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The southern US state of Alabama on Thursday put to death a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas. It's the first time the controversial method - criticised by human rights advocates - has been used in the country. Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed by a method called nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the person to suffocate. A Murder Convict Smith, 58, was on death row for more than three decades after being convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of a pastor's wife. Smith and his aide, John Parker, were convicted of the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett for which they were each paid $1,000. Parker was executed by lethal injection in 2010. Charles Sennett, who had hired Smith and Parker for his wife's murder, killed himself a week after her death. Smith was subjected to a botched execution attempt in 2022, when prison officials were unable to set intravenous lines to administer a lethal injection. In an interview with National...

In a sharp response to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's recent comments on dynastic politics, Rohini Acharya, the daughter of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, took to social media to deliver a scathing response. The verbal sparring began when Nitish Kumar, addressing a program commemorating Karpoori Thakur's birth anniversary, criticised dynastic politics, stating that he didn't promote his family in politics. The BJP refrained from responding immediately, but the retort came from an unexpected source – Rohini Acharya, Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter. Ms Acharya wrote, "Often, people cannot see their own shortcomings but continue to throw mud at others with impudence." While Nitish Kumar's name wasn't explicitly mentioned, the context of the tweet left little doubt that the Chief Minister was the target. In a subsequent tweet, she added, "What outrage will there be when someone undeserving is given prominence? Who can question the method when t...

The traditional 'halwa ceremony', marking the final stage of the preparation process for interim Union Budget 2024, was held this evening at the Union Finance Ministry headquarters at North Block in Delhi. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was seen unwrapping a huge iron wok which had halwa in it and distributing it to the officials of the ministry. #WATCH | Delhi | The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Interim Union Budget 2024, was held in North Block, today, in the presence of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance... pic.twitter.com/wjoyI5QqQ3 — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2024 Ms Sitharaman was seen stirring the halwa before serving it to the oficials. Besides Ms Sitharaman, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad also attended the ceremony. A customary halwa ceremony is performed every year before the "lock-in" process of Budget p...

Air India has been fined over a crore over safety-related violations on flights operated on certain long-range terrain critical routes, the country's aviation regulator said today. The case pertains to leased aircraft not following performance limits laid down by the manufacturer. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it opened a probe after an airline employee voluntarily flagged the violations. The probe revealed "non-compliance by the airline", prompting a show cause notice to the airline, and ultimately the penalty. "Pursuant to the receipt of a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by M/s Air India on certain long range terrain critical routes, DGCA conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged violations," the watchdog said. Based on the airline's response to its notice, the DGCA imposed Rs 1.1 crore fine on Air India. "Since the said operations of the leased ...

A class 7 student allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the balcony of her 29th floor apartment in southeast Bengaluru, police said today. The only child of her parents, the 12-year-old girl was depressed, the police said, without sharing further details. No suicide note was found, they told Press Trust of India. According to the police, a security guard of the apartment complex heard some noise at around 5 am on Tuesday and rushed to the corridor where he saw the girl lying in a pool of blood. He immediately alerted representatives of the apartment association. She was taken to the nearest hospital where she was declared 'brought dead', a senior police officer said. The girl's mother had seen her outside her room at around 4:30 am and when asked why she was up so early, the girl gave a vague reply and went inside her room, the police said. "It's a suicide. We did not find any suicide note but we learnt that the child was depressed. The post-mortem has be...

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli opted out of the first two Test matches of the five-match series against England citing 'personal reasons'. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the news on Monday and said that the replacement will be named in the near future. In the official statement, BCCI also urged the media and fans to respect Virat's privacy and not speculate on the reason behind his absence. Legendary England batter Kevin Pietersen echoed similar sentiments on social media as he support Virat and said that people should respect it if a sportsperson pulls out due to personal reasons. "If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, RESPECT IT! End of!" Pietersen posted on X. If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, RESPECT IT! End of! — Kevin Pietersen(@KP24) January 22, 2024 Earlier, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday confirmed that star batter Harry Brook will miss the India Test tour due to perso...

A huge group of actors and celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, and couples Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal-Katrina Kaif attended the Ram temple's consecration in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya today. Filmmakers Rohit Shetty and Rajkumar Hirani; actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Madhuri Dixit Nene along with her husband Sriram Nene, and producer Mahaveer Jain also came to the temple town. Many were seen clicking selfies at their seats when Prime Minister Narendra Modi started addressing people. Some of those seen taking selfies were Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Rohit Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Ayushmann Khurrana, Madhuri Dixit, Rajkumar Hirani, Akash Ambani, and Vicky Kaushal. Hema Malini, Rajinikanth, Pawan Kalyan, Shankar Mahadevan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Subhash Ghai, Shefali Shah, Vipul Shah, Randeep Hooda, Lin Laishram, Aadinath Mangeshkar, Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam were among those who arrived in the temple town on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Chiranjeevi was phot...

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) boss Punit Goenka today posted an update about a cataclysmic development in his company while attending the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. Japan's Sony Group Corp has sent a merger termination notice to ZEEL, along with a demand of $90 million for alleged breaches of the merger cooperation agreement by Mr Goenka's company. The ZEEL managing director and chief executive, who is among the high-profile guests invited at the pran prathistha ceremony, in a post on X alluded to the developments in his company as "a sign from the Lord". "As I arrived at Ayodhya early this morning for the auspicious occasion of Pran Pratishtha, I received a message that the deal that I have spent two years envisioning and working towards had fallen through, despite my best and most honest efforts," Mr Goenka said. "I believe this to be a sign from the Lord. I resolve to move ahead positively and work...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, in a heartfelt speech, said that he is overjoyed that Lord Ram will no longer reside in a tent. PM Modi said that his "throat is choked and body is still shaking" as he speaks about the moment when the Ram idol was consecrated in the Ram Temple. Here are PM Modi's top quotes from his address after Ram Temple 'pran pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya: Today, our Ram has arrived, after generations of wait. On this auspicious occasion, congratulations to everyone. There's so much to tell but, but there's a lump in my throat. Ram Lalla will not stay in a tent. He will now stay in the magnificent temple. Jan 22, 2024 is not merely a date but marks advent of a new era. The legal battle over the existence of Lord Ram went on for decades. I would like to express my gratitude to the judiciary of India for doing justice. Ram is mentioned in the first verse in our Constitution, yet it took so many decades for this to happen. Tha...

Indian cricket team stalwart Virat Kohli has pulled out from the first two Tests against England over 'personal reasons'. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the same via a statement on Monday. The BCCI hasn't yet named a replacement for Kohli but plans to do so in due time. Earlier, Kohli had pulled out of the first T20I against Afghanistan too due to 'personal reasons'. It has, however, not been revealed what the personal situation is that Virat is dealing with. NEWS Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons. Details #TeamIndia | #INDvENG https://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ — BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024 The BCCI statement read: "Mr. Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons.   "Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team manag...

An Israeli strike on Damascus killed five people in a building where "Iran-aligned leaders" were meeting on Saturday, a war monitor said, as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war. "An Israeli missile strike targeted a four-storey building, killing five people... and destroying the whole building where Iran-aligned leaders were meeting," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The British-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria said the targeted neighbourhood is known to be a high-security zone home to leaders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and pro-Iran Palestinian factions. "They were for sure targeting senior members" of those groups, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The mid-morning strike, which caused a large plume of smoke to billow into the sky, was also reported by Syrian state media. "An attack targeted a residential building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood in Damascus, resultin...

A video showing a sweet interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and an elephant at a temple in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli has gone viral on social media. The 24-second clip, that has gained nearly 100 thousand views on X, show the prime minister inside the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, where he offered prayers ahead of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22. PM Modi is on a pilgrimage to key temples across the country that are connected to locations mentioned in the epic Ramayana. In the video, the prime minister dressed in simple traditional wear is seen petting an elephant named Andal. PM Modi then passes a mouth organ to the elephant who curls his trunk and starts playing the musical instrument.  #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: An elephant at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli blessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and played a mouth organ as PM visited the temple to offer prayers. PM Narendra Modi is the first prime minister to visit Sri Ranganathaswam...

Deep in the desert along the border with Pakistan, India's second-richest man is building the world's largest renewable energy park as he races to future-proof his coal-linked fortune. Gautam Adani's ports-to-airports, media and energy empire made him for a brief time in 2022 the world's second-richest man, with a $154 billion fortune. A year ago his firms were hit by accusations of a "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme" by US short-seller Hindenburg Research and their market value slumped by more than $150 billion. But they have since recovered much of their losses and the publicity-shy 61-year-old high school dropout is betting hefty sums on making billions more from the energy transition. India is the world's third-biggest carbon emitter and Narendra Modi's government has been at the forefront of attempts to push back against the "phase out" of coal at global summits. Workers installing solar panels at the Adani G...

Ira Khan and celebrity fitness trainer Nupur Shikhare  got married earlier this month in an intimate ceremony, followed by week-long celebrations in Udaipur. The finale of wedding festivities came in the form of a grand wedding reception hosted by the proud father of the bride, Aamir Khan in Mumbai. Needless to say, the biggest B-town stars descended to bless the couple and congratulate Aamir Khan. Now, actress Sonali Kulkarni, who has worked with Aamir Khan in films like Dil Chahta Hai , has shared a warm note praising the superstar for his “warmth and humility”. Dropping a lovely image of herself and her husband Nachiket Pant Vaidya from the special day, Sonali said, “Dear Aamir…your warmth and humility is just unique... It was one the most memorable gatherings I have ever attended. Touched... God bless you. Love!” Sonali Kulkarni also had a message for Nupur, her fitness trainer and Ira. Wishing the newlyweds, she wrote: “My dear super cool trainer Nupur Shikhare and beautifu...

A day after he withdrew from the 2024 US presidential race, Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy received an enthusiastic welcome from Donald Trump's supporters while he endorsed his former rival and ex-US president. The 38-year-old Republican, who quit after he failed to make a mark in the first US election test in Iowa, was greeted with chants of "VP, VP, VP" after he joined Trump on stage. BREAKING: Trump crowd chants "VP VP VP" after Vivek gets done speaking. Trump says "he's going to be working with us for a long time" pic.twitter.com/NV8P6hKrET — George (@BehizyTweets) January 17, 2024 Introducing Ramaswamy as a "friend" and a "true leader", Trump applauded his former rival. A brief handshake and a hug later, Ramaswamy delivered a passionate speech calling on supporters to back Trump in the presidential race. “Going forward he will have my full endorsement for the presidency, and I think we're gonna do th...

India's Sumit Nagal marched into the second round of the Australian Open 2024, beating ATP world no. 27 Alexander Bublik. Nagal overpowered his opponent in the first two sets, winning by convincing margins of 6-4 and 6-2. The third set, however, proved to be an intense contest, with the two players going neck-to-neck in the first six games. Nagal then broke Bublik to take 4-3 advantage, before making it 5-3. But, drama was yet to unfold in the third set. Bublik managed to make it 4-5 by winning the next game without dropping the point, giving Nagal the opportunity to serve for a place in the second round. The Indian let the occasion get to him and failed to hold his serve, with the Kazakhstan star making it 5-5. Both players held their respective games to force the game into a tie-breaker where Nagal emerged triumphant 7-5. It was the first time since 1989 that an Indian had beaten a seeded player in the a Grand Slam. Nagal defeated his opponent in straight sets -- 6-4, 6-2, 7-6....

Dum Maaro Dum singer Anushka Manchanda got married to Jofre Oliveras over the weekend. Pictures of the couple from their wedding party was shared by the singer's close friend and casting director Shanoo Sharma on Instagram. In the pictures, Anushka can be seen teaming her black dress with bridal red choora while posing cutely with her husband. In one of the pictures shared by Shanoo Sharma, Anushka can also be seen posing with the members of her former band Viva . In the picture, Anushka can be seen posing with singer Neha Bhasin, Mahua Kamat and Pratichee Mohapatra. Sharing the images, Shanoo wrote, "Where do I begin…. A Union that makes me feel absolute happiness! Nushkyyy married Jofre… Nush, Jofre , my heart is smiling and I pray God always blesses your world with Love, Peace, Balance and everything your Hearts Desires! I love you baby girl! Your wedding was full of people with good hearts!!! Just remember I came back!!!! @jofre.oliveras have fun with this force ...

Star India batter Virat Kohli opened up on Sunday about his bond with Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and how their journey of friendship and mutual admiration started. In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Virat said that his talks with Djokovic started when he happened to check his text to him by chance, after once trying to say "hello" to the star tennis player. "I got in touch with Novak very organically. I was just looking at his Instagram profile once and happened to press his "Message" button. I thought I would say him 'Hello, maybe.' Then I saw a message from him on my DM already. I never saw it myself. "The first time I saw my own messages, I saw that he had messaged me himself. Then I was like, Let's check if it is a fake account or not. But then I checked it and it was legitimate. Then we started talking, exchanging messages every now and then. I would congratulate him on all of his fantastic...

Mickey Arthur , Pakistan's former team director, admitted that the ODI World Cup match against India at Ahmedabad was one of the toughest moments during his stint, taking the side through a hostile environment. Arthur moved on after Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals of the showpiece event last year, while former all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez replaced him in the role. "It was extremely tough not having any Pakistan support. The one thing that really drives the Pakistan team is the incredible support they receive at grounds and hotels. Here we never had that, and that was quite tough in a World Cup, particularly for the players," Arthur was quoted as saying by the 'Wisden.' "As you can imagine it was a tough, hostile environment in Ahmedabad. But we were expecting this, and to their credit our players never moaned or complained once. They cracked on and tried their best - nevertheless it ultimately does play a role in motivation when you can't see or ...

Billionaire investor Glenn Dubin, known for his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has once again found himself in the limelight. Newly unsealed court documents alleges that Dubin had sex with one of Epstein's sex trafficking victims while his pregnant wife slept in the next room, reported the Business Insider. The deposition, made public on Tuesday, reveals victim Virginia Giuffre's account of events when she was sex trafficked by Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. In a 2016 deposition, when Giuffre was asked if Glenn Dubin was "the powerful business executive whose pregnant wife was asleep in the next room," she responded with a "Yes." Giuffre has consistently alleged that Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Dubin and other influential figures when she was just a teenager. However, when Giuffre was questioned about whether she had ever been trafficked to Dubin's wife, Eva Andersson-Dubin, she responded with a firm "n...