Month: July 2025

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on Tuesday that the company has started to roll out its ‘AI Mode’ in Search for users in India after what he called an “incredible response” to the feature in the labs.

In a post on X, Pichai stated, “After an incredible response in Labs, we’re starting to roll out AI Mode in Search to everyone in India (English to start). It’s a total reimagining of Search, and we’re excited for even more people to use it.”

According to the blog posted on July 8 by Hema Budaraju, Vice President, ‘Product Management, Search,’ the feature will make it easier for users to ask anything to Google and explore topics more deeply on the web. She recalled how the company first introduced AI Mode in India as an experiment in labs in June.

She stated, “Today, we’re excited to begin rolling out AI Mode to everyone in India, making it easier than ever to ask Google anything you’re curious about, get a helpful AI-powered response, and explore topics more deeply on the web.”

“In June, we first introduced AI Mode, our most powerful AI search, in India as an experiment in Labs. The response has been encouraging, with people appreciating its speed and the quality of the responses. We’ve seen users putting it to work in diverse ways–from diving deep into topics for learning to understanding complex how-tos,” she added.

She announced that Google has now started to roll out the AI Mode experience in Google Search with no labs sign-up required. She stated that users in India over the coming days will see a new tab for AI Mode appear in Search and in the Search bar in the Google app.

Hema Budaraju said, “We’re now starting to roll out the AI Mode experience in Google Search, with no Labs sign-up required. Over the coming days, you’ll see a new tab for AI Mode appear in Search and in the search bar in the Google app, available in English.

“All the features from the Labs launch will be available: so you can type, use your voice, or even snap a photo with Lens to get a rich, comprehensive response with helpful links, and dig deeper with follow-up questions. We are excited to see how this end-to-end AI search experience helps you explore your curiosity and understand the world around you,” she added. (ANI)

Star couple Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar on Tuesday boarded an Air India flight to reach Wimbledon and expressed full faith in the “national carrier with the best inflight service in the world”.

Taking to X, Shabana shared a picture with Javed from the flight, reiterating ‘faith’ in the airline service.

“Off to #London for [?]@Wimbledon[?] on [?]@airindia. Reiterating faith in our National carrier with the best inflight service in the world ! [?]@Javedakhtarjadu @mantagoyal,” she captioned the post.

Last week, Raashii Khanna took to her Instagram account to share how she has been battling travel anxiety following the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last month.

The actress posted a couple of pictures from the airport along with a note expressing how recent headlines have worsened her fear of flying. She spoke about how travel, which once felt like an “escape,” now feels stressful and “heavy.”

“There’s so much unrest in the world… Every flight feels heavier now–not just because of the skies, but because of the headlines we carry with us. Travel used to be an escape. Lately, it feels like holding your breath. Anyone else feeling this travel anxiety too?” read her post.

The crash occurred on June 12, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of the 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (ANI)

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, India’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Rahul Shrivastava, said that India is looking at importing uranium from the African country and mentioned that the recent oil and gas discoveries in Namibia are also an area of interest for New Delhi.

Speaking to ANI, Shrivastava stated that India is interested in critical minerals in Namibia. He hailed the ties between the two nations, terming them “good” and recalled how India was one of the first nations to support Namibia’s independence.

When asked about the expected takeaways from PM Modi’s State visit to Namibia, he said, “The relationships between India and Namibia are very good because we started long before Namibia got independence in 1946 when India was one of the first countries to support Namibia’s independence and thereafter when Namibia got independence, this good relations have transformed into good economic relations. So, the Prime Minister’s visit happens after a long gap of 27 years. We have a long range of things that we want to discuss primarily about trade and investment. We are interested in critical minerals in Namibia and some of our PSUs would want to invest here.”

“We are looking at export of uranium from Namibia to India and there have been recent oil and gas discoveries in Namibia, that is also an area of interest. We will be discussing about defence cooperation because Namibia wants to procure defence items from India, and capacity building is one of the important pillars of India-Namibia relations that we will also enhance during the visit,” he added.

Shrivastava said that PM Modi will be on a State visit to Namibia, where he will hold delegation-level talks with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, visit Heroes Acre to pay homage to the founding father of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma, address the country’s parliament and interact with the Indian diaspora.

“Prime Minister Modi, he comes tomorrow early morning, and the visit is for one day. It’s a state visit, but the programme is very full, apart from the various ceremonial events, such as the welcome ceremony in the State House or the welcome ceremony in the airport where he’s received by the foreign minister of Namibia. We will have delegation-level talks with the President of Namibia. He will be going to the Heroes Acre, which is the national memorial of Namibia to pay homage to the founding father of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma. He will also be addressing the parliament of Namibia and finally, he’ll also have a community interaction with the small but vibrant diaspora in Namibia.”

PM Modi on Tuesday (local time) departed for Namibia after concluding his two-day visit to Brazil. He is travelling to Namibia for a State visit at the invitation of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. It will be PM Modi’s first visit to Namibia, and the third ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia.

Shrivastava stated that the two sides will hold discussions regarding cheetahs and expressed confidence that PM Modi’s visit will surely lead to Project Cheetah 2 from Namibia.

When asked whether discussions regarding Cheetahs will take place, he said, “Discussions will yes surely take place, and the cheetahs are thriving well in India, but the numbers that are there are not enough to have a good ecological balance. We need more of cheetahs, so at some point in time, and I’m sure the Prime Minister’s visit will surely lead to Project Cheetah 2 from Namibia.”

Rahul Shrivastava emphasised that India’s leadership in the Global South is “well recognised” and termed Africa a “strong partner” for India.

“India’s leadership in the Global South is well recognised, and Africa is a very strong partner for India in this. The Prime Minister is a great supporter of support to the Global South, and in this regard we have been supporting Namibia, and Namibia participated in all three Voices of Global South summits that was chaired by India under its presidency of G20,” he said.

PM Modi is on a five-nation visit, with Namibia being his last stop. PM Modi began his five-nation visit on Wednesday in Ghana. From Ghana, PM Modi travelled to Trinidad and Tobago, and then he headed to Argentina and Brazil.

In a statement before leaving for his five-nation visit from India, PM Modi stated, “I look forward to meeting President H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and chart a new roadmap for cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, our regions and the wider Global South. It will be a privilege to also address the Joint Session of Namibian Parliament as we celebrate our enduring solidarity and shared commitment for freedom and development.” (ANI)

Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan’s latest pictures from her beach vacation reminded fans of her “Chhaliya Chhaliya” song in ‘Tashan’.

In the images, Kareena is seen stopping by the shoreline in a stunning beige and black monokini, which she paired with dark sunglasses.

“Learn to get candid on the beach from me baby,” she captioned the post.

As soon as she dropped the pictures of her toned body, fans, in no time, chimed in the comment section and posted heartfelt reactions.

Her post also left many social media users nostalgic as they were transported to 2008 when Kareena nailed her bikini look in size-zero figure in ‘Chhaliya’ song.

“Beach baby game going strong,” an Instagram user commented.

“Alexa, play Chhaliya Chhaliya,” another user wrote.

Fashion designer Manish Malhotra commented with fire emoticons.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kareena will be seen sharing screen space with Prithviraj Sukumaran in Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Daayra’.

In April, they all met for a brief meeting and officially announced the film.

Excited to work with “dream team”, Kareena on Instagram wrote,”I’ve always said that I’m a director’s actor… and this time I cannot wait to work with one of the finest director’s we have, @meghnagulzar and alongside the magnificent @therealprithvi, whose work I deeply admire. To my dream team, #Daayra (red heart emoji) let’s do this.”

In a press note, Kareena further stated, “As I celebrate 25 incredible years in Hindi cinema, I’m thrilled to announce my next film, Daayra, with the incredible Meghna Gulzar in the director’s chair. I’ve long admired her work, from Talvar to Raazi, and to be directed by her is a dream come true. The opportunity to collaborate with the talented Prithviraj is also a highlight, and I’m drawn to the film’s bold, thought-provoking narrative.”

As per Meghna, “Daayra is a story that compels you to reflect on the society we live in and its institutions that pilot us.” (ANI)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that exposing the Jeffrey Epstein files will be a top priority for his newly announced political venture, ‘America Party.’

Musk first questioned how people can be expected to have faith in US President Donald Trump if he does not release the files related to disgraced financier Epstein.

In a post on X, Musk asked, “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?”

A user reacted to his post and asked whether exposing Epstein files ranks high on the priority list of the America Party.

In a post on X, the user wrote, “Will exposing the Epstein files rank high on the America Party’s list?”

In response, Musk shared a “100” emoji.

How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2025

In 2019, Epstein died in a New York prison cell as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Earlier on Monday, Musk trolled Trump with a post mocking the administration for making no arrests related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Trump’s former ally posted an image on his social media platform with text that read, “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter,” showing “0000.”

While sharing the picture on X, Musk stated, “What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again.”

What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again … pic.twitter.com/CO9xJz68Tf

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025

Musk escalated his feud with Trump by announcing the formation of a new political outfit called the ‘America Party’ and intensifying criticism over Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, The Hill reported.

The fallout between the two deepened after Republicans passed a major policy bill supported by Trump, prompting Musk to declare his intention to back primary challengers against GOP members who voted for it. In response, Trump dismissed Musk’s new party as “ridiculous” and labelled him a “train wreck,” criticising the effort as one doomed to fail in the US political system.

“He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He added, “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!”

According to The Hill, Musk unveiled the America Party after polling users on his platform X about their desire for “independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system!”

He posted, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

The feud between Musk and Trump marks a major turn in their relationship. Trump had once praised Musk’s government cost-cutting efforts and even presented him with a gold key to the White House. During his stint with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk had an office at the White House and appeared prominently in Cabinet meetings, The Hill reported.

Meanwhile, Trump has left the door open to deporting the South African-born US citizen and suggested the DOGE could be turned against Musk’s companies. (ANI)

A day after Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa highlighted the Delhi government’s request to the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to delay the implementation of the policy regarding to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles in the national capital, the CAQM has stayed the policy till November 1.

The meeting was held at CAQM’s office at Tolstoy Marg earlier today.

According to an official statement by CAQM, direction 89 will be amended to allow EOL to receive fuel from pumps till November 1.

“The 24th meeting of the Commission for Air Qaulity in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) was held today, during which issue related to implementation of Direction no. 89 as flagged by GNCTD was deliberated upon,” the statement read.

CAQM said the Delhi government brought attention to the issue in a letter on July 3, highlighting “some operational and infrastrucural challenges in implementation of direction No 89 dates April 23, 2025,” it added.

The Delhi government’s letter flagged challenges in implementation by citing that the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system lacks the “requiste robustness, with issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, working of sensors and speakers, and that the system is not yet full integrated with the database of neighbouring NCR states.”

Similarly, Chief Secretary Dharmendra also wrote a letter on July 7 saying the enforcement of geographically restricted end-of-life threshold to motor vechicles would lead to unfair treatment to vehicles here as other identical vehicles across the country can still function despite being much older.

Earlier on Monday, in an interview with ANI, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa flagged “challenges and implementation flaws” in the CAQM order that put a ban on fuel for end-of-life vehicles in the national capital, stating that the process should be fair.

The Delhi Minister said there are operational and infrastructural challenges in implementing the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) directions concerning the fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles.

Delhi government last week urged CAQM to pause the implementation of its directions. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the decision is linked to the daily lives and livelihoods of millions of families, and there is a need for reconsideration. The directive to stop fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles took effect on July 1.

“Kejriwal (AAP) government in Delhi decided to put up the cameras and identify (end-of-life) vehicles from it. After it was communicated to CAQM, they informed the same to the Supreme Court. The top court termed it as a ‘good move’ and told them to implement it. CAQM issued an order to implement this from July 1,” Sirsa said.

CAQM had issued directions that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years cannot get fuel in Delhi’s fuel stations from July 1.

“From July 1, all End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles identified through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at fuel stations across Delhi will not be allowed to refuel,” the directions said. (ANI)

Noting that Operation Sindoor is the only example of a conflict between two nuclear-weapon states, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday that India has made it clear that that it will not be deterred by any nuclear blackmail by its western neighbour.

In an address on ‘India’s Evolving National Security Landscape’ at a programme organised by ORF and the launch of the ‘ORF Foreign Policy Survey 2024’, CDS Chauhan said the modern conflict has shown that threats can emanate from any level and escalate quickly and rapidly necessitating diligent preparation and capability to build up.

“In the spectrum of conflict, nuclear conflict lies at the extreme end of the threat spectrum. My understanding is that nuclear weapons are tools of deterrence and not war-fighting. Of late, India has also said that it will not be deterred by nuclear blackmail… Operation Sindoor is the only example of a conflict between two nuclear weapon states,” he said.

India had launched Operation Sindoor and targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India repelled subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases.

CDS Chauhan said that the evolving challenge in the military domain is to prepare for the entire spectrum of conflict, ranging from sub-conventional, conventional to nuclear.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said on Monday that the demands for Indian defence equipment have increased following Operation Sindoor and noted that the world military expenditure has increased to over USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, and a big market is awaiting India.

He was speaking at the Controllers Conference organised by DRDO.

“The world is looking towards our Defence sector. The valour that our soldiers have shown during Operation Sindoor, as well as the way we showcased the capabilities of our domestic equipment, has led to an increase in demand for our indigenous defence products. World military expenditure has increased to over $2.7 trillion in 2024 – such a big market is awaiting us.”Singh further mentioned that India’s Defence budget is bigger than the GDP of various countries in the world, highlighting the need to utilise the resources in the right way.” the Defence Minister said.

“If you look at our Defence budget, it’s bigger than the GDP of some countries in the world. When a significant portion of people’s hard-earned income is allocated to the Defence Ministry, our responsibility increases exponentially–we ned effective growth. Our Defence expenditure should be such that not only does the budget increase, but also we should utilise it in the right way – by proper deployment at the right time for the right objective, ” he added. (ANI)

Karachi is grappling with a deepening energy crisis as soaring gas prices and persistent shortages are pushing thousands of families into hunger and hardship. The situation has worsened with frequent gas load shedding during critical morning and evening hours, forcing many residents to send children to school without breakfast and leaving households unable to prepare basic meals.

This crisis is compounded by the federal government’s recent 14 per cent tax increase on gas, making an already dire situation even more unbearable for low-income communities, an independent report revealed on Tuesday.

Residents described daily struggles where the gas supply is cut from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., with no relief afterward. For many labourers who depend on a hearty breakfast to sustain a hard day’s work, the absence of gas means they leave their homes hungry or rely on expensive food from hotels.

Mohammad Miraj, a local labourer, shared his frustration, “Women and children have to leave the house hungry because there is no gas to cook. Even at night, when guests come, we can’t prepare food because the gas doesn’t come. We have sent countless complaints to the gas office, but no one responds. Prices are increasing, but the supply is nowhere to be found.”

Asif Ali highlighted how the ongoing crisis affects productivity and the livelihoods of individuals. “How can we work on an empty stomach? We try to cope, but the government ignores our plight. They say we are poor and can’t pay bills, yet prices keep rising. It feels like there is no justice for us.”

Adding to the woes, Mohammad Saeed from a local colony said, “Besides gas, we also face shortages of electricity and water. We rely on expensive gas cylinders, but many families cannot afford them. Women and children bear the brunt of this crisis.”

Residents are united in their plea for urgent government intervention to restore a reliable gas supply and reconsider the tax hike. “We are helpless,” Saeed said. “We only want basic services–gas, water, and electricity–restored so we can live with some dignity.”

The deepening energy crisis in Karachi is severely disrupting daily life and livelihoods, exposing the vulnerability of millions and underscoring the urgent need for effective government action to ease economic and social hardships. (ANI)

Delhi government will be rolling out the ‘Saheli Smart Card’ for women and transgender people, allowing them to travel the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses for free of cost.

According to sources, the Saheli Smart Card scheme is expected to be rolled out on August 15, Independence Day.

The scheme is meant to replace the ‘Pink Ticket’ system which was launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government. Pink passes were given to the resident women of Delhi and bus operators were compensated according to the number of tickets sold.

“Women and transgender persons residing in Delhi aged 12 and above will be able to travel free of cost on DTC and Cluster buses,” according to the source.

The ‘Pink Ticket’ scheme was launched by AAP in 2019. According to the Delhi government’s own data, a total of 100 crore pink tickets had been issued to women till the end of January 2023. By November 2024, over 150 crore pink tickets were issued.

“In 2022, free travel for women via Pink tickets contributed to nearly 32 per cent of the total number of passengers travelling in a month,” the statement said.

“In 2019-20, Delhi buses had a ridership of more than 160 crores. Due to COVID in the years 2020 and 2021, it dropped to 71 crores in 2020-21, slightly recovering to 93 crores in 2021-22. Since April 2022 till today, it has reached nearly 125 crores, almost 75 per cent of the pre covid numbers,” the statement added.

However on March 29, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had claimed that the scheme had been mismanaged, along with the whole Delhi Transport Corporation, which led to a loss of Rs 70,471 crore.

“They (AAP) turned a profitable department into a loss-making one. DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. There was an operational loss of Rs 14,198 crore. Buses were run on only 468 routes out of 814. Money was spent only on advertisements. Even the Rs 233 crore received from the Centre was not spent. There used to be 4344 buses, but during their tenure, the number reduced to 3937,” Delhi CM said in the Assembly.

CM Rekha Gupta was referencing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) which suggested that due to the government’s mismanagement and negligence, crores of rupees from Delhi taxpayers have been wasted. This report is now being referred to the Committee on Government Undertakings with instructions to submit its report within three months. (ANI)