Bengaluru: Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru is delighted to announce Bakul Pednekar’s appointment as Director of People & Culture. A seasoned Four Seasons professional and culture bearer, Bakul brings over 17 years of rich, cross-continental experience shaped by the brand’s deep-rooted values of empathy, excellence, and service from the heart.

Bakul’s Four Seasons journey began in 2007 in stewarding operations at the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai. This humble beginning blossomed into a remarkable career through his innate leadership, emotional intelligence, and people-first approach. He has since held key Human Resource roles across some of the brand’s most iconic properties, including Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Kuda Huraa, and most recently, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, where he served as Director of People & Culture for nearly three years.

“Bakul is a shining example of our belief in nurturing talent from within,” says Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. “His journey reflects the essence of Four Seasons, growing leaders who live our values daily. With his global perspective and deep understanding of our culture, I am confident he will enrich our team and take our People & Culture practices to even greater heights.”

Known for fostering inclusive and purpose-driven workplaces, Bakul has led diverse teams, spearheaded impactful learning programs, and championed employee well-being, earning admiration from colleagues and accolades from the industry. His leadership is grounded in a profound respect for people and a passion for creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, seen, and empowered.

Bakul will lead the People & Culture function at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, shaping employee experiences that inspire excellence and reflect the brand’s legendary service philosophy. His return to India marks a full-circle moment — combining global expertise with local intuition to nurture the next generation of hospitality leaders. At Four Seasons, service begins with genuine care for people, and Bakul’s story is a living example of that philosophy in action.

Press Contacts:
Apurva Dixit
Account Director
Email: apurva.dixit@cloverconnect.in
M: +91 9870326814

–End–

Washington: US President Donald Trump has slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian leader’s statement on Crimea is “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia”. This time the Trump-Zelenskyy clash was over Crimea, with the US President convinced that the region should be considered as Russian territory, while Zelensky refused to agree with him, reiterating that Ukraine will stand firm on its core principles, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump wrote on Wednesday in a post on Truth Social that “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognise Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about,” wrote Trump, adding that “The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”

As negotiators met for the latest round of talks in London, reports suggest that the US proposal that was laid out had two key points in agreement with Moscow’s stand — the first being Kyiv officially recognising Crimea as Russian territory, and the second — that Ukraine can never become a NATO member.

Both these points were rejected by Ukraine, which infuriated President Trump, who had already threatened to withdraw the US from negotiations over Kyiv’s obstinacy. Trump chided the Ukrainian President for not agreeing with him about Crimea now being a part of Russia. “Crimea was lost years ago and is not even a point of discussion,” President Trump asserted. Trump also noted that the statement made by Zelenskyy would do nothing but prolong the “killing field” and “nobody wants that!”

“We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” he noted. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Kyiv is prepared to engage in talks in any format once a potential ceasefire with Russia is established, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported. But he stressed that Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea by Russia as it contradicts the nation’s Constitution.

The exchange led to President Trump scolding President Zelenskyy, saying that the US is trying to stop the killing in his country. “We are very close to a deal” for peace, Trump said, putting the blame on the Ukrainian President for being stubborn, as talks seem to be heading for a stalemate. President Trump took to social media to post a scathing attack on Ukraine’s Zelenskyy.

“Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, ‘Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.’ This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Russia seized control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 without any significant resistance from Ukraine at the time. The move was condemned by several nations, with only a handful of countries recognising Russia’s claim to Crimea.

Meanwhile, echoing Donald Trump’s sentiment, US Vice President J.D. Vance said it was time for Russia and Ukraine to either agree to the US peace proposal “or for the US to walk away from the process entirely”.

Vance said that America’s proposal called for freezing territorial lines “at some level close to where they are today” and a “long-term diplomatic settlement that hopefully will lead to long-term peace”. He went on to say that “The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, and to freeze this thing”.

In response to the US Vice President, Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote in a post on X that he made it clear to US negotiator Steve Witkoff in London that Ukraine “will stand firm on its core principles during the negotiations” that relate to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Since taking office in January, Trump has sharply altered the US approach to the Ukraine war. Instead of punishing moves against Russia like his predecessor Joe Biden, Washington is now pressing Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, even if it is unacceptable to Kyiv. The US is seemingly in a hurry to broker a deal — any deal — irrespective of whether it may be a good one for Russia or a good one for Ukraine.

President Trump, who had pledged to “end the Russia-Ukraine war in days”, wants to be seen as a power broker for peace globally. Meanwhile, ever since Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s phone call and Washington’s foreign policy tilt towards Moscow, European nations have scrambled to find ways to support Kyiv, which finds itself staring at an increasingly uncertain future.

Manish Ranjan’s aunty Sunita Devi and uncle Alok Kumar Priyadarshi at their house in Sasaram on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. 
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Relatives of Manish Ranjan, who was among the 26 people killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir, demanded immediate action against those found responsible for the brutal incident. Employed with the Intelligence Bureau in Hyderabad, Manish was on a vacation with his family members.

His ancestral village Aruhi is located under Kargahar police station in Rohtas district of Bihar. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Ranjan’s father, Manglesh Kumar Mishra, retired as a senior teacher from the Intermediate College in Jhalda, West Bengal. He lives there with his family. Manish is the eldest of three brothers.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone, Manish’s uncle, Alok Kumar Priyadarshi, said, “Manish had gone to Kashmir along with his family. He had also asked me to come with him but my health did not allow, so I did not go. He was born in Sasaram and did initial schooling there as well. However when he was very young, Mangleshji took his entire family to Purulia in West Bengal.”

Mr. Priyadarshi said he got the information about his nephew’s death from the television when I was scanning the news channel. “Then I called my bhai sahab (Manglesh). First, he did not pick up the phone, but later I spoke to him. He was not in a good condition to speak and was very nervous.

Mr. Priyadarshi added, “Bhai Sahab said he had got the news in the evening itself but was hiding it so that we should not panic. We all started crying.”

Manish’s late grandfather Paras Nath Mishra lived in Sasaram and retired as the headmaster of a government school. Manish used to visit Sasaram to meet his uncle and aunty.

Mr. Priyadarshi said, “All the terrorists should be shot dead and hanged, we want justice. All the terrorists should be eliminated from Kashmir.”

Manish’s aunty, Sunita Devi, also demanded justice for the victims.

The mortal remains are expected to reach his father’s house in Jhalda on Thursday (April 24, 2025).