"He Has Supported Me...": Rashmika On Rumoured Boyfriend Vijay

Rashmika Mandanna, who was rumoured to be engaged with co-star Vijay Devarakonda this month, talked about her equation with Vijay in a recent interview with We Are Yuvaa. Rashmika told We Are Yuvaa, "Viju and I sort of grew up together. So anything I do in my life right now, he has a contribution to it."  She added that she takes Vijay's advice seriously. "I take his advice in anything I do, I need his opinion. He's not a yes person. He's on point. This is good...this is not good...this is what I think...this is what I don't think. He has supported me personally more than anyone else in my entire life. So, I feel he's someone I really, really respect."

Earlier, Vijay Deverakonda addressed the rumours of his engagement to Rashmika in an interview with Lifestyle Asia. "I'm not getting engaged or married in February. It feels like the press just wants to get me married every two years. I hear this rumour every year. They're just walking around waiting to catch me and get me married," Vijay Deverakonda said.

The rumours started doing the rounds when a report by News18 Telugu stated that Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna were planning to make an announcement regarding their engagement in the second week of February.

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, who have worked together in films such as Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade are rumoured to be dating. In April last year, when a report claimed that the actors were living together, the actress replied on X (earlier called Twitter), "Aiyoooo.. don't overthink it babu."

The actors have remained tight-lipped about their relationship so far. However, they often face questions about each other in shows or interviews. During the promotional events for Animal, Rashmika was on the set of Telugu star Nandamuri Balakrishna's talk show, Unstoppable with NBK 2. On the show, Rashmika was asked to choose between two posters - Vijay Deverakonda's Arjun Reddy and Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor. When Rashmika was about to respond, Ranbir interjected, addressing Balakrishna, "Ask Rashmika, who is the better hero." Later, Rashmika was asked to call Vijay and put him on speaker.

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Raghav Chadha's Shout Out To Parineeti's Maiden Live Singing Performance

Raghav Chadha gave a roaring shout out to Parineeti Chopra who made her live singing debut at the Mumbai Festival 2024 a couple of days back. Raghav shared a few pictures from Parineeti's concert in which she can be seen singing on stage. The actor can be seen dressed in an all-black outfit. Raghav wrote in the caption, "My rock star, my nightingale, my own personal melody queen - as a trained classical singer with music in your soul-you breathe life into lyrics, Paru! I'm totally in awe (and so excited) as you finally step onto this new path you've been longing to tread since so long. Go ahead and rock the world, my girl! I'm always gonna be here; rooting for you and cheering you on." He added, "Finally the world will get to see the free concerts I get at home everyday. Haha." Parineeti replied to the post and she dropped a few kiss and shy emojis. Take a look at what Raghav Chadha posted:

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A post shared by Raghav Chadha (@raghavchadha88)

A day back, Parineeti shared a BTS video and revealed how Raghav called her to "calm her nerves" before performance. In the video, Parineeti can be heard saying, "Raghav has called me to ask my well-being". Raghav can be heard asking, "Are you excited?" To this, Parineeti replies, " No, I am not, dude." When Parineeti repeatedly says in the video, she is not "set" though the stage is set, Raghav can be heard saying, "The only thing I want to tell you is you have my blessing." After hearing this, Parineeti can be seen laughing out loud.

Parineeti wrote an extensive caption documenting "A day in the life of a debutante musician." She wrote, "1.⁠ ⁠Got a call from @raghavchadha88 to calm my nerves, and it really helped. 2.⁠ ⁠First time on-stage in-ear experience. 3.⁠ ⁠Nope, I was nervous..... and it was hot. 4.⁠ ⁠Can't stress on this enough, MUSIC lifts my mood like nothing else. Is that true for anybody else? 5.⁠ ⁠In a world full of trends, I love my pink fuzzy chappals / shoes. Comfort. 6.⁠ ⁠A bundle of nerves as we got into hair and makeup for the first show. 7.⁠ ⁠I believe in my comfortable chappal shoes, I guess not everyone did. 8.⁠ ⁠Right before we walked on stage.  Take a look at Parineeti's post here:

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A post shared by @parineetichopra

Parineeti shared a few glimpses from her debut stage performance as well. She wrote about her feelings and summed it up with these words, "Andddd it's done....I have tears of joy as I type this: MY FIRST EVER LIVE SINGING PERFORMANCE was last night and it was everythinggg I could wish for and more. Thank you all for the love and kindness you all have shown. It means a lot to me." Take a look:

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A post shared by @parineetichopra

Parineeti Chopra made her playback debut in Meri Pyaari Bindu with the song Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin. Later she sang Teri Mitti for Kesari and Matlabi Yariyan for The Girl On The Train. Parineeti specially recorded a song for her wedding, titled O Piya.

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"Mother, Don't Get Shot": People Run To Safety Amid Fresh Manipur Violence

Visuals of the aftermath of a gunfight between two armed groups on a hill in Manipur have been shared widely on social media. Sources in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in the state capital Imphal said they have received two bodies, and the number of deaths could rise. The Manipur Police in a post on X later confirmed two deaths.

The gunfight broke out on a hill covered with dry, winter shrubs in Koutruk, a village that lies in the foothills about 20 km from Imphal.

In one of the videos that has gone viral, a group of people were seen running for cover on a road in the village. Though no sound of gunfire is heard, the people are heard asking each other to move away from the foothills.

"Ima (mother), don't get shot, please hurry," a man is heard telling some elderly women. "Bullets are raining in Koutruk," the man said, before gesturing to them to move away.

In another video, a group of armed men were seen burning sleeping bags and blankets on a hill, which likely belonged to the people who were killed. Food packets, biscuits, etc were strewn around.

The armed men in olive green battledress fired several shots from assault rifles and yelled in the general direction of the village below. They shouted a stream of expletives on the Chief Minister.

M Barish Sharma, the former state chief of the BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has been hospitalised with a bullet injury on the chest. He was brought to the hospital from Kangpokpi, 45 km from Imphal.

The ethnic violence in Manipur between the hill-majority Kuki-Zo tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis over disagreements on land, resources, political representation, and affirmative action policies has dragged on for nearly nine months now.

With the two communities sharply divided on ethnic lines, the Centre has enforced some semblance of a "buffer" zone between the hill areas where the Kuki-Zo tribes live, and Imphal valley.

The Kuki-Zo tribes say their "village defence volunteers" have been repelling attacks by armed groups from the valley, who come to the hills across the "buffer zone" with obvious intentions.

The Meiteis, however, maintain all fertile agricultural lands in the foothills are under the range of the "so-called Kuki-Zo volunteers", who allegedly have been shooting at farmers to prevent them from harvesting. Four civilians - including a father and a son - from the valley who had gone to collect firewood on a hill near Bishnupur district were allegedly tortured and killed by suspected insurgents on January 11.

A similarity between the village defence volunteers of both sides is that they appear to be well-armed and well-equipped with modern battle gear. The security forces have frequently recovered Russian-origin AK and US-origin M series assault rifles, and gun models commonly used by both the junta's army and pro-democracy insurgents in neighbouring Myanmar.

The Kuki-Zo tribes, who have 10 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur assembly, have been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur since violence broke out in May 2023. They have cited complete breakdown of trust between them and the Meiteis as one of the key reasons behind their push for a separate administration. Over 180 have died in the violence, and thousands have been internally displaced.

For a long time, however, Kuki insurgent groups have been working for separation from Manipur. At least 25 Kuki insurgent groups have signed the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state.

Under the SoO agreement, the insurgents are housed in designated camps. There have been allegations that full attendance at many of the SoO camps has not been observed.

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Jeff Bezos Still Uses Homemade Desk From Early Days Of Launching Amazon

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon still uses a desk he built during the initial days of starting the company, his fiancee Lauren Sanchez revealed in a post on Instagram. In her post, Ms Sanchez shared a picture of Mr Bezos sitting on a chair with his laptop on the table. Alongside, she added an old picture of Mr Bezos with the same desk. 

Along with the post, she wrote, "When I walked in on him working this morning, I took this picture. I just love that he is still working from one of the first desks that have been around since the beginning (see next slide). This is where countless hours of hard work meet the heart of Day One. Here's to the endless pursuit of what's possible."

According to Fox News, Mr Bezos turned a door into a table to save money shortly after setting up Amazon. 

See the post here:

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A post shared by Lauren Sanchez (@laurenwsanchez)

Since being posted on Instagram, it has amassed over 27,000 likes and several comments from the netizens. The social media users were inspired by the post and shared their thoughts in the comments section. 

A user wrote, "I love how nostalgic you both are."

"When you figure out what the definition of hard work is, it becomes part of you," another user commented on the post. 

"That desk will be in a museum one day," the third user wrote. 

"It's heartwarming to see the dedication and perseverance over the years," the fourth user commented. 

"We deeply admire Jeff Bezos for his exemplary work ethics and contributions," the fifth user wrote. 
 

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Fatwa Against Islamic Cleric For Attending Ram Mandir Consecration Ceremony

A fatwa has allegedly been issued against All India Imam Organization chief Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi after he attended the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The Imam said the fatwa was issued on Sunday but that he had been receiving threat calls since the Ram Temple event.

"As a chief Imam, I received the invitation from Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra. I contemplated for two days and then decided to go to Ayodhya for harmony and for the country. The fatwa was issued yesterday but I had been receiving threat calls since the evening of January 22," Ilyasi told ANI on Monday.

The Islamic cleric also claimed that he has been facing protests and receiving threatening calls since he visited the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

"I have recorded a few calls wherein the callers gave me life threats...Those who love me, love the nation will support me. Those who hate me for attending the ceremony should perhaps go to Pakistan. I have given a message of love; I did not do any crime," he added.

He further said that he would neither apologize nor resign and said, "They can do whatever they want."

Earlier on January 22, Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi attended the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya and said that his job is to spread the message of love and harmony.

"This is the face of new India. Our biggest religion is humanity. For us, the nation is first," he said.

The Ram Lalla idol was unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony after the hour-long rituals in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the ceremony.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also present inside the sanctorum during the rituals.

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

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Waited For Months To Seal Seat Sharing But Congress...: Abhishek Banerjee

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday attributed the differences in opposition bloc INDIA in West Bengal to the Congress party's failure to finalise seat-sharing arrangements.

Mr Banerjee highlighted that despite repeated reminders over the last seven months, the Congress remained inactive in sealing the seat-sharing agreement.

The TMC national general secretary slammed West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for playing into the hands of the saffron camp and repeatedly attacking the TMC government in West Bengal, despite being an ally at the national level.

"According to alliance norms, the first thing you do is seal the seat-sharing. We had waited for seven months since July last year to seal the seat-sharing issue. But the Congress was sitting idle and nothing moved forward," he told reporters here.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had last week announced that the party would go alone in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.

"We held multiple discussions with senior Congress leadership. During the last meeting in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee had clarified that seat-sharing talks should be finalised by December 31. However, they did not do so and refrained from participating in any conversation," he said.

The TMC leader said the seat-sharing issue was also raised at meetings in Patna, Bengaluru, and even in the last meeting.

The Diamond Harbour MP, who is also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, slammed Mr Chowdhury for "demanding President's Rule in the state," echoing the demands of the BJP.

"By demanding President's Rule, whose interest is the state Congress president trying to serve - the TMC, the Congress or the BJP? There is a limit to our patience," he said.

The TMC leader, however, iterated that the "party continues to be a part of the opposition bloc INDIA at the national level." Hitting out at the Congress for accusing Mamata Banerjee as the "Trojan horse of the saffron camp", Mr Banerjee wondered, "when the state Congress is speaking in the language of the BJP, then who the Trojan horse of the saffron camp is?" How many times has Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury condemned the financial deprivation of Bengal by the BJP? There is a limit to our patience. The woman who is fighting against BJP is being challenged by state Congress leadership," he said.

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

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Waited For Months To Seal Seat Sharing But Congress...: Abhishek Banerjee

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday attributed the differences in opposition bloc INDIA in West Bengal to the Congress party's failure to finalise seat-sharing arrangements.

Mr Banerjee highlighted that despite repeated reminders over the last seven months, the Congress remained inactive in sealing the seat-sharing agreement.

The TMC national general secretary slammed West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for playing into the hands of the saffron camp and repeatedly attacking the TMC government in West Bengal, despite being an ally at the national level.

"According to alliance norms, the first thing you do is seal the seat-sharing. We had waited for seven months since July last year to seal the seat-sharing issue. But the Congress was sitting idle and nothing moved forward," he told reporters here.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had last week announced that the party would go alone in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.

"We held multiple discussions with senior Congress leadership. During the last meeting in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee had clarified that seat-sharing talks should be finalised by December 31. However, they did not do so and refrained from participating in any conversation," he said.

The TMC leader said the seat-sharing issue was also raised at meetings in Patna, Bengaluru, and even in the last meeting.

The Diamond Harbour MP, who is also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, slammed Mr Chowdhury for "demanding President's Rule in the state," echoing the demands of the BJP.

"By demanding President's Rule, whose interest is the state Congress president trying to serve - the TMC, the Congress or the BJP? There is a limit to our patience," he said.

The TMC leader, however, iterated that the "party continues to be a part of the opposition bloc INDIA at the national level." Hitting out at the Congress for accusing Mamata Banerjee as the "Trojan horse of the saffron camp", Mr Banerjee wondered, "when the state Congress is speaking in the language of the BJP, then who the Trojan horse of the saffron camp is?" How many times has Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury condemned the financial deprivation of Bengal by the BJP? There is a limit to our patience. The woman who is fighting against BJP is being challenged by state Congress leadership," he said.

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

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Trump Can't "Bully" His Way To Party's Nomination: Nikki Haley

Donald Trump wants to "bully" his way to the Republican presidential nomination, his sole remaining challenger Nikki Haley said Sunday, as she accused the party leadership of seeking to declare him the nominee prematurely.

Haley lost the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary but has vowed to stay in the contest, despite Trump's insistence -- backed by some top Republican Party leaders -- that the race is over.

"He can't bully his way through the nomination," Haley said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Haley noted that the nominating process was still in its earliest stages -- Republicans have voted only in Iowa and New Hampshire so far -- and suggested that Trump had pressured the Republican National Committee (RNC) to back him much too soon.

"You can't do that based on just two states," she said.

The former South Carolina governor took particular aim at the RNC for throwing the national party's support -- and resources -- behind Trump soon after the New Hampshire vote.

The voters' will was "very clear," RNC chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News on Tuesday. "We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump."

But with 48 states yet to vote, Haley told NBC, "I don't think this is the place of the RNC... I think that Trump overstepped when he pushed them to do it."

Haley suggested that she expected to stay in the race at least until so-called Super Tuesday on March 5, when voters in 16 states and US territories cast ballots in what can be a decisive exercise.

The next Republican primary is in Haley's home state of South Carolina, on February 24. But most Republican legislators there have thrown their weight behind Trump, and polls suggest he could defeat the former governor by an overwhelming margin.

Haley intimated on NBC that even a loss there would not necessarily knock her out of the race, saying she simply needed to do better than she had in New Hampshire, where she lost to Trump by 11 points.

"We're going to keep on going and see where this gets us," she said. "I take it one state at a time."

Haley also brushed aside suggestions she might be staying in the race in hopes that Trump's many legal problems, or perhaps his health, might leave an opening for a challenger.

"I've never stayed in this race because of court cases," she said.

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

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Trump Can't "Bully" His Way To Party's Nomination: Nikki Haley

Donald Trump wants to "bully" his way to the Republican presidential nomination, his sole remaining challenger Nikki Haley said Sunday, as she accused the party leadership of seeking to declare him the nominee prematurely.

Haley lost the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary but has vowed to stay in the contest, despite Trump's insistence -- backed by some top Republican Party leaders -- that the race is over.

"He can't bully his way through the nomination," Haley said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Haley noted that the nominating process was still in its earliest stages -- Republicans have voted only in Iowa and New Hampshire so far -- and suggested that Trump had pressured the Republican National Committee (RNC) to back him much too soon.

"You can't do that based on just two states," she said.

The former South Carolina governor took particular aim at the RNC for throwing the national party's support -- and resources -- behind Trump soon after the New Hampshire vote.

The voters' will was "very clear," RNC chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News on Tuesday. "We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump."

But with 48 states yet to vote, Haley told NBC, "I don't think this is the place of the RNC... I think that Trump overstepped when he pushed them to do it."

Haley suggested that she expected to stay in the race at least until so-called Super Tuesday on March 5, when voters in 16 states and US territories cast ballots in what can be a decisive exercise.

The next Republican primary is in Haley's home state of South Carolina, on February 24. But most Republican legislators there have thrown their weight behind Trump, and polls suggest he could defeat the former governor by an overwhelming margin.

Haley intimated on NBC that even a loss there would not necessarily knock her out of the race, saying she simply needed to do better than she had in New Hampshire, where she lost to Trump by 11 points.

"We're going to keep on going and see where this gets us," she said. "I take it one state at a time."

Haley also brushed aside suggestions she might be staying in the race in hopes that Trump's many legal problems, or perhaps his health, might leave an opening for a challenger.

"I've never stayed in this race because of court cases," she said.

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

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Businessman Conspired With Lalu Yadav In Land-For-Jobs Case: Probe Agency

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has stated that businessman Amit Katyal, in connivance with RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav, hatched a conspiracy to incorporate a company in ROC Delhi and buy land parcels situated in Bihar from prospective job seekers.

ED said that Amit Katyal hatched this conspiracy when Lalu Prasad Yadav was holding the Railways Ministry portfolio at the Centre.

Advocate Manish Jain appeared for the Enforcement Directorate and submitted before the Court that Amit Katyal knowingly aided and assisted Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members in the process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime--by way of the acquisition of the proceeds of crime, concealing the proceeds of crime and then projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted.

"In doing so, he concealed the proceeds of crime from their true origin. While doing so, he knowingly and consciously projected the receipt of Proceeds of Crime as a legitimate transaction by keeping the shareholding of AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd with himself to conceal the illegal gratification and later on transferring it to Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi," Advocate Manish Jain added.

Amit Katyal shielded the real beneficiary of the PoC and then, while transferring the PoC to its real beneficiary, projected the transaction as a normal business transaction, thus indulging in the offence of money laundering, the ED lawyer said.

In the matter, ED, through its lawyer, alleged that Bihar's former Chief Minister Rabri Devi played an instrumental role in the acquisition of proceeds of crime and further usage of proceeds of crime to integrate proceeds of crime in the mainstream economy to project the acquisition of POC as untainted.

According to the Enforcement Directorate, Hema Yadav, daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav, also acquired Proceeds of Crime under the garb of gifts received from relatives while concealing the real origin of proceeds of crime generated from the scheduled offence. She was actively involved in the process of money laundering as she was the recipient of sale proceeds generated from land parcels, i.e., an original form of POC and later transferred the sale proceeds to her family members through a maze of transactions. A firm controlled by her family members was the ultimate beneficiary of this POC, where P0C was used in day-to-day business activity.

On Saturday, after going through the recent prosecution complaint filed by ED and submissions made by ED Lawyer Manish Jain, Special Judge Vishal Gogne issued summons to all the accused named in the prosecution complaint, including Rabri Devi's two daughters, Misha Bharti and Hema Yadav and others.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne issued summons to the accused persons after taking the Cognizance of Chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The court issued a production warrant to produce Amit Katyal on the next date of hearing. Two firms, namely AK Infosystem and AB Export, have also been accused in this case.

The next date of hearing is February 9.

While taking cognizance of the chargesheet, the court said that there is sufficient material to take cognizance.

ED's had submitted that in 2006-07, A K Infosystem was formed by Amit Katyal and its business was IT data analysis. No real business was done. Instead, several land parcels were bought by the company. One land parcel pertains to the main predicate offence, which is land for a job.

Advocate Manish Jain, special public prosecutor (SPP) for ED, submitted that Amit Katyal is the only arrested accused. Other accused are Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, A K Infosystem, A B export and Hridyanand Chaudhary. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a Prosecution Complaint (Chargesheet) in Land for job scam money laundering case.

ED has named Bihar's former CM Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and Amit Katyal. Two firms, AB Export and AK Infosystems, have also been accused.

Advocates Manish Jain and Ishan Baisla also submitted that A B Export was supposed to be in the business of export. It was incorporated in 1996. In 2007, Rs. five crore came through five companies and a property in the New Friends colony was purchased.

According to the ED, the PMLA investigation conducted so far has revealed that several pieces of land at prominent locations in Patna and other areas were illegally acquired by the family of the then Rail Mantri, Lalu Prasad Yadav, in lieu of jobs provided by the railways.

Further, investigation under PMLA revealed that the property situated at New Friends Colony, Delhi (independent 4-storey bungalow registered in the name of AB Exports Private Limited, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and family) was shown to have been acquired at a value of mere Rs 4 lakhs, the present market value of which is approximately Rs 150 Crore.

It is suspected that a huge amount of cash or proceeds from crime has been infused into purchasing this property and a few Mumbai-based entities dealing in the gems and jewellery sector were used to channel ill-gotten proceeds from crime in this regard. The property has been, on paper, declared the offices of AB Exports Private Limited and AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd.; it is being exclusively used as residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, a statement said.

During the searches, Tejasvi Prasad Yadav was found to be staying at this house and was found to be using this house as his residential property.

An ED investigation has found that four parcels of land acquired by the family of Lalu Yadav in just Rs 7.5 lakh from poor Group-D applicants were sold to Syed Abu Dojana, a former RJD MLA, by Rabri Devi with huge gains of Rs 3.5 crore in a collusive deal.

ED investigation further revealed that a major portion of the amount thus received was transferred to the account of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Investigations revealed that, in a similar fashion, lands were taken from several poor parents and candidates in lieu of Group D jobs in the railways. It has been revealed during the investigation that in many railway zones, more than 50 per cent of recruited candidates were from Lalu Yadav families' constituencies, ED said.

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

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Trump Ordered To Pay $83 Million To Writer In Sex Assault Defamation Case

A jury in New York ordered former US president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump on Friday to pay $83.3 million to compensate the writer E. Jean Carroll whom he was found to have sexually assaulted and defamed.

The civil order, which prompted an audible gasp in the federal court, far exceeds the more than $10 million in damages for defamation that Carroll had sought.

Trump lashed out almost immediately calling the verdict "ridiculous" in a statement and promising to appeal.

The jury reached its decision after slightly less than three hours of deliberations.

Trump had been in court earlier, storming out at one point to subsequently return for closing arguments. He was not in court when the level of compensatory and punitive damages were read out by a court clerk.

Following the verdict, Trump's lawyer Alina Habba spoke only to thank court staff. A juror exchanged a smile with Carroll as the nine men and women left the courtroom after the judge encouraged them to protect their privacy.

"It's clear to me... you paid attention," Judge Lewis Kaplan told the jury following the verdict.

The order was comprised of $65 million punitive damages after the jury found Trump acted maliciously in his many public comments about Carroll, $7.3 million in compensatory damages, and $11 million for a reputational repair program.

Trump -- whom a jury found liable for sexual assault of Carroll in a separate federal civil case in New York -- used his Truth Social platform to fire off a spate of insulting messages attacking Carroll, the trial, and the judge, whom he called "an extremely abusive individual."

Trump, 77, briefly took the stand on Thursday to deny he instructed anyone to harm Carroll with his statements.

During Trump's testimony, Judge Lewis Kaplan limited him to three questions from his lawyers, to which he could only answer yes or no -- a precaution taken to prevent the Republican leader from returning to his custom of disparaging the court or Carroll in public.

"This is not America," Trump said as he left the courtroom following his short appearance.

He was not required to attend the trial or to testify. However, he has used the case, as well as others he faces, to generate heated media coverage and to fuel his claims of being victimized as he campaigns for a return to the White House in November's election.

Trump separately faces multiple criminal cases, including his alleged attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden, and a civil business fraud case.

- Courtroom tension -

Habba sought to have the case thrown out Thursday on the grounds that threatening messages targeting Carroll, which have been aired in the case, began on social media before Trump's 2019 comments. Her request was denied.

Jurors were shown Trump's October 2022 deposition during which he confused a picture of Carroll for his former wife Marla Maples, which threatened to cast doubt on his claim Carroll was not his "type."

Last year, another federal jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996 and subsequently defaming her in 2022, when he called her a "complete con job."

Trump had been in court while he campaigned ahead of the New Hampshire primary, which he won handily over his only remaining challenger Nikki Haley, as he closes in on becoming the Republican candidate in the November election against Biden.

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

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France's Macron Visits Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Dargah Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi on Friday evening, officials said.

Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations at Delhi's Kartavya Path.

He reached the almost 700-year-old shrine -- the nerve centre of Sufi culture in India -- at 9.45 pm and remained there for more than half an hour, they said.

The dargah is the mausoleum of the famous Sufi Nizamuddin Auliya and his disciple Amir Khusrau.

Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu received her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a banquet in his honour.

Welcoming President Emmanuel Macron, she said the leaders of the two countries being guests of honour in each other's successive National Day parade and celebrations, is a historic moment, and "a symbol of the depth of our friendship and the strength of our partnership".

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

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Viral Video Shows 3,000 Engineers Queuing Up For Job Interview In Pune

In a viral video, over 3,000 engineers were seen queuing outside a Pune-based company for a recent walk-in drive targeting junior developer positions, typically sought by freshers. 

The event garnered immense interest, with more than 2,900 resumes submitted. Hinjawadi, known for attracting IT talent, witnessed long queues, each hopeful engineer holding their resume. 

The video, widely shared on social media, has sparked discussions about the evolving IT job market and challenges faced by young professionals.

Despite Pune's vibrant IT sector, the overwhelming response for around 100 positions raises concerns about skills training, automation impact, and the need for job market diversification in India. 

The incident highlights the intense competition affecting both recent graduates and experienced professionals.

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A post shared by job4software (@job4software)

Following the viral spread of the video across various platforms, a lively discussion erupted in the comment section, attracting numerous social media users eager to share their perspectives.

"An IT company collecting CVs in an analog manner is the height of irony," commented a user.

A user pointed out, "If you think this queue is bad, try applying for a job at a Canadian grocery store; their lines are longer than this."

Adding a touch of humor to the conversation, a third user quipped, "Where's that uncle who said to complete your engineering, and after that, everything will be fine?"

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/dFAJ9ye

Viral Video Shows 3,000 Engineers Queuing Up For Job Interview In Pune

In a viral video, over 3,000 engineers were seen queuing outside a Pune-based company for a recent walk-in drive targeting junior developer positions, typically sought by freshers. 

The event garnered immense interest, with more than 2,900 resumes submitted. Hinjawadi, known for attracting IT talent, witnessed long queues, each hopeful engineer holding their resume. 

The video, widely shared on social media, has sparked discussions about the evolving IT job market and challenges faced by young professionals.

Despite Pune's vibrant IT sector, the overwhelming response for around 100 positions raises concerns about skills training, automation impact, and the need for job market diversification in India. 

The incident highlights the intense competition affecting both recent graduates and experienced professionals.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by job4software (@job4software)

Following the viral spread of the video across various platforms, a lively discussion erupted in the comment section, attracting numerous social media users eager to share their perspectives.

"An IT company collecting CVs in an analog manner is the height of irony," commented a user.

A user pointed out, "If you think this queue is bad, try applying for a job at a Canadian grocery store; their lines are longer than this."

Adding a touch of humor to the conversation, a third user quipped, "Where's that uncle who said to complete your engineering, and after that, everything will be fine?"

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/dFAJ9ye

Masala Tea At Shop, UPI Payment, Roadshow: When PM, Macron Met

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron took part Thursday in a roadshow in the Pink City, where the visitor was presented a replica of Ayodhya's Ram temple and offered masala chai from a teashop before the leaders sat down for bilateral talks.

Macron, who is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on January 26, also visited the hilltop Amber Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and Hawa Mahal in a carefully curated tour that ended at an iconic palace-turned-hotel.

In the evening, the two leaders were driven in an open-top vehicle through a short stretch in the heart of the city, beginning from Jantar Mantar, the 18th century astronomical observatory which is now a Unesco heritage site.

They stood in the vehicle, chatting and waving at people who lined the route.

For the PM, it was the first visit to the city after the swearing-in of Bhajanlal Sharma who took over as the Rajasthan chief minister after the BJP victory in the recent assembly polls.

PM Modi and Macron got down in front of the breezy Hawa Mahal. They admired the lit-up five-storey building with nearly 1,000 windows and 'jharokhas'.

The two leaders visited a handicrafts shop in the area. PM Modi, who led the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's new Ram Mandir this week, bought a small replica of the temple for the guest, according to the shopkeeper.

He paid Rs 500 for the artifact -- digitally, through UPI.

And "Sahu chaiwala", who had set up a temporary stall for the occasion, accepted Rs 2 as token payment for the masala tea offered to the leaders. Again, the payment was digital.

The two leaders boarded the open-top vehicle again to continue the roadshow up to Sanganeri Gate. From there, they were to be driven to Rambagh Palace for dinner and the bilateral talks.

Earlier, in the afternoon, the French delegation was received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the Jaipur airport.

A couple of hours later, PM Modi, who was on a visit to Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, also reached Jaipur. He met up with Macron at Jantar Mantar, where the two shook hands, hugged and then took a brief tour of the observatory.

Before this meeting, Macron had already ticked off Amber Palace on his Jaipur itinerary. His delegation had headed straight from the airport to the fort, the seat of Kachhwa Rajputs before Jaipur was founded nearby.

A red carpet was laid out and caparisoned elephants lined up at the fort for the French president.

Macron interacted there with a group of children. The delegation also browsed through artifacts on display at the temporary stalls set up near the entrance.

S Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were at the fort.

Cutouts and hoardings were earlier put up at several locations in Jaipur around the sites PM Modi and Macron were set to visit.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/kQTP6OR

Masala Tea At Shop, UPI Payment, Roadshow: When PM, Macron Met

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron took part Thursday in a roadshow in the Pink City, where the visitor was presented a replica of Ayodhya's Ram temple and offered masala chai from a teashop before the leaders sat down for bilateral talks.

Macron, who is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on January 26, also visited the hilltop Amber Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and Hawa Mahal in a carefully curated tour that ended at an iconic palace-turned-hotel.

In the evening, the two leaders were driven in an open-top vehicle through a short stretch in the heart of the city, beginning from Jantar Mantar, the 18th century astronomical observatory which is now a Unesco heritage site.

They stood in the vehicle, chatting and waving at people who lined the route.

For the PM, it was the first visit to the city after the swearing-in of Bhajanlal Sharma who took over as the Rajasthan chief minister after the BJP victory in the recent assembly polls.

PM Modi and Macron got down in front of the breezy Hawa Mahal. They admired the lit-up five-storey building with nearly 1,000 windows and 'jharokhas'.

The two leaders visited a handicrafts shop in the area. PM Modi, who led the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's new Ram Mandir this week, bought a small replica of the temple for the guest, according to the shopkeeper.

He paid Rs 500 for the artifact -- digitally, through UPI.

And "Sahu chaiwala", who had set up a temporary stall for the occasion, accepted Rs 2 as token payment for the masala tea offered to the leaders. Again, the payment was digital.

The two leaders boarded the open-top vehicle again to continue the roadshow up to Sanganeri Gate. From there, they were to be driven to Rambagh Palace for dinner and the bilateral talks.

Earlier, in the afternoon, the French delegation was received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the Jaipur airport.

A couple of hours later, PM Modi, who was on a visit to Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, also reached Jaipur. He met up with Macron at Jantar Mantar, where the two shook hands, hugged and then took a brief tour of the observatory.

Before this meeting, Macron had already ticked off Amber Palace on his Jaipur itinerary. His delegation had headed straight from the airport to the fort, the seat of Kachhwa Rajputs before Jaipur was founded nearby.

A red carpet was laid out and caparisoned elephants lined up at the fort for the French president.

Macron interacted there with a group of children. The delegation also browsed through artifacts on display at the temporary stalls set up near the entrance.

S Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were at the fort.

Cutouts and hoardings were earlier put up at several locations in Jaipur around the sites PM Modi and Macron were set to visit.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/kQTP6OR

"Raha's Parents...": Neetu's Shout Out To Alia-Ranbir After Love & War Announcement

The news of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bansali for his new film Love & War has made Ranbir Kapoor's mom Neetu Kapoor immensely happy and her latest Instagram post stands as proof. Moments after Alia Bhatt shared the news of her featuring in Sanjay Leela Bansali's epic sage Love & War along with her husband Ranbir Kapoor and actor Vicky Kaushal, Neetu Kapoor reshared the post on her Instagram wall. In her loud shout out to her kids, Neetu Kapoor wrote, "Love & War! Raha's parents, you both make me so proud with my all time favourite film maker #SANJAYLEELABHANSALI. Can't wait to see your magic #VickyKaushal."

See what Neetu Kapoor posted:

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A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54)

Earlier in the day, the happy news was shared by the actors Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt on their respective Instagram pages. Sharing the post, Vicky wrote, “An eternal cinema dream has come true. #SanjayLeelaBhansali #RanbirKapoor @aliaabhatt @prerna_singh6 @bhansaliproductions # Love & War.” Vicky's post got big love from his brother Sunny and dad Sham Kaushal. Sunny commented, "Je baat," while dad Sham Kaushal wrote, "Congratulations & blessings Puttar. Dreams do come true. Feeling so happy & blessed. Jor di jhappi. Shukar Rab da te sab da(a tight hug. Big thanks to the god and everyone else)."

For the unversed,  Love & War marks the filmmaker's first film with Vicky Kaushal. He has however worked with Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Ranbir Kapoor in his debut film Saawariya.  Love & War will hit the theatres  on Christmas of 2025.

Check out the poster below:

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A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt have previously worked together in Meghna Gulzar's Raazi, while he worked alongside the actress' husband Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju.  Love & War will also mark celeb couple Ranbir and Alia's second film after Brahmastra.

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