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5:29 AM

Mamata to launch scheme for development of rural roads

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will launch a scheme for development of rural roads at Singur in Hooghly district on Tuesday.

Under the 'Pathashree-Rastashree' scheme around 12,000 km of roads will be constructed or reconstructed in 29,475 villages of the state, a senior official of the Panchayat and Rural Development department said.

5:12 AM

Over 1 kg gold seized from two flyers by Customs

Gold weighing over 1 kg collectively worth over Rs 65 lakh was seized from two passengers, in separate cases, at the international airport here in the early hours of Tuesday, Customs officials said.

Based on passenger profiling, Customs Air Intelligence officers intercepted one male passenger who came by a flight from Dubai and on searching the passenger, three capsules of gold in paste form weighing 840 gm (approximately Rs 51.24 lakh value) was found concealed in rectum, a release from Customs said.

4:41 AM

Jamia violence: HC to order on plea against discharge of 11 accused today

The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce Tuesday its order on the police's revision plea against a trial court's order discharging 11 accused, including Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar and Asif Iqbal Tanha in the 2019 Jamia violence case.

 

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had on March 23 reserved the judgement on the plea. Violence erupted at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019 after a clash between the police and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters

4:24 AM

Dept of Immigration, Nepal govt issues alert for fugitive Amritpal Singh

The Department of Immigration, Nepal government has alerted its offices, particularly those at airports to prevent Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher from Punjab, India who could flee to a third country using Nepali territory either on his own passport or a fake passport, the Himalayan Times reported.

 

DG Jhalak Ram Adhikari told The Himalayan Times that Indian Embassy had written to his office seeking his office's help in stopping Khalistan separatist Amritpal Singh from fleeing to a third country.

4:08 AM

Wrong to assume fired H1B staffers have to leave country: USCIS director

Amid mass layoffs in the tech sector, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said it is wrong to assume that fired workers holding H-1B visa has to leave the country within 60 days and that they have multiple options to stay.

 

In a letter to the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou said, "When non-immigrant workers are laid off, they may not be aware of their options and may, in some instances, wrongly assume that they have no option but to leave the country within 60 days."

3:54 AM

Fire breaks out at warehouse in Delhi's Badarpur

A fire broke out at a warehouse in southeast Delhi's Badarpur area, causing the building to collapse, officials said on Tuesday.

No casualty has been reported so far, they said.

3:39 AM

China's transgressions remain trigger for escalation along LAC: Army Chief

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande on Monday said that China's transgressions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remain to be a "potential trigger" for escalation and that the Indian Army is firm' and resolute in dealing with any contingency on the border.

 

"I think the most important aspect of our operational environment remains our legacy, challenges of the unsettled and disputed borders. Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the territory continue to exist due to differing perceptions of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control. Transgressions remain the potential trigger for escalations. We have adequate reserves and are ready to deal with any contingency," he said.

3:28 AM

FIR against 13 cops in two cases in UP's Pilibhit after court orders

Thirteen policemen, including a station house officer, a sub-inspector, and 10 constables have been booked in two separate matters in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district on the orders of court of Chief Judicial Magistrate and Special Judge, SC/ST Act.

 

The cops are accused of allegedly demanding extortion money from a lawyer in the first matter and for keeping a Dalit man under illegal detention and hurling casteist abuses at him in the second matter.

 

 

3:27 AM

Washington watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts: US official

The United States is watching the court case of Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, an official has said while observing that Washington continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression.

 

Gandhi was on March 23 sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. A day later, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in the case.

3:25 AM

H-1B visa cap for FY 2024 reached, successful applicants informed: USCIS

The H-1B visa cap for the financial year 2024, beginning October 1, has been reached and all successful applicants have been informed about it, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has said.

 

In a statement on Monday, the federal agency said it has received enough electronic registrations during the initial period to reach the fiscal year 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption -- the master's cap.

3:25 AM

Walt Disney begins job cuts with goal of eliminating 7,000 positions

Walt Disney Co. has begun the first of what is expected to be 7,000 job cuts, a key part of a $5.5 billion savings drive the company announced in February.

 

The first group of employees will be notified over the next four days, Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said in a memo to staff on Monday. A second, larger round will happen in April, impacting several thousand workers. The last of the affected workers will receive notice before summer.