Proud of you boys, says Lokesh Kanakaraj as he thanks team for pouring their hearts into making Rajinikanth's 'Coolie'

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Chennai, Aug 7 (IANS) Expressing gratitude to his entire team for pouring their hearts into making his upcoming action entertainer ‘Coolie’, featuring Superstar Rajinikanth in the lead, director Lokesh Kanakaraj, on Thursday told his entire team that he was proud of them. The director, who had offered prayers on Thursday at the popular Shiva temple in Tiruvannamalai ahead of the release of his upcoming film, took to his X timeline to pen a post of gratitude.He wrote, “With #Coolie unleashing in …

Indian gifting startups raise funds worth $116 million in 10 years

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) India’s gifting startups raised $115.9 million in the last decade, showing steady but modest growth, a report said on Thursday.Gifting startups globally raised $1.7 billion from 2015 to date. Funding activity in gifting business for 2025 remains muted worldwide and in India, the report from data intelligence firm Tracxn Technologies said.In 2025, Indigifts was the sole Indian firm to secure funding, and raised $57,600 in an angel round. Indian gifting firms raised $1.3 …

Prism Johnson's profit drops 93 per cent sequentially to over Rs 8 crore in Q1

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Integrated building materials company Prism Johnson Ltd reported a net profit of Rs 8.33 crore in Q1 FY26, down 93 per cent sequentially, according to its exchange filing on Thursday.The company had posted a net profit of Rs 133.02 crore in the preceding quarter (Q4 FY25), while in the same quarter a year ago (Q1 FY25), the firm had posted a loss of Rs 47 lakh.Revenue for Q1 FY26 stood at Rs 1,781.13 crore — down from Rs 1,951.82 crore in the previous quarter, showing a …

realme P Series: A legacy built one generation at a time

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) In a market where consumers are seeking real value, it is no longer enough for smartphone brands to launch devices with lengthy spec sheets and heavier marketing gimmicks.What makes a difference today is a deep understanding of user priorities and the ability to design products that genuinely enhance how people live and engage with technology.This is especially true in online shopping, where young buyers in India often face tough choices. They want style, performance, and…

UN rights chief condemns escalating attacks on civilians by armed groups in Congo

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Geneva, Aug 7 (IANS) United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk has condemned the escalation in deadly attacks by the March 23 Movement (M23) and other armed groups against civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past month. According to first-hand accounts received by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), between July 9 and 21, at least 319 civilians were killed by the M23 in four villages in the Rutshuru territory…

Confusion clouds US-Japan tariff deal as 15 per cent duty comes into effect

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Tokyo, Aug 7 (IANS) A fresh round of US tariffs under President Donald Trump’s administration took effect on Thursday, but differences have emerged between Washington and Tokyo over the interpretation of their bilateral trade agreement, particularly regarding the treatment of Japanese imports, the Japanese media reported. While Japanese officials maintain that the two sides have reached a shared understanding on the new tariff structure, a senior White House official has stated otherwise. Spea…

Indian diplomat commends Australian professor for promotion of Hindi language

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Melbourne, Aug 7 (IANS) Consul General of India in Melbourne Sushil Kumar met Australian National University’s former professor Peter Friedlander on Thursday and gave him the reward money for his article in a quarterly magazine, ‘Gagananchal Visheshank’, which is published by the Indian Council for Cultural Research (ICCR). During the meeting, Sushil Kumar praised Peter Friedlander for his efforts to promote Hindi language in Australia. Consulate General of India in Melbourne also shared Friedla…

Bengal’s DA crisis: Questions over differential rates for state govt employees

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Kolkata, Aug 7 (IANS) As the Supreme Court hears the case on whether West Bengal government employees should receive dearness allowance (DA) at par with their central government counterparts, a fresh controversy has surfaced over the existence of two separate DA rates for employees of the same state government.The first category includes those West Bengal government employees who are posted in other states on behalf of the state government. This category receives dearness allowance at par with t…

If US goes ahead with this, India should also impose 50 pc: Tharoor on Trump's tariff threat

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday strongly advocated for a reciprocal tariff regime in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of imposing steep import duties on Indian goods, suggesting that New Delhi should consider a 50 per cent tariff on American imports if diplomatic negotiations with Washington fail to yield results.Trump was singling out India, even though countries like China and Turkey continue to import oil from Russia.India officially describ…

Bringing a 17th-century garden to life: How ‘Hortus Malabaricus’ blooms again in modern Kerala

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Thrissur (Kerala), Aug 7 (IANS) Nestled in the lush green expanse of Nedumpura in Kerala’s Thrissur district lies a remarkable garden where centuries-old knowledge meets modern conservation.The Hortus Malabaricus Botanical Garden and Research Institute is not just a haven for biodiversity; it is a living tribute to a historic botanical treatise that once changed the way the world understood plants.Opened in January this year after a decade-long work for its development, it’s spread over 27 a…