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Amid an unusual rise in temperatures in some places of the country, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday issued an advisory, listing the dos and don'ts for protection against the expected heat wave.
The list of 'Dos and Don'ts' comes after the India Meteorological Department issued its first heat warning for 2023.
As part of a national action plan on heat-related illness, the ministry has advised citizens to avoid high-protein food and cooking during the peak summer hours besides asking them to not get out in the sun, especially between 12 noon and 3 pm.
In the advisory, the ministry has also asked people to drink sufficient water whenever possible, even if not thirsty.
It has also asked people to use Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), consume homemade drinks like lemon water, buttermilk/lassi, and fruit juices with some added salt, and stay indoors in well-ventilated and cool places.
Residents have also been advised to consume fresh fruits such as watermelon, cucumber, lemon, and orange, wear thin, loose, cotton garments preferably light coloured ones, and cover heads using an umbrella, hat, cap, towel, and other traditional head gear during exposure to direct sunlight and not go out barefoot.
The ministry further urged citizens to listen to the radio, read newspapers and watch television for local weather news, and also track the IMD's website.
It has asked people to watch out for symptoms of "heat stress" which include dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, headache, extreme thirst, decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine, and rapid breathing and heartbeat.
It said citizens should call on 108/102 immediately if they find someone with a high body temperature; and is either unconscious, confused, or has stopped sweating.
"Do not leave children or pets in parked vehicles. The temperature inside a vehicle could get dangerous," the advisory read.
"Block direct sunlight and heat waves: Keep windows and curtains closed during the day, especially on the sunny side of your house. Open them up at night to let cooler air in.
"If going outdoors, limit your outdoor activity to cooler times of the day i.e., morning and evening," it stated.
The advisory also mentioned a list of "vulnerable populations which includes infants and young children, pregnant women, people working outdoors, people having a mental illness, people who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure and people coming from cooler climate to hot climate.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A 32-year-old Indian national was shot dead by Australian police on Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed a cleaner at a train station in Sydney and threatened law enforcement officers, media reports said.
Mohamed Rahmathullah Syed Ahmed, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was identified by the Consulate General of India in Sydney as the man who was fatally shot by police.
Ahmed allegedly attacked a 28-year-old cleaner at the Auburn train station in Sydney's west on Tuesday before arriving at Auburn police station five minutes later, Sydney Morning Herald newspaper quoted police officials as saying.
Two police officers were leaving the police station, when they were confronted by Ahmed, who tried to attack them, the report said.
A police officer fired three shots, two of which hit Ahmed in the chest. A probationary constable also used her Taser on him, it said.
Ahmed was treated at the scene by paramedics and was rushed to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead, the report said.
Detectives are investigating whether mental health played a part in Ahmed stabbing a cleaner and then threatened the police officers, it said.
Ahmed was living in Australia on a bridging visa.
“The incident is extremely disturbing and unfortunate. We have formally taken up the matter with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New South Wales Office as well as state police authorities,” the Consulate said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the officers had just seconds to respond and were left with no choice but to shoot Ahmed.
“I fully support these officers. It's traumatic. It's a significant incident at one of our police stations,” he said.
“There just isn't an impending time. It is immediate. He launches through the glass doors at the officers; they had very little time to react," he said.
Smith said the counter-terrorism unit would be brought in to help in the investigation, the report added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
China on Monday rejected a new US report that claims the Covid-19 virus may have leaked from a bio laboratory in Wuhan, saying the origins-tracing of the pandemic "is about science and should not be politicised."
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the international experts have considered the theory that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory as "extremely unlikely".
She said it is a science-based, authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission after field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers.
Mao's remarks came in response to the US Department of Energy's (USDE) latest assessment that the coronavirus mostly likely leaked from a bio laboratory in Wuhan.
"It was accurately recorded in the mission's report and has received extensive recognition from the international community," she said.
"The origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 is about science and should not be politicised. China has always supported and participated in global science-based origins-tracing," Mao said.
The USDE has assessed in the intelligence report that it had "low confidence" that the Covid-19 virus accidentally escaped from a lab in Wuhan, CNN reported on Sunday.
A low confidence assessment generally means that the information obtained is not reliable enough or is too fragmented to make a more definitive analytic judgment or that there is not enough information available to draw a more robust conclusion, it said.
The Huanan market in central China's Wuhan city was the epicentre of the pandemic. From its origin there, the SARS-CoV-2 virus rapidly spread to other locations in Wuhan in late 2019 and then to the rest of the world, killing nearly seven million people.
A WHO team of experts who visited Wuhan in 2021 amid the raging controversy over the lab-leak theory, which China vehemently denied, stated in its report that the leak from the Wuhan bio lab was the "least likely hypothesis".
But WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who received the report, said the Wuhan lab leak allegation required further probe.
"As far as the WHO is concerned, all hypotheses remain on the table," Ghebreyesus said.
Over two years since Covid-19 was first detected in Wuhan, the question of how the virus first emerged remains a mystery.
It is suspected that the coronavirus may have escaped, accidentally or otherwise, from a laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the virus was first recorded.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) has been studying coronaviruses in bats for over a decade.
The USDE assessment further adds to the divide in the US government over whether the Covid-19 pandemic began in China in 2019 as the result of a lab leak or whether it emerged naturally.
The various intelligence agencies have been split on the matter for years.
In 2021, the intelligence community declassified a report that showed four agencies in the intelligence community had assessed with low confidence that the virus likely jumped from animals to humans naturally in the wild, while one assessed with moderate confidence that the pandemic was the result of a laboratory accident, the CNN report said.
A USDE spokesperson in a statement to CNN said, "the Department of Energy continues to support the thorough, careful, and objective work of our intelligence professionals in investigating the origins of COVID-19, as the President directed."
The Department of Energy's Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence is one of the 18 government agencies that make up the intelligence community, which is under the umbrella of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.
The controversial lab-leak theory first emerged early on in the pandemic and was promoted by then-US President Donald Trump.
China has rejected the claim that the virus may have escaped from a laboratory, calling it a smear, and has suggested the coronavirus may have entered the country in food shipments from another country.
Given the massive human toll of the pandemic, most scientists think understanding how and where the virus originated is crucial to prevent it from happening again.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
There are days when you start the morning in an irritated mood because your gut is giving you a silent treatment. Let's agree, we all have been there. Constipation is quite a common problem among many people. It can be uncomfortable and painful at times, especially when it is prolonged. Ever wondered what can be the probable reason for constipation?! It shouldn't come as a surprise that food and lifestyle play a major role in your gut's performance. Let's start with understanding what constipation is and how it affects our regular life.
What is the problem of constipation?
Constipation is a digestive condition characterised by an infrequent or difficult bowel movement. As per experts, the condition is typically defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week. However, this can vary depending on the individual. Constipation may often cause stools to be hard, dry, and difficult to pass. This can lead to straining during bowel movements, discomfort, and even pain at times.
As mentioned earlier, it is one of the most common symptoms of constipation is infrequent bowel movements, which are typically fewer than three bowel movements per week.
Difficulty passing stool:
Constipation often makes it difficult to pass stool, resulting in straining or pain during bowel movements.
Hard or lumpy stool:
A stool that is hard, dry, or lumpy is another symptom of constipation. This can make bowel movements even more difficult and painful.
Abdominal pain or bloating:
Constipation can cause abdominal discomfort, bloating, and cramping due to the build-up of gas and stool in the digestive system.
Feeling irritated:
Constipation can leave you feeling irritated. It majorly happens due to unclear bowel movements.
What are the major causes of constipation?
Nutrient deficiency:
One of the most common reasons for constipation is a lack of dietary fibre. Fibre adds bulk to stool, which helps it move more easily through the digestive system. A diet that is low in fibre can cause constipation.
Inadequate fluid intake:
Inadequate fluid intake can also lead to constipation. Without enough water, stool can become hard and difficult to pass. It is important to drink plenty of water and other fluids to help keep stools soft and easy to pass.
High-fat diet:
A diet that is high in fat (and low in fibre) can also cause constipation. These types of foods can be difficult to digest, leading to constipation.
Increased stress:
Stress is quite unhealthy that is often blamed for irregular bowel movements. It is said that stress-related changes can directly affect our gut health, leading to constipation or loose stools.
Medical condition:
Certain medical conditions may cause constipation, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), thyroid disorders, diabetes, and certain neurological conditions. Hence, it is always advised to consult a doctor if you are experiencing chronic constipation problem.
Home remedies: How to prevent constipation?
As mentioned earlier, what comes out of your body depends much on what goes in. Hence, it is important to load up on a healthy diet regime to prevent constipation and other gut-related problems. Here, we bring you some simple dietary tips that you can follow every day to regulate bowel movements.
5 everyday diet tips to promote healthy bowel movement:
Increase fibre intake:
Fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and lentils can help regulate bowel movements. These foods help add bulk to the stool and promote its regularity. Experts suggest aiming for at least 25-30 grams of fibre per day. Click here for some of the most popular fibre-enriched food options.
Drink plenty of water:
Staying hydrated is important for maintaining regular bowel movements. It is always recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water per day to keep up overall health.
Incorporate probiotics:
Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, chaas, kimchi and more can help promote healthy gut bacteria and improve digestive function. Click here for some popular desi probiotic food options.
Avoid processed foods:
Processed foods and fat and calorie-laden junk foods can disrupt the digestive system and lead to irregular bowel movements. Instead, always choose whole, unprocessed foods for better gut health. Here are some whole-grain options for you to add to your daily diet.
Exercise regularly:
Regular exercise can help stimulate bowel movements and improve overall digestive health. Health experts always suggest brisk walking or light exercises for at least half an hour on most days of the week.
Eat healthy, stay fit!
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti or KPSS has called for a "brutal operation" against terrorists and their supporters in the Valley, a day after the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Kumar by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
KPSS, an organization of Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley, has also demanded replacing Jammu and Kashmir's Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to protect Pandits in the Valley.
In a strongly worked statement, the KPSS claims that a sizeable number of Kashmiri Muslims are working for terrorists responsible for killing of Kashmiri Pandits.
"Decisions taken by the Government of India in August 2019 have exposed the Kashmiri Society and its social fabric. Two out of Ten have turned OGWs (over ground workers) for these terror Organisations who are responsible for the killing of Kashmiri Pandits and other religious minorities" said Sanjay Tikoo, president KPSS.
The Pandit group said that "in a fight between Muslim Kashmir and Hindu India, religious minorities living in Kashmir are becoming a scapegoat".
Press Release - 27.02.2023
Raliv, Galiv ya Chaliv (convert, die or leave) a modus-operandi initiated by the Radical Kashmiries to establish Islamic Doctrine in Kashmir continues and is reverberated by every #KashmiriPandit killing which is happening in Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/JO4bBs4cDR
The KPSS said religious terrorist groups are issuing threats against Pandits. "Islamic countries and scholars repeatedly claim that terror doesn't have a religion, but they need to see in Kashmir that here it not only has a religion but a face too."
Mr Tikoo has appealed to the Prime Minister to issue necessary directions to initiate "brutal operation against the militants and their aides to safe guard the lives of the innocents Kashmiri Pandits and other religious minorities living in Kashmir".
On Sunday, Sanjay Kumar, a Kashmiri Pandit was shot dead by terrorists near his home at Achan village in Pulwama district.
Soon after the killing, local Muslims held protests and demanded an end to terrorism to save Kashmiriyat. Since yesterday candlelight vigil was were held at several places to protest against the killing.
This was the first targeted attack on a Kashmiri Pandits after a gap of over four months in the Valley. In 2022, four Kashmiri Pandits were killed in targeted attacks by terrorists in Kashmir.
Mr Tikoo however is cynical about these anti terrorist protests. He claims that same people who are behind the killings are joining protests held against the killers.
"After executing the task these people join the wailing crowd in stealth mode by giving statements about Kashmiriyat and join Candle Light Marches. Just strategy has changed but the result is the same and i.e. Islamic Kashmir without Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus," said the Pandit organisation.
Meghalaya will witness a multi-cornered contest, where besides the Congress, BJP and Conrad Sangma's NPP (National People's Party), Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress are in fray.
Trinamool has become the largest opposition party in the state following the defection of former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and several other Congress legislators. The Congress, which won 21 seats last time and became the single largest party, is seen to have suffered an erosion of its voter base.
In 2018, the BJP won only two seats, but managed to cobble together a government with NPP. This time, it has fielded candidates on 60 seats after a rift with Mr Sangma's party over allegations of corruption.
The NPP's ambition for a footprint in all the northeastern states, however, is seen as the big reason for the growing coolness between the two parties. Mr Sangma's party has contested the last year's elections in Manipur and improved its vote share. It has some presence in Arunachal Pradesh also and has plans for Nagaland next.
Both the BJP and Conrad Sangma have brushed off the Trinamool challenge. Mr Sangma has tagged the party an outsider, and said it would take Trinamool a long time to establish themselves and get people's acceptance.
Triangular contests are on the cards in 59 of the 60 assembly constituencies in Nagaland. The BJP, which won 12 of the state's 60 seats in 2018, is contesting in alliance with the NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party). Under the seat-sharing agreement, the NDPP is contesting on 40 seats and the BJP on 20 seats.
The BJP, though, has opened its account already, with its candidate Kazheto Kinimi being re-elected unopposed from the Akuluto Assembly constituency after his only opponent withdrew his candidature.
The opposition Congress and the Naga People's Front are contesting in 23 and 22 seats. The Congress has said it can opt for a post-poll alliance if needed.
Four women candidates are contesting the elections in Nagaland this time. While the state has women in leading positions in every sphere, a woman MLA will be a first.
Voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 4 pm in both states under tight security. The counting of votes will be held on March 2.
The BJP has hit out at the Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party over its claims that the Central Bureau of Investigation is being misused by the Centre, following the arrest of Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. "Event management can't save AAP from the law," said the BJP's Sambit Patra, questioning why AAP chose to withdraw the controversial liquor policy when his party questioned it.
AAP has claimed that the arrest of Mr Sisodia this evening in connection with the now-withdrawn liquor policy, is the BJP's political retaliation over its failure to get Delhi's mandate.
"Manish Sisodia, other AAP leaders never explained why they withdrew the excise policy after corruption was flagged... Delhi excise policy was leaked to liquor-contractor 'friends' by AAP before it was sent to the Group of Ministers," Mr Patra told reporters at a press conference this evening. "AAP spread liquor culture in Delhi and lost liquor money in election campaign," he added.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, the BJP's Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "He may have done work on education. But that doesn't mean he should indulge in corruption in liquor policy".
The reference was to Mr Sisodia's education and finance portfolios, two areas that AAP cites as reason for its huge popularity. AAP has won two sweeping victories in Delhi in face of BJP challenge and had a landslide victory in neighbouring Punjab last year.
"Black day for democracy! BJP's CBI arrested the world's best education minister Manish Sisodia in a fake case, who is shaping the future of lakhs of children. The BJP has made this arrest due to political rivalry," read a rough translation of AAP's Hindi tweet after the arrest. The party has dubbed it an attack on governance in Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr Patra alleged that Mr Sisodia must be the only education minister in the world who is involved in a liquor scam. "Manish Sisodia, you played with the future of children," he added.
Mr Sisodia and others face corruption allegations in connection with a new liquor sale policy in 2021. The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in framing of the policy, for which kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore were paid by a liquor lobby it dubbed the "South Group".
The policy would have led to a 12 per cent profit for them, of which 6 per cent was routed to public servants through middlemen, the agency claimed.
The Enforcement Directorate has also launched an investigation, alleging laundering of the kickbacks.
After the policy was scrapped, the BJP said the Delhi government went back to the old liquor sale policy to cover up the corruption.
Mr Sisodia was asked to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation last Sunday for questioning, but he sought more time, citing the pending Delhi budget. Earlier, he had faced a nine-hour questioning session by the Enforcement Directorate officials, after which he claimed the officials had asked him to quit AAP.
The Congress carried out 85 amendments in its constitution at its 85th plenary session here on Saturday to provide a 50 per cent reservation to scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs), women, youth and minorities in its working committee and at all party positions.
According to the amended constitution of the party, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will now include former prime ministers from the party and former AICC chiefs, besides leaders of the Congress in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The party decided to provide 50 per cent reservation to SCs/STs/OBCs/minorities vertically and provide horizontal reservation to youth below 50 years and women in both reserved and unreserved categories.
The number of CWC members will go up to 35 from the earlier 23, with 18 members to be elected and 17 to be nominated.
The amended constitution says from now on, the party will only have digital membership and records.
The party also amended its constitution to make stringent provisions for those taking Congress membership and they should abstain from taking intoxicating drugs and psychotripic substances.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala, who is the convener of the committee looking into amendments to the Constitution, said the party has added the words psychotropic substances and intoxicating drugs which includes alcohol, tobacco and other substances.
He said the party has decided to provide recognition to transgenders in its membership forms as well as provide recognition to single parents by including names of mothers and spouses in the form.
The Constitution Amendments Committee was chaired by senior leader Ambika Soni and had detailed deliberations before carrying out 85 major and minor amendments.
The concept of "50 Under 50" as enunciated in the Udaipur Shivir has been incorporated in the Constitution, Mr Surjewala said.
Changing with the times, he said the Congress will only have digital memberships starting January 1, 2025, and will accept online donations.
Bringing changes in the organisational structure, the party has added an intermediary level by having Panchayat Congress Committee, Ward Congress Committee for Urban Areas and other Intermediate Congress Congress Committee at Mandal and Janpad levels.
The amended constitution, Mr Surjewala said, will give more representation for panchayati raj, local bodies and cooperatives at every level and elected members of the party at every level will be ex-officio members of the Block Congress Committee, District Congress Committee (DCC) and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC).
For example, members of panchayat samiti, municipality samiti and mandi samiti will be in the Block Congress, he said.
Members of zilla panchayat, president of the municipal council, president of the district cooperative bank will be members of the DCC, he said, adding the presidents of the zilla panchayat, president of the municipal corporation, president of state level cooperative banks and marketing societies will be members of the PCC.
The Constitution currently provides that the election of one All India Congress Committee (AICC) member is made by eight PCC delegates and after amending the constitution now every six PCC delegates will elect an AICC member.
Hence, the total number of elected members will go up from 1,240 to 1,653, Mr Surjewala said, adding that the strength of co-opted AICC members has also been increased from 15 per cent of the elected and AICC members to 25 per cent of the elected AICC members.
The Constitution has been amended to incorporate the provision of political affairs committee at the PCC Level.
Minor changes in the fee structure of Congress members, DCC delegates, PCC delegates, AICC members have also been made and now membership fee has been hiked from Rs 5 to Rs 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The process to cull nearly 4,000 birds, including chickens and ducks, began in Jharkhand's Bokaro district late on Saturday evening after a bird flu outbreak was reported at a state-run poultry farm, an official said.
H5N1, a type of avian influenza virus, was confirmed among a protein-rich breed of chicken, 'Kadaknath', at the farm in the Lohanchal where 800 birds died and 103 had to be culled, he said.
"The process to cull a total of 3,856 birds, including chickens and ducks, began late this evening in the affected area -- 1 km radius of the farm," Institute of Animal Health & Production, Ranchi, director Dr Bipin Bihari Mahtha told PTI.
He said the culling will continue on Sunday as the process is time-consuming.
After birds started to die at the farm on February 2, samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for testing and the flu was confirmed, he said.
A process has been started to determine the compensation for the people whose chickens and ducks are being culled, he added.
The district administration has already declared areas within 1 km radius of the farm as the affected zone, while areas within 10 km radius have been declared surveillance zone. It also banned the sale of chicken and ducks in the district.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Arun Kumar Singh earlier said the state was on an alert.
A medical team was formed to monitor the border areas of the district, and for the sampling of chickens and ducks at large farms. Besides, it has also been asked to collect samples of people living in the affected zone.
A separate ward has been set up at the Sadar Hospital for people infected with bird flu.
Symptoms of the infection among humans include severe upper back pain, fever, cough, shortness of breath, cold and blood in the sputum, officials said.
The Animal Husbandry Department issued an advisory, urging people to inform it if they see dead birds.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said the Congress should be absolutely clear in its ideological stance in favour of an inclusive India and pointed out that party could have been more vocal on issues such as the Bilkis Bano outrage and murder in the name of cow vigilantism.
Addressing the 85th plenary session of the party in Raipur, the former Union minister said the Congress should stand up for its foundational principles.
"We should be absolutely clear in our ideological stance in favour of inclusive India. The tendency to downplay some positions or avoid taking a stand on some issues in order not to alienate what we assume to be the sentiments of the majority only plays into the BJP's hands," Mr Tharoor said.
"We must have the courage of our convictions. We could have been more vocal on the Bilkis Bano outrage, attacks on Christian churches, murder in the name of cow vigilantism, bulldozer demolition of Muslim homes and similar issues," he said.
These are Indian citizens who look to the party for support, Mr Tharoor added.
Last year in August, all 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2002 post-Godhra Bilkis Bano gang rape case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy, triggering outrage from various sections, including the Congress. He asserted that India belongs to all and if the party does not speak up in such cases, it is only surrendering its core responsibility of standing up for India's diversity and pluralism which should be central to the Congress core message.
He said every effort must be made to strengthen the secular foundations of the country.
"The fact is that India's future is bright as long as the Congress fights the good fight," Mr Tharoor said.
He also hailed the Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying it has revived the confidence of the party cadre.
"From here let us send out a message of Congress jodo," Mr Tharoor said.
Speaking on the economic resolution passed on the second day of the three-day plenary, Mr Tharoor said it should outline the elements of a progressive economic agenda that addresses head-on the challenge of unacceptable economic inequality.
"We want economic growth but we must ensure that the fruits of that growth reach the poor and the marginalised. India will not shine until it shines for all," he stressed.
The former minister of state for external affairs and the convenor of the party's sub-group on foreign affairs for the plenary also said policy has long been seen as an are of national consensus.
"There was no Congress foreign policy or BJP foreign policy only Indian foreign policy and Indian national interest. This tradition has sadly been undermined by the (Narendra) Modi government," Mr Tharoor said.
Mr Tharoor also criticised the government, saying it refuses to take the nation into confidence on vital foreign policy issues, including what is happening on the LAC with China.
"It is shocking to hear our foreign minister imply that China is too rich to stand up to. We must demand that Parliament be taken into confidence, that the nation be told what is our thinking about our vital foreign policy interests," he said.
Foreign policy must again return to being a consensual national endeavour with bipartisan agreement and support, he asserted.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging his efforts and liking his social media prowess. The minister tweeted in Hindi, which, when translated to English, reads as "Guruji spoke, I feel blessed."
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his party leader, Temjen Imna Along, saying his views represent the real Northeast to the world.
PM Modi was addressing a rally in Nagaland, Mr Along's home state, as elections are being held in Northeast. The Nagaland BJP chief is known for his amazing sense of humour and funny posts on social media. He constantly keeps his fans and followers updated with important life advice, his personal life, and the beauty of his state.
Speaking about Mr. Along, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Dimapur, "The things our state BJP president Temna Imna says resonate across the country.They thoroughly enjoy it" amid thunderous applause from the crowd.
"He represents Nagaland and the entire Northeast beautifully on digital platform. I too always try to look at all his posts," the Prime Minister added.
The Nagaland minister tweeted that he is delighted that "guruji" is in the state just hours before the start of PM Modi's speech. The tweet featured a photo of him smiling while donning a BJP scarf.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that the BJP-led NDA government's top priority is Nagaland's peace, progress, and prosperity.
The Prime Minister said during his first election rally in Nagaland's Agri Expo Center Ground in Dimapur that a large number of cadres from various militant outfits surrendered and joined the mainstream to ensure peace in Nagaland.
"The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act" has already been withdrawn from many parts of Nagaland. The government has been taking steps so that AFSPA is not required in the future in the state," Modi said.
He said that during the past nine years, violent incidents have been reduced by 75 percent, facilitating the speedy development of the state.
Saying that Nagaland's inter-state border problems with the neighbouring states are being resolved, the Prime Minister said that infrastructure development and the welfare of all people are the priorities of the BJP-led NDA government.
Coming down hard on the Congress, Modi stated that during the Congress regime, family welfare was prioritized, which is why the people of the northeast punished them by not voting.
Another day, another throwback picture from Boney Kapoor's album. Of course, it features his late wife, Sridevi. But there is something special about his latest upload. Any guesses? It is his first photo with the actress. In the black and white frame, the two are smiling as they pose for the camera. It was clicked in 1984. Boney Kapoor, in the caption, wrote, “My first picture …… 1984.” FYI: This image also made its way to the recently released Netflix docu-series The Romantics, which celebrates the legacy of Yash Chopra and the impact the filmmaker has had on Hindi cinema in the last five decades.
Now take a look at Boney Kapoor's “first picture” with Sridevi. Fans have flooded the comments section with red hearts and fire emojis.
Sridevi died in February 2018, in Dubai, where she was attending a family wedding. She was 54. The veteran actress featured in several hits like Lamhe, Chandni, Mr India, Judaai, Khuda Gawah, Nagina and Sadma. To mark Sridevi's 5th death anniversary, Boney Kapoor picked a gorgeous picture of the actress and wrote, “You left us 5 years back… Your love and memories will keep us going and will remain with us forever.” Sanjay Kapoor was among the first to drop a comment under the post. He shared a red heart emoji.”
Now, look at the “last picture” Sridevi posed for. It was shared by Boney Kapoor on Instagram. The actress, in the pic, is seen sharing the frame with their daughter Khushi Kapoor, Boney Kapoor's sister Reena Kapoor and some guests.
Earlier this month, Boney Kapoor announced that the publishing rights for Sridevi's biography, Sridevi: The Life of a Legend, has been acquired by Westland Books. The book will be written by Dhiraj Kumar. Boney Kapoor said, “ Dhiraj Kumar is someone she [Sridevi] considered family. He is a researcher, writer and columnist. We are happy that he is writing a book that befits her extraordinary life.”
Remembering his wife, Boney Kapoor added, “Sridevi was a force of nature. She was the happiest when she shared her art on screen with her fans but she was also a fiercely private person.”
Script isn't King in Selfiee. It is an unabashed Akshay Kumar show. The star leaves absolutely nothing to chance. He stamps himself on everything that the vapid film has on offer. The narrative (derived from the late Sachy's screenplay) is tweaked and stretched to make space for an actor in search of a hit. But nothing clicks.
Selfiee is the Hindi remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Driving Licence. The vehicle never fully revs up because the star, to the detriment of the movie, concedes no ground at all to things that might have mattered. The chintzy concoction runs into an obstacle course and finds a way out of it.
A movie megastar desperately seeking a driving licence runs afoul of an inveterate fan, a Regional Transport Office (RTO) inspector in Bhopal. As the fan-turned-foe queers the pitch, the celebrity's grand plans, both personal and professional, are in danger of going into a tailspin. But can the power of a common man be a match for the clout of a movie star?
There is much in Selfiee that goes awry because large swathes of the film are painfully pointless. If the film is meant to be an exploration of fame and adulation and their manifestations or an examination of what happens when a slighted movie fan decides to strike back, it only manages to deliver a blurred picture. As shallow as it is silly, Selfiee does not get its focus right.
Akshay Kumar's home banner, Cape of Good Films, is one of the producers of the film along with Dharma Productions, Prithviraj Productions (the original lead actor's outfit) and Magic Frames (a key backer of the Malayalam film). The film understandably does all it can to not let the spotlight stray away from the protagonist. The effort yields a massive wreck that is beyond salvation.
To be fair, Selfiee, directed by Raj Mehta (Good Newwz, Jugjugg Jeeyo), is certainly not as excruciatingly bad as some of Akshay Kumar's recent releases. But, then, can it ever be easy to be as a godawful as Bachchhan Paandey, Raksha Bandhan and Ram Setu? Selfiee may try your patience, but it does not overly offend one's sensibilities the way his other films tend to.
In Driving Licence, the character of the film producer (who frets over going overbudget and running late) and the superstar's rival (envious of his string of hits) were believable figures. In Selfiee, the former is at best a frisky hanger-on. The latter is worse - a pathetic buffoon whose only job in the film is to make the protagonist look much better than he actually is.
Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar), reigning Bollywood superstar who has a passion for fast cars, lands in Bhopal for the shoot of a film. For its climax, he has to furnish a driving licence in order for the film unit to secure the necessary permissions from the authorities. He does not have one.
RTO inspector Om Prakash Agarwal (Emraan Hashmi) and his son are diehard fans of the star. They religiously watch every film of his and dance noisily to his songs much to the chagrin of the inspector's wife (Nushrratt Bharuccha), who adores Vijay Kumar's rival Suraj Diwan (Abhimanyu Singh). When their idol arrives in town, father and son are thrilled to bits.
To fast track the issuance of his driver's licence, Vijay agrees to take time off from his schedule and visit the RTO to pose for a selfie with Om and his wide-eyed son. But matters go horribly wrong and the star gives the unsuspecting inspector a mouthful.
Angered and humiliated, the obdurate policeman decides to settle scores by giving the actor a tough time. The face-off between the two men constitutes the crux of the corny film that, in the garb of examining fandom and celeb entitlement, is mindful never to deviate from the purpose of giving the superstar - a gentleman, a good professional, a model citizen, a caring husband and a do-gooder - the upper hand.
Vijay Kumar is an epitome of perfection. Nothing that is thrown the unflappable man's way can stop him from doing the right thing. The film always seems more about Akshay Kumar than about the character that he plays is on the screen. Vijay Kumar is described as a producer's actor. Akshay Kumar is producer-actor. Therein lies the rub.
Meta elements make their way into the narrative but to no lasting effect. Like everything else in Selfiee, they add up to little beyond varnishing the star's persona. The hero's gummy smile is made the butt of a good-natured joke by his wife (Diana Penty).
A little later in the film, Vijay Kumar (speaking for the fictional figure as well as for Akshay Kumar) cockily reminds the stubborn inspector that he has no time to waste because he has an enormous number of commitments - films, web shows, product endorsements and reality shows.
A broadside at the boycott Bollywood brigade - which goes berserk when the clash between the megastar and a honest inspector catches the attention of the electronic media - falls flat because nothing in Selfiee is allowed to come in the way of the progress of Akshay Kumar.
With none of the characters allowed to evolve, Emraan Hashmi is compelled to struggle to create his space in the film. He does occasionally manage to rise above the din - the ear-splitting background score contributes to the decibel level - despite the odds being heavily loaded against him.
As for the two female actors in Selfiee - Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty, playing the wives of the two warring men - they are mere adjuncts. They are after all in an Akshay Kumar movie, akin to a two-and-a-half-hour selfie dedicated to a self-obsessed star. Unless you are a fan, it would be best to give Selfiee a miss.
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison for the rape of a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel room a decade ago.
The sentence was handed down by a Los Angeles court. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence for his separate 2020 conviction in New York for sex crimes.
It increases the likelihood that the Academy Award-winning "Shakespeare in Love" producer, 70, will spend the remainder of his life in prison -- though he is appealing in both cases.
In December, he was convicted by a Los Angeles jury of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object of a European actress whose identity was not revealed.
The court heard explicit accounts of meetings between the previously influential movie producer and several young women who were attempting to find a foothold in Hollywood.
Prosecutors said Weinstein exploited and abused women for years, and long enjoyed impunity because of his then-powerful position in the industry.
The women would have risked losing their future Hollywood job prospects if they had publicly accused Weinstein at the time, prosecutors said.
Weinstein was ultimately convicted in the Los Angeles case of assaulting one woman, but acquitted of sexual battery involving a second.
The jury did not reach a verdict on charges relating to the alleged assaults of two other women, one of whom was identified by her lawyers as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the now-wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Weinstein's lawyers had filed a defense motion requesting either a new trial or a reduced verdict, alleging they were precluded from admitting important evidence about the rape victim -- including Facebook messages with an alleged lover which the judge deemed irrelevant -- and that their cross-examination was limited.
But Judge Lisa Lench denied the motion, and sentencing went ahead.
In New York last June, Weinstein lost his first appeal against his criminal verdict and sentence in the state's intermediate appellate court.
But he has also further appealed that case to the higher New York Court of Appeals.
#MeToo
Weinstein's behaviour had been the topic of rumours in entertainment circles for years, but his power player status in Hollywood ensured few were willing to publicly call him out.
Bombshell allegations broke against him in 2017, launching the #MeToo movement and paving the way for hundreds of women to fight back against sexual violence in the workplace.
Dozens of women have now accused Weinstein of predatory behaviour.
After his conviction in New York, a civil trial awarded $17 million to dozens of other women who had accused the former movie magnate of abuse.
Earlier this month, the European actress who Weinstein was convicted of raping in Los Angeles also sued him for damages.
The civil case alleges sexual battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.
"The conduct of Defendant Weinstein was despicable, and done with malice, oppression and fraud, thus justifying an award of punitive damages against him," her lawsuit says.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Legendary commentator John Motson was "the voice of football" who "always got the mood and the occasion right", says former England striker Gary Lineker.
Six massive ancient galaxies, which astronomers are calling ''universe breakers'', have been discovered, CNN reported. The galaxies, detected by the James Webb telescope, are believed to date back to around 600 million years of the Big Bang. They are also said to weigh a billion times more than the Sun.
In a paper published in the scientific journal Nature, the team said these galaxies are far larger and more developed than what would be expected in the early days of the universe. The size and maturity of these six mega-galaxies labelled “monsters” have stunned scientists. They initially thought they had made “some kind of mistake” when they first stumbled across them.
''These objects are way more massive than anyone expected. We expected only to find tiny, young, baby galaxies at this point in time, but we've discovered galaxies as mature as our own in what was previously understood to be the dawn of the universe,'' study coauthor Joel Leja, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, said in a statement.
''The revelation that massive galaxy formation began extremely early in the history of the universe upends what many of us had thought was settled science. We've been informally calling these objects ‘universe breakers' — and they have been living up to their name so far,'' Mr Leja added.
Astronomers say that the discovery could shake up our understanding of how galaxies formed at the very beginning of the universe.
Lead researcher Ivo Labbe, from Australia's Swinburne University of Technology, said, ''While most galaxies in this era are still small and only gradually growing larger over time, there are a few monsters that fast-track to maturity. Why this is the case or how this would work is unknown. We were mind-blown, kind of incredulous.''
The research team is still waiting for official confirmation of the galaxies through sensitive spectroscopy. Mr Leja said it's possible that a few of the objects might not be galaxies, but obscured supermassive black holes.
India gives hope for the future and proved that the country could solve the big problems at once even when the world is facing multiple crises, Microsoft cofounder and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates said in his blog "Gates Notes".
In his blog, Bill Gates said that he believed that with the right innovations and delivery channels the world is capable of making progress on lots of big problems at once, even at a time when the world is facing multiple crises and usually he received the response like, "There isn't enough time or money to solve both at the same time."
But India proved all the responses wrong. "There is no better proof than the remarkable progress that India has accomplished," Mr Gates said in his blog.
"India as a whole gives me hope for the future. It's about to become the world's most populous country, which means you can't solve most problems there without solving them at scale. And yet, India has proven it can tackle big challenges. The country eradicated polio, lowered HIV transmission, reduced poverty, cut infant mortality, and increased access to sanitation and financial services," he added.
Microsoft's co-founder also stated that India has developed a world-leading approach to innovation that ensures solutions reach those who need them. When the rotavirus vaccine, which prevents the virus that causes many fatal cases of diarrhoea, was too expensive to reach every child, India decided to make the vaccine itself.
India worked with experts and funders (including the Gates Foundation) to build factories and create large-scale delivery channels to distribute the vaccines. By 2021, 83 per cent of 1-year-olds had been inoculated against rotavirus, and these low-cost vaccines are now being used in other countries around the world, Mr Gates said.
While talking about its funding in India's Indian Agricultural Research Institute, or IARI, in Pusa, Bill Gates said, "The Gates Foundation joined hands with India's public sector and CGIAR institutions to support the work of researchers at IARI. They found a new solution: chickpea varieties that have more than 10 per cent higher yields and are more drought-resistant. One variety is already available to farmers, and others are currently developing at the institute. As a result, India is better prepared to keep feeding its people and supporting its farmers even in a warming world. It's no exaggeration to say that India's agricultural future is growing right now in a field in Pusa."
"One of the reasons why challenges like climate, hunger, and health seem insurmountable is that we don't yet have all the tools to solve them. But I'm optimistic that one day soon we will, thanks in part to innovators like researchers at IARI," he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared Gates' blog published in one of the media publications.
In his blog, Mr Gates also informed that he is coming to India next week to see the work being done by innovators and entrepreneurs. Some are working on breakthroughs that will help the world to mitigate the effects of climate change, like the work being done by Breakthrough Energy Fellow Vidyut Mohan and his team to turn waste into biofuels and fertilizers in remote agricultural communities.
"Others are finding new ways to help people adapt to a warmer world, such as IARI's efforts to create more drought-tolerant crops. I'm looking forward to seeing the progress that's already underway by both the Gates Foundation's and Breakthrough Energy's amazing partners," Bill Gates said.
"Like every other country on the planet, India has limited resources. But it has shown us how the world can still make progress in spite of that constraint. By collaborating and trying novel approaches, the public, private, and philanthropic sectors can turn limited resources into big pools of funding and knowledge that lead to progress. If we work together, I believe we can fight climate change and improve global health at the same time," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Mix-ups and misplacements are known to happen when it comes to online product delivery. More often than not, people end up receiving different items instead of the things they ordered. In yet another incident of confusion by an online shopping site, a man complained that he got a random book instead of the one he ordered. However, that was not it. The customer also received a note from the seller requesting him not to give a negative review.
The Twitter user who goes by the name @kashflyy shared the picture of the book and wrote, ''I ordered a certain book from Amazon but they sent me this random book called looking for laddoo along with this letter like bhai what is going on.''
Check out the tweet here:
I ordered a certain book from Amazon but they sent me this random book called looking for laddoo along with this letter like bhai what is going on 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/90D19KIl9k
In the tweet, the user said that he ordered a book from Amazon, however, he received a random children's book called ‘Looking for Laddoo'. Interestingly, the seller also sent him a note and explained the reason for the confusion. The seller requested him several times not to give negative feedback.
The note reads, ''Dear customer, apologise for the order. Sir, you ordered this book..We have stock, but damaged condition. We will send you other book. Please return back that book. Don't give negative feedback. Please cancel order your self. Don't give negative feedback Sir. Please help this order Sir. Thank You Sir.''
Internet users were amused with the tweet and many sympathised with the seller. One user wrote, ''That's a v good gesture on the seller's part. The best the person could have done!'' Another commented, ''This is really cute! If I were you, I'd return the book, and not leave a negative feedback. Possibly, it's a small mom-and-pop bookshop trying their luck on Amazon.''
A third said, ''I know you wanted a particular book but this is just way too sweet an apology Please don't leave negative feedback and give them a chance to give you the book you ordered.''
However, some were not convinced by the note and said that the seller needs to do better. A fourth commented, ''Why so?? Do you think returning an amazon order is that easy? He could have waited for a few days, arranged the book from somewhere and sent it. It is a dangerous gesture to be true.''
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