News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Community Cryptocurrency Chief Manpreet Kohli Facing Extradition From UK To US On Fraud Charges State Dept. Pauses Immigrant Visa Appointments Worldwide, Says Staff Need Training T he British-based chief executive of a cryptocur- rency company who is wanted in the United States on charges of wire fraud and market manipulation faces being sent to the U.S. to stand trial after he lost his fight against extradition last week. Manpreet Kohli, a 45-year-old Indian national, was the leader of Saitama, a company that promoted a token on the ethereum blockchain, which at one point had a market value of $7.5 billion. He was arrested in London in 2024 after U.S. pros- ecutors accused him and more than a dozen others of engaging in widespread fraud, following an investigation in which the FBI for the first time set up a digital token to ferret out crime. Prosecutors alleged Kohli and his co-conspirators claimed to be holding and purchasing Saitama tokens, while privately selling them for millions of dollars in profit. Kohli is said to have made around $20 million. Kohli fought against extradition, including on the grounds that in the U.S. there would be inadequate mea- sures to prevent him taking his own life in custody. But Judge Samuel Goozee rejected Kohli’s challenge on August 19 and sent his case to British ministers to decide whether to order his extradition, a step which is usually a formality. “I find there are clearly appropriate arrangements in place both during transit and within the prison system in the U.S. to be able to cope with (Kohli’s) mental health and reduce the risk of suicide to an acceptable level,” Goozee said in his ruling. Kohli remains free on £200,000 ($272,420) bail and can appeal against the ruling. He could not be contacted for comment. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Boston rejected his bid to have the indictment against him dismissed on the grounds that the Saitama token cannot legally be considered a security subject to regulation under U.S. securities law. Kohli’s U.S. lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - Reuters T he Trump administration has temporarily paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide, saying it needs time to train all consular staff on screen- ing applicants who might become dependent on public benefits. Appointments for visa services at U.S. embassies were being “adjusted” because of the “global training initia- tive” launched this month, the State Department said in a statement. It did not say when the appointments would resume. “A more prosperous America means ensuring that visa applicants are not likely to become a public charge, as defined under U.S. law and regulation, and not likely to become dependent on U.S. public benefits reserved for qualified Americans in need,” the statement said, adding the training would ensure consular officers “are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehen- sively and consistently.” A former State Department official said immigrant visa appointments worldwide had been paused Monday through the end of the month. The training materials were being rolled out after a federal judge struck down the administration’s 75-country visa ban, which was framed as a way to prevent immigrants from entering who might use public benefits, on Friday. As of Tuesday, the training materials still had not been disseminated, said the former official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information on internal operations. President Donald Trump has made several moves to tighten legal immigration pathways to the United States since his return to office last year. Many of those efforts have faced legal challenges. In Friday’s ruling, the judge said that the visa ban violated antidiscrimination protections in federal im- migration law, and was “a direct abrogation” of consular officers’ exclusive, congressionally granted authority to determine if someone is eligible for a visa. The Trump administration has also taken other steps to curb migration. On Tuesday, the State Department said it planned to revoke the business and tourism visas of people who have claimed asylum after arriving in the country. It is expected to affect those granted B1 and B2 visas – typically issued for tourism and business travel – between 2016 and 2026, who have sought asylum or are now seek- ing asylum. The department did not confirm the number of visas that could be revoked, but said it would be done on a “rolling basis.” The department has also proposed charging employ- ers seeking skilled foreign workers through the H-1B visa program a $103,265 fee, according to a regulation posted Monday. The administration argues that the H-1B program, cre- ated by Congress in 1990, has been used to take jobs away from Americans. Trump attempted to introduce a $100,000 fee last year through a presidential proclamation, but it was invali- dated by a federal judge in June. - TheWashington Post By AoifeWalsh, Ted Hesson Statement From Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller on Mass Immigration Arrests RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 27, 2026 A s an immigrant, I know the promise of this country and the profound responsibility we have to protect it. We can enforce our laws and remove violent offenders without treating entire communities as threats. Public safety depends on trust. When people are afraid to go to work, take their children to school, seek medical care, or cooperate with law enforcement, that trust is broken— and all of us are less safe. Maryland will continue to stand for both public safety and the basic dignity and constitutional rights of every person who calls our state home. Those principles are not in conflict. They are fundamental to who we are. Marylanders deserve to feel safe in their communities. That means holding violent offenders accountable. It also means ensuring that every person is treated with dignity and afforded their constitutional rights. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s own numbers, only a fraction of the more than 1,300 people arrested across Maryland and Virginia had been convicted of or charged with crimes. Sweeping through neighbor- hoods, separating parents from their children, and creating fear among families and workers does not make us safer. PHOTO:GOVERNOR.MARYLAND.GOV Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller News India Times (August 29, 2026 - September 4, 2026) September 4, 2026 8 US Affairs