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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Paranormal investigator dies after Annabelle doll tour – haunting curse resurfaces in 2025
In July 2025, Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator, was found dead in his hotel room in Gettysburg. Rivera had been leading ghost tours that featured the haunted Annabelle doll. The coroner said the Annabelle doll was not in the room when they found the body. Annabelle's scary past The Annabelle doll is famous for being haunted and linked to dangerous events for over 30 years, according to Ed and Lorraine Warren, two well-known paranormal investigators, as per the Hindustan Times report. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Data Analytics Design Thinking Leadership Data Science Degree others MBA Public Policy Operations Management Data Science Finance Artificial Intelligence PGDM Management Product Management Technology MCA Cybersecurity Digital Marketing Project Management healthcare Healthcare CXO Others Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Visualization Predictive Analytics & Machine Learning Business Intelligence & Data-Driven Decision Making Analytics Strategy & Implementation Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Applied Business Analytics Starts on Jun 13, 2024 Get Details ALSO READ: Block stock soars 8% after S&P 500 debut — analysts say the rally might be far from over by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo First victims: The two nurses In the 1970s, a young nurse was given the doll as a gift. She lived with another nurse, and they saw the doll move around by itself. They also found 'Help me' notes on parchment paper — but they never kept parchment paper at home. A priest once made fun of Annabelle. Later, he saw her reflection in his rearview mirror and got into a car crash that turned out to be fatal, according to the report by Hindustan Times. Live Events The Warrens' scary car ride Ed and Lorraine Warren took the doll from the nurses and were taking it to their museum. They put Annabelle in the backseat of their car. Even though they avoided highways, the brakes failed many times during the drive. Ed had to pour Holy Water on the doll to get the car to act normal again. ALSO READ: Opendoor Stock Skyrockets 30% to 52-Week High on optimism around business model and growth outlook Tragic museum visit A guy visited the Warren museum and tapped the glass of Annabelle's box while laughing at her. On the way home, he and his girlfriend crashed their motorcycle into a tree. The guy died, but his girlfriend survived. She later said they were talking about Annabelle right before the accident, as stated by Hindustan Times report. FAQs Q1. Did the Annabelle doll cause Dan Rivera's death? There's no official proof, but Rivera died shortly after leading a tour featuring Annabelle, and the doll was missing from his room. Q2. Is the Annabelle doll really cursed? Many scary events like accidents and deaths have been linked to the doll over the years, especially by Ed and Lorraine Warren.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Tesla's entry will raise the bar for EVs in India, says Mahindra's Velusamy R
Tamil Nadu's electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem has come a long way since 2021, when Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) began developing its born-electric SUVs at the Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) near Chennai. In an interview with The Times of India , Velusamy R, President of Automotive Technology and Product Development at M&M, spoke about the transformation of the state's EV landscape and what lies ahead. Velusamy, who set up MRV and now leads M&M's EV strategy, recalled the early days of building the electric SUV platform. 'When we started in 2021, Tamil Nadu's EV ecosystem was in a nascent stage. There was more curiosity than capability,' he said. Supplier partners were only beginning to develop EV-specific expertise, academic institutions hadn't fully pivoted towards EV research, and policy frameworks were still evolving. Despite these limitations, Mahindra invested in building capabilities by collaborating with global experts across Europe, the US, Korea, and the UK to upgrade the skills of its engineering workforce. Over time, MRV became a hub for innovation, enabling the development of the company's electric-origin SUVs and fostering a culture of component and software innovation. Tamil Nadu emerges as a leading EV hub Velusamy highlighted the rapid progress made since then. 'Today, tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers are actively investing in EV technologies, and the state government has provided strong policy support, including road tax exemptions and capital subsidies,' he said. Coimbatore, where Mahindra has established its Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) centre, has become a key location for developing software and electrical architecture for EVs. Velusamy noted that Tamil Nadu's growing charging infrastructure and its strong tech base have been instrumental in building Mahindra's ground-up electric platforms. Competition from Tesla seen as a positive force Responding to Tesla's entry into the Indian market, Velusamy welcomed the competition in the premium EV segment. 'It will raise the bar, but it also drives innovation. As Anand Mahindra said, 'Looking forward to seeing you at the charging station,'' he remarked, adding that while the immediate manufacturing impact may be limited, Tesla's entry sends the right signal to suppliers to align with global standards. He also lauded the Tamil Nadu government's efforts to expand its EV roadmap to include battery recycling and raw material strategies. 'The state is looking at EVs from a full life-cycle perspective, not just from a manufacturing angle,' Velusamy said, adding that other Indian states are also beginning to adopt such comprehensive approaches under central government guidelines. What states need to support EV development On what it takes for a state to become a successful EV product development hub, Velusamy stressed the need for engineering talent, electronics and software supplier networks, battery and cell development capabilities, and strong R&D infrastructure. He believes Tamil Nadu already has a solid foundation in all these areas.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Block stock soars 8% after S&P 500 debut — analysts say the rally might be far from over
Block Inc. stock jumped 8% after it was added to the S&P 500 index. Shares also rose 9% in pre-market trading right after the news. Companies added to the S&P 500 usually go up because index funds are forced to buy their stock, creating extra demand, as per the reports. This index change will be official on July 23, before the market opens. Block is replacing Hess Corp., which is merging with Chevron in a $55B deal. After the news, Block's market value was around $44.8 billion, according to the report by Reuters. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Leadership Technology Artificial Intelligence MBA Data Analytics PGDM Management Healthcare Others Data Science Degree Design Thinking Digital Marketing others Operations Management Public Policy CXO healthcare Project Management Product Management Cybersecurity Data Science MCA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 22 Weeks Indian School of Business SEPO - ISB Venture Capital & Private Equity India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 18 Weeks 109820388 Strategic Marketing for Leaders: Leveraging AI for Growth Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Senior Management Programme Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Thinking & Planning Competitive Advantage & Market Positioning Strategic Leadership & Decision-Making Change Management & Organizational Transformation Duration: 1 Year IIM Kozhikode IIMK Advanced Strategic Management Programme Starts on Mar 30, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK EPIS Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Critical Thinking & Decision-Making Skills Power of Emerging Technologies Innovation and Drive Organizational Change Fostering a Culture of Innovation Duration: 9 Months MIT xPRO MIT Technology Leadership and Innovation Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Advanced Strategic Management Programme Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML SLP India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML SLP India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK-Women Leadership Programme INDIA Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Indore Executive Programme in Business Management Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Accounting & Analysis Financial Instruments & Markets Corporate Finance & Valuation Investment Management & Banking Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode IIMK Professional Certificate in Financial Analysis and Financial Management Starts on Mar 30, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Opportunities & Outlining Plans to use AI & ML Applying Data-Driven Business Innovation Best Practices Changing Culture to Integrate AI-Enabled Technologies Ethics, Privacy and Regulations in AI & ML Duration: 20 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Leadership in AI Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Analyst reaction: Bullish signs JP Morgan's Tien-tsin Huang raised Block's price target from $60 to $90, keeping an Overweight rating. He said over 54 million shares may be bought due to index demand — 7x Block's average daily volume, as per theTipRanks report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 90s Icon: A Look at Her Today I Am Famous Undo ALSO READ: Opendoor Stock Skyrockets 30% to 52-Week High on optimism around business model and growth outlook Huang also believes Block deserves a higher valuation multiple thanks to faster product rollouts and strong marketing. He used a 5x forward gross profit for the $90 target — still below the 7x–9x range of other fintech companies, as per the reports. Live Events What happens next? Block's Q2 earnings will be out on August 7. Wall Street expects earnings per share (EPS) of $0.67 — down 28% year-over-year. Revenue of $6.27 billion, a small rise of 1.8%. TipRanks shows Block has a Moderate Buy rating from analysts, 28 Buys, 6 Holds, 2 Sells in the last 3 months. Average stock price target: $71.29, which shows 2.1% downside risk from current levels, as per the Reuters report. Block's Background & Innovation Block was founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and was first known as Square. In 2021, it was renamed Block to reflect its wider work in blockchain and crypto, according to the reports. Block builds tools for: Point-of-sale (POS) payments Peer-to-peer money transfers Bitcoin services It operates in both traditional finance and digital assets space. Analyst Stephen Biggar from Argus Research said Block earned the S&P spot due to its innovation, profits, and improving margins, as per the report by Reuters. Crypto growth boosts outlook Crypto payments are rising in 2024 and could grow more after President Trump signed a stablecoin regulation bill. This law helps dollar-pegged stablecoins go mainstream, which supports companies like Block. Financial performance: Mixed picture Block's revenue growth has slowed a lot. Three-year average growth was 13.3%, better than the S&P 500's 5.5%, but now it's just 4.6% year-over-year. In the last quarter, revenue fell 3.1%, from $6B to $5.8B, as per the Forbes report. ALSO READ: No taxes on overtime or tips? What the new proposal could mean for your paycheck Profitability Concerns Operating income was $1.8B, with an operating margin of 7.4% — that's low compared to others. Operating cash flow was $1.4B, with a 5.6% margin, way below the S&P 500 average of 14.9%.Net income was $2.6B, with a net margin of 10.9%, just under the S&P average of 11.6%. This shows Block may have non-operating gains, not strong core performance. Debt-to-equity ratio is 13.4%, better than the S&P 500's 19.4% average. Block has $13B in cash, which is 35.1% of its assets, giving it room to invest, acquire, or survive downturns, as per the Forbes reports. FAQs Q1. Why did Block stock go up after joining the S&P 500? Block stock rose because index funds had to buy it after its S&P 500 inclusion, increasing demand and price. Q2. Is Block a good stock to buy after the S&P 500 news? Analysts see growth potential after the S&P 500 boost, but warn of slowing revenue and profit challenges.