US Puts India On "Priority Watch List" For Alleged IP Rights Violations

The United States has placed India, along with China and Russia, on its "priority watchlist" of countries on its radar for deficiencies and violations of intellectual property rights (IPR).

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2 Indian Students Arrested For Scamming Elderly Person In US

Two Indian citizens on student visas in the US have been arrested for scamming an elderly individual and charged with theft, according to authorities.

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Punjab Man Arrested With 5 Pistols, Allegedly Linked With Pakistan

Punjab Police's Counter-Intelligence unit in Amritsar arrested a man and recovered five illegal pistols allegedly supplied through cross-border networks, officials said on Tuesday.

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Sedition Case Against Singer For 'Provocative' Posts On Pahalgam Attack

Police here have registered a case of sedition against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore over a complaint that her provocative social media posts targeting a particular faith community in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy could harm the nation's unity.

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A Look At Pope Francis's Family: "Not Religious" Niece, Footballer Great-Nephew

As the world bid farewell to Pope Francis, here's a look at the family he leaves behind - the ones who knew him simply as Jorge.

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After Pope Francis's Funeral, All Eyes Turn To Conclave

Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to Pope Francis in a highly secretive process that could take several days, potentially longer.

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Ground Report: "Don't Send Us To Hell Like Pakistan," Plead Hindu Refugees In India

Pakistani Hindu refugees living in India are gripped by fear as the deadline approaches for Pakistani nationals to leave in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

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Queen Camilla's Sister Annabel Elliot Says She "Finds It Impossible" To Curtsy To Her

Annabel Elliot, the younger sister of Queen Camilla, has admitted she "finds it impossible" to curtsy to her sister, despite Camilla being part of the royal family for two decades.

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Queen Camilla's Sister Annabel Elliot Says She "Finds It Impossible" To Curtsy To Her

Annabel Elliot, the younger sister of Queen Camilla, has admitted she "finds it impossible" to curtsy to her sister, despite Camilla being part of the royal family for two decades.

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Ex-New Mexico Judge, Wife Arrested For Hiding Venezuelan Gang Member

Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, are facing serious charges, including evidence tampering and hiding Ortega-Lopez.

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Intel To Cut 20% Workforce Amid Major Restructuring Efforts: Report

Intel has seen its sales drop three years in a row and has trailed Nvidia when it comes to advancements in technology.

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Donald Trump To Host Biggest Holders Of His Cryptocurrency For Dinner

The $TRUMP memecoin was launched at the end of January, a few hours before the Republican billionaire's inauguration.

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Pahalgam Attack Comes Days After Pakistan Army Chief's "Jugular Vein" Remark On Kashmir

At least 26 people were killed and several others were injured after terrorists opened fire at tourists in India's Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) territory on Tuesday in the worst such attack in the country in nearly two decades.

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Trump Team Vows To Ban Artificial Food Dyes, Calls It "Existential Threat"

Studies link synthetic dyes to conditions including ADHD, diabetes, cancer, genomic disruption, gastrointestinal issues and more.

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Flights Delayed At Delhi Airport, 3 Runways Working, One Under Repair

Flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport faced delays today after the authorities shut one runway for repairs.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Bag With Rs 2.5 Lakh Cash StolenIn DC

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's bag was stolen on Sunday night while she was having dinner in downtown Washington, DC.

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Watch: Elephants Chanda And Pushpa Welcome JD Vance, Family At Amer Fort

US Vice President JD Vance, along with his family, embarked on a cultural tour of Jaipur on Monday. The first stop on the culture adventure was the historic Amer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site perched atop a hill about 11 km from Jaipur.

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UP Man Throws Acid On Wife, Daughters Suspecting Extramarital Affair

A man was arrested in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday for allegedly throwing acid on his wife and two daughters, police said on Sunday.

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Over 900 People Play Monopoly Together, Set World Record In Tribute To Dead Girl

Over 900 people came together in Sydney, Australia, to play Monopoly as a tribute to a young girl who loved the game.

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"No Choice But To Keep Fighting": Netanyahu Vows To Continue Gaza Offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue military operations in Gaza and emphasised that Israel must keep fighting to ensure its survival, despite increasing opposition.

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Over 900 People Play Monopoly Together, Set World Record In Tribute To Dead Girl

Over 900 people came together in Sydney, Australia, to play Monopoly as a tribute to a young girl who loved the game.

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Family Of Indian Student Killed In Canada Firing Reacts To Her Death

The family of Harsimrat Kaur Randhawa, a 21-year-old Indian student killed by a stray bullet in Canada, has urged the Centre to bring her body back to India.

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US Supreme Court Pauses Deportation Of Venezuelan Migrants Under Aliens Law

Donald Trump began rounding up Venezuelan migrants accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang before expelling them to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.

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Ford Halts Exports Of Sports Cars, Other Models To China Amid Tariff War

The US auto giant reportedly halted Michigan-made shipments of the F-150 Raptor, Mustang and Bronco sport utility vehicles.

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'Jaat' Movie Sparks Row, FIR Against Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda In Punjab

One of the scenes in 'Jaat', which was released on April 10, has "deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the entire Christian community", the complainant said.

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"We Might Have Something...": OpenAI's Sam Altman Announces Hiring

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has issued a hiring call, urging experts in infrastructure and large-scale computing to join the AI company as it scales rapidly.

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China, Malaysia Stress On South China Sea Peace, Sign 31 Agreements

China and Malaysia emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea in a joint statement issued on Thursday at the end of a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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TikTok's US Policy Chief Exits Amid Ongoing Ban Battle

TikTok U.S. public policy chief Michael Beckerman a key figure in its fight against a U.S. government ban plans to leave his Washington-based role and transition to a global advisory position The Information reported on Wednesday citing a staff memo

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'Toxic Beauty': Rise Of 'Looksmaxxing' Influencers

Hankering for a chiseled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer -- highlighting the rise of "looksmaxxing," an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.

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Who Is Mohsen Mahdawi, Palestinian Student Detained At Citizenship Interview

A Palestinian student at Columbia University has become the second individual from the institution in recent weeks to be detained by US immigration authorities.

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"Set An Example": Barack Obama As Harvard Rejects Trump's Demands

The US government has frozen $2.2 billion in Harvard University's federal funding for rejecting Donald Trump's demands.

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Chinese Diplomat Claims White House Press Secretary's Dress Is 'Made In China', Internet Reacts

Many came to her defence, arguing that the Chinese website's dress was a knockoff, while some accused her of hypocrisy for wearing Chinese-made products while publicly slamming China.

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Opinion: As Tahawwur Rana Talks, Pakistan Had Better Lend An Ear

One can hardly say that "the eagle has landed" in the manner of spy thrillers. Intel coding for movement to India of a despised terrorist would be more like, "the carrion crow has been shackled". For, Tahawwur Rana was not even a terrorist who risked his life to commit violence. He stayed in the shadows, pushing and guiding others, from his comfortable home in Chicago. But make no mistake. He's critical for a clear understanding of what happened not just before the Mumbai attacks, but after it. He was, after all, arrested only a year later, and he and David Headley began to operate together in 1997. That's nearly 12 years of information. The Intel guys are going to have fun.

Let's take Tahawwur Rana apart - apart from the usual banalities. That he was from an elite family, and was able to study in the Pakistan army's Hassan Abdal cadet college is clear. He also went for trips with fellow student Daud Gilani, or David Headley, to the tribal areas, where the latter at least was involved in moving drugs, besides being a heroin addict himself. But Rana's military ID proved useful. In 1997, Rana migrated to Canada, but Headley's statement that he was a deserter seemed to be taken for granted. It is highly unlikely that the ISI would trust a deserter with details of one of the most sensational attacks in terrorism history. In terms of facts, what we do know from court documents is that he set up an Immigration Agency in Chicago and was conniving with Headley even after he was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and then made their 'source', which he was well aware of.

Headley notes, "I told Dr Rana the entire plan of the LeT and lSI, and he readily agreed to provide (help)." Rana then arranged for all documentation for Headley to travel to India, and set up an Immigration 'office' using falsified documents, even securing a five-year visa. All that is punishable under Indian law. But, more importantly, when Headley told him about the Lashkar-e-Taiba's plans for the Mumbai attack, "He smiled and laughed". Well, he's not laughing now.

Rana As Confidant And Enabler

Worse was to follow. Just a month before the Mumbai attacks, Headley was approached by a person who still remains mysterious. This was a Sajid Mir, certainly part of the ISI inner circle of agents, and who was far more operationally secretive than the others. He was a critical link in getting Headley to plan an attack in Denmark against the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, which had published a series of cartoons on the Prophet that led to huge protests in Pakistan. In that attack, the plans were gory in the extreme. The idea was to chop the targets' heads off and throw them in the street. Clearly, violence came very easily to Rana. Throughout the five or more visits of Headley to India, and his 'unofficial' visits to meet his new wife in Dubai, Rana remained in the picture. Headley did not choose to tell his handlers about any of this. 

Clearly, therefore, Rana was extremely close to Headley. Presumably, he also told him about his various reconnaissance plans, including of the National Defence College, the Shiv Sena Bhawan, and the Pune army installations that Headley says he has "forgotten" about. And then, the most interesting of all: about a week before the Mumbai attack, Rana arrived in Mumbai, travelling also to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kochi, Agra, Hapur with his wife. One now expects that he will be taken to all these places and questioned closely not just about who he met, but also about whom he spoke to, and who facilitated him. All that is evidence.

Getting Convictions

Now to his extradition and what he is likely to be convicted for. Rana was arrested in 2009, nearly seven years after he first began his association with Headley and Lashkar. Headley was arrested earlier on his way to Pakistan, together with some 13 surveillance videos at Chicago airport in 2009. In other words, while it seems the preparation for the Mumbai attack that was going on for years remained unknown, the short span of planning for Denmark was found out. Rana was sentenced to 168 months, which were further reduced after a plea. It was somewhere during this time that India asked for extradition, and, in 2020, a California judge finally issued a provisional warrant for this. Further rounds of pleas citing "double jeopardy" were rejected by court after court, and for five years, Rana did every possible thing to avoid extradition, citing danger to himself, illness, etc. 

However, the important thing to note throughout this is that while his connection with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and others in Pakistan - including one 'Major Iqbal' - has been cited by Headley, he himself seems to have kept silent on his ISI connections throughout the trial period. That means he's tough as nails. Unless India has its own, or access to intercepts showing his specific involvement with the terrorist act itself, the charges of assistance to terrorists are going to be difficult to prove. There is, however, one bright spot. The whole investigation involves not just India but also all those countries whose nationals were killed or injured in the Mumbai attack. That includes Britain, Israel and Australia, and, of course, Americans, all of whom were deliberately picked out by terrorists on the instructions of Sajid Mir. These states have expressed their support for India, and it can be expected that there will be considerable intelligence-sharing to secure the conviction of Rana.

In the final analysis, this is about incredibly intricate planning by Pakistan. Remember, Headley himself was never implicated in any buying of explosives, weapons, or in any violent activity. In other words, the Pakistanis evaded interception by "outsourcing" critical enabling activity to foreign passport holders, and then left the actual killing to an entirely different bunch of illiterate goons. Even more notably, almost the entire lot, including Headley, Rana and persons like Abdur Rehman, were all formerly with the Pakistan army. Rehman, for instance, was from the Pakistan Military Academy, while the other two were from the elite Hassan Abdal Cadet school. Ilyas Kashmiri, a key member of the group also involved in the Danish attack plans, was possibly from the ultra-elite Special Services Group (SSG). All this is apart from the regularly serving ISI officers, including one Brigadier. In other words, it's only likely that the jihadi-army complex is deeply interlinked. Even with the best of intentions - and this is rare on the ground - it's going to be difficult to separate these. And this constitutes, in fact, the greatest threat to the present Army Chief, Gen. Asim Munir. It was this group that had plans to assassinate General Musharraf, though they were quashed by the annoyed Lashkar chief Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. 

In sum, Pakistan should be the most interested in the details that Tahawwur Rana will reveal. It just might be to their advantage.

(Tara Kartha is a former director of the National Security Council Secretariat)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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"Visiting America Is Not...": Top US Diplomat Defends Trump's Visa Policy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated a hardline stance on America's visa policy, He said that visas were a privilege reserved for those who respect US laws and values, not a right granted to all applicants.

In an editorial for Fox News, Rubio outlined the Donald Trump administration's uncompromising approach to visa eligibility and national security, particularly in the wake of recent campus unrest and global terrorism concerns.

Since coming to power in January, President Trump has deported some foreign students, has revoked multiple visas and has warned universities of federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian protests.

U.S. visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside. – @SecRubio in his Fox News editorial

????: https://t.co/Lp1HL2ZXyw pic.twitter.com/bK4B1TPE4a

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 12, 2025

“Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as Secretary of State, I will never forget that,” Rubio wrote.

Rubio, who represented Florida in the US Senate from 2011 to 2025 before assuming his current role, said that under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), “aliens” who promote or support terrorism — including backing terrorist organisations such as Hamas — are ineligible for US visas.

“The INA gives us broad authority to revoke a visa. This authority is fundamental to safeguarding our national security, as well as protecting Americans and lawful visitors within our borders,” he said.

Rubio defended the administration's intensified scrutiny of visa holders, noting that security vetting is an ongoing process, even after a visa has been issued. “US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government's rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he wrote. 

The Secretary of State added that the government, in collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, continuously monitors visa holders to identify any potential threats or violations. “For example, visas may be revoked if the visa holder has engaged in violent crime or drunk driving, supporting terrorism, overstaying the time permitted for their visit, performing illegal work -- or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans,” he added.

Marco Rubio also pointed to recent incidents following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel as a case study for increased vigilance. “Some of these foreign student visitors engaged in antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans, many who happened to be of the Jewish faith,” he wrote. “These foreigners shut down college campuses for American citizens, harassed Jewish students, blocked highways, and stormed buildings.”

He added that the administration would not tolerate such activities. “The Trump administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to stop these activities at American universities,” Rubio said.

He also highlighted the legal precedent for the government's position. “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other US laws.”

On a zero-tolerance approach, Rubio said, “While I am Secretary, we will never hesitate to act decisively – and in close coordination with our US government partners – when information indicates a visa holder could compromise our security, has violated US law, or visa revocation is otherwise warranted.”

He concluded with the message, “US visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside.”

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"Visiting America Is Not...": Top US Diplomat Defends Trump's Visa Policy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated a hardline stance on America's visa policy, He said that visas were a privilege reserved for those who respect US laws and values, not a right granted to all applicants.

In an editorial for Fox News, Rubio outlined the Donald Trump administration's uncompromising approach to visa eligibility and national security, particularly in the wake of recent campus unrest and global terrorism concerns.

Since coming to power in January, President Trump has deported some foreign students, has revoked multiple visas and has warned universities of federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian protests.

U.S. visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside. – @SecRubio in his Fox News editorial

????: https://t.co/Lp1HL2ZXyw pic.twitter.com/bK4B1TPE4a

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 12, 2025

“Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as Secretary of State, I will never forget that,” Rubio wrote.

Rubio, who represented Florida in the US Senate from 2011 to 2025 before assuming his current role, said that under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), “aliens” who promote or support terrorism — including backing terrorist organisations such as Hamas — are ineligible for US visas.

“The INA gives us broad authority to revoke a visa. This authority is fundamental to safeguarding our national security, as well as protecting Americans and lawful visitors within our borders,” he said.

Rubio defended the administration's intensified scrutiny of visa holders, noting that security vetting is an ongoing process, even after a visa has been issued. “US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government's rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he wrote. 

The Secretary of State added that the government, in collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, continuously monitors visa holders to identify any potential threats or violations. “For example, visas may be revoked if the visa holder has engaged in violent crime or drunk driving, supporting terrorism, overstaying the time permitted for their visit, performing illegal work -- or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans,” he added.

Marco Rubio also pointed to recent incidents following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel as a case study for increased vigilance. “Some of these foreign student visitors engaged in antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans, many who happened to be of the Jewish faith,” he wrote. “These foreigners shut down college campuses for American citizens, harassed Jewish students, blocked highways, and stormed buildings.”

He added that the administration would not tolerate such activities. “The Trump administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to stop these activities at American universities,” Rubio said.

He also highlighted the legal precedent for the government's position. “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other US laws.”

On a zero-tolerance approach, Rubio said, “While I am Secretary, we will never hesitate to act decisively – and in close coordination with our US government partners – when information indicates a visa holder could compromise our security, has violated US law, or visa revocation is otherwise warranted.”

He concluded with the message, “US visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside.”

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Mohammad Rizwan Disgusted By Memes Mocking His English: "My Education..."

Pakistan's white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, who has often been subjected to criticism and trolling for his spoken English, gave a fitting reply to his trolls with an honest admission. Rizwan admitted he is not ashamed of his incapacity to speak the language; the only factor he is focused on is the demand from him to play cricket and not speak English. Rizwan has been trolled on social media for his spoken English. Various clips and videos of his post- and pre-match interactions have gone viral, leading to trolls mocking him.

The Multan Sultans' captain addressed the criticism and trolls targeting him for his spoken English. During a press conference, he told reporters, as quoted from Geo News, "I regret not completing my education, which is why I don't know English, but I am not ashamed that as Pakistan's captain, I cannot speak English."

"The demand from me is to play cricket, not to speak English. If Pakistan wanted English, I would become a professor, learn it, and return. But Pakistan asks me for cricket, not English," he added.

Rizwan shifted his focus to Pakistan's ongoing woes in the field, which have sparked criticism across the globe. Once considered to be an Asian powerhouse, the current Pakistan lot is chasing shadows of their former glory.

Barring their chaotic campaigns in the past ICC tournaments, Pakistan were truly exposed in the Champion Trophy organised on their home turf. The party organisers were the first to crash out of the tournament following back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India, ending their title defence in the group stage.

After the Champions Trophy debacle, Pakistan toured New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs while keeping the 2026 and 2027 World Cups in the back of their minds. With a couple of new faces, Pakistan succumbed to a 4-1 series defeat but remained optimistic, hoping to bounce back in the three ODIs.

Rizwan and Babar Azam, among the notable absentees in the T20Is, returned to the squad, but Pakistan's fate remained intact. An inexperienced New Zealand side whitewashed Pakistan by orchestrating a 3-0 series triumph.

Pakistan suffered a lot of backlash after their unimpressive run. Amid the heavy criticism from fans and former cricketers, Rizwan urged the critics to offer solutions and guide them through the turbulent phase, leading to their improvement.

"It's fine to criticise the team, but also guide us on how to improve. Recently, during the Champions Trophy, Wasim Akram gave us advice. I wanted to talk more with him, but there wasn't enough time," he said.

Rizwan acknowledged that fans have the right to be upset when the team fails to deliver and added, "Fans are justified in their anger, and they've all the right to be upset at us because they also love us. But the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has given so much to Pakistan. Now it's time to enjoy the league."

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

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What Caused Roman Empire's Collapse? Scientists May Finally Have The Answer

Scientists have found that the 'Little Ice Age' may have contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire almost 572 years ago. For a long time, it had been posited that the change in Earth's climate may have weakened the empire, making it susceptible to political instability, economic decline and invasion from foreign enemies.

The new study, published in the journal Geology, states that a small period of intense cooling called the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) finally led to the fall of the empire in 1453 CE. Researchers at the University of Southampton found that the ice age may have been triggered by volcanic ash from three massive eruptions that blocked out sunlight and lowered global temperatures.

"When it comes to the fall of the Roman Empire, this climate shift may have been the straw that broke the camel's back," said Tom Gernon, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton and co-author of the study.

The event led to temperatures plummeting across Europe which led to widespread crop failures, increased livestock mortality, and a sharp rise in food prices. Ultimately, it led to illness and famine across the Roman Empire.

Also Read | Gang Of 60 Killer Whales Attack And Devour Pygmy Blue Whale In Brutal Video

Dr Christopher Spencer, one of the lead authors of the research, said his team also analysed the age and composition of the rocks found on a raised beach terrace on Iceland's west coast to gather geologic evidence for their hypothesis.

"We knew these rocks seemed somewhat out of place because the rock types are unlike anything found in Iceland today, but we didn't know where they came from."

Notably, in 286 AD, Ancient Rome was split into two parts: the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire. While the former had already fallen by the time the climactic shift began, the latter faced a significant impact due to a global drop in temperatures.

The analysis involved examination of tiny mineral crystals called zircons, locked inside the rocks, which enabled the team to pinpoint their source. The findings indicated that the rocks were brought to this location by drifting icebergs during the LALIA.

This suggests that the LALIA could have put significant strain on the Eastern Roman Empire and adds to a growing body of evidence pointing to its role in the empire's decline.

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Who Was Agustin Escobar, Siemens Executive Killed In New York Chopper Crash

Agustin Escobar, a top Spanish executive at technology company Siemens, was reportedly among six people killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday. 

His wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children - aged 4, 5, and 11 - also reportedly died when their chopper crashed into the Hudson River. The Barcelona-based family was reportedly on a sightseeing trip in New York City.

The pilot, who also died in the crash, has not yet been publicly identified.

The New York City Fire Department received a call at around 3:15 pm reporting that a Bell 306 helicopter plunged into the river along Manhattan. Hours later, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed all six people on board were dead.

Who was Agustin Escobar?

1. Agustin Escobar was the chief executive of Siemens' Spanish division. 
2. He studied Electrical Industrial Engineering at Universidad Pontificia Comillas. In 2002, he completed an MBA from Universidad de Alcala. In 2005, he also did an Executive MBA in Business Administration from IE Business School, as per his LinkedIn account.
3. Mr Escobar worked at Siemens for more than 27 years. He started working at the company in 1998 as Head of Sales and Project Management for Power Automation Systems in Spain. Over the years, he took on bigger roles and led several business units, winning multiple Siemens Country Awards along the way. He also worked on electric car infrastructure projects across Southwest Europe.
4. In 2010, he moved to New York City to handle international business development in North America. After that, he worked in Bogota, Colombia, where he managed over 1,300 employees and three factories. In 2016, his division was named Siemens' best-performing business worldwide.
5. Mr Escobar came back to Spain in 2018 to become CEO of Siemens Rail Automation SAU and Siemens Mobility SLU, where he led major rail projects with over 1,000 employees. From 2019 to 2024, he was also CEO of Siemens Mobility for the Southwest Europe Region, covering Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, and parts of Africa, with a team of more than 3,000.

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Woman Jailed In Russia Over $51 Aid To Ukraine, Freed In Prisoner Swap

A US-Russian national, detained for donating $51 (approx. Rs 4,400) to a charity supporting Ukraine, has been released by Moscow in a rare prisoner swap.

The release of Ksenia Karelina was confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media platform X. He wrote, "American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States.

"She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release," Mr Rubio said, adding, "Trump will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans."

American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States.

She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 10, 2025

Ms Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles, was released as part of a deal between the two countries.

In return for her release, the US freed German-Russian national Arthur Petrov. He was accused of illegally exporting microelectronics to Russia, where they were used by companies connected to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The swap took place at an airport in Abu Dhabi.

A top Russian intelligence official and CIA director John Ratcliffe arranged the exchange. Mr Ratcliffe thanked the UAE for allowing the exchange and commended the CIA team's efforts.

Ms Karelina, a Beverly Hills beautician and former ballerina, donated $51 on the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 22, 2022, according to Russian human rights advocates, BBC reported.

She was arrested by Russian officials on a visit to her family in Yekaterinburg. Russia's FSB security agency accused her of funding a Ukrainian group that supplies weapons to the Ukrainian military.

She pleaded guilty last August and received a 12-year prison sentence.

President Trump said that Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White requested Ms Karelina's release during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

He said, "Dana White called me, and he said it's the friend or the relationship of one of the fighters, UFC or one of the fighters, and Dana is an incredible guy, and we spoke to President Putin about it, and they made a deal."

According to Russian news agency TASS, President Vladimir Putin also apologised to Ms Karelina.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Ms Karelina's parents thanked Mr Trump and Mr Putin for their daughter's release. Her father said, "I guess that deal must have involved them both. We are beside ourselves with happiness."

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"Bureaucratic Nightmare": Trump Signs Order To Make 'Showers Great Again'

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order lifting water-pressure restrictions on showerheads, a move the White House said would "make America's showers great again".

Trump has long complained about inadequate water pressure in American bathrooms which he blames on federal water-conservation regulations.

"In my case I like to take a nice shower, to take care of my beautiful hair," Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

"I have to stand under the shower for 15 minutes till it gets wet. It comes out drip, drip, drip. It's ridiculous."

The order directs the Energy Department to roll back "radical green" regulations limiting the flow of showerheads to 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

The White House said the order "frees Americans from excessive regulations that turned a basic household item into a bureaucratic nightmare" and ends the "Obama-Biden war on showers".

Trump has targeted water-pressure standards for showerheads, toilets, dishwashers and other household appliances, since his first term.

"My hair, I don't know about you, but it has to be perfect, perfect," he said outside the White House in 2020.

"I take a shower, I want that beautiful head of hair to be just lathered," Trump said in Detroit in June 2024."I get this best stuff you can buy and I dump it all over. And then I turn on the water and the damn water drips out. I can't get the stuff out of my hair. It's a horrible thing."

But according to the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, "shower head standards save consumers money on their water and energy bills and help the environment".

"Testing has repeatedly shown that today's models can provide an excellent shower," the NGO said in a 2024 report.

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

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Displacement And Desperate Search For Shelter Continues For Gazans

Fear, bombs and screams stalk Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel's resumption of strikes three weeks ago has sparked fresh displacement and an ever more desperate search for shelter.

"They are asking for evacuation, but where will we go?" asked Mahmoud Hussein, who fled bombardments in the north to live in a tent in the central town of az-Zawayda.

"There is nothing, nothing," he said, listing off several nearby areas marked for evacuation on a map published by the Israeli army.

Since its renewed strikes and ground operations, the Israeli army has issued a raft of evacuation orders for locations in the north, south and centre of the Gaza Strip, warning residents of imminent attacks.

Nearly 400,000 Gazans have been displaced since March 18, the UN said Monday.

Israel struck Deir el-Balah overnight from Sunday to Monday, Gaza's civil defence agency said, and Hussein along with the other inhabitants of his makeshift tent encampment fled to a nearby field hospital.

On Monday morning, the group began packing up their things once again, in search of an area away from the evacuation zones.

Adults filled fraying plastic bags with the few belongings they had left, while children milled around nearby.

Donkey carts laden with mattresses trundled along the dusty road, while women carried baskets on their heads.

It is now a familiar scene in Gaza, where almost all of the 2.4 million inhabitants have fled their homes, many of them multiple times, according to the United Nations.

'No glimmer of hope' 

Israel resumed intense strikes on the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Efforts to restore the truce have so far failed.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said Tuesday that at least 1,449 Palestinians have been killed in the renewed Israeli operations, taking the overall deaths since the start of the war to 50,810.

The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In Deir el-Balah, an overnight Israeli air strike targeted a house, killing nine people including five children, Gaza's civil defence agency said.

In the aftermath, AFPTV footage showed a plastic chair, blankets and a bright red children's bathtub trapped between two collapsed floors of a house.

Palestinians desperately scrambled through the rubble to retrieve a body, which was carried down the stairs in a blanket and loaded on the back of a truck.

"We rushed out in terror, not even knowing at first where the strike had hit," said Abed Sabah, a relative of the targeted house's owner.

"It was the thick cloud of dust that told us it was nearby."

Sabah said they had managed to pull out 11 bodies, "most of them children and women."

A young girl sat in the midst of a sea of rubble and metal rods, surrounded by rolls of toilet paper, blankets and a battered foam mattress.

At the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, bodies arrived in white plastic shrouds. Relatives cried and recited prayers over the blood-stained body bags laid out on the floor.

An elderly woman hobbled through the crowd of mourners, struggling to hold back sobs.

"The house was full of displaced people and children. Four children were decapitated -- what was their fault?" asked Nadeen Sabah, weeping as she spoke.

Sabah claimed to have been in the building at the time of the attack.

Amal Jabbal, 35, said she had left Deir el-Balah on Monday after being woken up by "the screams of the neighbourhood".

She said she left before a strike "that shook the whole area".

"The destruction was massive and the fear even greater," she said. "There is no glimmer of hope."

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

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After Bangladesh, Huge Mob Attacks KFC Outlet In Pakistan, 10 Arrested

Ten individuals were arrested by Police after a mob attacked a global fast food chain in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) of Pakistan's Karachi on Tuesday evening, the Dawn reported, citing the police.

According to Dawn, citing Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza, approximately 40 people, mainly young individuals armed with sticks and stones, attacked the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet on Korangi Road in the evening, attempting to vandalise the restaurant.

The police quickly intervened and dispersed the group, with 10 suspects taken into custody. DIG Raza explained that the attackers were protesting against the US and Israel's policies in Gaza and assured that the situation was now under control and that further action would be taken against the remaining protestors and their organisers, the Dawn reported.

Raza added that security measures at other KFC locations are being increased and that such incidents were part of a larger pattern across the Muslim world, especially in countries like Bangladesh, with social media fuelling the unrest.

In a related incident, reported by Dawn, another KFC outlet in Mohammad Ali Society in Karachi was attacked by a group of individuals during a rally on the same night.

According to Bahadurabad police Station House Officer Naveed Soomro, the attackers demanded the restaurant close and then damaged the premises with chairs, sticks, and stones. While an FIR was filed, no arrests were made in this case, as per Dawn.

This violence follows a strike in Karachi organised by traders to align with a global call for solidarity with Palestinians and to protest the actions in Gaza, which have led to a significant loss of life since October 7, 2023.

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

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US-China Trade War: Trump's Tariff Tsunami Sparks Meme Blizzard

The US-China trade war continues to escalate, with both countries imposing tariffs on each other's goods. In response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs, China announced a 34% levy on Washington, prompting Trump to threaten an additional 50% tariff, which would bring the total to 104% if imposed. Beijing has refused to back down, and the situation is heading towards an all-out trade war. The trade war has negatively affected both countries, with higher costs for manufacturers, increased prices for consumers, and financial difficulties for farmers. 

On social media, the US-China trade war has taken a humorous turn, with Chinese memes poking fun at Trump's tariffs while highlighting their own industrial prowess and economic growth. The trade war has sparked patriotic sentiment in China, with calls to "buy China" before expected price increases on American goods due to retaliatory tariffs. 

Meanwhile, angry investors have also taken to social media to mock Donald Trump's trade policies, which have wiped trillions off global stock markets. 

Here are some of them:

Chinese memes on American re-industrialization rolling in. lol the music. ? pic.twitter.com/GZE2jHDgWZ

— Gabor Gurbacs (@gaborgurbacs) April 7, 2025

शेयर मार्केट में सारे पैसे डुबाने के बाद डॉनल्ड ट्रंप#stockmarketcrash #Nifty #Sensex pic.twitter.com/zJdZFrkgcy

— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) April 7, 2025

Americans who think Trump will bring back good jobs by trying to force back manufacturing to the US with crazy tariffs are idiots. At the very least it will force these companies to pay American workers slave wages in order to compete. Add to that lack of living wage laws in US! pic.twitter.com/D8iyURqKep

— CoolToneGuitars (@cool_guitars) April 3, 2025

mr president, have you seen this gif? we won't win this trade war, china can handle the pain, we cant

?????? pic.twitter.com/CmhsRZELmh

— AP (@AP8809dfs) April 7, 2025

China / US Tariff situation summed up for everyone confused pic.twitter.com/fR5DkZyRne

— Zelle l Matrica Labs (@ZachZelle) April 7, 2025

Many Americans are cheering Trump's tariffs war on China, believing that would hurt China and the Chinese deeply.
Yes, we will be hurt, like a cut in finger tip. But you Americans, will be gutted, for sure.
You don't know China's manufacturing capacity and can't even imagine it. pic.twitter.com/Qmwn4XyyWo

— Rebecca????️? (@Bilibalabiong) April 4, 2025

Sheep hats just got 34% more expensive, lol. #TrumpRecession pic.twitter.com/WtowBg1W6V

— Maarten VdA (@maartenvda) April 3, 2025

USA and China applying reciprocal tariffs on one another.

Europe is crying in the corner. pic.twitter.com/KtRm04bq7q

— Bitcoin Gladiator (@LivingInGratit2) April 4, 2025

This wouldn't surprise me at all #tariffs pic.twitter.com/19TA8QIfWi

— steven (@egyptian_neenan) April 3, 2025

China & USA in a trade war flexing tariffs like it's a gym bro standoff, meanwhile global investors are out here like crying cat meme holding bags of stonks yelling 'WHY CAN'T YOU TWO JUST KISS AND MAKE UP ALREADY' #TradeWar #stockmarketcrash #marketcrash #TariffImpact #memes pic.twitter.com/CWfwpfHSNB

— Surajit Roy (@iSurajitRoy) April 7, 2025

Notably, the trade war began in 2018, with Trump imposing tariffs on China to address intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices. China retaliated with its tariffs, and the situation has escalated ever since. The US has imposed around $350 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports, while China has imposed approximately $100 billion on US exports.

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Two Nepali Mountaineers Swept Away By Avalanche On Mount Annapurna

Nepali mountaineers on Tuesday searched for two people swept away by a powerful avalanche on the world's 10th highest mountain Annapurna, officials said. 

The 8,091-metre (26,545-feet) Annapurna is a dangerous and difficult climb, and the avalanche-prone Himalayan peak has a higher death rate than Everest.

Three men were climbing the mountain as part of the first ascent of this spring season when a "huge avalanche swept down" around midday Monday, said expedition company Seven Summit Treks. 

The trio were ferrying oxygen cylinders used for the summit push for later climbers, when they were hit by huge blocks of snow. It swept away two climbers -- Ngima Tashi and Rima Rinje -- who work with Seven Summit Treks. 

"Our focus is on search and rescue... helicopters have also been deployed," Thaneswar Guragai from the company said Tuesday.

One of them managed to keep hold, the company said in a post. 

"We'll do our best to locate and rescue our men," the company said. 

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring, when temperatures are warm and winds typically calm.

Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.

Scientists have said that climate change spurred by humans burning fossil fuels is making weather events more severe, super-charged by warmer oceans.

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

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Opinion: Upstarts Or Startups? Why India Needs To Separate Men From Boys

It is not a well-known yet an interesting fact that Vinod Khosla, often described as the hottest venture capitalist on the planet and a technology pioneer who was the founding CEO of Sun Microsystems, had relocated to Delhi, the city he grew up in, around the mid-1990s to be closer to his parents, not far from IIT Delhi where he studied. But the Internet opportunity that followed saw him move back to Silicon Valley, where he remains a cutting-edge figure in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), medical technology and cryptocurrency.

My days tracking and meeting the man who now runs Khosla Ventures after leaving Kleiner Perkins, the VC firm that funded companies like Amazon and Google, came to mind last week as I heard the timely but controversial statement by India's commerce and industry minister at the 'Startup Mahakumbh' jamboree. "Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls... Is that the destiny of India? This is not a startup; this is entrepreneurship... What the other side is doing—robotics, machine learning, 3D manufacturing and next generation factories," Goyal said, showing a slide titled ‘India vs China. The Startup Reality Check'.

What To Learn From Khosla

The word ‘startup' is often used loosely, but ideally should refer to technology-driven companies that can grow big through innovations. My view is that cutting-edge entrepreneurship is more about adventurous ambition than just growth. People like Khosla have a mental streak that shows passion for novelty, not mere get-rich-quick ideas. We need more like him.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be the entrepreneurial plumbers and builders of new technologies as such, but there is more to the future than that. When technology companies like Infosys were built in the 1980s and 1990s, the word ‘startup' was not even in vogue. But then, it became the first Indian company to list on the tech-heavy Nasdaq exchange in 1999.

A subsequent rush of VCs in India became less about technology and more about demographics. India's surging, increasingly affluent population and an Internet boom made VCs fuel a greed to build the so-called ‘unicorn' startups that commanded a valuation of a billion dollars or more - usually with an eye on IPOs.

A 'This Of That' Culture

What we had as a result was what tech investor Kashyap Deorah calls a "this of that" culture: Paytm became the PayPal of India, Flipkart was dubbed the Amazon of India, Swiggy and Zomato cloned Delivery Hero and Yelp with some tweaks. They mostly addressed a local market and built local brands, but not real intellectual property (IP) based on novelty on a global scale. That requires guts and an outlook of a different kind. Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking upstarts for startups. VCs and naive journalists fed into the hype.

The irony is that India has had real startups that are less celebrated. InMobi, a mobile ad platform that rivals Facebook-owner Meta, was hailed as India's first unicorn and is expected to have an IPO this year, nearly two decades into its existence. InMobi is the world's largest independent mobile ad network, engaging more than 750 million consumers across 165 countries. It is said to have turned down an acquisition offer from Google a decade ago.

I-flex solutions, built in the 1990s, was acquired by Oracle for close to a billion dollars. It was a cutting-edge banking software company with a global footprint. Chennai-centred productivity software company Zoho competes with Microsoft.

However, we are yet to produce a breathtaking product like Google. China is not quite there yet, either. But it is trying hard and big, as we have seen with the arrival of DeepSeek, a disruptive AI model.
India has had a long, credible history of nurturing research through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and other state-run bodies that set the base for cutting-edge innovation. Even ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation have made quiet innovations. What we lack is new-age thinking by entrepreneurs that goes from ambition to adventure and closer innovation links with these establishments.

When Steel Was Like AI

Let's now raise a toast to the memory of Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata, who dared to think of making steel in the middle of a rural jungle in a colonially oppressed country in 1907. For the India of those times, steel was like AI. Verghese Kurien built Amul in rural Anand when the word ‘startup' did not exist in the Indian lexicon. The kind of adventurous streak shown in those ventures is something current entrepreneurs could learn from. Patience, patents, and perseverance separate the men from the boys and women from the girls in a true startup universe. Not scale, speed and salesmanship.

But it must be admitted that risk appetite requires context. You have to feel comfortable enough not to confuse a gamble with entrepreneurial chutzpah. We also need to cut down on a dubious culture of startup wannabes wanting corporate freebies from the government - from land to capital to subsidies.
It is worthwhile to point to less-known Indian companies like Hyderabad-based MOSChip Technologies, which has been in the field of semiconductors without being part of the VC-fuelled unicorn hype. Electric car maker Reva, founded in Bangalore, is now part of the Mahindra group, and deserves praise for its early start and passion.

A few listed small-cap companies fall in that league. Intellect Design Arena and Nucleus Software have built products and intellectual property, but perhaps have not taken the big bets needed to capture glamorous headlines. They were never called startups but certainly were in the league when they started. 

Let Adventure Reign

What I would like to see is some of India's 200-plus US dollar billionaires throwing a hundred million dollars each at a patent-seeking team of cutting-edge innovators based on deep research. They all may not succeed or grow very big, but some will. Even more important in the current context is a sense of adventure that people like Vinod Khosla, rival Elon Musk, are famous for.

From AI to quantum computing to genomics, opportunities for discovery and invention are separate from those based on scale and speed. New discoveries are ushering in new opportunities. The minister's timing is just right. China's DeepSeek is best seen not as an inspiration but as a wake-up call. As a nation in which Jawaharlal Nehru nurtured research and development in a colonially battered, impoverished country, we have no excuses.

(Madhavan Narayanan is a senior editor, writer and columnist with more than 30 years of experience, having worked for Reuters, The Economic Times, Business Standard, and Hindustan Times after starting out in the Times of India Group.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Why Saudi Arabia Temporarily Banned Visas For India, 13 Other Countries

With the Hajj pilgrimage around the corner, Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended the issuance of certain visas to citizens of 14 countries, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The ban on Umrah, business and family visit visas will be effective till around mid-June, coinciding with the conclusion of the pilgrimage to Makkah.

The ban impacts 14 nations, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jordan, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Yemen, and Morocco.

The step was reportedly taken to prevent individuals from trying to perform Hajj without proper registration. However, individuals holding Umrah visas can still enter Saudi Arabia until April 13, Pakistan's ARY reported, quoting Saudi authorities. 

The reports said the ban was necessitated as many foreign nationals have entered the country on Umrah or visit visas in the past and then overstayed illegally to participate in the Hajj without official authorization, leading to overcrowding and intense heat. In one such incident during the Hajj in 2024, at least 1,200 pilgrims were killed. 

The kingdom has a quota system, which allocates specific Hajj slots to each country to regulate the number of pilgrims. People participating illegally in the Hajj bypass this system. 

Another reason behind the move was illegal employment. Authorities said that foreigners, using business or family visas, engaged in unauthorized work in Saudi Arabia, violating visa rules and causing labor market disruptions.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has assured that the move has nothing to do with diplomatic concerns and was only taken as a logistical response to ensure a safer and better-organized pilgrimage. 

Reports said that authorities have asked the affected travelers to comply with the new rules, as individuals found violating the order may face a five-year restriction on future entries.

Meanwhile, diplomatic visas, residency permits, and visas particular to the Hajj remain unaffected by the move. The Hajj 2025 season is set for June 4-9.

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Vitamin D Not Only Builds Your Bones, Teeths, But Also Keeps Gut Sealed

You've likely heard about vitamin D's important role in maintaining strong bones and teeth. But it also plays several other important roles to keep your body healthy - including the function of your gut.

As part of our research on how a dietary fiber supplement affects bone mass in children and adolescents, the MetA-Bone Trial, we are also studying gut health.

For this study, we recruited 213 children and adolescents from South Florida, primarily Hispanics, though some were Black. Before having them start taking the fiber supplement, we measured their vitamin D levels to ensure they had adequate amounts. Surprisingly, we found that 68% of these children had suboptimal vitamin D levels.

Considering South Florida is an area with plenty of sunshine year-round, this was both startling and concerning. While vitamin D can be obtained from foods, most people in the US get this vitamin primarily from skin exposure to sunlight. For youth approaching or experiencing puberty - a period of profound physiological changes, including rapid changes in bone mass - vitamin D deficiency could lead to several health issues.

Connection between vitamin D and health

Vitamin D is involved in so many bodily functions because there are vitamin D receptors in different organs. These receptors act like docking stations for vitamin D to bind to and trigger different effects in the skin, intestine, bone, parathyroid gland, immune system and pancreas, among others.

Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the body, which is key for not only building and maintaining bone mass but also the basic functioning of the nervous system.

Vitamin D also stimulates cell differentiation, a process in which cells become specialized to carry out specific functions. It is also essential to insulin secretion to control blood sugar levels, blood pressure regulation, muscle repair and regeneration, immune function and nutrient absorption, among many other functions.

Vitamin D and gut health

The vitamin D receptors in your gut improve calcium absorption and strengthen your intestinal barrier.

The intestinal barrier is a layered wall that allows your gut to absorb nutrients and keep out harmful bacteria. This wall is composed of intestinal cells and proteins called tight junctions that act like bricks sealing these cells together. Tight junctions play an important role in maintaining the structure of your intestinal barrier.

Vitamin D receptors help your gut produce tight junctions to maintain your intestinal barrier. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency reduces production of the receptors the nutrient binds to, subsequently reducing the seal of the intestinal wall. This weakening of the gut barrier may allow substances from the intestine to pass into the blood, causing inflammation. Disruption of the intestinal barrier is linked to many diseases, including liver disease, Type 1 diabetes, obesity and gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

After discovering that so many of the participants in our MetA-Bone Trial had suboptimal vitamin D levels, we became interested in understanding how this nutrient might be affecting their gut health. For this, we also measured the strength of their intestinal barrier and associated this to their vitamin D levels in blood.

We found that children with suboptimal vitamin D levels had a higher risk of damaging their intestinal barrier compared with children with optimal vitamin D levels. This finding suggests that even in healthy children, suboptimal levels of vitamin D may compromise the gut and potentially increase the risk of developing chronic diseases at an early age.

Getting enough vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the US and around the world. Roughly 15.4% of children and adolescents in the US were vitamin D deficient in 2017. While vitamin D deficiency has slightly decreased over time in the general US population, it remains high among teens, especially children with darker skin.

How can you ensure you are getting enough of this important nutrient?

Only a few foods naturally contain vitamin D. For example, vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish - such as trout, salmon, cod and tuna - egg yolks and mushrooms. Vitamin D can also be found in many fortified foods, such as dairy products like milk and cheese, plant-based milks, breakfast cereals, some orange juice brands and infant formulas. Dietary supplements are also good sources of vitamin D.

For most people in the US, Sun exposure is their main source of vitamin D. However, how much Sun exposure you need depends on several factors, such as the melanin content of your skin. Melanin is a pigment that protects your skin from ultraviolet radiation. People with more melanin - and therefore darker skin - produce less vitamin D from Sun exposure than those with less melanin and may thus require longer Sun exposure to meet minimum requirements.

Since excessive ultraviolet radiation is associated with skin cancer, clinicians typically recommend you meet your vitamin D requirements through foods and beverages. For healthy children and adults, the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU, with an age-based upper limit of no more than 1,000 to 4,000 IU. You can usually meet this through a healthy diet that includes a variety of whole and unprocessed foods.

Researchers continue to uncover the extensive benefits of vitamin D in the body, supporting its indispensable role in nutrition and health. For growing children and adolescents, enough vitamin D is important for healthy development.

(Author: Jacqueline Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University and Cristina Palacios, Professor and Chair of Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University)

(Disclaimer Statement: Jacqueline Hernandez receives funding from National Institute of Health and National Dairy Council

Cristina Palacios receives funding from the National Institute of Health, the World Health Organization, and the National Dairy Council)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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

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Man, His Brother Kill Wife Over Affair, Remains Found In Garbage A Year Later

Police arrested a man and his brother on Saturday for allegedly killing his wife and burying her remains near a pile of garbage over a year ago, officials said.

Police have recovered the skeletal remains of Asifa (28), they said.

Circle Officer (CO) Bharat Sonkar said Asifa was married to Kamil and was reported missing by her brother.

Asifa's family complained that Kamil had not allowed them to speak to her for two years. Following this, a missing complaint was lodged by Asifa's mother at the Chandpur police station on March 26, the CO said.

Acting on suspicion police detained Kamil and his brother Adil for questioning.

During interrogation, Kamil revealed that he suspected Asifa of having an affair. "On November 23, 2023, he, with the help of his brother Adil and their aunt Chandni, strangled Asifa to death and subsequently buried her body," said the CO.

"On their identification on Saturday, Asifa's remains were recovered buried in the ground near a garbage heap near their house," the CO added.

"The duo have been put under arrest," he said.

The police have sent the remains for postmortem examination and are currently searching for the aunt, Chandni - who is on the run.

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

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Man Knocks On Woman's Door For Water, Then Raises TV Volume, Kills Her

A history sheeter was arrested for allegedly murdering a woman in Kalyan in Thane district in order to start a street food business, a police official said on Saturday.

On March 20, Ranjana Patekar (60) was found murdered in her Ambivali home, following which a probe began, he said.

"Our probe zeroed in on Akbar Muhammad Sheikh alias Chand (30). He had knocked on Patekar's door seeking water, then followed her inside when he realised she was alone and strangled the elderly woman after turning up the television volume. Chand fled with gold earrings worth Rs 1 lakh," the official said.

"He was released eight months ago from Adharwadi jail in connection with a case registered with Khadakpada police station. He was unemployed since then and wanted to start a street stall selling momos," Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said.

Chand was arrested on Friday from Atali area and the stolen jewellery was recovered from him, Khadakpada police station senior inspector Amarnath Waghmode said.

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"You're War Profiteer": Pro-Palestinian Employee Interrupts Microsoft AI CEO

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's remarks were interrupted by a pro-Palestinian protesting employee during the technology company's 50th anniversary celebration on Friday over the firm's ties with Israel.

"You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide," Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad said at the event in Redmond, Washington, while interrupting Mr Suleyman who was talking about the company's artificial intelligence assistant product.

An employee disrupted Microsoft's 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI.
“Shame on you,” said Microsoft worker Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in… pic.twitter.com/cfub3OJuRv

— PALESTINE ONLINE ?? (@OnlinePalEng) April 4, 2025

Mr Suleyman responded by saying: "I hear your protest, thank you." The protesting employee was then escorted away.

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Various other firms and educational institutions have also faced protests over their ties with Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel's military assault has mounted.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials, while also triggering accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The assault has internally displaced nearly Gaza's entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.

The Verge tech news website quoted an email that Aboussad, the protesting employee, sent to other Microsoft employees justifying her protest.

Microsoft said it provided many avenues for all voices to be heard in a way that does not cause business interruption.

Aboussad was cited by AP to be saying that she and another protesting employee lost access to their work accounts after the protest.

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

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Toddler Discovers 3,800-Year-Old Egyptian Treasure During Family Outing

A three-year-old girl in Israel has gained overnight popularity after unearthing an ancient treasure during a family outing. The toddler, Ziv Nitzan, was visiting the archaeological site of Tel Azekah in southern Israel with her family when she found a scarab amulet believed to belong to Canaanite communities, dating back as far as 3,800 years.

"We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down - and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone," said Omer Nitzan, the toddler's sister.

"I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realised we had discovered an archaeological find."

The family then reported the finding to Israel's Antiquities Authority (IAA) which awarded a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship to little Ziv.

"Ziv, and her family, deserve praise for handing over the find to the National Treasures of the state of Israel. Thanks to her, everyone will be able to see it and enjoy it. In honour of Passover, we will present the seal in a special exhibition set up by the Israel Antiquities Authority," said Eli Escusido, IAA director.

Notably, Tel Azekah has biblical significance as it is believed to be the site of the infamous battle between David and Goliath.

Professor Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Aviv University archaeological dig, who even came to meet Ziv and her sisters at the tel said his team had been excavating in the region for almost 15 years.

"The excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah, thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands," said Mr Lipschits

"The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period."

Also Read | World's Tiniest Pacemaker, Smaller Than Grain Of Rice Developed

As per IAA, the scarab relic was most likely created in Egypt and then found its way to modern-day Israel, thousands of years ago. This beetle, considered sacred in the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, was a symbol of new life, because of the dung ball it created and then laid its eggs into it, from which new life would hatch.

"Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages, that reflect religious beliefs or status," said Dr Daphna Ben-Tor, an expert in ancient amulets and seals.

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Donald Trump To Hit Brown With $510 Million Funding Freeze: Report

The Trump administration is poised to block $510 million in federal grants and contracts for Brown University over the school's response to antisemitism on campus, the New York Times reported.

Following the report, Brown Provost Frank Doyle said in an email that the school couldn't substantiate the information but was aware of "troubling rumors" about federal action against its funding. The potential freeze follows similar moves by the US government against Columbia, Harvard and Princeton, Brown's Ivy League peers.

Brown is particularly vulnerable to any funding disruption because its finances are already strained. The school has dipped into its endowment as increases in financial aid and staff salaries pressure its budget, an approach it has said is unsustainable. Brown operates a medical school and school of public health that draws federal research grants.

President Donald Trump has hammered colleges for their handling of antisemitism after students protests roiled campuses following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the Jewish state's retaliatory response in Gaza. The crackdown has stirred concerns among faculty and students that the government is suppressing free speech and academic freedom, and risking damage to research and innovation.

In March, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in funding for Columbia and threatened $9 billion in grants and contracts at Harvard. Princeton said earlier this week that dozens of research grants were suspended.

The government also froze $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania, citing policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.

Brown, based in Providence, Rhode Island, was one of a handful of colleges that negotiated with student protesters who took over parts of campuses last year. It also agreed to consider a proposal to exclude holdings tied to Israel from its $7.2 billion endowment, although its trustees rejected the proposal. Brown has the smallest endowment among the eight Ivy League schools.

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

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Here Are Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs By Country. Topping List At 50% Are...

The following is a partial list of reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump during his April 2 press conference.

All nations will be subject to at least a 10% tariff going forward, while dozens of countries listed below that the administration identified as having high barriers on US goods will be subject to higher "reciprocal" rates. The new levies stack on top of existing tariffs, like the 20% fentanyl-related tax Trump previously imposed on Chinese goods. A previous exemption for short-term goods is also being closed.

There are some exemptions, including Canada and Mexico, which are subject to previously announced tariffs. Certain goods from key industries - including steel, aluminum, automobiles, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber - are also exempt from these rates. Instead, they'll be tariffed at rates either already determined or soon to be determined by the president.

Country/Region	Country/Region Tariff*	US Reciprocal Tariffs
Afghanistan	49%	10%
Albania	10%	10%
Algeria	59%	30%
Andorra	10%	10%
Angola	63%	32%
Anguilla	10%	10%
Antigua and Barbuda	10%	10%
Argentina	10%	10%
Armenia	10%	10%
Aruba	10%	10%
Australia	10%	10%
Azerbaijan	10%	10%
Bahamas	10%	10%
Bahrain	10%	10%
Bangladesh	74%	37%
Barbados	10%	10%
Belize	10%	10%
Benin	10%	10%
Bermuda	10%	10%
Bhutan	10%	10%
Bolivia	20%	10%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	70%	35%
Botswana	74%	37%
Brazil	10%	10%
British Indian Ocean Territory	10%	10%
British Virgin Islands	10%	10%
Brunei	47%	24%
Burma	88%	44%
Burundi	10%	10%
Cabo Verde	10%	10%
Cambodia	97%	49%
Cameroon	22%	11%
Cayman Islands	10%	10%
Central African Republic	10%	10%
Chad	26%	13%
Chile	10%	10%
China	67%	34%
Christmas Island	10%	10%
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	10%	10%
Colombia	10%	10%
Comoros	10%	10%
Congo (Brazzaville)	10%	10%
Congo (Kinshasa)	22%	11%
Cook Islands	10%	10%
Costa Rica	17%	10%
Cote d'Ivoire	41%	21%
Curacao	10%	10%
Djibouti	10%	10%
Dominica	10%	10%
Dominican Republic	10%	10%
Ecuador	12%	10%
Egypt	10%	10%
El Salvador	10%	10%
Equatorial Guinea	25%	13%
Eritrea	10%	10%
Eswatini	10%	10%
Ethiopia	10%	10%
EU	39%	20%
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	82%	41%
Fiji	63%	32%
French Guiana	10%	10%
French Polynesia	10%	10%
Gabon	10%	10%
Gambia	10%	10%
Georgia	10%	10%
Ghana	17%	10%
Gibraltar	10%	10%
Grenada	10%	10%
Guadeloupe	10%	10%
Guatemala	10%	10%
Guinea	10%	10%
Guinea-Bissau	10%	10%
Guyana	76%	38%
Haiti	10%	10%
Heard and McDonald Islands	10%	10%
Honduras	10%	10%
Iceland	10%	10%
India	52%	26%
Indonesia	64%	32%
Iran	10%	10%
Iraq	78%	39%
Israel	33%	17%
Jamaica	10%	10%
Japan	46%	24%
Jordan	40%	20%
Kazakhstan	54%	27%
Kenya	10%	10%
Kiribati	10%	10%
Kosovo	10%	10%
Kuwait	10%	10%
Kyrgyzstan	10%	10%
Laos	95%	48%
Lebanon	10%	10%
Lesotho	99%	50%
Liberia	10%	10%
Libya	61%	31%
Liechtenstein	73%	37%
Madagascar	93%	47%
Malawi	34%	17%
Malaysia	47%	24%
Maldives	10%	10%
Mali	10%	10%
Marshall Islands	10%	10%
Martinique	10%	10%
Mauritania	10%	10%
Mauritius	80%	40%
Mayotte	10%	10%
Micronesia	10%	10%
Moldova	61%	31%
Monaco	10%	10%
Mongolia	10%	10%
Montenegro	10%	10%
Montserrat	10%	10%
Morocco	10%	10%
Mozambique	31%	16%
Namibia	42%	21%
Nauru	59%	30%
Nepal	10%	10%
New Zealand	20%	10%
Nicaragua	36%	18%
Niger	10%	10%
Nigeria	27%	14%
Norfolk Island	58%	29%
North Macedonia	65%	33%
Norway	30%	15%
Oman	10%	10%
Pakistan	58%	29%
Panama	10%	10%
Papua New Guinea	15%	10%
Paraguay	10%	10%
Peru	10%	10%
Philippines	34%	17%
Qatar	10%	10%
Reunion	73%	37%
Rwanda	10%	10%
Saint Elena	15%	10%
Saint Kitts and Nevis	10%	10%
Saint Lucia	10%	10%
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	99%	50%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	10%	10%
Samoa	10%	10%
San Marino	10%	10%
São Tomé and Príncipe	10%	10%
Saudi Arabia	10%	10%
Senegal	10%	10%
Serbia	74%	37%
Sierra Leone	10%	10%
Singapore	10%	10%
Sint Maarten	10%	10%
Solomon Islands	10%	10%
South Africa	60%	30%
South Korea	50%	25%
South Sudan	10%	10%
Sri Lanka	88%	44%
Sudan	10%	10%
Suriname	10%	10%
Svalbard and Jan Mayen	10%	10%
Switzerland	61%	31%
Syria	81%	41%
Taiwan	64%	32%
Tajikistan	10%	10%
Tanzania	10%	10%
Thailand	72%	36%
Timor-Leste	10%	10%
Togo	10%	10%
Tokelau	10%	10%
Tonga	10%	10%
Trinidad and Tobago	12%	10%
Tunisia	55%	28%
Turkey	10%	10%
Turkmenistan	10%	10%
Turks and Caicos Islands	10%	10%
Tuvalu	10%	10%
Uganda	20%	10%
Ukraine	10%	10%
United Arab Emirates	10%	10%
United Kingdom	10%	10%
Uruguay	10%	10%
Uzbekistan	10%	10%
Vanuatu	44%	22%
Venezuela	29%	15%
Vietnam	90%	46%
Yemen	10%	10%
Zambia	33%	17%
Zimbabwe	35%	18%

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

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