Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw asks Bengaluru’s officials to wake up after Trevor Noah takes digs at the city

Mazumdar-Shaw cited a video put out by Trevor Noah on the Bengaluru fiasco, and said that the city has now given him enough content to talk about it in the future. In her post, she called the city’s sorry state “shambolic” and asked the administration to “wake up”

Published Date – 03:35 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw asks Bengaluru’s officials to wake up after Trevor Noah takes digs at the city

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Hyderabad: Taking a dig at the crumbling infrastructure of Bengaluru, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared a post on social media site X (formerly Twitter) as comedian Trevor Noah‘s show in the city got cancelled.

Mazumdar-Shaw cited a video put out by Trevor Noah on the Bengaluru fiasco, and said that the city has now given him enough content to talk about it in the future. In her post, she called the city’s sorry state “shambolic” and asked the administration to “wake up”

“Bangalore’s shambolic state has provided enough content for Trevor Noah’s future shows. If this does not wake up the administration then we have nothing to hope for @Jointcptraffic @BBMPCOMM #CMofKarnataka @DKShivakumar, ” (sic.) she posted.

She tagged the Join Commissioner of Police for Traffic, Bengaluru, BBMP Commissioner Thushar Giri Nath, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and said that the city administration has to wake up now and if it does not, then the city will not have anything to hope for.

Meanwhile, the comedian used his experience in Bengaluru as fodder for his show at Mumbai and trolled the city saying he had to reach the backstage of a venue via an alley lined with dogs.

He added that the convention centre which was the venue for his show in Bengaluru would not qualify as a building but the performance are resembles a semi-permanent tent and the noisy air conditioners were blowing hot air, making it difficult for the crowd.

The comedian, as predicted by his fans, took lots of digs at the city and it looks like he is going to do the same for a good while.

Chaos at Hyderabad’s LuLu Mall: Shoppers loot food

Videos capturing the incident swiftly went viral on social media, where netizens expressed a wide range of reactions.

Published Date – 03:39 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Chaos at Hyderabad’s LuLu Mall: Shoppers loot food

File Photo

Hyderabad: The grand opening of LuLu Mall took an unexpected turn as groups of unruly shoppers’ unleashed chaos within the premises, plundering food items. With visuals of empty and half-consumed food items on the storage racks in the Mall being shared across multiple social media platforms, there was widespread disbelief among people.

LuLu Mall, located in Kukatpally, celebrated its inauguration on September 27 with great fanfare, drawing large crowds eager to explore the expansive shopping destination. However, it wasn’t long before chaos ensued.

Witnesses and security personnel reported that a portion of the crowd began engaging in destructive behavior, targeting packaged goods and drinks. Shelves containing various products were ransacked, and the contents of numerous items were opened, consumed, and then discarded within the mall.

Samosas, biscuits, soft drinks, fruits, and other consumables were among the food items as customers devoured or partially consumed these items before discarding them on the mall’s floors. The destruction extended to bottles, empty wrappers, and other food-related packaging strewn about the premises.

Security measures, including CCTV cameras, appeared to be insufficient in preventing the chaotic scene from unfolding. Authorities on-site struggled to contain the situation.

Videos capturing the incident swiftly went viral on social media, where netizens expressed a wide range of reactions.

While some condemned the actions of the unruly shoppers, others expressed embarrassment and disappointment that such behavior occurred at a venue representing Hyderabad on an international level.

Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes Nepal, strong tremors felt across north India

The National Centre for Seismology has reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 5 kilometers.

Updated On – 03:26 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes Nepal, strong tremors felt across north India



New Delhi: In a significant seismic event, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 has struck Nepal, sending shock waves across the region.

The National Centre for Seismology has reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 5 kilometers.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Nepal, causing widespread concern for the safety of residents and structural integrity of buildings. Reports are pouring in of strong tremors being felt in Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR), adding to the sense of urgency.

Immediate efforts are underway to assess the extent of the damage and provide necessary assistance to those affected. Rescue teams, along with emergency services, have been mobilized to affected areas.

Nepalese authorities are urging citizens to remain vigilant and to follow safety protocols in the aftermath of the quake.

Including Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana the people are advised to take precautionary measures and stay updated on official channels for any further instructions.

We will continue to provide updates on this developing situation as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this seismic event, and we hope for a swift recovery and restoration of normalcy in the affected regions.

 

Iran Army stages large-scale military drone drill across country

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has started a large-scale drone drill, which features hundreds of sophisticated reconnaissance and combat drones.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the deputy chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination, said on Tuesday that nearly 200 drones cover strategic waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, all four corners of the country and its central part.

According to Sayyari the surveillance drones, operated by the four units of the Army, namely the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force, successfully carried out their intelligence-gathering and patrol missions on the first day of the Army’s 1402 joint drone military exercise.

“Homegrown Chamorosh, Yasir, Sadeq, Pelican vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) naval drone, Ababil-3 tactical surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle, Yazdan, Ababil-4, Ababil-5, Kaman-12 (Bow-12) and Kaman-19 drones in addition to Mohajer-6 ISTAR aircraft were flown from different bases across Iran,” he said.

He added that the drones monitored the country’s frontiers and identified designated targets in the general zone of the exercise as well as international waters.

“Due to the expansion of unmanned aerial capabilities, execution of various and numerous drone missions, and the need to coordinate such flights, the Army has as set up Zolfaqar command and control network for the drone operations,” Sayyari said.

“This exercise exhibits only a small fraction of the achievements made by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army in connection with domestically-developed drones,” he pointed out.

Iran has made great progress in the drone industry in recent years.

Last month, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said the scope of foreign demand for sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles developed and manufactured indigenously by the country’s military specialists is much larger than its production capacity.

Baqeri said Iran was once under arms embargoes on the purchase of foreign-made weapons, but now the Islamic Republic is faced with bans on the export of its domestically developed military products.

“Today, the (number of) customers of our drones are several times more than our production capacity,” Major General Baqeri said, adding that “major world powers” are vying to purchase Iranian weapons.

Iran has turned into a “big drone power” that is outperforming major world powers, the commander said.

Zionist regime to be eradicated by hands of Palestinians

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the the participants of the 37th International Islamic Unity Conference (IIUC), Iranian officials, and envoys of Islamic states on Tuesday morning.

The meeting is being held on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

Stressing that the normalization of relations with the Israeli regime will be detrimental for any state that wishes to do so, the Leader said that the current situation of the Tel Aviv regime does not encourage any party to get close to it.

Saying that the life of the usurping regime of Israeli will not last long, he cited that the Palestinian movement is more lively and ready today than ever in the past decades. 

This item will be updated…

MNA/FNA14020711000226

Asian Games: India wins in men’s team bridge semifinal session 1

The Indian men’s bridge has successfully clinched a win in the semifinal session one match of the men’s team bridge event at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou on Tuesday.

Published Date – 03:18 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Asian Games: India wins in men’s team bridge semifinal session 1

Picture: Olympics.com

Hangzhou: The Indian men’s bridge has successfully clinched a win in the semifinal session one match of the men’s team bridge event at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou on Tuesday. In the semifinal session one game, India squared off against China and comfortably defeated them by 22-66. In the other semifinal game, Hong Kong clinched a 41-27 win against Japan. In the second session of the semifinal match of the men’s team bridge event at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Indian side played out a 22-22 tie with China.

The bridge men’s team semi-finals will be a six-round contest. Session three of the men’s team bridge semifinal will held later on Tuesday. Whereas, the fourth, five, and sixth sessions will be held on Wednesday. Earlier on Monday, in the bridge qualification round at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, India qualified second for the men’s team semi-finals with 278.93 points after 266 boards. Hong Kong China, China and Chinese Taipei claimed the other three semi-final spots.

However, the Indian women’s and mixed teams failed to make their way into the bridge semi-finals. India finished seventh with 106.83 points in the women’s bridge team event. The Indian mixed team scored 234.57 points, only 15.66 points shy of a semi-final berth, to finish fifth.
India’s Asian Games 2023 bridge squad:

Men’s team: Jaggy Shivdasani, Sandeep Thakral, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Sumit Mukherjee, Raju Tolani and Ajay Khare, Reserve 1: Kaustabh Bendre and Sayantan Kushari; Coach: Mr Joyjit Sensarma.

Mixed team: Kiran Nadar, B Satyanarayana, Himani Khandelwal, Rajeev Khandelwal, Marianne Karmarkar and Sandeep Karmarkar, Reserve 1: Hema Deora and Rana Roy; Coach: Vinay Desai.

Women’s team: Asha Sharma, Puja Batra, Alka Kshirsagar, Bharti Dey, Kalpana Gurjar and Vidya Patel, Reserve 1: Richa Shriram and Meenal Thakur; Coach: Anal Shah.

The Indian contingent is currently placed in fourth place with 61 medals, which includes 13 gold, 24 silver, and 24 bronze medals.

Sunil Singh & Arjun Singh: The Heartwarming Story Of Canoe Bronze Winners

Salam Sunil Singh, son of a fisherman, and Arjun Singh, born to a factory worker, grew up 2000km apart from each other. But there is a binding thread – an unending passion for water sports unhindered by their difficult formative years. The 24-year-old Sunil from Moirang, Manipur, and the 16-year-old Arjun, who grew up in Roorkee, combined that passion to land India a bronze medal in men’s double canoe 1000m event at the Asian Games on Tuesday, a first for the country since the 1994 event.

The duo clocked 3:53.329 seconds to finish third here. In the 1994 Hiroshima edition, India had bagged a bronze in the same event through Siji Sadanandan and Johnny Rommel.

For Sunil and Arjun, the medal was the culmination of the hard work they had put in despite the crushing odds in their lives.

“My father (Iboyaima Singh) is a fisherman and every morning and evening he would row his boat out and catch fishes at the Loktak Lake and that is our family’s source of income. My mother (Binita Devi) is just a homemaker,” Sunil told PTI after winning the bronze in Hangzhou.

“When I started it was very difficult as the boat and other equipment cost a lot. One pedal costs a minimum of Rs 40,000 and a boat costs Rs 4-5 lakh.

“Initially, my family and relatives chipped in to finance me but after I joined the Indian Army in 2017, I was able to manage myself,” said Sunil, who is now a havildar in the Army.

Sunil’s passion for water is inherent as he was born and brought up near the Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater body in Northeast India, and it also houses the famous Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Sunil took his first canoeing lessons at the water sports training complex near the lake. He shifted to Hyderabad in 2013 on the advice of his aunt who is also a canoe coach.

In 2015, he got selected for the national camp and he became the national champion next year.

He then trained at the Roorkee Army centre but polished his skills at the Bhopal SAI Centre under Pijush Baroi, who is the men’s coach.

Arjun was also in Roorkee before shifting to Bhopal recently on the advice of Borai. They paired up for the first time a few months ahead of the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Germany in August, where they reached the final and finished ninth.

Arjun’s family is from Bhagpat, Uttar Pradesh, but later they shifted to Roorkee.

Arjun too trains at the SAI, Bhopal but that has not made him forget the tough days when his family struggled to make both ends meet.

“My father is no more and my mother works at a medicine manufacturing factory in Roorkee and earns Rs 8000 to Rs 10000 a month.

“We live in a rented house. It was very difficult with that meagre income. My mother suffered a lot,” said Arjun.

“It is a little better now since I am at the Bhopal SAI Centre where I am very well taken care of,” said Arjun, a class 12 student.

But Arjun will forever be indebted to his uncle, Ajit Singh for that change in life.

Ajit, a national and international canoer, asked Arjun to shift to Roorkee along with his family in 2017 to train there at the Army Node. Arjun was 12 then.

Arjun was also at Jagatpur SAI Centre in Odisha for a brief period in 2022 before coming to Bhopal earlier this year.

“I have been fascinated with water sports since childhood. My uncle encouraged me a lot. I became so passionate about water sports that I often dream of my competitions. Even yesterday (in Hangzhou), I was competing in my dreams and winning a medal,” said Arjun.

The youngster idolises Martin Fuksa of Czech Republic, the reigning world champion in canoe single 1000m event. But Arjun now has a bigger target ahead of him – Paris Olympics.

“Paris Olympics is my target and we will do our best to get there,” he said.

But it is easier said than done as the pair of Arjun and Sunil, according to Baroi, will have to finish second in the Olympics qualification event to be held in Paris in April next year.

“Let’s see what happens there,” Baroi said.

But hope in his voice is unmistakable.

Topics mentioned in this article

Manipur violence case: NIA court extends custody of Seiminlun Gangte for 8 days

The special court also directed the agency to supply a copy of the FIR to the counsel for the accused. The special court has also allowed the counsel to meet him on alternate days in NIA custody.

Published Date – 03:08 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Manipur violence case: NIA court extends custody of Seiminlun Gangte for 8 days



New Delhi: Delhi’s Patiala House court on Tuesday extended for another eight days the custody of one Seiminlun Gangte, who was arrested from Manipur in a case of violence due to the transnational conspiracy of the leadership of terror outfits based in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Gangte who was arrested on Saturday in Manipur was brought to Delhi on transit remand.

On Sunday, the court remanded Seiminlun Gangte to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for two days.

He was produced before the National Investigation Agency Special Court after two days of NIA custody.

Special NIA judge Sachin Gupta today extended the custody for eight days after hearing the submissions of the NIA and counsel for the accused.

The special court also directed the agency to supply a copy of the FIR to the counsel for the accused. The special court has also allowed the counsel to meet him on alternate days in NIA custody.

It is alleged that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based terror outfit leadership hatched a transnational conspiracy to wage war against India.The NIA moved an application and sought 10 days of custody for the accused for the investigation of the case.

During the hearing, the duty magistrate raised a query in relation to jurisdiction since it’s a matter of special act.

The public prosecutor then said that custody would be granted until Tuesday so that the accused could be produced before the special judge.

The federal investigation agency has registered a case under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and other laws.

The case was registered suo moto by the NIA on July 19, 2023 in Delhi.

It is stated that an investigation revealed that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based militant groups have entered into a conspiracy with a section of militant leaders in India to commit incidents of violence with the intention of driving a wedge between different ethnic groups and to wage war against the Government of India.

For this purpose, the terror leadership has been providing funds to procure arms, ammunition, and other types of terrorist hardware that are being sourced both from across the border and from other terrorist outfits active in the North Eastern States of India to stoke the current ethnic strife in Manipur, said the agency.

Further investigations in the case are in progress, the NIA said.

Salaries Likely To Shrink In 2024 As Companies Trim Their Budget

Salaries Likely To Shrink In 2024 As Companies Trim Their Budget

Workers in technology have been particularly hard hit.

Companies are trimming their budgets for merit raises next year, a sign of belt-tightening that could surprise some employees who had enjoyed two straight years of increases.   

US employers surveyed by Aon Plc, which compiles compensation data on more than 5,500 employers, said merit raises will average about 3.7% across all industries next year, down from 3.9% this year, as companies rein in labor budgets and inflation eases from last year’s highs. A separate survey from workplace consultant Mercer found a similar trend, with merit-based salaries seen rising 3.5% next year, down from 3.9% in 2023.

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“People are not going to spend what they spent last year,” said Tim Brown, a partner at Aon. “Also, inflation has come down since last year. So there’s more pressure on salaries.”   

Workforce leaders echoed the findings. Bob Toohey, chief human resources officer at Allstate Insurance Co., said compensation budgets in the US “will be lower than last year – all company budgets will be lower than last year.”  

The pay gains projected by Aon and Mercer are still well above pre-pandemic levels, when raises were stuck around 3% annually. That’s due to the continued resilience of the labor market and historically low unemployment, Mercer Senior Principal Lauren Mason said. Initial jobless claims in the week ending Sept. 16 fell within striking distance of the lowest level in more than five decades, according to Labor Department data. US inflation, which topped 9% last summer, is less than half that now. Mason said that further reductions in compensation budgets are possible next year as companies adapt to the changing economic landscape. 

Workers in technology have been particularly hard hit, with only 5% of firms in the industry saying they’re now hiring aggressively, according to Aon. That’s down from 22% last year. Tech firms usually top other areas when it comes to projected salary increases, but in the wake of layoffs and cost-cutting drives they’re due to deliver merit raises of just 3.3% next year, Mercer found – below sectors such as energy and consumer goods.

A separate survey from technology job site Hired found that tech salaries are now at a five-year low, adjusted for inflation. But jobs that require specialized skills, like machine learning engineers and data scientists, are still in high demand. 

Salary increases tied to promotions will also decelerate next year, Mercer found, for the simple reason that companies plan to promote fewer people. During the hiring boom of 2021 and 2022, many companies handed out raises and promotions to white-collar workers, even in the middle of the year, to hold onto their best people. Seven out of ten companies spent more than they had planned on pay adjustments during that period, a survey from workplace consultant Willis Towers Watson (WTW) found.   

A separate report from WTW found that organizations are budgeting for overall salary increases of about 4% next year, down from the 4.4% boost they paid out this year. While raises are not as large as they were in recent years, companies are getting more generous with perks and benefits such as flexible-work schedules and paid parental leave, according to a recent survey from staffing firm Robert Half Inc. 

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

Non-aligned nations condemn all forms of terrorism

The statement was read by Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Zahra Ershadi on behalf of the movement before the Sixth Committee of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on “Measures to eliminate international terrorism” on Monday. 

“The Non-Aligned Movement unequivocally rejects terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism wherever, by whomever, against whomsoever committed,” the statement said.

“The Non-Aligned Movement rejects actions and measures, the use or threat of use of force, imposed or threatened to be imposed, by any State against any Non-Aligned Member Country under the pretext of combating terrorism or to pursue its political aims, including by directly or indirectly categorizing them as terrorism sponsoring-States,” it added.

The statement said NAM totally rejects the unilateral preparation of lists accusing states of allegedly supporting terrorism, adding such acts are unlawful and constitute a form of psychological and political terrorism.

“Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, and these attributions should not be used to justify terrorism or counter-terrorism measures,” it added.

It also said terrorism should not be equated with the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation, for self-determination and national liberation.

The statement also urged Member States to refrain from extending political, diplomatic, moral, or material support for terrorism.

“States should also ensure that refugee status or other legal statuses not be abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist acts and that claims of political motivation by them are not recognized as grounds for refusing requests for their extradition.”

It also expressed concerns over the growing threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters who travel to a State other than their State of residence or nationality to commit or participate in terrorist acts and underlined the importance of United Nations capacity-building in the most affected regions.

Moreover, the statement said, NAM voices deep concerns over the “misinterpretation” and “misrepresentation” of religions by terrorist groups to justify terrorism in an effort to instill hatred in the hearts and minds of the youth.

“In this regard, it is imperative to effectively counter the narratives of terrorism through a comprehensive and international framework with an effective and comprehensive method aimed at addressing all its root causes, including through the engagement of community leaders and clerics from all denominations.”

The statement called for an international summit conference under the auspices of the UN to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including identifying its root causes.

“We further reiterate the importance of the conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention for Combating International Terrorism,” it said.

MNA/PressTV