Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic dream was shattered on Wednesday morning just hours after she made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category. The unfortunate news came as she was disqualified from the Paris Olympics for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams despite her efforts to reach the 50 kg mark overnight. The Wrestling Federation of India has appealed to United World Wrestling for reconsideration, and the incident has also triggered discussions in the Indian Parliament, with opposition MPs staging a walkout and protest.
Meanwhile, technology giant Dell announced a major restructuring of its sales division, impacting approximately 10% of its workforce. This reorganisation will result in the layoff of around 12,500 employees, primarily affecting managers and senior managers. Dell Technologies had previously laid off 10,000 workers in early 2023.
Across the border in Bangladesh, the country is preparing for a new interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus following deadly clashes in the days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s escape to India. Yunus, in a statement on Wednesday, urged people to remain calm and focus on building the country. The military is expected to remain involved, with Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman voicing support for Yunus. Elections are anticipated within a few months. Despite the recent violence, calm has returned to the streets of Bangladesh after protests against Hasina supporters, police, and minority communities.
On a brighter note, Indian stock markets rebounded sharply on Wednesday, recouping ₹ 8.97 lakh crore after a three-day slump. This surge followed a positive trend in global markets. The BSE benchmark Sensex surged by 874.94 points or 1.11% to close at 79,468.01, reaching a high of 1,046.13 points or 1.33% at 79,639.20 during the day.
