Jr NTR reveals his look in ‘RRR’

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Jr NTR reveals his look in ‘RRR’

Telugu superstar Jr NTR revealed the look of his character Komaram Bheem in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film “RRR”. The actor shared the look with fans on the occasion of his birthday on Thursday.

“He’s a rebel full of heart. It’s been a pleasure to play this intence role and I am happy to introduce to you all one of my biggest challenges so far. #KomaramBheem from #RRRmovie,” he captioned the image.

In the picture, Jr NTR as Komaram Bheem leaps above a stormy sea, spear in hand and ready to charge.

The film also stars Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in leading roles. The cast along with the director uploaded Jr NTR’s look on their respective social media accounts.

The film is said to be based during India’s freedom fight and traces the lives of two freedom fighters.

Andhra Budget earmarks Rs 3,840 cr for minorities action plan

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Andhra Budget earmarks Rs 3,840 cr for minorities action plan

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy presented the state Budget for the financial year 2021-22 in the Assembly on Thursday, with budget estimates pegged at Rs 2,29,779.27 crore as compared to Rs 2,24,789.18 crore last year.

This year’s Budget has increased the allocation to backward classes by 32 per cent, earmarking Rs 28,237 crore for the purpose.

Along with allocations for various social groups such as Kapus and Brahmins, the Budget also earmarked Rs 3,840.72 crore for the minorities action plan, including Rs 40 crore for ‘pastor incentives’.

A significant part of the Budget has been earmarked for social welfare programmes that make up bulk of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s pet schemes that paved the way for his ascend to power in the 2019 Assembly elections.

A sum of Rs 16,748 crore has been allocated for children in this year’s Budget, while Rs 47,284.21 crore has been allocated for women’s development programmes.

Agriculture schemes have been allotted Rs 11,210 crore, while Rs 24,624 crore has been earmarked for education. A sum of Rs 6,637 crore has been allocated to the energy sector.

A total of Rs 13,830 crore has been set aside for the health and medical services sector, which includes Rs 1,000 crore for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which boycotted the session, intends to hold mock protests on Thursday and Friday.

‘3rd Covid wave disrupting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery’

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‘3rd Covid wave disrupting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery’

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said on Thursday that the island nation’s economic recovery was being disrupted by an ongoing third wave of the Covid pandemic.

“The Sri Lankan economy, which rebounded notably during the second half of 2020 and early 2021 as per available indicators, is experiencing renewed disruptions due to the emergence of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and related preventive measures, including isolations,” Xinhua news agency quoted the CBSL as saying in its monthly monetary policy review.

The CBSL statement said that impacts from the third wave are expected to be lower than during the first two waves due to selective restrictions and the country’s ongoing vaccination program.

Meanwhile, fiscal and monetary support for recovery will be maintained.

The CBSL said it would maintain its accommodative monetary policy amid this third wave of infections as inflation remains well anchored.

The Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) will therefore remain at 4.50 per cent and 5.50 per cent, respectively.

Accommodative monetary policy has been successful in increasing credit to the private sector during the first quarter of 2021, the CBSL said.

According to official figures, the total number of deaths recorded in Sri Lanka reached 1,051 since the pandemic broke out in the country in March 2020, while the total number of infections reached 151,343.

Telangana police get stricter with lockdown enforcement

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Telangana police get stricter with lockdown enforcement

Police in Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana have become stricter with the implementation of lockdown.

On the direction of Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, police officials on Thursday began taking measures to enforce the state-wide lockdown more strictly.

Senior officials including police commissioners and superintendents of police were in the field post 10 a.m. to ensure that people abide by the lockdown norms

More personnel were seen at checkpoints in Hyderabad to stop and check vehicles after four-hour relaxation ended at 10 a.m. An official said only those people exempted from lockdown norms are being allowed while vehicles of others are being seized for violations.

Over 300 checkpoints were functioning in the limits of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissionerates.

There were more police vehicle patrolling not just main roads but also interior roads and residential areas in Hyderabad and outskirts.

The state government imposed a 10-day lockdown on May 12 in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced lockdown extension till May 30

Cyberabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar and Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat monitored lockdown enforcement at few points.

Sajjanar appealed to people to cooperate with police in enforcement of lockdown, saying the measure was taken in the interest of all. He said the citizens should avoid coming out every day to buy essentials. “When you come out, buy the essentials for 3-4 days and don’t bring families with you to the market,” he said.

Mahesh Bhagwat said so far 21,000 cases have been booked for violation of lockdown norms. He said stringent action will be taken against those coming out on roads without any valid reason.

The DGP on Wednesday held a videoconference with zonal inspectors general of police, deputy inspectors general of police, police commissioners and superintendents of police on enforcement of lockdown.

He said the current lockdown should be implemented strictly so that lockdown need not have to be extended beyond May 30

He noted that though lockdown relaxation is from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., people are coming out to buy essentials only after 8 a.m. and this is leading to crowding in markets and at shops. He called for creating awareness among people to buy the essentials and attend other works from 6 a.m.

Admit children who lost parents in pandemic to Navodaya Vidayalaya, Sonia urges PM

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Admit children who lost parents in pandemic to Navodaya Vidayalaya, Sonia urges PM

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and urged him that those children who have lost parents during the pandemic be admitted to Navodaya Vidayalayas.

“I am writing to request you to consider providing free education at the Navodaya Vidyalayas to children who have lost either both parents or an earning parent on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. I feel that as a nation, we owe it to them to give them hope for a robust future after the unimaginable tragedy that has befallen them,” she wrote.

Gandhi said amid the devastation caused by the pandemic and the heart-wrenching tragedies being faced by affected families, news of young children losing one or both parents to Covid-19 are the most poignant. Children are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.

She further added that one of her late husband Rajiv Gandhi’s most significant legacies is the network of Navodaya Vidyalayas.

“It was his dream to make high-quality modern education accessible and affordable to talented youth, predominantly from rural areas. There are now, as you know, 661 such schools across the country,” she said.

Sony expands E-mount lens lineup in India

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Sony expands E-mount lens lineup in India

Sony India on Thursday unveiled the newest addition to its E-mount lens lineup with the introduction of the FE 14mm F1.8 GM — a compact, large-aperture, ultra-wide-angle lens.

Priced at Rs 162,990, the company said that it allows users to capture the world with new perspectives, especially when shooting landscapes, architecture, starry skies and interiors.

“The latest Sony lens from the G Master series, the FE 14mm F1.8 GM, offers extraordinary resolution, fast and quiet autofocus and is remarkably compact,” Mukesh Srivastava, Digital Imaging Head at Sony India, said in a statement.

“We are constantly innovating and working towards bringing technology that fulfills the needs of our customers so that they can realise their creative vision and deliver what they desire,” Srivastava added.

The new lens features a compact optical design, measuring just 83mm x 99.8mm and weighing just 460g (approx.), with advanced optical technology that delivers superb resolution and stunning contrast.

Users can render light point sources thanks to a maximum aperture of F1.8, making it possible to capture astrophotography or shoot in other low-light environments without having to use extremely slow shutter speeds.

When shooting in challenging lighting conditions, Sony’s original Nano AR Coating II technology maximises clarity by subduing flare and ghosting.

The new lens also features several advanced and versatile control options including, a focus hold button, a focus mode switch and a focus ring to ensure smooth, efficient operation in a wide range of shooting environments, the company said.

WTC final between India and NZ likely to be attended by crowd

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WTC final between India and NZ likely to be attended by crowd

Encouraged by presence of crowd in the ongoing match against Leicestershire at Rose Bowl, host county Hampshire looks set to welcome crowd during the World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand which is scheduled to take place here on June 18-22.

Cricket in England last witnessed crowd in September, 2019 and the last season was played in front of empty stands. West Indies, Pakistan and Australia had toured England last year.

Rod Bransgrove, head of the Hampshire County Club, was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is allowing 4000 fans for the WTC final.

“It is a high interest game and there is a good demand for it,” he said.

Though the ongoing county game at Rose Bowl has been affected by rains but the presence of crowd and applause has brought smiles to the face of cricketers.

The Hampshire county tweeted an interview with player Ian Holland on the presence of crowd.

“You realise once the crowd is back, how much you miss it. Warming up in front of the crowd and then they clap when you are coming on and off. It is great to have supporters back. Getting back to some sort of normality, which is great,” said Holland.

“We have forgotten almost what it was like because it has been almost two years. Not that long. But it has been a long time without the crowd. But it did feel little bit different but it was really nice,” he added.

India women to play day-night Test in Australia

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India women to play day-night Test in Australia

The India women’s cricket team will play a day-night Test (with pink ball) on their tour of Australia later this year, the Indian cricket board announced on Thursday.

“Taking forward our commitment towards women’s cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia,” Jay Shah, the secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), wrote on his Twitter handle.

Immediately after Shah’s tweet, the International Cricket Council (ICC) also announced the news on its Twitter handle quoting Shah.

The decision comes following severe criticism from various quarters that the current BCCI dispensation has ignored women’s cricket. The Indian women’s team didn’t play any cricket for almost a year before the home series against South Africa.

Even the lady’s players’ contracts were announced only on Wednesday night, overflow a month after contracts for the men’s team were announced.

That aside, the women’s squad for the tour of England was announced much after the men’s squad was announced albeit both the teams are to depart for England on June 2 in the same charter flight.

The India women’s team is set to tour Australia for the first time in 15 years for a one-off Test and a white-ball series in September.

The BCCI and Cricket Australia (CA), however, are yet to make an announcement.
In all, the two teams have played nine Tests, with Australia leading 4-0. Five matches have ended as a draw.

Google brings smart home standard ‘Matter’ to Android, Nest

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Google brings smart home standard ‘Matter’ to Android, Nest

Google has announced to bring interconnected cross-platform smart home standard called ‘Matter’ to Android and capable Nest products, powering them with interoperable control and enabling simpler setups.

Earlier called Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP), ‘Matter’ may be a unified smart home standard partnership between Google, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, the Zigbee Alliance, et al..

At its I/O developer conference, Google said on Wednesday that Android is going to be one of the leading operating systems with built-in support for ‘Matter’, letting users quickly found out devices with Google and link their favorite Android apps.

“You’ll only need a couple of taps to line up your Matter devices, and you will have many ways to instantly control them like Matter-enabled Android apps, Google Assistant, the Google Home app, Android Power Controls, and compatible Google devices,” explained Michele Turner, Senior Director, Google Smart Home.

It also allows over one billion Android devices to enable simple setup and control of all Matter-certified products.

Today, there are nine smart devices within the average smart home — in 2016, there have been only three.

“While this is often explosive growth, the industry remains evolving. Selecting the proper devices or connecting them with those you have already got are often frustrating,” Turner said.

All Nest displays and speakers, just like the Nest Hub and Nest Mini, are going to be automatically updated to regulate Matter devices.

“We will update the most recent Nest Thermostat to support Matter – meaning for the primary time it is often controlled on other platforms that have certified with Matter,” Google informed.

The company will soon unveil a replacement Google smart home directory, a web destination to get Google Assistant-compatible devices from across quite 30 categories, from brands like Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, Samsung, LG, Dyson, Netatmo, Wyze, and more.

NZ bowlers won’t search too much for swing with Dukes ball: Jamieson

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NZ bowlers won’t search too much for swing with Dukes ball: Jamieson

New Zealand pace bowler Kyle Jamieson says he and therefore the entire bowling unit won’t get over-excited with the additional swing that the Dukes ball offers during their tour of England, which incorporates the planet Test Championship (WTC) final against India.

The Kiwis, who want to play with the Kookaburra reception, are going to be playing in England with the Dukes ball which offers more swing. before the WTC final, they’re going to play two Tests against England.

“You don’t want to start out trying to maneuver the ball two sets of stumps then get caught on the bounce,” he said while chatting with the media.

The right-arm pace bowler, who made his Test debut in February 2020, against India, has picked 36 wickets in his first six Test matches.

He said that have of bowling in seam-friendly conditions in his home country will are available handy.

“We’ve found favorable conditions in New Zealand sometimes, albeit not with the Dukes ball, and we’re mindful of the very fact that if you begin searching an excessive amount of, you’ll get hurt a touch bit,” he added.

“I think that’s something that we’ve hopefully taken care of, but I assume we’ll address that when the time comes, and therefore the next 10 days approximately, leading into that first Test, is significant for us.”

Jamieson, who represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore within the Indian Premier League after being picked by the franchise for Rs 15 crore at the mini-auction, enjoyed a fruitful home summer picking 27 wickets at a mean of 12.25 and a strike rate of 31.8.

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