Indian American Arrested In New Jersey In $13 Million Tech Fraud

An Indian American has been arrested in New Jersey on charge of being part of a technical support scam that targeted more than 7,000 victims defrauding them of more than USD 13 million, a US Attorney announced Thursday.

Charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Manoj Yadav appeared before US Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court.

"The defendant and his conspirators are alleged to have misled their numerous victims into thinking that they were a legitimate technology support company affiliated with a major software company," US Attorney Philip R Sellinger said.

After claiming to provide technical support for issues involving the software company's popular accounting software, they allegedly charged the victims exorbitant fees for purported support services that were not authorized by the software company, he alleged.

"We allege Yadav lied to software users and forced them to pay for services that would usually come free with their initial purchase," FBI Special Agent in Charge James E Dennehy said.

The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of USD 2,50,000 or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest.

"The amount he's accused of stealing from his victims and the number of victims seem shocking; however, we are seeing an incredible increase in all types of tech support scams. The fraudsters are pretty savvy in how they con money out of people, even those of us who think we're smart enough to not fall for it. If you think you're a victim, please reach out to the FBI,” Dennehy said.

According to federal prosecutors, from 2017 through 2023, Yadav and his conspirators, many of whom were in India, fraudulently held themselves out as a technology support company affiliated with a major US business and accounting software company that developed and sold a widely used accounting software product.

They operated under multiple fraudulent business names, including “Phebs Software Services, LLC,” “Phebs Software Services,” “PN Bookkeeping Services,” “Phebbs Consulting,” “Quickbooks Tech Assist,” “Quickbook US,” “Quickbooks Accounting,” and “Quickbooks Support Team.” According to court documents, the conspirators would contact victims under the guise of fixing technical issues they faced with the accounting software. After receiving tech support from the conspirators under these fraudulent pretenses, the victims would either be charged exorbitant fees or additional subscription fees.

These “services” were all fraudulent: They would not cost any additional money for customers who contacted the actual software company, and the software company never authorized Yadav or his conspirators to act on its behalf or charge any fees.

Yadav personally participated in the scheme by charging the victims for the fraudulent technology support services and funnelling millions of dollars from these victims to his conspirators, it alleged, adding that he fraudulently obtained these funds through the Phebs Software Services, LLC, which he himself formed.

That entity did business as both “Phebs Software Services” and “Quickbooks Accounting.” Yadav also used these entity names to falsely hold himself out to banks and victim customers as an accounting company legitimately affiliated with the software company. He did this to prevent charge backs, Better Business Bureau complaints, and the closure of bank accounts. Yadav sent his conspirators over USD 13 million in funds obtained from victims and would routinely keep approximately 17 per cent when he wired funds to the conspirators, it said. 

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

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8 Terrorists Arrested In J&K, One Among Them Has A Government Job: Police

Eight terrorists who evaded the law for three decades have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday. One among them had even landed a government job.

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made the arrests in Doda district. Evading action, they were enjoying a normal life, police said.

"Some of the terrorist absconders had managed to get government jobs and contracts. Others were found engaged in private businesses and even working in the court," said a spokesperson.

They were facing charges of terrorism and disruptive activities, police said.

The eight terrorists were identified as Adil Farooq Faridi, Mohd Iqbal alias Javed, Mujahid Hussain alias Nisar Ahmed, Tariq Hussain, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ajaz Ahmed, Jameel Ahmed and Ishfaq Ahmed.

While Faridi was working with the state education board in Jammu, Ishfaq was a writer in the Doda court complex. They will be produced before the anti-terrorism court in Jammu, police said.

In a statement, the police said the arrests aimed at achieving its larger objective of zero terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

"SIA has initiated a special drive to trace and produce before the concerned Hon'ble Court all absconders of terrorism related cases for facing the trial under law," the spokesperson said.

He said the SIA has identified 369 out of 734 missing criminals named in 327 terrorism cases.

"Out of the 369 verified absconders, 127 remained untraced, 80 have died and 45 are residing in Pakistan/PoK and other countries abroad and 4 are lodged in jail," he added.

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Elon Musk's 'X' Sued By Thousands Of Employees Over Severance Pay: Report

Billionaire Elon Musk's X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, is facing 2,200 arbitration claims from ex-employees since Mr. Musk took over the company and fired most of its workforce. The filing fees alone for that volume of cases could amount to $3.5 million.

The lawsuit was filed in a Delaware district court, according to CNBC. The case is Chris Woodfield v. Twitter, X Corp. and Elon Musk (No. 1:23-cv-780-CFC).

A former employee, Woodfield, a former senior staff network engineer who had worked at Twitter's Seattle office in his suit said that Twitter had promised then failed to pay his severance, and later delayed alternative dispute resolution by failing to pay the necessary fees required for him to move ahead in the JAMS arbitration system, CNBC reported.

According to the website for JAMS, "For two-party matters, the Filing Fee is $2,000," and "For matters based on a clause or agreement that is required as a condition of employment, the employee is only required to pay $400."

Since JAMS decided that this basic fee applies across the board to X's 2,200 arbitration cases, that would amount to around $3.5 million, with other fees possibly to follow.

However, the company's lawyers have argued that it did not mandate its employees to resolve any issues in arbitration, so it should not be on the hook for the larger portion of the filing fees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Woodfield and others in a similar situation are trying to get out of arbitration and move their cases to trial.

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Watch: England's Bizarre Review Against NZ Leaves Social Media In Splits

England defeated New Zealand comfortably in the first T20I match of their four-match series but a bizarre review by skipper Jos Buttler became a major source of discussion between fans on social media. Glenn Phillips played a forward defence off the bowling of Liam Livingstone and both the bowler and wicket-keeper Buttler went up in appeal. While the umpire was not convinced at all, Buttler decided to take a review and the replays showed that the ball hit the middle of the bat.

Debutant Brydon Carse took three wickets to set up a seven-wicket win over New Zealand.

The 28-year-old South Africa-born paceman, in for the injured John Turner, returned fine figures of 3-23 from his maximum four overs as New Zealand were held to a modest 139-9.

Left-arm quick Luke Wood also took three wickets, following an expensive first over of the match that saw him hit for three sixes, on his way to 3-37.

What are your thoughts on this review? 🫣#SonySportsNetwork #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/Wt1ZWU8oQt

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 31, 2023

Carse, playing at his home Durham ground, told Sky Sports: "It was obviously a great start to my T20 career. It was awesome to play in front of a home crowd at Durham and put in a good performance for the team. 

Jos Buttler is closest to the batter and still he went for the review

— Saurabh (@that_cric8guy) August 31, 2023

"I tried to stick to my strengths, hitting the top of the stumps."

I think they only did it for a laugh!

— Elliott Taylforth (@elliottrib) August 30, 2023

Twenty20 world champions England made light of the chase, finishing on 143-3 with six overs to spare, as they went 1-0 up in a four-match series.

(With AFP inputs)

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Diamond League Live: Neeraj In 5th Position, Sreeshankar Going Strong

Neeraj Chopra and Murali Sreeshankar, Zurich Diamond League Live: Neeraj Chopra began with 80.79m throw in his first attempt followed by two foul throws. Boosted by the historic gold medal win at the World Athletics Championships, India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will be aiming to continue his purple patch when he takes the field at the Diamond League meet in Zurich. Neeraj clinched the World championship gold with a throw of 88.17m. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar is going strong as he is third in his event.

Here are the Live Updates of Diamond League meet in Zurich:

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Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines Join India In Rejection Of China's "New Map"

Governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan on Thursday joined India in rejecting China's new national map, issuing strongly worded statements accusing Beijing of claiming their territory.

China published a new version of its national map on Monday to correct what Beijing has in the past referred to as "problematic maps" that it claims misrepresent its territorial borders.

India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China over its so-called "standard map" laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.

The External Affairs Ministry also rejected China's claims as having "no basis".

"Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while reacting to the Chinese move.

The Philippine government on Thursday slammed China's 2023 edition of its so-called "standard map" that still shows swaths of Philippine features in the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources issued on August 28 a controversial map that includes the nine-dash line, now a 10-dash line, that supposedly shows China's boundaries in the South China Sea.

"This latest attempt to legitimise China's purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.

Daza said the 2016 Arbitral Award has already invalidated the nine-dashed line and called on China to abide by its obligations under UNCLOS.

"(The award) categorically stated that 'maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the 'nine-dash line' are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China's maritime entitlements under the Convention," Daza was quoted as saying by the official Philippine News Agency.

"The Philippines, therefore, calls on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award," she added.

Manila had already protested the publication of a Chinese national map in 2013, which also placed parts of the Kalayaan Island Group or Spratlys within Beijing's "national boundaries".

The Malaysian government said on Thursday that it will send a protest note to China over the latter's claims on the South China Sea as outlined in the 'China Standard Map Edition 2023', which also covers Malaysia's maritime areas.

Foreign Minister Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the move was a follow-up step taken by the government over the matter.

"This has been our practice (when dealing with issues like this)... and based on the statement issued by Wisma Putra yesterday, the next step includes sending a protest note," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Malaysia does not recognise China's claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the "China Standard Map Edition 2023," which also encompasses Malaysia's maritime areas.

The map holds no binding authority over Malaysia, it said in a statement.

The Vietnamese government also criticised China's latest provocation.

Vietnam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the "nine-dash line" in the East Sea, spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on Thursday.

Hang made the statement while answering reporters' questions regarding Vietnam's response to China's release of the so-called "standard map 2023" which covers Vietnam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, the official Vietnam News Agency reported.

The issuance of the map as well as China's "nine-dash line" claim show a violation of Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as Vietnam's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters as stipulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), she stressed.

Therefore, the sovereignty and maritime claims based on the "nine-dash line" as reflected in the map are void and violate international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, the spokeswoman said.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday rebuked China's new "standard map" by saying Taiwan has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Foreign ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu told Taiwan News that "Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan. These are universally recognised facts and the status quo in the international community." Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry indicated it was not budging on the map issue.

"China's position on the South China Sea is consistent and clear. The competent authorities of China routinely publish standard maps of various types every year, which aims to make standard maps available to all sectors of society and raise public awareness of the standardised use of maps.

"We hope parties concerned can view it in an objective and rational light," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question on Thursday when sought his comment on the protests from countries like India, Malaysia as well as the Philippines against this new Chinese map. 

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

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On Raksha Bandhan, Brother Sentenced To 20-Year Jail For Raping Sister

Upholding the order of a trial court, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years of imprisonment for repeatedly raping her sister and impregnating her when she was 14.

Rejecting the appeal of the convict, Justice S K Sahoo also slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on him. In default, the convict shall undergo rigorous imprisonment for another two years.

The judge lamented that he had to adjudicate such a case on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

"It is both shocking as well as ironical to hear this case and render judgment on an auspicious day when a brother takes the solemn pledge not only to protect his sister but also to nurture her till his last breath," Justice Sahoo observed.

The man was earlier convicted by the Malkangiri special judge's court for repeatedly raping his younger sister between May 2018 and May 2019 in their village.

He was also convicted in January 2020 for threatening his sister not to disclose it to 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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32 Firms Apply To Make Laptops In India: Union Minister

The government has received 32 applications for production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme 2.0 for IT hardware, of which 25 are domestic companies, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday.

The announcement comes days after the government announced restrictions in laptop imports from November.

All of them are driven to gear up manufacturing and bring in supply chains.

Mr Vaishnaw said companies like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Thompson, Acer, and Asus will be manufacturing laptops under the scheme. HP, VVDN, Lenovo will be manufacturing servers.

He said Apple has not applied under the PLI framework, but the company is already manufacturing components.

This move should see a significant reduction in the import of laptops and PCs, Vaishnaw said, adding that "import restrictions are not a worry anymore."

"I spoke to all the applicants, and they didn't raise any concern," he said.

The minister said incremental production expected is around Rs 3.35 lakh crore and the expected direct employment is around 75,000.

"The upcoming Dixon factory in Noida will alone employ 25,000 people," he said.

Manufacturing of laptops will begin by April 2024, officials said, as companies such as Dell are also migrating to PLI scheme.

When asked if India is optimising on big players quitting China with its economy slowing down, Mr Vaishnaw said India is emerging as a trusted value chain partner.

"Many of these companies will use the semiconductors manufactured in India. In fact, they were pleased we are starting with the manufacturing of memory first, which is crucial for laptops. Companies have shared their detailed proposals. We are optimistic more will join," he said.

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Rohtak: जेल अधीक्षक की फर्जी फेसबुक आईडी बनाई, ठगी भी कर रहे आरोपी, केस दर्ज

फेक आईडी पर उनका फोटो भी प्रयोग किया जा रहा है। आरोपी उनके नाम व फोटो का प्रयोग करके लोगों से ठगी भी कर रहे हैं।

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Why Asia Cup 2023 Will Be Held In ODI Format And Not T20I?

The Asia Cup, once considered a mini-version of the World Cup, has gradually turned into a preparatory platform for the World Cup. Whichever World Cup is being held that year, be it in the ODI format or T20I, the Asia Cup is molded into the same format. Last year, when the Asia Cup was held in the UAE, it was the Sri Lanka cricket team that emerged triumphant, winning the title in the T20 format. But, this time around, the Asian sides will battle it out in the 50-over format of the game. But, why is it so?

The 'Format' of Asia Cup

Though the Asia Cup boasts of some of the top sides in the world, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, etc., the tournament is still seen as a 'preparatory' event. These days, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) organises the Asia Cup the same year when the World Cup is taking place. Whichever format of the World Cup it is (T20 or 50-over), the Asia Cup takes that form. Considering the manner in which the game has grown, Asian teams do tend to benefit from this approach.

The tournament started all the way back in 1984 in the ODI format but things changed after the introduction of T20s. The last ODI Asia Cup was held in 2019, the same year the last World Cup in the format was held. It was the Indian team that clinched the title that year. But, it wasn't even a full-strength Indian side that participated in the event.

The team's talismanic batter Virat Kohli, also the team's captain back then, didn't participate in the event, giving charge to his deputy Rohit Sharma. In fact, in a game, even Rohit decided to rest himself, giving charge to MS Dhoni.

As for the 2023 edition, it will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This event will also mark the debut of Nepal in the tournament. Nepal booked their ticket to the event by winning the inaugural ACC Men's Premier Cup 2023, where they defeated the United Arab Emirates in the final.

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Karnal: किसान की हत्या के नौ दोषियों को उम्रकैद, जमीन विवाद में घरौंडा थाना क्षेत्र में 2017 में हुई थी वारदात

कोर्ट ने 12 आरोपियों में से नौ को दोषी करार दिया। कोर्ट ने मामले में आरोपी इद्रिश, बलबीर और अशोक को बरी कर दिया गया है।

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2 IndiGo Flights Report Mid-Air Engine Shutdowns, Land Safely

A Kolkata-Bengaluru IndiGo flight reported a mid-air glitch on Tuesday after one of its engines shut down. The flight, however, landed safely.

The incident happened within hours of the carrier's other aircraft suffered a similar failure.

The first engine glitch incident happened on Indigo's Madurai-Mumbai flight earlier in the day.

"Engine 2 stall occurred and Engine 2 oil chip detected warning came. Engine 2 was shut down as per the checklist and the aircraft landed safely," the country's aviation regulator, the DGCA, said in a statement.

IndiGo also released a statement, citing a technical issue before landing in Mumbai.

"The pilot prioritized the landing in Mumbai. The aircraft is held in Mumbai and will be back in operation after necessary maintenance. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," IndiGo said.

Both these aircraft were running on Pratt and Whitney engines, officials said.

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"You Make My...": Pooja's Birthday Wish For Friend Deepak Is All Heart

Actress Pooja Bhatt, who became a household name after appearing as a participant in the second season of Bigg Boss OTT, wished her friend and former co-star Deepak Tijori on his birthday with the sweetest message. Sharing a selfie with the birthday boy, Pooja Bhatt wrote, "In a world of temporary equations,here's to a permanent friendship.. one that goes beyond time,space,hits,flops & all of the other trappings of fame & infamy. Happy Birthday@deepaktijoriteam You make my life richer by being part of it. I love you. For now & forever more."

See Pooja Bhatt's adorable post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pooja B (@poojab1972)

While in Bigg Boss Hosue, Pooja Bhatt was visited by her dad Mahesh Bhatt, who shared several anecdotes from his life. He also opened up about how Pooja became the bread earner in his family during tough times.

He revealed that during his struggling phase, Pooja stepped up and became the backbone of the family. She took the initiative to pursue a modelling career and auditioned for numerous ads. Her efforts and success in the modelling world played a crucial role in running the household during those difficult days.

In another episode of Bigg Boss OTT 2, Pooja Bhatt discussed her equation with her former husband. “He is a very good human being, he's Capricorn and that's why we got along very well. When we start speaking a lie, the blame game starts and I didn't want that. Whatever was there was very good till the time it lasted. Till the time dignity was there we were together. Then we parted ways on a good note,” she said. They were married from 2003 to 2014.

Pooja is Mahesh Bhatt's daughter with Kiran Bhatt Aka Lorraine Bright who he married in 1970. Kiran and Mahesh also have a son named Rahul. In 1986, Mahesh married Soni Razdan with whom he has two daughters Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt.

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US Man Shoots Through His Front Door To Fend Off Robbers

A video has surfaced on the internet which shows two men pretending to be maintenance workers trying to break in by kicking the front door. The two men were armed with handguns. However, the men were greeted by a barrage of bullets from the homeowner. The wild scene was captured by a doorbell camera.

The video starts with one of the suspects, Aaron Contreras, knocking on the apartment door of Ethan Rodriguez. He claimed to be a maintenance worker there to check on the filters in his air conditioner, according to the New York Post.

Mr Rodriguez answered the door via a digital doorbell app on his phone and said that no one was home. A few minutes later, the suspect came back with a handgun and tried to kick down the front door. Another man appears wearing a mask trying to kick in the door.

However, things soon took a dramatic turn when Mr. Rodriguez tried to fend them off by opening fire from inside his apartment through the front door. The footage shows the men running away from the door.

The resident fired off several rounds and the footage shows bullets striking the wall across the way.

See the video here:

#Texas : On Saturday August 19th, at a Dallas apartment complex a Ring camera captured the moment when a man posing as a maintenance worker is knocking on the door of an apartment claiming “he was there to check the air filters.”

• Once the suspect heard the homeowner wasn't… pic.twitter.com/UAofUdnf0f

— True Crime with Laura🕵🏼‍♀️⚖️ (@Lauraonthecase) August 21, 2023

According to the media outlet, the resident fired 13 shots.

Speaking to WFAA, Mr Rodriguez said he decided to shoot at the suspects when saw that they were armed. "I was hoping I got 'em," he told the station. "That was mainly it, just hoping I got 'em."

The suspect, Aaron Contreras was arrested the same day on charges of aggravated assault, deadly conduct and attempted burglary of a habitation.

He is being held at the Dallas County jail on a $150,000 bond.

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Gujarat Man Poses As Scientist Who Designed Chandrayaan-3 Lander, Arrested

The police in Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday arrested a man who allegedly posed as a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and gave interviews to local media outlets claiming that he designed the lander module for the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission, an official said.

A complaint was lodged against the accused, Mitul Trivedi, after he was seen giving interviews after the Vikram lander successfully made a soft-landing on August 23, claiming to have designed the lander module of Chandrayaan-3, the official said.

Trivedi allegedly posed as the "assistant chairman" of ISRO's "Ancient Science Application department" and even produced a fake appointment letter dated February 26, 2022, he said.

"A thorough investigation revealed that the man was in no way connected to ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission and had made false claims of being an ISRO employee," the police said in a statement.

He even produced a fake letter about being the "space research member" for ISRO's next project called "mercury force in space", it said.

He spread fake messages regarding ISRO despite not having contributed to the ambitious project, thereby harming the reputation of the institution, the statement read.

The Surat city crime branch lodged an FIR against the accused under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code.

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

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Rapper Eminem Tells Ramaswamy To Stop Using His Music For Poll Campaign

Rap star Eminem has formally asked Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using his music on the campaign trail, according to a letter made public on Monday.

A video of Ramaswamy, who is enjoying a surge in the Republican primary race, singing along to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" at the Iowa State Fair went viral earlier this month.

In a letter first reported by the Daily Mail, the authenticity of which was confirmed to AFP, music licenser Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) stated that it had received an official request from Eminem demanding that the 38-year-old candidate no longer use his music.

Ramaswamy, who likens himself as "Trump 2.0," has risen surprisingly to third place among Republicans who are in the running for the 2024 presidential primary elections.

As an undergraduate at Harvard, his side hustle was rapping libertarian-minded lyrics with the stage name "Da Vek."

"If you think debater-extraordinaire Vivek G. Ramaswamy '07 is intense, you obviously haven't met Da Vek," The Crimson, Harvard's student newspaper, humorously noted in 2006.

During the last two elections, well-known artists including Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Aerosmith and Adele -- as well as heirs of Prince -- complained that their songs were played at Donald Trump rallies without their permission.

The Rolling Stones even threatened to sue if the Trump campaign continued to use the British group's classic hit "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

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

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"Even Einstein Referred...": G Madhavan Nair On Temple Visits By Scientists

Amid raging debates among the public over faith Vs. science in the country, former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said that even great scientists like Albert Einstein were of the view that there is something beyond the visible universe and referred to it as God or creator.

Amid the debate in social media over ISRO scientists visiting temples in connection with the launch of Chandrayaan-3, Mr Nair said there was nothing wrong with it.

Throwing his weight behind ISRO chairman S Somanath, Nair said he agreed fully with him on his take on religious beliefs vis-à-vis scientific temper.

"It is basically a question of searching for the fundamental truth. One looks at the external world, trying to understand what it is. Another is looking internally and trying to understand what is self and where it merges," Nair said.

He justified praying and visiting places of worship as a method to relieve oneself of tension.

"Prayers are for getting mental satisfaction. Whenever we are following a complex scientific mission, there are a lot of hurdles and problems and things can go wrong at any time.

"So to have a calm mind and then observe what is happening in real time, so that your decision-making can be accurate and timely, prayers and worship and all those things help," he said.

Nair said such prayers and beliefs are not restricted to any particular religion, and one can follow his or her own ways of worshipping.

"Each one in the country, every citizen, has his own right to pursue his line of thinking, the philosophical thinking about the mind, and also the self-satisfaction that one derives out of pursuing a particular philosophy," Nair added.

Speaking about the controversy behind naming the Moon landing spot 'Shiv Shakti', Nair said the controversy was completely based on misinterpretation.

He said 'shakti' refers to the force that is behind the creation of this universe.

"Our pandits and rishis named it Shiva. Our Puranas gave it a form as people could not understand the concept of the force, and that is how the human form and Kailasa all came. It is a different matter. The underlying principle is 'shakti' and we do not have to attribute religious motives to it," Nair said.

Somanath has downplayed the issue of naming the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 as 'Shiv Shakti', saying that it is part of a tradition to name places on the Moon where some experiment has been conducted by a country.

After visiting a temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Somanath said it is not the first time that India had named a site on the Moon.

"There are already a lot of sites on the Moon that have been named after places in India. There are non-Indian names as well. Every country can name a site there. We have a 'Sarabhai crater' there. Every nation names every small site on the Moon where they have conducted some experiments. It is a tradition," he had said. 

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

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Opinion: Are China's Economic Crises Cyclical Or Structural?

While China is and continues to be the manufacturing platform of the world, concerns around its decelerating growth in 2023 have triggered panic waves across the globe. Given the deep interconnection between the global economy and the Chinese economy, there is fear among nations that global growth will further decelerate due to the troubled Chinese economy. One of the most important questions in this context becomes how to tackle the fallout. To answer this question, it is first pertinent to understand whether the problem is cyclical or structural in nature. That clarity can help avoid the fallout.

In the past, China has emerged relatively unscathed from the Asian financial crisis and the global financial crisis. It even managed to somehow stay afloat until 2023, despite the US-China trade war since 2017. This gives the impression that such crises are cyclical in nature and are inherently in the DNA of the Chinese economy. Yet a closer examination would reveal that the crisis in 2023 is very different from the ones that the Chinese economy has tackled in the past and is actually structural in nature.

At a Politburo meeting in July, China's leaders referred to the economic recovery this year as "torturous". What they were referring to was China's current economic problems, which range from slowing GDP growth rates to massive unemployment, to deeply entrenched inequality, to dangerously low levels of consumption among others. The interesting point to note is that such candour is difficult to imagine from a communist party institution, let alone from such an elevated body.

Consumer prices in July were lower than a year ago, suggesting that it might be on the cusp of deflation, which reflects a chronic shortage of demand in the economy. Foreign trade in the same month showed a sharp fall in exports, owing to weak global demand, with a sharper decline in imports signifying weaknesses in demand at home. Private firms and entrepreneurs are also not spending much on investment or on hiring people. Youth unemployment has topped 21% or thrice the rate in the US. Clearly, most things currently weighing on the Chinese economy have been building up for years, even while China was wowing the world with its magical double-digit growth rates and claiming to be making strides in lifting millions out of poverty while simultaneously moving up the technology ladder.

The two prongs of Chinese economic development since Deng Xiaoping's reforms and opening up since 1978 have been an export-led growth strategy along with investment. The reforms led to an improvement in the living standards of consumers in China, with greater buying capacity and greater demand for goods and services; investment in infrastructure, particularly in export-driven enterprises in the coastal belts of China also brought in revenues driving Chinese growth. Nevertheless, as compared to consumption levels in other countries, China's consumption rates have been generally low. Currently, consumption - a big driver of growth indices - is even further subdued in China, especially in big-ticket items such as cars, houses, and private investment. In fact, all three segments, the backbone of the Chinese economy, fell in the first half of this year.

To drive consumption, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) even came out with 12 wide-ranging measures to boost domestic consumption, which include encouraging market entities to apply domestic AI technologies to enhance the levels of electronic products, improving the innovation capability of electronic products, cultivating new growth points for consumption and so on. Clearly, something is amiss, otherwise a wide-ranging agenda for driving consumption from the NDRC would not have come up.

Consumption is tied to income. As stated previously, youth unemployment alone has topped 21%, and the government has now stated it will stop publishing data on youth unemployment. Without employment, there is no income. Without income, it is impossible to consume. But beyond consumption's ties to income, there also are other structural reasons why consumption has been generally low while savings rates have always been extraordinarily high in China. In fact, China has an extraordinarily high savings rate at about 50% of its GDP. The reason is its desire to save for a rainy day, which in turn is driven by bad policies historically. The disastrous Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution driving the Chinese economy to the pits under Mao Zedong taught Chinese consumers to save and invest in land, which they can liquidate in the face of disasters like the ones Mao made the Chinese people go through.

Similarly, under Xi Jinping, the arduous three-year lockdown, during which the Chinese consumer went through drastic lows including lack of adequate food and medical care, yet again spelled out the lesson that it is better to save for a rainy day rather than to consume. Because of the hedonistic policies carried out under repressive regimes, China now has a huge local government debt problem, a real estate bubble, and huge creation of urban infrastructures accompanied by under-urbanisation - all of which indicate the desire to save rather than to spend and consume. Increasing authoritarianism under Xi has only led to a further failure of the development model which once shined bright, blinding the audience to its underlying, structural flaws.

What does this mean for neighbour India? India is an integral part of the global economy and reduced trade with China will lead to India needing a rethink of its strategies. But, beyond the fears, reduced imports into China could also be a push to actively build alternative supply chains. The top three items of import from China are broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, and office machine parts. Collaboration between India and Taiwan has begun in related arenas and this could be a push for expanding greater economic cooperation. The top three exports from India to China are refined copper, cotton yarn, and petroleum oils. Reduced demand from China does not mean absolute doom for India, as alternate markets for these products exist, and India only needs to strengthen its strategies to develop these markets better.

In any case, Indian products that have comparative advantages in other parts of the world, like generic drugs or IT or even basmati rice, face non-tariff barriers in China. Further reduced demand from China for these segments will only spur India to explore other markets. There are also fears that falling prices of Chinese goods will increase competition and hurt foreign companies. Indian companies in China in any case are a handful, so this fear can also be ruled out. Slower economic growth in China could also benefit India, as it will reduce competition in the global energy and especially, natural gas markets. Lower prices can help to ease energy price pressures, which will be to India's advantage.

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After Lucy Letby, Another UK Nurse Under Investigation For Baby's Death

An investigation by the UK's healthcare agency NHS has linked the arrest of a nurse to death of three babies under suspicious circumstances at the hospital where she worked. According to The Telegraph, the nurse used to work at Birmingham Children's Hospital but her identity has not been released. The 28-year-old was arrested on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life. This comes shortly after the conviction of another nurse named Lucy Letby on charges of murdering seven babies.

Though the probe was launched last year, after the baby's death, the nurse remained under investigation this weekend. She has not yet been taken back by the hospital, and the regulator too has suspended her, which means she cannot work as a nurse elsewhere.

All the families of the children involved in the review in Birmingham have been informed, said The Telegraph.

"In May 2022, a child on the paediatric intensive care unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly. Due to the circumstances of the deterioration, the trust acted straight away," Dr Fiona Reynolds, NHS trust's chief medical officer, said in a statement.

"A member of staff was suspended from work and subsequently arrested at home. Sadly, the child later died and our thoughts remain with the family," she added.

According to Metro, the NHS trust passed the findings to the police.

Meanwhile, Lucy Letby was accused of harming 17 babies, some of them just days old, between June 2015 and June 2016.

In the majority of cases she is believed to have injected them with air but prosecutors also accused her of introducing insulin or too much milk.

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After Chandrayaan Landing, Seer Wants Moon To Be Declared "Hindu Rashtra"

Declare the Moon as 'Hindu Rashtra' and the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's landing site as its capital -- these are the extraordinary demands of Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, a Hindu seer and a man well-acquainted with outlandish remarks. 

The All India Hindu Mahasabha national president called on the Indian government to assert its ownership of the moon before other religions do and demanded that Parliament pass a resolution to this effect.

Following ISRO's Chandrayaan-3's historic soft landing on the Moon's south pole last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the site where the lander touched down will be known as 'Shiv Shakti Point'. 

Sharing a video on social media, Swami Chakrapani Maharaj said that the Indian government should act quickly so that "no terrorist" can reach there.

"The moon should be declared a Hindu Sanatan Rashtra by Parliament. The landing place of Chandrayaan 3 should be developed as its capital, "Shiv Shakti Point", so that no terrorist with a jihadist mentality can reach there," he said in the video. 

संसद से चांद को हिंदू सनातन राष्ट्र के रूप में घोषित किया जाए,चंद्रयान 3 के उतरने के स्थान "शिव शक्ति पॉइंट" को उसकी राजधानी के रूप में विकसित हो ,ताकि कोई आतंकी जिहादी मानसिकता का वहा न पहुंच पाए 🌸🙏🌸स्वामी चक्रपाणि महाराज, राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष, अखिल भारत हिंदू महासभा/ संत महासभा pic.twitter.com/HPbifYFZzX

— Swami Chakrapani Maharaj (@SwamyChakrapani) August 27, 2023

Swami Chakrapani is no stranger to bizarre stunts. In 2020, when the country was battling the coronavirus pandemic, he organised a "gaumutra party" in the national capital where he and his fellow All India Hindu Mahasabha members drank cow urine to ward off the disease. 

"Coronavirus has come because of the people who kill and eat animals. When you kill an animal, it creates a sort of energy that causes destruction in that place," he said at the event, as quoted by news agency PTI.

"They (global leaders) should get cow urine imported from India because the almighty resides only in the Indian cow and not in any foreign breed."

In 2018, during the devastating floods in Kerala, Swami Chakrapani said those who eat beef in the state should not receive any help. 

Earlier this year, he set up a "Dharma Censor Board" to monitor content in Bollywood films, webseries music videos, etc. that insults the Hindu religion.

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"You Have Broken Dreams...": Amit Shah Jabs KCR Over A Owaisi Alliance

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) for his alliance with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

In an attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief, Amit Shah said, "You have broken the dreams of the fighters of Telangana Mukti Sangram by sitting with Owaisi for the last nine years". Amit Shah was addressing the 'Raithu Gosa-BJP Bharosa' rally at Khammam.

Referring to the AIMIM as the 'Razakars', the Union Home Minister said, "I want to tell KCR, that the youths of Telangana had laid down their lives for the state's liberation, not to sit down with the Razakars."

The Razakars were the paramilitary volunteer force of Hyderabad Nizam at the time of Hyderabad's integration into the Indian state. It is believed that the AIMIM has its roots in this paramilitary force which had resisted Hyderabad's Liberation.

Speaking about the actions taken by the KCR government against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state, Amit Shah said, "KCR thinks that if they oppress the BJP workers, BJP won't rebel. They arrested our leaders when we were fighting against corruption. They arrested Bandi Sanjay Kumar, pushed out Eleta Rajender from the Assembly..."

Accusing the Telangana Chief Minister of nepotism, Amit Shah said that everyone is aware that KCR wants his son KTR to head the state after him. However, Amit Shah said that it will not happen in this upcoming election.

"We know that you (KCR) want to make KTR the Chief Minister of the state, but this time neither KCR nor KTR will become the Chief Minister. This time someone from the BJP will become the Chief Minister," Amit Shah said.

The Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled at the end of this year. The state is going to witness a three-pronged contest among the BJP, the ruling BRS and the Congress. The Telangana election will serve as a litmus test for the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA alliance before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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

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"Cringe Level Is So High": Elon Musk's Comment On LinkedIn Is Viral

Billionaire Elon Musk's platform X (formerly Twitter) recently introduced a new job-hiring feature that allows verified organisations to post job listings on their profile. X has entered the domain of professional networking with a beta version of hiring, in a bid to challenge professional websites like LinkedIn.

Now, reacting to a post by a Twitter user, Ian Zelbo, who wrote, "Is there anything worse than LinkedIn?"

Replying to the post, the billionaire wrote on X, "People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can't bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed. We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool."

In another comment, Mr Musk wrote, "LinkedIn is actually the most cringe platform on the internet."

See the post here:

People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can't bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed.

We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 27, 2023

The post soon went viral and social media users were quick to react. A user wrote, "The worst part is people just making things up! I've seen a lot of people use titles on LinkedIn that don't even exist and couldn't be further from what they actually do at the company. like - being responsible for something doesn't make you "head of" it lol."

"Make LinkedIn irrelevant. Did you know that they force the pronouns on everyone even if you don't opt in for it? It's hidden outside the US, of course, because they know it doesn't fly elsewhere," another user wrote.

"The App is as rigid as the old phones that never made it to this day," the third user wrote.

Meanwhile, the billionaire hinted about introducing the job-hiring feature in May. In response to a user's suggestion that Twitter includes dating services, Mr Musk said, "Interesting idea, maybe jobs too." This also appears to be a step towards the platform becoming the everything app that Elon Musk previously stated.

As per a July report in TechCrunch, Twitter made its first acquisition since Mr Musk bought the platform, a job-matching tech start-up named Laskie in May. It is likely that the acquisition helped the company in creating and releasing the new feature. A US-based media company WorkWeek, has been using the feature for a month. Its CEO Adam Ryan took to the platform to share the new feature and took a dig at Mark Zuckerberg's newly launched Twitter-rival Threads.
 

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Watch: Neeraj's Historic Throw That Made Him 1st Indian To Win Worlds Gold

Neeraj Chopra is born to make history it seems. The 25-year-old javelin thrower achieved yet another momentous high on Sunday night when he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17m in the men's javelin final at Budapest, Hungary. The 25-year-old Chopra achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt. He had a foul throw to start with, but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m.

Pakistan's reigning Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem took the silver with his season's best throw of 87.82m, while Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic got the bronze.

Watch: Neeraj's Historic Throw That Made Him 1st Indian To Win Worlds Gold

88.17 Meters for

Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st athlete to win a gold medal at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships

Watch the best of #Budapest23 - FREE only on #JioCinema #WAConJioCinema pic.twitter.com/le562o9zp2

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 27, 2023

In another first, three Indians finished in top eight with Kishore Jena (84.77m) and DP Manu (84.14m) taking the fifth and sixth spots respectively. Never before did three Indians finish in top eight of an event in the World Championships.

Chopra has now become only the second Indian -- after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra -- to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

Chopra, who had become the first Indian Olympic track and field gold medallist in Tokyo Games in 2021, had won a silver in the 2022 edition of World Championships.

Before him, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George had won a bronze in the 2003 World Championships.

With PTI inputs

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Neeraj Beats Pakistan's Nadeem, Wins 1st World Athletics Gold By An Indian

Neeraj Chopra, the golden boy of Indian athletics, is a world champion now. At the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, late on Sunday night, as his javelin took flight and landed at a distance of 88.17m in his second attempt history was made by the 25-year-old from Khandra, Haryana. He is now the the first Indian ever to clinch a gold medal at the World Athletics Championship. Already an Olympic champion, Chopra now has triumphed the only major competition that was left for him to be conquered.

To add to the joy, India's Kishore Jena finished fifth with a personal best throw of 84.77m while the third Indian in fray DP Manu finished sixth with a best attempt of 84.14m.

Chopra has an Asian Games gold medal, a Commonwealth Games gold, a Diamond League title, an Asian Championships gold and an U-20 world title. Chopra's trophy cabinet will now showcase a World Championship gold medal too.

Coming into the World Championship final, Chopra was always the favourite. In the qualification round, the Tokyo Olympics champion threw his season best attempt of 88.77m to qualify in the final with just one throw. The 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying mark is 85.50m. With that one throw, Chopra qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics too.

The challengers

The next best competitor in the qualifiers was Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who threw 86.79m. Along with Nadeem, Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, who won silver medal behind Chopra in Tokyo Olympics, and Germany's Julian Weber were Chopra's main competitors.

Vadlejch was second in Group B in qualification and third overall with a best throw of 83.50m while Vadlejch was fourth overall with a best throw of 82.39m.

To make matters more interesting for India, Manu (81.31m in qualification) and Jena (80.55 in qualification) also qualified for the final.

The final showdown

And it was Nadeem who gave Chopra the maximum scare. The Indian superstar started with a false throw in his first attempt. However, he made a terrific comeback to hurl the javelin 88.17m in his second throw. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem threw 87.82m in his third attempt to come close to the Indian. 

Weber's best attempt was 85.79m that came in his third throw. Vadlejch in his part could best manage a throw of 86.67 in his fifth attempt. Vadlejch finished third and Weber fourth.

The surprise package was India's Kishore Jena, who came up with a personal best throw of 84.77m in his fifth attempt and finished fifth. Another Indian in fray, DP Manu, finished sixth with a best attempt of 83.72m. 

Though, Neeraj's next attempts were 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m no other athlete could breach his mark. 

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Neeraj Chopra: India's Javelin Great Completes A Full Circle At Just 25

25 is when dreams start to take wings for most. For some super-special individuals, like Neeraj Chopra, by that age you conquer all that is out there to be conquered. With his maiden World Athletics Championship gold in javelin throw that he won with an attempt of 88.17m at the 2023 edition late on Sunday night in Budapest, Hungary, the Haryana-born athlete has reached a stupendous height that will be hard to match for generations to come. With his first World Championship gold medal, which was the only major missing piece in his already envious trophy cabinet, Chopra has completed a full circle.

He is the reigning Olympic champion - the first Indian sportsperson to win a gold medal at the Games in athletics (field events). Now, Chopra is the first from the country to win a gold medal at World Athletics Championship. Till now, the silver medal that he won in 2022 was India's best return from the World Athletics Championships after Anju Bobby George's bronze medal in the women's long jump back in 2003 at Paris.

Chopra has an Asian Games gold medal and a Commonwealth Games gold medal. He is a Diamond League champion too. Add to it, the U20 World Championship gold medal that he won in 2016. Neeraj is truly the golden boy of Indian sport.

Chopra is now the second Indian, after Abhinav Bindra, to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

The Rise

To think that Chopra took up javelin throw almost by chance is another fascinating story. In 2011, a then 14-tear-old Chopra weighed 85kg. He was obese and his family somehow convinced his to join a gym. From his village in Khandra,  Haryana, he used to go to Panipat, situated 17km away, for gym training. On his way, he would go to Shivaji Stadium, where he first threw up javelin upon the insistence of his senior Jaiveer, a national-level javelin thrower. He had found his calling and there was no looking back.

By 2015, he had breached the hallowed 80m mark. By 2016, he had set a world record at the Under-20 level. In 2017, he won the Asian Championships gold medal. In 2018, he won gold medals at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games.

The Injury

Just when he was primed to be India's favourite contender for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, he hit a roadblock. Ahead of the 2019 World Championships, he suffered a major elbow problem due to bone spurs in his throwing arm. He had to undergo an intense two-hour surgery and then underwent a four-month rehabilitation. He ultimately came back, and came back in style.

The Comeback

In the summer of 2021, at his maiden Olympics, with a throw of 87.58 m, he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Games in athletics (field events).

Therein lies the greatness of Chopra. Though from the outside, it might seem that he is that wonder-boy who has the Midas touch, he has had his share of struggles. And every time, he was pinned down he came back stronger and he threw the javelin to a greater distance.

After the Olympics, he went to break his own national record twice in a space of just over two weeks in 2022. His current record is 89.94m. Last year, he won the Diamond League but missed the World Championship gold. He came very close to clinching that gold in 2022 with a throw of 88.13 m. However, he fell short of Grenada javelin thrower Anderson Peters' monstrous 90.54 m throw. This time he led the field in style though he started with a false throw. However, an attempt of 88.17m was enough for him to take the gold ahead of Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem (87.82m). 

And, with age on his side, he is in no mood to stop!

With PTI inputs

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"Peed On, Told To Lick Shoe": Dalit Man Hung Upside Down Over Theft Claim

A Dalit man attacked by six persons in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar, has told reporters that he and three others were urinated on and told to lick shoes on which their assailants had spat. The man, alongwith the others -- accused of stealing some goats and pigeons -- were also allegedly beaten up and hung upside down from a tree. A video of the ordeal shot and circulated by one of the attackers has sparked outrage and a political row. A shutdown was observed today in Haregaon village as part of a protest.

"I was hung upside down by a rope around my legs. I had three small children with me, they were also beaten up. We are their neighbors. We are from a lower caste (Mahar). They were angry... They peed on us. We were asked to lick shoes on which they had spat," said Shubham Maghade, who later filed a complaint with the police.

The 20-year-old has also named his attackers -- Pappu Parkhe, Raju Borge, Yuvraj Galande and Nana Patil.  He said the men came and took him to the house of Yuvraj Galande, where they were stripped and beaten up.

The police, who took action after the video of the attack was widely circulated, has detained one of the men accused. The rest are on the run.

"A case has been registered under Section 307, atrocity. Six men have been accused. One accused has been detained and search is on for the remaining accused. The victim was suspected of stealing pigeons and goats. It is claimed that he is from Mahar (caste)," said Swati Bhor, a senior police officer.

Quoting an un-named police officer, news agency Press Trust of India reported that a case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 364 (kidnapping) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered.

The Opposition Congress has termed the incident a "blot" on humanity.

"Such incidents are a result of hate being spread by BJP for its political gain," Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was quoted as saying by PTI.

Nationalist Congress Party's chief spokesman Mahesh Tapase accused the government of failing to protect the self-respect of Dalits, PTI reported.

(With PTI inputs)

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Multiple Fatalities In Florida Shooting, Gunman Killed: Report

A gunman in Jacksonville, Florida, was dead following a standoff with police Saturday afternoon after killing "a number" of people, the latest in a spate of gun violence this weekend in the United States.

"One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take," Mayor Donna Deegan told local news channel WJXT, saying there were a "number of fatalities" but did not specify how many.

The broadcaster reported that the gunman fired at cars passing by a Dollar General discount store. He then reportedly barricaded himself inside.

A local council member told the broadcaster that the shooter had been killed.

Earlier in the day at least seven people were hospitalized after a mass shooting at a Caribbean festival in the northeast city of Boston, police there said.

Meanwhile, two women were shot at a baseball game in Chicago the night before, authorities in the Midwestern city said.

And a 16-year-old was shot dead and four others injured after an argument erupted at a high school football game in Oklahoma, local police said.

Mass shootings have become disturbingly common across the United States, with easy access to firearms in most states and more guns in the country than citizens.

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

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Inside Jennifer Winget's Dreamy Maldives Diaries

Jennifer Winget is currently having the time of her life in Maldives. The Beyhadh star took some time off from her busy schedule and jetted off to the exotic location just a few days back. On August 26, Jennifer gave a glance at her “good memories in the mix” through her Maldives photo dump. The album revealed that Jennifer's Maldives vacation is all about sun-kissed moments, snazzy beach wear, sipping coffee on the beach and soaking some Vitamin D. In the picture, the actress looks stunning in her colourful OOTDs. Sharing the pictures, Jennifer wrote, “Highlights: Maldives 2023. Good memories in the mix.” Her industry friends made a bee-line to the comments section. Actress Kritika Kamra and Drashti Dhami dropped a handful of red eyes emoticons.

Begum Jaan actress Ridhiema Tiwari dropped a heartwarming note for Jennifer Winget in the comments.

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A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

We also got a glimpse of Jennifer Winget chilling on a yacht with her friends.  Take a look:

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A post shared by Rubina Sayed (@rubinas)

Before this, Jennifer Winget dropped a Reels in which she is seen enjoying her time by the beach. In the clip, she is wearing a tie-dye mini dress atop a fuchsia pink swimwear. Along with the video, the actress wrote, “She beats to the beauty of her wildflower heart and seashore soul.”

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A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

Jennifer Winget's Maldives vacation comes months after her holiday in Singapore. Yet again, the actress treated her fans through a photo dump. In the pictures, she is posing on the beach, relishing local food and reuniting with friends. Her caption read, “Oh Happy Days! Saying things I never said, doing things I never did.”

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A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

Last year, it was speculated that Anurag Basu's upcoming Aashiqui 3 will feature Jennifer Winget opposite Karthik Aaryan. But the makers later issued a statement claiming that they are still looking for the “perfect fit” for their film.

The statement read, “There is no truth to any rumours pertaining to the female lead opposite Kartik Aaryan in Aashiqui 3. The search for the perfect fit for the movie is still ongoing. We are currently in a very early stage where we are still coming up with ideas for the movie. Much like the audience, we are eagerly awaiting to finalise the female lead of the film and would love to share it with the fans as early as possible.”

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