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Tech billionaire Elon Musk told a delegation of leading Indian business figures at his SpaceX Starbase facility in Texas on Friday that he believes India-US ties are "trending positive" and that he favours an enhanced trade partnership between the two nations. The Indian entrepreneurs, led by India Global Forum (IGF) to mark the UK-headquartered policy and events platform's expansion into the US this week, toured the company's cutting-edge space exploration facilities and witnessed the successful launch of SpaceX's Starship Flight 7. During a moderated discussion, Musk emphasised the potential for deeper collaboration between the United States and India, particularly in the technology and space exploration sectors. "Things are trending positive. I'm certainly in favour of lowering trade barriers to increase commerce between the US and India," Musk was quoted as saying during the session. He went on to describe India as "one of the ancient ci...

David Lynch -- the singular and surreal director of "Mulholland Drive" and television's "Twin Peaks," who depicted the darkness lurking beneath the wholesome surface of American life -- has died. He was 78 years old. An enigmatic artist who turned his hand to arthouse and blockbuster film, television, painting and music, Lynch was considered first and foremost one of US cinema's great auteurs. "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch," read a statement on his official Facebook page. "There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'" The cause and location of death were not specified. Lynch, who lived in Los Angeles, had suffered from emphysema after years of heavy smoking. He emerged on the US indie scene with his groundbreaking 1977 horror "Eraserhead," a cr...

Israeli far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened on Tuesday to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal being negotiated at talks in Qatar. Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down Netanyahu's government, urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas. "This move is our only chance to prevent (the deal's) execution, and prevent Israel's surrender to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths are not in vain," Ben-Gvir said on X. Smotrich said on Monday that he objects to the deal but did not threaten to bolt Netanyahu's coalition. A majority of ministers are expected to back the phased ceasefire deal, which details a halt to fighting and th...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will not be running in the upcoming federal elections, scheduled for October this year. This decision comes after Trudeau stated last week that he would step down as Prime Minister as soon as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader. "In terms of my own decisions, I will not be running in the upcoming election," Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa. Trudeau expressed uncertainty about his future after leaving politics, stating, "As to what I might be doing later, I honestly haven't had much time to think about that at all. I am entirely focused on doing the job that Canadians elected me to do in an extraordinarily pivotal time right now." He also met with Canada's premiers, the ambassador to the US, and some federal cabinet ministers to discuss how Canada would respond to Trump's tariff threats. After serving as Prime Minister for over nine years, Trudeau faced pressure from the op...

Walmart's first logo update in 17 years is garnering significant online attention, though it may not be the kind the retail giant anticipated. The redesign, which the company describes as a modernisation grounded in tradition, includes a bolder font, a richer blue background, and a "more energised" yellow spark icon. Speaking about the change, William White, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US, said in a press statement: "This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow." The internet, especially X (formerly Twitter), is awash with memes and jokes about the new logo A user commented, "Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this." Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this. — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 13, 2025 Another user wrote, "Breaking: Walmart s...

Meta plans to dismiss approximately 3,600 employees identified as low performers and replace them with new hires, according to an internal memo reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday. The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, confirmed to AFP that CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision will affect five percent of its workforce. Meta had approximately 72,400 employees as of September. "I've decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster," Zuckerberg said. The CEO said the performance-based cuts are intended to ensure that the company has the "strongest talent" and is able to "bring new people in." Performance-based dismissals are a common practice among major US corporations. Microsoft announced similar cuts last week affecting less than one percent of its workforce, Business Insider reported. The layoffs come amid broader changes at Meta, in advance of Donald Trump returning to the White House on Janua...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has underlined India's potential role in ending global conflicts, saying that it is one of the few countries that is in a position to hold talks with both Russia and Ukraine, and with Israel and Iran. Mr Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Spain, made these remarks during an interaction with the Indian community in Madrid on Monday in an apparent reference to the wars in Ukraine and in West Asia, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hamas. The minister said India is today seen as contributing to a global conversation that when the "world is looking at many, many challenges, different issues, we also come up with ideas and initiatives". “There are very few countries today who are in a position to talk to Russia and to Ukraine,” he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year visited Russia twice and also went to Kyiv in Ukraine. India is one of the few countries which is in a position to talk to Israel and Iran as we...