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Time of India
18-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
He escaped a train wreck, a plane crash, a cliff fall and more, then won the lottery: The unbelievable life of Frano Selak
Frano Selak , a mild-mannered Croatian music teacher , never dreamt that his name would one day be whispered in awe across continents. Born in 1929 in a quiet corner of Croatia, Selak's life didn't begin with drama. But as fate would have it, his ordinary existence transformed into a bizarre series of brushes with death—each more unbelievable than the last. The first stroke of fate hit in 1962 when a train he was travelling in derailed and plunged into an icy river canyon. Seventeen passengers drowned, but Selak survived with a broken arm and hypothermia. The world might have already called that a miracle, but fate had only begun its strange game. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management Data Analytics Finance PGDM Design Thinking Data Science Management healthcare others Public Policy Digital Marketing CXO MCA Technology Leadership Artificial Intelligence Degree Healthcare Project Management Cybersecurity MBA Others Product Management Data Science Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details Falling From the Sky Just a year later, in 1963, Selak boarded a plane for what would be his first and last flight. Mid-air, the plane's door malfunctioned and blew open. In a terrifying twist, Selak was ejected from the aircraft. Miraculously, he landed in a haystack—alive—while the plane crashed, killing 19 people. According to Ripley's Believe It or Not , this was just the beginning of his incredible saga. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Undo In 1966, a bus he was travelling in careened off the road and into a river. Four lives were lost, but not Selak's. Once again, he swam to shore. By this point, his resilience seemed supernatural. — alphabravo1947 (@alphabravo1947) Fire, Flames, and Fortune The next decade brought fresh threats, this time on wheels. In 1970, his car engine caught fire while he was driving. He escaped just before it exploded. Three years later, another car spat flames through its air vents due to a malfunctioning fuel pump. He lost his hair but not his life. By 1995, Selak had survived five major accidents. But destiny wasn't done. That year, a city bus hit him in Zagreb. He walked away. The following year, while swerving to avoid a UN truck, his car plunged off a cliff. Selak, unbelted, was thrown from the vehicle and managed to grab a tree branch. Below him, his car exploded 300 feet down. Once again, he lived. From Cursed to Blessed After what many would call a cursed life, Selak's fate took an unexpected turn. In 2003, just two days after his 73rd birthday, he won €900,000 in the lottery. He bought a house, a boat, and married for the fifth time. But in 2010, he gave away most of his fortune to family and chose to return to a simpler life. While Selak's tales have not been independently verified and some details remain inconsistent, his legend endures. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 87, but his story continues to intrigue and inspire. A Life Too Strange for Fiction Was Frano Selak truly the world's luckiest man—or simply the most accident-prone with divine protection? Perhaps he was both. His life raises the age-old question: is it luck to have faced death so often, or to have survived it every single time? Whether fact, fiction, or a bit of both, Selak's extraordinary tale remains one of the most sensational and emotionally charged human stories of survival the world has ever known.
New York Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Darth Vader's lightsaber from original Star Wars trilogy to be auctioned off — expected to rake in up to $3 million
May the force — and fortunes — be with you. The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the latter two films of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy will be auctioned off alongside a slew of other memorabilia from the franchise and is expected to rake in millions, according to a report. The hilt of the primary dueling lightsaber used by masked villian during 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' will go on the market at Los Angeles' Propstore in September and is predicted to sell for anywhere between $1 million and $3 million. Advertisement 3 The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the final two installments of the original trilogy will be auctioned off. Propstore The prop hilt is believed to be the first of its kind to go on the market, as no other lightsabers from the original trilogy ever went to private buyers. They were instead cycled through museums, with Luke Skywalker's lightsabe from 'The Empire Strikes Back' residing with Ripley's Believe It or Not. 'Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale. It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world,' Propstore COO Brandon Alinger told The Hollywood Reporter. Advertisement Starting in August, the prop will have its own press circuit from London to New York before finally parking in Beverly Hills, where it'll be sold to the highest bidder. The auction coincidies with the 45th anniversary of 'The Empire Strikes Back.' 3 The prop is expected to sell for $1 million to $3 million. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The same tour will feature other famed props from acclaimed classics, including the bullwhip and belt worn by Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' and a hero close-up neuralyzer, or pen-like object that wipes minds, from 'Men in Black.' Advertisement Propstore features a long lineup of other relics from classic franchises, including more from 'Star Wars' like gifts given to crew members after the films wrapped and a replica of the lightsaber used by Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson, in the prequels. 3 The lightsaber will be brought to New York in August on a press circuit. AP Darth Vader's dueling lightsaber was held on-screen by the late David Prowse, the physical actor for the Sith Lord, and stunt double Bob Anderson. The fallen Jedi was voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones. Advertisement In 2022, the gun used by Han Solo, played by Ford, in 'A New Hope' sold for $1 million. It is only one of three surviving models from the trilogy. In June 2024, a toy figurine of bounty hunter Boba Fett from the 1970s sold for a staggering $525,000.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Bhopal's bizarre bridge
Have you ever seen a bridge take a sharp turn—like a perfect L-shape—right in the middle? That's what just happened in Bhopal! Usually, builders—whether they're architects or engineers—love right angles. Walls meet floors at 90 degrees because it keeps buildings strong and safe. But roads and bridges are different. They like to flow smoothly, with gentle curves and turns. So, when people saw a brand-new bridge in Bhopal with a 90° bend, just before its grand opening on June 15, everyone was shocked. People asked: Is this safe? Why is it like this? What were they thinking?! But the people who designed and built the bridge didn't seem too bothered. In fact, it reminded many of another weird bridge in Mumbai that didn't even match up with the road it was supposed to connect to—it had a 6-foot gap! Of course, the public panics, while the government often just says, 'No problem,' and throws more money and concrete at it. Meanwhile, in Greece, there's a bridge built over 3,000 years ago that's still working! It once carried horse chariots and now handles cars. In India, we don't even dream of bridges lasting that long. We don't ask for something as beautiful as the Golden Gate Bridge—we just want our bridges to be safe, steady, and sensible. But with stories like this, it feels more like a 'Believe It or Not' episode than a real-life city! Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Right angled wrong
Bhopal sets a new standard for weird bridges Make sure it's at the right angle, architects to civil engineers to builders are wont to say. This provides safety and durability to so much construction. Like walls have to be at 90° to the floor. But throughout human history, roads have been different. They are curve-loving creatures. As are their cousins, from rail lines to bridges. So when a new bridge in the heart of Bhopal neared inauguration on June 15, and its 90° bend came to public light, it drew shocked gasps, angry questions, and fearful worries. But the numerous parties, public and private, involved in the bridge's making since its design was sanctioned in 2018, have a hardier constitution, evidently. They share it with all those who last year delivered to Mumbai a bridge with a 6-foot vertical gap with the adjacent flyover. Amul girl was left fretting, Pul ko push kaun karega? Who will make the connections? Govts are never as disconcerted as the public. They simply roll out more trucks of crores and concrete. Problem fixed. The Arkadiko stone bridge in Greece has survived since 1300 BC. Once it carried chariots, today it tolerates cars. Such enduring public infra Indians do not even dream of. We have also been conditioned not to expect Golden Gate like beauty. All we now ask for is basic functionality. Instead of Ripley's Believe It or Not horror stories. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
The best books on Donald Trump
From rebuking national leaders for not wearing suits to receiving letters that made him fall in love with one of the world's most autocratic leaders to claiming to have negotiated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan over the 'centuries old' dispute over Kashmir, Donald Trump has done it all in a short span of time into his second term. The 45th and 47th (and he insists he was the 46th one as well) President of the United States of America is seldom far from the spotlight. Here are some books that offer a glimpse into the most powerful man in the world: Those who want to know how Donald Trump works in the White House will be caught between two trilogies — the highly controversial Fire and Fury (which Trump tried to stop from being published), Siege and Landslide, by Michael Wolff; and Fear, Rage and Peril by the legendary Bob Woodward, who was part of the Woodward-Bernstein team whose All the President's Men brought down the Nixon administration. We will keep it simple: while Wolff's work covers a lot of Trump's personal life and is likely to shock you more deeply, Woodward's work is more organised and objective, although it too does not portray Trump in a flattering light (if that were indeed possible). What's more, Woodward's style of writing revolves around conversations which he writes in direct speech, which makes his books much easier to read. The books actually read like a blend between a Tom Clancy thriller and Ripley's Believe It or Not – Fear actually begins with Trump's associates actually hiding a document from the US President to ensure that he does not sign it (it would have ended the special treaty between US and its ally South Korea if he had!), Rage revolves around Trump's (mis)handling of the COVID situation, his impending impeachment and yes, you get references to the letters sent by North Korea's Kim Jong Un. 'I got a very beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un yesterday,' Trump tells reporters, adding 'I would love to give it to you. I really would. Maybe – maybe sometime I will.' Peril, the final instalment of the trilogy (co authored by Robert Costa), covers the final days of Trump's first administration, including his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, and also covers Joe Biden's campaign. These are all big books, spanning well over 400 pages each, but you will race through them, with a sense of shock and awe! Unlike Wolff, Woodward does not look too closely at Trump's domestic life, but his style of narration leaves us with a very carefully etched image of the President, often in his own words. One can even read the interviews with Trump on which Woodward based his book in The Trump Tapes. Knowing Woodward, we are reasonably sure that he will be writing more books on Trump, but at this time, if you want to read a book on Trump's surprising re-election, Michael Wolff's All or Nothing is easily the best option. Its revelations about Trump's strained relationship with Melania Trump have already stirred controversy and White House Communications Director Michael Cheung has denounced Wolff as a 'lying bag of s**'. We are not surprised. A honorable mention also needs to be made of The Divider by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, which covers Trump's first term in office in almost alarming detail, even narrating how his hair is arranged (a 'three-step process') and cemented with TRESemme' TRES TWO hair spray (extra hold), a can of which is carried by an aide everywhere the President goes. One also gets to know his obsession with getting photographed at eye-level and why he loves holding conferences outdoors! If you want to know the complete Donald Trump story from the very beginning, then you will have to choose between two meticulously researched books: Lucky Loser by Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig, and Confidence Man by Maggie Haberman. If we had to pick one, we would go with Confidence Man, in which Haberman dismantles the Trump myth, beginning from his claim of how he realised 'I don't want to be made anybody's sucker' when he saw an engineer not being given credit for building a bridge during its inauguration on a day when 'the rain was coming down for hours'. Haberman points out that not only did the engineer get a round of applause from the crowd, but that it was also a sunny day. As the book traces Trump's rise, Haberman literally unravels the mythos Trump has built around himself, revealing a person who is prone to act at the spur of the moment, frequently (sometimes fortunately) forgets things and is utterly obsessed with himself and the spotlight, generally both together. He even wanted to be a Hollywood star. Whereas Wolff and Woodward's work show Trump in an often-brutal, narcissistic light, Haberman reveals that Trump was capable of being utterly charming, and often surprised first time visitors to the White House with his humour and concern. 'The all-capitalized tweets that projected anger were sometimes sent while he was laughing about the same topic,' she writes. Confidence Man's detailed and objective narration makes it the perfect book to read about Trump, although you do not get the intensity of Trump in the White House that Woodward's trilogy delivers. Lucky Loser is a good read too, but we think Haberman tells the better story. Has any world leader used Twitter as effectively as Donald Trump? The US President has used the social network to announce major decisions (including the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan) and to rain invective on his enemies and rivals. And yet he was not always like this. Peter Oborne traces Trump's Twitter journey in How Trump Thinks: His Tweets and the Birth of a New Political Language, starting with his first tweet on 4 May, 2009, announcing that he would be appearing on the David Letterman show to his bombastic use of the medium to get this message through as he raced to the White House, analysing key tweets in detail. Unfortunately, the book ends in 2017, well before Musk took over Twitter and also emerged as Trump's biggest ally. We would all love an update of this one, but in the meantime, this is still a must-read for all those interested in communication strategy and of course, in Donald Trump.
