Railway cop injured in terror attack, succumbs in J&K’s Pulwama

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Railway cop injured in terror attack, succumbs in J&K’s Pulwama

A Railway police officer injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Pulwama district, succumbed to critical injuries in a city hospital on Saturday.

J&K Police sources said, “Sub-Inspector Dev Raj, who was injured in Kakapora area of Pulwama district in a militant attack on Monday, succumbed in the hospital on Saturday morning.”

Sub-Inspector Dev Raj and Head Constable Surinder Kumar were injured in firing by terrorists in the Kakapora area on Monday.

The Head Constable had died on the spot while the Sub-Inspector was shifted to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital for treatment where he survived till Saturday morning.

IBA announces candidates for Board of Directors, elections on May 13-14

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IBA announces candidates for Board of Directors, elections on May 13-14

Following comprehensive eligibility checks and skills assessment, the International Boxing Association (IBA) has published the list of candidates for the upcoming election to positions on the Board of Directors, including that of President.

The elections will take place at an Extraordinary Congress on May 13-14, during the IBA Women’s World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

“The election process was developed by the independent Governance Reform Group (GRG), led by Professor Ulrich Haas. After unanimously accepting reforms to the IBA Constitution at the Extraordinary Congress in December 2021, IBA decreased the number of Directors on the Board to 18, agreed that at least five must be women, and noted there must be at least one representative from each continent. The Presidents of each Confederation will automatically assume a seat on the Board and are not among the nominees.

“An independent Interim Nomination Unit was created in February 2022 to establish the eligibility and analyze the skillsets of nominees. Its members are Prof. Piermarco Zen-Ruffinen, Professor Emeritus of the Law Faculty at the University of Neuchatel, Dr. Catherine Ordway, Sports Integrity Research Lead at the University of Canberra, Chair of the Badminton World Federation Vetting Panel, Louise Reilly, Barrister-at-Law, Chair of the Board of the Biathlon Integrity Unit, Jacques Blondin, Head of Regulatory Enforcement at FIFA, Roberto Cammarelle, AIBA World Champion and Olympic Champion,” the IBA said in a statement.

Rigorous background checks were conducted by the vetting company Genius, and input was also provided by Prof. Richard McLaren, whose team has been engaged in a thorough investigation of IBA’s integrity, the statement read.

The elections at the IBA Extraordinary Congress will be supervised by a representative of the independent Interim Nomination Unit, with the voting itself to be conducted electronically via Lumi. As defined by IBA’s Regulations on the Congress and Elections, with the announcement of the candidates the election period begins and candidates are bound by comprehensive rules regarding their campaigning.

The candidates for the position of IBA President are: Umar Kremlev, Boris van der Vorst

The candidates for the IBA Board of Directors are Volodymyr Prodyvus, Belhaj Abdeljaouad, Vusal Nasirli, Kristy Harris, Jammalage Dian Gomes, Mohamed Sais, Matthew Holt, Mir Farid Vatanparast, Felipe Jose Martinez Martinez, Julia Felton, Pearl Beverly Dlamini, Yousuf Al-Kazim, Adnan Bin Ali, Jinqiang Zhou, Nenad Borovcanin, Paul Thorogood, Lars Brovil, Marta Forcen Celaya, Muhangi Moses, Elise Seignolle, Michael McAtee, Stephen Grant Hartley, Karin Mattsson, Luisa Elena Benitez Gomez, Boris van der Vorst, Bertrand Magloire Roland Mendouga, Zsuzsanna Toth, Per-Axel Sjoholm.

IPL 2022: Buttler’s ton, clinical bowling help Rajasthan beat Delhi Capitals by 15 runs

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IPL 2022: Buttler’s ton, clinical bowling help Rajasthan beat Delhi Capitals by 15 runs

A clinical bowling performance — after Jos Buttler blasted a 65-ball 116 — helped Rajasthan Royals defend 222/2 against Delhi capitals to register a 15-run victory in Match 34 of the IPL 2022, at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.

Prasidh Krishna finished with 3/22 while R Ashwin ended with 2/32 as Royals weathered some anxious moments as they defended their big total to register their fifth win of the season and move to the top of the points table with 10 points, overtaking Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore on higher net run rate.

Buttler had set up the victory by stroking to his third century of IPL 2022 and Devdutt Padikkal contributed a superb 54 as Rajasthan Royals posted a massive 222/2 in 20 overs, the highest score of this season so far.

They then came back to restrict Delhi Capitals to 207-8 in 20 overs to seal the win.

Delhi came close in the chase thanks to superb innings by David Warner (28), Prithvi Shaw (37), skipper Rishabh Pant (44), and an unbeaten 15-ball 36 by Rovman Powell to come close to the target but in the end, they fell short narrowly.

Powell raised hopes for a sensational victory by hitting three sixes off the first three deliveries of the final over but he could not complete the chase of 36 off six deliveries as Delhi lost the match.

Delhi started at a brisk pace as David Warner and Prithvi Shaw raised 43 runs in the fifth over before Warner, who hammered Prasidh Krishna to two successive fours in the fifth over and had slashed Trent Boult over short third man. But Warner could not prolong his innings as he was out, offering a thick edge behind to Sanju Samson off Prasidh Krishna, trying to flick a length ball by backing away to the leg side.

Sarfaraz Khan lasted for only three deliveries, caught by Prasidh Krishna off R Ashwin, and Delhi Capitals were in trouble at 48/2 in the sixth over. Skipper Rishabh Pant joined Prithvi Shaw in the middle and they raised 51 runs for the third-wicket partnership, both of them hitting some superb shots in the process.

But the good tidings did not last long for Delhi Capitals as Shaw, who survived a difficult chance off Boult and had struck Obed McCoy for a four and six of successive deliveries in the ninth over, was out for 37 caught by Boult off Ashwin as Delhi slumped further into trouble at 99/3 in 10th over.

Skipper Rishabh Pant kept up the chase of the stiff target, hammering Riyan Parag for a couple of sixes — a thigh-high full toss posted over deep mid-wicket and a one-handed heave over long-on as Parag attempted a round-arm delivery.

He was dropped by Chahal at deep fine leg off Prasidh Krishna, his second life after Hetmyer dropped him earlier. But could not capitalize on it as he got out a ball later, caught by Padikkal off Prasidh as Delhi further slumped into the quagmire.

Lalit Yadav struck a 24-ball 37 and Rovman Powell a 15-ball 36 but in the end, Delhi Capitals fell short by 15 runs.

Powell guided the Capitals to the final over with 36 needed off six deliveries. He blasted sixes off the first three deliveries, raising hopes of hitting six sixes to seal a dramatic victory. He hammered his third six of the 20th over off a delivery that they argued should be no-ball on height. The umpires ruled it a legal delivery, leading to the Delhi Capitals bench erupting in anger, gesticulating furiously while a staff member rushed into the field to argue with the umpires. In the end, the umpires stuck to their guns.

McCoy bowled a dot ball and allowed only two runs off the fifth delivery and a dejected Powell skied the final delivery for Sanju Samson to pouch it gleefully to signal victory for Rajasthan Royals.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals 222/2 in 20 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 54, Jos Buttler 116, Sanju Samson 46 not out; Mustafizur Rahman 1/43) beat Delhi Capitals 207/8 in 20 overs (David Warner 28, Prithvi Shaw 27, Rishabh Pant 44, Rovman Powell 36; Prasidh Krishna 3/22, R Ashwin 2/32) by 15 runs.

IAS officer tweets gutkha-stained pic of Howrah Bridge, seeks answers from SRK, Devgn, Big B

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IAS officer tweets gutkha-stained pic of Howrah Bridge, seeks answers from SRK, Devgn, Big B

The controversy surrounding the new tobacco advertisement featuring Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar is not dying down.

After Akshay Kumar’s public apology and Ajay Devgn’s defense of his “personal choice” of starring in a tobacco brand’s elaichi product ad, an IAS officer from West Bengal has come down heavily on actors like SRK, Ajay, and Amitabh Bachchan.

IAS officer Awanish Sharan took to Twitter and shared a picture of one of the pillars of the iconic Howrah Bridge. He wrote in his tweet, “Kolkata Port Trust has said saliva laced with gutkha is corroding the iconic 70-year-old bridge. The Howrah Bridge is under attack from gutkha-chewers.”

The sale of gutkha or paan masala (both tobacco products) is completely banned in West Bengal as per a notification by West Bengal’s health department.

The notification dated October 26, 2021, issued under the signature of Tapan K Rudra, commissioner of food safety, West Bengal, read, “As per regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, in the exercise of powers conferred by clause (i) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) read with section 26 thereof, prohibits the sale of articles of food in which tobacco and/or nicotine are used as ingredients, as they may be injurious to health.”

The IAS officer also tagged actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Amitabh Bachchan.

Chronic disease patients in Ukraine unable to access health care: WHO

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Chronic disease patients in Ukraine unable to access health care: WHO

One in three households with at least one patient with a chronic condition is unable to secure medication and care in Ukraine, due to the ongoing invasion by Russia, according to a new survey released by World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday.

The war, which began on February 24 and is continuing since, has devastated the health and well-being of millions of civilians, and severely impaired the Ukrainian health system.

The nationwide health needs assessment, conducted in partnership with Premise, surveyed about 1,000 households.

The preliminary result shows that two out of five households (39 percent) have at least one member with a chronic illness, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer.

Less than a third (30 percent) of respondents sought out health-care services recently; of those, 39 percent cited the security situation as the main reason, while 27 percent reported that no health-care services were available at all in their area.

Most households (70 percent) surveyed are sheltering in their own homes at this time, while 11 percent are staying with friends and family members in relatively safer areas, 8 percent are on the move within Ukraine, and 3 percent are in a shelter or camp for internally displaced people.

“Two months into the war, our findings show the urgent need for continued health system support in Ukraine,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, in a statement.

Although the WHO has been able to reach nearly 7.5 million people over the past eight weeks with life-saving supplies, equipment, and medicines, the agency said it is still unable to reach some of the hardest-hit areas in the east where the health system has all but collapsed.

“We have received reports, for instance, that nearly all health facilities and hospitals in Luhansk oblast are either damaged or destroyed, and the situation is critical in several others. It is vital that we gain access so we can assess health needs and move vital supplies into affected areas, including Mariupol. Civilians have a right to health, even in times of war,” Habicht said.

Ukraine’s health system is facing multiple challenges. The risk of infectious diseases, and increasingly waterborne diseases, is significant, and routine immunisation, including Covid-19 vaccination, is greatly diminished because of the war.

Access to reproductive, maternal, and antenatal care, as well as mental health care, is severely impacted due to security concerns, restricted mobility, broken supply chains, and mass displacement. And health care continues to come under attack, with more than 160 verified incidents since February 24.

According to the United Nations, more than 12 million people have been forcibly displaced by the Russian invasion: 7.1 million people are displaced within Ukraine and more than 5 million refugees are outside Ukraine. Another 2.9 million are considering leaving their homes due to the war.

West Bengal has got investment proposals worth Rs 3.42L cr: CM

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West Bengal has got investment proposals worth Rs 3.42L cr: CM

The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)– 2022 has attracted investment proposals worth Rs 3.42 lakh crore, according to the state Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

“The BGBS — 2022 has attracted a total investment proposal worth Rs 3,42,375 crore, which is the highest among all the six editions of BGBS. In the past five editions of BGBS combined, our state received investment proposals worth Rs 12.5 lakh crore,” Banerjee said on Thursday at the closing program of the BGBS, an annual event to showcase the state as an ideal investment destination.

She added that these investment proposals will create employment for 40 lakh people.

However, the Chief Minister made it clear that this Rs 3.42 lakh crore of investment proposals are currently in the form of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU).

“We have signed a total of 137 MoUs or letters of intent. These are related to various sectors like infrastructure development, logistics, and capacity building,” she said.

At the end of the meet there was no official release on the part of the West Bengal government or the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation on the detailed breakup of the investment proposals received or the MoUs signed.

Understanding that the recent incidents of law and order problems in the state can raise doubts among the potential investors, the Chief Minister, while speaking on the occasion, tried to assure the business delegates on this count.

“West Bengal has stability. West Bengal is safe, so please invest in the state without any fear,” Banerjee said.

The BGBS started in 2015. However, in the last two years, the event could not take place because of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. This year it is taking place after a gap of two years.

The Chief Minister said when she wanted to restart the annual business summit this year, many in her own government were skeptical about its success.

“But I said that let us do it. Now, West Bengal has shown the way for other Indian states to start similar business summits,” she said.

The BGBS-2023 will be held from February 1 to 3.

On the opening day of BGBS-2022 on Wednesday, Adani Group Chairman and founder Gautam Adani announced a proposed investment of Rs 10,000 crore in West Bengal during the next few years.

Nakuul Mehta faced challenges during shoot of ‘Never Kiss Your Best Friend’

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Nakuul Mehta faced challenges during shoot of ‘Never Kiss Your Best Friend’

TV actor Nakuul Mehta recently opened up on the grueling shoot schedule of his upcoming season of ‘Never Kiss Your Best Friend’.

Talking about the challenges during the course of filming, the actor said, “There were multiple difficulties that we faced during Never Kiss Your Best Friend S2 shoot in London. It was biting cold in England. Most of the visas of our crew were rejected because the UK High Commission had become extremely strict.”

Incidentally, he met with new people who came to his help with regards to his hair and makeup, “My personal team wasn’t there but I was lucky to find someone wonderful to come and do my makeup and hair there when I didn’t have my A team from here (India). My director didn’t have his assistant director. So, all of us doubled up to play different parts on the show and not just actors.”

“The most challenging part was when Omicron broke out in England much before it did in India and most of us on set contracted it and we had to push our shoot because of that. I had to return to India and my other show’s shoot in India also suffered. So that was a hard phase. Though I joke about the fact that it is a fun slice of life romantic comedy, the drudgery and the drama we went through to make this is another show”, he concluded.

The second season of ‘Never Kiss Your Best Friend’ will start streaming on ZEE5 from April 29.

Tourism on upswing in TN

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Tourism on upswing in TN

After two years of pandemics and the resumption of international flights, tourism has finally picked up pace in Tamil Nadu.

Tour operators are receiving heavy booking requests with flights to the domestic and international destinations getting full.

Surjit Das, of Akbar Travels of India, a leading tour operator while speaking to Interview said: “Bookings are on the high for both domestic and international destinations. People from Tamil Nadu prefer to travel to Malaysia, Singapore, and the middle eastern countries. The rates to UAE and Singapore, Malayasia are on the high now.”

He, however, said that most of the north Indian domestic destinations are packed and bookings are mostly for Kulu, Manali, Srinagar, and Nainital other than New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur. He said that the flight charges to these destinations have increased.

Abdul Wahab, of Kerala Tours and Travels, while speaking to Interview said: “We are getting bookings to European destinations and interestingly most of the bookings are after May and the reason is the examination of both CBSE and ICSE boards are taking place till May end. Another interesting fact is that more than upper-middle-class, we are getting bookings from the lower-middle-class.

He said that a package for seven days to Europe is costing around 2.15 lakh per person and almost all the bookings are for families inclusive of a father, mother, and two children.

There are, however, apprehensions among the tour and travel operators about the slight increase in Covid cases in New Delhi and in other parts of the country. While experts have said that the possibility of a fourth wave in the country is remote, the tour operators said that even a slight spread would bring doom to the industry that is slowly picking up.

Inbound tours to Tamil Nadu are also on the high and most of the hotels in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchi were full for the past few days due to tourist inflow from North Indian states and also from the Tamil diaspora settled in Europe, the United States and in the Far Eastern countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

Shanmughandhan, who runs the Tambaram taxi services and has a fleet of cars including ordinary and luxury cars told in the inteview,” The tourist season has picked up and we are getting several bookings. Our cars were not plying for the past two years due to the pandemic and the increase in tourists has suddenly boosted our revenue. We have to make good the losses of the past two years and must bring the company back on rails.”

He also however shared the apprehension about the Covid spread as New Delhi and other areas of the country witnessed a slight increase in positive cases over the past couple of days.

Tesla tests in-car Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity with major internet providers

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Tesla tests in-car Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity with major internet providers

Electric vehicle company Tesla has started testing in-car wifi hotspot connectivity with several major internet providers in order to provide an alternative internet connection for its fleet.

According to the auto-tech website, connectivity has been a flagship feature of Tesla’s offering in the auto industry. It enables several fun and useful features for customers and has also been used by Tesla to collect data from the fleet and improve features, mainly Autopilot.

In 2018, Tesla started requiring a new paid “premium connectivity” package for a monthly fee to access some of the more data-heavy connectivity features. Since then, Tesla owners have had to decide if they want to pay $10 per month for the premium connectivity service or not.

More recently, the automaker launched a software update to allow owners to use their phones’ wifi hotspots while driving as an alternative to LTE connectivity.

Now, Tesla is apparently working on another alternative involving using Wifi hotspots from internet providers.

A Twitter user going by Analytic managed to activate the new feature in their vehicle, the report said.

“Tesla appears to be working with several major internet providers in North America, Europe, and Asia to test the feature,” it added.

Tesla hacker “green” confirmed that the feature is the backend of Tesla’s software and the automaker is currently testing it.

The feature could prove useful to improve the connectivity of Tesla vehicles as data requirements are increasing with more internet-based entertainment features inside the vehicles and as Tesla is extracting more data from them.

Chiranjeevi’s ‘Acharya’ gets U/A certificate

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Chiranjeevi’s ‘Acharya’ gets U/A certificate

Megastar Chiranjeevi’s much-anticipated movie ‘Acharya’ is set for a worldwide theatrical release on April 29 as it has completed its censor formalities, the makers announced.

‘Acharya’ has received a U/A certificate, as it gears up for a release.

To announce the news, the creators have released an eye-catching poster featuring Chiranjeevi. “Witness the ‘Ultimate ‘Action in cinemas from APRIL 29”, the makers wrote on their social media profiles, earlier on Friday.

Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Kajal Aggarwal, and Pooja Hedge star in the film, which is directed by Siva Koratala.

The biggie’s pre-release event, produced by Konidela Production Company in collaboration with Matinee Entertainment, is set to take place on Saturday in Hyderabad.

Yash gets emotional about the overwhelming success of ‘KGF: Chapter 2’

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Yash gets emotional about the overwhelming success of ‘KGF: Chapter 2’

Kannada star Yash, who is overjoyed with the overwhelming response to ‘KGF: Chapter 2’, posted a video on social media in which he expresses his gratitude for the biggest win in his theatrical career.

Yash recounts an anecdote in the video, saying, “There was a small village that had been facing a drought situation for quite some time so, the villagers decided to have a prayer meet and people turned out in large numbers but there was one boy.”

“He was the only one who appeared with an umbrella. Some called it overconfidence, but it was – faith”, Yash said.

The ‘Googly’ actor continued, “I am like that little boy who believed he would witness this day, and I am in a position where thank you is sufficient, but I would like to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart.”

Yash’s emotional speech concluded as he said, “I’d like to express our appreciation on behalf of the entire KGF team. I hope you’re enjoying the film and will continue to do so. Finally, I’d like to say that your heart is my tent!”

‘KGF: Chapter 2’ was released nationwide on April 14, 2022, destroying a few records and creating some new ones. Helmed by Prashanth Neel, ‘KGF 2’ stars Yash as Rocky Bhaai, an underdog who rises as a super-powerful don.

IPL 2022: Graeme Smith feels Chahal could break Bravo’s record for most wickets in a season

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IPL 2022: Graeme Smith feels Chahal could break Bravo’s record for most wickets in a season

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith feels that Rajasthan Royals’ leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has got all the potential to break the record of 32 wickets held jointly by Dwayne Bravo in 2013 and Harshal Patel in 2021 for most wickets in an IPL season.

Chahal picked 5/40, including a hat-trick, to take his team to a narrow-seven run win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Chahal is currently the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2022, with 17 scalps at an average of 10.35 and an economy rate of 7.33. Chahal has got a chance to add more to his tally when Rajasthan faces Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday evening.

“Yuzi has been incredible. The wickets are expected to get drier as things go on. But he has shown great variation, he’s used his pace well. This is the most I’ve seen him turn the ball, really getting it to grip with over-spin on it as well, which I think is a huge asset for him. He’s got all the potential to keep the Royals going forward. He’s a wicket-taker and he could end up beating Bravo’s record,” Smith was quoted as saying by cricket.com.

Smith thinks that Delhi’s left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed will be a valuable asset for skipper Rishabh Pant. Despite a Covid-19 scare in their side with Tim Seifert testing positive for the virus hours ahead of their match against Punjab Kings, Delhi put out an all-around performance to thrash Punjab Kings by nine wickets, where Khaleel picked 2/21 in his four overs.

“I love having a left arm in the side. We spoke about how well Rishabh Pant maneuvered his bowlers. He maneuvered everyone and everyone made an impact. Khaleel looks confident and has wickets behind him. So, he’s relaxed.”

In a campaign where Delhi has won three and lost as many matches, Ahmed has turned out to be a vital cog in the pace wheel, picking 10 wickets at an average of 14.30 and economy rate of 7.15, sitting at seventh place in leading wicket-takers list of IPL 2022.

“You don’t feel that extreme pressure to perform. When it’s a flat wicket and the batters are coming after you, you need to have confidence in your skills. He has greatly improved, looks in control, he will be a big asset to Rishabh Pant on what should be another good batting surface at the Wankhede Stadium,” concluded Smith.

Stalin heads Chess Olympiad coordination committee

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Stalin heads Chess Olympiad coordination committee

In the order issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu, a coordinating committee headed by Chief Minister M.K Stalin has been set up to host the 44th Chess Olympiad, scheduled to be held from July 28 to August 10 in Mahabalipuram.

As per the Tamil Nadu government’s order chief minister’s son, Udhayanidhi Stalin is also included in the 23 members coordination committee.

On Thursday, Stalin informed the Tamil Nadu assembly that a committee will be formed for the successful holding of the Chess Olympiad.

The other members of the coordination committee are E.V Velu, Minister for Public Works and Highways, Siva. V. Meyyanathan, Minister for Environment and Sports, M. Mathiventhan, Minister for Tourism, A. Raja, Member of Parliament, All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Sanjay Kapoor, AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan, and Treasurer Naresh Sharma, M. Manickam, President, Tamil Nadu state chess association and senior state government officials.

The government on April 7 had sanctioned Rs.92.13 crore for the Chess Olympiad.

Keerthy Suresh, Selvaraghavan-starrer ‘Saani Kaayidham’ set for OTT release

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Keerthy Suresh, Selvaraghavan-starrer ‘Saani Kaayidham’ set for OTT release

Filmmaker Arun Matheswaran’s revenge action-drama ‘Saani Kaayidham’, which features Keerthy Suresh and Selvaraghavan in lead roles, is heading to OTT for its release with its teaser dropping online on Friday.

The film will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam on May 6.

The film tells the story of a generational curse coming true when injustice is inflicted upon Keerthy Suresh’s character of Ponni and her family. As seen in the teaser promo, she seeks vengeance along with Sangaiah (played by Selvaraghavan), with whom she shares a bitter past.

Sharing his excitement about the release date announcement, director Arun Matheswaran said in a statement, “I enjoy telling conventional stories in unconventional formats, bringing raw and edgy elements. Here’s a gritty action drama is woven around the theme of revenge; a story about a woman who is on a mission to seek vengeance.”

The Tamil film will be released on Prime Video on May 6, it will also be available as ‘Chinni’ in Telugu and as ‘Saani Kaayidham’ in Malayalam.

“Every story has an audience and I am thrilled that through the reach of Amazon Prime Video I can take ‘Saani Kaayidham’ to a global audience”, he added.

Siddharth Ravipati, who serves as the creative producer of the film, shared, “‘Saani Kaayidham’ is gripping and heart-wrenching in equal measure, and Arun Matheswaran has done a fantastic job in capturing the essence of the strength of a woman who is seeking justice.”

He further mentioned, “Both Keerthy Suresh and Selvaraghavan have given exceedingly brilliant and power-packed performances that will enhance the story’s appeal. I am eagerly looking forward to the film premiering on Prime Video on 6 May across languages.”

‘Saani Kaayidham’ has been produced under the banner of Screen Scene Media Entertainment.

We will effectively introduce FTA between India & UK: Modi

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We will effectively introduce FTA between India & UK: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and the UK are working on closing the negotiations for a free trade agreement by the end of the year.

Addressing the joint media address after the bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held at Hyderabad House, Modi said, “Recently we have concluded FTA talks with UAE and Australia. We wish to go for FTA with the UK with the same spirit and commitment.

“Last year, we established the strategic partnership and we have added the important Roadmap-2030 and during our talks, we reviewed the progress made in this direction and also set some goals,” Modi said.

He further said both countries have decided to enhance cooperation in the defense sector. “We welcome the UK as support in manufacturing, technology, design and development, and other sectors for Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Modi said.

Referring to the recent reforms initiated by India in the infrastructure modernization plan and National Infrastructure Pipeline, Modi said that India welcomes the increasing investments here by the UK companies and “we have seen such an example in Halol in Gujarat on Thursday.

“Around 1.6 million UK nationals of Indian origin have been making a positive contribution in the Indian economy and society as well. We are proud of those people of Indian origin, we want to further strengthen this bridge and in this direction, Prime Minister Johnson has personally helped a lot, I greet him for this,” the Indian Prime Minister said.

He also said that India has shown its commitment to fulfil the commitments made in COP-26 in Glasgow and decided to further enhance the partnership for climate and energy. “I invite the UK to join India’s National Hydrogen Mission and express my gratitude for setting up Strategic Tech Dialogue between the two countries,” Modi said.

“The conclusion of the implementation arrangements of the Global Innovation Partnership will prove to be a very important initiative between us today. This will further strengthen our partnership with other countries. Under this, India and the UK will co-finance up to $100 million for the transfer and scaling-up of “Made in India” innovations to third countries.

“These will also help in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and efforts to tackle climate change. This will prove to be very useful for our startups and MSME sector to explore new markets, and to globalize their innovations,” Modi said.

“We also discussed the many developments taking place at the regional and global level. We emphasized maintaining the Indo-Pacific region based on free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order. India welcomes the UK’s decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative,” the Indian Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan was also discussed during the meeting.

“During our talks,” Modi said, “We stressed dialogue and diplomacy in Ukraine for an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the problem. We also reiterated the importance of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries.

“We reiterated our support for a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan and for an inclusive and representative government,” Prime Minister Modi said, adding, “It is necessary that Afghan land should not be used to spread terrorism in other countries.”

Earlier, while addressing the media, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “I felt like Sachin Tendulkar upon my arrival and also felt like Amitabh Bachchan when I saw hoardings everywhere.”

The British Prime Minister had arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Man booked for crushing dog under car wheels in K’taka

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Man booked for crushing dog under car wheels in K’taka

A man has been booked for crushing a street dog under his car wheels in Jnanabharathi police station limits in Bengaluru, police said on Friday.

A manhunt has been launched to nab the accused.

According to police, the incident, which was captured on a CCTV camera, took place near Nagadevanahalli on April 19. Ramachandra Bhatta, a resident of Kengeri, has lodged a police complaint regarding the incident.

The accused had first hit the dog from the rear. After being tossed up in the air when the canine fell down in front of the vehicle, the man ran over it, police said.

He had ensured that the dog was crushed under both front and rear wheels. After running over, the man escaped from the spot. The severely injured dog somehow managed to reach the roadside and died in a few minutes.

On noticing the hurt dog howling and growling, the locals rushed to its aid and tried pouring water in its mouth. The accused has been identified and a hunt has been launched to nab him. Further investigation is on.

I am not interested in the job: Eoin Morgan rules himself out from Test captaincy

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I am not interested in the job: Eoin Morgan rules himself out from Test captaincy

England’s 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan on Friday has ruled himself out from the race of becoming the next men’s Test captain and has instead backed all-rounder Ben Stokes to take up the job after Joe Root’s resignation earlier in April.

Whoever becomes England’s Test captain has got the tough job to get the side on track with collective performances in all departments of the game. In its last 17 Tests, England has emerged victorious just once and lost the Ashes 4-0 in Australia followed by a 1-0 defeat in West Indies.

“Absolutely not, no. I’m very happy with the role that I play within the white-ball team and English cricket at the moment. It has been the part of my career that I’m most proud of. My career is firmly focused on World Cups, and hopefully sustaining what we’ve built over the last six years is probably going to be the most important part of what I leave behind eventually. I haven’t played red-ball cricket for a long time. I wouldn’t have any interest in the job. I would be no good at it,” Morgan told Sky Sports.

Morgan, who played a Test match in February 2012 against Pakistan in Dubai, has backed Stokes to take the role of captaining England in the longest format of the game.

“Obviously Ben is a fantastic player, a brilliant leader, though he doesn’t need to have the captain’s armband on to the lead as he does. The experience of the World Cup final here (at Lord’s) really showed his true colors in the way that he led from start to finish – and throughout the whole tournament as well,” he said.

“He’d certainly be a candidate. I think it would be hard to turn down the captaincy. It’s a privileged position to be in. Obviously, circumstances have to be right, but most people who want to take red-ball cricket forward would like to take it on.”

Morgan revealed that he had a meeting with the new ECB managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, and felt that splitting coaching roles on the basis of formats would be the road ahead as England gears up to appoint the next coaches for the men’s team. “Just the demands of the game as a whole now are huge, there is almost no break. It’s such a big ask for one man to do the job.”

Yogi govt to set up stadiums, open gyms in 100 gram panchayats

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Yogi govt to set up stadiums, open gyms in 100 gram panchayats

Uttar Pradesh is soon going to become a dreamland for the aspiring sportspersons in the country as the Yogi Adityanath government has started preparations for setting up sports grounds and gymnasiums in 100 Gram Panchayats across the state.

In order to promote sports talent and hone the skills of players coming out from the small villages and districts, the Yogi Government, in its second innings, has prioritized providing sports facilities to all the players.

According to the government spokesman, the focus of the state government, which is engaged in realizing the mission ‘Khoob-Khelo-Khoob-Badho’, is mainly on the players coming out of the villages.

The government is ensuring that the players, who have the potential to bring laurels to the country, should not be deprived of any facilities.

The Youth Welfare Department is engaged in arranging sports fields and open gyms from village to village at the gram panchayat level under the MGNREGA scheme.

The state government is also making efforts to nurture sports talent and intensify sports competition within the state. The aim of the government is to establish Uttar Pradesh as a leading state within the country in sports.

Specialist coaches have been appointed to impart training. Along with increasing the convenience of the players in the hostels, construction of new stadiums is also being done at a rapid pace.

It is worth mentioning that during the previous tenure, the Yogi government has built more than 44 hostels for the training of 16 sports in 19 districts.

The amount for sports kits has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500. Many gifts have also been given to the players who bring medals at the Olympics.

Google, nurture.farm to develop cheap methods to measure soil health

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Google, nurture.farm to develop cheap methods to measure soil health

Tech giant Google and Ag-Tech open digital platform nurture. the farm has partnered with a research collaboration to identify scalable and cost-effective solutions to measure soil health, covering soil organic carbon and other key nutrients in the soil.

Soil health is key for crop yield and productivity. But poor land practices and management, magnified by climate change, have wrecked healthy soils.

To test soil health, farmers majorly rely on chemical-based analysis where soil samples are collected and analyzed in a laboratorya. But, limited testing facilities, lower awareness among farmers, and the logistical and operational costs make the approach challenging.

Google and nurture.farm has outlined multiple areas of research collaboration to accelerate the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the country.

The partnership will empower farmers with quick, affordable, and scalable soil health measurement, helping them optimize their choices of crops, seeds, and nutrients across various seasons. Besides benefiting the farmers with a better return on investment, it will also promote practices that make farming, and our planet, more sustainable.

“We look forward to our collaboration with nurture. farm, utilizing Google’s suite of AI and imaging technologies, Cloud, and advanced geospatial analysis and machine learning expertise to help unearth long-term solutions for sustainable agriculture,” said Manish Gupta, Director, Google Research, in a statement.

“At nurture.farm, our objective is to bring advanced and innovative technology-led solutions to ease the decision-making process and improve outcomes for farmers, with a focus on smallholder farmers of India. With this collaboration with Google, we are working together to develop a scalable, real-time, and cost-effective method to measure soil quality,” added Pranav Tiwari, CTO, nurture. farm.

The teams will focus on the use of hyperspectral image analysis combined with other remote sensing and data collection methods, to accurately measure soil organic carbon (SOC) and other nutrients in soil across a range of soil types and characteristics that comprise the landscape of agricultural practices in India.

This method of soil testing will help extend soil testing services at affordable costs to farmers across India and guide them towards ways to improve soil health, select suitable crops, input products, and operating practices, resulting in higher yields and income.

IPL 2022: Mukesh Choudhary’s spotlight moment in Chennai jersey arrives after see-saw journey

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IPL 2022: Mukesh Choudhary’s spotlight moment in Chennai jersey arrives after see-saw journey

A couple of days ago against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022, Mukesh Choudhary was out of sorts. Going for 40 runs in his four overs though he picked a wicket and dropped some catches, Choudhary looked like a person who was in dire need of confidence and inspiration to bounce back.

A few days before, Choudhary had taken some serious beating when he went for 52 runs in four wicketless overs against Punjab Kings. But thanks to Chennai’s reputation of backing players to the hilt despite average showings, Choudhary’s chance to shine came when he picked three early wickets against Mumbai Indians at DY Patil Stadium.

From four wickets in the first five IPL 2022 matches to picking 3/19 in three overs against Mumbai, it has been a stunning turnaround tale for Choudhary. With his left-arm pace, Chaudhary set the tone by forcing Rohit Sharma to chip too early to mid-on, knocked over Ishan Kishan with a yorker that had some away-swing, and sent back Dewald Brevis early to leave Mumbai in mess.

It took him time but he has now stepped up to the faith shown in him by the team management in taking wickets upfront and setting the base for Chennai’s close win. Cricket was Choudhary’s favorite sport when he was growing up in Pardodas village in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

“When I was small, the bigger guys wouldn’t let me bat or bowl, but I would field all day. The situation in my home was not great. In my village, there was no club or anything so it all started with a tennis ball. In the fourth standard, my father put me in a boarding school because there wasn’t much facility to study in my village. I then tried other sports too, like basketball, volleyball, and hockey. But cricket was always my favorite,” said Choudhary to CSK TV.

As Choudhary grew from a young boy to a teenager, a shift to boarding school in Pune began a serious growth of his cricketing ambitions amidst expectations of doing well in academics. “Then in 9th standard, I came to a boarding school in Pune. I got an opportunity to play a few matches with a leather ball. Then in junior college, I played more matches and I lost interest in academics.”

“I didn’t tell my parents but I started focusing on cricket. When my name would appear in newspapers, I would send it to them. My father said ok, but continue to study because a lot of people play cricket. Two years later I played Ranji Trophy (for Maharashtra) – then he felt ok and supported me. Till I got selected for the state, only my brother knew I was playing cricket seriously. My parents didn’t know!”

Choudhary’s sterling show against Mumbai must have made his father proud back home. “I only wanted to be in the ground through the day. I didn’t want to go out or anything. From morning to evening, I was on the ground. I learned from my father about working hard. He would leave at 4 am and come back at midnight. He felt if he worked hard, his children will be happy in the future. My father did a lot for us and there’s nobody bigger than him for me.”

“You have to believe in yourself that you can turn things around anytime in difficult times.” This was Australia pace great Glenn McGrath’s advice to Choudhary at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where the left-arm pacer trained under the legendary Australian. On Thursday, McGrath’s advice came apt when the young pacer overcame his poor IPL start to leave Mumbai in tatters.

“My journey has been difficult but my family supported me. When I was alone in Pune, my sister supported me a lot. Food, physically, mentally… even when I was down at times, my sister would send me to the ground forcefully. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do well. Even when I was selected, she told me to think about the next steps and do well,” signed off Choudhary.

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