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US opens up skies for commercial drone operators The   Federal Aviation Administration   has unveiled long-awaited new rules that clear the way for small, commercial   drones   to operate across   US   airspace – but don't expect an aerial delivery from Amazon just yet. Under the FAA's rules, drone operators will be allowed to fly commercial craft weighing less than 25 kilograms during daylight hours, provided they can maintain a clear view of the drone at all times. While that effectively precludes the sort of robo-delivery services being developed by Amazon and other major vendors, the new rules will nonetheless ensure drones become increasingly commonplace in the skies. Drone operators no longer need a full pilot's license. Now, they must only be 16 years old, vetted by the Transportation Security Administration and able to pass an FAA test for a two-year certification. Previously, commercial drone users had to apply for waivers to operate ...

China to block India's NSG bid if Pakistan not included Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi  of his country’s support to India’s bid for the membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), even as China led five other countries at a meeting of the export control group in Vienna to stall the proposal. According to sources,  China  will approve of India’s membership only if Pakistan  is also included in the elite group. Modi, meanwhile, is likely to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 23-24, where India and Pakistan are likely to be admitted to the six-member group. China had objected to India’s entry to the SCO as well. However, it had relented once Pakistan’s request to join the group was accepted. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his country’s support to India’s bid for the membership of Nuclear Sup...

A US agency on  religious freedom  scheduled to visit  India  to discuss and report on the conditions in the country has been denied a  visa  by the Indian government. A three-member delegation of US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wanted to make a one-week visit starting today to meet with government officials, religious leaders and activists in India. Show full article

The  White House  has expressed doubts over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s claim that the country had developed hydrogen bomb. According to News.com.au, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said that they are concerned about North Korea’s “destabilising actions” but added that available information “calls into serious question” on claims that Pyongyang has a thermonuclear device. During a recent inspection tour of a historical military site, Kim mentioned that North Korea was already a “powerful nuclear weapons state ready to detonate self-reliant A-bomb and H-bomb to reliably defend its sovereignty.” Earlier, North Korea has tested three atom bombs, which rely on nuclear fission. Kim said in a speech marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling communist Workers’ Party on October 10, that he is prepared to wage war against the US if necessary.