WASHINGTON: The United States issued nearly one-fifth fewer student visas in August, following a crackdown by President Donald Trump, led by a steep drop for India, which overtook China as the top country of origin, data showed on Monday.&nbsp;The United States issued 313,138 student visas in August, the most common start month for US universities, a 19.1% drop from the same month in 2023, according to the International Trade Commission.&nbsp;India, which was the top source of foreign students in the United States last year, experienced the most significant decline, with 44.5% fewer student visas issued compared to the previous year.&nbsp;Visa issuance also dropped for Chinese students, but not nearly at the same rate.&nbsp; The United States issued 86,647 visas to students from mainland China in August, more than double the number issued to students from India.&nbsp;The statistics do not reflect the overall numbers of US-based students, many of whom remain on previously issued visas.&nbsp;Trump has put a top priority since returning to the White House, both on curbing immigration and on weakening universities, which his administration sees as a key power base of the left.&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly suspended the processing of student visas in June, a peak month, as he issued orders requiring US embassies to vet applicants&#39; social media.&nbsp;In rules that affect Indians in particular, the Trump administration has made it more difficult for applicants to apply for visas outside the jurisdiction of US consulates in their home countries, even when there are backlogs.&nbsp;Trump has taken a series of actions at odds with India, which for decades had been courted by US policymakers of both parties, who saw the billion-plus nation as a natural counterweight to China.&nbsp;Trump has also imposed a hefty new fee on H-1B visas, which are mainly used by Indian technology workers.&nbsp;Trump, however, has voiced hope for ramping up the number of Chinese students to boost relations between the two powers, a sharp contrast to earlier messaging from Rubio, who had vowed to &quot;aggressively&quot; revoke visas from Chinese students he accuses of exploiting US technical know-how.

Asia

Americas

US student visas fell 19% in August. India saw the biggest drop, while China became the top source. New rules made it harder for Indians, but more Chinese students are being encouraged.

Indians lead drop in US university visas

NEW DELHI: India and China will resume direct flights between their two countries this month after a five-year suspension, officials said, with bookings opening on Friday.&nbsp;Direct flights between the world&#39;s two most populous countries were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and were not resumed as tensions grew between Beijing and New Delhi over border disputes.&nbsp;Relations between the Asian rivals have since thawed, and their leaders spoke in China in August and in Kazan in Russia last year.&nbsp;Following technical discussions, &quot;it has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October&quot;, an Indian government statement released on Thursday said.&nbsp;&quot;This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges,&quot; it said.&nbsp;Indigo, India&#39;s largest commercial operator, said on Thursday it would start direct daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26 and later expand operations to New Delhi.&nbsp;The airline opened bookings on Friday and said the direct flights would &quot;re-establish avenues for cross-border trade and strategic business partnerships and promote tourism between the two nations&quot;.&nbsp;India and China announced in August that they would restart direct flights, advance talks on their disputed border and boost trade.&nbsp;Relations between China and India plummeted in 2020 after their soldiers clashed along a disputed border in the Himalayan mountains.&nbsp;Four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian troops were killed in the worst violence between the two countries in decades.&nbsp;In June, Beijing granted permission to Indian pilgrims wishing to trek to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists, for the first time since the 2020 clash.

China

New Delhi and Beijing will resume direct flights this month after a five-year suspension due to COVID-19 and border tensions. Indigo begins services on October 26, aiming to boost trade, tourism, and bilateral ties.

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Indians lead drop in US university visas

India and China to resume direct flights after five years