Shruti Haasan Shares Pics From Her "First Solo Home" In Chennai

Shruti Haasan shared a set of pictures of herself from the rooftop of her Chennai house. The actress mentioned in her Instagram story that this was her "first solo home." Posting a picture from the rooftop, Shruti Haasan wrote, "I used to chill on this roof as an eighteen-year-old. This was my first solo home and I learned a lot about life and myself here." Sharing another click, she wrote, "I started to dream for myself I began writing music and thinking of going to music school, and I fell in love with life and myself for the very first time."

See the photos shared by Shruti Haasan here:

"Many days spent wishing and dreaming for the future I enjoy as my present today I work hard never to forget that Chennai girl who never forgot to be a weirdo and dream on her own terms," read the caption on another Instagram story that Shruti Haasan shared.

In terms of work, Shruti Haasan was last seen in the hit Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire, starring Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. She will next be seen in Chennai Story and Dacoit: A Love Story. She also featured in the web-series Bestseller.

Shruti Haasan, daughter of veteran actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika, has starred in several Tamil as well as Bollywood films. She stepped into Bollywood with the 2009 film Luck, co-starring Imran Khan. The actress has also been a part of films such as Welcome Back, Ramaiya Vastavaiya, Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji and D-Day among others.

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Tourists In Protest-Hit New Caledonia "Ecstatic" As Rescue Planes Arrive

Tourists trapped by rioting, looting and separatist roadblocks in crisis-wracked New Caledonia expressed joy that they may soon be rescued after the first military evacuation flights landed on Tuesday.

For the last week, Australian tourist Maxwell Winchester and his wife Tiffany have been barricaded into a normally idyllic hill resort outside the capital Noumea.

As gunfire rattled down the valley and smoke spewed from nearby towns, they faced a fearful wait for help as supplies of food slowly dwindled.

"Every night, we had to sleep with one eye open," Winchester told AFP. "Every noise, we were worried that they were coming in to loot us."

For days, they monitored the latest news -- which brought alarming reports of six dead and hundreds injured -- while struggling to get help from Australian consular staff.

Winchester received word around lunchtime Tuesday that Australia was finally sending two military evacuation planes.

"We are ecstatic," he said, even though the couple believe they may not be among the first evacuees.

More than 3,000 people are estimated to have been stranded by a week of unrest that has shuttered the Pacific archipelago's main international airport.

It is not known how many of those are tourists on holiday and how many are Caledonians stuck outside the islands.

But Australia has estimated at least 300 of its nationals have registered for rescue.

For those hundreds, the sight of a Royal Australian Air Force C130 Hercules landing at the city's Magenta airport on Tuesday will have brought overwhelming relief.

A New Zealand Defence Force plane is also in the air, dispatched to pick up about "50 passengers with the most pressing needs", according to Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

"In cooperation with France and Australia, we are working on subsequent flights in coming days," he said.

Winchester was sanguine about not being part of the first evacuees.

"We realise we probably won't get on these flights because those who have higher needs will get on them," he said.

"But we at least know we have a way out in the next few days."

Still, for some, there will be an uneasy wait.

Australian tourists Meg Soutar and Caroline Tully were on a girls' trip to the remote west coast of New Caledonia.

They were unable to get to the airport for the evacuation flights on Tuesday, as their route would pass through some of the areas worst affected by the unrest.

For now, the women are staying put and hope they can get home to Brisbane soon. They have had very limited information or assistance from officials.

"We literally stay by the phone and WIFI to see what is going on," Soutar told AFP. "We feel very isolated, we are not in a resort, it's just us."

"It's been nine days since the conflict started and we are no closer to getting home," she said.

(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-Led Tech Craze Leaves Mega Indian Software Stocks In The Dust

Shares of India's vaunted IT outsourcing firms are facing a reality check, as global investors' rush into the artificial intelligence theme starts to leave pricey old-economy tech stocks behind.

Unlike counterparts in the developed world and China, Indian software makers including leader Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. have yet to make significant advances in generative AI. That combined with a still cloudy outlook for client spending may soon leave them looking like the tech bets of yesterday.

"Traditional software companies' earnings and valuations are at risk because their business models are not evolving with the times," said Deven Choksey, managing director of DRChoksey FinServ Pvt.

A BSE Ltd. gauge of Indian software stocks has recently fallen through key support levels into a technical correction. Yet it's still trading well above its historical average earnings multiple after a yearslong rally in the nation's equity market.

India's IT firms enjoyed years of strong growth as the world's biggest corporations outsourced a vast amount of back-office work to save money, in a phenomenon known as getting "Bangalored". Those revenues have been slowing more recently as overseas customers cut spending to cope with challenging economies.

Meanwhile, software and internet majors such as Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. have been investing billions to develop their own cloud offerings and large language models.

"Coding is getting left behind by computing in the tech investing world," said Choksey. Indian firms need to reinvent their business models more quickly to embrace AI and deliver better software-as-a-service solutions and infrastructure like Amazon.com Inc.'s unit Amazon Web Services does, he added.

TCS last month reported its slowest annual sales growth in three years. Competitor Infosys Ltd. issued a tepid forecast for revenue growth of 1% to 3% in the year through March 2025 on a constant-currency basis, eliminating the impact of exchange-rate fluctuations.

While Indian companies and their peers around the world like Accenture Plc are making positive noises on AI, the sales contributions are still small. TCS said its AI pipeline doubled last quarter to $900 million - that compares with its total annual revenue of around $30 billion.

The volatile geopolitical environment and uncertain macro outlook continue to weigh on client spending priorities. The IT sector may see further downgrades after sales missed expectations last quarter, according to Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

"Results by IT firms disappointed on the top line, and management commentary points to a weaker-than-expected growth outlook," analysts Akshat Agarwal and Ankur Pant wrote in a note dated May 7. "Despite up to 7% cuts to consensus estimates last month, we see further risks to earnings, limiting upside" in share prices.

Lofty valuations also point to caution. The BSE tech gauge is trading at 25 times forward estimated earnings, compared with pre-pandemic levels of about 18 times. That comes as metrics of growth in sales and earnings have dropped below levels enjoyed by the sector in 2019.

India's software makers have been seen as laggards in artificial intelligence. In the absence of substantial advances in this area, they may lose investor interest as their business faces threats of cannibalization.

"The theme of corporations spending more on AI while cutting back on non-AI spending is global in nature," said Anurag Rana, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "We are seeing no signs of a rebound."

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

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Iran President's Death A Spark In Tinderbox. Geopolitical Impact Explained

As Iran mourns its President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials killed in a helicopter crash, the world will be closely watching the aftermath and the implications on geopolitical equations.

The crash, which took place in northwest Iran, comes at a very critical time as far as the West Asia region is concerned. For the past seven months, Israel has waged a war in Gaza that was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israeli cities. Tehran has been repeatedly accused of backing Hezbollah in opening the Lebanon front against Tel Aviv.

But a major escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran came last month when Iran launch a volley of missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted by its Iron Dome aerial defence system. The attack, Iran said, was in retaliation to the bombing of its embassy building in Syria by suspected Israeli warplanes. Tel Aviv responded by a limited attack on a missile defence system in Iran's Isfahan province that also hosts a uranium enrichment plant.

Against this backdrop, the helicopter crash that killed the Iranian president is bound to spark a wave of speculation. So far, the reports in state media have referred to the crash as an accident, but an official word from the Iranian government is awaited. Anything that points to foul play may escalate tensions in the sensitive region.

Iran's equations with other countries are likely to remain the same, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling the shots. The government has already said it will operate without disruption.

The US Question

The US, a strong ally of Israel, is yet to respond to the news of Raisi's death, but earlier reports had said President Joe Biden had been briefed about the situation.

The past few years have seen critical developments in US-Iran ties over Tehran's nuclear push. In 2018, then US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action -- an agreement on Iranian nuclear programme -- and restored harsh sanctions on Tehran. This prompted Iran to violate the agreement's nuclear limits.

After 63-year-old Raisi took over in 2021, he took a tough stance in negotiations, seeing a chance to win broad relief from US sanctions in return for modest curbs on its increasingly advanced technology, according to a Reuters report.

The West Asia conflict raised tensions. Despite its strong ties with Israel, the US has of late tried to de-escalate the situation, apparently over the rising human cost of the war in Gaza. Biden went as far as threatening to stop arms supplies to Israel if it invades the Gaza city of Rafah, prompting a sharp response in Israel.

Reports had also claimed that top Biden administration officials were in indirect talks with their Iranian counterparts to avoid escalating regional attacks. With Raisi's death threatening to further destablise the region, the US will look to ensure peace in the volatile region.

The India Position

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was "deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran". "His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow," he posted on X.

The crash that killed Raisi comes a week after New Delhi signed a contract with Iran to operate the Chabahar port, aimed at expanding trade with Central Asia. India had first proposed this plan back in 2003, but US sanctions on Iran over its suspected nuclear programme slowed down the port's development.

The pact drew a sharp response from the US, with Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel saying that "anyone considering business deals with Iran" needs to be aware of "the potential risk of sanctions". External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded that the port would benefit the entire region and a narrow view should not be taken on it. "If you look at even the US's own attitude to Chabahar in the past, the US has been appreciative of the fact that Chabahar has a larger relevance. We will work at it," he said.

Significantly, India has strong relations with Israel too, and Tel Aviv had appreciated New Delhi's support after the Hamas attacks.

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Veteran CNN Political Commentator Alice Stewart Found Dead. She Was 58

Alice Stewart, popular CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser died at the age of 58, on Saturday. As per CNN, early on Saturday, Ms Stewart's body was found outdoors in the Belle View neighbourhood in northern Virginia.

Law enforcement informed the news network that no foul play was suspected. Officers believe that Ms Stewart, who worked on several GOP presidential campaigns, likely suffered a medical incident.

The chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, Mark Thompson, on Saturday, announced the sad news to the staff via email, referring to Ms Stewart as “a very dear friend”.

Mr Thompson wrote, “Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN. A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN's coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”

Any illnesses Ms Stewart may have been dealing with remain unknown. Going by her last Instagram post, Ms Stewart had appeared on Blitzer's show just one day before she died.

Sharing a picture from the newsroom, she wrote, “It's always a sunny day when you can join the great @wolfblitzer on #CNN with @mariacardonadc!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alice Stewart (@alicestewartdc)

United States Senator Ted Cruz mourned Ms Stewart's sudden death. Mr Cruz shared Ms Stewart's picture on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “Heartbreaking. ⁦Alice was wonderful and talented and a dear friend. And she loved America fiercely. She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed. May God's comfort and peace be upon her loved ones. RIP.”  Ms. Stewart was the communications director for Texas Senator Ted Cruz's 2016 GOP presidential campaign.

Heartbreaking. ⁦Alice was wonderful and talented and a dear friend. And she loved America fiercely.

She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed. May God's comfort and peace be upon her loved ones. RIP. https://t.co/rXN6iugepM

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 18, 2024

Born in Atlanta in 1966, Ms Stewart started her career as a local reporter. She joined CNN as a political commentator ahead of the 2016 election.

Ms. Stewart was a regular on-air contributor, offering her insights on the day's political news. She appeared as recently as Friday on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."

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Blue Origin Resumes Space Tourism Flights Today With 90-Year-Old On Board

Blue Origin is set to fly adventurers to the final frontier on Sunday for the first time in nearly two years, reigniting competition in the space tourism market after a rocket mishap put its crewed operations on hold.

Six people including Black sculptor and former Air Force pilot Ed Dwight, who was controversially spurned by NASA's astronaut corps in the 1960s, will blast off at around 8:30 am local time (1330 GMT) from the company's Launch Site One base in west Texas.

Dwight -- at 90 years, 8 months, and 10 days -- is set to become the oldest person to go to space, narrowly pipping Star Trek actor William Shatner, who was almost two months younger when he launched with Blue Origin in 2021.

Mission NS-25 is the seventh human flight for the enterprise owned and founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who sees short jaunts on the New Shepard suborbital vehicle as a stepping stone to greater ambitions, including the development of a full-fledged heavy rocket and lunar lander.

French entrepreneur Sylvain Chiron, one of the crew, told AFP he was most excited about "this sensation of leaving the world of men and seeing the Earth as a whole, from above, without borders, with all its fragility and beauty."

To date, Blue Origin has flown 31 people aboard New Shepard -- a small, fully reusable rocket system named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space.

Second nonagenarian

The program encountered a setback when a New Shepard rocket caught fire shortly after launch on September 12, 2022. The uncrewed capsule ejected in time, meaning astronauts would have been safe had they flown.

A federal investigation revealed an overheating engine nozzle was at fault. Blue Origin took corrective steps and carried out a successful uncrewed launch in December 2023, paving the way for Sunday's mission.

After lift-off, the sleek and roomy capsule separates from the booster, which produces zero carbon emissions as its fuel -- liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen -- combust to produce water vapor. The rocket performs a precision vertical landing.

As the spaceship soars beyond the Karman Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level, passengers can marvel at the Earth's curvature and unbuckle their seats to float -- or even perform jumping jacks -- during a few minutes of weightlessness.

The capsule then reenters the atmosphere, deploying its parachutes for a gentle desert landing in a puff of sand.

Bezos himself was on the program's first-ever crewed flight in 2021. A few months later, Shatner blurred the lines between science fiction and reality when he became the world's oldest-ever astronaut, decades after he first played a space traveler.

Dwight will become only the second nonagenarian to venture beyond Earth.

Ticket prices are a well-guarded secret, but guests like Dwight -- whose seat was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity -- ride for free.

To space, finally

Blue Origin's competitor in suborbital space is Virgin Galactic, which deploys a supersonic spaceplane that is dropped from beneath the wings of a massive carrier plane at high altitude.

Virgin Galactic experienced its own two-year safety pause because of an anomaly linked with the 2021 flight that carried its founder British tycoon Richard Branson into space. But the company later hit its stride with half a dozen successful flights in quick succession.

Its next mission is set for June, after which it will head into another pause to build out a new class of advanced spaceplane.

Sunday's mission finally gives Dwight the chance he was denied decades ago.

He was an elite test pilot when he was appointed by president John F Kennedy to join a highly competitive Air Force program known as a pathway for the astronaut corps, but was ultimately not picked.

He left the military in 1966, citing the strain of racial politics, before dedicating his life to telling Black history through sculpture. His art, displayed around the country, includes iconic figures like Martin Luther King Jr, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and more.

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

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''Came Out Of Nowhere'': Philippine Town Mayor Accused Of Being Chinese Spy

Alice Leal Guo, the mayor of a small town in the Philippines, is currently being investigated due to suspicions about her citizenship, with some suggesting she might be an undercover agent of China. During a Senate hearing, the 35-year-old mayor failed to provide details about her early life and background, fuelling suspicions about her nationality and links to a Philippine offshore gaming operator. 

According to BBC, law enforcers recently discovered that an online casino - known locally as a POGO - in her town was a front for a scam centre. POGOs are online gaming firms that cater to foreign customers, especially nationals from China, where gambling is illegal. These businesses flourished during the tenure of Rodrigo Duterte, whose presidency, which ended in 2022, was marked by close ties to China.

''Is she, along with others like her who have mahiwaga [mysterious] backgrounds, an asset inserted by China into our government to have a heavy influence in Philippine politics?'' Senator Risa Hontiveros asked during a press conference on May 8.

Little is known about her background, which is unusual in rural Philippines. Her family name, Guo, is also not among the common family names of Filipinos with Chinese lineage. During the hearing, she also gave vague answers about her background, including basic personal questions about her family, school and similar facts, raising suspicions. 

Ms Guo admitted that her birth certificate was registered with local authorities only when she turned 17. When asked the reason for this, she said this was because she was born in a house, not in a hospital or clinic. 

She further said she was home-schooled exclusively inside the family compound, but could not remember the name of her home school organisation and names of teachers except one. She said her father is Filipino, but in business records, her father was identified as a Chinese citizen.

Senator Hontiveros described her as someone who ''figuratively came out of nowhere and afterwards became mayor''.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior told journalists that he supported the probe. 

''I know all the politicians from Tarlac [province], no one knows her. So, we are wondering where she came from. We don't know. That's why an investigation is really needed,'' he said. 

"We will tighten the enforcement of the law. The laws are there, the problem is that some people think these people can bring money, or they will take bribes," he added. 

However, Ms Guo has maintained she is a Philippine citizen and denied her involvement in unlawful gaming. She could be charged with perjury if it was proved she was not a Filipino citizen.

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