FA few days before April 20—his 76th birthday—four-time Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu elevated his only son, TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh, to the post of working president, effectively appointing him as the party’s undisputed heir apparent.
शुक्रवार को धारचूला में आदि कैलाश यात्रा का विधिवत शुभारंभ हो गया। 200 से अधिक श्रद्धालु भगवान भोले का जयकारा लगाते हुए शिवधाम के लिए रवाना हुए। नगर के तवाघाट चौराहे पर एसडीएम आशीष जोशी और सीओ कुंवर सिंह ने संयुक्त रूप से आदि कैलाश यात्रा के पहले दल को हरी झंडी दिखाकर गुंजी के लिए रवाना किया।
एसडीएम जोशी ने बताया कि यात्रा के लिए अब तक 500 आवेदन प्राप्त हो चुके हैं। 350 यात्रियों को परमिट जारी किया गया है. दिल्ली से पहुंचे दंपत्ति रामभोले और अनीता ने बताया कि वे छठी बार आदि कैलाश यात्रा पर जा रहे हैं। वहीं, आदि कैलाश यात्रा शुरू होने से व्यास घाटी शहर के होम स्टे संचालकों, टूर ऑपरेटरों और होटल व्यवसायियों में खुशी है.
actor Varalakshmi Sarathkumarwith his father R SarathkumarReached Tirumala Venkateswara Temple on Friday morning to offer prayers.The father-daughter duo were seen taking blessings of Lord Sri Venkateswara in the temple premises. He also welcomed the paparazzi waiting outside and posed for pictures with fans gathered there.Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, situated on the seventh peak of the Seshachalam hills, is one of the most revered Hindu temples in India. This centuries-old temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, also known as Balaji, attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad every year.Several celebrities have also visited the temple in recent weeks.Earlier, actors Vivek Oberoi and Shamita Shetty were seen in the temple.Actress Tamannaah Bhatia also arrived in traditional attire recently. Femina Miss India 2020 Manasa Varanasi also offered prayers at the dargah.Earlier, former Indian cricketer Mithali Raj and current Indian badminton player Srikanth Kidambi Visited Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati district. On April 3, actor Shriya Saran visited the temple in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, worshiped Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy in a traditional and spiritual form.
China has transformed vertical transportation with the unveiling of the world’s longest outdoor escalator. Spanning an impressive 905 meters, this engineering marvel is located in Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality. Shaped like a dragon, it helps visitors climb the 80-storey climb in just 20 minutes. This innovation has replaced the tiring one-hour mountain trek. The project can transport 7,300 people each hour. Engineers used eco-friendly materials such as reinforced concrete and structural steel, ensuring that the construction fits seamlessly into the surrounding limestone karst landscape. It offers tourists a sustainable way to explore one of China’s most challenging terrains at high altitude.
Wushan Sky Ladder can accommodate a large number of passengers. It uses a complex transportation system with 21 outdoor escalators and two large-capacity elevators. As mentioned ChongqingThis setup was rushed to be completed before the Spring Festival, in order to reduce travel stress during holidays in the Three Gorges area. With a straight vertical route, it skips winding roads, providing an eco-friendly route that minimizes the impact on Wushan’s steep landscape.
According to UNESCO, the construction of a high-capacity transit system in the Wushan area demands strict compliance with ecological protection standards. The area is part of the South China Karst, famous for its soluble limestone and unique biodiversity. The Sky Ladder project respects this fragile environment. It uses modular construction methods that minimize soil disturbance on a steep slope of 242.14 meters (794 ft). Unlike conventional road expansion, this vertical landmark offers an environmentally friendly solution. It preserves the natural drainage patterns of the Yangtze River basin and still allows high-density pedestrian movement.
The Sky Ladder project fits in perfectly with China’s national policies that focus on increasing access to top-rated scenic areas and promoting ‘smart tourism’. Instead of challenging climbs, visitors can now use automated vertical transportation, making it easier for older people and those with mobility problems to enjoy high-altitude views. The project is part of a larger plan to boost the potential of tourism sectors. The aim is to ensure that the infrastructure supports growing domestic tourism demands while keeping everything safe and efficient.
Step outside into 45-47°C heat and it is not just uncomfortable. It is immediate and overwhelming. The sun beats down relentlessly as the air feels heavy and unbearably still, hitting your face like a wave from an open furnace and clinging to the skin even as you step into shade. Within minutes, the body begins to slow. The throat dries, the eyes strain, and even standing still becomes tiring. The surroundings start to feel almost dizzying as roads shimmer in the distance and metal surfaces grow hot enough to burn on contact. The city no longer feels like it is moving through seasonal heat. It feels trapped under it.Indoors, relief isn’t the same for everyone. While air conditioning offers escape for some, it remains out of reach for many Indian households, and even where it is used, cooling systems push out waste heat into already dense urban spaces, adding to the surrounding temperature burden. For others, walls absorb heat through the day and release it slowly at night, keeping rooms warm well past sunset. Sleep is often disrupted, recovery remains limited, and for many, there is little escape from the cycle, often stretching for months.Scorching summer heat is not unusual in India, but this year it has arrived in sharper bursts, earlier than expected, and with greater intensity. In April, large parts of the country were already under heatwave conditions, with temperatures crossing 40°C in several regions and climbing close to 45°C in some pockets. Akola in Maharashtra recorded the highest temperature at 46.9°C as Vidarbha region entered an early-summer heatwave, briefly placing multiple Indian cities among the hottest in the world during peak afternoons even before May.In late April, a few isolated spells of rain offered brief relief, cooling conditions in parts of the country for short periods, but the respite did not last. The heat has returned in waves, keeping large regions locked in a cycle of rising discomfort. During this period, global temperature trend data showed that 95 of the world’s 100 hottest cities were in India, underscoring how widespread and intense the heat had become even before peak summer had fully set in.
Top 10 hottest cities in the world as on May 1, 2026
This year’s heat is unfolding alongside a shifting global climate pattern. In the equatorial Pacific, El Niño is a naturally occurring ocean-atmosphere phenomenon marked by warming sea surface temperatures and weakening trade winds. It is part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation system that influences weather across the world by altering rainfall, wind patterns and heat distribution.When it strengthens, it can intensify extreme heat, disrupt India’s monsoon and raise global temperatures. The World Meteorological Organization has indicated that conditions are tilting towards a likely El Niño development around mid-2026. This raises concerns of additional stress on an already warming world, particularly for India as this period coincides with the monsoon onset and can significantly affect the agrarian sector.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that describes the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is part of a larger system known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral conditions.Under normal conditions, trade winds push warm surface waters westward toward Asia and Australia, while cooler waters rise along the South American coast. During an El Niño event, these trade winds weaken or reverse. As a result, warm water shifts eastward, disrupting the ocean-atmosphere balance.This shift has global consequences because the Pacific Ocean strongly influences atmospheric circulation. Changes in sea surface temperature alter rainfall patterns, jet streams and storm formation across continents.El Niño typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts around nine to twelve months. Its impacts vary by region but often include drought in Australia, Indonesia and parts of South Asia, and heavier rainfall in parts of South America and East Africa. It can also influence tropical storm activity, reducing hurricanes in the Atlantic while increasing them in the Pacific.
What is El Niño
Importantly, El Niño does not operate in isolation. In a warming world, its impacts are amplified. A hotter baseline means that when El Niño adds extra heat to the system, extreme weather events intensify. This is why recent strong El Niño years have been linked to record global temperatures.
El Niño is one of the most influential climate drivers as it alters global atmospheric circulation, reshaping weather patterns across continents within months.Some of the strongest El Niño events in modern history include 1982 to 1983, 1997 to 1998 and 2015 to 2016. The 1997 to 1998 event was among the most intense and was linked to flooding in parts of South America, severe drought across Southeast Asia and Australia, and widespread wildfires in Indonesia. The 2015 to 2016 event contributed to global temperature spikes and major regional disruptions.For India, El Niño has a well-established relationship with the southwest monsoon. It is often associated with below-normal rainfall, delayed onset and uneven distribution. Years such as 1987, 2002, 2009 and 2015 saw weak monsoon performance and drought-like conditions in several regions. It is also linked with increased likelihood of intense pre-monsoon heat, raising heatwave risk across northern and central India.Historical records show how El Niño can intersect with food insecurity. The 1877 to 1878 event coincided with severe drought conditions across multiple continents and is associated with the global famine period of 1877 to 1879. Research links this period with widespread mortality in India and China, shaped by climatic stress interacting with structural vulnerabilities. Climate variability acted as a trigger, but outcomes were shaped by deeper social and economic conditions.What is increasingly important today is that these natural cycles are unfolding on a warmer global baseline. This amplifies their effects, increasing heat extremes and sharpening rainfall contrasts across regions.
A “super” El Niño refers to an unusually strong version of the climate phenomenon, marked by sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific rising by at least 2°C. Such events are rare, occurring only a few times since 1950, with just one instance pushing beyond 2.5°C.Scientists say the stronger the warming, the greater the likelihood that El Niño’s global impacts are intensified, including heat extremes, disrupted rainfall patterns and shifts in monsoon systems.According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is about a one-in-four chance of such a strong or “super” El Niño developing by the coming autumn or winter. However, researchers caution that forecasts made in spring can be less stable, as seasonal transitions often introduce uncertainty in climate patterns.Even so, early indicators are already pointing towards a potentially strong event. Dr Paul Roundy, professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the State University of New York at Albany, recently said in a post on X there is “real potential for the strongest El Niño event in 140 years.” Similarly, Dr Andy Hazelton, associate scientist at the University of Miami, noted that “all models and observations are pointing in the same direction: a very strong El Niño with significant impacts on global climate this year.”
India is already experiencing a steady rise in heatwave frequency, duration and intensity. Climate assessments and meteorological records indicate that several of the warmest years in India’s history have occurred in the last decade.Despite this trend, heatwaves are not formally classified as a notified disaster under India’s central disaster framework. This limits structured compensation, long-term adaptation funding and a uniform national response mechanism. States can use State Disaster Response Funds for heatwave-related relief under certain conditions, but this creates a patchwork system where preparedness and response vary across regions.
For India’s informal workforce, heat is not just a weather event but an occupational hazard that directly cuts wages and reduces working hours.Street vendors, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, farm labourers and delivery workers remain directly exposed to extreme temperatures with little protection. Office goers and daily commuters also spend long hours moving through the same conditions, often with limited relief. Work does not pause when temperatures rise, and air conditioning remains out of reach for many households. Even where it is used, cooling systems release waste heat into already dense urban areas, adding to the surrounding temperature burden.
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The health and economic toll is already visible. According to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, people in India experienced an average of 19.8 heatwave days in 2024, the warmest year on record. The study links rising heat exposure to increased illness, reduced labour capacity and falling productivity. It estimates potential income losses of about 194 billion dollars due to heat-driven labour reduction.At the same time, extreme heat is feeding into wider economic stress. Higher electricity demand for cooling increases power consumption, water shortages strain urban supply systems, and climate variability affects food production and prices, adding pressure to household budgets.
Extreme heat disrupts the body’s ability to regulate internal temperature. When ambient conditions exceed physiological thresholds, sweating alone becomes insufficient.Common conditions include dehydration, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Severe exposure can lead to organ failure and death.
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Heatwaves are strongly associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological conditions. Estimates suggest between 10,000 and over 20,000 heat-related deaths in India over two decades. Independent studies indicate that the actual toll may be higher due to underreporting, as heat is often not recorded as a primary cause of death.
Urban areas face amplified risk due to the urban heat island effect. Dense construction, reduced vegetation and limited airflow trap heat, making cities warmer than surrounding rural areas, especially at night, a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.Rapid urbanisation has replaced tree cover and green spaces with concrete surfaces that absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night. This creates persistently high nighttime temperatures, reducing the body’s ability to recover between heat exposure cycles.Heat is therefore not only meteorological. It is also shaped by planning, land use and ecological change.
Extreme heat is increasingly feeding into economic stress. Higher temperatures drive electricity demand for cooling, increasing power consumption during peak summer months.At the same time, agricultural productivity declines under heat stress and erratic rainfall. In 2022, unusually high pre-harvest temperatures during the grain-filling stage caused significant yield losses in major wheat-growing states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This led to a ban on wheat exports aimed at stabilising domestic supply and controlling prices.For households, this creates a dual burden of rising food inflation and higher cooling costs.
In the convergence of rising temperatures, shifting climate patterns, India’s summer is no longer merely a seasonal cycle. It is becoming a prolonged test of endurance, measured not only in degrees Celsius, but in loss of wages, health risk, mortality and survival. And, as temperatures rise and climate patterns shift, India’s summer is becoming harder to navigate and stakes are rising. How the country adapts to this growing heat stress, whether by slowing deforestation and protecting existing forest cover, expanding urban green spaces that can lower local temperatures, reducing reliance on coal-based power, which still accounts for roughly 70% of electricity generation, and accelerating the shift to cleaner energy sources such as solar, will shape livelihoods and public health outcomes.
उत्तर प्रदेश के बिजनौर जिले से एक हैरान कर देने वाला मामला सामने आया है, जहां एक शादी में खुशी का माहौल अचानक तनाव में बदल गया. हल्दौर क्षेत्र में हुई इस घटना में दूल्हे की शराब की लत और अभद्र व्यवहार के कारण दुल्हन ने मंडप में ही शादी तोड़ दी। बारात उत्तराखंड के लक्सर से आई थी और पूरे धूमधाम से स्वागत किया गया। लेकिन दूल्हे की हरकत ने सबकुछ खराब कर दिया. यह मामला अब पूरे इलाके में चर्चा का विषय बन गया है और लोग दुल्हन के फैसले की सराहना कर रहे हैं.
बारात का हुआ स्वागत, माहौल फिर बदला
गुरुवार को लक्सर से आई बारात का वधू पक्ष ने पूरे सम्मान के साथ स्वागत किया। भोजन, पेय और आतिथ्य की अच्छी व्यवस्था की गई। लेकिन इसी दौरान दूल्हे ऋतुराज ने शराब पी ली, जिससे माहौल बिगड़ने लगा.
नशे में धुत दूल्हे की बेकाबू हरकत
नशे में धुत दूल्हा अपना होश खो बैठा और सड़क पर ही बारातियों के साथ अश्लील डांस करने लगा। किसी तरह बारात दुल्हन के घर पहुंची, लेकिन वहां भी उसकी हरकतें जारी रहीं। द्वारचार और जयमाला के दौरान वह गाने के दौरान अजीब तरह से डांस करता रहा और गलत हरकतें करता रहा।
मंडप में दुल्हन का बड़ा फैसला
शादी की रस्में शुरू हुईं, लेकिन दूल्हे के व्यवहार में सुधार नहीं हुआ। दुल्हन सलोनी काफी देर तक चुप रही, लेकिन जब उसने देखा कि दूल्हा पवित्र मंडप में भी नशे में है तो उसने बड़ा फैसला लिया. उसने वरमाला उतार कर साफ कह दिया कि वह इस हालत में शादी नहीं करेगी.
समझाने की कोशिशें व्यर्थ गईं
इसके बाद दोनों पक्षों में तनाव बढ़ गया और करीब 3-4 घंटे तक पंचायत चलती रही. रिश्तेदारों ने दुल्हन को समझाने की कोशिश की, लेकिन वह अपने फैसले पर अड़ी रही. उन्होंने कहा कि जो व्यक्ति अपनी शादी का सम्मान नहीं करता, वह भविष्य में अपनी जिम्मेदारियां कैसे निभाएगा.
बारात बिना दुल्हन के ही लौट गई।
आखिरकार दूल्हा-दुल्हन बिना दुल्हन के ही लौट गए। यह घटना पूरे इलाके में चर्चा का विषय बनी हुई है और लोग दुल्हन की हिम्मत की तारीफ कर रहे हैं.
An Iranian official sharply criticized the United States on Friday amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, warning that any use of force would be met with a “harsh response” as a broader regional conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues under a fragile ceasefire.‘In a post on X, Iranian politician Seyed Mehdi Tabatabai launched a scathing attack on the US, saying, “Instead of indulging in low-value psychological games and election rhetoric with the help of your good lawyers”.Directly targeting US President Donald Trump, he said, “They should come out of the hole that child killers have dug for them, pay compensation for the attack and return to their own land. Iran claims to be a supporter of peace and friendship in the world, but if anyone talks to this country in the language of force, it will be a slap in the face.”He accused Washington of engaging in “low-value psychological games” and election-driven rhetoric, and alleged that the US leadership is relying too heavily on legal advisers in shaping its crisis response. Tabatabei further demanded that the United States pay compensation for recent attacks and called for a reversal of its regional stance, raising the tone of confrontation.The exchange came at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with increasingly sharp rhetoric from all sides overshadowing tentative signs of de-escalation, raising concerns over the durability of the ceasefire.Tabatabei also reiterated Iran’s position that it supports peace and friendly relations globally. However, he stressed that any approach based on “force” would be met with a “stern response”, pointing to Tehran’s declared readiness to retaliate if provoked and further highlighting the weakness of current diplomatic efforts.The comments come amid ongoing tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of hostilities that have put the ceasefire under strain.
मुजफ्फरनगर कोतवाली क्षेत्र स्थित रूड़की रोड पुलिस चौकी परिसर में उस समय अफरा-तफरी का माहौल हो गया, जब मुकदमों से जुड़े जब्त वाहनों में अचानक भीषण आग लग गई। आग इतनी तेजी से फैली कि कुछ ही मिनटों में कई गाड़ियां इसकी चपेट में आ गईं और पूरे इलाके में दहशत फैल गई.
घटना के दौरान दूर तक आग की ऊंची लपटें और काला धुआं दिखाई दे रहा था, जिससे मौके पर लोगों की भीड़ जमा हो गई.
तेजी से फैलती आग ने कई गाड़ियों को अपनी चपेट में ले लिया.
प्रत्यक्षदर्शियों के मुताबिक आग अचानक भड़क गई और देखते ही देखते पुलिस चौकी परिसर में खड़ी कई सीज गाड़ियां जलने लगीं। कुछ ही देर में आग ने विकराल रूप ले लिया, जिससे मौके पर मौजूद लोगों में दहशत फैल गई.
स्थिति की गंभीरता को देखते हुए तुरंत अग्निशमन विभाग को सूचना दी गई.
फायर टीम ने करीब एक घंटे की मशक्कत के बाद इस पर काबू पाया।
सूचना मिलते ही दमकल विभाग की कई टीमें मौके पर पहुंची और आग बुझाने का काम शुरू किया. करीब एक घंटे की कड़ी मशक्कत के बाद आग पर पूरी तरह से काबू पाया जा सका।
मुख्य अग्निशमन अधिकारी अनुराग कुमार साथ ही मौके पर पहुंचकर राहत कार्यों की निगरानी करते हुए स्थिति का जायजा लिया।
प्रारंभिक तौर पर तीन से चार वाहनों के क्षतिग्रस्त होने की पुष्टि हुई है
अधिकारियों के मुताबिक शुरुआती आकलन के मुताबिक तीन से चार गाड़ियां आग की चपेट में आई हैं. इनमें से कुछ गाड़ियों को आंशिक और कुछ को गंभीर क्षति पहुंची है.
हालांकि विस्तृत नुकसान का आकलन जांच पूरी होने के बाद ही स्पष्ट हो सकेगा।
बीड़ी या सिगरेट से आग लगने की आशंका, जांच जारी
घटना के प्रारंभिक कारणों को लेकर आशंका जताई जा रही है कि किसी राहगीर द्वारा फेंकी गई बीड़ी या सिगरेट से आग लगी होगी। हालांकि, पुलिस अधिकारियों का कहना है कि जांच के बाद ही असली कारणों की पुष्टि हो सकेगी।
मामले की गंभीरता को देखते हुए पुलिस और प्रशासन की टीमें जांच में जुट गई हैं.
सीसीटीवी फुटेज खंगालकर कारणों का पता लगाया जा रहा है
आग लगने की घटना के बाद आसपास लगे सीसीटीवी कैमरों की फुटेज की जांच की जा रही है ताकि आग लगने के वास्तविक कारण का पता चल सके.
प्रशासन का कहना है कि जांच के आधार पर आगे की आवश्यक कार्रवाई की जाएगी और जिम्मेदार व्यक्तियों की पहचान होने पर उचित कदम उठाए जाएंगे.
सुरक्षा व्यवस्था को लेकर स्थानीय लोगों में बढ़ी चिंता
पुलिस चौकी परिसर में हुई इस अगलगी की घटना के बाद स्थानीय लोगों ने सुरक्षा व्यवस्था और जब्त वाहनों के सुरक्षित रख-रखाव को लेकर चिंता व्यक्त की है. लोगों का कहना है कि ऐसी घटनाओं की पुनरावृत्ति रोकने के लिए अतिरिक्त सतर्कता जरूरी है.
इस घटना ने पुलिस परिसरों में सुरक्षा मानकों की समीक्षा की आवश्यकता पर भी प्रकाश डाला है।
रूड़की रोड पुलिस चौकी परिसर में जब्त वाहनों में आग लगने की इस घटना से स्थानीय प्रशासन सतर्क हो गया है. प्रारंभिक जांच चल रही है और अधिकारियों का कहना है कि आग लगने के वास्तविक कारण का पता लगाया जाएगा और भविष्य में ऐसी घटनाओं की पुनरावृत्ति को रोकने के लिए आवश्यक कदम उठाए जाएंगे।
A new immigration bill in the US proposes to eliminate the green card lottery and limit family-based visas. It aims to focus more on a competency-driven system.The proposed “America First Immigration Act” was introduced by Republican Congressman Barry Moore and aims to overhaul the country’s legal immigration framework by prioritizing high-skilled workers and tightening eligibility rules. If passed, the legislation would end the diversity visa lottery program and limit family sponsorship to immediate relatives.Under the bill, US citizens will no longer be able to sponsor parents, siblings or adult children for immigration. Family-based visas will be limited to spouses and minor children of citizens as well as spouses and children of green card holders. Extended family members can still apply, but only through merit-based routes.Moore said in a statement to Fox News: “My bill draws a hard line – the days of putting an illegal, random diversity lottery and foreign labor ahead of American workers are over.”The MAGA leader said: “Our immigration system should serve the American people, not undermine them, and that means selecting individuals who will strengthen our economy, respect our laws and share our values.”The 70-page proposal also aims to formalize several immigration measures linked to US President Donald Trump’s policies. This follows previous actions such as halting the green card lottery program in December 2025 and a ban on H1B1 work visas implemented last year.At the heart of the bill is a move towards a points-based system. People applying for immigration will be evaluated on factors such as how well they speak English, their education, salary, age, and any military service. To be eligible, they must have a job offer that pays at least twice the average wage in the state where they plan to live.Employers will also have to follow strict rules. They have to show that they have actually tried to hire American workers before offering the job to someone from another country. They have to share details of the US candidates they considered, including what salaries were offered. The Labor Department will check whether these rules are being followed or not.“If you want to come to the United States, you must earn it through merit, not through the diversity lottery or loopholes. The American First Immigration Act restores fairness and accountability by protecting American jobs, prioritizing single-family jobs and ensuring that every immigrant admitted is prepared to contribute and succeed, Moore told Fox News.The Bill also introduces a mandatory pledge for incoming migrants. Applicants must affirm support for the U.S. Constitution and renounce affiliations with groups involved in practices such as honor killings, female foeticide or genital mutilation.Julie Kirchner, senior adviser at the America First Policy Institute, supported the proposal, particularly the move to eliminate the diversity visa scheme. He said, “The visa lottery has a long, documented history of fraud and national security concerns and must be ended. Under a merit-based, America First system, any immigrant must demonstrate their skills, ability to assimilate and how they will contribute to America.”He said false declarations by migrants could lead to deportation or even loss of citizenship. “Ideally the government already has information to prevent these people from immigrating to the United States,” Kirchner said.He added: “However, if a newly arrived immigrant engages in behavior that indicates that his or her statements to our immigration agencies were false, it may become grounds for deportation or denaturalization.”The bill retains the provision limiting religious worker visas to 3,000 annually.
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party The (AAP) government on Friday won the confidence motion in the Punjab Assembly with the Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan He stressed that the result put an end to speculations of instability within the party.The resolution was tabled during a special one-day session earlier in the day, days after the setback in the Rajya Sabha where seven AAP members quit the party. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).After the resolution was passed, Mann hit out at rumors of a split in the party. He told news agency ANI, “Today all those speculations which were saying that 65 or 40 AAP MLAs are leaving have been put to rest.”Taking a dig at the opposition, he also rejected Congress’s demand for alcohol testing. “He has no issues to raise,” Mann said.Earlier, while presenting the proposal, the CM had rejected claims of internal rift. He had said, “There are rumors that AAP will collapse and its MLAs will switch sides. Such rumors create confusion in the minds of people.”Reiterating AAP’s national footprint, Mann cited its representation in Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir, saying the party continues to have a presence in many states.The ruling party had issued a whip to all its MLAs to ensure full attendance during the session.In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, AAP has an overwhelming majority with 94 MLAs. There are 16 Congress MLAs, three from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), two from BJP, one from BSP and one independent MLA.The trust vote comes in the backdrop of a political setback for AAP on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha members, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Harbhajan Singh, resigned and joined the BJP, alleging that the party has deviated from its core principles and values. The six MPs who defected were from Punjab.
