Vietnam veteran’s 1974 make and $345.97 priced Rolex Daytona now valued a whopping…his reaction is priceless

In a heartwarming episode of Antiques Roadshow, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Air Force received the surprise of a lifetime when he learned the true value of a watch he purchased for $345.97 decades ago. The watch in question is a Rolex Daytona with a Panda Paul Newman dial, a timepiece that left viewers and experts alike in shock.

A timeless surprise: Vietnam veteran’s Rolex watch soars to $700,000 value on Antiques Roadshow (PictureFolder/Twitter)(Twitter)

The watch’s remarkable history adds to its value. It was acquired through mail order via a military base exchange in 1974 and received in 1975. Astonishingly, its date stamp indicates it was manufactured in the first quarter of 1971 and has never been worn.

ALSO READ: At Mundra, DRI seizes antiques, paintings worth 26.8 cr from UAE container

The owner took good care of the watch to avoid the risk of any wear and tear, eventually moving on to other watches. For years, it has been safeguarded in a secure deposit box, only occasionally brought out. The narrative of preservation is nothing short of remarkable.

What sets this Rolex Daytona apart is its comprehensive collection of authentication documents and paperwork, which includes the original box and outer packaging. Remarkably, a foil sticker with the reference number 6263 is still affixed to the case back due to its pristine, unworn condition.

Enthusiasts of Paul Newman Daytonas often consider this model the ultimate milestone, despite not being the most authentic (that distinction goes to ref. 6239 with a steel bezel and without screw-down pushers, known as the “Oyster”).

It became evident to the show’s crew that they had something extraordinary on their hands when they filmed this segment. However, the watch’s owner appeared unaware of its true value.

When expert Peter Planes from Luxe Auctioneers in Palm Beach, Florida, initially estimated the watch’s value at around $400,000, the veteran’s reaction was pure disbelief—he literally dropped to the ground in shock.

ALSO READ: DRI ‘watch smuggler’ is in fact a well-heeled collector

It took a moment for him to regain his composure, and when Planes explained that, owing to its unworn condition, the Rolex was valued between $500,000 and $700,000, the veteran’s response was filled with joy and excitement, saying, “You gotta be kidding me!” and ‘further goes on to say, ‘unbelievable’. The evaluater then says, ‘you can’t wear it though’

In conclusion, this extraordinary discovery on Antiques Roadshow serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden treasures that can emerge unexpectedly, showcasing the timeless appeal and enduring value of vintage watches.

This heartwarming moment will undoubtedly be cherished not only by the veteran but also by viewers who appreciate the beauty of life’s unexpected surprises.

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New York Under Water After Heavy Rain; Airports, Subway Partially Hit

More rainfall is expected in New York.

Heavy overnight rains have partially paralysed New York. A state of emergency has been declared in the city that witnessed one of its wettest days in decades. Airports and subways are not fully operational due to waterlogging in parts of the US financial capital.

Flyers had to wade through floodwaters to enter the city’s LaGuardia airport, showed visuals on social media. The airport has shut one of its terminals too. Nearly 200 flights were delayed.

Half-submerged cars, blocked roads and traffic jams crippled movement in the city. Mayor Eric Adams has urged people not to venture out.

“If you are home, stay home. If you are at work or school, shelter in place for now, some of our subways are flooded and it’s extremely difficult to move around the city,” appealed Mr Adams.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who declared a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, asked residents to plan their “escape routes” and not wait till water levels “crossed their knees”. 

More rainfall is expected in the city.

Transportation Hit

Several lines of the New York subway system are closed in Brooklyn as water poured down the steps and through the ceilings of some stations.

Ahmed Abdou, a cab driver in New York, told AFP this was a regular phenomenon and the subway system is “terrible”.

The New York subway is one of the world’s largest such train network with 420 stations and over 30 lines, an essential part of millions of residents of who rely on it to reach school and workplaces.

Trains were cancelled at the Grand Central Terminal in the heart of Manhattan, stranding passengers heading towards suburbs for hours.

The flash flood has also raised concerns over global warming.

Rohit Aggarwala Overall, the city’s Environmental Protection Commissioner, told AFP that climate change is behind the changing weather pattern and the infrastructure response is not able to pace up.

Watch | Rains swamp subways, streets, spills onto railways, submerges vehicles in New York

As the New York metropolitan area witnessed one of the city’s wettest days in decades, videos showing floodwater spilling into subways, onto railways, flooding roads, and causing major disruptions have been widely circulating online.

New York City and the areas surrounding it experienced relentless heavy rainfall on Friday, resulting in flash floods, the complete shutdown of subway lines, inundated roads, and the relocation of students to upper floors in flooded school buildings. Governor Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency and encouraged residents across New York to remain indoors. She specifically cautioned those residing in basements to prepare for potentially severe conditions.

Weather and city officials reported that, by midday on Friday, some areas of Brooklyn had received nearly 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rainfall, with one location experiencing a staggering 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) in just one hour.

In one of the videos posted on social media platforn X,  a construction worker can be seen working on a flooded road of New York City.

Some people also took to social media platforms to explain the reason why the city is grappling with floods, claiming among several reasons that “the city is made out of concrete, and concrete does not absorb water.”

In a separate video, vehicles can be seen submerged in water, while commuters are making their way back home on foot amidst scenes of disorder and chaos.  This deluge has occurred two years after the remnants of Hurricane Ida unleashed record-breaking rainfall on the Northeast, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 13 lives in New York City, predominantly in flooded basement apartments. While there have been no reports of fatalities or serious injuries from Friday’s storm thus far, it has rekindled unsettling memories.

As the torrential downpour struck the New York metropolitan area with remarkable force, even causing the closure of a terminal at LaGuardia Airport, state and city officials urged residents not to underestimate the storm. Governor Hochul characterised it as a “life-threatening rainfall event,” and Mayor Eric Adams emphasised that the storm was something they couldn’t afford to dismiss lightly.

Why so much rain?

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According to National Weather Service meteorologist Ross Dickman, the remains of Tropical Storm Ophelia in the Atlantic Ocean merged with a mid-latitude system approaching from the west, news agency AP reported. This convergence occurred during a season when the atmospheric conditions over the ocean were especially conducive to storm development.

This amalgamation of storms remained stationary over New York for a duration of 12 hours. The weather service had issued warnings forecasting 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 13 centimeters) of rainfall and advised emergency managers to anticipate over 6 inches (15 centimeters) in specific areas, as explained by Dickman. This inundation occurred in less than three months following a storm that led to fatal floods in New York’s Hudson Valley and inundated Vermont’s capital, Montpelier.

Could this event have been worse?

Meteorologist Mark Bove highlighted on X, previously known as Twitter, that the most substantial rainfall from the storm primarily happened just offshore, accumulating to more than 8.5 inches, The New York Times reported. Had this amount fallen directly over the city, it would have constituted the most severe flooding catastrophe the city has ever witnessed, he pointed out.

(With inputs from AP and The New York Times)

Asian Games 2023 September 30 Live Updates: India Win Silver In 10m Pistol Mixed Event, Tally Now 34 | Asian Games News

Asian Games 2023 Live: here’s India’s full schedule for today!

3×3 BASKETBALL

10:55 AM: Men’s qualification to quarterfinals – India vs Iran

1:00 PM: Women’s qualification to quarterfinals – India vs Malaysia

(3:30 PM onwards quarterfinals, subject to qualification)

ATHLETICS

6:35 AM onwards: Men’s Long Jump Qualifying Groups A and B – Murali Sreeshankar & Jeswin Aldrin

6:38 AM onwards: Women’s Heptathlon 100m Hurdles- Swapna Barman & Nandini Agasara

6:45 AM onwards: Women’s 100m Hurdles Heats (1 & 2) – Jyothi Yarraji, Nithya Ramraj

7:05 AM onwards: Men’s 1500m Round 1 Heats – Ajay Kumar Saroj & Jinson Johnson

7:20 AM onwards: Women’s Heptathlon High Jump- Swapna Barman & Nandini Agasara

4:40 PM onwards: Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put- Swapna Barman & Nandini Agasara

5:30 PM onwards: Women’s 400m Final – Aishwarya Kailash Mishra

5:40 PM onwards: Men’s 400m Final – Muhammed Ajmal

5:50 PM onwards Men’s 10,000m Final – Karthik Kumar, Gulveer Singh

6:35 PM onwards: Women’s Heptathlon 200m – Swapna Barman & Nandini Agasara

BADMINTON

2:30 PM onwards: Men’s Team Semifinal- India vs South Korea

BOXING

11:30 AM onwards: Women’s 54kg Quarterfinals – Preeti (IND) vs Zhaina Shekerbekova (KAZ)

12:15 PM onwards: Women’s 75kg Quarterfinals – Lovlina Borgohain (IND) vs Suyeon Seong (KOR)

1:00 PM onwards: Men’s 57kg Round of 16 – Sachin Siwach (IND) vs Abuquthailah Turki (KUW)

2:15 PM onwards: Men’s +92kg Quarterfinals – Narender (IND) vs Ramezanpourdelavar Iman (IRI) – 2:15 PM

6:30 PM onwards: Men’s 71kg Quarterfinals – Nishant Dev (IND) vs Okazawa Sewonrets Quincy Mensah (JAP)

BRIDGE

6:30 AM onwards

Men’s Team Round Robin 2-1

Women’s Team Round Robin 2-1

Mixed Team Round Robin 2-1

11:00 AM onwards

Men’s Team Round Robin 2-2

Women’s Team Round Robin 2-2

Mixed Team Round Robin 2-2

1:30 PM onwards

Men’s Team Round Robin 2-3

Women’s Team Round Robin 2-3

Mixed Team Round Robin 2-3

4:00 PM onwards

Men’s Team Round Robin 2-4

Mixed Team Round Robin 2-4

KAYAKING & CANOEING

7:20 AM onwards: Niraj Verma – Men’s Canoe Singles 1000m – Heat 1

(Semifinals at 12:45 PM)

7:45 AM onwards: Team India – Women’s Kayak Double 500m – Heat 2

(Semifinals at 1:00 PM)

8:15 AM onwards: Team India – Men’s Canoe Double 500m – Heat 1

(Semifinals at 1:15 PM)

CHESS

12:30 PM onwards

Men’s Team Round 2

Women’s Team Round 2

DIVING

3:00 PM: Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard Final – London Singh Hemam & Siddharth Bajrang Pardeshi

EQUESTRIAN

05:30 AM: Eventing Dressage Team & Individual

GOLF

4:00 AM onwards

Women’s Individual Round 3 – Pranavi Sharath Urs, Avani Prashanth, Aditi Ashok

Women’s Team Round 3 – Pranavi Sharath Urs, Avani Prashanth, Aditi Ashok

Men’s Individual Round 3 – Anirban Lahiri, Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chawrasia, Khalin Josh

Men’s Team Round 3 – Anirban Lahiri, Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chawrasia, Khalin Josh

HANDBALL

11:30 AM: Women’s Preliminary Round Group B – IND vs NEP

HOCKEY

4:00 PM: Preliminary Men’s Pool A – IND vs PAK

KURASH

6:00 AM onwards:

Women’s 52kg – Preliminary & Elimination – Pincky Balhara & Suchika Tariyal

Men’s 66Kg Preliminary & Elimination – Keshav

(Semifinals and finals at 11:30 AM)

ROLLER SKATING

6:30 AM: Women’s speed skating 10000m point-elimination race final – Heeral Sadhu, Aarthy Kasturi Raj

7:05 AM: Men’s speed skating 10000m point-elimination race final – Anandkumar Velkumar, Siddhant Rahul Kamble

SHOOTING

06:30 AM onwards:

10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Qualification – Sarabjot Singh & Divya T S

Men’s Trap-75 Shots – Individual & Team – Qualification (Stage 1) – Prithviraj Tondaiman, Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu

Women’s Trap-75 Shots – Individual & Team – Qualification (Stage 1) – Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak, Rajeshwari Kumari

(Medal Events subject to qualification)

9:05 AM: 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Final

SQUASH

1:00 PM onwards: Men’s Team Final – IND vs PAK

TABLE TENNIS

10:15 AM: Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals: Manush Shah/ Manav Thakkar

11:00 AM: Women’s Singles Quarterfinals- Manika Batra

4:00 PM: Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals: Sutirtha Mukherjee/ Ayhika Mukherjee

TENNIS

Not before 10:30 AM: Mixed Doubles Final – Rutuja Bhosale/ Rohan Bopanna

VOLLEYBALL

8:00 AM: Women’s preliminary round Pool A: India vs DPR Korea

WEIGHTLIFTING

6:30 AM: Women’s 49 KG Group B – Mirabai Chanu onwards

(final group starts at 12:30 PM)

6:30 AM: Women’s 55kg Group B – Bindyarani Devi

(final group starts at 4:30 PM)

Jawan box office collection day 23: Shah Rukh Khan to beat his own record soon, blockbuster mints Rs 1043 crore worldwide

The Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan hit theatres on September 7 and had the biggest opening day in the history of Hindi cinema, raking in Rs 129.06 crore worldwide. On day 23 (Friday), the film earned Rs 5.25 crore, slightly less than Thursday’s Rs 5.97 crore, bringing its total domestic collection to Rs 587.15 crore. Since its release, Jawan has crossed the Rs 1,000-crore mark globally and is on track to surpass Rs 600 crore in India soon. The movie also stars Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Deepika Padukone in pivotal roles. 

The film’s Hindi box office earnings have surpassed those of Pathaan and Gadar 2. The Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions have earned a total of Rs 58.82 crore so far.

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Jawan is close to becoming the second-highest grossing Bollywood movie ever globally, behind Dangal. Red Chillies Entertainment announced that the movie has grossed an impressive Rs 1,043 crore worldwide. Pathaan wrapped up its domestic run with Rs 543 crore, a mark already surpassed by Jawan. Although Jawan is expected to surpass Pathaan’s worldwide earnings of Rs 1050 crore soon, it’s unlikely to reach the Rs 2000 crore global earnings achieved by Dangal. The Aamir Khan-starrer was a big hit in China, but neither Jawan nor Pathaan was released there.

This week, two new movies were released in theatres, Fukrey 3 and The Vaccine War. Fukrey 3 had a strong opening day, collecting Rs 8.82 crores, while The Vaccine War is struggling at the domestic box office, earning just over Rs 1.50 crore in its first two days, according to Sacnilk. However, the makers of Jawan began rolling out a ‘buy 1 get 1 ticket free’ deal for SRK’s action thriller starting from September 28.

Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya and Lehar Khan among others are also a part of the film, directed by Atlee. 

Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.

Mississippi family reunites with missing pet monkey after 24-hour search

A family in Mississippi was reunited with their pet spider monkey who went missing for more than 24 hours. The pet named Kenzie was traced down in the woods by a volunteer with the help of hunting dogs.

Mississippi family giving a warm hug to Kenzie. (Facebook/Cameron Kaitlynn Cuevas)

Kenzie was adopted by Cameron and Kaitlynn Cuevas two years ago when she was just six weeks old. Since then, she has become like an additional member of their family. The incident happened when Cuevases left Kenzie in the care of Cameron’s mom. The monkey managed to escape from the house and disappeared into the woods, reported WLOX.

Following this incident, the couple shared a Facebook post, requesting people to help them find their beloved pet.

“The WORST post I’m making but our Kenzie girl got away this morning around 10:00 off of Menge on Lobouy Rd. If everybody in the area can keep an eye out. We have searched high and low and we are not giving up. Ben has been here with his dogs right alongside us. She last had a grey diaper cover on her,” wrote Cameron Kaitlynn Cuevas on Facebook while sharing a few pictures and a video of the pet monkey.

Take a look at the post made by Cuevas below:

Soon, many people turned up for help. Among them was Ben Ward, a local hunter who uses dogs to track wounded and missing animals. “I loaded up and went out there. There was a whole bunch of people there already searching. We joined in with them and brought the dogs to the woods. They are unbelievable. Their ability is amazing. Their nose, from what I’ve read, is 10,000 times better than a human’s,” Ward told WLOX.

After 14 hours of extensive search, the volunteers took a break. During this time, Ward returned to the woods, hoping his dogs would have picked up a trail. And he was right. Kenzie was found.

Cuevas later shared an update saying that Kenzie was found. The Facebook post reads, “KENZIE HAS MADE IT HOME! She had a good bath, blow dry & is taking a good nap. She will go to the vet here in a little while to get checked over. It was a long 24 hours of searching miles long of woods! Praying, crying, miles and miles of walking! If you know us, you know Kenzie is like a baby human kid to us! She is tired, scared, weak but she’s home!” Cuebas also tagged a few people and thanked them for their help and support.

Take a look at the reunion pictures here:

Both posts received numerous reactions from Facebook users. Many even flocked to the comments section of the posts to share their thoughts.

Here’s how people reacted to Kenzie’s reunion with her family:

“Thank God she was found safe and sound!” posted an individual.

Another added, “I’m so happy for y’all. Y’all have been on my mind all night. Thank God she is home safe.”

“This makes my heart so happy! Never stopped praying! So glad she’s safe & home!” expressed a third.

A fourth commented, “So glad she made it home! My eyes were peeled this morning on my way to work! Hopefully she’s learned her lesson about wandering off!”

“This sure warmed my heart and was just what I needed today! I’ve come back and looked at these pictures five different times already,” shared a fifth.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Arfa Javaid is a journalist working with the Hindustan Times’ Delhi team. She covers trending topics, human interest stories, and viral content online. …view detail

Scientists Confirm First Evidence Of Black Hole Spinning

NASA describes a black hole as a “dense, compact object whose gravitational pull is strong”.

Astronomers have found the first direct evidence of a black hole spinning. The observations provide new insights into the enigmatic celestial object and focus on the supermassive black hole at the centre of the neighbouring Messier 87 (M87) galaxy. On the lines of other supermassive black holes, M87, too, features powerful jets launched from the poles at close to the speed of light into intergalactic space.

Scientists believe the rotation of a black hole powers these cosmic jets, but until now there was no direct evidence. The black hole has been imaged by Event Horizon Telescope, The Guardian reported.

Dr Ru-Sen Lu, the lead author of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, said that the scientific community knows jets are ejected from the region surrounding black holes. “But we still do not fully understand how this happens,” Lu said, adding that, they needed to observe the origin of the jet as close as possible to the black hole.

M87, located 55 million light years from the Earth, harbours a black hole 6.5 billion times more massive than the Sun. Beyond the black hole is an accretion disk of gas and dust swirling on the precipice of the cosmic sinkhole. Some of this material, as per the scientists, will fall into the black hole and disappear forever. However, a small fraction will be ejected out from the poles of the black hole at more than 99.99% of the speed of light.

Research, published in Nature, used observations of M87 from a global network of radio telescopes from 2000 to 2022. Scientists noticed a recurring 11-year cycle in the jet, which was found to precess around a central point at the edge of the black hole. It indicated a misalignment between the black hole’s spin axis and the accretion disk, leading the jet to move like a spinning top.

The first picture of a black hole was obtained back in 2019, according to US space agency NASA. The supermassive black hole, imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope, was said to be located in the centre of the elliptical galaxy M87, located about 55 million light-years from Earth.

What is a Black Hole?

NASA describes a black hole as a “dense, compact object whose gravitational pull is so strong (to a certain distance) that nothing can escape, not even light.” It is said that black holes are formed when massive stars collapse at the ends of their evolution. The gravity is extremely strong because matter (the mass) has been squeezed into a tiny space.

F&CC fixes booking charge of open space in Chandigarh

Now holding any event at an open space of the civic body would come at a charge. For, the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) panel Friday fixed the booking charge of any open space throughout the city at Rs 10,000 per day and Rs 2,000 as cleaning charges with 18% GST.

The committee members discussed and decided to fix the booking charges of open space for commercial use at Manimajra at Rs 25,000 per day and Rs 2,000 as sanitation charges with 18% GST. Earlier, only specific grounds were given for a charge by the civic body.

The F&CC of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has also accorded approval to renew the license of Chandigarh Washerman Workshop Cooperative (Regd) Industrial Society Ltd, Sector 15 D, Chandigarh, from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 with an increase of 10% in the existing license fee @ Rs 20,000 +18% GST per month. The F&CC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mayor Anup Gupta and attended by Commissioner Anindita Mitra and other members of committee.

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The members of committee discussed other various important agenda items in detail and accorded approval to providing and fixing concertina coil fencing over boundary wall in Community Centre, Sector 45, 46 and fixing of MS Gate in Community Centre, Sector 46, Chandigarh, at an estimated cost of Rs 8.47 lakh, extension of 20 employees transferred from garbage processing plant, extension of existing contract for lifting and removal of dead animals for December 12, 2023 or till the new contract is finalised.

The committee members considered and revised the reserved price of seven old condemned staff cars of the head office, MC, Chandigarh for its auction as scrap material through MSTC Ltd, as per the guidelines of the Government of India.

Also, it was decided to lease mango, amla, ber & sapota (chiku) fruit crop in Rajindera Park, Sector 1, Chandigarh, for a period of six years at an estimated cost of Rs 39.60 lakh. The panel also accorded approval for celebration of 36th Chrysanthemum Show 2023 at an estimated cost of Rs 19.72 lakh.

PM Modi to attend concluding ceremony of BJP’s Parivartan Yatras in poll-bound Chhattisgarh

File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally to conclude the two ‘Parivartan Yatras’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chattisgarh’s Bilaspur city.

This is PM Modi’s third visit to the Congress-ruled state, where assembly elections are due at the end of the year.

State BJP chief Arun Sao said that the prime minister will address the ‘Parivartan Mahasankalp’ rally, the closing ceremony of two Parivartan Yatras.

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Meanwhile, PM Modi has a packed schedule for the next six days as he is set to attend as many as eight public meetings in the four poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

Modi will also hold two rallies in each of these states, according to News18.

On October 1 (Sunday), PM Modi will visit Mahabubnagar in Telangana to launch developmental projects worth more than Rs 13,500 crore.

The very next day (October 2), PM Modi will be in Chittorgarh in Rajasthan and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

On October 3, the prime minister will be travelling back to Chattisgarh Nizamabad in Telangana to hold public meetings.

About Parivartan Yatra 

While the first Parivartan Yatra was taken out from Dantewada (south Chhattisgarh) on September 12, the second one was rolled out from Jashpur (north Chhattisgarh) on September 15.

Both the yatras saw 83 ‘Swagat Sabhas’ (welcome gatherings), four roadshows and various public meetings before culminating at Bilaspur, covering a distance of more than 3,000 km across 87 assembly segments (out of the total 90).

Bijapur, Sukma, and Antagarh constituencies (all Maoist-affected) have not been included in the itinerary, but people belonging to these constituencies were engaged in the yatra when it passed through the adjoining constituencies.

With inputs from PTI

For The First Time in 50 Years, US Won’t Have Any Panda. Here’s Why

For all panda lovers in the US, there is sad news. The  National Zoo, in Washington DC, which has been the home to three giant pandas for 50 years, will soon send them back to China. 

The three pandas are set to return in December this year following the end of a three-year-long agreement with China’s wildlife agency, reported Bloomberg. 

With the ones in Washington DC gone, only four giant pandas will remain in the Atalanta Zoo which is expected to shift back by next year, unless both countries strike a new deal among themselves, the report added.

Chee Meng Tan, who is an associate professor at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia and studies panda diplomacy, told the Washington Post, “This is perhaps Beijing’s way of signalling to the West that they may not be very happy with how things are going.”

He added, “This may be one way of telling people that you’re not treating us very well, so maybe we’ll pull out our pandas.” 

Before this, the pandas from San Diego and Memphis had left in 2019 and April 2023, respectively, the report added.

The first instance of China’s Panda Diplomacy can be dated back to 1941 but it wasn’t until President Nixon visited China in 1972 that the US were rewarded with any. After his visit, the US were gifted two pandas which were kept at the National Zoo in Washington DC, the report added. 

Over the years, beyond political motives, the pandas – named Mei Xiang and Tian Tian – have also served the purpose of entertainment. Recently, their 3-year-old male cub, Xiao Qi Ji had also become a centre of attraction for the crowd of the zoo.

Some experts have also suggested that the decision to send back the pandas might not be solely political reasons. They have risen to the point that pandas are no longer under the classification of ‘Endangered Species’.

So, they feel, China is trying to establish their network of national parks and sanctuary. This may have added to the fact that they do not need to send the pandas abroad anymore to conserve and breed.

 

Punjab chief secy asks all to work together to eliminate drug menace

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Friday asked all stakeholders to work in a result-oriented manner for the elimination of drug menace. While presiding over the meeting of the state-level committee of the Narco Coordination Center Mechanism here on Friday, Verma said that as many drug-related cases are caught by the police, by working on their links and identifying the drug traffickers involved, they should be arrested.

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He said that these cases will be reviewed every month in the state level meeting. He said that following the instructions of the Chief Minister to adopt a zero tolerance policy in this regard, the process of seizing the properties of the drug lords should be expedited. The Punjab Police should be empowered by conducting a special session at the Punjab Police Academy Phillaur to speed up the prosecution of these cases and train them on the process of seizure of assets.

Verma said that instructions were given to the police department to speed up the trial process of cases involving commercial quantities of drugs and simultaneously to initiate the process of setting up special courts for the same.

He also directed the police to adopt a sensitive attitude towards drug addicts who are caught with small quantities and instead of punishing them and sending them to jail, they should be sent to de-addiction centres so that they too can be given a chance to return to the mainstream.

Cab driver asks Lenskart employee for a discount. Watch what happens next

A wholesome conversation between a man and a Lenskart employee has taken social media by storm. The video was shared on Instagram by Angkit Joshi, who works as a driver. Joshi often records his conversations with his customers, and shares them on social media. In one of his latest videos, he can be seen asking a Lenskart employee for a discount. However, what happens after that will leave you smiling.

Cab driver in conversation with the employee.

The video opens to show a woman sitting in the car with Joshi. Then he informs her that he is recording the conversations and asks the woman if she is comfortable with it. To this, the woman says she’ll be happy to be a part of it. She also adds that what Joshi is doing is innovative, and it will inspire people.

Further, when Joshi asks the woman what she does for a living, she says she’s an employee at Lenskart. Then the driver asks her if it is possible to get a discount at Lenskart.

The woman then reveals that she’s carrying a few product samples with her and that she will be happy to give them to her.

Watch the video of the Lenskart employee and the driver here:

This post was shared on September 22. Since being posted, it has received more than four lakh likes and several comments. Many were impressed by the video and shared their thoughts on it in the comments section of the post.

Check out what people are saying about this clip here:

An individual wrote, “Humbleness at its peak.”

“My heart is happy to see such content,” expressed another.

A third commented, “She was so courteous and warm.”

A fourth said, “This is the kind of content we want!”

A fifth posted, “Nice innovative idea. Glad to see your humble nature, you were honest.”

“Such a beautiful and respectful interaction,” added a sixth.

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