Los Angeles battles its largest wildfire ever, with 70,000 evacuated and five lives lost. A state of emergency is declared as federal aid and retired firefighters join the fight.  

Six devotees died, and several were injured in a stampede at Tirupati’s Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam. The Andhra Pradesh govt has announced Rs 25 lakh compensation for each victim's family.  

Los Angeles battles its largest wildfire ever, with 70,000 evacuated and five lives lost. A state of emergency is declared as federal aid and retired firefighters join the fight.

LA wildfire, Tirupati stampede tragedy, TCS Q3 profit & more

The preferential allotment comes at a time when Vodafone Idea is trying to catch up with its stronger rivals

Online grocer Bigbasket on Thursday announced signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to strengthen the organic produce market linkage.
A press release from the Tata Group company said the partnership will enable Bigbasket to source organic fruits, vegetables, and staple items directly from organic farmers across the state and supply them to its distribution centres nationwide.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, marking a significant step towards strengthening the organic agriculture ecosystem and supporting the state's farmers, it said.
As part of the collaboration, Bigbasket will establish four new collection centres in AP, ensuring a daily supply of fresh, high-quality organic produce.
The initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of local organic farmers and enhance consumer access to sustainable, organic products.

Bigbasket signs MoU with AP govt to boost organic produce, market linkage

The government is working on trusted source product rules for equipment used in the power sector, after implementing it for telecom networks, National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) M U Nair said on Thursday.
Speaking at a cyber security conference of industry chamber FICCI, Nair said the implementation of the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) in 2021 has made telecom networks, which is the backbone of entire public digital infrastructure, safe.
"I'm sure you would have seen that the US is having a lot of problems with telecom networks. Since 2021, our telecom networks are fairly protected from cyber security vulnerabilities because they have addressed this issue of supply chain. Now should it be replicated in other ministries? This is something which the government is working on with Ministry of Power, because our energy grids need to be protected," Nair said.
The rollout of NSDTS has led to virtual ban on purchase of equipment from Chinese ...

Speaking at a cyber security conference of industry chamber FICCI, Nair said the implementation of NSDTS in 2021 has made telecom networks safe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday released the genome sequencing data of 10,000 Indian nationals and said it will be a milestone in the field of biotechnology research.
The Genome India Data, that represents the genetic diversity in the country, will be available to researchers at the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) through managed access.
"I am confident this will be a milestone in the field of biotechnology research," Modi said in a video-recorded statement played out at the Genomics Data Conclave organised by the Department of Biotechnology here.
Modi said more than 20 renowned research institutions like IITs, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) have played an important role in this research.
The prime minister said this national database encapsulated the extraordinary genetic landscape of the country and promised to serve as an invaluable scientific resource.
"It will facilitate advancements 

The Genome India Data, that represents the genetic diversity in the country, will be available to researchers at the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) through managed access

Subrahmanyan's '90-hour workweek' formula is one step ahead of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy's suggestion of working 70-hours a week

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said he would order a judicial inquiry into the stampede incident that left six people dead and dozens injured, besides transferring three senior officials including the district Superintendent of Police.
Addressing a press conference, Naidu said he has ordered suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction.
He further said he noticed some loopholes or leakages in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati which should have been 'perfect'.
Expressing grief over the incident, Naidu said he is announcing Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured.
According to him, a new system of issuing tokens was introduced by the previous regime in Tirupati as opposed to the earlier system of giving them in Tirumala hills.
Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds

Addressing a press conference, Naidu said he has ordered suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction

In a significant reshuffle within the Finance Ministry, senior IAS officer Arunish Chawla has been reassigned from his position as revenue secretary to head the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), a move which comes three weeks ahead of the Union Budget.
DIPAM secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has been appointed as the new revenue secretary in place of Chawla, according to a personnel ministry order. Pandey is also the finance secretary.
The changes come at a time when the Finance Ministry is working on the the Union Budget, scheduled for presentation on February 1. Wednesday's reshuffle is seen as the government's strategic adjustments as it gears up for the crucial financial planning period ahead.
Chawla, a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Bihar cadre, was appointed as the revenue secretary only on December 25 last year. He was then working as the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.
He will also hold additional charge of the pos

DIPAM secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has been appointed as the new revenue secretary in place of Chawla

CII President Sanjiv Puri said that exports are facing headwinds while suggesting measures such as minimum import and anti-dumping duty

Russia-Ukraine War

The year 2022 is coming to an end and a lot has happened that shaped the world in the year. Let's have a look at some of these significant events

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine&amp;#39;s capital, Kyiv, from the north in an attempt to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky&amp;#39;s government. In the months following, artillery bombardment and street fighting continued, with Russia seizing multiple cities.

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After a slew of scandals in his term spanning three years, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office in July. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, who took over the office in September.
						
						But after 45 days in the office, she resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history. Her budgetary plans, at the centre of which were tax cut plans, had crashed the markets, making her lose the confidence of almost all her own MPs.
						
						In the days that followed, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain&amp;#39;s 57th prime minister and vowed to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor, Liz Truss.

Russia Invades Ukraine

In April, protests began in the nation following a sharp rise in food and fuel costs. Thousands demanded the resignation of now-ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The people faced long power cuts daily and shortages of basics, including fuel and food. Sri Lanka&amp;#39;s doctors said they were nearly out of life-saving medicines.
						
						Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s government was being blamed for the chronic mismanagement of the country&amp;#39;s finances. In July, protestors stormed Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s home, pushing him to flee the nation before resigning from office.

UK&amp;#39;s political crisis

In September, 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran&amp;#39;s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Authorities said she died of illness, but her family claimed she fell into a coma after being mistreated by the police. Sources said the police beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Protests sparked by her demise have since roped in ethnic minorities and even school children. Thousands of women since then have been showing solidarity by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in public.
						
						Now, the unrest has spread beyond a women&amp;#39;s right to a movement that is calling for an end to theocratic rule. The protests are now the most broadly supported movement in Iran in over four decades.

Sri Lanka economic crisis

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term in office. He became the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get a third term in power.
						
						This came as China&amp;#39;s economy was running out of steam after decades of high growth. Many expect Xi&amp;#39;s third term may see China revert to more old-school economic management, focusing on shoring up the heavy industry and continuing a crackdown on big tech.

Uprising mounts again in Iran

In a historic first, rich countries agreed to pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. For 30 years, developing nations have been calling for developed countries to compensate for the costs of climate disasters caused by climate change. And rich nations that caused the pollution resisted the demand. But this changed in 2022.

Chinese President Xi Jinping starts record third term in power

In 2022, inflation was rising worldwide, with food and energy prices hitting record highs. The hike was mainly driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and Russia&amp;#39;s invasion of Ukraine. As the pandemic waned, people wanted to return to normalcy and spend more. This led to companies demanding higher prices. Companies also hired more to serve the pent-up demand. They had to increase wages to attract workers and raise prices to compensate for that.

A landmark deal UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

In September, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain&amp;#39;s longest-serving monarch, died at 96 after reigning for 70 years. Many said her death would mark a turning point for commonwealth nations as many may disassociate themselves.

The global economy at crossroads

In October, Brazil&amp;#39;s former president, Luiz In&amp;aacute;cio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the country&amp;#39;s closest presidential race in history. Silva&amp;#39;s win marked Latin America&amp;#39;s shift to the left and pointed to an extraordinary comeback for a man in jail for corruption three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II dies

In October, billionaire Elon Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter after months of dilly-dallying, drama and a lawsuit. The Tesla owner&amp;#39;s Twitter takeover is also one of the biggest tech acquisitions of all time. May fear that Musk&amp;#39;s takeover may turn the social media giant into a hotbed of hate speech.
					
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Brazil elections

Google Messages

In January, Google rolled out end-to-end encryption in group chats for messages app users enrolled in the beta programme

Blend launches Blend Studio: AI tool for ecommerce photography

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI/PNN): Blend, an AI-powered design and photography application for DTC brands and ecommerce sellers, recently launched Blend Studio - the Chat GPT for product photos.

Celebrity and Travel Photographer Rahul Lokare from Flamingo Productions creates waves of change in the world of photography.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Priced at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a novel imaging experience on top of a premium package

LA wildfire, Tirupati stampede tragedy, TCS Q3 profit & more

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