20-Year-Old Asmi Jain From Indore Wins Apple Swift Student Challenge

20-year-old Asmi Jain from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is among the three winners of Apple's Swift Student Challenge this year. 

Ahead of its annual developer conference WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple issued a challenge to students across the globe to create an original app playground using the Swift coding language. On Tuesday, the company announced that among the top three winners this year is a 20-year-old developer from Indore, Asmi Jain who used her coding skills to solve problems in the healthcare sector. 

Excited to be featured on Apple's Newsroom! 🚀Winner of #WWDC23 Swift Student Challenge! 🏆 Thanks @Apple for this amazing opportunity.
Join me on this exhilarating journey! #SwiftStudentChallenge #Swift #iOS #AppleNewsroom
Link: https://t.co/EZwY3n4hiU

— Asmi Jain (@AsmiJ3) May 30, 2023

As per a press release, Ms Jain is currently a student at Medi-Caps University in Indore. She thought of making the playground healthcare app after her friend's uncle had to undergo brain surgery but as a result, was left with eye misalignment and facial paralysis. 

She, therefore, designed her winning playground to track a user's eye movements as they try to follow a ball moving around the screen. Apple explained that the playground's purpose is to help strengthen the eye muscles. 

As per the press note, Ms Jain now hopes that her app playground can be used by people with a variety of eye conditions and injuries. 

"It was important for me to create an app playground that could positively impact the lives of people like him," she said. "My next goal is to get feedback and make sure it's effective and user-friendly, and then release it on the App Store. Ultimately, I want to expand it so that it helps strengthen all of the muscles in the face, and I hope it can one day serve as a therapy tool that people like my friend's uncle can use at their own pace," she added. 

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Further, the 20-year-old stated that her inspiration for coding comes from the idea of solving problems in the healthcare sector. Recently, she and a few other students even created a forum at her university so that their classmates had a support system for working through tough coding problems. 

"When you feel as though you're part of something bigger, it motivates you and drives you to do better," she said, adding, "Coding lets me create things that help my friends and my community. And it gives me a sense of independence that is very empowering". 

Notably, along with Ms Jain, other winners are 21-year-old Yemi Agesin from the United States and 25-year-old Marta Michelle Caliendo. Now, when WWDC23 kicks off next week on June 5, the challenge winners will be among those attending virtually and in person to see the keynote, events, labs, and activities available this year to the global Apple developer community, the company announced in a press release. 
 

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Bhojpuri Singer Injured In Alleged Celebratory Firing During Show In Bihar

Popular Bhojpuri singer Nisha Upadhyay received a bullet injury allegedly in celebratory firing at her show in Bihar's Saran district, police said on Thursday.

The incident happened in Sendurva village in Janta Bazar police station area on Tuesday but it came to light after videos from the show went viral on social media, they said.

Upadhyay was hit on her left thigh and was admitted to a private hospital in Patna after the incident, they added.

"No complaint was lodged regarding this incident. I have also come to know about it from social media. Further information is being gathered," said Nasruddin Khan, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Janta Bazar.

Her condition is now stated to be stable.

Condemning it, Art and Culture Minister Jitendra Kumar Rai told PTI that celebratory firing was a criminal offence and people must understand it.

"I have been informed about it. It's highly condemnable and action must be initiated against the accused. People must know that celebratory firing even with licensed guns at public gatherings, religious places, weddings or other functions is a criminal offence. The accused must be punished," he said.

"I am sure that the police will examine how the incident took place, who all were involved in the firing, and how the gunshot was fired," he added.

Despite repeated attempts, Ms Upadhyay's family could not be reached for comment. 

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

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Biden Falls At US Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony

President Joe Biden took a face-first tumble on Thursday after tripping over an obstacle on stage at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, but he appeared unhurt.

Biden, 80, who had delivered the commencement address to graduates of the military academy, had just shaken hands with a cadet and begun walking back to his seat when he fell.

Air Force personnel helped him back up and he did not appear to require further help.

As he rose, Biden pointed to the object that had apparently caught his foot. It resembled a small black sandbag on the stage.

White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt tweeted shortly afterward that "he's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands."

Biden is the oldest person ever in the presidency and is seeking a second term in the 2024 election. His official doctor's report this year declared him physically fit and he exercises regularly.

In November 2020, shortly after winning his election against the incumbent Donald Trump, Biden broke his foot while playing with a pet dog.

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

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UPI Hits Record 9 Billion Transactions Worth Rs 14 Lakh Crore In May

The number of monthly UPI transactions rose over 58 per cent year-on-year in May, making it the highest volume and value ever recorded.

Data shows over nine billion transactions were made, amounting to over Rs 14 lakh crore.

The monthly transaction value for the same period climbed by 43 per cent compared to last year.

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is one of the globally accepted payment systems and has emerged as a trusted payment mode ever since its launch in 2016. 

The data also shows that India's homegrown payment system has processed over 83 billion transactions in fiscal 2023, amounting to Rs 139 lakh crore. This has grown from 38 billion transactions in financial year 2022, amounting to Rs 84 lakh crore.

In February, the government gave visitors to India access to UPI to shop in the country. Only visitors from G-20 countries are allowed to make UPI payments to start with, and only those arriving at certain airports.

With India holding G-20 presidency till November, foreign delegates have been invited to multiple events in the country.

In the past six years, there has been a massive jump in UPI transactions. 

Non Resident Indians (NRIs) in 10 countries can access UPI services for transactions without having to depend on their India phone number. The countries are Singapore, the US, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK.

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GQG's Rajiv Jain Bets Adani Group Will Thrive With Or Without PM Modi

Veteran fund manager Rajiv Jain said his GQG Partners LLC holds about $13 billion in India stocks and plans to buy more, downplaying corporate governance and political risks associated with his headline-generating investments in billionaire Gautam Adani's beleaguered conglomerate.

GQG holds positions in companies including cigarette and hotel group ITC Ltd., the country's biggest drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., along with lenders ranging from the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd. and Housing Development Finance Corp.

"We like private sector banks, IT and consumer staples," Mr Jain, GQG's chief investment officer, said in an interview. "But we feel infrastructure is the new story and still under appreciated."

As GQG looks to increase its holdings across the South Asian nation, it has spent about $2.5 billion in five Adani Group stocks since March after the tycoon's ports-to-power empire was broadsided by short-seller Hindenburg Research.

Rajiv Jain said he has "always taken contrarian bets," for example cutting exposure to technology in 2021 and adding energy. "At our seventh anniversary, we are touching $100 billion assets under management," he added.

Mr Jain went further than in previous interviews to outline misunderstandings over Gautam Adani's political links, adding that his companies are essential to India's efforts to build up and revamp its countrywide infrastructure.

"There is lot less political risk in the Adani story than perceived," Mr Jain said, referring to the view that the tycoon's business success is linked to, or depends on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi being in power. "A lot of competition they have is with less dynamic public sector companies which reduces political risk in our opinion."

After New York-based Hindenburg in January accused Adani Group of "brazen" fraud - causing it at one point to shed more than $150 billion in market value - the tycoon's backstory and ties with Indian politicians has come under fresh scrutiny. Mr Adani is perceived to share a tight-knit friendship with PM Modi. Both hail from Gujarat - the state Narendra Modi previously governed as chief minister.

As the conglomerate has seen explosive growth since PM Modi came into power, some argue that its momentum may falter should the ruling party be voted out. National elections are due to be held next year and Narendra Modi, the country's most powerful and popular leader in decades, is expected to secure a third term.

Gautam Adani has previously said he doesn't receive or expect special treatment from the government. Prime Minister Modi hasn't spoken directly on the issue.

Mr Jain pointed to opposition held states, such as Rajasthan where Gautam Adani has made large investments, as evidence that the conglomerate is unlikely to be impacted by a change in India's political winds. The Indian-origin fund manager who works from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, also brushed off corporate governance concerns after Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP flagged insufficient disclosures this week over Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.'s transactions with certain entities.

'Hue and Cry'

"People are making hue and cry flagging corporate governance issues with Adani Group without acknowledging overall results," said Rajiv Jain, who has repeatedly pointed to the quality of Adani assets from coal mines to airports, as well as the conglomerate's ability to execute projects. He also compared the situation to investing in China.

"Let's talk about someone investing in Chinese companies under the VIE structure," he said, referring to variable interest entities, which have been criticized for their lack of transparency and that Rajiv Jain argued masks ownership. "It's never a perfect setup in investing."

Market momentum appears to be in Mr Jain's favor for now as Adani Group stocks have rallied and an interim expert panel report submitted to India's Supreme Court last month found no conclusive evidence of stock-price manipulation by the conglomerate.

GQG currently values its Adani-related holdings at about $3.5 billion after a recovery in share prices from post-Hindenburg lows. Two Adani firms announced plans last month for a $2.6 billion share sale.

"We are certainly interested in investing further in Adani," Mr Jain reiterated. "But it depends on a lot of things, including pricing. Nothing is written on stone."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

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Between Ishan And Bharat, Hayden For 'More Dynamic' Option At WTC Final

The absence of the dashing Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident in December, leaves a big void in India's Test eleven, said Matthew Hayden, who is backing Ishan Kishan to don the wicketkeeping gloves instead of K S Bharat. "One of the big losses to Indian cricket right now is Rishabh Pant. If I was an Indian selector, I certainly go with the more dynamic wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan, he also adds that bit of swagger to the batting line up and in the fielding unit as well." The spinners could play a role at The Oval as the game progresses and that is why Hayden said India must play both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"What works for India is two spinners. It doesn't work for Australia, apart from the outrageous turners that we saw in India during the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

"I know the Australian combination will always want to have three quicks. Obviously, Nathan Lyon's is our spinner and Cameron Green can play as an all rounder. I mean, that's, that's how important Cameron Green is. That's a powerful and important role that he plays as an all rounder. So it's great to have him in form," he said.

'You are going see a lot of Shubman Gill for the next 15 years' 

Hayden concluded with rich praise for the in-form Shubman Gill. "You will see a lot of Shubman Gill for the next 15 years. The foundations behind a good Test cricketer are pretty simple. And Shubman, and KL Rahul before him, fundamentally have fantastic games. So, he'll be a superstar of any cricket format for a very long time.

"One of the biggest advantages that Shubman has and he showed this when he was touring Australia is he's very good off the backfoot as well.

"So square of wicket play is excellent. And that'll stand him in good stead even against the best Test sides in the world," Hayden added.

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Jeff Bezos, Fiancee Rent Kenny G's House For $600,000: Report

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez have taken the Malibu house of American saxophonist Kenny G on rent and are paying roughly $600,000 (Rs 4.9 crore) for it, as per a report in TMZ. Mr Bezos and Ms Sanchez are furnishing the property as per their liking as the mansion, which has a 3,500 square foot guesthouse, spacious backyard, pool, screening room and recording studio, was provided to them in a semi-furnished state. The two have been renting the oceanfront home since March this year.

They will remain there till construction on their Beverley Hill mansion is completed, the outlet further said.

As per New York Post, the Grammy-winning musician spent $12.5 million to buy the six-bedroom, 5,400 square foot Cape Cod-style home on Grayfox Street. In the year 2000, Kenny G bought the neighbouring property, which was roughly 1.06 acres and constructed a 3,500-square-foot retreat, which was finished in 2006. The property's construction cost him about $3 million.

The couple got engaged after the Amazon boss proposed to the Emmy-winning journalist on board his $500 million superyacht. The couple celebrated their engagement in style at La Petite Maison, a Mediterranean restaurant located on Palm Beach in Cannes on May 22.

They had some pricey wine, exquisite food, and music, as per People Magazine. They also ordered zucchini blossoms with parmesan cheese and a $4,285 (Rs 3,54,303) bottle of Dugat-Py Grand Cru from Domaine Bernard, a type of red Burgundy wine. They were accompanied by Jeff Bezos's sister, Christina Bezos Poore, and her husband, Steve Poore. The group sat under a vine-covered gazebo that came with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ms Sanchez began dating the Amazon CEO in 2018. The couple went public with their relationship on July 14, 2019, after Mr Bezos' divorce from his first wife MacKenzie Scott was finalised.
 

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