According to a news agency, nine soldiers were killed in a crash of two US Army Black Hawk helicopters during a routine training mission over Kentucky. Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, when the aircraft crashed late on Wednesday over Kentucky's Trigg County, Fort Campbell's public affairs office said.The numbers of babies born with syphilis in Canada are rising at a far faster rate than recorded in the United States or Europe, an increase public health experts said is driven by increased methamphetamine use and lack of access to the public health system for Indigenous people.
While syphilis has made a global resurgence over the last five years, Canada is an outlier among wealthy nations in its rate of increase: 13-fold over five years, according to Health Canada. The incidence of babies born with syphilis reached 26 per 100,000 live births in 2021, the most recent year available, up from 2 in 2017, according to the Health Canada data.
That total is on track to increase further in 2022, according to the preliminary government data obtained by Reuters.
Babies with congenital syphilis are at higher risk of low birthweight, bone malformations and sensory difficulties, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Syphilis in pregnancy is the second-leading cause of stillbirth worldwide, the WHO said.
Yet congenital syphilis is easily preventable if an infected person gets access to penicillin during their pregnancy.
Among the G7 group of wealthier nations for which data is available, only the United States had a higher incidence of syphilis at birth: 74 per 100,000 live births in 2021, triple the rate in 2017, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There were 2,677 cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 for a population of 332 million, according to preliminary CDC data. Canada had 96 cases for a population of 38 million, according to Health Canada.
People experiencing poverty, homelessness and drug use, and those with inadequate access to the health system, are more likely to contract syphilis through unsafe sex and pass it to their babies, public health researchers said.
"In high-income countries you see it in pockets of disadvantaged populations," said Teodora Elvira Wi, who works in the WHO's HIV, Hepatitis and sexually transmitted infection program.
"It's a marker of inequality. It's a marker of low-quality prenatal care."
What sets Canada apart are its Indigenous populations who experience discrimination and often have poor access to health and social services, said Sean Rourke, a scientist with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, who focuses on prevention of sexually transmitted disease.
"It's just the whole system, and all the things that we've done in bad ways not to support Indigenous communities," he said.
Health Canada told Reuters it has dispatched epidemiologists to help provinces contain the increase in congenital syphilis. Spokesperson Joshua Coke said the federal government is expanding testing and treatment access in Indigenous communities.
Tessa, an Indigenous 28-year-old woman who asked to be identified only by her middle name, said she had a years-long crystal meth addiction and was homeless when she got pregnant in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
"I would be walking down the street just crying: 'Why am I living like this?'" she told Reuters.
She said she received no prenatal care until she went into labor in November, which is when she tested positive for HIV and syphilis during a routine test.
Her daughter was prescribed a 10-day course of antibiotics, administered by IV, and is now healthy, Tessa said. But she still thinks about the difficulties she experienced in accessing prenatal care.
"Having transportation, maybe, and a place to live, and being sober, probably would have helped, big time," she said.
Susanne Nicolay, nurse lead at Wellness Wheel clinic in Regina, Saskatchewan, which serves Indigenous and vulnerable populations, said providers needed to do more to expand access to health care. "The system always talks about patients that are hard to reach. But I think it's health providers that are hard to reach," she said.
'MULTIPLE FAILURES'
A lot needs to go wrong for a baby to be born with syphilis, said Jared Bullard, a Manitoba pediatrician who has been researching babies born with syphilis since 2021 in an ongoing study for the Public Health Agency of Canada.
"It's pointing at multiple failures along the path," he said.
In Canada, the rise in babies born with syphilis is concentrated in the three prairie provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Prairie provinces have higher crystal meth use and remote populations and Indigenous populations who may have trouble accessing health care, Bullard said.
Manitoba recorded the highest rate, with about 371 cases per 100,000 live births in 2021.
The province said in an emailed statement that it is expanding training for health care providers in addressing sexually transmitted infections, encouraging frequent testing and early treatment. It is digitizing its records of STI infections.
Saskatchewan has launched a public awareness campaign urging people to practice safe sex and get tested, said Dale Hunter, a spokesperson for the provincial health ministry. The province had an incidence of 185 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,00 live births in 2021.
Alberta said women aged 15-29 made up more than half of what it called a "significant increase" in syphilis rates. "The reasons for the increase are not fully known, but it is likely that a variety of factors have contributed to this rise," Alberta Health Services spokesperson James Wood said.
In preliminary results of a study of 165 infants exposed to syphilis, Bullard and fellow pediatrician Carsten Krueger found at least two-thirds were born to women reporting a history of substance abuse.
About 45% of the women identified as Indigenous and another 40% had no ethnicity recorded. Indigenous people make up about 5% of the Canadian population, according to census data.
About a quarter of the people in the study did not get tested because they got no prenatal care; about one-fifth of those who tested positive did not get treated. Bullard said he has also seen people get treated early in pregnancy and then get re-infected.
Public health researchers and clinicians said the rates of congenital syphilis began increasing before the pandemic and worsened as public health agencies diverted resources to COVID-19 testing and other pandemic-related health measures.
"All of the social circumstances that contributed to this have just gotten worse over the pandemic,” said Ameeta Singh, an infectious diseases specialist with an HIV/STI practice in Edmonton, Alberta.
This month Health Canada approved a syphilis and HIV test that can provide results in less than a minute, allowing providers to begin treatment right away.
Some public health researchers and providers are urging the Canadian government to buy and distribute the tests.
"We probably need a million tests to get out there around the country," Rourke said. "The solution's right in front of us."
Health Canada did not respond when asked about purchasing test kits.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Six people from two families -- one of Romanian descent with Canadian passports, the other from India -- were found dead in a marsh near the Canada-US border after trying to cross illegally into the United States, police said Friday.
Their bodies were discovered late Thursday near a capsized boat belonging to a missing man from the Akwesasne Mohawk community, local deputy police chief Lee-Ann O'Brien told a news conference.
"The six individuals are believed to be from two families, one of Romanian descent and the other believed to be citizens of India," she said, adding that they include five adults and one child under the age of three.
"All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the US from Canada," she said.
O'Brien added that a second infant whose passport was recovered from one of the bodies appears to also be missing and police dive teams were continuing to search.
The Mohawk tribal territory straddles the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and the US state of New York.
The first body was found during an aerial search of the area.
Authorities are waiting on autopsy as well as toxicology test results to determine the cause of death.
O'Brien noted a recent "increase in people passing through Akwesasne gaining entry into the US," with 48 crossings since the start of the year.
Once landing on the US side, they are typically picked up on shore and transported by vehicle into New York State, she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
According to a news agency, nine soldiers were killed in a crash of two US Army Black Hawk helicopters during a routine training mission over Kentucky. Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, when the aircraft crashed late on Wednesday over Kentucky's Trigg County, Fort Campbell's public affairs office said.Eleven people were killed in a stampede during the distribution of food aid in Pakistan's Karachi on Friday, a health official said, one of several such incidents in recent weeks as the country's economic crisis bites.
The dead included five women and three children, police said, while five other people were hospitalised following the incident, which occurred at a charity-run distribution site set up at a local factory.
Thousands of people have gathered at flour distribution centres set up across the country, some as part of a government-backed programme to ease the impact of inflation, which is running above 30%, a 50-year high.
At least five other people have been killed and several injured in recent weeks at sites in other provinces in Pakistan. Thousands of bags of flour have also been looted from trucks and distribution points, according to official records.
The stampedes underscore people's desperation in the face of soaring costs, exacerbated by Pakistan's falling currency and a removal of subsidies agreed with the International Monetary Fund to unlock the latest tranche of its financial support packages.
The costs of basic goods have surged, with flour prices rising more than 45% in the past year.
The Pakistani government has launched the flour distribution programme to reach millions of families in need during the month of Ramadan that began last week.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
It was a photo-op moment to melt the stoniest of hearts. The Khans attended the gala opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai on Friday night and while Shah Rukh skipped the red carpet, Salman and Aamir didn't. Neither did SRK's family – wife Gauri, son Aryan and daughter Suhana posed together for the cameras and were then joined by Salman, last seen reprising his role of super spy Tiger in SRK's film Pathaan. The quartet chatted and smiled for pictures as flashbulbs popped.
Salman also posed for a picture with Aryan.
Shah Rukh Khan, who regularly skips red carpets of late, likely attended the event – this picture was posted by his manager Pooja Dadlani.
SRK and Salman, playing spies, shared two blockbuster scenes in this year's big release Pathaan and are expected to appear in more film set in the Yash Raj Spy Universe together.
The third of the Khan triumvirate, Aamir, was at the event as well with sons Junaid and Azad and daughter Ira who was escorted by her fiancé Nupur Shikhare.
Literally everyone who is anyone was at the opening of the new cultural centre – Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas flew in rom Los Angeles, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh held hands, Aishwarya and daughter Aaradhya represented the Bachchans, Alia Bhatt was there as were Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. Newlyweds Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani attended as well and so did Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput. Best of all was the appearance of Rajinikanth, almost never spotted at social occasions.
Pakistan debt crisis: At least 11 people, including women, have died while trying to get free flour from government distribution outlets in Pakistan's Punjab province in recent days, authorities said. The deaths were reported after several people flocked to the government distribution points after the cash-strapped Pakistani government introduced a free flour scheme for the poor, especially in Punjab province, to beat the skyrocketing inflation. A young mother of five children in the UK has reported that a significant dumping issue in her home is the reason why her son is frequently becoming sick and using antibiotics.
She said that for seven years, there was mould in each of the three bedrooms of her Whitstable home.
According to KentLive, the 31-year-old has two sets of twins, aged three and nine, and another child who is 12. However, one of the nine-year-olds has an immunoglobulin A (IGA) deficiency. IGA is an antibody found in the inner lining of the nose, airways, and gut, which means a deficiency could make someone more susceptible to catching diseases and illnesses.
"I have had a severe mould problem for seven years now, and the council is constantly doing pointless work that is not solving it," she said.
Yet the council claimed that the first notice of mould in the house it received was in November of last year, and that it has plans in place to help address the problem.
"Initial treatment work and repointing took place in December. More substantial work, including thermoboarding, is booked in for early May, and we were in touch with her yesterday about the installation of a passive ventilation system," a Canterbury City Council spokesman said.
According to the National Health Service of the UK, if you have damp and mould in your home, you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies, or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
It further stated that some people are more sensitive than others, including babies and children,older people, those with existing skin problems, those with respiratory problems, and those with a weakened immune system, such as those having chemotherapy.
Pakistan debt crisis: At least 11 people, including women, have died while trying to get free flour from government distribution outlets in Pakistan's Punjab province in recent days, authorities said. The deaths were reported after several people flocked to the government distribution points after the cash-strapped Pakistani government introduced a free flour scheme for the poor, especially in Punjab province, to beat the skyrocketing inflation. US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken on Thursday requested the Americans living in Russia to leave the country "immediately", after the reporter was arrested in Moscow.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Blinken said, "We are deeply concerned over Russia's announcement it has detained a U.S. citizen journalist. The @StateDept's highest priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. If you are a U.S. citizen living or travelling in Russia - please leave immediately."
These remarks came after an American reporter for Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, according to Al-Jazeera.
In a statement, Mr Blinken said, "We are deeply concerned over Russia's widely-reported detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support."
"In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin's continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices," the statement added.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also expressed concern over the arrest of Evan Gershkovich in Russia. She also stated that last night, White House and State Department Officials spoke with Gershkovich's employer, the Wall Street Journal.
"The Administration has also been in contact with his family. Furthermore, the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Gershkovich," the press secretary said in a tweet.
"The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable. We condemn the detention of Gershkovich in the strongest terms. We also condemn the Russian government's continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press," she added.
She also stated that the US government should heed the warning to not travel to Russia.
US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as the State Department continues to advise, Ms Pierre tweeted.
WSJ in a statement said, "The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Gershkovich."
The Federal Security Service (FSB), a top KGB successor agency, said that the WSJ reporter was detained from the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while he allegedly tried to obtain classified information.
In a statement, the FSB said, "Gershkovich acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex", read a WSJ report.
The FSB has also alleged that Mr Gershkovich "was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret", according to Al-Jazeera.
The local media stated that he was covering the war in Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group before getting detained.
The mention of the date of arrest was not there in its statement, however, Mr Gershkovich could be imprisoned for about 20 years if he gets convicted of espionage.
Ever since the Cold War, he is the first journalist from an American news organisation to be detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, and his detention comes at a time of intense international concern due to the conflict in Ukraine, according to Al-Jazeera.
Mr Gershkovich covers Russia and Ukraine and was duly accredited as a journalist as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal's Moscow office.
His most recent assessment, which was released last week, concentrated on the stagnation of the Russian economy in the face of Western sanctions.
The Wall Street Journal hired Evan Gershkovich, 31, who was formerly employed by AFP in Moscow. Before, he worked as a reporter for The Moscow Times, according to his bio in Wall Street Journal.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Attention please as the OG fashion queen Rekha is here. The veteran star arrived at Dior's pre-fall fashion show in one of her most beautiful saree, and we just can't take our eyes off her. Rekha opted for a red and golden saree with a golden handbag for the event. She styled her hair into a neat bun with gajara and sported statement jewellery. Rekha looked evergreen as ever and happily posed for the shutterbugs in style. Check out the pictures below:
Last night, Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Creative Director of Christian Dior, met Rekha for the first time. She shared a picture with her on her Instagram handle and wrote, "I was so touched to meet the iconic Rekha gi (ji) last night for the first time. India's most iconic woman and incredible actress. I am so grateful you have joined us last night, it was a true honour." In the image, Rekha looks elegant as ever in a white saree, while Maria Grazia Chiuri looks pretty in a black ensemble paired with a white embroidered jacket.
Soon after she shared the image, the fans flooded the comment section. A user wrote, "Two icons in a frame." "Oh yes she is the OG," a second comment read. "You met a living Goddess," another fan wrote. "The Asian timeless style icon," wrote another fan.
Take a look below:
Other celebs who attended the fashion gala in Mumbai were Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli, the Kapoor cousins Sonam, Arjun and Khushi, Ananya Panday, Isha Ambani-Radhika Merchant, Mira Rajput and Shweta Bachchan, to name a few.
Vancouver: In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin man killed a 37-year man outside Canada's Vancouver Starbucks cafe on Sunday, Global News reported.The EU has removed Pakistan from its list of "High-Risk Third Countries" that do not have a robust anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing regime, a move welcomed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday as a major development which would facilitate the cash-strapped country's businesses.
The developments come as a much-needed breather when Pakistan faces an economic crisis.
The EU's delegation in Pakistan termed it an "important positive step" for Pakistan.
"In line with last year's FATF (Financial Action Task Force) decision, the EU has decided to remove Pakistan from its list of countries with high risk regarding money laundering and financing of terrorism," it said on Twitter.
It was referring to the decision by the global money laundering and financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to remove Pakistan from its list of countries under "increased monitoring".
In a statement announcing the news on Wednesday, Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce said the listing of Pakistan in 2018 had resulted in creating a regulatory burden affecting Pakistani companies doing business with the 27-member bloc.
Pakistan was included on the list in 2018, placing the country under additional regulatory restrictions.
The list includes countries that the European Union considers to have strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks.
Prime Minister Sharif in a Twitter post said that the decision would facilitate the country's businesses, individuals and entities.
"De-listing of Pakistan from EU's updated list of high-risk third-countries is a major development which would facilitate our businesses, individuals and entities," the Pakistan leader tweeted.
PM Shehbaz also said it was a reflection of the government's unwavering resolve to further strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.
According to the Delegated Regulation, following the measures implemented to address the action plans agreed with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Nicaragua, Pakistan and Zimbabwe remedied the strategic deficiencies in their respective AML/CFT regimes and no longer pose a significant AML/CFT threat to the international financial system.
Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce said the EU member states' "Obligated Entities" will no longer be required to apply "Enhanced Customer Due Diligence" while conducting transactions with individuals and legal entities established in Pakistan.
The entities include credit institutions, financial institutions, auditors, external accountants, tax advisors, notaries, independent legal professionals (acting on behalf of and for their client in any financial or real estate transaction), estate agents and individuals trading in goods.
Pakistan's exclusion from the list would add to the comfort level of the European economic operators and is likely to ease the cost and time of legal and financial transactions by Pakistani entities and individuals in the EU, according to the ministry statement.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a statement said that it would help Pakistan's economy.
"Pakistani businesses and individuals would no longer be subjected to enhanced customer due diligence by European legal and economic operators," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Calling the 'impulsive buys', Royal Challengers Bangalore (RBC) star player Virat Kohli on Wednesday said he sold most of the cars that he purchased over the years.
"Most of the cars I used to own were impulsive buys, I ended up hardly driving or travelling in them as well. Beyond a point, I was like this is pointless, so I ended up selling most of them and now we only use what we absolutely need to, it's about being practical," said the Indian cricketer while speaking on RCB's YouTube channel during a recent photoshoot.
Watch the video here:
Behind the Scenes with Virat Kohli at RCB Team Photoshoot
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 29, 2023
Current playlist, new tattoo, trump cards and more… Know more about the personal side of @imVKohli, on Bold Diaries.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/nCatZhgFAQ
In the same interview, he also revealed his current playlist. "Surprisingly, I have gone a little back in time and I have recently downloaded Arijit Singh's MTV Unplugged playlist. He did an MTV unplugged segment once with some of his best songs and that was like soft-rock, very chill kind of version. I loved those versions," Virat Kohli said in a video posted on Royal Challengers Bangalore's social media handles.
He also revealed two batters that he regards as the 'Greatest of All Time', saying that they changed the dynamics of cricket completely. "I have always taken two names, Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Viv Richards are the GOATs of Cricket. Sachin is my hero. These two have revolutionized batting in their generation and completely change the dynamic of cricket. That is why I feel they are the two greatest."
On being asked what he would say if he shared a table with the retired tennis great Roger Federer and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Virat said that he would just listen to both of them talking.
"I would just keep quiet and listen to both of them. I do not have much to contribute to that conversation. It would be all about soaking everything in, listening to two of the greatest athletes in the history of sports," said Virat.
Recalling the fun he used to have playing with trump cards as a kid, Virat said that it was one of his favourite things to play with his friends.
"We used to hunt for those cards. Lex Luger (former WWE wrestler), used to be ranked one. There was Giant Gonsalvez (WWE wrestler) as well. It was fun playing with those cards. I also had posters of sportspersons, especially cricketers," said Virat.
RCB will start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season with a match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at their home arena, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on April 2.
Vancouver: In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin man killed a 37-year man outside Canada's Vancouver Starbucks cafe on Sunday, Global News reported.Sushmita Sen, who survived a heart attack, is celebrating the completion of one month since her angioplasty today. The actress shared a monochrome video on her Instagram handle in which she can be seen posing for the camera in a black ensemble. She added her "forever favourite" song Aankhon Ke Sagar, sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali, in the background. The video seems from the sets of her next web series Taali as towards the end, she introduced her crew. Sharing the post, she wrote a sweet note that reads, "Celebrating the completion of one month since my Angioplasty...by doing exactly what I love doing...WORKING!!
Sushmita Sen concluded her note with these words, "Lights, camera, ACTION & of course @flavienheldt creating his magic!!! This beautiful song, a forever favourite plays on repeat!!! I love you guys!!! #duggadugga."
Soon after Sushmita Sen shared the post, her sister-in-law Charu Asopa dropped a heart emoticon in the comment section. Sophie Choudry wrote, "You are incredible!!!!" followed by heart emoticons. Her fans also flooded the comment section. A user wrote, "Whenever I need inspiration, I come to your page. You inspire me. I get strength from you. It would be honour if I get to meet you once," while another wrote, "Power is bouncing back at life's obstacles with a smile and you do it so gracefully."
Take a look below:
Earlier this month, Sushmita Sen, on Instagram, informed fans about suffering a heart attack and undergoing angioplasty. An excerpt from her note read, "I suffered a heart attack a couple of days back...Angioplasty done...stent in place...and most importantly, my cardiologist reconfirmed 'I do have a big heart' Lots of people to thank for their timely aid & constructive action...will do so in another post!"
Take a look below:
Meanwhile, on the work front, Sushmita Sen has completed the dubbing and shooting for the promo of her upcoming web series Taali, based on transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. She dropped a set of photos and videos from the sets and wrote, "Finally, completed dubbing and promo shoot for our #webseries #Taali. This beautiful #team will be missed dearly... what a soulful journey it's been! Thank you, sir Ravi Jadhav, Alok, Shreegauri Sawant, GSEAMS, Voot, Jio Cinema, Raghav Ramadoss, Uma Biju, and the incredibly talented cast and crew of Taali. #sharing #happiness and #allheartpeople. I love you guys #duggadugga."
Take a look below:
Also, Sushmita Sen has the third instalment of Arya in her kitty.
US School attack: In yet another incident of gun violence in America, at least three children and three adults were killed in a shooting at a private Christian grade school in Nashville on Monday. The suspect is also dead after a confrontation with police.Billionaire Warren Buffett predicted that young people would soon turn to Jay-Z for financial guidance during an old interview with the rapper. Interestingly, the artist's net worth is now $2.5 billion, according to the latest Forbes estimates. Jay-Z was also the first billionaire rapper in the world. Since then, his fortune has increased as a result of a number of wise business decisions and ventures, creating what Forbes refers to as "a sprawling and diversified empire." According to its Real-Time Billionaires ranking, he is the 1,205th richest person in the world.
Amid this, an old Forbes interview of Jay-Z with the legendary investor is going viral. In the interview, he compared his approach to his music career with the Oracle of Omaha's strategy of investing only in businesses he knows rather than what is most popular.
"Music is like stocks. There's the hot thing of the moment. People tend to make emotional decisions based on that. They don't stick with what they know, you know, 'This is who I am. This is what I do.' They jump on this next hot thing. And it's not for you." Jay-Z told Forbes at the time.
At the conclusion of their conversation, Mr Buffett predicted that young people would soon turn to Jay-Z for financial guidance.
"Jay is teaching in a lot bigger classroom than I'll ever teach in. For a young person growing up he's the guy to learn from," the billionaire said.
With investments in Armand de Brignac champagne, D'Usse cognac, and different investment properties in New York and LA, Jay-Z became the first billionaire rapper back in 2019. His wealth has increased as a result of the expansion of his entertainment firm Roc Nation, the sale of the streaming service Tidal and numerous investments in businesses like Uber.
Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan is also a space enthusiast. "Big B" took to social media today to share a rare sight of the parade of five planets in the sky. In the video, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus are all aligned in a straight line. The video has left many internet users amazed.
He took to Instagram and wrote, "What A Beautiful Sight...! 5 Planets Aligned Together Today... Beautiful And Rare... Hope You Witnessed It too." Mr Bachchan also offers a beautiful sight of the moon in the 45-second clip.
Since being shared 50 minutes ago, his reel has amassed more than 2.3 million views and 5.2 lakh likes. Several celebrities also commented on his post.
Actor Shilpa Shetty commented, "Wow."
"Amazing this was so so beautiful , captured this by Stellarium this amazing App. I posted this too sometime back," wrote 'Haseena Parkar' actor Siddhanth Kapoor.
"Rarest of Rare Astronomical Moment," said a user.
"I saw too... Just don't have that amazing a phone," added a person.
A fourth person said, "He's making me want to buy a telescope... A total influencer."
"Mera zoom itna achha nehi hai sir (My camera's zoom is not that good, sir)," remarked a user
"Samsung S23 ultra ka #Ad toh nahi hai na sir? (Sir, is this an ad for Samsung S23)," asked a person.
Many videos of the "planetary parade" of Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars and the Moon were posted on social media by users.
US School attack: In yet another incident of gun violence in America, at least three children and three adults were killed in a shooting at a private Christian grade school in Nashville on Monday. The suspect is also dead after a confrontation with police.Billionaire Warren Buffett predicted that young people would soon turn to Jay-Z for financial guidance during an old interview with the rapper. Interestingly, the artist's net worth is now $2.5 billion, according to the latest Forbes estimates. Jay-Z was also the first billionaire rapper in the world. Since then, his fortune has increased as a result of a number of wise business decisions and ventures, creating what Forbes refers to as "a sprawling and diversified empire." According to its Real-Time Billionaires ranking, he is the 1,205th richest person in the world.
Amid this, an old Forbes interview of Jay-Z with the legendary investor is going viral. In the interview, he compared his approach to his music career with the Oracle of Omaha's strategy of investing only in businesses he knows rather than what is most popular.
"Music is like stocks. There's the hot thing of the moment. People tend to make emotional decisions based on that. They don't stick with what they know, you know, 'This is who I am. This is what I do.' They jump on this next hot thing. And it's not for you." Jay-Z told Forbes at the time.
At the conclusion of their conversation, Mr Buffett predicted that young people would soon turn to Jay-Z for financial guidance.
"Jay is teaching in a lot bigger classroom than I'll ever teach in. For a young person growing up he's the guy to learn from," the billionaire said.
With investments in Armand de Brignac champagne, D'Usse cognac, and different investment properties in New York and LA, Jay-Z became the first billionaire rapper back in 2019. His wealth has increased as a result of the expansion of his entertainment firm Roc Nation, the sale of the streaming service Tidal and numerous investments in businesses like Uber.
Amazon.com Inc must face consumer claims that its pricing practices artificially drove up the cost of goods sold by other retailers in violation of US antitrust law, a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling by US District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle on Friday came in a prospective antitrust class action that has estimated damages of between $55 billion to $172 billion.
The lawsuit was filed in 2020 by residents of 18 states, including Virginia, Texas, California, Florida and Illinois, challenging an Amazon policy that retailers cannot offer lower prices for goods sold elsewhere if they also want their product available on the Amazon Marketplace platform.
Jones' order trimmed the lawsuit but said consumers can move ahead with their case.
Plaintiffs lawyer Steve Berman of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, a lead attorney for the proposed class, said "Amazon's main arguments are rejected," and called the ruling "good news for tens of millions of consumers who have been overcharged by Amazon."
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
Amazon has denied the plaintiffs' claims, arguing that its "Fair Pricing Policy" has procompetitive benefits and that US antitrust law encourages such a policy.
The e-retail giant can still defend its pricing practices at a later stage in the litigation, and also can urge the court not to allow consumers to sue as a class. The court said it wants to review a class certification briefing schedule by mid-April.
A separate private consumer suit, also pending in Seattle federal court, alleges Amazon's practices have increased prices for items sold on the company's own platform.
Attorneys general in California and Washington, DC, also have sued Amazon over pricing policies.
The case is Frame-Wilson et al v. Amazon.com Inc, US District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 2:20-cv-00424-RAJ.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A group of men in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelvelli district have alleged custodial torture by an IPS officer. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered and the officer in question has been put on "compulsory wait, pending inquiry".
The alleged torture is said to have taken place 10 days ago at the Ambasamudram police station. The men -- five shop keepers and an auto driver who have been accused in an assault case -- are now out on bail.
The men alleged that Assistant Superintendent of Police Balveer Singh "crushed the testicles" of a man, despite knowing he is newly married. Five of the men say they had their teeth broken. The officer, they allege, had filled their mouth with gravel and then punched them on the cheek.
One of them, Mariappan, is "bed-ridden and in a critical condition" said Chellappan, another man in the group. One of them showed a half-healed scar on his shoulder, claiming it to be a relic of the torture.
The officer had changed into t-shirt, shorts and gloves before administering the third degree, the men allege. "He tortured us even as two cops, including a gunman, held our hands," Chellappan added.
The allegations were widely circulated on social media. Speaking to NDTV, Tirunelveli Collector KP Karthikeyan said, "I got the complaint first from the District Superintendent of Police. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry".
The whistle blowers say the police had intimidated them, directing them to maintain silence about the torture. Saying they fear for their lives, they have sought government intervention.
The officer concerned and the ruling DMK are yet to comment on the allegations.
The incident brings back memories of the death of a father and son (Jayaraj and Benicks) after alleged torture by cops at the Sathankukam police station in 2020, when the AIADMK was in power. The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the case.
Tunisia: Boat sinkings off the coast of Tunisia over the weekend killed at least 29 people from countries in sub-Saharan Africa who were trying make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, the Tunisian National Guard said on Sunday.Walt Disney Co on Monday began 7,000 layoffs announced earlier this year, as it seeks to control costs and create a more "streamlined" business, according to a letter Chief Executive Bob Iger sent to employees and seen by Reuters.
Several major divisions of the company - Disney Entertainment, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and corporate - will be impacted, according to a person familiar with the matter. ESPN is not touched by this week's round of cuts, but is anticipated to be included in later rounds.
The entertainment industry has undergone a retrenchment since its early euphoric embrace of video streaming, when established media companies lost billions as they launched competitors to Netflix Inc.
They started to rein in spending when Netflix posted its first loss of subscribers in a decade in early 2022, and Wall Street began prioritizing profitability over subscriber growth.
Iger said Disney would begin notifying the first group of employees who are impacted by the workforce reductions over the next four days. A second, larger round of job cuts will happen in April, "with several thousand more staff reductions." The final round will start before the beginning of the summer, the letter said.
The Burbank entertainment conglomerate announced in February that it would eliminate 7,000 jobs as part of an effort to save $5.5 billion in costs and make its money-losing streaming business profitable.
"The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly," Iger wrote, noting that many "bring a lifelong passion for Disney" to their work.
Details of the layoffs had been closely guarded by the company, though insiders anticipated reductions would happen before Disney's annual shareholder meeting on April 3.
Anxiety has been building within Disney, as rumors swirled about areas of possible cuts.
"It's a dark, black box," said one Disney executive who spoke to Reuters last week.
Many had expected cuts to fall heavily on the Disney Media and Entertainment Division, which was eliminated in a corporate restructuring. The unit has been without a leader since the exit of Kareem Daniel in November, shortly after Iger returned as the company's CEO.
"It's been a long time in the making," said SVB MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson, adding that the company first began "to whisper" about the need to take out costs last fall, when Bob Chapek was still Disney's chief executive.
Josh D'Amaro, chair of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, sent a memo to theme parks employees in February warning that the profitable division would experience cuts.
Officials for two of the unions representing cast members at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Florida, said "guest-facing" services were not expected to be affected by the layoffs.
"I don't see where, when there are labor shortages in front-facing guest roles, it would be a good decision to lay off workers where the money train starts for the Walt Disney Co," said Paul Cox, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 631.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
We often meet strangers who impact our lives profoundly in a short interaction. This is what happened with Twitter user Sumit Meghani, who had "the most inspiring experience" of his life during a cab ride in busy Bengaluru traffic.
Calling it a "peak Bengaluru" moment Mr Meghani said he started chatting with his cab driver while navigating Bengaluru traffic who told him how he found purpose in his work. It involved a ride that he kept rejecting and an emergency delivery of a pregnant woman, according to the now-viral Twitter thread.
In a Twitter thread, Mr Meghani mentioned that the cab driver was the sole breadwinner of the family and had been driving for 17 years.
His tweet read, "This hardworking driver has been supporting his family as the sole earner for 17 years. But what he shared about what motivates him to keep going all night long left me in."
"One night, he got a ride request he tried to avoid due to the distance and late hour. But the ride kept getting reassigned to him. When he arrived, he found out it was an emergency baby delivery. Without hesitation, they rushed to the hospital. They arrived to find no doctors on duty. They quickly rushed to another hospital, and made it just in time for the baby's birth," Mr Meghani wrote.
Check out the post here:
🚖 Met a cab driver @peakbengaluru on my way to the airport. Little did I know, this ride would be the most inspiring experience of my life. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/GeCUQcvvNF
— Sumitm.lens (@sumitwt_) March 15, 2023
He further wrote, "He also shared that he believes in a surrounding power that keeps him calm and collected, even when things get tough,"
He concluded his tweet with, "Let's take a moment to appreciate those who work hard to support their families, and find purpose in our own work."
The heart-touching story of the cab driver is winning hearts on the internet. Commenting on the post, a user wrote, "If this isn't motivation, I don't know what is! More love to him."
Another user wrote, "Beautiful."
Russia-Ukraine War: In view of the West stepping up military support for Ukraine, Vladimir Putin in a warning on Saturday announced that Russia is planning to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. However, he didn't inform the number of nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. Putin further asserted that the move was triggered by Britain's decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.