In Chef Vikas Khanna's Greeting For Trump, A "Hope" To Cook At White House

Many congratulations are coming Donald Trump's way after he secured a historic comeback to the White House as the United States' 47th President. One such greeting came from celebrated Indian chef Vikas Khanna, along with a gentle reminder. 

In a post on Instagram, Vikas Khanna shared a picture of him shaking hands with Donald Trump when the latter visited India during his last stint as US President in 2020. Addressing Trump as "Mr President", Vikas Khanna said that he hopes to cook Indian cuisine at the White House and reminded Trump of a promise made by him. 

"Hello Mr. President! Hope to cook Indian cuisine at The White House as you promised the last time we met," he captioned the post. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vikas Khanna (@vikaskhannagroup)

The picture was reportedly taken at Rashtrapati Bhavan during a dinner hosted by then President Ram Nath Kovind for Trump. Renowned Indian musician AR Rahman is also seen in the picture alongside Vikas Khanna. 

While the post quickly went viral on Instagram and has been liked by over 53,000 accounts so far, it received mixed reactions from users in the comments. Some people joined Vikas Khanna in congratulating Trump with one user commenting "Would love to see you cook there". 

However, some people found Vikas Khanna's wish for Trump "disgusting". "Well this is disappointing," read a comment. Another user commented, "You're pathetic, I had once hoped to try your restaurant but now I never will." 

Vikas Khanna, a Michelin-star chef, runs a restaurant in New York City called 'Bungalow' with an extensive Indian menu.

Three-Time Winner Amin Patel, Shaina NC Fight For Mumbadevi

Mumba Devi is the presiding deity of Mumbai, the country's financial capital, and the constituency named after her is set for an epic battle this time. The three-time MLA from the seat is Congress's Amin Patel and his challenger from the  ruling alliance is Shaina NC, who switched from the BJP to Shiv Sena after getting a ticket from this constituency ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The political equation in the constituency had changed in 2009, when Congress's Amin Patel won this seat and put brakes on the BJP's long-term hold. Till now, Amin Patel has maintained his influence on this seat. 

Though small, the constituency reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the city. 

This area was settled a long time ago and has not been redeveloped. Over the years, little has been done in terms of infrastructure --- dilapidated buildings, narrow lanes, traffic and filth form part of Mumbadevi's daily struggle.

The constituency is Muslim-dominated, with the community comprising 55 per cent of the electorate. NDTV found that while the Eknath Shinde government's Ladli Behen scheme has resonated among the community, it is not a guarantee of votes. 

The constituency's three-time Congress MLA Amin Patel is confident of a fourth straight win. But he said it would based on his work on local issues and religion has nothing to do with it.

"I am very confident. We are doing cluster development," he told NDTV.

Shaina NC is reaching out to the voters with her government's schemes. "Voters will shift towards us. They will vote on the work of Mahayuti over the last two-and-a-half years. Women are happy. Ladli Behan Yojana is a hit," she said.  

The ruling alliance considers the Ladli Behan Yojana a game changer. 
When NDTV reached among the voters -- especially women voters, of Mumbadevi's Kamathipura and Dongri areas, the scheme was praised. But it was difficult to say how much it will translate into votes.

"I did not get the benefit but other women of the house got it. Mahayuti did good work. But Amin Patel is one of us. He comes to meet us. He is a local," said one of the voters. Others feigned indecision, saying it is too early to make a call. 

The local BJP leader and former cabinet minister Raj Purohit said Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Arvind Sawant's derogatory comment about Shaina NC will backfire.

"People are angry. You wait and watch, they will teach them (the Congress candidate) a lesson. Shaina has been doing social work here. She is not new. The BJP has a presence here," he said.

Air India Lacks Competent Managers": P Chidambaram Slams Flight Delay

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed Air India today, pointing to a delay in the Delhi-Chennai flight he was taking. Accusing the new management of incompetence in a post on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "I regret that there has been practically no improvement since the management changed hands from the government to the private sector".

In his post, Mr Chidambaram said the passengers on flight AI 540 started boarding 10 minutes after the departure time. 

All passengers on flight AI 540 Delhi to Chennai are standing on the aero bridge for the last 15 minutes

We were cleared for boarding at the gate but were told to wait at the aircraft door

Passengers are just boarding 10 minutes AFTER departure time. No one knows when the...

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 5, 2024

They were cleared for boarding at the gate but were told to wait at the aircraft door and had to stand on the aero bridge for over 15 minutes.

"Passengers are just boarding 10 minutes AFTER departure time. No one knows when the flight will depart. I am a frequent traveler by Air India... I can list a number of aspects of flying that can be improved by a competent management. I think Air India lacks competent managers at different levels,"his post read. 
 

India A's Ball-Tampering Row Takes New Turn. Player Says, "Nail From..."

The fire-works have already started even before the senior Indian cricket team has landed in Australia. The India vs Australia series is often considered one of the most marquee series and tempers often fly high in the contest. Currently, India A is touring Australia with players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy (both part of the main squad), Ishan Kishan in the team. And, the India A team has been accused of 'ball tampering' during the practice match against Australia A. 

Ahead of the start of the day's play on Sunday, the match officials informed India A players that the ball has been changed as it was tampered with. Umpire Shawn Craig brought the development to Indian players' notice during the first unofficial Test. He said: "When you scratch it, we change the ball. No more discussion, let's play."

India A's wicket-keeper batter for the match, Ishan Kishan fumed at the umpire's call and called it a "stupid decision".

In a statement, Cricket Australia said that the ball had to be changed "due to deterioration", while both the managers and the captains were informed of the decision before the start of the day's play. 

Now, according to a report in The Indian Express, a player, requesting anonymity, denied tampering allegations, suggesting a "nail from the sideboards may have brushed the ball."

According to Cricket Australia's code of conduct, players involved in the ball tampering incident could be handed bans if the team is found to have intentionally changed the condition of the ball.

"Any action(s) likely to alter the condition of the ball which are not specifically permitted under Law 41.3.2 may be regarded as unfair," Cricket Australia's code of conduct reads.

After the controversy spiralled up, Cricket Australia issued a statement saying, the ball change happened "due to deterioration

Kamala Harris' Ancestral Village In India Prays For Her Election Win

Residents of US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' ancestral village in southern India were preparing to hold prayers on election day on Tuesday in a Hindu temple more than 8,000 miles (13,000 km) from Washington.

Harris' maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan was born more than a century ago in the leafy village of Thulasendrapuram in what is now Tamil Nadu.

"There will be a special prayer on Tuesday morning at the temple," G. Manikandan, a villager who runs a small store near the temple, said. "Celebrations will follow if she wins."

At the temple, Harris' name is engraved into a stone that lists public donations, along with that of her grandfather. Outside, a large banner wishes "the daughter of the land" success in the election.

Gopalan and his family migrated a few hundred miles to the coastal city of Chennai, where he worked as a high-ranking government official until his retirement.

The village received global attention four years ago when its residents prayed for victory for Harris' Democratic Party in 2020 before celebrating her inauguration as US Vice President by setting off firecrackers and distributing food.

Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump were scrambling to get supporters to the polls in a historically close contest, which means it could take days for the winner to emerge.

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

All-New Royal Enfield Flying Flea Electric C6 Motorcycle Revealed

The first ever electric Royal Enfield has landed and it is called the Flying Flea C6. All future electric motorcycles will be launched under the 'Flying Flea' brand, dedicated purely to EVs. The new Flying Flea brand is inspired from the original Royal Enfield Flying Flea motorcycle of the 1940s, which was purpose-built for use during WWII when these machines were airdropped via parachute to provide lightweight and easy-to-use mobility across different terrain. The lightness and agility on the motorcycles of the old is what is said to be offered on the Flying Flea electric motorcycles.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Bear 650 Scrambler Revealed 

The Flying Flea C6 is a retro-futuristic motorcycles, replete with a round LED headlight and girder forks up front, a piece of equipment that hasn't been used in two-wheelers for a while now. What is interesting is the fact that the overall design and presence of the RE electric bike is diminutive, unlike their petrol-powered motorcycles. Something that is confirmed by the thin tyres on the bike.  

This can only mean that RE wants this motorcycle to be an urban modern classic electric motorcycle with decent range, that can take on the current crop of electric two-wheelers in the market. The seat height seems to be low, and the rider triangle seems to be comfy and apt for daily commuting. 

There will be a two-seater version of the Flying Flea C6 as well. Other details that can be seen are the round mirrors and footpegs for a pillion. Then you also see the round display as well. We expect the Royal Enfield's EV to have a fixed battery, with a range of up to 100-150 km. Expect the motorcycle to have decent power and torque output. All specifications will be revealed at a later date.

India too has a few electric motorcycles on sale such as the Revolt RV 400, Matter Aera 5000, Oben Rorr, Ola Roadster, Raptee T30, Tork Kratos and so on and it will be interesting to see how the Flying Flea C6 is priced, compared to other electric motorcycles in India.

UP Man Allegedly Forced To Lick Own Spit By Cops For "Creating Chaos"

A village head's representative in Nasirabad area here was allegedly forced to lick his spit by the local police for "creating chaos" during a 'nautanki' programme organised without permission from the authorities, officials said on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police (Raebareli) Yashveer Singh said the allegations are being investigated by the additional superintendent of police and action will be taken based on his report.

Sushil Sharma, the representative of the head of Kapurpur village in Nasirabad, organised a 'Nautanki' programme without permission on October 30, Mr Singh said in a statement.

During the programme, he and his associates misbehaved with the people and created chaos under the influence of alcohol. The accused also misbehaved with a police team from the local police station after which five people, including Sharma, were taken into custody, it said.

Mr Sharma, however, said the police team reached the village late at night and asked him to stop the nautanki programme.

Sharma claimed that he and four others were detained and physically assaulted at the local police station while he was made to lick his spit.

He also accused Nasirabad SHO Shivakant Pandey of demanding a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from him.

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Panchayati Raj Gram Pradhan Sangathan on Saturday lodged a written complaint with the SP, demanding action. 

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