Wartalaap

12/01/2025

Amid rising economic challenges, German companies are employing private detectives to investigate employees on long-term sick leave, questioning whether all such cases are genuine.

Seen as a way to identify unproductive workers, this trend has sparked debate globally, particularly on Chinese social media.

One agency capitalising on this growing demand is Lentz Group, a private detective firm based near Frankfurt’s central railway station. Marcus Lentz, the agency’s founder, told AFP that his company handles around 1,200 cases annually—double the number seen a few years ago.

Data from Germany’s federal statistics agency, Destatis, reveals that the average number of sick leave days per worker rose significantly from 11.1 in 2021 to 15.1 in 2023. This surge in absenteeism reduced the country’s GDP by 0.8% in 2023, contributing to an economic contraction of 0.3%, according to the South China Morning Post.

11/01/2025

Delhi Election 2025: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched another attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, calling their ten-year rule in Delhi a “disaster.”

Addressing the ‘Slum Dwellers’ Conference’ at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Shah alleged that the toilet in Kejriwal’s so-called “Sheesh Mahal” (glass palace) was more expensive than the slums in the city.

11/01/2025

Poet, photographer, graphic designer, journalist, editor – Pritish Nandy was all this and more.

So was he a dilettante, dabbling in various things? Not at all. Pritish took everything seriously and dived into them with a great passion.

Though much has been written about his award-winning poetry, he was also a calligrapher. He was a talented photographer who took some great images of Indira Gandhi.

He won awards for his designs for the annual calendar of Guest Keen Williams, where he worked. He won the Padma Shri at the age of 26. And he was devoted to animal rights – I once saw him get out of his car and threaten to beat up a man on the street who was kicking a dog.

10/01/2025

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan has ignited a firestorm of criticism after advocating for a 90-hour workweek during an employee interaction. Subrahmanyan defended L&T’s six-day workweek, lamenting the inability to make employees work seven days. He jokingly quipped, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?”

Actor Deepika Padukone has also weighed in on the debate and called out Subrahmanyan for his remarks. The actor took to Instagram and posted, “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. .”

The remark made during an employee interaction drew swift backlash, with netizens accusing the chairman of insensitivity and hypocrisy. Subrahmanyan further shared an anecdote about a conversation with a Chinese individual who asserted that China could surpass the United States.

When asked for the reason, the person explained that Chinese workers put in 90 hours a week compared to the 50-hour workweeks typical in the US.

09/01/2025

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed that all seven Lok Sabha MPs have been given targets by the BJP in Delhi to create ‘fake voters’ in the New Delhi Assembly.

Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party of voter manipulation, the Aam Aadmi Party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday claimed that all seven Lok Sabha MPs have been given targets by the BJP in Delhi to create ‘fake voters’ in the New Delhi Assembly.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has sought time from the Election Commission of India over the matter.

“According to sources, the Gaali Galooj Party has given targets to its seven MPs to get fake votes made in the New Delhi Legislative Assembly in the next few days. Let’s see how many applications for making new votes come in the next few days.

Everyone should keep an eye on this. Atishi ji has sought time to meet the Chief Election Commissioner. We hope we will get time soon,” former Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal posted on X.

08/01/2025

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Vishnu Dayal Ram said the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill is in the interest of the nation.

The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the One Nation One Election proposal is being held today (January 8, 2025) in New Delhi.

“The call for ‘One Nation, One Election’ given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the interest of the nation.... In today’s meeting, a presentation will be given by the Law Ministry and a discussion on The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024...We have multiple elections in the country, where the administrative machinery is always engaged in elections and MCC is imposed, leading to policy paralysis,” Mr. Ram, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, told ANI.

“So, the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill must be passed,” he asserted BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary will chair the meeting. The officials from the Law and Justice Ministry are scheduled to brief the Parliamentary panel.

08/01/2025

https://youtu.be/LbLjJPRvbvE?si=HXaoCO1Rwg12YMXu

Narendra Modi’s journey from a humble tea seller to becoming the Prime Minister of India is nothing short of extraordinary. In this video, we uncover the les...

08/01/2025

Beijing — A strong earthquake killed at least 126 people in Tibet on Tuesday and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the region of western China and across the border in Nepal. The official Xinhua News Agency said 126 people were killed and at least 188 other injured in Tibet.

About 1,500 fire and rescue workers were deployed to search for people in the rubble, the Ministry of Emergency Management said. More than 1,000 homes were damaged in the barren and sparsely populated region, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Video posted by CCTV showed building debris littering streets and crushed cars.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about six miles. China recorded the magnitude as 6.8.

07/01/2025

Under growing pressure from his own party, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he will step down and end his nine-year stretch as leader.

Trudeau said he would stay on in office until his Liberal Party can choose a new leader, and that parliament would be prorogued - or suspended - until 24 March.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said during a press conference Monday.

Trudeau’s personal unpopularity with Canadians had become an increasing drag on his party’s fortunes in advance of federal elections later this year.

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07/01/2025

Indian chef Vikas Khanna makes global headlines quite often, not just for his food, but also for his tete-a-tete with stars. Earlier last month, the chef grabbed the limelight when Hollywood star Anne Hathaway visited his coveted New York restaurant Bungalow.

The celebrated Indian chef is in news again, but this time for a reason every desi will relate to.

After Anne Hathaway’s visit, the chef gifted her several thoughtful presents - a handcrafted marble box from Agra, the book Kiss In Kashmir by Monica Saigal, and the very iconic Mysore Sandalwood Soap!

"This moment celebrates the timeless legacy of Karnataka’s pride on a global stage. continues to connect hearts worldwide with its unmatched purity & fragrance, embodying the rich heritage of ,” the brand continued in a second post.

07/01/2025

Neeraj became a national hero after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics and cemented his legacy with a World Championship gold and silver. Expectations were high for him to defend his title at the Paris Olympics 2024. During the qualifiers, he recorded a season-best throw of 89.34m, securing a direct entry to the finals. However, in the finals, his best throw of 89.45m earned him a silver medal, falling short to his arch-rival Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, who clinched gold with a record-breaking 92.97m throw.

Reflecting on the pressure after Tokyo, Neeraj said during an interview with Lallantop, “I don’t let past victories pressure me. I focus on what I can achieve today. A good mental and physical state is key to delivering big throws.”

Injury struggles, however, have hindered Neeraj’s progress. Speaking about his groin injury, he revealed in the interview, “Since 2018, I’ve felt capable of a big throw, but the pain has held me back. Despite consistency with 88m and 89m throws, the injury has stalled my career. Surgery might help, but it’s risky, and I’m focusing on strengthening the area instead.”

As he prepares for the new season, fans eagerly await the moment when Neeraj Chopra breaks the 90m barrier—a milestone that would solidify his place among the greatest javelin throwers of all time.

06/01/2025

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released its first list of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections due in February.

The list of 29 candidates includes former West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who will contest against AAP chief and former CM Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency. Former south Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri is set to go up against CM Atishi from Kalkaji, while former AAP Minister Kailash Gahlot has been fielded from Bijwasan instead of his turf Najafgarh.

Delhi BJP vice-president, will contest against AAP’s Mukesh Goel from the Adarsh Nagar constituency.

04/01/2025

Jasprit Bumrah left the field around 1.20 pm on Day 2 of the SCG Test. He didn’t return, and at 2:10 pm, he left for hospital to undergo scans. He returned later when India had already started their second innings.

Fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna revealed at the end of the day press conference that Bumrah had suffered back spasm and the team’s medical staff was monitoring his condition.

Prasidh was told that the final decision on whether to play on Day 3 has been left to the team’s stand-in skipper himself. Much will depend on how he feels after waking up.

Typically, back spasm takes from a few days to a couple of weeks to be resolved, with most people experiencing significant improvement within the first week.

India would love nothing more than to have their best bowler on the field, but Bumrah, who underwent back surgery last year, would have to decide whether the risk is worth it.

04/01/2025

Zomato-owned quick commerce platform Blinkit has announced a 10 minute ambulance delivery service, as the firm looks to expand beyond grocery and print out deliveries.

CEO Albinder Dhindsa said the service will begin with five ambulances in Gurugram. “As we expand the service to more areas, you will start seeing an option to book a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance through the Blinkit app,” he said in a post on X.

Underlining that the facility was not launched with profit as a goal, Dhinsa said the aim was to expand to all major cities in the next two years.

A quick commerce platform jumping into ambulance services has highlighted the stark reality of the state of ambulance availability in India, where such vehicles are often difficult to obtain during critical medical needs, with a section of population also priced out owing to the sometimes high upfront costs, especially for more developed ambulances with advanced life support (ALS) functions.

04/01/2025

Congress’ student wing, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), demanded the new Delhi University college whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, be named after former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away last year.

The Congress stalwart is credited for steering India’s economy towards liberalisation, and his several landmark policies.

In a letter penned to PM Modi, NSUI National President Varun Choudhary said that the new college, if named under Manmohan Singh, would be a “fitting tribute to his legacy”.

“Dr Singh’s monumental contributions include the Central Universities Act, 2009, RTE Act 2009 established IITs, IlMs, AlIMS, and a network of central universities across India.

These initiatives revolutionised the nation’s education system, benefiting millions,” he said in the letter.

03/01/2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over a ceremonial ‘chadar’ to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, January 2.

This sacred ‘chadar’ will be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the occasion of the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – the 13th-century Sufi saint.

“PM Narendra Modi ji presented the Chadar that would be offered on his behalf at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti,” Rijiju said in a post on X sharing the picture of the chadar.
PM Modi has been sending a ‘chadar’ to the shrine annually to mark the occasion.

Rijiju is expected to hand over the chadar oat the dargah on Modi’s behalf on January 4, according to reports. “This gesture reflects his deep respect for India’s rich spiritual heritage and the enduring message of harmony and compassion,” Rijiju said.

The minister was accompanied by Jamal Siddiqui, the national president of BJP minority morcha, during the handing over of the ‘chadar’.

02/01/2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh and the two discussed a range of topics, from the vastness of India and its vibrancy to music and the benefits of yoga.

In a video posted on Instagram on New Year’s Day, the Prime Minister shared snippets of their conversation.

The singer praised PM Modi and said the way he spoke about his mother and the river Ganga (also revered as a mother) moved everyone, while the PM said Mr Dosanjh has lived up to his name Diljit (the winner of hearts) and won the hearts of people worldwide.

02/01/2025

Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa has become the latest delivery app boss to take on the role of a delivery agent. Dhindsa’s New Year’s Eve plans included him setting up camp in a Gurugram Blinkit store to pack and deliver orders for his 10-minute delivery service.

“Starting the NYE posts this year from one of our stores (in Nirvana Country, Gurugram),” he wrote in a post on X, along with a picture of him wearing a bright yellow delivery agent’s jacket.In the next post, he revealed that he was now going to pick an order and pack it. “Let’s see how much time it takes me,” he joked.

Too slow, sorry for delay’
The CEO quickly followed the post with a photo of grocery bag full of food items and added that he had successfully packed it in less than three minutes. “Done. Took me 2 minute 57 seconds to pick and pack. Too slow,” he said, adding that the average picking time at the store was 1 minute 46 seconds.
“Sorry for the delay and happy new year to whoever’s order this was,” he wrote.