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After call with Donald Trump on ceasefire, Zelenskyy says Putin’s ‘words’ not enough – The Times of India

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After call with Donald Trump on ceasefire, Zelenskyy says Putin’s ‘words’ not enough – The Times of India


After call with Donald Trump on ceasefire, Zelenskyy says Putin’s ‘words’ not enough (Pic credit: AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s verbal assurances about limiting attacks on energy infrastructure, saying that only tangible actions can pave the way for peace. His remarks come after a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, during which they discussed ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The conversation between Zelenskyy and Trump followed Trump’s call with Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal backed by the US and Ukraine. While Putin declined the full ceasefire, he agreed to a temporary halt in attacks on energy infrastructure.
Trump described his call with Zelenskyy as “very good” in a social media post, noting that much of the discussion centred around aligning Ukraine and Russia on their respective needs. He added that secretary of state Marco Rubio and national security advisor Michael Waltz would soon release a statement detailing the key points from the conversation.
Zelenskyy also characterised the call as productive and confirmed that discussions for a new meeting between Ukrainian and US delegations were underway. However, speaking at a press conference alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, he stressed that verbal commitments from Putin were insufficient.
“Just assurances and only Putin’s words that he orders not to strike energy facilities—that is not enough,” Zelenskyy said, according to ABC News. “Why? Because, unfortunately, this war has made us very practical people.”
Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine is preparing a formal list of civilian, energy, and infrastructure sites to be deemed off-limits in any potential agreement. “If the Russians do not strike our facilities, we will certainly not strike theirs,” he said, emphasising that a mutual and enforceable agreement was necessary.
Despite the Trump-Putin call, the conflict raged on. Overnight, Ukraine reported a Russian drone attack on a hospital, while Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting an oil depot. The continued hostilities prompted Zelenskyy to reiterate that only a genuine halt to Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure could indicate a sincere effort to end the war.
Zelenskyy also criticised the international response to Putin’s refusal to implement a full ceasefire. “Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire. It would be right for the world to respond by rejecting any attempts by Putin to prolong the war,” he declared on Tuesday.
He called for increased sanctions on Russia, further military assistance for Ukraine, and strengthened support for allies. “Only a real cessation of strikes on civilian infrastructure by Russia, as proof of its willingness to end this war, can bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The latest phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy marks their first direct conversation since a tense Oval Office meeting last month, where Trump accused Ukraine of being unprepared for peace negotiations. That encounter resulted in a temporary suspension of US military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, which was later reinstated following Ukraine’s agreement to a 30-day truce in Saudi-brokered talks last week.
While Trump had been optimistic about securing a ceasefire, he later admitted in a Fox News interview that achieving one would have been “tough.” The Kremlin, following Tuesday’s call, cited concerns about effectively controlling a ceasefire along the front lines and reiterated its demand for a complete cessation of Western military aid to Ukraine as a condition for ending the war.
Zelenskyy, however, remained firm in his stance. “Sanctions against Russia. Assistance to Ukraine. Strengthening allies in the free world and working toward security guarantees—these are the necessary steps to truly move toward peace.”





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US asks for home addresses, biometrics of H-1B applicants first time ever: ‘Highly unusual’ – The Times of India

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US asks for home addresses, biometrics of H-1B applicants first time ever: ‘Highly unusual’ – The Times of India


USCIS is seeking home address and biometrics as additional data from H-1B applicants, if there is any ‘adverse information’ about the applicant.

In a fresh trouble for H-1B applicants, federal immigrant authorities are asking for home addresses and biometrics for H-1B and employment-based immigrant petitions, which immigrant lawyers think is highly unusual, as biometrics are not generally required. Immigrant authorities are issuing Requests for Evidence (RFE) for this data.
A Request for Evidence is a formal notice issued by the USCIS when additional documents are required for evaluating a petition. It can not be seen as a denial but a standard part of the process if there is any gap in the applications. According to USCIS guidelines, an RFE should clearly outline which eligibility criteria have not been met, explain why existing materials are insufficient, and suggest what additional evidence could help meet the requirements.
These requests are quite common if there is a missing documentation, inconsistencies in project details or a lack of supporting evidence.

Is it targeting H-1Bs amid crackdown on immigrants?

Immigration law firm Goel & Anderson’s Vic Goel told Forbes this is highly unusual because biometrics are not typically required for these case types.”The RFEs also fail to explain the nature of the adverse information, leaving employers and attorneys in the dark. It appears that DHS [Department of Homeland Security] may be using AI tools to flag individuals based on undisclosed data, possibly from social media or other government databases.”
“We have encountered potentially adverse information related to the beneficiary. To continue processing your application or petition, we required an updated address for the beneficiary so that we may collect biometric data,” a USCIS adjudicator wrote in a Request for Evidence, according to Forbes.
The “adverse information” part goes along with the crackdown on immigrants by the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said making America safe means revoking visas when threats arise. “US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government’s rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” Rubio said.





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Israeli airstrike kills at least 44 people in Gaza, hits a police station

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Israeli airstrike kills at least 44 people in Gaza, hits a police station


A view of destroyed machinery at the site of an Israeli strike, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, April 22, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

An Israeli airstrike hit a police station in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday (April 24, 2025), killing at least 10 people, local health authorities said, and Israel’s military said it had struck a command centre of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad groups.

Medics said two Israeli missiles hit the police station, located near a market, which led to the wounding of dozens of people in addition to the 10 deaths. The identities of those killed were not immediately clear.

The Israeli military said in a statement apparently referring to the same incident, that it attacked a command and control centre operated by Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad groups in Jabalia, which militants used to plan and execute attacks against Israeli forces.

It accused Palestinian militant groups of exploiting civilians and civil properties for military purposes, an allegation Hamas and other factions deny.

Local health authorities said Israeli strikes have killed at least 34 other people in separate airstrikes across the enclave, bringing Thursday’s death toll to 44.

The Gaza Health Ministry said the Durra Children’s Hospital in Gaza City had become non-operational, a day after an Israeli strike hit the upper part of the building, damaging the intensive care unit and destroying the facility’s solar power panel system.

No one was killed. There was no Israeli comment on the incident.

Gaza’s health system has been devastated by Israel’s 18-month-old military campaign, launched in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023, putting many of the territory’s hospitals out of action, killing medics, and reducing crucial supplies.

Since a January ceasefire collapsed on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, many of them civilians, according to the Gaza health authorities, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as Israel seized what it calls a buffer zone of Gaza’s land.

Efforts by Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have so far failed to reconcile disputes between the two warring parties, Israel and Hamas.

The attack on Israel by Hamas in October 2023 killed 1,200 people, and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza. Since then, more than 51,300 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to health officials.



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133 students, majority Indians, get their SEVIS records restored: What is this record? Why is this crucial to stay in US? – The Times of India

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133 students, majority Indians, get their SEVIS records restored: What is this record? Why is this crucial to stay in US? – The Times of India


A Georgia court reinstated the SEVIS records of 133 students, majority Indians.

Amid the Donald Trump administration’s massive crackdown on international students, a court in Georgia has ruled in favor of 133 students, reinstating their SEVIS records. A majority of these 133 students are Indians. They filed a lawsuit against the ICE after their SEVIS records were terminated.

What is SEVIS record?

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System — an online database that the US Department of Homeland Security uses to maintain information regarding schools which have exchange programs, F-1 and M1 students studying in the US, J-1 visa exchange visitor program participants.

When is a SEVIS record terminated?

A SEVIS record is terminated if a student does something violating the terms of their visa status.

How to check SEVIS record

If you want to verify your valid SEVIS status, you can log into M-Passport and check your SEVIS Status. If your SEVIS Status is Active or Initial, then your SEVIS record is valid.

What happens if a SEVIS record is terminated?

If your SEVIS record is terminated, you have two options: travel outside the US with a new I-20 or submit a Reinstatement application to regain your status.
A terminated SEVIS record strips a student of their lawful status, leading to invalidation of their F-1 work authorization (including OPT and STEM OPT). OPT stands for Optional Practical Training which is related to an F-1 student’s major area of study.

What was the case of these 133 students?

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups in the Northern District of Georgia. The students claimed that ICE terminated their SEVIS records “abruptly and unlawfully”. The lawsuit claimed that by terminating these records, ICE is ending a student’s status and making them deportable.
“DHS’s act of unlawfully terminating SEVIS records appears to be designed to coerce students, including each Plaintiff, into abandoning their studies and ‘self-deporting’ despite not violating their status,” the lawsuit said.
Some of the students are nearing graduation and are enrolled in work programs. Reasons for their record revocation were cited as traffic violations, minor misdemeanors etc. Government lawyers had argued that granting any relief to the students would affect the executive branch’s “control over immigration.”





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