China Eases Visa Application For US Tourists

China Eases Visa Application For US Tourists

Tourist visa applicants in the US will no longer need to submit air ticket bookings (Representational)

China will simplify visa applications for tourists from the United States from January 1, cutting the documents required, according to a notice on Friday on the website of the Chinese embassy in Washington.

The move is the latest by China to revive tourism and boost the world’s second-largest economy following a slump during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourist visa applicants in the US will no longer need to submit air ticket bookings, hotel reservations or an invitation letter, the embassy’s notice said.

Beijing earlier cleared the way for passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia to visit the country without visas from December 1.

Visa-free treatment will run for 12 months, during which tourists from those six countries can visit China for up to 15 days.

China also expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries in November.

The number of inbound tourists to the country plummeted during the pandemic due to the country’s strict COVID control policies.

International flights to China have picked up since Beijing dropped COVID restrictions a year ago but are still only at 60% of 2019 levels.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

How Instagram Love Triangle Led To Murder Of 20-Year-Old Delhi Man

How Instagram Love Triangle Led To Murder Of 20-Year-Old Delhi Man

All three accused have been arrested.

New Delhi:

A sensational murder, driven by jealousy and a love triangle, unfolded in the narrow lanes of northeast Delhi’s Bhagirathi Vihar Wednesday night, police said. 

The victim, 20-year-old Mahir from Ghaziabad, worked at a flex printing shop in Delhi’s Paharganj. Mahir found himself entangled in a deadly rivalry with the main accused Arman Khan, 18, over a common acquaintance – a 21-year-old woman who has not been identified by the police yet. Both Mahir and Arman had formed a connection with the woman on Instagram, setting the stage for a tragic confrontation.

The jealousy between the two reached a boiling point when Arman stumbled upon a video call between Mahir and the woman. Enraged, he confronted Mahir, accusing him of interfering in their relationship. Arman, to stop the woman from ever speaking with Mahir, had snatched her phone away.

In a sinister plot, Arman lured Mahir to Bhagirathi Vihar on the pretext of returning the woman’s phone. Accompanied by two other accused – Faisal (21) and Sameer (19) – the three ambushed Mahir, ruthlessly stabbed him to death, and fled the scene, leaving his body by the roadside. 

A distress call later that night led the police to Mahir’s lifeless body on the road, bearing multiple stab wounds to his abdomen. A blood-stained knife was also recovered at the crime scene, police said. 

Delhi Police and its Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) tracked down all three accused and arrested him in connection with the murder. According to the police, Arman is the proprietor of a general store, Faisal works as an LCD TV repairman and Sameer is a scrap dealer. All three accused belong to the Bhagirathi Vihar area where the murder took place. 

 

Palestinian resistance forces parade in Balata refugee camp



Palestinian gunmen from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades armed group, rally in the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, on December 29, 2023, to commemorate Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces. (Photo by AFP)

Palestinian resistance forces held a rally in the West Bank’s Balata refugee camp on Friday to pay tribute to Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces in the occupied territory.

Fighters from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, marched through a crowd of hundreds of people gathering in the streets to commemorate those killed in the refugee camp in recent Israeli raids.

Israel has intensified its deadly crackdown on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the regime launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Since October 7 the regime forces and settlers have killed at least 314 Palestinians and abducted hundreds more in the West Bank.


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IndiGo Captain's Welcome, Cake Treat On 1st Flight To Ayodhya's New Airport

IndiGo Captain's Welcome, Cake Treat On 1st Flight To Ayodhya's New Airport

The captain ended the announcement with “Jai Shree Ram”

The Ayodhya airport is all set to receive its first flight, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport. An Indigo flight has taken off from Delhi to reach Ayodhya. The captain of the flight made a special announcement and welcomed passengers before the take off. 

Ashutosh Shekhar, the captain of the flight said, “It’s a matter of pride for me that Indigo has given me the command of this important flight. It’s a matter of joy for Indigo and us. We hope your journey with us is safe and sound.” He also introduced his co-pilot an cabin in-charge to the passengers and said that the passengers will be informed about weather-related and flight-related updates. 

Mr Shekhar ended the announcement with “Jai Shree Ram” followed by passengers also joining him. 

The passengers and staff at the airport cut a cake before the flight took off. Passengers also carried saffron flags while boarding the plane. 

Passengers cut cake before first flight takes off to Ayodhya airport.

Passengers cut cake before first flight takes off to Ayodhya airport.

The Ayodhya airport, also called Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, was inaugurated by PM Modi today. PM Modi also inaugurated the newly revamped Ayodhya railway station. The inaugurations come less than a month ahead of the grand Ram Temple consecration. 

Soleimani initiated Resistance line from Sana'a to Palestine

In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Qassem Salman al-aboudi said that the success of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm launched by the Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement against Israel on October 7 was achieved thanks to the initiatives of Martyr Soleimani.

Political and regional observers are well aware of the important role of the Palestinian cause in the thinking of Martyr Soleimani, the Iraqi expert said.

Soleimani made many efforts to pass down the Palestinian intifada from the stone stage to rockets and military techniques, al-aboudi added.

Soleimani initiated Resistance line from Sana'a to Palestine

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, are now leveraging Soleimani’s combat strategy, he underlined.

The strategy of the Axis of Islamic Resistance revolves around backing the oppressed in various Islamic nations, notably the Axis of Palestinian Resistance against the Zionist occupation, he further noted.

Soleimani had a distinctive and notable presence at a critical juncture and location that shaped the conflict lines with the Zionist regime. This is why the notorious Donald Trump ordered his assassination at the Baghdad airport. He was often referred to as the invisible man and the shadow man, al-aboudi underscored.

He went on to say that Soleimani aimed to bolster the Axis of Resistance from Sana’a to southern Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine.

Soleimani initiated Resistance line from Sana'a to Palestine

Today, the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, this historical victory created by the Al-Qassam, humiliated the Zionists, and they owe this to the Martyr Soleimani, the analyst pointed out.

He transferred missile technology to occupied Palestine and Palestinian fighters as the biggest challenge to the arrogance of the West in the entire Middle East and West Asia region and equipped the Palestinians in this field, hence today we are witnessing the successes of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Front in the Al-Aqsa Operation, he added.

Soleimani initiated Resistance line from Sana'a to Palestine

Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, and Majid Al-Mohandis were assassinated and martyred on Friday morning, January 3rd, 2020.

Regarding his status, The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that “Martyr Soleimani brought new life to the Resistance Front. His material, spiritual, and moral support protected, fortified, and revived this eternal, growing phenomenon of Resistance against the Zionist regime, the influence of the US, and other Arrogant states.”

Soleimani, by leading Iran’s efforts and helping countries in the region to a great extent, helped to eradicate ISIS in Iraq and Syria and prevented the spread of US-backed terrorism.

Reported by Tohid Mahmoudpour

"Not That We Don't Know How To Bat…": Rohit Fumes After Loss vs SA

India captain Rohit Sharma defended his batters after a crushing innings and 32 runs defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Centurion on Thursday. Trailing South Africa at the end of the first innings by 163 runs, India were bowled out for 131 in the second innings, despite Virat Kohli‘s 76. While Kohli held the fort in the second innings, KL Rahul had scored a century in the first innings. As rest of the Indian batters failed to perform at the SuperSport Park, Rohit, who registered 5 and 0 runs in the match, played down the talk of his players not knowing how to bat on overseas tracks.

Rohit highlighted India’s recent performances against Australia and England, saying that the players have done exceptionally well in both departments in the past few years.

“Yes, we had a performance like this here. But, don’t forget, what we did in Australia and England. In Australia, we won the series, there our batters stepped up. In England, we drew a series, we shone with both bat and ball,” Rohit said after the match.

Rohit further emphasised that the defeat was more about South Africa being the better side throughout the duration of the match.

“These type of performances happen. It’s not that we don’t know how to bat outside India. At times, oppositions playbetter than us and win matches. I think that’s what happened here. It’s not like the opposition batted 110 overs and we didn’t bat as many putting together both innings. In the last 4 tours outside India, go and see our records (batting numbers),” he added.

India’s dream of winning a Test series in South Africa for the first time was ended inside three days.

Dean Elgar scored 185 in his last Test at his home ground as South Africa piled up 405 runs in the first innings.

With India trailing by 163, Kohli hit an aggressive 76 for the visitors before he was last man out but the rest of the batting collapsed against South Africa’s fast bowlers on a lively pitch.

The second innings lasted just 34.1 overs. Kohli hit 12 fours and a six in an 82-ball innings. Shubman Gill made 26 but no other batsman scored more than six.

Kagiso Rabada, who took five for 59 in the first innings, took two for 32 and finished the match with an outstanding diving catch at long-on to dismiss Kohli off Marco Jansen, who took three for 36.

Left-arm fast bowler Nandre Burger completed an impressive debut Test by taking four for 33, giving him match figures of seven for 83.

(With AFP Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Hezbollah rejects French daily claims on Oct. 7 Al-Aqsa Storm Operation

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has categorically dismissed claims by a French daily newspaper that the group was already informed of the large-scale surprise attack by members of Hamas and other Gaza-based resistance fighters against Israel in early October.

Hezbollah’s media bureau in a statement late on Friday described Le Figaro‘s allegations as “purely fictitious” and “baseless.”

The movement noted that such claims “are meant to undermine the absolute trust among resistance movements and factions across the region,” emphasizing, “These groups are committed openly and practically to resistance against the Zionist occupation.”

Hezbollah reiterated its Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s previous remarks that Al-Aqsa Storm Operation was purely Palestinian, and its objectives, planning, preparations as well as execution were all set and carried out by Palestinians themselves without external involvement.

The Lebanese resistance movement emphasized it did not know of the Palestinian operation beforehand.

The statement noted that Le Figaro’s bias in favor of Israel is blatantly clear in the claims, denouncing their publication as an act “lacking any moral principles and ethics.”

“Much like many Western media outlets, the French daily newspaper sided with the oppressor (Israel) at the expense of uncovering truth and facts, and promoting human values,” Hezbollah pointed out.

French newspaper Le Figaro alleged on December 26 that Nasrallah was informed of Hamas’s plans to launch the multi-pronged Al-Aqsa Storm Operation half an hour before it began.

According to the bogus report, senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, who resides in Lebanon, received a phone call on the morning of October 7, informing him of the imminent operation and requesting that he inform Hezbollah chief.

Israel waged the bloody war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime’s incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 21,320 Palestinians, including 6,200 women and 8,200 children, and injured more than 55,600 others.

It has also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Recap 2023: Ananya-Aditya To Tamannaah-Vijay, The Buzziest Couples

Recap 2023: Ananya-Aditya To Tamannaah-Vijay, The Buzziest Couples (Rumoured And Otherwise)

These couples trended a great deal. (courtesy netflix_in)

New Delhi:

Bollywood stars are always in the news, be it for their latest releases or their link-ups. The year 2023 saw some of the biggest names keep the gossip mills busy. The paparazzi updated us on every detail, ensuring that these couples occupied top spots on trends charts.  While rumoured lovebirds Ananya Panday and Aditya Roy Kapur grabbed headlines with their ‘hush, hush’ meetings and never-ending denials, Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia joined the power couple club. Tara Sutaria and Kartik Aaryan’s late-night dinner with friends also went viral. Without wasting any more time, let us look at the list of the buzziest couples of the year.

1. Ananya Panday and Aditya Roy Kapur

After their appearances (separate) on Koffee With Karan Season 8, we can’t help but start with this adorable duo. FYI: They have neither accepted nor denied the reports of their relationship. When Ananya was asked to confirm if she is dating Aditya on KWK, the actress said, “I am feeling very Ananya Coy Kapur to answer that question.” 

As per Aditya Roy Kapur, Ananya Panday is “pure joy and bliss.” The actor was questioned by Bollywood’s favourite celebrity quiz-master Karan Johar. The filmmaker  asked Aditya, “You mean you are joyously in a situationship.” To this, the actor replied, “Yes, I am quite joyous.” KJo added, “You are quite joyous. So the first word that comes to your mind when I say Ananya is Joy?” He said, “Yes, pure joy, bliss.” 

The rumoured lovebirds were stopped at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday. It seems they flew out of the city of dreams for New Year’s celebrations.

2. Tamannaah and Vijay Varma

Tamannaah and Vijay Varma have truly captivated our hearts with their reel and real-world chemistry. She broke her 18-year-long no-kissing policy for her segment in Lust Stories 2 with Vijay Varma. Their impeccable on-screen presence did manage to win hearts. In an interview, Tamannah said that Vijay is her “happy place”. Loved the way the couple walked hand-in-hand at parties and red carpet events. 

3. Janhvi Kapoor and Shikhar Pahariya

Remember when Shikhar Pahariya almost made it official on Instagram? In a now-deleted comment, Shikhar told Janhvi, “I am all yours.” The ‘awe adorable’ exchange took place under Bollywood’s BFF  aka Orry’s (Orhan Awatramani) post. Read all about it here.  Janhvi Kapoor and Shikhar Pahariya were also spotted seeking blessings at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain in December.  Our favourite moment was when Shikhar Pahariya was patiently waiting for Janhvi Kapoor in the car after Manish Malhotra’s Diwali party.

4. Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda

Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda are no strangers to dating rumours. It only got amplified when Ranbir Kapoor teased Rashmika during Animal’s promotions on the sets of Telugu star Nandamuri Balakrishna’s chat show Unstoppable with NBK 2.  On the show, Rashmika was asked to pick between two posters — Vijay Deverakonda‘s Arjun Reddy and Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor. Even before Rashmika could react, Ranbir told Balakrishna, “Ask Rashmika, who is the better hero”. This is when the crowd started cheering. Later, Rashmika called Vijay on the show and put him on speaker. Nandamuri Balakrishna then asked Vijay Deverakonda to say “I love Rashmika” over the phone, giving the actress another reason to blush.

Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda have acted together in Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade. Their dating rumours often trend on the Internet. 

5. Palak Tiwari and Ibrahim Ali Khan

Are they dating? We don’t know. But they have been spotted at parties (of course, individual appearances) and movie nights. As per Palak, they are “nice friends. He [Ibrahim] is a very sweet guy. That’s all there is to it. We talk sometimes and that’s all.” Recently, a video of Ibrahim carrying Palak’s jacket while exiting a theatre created a lot of buzz online.

6.Tara Sutaria and Kartik Aaryan

Tara Sutaria and Kartik Aaryan sparked dating rumours after they stepped out for dinner with friends in Mumbai. Tara’s birthday wish for Kartik added fuel to the reports. She shared a cozy picture on Instagram Stories and wished “popat” Kartik. Tara was also part of Kartik’s 33rd birthday party on November 22. 

7.AP Dhillon and Banita Sandhu

AP Dhillion broke a million hearts when he made his relationship Instagram official with actress Banita Sandhu. The two celebrities, who also featured together in a video this year, looked stunning in a series of pictures shared by Banita on Instagram. The actress declared, “with me”. She also added a red heart in her caption. To this, AP Dhillon replied with “pinched finger” emojis. 

8. Ishaan Khatter and Chandni Bainz

Ishaan Khatter made a lot of noise on social media over his relationship status after he was spotted with his rumoured girlfriend, Kuala Lumpur-based model Chandni Bainz. In a video, Ishaan is seen holding Chandni’s hand as they climb down the stairs. Without saying a word or posing for the paps parked outside the venue, the rumoured couple left in the same car. We think that was enough.  

9. Aadar Jain and Alekha Advani

It all started after Aadar and Alekha were seen holding hands as they arrived at Kareena Kapoor’s house for the Diwali bash. Aadar, who was previously in a relationship with Tara Sutaria, looked dapper as he walked in with his ladylove. A few days later, Aadar made it Instagram official with a mushy picture. In the frame, we can only see their intertwined hands. He wrote, “Light of my life,” and ended with a red heart emoticon.  

Alekha was also spotted at the annual Christmas brunch of the Kapoors. 

So, who do you think has the best chemistry?

Prayagraj police to attach properties of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed’s wife

Shaista Parveen is wanted in connection with the lawyer Umesh Pal murder case. Shaista carries Rs 50,000 cash reward on her head and has been evading police since the February 24, 2023 shootout in which Pal and two of his police gunners were killed in Sulemsarai area.

Updated On – 09:28 AM, Sat – 30 December 23


Prayagraj police to attach properties of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed’s wife

Police personnel at the site where Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead while they were being taken for a medical checkup (PTI Photo)

Prayagraj: Prayagraj Police have completed all formalities and documentation to attach properties of Shaista Parveen, wife of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed.

Shaista Parveen is wanted in connection with the lawyer Umesh Pal murder case. Shaista carries Rs 50,000 cash reward on her head and has been evading police since the February 24, 2023 shootout in which Pal and two of his police gunners were killed in Sulemsarai area.


A senior police official said: Police have identified properties of Shaista near Katju road in city and they would be attached shortly under section 83 of CrPC.

So far police have attached movable and immovable properties of Atiq aides Guddu Muslim, Sabir, Arman Akhtar, Ayesha Noori (sister of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed) and Zainab Fatima (wife of slain gangster Ashraf). On Thursday, cops had attached the properties of Arman Akhtar a.k.a Bihari at MG Marg, Civil Lines locality.

Arman is among the assailants involved in the murder. In the CCTV footages that went viral, he was seen reaching the spot on a bike with Guddu Muslim riding pillion.

KTR lists out factors that came in way of Pranahita-Chevella project

BRS working president and former Minister KTR has made it clear that the major challenges that came in the way of implementation of the Dr B R Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project were mainly two inter-State issues

Published Date – 02:31 PM, Sat – 30 December 23


KTR lists out factors that came in way of Pranahita-Chevella project

File Photo

Hyderabad: BRS working president and former Minister K T Rama Rao has made it clear that the major challenges that came in the way of the implementation of the Dr B R Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project were mainly two inter-State issues.

Sharing a series of posts, including videos, from multiple sources on X, he said the barrage was proposed by the AP State before bifurcation at Tummidihetti in Adilabad district with the full reservoir level (FRL) being + 152 metre with a capacity of 5.09 tmc.


Since it involved submergence of 3,786 acres of land in Maharashtra, serious concerns were raised by it. The State had strongly objected to the construction of the barrage at the proposed site. The government of Maharashtra had requested to reduce the FRL to + meters so as to minimize the risk of submergence, he shared.

As part of the initiative to resolve the issues involved in the implementation of the project, the previous Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and AP had entered into an agreement for constituting an interstate board on May 5, 2012. Consequent to the formation of separate State of Telangana, the Ministers for Irrigation/ water resources development of both the states had a meeting in Mumbai on July 23, 2014.

All out efforts were made to convince Maharashtra to allow the construction of the barrage with the FRL at +152 metres, but to no avail. The government of Maharashtra had again insisted on lowering the FRL of the proposed project as a pre-requisite for according it concurrence. A joint survey conducted by the two States and assessed the submergence at 285 acres with the FRL reduced to +148 metres. But the project with the FRL lowered to +148 would facilitate a tentative diversion of only 44 tmc instead of 160 tmc envisaged at +152 metres.

But the quantum of water would be made available with the FRL lowered would be insufficient for diversion of two tmc per day to meet the planned utilization. The Central Water Commission has stated that the net availability of water at the proposed site would be about 165.38 tmc at 75 per cent dependability which includes the perceived surplus of 63 tmc from the share of upstream States.

It also advised the Project authorities to review the quantum of divertible flows from Pranahita barrage considering the overall availability at the Tammidihetti location and the environmental flows required besides the storage capacity at the proposed barrage. The CWC had made it clear that the availability of the estimated surplus of 63 tmc of water from upstream states, may not be reliable available in future.