US proposes to hike minimum wages for hiring H1B workers
Washington, May 9: The US has proposed to increase the minimum wages paid to hire an employee under the H1B visa program by 30 per cent over the previously fixed limits, a move the administration claims will help prevent foreigners from undercutting wages of US nationals. The new rule, proposed by the US Department of Labour on March 27, seeks to increase the minimum wages for four categories from the entry-level to the most-experienced, contending that the existing wage levels were fixed 20 years ago and fail to adequately protect US workers. The new rule, which is now open to public comments till May 26, seeks to increase the prevailing wages for entry-level workers to USD 97,746, a hike of 33.39 per cent over the old rates, USD 123,212 (Level II, 24.47 per cent), USD 147,333 (Level III, 20.79 per cent), and USD 175,464 (Level IV, 21.68 per cent). (PTI)
Frontier plane hits pedestrian during takeoff at Denver airport
Denver, May 9: A Frontier Airlines plane hit a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate. The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 pm on Friday”, the airport’s official X account wrote. “We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.” The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that and “individual was walking across the runway”. The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now” before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.” (AP)
Top Sri Lankan monk held for alleged sexual abuse of minor
Colombo, May 9: One of Sri Lanka’s senior most Buddhist monks has been arrested for the sexual abuse of a minor girl, the police said on Saturday. Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, is the chief priest of a prominent temple in the country. He was taken into custody on Friday night after a magistrate’s court in the holy city of Anuradhapura issued an arrest warrant against him and the victim’s mother for allegedly aiding and abetting child abuse. The victim is a 15-year-old girl, who was allegedly abused in the premises of a temple in Anuradhapura. (PTI)
Peter Magyar to be sworn in as Hungary’s PM, ending Orban’s 16-year rule
Budapest, May 9: Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, arrived Saturday at the Parliament building to be sworn into office, ending Viktor Orban’s autocratic 16-year rule. Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party defeated Orban’s nationalist-populist Fidesz in a stunning blow last month, gaining more votes and seats in Parliament than any other party in Hungary’s post-Communist history. (AP)
