Artificial Intelligence can’t own artwork: US Copyright Office

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Artificial Intelligence can’t own artwork: US Copyright Office

In a significant ruling, the US Copyright Office has rejected a request to let an artificial intelligence (AI) system called ‘Creativity Machine’ copyright a piece of art is created.

Creativity Machine’s artwork is titled “A Recent Entrance to Paradise.”

Its developer Steven Thaler tried to copyright the artwork on behalf of the algorithm he dubbed as ‘Creativity Machine’, reports The Verge.

Now, a three-person board at the US Copyright Office has found that Thaler’s AI-created image didn’t include an element of ‘human authorship”.

The decision calls “the nexus between the human mind and creative expression” a vital element of copyright.

Thaler described the AI artwork as a “simulated near-death experience” in which an algorithm reprocesses pictures to create hallucinatory images and a fictional narrative about the afterlife, the report said late on Monday.

AI has recently become a big part of artists’ repertoires, including the digital artwork that is being sold as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

However, “the courts have been consistent in finding that non-human expression is ineligible for copyright protection,” the board said in its ruling.

In a significant ruling, a federal judge in San Francisco in 2016 declined to give a macaque monkey the right to his famous selfie in Indonesia in 2011.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) animal rights organization filed a lawsuit asking a US federal court in San Francisco to declare Naruto — a then six-year-old male, free-living crested macaque — the author and owner of the internationally famous monkey selfie photographs that he took himself a few years ago.

The judge ruled that the macaque monkey cannot be declared the copyright owner of the self-portraits.

In a statement, PETA said: “The US Copyright Act grants copyright ownership of a ‘selfie’ to the ‘author’ of the photograph, and there’s nothing in the law limiting such ownership on the basis of species.”

Apple completes production tests for AR/VR headset: Report

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Apple completes production tests for AR/VR headset: Report

Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has reportedly completed key production tests for its long-rumored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset.

According to DigiTimes, the device has completed second-phase engineering validation tests (EVT 2) to ensure that prototype units meet Apple’s design goals and specifications.

The report added that the headset is expected to debut by the end of 2022.

The headset would come with multiple highly sensitive 3D sensing modules in order to offer innovative hand tracking.

The structured light sensors can detect objects in the hands, comparable to how Face ID is able to figure out facial expressions to generate Animoji.

The headset will focus on gaming, media consumption, and communication.

It will have two processors, one with the same level of computing power as M1 along with a lower-end chip to handle input from different sensors.

The headset may come with at least six-eight optical modules to simultaneously provide continuous video see-through AR services. The device is also said to have two 4K OLED microdisplay from Sony.

The upcoming Apple headset will be similar to the Oculus Quest, and some prototypes being tested include external cameras to enable some AR features.

It may feature at least 15 camera modules, eye-tracking, possibly iris recognition, and could cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

The AR headset is expected to sport a sleek design so that it is lightweight and comfortable for the wearer to roam around for prolonged periods.

2022 World Cup: Australia women hope to erase memories of 2017 semis loss to India

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2022 World Cup: Australia women hope to erase memories of 2017 semis loss to India

Six-time Women’s World Cup champions Australia will be looking to go all the way in the 2022 edition of the tournament — beginning in New Zealand on March 4 — hoping to erase memories of the previous edition when they were knocked out by India in the semifinals.

The most successful country in the history of the tournament — they have won the title in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, and 2013 –, Australia have announced a strong squad and will enter the mega event as one of the favorites once again.

Besides winning the title half-a-dozen times, Australia has reached the final in eight out of the 11 editions so far. They have made it to at least the semifinals in every edition and that sums up their domination.

Even though Australia has been plagued by injuries to some of their top players such as Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, and Tayla Vlaeminck, the squad still has a blend of youth and experience capable to take on the best in the business.

There is plenty of experience at the top of the order with Alyssa Healy, skipper Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, and Beth Mooney forming the top four. Perry is the most experienced among them having played 118 ODIs. Healy and Lanning too have played more than 80 WODIs apiece. In comparison, Mooney has played only 44 matches, but she has established herself as a vital cog of their middle-order.

Australia has plenty of other batting options, with the likes of Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Nicola Carey, and Tahlia McGrath ready to slot into the middle-order, according to ICC.

On the bowling front, the experienced Megan Schutt will lead the attack, supported by talented youngsters such as Annabel Sutherland and 18-year-old Darcie Brown, while seam-bowling all-rounders Perry and McGrath are capable of delivering as frontline bowlers.

Jess Jonassen will lead the spin-bowling attack and will also look to add value with her batting lower down the order, and both Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris are effective options with their right-arm off-breaks.

Australia has also included two more leg-spinners in the squad in Amanda-Jade Wellington and Alana King. Wellington has been recalled on the back of some impressive performances in the WBBL and domestic cricket, while King has been added after her impressive returns in the WBBL. She also made her Australia debut during the multi-format Women’s Ashes and will be eager to deliver impactful performances in the mega event once again.

The squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

Traveling reserves: Hannah Darlington, Georgia Redmayne.

Australia’s fixtures in World Cup: March 5- England; March 8 – Pakistan; March 13 – New Zealand; March 15 – West Indies; March 19 – India; March 22 – South Africa; Mar 25 – Bangladesh.

Twitter may let you untag yourself from threads

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Twitter may let you untag yourself from threads

Micro-blogging site Twitter is reportedly testing a new way to untag for users who do not wish to be part of a thread.

A writer and researcher Machun Wong in a new Tweet revealed insight into how this feature will be helpful. The feature would untag username from a Twitter conversation, preventing people from mentioning it in the conversation again.

The user will also not receive notifications from the conversation, but will still have access to it.

In the screenshot, there is a popup window that outlines what this feature will do, giving the user the option to choose it or decline it.

Meanwhile, Twitter has started rolling out pinned direct messages to everyone on Android, iOS, and the web.

Twitter is now rolling out a feature to pin up to six conversations, which will then always appear above your other messages.

To pin a conversation on the best Android phones, you just need to press and hold the message you want to save.

“Pin Conversation” is expected to appear above other options. On the web, the option will appear via the three-dot menu when you hover over a conversation in your inbox.

Twitter is also rolling out its new bot labels that will let bot accounts to include a label to show they are automated.

Pawan Kalyan slips and falls as fan tries to hug him, but recovers fast

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Pawan Kalyan slips and falls as fan tries to hug him, but recovers fast

A video of Pawan Kalyan narrowly escaping slipping off his car as a fan tried to hug him during a public appearance in Narasapuram, has gone viral. The actor-politician was back on his feet soon after falling down.

All of this happened on Sunday, as Pawan Kalyan stood on the rooftop of his car to greet the people who had surrounded his convoy. A person from the crowd rushed to embrace him, causing him to fall. It could have been a serious accident, but the actor was unhurt.

Pawan Kalyan was in Narasapuram on behalf of his Janasena Party on Sunday. The town in West Godavari district has a large number of fisherfolk dependent on cultivating an estuarine fish species known as Pulasa. They’ve been impacted by a recent Andhra Pradesh government order (GO) that Pawan Kalyan and his party have been agitating against.

With the video going viral, Pawan Kalyan’s fans and followers have been sharing their concern about the actor’s security.

The overarching sentiment was that it was deeply disturbing to see him getting hurt. “If anything bad happens, who will be responsible? Fans need to be reasonable,” Pawan Kalyan’s supporters said to each other on social media.

Trump launches his Twitter-alike app Truth Social on iOS

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Trump launches his Twitter-alike app Truth Social on iOS

Banned from all top social media platforms including Twitter, former US President Donald Trump on Monday launched his own social media app called Truth Social on President’s Day that is currently available for Apple users.

The app on the iOS platform resembles Twitter, which was previously Trump’s preferred social media network.

Trump was banned from the platform in early 2021 after Twitter said he was inciting violence in the wake of the storming of the US Capitol building.

Truth Social, developed by Trump’s new media company, is now live on the iOS App Store in the US.

According to The Verge, some users who signed up through the site have been shown vague “Something went wrong” error messages, while others are reportedly being told that they’ve been put on a waitlist due to “massive demand.”

Instead of tweets, Truth Social reportedly refers to individual posts as “Truths” which are shown to users on a “Truth Feed.”

If you see a “Truth” that you want to share with your followers, you can apparently “ReTruth” it.

Truth Social has reportedly been in beta since December with around 500 users on the platform.

Truth Social is Trump’s second attempt at a new platform. In May last year, he launched a blog that was shut down in less than a month.

The new app was developed by the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), Trump’s media company helmed by former US Representative Devin Nunes.

Trump has also made the first post on the Truth Social app.

His son, Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday, shared a screenshot of the former President’s first post on the social media platform.

“Get ready! Your favorite President will see you soon,” he wrote on the new platform.

Demand, acceptance of bribe key to prove offence under anti-graft law: SC

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Demand, acceptance of bribe key to prove offence under anti-graft law: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said the proof of demand of bribe and its acceptance by a public servant is important to establish offense under the provisions of the anti-corruption law.

A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S. Oka said: “We have given careful consideration to the submissions. We have perused the depositions of the prosecution witnesses. The offense under Section 7 of the PC (Prevention of Corruption) Act relating to public servants taking bribes requires a demand of illegal gratification and the acceptance thereof. The proof of demand of bribe by a public servant and its acceptance by him is sine quo non for establishing the offense under Section 7 of the PC Act.”

The top court’s stand came as it set aside a Telangana High Court judgment, which upheld the conviction of a woman commercial tax officer at Secunderabad, for the alleged offenses under Section 7 of the Act. The woman officer moved to the top court challenging the high court verdict.

The top court said: “This is a case where the demand of illegal gratification by the appellant was not proved by the prosecution. Thus, the demand which is a sine qua non for establishing the offense under Section 7 was not established.”

The prosecution said the appellant was working as a commercial tax officer at Secunderabad and the complainant was then working as a supervisor of a co-operative society.

The high court upheld her conviction for taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a supervisor of Farmers’ Service Co-operative Society for issuing a final assessment order.

It was alleged that she was offered Rs 2,000 in her office, and instead of taking the amount directly, she took out a diary from her table drawer and asked the complainant to keep the money there. The Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested her after recovering wads of currency notes, which tallied with the numbers recorded in pre-trap proceedings.

The bench noted the complainant, in his examination-in-chief about the demand made by the officer, improved from time to time, and the evidence is not at all reliable, therefore the demand made by her has not been conclusively proved.

It also observed that another witness, who was working as assistant to the officer, was also not reliable, as the woman officer served him a memo for being careless in performing duties.

Allowing the appeal filed by the officer, the bench said: “The conviction of the appellant for the offenses punishable under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the PC Act is set aside and the appellant is acquitted of the charges framed against her.”

All eyes on results of TN urban polls as counting on Tuesday

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All eyes on results of TN urban polls as counting on Tuesday

All eyes are on the results of Tamil Nadu urban local body polls as the counting will start from 8 a.m. on Tuesday. The elections were held on February 19.

Chief Election Commissioner of Tamil Nadu, V. Palanikumar in a statement on Monday said that the commission has made elaborate arrangements at all the 268 counting centers in the state.

Palanikumar chaired a virtual session of the commission to review the arrangements for the counting of votes. This includes installation of CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel, electricity supply, network connectivity, and other minor requirements.

The virtual meeting chaired by the Chief Election commission also discussed the arrangements made for the counting of postal ballots, adhering to Covid-19 standard protocol, declaring the election results at the earliest as well as uploading the details. The meeting discussed issuing Certificates and arranging the first meeting of elected representatives on March 2.

Tamil Nadu State Election Commission Secretary, A. Sundaravalli, Commissioner of Town Panchayats, R. Selvaraj, Director of Municipal administration, P. Ponniah, several senior officials, and district collectors were present in the virtual meeting.

Leap in higher education in TN due to AIADMK govt: Palaniswami

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Leap in higher education in TN due to AIADMK govt: Palaniswami

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Monday said that the leap in higher education in the state is due to the efforts of the AIADMK government.

In his address at the inaugural function of a private medical college owned by the former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, Thambidurai, at Hosur, he said that the percentage of entrants into the higher education sector in Tamil Nadu rose from 33 percent to 51 percent during the AIADMK regime.

He also said that the entry of students from modest backgrounds to medical colleges in Tamil Nadu was testimony to the efforts taken by the AIADMK government.

The AIADMK leader said that the state government’s 7.5 percent quota for medical education through NEET ensured that a large number of students from modest backgrounds could dream of medical education.

He also said that it was the AIADMK government that established 7 law colleges, 21 polytechnic colleges, 23 medical colleges, 5 veterinary colleges, and 40 government arts and science colleges.

Qatar Open: Azarenka overcomes Putintseva in Doha comeback

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Qatar Open: Azarenka overcomes Putintseva in Doha comeback

Former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus had to stage an incredible fightback in her opening match at the Qatar Open, outlasting Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka will have her first meeting with Madison Brengle of the United States in the second round. Brengle defeated Turkish wildcard Ipek Oz on Sunday, 7-5, 6-3.

No.12 seed Azarenka, the winner of back-to-back Doha titles in 2012 and 2013, was down 0-4 in the third set and saved a match point at 5-4 in the decider before prevailing after 2 hours and 48 minutes of intense tennis.

Azarenka has now improved her stellar career win-loss record in Doha to 18-2, as she aims to become the first three-time Doha champion.

“Wins like this are sometimes more important than a clean match because you find a way when you’re not playing well,” Azarenka said on court, after the match.

“You just try to find a window, try to find an opportunity. I feel like I didn’t play really well today, but I was fighting for everything. I didn’t really look that the score was down. I know that I have to keep going, I will find my opportunity, and I’m really glad I stuck with it here.”

Putintseva is still seeking her first main-draw win of the season after a first-round defeat at the Australian Open and a loss to Marketa Vondrousova in Dubai qualifying.

India cricketer V.R. Vanitha announces retirement from all forms of cricket

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India cricketer V.R. Vanitha announces retirement from all forms of cricket

India cricketer V.R. Vanitha on Monday announced her retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 31. Vanitha informed about the decision to retire from cricket in a post through her Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“19 years ago, when I started playing cricket, I was just a little girl who loved sport. Even to this day, my love for cricket remains the same. What’s changing is direction. My heart says continue playing, my body says stop and I’ve decided to listen to the latter. Time is ripe to hang my boots. I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of cricket. It’s been a journey of struggles, joy, heartbreak, learning, and personal milestones,” wrote Vanitha.

“While there are a few regrets, I’m grateful for the opportunities I got, especially to represent India. Along the way, there have been many people I want to thank, each and everyone who has supported me through these years -My parents and siblings who have been a rock by my side, Irian sir who guided me, honed my skills in my early years, Naz Bhai who spent several hours at nets watching over me,” added Vanitha.

Vanitha made her international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in January 2014. She went on to represent India in six ODIs and 16 T20Is, scoring 85 and 216 runs, averaging 17 and 14.40 respectively. Vanitha was a part of India’s squad during the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup at home, where the hosts’ failed to reach the semi-finals.

“Murli Sir my now coach and the man who has always made me look at the bright side of things, Varun my mentor, brother, he inculcated in me to view fitness holistically. Anand date trainer at NCA, Rohan my trainer at Invictus. Shantha Ma’am and Kalpana Ma’am for giving me a platform and opportunities to perform.”

Vanitha went on to thank ODI captain Mithali Raj and pacer Jhulan Goswami for their guidance. “Dilip Anna who is more my brother than my own helping with cricket and life. Gargi Maam for opening new horizons to me, Jhulan for encouraging me from time to time, and Mithali, she will always be my skipper! I look up to her, both on and off the field. Her humility, grace, and respect for everyone are life lessons.”

In domestic cricket, Vanitha represented her home state Karnataka before making a switch to Bengal ahead of the current domestic season. Vanitha was last seen captaining Aryan Club in the inaugural edition of Bengal Women’s T20 Blast, a league organized by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). She had played a crucial role in Bengal reaching the semi-finals of the Senior Women’s One-day Trophy, scoring 225 runs in six innings at an average of 37.50.

“I would also like to thank my State associations — Karnataka State Cricket Association and Cricket Association of Bengal, its office bearers, state captains, coaches, S&Cs, physiotherapists, ground-staff and people who believe in women’s cricket. Lastly, I want to thank my Karnataka teammates with whom I have memories of a lifetime.”

“Cricket has given me everything, friendships, joys, identity and memories that I will cherish forever. The next chapter of my life I would like to dedicate to grooming young talents in Cricket This is not the end but a beginning of a new challenge. Au revoir!” concluded Vanitha.

ISL 2021-22: Mumbai City FC eyeing top-four spot as SC East Bengal test beckons

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ISL 2021-22: Mumbai City FC eyeing top-four spot as SC East Bengal test beckons

Eyeing for a semi-final spot, Mumbai City FC will go all guns blazing against rock-bottom SC East Bengal who has nothing to lose, in the Indian Super League at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, here on Tuesday.

Mumbai is placed fifth in the points table, having 25 points from 16 matches, and needs a win to get back in the top-four. Kerala Blasters are two points above them playing the same number of games.

The defending champions lost to Jamshedpur FC in their last outing after racking up two wins on the bounce, and head coach Des Buckingham would hope his boys can arrest a spell of inconsistent run and get back to business when it matters.

“The mood in the camp has never been a problem. That’s where you go back to having good people and good players. We are a family and there is a sense among this group. We are clear what we want as a group and until that’s not possible we want to approach this game in an upbeat manner which will set us up for the final three games in the best position at the end of the season,” Buckingham said at the pre-match press conference.

Asked if SC East Bengal’s poor run of form will be an advantage, Buckingham said, “We’ve seen the other day, NorthEast United beat Bengaluru. We can’t turn our attention away from performing at the top level against East Bengal. We played them once already and we dropped two points.”

The last time the two teams met, it ended in a 0-0 draw.

For SC East Bengal, it is all about ending the season on a high and not finishing at the foot of the table. The red and golds have won just one game so far and have also scored the joint fewest goals along with Chennaiyin FC. The Mario Rivera-coached side has also dropped too many points from winning positions.

SC East Bengal will be missing the services of Hira Mondal, who has been one of their best performers, as the left-back picked up his fourth booking in the last game. Naocha Singh, who is on loan from Mumbai, will also not be available.

“Hira is a fantastic player and has a very distinctive set of skills. I talk to him a lot. If he keeps going like this and learns every day, he will be on the national team soon. But for now, he needs to learn more and correct his mistakes. He is on the right track” said Rivera.

Declare Marathi ‘Classical Language’ by Feb 27, Maha urges Centre

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Declare Marathi ‘Classical Language’ by Feb 27, Maha urges Centre

A day after dispatching 4,000 postcards to President Ram Nath Kovind, Maharashtra on Monday made a strong pitch to the Centre to accord the status of “Classical Language” for Marathi by February 27 – celebrated as Marathi Language Day.

Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai went to New Delhi and called on Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy and discussed the long-pending issue with him.

“We have submitted a letter and a booklet to him detailing how the state government has completed all the formalities and why Marathi deserves to be given the status of a classical language at the earliest,” he said.

Desai said that Reddy was extremely open to the suggestion and even conveyed that there is no doubt that Marathi deserves the honor.

“We have invited Minister Reddy to come to Maharashtra on February 27 and make the momentous declaration granting the classical language status which would be welcomed by the 13 crore people of the state,” he added.

Earlier, Desai and his team comprising officials like Bhushan Gagrai, film personality Shrirang Godbole and others gave a detailed presentation showing that the Marathi language satisfies all the parameters for being made a classical language.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have displayed a positive approach to the state’s demand and Reddy assured that the Centre would take a decision soon in the matter.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray dispatched a box containing around 4,000 postcards to the President to demanding classical language status to Marathi.

The postcards – sent in a gift-wrapped box with the slogan “Abhijat Marathi Jan Abhiyaan (Mass Campaign for Classical Marathi)” printed on it – are part of an ongoing statewide campaign which the state government hopes will fructify by February 27.

This was the second lot of postcards – earlier another lot of 6,000 was sent – to the President with the same plea.

In the past couple of months, people all over the state – ranging from celebs to commoners – have dropped over 125,000 postcards to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Last December, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar fired the first postcard to the President, neatly typed in Marathi and signed by him, kickstarting the trend.

Presently, only six Indian languages – Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia – have been bestowed the status of classical language, based on various parameters.

Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi pointed out that although the Centre took the decision in 2004 to confer the classical language status to various languages, Marathi was ignored despite repeated requests.

Even a high-level committee of language experts appointed by the Centre had unanimously approved a proposal to this effect seven years ago, but there has been no further progress in the matter.

Pawar had said in his postcard to the President that it was necessary to grant the status of a classical language to Marathi as recommended even by the Sahitya Akademi, at the earliest.

“Marathi is not only an ancient language but also the state language, used by litterateurs, intellectuals, by people of religion besides the common masses, and ranks among the major languages in the world,” he said.

The Maharashtra Legislature passed a unanimous resolution recommending to the Centre to accord classical language status to Marathi in 2020.

In anticipation of the exalted status, Thackeray in October 2021 cleared the proposal to construct a ‘Marathi Bhasha Bhavan’ on a 2,500 square meter plot in south Mumbai – a project which had been on the backburner for nearly eight years.

Coming up within the Jawahar Bal Bhavan complex at Marine Drive, the work on the project is starting shortly with a completion target of 18 months, comprising a library, an expo center, conference halls, etc, to promote the Marathi language.

During the tenure of Congress Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, a committee chaired by litterateur Rangnath Pathare had prepared a voluminous report running into 500 pages on the same issue.

The report was forwarded to the government in July 2013, but the matter remained unresolved after the change of guard both at the Centre and the state.

The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which started in 1878, has demanded the classical language status for Marathi several times in the past.

The status paves the way for two prestigious international-level awards for scholars of eminence in the Indian classical language, setting up centers of excellence for studies, the University Grants Commission creating or starting a certain number of Professional Chairs in these languages besides dedicating various institutions for the same to promote the study and research in such classical languages.

Lakshmi Manchu reveals her cop avatar in Tamil movie

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Lakshmi Manchu reveals her cop avatar in Tamil movie

Actress Lakshmi Manchu reveals details regarding her upcoming Tamil movie in which she will appear as a cop. Though the ‘Gundello Godari’ actress didn’t name the movie, she spills beans on her cop role.

“I did a lot of preparation to get under the skin of my character. It was a task to learn the body language and the tone right”, Lakshmi said.

“I’ve always wanted to play a cop, just to be a real badass and call the shots. Something about being in a uniform gives you the ultimate power so it was amazing being in a uniform and I think I enjoyed every bit of it quite a lot”, said Lakshmi.

Revealing that she had to speak to the people in the force, Lakshmi said, “I wanted to see what kind of guns they carry because I wanted to bring in the realistic approach”.

She adds, “I was the only girl on the set and the rest were all the men I was working with, it was quite interesting to see the exchange of energies because they were all looking up to me like one big something that came from Telugu.”

“But, the end of the first day we got along so well and it’s so refreshing to see young new talent, so on dot, working continuously and honing their craft, that was joyful”, Lakshmi said.

Lakshmi, on the other hand, is gearing up to act alongside her father Manchu Mohan Babu soon.

‘Angoori Bhabi’ Shubhangi Atre enjoys ‘me time’ in Rishikesh

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‘Angoori Bhabi’ Shubhangi Atre enjoys ‘me time’ in Rishikesh

Actress Shubhangi Atre, who currently essays the role of Angoori Bhabi in the sitcom ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain’ is happy to spend some ‘me time’ in Rishikesh.

She says: “I got a few days off from my shoots. So I planned to travel to Rishikesh all alone to explore and spend some ‘me time’. I’m literally enjoying the atmosphere here and the natural beauty is making me feel so peaceful. I feel such me times are important for every individual.”

The actress further reveals she was keen to explore Rishikesh.

“I’m a spiritual person. There is a lot of mythological narration about this place. Ganga itself is a very holy river and the Himalayas have their own significance. Above that, the place is commonly referred to as the ‘yoga capital of the world and I’m a yoga lover. I’m just enjoying the place.”

Shubhangi is known for featuring in popular shows like ‘Kasturi’, ‘Chidiya Ghar’, ‘Do Hanson Ka Jodaa’ among others.

Winless India hopes to achieve first victory on tour of New Zealand

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Winless India hopes to achieve first victory on tour of New Zealand

With the ODI series already conceded to New Zealand, a winless India will be hoping to achieve their first win on the tour in the fourth ODI at the John Davies Oval on Tuesday. The Mithali Raj-led side will be hoping that Tuesday will be the point from where the performances across all departments click in unison.

If it was the batting that didn’t step up to the occasion in the one-off T20I and first ODI, then it was the turn of bowling to be one of the chief reasons for India losing second and third ODIs. With no Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur still searching for a big knock, India did well to register scores of 270 and 279 in the second and third ODIs.

In defense of the totals, India was pushed on the backfoot as Amelia Kerr and then Lauren Down bailed New Zealand out of difficult situations in the second and third matches. But with Smriti, Meghna Singh, and Renuka Singh’s availability, India should now focus on putting an eleven which will be consistent in the upcoming women’s Cricket World Cup.

The good news for India has been that earmarked reserve player Sabbhineni Meghana sparkled with 49 and 61 in Smriti’s absence. Shafali Verma, who looked a little at sea in the initial matches, got a half-century in the third match. Deepti Sharma has looked in her elements while bowling her off-spins and would like more support from senior spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Poonam Yadav.

New Zealand, on the other hand, has very few things to worry about. Their experiments have proved to be masterstrokes and look the side to beat ahead of the World Cup. Amelia has been strong with bat and ball while Lauren showed that she can be a dependent person in taking New Zealand out of tough scenarios in the future.

Suzie Bates, Amy Satterthwaite, and Katey Martin have been impressed with the bat as well while Jess Kerr, Amelia’s elder sister, and skipper Sophie Devine have done well with the ball in hand. With nothing to lose now, expect India, with a full squad now available, to put up a strong challenge against New Zealand and get a much-needed win under their belt.

Squads:

India:

Sabbhineni Meghana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Simran Bahadur, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, and Smriti Mandhana.

New Zealand:

Sophie Devine (captain), Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Katey Martin (wicket-keeper), Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas, Lea Tahuhu, Lauren Down, Frances Mackay, and Hannah Rowe.

Beyond comprehension that Chitra could be led by a ‘Marma’ Yogi: Ex-Colleague

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Beyond comprehension that Chitra could be led by a ‘Marma’ Yogi: Ex-Colleague

It is beyond comprehension that Chitra Ramakrishna was led by a ‘Marma’ Yogi or mysterious sage, said a former IDBI Bank employee who had worked with her in the mid-1980s.

Ramakrishna was the former Managing Director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) who is now under the scanner of various investigating agencies for her official commissions and omissions.

According to him, IDBI had the policy of hiring top rankers — Chartered Accountants/ Management Graduates — then and Ramakrishna was one of the toppers and was recruited in 1985.

“Even at the stage, she showed leadership qualities. She was intelligent, outspoken, and also pushy. She was always at the front,” her former colleague recalled.

According to that official, Ramakrishna who was then in her early 20s was always career or business focussed and would not talk about anything else.

“She was a lone ranger then. She used to have her lunch alone,” the former IDBI employee mused.

Another former banker told IANS that Ramakrishna was the granddaughter of a school Head Master and daughter of a professional accountant. Her mother hailed from Chennai and after marriage went to Mumbai.

Queried about bachelor bankers going behind the young, intelligent and good-looking Ramakrishna, the former banker replied: “It was not so. Perhaps young colleagues were sort of intimidated by her attributes and didn’t nurture any romantic ideas.”

“She too did not show any such romantic inclinations towards any of the most eligible bachelors in IDBI,” the former IDBI official added. But cupid seems to have struck her as she married a visually challenged colleague — Ramakrishna. However, the two got separated, two former bankers told IANS.

When the late IDBI Chairman S.S. Nadkarni asked for volunteers to set up the NSE, Ramakrishna was one of the persons who came forward to take the challenge.

“As far as I recall, Chitra was not a greedy person. It is still a wonder why she got involved in all the murky happenings at NSE that are coming out in the open. She could have simply said no to the powers that be and quit,” her former colleague said.

The former bankers were of the view that she did the bidding of a powerful person on the assurance that nothing would happen to her and if at all anything adverse crops up against her, she would be protected.

“It is beyond our comprehension that Chitra would be led by a mysterious yogi. She was not like that. And who is this ‘Marma’ Yogi is the major question that needs to be answered,” her former colleague said.

Nandamuri Balakrishna’s first look from ‘NBK107’ unveiled

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Nandamuri Balakrishna’s first look from ‘NBK107’ unveiled

Nandamuri Balakrishna and successful director Gopichand Malineni have come together for an upcoming movie, which is tentatively titled ‘NBK107’. The first look poster of Balakrishna from the movie was unveiled on Monday.

Dressed in mass attire wearing a traditional dhoti matched with a black shirt, Balakrishna looks dynamic. Flaunting his Rudraksha neck-wear, he is seen walking beside a black Land Rover Defender.

Though the makers didn’t reveal much, the poster hints at the mass action, which is to be witnessed in the movie.

Actress Shruti Haasan will be seen as the female lead opposite Balakrishna in this movie, while Kannada’s renowned actor Duniya Vijay will be seen as the villain. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar will play a powerful role as well.

S Thaman renders soundtracks, while Rishi Punjabi will handle the cinematography. Acclaimed writer Sai Madhav Burra provides dialogues, while Navin Nooli takes care of editing and AS Prakash is the production designer. Chandu Ravipati is the executive producer.

Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar are the producers, while Ram-Laxman is the stunt-choreographers.

Delhi HC seeks Centre’s reply on plea by fugitive rape accused in UK

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Delhi HC seeks Centre’s reply on plea by fugitive rape accused in UK

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a status report from the Centre on a plea filed by an absconding Indian-origin Portuguese citizen, who is accused in a rape case in London, the United Kingdom in 2017.

A bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh was hearing the plea of Jose Inacio Cota, a resident of Goa, seeking directions for a full disclosure of evidence, collected during the probe of alleged rape reported from a pub in London.

Arguing that there is a treaty between India and the UK, petitioner’s counsel Arpit Batra submitted that the UK is bound to provide all the documents and evidence — physical and electronic — collected during the investigation against a person of Indian origin. This will include medical evidence, forensic evidence, CCTV footage, the audio recording of the interviews taken by the UK police, details of calls made to the UK Police, formal police complaints, and a record of seizure of articles.

However, the counsel, appearing for the Centre, objected to the plea on the ground that the petitioner is not appearing in extradition proceedings before the lower court. It was pointed out that the petitioner is wanted in a rape case registered against him in London on May 28, 2017, and his extradition request has been filed by the UK authorities to face trial in the matter. The court will hear the matter further on March 11.

The petition stated that the petitioner has been vexatiously roped into a false case in the UK, which is racially motivated and thus discriminatory and prejudicial toward the petitioner.

Strandja Memorial Boxing: Sumit upstages World Championships medallist, makes strong start

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Strandja Memorial Boxing: Sumit upstages World Championships medallist, makes strong start

On a mixed day for India, pugilist Sumit put up a power-packed performance to make a sensational start to his campaign at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament, outclassing 2021 World Championships silver medallist Dzhambulat Bizhamov on an opening day in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Playing his only second senior international tournament, the reigning national champion Sumit produced a flawless show to register a dominating 5-0 victory against his Russian opponent in the 75kg opening round match. The Indian will now face Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the second round.

While Sumit made it to the next round, Narender Berwal (+92kg), Varinder Singh (60kg) and Lakshya Chahar (86kg) made exits with defeats in their respective opening round matches, Boxing Federation of India (BFI0 informed in a release on Monday.

Narender went down fighting 2-3 against the Spanish boxer Ayoub Ghadfa Drissi while Varinder and Chahar lost to their Russian opponents Artur Subkhankulov and Sharabutdin Ataev by 0-5 and 1-4 margin respectively.

The second day of Europe’s oldest international boxing tournament on Monday will see four Indian boxers starting their campaigns.

Shiksha will face a tough challenge against the reigning Asian champion Dina Zholaman from Kazakhstan in the 54kg opening round match. Nitu (48kg) and Anamika (50kg) are the other two Indian women to take the ring on Day 2.

Among men, Akash Sangwan, who received a bye in the opening round, will play against the German pugilist Daniel Krotter in the 67kg second round match late on Monday night.

The prestigious tournament, which will be played till February 27, has been witnessing the participation of over 450 boxers from 36 countries around the world, including strong boxing nations such as Kazakhstan, Italy, Russia, and France.

A 17-member Indian contingent, including seven men and 10 women, is participating in the tournament which is the first from the Golden Belt Series and also a testing event for International Boxing Association’s World Boxing Tour format. It is also the first exposure trip for Indian boxers this year.

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