Month: May 2025

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered US embassies and consular offices to stop scheduling new visa interviews for student applicants as Donald Trump administration is considering strict vetting of applicants’ social media profiles, Politico reported.

This directive, laid out in a cable obtained by Politico, would mark a broader application of existing vetting procedures to restrict foreign students’ entry to American schools and colleges.

“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel, which we anticipate in the coming days,” the cable states. (“Septel” is State Department shorthand for “separate telegram.”)

While the cable does not detail what social media activity will be reviewed, it refers to executive orders focused on counterterrorism and antisemitism, Politico reported.

Previous guidance from administration included social media checks for returning students who had participated in protests related to Gaza. Many State Department officials have complained privately for months that past guidance, for, say, vetting students who may have participated in campus protests, has been vague.

Officials remain uncertain whether specific online content, such as displaying a Palestinian flag, would trigger further review, Politico reported.

The administration has previously criticized some universities, especially Harvard, over issues related to campus protests and antisemitism. It has also increased immigration enforcement efforts that have included student visa holders.

Earlier, the Donald Trump administration decided to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students.

Following Trump’s order, Harvard University condemned the decision as unlawful and unwarranted and said that the decision “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars.”

The university filed a legal complaint and announced plans to seek a temporary restraining order as it pursues all available remedies.

According to CNN, a federal judge had temporarily halted the Trump administration’s ban on Friday, after Harvard University filed a suit in federal court.

Harvard argued revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was “clear retaliation” for its refusal of the government’s ideologically rooted policy demands. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is part of the BJP MP Baijayant Panda led-delegation was hospitalised in Kuwait due to extreme heat.

In a social media post on X on Tuesday, Azad confirmed the same, further informing that he is recovering well.

“Blessed to share that despite the extreme heat in Kuwait affecting my health, by God’s grace I’m doing fine and recovering well. All test results are normal. Thank you all for your concern and prayers — it truly means a lot!” he said.

BJP MP Baijayant Panda, who is leading the delegation, said his presence will be missed in the next course of the delegation.

Taking to X, Panda said, “Halfway into our delegation’s tour, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad has had to be admitted to hospital. He is stable, under medical supervision, and will be undergoing some tests and procedures . His contributions to the meetings in Bahrain and Kuwait were highly impactful, and he is disappointed at being bedridden. We will deeply miss his presence in Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

Additionally, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed concern over Azad’s hospitalisation and wished him a speedy recovery.

“Concerned to learn that one of the high-profile delegation members sent out to bolster India’s narrative against Pakistani terrorism has been hospitalised in Kuwait. We wish him a speedy recovery,” Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the Baijayant Panda-led delegation has reached Saudi Arabia after presenting India’s stance against terrorism in Kuwait.

The delegation was welcomed by Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia council Friendship Committee of Shura Council.

“India’s stand on terrorism is resolute & uncompromising — a message we bring to Saudi Arabia with our all-party delegation. Appreciate the warm welcome by H.E. Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the – Friendship Committee Shura Council , as we begin key engagements to strengthen our growing partnership.” Panda wrote on X.

The all-party delegation led by Baijayant Panda includes BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla.

The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)

British singer Ed Sheeran has dropped a new video that has made his desi fans super excited.

The singer, who was in India earlier this year, posted a video on Instagram where he can be seen taking an auto ride in Mumbai and singing his new song, Sapphire. But what really caught everyone’s attention were the Punjabi lyrics. With desi vibes, a Mumbai auto, and Punjabi lyrics, Sapphire has generated quite a hype ahead of its official release on June 5.

The video also showed Ed enjoying the Mumbai streets, waving and giving high-fives to people while singing along to his track.

Along with the video, the singer added a caption that read, “Riding around the streets of India, missing high-fives. Sapphire out June 5th, 8:30am ET / 1:30pm BST / 6pm IST.”

Indian fans were quick to notice the Punjabi lyrics “Cham cham chamke sitaare wargi” in the song and flooded the comment section in no time.

One fan commented, “Cham Cham chamke SITARE VARGEE!!!” while another wrote, “Someone please give him an Aadhaar card already.” A third user added, “This is gonna be THE SONG of the year.”

Sheeran had been teasing the song for a while now. Earlier this month, he revealed on Instagram that his upcoming album Play was inspired by his emotional journey and his love for exploring cultures. He wrote, “Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that, I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.” (ANI)

NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, who is leading an all-party delegation, while interacting with the Indian community in Johannesburg, said the terror attack in Pahalgam has deeply hurt every Indian around the world.

While interacting with the Indian community in Johannesburg, Sule said that Prime Minister Modi extended a hand of friendship to neighbouring countries in 2014 when he took oath as Prime Minister, but the recent attack has shown that peace efforts have not been respected.

“When PM Modi took oath in 2014, he invited every neighbour to his oath ceremony to send a message that we wanted the subcontinent to be peaceful and happy and to grow together. But, unfortunately, with the Pahalgam incident, it has not happened. This incident has shaken every Indian everywhere in the world. I am happy South Africa has stood by India,” Sule added.

Sule stated that it’s PM Modi’s wish that Operation Sindoor must reach the global stage to show that India will not tolerate terrorism and will always stand for peace without sacrificing innocent lives.

She said, “It was PM Modi’s wish that Operation Sindoor shouldn’t be limited only to India and Pakistan… Pahalgam is the most traumatic and painful experience that we all have been through… A lot of innocent people’s lives have been destroyed. It was an attack on India’s soul. Hence, the truth must be told to the world that we won’t tolerate terrorism. India is a country that has never initiated a war ever; we stand by that. We want peace, but not at the cost of losing our hardworking, innocent souls…”

Highlighting Pakistan’s inaction following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, BJP MP Anurag Thakur, who is part of the same all-party delegation, stated that the Indian armed forces launched strong retaliatory strikes on nine terror sites.

“When Pakistan didn’t act for 15 days after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, our armed forces did something tremendous. Nine terror sites were attacked, and even they (terrorists) said that – 10 from the family have gone; it would have been better if I had gone too… Pakistan is the only country in the world, with 52 entities and individuals named in the UNSC list, which are affiliated with terrorism; all have links with Pakistan,” Thakur said.

He further added, “In Pahalgam, people were selected based on religion, and then killed in front of their kids and wives. TRF took responsibility for the attack. Pakistan is the country that spreads terrorism in India and the entire world…”

In the same interaction, Congress MP Manish Tewari said terrorism is “pure evil” and must be rooted out globally.

Tewari said India is reaching out to the international community to build consensus against countries that use terrorism as a tool of state policy.

“Terrorism has no religion, terrorism has no other manifestation. Terrorism is a pure evil which has to be exorcised from the body politic of this globe. And that is why, after this horrific attack in Pahalgam, where 26 of our citizens were executed in cold blood, we are reaching out to the global community to create a global consensus against those nations which use terror as an instrument of state policy.” Tewari stated.

Tewari emphasised India’s commitment to a peaceful neighbourhood, saying, “India has always believed in a peaceful neighbourhood. We continue to believe in a peaceful neighbourhood, but we will not and cannot tolerate terrorism, which is being sponsored by Pakistan now going back 45 years.”

An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Supriya Sule, MP, Lok Sabha, commenced the South Africa engagement on May 27, in Johannesburg, with a community interaction, to reiterate India’s message against terrorism, as per the release.

Indian delegation conveyed India’s zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism. The delegation shared that Operation Sindoor, conducted by Indian in response, was calibrated, targeted and proportionate, demonstrating India’s commitment to countering terrorism without escalating tensions. They emphasised the need to stop differentiating the terrorists and their backers and dismantle the cross-border terrorism infrastructure, developed and used against India for several decades.

The members of the delegation are Members of Parliament Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent. Representative of India to the UN.

On Wednesda, the delegation will visit Cape Town for meetings in the South African Parliament and with South Africa’s Ministers of Government. (ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the state government will initiate an advertisement for a fresh recruitment drive for teachers by May 30, the last date set by the Supreme Court to issue notification in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case is May 31.

Mamata Banerjee said, “We have filed a review petition in Supreme Court C in the SSC recruitment case. But there is summer vacation in the Apex Court at the moment. We have created a process in which the review petition will be in progress and issue of advertisement will also be done. The SC has already set a deadline of May 31 to issue notification for teachers recruitment. There are two parts. One group is C group D and the other is teachers. We have already informed that we are with the teachers so that they get back their jobs.”

The top court also directed the West Bengal government and the WB Staff Selection Commission to issue advertisements for fresh recruitment of assistant teachers by May 31 and to complete the entire process by December 31.

She further said that the review petition is still pending and there is summer vacation in the Court.

“We are issuing notification by May 31 for fresh recruitment and if we get good result in the review petition we will go by that. Both options are open. We will issue an advertisement and file affidavit by May 30. Commencement of online application will be done till 16 June. Last date of online application will be July 14. We have kept 2 months extra if there is delay in review petition. Publication of panel will be done by Nov 15 and counselling will also be done by November. Advertisement will be published for 24,203 vacant posts in Govt schools which is deemed to be vacant according to HC orders,” she added.

She further said that the teachers can continue to work till December without much bother.

“Additional posts created for 11,517 vacancies for 9 & 10 teachers and 6,912 for classes 11 and 12. 571 vacancies for Group C and 1000 for Group D. There will be an age relaxation so that everyone can appear in the exam. We will give an experience advantage to those who have worked for so long. For Group C and D separate departments will be created and it will be focussed after issue advertisements for fresh recruitment of assistant teachers. SC has said that they would get salary till December so they should appear in the exams,” she further added. (ANI)

An all-party delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, arrived in Panama City for a three-day visit after concluding their visit to Guyana. The delegation will be in Panama from May 27-29.

During the visit, the Members of Parliament will be interacting with Panamanian leadership and key interlocutors from media, strategic community, Indian community and diaspora, and friends of India in Panama, according to Indian Embassy in Panama statement.

In a statement shared on X, Indian Embassy in Panama stated, “An all-party parliamentary delegation from India, led by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, will be visiting the Republic of Panama from 27-29 May 2025 to convey India’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

The delegation, led by Shashi Tharoor, comprises Members of Parliament – Sarfaraz Ahmed, G M Harish Balayogi, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mallikarjun Devda, Milind Deora and former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

In a statement, Indian Embassy in Panama stated, “The delegation will be interacting with Panamanian leadership and key interlocutors from media, strategic community, Indian community and diaspora, and friends of India in Panama, underlining our strong message of unity and brotherhood as well as India’s collective resolve to fight against the scourge of terrorism.”

In a post on X, Indian Embassy in Panama stated, “Parliamentary delegation reached Panama. Ambassador received and welcomed the All Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Dr Shashi Tharoor, at the Airport. The delegation is in Panama to convey India’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism.”

🇮🇳 India Panama 🇵🇦

|| Parliamentary Delegation
reached Panama ||

Ambassador received and welcomed the All Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, at the Airport

The delegation is in Panama to convey India’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism pic.twitter.com/TcgiQcQft0

— India in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (@IndiainPanama) May 27, 2025

Earlier in the day, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who is part of the delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, described the visit to Guyana as “fruitful and productive.”

He further stated that President Mohamed Irfaan Ali reaffirmed Guyana’s support for India and also expressed interest in deepening economic cooperation.

While speaking to ANI, Sandhu said, “We had outstanding interactions with the President himself, and we were also invited to participate in the Independence Day celebrations. The President has been very clear as far as terrorism and support for India is concerned. He also discussed investments with the delegation. He showed a lot of interest in making Guyana a platform for Indian investments into the Caribbean and South America. We also had very good interactions with the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and other ministers. We also met the Vice-President. This has been a very fruitful and productive visit.”

In a diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, the central government has formed seven multi-party delegations to inform nations about Pakistan’s links to terrorism and India’s strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by terrorists, in which 26 people were killed and several others were injured. (ANI)

Stating India is not just the “second largest partner” for Slovenia in Asia but also “the most important partner” for European Union, National Council of Slovenia President Marko Lotric on Tuesday said the Pahalgam terror attack was “totally not acceptable.”

In an interview with ANI, he spoke spoke about the meeting with all-party delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozh, to inform nations about Pakistan’s links to terrorism, he felt “deeply sorry” for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people were brutally killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

“First, I am deeply sorry for the whole life lost in this terrorism attack on 22nd of April. India is not just the second largest partner for Slovenia in Asia, but also India is also the most important partner for all European united, so European Union and such kind of meetings really lead to a better future. We exchange our position and our point of view is that we want really peace not just in our countries, but all around the world. Not just in this case where somebody attacked your people, which is totally not acceptable.”

“We have to look around and how to protect the civil population and also how to encourage the leaders… our future, not in nuclear weapons, not in, different kind of provocation, but our future, common future, should be how to establish democracy, rule of law and …peace,” he added.

Earlier in the day, all-party delegation led by Kanimozhi met Mark Lotric at the National Assembly in Slovenia and conveyed India’s resolute stance of zero-tolerance towards terrorism.

Indian Embassy in Slovenia said that the MPs, during the meeting, appreciated Slovenia’s role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in promoting global peace and its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism that needs to be eradicated.

When asked how Slovenia’s National Council can support India’s effort in combating terrorism, he said, “Our National Council of Slovenia is the second home of Slovenian parliament and we call also the first home of civil society. Why for? because civil society give us daily questions and maybe also the answers what we have including in our, let’s say, our laws and our respect for the daily life in the country. So, we know what happened all around the world. It’s crucial that we support the right position, the right way, the right partner and such of meetings are this. So please go to the multilateral, also organizations like UN Security Council, and on this topic we exchange and the use and try to find the solution.”

He termed the Pahalgam terror attack unacceptable and on Operation Sindoor, he said that Slovenia stands with India to protect the people.

“This attack is terrorism attack. Its not acceptable and this is what we stand together to protect the people in India and India itself. Of course, our voice will always go to the peace to protect the right way, doesn’t matter who is bigger and who is smaller,” Lotric said.

“So, in this case, India is with 1.4 billion citizens, is incredible bigger and I know that your power is on the top in the world. So, thank you that you let’s say take this problem with hand of peace. You stop this attack on the the way that not die people anymore. So, really thank you and your such approach to this problem. I wish you that the problem with India and Pakistan …go away forever..,” he added.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people and injured several others. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant saved his best for the final group stage fixture of the 18th season of the IPL. He blazed his way to an unbeaten 118(61) to power the hosts to 227/3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday at the Ekana Stadium.

Pant and Mitchell Marsh (67) put in a swashbuckling batting effort and decimated Bengaluru’s depleted bowling attack to put a daunting total on the board. Bengaluru needs to break the shackles and chase record books, considering they have chased a 200-plus score twice in IPL history, and the highest target that has been pursued at the Ekana Stadium stands at 207.

The Super Giants captain stayed untill the end and kept hitting Bengaluru bowlers for boundaries. His unbeaten 118 were laced with 11 fours and nine sixes. He struck at a strike rate of 193.44.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Nuwan Thushara ensured RCB got off to an authoritative start by cleaning up Matthew Breetzke’s (14) off-stump with a low full toss. The South African missed the drive completely, and the stump went for a walk in the third over.

Pant surprisingly promoted himself in the batting order and ensured Lucknow walked out of the powerplay unscathed with 55/1 on the board. Marsh exuded his brute force and clubbed it flat and hard over square leg for a maximum in the 8th over.

Lucknow’s captain strode forward on the first ball of the ninth over and picked up Suyash Sharma’s variation to hammer the ball past the boundary rope. He reeled off back-to-back fours to take 16 runs and brought up his fifty as Lucknow crossed the 10 overs with 100/1.

The boundary fest continued in the following overs, and Marsh brought up his seventh half-century of the season by dispatching the ball over deep mid-wicket. Pant continued to torment Suyash with a four and a six to take 13 runs from the over.

Pant continued to deal with sixes and bashed Romario Shepherd to keep the high run flow intact. Marsh battered Bhuvneshwar Kumar with back-to-back sixes, but India’s ‘Prince of Swing’ had the last laugh by deceiving the Western Australian to give away an outside edge straight to Jitesh Sharma.

With the 152-run partnership broken and momentum lost, Nicholas Pooran joined hands with Pant at the crease to finish Lucknow’s innings on high. Pant exuded confidence by carving the ball towards the boundary rope for a four on the final delivery of Bhuvneshwar’s over.

In the 18th over, he swept the ball away for a four to bring up his first IPL ton of the season and celebrated it with a somersault as Lucknow’s dressing room celebrated with a loud roar of applause.

Dayal continued to flounder his lines against Pant. The 27-year-old’s explosive fest continued in the penultimate over. He opened the face of his bat to pick up a four and then topped it up by pulling the ball away for a maximum.

Pooran welcomed Shepherd in the final over by slicing the ball away for a four. Pant flaunted his six-hitting prowess by flicking the full toss into the stands. Pooran’s short-lived 13(10) met its conclusion after he holed it straight to Dayal. Abdul Samad ran for a single on the final ball as Lucknow finished with 227/3. (ANI)

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga has stirred speculation on social media with a fiery post that many believe targets an unnamed actress who was earlier part of his upcoming film, “Spirit”.

Though he did not name anyone directly, many believe Vanga was referring to Deepika Padukone, who reportedly stepped away from the project recently.

In a post shared on his official X handle, Vanga voiced frustration over a broken “unsaid NDA” and alleged betrayal of trust, and wrote, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100 per cent faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…”

“Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it,” he continued.

While the director did not confirm the identity of the actress in question, his reference to a female lead exiting ‘Spirit’, and being replaced by a “younger actor,” aligns with recent reports involving Deepika Padukone, who was initially cast opposite Prabhas in the film.

In March 2025, rumours surfaced online alleging that the plot of Spirit had been leaked, with some claiming similarities to the Tamil film ‘Theri.’

However, the source of the leak remains unverified, and no direct evidence has been presented linking Padukone or any other actor to the incident.

Shortly after Deepika’s departure, the film’s makers confirmed that actress Triptii Dimri, who previously appeared in Vanga’s blockbuster ‘Animal’, will now play the female lead in Spirit.

Vanga shared the update on Instagram and wrote, “The female lead for my film is now official :-)”

Triptii also took to social media to express her gratitude and wrote, “Still sinking in… So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga… Honoured to be a part of your vision.”

The announcement was met with enthusiasm from fans, with many praising Dimri’s previous performance and expressing excitement about her collaboration with Vanga once again.

‘Spirit’, directed by Vanga and produced by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures, is one of the most anticipated upcoming films starring Prabhas in the lead role.

The film has attracted significant attention due to its high-profile cast and the director’s last blockbuster, ‘Animal.’ (ANI)

In a second incident within a week involving intrusion attempts at the residences of prominent Bollywood actors, an unidentified woman allegedly tried to trespass into actor Aditya Roy Kapur’s Mumbai home on Tuesday.

The Mumbai Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter based on a complaint lodged by the actor’s domestic staff.

According to police sources, the woman attempted to gain illegal access to the actor’s residence.

However, her entry was thwarted, and authorities were alerted promptly by the household help.

No official statement has been released by the actor or his team regarding the incident as of now.

This comes on the heels of multiple high-profile security breaches at Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments, earlier this month.

In the most recent of those incidents on May 22, a woman was detained by the Mumbai Police after she was found attempting to enter the building unlawfully.

Police confirmed that the woman was stopped before reaching Khan’s private quarters and is currently under interrogation.

Her identity and origin are being verified, and officials have yet to determine whether she is a local resident or someone who travelled from another region.

In a separate but related case, on May 20, a male intruder from Chhattisgarh was caught trying to stealthily enter the premises of Galaxy Apartments.

The alert security team managed to intercept him in time and handed him over to law enforcement authorities.

A preliminary inquiry has confirmed his identity and hometown, though his motives remain under investigation. (ANI)