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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Saurabh (@that_cric8guy) August 31, 2023

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

I think they only did it for a laugh!

— Elliott Taylforth (@elliottrib) August 30, 2023

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

(With AFP inputs)

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Viacom18 Bags Indian Cricket Digital and TV Media Rights for Nearly Rs. 6,000 Crore

Viacom18 on Thursday created a near monopoly in Indian cricket broadcasting sphere by bagging both TV and digital rights of the national team's home series for the next five years with a cumulative bid of approximately Rs. 6000 crore, beating Star India and Sony in a three-way battle. 

The BCCI had invited separate e-bids for both linear (TV) and digital for best price discovery.

"Viacom18 paid Rs. 3101 crore (approximately) for digital and Rs. 2862 crore for linear (TV). As has been the trend, digital has fetched more in Rs. 5963 crore (approximately) deal.

"With IPL digital rights being bought by Viacom for Rs. 26,000 crore plus, they now have almost all the high profile cricket properties save IPL linear (TV) and ICC events," a broadcasting industry source, tracking developments closely, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The rights will come into effect with India's three-match home series against Australia beginning September 22 and end on March 31, 2028.

India will be playing 88 international games across three formats including 25 Tests, 27 ODIs and 36 T20Is with per match value of the deal standing around Rs. 67.76 crore. This is nearly Rs. 7.76 crore more than last cycle's Rs. 60 crore per match value.

However, the BCCI is getting Rs. 175 crore less than Rs. 6138 crore it received during last cycle which had more games, specifically 102. If one looks at the prevailing market sentiments , it is not a bad price to fetch as the per match valuation has increased. One needs to factor in that only marquee Test matches and series versus England and Australia will fetch a decent advertisement revenue. For matches against other nations, it is only the T20 which is the cash cow.

India will play Australia in 21 games and will be pitted against England in 18 matches across three formats during the next five years.

The BCCI fell way short of the billion dollar mark (at least by Rs. 2300 crore) and one of the reasons forthat could be the declining popularity of the ODI format and there are 27 of them in the next cycle.

"One day bilateral series save World Cup year should be done away with as it doesn't bring requisite revenues. With so many T20 leagues also happening around the world, the viewers' fatigue should also be taken into account," a broadcasting industry veteran said.

He also provided an interesting take on how the potential bidders do their mathematics and arrive at a particular figure.

"In case of 25 Tests, you have 15 Tests against England and Australia at home. The kind of pitches that is being prepared for Test matches in India, the broadcaster has literally no chance on most of the occasions to commercially exploit the fifth day unless there is a flat deck.

"At times games finish during first session of fourth day. Just calculate how many potential seconds of ad revenue you can lose," he explained.

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Watch: Chef Vikas Khanna's Gesture For Retiring Air India Crew Is Viral

Michelin star chef, author and filmmaker Vikas Khanna was onboard an Air India flight when he decided to prepare a surprise for an Air India crew. Chef Khanna went to the pantry and transformed a simple cake into something extraordinary after he got to know that a crew member was retiring.

A video of it was shared on X, formerly Twitter by a user named Sanjay. Along with the video, the caption read, "Heartwarming gesture of love by #Michelin #Masterchef @TheVikasKhanna on board @airindia to redo a special cake for a retiring Crew member. Chef Vikas is a Dariya dil, who fed 40 mill during Covid, but this was special."

In the video, Chef Khanna is seen transforming a dry cake into a special treat for the crew member.

See the post here:

Heart warming gesture of love by #Michelin #Masterchef @TheVikasKhanna on board @airindia to redo a special cake for a retiring Crew member

Chef Vikas is a Dariya dil,who fed 40 mill during Covid, but this was special🙏🏻❤️#avgeeks @RNTata2000 @virsanghvi @advsanjoy @BLRAviation pic.twitter.com/AIbw8bAQvz

— Sanjay (@sjlazars) August 28, 2023

Reacting to the post, Air India wrote, "Thank you for sharing this heartwarming post! We are truly grateful to have Chef @TheVikasKhanna on board Air India. His gesture of redoing a special cake for a Retiring Crew Member is a beautiful example of his kindness and talent!"

Since being posted, the video has amassed over 44,000 views and several comments. Social media users were impressed with the chef's sweet gestures.

A user commented, "What a sweet gesture."

Another user wrote, "Chef was at work in the skies too."

"Wow! What a kind gesture. Humility," the third user commented.

"Such a heartwarming gesture! Simple acts of care can create powerful ripples of positivity. Chef's kindness truly shines," the fourth user wrote.

"So heartwarming. Retirement from any profession can be so emotional. Made it memorable.Thanks, Chef and all the best for the future AI crew! Great share," the fifth user wrote.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He was also convicted in January 2020 for threatening his sister not to disclose it to others. 

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

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32 Firms Apply To Make Laptops In India: Union Minister

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See Pooja Bhatt's adorable post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pooja B (@poojab1972)

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

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

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

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

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Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan Rover Confirms Presence of Sulphur on Moon, Search for Hydrogen Underway: ISRO

The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope instrument onboard 'Pragyan' rover of Chandrayaan-3 has unambiguously confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface near south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements, ISRO said on Tuesday. 

It also said the instrument also detected aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen, as expected.

"The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of Sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters," the space agency said in a statement.

According to ISRO, LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.

"A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates an extremely hot and localised plasma. The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it's in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined," it said.

Preliminary analyses have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O), it said.

"Thorough investigation regarding the presence of Hydrogen is underway," ISRO said.

LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru where the first India satellite was fabricated in 1975.

India on August 23 scripted history as ISRO's ambitious third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) touched down on the lunar surface, making it only the fourth country to accomplish the feat, and first to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's only natural satellite.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the decision to name the spot where Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander made soft landing as 'Shiv Shakti Point' and the site where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as "Tiranga Point".

Also, August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as ‘National Space Day', Modi had said.

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Xiaomi Says EV Plans Running Ahead of Schedule Amid Revenue Drop Report

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi reported a 4 percent revenue drop in the second quarter, tracking a shrinkage in China's handset market, but said its move into making electric vehicles was running ahead of schedule.

Sales dropped to CNY 67.4 billion (nearly Rs. 76,450 crore) from CNY 70.17 billion (nearly Rs. 80,650 crore) in the same quarter a year earlier, but beating analysts' estimates of CNY 65.13 billion (nearly Rs. 74,860 crore).

Net income rose to CNY 5.14 billion (nearly Rs. 5,830 crore) over the period, an increase of 147 percent from CNY 2.08 billion (nearly Rs. 2,390 crore) a year earlier, also beating expectations. The company put the increase down to cost cutting and efficiency improvements, particularly in its physical stores.

"Despite the macroeconomic headwinds in the global market we continue to expand our footprint," Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said on an earnings call. 

"Several of our peers already exited from certain areas in this challenging environment, but no matter how hard it will be we will reinforce our presence across regions and markets," Lu said.

Consumer demand in China's smartphone market continued to shrink in the second quarter, dropping 5 percent to 64.3 million units, according to Canalys, a consultancy that tracks the smartphone industry.

Xiaomi's shipments declined by 19 percent to 8.6 million, while in major overseas market India, shipments fell 22 percent to 5.4 million units, Canalys said.

In light of declining handset sales, Xiaomi is planning to move into the manufacture of electric vehicles (EVs) and has received approval from China's state planner, Reuters reported this month.

The company has pledged a $10 billion (nearly Rs. 82,600 crore) investment over a decade in the automobile business.

Lu said the company's plans to start mass production of EVs in the first half of 2024 remains unchanged. "Our current progress is ahead of expectations and of the original production schedule," he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Version for Large Business With More Security

Artificial intelligence leader OpenAI said on Monday it is releasing a version of ChatGPT targeted to large businesses, increasing the overlap in what OpenAI and its financial backer Microsoft offer to customers.

ChatGPT Enterprise offers more security, privacy and higher-speed access to OpenAI's technology, the company said. Early customers include Block, Carlyle and Estee Lauder Companies.

When OpenAI released the consumer-focused ChatGPT in November, it set off frenzied use of generative AI in daily tasks from writing to coding, and reached 100 million monthly active users in January.

Many people in the US have used ChatGPT to help with work-related tasks, even though their employers discourage it, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

With the launch of ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI hopes employers will feel comfortable embracing ChatGPT usage at work.

Microsoft already offers businesses access to ChatGPT via its Azure OpenAI Service, though in order to use it businesses must be a customer of Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform. 

ChatGPT Enterprise subscribers need not subscribe to Azure, OpenAI said. OpenAI and Microsoft have introduced overlapping services before, and it is unclear how much the two companies are competing over customers. 

Asked whether ChatGPT Enterprise competes with Microsoft over customers, an OpenAI spokesperson said that "customers can choose which platform is right for their business."

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Oppo A38 Specifications, Renders, Pricing Details and Launch Timeline Leaked

Oppo is all set to launch new A series phones, which also includes Oppo A38. The smartphone has reportedly been spotted on various certification sites. While the company is yet to confirm the launch of the smartphone, a recent report has leaked the renders and specification of the purported Oppo A38. The handset is expected to be the successor of the Oppo A36, which was launched last year in January. It came equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage.

An Appuals report, in collaboration with tipster Sudhansu Ambhore, has leaked the renders, price and certain specifications of the upcoming Oppo A38. The smartphone is said to come in Black and Gold colour variants. The pricing of the smartphone is expected to be around EUR 159 (nearly Rs. 14,200) for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. 

While the company has not revealed any details about the smartphone, it is reportedly slated to launch in Europe in September. The phone could also come to India and other Asian markets soon. In terms of specifications, the Oppo A38 is said to sport a 6.56-inch LCD HD+ display with 1612X720 pixel resolution, and a refresh rate of 90Hz. 

The smartphone from Oppo is expected to be powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Oppo A38 could run Android 13 OS with Oppo's ColorOS 13 skin on top. For camera, the smartphone will reportedly pack a dual camera rear unit, led by a 50-megapixel camera with another 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, it is said to pack a 5-megapixel selfie lens. 

The report also mentions that the OPPO A38 will be backed by a 5,000mAH battery, which could be charged using a USB Type-C cable. With a plastic body, the smartphone is expected to feature an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. 

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From the launch of the Infinix GT 10 Pro to Amazon's latest mega-sale, we discuss the most noteworthy technology news events of the week on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See the post here:

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

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

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 27, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

88.17 Meters for

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

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

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 27, 2023

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

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

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

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

With PTI inputs

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

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

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

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

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

The Rise

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

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

The Injury

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

The Comeback

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

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

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

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

With PTI inputs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(With PTI inputs)

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Missing World Championships Gold, Here's Complete List Of Neeraj's Honours

Neeraj Chopra is among the highly rated sportspersons in India. The star javelin thrower, who rose to fame at a young age, has become the cynosure of all eyes ever since his gold medal feat at the Tokoyo Olympics. As Chopra continues to strive to become better and better with each passing day, his efforts are also showing noticeable results. At the age of 25, Chopra has almost achieved what an athlete would desire to win in his or her entire career.

Here is a look at Chopra's achievements so far -

An Olympic gold

Neeraj is the only Indian to win a gold medal in the track and field event at the Olympics in 2021. Overall, he is the second player from the nation following now-retired sport shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold medal at the quadrennial event.

The top honour in Commonwealth Games

Neeraj is the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. He claimed the top honour at Gold Coast in 2018. Overall, he became the fourth Indian to win an athletics title at the Games after Milkha Singh (1958), Krishna Poonia (2010) and Vikas Gowda (2014).

Asian Games gold

Neeraj is the first Indian javelin thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal. He shattered his own national record in 2018 to achieve the top finish on the podium.

Two Diamond League titles

The star Indian javelin thrower won the Lausanne leg in August 2022 for his maiden Diamond League title. He claimed his second title at the event this year at the same venue.

Apart from these, Neeraj also has also won gold medals in the Asian Championships (2017), the World U20 Championships (2016) and the South Asian Games (2016).

In the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Neeraj claimed a silver medal.

Awards won by Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award -- highest sporting honour of India -- in 2021. He was felicitated with the Arjuna Award in 2018. The star Indian javelin thrower received the Padma Shri -- fourth highest civilian honour in India -- in 2022.

Chopra was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (a military award of India) and Vishisht Seva Medal (a decoration of the Indian Armed Forces) in the years 2022 and 2020, respectively.

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Gunman Kills 3 In US' Florida, Cops Flag "Disgusting Ideology Of Hate"

A gunman driven by racial hate shot and killed three Black people in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday before fatally turning the gun on himself, authorities said.

The shooter, a white male in his early 20s, was outfitted with a tactical vest and armed with an AR-style rifle and a handgun when he started firing inside a Dollar General discount store, Sheriff TK Waters said.

"He targeted a certain group of people and that's Black people. That's what he said he wanted to kill. And that's very clear," the sheriff said, adding there were two male victims and one female victim.

Manifestos discovered by the gunman's family shortly before the attack "detail the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate," Sheriff Waters told a news conference.

The FBI would investigate the shooting as a hate crime, said Sherri Onks, the bureau's special agent for Jacksonville.

The shooting was the latest in a spate of gun violence this weekend in the United States, following deadly outbursts in Boston, Chicago and Oklahoma.

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

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"You Call Yourself Secular But...": Congress Chief On KCR Skipping Opposition Meet

As many as 26 opposition parties came together to fight against the Modi government but Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who calls himself a secular has not attended even a single meeting, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Saturday.

Addressing a public meeting at Chevella near Hyderabad, Mr Kharge said KCR never spoke about the unity of secular parties to defeat the BJP.

"You call yourself a secular party here. But, you are in cahoots with BJP from inside there," he said.

The AICC president said PM Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister question Congress party's contributions to the country.

Mr Kharge then went on to highlight the Congress party's contributions, including unification of princely states and making of the Constitution after Independence, irrigation projects initiated during Nehru era, nationalisation of banks and the promotion of computers during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister.

At the public meeting, he released a poster of the Congress party's 'SC, ST Declaration' - a set of 12 promises of the party - for the coming Assembly elections in Telangana.

"When Congress comes to power in Telangana, the 12-point SC/ST declaration will be implemented," the top Congress leader said.

According to the SC/ST Declaration, reservations for SCs will be increased to 18 per cent, while it will be hiked to 12 per cent in case of STs.

The party promised Rs 12 lakh financial help to SC and ST families in the state, besides special reservation in government procurements.

The Declaration also said reservations will be implemented for SC, STs in private educational institutions and in private companies availing incentives from the government.

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

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Multiple Fatalities In Florida Shooting, Gunman Killed: Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Video Shows Pragyan Rover Roaming Around Chandrayaan-3's Touchdown Point

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday released a video showing the Pragyan rover roaming around Shiv Shakti point, the touchdown site of lander Vikram, on the lunar surface. 

Taking to social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, ISRO said, "Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole!"

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
🔍What's new here?

Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole 🌗! pic.twitter.com/1g5gQsgrjM

— ISRO (@isro) August 26, 2023

This comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the touchdown spot of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface would from now onwards be known as the ‘Shiv Shakti' point. He also said that August 23, when the Chandrayaan-3 mission became successful, will be now known as National Space Day.

A visibly emotional PM Modi addressed scientists at the Indian Space Research organisation's command centre in Bengaluru, who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and lauded them for their efforts.

"On August 23rd, India hoisted the flag on the Moon. From now onwards, that day will be known as National Space Day in India", said PM Modi. 

"Today, I am very feeling a new kind of happiness among you," a beaming PM added.

"Such kind of happiness... these are very rare occasions when the whole body and soul is drenched in happiness," PM Modi said while addressing the scientists at ISRO's Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru.

He said the scientists had taken the Make In India initiative to the Moon, referring to the boost to indigenous productions due to Chandrayaan 3's success.

PM Modi said he was on a two-nation visit to South Africa and Greece but his mind was completely with the scientists.

He said that he wanted to salute the scientists as soon as possible. "I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India," he said as the scientists cheered and broke into applause.

"...I can see before my eyes every second of that day of August 23..." PM Modi said recalling the final 15 challenging minutes of the Chandrayaan-3.

"I salute your dedication. I salute your patience. I salute your hard work. I salute your inspiration," said PM Modi as he turned emotional.

The prime minister was accorded a warm reception as he arrived at the ISRO headquarters this morning. He met the team of scientists involved in the country's third lunar mission - Chandrayaan-3 and enveloped ISRO chief S Somanath in a hug.

Locals with posters and the national flag had gathered on the streets outside the airport in to welcome PM Narendra Modi. Upon landing at the HAL airport in Bengaluru, he greeted people gathered and raised the slogan 'Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan' outside the airport.

India entered record books as the first country to successfully place a lander on the unexplored lunar South Pole on Wednesday evening.

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

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Inside Jennifer Winget's Dreamy Maldives Diaries

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

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rubina Sayed (@rubinas)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Winget (@jenniferwinget1)

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

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

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