NEW DELHI: India on Friday reiterated its support for Bangladesh in seeking justice for atrocities committed by Pakistan during a 1971 military crackdown and said Islamabad continued to deny its crimes.Bangladesh observes March 25 as Genocide Day to commemorate one of the darkest chapters in its history. On that day in 1971, Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight to suppress the Bangladeshi nationalist movement.“We are all aware of the horrific atrocities committed by Pakistan during Operation Searchlight in 1971. This genocide involved the systematic and targeted murder of millions of innocent Bangladeshi people and mass sexual crimes against women,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.“It also forced millions of people to flee the country and seek asylum in India as refugees. These atrocities have shocked the conscience of the world. However, Pakistan still denies its crimes to this day,” he said.Jaiswal said India supports Bangladesh’s “desire for justice”.New Delhi’s comments came three days after Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman described Operation Searchlight as “one of the most heinous genocides in history” against the defenseless people of Bangladesh.Rehman recalled the military crackdown by the Pakistani army in a social media post the day before Genocide Day.“March 25, 1971 remains one of the most shameful and cruel days in the history of freedom-loving Bangladesh. On that dark night, in the name of Operation Searchlight, the Pakistani occupation forces carried out one of the most heinous genocides in history against the defenseless people of Bangladesh. “Rahman called it a planned attack and said the “genocide” on March 25 was a “pre-planned massacre.”India defeated Pakistan in the 1971 war, and more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered on December 16, ending the violence and giving birth to Bangladesh as an independent country.
US plans to raise wages for H-1B visa holders, increasing hiring costs by up to 33%; what it means for Indian workers
Trump administration proposes new rule that would increase hiring-related costs H-1B visa Support holder and sponsored employment immigrants by significantly increasing required prevailing wages. According to Forbes, experts say the Labor Department’s rule does this by changing the formula in inappropriate ways to achieve a specific policy outcome.
According to the Labor Department, the proposed rule would increase minimum wage requirements by 21% to 33%, depending on the worker’s experience level. The rule includes a 60-day comment period and may face legal challenges after the final rule is released.
Also read: H-1B visa registrations drop in FY 2027: Here are the beneficiaries
Department of Labor issues notice of proposed rulemaking
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to modify the “prevailing wage” calculation method for foreign workers employed under visa programs, including H-1BH-1B1 and E-3, as well as permanent immigration pathways such as EB-2 and EB-3 through the PERM labor certification process.
The proposed rule is consistent with other steps the Trump administration has taken to restrict high-skilled immigration, such as imposing a $100,000 fee on entry for new H-1B visa holders. Trump administration officials, including White House The architect of the administration’s immigration policy, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, aimed to make it economically unfeasible for many highly skilled foreigners to enter the U.S. labor market.
The rule is similar to the final rule issued in January 2021 but did not take effect due to the presidential transition. An October 2020 rule aimed at further raising minimum wage requirements was halted after a judge determined it was issued as an “interim final” rule without sufficient justification.
H-1B Temporary visas are often the only means for highly skilled foreigners to obtain permanent employment in the United States. Employers must pay actual or prevailing wages to U.S. professionals with similar experience and qualifications. Companies recruiting at U.S. universities have observed that international students account for approximately 75% to 80% of full-time graduate students in AI-related disciplines such as computer and information science.
What are the suggestions for the new policy?
The department has expressed its intention to revise regulations governing applications for the PERM program and labor conditions, which are critical to the employment of temporary and permanent foreign workers.
“These proposed revisions are intended to better align prevailing wage levels with wages paid to U.S. workers in similar occupations and intended fields of employment.”
The proposal also addresses the issue of employers using the visa program to lower wages.
“The department’s proposed revisions are also intended to strengthen the integrity of programs by reducing the incentives for employers to use these programs to replace, rather than supplement, U.S. workers by hiring low-wage foreign workers.”
Reasons why wages may rise significantly
Currently, the salary is H-1B Similar visas are established through a four-tier system reflecting different levels of experience. Compensation for entry-level positions is classified as Tier 1 salary and is currently set at the 17th percentile for specific positions and locations.
The proposed changes aim to lift that number to the 34th percentile, bringing entry-level salaries closer to what mid-level workers earn today.
The change will increase the minimum wage employers must offer, particularly affecting recent graduates and those in the early stages of their careers.
Impact on recruiting and entry-level positions
Increases in salary thresholds are likely to lead to higher recruitment costs and prompt companies to take a more selective approach. As a result, available opportunities for entry-level foreign workers may decrease as employers may prioritize experienced candidates or domestic applicants.
also, H-1B The system is evolving to favor higher-paying positions, which may further limit employment opportunities for entry-level job seekers.
Officials say the existing wage structure has become outdated over the years, allowing some employers to recruit foreign workers at below-market rates.
Impact on Indian Nationals
Indian citizens make up the majority of H-1B visa recipients and represent a significant proportion of applicants in the EB-2 and EB-3 green card categories.
If passed, the proposal could lead to an increase in wages for skilled professionals in India, especially those with experience. Conversely, increased salary requirements may create challenges for recent graduates and entry-level candidates in securing positions.
At the same time, adjusting wages to match market standards can alleviate the problem of underpayment and improve fairness for U.S. workers, ultimately benefiting experienced Indian professionals in the long run.
Jos Buttler drops big claim, says ‘IPL had biggest impact on my career’
If the housekeeper Stating that the Indian Premier League had the biggest impact on his career, the lessons learned and interactions during the game helped him achieve results in different formats of English cricket. Now with the Gujarat Titans, Buttler highlighted how exposure to elite players and coaches has improved his game, pointing to the Rahul Dravid and Matthew Hayden As a key influence, especially against spin. “Absolutely. As I said, the IPL had the biggest impact on my career. The lessons I learned during the IPL season, the interactions I had and the people I worked with as a coach and as a player were all invaluable. “Some of those conversations stood out to me while representing England in Test cricket, T20 cricket and 50-over cricket. It made a huge difference. “As Kevin (Petersen) said in my podcast interview, the opportunity to build a relationship with Rahul Dravid and play spin creates opportunities that would otherwise be very limited. “Even now, after being here for a few days, I can talk to Matthew Hayden about batting that I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise. So it affects me the same way it affects KP,” Buttler said. Buttler scored 4,120 runs in 121 IPL games at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 149.38, including seven centuries. He performed well in IPL 2025, scoring 538 runs at 59.8 runs in 13 innings with a strike rate of 163, with Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan. GT, the 2022 champions, will kick off IPL 2026 on March 31 against Kings XI Punjab in New Chandigarh. Although he had a poor showing at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring 87 runs in eight innings, Buttler said his mentality has not changed. “This is as important as any other IPL. Regardless of what happened before, I will be looking forward to the season and hope to contribute and play well. “The challenge is the same – be prepared, get into a good frame of mind and give yourself the best chance to perform. Whether you’re in form or out of form, you need energy to keep trying, to keep preparing and to differentiate yourself. “I am excited every time I play an IPL match and hope to do well for the team. I just try to assess the situation and do what needs to be done that day,” he said. Speaking about his struggles at the World Cup, Buttler admitted there was no single reason and said the time away from the game helped him regroup. “I asked a small group of people for advice on what they had seen. I tried hard during the World Cup but for a number of reasons it didn’t work out. “You have to accept that. It’s a game that has elements you can’t control and everyone is trying to perform. “At 35, I’ve been through 15 years of highs and lows. You reflect and analyse, but there are no secrets. If there were, everyone would score every time. “I enjoyed having some time away and doing some reflection, but the challenge is still the same – to put energy into training, get ready and then start from scratch on game day,” he explained. Butler also praised uncapped pacer Ashok Sharma, whom he played against during his time with the Nets. rajasthan royals. “He is more than just pace. He has accuracy, a very good off-speed ball and a big heart – qualities that every fast bowler needs. He has all the attributes to be an exciting prospect.”
From the CM and former CM to the Puducherry BJP president and newcomers, these seats will see high-stakes battles
New Delhi: As Puducherry gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, several key constituencies in the Union Territory (UT) will witness high-profile battles involving the outgoing chief minister, former chief ministers, UT party chiefs and political successors.The Puducherry Legislative Assembly has 33 members and 30 elected seats. The remaining three MLAs are nominated by the Centre.
previous elections
Voting will be held in phases on April 9. Counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4, with Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal also counting at the same time.
Key Battle of Pondicherry
Tatanchavardi: Focus on outgoing chief minister N Rangasamycurrent MP. The AINRC founder and chairman will face off against former chief minister and current Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam, making this election the most high-profile contest.
Tatan Chawadi conflict
Raj Bhawan: NDA candidate and Puducherry BJP president VP Ramalingam will take on DMK’s Vignesh Kannan, son of former Puducherry minister P Kannan. The DMK is contesting in alliance with the Congress.
key battles
Legal Speight: AINRC leader VP Sivakolundhu will be challenged by V Saminathan, the former Puducherry BJP president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) representing actor-politician Vijay. Sivakorundu previously held the position of Speaker of Parliament as a Member of Parliament.Mahe and Yanhem: Among the 30 parliamentary constituencies, Mahe and Yannhem are uniquely located. Mahe is completely surrounded by the state of Kerala, while Yanam is surrounded by the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Mahe, the BJP’s A Dineshan faces the Congress’s Ramesh Parambath. Yanam will see AINRC’s Malladi Krishna Rao contesting against Congress’ Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok.
alliance
The ruling National Democratic Alliance in Puducherry consists of AINRC, BJP, AIADMK and the newly formed Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (led by businessman Jose Charles Martin). CM Rangasamy’s party will contest 16 seats while the BJP will contest 14 constituencies. The saffron party allotted two seats each to the AIADMK and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) from its share.
candidates for pondicherry dynasty
Meanwhile, the Congress will select candidates in 16 constituencies and the remaining seats will be allotted to the DMK.
Explained: Why RCB players will wear black armbands against SRH in IPL 2026 opener
New Delhi: The IPL 2026 is about to begin with the opening match between defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad taking place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB will be led by Rajat Patidar while Ishan Kishan will captain SRH.RCB will also wear black armbands during the match against SRH as a tribute to the fans who tragically lost their lives in the off-field stampede after the team’s historic title win last year.
A statement from RCB said, “Royal Challengers Bangalore will pay tribute to the 11 members of the RCB family who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident on June 4.”“As a sign of respect, players will wear practice jerseys with the number 11 on them during warm-ups and black armbands during games.”“In lasting remembrance, 11 seats of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain vacant as a permanent tribute to the fans whose unwavering support will always be a part of the RCB family,” the statement concluded.During victory celebrations last year, a stampede broke out outside the stadium, killing 11 people and injuring many others.“Koli is very hungry”Virat Kohli Coach Andy Flower says he is hungry and at the “peak of his powers” as his IPL side RCB begin their title defense.Former captain Kohli has retired from Test matches and T20 internationals and has now only played 50-plus games for India.“Virat is in very good spirits,” Flower told reporters.“He was happy with himself but still very hungry and watching him hit the ball in training he saw the peak of his power.”“Of course it’s professionally satisfying for everyone, but it was a very exciting time at the end of last season for a variety of reasons,” Flower told reporters.“It’s done again, so it’s time to move on.”
‘Total chaos’: BJP’s CR Kesavan takes aim at Congress amid row over candidate selection in Tamil Nadu
New Delhi: BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday attacked the Tamil Nadu Congress, claiming the party faced “serious divisions” after MP Jothimani publicly expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in constituency selection ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.In a post on X, Kesavan said these developments reflected the larger pattern within the party and also targeted the DMK-Congress alliance in the state.“Rahul Gandhi’s Congress is a deeply divided House and is in complete disarray in Tamil Nadu. Their TN party MPs are now openly attacking the Congress leadership for lack of transparency. There is a pattern. Rahul Gandhi’s point man in the Bihar elections has been criticized by Congress workers for allegedly selling tickets. This is why the compromised Congress has lost credibility among people across the country. The opportunistic DMK-Congress alliance is in tatters and the tyranny of the disastrous DMK government, one of the worst in the history of Tamil Nadu, will be roundly rejected by the people in the coming elections,” the BJP leader wrote.Kesavan’s remarks came after Jyotimani publicly questioned the Congress party’s constituency selection process, claiming that the decisions were taken in a “highly secretive manner” and the party’s welfare was compromised.“There is absolutely no transparency in the Congress party’s constituency selection. Our view that constituency selection should be done after transparency and extensive discussion is not accepted by responsible leaders. Everything is done in a highly secretive manner. The welfare of the Congress party is completely compromised. It is heartbreaking to see that some people who did not even bother to pluck a feather out of the decades of hard work of genuine Congress workers like us working for the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee are now betraying it,” Jothimani wrote on X.She also warned that the party may face dire consequences in Tamil Nadu if the same approach is adopted in the candidate selection process.“In the face of this terrible situation, we cannot remain silent without raising questions. The party is more than the responsible leader, the national president and the leader of the legislative party. The party is made up of the emotions and labor of thousands of workers. We can discuss this in detail once the list is announced.” If the selection of candidates follows the same pitch, no one can save the Congress party in Tamil Nadu.“The political developments come as the DMK alliance continues to gear up for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.Dravida Munnetra Kazagam (DMK) has announced that its ‘rising sun’ symbol will be contested in nearly 175 constituencies in the state.The DMK alliance has so far allotted seats to nine parties, including Congress (28), MDMK (4), IUML (2), MMK (2), KMDK (2), CPI (5), CPM (5), VCK (8) and DMDK (10). A total of 66 seats have been allotted to allies, out of which 7 seats are contested under the DMK symbol.With the remaining allocation, the DMK is expected to contest directly in 168 seats while alliance candidates will also contest in 7 seats under the ‘rising sun’ symbol, taking the total number of seats under the DMK symbol to 175.Tamil Nadu will go to polls in phases on April 23 and counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
Sweet heist: 12 tonnes of KitKat stolen in Europe before Easter
Swiss food brand Nestlé has reported the theft of a large shipment of its popular Kit Kat chocolate bars in Europe, warning the incident could disrupt supplies ahead of the Easter season.The company confirmed in a statement that a truck carrying 413,793 units of its newly launched chocolate range was stolen while in transit. According to AFP, the shipment, weighing about 12 tons, went missing last week during transportation between production and distribution points. According to the company, the truck had traveled from central Italy to Poland, with plans to distribute products to several European countries along the way. However, the exact location where the theft took place has not been revealed and the vehicle and its cargo remain untraceable.A spokesman for the brand, referring to its famous slogan, said the company has always encouraged consumers to “take a break” from KitKat, but added that in this case, “the thieves appear to have taken that message too literally.”“We have been encouraging people to give up KitKat chocolate. But thieves appear to have taken this message too literally and stole more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate,” the spokesman said.Nestlé warned the theft could lead to temporary shortages of Kit Kat bars in stores, especially in the run-up to Easter when demand typically rises. The company also warned that stolen products could find their way into unofficial or unauthorized sales channels across European markets.An investigation into the incident is currently underway in coordination with local authorities and supply chain partners. Nestlé said it was working to track the missing shipments using unique batch codes printed on each chocolate bar. If discovered, the system will prompt the user with instructions to alert the company so further action can be taken.“If a match is found, the scanner will receive clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, which will then share the evidence appropriately,” the company said.The brand urges retailers and consumers to remain cautious and continue efforts to recover stolen goods and prevent them from circulating in the market.
‘Choice between fear and trust’: Amit Shah releases ‘chargesheet’ against TMC
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘charge sheet’ against the BJP released on Saturday Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government is about to hold assembly elections in the state.Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Shah stressed that the upcoming elections will be a choice between “fear and trust”. He was joined by Bharatiya Janata Party president Samik Bhattacharya, a member of the Lok Sabha, and Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.He criticized the chief minister and TMC top leader Mamata Banerjeeaccusing her of “fuelling a politics of lies, violence and corruption over the past 15 years.”“Bengal has to choose between fear and trust. The politics of fear and corruption has been going on for the past 15 years. Mamata Banerjee has created a new way of politics by using lies and violence to drive her politics forward. The TMC came to power on the basis of lies, fear and violence. But the BJP has been fighting it since 2011 and I am confident that this time the BJP will form the government,” Shah told reporters.He continued, “In today’s press conference, we have presented a charge sheet against the 15-year rule of the TMC government. This charge sheet has been brought on behalf of the people of Bengal and this is expressed by the BJP. At some point, the people of Bengal will have to decide whether to choose fear or trust in the upcoming elections.”The senior BJP leader also praised Suvendu Adhikari for his extensive visits to the state to address key issues.“The elections have been announced. All BJP workers, under the leadership of our country’s President, have stepped into Bengal determined to form a BJP government. This election in Bengal is also very important for national security.” The security of the entire eastern region is closely related to Bangladesh. After the formation of the BJP government in Assam, infiltration has almost ended. Now, there is only one route left for infiltrators to enter the entire country and that is Bangladesh,” he explained.Shah added: “Our Leader of Opposition Shri Suvendu Adhikari ji also toured the entire Bengal before the elections to bring before everyone the prevailing chaos, anarchy, economic woes and especially the problem of infiltration in Bengal.”He further criticized the TMC for failing to deliver on its ‘Sonar Bangla’ promise, turning the state into a hub of criminal gangs and stifling industrial growth, describing it as an “industrial graveyard”.The state will hold elections in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the two-phase counting scheduled for May 4. Elections will be held in 152 constituencies in the first phase and the remaining 142 seats will go to polls in the second phase.(with ANI input)

