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World Meteorological Organization predicts a weak La Nina
A weak La Nina may affect global weather patterns during the next three months, according to a World Meteorological Organization prediction published on Thursday. Though the La Nina pattern involves the temporary cooling of temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, many regions are still expected to be warmer than normal - increasing the chance of floods and droughts, which can impact crops, the WMO said.
There is a 55% probability that there could be a weak La Nina from this month until February next year, the WMO predicted. In mid-November 2025, oceanic and atmospheric indicators show borderline La Nina conditions, it added. There is a 65% to 75% chance that neutral conditions are likely for January to March and February to April 2026 respectively, the WMO said. The U.N. weather agency said it is not likely there will be an El Nino, a natural climate phenomenon that fuels tropical cyclones in the Pacific and boosts rainfall and flood risk in parts of the Americas and elsewhere. Seasonal forecasts and their impact on weather can translate into millions of dollars of economic savings for agriculture, energy, health and transport, said the WMO, adding thousands of lives can also be saved by preparing response actions.
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Trump admin orders H-1B, H-4 visa applicants to make social media profiles public
The US government has expanded screening and vetting measures for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, directing them to keep the privacy settings on all their social media profiles set to "public". In a new order issued Wednesday, the State Department said beginning December 15, a review of the online presence for all H-1B applicants and their dependents will be conducted. Students and exchange visitors were already subject to such scrutiny, which has now been extended to include those applying for H-1B and H-4 visas. “To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public',” the State Department said.
Underscoring that a US visa is a privilege and not a right, the department said it uses all available information in screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible or pose a threat to America's national security or public safety.
"Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," it said.
The department said the US “must be vigilant” to ensure applicants do not intend to harm Americans and that all visa applicants credibly establish eligibility and intent to comply with the terms of their admission.
The directive is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules.
The administration has launched a massive crackdown to check abuse of the H-1B visa programme, used largely by US technology companies to hire foreign workers.
Indian, US firms to make unmanned sea vessels
Pune-headquartered Sagar Defence Engineering, which has a tie-up with Liquid Robotics, a Boeing company, inaugurated its new plant in Pune today. The facility will manufacture sea-going uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs).The partnership between Sagar Defence and Liquid Robotics, announced earlier this year, aims to co-develop and co-produce advanced maritime systems.The USVs produced at the new facility will strengthen undersea domain awareness through local manufacturing. The initiative also advances the partnership under the US-India Major Defence Partnership framework by enabling co-production in undersea domain awareness, expanding industry participation and building production capacity across the Indo-Pacific region.
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