Putin Meets Slovak Prime Minister at Kremlin: Russian Television


Moscow:

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the few European leaders he has stayed friendly with since the eruption of hostilities with Ukraine, according to Russian television.

“Putin is currently holding talks in the Kremlin with Slovak Prime Minister Fico,” Russian TV journalist Pavel Zarubin, a Kremlin insider, posted on his Telegram channel, along with a short video showing the two leaders.

The visit by Fico, whose country is both a NATO and European Union member, had not been previously announced.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told Zarubin however that it had been arranged “a few days ago”.

Peskov did not give details of the talks but said it could be “presumed” that supplies of Russian gas would be discussed.

Ukraine announced this year that it would not renew a contract allowing the transit of Russian gas through its territory that runs out on December 31.

Slovakia and Hungary, which rely on Russian gas, have raised concerns about the prospect of losing supplies.

Fico ended military aid to Ukraine when he became prime minister again in October 2023, and like Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban has called for peace talks.

Fico announced in November that he would go to Moscow in May for ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Pics: Rahul Gandhi's Family Lunch At Iconic Delhi Restaurant

Pics: Rahul Gandhi's Family Lunch At Iconic Delhi Restaurant

Rahul Gandhi and family at a Delhi restaurant

New Delhi:

After months of gruelling election campaigns from Lok Sabha polls 2024 to Assembly elections, Sunday marked a relaxing and refreshing weekend for the Gandhi family. Rahul and Priyanka, both Congress MPs from Rae Bareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, took a break from their official engagements and assembled at the city’s iconic Kwality restaurant, to spend some ‘family time’ together.

They were accompanied by mother Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka’s husband Robert Varda, daughter Miraya Vadra and also her mother-in-law.

The whole Gandhi family gathered at the Kwality restaurant to gorge on chole-bhature and other lip-smacking dishes.

Rahul Gandhi also shared some photos of the family sitting and dining together, on his WhatsApp status. The images, as landed on social media, also elicited many likes and comments from the netizens, many of whom hailed the family sharing some special moments on the dining table.

In the photos, Rahul and family could be seen sitting in a cozy space of the restaurant and flaunting broad smiles on their faces. Sonia Gandhi is also seen sharing a smile while Robert Vadra flaunting a fully-bloated bhatura.

Putting the photos on his status, Rahul wrote, “Family lunch at the iconic Kwality Restaurant.”

“Try the Chole Bhature if you go,” he said further in an advice to the foodies.

The picture also makes for a powerful frame as it represents three Parliamentarians in a single snap, the largest ever representation from the Gandhi family.

Rahul Gandhi is Leader of Opposition (LoP) as well as MP from Rae Bareli, his sister Priyanka is MP from Wayanad while mother Sonia Gandhi — a former Congress president — is a Rajya Sabha member.

For the unversed, the Kwality restaurant situated in Delhi’s Connaught Place was patronised by American soldiers in the pre-Independence era. For many decades, the restaurant has remained a favourite food joint for connoisseurs because of its eclectic variety of multi-continental cuisines.

The chola-bhatura served at the restaurant remains one of the most sold-out items for generations. Many of its regular customers include celebrities from varied fields, including Bollywood. Late actress Nargis was a regular visitor here.
 

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

Hyderabad Police warns bouncers to behave, not take law in their hands

Says police coming across instances of bouncers misbehaving with people at gatherings during visit of celebrities and politicians

Updated On – 22 December 2024, 11:21 PM


Hyderabad Police warns bouncers to behave, not take law in their hands

File Photo

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police warned agencies providing bouncer services of strict action if they are found violating the law.

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police CV Anand said the police have been coming across instances of bouncers misbehaving with people at gatherings during the visit of celebrities and politicians.


“In fact, bouncers are pushing police personnel too, who are on duty, and trying to take control of security themselves. There is law and order police for the job and such things will not be tolerated,” he said.

Anand said during the Sandhya theatre incident, everyone had seen how rudely these people were behaving with the crowds. “Strict action will be taken against bouncers and the service providers if they fail to comply with the laws,” he warned.

Recently, Telangana Today highlighted how two groups of bouncers had nearly clashed at the residence of actor Mohan Babu in Jalpally in presence of police personnel.

Rachakonda CP G Sudheer Babu also warned of initiating action against bouncers if they are found violating the law and indulging in goondaism.

‘Ghost town’: 70% of Jabalia buildings destroyed by Israel

The Israeli military has completely destroyed 70 percent of buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp as the occupying regime continues with its deadly aggression against northern Gaza. 

Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst, wrote in the Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday that the Jabalia refugee camp has become a “ghost town” amid Israel’s deadly offensive in the area.

“As far as the eye can see lie miles and miles of destroyed homes. It’s hard to look away from the devastated remains of Jabalia’s refugee camp in northern Gaza,” Harel said.

“I could see that even the few buildings that are still standing were badly damaged,” he added.

Harel went on to say that the Israeli military has operated in the area twice before, but this time the camp was torn down.

“Jabalia has become a ghost town. Outside, you mainly see pack after pack of stray dogs roaming around and hunting for scraps of food,” he said.

The Israeli regime dispatched tanks again to northern Gaza last month in what it said was aimed at combating members of the Palestinian resistance movement launching retaliatory strikes, and preventing them from regrouping.

The towns of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia have been besieged for more than 40 days, without food, water, medicine, or aid, and under constant bombing, shelling, and drone attacks.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led resistance groups waged the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying entity in response to its decades-long campaign of devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed 45,227 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 107,573 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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.

Separately on Sunday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said its fighters hit a group of nine Israeli soldiers who had taken refuge inside a house in the west of the Jabalia refugee camp.

It made the remarks in a statement on Telegram, noting that several Israeli forces were killed and wounded in the attack which was carried out with a TBG (thermobaric) rocket.

Qassam Brigades further noted that its fighters had killed an Israeli soldier from a long distance in the central area of the Jabalia camp.

Qassam Brigades has been daily carrying out military operations against the Israeli occupation forces since October 7 last year.

On Thursday, Qassam Brigades said its fighters stabbed at close range an Israeli officer and three soldiers at the Jabalia refugee camp, resulting in their deaths.

The retaliatory operation came following another attack on Wednesday, when Hamas fighters killed five Israeli soldiers in central Jabalia, also at close range.

Ex-CSK Star, Who Smashed 201 Off 97 Balls, Shares Dhoni's Priceless Advice




Sameer Rizvi saw a dream come true in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season when he was bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), allowing him to rub shoulders with childhood hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite an underwhelming IPL 2024, Rizvi has continued to impress in domestic cricket, recently smashing 201 off just 97 deliveries in the Men’s U23 State A Trophy for Uttar Pradesh against Tripura. Speaking after the game, Rizvi revealed that he took as much advice as possible from MS Dhoni during his CSK stint, and shared the valuable insight given to him by the legendary Indian captain.

“I have spent some good time with Mahi sir (MS Dhoni). It was a dream to share the dressing room with my childhood hero and idol, and I’m grateful to God for making it come true. I learned a lot from him. I wanted to make full use of the opportunity, and whenever I got the chance, I walked up to him and asked him a lot of things,” Rizvi said, in an interview with TimesofIndia.com.

Rizvi stated that Dhoni’s advice has been precious especially when it comes to aiding his powerhitting.

“I used to stand in a corner and watch him closely. He is so calm, and doesn’t care who the bowler is. After the nets, I used to chat with him. He taught me about the mindset and how to take my game forward,” Rizvi further added.

Sharing more on Dhoni’s advice, Rizvi said,” Mahi sir said, ‘Just keep calm in every situation. Whether you need six runs off one ball or one run off six balls, just keep calm. Never think of defeats. If you think about them, you will lose focus immediately.”

Rizvi finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the UPT20 league 2024, and has smashed three centuries in the Men’s U23 State A Trophy. His blazing form with the bat saw him picked up in the IPL 2025 mega auction by Delhi Capitals (DC).

Topics mentioned in this article

Jeff Bezos Denies Report Of $600 Million Lavish Wedding: "Completely False"

Jeff Bezos has categorically denied media reports that his upcoming wedding to fiancee Lauren Sanchez will cost a staggering $600 million. Taking to X, the billionaire founder of Amazon set the record straight, dismissing the rumours as “completely false”. The report, picked up by several outlets across the world, alleged that the couple is set to exchange vows on December 28 and spend over half a billion dollars on the extravagant event.

Mr Bezos’ reaction was sparked by a post from billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who expressed scepticism about the reported $600 million wedding. “This is not credible. Unless you are buying each of your guests a house, you can’t spend this much money,” he wrote on X. 

Reacting to Mr Ackman’s tweet, the Amazon founder wrote, “Furthermore, this whole thing is completely false — none of this is happening. The adage “don’t believe everything you read” is even more true today than it ever has been. Now lies can get around the world before the truth can get its pants on. So be careful out there folks and don’t be gullible. Will be interesting to see if all the outlets that “covered” and re-reported on this issue a correction when it comes and goes and doesn’t happen.”

See the tweet here:

His fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, also weighed in on the matter, sharing Mr Bezos’ post on her Instagram stories and adding a clear rebuttal: “Not true”.

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

Initial reports from the Daily Mail and the New York Post alleged that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were planning an extravagant winter wonderland-themed wedding in Aspen, Colorado. According to the reports, the couple had booked Matsuhisa, an upscale sushi restaurant, as the exclusive venue for their celebration. The reports claimed that the luxury restaurant would be reserved from December 26 to 27, hosting around 180 guests including big names like Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Queen Rania of Jordan. 

Notably, Ms Sanchez started dating the Amazon boss in 2018. The couple went public with their relationship on July 14, 2019, after Mr Bezos’ divorce from his first wife MacKenzie Scott was finalised. 


Couple Caught Smuggling Luxury Watches Worth Rs 13 Crore In Gujarat

Rajasthan Couple Caught Smuggling Luxury Watches Worth Rs 13 Crore In Gujarat

The couple was detained and interrogated.

Ahmedabad:

A couple from Rajasthan was detained at Ahmedabad airport for allegedly trying to smuggle two high-end watches worth approximately Rs 13 crore from Dubai on Friday, officials in the Customs Department said on Sunday.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Richard Mille watches, mostly spotted on the wrists of billionaires or celebrities, were seized from the man and the woman, who arrived separately at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport from Dubai. 

According to the officials, one of them spotted the woman with one of the watches on her arrival from Dubai. Upon interrogation, she said it was gifted by her husband. When she was asked about her husband’s whereabouts, she said he was arriving on another flight.

The woman’s husband, the officials said, was caught when he was trying to exit the airport on his arrival. He initially claimed that the watch belonged to him and that it cost around Rs 1,000. When he was asked to produce a bill, he said he did not have one. 

As authorities searched his belongings, they found the case for the watch. The man then admitted to smuggling the item, the officials said. 

The couple was subsequently detained and upon interrogation, said they belong to Pratapgarh in Rajasthan. They said they were made to travel to Dubai to bring the watches to Ahmedabad, the officials added. 

The officials said a detailed probe is underway.

(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)

All About Lauren Sanchez, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos' Fiancee

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has denied reports about his impending $600 million wedding to his fiancée Lauren Sanchez next Saturday in Aspen, Colorado. The billionaire was forced to issue a denial after The New York Post reported that the couple, who have been together since 2019, were set to host a lavish wedding with a winter wonderland theme. 

Here are some facts about Lauren Sanchez:

Lauren Sanchez was born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to a second-generation Mexican-American family.

She began her career as a broadcast journalist, working as an entertainment reporter and news anchor. She worked for Fox Sports Net, where she earned an Emmy nomination as anchor for Going Deep and later became an entertainment reporter for Best Damn Sports Show Period. In 1999, she returned to KCOP-TV to anchor UPN News 13, and her team won an Emmy Award.

She gained significant recognition for her role as the co-host of Good Day LA, a morning show she worked on from 2011 to 2017. Ms Sanchez also made appearances in several films, including The Longest Yard, Flight Club, and Ted 2.

In 2016, Lauren Sanchez launched her own company, Black Ops Aviation, which made history as the first female-owned aerial film and production company of its kind. Her passion for aviation was inspired by her childhood dream of becoming a flight attendant, a dream she was initially denied due to her weight. She later earned her helicopter pilot’s license. As a skilled helicopter pilot, Ms Sanchez consulted on major film projects, including the 2017 Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk.

Lauren Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she shares two children, Ella and Evan. She also has a 23-year-old son, Nikko, from her relationship with former NFL player Tony Gonzalez.

Ms Sanchez began dating Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2018, and the couple went public with their relationship in July 2019, shortly after Mr Bezos finalised his divorce from his first wife, MacKenzie Scott.

She serves as the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, an organisation founded by her partner Jeff Bezos, which focuses on combating climate change and preserving the environment. 

In September 2024, she authored a bilingual children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space.


Couple Tied To Pole, Thrashed By Mob In Bihar

Couple Tied To Pole, Thrashed By Mob In Bihar

A couple was tied to a pole and thrashed by a crowd in Bihar

Patna:

A man and a woman were seen tied to a pole and thrashed by a crowd in a viral video. The police have confirmed the incident as from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.

The two were in a relationship, the police said, adding the locals had objected to them being together.

In the video, the woman was heard screaming, her hands tied to the pole with a rope. The man is tied to the pole with his back against her.

Reports said the woman is from Samastipur district, and the man from Muzaffarpur.

The police said they started investigating soon after the video went viral.

“… It appears that the man is a resident of Sakra area of Muzaffarpur. The police station concerned has been directed to investigate the incident,” Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vidya Sagar told reporters.

“I came to know about the incident after some people sent the video on WhatsApp,” he said.

Andhra lays out red carpet for stars after Revanth Reddy slams Allu Arjun, Tollywood

Welcomes Telugu film industry to shift its operations to neighbouring State, which is home to ‘many scenic locations for film shootings’

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 08:48 PM


Andhra lays out red carpet for stars after Revanth Reddy slams Allu Arjun, Tollywood

File Photos

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s outburst on the Telugu film fraternity in connection with the Sandhya theatre incident might turn detrimental to Telangana, with Andhra Pradesh quick to welcome the Telugu film industry to shift its operations to the neighbouring State.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president Palla Srinivasa Rao was among the first to do so, stating that the Telugu film industry would be welcomed if it was willing to relocate from Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh.


In the past, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had also wanted the Telugu film industry to shift its base to Andhra. There are many scenic locations and ideal spots for film shootings in Andhra Pradesh, Srinivasa Rao said.

This invitation was extended by the TDP president amidst the ongoing controversy over Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 movie benefit show screening at Sandhya theatre and the death of a woman in a stampede. On Sunday, a few students from Osmania University staged protest at the actor’s house in Jubilee Hills and damaged flower pots and other items.

Meanwhile, the entire episode is now taking a political twist, with leaders from different parties finding fault with the Congress government for its selective action in the case.

BJP MP from Andhra Pradesh D Purandeswari said it was wrong to specifically target Allu Arjun and blame him for the incident. The Sandhya theatre incident was not instigated, but was an unfortunate incident, she said.

According to reports, Purandeswari also said while other accused persons in the case were not arrested, Allu Arjun, who was A11 in the case, was arrested. “This is incorrect,” she said.

TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagiri also came down heavily on the Revanth Reddy government for its selective action. Tagging the Telangana Chief Minister in a post on X, she said “Your action in the Allu Arjun issue is good, but who should be responsible for students’ death in Telangana government hostels? Who is responsible for death of farmers’ whose crop loans were not waived and Sircilla weavers’ suicides?”

“There is enough time to discuss the Allu Arjun issue in the Assembly, but there is no time to discuss farmers’ issues, students’ issues, weavers’ issues, SSA workers issues. This is called selective justice and probably diversion tactics Mr CM!” Jyothsna added.