Budget 2023 To Set Foundation For Growth Amid Global Gloom: 10 Facts

1. Predictably, India's middle class is looking for some form of income-tax relief. Though the tax slab wasn't changed and no new deduction was announced last year, inflation has eaten into people's earnings. They haven't seen a change in tax rate since 2017-18 and in tax slab since July 2014.
2. Ms Sitharaman may be able to afford a balanced, not a populist, Budget since the general election is still a year and one more Union Budget away. Still, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP hoping to win a third consecutive term, massive welfare programmes for farmers and the rural population can't be ruled out.
3. The Finance Ministry had been considering increasing the limit under 80C, which includes investment in life insurance, fixed deposit, bonds, housing and public provident fund. If this happens, it will encourage savings and help raise rainy day funds of people whose savings were eroded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. The markets in India - Asia's third-biggest economy - will be closely watched when Ms Sitharaman begins her Budget speech at 11 am. Adani group companies led most of the fluctuations last week, but on Tuesday its Rs 20,000 crore follow-on share sale sailed through, bringing relief to the group that's facing allegations of fraud made by US-based short-seller Hindenburg.
5. The Modi government may strengthen its "Make In India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" policies by giving financial benefits to manufacturers and suppliers who want to set up shop in the country. India has been advertising itself as an alternative to China in the global supply chain.
6. The real estate sector, which nosedived during the pandemic, expects the centre to announce favourable schemes and tax breaks to improve its luck after a slow but surefooted revival last year. In 2019, the goods and services tax, or GST, council cut the tax rate on affordable houses from 8 per cent to 1 per cent. The sector expects similar announcements in this Budget too.
7. Over half of India's population is under 30. For them, the focus would be on job security and reduced tax on products that they prefer to buy, such as electronic goods. Better terms for education loans and other forms of financial help for school and higher education will be keenly watched.
8. The farm sector went through difficult times in 2022 due to global supply problems, unseasonal rains and floods, effects of climate change and the war in Ukraine. Ms Sitharaman would likely have something to cushion them from all these shocks. After all, farmers make for a large and influential voter base.
9. Ms Sitharaman may pick up from where she left on "digital rupee", which was first announced in last year's Budget as a possible alternative to cryptocurrencies. Crypto trades have in recent times become wildly popular across the globe, albeit risky since there's exists a grey area of regulation. The Finance Minister may give a status update on "digital rupee".
10. A Bloomberg brief of what to expect includes extension of long-term capital gains tax to immovable property and unlisted shares, compensation to oil retailers for selling fuel below market prices, cut in import taxes on gold to 10 per cent to rein in illegal shipments and increase in defence budget amid border tensions with China. 

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The DJ Who Mixes Bouncy Tunes to Get the Partygoers Grooving: DJ Tarun

DJ Tarun is known for his amazing energy on stage and his ability to create a vibrant atmosphere. 

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Parrot Owner Fined Rs 74 Lakh After Bird Injures Doctor In Taiwan

After a pet parrot wounded a doctor, a Taiwanese man was fined $91,350 (Rs 74 lakh) along with a two-month prison sentence, according to a report in the BBC. Dr Lin fractured his pelvis and dislocated his hip after a fall caused due to the bird. 

As per Taiwan's Central News Agency, the macaw shocked the doctor after landing on his back and flapping its wings frantically. 

The owner had brought the bird and another macaw for a jog close to where Dr Lin was running, according to testimony in court. Dr Lin also filed a civil claim for damages for his financial losses against the macaw's owner, Huang, as per the outlet.  He said in court that he spent a week in the hospital after suffering injuries and was unable to work for six months due to recovery including three months of special care.

The doctor in question is a plastic surgeon and needs to stand for long hours to perform surgery, therefore, the injury led to heavy financial loss. His lawyer said, "He can now walk, but if he stands for long periods, there is still numbness."

According to a media spokesperson for the Tainan District Court's administrative division, the case is "rare" and different from any that has been heard in a civil court in the previous decade. 

As per the BBC, the court concluded that Huang's negligence led to Dr Lin's fall. The judge reportedly stated that the macaw's size, 40 cm tall with a 60 cm wing span meant that the owner of such a huge animal should have taken "protective measures."

Huang stated that he accepts the court's ruling but plans to appeal, claiming that macaws are not violent birds and that the payout is "too high."

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Alia Bhatt to Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bollywood Stars are all Praises for Hansal Mehta's 'Faraaz'

Faraaz Reviews: Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor Khan Express How They Are Moved By The Film  

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German Woman Kills "Instagram Lookalike" To Fake Own Death

A 23-year-old German woman has been accused of seeking out a lookalike of herself on social media and killing her in an attempt to fake her own death, reported Telegraph. The brutal and bizarre case has been dubbed "the doppelganger murder."

The police referred to the German woman as Shahraban K, 24, residing in Munich, who had set up a fake Instagram account and tried contacting women who resembled her. After scouting many profiles, she found a cosmetics blogger, Algerian citizen Khadidja O, 23, who lived about 100 miles away, police said.

Both the women had long dark hair and similar complexion.

According to police, Shahraban K and her boyfriend named Sheqir K, 24, reached out to Khadidja and offered beauty products and went to pick her up.

While going back, they stopped in a forest and stabbed the victim over 50 times, police said.

Shahraban K had told her husband that she was going to meet her ex-husband.

When Shahraban didn't return, her parents went looking for her in Ingolstadt and found her Mercedes near the Danube.

On the back seat of the car, the body of a dark-haired young woman brutally murdered was found and they believed it was their daughter, the Telegraph reported.

According to police, several knives were reportedly found nearby and the car was reportedly discovered not far from Sheqir K's flat.

After doing autopsy and DNA tests, it was found that the body was actually Khadidja O.

Shahraban K and Sheqir K were then arrested.

The police were baffled by the resemblance between the owner of the car and the dead.

Veronika Grieser, an Ingolstadt prosecutor, told the Bild newspaper: "It has been confirmed that the accused had contacted several women via Instagram before the act who seemed to look similar to her.

"It can be assumed that the suspect wanted to go into hiding, due to internal disputes with her family, and fake her own death."

A police spokesman said the killing was done for "base motives."

The spokesman said: "During the return journey, the victim was lured out of the vehicle as planned under a pretext and killed in a wooded area with a large number of stabs in the body.

"The accused then continued their journey to Ingolstadt, where the body was found on the evening of Aug 16th. It was found lying in the vehicle."

Another police spokesman told Bild: "The murder weapon has still not been found but the burden of proof is overwhelming.

"The victim was killed with more than 50 stab wounds and her face was badly injured. That was brutal in the extreme.

"It was an extraordinary case that required all the investigators' skills. We don't have a case like this every day, especially with such a spectacular twist. On the day we found the body, we did not expect it to develop like this."

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Kapil Sharma Announces his Singing Debut ‘Alone’ With Guru Randhawa- See Pic

Kapil Sharma announced that he will be collaborating with singer Guru Randhawa for his debut song 'Alone'.

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SS Rajamouli Unveils Teaser of Nani-Keerthy Suresh Starrer ‘Dasara’- Watch

SS Rajamouli unveiled the teaser of Nani and Keethy Suresh's upcoming film Dasara. The film will release on March 30, 2023.

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NASA Image Shows Mars Craters Looking Like A Teddy Bear

Scientists exploring the surface of the red planet, Mars, discovered a fragment of the rocky planet that was grinning back at them. The face of what appears to be an enormous Martian teddy bear, complete with two beady eyes, a button nose, and an upturned mouth, smiles at the camera of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in the image released by The University of Arizona on January 25. 

The adorable picture was taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as it cruised roughly 251 kilometres above Mars. 

The eyes of the teddy bear are the craters on the planet and the circular fracture pattern seen in the head could have been caused by the "settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater.

HiPOD: A Bear on Mars?

This feature looks a bit like a bear's face. What is it really?

More: https://t.co/MpLQBg38ur

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona#Mars #science #NASA https://t.co/2WUNquTUZH pic.twitter.com/1k2ZnLcJ5o

— HiRISE: Beautiful Mars (NASA) (@HiRISE) January 25, 2023

"This feature looks a bit like a bear's face. What is it really? There's a hill with a V-shaped collapse structure (the nose), two craters (the eyes), and a circular fracture pattern (the head). The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater. Maybe the nose is a volcanic or mud vent and the deposit could be lava or mudflows? Maybe just grin and bear it," reads a statement from the University of Arizona's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera blog.

The popular "Star Trek" Starfleet logo was found on the surface of Mars by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in June 2019. A set of odd chevron symbols were photographed by the Orbiter on a Martian sand dune in the southeast Hellas Planitia region.

The team claims that wind, lava and dunes formed the shapes on the red planet. After an eruption, lava encircled the initial enormous crescent-shaped dunes, which solidified afterwards. The wind moved a lot of the sand as it passed over the dunes, and in the end, it produced "footprints," also known as "dune casts," that show the presence of dunes that were encircled by lava.

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Priyanka Chopra Finally Reveals Daughter Malti Marie's Face to the World - See Viral Pics, Video

Priyanka Chopra's Daughter: The actress revealed Malti Marie's face to the media and in public for the first time, weeks after she turned one.

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22-Year-Old Medical Aspirant Dies By Suicide In Kota Hostel Room

A 22-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly hanged himself in his hostel room under the Kunhari police station area here, police said on Monday.

The dead was identified as Ranjeet Singh (22), a resident of Rajrooppur village in the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, he arrived in Kota and enrolled himself at a coaching institute in August, last year.

According to a 4 to 5 pages of handwritten note recovered from Singh's room, he was disturbed, circle officer of the area DSP Shankar Lal said.

He had written on spiritualism, depression and gods and goddesses, he added.

While talking with Singh over a call on Sunday, his family had got a hint of their son's condition. They had even left for Kota to meet him. However, by the time they reached the hostel, Singh had ended his life, the official said.

He was also skipping classes since mid-December last year, the CO said.

The body was handed over to the father after postmortem later in the evening and further investigation into the matter is underway.

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

Helplines
Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health	9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com
TISS iCall	022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm)
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

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Ex Google Employee Found Out He Was Fired While Feeding Newborn At 2 AM

A former Google employee has revealed that he found out about his layoff at 2 am while he was feeding his newborn daughter. Nicholas Dufau said he felt "acutely expendable" when he received the email days after the birth of his first child.

The Los Angeles-based lawyer was working as the Associate Product Counsel for Google for the last six months. Mr Dufau was on parental leave after his daughter was born in the early hours of January 17. 

Mr Dufau took to LinkedIn to share the same. He said, "Last Tuesday morning at 2am, I became a father. The next day, my Google teammates showered me with heart emojis and virtual confetti, wishing me well on my paternity leave. On Friday morning at 2am while feeding my infant, I received a notification that I had lost access to my Google corporate accounts. I had been laid off via automated email." He also shared a picture of himself feeding his little one on his company's Slack channel. 

He stated that his colleagues said that Google was a company "that treasured its employees" and encouraged him to take the full extent of his parental leave. "And so last week marked the end of my 6 month stint at Google where I worked on a team packed with intelligent, driven, and kind folks who welcomed me into their Google family. They reassured me that the company was one that treasured its employees and encouraged me to take the full extent of my parental leave to cherish this precious time with my family," he stated. 

Mr Dufau said that he has been thankful to his team who valued him as a person. 

"Every layoff hurts-the timing of this experience, however, not only made me feel acutely expendable, it made me feel naive. Fortunately, many of my former colleagues have reached out with warmest wishes and sympathies, all while they continue to navigate what I'm sure are tumultuous times at Google," the former Google employee added. 

He added that his wife and newborn daughter are giving him comfort and are trying to lift his spirits. Concluding the post, he said, "They have shown me that whatever difficulties I may be facing, I still have so much more to be thankful for. #google," 

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5 Goal-Setting Strategies to Set Realistic Goals by Gaur Gopal Das to Stay Focused

The new year is in full swing. Most of us began the year with a list of goals for self-improvement. While it is exciting to set New Year resolutions, many fail to sustain them because the goals are unrealistic. Here are goal-setting strategies to follow in 2023.

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Shah Rukh Khan Performs ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’ Hook Step, Gives Flying Kisses to Fans Outside Mannat- Watch

Shah Rukh Khan showered his love on fans on Sunday as a crowd gathered outside Mannat after the massive box office success of  Pathaan.

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Bigg Boss 16 Day 120 Updates: Shekhar Suman Reveals Inner Voices of Housemates in the Funniest Way

Archana and Shalin got into a verbal spat when she accuses him of speaking ill about Soundarya and Tina. Shekhar Suman reveals inner voices of the housemates in a hilarious way.

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535 Fall Sick Due To Water Contamination In Many Villages In Himachal

The number of people taken ill after allegedly consuming contaminated water in a dozen villages of Nadaun sub-division in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district rose to 535 on Sunday.

People from a dozen villages, including Banh, Jandgi Gujran, Jandali Rajputan, Panyala, Pathiyalu, Niyati, Rangas Chowki Haar, Thain and Sankar have been affected by the outbreak of water-borne diseases.

Rajeev Kumar, the head of Rangas panchayat, had earlier in the day said the number of people taken ill crossed 300. Some patients have been referred to hospitals in Hamirpur.

Two to three people in every household have taken ill after consuming contaminated water provided by the Jal Shakti department, he added.

It is believed that the high amount of bacteria in the water is causing the illness, Mr Kumar said. He attributed it to contamination of the pit from which the water is supplied.

Villagers said the water was supplied without being filtered from an under-construction tank, causing the outbreak.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who is also the MLA from Naudan, has directed the district administration and the Health department to take proper care of the patients and ensure no shortage of medicines and other items.

He has also sought a complete report from state- and district-level agencies.

Health department teams have reached the affected villages to provide treatment to the people under the direct supervision of Chief Medical Officer (Hamirpur) Dr RK Agnihotri.

Officials from the Jal Shakti department have swung into action. It has stopped water supply to the affected villages and sent samples for testing.

Bottled water is being distributed among the people after supply was stopped, said a junior engineer in the department.

Deputy Commissioner Debasweta Banik said essential medicines, ORS packets, chlorine tablets and other materials were delivered to the villages through doctors, health and Asha workers.

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

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Rajinikanth Issues Public Notice Against Illegal Usage of his Name, Image and Voice

Superstar Rajinikanth has issued a public notice on the infringement of rights, and warned of legal action against those who commercially exploit his name, image, voice, etc., without taking his consent.

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Hundreds In Mumbai March Against 'Love Jihad', Demand Anti-Conversion Laws

Activists of right-wing organisations took out a massive rally in Mumbai on Sunday against 'love jihad' and demanded anti-conversion laws and a crackdown on land grabbing in the name of religion.

Leaders and workers of right-wing outfits such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) marched in the rally.

Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha, organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj, began from Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai and culminated at Kamgar Maidan in Parel, covering a distance of more than 4 km.

Activists shouted slogans against "love jihad", and demanded anti-conversion laws and a crackdown on land grabbing in the name of religion.

Several leaders and MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and those of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction also participated in the rally.

Police personnel were deployed along the route of the march to prevent any untoward incident.

"Love jihad" is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said last December that the government would study laws on "love jihad" framed by other states and take an appropriate decision.

He had also spoken about a "feeling" in the legislature regarding the Shraddha Walkar case that instances of "love jihad" are seen at a large scale in the state.

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

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Centre Shows Step-Motherly Treatment Towards State: Telangana Minister

Alleging that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre shows step-motherly treatment towards Telangana, ruling BRS leader and Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao claimed his party is ready for early polls if the BJP dissolves the Lok Sabha, showing its willingness for early elections.

The BJP-led government has not announced any new institution or funds to Telangana and not even delivered on the promises made to the State in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, he alleged.

"They say 'sab ka saath, sab ka vishwas'. But, their actions are 'sab kuch bakwas' (all rubbish). The value of rupee is moving towards the 'pathalam' (abyss), the debt is mounting towards the sky. Such is the situation prevailing in the country today," he told reporters in Nizamabad.

The NDA government waived off loans for its "corporate friends", he alleged.

"...especially those in BJP in the State, they talk big. If they have guts, let them dissolve Parliament. Then, we can go for early polls together," he said.

The BRS and BJP have been engaged in political one-upmanship ahead of Legislative Assembly polls to be held towards this year-end. 

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

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Shama Sikander Flaunts Curves in Corset top, Bikini Bottom, Strikes Sensuous Pose, See Pics

Actress Shama Sikander is back to setting the internet on fire with another fiery photoshoot. Her latest photos in corset top is absolutely jaw-dropping.   

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Watch: PM Modi Releases Special Rs 75 Coins At Delhi NCC Event

India's time has come, and the driving force of the country's development journey is its Yuva Shakti, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the NCC rally on Saturday.

The NCC rally was held on the occasion of the commemoration of 75 years at the Cariappa Ground in Delhi. Notably, 196 officers and cadets from 19 foreign countries also participated in the rally.

Addressing the event, PM Modi said, "NCC is celebrating 75 years of its formation. Those who have represented NCC over the last 75 years have been a part of it. I appreciate their contribution to nation-building. India is proud of the determination and spirit of service of the NCC cadets."

Addressing the NCC rally in Delhi. We are proud of the determination of the cadets. https://t.co/9QkgIrXELa

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2023

"Both as NCC cadets, and as a youth, you are representing an 'Amrit Pidhi' (Amrit generation), which will help in making the country developed and Atmanirbhar. We all witnessed the role, NCC is playing in our lives," he added.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi released a special day cover and a commemorative specially minted coins of Rs 75 denomination on the occasion of the commemoration of 75 successful years of NCC.

He appreciated the increase in the number of girls in the police and paramilitary forces over the years.

"The youth of the country are benefiting from India's defense sector reforms. In the last eight years, the number of our daughters in the police and paramilitary forces has doubled. Today, we see the deployment of women in all three wings of the armed force," he said.

Praising the enthusiasm of the youth, PM Modi said the youth would always be the priority of the country.

"The youth of a country whose youth are full of enthusiasm and youth will always be the priority of that country. Today's India is also trying to give that platform to all its young friends who can fulfill their dreams," he said.

PM Modi pointed out the opportunities in front of youth, because of the startup and digital revolution.

"The youth are the biggest beneficiaries of the Digital revolution, Startup revolution, or innovation revolution. The country opened the doors of the space sector for the youth. In no time, the first private satellite was launched. Similarly, the animation and gaming sector is a pool of opportunities for the youth," he further said.

He further said that India's time has come and the country's development is being driven by the youth.

"India's time has arrived. Today the whole world is looking towards India and the biggest reason for this is the youth of India. 'Yuva Shakti' is the driving force of India's development journey, said PM Modi," he 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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Bigg Boss 16 Shanivaar Ka Vaar updates: Kartik Aaryan Enters House, Tina Datta Gets Evicted

Actor Kartik Aaryan enters the Bigg Boss 16 house to promote his upcoming film 'Shehzada'. The actor had a fun moments with housemates including Archana Gautam, Tina Datta and Nimrit Kaur.

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S Jaishankar Invokes Mahabharata's Pandavas In Fresh Jibe Against Pak

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that just as the Pandavas could not choose their relatives, India cannot choose its geographical neighbours.

"It is a reality to us ... Pandavas could not choose relatives, we can't choose our neighbours. Naturally, we hope good sense prevails" said EAM S Jaishankar when asked if "a neighbour and rogue nation (Pakistan), who happens to be nuclear power, will be an asset or a liability."

S Jaishankar was in Pune for the release of his English book "The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World," which has been translated into Marathi as 'Bharat Marg'.

The Marathi version of S Jaishankar's book was released by Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.

When asked about the economic situation in Pakistan, S Jaishankar said that he cannot comment on what is happening in Pakistan.

The World Bank has slashed Pakistan's economic growth by half -- from 4 per cent to 2 per cent for the current fiscal year, saying Islamabad faces mounting economic difficulties, reported The News International.

"Nonetheless, Pakistan faces mounting economic difficulties and Sri Lanka remains in crisis. In all regions, improvements in living standards over the half-decade to 2024 are expected to be slower than from 2010-19," read the World Bank in Global Economic Prospects report.

Pakistan's economic condition is precarious with low foreign exchange reserves and large fiscal and current account deficits that have been further worsened by severe flooding.

About one-third of the country's land area was affected, damaging infrastructure, and directly affecting about 15 per cent of the population, reported The News International.

Moreover, with low foreign exchange reserves and rising sovereign risk, Pakistan saw its currency depreciate by 14 per cent between June and December and its country risk premium rise by 15 percentage points over this same period.

Amid this Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has agreed to meet all conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the early resumption of the next review.

Shehbaz Sharif on January 24 said that Pakistan's ruling PDM alliance is ready to sacrifice its "political career for the sake of the country" by accepting IMF's "stringent" conditions to revive the loan programme.

Reports reveal that over 9,000 containers are stuck at different Pakistani seaports, threatening to disrupt the supply chains of essential goods. Inflation in the country has risen to almost 30 per cent. The country's funds are running low and food prices are increasing.

According to Islam Khabar, importers are unable to clear containers due to a shortage of dollars, while shipping companies are threatening to suspend Pakistan's operations over the country's failure to make timely payments. This will negatively impact both imports and exports.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has only USD 4.4 billion in forex reserves, barely enough for three weeks of imports, while the estimated needs to clear the containers and pending requests for opening more letters of credit is in the range of USD 1.5 billion to USD 2 billion, according to the Islam Khabar report.

Businesses in Pakistan are at risk of closure due to a breakdown of supply chains as domestically manufactured goods rely on imported raw materials. The textile industry in Pakistan is also in a critical position as it is losing credibility and market share among international buyers.

Hospitals in the country are running short of medicines, and there may soon be shortages of goods such as wheat, fertilizers, and gasoline.

Prime Minister Sharif has thus asked people to conserve resources such as water, gas, and electricity to assist the government in reducing its import bill, which has risen significantly in recent years.

S Jaishankar also said that the Indus Waters Treaty is a technical matter and future course of action will depend on talks between the Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan.

"This is a technical matter, Indus Commissioners of both countries will talk about the Indus Water Treaty. We can only discuss our future steps after that," he said.

India issued notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad's actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty.

The notice was conveyed on January 25 through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT.

The objective of the notice for modification is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT. This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years.

India has always been a responsible partner in implementing the IWT. Pakistan's actions, however, have encroached on the provisions of IWT and their implementation and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT.

Highlighting sea-change in India's foreign policy, S Jaishankar said that the country's influence has reached beyond the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Speaking at the publication ceremony of the book "Bharat Marg" written by S Jaishankar, he said, "Nowadays India's influence has reached beyond the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, this is why I speak on history, big countries always think only about themselves, this is a deficiency in their DNA."

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

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Rhea Chakraborty Turns Muse to the Morning Sunlight, Looks Radiant in New Post

Taking to her social media, the actress shared a reel capturing her really gorgeous photos in the morning sunlight.

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Bigg Boss 16 Weekend Ka Vaar Updates: Anil Kapoor, Mika Singh Grace the BB House with host and dost Farah Khan

The superstar seems delighted to see Archana, who has added yet another feather to her cap by turning a shayara in the coveted house. 

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Rhea Chakraborty Turns Muse to the Morning Sunlight, Looks Radiant in New Post

Taking to her social media, the actress shared a reel capturing her really gorgeous photos in the morning sunlight.

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'Hire Some Good Researchers': Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui slams Sidharth Malhotra's 'Mission Majnu' makers

The film, which released on Netflix, follows Amandeep Singh IPS, a RAW field operative who heads to Pakistan on an undercover mission to investigate about Pakistan's involvement in creating nuclear weapons.

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18 Exotic Animals Seized From 3 Passengers At Bengaluru Airport

Revenue intelligence officers have intercepted 3 passengers arriving from Bangkok at the Bengaluru airport and recovered 18 non-indigenous animals.

"Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers intercepted three passengers, including a lady passenger, arriving from Bangkok at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru on 22-01-2023," the finance ministry said in a statement.

Upon examination of their checked-in baggage resulted in the recovery of non-indigenous 18 animals (4 primates and 14 reptiles) with the assistance of Karnataka Forest Department officials, it added.

The quick follow-up action with the assistance of Karnataka Forest Department officials resulted in the recovery of another 139 animals belonging to 48 different species.

The recovered animals include extremely rare and threatened species like the yellow and green anaconda, yellow headed amazon parrot, nile monitor, red foot tortoise, iguanas, ball pythons, alligator gar, yaki monkey, veiled chameleon, racoon dog, white headed piones etc. were handed over to Bannerghatta Biological Park.

Four persons involved in the smuggling into India have also been placed under arrest, so far, it added.

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

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Bigg Boss 16 Weekend Ka Vaar Updates: Anil Kapoor, Mika Singh Grace the BB House with host and dost Farah Khan

The superstar seems delighted to see Archana, who has added yet another feather to her cap by turning a shayara in the coveted house. 

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"Hope For All Women": Shoaib Malik After Sania Mirza's Aus Open Heroics

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza capped off her glorious Grand Slam career with a runners-up finish, alongside Rohan Bopanna in the Australian Open mixed doubles final on Friday. The he unseeded Indian duo went down 6-7(2) 2-6 to the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Mataos in the final at the Rod Laver Arena. After Sania's final Grand Slam match, veteran Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, who is her husband, took to Twitter and shared a heartwarming post for the 36-year-old.

Malik congratulated his wife, Sania, on what has been an amazing career, adding that "you're an inspiration for many".

- You are the much needed hope for all the women in sports. Super proud of you for all you have achieved in your career. You're an inspiration for many, keep going strong. Many congratulations on an unbelievable career... pic.twitter.com/N6ziDeUGmV

— Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik) January 27, 2023

Sania, who earlier announced that the WTA event in Dubai next month will be her swansong, is India's most accomplished woman tennis player, having won six Grand Slam title, including three mixed doubles trophies.

She had won the the mixed doubles titles at the 2009 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open with Mahesh Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open with Brazillian Bruno Soares.

The Rod Laver Arena has been a happy hunting ground for the Hyderabadi. She has a women's doubles and mixed doubles title each and has finished runner up four times at the Australian Open.

"It started in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round as an 18-year-old and that was scarily enough 18 years ago. I have had the privilege to come back here again and again, win some tournaments here and play some great finals amongst you all.

"Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life and I coudn't think of a better arena to finish my career at in a Grand Slam," Sania said.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Bigg Boss 16: Tina Datta Evicted From House Ahead of Gand Finale?

Tina Datta, who stayed in news for her 'love-hate' relationship with Shalin Bhanot in 'Bigg Boss 16', is the latest contestant to have been evicted from the show. 

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Stray Dog Goes On A Biting Spree In This Bihar Town, 70 Injured

A stray dog went on a biting spree, attacking 70 people in Ara town of Bihar, police said on Thursday.

Bhojpur Superintendent of Police Pramod Kumar said that the dog attacked 70 people in Shivganj, Shitla Tola, Mahadeva Road and Sadar Hospital areas on Wednesday.

He said all the injured people are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

The police and civic authorities have intensified the search for the dog, he said, adding security personnel have also been deployed in certain areas.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Video: Supermodel Kristen McMenamy Ditches Heels After She Falls On Runway

A video has surfaced on the internet which shows supermodel Kristen McMenamy tripping and falling in stilettos at Valentino's spring 2023 haute couture show in Paris.

The video shows a supermodel struggling to walk in sky-high stilettos on the runway, she soon falls down and ditches the heels. The supermodel visibly annoyed take off her heels.

However, Ms McMenamy is unable to walk back after the tumble, maybe because of a possible foot injury. The supermodel was able to finish her walk.

The caption of the video reads, "it's like every season Valentino have an issue with their heels?"

Watch the video here:

it's like every season valentino have an issue with their heels? pic.twitter.com/xtdw84YT3x

— michealla✨ (@PRADAXBBY) January 25, 2023

The video has collected nearly 6 million views on Twitter. A user commented, "by the look on her face I can tell she probably already told them the shoes didn't fit and they made her wear them anyway only for this to be the moment. y'all have no idea how the fashion shows can be hell backstage."

Another user wrote, "I don't understand how literal VALENTINO still makes models walk in shoes that are too small???"

The third user commented, "I fear they just aren't giving the correct sizes or their shoes are just that bad to walk in because if you have a Nineties legend tripping like that? Hmm."

Ms McMenamy's walk after the fall also left concerned some social media users.

A user wrote, "The shoes messed her up so bad she forgot how to walk on her own feet."

Another user wrote, "Look at how her feet were still wobbly after she took them off. I don't have Valentino shoes but from my experience wearing other brands like Balenciaga, YSL, etc, I find that luxury shoes are mostly not comfortable."

Poking fun at the incident Ms McMenamy also posted a picture of her and captioned it, "Before the fall."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristen McMenamy (@kristen_mcmenamy)

For the show, the supermodel wore a net-embellished white off-shoulder cocktail dress. She teamed it with bright pink gloves.

Valentino's unwalkable shoes also made headlines last year. The models tripped or fell while showcasing Spring/Summer 2023 collection.

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Arjun Rampal celebrates Republic Day with Indian Community in Sydney, shares photos

Actor Arjun Rampal was invited a special guest for the Republic Day celebrations in Australia. 

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Amazon Staff In UK Claims Their Toilet Breaks Were Timed

Staff at Amazon's Coventry warehouse in the UK has claimed that they have to go without toilet breaks. The workers further claimed that they work in "severe" conditions and are constantly monitored, a BBC report said. The workers of the Coventry warehouse recently signed up to join the GMB union and held their first-ever strike on Wednesday over wages and severe working conditions.

The staff are upbraided for "ideal time" lasting just a few minutes. Amazon has a system that recognises great performance," BBC reported.

Two Amazon workers told BBC that the robots in the warehouse "are treated better than us".

Darren Westwood and Garfield Hilton said that the managers asked questions if they took a toilet break.

"The thing with stopping work is that they want to know why," said Mr Hilton. "So if the time is beyond a couple of minutes they can see it on the system."

Mr Hilton shared that he has diabetes and it is not always possible to find toilets close by in the building and the process of locating one and returning can sometimes take upwards of 15 minutes. "They will then question you, 'what were you doing?'"

That's not all, the managers also track staff performance and time.

However, a spokesman for Amazon said: "Performance is only measured when an employee is at their station and logged in to do their job.

"If an employee logs out, which they can do at any time, the performance management tool is paused."

Amazon said 178 of its 2,000 workers at the warehouse had voted to strike, reported Reuters.

The walk-out is just the latest in Britain, which is facing its worst industrial unrest since Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, with staff from key sectors, including nurses and ambulance workers as well as from the railways and the legal profession staging strikes in fights for better pay.

Amazon, which employs 75,000 people across the UK, increased starting pay by 50 pence to a minimum of between 10.50 and 11.45 pounds ($12.95 to $14.12) per hour last year, compared with a minimum wage in Britain that is set to rise to 10.42 in April.
 

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Drivers Under Influence Of Drugs, Alcohol To Have Licences Cancelled In Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday ordered cancellation of licence of those who drive vehicles after consuming drugs or alcohol. The order is a part of efforts to wage a war on drug menace in the state.

Officials concerned should use the facility of special vehicles available for detecting the increasing consumption of narcotics or alcohol among drivers, Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Pinarayi Vijayan was speaking at a high-level meeting organised in connection with road safety.

He said strict action should be taken against traffic violators. For this, patrolling should be strengthened and presence of police should be ensured, he said.

"Steps should be taken to cancel the licence of those persons who drive vehicles after consuming drugs," the Chief Minister said at the meeting.

To check the menace of stunts done on bikes, cyber patrolling should be strengthened with the use of modern technology, he said.

Licence of repeated offenders of traffic rules should be cancelled, he added.

 

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

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Happy Republic Day 2023: Patriotic Wishes, Images, Greetings, WhatsApp Messages to Share

Republic Day wishes: The stage is all set for the 74th Republic Day, which will be celebrated with pomp and show across the country. Here are some warm wishes evoking patriotism that you can share with your loved ones on this special day.

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Watch: Man Goes On A Coffee Date With His Three Cats In New York

If you are a pet parent, then you know the pure joy of pampering your pet. Now, a video has gone viral on the internet which shows three cats on a coffee date with a man in New York City. The three furry cats named Sponge Cake, Mocha, and Donut went on a coffee date with their hooman.

The video posted Sponge Cake + Mocha + Donut on Instagram, the clip shows the three felines having a wonderful day in NYC. The video further shows cats sniffing croissants and then being rewarded with treats. The video will definitely make you smile.

The caption of the video reads, "Would you like to join us for coffee in NYC?"

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sponge Cake + Mocha + Donut (@spongecake_thescottishfold)

The video was posted on January 14 and so far it has amassed 4.7 million views on Instagram. Netizens posted adorable comments for the cats. A user wrote, "Save a spot for me."

Another user wrote, "Yeah mine would immediately run away to explore the entirety of the city and probably get hit by a bus not 5 minutes later."

The third user commented, "Awwww the babies never run away when you put them in the stroller?"

The fourth user wrote, "Oh no- we missed you by only 10 minutes! My son was laughing- of all the tourist sites, I want to see the cats!"

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Pathaan Release: Deepika Padukone’s Saffron Bikini Scene from 'Besharam Rang' Makes it to the Final cut

Deepika Padukone's saffron bikini scene from action-thriller Pathaan has made it to the final cut even after getting mired in controversy.

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Noida Tea Seller Bids Rs 3.25 Lakh Per Month For A Kiosk

A tea seller, Sonu Kumar Jha has made a bid of paying a monthly rent of Rs 3.25 lakh for a 7 by 7 feet kiosk in Noida's Sector 18.

Noida Authority conducted an auction for the Kisk K-3 along with six other kiosks under its "allotment of commercial kiosks", earlier this month. The base price of the kiosk was around Rs 27,000 per month.

Kiosk K-3 is situated near triangle park in front of the fast food restaurant chain McDonald's in the Sector-18 market.

Sonu Kumar Jha sells gutka and tea along with his other family members. There were 20 other contenders who participated in the auction. 

"Sonu will have to deposit 14 months' rent in advance to Noida Authority, i.e. around Rs 45 lakh in order to get possession of the kiosk," Sonu's father, Digambar Jha in an interview with NDTV.

Sonu's father has full confidence that his son will earn profit from the business. They plan to sell more food-related items.

Digambar Jha told NDTV that Noida Authority often removes unauthorised shops. With the K-3 kiosk, there will be no such issues and it will be a permanent solution.

 

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Viral Video Shows A Food Market Set On Railway Tracks In Thailand

Thailand's Maeklong Railway Station in Samut Songkhram province is a tourist attraction. The station has Rom Hup Market which literally sits on the railway track.

According to Thailand tourism's website, the market is spread over a 100-metre stretch and is open from 6 am to 6 pm. It is a common fresh market selling seafood, vegetable, fruits, fresh and dried food, meats and other miscellaneous goods. The market is called the 'life-risking' market because its stalls are attached to the Mae Klong-Ban Laem railway, which is a short railway line running from and to Mahachai and Mae Klong.

Vendors at the market put out parasols or canvases to protect themselves against the sun. The shelters stick into the railway where visitors walk and do their shopping. When each signal of the arriving train rings, chaos happens: vendors will rush to close their parasols and canvas, along with clearing all goods that will obstruct the coming train at a great speed.

A video of it was shared by Eric Solheim on Twitter. The caption of the video reads, "Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand a marketplace with a railway track through it."

Watch the video here:

Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand 🇹🇭 a marketplace with a railway track through it 🛒@RebeccaH2030

pic.twitter.com/MDR3CkK6EL

— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) January 23, 2023

The video has amassed over 26,000 views on Twitter. A user commented, "Not sure I would buy that produce/edibles so close to the tracks, seems uncaring selling & feeding to another.  Makes sense some laws that are in place."

Another user commented, "This is the original version of online shopping."

The third user commented, "Growing up, we used to have this along the Railway line in Mushin. In fact, they sit and sell between the tracks. It is the railway horn that disperses them. I saw new guard rails when I went home recently and notices everywhere, which is good."

 

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Anupam Mittal Responds To Harsh Goenka's Tweet On Judges' Losses

Industrialist Harsh Goenka often tweets about motivational and uplifting content for his fans and followers on social media. However, this time he posted a tweet on Shark Tank India judges and their businesses, claiming that the majority of their ventures are losing money. He said that whenever he "thinks of sharks", he links it to the Hollywood movie 'Jaws' and bleeding. Shaadi.com founder and Shark Tank judge Anupam Mittal has now responded to the Chairperson of the RPG Group calling his data "biased and incomplete".

Mr Goenka had tweeted a screenshot of the profit of the companies headed by judges at Shark Tank in FY2022. The data claimed to show that only Aman Gupta's company BoAt made a profit of Rs 79 crore. Amit Jain, Founder of CarDekho suffered a loss of Rs 246 crore while Peyush Bansal's Lenskart incurred a loss of Rs 102 crore in the financial year. It further showed that Shaadi.com, founded by Anupam Mittal, reported a loss of Rs 27 crore and Sugar Cosmetics, headed by Vineeta Singh, had Rs 75 crore losses. Mr Goenka tweeted alongside the image, "I enjoy #SharkTankIndia as a program and I think it is a great platform for our budding entrepreneurs. But whenever I think of sharks, I think of the movie 'Jaws' and bleeding!"

I enjoy #SharkTankIndia as a program and I think it is a great platform for our budding entrepreneurs.
1
But whenever I think of sharks, I think of the movie ‘Jaws' and bleeding 🩸! pic.twitter.com/LAmGxQOiU8

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) January 22, 2023

Responding to the same, Mr Mittal said, "I know you meant it in jest, so with all due respect, sir, I think you reacted to what appears to be superficial, biassed, and incomplete data. Happy to learn from stalwarts, but just to clarify, like you, the sharks don't bleed red, we bleed blue, and that's why we do what we do."

I know you meant it in jest so with all due respect sir, I think u reacted to what appears to be superficial, biased & incomplete data. Happy to learn from stalwarts, but just to clarify, like u, the sharks 🦈 don't bleed red, we bleed blue 🇮🇳 & that's why we do what we do 🤗

— Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) January 24, 2023

Many internet users responded to Mr Mittal's tweet by requesting him to present the real numbers. "With due respect to Anupam , can you Pl share the complete and factual data for your fans. Even I don't agree with bleeding," said a user.

"Eliminate all the doubts and give him @hvgoenka complete and accurate data and prove him wrong," added a second person.

Another user stated, Clearly, #SharkTankIndia is a show where huge loss making entrepreneurs judge and humiliate profit making entrepreneurs."

Several users also came out in support of the "shark" and stated that he gave a "good reply."

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Watch: Indian Army Personnel Practice For Republic Day Parade

As we are inching closer to the 74th Republic Day, preparations for the grand celebration in New Delhi are underway. In such a scenario, a video showing the Republic Day parade rehearsal of the Indian Army has surfaced. The clip, shared on Instagram, was posted by the official handle Indian Army.

In the clip, we see Indian Army personnel's practice routine for the Republic Day parade. The video shows army personnel waking up at 3.30 am at the Delhi cantonment to get ready for the day. Further in the video, the jawaan gather all at Sarva Dharma Sthal and collect the arms and finally leave for Kartavya Path.

The caption of the post reads, "We are Ready.......Are You..?.....2 Days to go!"

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Indian Army (@indianarmy.adgpi)

The video was posted 15 hours ago and since being uploaded it has amassed over 1 million views on Instagram. A user commented, "Bharat Mata Ki Jaiiii Jai Hind Jai Bharat." 

Another user wrote, "So proud of Indian Army! Keep shining as always."

The third user commented, "We are proud of our Indian army, Jai Hind." 

"Yes sir, all Indians are ready JAI HIND," the fourth expressed. 

This year would also see the first and last participation by Indian Navy's spy plane IL 38 flying over the Kartavya Path on Republic Day this year.

The Republic Day fly-past will comprise 45 Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters from the Indian Army, said Wing Commander Indranil Nandi.

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Bigg Boss 16 Day 116 Updates: It Is Mandali v/s Priyanka Over Nimrit's TTFW, Things Go Ugly Between Archana And 'Udariyaan' Actor

For every violation, housemates will be asked to remove a ring from a rectangular board, which must hit the count of 10 rings to dismiss Nimrit's ticket to finale.

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Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan Leaked Online A Day Before Release: Report

Despite an anti-piracy plea from the makers of Pathaan, the film appears to have been illegally released online a day before its release. Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, is all set to release in over 100 countries on Wednesday.  A bumper opening is expected with record advance bookings selling over 5 lakh tickets for its first day. However, the film is already available on two websites called Filmyzilla and Filmy4wap, reports Times Now.  One website describes their version as a "camrip" and the other as a "pre-DVD rip."

Pathaan producers Yash Raj Films have urged fans to watch the film in cinemas and have cautioned against leaking footage recorded from the big screen. "All set for the biggest action spectacle? A humble request to everyone to refrain from recording any videos, sharing them online and giving out any spoilers. Experience Pathaan only in cinemas," YRF tweeted with an email address to which piracy can be reported.

All set for the biggest action spectacle? A humble request to everyone to refrain from recording any videos, sharing them online and giving out any spoilers. Experience #Pathaan only in cinemas!
Book tickets for #Pathaan now - https://t.co/SD17p6wBSa | https://t.co/cM3IfW7wL7 pic.twitter.com/HmlEKuT6Wj

— Yash Raj Films (@yrf) January 24, 2023

Depressingly, it seems pirates are gonna pirate.

Pathaan has already made a dent in the box office even before release. It's ticket sales for Day 1 – over 5 lakh – are second only to those of Baahubali: The Conclusion.

Pathaan is Shah Rukh Khan's first lead role in four years since Zero and recasts him from romantic hero to action hero. SRK stars in the title role of an agent brought in from the wilderness to tackle an unprecedented terror threat. As Pathaan, SRK teams up with a spy played by Deepika Padukone. Together, they take on terrorist leader Jim, played by John Abraham.

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Shah Rukh Khan drops hilarious comment on Suhana Khan’s pics from Dubai event, says, ‘Too elegant baby...’

Shah Rukh Khan dropped a hilarious comment on daughter Suhana's post after she shared pictures from an event in Dubai.

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Buying Tesla At $420 A Share Was No Joke: Elon Musk In 2018 Tweet Trial

Elon Musk on Monday told jurors that his 2018 tweet about taking Tesla private at $420 a share was no joke and that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was serious about helping him do it.

The Tesla chief returned to the witness stand to answer questions from lawyers for angry investors who accuse him of costing them millions of dollars with a pair of allegedly false tweets about having the funding secured to buy them out.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs focused on Musk's buyout figure of 420, a number that is also a popular rallying code for marijuana, which Musk uses.

"420 was not chosen because of a joke; it was chosen because there was a 20 percent premium over the stock price," Musk said when asked if he was having a laugh when he made the tweet.

Musk added, however, that there was "some karma around 420", though "I should question whether that is good or bad karma at this point."

The case revolves around a pair of tweets in which Musk said "funding secured" for a project to buy out the publicly-traded electric automaker, then in a second tweet added that "investor support is confirmed."

The tweets sent the Tesla share price on a rollercoaster ride and Musk was sued by shareholders who say the tycoon acted recklessly in an effort to squeeze investors who had bet, or "gone short," against the company.

Musk referred to short sellers as "evil" at the trial.

"It's difficult to appreciate just now just how much attack Tesla was under by short sellers who wanted Tesla to die," Musk told jurors.

- 'Done deal' -

But Musk said he fired off the tweets at issue after learning of a Financial Times story about a Saudi Arabian investment fund wanting to acquire a stake in Tesla.

"My concern was that if they knew all of this information, then they could also potentially know about the take-private," Musk said of the news report.

Musk testified that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was "unequivocally, without question" supportive of his project, adding that the head of the fund told him that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was also on board.

"So essentially I took that to mean it was a done deal," Musk said.

When confronted with exchanges with the Saudi fund that showed they wanted more details before committing to his buyout plan, Musk said the fund was "backpedalling".

Musk testified that he understood the fund would do whatever it took to take Tesla private and had plenty of money to do it.

The billionaire added that even without the Saudi fund, he had the personal wealth to take Tesla private at the time, including by using his shares in SpaceX, the company he also runs.

Musk said he had shared some details of his plan with tech billionaire and Tesla investor Larry Ellison, who is among witnesses slated to testify at the fraud trial.

During testimony last week, a Harvard professor called as a witness by the plaintiffs said that Musk's plans were "illusory" and deviated wildly from the way such mega-deals usually take place.

In his own opening remarks, Musk attorney Alex Spiro said that even though the tweets may have been a "reckless choice of words", they were "not fraud, not even close.

"I'm being accused of fraud; it's outrageous," Musk said as his lawyer took over the questioning on Monday.

The tycoon's testimony is set to conclude on Tuesday.

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

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Starbucks Sells "Ajji Approved Filter Copy" For Rs 290, Internet Baffled

Multinational coffee chain Starbucks recently put up an advertisement for a new drink to their menu in Bengaluru - filter coffee. However, several internet users mocked the brand after it advertised "Ajji (grandmother) approved" filter coffee for Rs 290 plus taxes. A user took to share the advertisement and said no grandmother would agree to pay such exorbitant amount for a cup of filter coffee. 

Adithya Venkatesan took to Twitter to share the picture of the advertisement and wrote, "Dear Starbucks, there's literally no ajji in god's green earth who'll approve a filter coffee for 290rs +taxes." In the advertisement, an elderly woman and a young man are shown sipping filter coffee while seated next to one other. The text reads, "AJJI APPROVED FILTER COFFEE FOR SHIVVU. Starting at 290*"

Dear Strbucks, there's literally no ajji in god's green earth who'll approve a filter coffee for 290rs +taxes. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/JtPIhakJdq

— Adithya Venkatesan (@adadithya) January 23, 2023

Since being shared, the tweet has amassed six lakh views and over 15,000 likes. Many people were surprised to see the pricing.

"Literally! They are too much!" remarked a user.

"There's aspirations. Then there's dreams. And then there's nightmares disguised as dreams," added a second person.

A third person commented, "Ajji will make one hot cuppa at home for roughly 'Char bucks'"

"Also I have noticed they never have the smallest size for regular coffee available at Bengaluru airport. And you are stuck with a big cup of essentially frothy milk that takes about 25 mins to finish and costs way more than what it is worth," said a user.

A grandmother commented on the post and said she is simply "shocked." "As an Ajji, I am shocked! Home and Darshini filter coffee at less than one tenth cost have my full approval..." she commented. 

"My grandma will rise from her grave and pull me by my ears if I ever try to buy filter coffee for 290 + tax" commented another person.

This comes after the company had said last year that it would expand its menu to include masala chai and filter coffee, two favourites in India.

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Bigg Boss 16, Day 115 Updates: Shalin breaks down asking Shiv, Stan to nominate him this week

Since the start of this season, the mandali of the house made the impression that they'll stay united beyond the show, but it seems that it is coming apart as fights are getting frequent among its members

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Amid Mass Layoffs, Ashneer Grover Offers An Advice

BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover in a LinkedIn post said that he never had to fire people because of a bad market. Mr Grover said he always hired in a considerate manner. The ex-Shark Tank India judge commented on the mass layoffs taking place across industries.

Mr Grover on LinkedIn wrote, "It's sad to hear about firings every day. I am thankful that I've never had to fire people because of bad markets - because I've always hired considerately. As a founder, you've to think about the long game."

He added, "I had posted about 25 per cent - 40 per cent salary reduction a while back as an alternative to mass firings. I just don't get it why founders won't go down that path. Everything gets repriced: energy, capital, technology. Why not people?"

"Glad I've put on myself a max cap of 50 people in the Third Unicorn. People joining me will have to worry only about building and growth - I've got my team's back," he added.

Check out his post here:

Several multinational companies including Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Meta, Google and Swiggy are laying off thousands of employees. The beginning of 2023 has been filled with headlines announcing job cuts at company after company.

In November, Mr Grover talked about "cost-cutting to extend runway" and the concept of "real salary vs paid salary".

In another post on LinkedIn, Mr Grover wrote, "In 2021, the real salary (at which markets clear) at which your employees were getting poached was higher than the salary you were paying. In 2022 the real salary at which people will find jobs (if at all) if you let them go is lower than salaries you are paying. So if you think you will need people back - simply reduce salary by 25% (40% in case of tech employees) rather than doing mass layoffs. It's a better solution as rehiring will be really uphill and costly. Reinstating salary is click of a button away."

 

 

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Residents Of "Very Safe" Monterey Park Shocked After California Shooting

The "Year of the Rabbit" began in horror on Sunday for the inhabitants of Monterey Park, the largely Asian American suburb of Los Angeles where a mass shooting left 10 people dead.

In this city of 60,000 people, red lanterns and banners in Chinese characters celebrating the Lunar New Year still fluttered over a roadway.

But around the dance hall where the shooting unfolded, yellow police tape and heavily armed policemen supplanted any sign of festivities.

"This kind of thing doesn't happen here," said Wynn Liaw, a neighbor who came to this popular senior citizens' venue after hearing news bulletins.

Liaw, a 57-year-old retired veterinarian, has lived the past four decades in Monterey Park.

She still finds it hard to believe that a massacre unfolded here, behind the white-and-green awning of the venue she passes daily to do her shopping.

"This is a very safe neighborhood, where I can walk alone at night and where I don't have to worry about gun violence," she told AFP as police helicopters whirred overhead.

On Saturday night, a gunman entered the ballroom and killed five men and five women, and wounding at least 10 others, authorities said.

The mass killing -- the deadliest US shooting since the Uvalde massacre, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed in an elementary school in Texas -- took Monterey Park by surprise.

Just a few miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Monterey Park is considered the city's "new Chinatown."

Residents here read newspapers in Mandarin, most business signs are in Chinese, and the majority of the inhabitants approached by an AFP journalist did not speak English.

"This area is one of the safest neighborhoods in Los Angeles County," said John McKinney, a local prosecutor in the sprawling Southern California metropolis.

'So many guns'

"You don't see much happening here," added Ken Nim, a 38-year-old IT worker walking his dog.

Nim said in the 20 years he's lived here, the only crime he's experienced is the theft of the catalytic converter from his car.

"It's a really sad thing, this country is getting crazy," Nam said. "We saw mass shootings in a lot of different cities and in other states, but now it is coming to us."

David Kwan, a Malaysian-born security guard, appeared stunned by the shooting.

"I'm often confronted with violence but in other areas of Los Angeles," Kwan said. "It's the first time that I see it in my own community."

Along the cordoned-off streets, inhabitants sought to make sense of the spasm of violence. On their phones, they saw photos of dead bodies lying on the ground in a room lit by multicolored spotlights.

At first, many feared that it was a hate crime. But the Asian origin of the suspect, confirmed in the morning by the sheriff, has cast doubt on that interpretation.

"I feel like this is a personal story," said Jerry Liu, a 26-year-old truck driver, near the hundreds of white tents lined up at the Lunar New Year market.

A day earlier, thousands of people had crowded the main market site, between the meat skewer stands and the fairground.

"There's a reason he targeted that ballroom. Otherwise he could have gone to the fair earlier during the day and killed a lot more people," Liu said.

In front of the police cordon, Chester Chong suggested a possible motive: the jealousy aroused in a man not invited to a party where his wife was enjoying herself.

"The problem is, we have so many guns in this country," said Chong, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles.

"It's so easy to grab a gun and do something stupid."

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Police Surround Suspect In California Mass Shooting: Reports

Police were involved in a stand-off with the man they believe was responsible for killing 10 people in a mass shooting during Lunar New Year celebrations in California, media reports said Sunday.

Aerial footage showed a white transit van hemmed in by two armored police vehicles, while a large number of police cars stood nearby in Torrance, south of Los Angeles.

The development came as Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released images of the man they are looking for.

Images, apparently from surveillance cameras, show an Asian man wearing a beanie hat and glasses.

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Delhi Air Quality Severe, But Expected To Make "Immediate Improvement"

Delhi's air quality rapidly deteriorated to the severe category on Sunday, but the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chose not to invoke curbs under stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan in view of a prediction of "immediate improvement".

The action plan is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the national capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 on Sunday, worsening from 294 on Saturday, amid calm winds.

The stable atmospheric conditions allowed accumulation of pollutants from highly localised sources, such as a fire in central Delhi on Saturday, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

In a statement, the CAQM said the sub-committee responsible for invoking action under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) took stock of the situation at a meeting on Sunday.

It noted that the sudden and steep dip in air quality in the region is an "aberration as the forecasts predict immediate improvement with the overall AQI to move into 'very poor' category from tonight itself", the statement said.

According to the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Delhi's AQI is likely to fluctuate largely between 'poor' and 'very poor' categories in the coming days.

"After comprehensively reviewing the air quality scenario and other relevant aspects, the sub-committee decided that the ongoing action under stage-I and stage-II of GRAP shall continue and it is not considered necessary to invoke stage-III at this moment," the CAQM said.

The GRAP classifies the air quality in Delhi-NCR under four different stages: stage-I -- 'poor' (AQI 201-300); stage-II -- 'very poor' (AQI 301-400); stage-III -- 'severe' (AQI 401-450); and stage-IV -- 'severe plus' (AQI>450).

If the AQI is projected to reach the 'severe' category, restrictive actions under stage-III are to be invoked at least three days in advance. These include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in the region.

Non-polluting activities such as plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration and electrical work are allowed.

The next stage -- 'severe plus' category or stage-IV -- includes steps like a ban on the entry of trucks into Delhi, allowing 50 per cent of staff to work from home in public, municipal and private offices, closure of educational institutions and the plying of vehicles on an odd-even basis.

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"Trying But..." Harmanpreet's Honest Confession On Drag Flick Conversions

India captain Harmanpreet Singh confessed that he is struggling to convert the penalty strokes while addressing a media briefing after the hosts lost to New Zealand in the crossover on Sunday. The drag-flicker talked about his form at the Hockey World Cup, saying that he has been trying really hard, without any success to convert the chances offered in the form of penalty corners. "Of course, everyone is talking about penalty corner conversion. I am trying but it is not coming off. It's been a while since taking captaincy," expressed the captain.

Describing his failed attempt during the penalty shootout, he said, "My mindset was to score the goal going into the sudden-death shootout. We could have sealed the match there. We tried hard but unfortunately failed to convert."

Head coach Graham Reid PC also underlined the team's inability to convert the penalty corner but also highlighted the missed chance during circle penetrations.

"Obviously, corner conversion. We had circle penetration but failed to convert them into goals. Not having converted the penalties is a factor but that is not the only factor. Right now the focus will be to do well in matches against Germany in FIH Pro League," mentioned Reid.

Sharing his thoughts on India's performance he said, "Tonight was about consistency. Every team at certain stages have specific issues with circle penetration. It is skill execution. It is about creating chances and we are doing that. As far as training and as far as practice this team does everything."

New Zealand held their nerves to oust India in the penalty shootout at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday as the host crashed out of the 2023 Hockey World Cup.

Despite being ahead in the game, India missed the opportunity to build on a 3-1 lead in the third quarter, when New Zealand scored twice in the final quarter to tie the game 3-3 at the end of the regular time forcing a shootout.

In regular time, India's goals came from Lalit Upadhyay (17 minutes), Sukhjeet Singh (24 minutes), and Varun Kumar (40 minutes), whereas the Black Sticks' goals came from Sam Lane (28 minutes), Kane Russell (43 minutes), and Sean Findlay (49 minutes).

India battled back to a tie at 3-3 in the shootout thanks to a few outstanding saves from seasoned goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, and had two chances in the sudden death as Shamsher Singh missed the final shootout attempt to lose 4-5 in front of the home crowd.

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