Thursday, 31 August 2023

8 Terrorists Arrested In J&K, One Among Them Has A Government Job: Police

Eight terrorists who evaded the law for three decades have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday. One among them had even landed a government job.

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made the arrests in Doda district. Evading action, they were enjoying a normal life, police said.

"Some of the terrorist absconders had managed to get government jobs and contracts. Others were found engaged in private businesses and even working in the court," said a spokesperson.

They were facing charges of terrorism and disruptive activities, police said.

The eight terrorists were identified as Adil Farooq Faridi, Mohd Iqbal alias Javed, Mujahid Hussain alias Nisar Ahmed, Tariq Hussain, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ajaz Ahmed, Jameel Ahmed and Ishfaq Ahmed.

While Faridi was working with the state education board in Jammu, Ishfaq was a writer in the Doda court complex. They will be produced before the anti-terrorism court in Jammu, police said.

In a statement, the police said the arrests aimed at achieving its larger objective of zero terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

"SIA has initiated a special drive to trace and produce before the concerned Hon'ble Court all absconders of terrorism related cases for facing the trial under law," the spokesperson said.

He said the SIA has identified 369 out of 734 missing criminals named in 327 terrorism cases.

"Out of the 369 verified absconders, 127 remained untraced, 80 have died and 45 are residing in Pakistan/PoK and other countries abroad and 4 are lodged in jail," he added.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/jJ51KNg
via

Elon Musk's 'X' Sued By Thousands Of Employees Over Severance Pay: Report

Billionaire Elon Musk's X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, is facing 2,200 arbitration claims from ex-employees since Mr. Musk took over the company and fired most of its workforce. The filing fees alone for that volume of cases could amount to $3.5 million.

The lawsuit was filed in a Delaware district court, according to CNBC. The case is Chris Woodfield v. Twitter, X Corp. and Elon Musk (No. 1:23-cv-780-CFC).

A former employee, Woodfield, a former senior staff network engineer who had worked at Twitter's Seattle office in his suit said that Twitter had promised then failed to pay his severance, and later delayed alternative dispute resolution by failing to pay the necessary fees required for him to move ahead in the JAMS arbitration system, CNBC reported.

According to the website for JAMS, "For two-party matters, the Filing Fee is $2,000," and "For matters based on a clause or agreement that is required as a condition of employment, the employee is only required to pay $400."

Since JAMS decided that this basic fee applies across the board to X's 2,200 arbitration cases, that would amount to around $3.5 million, with other fees possibly to follow.

However, the company's lawyers have argued that it did not mandate its employees to resolve any issues in arbitration, so it should not be on the hook for the larger portion of the filing fees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Woodfield and others in a similar situation are trying to get out of arbitration and move their cases to trial.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/BbSOA80
via

Watch: England's Bizarre Review Against NZ Leaves Social Media In Splits

England defeated New Zealand comfortably in the first T20I match of their four-match series but a bizarre review by skipper Jos Buttler became a major source of discussion between fans on social media. Glenn Phillips played a forward defence off the bowling of Liam Livingstone and both the bowler and wicket-keeper Buttler went up in appeal. While the umpire was not convinced at all, Buttler decided to take a review and the replays showed that the ball hit the middle of the bat.

Debutant Brydon Carse took three wickets to set up a seven-wicket win over New Zealand.

The 28-year-old South Africa-born paceman, in for the injured John Turner, returned fine figures of 3-23 from his maximum four overs as New Zealand were held to a modest 139-9.

Left-arm quick Luke Wood also took three wickets, following an expensive first over of the match that saw him hit for three sixes, on his way to 3-37.

Carse, playing at his home Durham ground, told Sky Sports: "It was obviously a great start to my T20 career. It was awesome to play in front of a home crowd at Durham and put in a good performance for the team. 

"I tried to stick to my strengths, hitting the top of the stumps."

Twenty20 world champions England made light of the chase, finishing on 143-3 with six overs to spare, as they went 1-0 up in a four-match series.

(With AFP inputs)



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Yc589ef
via

Viacom18 Bags Indian Cricket Digital and TV Media Rights for Nearly Rs. 6,000 Crore

Viacom18 on Thursday created a near monopoly in Indian cricket broadcasting sphere by bagging both TV and digital rights of the national team's home series for the next five years with a cumulative bid of approximately Rs. 6000 crore, beating Star India and Sony in a three-way battle. 

The BCCI had invited separate e-bids for both linear (TV) and digital for best price discovery.

"Viacom18 paid Rs. 3101 crore (approximately) for digital and Rs. 2862 crore for linear (TV). As has been the trend, digital has fetched more in Rs. 5963 crore (approximately) deal.

"With IPL digital rights being bought by Viacom for Rs. 26,000 crore plus, they now have almost all the high profile cricket properties save IPL linear (TV) and ICC events," a broadcasting industry source, tracking developments closely, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The rights will come into effect with India's three-match home series against Australia beginning September 22 and end on March 31, 2028.

India will be playing 88 international games across three formats including 25 Tests, 27 ODIs and 36 T20Is with per match value of the deal standing around Rs. 67.76 crore. This is nearly Rs. 7.76 crore more than last cycle's Rs. 60 crore per match value.

However, the BCCI is getting Rs. 175 crore less than Rs. 6138 crore it received during last cycle which had more games, specifically 102. If one looks at the prevailing market sentiments , it is not a bad price to fetch as the per match valuation has increased. One needs to factor in that only marquee Test matches and series versus England and Australia will fetch a decent advertisement revenue. For matches against other nations, it is only the T20 which is the cash cow.

India will play Australia in 21 games and will be pitted against England in 18 matches across three formats during the next five years.

The BCCI fell way short of the billion dollar mark (at least by Rs. 2300 crore) and one of the reasons forthat could be the declining popularity of the ODI format and there are 27 of them in the next cycle.

"One day bilateral series save World Cup year should be done away with as it doesn't bring requisite revenues. With so many T20 leagues also happening around the world, the viewers' fatigue should also be taken into account," a broadcasting industry veteran said.

He also provided an interesting take on how the potential bidders do their mathematics and arrive at a particular figure.

"In case of 25 Tests, you have 15 Tests against England and Australia at home. The kind of pitches that is being prepared for Test matches in India, the broadcaster has literally no chance on most of the occasions to commercially exploit the fifth day unless there is a flat deck.

"At times games finish during first session of fourth day. Just calculate how many potential seconds of ad revenue you can lose," he explained.


Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset 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.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/VElT0Gr
via

Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines Join India In Rejection Of China's "New Map"

Governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan on Thursday joined India in rejecting China's new national map, issuing strongly worded statements accusing Beijing of claiming their territory.

China published a new version of its national map on Monday to correct what Beijing has in the past referred to as "problematic maps" that it claims misrepresent its territorial borders.

India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China over its so-called "standard map" laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.

The External Affairs Ministry also rejected China's claims as having "no basis".

"Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while reacting to the Chinese move.

The Philippine government on Thursday slammed China's 2023 edition of its so-called "standard map" that still shows swaths of Philippine features in the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources issued on August 28 a controversial map that includes the nine-dash line, now a 10-dash line, that supposedly shows China's boundaries in the South China Sea.

"This latest attempt to legitimise China's purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.

Daza said the 2016 Arbitral Award has already invalidated the nine-dashed line and called on China to abide by its obligations under UNCLOS.

"(The award) categorically stated that 'maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the 'nine-dash line' are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China's maritime entitlements under the Convention," Daza was quoted as saying by the official Philippine News Agency.

"The Philippines, therefore, calls on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award," she added.

Manila had already protested the publication of a Chinese national map in 2013, which also placed parts of the Kalayaan Island Group or Spratlys within Beijing's "national boundaries".

The Malaysian government said on Thursday that it will send a protest note to China over the latter's claims on the South China Sea as outlined in the 'China Standard Map Edition 2023', which also covers Malaysia's maritime areas.

Foreign Minister Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the move was a follow-up step taken by the government over the matter.

"This has been our practice (when dealing with issues like this)... and based on the statement issued by Wisma Putra yesterday, the next step includes sending a protest note," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Malaysia does not recognise China's claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the "China Standard Map Edition 2023," which also encompasses Malaysia's maritime areas.

The map holds no binding authority over Malaysia, it said in a statement.

The Vietnamese government also criticised China's latest provocation.

Vietnam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the "nine-dash line" in the East Sea, spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on Thursday.

Hang made the statement while answering reporters' questions regarding Vietnam's response to China's release of the so-called "standard map 2023" which covers Vietnam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, the official Vietnam News Agency reported.

The issuance of the map as well as China's "nine-dash line" claim show a violation of Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as Vietnam's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters as stipulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), she stressed.

Therefore, the sovereignty and maritime claims based on the "nine-dash line" as reflected in the map are void and violate international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, the spokeswoman said.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday rebuked China's new "standard map" by saying Taiwan has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Foreign ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu told Taiwan News that "Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan. These are universally recognised facts and the status quo in the international community." Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry indicated it was not budging on the map issue.

"China's position on the South China Sea is consistent and clear. The competent authorities of China routinely publish standard maps of various types every year, which aims to make standard maps available to all sectors of society and raise public awareness of the standardised use of maps.

"We hope parties concerned can view it in an objective and rational light," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question on Thursday when sought his comment on the protests from countries like India, Malaysia as well as the Philippines against this new Chinese map. 

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/qKf6oA0
via

Google Fitbit Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Violation of EU's General Data Protection Regulation Privacy Regime

Advocacy group Noyb on Thursday filed complaints against Google-owned Fitbit in Austria, the Netherlands and Italy accusing the fitness tracking company of violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy regime.

Vienna-based Noyb (None Of Your Business), the digital rights group founded by privacy activist Max Schrems, has already filed hundreds of complaints against big tech companies ranging from Alphabet's Google to Meta over privacy violations, some leading to big fines.

Fitbit forces its users to consent to data transfers outside the EU and does not provide the possibility to withdraw their consent, violating GDPR's requirements, Noyb said.

Fitbit sells watches that track activity, heart rate and sleep. It also offers a subscription service starting at $9.99 (nearly Rs. 830) a month.

"Given that the company collects the most sensitive health data, it's astonishing that it doesn't even try to explain its use of such data, as required by law," said Bernardo Armentano, data protection lawyer at Noyb.

Fines for violating GDPR rules can reach up to 4 percent of a firm's global annual revenue. Google's annual revenue was $280 billion (nearly Rs. 23,15,350 crore) in 2022. 

The advocacy group wants Fitbit to be forced to share all mandatory information about the data transfers with its users and allow them to use its app without having to consent to the transfers. 

While GDPR allows every person to withdraw their consent, Fitbit's privacy policy states that the only way to withdraw consent is to delete an account, which means losing their previously tracked workouts and health data, Noyb said. 

© 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.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/ZK2l6Is
via

Wednesday, 30 August 2023

Watch: Chef Vikas Khanna's Gesture For Retiring Air India Crew Is Viral

Michelin star chef, author and filmmaker Vikas Khanna was onboard an Air India flight when he decided to prepare a surprise for an Air India crew. Chef Khanna went to the pantry and transformed a simple cake into something extraordinary after he got to know that a crew member was retiring.

A video of it was shared on X, formerly Twitter by a user named Sanjay. Along with the video, the caption read, "Heartwarming gesture of love by #Michelin #Masterchef @TheVikasKhanna on board @airindia to redo a special cake for a retiring Crew member. Chef Vikas is a Dariya dil, who fed 40 mill during Covid, but this was special."

In the video, Chef Khanna is seen transforming a dry cake into a special treat for the crew member.

See the post here:

Reacting to the post, Air India wrote, "Thank you for sharing this heartwarming post! We are truly grateful to have Chef @TheVikasKhanna on board Air India. His gesture of redoing a special cake for a Retiring Crew Member is a beautiful example of his kindness and talent!"

Since being posted, the video has amassed over 44,000 views and several comments. Social media users were impressed with the chef's sweet gestures.

A user commented, "What a sweet gesture."

Another user wrote, "Chef was at work in the skies too."

"Wow! What a kind gesture. Humility," the third user commented.

"Such a heartwarming gesture! Simple acts of care can create powerful ripples of positivity. Chef's kindness truly shines," the fourth user wrote.

"So heartwarming. Retirement from any profession can be so emotional. Made it memorable.Thanks, Chef and all the best for the future AI crew! Great share," the fifth user wrote.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/CMEjaJF
via

On Raksha Bandhan, Brother Sentenced To 20-Year Jail For Raping Sister

Upholding the order of a trial court, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years of imprisonment for repeatedly raping her sister and impregnating her when she was 14.

Rejecting the appeal of the convict, Justice S K Sahoo also slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on him. In default, the convict shall undergo rigorous imprisonment for another two years.

The judge lamented that he had to adjudicate such a case on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

"It is both shocking as well as ironical to hear this case and render judgment on an auspicious day when a brother takes the solemn pledge not only to protect his sister but also to nurture her till his last breath," Justice Sahoo observed.

The man was earlier convicted by the Malkangiri special judge's court for repeatedly raping his younger sister between May 2018 and May 2019 in their village.

He was also convicted in January 2020 for threatening his sister not to disclose it to others. 

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/eht9ls1
via

32 Firms Apply To Make Laptops In India: Union Minister

The government has received 32 applications for production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme 2.0 for IT hardware, of which 25 are domestic companies, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday.

The announcement comes days after the government announced restrictions in laptop imports from November.

All of them are driven to gear up manufacturing and bring in supply chains.

Mr Vaishnaw said companies like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Thompson, Acer, and Asus will be manufacturing laptops under the scheme. HP, VVDN, Lenovo will be manufacturing servers.

He said Apple has not applied under the PLI framework, but the company is already manufacturing components.

This move should see a significant reduction in the import of laptops and PCs, Vaishnaw said, adding that "import restrictions are not a worry anymore."

"I spoke to all the applicants, and they didn't raise any concern," he said.

The minister said incremental production expected is around Rs 3.35 lakh crore and the expected direct employment is around 75,000.

"The upcoming Dixon factory in Noida will alone employ 25,000 people," he said.

Manufacturing of laptops will begin by April 2024, officials said, as companies such as Dell are also migrating to PLI scheme.

When asked if India is optimising on big players quitting China with its economy slowing down, Mr Vaishnaw said India is emerging as a trusted value chain partner.

"Many of these companies will use the semiconductors manufactured in India. In fact, they were pleased we are starting with the manufacturing of memory first, which is crucial for laptops. Companies have shared their detailed proposals. We are optimistic more will join," he said.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/fecxt1m
via

Tuesday, 29 August 2023

US Man Shoots Through His Front Door To Fend Off Robbers

A video has surfaced on the internet which shows two men pretending to be maintenance workers trying to break in by kicking the front door. The two men were armed with handguns. However, the men were greeted by a barrage of bullets from the homeowner. The wild scene was captured by a doorbell camera.

The video starts with one of the suspects, Aaron Contreras, knocking on the apartment door of Ethan Rodriguez. He claimed to be a maintenance worker there to check on the filters in his air conditioner, according to the New York Post.

Mr Rodriguez answered the door via a digital doorbell app on his phone and said that no one was home. A few minutes later, the suspect came back with a handgun and tried to kick down the front door. Another man appears wearing a mask trying to kick in the door.

However, things soon took a dramatic turn when Mr. Rodriguez tried to fend them off by opening fire from inside his apartment through the front door. The footage shows the men running away from the door.

The resident fired off several rounds and the footage shows bullets striking the wall across the way.

See the video here:

According to the media outlet, the resident fired 13 shots.

Speaking to WFAA, Mr Rodriguez said he decided to shoot at the suspects when saw that they were armed. "I was hoping I got 'em," he told the station. "That was mainly it, just hoping I got 'em."

The suspect, Aaron Contreras was arrested the same day on charges of aggravated assault, deadly conduct and attempted burglary of a habitation.

He is being held at the Dallas County jail on a $150,000 bond.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vUogD1j
via

Xiaomi Says EV Plans Running Ahead of Schedule Amid Revenue Drop Report

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi reported a 4 percent revenue drop in the second quarter, tracking a shrinkage in China's handset market, but said its move into making electric vehicles was running ahead of schedule.

Sales dropped to CNY 67.4 billion (nearly Rs. 76,450 crore) from CNY 70.17 billion (nearly Rs. 80,650 crore) in the same quarter a year earlier, but beating analysts' estimates of CNY 65.13 billion (nearly Rs. 74,860 crore).

Net income rose to CNY 5.14 billion (nearly Rs. 5,830 crore) over the period, an increase of 147 percent from CNY 2.08 billion (nearly Rs. 2,390 crore) a year earlier, also beating expectations. The company put the increase down to cost cutting and efficiency improvements, particularly in its physical stores.

"Despite the macroeconomic headwinds in the global market we continue to expand our footprint," Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said on an earnings call. 

"Several of our peers already exited from certain areas in this challenging environment, but no matter how hard it will be we will reinforce our presence across regions and markets," Lu said.

Consumer demand in China's smartphone market continued to shrink in the second quarter, dropping 5 percent to 64.3 million units, according to Canalys, a consultancy that tracks the smartphone industry.

Xiaomi's shipments declined by 19 percent to 8.6 million, while in major overseas market India, shipments fell 22 percent to 5.4 million units, Canalys said.

In light of declining handset sales, Xiaomi is planning to move into the manufacture of electric vehicles (EVs) and has received approval from China's state planner, Reuters reported this month.

The company has pledged a $10 billion (nearly Rs. 82,600 crore) investment over a decade in the automobile business.

Lu said the company's plans to start mass production of EVs in the first half of 2024 remains unchanged. "Our current progress is ahead of expectations and of the original production schedule," he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


From the launch of the Infinix GT 10 Pro to Amazon's latest mega-sale, we discuss the most noteworthy technology news events of the week 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.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/C5EZrkR
via

Gujarat Man Poses As Scientist Who Designed Chandrayaan-3 Lander, Arrested

The police in Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday arrested a man who allegedly posed as a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and gave interviews to local media outlets claiming that he designed the lander module for the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission, an official said.

A complaint was lodged against the accused, Mitul Trivedi, after he was seen giving interviews after the Vikram lander successfully made a soft-landing on August 23, claiming to have designed the lander module of Chandrayaan-3, the official said.

Trivedi allegedly posed as the "assistant chairman" of ISRO's "Ancient Science Application department" and even produced a fake appointment letter dated February 26, 2022, he said.

"A thorough investigation revealed that the man was in no way connected to ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission and had made false claims of being an ISRO employee," the police said in a statement.

He even produced a fake letter about being the "space research member" for ISRO's next project called "mercury force in space", it said.

He spread fake messages regarding ISRO despite not having contributed to the ambitious project, thereby harming the reputation of the institution, the statement read.

The Surat city crime branch lodged an FIR against the accused under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code.

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/LpY8bXq
via

iPhone 15 Series to Launch on September 12 at Apple 'Wonderlust' Event

iPhone 15 series has now got an official launch date as the California-based tech giant has announced its upcoming Apple 'Wonderlust' Event. The event is all set to be take place on September 12, and will be live streamed online. The company is expected to release a number of products at the fall launch event, including the iPhone 15 series, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, along with the announcement for iOS 17 and watchOS 10 launch date. However, the company has not revealed the products that will launch on the Apple Event. 

Apple has officially sent out invites for the fall launch event, named 'Wonderlust'. The event will take place at Apple Park on September 12, starting at 10 AM PT (10.30 PM IST). The launch will be live streamed online on apple.com and the Apple TV app. 

The upcoming launch event will witness the launch of the iPhone 15 series, which will include iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. There have already been several rumours regarding the specifications, design as well as colour options for these variants. The most awaited update for the this iPhone series lineup would be the inclusion of USB Type-C charging port instead of Lightning port. 

The company is also expected to release two new smartphones at the event — the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The successor to Apple Watch Series 8, the Watch Series 9 is expected to five colour options for the aluminium body, and three colourways for the stainless steel model. The smartwatch is expected to be similar to its predictor in terms of design. 

The second-generation Apple Watch Ultra model was previously reported to be manufactured using the 3D printing technology. The smartwatch is also said to bear a close resemblance to its predecessor. 

The company is yet to confirm the products that will be launched or unveiled at the upcoming events. However, Apple analyst Mark Gurman has confirmed about the launch of iPhone 15 series at the Wonderlust event. 


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.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Vdz6q5a
via

Please Do Not Disturb Rasika Dugal, Busy Eating Onam Food

Can Rasika Dugal's Onam post get any better? We guess not. On Tuesday, celebrities across the film industry celebrated the harvest festival with their family and friends. While many treated their social media family to wonderful pictures from their Onam Album, our heart is set on Mirzapur star Rasika Dugal's post. On Tuesday, the actress posted some pictures of herself, feasting on some sumptuous Onam food while dressed in a beautiful saree. Sharing the candid pictures, Rasika wrote , "Some things have my complete focus. Thank you for the delicious meal @enjay29 #NaveenNair. Happy Onam everyone!"

Take a look at the wholesome post:

In an earlier conversation with Humans Of Bombay, Rasika Dugal opened up about her aspirations, her days of struggle and more. Rasika's breakout performance came in the form of Nandita Das' Manto. Rasika recalled the incident and wrote, "One day, my phone rang-it was Nandita Das. She wanted to cast me in Manto and that changed everything." Another milestone in Rasika Dugal's career was the web-series Mirzapur. An excerpt from her piece read, "I was craving a project that would reach a wide audience that I wouldn't have to tell people about. Mirzapur was that for me."

Rasika's first big assignment as an actor came in the form of a film called Kshay. Sharing her experience, she wrote: "On the best day of shoot we had only 4 people on set. At times, I'd hold the thermocol sheet and also shoot. Somehow the movie got made and premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival! Reviewers praised my performance; I was thrilled! But the cutest part was my mom arranging a special screening in Jamshedpur. She was so proud! After Kshay, I got offered more roles. I even worked with Irrfan in Qissa. And then, I almost signed 5 films but none worked out; producers said I wasn't 'sellable'. It was the lowest time in my career."

See the full video below:

Rasika Dugal is a star of films like Manto, Qissa, Chutney, Hamid, The School Bag and Lootcase, to name a few.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/31Jm2tg
via

ISRO Sets Date For Its Solar Mission 'Aditya-L1': What Are Its Objectives

After successfully landing a spacecraft near the south pole of the Moon, India's next cosmic quest - the Sun. ISRO has announced that its first solar mission, Aditya-L1, will be launched on September 2 at 11:50 am from the Sriharikota space centre.

According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 will observe the solar corona from a remote location at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1, which is about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.

Named after Joseph-Louis Lagrange, a French mathematician who first studied them in the 18th century, Lagrange Points are points in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, such as the Sun and the Earth, balance out, creating a region of equilibrium that can be used by a spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption.

"A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing solar activities and their effect on space weather in real-time," says ISRO. 

India's first space-based observatory to study the Sun, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, will be launched using the PSLV-C57 rocket.

Main Objectives

According to ISRO, The Aditya-L1 mission is designed to study the Sun's upper atmosphere (chromosphere and corona) and its interaction with the solar wind. The mission is aimed at studying the physics of the partially ionized plasma in the solar atmosphere.

The spacecraft will investigate the mechanisms that heat the solar corona and observe the initiation and development of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares.

It will study the in-situ particle and plasma environment in the vicinity of the Sun and characterise the magnetic field in the solar corona.

It will also study and evaluate the main drivers of space weather.

Its Payloads

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be equipped with seven payloads to study the Sun's corona, chromosphere, photosphere, and solar wind.

"The suits of Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide the most crucial information to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particle and fields, etc.," says ISRO.

The four remote sensing payloads will image the Sun's atmosphere in different wavelengths of light, including visible, ultraviolet, and X-rays.

  • The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) will image the solar corona and study its dynamics.
  • The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) will image the photosphere and chromosphere in both narrow and broadband ultraviolet wavelengths.
  • The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) will study the soft X-ray emission from the Sun.
  • The High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) will study the hard X-ray emission from the Sun.

The three in-situ payloads will measure the composition, dynamics, and magnetic field of the solar wind.

  • The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) will measure the composition and dynamics of the solar wind.
  • The Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) will measure the plasma properties of the solar wind.
  • The Advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers will measure the magnetic field in the solar wind.


from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/FWu1LYp
via

Monday, 28 August 2023

Opinion: Are China's Economic Crises Cyclical Or Structural?

While China is and continues to be the manufacturing platform of the world, concerns around its decelerating growth in 2023 have triggered panic waves across the globe. Given the deep interconnection between the global economy and the Chinese economy, there is fear among nations that global growth will further decelerate due to the troubled Chinese economy. One of the most important questions in this context becomes how to tackle the fallout. To answer this question, it is first pertinent to understand whether the problem is cyclical or structural in nature. That clarity can help avoid the fallout.

In the past, China has emerged relatively unscathed from the Asian financial crisis and the global financial crisis. It even managed to somehow stay afloat until 2023, despite the US-China trade war since 2017. This gives the impression that such crises are cyclical in nature and are inherently in the DNA of the Chinese economy. Yet a closer examination would reveal that the crisis in 2023 is very different from the ones that the Chinese economy has tackled in the past and is actually structural in nature.

At a Politburo meeting in July, China's leaders referred to the economic recovery this year as "torturous". What they were referring to was China's current economic problems, which range from slowing GDP growth rates to massive unemployment, to deeply entrenched inequality, to dangerously low levels of consumption among others. The interesting point to note is that such candour is difficult to imagine from a communist party institution, let alone from such an elevated body.

Consumer prices in July were lower than a year ago, suggesting that it might be on the cusp of deflation, which reflects a chronic shortage of demand in the economy. Foreign trade in the same month showed a sharp fall in exports, owing to weak global demand, with a sharper decline in imports signifying weaknesses in demand at home. Private firms and entrepreneurs are also not spending much on investment or on hiring people. Youth unemployment has topped 21% or thrice the rate in the US. Clearly, most things currently weighing on the Chinese economy have been building up for years, even while China was wowing the world with its magical double-digit growth rates and claiming to be making strides in lifting millions out of poverty while simultaneously moving up the technology ladder.

The two prongs of Chinese economic development since Deng Xiaoping's reforms and opening up since 1978 have been an export-led growth strategy along with investment. The reforms led to an improvement in the living standards of consumers in China, with greater buying capacity and greater demand for goods and services; investment in infrastructure, particularly in export-driven enterprises in the coastal belts of China also brought in revenues driving Chinese growth. Nevertheless, as compared to consumption levels in other countries, China's consumption rates have been generally low. Currently, consumption - a big driver of growth indices - is even further subdued in China, especially in big-ticket items such as cars, houses, and private investment. In fact, all three segments, the backbone of the Chinese economy, fell in the first half of this year.

To drive consumption, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) even came out with 12 wide-ranging measures to boost domestic consumption, which include encouraging market entities to apply domestic AI technologies to enhance the levels of electronic products, improving the innovation capability of electronic products, cultivating new growth points for consumption and so on. Clearly, something is amiss, otherwise a wide-ranging agenda for driving consumption from the NDRC would not have come up.

Consumption is tied to income. As stated previously, youth unemployment alone has topped 21%, and the government has now stated it will stop publishing data on youth unemployment. Without employment, there is no income. Without income, it is impossible to consume. But beyond consumption's ties to income, there also are other structural reasons why consumption has been generally low while savings rates have always been extraordinarily high in China. In fact, China has an extraordinarily high savings rate at about 50% of its GDP. The reason is its desire to save for a rainy day, which in turn is driven by bad policies historically. The disastrous Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution driving the Chinese economy to the pits under Mao Zedong taught Chinese consumers to save and invest in land, which they can liquidate in the face of disasters like the ones Mao made the Chinese people go through.

Similarly, under Xi Jinping, the arduous three-year lockdown, during which the Chinese consumer went through drastic lows including lack of adequate food and medical care, yet again spelled out the lesson that it is better to save for a rainy day rather than to consume. Because of the hedonistic policies carried out under repressive regimes, China now has a huge local government debt problem, a real estate bubble, and huge creation of urban infrastructures accompanied by under-urbanisation - all of which indicate the desire to save rather than to spend and consume. Increasing authoritarianism under Xi has only led to a further failure of the development model which once shined bright, blinding the audience to its underlying, structural flaws.

What does this mean for neighbour India? India is an integral part of the global economy and reduced trade with China will lead to India needing a rethink of its strategies. But, beyond the fears, reduced imports into China could also be a push to actively build alternative supply chains. The top three items of import from China are broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, and office machine parts. Collaboration between India and Taiwan has begun in related arenas and this could be a push for expanding greater economic cooperation. The top three exports from India to China are refined copper, cotton yarn, and petroleum oils. Reduced demand from China does not mean absolute doom for India, as alternate markets for these products exist, and India only needs to strengthen its strategies to develop these markets better.

In any case, Indian products that have comparative advantages in other parts of the world, like generic drugs or IT or even basmati rice, face non-tariff barriers in China. Further reduced demand from China for these segments will only spur India to explore other markets. There are also fears that falling prices of Chinese goods will increase competition and hurt foreign companies. Indian companies in China in any case are a handful, so this fear can also be ruled out. Slower economic growth in China could also benefit India, as it will reduce competition in the global energy and especially, natural gas markets. Lower prices can help to ease energy price pressures, which will be to India's advantage.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/cjAoQ2G
via

Oppo A38 Specifications, Renders, Pricing Details and Launch Timeline Leaked

Oppo is all set to launch new A series phones, which also includes Oppo A38. The smartphone has reportedly been spotted on various certification sites. While the company is yet to confirm the launch of the smartphone, a recent report has leaked the renders and specification of the purported Oppo A38. The handset is expected to be the successor of the Oppo A36, which was launched last year in January. It came equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage.

An Appuals report, in collaboration with tipster Sudhansu Ambhore, has leaked the renders, price and certain specifications of the upcoming Oppo A38. The smartphone is said to come in Black and Gold colour variants. The pricing of the smartphone is expected to be around EUR 159 (nearly Rs. 14,200) for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. 

While the company has not revealed any details about the smartphone, it is reportedly slated to launch in Europe in September. The phone could also come to India and other Asian markets soon. In terms of specifications, the Oppo A38 is said to sport a 6.56-inch LCD HD+ display with 1612X720 pixel resolution, and a refresh rate of 90Hz. 

The smartphone from Oppo is expected to be powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Oppo A38 could run Android 13 OS with Oppo's ColorOS 13 skin on top. For camera, the smartphone will reportedly pack a dual camera rear unit, led by a 50-megapixel camera with another 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, it is said to pack a 5-megapixel selfie lens. 

The report also mentions that the OPPO A38 will be backed by a 5,000mAH battery, which could be charged using a USB Type-C cable. With a plastic body, the smartphone is expected to feature an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. 


From the launch of the Infinix GT 10 Pro to Amazon's latest mega-sale, we discuss the most noteworthy technology news events of the week 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.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/BrvSUQN
via

After Lucy Letby, Another UK Nurse Under Investigation For Baby's Death

An investigation by the UK's healthcare agency NHS has linked the arrest of a nurse to death of three babies under suspicious circumstances at the hospital where she worked. According to The Telegraph, the nurse used to work at Birmingham Children's Hospital but her identity has not been released. The 28-year-old was arrested on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life. This comes shortly after the conviction of another nurse named Lucy Letby on charges of murdering seven babies.

Though the probe was launched last year, after the baby's death, the nurse remained under investigation this weekend. She has not yet been taken back by the hospital, and the regulator too has suspended her, which means she cannot work as a nurse elsewhere.

All the families of the children involved in the review in Birmingham have been informed, said The Telegraph.

"In May 2022, a child on the paediatric intensive care unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly. Due to the circumstances of the deterioration, the trust acted straight away," Dr Fiona Reynolds, NHS trust's chief medical officer, said in a statement.

"A member of staff was suspended from work and subsequently arrested at home. Sadly, the child later died and our thoughts remain with the family," she added.

According to Metro, the NHS trust passed the findings to the police.

Meanwhile, Lucy Letby was accused of harming 17 babies, some of them just days old, between June 2015 and June 2016.

In the majority of cases she is believed to have injected them with air but prosecutors also accused her of introducing insulin or too much milk.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/dMlFQjp
via

Sunday, 27 August 2023

"You Have Broken Dreams...": Amit Shah Jabs KCR Over A Owaisi Alliance

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) for his alliance with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

In an attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief, Amit Shah said, "You have broken the dreams of the fighters of Telangana Mukti Sangram by sitting with Owaisi for the last nine years". Amit Shah was addressing the 'Raithu Gosa-BJP Bharosa' rally at Khammam.

Referring to the AIMIM as the 'Razakars', the Union Home Minister said, "I want to tell KCR, that the youths of Telangana had laid down their lives for the state's liberation, not to sit down with the Razakars."

The Razakars were the paramilitary volunteer force of Hyderabad Nizam at the time of Hyderabad's integration into the Indian state. It is believed that the AIMIM has its roots in this paramilitary force which had resisted Hyderabad's Liberation.

Speaking about the actions taken by the KCR government against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state, Amit Shah said, "KCR thinks that if they oppress the BJP workers, BJP won't rebel. They arrested our leaders when we were fighting against corruption. They arrested Bandi Sanjay Kumar, pushed out Eleta Rajender from the Assembly..."

Accusing the Telangana Chief Minister of nepotism, Amit Shah said that everyone is aware that KCR wants his son KTR to head the state after him. However, Amit Shah said that it will not happen in this upcoming election.

"We know that you (KCR) want to make KTR the Chief Minister of the state, but this time neither KCR nor KTR will become the Chief Minister. This time someone from the BJP will become the Chief Minister," Amit Shah said.

The Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled at the end of this year. The state is going to witness a three-pronged contest among the BJP, the ruling BRS and the Congress. The Telangana election will serve as a litmus test for the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA alliance before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/jm0MLn4
via

"Cringe Level Is So High": Elon Musk's Comment On LinkedIn Is Viral

Billionaire Elon Musk's platform X (formerly Twitter) recently introduced a new job-hiring feature that allows verified organisations to post job listings on their profile. X has entered the domain of professional networking with a beta version of hiring, in a bid to challenge professional websites like LinkedIn.

Now, reacting to a post by a Twitter user, Ian Zelbo, who wrote, "Is there anything worse than LinkedIn?"

Replying to the post, the billionaire wrote on X, "People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can't bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed. We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool."

In another comment, Mr Musk wrote, "LinkedIn is actually the most cringe platform on the internet."

See the post here:

The post soon went viral and social media users were quick to react. A user wrote, "The worst part is people just making things up! I've seen a lot of people use titles on LinkedIn that don't even exist and couldn't be further from what they actually do at the company. like - being responsible for something doesn't make you "head of" it lol."

"Make LinkedIn irrelevant. Did you know that they force the pronouns on everyone even if you don't opt in for it? It's hidden outside the US, of course, because they know it doesn't fly elsewhere," another user wrote.

"The App is as rigid as the old phones that never made it to this day," the third user wrote.

Meanwhile, the billionaire hinted about introducing the job-hiring feature in May. In response to a user's suggestion that Twitter includes dating services, Mr Musk said, "Interesting idea, maybe jobs too." This also appears to be a step towards the platform becoming the everything app that Elon Musk previously stated.

As per a July report in TechCrunch, Twitter made its first acquisition since Mr Musk bought the platform, a job-matching tech start-up named Laskie in May. It is likely that the acquisition helped the company in creating and releasing the new feature. A US-based media company WorkWeek, has been using the feature for a month. Its CEO Adam Ryan took to the platform to share the new feature and took a dig at Mark Zuckerberg's newly launched Twitter-rival Threads.
 



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vWVG0FO
via

Watch: Neeraj's Historic Throw That Made Him 1st Indian To Win Worlds Gold

Neeraj Chopra is born to make history it seems. The 25-year-old javelin thrower achieved yet another momentous high on Sunday night when he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17m in the men's javelin final at Budapest, Hungary. The 25-year-old Chopra achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt. He had a foul throw to start with, but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m.

Pakistan's reigning Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem took the silver with his season's best throw of 87.82m, while Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic got the bronze.

Watch: Neeraj's Historic Throw That Made Him 1st Indian To Win Worlds Gold

In another first, three Indians finished in top eight with Kishore Jena (84.77m) and DP Manu (84.14m) taking the fifth and sixth spots respectively. Never before did three Indians finish in top eight of an event in the World Championships.

Chopra has now become only the second Indian -- after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra -- to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

Chopra, who had become the first Indian Olympic track and field gold medallist in Tokyo Games in 2021, had won a silver in the 2022 edition of World Championships.

Before him, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George had won a bronze in the 2003 World Championships.

With PTI inputs



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xDuoI7y
via

Neeraj Chopra: India's Javelin Great Completes A Full Circle At Just 25

25 is when dreams start to take wings for most. For some super-special individuals, like Neeraj Chopra, by that age you conquer all that is out there to be conquered. With his maiden World Athletics Championship gold in javelin throw that he won with an attempt of 88.17m at the 2023 edition late on Sunday night in Budapest, Hungary, the Haryana-born athlete has reached a stupendous height that will be hard to match for generations to come. With his first World Championship gold medal, which was the only major missing piece in his already envious trophy cabinet, Chopra has completed a full circle.

He is the reigning Olympic champion - the first Indian sportsperson to win a gold medal at the Games in athletics (field events). Now, Chopra is the first from the country to win a gold medal at World Athletics Championship. Till now, the silver medal that he won in 2022 was India's best return from the World Athletics Championships after Anju Bobby George's bronze medal in the women's long jump back in 2003 at Paris.

Chopra has an Asian Games gold medal and a Commonwealth Games gold medal. He is a Diamond League champion too. Add to it, the U20 World Championship gold medal that he won in 2016. Neeraj is truly the golden boy of Indian sport.

Chopra is now the second Indian, after Abhinav Bindra, to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

The Rise

To think that Chopra took up javelin throw almost by chance is another fascinating story. In 2011, a then 14-tear-old Chopra weighed 85kg. He was obese and his family somehow convinced his to join a gym. From his village in Khandra,  Haryana, he used to go to Panipat, situated 17km away, for gym training. On his way, he would go to Shivaji Stadium, where he first threw up javelin upon the insistence of his senior Jaiveer, a national-level javelin thrower. He had found his calling and there was no looking back.

By 2015, he had breached the hallowed 80m mark. By 2016, he had set a world record at the Under-20 level. In 2017, he won the Asian Championships gold medal. In 2018, he won gold medals at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games.

The Injury

Just when he was primed to be India's favourite contender for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, he hit a roadblock. Ahead of the 2019 World Championships, he suffered a major elbow problem due to bone spurs in his throwing arm. He had to undergo an intense two-hour surgery and then underwent a four-month rehabilitation. He ultimately came back, and came back in style.

The Comeback

In the summer of 2021, at his maiden Olympics, with a throw of 87.58 m, he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Games in athletics (field events).

Therein lies the greatness of Chopra. Though from the outside, it might seem that he is that wonder-boy who has the Midas touch, he has had his share of struggles. And every time, he was pinned down he came back stronger and he threw the javelin to a greater distance.

After the Olympics, he went to break his own national record twice in a space of just over two weeks in 2022. His current record is 89.94m. Last year, he won the Diamond League but missed the World Championship gold. He came very close to clinching that gold in 2022 with a throw of 88.13 m. However, he fell short of Grenada javelin thrower Anderson Peters' monstrous 90.54 m throw. This time he led the field in style though he started with a false throw. However, an attempt of 88.17m was enough for him to take the gold ahead of Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem (87.82m). 

And, with age on his side, he is in no mood to stop!

With PTI inputs



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/wPbBL4D
via

"Peed On, Told To Lick Shoe": Dalit Man Hung Upside Down Over Theft Claim

A Dalit man attacked by six persons in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar, has told reporters that he and three others were urinated on and told to lick shoes on which their assailants had spat. The man, alongwith the others -- accused of stealing some goats and pigeons -- were also allegedly beaten up and hung upside down from a tree. A video of the ordeal shot and circulated by one of the attackers has sparked outrage and a political row. A shutdown was observed today in Haregaon village as part of a protest.

"I was hung upside down by a rope around my legs. I had three small children with me, they were also beaten up. We are their neighbors. We are from a lower caste (Mahar). They were angry... They peed on us. We were asked to lick shoes on which they had spat," said Shubham Maghade, who later filed a complaint with the police.

The 20-year-old has also named his attackers -- Pappu Parkhe, Raju Borge, Yuvraj Galande and Nana Patil.  He said the men came and took him to the house of Yuvraj Galande, where they were stripped and beaten up.

The police, who took action after the video of the attack was widely circulated, has detained one of the men accused. The rest are on the run.

"A case has been registered under Section 307, atrocity. Six men have been accused. One accused has been detained and search is on for the remaining accused. The victim was suspected of stealing pigeons and goats. It is claimed that he is from Mahar (caste)," said Swati Bhor, a senior police officer.

Quoting an un-named police officer, news agency Press Trust of India reported that a case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 364 (kidnapping) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered.

The Opposition Congress has termed the incident a "blot" on humanity.

"Such incidents are a result of hate being spread by BJP for its political gain," Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was quoted as saying by PTI.

Nationalist Congress Party's chief spokesman Mahesh Tapase accused the government of failing to protect the self-respect of Dalits, PTI reported.

(With PTI inputs)



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/N2a4nDQ
via

Missing World Championships Gold, Here's Complete List Of Neeraj's Honours

Neeraj Chopra is among the highly rated sportspersons in India. The star javelin thrower, who rose to fame at a young age, has become the cynosure of all eyes ever since his gold medal feat at the Tokoyo Olympics. As Chopra continues to strive to become better and better with each passing day, his efforts are also showing noticeable results. At the age of 25, Chopra has almost achieved what an athlete would desire to win in his or her entire career.

Here is a look at Chopra's achievements so far -

An Olympic gold

Neeraj is the only Indian to win a gold medal in the track and field event at the Olympics in 2021. Overall, he is the second player from the nation following now-retired sport shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold medal at the quadrennial event.

The top honour in Commonwealth Games

Neeraj is the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. He claimed the top honour at Gold Coast in 2018. Overall, he became the fourth Indian to win an athletics title at the Games after Milkha Singh (1958), Krishna Poonia (2010) and Vikas Gowda (2014).

Asian Games gold

Neeraj is the first Indian javelin thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal. He shattered his own national record in 2018 to achieve the top finish on the podium.

Two Diamond League titles

The star Indian javelin thrower won the Lausanne leg in August 2022 for his maiden Diamond League title. He claimed his second title at the event this year at the same venue.

Apart from these, Neeraj also has also won gold medals in the Asian Championships (2017), the World U20 Championships (2016) and the South Asian Games (2016).

In the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Neeraj claimed a silver medal.

Awards won by Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award -- highest sporting honour of India -- in 2021. He was felicitated with the Arjuna Award in 2018. The star Indian javelin thrower received the Padma Shri -- fourth highest civilian honour in India -- in 2022.

Chopra was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (a military award of India) and Vishisht Seva Medal (a decoration of the Indian Armed Forces) in the years 2022 and 2020, respectively.



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/R2vQLPd
via

Saturday, 26 August 2023

Gunman Kills 3 In US' Florida, Cops Flag "Disgusting Ideology Of Hate"

A gunman driven by racial hate shot and killed three Black people in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday before fatally turning the gun on himself, authorities said.

The shooter, a white male in his early 20s, was outfitted with a tactical vest and armed with an AR-style rifle and a handgun when he started firing inside a Dollar General discount store, Sheriff TK Waters said.

"He targeted a certain group of people and that's Black people. That's what he said he wanted to kill. And that's very clear," the sheriff said, adding there were two male victims and one female victim.

Manifestos discovered by the gunman's family shortly before the attack "detail the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate," Sheriff Waters told a news conference.

The FBI would investigate the shooting as a hate crime, said Sherri Onks, the bureau's special agent for Jacksonville.

The shooting was the latest in a spate of gun violence this weekend in the United States, following deadly outbursts in Boston, Chicago and Oklahoma.

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/6GHasre
via

"You Call Yourself Secular But...": Congress Chief On KCR Skipping Opposition Meet

As many as 26 opposition parties came together to fight against the Modi government but Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who calls himself a secular has not attended even a single meeting, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Saturday.

Addressing a public meeting at Chevella near Hyderabad, Mr Kharge said KCR never spoke about the unity of secular parties to defeat the BJP.

"You call yourself a secular party here. But, you are in cahoots with BJP from inside there," he said.

The AICC president said PM Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister question Congress party's contributions to the country.

Mr Kharge then went on to highlight the Congress party's contributions, including unification of princely states and making of the Constitution after Independence, irrigation projects initiated during Nehru era, nationalisation of banks and the promotion of computers during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister.

At the public meeting, he released a poster of the Congress party's 'SC, ST Declaration' - a set of 12 promises of the party - for the coming Assembly elections in Telangana.

"When Congress comes to power in Telangana, the 12-point SC/ST declaration will be implemented," the top Congress leader said.

According to the SC/ST Declaration, reservations for SCs will be increased to 18 per cent, while it will be hiked to 12 per cent in case of STs.

The party promised Rs 12 lakh financial help to SC and ST families in the state, besides special reservation in government procurements.

The Declaration also said reservations will be implemented for SC, STs in private educational institutions and in private companies availing incentives from the government.

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/AQpD1Jk
via

Multiple Fatalities In Florida Shooting, Gunman Killed: Report

A gunman in Jacksonville, Florida, was dead following a standoff with police Saturday afternoon after killing "a number" of people, the latest in a spate of gun violence this weekend in the United States.

"One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take," Mayor Donna Deegan told local news channel WJXT, saying there were a "number of fatalities" but did not specify how many.

The broadcaster reported that the gunman fired at cars passing by a Dollar General discount store. He then reportedly barricaded himself inside.

A local council member told the broadcaster that the shooter had been killed.

Earlier in the day at least seven people were hospitalized after a mass shooting at a Caribbean festival in the northeast city of Boston, police there said.

Meanwhile, two women were shot at a baseball game in Chicago the night before, authorities in the Midwestern city said.

And a 16-year-old was shot dead and four others injured after an argument erupted at a high school football game in Oklahoma, local police said.

Mass shootings have become disturbingly common across the United States, with easy access to firearms in most states and more guns in the country than citizens.

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



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/5zR3W2h
via

Inside Jennifer Winget's Dreamy Maldives Diaries

Jennifer Winget is currently having the time of her life in Maldives. The Beyhadh star took some time off from her busy schedule and jetted off to the exotic location just a few days back. On August 26, Jennifer gave a glance at her “good memories in the mix” through her Maldives photo dump. The album revealed that Jennifer's Maldives vacation is all about sun-kissed moments, snazzy beach wear, sipping coffee on the beach and soaking some Vitamin D. In the picture, the actress looks stunning in her colourful OOTDs. Sharing the pictures, Jennifer wrote, “Highlights: Maldives 2023. Good memories in the mix.” Her industry friends made a bee-line to the comments section. Actress Kritika Kamra and Drashti Dhami dropped a handful of red eyes emoticons.

Begum Jaan actress Ridhiema Tiwari dropped a heartwarming note for Jennifer Winget in the comments.

We also got a glimpse of Jennifer Winget chilling on a yacht with her friends.  Take a look:


Before this, Jennifer Winget dropped a Reels in which she is seen enjoying her time by the beach. In the clip, she is wearing a tie-dye mini dress atop a fuchsia pink swimwear. Along with the video, the actress wrote, “She beats to the beauty of her wildflower heart and seashore soul.”


Jennifer Winget's Maldives vacation comes months after her holiday in Singapore. Yet again, the actress treated her fans through a photo dump. In the pictures, she is posing on the beach, relishing local food and reuniting with friends. Her caption read, “Oh Happy Days! Saying things I never said, doing things I never did.”

Last year, it was speculated that Anurag Basu's upcoming Aashiqui 3 will feature Jennifer Winget opposite Karthik Aaryan. But the makers later issued a statement claiming that they are still looking for the “perfect fit” for their film.

The statement read, “There is no truth to any rumours pertaining to the female lead opposite Kartik Aaryan in Aashiqui 3. The search for the perfect fit for the movie is still ongoing. We are currently in a very early stage where we are still coming up with ideas for the movie. Much like the audience, we are eagerly awaiting to finalise the female lead of the film and would love to share it with the fans as early as possible.”



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/KCXmaYP
via

Jeff Bezos Denies Report Of $600 Million Lavish Wedding: "Completely False"

Jeff Bezos has categorically denied media reports that his upcoming wedding to fiancee Lauren Sanchez will cost a staggering $600 million. T...