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.
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.
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.)
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.)
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:
Thrilling the home crowd with a performance to cherish
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 29, 2025
Gujarat Titans get their #TATAIPL 2025 campaign off the mark
Scorecard https://t.co/lDF4SwnuVR #GTvMI | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/iy60R0cOwZ
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.
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.
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.
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.
Watch MOMENT French jets collide during training session
— RT (@RT_com) March 25, 2025
Pilots and passenger ‘found unconscious' pic.twitter.com/SR49r6ymUX
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.
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.
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.
What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I've lived through it myself.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025
Twenty-five years ago, 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...
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".
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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."
#WATCH | Delhi: On India-Canada relations, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country. Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on… pic.twitter.com/on36QS3aYr
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.)
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".
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.
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.
𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚-𝐍𝐙 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭!
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) March 17, 2025
At the joint press meet, PM Luxon joked about New Zealand's recent losses to India in cricket, thanking PM @narendramodi for not bringing it up.
"Let's just keep it that way and avoid a… pic.twitter.com/Kaeuh6LSir
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.
As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to announce its schedule parallel to the Indian Premier League (IPL), some clashes were bound to erupt. With players made to decide between the two franchise leagues, IPL was bound to be preferred because of multiple reasons -- ranging from better remuneration to exposure. South Africa's Corbin Bosch ditched his Pakistan Super League contract as 5-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians came calling for his services, as a replacement for the injured Lizaad Williams. But, those in the Pakistan cricketing spectrum are understandably not happy.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a legal notice to Bosch for breaching his contractual obligations with the board. Bosch, who incidentally made his debut for South Africa against Pakistan in the series earlier this year, was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during the tenth edition of Pakistan Super League Players Draft, held in Lahore on January 13. Earlier this month Mumbai Indians, a leading franchise of the Indian Premier League, announced that it had picked Bosch as a replacement for the injured Lizaad Williams who is also from South Africa.
The legal notice was served to Bosch through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.
The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame.
This is the first time since the PSL was launched in 2016 that its window will clash for quite a few matches with the IPL.
The PCB had to move its PSL window from its regular February-March to April-May because of the Champions Trophy and other international commitments in Pakistan.
Number of overseas players who were not picked in the IPL auction later signed on for the PSL, including Bosch.
With PTI Inputs
The Vatican on Sunday released the first photograph of Pope Francis since the 88-year-old pontiff was admitted more than a month ago to hospital for pneumonia in both lungs.
"This morning Pope Francis concelebrated the Holy Mass in the chapel of the apartment on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Polyclinic," the Vatican press office wrote in the photograph's caption. Concelebration is the joint celebration by senior clerics of the service.
The photo shows the bare-headed pope seated in a wheelchair, wearing a white robe and purple shawl, in front of a simple altar and crucifix on the wall.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Pope Francis is improving slowly as he battles double pneumonia in hospital and is reducing the use of mechanical ventilation at night to help with breathing, the Vatican said on Saturday.
"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable, confirming the progress seen in the last week," said the latest update on the 88-year-old pontiff, who was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14.
Francis, who is prone to lung infections, has not been seen in public since entering hospital, the longest such absence of his papacy which this week reached its 12th anniversary.
He will again miss weekly prayers with pilgrims this Sunday, for the fifth week in a row.
The Vatican said Francis was continuing with medical treatments, respiratory physiotherapy and physical therapy for his mobility. "These therapies, at present, show further, gradual improvements," said the statement.
He has been receiving oxygen in hospital including a mask at night. "High-flow oxygen therapy continues, gradually reducing the need for non-invasive mechanical ventilation during nighttime hours," the statement added.
The Vatican has not given a timeframe for the pope's discharge from hospital, saying his recovery is slow.
It is publishing medical updates every few days now, compared to twice-daily updates previously.
The pope had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. He is known to work himself to exhaustion, and has continued to work from hospital.
On Saturday, the Vatican announced that earlier in the week Francis had approved a new three-year process to consider reforms for the global Catholic Church, in a sign that he intends to continue on as pope, despite his health difficulties.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a sneak peek on Saturday into the areas of discussion he held with computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman.
Lex Fridman is a research scientist who also hosts his podcast, "Lex Fridman Podcast." In his podcasts, several personalities from various walks of life have discussed issues ranging from complex niches to other areas of mass understanding.
Notable figures include political leaders like US President Donald Trump, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei, as well as leading personalities in their fields, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Magnus Carlson, and Yuval Noah Harari.
Mr Fridman wrote on X, "I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life. It'll be out tomorrow."
I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) March 15, 2025
It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life.
It'll be out tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/KmRSFfVRKg
Responding to Mr Fridman, Prime Minister Modi called it a "fascinating conversation" and shared that he discussed various time periods of his life, such as his childhood days, to the years spent in the Himalayas and eventually his way into public life.
"It was indeed a fascinating conversation with @lexfridman, covering diverse topics including reminiscing about my childhood, the years in the Himalayas and the journey in public life. Do tune in and be a part of this dialogue!" PM Modi wrote on X.
It was indeed a fascinating conversation with @lexfridman, covering diverse topics including reminiscing about my childhood, the years in the Himalayas and the journey in public life.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 15, 2025
Do tune in and be a part of this dialogue! https://t.co/QaJ04qi1TD
Mr Fridman had announced on January 19 that he would conduct a podcast with PM Modi.
In a post on X, he said, "I will be doing a podcast with Narendra Modi (@narendramodi), Prime Minister of India, at the end of February. I've never been to India, so I'm excited to finally visit and experience many facets of its vibrant, historic culture and its amazing people as fully as I can."
I will be doing a podcast with Narendra Modi (@narendramodi), Prime Minister of India, at the end of February.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) January 18, 2025
I've never been to India, so I'm excited to finally visit and experience many facets of its vibrant, historic culture and its amazing people as fully as I can.
Earlier in February, Mr Fridman called PM Modi "one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever studied".
He wrote on X, "Narendra Modi is one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever studied. I can't wait to talk to him on the podcast for several hours in a few weeks. On top of the complex, deep history of India and his role in it, just the human side of Modi is really interesting. For example, he has often done multi-day fasts (9 days) for spiritual reasons. I fast often as well. So I'll do a 48-72 hour fast once I arrive in India before talking to him. It's a good opportunity to meditate and to reflect on how incredibly lucky I am to be alive, to have the weird brain that sees so much beauty in the world even though I've increasingly seen a lot of the darker sides of human nature. And most of all... To reflect on how lucky I am to have so much love in my life."
Narendra Modi is one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever studied.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) February 7, 2025
I can't wait to talk to him on podcast for several hours in a few weeks.
On top of the complex, deep history of India, and his role in it, just the human side of Modi is really interesting. For…
Sharing the details, Mr Fridman said that the podcast conversation with the Prime Minister would be released at 5:30PM IST.
"Podcast should be published tomorrow (Sunday) around 8am EST / 5:30pm IST", he wrote on X.
Podcast should be published tomorrow (Sunday) around 8am EST / 5:30pm IST.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) March 15, 2025
As per his official website, Lex Fridman has been a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 2015.
His podcasts cover several themes, such as artificial intelligence, global politics, cryptocurrency, productivity, global geopolitics, and technology. His YouTube page has 4.8 million subscribers with over 82,00,00,000 views.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The NASA and billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX on Friday (local time) launched the Crew-10 mission to bring back stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-10 mission, lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Have a great time in space, y'all!
— NASA (@NASA) March 14, 2025
#Crew10 lifted off from @NASAKennedy at 7:03pm ET (2303 UTC) on Friday, March 14. pic.twitter.com/9Vf7VVeGev
NASA's veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were stuck aboard the ISS in June last year after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were testing on its maiden crewed flight developed propulsion issues and was deemed unfit to fly them back.
According to the NASA, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying four astronauts--- Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
During a Question and Answer session on X, hours before launching its mission, NASA said after Crew10 docks with the station on Saturday, March 15, Crew9's Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore and Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to return to Earth a few days later.
What began as a technical failure has also spiraled into a political flashpoint, as President Donald Trump and his close advisor, Elon Musk -- who leads SpaceX -- have repeatedly suggested that former president Joe Biden "abandoned" the pair intentionally and rejected a plan to bring them back sooner.
That accusation caused uproar in the space community, especially since Musk did not provide any specifics.
The plan for the duo's return has been unchanged ever since they were reassigned to SpaceX's Crew-9, which arrived in September aboard another Dragon carrying only two crew members -- instead of the usual four -- to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
When Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen pointed this out on X, Musk lashed out at him, using a slur for mentally disabled people.
Some retired astronauts rushed to Mogensen's defense -- while Wilmore appeared to back Musk, saying his comments must have been "factual," though he admitted he was not privy to any details.
Trump, meanwhile, has drawn attention for his bizarre remarks about the situation, referring to Williams, a decorated former naval captain, as "the woman with the wild hair" and speculating about the personal dynamic between the two.
(With input AFP)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday alleged that the city MLAs across political parties are "blackmailing" the government over Bengaluru's garbage crisis.
Referring to them as "blackmailers" in the Legislative Council, he claimed that these MLAs are demanding Rs 800 crore in development funds.
He further alleged there is a "big mafia" controlling the city's solid waste management.
The Deputy CM was replying to MLC M Nagaraju's question on the garbage issue in the city.
Nagaraju pointed out that many garbage transporting vehicles are stranded on the roads due to lack of waste disposal facilities. He also expressed concerns about waste not being cleared from the city.
"I have seen reports about the garbage problem in the media. There is a big mafia. The garbage contractors have formed a cartel and quoted prices 85 per cent higher than the standard rates. Now, they have approached the court preventing us from taking action," DK Shivakumar, who is Bengaluru Development Minister, told the Council.
He further claimed that legal hurdles are delaying government efforts to streamline solid waste management.
DK Shivakumar revealed that the government had planned to divide the city's garbage disposal work into four packages and transport waste 50 km away, but the initiative has been stalled.
"Our Bengaluru MLAs are blackmailing us. I don't want to name them. I am telling you the fact. They are from all the parties. They want Rs 800 crore as development funds. I cannot take their names here." He told the Council that for the past three days vehicles were stranded in Mahadevapura in the city.
Noting that he wanted to take the garbage at least 50 km away from the city, the Deputy CM appealed to the MLAs to help the BBMP identify 100 acres land in Kolar, Nelamangala, Kanakapura Road, or next to a forest land.
"I (government) will purchase it (land) and get a permanent solution. I asked the Industries Minister for 100 acres land, to which he wondered whether garbage be dumped inside industries?" DK Shivakumar said.
The Deputy CM said the experiment to generate power has failed.
"I had been to Hyderabad and Chennai. All electric (units) have failed. The only option is gas. There is a chance to generate gas. I had seen it at three to four places," he opined.
Two locations have been identified for waste disposal - one is with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) Road authorities and another one in Doddaballapura.
According to him, technologies exist to manage waste disposal efficiently without causing inconvenience to anyone or contaminating groundwater through leachate.
DK Shivakumar pointed out that all the governments have failed to find a humane solution to the garbage issue.
"What was done in the past was not done from the human perspective. Siddaramaiah and even the BJP had made promises but ultimately we have failed. We have to make a respectful arrangement for garbage disposal," he noted.
He told the House that he would give a detailed reply on the issue on Monday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In an environment where corporal punishment for students in schools is on the decline, the headmaster of a school in Andhra Pradesh has generated shock and awe by subjecting himself to it. Chinta Ramana, Headmaster of a Zilla Parishad High School in Vizianagaram, did a bunch of sit-ups holding his ears in front of his students, questioning his ability to teach them anything.
A 2.3-minute video of the incident is being widely circulated on social media.
In the video, the Headmaster is seen standing on a stage of the school before a large group of students. He has a student next to him and another person who appears to be a teacher.
Then, in a short speech blaming himself, he said he has failed to improve his students' academic abilities and discipline. He also asked parents to partner with teachers to have better outcomes at school.
"We cannot beat you or scold you. We are forced to keep our hands tied. Even though we are teaching, taking so much effort, there is no difference in behaviour, in academics, in writing skill or in reading skill.
"Is the problem with you or with us? If you say it is with us, I will prostrate before you and if you want, I will hold my ears and do sit-ups," he said. Matching action to words, he first prostrated himself, lying full-length on the floor, then started doing sit-ups before his astounded students.
The children initially watched openmouthed, then came the cries of 'Don't Sir, please don't". But Mr Ramana carried on, doing at least 50 sit-ups in one go.
His gesture was applauded by state minister Nara Lokesh, who posted the video on X.
A rough translation of the caption read: A video of Chinta Ramana, Headmaster of Penta ZP High School, Bobbili Mandal, Vijayanagaram District, saying that the educational progress of the children is minimal and that they are not listening to what he says....without punishing the students, but making fun of them came to my attention through social media. Headmaster! If everyone works together and provides encouragement, the children of our government schools will create wonders. Your idea of self-discipline to understand them without punishing them is good, congratulations. Let us all raise the standards of education together. Let us work towards the education, physical and mental development of our children and pave the way for their golden future."
A small city on the Meghalaya-Assam border, nearly 2,000 kilometres away from Delhi, is the most polluted in the world, according to a report published by a global pollution watchdog.
Swiss air technology company IQAir's 2024 World Air Quality Report, which was released earlier this week, has said that residents of Byrnihat in Meghalaya breathe the most toxic air in the world.
A small industrial hub that is home to several factories, including distilleries, iron and steel plants, Byrnihat recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic metre, as against the World Health Organization's (WHO) limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Byrnihat connects Shillong in Meghalaya to Guwahati in Assam.
PM2.5 refers to tiny particulate pollutants smaller than 2.5 microns, which can enter the lungs and bloodstream, leading to breathing problems, heart disease and even cancer. The sources include vehicle exhausts, industrial emissions and the burning of wood or crop waste.
According to the report, Byrnihat is followed by Delhi, Karaganda (Kazakhstan), Lahore (Pakistan) and Faridabad (Haryana, India) as the most polluted cities in the world.
Delhi's air quality has worsened and it remains the most polluted capital city globally, the report showed, with the annual average PM2.5 concentration rising from 102.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 to 108.3 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024.
India ranked as the world's fifth most polluted nation last year, marking an improvement from its third rank in 2023, but 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities were from the country.
Besides Byrnihat, Delhi and Faridabad, Punjab's Mullanpur, Loni, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh and Noida are on the list.
Overall, 35% of the Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 10 times the WHO limit, the report said.
However, India saw a 7% decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023.
'Major Sources Likely On Assam Side'
Taking note of the report, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday told the state assembly that the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has found Byrnihat's air quality to be satisfactory, in comparison to the "poor to very poor" air quality recorded by a monitoring station installed in the Central Academy for State Forest Service, across the border in Assam.
"This indicates that the major sources of air pollution may be attributed to industrial and other activities on the Assam side," Mr Sangma said, pointing out that the areas in Byrnihat close to Assam have 20 "red category" (high pollution potential) industries while the Meghalaya part has five.
Speaking to reporters later in the day, Mr Sangma said he has written to his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on the issue and is awaiting a response.
"I have written a letter to the Assam Chief Minister. I have not received any feedback (yet) but I will speak to him on the phone. It (report) is of great concern to all of us. I am very concerned and I am not very happy. I will definitely take personal interest in this. This is not something that I want our state to be labelled as, especially keeping in mind that tourism is a very important part of our state," he said.
"I have mentioned in the statement that I laid in the House that being a border area, there are impacts from both sides. I am not saying there is more or less from our industries or from Assam industries but the numbers show that the red category and the industries are almost more on the Assam side than the Meghalaya side. But that does not mean that they are doing more or we are doing less," he added.
The Meghalaya Chief Minister said there is a need to work closely with Assam.
"So what's important is that we must come together, we must ensure that we take strict action, a joint program policy to monitor things together and ensure the overall air quality at Byrnihat improves," he said.
On Tuesday, Mr Sangma said polluters were identified in Meghalaya and closure notices were issued in the past one year.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal's "Sheeshmahal" that was one of the key focus areas in last month's Delhi election, has stiff competition from a house built for former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Videos of the sea-facing mansion Visakhapatnam's on Rushikonda hill show opulence that's seldom seen in residences occupied by Chief Ministers.
The sea-facing building, dubbed Andhra's "Sheeshmahal" by critics, comprises four sprawling blocks over a 10-acre area.
The building in Rushikonda, which the ruling Telugu Desam Party of Chandrababu Naidu claims was intended initially to be a camp office for Mr Reddy, today has extravagant interiors with gold embellishments, Italian marble flooring, and plush furnishings, sparkling chandeliers, bathtubs.
Its staggering infrastructure includes paved roads and drainage system, bulk water supply, and a 100 KV power substation.
As in Delhi, the new government in Andhra Pradesh is in a quandary over how the building can be used.
The TDP claims that the project was pitched in various avatars at various stages of its development - a star hotel then a Chief Minister's camp office during and then a tourism project.
While it got the CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone) clearance from the central government in May 2021, there are allegations that half the Rushikonda hill has been demolished for its construction.
Before being pitched as a camp office of the Chief Minister, it was launched as a star hotel with a budget of Rs 91 crore. By its completion, the total cost has exceeded Rs 500 crore, the TDP has claimed.
Chief Minster Naidu has now called for a debate on the use of the building, opening it for public viewing.
"This is a case study on how the former Chief Minister cheated courts, committed environmental violations and misused public money to lead a lavish life. There is a need for wide discussion on the existence of such leaders in politics, and whether we really need them," he has said.
"As of now, I have no idea of how to utilise the buildings and generate revenue to the government from them. The structures are not viable for the tourism department. A decision will be taken soon," Mr Naidu has said.
Arvind Kejriwal's official residence -- Flagstaff Road bungalow in Civil Lines -- which turned into potent ammunition in the hands of the BJP that cost him the election, had cost 33 crore for the renovation, up from an initial estimate of Rs 7.9 crore.
But its furnishings, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, would push up the cost hugely when factored in.
"The real cost runs up to Rs 75-80 crore if the inventory of items in the bungalow is considered," the BJP's Virendra Sachdeva has claimed.
Ahead of the release of his new film "The Diplomat", actor John Abraham on Thursday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed diplomacy, football, the northeast and the upcoming movie.
Directed by Shivam Nair, "The Diplomat" hits the theatres on Friday.
"An interesting conversation with @TheJohnAbraham on his new movie The Diplomat. As also on football, the North East and our respective worlds," S Jaishankar posted on X.
An interesting conversation with @TheJohnAbraham on his new movie The Diplomat. As also on football, the North East and our respective worlds. pic.twitter.com/BGQbzgcmb1
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 13, 2025
The minister also shared a couple of photos of the meeting, in which the two could be holding a jersey bearing the number 9 and the name 'Jaishankar'.
"Was a pleasure and honour to meet a man who I so intently follow. We discussed diplomacy, the North East and football among many other things. Truly an honour Sir! @DrSJaishankar @NEUtdFC #TheDiplomat," Abraham wrote while sharing S Jaishankar's post on X.
Was a pleasure and honour to meet a man who I so intently follow, we discussed diplomacy, the North East and football amongst many other things. Truly an honour Sir! @DrSJaishankar @NEUtdFC #TheDiplomat https://t.co/RJGczbWuFY
— John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) March 13, 2025
According to Shivam Nair, best known for helming projects such as "Naam Shabana" and "Special Ops", "The Diplomat" is a fascinating story in which John Abraham plays an interesting role.
Inspired by real events, the film stars John Abraham as a diplomat, who steps in to rescue an Indian woman named Uzma played by Sadia Khateeb from Pakistan.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday called for permanent noise control measures for loudspeakers mounted at religious places.
While reviewing development projects and law and order at the Circuit House, he also directed officials to strictly prohibit high-volume DJs during Holi celebrations, a statement said.
The CM instructed officials to install CCTV cameras at key locations, such as banks, financial institutions, shops, and commercial establishments.
He ordered a strict monitoring of cattle smuggling, warning of stern action against smugglers, vehicle owners, and any complicit police personnel.
ADG Zone Piyush Mordia was directed to conduct district-wise reviews to ensure effective enforcement of the state's complete ban on cattle smuggling.
"Adityanath also focused on accelerating development projects, warning against delays and directing officials to appoint nodal officers for each under-construction project, conduct weekly inspections, and submit progress reports. Upon observing delays in some projects, he ordered officials to speed up the work while ensuring quality," the statement read.
With summer approaching, he instructed officials to ensure an uninterrupted water supply, it added.
He also proposed beautifying flyover pillars with artistic paintings and high-quality advertisements.
The CM directed officials to create sufficient vending zones in the city for the sake of street hawkers.
CM Adityanath also instructed officials to ensure affordable meals, free drinking water, and proper seating arrangements for farmers at all wheat procurement centres.
The District Magistrate said that wheat procurement at Rs 2,425 per quintal would begin on March 17 across 36 centres in the district, according to the statement.
The CM directed the establishment of hostels and affordable canteens for working women in the district, it stated.
He called for strict vigilance during 'Holika Dahan' and Holi celebrations.
He also ordered officials to identify the top ten criminals from each police station.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
