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Biden told him to bring down the visa times in India, adding that it was the first instance that an ambassador was told to look into something like this in any country. Garcetti underscored that a part of the green card backlog issue is a legislative problem and said that it is what Congress will have to address. However, he highlighted that the number of visas that have been adjudicated has brought down the waiting time by 75 per cent.

The Port of Virginia, with terminals at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk, is opening a gate Monday at 5 a.m. — an hour earlier than usual — to help accommodate more truckers. The Port of New York and New Jersey, which is expecting additional cargo including autos, is working to allow quick access for transport companies that usually go through Baltimore. A major railroad is expanding its services, too. Fallout from last week’s deadly bridge collapse, which indefinitely closed the nation’s 17th-largest port by total cargo tonnage and the busiest gateway for vehicles, is expected to be largely contained as neighboring facilities with spare capacity tweak their schedules. Snarls, delays and added costs are more likely to appear outside ports as tens of thousands of shipments require longer routes on already-crowded roadways and rail lines.

India and Uzbekistan. Ambassador Sardor Rustambaev, who previously led the diplomatic mission of Uzbekistan in France and Portugal and recently took over as the head of mission in India, spoke exclusively to ET. How would you characterize India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership?

Reuters, the opposition emerged as a strong political force, with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu solidifying his position as Erdogan's main rival. Imamoglu led by a significant margin in the mayoral race in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, with the Republican People's Party (CHP) also securing victories in Ankara and 15 other cities.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is fighting back against the Opposition BNP’s India-Out campaign and has advised the BNP leaders and their families to first ban India made products in their homes before launching the malicious campaign. Last week Hasina launched an attack on BNP’s “India-Out” campaign on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day on March 26 advising the leaders of the Opposition party to first shun India made products at home and highlighted that even most kitchen items in Bangladesh are bought from India. “How many Indian saris do their wives have?” Hasina asked in a reference to BNP leaders at an event in Dhaka organised on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day observed on March 26.

India as part of its supply chain diversification strategy. In an interview with Viswanath Pilla, Elie Chaillot, president & CEO of GE HealthCare International, called on India to simplify tax structure, give adequate reimbursement schemes and easy financing to spur expansion of the Indian healthcare market and attract more investments. Edited excerpts: What makes you hedge your bets on India, which is a smaller market for your products? We think of India as a market and this market is growing in double-digits every year; it's going to continue to grow. We also think of what India can offer in terms of qualified human resources, and competitiveness of 'Make in India'.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis made renewed calls on Easter Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages in a peace-focused address marking the most important day on the Christian calendar. Francis presided over Mass in a packed St Peter's Square, and then delivered his «Urbi et Orbi» (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

Donald Trump and fellow Republicans assailed President Joe Biden on Saturday for what they called an assault on Christianity, after the US leader highlighted the Transgender Day of Visibility that this year coincides with Easter. It was the latest skirmish in the culture war shaping the White House race, as Trump seeks support from religious conservatives while Biden stakes his claim as the standard-bearer for an inclusive America.

Post 1991 reforms, stifling micro-regulation and directed credit gave way to allowing banks more freedom, deregulating interest rates, allowing greater, though limited, freedom in the forex market, issuing licences to private banks, and, more recently, presiding over the digitisation of financial transactions and entry of fintechs. From the time when it was derisively referred to as no more than a section of the finance ministry-BK Nehru, India's ambassador to the US in the 1960s, reportedly turned down the post of RBI governor, saying the bank lacked independence — to more recent times, when sitting and former finance secretaries to GOI vie for the job, RBI has come a long way.

BJP's manifesto committee for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the party has kickstarted the process for its preparation, which is likely to showcase the roadmap for a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India), and will hold its first meeting on Monday. The 27-member manifesto committee led by senior BJP leader and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh has 11 ministers besides four chief ministers of the party-ruled states. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed the convenor of the committee while Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has been made the co-convenor. The manifesto committe also has one BJP leader each from minority communities — including Sikh, Muslim and Christian.

Sadanand Vasant Date, who bravely fought terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attack, on Sunday took over the reins of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to an official statement. Date, a 1990 batch Indian Police Service officer of Maharashtra cadre, succeeded Dinkar Gupta, who superannuated on Sunday. Before joining the NIA, Date was serving as the chief of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Maharashtra. He has held several important positions in Maharashtra, including thoseof Police Commissioner of Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar, Joint Commissioner Law and order, and Joint Commissioner Crime Branch Mumbai, said the statement issued by the NIA.

Maharashtra has decided not to make any changes to ready reckoner rates for the financial year 2024-25. The rates--minimum per sq ft value set by the government used for calculation of taxes, premiums, etc--were last changed in 2022. The government of Maharashtra has fetched revenue worth nearly Rs 36,000 crore through stamp duty collection and registration charges in the financial year 2023-24. Realty developers expect the state government’s decision to maintain status quo on ready reckoner rates will support the sector, especially the affordable housing segment.

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on BJP stalwart L K Advani is a recognition of his enduring contributions to the nation's progress. President Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, on former deputy prime minister Advani at his residence here earlier on Sunday. Modi sat next to Advani as the President honoured the veteran leader. Besides Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Advani's family members attended the ceremony.

'important piece of Bharat' has caused troubles for Tamil Nadu's "fishermen brothers and sisters". In a video posted on Sunday, he trained guns on the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for "colluding in the ceding of Katchatheevu by Sri Lanka". Several BJP leaders, including top leadership such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmatharaman reacted to the report, slamming the Congress.

Narendra Modi, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Sunday said she would like to tell him that the message of Lord Ram's life is that power is not permanent and arrogance gets shattered. In her remarks before reading out the INDIA bloc's demands at a rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, Priyanka Gandhi said, «I have been coming to the Ramlila Maidan since childhood. Every year Ravan's effigy is burnt.» «When I was a kid, I used to come (here) with my grandmother Indira Gandhi Ji. She used to narrate Ram's 'jeevan gaatha' to me. Those in power today call themselves Ram bhakts. When I was sitting here, I thought that I should say something to them in this context,» the Congress general secretary said. Priyanka Gandhi said she thinks that those in power today are besotted with showoff and she wants to remind them of the thousands of years old tale and its message.

Congress in Bihar ahead of Lok Sabha polls, former state president Anil Sharma on Sunday quit the party, claiming that it was stuck in a «disastrous» partnership with the RJD. Making the announcement at a press conference here, Sharma also voiced disgust over the recent induction, «with much fanfare», of controversial former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav. «Today, the party leadership is busy with a rally in Delhi where it is talking of the need to save democracy. Sadly, though, no democracy can be seen in the Congress where even our duly elected national president can take no step without consulting Rahul Gandhi or his close aide KC Venugopal,» alleged Sharma. Sharma became the fourth former Bihar Congress president to have quit the party in nearly a decade. The latest instance was that of Ashok Chaudhary, who quit the party and joined JD(U) in 2018, a few months after a factional feud caused him to give up the state president's post.

Manipur Minister and ex-Speaker of the Manipur assembly, Irengbam Hemochandra Singh, resigned from the Congress party on Sunday. Hemochandra Singh, a five-time MLA from Singjamei, submitted his resignation letter to state Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh, citing his «complete lack of faith and confidence» in the party. “I took this decision with a heavy heart. The Congress has no relevance in Manipur," he told the media, describing the party as «rudderless and a sinking ship».

BJP on Sunday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over his «match-fixing» accusation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Congress government in the past handed over Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka clinching a «deal» with the neighbouring country to benefit the party's first family. The BJP's reaction came after Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of trying to do «match-fixing» in the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that if the BJP succeeds in its endeavours, the country's Constitution will be changed and people's rights taken away. Addressing a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also slammed the Congress over Gandhi's claim that the entire country will be on fire if the saffron party returns to power and the Constitution is changed, saying that divisive politics is in the «DNA» of the main opposition. The Congress did not hesitate to even allow the country's partition on the lines of religion in 1947 leaving a portion of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan's occupation, he charged.

Amit Shah on Sunday said former deputy prime minister L K Advani remained selflessly dedicated to national welfare and social upliftment throughout his life. Expressing happiness over the BJP patriarch being conferred with Bharat Ratna, Shah also said that Advani's life is «full of sacrifice, tenacity and dedication» and is an «unlimited source» of strength and inspiration to crores of people. «Today, being a witness to this historical moment, I am both happy and emotional. Honourable Shri LK Advani being honoured with 'Bharat Ratna' by Honourable President Smt. Droupadi Murmu is a proud moment for all of us. »Advani remained selflessly dedicated to national welfare and social upliftment throughout his life," he wrote on 'X' in Hindi.

Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday to express solidarity with arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, and urged people to vote out the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls to «save democracy and the Constitution». The leaders who were on the stage at the 'Loktantra Bachao' (save democracy) rally included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Sonia and Rahul Gandhi; NCP's Sharad Yadav, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray; Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and TMC's Derek O'Brien. Chief Minister Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren were also addressed the gathering, castigating the Central government over the arrest of their husbands in corruption cases.

Wall Street has always played a big role in politics, but never like this. Former President Donald Trump is tantalizingly close to tapping a multibillion-dollar windfall that could help pay his legal bills and give a much-needed cash injection to his presidential campaign. Almost no one saw it coming.