Thursday, April 3, 2025

Trump's Tariffs Announcement Batters US Markets, S&P 500 Down Over 4%

The sell-off in Wall Street stocks deepened in mid-morning trading Thursday, with the S&P 500 losing more than four percent following US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcement.

Trump's broadly crafted new levies battered leading names in banking, technology, apparel and most other areas. Among the S&P 500's 11 sectors, only consumer staples was solidly in positive territory, with the other 10 in the red or nearly flat.

Near 1510 GMT, the S&P 500 stood at 5,420.15, down 4.4 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 3.7 percent to 40,644.74, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index plunged 5.7 percent to 16,591.55.

The rout follows Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement in which he unveiled a broad swath of new levies affecting all US trading partners.

"Clearly what was announced was close to the worst-case scenario and markets were not prepared for that and are reacting accordingly," said Angelo Kourkafas, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones.

Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments said the tariffs will reduce corporate earnings and could reignite inflation and prompt counter tariffs from US trade partners.

"Here you have a tremendous amount of uncertainty... and that's why the market is heading for a bear market," said Sarhan, who also thinks a US recession is likely at this point.

"The market is a forward-looking mechanism," he said. "You typically have recessions after a bear market."

But Sarhan believes in Trump's plan, viewing US trade and budget deficits as unsustainable.

Especially hard-hit sectors included apparel, where Nike, Macy's and Gap all suffered double-digit drops following large new levies on China, Malaysia and other countries that are home to textile infrastructure.

Apple, which relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its products, was another big loser, sinking 8.8 percent. Amazon fell 8.2 percent, while Nvidia lost 6.8 percent.

Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics said in a note that the Trump administration could later drop the levies after negotiations on trade or other political priorities.

"We see the Trump administration's policies as a manifestation of outcome-focused economic Realpolitik rather than process-focused diplomacy," Schenker said.

"Recession and stagflation risks are rising with tariff uncertainty," he added.

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



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'Fabricated Video, Lookalike': Woman Techie's Note Before Suicide

A 28-year-old woman software engineer allegedly took her own life in Nagpur after leaving behind a purported suicide note, claiming she was the victim of a conspiracy involving a fake video and threats to her life, police said on Thursday.

The engineer, who worked for a company in Pune, had returned to her hometown Nagpur, where she lived with her father, brother, and sister-in-law, around 15 days ago.

On Tuesday morning, when only her father was at home located in Mankapur locality, she asked him to step out to buy breakfast and later hanged herself, according to the police.

After police was called to her residence, they recovered an identical suicide note written in English and Marathi, in which she accused two individuals named Ritesh and Pratim of being responsible for her death, they said.

She also alleged that her roommate had issued threats to kill her. Additionally, she mentioned that her mobile phone was stolen from the Indore airport on March 5. Despite her attempts to lodge a complaint, the police allegedly refused to register it, citing the lack of a mobile bill, they said.

In the note, the techie also claimed she was being framed through a fabricated video featuring a lookalike. She denied making any religious comments, suggesting certain individuals were trying to falsely implicate her, informed the police.

Her family members revealed she had travelled to Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) from Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) before returning home. Since then, they had observed a change in her behaviour. She appeared to be under immense mental stress, refused to eat food prepared by others, and preferred cooking her own meals or staying hungry, said the police, quoting her family members.

A case of accidental death has been registered and an investigation was underway, they 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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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Live: Trump To Announce "Liberation Day" Tariffs, How Will They Affect India?

US Tariff Announcement Live Updates: US President Donald Trump is set to impose sweeping new  "Liberation Day" tariffs on Wednesday, a move that could spark a global trade war. 

The 78-year-old President will unveil the measures and plans in the Rose Garden of the White House at 4pm EST (1.30am IST) and the new duties would take effect immediately. A separate 25% global tariff on auto imports is scheduled to take effect on April 3.

According to think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the new tariffs could significantly impact Indian exports. A uniform tariff could leave India facing an additional tax of 4.9% compared to the current 2.8%, impacting sectors like agriculture, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, according to the GTRI's "Reciprocal Tariffs and India" report.

Early Wednesday, Mr Trump posted a one-liner on his Truth Social platform: "It's Liberation Day in America!"

Mr Trump for weeks has said his reciprocal tariff plans are a move to equalise generally lower US tariff rates with those charged by other countries and counteract their non-tariff barriers that disadvantage US exports. Global markets have been jittery for days ahead of the announcement, while countries most likely in the crosshairs have called for talks - even as they ready retaliatory measures.

Here are the Live Updates:



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Asked To Wait A Year To Get Married, Man Stabs Woman, Kills Her Mother

Enraged at being asked to wait a year to get married, a man barged into a 20-year-old woman's home in Visakhapatnam, stabbed her and killed her mother when she tried to intervene. 

Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police Shanka Brata Bagchi said the man, Naveen, was in love with Nakka Deepika, 20, for the past six years. He wanted to marry the woman, but her father had asked him to wait for a year as he did not like his behaviour. 

Around 12.30 pm on Wednesday, Naveen barged into Deepika's house in Swayamkrushi Nagar in Visakhapatnam's Kommadi area with a knife. He stabbed Deepika and also attacked her mother, Lakshmi, 43, when she intervened to try and protect her. 

Lakshmi died on the spot while Deepika was rushed to a hospital, where her condition is said to be critical. Naveen fled immediately after attacking the women. After neighbours called the police, they began investigating, and a team arrested Naveen near Srikakulam district.

After they were informed about the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Home Minister V Anitha spoke to police officials. The Chief Minister asked the officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured woman and take stringent action against the accused.

Ms Anitha also directed the police to ensure that the culprit got the harshest punishment. 

'Many Incidents Every Day'

The opposition YSR Congress accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led government of not being able to curb the rising cases of crimes against women

"Such incidents prove how alarming the situation is in the state when it comes to the safety of women. On average, 70 incidents against women take place every day. The accused in the Visakhapatnam incident must be caught and severely punished," said YSR Congress Party leader and Member of Legislative Council Varudu Kalyani.



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"Like Mahatma Gandhi, I Tear This Bill": A Owaisi During Waqf Bill Debate

Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of AIMIM and the MP from Hyderabad, today held a symbolic protest against the Waqf Bill, citing the example of Mahatma Gandhi. Participating in the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Mr Owaisi had cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi while he was in South Africa.

"If you read history, you would see that he (Mahatma Gandhi) said about the laws of white South Africa, 'My conscience doesn't accept this' and he tore it up. Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law. This is unconstitutional. The BJP wants to create divisiveness in this country in the name of temples and mosques. I condemn this and I request you to accept the 10 amendments," he said.

His outburst was a response of sorts to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, during the debate, had said, "A member even said the minorities won't even accept it. Who are you trying to scare? It's the parliament's law, everyone will follow and accept it".

Mr Owaisi was speaking towards the end of a marathon debate that had started at noon after the Waqf Amendment Bill was presented in parliament. 

The Opposition had rallied against the bill and had been arguing their case without yielding ground to the government, which already has the numbers. Unlike other times, there have been no slogan-shouting, protests or walkouts.

The Opposition has contended that the bill is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental right to practice religion, Article 14, which guarantees equality before law and Article 15, which bars discrimination on basis of religion. 

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal has contended that Waqf Amendment Bill "is a dangerous, divisive law".

"I expected so many legislations to come during this period. For last several years, farmers have been on the street, they are demanding legal guarantees for MSP. But the Bill is not coming. Youngsters of this country are unemployed and in despair. So, the country expected legislation for drastic change for the youth of the country. But it didn't come...You can see the legislation that has been given priority by this government. This is to have only one agenda - to divide Bharat Mata in the name of religion," Mr Venugopal said.  

Sections of the Muslim community have maintained that the amendments in the Waqf bill are geared to help the government gain control of the Waqf properties -- arguments the BJP speakers rubbished today.  



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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

"Break Up Bangladesh...": Tripura Ex-Royal On "Extension Of China" Remark

Bangladesh leader Mohd Yunus' comments about the seven northeastern states - which he called "an extension of the Chinese economy" and which he seemed to urge Beijing to take over - have triggered fierce reactions from Indian politicians, including one to "break up Bangladesh". The comment was made by Pradyot Manikya, the founder of Tipra Motha, the second-largest party in Tripura.

In a post on X, Mr Manikya, a member of the state's erstwhile royal family. suggested Delhi "rather than spending billions" on ways to establish and maintain physical control of, and communications with, the northeast, simply take control of parts of Bangladesh that have "always wanted to be part of India".

This, he declared, would also give the northeastern states "our own access to the sea", something the Bangladesh interim government head told China is lacking at present.

"The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes that have always wanted to be part of India... there are lakhs and lakhs of Tripuri, Garo, Khasi, and Chakma people who reside in Bangladesh (but) in terrible conditions in their traditional lands," he noted on X.

"This should be utilised for our national interest and their well-being," he said.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts have been a problem for Bangladesh since the nation was created, with protests taking place under the leadership of MN Larma and the 'Shanti Bahini', or 'Peace Force', which was the armed wing of a political group representing the indigenous people there.

The group sought autonomy and recognition of the indigenous identities of the various tribal communities in the region. Eventually, a peace deal was signed by Sheikh Hasina in 1997.

The X post drew criticism from certain quarters but the Tipra Motha chief was unfazed, insisting "Bangladesh was never our friend... so let's not be fooled".

The only 'friend' India had in that country, he said, was the late Sheikh Mujiur Rahman, whose daughter, Sheikh Hasina, was Prime Minister till last year's revolution.

READ | "No Response Yet": Mohd Yunus On Sheikh Hasina Extradition

Ms Hasina is now in India and the subject of an extradition request by the Yunus administration.

"Let us not fool ourselves... I live here in the northeast and we see clear and present danger every day. I understand your Left leanings makes it difficult... but appreciate our views too."

Mr Manikya's suggestion has some basis in history but its significance but the current context is equally important, for it follows comments by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Mr Sarma had called Mr Yunus' remarks "offensive" and "strongly condemnable", and called on the union government to develop rail and road links between the rest of the country and the northeast, land access to which is only through the Siliguri, or 'Chicken's Neck', Corridor.

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

This corridor is only 22km wide at its narrowest.

NDTV Explains | Dagger To Chicken's Neck? Why Yunus' Remarks Enrage

The Bangladesh leader's remark, the Chief Minister also said, "underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with the corridor". He pointed further to comments by "internal elements (that) have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway..."

The row broke after Mr Yunus had invited China to take advantage of his country's position as "the guardian of the ocean" in the region, referring to three major sea ports - Chattogram (formerly Chittagong), Mongla, and Payra - and an under-construction fourth - Matabari.

READ | Dhaka Asks For China's "Extension" In Veiled Threat To Northeast India

The Chattogram Port has enormous strategic importance. Not only is it the largest in Bangladesh, but it was also being considered by Delhi as a transhipment hub to move goods to Tripura capital Agartala.

A paper by the Asian Development Bank noted that transportation costs from the Kolkata Port to Agartala is between Rs 6,300 and Rs 7,000 per ton. Costs for the Chattogram route - i.e., from Kolkata to the Bangladeshi port and then on by rail - are much less

But the change of government in Bangladesh has complicated issues.

Meanwhile, there are also concerns over Bangladesh inviting China to be part of the Teesta Water Management project. During Mr Yunus' trip to China, Dhaka said talks with Beijing on this had moved forward. If this happens, it will give China a presence south of districts like Bengal's Jalpaiguri.

This, coupled with China already building a military presence to the north, would have very grave implications for security of the Chicken's Neck Corridor, necessitating India keep strategic countermeasures ready to tackle threats to the corridor or the northeast.



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Democrat Cory Booker Sets Record With 25-Hour Senate Speech, An All-Nighter

In a feat of determination, New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a marathon speech that lasted all night and into Tuesday night, setting a historic mark to show Democrats' resistance to President Donald Trump's sweeping actions.

Booker took to the Senate floor on Monday evening, saying he would remain there as long as he was "physically able." It wasn't until 25 hours and 5 minutes later that the 55-year-old senator, a former football tight end, finished speaking and limped off the floor. It set the record for the longest continuous Senate floor speech in the chamber's history. Booker was assisted by fellow Democrats who gave him a break from speaking by asking him questions on the Senate floor.

It was a remarkable show of stamina as Democrats try to show their frustrated supporters that they are doing everything possible to contest Trump's agenda. Yet Booker also provided a moment of historical solace for a party searching for its way forward: By standing on the Senate floor for more than a night and day and refusing to leave, he had broken a record set 68 years ago by then Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a segregationist and southern Democrat, to filibuster the advance of the Civil Rights Act in 1957.

"I'm here despite his speech," said Booker, who spoke openly on the Senate floor of his roots as the descendant of both slaves and slave-owners. He added, "I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black party leader in Congress, slipped into the Senate chamber to watch Booker on Tuesday afternoon. He called it "an incredibly powerful moment" because Booker had broken the record of a segregationist and was "fighting to preserve the American way of life and our democracy."

Still, Booker centered his speech on a call for his party to find its resolve, saying, "We all must look in the mirror and say, 'We will do better.'"

"These are not normal times in our nation," Booker said as he began the speech Monday evening. "And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them."

Booker warns of a 'looming constitutional crisis'

Shifting his feet, then leaning on his podium, Booker railed for hours against cuts to Social Security offices led by Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. He listed the impacts of Trump's early orders and spoke to concerns that broader cuts to the social safety net could be coming, though Republican lawmakers say the program won't be touched.

Booker also read what he said were letters from constituents. One writer was alarmed by the Republican president's talk of annexing Greenland and Canada and a "looming constitutional crisis."

Throughout the day Tuesday, Booker got help from Democratic colleagues, who gave him a break from speaking to ask him questions. Booker yielded for questions but made sure to say he would not give up the floor. He read that line from a piece of paper to ensure he did not slip and inadvertently end his speech. He stayed standing to comply with Senate rules.

"Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has just been nothing short of amazing and all of America is paying attention to what you're saying," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said as he asked Booker a question on the Senate floor. "All of America needs to know there's so many problems, the disastrous actions of this administration."

As Booker stood for hour after hour, he appeared to have nothing more than a couple glasses of water to sustain him. He later told reporters that he had fasted for days before the speech and stopped drinking fluids the night before.

He suffered through cramps as the day wore on, he said. Yet his voice grew strong with emotion as his speech stretched into the evening, and House members from the Congressional Black Caucus stood on the edge of the Senate floor in support

"Moments like this require us to be more creative or more imaginative, or just more persistent and dogged and determined," Booker said.

Booker's cousin and brother, as well as Democratic aides, watched from the chamber's gallery. Senator Chris Murphy accompanied Booker on the Senate floor throughout the day and night. Murphy was returning the comradeship that Booker had given to him in 2016 when the Connecticut Democrat held the floor for almost 15 hours to argue for gun control legislation.

His Senate floor speech breaks Thurmond's record

Still hours away from breaking Thurmond's record, Booker remarked Tuesday afternoon, "I don't have that much gas in the tank."

Yet as anticipation in the Capitol grew that he would supplant Thurmond, who died in 2003, as the record holder for the longest Senate floor speech, Democratic senators filled the chamber to listen and the Senate gallery filled with onlookers. The chamber exploded in applause as Schumer announced that Booker had broken the record.

Booker told reporters afterward that he had thought of Thurmond's speech ever since he arrived in the Senate, calling it a "strange shadow to hang over this institution."

Throughout his determined performance, Booker repeatedly invoked the civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Georgia on Tuesday, arguing that overcoming opponents like Thurmond would require more than just talking.

"You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond - after filibustering for 24 hours - you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, 'I've seen the light,'" Booker said. "No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it."

Booker's speech was not a filibuster, which is a speech meant to halt the advance of a specific piece of legislation. Instead, Booker's performance was a broader critique of Trump's agenda, meant to hold up the Senate's business and draw attention to what Democrats are doing to contest the president. Without a majority in either congressional chamber, Democrats have been almost completely locked out of legislative power but are turning to procedural manoeuvres to try to thwart Republicans.

Can his speech rally the anti-Trump resistance?

Booker, serving his second Senate term, was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2020, when he launched his campaign from the steps of his home in Newark. He dropped out after struggling to gain a foothold in a packed field, falling short of the threshold to meet in a January 2020 debate.

But as Democrats search for a next generation of leadership, frustrated with the old-timers at the top, Booker's speech could cement his status as a leading figure in the party.

On Tuesday afternoon, tens of thousands of people were watching on Booker's Senate YouTube page, as well as on other live streams. A small group gathered outside the Capitol to cheer him on.

Booker said he was ultimately calling on all Americans to respond not just with resistance to Trump's actions but with kindness and generosity for those in their communities.

He said, "I may be afraid - my voice may shake - but I'm going to speak up more."

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



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India Talks Of "Lessons" For Both To Remember As Ties With China Turn 75

  1. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was the chief guest at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, which organised an event to celebrate 75 years of establishing India-China ties. Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong and the Indian Foreign Secretary cut a cake on the occasion before speaking about the relations between the two Asian giants.
  2. In his nearly seven-minute speech, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted the "lessons" for both nations to keep in mind in order to foster stronger ties. He began his speech by saying, "Even tough, as modern nation states, we have had only 75 years of formal ties, India and China have shared cultural and civilizational ties and people-to-people contacts going back millenia."
  3. He spoke about significant "contributions by personalities such as Bodhidharma, Kumarajiva, Xuanzang, and Rabindranath Tagore," towards fostering historical India-China relations. He added that "Our two civilizations have, each in their own unique way, played a significant role in shaping human history. This holds a lesson for contemporary ties."
  4. Speaking about the second lesson, Mr Misri said, "In the last few years, India-China relations have gone through a difficult phase. But largely, due to the guidance by our leaders, and untiring efforts by the political leadership, military leaders, and diplomatic colleagues, who maintained communications throughout this time, our two countries have resolved several issues along the border areas. This too, holds a lesson for us (China and India) - which is that peace and tranquility in the border areas is critical for the smooth development of our overall bilateral relations."
  5. He went on to say that "It is on the basis of this fundamental understanding, which was shared in the meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping in Russia, that both nations are now working together to chart a roadmap for our bilateral relations, to return to a stable, predictable, and amicable path."
  6. Sharing specifics about the efforts made at the political, military, and diplomatic levels, the foreign secretary highlighted that "In the last 5 months, we have had two meetings between the foreign ministers - in November, 2024 and February 2025. Our Special Representatives (SRs) for the India-China boundary question met in Beijing in December, 2024 for the 23rd round of SR-level talks. After a gap of nearly five years, our Defence Minister met with his Chinese counterpart in November, 2024, and I (foreign secretary) had the opportunity to visit Beijing in January, 2025 and had a very productive meeting with my counterpart."
  7. India and China, he said, have decided to take several steps to "resume practical cooperation between our two countries. Amongst the first of these, is the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra this year," he said, adding that "We are also discussing the resumption of cooperation on transport and rivers, and on direct air services."
  8. He noted that these steps are important and foremost in order to restore mutual trust between the two nations and enhance people-to-people ties. Highlighting the responsibility that the two major economies must live up to, Mr Misri said, "As two large neighbours in an important part of the world, a stable bilateral relationship between our nations will contribute to humanity as a whole. Let us take this 75th year milestone as an opportunity to rebuild our ties."
  9. Before concluding his speech, the foreign secretary spoke about the "third lesson" for both nations to keep in mind. "The durable basis for rebuilding our ties is the three-fold formula of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest."
  10. In his closing remarks, the foreign secretary acknowledged that "The path forward may be a difficult one, but one that we are prepared for", adding that "It is on the basis of these steps that we have already taken in the last five months, that we have seen promising beginnings" at the end of seven-and-a-half decades. This, he said, should now be "turned into tangible benefit" for the people of our two countries.


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Karnataka Government Hikes Sales Tax On Diesel

Karnataka government has hiked the sales tax on diesel to 21.17 per cent with effect from Tuesday, as a result of which there will be an increase of Rs 2 per litre, bringing the sale price to Rs 91.02.

An official statement highlighted that the Karnataka Sales Tax rate on diesel was at 24 per cent prior to November 4, 2021, and the sale price per litre was Rs 92.03. On June 15, 2024, the Karnataka state government issued a notification revising the tax rate on diesel to 18.44 per cent.

"After the approval of the Competent Authority, the Karnataka Sales Tax rate on diesel has been increased to 21.17 per cent, effective from 01-04-2025. As a result, there will be an increase of Rs 2 per litre, bringing the sale price to Rs 91.02," the statement said.

However, even after this increase, the revised sales price in the state will continue to be lower compared to the neighbouring states, it stated.

As on March 31, 2025, the diesel price in Bengaluru is Rs 89.02, whereas in Hosur (Tamil Nadu) it is Rs 94.42, Kasaragod (Kerala) Rs 95.66, Anathapura (Andhra Pradesh) Rs 97.35, Hyderabad (Telangana) Rs 95.70 and Kagal (Maharashtra) Rs 91.07, the statement said.

Criticising the move, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state of imposing taxes on items one by one.

He alleged that the state government was increasing prices and "sucking blood of poor and middle class people." In a post on "X", he said, "This poor @INCKarnaraka government has increased the price of milk, imposed a cess on garbage collection, and now it has suddenly increased the price of diesel by Rs 2 per litre." "Diesel is the fuel used for transporting goods. Doesn't Siddaramaiah, a self-proclaimed economist, know that if the price of diesel increases, the prices of all essential goods and services, including milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries, taxis, will increase? Bus ticket prices were recently increased without money to pay salaries to transport employees.

"Now there is no doubt that bus ticket prices will be increased again on the pretext of diesel price hike. Siddaramaiah, have you been wondering which items should be taxed and which items should be increased in price?", he added.

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



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Monday, March 31, 2025

What Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams Said On Returning To Space On Starliner

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague spoke to the press today about the future of NASA's human space flight programme, after their recent return from the International Space Station (ISS).

Mr Wilmore said they will carefully study and rectify all the issues they have faced before going to space in another Boeing Starliner spacecraft.



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"Learn From South": Raj Thackeray Weighs In On Language Row, Cites MK Stalin

The language battle from Tamil Nadu has found resonance in Maharashtra, with Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, saying the state ought to learn from the southern states about opposing the three-language structure of the National Education Policy and the alleged imposition of Hindi.

"Have you seen the southern states? Have you seen Tamil Nadu? See how they have opposed Hindi language,' said Mr Thackeray., whose party had long stood for Maratha pride and advocated the use of the language across the state.

"What is going on in Maharashtra? We are the ones who do not react... Every state's language should be respected," he said, urging his party workers to ensure that Marathi is spoken in Mumbai. 

Recently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had claimed that 25  Indian languages, including Marathi, had suffered because several states adopted Hindi. 

His son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, had even given a list of languages that are on the verge of dying out for lack of use. 

The DMK insists that its opposition to the three-language policy is based on this. The National Education Policy, the party has alleged, is meant to enforce a cultural homogenization that will rob India of its diversity and the southern states of their distinct cultural identity.  

The state has argued that its current two-language formula - Tamil and English -- serves it well and underscored that it is the second-largest contributor to the country's economy.

The BJP has also argued the National Education Policy  has a bouquet of languages other than Hindi for the third option and insisted that it does not force a student to study Hindi. The party has also maintained that the third language will help people travelling to other states. 

Madhya Pradesh, another BJP-ruled state, meanwhile plans to offer additional optional languages including Bengali, Marathi, Telegu, Tamil Gujarati and Punjabi in colleges.

While it is an ambitious plan, there is no word on faculty recruitment or on minimum enrolment required to roll this out. 

Inder Singh Parmar, the Higher Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, said this will bring about "a hub of linguistic diversity".

The DMK has kept up the pressure on the Central government, demanding the release of funds withheld for not accepting the National Education Policy.

The education system in Tamil Nadu is number one in India. But they want to kill Macaulay model of education and go back to the Vedic system of education, said DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan. 
 



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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Woman Can't Be Forced To Take Virginity Test, Says High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has said that a woman cannot be forced to undergo a virginity test which violates Article 21 of the Constitution that guarantees her fundamental right to protection of life and liberty, including the right to dignity.

The high court said granting permission for a virginity test would be against the fundamental rights, cardinal principles of natural justice and secret modesty of a female, emphasising that Article 21 is the "heart of fundamental rights".

The observation by high court judge Justice Arvind Kumar Verma came in response to a criminal petition filed by a man who demanded his wife's virginity test alleging she was in an illicit relationship with another man, challenging a family court's order dated October 15, 2024, which rejected the interim application.

The wife had alleged that her husband was impotent and refused to cohabit.

The HC said if the petitioner wants to prove that the allegations of impotency are baseless, he can undergo the concerned medical test or produce any other evidence.

"He cannot possibly be permitted to subject the wife to undergo her virginity test and fill up the lacuna in his evidence".

The order passed on January 9 was made available recently.

The high court noted that the contention of the petitioner demanding a virginity test of his wife is unconstitutional as it violates Article 21 of the Constitution which includes the right to dignity of women.

"Article 21 of the Constitution of India not only guarantees the right to life and personal liberty but also the right to live with dignity, which is crucial for women.

"No woman can be forced to conduct her virginity test. It is a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21. It has to be borne in mind that Article 21 is the 'heart of fundamental rights'," the high court stated.

Justice Verma further said that the virginity test is a violation of the basic right of women to be treated with decency and proper dignity.

"The right to personal liberty enshrined under Article 21 is non-derogable and cannot be tinkered with in any manner. The petitioner cannot possibly be permitted to subject the wife to undergo her virginity test and fill up the lacuna in his evidence in this regard.

"Be that as it may, but in any case, granting the permission for virginity test of the respondent would be against her fundamental rights, the cardinal principles of natural justice and secret modesty of a female," the high court noted.

Non-derogable human rights refer to rights that are absolute and may not be subject to any derogation, even in times of war or emergency.

The bench further observed that the allegations made by both parties against each other are the subject matter of evidence and a conclusion can be drawn only after evidence.

"The High Court is of the considered opinion that the order impugned is neither illegal nor perverse and there is no judicial error committed by the trial court," it said.

The couple got married on April 30, 2023, as per Hindu rites. They lived together at the husband's family residence in Korba district.

The wife allegedly told her family members that her husband is impotent and she refused to establish a marital relationship or cohabit with her husband, the petitioner's counsel said.

She filed an interim application on July 2, 2024, under section 144 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before the family court in Raigarh district seeking maintenance of Rs 20,000 from her husband.

In response to the maintenance claim interim application, the petitioner sought a virginity test of his wife alleging that she was in an illicit relationship with her brother-in-law. He claimed the marriage was never consummated.

On October 15, 2024, the family court in Raigarh rejected the husband's request following which he filed a criminal petition in the High Court.

The case is currently at evidence stage in the family court. 

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



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Myanmar's Military Continues To Bomb Towns Amid Deadly Earthquake Crisis

An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people.

The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake".

The group said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts, but instead is focused on "deploying forces to attack its people".

A spokesman for the junta did not reply to queries from Reuters about the criticism.

Myanmar has been locked in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Shortly after Friday's devastating earthquake, military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the KNU headquarters, according to the Free Burma Rangers, a relief organisation.

The epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements.

On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in 2021, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks.

Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives but fighting continues elsewhere.

"The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop," he said.

He added that the regime was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas.

"Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organisations have mobilised, but the military - who would normally be mobilised to support in such a crisis - are nowhere to be seen," Horsey said.

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



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Saturday, March 29, 2025

As Face-Off With Hardik, GT Sai Kishore Star Says "Inside The Field..."

A controversial staredown between Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Gujarat Titans star bowler R Sai Kishore hogged limelight during the 9th match of Indian Premier League 2025 in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The furious clash even saw Hardik yelling "F*** off" to the spinner. While the words of Hardik were not caught on the stump mic, the movement of his lips made is clear what was said. It happened during the 15th over of Mumbai Indians' chase when Sai Kishore bowled three dot balls to Hardik of the four balls bowled by then.

While the controversial moment between the duo went viral on internet, both Hardik and Kishore were seen hugging each other after the match. The heartwarming moment too dragged the attention of the netizens on X (formerly Twitter).

Watch it here:

While reacting to the incident after the game, Kishore said, "He (Hardik) is a good friend of mine, inside the field it should be like that, but we don't take things personally."

Kishore returned figures of 1 for 37 in his quota of four overs. Talking about his bowling, he said, "I wasn't getting as much purchase today, so had to bowl defensively and had to do a job for the team. The pitch played better than it looked.

MI lost the game by 36 runs to GT. Suryakumar Yadav was their top-scorer with a 48-run knock off 28.

"He (Suryakumar Yadav) played well, he swept all my good length balls. If someone plays a good shot, you have to credit the batter. I have to credit Shubman (Gill), he kept advising me on what to bowl to Surya since he's seen him in the Indian nets. Looking forward to this season, I've been very honest with myself and worked very hard. Have watched a lot of games and worked on a lot of things for this season, so looking forward to this season," said Kishore.



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Quadruplets Win Battle Against Life-Threatening Conditions After 30 Days In ICU

A woman who gave birth to quadruplets was in shock due to her babies being premature and having low birth weight. She was brought to Hyderabad's Niloufer Hospital, where she and her babies spent a month in the intensive care unit before they found a happy ending.

Reports say the treatment would have cost upwards of Rs 1 crore in any private hospital.

Amrutha, 24, rushed to the hospital on February 22 with complaints of premature labour pain in the seventh month of her pregnancy.

She was taken in for caesarean delivery on the same day. She gave birth to four babies - two boys and two girls.

All four of them being very premature and low birth weight required ventilator support immediately after birth, the hospital said. The babies were admitted to the ICU at Niloufer Hospital under the supervision of Dr N Ravi Kumar, superintendent, and L Swapna, professor and head of department of neonatology.

The babies were put on a mechanical ventilator for 10 days due to breathing problems. In the initial days, it was difficult for the mother to provide breast-feeding to all the babies.

With the support of a human milk bank at Niloufer Hospital, she was able to feed her babies with her own milk and some donor human milk.

As the days progressed, the babies' condition improved and were shifted to normal wards from the ICU. They had to battle with several complications associated with prematurity like sepsis, jaundice, apnea and ROP.

One of the babies also required an eye surgery, which was facilitated by doctors from Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.

After 35 days of hospital stay, all the four babies were discharged today, healthy.

Dr N Ravi Kumar appreciated the doctors of the neonatology department for their efforts. The mother and the four babies are healthy, with the babies receiving only breast milk.



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Friday, March 28, 2025

22-Year-Old "Breaking Bad" Fan Arrested In Meth Lab Bust In Italy

Italian police said on Friday they had dismantled one of the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in the country, arresting a university student they described as a fan of the cult TV series "Breaking Bad".

The show chronicles the downward spiral of a high-school chemistry teacher who uses his knowledge to make and sell methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.

A 22-year-old from the northern city of Novara was charged with the illegal production of drugs, police said in a statement. In Italy, the crime carries sentences ranging from six to 20 years' imprisonment.

Officers who raided a property on March 21 found a large table with "a complex distillation workshop" on the ground floor, lit by a dim red light and including flasks, glass tubes and heat resistant ampoules.

In the attic, they found an area where drug compounds such as MDMA and DMT were mixed and prepared, as well as "hallucinogenic stamps" - small pieces of paper doused in drugs such as LSD.

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



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Thursday, March 27, 2025

US Health Department To Cut 10,000 Jobs As Part Of Overhaul

The US health department will reduce its workforce by around 10,000 full-time employees as part of a broader cost-cutting overhaul of the federal government, according to an official statement released Thursday. 

Including early retirements and so-called "deferred resignations," the total downsizing will shrink the department from 82,000 to 62,000 employees.

"We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl," said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. "We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic."

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



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Wednesday, March 26, 2025

"We Send Our Children, Take Back Bodies": Uncle Of Boy Found Hanging In Kota

The grieving family of a medical aspirant who was found hanging in his hostel room here has appealed to the Rajasthan government to address the issue of student suicides in the coaching hub which has reported nine such deaths since January.

"It is a slap on the state government's face that we leave our children in Kota to study but take back their bodies," said the 17-year-old NEET aspirant's uncle Rajiv Yadav, who spoke to reporters outside a mortuary.

Harshraj Shankar, a native of Bihar's Nalanda district, was found hanging from an iron rod inside his hostel room in Jawahar Nagar on Tuesday, the police said.

The body was discovered by the police who were called by the hostel caretaker after Shankar did not respond to repeated knocking on the door.

No suicide note was recovered from the spot. However, according to the caretaker, "Sorry" was found written on the book shelf rack.

The boy had been preparing for the medical entrance exam in a coaching institute here since April last year, they said.

The boy's father, uncle and some family members reached Kota on Wednesday to claim the body after a post-mortem.

"The government should address the issue. (CM) Sharmaji's government should ensure that no such tragedy happens in future," the uncle said.

"Our boy was good at studies and had been taking coaching in Kota to crack NEET," he said.

The police said they have lodged an FIR section 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and launched a probe.

Meanwhile, hostel caretaker Lokesh Sharma said the boy lived in the hostel with three of his cousins.

All four of them cooked and ate noodles in Shankar's room late Monday night. He was strolling in the hostel till 9 pm and showed no signs of distress, said Sharma who has undergone 'Gate Keeper Training', designed by district administration to train hostel management in identification of suspicious or abnormal behaviour in the students and providing timely assistance and counselling.

After checking into the hostel in April, the boy got an iron rod fixed inside his room to exercise pull-ups, the caretaker said.

Since the fans in the hostel room were equipped with "anti-suicide devise", the boy used the iron rod to hang himself, he said.

This is the ninth student suicide this year that took place in the city famous for its being a coaching hub. Six coaching students -- five JEE, one NEET -- killed themselves in January alone.

Seventeen coaching students died by suicide in Kota in 2024. In 2023, the number stood at 26.

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



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Get Caught, Defecate: Smelly Criminal Finally Lands In Delhi Police's Net

He was wanted for several knife attacks and chain snatchings in North Delhi and had also been caught in the past but managed to give police the slip every time using a smelly method - he would defecate in his pants. But when a patrolling team spotted him on Monday and he tried the same trick again, the cops happened to be prepared and used masks and gloves to catch him and ensure he didn't escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Banthia said Deepak, 27, had more than half a dozen cases against him. "This criminal has escaped in this manner many times. As soon as a policeman would catch him, he would immediately activate his filthy plan," Mr Banthia said. 

Deepak, officials said, was involved in several cases of knife attacks and mobile theft in North Delhi's Sadar Bazar area. They said Deepak would defecate in his pants every time he was caught, forcing cops to cover his nose and step away from him. The 27-year-old would use this opportunity to escape. 

On Monday, a patrolling team spotted a man behaving suspiciously in the area and realised it was Deepak. When they caught him, he used his smelly trick again, but the cops had masks and gloves with them. They arrested him and took him to the Sadar Bazar police station. 

"A knife, which Deepak said he calls his 'lucky knife' and keeps on his person at all times, was also recovered. A case has been registered under the Arms Act," said an official.
 



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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Impact, Then Free-Fall: 2 French Air Force Planes Collide, 3 "Unconscious"

Two planes of the French air force's acrobatics team "apparently collided" near an air base in northeastern France on Tuesday and three people were found unconscious, officials said. 

The Alpha jet planes collided near an air base west of Saint-Dizier in northeastern France, the French air and space force told news agency AFP. One of the planes hit a silo, causing a fire. 

Two pilots and a passenger ejected from the aircraft and were "found conscious", it said. AFP reported that one person suffered multiple injuries and there were no civilian casualties. 

The planes were from the Patrouille de France, which is the precision aerobatics demonstration unit of the French Air and Space Force. 

Videos show six planes with different coloured contrails (condensation trails) carrying out a maneuver involving a dive. While four of the aircraft continue on their trajectory, two on the left appear to collide and enter into a free-fall. 

Images showed flames leaping out and smoke billowing from a silo that was hit by one of the planes. 

"An accident involving two Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France during rehearsals has just occurred in eastern France, emergency services have been mobilised," French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu posted on X.

France has been using the light Alpha twin-engined aircraft to train Ukrainian pilots after Russia invaded the country.

In August last year, two French Rafale jets had collided mid-air in eastern France, leading to the death of two pilots. France has sold the Rafale "multi-role" fighter to India, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Croatia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.



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Monday, March 24, 2025

Woman Spikes Husband's Food, Kills Him With Mother's Help In Bengaluru: Cops

A 37-year-old real-estate businessman was allegedly murdered by his wife and mother-in-law over his alleged multiple extramarital affairs and illegal business dealings in Bengaluru last week, police said on Monday. 

The two accused have been arrested. 

According to the police, the incident came to light when the body of the victim, Loknath Singh, was found by a few people in an abandoned car in a deserted area in Chikkabanavara on Saturday.

"We had received a distress call on 112 at 5.30pm on Saturday, informing us about the body. We have arrested his wife and mother-in-law for the crime. Further investigation is underway," North Bangalore Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Saidul Adavath said.

The police said that a preliminary probe into the crime revealed the accused initially spiked the man's food with sleeping pills in a bid to make him feel drowsy. They then drove him to a secluded spot where they slit his throat with a knife before fleeing.

Police also attributed the killing to the victim's alleged extramarital affairs and illegal business transactions. 

Police said that Loknath was in a relationship with the woman for two years before the couple registered their marriage in Kunigal in December. While his family opposed the relationship due to an age gap between the two, both sides were not aware about the marriage.

However, soon after the marriage, Loknath left his wife at her parents' house. It was not until two weeks ago when the woman's family learnt about her marriage. 

Besides, it was also around this time that Loknath's wife and in-laws learnt about his alleged extramarital affairs and illegal business dealings, police said. 

The relationship soured as the couple fought constantly and even considered getting a divorce. The situation turned worse when Loknath allegedly started threatening his in-laws and warned them of dire consequences, prompting his wife and her mother to devise a plan to kill him. 

Police said Loknath was also under the scanner of the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch in connection with a fraud case. 



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"Bruised My Spirit": On Kunal Kamra Controversy, Film-Maker Recalls Own Ordeal

Film-maker Hansal Mehta today came out in support of comedian Kumal Kamra, who is being targeted over his comments on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In a post on X, Mr Mehta recalled an incident 25 years ago, when, he said, he was similarly targeted by the undivided Shiv Sena over an innocuous line in one of his movies. 

Mr Kamra had sparked a massive controversy over the weekend, referring to the Deputy Chief Minister as a "traitor" (Gaddar) during a performance at the hotel, located in Mumbai's Khar -- an allusion to the 2022 rebellion that split the Shiv Sena and pulled down the government led by Uddhav Thackeray. The Shiv Sena demanded his arrest and supporters and members of the party vandalized the office of the "The Unicontinental Mumbai", where the show was held.  

Mr Mehta today recalled that he had got worse backlash and was forced to apologise.

"Loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to apologise publicly-by falling at the feet of an elderly woman-for a single line of dialogue in my film," his post read.  

"That incident didn't just bruise my body. It bruised my spirit. It blunted my filmmaking, muted my courage, and silenced parts of me that took years to reclaim.," Mr Mehta wrote. 

Asserting that intimidation and humiliation "can never be justified" he added that "we owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity".

Mr Kamra has pointedly refused to back down. In a post on X, he said today that he would "cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me". At the same time, he questioned if the law will be 'fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to a joke". 



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Sunday, March 23, 2025

Hindi Was Compulsory 3rd Language During Congress Rule: BJP To DMK

BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Sunday claimed Hindi was the 'compulsory' third language during the Congress-led UPA regime and asserted it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave the option of studying any Indian language as a third language.

Further, referring to the New Education Policy (NEP 20202), Mr Annamalai said Modi has also made "Tamil the compulsory medium of instruction from classes 1-5," apparently in the context of Tamil Nadu.

Despite ruling Tamil Nadu for many years, the DMK never made Tamil medium of instruction compulsory, he claimed.

Countries like China, Germany and Japan have become 'important' since they impart education to children in their mother tongue, he said addressing a public meeting here.

In the first two education policies, Hindi was the compulsory third language and so was the case in the draft NEP 2020, he said.

However, in May 2019, "for the first time in the country, Modi changed the third language from Hindi in draft NEP to any Indian language--this is the 3-language policy," Mr Annamalai said.

Training his guns against the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, he said the party was part of Congress-led coalition government for 10 years during which period "Hindi was compulsory third language." "For the first time, NEP offers a third language of your choice, and you can study either Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or even Hindi. This is the 3-language policy," he said.

On the signature campaign launched earlier this month in support of NEP 2020 and the 3-language policy, Mr Annamalai said 26 lakh signatures have been received in 18 days.

Taking a jibe at the DMK, he said the party has also launched many signature campaigns, including the one against NEET.

"The DMK's anti-NEET signature campaign--what happened, how many signed. nobody knows," he said.

Mr Annamalai also claimed many DMK leaders, including ministers, were speaking ill of north Indians and took exception to that.

CM Stalin was living in an "illusion" that his party would win over 200 seats in the 2026 Assembly polls in the state, he added.

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



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Saturday, March 22, 2025

See High Court Chief Justice's Full Report, Documents On Judge Cash Row

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna formed a three-member committee comprising high court judges to conduct an inquiry into allegations against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma over alleged recovery of a cash stash on the premises of his official residence.

The Supreme Court on its website also uploaded documents into the matter including a report by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, videos and photos, and Justice Varma's response to the allegation.

See the full report below:

The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, Devendra Upadhyaya, has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma for the time being.



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Video - Stuck On Track, A Desperate Dash: Train Hits SUV In Rajasthan

An SUV of a central police force was rammed by a train at a level crossing near Suratgarh Super Thermal Power Plant in Rajasthan.

CCTV footage of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Local reports said there were three personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the SUV. No casualties were reported.

The footage showed the level crossing didn't have boom barriers to stop vehicles before trains approached there.

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

Seconds before the accident, the SUV was seen taking a turn toward the crossing. Reports said the driver was not aware about the approaching train.

When the vehicle reached the tracks, a CISF man quickly got out of the front left seat and ran.

The train then rammed the SUV before the two other passengers could get out, and dragged it for several metres.

The accident happened during routine patrolling on Friday, reports said.



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Friday, March 21, 2025

Karnataka Doubles Salaries For Ministers, MLAs Amid Fund Shortage Row

The state Assembly on Friday passed the 'Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes significant salary hikes and allowances for MLAs, MLCs, ministers and Assembly staffers.

The move which has come amid the government complaining of shortage of funds has invoked criticism and also raised debate.

The Bill was passed in the Assembly amid the furore linked to the honey trap row.

According to sources, the Bill proposes 100 per cent hike of Rs 1.50 lakh from Rs 75,000 in the salary of the Chief Minister and 108 per cent hike of Rs 1.25 lakh from Rs 60,000 for ministers. The legislators will have 100 per cent hike of Rs 80,000 from Rs 40,000. The rental allowance of ministers has also been doubled from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council's monthly salary of Rs 75,000 will be increased to Rs 1.25 lakh. Their allowances have been increased from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot approved the proposed Bill on Thursday. The government not delaying it any further presented it in the legislature on Friday, the last day of the budget session. The government is expected to incur an additional burden of Rs 62 crore.

The salaries and allowance of legislators were revised in 2022. The government headed by the BJP had decided to revise the salaries and perks of legislators once in five years.

The legislators had demanded a hike in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).

The pension of legislators will go up from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. The annual travelling allowance to travel in flights and railway services has been increased to Rs 3.50 lakh from Rs 2.50 lakh.

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



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"Coming To Terms With...": Missing Indian Student's Parents Break Down

The parents of Indian student Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing from a beach in the Dominican Republic on March 6, have said in an emotional announcement that they are coming to terms with the fact that she has drowned.

In a video, Ms Konanki's father Subbarayudu can be seen fighting back tears as he says that authorities "on both sides", presumably from the US and the Dominican Republic, have told them that the waves were very high at the time of the incident and that the person of interest in the case, 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, was not a suspect. 

With his wife, Sreedevi, sobbing beside him, Mr Konanki says, "Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident and both sides of the authorities have clarified that the person of interest was not a suspect from the beginning."

Wiping away a tear from his eye, he continues speaking but gets only as far as "It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart..." when his wife cups her face with her hands, sobbing louder, and turns away from the camera. Mr Konanki comforts her and pulls her towards him before saying, "...and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact that our daughter has drowned. This is incredibly difficult for us to process. We kindly ask you to keep our daughters in your prayers."

CNN has reported that the Konankis have asked for their daughter to be declared dead to "seek closure".

Ms Konanki, 20, a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the United States, studied at the University of Pittsburgh. She went to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with five friends on March 3. 

Footage from March 5 shows her drinking at the bar of a hotel called Riu Republica before going to the beach with a group of people, including Riibe. 

Ms Konanki was seen entering the beach at 4.15 am and all of her friends had returned by 5 am. Riibe, an Iowa resident and student at St Clou State University in Minnesota, told authorities that he had tried to rescue her after they were dragged in by a wave and she got tired of swimming 

Riibe's passport was confiscated by authorities in the Dominican Republic and he was interviewed for six hours, but he is not considered a suspect. 

The request for the student being declared dead "supports the wishes of Ms Konanki's grieving parents to seek closure in their request that the Dominican law enforcement authorities acknowledge the death of their daughter by accidental drowning," the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, where Ms Konanki's family lives, told CNN.



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"Our Hope Is...": After Trudeau Exit, India Recalls "Licence To Extremists"

Days after Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada, India, on Friday, recalled "the downturn in India-Canada relations". New Delhi squarely blamed the "licence given to extremists" under Justin Trudeau for the strained ties, hoping to rebuild them after the change in Canada's leadership.

Justin Trudeau's ouster was complete last week when Canada's ruling Liberal Party replaced him with a new prime minister. An entirely new Cabinet was sworn in on March 14. Both Ottawa and New Delhi now hope to rebuild ties, which currently are at a historic low.

On a question regarding Canada at a weekly press briefing, India's Ministry of External Affairs today said that "The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country", adding that "Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity."

Shortly before taking oath as Prime Minister, Mark Carney had also expressed his keenness to build on ties with "like-minded countries" and had called the chance to rebuild ties with India as an "opportunity" he would like to work on.

"What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries - and there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship, and once I am the prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that," he had said.

DOWNTURN IN INDIA-CANADA TIES UNDER JUSTIN TRUDEAU

Ties between India and Canada saw a sharp decline after a surge in incidents of radicalisation and extremism by rouge elements of 'Khalistani' separatist groups, which Justin Trudeau permitted, describing them as "free speech" and "freedom of expression". Effigies of a former Indian prime minister were allowed to be burnt, the Indian flag desecrated and disrespected, Indian Embassy and Consulate staff and premises being threatened and attacked openly, and audio and video clips of India-declared terrorists openly threatening hijacks and attacks on Indian soil, are just a few examples of what happened.

Last year, Justin Trudeau had also attended an event where 'Khalistan' slogans were raised as he addressed the gathering. On multiple occasions, Mr Trudeau had, "without a shred of evidence", accused India of orchestrating the killing of 'Khalistani' separatist and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Justin Trudeau's government had also designated the Indian High Commissioner and other embassy officials as "persons of interest" in the investigation over the Nijjar case. He was later declared a "persona non grata" by Trudeau's government, after which New Delhi recalled the then incumbent high commissioner over Canada "going too far". In a tit-for-tat move, India sent Canadian high commission officials packing home as ties came to a near-standstill.

Later, when Mr Trudeau admitted publicly that he had "no hard evidentiary proof" of the involvement of Indian government officials in the killing of Hardeep Nijjar, New Delhi responded by saying that "The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone."

For months, India had repeatedly urged Ottawa to "stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven" in Canada.

"Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilized society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression," India's foreign ministry had said.

Blaming Justin Trudeau for catering to a vote bank, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said last year that "By allowing political space to 'Khalistani' separatist elements, the Canadian government (led by Justin Trudeau) is repeatedly showing that its vote bank is more powerful than its rule of law."

"India respects and practices freedom of speech, but that does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats, extend support to separatism or allow political space to elements advocating violence and terror," he had said.
 



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Thursday, March 20, 2025

Kirsty Coventry Elected First Woman President Of International Olympic Committee

Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, saying it was an "extraordinary moment". At 41, the two-time Olympic swimming champion is also the youngest ever person to hold the most powerful position in sports governance. Coventry, the Zimbabwean sports minister, is a close ally of the German Thomas Bach, who steps down as IOC supremo after 12 years. She told her fellow IOC members she would work with the six other heavyweight rivals she beat in the election.

"This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl I never thought that I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours," Coventry said.

"This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core and I will make all of you very, very proud and, I hope, extremely confident in the decision you've taken today.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Coventry, who was strongly believed to be Bach's favoured candidate, was thought to be in a tight-run race with IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior and World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe.

However, to general surprise the race was decided in the first round of voting.

Coventry received 49 of the 97 votes possible, with Samaranch obtaining 28 and Coe third with a humbling eight votes.

Samaranch was bidding to emulate his father of the same name who led the Olympic movement for 21 years and World Athletics president Coe was seeking to become the first Briton.

For both, their dreams of being IOC president one day are over, owing to their ages.

Ski federation chief Johan Eliasch, Morinari Watanabe, president of the international gymnastics federation, cycling head David Lappartient and Prince Feisal al-Hussein were the other four candidates.

None of that quartet garnered more than four votes.

- Geopolitical hurdles -

On Monday, Bach refused to be drawn on whether he backed Coventry, saying only that a new era "requires new leaders".

Although she fought a low-key media campaign compared to Coe and Samaranch Junior, her lobbying was so effective that one seriously ill member specifically flew to Greece to vote for her.

Questions had been raised about Coventry being a minister in a Zimbabwean government whose election in 2023 was declared undemocratic and unfair.

However, it made little impact with her electorate.

Coventry faces enormous geopolitical challenges, such as dealing with unpredictable US president Donald Trump, with Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Games.

Coventry said during her campaign that if she won it would be a huge moment for Africa as it would show "we're ready to lead".

She will take over a financially secure IOC but those calm waters are muddied by a febrile geopolitical situation.

Samaranch Junior had argued that in this "very complex world", where previously undisputed truths such as "universality, fraternity and unity" are now questioned, it was no time to take a leap in the dark.

The 65-year-old Spaniard, an assured and polished performer, congratulated Coventry and said he "was not going anywhere."

"It is very good news, the IOC is moving into the future, she has so much support from the membership, we will all walk behind her," he said.

Coe appeared to be seen by Bach as the disruptor candidate, which is perhaps surprising given many would view him as an establishment figure.

His low score will be a bitter blow to the two-time 1,500 metres Olympic champion who is accustomed to success.

Coe, 68, became a lawmaker for the centre-right Conservatives and led London's successful bid to host the 2012 Games.

He then oversaw the highly-praised hosting of those Olympics and has been credited with reforming track and field's global body since becoming president in 2015.

One of the major problems the new president will face will be the return to the Olympic fold of Russia. In Paris last year their athletes were forced to competed under a neutral banner, owing to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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



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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Puffy Head, Chicken Legs: How Sunita Williams Will Readjust To Gravity

Puffy heads, chicken legs, taller space height and reduced density - as Crew-9 astronauts face all these health implications on their return to Earth after nine months in space, they will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation programme to prepare for gravity.

A stay at the International Space Station can have various effects on the astronauts' bodies in terms of aerobic capacity, muscular strength, power, endurance, stamina, bone, balance, agility, coordination, orthostatic tolerances, proprioception, neurovestibular function and flexibility. These are attributed to microgravity and are consistent with deficits seen in terrestrial, de-conditioning individuals.

The Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation (ASCR) specialists have administered a reconditioning program, focusing on all deficits, which improves the physical condition of all returning astronauts.

Post-flight reconditioning begins on landing day, is scheduled for two hours per day, seven days a week for 45 days and is tailored to the specific needs of the astronaut.

Phase 1 of the rehabilitation program starts on landing day and places emphasis on ambulation, flexibility, and muscle strengthening. Phase 2 adds proprioceptive exercise and cardiovascular conditioning. Phase 3, the longest phase, focuses on functional development. All programs are tailored specifically for each individual according to their test results, preferred recreational activities, and mission roles and duties.

Specific attention is given to each astronaut's overall condition, testing results, medical status, and assigned duties after their mission. After completing post-flight reconditioning, it is shown that astronauts have regained, and in most cases improved upon, their pre-flight baseline condition.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore spent nine months in space, after propulsion systems on the Boeing Starliner that rocketed them to the International Space Station (ISS) developed issues and returned without them.

Since then, their stay in space has invited global attention, concern for their health and political debates.

After relief Crew-10 docked on to the ISS on Sunday, Williams, Wilmore, NASA's Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksander Gorbunov started preparing for their return to Earth. 17 hours after started their journey from space, astronauts on board the SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed off the coast of Florida at 3.27 am IST. This was followed by recovery efforts and the astronauts being brought out of the capsule to be sent for medical checks.



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Rajasthan Tables Bill To Regulate Coaching Centres But Key Provisions Missing

A bill to regulate the coaching centres of Rajasthan, spurred by the spiralling student suicides in Kota, was tabled in the state assembly today. This year, eight students have died by suicide in Kota. The last year, the figure was 26. 

The bill aims to set up an authority of 12 members to regulate coaching institutes. It also envisages the formation of committees in every district to monitor coaching centres, provide counselling for students to reduce stress, remedial classes for those lagging behind and set up of days and recreational activities. 

Assessments will not be held on a day the week begins, and exam results will be kept confidential.

The duration of classes will also be cut down - five hours will be the maximum. 

It also makes it easy to get a fee refund if the student decides to drop out halfway through the course.

The bill, though, has omitted two key provisions that have considerably weakened it. 

Mental health experts suggest that there be an age limit for children who undertake coaching. Children as young as 14 and 15 are also taken out of school and put through the gruelling system by ambitious parents.

It was expected that the bill would set a cut-off age of at least 16 years. But there is not mention of this in the version that was tabled. 

It also does not make it compulsory for children to sit for an aptitude test before enrolling for coaching classes for medical and engineering entrance exams.

"In the draft bill, they said they would set 16 as an age limit for admission to coaching. Now this is not there in the bill. It looks like this government is hand-in-glove with the coaching industry. The industry is big and powerful and this is a racket," said Tikaram Jully, Leader of the Opposition.

Asked about the matter, Prem Chand Bairwa, Minister for technical education, refuted the allegation.

"Right now we have simply put forward a bill to regulate coaching. As people give their suggestions, we will incorporate them in the future," he said.

As for holding an aptitude test to see if the children can fit into medical and engineering studies, the minister said they are leaving this option for parents. 

"This bill has a good aim, but it is a bad solution and this bill is a setback for the Rajasthan coaching industry," said Raghuveer Singh Dagur, president of the Rajasthan coaching institute association.



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Tuesday, March 18, 2025

"Negotiations With Hamas Will Take Place Only Under Fire": Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said that a wave of deadly overnight strikes on Gaza was "only the beginning" of Israeli action in the Palestinian territory.

"Hamas has already felt the strength of our hand in the past 24 hours. And I want to promise you –- and them –- this is only the beginning," Netanyahu said in a televised address. "From now on, negotiations will take place only under fire," he said, adding: "Military pressure is essential for the release of additional hostages".

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



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"Prisoner Exchange Will Be...": Kremlin's Full Statement On Trump-Putin Call

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke for over two hours during a phone-call, discussing ways to end the ongoing war in Ukraine and ways to establish "lasting peace".

Kremlin's Full Statement On Trump-Putin Call

The leaders continued a detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine. Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Donald Trump for his desire to help achieve the noble goal of ending hostilities and human losses.

Having confirmed his fundamental commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the Russian President declared his readiness to work together with his American partners to thoroughly explore possible ways of resolving the conflict, which should be comprehensive, sustainable and long-term. And, of course, to take into account the absolute need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, and Russia's legitimate interests in the area of security.

In the context of the US President's initiative to introduce a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side outlined a number of significant points concerning ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire line of combat contact, the need to stop forced mobilization in Ukraine and rearm the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Serious risks associated with the inability to negotiate of the Kyiv regime, which has repeatedly sabotaged and violated the agreements reached, were also noted. Attention was drawn to the barbaric terrorist crimes committed by Ukrainian militants against the civilian population of the Kursk region.

It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means should be the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv.

In connection with Donald Trump's recent appeal to spare the lives of Ukrainian servicemen surrounded in the Kursk region, Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian side is ready to be guided by humanitarian considerations and, in the event of their surrender, guarantees the lives and decent treatment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in accordance with Russian laws and international law.

During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to the conflict to mutually refrain from attacks on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order.

The Russian President also responded constructively to Donald Trump's idea of implementing a well-known initiative concerning the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. It was agreed to begin negotiations to further elaborate specific details of such an agreement.

Vladimir Putin informed that on March 19, a prisoner exchange will be carried out between the Russian and Ukrainian sides - 175 for 175 people. In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian servicemen who are being treated in Russian medical institutions will be transferred.

The leaders confirmed their intention to continue efforts to achieve a Ukrainian settlement in a bilateral mode, including taking into account the above-mentioned proposals of the US President. For this purpose, Russian and American expert groups are being created.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump also touched upon other issues on the international agenda, including the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea region. Joint efforts will be made to stabilize the situation in crisis areas, establish cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. This, in turn, will contribute to improving the overall atmosphere of Russian-American relations. One positive example is the joint vote in the UN on the resolution on the Ukrainian conflict.

Mutual interest was expressed in normalizing bilateral relations in light of the special responsibility of Russia and the United States for ensuring security and stability in the world. In this context, a wide range of areas in which our countries could establish interaction was considered. A number of ideas were discussed that are moving towards the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy and energy sector.

Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin's idea to organize hockey matches in the USA and Russia between Russian and American players playing in the NHL and KHL.

The presidents agreed to remain in contact on all issues raised.



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Monday, March 17, 2025

NZ Prime Minister's 'Champions Trophy' Remark Leaves PM Modi Amused - Video

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was left amused by his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon's hilarious comment on the Champions Trophy 2025 final during their meeting on Monday. During his address, Luxon said that he deliberately avoided to talk about cricket and the Champions Trophy final in order to prevent a "diplomatic incident". India defeated New Zealand in the summit clash to claim the Champions Trophy 2025 title in Dubai. Luxon also mentioned the 3-0 Test series win for New Zealand in India last year that ultimately knocked the Rohit Sharma-led side out of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final race.

"I really appreciate that PM Modi didn't bring up New Zealand's Champions Trophy loss to India, and I didn't mention our Test victories in India. Let's keep it that way and avoid a diplomatic incident," Luxon said while PM Modi was seen laughing at the banter.

Former New Zealand cricket team batter Ross Taylor was also in attendance and even he was left amused by the banter between the two world leaders during the event.

Luxon also praised the Indian cricket team for their dominant display in recent times.

"During PM Modi's tenure, the men in blue (Indian cricket team) have been the most dominant side in cricket, most recently winning the Champions Trophy in Dubai against my men in black (New Zealand cricket team). They broke many many New Zealanders' hearts in the process, including mine. I will be the bigger person and just say congratulations," Luxon said, according to PTI.



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