The Trump administration moved to tighten visa rules for international students, foreign journalists and cultural exchange visitors.(Photo: AP)India News Live: Visa and immigration matters are sovereign functions of any state, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said a day after the Trump administration moved to tighten visa rules for international students, foreign journalists and cultural exchange visitors. “But having said that, when there are issues of difficulties which are brought to our attention in regard to genuine travellers, students, among others, we will take those issues up with the US side so as to minimize the difficulties that our people face,” the MEA spokesperson said. The new final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) creates a fixed period of stay for F visas issued to international students, J visas for cultural exchange visitors and I visas for members of the foreign media. The rule will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review, news agency Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off India’s first hydrogen train, marking a major milestone in Indian Railways’ push for green and sustainable mobility. Developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), this new train will run between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana. The 89-km-long stretch falls under the jurisdiction of Northern Railway’s Delhi Division. With its launch, India will join a select group of countries, including Germany, Japan, China and the United States, that are exploring hydrogen-powered trains for cleaner rail transportation.
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Congress leader Pawan Khera met activist Sonam Wangchuk and members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar and expressed support for their protest over alleged NEET exam irregularities. Meanwhile, Aamir Khan said that his 2009 film ‘3 Idiots’ was not inspired by activist Sonam Wangchuk and expressed concern over Wangchuk’s health during his ongoing hunger strike. The CJP has been protesting for over 25 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged paper leaks and examination system failures. Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then.
Three students were killed after a train rammed a school van in West Bengal’s Murshidabad on Thursday morning, in a tragedy that has added to a week already marked by rain deaths and infrastructure failures across the country. Details of the exact circumstances — the crossing, the timing, whether barriers were in place — are still emerging as rescue and relief operations continue at the site.
If you are just joining us, this is The Indian Express Realtime breaking news blog – where we bring you the latest news updates of the day in real time. Scan the top headlines of the day here, or keep scrolling to see the latest updates stream in. This blog is curated by Richa Shrivastava and Aditi Anand.
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Trump claims China stole 220 million US voter files
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Gujarat Police’s anti-radicalisation SOP triggers political storm
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Maratha quota: Can a politically dominant community be ‘backward’? Bombay HC examines
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He killed someone, vanished for 39 years — a hospital visit gave him away
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Live Updates
Jul 17, 2026 06:40 PM IST
MEA on new US visa rules for students and journalists
MEA spokesperson: Visa functions and immigration matters are sovereign functions of any state. But having said that, let me tell you that as and when there are issues of difficulties which are brought to our attention in regard to genuine travellers, students, among others, we take those issues with the US side so as to minimize the difficulties that our people face.
VIDEO | Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We have seen reports regarding the visa rules. As you rightly pointed out, visa regulations and immigration matters are sovereign functions of any country. Having said that, whenever issues concerning genuine travellers,… pic.twitter.com/jvdtMkvpRb
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 17, 2026(PTI)
Jul 17, 2026 05:53 PM IST
24 terrorists killed in intelligence-based operations in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan's army on Friday said 24 terrorists were killed during a series of intelligence-based operations in and around the restive Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the last 24 hours.
The military said a cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the slain terrorists, who were involved in multiple terrorist activities and the killing of civilians.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for the operations, with Naqvi calling them essential for restoring peace and stability in the province.
Jul 17, 2026 05:42 PM IST
India's development did not come to a standstill despite oil supply crisis: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Indian Railways would have come to a standstill if the current West Asia conflict had occurred before 2014 because most trains then ran on diesel.
Flagging off India's first hydrogen-powered train in Haryana, Modi said nearly 99 per cent of the railway network has been electrified over the past 12 years, ensuring train services continued despite disruptions in oil supplies caused by the conflict in West Asia. He said, "The country's development did not come to a standstill."
Jul 17, 2026 05:13 PM IST
Congress asks PM Modi to break silence in Parliament on Ram temple trust donation row
The Congress on Friday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address Parliament on the alleged embezzlement of donations from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, saying he had announced the creation of the trust in the Lok Sabha in February 2020.
Speaking ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Trust had betrayed the faith of crores of Indians and said the prime minister "must break his silence" on the floor of the House. He claimed Modi had announced the Trust's formation in Parliament and should now explain the alleged "chanda chori, aastha dhoka" linked to its functioning.
The alleged embezzlement came to light last month, following which an SIT was constituted. So far, eight people have been arrested, two Trust functionaries have resigned and cash allegedly siphoned off from temple donations has been recovered. The Supreme Court has also sought a status report from the SIT, which is expected to submit an interim report on Monday.
Jul 17, 2026 04:50 PM IST
Europe's early heat wave may have killed over 10,000 people, excess mortality data suggests
Europe's exceptionally early and intense heat wave this year appears to have led to a sharp rise in deaths, with emerging data suggesting well over 10,000 more people died at the height of the heat wave than would normally be expected.
According to EuroMOMO, which monitors mortality across two dozen European countries, an estimated 14,260 excess deaths from all causes were recorded in the week ending June 28, out of a total of 84,583 deaths. More than 12,000 of the excess deaths were among people aged 65 and older. EuroMOMO said the spike was "highly unusual" and attributed it to the heat wave, noting there was no other obvious explanation. France, Belgium and Germany recorded the highest excess mortality rates.
Heat-related deaths are often undercounted because death certificates may record the immediate cause, such as a heart attack, rather than extreme heat that triggered it.
Individual countries have also reported significant death tolls linked to the heat. Germany attributed 6,830 deaths to heat through early July, Britain estimated 2,700 heat-related deaths in England and Wales during May and June, Spain reported 937 heat-related deaths in June, while France, Belgium and the Netherlands also recorded significant excess mortality during the late June heat wave.
Jul 17, 2026 04:28 PM IST
Rajasthan to file affidavit on Asaram's health by July 20; SC posts hearing for July 21
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that the Rajasthan government would file an affidavit on Asaram's health by July 20.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for Asaram submitted that he was a high-risk patient. Mehta, however, told the court that around three months ago, Asaram had travelled to Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath and had walked throughout the visit.
The bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale thereafter posted the matter for hearing on July 21.
Earlier, on June 30, the apex court had sought the Rajasthan government's response to Asaram's plea challenging the Rajasthan High Court order upholding his conviction and life sentence. The court had also directed that the medical facilities being extended to him should continue, subject to the satisfaction of the concerned medical authority, and allowed him to seek urgent listing if his condition deteriorated.
Jul 17, 2026 04:28 PM IST
SC seeks Rajasthan's response on Asaram's health, says it wants no 'untoward thing' to happen
The Supreme Court on Friday said it did not want "any untoward thing to happen" as it asked the Rajasthan government to obtain proper instructions on the health condition of self-styled godman Asaram, who has sought interim bail on medical grounds.
Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajasthan government, that it did not want either the court or the state to be blamed over his medical condition.
Mehta told the bench that AIIMS had advised certain lifestyle changes for Asaram. He also said there was some bleeding due to a gastrointestinal problem, but described it as a temporary issue and added that Asaram was taking medication.
The bench directed the state to obtain proper instructions on his health, observing, "We will only say that please take appropriate instructions because we don't want any untoward thing to happen."
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