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A beluga whale named Hvaldimir which captured the world's imagination in 2019 was found dead in Norway, a report said. The 14-foot-long and 2,700-pound whale was spotted with a harness seemingly designed for a camera five years ago, prompting the internet to nickname him Hvaldimir the spy whale.  The harness bore the marking "equipment" from St. Petersburg, fueling widespread speculation that the whale was part of a Russian reconnaissance mission. The mystery deepened as no official claim of ownership was made by Russia, leaving the world to wonder if this whale was a spy or just an unfortunate whale caught in a strange circumstance. The beluga, whose name is a blend of the Norwegian word for whale, "hval," and the Russian name Vladimir, quickly became a subject of global fascination. Unlike other belugas, which typically inhabit the remote and frigid Arctic waters, Hvaldimir appeared unusually comfortable around humans, leading experts to believe he had been...

Scientists have unravelled a doughnut-like structure buried deep within Earth's swirling outer core of molten metal. The exciting discovery was reported in a new study published in Science Advances. The discovery was made by a research team that analysed seismic waves generated by large earthquakes. The expert team included Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist from the Australian National University. These waves travel through Earth, giving scientists information about its internal composition. As Professor Tkalcic explained , the researchers focused on how these seismic waves were slowing down while passing through a certain portion of the outer core near its boundary with the mantle. "By understanding the paths of those waves and their travel times, we reconstructed their journey through the Earth's outer core," he added. These waves were slower, indicating that a torus-shaped, or doughnut-shaped, region within the outer core was orientated parallel to the e...

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the updated policy guidelines for international students' eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.  The revised guidelines, effective from August 27, offer clarity on rules concerning online study, school transfers, grace periods, and study abroad programmes. These will apply to all pending and future requests. OPT duration extended for STEM students As per USCIS, international students in STEM will now enjoy up to three years of OPT, compared to one year for the students of non-STEM fields. This will allow students to gain more work experience in the country. Online Study Allowances Eligible students will now be able to count one class or up to three credits per academic session towards their full course of study, without violating the F1 visa terms. It must be noted that the class is taken online or via distance learning, meaning ...

A war of words between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has escalated over the Assam government's move to scrap the practice of two-hour assembly session adjournment for jumma prayers. While Mr Sarma from the ruling BJP pointed out the decision was taken jointly by all MLAs including Hindu and Muslim leaders, Mr Yadav alleged the Assam Chief Minister's party has made Muslims soft targets to spread hate and polarise society. What escalated the exchange between the two was Mr Yadav's post on X that took a swipe at Mr Sarma as someone who wants to "gain cheap popularity and become the Chinese version of Yogi," alluding to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. असम के मुख्यमंत्री सस्ती लोकप्रियता हासिल करने एवं "योगी का चाइनीज़ वर्जन" बनने के प्रयास में जानबुझकर मुसलमानों को परेशान करने वाले कृत्य करते रहते है। BJP के लोगों ने नफ़रत फैलाने, मोदी-शाह का ध्यान आकृष्ट करने एवं समाज में धु...

The Union Women and Child Development Minister has responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's second letter, seeking a stringent law and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes such as rape and murder. Ms Banerjee in her second letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought a mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of rape and murder cases. The two letters came amid the CBI investigation into the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The BJP had called her a "liar" over her letters, and questioned her over why she has not done anything to ensure implementation of existing "stringent" rules and regulations to protect women in her state. "With regard to the information contained in your letter about the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) and exclusive POCSO courts in West Bengal, I may mention that according to information received from the Calcutta High Court, West ...

A wife is succeeding her IAS officer husband as the Chief Secretary of Kerala, a first in the state's history. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan pointed to this rare occurrence on Friday during the farewell ceremony organised for outgoing Chief Secretary V Venu, who will retire from government service on August 31. Venu will be succeeded as Chief Secretary by his wife Sarada Muraleedharan, who currently holds the post of Additional Chief Secretary. Mr Vijayan recalled many instances in the state where couples, both of whom were in the civil service, have transferred the duties of Collector from one to the other. He said that there have also been instances where both husband and wife have headed departments and become chief secretaries at different times. "However, this is the first time in the history of Kerala that the post of Chief Secretary has been handed over by the husband to his wife," he said. On this rare transition in the state's bureaucratic history, Mu...

Abdul Ghafoor Noorani, eminent constitutional expert, lawyer and author, died today at the age of 93. A noted scholar on Jammu and Kashmir, his absence is being felt in the Union Territory, where many are mourning him. An alumnus of Mumbai's Government Law College, his unwavering commitment to justice and legal acumen brought him accolades and helped him blaze a trail from the Bombay High Court to the topmost court of the land. In the courts, Noorani played a critical role at a difficult time, defending some of the leading lights of the day -- including Sheikh Abdullah during his detention and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. In recent days, he emerged as a sharp and incisive commentator on legal issues, including key judgements of the Supreme Court. With an overview of British India -- he was born in 1930 -- and the post-Independence ideologies, he was a stern critic of what, in his opinion, was a gradual degeneration of the legal system.   These opinions were e...

The India Meteorological Department has forecast of extremely heavy rains in isolated parts of districts in Saurashtra on Thursday. With the latest spell, Gujarat has so far received 105 per cent of its average annual rainfall, the State Emergency Operations Centre has said. Twenty-nine people have died in rain-related incidents since the deluge started on Sunday. Around 18,000 people have been evacuated to safety. Water from the Ajwa and Pratappura Reservoirs was released into Vishwamitri River, causing floods downstream. Parts of Vadodara and other cities and villages along the river have been under 10 to 12 feet of water. Vadodara grappled with floods as the Vishwamitri river, flowing through the city, breached its banks and entered residential localities, inundating buildings, roads and vehicles. An official release said 140 reservoirs and dams, and 24 rivers in the state were flowing above the danger mark. Besides the National and State Disaster relief forces, the Army, the...

Our social media feeds often feature bizarre cooking experiments. From trying viral food hacks to making treats at unusual locations, these posts stand out for a range of reasons. You may have come across videos of people cooking complicated dishes in their cars. Recently, a vlogger took this idea to the next level, by making bread dough on a plane. In a reel shared on Instagram, she documented the process from scratch and also explained how she spent part of her time while flying. Also Read:   Viral Video: Woman Cooks Seafood Meal Inside Her Car, Internet Reacts The now-viral video begins with the text, "Making sourdough bread on my flight to Spain." This is followed by the baker stating, "I want to surprise my sister with a fresh loaf of bread." To this end, she starts by adding water, starter, flour and salt to a large bowl/ vessel. She mixes the ingredients to make a dough, kneads it and applies pressure as required. She covers the bowl and allows it to rest ...

Over 21 million Shia Muslims took part in the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq this year, marking the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed and a founding figure in Shia Islam. The event culminated on Sunday, with attendees expressing their solidarity with Gaza. Indians were among those who travelled to Karbala to pay homage to Imam Hussain. The Arbaeen Yatra saw millions walking from Najaf to Karbala, a distance of 80 km, to visit the shrine of Imam Hussain. Imam Hussain, revered by millions, was martyred on the land of Karbala nearly 1,400 years ago after enduring three days of hunger and thirst under the rule of Yazid I, the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. His martyrdom, along with that of 72 of his companions-including his six-month-old son, Ali Asghar-remains a pivotal event in Islamic history. A significant number of Indians participated in the Arbaeen Walk, with thousands reaching Karbala. Along the 80 km route, food, dr...

From fake digital arrests to courier fraud, cybercriminals have become crafty. After several instances of fraudsters impersonating policemen, messaging and calling people to dupe them of their hard-earned money, a fake message from the 'CJI', seeking money to book a cab, is now going viral. According to a screenshot of the post on the microblogging platform X, the impersonator, who claimed to be Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, was stranded at Connaught Place (CP). "Hello, I am CJI and we have urgent meeting of the collegium and I am stuck at Cannaught Place can you send 5000rs for cab," read the screenshot of the post riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. "I will return the money once I reach the court," assured the fraudulent message. The Supreme Court has now taken note of the viral post and filed a complaint of cyber fraud on the instructions of the Chief Justice. Several cases of cyber fraud have emerged in the recent past where pe...

The fallout from the Justice K Hema Committee report on harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry intensified on Monday as a case was charged against well-known filmmaker Ranjith, and several female actors stepped forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts. The case was charged against Ranjith after a Bengali actress filed a complaint on Monday with the Kochi City Police Commissioner. The complaint, sent via email, alleged that Ranjith had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the movie Paleri Manikyam in 2009. Kochi Police Commissioner S Syamsundar said a case under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) has been registered against Ranjith. Another actress, Minu Muneer, who has appeared in a few movies, levelled sexual abuse allegations against prominent actors M Mukesh, who is also an MLA, Jayasurya and Maniyanpill...

Prince Harry has found a new mentor and "father figure" in Canadian music icon David Foster, according to sources close to the pair, The Times reported. The 74-year-old music producer has become a close friend and confidant to the Duke of Sussex during his time in the US, as per the report . Foster, who lives near Harry and Meghan Markle in Montecito, California, has apparently filled a void left by Prince Harry's strained relationships with his own family, particularly King Charles. Katharine McPhee, Foster's wife, described the bond between Harry and her husband as "like father and son".  How they became friends Meghan Markle attended the same Catholic middle school in Los Angeles as Foster's wife, Katharine McPhee. Although they weren't close friends at school, they reconnected in London when McPhee was starring in the musical Waitress on the West End. It was then that David Foster and Prince Harry hit it off. Foster and McPhee helped the Suss...

An adventurer paddling solo across the Atlantic Ocean had an unexpected encounter with a massive pod of pilot whales, an experience that left him both exhilarated and alarmed. Tom Waddington, on his journey from Newfoundland to England, found himself surrounded by long-finned pilot whales after a morning drizzle on July 7, as he shared on Instagram. In a video, Waddington expressed his amazement: "This is so cool. A pod of whales is circling the boat and playing around it. I love it, but I'm worried they might hit my rudder. They're so close, see?" He continued, "I can hear them blowing bubbles. Wow, that is so cool. What a special treat. I've seen many whales before, but they're just here to say hello." The situation took a frightening turn when one of the whales bumped into his boat, causing him to drop the camera and pause filming briefly. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Waddington (...

A man who claims that he has never been to Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district in his car, has been slapped with a fine of Rs 1,000 by Noida police for driving the vehicle without a helmet.  Tushar Saxena initially received a text message informing him about the fine but he ignored it, thinking it to be a mistake. However, things became serious when this was followed by an email and another message. The car owner - who lives in Rampur district, some 200 km from Noida - contacted the traffic police and was told that he was fined for driving his four-wheeler vehicle without a helmet.  Police told him that if he fails to pay the amount then he will have to appear in court. "The challan was issued on November 9, 2023. If you are violating traffic rules, then it is common to receive a fine but that is not my case. I have never driven my car to the NCR area. And if there's any rule that says we have to wear a helmet inside a car, then the authorities must give this...

French police arrested Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov on Saturday at an airport near Paris for alleged offences related to the popular messaging app, officials said. The Franco-Russian billionaire, 39, was detained at Le Bourget airport north of the French capital on Saturday evening, one of the officials told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. He had just travelled from Baku, in Azerbaijan, another source close to the case said. Durov was expected to appear in court on Sunday. France's OFMIN, an agency tasked with preventing violence against minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov as the coordinating agency in a preliminary investigation into alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism, one of the sources close to the case said. Durov is suspected of failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform. "Enough of Telegram's impunity," said one of the investigators, ...

A study by City Lit, an adult education college and charity, reveals that Bengali is the most commonly spoken foreign language in London. A survey conducted in 2019 indicates that 311,210 London residents mainly speak a foreign language at home. On the contrary, less than one in 10 English-speaking people can speak a second language fluently. The survey by the City Lit has ranked Bengali, Polish, and Turkish as the top foreign languages spoken in London's diverse linguistic fabric. Interestingly, six of the 10 most spoken languages after English come from outside Europe, being Bengali, Gujarati, Panjabi, Urdu, Arabic, and Tamil. The four European languages in the top 10 are Polish, Turkish, French, and Portuguese. Also Read | This London Woman Has Turned Out To Be Allergic To Her Own Menstrual Cycle This percentage of linguistic diversity varies greatly between certain boroughs. In Barking and Dagenham, Lithuanian occupies the leading position among foreign languages in use, be...

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood was seen getting furious in the dressing room and having an animated discussion with the side's head coach Jason Gillespie, who is also a legendary Australian pacer, on Day 3 of the first Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh. A video of the incident is going viral on social media. While it is evident in the surfaced clip that Masood is angry over something, the fans on internet surprisingly linked it to Babar Azam's dropped catch, an incident that took a day later. On the fourth ball of the 142nd over of the Bangladesh innings, Mushfiqur Rahim edged an Agha Salman delivery but Babar at leg slip dropped the easy chance. Big Kalesh b/w PCT players (Pakistani captain Shan masood angry on Babar azam drops catch and his performance) #PAKvsBAN #Cricket pic.twitter.com/EKKGwjqm2f — DK Gupta (@dkgupta2071981) August 24, 2024 Big fight between pct players, Pakistani captain Shan masood angry on Babar azam drop catch and his performance pic.twitte...

The Haryana unit of the ruling BJP has written to the Election Commission requesting a brief postponement of the assembly poll slated for October 1, citing holidays before and after the election date that could lead to a lower voter turnout. While the opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed the BJP, claiming that the ruling party was panicking as it could sense defeat, Abhay Chautala's INLD too sought the deferment of polls. A Haryana BJP leader on Saturday said the letter was sent by the party's state unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli to the poll panel. Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal confirmed that the commission received a copy of the communication on Friday over email. "We have received the communication from state BJP and forwarded it to the Election Commission," Agarwal told PTI. Varinder Garg, a member of the BJP's state election management committee, said, "We have reasoned that the Assembly election date of Octob...

China's 'Made in China' products have already established a firm foothold in the international market, surpassing the expansion of any other nation in history. Manufacturers all over the world are under tremendous pressure due to the flood of cheaper Chinese goods. China is now focussing more on exporting in an effort to take the lead in the world's manufacturing sector. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal,  Chinese President Xi Jinping has increased his focus on the manufacturing sector, with a high percentage of production going to export, in response to the slow economic development that his government is facing in recent past. China is once again ramping up its massive export machinery, giving rivals little opportunity to survive in the market. The impact of China's manufacturing dominance is evident in various sectors. For instance, a Massachusetts startup called CubicPV betting on silicon wafers, a high-tech component in solar panels. Buoyed by ...

"Following the visit, we also agreed on a joint statement focusing on the development of a strategic partnership, bilateral trade, and continued military-technical cooperation," said the Ukrainian President, whose country is at war with Russia. PM Modi's office in the joint India-Ukraine statement said both leaders reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. "They agreed on the desirability of closer bilateral dialogue in this regard," the joint statement said. PM Modi arrived in Kyiv this morning on a special train on the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian Prime Minister after the former Russian state became independent in 1991. In his talks with Mr Zelenskyy that took place under the shadow of the conflict, PM Modi said India is ever ready to play an "active role" in every effort to restore pea...

India's double Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to compete at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne. Battling from a groin injury, Neeraj claimed a silver at the recently-concluded Paris Olympics 2024. He had won a historic gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021. In just two weeks after his glory at the Paris Games, Neeraj will be seen in action again. He will be competing at the big meet in Lausanne that will have the likes of Anderson Peters and Jakub Vadlejch. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who bagged a gold medal in Paris Olympics, would not be a part of this meet. Neeraj needs to finish in the top-six of the Diamond League Meetings series to qualify for the season finale that is set to take place in Brussels. When will Neeraj Chopra's Men's Javelin Throw Event at Lausanne Diamond League take place? Neeraj Chopra's Men's Javelin Throw Event at Lausanne Diamond League will take place on Friday, August 23 (IST). Where will Neeraj Chopra's...

This is not an era of war, reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Indian community in Poland, two days before his much-anticipated visit to Ukraine where he has pledged to campaign for a peaceful resolution of Russia's invasion. "India is an advocate of permanent peace in this region. Our stand is very clear - this isn't an era of war. This is the time to come together against those challenges which threaten humanity. Therefore, India believes in diplomacy and dialogues," PM Modi said. PM Modi, 73, will be the first Indian Prime Minister to make a Ukraine trip and is the first in 45 years to travel to Poland - Kyiv's close ally and a key transit for foreign leaders heading to its war-torn neighbour. PM Modi, who is visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 23, has said that he will share with the Ukrainian leader perspectives on a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict. His visit to Kyiv comes nearl...

Actor-cum-politician Suresh Gopi said on Wednesday that if he is removed as Union Minister of State for acting in films while holding his ministerial post, he would consider himself "saved". Mr Gopi also said that he has requested permission to commence shooting for the film 'Ottakomban', but has not received it yet. "But I will start shooting for it on September 6," he said. The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism said that there were 20-22 films he really wished to do after hearing the script, and has agreed to act in them. When he sought permission from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to act in the films, he was asked how many. "I said around 22. On hearing that, Amit Shah set aside my request letter. But he said permission will be given. Anyways, I will be here on September 6," Mr Gopi said while speaking at an event held here by the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce. He said that he will bring three or four officia...

In August last year, India became the first country to soft land a spacecraft near the South Pole of the Moon. A nail-biting 20 minutes of "terror" consumed most of the country as the Vikram lander module - carrying the Pragyan rover - descended to the lunar surface and touched down in one piece, releasing a flood of relief and joy at the Indian space agency's mission control. Six other missions had attempted a soft landing last year. None succeeded, including an effort by Russia's Luna 25 that crashed 48 hours earlier. And to mark the first anniversary (on August 23) of India's success, the nation will celebrate National Space Day. A few months earlier, in April, a mission by the United Arab Emirates Lunar carrying a Japan-made lander crashed. "It was such a beautiful day for India... I had no doubt in my mind - that we will hit the bullseye. I was at ease and the joy of my teammates was lovely..." Dr S Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research ...

A superyacht which belonged to the family of UK businessman Mike Lynch sank off Italian island Sicily yesterday. Six people including Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their wives, have been missing since the yacht sank. Mike Lynch was hosting his friends and family on the 56-metre luxury yacht called "Bayesian" to celebrate his win in a big US fraud case when the tragedy happened, according to news agency AFP. A total of 22 people were aboard the boat. Mike Lynch's wife Angela Bacares is among the fifteen people who were rescued before the yacht sank. Here are 5 facts about UK tycoon Mike Lynch:  Mike Lynch was born in 1965 and was raised in Chelmsford town near London. His mother was a nurse and father was a fireman.  Mike Lynch went to Cambridge University where he studied physics, mathematics and biochemistry. He then went on to research signal processing for hi...

The Indian community in New York celebrated the India Day Parade with great fervour. Hundreds of people from the Indian community and also Americans participated in the parade held yesterday. The parade featured a float of Ayodhaya's Ram Mandir replica. Several celebrities such as Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha, Pankaj Tripathi and Indian actor-politician Manoj Tiwari participated in the event. People carried Indian flags, sang patriotic songs, played drums and danced as they marched through New York city. The New York Police Department was also a part of the grand celebration.  Here's a glimpse of the India Day Parade in New York city-  Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha, Pankaj Tripathi and actor-politician Manoj Tiwari attended the India Day Parade in NYC. Photo Credit: Screengrab from video posted on X by @ANI NYPD auxiliaries marched in the India Independence Day Parade. Photo Credit: Image posted on X by @NYPDauxiliary Newly crowned Miss New Jersey, Hoboken...