Chef Vikas Khanna has reacted to a resurfaced viral video showing his firm response to a BBC interviewer who implied his sense of hunger stemmed from his humble background in India. In an Instagram post, Khanna addressed the trending video, saying, “As this is trending worldwide, I must address this issue. Every nation has its greatness and faults. India is so, so multidimensional and multicultural; one of the fastest-growing economies. Our cuisine is valued as our greatest soft power, our family structure, spiritual power and wisdom, literature, science, research, technology, music, culture has defined its space in the world.” “Our Chefs are ruling the global stages and our role in the World of science & technology is symbolic to who we are & our educational systems. But somehow this is the only question significant to some…,” the post read. He also shared the video in question dating back to 2020, when Khanna organised large-scale food distribution drives during the pandemic, winning appreciation from many. “You understand how precarious it can be in India,” the interviewer asked. It shows Khanna calmly explaining that his hunger didn’t originate from his upbringing in India, where community kitchens provided for everyone, but rather from his struggles in New York as a young immigrant aspiring to open a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Student from Telangana drowns in Canada
A man from Telangana, who went to Canada to pursue his Masters, drowned while swimming with his friends in a lake in Toronto. The victim, Praneeth, was from Telangana's Meerpet and went to celebrate his birthday. The man's father has requested the government to bring his son's body back to India as early as possible. The victim had moved to Canada in 2019 for studies while his elder brother in 2022. A video showed Praneeth jumping into the lake. In another video, the man recorded a selfie with his friends on a motorboat in the lake. "Both along with other friends visited the lake to celebrate the birthday of Praneeth. They went swimming. While everyone returned, the younger one ( Praneeth) did not," the grieving father told reporters.
US to give $202 mn more aid to Dhaka
America will provide an additional $202 million of aid to Bangladesh, a US delegation said during a visit to Dhaka. The six-member delegation, led by deputy under secretary of the treasury department Brent Neiman, is the first from the US since the interim govt headed by Muhammad Yunus took office last month following the ousting of PM Sheikh Hasina after deadly protests. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said it would provide a $202 million grant to promote good governance, social, human and economic opportunity and resilience, in a deal signed in Dhaka. It follows a 2021 agreement where USAID pledged a total of $954 million between 2021 and 2026, of which $425 million had already been provided.
China raises retirement age
The Chinese govt approved a plan to raise the country’s statutory retirement age, currently among the lowest in the world, in a long-awaited but broadly unpopular effort to address the challenge of its rapidly aging population. This is the first time China has raised its retirement age since the 1950s. It will be phased in gradually, starting on Jan 1, 2025. The retirement age for men, previously 60, will increase in increments of several months before finally reaching 63 by 2040. The retirement age for women in white-collar jobs, previously 55, will rise to 58. Women in blue-collar jobs, who previously could retire at 50, will have to work until 55.
Indian origin lawyer fired over 'inappropriate relationship' in US
An Indian-origin lawyer has been fired in the US over an alleged 'inappropriate workplace relationship' with the CEO of her company. Nabanita Nag, the Chief Legal Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation, Atlanta, was terminated from her role after an investigation into allegations that she was in a consensual relationship with her boss Alan Shaw, who was also fired as CEO. Though the relationship was consensual, the two officials violated company policies and code of ethics by engaging in a relationship, Norfolk Southern Corporation said. The move "comes in connection with preliminary findings from an ongoing investigation that determined Shaw violated company policies by engaging in a consensual relationship with the company's chief legal officer. Shaw's departure is unrelated to the company's performance, financial reporting and results of operations," Norfolk Southern Corporation said in a press release.
