Missing Kashmir Soldier Found, Cops Say He'll Be Interrogated

An Armyman who went missing in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam last week has been found, police said today.

Rifleman Javed Ahmad, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment, will be interrogated after his medical checkup, they added.

#Missing Army jawan has been recovered by Kulgam Police. Joint #interrogation will start shortly after medical checkup. Further details shall follow: ADGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice

— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) August 3, 2023

"Missing Army jawan has been recovered by Kulgam Police. Joint #interrogation will start shortly after medical checkup. Further details shall follow: ADGP Kashmir," tweeted Kashmir Zone Police.

The police are trying to ascertain the circumstances behind the Armyman's July 29 disappearance, which triggered massive searches by the security forces.

The 25-year-old soldier had stepped out of his house to buy some items from the market after which he was reported to be missing. He was on leave and was to join duty in a few days. The Alto car which he was driving was found near the market.

It was suspected that terrorists may have kidnapped the soldier and his family had appealed that the captors release him safely.

In the past, several soldiers at home on leave were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in the area.

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High Court Order On Gyanvapi Mosque Survey Likely Today: 10 Facts

1. The ASI survey was ordered by the Varanasi district court on July 21, based on a petition by four women who claimed it was the only way to determine whether the landmark mosque was built after razing a Hindu temple. The mosque is located right next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple. 
2. The ASI had started a survey on July 24, but it was stayed within hours by the Supreme Court after the mosque committee approached it. The mosque committee had argued that the structure is over a thousand years old and any digging might destabilise it, leading to its collapse. The committee had also argued that any such survey is in violation of existing laws around religious places. 
3. The centre had, however, assured the Supreme Court that the survey will not alter the structure in any way and stressed that "not a brick has been removed nor is it planned". Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta had said the survey plan includes only measurement, photography and radar studies.
4. The court allowed the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court to challenge the order. After hearing the matter for two days, July 26 and 27, the high court had reserved its judgment for today.
5. The Gyanvapi mosque had hit headlines in 2021 after a group of women approached a lower court in Varanasi for permission to worship Hindu deities in the Gyanvapi complex on all days of the year. 
6. In April last year, the court ordered a video survey of the complex based on this petition. When the survey was conducted in May, a structure was discovered that the petitioners claimed was a 'shivling'. 
7. The mosque management committee, however, said the structure was part of a fountain in the 'wazukhana', which is an area filled with water where people wash their hands and feet before praying. Keeping the sensitivity of the issue in mind, the Supreme Court had ordered the sealing of the 'shivling' area the same month. 
8. In September last year, the Varanasi district judge, to whom the case had been transferred by the Supreme Court, dismissed a challenge by the mosque committee, which argued that the women's request to worship Hindu deities inside the complex premises was not maintainable. 
9. In May this year, the Allahabad High Court also dismissed the committee's petition on maintainability. 
10. Located in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, the Gyanvapi mosque is one of several mosques that some believe were built on the ruins of Hindu temples. It was one of the three temple-mosque disputes, besides Ayodhya and Mathura, which the BJP had raised in the 1980s and 1990s.

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Rs 25 Crore Worth Of Cash, Jewellery Seized In Raids On Pawan Munjal

Foreign and Indian currencies and gold and diamond jewellery worth about Rs 25 crore apart from "incriminating" documents were seized after raids on Hero MotoCorp executive chairperson Pawan Kant Munjal and some others, the Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday.

The federal agency raided the residence and offices of the 69-year-old billionaire businessman, the promoter of India's largest two-wheeler automobiles manufacturer, in Delhi and neighbouring Gurugram apart from that of some other entities on Tuesday as part of a money laundering investigation against them.

It did not elaborate on the exact amount of seizure made from each of those raids.

While the automobile company did not offer an immediate comment, it had said on Tuesday that they were "extending all cooperation" to the ED.

Foreign and Indian currencies and gold and diamond jewellery (including foreign origin gold) worth about Rs 25 crore apart from "incriminating" documents, hard disks and mobiles were seized from the residential and business premises of Munjal, Hemant Dahiya, K R Raman, Hero MotoCorp Limited and Hero Fincorp Limited, the agency said.

The ED case, registered under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from a charge sheet of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), an investigation arm of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), filed before a Delhi Court under section 135 of the Customs Act (evasion of duty or prohibitions).

The DRI prosecution complaint was filed on charges of "carrying, attempting to export and illicit export of prohibited items i.e. foreign currency" against P K Munjal, a third party service provider company called SEMPL and individuals identified as Amit Bali, Hemant Dahiya, K R Raman and some others.

The ED said Salt Experience and Management Pvt. Ltd. (SEMPL) "illegally exported foreign currency equivalent to about Rs 54 crore to various countries during the period 2014-2015 to 2018-2019 which was ultimately used for personal expenses of P K Munjal." SEMPL, it alleged, got issued foreign exchange to the tune of about Rs 14 crore in the name of its officials/employees like Hemant Dahiya, Mudit Aggarwal, Amit Makker, Gautam Kumar, Vikram Bajaj and Ketan Kakkar over and above the annual permissible limit of USD 2,50,000 in various financial years.

SEMPL has also drawn foreign exchange/travel forex card in huge amount in the name of other employees who didn't even travel abroad, it said.

"Investigation found that one of the key associate of P K Munjal managed to illegally export approximately Rs 40 crore worth of foreign currency for meeting the expenses of P K Munjal during his personal or business foreign trips," it claimed.

Hero MotoCorp became the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer in 2001 in terms of unit volume sales in a calendar year and has maintained the title for the past 20 consecutive years.

The company has a presence across 40 countries in Asia, Africa, and South and Central America.

Hero MotoCorp said on its official website that "over the past 10 years, the company has rapidly expanded its capacity, geographic footprint, customer touch points and R&D capabilities to emerge as a truly global brand." The automobile giant and Munjal were also raided by the Income Tax Department in March last year as part of a tax evasion investigation.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes, the administrative authority for the I-T department, had then said that during these searches, the taxman found alleged illegal business expenses of over Rs 800 crore and records showing that Rs 60 crore worth "unaccounted" cash used to purchase land in Delhi and the role of some shell (dubious) companies.

The automobile company had then said in a regulatory filing that it was a "law-abiding corporate, with robust internal financial controls" and its "financial statements are duly audited". 

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Influencer Who Starved To Death Claimed She Didn't Drink Water For 6 Years

Russian influencer Zhanna Samsonova, fondly known as Zhanna D'Art, died at the age of 39. 

Ms Samsonova - who survived entirely on a raw vegan diet - reportedly died of starvation. 

A friend, living a floor above Ms Samsonova, expressed her fear of “finding her lifeless body in the morning.” Despite Ms Samsonova's friend convincing her to seek treatment, the influencer “didn't make it.”

Here are five facts about vegan influencer Ms Samsonova:

- Ms Samsonova was on an all-raw vegan diet for at least a decade. She used to promote a raw vegan diet and urged her followers to embrace the lifestyle.

- The 39-year-old used to consume jackfruit, durian, fruits, seeds, sprouts, fruit juices, and smoothies.  Ms Samsonova also used to share recipes and tips.

- Ms Samsonova's mother, in conversation with New York Post,  said that her daughter died of a “cholera-like infection.” In addition, she believed that Ms Samsonova had succumbed to exhaustion and the stress placed on her body by an all-vegan diet.

- As per her Instagram bio, Ms Samsonova was “Raw food Creation by Zhanna D'art Chef.”

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A post shared by Raw food Creation by Zhanna D'art (@rawveganfoodchef)

- She once said, “Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it's about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood.”

Ms Samsonova also said that she didn't drink water for six years. 

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Economists Say That The 'Great Resignation' Is Over. Explain Why

Since the pandemic, millions of employees across the world left their jobs, disrupting the workforce. According to a BBC report, 47 million people quit their jobs in the US in 2021, and 50 million more in 2022, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The trend of mass resignations was ultimately given a term in 2021 called 'the Great Resignation' by organisational behaviour professor Anthony Klotz.

Workers cited a lot of reasons for quitting like, a desire for more flexibility, money, or benefits, or to leave toxic company culture.

However, the 'great resignation,' appears to be ending, economists say. According to New York Times, the rate at which workers voluntarily quit their jobs has fallen sharply in recent months, normalising to pre-pandemic figures.

''Looking at the overall resignation numbers, and seeing they're back to 2019 levels, I think we can say it's over. It's not just a simple start-and-stop, of course, but it does seem that we're at the tail of it,” said Anthony Klotz, now a professor of management at University College London's School of Management.

He said that the impact of the current economic instability on the labour market could be a reason. Fears of AI taking away our jobs could also be another reason.

''Even if you want to quit your job, you look out at the market [now] and think, ‘maybe I shouldn't. The economy has slowed down, there are layoffs in the headlines, warnings in the headlines that AI is going to take all of our jobs – it all makes people think twice before they quit a job,'' he added.

Another expert said that many people have shifted from less desirable industries to more sought-after ones, called the 'Great Reshuffle' and are now comfortably settled in their new roles. Others have stopped quitting because of the more flexible nature of jobs. In addition, many companies are now taking employee well-being seriously and also making workplaces more inclusive and diverse. 

However, studies show that there are still plenty of ongoing workforce engagement problems for employers to worry about. 

Though employees are not putting in their papers, they are practicing something called ''Quiet Quitting.'' The trend of simply doing the bare minimum expected at work took off on TikTok in 2022 and clearly resonated with young people. The trend has frustrated managers, with some reportedly concerned about their employees slacking off. 

However, experts say that 'quiet quitting' could be a "great liberation" in response to the 'great resignation'. People are rejecting overwork and burnout and choosing balance and joy. They are establishing boundaries so their identity and self-value are not tied to their work productivity.

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Illegal For Minor To Be In Live-In Relationship, Says Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has observed that a person below the age of 18 cannot be in a live-in relationship and this would be an act not only immoral but also illegal.

A bench of Justices Vivek Kumar Birla and Justice Rajendra Kumar made the observation in a recent judgment dismissing a petition filed by Ali Abbas, a 17-year-old boy, and his live-in partner Saloni Yadav, 19.

"There are several conditions for a live-in relation to be treated as a relation in nature of marriage and in any case, a person has to be major (above the age of 18 years), although he may not be of marriageable age (21 years). Hence, a child cannot have a live-in relationship and this would be an act not only immoral but also illegal," the bench observed.

"An accused who is below 18 years of age cannot seek protection on the ground of having a live-in relationship with a major girl and thus, he cannot seek quashing of the criminal prosecution against him as his/her activity is not permissible in law and is thus illegal," the bench added.

The petitioners in their joint petition had requested the high court to quash the FIR lodged against the boy under IPC sections 363 and 366 for allegedly abducting the girl with an additional prayer not to arrest the boy in the case. The FIR was lodged by the family members of the girl.

The court observed that if this is permitted, this would amount to putting premium on an illegal activity and thus would not be in the interest of society.

"We are not inclined to put a seal of approval on such legally impermissible activities," it said.

The court further noted that a person below the age of 18 years is considered to be a child and such a child cannot have a live-in relationship.

Such a relationship "has not been given any protective umbrella under any law of the land" except that two major persons have the right to live their own lives and to that extent, their personal liberty is to be protected, the court 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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Bad News For India: Rahul Unlikely For Asia Cup, Another Star May Miss WC

Senior batter KL Rahul in all likelihood will miss the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka as he will take more time to recover from his hamstring injury while it could be a touch and go for another star Shreyas Iyer as far as his participation in the World Cup is concerned. Rahul had undergone a thigh surgery while Iyer had a surgery on his lower back to cure stress fracture. The last BCCI update didn't specify their date of return of the duo as they were seen slowly building on their workload as far as 'Return to Play' is concerned.

"It is unlikely that both Rahul and Shreyas would be match fit for 50-over cricket and that too in humid conditions in Sri Lanka. But BCCI medical team feels that Rahul can at least get fit before the three-match series against Australia before the World Cup," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"In case of Iyer, he has also started skills training but World Cup for him will be touch and go if Indian management thinks of putting a 100 percent fit Iyer back on the park. T20 is an easier vehicle for comeback unlike 50-over cricket. We are keeping fingers crossed," the source added.

Rahul has already started his keeping drills. But keeping for 50 overs with recovering hamstring will be a bit too much, considering India's Asia Cup campaign starts early next month.

Rahul's fitness is very important in larger context as he will also bat at No.5 and is expected to play a big role in the middle overs.

The Indian team management is desperate to have at least one of the two fit and available for the World Cup.

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"Hypocrisy": Asaduddin Owaisi On Sharad Pawar Sharing Stage With PM

NCP chief Sharad Pawar was on Tuesday accused by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi of hypocrisy for sharing the stage with PM Narendra Modi in Pune.

The Pawar-led party rubbished Owaisi's remarks, and questioned his "lack of political awareness".

"While in Lok Sabha, NCP & other opposition parties have been protesting over Manipur; Sharad Pawar is happily sharing the dais with @narendramodi in Pune. What's this hypocrisy? At the same time, BJP is happily getting Bills passed without discussion," Owaisi tweeted.

"@asadowaisi needs to keep his eyes and ears open before making statements showing his lack of political awareness. Sharad Pawar Saheb attended the function as a mark of respect to Lokmanya Tilak. Does Owaisi know the importance of Tilak ji & has he ever paid any respect to him?" tweeted NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto.

"My respect for Sharad Pawar Saheb has risen manyfolds today because he kept his promise to organizers of 'Lokmanya Tilak National Award' and as a mark of respect to Lokmanya Tilak, attended the function despite having to share stage with people responsible for breaking our party," Crasto tweeted. 

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

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"You Can...": CSK Star Makes India Comeback, Recalls Dhoni's Words

Chennai Super Kings clinched the IPL 2023 title after defeating Gujarat Titans in the final match in Ahmedabad. Ravindra Jadeja turned out to be the hero as he smashed 10 off the last two balls and pulled-off a thrilling win for CSK in a rain-curtailed match. In the quest of their record-equalling fifth title, many CSK players shed their sweat and blood but the contribution of Shivam Dube definitely stood out from others. The aggressive 30-year-old batter amassed 418 runs in the 16 matches at a strike rate of 158.33. 

After the successful IPL stint, Dube continued his fiery form in Deodhar Trophy and scored an unbeaten 83 off 78 balls for West Zone to lead them to victory against North Zone. Speaking about his batting skills, Dube hailed CSK skipper Dhoni and stated that former India captain has influenced his game. 

"I cannot express all the things (that Dhoni helped me with). I have upgraded my game. I got to know how to finish the game, how to be in the situation, how to tackle the bowlers, that all things are more important and many things are there but cannot express all the things," said Dube in a video posted on BCCI website. 

"But, I definitely got some big tips. He told me to play till the end and try to finish the game. You can win many matches from your batting, so keep believing in yourself'," he added. 

The left-handed batter has now been rewarded for his IPL heroics with a Team India call-up. He has been named in India's squad for the Asian Games, which will be held in China in September. Apart from that, Dube has also earned a call-up for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland in August. 

Notably, Dube has played 13 T20Is for Team India after making his debut in 2019 against Bangladesh. He was last seen in the national team in a T20I against New Zealand in February 2020. Apart from this, he has also played one ODI match against West Indies in December 2019. 

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"He Worked It": Karan On How Ranveer Took Rocky From Paper To Screen

Director Karan Johar, who is at present, basking in the success of his film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, spoke to film critic Anupama Chopra and revealed how Ranveer Singh created the role of Rocky Randhawa for the film. In an extensive chat, the Student Of The Year director noted that Ranveer Singh accompanied him to Delhi for a recce for three weeks. Elaborating on the actor's "process," Karan Johar said, "Ranveer was with me right through those three weeks on a recce in Delhi. He would meet Instagrammers, speak to them, pick up lingos, he would absorb. He would also be driving around Delhi at night and just getting the flavour. I don't know what he was doing but he had a process."

Giving due credit to the Lootera star for bringing to life the character and flamboyance of Rocky Randhawa, Karan continued "He worked it. He created the Rocky Randhawa. You see is a lot on paper but it has a lot to do with him."

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Karan Johar's film in the 25th year of his career as a director, has been receiving unending love and praise by his fans and industry friends alike. Expressing his gratitude for all the love, Karan Johar told Anupama Chopra, "I feel so happy with all the pyaar. I don't know how to react to this love."

Seems like Karan Johar is not the only one feeling overwhelmed with all the love. A day back, Alia Bhatt, our very own Rani Chatterjee, shared an adorable picture of herself featuring Ranveer Singh and Karan Johar alongside a heartfelt caption. In the picture we can see the on-screen couple twinning and winning in white with a special cameo from Karan Johar.

Alia Bhatt kept the caption simple as she wrote, "Love hain toh sab hain!!! From the bottom of our hearts .. Thank you for all the love.. eternally grateful! Love, Rocky, Rani and our maker of this Kahaani."

Take a look at her post here:

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A post shared by Alia Bhatt 💛 (@aliaabhatt)

About the film, NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee said, “On the screen and off it, flamboyance comes easy to Ranveer Singh. There is nobody in the Mumbai industry who could have pulled off Rocky as well as he does…Alia Bhatt strikes the right notes in the role of a girl who embraces her beliefs with confidence and confronts all the imperfections in her and in the people around her without letting any of it get the better of her. She is the real star of the show.”

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"What BJP Couldn't Do In 13 Years...": AAP's Swipe Over Delhi Civic Body

Taking a dig at the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said all MCD employees received their salaries on the first day of the month as there was "an honest government in the municipal corporation.

In a tweet in Hindi, the AAP chief said, "What the BJP could not do in 13 years, we did it in just five months." The AAP ended the BJP's 15-year tenure in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after its victory in the civic polls held on December 4.

"After 2010, today for the first time in the municipal corporation, from the commissioner to a peon, from a sweeper to a teacher, from a gardener to a DBC (domestic breeding checkers) worker, everyone is getting salary on the first day of the month," the Delhi Chief Minister said in his tweet.

"And all this happened because now there is an honest AAP government in the corporation as well. Today, I have an appeal to all the employees of the corporation -- on my behalf, do take home sweets for children and parents," he added.

On July 4, Mayor Shelly Oberoi said salaries of MCD's sanitation workers for June were credited on July 1 and claimed that this had never happened during the BJP's 15-year tenure.

The BJP ran the MCD between 2007 and 2022. In 2012, the MCD was trifurcated into North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations that were reunified into a single entity in May 2022.

Later at a press conference, Oberoi said MCD employees of all groups received salaries on the first day of the month.

"Now, there is a local government in MCD which does politics of development, talks of 'vikas' and interests of people of Delhi," she said.

"This is not a government (in MCD) which for the last 15 years did nothing but corruption in the municipal corporation. It is not one which indulges in religion-based politics, caste politics or communal politics," Oberoi alleged, without naming anyone.

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

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Taylor Swift Gifts Rs 82 Lakh To Each Tour Truck Driver As A Thank You

As the US leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour officially wrapped up, the 33-year-old singer gave out generous bonuses to the truck drivers who have been transporting her equipment across the country. According to TMZ, the Grammy award-winning singer gifted each trucker working her tour $100,000 and handed out the bonus checks before her Saturday show in Santa Clara, CA.

The singer is believed to have 50 truck drivers on the tour, so in total she shelled out $5 million in bonuses.

A source told TMZ that the money was an "end of the tour" bonus as the Berks County-born pop star comes to the end of the U.S. leg of her tour, before moving on to Mexico.

Not only that, she also gifted a “very generous amount” to band members, dancers, lighting and sound technicians, caterers, and other staff, Metro reported.

Recently, a seismologist revealed that Taylor Swift fans in Seattle, Washington, triggered activity that was on par with a small earthquake.

Seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach told CNN that the ‘Swift Quakes' took place on July 22 and 23 and that the dancing at the shows caused seismic activity ‘equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.'

He noted that the activity beats the previous record in Seattle, which was generated by Seattle Seahawks' fans during a game against the New Orleans Saints.

 "The shaking was twice as strong and absolutely doubled it. I grabbed the data from both nights of the concert and quickly noticed they were clearly the same pattern of signals. If I overlay them on top of each other, they're nearly identical,'' he said.

Ms Swift also become the first living artist in nearly 60 years to have four albums in the top 10 at the same time, the organization added.

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"People Didn't...": Adhyayan On Speaking About Relationship With Kangana

Raaz actor Adhyayan Suman made his debut in Bollywood almost 15 years ago but largely remained under the spotlight due to his turbulent relationship with actress and Raaz co-star Kangana Ranaut. In a recent interview with News18, the actor opened up about the relationship and also revealed why he chose to publicly talk about it in 2017, almost 8 years after they dated. Adhyayan Suman said, “I don't regret speaking about my relationship. I spoke about it like any human being would. I spoke about it at a point when people didn't know about my side of the story.”

"We've to understand that every coin has two sides. People knew the other side of it. I wanted to speak up just once and not discuss it any further. When you're in the public domain, there are so many opinions and judgments passed about you that sometimes it's important to clear things out," the actor continued. 

The actor also clarified that the move was not to invite publicity or else he could have decided to speak up in 2009 itself. Talking to News18, Adhyayan Suman said, “If you recall, there were no press conferences arranged. I never created a hullabaloo saying that things happened with me. It was just once that I spoke out of respect for that person and more importantly, for myself. “If I was publicity hungry, I would've spoken about it back in 2009 when I had the relationship and not in 2017. What difference does it make to my career? You don't get work because of your affairs but because of your talent. People judged me back then but then they came back and apologized to me after I spoke about my side of the story. I faced backlash but I don't regret it at all.”

For the unversed, Adhyayan Suman and Kangana Ranaut began dating on the sets of Raaz: The Mystery Continues in 2008. The couple broke up the following year in 2009. In 2016, Adhyayan Suman accused the Queen star of being physically violent and performing black magic on him.  

Adhyayan Suman is known for his work in films including Haal-e-dil, Heartless and, Raaz – The Mystery Continues.

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