Deepika's Anniversary Wish For Ranveer Captures The Perfect Winter Mood

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary on Thursday. For the occasion, Deepika wished Ranveer with an adorably hilarious reel that she reposted on her Instagram stories, depicting the perfect mood for this winter. In the short video, a man wrapped in a blanket is seen crawling over a bed and the caption reads, "Me immediately crawling to my husband's side of the bed as soon as he leaves for work to get the best sleep ever since it's warmer, more comfortable and smells like him."

Deepika shared the video with the caption "Happy Anniversary," tagging Ranveer Singh in her Stories. 

Earlier in the day, the Gully Boy actor wished Deepika with a heartwarming post, capturing the many moods of his wife on "the main day." Sharing a carousel of 15 never-seen-before pictures and videos of the actress, Ranveer wrote, "Every day is Wife Appreciation Day, but today is the main day. #HappyAnniversary @deepikapadukone. I love you."

The post received a lot of love from fans, fan pages and friends as they wished the couple on their special day. Read it here. 

Deepika and Ranveer first met in 2012 on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and have been inseparable ever since. They have appeared in a bunch of movies together, the most recent being Rohit Shetty's blockbuster Singham Again. The couple got married in 2018 in Lake Como in Italy, and welcomed their daughter in September this year. On Diwali, they revealed their daughter's name with a post that went viral in no time. "Dua Padukone Singh," the post read. Elaborating on the meaning of her name, they wrote, "'Dua' : meaning a Prayer. Because She is the Answer to our Prayers. Our hearts are filled with Love & Gratitude. Deepika & Ranveer."
 

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Key Government Agency To Probe Ola Electric Over Product Issues

India's top product certification agency will investigate e-scooter maker Ola Electric's deficiency in service standards and product issues, India's consumer affairs secretary told Reuters on Thursday.

Last month, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent Ola Electric a notice seeking an explanation from the SoftBank-backed company after the consumer rights agency received an unusually high 10,000 complaints.

Ola, India's top e-scooter maker, responded that it had resolved 99.1% of the complaints.

After reviewing that response, the CCPA has now asked the Bureau of Indian Standards to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter, consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare said on Thursday.

Ola Electric did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.

The complaints were mostly for "minor" issues, Ola's founder Bhavish Aggarwal said on an earnings call last week.

"Two-thirds of it actually are just minor issues like loose parts or customers unfamiliar with the software used," Aggarwal said.

The rising complaints and ensuing regulatory scrutiny have cast a shadow on the e-scooter maker, following its stellar market debut in August.

Ola Electric's shares are down about 7.6% from their listing price of 76 rupees. On the day, its shares were down about 1%, while auto stocks had risen 0.5%.

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

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Wary Of NASA Satellites, How Farmers Time Crop-Burning, Scientist Explains

Since Wednesday morning, north India has been covered in a thick blanket of smog, leading to low visibility, a drop in temperature and the air quality deteriorating to the 'Severe' category.

Air quality remained a concern all over the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), with satellite images showing the alarming scale of the smog cover over northwest India including Delhi and its adjoining areas. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, parts of north Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, are covered with smog.

Hiren Jethwa, an aerosol remote sensing scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, shared the satellite images, detailing the extent of the smog covering the IGP, the reasons behind the dense smog in November, and how the farmers in Punjab are evading NASA satellites by burning crops late afternoon.

Early morning satellite images reveal IGP engulfed in smog. Delhi AQI in severe category. Urban heat island effect over Delhi. Farm fires in Pujab appear to have passed peak burning phase, but still plenty to fuel bad AQI downwind @VishnuNDTV @mohitk1 @CBhattacharji @jksmith34 pic.twitter.com/OTGXyJwVny

— Hiren Jethva (@hjethva05) November 14, 2024

Thermal Inversion - A Key Factor

Thermal inversion is a big factor behind the sudden spike in dense smog and pollution levels. Hiren Jethwa, a research scientist at NASA, explained the phenomena and said, "The warmer air sits above the cooler air on the ground and that does not allow the vertical mixing of pollutants and whatever we emit at the surface stays for around 200 metres within the boundary layer. The stronger the thermal inversion, the more pollutants will be trapped near the surface because there is no venting place for the pollutants to go up in the vertical direction."

"In the satellite images, we can notice that smoke from crop burning is mixed with clouds or is above them and that kind of situation furthers thermal inversion because of the absorption of light-absorbing aerosols and that it further warms the upper layer and increases thermal inversion," Mr Jethwa said.

He added that the fog occurrence over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) has increased and the occurrence has increased in November, which usually took place in December. He explained that there's more particulate matter (PM), which acts as a cloud condensation nuclei which favours the formation of fog and when temperatures go down an enormous amount of aerosols contribute to fog formation.

Farmers Avoiding NASA Satellites?

The CAQM appreciated Punjab for making strenuous efforts to bring down the stubble-burning count by nearly 71 per cent as compared to last year. Mr Jethwa said, "It is not true that farm fires in Punjab and Haryana have gone down."  On Monday, farm fires in Punjab alone crossed the 7,000 mark after rover 400 fresh cases were registered.

Mr Jethwa claimed that farmers in Punjab are timing crop burning with the overpass of NASA satellites. He said, "We use the afternoon satellite overpass time data from NASA Satellites like Suomi NPP and Aqua. They overpass the region around 1:30-2:00 pm but somehow they (farmers) have learnt that they can bypass the satellite overpass time and can burn the crop residue in the late afternoon. This is confirmed by the South Korean geostationary satellite that the majority of the crop burning happens after 2 pm once the NASA satellites overpass the region when there is no surveillance, but the fires cannot be hidden from geostationary satellites which take a picture of the region every five minutes."

Mr Jethwa in an X post, shared satellite images from October 29, taken by the GEO-KOMSAT A2 satellite, shows a timelapse of the crop-burning activities in northwest India. The images show dense cloud cover over the region post-4 pm, when compared to 1:30 pm, suggesting that farmers are burning crops late afternoon to avoid NASA satellite surveillance.

Today's GEO-KOMSAT A2 satellite images visually convince of late afternoon burning acticitivities in NW India, avoiding NASA satellite surveillance around 1:30 PM IST @VishnuNDTV @CBhattacharji @parthaabosu @jksmith34 @UrbanEmissions @avoiland @moesgoi pic.twitter.com/BJsidjNqzy

— Hiren Jethva (@hjethva05) October 29, 2024

"The pollution loading in the last two weeks has reached the highest level that we haven't seen in the last 10 years...The crop burning has gone down over a certain period. Still, if we look at the geostationary images, there are many farm fires after 2 pm," he told NDTV today, adding that "the data from geostationary satellite is sensitive to the thermal signal produced by the fire. It lasts for at least four hours."

On whether there has been an increase in burnt area, Mr Jethwa said, "This year, the data is yet to come out, but the fires seen so far until November 14 are 19% of the level seen in 2022 and 35% seen in 2023. Of course, there is a drastic drop around 1:30 p.m., but if we see the burnt area data, there has been no drastic decrease."

Today the data showed that five farm fires were reported in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and the highest number, 202, in Uttar Pradesh, according to satellite data shared by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). As per government data, Punjab recorded 49,922 farm fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing a large number of stubble burning incidents.

Mr Jethwa concluded by saying "Yes, farmers can hide the crop burning from the 1:30 pm overpass time but the PM 2.5 data and the pollution load over the Indo-Gangetic plain region, the geostationary satellite data and the burnt...everything is pointing toward fire is still present. Maybe it's still increasing...Smog towers are a small fix. It won't work unless we address the issue of crop burning in the region.

Toxic Air In Delhi

Several factors contribute to pollution in the Delhi-NCR region including the emission of gases from vehicles, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana and construction and dumping activities.

The situation worsens every year after Diwali due to the bursting of firecrackers, which have been under a blanket ban in Delhi for the last few years.

Last morning, dense smog caused zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, disrupting flight operations. Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the panel tasked with enforcing anti-pollution measures in Delhi-NCR, called it an "episodic event" and expected the situation to improve "owing to stronger winds".

Today, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 428 at 9 am, placing it in the 'severe' category. Of Delhi's 39 monitoring stations. This marks Delhi's worst air quality reading of the season and the highest in the country, with a 24-hour AQI of 418 on Wednesday, an increase from 334 the day prior.

Dr Vivek Nangia, a Pulmonology head at Max Hospital, told NDTV that "Air pollution has been labelled as the single-most hazardous environmental risk factor to our health." 

"Large particulate matter of 5 or 10 microns irritates the eyes and sore throat, but the smaller particles go inside the lungs and get absorbed into the bloodstream along with toxic gases, which results in an inflammatory cascade in the body. This is not only restricted to the lungs but the entire body. It could result in brain strokes, heart attacks, panic attacks and various types of cancer, a decreased life expectancy. For the lungs, it could cause illnesses like Asthma and even lung cancer which was earlier labelled as 'smoker's cancer'." Dr Nangia said.

The satellite image shows the whole of Delhi and its adjoining areas covered under a dense layer of smog. The gravity of the situation is better understood when the satellite picture is compared with an image from exactly one year ago. On November 14, 2023, a less dense cloud cover was visible over the Indo-Gangetic plain from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh. On November 14, 2024, the density of the smog cover appears to have doubled than what it was at the same time last year.

The CAQM has today enforced stricter norms to control air pollution, banning all non-essential construction demolition work, and plying of BS III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars, among other actions. The measures will be implemented from 8 am tomorrow.

The Supreme Court today agreed to expedite a hearing on measures to combat the city's hazardous pollution levels on November 18.

Situation In Pakistan

The situation is bad in neighbouring Pakistan too. Most outdoor activities have been banned in the Punjab province of the country, including an early shutdown of shops, markets and malls in some areas to curb pollution-caused illnesses.

Districts of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala have reported an increase in patients with respiratory diseases, and eye and throat irritation. "The spread of conjunctivitis/ pink eye disease due to bacterial or viral infection, smoke, dust or chemical exposure is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health," the Punjab government said.

Similar to its cross-border neighbour Amritsar, Lahore is also enveloped in a thick layer of smog, which stretches from west Pakistan, all the way to Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, satellite images show.

Lahore's air quality has remained hazardous for several days with an index score of over 600, according to IQAir. At 8 pm (IST) today, Lahore is the world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1136, as per IQAir. It is expected to drop to 850 by 11 pm (IST). Delhi ranks second on the index with 'very poor' air quality.

For comparison; As per the IQAir monitor, Washington DC is the cleanest city in the world with an AQI of 31.

UNICEF has also called for greater efforts to reduce pollution and protect children's health in Pakistan's Punjab, saying over 11 million children under five years of age are in danger as they breathe the toxic air.

"In addition, schools in smog-affected areas have been closed...the learning of almost 16 million children in Punjab has been disrupted," Reuters reported, quoting, Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in the country.

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A Look At Nisha Madhulika's Journey, One Of India's Richest Female YouTubers

Nisha Madhulika is known for her delicious, home-style recipes. From starting as a teacher to emerging as one of India's richest female content creators on YouTube, the 65-year-old's success story is an inspiration for one and all, proving the popular phrase - "age is just a number" - correct.

Who is Nisha Madhulika?

For many of her followers, Ms Madhulika's name is synonymous with home-style Indian cuisine. She currently enjoys a huge following across multiple social media platforms, showcasing her unique ability to connect with the masses even at this age in life.

Nisha Madhulika started her journey on YouTube in 2009. She has posted over 2,300 videos on the platform. Her channel is subscribed by 14.5 million people.

According to a report in The Times of India, she started as a way to combat loneliness after her children had left home.

"My mission is to bring joy and togetherness to every home through wholesome and healthy recipes," read her YouTube profile.

Apart from YouTube, Ms Madhulika has 5.7 million followers on Facebook and 3.41 lakh followers on Instagram.

Early life and family

Nisha Madhulika was born on August 25, 1959, into a middle-class family in Uttar Pradesh.

After completing her schooling and graduation, she went on to pursue a career in teaching. Following her marriage, she shifted to Noida and raised her two children there.

After developing her passion for cooking at an early age, Nisha Madhulika started to experiment with different types of recipes over some time.

While her professional life was moving forward well, Ms Madhulika later decided to take the challenging decision of embarking on a new venture at an age when many people look forward to slowing down in life.

YouTube journey

After consistently uploading food-related videos on social media, Nisha Madhulika became famous as the country's top chef on YouTube in 2014.

A few years later, she even got major recognition in November 2017, bagging the Top YouTube Cooking Content Creator honour at the Social Media Summit & Awards.

Net worth

Through her culinary skills, Nisha Madhulika has emerged as a renowned female content creator in the country and owns a popular food website as well. Through her hard work, she amassed a massive fortune, with a net worth of Rs 43 crore.

Beyond her culinary influence, she is also known for supporting several other endeavours, including the Project Druv of Tata Trusts which seeks to provide internet access to rural areas in the country.

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Video: Nitish Kumar Bends To Touch PM's Feet At Event, He Does This

Bonhomie was on display at an event in Darbhanga on Wednesday when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar bent down to touch the feet of Narendra Modi, only to be stopped by the Prime Minister, who shook his hands instead.

Having won 12 seats, Mr Kumar's Janata Dal United is the third largest partner in the National Democratic Alliance (fold) in terms of Lok Sabha constituencies. The party and Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party played a key role in ensuring that Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for the third time after the BJP failed to secure a majority on its own for the first time in 10 years. 

A video from the event shows Mr Kumar, who is 73, bending down and attempting to touch the feet of PM Modi, who is a year older than him, on a dais. The PM immediately gets up, holds the chief minister's arms and shakes his hands. Mr Kumar then sits next to the PM.

This is not the first time that Mr Kumar, who returned to the NDA fold after breaking away from the INDIA and Mahagathbandhan alliances earlier this year, has tried to touch the feet of PM Modi. He had done so during a meeting after the Lok Sabha results in June as well. 

At the event, where he laid the foundation for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and inaugurated infrastructure projects worth Rs 12,100 crore, PM Modi praised the Bihar chief minister and said he had ensured the state emerged from "jungle raj".

"Nitish ji has set up a model of good governance ('sushasan'), pulling the state out of the era of jungle raj. No praise is too high for this achievement," the PM said.

"Bihar is witnessing a lot of development. The NDA government is committed to the welfare of the people. The previous government in Bihar didn't bother about health infrastructure. They made false promises, but the situation has improved since Nitish Kumar ji came to power," he added.

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Photos: Donald Trump's Cabinet - Who's Been Picked, Who's In The Running

Donald Trump has begun the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials following his presidential election victory.

Here are the early picks and top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing defense, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic policymaking. Some are in contention for a range of posts.

SUSIE WILES, Chief Of Staff

Trump announced last week that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.

While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump's first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.

TOM HOMAN, 'Border Czar'

Trump announced on Sunday night that Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump's first administration, will be in charge of the country's borders.

Trump made cracking down on people in the country illegally a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.

Homan, 62, said on Monday he would prioritize deporting immigrants in the U.S. illegally who posed safety and security threats as well as those working at job sites.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said Homan will be "in charge of our nation's borders ('The Border Czar'), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security," including the deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

ELISE STEFANIK, UN Ambassador

Trump announced on Monday that Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump supporter, would be his ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik, 40, a U.S. representative from New York state and House Republican conference chair, took a leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021 when she was elected to replace then-Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump's false claims of election fraud.

"I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations," Trump said in a statement. "Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter."

Stefanik will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's war in Gaza.

LEE ZELDIN, EPA Administrator

Trump announced on Monday he had appointed former congressman Lee Zeldin of New York state as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Zeldin said he had accepted the role.

Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor's race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul.

Trump has promised to overhaul U.S. energy policy, with the aim of maximizing the country's already record-high oil and gas production by rolling back regulations and speeding up permitting.

As head of the EPA, Zeldin will play a key role in implementing those policies.

MARCO RUBIO, Secretary Of State

Trump is expected to tap U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, sources said on Monday, putting the Florida-born politician on track to be the first Latino to serve as the United States' top diplomat.

Rubio, 53, was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump's shortlist for secretary of state. The senator has in past years advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.

Over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Trump's views. The president-elect accuses past U.S. presidents of leading the U.S. into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a more restrained foreign policy.

MIKE WALTZ, National Security Adviser

Trump on Tuesday said he had picked for national security adviser Republican U.S. Representative Mike Waltz, a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China.

Waltz, a 50-year-old Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the U.S. to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.

The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies.

While slamming the Biden administration for a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has publicly praised Trump's foreign policy views.

KRISTI NOEM, Homeland Security Secretary

Trump has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next homeland security secretary, two sources familiar with the decision said on Tuesday.

Noem, 52, once seen as a possible running mate for Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota's governor. She rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.

Trump's campaign and Noem's office did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

SCOTT BESSENT, Potential Treasury Secretary

Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump, is widely seen as a top candidate for treasury secretary. A longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent has a warm relationship with the president-elect.

While Bessent has long favored the laissez-faire policies that were popular in the pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump's use of tariffs as a negotiating tool. He has praised the president-elect's economic philosophy, which rests on a skepticism of both regulations and international trade.

ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, Potential Treasury Secretary

A loyalist who served as Trump's U.S. trade representative for essentially the then-president's entire term, Lighthizer will almost certainly be invited back. Though Bessent likely has a better shot at becoming treasury secretary, Lighthizer has an outside chance, and he might be able to reprise his old role if he's interested.

Like Trump, Lighthizer, 77,  is a trade skeptic and a firm believer in tariffs. He was one of the leading figures in Trump's trade war with China and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada during Trump's first term.

HOWARD LUTNICK, Potential Treasury Secretary

The co-chair of Trump's transition effort and the longtime chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick is in the running for treasury secretary.

A bombastic New Yorker like Trump, Lutnick, 63, has uniformly praised the president-elect's economic policies, including his use of tariffs.

He has at times given elaborate, unvarnished opinions about what policies will be enacted in Trump's second term. Some Trump allies had privately complained that he too often presented himself as speaking on behalf of the campaign.

LINDA McMAHON, Potential Commerce Secretary

Professional wrestling magnate and former Small Business Administration director Linda McMahon is seen as the frontrunner to lead Trump's Department of Commerce, three sources briefed on the plans said.

McMahon, 76, is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago. This time, Trump tapped her to co-lead a transition team formed to help vet personnel and draft policy ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. She later served as director of the Small Business Administration, resigning in 2019, and went on to lead a pro-Trump political action committee that supported his 2020 reelection bid.

JOHN RATCLIFFE, Potential CIA Director

A former congressman and prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence during Trump's last year in office, Ratcliffe, 59, is seen as a leading contender to be director of the CIA, according to two people familiar with the transition process. Ratcliffe is also a potential attorney general pick.

The president-elect's allies view Ratcliffe as a hardcore Trump loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation. Still, during his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe often contradicted the assessments of career civil servants, drawing criticism from Democrats who said he politicized the role.

MIKE LEE, Potential Attorney General

A U.S. senator from Utah, Lee is widely seen as another top candidate for attorney general. Though the former prosecutor declined to vote for Trump during the 2016 election, he later became an unwavering ally, and he has become something of an intellectual hero among some factions of Trumpworld.

Lee, 53, was a key figure in attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, and has spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

KASH PATEL, Potential Candidate For National Security Posts

A former Republican House staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defense and intelligence communities during Trump's first term, Patel frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for the candidate.

Some Trump allies would like to see Patel, considered the ultimate Trump loyalist, appointed CIA director. Any position requiring Senate confirmation may be a challenge, however.

Patel, 44, has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to "come after" politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump.

During Trump's first term, Patel drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.
 

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

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"Combining Indian Hospitality With Swiss Quality": CEO On New Noida Airport

The National Capital Region is set to get its second major airport in April next year and with the first trial flights scheduled a few days from now at the Noida International Airport - also known as the Jewar airport - NDTV has got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the frenetic construction activity at the project site as well as details of its design, connectivity and projected passenger numbers. 

NDTV also spoke exclusively to Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann, who said their aim is to provide a passenger experience that combines Indian warmth and hospitality with Swiss quality and efficiency. 

The airport is being developed by the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG, in association with the Noida International Airport Limited, which is the implementing agency on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government. 

Located in Jewar in Western UP's Gautam Buddha Nagar district, the airport is scheduled to see its first trial flights taking off and touching down in a few days, which will be an important milestone not only in the airport's development schedule but also in the story of the growth of Indian aviation. The airport was necessary given that the Indian aviation market has seen a compounded annual growth rate of 8.9% in the decade between 2013 and 2023 and because the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has reached its growth potential.

Design Influences

Mr Schnellmann said design has been a key focus for the company since the project began around five years ago. Local materials have been used and one of the standout design choices is the flight of steps at the terminal's forecourt, which will resemble the ghats of Varanasi and Haridwar. Reflecting a focus on a climate change-friendly approach, the airport will also use natural lighting and ventilation to reduce its environmental footprint and energy costs.

"We are incredibly excited about the experience we are going to be able to offer our passengers. We talk about combining Indian warmth and hospitality with Swiss quality and efficiency. I think we have been very deliberate about designing the terminal (by) picking up elements of the rich architectural heritage of the region... An airport that is very much at home in north India, in Western UP. The commercial space will feature a large open-air courtyard reminiscent of some of the 'havelis' (traditional houses) found in the region," the CEO said. 

The airport has also been planned as a gateway to tourist destinations in North India, including the Taj Mahal, and for Hindu pilgrimages like the Chardham Yatra, Kumbh Mela, Mathura and Vrindavan as well as the Buddhist circuit of Sravasti, Kapilavastu and Kushinagar.

Number-Crunching

The total area of the project is 1,334 hectares and, in its first phase, 1.2 crore passengers are expected to use the airport every year. The number is projected to increase to 3 crore by the end of the decade and 7 crore a few years after that. 

One runway will be operational initially and, when it opens, the terminal will have 10 aerobridges and three bus gates. There will eventually be two operational runways and while the airport will have 28 spots for aircraft in the apron area initially, this will expand to 200 as the flights and passenger count increase. 

Mr Schnellmann said that the terminal is being built keeping this expansion in mind. 

"The pier can expand to the west to provide further passenger capacity. The building has also been designed in such a manner that it can be mirrored to the east," he said. 

Road, Rail Links

The airport is connected to Greater Noida, Noida and Delhi via the signal-free Yamuna Expressway. Leaving from Saket at 11 am on Tuesday, it took about an hour and 45 minutes to reach the airport by road. Once an interchange is built from the airport to the expressway, it will take approximately 45 minutes from Noida and 25 minutes from Greater Noida, according to Mr Schnellmann.

The CEO said the UP government is also planning a rail link directly to the airport, construction on which will begin in a year or so.

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China Unveils Its Second 5th-Gen Fighter, Looks Exactly Like This US Jet

China's second fifth-generation stealth fighter jet is making a debut at its largest air show, taking centre stage at the event and becoming the second nation in the world after the US to have more than one fifth-generation fighter jet.

The Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter is a twin-engine, single-seater supersonic jet developed for multirole missions. J-35 is the second fifth-generation fighter China has developed after the J-20. 

J-35's design is similar to the US Lockheed Martin F-35, the only difference is that the former is twin-engine and the latter has one engine. China is known for copying the design of several aircraft - The J-20 and the US F-22 Raptor are similar in design except for canards that are present in J-20, and the Chengdu J-10 also known as the "Vigorous Dragon" is similar to the US F-16. 

US F-22 Raptor (Left), China J-20 (Right)

Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party in a report said, "The aircraft could enhance the country's integrated combat capabilities." 

"J-35A functions within both stealth and counter-stealth combat frameworks. Its mission focuses on gaining and maintaining air superiority, eliminating hostile fourth/fifth generation fighter jets and ground/surface air defence forces, as well as intercepting aerial hostile targets including fighters, bombers and cruise missiles," it said.

US F-35 Lighting carrying out formation flying

'One Aircraft, Multiple Roles'

China plans to induct the aircraft into the Air Force and the Navy, similar to the US F-35 which has three variants - The F-35A for the Air Force, F-35B for the Marine Corps and F-35C for the US Navy. 

The F-35A can take off from an Air Force runway, the F-35B can hover and vertically land on amphibious attack ships of the Marine Corps and the F-35C, with a wide wingspan, is used for aircraft carrier landings by the US Navy. 

Earlier this year, China's largest and heaviest aircraft carrier, Fujian, was out for sea trials. The conventionally powered aircraft carrier weighs over 80,000 tons and has the most potent aircraft launch system - EMALS or Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, which currently only the US operates on the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest operational aircraft carrier. 

Fujian is China's third aircraft carrier

The US Department of Defence in a report on China's naval modernization and its implications, said "China may be developing a carrier-capable variant of its FC-31/J-31 fifth-generation stealth fighter to complement or succeed the J-15 on catapult-equipped PLA carriers.  China reportedly is also developing a carrier-based airborne early warning (NAEW) aircraft, called the KJ-600, that is similar to the U.S. Navy's carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft,82 and stealth drone aircraft."

The J-35 is reportedly a lighter version of the J-20. However, the combat capabilities of both aircraft remain unknown. 

The development of the J-35 fighter jet suggests that China is mirroring the US and aims to combat the latter in the Indo-Pacific. The inclusion in the air show suggests that J-35 is ready for deployment. 

Recently, the US deployed its new long-range air-to-air missile that could potentially disrupt the balance of power in the region.  The AIM-174B missile, onboard the US Navy's F-18 Super Hornet, as seen in many pictures, is known to have an operational range of approximately 400 km.

Other Attractions At The Air Show 

At the Zhuhai air show, China also unveiled the world's first twin-seat variant of a stealth aircraft. The J-20s was under development for a few years and has broken the cover at the air show. China says the aircraft is a "heavy-duty radar-evading fighter jet with long-range operation and multifunction capabilities."

The J-20 fighter jets flew in a diamond formation at the air show. The Russian Su-57, also a fifth-generation fighter jet, participated in the event. 

Russia's Su-57 participated in the air show
Photo Credit: AFP

The airshow will feature a dedicated drone zone for the first time. The Russia-Ukraine war has shown the world the growing relevance of drones on the battlefield and how it is being used extensively by Kyiv to counter the asymmetry in terms of military strength with Russia. 

China unveiled its 'Killer Whale' ship ahead of the largest air show. The dual diesel and electric propulsion ship is unmanned and can carry a range of weapons like rockets, anti-ship missiles and ship-to-air missiles. It can also allow take-off and landing of choppers at its helipad.

China's Killer Whale is not the first unmanned surface vessel developed by a country. Earlier this year, the US Navy completed its first deployment of four unmanned ships which spent over four months in the Pacific for sea trials. The unmanned surface vessels - Sea Hunter, Sea Hawk, Mariner and Ranger - departed Southern California in August 2023 and returned in January 2024.

India's AMCA Program

India is developing its 5.5 generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft which will have stealth capabilities and the Defence Research and Development Organization chief said the induction is expected by 2035. Air Force's latest induction, the Rafale fighter jet, is a 4.5 generation multi-role aircraft that is deployed in the north in Ambala, Haryana, and Hashimara in Assam. 

While China has deployed the J-20 fighter jets close to the Line of Actual Control, experts have inferred that in the event of a conflict, standalone weapon systems like surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles and air defence systems will play a huge role for the Indian Air Force to combat and outmanoeuvre the Chinese. 

Watch: 'India To Induct 5.5-Gen Stealth Fighter Jet AMCA By 2035: DRDO Chairman

In August, DRDO showcased 40 indigenously developed advanced systems and technologies at the International Defence Aviation Exposition IDAX 2024 during the Tarang Shakti exercise at Tamil Nadu's Sulur. On India's first 5.5-generation stealth aircraft, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dr Samir V. Kamat, said that India's first 5.5-generation stealth aircraft will be inducted by 2035. He further said that India is among the very few nations to develop stealth aircraft.

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Vivek Ramaswamy May Get Senior Role In Donald Trump's Administration

US President-elect Donald Trump has shut the door on Nikki Haley declaring that he won't be inviting her to join his administration, but another Indian American, Vivek Ramaswamy, may get a senior role.

Out of the blue, in his post on Truth Social, Trump also said that Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state and Central Intelligence head, won't get a job with him either.

“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation”, he said on Truth Social, a social media site for short posts that was started when X (formerly Twitter) banned him.

However, he added, “I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country”.

During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Trump praised Ramaswamy as “very smart” and said that “he's going to be a part of something that's going to be really big”.

“I don't want to tell him yet exactly (his position). We're gonna pick the right (one)”, he said.

Trump added, “We can put him in charge of one of these big monsters (in government) and he'll do a better job than anybody you can think of.”

Haley became the first Indian-American to hold a cabinet post when Trump appointed her as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a high-level position in the US.

She quit the job after only two years and quietly began building her base beyond South Carolina state, where she had been governor.

Haley made an unsuccessful run for the Republican party's presidential nomination and was the last to drop out of the race and endorse him, angering Trump.

Her appeal was to the moderate Republicans, some of whom defected to Vice President Kamala Harris because of what they saw as character problems of Trump.

Although Haley said that she was on standby to campaign for Trump, she was not invited to speak at his rallies or any event.

After criticising his campaign as "overly masculine", she made a last-minute pitch for Trump in an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal, but it was laced with criticism of him and not a total acclamation.

“I don't agree with Mr Trump 100 per cent of the time. But I do agree with him most of the time, and I disagree with Ms Harris nearly all the time. That makes this an easy call” to vote for him, she wrote.

However, she added the criticism that while the moderates “like much of what he did as President and agree with most of his policies” they “dislike his tone and can't condone his excesses, such as his conduct on January 6, 2021” when his supporters rioted and invaded the Capitol when Congress was in the process of certifying President Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election.

The multi-millionaire pharmaceutical entrepreneur Ramaswamy also ran against him but folded his campaign early and became his unquestioning supporter, and at one rally compared Trump to George Washington, the Father of the Nation.

Recalling the fight for the party nomination, Trump said, “I had to compete with this guy, and I thought it was going to be easy, but it wasn't. He was nasty. He was quick. He's smart as hell.”

“He did amazingly well, because he started really as a rookie, right? And he got up and he wiped a lot of very smart politicians off the stage”, Trump said.

During a debate of the candidates for the Republican nomination that Trump boycotted, Ramaswamy made the strongest attacks on Haley over her support for aid to Ukraine.

There is also media speculation that Ramaswamy may not take an administration job and instead seek the governorship of Ohio in the 2026 election.

Pompeo had figured in media speculation for a cabinet position, possibly Defence, in Trump's administration. But apparently the former Army captain failed the loyalty test, even though he endorsed Trump, because he had criticised him for holding on to classified documents after leaving the White House for which Trump was being prosecuted.

He and Haley are staunch supporters of Ukraine, while Trump has been ambivalent claiming he would end the invasion by Russia.

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

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Cummins In Coldplay Concert When Pakistan Thrashed Australia. Media Reacts

Pakistan sprang a major surprise in the ODI series against Australia as the Mohammad Rizwan-led side won the contest. Pakistan have not been in great from of late but against Australia, they stepped up. The Australian team not only surrendered an ODI series to Pakistan at home for the first time in 22 years after an eight-wicket loss to the Asian side in third ODI at Perth, but also registered an unfortunate record of not registering any half-century by a batter throughout a bilateral series for the first time ever.

Many top players of Australia were not part of the series as they were given a break ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy starting on November 22. While Australia were getting hammered in Perth, Australia's regular captain Pat Cummins, who was not picked for the Pakistan ODI series was attending a Coldplay concert in Sydney. 

Pat Cummins' wife Becky shared the duo photo on her Instagram story with the caption: "Excitement levels are high!"

Australia media was not too kind. Sydney Morning Herald wrote a piece titled "Why Cummins was at Coldplay while Australia were smashed" while The Australian's opinion piece on the incident was titled: "Cummins' concert jaunt a cold start to summer."

 Australia's former captain Michael Clarke expressed strong concerns over the decision by team management to rest key players in the third and final ODI against Pakistan, a move that contributed to Pakistan's historic ODI series win over Australia on their home soil for the first time in 22 years.

Clarke voiced his frustrations on Big Sports Breakfast, questioning why the team prioritised rest for star players over a chance to secure the series win.

"I'm just a bit confused. With 11 days between now and the first Test, why can't the Aussie boys who are part of this Test series play in the one-dayer?" Clarke said, addressing the choice to keep major players like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood off the field.

With IANS and ANI inputs 

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Justice Sanjiv Khanna To Take Oath Today As 51st Chief Justice Of India

• President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Sanjiv Khanna at 10am.
• Justice Khanna will serve a six-month tenure as the Chief Justice of India and is expected to retire on May 13, 2025.
• Justice Khanna, 64, is the son of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of prominent former Supreme Court judge H R Khanna.
• He started his legal career in 1983 as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council. He was elevated to the Delhi High Court in 2005 and to the Supreme Court in 2019.
• He has experience in a wide range of legal fields, including constitutional law, taxation, arbitration, commercial law, and environmental law.
• He also worked as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department, representing the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• Justice Khanna has been part of several landmark judgments -- including upholding the sanctity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and the scrapping of Article 370 that gave Jammu and Kashmir its special status.
• A bench he led also declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional, underscoring the need for transparency in political funding.
• He was also part of the bench that granted interim bail to then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ahead of the Lok Sabha election, enabling him to campaign for the May0June Lok Sabha election this year.
• Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, meanwhile, became emotional on his last working day. Reflecting on his tenure, he said, "There is no greater feeling than being able to serve those in need."

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Trump Speaks To Putin, Urges Him To Not Escalate War In Ukraine: Report

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, the report said.

The president-elect's representatives did not immediately respond when asked by AFP for comment.

The Post, citing several people familiar with the call who spoke on the basis of anonymity, reported that Trump had reminded Putin of America's sizable military presence in Europe.

They said he also expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss "the resolution of Ukraine's war soon."

Trump's election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington's multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican's billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call.

Zelensky described the call as "excellent," saying that he and Trump had agreed to "maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation."

The outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump's inauguration on January 20.

On Sunday, Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims "to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table."

This would include using the remaining $6 billion of funding for Ukraine available, Sullivan said.

'Losing your allowance'

The Russian government has given a cautious but mostly positive response to Trump's return, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Sunday: "The signals are positive... At least he's talking about peace, and not about confrontation."

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to quickly end the Ukraine war -- even before he is sworn into office -- but without detailing his thinking.

Trump and his allies have railed against US funding for Ukraine, while insinuating that it helps fund a corrupt pro-war nexus of defense companies and foreign policy hawks.

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., shared a clip Saturday on Instagram which showed Zelensky standing next to the president-elect with a caption reading: "POV (point of view): You're 38 days from losing your allowance."

Any quick deal in Ukraine is expected to require Kyiv to cede some of the territory it has lost to Russian invaders in Ukraine's south and east.

A former adviser to Trump, Bryanb Lanza, told the BBC on Saturday that Ukraine had to give up any ambition on regaining Crimea, for instance, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.

He said the US priority was for "peace and to stop the killing", although the Trump transition team clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the president-elect.

Kyiv, though facing a manpower shortage and uncertainty over US support, has steadfastly opposed giving up territory and its European allies and weapons suppliers such as Britain and France are known to be nervous about unilateral moves by Trump.

Zelensky has said that giving up land or meeting other demands from the Kremlin would only embolden the Kremlin and provoke more aggression, a view shared by many European allies.

Trump "briefly raised the issue of land" in his call with Putin, the Post reported, without further details.

In recent months, both sides in the war have made moves seen as possible efforts to gain leverage ahead of eventual negotiations, with Ukraine seizing a chunk of Russian territory and Moscow's troops making advances in Ukraine.

This weekend brought the biggest drone attacks yet from both sides.

Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, Zelensky said, while Russia said it had downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow on Sunday.

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

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Two Powerful Earthquakes Hit Cuba Within An Hour

Two powerful earthquakes rocked southern Cuba in quick succession on Sunday, US geologists said, as authorities said no tsunami alert was issued and no deaths immediately reported.

The US Geological Survey put the second, more powerful tremor at a magnitude of 6.8 and 14.6 miles (23.5 kilometers) deep, some 25 miles off the coast of Bartolome Maso, in southern Granma province.

It came just an hour after a first tremor, which the USGS put at a magnitude of 5.9, with the epicenter some nine miles beneath the ocean roughly 22 miles off Bartolome Maso. 

The state-run newspaper Granma said no deaths had been immediately reported, but that the quake had been felt throughout the Caribbean island nation.

"Here people quickly took to the streets because the ground moved very strongly," Andres Perez, a 65-year-old retiree who lives in downtown Santiago de Cuba, told AFP via telephone of the first quake. 

"It felt very strong really, my wife is a bundle of nerves," he added. 

The US tsunami warning system said no tsunami warning had been issued.

The tremor shook the island as it recovers from Hurricane Rafael, which hit the country's west as a Category 3 storm, leaving residents without power for two days. 

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded in October 2023 in Santiago de Cuba, without causing any damage. 

Another strong earthquake of magnitude 7.7 was recorded in January 2020 in the Caribbean Sea and was felt in several Cuban provinces, causing the evacuation of buildings in the capital Havana, with no damage reported.

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

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Chelsea vs Arsenal: Pedro Neto Scores Stunner, Both Teams Re-Enter Top 4

Chelsea vs Arsenal Highlights Premier League: Chelsea and Arsenal played out a fascinating 1-1 draw in an enthralling London derby Premier League game. The result saw both sides re-enter the Top 4 of the Premier League. Gabriel Martinelli scored from a tight angle to give Arsenal the lead in the second half. However, hosts Chelsea fought back, with Pedro Neto scoring his first goal for the club. He equalised with a sensational long-range goal. Star players Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer did not have a big impact on the game. The two sides sit on 19 points each, nine behind league leaders Liverpool and four behind Manchester City. (MATCH CENTER)

Here are the LIVE Updates of Chelsea vs Arsenal LIVE Score, Premier League 2024-25 Football, straight from Stamford Bridge, West London:

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"Unknown To Any Civilised System": Supreme Court On 'Bulldozer Justice'

The full text of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's recent judgment on illegal demolitions in Uttar Pradesh mentions "justice through bulldozers is unknown to any civilised system of jurisprudence."

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had pulled up the UP government for an "illegal" demolition in 2019 while issuing directions to all states and Union Territories (UT) on the procedure to be followed during road-widening and removal of encroachments.

A bench of Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had also directed the UP government to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation to the man whose house was razed in 2019 for a road-widening project.

"... There is a grave danger that if high-handed and unlawful behaviour is permitted by any wing or officer of the state, demolition of citizens' properties will take place as a selective reprisal for extraneous reasons," Chief Justice Chandracud said in the order.

"Citizens' voices cannot be throttled by a threat of destroying their properties and homesteads. The ultimate security which a human being possesses is to the homestead. The law does not undoubtedly condone unlawful occupation of public property and encroachments," he said.

"Bulldozer justice is simply unacceptable under the rule of law. If it were to be permitted, the constitutional recognition of the right to property under Article 300A would be reduced to a dead letter," the Supreme Court said.

The Supreme Court had then directed the UP chief secretary to conduct an inquiry into the matter pertaining to a house in Maharajganj district and take suitable action. The bench elaborated on the steps that a state or its instrumentality must undertake before taking action in pursuance to a road-widening project.

In case an encroachment was found, the state must issue notice to the encroacher to remove it and if the correctness and validity of the notice was objected to, the state would issue a "speaking order" keeping in mind the principles of natural justice, the Supreme Court said.

In a scenario of the objection being rejected, a reasonable notice would be given to the person against whom the adverse action was proposed, to remove the encroachment, it added.

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US Charges Iranian Man In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump

The United States has charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, the Justice Department said on Friday.

In a statement, the department said that Farhad Shakeri had informed law enforcement "that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill" Trump, the department said. Shakeri allegedly told law enforcement he had no plans to formulate a plan to kill Trump within the IRGC's timeline.

The department described Shakeri, 51, as an IRGC asset residing in Tehran. It said he immigrated to the US as a child and was deported in or about 2008 following a robbery conviction. Shakeri is at large and believed to be in Iran, the prosecutors said.

Two New York residents whom Shakeri had met in prison, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, have also been charged for helping Shakeri plot to kill a US citizen of Iranian origin in New York, described as an outspoken critic of Iran's government who had previously been targeted for murder.

Prosecutors did not identify the target, but it matched the description of Masih Alinejad, a journalist and activist who has criticized Iran's head-covering laws for women. Four Iranians were charged in 2021 in connection with a plot to kidnap her, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home.

Rivera and Loadholt have both been ordered detained pending trial. Their lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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

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Yoga Teacher Buried Alive, Escapes Death Using Breathing Techniques

A 34-year-old Yoga teacher faked her death using breathing techniques and saved herself after allegedly being assaulted, strangled and then buried by a group of people who assumed she was dead, police said on Friday.

Five people, including a woman identified as Bindu and her friend named Satish Reddy who runs a detective agency in Bengaluru, have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.

"Bindu suspected her husband of having an affair with the Yoga teacher and asked Reddy to keep a tab on the woman and her proximity to him. As part of the plan, Reddy allegedly befriended the victim some three months ago on the pretext of taking Yoga classes from her and during this period, he managed to gain her confidence," a police official said.

In her complaint, the victim alleged that on the pretext of showing some places around the city on October 23, he came to her house near Dibburahalli and took her in a car in which three other men were also present.

She alleged that they took her to a secluded spot on the outskirts of the city and allegedly stripped and assaulted her.

According to her, she was thrashed, threatened and strangled using a cable. She claimed that she played along, pretended to be unconscious and faked her death using breathing techniques.

"Assuming the woman died, the accused allegedly dug a pit and covered her body with thin layers of soil because they were in a hurry and feared to be caught. But before leaving, they took away all her gold jewellery," a senior police officer said.

She claimed that she later managed to wriggle out of the pit and with the help of some villagers, got clothes and managed to reach the police station to file a complaint, he said.

The woman was sent for a medical examination as per procedure and admitted to a hospital.

"Based on the complaint, we registered a case under sections of kidnapping, attempt to murder and other appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Based on the investigation, we arrested five people, including Reddy and Bindu, on November 6," the officer said.

The vehicle in which the victim was kidnapped was allegedly stolen from Bengaluru, police said, adding, the victim's jewellery has also been recovered with the arrests.

"We are trying to verify all the claims made by the victim. There were also some online money transactions between Bindu and the associates and we are investigating the money trail also," 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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Terrorists Kidnap, Kill 2 Village Defence Guards In J&K's Kishtwar

Two village defence guards have been kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. The attack comes days after at least 12 people were injured in a grenade attack at a Sunday market in Srinagar.

Officials said Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar were kidnapped from the Munzla Dhar forest in Adhwari on Thursday and then shot dead. "A massive search operation has been launched to hunt down the terrorists," said an official.

"We have received information that my brother and Ahmad were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards (VDGs) and had gone to graze cattle, as usual," Kumar's brother, Prithvi, told news agency PTI.

Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad, has claimed responsibility for the killings. It also shared photos of the bodies with their eyes blindfolded.

The killings were condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leaders from the Congress and the BJP.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha wrote on X, "No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on VDG members in Kishtwar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of brave sons martyred in this cowardly attack. We are firmly resolved to destroy all terror outfits & avenge this barbaric act."

No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on VDG members in Kishtwar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of brave sons martyred in this cowardly attack. We are firmly resolved to destroy all terror outfits & avenge this barbaric act.

— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) November 7, 2024

The National Conference said both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party chief Farooq Abdullah have condemned the killings.

"JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and VP & Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah have condemned the gruesome killing of two village defence guards in Kishtwar namely Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, in a forest area. They have said that such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant impediment in achieving long lasting peace in J&K. In this hour of grief, their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased," the party's handle posted on X

JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and VP & Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah have condemned the gruesome killing of two village defence guards in Kishtwar namely Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, in a forest area. They have said that such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant…

— JKNC (@JKNC_) November 7, 2024

An encounter also broke out in north Kashmir's Sopore on Thursday after security forces launched an anti-terrorist operation. Sources said two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped.

Chief Minister's Appeal

After the explosion in Srinagar on Sunday, Chief Minister Abdullah had urged security forces to do "everything possible" to end a surge in attacks in the Union Territory at the earliest.

"The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the valley. Today's news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the 'Sunday market' in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians. The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear," Mr Abdullah had said in a post on X.

Two migrant workers were also shot at in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam last week. Three attacks on migrant workers had taken place in less than a fortnight before that, the deadliest of which was the killing of seven people, including a local doctor and two workers from Bihar, at a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal district on October 20.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Aligarh Muslim University A Minority Institution? Big Top Court Verdict Today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Friday on a vexed legal question whether the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) enjoyed a minority status under Article 30 of the Constitution which empowers the religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.

A seven-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will pronounce the verdict.

The bench also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Surya Kant, JB Pardiwala, Dipankar Datta, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma had reserved its verdict on the question on February 1 after hearing arguments for eight days.

On February 1, grappling with the intractable issue of the AMU's minority status, the top court said the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which effectively accorded it a minority status, only did a "half-hearted job" and did not restore to the institution the position it had prior to 1951.

While the AMU Act, 1920, speaks about incorporating a teaching and residential Muslim university in Aligarh, the 1951 amendment does away with compulsory religious instructions for the Muslim students at the university.

The vexed question has repeatedly tested Parliament's legislative acumen and judiciary's prowess in interpreting complex laws involving the institution that was founded in 1875 as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College by prominent Muslim community members led by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Years later, in 1920, it transformed into a university under the British Raj.

"One thing which is worrying us is that the 1981 amendment does not restore the position as it stood prior to 1951. In other words, the 1981 amendment does a half-hearted job," Justice Chandrachud had said while proceeding to close the arguments.

"I can understand if the 1981 amendment had said... okay, we are going back to the original 1920 statute, confer complete minority character on this (institution)," the CJI had said.

Earlier, the BJP-led NDA government refused to accept the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act and insisted that the court should go by the five-judge constitution bench verdict in the S Azeez Basha versus Union of India case in 1967. The Constitution bench had then held that since the AMU was a central university, it cannot be considered a minority institution.

The top court had said it needs to see what the 1981 amendment did and whether it restored to the institution the status it enjoyed before 1951.

Those who put forward the view favouring a minority status for the institution, including veteran lawyer Kapil Sibal, contended that the mere fact that only 37 members of the 180-member governing council are Muslim does not detract from its credentials as a Muslim minority institution.

Others like Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended a university getting enormous funds from the Centre and having been declared an institution of national importance cannot claim to belong to a particular religious denomination.

They had also argued that once the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College transformed itself into a university after the 1951 amendment to the AMU Act and began receiving funds from the Central government, the institution surrendered its minority character.

A lawyer disfavouring minority status to the AMU had claimed that it received over Rs 5,000 crore from the Central government between 2019 and 2023, nearly double what the University of Delhi, a central university, got.

Some of them had even contended that prominent people from the Muslim community who had lobbied with the then British government for establishing the institution as a university wedded to the cause of promoting education among the Muslims did not consider themselves as a religious minority in undivided India and advocated a two-nation theory.

Mr Sibal had mounted a spirited counterattack, asserting that Article 30 of the Constitution which deals with the right of religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions was applicable to the AMU.

Notably, the Allahabad High Court had struck down the provision of the 1981 law by which the university was accorded minority status. Appeals were filed in the Supreme Court, including by the AMU, against the high court verdict.

The row over AMU's minority status has been caught in a legal maze for the last several decades.

The top court had, on February 12, 2019, referred to a seven-judge bench the contentious issue. A similar reference was also made in 1981.

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre moved an appeal against the 2006 verdict of the Allahabad High Court that quashed the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act. The university also filed a separate petition against it.

The NDA government spearheaded by the BJP told the Supreme Court in 2016 that it would withdraw the appeal filed by the UPA dispensation.

It cited the Supreme Court's 1967 judgement in the Basha case to claim that AMU was not a minority institution since it was a central university funded by the government. 

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

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The Kapil Show: Deepinder Goyal Talks About Zomato's Flirty Notifications

Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of food e-commerce platform, recently graced the latest episode of the streaming sketch comedy show The Great Indian Kapil Show along with his wife Gia Goyal, businessman Narayana Murthy, and his wife Sudha Murthy, who is the Rajya Sabha member. During the episode, Kapil spoke about the flirtatious push notification that Deepinder's Zomato app sends to its customers. Kapil said, “The notifications of their company are so flirty. It feels like a girlfriend and boyfriend are talking to each other”. He then went on to show some of the push notifications as the audience cracked up in the awe of copywriters who write such push notifications.

Kapil then asked Deepinder, “You were actually typing this message for your customers or you were typing for Gia and by mistake you sent it to us?”. Deepinder replied, “A couple of times it happened that I typed for Gia, and I thought I'll send them a nice notification. But not much. Let me tell you what happened. Our marketing team is very young. They don't have any background in marketing. They are passionate people”.

Deepinder added, “So, I briefed them one day to make a relationship with the customer. Even I didn't know what it meant. I don't have any marketing background. I read a book and it said to make a relationship with the customer. I told them. They took me seriously”.

Kapil's show also stars Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Rajiv Thakur and Archana Puran Singh. Season 2 promises to celebrate India and its rich culture with the superstars of the country. The format of The Great Indian Kapil Show is largely identical to that of Sharma's former shows The Kapil Sharma Show and Comedy Nights with Kapil. The Great Indian Kapil Show stream on Netflix.

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

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Kamala Harris Dials Trump To Concede Presidential Election, Say Her Aides

US Vice President Kamala Harris called Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him for winning the 2024 presidential election, one of her senior aides said, following a bitter and contentious race.

Democrat Harris discussed with Mr Trump the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a President for all Americans, said the aide, confirming that Ms Harris will deliver remarks in Washington later today.

During the acrimonious campaign, the Democratic presidential candidate had described Mr Trump as a unique threat to democracy, but her campaign in the end underwhelmed voters.

She will deliver her concession speech in Washington today (2.30 am IST).

Mr Trump had never conceded defeat four years ago when his supporters ransacked the US Capitol. He returned to the White House with wider margins than before despite a criminal conviction, two impeachments while last in office and warnings from his former chief of staff that he was a "fascist."

At 78, Mr Trump will be the oldest President during his inauguration scheduled on January 20. Had Ms Harris won, she would have been the first woman president of the US. "It's a political victory that our country has never seen before," Mr Trump said earlier today in his victory speech.

Global leaders swiftly pledged to work with Mr Trump, despite concerns in some parts of the world about his "America First" approach. Among the most worried countries will be Ukraine, which Russia invaded in 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first leaders who dialled Mr Trump to congratulate him. "Had a great conversation with my friend, President Donald Trump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Had a great conversation with my friend, President @realDonaldTrump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2024

Mr Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have scoffed at the billions of dollars in US assistance to Ukraine under outgoing President Joe Biden, with their aides musing about forcing Ukraine to make concessions to end the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Trump and said he hoped the new US leader would help Ukraine find a "just peace."

Ms Harris entered the race in July after the visibly ageing Biden dropped out. She ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Mr Trump's inflammatory messaging and use of racist and sexist tropes. But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for change after the Biden years.

Hispanic and Black Americans, seen as crucial voting blocs for Harris, moved in greater numbers toward Mr Trump, who won a majority of Latino men, exit polls had shown.

Mr Trump is the first US President in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term, and the only person to be elected President as a convicted felon -- he is scheduled to face sentencing in a New York court for fraud on November 26.

He is also a longtime sceptic of climate change who is expected again to reduce US global commitments, although one of his top campaign surrogates was fellow billionaire Elon Musk, owner of electric vehicle maker Tesla.

With inputs from AFP

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PM Modi Dials Trump After His Record Win. What They Discussed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate the American leader on winning the fiercely contested US presidential election. Both leaders agreed to work together for world peace.

Mr Trump in his victory speech today said one of the first things he would do is to stop wars. India, too, is a trusted mediator of both the West and Russia in calling for peaceful negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

President-elect Trump conveyed in the phone call that "the whole world loves PM Modi", and that India is "a magnificent country" and PM Modi is a "magnificent man", sources said. Mr Trump told PM Modi that he considers him and India a true friend, sources said, adding PM Modi was one of the first world leaders Mr Trump spoke to after his victory.

PM Modi also posted about the phone call on X. "Had a great conversation with my friend, President Donald Trump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors," PM Modi said.

Had a great conversation with my friend, President @realDonaldTrump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2024

India is no stranger to Mr Trump's style of working. Both nations have seen ups and downs during Mr Trump's last reign as US President from 2016 to 2020. While Mr Trump had been supportive of India on the fight against global terrorism, the billionaire businessman had been extremely tough on tariffs on American goods.

Mr Trump's new presidency is likely to open new opportunities for India though certain sectors, especially pharma and IT, may face the heat if he decides to impose restrictions on imports and H1B visa regulations.

PM Modi's friendly ties with Mr Trump will have a positive bearing on Indo-US relations, but India may have to adapt its strategies to maintain cooperation in areas of mutual interest, experts told news agency PTI.

"Trump's presidency can be a new opportunity for India. Trump will impose tariffs and import restrictions on countries that he thinks are not friendly to the US, like China and even some European countries, and this can open markets for Indian exports," former Vice Chairman of the government's think tank NITI Aayog Rajiv Kumar said.

Barclays, in a research report on Wednesday, said trade policy is where Mr Trump is likely to be "most consequential" for emerging Asia, which includes India and China.

However, some experts say Mr Trump's trade protectionist views could have some negative impact on India's exports and might exert some pressure on the rupee in the short term. Since Mr Trump's protectionist philosophy of economics is well-known, the process of globalisation may become more strategic and less fair to emerging economies, including India, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy visiting Professor Pinaki Chakraborty said.

Mr Trump defeated the Democratic presidential candiate Kamala Harris in a stunning political comeback. World leaders swiftly pledged to work with Mr Trump, led by Israel and Ukraine where the course of wars could depend on the new US President's isolationist "America First" foreign policy.

With inputs from agencies

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Harris vs Trump - America Elects 47th US President. Election Result Today

The wait to know who will win - Kamala Harris or Donald Trump - is nearly over. Americans have decided who their next President will be. After a months-long, bitterly-contested election campaign, dozens of millions of citizens across the United States voted today. The counting of votes happens immediately after voting ends.

Voting began across the country at 6 am local time in each time zone and will end at 8 pm local time. The US has six time zones, of which four are on the US mainland while two are in US territories across the globe. The four main time zones are Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific Standard Time, while the two other time zones include Alaska Standard Time and Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, which are observed only by Alaska and Hawaii respectively.

The US Presidential election is closely watched around the world as US's policies have for long had a big impact on other countries. The 2024 US presidential election has been extraordinary in terms of political discourse reaching new lows.

During the election campaign that lasted several months, America and the rest of the planet witnessed an ugly and divisive contest - that saw personal attacks, derogatory language, racist slurs, inflammatory rhetoric and even assassination attempts.

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

The latest opinion polls suggest that Kamala Harris has a razor thin lead over Donald Trump - 1 percentage point. However, if the electorate is seen in terms of gender, as per the latest Reuters/Ipsos polls, Kamala Harris has a 12 percentage point lead over Trump among women, while Trump has a 7 percentage point lead over Harris among men.

For those backing Kamala Harris, her promise to protect abortion rights was one of the most compelling reasons to vote for her. The perception that Donald Trump, who made racist and offensive remarks, also played a part in those voting against him.

For those backing Donald Trump, a strict immigration system was one of the topmost reasons for supporting him. High inflation and concerns about the economy during the Biden term in which Kamala Harris was the Vice President were among the reasons to vote against the Democrat nominee.

The election has been very close and both candidates have been neck and neck in the race. While Harris might have a 1 percentage point lead over Trump, there is uncertainty of the final outcome.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

No matter who wins, Harris or Trump, history will be made today.

If 60-year-old Kamala Harris, the first woman Vice President in US history, wins, she will become the first woman, first Black woman, first Indian-American, and first South Asian American to win the presidency.

On the other hand, if 78-year-old Donald Trump, the only US President to be impeached twice and the first to be criminally convicted, wins, he would become the first US President in more than a century to win non-consecutive terms.

UNDERSTANDING THE ELECTION

US follows the electoral college voting system. There are a total of 538 electoral college votes; 435 House of Representatives, 100 Senate seats and 3 seats from Washington DC. A candidate needs a minimum of 270 votes to become the President.

Every state has a certain number of electoral votes. California has the maximum number of seats with 54, followed by Texas (40) and Florida (30). On the other hand, states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, and Vermont have a minimum number of 3 seats.

Out of the total 50 states in USA, there are 7 which are considered battle ground states or swing states. These are crucial for both candidates as these seven states alone have the potential to decide on who will be the next President. These states are - Nevada (6 seats), Arizona (11 seats), North Carolina (16 seats), Georgia (16 seats), Wisconsin (10 seats), Michigan (15 seats), and Pennsylvania (19 seats).

More than 80 million Americans had already voted before the main election day (Nov 5), either via mail or in person, and lines at several polling stations on Tuesday morning were short and orderly.

Control of both chambers of Congress is also up for grabs. Republicans have an easier path in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats are defending several seats in Republican-leaning states, while the House of Representatives looks like a toss-up.
 

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Congress Calls BJP Leader "Bangladeshi", Himanta Sarma's "Italian" Rebuttal

Targeting Congress for trying to project a BJP bypoll candidate in Assam as a "Bangladeshi", Chief Minister Himanta Sarma on Tuesday said questions can also be raised on the nationality of the Opposition party's top leader Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Sarma asked why Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh who have long been residents of India, should face criticism for being a candidate in election.

The Congress, in its campaigning for the Dholai constituency in Barak Valley, has cast doubts about the citizenship of BJP candidate Nihar Ranjan Das, claiming that it was a BJP leader who first raised the allegation.

"If you (Congress) call Nihar Ranjan Bangladeshi, I will also call Sonia Gandhi Italian. If you think I am afraid of Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, let me tell you I am not," Mr Sarma said addressing a rally for Mr Das at Palonghat.

Sonia Gandhi who was born in Italy came to India in 1968 after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi. She was granted Indian citizenship later.

The BJP leader maintained that Bengali Hindu residents of the present Barak Valley of Assam were dwellers of what is now Bangladesh, as it was the same country prior to Partition.

He blamed the Congress for creating the problems for Bengali-Hindus of Barak Valley, who had to move to present-day Assam following Partition of the country due to atrocities on religious minorities there.

"During the Lok Sabha election campaign, I had come here and said that we will resolve all problems of the Bengali Hindus. The government of India has already unblocked the Aadhar cards that were on hold. The state government has also issued orders that Bengali Hindus should not face any problems," he said.

When all problems have started to vanish, the Congress is saying Mr Das is a Bangladeshi, he claimed.

"Nihar Ranjan and his family have all the documents to prove their Indian citizenship. However, Congress is trying to rake up the issue. They want to make the Hindu Bengalis in Barak valley suffer once again," said Mr Sarma while replying to the Congress' allegation.

The opposition party is not insulting Nihar Ranjan alone, but all Bengali Hindus, he underlined.

Mr Sarma also held the Congress responsible for the Partition of India in 1947.

"Had you not bifurcated Bharat, atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh would not have happened," the chief minister stressed.

"Hindus are facing atrocities even now (in Bangladesh). We can see this on television and social media. But you (Congress) cannot raise these issues. Congress was formed to play only negative politics," the Chief Minister added.

Taking a swipe at Congress poll performance, Mr Sarma advised the party to sit at home and get some rest.

"The Congress should sit at home and take rest. They won't come to power for another 50 years," Mr Sarma, who had been busy with assembly polls in Jharkhand as the BJP's co-in-charge there, said.

By-elections are scheduled in five Assembly constituencies of the state on November 13.

Besides Dholai, the BJP has fielded candidates in Samaguri and Behali seats, while its allies AGP is contesting from Bongaigaon and UPPL from Sidli.

These by-polls were necessitated by the election of the incumbent MLAs to the Lok Sabha. Of these five seats, BJP and its allies held four, with Congress holding one.

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