Spouses of H-1B visa holders to get work permits in US

United States (US) has announced to provide work permits to spouses of H-1B visa holders from 26 May 2015. Under existing US laws, spouses of H-1B visa holders are not eligible to work. This announcement is expected to benefit thousands of talented and professional spouses who have settled in US but are unable to work. This move is going to benefit more than 1.79 lakh people in the first year and 55,000 annually in subsequent years, especially Indians.

UK becomes 1st country to legalise creation babies using three-person DNA

Britain has become the first country in the world to permit the use of “three-person IVF designer babies using Mitochondrial Donation Technique” to prevent incurable genetic diseases. Babies conceived through this IVF technique would have biological material from three different people – a mother, father and a female donor.

Austria passes controversial ‘Islam bill’ into law

The Austrian parliament voted by majority to approve a controversial bill on Wednesday, which aims to revise a historic law on the status of Muslims in Austria. Bill will prohibit foreign funding for Muslim organizations in the country and impose standardized German translation of Quran. Islam has been an official religion in Austria since 1912.

Mobile number portability all over India from May 3

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued, on Wednesday, the sixth amendment to the Telecommunications Mobile Number Portability Regulation 2009, which will facilitate full MNP (pan-India mobile number portability) with effect fr­om 3 May 2015. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) currently allows consumers to change their service provider while retaining the same number only within a telecom circle, which in most cases, is limited to a State. The new amended rule will allow mobile telephone users to retain their numbers by changing their operators in different telecom circles which in this case is different states across country.

Indo­-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran VIII started in Nepal

This exercise is the 8th edition of India-Nepal Battalion level Combined Military Training Exercise. It is being held at Saljhandi in Nepal. The main objective of the exercise is to promote cooperation in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations and cooperation in humanitarian operations. The exercise will end on 8 March 2015.