A Norwegian traveller managed to board a plane at Munich airport without a ticket two days in a row -- and even flew to Sweden on the second occasion, police said Tuesday.
The 39-year-old sneaked past security at Germany's second-busiest airport for the first time on August 4.
Passengers are supposed to scan boarding passes at an automatic gate but he stood close to another traveller and got through without one, the Bild daily reported.
He then snuck past airline staff at the gate and boarded the plane.
But the aircraft was fully booked and his deception was discovered as he did not have a seat. The man was handed over to police, who charged him but let him go, the paper said.
Undeterred, the Norwegian returned a day later, used the same technique, and boarded a flight to Sweden that was not fully booked, said police spokesman Sebastian Pinta.
However on arrival in Stockholm, he attracted the attention of airport staff as he wanted to return to Munich immediately, and he was handed over to the police.
Pinta insisted the man did not pose any danger.
He is under investigation for unlawful entry and transport fraud, he added.
Munich airport said it was investigating how the man had bypassed security checks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL were launched at the tech giant's Made By Google event on Tuesday. The flagship smartphones come with the new Tensor G4 SoC alongside the Titan M2 security chip. All three phones ship with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. They are confirmed to receive seven years of Android OS updates, security patches, and Pixel Drops. The Pixel 9 packs 12GB of RAM while the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL carry 16GB RAM. The standard variant gets dual rear cameras while the Pro models boast triple rear cameras.
Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL price in India
The Pixel 9 is priced at Rs. 79,999 for the sole 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant available in India. It is offered in Peony, Porcelain, Obsidian, and Wintergreen colourways. While there's also a 128GB variant, it will not be sold in the country.
Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro is priced at Rs. 1,09,999 for the 16GB RAM + 256GB storage version. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is priced at Rs. 1,24,999 for the 16GB RAM + 256GB storage model. Both Pro models arrive in Hazel, Porcelain, Rose Quartz, and Obsidian colour options.
The Pixel 9 lineup will be available via Flipkart, Croma, and Reliance Digital retail outlets starting August 22.
Pixel 9 specifications
The dual SIM (nano+eSIM) Pixel 9 runs on Android 14 with seven years of OS updates, security patches, and Pixel Drops. It gets a 6.3-inch (1,080 x 2,424 pixels) Actua OLED display with 422ppi pixel density, up to 2,700nits peak brightness, and a refresh rate ranging from 60Hz to 120Hz. The screen has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover as well. It is equipped with the Tensor G4 SoC alongside a Titan M2 security coprocessor.
For optics, the Pixel 9 has a dual rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel Octa PD wide-angle camera with a 1/1.31-inch image sensor size and up to 8x Super Res Zoom. Accompanying the main camera is a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultra wide-angle camera with a 1/2.55-inch sensor size. On the front, it gets a 10.5-megapixel dual PD selfie shooter with autofocus.
Pixel 9 Photo Credit: Google
The camera unit offers several AI features including Magic Eraser, Best Take, Photo Unblur, and Night Sight, among others. It can record 4K videos at 24/30/60 frames per second.
Pixel 9 comes with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. It has an in-display fingerprint sensor and supports face unlock for authentication. Sensors onboard include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer gyroscope, magnetometer and proximity sensor. Connectivity options on the phone include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Google Cast, GPS, Dual Band GNSS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC and USB Type-C port.
The Pixel 9 carries a 4,700mAh battery with 45W (sold separately) wired fast charging support and Qi-certified wireless charging support. The wired charging technology is claimed to fill the battery from zero to 55 per cent in about 30 minutes. The handset is said to deliver more than 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. It measures 152.8x72.0x8.5mm and weighs 198 grams.
Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL specifications
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL models have the same SIM, software and chipset as the Pixel 9. The Pixel 9 Pro boasts a 6.3-inch (1280 x 2856) Super Actua (LTPO) OLED display with 495ppi pixel density, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, and variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a large 6.8-inch (1,344 x 2,992) SuperActua (LTPO) OLED display with 486ppi pixel density, up to 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. Both models boast Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection as well.
Both Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have a triple rear camera unit including a 50-megapixel MP Octa PD wide camera, a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide camera, and a 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto camera with up to 30x Super Res Zoom and 5x optical zoom. For selfies and video chats, they have a 42-megapixel Dual PD selfie camera with autofocus.
Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL Photo Credit: Google
The Pro models support 8K video recording at 30fps. The IP68 rating is also available on the Pro duo. Connectivity options are identical to the Pixel 9, so are the sensors. However, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL ship with an additional temperature sensor and offer an Ultra-Wideband chip.
Google's Pixel 9 Pro features a 4,700mAh battery, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL gets a slightly larger 5,060mAh cell. Both phones support 45W wired fast charging and wireless charging through Qi chargers.
The Pixel 9 Pro measures 152.8x72.0x8.5mm and weighs 199 grams. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, measures 162.8x76.6x8.5mm and weighs 221 grams.
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A 13-year-old Chinese girl scripted history when she performed Bharatanatyam "Arangetram" in China, a landmark in the journey of the ancient Indian dance form that is gaining popularity in the neighbouring country.
Lei Muzi made her solo dance debut here on Sunday in front of the celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson, Indian diplomats and a large audience of Chinese fans.
For ardent Chinese fans of Indian classical art and dance forms who devoted their lives to learning and performing them for decades, her debut was a moment of history and a milestone as it was the first-ever "Arangetram" -- Bharatnatyam's graduation ceremony -- in China.
For the performers of the ancient dance from South India, Arangetram, as it is called in Tamil, is their debut performance on stage in front of teachers and experts besides the audience.
Only after Arangetram are the students allowed to perform on their own or train aspiring dancers.
"This is the first-ever Arangetram by a student fully trained in China and performed in China," said T S Vivekanand, the First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in charge of culture who attended the event.
It was a properly done Arangetram in a very traditional way, he told PTI here.
"Lei's Arangetram is the first time that Chinese students trained by a Chinese teacher have completed in China, which is a landmark in the history of Bharatanatyam inheritance," noted Chinese Bharatanatyam dancer Jin Shan Shan, who trained Lei, said.
Shruti Rawat, the wife of Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rawat, was the chief guest at Lei's Arangetram.
The event was attended by a large crowd of fans who cheered her over the two-hour-long performance during which she danced to several classical numbers.
Besides Leela Sampson, a team of musicians who were flown in from Chennai sang the classical numbers for Lei to perform.
She is due to perform in Chennai later this month.
Lei was trained for over 10 years at the Bharatanatyam school run by Jin, who herself was the first accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer to have held her Arangetram in 1999 in New Delhi.
Jin was one of the numerous Chinese students who were trained by eminent Chinese dancer Zhang Jun.
Lei, also known as Dudu, says she fell in love with Bharatanatyam since she joined Jin's school in 2014.
"I completely fell in love with it. I kept dancing till now. For me, Bharatanatyam is not only a beautiful art and dance form but also the embodiment of Indian culture," she told PTI.
"This fascinates me greatly, as well as the gorgeous and graceful movements during a dance item. Overall, I extremely love Bharatanatyam. For me, it is already a daily activity to do, and I am truly interested in the culture of India," she said.
Jin, who is widely known in China and India and has held numerous performances, said she is proud to see one of her students complete her Arangetram.
"Bharatanatyam has brought us close together. For ten years, Lei has come to my home every weekend to attend classes, which not only let me witness her growth but also made us family," she said.
"It reminds me of how my guru, Leela Samson, taught me when I did my Arangetram," she said.
Sunday's Arangetram is a festival for us, Jin 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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Mankind has endured many calamities, epidemics and natural disasters, including the coronavirus disease. But do you know there is a period in history that is called "the worst year to be alive"? According to historians, that year is 536 AD. It is worse than the year 1349, when the Black Death wiped out half of Europe. The situation was worse than 1918, when the flu killed nearly 100 million people. "It (536 AD) was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year," says Michael McCormick, a historian, told science.org.
So what all happened in 536 AD? According to history.com, a mysterious fog engulfed Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness for 18 months. This caused the temperature to drop, crops to fail and people to die.
A deadly plague swept through the population already weakened by hunger, claiming countless lives from Constantinople (now Istanbul) to China.
Archaeological and scientific evidence say the fog was caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland in early 536. This was also mentioned in the journal Antiquity in 2018.
"The sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year," science.org quoted Byzantine historian Procopius as writing in one of the manuscripts. It was a literal 'Dark Age', when the temperature in the summer fell to 1.5 degrees Celsius to 2.5 degrees Celsius, leading to snow in China.
Accounts like Procopius' were not taken seriously till the 1990s, according to McCormick. "It was a pretty drastic change; it happened overnight. The ancient witnesses really were onto something. They were not being hysterical or imagining the end of the world," he told history.com.
The situation worsened by eruptions in the years 540 AD and 547 AD, and it took a long time for the Northern Hemisphere to recover.
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A YouTuber in Telangana faces a police case for making a video featuring a recipe for "traditional peacock curry", said police.
Peacock is India's national bird and, according to laws, it is illegal to own or capture peacocks. Any violation invites strict penalties.
The police have launched a manhunt for Kodam Pranay Kumar, a resident of Tangallapalli in the Siricilla district, for allegedly endorsing the unlawful killing of the national bird.
"A case has been registered under concerned law and strictest action would be taken against him and anyone else doing such activities," Akhil Mahajan, SP Rajanna Siricilla district, wrote on X.
"He (Kumar) will be sent to remand as well," he added in a separate post.
Despite the removal of the video, animal rights activists are demanding stringent measures against Kumar.
In earlier videos, Kumar showcased the preparation of wild boar curry, among others.
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A debilitating virus originating from sloths and transmitted by midges has been reported in Europe for the first time, officials have confirmed. In June and July, Europe saw 19 imported cases of the Oropouche virus, as reported by the European Center for Disease Control. Spain accounted for 12 cases, Italy for five, and Germany for two, the Manchester Evening News.
The virus is primarily spread through insect bites, including mosquitoes, and originates from pale-throated sloths, non-human primates, and birds.
Currently, there is no vaccine available for the virus, which belongs to the same family of diseases as Zika virus and Dengue Fever.
Dr Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph, "We should definitely be worried. Things are changing and may become unstoppable."
Outbreaks of the virus have previously been reported in several countries across South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. In 2024, specific outbreaks were recorded in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and more recently in Cuba.
Of the cases recorded in Europe, 18 involved recent travel to Cuba, while one case in Italy involved travel to Brazil.
Oropouche can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle and joint pains, with more severe symptoms occurring occasionally. These symptoms typically subside after four days. According to the ECDC, fatal outcomes are extremely rare, and recovery is common.
However, The Lancet reported on July 25 that two deaths caused by Oropouche were recorded for the first time in Brazil, involving two young women with no underlying health conditions.
Between January and mid-July, more than 8,000 cases were reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Cuba.
The ECDC assesses the risk of infection for EU citizens travelling to or residing in epidemic areas as moderate due to the high number of cases reported in the Americas.
The European authority has advised travellers to affected regions to use personal protective measures to reduce the risk of insect bites, both during outdoor activities and inside homes. This includes the use of insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long trousers.
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The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring the curtain down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history. In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women's basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games. The win -- the eighth consecutive Olympic women's basketball won by the USA -- ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close.
The USA however finished on top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place on 91.
Meanwhile, India finished on the 71st spot with six medals -- five bronze and one silver.
With the last of the medals handed out, attention turned to Sunday's closing ceremony spectacular at the Stade de France, where Hollywood star Tom Cruise is widely rumoured to feature as the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics gets under way.
Marathon magic
Sunday's final day began with a gripping women's marathon victory by the Netherlands' long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.
Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon -- the last two events just two days apart.
But in a jaw-dropping sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec.
On Friday she had taken bronze in the 10,000m after coming away with a bronze in the 5,000m.
She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.
"It was not easy," said Hassan, 31. "It was so hot, but I was feeling OK. I've never pushed myself through to the finish line as I did today.
"Every moment in the race I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself if I hadn't done that, I would feel great today.
"From the beginning to the end, it was so hard. Every step of the way. I was thinking, 'Why did I do that? What is wrong with me?'
Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling were the other sports to crown Olympic champions on the last day.
Hungary's Michelle Gulyas ran and shot to Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favourite Elodie Clouvel roared on to clinch silver.
In weightlifting, China's jubilant Li Wenwen lifted her coach into the air instead of the bar, having already secured gold.
At the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen surged to the men's keirin for his third gold of the Games, ending British dominance of the event they had won at every Olympics since 2008.
New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews blasted to the women's sprint title to add to her keirin gold, while American cyclist Jennifer Valente won the women's omnium.
In men's water polo, Serbia won their third straight Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena and pulled their coach into the pool in the celebrations.
'Precious'
As the sport ends, attention turns to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.
LA is expected to play heavily on its Hollywood star power and will roll out its big guns, with pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all confirmed.
The worst-kept secret in Paris is that "Top Gun" star Cruise appears poised to close the ceremony with a spectacular stunt sequence.
Cruise is filming the latest episode of the "Mission Impossible" franchise in Europe and has been a regular feature at Olympic events in Paris.
"On August 11, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished," said Thomas Jolly, who masterminded the unique opening ceremony along the River Seine.
"That moment will remind us just how precious are these Olympic Games," added Jolly, whose opening ceremony sparked outrage in some quarters with a scene that appeared to parody the Last Supper.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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