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Showing posts from February, 2024

Water Storage Breach At Vedanta Alumina Unit In Odisha Impacts Farm Land

A water storage facility breach at miner Vedanta Aluminium's unit in Odisha has impacted agricultural land, the company said on Monday. The incident, which happened at Vedanta's Lanjigarh alumina refinery in Odisha on Sunday, has alarmed environment experts who pointed out it was a serious matter as the toxic byproduct 'red mud' was involved. The pumped water level, or PWL, has causticity in water, meaning it can corrode organic tissue by damaging skin, eyes and mucus membranes. The water overflowed due to heavy rain, Vedanta Aluminium said. Visuals of the industrial incident show process water lake downstream of a pond that appeared to have been formed by 'red mud'. A large volume of muddy red water was also seen flowing into open areas. The water covered the ground where some trees stood, and ran over other forms of vegetation. 'Red mud' is the waste generated in production of alumina from bauxite. It is also known as 'bauxite residue'.

Manipur Police Warn Armed Group Arambai Tenggol After Attack On Senior Cop

The Manipur Police have named an armed group whose members call themselves "village defence volunteers" as responsible for the attack on the house of a senior police officer in the state capital Imphal on Tuesday night. Following the attack, the state called in central forces including the army to Imphal city, from where the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, or AFSPA, had been removed years ago. This law allows the security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without a warrant. The AFSPA is active in the hill areas due to presence of insurgents of several ethnicities along the border with troubled Myanmar. The police in a statement on Thursday said members of the Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei youth organisation whose members face allegations of looting weapons from state armouries, "carried out a targeted attack " on the house of senior police officer Moirangthem Amit Singh, who along with his team had seized two stolen cars on Tuesday. This was

Panipuri Vendor Turns Matchmaker, Sparks Hilarious Online Thread

A social media thread in India has gone viral after a woman shared a funny encounter with a Panipuri vendor who was pressured by customers to find a groom for their daughter. The woman, identified as @prakritea17 on the platform 'X', narrated how she witnessed a group of women having a serious conversation with the vendor. As they left, the vendor began venting his frustration to her, revealing that the woman had requested that he find a suitable groom among his customers. They have asked him to find a a groom for their youngest daughter. He was telling me about this last week too, but I didn't pay much attention to it and today I witnessed it lmaoo — Prakriti (@prakritea17) February 28, 2024 Surprisingly, the vendor took their request seriously and identified a regular customer, a software engineer earning a good salary, as a potential match. However, the situation turned comical when the women insisted on finding a different groom. They even suggested the vendor ch

Watch: IT Minister's Masterclass On India's Semiconductor Ecosystem

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained how his ministry is working to create an all-inclusive semi-conductor ecosystem in India in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make-in-India" vision. In a little over four-minute-long video, the minister charts up the plan to develop a comprehensive semiconductor setup in India, complete with a talent pool of thousands and a research system encompassing over a hundred universities in the country. During his media interaction today after the cabinet approved three more semiconductor units, the minister laid out the plan on a whiteboard, drawing up each step with a marker in great detail. "There are four main components in the entire process - Design, fabrication, or FAB, assembly-testing-marking-packaging, or ATMP, and electronics manufacturing, or circuit," the minister explained. "The primary thing we are developing for this is a talent pool. The second big thing we are doing is research and development, or

Offensive Language": Arvind Kejriwal vs Lt Governor In 'Open Letters'

In a war of words over the issue of one-time settlement of inflated water bills, Delhi LG V K Saxena in an 'open letter' addressed to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the AAP dispensation's allegations of stalling the proposed scheme were "white lies". The Delhi chief minister as well as AAP government ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj had accused the LG and the BJP of stalling the scheme through the officers concerned. Mr Kejriwal, in reply to the LG, wrote back an 'open letter' to him, saying he was "deeply pained by the language" of his letter. Mr Kejriwal said, "Whatever our differences, political backgrounds, however diverse our perspectives; this kind of offensive language is not acceptable from one constitutional functionary to another." Not a single piece of paper on the scheme was brought to the notice of the LG, officially or unofficially, Mr Saxena claimed in his letter. Water, finance, urban develop

"One Chai, Please": Bill Gates Enjoys Tea Made By Dolly Chaiwala

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and a philanthropist, is currently on a visit to India, and his various excursions have created considerable attention and discussion on the internet. In a recently shared video on social media, Bill Gates was captured relishing a cup of chai from a renowned tea stall in India. The footage shows Mr Gates engaging with Dolly Chaiwalla, a celebrated tea vendor and a familiar presence on social media, while enjoying a cup of chai prepared by him. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bill Gates (@thisisbillgates) The video opens with Mr Gates placing an order for "one chai" with Chaiwalla. Chaiwalla then prepares the tea in his signature style, using a special cart. The final shot shows Gates enjoying the piping hot tea from a glass. The video concludes with Mr Gates taking a sip of the hot beverage from a glass and posing for a photo with Dolly Chaiwalla, acco

Kajol, KJo, Sunny Deol, Ira-Nupur At Laapataa Ladies Screening

On Monday night,  the makers of Laapataa Ladies hosted a special screening in Mumbai and it was a starry one. Kajol, Sunny Deol, Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Tillotama Shome turned up to attend the screening in style. Kiran Rao, the director of Laapataa Ladies , came to the screening with ex-husband Aamir Khan, who is also the producer of the film. Aamir and Kiron posed with Laapataa Ladies actor Ravi Kishan on the red carpet.  Aamir Khan's daughter Ira Khan arrived at the screening with husband Nupur Shikhare. Ira chose a pretty pink saree for the occasion. Sunny Deol, who will feature in Aamir Khan's production Lahore 1947 , posed with director Rajkumar Santoshi on the red carpet. Ali Fazal is also a part of the film Lahore 1947 and he also posed for the shutterbugs on the red carpet. Take a look: Director Ashutosh Gowariker, who worked with Aamir Khan in Lagaan, attended the screening. Director R Balki, Kabir Khan and his wife Mini

Congress 3, BJP 1: Rajya Sabha Election Results Out For Karnataka

The ruling Congress in Karnataka won three seats and the BJP one in the Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka on Tuesday, which were marred by cross-voting in a setback to the saffron party. Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain, all from the Congress, and Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP got elected to the Upper House in the polls in which elected MLAs were the voters. Five candidates, including D Kupendra Reddy of the JD(S) who lost the election, were in the fray for the four seats. According to official sources, the value of each MLA's vote is 100 and the number of votes sufficient to secure the election of a candidate is 4,441. Maken, Hussain and Bhandage got 4,700 votes each and Chandrashekhar 4,500. Reddy got only 3,600 votes and therefore did not make the cut. BJP MLA S T Somashekar voted for Mr Maken, while another party legislator A Shivaram Hebbar abstained. The BJP said it was exploring the possibility of taking legal action them and lodging a complaint

ACA Initiates Inquiry Against Vihari After Revelations About Mistreatment

The bitter spat between Hanuma Vihari and Andhra Cricket Association took a fresh turn as the state body on Monday announced an inquiry against the senior batter, who had accused the ACA of forcing him to resign from captaincy at the start of the ongoing season. Drama unfolded after Andhra's campaign in the Ranji Trophy ended in a defeat on Monday as Vihari announced that he will never play for the side due to "mistreatment" by the state association. “Complaints were received from teammates, support staff and ACA administrators about Vihari's use of foul language and abusive behaviour. ACA will conduct a thorough inquiry into all complaints and the due course of action will be communicated,” said the ACA in a media release. Vihari had also hit out at a reserve team-mate (son of a politician) who he alleged had asked his father to take action against him after the veteran player shouted at him during a match. ACA stated that it had received a complaint from the jun

"Not Freedom Of Speech": Minister On Space To Khalistani Elements Abroad

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called out the space given to extremist Khalistani elements in foreign countries and said this is not freedom of speech, but a misuse of it. He said it is not good for any country to send that kind of message for their own reputation and expressed hope that action will be taken against those who attacked Indian missions. The Minister was speaking at the event 'The Rise of the Global South' at TV9 Bharatvarsh Conclave on Monday. Speaking about the situation in Canada, Mr Jaishankar said, "We had to suspend the issue of visas in Canada because our diplomats were not safe going to work, they were repeatedly threatened, intimidated, and got very little comfort from the Canadian system at that time...which has improved since then." "We reached a stage, where, as a minister, I could not risk exposing my diplomats to the kind of violence prevalent there. That part of it has been rectified, so today our visa operations are prett

Tried To Maintain Equilibrium, China's 2020 Move Changed That: S Jaishankar

India and China are rising and the two countries, in the process, are changing the world order, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday. Mr Jaishankar, citing talks between the leadership of the two countries in Mamallapuram and Wuhan, said India tried to maintain an "equilibrium" in the ties through diplomacy, but the relations took a different turn following China's military build-up along the Line of Actual Control in 2020 in violation of laid down norms. The external affairs minister, speaking at a media summit organised by the TV9 Network , described the rise of India and China as "significant" in the global geopolitical scenario. "If you were to list three or four really big things which have changed in the last 20-25 years, I think most people would agree it would be the rise of China and the rise of India," he said, replying to a question. "You can say China started it much earlier because our own politics here delayed th

"Following Indian Supreme Court": Top Bangladesh Official To Chief Justice DY Chandrachud

Appreciating the live streaming of court proceedings, virtual hearing and use of technology at the Supreme Court of India, a top Bangladesh official told Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that they are closely following the Indian Supreme Court. According to sources, Chief Justice Chandrachud was also told that Bangladesh wants to follow the Indian Supreme Court in these matters. Chief Justice Chandrachud, speaking at the wo-day conference 'South Asian Constitutional Courts in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from Bangladesh and India', said both India and Bangladesh share the tradition of constitutional and judicial systems largely aiming to ensure stability and both nations recognised their constitutions as "living documents". Bangladesh's apex court judges took part in the conference, which drew many jurists, senior lawyers, and government leaders including Law Minister Anisul Huq. "Our shared tradition aims to ensure stability, but when stability is desir

70-Year-Old Woman Killed In Bengaluru, Body Chopped Up In Pieces

A 70-year-old woman's body has been found in KR Puram area in Bengaluru. The dismembered body was put in a drum, which was dumped at a vacant lot near an abandoned house. The woman has been identified as Sushilamma, who was living with her daughter in a rented flat near Nisarga Layout, close to KR Puram. "The victim was living with her daughter and 2-3 relatives. All their relatives live nearby," Raman Gupta, the Additional Commissioner East, told reporters. The police said the perpetrators had cut off the woman's arms and legs, which are missing. The body was discovered after the locals complained to the police about the foul smell emanating from the place. "The incident may have happened yesterday. I am here with senior officers to examine the spot," Mr Gupta said. "All necessary investigation will be conducted by our officers. We are actively pursuing the investigation, and we aim to catch the perpetrators as soon as possible," he added.

"Helmet Pehen Le": Delhi Police's Road Safety Post Has Rohit Sharma Twist

Delhi Police is known for its amusing posts and witty responses to sensitise people about various issues. Their social media posts are always on point when it comes to relaying hard-hitting messages and cracking you up at the same time. On Sunday, Delhi Police yet again demonstrated their social media prowess by sharing a road safety with a twist.  Amid the ongoing India vs England Test Series, Indian captain Rohit Sharma warned  Sarfaraz Khan to wear a helmet before fielding. The incident took place when he was requested by Rohit to stand beside batsman Shoaib Bashir. However, the young player forgot to put on a helmet. At that moment, the captain urged Sarfaraz to put on the gear and also stopped Ravichandran Ashwin from delivering the ball. " Aye bhai, zyada hero nahi banne ka idhar, helmet pehen le (Hey brother, don't try to be a hero. Wear a helmet)," Rohit Sharma was heard on the stump mic. This instantly went viral on social media and also caught the attention of

Maharashtra Revokes Licence Of McDonald's Outlet After Action Over Cheese

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked the licence of a McDonald's outlet in the state's Ahmednagar district after taking action against it over cheese, an official said on Saturday. The eatery belonging to the fast food giant had faced FDA scrutiny for allegedly using a "cheese-like" product in their dishes without indicating that it was actually a cheese substitute, thereby misleading customers, he said. Following an inspection and subsequent objections, the licence of the outlet was suspended, but it was revoked recently after the chain filed a compliance report confirming that they had removed the word 'cheese' from product names. "In October 2023, we visited the outlet in Kedgaon and discovered that the names of food items displayed at the outlet included American Cheese Burger, American Cheese Nuggets, Cheese Burger, Italian Cheesy Lava Burger, and Blueberry Cheese Cake. All these names are their brand names for their prod

Watch: On Gujarat Visit, PM Modi Holds Mega Roadshow In Jamnagar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive roadshow from Jamnagar airport on Saturday night after arriving in Gujarat. A large number of people lined up on both sides of the illuminated road holding saffron flags, and chants of 'Modi, Modi' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' filled the air as the PM's cavalcade moved towards the Circuit House. During the two-km journey, PM Modi greeted people from his vehicle by waving at them. At one point, the prime minister came out of his vehicle to wave at the enthusiastic supporters which included women and children. #WATCH | Gujarat: A large number of people gathered to see the roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jamnagar. pic.twitter.com/oWtMhWWKDz — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2024 The PM will halt at the Jamnagar Ccircuit House for the night. He is scheduled to attend two functions in the Devbhumi Dwarka and Rajkot districts in Saurashtra region on Sunday. Earlier, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state BJP president CR

Woman Arrested For Kidnapping TV Anchor To Marry Him In Hyderabad: Cops

A businesswoman who allegedly stalked and later kidnapped a TV music channel anchor, with the intention of marrying him, was arrested in Hyderabad, police said on Friday. The woman had allegedly installed a tracking device on the TV anchor's car to stalk him and monitor his movements, they said. The 31-year-old woman, who runs a digital marketing business, saw the photos of the TV anchor on a matrimony website and started chatting with the account holder two years ago. However, she later realised that the account holder was using the TV anchor's photo as the profile picture on the matrimony site, instead of his own photo. She then searched through the profile and found the phone number, which belonged to the anchor. She contacted the anchor through an instant messaging app but was informed by him that some unknown person had used his photo and created a fake account on the matrimony site, and that he had lodged a complaint in the Cyber Crime police station about it. Howeve

Noida Student Dies By Suicide Within Hours Of Taking Board Exam

A Class 12 student died after he allegedly jumped off the 22nd floor of a building at a group housing society in Noida Extension, within hours of taking the board exam on Thursday, police said. While the exact reason for the extreme step was yet to be ascertained, the police said the student, aged about 19 years, was unable to clear the exam last year also. "Around 4.20 pm today, the local Bisrakh police station officials were alerted about the student's death at the Mahagun Mywoods society. The police team rushed to the site and forensic experts were also sent there," a police spokesperson said. "The parents of the student were also there and they told the police that their son had returned home after taking the English Core exam for Class 12 today. After reaching home he went to sit on the terrace of the building at the 22nd floor. The family informed police that he was unable to clear the Class 12 exam last year also," the spokesperson said. Further legal

To Newlyweds Rakul And Jackky, Congratulations From Ajay, Varun, Samantha

Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani got married in Goa today in the presence of friends and family members. The couple shared identical posts on their respective Instagram profiles. Congratulations are pouring in for the newlyweds. Varun Dhawan, who attended the wedding with wife Natasha Dalal wrote, "Congratulations" and dropped a few emojis. Riteish Deshmukh, who reportedly hosted the couple's sangeet with Bhumi Pednekar wrote, "Super congratulations you beautiful couple." Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote, "Congratulations" and dropped a few heart emojis. Allu Arjun's wife Sneha Reddy wrote, "Congratulations." Jacqueline Fernandez wrote, "Congrats" and dropped a series of red heart emojis.  Dia Mirza wrote, "Congratulations. All our love and blessings." Vijay Varma wrote, "Congratulations".  Nayanthara wrote, "Congratulations you guys. Lots of love to both of you." Ayushmann Khurrana wrote, "Bea

Private Moon Lander Enters Orbit For 1st US Lunar Touchdown In 50 Years

A moon lander built by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines reached lunar orbit on Wednesday, headed for an attempt at the first US touchdown on Earth's nearest celestial neighbour in more than 50 years, and the first ever by a private spacecraft. The six-legged Nova-C lander, dubbed Odysseus, entered a circular orbit 57 miles (92 km) above the lunar surface after firing its main rocket thruster for nearly seven minutes in an orbital insertion manoeuvre, the company said in an online statement. Assuming all goes according to plan, the robot spacecraft is expected to gradually lower its orbit over the next 24 hours and land at crater Malapert A near the moon's south pole at 5:49 p.m. EST (2249 GMT) on Thursday, carrying a suite of NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations. Odysseus was launched six days ago, on Feb. 15, atop a Falcon 9 rocket built and flown by Elon Musk's California-based company SpaceX from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canave