The Indian Consulate in New York sharply criticised vandalism at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York. This is the second on the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple this year as the Hindu temple in Edmonton, Canada, was also vandalised in July. Watch the video to know more.

The Indian Consulate in New York sharply criticised vandalism at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York.

Vandalism at BAPS Swaminarayan temple in New York

Quick commerce firm Zepto has marginally brought down its losses to Rs 1,248.6 crore in 2023-24 from Rs 1,272.4 crore in 202223 , as per data shared by Tofler.
The Mumbai-based firm posted a revenue of Rs 4,454 crore in FY24, more than two-fold increase from Rs 2,025 crore in the previous fiscal.
Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha took to LinkedIn to share the results.
"Zepto reduced its absolute losses, with PAT (profit after tax) as a percentage of revenue improving significantly from -63 per cent in FY23 to -28 per cent in FY24," he wrote.
Palicha expressed optimism about continuing this momentum towards profitability and said the company is on track for a profit after tax (PAT) in the near future.
"Despite being only 3 years old, we were able to successfully close a full statutory audit by a Big 4 firm with no financial qualifications and a clean CARO.  This rare achievement for a young startup is the outcome of a governance-focused culture at Zepto and early decision-making that 

The Mumbai-based firm posted a revenue of Rs 4,454 crore in FY24, more than two-fold increase from Rs 2,025 crore in the previous fiscal

State-owned insurer Life Insurance Corp of India (LIC) has pared its stake in iron-ore producer NMDC Ltd by 2 per cent, according to an exchange filing.
After the stake sale, LIC's holding in the state-run iron ore mining company NMDC has dropped to 5.6 per cent from 7.6 per cent earlier.
The insurer sold more than 5.91 crore shares or 2 per cent stake in NMDC through a series of market sales over a period spanning from September 2023 to December 2024, LIC said in a regulatory filing on Friday.
LIC's holding in NMDC's equity shares carrying voting rights decreased from 22,31,79,025 shares, representing 7.6 per cent of the total voting capital, to 16,40,59,791 shares, accounting for 5.6 per cent, it added.
Last month, LIC said it has sold more than 2.02 per cent stake in Tata Power for about Rs 2,888 crore and reduced its holding in the company to 3.88 per cent.
Shares of NMDC on Friday fell 2.91 per cent to close at Rs 233.70 apiece on the BSE.

The insurer sold more than 5.91 crore shares or 2 per cent stake in NMDC through a series of market sales over a period spanning from September 2023 to December 2024, LIC said in a regulatory filing

Apple is one of Broadcom's biggest customers, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of revenue

Big Tech's push to diversify beyond Nvidia's pricey and supply-constrained AI processors has been a windfall for Broadcom, which makes custom chips for major cloud companies

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the conference on Saturday and Sunday, and is expected to address states' top officials

Rumours of a leak of question paper of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary examination erupted at an examination centre on Friday, prompting the commission to warn of police action against those involved in the "conspiracy".
Around 300-400 aspirants boycotted BPSC's 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held at Bapu Examination Centre at Kumhrar in Patna alleging the question paper was leaked even before the examination started.
BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said that examinations were held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared on Friday.
"The BPSC CCE 70th preliminary examination was held in a single shift from noon to 2 pm. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres," Parmar told PTI.
"However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched questions papers from the invigilators and stormed out

BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said that examinations were held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared on Friday

Stakeholders from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sought a reduction in GST, technology upgrade, and production-linked incentive scheme benefits for various segments in a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.
The meeting aimed to seek inputs and suggestions for the Budget for 2025-26, expected to be presented on February 1.
Members from the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE); Karnataka SC and ST Entrepreneurs' Association; Plant-Based Food Industry Association (PBFIA); Ambala Scientific Instruments Manufacturers' Association (ASIMA); Rajasthan Footwear Manufacturers' Association were among the participants at the meeting.
The All-India Plastics Manufacturers' Association; All India Manufacturers' Association; Gujarat Chamber of Small Industries Association; Federation of Associations of Cottage and Small Industries (based in West Bengal); Federation of Andhra Pradesh Small and Medium Association; and Laghu Udyog 

The meeting aimed to seek inputs and suggestions for the Budget for 2025-26, expected to be presented on February 1

Call for reining in food inflation and raising investment in pre-Budget  talks

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

Vandalism at BAPS Swaminarayan temple in New York

The Indian Consulate in New York sharply criticised vandalism at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York. This is the second on the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple this year as the Hindu temple in Edmonton, Canada, was also vandalised in July. Watch the video to know more.

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