Indiatimes

A massive operation involving hundreds of men from various agencies is still underway in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, to rescue the 41 construction workers who have been trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel since November 12. Among those leading the unprecedented scale operation is an Australian man - Arnold Dix. He came to India on November 20 and has been camping at the Silkyara tunnel site ever since. Dix is the President of International Tunnelling Underground Space and a world-renowned expert in the field. Dix is an Adjunct professor of engineering at Queensland University of Technology, and he also practices law. Professor Dix specialises in underground and transportation infrastructure - from construction risk to more technical issues associated with actual safety performance from an operational safety perspective. He also advises on risks related to underground construction and is widely recognised as the World's leading expert on underground tunnelling.…

When you think about the most expensive cities in India, what instantly comes to mind? Mumbai? Bangalore? Well, this may be true, but none of these cities comprise the most expensive retail market. It can be found in the national capital. As per a report released by Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate consultancy firm, New Delhi's Khan Market has emerged as the most expensive retail market in the country. Globally, the market is the 22nd most expensive retail market, with 3 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in its rentals. It has an annual rent of $217 per square foot. As per this report, over 16 Indian street markets have emerged on this list out of the 51 most expensive main street markets in the APAC region. According to this report, Fifth Avenue in New York City retains its top ranking as the world’s most expensive retail destination, despite recording flat rental growth. YOY and Milan’s Via Montenapoleone jumped to the second spot, displacing Hong Kong’s…

A surge in air travel has prompted travellers to explore increasingly innovative methods to save money through clever airline hacks. Many savvy travellers have been uncovering crafty methods to snag more affordable flights, although airlines have started tightening their measures to address these loopholes. Skiplagging, also referred to as hidden-city ticketing or throwaway ticketing, ingeniously cuts costs for travellers by issuing tickets with a designated endpoint they don't intend to reach. Why? It’s a budget-friendly tactic. Certain cities tend to have higher airfares due to multiple factors. Skiplaggers, adept at this strategy, seize cheaper flights to distant cities, aiming not for the flight's ultimate stop but for one of the layover cities along the route. And for obvious reasons, airlines aren't particularly thrilled about this practice. While it appears enticing at first glance, individuals utilising this method to outsmart airlines and save money…

Amidst much fanfare, the illustrious Ghol fish, known for its exclusivity to the Indo-Pacific region, has been granted the prestigious title of the state fish of Gujarat. This declaration was made by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who shared the news at the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, a prominent event hosted in the vibrant city of Ahmedabad. Patel told the media, “The Gujarat government has declared Ghol as the state fish. This will help boost attempts to conserve and create awareness about the fish.” This remarkable marine species, a resident of the Indian and Pacific oceans, has faced challenging conditions due to escalating pollution and unyielding fishing practices. As a result, its population has sought refuge in the depths of the sea, rendering it a formidable challenge to capture. Often referred to as 'Sea Gold' owing to its remarkable market value, the Ghol fish holds a coveted status in various industries. Renowned for its exceptional…

Justice Fathima Beevi, the first woman to be appointed as judge of the Supreme Court of India, has passed away. She was 96. Born in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, Justice Fathima Beevi made history in 1989 when she was appointed the first female judge of the Supreme Court of India. She was also the first Muslim woman to be appointed to any of the higher judiciaries in the country. She retired from the apex court in 1992. After she retired from judicial service, she was appointed the Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1997, making her the first Muslim woman to hold the post. She served in the position till 2001. A B.Sc and law graduate, Justice Beevi enrolled as an Advocate in 1950. She started her judicial career as the Munsiff in the Kerala Subordinate Judicial Services. She became a High Court Judge in 1983 and a Supreme Court Judge in 1989. As a Supreme Court judge, she became the first Muslim woman in the higher judiciary and the first woman to become…

In the world of crime, it seems the heists are becoming more of a comedy than a thriller! Picture this: a burglar with a brilliant plan to execute a heist, only to be caught in the act because he dozed off on the job, his snores acting as the ultimate alarm clock for the homeowners. Move over action-packed capers; it's time for a crime comedy starring the Dumb Thief and his unintended slapstick masterpiece! According to a South China Morning Post report, the burglar, who entered a house in the Yunnan province of southwest China, got scared upon hearing people talking inside. To avoid detection, he chose to wait in another room until the homeowners went to sleep. However, while waiting, he decided to smoke a cigar and dozed off himself. The loud snoring that followed became the unexpected alarm that led to his eventual arrest. The homeowner awoke to loud snoring after putting her younger child to bed. At first, she brushed it off, but when she woke 40 minutes…

A Georgia restaurant recently went viral after a customer published a snapshot of their menu on Reddit. There were the expected classics—food, fountain drinks, and a WI-FI code—but there was also a line that most hadn't seen on a menu before. The menu appears to alert customers to an "adult surcharge" for "adults unable to parent," implying that parents with disruptive children will see an additional tax placed on their tab. (However, the exact amount of the fee is uncertain because it is not displayed on the menu.) As you might expect, word of the alleged cost spread quickly online, and hundreds of people expressed their outrage at the prospect of a waiter or owner assessing if someone's child is misbehaving enough to warrant a "bad kid" price. "If I read this at a restaurant, I would probably leave," Reddit user u/TheBigTree91 added. While many of us can scoff from behind our screens, a few folks who have dined at the eatery have described their experience.…

How far could we push the limits of wireless communication? NASA recently demonstrated tech that could help how beam messages across a distance of 16 million kilometres (10 million miles). This is about 40 times the distance between the Moon and Earth and marks the first time optical communications have been transmitted across such a distance. Usually, humans use radio waves to communicate with far-off spacecraft. But higher frequencies of light such as near infrared have more bandwidth and faster data speed. To be able to send and receive messages from nearby planets like Mars after a settler colony's establishment would be a key priority to ensure the safety of humans and for seamless knowledge transfer. This tech could enable seamless communication between Earth and far-off objects. The test is part of NASA's Deep Space Optimal Communications (DSOC) experiment and the successful establishment of the communication link is known as "first light." "Achieving…

There were about 725,000 Indian illegal immigrants in the US, a new report has claimed. According to the Pew Research Center, Indians make up the third largest population of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador. The US had an estimated unauthorised immigrant population of 10.5 million in 2021, which translates to about three per cent of the country's total population and 22 per cent of the foreign-born population. The study found that there was an increase in the number of unauthorised immigrants in the US from 2007 to 2021, with the largest increase from Central America (240,000) and South and East Asia (180,000). While the number of unauthorised immigrants from Mexico living in the US -- 4.1 million in 2021 -- was the lowest since the 1990s, El Salvador -- 800,000 -- and India, with 725,000 immigrants, saw an increase in the numbers, the report said. Among countries with the largest numbers of unauthorised US immigrants, India, Brazil, Canada…

In a tragic turn of events, a 35-year-old man from Tirupati suffered a heart attack and died after India's heartbreaking loss to Australia in the World Cup 2023 final on Sunday. Jyotish Kumar Yadav, the deceased, worked as a software engineer in Bengaluru and had returned home for the Diwali holidays. Jyotish was watching the IND versus AUS play on TV with friends and family, according to the Times of India. He then complained of chest trouble and collapsed unexpectedly. Despite being quickly evacuated to Tirupati's Venkateshwara Ramnarain Ruia government hospital, doctors declared him dead. According to Jyotish's friends, he showed symptoms of tension and anxiety as India batted first and set a target of 240. Although he was relieved when Indian spinners took three early wickets, his relief quickly turned to fear as Australia approached the modest goal. Jyotish complained of chest trouble and fainted shortly after Australia won their sixth World Cup at…

Amid all the chaos that unfolded in the aftermath of Sam Altman's removal as OpenAI CEO, it appears that he is returning to the company in the same capacity - as its chief executive officer. OpenAI, the most valuable US startup, announced on Wednesday that it has reached an "agreement in principle" for Altman's return. Former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor, former US Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers, and Quora founder Adam D’Angelo will be part of the new board at OpenAI, the company said. Taylor will serve as the chair of the board. “We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this,” the startup added. Altman was abruptly dismissed from his role over a short meeting as the board showed concern over his control over the company. It also appears that the board was reportedly unhappy with how AI is being shaped at OpenAI in the context of safety and its impact on humanity. Microsoft owns 49% of OpenAI and was…

Receiving letters from the government addressed to Bharat Ratna recipients is a common occurrence, but have you ever seen an ordinary person make such a request directly to official authorities? A man from Gorakhpur, UP, drew notice by writing a letter to the Gorakhpur Commissioner and District Magistrate, expressing his wish for the Bharat Ratna after claiming to have heard his inner voices strongly pleading for it. Do you still not believe us? A screenshot of his letter has made its way onto the internet, eliciting laughter from those who have seen it. Identifying himself as Vinod Kumar Gond, the man revealed that while meditating one evening, he clearly heard voices within him declaring, 'I want Bharat Ratna' not once but twice. This motivated him to formally seek that the government award him this high honor. "I was on the verge of engaging in Sandhya Bandan/meditation on September 30th when, before beginning, my conscience loudly declared that I should…

A United Nations report released on Monday indicates that, even if countries fully execute their nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) or action plans aimed at curbing the emission of planet-warming gases, the world is on track for a temperature increase of approximately 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the close of the century. The annual Emissions Gap report, which assesses countries' promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed, finds the world faces between 2.5°C and 2.9°C of warming above pre-industrial levels if governments do not boost climate action. The report released ahead of the 28th session of the annual UN climate talks or COP28 in Dubai on Monday said global emissions rose by 1.2 per cent in 2021-2022. To restrain global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, nations must reduce emissions by 28 per cent, and to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, a reduction of 42 per cent is required, as outlined in the United…

After a successful four-day work week trial in 2022, more than 90% of participating businesses in the UK opted to continue with the four-day week, and some adopted it permanently. Companies in the United States and Japan have also experimented with a 4-day work week. Can India hope to see a 4-day work week in the next year? Here is what professionals across sectors believe: A standard workweek in India is typically 5 days, with some industries and companies having a 6-day workweek. Even with a 5 day work week, work still spills over into the weekend. So, a 4-day work week doesn't seem like a reality in India. Further, limiting work to 4 days a week may mean working for longer hours on the working days. Professionals are unsure whether employees would be willing to work up to 10 hours a day. While a 4-day work week could be homogenised for the corporate sector and even for the government bodies, but often neglected is the huge segment of unorganised workers…

Nearly all of OpenAI's employees are threatening to quit and follow former CEO Sam Altman to work at Microsoft. More than 700 of the company's 770 employees signed a letter on Monday addressed to OpenAI's board saying that the signatories are "unable to work for or with people that lack competence, judgment and care for our mission and employees." The letter asked for the resignation of every board member and for the reinstatement of Altman. The employees threatened to follow Altman to Microsoft if they failed to follow through on this letter. Microsoft has "has assured us there are positions for all OpenAI employees," the letter said. This means that OpenAI could virtually move to Microsoft without the tech giant acquiring the company if Altman isn't reinstated. According to the letter, Altman's ouster came as a surprise to OpenAI employees, as well as Microsoft, its biggest investor, the letter states. Emmett Shear, the new CEO of OpenAI, won over the directors…

When does the World Cup pain go away? #Cricket #WorldCup #India via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cz5-XCypkoe/

After the disappointment in the Final of the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup, this could be the much needed respite for Indian sports fans! India will host Asian Champions Qatar in a crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match on 21 November. The match is all set to be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Having beaten Kuwait 1-0 in the previous match and their splendid record of zero home losses gives immense confidence to the team when they take on the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts. "The only thing for us to do is to give our best for 90 minutes when the first whistle sounds," Coach Igor Stimac said. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cz52m1HpJs0/

People are having a good laugh at a Chinese airline because of a funny mistake. You know how airplane food isn't always a hit? This airline might have gone too far with one menu item that got everyone talking. Someone on a China Eastern Airlines flight noticed something pretty surprising on the business class menu and shared it online. “Apparently, economy-class passengers only get domestic dog food,” one user joked. “If it’s business class, I expect my imported dog food to be 96% air-dried organic beef,” another wrote. “Most likely, the translation has gone wrong. Besides, how bad could dog food be?” said another. Some users speculated that the translation might refer to hot dogs or suggest that the airline was pet-friendly. The ambiguity left room for various interpretations. There were requests from others to see the original Chinese version of the menu to understand better what was being offered. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cz5l8WbPTqe/

The iconic Hubble telescope has confirmed the existence of an Earth-sized exoplanet just 22 light-years from Earth, making it among the nearest exoplanets to our planet. The exoplanet is located in the constellation Eridanus and is called LTT 1445Ac. It orbits LTT 1445A, one of the three red dwarf stars that make up the triple system of LTT 1445. When it was first found by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in 2022, it was considered just another among thousands of exoplanets that are now considered common. Scientists wanted to find out how big the planet really is. Usually, such planets are discovered as they move in front of their parent star. When this happens, the light from the star dips. By observing this, astronomers can figure out the size and orbit of a planet, along with other properties - that is, if they see this happen too often. If the planet LTT 1445Ac passed cleanly in front of its star, it might be about the size of Earth.…

Toronto residents are resorting to unorthodox means of subsistence in the face of rising housing costs. People are starting to list "half their bed" for rent, which is a novel trend that shows how adaptable and creative Torontonians can be even in the face of a difficult housing market. Toronto is well-known for its thriving economy, varied communities, and lively culture. But because of the city's increasing popularity, there is a huge demand for housing, which has driven up rental costs. A lot of people are finding it difficult to find cheap places to live, which is leading them to look at other options to help with the high expenses. Recent monthly data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) shows that the country's housing market is still in decline, with fewer homes being listed and fewer sales occurring. According to the data released by CREA on Wednesday, home sales in Canada are still on the decline, having decreased by 5.6% in October. …