Anushka's Reaction As Kohli Misses 50 In Do-Or-Die RCB vs CSK Game Viral

RCB batters came out with great intent in a do-or-die clash against CSK in the IPL 2024 on Saturday. It's a do-or-die match for both teams to grab a playoff spot.  More so for RCB who have to beat CSK by 18 runs in order to qualify for the top-four. Starting with the opening dup of Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis, along with Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, everyone contributed as RCB posted a huge target for CSK. While RCB skipper De Plessis scored a half-century, Kohli missed the mark by just three runs. 

He was caught on the boundary ropes by Daryl Mitchell off Mitchell Santner. Mitchell had a tricky situation as he lost balance but was aware of the ropes to take a clean catch. Even Virat Kohli's wife and actor Anushka Sharma thought that Mitchell had gone past the rope. But then soon realised that Kohli was out. Her reaction went viral. 

Anushka Sharma also thinks Virat Kohli was not out @JayShah, please bring King Kohli back. He should be batting out there #IPL2024 #RCBvsCSK #tapmad #HojaoADFree pic.twitter.com/5fnBv6hAJO

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) May 18, 2024

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma & Whole RCB was not happy with decision given by Third Umpire, RCB vs CSK, IPL 2024 pic.twitter.com/M1ZlSP322y

— Republic of Games (@kohlilfc) May 18, 2024

We are with you AnushkaSharma we are are sad you are not only #Rcbvscsk #ipl pic.twitter.com/gP40NdEDPu

— Mohsin Raza (@MohsinRaza48135) May 18, 2024

Ahead of the all-important clash with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League 2024, star India batter and Royal Challengers Bengaluru's opener Virat Kohli revealed the reason behind his high strike rate in the ongoing season of the cash-rich league.

The Impact Player Rule allows a franchise to introduce a 12th player to the team from a five-player list which is given at the time of a toss. A team can bring in an impact player for the playing XI by replacing any player from the five-player list.

"I am telling you, with one extra batter there is a reason I am playing with 200 plus strike rate in the powerplays. I know there is a batsman waiting at No. 8 as well. I think it has disrupted the balance and a lot of people are feeling this way not just me," Kohli said while speaking on Jio Cinema.

Earlier, Rohit also shared his views and said that due to the Impact Player Rule, players like Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar are not getting a chance to bowl, which is not a good thing for Team India.

"I genuinely feel it is going to hold back the development of all-rounders because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12. So I am not a big fan of the Impact Player Rule because you are taking so much from the game just to make it a little more entertaining for the people around you. But just in the cricketing aspect of it, I feel guys like Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dube are not getting to bowl, which is not a good thing for us (India). I am not sure what you can do about it, but I am not a fan of it," said Rohit in the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

With Ani inputs

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/hJznKrB
via

1 Killed, Jaipur Couple Injured In Kashmir Twin Attacks Ahead Of Polling

A former sarpanch was killed and a couple from Rajasthan was injured in firing by terrorists in two separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, two days before polling.

The country is in the middle of a marathon six-week general election. Four rounds are over, three more remain. The votes will be counted on June 4. 

Former sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh was shot at at Hurpura village in Shopian district. He later died in hospital. A couple from Rajasthan was also injured in a separate incident in Anantnag.

"He (sarpanch) was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Terrorists also fired at a tourist couple from Jaipur identified as Tabriz and his wife Farha in the Yannar area of Anantnag district. The injured couple has been shifted to the hospital for treatment. The area has been cordoned off for searches," said an official.

Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats concluded on April 19 and 26, respectively, while in Srinagar, voting was done on May 13. The Baramulla seat will vote on May 20, while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat will vote on May 25.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/lR2J4V3
via

Cannes 2024: New Day, New Pics Of Aishwarya From French Riviera

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a ray of sunshine (quite literally). After making her second red carpet appearance on Friday, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was recently spotted on the streets of French Riviera. She kept her look cool and stylish. Aishwarya opted for a plain black T-shirt teamed with matching pants and a printed overcoat. She left her tresses open and completed her look with a cool pair of shades and black shoes. In one of the pictures, she was seen chatting with Afef Jnifen, a Tunisian-born Italian fashion model. Take a look at the photos below.

The OG style queen, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, stole the spotlight during her second red carpet appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. The actress opted for an ensemble that was both dramatic and stunning. She picked a silver outfit with turquoise green accents from the shelves of Falguni Shane Peacock. She left her tresses open in soft curls. Take a look at her photos below.

For the unversed, this is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's 22nd year at the Cannes Film Festival. The actress has been delivering jaw-dropping red-carpet looks over the years. Who could forget last year's spectacle? A shimmering silver gown paired with a dramatic black bow and an extravagant silver hood and train stole the show.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Cannes journey began in 2002 when she made a red carpet debut wearing a Neeta Lulla saree and heavy gold jewellery for the premiere of her film Devdas. She was accompanied by her Devdas co-star Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The next year, she was on the Cannes jury.

Joining her at Cannes this year will be actors Aditi Rao Hydari, Shobita Dhulipala, Jacqueline Fernandes and Kiara Advani. Urvashi Rautela shared pictures from the French Riviera, while Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actress Deepti Sadhwani made her red carpet debut on Wednesday.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vWVaXRS
via

IPL 2024 Playoffs: What Happens If RCB vs CSK Clash Is Washed Out?

As the ongoing IPL 2024 inches closer to its culmination, the excitement remains at the pinnacle as five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fight for the final playoff berth in their last league stage encounter. Table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have already booked their place for the knockout stages but the last team to join them in the playoffs is yet to be ascertained. RCB are on a five-match winning streak after outclassing Delhi Capitals by 47 runs in their previous game. Despite the forgettable start, the Bengaluru-based franchise gained momentum in the middle of the season to stay alive in the title race. With 12 points in 13 matches, RCB are placed sixth in the standings.

RCB need to win the match against CSK to bolster their hopes of a title finish. It is not just a win but by a certain margin to better their net run-rate than the defending champions.

On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai hold 14 points in 13 games and currently occupying fourth spot in the points table. A win against RCB will make them the final team to progress to playoffs.

However, they can still qualify even after losing the match on the basis of net run rate (NRR). CSK need to minimise the losing margin to keep their NRR intact.

There is also a possibility of a washout as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in Chennai on Friday and Saturday (match day).

In case of a washout or a truncated match, the scenarios will favour the hosts more than RCB. Both teams will get a point each in case of no result while if the overs are reduced, RCB will find it difficult to support their NRR even after a win.

Chennai will host Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/svpUdna
via

"Congress' Maoist Manifesto Eyeing Gold From Temples, Mangalsutra": PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tore into the Congress's election manifesto, dubbing it a "Maoist" document, which he cautioned will put a break on the country's economic growth and lead it to bankruptcy if implemented.

He said if the Congress was dissolved post-independence as per Mahatma Gandhi's wishes, India would have been five decades ahead in terms of social and economic development than what it was today.

Addressing an election rally in Mumbai three days ahead of the fifth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra covering 13 seats, the BJP stalwart lashed out at the Congress over its election manifesto.

"The Congress is fighting a battle for its survival and can go to any extent (to save itself). Its Maoist manifesto is eyeing gold from temples and 'mangalsutra' (gold chains) of women. The Maoist manifesto will put a break on economic growth and lead the country to bankruptcy," he told the gathering at the sprawling Shivaji Park Ground.

The PM had earlier said the Congress poll document had Muslim League imprint.

The BJP's star campaigner alleged the grand old party wants to bring back inheritance tax (a levy on assets inherited from a deceased person) which was abolished in the 1980s.

"It also plans a 50 per cent inheritance tax... the party is planning an X-ray of your property and handing it over to their vote-bank which speaks of vote jihad," he maintained.

The BJP stalwart said construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and removal of Article 370, which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, were once considered impossible tasks in the country, but they have now become a reality.

"But they were made possible because of the power of your single vote," he told the large gathering.

PM Modi asked the people of Mumbai to remember terror strikes and serial bomb blasts that rocked the metropolis in the past and the change in the situation after 2014 when they go out to vote on May 20.

He emphasised bomb blasts and terror strikes are a now thing of the past in the financial capital.

"In the last ten years, they (Mumbaikars) have been feeling safe and secure," the PM said at the rally organised to seek votes for Shiv Sena-BJP candidates in the metropolis.

Targeting the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, PM Modi maintained the "fake" Shiv Sena had betrayed the mandate of the people and worked against the interest of Mumbai and Maharashtra.

"The nakli Shiv Sena has betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray by standing with those who abuse Ram mandir and also (Hindutva icon Veer) Savarkar," he said.

"I will give Mumbai its due right. Days are not far off when Mumbai will get India's first bullet train," he declared.

The PM noted the financial capital has emerged as a hub of start-ups. "Today, there are 8,000 start-ups in Mumbai. India is the second largest mobile manufacturing hub," he pointed out.

"Mumbai is the economic powerhouse of the country and the stock market headquartered in the metropolis is now the fourth largest in the world, but the INDI alliance is hatching conspiracies to break the trust," he charged.

The PM said Mumbai was a dream city and was going to play a huge role in achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.

"I have come to you with a dream of Viksit Bharat (developed India). Mumbai knows the importance of speed. Countries which gained independence along with us have overtaken us in terms of development. Where did we lag? It was the previous governments which did not trust its people. If you see the Red Fort address of earlier PMs, they called Indians lazy. Such attitude cannot take the country forward," he noted.

When the Congress lost power at the Centre in 2014, India's economy was at the 11th position, but it has now jumped to the 5th spot, PM Modi opined.

"If the Congress was dissolved as per Gandhiji's wishes, India would have been five decades ahead of what it is today. We lost five decades because of the Congress. When we got independence, India was the 6th largest economy and when the Congress left power in 2014, it was 11th," he said.

"Indians fought for 500 years to build a magnificent temple for Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Frustrated people and those in despair also said removal of Article 370 was impossible, but it was scrapped. No power in the world can bring back Article 370," he asserted.

Talking about women's welfare, the PM pointed out that the practice of instant triple talaq has been banned and women have got 33 per cent reservation in assemblies and Parliament.

PM Modi said earlier 'garibi hatao' (eradicate poverty) was merely a slogan, but for his government action on the ground matters.

"Modi brought 25 crore people out of poverty (in 10 years). What seemed impossible was done with the power of your vote," maintained the PM.

Without naming NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, PM Modi said, "I challenge the NCP leader to ask (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi to say he will not abuse Savarkar again. The INDI alliance has betrayed the country by giving a clean chit to terrorist Ajmal Kasab and questioning surgical strikes. It wants to snatch SC/ST/OBC quota and give it those who speak of vote Jihad." Thirteen Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including 6 in Mumbai, will vote on May 20.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/b9d1sS7
via

Opinion: Lok Sabha Elections: Why A 2004-Like Scenario Is Unlikely

Four of the seven phases of India's general elections have been concluded, covering 380 seats and hundreds of candidates. Voters have sealed the mandates for roughly 70% of the total Lok Sabha seats. Both social and traditional media are abuzz with poll studies and analyses, though a common observation between them all is that the electoral contest, which initially appeared to be a done deal, has proved to be tighter than anticipated, with local factors taking precedence over national issues. 

A few analysts claim the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not come back to power. Some others predict that the party may not be able to touch 272 seats on its own, though with allies it might manage to cross the halfway mark. The slightly lower voter turnout has added to the anxiety, and supporters of both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc are perplexed. 

Pollsters Enjoy The Spotlight

Those conducting exit polls are having a field day as they are quizzed on social media and in TV interviews. However, given that it is unethical to speak about such details with elections still underway, most such pollsters have refrained from giving numbers. In fact, among them, many are those who give different answers in different interviews, adding to the confusion. A season of speculation and a battle of narratives, and amidst this, both the BJP and the Congress are trying to turn the public sentiment in their favour. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already claimed that the BJP has won 270 seats till Phase 4. 

Elections are a lot about “mahaul”, that is, the public mood. India has many late deciders (25-30%, according to various surveys), and it's these voters who are swayed the most by the poll discourse. 

Why Ground Reports May Be Unreliable

People who believe that the BJP could lose this election often cite the example of 2004, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a public favourite, lost the mandate. Almost all exit polls had failed to gauge the public mood back then. If exit polls conducted through scientific techniques can go wrong, ground reports, based on unscientific sampling methods and gathered through ground feedback, can also be misleading. This is because such local reports usually tend to portray elections as ‘pitched battles', with supporters of each camp claiming that victory is theirs. This was seen even in the Madhya Pradesh state elections in 2023, which largely became a one-sided battle in the end. 

Read | Why Are Young Voters Staying Away From Elections? What Are Their Concerns?

Let's look at some data. In the 1999 general elections, the BJP won 182 seats with a 24% vote share, while the Congress won 114 with 28% votes. Though the gap between the vote shares of the two was just 4 percentage points (pp), the BJP still managed to form a government with the support of NDA allies. 

In the next general elections in 2004, the BJP won 138 seats (-44) with a 22% vote share (-2 pp), while the Congress won 145 (+31) with a 27% vote share (-1 pp). The Congress formed a government with its United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies, and the BJP was handed a shock defeat despite its ‘India Shining' campaign. 

On Victory Margins

In 1999, the BJP's average lead on the seats it won was around 65,000 in terms of votes and 9 pp in terms of vote share. A victory margin of 10 pp is usually considered a close contest as a swing of only 5 pp is enough to reverse the mandate. The BJP victory in 1999 was thus not huge, which is partly why it lost to the Congress in the next general election. 

In 2019, the BJP's average winning margin for its victory seats was around 2.32 lakh votes and 20 pp in terms of vote share. A victory margin of 20 pp is considered a one-sided contest as a swing of more than 10 pp is needed to tilt the contest. Can this huge margin be reversed in 2024? 

Read | Opinion: Elections 2024: Why Brand Modi Is Unlikely To Fizzle Out Anytime Soon

In the 1984 elections, even though the Congress won 414 seats with an average vote share lead of 22 pp, it lost the subsequent elections in 1989. Notably, what also helped the party in 1984 was the deep sympathy generated after Indira Gandhi's assassination. That waned by the next election, and the Bofors scandal and corruption allegations against the Gandhi family cost it dear. 

So, there comes the question: is the political climate in India today similar to 1984 or 2004, or 2019? Well, the answer depends on which side of the fence you are on.

(Amitabh Tiwari is a political strategist and commentator. In his earlier avatar, he was a corporate and investment banker.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/71c2gL6
via

Lecturing India On Human Rights Won't Work: Indian American Lawmakers

Reiterating that they would continue to raise the issue of human rights in India with its leadership, Indian American lawmakers on Thursday, however, said that lecturing New Delhi on this issue is unlikely to work and they favoured entering into a conversation with the Indian leadership on their concerns with them.

"India was colonized for over 100 years. So, when we're having a conversation about human rights, and you're having a conversation with (External Affairs Minister S) Jai Shankar or someone else, you have to understand that just coming in from a perspective of lecturing India. When they say that we've had colonial powers lecture us for hundreds of years is not going to be productive," Congressman Ro Khanna told members of the Indian American community during the "Desi Decides" Summit of Indian American Impact.

Khanna, who is also co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus, was joined by three other Indian American lawmakers -- Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal and Dr Ami Bera -- during the panel discussion, which was moderated by Zohreen Shah, ABC national correspondent, who asked them about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's relations with the Muslim community.

"Having a conversation (with India) saying, here are the imperfections in our democracy, what are the imperfections in your democracy, and how do we collectively advance democracy and human rights, I think is a more constructive approach," Khanna said.

Bera said he agrees with Khanna. "I've said the same to the (Indian) foreign minister. If India loses its secular nation, it changes who she is as a country and how the rest of the world views it," he said.

He also said that a Trump presidency is not necessarily the same as Prime Minister Modi being in power. "Because we still have a vibrant democracy here. We have a vibrant opposition party in the Democratic Party. We still believe in the freedom of the press and those are all things that I worry about India's future," he said.

"You see what's happening to the freedom of the press. You're not really seeing a viable opposition party or it's being dismantled. The vibrant democracy has to have all of those things, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the ability to push back. I hope you don't ever see a second Trump presidency. But if that were to happen, you will see our democracy survive the first time, push back, and our democracy will survive. I certainly hope India's democracy survives," Bera said.

Jayapal said she agrees with both Bera and Khanna. "The only thing I would add is that I think we have to be able to critique our own country's imperfections and any other country's imperfections. That's actually our job in Congress. We shouldn't lecture, I agree with Roe (Khanna). But we do have to think about all of the United States' interests. That is economic, for sure. India is an important partner for us. It's an important partner because of other regional dynamics as well and global dynamics," she said.

"It is also important for us to think about our values. Just like we criticize the Chinese government for the treatment of Uyghurs or any other country in the world, we have to be able to also look at what's happening in India and call attention to it," she said.

"I know that I have been called a bad Indian and all kinds of other things for raising these. But I would just say I'm not backing away from that because those are the values of the United States. Those are my values. I don't think it means that you don't appreciate or like or want a partnership between India and the United States to raise legitimate concerns about freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and all of the other things that we are seeing in India any more than if we raise it here it means somehow that we're bad Americans. No, that is our job to be moving towards a more perfect union in the United States and with all of our global partnerships," Jayapal asserted.

Thanedar said he favours a strong India-US relationship. "We need a strong US-India relationship. India historically has been playing both sides, Russia and US. But it's time for India to commit to a strong friendship with the United States, and that's something that I want to work on. The United States has to recognize India's power, its economic power, and India remains the best solution to counteract China's aggression. So, I'm just working on a strong India-US relationship," he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/g4jUfP7
via

In Top Court's Order On Acquiring Private Property, A "Procedure" Caveat

Compulsory acquisition of private properties will be unconstitutional if proper procedure is not established or followed before depriving a person of their right to property, the Supreme Court said on Thursday.

In a significant verdict, the top court said even the statutory scheme of payment of compensation in return for acquisition of private properties will not be justified if the due procedure is not followed by the state and its instrumentalities.

While making the observations, a bench comprising justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar dismissed the appeal of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The civic body had approached the top court challenging the judgment of a division bench of the Kolkata High Court which had quashed acquisition of a property at Narkeldanga North Road in the city for constructing a park.

The high court had held that the civic body had no power under a specific provision to go for compulsory acquisition.

"We are of the considered opinion that the High Court was fully justified in allowing the writ petition and rejecting the case of the appellant-Corporation acquiring land under Section 352 of the Act. The impugned judgment does not brook interference on any count," the top court said in its 32-page judgment.

"Under our constitutional scheme, compliance with a fair procedure of law before depriving any person of his immovable property is well entrenched," Justice Narasimha said.

"Again, assuming that Section 363 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act provides for compensation, compulsory acquisition will still be unconstitutional if proper procedure is not established or followed before depriving a person of their right to property," it said.

It said undue emphasis is laid on the provisions of compensation to justify the power of compulsory acquisition, as if compensation by itself is the complete procedure for a valid acquisition.

"While it is true that after the 44th Constitutional Amendment, the right to property drifted from Part III (fundamental rights) to Part XII of the Constitution, there continues to be a potent safety net against arbitrary acquisitions, hasty decision-making and unfair redressal mechanisms," it said.

The Article 300A (right to property) of the Constitution says that "no person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law" and it has been characterised both as a constitutional and a human right.

"To assume that constitutional protection gets constricted to the mandate of a fair compensation would be a disingenuous reading of the text and, shall we say, offensive to the egalitarian spirit of the Constitution," it said.

It said there are seven sub-rights which can be identified.

"These are: i) duty of the State to inform the person that it intends to acquire his property - the right to notice, ii) the duty of the State to hear objections to the acquisition - the right to be heard, iii) the duty of the State to inform the person of its decision to acquire - the right to a reasoned decision, iv) the duty of the State to demonstrate that the acquisition is for public purpose - the duty to acquire only for public purpose," the court said.

"(v) the duty of the State to restitute and rehabilitate - the right of restitution or fair compensation, vi) the duty of the State to conduct the process of acquisition efficiently and within prescribed timelines of the proceedings - the right to an efficient and expeditious process, and vii) final conclusion of the proceedings leading to vesting - the right of conclusion," it added.

These seven rights are foundational components of a law that is in tune with Article 300A, and the absence of one of these or some of them would render the law susceptible to challenge.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/p9TmZWL
via

Central Forces To Remain In Andhra Even After June 4, Directs Poll Body

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday directed the Union home ministry to retain 25 companies of central forces in Andhra Pradesh even after counting of votes on June 4 following post-poll violence in the state as it conveyed its displeasure to the state chief secretary and the police chief over the incidents.

In a statement, the EC said "without mincing any words", it directs the chief secretary and the director general of police to ensure that such violence is not repeated and all SPs to be tasked with take pre-emptive measures to avoid such a situation in future.

The poll authority had summoned chief secretary KS Jawahar Reddy and DGP Harish Gupta to Nirvanchan Sadan here to seek "personal explanation" over the incidents of violence reported on Monday and Tuesday.

"The Commission decided to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to retain the 25 CAPF (central armed police force) companies in Andhra Pradesh for 15 days after counting, to control any violence after declaration of results," the poll panel said.

It said the state government had requested that central forces be retained for 15 days post counting.

In the meeting, the poll authority sought timely filing of chargesheet against the culprits, preferably within the model code of conduct period. The poll code period usually ends after counting is completed.

During the briefing, the CS and the DGP shared their assessment of negligence and lack of supervision on the part of officials in violence-hit districts.

The Commission approved various proposals of the state government. These included investigation by a special investigation team and submit an action taken report to the Commission in two days in each of the cases.

FIRs will be updated with additional appropriate IPC sections and other relevant statutory provisions.

The EC also approved the transfer of district collector of Palnadu and initiation of departmental enquiry; suspension of SPs of Palnadu and Ananthapuramu districts and initiation of departmental enquiry.

It also gave its nod to the transfer of SP of Tirupati and initiation of departmental enquiry as well as suspension of 12 subordinate police officials in Palnadu, Anathapuramu and Tirupati districts and initiation of departmental enquiry.

Several incidents of violence were reported in Ananthapuramu, Palnadu and Tirupati districts on the poll-day and post poll day.

Incidents were also reported before the poll involving assault, setting the property and office of the opposite party on fire, threatening, damaging of the campaign vehicles and stone pelting.

The EC pointed out that most of these incidents happened in the districts of Annamaya, Chittoor and Palnadu and few incidents in Guntur, Anantapur and Nandyal.

The leaders of the ruling YSRCP and opposition TDP have levelled allegations against each other for the incidents.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ldT1f0r
via

Scientists Spot 7 Stars That Show Signs of Hosting Alien Civilisations

There is always a question about life forms other than humans out there in the Universe. Recently, an international team of researchers, based in Sweden, India, the US and the UK, have devised a way to search for unimaginably complex extraterrestrial megastructures, known as Dyson spheres, according to a report by Science Alert. 

A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical engineering project that only highly advanced civilizations could build. These Dyson spheres would allow a civilization to harness all of a star's energy. To find Dyson Spheres, or rather their technosignatures, the ''Project Hephaistos'' was created. The team of scientists published their results in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

The team believes that they've identified seven of these lurking in the cosmos after filtering through millions of potential space objects. Scientists believe that only civilisations capable of such a project are those who measure Level II on the Kardashev scale. However, these candidates need further analysis to determine their nature. 

The prospect of such a construction was first proposed by physicist and astronomer Freeman J. Dyson back in 1960. He envisioned them as a solar-system-sized shell consisting of a 'swarm of objects'' that could travel on independent orbits around a star, such as our sun.

As per Indy.com, the idea behind this is that the aliens commandeering this multi-faceted sphere would use it to harness the energy of the star to fulfil the energy needs of its technologically sophisticated people.

How did they find the seven potential Dyson spheres?

The team analysed data gathered by the European Space Agency's Gaia map of stars, as well as the 2MASS infrared astronomical survey and NASA's WISE infrared astronomy space telescope.

"This structure would emit waste heat in the form of mid-infrared radiation that, in addition to the level of completion of the structure, would depend on its effective temperature. A specialized pipeline has been developed to identify potential Dyson sphere candidates focusing on detecting sources that display anomalous infrared excesses that cannot be attributed to any known natural source of such radiation," Matias Suazo, of Sweden's Uppsala University said. 

The issue here is that plenty of other natural objects emit excess infrared radiation, including nebulae and background galaxies, as per Universe Today. So, scientists developed a special pipeline to detect anomalies that display anomalous infrared excesses.

''[This] pipeline has been developed to identify potential Dyson sphere candidates focusing on detecting sources that display anomalous infrared excesses that cannot be attributed to any known natural source of such radiation," the researchers said. 

They narrowed it down to 368 sources. 328 were rejected as blends. Of these, 29 were rejected as irregulars, and four were rejected as nebulars. Only seven potential candidates were left out of about 5 million initial objects.

"All sources are clear mid-infrared emitters with no clear contaminators or signatures that indicate an obvious mid-infrared origin," they added. 

The team now wants to perform an optical spectroscopy to better understand the seven candidates.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/M3w2Xzg
via

'PoK Will Be Merged With India If BJP Gets 400 Seats': Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke of a fresh to-do list if the NDA gets 400 seats in the ongoing general election. Countering the Opposition allegations of a change in Constitution, Mr Sarma said today that the focus would be on making Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir a part of India. His list also has two building projects -- temples at Krishna Janambhoomi in Mathura and in Varanasi's Gyanvapi. "You think Hindus would be satisfied with Ram Janmabhoomi alone," he questioned.

As for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Mr Sarma, speaking at a rally in Jharkhand's Ramgarh, said it was a natural progression of the party's plans.

"When we crossed 300 (seats) we scrapped Article 370, built the Ayodhya temple. Once we cross 400, we will ensure that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir merges with India," he said.

"The real game will start after crossing 400. For the last few days, slogans of freedom are being raised in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Crossing 400 means return of PoK to India," he added.   

"Agitation is taking place every day in PoK and people are protesting against Pakistan, holding the Indian flag," he added.

Mr Sarma said during Congress rule, no discussion was held in Parliament regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"When the Congress government was in power, we were told that one Kashmir is in India and the other in Pakistan. It was never discussed in our Parliament that Pakistan has 'Occupied Kashmir,' it is actually ours," he added.

The issue of protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir was highlighted by foreign minister S Jaishankar also.

People in PoK must be comparing their situation with those living in Jammu and Kashmir, in view of the progress there, he had said yesterday. The BJP has ascribed the high turnout in the election for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat to the scrapping of Article 370.

From 14 per cent polling in 2019, the figure this time rose to 38 per cent, the highest since 1989.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/BfKY7CT
via

"Mom Says Thank You": Twinkle Reacts To Zeenat Aman's Post On Dimple Kapadia

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman dedicated a lovely post to Dimple Kapadia on Tuesday afternoon and tagged Twinkle Khanna, hoping that the actor turned writer would pass on the message to her mom, who is not on social media. Twinkle Khanna, who regularly entertains fans on Instagram with her quirky posts, indeed passed on Zeenat Aman's message to her mom. It so happened that Zeenat Aman on Tuesday, documented, in a post, how Dimple Kapadia stood by her during tough times. Hours later, Twinkle Khanna reshared the post and wrote, "What a lovely picture and Mom says thank you for your gracious words."

See Twinkle Khanna's post:

Now coming back to Zeenat Aman latest Instagram entry, sharing a black and white BTS picture from the film Chhailla Babu featuring herself, director Joy Mukherjee and Dimple Kapadia, the Satyam Shivam Sundaram actor wrote, "I can't recollect where this picture was taken, but it quite certainly had something to do with the film Chhailla Babu. Perhaps it's a bts shot from set. I say this because while the chairs scream "production", I'm in my own clothes not a costume. With me are the director of the film Joy Mukherjee and the effervescent Dimple Kapadia, who must have been visiting set as she was married to the lead actor."

Zeenat Aman then mentioned that Dimple Kapadia and she got their first breaks from the same person - Raj Kapoor. Zeenat Aman wrote, "Dimple and I both got big career breaks thanks to Raj Kapoor. She as a teenager, when she was cast in and as Bobby. Whereas I was able to deliver a blow to my "western image" thanks to SSS (Satyam Shivam Sundaram)."

She also hoped that Twinkle Khanna "will pass on" her love for Dimple Kadadia. She wrote, "This isn't a post about Dimple's talent though she has that in spades, it's about the little I saw of her character. During a very difficult phase in my life she was one of a mere handful of people who publicly stood by me. This despite the criticism and scrutiny of her own life that the decision invited! In those trying times she revealed to me a strength of character that I admire to date. I don't believe she is on Instagram, but perhaps @twinklerkhanna will pass on my love to her. Truly, a wave of appreciation washed over me when I found this picture some days ago."

This is what Zeenat Aman posted:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

Zeenat Aman is known for her performances in movies like, Don, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/kaR09Xl
via

OpenAI Releases New GPT-4o, A Faster And Free AI Model For All Users

OpenAI on Monday released a higher performing and even more human-like version of the artificial intelligence technology that underpins its popular generative tool ChatGPT, making it free to all users.

The update to OpenAI's flagship product landed a day before Google is expected to make its own announcements about Gemini, the search engine giant's own AI tool that competes with ChatGPT head on.

"We're very, very excited to bring GPT-4o to all of our free users out there," Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati said at the highly anticipated launch event in San Francisco.

The new model GPT-4o -- the "O" stands for omni -- will be rolled out in OpenAI's products over the next few weeks, the company said, with paid customers having unlimited access to the tool.

The company said the model could generate content or understand commands in voice, text, or images.

"The new voice (and video) mode is the best computer interface I've ever used. It feels like AI from the movies," said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a blog post.

Altman has previously pointed to the Scarlett Johansson character in the movie "Her" as an inspiration for where he would like AI interactions to go.

"Talking to a computer has never felt really natural for me; now it does," he added.

Murati and engineers from OpenAI demonstrated the new powers of GPT-4o at the virtual event, posing challenges to the beefed-up version of the ChatGPT chatbot.

The demo mainly featured OpenAI staff members asking questions to the voiced ChatGPT, which responded with jokes and human-like banter.

The bot served as an interpreter from English to Italian, interpreted facial expressions and walked one user through a difficult algebra problem.

The company said that GPT-4o had the same powers as the previous version when it came to text, reasoning, and coding intelligence, and set new industry standards for multilingual conversations, audio, and vision.

In one demonstration, ChatGPT successfully interpreted an employee's surroundings through a smartphone camera, speaking in a friendly, feminine voice, not unlike the AI bot in the film "Her".

"Hmmm from what I can see it looks like you're in some kind of recording or production set-up with lights, tripods… you might be gearing up to shoot a video or make an announcement?" the ChatGPT bot said.

- 'Take our time' -

Anticipation was high in recent weeks that OpenAI would release an AI-amped version of an online search tool to compete with Google search engine, but on Friday Altman said this would not be the case.

Observers were also waiting for the launch of GPT-5, but Altman said last week that his company would "take our time on releases of major new models."

The event is just the latest episode in the AI arms race that has seen OpenAI-backer Microsoft surpass Apple as the world's biggest company by market capitalization.

OpenAI and Microsoft are in a heated rivalry with Google to be generative AI's major player, but Facebook-owner Meta and upstart Anthropic are also making big moves to compete.

All the companies are scrambling to come up with ways to cover generative AI's exorbitant costs, much of which goes to chip giant Nvidia and its powerful GPU semiconductors.

Making the new model available to all users may raise questions about OpenAI's path to monetization amid doubts that everyday users are ready to pay a subscription.

Until now, only lower performing versions of OpenAI or Google's chatbots were available to customers for free.

"We are a business and will find plenty of things to charge for," Altman said on his blog.

The AI makers are also feeling pressure from publishers and creators, who are demanding payment for any content used to train the models.

OpenAI has signed content partnerships with the Associated Press, the Financial Times and Axel Springer, but is also caught in a major lawsuit with The New York Times.

AI companies have also been confronted with separate lawsuits from artists, musicians, and authors in US courtrooms.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Nvd98qj
via

Job Applicant Gets Rejected For Telling Recruiter "You Wasted My Time"

Job hunting can be a stressful and frustrating process. Most working professionals looking for new jobs spend hours perfecting their resumes and job applications. They also go through multiple rounds of interviews, sometimes spread across days or weeks. However, this too doesn't guarantee a job. The whole process can be frustrating for the applicant and getting ghosted by the Human Resources (HR) team can further add to this frustration. Now, a job applicant recently shared an email they received, informing why they haven't been chosen for the job. 

"After weeks of consideration we have decided to go with another candidate who is better suited to our needs at this time," the email read. It further explained why the applicant was not selected. "It was noted during your interviews, you told both our recruiter and the hiring manager that "they wasted your time because they were late" and "you took time off from work just to hear a low ball offer and that we should have posted the salary range in the job description" We told you that we do this so people won't apply just for the money. After which you replied "what money? Thank you for your time and consideration," the email stated. 

Take a look below: 

legend pic.twitter.com/v5HnayxuK8

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) May 8, 2024

The picture of the mail was shared on X (formerly Twitter) last week. Since then the post has accumulated more than 10 million views and several reactions. In the comments section, users supported the applicant and pointed out that the candidate was right in asking about the salary and that the company should have disclosed it in the beginning. Some users said that it was unprofessional on the part of the recruiter and the hiring manager to be late for the interview. Some argued that reviewing someone's application for weeks was nothing but evil. 

Also Read | Video Of Passenger's Heated Argument With Lufthansa Staff In Delhi Goes Viral, Airline Reacts

"I'm right there with this guy, businesses are wasting people's time instead of being honest and upfront," wrote one user. "Reviewing someone's application for weeks is nothing but evil, let him know if he qualifies or not without delaying the process," expressed another. 

"What is with these jobs thinking we are applying for fun? Who are these people they think are working for fun? If someone told them during the interview they don't care about the money they were LYING," commented a third. 

"The applicant dodged a bullet. That's obviously a bad company," said a fourth. 

"LOL I feel this so deeply, it's such a waste of time when salary isn't included, even if only a range. I remember going through a whole application process to find out the salary was 25k. Wrapped it up very shortly after the reveal, did so as politely as I could, but I feel it," shared one X user. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/14mXSLk
via

He Boarded 200 Flights In 110 Days, Stole Jewellery Worth Lakhs From Fliers

He boarded 200 flights last year and travelled thousands of kilometres in the country for over 100 days to execute robberies at airports, stealing valuables from several passengers in 2023.

The Delhi Police busted the new style of theft when a woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi claimed last month that jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh was stolen from her handbag. The cops received another complaint from a man from the US reporting that valuables worth Rs 20 lakh were stolen from his cabin bag. 

The police scanned several hours of footage from airports and arrested a man, Rajesh Kapoor.

The Modus Operandi

Rajesh Kapoor was arrested from Delhi's Paharganj after cops scanned CCTV footage from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Amritsar airports. The accused told the cops how he executed the crime for a year in one of the most highly secured areas in the country - airports - and managed to escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police, Usha Rangrani, said the man targeted passengers who took connecting flights. For example, the woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi in April had to board a connecting Air India flight to the US from the IGI Airport in Delhi. 

Similarly, the US resident, Varjinderjit Singh, was travelling to Frankfurt, Germany from Amritsar and had a connecting flight from Delhi.

The senior cop said he chose the elderly and women passengers as his targets and used to observe their behaviour at the airport. He would follow them or slyly read the information on the baggage declaration slip to get more details about the valuables inside the bag. The police said they saw the man interact mostly at the boarding gate, and before that, he would observe the behaviour of his targets.

The police said the accused used to request the airline to change his seat so that he could be next to the passenger. Sometimes, it was a coincidence, but he mostly would give a reason to get his seat changed. 

The cops added that he would often sit near the passenger he would steal from and pretend to adjust the bags in the overhead section and steal jewellery and other valuables while other passengers were boarding the aircraft.

The phone number of the accused was obtained from the airlines; however, he entered a fake number at the time of booking to defraud them, and the phone number was registered in someone else's name, making sure he did not leave any evidence behind.

'A Guest House Owner'

Rajesh owns 'Ricky Deluxe', a guest house in Delhi Paharganj, close to the New Delhi Railway Station. The man lived on the third floor of the guest house, and the other floors were for the customers. The police said he had a money exchange business and, also owned a mobile repair shop in Delhi.

He stole valuables from bags of mostly female passengers in several operating from airports like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Amritsar. A large quantity of gold and silver jewellery was recovered from his house in Paharganj; however, he also revealed that on several occasions he sold the stolen jewellery to a jeweller named Sharad Jain in neighbouring Karol Bagh.

The thief who boarded flights used to steal in trains and "gained success," the police said. After getting caught, the man "went silent" and later decided to plan thefts at the airports.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ftZcMFB
via

Polling In 9 States, Jammu And Kashmir Today In Phase 4: 10 Facts

1. Ten states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh (25), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (11), Odisha (4), Telangana (17), Uttar Pradesh (13), West Bengal (8), and Jammu and Kashmir (1), are voting today.
2. Forty-two of the 96 seats (44 per cent) are spread across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This phase will see the conclusion of polling in the southern states.
3. Jammu and Kashmir will have its first election since 2019 today. Polling will be held for Srinagar constituency -- one of the two Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territory. Polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat has been deferred to May 25 after objections from the BJP.
4. This phase is dominated by the non-aligned parties like Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress. Neither party has officially joined the ruling dispensation or the Opposition bloc, though they have given "issue-based support" to the Central government multiple times in parliament.
5. Today's voting comes in the shadow of Opposition questions about the role of the Election Commission after it sent notices to the Congress and BJP chiefs after comments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
6. There was good news for the Aam Aadmi Party, though, with Arvind Kejriwal getting an interim bail from the Supreme Court. Mr Kejriwal, arrested in the liquor policy case, will have to surrender on June 2, the day after the seven-phase election ends.
7. A number of senior leaders from the BJP and the Opposition are in fray, including Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ajay Mishra, whose son is in jail in connection with the farmers' death in Lakhimpur Kheri after his car ran them over.
8. The key Opposition leaders contesting today include Trinamool Congress's Mohua Moitra, who is hoping to get back in parliament after her suspension over the alleged cash-for-questions issue.
9. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Trinamool's Shatrughan Sinha and National Conference's Omar Abdullah are also in fray.
10. The next phase of election is due on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4 after the last phase of the election ends on June 1.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/csMnzyb
via

BJP vs NOTA, World Cup-Winning Cricketers: Phase 4 Interesting Facts

Ninety-six Lok Sabha constituencies across 10 states and Union territories including all seats in Andhra Pradesh, where assembly elections are also being held concurrently, and Telangana will go to polls today. In the fourth phase, polling will be held in 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal and one in Jammu and Kashmir.

The fourth round will be witness to some interesting battles and the fate of several high-profile candidates will be decided in this phase - World Cup-winning cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and AIMIM boss among others. The phase will also see a curious battle between the BJP and NOTA.

Here Are Some Interesting Facts About Phase 4:

1. High-Profile Candidates: The phase will see several high-profile candidates - former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Mahua Moitra - who was expelled as an MP last December in the cash-for-query case, is contesting again from West Bengal's Krishnanagar. Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting against BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha and Trinamool's pick and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi will contest from his family stronghold Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila, the sister of Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, is contesting from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, represented in the past by her father and former Chief Minister, late YS Rajasekhar Reddy.

2. Richest Candidate In Fray: Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is the richest candidate in this phase, with assets exceeding Rs 5,700 crore. He is closely followed by Konda Vishwehwar Reddy of the BJP from Telangana, with assets worth Rs 4,568 crore. Mr Pemmasani, in a conversation with NDTV, said that he feels that his status as the richest candidate should not count.

3. BJP vs NOTA: In Indore, the Congress has been appealing to voters to select the NOTA option on the polling day on May 13 after a last-minute withdrawal of nomination by the party candidate Akshay Kanti Bam on April 29, who later joined the BJP. The appeal has drawn sharp criticism by the BJP.

4. World Cup-Winning Cricketers To Test Poll Pitch: Former cricketer Kirti Azad, who was part of the Kapil Dev-led team that won the 1983 cricket World Cup, is contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur. Yusuf Pathan, a member of the Indian Cricket team that won the World Cup in 2011 has been fielded from Behrampur seat in Murshidabad. Both of them have been fielded by by the Trinamool Congress.

5. Jammu and Kashmir: In the first parliamentary polls since the abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar Lok Sabha seat will see Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, a PDP candidate face off against former minister Aga Ruhullah Mehdi fielded by the National Conference as part of the INDIA bloc. Mohammad Ashraf Mir of the Apni Party is also in the fray.

6.  All Andhra, Telangana Seats To Go To Polls: All the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh will go to Lok Sabha polls simultaneously. The state will also go to Assembly polls across 175 seats on the same day. Polling will be held in all 17 parliamentary seats of the Congress-ruled Telangana, too.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/dl2jsay
via

Out On Bail, Arvind Kejriwal Holds 1st Roadshow For Lok Sabha Polls

AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asserted that the BJP will not form the government on June 4 and said if the INDIA bloc comes to power, the direction and fate of the country will change. He held his first roadshow for Lok Sabha election campaign along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann in the South Delhi constituency, a day after his release from Tihar jail.  "It is a historic moment. The history is taking a turn. If the INDIA bloc forms government, the direction and fate of the country will change.

"I am fighting against dictatorship with all my power. I need your support. The country never accepted any dictator and people removed them. I have come to seek your support to fight dictatorship," he said. He also asserted that the Modi government will not be formed on June 4.

"They are losing seats everywhere, be it Karnataka, Haryana. In Punjab, they will not win anything and even in Delhi, all the seven seats will be won by the INDIA bloc," he claimed.  If the INDIA bloc comes to power, full statehood will be provided to Delhi, he said.      Party leaders and workers gathered in large numbers while Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann mounted an open-roof vehicle waving and greeting people.

"I have come straight to you after being released from jail. I missed Delhi people a lot. I want to thank crores of people who prayed and sent blessings to me," he said.  Recalling his days in jail, he said his wife Sunita, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his ministers used to come to meet him. "I used to ask my ministers about the welfare of people while in jail. During my stay in jail, I used to think what is my fault that I was arrested. My fault was that I provided good schools and hospitals for people. I provided health facilities to people. They (BJP) stopped my insulin for 15 days in jail. "They want to shut everything to paralyse the Delhi government," he charged.  

Remembering his former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are in Tihar jail, he claimed they changed the face of schools and hospitals. "Sisodia changed the face of schools in Delhi. He should be made the Union minister of education," he said.

AAP volunteers, holding party flags and raising slogans, marched behind the vehicle in the narrow streets of Mehrauli in South Delhi, in support of party candidate Sahi Ram Pehalwan.

Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on an interim bail granted by the Supreme Court till June 1, earlier in the day said he will campaign across the country to fight against "dictatorship". He will also take part in a roadshow in East Delhi constituency in support of AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ykXWICU
via

Tourist Arrested In Thailand For Giving Fake One-Star Reviews To Restaurant

A disgruntled British tourist in Thailand finds himself in hot water over alleged online revenge. 21-year-old Alexander was arrested for supposedly posting fake negative reviews about a Phuket restaurant, according to The Metro.

The trouble began when Alexander, according to reports, tried to use the restaurant as a shortcut to his home but was refused entry for not being a customer. Seeking payback, Alexander is accused of enlisting his friends to flood the restaurant with one-star reviews, causing its rating to plunge from a respectable 4.8 to a concerning 3.1 out of 5 stars, as per the news outlet.

The restaurant owner, understandably upset by the sudden influx of negativity and the potential impact on their business, filed a complaint. This led to Alexander's arrest by the Central Investigation Bureau at his new Bangkok apartment. The arrest warrant, issued last August, accuses him of a crime with a surprising name: "entering false computer data likely to cause damage to the general public."

Alexander maintains his innocence but is now facing legal proceedings in Phuket after being transferred to the Sakhu Police Station there.

This isn't an isolated incident. In 2020, an American tourist in Phuket learned the hard way about Thailand's strict defamation laws. He was arrested for a negative TripAdvisor review accusing a hotel of "modern-day slavery." The tourist was eventually released after an apology, but the case serves as a cautionary tale for online critics visiting Thailand, where even seemingly harmless reviews can have serious consequences.

Defamation is a criminal offence in Thailand and carries a punishment of up to two years in prison.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ox6Q4dN
via

"...Whole World Watching": AUS Great Decodes KL Rahul-Sanjiv Goenka Saga

Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka faced a lot of criticism following his outburst on skipper KL Rahul after the team was handed a 10-wicket loss by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. LSG scored just 165/4 in 20 overs - a target that was chased down by SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in less than 10 overs. Following the match, the camera caught Goenka having an animated chat with Rahul as well as head coach Justin Langer. Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee was asked about the incident and he said that things would have been different if the conversation took place behind closed doors.

Lee also said that the entire incident also somewhere shows the passion among the team owners.

"There is a place behind closed doors that might have been a better option rather than the whole world watching. If it were done behind closed doors, you wouldn't have been asking me this question now. But also, on the other side, it shows the passion that the owners and coaches have… they want their team to do well and be the best, so maybe, pick your time," Lee said during an event in Delhi.

Following the heavy defeat, KL Rahul was 'lost for words' over SRH's explosive batting.

"I am lost for words. We have watched that batting on TV, but that was unreal," Rahul said after the match.

"Everything was hitting the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skill, they (Head and Abhishek) have worked very hard on their six-hitting. They didn't give a chance to see what the wicket was playing like, it didn't change much, but that mindset and freedom to tee off from ball one... the only way to stop them was wickets in the powerplay and we didn't do that," Rahul added.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/lYkH8nx
via

Regional Parties Could Form Government, Get NDA Or INDIA's Support: KCR

Making a stunning claim, Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has said a group of regional parties could form a government and the NDA or INDIA alliances may end up having to support them, instead of the other way around. 

In an expansive interview with NDTV on Friday, Mr Rao, or KCR as he is popularly known, also spoke about how his party is far from finished and will get seats in the double digits out of the 17 constituencies in Telangana. He also answered questions about the BJP's prospects, the "failure" of the Congress government in the state, and the arrest of his daughter K Kavitha in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

Addressing a rally for sitting MP and one of the candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, Nama Nageswara Rao, the BRS chief had said Mr Nageswara Rao could end up being a Union minister. 

When he was asked about this and whether he would support the NDA or the INDIA bloc, KCR said, "I will tell you a surprising thing which you may not believe. This time, something new is going to happen in the country. All the regional parties are very strong now. They will emerge as a force. It's not the regional parties supporting NDA or INDIA. It's nothing like that. Either of them will have to support the regional parties' group. It will be a reverse thing. You will see it."

Mr Rao's party had won nine out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019 and he was the chief minister of the state for nearly a decade since its formation in 2014. But, since the Congress' big victory in the Assembly elections last year - it won 64 of the state's 119 seats, securing a majority on its own - there has been talk of the BRS' star being on the wane, which has been reinforced by several leaders deserting the party.

To a poser on this, Mr Rao said the Congress has not fulfilled the promises it had made in the six months it has been in power and people are angry with the Revanth Reddy government. 

"The only promise they have delivered is free bus (tickets) for the woman. Even that has become a big joke. Women are fighting in the buses and auto drivers are (protesting) on the roads. That's the reason people are very angry. The farming community, which got a lot of confidence during my regime, is also very angry. And I think the reflection will be seen in the Lok Sabha elections," he said, adding that his party will get seats in the double digits, going up to 12.

On whether he thought people defeated his government because they were angry with him and believed the parties who said he was inaccessible, Mr Rao replied in the negative and said that people had got stable supply of power, drinking water and water for irrigation under his government and had been "tempted" by the Congress' promises. 

"They made very, very attractive promises. The (vote share) margin between the Congress and BRS was 1.8%. We won about one-third seats of the state Assembly, which is not a small thing. It was not a rout... It was a small thing where the people, out of temptation and because they believed that Congress may deliver more than KCR... we were defeated. Now everyone has realised the Congress has failed to deliver and has cheated them," he claimed. 

'Sunflowers' In Politics

Many candidates from the BJP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls were with the BRS earlier, and Mr Rao had a quip reserved for them: "Only a handful of people went out of the party... In politics, it is common that whenever power shifts, there are a certain number of sunflowers in each party... they will turn towards the sun and leave the party."

The BJP had won 4 seats in Telangana in the 2019 general elections and the party has claimed that it will enter the double digits in the state this time. When he was asked to comment on this, Mr Rao said, "The BJP is running a Goebbels campaign. The BJP will get only one or none in Telangana in these Lok Sabha elections."

The former chief minister asserted that the BJP, which had won only 29 seats out of 130 (including Puducherry) in south India in 2019, would not win more than 10 this time, and that the NDA would be reduced to just 226 seats nationally. 

"The Prime Minister has lost his charisma. People have realised it. The value of the Rupee has gone down to its lowest level and there is a capital drain from India now. Farmers are angry, many others are angry," he claimed. 

K Kavitha Arrest

On the arrest of his daughter and BRS leader K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy scam on March 15, Mr Rao said the BJP had done that because he had taken action against people who were trying to topple his government in Telangana.

Referring to a case filed against BJP National General Secretary BL Santhosh for allegedly poaching BRS MLAs, he said, "I was the first chief Minister in India who vehemently opposed Mr Modi and many of his policies... I sent my police forces to the central office of the BJP in Delhi to catch BL Santhosh. That angered the BJP. That's why they arrested Kavitha in a false case."

"Ultimately, we believe in the judiciary. Today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got bail, I think my daughter will also get bail. The Delhi liquor policy scam is not a scam. Every state has a liquor policy... not a single rupee was recovered... they are playing a drama with my daughter and also Arvind Kejriwal," he asserted. 

Revanth Reddy In BJP?

Asked about his son and former minister KT Rama Rao's statement that Congress leader and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy would switch to the BJP, KCR said this was evident in how he had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his big brother at an event in the state. 

"He had said we need your (PM Modi's) support going forward as well. What does it mean? He is accepting that Rahul Gandhi will not become Prime Minister. Revanth Reddy is in trouble, he is facing the (2015) vote-for-note case and I think that is coming to an end in June or July. Even people from the Congress are thinking he may jump to the BJP," he said.

Mr Rao denied allegations of involvement in the phone-tapping scandal that has rocked the state and said it was completely in the police's domain. He also called the allegations of corruption in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project "senseless" and termed it a "marvel".

On the PM saying that reservation to Muslims based on religion is not allowed under the Constitution, Mr Rao said, "Whether the Constitution allows it is an academic subject. But as far as I'm concerned, whether it is a Muslim or Hindu or whatever, people who did not get their share, people who are still poor, who deserve reservation, must get reservation. It's not a fair thing on the part of the Government of India... and the Prime Minister talking about it.. it looks very silly. It's not correct."

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/K9JxDSW
via

Sanjiv Goenka Disables Instagram Comments After KL Rahul Outburst Episode

There has been a massive outrage among fans and experts following Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka's outburst on skipper KL Rahul following the team's heavy loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. LSG were completely outplayed by SRH as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma produced brilliant batting performances to chase down the 166-run target in just 9.4 overs. After the match, Goenka was caught on camera having a heated conversation with KL Rahul and head coach Justin Langer. Fans and experts were not happy with the LSG owner's behaviour after the match and they took to social media to show their support for Rahul.

Meanwhile, Goenka has restricted his followers from commenting on his Instagram posts amid the growing controversy surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, reports claimed that there can be some question marks over KL Rahul's captaincy.

"There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind," an IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Earlier, Indian cricket team fast bowler Mohammed Shami had his say on the matter.

"Crores of people are watching you and learning from you. If these things happen in front of cameras, and you see such reactions on screen, it's shameful," Shami said on 'Cricbuzz Live'.

"Aapka ek dayra hona chahiye baat karne ka, yeh message bahut galat jaata hai. (You should have boundaries, there's a way to talk. This sends a very wrong message)."

Shami also said that the conversation should have taken place inside the dressing room.

"It's very important to note that players have respect, and you are a respectful person too, as an owner. It's not that you're talking suddenly," Shami said.

"If you have to do that, there are many different ways. You could've done the same thing in the dressing room or the hotel. It wasn't necessary to do it on the field. Aise reaction de ke koi lal quile pe jhanda toh gaad nahi diya aapne (you didn't hoist a flag on Red Fort by doing what you did)."

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/TdBM3l8
via

Did Not Permit Research By Chinese Vessel In Our Waters: Maldives Minister

Emphasising that "peace and security" of the Indian Ocean is important for countries in the neighbourhood including India, Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Thursday said that his government has "not permitted the Chinese vessel" for research purposes in the Maldivian waters.

The statement by the Maldivian Foreign Minister came in the wake of the Chinese marine research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 returning to Maldivian waters, marking its second visit to the archipelago nation within two months.

"The peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both India and Maldives and Sri Lanka and the rest of the countries that we have in the neighbourhood. So, we will continue to work together as I said earlier," he said.

Elaborating on the port call for Chinese vessels, he said, "Our government issued personal rotation and friendly portable permits, and diplomatic clearances came from the Chinese side, which is very common in Maldives."

"So that's how it has happened we as a peaceful country, welcome those vessels which come for peaceful purposes. But they didn't come for research in the Maldivian waters, we have not permitted the Chinese vessel for research in the Maldivian waters," Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer said while maintaining that research vessels are not welcome in the Maldivian waters.

On April 27, Chinese marine research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 returned to Maldivian waters, marking its second visit to the archipelago nation within two months after Pro-China Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling People's National Congress (PNC) won the Parliamentary elections, as reported by Adhadhu news on Friday.

It is pertinent to note that Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon last month told the Maldivian Parliament that the Chinese vessel would not conduct any research despite sailing inside and near Maldivian waters. 

"There was no permission given to conduct any research in the Maldives territory. After docking in Male' and buying food, they did a crew change. People who came on an airplane went board the boat and those on the boat left via the airplane. That was the permission that was given," Adhadhu quoted Mr Maumoon as saying on March 25.

Relations between India and the Maldives have been strained since President Muizzu took office in November, shifting the government's focus towards China.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/mi8YgGM
via

Akbarpur To Go? Yogi Adityanath Hints At Another Round Of Name Change In UP

In line with his allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Panch Pran' (five pledges), which include removing vestiges of slavery from the face of India and respecting heritage among others, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has dropped a hint about changing the name of Akbarpur.

"Uttering the name of the city leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Rest assured, all these things will change. We must eradicate all remnants of colonialism from our nation and honour our heritage," the chief minister said, according to an official release.

Beyond Akbarpur, changing the names of numerous districts within the state has been considered, including Aligarh, Azamgarh, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Firozabad, Farrukhabad, and Moradabad.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after assuming office in 2017, has embarked on a mission to eradicate symbols of historical subjugation.

This endeavour has seen numerous roads, parks, intersections, and buildings in the state christened in the honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In Lucknow alone, one can traverse Atal Bihari Vajpayee Road, navigate through Atal Chauraha, access the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Conference Centre, cross Atal Setu, and arrive at Atal Bihari Kalyan Mandap.

Additionally, the iconic Mughalsarai railway station, the fourth busiest junction in the country, underwent a name change to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction.

Just before the 2019 Kumbh Mela, the state government rechristened Allahabad to Prayagraj, a move rooted in reclaiming the city's historical identity.

Saints contend that the original name of this historic locale was Prayagraj, which the Mughals altered to 'Allahabad'.

Concurrently, Faizabad was renamed Ayodhya, and the Jhansi railway station was also renamed after Rani Lakshmi Bai.

Recently, the municipal bodies of Aligarh passed a resolution demanding the city's renaming to Harigarh, while Firozabad was proposed to be renamed Chandra Nagar.

A similar proposal was also made in Mainpuri, where a demand was made to change the district's name to Mayapuri.

Minister of State for Secondary Education Gulab Devi has demanded that the name of her home district, Sambhal, be changed to Prithviraj Nagar or Kalki Nagar. Former BJP MLA Devmani Dwivedi demanded that the Sultanpur district name be changed to Kushbhawanpur. This city was founded by Kush, son of Lord Rama. BJP MLA from Deoband assembly seat of Saharanpur, Brajesh Singh, has also demanded that Deoband be changed to Devvrind.

Deoband is known for the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, but it is claimed that the place has been referred to as Devvrind in ancient Hindu scriptures.

Similarly, Alka Rai, former BJP MLA from the Mohammadabad seat of Ghazipur, has demanded that the name of Ghazipur be changed to Gadhipuri.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/sLxiqzQ
via

Tamil Nadu Man Crashes His New Car Into Temple Pillar Minutes After 'Puja'

A man unintentionally crashed his newly purchased car into a temple pillar in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore after a blessing ceremony. A video of the incident has now surfaced on social media. Notably, the owner of the car, identified as Sudhakar recently bought a new car and decided to take part in a customary 'puja' at a nearby temple. After the traditional rituals were completed, Sudhakar, who is an experienced driver, started the car to mark his first drive.

However, he lost control and accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake and collided with a pillar-like structure within the temple premises. Another person who was talking to Sudhakar through the window was seen clinging to the car, while a third man was seen running after the vehicle. 

What happened inside the temple has not been captured on camera, but it has been said that the car hit a structure and stopped. The man did not sustain any injury in the accident and escaped unharmed, but his brand-new vehicle suffered some minor damage. 

''A man inadvertently crashed his newly purchased car into a pillar-like structure after a blessing ceremony at a temple in the #Srimushnam area of #Cuddalore district of #TamilNadu,'' the caption of the video shared on X reads.

Watch the video here:

A man inadvertently crashed his newly purchased car into a pillar-like structure after a blessing ceremony at a temple in the #Srimushnam area of #Cuddalore district of #TamilNadu. pic.twitter.com/omC6ppCR8h

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) May 8, 2024

The video of the incident is now going viral on social media and garnering mixed reactions. While some expressed concern for the driver, some were amused by the embarrassing turn of events. 

One user wrote, ''The driver was excited for off-roading.''

Another commented, ''He risked his life to try to stop his newly bought car. Emotions..''

A third wrote, ''Vehicle take heartiest blessings Frome God.'' A fourth added, ''Insurance claim on 1st day of purchase lol.''

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/GlqfYcE
via

CCTV For Public, Not Cops: Bengal Governor After Sex Harassment Allegation

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, in the backdrop of sexual harassment allegations against him, has declared that he would allow the public to see the video footage of the concerned day "but not Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or her police".

The Raj Bhavan handle today posted a statement titled "Sach ke Saamne Programme" that said the Governor has launched the programme to counter "mischievous and fabricated allegations by the police" that the Raj Bhavan is not sparing the footage.

The Governor has now decided that the footage will be placed in public domain and will be shown to the first 100 people who wish to see it. They will be given access to the footage at the Raj Bhavan. The people will be picked from among those who apply to see it on mail or through phone call, the statement added.

On May 2, a woman claiming to be a temporary staff member attached to the Peace Room in the Raj Bhavan, had approached the police post inside the Governor's House and accused Mr Bose of molesting her. In a statement, Mr Bose's office called it an "engineered narrative".

"If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God Bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal," the statement added.

The Raj Bhavan staff was told to ignore police queries, entry was refused to the police and the state finance minister and the police were not provided with CCTV footage of the day in question.

In today's statement, the Raj Bhavan said the matter is under "illegal and unconstitutional investigation of the police". Article 361 of the Constitution has granted to immunity to Governors and the President from criminal proceedings during their term in office.

Amid the general election, the matter has acquired political overtones with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hitting out at the Governor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Cn2cWUd
via

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich Live Streaming UCL Semi-Final Second Leg

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is searching for the formula to take his team's performance up several notches to get past Bayern Munich on Wednesday and reach the Champions League final. The Italian admitted after the 2-2 semi-final first leg draw last week in Bavaria that Real failed to find their consistent best despite earning a decent result, with the German giants largely on top. Madrid come into the match on the back of sealing the La Liga title after a 3-0 win over Cadiz on Saturday, but with the Champions League second leg in the forefront of their minds, celebrations were put on ice.

Los Blancos players reported for training on Sunday morning and the players did not join fans at Plaza Cibeles, where they would usually party together after earning major titles.

Record 14-time Champions League winners Real Madrid instead had their sights firmly set on extending their European domination.

When will the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg be played?

The Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg will be played on Thursday, May 9 (IST).

Where will the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg be played?

The Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg will be played at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid.

What time will the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match start?

The Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg will start at 12:30 AM IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match?

The Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match?

The Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match will be streamed live on Sony LIV app.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xAVjupz
via