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There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. US on track to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year: Official WASHINGTON: The US is on track to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year, a senior official has said, assuring that the Biden administration is committed this summer to make sure it processes all of the student visas for Indians whose school starts this fall. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu also told PTI in an interview this week that they are also prioritising work visas: H-1B's and L visas, the most sought-after by IT professionals from India. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of emplo

Lance Naik Kulwant Singh joined the army in 2010, 11 years after his father made the supreme sacrifice in the heights of Kargil.                 Kulwant Singh, soldier killed in Poonch terror attack attack, was son of Kargil war hero One the five jawans who made the supreme sacrifice in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh met a heroic end like his father who lost his life in the Kargil conflict in 1999. He had joined the army in 2010, 11 years after his father made the supreme sacrifice in the heights of Kargil. "Before leaving home, he told me that he would be fine and asked me not to worry," Lance Naik Kulwant Singh's mother told ANI. Kulwant is survived by a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son, who reside at Chadik village in Moga. The sarpach of the village said since Kulwant was the sole bread-winner of the family, the government should come forward to extend all help to his family. "Kulw

A disqualified MP is not entitled to a government accommodation and gets a one-month period to vacate his official residence.                    Last week, workers were seen moving around objects from 12 Tughlaq Lane. New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will vacate his official residence in central Delhi today, sources said. Soon after his disqualification as an MP of the lower house of the Parliament, the Lok Sabha Housing Committee, headed by BJP MP CR Patil, had sent him a letter asking him to vacate his 12 Tughlaq Lane bungalow, which he has been occupying since 2005, by April 22. Though he is required to move out according to protocol, Congress leaders have accused the Centre of political vendetta. A disqualified MP is not entitled to a government accommodation and gets a one-month period to vacate his official residence. The Gujarat court had given him 30 days to file an appeal, which he did, and lost on Friday. This meant Mr Gandhi cannot be reinstated as MP for now. The Bha

"Today was the 32nd day of the tulip show. More than 3.7 lakh tourists have visited the tulip garden so far, of whom more than three lakh were domestic tourists. The response of foreign tourists has also been very good as more than 3,000 of them visited the garden," Mr Rehman said on Friday.               Srinagar's renowned Tulip Garden has set a new record for number of tourist visits. Srinagar: The fame of Asia's largest tulip garden, situated on the banks of the Dal lake in Srinagar, has reached far-away countries like Argentina as a record 3.7 lakh tourists, including foreigners, visited it this season. The Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, which was earlier known as Siraj Bagh, has drawn tourists from all over the country and abroad, Inam-ur Rehman, the in-charge of the garden, told Press Trust of India. "Today was the 32nd day of the tulip show. More than 3.7 lakh tourists have visited the tulip garden so far, of whom more than three lakh were domestic touri

In a tweet, PM Modi said, "Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May the spirit of harmony and compassion be furthered in our society. I also pray for everyone's wonderful health and well-being. Eid Mubarak!"                            "Eid Mubarak!": PM Modi Greets Nation As India Celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr  New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and prayed for the health and well-being of all citizens. In a tweet, PM Modi said, "Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May the spirit of harmony and compassion be furthered in our society. I also pray for everyone's wonderful health and well-being. Eid Mubarak!" Meanwhile, the beautiful glimpses of people offering namaz nationwide emit positivity. Visuals from Delhi were a sight to behold. People hugged each other after offering namaz at Delhi's Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr. Speaking to news agency ANI, a man who came to offer namaz said, "I extend my

The Supreme Court decision effectively freezes the lower court rulings pending the an appellate court hearing of the appeal from the Justice Department and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories.                                            US Supreme Court Upholds Access To Abortion Pill  Washington: The US Supreme Court on Friday temporarily preserved access to a widely used abortion pill, freezing rulings by lower courts that would have banned or severely restricted availability of the drug. Two conservative justices disagreed with the decision in the most significant abortion case to reach the nine-member court since it overturned the constitutional right to the procedure 10 months ago. Without commenting on the merits of the case, the decision by the nation's highest court means that mifepristone, which accounts for more than half of the abortions in the United States, will remain available while the case plays out in an appeals court. The Justice Department of President J

The entire area of Tota-Gali-Bata Doriya, which has dense forests, has been cordoned off.  J&K Attack: Drones, Sniffer Dogs Used In Hunt For Terrorists Poonch: At least 12 people were detained on Friday for questioning in connection with the deadly ambush of five army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya here even as a MI helicopter, drones, and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of last afternoon's attack. Officials said that those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too. A day after the attack, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with Additional Director General police Mukesh Singh was camping in neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation. The two officers also visited the site. A National Investiga

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) expelled its Pune district president Balasaheb Chandore from the party for allegedly being involved in anti-party activities on Friday.   Mr Shinde said they rose to power to carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology.  Mumbai, Maharashtra: After expelled Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Balasaheb Chandore formally joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the latter on Friday welcomed him saying that the party will support you. "I welcome Balasaheb Chandore to Shiv Sena. I'm with you and this Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena is with you. You always worked for Shiv Sena its growth," Mr Shinde said, adding that they rose to power only to carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) expelled its Pune district president Balasaheb Chandore from the party for allegedly being involved in anti-party activities on Friday. The group of over 40 MLAs, who broke away from the erstwh

“As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition,” the defence ministry said, according to Tass. FILE: In this photo taken from video released by Russian TV Pool, Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) visits Mariupol in Russian-controlled Donetsk region in Ukraine. A Russian warplane accidentally discharged a weapon that exploded in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, late Thursday night, causing an explosion and injuring several people, Politico, quoting state media, reports. “At around 22:15 Moscow time on April 20, when a Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordnance occurred,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement to TASS, which didn’t specify the weapon that caused the damage, the report said. The Sukhoi Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber jet. Late on Thursday, local autho