Nepali Congress-led opposition MPs on Thursday pressured the Balendra Shah government to “go beyond diplomatic notes” and hold high-level talks with India and China to “take back” Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani – Indian territories that Kathmandu claims from them, reports Vishant Agarwal. The demand was raised in the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives at Singha Darbar amid fresh uneasiness over India and China using the Lipulekh route for trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra without Nepal’s consent. Nepali Congress MP Sandeep Rana said Nepal should not delay direct “table talks” with the two neighbours. “Lipulekh is our land and it is being used for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra,” Rana said. . CPN (UML) MP Bhumika Limbu Subba described India’s response to the script as “irresponsible”. Maoist Center MP Pramesh Kumar Hamal urged the government to take other political forces into confidence. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry had sent diplomatic notes to India and China after New Delhi announced the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. India said its position is “consistent and clear”.

DHAKA: The Tariq Rahman-led Bangladesh government has sought China’s “participation and support” for the Teesta restoration project, a move that threatens to strain New Delhi-Dhaka ties as China pushes India to work towards implementing the 2011 Teesta water-sharing treaty that was blocked by outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Dhaka is demanding a greater share in Teesta waters under the agreement – ​​which is pending due to several reasons, including lack of coordination between the Center and Bengal. Many in Bangladesh hope that the BJP, which is at the centre, will soon form the government in Bengal, giving an opportunity to revisit the pact. China supports the new government of Bangladesh in maintaining unity and stability, reviving economic growth and improving the well-being of the people, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman here on Wednesday. The two sides discussed issues related to the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project – a major initiative of Dhaka to dredge, embank and manage the river that flows through Sikkim and Bengal in India before entering Bangladesh – primarily for flood control and irrigation, government officials said. Without saying specifics, Wang only said that China is willing to continue to provide support and assistance to Bangladesh to the best of its ability. He said China is willing to promote the alignment of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh’s national development strategies, and deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as economy, trade, investment, infrastructure, water conservation and people-to-people exchanges. Wang said China is also considering expanding cooperation in emerging industries such as green development and digital economy. Khalilur said that China has always been a reliable and indispensable friend and partner of Bangladesh.

A former JPMorgan banker accused of making explosive sexual harassment claims against a senior executive has hired a high-profile New York lawyer best known for representing Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers.Indian-origin former Wall Street analyst Chirayu Rana is being represented by Daniel Kaiser of law firm Kaiser, Sauerborn & Mayer. Kaiser has previously acted for several women who brought claims against convicted sex offender and pedophile Epstein, who died in 2019.Rana has sued JPMorgan Executive Director Lorna Hajdini, alleging she drugged him with Viagra and repeatedly sexually assaulted him. The claims were rejected by the bank and Hazdini.The lawsuit details a series of disturbing allegations, including allegations that Hajdini used drugs and coercion to control her. However, JPMorgan says an internal investigation found no evidence to support the claims. A spokesperson said that Rana refused to fully cooperate with investigators and refused to provide important supporting details. Hajdini has also rejected the allegations through his lawyers.According to the Wall Street Journal, JPMorgan had previously offered Rana about $1 million to settle the dispute, but he rejected it and demanded more than $20 million instead.Rana’s attorney Kaiser told The New York Post: “A motion was filed today seeking an order allowing my client to proceed by John Doe. Attached to those papers are corroborating evidence of his claims. And there’s more.”Kaiser has also said that he expects the case to escalate as more evidence is presented.The controversy has also drawn attention because of Kaiser’s legal background, which includes representing Epstein’s accusers such as Jennifer Araoz, who sued Epstein’s estate and associates after long-running abuse allegations.JPMorgan said its own internal review, which included examining emails and work records, found no authenticity to Rana’s claims. The bank also noted that Rana and Hajdini worked under different reporting lines, meaning it had no control over their compensation or pay.Colleagues have previously described Rana as “socially awkward”, while Hajdini is internally considered a strong performing executive in the finance team.

The US Consulate in Kolkata announced a major B1/B2 visa update.

In a major update to visitors’ visas, the US Consulate in Kolkata announced that it is launching priority slots for parents aged 50 and above who want to visit their children living legally in the US. “We are helping lower wait times for eligible travelers with established relationships and verified intentions,” the announcement said. The Consulate called it “American first in family values.”Kolkata Consulate also announced a new visa scheduling system for verified business travelers. “The Kolkata Consulate is introducing a new visa scheduling system that puts legitimate business travelers at the front of the queue. “Supporting trade, investment, and economic growth between the US and India: because when trade grows, America grows,” he declared.B1/B2 visa applicants have recently started seeing higher rejection rates, as visa experts have observed that visa officers are doubly emphasizing that these tourist or business visa applicants have strong ties to India and will not settle in the US.Before the official announcement, visa expert Priyesh Sharma said that these new categories were visible only for accounts selecting embassy/consulate as Kolkata. Sharma said the Consulate opened four new categories under B1/B2:

“I can’t really say what could be the motive behind this and whether it will soon be implemented on all other consulates/embassies, but I guess it will be used as an important dataset to manage the large number of applications for slot allocation and their administrative functions. It’s not that when you apply for a new visa, the officer is not aware of your previous denials, but by bringing a category they will just be able to differentiate between fresh vs duplication. And there may even be a separate internal SOP for those with past disapproval,” Sharma said.

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt, 28, has announced the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, with her real estate developer husband Nicholas Riccio, 60.The couple, who have a 32-year age gap, also have a son, Nicholas “Nico” Riccio, born in July 2024.Levitt shared the news on X, writing: “On May 1st, Viviana aka “Vivi” joined our family, and our hearts instantly burst with love.”She added: “He’s whole and healthy, and his big brother is happily adjusting to life with his newborn sister. We’re enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.”She thanked supporters for their messages during her pregnancy and said: “Thank you to everyone who prayed during my pregnancy – I really felt them throughout the whole experience. God is good.”Levitt begins maternity leave at the end of April 2026 and is expected to return to her role at the White House after spending time with her family.Leavitt told Fox News before the White House correspondents’ dinner last month that President Donald Trump’s speech would be “funny” and “there will be some shots fired in the room tonight.” The phrase was intended as a common expression for political jokes that POTUS usually makes in his speeches. However, shortly afterward, an actual security incident involving a shooting occurred at the event, causing the clip to go viral. The attacker was captured and no one at the venue was injured except a security guard who exchanged fire with the attacker.

Atlantic has now come up with another sensational report on Kash Patel which has a picture of Kash Patel’s private branded whiskey.

The same Atlantic reporter who accused FBI Director Kash Patel of being an alcoholic in a report that led to his prosecution has now made more serious claims in a latest report. Sarah Fitzpatrick claimed that the FBI director once lost his mind when a bourbon bottle went missing from his collection and threatened agents with a lie-detector test. The new report cites an incident in March when Patel and his team brought a case of bourbon at least once to the FBI’s training facility in Quantico, Virginia, for a “training seminar.”UFC athletes were providing MMA (mixed martial arts) instruction to interested FBI agents and senior staff in the training program. At least one bottle went missing at one point, causing the director to “lose his mind”, according to clients of Kurt Siuzdak, a retired agent who has assisted FBI agents, including whistleblowers, on legal issues. Ciuzdak told me that when Patel began threatening to polygraph his employees and prosecute them over the missing bottles, several agents contacted him for legal guidance. “It turned into a crap show,” Siuzdak said. Other lawyers told me they received similar calls from FBI employees regarding concerns about Patel’s bottles,” Sarah wrote.The report also details how Kash Patel gifts free liquor to people with bottles with his name on it because he likes to self-brand things. The Atlantic also published a photo of a bottle of Kash Patel’s branded bourbon whiskey with his signature. Sara said that after her first story on Kash Patel’s addiction was published, one such bottle went up for online auction and The Atlantic purchased it. The person selling the bottle did not want to be named, but the bottle was a direct gift from Patel at an event in Las Vegas.The report said the FBI did not deny that Patel gifts whiskey bottles bearing his name and said it was an FBI tradition that began before Patel.Former agents told Sarah that the FBI has traditionally had a zero-tolerance approach toward unauthorized use of alcohol on the job and its abuse while off-duty. But Patel’s gift got him into trouble because he feared that if he didn’t take it, he would have to take a lie detector test.

Meenu Batra talks about her ICE detention after living in the US for 35 years.

In her first interview since being released from ICE custody after more than six weeks, Indian-origin Texas woman Meenu Batra told CBS News exclusively that she fears she could be arrested again. Batra had been living in the US since 1991 after fleeing India following the murder of her parents in Punjab. In 2000, Batra was granted court protection that he could not be deported to his native country due to fear of persecution and was allowed to work legally in the US.Batra, a single mother of four children, including an Army jawan, is working as an interpreter in the court as she knows Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi languages ​​apart from English. While she was traveling to Wisconsin for work on March 17, she was detained by ICE agents at an airport in Texas. The Donald Trump administration said she was living in the US illegally and could be deported to a third country, not India.Earlier this month, he was released after a court questioned the legality of his detention. Speaking about his detention, Batra told CBS News that the hardest part was the dehumanization and uncertainty. Responding to Shanel Kaul’s question whether she was scared that she might be arrested again, Batra said that she was very scared that this might happen again. Batra said of life after his release, “I hate to admit it.” “I went grocery shopping the other day. It was weird. This is my own town, my own people, and yet I was constantly watching over myself,” she said. Batra’s lawyer Deepak Ahluwalia had earlier said that he was trying to get military parole for Batra and that his son is in the US Army. If he gets it, they will apply for his green card later this year.