Hyderabad: Case against group for attacking man for moving with woman of another community

A video of a group of people catching hold of the man and asking his name and later beating him went viral on social media.

Published Date – 27 March 2024, 05:05 PM


Hyderabad: Case against group for attacking man for moving with woman of another community

Screengrab of the viral video

Hyderabad: The Charminar police registered a case against a group of persons for allegedly attacking a man for moving with a woman, who belonged to another community.

A video of a group of people catching hold of the man and asking his name and later beating him went viral on social media. Some local people later intervened and allowed the couple to leave.


A person Rahul, who is co-convenor of Bajrang Dal gave a written complaint to the Charminar police based on which a case has been registered and police launched investigation into the incident.

The Charminar police formed a special team to identify the persons who beat the man and arrest them.

World states rally behind UN expert slamming Israel over Gaza genocide

Dozens of diplomats have thrown their weight behind the UN Special Rapporteur, who said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Francesca Albanese told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday that countries should impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.

Expanding in person on her report released a day earlier, Albanese said Israel was characterizing the entire Gazan population as “targetable, killable and destroyable,” and had ostentatiously laid bare its “genocidal intent” to “rid Palestine of Palestinians.”

“Following nearly six months of unrelenting Israeli assault on occupied Gaza, it is my solemn duty to report on the worst of what humanity is capable of, and to present my findings,” she said. 

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met.”

Egypt, speaking for Arab group countries, affirmed their support for Albanese’s mandate and said they were gravely concerned about Israel’s “structured and systematic attack to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.”

Qatar, on behalf of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, also thanked Albanese for her report and demanded the international community “put an end to genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli war machinery.”

Pakistan, speaking for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the United Nations on Tuesday, backed Albanese’s call for sanctions and an arms embargo on the usurping Tel Aviv regime.

“We commend your courage in documenting… acts amounting to genocide in Gaza,” Islamabad’s representative said.

“The occupation force’s dangerous and ruthless push for a final solution to the Palestinian question is plain for all to see, as its forces encircle Rafah like vultures and its ravenous land grab continues unabated in the West Bank.”

Albanese told the top UN rights body in her speech that Israel had “destroyed Gaza.”

“When genocidal intent is so conspicuous, so ostentatious, as it is in Gaza, we cannot avert our eyes: we must confront genocide, we must prevent it and we must punish it.

“The genocide in Gaza is the most extreme stage of a long-standing settler-colonial process of erasure of the native Palestinians,” she said.

In the meantime, Russia said it was “horrified” by the Israeli military onslaught against Gaza that had seen “civilian infrastructure targeted,” while China said it was ready to facilitate peace talks.

The European Union also called for “proper and independent investigations on all allegations.”

Israel waged its brutal US-backed war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for the regime’s intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, almost six months into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its objectives of “destroying Hamas” and finding Israeli captives despite killing at least 32,414 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 74,787 others.

Dhoni, Gaikwad Leading CSK Together? Chahar Admits 'Captaincy Confusion'

The change of guard has officially taken place at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with Ruturaj Gaikwad replacing MS Dhoni as the captain of the franchise. The decision was communicated just a day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was to begin. While a change has taken place on paper, how big a say does Ruturaj have when it comes to decision-making on the field, in comparison to Dhoni? CSK pacer Deepak Chahar admitted there’s confusion as he has been seeking instructions from both Dhoni and Ruturaj over the first two games of the campaign.

The Super Kings kicked off the 17th season of the T20 league by winning their first two matches, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). While the results show Gaikwad getting off to a 100% start, it seems like the transfer of the baton from Dhoni hasn’t fully taken place yet.

“I got to look at Mahi (MSD) bhai and at Ruturaj – both of them these days for field placements and all. So there is a bit of confusion where to look now but Ruturaj is doing well and he is leading the way,” Chahar said in a chat with the broadcaster after the match on Tuesday.

Chahar also opened up on his role in the franchise, since the captaincy change from Dhoni to Ruturaj took place. Not much has changed for him, as he remains the franchise’s go-to player when taking wickets in the powerplay.

“Since the time I have been playing, I have been bowling 3 overs in the powerplay, used to it, just trying to bowl as well as possible with the new rules around,” he said.

Chahar also spoke about the new rule in IPL that allows a bowler to deliver two bouncers in an over. The seamer is delighted to have the option as it helps pacers up their game.

“Earlier, if you bowled a bouncer in the first 2-3 balls, batters were always ready for a full-length ball, but this new rule with two bouncers allowed in an over, it helps all the pacers. There’s bounce always, but there’s not much dew around at the moment. The ball grips and bounces in such conditions,” he asserted.

Chahar was brilliant with the new ball for CSK, picking up the wickets of Wriddhiman Saha and Shuban Gill while producing figures of 2/28 in 4 overs.

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‘Red Bull Off The Roof’ to take place at BITS Hyderabad

This three-day event, featuring Red Bull Off the Roof, is a unique musical extravaganza known for its innovative setup atop a tour bus.

Published Date – 27 March 2024, 04:49 PM


‘Red Bull Off The Roof’ to take place at BITS Hyderabad


Hyderabad: Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Hyderabad, is organizing the ‘Pearl Fest,’ which is their biggest cultural fest, with a live music event, ‘Red Bull Off The Roof,’ on March 29.

This three-day event, featuring Red Bull Off the Roof, is a unique musical extravaganza known for its innovative setup atop a tour bus. It transforms the roof of a tour bus into a stage and offers a one-of-a-kind experience where artists perform literally off the bus roof to an enthralled audience below.


At Pearl Fest, attendees can expect a lineup of artists including Krshna, who will be opening for the renowned music producer, Nucleya.

The event is open for anyone in the public to attend; tickets for Red Bull Off The Roof can be booked on Book My Show, with ticket prices starting at ₹500.

Pearl Fest is expecting a footfall of about 8,000 people in their three-day event.

Over 100 MPs urge UK government to ban arms sales to Israel

More than 100 British MPs have urged the UK government to immediately ban arms sale to Israel, as the occupying regime continues its brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The appeal was made in a letter signed by 130 parliamentarians on Wednesday, calling on UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to act as other countries like Canada who have halted arms exports to Israel.

The letter argued that “business as usual” for UK arms exports to Israel is “totally unacceptable,” noting that an F-16 fighter jet made with UK parts was probably responsible for bombing British doctors in Gaza two months ago.

The letter further noted that the UK government has suspended arms sales to Israel during the two previous wars on Gaza.

“The scale of violence committed by the Israeli military is vastly more deadly, but the UK government has failed to act,” it said.

The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Zarah Sultana, was signed by 107 MPs and 27 peers, amid signs that the Israeli regime intends to ignore the recent UN Security Council resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

 A total of 46 Labour MPs have backed the call and almost the entire Scottish National party (SNP) parliamentary party.

“With the Israeli regime now seemingly disregarding the UN Security Council’s ceasefire resolution, it is again violating international law and making the case for an end to arms sales impossible to ignore,” Sultana said.

“The UK government must finally uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, heed this call from 130 cross-party parliamentarians, and immediately end arms sales to Israel.”

On Monday, the UNSC adopted a long-awaited resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The resolution was put forward by the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. The US abstained and the 14 other council members all voted in favor of it.

Palestinian resistance movements have welcomed the resolution, but Israel’s minister for military affairs Yoav Gallant said the regime will not stop its attacks in Gaza.

The UN Security Council’s call for a ceasefire comes as international fears have grown over the planned Israeli ground invasion of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter.

Human rights groups say a ground invasion of Rafah would drastically worsen a heavy civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 32,300 Palestinians and injured over 74,000 others.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

What You Need To Know About Buying K-Pop Stocks

What You Need To Know About Buying K-Pop Stocks

K-pop artists are intensely scrutinized by both fans and their management companies. (File)

South Korea’s K-pop industry is booming, but investors in its stocks can easily get burned.

Thanks to now world-famous acts like BTS and Blackpink, the industry is worth about $5 billion, according to analysts, and is continuing to grow as more people around the world tune in. That’s pushed up the stocks of K-pop stars’ agencies and transformed moguls like Hybe Co.’s Bang Si-Hyuk into billionaires.

Still, the industry is highly dependent on the actions of a few key players, and negative news about its stars can wipe out millions in market value.

Consider what happened a few weeks ago: Reports emerged that one of the biggest Korean pop stars had a boyfriend, and the stock price of her agency plunged.

The news about singer Karina from the group Aespa ignited outrage among her fans, some of whom even sent a truck with an electronic billboard that said “Do you not get enough love from your fans?” to her agency SM Entertainment Co. Its shares fell 11% in South Korea, and Karina, who’s real name is Yu Ji-min, issued an apology.

Although the stock has since recovered, the episode illustrates the perils of the industry, both for its stars and for investors.

So, should you turn your love of K-pop into an investment? Here’s what you need to know:

What’s the case for investing in K-pop?

It has a huge global fan base, which Bokyung Suh, senior analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, estimates at about 500 million people. That’s continuing to grow as more music lovers discover the genre. He estimates the industry will have a 12% compound annual growth rate until 2030.

Surging demand for concerts alongside rising ticket prices should boost profits for the companies behind K-pop acts, said Lars Ognarsson, head of research at Jakota Index Portfolios. He’s also optimistic because of increased album sales as well as the continued overseas expansion.

“Digital streaming for K-pop is soaring, including a significant increase in the number of streams within English-speaking markets,” he said.

Plus, Hybe is expanding its presence in the global music scene through mergers and acquisitions, he noted. In November, the company acquired its first Latin music company, following its purchase of US-based QC Media Holdings.

What are my options?

First, the key players: there are four big companies behind most of K-pop’s stars – Hybe, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment Corp. and YG Entertainment Inc.

Hybe is known for the boy band BTS, also called the Bangtan Boys, which arguably turned the K-pop industry as a whole into a global phenomenon. SM is behind Karina’s Aespa along with Super Junior and Girls’ Generation, among others. Artists under JYP include Stray Kids, Boy Story and 2PM, while YG is known for Blackpink and BigBang.

They’re all listed on the Korea Exchange, which can be difficult for foreign investors to access, although the country’s regulators are working to make it easier.

For US investors, there’s the Jakota K-Pop and Korean Entertainment ETF (KPOP), which invests in companies that will benefit from the industry’s growth. Its largest holdings are internet services firms Kakao Corp. and Naver Corp. along with SM and Hybe. The fund’s price has fallen almost 15% so far this year.

In Hong Kong, an option is the newly launched Global X K-Pop and Culture ETF (3158 HK), which counts Hybe and media production company CJ ENM Co. as its biggest positions.

What are the risks?

One of the biggest headwinds for the industry in recent years was news that BTS would take a pause to focus on individual projects, which sent Hybe plunging 28% and wiped out as much as $1.7 billion in market value. Under South Korean law, able-bodied men are required to complete 18 to 21 months of military service, and two of the BTS members began their duties in December.

Although the stock has since recovered, the episode was indicative of BTS’s influence on the K-pop world.

In general, the shares are notoriously volatile, which is especially dangerous for those who aren’t investing for the long term. Consider Hybe’s share price: In 2023 alone, it rose 77% in the first six months of the year, then fell 38% through mid-November, before rallying another 23% to close the year.

Much of the volatility comes from how fervently K-pop fans and the country’s retail investors follow the industry. That means news events can easily trigger big price moves, Suh said.

For example, anything from a single group’s contract renewal to rumors of drug use to a star debuting a new relationship can result in gains or losses for the entire sector. K-pop artists are intensely scrutinized by both fans and their management companies. Some reports allege that many singers have a “no dating” clause in their contracts to make them more appealing to fans, and stars such as members of the group Great Guys have spoken out about restrictive diets and forced gym routines.

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

ED registers case against IT firm of CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter

This issue was first raised last year by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan.

Published Date – 27 March 2024, 04:09 PM


ED registers case against IT firm of CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter


Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday initiated an investigation into a money laundering case involving Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan’s IT firm and the Cochin-based mining firm CMRL.

The case is already being probed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).


The Kochi office of the ED has filed an ECIR in the case. The ECIR is similar to the FIR lodged by the police for cognizable offences.

This issue was first raised last year by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media report, which quoted an Income Tax Department officer as saying that “CM Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan’s IT firm Exalogic had received Rs 1.72 crore from the mining company CMRL, in which the KSIDC has around 13 per cent stake”.

Initially, CM Vijayan and the CPI(M) defended the case both inside and outside the Assembly. They said that this was nothing but a political witch hunt. But the defence fell apart when the SFIO took up the probe last month.

The SFIO has completed one round of probe by visiting the offices of CMRL and KSIDC and has taken statements from officials of both these firms.

When the SFIO began its probe, the KSIDC approached the Kerala High Court seeking a stay, which was disallowed. Veena, whose IT firm was based in Bengaluru and now not in operation, approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay, but was also disallowed.

5K run organised to create voting awareness in Nizamabad district

Municipal Corporation Commissioner M Makarand flagged off the 5K run from the old collectorate.

Published Date – 27 March 2024, 04:32 PM


5K run organised to create voting awareness in Nizamabad district

Municipal Corporation Commissioner M Makarand flagged off the 5K run from the old collectorate.

Nizamabad: In an attempt to enlighten the voters of the importance of casting their votes, a 5K run with the theme ‘I Vote for sure’ was organised in the district headquarters on Wednesday.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner M Makarand flagged off the 5K run from the old collectorate. Officials of various departments, members of Dwcra associations, representatives of youth associations, students, members of local bodies, young men and women participated in the 5K run on a large scale.


Speaking on the occasion, the municipal commissioner urged the people who have failed to register their names in the voter list to submit their details at the earliest so that they could exercise their vote in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. “Everyone above 18-years old should register their names in the voter list,”he said. He urged people to vote without any fear and temptation in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

Additional Commissioner Shankar, SVEEP Nodal Officer Suresh Kumar, District Sports Development Officer Muthenna, District Youth Officer Shaili Bellal, Municipal Officer Ramesh and others participated in the 5K run.

Israel root cause of insecurity in region: Raeisi

President Raeisi made the remarks in a meeting with the Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday.

With the powerful resistance of the oppressed people of Gaza, the issue of Palestine has gone beyond the Islamic world and has become the issue of the world of humanity, Raeisi said, adding that the people of the world hate the Zionist criminal regime and its main supporter, the US, with all their heart.

What has been proven today for all the people of the world is the legitimacy of the Palestinian issue, Raeisi continued, stressing that the fake and criminal Zionist regime is the root of all insecurity in the region and an anti-peace entity.

The recent events in Gaza were another big scandal for America and some Western countries who backed the Zionist child-killing regime, he added.

Undoubtedly, the definitive and final victory belongs to the Palestinian nation, Raeisi emphasized.

Haniyeh, for his part, thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian nation for showing support for the oppressed Gaza people.

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