Monday, 31 July 2023

Nuh Violence: Schools, Colleges In Gurugram To Remain Closed Today

All educational institutions including schools, colleges, and coaching centres will remain closed on Tuesday in Haryana's Gurugram, District Information and Public Relations Officer, Gurugram stated on Monday.

The order has been issued by District Magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav.

This came in the wake of clashes between two groups on Monday.

Two home guards were shot dead and about a dozen policemen were injured after a clash broke out between two groups in Haryana's Nuh district on Monday, the police officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Neeraj and Gursevak who were deployed at Khedali Daula police station.

As per the police, the policemen, who were injured in the clashes between two communities in Haryana's Nuh, have been admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.

Police said the mob attacked the police teams when they were marching towards Mewat from Gurugram.

Mobile internet services have been suspended temporarily in the Nuh district of Haryana.

Speaking about the incident Nuh acting SP Narender Bijarniya says, "Today's incident is unfortunate. The situation in Nuh is under control. Legal action is being taken against those responsible. Some (police) force members have also suffered injuries. The clash broke out during the Shobha Yatra & the reason behind the incident is being analysed. Some people have been arrested. Internet services have been suspended..."

Nuh Deputy Commissioner appealed to all to maintain peace and informed that all stranded people have been rescued.

Nuh Deputy Commissioner Prashant Panwar says, "Police are investigating the matter. Internet services have been suspended for 3 days. Section 144 has been imposed in the district. Curfew orders have been given...We appeal to all to maintain peace. All stranded people have been rescued... 1 casualty has been reported. The situation is normal now and curfew has been imposed in the district...".

Suspension of the internet services will continue in Nuh district till August 2.

The Haryana Government, in an official notification, has said that the order has been taken to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms.

"In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, Home Secretary, Haryana do order the suspension of the mobile internet services and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of district Nuh of Haryana State," the order said.

It further said that all telecom service providers of Haryana are directed to ensure the compliance of this order.

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



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IAS Officer Who Demolished Delhi Monument To Build Bungalow Suspended

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has suspended 2007-batch AGMUT-cadre IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai, accused of demolishing a monument and constructing a government accommodation, with immediate effect.

According to an order issued by the MHA, departmental proceedings are being contemplated against Rai.

"Now, therefore, the President of India, in exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, hereby places Shri Udit Prakash Rai, IAS (AGMUT: 2007) under suspension with immediate effect.

"It is further ordered that during the period for which this order shall remain in force, the headquarters of Shri Udit Prakash Rai, IAS (AGMUT: 2007) shall be Mizoram and the said Shri Udit Prakash Rai, IAS (AGMUT: 2007) shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining the prior permission of the Competent Authority," the order read.

In August last year, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended action against Rai for allegedly accepting a Rs 50-lakh bribe to grant "undue favours" to an executive engineer in two corruption cases. During his tenure as the vice-chairman of the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB), Rai "virtually let off" executive engineer P S Meena in two disproportionate assets cases -- one involving Meena's son and the other involving his wife.

He was allegedly involved in the construction of an official accommodation following the demolition of a 15th-century monument during his tenure as the Delhi Jal Board's (DJB) chief executive officer.

Earlier this year, the Delhi government's vigilance department served a notice to Rai for the construction of the official accommodation following the demolition of the monument.

The monument, a "mahal" (palace) from the Pathan period and the only remnant of the Khizrabad city founded by Khizr Khan of the Sayyid dynasty, was located in the Jal Vihar area, near Lajpat Nagar, in southeast Delhi.

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



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Pooran Breaks Internet With Match-Winning 55-Ball 137 In MLC Final

The inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket concluded on Sunday (Monday IST) with MI New York clinching the title against Seattle Orcas in Dallas. The brand MI continued to display its flawless cricketing skills as it added another trophy to its collection. Asked to bat first, the Orcas posted a good total of 183/9 in 20 overs with Quinton de Kock scoring 87 runs. However, the match turned upside down in the second innings as skipper Nicholas Pooran smashed a whopping total of 137 runs off just 55 balls and guided MI New York to victory by seven wickets.

Pooran's massive knock was laced with 13 sixes and 10 boundaries. The most memorable moment of the match came during the 16th over of MI's chase as the West Indies wicketkeeper thrashed Harmeet Singh for 24 runs. That over included a boundary and a stunning hat-trick of sixes. 

With this total, the MI skipper also became the highest run-scorer of the MLC 2023 with 388 runs to his name. His knock of 137* was also the highest individual score by any batter in the tournament. 

Notably, MI were one down for zero runs on the board during the chase. However, the skipper took the matter into his own hands and played a fearless innings to take his team to the inaugural title. 

Talking about the match, no other batter, apart from de Kock, was able to go past the 30-run mark for Seattle Orcas. The bowling duo of Trent Boult and Rashid Khan broke the backbone of Orcas' batting line-up, with their respective three-wicket hauls. Apart from them, Steven Taylor and David Wiese took one wicket each. 

Later, MI New York lost two wickets early as openers Steven Taylor and Shayan Jahangir departed for 0 and 10 runs respectively. However, it was Pooran who remained firm and played an extraordinary knock of 137 runs off 55 balls. Apart from him, Dewald Brevis and Tim David scored 20 and 10 runs respectively. 

For Seattle Orcas, Imad Wasim and Wayne Parnell scalped one wicket each. 



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WWF Uses Twitter Bird Logo To Highlight Species Facing Extinction

Last week, Twitter replaced its iconic bird logo with the letter 'X',  marking the latest major shift since Elon Musk's takeover of the social media platform. Twitter, founded in 2006 and whose name is a play on the sound of birds chattering, has used avian branding since its early days. 

Needless to say, Elon Musk's Twitter logo rebranding has become the talk of the town, and the subject of viral jokes and memes. Now, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has used the rebranding of Twitter to talk about wildlife conservation.

The German chapter of the WWF created an impactful graphic that shows the evolution of the blue bird logos over the years. The post drives home the point that some animals are heading for extinction if we don't protect them.

Notably, McCann Germany, an advertising agency, collaborated with WWF to create the graphic and shared it on LinkedIn. When translated into English, the caption of the graphic reads, ''The whole world mourns the loss of the Twitter bird. Around 1 million real animal species are threatened with extinction. Today we are in the midst of the greatest extinction of species since the end of the dinosaur era. A quarter of mammal species, one in eight bird species, more than 30 percent of sharks and rays, and 40 percent of amphibian species are threatened. Help us save the animals. An initiative of WWF Germany & us!''

 The text on the graphic, reads, “Protect our animal species before it's too late.”

See the picture here:

British writer Julia Hobsbawm posted this graphic on X and wrote, “Good work from a German ad agency which reads “protect the wildlife before it's too late”.

Reacting to the graphic, one user said, ''You could interpret the meaning a lot of ways. It could be covertly about free speech or it could actually be about protecting wildlife for all I know.''

Another commented, ''Join the wildlife rescue mission before these precious creatures go 'tweet-tweet' into extinction!''

A third said, ''I'd completely forgotten the bird logo was different in Twitter's early years, which in itself is a tribute to the timeless perfection of the final version. On top of everything else wrong with Elon Musk, he's a sheer cultural vandal.''

A fourth wrote, ''Another endangered species, now extinct.''



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Were Umpires Right In Ruling Out Stokes' Catch Of Smith? ICC Says This

Team England needed a crucial wicket on the last day of the last Ashes Test to contain Australia and believed they had Australia's star batter Steve Smith close to lunch on Day 5 but the batter was ruled not out. In the 66th over, Smith was batting on 39 and England captain Ben Stokes appeared to have caught the ball at leg gully as it popped off the batter's glove of Moeen Ali's loopy delivery. Umpire Joel Wilson said it was not out and Stokes went for review. 

The catch was taken cleanly by Stokes at leg gully as he stretched his right arm but as he moved to celebrate, the ball flew out of his hands and fell down.

Replays appeared to indicate that Stokes realised it wasn't a clean catch since his head dropped right away. 

"After numerous replays, Smith was ruled not out as the catch was not perceived to be clean according to law 33.3 of the MCC," the ICC wrote in a report.

"The law states, 'The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder's person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement.'

"The incident was similar to Mitchell Starc's catch of Ben Duckett at Lord's but clearer. With this, Smith survived as Australia headed to lunch three down and needing a further 146 runs to win. "
 
Chris Woakes and Mark Wood provided the early breakthrough on Day 5 of the of the fifth Ashes Test to help England stage a comeback but Australia still have an edge in the crucial math.

Australia were 238/3 at Lunch with Steve Smith (40) and Travis Head (31) standing unbeaten at the crease with the team needing another 146 runs for victory.



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Focus Not Just On Ram Temple: PM's "Mantra For 2024" At NDA Meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told the NDA to focus on issues apart from Ram Mandir ahead of the 2024 general elections. At a meeting with MPs from Uttar Pradesh today, the Prime Minister advised the MPs to go local, and "spend more time with the people", sources said.

The MPs who attended the meet -- to be a part of a series of meetings -- were from West Uttar Pradesh, Braj and the Kanpur-Bundelkhand area.

Sources said the Prime Minister has asked the MPs to talk about local issues in their respective constituencies, go to programmes that people attend including weddings.

"PM Modi gave the mantra of 2024 victory to NDA MPs. 'Convince those who are sulky, angry, spend more and more time with the public during elections," a source quoted him as saying.

Invoking 'coalition dharma', he said unlike the UPA, the NDA is about sacrifice, not selfishness, sources said.
 
As an example, PM Modi cited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who, he said, was made the Chief Minister despite having fewer MLAs than the BJP but he still ended the coalition and joined the opposition ranks.

"Despite having a good number of MLAs in the government with the Akali Dal in Punjab, the NDA did not ask for the post of Deputy Chief Minister," a source quoted him as saying.

The BJP has divided the 430 MPs of NDA into 11 groups, which will meet PM Modi by turns till August 10.

The next round of meetings will be held on Wednesday, in which 96 MPs from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep will participate.

The meetings are meant to ensure greater cohesion and synergy within the alliance ahead of the election.

Senior party leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP chief JP Nadda are expected to be part of the meetings.



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Sunday, 30 July 2023

Karnataka Congress MLA Says He Threatened To Quit At Party Meet

Senior MLA BR Patil on Sunday admitted that he threatened to resign during the recent Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, citing "self-respect", but said he did not apologise for writing a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister highlighting his concerns.

The CLP meeting on Thursday evening was significant as it came amid reports that as many as 30 legislators have written to Mr Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies.

The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Mr Patil said, as he warned that their fight would continue, if it is not corrected.

The Aland MLA, however said he is satisfied with the Legislature party meeting held on Thursday and what transpired there.

"I too have seen media and newspaper reports. I don't know who has apologised. I have not apologised, nor will I. Have we committed any crime to apologise? Or have we made a big mistake?" BR Patil said in response to a question that some ministers including Home Minister G Parameshwara had stated that those who wrote letters to the Chief Minister had apologised at the CLP meeting.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "There is internal democracy in our party, we have the right to request a legislature party meeting. Accordingly, leaders have called (for the meeting). There was open and detailed discussion in the meeting and I'm satisfied, but I'm not a coward to apologise. If I had committed any mistake, I would have apologised," he added.

Several legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested. They have expressed unhappiness regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them.

According to party sources, Mr Patil, one of the MLAs who wrote to the Chief Minister, slammed ministers at the CLP meeting for not taking MLAs into confidence.

They said BR Patil asserted his rights when Mr Siddaramaiah questioned the need for the letter that was written to him.

Stating that there is no disgruntlement, Mr Patil today told reporters that he along with some legislators wanted certain issues to be discussed for which they had requested that a legislature party meeting be called.

Asked whether he had said that he would resign at the meeting, he said, "I said one thing at one point, that if my self respect is hurt I will throw my resignation and go." He however did not wish to elaborate as to what the context was in which he made such a statement. "It cannot be discussed openly in the media, we have discussed internally." The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Mr Patil said, adding, "I don't know whether Chief Minister has advised them (ministers) or not... If their behaviour is not right, our fight against it will be there." Clarifying that there is no team as such in place to fight against the ministers' behaviour, the senior MLA, in response to a question, admitted that he walked out of the CLP meeting, and was persuaded by a couple of ministers to get back. But he did not wish to go into details.

He however said that the chief minister subsequently spoke to him over the phone.

BR Patil, clarifying that the issue that legislators have is not related to transfer of government servants, said that the Chief Minister has explained at the CLP meeting about the burden on the exchequer due to implementation of the poll guarantees, and that there will be shortage of funds for developmental works initially this year, which will be set right in the days ahead.

"We are satisfied with what Chief Minister said," he added.

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



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PM Modi On What Made Haj "Special" For Muslim Women This Year

In continuation of his outreach to the Muslim community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, while addressing the 103rd edition of his radio programme, 'Mann ki Baat', thanked the Saudi Arabia government for making changes in the Haj policy and said due to this change, over 4,000 Muslim women from India performed Haj without 'mehram' (male companion). He said many of them had written to them to express their joy and give their blessings.

"There are some letters that bring you a lot of joy and inspiration. The letters that my Muslim mothers and sisters have written to me, after returning from Haj, are like that. Their journey this year was very special in many ways. These are women who have been able to go to Haj without a male companion that was not allowed earlier. I want to thank the Saudi Arabia government for this change in policy," he said, calling the shift "transformative" as the number of women going for Haj from India without men accompanying them was not "50 or 100" but over 4,000.

Amid international scrutiny on human rights record and treatment of women, Saudi Arabia in 2019 had said that it would allow women to travel without the permission of a male relative.

Haj has been at the centre of political flashpoints in India. While the central government decided to do away with the discretionary Haj quota that was available with people in top constitutional posts and the minority affairs ministry, the Congress has been blaming the government for doing away with Haj subsidy that the centre has said was being misused.

Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani recently said a decision was taken to end discretionary quota in Haj under PM's resolve to end VIP culture. She also said her government made several changes in Haj yatra guidelines keeping in mind the interest of the people, including disallowing a VIP delegation that visits Saudi Arabia every year.

As many as 4,314 Indian women went for Haj without 'Mahram (male companion)' this year, the largest since the reform in 2018. The Minority Affairs Ministry had made comprehensive arrangements for the health of the Haj pilgrims with health desks at airports and medical screening by government doctors. 

Each year, Saudi Arabia hosts around 25 lakh to 30 lakh pilgrims from across the globe to visit Mecca and India sends the third largest contingent of pilgrims in the world. 

A quota of 1,75,025 Haj pilgrims was allotted to India. The annual pilgrimage took place in June-end.

Muslim women have been at the centre of the BJP's outreach towards the community, starting with the centre's move to criminalise Triple Talaq. 

The PM's mention of Muslim women came a day after the BJP appointed former VC of Aligarh Muslim University Tariq Mansoor as one of its Vice presidents. 

Mansoor has been working with the RSS on its efforts to promote teachings of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh on peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims. As the VC of AMU during the anti CAA rights, his role was criticised by many students for being pro-government. 

Mansoor is also a pasmanda Muslim, a non Ashraf Muslim - BJP has been trying to woo the Pasmanda Muslims for a while now.

The PM, specifically speaking in Bhopal recently, while making a pitch for the Uniform Civil Code had listed the names of the Muslim Pasmanda communities that were never given a voice by the opposition. 

Apart from Mansoor, Abdulla Kutty is also a vice president with the BJP. He was appointed last year and also heads the Haj committee. 

Formerly with the CPM and Congress, Abdulla Kutty has always been vocal in praising the PM's model of governance, and this works well for the BJP that has been trying to strengthen its position politically and ideologically in Kerala against the communist forces.


 



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'Barbie Feet Challenge' Has Left Health Experts Concerned. Here's Why

The highly-anticipated movie 'Barbie' starring Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling which was released on July 21, is making a splash at the theatres globally. The Barbie mania is taking over, and people, companies, brands and everyone else is jumping on the pink bandwagon. The movie has also given rise to several viral trends across all social media platforms. One such trend is called the 'Barbie Feet Challenge', inspired by a particular scene from the movie.

The challenge involves recreating a scene from the movie where Margot Robbie's character slips out of her heels and stands on the tips of her toes, while her heels remain in the air. To ace the challenge, women are attempting to step out of high heels, walk on tiptoes, and maintain their feet in an arched position.

The hashtags #BarbieFeet and #BarbieFeetChallenge have garnered a combined total of over 80 million views on the platform, and search interest for “Barbie Foot Challenge” increased 2,950% over the course of one week, Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center reported, according to the New York Post.

 Even American model Chrissy Teigen hopped onto the bandwagon.

However, health experts are now raising concerns about the potential dangers associated with the viral trend.

“Although the Barbie Arch makes a woman's legs appear longer and toner, it is not without risk. If someone attempts the pose once or twice, they will likely be ok and produce a great TikTok video. However, if attempting the pose and stride over long periods, there are some risks involved. The ankle is unstable, which can lead to ligament sprains and injuries, commonly seen with high heel use,” Dr. Jodi R. Schoenhaus told The Post.

The high-arched position of the Barbie foot could also lead to muscle and spine problems as it puts strain on the lower back. It can also damage growth plates, a warning to younger girls who are still growing, she added.

''To walk on your toes without heels isn't sustainable, and, in fact, the reality in the movie is that Barbie actually has flatfeet, along with 30% of the population. Considering we aren't trained ballerinas en pointe, let's keep the fad to movie stars who have props and multiple takes to make it look perfect,” she said further.

Notably, 'Barbie' is a live-action retelling made by reimagining the toy figurine. Everything in the film - from the costumes to the sets - is drenched in trademark Barbie pink colour. 



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"Amit Shah Visited Manipur, Took Every Step To Restore Peace": Minister

Union Sports and Youth Affairs minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday took a jibe at the Opposition parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) delegation and asked why they are running away from discussion over the Manipur issue. 

"We have been ready to discuss the Manipur issue since day one. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also invited a discussion over the same. My first question is why the Opposition is running away from this. Second, I want to ask the opposition to share the experiences of their two-day visit to Manipur and take part in the discussion," said Union Minister Thakur while speaking to reporters. 

Notably, the 21-member delegation of the grand Opposition alliance, on Saturday, arrived on a two-day visit to the state, which has seen ethnic strife and violence since May 3.

The 21-member Opposition delegation from both Houses included Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Phulo Devi Netam of the Congress; Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh of the JDU; Sushmita Dev from Trinamool Congress; Kanimozhi from DMK; Sandosh Kumar of the CPI; AA Rahim from CPI(M), Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD; Javed Ali Khan of SP; Mahua Maji of JMM; PP Mohammed Faizal of NCP; Aneel Prasad Hegde of JDU, ET Mohammed Basheer of IUML; NK Premachandran of RSP; Sushil Gupta of AAP; Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT); D Ravikumar of VCK; Thiru Thol Thirumavalavan also of VCK; and Jayant Singh of the RLD

Furthermore, Mr Thakur said, "The Congress regime turned out to be a failure when thousands of people were killed in Manipur. At that time, neither Indira ji (former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi), nor Rajiv ji (former PM Rajiv Gandhi) gave a statement on the same. How come they (the opposition) are seeking a statement from us?"

"The Union Home Minister had been in Manipur for four days. We took every possible step to restore peace in Manipur. The opposition should not spread chaos in order to remain in the limelight. It should take part in the discussion rather than do the politics", said Minister Thakur. 

Speaking on Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary's remarks on Manipur violence, Mr Thakur said, "Please be enlightened towards the situation of Bengal also. You have to fight elections from Bengal. I want to ask him if 'all is well' in Bengal. They do not have the time to listen to the plight of women in Bengal". 

Earlier, on Sunday, Mr Chowdhary said that the state and the central governments turned a deaf ear to the plight of the people in Manipur. 

Moreover, Union Minister Thakur said, "The parliament is functioning. I want to request the opposition to come to the parliament, take part in the discussion, present their viewpoints and have the courage to hear the truth also".

Significantly, since the beginning of the monsoon session of the parliament on July 20, the opposition MPs of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance have been seeking an elaborate discussion and a statement from Prime Minister Modi over the Manipur issue. The government, on the other hand, says that it is ready to hold a discussion over the same. 

The state has been witnessing an ethnic conflict since May 3 following the High Court's order asking the state government to consider including the Meitei community under the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST). the majority community sought the ST status in order to purchase lands in the hilly areas.

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



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In Indore, Amit Shah Reaches Out To Party Workers, Congress To Tribals

The BJP organised a mega gathering of its booth-level workers in Indore today, which was addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This was his third visit in less than 20 days. A few kilometers away, senior Congress leaders, including two former Chief Ministers Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, as well as ex-JNUSU president-turned-NSUI's national in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, addressed an Adivasi Yuva Mahapanchayat.

Addressing the BJP workers, Mr Shah urged them to aim for victory in 2023, which breaks all previous records of assembly poll victories. He also urged the BJP's booth-level workers to fight hard in the next general elections to ensure Narendra Modi's third term as Prime Minister.

"It is not the leaders sitting on this stage, who win the elections for the BJP. It is our booth-level workers who win us the polls," he said.

Terming PM Modi as the "Messiah of Poor" for starting a large number of pro-poor schemes, Mr Shah said Congress, while being in power for 70 years in the state, didn't do anything for the poor.

He also took a dig at the previous Congress governments headed by Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, comparing their works with the achievements of the BJP governments over 18 years in the state -- particularly during the double engine BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.

"No new industry was started in the 15-month regime of Corruption Nath, as only the Transfer Industry (18,000 Class I officers were transferred in Mr Nath's 15-month regime) flourished. Whatever new industry has been established is the result of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state," Mr Shah said.

He also raised the issues of surgical strikes on Pakistan soil, Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370.  

Meanwhile, addressing an Adivasi Yuva Mahapanchayat, former Chief Ministers Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath assured that all demands raised by the tribal youths through a "Maang-Patra" at the Mahapanchayat on Sunday will be included in the party's poll manifesto.

Lashing out at the BJP and its leaders, Kanhaiya Kumar accused the party of pitting tribals against non-tribals in Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May. He also questioned the country's first tribal President Droupadi Murmu's silence over tribal women being paraded naked in Manipur.

He also targeted state home minister Narottam Mishra, saying "instead of zeroing on what Deepika Padukone is wearing in a movie, you (Mishra) should be concerned about what is happening to women, tribals and Dalits in Madhya Pradesh".

Indore serves as the hub for the 66 seats in the state's western and south-western regions, known as the Malwa-Nimar area.

Over the years, the party that won the 66-seat Malwa-Nimar (MP region with the most seats) has gone on to form the state government.

The BJP swept the region in 2013, capturing 57 of the 66 seats, while the Congress trailed far behind with only nine. The Congress, however, turned the tables on the BJP five years later, gaining 36 seats.

The BJP could only win 27 seats, with three seats going to Congress rebels running as Independents.



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Prince William Serves Burgers To Shocked Diners. There's An India Connect

Britain's Prince William served up a surprise to diners in south London when he dished out environmentally-friendly burgers from a food truck.

In a video released on Sunday, the heir to the throne handed out "Earthshot Burgers" to highlight the work of last year's winners of his annual Earthshot Prize, which he set up to help develop solutions to major environmental problems.

"Coming right up," the prince said as he served up the burgers to the stunned customers. "Morning everyone, nicely cooked, ready to go."

The object for William, who had teamed up with the founders of the YouTube channel Sorted Food which reviews kitchen gadgets and shares recipes, was to raise the profile and work of three previous Earthshot prize winners.

"So the box you're about to eat in is built by a company called Notpla and there's no plastic involved, they've come up with a seaweed coating," the prince told the customers at the burger van.

"The ingredients inside the burger are grown from a greenhouse in India from a company called Kheyti, and last but not least, the way we cook them has been on a thing called Mukuru Clean Stoves, and that is designed by a lady in Kenya who came up with the concept to reduce air pollution."

He added: "Can't vouch for the taste, the quality but ... I'm rolling with it."

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



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Saturday, 29 July 2023

2nd ODI: Shai Hope Guides West Indies To Series-Levelling Win Over India

IND vs WI, 2nd ODI Highlights: Shai Hope led with an unbeaten 63 as West Indies defeated India by six wickets in the second ODI in Barbados on Saturday. Chasing 182, the hosts were 91 for 4 at one point but Hope helped the side win the game from there. Shardul Thakur took three wickets and Kuldeep Yadav picked one but failed to stop West Indies from a series-levelling win. Earlier, Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie picked three wickets apiece as West Indies bundled India out for 181 runs. Ishan Kishan scored 55 while Shubman Gill hit 34. West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and opted to bowl against Hardik Pandya-led India. (Scorecard)

Here are the Highlights of the 2nd ODI match between India and West Indies from Bridgetown:



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ITR Filing: How to Check IT Return Status Online

The deadline to file ITR (Income Tax Return) without any late fee is approaching closer. The last date to file ITR for assessment year 2023-24 is July 31. So far, the Income Tax Department has not announced any extension in the last date for filing ITR. One can easily file ITR online using a few simple steps. Once the ITR is filed, all taxpayers await the tax returns to be credited into their bank accounts. If you have already filed ITR, but are awaiting the amount to be refunded, we are providing here some simple steps to check the ITR status online. 

The Income Tax Department has announced July 31 to be last date to file ITR. Once the process is done, and e-verification, taxpayers will receive the refund that they are eligible for in their bank accounts. To check the status of refund status, the Income Tax Department provides on online tracking facility. To check ITR refund status for individuals, one needs PAN number and the Assessment Year.

Generally, it takes around 7 to 120 days for the refund to be credited in to the account after the e-verification on the return. However, the process has become faster now, with return being returned as soon as within 2 days of the e-verification of your ITR. 

How to check ITR refund status online

  1. Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
  2. Login in to user account using ID, password, date of birth and captcha.
  3. Visit My Account section.
  4. Here, tap on Refund/Demand status.
  5. The screen will display assessment year, status of refund, and the mode of payment.

The Income Tax Department issues the refund either through direct credit in your provided bank account, or through a ‘Refund Cheque'. If you filed to received refund in your bank account, make sure to provide correct bank account number and IFSC code with complete address details, including the PIN code. 


Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Mother Of Woman Stripped In Manipur Wants To See Bodies Of Son, Husband

The mother of one of the two women paraded naked by a mob in Manipur on May 4 urged the MPs of opposition coalition INDIA to help her see the bodies of her husband and son, who were also killed on that day.

A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc is on a two-day visit to the state, and meeting people affected by the violence.

When Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev and DMK MP Kanimozhi met the mother of one of the victims, she urged them to help her at least see the bodies of her son and husband.

She also told the two leaders the situation is such that Kukis and Meteis, the two warring communities, cannot live together anymore.

"Her daughter was raped, and her husband and son were killed by the mob in the presence of Manipur Police but till today, not a single police officer has been suspended," Ms Dev told PTI-Video.

"They have got a huge shock. They are saying that there was a mob of more than 1,000 people, and they have made a specific demand, which I will raise with the governor," she said.

The girl alleged that she was raped in front of the police, but nothing was done to help her, she added.

Ms Dev claimed that the girl is scared of the police now. "If a victim does not trust the police anymore then it is a constitutional crisis." Kanimozhi said the victim's father served in the Army and protected the nation, but could not protect his family.

"It is so sad to see a woman whose daughter was raped. She lost her husband and her son on the same day and there is no justice for them," she said.

The viral video of the May 4 incident renewed the national attention on Manipur, where violence broke out nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

The violence erupted on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.

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



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2nd ODI Live: Shai Hope Nears Fifty, WI Cruise In Chase Of 182 vs India

IND vs WI, 2nd ODI, Live Updates: Shardul Thakur has taken three wickets but West Indies are going well in their chase of 182 runs in the second ODI, thanks to Shai Hope's solid knock. Kuldeep Yadav has taken one wicket. Earlier, Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie picked three wickets apiece as West Indies bundled India out for 181 runs. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill stitched a solid opening stand of 90 runs but West Indies bounced back brilliantly after that. Kishan fell for 55 while Gill departed for 34 but other India batters failed to play noticeable knocks. West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and opted to bowl against Hardik Pandya-led India. (Live Scorecard)

Here are the Live Updates of the 2nd ODI match between India and West Indies from Bridgetown:



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Jaffer's 'Pathaan' Twist To Kohli, Rohit Not Playing Second ODI vs WI

As Hardik Pandya came out at the toss for the second ODI against West Indies in Barbados, there was anticipation in the air. The stand-in captain then clarified that indeed Rohit Sharma was not playing along with Virat Kohli. India managed to clinch the first match after facing a few challenges. Ishan Kishan performed exceptionally well with the bat to help India chase down a total of 114. The visitors would be keen to clinch the series with a second consecutive win.

India stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya said during the time of toss, "We were looking to bat first. We want to see how much we can score on this pitch which is a bit up and down. Rohit and Virat have been playing constant cricket, so they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third ODI. I think when you get someone out for 115, it's a good sign. Our catching was impressive, but we can improve in certain areas. Sanju and Axar come in for Rohit and Virat."

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer gave a funny twist to the duo not playing. "Rohit and Virat watching from the dressing room. #WIvIND" he posted with a picture if Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan from the movie 'Pathaan'. 

WI Skipper Shai Hope said during the time of toss, "We are going to bowl first, we saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We got two games to play, so we got to win this one to stay alive. It has been a bit unpredictable. Both teams have to play on the same surface. We got to bowl first and put them under pressure. Powell, Drakes is out, Alzarri and Keacy are in." 

West Indies (Playing XI): Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.

With ANI inputs



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"No Point...": Twitter Fumes As India Rest Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma vs WI

The Indian cricket team had two notable absentees in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the second ODI against West Indies. India managed to clinch the first margin after facing a few challenges. Ishan Kishan performed exceptionally well with the bat to help India chase down a total of 114. The visitors would be keen to clinch the series with a second consecutive win.

Hardik Pandya is leading India in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have been named as their replacements. India stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya said during the time of toss, "We were looking to bat first. We want to see how much we can score on this pitch which is a bit up and down. Rohit and Virat have been playing constant cricket, so they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third ODI. I think when you get someone out for 115, it's a good sign. Our catching was impressive, but we can improve in certain areas. Sanju and Axar come in for Rohit and Virat."

WI Skipper Shai Hope said during the time of toss, "We are going to bowl first, we saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We got two games to play, so we got to win this one to stay alive. It has been a bit unpredictable. Both teams have to play on the same surface. We got to bowl first and put them under pressure. Powell, Drakes is out, Alzarri and Keacy are in." 

West Indies (Playing XI): Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.

With ANI inputs



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Friday, 28 July 2023

Wasim Jaffer's Hilarious Meme On India's Batting Order vs WI Wins Internet

Skipper Rohit Sharma and senior pro Virat Kohli, who have 76 international hundreds between them, decided to give game time to middle-order batters as India beat West Indies by five wickets in the opening ODI, riding on exploits from spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. After Jadeja (3/37 in 6 overs) and Kuldeep (4/6 in 4 overs) set it up beautifully, shooting out the Windies for 114 in 23 overs, Ishan Kishan helped himself to a half-century (52 off 46 balls) in India's successful chase in just 22.5 overs.

It is interesting to note that the pair of Kishan and Shubman Gill opened the innings for India in the paltry chase of 115 despite skipper Rohit also being available to bat. After Gill fell, Suryakumar Yadav was sent in at number 3 with Virat Kohli staying in the dugout. Hardik Pandya came in at the fourth position while Ravindra Jadeja batted at the fifth position. Rohit came only after the fifth wicket fell down.

Former India batter Wasim Jaffer posted a funny tweet describing India's batting order against West Indies in the first ODI.

See the post here:

The Indian team will be expected to return to its set batting order as it aims to put up a much-improved show with the willow and take an unassailable lead in the three-match series when it faces a below-par West Indies in the second ODI in Barbados on Saturday.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid did face a minor hiccup while trying out the middle-order batters upfront on a track that became a raging turner during the second session but a meager target of 115 meant that things were smooth for the better part.

However, one can vouch with a degree of certainty that even if India once again chases a small target, Rohit Sharma will indeed come out with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli will be seen padded to come at one drop.

(With PTI Inputs)



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Kia Seltos (2023) First Impressions: Tech Makes This Car Safer, Smarter, More Fun

The Kia Seltos has been among the most popular cars in its category in India, since its launch in 2019. The mid-sized urban SUV is just as well suited to city driving as on the highway, but what has truly worked for the car in India is its feature-heavy approach to the market. Various features such as Kia Connect (previously known as UVO) and autonomous safety tricks built into the car have helped set the Kia Seltos apart from the strong competition in the segment.

Kia has now unveiled the 2023 facelift for the Kia Seltos, which comes with further improvements to the already rich feature set of the car, along with a new premium ‘X-line' trim, and improved engine and transmission options across variants. I had a chance to drive the new Kia Seltos and check out the features during a drive from Nagpur to the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, and here are some of the key highlights of Kia's new mid-sized Seltos.

kia seltos 2023 first impressions matte black KiaThe Kia Seltos (2023) X-line comes in a new Matte Graphite colour and finish

 

Kia Seltos (2023) price in India, variants

The Kia Seltos (2023) is priced from Rs. 10.90 lakh to Rs. 19.99 lakh rupees (ex-showroom) in India, depending on the variant. The price depends on the engine, transmission, and trim options, with variants ranging from the entry-level HTE trim to the new top X-line, which is the only one available in the new Matte Graphite colour. Other colour options include the new Pewter Olive, along with various other glossy metallic colours.

Available in Petrol, Diesel, and Turbo Petrol variants across trims, you can also choose between different transmission options, including manual, iMT (clutchless manual), and three automatic variants such as CVT, torque converter, and DCT. Some variants also have manual override through paddle shifters. For my drive, I had the Kia Seltos (2023) GT-line with the Turbo Petrol engine in Pewter Olive, which comes with all major safety and tech-related features.

Kia Seltos (2023): Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) wants to take care of you

With a renewed focus on safety, the Kia Seltos puts its ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) at the forefront of its feature offerings, apart from having six airbags and disc brakes on all four wheels as standard across all variants. ADAS is available in various cars at different levels ranging from 0 (no automation) to 5 (full automation), and the Kia Seltos slots in at ADAS Level 2, which is able to offer some level of hands-off automation and control.

This being the first time I drove a car with any level of automation, I found the experience a little bit scary at first, with the ADAS functionality somewhat controlling the car for me in certain situations, which was a bit eerie. There are 17 functions that utilise ADAS on the Kia Seltos (2023), most of which you'll hope to never have to see put to use, such as forward collision warning and forward collision assistance.

Other ADAS features were showcased in safe test environments during the drive, while some of the smaller inclusions could be constantly seen at work during the few hours I drove the Seltos. All of this is backed by a 360-degree camera system, which provides clear views all around the car, functioning while driving as well as in slow-moving situations such as when parking.

In the safe testing environments, trained Kia drivers demonstrated how the car would autonomously apply brakes, issue loud audio warnings, or autonomously counter-steer in situations where a collision was imminent, either with another car or even in situations where a door was opened while a vehicle was approaching along the side.

kia seltos 2023 first impressions inside Kia

There are two 10.25-inch displays in the Kia Seltos - one for the infotainment system, and the second for the digital instrument cluster

 

I personally was able to see features such as lane-keep assist, blind-spot collision assist, and smart cruise control in action myself while driving. On multi-lane highways with well marked lanes, the Kia Seltos (2023) managed to maintain its lane much of the time, occasionally prompting me with physical feedback to make minor steering corrections. The fully-digital instrument cluster displayed the blind-spot clearly when indicating left or right, while the cruise control managed to vary its speed based on that of the car ahead of me when needed.

As mentioned earlier, it was a bit nerve-wracking when these features first started working for me, since I haven't typically been used to my car acting on its own, even if it's for my safety. That said, I got used to most of it soon enough, and to be fair, I continued to have primary control over the car at all times, with it only providing faint feedback through the wheel. That said, the Driver Attention Warning chimes every 15 minutes telling you to stop for coffee which got tiring very quickly.

Kia Seltos (2023): Kia Connect, voice commands, and big screens

Kia Connect is something I've tested previously on the Kia Sonet when it was still called Kia UVO, and things have improved a fair bit since then. This is mainly because of the large 10.25-inch touch infotainment system lining up next to the equal-sized digital instrument cluster. These two together give the Kia Seltos quite the futuristic look and feel, apart from putting a whole lot of information about the car within easy view.

While you have the option to connect your smartphone via USB for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto UI and functionality, you can just as easily rely on the Kia Connect system. The car has a fully connected system, relying on its own data connection to work with functions such as voice commands, detailed mapping for navigation, and more. I was able to navigate to major points of interest and give voice commands reliably, even in relatively remote areas such as the Pench tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

For music, you can connect various devices either through wired or wireless connections, with the Kia Seltos (2023) sporting a Bose speaker system on the variant I was driving. Sound quality was expectedly decent even over a Bluetooth connection, and there were also some interesting ambient soundtracks preloaded onto the Kia connect system for quiet, peaceful listening.

kia seltos 2023 first impressions turbo petrol Kia

The Kia Seltos (2023) now comes with a 1.5L turbo petrol engine option, offering 158bhp and 253Nm of torque, and mated to an optional DCT automatic gearbox

 

The Kia Connect app also lets you view data about the car such as fuel range, status, and location, apart from remotely staring and stopping the car even when you aren't sitting in it. Other tech-focused features include full diagnostics for the car and the ADAS features which can be controlled through the screens, navigation set up through the smartphone with instructions sent to the car, remote climate control, and a handy air purifier built into the car to ensure you're breathing clean air when in the Seltos.

The voice commands work to control most car functions, such as opening the panoramic sunroof, navigating to specific locations and points of interest, turning on or off the air conditioning, and opening or closing the windows, among other things. There were occasions where I had to repeat myself, but the voice commands usually got it right. Notably, these work not only in English, but also in bilingual (Hindi with English), with commands such as ‘sunroof kholo' or ‘AC band karo' working reliably.

Kia Seltos (2023): How is it to drive?

The Kia Seltos (2023) is available in three different engine variants, with different transmission options linked to specific variants. I had the new turbo petrol variant for my test drive, which is the most capable in terms of brake horsepower and torque output, making it the most powerful of the three variants. This was mated to an automatic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), with paddle shifters offering a manual override for the occasions where I wanted to take some control.

The car is fairly capable and responsive in both city and highway conditions, thanks to the smooth and easy shifts from the DCT gearbox. It was also fairly responsive to throttle variations, and managed to set itself up well even on inclines such as hilly roads, where automatic transmissions sometimes feel sluggish and out of sorts. The manual override was a nice option to have, but even when overtaking on the highway, I rarely ever felt the need to invoke it; simply putting my foot down sent the message, and the Kia Seltos managed to deliver enough power both in the city and on the highway.

All of this is handled smoothly, with the Kia Seltos (2023) feeling almost sedan-like in the ride it offers. When cruising at around 70-80 kmph on the highway in seventh gear, the Seltos was at its absolute best, offering a smooth ride with the low revs ensuring good fuel efficiency. The DCT gearbox is nimble enough to quickly switch up as needed, setting me up quickly for lane changes and overtaking as needed.

Final thoughts

Car safety is an increasingly important factor in purchase decisions for buyers in India, and the Kia Seltos (2023) promises a lot more of that thanks to its ADAS Level-2 feature set. Apart from protecting you from potentially serious accidents, the Seltos is also well set up to prevent even small and typically avoidable incidents, thanks to its impressive 360-degree camera setup and various assistance features such as lane keep assist and blind-spot assistance. Some ADAS features such as Driver Attention Warning were a bit bothersome, but you can disable the various ADAS features as per your preferences.

Technologically, this is among the best cars in its price segment right now, representing the future of connected driving and giving drivers a taste of the future in the form of minor automation aimed at making the overall driving experience safer and easier. Features such as voice controls for car functions and navigation, as well as the Kia Connect app and interface for vehicle diagnostics, make the experience a lot better.

All of this is backed up by a great driving experience on the whole. That said, with such a wide price range across variants of the Kia Seltos, you'll have to make sure you pick the variant that actually has everything you need. The well-equipped variants cost considerably more than the basic ones; the top-end X-line variants cost nearly twice as much as the entry-level variant.


Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Chipmakers Hint at Ease of Chip Supply Glut but Demand Recovery Still Slow

From Intel to Samsung, global chipmakers are celebrating the beginning of the end of a semiconductor supply glut, but the outlook for demand from customers outside the artificial intelligence (AI) industry remains gloomy.

All the major markets for chips — smartphones, PCs and data centres — have shrunk this year, as both corporate customers and consumers scale back spending amid a weak global economy, high inflation and rising interest rates.

This has created an unprecedented oversupply of commodity chips, causing a record combined KRW 15.2 trillion (nearly Rs. 98,650 crore) first-half operating loss for the world's two largest memory chipmakers, Samsung and SK Hynix

This glut, however, has started to ease largely due to production cuts and as a decline in PC shipments eased to 11 percent in the June quarter compared to a 30 percent slump in each of the previous two quarters, data from tech analysts Canalys showed.

The smartphone market is also improving, with cellphone shipments falling 8 percent in the June quarter, versus 14 percent in the first quarter, according to research firm Counterpoint.

"Demand is recovering very gradually," Woohyun Kim, chief financial officer at SK Hynix, said on an earnings call this week.

"The recent improvement in PC shipments has been mainly led by promotions and low-end models, meaning it provided limited impact on chip demand recovery," he said, adding that shipment forecasts for PCs and smartphones this year have been downgraded from earlier predictions.

While demand for chips to support generative AI has rapidly increased since OpenAI's ChatGPT was launched late last year, the sector still accounts for a small fraction of overall chip demand and is crimping corporate spending on servers, as some companies prioritize investment in AI.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said on Thursday an inventory glut in server central processing units (CPUs) will persist until the second half of the year and that data centre chip sales will decline modestly in the third quarter before recovering in the fourth quarter. Intel shares rose 6.4 percent Friday after stronger than expected results.

A sluggish recovery in China, the world's biggest chip buyer, is also dampening the overall outlook.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix said China's reopening failed to live up to expectations that it would revive the smartphone market, and that they were extending production cuts of NAND memory chips, widely used in smartphones to store digital data.

Analog chipmaker Texas Instruments, which has heavy exposure to China, forecast third-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street targets on Tuesday, bogged down by a sluggish recovery in end-market demand that has forced clients to cancel orders. Shares were up 1.5 percent Friday.

"China was roughly half of sales at the end of fiscal 2022, so China has the largest impact on TI's business," said Logan Purk, analyst at investment firm Edward Jones. 

AI winners

Manufacturers of the equipment used to make chips such as KLA Corp and Lam Research are early winners of the AI boom. Both companies forecast quarterly revenue above Wall Street estimates this week. Shares were up 4.9 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, on Friday.

"Advanced AI servers have significantly higher leading-edge logic, memory and storage content versus traditional servers, and every incremental 1 percent penetration of AI servers and data centres is expected to drive $1 billion (nearly Rs. 8,200 crore) to $1.5 billion (nearly Rs. 12, 330 crore) of additional (chip equipment) investment," Lam CEO Tim Archer said on a conference call with analysts.

Chipmakers are also increasing production of the high-end chips used to support AI related chips.

SK Hynix said demand for AI server memory had more than doubled in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. Its DRAM chips, which hold information from applications while the system is in use, sold for a higher price in the second quarter versus the first, on average.

The company leads the market in high bandwidth memory (HBM) DRAM used in generative AI. It had a 50 percent market share in HBM as of 2022, followed by Samsung's 40 percent and Micron's 10 percent, according to TrendForce.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Several Hundred Credit Suisse Bankers To Get Termination Notices: Report

Several hundred Credit Suisse investment bankers will soon be fired as UBS begins to implement the merger of the two banks, the Swiss weekly HandelsZeitung said Friday.

UBS agreed to buy its rival in a hastily arranged 3-billion-franc ($3.5 billion) fire sale over a March weekend by Swiss authorities afraid that a weakened Credit Suisse would go bankrupt, with speculation rife since about the impact on jobs.

HandelsZeitung said that according to its sources UBS chief executive Sergio Ermotti wants to rapidly get to work on eliminating the huge amount of duplication in their operations.

"The transformation is beginning: in the coming days several hundred Credit Suisse bankers will receive termination notices," said the weekly.

It noted that the Swiss media have speculated about between 30,000 and 35,000 job cuts across the world.

At the end of last year, the two banks had around 120,000 employees between them across the world, including 37,000 in Switzerland.

UBS declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

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



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British Museum Steps into Metaverse, Partners With The Sandbox: All Details

The British Museum, based in London, is ready to step into the world of metaverse. The home of Britain's history since the mid-eighteenth century will now have an address in The Sandbox, a platform that provides a fully functional virtual universe that lets entities exist as avatars. The entry of this historic British landmark into the metaverse is just another testification to UK's open-mindedness about Web3. The UK, in recent months, has shown a steadfast approach towards embracing the up-and-coming Web3 sector that encompasses projects related to crypto, NFTs, and the metaverse.

As part of this collaboration, NFTs inspired by some artifacts showcased in the museum will be launched for collectors to own as a piece of history in detailed digital versions.

The Sandbox confirmed the development on July 28, saying that people from around the world will be able to visit this historic museum in a virtually immersive experience.

“The British Museum has chosen The Sandbox for its first foray into the metaverse. In conjunction with LaCollection, the British Museum's licensing partner, the collaboration focuses on developing digital collectibles and experiences showcasing the museum's history,” said a blog post published by The Sandbox.

Sales of NFTs rose by a massive 117 percent in February 2023. Around March, the valuation of the global NFT market climbed to its nine-month high since June last year to over $2 billion (roughly Rs. 17,200 crore).

Despite its element of volatility, NFTs have managed to hold people's interest in them.

NFTs hold quotients of utility and investment purpose, which are the top reasons why people invest in purchasing these digital collectibles.

A recent research study conducted by CoinGecko and the Blockchain Research Lab had condensed reasons that inspire the sales and purchases of NFTs. These included the intrigue to experiment with the new technology, gaining a stake in the NFT parent company, or promoting social welfare and contributing to charities.

Both, the museum as well as The Sandbox ecosystem, can profit financially from this partnership while also opening the museum experience to international audiences.

“This is a great opportunity for The Sandbox players, regardless of where they are, to learn about and enjoy the amazing collections of human history, art, and culture in the British Museum,” The Sandbox team noted.


Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Thursday, 27 July 2023

Amazon India Opens First-Ever Floating IHS Store on Dal Lake in Srinagar

Amazon India on Thursday announced its first-ever floating store on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, as part of its last-mile delivery programme "I Have Space". 

Murtaza Khan Kashi, owner of houseboat Selec Town, will deliver packages every day to customers at the doorstep of their houseboats as part of the onboarding.

Amazon Logistics, India, Director Karuna Shankar Pande said this will provide faster and reliable deliveries to customers across Srinagar, opportunities for small businesses and strengthen Amazon's delivery network.

Launched in 2015, the 'I Have Space' programme has 28,000 neighbourhood and kirana partners in about 420 towns and cities in India. It partners with local stores and small businesses for delivering products within a 2 to 4 kilometres radius.

Amazon's flagship programme ‘I Have Space' facilitates the delivery of parcels and couriers. Once enrolled, the IHS partner receives packages on store location, which they need to deliver to the customer. The IHS partner receives payment from Amazon, based on the number of packages delivered. 

Amazon claims to have more than 28,000 IHS partners on over 350 cities across India. It doesn't require any investments from the local partners, and anyone can be part of the programme. All they need to do is collect and deliver parcels to nearby locations. On an average, an Amazon IHS store partners can deliver between 20 and 30 packages a day, while earning a fixed amount per delivery in return.


Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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What PM Modi, Xi Jinping Spoke About After Shaking Hands At 2022 G20 Dinner

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had exchanged courtesies and spoke on the need to stabilise the bilateral relations at a dinner during the G20 summit in Bali last year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

Two days ago, the Chinese foreign ministry following a meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Johannesburg claimed that Xi and PM Modi had reached an "important consensus" on stabilising bilateral ties at the interaction on the margins of the G20 Summit last November.

"During the Bali G20 summit last year, the prime minister and President Xi Jinping at the conclusion of that dinner hosted by the Indonesian President exchanged courtesies and spoke of the need to stabilise our bilateral relations," Mr Bagchi said.

"As you are aware, we have steadfastly maintained the key to resolution of the whole issue is to resolve the situation along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) on the Western sector of India-China boundary and to restore peace and tranquillity in the border areas," he added.

His comments came when asked about China's claim of the consensus reached at the interaction between the two top leaders in Bali.

Following the brief interaction between PM Modi and Xi in Bali, the MEA had said they exchanged courtesies.

It was their first such exchanges in public view since the India-China border standoff began in May 2020.

Mr Doval met Wang on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs' meeting in Johannesburg on July 24.

In its statement on the meeting, the MEA said Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had "eroded strategic trust" and the public and political basis of the relationship.

It said the NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquillity in the border areas so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral ties.

"The two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant not only for the two countries but also for the region and world," the MEA said on Tuesday.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The government refers to eastern Ladakh as Western sector.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

Asked whether the Chinese president would attend the G20 summit in Delhi, Mr Bagchi said India is making all efforts and preparations for its success with the participation of all invited leaders.

On India's proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G20, he said: "We hope this does happen." At the same time, he added that it would be premature to say anything specific on the matter.

Asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported comments supporting the proposal, Bagchi said he has not seen the remarks.

But said: "If Russia has supported (the proposal), it is good."

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



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