Russia, were delivered alongside Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, whose own recent statements have raised concern among U.S. officials of an arms race between Iran and its regional foes. Trump on Tuesday welcomed Mohammed bin Salman on his second visit to the White House — the first stop in the young Saudi royal’s U.S. tour, which includes meetings in Silicon ... Read More

A German shepherd sniffed suitcases in an airport inspection drill, excitedly pausing near one bag from which a handler then pulled a satchel with plastic explosives. The exercise at the compound of the Jordanian police canine unit, staged for visitors this week, is part of the U.S. State Department's expanding Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program. The program has allocated Dollar 300 million this year to train and equip domestic security forces in partner nations — so far 21 out of a pool of 56. The aim is to improve the safety of U.S. diplomats and citizens abroad and to support U ... Read More