Music first, trailer later: Promo blueprint for SRK-starrer ‘Pathaan’

If you liked Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ teaser then here’s a piece of disappointing news – the trailer of the film will take more time to surface. But to make things better, here’s another piece of news – the makers of the film have decided to treat the fans first with the film’s music.

The director of the spy-action movie – Siddharth Anand has said that prior to the trailer launch – the audience will get to experience the two spectacular songs from the film followed by the trailer release in January.

Siddharth Anand said: “Pathaan has two spectacular songs. And fortunately, both are so incredible that they are potential chartbuster anthems of the year. Hence, we decided to give people ample time to enjoy the songs before the film releases.”

‘Pathaan’, which is a part of Aditya Chopra’s ambitious spy universe, also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

The idea of releasing the music first is to further build the anticipation for the film’s plot and cash in on the response to the film’s music.

“Since December is a party and holiday season for people across the world. So we will release the songs of the film before the theatrical trailer. This is also part of our strategy to hold back the plot of Pathaan to as close to the release as possible. So get ready to dance to the music of ‘Pathaan'”, the director added.

‘Pathaan’, which also has a cameo by Salman Khan, will land in theatres on January 25 in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Sharmila’s arrest, attack on convoy trigger tension

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Attack on YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y. S. Sharmila’s convoy allegedly by the supporters of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and her subsequent arrest by the police triggered tension during her padyatra in Warangal district on Monday.

Police stopped Sharmila’s padyatra and arrested her and YSRTP leaders and workers accompanying her in Chennaraopeta Mandal.

YSRTP cadres tried to resist the arrests and raised slogans against the police and the TRS government. The police used mild force to control the situation.

Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested after she allegedly made certain objectionable comments about TRS MLA P. Sudershan Reddy.

Sharmila wanted to know from police why were they taking her into custody instead of arresting those who attacked her bus.

YSRTP alleged that the bus which Sharmila is using to rest during her ongoing Praja Prasthanam padayatra was attacked and burnt down by the members of the ruling TRS party.

The mob also damaged cars belonging to YSR Telangana Party leaders. The incident happened near Lingagiri village, under Chennaraopeta Mandal in Warangal district.

Sharmila was participating in the padyatra on the 223rd day when a group of men chanting pro-TRS slogans and hailing KCR, reached the place where the caravan was halted and torched it.

“For the past 223 days, I and my Party leaders and representatives are holding a peaceful Padayatra to highlight the plight of various sections of people in Telangana. Our rising popularity has jolted Chief Minister KCR and his party men, who want to stop me at any cost,” she said.

The daughter of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said that it is highly unfortunate that some police officers are siding with the ruling party and disrupting ‘our efforts to reach the people and raise their issues.’

The Praja Prasthanam padayatra has so far crossed the 3,500 km mark, covering 75 Assembly segments in the State. She has covered 1863 villages under 208 manuals and 61 Municipalities along with 4 Municipal Corporations, so far.

Yogi compares Shivpal Yadav to a pendulum

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) leader Shivpal Yadav’s condition has become like that of a pendulum that moves from one side to another.

Addressing his first election rally in Mainpuri, the Chief Minister targeted the Yadav clan and said: “Some people have become a football. They should ensure that they are not treated like one. Shivpal Yadav was not even given a chair to sit on and we all saw him sitting on the handle of a chair not so long ago.”

Adityanath further said that one should never be a pendulum in life because the pendulum has no target.

“The FIFA football tournament is going on at present. Like football, whenever a person turns around, one kicks from this side, and the other kicks from the other side. That poor fellow is only able to dance. Some people have become football… they have no movement. One must avoid becoming a football. With great clarity, we must move forward with respect and self-respect.

“To protect this honor and self-respect, the Bhartiya Janata Party has fielded Raghuraj Singh Shakya in this by-election and you must vote for him,” he said.

Earlier, Adityanath started his address by paying tribute to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

He attributed the victory of the BJP in the Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha by-polls to the blessings of ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam) and said that with his blessings now, “the Lotus (party symbol) will bloom in Mainpuri as well”.

Arjun starts shooting for next film in Delhi, says city lucky for him

Arjun Kapoor has begun shooting for his next movie in Delhi. The actor had earlier shot three of his films in the national capital, all of which he describes as “special films”.

For the same reason, the actor feels that the city is lucky for him. The yet-to-be-titled film will be reportedly directed by Mudassar Aziz of ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ fame.

Talking about shooting in Delhi, Arjun said: “Delhi has always been special for me and it has been a hugely lucky charm for me. I shot ‘2 States’, ‘Ki & Ka’, and ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’ in the national capital, and all these films turned out to be some of the most special films in my filmography and gave me tremendous recognition that I grateful for.”

The actor is “excited to be back in Delhi” and hopes that Delhi will add its magical touch and make this film again a stand-out one for his career in cinema.

Arjun is on a strict diet and is looking forward to attaining a certain physical transformation. But he can’t stop himself from having a cheat day for the Delhi delicacies.

He said: “I’m very fitness-forward these days and want to achieve a certain body type soon, so I won’t be able to gorge on the Delhi delicacies but I have convinced my trainer to allow me a day of cheat meals in Delhi.”

He signed off by saying: “I am waiting for the day when I can have my Bua’s ghar ka khana and the local chaat. I’m looking forward to this outdoor schedule in Delhi where I can relive my childhood summer holidays and enjoy my cheat and treat meal and spend time with my family here.”

Apart from Arjun, the untitled film also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Rakul Preet Singh.

FIFA World Cup: Messi was someone we had never experienced, says his youth team captain and FC Goa defender, Marc Valiente

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When Lionel Messi first came to Spain to join Barcelona, he was 13-14 years old and coming all the way from his native Argentina, found it tough adjusting to the different country and living alone, says his one-time captain Marc Valiente, currently playing for FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL).

“When he came to our team, I think he was 13-14. It was not easy for him because he came all the way from Argentina,” said Valiente. “He couldn’t play the first season. It was not easy for him to get used to our play, but after that, he was not shy anymore, and you could see from the first minute that he was so different.”

But the Argentine soon settled in and has since come a long way to be considered one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, playing for more than a decade for his childhood-club Barcelona. Messi is currently leading Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 35-year-old defender Marc Valiente is finding his feet comfortably in India, saying that the playing style and environment here are similar to what he has been trained for right from his time at Barcelona’s academy as a teenager.

The defender talks about the early days when Messi had first been brought to the academy. As the team was being trained in playing the fast-paced touch football that has become synonymous with Barcelona, Valiente said that Messi’s quality at the time had stood out immediately.

Over the years, many experts have spoken about a youngster’s first touch being a good indicator of the quality they possess. For nearly two decades now, Messi has become a symbol of that idea. But before he went on to become one of the game’s all-time greats aided by his immaculate touch, Valiente and the others in the academy had been witnesses.

“What I remember from that time was we used to play two touches – it was our style of game. We played one side to another as fast as we could, using one or two touches,” Valiente was quoted as saying in a report on the ISL’s official website.

“He touched the ball maybe six or eight times [in the same time] that we did two touches. It was something different that we never experienced. You could see that he was someone different. We never knew that he would become the best player ever but Leo, as a 14-year-old, was like that,” he said.

Having been part of what is considered one of the greatest batches of players to come through from the Barcelona academy, Valiente said that one of the key factors in developing young players is to give them education as well as a lot of playing time.

Former India player Izumi Arata, who coaches Under-19 players at the Reliance Foundation Young Champs academy, which aims at the holistic development of young talent, echoed this sentiment.

“Talent is everywhere. The pool is huge. You just need to make extra efforts to reach out to all parts of this country and I think Reliance Foundation is doing a fantastic job by keeping scouts in many cities and states to find the best talents from all over the country. We need much more academies with this kind of vision,” Arata said.

The Hero ISL this season has seen the new spaced-out schedule being used to its full extent by the coaches, as more and more young players have been afforded to playtime.

Twenty-two players under the age of 25 have made their debuts this season in the ISL and 20 of those have been Indian players, which is in line with the ISL’s objectives of providing a platform for breakthrough Indian talents.

PKL 9: Haryana Steelers aim to continue winning momentum against U Mumba

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Haryana Steelers will look to build winning momentum when they take on U Mumba in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 match at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

Manpreet Singh’s side is currently placed 10th on the League table with 41 points.

After a win against Patna Pirates in the last game, the Steelers will be keen on picking up another positive result against U Mumba, who are placed seventh in the League. Steelers raider Meetu said that the team is high on confidence at the moment and will aim for excellence in the next match.

“We are really confident going into the match against U Mumba. All the players contributed to our win in the last game and I am sure that if we execute our strategies well, we can pick up a good result against U Mumba as well. Coach Manpreet has given us specific tasks and we will make sure that we do our jobs properly on the mat,” said Meetu.

Mumba raider Ashish has notched up 103 points in 17 matches so far and Meetu stated how the team has plans to stop the opposition raider from hitting the mat running against the Steelers.

Meet stated, “Ashish has been in top form this season but we have our strategies in place to counter his threat. We are aware of his strengths and weaknesses as we have seen his videos to make plans for the next match. Our defense has been working really hard during the practice sessions to execute those plans against Mumba.”

Apart from Meetu, raider Manjeet has been playing well in the League and both players work in tandem to win matches for the Steelers. Manjeet has picked up 141 points in 17 matches this season and Meetu stated that he is the center of their strategies in every match.

“We share a great bond and work together to break the opposition’s defense. Mumba has a good defense but we are really confident in our abilities to perform well against any team in the League. I am positive that we will continue it in the next game as well,” Meetu signed off.

PKL 9: Will become best defender in league’s history, says Patna Pirates’ Chiyaneh

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Patna Pirates’ Iranian defender Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh has emerged as the best defender in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 having earned 65 tackle points in 16 matches so far.

He also set the record for the most tackle points in a single game when he racked up 16 points against Dabang Delhi K.C. earlier this month.

Chiyaneh, who is playing his second season, expressed that his self-confidence has risen in this edition, “I have always trained hard during on and off-season. I focus more on fitness during the off-season. But I feel more confident this season. My first PKL season was very hard for me. But now, I know how all the raiders play.”

Chiyaneh also confidently said that he will go on to become the best defender ever in PKL,

“I would definitely like to be a part of the gold medal-winning team at the Asian Games next year and also become the best defender in vivo PKL history and I am confident that I will achieve this feat,” he was quoted as saying in a release on Monday.

When asked about how he stumbled upon the sport of kabaddi, the all-rounder said, “I have been playing kabaddi for eleven years. I used to play football before I started playing kabaddi. One of my friends after playing a Junior Asian Kabaddi Championship came and told me that I should play kabaddi. I didn’t know anything about kabaddi at that time. My friend told me that I have a good physique for kabaddi and then introduced me to the sport.”

Chiyaneh also shared his interests off the mat, “The off-season is a fun time for me, but I ensure I practice every day. I also travel a lot when I am not playing in vivo PKL. I’ve gone to Turkey & Dubai and I travel within Iran as well. I am also a foodie. Irani food is very delicious. My favorite is Ghormeh Sabzi. I also watch movies and listen to music. My favorite Hindi film is PK because I like Aamir Khan.”

The Gujarat Giants will be hoping to end their six-match losing streak, but they will be up against Puneri Paltan, who are in stupendous form. Raider Aslam Inamdar will lead the charge for the Pune side, while the Giants will bank on all-rounder Parteek Dahiya.

The Haryana Steelers will be looking to pick up a few more victories, but U Mumba’s raiders Guman Singh and Ashish will pose a tough challenge to the Steelers.

Dravid, Rohit have the responsibility to shield Arshdeep from an overdose of advice: Brett Lee

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Australia fast-bowling great Brett Lee wants India skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid to take the responsibility of shielding left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh from the overdose of advice that a young cricketer gets after succeeding initially at the international level.

Arshdeep has been the find for India in T20Is this year, stepping up admirably in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence to pick ten wickets in the Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Since his T20I debut against England in July this year, he has picked 33 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 18.12 and an economy rate of 8.17.

Though he didn’t have a memorable ODI debut in the first match against New Zealand in Auckland, his ability to nail yorkers and be calm in high-pressure situations have earned Arshdeep plaudits from all corners.

“Very often teams don’t know what to do with these young and breakout stars. We have seen it before when young players get involved and advice from players, TV, commentators, at the hotel.”

“Every man means well but very often, too much advice can be counter-productive. So, I think Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma have the responsibility to shield Arshdeep Singh from this overdose of advice,” said Lee in a video on his YouTube channel.

Lee also feels Arshdeep should get back to domestic cricket whenever the chance comes in order to hone his cricketing skills, especially in first-class matches.

“Keep working on your skills in domestic cricket, because when there are no big World Cups, and you’re not playing Test cricket, there aren’t any spectators. This is where you have to shine.

“So this is what I believe was the bread and butter of my career. Going back to First-Class cricket, enjoy the quietness of the crowd and hone and build those skills. If you can look after that, the high-level will follow.”

Lee, who has 718 international wickets to his name while being a vital cog in the wheel for Australia, advised Arshdeep to strike a balance between playing cricket and spending time on social media so that trolls don’t occupy his mind space.

Arshdeep was viciously trolled on social media when he dropped a simple catch of Asif Ali in the 19th over of an Asia Cup Super Four match against Pakistan in September. “Number 2 will be to build a mental filter to social media comments because we know that the guys and girls playing are all on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.”

“If you’re going to play a sport and have a social media presence, you have to understand that you should turn off notifications. Don’t read what’s written. Have the brains and common sense to separate that. If you don’t like it, get off social media and focus on your cricket.”

Arshdeep could be seen in action for India in the third ODI against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Wednesday. The hosts are leading the three-match series 1-0, following their seven-wicket win in the first match in Auckland and the second game was washed out due to rain in Hamilton.

Airtel 5G Plus goes live in Patna

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Bharti Airtel on Monday announced the launch of its cutting-edge 5G services in Patna. The Airtel 5G services are currently operational at Patna Sahib Gurudwara, Patna Railway Station, Dak Bungalow, Maurya Lok, Bailey Road, Boring Road, City Centre Mall, Patliputra Industrial Area, and a few other select locations.

Airtel said it will augment its network making its services available across the city in due course of time.

“Airtel customers can now experience ultrafast network and enjoy speeds upto 20-30 times faster than the current 4G speeds. We are in the process of lighting up the entire city which will allow customers to enjoy superfast access to High-definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos, and more,” said Anupam Arora, CEO of Bharti Airtel, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

Airtel 5G Plus services will be available to customers in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the rollout.

Customers with 5 G-enabled devices will enjoy a high-speed Airtel 5G Plus network at no extra cost until the rollout is more widespread. Last week, Airtel launched its 5G services in Guwahati. 5G services have also kicked off in Delhi, Mumbai, Gurugram, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur, and Varanasi.

Earlier this month, Bharti Airtel said it crossed the one million unique 5G user mark on its network, as the telecom operator rolls out 5G services in a phased manner. There will be no need to change the SIM as the existing Airtel 4G SIM is 5G enabled.

David Warner warns Cameron Green over hectic schedule in 2023, including IPL participation

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Veteran Australia batter David Warner has warned fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green about the hectic schedule he will face in 2023, including participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Green’s intention to take part in IPL 2023 could see ten franchises in a bidding war at the mini-auction next month in Kochi. This comes after Green smashed two fantastic half-centuries in Australia’s T20I tour of India in September, at a whopping strike rate of 214.54.

Before the IPL 2023 season comes into the picture, Green will be playing in Australia’s home Tests against West Indies and South Africa. He could also feature for his BBL side Perth Scorchers, before flying to India with the Australia squad for four Tests next year, followed by three ODIs.

After the IPL ends, Australia will be going to England for five-match Ashes series. That could become six if they make it to the World Test Championship final. Australia also has a white-ball tour of South Africa in August before participating in the Men’s ODI World Cup in October in India.

“From an experience point of view, it’s great. From a playing point of view, he’s got four Test matches and a few one-dayers after it. Nineteen weeks straight in India, being your first trip as well can be quite challenging from the heat perspective, the playing, the recovery.”

“I’ve been through it, I’ve done the Test series and the IPL straight before (in 2017). It is tough. Then on the back of that, you’ve got five Test matches in England. Then I think you’ve got 20 days off before you go to (South) Africa and then go to a World Cup.” Warner was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au in Perth.

Warner has been an IPL regular since 2009, barring the 2018 season which he missed due to the Cape Town ball-tampering ban. He also cited the example of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who had to make a mental health break in late 2019 due to a busy cricketing schedule.

“Glenn Maxwell did it a couple of years ago, played the whole year, and then was cooked come the season. From a youngster’s point of view, it’s totally up to him, it’s his decision he has to make.”

“For his longevity and career, it’s a big call for him as a youngster. Whatever decision he goes with we’ll respect it as players. But ultimately it’s down to him and CA, I don’t know what those conversations are.”

Warner, currently in the twilight of his career as he aims to participate in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, feels that making Australia win in the Test series in India and England next year is his main objective.

Interestingly, the left-handed batter is yet to score a Test century in both countries, averaging 26.04 and 24.25 from playing Tests in India and England respectively. “Looking ahead, winning in India is key. We’ve had a lot of series over there and we haven’t won a lot of Test matches.”

“England is another one – we retained (the Ashes) last time (in 2019), but to win over there would be awesome. We’ve got the World Test Championship which I think if we win every game then we could be potentially playing in that. There’s a lot to look forward to but we assess it game by game as a team.”

BREAKING NEWS: Pavitra Lokesh Files a Police Complaint Against Trollers | Actor Naresh |TeluguBullet

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BREAKING NEWS: Pavitra Lokesh Files a Police Complaint Against Trollers | Actor Naresh |TeluguBullet

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5.4 mn Twitter users’ data leaked online, to grow even bigger

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As Elon Musk goes gaga over transforming Twitter, at least 5.4 million Twitter user records have been stolen via an internal bug and leaked online on a hacker forum.

In addition to the 5.4 million records for sale online, there were an additional 1.4 million Twitter profiles collected using a different Twitter application programming interface (API) that have reportedly been shared privately among a few people.

The massive data consists of scraped public information as well as private phone numbers and email addresses that are not meant to be public, reports Bleeping Computer.

Security expert Chad Loder first broke the news on Twitter and was suspended soon from the platform.

“I have just received evidence of a massive Twitter data breach affecting millions of Twitter accounts in the EU and the US. I have contacted a sample of the affected accounts and they confirmed that the breached data is accurate. This breach occurred no earlier than 2021,” Loder posted on Twitter.

The data containing non-public information was stolen using a Twitter API vulnerability fix in January this year.

This data was collected in December 2021 using a Twitter API vulnerability disclosed in the HackerOne bug bounty program, the report said on Sunday.

Most of the data consisted of public information, such as Twitter IDs, names, login names, locations, and verified status. A

It also included private information, such as phone numbers and email addresses.

Musk or Twitter was yet to comment on the report.

Pompompurin, the owner of the Breached hacking forum, told BleepingComputer that “they were responsible for exploiting the bug and creating the massive dump of Twitter user records after another threat actor known as ‘Devil’ shared the vulnerability with them,” the report mentioned.

As hackers released 5.4 million records online, an even larger data dump has allegedly been created using the same vulnerability, according to the report.

“We were told that it consists of over 17 million records but could not independently confirm this,” said the report.

Yashoda Ott Release date | Yashoda Ott Update | Yashoda Ott Platform | Samantha | Telugu Bullet

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After furore for slurring women, Ramdev regrets and apologises

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Barely 72 hours after his comments on women sparked a furore, a chastened Yoga guru, Swami Ramdev has expressed regrets and apologized for his remarks.

Ramdev has sent an email to the effect of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women Chairperson Rupali Chakankar, in response to her missive of Friday demanding an explanation for his utterances within 72 hours.

Confirming the developments, the MSCW head informed that Ramdev has sent the response to her, expressing both regrets and tendering an apology, but also claiming that his remarks were allegedly twisted out of context.

“We have received his reply to our notice…However, if there are any more objections or complaints, we shall conduct a full-fledged probe and get the full video recording of the program held last week,” warned Chakankar, while speaking with IANS.

Addressing a free Yoga training program for women in Thane, Ramdev Baba blurted out without batting an eyelid before the gathering, largely comprising women: “Women look good in saris, they look great in salwar suits, and in my view, they look good even if they don’t wear anything.”

At that time Ramdev was flanked by Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena Thane MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and singer Amruta Fadnavis – wife of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other prominent personalities.

The blatant statements spurred calls to “slap, kick and tonsure” Ramdev from various quarters in Maharashtra and other parts of India.

Agitated top leaders of various parties including Sanjay Raut, Dr. Manisha Kayande, Kishore Tiwari, Mahesh Tapas, women activists like Aparna Malikar, Trupti Desai, and others pounced on Ramdev, seeking an unconditional apology, booking him for degrading womenfolk and other demands, even as the MSCW slapped a notice.

Shruti Hassan Without Makeup Pics Goes Viral | What Happens To Actress Shruti Hassan | Telugu Bullet

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India heading towards a completely revamped national anti-doping programme: Sports secretary

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With India participating and organizing several sports events every year, the country has become part of a select group having their anti-doping law, Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports informed on Saturday.

Besides having a revamped anti-doping law, the government is also in the process of introducing proper testing facilities for the dietary supplements industry, an unregulated sector that is leading to athletes inadvertently taking prohibited substances.

“We are now heading towards a completely revamped national anti-doping program housed in our National Anti-doping Agency,” she said.

In addition, she emphasized proper regulated testing facilities for the dietary supplements industry, which is primarily unregulated, leading to athletes inadvertently getting tested positive for prohibited substances.

She said, “We recently entered into an MOU with the National Forensic Science University, Ahmedabad, and the Food Safety Standards Authority of India, for a lab to help with the dietary supplement testing.”

Addressing the TURF 2022 and India Sports Awards of FICCI, sports secretary Sujata Chaturvedi noted that 2022 has been very exciting for sports in India.

She listed several marquee games, starting with the Khelo India games in Bengaluru, followed by Khelo India Youth Games in Haryana, the first Chess Olympiad and the recent National Games organized this year.

“We are heading to more games and events as we go along in the next year”, she was quoted as saying in a release by the organizers.

Secretary Chaturvedi outlined numerous developments under the Khelo India scheme and said, “more than 2000 athletes are inducted into the talent development program of Khelo India. They receive an out-of-pocket allowance and other support”.

She added 600 rural and small Khelo India centers have been opened across the country, where past champions get a chance to work with and nurture the young talent.

Further, 29 Centres of Excellence under the Khelo India scheme were set up in various states. The Sports Ministry collaborates with state governments to ensure that top-quality state athletes get trained and nurtured at those centers.

The Secretary informed the gathering that the ministry is coming up in a big way on starting Women’s Leagues. “We’ve had archery, football, and various other sports coming into these leagues”, she said, adding, “I can assure you it’s going to be a huge deal in the coming years because we support inclusion in sports”.

On the occasion, former athlete Anju Bobby George, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, and Arjuna Awardee, underlined the unique potential of sports in empowering women.

“Women in sports defy the perception that they are weak or incapable”, she said. “In many countries, it has been seen that sport can be a force to amplify the human voice and tear down gender barriers and discrimination”.

In this regard, India’s top female table tennis player and Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awardee, Manika Batra, said, “sports has taught me to be brave, strong, and never give up in life”. In her message to upcoming and aspiring women athletes, she added, “just be fearless and do whatever you want to do”.

Neha Mathur Rastogi, Co-Chair of, Sports & Youth Affairs Committee, FICCI, and Founder, WordsWork Communications Consulting, spoke on the need for a meaningful dialogue on critical priorities by bringing everyone together. “There is a lot of power in working together and collaborating. Sports, as an industry, is a shining example of that”, she said.

Sanjog Gupta, Chairperson, Sports & Youth Affairs Committee, FICCI and Head – Sports, Disney Star, said, “if we want more sports champions, we need more champions of sport”.

The event witnessed the official launch of the UNESCO Knowledge Paper on the sports development landscape of India: “More than a Game”.

The paper aims to better understand India’s current sport for development landscape. Through exploratory research, the paper highlights how diverse sports-based organizations and initiatives are increasing social impact across the country. The report also outlines their contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The eleventh edition of FICCI Turf was attended by 250 industry stakeholders, including policymakers, leading sportspersons, and industry leaders.

BB 16′: Kajol, Revathy join Salman on ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’, promote ‘Salaam Venky’

In the upcoming episode of ‘Bigg Boss 16’ film ‘Salaam Venky’, Kajol Devgan and director Revathi grace the ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’.

Salman recreates a scene with Kajol from their hit film ‘Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya’ as they play a game of staring. It will be fun to see who bests whom. A game of ‘Whisper Challenge’ with the star guests will leave the audience in splits.

Director Revathi and Salman take a trip down memory lane as they recreate their hit song ‘Sathiya Tune Kya Kiya’.

In yesterday’s episode, Salman revealed that the real reason why Fahmaan Khan entered the house was to promote his new show ‘Pyar Ke Saat Vachan Dharam Patnii’.

He comes out of the house and with his co-star Kritika Singh Yadav arrives on the ‘vaar’ stage and re-enacts a fun scene with the leads of the show.

Fahmaan presents a situation where Salmaan is the prospective groom who visits his bride-to-be (Kritika) with his crooked uncle enacted by Fahmaan.

NASA’s Mars helicopter makes a short yet significant flight

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NASA engineers have taken its Mars Ingenuity helicopter on a short but important 18-second successful flight to test new capabilities.

The operations team has been working on the new capabilities over the past few weeks. The software upgrade includes hazard avoidance on landing and the use of digital elevation maps.

“Despite the flight’s simple nature, the team is very excited because of what it means for the future of Ingenuity,” the US space agency said in a statement. NASA tested the new software for the first time on Flight 34.

“Jezero Crater is a rocky place, so safe airfields have been tough to find! Using Ingenuity’s downward-facing navigation camera, this software update adds hazard avoidance on landing,” said Joshua Anderson, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Operations Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“While in flight, Ingenuity will identify the safest visible landing site. When preparing to land, Ingenuity will then divert over to this selected site. This capability allows Ingenuity to safely land in rockier terrain than before, providing our pilots with many more potential landing sites,” Anderson added.

The navigation system for the helicopter was created on the assumption that the vehicle would be traveling over flat ground.

“Over long flights, navigation errors caused by rough terrain must be accounted for, requiring the team to select large airfields,” Anderson mentioned.

The team will use the results from the flight to start testing the new capabilities, making sure that everything works as expected on the surface of Mars.

IND v NZ, 2nd ODI: India seek improvements in batting, bowling to square series scoreline

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After suffering a seven-wicket loss in the ODI series opener to New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, India would be seeking major improvements in batting and bowling to square the series in the second match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.

Hamilton is a city that is an hour and a half away drive from Auckland and with that, changes will come into play as Seddon Park is a batting-friendly pitch with dimensions not as funky as it is in Eden Park. The visitors would be aware that in order to save the series, they need their openers, captain Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill to get runs at a faster pace.

Dhawan and Gill had an opening stand of 124 in 23.1 overs, but their start was slow as New Zealand bowlers got some seam and swing from the pitch, resulting in only 40 runs coming in the power-play. Though the duo went on to notch up their respective half-centuries, they couldn’t convert their knocks into a big score.

Moreover, Dhawan and Gill had a dot-ball percentage of 59.74 (playing 46 dot balls) and 58.46 (playing 38 dot balls), respectively in the match. In terms of boundary percentage, Dhawan had 72.22 percent while Gill was at just 44%. If India wishes to get a huge total on board at Hamilton, they will need Dhawan and Gill to be at their quick and attacking best.

Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed after stroking a wonderful cover drive on the very first ball while Rishabh Pant needs to shrug off his struggles and get the timing right as a number four batter. Shreyas Iyer, despite being troubled by short balls and having some luck on his side, continued to lead the charge for India crossing 300-mark with a fine 80.

Sanju Samson was crucial in being the perfect support to Iyer before Washington Sundar took on the New Zealand bowlers with a whirlwind 37 not out off 16 balls in the last five overs of the innings. With the ball, India sorely missed the services of a sixth bowling option, an aspect that is very vital in ODI cricket.

Though Shardul Thakur began well with tight lines and lengths in his new-ball spell, he was expensive in the later stages of the match as Tom Latham plundered 25 runs off him in the 40th over. As Latham attacked well in his 145 not out, debutant Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal went for plenty of runs.

Only Sundar, with his more than handy off-spin, and Umran Malik rushing up the batters with speed and control in his maiden ODI appearance were able to trouble the New Zealand batters. For the Blackcaps, they will be delighted with how Latham stood up to bail them out of trouble with a knock to remember for the ages.

They would also be delighted with captain Kane Williamson finding form with 94 not out and being the supporter to Latham in chasing down 307. Matt Henry and Tim Southee did succeed in troubling the Indian batters initially while Lockie Ferguson, despite being expensive, had the handy knack of breaking stands and picking wickets in quick succession.

Overall, it should be a game where India will be expected to get their mistakes right in batting and bowling apart from some misfields happening on the field too, as said by Iyer after the match ended.

Squads:

India:

Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, and Umran Malik.

New Zealand:

Kane Williamson (captain), Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, and Tim Southee.

India successfully orbits Indo-French collaborative EOS 6/OCEANSAT, 8 other satellites

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India on Saturday successfully placed into orbit the Indo-French ocean observation satellite EOS 06 and eight other nanosatellites with its rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle numbered PSLV-C54.

Announcing the mission’s success, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary, of the Department of Space, S. Somanath, said all the satellites have been launched.

He also said the solar panels of the EOS 06 satellite had been deployed and the satellite was in precise orbit as intended and congratulated the ISRO team.

The XL variant of PSLV rocket carrying the 1,117 kg EOS-6 as its primary passenger and eight others – blasted off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) here at 11.56 a.m.

The piggybacks include satellites from two Indian startups – Syzygy Space Technologies Pvt Ltd, commonly known as Pixxel (Anand-16.51 kg), and Dhruvaspace’s two Thybolt satellites – 1.45 kg, Spaceflight USA’s Astrosat (four numbers 17.92 kg) and ISRO’s INS-2B (18.28 kg).

About 17 minutes into the flight the rocket ejected EOS-6. Then the orbit was changed by using two Orbit Change Thrusters introduced in the rocket’s propulsion bay ring. The piggyback passengers were ejected in Orbit-2. The whole mission took about two hours. With this, the PSLV rocket has put into orbit 349 foreign satellites to date.

When one takes into account the 36 satellites of UK-based OneWeb that were orbited by another rocket LVM3 this year, then the total number of foreign satellites put into orbit by ISRO would go up to 385.

At the end of the final countdown, the four-stage expendable, 44.4 m tall XL variant of PSLV rocket weighing 321 tons slowly rose towards the skies with thick orange flame at its tail. The rocket gained speed as it went up while emitting a rolling thunder sound.

The PSLV rocket is powered by solid (first and third stages) and liquid (second and fourth stages) fuels alternatively.

The rocket that flew on Saturday was the 56th mission of PSLV and the 24th mission using the PSLV-XL variant having six strap-on booster motors with six-ton fuel.

The ISRO said the Indo-French collaborative EOS-06/Oceansat will provide continuity services for Oceansat-2 spacecraft with enhanced payload capabilities and application areas.

The EOS-06 payloads include Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3), Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3), and ARGOS – a French payload.

According to France, ARGOS will reinforce the existing fleet of Indo-French satellites working on weather surveillance that are already in orbit (MEGHA-TROPIQUES and SARAL-ALTIKA), thus enhancing contributions related to the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The Indian space agency said the satellite will ensure data continuity of ocean color and wind vector data to sustain the operational applications. It will also improve the applications, some additional datasets such as Sea Surface Temperature and more bands in the Optical region for fluorescence and in the Infrared region for atmospheric corrections are accommodated.

The satellite will also develop/improve related algorithms and data products to serve in well-established application areas and enhance the mission utility.

The INS-2B is ISRO’s second nanosatellite for Bhutan with two payloads viz., NanoMx and APRS-Digipeater. The NanoMx is a multispectral optical imaging payload developed by its Space Applications Centre (SAC). The APRS-Digipeater payload is jointly developed by DITTBhutan and ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), ISRO said.

The Bhutanese Information and Communication Minister Lyonpo Karma Donnen Wangdi who had witnessed the mission from here said, the commendable track record of ISRO in satellite launching left no doubt about the mission’s success.

He said the mission is another key milestone of the close relationship between India and Bhutan. Wangdi said the satellite was built during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Indian Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishakar said ISRO is working on setting up a ground station in Bhutan.

Pixxel’s Anand nanosatellite is a technology demonstrator to demonstrate the capabilities and commercial applications of the miniaturized earth-observation camera for earth observation using a microsatellite in Low Earth Orbit. This is a three-axis stabilized satellite consisting of a status, accommodating all subsystems like telemetry, tele-command, electrical power system, Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), on-board computers and others, and a payload unit, ISRO said.

The Dhuruvaspace’s Thybolt satellites have a communication payload to enable rapid technology demonstration and constellation development for multiple users. It also demonstrates Store-and-Forward functionality for authorized users in the amateur frequency band.

Astrocast, a 3U spacecraft, is a technology demonstrator satellite for the Internet of Things (IoT) as the payload.