Author: Rahul M

Mexico lottery proceeds to support migrants in US Mexico City, Sep 20 (IANS) Mexican authorities said that the proceeds from a special National Lottery draw held on September 15 will be used to expand protection programs for vulnerable Mexican migrants, particularly those living in the United States. National Lottery chief Olivia Salomon said the draw generated sales of 338.5 million pesos (about 18.4 million USD), with net proceeds of 115.9 million pesos after prize payouts, Xinhua news agency reported. Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said the funds will be used to support six initiatives designed to strengthen Mexico’s…

Washington, Sep 20 (IANS) In a major setback for Indian tech professionals working in the United States and top tech companies, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to significantly curtail the H-1B visa programme. According to the proclamation, every application will now require a fee of $100,000 per year – an attempt to curtail the overuse of the visa programme and encourage hiring of domestic workers. Signing the proclamation on Friday, at the White House, Trump said the “incentive is to hire American workers.” “We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that,” Trump added.…

TORONTO — The Canadian government banned the Irish-language rap group Kneecap from the country Friday, saying the group has endorsed political violence and terrorism.The group has faced criticism for political statements seeming to glorify militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Hungary previously banned the group. Liberal lawmaker Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for combating crime, said Kneecap has “publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas” that goes beyond artistic expression.“Canada stands firmly against hate speech, incitement to violence and the glorification of terrorism,” Gasparro said in a video on social media. “Political debate and free speech are…

Focus Features Airing for six seasons on PBS — Channel 3 in its native England — “Downton Abbey” focuses primarily on the wealthy and powerful Crawley family in early 20th century England. But the massive ensemble includes not only the Crawleys, but also both their upper crust friends and the various housekeepers, ground staff, and other people who work for the Crawleys and their peers. So seemingly accurate is the franchise’s depiction of its era that some have wondered whether “Downton Abbey” is based on a true story. It’s not, but it…

Disney+ When George Lucas introduced the world to “Star Wars” in 1977, there were only two lightsaber colors: red and blue. The former was reserved for the bad guys, while the heroes wielded the latter, and that remained true until “Return of the Jedi.” In that film, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) carries a new saber to replace the one he lost, introducing green blades to the franchise. As “Star Wars” expanded into comics, books, video games, and more, additional colors were introduced, each with its own meaning. That all changed…

Bereaved Sri Lankan cricketer Dunith Wellalage will return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday night after paying his last respects to his late father, Suranga Wellalage, who died of a heart attack on Thursday. “Dunith Wellalage, who returned home to pay his last respects to his late father, will rejoin the team tomorrow morning. He will travel to the UAE tonight, accompanied by Team Manager Mahinda Halangode,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on Friday. The 22-year-old allrounder had played his first match of the Asia Cup against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi when his father passed away.…

It’s been called a masterpiece. Steven Spielberg has already seen it three times, and now moviegoers everywhere will get to know for themselves why the world is raving about Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest motion picture, “One Battle After Another.” Before you head to the theater, click above to watch our video, which will tell you everything you need to know about the film’s conception, release, and scripting — a one-stop rundown of everything you need to know about Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest. Paul Thomas Anderson’s recent resume has been stacked with a pile of indie…

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation as soon as Friday that would move to extensively overhaul the H-1B visa program, requiring a $100,000 fee for applications in a bid to curb overuse, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.Trump is set to sign a proclamation Friday, requiring the payment and asserting that abuse of the H-1B pathway has displaced US workers. The proclamation restricts entry under the H-1B program unless accompanied by the payment, added the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the policy before it was announced.Trump  also plans to order the…

The United States and China may have agreed on a deal to prevent the social platform TikTok from being banned in the US—if you take US President Donald Trump’s word for it. After a long-awaited call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, Trump announced victory on Truth Social: “The call was a very good one, we will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!”As for any details on the agreement, good luck. Specifics around the shape and scope of the deal remain largely unclear as of Friday…

A24 We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Did you go and see “Materialists,” the second movie from Academy Award-nominated writer and director Celine Song? Honestly, based on the movie’s box office haul over the last few months, the answer is probably no. Even with that said, the A24 movie just achieved a surprising milestone at said box office, becoming the first independent movie of 2025 to make over $100 million at the worldwide box office. With a combined haul of $36 million at the domestic box office…