Renowned tabla maestro Zakir Hussain died in the US. He was 73. Hussain suffered from heart-related problems and was admitted to the ICU of a San Francisco hospital earlier. The musician was the son of Ustad Alla Rakha Khan. Hussain had started playing tabla at age seven. He had received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has nominated London-based professional Krish Raval for a life peerage in the House of Lords. Raval, chair of Labour Indians, awaits King Charles's approval. This nomination is among 30 aimed at balancing political representation. Raval, an OBE recipient for his inter-faith work, founded Faith in Leadership at Oxford University.
BJP and Congress engaged in a war of words following allegations that Rahul Gandhi flew to Vietnam during the national mourning period for former PM Manmohan Singh. BJP’s Amit Malviya accused Gandhi of politicizing Singh’s death, while Congress's Manickam Tagore criticized BJP for its actions. The controversy also encompasses the location of Singh’s cremation.
One of the assailants involved in the attack on Thakurdwara temple in Amritsar was killed during an encounter with Punjab police. The attack on the temple resulted in significant damage but no fatalities. The deceased was identified as Gursidak Singh, and his accomplice Vishal escaped. The police continue to pursue the remaining suspect.
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman admitted that the company has been too secretive about its AI technology. While he supports greater transparency, it's not OpenAI's top priority. Competitors like DeepSeek are thriving with open-source strategies, challenging established firms to balance intellectual property protection with collaborative innovation. This shift could reshape the competitive landscape in AI development.
Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni is set to become the Mahamandleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara on January 24, marking her complete transition to spiritual leadership. The ceremony will include significant traditional rituals and signals a noteworthy shift from her film career to a deeply spiritual path.
DeepSeek’s open-source AI reasoning model, R1, has gained significant attention, briefly overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT in popularity. Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger praised R1 for its innovative potential and emphasized the importance of affordability, resourcefulness, and openness in computing history. Gelsinger’s current role involves integrating R1 into Gloo for improved communication.
Elon Musk humorously shared an edited image of himself as Neo from The Matrix inside the CIA HQ, following his meeting with CIA officials. The post references his role in government efficiency efforts, portraying himself as a disruptor of bureaucratic norms.
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Dr Abdalla issued a statement on Monday, calling ICE’s refusal “a purposeful decision... to make me, Mahmoud, and our son suffer.” “My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud. ICE and the Trump administration have stolen these precious moments from our family in an attempt to silence Mahmoud’s support for Palestinian freedom,” she said.
At the Gabba, Rishabh Pant achieved a wicketkeeping milestone, claiming his 150th dismissal by catching Usman Khawaja. This occurred during day two of the third Test between India and Australia. Bumrah quickly took two wickets on the second morning, dismissing openers Khawaja (21) and Nathan McSweeney (9) to leave Australia at 38 for 2.