"You Make The...": Soni Razdan's Wish For Ranbir Is Aww-Dorable

Mom-in-law Soni Razdan's birthday wish for her son-in-law Ranbir Kapoor might be the cutest thing on the internet today. On Thursday, Ranbir Kapoor rang in his 41st birthday with an adorable birthday wish from his wife Alia Bhatt's mother and veteran actor Soni Randan. The Raazi actor shared a selflie clicked with Ranbir Kapoor and wrote underneath it, "Happy birthday to the sweetest sil. You make the world a better place by just being in it. Have an amazing year, love you loads."

See Soni Razdan's wish for her son-in-law Ranbir:

 On his special day, wife Alia Batt curated some super cute pictures to wish him, accompanied by an equally adorable caption. She wrote, "My love.. my best friend.. my happiest place... As you read this caption from your secret account sitting right next to me...All I'd like to say is...Happy birthday baby... You make it all magical."

Read Alia Bhatt's post here:

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A post shared by Alia Bhatt 💛 (@aliaabhatt)

The actor's 41st birthday happens to coincide with the release of the teaser of his film Animal. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor alongside Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and others. ICYMI, here's the teaser of Animal.

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A post shared by Alia Bhatt 💛 (@aliaabhatt)

On the work front, Ranbir Kapoor was last seen in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar with Shraddha Kapoor. His next project is Sandeep ReddyVanga's Animal with Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna. The film will release in December this year. His wife Alia Bhatt recently won the National Film Award for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. She also made her big Hollywood debut this year with Gal Gadot's Heart Of Stone.

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Asian Games Live: Sindhu Gives India Winning Start, Shooters In Action

Asian Games 2023 Live Updates, Day 5: After a brilliant run at the Asian Games 2023 on Wednesday with eight medals across disciplines, India will aim to continue the purple patch at the continental event on Thursday wel well. Wushu star Roshibina Devi will be in action in the Women's 60 kg final while Hriday Chheda as well as Anush Agarwalla are set to compete in the individual Dressage - Intermediate discipline final in equestrian. Meanwhile, the Indian men's hockey and football teams will also be hoping to stay in contention for a medal.

(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Here are the Live Updates of Asian Games 2023, September 28:

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Kim Jong Un Makes 'Exponential' Nuclear Growth Supreme Law To Defy US

North Korea enshrined its policy of exponentially growing its nuclear forces into its constitution, in a show of defiance to US requests to return to stalled talks through which Pyongyang could secure economic aid in exchange for disarmament.

Leader Kim Jong Un told a session of the Supreme People's Assembly - its rubber-stamp legislature - he was making the move to counter threats from the US and its partners to stifle Pyongyang's atomic ambitions and destroy its system.

"The DPRK's nuclear force-building policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state, which no one is allowed to flout with anything," Kim was quoted Thursday as saying by the state's Korean Central News Agency, which referred to the country by its formal name.

Kim also stressed "the need to push ahead with the work for exponentially boosting the production of nuclear weapons and diversifying the nuclear strike means and deploying them in different services," KCNA said. His speech appears to have coincided with his country's decision to expel US soldier Travis King, who entered North Korea without permission in July.

The North Korean leader began the year with a fresh threat to dramatically expand North Korea's nuclear arsenal, implying plans to boost output at an unprecedented pace.

He has also unveiled new systems to deliver nuclear strikes since then, including the launching this month of a submarine his nation said was capable of tactical nuclear attacks. South Korea's military expressed doubts about the capabilities of the vessel.

While Kim has repeatedly surprised his doubters with the expansion of his missile program, his heavily sanctioned state appears to lack the domestic capacity to quickly double, triple or quadruple his production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. At best, he might hope to ratchet up his output of fissile material, which non-proliferation experts estimate could be used to arm about a half dozen bombs each year.

Kim just returned from a trip to Russia where he met President Vladimir Putin and toured an array of weapons plants. The US has accused Kim of supplying munitions to help the Kremlin's war machine in its assault on Ukraine.

The trip raised the possibility that North Korea might be looking at technology transfers of dual-use materials that could be delivered under the guise of helping its civilian space and nuclear programs and still appear to be in accordance with international norms. But the materials could also be used to further North Korea's ability to build missiles and nuclear bombs - in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Siegfried Hecker, a professor emeritus at Stanford University and one of the few American scientists who has participated in inspections of North Korea's main nuclear facilities, said Russia could offer aid to Kim to get its long-planned experimental light water reactor operational under the premise of peaceful electric power generation.

"North Korea could then repurpose it for plutonium production," he said in an interview with the 38 North specialist website. "For the shorter term, what concerns me most is Russia clandestinely supplying plutonium directly."

This would allow North Korea to exponentially increase it stockpiles of the fissile material that could be used in weapons such as miniaturized warheads, he said.

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S Jaishankar To Meet Antony Blinken Amid India-Canada Diplomatic Row

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here on Thursday, amid the diplomatic rumpus between India and Canada stirred over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.

Although officials from both sides are tightlipped about the agenda of the meeting, the latest diplomatic crisis between two of America's friends, its traditional ally Canada and India, is expected to come up prominently during the talks.

“I don't want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting (with Jaishankar) , but as we've made clear, we've raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

He was responding to questions about the meeting between Mr Jaishankar and Mr Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on Thursday afternoon (which is about mid-night local India time).

The two leaders are expected to pose for pictures ahead of the meeting and are not expected to take any questions from the media.

While the meeting between the two top diplomats was scheduled much before the Canadian crisis broke out, the US has been urging India to cooperate in the Canadian investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia early this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that the Indian government was behind the killing of Nijjar, 45, outside a gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

India has rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official. India has also asked Canada to crack down on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.

Miller said that the issue did not come up for discussion in New York during the Quad ministerial that involved foreign ministers of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

“It was a meeting of a number of countries and it did not come up in that meeting. But we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this issue and urged them to fully cooperate with the Canadian investigation,” the State Department spokesperson said.

Mr Jaishankar arrived in the American capital from New York after attending the annual General Assembly meetings of the United Nations on Tuesday.

In addition to his meeting with Mr Blinken, the external affairs minister is expected to have a series of meetings with senior officials of the Biden administration, review the progress made between the two countries after the historic State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June and talk about other regional and global issues.

The minister is also expected to engage with the diaspora, think-tank community and interact with leaders from the corporate sector. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Apple iPhone Pro And Pro Max Users Complain Device Getting "Too Hot"

Some of the first owners of Apple Inc.'s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are complaining that the new devices get too hot during use or while charging, a potential setback for the company's flagship product.

The gripes have spread across Apple online forums and social media networks, including Reddit and X. Customers say that the back or side of the phone becomes hot to the touch while gaming or when conducting a phone call or FaceTime video chat. For some users, the issue is more prominent while the device is plugged in to charge.

Apple technical support staffers have been fielding calls about the issue as well. They've referred customers to an old support article on how to handle an iPhone that feels too hot or cold. The notice says overheating could occur when using intensive apps, charging or setting up a new device for the first time.

A representative for Cupertino, California-based Apple didn't respond to a request for comment.

The iPhone accounts for about half of Apple's revenue, and new models are closely scrutinized for any potential flaws. Sometimes problems crop up that have to be addressed by Apple - with software updates or other fixes - but often the concerns fade on their own.

Apple also has a rigorous testing process in place that's meant to catch any pitfalls before the iPhone goes into mass production.

Having devices get warm is not an unusual phenomenon, especially given the supercharged processors that power modern gadgets. The question this time is whether the heat problem persists and goes beyond what consumers think is acceptable.

The issue could be caused or compounded by the iPhone setup process. When users get a new phone, re-downloading all of their apps, data and photos from iCloud can be a long and processor-intensive procedure. Some users say they believe the issue could also be triggered by certain apps running in the background, such as Instagram or Uber.

Several people have posted videos of them checking the phone's temperature with a thermometer. "iPhone 15 Pro Max gets really hot easily," according to one post. "I'm just browsing social media, and it's burning up." Another said that the device got hot enough to be felt through a carrying case.

But it's not a universal issue. Other iPhone 15 Pro owners have said they aren't experiencing the problem or that the heat is in line with prior models. For some customers, putting the iPhone in a case at least stopped the device from feeling hot to the touch.

One user complained that the iPhone 15 Pro Max got hot enough to switch off during a call and then took a few minutes to come back on. Apple's devices do occasionally shut themselves off when they overheat or are exposed to the sun for too long.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max include a new A17 chip with a more powerful graphics engine. That component, which is meant to help improve gaming performance, could be a contributing factor. The latest iPhone models also have a titanium frame, a switch from the stainless-steel design used since 2017.

The issue comes on the heels of customers complaining about the FineWoven material used in the latest iPhone 15 cases. That fabric, which replaces leather as part of Apple's environment push, is prone to scratches and gets dirty more easily, some customers have said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Young India Will Turn Into Rapidly Ageing Society In Coming Decades: UN

Elderly population in India is expanding at an unprecedented rate and could surpass the children's population by mid-century, a new UNFPA report said, underlining that the young India will turn into a rapidly ageing society in the coming decades.

India has one of the highest populations of adolescents and young people in the world.

At the national level, the share of the elderly (60+ years) population is projected to increase from 10.1 per cent in 2021 to 15 per cent in 2036 and 20.8 per cent in 2050, according to the UNFPA's 'India Ageing Report 2023'.

"By the end of the century, the elderly will constitute over 36 per cent of the total population of the country. Sharp growth in the elderly population is observed from 2010 onwards along with a decline in the age group of below 15 years, indicating rapidity of ageing in India," the report said.

The report noted that the elderly population in India is expanding at an unprecedented rate and may be expected to surpass the children's population by mid-century.

"Four years before 2050, the population size of the elderly in India will be higher than the population size of children aged 0-14 years. By that time, the population share of 15-59 years will also see a dip. Undoubtedly, the relatively young India today will turn into a rapidly ageing society in the coming decades," it said.

A distinguishing feature of ageing in India is the significant interstate variation in absolute levels and growth (and hence, share) of the elderly population, given the varying stages and pace of demographic transition across states.

Consequently, there are considerable variations in the age structure of the population, including the ageing experience.

Most of the states in the southern region and select northern states such as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab reported a higher share of the elderly population than the national average in 2021, a gap that is expected to widen by 2036, the report said.

While states reporting higher fertility rates and lagging in demographic transition, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, expect to see an increase in the share of the elderly population between 2021 and 2036, the level will remain lower than the Indian average, the report said.

The report pointed out that India has witnessed moderate to high pace of decadal growth in elderly population since 1961 and evidently, the pace was slower before 2001 but is expected to increase sharply in coming decades.

"The decadal growth of the elderly population in India declined slightly from 32 per cent between 1961 and 1971 to 31 per cent in 1981-1991. Growth picked up pace during 1991-2001 (35 per cent) and is projected to shoot to 41 per cent between 2021 and 2031," the report said.

The report said that there are 39 older persons per 100 children in India, according to 2021 population estimates.

The states with a higher share of the elderly population (such as those in southern India) also show a higher score for an ageing index, indicative of a decline in fertility leading to a rising number of older persons as compared to children.

"Compared to southern and western India, central and north-eastern regions have the younger group of states as indicated by the ageing index," it said.

The ageing index measures the number of elderly (60+ years) per 100 children population (below 15 years) and the index score increases as the population ages.

The UNFPA said the population projections indicate that in 2021, there were 16 older persons per 100 working-age persons in India, with significant variations across regions.

"In line with the findings regarding the ageing index, in the southern region, the old-age dependency ratio was higher than the national average at around 20 as is true of western India at 17. Overall, Union Territories (13) and the north-eastern region (13) reflected lower old age dependency ratios," it said.

The old-age dependency ratio of a population represents the number of persons aged 60+ years per 100 persons in the 15-59 years (or working-age) group. The higher the ratio, the greater the old age-related dependency, reflecting higher levels of demand for care from immediate family.

Andrea. M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director Bhutan, said the report is a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, programme managers, and all stakeholders involved in elder care.

"Older persons have contributed significantly to society, and they deserve nothing less than our best efforts to ensure their well-being," Wojnar said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Not Living In British Era": Nitish Kumar On Library Signboard In English

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday voiced his extreme displeasure over the signboard of a government school's library bearing the inscription in English.

Mr Kumar was in Banka district, about 250 km from the state capital, where he reached after inspection of a bridge in the adjoining Jamui which got damaged after heavy rainfall last week.

In Banka, Mr Kumar inaugurated a newly constructed hospital and inspected a recently renovated indoor stadium before visiting a high school and got upset upon seeing the signboard stating it was a "digital library".

"Why is this not in Hindi? We are not living in the British era," he told the District Magistrate, Anshul Kumar, who was present there.

"Look, I have nothing against English. It was the medium of my instruction while I was studying engineering. Many of my speeches in Parliament, too, were in that language", said the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar.

He added, "But, at one point of time, I decided to promote the use of Hindi. I therefore gave up putting on my signature in English. Please get this signboard changed, at the earliest".

The DM assured Mr Kumar that the needful would be done "today itself".

The septuagenarian, who owes his passionate advocacy for Hindi to his ideological devotion towards late socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia, has voiced displeasure, in public, over the use of English on more than one occasion.

In February, he reprimanded an agricultural entrepreneur for making a presentation that contained "too many English words".

A month later, inside the state legislative council, he chided Chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur, who belongs to his party Janata Dal (United), upon seeing words like "honourable" and "speaking time" on the electronic display board.

The chief minister was accompanied by cabinet colleagues and top government officials during his tour of the two districts. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Girl Stabbed To Death On Way To School In Latest Knife Attack In London

London police said they had arrested a teenager after a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death on her way to school on Wednesday, stoking fresh concern about the scale of knife crime in the UK.

Emergency services including an air ambulance were called to the scene in Croydon, south London, at around 8.30 am (0730 GMT) following reports of a stabbing.

Paramedics battled to save the girl but she was pronounced dead at the scene 50 minutes later, police said, adding that a 17-year-old boy was later arrested.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "heartbroken" by the fatal incident and pledged to "continue working day and night to end the scourge of knife crime in our city".  

According to official figures, 99 people under the age of 25 were killed in England and Wales with a knife or sharp object in the year to March 2023. Of those 13 were under the age of 16.

The deaths were among 50,000 stabbing incidents in the year to March 2023, a five percent increase on the previous year and a 75 percent increase on a decade ago, the figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. 

Police said the suspect in custody was being questioned by detectives.

"Our immediate thoughts are with this young girl's family who are facing the most tragic of news. Our officers are with the girl's family to support them," said Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain of the Metropolitan Police.

Victor Azare, a 50-year-old security guard on his way home after a night shift, said he and others chased a boy in a school blazer after seeing him stab the girl in the neck with a knife that was "black, thin, and about a foot (30 centimeters) long".

"We tried to catch him and a lot of people tried to save the girl. I was so shocked, I was shaken. It's somebody's daughter," he told British media.

Media reports said the girl had just got off a bus at the time and appeared to have been having an argument with a boy who then attacked her.

The girl, whose identity has not yet been released, was a pupil at Old Palace of John Whitgift School, a private girls' school in Croydon.

"We are deeply shocked by the senseless and tragic death of our much-loved and valued friend and pupil," the school said in a statement.

"It will take some time for the Old Palace community to come to terms with this terrible news.

"Above all, we send our love and deepest sympathies to the girl's family at this unimaginably distressing time," it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Bear Gatecrashes Family Picnic In Mexico, Gorges On Enchiladas And Tacos

A picnic party at Mexico's Chipinque Ecological Park turned into a heart-stopping encounter for a family when a hungry black bear decided to join their celebrations. In a video that has gone viral on social media, the bear is seen gorging on enchiladas, salsa, tacos, and french fries laid out on a picnic table in the park. 

The incident happened when Silvia Macias of Mexico City was celebrating the 15th birthday of her son, Santiago, who has Down's syndrome at the park, as per BBC. Suddenly, a bear showed up out of nowhere, jumped onto the table, and devoured the picnic snacks. The mother-son, meanwhile, sat frozen in silence, as the woman covered the boy's face and held him tight. When there was no more food, the bear leaped off the table and left.

The video was filmed by Ms. Macias' friend, Angela Chapa, and later went viral across several social media platforms. 

Watch the video here:

A family was stunned when an intruding bear hopped onto their table to devour their food. The eldest daughter captured the scene as the bear continued munching away in Parque Ecológico Chipinque in San Pedro, Mexico 🇲🇽. The mother, as seen in the video, remained calm, shielding… pic.twitter.com/o47OkJQsNr

— Voyage Feelings (@VoyageFeelings) September 27, 2023

The video has gone viral, and many said that they were terrified watching the clip. Many also lauded the woman's bravery and presence of mind. One user wrote, ''I think the mum was the real bear here protecting her young.''

Another commented, ''This bear in Mexico going to town on tacos and enchiladas while people just remain calm is something to behold.'' A third wrote, ''Mom was amazingly cool and obviously well-versed in how to behave in the situation.''

A fourth said, ''If you are ever encountered by a bear, the most important thing is to stay calm. Do not run away, as this may trigger the bear's chase instinct. Instead, back away slowly and make yourself look as big as possible. If the bear charges, curl up into a ball and protect your head and neck.''

According to a BBC report, the park's website warned visitors that encounters with black bears have increased in the Monterrey metropolitan area and have been seen prowling in parks, neighbourhoods, and streets near the mountains increasing the risk to people and to the bears.

The park also advised visitors to "never try to photograph a bear up close".

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Canada Parliament Speaker Resigns Amid Row Over Praising Nazi Veteran

The speaker of Canada's parliament resigned on Tuesday, days after publicly celebrating a Ukrainian veteran who fought for the Nazis during World War II.

During a visit to parliament by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, Anthony Rota hailed an elderly Ukrainian immigrant from his district as a hero, prompting a standing ovation.

But Rota has faced growing pressure to resign after it was revealed that the veteran had served in a Nazi-linked military unit.

"It is with a heavy heart that I rise to inform members of my resignation as Speaker of the House of Commons," Rota told lawmakers from the parliamentary floor.

He expressed his "profound regret for my error" and the pain he caused to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.

Russia has accused the government in Kyiv of espousing Nazi ideals, despite Zelensky being Jewish and losing family members in the Holocaust, and the controversy was likely to add fodder to that narrative.

On Friday, Rota paid homage to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant who was visiting parliament and who is from Rota's electoral district.

He hailed Hunka as "a Ukrainian-Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians" and "a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero."

But Hunka actually served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, "a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented," according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.

The Jewish advocacy group called the incident "shocking" and "incredibly disturbing."

"This incident has compromised all 338 Members of Parliament," the organization said, adding it had "handed a propaganda victory to Russia, distracting from what was a momentously significant display of unity between Canada and Ukraine."

- 'Deepest apologies' -

Several political parties in Canada had urged Rota, a Liberal lawmaker, to step down.

Rota, who was first elected in 2004 and became speaker in 2019, apologized on Sunday, saying that he had "subsequently become aware of more information" which caused him to regret his remarks about Hunka.

"This initiative was entirely my own... I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world," he said.

On Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Rota's remarks shameful.

The main opposition Conservatives slammed the Trudeau administration for failing to properly vet Hunka, despite claims it had no advance notice he'd been invited to the event.

Zelensky's visit to Canada was the third leg in a tour aimed at bolstering international support, after addressing the United Nations and visiting US President Joe Biden in Washington.

During the visit, Trudeau pledged additional aid to Zelensky's war-torn country.

Canada is home to the world's second-largest Ukrainian diaspora and Zelensky, in his speech to parliament, expressed thanks for the backing given to Kyiv since Russian troops poured over the Ukrainian borders in February 2022.

Russia has accused Ukrainian leaders of being "neo-Nazis" and has sought to justify the war with the need to "denazify" its neighbor.

Commenting on the issue of the Ukrainian veteran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "such sloppiness of memory is outrageous," Russian media reported.

In Poland, Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek raised the possibility of seeking Hunka's extradition.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Czarnek said he had tasked the national historical research institute to see if Hunka is wanted for crimes against Poles or Polish Jews.

"I have taken steps towards a possible extradition of this man to Poland," Czarnek wrote.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Woman Killed Mother By Stabbing Her After She Was Kicked Out Of College

A 23-year-old woman from Ohio killed her mother by beating her with an iron skillet and stabbing her nearly 30 times in the neck- because she learned she'd been kicked out of college and didn't want her mother to find out.

According to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, Sydney Powell of Akron was found guilty of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the brutal death of healthcare worker Brenda Powell, 50.

"In March of 2020, Sydney Powell struck Brenda Powell in the head with an iron skillet, then stabbed her nearly 30 times in the neck," Summit County Prosecutor's Office said in a release.

Akron Beacon Journal reported that Powell, a former Mount Union University student, sobbed in the Summit County Common Pleas courtroom after a jury found her guilty Wednesday.

On March 3, 2020, police found Brenda inside her Scudder Drive home with severe injuries. She was rushed to the hospital where she died from her injuries.

According to a New York Post report, Powell attacked her mother- a child life specialist at Akron Children's Hospital - while she was on the phone with officials from her school.

The defence argued that Powell suffered from schizophrenia and therefore could not be held accountable for the murder, the media outlet reported. James Reardon, one of three defence experts who made the diagnosis, said Sydney suffered a psychotic break when she killed her mom, whom she had considered her best friend.

Sylvia O'Bradovich, a psychologist hired by prosecutors disagreed with the diagnosis and said Powell did not meet the legal definition of insanity at the time of the crime. Ms O'Bradovich agreed that Powell suffers from mental health issues, including borderline personality traits, malingering and an anxiety disorder.

Describing the incident in court, Assistant Prosecutor Brian Stano said, "Sydney stopped attacking with the pan, presumably went to the kitchen with a knife," per the Akron Beacon Journal. "She had to switch weapons and keep attacking her," Stano added.

"Just the knife just in the neck multiple times? That is purposeful," Stano added. "That is trying to end someone."

Powell's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 28.

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Canada Parliament Speaker Quits Amid Row Over Praising Nazi-Linked Veteran

The speaker of Canada's House of Commons lower chamber on Tuesday said he would quit, a few days after he publicly praised a former Nazi soldier in Parliament in an incident that Russia said helped justify its war on Ukraine.

Anthony Rota told legislators he had made a mistake by inviting ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka, 98, to attend a session in the House honoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last Friday. Rota publicly recognised Hunka, calling him a hero.

The speaker's position rapidly became untenable after it emerged that Hunka, who received two standing ovations from lawmakers, had served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units during World War Two. Russia called the incident outrageous.

"That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world ... I accept full responsibility for my actions," said Rota, a member of the ruling Liberal party, adding his resignation would take effect on Wednesday. Until then a deputy speaker will be in charge.

The episode played into the narrative promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to "demilitarise and denazify" the country, a charge Kyiv and Western allies say is baseless.

The furor helped tarnish the visit by Zelenskiy, who thanked Canada for the billions of dollars in aid and weapons it has provided since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly earlier said Rota should resign while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on him to ponder his future.

Although opposition parties blamed what they called failings by Trudeau's Liberal government for the affair, Rota said he took sole responsibility for what had happened. Hunka lives in Rota's parliamentary constituency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"More Arms Smuggled From Within India Than Pak": Punjab Chief Minister

In a shocking statement, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state sees more weapons being smuggled from other states, like Madhya Pradesh, than it does from across the border- a reference to Pakistan. 

The remark, made at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, comes at a time when central agencies have shared extensive details of how terrorists and Khalistani elements have been pushing weapons into the state via drones and other means, with the backing of the Pakistani establishment. 

To counter the threat of drones, the chief minister said that a centre of excellence for drones should be set up in Punjab. He said that, being a border state, drones pose a mammoth challenge for the Punjab Police, as is reflected in the year-on-year increase in their sightings and recoveries. He said that drones are mainly being for espionage and cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs. 

This led Mr Mann to flag the issue of the smuggling of weapons from within the country. Pointing out that this is posing a "great threat" to law and order in the state, he said that it is unfortunate that the number of weapons smuggled from within the country (especially from states like Madhya Pradesh) is much more than is smuggled from across the border.

Advocating for the setting up of a regional centre of National Security Guards (NSG) in Pathankot at the earliest, the chief minister said that Punjab is always prone to terror attacks from across the border. He said that the NSG hub, which was announced by the Union government, must be set up at the earliest to help safeguard the country's borders. 

The chief minister also underscored the need for revision of the clause of having to pay for paramilitary forces to maintain law and order when needed. He said that this clause of 'paramilitary forces on rent' should be abolished as far as Punjab is concerned, adding that the centre must be magnanimous in allocation as companies.

Mr Mann also spoke on the requirement of a genuine federal structure in the country and said that the need for more financial arid political power to states has been felt across the spectrum of political opinion. 

He said that there is a wide consensus, cutting across party lines, that the state governments need to be given much greater operational freedom in choosing and financing their developmental priorities. "Everybody knows that the state governments are in a much better position to understand, address and solve the problems of their people, at the cutting edge" the chief minister said.

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