Month: September 2023

Canada still committed to building ‘closer ties with India: Justin Trudeau amid diplomatic row

Manish Kumar

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated quickly after Trudeau’s explosive allegations of “credible evidence” of Indian “agents” being potentially responsible for Nijjar’s killing in June.  Pointing to the increasing influence of India worldwide, Trudeau said that it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies continue to engage with India.  Trudeau said that he received an assurance from the US that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would raise the matter in a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.  Tensions between India and Canada reached a boiling…

Karnataka is witnessing massive protests: 44 Flights Hit, Schools, Colleges Closed in Bengaluru Today

Manish Kumar

Karnataka is witnessing massive protests to oppose the Cauvery Regulatory Committee (CWRC) ‘s order to release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.  The umbrella organization of Kannada and farmers’ outfits ‘Kannada Okkoota’ has called for a bandh.  Authorities have clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Bengaluru Urban, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara and Hassan districts.  Schools and colleges have declared a holiday today.  44 flights scheduled to take off and land at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru early on Friday have been canceled.  The…

ETS acquires PeopleStrong’s Assessment and Remote Proctoring Business

Manish Kumar

Gurgaon: Asia’s preferred HR Tech Company, PeopleStrong today announced the acquisition of its Assessment and Remote Proctoring Business – Wheebox by ETS, the world’s largest private nonprofit educational research and measurement organization. The deal was led by ETS Strategic Capital, the private equity investment and merger and acquisition execution arm for ETS, its subsidiaries and its partners. The acquired business will continue to operate independently as a majority-owned subsidiary of ETS. An Independent Nonprofit organization, ETS is devoted to expanding access and opportunities for learners from all backgrounds through skills measurement. Education research and assessment are the…

Michael Gambon, the actor who played Albus Dumbledore in six Harry Potter movies, passes away

Manish Kumar

Veteran actor Michael Gambon passed away, he was 82.  A statement by Michael Gambon’s family, issued by his publicist, said the actor died following “a bout of pneumonia”.  The Dublin-born star worked in TV, film, theatre, and radio over his six-decade career. He had won four Baftas.  He played French detective Jules Maigret in the ITV series Maigret and was also known for his role as Philip Marlow in Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective on the BBC.  The actor – known as “The Great Gambon” in acting circles – last…

Another embarrassment for PM Trudeau: apologizes after Nazi veteran honoured in parliament

Manish Kumar

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized on behalf of Canada after a Ukrainian man who fought for a Nazi unit was unwittingly applauded in parliament.  “This is a mistake that deeply embarrassed parliament and Canada,” Mr Trudeau said on Wednesday.  In an earlier apology, Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents.  Speaker Anthony Rota, who has assumed responsibility for inviting Yaroslav Hunka, 98, resigned on Tuesday.  The incident has drawn global condemnation.  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who…

Don’t send your beggars, pickpockets: Saudi Arabia’s stern message to Pakistan

Manish Kumar

Saudi Arabia told Pakistani officials that the majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Makkah’s grand mosque are Pakistani nationals.  Most of the Pakistanis travelling abroad, are purposely involved in begging, Pakistan English website reports.  Ambassadors of Iraq and Saudi Arabia complain that their prison facilities have been overrun due to Pakistani beggars that enter the country via unauthorized channels.  90% of Pakistanis involved in pickpocketing in Saudi  Even Nepal has more skilled people than Pakistan  Over 1 million Indians get American visas in 2023  In yet another embarrassment for…

Meta unveils AI assistant, Facebook-streaming glasses

Manish Kumar

Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg rolled out new AI products for consumers, including bots that create photo-realistic images and smart glasses that answer questions, as well as an updated virtual-reality headset. Zuckerberg described the products as bringing together virtual and real worlds, and underscored that part of what Meta offered was low-cost or free AI that could integrate into the daily routine. Meta’s Quest is the bestseller in the nascent VR space and the company’s executives described it as the best value in the industry, a nod to the…

Manipur tribal leader meets Khalistanis in Canada, rings alarm bells in India

Manish Kumar

President of the Canada chapter of NAMTA (North American Manipur Tribal Association), Lien Gangte, met Khalistan supporters in Surrey, Canada,   The meeting has alarmed the Indian intelligence agencies.  During his visit to the Gurudwara last month, NAMTA president Lien Gangte spoke about ‘atrocities on minorities’ in India and what was happening to them.  Gangte also urged the Canadian government to condemn the so-called human rights violation in India and the government of India on this.  The Indian intelligence agencies have claimed that post the speech, Nijjar supporters had a…

Violent protests rock Imphal, mob vandalizes deputy commissioner’s office

Manish Kumar

Mob vandalizes DC office in Imphal, vehicles torched as violent protests escalate in state  The protests have once again snowballed in Manipur with a mob vandalizing the DC office in Imphal West and setting vehicles on fire.  This time the demonstration is being led by students over the killing of two youths in the Northeastern state.  The protesters blocked roads with burning tyres, boulders, and iron pipes to prevent the security forces from entering residential areas  Curfew was re-imposed in the two districts as the security forces combatted the violent…

Indian tax officers visit factory, Bengaluru office of China’s Lenovo

Manish Kumar

The  income tax department conducted a visit to a factory owned by Lenovo  During their visit, the tax officials thoroughly examined the laptops belonging to Lenovo employees.  As well as one of its offices situated in Bengaluru city  This visit was undertaken as part of an ongoing inquiry  Income tax officials on Wednesday visited a factory of Chinese PC maker Lenovo in the union territory of Puducherry and one of its offices in Bengaluru city as part of an inquiry, two sources told the news agency. The officials inspected laptops…