Shah Rukh Khan, SS Rajmouli among Time's 100 most influential people of 2023
Newyork, Apr 13: Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, film director S.S. Rajamouli, author Salman Rushdie and television host and judge Padma Lakshmi are among the world's 100 most influential people of 2023, Time magazine said on Thursday.
The list also includes US President Joe Biden, King Charles, Syrian-born swimmers and activists Sara Mardini and Yusra Mardini, star icon Bella Hadid, billionaire CEO Elon Musk and iconic singer and artist Beyonce.
Khan's profile, written by fellow actor Deepika Padukone, said, "For someone who has known him intimately and cares for him deeply, 150 words will never do justice to the phenomenon that is Shah Rukh Khan." Khan will be ''known forever as one of the greatest actors of all time,'' Padukone said, adding, ''But what truly sets him apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on..." Khan had won the 2023 TIME100 reader poll, in which readers voted for the individuals they felt most deserved a spot on Time's annual list of the most influential people, earning 4 per cent of the vote of the more than 1.2 million votes cast.
For Rajamouli, actor Alia Bhatt wrote that the RRR director "knows the audience he's serving. He knows what beats to hit, what turns to take.'' ''I call him the master storyteller because he genuinely loves the flair and abandon of stories. And he brings us together,'' Bhatt said.
She added that India is a massive country with diverse demographics, tastes, and culture, but Rajamouli gets that and ''unites us through his movies." Bhatt recalled asking the RRR director for acting advice, to which he had replied, ''Whatever choice you make, just do that with love. Because even if the film doesn't work, the audience will see love in your eyes for what you're doing." Music legend and lead singer of the band U2, Bono, writing Rushdie's profile, said, "Terrorism wants to own and inhabit you, to hijack your day and haunt your night. Salman Rushdie has refused to be terrorised.'' ''Outside of his (Rushdie's) writing, this is the lesson of his life," Bono added.
Bono said that he was not surprised that the "great novelist" described last year's attack on him at the Chautauqua Institution in New York with frame-by-frame specificity.
Rushdie "didn't miss a detail as he recounted the crisis he had prepared for since 1989,'' Bono said, adding that what surprised him was that Rushdie made him laugh.
"Really?" Rushie had recalled thinking, according to Bono. "After 30 years? Amongst these most kindly, casually dressed readers in Chautauqua, New York?" The U2 lead singer added that rock 'n' roll has always been about liberation to him.
Rushdie's "continued creativity has become a different expression of that same liberation, defiance and a determination not to be silenced. Of course, there was anguish as he told me the story of the attack, but what was clear was that he would not bow,'' Bono said.
''Freedom often loses but is never defeated," he added.
Comedian, actor, and Emmy-nominated writer Ali Wong, in her profile for Lakshmi, said that the television host's genuine love of food and her smartness makes it electric to watch her as the host of 'Top Chef' and 'Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi'.
"It also helps that she's drop-dead gorgeous," Wong said.
Describing Lakshmi as an "incredible writer", Wong said this personality trait shines through when she speaks.
"She's articulate and has a strong point of view. When I was a guest judge on Top Chef, I was shocked by how honest and unafraid she was of being disliked, she's brave in that way,'' Wong said.
''I'm always in awe of Padma because, yes, she really is that beautiful, talented, and charismatic. She's iconic," she added.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
