New Delhi: Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar praised India’s growing influence in West Asia, saying New Delhi has a “big role” in bringing stability to the region amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.Speaking about India’s role in the current West Asia crisis, Azar said India’s growing economic power and trade partnership could transform the region if stability is maintained and extremist threats are controlled.“India has a huge role to play in this because India is the fastest growing economy in our region and as a result of the agreements made with all the major trade blocs, we will see trillions of dollars of goods moving forward, a lot of investment moving forward and our region, West Asia, can enjoy that, if we have stability,” Azar said.“So we have to achieve stability, we have to neutralize the radical elements, and then I think both India and us and all the countries in the region will be able to enjoy the prosperity that is going to come from India to our region.”The comments come at a time when Israel is increasingly highlighting its strategic and diplomatic ties with India, while positioning New Delhi as an important economic and political partner in the broader Middle East region.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week underlined the strength of bilateral ties, saying Israel enjoys strong public support from India even as it faces criticism in other parts of the world.“We have a unique relationship with a great power called India. In India, there is support for Israel,” Netanyahu said during a public address.“We face illegalization in most parts of the world – but not in India,” he said.Netanyahu also commented on the widespread public affection for Israel among Indians, saying, “In India, there is absolutely crazy love for Israel, really crazy. I think I have more followers from India than anywhere else.”The Israeli leader’s comments reinforce the growing warmth between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, especially under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel in areas ranging from defense and technology to trade and agriculture.During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel earlier this year, Netanyahu also recalled his personal relationship with India while addressing a joint press conference.Netanyahu said, “I have to say at the end of this visit that I am indebted to India – I don’t know if I told you this or not, Narendra – but I owe a huge personal debt to India. You see, when I met Sara for the first time, I think our first or second date was in an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv.”The visit further strengthened symbolic ties between the two countries, with Modi being awarded the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal”, considered Israel’s highest parliamentary honour.India and Israel have deepened engagement over the past decade, with both governments often emphasizing cooperation on security, innovation, connectivity and regional stability. Israel’s latest comments show that New Delhi is being viewed not only as a bilateral partner, but also as a potential stabilizing power in the broader West Asian region.

Abhishek Banerjee (Image/PTI)

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee News agency ANI quoted party sources as saying that they will inform Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about the mob attack on them in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district and will also approach the court in connection with the incident.This development comes after Abhishek Banerjee was attacked with bricks, stones and eggs while meeting families affected by post-poll violence in Sonarpur. TMC national general secretary suffered injuries near his eye and alleged BJP He accused the group of planning the attack, alleging that an attempt was made on his life and that the police failed to provide adequate security.According to party sources, Banerjee will formally inform Speaker Om Birla about the incident and will seek legal recourse over the attack.Five people have been arrested in connection with the case and were produced before a court in Baruipur on Monday. The accused have been identified as Akash Gayen, Kajal Das, Debashish Dutta, Nirmalya Sengupta and Tapan Maiti.The issue has created a major political controversy in West Bengal, with the TMC alleging a pattern of attacks against its leaders. On Sunday, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also claimed that he was attacked near Chanditala police station in Hooghly district while presenting a delegation regarding the post-poll violence.Kalyan Banerjee alleged that during the incident, BJP supporters attacked his head, due to which he suffered injuries. They later protested outside the police station and described the attack as an ‘attempt to murder’. The BJP denied the allegations and claimed that local residents were expressing anger against TMC leaders.Reacting to the attack on him, Abhishek Banerjee described the incident as ‘political violence and state sponsored terrorism’ by the BJP. Thanking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for expressing concern, he said opposition parties should remain united to protect democratic institutions and constitutional values.“Thank you, Rahul ji, for your concern and continued support. We remain united and resolute in our fight to protect the soul of India, protect its democratic institutions and uphold the values ​​enshrined in our Constitution,” Banerjee said in a post on Twitter.The BJP condemned the violence but said the incidents reflected public anger against TMC. West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh said that no one has the right to take the law into their hands, and claimed that public resentment against TMC has been building for years.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Met Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing on Monday.The leaders met at Hyderabad House here in the national capital as President U Min Aung Hlaing is visiting India from May 30 to June 2 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.This is the first visit of Min Aung Hlaing to India in his current capacity as President. He will also be accompanied by a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers, senior officials and prominent business leaders.Earlier, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Met Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday.“NSA Shri Ajit Doval met President of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing today,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a post on Twitter.Earlier, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met the President of Myanmar on Saturday and appreciated his positive approach towards strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.In a post on Twitter, Jaishankar said, “Delighted to meet President of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing in New Delhi today. Appreciate his positive sentiment towards deepening our long-standing bilateral cooperation. Looking forward to his meeting with PM Narendra Modi to take our partnership forward for peace, progress and prosperity.”After completing the program in Bodh Gaya, Min Aung Hlaing reached New Delhi.Hlaing reached Bodh Gaya in Bihar on Saturday, where External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed the visit and highlighted India’s civilizational and spiritual ties with Myanmar.Shortly after arrival, President Min Aung Hlaing visited the sacred Mahabodhi Temple, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site and UNESCO World Heritage Site.Speaking at the weekly press briefing earlier on Friday, Jaiswal outlined the broad scope of the upcoming bilateral discussions.

New Delhi: The Union of Indian Universities, already under the scanner over alleged financial and administrative irregularities, is now facing allegations of a potentially much bigger scam related to the certification of players, with AIU president Vinay Kumar Pathak alleging that deserving university athletes have been denied recognition and opportunities for years through systemic manipulation within the administration.Pathak, who initiated disciplinary action following the controversy over India’s participation in the 2025 Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World University Games in Germany, claimed that vested interests were opposing efforts to clean up the system. “This action has shaken up the corrupt practices. There is a need for further investigation into the certification scam, which has kept meritorious sportspersons away from Indian universities for a long time,” Pathak told TOI.Immediate disciplinary proceedings were initiated against AIU Joint Secretary Baljit Singh Sekhon, who was suspended for lapses related to the World University Games. In a memorandum dated 13 April, the AIU had said that the selected athletes, “including six badminton players and some athletics participants” were not included in the official entry list within the stipulated deadline, leading to denial of recognition despite traveling to the venue and being excluded from the competition.The memorandum described the episode as reflecting “gross negligence, lack of due diligence and failure to discharge assigned responsibilities”. An investigative committee later concluded that Sekhon “is responsible for most aspects of the mismanagement reported at FISU WUG 2025” and cited “negligence in duties, failure to discharge duties, breach of responsibility, irresponsibility, carelessness, failure to act, lapse in judgment”.The scope of the investigation extended beyond procedural flaws in the games. The committee recommended vigilance investigation into “suspicious financial credit transactions” and investigation into foreign travel undertaken by officials in the last two years. Pathak said the investigation has exposed deep institutional irregularities.In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of Haryana in connection with a PIL alleging serious violations of bylaws and challenging his continuation as AIU president, Pathak said he launched a clean-up drive soon after assuming office and constituted high-level committees to probe “deep institutional irregularities”.According to the letter, disciplinary action was taken following the findings of these committees, including dismissal of Gaurav Rai, sending Binu George Varghese back to his parent institution and suspending Sekhon pending investigation. Pathak alleged that the PIL was part of a vindictive attempt to derail the disciplinary proceedings. He argued that the Education Ministry’s status quo order applied not only to the post of the President but also to the General Council and other AIU bodies during the restructuring phase, yet only the continuity of the President was targeted.The panel also recommended professionalization of youth affairs and sports administration, structured collaboration with the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India and promotion of inter-university leagues and international participation programmes. “If the certification and selection over the past few years is properly examined, many shocking facts may emerge,” Pathak said.

New Delhi: The government is considering cutting the list of vehicles exempted from toll payment on national highways, and vehicles belonging to senior central and state government officials are likely to be taken out of the “exempted category”, TOI has learned.A high-level committee constituted by the Central Government has recommended the Road Transport Ministry to amend the National Highway Fee Rules to “eliminate the exempted category”. Officials said the proposal is under discussion with various stakeholders and there is a possibility of reducing the exempted category of vehicles in a systematic manner.“The proposal to start this exercise is under active consideration with the government authorities. The focus is on ending VIP culture as it does not appeal to common citizens,” said a person aware of the development. The Road Transport Ministry has written to various government institutions and states to motivate their employees to purchase Fastag annual passes instead of asking for discounts. “They can work out a mechanism to reimburse the amount of Fastag annual pass, which is much less than reimbursement of mobile phone bills,” he said. Discussions are also going on with the defense forces,” said an officer.At present, vehicles transporting people working in 25 public offices and accompanying them are exempted from paying toll. Vehicles used for official purposes by central and state armed forces in uniform, including defense personnel, paramilitary forces, executive magistrates, fire departments, inspection of highway projects and emergency purposes (ambulances, funeral vans) are also exempted from paying toll.‘Exempt FASTags’ are issued by IHMCL under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to vehicles legally exempted from paying toll charges. Even if these vehicles do not pay toll, they must still have a valid exempted FASTag.People involved in the discussions said that with the implementation of the Fastag annual pass, people can now buy it online and get reimbursement of the amount from their respective department. With an annual pass of Rs 3,075, a vehicle can cross 200 toll plazas, costing a little more than Rs 15 per plaza, and can be renewed multiple times in a year.

New Delhi: Indians were the third largest number of applicants for Schengen visas globally in CY 2025, with 11.5 lakh people doing so with a rejection rate of 15.8%. According to data released by the European Commission (EC), the Chinese were the largest applicants with 18 lakh with a rejection rate of 4.1%, followed by Turkish nationals (12.5 lakh) with a rejection rate of 14.6%. “The top five applicant countries remained largely unchanged,” the EC says, adding that Russia (6.8 million) and Morocco (6.2 million) are applicants to the Court and in fifth place.Despite rising international airfares and the rupee’s steep depreciation since last year, which has made traveling abroad more expensive, 4% more Indians applied for a Schengen visa in 2025 compared to 2024. The rejection rate for Indian applicants also increased from 15% to 15.8% during this period.Rajesh Mago, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “After the budget-friendly and close to home Middle East and South East Asia, Europe tops the list of Indian globetrotters with its diverse attractions, including Switzerland, Greece, Amsterdam, France and others. We are now seeing a growing trend of sports tourism and a large number of Indians are going there to watch matches.”Among the EU and Schengen associated consulates, Switzerland sees the maximum number of applications in India at around 2.3 lakh and the country-specific rejection rate is no more than 13.6%. This is followed by France with more than 2 lakh, Germany with 1.5 lakh, Netherlands with less than one lakh and Sen with around 91,000. Other big attractions for visa applicants included the embassies of Italy, Austria, Greece, Belgium and Sweden.“Switzerland and France (the top two embassies in India in terms of receiving Schengen visa applications) have really made the visa application here easy in terms of dates and then getting the passport stamped back. While the total turnaround time for the Schengen states is 15 working days, Switzerland and France return in 7-10 days. Availability of dates in Italy is a big issue,” said a leading travel agent on condition of anonymity. At 46.5%, the highest rejection rate for Indians was in SloveniaOverall, 3.3 crore Indians were expected to travel abroad in CY 2025 – 6% more than 2024 and 21.5% more than pre-Covid 2019. According to government data, their top five destinations were: UAE (86 lakh), Saudi Arabia (34 lakh), Thailand (22 lakh), USA (20 lakh) and Singapore (15 lakh).According to the European Commission, EU and Schengen-affiliated consulates globally received approximately 12 million applications for short-term visas in 2025 and granted more than 10 million visas. While over CY 2024, both the number of applications and visas granted were below pre-Covid levels.“More than 10 million visas were issued in 2025 – an increase of 3% from 2024 (97 million), but still down from 15 million granted in 2019. The global denial rate remained stable at 14.8%, unchanged from 2024, although some countries saw significant fluctuations. Denials declined in Russia (6.4%, down from 7.5%), Algeria (31%, down from 35%), and Ethiopia (34%, down from 36.1%), but faster increases in Cape Verde (21.4%, up from 13.4%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (40.1%, up from 29.9%), Senegal (51.9%, up from 46.8%), and Burundi (53.4%, up from 40%). Happened,” says EC.