TN lifts Covid curbs save for weddings and funerals

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TN lifts Covid curbs save for weddings and funerals

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday announced the removal of Covid-induced restrictions on social, cultural, and political meetings while increasing the number of members attending weddings and funerals.

In a statement issued here, it said considering the reducing number of Covid-19 infections in the state, the restrictions of social, cultural, and political meetings are scrapped from Thursday onwards.

The government also said weddings can be held with a maximum of 500 persons and in the case of funerals, the cap is 250 persons from March 3 till March 31.

Google brings local emergency numbers to Pixel phones’ lockscreen

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Google brings local emergency numbers to Pixel phones’ lockscreen

Google is allowing Pixel users to quickly access police, fire, or medical services as they travel abroad via ‘Fast Emergency Dialer’ on their lock screen.

The feature will help users call an emergency number with just one action — using the slider.

“Your phone finds emergency numbers automatically, even when you travel. Your phone finds available numbers for your area, like Police, Fire, or medical services. Use the slider for the emergency service you need,” the company said in an update.

The dialer was reportedly first seen last year through the Pixel’s emergency app, but Google confirmed to Android Police that the tool is currently rolling out to a wider release.

Though it’s designed for international traveling, anyone can use it at any location.

The emergency dialer has two locations — on the phone’s lock screen through the emergency call button or the power menu once the user has unlocked the device.

Accessing the tool via the power button depends on what Pixel device you have.

Android 11 and earlier and Android 12 on the Pixel 5 and earlier can access it by holding down the power button for five seconds, tapping emergency, and using the slider in the emergency menu.

With the default settings for Android 12 on Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the user will press the power and volume up button at the same time, then tap emergency and use the slider.

The ‘fast emergency dialer’ isn’t available in all regions, said Google Support.

Injured Deepak Chahar to miss majority of IPL 2022 for Chennai Super Kings: Report

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Injured Deepak Chahar to miss majority of IPL 2022 for Chennai Super Kings: Report

Injured Deepak Chahar may miss the majority of the IPL 2022 season for Chennai Super Kings, said a report by ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday.

Chahar had sustained a right quadriceps injury while turning out for India in the final T20I against West Indies at Kolkata and was ruled out of the subsequent T20I series against Sri Lanka. Chahar has been at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for further management and recovery from the injury.

“Chahar, who suffered a quadricep tear in the third T20I against West Indies last month, is likely to take several weeks to heal, meaning he could miss the IPL which will be played between March 26 and May 29. It is understood that the Super Kings are awaiting a final assessment from the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where Chahar is currently undergoing his rehabilitation,” said the report.

Chahar had been on an upswing with his performances with the Indian team. He took 2/54 and made a quick-fire 54 in the final ODI against South Africa at Cape Town, which India narrowly lost by four runs. In the two ODIs he played against the West Indies, Chahar made 54 and 38 with the bat apart from picking 2/53 and 2/41 with the ball. Just before getting injured, Chahar had taken out two quick wickets in the final T20I against the West Indies.

The impressive performances for the Indian team translated into Chahar earning a huge paycheck of INR 14 crores in the IPL Mega Auction from CSK. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals commenced the bidding first for Chahar. The two franchises came out all guns blazing as Chahar’s value breached the 10-crore mark.

Hyderabad then backed out and Chennai entered the fray. Rajasthan Royals joined in late at 13.25 crore but Chennai was successful in buying back Chahar for INR 14 crores, continuing their association with him since 2018. It was also the very first time Chennai spent more than INR 10 crores on roping in a player.

After spending two seasons with the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Chahar was picked by CSK for INR 80L in the 2018 IPL Mega Auction. Chahar has been a vital cog in the wheel for CSK, picking 58 wickets in four seasons, especially proving to be effective in power-play as the MS Dhoni-led side won the title in 2018 and 2021.

Prabhas reveals why he isn’t married yet!

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Prabhas reveals why he isn’t married yet!

Prabhas, who joined his ‘Radhe Shyam’ team at a grand event in Mumbai, revealed why he isn’t married yet. When asked about predicting love, Prabhas’ witty response made everyone laugh out loud.

As Prabhas interacted with the media on Wednesday in Mumbai, he was quizzed about dialogue from the recent trailer of ‘Radhe Shyam’. Prabhas plays a famous palmist in the movie, who predicts the future accurately.

A media person questioned Prabhas, “There is a dialogue in the movie, which says your prediction about love is not so accurate. What about your prediction in real life?”

Prabhas, who gave a witty reply, said, “My love predictions have always been wrong. That is why I am not yet married.”

This funny answer from the ‘Baahubali’ actor has drawn much attention, making everyone admire Prabhas’ wit.

‘Radhe Shyam’ on the other hand, is inching towards its worldwide release soon, and hence the makers had organized a trailer launch event in Mumbai, kickstarting the promotions.

Pooja Hegde and Prabhas as Prerana and Vikramaditya, share lovely chemistry on screen. March 11 would be the D-day for ‘Radhe Shyam’, as it is releasing in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Chinese, and Japanese.

74 against India was probably the innings that started wonderful summer season: Tahlia McGrath

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74 against India was probably the innings that started wonderful summer season: Tahlia McGrath

Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath believes her unbeaten knock of 74 in the second ODI against India at Mackay last year was the reason behind the start of a wonderful season. Tahlia’s 74 was crucial in Australia and Beth Mooney in completing a dramatic one-wicket win over India after being 52/4.

“Looking back, it was probably the innings that started my whole summer. When I walked out to the crease I was strangely relaxed and just went about my business from ball one. Being able to go out there and play the way that I know that I’ve been capable of playing, had a flow-on effect on my overall confidence for the rest of the whole Big Bash and Ashes. At the time, I probably didn’t realize the significance that it had on the rest of my season, but it was very important in the way that things played out,” Tahlia was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Before the start of 2021/22 Australian summer, Tahlia wasn’t an automatic starter in any format. But now ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Tahlia has impressed everyone with her batting exploits as well as her pace bowling across all formats apart from picking Player of the Series awards against India and in the Women’s Ashes.

Reflecting on her stupendous season till now, Tahlia remarked, “It’s been a crazy season. Loved every second of it and it’s been really nice to play some good cricket as a team and individually as well. I’m always someone that likes to set myself goals and my biggest motivator at the start of the season was making my way back into the teams. What happened from there has well and truly exceeded my expectations, I never would have imagined what has happened.”

Tahlia signed off by saying that being a part of 2022 World Cup was something she had set as a target two years ago. “This (World Cup) is a tournament that I flagged probably about two years ago that I was really wanting to be a part of. I think it’s my best format. I haven’t been part of a World Cup before, have been so close quite a few times, so this is one I’ve had in by diary for a while.”

Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ to release on Sep 30

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Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ to release on Sep 30

The first part of director Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited historical extravaganza ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ is to hit screens on September 30 this year, its makers Lyca Productions announced on Wednesday.

The production house, while wishing its chairman Allirajah Subaskaran on his birthday, tweeted, “Wishing our Chairman Allirajah Subaskaran a very happy birthday! The Golden Era comes to the big screens on Sept 30th!”

It also released the first look poster of the film along with the tweet.

The film is based on the classic Tamil novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by eminent writer Kalki.

The brilliant story, that revolves around the early life of prince Arulmozhi Varman, who later on went on to be known as the great Raja Raja Chozhan, is one of a kind.

The film, dubbed by Mani Ratnam as his dream project, features a host of top stars including actors Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Parthiban, Lal, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prabhu, and Prakash Raj. The project will be among the most expensive ever undertaken in the country.

The film has the best in business handling each of its departments. A.R. Rahman is scoring the music for this epic historical and cinematography is by Ravi Varman. National Award-winning art director Thotta Tharani is in charge of production design while Mani Ratnam’s trusted editor Sreekar Prasad is handling the editing.

Nasscom, Microsoft announce 2nd ‘AI Gamechangers’ to boost AI adoption

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Nasscom, Microsoft announce 2nd ‘AI Gamechangers’ to boost AI adoption

In a bid to accelerate AI (artificial intelligence) adoption in India, Nasscom and Microsoft on Wednesday announced the second edition of the ‘AI Gamechangers’ awards.

The programme will serve as a platform for startups, enterprises, academia, governments, and NGOs to showcase their innovations in AI.

“India was ranked 8th in the top 10 countries by AI patent families on a global level, an impressive accomplishment considering India had no AI-related patent filing prior to 2002,” informed Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom.

“AI has immense growth potential and achieving it needs scalable partnerships across stakeholders, the right set of skills, a strong focus on incentivizing R&D, access to data, and regulations to support responsible AI,” she added.

The programme will also encourage nominations for impactful AI solutions built for social impact.

Over 5,000 AI patents were filed over the last decade in India, among which 94% of them filed in the last five years.

Data and AI could add $450-500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, representing 10 percent of the $5 trillion goals.

Nearly 45 percent of this value is likely to be delivered by three sectors: Consumer goods and retail, agriculture and banking, and insurance.

The award-winning entries will be featured in the annual ‘AI Gamechangers’ compendium at Nasscom’s flagship Xperience AI Summit.

“We have a huge opportunity to make AI work at scale for the country, enabling investment, jobs, and inclusive growth,” said Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India.

SA’s Elgar all praise for newcomers Erwee, Verreynne after big NZ win

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SA’s Elgar all praise for newcomers Erwee, Verreynne after big NZ win

South African skipper Dean Elgar has said that it was great to see the influence of Sarel Erwee and Kyle Verreynne in the second Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval and lauded their centuries, which laid the foundation for the Proteas staging one of the finest comebacks in recent times to level the two-match series.

After suffering an innings and 276-run defeat in the opening Test, the Proteas thrashed the Tom Latham-led Blackcaps by 198 runs in the second game with Erwee scoring a century in the first innings and Verreynne smashing an unbeaten ton in the second to humble the hosts.

“It was good to see the young guys come in and test our depth,” said Elgar to timeslive.co.za on Wednesday.

While debutant 32-year-old Erwee was a no-show in the first Test, he slammed a maiden century in the first innings of the second Test, and so did 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne, whose 136 not out blew the hosts away.

“We had Sarel come in and get 100 in his first Test series and showed what he is made of and it is great to see him influence our batting unit,” said Elgar.

“Sarel is a bit older and understands the concept of hard work. He is an inexperienced Test cricketer, but he is not an inexperienced cricketer in the bigger scheme of things.”

Elgar was equally impressed with Verreynne who has seamlessly stepped into retired wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock’s shoes. “Quinton de Kock who has retired, and those are big shoes to fill,” Elgar said.

“For him to come out to play his natural style of cricket in the second innings and get his first 100 was brilliant. It’s great for him as a player and his confidence. Kyle (Verreynne) has been around for some time, he is inexperienced in Test cricket and maybe a lot of scrutinies has been put on him too early in his career, which is unfair, bearing in mind he has a huge role to play in this side being a wicketkeeper-batter.

“Great to see him come in and do what he does best,” Elgar added.

Tim Cook tells employees to donate for Ukraine relief

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Tim Cook tells employees to donate for Ukraine relief

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the tech giant will match employee donations two-to-one in an email sent to employees addressing the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Cook mentioned that Apple will do so retroactively for donations made since February 25, reports The Verge.

“I know I speak for everyone at Apple in expressing our concern for all of those affected by the violence. With each new image of families fleeing their homes and brave citizens fighting for their lives, we see how important it is for people around the world to come together to advance the cause of peace,” Cook said in the email, which was obtained by the website.

“Apple is donating to humanitarian relief efforts and providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis. We are also working with partners to assess what more we can do. I know that many of you are eager to find ways to support as well, and we want to help amplify the impact of your donations,” Cook wrote in the email.

“Starting today, Apple will match your donations at a rate of 2:1 for eligible organizations, and we will make this retroactive for donations to those organizations since February 25. Please visit the Employee Giving Portal to learn more,” he added.

Cook said that Apple is working to support its teams in Ukraine and across the region.

“In Ukraine, we have been in contact with every employee, assisting them and their families in any way we can. For our Ukrainian team members located outside of the country that may need support, please contact (email redacted). And for any employee who needs any support, please visit the People site for available resources,” Cook wrote.

The Apple CEO mentioned that the company has paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, Apple stopped all exports into its sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited.

RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And Apple has disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.

Pvt investment in higher education gets green signal from Kerala CPI-M

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Pvt investment in higher education gets green signal from Kerala CPI-M

The CPI-M in Kerala has given the green signal for private investment in the higher education sector during the 23rd Party Conference, in its policy document which was presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Incidentally, in the 2018 Conference, the CPI-M had strongly opposed the same.

Further, the Chief Minister has said that the concept of “gawking wages” (often referred to as ‘noku kooli’ in local parlance that means wages collected by loading and unloading workers without doing any work) not be allowed under “any circumstances” as a lot of damage has already been done by this practice.

Reacting sharply to the development, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy — who had witnessed “huge protests” from the CPI-M on several occasions whenever it came to taking up some new initiative by the Congress party — said, “First, the CPI-M opposed mechanization in agriculture, then in the early 90s they went berserk against computers, and when the concept of promoting education in the private sector came, it was all opposed by them.”

“All of these are now one by one being promoted by the very same people and the party who had once opposed it. In Kerala what really matters is who is doing it, and not what’s being done,” Chandy asserted.

‘Rudra’ title track takes audience to dark place

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‘Rudra’ title track takes audience to dark place

As Ajay Devgn gears for his digital debut with the psychological drama series ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’, the makers of the series released its title track ‘Inaam’ singer and businesswoman Ananya Birla.

The track with Hindi lyrics, ominous tones, and noir-inspired soundscape, complements the storyline of the psychological drama and encompasses the essence of the show which is a Hindi remake of the Idris Elba-starrer British show ‘Luther’. The music video depicts the haunting past of the show’s titular character.

Sharing her thoughts on her OTT debut, Ananya Birla said, “I’ve been an avid fan of the British series ‘Luther’ and it was such an incredibly enjoyable experience to collaborate on the Indian adaptation ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness'”.

“In the title track ‘Inaam’, I have tried to embody the emotions and intensity of Rudra’s mind and I hope the viewers enjoy listening to the track. I am super happy with how the music video has come together. It goes seamlessly with the show and is everything that I had envisioned it to be”, she added.

The six-episode thriller series also stars Esha Deol, Raashii Khanna, Atul Kulkarni, Ashwini Kalsekar, Tarun Gahlot, Ashish Vidyarthi and Satyadeep Misra.

Directed by Rajesh Mapushkar and produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India, ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness will be available on Disney+ Hotstar from March 4 in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali.

Pooja Hegde thrilled with audience anticipation for ‘Radhe Shyam’

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Pooja Hegde thrilled with audience anticipation for ‘Radhe Shyam’

As the special curtain-raiser video from upcoming Prabhas-starrer ‘Radhe Shyam’ hit the airwaves on Wednesday, Pooja Hegde who plays the female lead in the film is elated with the buzz around the film.

The actress expressed her gratitude towards the audience and said that the special video is their way of showing appreciation to the audience.

Sharing her excitement Pooja says, “I am thrilled and blessed to have so many people root for the film. Love from the audience matters to me and I’m grateful that they’ve shown such excitement for it. The trailer is for the viewers who have been making us feel special since the announcement dropped. I hope to meet viewers across languages in theatres.”

Making a fresh pair, Prabhas and Pooja have come together to bring an epic saga of love and destiny which will unfold on March 11. In addition, the actress is gearing up for her upcoming movies including Salman Khan’s ‘Bhaijaan’, ‘Cirkus’ opposite Ranveer Singh, ‘Acharya’ with Chiranjeevi, and Ram Charan, and a yet-to-be-titled film opposite Mahesh Babu.

Controversy over Pawan-Rana’s confrontation scene in ‘Bheemla Nayak’

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Controversy over Pawan-Rana’s confrontation scene in ‘Bheemla Nayak’

The Kummari and Shalivahana communities in Andhra Pradesh have been offended by a particular scene from ‘Bheemla Nayak’ in which Rana Daggubati and Pawan Kalyan have a face-off, followed by a high-octane action sequence.

Some people have lodged a complaint against the makers of ‘Bheemla Nayak’.

A fight scene from ‘Bheemla Nayak’ features Rana Daggubati and Pawan Kalyan locking horns. As Rana charges at Pawan Kalyan, he is seen smashing off a pot-wheel. As the communities whose traditional occupation is pottery are offended by this act in the movie, they seem to have raised their voice against it.

According to Purushotham, from Guntur, the corporation chairman of both the communities, the scene has affected their livelihood, and he hence demanded the scene be cut out of the movie.

“Pottery wheel is our livelihood and we worship it every day. We were deeply hurt by Rana kicking the wheel and it is a matter of pride for us. The scene should be removed immediately, we have serious objections,” added Purushotham.

Well, the makers of the movie are yet to respond on the same. Helmed by Sagar K Chandra, ‘Bheemla Nayak’ was released last Friday, received a great response from fans and audiences.

Suriya, fans offer joint prayer for safe return of stranded Indians in Ukraine

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Suriya, fans offer joint prayer for safe return of stranded Indians in Ukraine

Actor Suriya on Wednesday offered a joint prayer along with his fans for the safe return of Indians stuck in Ukraine, which is currently battling an invasion by Russia.

Speaking after the launch of the trailer of his upcoming film, ‘Etharkkum Thunindhavan’, which is scheduled to hit screens on March 10, Suriya said, “Even as we celebrate this moment here, a lot of innocent people and children from India are in Ukraine. They all have to return home safely.

“They say that there are around 15,000 people more left there. Finding transportation there is a challenge. Our government is doing everything but when we watch pictures and video clips, our heart flutters.

“We have lost a dear brother yesterday. I have faith in joint prayers. Let us all pray together that without any loss of life, everybody must safely come back home,” the actor said and offered a joint prayer with his fans.

After the brief prayer, Suriya said,” I believe our prayers will facilitate their safe return to our homeland.”

Shreyas Iyer jumps a massive 27 places to 18th after T20I success against Sri Lanka

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Shreyas Iyer jumps a massive 27 places to 18th after T20I success against Sri Lanka

India batter Shreyas Iyer has moved up a massive 27 places to 18th in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for batters released here on Wednesday.

India’s recent home-series win against Sri Lanka has had a major impact on the Men’s T20I Player Rankings, aiding top-order batter Iyer to make a quantum jump.

The 27-year-old Iyer scored three unbeaten half-centuries during India’s 3-0 win against Sri Lanka in February, with the cricketer amassing 204 runs at a strike rate of 174.

His team-mate, seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, jumped three spots to 17th on the bowler rankings.

Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka scored an impressive 75 in the second game of the series, and he was rewarded with a six-spot rise to ninth on the rankings, while former India captain Virat Kohli — who was rested for the series — fell out of the top-10 after dropping five places to 15th.

The other big mover with the bat in T20I cricket this week is Muhammad Waseem of the UAE. His unbeaten century against Ireland in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, helped him reach the 12th position with the bat. That is the highest T20I ranking by any UAE batter, surpassing Shaiman Anwar’s 13th place achieved in 2017.

Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara’s five wickets in the series with India have lifted him into the top 40 bowlers for the first time.

Other bowlers who enjoyed a successful time at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A include Zahoor Khan of UAE (up 17 places to joint-42nd) and Ireland’s Josh Little (up 27 places to join-49th)

Rohan Mustafa’s successes with bat and ball have enabled him to move up to sixth place among all-rounders, just one place below his best of fifth achieved in February 2020.

The biggest mover on the Test rankings was South African quick Kagiso Rabada, who shot up three places to third following his impressive display against hosts New Zealand. Rabada managed 10 wickets during the two-match series, with his magnificent haul of 5/60 in the first innings of the second Test helping the Proteas on their way to an important 198-run triumph.

The Kiwi duo of Kyle Jamieson (drops two spots to fifth) and Tim Southee (drops one spot to sixth) loses ground in the bowler rankings, with Australia captain Pat Cummins and India veteran Ravi Ashwin still leading the way.

Marnus Labuschagne remains as the top-ranked Test batter, with New Zealander Devon Conway jumping six places to 17th following his 92 in the second innings of the second Test against South Africa.

In the ODI rankings for men, veteran spinner Rashid Khan re-claimed his spot in the top 10 for bowlers following five wickets from the recent three-game series against Bangladesh.

Rashid jumped six spots to ninth, while team-mate Mehidy Hasan Miraz dropped two spots to seventh following the series. Sri Lanka’s Liton Das was the leading run-scorer in the ODI series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and he is up to a career-best 32nd with the bat.

Trent Boult remains the top-ranked ODI bowler, while Pakistan right-hander Babar Azam leads the way for batters.

PM Modi exhorts role of science & technology in making India self-reliant

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PM Modi exhorts role of science & technology in making India self-reliant

Science and technology is not an “isolated sector” and together they can make India “self-reliant”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Addressing the seventh webinar in the post-Budget series, Prime Minister Modi said that science and technology are linked with areas like the digital economy and fintech. He added that advanced technology has a huge role to play in infrastructure and public service.

“Technology for us is a medium to empower the people of the country. For us, technology is the mainstay of making the country self-reliant. The same vision is reflected in this year’s budget as well,” the Prime Minister said.

He also said that the Union Budget 2021-22 laid emphasis on sectors like Artificial Intelligence, geo-spatial systems, drones, semiconductors, space technology, genomics, pharmaceuticals and clean technologies as well as 5G.

The budget lays down a “clear roadmap” for 5G spectrum auction in the country, he added.

Further, the Prime Minister asked the private sector to amplify their efforts in proposing design-led manufacturing related to a strong 5G ecosystem.

Referring to the dictum ‘Science is Universal and Technology is Local’, he said, “We are familiar with the principles of science, but we have to emphasize on how to make maximum use of technology for ‘Ease of Living.”

He called for ideas for using technologies in areas like house constructions, railways, airways, waterways, and optical fibres.

Further, Prime Minister Modi said that the budget also focussed on Animation Visual Effects Gaming Comic (AVGC), in line with the expanding global market for gaming.

He also exhorted the private sector to take maximum advantage of a change of rules for the use of geospatial data and the infinite opportunities that have emerged due to the reform.

“The world has seen our reliability from our self-sustainability to vaccine production at the time of Covid. We have to replicate this success in every sector,” the Prime Minister said.

He also emphasized the importance of a robust data security framework for the country and assured the Indian startup ecosystem of full support from the government.

“A portal has also been proposed for skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling of youth in the budget. With this, youth will get the right jobs and opportunities through API-based trusted skill credentials, payment, and discovery layers,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Ranbir, Shraddha-starrer yet-untiled film to release in cinemas on March 8, 2023

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Ranbir, Shraddha-starrer yet-untiled film to release in cinemas on March 8, 2023

Filmmaker Luv Ranjans yet-untitled next featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor to release on Holi next year. It will release in cinemas on March 8, 2023.

Initially, the film was supposed to release on 26th January 2023.

Sharing the official news on social media, Taran Adarsh mentioned: “Ranbir-Shraddha: Holi 2023 release finalised� #LuvRanjan’s next film � not titled yet � to release in cinemas on (Wed) 8 March 2023 #Holi� Stars #RanbirKapoor and #ShraddhaKapoor� Produced by #LuvRanjan & #AnkurGarg� #BhushanKumar presentation�”

After delivering back to back super hits like �Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ franchise and �Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’, Ranjan is currently busy finishing his next untitled romantic comedy starring Ranbir and Shraddha in lead roles.

While there has been a lot of speculations regarding the other cast of the film and its story, the details of the highly-anticipated project have been kept under wraps by the makers.

Produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg and presented by Bhushan Kumar, the untitled next starring Ranbir and Shraddha will also feature Dimple Kapadia and Boney Kapoor.

Women’s World Cup: Aliya Riaz remains unbeaten again as Pakistan beat Bangladesh

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Women’s World Cup: Aliya Riaz remains unbeaten again as Pakistan beat Bangladesh

All-rounder Aliya Riaz remained unbeaten again in a warm-up match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven runs at the Lincoln Green on Wednesday.

Bangladesh fell seven runs short in their chase of Pakistan’s 199, the Bismah Maroof-led side joined England and India as the teams to win both of their warm-up matches ahead of the mega event.

Bangladesh and Pakistan managed 3.1 overs before going off for a lengthy rain delay but restarted for a 42-over game as per the DLS method.

Pakistan started brightly after the restart as Nahida Khan took two boundaries off the bowling of Suraiya Azmin.

Fariha Trisna then took the top-three wickets as Pakistan slipped to three for 38 before Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan stabilized the side.

Khan reached 44 runs before being stumped with Maroof falling four balls later, the first of Ritu Moni’s three wickets on her way to three for 35.

Pakistan reached 199/7, with Aliya Riaz again not out, this time on 45 off 50 balls, backing up her 62 not out in a surprise warm-up win against hosts New Zealand. Fatima Sana was another contributor with 29 off 33 balls.

Bangladesh made a fast start in chasing down their target as Shamima Sultana scored 12 from Sana’s first over. Sana had had the last laugh as she bowled Shamima for 18.

From there onwards, Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals despite pushing Pakistan all the way.

Fargana Hoque was another of Sana’s victims as she was caught and bowled for 71 from 95 balls while giving Bangladesh a fighting chance of chasing the target.

In the end, Bangladesh fell eight runs short of their DLS target as Lata Mondol was run out by Sidra Nawaz with Bangladesh on 194 with four balls remaining.

Sana was the pick of bowlers for Pakistan, taking 4/47 in nine overs while Nashra Sandhu returned with figures of 3/22 in 8.2 overs.

With India and Pakistan both coming off unbeaten in their warm-up matches, the opening match for the two teams up against each other on March 6 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui will be a mouth-watering affair.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 199/7 in 42 overs (Aliya Riaz 45 not out, Javeria Khan 44; Ritu Moni 3/35, Fariha Trisna 3/40) beat Bangladesh 194 all out in 41.2 overs (Fargana Hoque 71, Rumana Ahmed 30; Fatima Sana 4/47, Nashra Sandhu 3/22) by 7 runs (DLS method).

Google donates $15 mn in relief to Ukraine, blocks RT, Sputnik on YouTube

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Google donates $15 mn in relief to Ukraine, blocks RT, Sputnik on YouTube

Tech giant Google has announced $15 million towards relief efforts in Ukraine, in the wake of a recent military invasion into the country by Russia.

The aid includes $5 million from employee matching campaigns and $5 million in direct grants. The remaining $5 million is raised from advertising credits.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is both a tragedy and a humanitarian disaster in the making,” Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs at Google, wrote in a blog post.

Walker added that Google teams are working round the clock to support people in Ukraine through “products, defending against cybersecurity threats, ensuring high-quality, reliable information”.

Further, the company has also launched an SOS alert on Search across Ukraine.

“When people search for refugee and evacuation information, they will see an alert pointing them to United Nations resources for refugees and asylum seekers,” Walker said.

The tech giant has temporarily disabled some live Google Maps features in Ukraine, including the traffic layer and information about how busy places are, to help protect the safety of local communities and their citizens.

It has also added information on refugee and migrant centers in neighboring countries.

The company said its security team is alert on Russia-backed hacking and influence operations.

“While we have not seen meaningful changes in the levels of malicious activity in this region overall, our Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has seen threat actors refocus their efforts on Ukrainian targets,” Walker said.

The company said they have identified “the attackers behind the GhostWriter threat group targeting Ukrainian government and military officials” and have “blocked these attempts”.

The company said it has increased Google account security protections. Google’s Advanced Protection Programme and Project Shield have been activated to protect user accounts as well as 100 Ukrainian websites, including local news services.

Moreover, to curb the spread of misinformation and disrupt disinformation campaigns online, Google has “blocked YouTube channels connected to Russia Today and Sputnik across Europe”.

Earlier Google had indefinitely paused the monetization of Russian state-funded media such as RT across its platforms.

Besides, the tech giant has also significantly limited recommendations globally for a number of Russian state-funded media outlets and “removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos for violating its Community Guidelines”.

Google is also ensuring help, including physical security support, paid leave, assistance options, and reimbursement for housing, travel, and food for its employees forced to leave their homes.

Google will also comply with any sanction requirements, according to Walker, who said it has curtailed products like Google Pay in Russia. But services like Search, Maps, and YouTube remain currently active.

Previously, other tech giants such as Meta, Apple, Twitter, and Microsoft have also announced similar actions in relation to their business in Russia.

Djokovic parts ways with his coach of 15 years

TB Team
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Djokovic parts ways with his coach of 15 years

World No. 2 tennis player from Serbia Novak Djokovic has said that he is ending his “professional partnership” with his coach of more than a decade-and-a-half, Marian Vajda.

A statement on the 34-year-old Djokovic’s website said late on Tuesday, “After a ground-breaking 15 years working together, we can confirm that Marian Vajda and Novak Djokovic ended their professional partnership.”

The winner of 20 Grand Slam titles is going through a turbulent phase, mainly due to his COVID-19 vaccination stance. The Serbian is unvaccinated because of which he was deported from Australia ahead of this year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open, in January.

Djokovic also lost his No. 1 ATP ranking to Russian 26-year-old Daniil Medvedev recently and was also defeated by world No. 123 Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic in the Dubai Tennis Championships quarterfinal last week.

Djokovic’s website said that “the pair agreed to end their partnership last year, following the ATP Turin. Marian has played an integral role within Novak’s team, supporting Novak to achieve 20 Grand Slam titles and amass an unprecedented 361 weeks as the world’s number one ranked player. Since 2019, Marian has been joined by (former Croatian player) Goran Ivanisevic who has also played a hugely important role within the coaching team and will continue to work with Novak moving forward.”

Djokovic thanked Vajda, saying he had helped him achieve some “incredible things”.

“Marian has been by my side during the most important and memorable moments in my career. Together we have achieved some incredible things and I am very grateful for his friendship and dedication over the last 15 years. While he might be leaving the professional team he will always be family and I can’t thank him enough for all he has done,” said Djokovic.

“During my time with Novak, I have been lucky to watch him transform into the player he is today. I will look back on our time together with immense pride and am so very thankful for the success we have achieved. I remain his biggest support on and off the court and look forward to new challenges,” said Vajda.

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