Friday, March 31, 2023

Watch: This Sweet Dabeli Is "Unique" For All The Wrong Reasons

The bizarre food combos just won't stop. While they rarely give us hope, don't you feel curious to know about what people are experimenting with? Just yesterday, a video showing "pani puri shawarma" went viral. Foodies were left clamouring for a 'dislike' button on Instagram (Know more here). Shawarma is a dish that is beloved by many not only in India but also in other countries. Today, another popular snack has become the target of a strange food experiment: the dabeli from Gujarat. This dish typically has savoury flavours, with spiced potato, peanut and sev stuffing. But a recent video showing the preparation of a sweet version has left the internet angry.
Also Read: Man Claims He Opened Checked-In Luggage To Find Someone Drank His Expensive Whiskey

The video was shared by a Twitter user @chiragbarjatyaa. He simply captioned it, "Every second of this video is shocking." In it, we see a man presenting the dish set-by-step to the viewers, explaining the ingredients as he adds them. He first holds up two sticks of ice-creams to the camera. He then cuts up slices of bread and soaks them in a yellowish liquid. He then begins assembling the dish in a foil container. On top of the bread pieces, he adds some kind of sauce and then crushed dry fruits (kaju, badam and pista). He ladles sweet chutney on top and then proceeds to grate a lot of cheese. Finally, he cuts up three different ice cream dollies (including chocolate and mango) and layers the pieces on top of the cheese. Watch the video below:

Also Read: Pepsi's New Logo Is Trending, But Is It A Hit or Miss? Twitter Weighs In
The video has received 216K views so far and was allegedly shot at Bhai Bhai Dabeliwala in Vadodara. Many Twitter users were simply left asking why this dish even exists. Others were horrified at the bizarre fusion of flavours. Some made sarcastic jokes. Check out the reactions below:

Also Read: Woman Churns Ice-Cream With Help Of Ceiling Fan, 'Only In India,' Says Anand Mahindra
Would you dare try this dish?



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Trump Indicted Over Hush Money: Other Criminal Enquiries He Is Facing

Former US President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury on Friday in a case where hush money was paid to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. He is the first former US President to face criminal charge. Mr Trump slammed the prosecutors and his political opponents, calling it a "witch-hunt". Stormy Daniels, meanwhile, welcomed the verdict saying this proves no one is above the law. Later, on Twitter, she thanked people for the "support and love" extended to her.

Also Read | What Happened Between Stormy Daniels And Donald Trump?

But this is not the only case Mr Trump was facing. He has under scrutiny of the Department of Justice (DoJ) for attempted election subversion and incitement of the January 6, 2021 attack on US Congress.

Investigators are probing Mr Trump's role in provoking the violence as part of a broader alleged effort to cling to power after losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.

In the latest development in the case, a US judge has ordered former vice president Mike Pence to testify about his conversations with Donald Trump leading up to the 2021 assault on the Capitol. However, Mr Pence can decline to discuss his actions on the day of the insurrection itself, news agency AFP said. The incident was linked to several deaths, left more than 100 police officers wounded and led to more than 1,000 arrests.

Separately, Mr Trump is also facing a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office. The prosecutors are looking at whether the former US President willfully retained national security information and obstructed justice.

The federal appeals court has rejected Trump team's twin efforts to block its order asking the former US President's main lawyer to provide his notes and audio transcripts.

In June, lawyer Evan Corcoran searched Mar-a-Lago and produced about 30 documents with classified markings to the justice department.

Mr Trump is also under investigation in Georgia for alleged attempted election inference. In that case, Fulton county prosecutor, Fani Willis, has requested a grand jury. It recommended indictments, against whom is not known.

The former president also faces a defamation trial arising from an allegation of rape made by the writer E Jean Carroll, an allegation Mr Trump denies.



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Meta Wins Lawsuit Against Photo Software Application Startup Phhhoto in the US

A US judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc that alleged its Facebook social media business drove a now-defunct photo software application startup out of business in violation of federal antitrust law.

US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn, New York, federal court said in her 67-page order that Phhhoto Inc had failed to timely bring its claims under relevant US antitrust law that sets a four-year window and under New York state competition provisions that have a three-year statute of limitation.

"Phhhoto has failed in its 69-page amended complaint of 222 paragraphs to allege sufficient facts that cure the untimeliness of all of its federal claims," Matsumoto wrote. She said, "no exception applies to toll the limitations periods."

The court declined to allow Phhhoto to fine-tune its case and bring another complaint.

Lawyers for Phhhoto at plaintiffs' firm Hausfeld did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Thursday.

In a statement, a Meta spokesperson described the suit as "meritless."

Phhhoto launched in 2014, providing an app that said it "created a five-frame, looping video." Meta two years earlier had acquired photo-sharing app Instagram for $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,820 crore).

Phhhoto's lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged Facebook aimed to "crush" the photo-sharing application, which called itself in court filings "an innovative nascent competitor."

"Meta used its control of critical infrastructure to degrade the quality of Phhhoto's content and the performance of its app, as well as to mislead and harm consumers," Phhhoto's attorneys told the court.

Facebook denied any anticompetitive conduct.

The case was among several actions accusing Facebook of violating competition law.

Facebook is defending against claims from the US Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., federal court that the company abused its personal social networking dominance.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

From smartphones with rollable displays or liquid cooling, to compact AR glasses and handsets that can be repaired easily by their owners, we discuss the best devices we've seen at MWC 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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Raghav Chadha And Parineeti Chopra To Get Married Soon, Claims Singer

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha and actor Parineeti Chopra are in the news after videos and photos of them at airports and outings went viral on social media. Though both Mr Chadha and Ms Chopra have so far not said anything about their relationship status, AAP member Sanjeev Arora had congratulated the duo for their "union" a few days ago. And now, singer Hardy Sandhu has confirmed that the two are set to tie the knot soon.

He said that he had called Ms Chopra and congratulated her for the same. "I am so happy that it's finally happening. I wish her all the luck," he said during an interview with DNA. The singer worked with the actor in the 2022 spy-thriller 'Code Name: Tiranga'.

The 'Bijlee Bijlee' singer revealed that during the shoot, they had discussed "marriage". He said, "When we were shooting for Code Name: Tiranga, we used to have discussions about marriage, and she used to say that 'I will get married, only after I feel that I have found the right guy'."

He further said that he called the 'Hasee Toh Phasee' actor on the phone to congratulate her. "Yes, I have called and congratulated her," said Mr Sandhu.

On Wednesday night, Ms Chopra and the Aam Aadmi Party leader were pictured together at Delhi airport. The actress was spotted hastily getting into the car while dodging photographers. Mr Chadha accompanied her and also made his way hurriedly inside the car.

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Last week, Mr Chadha dodged a question about Parineeti Chopra when asked about the videos of his meetings with the actor. He was questioned about the recent videos of him meeting the actress. He replied, "Aap mujhse raajneeti ke sawaal kariye, Parineeti ke na kariye (Please ask me questions about politics, not Parineeti)." When asked about the video and his marriage plans, the AAP leader said, "Aapko bataenge jab karenge toh (Will let you know when I get married)." The reporter further asked him, "Why do you want to create a suspense?" to which Mr Chadha said, "No suspense. I am telling you, I will inform when I get married."



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What Happened Between Stormy Daniels And Donald Trump?

Donald Trump, former US president, has been indicted in a crime over allegations that he made payments to an adult actress during his 2016 presidential campaign. The case pertains to a meeting between Trump and Stormy Daniels, an ex-porn star, at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.  

Most of the details of this encounter were revealed by Ms Daniels in her tell-all book "Full Disclosure". She claims that she had sex with Mr Trump, a charge vehemently denied by the Republican leader.

2006 Meeting At Nevada Golf Course

A picture taken at the time shows Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels posing together at a porn studio booth. Ms Daniels was then working as a "greeter" at this studio. Ms Daniels was 27 at the time and Mr Trump 60.

In the photo, Mr Trump is wearing a red hat, yellow polo shirt, and khaki pants. Ms Daniels, wearing a tight-fitting black top, is standing next to him.

Four months before the meeting with Ms Daniels, Donald Trump's wife, Melania, had given birth to their son Barron.

Ms Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, claims that one of Mr Trump's bodyguards had asked her to visit his penthouse at the golf course. Describing the encounter, she wrote that "it may have been the least impressive sex I'd ever had". In her book, she also includes an unflattering description of Mr Trump's anatomy.

Hush Money Payments

When Donald Trump was going around the nation mustering support for his presidential campaign in 2016, a tabloid newspaper discovered that Ms Daniels is looking to sell the story about her encounter with the Republican nominee.

The National Enquirer, owned by a Trump ally, put Ms Daniels in touch with Michael Cohen. Mr Cohen was Donald Trump's lawyer then and was known to "fix" issues that could be politically damaging.

Michael Cohen, who has since turned against Mr Trump, has acknowledged arranging a $130,000 "hush money" payment to Ms Daniels in exchange for her silence about the 2006 tryst.

Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump -- under the respective pseudonyms Peggy Peterson and David Dennison -- were the parties to a nondisclosure agreement prepared by Cohen that has emerged in court filings.

Mr Trump has denied that he ever had sex with Stormy Daniels or paid her hush money during his presidential campaign.

But a New York jury today determined there was enough evidence to proceed with a case against Mr Trump. He is expected to be presented in court as early as Tuesday, according to his defense attorney.



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Thursday, March 30, 2023

IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma Ducks 'Rest' Bouncer, Puts MI Coach In Spotlight

'Workload management' is an important contributor to players' performances. With the gruelling 2-month-long Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season set to start on March 31, many are worried about the Indian players' workload, especially keeping the World Test Championship final against Australia in mind. Rohit Sharma, who is the captain of both the Indian team and Mumbai Indians, was asked about taking 'rest' from IPL during the course of the season. His didn't just dodge the bullet himself but put head coach Mark Boucher in the spotlight.

In an interaction for Mumbai Indians ahead of the start of the new season, Rohit was asked about sitting out from a few matches. 

He said: "I think Mark will give you an answer to that."

Boucher, who is the new MI head coach, said: "Do you want to rest? He is the captain," said, before adding "Hopefully, he (Rohit) gets into some good form and hopefully, he doesn't want to rest. We will adapt to whatever the situation is. If I can get the best out of him as a captain and as a player, if it means giving him some rest for that, then I'll do that. No problem."

Rohit had touched upon the subject of rest earlier as well. Before the Indian players joined their respective franchises after the bilateral series against Australia.

"I told them to look after their bodies," he said.

"Lot of talk is given to workloads and all that kinds of stuff. T20 cricket, if you look at our schedule, there's a nice gap between games to sort of rest and recover and we can look after every player. I don't see workloads being a major issue for us throughout the IPL," Rohit explained.



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Imran Khan's Ex-Wife Says Unidentified Men Tried To Break Into Her Home

Jemima Goldsmith, British filmmaker, and former wife of ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that some unknown men attempted to break in at her London flat in the middle of the night. The journalist and filmmaker said the incident took place a few days ago. 

Taking to Twitter, Ms. Goldsmith shared pictures of a group of men who were captured in surveillance cameras and asked for any information that may help her identify them.

She wrote: "If you can identify them, then please let me know…." 

See the tweet here:

Speaking to Geo News, Ms. Goldsmith stated that she called the police at night, immediately after the attempted break-in. She stated that the two males were captured on video and that Scotland Yard was called in and a report has been registered. 

“And then these two guys captured on camera trespassing a few weeks later in the day,” she added. 

Earlier in 2017, Ms. Goldsmith faced harassment when she was bombarded with more than 1,000 phone calls and messages from a cab driver after she posed for a selfie with him. 27-year-old Hassan Mahhmood pleaded guilty to carrying out a campaign of harassment for more than a year, BBC reported.

Notably, Imran Khan first tied the knot with Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 which ended in divorce after nine years in 2004. The couple has two sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, who returned to Britain with their mother after the divorce, which Mr. Khan had attributed to "geographical problems" and "difficulties of cross-cultural marriages". He had also told NDTV that "political life was a nightmare for her".



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Alibaba to Monetise Non-Core Assets, Decide on Control of New Business Units After Breakup

Alibaba Group said on Thursday it will look to monetise non-core assets and consider giving up control of some businesses, as the Chinese tech conglomerate reinvents itself after a regulatory crackdown that wiped 70 percent off its shares.

Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the company's breakup into separate businesses will allow its units to become more agile and eventually list on their own.

His comments come two days after Alibaba announced its largest restructuring in the company's history, which will see it change into a holding company structure with six business units, each with their own boards and CEOs.

"Alibaba will be more of the nature of an asset and capital operator than a business operator, in relation to the business group companies," Zhang told investors on a conference call on Thursday.

On the same call, Alibaba CFO Toby Xu said the group would "continue to evaluate the strategic importance of these companies" and "decide whether or not to continue to retain control".

Alibaba's indication that it could divest from assets and sell control of business units after they go public comes more than two years after Beijing launched a sweeping crackdown on its tech giants, targeting monopolistic practices, data security protection and other issues.

While the new business units will have their own CEOs and boards, Alibaba will retain seats on those boards in the short-term, Zhang added.

The group's Hong Kong-listed shares opened 2.7 percent higher after the investor call and were still up 2% as of 0147 GMT.

Matter of survival

Alibaba began laying the groundwork for the restructuring a few years ago, Zhang told investors during a conference call.

As a result of the restructuring, each business unit can pursue independent fundraisings and IPOs when they're ready, Xu said, when asked about the timeline for the listings. The changes will come into effect immediately.

"We believe the market is the litmus test so each company can pursue financing and IPO as and when they are ready," said Xu.

Alibaba, however, will decide whether the group wants to keep strategic control of each unit after they go public, Xu said.

Meanwhile, the group is also planning to continue to monetise non-strategic assets in its portfolio to optimise its capital structure, said Xu.

Alibaba's major rival Tencent, has in the past year divested from a number of portfolio companies including selling a $3 billion (roughly Rs. 24,672 crore) stake in SEA, transferring $16.4 billion (roughly Rs. 1,34,843 crore) worth of JD.COM shares and $20 billion worth of Meituan shares to shareholders.

Alibaba's reorganisation will not change its share repurchase plan, Xu added on the call.

Qi Wang, CEO of China-focused asset manager MegaTrust Investment, said the sector's strategic move to reorganise was about survival.

"These internet firms are not going to just sit there and let regulation erode away their growth and profits," Wang said. "Companies including Tencent, Alibaba, JD, Didi and ByteDance have been making bottom-up changes to mitigate the regulatory risk, cost cutting (layoffs), improving operating efficiency, divesting non-core businesses."

Alibaba, once valued at more than $800 billion (roughly Rs. 65,77,240 crore), has seen its market valuation decline to $260 billion (roughly Rs. 21,37,629 crore) since Beijing started a crackdown on its sprawling tech sector in late 2020.

Some analysts say Alibaba is currently undervalued as a standalone conglomerate and a breakup would allow investors to value each business division independently.

The restructuring could also better protect Alibaba shareholders from regulatory pressures, as penalties levied on one division in theory would not affect the operations of another.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

The newly launched Oppo Find N2 Flip is the first foldable from the company to debut in India. But does it have what it takes to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? We discuss this 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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IPL 2023: Blow For RCB! Two Stars Likely To Miss Opener vs Mumbai Indians

Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the initial stages of the Indian Premier League beginning in Ahmedabad on Friday. According to a report in cricket.com.au, Hazlewood is, however, hopeful of playing a part in the later stages of the T20 tournament. The 32-year-old is currently recovering from an Achilles problem which kept him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India.

Hazlewood will consult Cricket Australia's medical staff before deciding on his participation in the IPL, the report said.

In another big development, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who missed Australia's final two ODIs against India earlier this month, is also doubtful for RCB's opening game against Mumbai Indians on April 2 in Bengaluru as he is yet to recover from a leg injury.

Australia national selector George Bailey said Maxwell, who broke his leg in a freak accident last November, found the comeback to ODI "more demanding than he had expected".



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Review: Slapdash Bholaa Rides On Ajay Devgn's Star Power

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Raai Laxmi, Amala Paul, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra

Director: Ajay Devgn

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

A remake that makes exceedingly heavy weather of an old formula. Bholaa, produced and directed by lead actor Ajay Devgn, is unlikely to have you shouting bumm bumm bhole in joy. The film is a bummer. Loud, prone to excess and wilting under its own weight, its creaks and croaks its way to a climax that issues a threat - there is more on the way.

Bholaa, official remake of the Tamil hit Kaithi (of which, too, there is a sequel in the works), sucks out whatever air there was in Lokesh Kanagaraj's film and delivers a stale, slapdash rehash that rides solely on Devgn's star power. He gives it his all, but that is hardly enough to paper over the massive creases.

The screenplay by a quartet of writers (Aamil Keeyan Khan, Ankush Singh, Sandeep Kewlani and Shriidhar Dubey) puts the actor front and centre. That is all there is to the film apart from the visual veneer that Aseem Bajaj's cinematography imparts to it.

Bholaa deviates from the Kaithi script in significant ways. But barring the replacement of a male Indian Police Service officer with a tough woman in uniform, the tweaks do not count for much. Worse, they damage the film's chances of being passed off as a middling thriller.

One key respect in which Bholaa differs from Kaithi is in the way the hero is projected. In the original screenplay, he was a tough guy who never lost his corporeal qualities. He felt hunger, was wracked by doubts and experienced physical pain while going about his job.

In Bholaa, the just-freed prisoner is sought to be raised to the level of an all-powerful deity - to the status of Shiva the Destroyer and the Protector, no less. He is a man of few words but when he speaks, he delivers stuffy homilies rather than take recourse to the believable language of a man desperate for a fresh shot at life.

The emotional quotient of the story - a convicted father who has never seen his daughter is granted a remission of his life sentence and is on his way to meet the girl who lives in a Lucknow orphanage - is severely undermined by the projection of Bholaa as an invincible larger-than-life figure endowed with the power to return at will from the jaws of death any number of times.

He is just the sort of superhuman that superintendent of police Diana Joseph (Tabu) is looking for as the force faces double trouble. One, nine hundred kilos of cocaine seized in a major drug bust and kept in a secret bunker is in danger of being taken back by a vicious gang led by a coke-snorting sadist Ashwathama alias Ashu (Deepak Dobriyal). He is the younger brother of an elusive drug kingpin (Vineet Kumar) nobody has ever spotted in public.

Two, 40 policemen, knocked out cold by alcohol spiked with Rohypnol, are being ferried to a medical facility 80 km away. The angry criminals are out to waylay the rundown lorry and kill the five cops who intercepted their truck and seized their contraband consignment. Diana enlists Bholaa's support to save the cocaine and the cops. The action unfolds in the course of one night that sees a series of explosive action set pieces on the road, in a forest and inside a police station.

In the police station, an ageing havildar, Angad Yadav (Sanjay Mishra), finds himself in the thick of the action. Stranded with three students who have been arrested for drunken behaviour and a girl who is love with one of the boys, the policeman is charged with keeping Ashu and his murderous men at bay until Diana, Bholaa and Kadchi, a biryani caterer roped in to guide the cops out of the woods.

With Bholaa firmly on her side, Diana has nothing to fear. The guy is more than a handful for the armies of menacing men deployed to stop him in his tracks. He can fight them off with his bare hands, cleavers and daggers with the same ease with which he wields a trishul and a rapid-firing multiple-barrel gun.

The trident, which had no place in Kaithi, is brought in for the purpose of endowing the hero with a divine aura that instantly dwarfs the bad guys. But no matter what he does to establish his insuperability, the dance of death that Bholaa unleashes across several action sequences is monotonous and laboured.

With Devgn towering over everything else (and that includes the screenplay) characters who mattered in Kaithi are reduced to complete nonentities. Among the worst sufferers are an undercover cop who infiltrates the gang of drug peddlers and a compromised police officer (Gajraj Rao), who strikes a deal with the drug dealers. They languish on the fringes of the plot.

No different is the fate of Kiran Kumar, playing an inspector-general of police whose retirement bash is where his subordinates consume the poisoned potion that leaves them sedated and dangling between life and death, and Makarand Deshpande in the guise of a jail inmate who tells everyone within earshot stories of Bholaa's legendary exploits. He is no ordinary bloke, the raconteur insists. Jab yeh bhashm lagata hai pata nahin kitno ko bhashm kar deta hai (when he applies holy ash to his forehead there is no count of how many he sends to their doom).

The secondary and tertiary characters are given no space at all to develop because Bholaa, which is precisely the same length as Kaithi, is focussed squarely on ensuring that the lead actor does not cede any ground to the others in the cast. Tabu, of course, makes the most of the footage that she gets but still has to settle for second-fiddle treatment. Only two other actors are allowed their moments - Deepak Dobriyal (oozing menace) and Sanjay Mishra (exuding simmering doggedness).

Amala Paul, in a non-speaking part, makes a fleeting appearance in a flashback meant to explain why Bholaa's life has turned out the way it has. It is a gratuitous addition that only slows down the film and does no justice to the actress.

Kaithi was a songless film with a near-perfect background score by Sam C.S., who factored sounds emanating from within the frames into the film's musical spine and created ample room for evocative variations in pitching and decibel levels to accentuate the action sequences.

Bholaa has its share of songs, including an item number performed by Raai Laxmi. But the background music, obstreperous and overwrought, does not take a backseat. Composer Ravi Basrur gives Bholaa the KGF treatment and rustles up what amounts to an assault on the eardrums.

The relentless cacophony is, of course, of a piece with what Bholaa is out to achieve. It is a film that goes the whole nine yards and loses its way.



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Removing Pablo Escobar's Hippos To Cost $3.5 Million. 60 Coming To India

Colombia said Wednesday it was making progress on the transfer of 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries, but mitigating the havoc caused by this unusual legacy of dead druglord Pablo Escobar carries a hefty price tag: $3.5 million.

The cocaine baron brought a small number of the African beasts to Colombia in the late 1980s. But after his death in 1993 the animals were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been helpless to curb their numbers which now stand at 150 animals.

Authorities said they plan to capture and move nearly half of the hippopotamuses in the coming months, with 10 bound for the Ostok Sanctuary in northern Mexico and 60 destined for an as-yet unnamed facility in India.

"The whole operation should cost around $3.5 million," Ernesto Zazueta, owner of the Ostok Sanctuary, told reporters.

He and governor Anibel Gaviria, of the Colombian region that is home to the hippos, say they plan to lure the animals with bait into pens where they will remain confined before being put in special crates for the transfer.

Colombia had tried a sterilization program to control the population, but it failed.

The environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull.

But the hippo transfer plan is seen as a life-saving measure.

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



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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Pakistanis Fight Over Free Flour As Country Reels Under Economic Crisis

Pakistan is currently facing one of its worst economic crises ever and is in dire need of funds. As a result, common people are struggling to meet their basic needs due to skyrocketing inflation. To beat the inflation, a free flour scheme was launched especially for the poor in the Punjab province under the Ramzan package.

A video has now surfaced on Twitter showing hundreds of Pakistanis in Peshawar running behind and pouncing on a truck carrying wheat flour meant for poor people. In the video, citizens can be seen climbing the truck delivering free wheat flour, while pushing and elbowing one another. It was later reported that locals looted the truck before it reached the distribution centre.

A Twitter user shared visuals of the incident and wrote, ''The wheat supplied by the #Pakistan government to the flour mills of Sambaryal from which free flour is being given. Meanwhile, people in #Peshawar fighting for free Atta.

See the post here:

The protesters also blocked the road after standing in queues for hours to get flour but failed to get their hands on a 10-kilogram bag. Meant for the country's underprivileged classes, the package was described as a significant relief for the poor, Daily Times reported.

Meanwhile, a PTI report said that at least four elderly people have died in the last few days while trying to collect free flour. He said the incidents occurred due to the huge rush of people and the lack of facilities at the distribution points set up by the government to distribute free flour among the citizens.

"Two of them died due to stampede and the other two died after getting exhausted while standing in queue for long hours," he said. Police on the other hand also baton-charged the people seeking free flour to force them to stand in the queue. 

The country's economy has been in turmoil and desperately needs external financing, with its foreign exchange reserves dipping to around USD 3 billion. 



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Saudi Joins Shanghai Cooperation Organization As Ties With China Grow

Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved on Wednesday a decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as Riyadh builds a long-term partnership with China despite U.S. security concerns.

Saudi Arabia has approved a memorandum on granting the kingdom the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), state news agency SPA said.

The SCO is a political and security union of countries spanning much of Eurasia, including China, India and Russia.

Formed in 2001 by Russia, China and former Soviet states in Central Asia, the body has been expanded to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as counterweight to Western influence in the region.

Iran also signed documents for full membership last year.

Joining the SCO was discussed during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia last December, sources have told Reuters.

Dialogue partner status will be a first step within the organisation before granting the kingdom full membership in the mid-term, they said.

The decision followed an announcement by Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) which raised its multi-billion dollar investment in China on Tuesday, by finalising a planned joint venture in northeast China and acquiring a stake in a privately controlled petrochemical group.

Riyadh's growing ties with Beijing have raised security concerns in Washington, its traditional ally. Washington says Chinese attempts to exert influence around the world will not change U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have voiced concern about what they see as a withdrawal from the region by main security guarantor the United States, and have moved to diversify partners. Washington says it will stay an active partner in the region.

Countries belonging to the organisation plan to hold a joint "counter-terrorism exercise" in Russia's Chelyabinsk region in August this year.

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



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AI Chip Startup Cerebras Releases Open Source ChatGPT-Like Models for Free: All Details

Artificial intelligence chip startup Cerebras Systems on Tuesday said it released open source ChatGPT-like models for the research and business community to use for free in an effort to foster more collaboration.

Silicon Valley-based Cerebras released seven models all trained on its AI supercomputer called Andromeda, including smaller 111 million parameter language models to a larger 13 billion parameter model.

"There is a big movement to close what has been open-sourced in AI...it's not surprising as there's now huge money in it," said Andrew Feldman, founder, and CEO of Cerebras. "The excitement in the community, the progress we've made, has been in large part because it's been so open."

Models with more parameters are able to perform more complex generative functions.

OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT launched late last year, for example, has 175 billion parameters and can produce poetry and research, which has helped draw large interest and funding to AI more broadly.

Cerebras said the smaller models can be deployed on phones or smart speakers while the bigger ones run on PCs or servers, although complex tasks like large passage summarization require larger models.

However, Karl Freund, a chip consultant at Cambrian AI, said bigger is not always better.

"There's been some interesting papers published that show that (a smaller model) can be accurate if you train it more," said Freund. "So there's a trade off between bigger and better trained."

Feldman said his biggest model took a little over a week to train, work that can typically take several months, thanks to the architecture of the Cerebras system, which includes a chip the size of a dinner plate built for AI training.

Most of the AI models today are trained on Nvidia's chips, but more and more startups like Cerebras are trying to take share in that market.

The models trained on Cerebras machines can also be used on Nvidia systems for further training or customization, said Feldman.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

From smartphones with rollable displays or liquid cooling, to compact AR glasses and handsets that can be repaired easily by their owners, we discuss the best devices we've seen at MWC 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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Watch: Not Dhoni Or Kohli! Anil Kumble's 'Power' Pick For G.O.A.T Of IPL

Indian cricket team legend Anil Kumble is no stranger to the Indian Premier League. The spinner was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team as a player and later, he also coached the Punjab Kings franchise. While he had the chance of watching hundreds of players – both domestic and international – perform at the competition, he picked West Indies star Chris Gayle as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in IPL history. Kumble praised his destructive style of batting and how he could change any game. 

"There are plenty of them; it's difficult to pick just one. I can certainly look back and say probably Chris Gayle, someone who is larger than life. The way he came across as a player! What he brought to RCB and the way he sorts of changed the whole powerplay and the power he brought to batting," Kumble said during a Q&A session on JioCinema ahead of the new season of the IPL. 

Earlier, in an episode of 'My Time with Virat', available on Jio Cinema, Chris Gayle spoke about sharing the dressing room with Kohli, notching up numerous 100-run partnerships, and all the dance moves they perfected together. 

"Sharing a dressing room with Virat and the other guys, once I am there, I am always jovial and having a lot of fun, dancing and everything like that," said Gayle. 

"I'd show them a few moves and realise Virat's got the skills. He can move, you know. But if it's an Indian dance, Chris Gayle will win. if it's a Caribbean dance, Chris Gayle will win!" he added. 



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"We Are Not Going To Fix It": US Senator After 6 Killed In School Shooting

The debate for gun control in the US has picked up steam after six people were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Nashville. Two nine-year-old girls, a nine-year-old boy, two teachers and a school custodian died in the attack. The shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, purchased seven weapons legally from five different gun stores, police said.

But while the public and critics are having a heated debate over gun rights, a Republican senator has said that the situation is horrible, but the government cannot fix it.

"We're not gonna fix it," Republican Tim Burchett told reporters after the shooting in his home state Tennessee.

"Criminals are gonna be criminals," he added.

 When asked if the country needs stricter gun laws, Mr Burchett said lawmakers would only mess things up and hence the issue should not be raised in the Congress.

He did offer a solution though - change people's hearts.

"I don't think you're gonna stop the gun violence. I think you gotta change people's hearts," he said.

The senator said that if a person is determined to kill, there's not much that can stop them.

The Nashville shooter, Audrey Hale was armed with two assault rifles and a handgun upon entering the small Christian academy of about 200 students, which he had once attended as a pupil. He was killed in the attack.

In a chilling security camera video, Hale is seen shooting through glass doors to enter the school before stalking the empty halls as emergency lights flash.

Hale, wearing a black military-style vest, camouflage pants and red baseball cap, moved through the building, opening fire on children and staff.

President Joe Biden warned that gun violence was "ripping the soul of this nation," and urged Congress to reinstate the national assault rifle ban, which existed from 1994 to 2004.

Efforts to ban the powerful weapons have run up against opposition from Republicans, staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms.

The political deadlock endures even though there have been 129 mass shootings in the US -- defined as incidents in which four or more people were shot or killed -- so far this year.



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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

"She Has Passed Away": Teacher's Embarrassing Report Card Remark Viral

The comment of teachers on the report card is vital. Parents are very keen to know what they has to say about their child. But a blunder made by a teacher is horrifying the users on social media. A screenshot of the teacher's remark is going viral in which she has written "she has passed away" on the result of term three paper from 2019. The unnamed student scored good marks in most subjects and secured seventh position in the class.

The image was shared by Anant Bhan on Twitter and has so far received close to 3,000 views.

The user said that he sourced the photo from Facebook and did not mention the country where the student studied. But one of the subject mentioned in the report card was Chichewa, which is the official language of Malawi in Africa.

The other subjects are Mathematics, English, Agriculture, BK/RE, Social, Life Skills, and Arts.

The teacher's remarks were criticised by several users online. "This seems far worse than "passed out", that other usage for having graduated," said one user.

"May SHE who has passed away be blessed by almighty in her very being here & now with a long healthy happy & prosperous life," said another.

Others posted face palm emoji, expressing frustration or embarrassment.

A few years ago, an embarrassing error appeared in a 45-minute model test paper in Madhya Pradesh, which was meant to prepare weak students before they appear for the final exams.

In reply to a question on what were the qualities of "subuddhi" (righteous man) and "kubuddhi" (immoral man), the answer read "kubuddhi was a wicked man and led a life of drinking and gandhiji", instead of "drinking and gambling".



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Sacked H1-B Visa Holders Have Options Other Than Leaving: US

Amid mass layoffs in the tech sector, the federal agency for immigration services has said it is wrong to assume that sacked workers holding the much-sought-after H-1B visas have to leave the country within 60 days, asserting they have multiple options to stay in the US.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

In a letter to the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou said: "When non-immigrant workers are laid off, they may not be aware of their options and may, in some instances, wrongly assume that they have no option but to leave the country within 60 days." The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), which has been working for laid-off H-1B visa holders, recently wrote to USCIS about the impacts of recent technology sector layoffs and sought an increase to the up to 60-day grace period.

In the letter addressed to FIIDS director for policy and analysis strategy Khanderao Kand, the USCIS said it acknowledges the financial and emotional impact that job loss can have on employment-based non-immigrant workers and their families in the US.

"We are aware of the issue of involuntary terminations, especially in the technology sector," Mr Kand said.

Thousands of highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians, in the US, have lost their jobs due to the series of recent layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

According to The Washington Post, nearly 200,000 IT workers have been laid off since November last year.

Industry insiders say that between 30 to 40 per cent of them are Indian IT professionals, a significant number of whom are on H-1B and L1 visas.

When a non-immigrant worker's employment is terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily, they typically may take one of the four actions, if eligible, to remain in a period of authorised stay in the United States, the USCIS said.

Prominent among these include filing an application for a change of non-immigrant status and filing an application for adjustment of status.

They can also file an application for a "compelling circumstances" employment authorisation document or be the beneficiary of a non-frivolous petition to change employer, the USCIS said.

"If one of these actions occurs within the up to 60-day grace period, the nonimmigrant's period of authorised stay in the US can exceed 60 days, even if they lose their previous non-immigrant status.

"If the worker takes no action within the grace period, they and their dependents may then need to depart the United States within 60 days, or when their authorised validity period ends, whichever is shorter," the USCIS said in its letter.

It said that because the up to 60-day grace period is codified in the Department of Homeland Security regulations, extending it would require a regulatory change in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act and could not be extended by USCIS through policy guidance.

Fortunately, most individuals facing job loss already have several options to remain in the US, while continuing their job search past 60 days, the USCIS wrote.

It said it recognises the contributions made to the United States by talented foreign-born workers, including in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

"We will continue to monitor the technology sector layoffs and explore appropriate measures," Mr Jaddou said.

In a statement, Mr Kand said departing the US after layoffs has an immediate impact on the families of the laid-off H1B and their school-going children.

"Losing these professionals is also a brain drain impacting the future competitiveness of the US in emerging technologies. Hence, FIIDS has launched a multi-phase campaign from awareness building to jointly written letters to the USCIS with elected officials and other prominent organisations," the statement said.

FIIDS launched a media campaign in January to raise awareness about the issue.

In February, it launched a petition which received support from various prominent organisations like the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, US-India Business Council, American Jewish Committee, and The Indus Entrepreneurs seeking an extension of the grace period.

"We appreciate the USCIS for clearly providing options for the laid-off H-1Bs. These official communications will improve the possibility for the H-1B holders to remain legally in the US. We will still work with the DHS to change the grace period," Kand said.

House of Representatives members Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo, in their letter to USCIS, termed the departure of STEM professionals from the US a national security threat.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said that if retained, these laid-off professionals can develop innovative products and potentially start new businesses and create new jobs while advancing research across critical industries.

Recently, Senator Chuck Schumer told an Indian American audience that the issue can be addressed with a procedure change.

The "White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders" under the Health and Human Services Department also recommended an extension of the H-1B grace period.

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



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Government Asks Telcos to Take Measures While Setting Up 5G Towers Near Airports

Telecom service providers have been advised to take various measures, including establishing safety and buffer zones, while placing 5G towers in the vicinity of airports to minimise interference of 5G services in aircraft operations, the government said on Monday.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not conducted any study on the potential effect of 5G signals on safe civil aircraft operations.

"However, DGCA has, reviewed the studies/action undertaken by various countries during the launch of 5G on the potential interference of 5G C-band signals on radio altimeters installed on the aircraft and risk involved in air travel.

"The review has shown that there may be a likelihood of interference in the functioning of Radio Altimeter installed on aircraft due to C-band 5G signals which may affect vital aircraft systems and can lead to unsafe aircraft operations," he said in a written reply.

Based on the technical inputs received from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), he said that while there is a guard band available in the frequency band allocated to 5G transmissions for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in India, there may be a possibility of interference with aircraft radio altimeters which may affect safe aircraft operations.

In order to minimise the interference, the Telecom Service Providers (TSP) have been advised to take various measures while placing 5G towers in the vicinity of airports.

They have been advised to establish safety and buffer zones in the vicinity of airports, restricting power levels of C-Band 5G transmissions around the airports, and ensure the tilt of 5G base stations to an extent such that the 5G emissions do not interfere with radio altimeters.

Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this 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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A Scene From Mannat: SRK In His New Rolls-Royce - Watch Viral Video

Leave it to Shah Rukh Khan to make a stylish appearance wherever he goes. The superstar recently added a swanky new Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge, which is reportedly worth Rs 10 crore, to his existing collection of automobiles. A fan club dedicated to the superstar shared a video of Shah Rukh Khan entering his residence Mannat in his brand new car. Earlier this year, Shah Rukh Khan was ranked fourth in a list of 8 richest actors in the world, released by World of Statistics. He was listed above the likes of Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan, George Clooney.

A fan club on Twitter shared a video of Shah Rukh Khan's new car entering Mannat. Take a look:

Just another glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan's new car:

On the professional front, Shah Rukh Khan kickstarted the year with a bang. His film Pathaan was a smash hit. The actor will next be seen in Atlee's Jawanwith Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. Shah Rukh Khan will also star in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki, co-starring Taapsee Pannu, which is also slated to release this year.

SRK's last release, Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Yash Raj Films, featured the actor alongside Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. The film released in theatres in January and it is stilling running strong in theatres. The film also featured Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana. Salman Khan also featured in a cameo appearance in the film. The film released on OTT platform Prime Video on March 22 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.



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AI Image of Pope Francis Looking Stylish In White Puffer Jacket Goes Viral

An image of Pope Francis wearing a large white puffer jacket has gone viral on social media with many praising the 86-year-old's trendy style - but the only thing is that the picture is actually fake. 

According to NBC News, the photo was created using artificial intelligence (AI) app called midjourney and was posted on a subreddit before it went viral on Twitter. The image features Pope Francis outside wearing his zucchetto skull cap and with a crucifix hanging outside the large white coat. 

Take a look below: 

The image fooled scores of internet users, including celebrity Chrissy Teigen. "I thought the pope's puffer jacket was real and didnt give it a second thought. no way am I surviving the future of technology," she tweeted. 

"So, I was today year's old when I found out that this image of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket was AI generated... First AI image I've been fooled by," said another user in a tweet. "Pope Francis Jacket suit in the mood today," posted a third. 

According to NBC News, there was also an uptick in searches for the Pope shortly after pictures of him in the puffer were posted on the micro-blogging site. Experts have said that this is one of the first instances of wide-scale misinformation from artificial intelligence. 

They noted that the pope pictures were circulated just a few days after uncanny AI images of former US President Donald Trump getting arrested went viral. While many people were sceptical of the Trump photos, a lot of users believed that the pope pictures were real, illustrating the improving realism of AI, they said. 

Also Read | US President Joe Biden Makes Bizarre Ice Cream Joke Before First Statement On US School Shooting

Meanwhile, on Monday Pope Francis applauded the benefits of technology and AI when used for the common good, but he also warned against using AI unethically or irresponsibly. While addressing a gathering of scientists and experts in the Vatican, the pope said that technology is and has been "immensely beneficial" to our human family, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering and communications. He also stated that he is convinced that the development of AI and machine learning has the potential to contribute in a positive way to the future of humanity. 

However, "at the same time," Pope Francis cautioned, "I am certain that this potential will be realized only if there is a constant and consistent commitment on the part of those developing these technologies to act ethically and responsibly". 



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Who Is Changpeng Zhao? Crypto Giant Binance Boss Sued By US Regulator

  1. Changpeng Zhao is the founder and current chief executive officer of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. He was born in China's Jiangsu province in 1977 and his parents were teachers.
  2. Mr Zhao and his mother migrated from China to Canada in 1989, months after the Tiananmen Square massacre. He lived in Vancouver as a teenager and worked at McDonald's and did overnight shifts at a gas station.
  3. In 2005, Changpeng Zhao went back to China to launch an IT startup after stepping down as the head of the Bloomberg Tradebook Futures Research & Development team. The 45-year-old later entered the crypto space and launched Binance on July 14, 2017.
  4. In September 2017, the Chinese government banned cryptocurrency exchanges and Changpeng Zhao was again compelled to leave China.
  5. Changpeng Zhao went to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, to study computer programming. According to Forbes, he is among the 600 richest people in the world with a net worth of over $4 billion.


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Monday, March 27, 2023

World Theatre Day 2023: History, Significance, Celebrations

World Theatre Day is observed on March 27 to honour the art and promote it across the world. It is marked to appreciate theatre and the artistes who strive to present theatre acts for the audience.

History

World Theatre Day was first celebrated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the world's largest performing arts body, in 1961. Since then, the day is being marked by centres of ITI and other organisations on March 27. It is on March 27 when the Theatre of Nations season opened in Paris in 1962.

Objectives of World Theatre Day

World Theatre Day is aimed towards promoting all forms of theatre around the world and making people aware of its value. It inspires theatre communities to create awareness about their work on a large scale and familiarise governments and opinion leaders with the significance of theatre. Another objective of the occasion is to enjoy theatre and share its joy with others.

Significance

World Theatre Day is an opportunity for all of us to appreciate the art and all those who celebrate it. Theatre artists bring life to vibrant characters on stage and present a show for the audience. World Theatre Day celebrates the spirit of theatre and aims to remind politicians, governments, and institutions about the potential of the art for economic growth.

Celebrations

The occasion is celebrated by theatres, dance institutions, culture ministries, government institutions, and universities. Theatre festivals are held to mark World Theatre Day while award ceremonies and meetings with stage directors and actors are also organised.

World Theatre Day quotes

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being" - Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and playwright.

"All the world's a stage.
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts."
- William Shakespeare, English poet, playwright



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Sun Pharma Flags Revenue Drop Following 'IT Security Incident' in March: Details

Indian drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries would see a revenue drop in a few of its businesses and incur some expenses due to an "IT security incident" that happened earlier this month.

The effect of the incident on the drug major's IT systems included a breach of certain file systems and theft of some company and personal data, Sun Pharma said in a filing late on Sunday. A ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the incident, it added.

Sun Pharma, known for its consumer healthcare products such as Revital vitamins and pain relief medicine Volini, posted a near 14 percent jump in total revenue from operations to Rs. 112.41 billion in the last quarter.

The drugmaker on March 2 reported the information security incident, adding that it had not impacted the company's operations. However, on Sunday, the company said its containment measures had affected its operations.

Sun Pharma said it took steps to remediate the impact with the help of experts and "enhanced" security measures to address the situation.

The company said it was unable to determine other potential adverse impacts of the incident, including higher costs and the possibility of litigation.

© Thomson Reuters 2023
 

Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this 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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Dhawan Took HIV Test At Age Of "14-15" After Manali Trip. This Happened

Shikhar Dhawan is not only known for his great show as an opener but also his swag off the field. Be it his mustache, or his thigh bumping or his hairstyle or his Instagram reels, Dhawan always rules with his off-the-field swagger. His tattoos are a part of that persona, and he has quite a few designs made on his body. In a recent interview, Dhawan revealed the many tattoos that he has got. He also opened up about the first tattoo that he got and how it led to a tricky situation.

"When I was 14-15 years old, I had gone to Manali and had got a tattoo done on my back without informing my family members. I had to hide it for quite some time, about 3-4 months, and then when my father got to know, he beat me. I got a bit scared after doing the tattoo because I had no clue about the number of bodies that needle had pierced. So then I went and did my HIV Test and it's negative to date (laughs)," Dhawan said on Aaj Tak.

"My first tattoo, on my back, was a Scorpio. Because at that time, that was my thought. Then I made a design on it. I also got a tattoo of Lord Shiva in my hand. I also got a tattoo of Arjun, he was our best archer."

Dhawan is currently out of the India squad, with the Team management opting for younger options as openers. Dhawan though will play the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 for Punjab Kings.  

Dhawan was asked how long a rope would he have given himself if he was the selector or the captain of the team.

"I feel Shubman was already playing both formats and doing really well, both Tests and T20Is. If was playing more matches on the international circuit. If I was the selector, I would've given chance to Shubman," he said.

On being asked if he would pick Shubman over Shikhar, the southpaw said, "Yes, I would."

Dhawan also said that he wants to keep himself prepared for any 'magic' that might happen in the future, earning him a recall into the Indian team. All he wants to do at the moment is keep working hard and remain ready for any opportunity that arrives.

"Even if the opportunity doesn't come, I won't have the regret in my heart that I didn't prepare myself. Whatever is in my hand, I want to do that," he said.



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Israel President Says Judicial Reforms Must Stop 'Immediately'

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday called for an immediate halt to the government's controversial judicial reforms, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for similar demands.

Herzog, who has a largely ceremonial role, made the call following large demonstrations in Tel Aviv overnight where protesters again charged that the judicial overhaul package threatens Israel's democracy.

"For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the necessary responsibility, I call on you to halt the legislative process immediately," Herzog said in a statement.

The plan to hand more control to politicians and diminish the role of the Supreme Court has ignited a wave of protests and been questioned by Israel's top allies including the United States, which expressed concern Sunday. 

The government argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Yoav Galant, the former defence minister and long-time ally of Netanyahu, earlier called for a halt to the reforms -- with lawmakers due to vote this week on a central part of the proposals, which would change the way judges are appointed.

On Sunday, moments after Netanyahu sacked Galant, demonstrators seized a central highway cutting through the coastal city of Tel Aviv, blocking traffic and burning tyres.

Some threw metal barricades at mounted officers while police deployed water cannon.

"Last night we witnessed very difficult scenes," Herzog said.

"The entire nation is rapt with deep worry," he added, in an appeal to the government. "Our security, economy, society -- all are under threat. 

"The whole people of Israel are looking at you. The whole Jewish people are looking at you. The whole world is looking at you."

Herzog also appealed to politicians on all sides "to place this country's citizens above all else and to act with courage and responsibility without further delay".

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



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Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Returns To China For School Visit: Report

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has returned to China and visited a school he founded in the city of Hangzhou, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing sources.

Jack Ma, who is also the founder of Ant Group, discussed education and ChatGPT technology with the school, according to the report.

Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Shares of Alibaba rose more than 4% after the news.

The report also said the billionaire businessman, who is a former English teacher, returned to China after a brief stop in Hong Kong, where he met friends and also briefly visited Art Basel.

Jack Ma recently relinquished control over Ant Group, a Chinese fintech giant, in an overhaul that seeks to draw a line under a wider regulatory crackdown.

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



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Sunday, March 26, 2023

India Summons Canada Envoy Over Khalistan Protest, Flags Security Concerns

The centre has summoned the Canadian High Commissioner over Khalistan protests outside the Indian missions and consulates over the last few days over. 

India has lodged a strong protest over security arrangements outside its diplomatic premises in Canada.

"It is expected that the Canadian Government will take all steps which are required to ensure the safety of our diplomats and security of our diplomatic premises so that they are able to fulfil their normal diplomatic functionsm," read a statement shared by Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the foreign ministry

"The Government of India sought an explanation on how such elements were allowed, in the presence of police, to breach the security of our diplomatic Mission and Consulates," the statement said.

Last Sunday, an event in Canada was cancelled due to security concerns after a violent protest by Khalistan supporters.

The event had been organised at the Taj Park Convention Centre in Surrey to honour Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian envoy to Canada, while he was on his first visit to the west coast.

An Indian-origin journalist, who was at the event to cover the protest, was also reportedly assaulted by the radicals.

The protest came amid a massive crackdown on radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates in Punjab. 

Earlier, Khalistan supporters had pulled down the tricolour outside the Indian High Commission in London. The government had lodged a strong protest and called on the British authorities to ensure adequate security. 

A day after the High Commission attack. the Indian consulate in San Francisco was also vandalised by a group of Khalistan supporters.

Mr Bagchi said India has strongly raised the matter with both countries.

On Saturday, the police had launched a massive operation to arrest Amritpal Singh and arrested more than 100 supporters and members of his 'Waris Punjab De' group.
   
The 'top secret' action was a coordinated effort between Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Punjab, the Centre, and BJP-governed Assam, say officials. Sources say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had discussed the plan to arrest Amritpal Singh with Home Minister Amit Shah in a meeting on March 2.

Home Ministry sources said Amritpal singh was planning to launch a statewide procession to baptize the youth to carry out suicide attacks. The separatist was using de-addiction centres to stockpile weapons illegally sourced from Pakistan, they said.



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Thane Man Seeking Cancer's Ayurveda Cure For Wife Duped Of ₹15 Lakh: Cops

A railway staffer has filed a cheating complaint with Thane police against an Ayurveda treatment centre, an official said on Sunday.

The railway painter said the Centre cheated him of Rs 15.22 lakh promising treatment for his wife who suffers from cancer, the Naupada police station official said.

"He has alleged there was no improvement in the condition of his wife since the treatment started on February last year. Moreover, after some time the personnel at the centre started evading him. Two persons from the Ayurveda centre were charged on Saturday for cheating and other offences," he said.

No one has been arrested in the case and probe was underway into the allegations, 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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Farah-KJo Can't Stop Roasting Each Other Even On Vacation. See ROFL Video

Directors Karan Johar and Farah Khan have been friends for decades now. In addition to being professional collaborators for several years, the two filmmakers are BFFs and a regular fixture on each other's social media timelines. Farah and Karan often share videos of each other, in which they are engaged in fun banter. A case in point is their new post, recorded in Los Angeles. The hilarious video begins with the two running into each other. On spotting Karan, Farah says, “Hi Karan. What are you doing in LA?” A sarcastic Karan replies: “You in Beverly Hills – it is a shocker. It is too early for Christmas, don't you think?” referring to Farah's red ensemble. Not one to back down, Farah addresses Karan's green outfit and says, “Why! The Christmas tree is here. What is this laundry tag on your sleeve?” To this, Karan replies, “It is fashion!”

Referring to Farah Khan's oversized bag, Karan Johar further asks: “What about this big bag? Too late for the beach, don't you think?” To this, Farah responds, “Going to the beach to meet the b*itch.” Karan ends the video by saying, “Toodles,” but Farah responds with: “Noodles.”

Sharing that the video was recorded by singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani, Farah Khan wrote: “When Karan met Farah #Karah. Karan Johar, thank you for a great evening in LA (heart emoji).”

Watch the video here:

In a similar video shared last year, the two friends were seen commenting on each other's fashion sense. In the video, Farah appears in a beautiful red outfit, and Karan teases her by saying, "Wow, you look like a stop sign." He then jokes about her statement necklace, wondering if it's a medal for her fashion sense, but Farah replies that it's actually for being friends with him for 25 years. Later, Farah comments on Karan's outfit, teasingly saying, "Your shirt has so many faces, one for successful people and one for not-so-successful people. Is that right?" Karan playfully responds, "I'm not partial, Farah. Otherwise, I won't be talking to you." The video was captioned by Karan as, "The rapid-fire you never knew you needed!!! #karah," and he credited actor Varun Dhawan for the video.

Farah Khan and Karan Johar have collaborated on several projects such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, Student Of The Year, and Main Hoon Na, among others.



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