Author: Senjuti Bhattacharya

Prominent Indian Americans, including two Republican presidential contenders, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, have expressed strong solidarity with Israel in the face of unprecedented assaults by the Hamas militant group, resulting in a significant loss of life. On October 7, the Palestinian militant organization Hamas launched a sustained rocket attack in southern Israel, resulting in a tragic toll of over 600 casualties, encompassing both civilians and soldiers. Additionally, more than 1,900 individuals suffered injuries as a result of these attacks. In response to the rocket barrages by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous airstrikes aimed at targeting critical…

India’s space agency, ISRO, has initiated preparations for testing the crew module of its ambitious manned space mission, Gaganyaan. The crew module is designed to contain astronauts in a pressurized earth-like atmosphere. ISRO has prepared a test version of the crew module, primarily to evaluate its abort systems. This unpressurized module closely resembles the actual Gaganyaan crew module in size and mass. It houses systems for deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, and avionics in a dual redundant mode configuration. The module will be extensively instrumented to record flight data for performance evaluation. After the test, the crew module…

Dr. Joyeeta Gupta, an Indian-origin professor, was honored with the prestigious Spinoza Prize during an event organized by The Dutch Research Council (NWO) in The Hague on October 4th. Often regarded as the Dutch equivalent of the Nobel Prize, this award recognizes her outstanding contributions to the field of climate change. In recognition of her remarkable work, Dr. Gupta was granted a generous research fund of 1.5 million euros (approximately US$1.6 million). The Embassy of India in The Hague congratulated her on this achievement through a social media post. Dr. Gupta currently holds multiple academic roles, serving as a professor…

In September, India’s services sector displayed a robust growth trajectory, driven by heightened demand leading to increased output and sales. The S&P Global India Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbed from 60.1 in August to 61 in September, following readings of 62.3 in July, 58.5 in June, and 61.2 in May. A PMI score above 50 signifies expansion, and this trend has been consistent since August 2021, marking its longest such stretch since August 2011. Mrs. Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, noted that these PMI results brought positive news for India’s economy. In September,…

Vivek Ramaswamy, a US presidential hopeful of Indian origin, is reportedly searching for a nanny to care for his two children. A recent job listing on EstateJobs.com indicates he’s offering a substantial salary of approximately over Rs 80 lakh (around $100,000 USD). The job listing highlights that the family leads an adventurous and fast-paced lifestyle, offering a unique opportunity for the nanny to participate in their distinctive family experiences. The role demands 84 to 96 hours of work per week with one week off, necessitating coordination with other household staff like a chef, housekeeper, and private security. Although the recruiter’s…

The removal of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on October 3, orchestrated by far-right Republicans, triggered a wave of reactions from lawmakers. McCarthy faced removal with every Democrat in the chamber voting against him, joined by eight Republicans: Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, and Matt Rosendale, resulting in a 216-210 vote. Vivek Ramaswamy, a GOP presidential primary contender, addressed the situation in a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter). In the 3-minute video, Ramaswamy discussed the motivation behind McCarthy’s ouster, emphasizing the theme of chaos and why it might not…

On the 11th day of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, India secured gold in the compound archery mixed team final. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Pravis Ojas Deotale’s outstanding performance not only earned India the gold but also surpassed their previous best Asiad medal tally. Their current tally stands at 81, a significant improvement from their 2018 Jakarta record of 70 medals. Additionally, India clinched bronze in the 35km race walk mixed team final. In boxing, Lovlina Borgohain secured silver in the women’s 75 kg category, while Parveen settled for bronze in the women’s 57kg boxing semifinal. Sunil Kumar…

Nikki Haley, a Republican candidate for the 2024 US Presidential elections, made headlines when she reported receiving a birdcage and bird food in her hotel room courtesy of the Trump Campaign, as per The Hill and ANI. Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Haley shared an image of the birdcage and a bag of food on October 1, accompanied by a sign that read “From: Trump Campaign.” In her social media update, she commented, “Following a day of campaigning, this is the surprise I found in my hotel room… #PrettyPatheticTryAgain #YouJustMadeMyCaseForMe.” A journalist named Marc Caputo, writing…

Nielsen, a pioneer in audience measurement and data analytics, has appointed Karthik Rao as its new CEO, effective immediately. The current CEO, David Kenny, who has held the position since 2018, will transition into the role of executive chairman. Rao, who has been promoted to the CEO position, expressed his excitement about the new opportunity and his long-standing connection with Nielsen. He emphasized the company’s commitment to providing clients, the advertising industry, and content creators with the most accurate information possible. He noted the significance of working with Nielsen’s global team during a period of unprecedented transformation in the industry.…

The fifth annual auction of mementos gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced on Monday, with a painting of Banaras Ghat leading the bids at a value of $88,000, as per the PM Mementos auction website. This year’s auction features a diverse range of mementos, including 900 paintings, intricate sculptures, indigenous handicrafts, and captivating folk and tribal artifacts, with prices ranging from $1 to over $880,000. While 150 of these items are on display at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the rest are available for bidding on the website. The bidding process will continue until October…