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Lauding the launch of the PSLV-C58/XPOSAT mission which is scheduled for Monday, former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair on Sunday said that this rocket system has evolved as the most reliable and cost-effective one in the global scenario. The mission is scheduled at 09:10 IST on Monday, the first day of the new calendar year 2024, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Talking to ANI, Madhavan Nair said, "The new year 2024 will be a significant one as far as ISRO programmes are concerned. The 60th launch of PSLV will take place on this day. When we look back in history, we started this journey in 1993 and since then, most of the missions have been successfully completed. This rocket system has evolved as the most reliable and cost-effective one in the global scenario." The former ISRO Chairman also congratulated the ISRO for the achievement of the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions. "On this occasion, I congratulate ISRO for the fantastic achievements it has a

Two-time Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson, who starred in "The Full Monty" about a group of unemployed steel workers who launched new careers as strippers died "suddenly" on Saturday. The British actor's death was confirmed in a statement released by his agent on behalf of his family. He was 75. "It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on December 30. His wife and family were with him." Wilkinson was nominated for Academy Awards for actor in a leading role for "In The Bedroom" in 2001, and for a supporting role in "Michael Clayton" in 2007. He most recently reunited with his Full Monty co-stars, Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy, in a Disney+ series of the same name. The original 1997 smash hit about an unlikely group of men stripping won an Oscar for best original musical or comedy score and was nominated for three others, including best picture and best director. Wilkins

At least 151 Myanmarese soldiers fled to Mizoram's Lawngtlai district after their camps in the neighbouring country were overrun by an armed ethnic group, an Assam Rifles officer said on Saturday. The Myanmarese army personnel, also known as the 'Tatmadaw,' fled with their arms and approached the Assam Rifles at Tuisentlang in Lawngtlai district on Friday after their camps near the international border were overrun by the Arakan Army fighters, he said. The officer said that there had been intense gunfights between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Army fighters for the past few days in areas close to the Indian border. He said that some of the Myanmarese Army personnel, who entered Mizoram on Friday, were critically injured and first aids were administered to them by the Assam Rifles. The Myanmar army soldiers are now in the safe custody of Assam Rifles at Parva in Lawngtlai district near the Myanmar border, he said. The Myanmar soldiers will be sent back to their countr

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday assigned portfolios, keeping the home department with himself while giving the finance ministry to deputy CM Jagdish Devda and public health to the other deputy CM, Rajendra Shukla. The present strength of the state cabinet, including the chief minister, is 31. The Madhya Pradesh cabinet can have a maximum of 35 ministers. Yadav, who became chief minister by replacing Shivraj Singh Chouhan after the BJP retained power in the last month's assembly elections, will also handle the General Administration Department (GAD), Public Relations, Jails, Mining, Aviation, Industrial Policies and Investment Promotion besides all other departments not specifically assigned to any minister, said a gazette notification issued by the GAD. Deputy CM Devda was given Commercial Tax department besides Finance. Devda was the finance minister in the Chouhan government too. Rajendra Shukla, the other deputy CM, was allocated Public Health and Medic

Google has agreed to settle a consumer privacy lawsuit seeking at least $5 billion in damages over allegations it tracked the data of users who thought they were browsing the internet privately. The object of the lawsuit was the "incognito" mode on Google's Chrome browser that the plaintiffs said gave users a false sense that what they were surfing online was not being tracked by the Silicon Valley tech firm. But internal Google emails brought forward in the lawsuit demonstrated that users using incognito mode were being followed by the search and advertising behemoth for measuring web traffic and selling ads. In a court filing, the judge confirmed that lawyers for Google reached a preliminary agreement to settle the class action lawsuit -- originally filed in 2020 -- which claimed that "millions of individuals" had likely been affected. Lawyers for the plaintiffs were seeking at least $5,000 for each user it said had been tracked by the firm's Google An

Intimidated by pace and scarred by extra bounce, an under-prepared India suffered an embarrassing innings and 32 run loss to a far superior South Africa in the opening Test which ended inside three days at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Having scored 245 in the first innings, the Indian batters managed only 131 in 34.1 overs in the second innings after South Africa managed a handsome 408 in its first essay. South Africa thus took an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series and India's dreams of winning a Test series in Rainbow Nation for the first time in 31 years lay in tatters. The crushing loss saw India slip to the fifth position from the top spot in the updated World Test Championship (2023-25) table. Meanwhile, South Africa jumped to the top spot. India now have 44.44 percentage points while the Proteas have 100 percentage points after winning their first game of the 2023-25 cycle. Here is the updated WTC table: Only redemption for India now could be a 1-1 draw if th

Nationalist Congress Party working president and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Thursday said she had two choices in front of her, power and struggle, and she chose the latter. "I had two options, power or struggle. On the side of struggle, there was my father and on the side of power was (Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader) Amit Shah. I had to choose between power and struggle. I chose struggle," she said at a public meeting in Indapur. "Do not forget the person who has given you birth. Someone has to say the truth. If we all get scared, there will be no democracy in the country. Today, we were sabotaged. Tomorrow you will meet the same fate," she said in an apparent reference to the split in the NCP on July 2 this year. Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government, while Ms Sule and several others chose to remain with party founder Sharad Pawar. Ms Sule said she had informed her family that she would be staying in Baramati for th

Biscuit manufacturer Parle left internet users surprised after it shared a post featuring an influencer's face on its packet's cover instead of the iconic Parle-G girl. The amusing post was in response to content creator Zervaan J Bunshah's viral video where he put forth a hilarious question to his followers. "If you meet the owner of Parle, do you call him Parle sir, Mr. Parle, or Parle G?" he asked in a video. In the clip, Mr. Bunshan is seen sitting in a car with a confused look on his face while the catchy 'Ae Jee Oo Jee'  track from Anil Kapoor's movie 'Ram Lakhan' plays in the background.  The video, shared three days back, went viral eliciting rib-tickling responses from Instagram users.  Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zervaan J Bunshah (@bunshah) The video also caught the attention of Parle-G and the biscuit manufacturer joined in the fun with a witty

Inside Edge actor Tanuj Virwani married Taniya Jacob on Tuesday in the presence of his family and close friends. Pictures from their wedding ceremony were shared by the couple's friends and reshared by Tanuj on his Instagram stories. In the pictures, the couple can be seen twinning and winning in peach bridal outfits. The happy news was shared by Tanuj's uncle Atul Agnihotri on his Instagram feed. He captioned the post, "Dear nephew @tanujvirwani @taniyajacob1 Congratulations on your wedding. Wishing you both love, joy, and beautiful moments. May your journey together be as wonderful as the celebrations yesterday. You hosted a picture perfect wedding @ratiagnihotri10 lots of love and respect always #AgnihotriFamily." See some pictures shared by Tanuj Virwani: Now see what Atul Agnihotri posted: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atul Agnihotri (@atulreellife) In a recent conversation with India Today, T

Plane grounded in France with mostly Indians lands in Mumbai: News agency PTI https://ift.tt/pR62bJA from NDTV News- Topstories https://ift.tt/GwYK1Vp

Former India captain MS Dhoni celebrated the festival of Christmas with his family and friends. Noticeably, India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant also joined them during the celeration. The picture of the unit posing in front of a Christmas tree is going viral on social media. Rohit and Pant could be seen donning Christmas hats alongside other members present in the picture. The photo was uploaded through the Instagram account of Dhoni's daughter Ziva with a caption: "Merry Christmas!" See it here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by ZIVA SINGH DHONI (@ziva_singh_dhoni) Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant was part of the franchise's contingent at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction in Dubai. The wicket-keeper batter, who has been missing in action for more than a year due to injury, was present at the auction and took part in a number of bids. Later in the day, he was seen playing tennis

A video of Melbourne Stars pacer Haris Rauf is going viral on social media. During the side's Big Bash League (BBL) match against Sydney Thunder in Albury on Saturday, Rauf came out to bat without his pads. The Stars lost three wickets in three consecutive balls in the last over of their innings and this caught Rauf off guard as he was not ready to bat. The player carried gloves and helmet with himself while entering the ground in a hurry but did not wear his pads. Watch the video here: No gloves, pads or helmet on Haris Rauf was caught by surprise at the end of the Stars innings! @KFCAustralia #BucketMoment #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/ZR9DeP8YhW — KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 23, 2023 However, Rauf did not have to face any delivery as there was only one ball left in the innings. Talking about the game, Melbourne Stars lost by 5 wickets. They posted 172 all out in 20 overs after opting to bat first. Sydney Thunder chased down the target in 18.2 overs. In another vir

Most of the roughly 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking will be free to resume their trip Monday, French judicial sources said Sunday. The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 and its 303 Indian passengers have been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) east of Paris, since arriving Thursday from Dubai for refuelling after an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking. Four French judges began questioning the passengers Sunday to verify the "conditions and purposes" of their travel, and have two days to complete speaking to the passengers. The judges have the authority to extend the detention, but Paris prosecutors told AFP they expect the plane and its passengers to be cleared for departure late Monday morning "at the latest," without naming a destination. The passengers of the flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines are holed up in the airport. They include

Thirteen unaccompanied minors are among the more than 300 Indian passengers of a Nicaragua-bound plane held in France over suspected human trafficking, authorities told AFP on Saturday. The Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) east of Paris, since arriving from Dubai on Thursday following an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking. The civilian protection unit of the Marne department said the plane was carrying 13 unaccompanied minors as well as accompanied minors, with their ages ranging from 21 months to 17 years. The 303 passengers of the flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines were still in the airport's entrance hall on Saturday morning, an AFP reporter saw. Tarpaulin covered the entrance hall's glass exterior and nearby administrative buildings, while police and gendarmes prevented access. Two passengers were in custody on Friday as part of the investigation. Liliana Bakayoko, a lawye

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose has removed the interim Vice Chancellor of the Jadavpur University, Buddhadeb Sau, an official statement said on Saturday. "The authorization given to Prof Buddhadeb Sau as per order no. CU/WB/22/23 dated August 17, 2023, to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the office of Vice Chancellor, Jadavpur University till further orders, is withdrawn. This order will take immediate effect", read the notice. Meanwhile, preparations are underway at Jadavpur University which is going to hold its annual convocation tomorrow. The convocation, which is held on December 24 every year, witnessed uncertainty after the governor did not grant permission to hold the university's court meeting, which is crucial for hosting the event. Governor Bose said that students had complained that they had to spend the hard-earned money of their parents for the "illegal" convocation. Earlier this year, Kolkata's Jadavpur University hit the

Noted poet and artist Inderjeet, known as Imroz, known for his enduring relationship with poet Amrita Pritam, passed away in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 97 due to age-related issues, family sources said. Alka Kwatra, Pritam's daughter-in-law, told PTI that his last rites were performed at the Dahanukarwadi crematorium at Kandivli in north Mumbai in the presence of family and close friends. The funeral pyre was lit by Pritam's granddaughter. Amiya Kunwar, a close acquaintance of Imroz, said he was suffering from health issues for some days and had been hospitalised. Born on January 26, 1926 in Lyallpur, Punjab, Imroz met Amrita Pritam in the 1950s when she was already a well-established figure in Punjabi literature. They lived together for over 40 years until Pritam died in 2005. Imroz began writing poems after Pritam started keeping unwell, and even after her death, he wrote several poems dedicated to her. One of Pritam's most celebrated works, ' Main tainu phi

In a first, the Gujarat government has allowed the consumption of liquor in hotels, restaurants and clubs offering "Wine and Dine" in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), a government order from the Narcotics and Excise Department read. In addition to this, a Liquor Access Permit will be given to all the employees or owners working in GIFT City through which they will be able to consume liquor in hotels/restaurants/clubs offering "Wine and Dine" in GIFT City, the order read. Moreover, a provision has been made to allow authorized visitors of each company to consume liquor in such hotels, restaurants or clubs having temporary permits in the presence of permanent employees of that company. Hotels, restaurants and clubs located or coming to GIFT City will also be able to obtain an FL3 license by which they can obtain a "Wine and Dine" facility, the order read. Officially serving employees of GIFT City and officially visiting visitors can consume

Niraj Shah, Indian-American Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of online furniture firm Wayfair, curated a special message for his employees after the company yielded profitable results. According to CNN , in his note to employees, Mr Shah not only encouraged employees to work hard and be ambitious but also asked them to do more work and blend "work with life". He told them to not shy away from working long hours and added that there was no historical evidence which showed laziness led to success.  "Winning requires hard work. I believe that most of us, being ambitious individuals, find fulfilment in the joy of seeing our efforts materialize into tangible results," the CEO said in a note to employees earlier this month, as per CNN . "Working long hours, being responsive, blending work and life, is not anything to shy away from. There is not a lot of history of laziness being rewarded with success," he added.  According to Fortune , Mr Shah also added that the

Today, high-speed internet connections and advanced devices are found everywhere, but there was a time when internet access was confined to internet cafes, requiring users to pay hourly fees. In the initial stages of the internet's popularity, it was exclusively available on desktop computers, adding a unique charm to the experience. The hourly charges for internet access at cafes varied, and users had to manage their time efficiently to make the most of their session. The experience was quite different from today's scenario, where high-speed internet is widely available and most individuals have constant access through personal devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets. The shift from limited, hourly internet access in cafes to widespread, constant connectivity has transformed the way we live, work, and communicate. The transformation in connectivity has been so significant that encountering images or videos from the era of old desktop computers triggers a sense of nos

Action star Vin Diesel has been accused of sexually assaulting his assistant in an Atlanta hotel room over a decade ago, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. The suit is the latest claim to be lodged with courts in California, which has extended the length of time in which legal action can be taken in cases of alleged sexual crimes. Asta Jonasson said her first assignment after being hired by the "Fast and Furious" star's company was to travel to Atlanta in September 2010 during the filming of "Fast Five." There, she was tasked with helping Diesel leave a hotel in the early morning hours after entertaining multiple women in a suite, before paparazzi were alerted to his whereabouts. "Alone in the hotel suite with him, Vin Diesel sexually assaulted Ms Jonasson. Vin Diesel forcibly grabbed Ms Jonasson, groped her breasts, and kissed her. Ms Jonasson struggled continually to break free of his grasp, while repeatedly saying no. "Vin Diesel then escal

India once again asserted on Thursday that its "core issue" with Canada remains that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. The comments by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said India's ties with Canada may have undergone "a tonal shift" following the indictment of an Indian national in the US for plotting an assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist. "Our position has been consistent. We have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly, the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country," Mr Bagchi said. He, however, chose not to make a direct comment on Mr Trudeau's remarks. "I would not like to say whether they have noted a shift or not. Certainly, our positions have remained consistent and we would hope that they would take action on such

In an order that is likely to cause a controversy, the education officer of a district in Madhya Pradesh has said that both government and private schools will face action if students take part in Christmas-related events without the permission of their parents. This includes children dressing up as Santa Claus or Christmas trees for plays or other events.  The circular, which is in Hindi and has been issued by the district education officer of Shajapur, reads, "Students should not be made part of Christmas-related events, including making them dress up or play roles like Santa Claus and Christmas tree without the written consent of parents, to prevent any untoward situation or incident." Asking schools to give the communication the highest priority, the circular warns, "Unilateral disciplinary action will be proposed against your organisation if there are complaints in this regard." District Education Officer Vivek Dubey said there have been complaints in the pa

Bigg Boss Telugu season-7 winner Pallavi Prashanth has been arrested by the police from Telangana's Hyderabad for allegedly disturbing peace near the Annapurna Studios after the announcement of his victory on Monday night, said the police on Wednesday. According to the police, after the announcement of Prashanth as the winner, his fans thronged near the studio and vandalised the car of the reality show's runner-up, Amardeep Chowdhary. "A case has been registered against Prashanth and his followers for unlawful assembly and vandalism," said Chandra Shekhar, Sub-Inspector, Jubihills Police Station. Meanwhile, the Police have taken the accused to the Jubihills Police Station for further investigation. More details are awaited. On December 17, the Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 concluded and Prashanth was declared the winner of the popular reality show. However, the post-finale celebrations took an unexpected turn as Prashanth's fans thronged the studio and vandalise

A Pakistani couple was sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court on Tuesday for the 2021 murder of their daughter after she refused an arranged marriage. Saman Abbas, 18, was living in Novellara near Bologna when she disappeared in May 2021, having rejected the previous year her family's demand that she marry a cousin in Pakistan. A tribunal in Reggio Emilia in central Italy ruled that the parents ordered the murder, and that an uncle had strangled his niece. The uncle was sentenced to 14 years after accepting a plea bargain, while two cousins were acquitted in an affair which shocked the country. Abbas had denounced her parents to the police and social workers placed her in a shelter in November 2020. But she visited her family in April 2021, planning to pick up her passport and start a new life with her boyfriend, whom her family disapproved of. She disappeared soon after, and police, alerted by the boyfriend, raided the family home in May but the parents had already

The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday disqualified former President Donald Trump from the ballot in the state's presidential election next year over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. The ruling makes Trump the first presidential candidate in U.S. history to be deemed ineligible for the White House under a rarely used provision of the U.S. Constitution that bars officials who have engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding office. The court concluded that the U.S. Constitution bars the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024 from appearing on the ballot because of his role instigating violence against the U.S. government. The ruling applies only to the state's March 5 Republican primary, but its conclusion would likely also affect Trump's status for the Nov. 5 general election. Nonpartisan U.S. election forecasters view Colorado as safely Democratic, meaning that President Joe Biden will likely carry th

Struggling with a high unemployment rate, the Haryana government has released an advertisement recruiting 10,000 construction workers who will be sent to Israel, a country that has been locked in a war with Hamas for over two months and faces an acute shortage of labourers.  The advertisement has been criticised both by some workers and the opposition, who have slammed the state for considering sending Indians to a "warzone". It was posted just a day after the Ministry of External Affairs informed Parliament that no discussions have been held with Israel regarding a possible replacement of Palestinian construction workers with Indians. The Haryana government has, however, defended the move, saying that the aim was to ensure that travel agents cannot fleece people by offering them jobs in other countries and that there is no compulsion for labourers to go to Israel if they are not comfortable doing so. According to the health ministry in Gaza, at least 19,600 people - most

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At least 86 people were killed in an overnight earthquake in China's northwest Gansu province, state media reported on Tuesday. Another 96 were injured in the province after the strong, shallow earthquake struck, state news agency Xinhua said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters. According to Xinhua, nine people were also killed and 124 injured in the city of Haidong in the neighbouring province of Qinghai. The quake caused significant damage, including collapsed houses, and sent people running into the street for safety, the agency said. Rescue work was under way early Tuesday. The quake, which was logged as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck in Gansu province near the border with Qinghai province, where Haidong is located. Xinhua reported the quake as magnitude 6.2. Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said. Fallen ceilings and other debris could be seen in videos posted on social media. The earthquake stru

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who was recently expelled from the Lok Sabha, approached the Delhi High Court on Monday challenging cancellation of her government accommodation and asking her to vacate the house by January 7, 2024. The petition, which is likely to be listed for hearing on Tuesday, urged that the Directorate of Estates' December 11 order be set aside or, in the alternative, Moitra be allowed to retain possession of the accommodation till the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are declared. Moitra was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023 for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him. She has already challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court after the Lok Sabha adopted the report of its ethics committee recommending her ouster. The case is listed for hearing on January 3, 2024. In her plea before

In what was once the courtyard of the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahiya, Palestinians wade through the rubble, searching for corpses. The sound of one of them sobbing breaks out while he wraps a body to prepare for burial. Mahmud Assaf, 50, came to the hospital from Jabalia with a cart to recover two of his relatives' children who had been patients at the facility for 10 days. "I found Hadi paralysed... lying on his back under the chairs. Everything was on top of him," he said, speaking about one of the children who appeared barely conscious and severely burned. The Hamas-run health ministry reported on December 12 that the Israeli army forcibly entered the Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City during a "siege" that lasted several days. On Saturday, Israel's army said it "completed its activity in the area of the Kamal Adwan hospital", which it charged "had been used by Hamas as a command and control centre".