Sister-In-Law On Talks With Virginia Guiffre Months Before Suicide

Virginia Giuffre, 41, died by suicide on April 24 at her home in Australia.

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Bombs To Starbucks, US Veteran Remembers End Of Vietnam War 50 Years On

The Vietnam War lasted for two decades and killed nearly 60,000 Americans, many of them young soldiers drafted by their government.

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26/11 Mastermind Tahawwur Rana's NIA Custody Extended By 12 Days

A court in Delhi has granted the National Investigation Agency, India's premier anti-terror probe agency, a 12-day extension in the custody of Tahawwur Rana, a mastermind in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

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Opinion: Opinion | Is The Vatican Ready For A Black Pope?

Many Catholics in Africa are asking whether the next Pope will be from their continent. This, increasingly, seems likely. Names like Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana or Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of South Africa have featured in papal speculation for yea

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Australia Election: Trump Turmoil Makes Conservative Vote Risky Bet

In the well-heeled Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi Junction, early voters leaving a pre-poll centre said they had Donald Trump and the global economy on their mind.

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Startups Are Turning These Unconventional Ingredients Into Butter, Oil

The slabs of butter atop sourdough at a recent tasting were smooth, creamy, and greasy, as you'd expect. But at this event in New York, the appetizers' buttery feel came from a potent greenhouse gas, not fat from cow milk.

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High Court Charges AR Rahman, 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' Makers Rs 2 Crore In Copyright Case

The Delhi High Court has directed acclaimed music composer AR Rahman and the makers of the film 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court following a copyright lawsuit over Junior Dagar brothers' classical rendition of 'Shiv Stuti'.

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Biryani-Loving, Witty Ghost 'Haunts' Gurugram Man After He Mocked Tantrik

The man recounted what he described as an ongoing "haunting", not by your typical terrifying spirit but one with a taste for biryani and sarcasm.

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Opinion: Opinion | Pahalgam Attack: There's A 'Vance' Factor In Pakistan's Folly

The US engagement with India is of a different order today, and the inability of the Pakistani military industrial complex to comprehend this shift will force it to keep making the same mistake, again and again.

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Attari Border Post Closed: How Will Trade With Pakistan Be Affected

The Attari Integrated Check Post is strategically positioned as a critical checkpoint for cross-border trade.

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"3,337 People Flown Out Of Srinagar In 6 Hours": Aviation Minister

In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued strict instructions to all airline operators not to hike airfares.

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Vatican Releases Photo Of Pope Francis In Coffin Ahead Of His Funeral

The images were taken in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis's residence at the Vatican where he died.

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Ex-Central Banker Vs Veteran Politician: Who's In The Race To Lead Canada

Whoever heads the next government will be tasked with managing a fractured relationship with Canada's largest trading partner and once closest ally, the United States.

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NASA's Oldest Astronaut Don Pettit Returns To Earth On His 70th Birthday

NASA's oldest serving astronaut Don Pettit became a septuagenarian while hurtling towards the Earth in a spacecraft to wrap up a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

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Who Is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Man Mistakenly Deported To El Salvador

Kilmar Abrego, a resident of Maryland, was deported by US immigration authorities on March 15, 2025, despite being in the country legally.

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US Judge Extends Ban On Elon Musk's DOGE Access To Social Security Data

The case has shed light on the amount of personal information DOGE staffers have been given access to in the SSA's databases, which hold vast amounts of sensitive data on most Americans.

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20-Year-Old Hiring Challenged In High Court Over Name Error

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Kumaon University to place on record documents over an appointment it made two decades ago after a PIL claimed a wrong person was selected instead of the right candidate.

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Can Harvard, Richest US College, Withstand Trump? A Look Into Its Finances

The wealthiest US college has long hoarded cash and built its budget to withstand "shocks" as the Ivy League school put it in its financial statement. It's armed with pristine credit ratings and a $53 billion endowment - the most of any school.

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US-China Trade War Escalates, Beijing Suspends Boeing Jet Deliveries

China has told its airlines to stop taking deliveries of jets from American aviation giant Boeing, a report said Tuesday, as a trade war between Beijing and the United States deepens.

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Class 8 Student Attacks Friend With Sickle After Argument Over Pencil

A class 8 student in Palayamkottai in this district was injured on Monday after his classmate attacked him using a sickle following a tiff over a pencil, police said.

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Video: Teen Refuses To Fall For Fake Trick, Leaves Scammer Speechless

Scammers are constantly coming up with new tactics to deceive people. One scam that's been circulating for months is the "father's friend" scam, where fraudsters pose as a friend or acquaintance of the target's father, often claiming to need financial help or requesting sensitive information. However, recently, a clever young girl turned the tables on a scammer in an impressive way.

In a video shared on X, the girl is seen engaging with the fraudster on the phone, who claimed to be her father's friend. She recognised it as a scam and pretended to cooperate to possibly gather more information or stall the situation. The scammer tried to convince the teen that her father had asked him to transfer money to her UPI account. The fraudster confidently asserted that he would send her Rs 12,000 via Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

He first claimed that he had sent Rs 10,000, and forwarded her a fake SMS on her phone. The girl noticed that the message came from a personal number, not her bank. The man then said he mistakenly sent her Rs 20,000 instead of Rs 2,000, trying to scam her into returning Rs 18,000. The quick-thinking girl edited the fake SMS to show she sent Rs 18,000 back and forwarded it to him. "There, I have also sent you Rs 18,000," she said. 

The scammer was caught off guard, and admitted defeat, saying "Maan gaya main aapko, beta" before hanging up.

Watch the video here:

Kalesh prevented by girl while talking to Scammer pic.twitter.com/d8sNRwjASy

— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) April 13, 2025

The girl's quick thinking and clever response left the scammer speechless and impressed. 

One user wrote, "Very very smart girl with great IQ."

Another commented, "That was great presence of mind."

A third said, "Why people believe in sms, rather than check in the UPI app which isn't a much task."

This incident showcases the importance of awareness and caution when dealing with suspicious calls or messages.

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Pastor John Jebaraj Arrested In Kerala For Sexually Assaulting Minors

A pastor from a church based in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, who is accused of sexually assaulting two minors, has been arrested in Kerala's Munnar. John Jebaraj, a pastor of Kings Generation Church in Coimbatore, was arrested last evening. He was produced in court today and remanded in judicial custody.

Thirty-seven-year-old Jebaraj, who has a large social media following, had been evading arrest for months. The Central All Women Police Station of Coimbatore tracked him down to Munnar and took him into custody. Earlier, the Coimbatore City Police had formed multiple teams to locate him. A lookout notice had also been issued to stop Jebaraj from fleeing the country.

Jebaraj has been charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Sections relating to aggravated sexual assault have been invoked against him, it is learnt.

According to reports, Jebaraj allegedly assaulted the minors during a party at his Coimbatore home in May last year. One of the victims recently confided in a relative about the incident. A complaint was subsequently filed at the Central All Women Police Station.

This comes days after Bajinder Singh, a pastor in Punjab, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The complainant had alleged that Bajinder Singh lured her with a promise to take her abroad and raped her at his Mohali home. She alleged that Singh also shot a video of the act and threatened to post it on social media.

A senior police officer told NDTV, "One minor girl has given a complaint to the child welfare committee about the abuse. We are investigating."

Jebaraj recently moved the Madras High Court for anticipatory bail. Denying the allegations, he claimed his estranged wife is behind these allegations. The couple is in the middle of divorce proceedings.

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Pet Pit Bull Kills 7-Month-Old US Girl, Mother Says "Won't Understand Why"

A seven-month-old girl from Columbus, Ohio, has lost her life following an attack by one of her family's three pet pit bulls. The child's mother, Mackenzie Copley, expressed her grief in a Facebook post, writing, “I will never understand why!!!” She also shared images of her daughter Elizah Turner, peacefully cuddling with the dogs. “I am so lost and broken. This was the same dog who was side by side with my baby every single day,” added the mother, according to a report in The New York Post.

Elizah's father, Kameron Turner, also poured out his sorrow on social media, stating, “Life is so not fair. How can I continue living without her.”

The Franklin County Coroner's Office confirmed the identity of the 7-month-old girl. Columbus Police Sgt. James Fuqua said that Elizah was bitten by a family dog at a home located in the 3700 block of South Champion Avenue, according to a report in WBNS. 

Fuqua described the incident as a heartbreaking and sudden tragedy, noting that the situation escalated very quickly and appeared to be accidental. 

“There are really not a lot of words I can say to convey how I feel and how the officers who arrived. Everyone in this process is literally grieving as if this child belonged to us because most of us are parents and can't imagine just how this scene is,” Fuqua was quoted as saying.

Franklin County Animal Control has taken all three dogs into custody pending further investigation and a decision on their future will be made once inquiries are complete.

Remembering Elizah, her obituary described her as a joyful and vibrant child: “Lizah was spunky, happy… and she was never without a smile. She brought light to everyone's life, healed her family's hearts and gave them all purpose. Elizah's face would light up the room and her laugh was contagious.”

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"Tax On Americans": China's Message To US Citizens Amid Trump's Tariff War

Amid the escalating trade war between the United States and China, Beijing seems to have altered its strategy of dealing with Washington by aiming its message directly at the American public instead of the Trump administration. China's latest communication offensive to US citizens challenges the popular narrative among Americans that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump target foreign economies without domestic consequences.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted a video on X featuring a man who is supposed to be a US importer. In the video, the man addresses the American public, especially Trump supporters, warning that ordinary citizens -not foreign countries- will have to bear the cost of Trump's aggressive trade policies, which would hike the prices of imported items and burden consumers.

Foreign countries pay the tariffs? No—US businesses pay, then pass costs to you.

Tariffs don't bring manufacturing back. They're just a tax on Americans. pic.twitter.com/iOw3IrFpiQ

— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) April 12, 2025

"Foreign countries pay the tariffs? No - US businesses pay, then pass costs to you. Tariffs don't bring manufacturing back. They're just a tax on Americans," Mao captioned the post. 

US-China Trade War

The post comes amid escalating economic tension between the world's two largest economies after US President Donald Trump imposed hefty taxes on Chinese goods, calling them "reciprocal tariffs."

Trump on Wednesday increased the stakes in a trade war that threatens to upend global supply chains by raising tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 per cent. In retaliation, Beijing increased its tariffs on US imports to 125 per cent on Friday. 

The tit-for-tat tariff increases by the US and China stand to make goods trade between the world's two largest economies impossible, analysts say. That commerce was worth more than $650 billion in 2024.

"We pretty much can do what we want to do, but we want to be fair. We can set the tariff, and they can choose not to deal with us or they can choose to pay it," Trump said on Air Force One, repeating his contention that US-imposed tariffs are paid by foreign exporters.

How Tariffs Work

Although such levies can inflict pain on the exporter by making its products less competitive, tariffs are paid by the importer, which often passes the additional cost on to the consumer.

Trump Says Negotiations On Table

Trump, who said on Friday he was comfortable with the tariffs on China, has suggested that a deal with Beijing could be in the offing, too, heaping praise on President Xi Jinping despite their differences over trade. But there were no signs that the world's two largest economies were ready to back down.

"The president made it very clear: When the United States is punched, he will punch back harder," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday.

Trump's Exemptions From China Tariffs

The Trump administration granted exclusions from steep reciprocal tariffs to smartphones, computers and some other electronics imported largely from China, providing a big break to tech firms like Apple that rely on imported products.

In a notice to shippers, the US Customs and Border Protection agency published a list of tariff codes excluded from the import taxes, with retroactive effect from 4:01 am (GMT) on April 5. 

It featured 20 product categories, including the broad 8471 code for all computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing. It also included semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays.

The notice gave no explanation for the move, but the late-night exclusion provides welcome relief to major technology firms such as Apple, Dell Technologies and many other importers.

Trump's action also excludes the specified electronics from his 10 per cent "baseline" tariffs on goods from most countries other than China, easing import costs for semiconductors from Taiwan and Apple iPhones produced in India.

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How Insects, Smallest Animals Survive Antarctica

In Antarctica's freezing depths, tiny creatures have mastered survival tactics that could unlock secrets to extreme cold resistance, with implications for science and medicine. Some of the most intense battles against the environment are waged by the smallest of creatures.

When it's cold, we, as warm-blooded (endothermic), animals simply put on a coat. Other endotherms, can be large, fat or furry to insulate their body from the cold.

Generating your own body heat, however, requires a lot of energy. Insects do not do not do this. The heat they need for metabolism and growth comes from the environment. This is partly how they are so abundant around the world. They need less energy to grow compared with warm-blooded animals like mammals and are great at exploiting this advantage.

Not being able to generate your own body heat is a problem for insects in cold places. They are at the mercy of the environmental temperature and can only grow, develop and feed when it is warm enough. Typically this optimum temperature is around 20°C.

Yet some insects survive when temperatures drop below freezing. Generally, when the temperature goes below 0°C this causes damage to animal cells and even death. This cell damage is what causes frostbite.

Many insects use one of two simple strategies. Freeze tolerance or freeze avoidance.

For example, they produce cryoprotectants, such as glycerol, which lower their freezing point. This allows the animal to undergo supercooling without freezing. Some generate antifreeze proteins that stop ice crystals from forming in their tissue.

Mites are common in the Antarctic – there are hundreds of species. Some even live in the nasal cavities of penguins. Penguin noses provide not only a source of food for the mites that feed on the penguins' dead skin cells, but also a warm environment.

However, some Antarctic mites, which don't rely on a host, such as Halozetes belgicae, are freeze-avoiding, using antifreeze compounds to lower the freezing point of their body to well below 0°C.

One of the smallest land animals in Antarctica are the springtails, related to primitive insects but lacking some of the features we see in modern insects. For example, their mouthparts are internal whereas insects have external mouthparts. One springtail, Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni, can reach a temperature of -38°C before it freezes. It is a small species of only 1-2 millimetres in length but important for the Antarctic soil ecosystem, fulfilling an important function as a decomposer of organic matter.

The midge species Belgica Antarctica, however, is the only true insect found in Antarctica. It endures many periods of sub-zero temperatures throughout its life and has some unique strategies to deal with the hostile Antarctic climate. This species takes two years to reach adulthood – which in insect time is quite the long while. Some insects such as aphids have multiple generations in a year.

Belgica Antarctica can tolerate ice crystals forming in its body by minimising the damage they do to tissue. It can also lose water from its body through a semi-permeable outer membrane, removing molecules that could form into ice crystals.

Perhaps among the most dominant animals in the Antarctic, and indeed anywhere on the planet, are the nematodes. This is a small worm-like animal, that lives in and on top of the soil. Some species like Panagrolaimus davidi can tolerate their body cells freezing. They can also undergo a dormant state called diapause by dehydrating themselves (cryptobiosis), which prevents ice crystals forming in their cells.

Another group that uses this method for dealing with the cold Antarctic climate are the tardigrades (also known as water bears). Freezing can extend the life of this animal. In fact, one tardigrade species known as Acutuncus antarcticus was frozen at -20°C and defrosted 30 years later with no ill effects.

Invertebrates, make up an enormous proportion of all life on earth. There are so many species yet to be discovered, which could help us unlock more secrets to survival in the most extreme environments and how this can benefit humans.

Freeze tolerance and avoidance strategies, can enhance our knowledge of cryopreservation for medicine and organ transplants, improve food storage, aid climate adaptation and drive innovation in biotechnology and materials science. Studying how these microscopic life forms endure extreme conditions could reveal secrets about the evolution of life on Earth and even offer insights into the future of cryopreservation.

(Author: Alex Dittrich, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Nottingham Trent University)

(Disclaimer Statement: Alex Dittrich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.)

(This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.)

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

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Trump's Fist-Pump Portrait Replaces Obama's At White House

US President Donald Trump has replaced the official portrait of former President Barack Obama in the White House's grand entrance hallway with a painting of himself surviving an assassination attempt. 

The 78-year-old Republican president relocated Obama's portrait, which was unveiled in 2022 by then-President Joe Biden, to a new spot previously occupied by George W. Bush's portrait. Bush's portrait, in turn, has been moved to the staircase.

The new portrait of Trump depicts him with his fist raised in defiance, immediately after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. This image, along with Trump's rallying cry of "fight, fight, fight," became a defining moment in his presidential campaign. The White House announced the change with a brief video on social media platform X, accompanied by the caption "Some new artwork at the White House."

Some new artwork at the White House 👀 pic.twitter.com/l6u5u7k82T

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 11, 2025

This move highlights the long-standing rivalry between Trump and Obama, which dates back to Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Trump launched his campaign by pushing the false "birther" conspiracy theory about Obama's citizenship, prompting Obama to repeatedly mock him, including at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011.

Presidential portraits are a tradition dating back to George Washington, with the president's official portrait often displayed in the White House or loaned from the National Portrait Gallery. These portraits are typically oil paintings, although photography has become increasingly used. The White House Historical Association has facilitated the acquisition of portraits of presidents and first ladies since 1965.

Trump's decision to replace Obama's portrait with his own is unusual, as most presidents wait until they leave office before their portraits are hung in the White House. However, Trump has never been shy about promoting himself, recently displaying a gold-framed version of his mugshot outside the Oval Office and a bronze sculpture of his reaction to the assassination attempt at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to criticism of the move, telling a critic to "Pipe down, moron." on X. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally, praised the new portrait, reposting a side-by-side comparison and writing "Much better."

Much better. https://t.co/0osFvrbr7h

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 11, 2025

Obama's portrait was not the only one relocated during the recent redecoration. George W. Bush's portrait was moved to the staircase, while Trump's own portrait takes the spot traditionally reserved for the most recent official presidential portrait. Notably, former President Joe Biden does not yet have an official portrait, as the process typically occurs after a president leaves office.

This is not the first time Trump has made headlines for his portrait-related actions. Last month, he demanded the removal of a painting of himself from the Colorado State House, which was subsequently taken down. In January, a portrait of former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley disappeared from a dedicated wall in the Pentagon.

Per tradition, the portraits in the White House's foyer are of the most recent presidents, but this is not a hard and fast rule. The president can direct the curator to rearrange the portraits, as Trump has done. During his first term, Trump moved the portraits of former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Trump's own official portrait from his first term was supposed to be unveiled during his successor's term, but it remains unclear when it will be revealed.
 

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UK Police Force Blocks White Applicants In Favour Of Minorities: Report

West Yorkshire Police (WYP), one of the UK's biggest police forces has temporarily blocked applications from white British candidates as it attempts to boost diversity. Those deemed to be from the "under-represented" groups can lodge their applications for the constable entry programmes early, a report in The Telegraph has claimed.

A whistleblower cited by the publication claimed that Black and Far East Asian candidates were considered "particularly under-represented and given a “gold” ranking, followed by those of south-east Asian origin".

"This feeds into a general theme where the pipeline for anyone white British is strangled, whilst anyone not white British is ushered through onto the next available stage," added the whistleblower who was involved in going through the job applications.

Notably, WYP is the fourth largest force in the UK with a report earlier this year claiming that it spent more money on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) than any other force. On its website, WYP admits that because of the lack of ethnic minority officers, it must accept applications "all year round from these under-represented groups".

"We are currently accepting applications for the two police constable entry programmes (uniform and detective) from people from our under-represented groups. If you are not from one of these groups, please keep checking this page for future recruitment opportunities," the website reads.

"Enabling people from an ethnic minority background to apply early does not give them an advantage in the application process, it simply provides us with more opportunity to attract talent from a pool of applicants who reflect the diverse communities we serve."

Watch: Greenpeace Activists Arrested For Dumping Red Dye Into US Embassy Pond

DEI in Britain

This is not the first instance when UK institutions have come under the scanner for promoting diversity hiring. It was reported last month that the Royal Air Force (RAF) was facing a shortage of pilots owing to the failure of a diversity hiring scheme. Candidates who were previously rejected and older applicants who have experience in "flying-related" roles were being urged to reapply for the various roles, to offset the damage.

It was under Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston's tenure that the Air Force pledged to have 40 per cent women and 20 per cent of personnel from ethnic minorities by 2030. As the diversity hiring policies were pushed, air chiefs were told to stop choosing "useless white male pilots", the leaked emails showed.

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China Refuses To Step Back, Says Trump's 125% Tariffs "Against Whole World"

China is refusing to back down against the United States' aggression even as US President Donald Trump increases levies on Chinese imports to a punishing 125 per cent. Beijing on Thursday warned that American tariffs go "against the whole world" and asked Washington to meet it "halfway" in a mounting trade war between the world's two largest economies.

On Trump's new taxes, Lin Jian, China's foreign ministry spokesman, said US tariffs "seriously damage the rules-based multilateral trading system, and seriously impact the stability of the global economic order."

"This is a blatant act that goes against the will of the world and goes against the whole world," the Ministry added.

Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian, meanwhile, urged the United States to meet it "halfway" to stop the escalating trade war, but he vowed to "fight to the end" if a compromise cannot be reached.

"The door to dialogue is open, but it must be based on mutual respect and conducted in an equal manner," Yongqian said.

Beijing may again respond in kind after slapping 84 per cent tariffs on US imports on Wednesday to match Trump's earlier tariff salvo. It has repeatedly vowed to "fight to the end" in the escalating trade war between the world's top two economies.

Trump Tariffs On China

US President Trump's sudden decision to pause most of the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries brought relief for battered global stock markets on Thursday, even as he ratcheted up a trade war with China, the world's second-largest economy and second biggest provider of US imports.

Trump hiked the tariff on Chinese imports to 125 per cent from the 104 per cent level that kicked in on Wednesday.

However, the US President has said a resolution with China on trade is also possible.

"China wants to make a deal," Trump said. "They just don't know how quite to go about it."

But Trump's officials have said they will prioritize talks with other countries as Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and others line up to try and strike a bargain.

Beijing's Strategy

With the US layering more tariffs on China, Beijing is reaching out to other countries in what appears to be an attempt to form a united front against Washington's threat.

China has held talks with the European Union and Malaysia on strengthening trade in response to the tensions, although Australia said it had rebuffed an offer from Beijing, its top trading partner, to work together to counter the tariffs.

"We are not going to be holding hands with China in respect of any contest that is going on in the world," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Sky News.

Hopes of state support helped prop up Chinese stocks on Thursday, even as its yuan currency fell to its weakest level since the global financial crisis.

Chinese sellers on Amazon are preparing to hike prices for the US or quit that market due to the tariff blow, according to a report by Reuters.

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Who Is Tahawwur Rana, Pak-Origin 26/11 Attacks Accused Extradited To India

Tahawwur Rana, wanted in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is being flown to India. He lost his legal battle against extradition in the US. Rana is expected to be produced before a Delhi court on Thursday.

Rana is accused in a conspiracy case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. He is being brought back on a special flight, which is expected to land this afternoon.

Who is Tahawwur Rana?

Tahawwur Hussain Rana was born on January 12, 1961, in Chichawatni, Punjab, Pakistan. He studied at Cadet College Hasan Abdal, where he became close friends with David Headley, who later became a co-conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana joined the Pakistan Army Medical Corps and served as a captain-general duty practitioner.

In 1997, he left the military and moved to Canada with his wife, who is also a doctor. Both Rana and his wife became naturalised Canadian citizens in 2001.

He then moved to Chicago and started several businesses, including First World Immigration Services, which had offices in Chicago, New York, and Toronto. He also founded a 'Halal slaughterhouse' that processed goats, sheep, and cows according to Islamic laws.

Rana owns a home in Ottawa, Canada, where his father and brother live. His father was a school principal near Lahore, and one of his brothers is a psychiatrist in the Pakistani military, while another is a journalist for a Canadian political paper. 

The 64-year-old was also involved in a terror plot targeting the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten for publishing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in 2005. The plan, codenamed the "Mickey Mouse Project," aimed to behead the newspaper's staff in Copenhagen and throw their heads onto the street. Rana worked on this plot alongside David Headley. The attack couldn't be carried out after Headley was arrested before it could take place.

Rana allegedly helped Headley set up a front office in Mumbai used for planning the 26/11 attacks. According to the NIA chargesheet, Rana provided logistical and financial support for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people. He was arrested in the US in 2009, and after exhausting all legal options against extradition, he is now being brought to India.

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"You Have Grandchildren?": Top Court's Deadline For Packaged Food Labels

The Supreme Court has set a three-month deadline for the Centre to implement food safety norms that make it mandatory to display key information about packaged food items on containers. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, the bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said the Centre must decide amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 within three months.

Hearing the matter, Justice JB Pardiwala said, "You all have grandchildren? Let the order on petition come. You will know what Kurkure and Maggi are and how their wrappers should be. The packets have no information."

During the hearing, the Centre drew the court's attention to the affidavit filed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It said the authorities have received 14,000 comments on the new rules and have decided to amend the regulations. The court disposed of the PIL after setting a three-month deadline for the Centre. The PIL had sought directions to the Centre and states to make the Front of Package Warning Label mandatory.

In June 2024, the FSSAI approved a proposal to display nutritional information, including total sugar, salt and saturated fat in bold letters and prominent font size on labels of packaged food items.

The amendment, a government statement said, is aimed at empowering consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the product they are consuming. Following this, the draft notification was put in the public domain for suggestions and objections.

"The information regarding per serve percentage (%) contribution to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) would be given in bold letters for total sugar, total saturated fat and sodium content. Regulation 2 (v) and 5(3) of FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020 specifies requirements to mention serving size and nutritional information on the food product label, respectively," the government statement said.

"Along with empowering consumers make healthier choices, the amendment would also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and promote public health and well-being. The prioritisation of the development of clear and distinguish labelling requirements would help in the global effort to combat NCDs," it added.

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Hurt Over Rs 2-3 Crore Loss, Mary Kom Leaves Husband Onler: Report

Married since 2005, Indian boxing legend Mary Kom is reportedly going through a tough phase in her personal life. Mary and her husband Karung Onkholer, aka Onler, are said to be on the verge of divorce, having been living apart from each other for a while now. The trouble in the couple's paradise is said to have started after Mary's husband, Onler's defeat in the 2022 Manipur Assembly Elections. The couple had reportedly spent Rs 2-3 crores while campaigning, but the defeat in the elections left the two shattered.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, Mary has since moved to their Faridabad house with all four children. Onler, on the other hand, is in Delhi.

"Mary moved to Faridabad with their (four) children, while Onler has been living in Delhi with some family members," a source close to the couple told the paper. "Their differences escalated after the elections. Mary was reportedly unhappy about the financial losses - around INR 2-3 crores - incurred during the campaign and (the fact) that he lost."

The report also claimed that Onler wasn't keen on entering the political landscape but agreed to contest elections on Mary's insistence.

"It was Mary's idea. He didn't want to contest and had warned her that Manipur's political landscape was volatile at the time," the paper quoted a source as saying. "After the defeat, things worsened. Their usual marital disagreements turned serious, and Mary moved into her Faridabad house with the kids."

No official communication from the couple has yet been made public, but a boxer, on the condition of anonymity, has said that the rumours of Mary and Onler getting a divorce might actually be true. In fact, the boxer even claimed that Mary is also in a relationship with another boxer's husband.

"The separation rumours about Mary Kom and Onler might not be just rumours. No one knows the reason for sure, though. Everyone whispers about Mary ma'am being in a relationship with another boxer's husband. Speculation has been fuelled further by her recent Instagram posts featuring him as her business associate."

Thes report also pointed out the pain Onler has had to go through since Mary moved out.

"He's heartbroken. He has always been a devoted father and gave up his football career to support Mary and raise their kids. Now he's unable to meet them, and it's taken a toll on him emotionally. It is no secret that he put his career on hold so that Mary could build hers," the source said in the report.

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Speeding Mercedes Crashes Into Tree In Noida As Driver Loses Control

A Mercedes car collided into a tree and pole in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, leaving the driver seriously injured.

The incident was reported around 3 am in Sector 29, when the speeding car climbed onto the footpath and hit an electric pole. The impact of the collision was such that a tree broke and fell on the car. Preliminary investigation suggests that the driver lost control of the car

Police rushed to the spot and took the driver to the hospital, where he is undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be critical.

The accident adds to a series of similar crashes involving luxury cars. Last month, a Lamborghini Huracan hit two labourers in Noida while a speeding Porsche Cayenne car allegedly crashed into two scooters in Chandigarh, killing one man and injuring two women.

Around the same time, a 23-year-old law student from Prayagraj, crashed a Volkswagen Virtus sedan he was driving into three vehicles in Gujarat's Vadodara, resulting in the death of one woman.

A video of the accused's disturbing reaction had gone viral in which the accused, dressed in a black T-shirt, repeatedly shouted, "Another round, another round!" and "Om Namah Shivay!" (a religious chant). He was arrested a day later and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

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Couple Flees Sweden Eco-Retreat, Leaves Behind 158 Barrels Of Human Waste

A Danish chef couple, known for their environment-friendly retreat Stedsans, has reportedly fled to Guatemala amid a probe by tax authorities. Flemming Hansen and Mette Helbaek also left 158 barrels of human waste and sewerage now seeping into the nearby forest, The Guardian reported.

Their staff claimed that several animals, including ducks, died as a result of the couple leaving them outside during the night, and that other animals were abandoned after they disappeared.

Hansen and Helbaek claimed to have "felt the call of the wild" when they established their supposedly eco-friendly resort, Stedsans, in Halland, southern Sweden. The couple previously operated a popular rooftop restaurant in Copenhagen.

Reviewers and influencers praised Stedsans, consisting of 16 wooden houses with nature views, calling it "enchanting luxury" and "magical,".

But then, Stedsans was declared bankrupt in March; and the pair allegedly registered as foreign residents prior to Christmas.

The couple is under investigation for leaving a trail of financial and environmental catastrophe after their sudden departure months ago, The Guardian reported, citing Danish media.

After leaving Copenhagen in 2016, where they owed millions of kroner to Danish tax authorities, the pair moved to Sweden and founded Stedsans.

Following the establishment of Stedsans, Hansen and Helbaek began accruing debt to Swedish tax authorities, which reportedly reached 6 million SEK (Euro 470,000).

They have since opened a second hotel in Guatemala.

On their website, the couple said they came very far with Stedsans but also realised that being soul-driven entrepreneurs on a mission in a country with some of the highest in the world and relentless bureaucracy, it was an impossible task.

"When you read this we have probably been declared bankrupt by the Swedish tax authorities. All we ever wanted was to be a part of creating a more beautiful planet," they added.

Authorities are currently looking into the legal and environmental infractions connected to the couple's abrupt disappearance. Officials called the couple's actions "environmental crime," and Daniel Helsing, who leads the county's construction and environment department, expressed shock and said, "Voila. Over 150 barrels of human shit."

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Opinion: India Has A Rare Opportunity In Trump Tariffs

On April 2, US President Donald Trump threw a gauntlet to the world and the post-1945 US-constructed global order with across-the-board and significant country-specific tariffs. The tariff rates were higher than what was anticipated even by Trump's key business supporters in the US. Markets reacted negatively worldwide, falling 10% in America. The US Federal Reserve is now expected to hold back on any interest rate cuts, anticipating an inflationary impact. Analytical comments are comparing the disruption to, potentially, the Great Depression of the 1930s.

While there is global anger and anxiety, most countries have so far refrained from retaliatory action, though they have asserted their right to do so. China, however, is among the few that have already declared matching reciprocal tariffs of 34% on imports from the US. Only, it exports far more than it imports. Beijing's aim is more to impose political pain on Trump by cutting back supplies from his supporters, particularly in the US agriculture belt.

A Divided World

Voices in the European Union are divided, with the European Commission articulating the need for retaliation, though many leading countries, including Germany and France, are currently undergoing their own political instability and transition. They have thus preferred a cautious approach and negotiations to bring down the rates rather than getting into competitive escalation. Canada and Mexico, already targets of specific tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, were spared the April 2 across-the-board 10% tariffs. No doubt, these were on account of enforcement difficulties that would arise given the deep supply chain integration under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) finalised in Trump's first term.

The Prime Minister of Singapore, meanwhile, in an address to his country, declared the current global order dead and warned of the need to prepare for adjustments. He said smaller countries would be left with little bargaining power if, in the next phase, trade agreements are negotiated bilaterally rather than through multilaterally agreed rules and norms.

Growing Republican Control

There are many lessons that other countries will need to draw as the US veers away from globalisation of trade and production, precipitated by imbalances flowing from China's misuse of WTO (World Trade Organization) provisions, which has concentrated as much as 32% of global manufacturing in the country through subsidies and forced technology transfers. We should expect continued policy unpredictability from the US as the impact of its measures is assessed for domestic political and economic gain. There are divisions among parties and businesses about the right approach, and deep polarisation in US society. Already, protests against government policies have begun.

Nonetheless, Trump's core base remains with him, due to which Republicans have not yet come out in any effective or large-scale opposition. Also, with Republicans in control of both houses of the US Congress, the system of checks and balances envisaged in the US Constitution is not entirely in place at present. Courts and their decisions are being politically challenged through non-cooperation or threats of impeachment. Persons with radical right-wing views are seen as having outsized influence on personnel and policy decisions, with one such figure, Laura Loomer, seen as being responsible for the recent firing of several National Security Council officials, as well as of Timothy Hugh, the Director-General of the US National Security Agency.

The February Meeting

India, no doubt, has to weigh its own response carefully. The US is its largest trading partner at $200 billion, with a $45 billion surplus being in India's favor. In the past, several countries, including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and many in Europe, grew due to substantial access to the US market. The same opportunity will not be available for some time now, given the current political climate in the US around trade and distribution of production. It would be important to work out a bilateral, multi-sectoral free trade agreement to get around the new US tariffs and gain market access beyond competitors. The 54% overall tariffs on China and 46% on Vietnam suggest possibilities for competitive advantage, against the 26% tariffs Indian products face. Following the Indian Prime Minister's meeting with Trump in Washington DC on February 13, both countries announced an agreement to work towards a trade agreement and complete its first tranche by the fall of this year. Negotiations have commenced, with a visit of the Indian Commerce Minister to the US, and, subsequently, of an Assistant US Trade Representative to India.

According to reports, following a broad understanding on the approach to be taken, the two sides will now get down to detailed, sector-specific discussions. If a first tranche is indeed successfully concluded, we can expect a Trump visit to India later this year for a Quad Summit. In that case, there will be pressure on both systems to generate more positive opportunities for cooperation.

Room To Wiggle

In January 2023, in the Biden era, the US and India had launched a major new Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), seeking to deepen cooperation in AI, quantum technology, cyberspace, 6G, biotechnology, semiconductors, defence and space. The aim was to work on co-development of technologies, leading to production-sharing and, subsequently, sectoral trading facilitation. The semiconductor space saw some progress with the announcement of new US investments in India, while in defence, things moved forward with the launch of INDUS-X (India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem). In the space sector, a decision was taken, inter alia, to launch a joint mission to the International Space Station. The current Trump administration, while walking away from many Biden-era initiatives, has, notably, kept the essence of iCET, though with a rebranded name: ‘TRUST', which stands for Transforming the Relationship Using Strategic Technologies. This means there is potential for continued deepening of technology partnerships to mutual advantage and creating new opportunities for promoting sector-focused trade.

Despite the tremendous disruption being caused by the latest US tariffs and trade policies, America will want to retain its status as the leading global economic and technology player. While it has taken measures against countries across the board, including its key allies and partners, such as Japan and various European countries, it has identified China as its main economic, technological and military challenge globally, one with the intent and capability to replace the US in the international system. US policymakers and businesses recognise that they need a partnership with India's 1.4 billion people as well as with its tech-human capital to take on the China challenge. Therein will lie the opportunity for India, despite all the uncertainty and upheaval currently.

(The author is a former Indian ambassador to the US, France and Israel)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Stunning Visuals From Anti-Trump Protests, Kamala Harris Backs Movement

United States' former Vice President Kamala Harris has come out in support of the ongoing "Hands Off" demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk. Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential race against the Republican, lauded Americans for standing up against Trump's administration's policies and said their voices would be louder than the 'unelected billionaires.'

"Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration as they implement Project 2025 at full speed," she wrote in a post on X.

"Thank you for using your voices and the power of protest to stand for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; for the Department of Education and programs like Head Start; for clean air and water; for the right to make decisions about your own body without government interference. The voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires," Harris added.

Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration as they implement Project 2025 at full speed.

Thank you for using your voices and the power of protest to stand for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; for the Department of Education…

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 5, 2025

Tens and thousands of Americans, angry about the way President Trump is running the country, marched and rallied in scores of cities across the United States on Saturday in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republicans' first weeks in office.

The so-called "Hands Off" protests were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans and election activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests.

HAPPENING NOW: A sea of protesters gather in Southern California for the “Hands Off!” protests against Elon Musk and Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/hkzzDfWWOL

— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) April 6, 2025

Satellite protests were also organised in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, and American territories like Puerto Rico and American Samoa.

In America, protesters in cities dotting from Midtown Manhattan in New York to Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights.

MASSIVE Anti-Trump uprising in NYC!! #HandsOff pic.twitter.com/Gb91kaPTKr

— Our Revolution (@OurRevolution) April 5, 2025

Musk, a Trump adviser who runs Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in the downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

On the West Coast, in the shadow of Seattle's iconic Space Needle, protesters held signs with slogans like "Fight the oligarchy." 

This is the biggest crowd I've ever seen in Minnesota at today's Hands Off rally pic.twitter.com/R5CfDHVPYY

— Nicole Neri (@nicolehneri) April 5, 2025

Protesters chanted as they took to the streets in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall.

A new video shows just how massive today's protest on Boston Common really is.

Bussed-in activists are demanding an end to deportations and ICE raids as well as cutting federal spending—sending a message to President Trump and Elon Musk.

Watch belowpic.twitter.com/9C1ATR7vfx

— Bostonians Against Mayor Wu (@AntiWuCoalition) April 5, 2025

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that "President Trump's position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats' stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors."

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Kohli Goes Unfiltered On His Relationship With Rohit: "There Was Lot Of..."

The Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians is set to see two of icons of Indian cricket -- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma -- go head to head on Monday. While MI are among the most successful franchises in the league, RCB are still waiting for their maiden title. But, the start to the IPL 2025 season has painted a different story, with the Bengaluru side showing a lot more promise than Hardik Pandya's Mumbai. Ahead of the high-profile clash, Virat opened up on his equation with Rohit, sharing some intricate detials of their relationship over the past 15 years.

"I think it's a very natural thing to take place when you play with someone for so long and you share so much of your insight of the game initially, your learning from each other, you're kind of growing in your careers at probably the same time, and you share all kind of queries and questions," Kohli said in a video posted by RCB.

"So there's a lot of back and forth that happens and also the fact that, you know, we worked very closely in terms of the leadership for the team, so there were always ideas discussed and more or less, we would end up on the same page in terms of the gut feel of that situation - there is a trust factor and do the job for the team," he added.

A lot has been said and written over the equation Virat and Rohit share in the Indian team. There have been rumours of a fallout too while many other dressing room stories have been cooked on social media. But, Kohli said that neither he nor Rohit knew that they would go on to play for the country over a 15-year period.

Now, looking back at the journey, they do have quite a few fond memories of the time they have spent together.

"We have definitely enjoyed our time playing together, so we were able to make out careers long because when we were young, as I said, it was not certain that we would end up playing for 15 years for India. The journey for so long and consistently, very grateful and very happy for all the memories, all the moments that we've shared and continue to do so," he concluded.

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Opinion: 'Curious Cousins': Connecting Cuba And Kerala

Mad about Cuba: A Malayali Revisits the Revolution by Ullekh N. P.; Pages 256; Price Rs 399

Growing up in Kannur in the north of Kerala, Ullekh starts with the story of his Cuba-infused childhood and continues with his trip in 2023 to the island nation, a trip he calls his 'Cuban dream' (p 98). This deep connection between Cuba and Kerala he demonstrates goes beyond translated literature, fruits, foliage, and Communism. This unique book straddles both travelogue and political commentary with disarming ease.

In thirteen chapters, Ullekh reaches for wide-ranging secondary sources from declassified CIA files to books by academics like the Cuban scholar Helen Yaffe to tell the story of Cuba before and after the revolution of 1959. Not to mention his own first-hand observations about the people, places and ideas that have shaped the Cuba of today.

Ullekh's journalistic eyes don't miss much. He nostalgically reminisces about his connection to Fidel Castro through childhood memories and translated books. This is where the Kerala-Cuba connection gains a foothold. Then he explores the role of religion in a (formerly) atheist state of Cuba. Next, he surveys the aspirations of the young Cubans who have a different point of view to their parents who supported the revolution.

No book about Cuba would be complete without addressing the US sanctions on Cuba whose long and chequered history is covered in detail. The impact of these sanctions (the Cubans prefer 'blockade') is visible on the streets of Cuba such as the vintage cars, run-down neighbourhoods, power cuts, and food rations as well as a thriving black market. On the positive side, Ullekh delves into Cuba's advances in biotechnology which have saved countless lives especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Cuban doctors also serve internationally bringing medical care to Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Following this, Ullekh analyses the historical context and consequences of Cuban entrepreneurship after the July 2021 protests. Next, Ullekh returns to his role of the traveller when he tries making the famous Cuban cigar at a UNESCO world heritage site called Vinales Valley under the eagle eyes of a guide.

Revisiting the Cuban revolution means also revisiting the relationship between Che Guevara, the charismatic Argentinian revolutionary, and Cuba. Ullekh tells us that while Che is everywhere on the island, he is not the pop culture icon that the West has made him to be but is seen as a serious leader and a thinker.

Towards the end of the book, the writer describes the troubles of travelling in Cuba as well as from Cuba to Canada via the United States. This is when one realises that the US economic embargo creates a chokehold in insidious ways that affect people not just those who live in the island country but those who want to visit as well. Finally, he wraps up the book by relating the history of resistance in Cuba before and after the revolution.

At every point, the writer compares Cuba and Kerala whether that is literacy rates, readers at cigar/beedi factories, flora, food and beverages, etc., which goes to illustrate how close Cuba is to his heart. It occupies a space right next to his beloved Kerala.

As befitting a traveller to Cuba, Ullekh investigates and deflates popular myths like Ernest Hemingway's favourite drink. In a hilarious turn, Papa Hemingway's - as the Cubans refer to him - favourite food remains a mystery.

Ullekh's conversations with a wide variety of people at the bus station, outside restaurants and bars all reveal the many Cubas that live side by side. Cuba is not a monolith. He also describes the people he meets so vividly that they seem to be characters straight out of a Latin American novel - Ernesto the owner and cabbie of the vintage car; Senora Habana, the clairvoyant; Nelson, the cigar guide and others.

There is one striking feature that stands out: references to film and music in the book. An encounter with a local reminds Ullekh of the Jim Morrison song, 'People Are Strange' by The Doors (p 51). A man wearing an expensive chain around his neck makes the writer think of Al Pacino in Scarface (p 56). At the end of a day that starts with a dream, all he wants to listen to is 'The Lonely Shepherd' by Gheorghe Zamfir (p 183). Reading Mad about Cuba is akin to taking a trip through 21st-century cultural milestones. Both the physical and the cultural trips are rewarding.

(Moushumi Ghosh is an editor and writer based in Chennai)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Trump-Freed Drug Convict Arrested Again For Assaulting 3-Year-Old

A convicted drug trafficker, freed by President Donald Trump during his first term, was arrested again on Friday following a series of crimes, including charges of injuring a three-year-old. Jonathan Braun was arrested by the US Marshals Service at a hotel in Long Island.

Mr Braun, 41, from Nassau County, has been accused of punching a man during a dinner at his home. After arguing with the man, he shoved his three-year-old child to the ground, according to the complaint.

Brooklyn federal prosecutors revealed that the child got hurt and had a red mark on his back. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto detained Mr Braun without bail for violating the terms of his supervised release.

At a hearing in Brooklyn federal court, the judge said, "I am concerned about the nature of the offences. People are getting hurt." She added, "My concern is there are repeated instances of violence and showing lack of stability."

Prosecutors allege that in recent months, Mr Braun also threatened a man during prayers at a synagogue, sexually assaulted his nanny, and attacked a hospital nurse in separate incidents.

The court papers allege that in January, Mr Braun shouted at a congregant who told him to be quiet. He said, "Do you know who I am or what I can do to you?"

Mr Braun is known to have ties with Mr Trump's ally, Charles Kushner. He also has a picture of the 47th President at one of Florida's golf courses in 2022.

Mr Braun was arrested in 2010 for running a huge marijuana business. He served less than three years of a 10-year sentence before Mr Trump let him out of prison on the last day of his first term as president.

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This US Man Reached North Sentinel Island In 2018. He Was Killed By Tribe

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old US YouTuber, was arrested for entering Andaman's North Sentinel Island, home to the world's most isolated tribe. No one visits the island because of the presence of the Sentinelese tribe, known to respond violently and aggressively to outsiders.

Before Mr Polykov, the last person known to have entered the island was an American Christian missionary in 2018. John Allen Chau, 27 at the time, was killed by the tribe. They used bows and arrows to kill Mr Chau after he entered their island.

The Sentinelese tribe is extremely protective of their island and has no contact with the outside world -- they consider any outsider a threat.

Denis Giles, an activist for the rights of tribal groups, said Mr Chau had been planning to reach the North Sentinel Island for a while. He bribed the local fishermen to ferry him to the indigenous island, reported The Guardian.

The fishermen took him near the island in a small boat, a dinghy, and Mr Chau used a kayak to cover the rest of the distance and somehow managed to land on the island.

Mr Giles said that the fishermen who helped Mr Chau get close to the island saw one of the tribe members shoot an arrow at Mr Chau as soon as he came close to them. Later, they said the tribes dragged his body into the forested part of the island and buried it.

Another similar incident took place in 2006, when two Indian fishermen tied their boat near the North Sentinel Island and went to sleep. According to Survival International, their boat's vessel broke and it drifted to the island's shore.

Upon reaching the island, the Sentinelese tribe attacked and killed the fishermen. When a helicopter was sent to recover the bodies, the tribe shot arrows at it as well, reports said.

More recently, after months of planning, Mr Polyakov reached the shore of the island in the hope of spotting the indigenous tribe. He tried various ways to gain their attention, including blowing a whistle, but no one appeared.

After waiting for an hour, he kept the Diet Coke can and coconut on the beach, recorded a video, and left the place.

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Bengaluru Man Dies By Suicide, Blames Congress For Death In Suicide Note

A 35-year-old man was found dead by suicide in his office in Bengaluru's Nagawara area on Friday. In a letter, he alleged that a politically motivated FIR, orchestrated by a local Congress leader, forced him to die by suicide. The man, identified as BJP functionary Vinay Somaiah, accused Congress functionary Tenneera Maheena, MLA AS Ponnanna, and others of harassment and false implication in a case.

Vinay, a native of Somwarpet in Karnataka's Kodagu district, was an administrator of the WhatsApp group "Kodagina Samasyegalu," where a controversial post against Congress MLA and legal advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AS Ponnanna, had been shared. The post contained an edited image of Mr Ponnanna in traditional Kodava attire alongside a toilet, accompanied by derogatory text.

Following this, an FIR was registered against the person who posted the image and the admins of the group, including Vinay, who was named Accused No. 3. He was arrested and later released on bail. Despite securing a court stay on the case, Vinay alleged continued harassment from the police and political figures.

"For the past two months, I have not been in control of my mind. One person posted a WhatsApp message in the 'Kodagu Problems and Suggestions' WhatsApp group. I, who was made an admin just five days before, was held responsible for it. A politically motivated FIR was filed against me, and I was labeled a miscreant in society. Tenneera Maheena, who played with my life out of political hatred, is directly responsible for my death," Vinay wrote in his suicide letter. 

Vinay feared that authorities intended to label him a "rowdy-sheeter" and called on BJP leaders to support his family financially. He urged authorities to stop politically motivated FIRs, stating that his death should serve as a lesson.

"Tenneera Maheena is the root cause of all this. Politically motivated individuals are sharing his article on social media and defaming us, even after the High Court granted bail and a stay on the FIR. How fair is it to keep calling us criminals even after that? I've heard from some sources that there's even a plan to open a rowdy sheet on me," his letter read.

The letter ended with Vinay asking for forgiveness and urged the Karnataka BJP unit to help his mother, wife and daughter "socially and financially". 

"Some might wonder why this is happening after so many days since the incident. I was waiting to go home and see everyone one last time. I am bidding farewell with the sweet memories I have with my family," he wrote in the letter. 

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has promised a DCP-level probe into the matter. Further investigations into the case are underway. 

Helplines
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(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

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Opinion: Trump & The Ayatollah: It's a Pity Both Can't Lose

Whoever said history repeats itself was not talking about Trump 2.0 and Iran. In 2018, during his previous term, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meant to restrain Iran from developing atomic weapons, calling it “the worst possible deal”. He further imposed a “maximum pressure” policy that led to an 81% contraction in Iran's crude oil exports, its economic lifeline. He authorised the assassination of an Iranian general in Baghdad in early 2020. Last year, during Trump's re-election campaign, an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him was uncovered. On February 5, soon after re-entering the White House, Trump restored the “maximum pressure” policy against Iran. Subsequently, the US intensified consultations with Israeli leadership to prevent Iran's nuclearisation. Why, then, exactly a month later on March 5, President Trump wrote to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proclaiming that he did not want to hurt Iran and its great people and suggested bilateral dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue?

'Deception Of Public Opinion'

Iran's reaction to this Trump initiative was equally fork-tongued. Even before he had read Trump's letter, the Iranian Supreme Leader publicly spurned the offer, calling it a “deception of public opinion”. He pointedly added, "When we know they won't honour it, what's the point of negotiating?” Three weeks of Iranian fire-eating rhetoric against the United States and Israel followed. But then, on March 27, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader said that Tehran “has not closed all doors to resolve its disputes with the United States and is ready for indirect negotiations with Washington.” Iranian Foreign Minister amplified, “Our policy is still to not engage in direct negotiations while under ‘maximum pressure' and military threats, however, as it was the case in the past, indirect negotiations can continue." Adding another twist to the tail, while President Trump's letter was delivered by a UAE official, an Iranian response was conveyed via Oman, which hosted such indirect US-Iran talks during Biden's presidency.

What exactly is going on amidst this shadowboxing, and what is the likely endgame?

A Little History

While Iran was never colonised by the West, it was often subject to political coercion aimed at economic exploitation, particularly by the Anglo-Persian oil company founded in 1908. In 1951, Iran's populist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and the Iranian parliament nationalised the company, prompting the UK and the US to covertly arrange a successful coup against the elected government. They strengthened the Shah, a megalomaniac autocrat, who acted largely as a Western vassal and the US-appointed “Policeman of the Persian Gulf”. However, in early 1979, a protracted popular uprising deposed him and brought in Ayatollah Khomeini, a Shia clergyman and fierce critic of Shah and his Western backers. The fledgling Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), a theocratic democracy, was born and tapped into Iranians' adherence to Shia Islam and anti-Western sentiments to gain strength. The IRI survived a bloody eight-year-long war with Iraq that began in 1980, various internal dissensions and insurgencies, serious geo-political turbulences in the neighbourhood, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as unmitigated Western eco-political sanctions and attempts to isolate the country and demonise its policies.

The Choking Of The JCPOA

For the past two decades, Tehran's nuclear technology programme has been a recurring and growing source of tensions with the West and the regional powers. They believe that Iran, blessed with huge deposits of hydrocarbons, does not need an extensive and expensive nuclear programme. It is widely suspected to be a Trojan Horse to acquire nuclear weapon capability. Although Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has always denied such ambitions, it has also asserted its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. After extensive negotiations, seven global powers, including the United States, and Iran agreed in 2015 on a JCPOA that put in place strict restrictions, including an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection regime on the Iranian nuclear programme, in general, and the uranium enrichment cycle in particular. In return, many of the Western economic sanctions on Iran were lifted. However, Trump 1.0's withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 upended the arrangement and provided Iran with the justification to enrich uranium beyond the stipulated 20% limit.

Separately, the Iranian acquisition of substantive missile and drone capabilities has also raised eyebrows. Its robust support to some regional regimes and non-state actors, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis—collectively dubbed as the “Axis of Resistance”—has inflamed tensions with Israel and the US, which last month jointly reiterated their determination to disallow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon capability. Israel, widely believed to have nuclear weapons, calls the Iranian nuclear programme “an existential threat”. Indeed, the antagonism between Jewish and Persian civilisations dates back at least to 587 BCE, when the first Jewish temple was destroyed by the Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar II.

Suspicion Above All

This short but extensive background puts in broad relief the long mutual suspicion arrayed against any successful resolution of Iran-US-Israel hostility. However, the issue is as broad as it is long. Iran is already a formidably potent foe that has both battle-hardened, technologically competent and ideologically motivated military capability and a siege economy. If it further acquires deliverable nuclear weapons, it would become virtually invincible. In such an eventuality, Tehran would upend the longstanding Pax Americana in the Gulf and could configure the regional geostrategic stability that currently favours US-Israeli preponderance. Consequently, both Trump and Netanyahu are determined to prevent such a scenario from coming to pass.

At the same time, any objective SWOT analysis would show that Iranian nuclear assets are geographically diversified and well-defended—often physically located deep underground. Tehran has openly warned that any attack on its nuclear facilities would attract a swift and disproportionate response against the US-Israeli interests in the region. Further, such an act is likely to unsettle the crucial global oil and gas market. While the Muslim Ummah is not quite fond of Iran and its aggressive policies, no Muslim country would publicly approve of Iran being attacked in this manner. The country's regional neighbours, many with pro-Iran Shia minorities, would be particularly wary of the resultant instability. Although the clergy-led government is brittle and unpopular, a foreign invasion is likely to provide a much-needed rallying cry for its support base. Israel's right-wing government has its reasons for not only supporting any US military action against Iran but also participating in it, but Iranian retaliation could be even bigger and more vicious than seen last year. Moreover, a surgical destruction of nuclear capabilities would not be enough, the invaders may need to ensure that those are not revived. This may necessitate a regime change, and the past US experiences in the neighbourhood, viz. Iraq and Afghanistan, are dissuasive. Hence, a military campaign against Iran's nuclear assets may not be the preferred option. It can, at best, be a Pyrrhic victory without any guarantee of success.

Will Economy Be The Decider?

Iran's Achilles Heel is its economy, long hobbled by Western sanctions and drained by the heavy unproductive outgo on subsidies, defence and nuclear portfolios, and burdened with the need to support the regional proxies and allies. While Iran has a diversified economy, oil and gas exports are still its mainstay. The Western economic sanctions, in general, and the American “maximum pressure” campaign in particular, have seriously dented it. Although the sanctions caused serious socio-economic problems, such as public disaffection due to high inflation (40%; national currency has lost 90% of its value since 2018), youth unemployment (22.7%), etc., the regime stayed on course with its nuclear policy. During the past few months, however, the regime has been shaken as its regional proxies (in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen) suffered serious setbacks. Further, Israeli air attacks and covert operations against Iran have exposed the latter's vulnerabilities. The regime has, nevertheless, sought to exude strength. It remains to be seen if by agreeing to the indirect negotiations with the Trump administration, Iran is indicating a higher degree of flexibility. Tehran's counter-offer may simply be a ploy to buy more time. For Trump, too, the negotiations offer a low-cost option: an agitprop strategy to divide the Iranian leadership. Last month, Russia, too, offered to mediate between the US and Iran; but the recent turbulence in the Kremlin's relations with the White House over the Ukrainian conflict ceasefire might have put that offer in some doubt.

Given the low mutual credibility and long list of grievances, the proposed negotiations have a fairly small chance of success. Similar talks were held in Oman during Biden's presidency, and they failed to resolve the issue. A parallel can be drawn with three well-publicised summits Trump held with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that failed to denuclearise Pyongyang. Further, the motives of the two sides may not coalesce: For Trump, a successful conclusion would, by definition, require a deal tighter and more intrusive than the JCPOA. On the other hand, Iranian leadership would perhaps be happy to buy more time, thwart the threat of an all-out war and negotiate a reduction in the sanctions regime.

No Easy Deal

The negotiations are likely to be protracted and complex. In case a breakthrough nuclear deal is reached, the possibility of more ambitious workover straddling various geopolitical and economic issues in suspended animation for nearly five decades, such as softening of Iranian anti-US and anti-Israel profile, faster removal of sanctions, return of frozen Iranian assets as well as leveraging Iran's economic opportunities for hydrocarbons and infrastructure, etc., cannot be ruled out. Such a comprehensive US-Iran makeover would have profound implications for the region as well as the global oil and gas ecosystem. Some details are likely to emerge by the time Trump pays his first foreign visit in his second term next month to three Gulf countries, viz. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. The timeline for proposed indirect negotiations would have to keep in mind the lapse of the JCPOA architecture in October 2025, after which the “Snapback” of some other sanctions on Iran may be invoked.

At a different level, it would be fascinating to watch the forthcoming indirect and secret US-Iranian negotiations. After all, who can predict the outcome of a tryst between a self-styled “transactional” deal-maker and those who coined the word “Bazaar” and raised negotiations to the art of Mutazayedat, or overbidding. As Henry Kissinger put it pithily, albeit in a different context, “it's a pity both sides can't lose".

(The author is a former Indian Ambassador and a specialist on the Middle East. He currently heads Eco-Diplomacy and Strategies, a Delhi-based consultancy.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Forbes 2025: How Donald Trump Doubled His Net Worth In A Year

US President Donald Trump has secured the 700th spot on the 2025 Forbes Billionaires List. Once facing a precarious future with mounting legal troubles and financial setbacks, Trump has more than doubled his net worth in just a year, surging from $2.3 billion to $5.1 billion.

The 78-year-old first appeared on the inaugural Forbes 400 list in 1982 alongside his father, Fred Trump, with a combined estimated fortune of $200 million. His wealth has always been rooted in real estate, but recent years saw challenges in the sector due to rising interest rates, a shift to online shopping, and the decline of office spaces. 

Despite owning golf courses, luxury properties, a winery, and a Boeing 757 nicknamed 'Trump Force One', Trump faced serious financial pressure.

Adding to that, a New York court ordered Trump to pay $454 million in penalties after he was found guilty of inflating his net worth to secure better credit terms. At one point, New York Attorney General Letitia James even hinted at seizing Trump's assets, including the 40 Wall Street building. 

Trump managed to delay enforcement, successfully arguing for a reduced bond of $175 million.

The billionaire managed to boost his finances when he decided to take Truth Social's parent company public. Despite the platform's modest revenue and significant losses, investors - many of them Trump loyalists - drove its stock to astronomical levels. Though shares later fell by 72 per cent, Trump still held a $2.6 billion stake as of March.

Beyond social media, Trump capitalised on his influence by selling everything from NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and coffee-table books to sneakers and Bibles.

But Trump's most unexpected windfall came from the cryptocurrency world. Late last year, he launched World Liberty Financial, a crypto project targeting novice investors. Initially overlooked, the venture exploded after Trump won the presidential election, with hype from crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun generating an estimated $245 million after taxes for Trump.

Not stopping there, the billionaire introduced $TRUMP, a digital token that openly embraced speculative trading. The move generated roughly $350 million in fees, with Trump's estimated share reaching at least $110 million after tax.

Despite still owing around $500 million in legal penalties, Trump now has an estimated $800 million in liquid assets.

The Forbes 2025 Billionaires List has a record-breaking 3,028 billionaires with a collective net worth of $16.1 trillion. At the top of the list is Donald Trump's close advisor Elon Musk, with an estimated fortune of $342 billion. Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX, retains his position as the world's richest person.

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Who Is Alice Walton, World's Richest Woman With $102 Billion Fortune

With a $102 billion fortune, Walmart heir Alice Walton is the richest woman on the Forbes Billionaire List 2025. Ms Walton, 75, overtook French L'Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who held the title last year. Ms Walton topped the list of 406 women among the World's Billionaires, according to Forbes. About three-quarters of these women inherited their fortunes, the business magazine reported.

Who is Alice Walton?

Alice Walton was born to Walmart founder Sam Walton and Helen Walton on October 7, 1949, in Newport, Arkansas, in the USA. She completed her schooling at Bentonville High School in 1966 and graduated with a BA in economics from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1974, she married a renowned Louisiana investment banker at the age of 24 but got divorced after two-and-a-half years. She then married a contractor but they, too, parted ways soon.

Before becoming the head of investment operations at Arvest Bank Group, Ms Walton worked as an equity analyst and money manager for First Commerce Corporation. She worked as a broker for EF Hutton as well. In 1988, Ms Walton established the investment bank Llama Company, where she served as its president, chair, and chief executive officer. It was closed after a decade.

She played a major role in the development of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and was the first person to chair the Northwest Arkansas Council. As the new airport required $109 million, Ms Walton personally gave $15 million, and her company, Llama Company, helped raise $79.5 million through bonds. The main terminal of the airport has been named after her to honour her efforts. It's called the "Alice L. Walton Terminal Building."

She has never actively participated in Walmart's operation, instead preferring to concentrate on her own business endeavours and eventually becoming a patron of art. She spends her wealth on everything from horse breeding to pricey artwork.

When she was 10 years old, Walton paid $2 for her first piece of art. It was a replica of a painting by Picasso. She even established a $50 million museum in 2011 called the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to house her art collection, which is currently valued at over $500 million.

According to a Forbes report, she has also previously contributed to Republican candidates and political action committees. In 2016, though, she gave $353,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising group that supports Clinton and other Democrats.

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Pay More For Road Journeys, Toll Charges At National Highways Hiked

Commuters on national highways and expressways will need to pay more for their road journeys, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased toll charges by an average of 4 to 5 per cent on highway sections across the country.

The revised toll charges for motorists on national highways across the country have come into effect from Tuesday, a senior highways ministry official told PTI.

NHAI notifies toll rate hikes for all the national highways and expressways separately.

According to him, the change in toll fee is part of an annual exercise to revise the rates that are linked to the changes in the wholesale price index-based inflation. Every year, it is implemented from April 1.

There are around 855 user fee plazas on the national highway network on which user fee is levied as per National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. Out of these, around 675 are public-funded fee plazas and 180 are concessionaire-operated toll plazas.

The revised rates will affect the commuters of key routes across the country, including Delhi-Meerut Experssways, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and Delhi-Jaipur Highway, among others.

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

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Dagger To Chicken's Neck? Why Bangladesh Leader's Remarks Enraged India

Bangladesh leader Muhammad Yunus' remarks on the landlocked nature of India's Northeastern states and the sharp response from the region's leaders have again put the vital Chicken's Neck corridor under the spotlight. This narrow strip, which connects the Northeastern states with the rest of the country, assumes great significance amid Delhi's tense ties with Beijing in the aftermath of the Doklam face-off. Frosty relations with Bangladesh after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime added a new dimension to the geopolitics surrounding the Chicken's Neck and India's need to ensure its security.

What Is The Chicken's Neck

The Chicken's Neck, also known as the Siliguri corridor, is a narrow strip of land in West Bengal's Siliguri that connects India's Northeast with the rest of the country. All land transport to the Northeast, whether through road or rail, must pass through this corridor. At its narrowest, the corridor is just about 20 km wide. Called Chicken Neck because of its geographical shape, this strip has Nepal and Bhutan to its north and Bangladesh to its south. Any blockage on this route will effectively cut off the Northeast from the rest of India.

The 1962 War And A Rude Shock

In the 1962 war, China did not directly attack the Chicken's Neck, but the rapid advance of its forces exposed the vulnerability of this key stretch. Defence strategists have since pointed to a scenario in which a Chinese advance could effectively 'choke' the Chicken's Neck and isolate the Northeast from India. This has prompted the Indian government to deploy more forces there, including Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The Doklam Scare

Chicken Neck fears returned to haunt India in 2017 when China started constructing a road at Doklam, which is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China and Bhutan. When China tried to expand the road, India objected because the extension would give Beijing a geographical advantage and make Chicken's Neck vulnerable. India's opposition led to a standoff between Indian and Chinese forces. The road construction was eventually halted during a disengagement exercise.

The Bangladesh Question

The ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh after a nationwide movement last year brought an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to power. India has had a longstanding friendly relationship with Dhaka due to Delhi's role in the Bangladesh Liberation War. But the change of guard in Bangladesh has seen a shift in bilateral ties. India has expressed concerns over reports of attacks on minorities and received stern responses. The new regime has also reached out strongly to China, and India has watched cautiously. The changing dynamics between Delhi and Dhaka could prove critical in India's plans concerning the Chicken's Neck.

What Muhammad Yunus Said

The chief advisor to Bangladesh's interim government, Mr Yunus recently visited China and met Chinese President Xi Jinping. A video of his remarks, apparently made during his China trip, has sparked uproar in India. "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean," he is heard saying. He says Bangladesh is the "guardian of the ocean" for the region. "This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy," he said.

How India Leaders Reacted

The Bangladesh leader's remarks have drawn a sharp backlash. Assam Chief Minister Sarma has said it is now imperative to develop more robust rail and road networks connecting the Northeast to the rest of the country. "This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor."

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said Bangladesh was inviting China for a siege of India. "The Bangladesh government's approach is very dangerous for the safety of our Northeast. Our foreign policy is in such a deplorable state that the country, for whose creation we played a major role, is now busy trying to surround us," he said, targeting the ruling BJP.

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