Month: April 2025

[ad_1] GURDASPUR: Pakistani Ahmadiyya brides living in their matrimonial homes in Punjab's Qadian town have breathed a sigh of relief after Union home ministry clarified that visa cancellations in the Pahalgam aftermath would not apply to long-term visas (LTVs). "No new visa will be issued, except for diplomatic, official, and LTV categories, which remain valid," says the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) memorandum issued on Friday. The clarification came after a wave of anxiety swept through Qadian, international headquarters of Ahmadiyyas in Gurdaspur district, where more than a dozen Pakistani-origin brides reside."These women were in complete shock," said Chaudhary Maqbool Ahmad, a social activist and Qadian resident who is also married to a Pakistani woman. "For days, they feared they would be expelled, even though their families, lives, and futures are here." [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: BJP on Sunday hit out at Congress over Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's "no need for war with Pakistan" remark and the statement of Karnataka minister R B Timmapur disputing the account that terrorists identified the victims by their faith before killing them."The entire country wants retaliation against those responsible for terror attacks. PM Narendra Modi articulated that feeling by vowing to pursue the attackers and their masterminds till the ends of the earth. It is so unfortunate that leaders of Congress should be echoing Pakistan's leaders at such a juncture. Siddaramaiah ji has only repeated what the foreign minister, defence minister and home minister of Pakistan had said earlier. Why should there be such a convergence of thoughts? Why Congress leaders have suddenly become the darlings of Pakistan's media?" BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, demanding an explanation from […]

[ad_1] Siddaramaiah (File photo) BENGALURU: Caught in the crosshairs for allegedly saying that India does not need a war with Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam attack, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday accused BJP and the media of misquoting him with a sinister spin."I never said no to war against terrorism and Pakistan... What I said was that war should be the last resort, and that war is not a solution for everything. These BJPians are fools and are misquoting me. So is the media," he said.Speaking in Bengaluru at an event to celebrate the completion of two years of his govt, the CM said, "If forced and if war is necessary, we know how to protect our sovereignty. India has proved this time and again. Throughout our history, we have protected our national integrity and sovereignty and shall continue […]

[ad_1] Neha Singh Rathore (Picture from X) LUCKNOW: An FIR was lodged against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore at Hazratganj police station for allegedly making objectionable remarks on social media regarding the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.Rathore, known for her folk songs and political commentary, allegedly used her X handle (@NehaSinghRathore) to post videos and statements questioning the deaths of the innocent victims in the Pahalgam attack. The posts reportedly made provocative statements that challenged the sanctity of the victims' deaths, inciting division along religious lines, says the complaint.The FIR, filed by poet Abhay Pratap Singh alias Abhay Singh 'Nirbhik', alleges that Rathore's remarks were not only inappropriate but also anti-national. The complaint alleges that her statements went viral in Pakistan, where they were praised by individuals and media outlets who viewed her comments as critical of India. Rathore's posts […]

[ad_1] Representative image (AI-generated) GURDASPUR: Confusion persists over whether a Pakistani Christian woman, married to a Punjab native and six-months pregnant, has returned home. Maria Bibi and Sonu Masih were last seen in a Gurdaspur hospital on Saturday, a day before the deadline for Pakistanis visiting India on short-term visas expired. Maria's case has drawn attention due to her pregnancy and love marriage with Sonu of Gurdaspur. There is no official confirmation on Maria's visa status, nor whether she had crossed Attari-Wagah border before its closure on Sunday. Sonu's whereabouts are also not known. Maqbool Ahmad, a social activist in Gurdaspur's Qadian, said late Saturday that Maria had been admitted to Gurdaspur civil hospital for treatment, after which the couple had not been seen. Maria Bibi was asked by the authorities to return to Pakistan even as she maintained that […]

[ad_1] VARANASI: Panic gripped Varanasi airport on Saturday night after a Canadian national aboard a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight claimed he was carrying a bomb just before take-off. The aircraft was swiftly moved to the airport's apron from the runway and checked for several hours by CISF and bomb disposal squad (BDS) before being allowed to depart on Sunday morning.Yohanathan Nishanth (23), a resident of Toronto, was arrested by Phoolpur police. Inspector Pravin Kumar said the man appeared to be under the influence. Canada high commission has been informed about the incident.DCP (Gomati Zone) Akash Patel said no explosive material was found in the aircraft after intensive checking by BDS and CISF personnel. Preliminary inquiry revealed Nishanth had shifted from his seat while the aircraft was moving to the runway. When cabin crew instructed him to return to his seat, he […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: India is keeping Pakistan on the edge by undertaking major muscle-flexing along the land and maritime boundaries, with the Army strongly responding to ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, the Navy conducting multiple missile firings by warships in the Arabian Sea and the IAF flying long-range day and night fighter sorties.As Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged small arms fire along the 778-km LoC for the third consecutive night, the Navy on Sunday declared it had conducted multiple firings of anti-ship missiles to "revalidate and demonstrate the readiness of its platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strikes".The ratcheting up of pressure seems part of the strategy to keep Pakistan unsettled till decisive strikes can take place in a cold, calculated manner if the govt so decides after factoring in the requisite escalation matrix without crossing […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Japanese major Takeda plans to launch its dengue vaccine, Qdenga, in India next year, partnering with Hyderabad-based Biological E (Bio E) to align with the 'Make-in-India' initiative. Having recognised dengue as a "global health challenge," the over $23 bn company will adopt a "tiered pricing model for its first global vaccine to maximise access'', Derek Wallace, president, global vaccine business unit, Takeda, told TOI in an exclusive interview. The company, with focus on oncology, rare diseases and gastroenterology, negotiates lower prices for centralised govt procurement on a country-by-country basis, and a similar strategy will be implemented in India, he said. Elaborating on the regulatory process, he said, it "is ongoing and on track", with clinical trials underway to generate local safety data. "We've already submitted a comprehensive data package that supported registration in 40 countries and we […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday attacked government, alleging that "sharpening inequality" is now firmly embedded in the nature of the country's economic growth. It also said there is a "compelling need for tax reforms in GST, ending brazen corporate favouritism and providing income support for families and incentives for household savings". World Bank has released its poverty and equity brief for India, and the report raises several concerns even as the Modi govt spins it to its benefit, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. World Bank has said, "Over the past decade, India has significantly reduced poverty. Extreme poverty defined as living on less than $2.15 per day fell from 16.2% in 2011-12 to 2.3% in 2022-23, lifting 171 million people above this line."Ramesh said as per calculations , poverty has continued its downward trend in recent years to […]