DESPOT

Several parts of India grappled with unusually high temperatures this week, forcing schools to close and hospitals to create special units to treat heat-related illnesses, while workers on construction sites were given a "paid holiday" in the afternoon. Here is a look at what caused the unprecedented heat in the country. HOW UNUSUAL HAS THE SITUATION BEEN THIS YEAR? While every year temperatures in India tend to peak in the months of May and June, the number of heatwave days recorded over northwestern and eastern parts of the country this season have been more than double the normal, with eastern India also experiencing its hottest April on record. India declares a heatwave day when the maximum temperature in any given region is 4.5 -6.4 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Parts of the country have touched new highs in terms of the maximum temperature, including Delhi, which recorded the country's highest ever temperature at 52.9 C (127.22 degree F) on Wednesday. Wh...

After wrapping up the Indian Premier League last week, Virat Kohli jetted off to New York for the T20 World Cup 2024. His travel partners were the usual suspects - actor-wife Anushka Sharma and their kids Vamika and Akaay. The family of four was spotted at the Mumbai airport. While Anushka didn't pose for the cameras, Virat stopped and posed for the lensmen stationed there. He also asked the shutterbugs not to capture the actress as she was with the kids. The cricketer sported a white T-shirt teamed with a beige shirt and denims. Anushka, on the other hand, was dressed in a black T-shirt and blue denims. In one of the viral pictures, Anushka and Virat are seen posing with the airport staff. Take a look. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ViratGang® Virat Kohli Fan Club (@viratgang) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Virat FP (@ft.viratclips) Two days ago, Virat Koh...

from Times of India https://ift.tt/JrFbE0i

As many as 16 people died due to heat-related causes in just two hours in the district hospital in Bihar's Aurangabad on Thursday. The maximum temperature in the city was 44 degrees Celsius on Thursday and, at 48.2 degrees, it was the hottest place in Bihar on Wednesday, setting a record for the state.  Visuals showed family members of the dead crying at the hospital. A doctor said at least 35 more patients have been admitted because of heat-related causes, but added that all arrangements are in place.  "We have enough doctors, medicines and ice packs, and more coolers have also been arranged," he said.    (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/0qznI25

Former US presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has been photographed writing "Finish Them" on an Israeli shell as she toured sites near the northern border with Lebanon. The photograph was posted on X on Tuesday by Danny Danon, a member of the Israeli parliament and former ambassador to the United Nations, who was accompanying Haley on her visit. "'Finish Them'. This is what my friend the former ambassador Nikki Haley wrote," Danon said in his post that showed a kneeling Haley writing on a shell with a purple marker pen. Haley was a hawkish UN envoy under Donald Trump, and her term overlapped with Danon. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on the latest Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed ...

Tragedy struck the maiden voyage of the world's largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas. A passenger died after jumping overboard on Sunday morning, shortly after the ship departed Florida for its week-long Caribbean adventure. The man's identity remains unknown, the New York Post reported.  "The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard," the Coast Guard said. "He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the US Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident," the agency added. On Icon of the Seas right now. Someone jumped/fell overboard and now a Search & Rescue is taking place. Low chance they'll be found. Hold your loved ones close, guys. pic.twitter.com/xYZbDV5Sza — GenAI Chad (@GenAIChad) May 26, 2024 Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas boasts a length of 1,200 feet and accommodates over 10,000 people. The incident occurred roughly 300 miles out of PortMi...

from Times of India https://ift.tt/NJAmiVo

Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday said that 'he is at peace' after watching the video of his nephew, the prime accused in the sex video scandal, Prajwal Revanna. "After seeing Prajwal in the video I am at peace now. The case is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Let us wait for the inquiry," Mr Kumaraswamy told media persons. He said that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has given his statement about the case. "Deve Gowda warned Prajwal that is why he will come back to India now," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Reacting to the development, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that Prajwal has no option but to come back to the country. Earlier, Prajwal released a video, in which he claimed that there is a political conspiracy against him and also mentioned Rahul Gandhi in his video. He said that he would appear before the SIT for questioning on May 31. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and SIT had w...

Rafael Nadal's record-breaking French Open career came to its likely end on Monday when the 14-time champion slumped to a demoralising first round defeat against Alexander Zverev. Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3, went down 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to world number four Zverev, suffering only his fourth loss in 116 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 title-winning debut. It was the first time he had been defeated in Paris in the opening round and will again lead to questions over his long-term future in the sport. "I don't know if this is the last time I will be here, I am not 100% sure but if it is then I wanted to enjoy it," said Nadal. "The feelings today are difficult to describe in words." Plagued by injuries, which had limited him to just four events since January last year, former world number one Nadal is now 275 in the rankings and was unseeded in Paris. However, he insisted on the eve of the tournament that he was "100% keeping the door open...

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner expressed his affection and gratitude towards the team's mentor, Gautam Gambhir, with a heartfelt kiss after KKR clinched their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title. from Times of India https://ift.tt/BfXhWiP

Expired licence, doctor on duty not qualified to treat newborns, no emergency exits - these are among several lapses that have surfaced after a massive blaze at a children's hospital in the national capital that killed seven newborn babies. The police evacuated twelve infants from the building after receiving a call about the massive fire at Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar at 11.29 pm on Saturday. Of these, five survived the accident and were shifted to another hospital. After the fire - which had quickly spread to two adjacent buildings - was doused, the hospital was thoroughly inspected by police, fire brigade staff and a crime team. The teams found out that after the fire broke out, oxygen cylinders kept in the two-storey building exploded, due to which the adjacent buildings were damaged. What also came to light were several shortcomings on the part of the hospital authorities. No Fire Extinguishers Or Emergency Exit During the inspection of the h...

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan made his first public appearance since suffering a heat stroke as he attended the IPL Final against Sunrisers Hyderabad with wife Gauri Khan on Sunday. SRK was hospitalised in Ahmedabad after he suffered a heat stroke following KKR's Qualifier 1 match against SRH but he was discharged after a couple of days. He was in attendance along with his wife Gauri Khan and children - Suhana Khan and Aryan Khan. SRK was wearing a mask during the match and his entire family was seen celebrating as KKR produced a brilliant bowling display.  Shah probably asking Gauri where their children are. He is such a dotting father even when he isn't keeping well. @iamsrk @gaurikhan pic.twitter.com/JE5h9ZDwqL — Parth (@SRKParth) May 26, 2024 Meanwhile, SRH captain Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat. "We will bat first. Looks like a good wicket, played on a different wicket the other night. There was no dew on the othe...

India's vice-captain Hardik Pandya will be linking up with the Rohit Sharma-led side in New York on Sunday afternoon ahead of the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup. Pandya was a notable omission in visuals of first batch of Indian team players and support staff departing for New York from Mumbai on Saturday night. A report in Cricbuzz on Sunday said, Pandya had been vacationing overseas at an undisclosed location after Mumbai Indians' campaign ended in IPL 2024 with a defeat to Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium, and is now on his way to New York to link up with the Indian team for the showpiece event starting from June 1. KKR vs SRH IPL 2024 Final Live Blog | IPL 2024 Final Live Scorecard Pandya had a torrid time in IPL 2024, where he was constantly under the spotlight for his disappointing all-round performances post an ankle injury layoff and was even booed by the crowd in both home and away games. With the bat, Hardik amassed just 216 runs in 14 matches of IPL ...

Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code, led by former chief secretary Shatrughan Singh, plans online registration for live-ins. Training for govt employees, including sub-registrar office staff, is crucial. from Times of India https://ift.tt/W5Ncw1l

Dance Deewane Season 4 concluded with Gaurav Sharma and Nithin NJ emerging as winners. Judged by Madhuri Dixit Nene and Suniel Shetty, the show featured unique communication challenges overcome through dance. from Times of India https://ift.tt/z68vNMI

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday praised Israel for strongly defending its borders amidst sharp escalation by Hamas and other terror outfits and explained how its harnessing of technology thwarted the evil designs of a 'gang of rivals'. Addressing the 21st BSF Investiture Ceremony, NSA Ajit Doval said: "Some days ago, there were a series of missile attacks on Israel from Iran. Out of 1500 missiles, 99 per cent of missiles were stopped while only two to three could hit its territory. This is the strength of technology." Further explaining the importance of intelligence gathering, he said that given the size of the country and its vast population, India was 'better placed' in mounting defence of its borders. He said that the lack of 'tactical intelligence' proved to be the major reason for the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in hundreds of Hamas infiltrators breaching its territory and massacring its citizens. "We ...

The government urges Tower Semiconductor to enhance its chip fabrication proposal in India by partnering with companies offering advanced nodes like 28 nm, 40 nm, 55 nm, and 65 nm to align with the India Semiconductor Mission. from Times of India https://ift.tt/YTjyAM5

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recalled how his "love story" was cut short by rampant casteism in society. He was speaking at an event in Mysuru last night. During an event on inter-caste marriage on the occasion of "Buddha Poornima", the full moon night when Gautam Buddha was born, the Chief Minister reminisced about his college days. “I wanted to have an inter-caste marriage but it did not happen. The girl did not accept it,” he said. “When I was studying, I fell in love with a girl. Don't mistake me, I was intent on marrying her but her family and she did not agree. Hence, the marriage did not happen. “A situation emerged where I had to marry a girl from my caste. My marriage happened within my community,” the Chief Minister said. The audience appreciated his candid admission with claps, laughter, and cheers. Extending his full support and cooperation to inter-caste marriages, Siddaramaiah promised his government will offer all assistance for such...

Seasoned actor Aasif Sheikh from "Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai" spoke exclusively to ETimes TV, revealing that Firoz was dealing with family issues. Aasif also mentioned that Firoz had called him three days ago, but he missed the call. He now feels disappointed in himself for not calling Firoz back. from Times of India https://ift.tt/EQ6zPYH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted had he been in power in 1971, he would have taken Kartapur Sahib from Pakistan before freeing their troops. Addressing a rally in Punjab's Patiala - his first in the state - for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls on June 1, PM Modi said Punjab and the Sikh community have always been at the forefront of national-building efforts. He lambasted the current AAP government over issues of corruption and drug trade. He called Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann only a ' kagazi Chief Minister' - a Chief Minister on paper. PM Modi brought up the emotive issue of the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last years of his life and a place sacred to Sikhs, and blamed the Congress for the country's Partition, saying they did it for the sake of power. The Partition left Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab, just a few kilometres away from the border with India. "For 70 years, we could have a ' darshan ' of the...

With the Lok Sabha elections winding down to a close, NDTV's Battleground saw a trio of heavyweights speaking on a range of issues, including predictions for the next government, employment and India's rising stature on the world stage.  Foreign policy was a big part of the discussion because one of the three panellists in the show, hosted by NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, was External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The BJP and the opposition's prospects in the election were addressed by both Mr Jaishankar and economist, author and former member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, Surjit Bhalla. The third member of the panel, Manish Sabharwal - vice-chairman of TeamLease Services, one of India's biggest employers - helped dissect the economy and bust unemployment myths. Another important talking point through the hour-long show was Lutyens' Delhi - a reference to the traditional elite - and its dwindling importance in the India of t...

England will be squaring off against Pakistan in the first T20I of the four-match series in Leeds on Wednesday. Pakistan will be coming to this clash after winning the three-match T20I series against Ireland 2-1. Many English players have returned from India after participating in the ongoing IPL. England will be led by Jos Buttler . Two of England's 15-man squad are unavailable for the opening fixture in Leeds, with Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood both working through knee problems. Pacer Jofra Archer will make his first England appearance for 14 months.  When will the England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match be played? The England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match will be played on Wednesday, May 22. Where will the England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match be played? The England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match will be played at the Headingley, Leeds. What time will the England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match start? The England vs Pakistan 1st T20I match wil...

from Times of India https://ift.tt/kC419qy

There were at least three Indian nationals among the 229 people aboard the Singapore Airlines flight that encountered a "sudden extreme turbulence" over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet, the flag carrier of Singapore said on Tuesday. The traumatic incident in which the aircraft descended 6,000 feet in about three minutes, left a 73-year-old British man dead and more than two dozen other passengers injured. The British man, who was not yet identified, "likely" died from a heart attack, the General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport Kittipong Kittikachorn said. Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on May 20 encountered "sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure," the carrier said. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the aircraft to Bangkok, and landed on May 21. "We can confirm that there were multiple injuries and one fatality on bo...

Mitchell Starc stuck thrice in the powerplay as Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad to 159 in Qualifier 1 of the IPL here on Tuesday. Rahul Tripathi top-scored for SRH with 55 off 35 balls while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 32 off 21 balls. The 62-run stand between Tripathi and Klaasen was the lone positive in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort. Tripathi was run out after a superb effort by Andre Russell . HIs reaction after getting out has gone viral. Well Played Champ Rahul Tripathi. Not only survived the fiery spell of Starc but also took us back into the game from nowhere. pic.twitter.com/VDzdEBvTVv — Rampy (@RiserTweex) May 21, 2024 MOST HEARTBREAKING PICTURE OF THE DAY. - Rahul Tripathi sitting in tears on the stairs. He's absolutely devastated. You gave your best, Tripathi! pic.twitter.com/bV1nhkzcjs — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 21, 2024 Rahul Tripathi in tears after getting out...!!! pic.twitter.com/WrUbDpQCZe — Johns. (@CricC...

A decades-long UK scandal in which thousands of people died after being treated with infected blood was covered up and largely could have been avoided, according to a bombshell report published Monday. More than 30,000 people were infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis after being given contaminated blood in Britain between the 1970s and early 1990s, the Infected Blood Inquiry concluded. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said he was "truly sorry" for the decades-long institutional cover-up that saw thousands of people receive infected blood products. "I want to make a wholehearted and unequivocal apology for this terrible injustice," he told MPs, promising to pay "whatever it costs" to compensate those affected and the families of victims who died. Victims included those needing blood transfusions for accidents and in surgery, and those suffering from blood disorders such as haemophilia who were treated with donated blood plasma products....

Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin resumed its space flight today, after a two-year hiatus. A group of six adventurers completed an 11-minute journey to space after liftoff from Texas. Mission NS-25 is the seventh crewed mission for Blue Origin, the space company founded and owned by Jeff Bezos. 30-year-old Gopi Thotakura, a pilot from Andhra Pradesh, was also part of the six-man crew. Preserve Life Corp, a medical institution close to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that focuses mostly on holistic health methods, was co-founded by Gopi Thotakura. He has become the first Indian to travel into space as a tourist on Blue Origin's return flight. "It was amazing... you have to see it with your eyes", said Gopi Thotakura after his space trip. "I can't describe how it is to look into space... everybody should go to the space. It was good to see Earth from the other side," he added. "Gopi Thotakura is a lifelong pilot and aviator who learned ...

Kiara Advani made a stunning debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The actress attended the Red Sea Film Foundation's Women in Cinema Gala dinner on Saturday. A day after attending the dinner in an off-shoulder gown from the shelves of Prabal Gurung, Kiara's picture with Richard Gere went crazy viral. At the Gala dinner, Kiara posed with Runaway Bride actor Richard Gere. In the picture, Richard Gere and Kiara can be seen smiling for the cameras. Richard Gere can be seen wearing a suit while Kiara chose pretty pink for the night. The picture was shared on X and it's crazy viral. Take a look here: Actress #KiaraAdvani with #RichardGere at #Cannes . pic.twitter.com/VN6GeAlBvQ — vidhya sagar (@visamovies) May 19, 2024 Kiara has been actively sharing pictures from her Cannes diaries on Instagram. For the event, Kiara Advani was seen wearing a pink and black corset gown featuring an oversized bow at the back from the shelves of Prabal Gurung. In the pictures shared, t...