Mahesh Babu’s PLHF to facilitate treatment for kids with congenital heart diseases

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Mahesh Babu’s PLHF to facilitate treatment for kids with congenital heart diseases

Firmly believing that tiny hearts deserve the greatest care, Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu has now launched a foundation called the Pure Little Hearts Foundation (PLHF) at the Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute (RCHI) which will look to provide cardiac care for children.

The actor’s Mahesh Babu Foundation has joined forces with the RCHI for the noble initiative, as part of which economically-challenged children with congenital heart diseases would be treated at PLHF.

In India, congenital heart diseases account for 10 out of every 1,000 births. So, more than 200,000 children are born every year with congenital heart diseases.

Approximately one-fifth of these infants are likely to have a serious birth defect, requiring intervention during the first year.

Families of a majority of such kids are unable to afford quality children’s cardiac care, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Learning about this, Mahesh Babu, through his Foundation, has now collaborated with Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute and launched the Pure Little Hearts Foundation.

Speaking at the launch of the foundation, Mahesh Babu said, “Children have always been close to my heart. I am happy to support children who need cardiac care at RCHI through the Mahesh Babu Foundation. Tiny hearts deserve the greatest care.”

Mahesh Babu has been a strong supporter of causes that save sick children. The actor, through his foundation, has facilitated heart operations for over 1,000 children through Andhra Hospitals.

Meanwhile, the actor is associated with the ‘Heal A Child’ Foundation that supports kids who have no financial support and can’t afford medical expenses.

Mahesh Babu, who adopted the Burripalem and Siddapuram villages in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively, has been lending a helping hand with health and hygiene programs and has been responsible for creating social awareness in these villages through his Mahesh Babu Foundation.

1st Test: Jadeja leads the way with an unbeaten 175 as India declare at 574/8

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1st Test: Jadeja leads the way with an unbeaten 175 as India declare at 574/8

Ravindra Jadeja’s career-best, an unbeaten 175, led the way for India to declare at a mammoth 574/8 in 129.2 overs on day two of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Saturday.

Just as one wondered if Jadeja would reach his maiden double hundred in Tests with the ease he batted throughout his knock, Rohit Sharma signaled for declaration and umpires signalled for early tea.

The session began with Jayant Yadav trying to defend on the front foot but was undone by Vishwa Fernando getting to move the ball away from him and nicked to first slip. Jadeja, continuing on from unbeaten 102 at lunch, was lucky in a pull escaping the stumps for a boundary off Fernando.

Fernando came further under attack from Jadeja as the left-hander took successive boundaries through the off-side. Jadeja then went after Lasith Embuldeniya, dancing down the pitch to hit a six down the ground followed by sweeping twice for back-to-back fours to take India’s total past 500.

Jadeja took down part-time spinner Dhananjaya de Silva for a pulled four through mid-wicket and a lofted six over long-off to bring up his first 150 in Test cricket and also raise half-century of his partnership with Mohammed Shami.

Shami eventually got off the mark on the 15th ball and even got a boundary as Jadeja continued to move on with ease, going past Kapil Dev’s 163 against the same opposition, to record the highest score by an Indian batter at seven in Tests. Shami then brought up the century stand to make a hat-trick of three 100-plus partnerships by the Indian lower order.

Earlier, Jadeja began the day by raising his half-century with a back-foot drive slapped through covers for a boundary off Suranga Lakmal. Whenever Sri Lanka bowlers gave width, Jadeja was quick to pounce on them and send the ball to the boundary rope. When Sri Lanka tried to shift from width to straight lines, it was all too straight for Jadeja to easily swat through the leg-side.

Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, took his time before he got going with boundaries through point and cover off Vishwa Fernando. Jadeja and Ashwin were in cruise mode, unperturbed by a Sri Lanka bowling attack that won’t have the services of Lahiru Kumara for the rest of the match. Ashwin continued to drive with finesse and reached his 12th Test fifty with a single through covers.

Jadeja and Ashwin put 130 runs for the seventh wicket to take India past 450. After pulling Lakmal through mid-wicket, Ashwin tried to pull again. But Lakmal, coming from around the wicket, cramped him for room and the ball took a faint top-edge to keeper Niroshan Dickwella.

In the next over, Jadeja brought up his second Test century with a single-through cover. It was quite ironic that Jadeja, who was nicknamed ‘rockstar’ by leg-spin great Shane Warne during the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, completed his Test hundred a day after the legendary cricketer’s demise.

An over later, lunch was declared with India still in a position of ascendancy and Sri Lanka staring at another session of toil under the sun. Post-lunch, Jadeja piled more misery on Sri Lanka till the declaration arrived with an early tea break.

Brief Scores:

India 574/8 dec in 129.2 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 175 not out, Rishabh Pant 96; Lasith Embuldeniya 2/188, Suranga Lakmal 2/90) vs Sri Lanka.

Russia declares temporary ceasefire for 2 Ukrainian cities

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Russia declares temporary ceasefire for 2 Ukrainian cities

Russia on Saturday declared a temporary ceasefire in the two southern Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to facilitate the evacuation of civilians via humanitarian corridors, the Defence Ministry in Moscow announced.

The ceasefire went into effect from 10 a.m. (about 1.30 p.m. IST), reports Xinhua news agency.

As was agreed by the Ukrainian side, the humanitarian corridors will allow the exit of civilians from the two cities, the Ministry said, without disclosing how many days the ceasefire will remain in place.

During their second round of peace talks on Thursday, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators agreed on the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians and on a temporary cessation of hostilities along the evacuation routes.

In Ukraine, the head of the Donetsk region’s military administration, Pavlo Kirilenko has confirmed the temporary ceasefire and said that his administration is currently working on the details of the evacuation, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, the Mariupol City Council said the ceasefire will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and evacuations started at 11 a.m.

It added that the route of the corridor is from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, a city to the west.

The Council further said that buses will leave three locations in the city, and private transport will also be allowed to travel along the designated route.

While it urged drivers to make full use of all the space they have in their vehicles, the Council said that traveling away from the agreed route is strictly forbidden, the BBC reported.

In response to the ceasefire announcement which came on the 10th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in a statement: “Mariupol is not streets and houses… It is its residents.

“Under the conditions of constant, ruthless shelling from the occupiers, there is no other choice but to give residents…the opportunity to safely leave Mariupol.”

Snapchat turns off public ‘heatmap’ for Ukraine

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Snapchat turns off public ‘heatmap’ for Ukraine

Snapchat has announced that it is temporarily turning off its “heat map” feature for Ukraine, so the app no longer shows how many snaps are being taken in particular locations.

The company said that the move is “a safety precaution” and that there will still be a curated public feed of snaps submitted by Ukrainians, reports The Verge.

Normally, the Snap Map displays a color code to show how many people are posting public images in an area. In practice, that means you can get a good idea of where Snapchat users are concentrated.

While this publicly available data is not usually meaningful, in a wartime scenario where Russia may want to track evacuations or citizen movements, it’s probably for the best that the feature is turned off, the report said.

Other companies have taken similar actions to make Ukrainians’ movements harder to track — Google turned off live traffic information in Ukraine, as did Apple.

Snap has also taken a few additional actions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to a news post from the company, it’s stopped showing ads in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, and won’t sell ad spots to Russian entities.

Bihar’s EOU asks Google, Facebook, Twitter to provide details of cyber criminals

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Bihar’s EOU asks Google, Facebook, Twitter to provide details of cyber criminals

The Bihar Police’s Economic Offence Unit (EOU) has asked Google, Facebook, and Twitter to provide details of cybercriminals.

ADG (EOU) Nayyer Hasnain Khan has asked the India head of Google, Facebook, and Twitter to provide details of the alleged criminals involved in threatening and blackmailing the common people of Bihar.

In the last few months, cybercriminals have used women to make video calls to potential targets and in turn, take screenshots of the call to blackmail the victims.

The official said that there were 40 cases of blackmailing via social media in Bihar and FIRs have been lodged in different police stations across the state.

“We have given the details of 40 FIRs and asked them to provide details of the accused. In case of inaction from the India heads of Google, Facebook, and Twitter, we will serve separate notice under the CrPC 91 to them. We have already sent e-mails to the head offices of these three institutions,” Khan said.

“We have directed the officials to solve the cases within two months.”

Crime thriller ‘Theeyavar Kulaigal Nadunga’ revolves around autistic kids

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Crime thriller ‘Theeyavar Kulaigal Nadunga’ revolves around autistic kids

Director Dinesh Lakshmanan’s upcoming investigative crime thriller, featuring actors Aishwarya Rajesh and Arjun in the lead, has been titled ‘Theeyavar Kulaigal Nadunga’.

Sources close to the unit of the film, the first look of which was released on Friday, say that the core concept of the plot revolves around autistic children.

Expectations from the crime investigation thriller have been on the rise ever since news first broke out that the film will have actors Arjun and Aishwarya Rajesh working together.

The first look poster of the film, which has Aishwarya Rajesh holding a holy book with a scared look on her face with Arjun standing behind her and holding an umbrella, has caught the attention of both fans and film buffs.

Produced by G. Arul Kumar of GS Arts, the film will also feature Ramkumar Sivaji, GK Reddy, Praveen Raja, Prankster Rahul, and Abhirami Venkatachalam among others.

Saravanan Abhimanyu is the cinematographer of the film, which has music by Bharath Aaseevagan and editing by Lawrence Kishore.

Rogue 3-tonne piece rocket debris collides with Moon, creates crater

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Rogue 3-tonne piece rocket debris collides with Moon, creates crater

After seven-year of space odyssey, a three-tonne piece of Chinese rocket debris slammed into the Moon, creating a 65 feet wide crater on the lunar surface, the media reported.

According to experts, the event took place at 7:25 a.m. EST on the lunar far side, on Friday, Space.com reported.

As a result, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter could not get a look at the crash.

“We certainly have an interest in finding the impact crater and will attempt to do so over the coming weeks and months,” John Keller, the deputy project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, emailed to The Verge in a statement.

“We will not be near the impact site when it takes place so we won’t be able to directly observe it. The onboard narrow-angle cameras have sufficient resolution to detect the crater but the Moon is full of fresh impact craters, so positive identification is based on before and after images under similar lighting conditions, he added.

The doomed space debris was first reported by Bill Gray, an astronomer running Project Pluto. In his blogpost, Gray first claimed that the debris is from billionaire Elon Musk owned SpaceX rocket.

But later Gray predicted that the object is a leftover piece of a Chinese rocket, specifically a Long March 3C that launched China’s Chang’e 5-T1 mission to the Moon.

But China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the claim, Space News reported.

1st Test: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma give heartfelt tributes to Warne

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1st Test: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma give heartfelt tributes to Warne

India captain Rohit Sharma and senior batter Virat Kohli gave heartfelt tributes to late Australia leg-spin legend Shane Warne on Saturday, the second day of the Test against Sri Lanka.

On Friday, Warne died of a suspected heart attack while staying in a villa at Koh Samui Island in Thailand. Warne’s sudden demise has left the cricketing world in a state of mourning, hours after another Australian great, wicketkeeper-batter Rodney Marsh died.

“Absolutely devastated to hear the news of Shane Warne passing away. It’s a huge, huge loss in our cricketing world. We all do understand their contribution of his to the cricketing world. He inspired a whole new generation of cricketers and did wonders with the ball; we all know about that.”

“It’s a huge, huge loss. As soon as we got to hear, it was extremely sad to hear. I want to give condolences to his family, his three children, friends, and loved ones,” said Sharma before day two of the opening Test against Sri Lanka began on Saturday.

A visibly moved Kohli gave a moving tribute to Warne, considered as one of the greatest leg-spinners to have ever played the game. “We got this sad news last night; the demise of Shane Warne. Out of nowhere, to be honest. We carry on doing what we do in life. We think that everything is all about where we are involved in the present moment, all our troubles, things going wrong, or things we look forward to.

“But realized so quickly that life is unpredictable and fickle; we just need to be grateful for all the moments we are alive. Passing at the age of 52 is something which is totally unexpected. Went far too early. I stand here with disbelief and shock because I got to know him off the field as well. I understood the charisma and persona he brought to every conversation he was a part of. From that, I could understand what he brought on the field as well.”

Players from both India and Sri Lanka observed a minute’s silence and were also seen donning the black armbands in memory of Marsh and Warne before day two began.

“Just an honest, honest man upfront. Any conversation you had; you could see the passion. When he spoke, he spoke so clearly and exactly what he was saying. He lived a life king size. Just very grateful to have known him. For me, he is the greatest spinner to have ever played the game. It’s needless to say he will surely be missed.

“But I hope that we can put things in life in the right perspective knowing how unpredictable things are and be grateful for all these moments God has blessed us with to just being alive and healthy. My deepest condolences to his family and his close ones, his children, his parents. I know how difficult this moment is going to be. They have all of our support and they are in our thoughts. God bless the soul,” concluded Kohli.

Samsung stops shipping products to Russia

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Samsung stops shipping products to Russia

South Korean tech giant Samsung is suspending shipments of all of its products to Russia, media reports say.

“Due to the current geopolitical developments, shipments to Russia have been suspended,” reads a statement from an unnamed Samsung representative, via Samsung’s generic PR email address.

“We continue to actively monitor this complex situation to determine our next steps.”

According to The Verge, Samsung is also making donations to humanitarian efforts.

“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted and our priority is to ensure the safety of all our employees and their families,” the company said.

“We plan to actively support humanitarian efforts around the region, including aid for refugees. To this end, we are donating $6 million, including $1 million in consumer electronics products, as well as voluntary donations from our employees,” it added.

Kamal Haasan, Venkatesh, Simran pay tribute to spin legend Shane Warne

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Kamal Haasan, Venkatesh, Simran pay tribute to spin legend Shane Warne

Actors Kamal Haasan, Venkatesh Daggubati, and Simran joined legions of cricket lovers from across the globe in paying tribute to Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne who passed away suddenly on Friday.

Actor Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the legend in Tamil. He said, “We have lost a legend called Shane Warne who mesmerized us with his magical spin bowling. The moments he offered us to keep spinning in my mind.”

Telugu star Venkatesh Daggubati too condoled the death of Warne.

He tweeted, “Cannot fully come to terms with the news of his passing! Shane Warne will not be forgotten for the sports icon he was, is and always will be!”

Actress Simran, who paid tribute to the sporting great, called him the greatest spinner of all time.

She said, “Shocked to hear about the demise of Shane Warne, the greatest spinner of all time! My heartfelt condolences to his family and fans. May his soul rest in peace.”

Tracing, tracking on for students stuck in Kharkiv, Kiev: Bommai

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Tracing, tracking on for students stuck in Kharkiv, Kiev: Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the process of tracking and tracking students stranded in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Kiev cities is on by the Indian Embassy.

Many students have been brought back to India, but few others, who were not able to make any movement, are being tracked and traced by the Embassy, he said.

“There are few places where bombing is still going on. Evacuation is being planned immediately after the bombing reduces. I am in touch with the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Indian Embassy in Ukraine, and also with Union ministers who are there in borders,” the Chief Minister said.

Bommai added that he would visit the house of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, who died in the shelling by the Russian Army in Ukraine.

“I will speak to the father of deceased student Naveen and hand over the compensation cheque to the family,” he said.

As many as 282 students from Karnataka have returned from war-torn Ukraine till Friday.

Nodal Officer Manoj Rajan stated that on Friday, 92 Kannadiga students returned to KempeGowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru.

As many as 30 students had returned on February 27; seven students on February 28; 18 on Tuesday; 31 on Wednesday; and 104 on Thursday, he stated.

Russia blocks Facebook, Meta hits back with pausing all ads

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Russia blocks Facebook, Meta hits back with pausing all ads

In alarming censorship, Russia has blocked access to Facebook in the country. In response, its parent company Meta has paused all ads in Russia.

Meta said that due to the difficulties of operating in Russia at this time, ads targeting people in Russia will be paused, and “advertisers within Russia will no longer be able to create or run ads anywhere in the world, including within Russia”.

Meta said that as a result of the Russian government’s decision to block access to Facebook in the Russian Federation, millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information, “deprived of their everyday ways of connecting with family and friends and silenced from speaking out”.

“We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action,” Meta said in a statement.

Russia’s communications agency Roskomnadzor on Friday blocked access to Facebook, citing 26 cases of “discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook” since October 2020.

Earlier on Friday, the Russian legislature advanced a new law against spreading “fake news” about the country’s armed forces, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Shortly after the bill was advanced, the BBC announced it would suspend journalistic operations within the country.

Facebook’s decision follows similar moves from Google, Twitter, and Snapchat, which have all paused ads in Russia.

Apple Maps now displays Crimea as part of Ukraine outside Russia

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Apple Maps now displays Crimea as part of Ukraine outside Russia

Apple Maps and Weathers apps are now showing Crimea as part of Ukraine for users outside of Russia, the media reported.

Earlier, Apple apps refused to record Crimea as part of any country when accessed in most places, reports Mashable.

In 2019, the tech giant updated its Maps and Weather apps to show Crimea as part of Russia when viewed within Russia.

Apple Maps now shows Crimea as part of Ukraine when viewed outside of Russia, in what appears to be a new and quiet update, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Apple was yet to comment on this quiet change.

Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. In response, Russia was suspended from the G8 and subjected to several sanctions.

“Apple Maps and Weather now consider Crimea to be Ukrainian territory when accessed from other countries including the U.S., Australia, and, of course, Ukraine,” the report noted.

Apple has also taken down Sputnik and RT News from the App Store and disabled some Apple Pay services in the country.

“We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence,” according to the company.

“We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace,” it had said in a statement.

EV pioneer Elon Musk now says world needs more oil & gas

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EV pioneer Elon Musk now says world needs more oil & gas

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who started the electric vehicle (EV) revolution to save the climate, on Saturday asked the world governments to increase oil and gas production.

Referring to the world’s dependence on Russian pipelines which has stopped several governments from sanctioning President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine, he apparently suggested that we need to reduce dependency on Russian oil and gas.

“Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil and gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures,” Musk posted.

He admitted that this would negatively affect Tesla and its EV business.

“But sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil and gas exports,” he added.

Last year, Musk said on Joe Rogan podcast: “I’m not in favor of demonizing the oil and gas industry. We’re gonna need to burn fossil fuels for a long time. The question is just at what rate do we move to a sustainable energy future?”

On Friday, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO warned Ukrainians to use the Starlink satellite system with caution as his commercial Internet network can be targeted by Russians to hamper the entire system at work.

As a non-Russian communications system, the Starlink satellite internet service has a “high” probability of being targeted, Musk said.

“Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so the probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution,” Musk posted in a tweet.

He advised users to only turn on Starlink when needed.

“Turn on Starlink only when needed and place the antenna as far away from people as possible,” Musk said and also suggested visibly camouflaging antennas.

As promised, Elon Musk-run SpaceX sent a truck full of Starlink user terminals to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

Shane Warne changed the landscape of cricket, says ICC

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Shane Warne changed the landscape of cricket, says ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Geoff Allardice has said that Shane Warne changed the landscape of cricket by reviving the art of leg-spin, adding that the legendary spinner’s larger-than-life personality and immense cricketing intellect ensured “fans were glued to their seats whenever he was involved in a game”.

Warne died of a suspected heart attack, at the age of 52 on Friday in Koh Samui, Thailand.

In a statement, Allardice expressed shock and sadness at Warne’s passing and said his impact on and off the field would be remembered for generations.

“I was stunned to hear the news of Shane’s passing. He was a true legend of the game, who changed the landscape of cricket by reviving the art of leg-spin. His larger-than-life personality, extraordinary skill, and immense cricketing intellect ensured fans were glued to their seats whenever he was involved in a game.

“His contribution off the field was also remarkable, where he shared his time and experiences so generously with young players, especially up and coming leg-spinners. He also established a successful career in the commentary box, where his insightful and forthright views on the game made him one of the first-choice commentators for broadcasters in most cricketing countries.

“He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans at this difficult time,” said Allardice.

Warne made his Test debut in 1992 against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, going on to become the most successful leg-spinner of all time. He played 145 Tests, finishing with 708 wickets that included 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 10-wicket match hauls. In 194 ODI appearances, Warne snared 293 scalps.

Warne was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2013 and named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century for his unparalleled achievements in an illustrious 15-year career that ended in 2007.

He helped Australia win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1999 and took more wickets than any other bowler in Ashes cricket, with a tally that stood at 195. After retiring from international cricket, Warne doubled up as captain and coach of the IPL Franchise team Rajasthan Royals, guiding them to the title in the league’s inaugural edition.

A flamboyant personality both on and off the field, Warne also found success as a commentator and was considered one of the sharpest analysts of the game.

Budget push for digital economy beyond Bengaluru

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Budget push for digital economy beyond Bengaluru

The Chairman of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, B.V. Naidu, said on Friday that it is heartening to see the state governments’ support and emphasis the ‘Beyond Bengaluru Cluster Seed Fund for Startups’.

The clusters will be established in Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi at a cost of Rs 20 crore each. A grant of Rs 12 crore has been provided for this project this year in the state Budget for 2022-23 presented in the Assembly on Friday.

“We are thrilled with the government’s focus on digital economy and on strengthening the clusters of the state,” Naidu said.

The emphasis was on startups, MSMEs, fintech, and digital infrastructure. A new Nagarothana scheme has been announced at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore for giving importance to infrastructure development in urban areas in view of rapid urbanization.

New integrated townships, mega textile parks, and food parks are going to be established, which strikes a balance between social sector priorities and industrial and infrastructure growth, he said.

At the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, our ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative focuses on boosting the clusters, complementing the state government’s efforts to overall enhance and enrich these cluster economies, Naidu added.

Also, the Karnataka Acceleration network is being introduced at a cost of Rs 50 crore in collaboration with the Central government and entrepreneurs, for which Rs 20 crore will be provided by the state government to give a boost to the project, he said.

Microsoft to bring mouse, keyboard support on Xbox Cloud Gaming

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Microsoft to bring mouse, keyboard support on Xbox Cloud Gaming

Tech giant Microsoft is working to bring mouse and keyboard integration to Xbox Cloud Gaming, with platform-level support currently in development for the service.

The move will provide a new choice of peripheral to experience Xbox titles via cloud streaming, accompanying the existing touch controls, prominent among mobile users, reports Windows Central.

It would also improve accessibility on platforms like Windows and macOS, where mice and keyboards are commonplace accessories.

Xbox Cloud Gaming, formerly known as Xbox Project xCloud, has continued to expand since its 2019 trials, since launching with an Android-native app, plus a web-based app available for iOS and desktop PCs, the report said.

Microsoft also introduced Xbox console support in late 2021, later allowing Xbox Series X|S exclusives like Microsoft Flight Simulator to make the jump to aging Xbox One consoles.

Microsoft now looks to add mouse and keyboard support to some titles, according to recent comments from Microsoft Flight Simulator head, Jorg Neumann.

Mouse and keyboard support would provide a new option for cloud gaming, accompanying existing alternatives geared to phones.

Microsoft has a growing list of touch-enabled titles, retrofitting custom on-screen touch inputs upon Xbox streaming, mimicking native mobile gaming.

The company has also experimented with gyroscope inputs, allowing users to control some games by moving their phones.

While Neumann didn’t commit to a timeline, it is Microsoft’s first acknowledgment of plans to support mouse and keyboard via the service.

Mouse and keyboard support would improve ease of access via the web, alleviating the requirement for a controller or any surplus hardware on a PC.

225 students returned to Punjab from Ukraine so far: Chief Secretary

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225 students returned to Punjab from Ukraine so far: Chief Secretary

As many as 225 students have returned safely to Punjab so far from war-torn Ukraine, Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari said on Friday.

While directing officials to ensure the safe return of the remaining students and other persons stuck in Ukraine, he said the state government is sparing no effort to help the distressed families in this hour of crisis.

Reviewing the status of calls received on the state government’s dedicated 24×7 control room numbers i.e. 1100 (to call from within Punjab) and +91-172-4111905 (to call from outside India), the Chief Secretary was apprised that 476 calls have been received so far on these numbers and the queries are being immediately forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

He was also informed that 326 affected families have been visited physically by state government officials.

Tewari urged the affected persons and their relatives to immediately contact the Punjab government’s helpline numbers so that they can be provided assistance.

He also appealed to the parents and relatives of the stranded persons to ask their children to get in touch with the embassy and ‘Government of India’ officials at border posts and strictly follow the guidelines of the MEA.

Resident Commissioner, Punjab, Rakhee Gupta Bhandari apprised the Chief Secretary that all the necessary arrangements have been made for the safe return of stranded students and persons.

She said they are in constant touch with the Indian embassy to ensure that no Punjab resident shall face any kind of problem in returning to their homes.

Mumbai footwear exporter nabbed for Rs 15 crore GST fraud

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Mumbai footwear exporter nabbed for Rs 15 crore GST fraud

The CGST Thane Commissionerate, Mumbai Zone, has arrested a footwear exporter for fraudulently claiming GST input tax credits (ITC) of Rs 15.26 crore, a top official said here on Friday.

The ITC was claimed on the basis of bogus invoices of Rs 85 crore issued by the fake entities to the company, said CGST Commissioner Rajan Chaudhary.

Based on inputs received from Delhi Customs and further tracking by Thane CGST Commissionerate sleuths, a detailed investigation was launched against Corvette Tradelink Pvt Ltd, Borivali.

Investigation revealed that this firm was engaged in the export of footwear and had availed GST Input Tax Credit fraudulently on the basis of bogus invoices issued by non-existent entities from Delhi.

The Mumbai-based company used the fake ITC for payment of IGST for exports through ICD Tughlakabad, Delhi, and subsequently claimed an IGST refund from the Customs.

One director of the company has been arrested Thursday under various sections of the CGST Act, 2017 and remanded to 14 days judicial custody on Friday by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, for offenses that can attract a five-year jail term plus fine.

Chaudhary said the case is part of an ongoing “Anti-Evasion” drive launched by CGST, Mumbai Zone against the tax evaders and fraudsters, using data mining, data analysis, and network analysis tools to identify potential tax evaders and fraudsters.

The CGST is going “hammer-and-tongs” on all sectors of the economy, including services, exports, imports, and digital to identify tax evaders who are causing unfair competition for honest and compliant taxpayers, and the campaign will be intensified in the coming weeks, Chaudhary added.

Telangana HC slaps Rs 10 lakh cost on filmmaker seeking stay on ‘Jhund’

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Telangana HC slaps Rs 10 lakh cost on filmmaker seeking stay on ‘Jhund’

The Telangana High Court on Friday slapped a cost of Rs 10 lakh on Hyderabad-based filmmaker Nandi Chinni Kumar who had filed a petition seeking a stay on the release of Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Jhund”.

The court directed Kumar to pay the amount to PM Covid-19 Relief Fund within a month. In the event of the petitioner failing to pay the amount, the district collector would recover the same under Revenue Recovery Act within 30 days and remit it to the PM Fund.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili, which had already declined to stall the release of the movie, asked counsel for the petitioner as to why he suppressed information pertaining to the case he had filed at a lower court on the same subject.

The court was told that a compromise had already arrived between the makers of the movie and Kumar. As part of this, Kumar was paid Rs 5 crore.

However, Kumar approached the high court, seeking a stay on the release of “Jhund”, claiming that the settlement was due to the wrong inducement.

“Jhund”, a biographical sports film based on the life of Vijay Barse, the founder of NGO Slum Soccer’, was released in theaters on Friday.

Barse is the coach of Akhilesh Paul and Kumar claims that he bought exclusive rights in November 2017 to make a movie titled “Slum Soccer” on the life of Akhilesh Paul.

He said though director Nagraj Manjule and producers bought rights to make a movie on the life of Barse, “Jhund” also showcases Paul’s story in a major role, thus allegedly violating the copyright. Kumar had filed a suit in a city court in 2020, seeking a stay on the release of the movie.

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