Radhika-Anant: The wedding that put India on the global map
By staying rooted and authentic, it commanded global attention. It became a cultural turning point, one that placed India at the center of the world's imagination.- Ends
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Economic Times
16 minutes ago
- Economic Times
After a $20 billion loss, Elon Musk gets serious — launches Tesla-themed restaurant with 24/7 robot servers
After a $20 billion setback tied to a political clash with US president Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is switching gears, quite literally, as per a report. The billionaire tech mogul has traded Wall Street drama for burgers, milkshakes, and humanoid robots with the surprise launch of a Tesla-themed restaurant in the heart of of Hollywood, as per The Mirror report. Tesla Diner & Supercharger in Hollywood, LA Open 24/7, starting now — Tesla (@Tesla) July 21, 2025 The new diner, which officially opened its doors at exactly 4:20 p.m. on July 21, the unusual timing might have been chosen as Musk is fascinated by the number 420 and uses it frequently, according to the report. It features a retro-futuristic design, a drive-in movie theater, 80 Tesla superchargers, and also, robot servers, as per The Mirror report. Tech expert, Nathan Espinoza asked in a social media TikTok video, saying, "Why in the world is Elon Musk opening a Tesla restaurant?" and then added, "Today, Tesla opened it first ever restaurant in Los Angeles and Elon Musk is putting the fries in the bag," as quoted by The new venture comes after the feud with Trump over the 'Big Beautiful Bill', a sweeping piece of legislation that slashed government incentives for electric vehicles, as per the report. The fallout cost Musk personally an estimated $20 billion, with investors reportedly suffering five times that amount in losses, as reported by The Mirror. This may have led him to expand his empire with new ideas, as reported by The Mirror. ALSO READ: Are ice baths the secret to better health? Experts reveal the cold, hard truth The Tesla Diner, as it's officially called, is open 24/7 and offers a full menu that includes items like the 'Tesla Burger,' hot dogs, fried chicken and waffles, tuna melts, all-day breakfast, and desserts, as reported by The Mirror. Even kids' menu is available too, according to the report. The diner also added, "They are giving out drinks and ice cream as well," as quoted by The Mirror. Nathan described in his TikTok video as he showcased the lengthy queue of people outside, saying, "It's a retro-style drive-in theater/supercharger with a full-on restaurant that serves burgers, milkshakes and popcorn," as quoted by The Mirror. He also asked, "The one thing I want to know, which nobody seems to be talking about is whether the food is good or not," and then added, "That's what matters here," as quoted in the a person shared a picture of the burger in a Tesla-shaped box on social media and said that, "Elon's diner isn't just serving food, it's serving vibes," as quoted by The Mirror. ALSO READ: Beat the heat! 5 lawn hacks to save your yard from a summer meltdown The diner is also fully integrated with Tesla's cutting-edge tech, including appearances from Optimus, the company's humanoid robot, which serves popcorn, and assists with ordering merchandise on sale, as reported by The per the Tesla diner's website, there are room for 250 patrons and contains 80 supercharger stalls, and says that, "Diner of the future," as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: King Charles' funeral plans leaked — Palace in chaos over massive censorship operation The website describes that, "Located in Hollywood, California, Tesla Diner is a Supercharging station, classic American diner and drive-in experience all wrapped up into one. With retro-futuristic design influences, this location offers Tesla and non-Tesla drivers alike with charging access along the historic Route 66 highway," as quoted by The diner also said, "The two-story restaurant offers 24/7 dining, so you can grab a meal any time you need to charge. Our upper level Skypad allows you to enjoy views of the city or the megascreens while you recharge. Place your order in advance or when you arrive through your vehicle's touchscreen or dine inside." as quoted in the website also added that, "Watch movies and special features on either of two 66-foot LED megascreens. View from our Skypad or from your Tesla vehicle cabin using the Tesla Diner app. To find out what's playing next, check your Tesla vehicle's touchscreen," as quoted by The Mirror. Why did Elon Musk open a restaurant?After political and financial setbacks, Musk appears to be expanding the Tesla brand starting with dining. Is the restaurant only for Tesla owners? No, it's open to everyone, although Tesla drivers can place orders from their vehicle's touchscreen.
Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh's emergence and Koneru Humpy's resurgence: 2 takeaways for Indian chess evident at FIDE World Cup
The two India vs China semifinals — Koneru Humpy vs Lei Tingjie and Divya Deshmukh vs Tan Zhongyi — ended in contrasting draws on Tuesday at the FIDE Women's World Cup. Both contests are evenly poised heading into the second day of the two-game battle at Batumi. While Divya's draw was short and quick, Humpy pulled out a new trick from her hat to unsettle her opponent before settling for a draw. Such are the high standards that Indians set for themselves; even a draw against the world's best is now unimpressive in their own eyes as was evident from Divya's body language. Asked by FIDE if she was happy, particularly since she had the black pieces, Divya only offered: 'It's okay, I guess.' 'It was quite a short draw, so I don't really have many thoughts about the game,' shrugged the 19-year-old, who's yet to become a GM, after going toe-to-toe and holding her own against a player who was the women's world champion eight years ago. In the three previous games between the pair, the veteran Tan has won twice with Divya salvaging a draw in the final battle. Ask GM Abhijit Kunte, who has seen Divya's rapid rise from close quarters, what that unimpressed reply says about Divya's mindset, and he says: 'In these kinds of mini-matches (games of two), you don't express anything. Because any positive or negative expression is bad for you. You have to remain neutral. And this kind of maturity at 19 is not easy to get. It's very rare.' Kunte, who was the captain of the all-conquering Indian's women's team at the Chess Olympiad last year where Divya was one of the stars, traces her lightning-quick journey to the top: 'Just last year, Divya was a world junior champion. She has always been very brave, someone never afraid to experiment. But she had very limited exposure to the top brass of women's chess. Then she played at the Olympiad last year. This year, she's played in the FIDE Grand Prix events, which has helped immensely.' So far, Divya has had a barnstorming FIDE World Cup, taking down the veteran grandmaster Harika Dronavalli in the quarters, and World No 6 Zhu Jiner in the previous two rounds. Divya has also shown other stand-out attributes on the board. GM Shyamsundar Mohanraj, who is the head of delegation for the Indian team in Batumi and has given the country its last two GMs, points at her victory over the veteran Harika Dronavalli in the previous round via tiebreaks. ❓Who's your pick for the finals? Game 1 of the semifinals was played today — and both ended in draws! 🇨🇳 Lei Tingjie ½–½ Humpy Koneru 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 Tan Zhongyi ½–½ Divya Deshmukh 🇮🇳 #FIDEWorldCup — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 22, 2025 'I say this as an outsider, but Divya's endgame skills and her defensive skills have improved quite a lot in a very short span of time. In the first game against Harika of the tiebreaks, she played dynamic chess to win. But if you look at the second game, she defended very well in a minus position (a position where she had a disadvantage). In Game 2 of the tie-breaks, Divya defended very well despite being low on time. She was barely playing with seconds on the clock, and Harika had like 4-5 minutes. There was pressure because Divya was in a don't-lose situation,' says Shyamsundar. At the other end of the spectrum is the veteran Humpy, who has already accounted for Alexandra Kosteniuk, one of the strongest players in the field, and the up-and-coming Chinese prodigy Song Yuxin. While Divya has stunned higher-rated opponents to script a fairytale story already, Humpy has been clinical: only once in the event has she needed tiebreaks to beat her opponent. In the first game of the semi-final against Lei on Tuesday, Humpy played the Berlin Defence, which she has rarely employed over the course of her lengthy career. In fact, one of the only times she's played it was against Kosteniuk in the previous rounds. On Tuesday, it had the desired effect; it forced Lei to think for about 10 minutes after 4… Ne7, a well-known trap door. 'Three years back, I thought Humpy looked like she was on the verge of quitting. But in the last year, she has come back so strongly. Winning a medal at the World Rapid Championship, then being among the top places in the Women's Grand Prix. Her game is also very positive now: she doesn't agree to quick draws. At this age, many people try to make some quick draws and win some easy games and try to finish in the top. But she's fighting it out. That shows her positive attitude and aggression. It's like seeing a very young Humpy again,' says Kunte before adding with a smile: 'I think Humpy is trying to match Divya's age. And Divya is trying to match Humpy's experience and maturity.' What makes Humpy's resurgence and Divya's emergence at the FIDE World Cup even more remarkable, points out GM Shyamsundar, is how tricky the World Cup is for any player, thanks to the treacherous format of two head-to-head battles and then tiebreaks if needed. 'The format is quite intense and very exhausting for the players. It's a best-of-2 battle. It's a dangerous format in a way and tricky. It's not like other Swiss tournaments (where you don't get eliminated) where even if you lose, you have an extra game to come back. But here, it's not like that. You never know when you will be leaving the tournament,' says Shyamsundar from Batumi. Besides Humpy's resurgence and Divya's emergence, there have been other moments to cheer for Indian chess in Batumi. Like Vantika Agrawal taking down former women's world champion Anna Ushenina. Or four Indians making it to the quarters (R Vaishali and Harika beside Humpy and Divya). He looks at the Indian players' performances and predicts a golden era like the one that men's chess is seeing in India. 'In India, despite the population, we have only had three women who have become GMs. But after seeing the results of these two players from different eras at the World Cup, players of any age in India will get inspired. This will definitely inspire and motivate many women players to take up sports,' says Shyamsundar. Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
Economic Times
19 minutes ago
- Economic Times
AIR 6 in JEE, IIT Delhi graduate and IAS officer at 21; he left It all for music: Meet classical singer Kashish Mittal
A Melody Rooted in Memory The Call of Public Service and the Pull of Passion Resignation That Made Headlines You Might Also Like: Retired IAS officer gives reasons why middle-class life in 2025 is better than in the 1970s In a country where cracking the UPSC exam is seen as the pinnacle of achievement, Kashish Mittal had it all figured out early. An IIT Delhi graduate with an All India Rank of 6 in JEE and a successful stint in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Mittal was considered a prodigy. But in 2019, just nine years into his bureaucratic career, he stunned many by resigning from the coveted service. His reason? A lifelong devotion to Hindustani classical music Now, far from the bureaucratic corridors of Delhi, Mittal is often found on stage performing Khayal gayaki from the Agra Gharana , the very genre he fell in love with as a in Jalandhar in 1989 to IPS officer Jagdish Kumar and Sangeeta Mittal, music was part of Kashish's DNA. He began his formal training in Hindustani classical music at the tender age of eight. By eleven, he was already performing at Punjab's prestigious Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan.'My music journey began even before my IAS journey was imagined,' Mittal shared in a feature with Indian Masterminds. 'Even during my school and IIT years, I never let go of music—it was always there, a quiet force pulling me in.'His training later deepened under the guru-shishya parampara with maestro Pandit Yashpaul, from whom he imbibed the nuances of Agra Gharana's traditional Khayal gayaki. Recognised today as an 'A Grade' artiste by All India Radio and Doordarshan, and as an 'Established Artiste' by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Mittal has performed at numerous festivals across by his IPS father, Mittal pursued civil services after completing in Computer Science from IIT Delhi. He cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in his first attempt and joined the IAS at just roles were as prestigious as his academic record. He served as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chandigarh, Deputy Commissioner of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, and later, as Additional Principal Secretary at NITI Aayog during his central deputation. But despite the accolades and authority, music remained his true anchor.'I tried balancing both,' he admitted, 'but classical music is not a side pursuit—it demands surrender.'In 2019, soon after a transfer to Arunachal Pradesh, Mittal formally stepped away from his bureaucratic post to fully embrace music. The news made waves, but his decision reflected clarity, not conflict. 'An art like this is an eternal journey. You need to give it the respect it deserves,' he followed was not just a revival of a musical career, but a renewed sense of purpose. From Sufi renditions to semi-classical performances, his soulful voice began resonating beyond traditional stages—on social media as Mittal broke the internet with a soul-stirring rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 's Unke Andaz-e-Karam. Seated casually on a sofa, surrounded by friends, his impromptu performance garnered nearly 3 million views on Instagram. The caption read: 'Woh bhi apne na hue, dil bhi gaya haathon se'—words that struck a chord with viewers as deeply as the song response was overwhelming. 'You, sir, are a gem,' one user commented. Another wrote, 'Even after IIT AIR 6 and IAS, you're still following your passion. Truly motivating.'Mittal's contributions have not gone unnoticed. He was conferred with the Punjab State Award for Art and Culture (2007), Saraswati Samman by IIT Delhi (2010), and the Naad Shri Samman (2018) for his excellence in Hindustani classical music. He also holds several national scholarships, including the prestigious NTSE and CCRT fellowships.
