Google to begin testing 3rd party billing systems with Spotify

TB Team
-
0
Google to begin testing 3rd party billing systems with Spotify

Tech giant Google has announced a pilot program to test third-party billing systems in Android and across its wider ecosystem.

The program will allow a small number of participating developers to offer an additional billing option next to Google Play’s billing system and is designed to help it explore ways to offer this choice to users while maintaining its ability to invest in the ecosystem.

“We think that users should continue to have the choice to use Play’s billing system when they install an app from Google Play,” Sameer Samat, Vice President, Product Management said in a blog post.

“We also think it is critical that alternative billing systems meet similarly high safety standards in protecting users’ personal data and sensitive financial information,” it added.

The company said it will be partnering with developers to explore different implementations of user-choice billing, starting with Spotify.

“As one of the world’s largest subscription developers with a global footprint and integrations across a wide range of device form factors, they are a natural first partner,” the company said.

“Together, we will work to innovate in how consumers make in-app purchases, deliver engaging experiences across multiple devices, and bring more consumers to the Android platform,” it added.

Meanwhile, the New Delhi-based Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) called Google’s “user choice billing” announcement for “select” developers a clear admission of guilt and an illusion of choice tactic. It has called for an extension of the March 30 deadline to all developers.

“We, at ADIF, believe that Google’s move to allow select app developers to offer other payment methods — instead of mandatorily enforcing Google Play Billing — is a clear admission of guilt that the existing policy is unfair and discriminatory,” ADIF said in a statement.

“User choice billing should be made a rule for all developers and not an exception for a select company. Extending this to only a few companies without much clarity on the terms and commission rates reeks of preferential treatment — again unfair and discriminatory.”

ADIF said that with the deadline barely a week away, this announcement seems like headline management and yet another distract and deflect tactic.

“Backlash from Indian developers and intervention by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) forced Google to extend the Play Billing deadline to October in India,” the foundation said.

“However, for the rest of the world, come March 30, developers will have to pay high commissions and mandatorily use the Google Billing System. It’s about time Google’s high-handedness is put to an end,” it added.

Allu Arjun congratulates ‘Bheemla Nayak’ team on OTT debut

TB Team
-
0
Allu Arjun congratulates ‘Bheemla Nayak’ team on OTT debut

Telugu star Pawan Kalyan’s recent hit movie ‘Bheemla Nayak’ has started streaming on Aha and Disney+ Hotstar.

Congratulating the entire team of ‘Bheemla Nayak’, Allu Arjun shares a heartfelt message.

‘Pushpa’ actor Allu Arjun, who is currently prepping up to start shooting for the blockbuster movie ‘Pushpa’s sequel, had taken his Instagram to congratulate team ‘Bheemla Nayak’.

“I am late to the party, but wanted to convey my big congratulations to Pawan Kalyan Garu, Rana Daggubati, Trivikram Garu, director Sagar K Chandra, Thaman, Naga Vamsi, and the entire team of ‘Bheemla Nayak’ for such a huge blockbuster. Enjoy the highest quality movie on Aha!”, Allu Arjun’s note reads.

‘Bheemla Nayak’ will start streaming on OTT platform Aha (Allu Arjun’s father Allu Aravind owns Aha) from March 25. With ‘Bheemla Nayak’, Aha has announced 4K and Dolby 5.1 support for their connoisseur subscribers.

Rana Daggubati’s debut with Power Star Pawan Kalyan is another highlight of Sagar K Chandra’s directorial ‘Beemla Nayak’.

Starring Nithya Menon and Samyukta Menon as the female leads, the film transports the audience into a universe of ego war.

Trivikram Srinivas’ crip screenplay writing, Thaman’s thumping music, and the dynamics of the story are the reasons behind the movie’s theatrical success.

NTR, Ram Charan seek to imbibe qualities from each other

TB Team
-
0
NTR, Ram Charan seek to imbibe qualities from each other

The nation has witnessed the bromance between ‘RRR’ actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR during their country tour, as they promoted S.S. Rajamouli’s epic directorial.

Now that the D-Day has arrived, the actors have expressed what quality from each other they seek to imbibe.

In a conversation with Rana Daggubati, NTR and Ram Charan had expressed that they had unlimited fun on the sets of ‘RRR’.

When quizzed about one thing NTR would imbibe from Charan, NTR said that he would love to have the calmness and composure of Charan.

“I am a hyperactive person, and I feel that I need to calm down sometimes. So, if I had that composure like Charan, it would be a great balance”, the ‘Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava’ actor said.

On the other hand, Ram Charan expressed that he would want to have the grasping power of NTR. “He grasps things so quickly. I would like to imbibe that quality from Tarak”, the ‘Magadheera’ actor said.

Rajamouli, who kept talking about Ram Charan and NTR’s brawls on the sets, mentions that they both are equally hardworking and are looking forward to the movie’s release, so as to see the audience’s reception.

The shoes are too big to fill: Tiger on ‘Heropanti 2’ Eid release

TB Team
-
0
The shoes are too big to fill: Tiger on ‘Heropanti 2’ Eid release

Bollywood action star Tiger Shroff is gearing up for his first-ever Eid release in the form of ‘Heropanti 2’, feels that he has a huge responsibility on his shoulders to deliver a knockout film.

For years together, the festival of Eid has been synonymous with Salman Khan’s film releases. This time around with the ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ star not coming out with any release, Tiger feels that the shoes are too big to fill.

Sharing his thoughts on booking an Eid release for his actioner, Tiger said, “Heropanti 2 is my first ever Eid release, a period that has been synonymous to Salman sir because of his blockbuster film releases.”

“I am aware that the shoes are too big to fill but I’m glad that I got this opportunity to entertain the audience around a festive time like this. It’s a huge responsibility but the pressure reduces when I see all the love that is coming my way. I feel grateful,” he added.

Ever since Salman Khan has blocked this festive time of Eid for his films, there’s been no one else who has come on that date, except perhaps Shah Rukh Khan, who had one Eid release.

‘Heropanti 2’, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tara Sutaria, is a sequel to the hit 2014 film ‘Heropanti’ which was Tiger’s debut vehicle.

In addition, Tiger also has ‘Ganapath’ and ‘Baaghi 4’ up his sleeves for this year.

Apple may rebrand A15 Bionic as A16 for iPhone 14

TB Team
-
0
Apple may rebrand A15 Bionic as A16 for iPhone 14

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 series in or around September and now a new report suggests that for some of the upcoming models, the company will slightly modify the A15 chip, which is based on the 5nm process, and rebrand it as the A16.

According to GizmoChina, the actual new chip could be labeled as the A16 Pro, which will likely be reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max will retain the same A15 chip from the iPhone 13 series. Kuo believes all models will have 6GB of memory, the Pro models will use LPDDR5 and the non-Pro will use LPDDR 4X.

The upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts near the top of the display. The hole is believed to be for the Face ID dot projector, while the pill-shaped cutout will supposedly house the front camera as well as the Face ID infrared camera at a minimum. The Pro models would come with a big camera upgrade.

Current Pro iPhones ship with a 12MP camera onboard. However, iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a 48MP camera.

Apple has reportedly advised major US carriers to prepare for the launch of eSIM-only smartphones by September this year. It is possible that Apple might remove the physical SIM card slot starting with some iPhone 14 models, rather than some iPhone 15 models as originally rumored.

Actress abduction case: Dileep’s wife Kavya Madhavan may be summoned by probe team

TB Team
-
0
Actress abduction case: Dileep’s wife Kavya Madhavan may be summoned by probe team

The probe team, investigating the 2017 actress abduction case in which actor Dileep is the main accused, is likely to serve a notice to his wife and former actress Kavya Madhavan to appear before it.

Dileep, along with others, is also facing a trial for conspiring to kill the officials probing the assault case.

Kerala High Court has given the probe team time till April 15 to complete the probe and hence, apart from his wife, a few other VIPs are also likely to be called in.

Dileep has already been served a notice to appear before them which might take place on Monday.

It was a moral victory for the team when the High Court first refused to suspend the further probe and later a stay sought by the actor into the probe was also nixed.

Late last year, his former friend and director Balachandrakumar had come out in the open against him, disclosing that Dileep was conspiring to eliminate police officials investigating the 2017 actress abduction case in which he is presently out on bail.

However, the actor’s counsel argued that the fresh disclosures were cooked up by the prosecution to book the actor and to fabricate evidence against him after the probe agency failed to find any concrete evidence.

A frontline south Indian heroine had complained that she had been abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of goons in 2017 and certain scenes were filmed to blackmail her. After the main accused Sunil was arrested and questioned, Dileep was accused of being the main conspirator in the case and arrested.

According to the prosecution, Dileep, who is presently out on bail after spending two months in jail, had also seen the visuals of the attack on the actress.

Kavya Madhavan is the second wife of Dileep, whom he married after divorce with his first wife another frontline actress Manju Warrier who has since returned to acting.

Kavya has quit the film industry post her wedding.

Ukraine claims Russia is preparing chemical attacks

TB Team
-
0
Ukraine claims Russia is preparing chemical attacks

The Centre for Counteracting Disinformation of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine has warned of possible chemical attacks being prepared by the Russian forces.

“Russian channels tell their audience daily about mythical laboratories that allegedly create chemical weapons in Ukraine.”

“This is how the enemy ‘grooms’ the population of the Russian Federation regarding the use of chemical weapons by ‘nationalists against the civilian population’. We emphasize that there are no such laboratories in Ukraine,” the Council said, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Earlier, experts from the Russian Armed Forces have revealed new evidence of the involvement of the US Department of Defense in the development of biological weapons in Ukraine.

This was stated at a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov.

Experts from the Russian troops of radiation, chemical, and biological protection, in the course of studying documents, revealed new facts proving the direct involvement of the US Department of Defense in the development of biological weapons components in Ukraine, he said, RT reported.

According to Konashenkov, in the near future, the Ministry of Defense will publish original documents that demonstrate that the Pentagon developed and approved the U-Pi-2 biological project.

It is noted that the main goal of this project was to conduct a molecular analysis of especially dangerous infections that are endemic to Ukraine.

“This work involved sampling the pathogen in old cattle burial grounds in order to obtain new strains of anthrax,” a Russian defense official said.

NASA to develop second Moon lander, alongside SpaceX’s Starship

TB Team
-
0
NASA to develop second Moon lander, alongside SpaceX’s Starship

As NASA makes strides to return humans to the lunar surface under Artemis, the space agency has announced plans to create a second Moon lander other than SpaceX’s Starship, creating additional opportunities for commercial companies.

Under the plan, NASA is asking American companies to propose lander concepts capable of ferrying astronauts between lunar orbit and the lunar surface for missions beyond Artemis III, which will land the first astronauts on the Moon in more than 50 years.

The new lander will be built and operated according to NASA’s long-term requirements at the Moon, and it will have the capability to dock to a lunar orbiting space station known as Gateway, increase crew capacity, and transport more science and technology to the surface.

“Under Artemis, NASA will carry out a series of groundbreaking missions on and around the Moon to prepare for the next giant leap for humanity: a crewed mission to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, in a statement.

“Competition is critical to our success on the lunar surface and beyond, ensuring we have the capability to carry out a cadence of missions over the next decade,” he added.

To bring a second entrant to market for the development of a lunar lander in parallel with SpaceX, NASA will issue a draft solicitation in the coming weeks. The second contract award, known as the Sustaining Lunar Development contract, will pave the way to future recurring lunar transportation services for astronauts at the Moon, NASA said.

“This strategy expedites progress toward a long-term, sustaining lander capability as early as the 2026 or 2027 timeframe,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, programme manager for the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

“We expect to have two companies safely carry astronauts in their landers to the surface of the Moon under NASA’s guidance before we ask for services, which could result in multiple experienced providers in the market,” she added.

NASA is committed to using a commercial astronaut lunar lander to carry the astronauts to the surface of the Moon, expanding exploration and preparing humanity for the next giant leap, human exploration of Mars.

Astronaut Moon landers are a vital part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, ground systems, and Gateway.

In April 2021, NASA selected SpaceX as its partner to land the next American astronauts on the lunar surface, slated for launch no earlier than April 2025.

NASA has also asked SpaceX to transform the company’s proposed human landing system into a spacecraft that meets the agency’s requirements for recurring services for a second demonstration mission.

Meta appoints new India head for auto, D2C vertical

TB Team
-
0
Meta appoints new India head for auto, D2C vertical

Meta on Thursday announced the appointment of Saugato Bhowmik as the Director of the CPG, Auto, and D2C industry vertical in India to lead the strategy and solutions that are focused on the company’s largest consumer goods and auto advertisers.

Saugato’s appointment comes on the back of a series of senior leadership recruitments over the past few months across business, policy, and partnerships, demonstrating the company’s expanding charter and commitment to India. He will report to Arun Srinivas, Director and Head of Global Business Group at Meta in India.

“The consumer goods and auto industries in India are on the cusp of a massive transformation as they transition to online with businesses building new ways of reaching their customers,” Srinivas, said in a statement.

“We play a pivotal role in this journey as many of the brands in this space are using our apps to go direct-to-consumer. We are thrilled to welcome Saugato as he joins our team to lead this exciting mandate and to shape the role our apps can play in enabling the growth of some of India’s largest consumer goods and auto businesses,” he added.

As a part of his role, Saugato will spearhead the company’s strategic relationship with the country’s leading consumer goods companies and auto businesses, as well as the exciting charter of direct-to-consumer businesses.

Saugato comes with more than 20 years of experience in senior sales, marketing, and business strategy roles at leading CPG companies such as Dabur and Unilever. He has also held key leadership positions at Viacom18 Media, where he also launched Voot Kids OTT.

His last assignment was with Red Bull, where he was the Chief Marketing Officer for India.

Jr NTR creates a sensation while singing his favourite song

TB Team
-
0
Jr NTR creates a sensation while singing his favourite song

During one of the media interactions, Jr NTR, who is now being identified for his crazy dialogue imitation from Telugu movies, was seen imitating almost every funny dialogue from Telugu movies.

Having sung one of his favorite songs during a recent interview, Ntr is now being hyped as one of the most energetic heroes in Tollywood.

During their interaction with Malayalam media, S.S. Rajamouli, NTR, and Ram Charan shared their interests and tastes. NTR, who revealed details about his favorite song, crooned ‘Aasa Paasam’ from ‘C/O Kancherapalem’, a critically acclaimed movie.

The ‘Aravindha Sametha’ actor said that he has been listening to ‘Asha Pasham’ from ‘Care Of Kancharapalem’ ever since it was released. The song in question, possessing philosophical lyrics written by Vishwa, was sung by Anurag Kulkarni.

Composed by Sweekar Agasthi, this song seems to be NTR’s favorite one, not just for the melodious music, but also for the philosophical lines.

Among all the interviews the ‘RRR’ team has given, Jr NTR is the one who has been the most talkative. A recent conversation with anchor Suma, and another conversation with music director MM Keeravani, has increased the hype around the movie, mainly because of NTR’s perkiness.

‘RRR’ is to be released in a few hours now, having NTR essay the role of Komaram Bheem.

BJP MP pushes for ‘One nation, One election’ in Rajya Sabha

TB Team
-
0
BJP MP pushes for ‘One nation, One election’ in Rajya Sabha

Pitching for ‘One nation, One election, BJP MP Dr. D.P Vats on Thursday demanded that all the elections be held at the same time to prevent the national resources from draining.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP lawmaker batted for simultaneous elections. He said that in 1967, the then government had dismissed many state governments and held fresh Assembly polls. “From then only, the nation got into an election mode with polls being held in different intervals throughout the year,” he added.

Continuous holding of elections, Vats said, also drains the administrative and national resources.

Referring to a media report, the BJP leader said that when the Covid pandemic broke out in China, many international manufacturing companies shifted their base to Indonesia and nearby countries. But India was left out as, according to the report, it is always in election or agitation mode.

He requested that the government, on the basis of consensus among all political parties, hold all elections at the same time.

Other Members are also associated with Dr. Vats on this issue.

Maruti Suzuki Board appoints Hisashi Takeuchi as MD & CEO

TB Team
-
0
Maruti Suzuki Board appoints Hisashi Takeuchi as MD & CEO

Automobile major Maruti Suzuki’s Board on Thursday appointed Hisashi Takeuchi as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company with effect from April 1.

The new appointment is consequent to the completion of the incumbent Kenichi Ayukawa’s term on March 31, 2022.

Besides, the company said that in order to facilitate a smooth transition, Kenichi Ayukawa will continue as a Whole-time Director designated as Executive Vice Chairman till September 30, 2022, and will continue to provide guidance to the company.

Furthermore, these appointments are subject to shareholders’ approval.

“India is one of the most interesting and promising automobile markets in the world and it has been both a challenging and a fulfilling stint for me. Takeuchi has an excellent understanding of the Indian as well as international markets and is placed well to lead Maruti Suzuki into the future,” said Ayukawa.

Ayukawa has been the Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki India Limited since April 2013.

According to Takeuchi: “Maruti Suzuki is a great organisation with a rich legacy and it will be my endeavor that we keep serving more and more customers both in India and the world with exciting cars that are good for them, environment and society.”

“We will also try to build our business in a manner that strengthens Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the economic growth of India.”

Takeuchi joined Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) in 1986.

He has been on the Board of Maruti Suzuki since July 2019 and as Joint Managing Director (Commercial) since April 2021.

Twitter’s DM search to finally help users find conversations

TB Team
-
0
Twitter’s DM search to finally help users find conversations

Micro-blogging site Twitter has announced that its Direct Message (DM) search feature has received an upgrade as it can now search through the content of your conversations and return specific messages that contain whatever keyword you type in.

Before users could only use it to search for people’s names or the names of group chats, but now if they want to find that one conversation they had with a friend about “chili” they can just type it into the search bar, reports The Verge.

Of course, searching for person or conversation names still works, and users can even decide whether they want to see results for people, groups, or messages — handy if the keyword they are trying to search happens to be someone’s name.

This change has been a long time coming, the report said.

When Twitter brought DM search to Android in May 2021, it said that content search was coming later that year.

The company seems to have missed that deadline by a bit, but at least it is available on every platform — the original search was available on iOS for almost two years before Twitter added it to Android.

Acting allows me to express a range of emotions: Rumi Khan

TB Team
-
0
Acting allows me to express a range of emotions: Rumi Khan

Actor Rumi Khan, who has acted in TV shows like ‘Ishq Ka Rang Safed’, ‘Mahabharat’ and ‘Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh’, feels being an actor he has learned to express himself.

He says: “Acting and drama allows to express a range of emotions and encourages to understand and deal with similar feelings they may be experiencing. Aggression and tension are released in a safe, controlled environment, often allowing for a period of reflection afterward.”

“As an actor, understanding characters, roles and the subtext of plays and musicals allow me to relate better to different situations, backgrounds, and cultures. It encourages to show compassion and tolerance for others in real life too. Acting brings elements of play, humor, and laughter. It improves motivation and reduces stress.”

The actor credits acting as his fitness secret. “Apart from going to the gym and working out. Acting, even the most passive performances, requires intensive movement over a prolonged period. Many performing arts exercises improve flexibility, coordination, balance, and control. It is not a fact that to be an actor you’ll have to be fit. But I personally believe practicing acting itself keeps you fit and fine. It is my fitness secret.”

Rumi has also acted in Bollywood movies like ‘Baby’, ‘Karle Pyaar Karle’ and ‘Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha’

Broccoli, leafy greens can help slow growth of Covid, flu

TB Team
-
0
Broccoli, leafy greens can help slow growth of Covid, flu

A chemical derived from a compound found abundantly in broccoli and other cruciferous plants such as cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts may offer a potentially new and potent weapon against the viruses that cause Covid-19 and the common cold, researchers have found.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Children’s Centre showed that sulforaphane – a plant-derived chemical – known as a phytochemical with anti-cancer effects, can inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid, and another human coronavirus in cells and mice.

While the results, published in the Nature journal Communications Biology, are promising, the researchers caution the public against rushing to buy sulforaphane supplements available online and in stores, noting that studies of sulforaphane in humans are necessary before the chemical is proven effective, and emphasizing the lack of regulation covering such supplements.

In the study, the team used purified, synthetic sulforaphane purchased from commercial chemical suppliers in their experiments. In one experiment, the research team first exposed cells to sulforaphane for one to two hours before infecting the cells with SARS-CoV-2 and the common cold coronavirus, HCoV-OC43.

They found that low micromolar concentrations of sulforaphane reduced the replication by 50 percent of six strains of SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta and Omicron variants, as well as that of the HCoV-OC43 coronavirus.

Sulforaphane when combined with remdesivir – an antiviral medication used to shorten the recovery of hospitalized adults with Covid infections – also inhibited 50 percent of the replication of both HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2.

“What we found is that sulforaphane is antiviral against HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses while also helping control the immune response,” said Alvaro Ordonez, Assistant Professor of pediatrics at the University’s School of Medicine.

“This multifunctional activity makes it an interesting compound to use against these viral infections, as well as those caused by other human coronaviruses,” Ordonez added.

The researchers then conducted studies in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. They found that giving 30 milligrams of sulforaphane per kilogram of body weight to mice before infecting them with the virus significantly decreased the loss of body weight that’s typically associated with virus infection (7.5 percent decrease).

Further, the pre-treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in both the viral load or amount of virus, in the lungs (17 percent decrease) and upper respiratory tract (9 percent decrease), as well as the amount of lung injury (29 percent decrease), compared with infected mice that were not given sulforaphane.

The compound also decreased inflammation in the lungs, protecting the cells from a hyperactive immune response that seems to be one of the driving factors that has caused many people to die from Covid-19.

Rachel Zegler, Serena Williams, J.K. Simmons join presenters for Oscars

TB Team
-
0
Rachel Zegler, Serena Williams, J.K. Simmons join presenters for Oscars

Rachel Zegler, Jacob Elordi, Serena and Venus Williams, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Momoa, Jill Scott, and J.K. Simmons are among the final batch of presenters for the 94th Oscar, the Academy Awards announced recently, reports ‘Variety’.

They are set to join previously announced presenters including Elliot Page, Bill Murray, Jennifer Garner, Stephanie Beatriz, DJ Khaled, H.E.R., Tiffany Haddish, Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater, Shaun White, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o, John Travolta, Mila Kunis, Naomi Scott, Wesley Snipes, Anthony Hopkins, Simu Liu, Uma Thurman, Rami Malek, Lily James, Ruth E. Carter, John Leguizamo, Kevin Costner, Lady Gaga, Youn Yuh-Jung, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, and Zoe Kravitz.

As per ‘Variety’, ‘West Side Story’ star Zegler, who revealed on Sunday that she hadn’t received a ticket to the Oscars yet, was invited to present on Tuesday following backlash to her not having a ticket.

After the announcement, Zegler tweeted: “Well folks, I can’t believe I’m saying this but… see you on Sunday! The absolutely incredible team at @Disney and our ‘Snow White’ producers worked some real-life magic, and I am thrilled to be able to celebrate my @WestsideMovie fam at the Oscars.”

She continued in a thread, “It’s not lost on me that being able to shoot a film the scale of ‘Snow White’ during COVID is not easy, and any adjustment to our schedule is no small sacrifice… and obviously a huge thank you to @TheAcademy @WillPackerProds for the presenter spot; I’m so excited to open that shiny envelope. I could not be more grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. Seriously. Now, what to wear.”

Oscars producer Will Packer, said in a statement accessed by ‘Variety’, “Movies inspire us, entertain us and unite us across the globe. That’s the precise goal of the show this year, and we’re thrilled to welcome the first of a stellar lineup joining the Oscars stage to help us celebrate the power of film and honor the year’s best in filmmaking.”

Last year’s ceremony went without a host, in what the Academy called an “ensemble” format. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by the comic trio of Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall, with additional presenters to be announced in the coming weeks.

The 94th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets around the world on Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. They will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Experts urge dialogue among South Sudan parties

TB Team
-
0
Experts urge dialogue among South Sudan parties

Experts have urged the belligerent parties to the 2018 revitalized peace deal in South Sudan to immediately resume dialogue after the main opposition party led by First Vice President Riek Machar withdrew from participating in the security mechanisms.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in opposition (SPLM/A-IO) on Tuesday announced its withdrawal from the vital security mechanisms key to salvaging the fragile peace deal, citing “unprovoked attacks” from troops loyal to President Salva Kiir, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, Abraham Kuol Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba, urged the regional body Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), together with the Revitalized Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), to immediately convene a stakeholders’ meeting to break the current stalemate.

Kuol said there is a need for the two bodies to push for cooperation among the parties in order to have them accomplish such critical tasks as the graduation of the 83,000 unified forces.

He told Xinhua that the protest by SPLA-IO is sending a very strong signal to other signatories of the peace agreement.

“If SPLM/A-IO is dropping out when the peace agreement is coming to an end, it is going be difficult for the people to get consensus on either the extension of the peace agreement or accomplishing the milestones that are left.”

The protest by SPLA-IO came in the aftermath of intermittent fighting since August last year with its splinter faction led by Simon Gatwech Dual in Unity and Upper Nile states.

The SPLM/A-IO accuses the South Sudan army (SSPDF) of sowing seeds of discontent within its rank and file in order to weaken it.

Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said the withdrawal of the SPLM/A-IO from the security mechanisms puts the critical security arrangements in jeopardy.

The ongoing transitional period is expected to end in April 2023, and national elections are supposed to be held after that.

Yakani said the latest development could also be due to a lack of trust and confidence among the parties, which are vital pillars for the successful implementation of the peace deal.

Ter Manyang, executive director for the Centre for Peace and Advocacy, said the move by SPLM/A-IO goes against Article 1.4.2 of the revitalized peace deal that calls for collective responsibility among its signatories.

Manyang said the parties have an obligation to avoid any actions and provocations that could return the country back to war.

The RJMEC said now is a critical time in the implementation of the peace agreement as much needs to be done in less than 11 months of the transitional period.

It said security mechanisms, which are composed of representatives from across the different parties to the agreement, are an integral component of implementing the Transitional Security Arrangements of the agreement.

In a statement, the RJMEC reminded all parties that full engagement and inclusive dialogue within the framework of the peace deal is the only way of resolving disagreements.

‘Don’t sensationalise’, SC refuses urgent hearing on plea against K’taka HC order on hijab

TB Team
-
0
‘Don’t sensationalise’, SC refuses urgent hearing on plea against K’taka HC order on hijab

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give any specific date to hear a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms.

Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat mentioned one of the cases on behalf of a petitioner, a Muslim girl student, and sought urgent listing of the matter. Kamat insisted that exams were approaching and urged the court for an urgent hearing on the matter.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said this has nothing to do with the exams. The Chief Justice told Kamat not to sensationalize the matter.

Kamat contended that the girl students were not being allowed to enter the schools, and they will lose one year. However, the bench moved on to the next item.

On March 16, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which held that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of the essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.

Then, senior advocate Sanjay Hedge, representing the petitioners, mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana. Hedge said there was urgency in the matter, as several girls have to appear in exams. The bench said others have also mentioned that the court will look into the matter.

Hedge had insisted that the exams are starting and there was urgency in the matter.

The bench said it needed time and it would post the matter for hearing. After brief submissions, the bench said the court may list it after Holi vacations. “Give us time, we’ll post the matter,” said the bench.

The plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed and Rahamathullah Kothwal said the high court order creates an unreasonable classification between the Muslim and the non-Muslim female students and thereby is in straight violation of the concept of secularism which forms the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The petitioners are Mohamed Arif Jameel and others.

The plea said: “The impugned order is also in sheer violation of the Article 14, 15, 19, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution and also violates the core principles of the International Conventions that India is a signatory to.”

It further added, “Being aggrieved by the impugned Government Order, as it is in violation of Indian constitution, the petitioner had approached the Hon’ble High Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition challenging the validity of the same.

“The Hon’ble High Court vide the impugned order had sought to curtail the fundamental right of Muslim student-women by upholding the impugned Government Order which bars Muslim women from wearing the hijab and pursuing their education. It is hereby submitted that the right to wear hijab is an ‘essential religious practice’ and falls within the ambit of the right of expression guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a), the right to privacy, and also the Freedom of Conscience under Article 25 of the Constitution. The same cannot be infringed upon without a valid ‘law’.”

Another plea, filed by two Muslim students, Manan and Niba Naaz, through advocate Anas Tanwir, said: “The petitioners most humbly submit that the High Court has erred in creating a dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience wherein the court has inferred that those who follow a religion cannot have the right to conscience.”

IPL 2022: Visa cleared, Moeen Ali set to join CSK

TB Team
-
0
IPL 2022: Visa cleared, Moeen Ali set to join CSK

The long wait for Chennai Super Kings’ all-rounder Moeen Ali has ended and he is now all set to join the team on Thursday.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and family have confirmed on Thursday that the 34-year-old England cricketer has got his visa papers to travel to India.

“He picked his papers yesterday and is ready to fly,” Moeen Ali’s father Munir Ali was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

“He will arrive in Mumbai in the evening and will straight away go into isolation,” said Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of the franchise.

The IPL starts on March 26 and being the defending champions, the Super Kings play the very first game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

PM Modi meets BJP MPs from Gujarat

TB Team
-
0
PM Modi meets BJP MPs from Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the BJP MPs from Gujarat at his official residence here.

Sources said that all the BJP MPs from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were present in the meeting with Prime Minister Modi. It is learned that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is a Lok Sabha member from Gujarat, was also present in the meeting.

The meeting lasted for around half an hour, sources said. A BJP MP from Gujarat said that Prime Minister Modi interacted with the BJP MPs from the state and asked about their work in the parliamentary constituency.

“It was a routine meeting which the Prime Minister holds during a Parliament session with MPs of different states. Today, he invited the MPs from Gujarat and discussed issues related to the state, and asked about the work we are doing in our area. He advised us to work for the people,” he said.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi had met the BJP MPs from Jharkhand and Bihar and discussed issues concerning both the states.

Prime Minister Modi regularly meets BJP MPs during the Parliament sessions. Sometimes, he meets the BJP MPs on a region-wise or state-wise basis.

“In these meetings, the Prime Minister listens to the concerns of the MPs and addresses them. He also guides them to improve their functioning,” a BJP leader said.

1...755756757...2,196Page 756 of 2,196