"He Has Supported Me...": Rashmika On Rumoured Boyfriend Vijay

Rashmika Mandanna, who was rumoured to be engaged with co-star Vijay Devarakonda this month, talked about her equation with Vijay in a recent interview with We Are Yuvaa. Rashmika told We Are Yuvaa, "Viju and I sort of grew up together. So anything I do in my life right now, he has a contribution to it."  She added that she takes Vijay's advice seriously. "I take his advice in anything I do, I need his opinion. He's not a yes person. He's on point. This is good...this is not good...this is what I think...this is what I don't think. He has supported me personally more than anyone else in my entire life. So, I feel he's someone I really, really respect."

Earlier, Vijay Deverakonda addressed the rumours of his engagement to Rashmika in an interview with Lifestyle Asia. "I'm not getting engaged or married in February. It feels like the press just wants to get me married every two years. I hear this rumour every year. They're just walking around waiting to catch me and get me married," Vijay Deverakonda said.

The rumours started doing the rounds when a report by News18 Telugu stated that Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna were planning to make an announcement regarding their engagement in the second week of February.

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, who have worked together in films such as Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade are rumoured to be dating. In April last year, when a report claimed that the actors were living together, the actress replied on X (earlier called Twitter), "Aiyoooo.. don't overthink it babu."

The actors have remained tight-lipped about their relationship so far. However, they often face questions about each other in shows or interviews. During the promotional events for Animal, Rashmika was on the set of Telugu star Nandamuri Balakrishna's talk show, Unstoppable with NBK 2. On the show, Rashmika was asked to choose between two posters - Vijay Deverakonda's Arjun Reddy and Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor. When Rashmika was about to respond, Ranbir interjected, addressing Balakrishna, "Ask Rashmika, who is the better hero." Later, Rashmika was asked to call Vijay and put him on speaker.

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Who is Champai Soren, Jharkhand's new CM

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"I Do Not Wish...": Indian Chess Player Divya Deshmukh On 'Sexism' Row

Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh took to social media to share her thoughts regarding the 'sexism' controversy at the recently-concluded Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands. Earlier, Divya alleged that she had to endure sexist behaviour from spectators at the competition and added that they "focused on irrelevant things like her hair, clothes and accent" during the tournament. In her latest Instagram story, Divya wrote - "I would like to add one last clarification because what i have said is being spun to huge levels, I would not like to be associated with promoting the word "sexism" in my case, I do not wish to be the face of it but to be an ambassador for women's chess and especially young girls and juniors who, like me are aspiring to be top chess players. The only motive has been to ensure a better environment for women chess players and to bring awareness."

The 18-year-old International Master from Nagpur, who won the Asian women's chess championship last year, shared a lengthy social media post on Tuesday calling out the misogyny that women players face routinely while elaborating on her unpleasant experience in Wijk Aan Zee.

"I have been wanting to address this for a while but was waiting for my tournament to be over. I got told and also myself noticed how women in chess are often just taken for granted by spectators," Deshmukh said.

"Most recent example of this on a personal level would be in this tournament, I played a few games which I felt were quite good and I was proud of them."

"I got told by people how the audience was not even bothered with the game but instead focused on every single possible thing in the world: my clothes, hair, accent and every other irrelevant thing," she wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday.

Deshmukh finished 12th in the Challengers section with a score of 4.5 at the Tata Steel Masters.

The teenager said while male players were getting their share of spotlight purely for their game, the women were judged for aspects which had nothing to do with their ability on the chess board.

"I was quite upset to hear this and I think is the sad truth that people when women play chess they often overlook how good they actually are, the games they play and their strength," she said.

"I was quite disappointed to see how everything was discussed about in my interviews (by the audience) except my games, very few people paid attention to it and it is quite a sad thing."

"I felt it was unfair in a way because if I go to any guy's interview there would be way less judgement on a personal level, actual compliments about the game and the player," she asserted.

(With PTI inputs)

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Raghav Chadha's Shout Out To Parineeti's Maiden Live Singing Performance

Raghav Chadha gave a roaring shout out to Parineeti Chopra who made her live singing debut at the Mumbai Festival 2024 a couple of days back. Raghav shared a few pictures from Parineeti's concert in which she can be seen singing on stage. The actor can be seen dressed in an all-black outfit. Raghav wrote in the caption, "My rock star, my nightingale, my own personal melody queen - as a trained classical singer with music in your soul-you breathe life into lyrics, Paru! I'm totally in awe (and so excited) as you finally step onto this new path you've been longing to tread since so long. Go ahead and rock the world, my girl! I'm always gonna be here; rooting for you and cheering you on." He added, "Finally the world will get to see the free concerts I get at home everyday. Haha." Parineeti replied to the post and she dropped a few kiss and shy emojis. Take a look at what Raghav Chadha posted:

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A post shared by Raghav Chadha (@raghavchadha88)

A day back, Parineeti shared a BTS video and revealed how Raghav called her to "calm her nerves" before performance. In the video, Parineeti can be heard saying, "Raghav has called me to ask my well-being". Raghav can be heard asking, "Are you excited?" To this, Parineeti replies, " No, I am not, dude." When Parineeti repeatedly says in the video, she is not "set" though the stage is set, Raghav can be heard saying, "The only thing I want to tell you is you have my blessing." After hearing this, Parineeti can be seen laughing out loud.

Parineeti wrote an extensive caption documenting "A day in the life of a debutante musician." She wrote, "1.⁠ ⁠Got a call from @raghavchadha88 to calm my nerves, and it really helped. 2.⁠ ⁠First time on-stage in-ear experience. 3.⁠ ⁠Nope, I was nervous..... and it was hot. 4.⁠ ⁠Can't stress on this enough, MUSIC lifts my mood like nothing else. Is that true for anybody else? 5.⁠ ⁠In a world full of trends, I love my pink fuzzy chappals / shoes. Comfort. 6.⁠ ⁠A bundle of nerves as we got into hair and makeup for the first show. 7.⁠ ⁠I believe in my comfortable chappal shoes, I guess not everyone did. 8.⁠ ⁠Right before we walked on stage.  Take a look at Parineeti's post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @parineetichopra

Parineeti shared a few glimpses from her debut stage performance as well. She wrote about her feelings and summed it up with these words, "Andddd it's done....I have tears of joy as I type this: MY FIRST EVER LIVE SINGING PERFORMANCE was last night and it was everythinggg I could wish for and more. Thank you all for the love and kindness you all have shown. It means a lot to me." Take a look:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @parineetichopra

Parineeti Chopra made her playback debut in Meri Pyaari Bindu with the song Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin. Later she sang Teri Mitti for Kesari and Matlabi Yariyan for The Girl On The Train. Parineeti specially recorded a song for her wedding, titled O Piya.

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"Mother, Don't Get Shot": People Run To Safety Amid Fresh Manipur Violence

Visuals of the aftermath of a gunfight between two armed groups on a hill in Manipur have been shared widely on social media. Sources in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in the state capital Imphal said they have received two bodies, and the number of deaths could rise. The Manipur Police in a post on X later confirmed two deaths.

The gunfight broke out on a hill covered with dry, winter shrubs in Koutruk, a village that lies in the foothills about 20 km from Imphal.

In one of the videos that has gone viral, a group of people were seen running for cover on a road in the village. Though no sound of gunfire is heard, the people are heard asking each other to move away from the foothills.

"Ima (mother), don't get shot, please hurry," a man is heard telling some elderly women. "Bullets are raining in Koutruk," the man said, before gesturing to them to move away.

In another video, a group of armed men were seen burning sleeping bags and blankets on a hill, which likely belonged to the people who were killed. Food packets, biscuits, etc were strewn around.

The armed men in olive green battledress fired several shots from assault rifles and yelled in the general direction of the village below. They shouted a stream of expletives on the Chief Minister.

M Barish Sharma, the former state chief of the BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has been hospitalised with a bullet injury on the chest. He was brought to the hospital from Kangpokpi, 45 km from Imphal.

The ethnic violence in Manipur between the hill-majority Kuki-Zo tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis over disagreements on land, resources, political representation, and affirmative action policies has dragged on for nearly nine months now.

With the two communities sharply divided on ethnic lines, the Centre has enforced some semblance of a "buffer" zone between the hill areas where the Kuki-Zo tribes live, and Imphal valley.

The Kuki-Zo tribes say their "village defence volunteers" have been repelling attacks by armed groups from the valley, who come to the hills across the "buffer zone" with obvious intentions.

The Meiteis, however, maintain all fertile agricultural lands in the foothills are under the range of the "so-called Kuki-Zo volunteers", who allegedly have been shooting at farmers to prevent them from harvesting. Four civilians - including a father and a son - from the valley who had gone to collect firewood on a hill near Bishnupur district were allegedly tortured and killed by suspected insurgents on January 11.

A similarity between the village defence volunteers of both sides is that they appear to be well-armed and well-equipped with modern battle gear. The security forces have frequently recovered Russian-origin AK and US-origin M series assault rifles, and gun models commonly used by both the junta's army and pro-democracy insurgents in neighbouring Myanmar.

The Kuki-Zo tribes, who have 10 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur assembly, have been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur since violence broke out in May 2023. They have cited complete breakdown of trust between them and the Meiteis as one of the key reasons behind their push for a separate administration. Over 180 have died in the violence, and thousands have been internally displaced.

For a long time, however, Kuki insurgent groups have been working for separation from Manipur. At least 25 Kuki insurgent groups have signed the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state.

Under the SoO agreement, the insurgents are housed in designated camps. There have been allegations that full attendance at many of the SoO camps has not been observed.

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She Ran Up A Bill Of Rs 6 Lakh At Delhi Hotel, Had Only Rs 41 In Her Account

A woman who was recently arrested for cheating a luxury hotel in Delhi's Aerocity of around Rs 6 lakh had only Rs 41 in her account after she was arrested, police said on Tuesday.

They said the Andhra Pradesh-based woman's motive behind staying near the airport could not be ascertained so far.

According to a senior police officer, the Delhi police have written to its counterpart in Andhra Pradesh to know if they could provide her actual address and details about her family members.

"The woman was interrogated and counselled by our experts but she was not cooperating with us. We asked her to show her bank account details but she failed to do so," another official said.

He added that when the police checked her back account, they found it had only Rs 41 as the balance amount.

The woman, identified as Jhansi Rani Samuel, stayed in the Pullman Hotel located in Aerocity near the Delhi Airport for 15 days and allegedly made fraudulent transactions worth around Rs 5,88,176, the police said.

The hotel staff told the police that she had produced a fake identity card of one Isha Dave at the hotel's spa facility and availed services worth Rs 2,11,708, the official said.

The police said Jhansi Rani Samuel showed the hotel staff she was making the transactions on the ICICI Bank UPI app, but upon payment reconciliation, it was discovered that the bank had not received any payment.

"It is suspected that the app she used was dubious," the official said.

The official said the accused woman was not cooperating in the investigation.

She initially told the police that she is a doctor and that her husband, too, is a doctor and lives in New York, however this information is also yet to be established, he added.

Jhansi Rani Samuel was arrested by the Delhi police on January 13 following a PCR call by the hotel staff.

She was initially arrested for cheating but later Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by impersonation), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC were added to the FIR, the official said. 

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

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After Flag Row, Trouble Over Board Naming VD Savarkar In Karnataka

Another controversy has engulfed Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district on the heels of the Mandya flag controversy. This involved the removal of a right wing flag and a board bearing the name of right wing icon VD Savarkar. A protest took place over the removal in Bhatkal's Tenginagundi today and the local BJP workers and panchayat members got into an altercation with panchayat officials.

The workers argued that VD Savarkar's name board was installed with the approval of the panchayat, and they protested against the removal of the flagpole with the right wing flags.

The officials claimed that no permission was sought from the gram panchayat.

"Don't think we are sitting quiet. We have permission. Is it a Pakistan flag that we put up? Who gave you the order to raze this?" said one of the angry villagers.

The Zilla Panchayat chief, along with senior authorities, decided to issue notices for all such structures built in the area under the panchayat. They will be allowed to stay only if they have the necessary permissions from local administration or local taluks.

If the mandatory documents are not produced within 15 days, the structures will be razed.

"We have decided to issue notices to all such structures in that panchayat. If they have the necessary permissions from local administration or local taluks, they will be considered.
Otherwise, 15 days time will be given to produce documents. If not, unauthorised structures and nameboards will be removed," said Ishwar Kumar, the chief of Zilla Parishad.

Last week, a saffron Hanuman flag hoisted by a local religious organisation, was taken down leading to huge row in the village of Keragodu and nearby areas of Mandya district.

It led to widespread protests that escalated into a political conflict between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) of HD Kumaraswamy.

The flag was funded and set up by a section of villagers near a temple. Reports indicated the BJP and JDS were also involved.

But many people held protests and complained to the district administration, which later removed the flag.

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Waited For Months To Seal Seat Sharing But Congress...: Abhishek Banerjee

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday attributed the differences in opposition bloc INDIA in West Bengal to the Congress party's failure to finalise seat-sharing arrangements.

Mr Banerjee highlighted that despite repeated reminders over the last seven months, the Congress remained inactive in sealing the seat-sharing agreement.

The TMC national general secretary slammed West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for playing into the hands of the saffron camp and repeatedly attacking the TMC government in West Bengal, despite being an ally at the national level.

"According to alliance norms, the first thing you do is seal the seat-sharing. We had waited for seven months since July last year to seal the seat-sharing issue. But the Congress was sitting idle and nothing moved forward," he told reporters here.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had last week announced that the party would go alone in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.

"We held multiple discussions with senior Congress leadership. During the last meeting in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee had clarified that seat-sharing talks should be finalised by December 31. However, they did not do so and refrained from participating in any conversation," he said.

The TMC leader said the seat-sharing issue was also raised at meetings in Patna, Bengaluru, and even in the last meeting.

The Diamond Harbour MP, who is also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, slammed Mr Chowdhury for "demanding President's Rule in the state," echoing the demands of the BJP.

"By demanding President's Rule, whose interest is the state Congress president trying to serve - the TMC, the Congress or the BJP? There is a limit to our patience," he said.

The TMC leader, however, iterated that the "party continues to be a part of the opposition bloc INDIA at the national level." Hitting out at the Congress for accusing Mamata Banerjee as the "Trojan horse of the saffron camp", Mr Banerjee wondered, "when the state Congress is speaking in the language of the BJP, then who the Trojan horse of the saffron camp is?" How many times has Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury condemned the financial deprivation of Bengal by the BJP? There is a limit to our patience. The woman who is fighting against BJP is being challenged by state Congress leadership," he said.

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

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Indian Navy's Warship Sumitra Rescues Iranian Vessel Hijacked By Pirates

Indian warship INS Sumitra on Monday ensured the safe release of an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel and its 17 crew members after it was hijacked by some pirates off the east coast of Somalia, officials said. The Indian Navy swiftly responded to a distress call from the vessel last night, they said.

"INS Sumitra, deployed on anti-piracy operations along the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, responded to a distress message regarding the hijacking of an Iranian flagged fishing vessel Iman," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

The fishing vessel had been boarded by pirates and the crew members were taken as hostages, he said.

Swift response by #IndianNavy's Mission Deployed warship ensures safe release of hijacked vessel & crew.#INSSumitra, on #AntiPiracy ops along East coast of #Somalia & #GulfofAden, responded to a distress message regarding hijacking of an Iranian flagged Fishing Vessel (FV)… pic.twitter.com/AQTkcTJvQo

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 29, 2024

"INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel, acted in accordance with the established SOPs (standard operating procedures) to coerce the pirates for the safe release of the crew along with the boat and ensured the successful release of all 17 crew members along with the boat," Madhwal said.

The vessel was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit.

"Mission deployed Indian naval ships on anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean region symbolises the Indian Navy's resolve towards the safety of all vessels and seafarers at sea," Madhwal said.

The response by the Indian Navy to the fresh incident came two days after its warship INS Visakhapatnam extinguished a fire onboard a commercial oil tanker with 22 Indian crew when the vessel was struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden.

The Indian Navy deployed its missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam to assist the vessel after receiving a distress call from it on Friday night.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had said the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel MV Marlin Luanda was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

The Navy on January 5 thwarted an attempted hijacking of Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea and rescued all its crew members.

Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India's west coast on December 23.

Besides MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker that was on the way to India came under a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Indian crew.

The Navy has already enhanced the deployment of its frontline ships and surveillance aircraft for maritime security operations in view of the maritime environment in the critical sea lanes including in the North and Central Arabian Sea.

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

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Trump Can't "Bully" His Way To Party's Nomination: Nikki Haley

Donald Trump wants to "bully" his way to the Republican presidential nomination, his sole remaining challenger Nikki Haley said Sunday, as she accused the party leadership of seeking to declare him the nominee prematurely.

Haley lost the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary but has vowed to stay in the contest, despite Trump's insistence -- backed by some top Republican Party leaders -- that the race is over.

"He can't bully his way through the nomination," Haley said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Haley noted that the nominating process was still in its earliest stages -- Republicans have voted only in Iowa and New Hampshire so far -- and suggested that Trump had pressured the Republican National Committee (RNC) to back him much too soon.

"You can't do that based on just two states," she said.

The former South Carolina governor took particular aim at the RNC for throwing the national party's support -- and resources -- behind Trump soon after the New Hampshire vote.

The voters' will was "very clear," RNC chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News on Tuesday. "We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump."

But with 48 states yet to vote, Haley told NBC, "I don't think this is the place of the RNC... I think that Trump overstepped when he pushed them to do it."

Haley suggested that she expected to stay in the race at least until so-called Super Tuesday on March 5, when voters in 16 states and US territories cast ballots in what can be a decisive exercise.

The next Republican primary is in Haley's home state of South Carolina, on February 24. But most Republican legislators there have thrown their weight behind Trump, and polls suggest he could defeat the former governor by an overwhelming margin.

Haley intimated on NBC that even a loss there would not necessarily knock her out of the race, saying she simply needed to do better than she had in New Hampshire, where she lost to Trump by 11 points.

"We're going to keep on going and see where this gets us," she said. "I take it one state at a time."

Haley also brushed aside suggestions she might be staying in the race in hopes that Trump's many legal problems, or perhaps his health, might leave an opening for a challenger.

"I've never stayed in this race because of court cases," she said.

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

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AAP begins LS campaign from Jind in Haryana

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P&S Bank to sell KSK Mahanadi loans to ARCs

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"Whatte Star!" Bengaluru Bride's Metro Ride Takes Social Media By Storm

Breaking away from the traditional wedding car, a bride in Bengaluru pleasantly surprised onlookers by opting for a practical and unconventional mode of transportation: the city's Metro. Dealing with severe traffic congestion, she gracefully navigated through the rapid transit system, capturing attention with her vibrant bridal attire and sparking conversations.

This daring decision gained widespread attention, triggering discussions about the need to reconsider age-old wedding customs in light of contemporary challenges. Videos of the bride confidently traveling on the metro, adorned in exquisite jewelry and impeccable makeup, received praise for her composure and resourcefulness.

The viral video was shared on the X account named 'Forever Bengaluru' on January 16 with a caption that reads, "Whatte star, Stuck in heavy traffic, Smart Bengaluru Bride ditches her car and takes the metro to reach Wedding Hall just before her marriage muhoortha time. Peak Bengaluru moment."

Whatte STAR!! Stuck in Heavy Traffic, Smart Bengaluru Bride ditches her Car, & takes Metro to reach Wedding Hall just before her marriage muhoortha time!! @peakbengaluru moment 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/LsZ3ROV86H

— Forever Bengaluru 💛❤️ (@ForeverBLRU) January 16, 2023

Beyond just avoiding traffic, the bride's choice reflected a growing inclination towards eco-friendly and practical approaches to wedding planning. Social media buzzed with admiration, labeling her as the "smart bride" who seamlessly blended sustainability with style.

While the bride's unconventional entrance may not have been planned, it set a new benchmark for modern weddings, leaving behind smiles of surprise and whispers of "what a brilliant idea!"

"Kalyana Mantaps may have to be located near the metro in the future," commented a user.

"We should congratulate our politicians for ensuring traffic is jammed and metros are used," wrote another user.

"My boss started asking me to reach the office on time through the metro, and he is taking a lesson from this bride ride in the metro on punctuality," commented a third user.

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Rahul's Nyay Yatra to resume on Sunday

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Watch: WI Youngster's Cartwheel Celebration vs Australia Breaks Internet

West Indies all-rounder Kevin Sinclair stunned everyone with his impressive cartwheel celebration after taking his first Test wicket during the second Test match against Australia on Friday. Sinclair claimed the important wicket of Usman Khawaja as he was able to induce a thick outside edge with a turning delivery and Alick Athanaze made no mistake in completing the catch at first slip. The youngster was ecstatic at claiming his first wicket in the format and he complete two cartwheel back-flips to celebrate the feat. The commentators were left spellbound by his performance and the video of his antics has gone viral on social media with users praising him for his athleticism. 

Australia took the late wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul to even the contest after a fascinating second day's play in the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane on Friday.

At stumps, the West Indies were 13-1, a lead of 35 runs, after Chanderpaul was given out on review for the faintest of edges off Josh Hazlewood in the last over of the night.

Kevin Sinclair takes his first Test wicket and marks the occasion with his signature celebration!

How good#AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/xcRqgDdyIw

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 26, 2024

After bowling the West Indies out for 311 in their first innings midway through the opening session of the day-night Test, Australia staged a lower innings recovery, allowing captain Pat Cummins to declare at 289-9 late in the night session.

That decision paid off with the late dismissal of Chanderpaul.

The Australians had got away to a disastrous start to their first innings and were reduced to 24-4 and 54-5. Kemar Roach, who took three of the first four wickets to fall, said the inexperienced West Indies side wanted to show they belong in Test cricket.

"They want to do well against the number one team in the world, so the guys are really up for the challenge," he said.

"I'm glad of the energy we brought today and it puts us in a pretty even position."

(With AFP inputs)

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Masala Tea At Shop, UPI Payment, Roadshow: When PM, Macron Met

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron took part Thursday in a roadshow in the Pink City, where the visitor was presented a replica of Ayodhya's Ram temple and offered masala chai from a teashop before the leaders sat down for bilateral talks.

Macron, who is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on January 26, also visited the hilltop Amber Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and Hawa Mahal in a carefully curated tour that ended at an iconic palace-turned-hotel.

In the evening, the two leaders were driven in an open-top vehicle through a short stretch in the heart of the city, beginning from Jantar Mantar, the 18th century astronomical observatory which is now a Unesco heritage site.

They stood in the vehicle, chatting and waving at people who lined the route.

For the PM, it was the first visit to the city after the swearing-in of Bhajanlal Sharma who took over as the Rajasthan chief minister after the BJP victory in the recent assembly polls.

PM Modi and Macron got down in front of the breezy Hawa Mahal. They admired the lit-up five-storey building with nearly 1,000 windows and 'jharokhas'.

The two leaders visited a handicrafts shop in the area. PM Modi, who led the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's new Ram Mandir this week, bought a small replica of the temple for the guest, according to the shopkeeper.

He paid Rs 500 for the artifact -- digitally, through UPI.

And "Sahu chaiwala", who had set up a temporary stall for the occasion, accepted Rs 2 as token payment for the masala tea offered to the leaders. Again, the payment was digital.

The two leaders boarded the open-top vehicle again to continue the roadshow up to Sanganeri Gate. From there, they were to be driven to Rambagh Palace for dinner and the bilateral talks.

Earlier, in the afternoon, the French delegation was received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the Jaipur airport.

A couple of hours later, PM Modi, who was on a visit to Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, also reached Jaipur. He met up with Macron at Jantar Mantar, where the two shook hands, hugged and then took a brief tour of the observatory.

Before this meeting, Macron had already ticked off Amber Palace on his Jaipur itinerary. His delegation had headed straight from the airport to the fort, the seat of Kachhwa Rajputs before Jaipur was founded nearby.

A red carpet was laid out and caparisoned elephants lined up at the fort for the French president.

Macron interacted there with a group of children. The delegation also browsed through artifacts on display at the temporary stalls set up near the entrance.

S Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were at the fort.

Cutouts and hoardings were earlier put up at several locations in Jaipur around the sites PM Modi and Macron were set to visit.

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

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Gyanvapi Petitioners Make Survey Report Public, Claim Temple Existed

The survey of the Gyanvapi mosque has revealed the existence of a temple, complete with 34 inscriptions in various languages, which was remodelled into a mosque, the lawyer of the Hindu petitioners told the media today after receiving a hard copy of the survey report. The Varanasi district judge had earlier refused to make the report public immediately or distribute soft copies to avoid any distortion and spread of misinformation on social media in view of the sensitivity of the case. 

Gyanvapi is one of the several temple-mosque disputes that mushroomed in the country after the Ayodhya Ram Janambhoomi issue. The ASI report - submitted a month ago in a sealed cover -- was distributed days after the consecration of the Ayodhya temple at a mega programme led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Late this evening, Vishnu Jain, the lawyer for the petitioners, read excerpts from the report at a press conference. The Archaeological Survey of India, during its survey, found a "pre-existing structure and a well next to the corridor". 

The "Central chamber and the main entrance have a pre-existing structure." 

The ASI, in its survey, "Studied the pillars and plasters and said all were part of the temple," said Mr Jain, while reading out the ASI report. 

"34 inscriptions of Hindu temple were found and the inscriptions are in Devnagri, Granth, Telugu and Kannada. Names of deities Janaradana, Rudra and Umeshwara are found in inscriptions." 

Reading from the report, he said, 'Terms such as Maha Mukti Mandap are mentioned in inscriptions... pillars from an earlier temple were reused while making cellars." The petitioners' lawyer has said that they will ask for an ASI survey of Wazukhana.

The ASI had been surveying since August 4 last year on the Gyanvapi mosque premises. It has only left out the Wazukhana area, which was sealed by the order of the Supreme Court. 

The report is crucial to the decision in the case, in which the Hindu side contends the mosque has been built over a temple and demands the right to worship. 

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"My Friend, President Emmanuel Macron...": PM Modi Posts Hug Pic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron today held wide-ranging talks at a 19th century palace that showcases Jaipur's royal heritage to further consolidate bilateral strategic engagement.

The talks took place hours after the French president was accorded a red-carpet welcome in the Pink City that was followed by a PM Modi-Macron roadshow from the astronomical observation site of Jantar Mantar to the iconic Hawa Mahal.

Macron also visited the grand Amber Fort situated on the Aravalli range on the outskirts of Jaipur. He will be the chief guest at Friday's Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path in Delhi.

"Welcome to India, my friend President Emmanuel Macron. I am happy that President Macron begins his India visit from Jaipur in Rajasthan, a land with rich culture, heritage and talented people. It is a matter of great pride that he will be taking part in our Republic Day celebrations tomorrow, 26th January, in Delhi. His presence not only strengthens the ties between our nations but also adds a significant chapter to our shared history of friendship and collaboration," PM Modi tweeted.

Welcome to India, my friend President @EmmanuelMacron.

I am happy that President Macron begins his India visit from Jaipur in Rajasthan, a land with rich culture, heritage and talented people. It is a matter of great pride that he will be taking part in our Republic Day... pic.twitter.com/Q7JGuZpJJP

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2024

PM Modi was the guest of honour at the prestigious Bastille Day Parade in Paris in July last.

Ahead of the talks between the two leaders at Taj Rambagh Palace, officials said the focus of the deliberations would be on shoring up cooperation in areas of defence and security, trade, climate change, nuclear energy and mobility of students and professionals.

The French President's two-day visit to India is taking place as top negotiators from the two sides are eyeing to seal two mega defence deals providing for India's procurement of 26 Rafale-M (marine version) fighter jets and three French designed Scorpene submarines.

The visit shows the "deep mutual trust" and "unwavering friendship" underpinning Indo-French ties, a French readout said on Wednesday.

"President Macron's visit will consolidate the ambitious renewal of the France-India strategic partnership that the two leaders decided on in Paris on July 14 through the 'Horizon 2047 Roadmap'," it said.

Horizon 2047 is a blueprint to significantly bolster the ties when the two sides will celebrate the centenary of diplomatic relations.

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Apple plans new fees, restrictions for downloads

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NASA Finally Opens Asteroid Canister, 4.6 Billion-Year-Old Secrets Revealed

In a major scientific breakthrough, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has finally unlocked a canister containing precious dust samples from the asteroid Bennu. This accomplishment marks the culmination of four months of dedicated effort by scientists and engineers at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The canister, which landed in the Utah desert in September 2023, held samples collected from Bennu's surface by NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft in 2020. While most of the samples were readily retrieved, additional material remained trapped within the canister's sampler head, posing a significant challenge.

After months of meticulous work, Nasa's team successfully removed the two final stubborn fasteners, allowing them to access the remaining dust. The announcement of this achievement was met with excitement within the scientific community, with Nasa's planetary science division enthusiastically declaring on Twitter, "It's open! It's open!"

"It's open! It's open! And ready for its closeup. After successfully removing two final fasteners on Jan. 10, members of the Astromaterials team photographed the OSIRISREx asteroid sample with a special technique to achieve super high-res images," tweeted the space agency.

It's open! It's open! And ready for its closeup. After successfully removing two final fasteners on Jan. 10, members of the @astromaterials team photographed the #OSIRISREx asteroid sample with a special technique to achieve super high-res images. https://t.co/bBrfFT3FoR pic.twitter.com/NTGMVFZCP3

— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) January 19, 2024

According to NASA, these trays will be photographed before the sample is weighed, packaged, and stored at Johnson, home to the most extensive collection of astromaterials in the world. The remaining sample material includes dust and rocks up to about 0.4 inch (one cm) in size. The final mass of the sample will be determined in the coming weeks. The curation team members had already collected 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) of asteroid material from the sample hardware before the lid was removed, surpassing the agency's goal of bringing at least 2.12 ounces (60 grams) to Earth.

The curation team will release a catalog of all the Bennu samples later this year, which will allow scientists and institutions around the world to submit requests for research or display.

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"Raha's Parents...": Neetu's Shout Out To Alia-Ranbir After Love & War Announcement

The news of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bansali for his new film Love & War has made Ranbir Kapoor's mom Neetu Kapoor immensely happy and her latest Instagram post stands as proof. Moments after Alia Bhatt shared the news of her featuring in Sanjay Leela Bansali's epic sage Love & War along with her husband Ranbir Kapoor and actor Vicky Kaushal, Neetu Kapoor reshared the post on her Instagram wall. In her loud shout out to her kids, Neetu Kapoor wrote, "Love & War! Raha's parents, you both make me so proud with my all time favourite film maker #SANJAYLEELABHANSALI. Can't wait to see your magic #VickyKaushal."

See what Neetu Kapoor posted:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54)

Earlier in the day, the happy news was shared by the actors Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt on their respective Instagram pages. Sharing the post, Vicky wrote, “An eternal cinema dream has come true. #SanjayLeelaBhansali #RanbirKapoor @aliaabhatt @prerna_singh6 @bhansaliproductions # Love & War.” Vicky's post got big love from his brother Sunny and dad Sham Kaushal. Sunny commented, "Je baat," while dad Sham Kaushal wrote, "Congratulations & blessings Puttar. Dreams do come true. Feeling so happy & blessed. Jor di jhappi. Shukar Rab da te sab da(a tight hug. Big thanks to the god and everyone else)."

For the unversed,  Love & War marks the filmmaker's first film with Vicky Kaushal. He has however worked with Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Ranbir Kapoor in his debut film Saawariya.  Love & War will hit the theatres  on Christmas of 2025.

Check out the poster below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt have previously worked together in Meghna Gulzar's Raazi, while he worked alongside the actress' husband Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju.  Love & War will also mark celeb couple Ranbir and Alia's second film after Brahmastra.

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Cold leading to a surge in respiratory illness

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"Will You Marry Me?" Nikki Haley Turns Down Proposal From Trump Supporter

During a New Hampshire rally on Monday, Nikki Haley, a 52-year-old GOP presidential contender, encountered an unexpected interruption to her speech. A pro-Trump heckler in the crowd interrupted her discourse at the Artisan Hotel in Salem to pose an impromptu question: "Will you marry me?" Amid laughter from the audience, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and currently married to Maj. Michael Haley, handled the situation with grace, according to the New York Post.

Addressing the tongue-in-cheek proposal, Haley responded promptly by humorously inquiring if the suitor would consider casting his vote in her favor. The interruption occurred while Haley was addressing her supporters and discussing the significant issues at stake in the upcoming election on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.

"I'm voting for Trump," the man replied after a brief pause, drawing jeers from his fellow rally attendees.

"Oh, get out of here!" an unimpressed Haley shot back.

Ms Haley is the last standing rival to front-runner Donald Trump in the race to secure the party's nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in November's election.

Ms Haley has repeatedly said she is not running for second place in the Republican primary but had previously declined to specifically comment on whether she would be the former president's running mate.

According to the Washington Post polls, Donald Trump commands a significant lead with 52% support, while former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley trails at 34% in the presidential race.

The latest CNN/UNH poll shows a notable increase in support for both Mr Trump and Ms Haley compared to early January figures. In the earlier poll, Mr Trump held 39% support, and Ms Haley stood at 32%. The consolidation of the field, with major contenders quitting the race, has fueled the rise in support for both candidates. Despite Nikki Haley's considerable gains since late summer, Mr Trump maintains a formidable lead, widening the gap to a double-digit margin.

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Magnitude 7.2 quake jolts China, tremors felt in Delhi

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Hemant Soren Summoned By Enforcement Directorate For Round 2 Of Questioning

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate again for questioning in an alleged money laundering case. He was questioned last on Saturday at his home in Ranchi. It was the first round of questioning -- he had skipped seven earlier summons.

This time, he has been asked to come to the zonal office of the agency between January 27 and 31.

Mr Soren has claimed that he is the target of a huge conspiracy.

"A conspiracy was hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will be put by us... We will not be scared, your leader will face the bullets first and keep your morale high," Mr Soren told the workers of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after his questioning by the ED on Saturday.

The case involves "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the Central agency.

The agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

In November 2022, Mr Soren was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.

The nine-hour questioning had followed several no-shows and an appeal in court by the Jharkhand Chief Minister.

Mr Soren has denied any wrongdoing in that case too and alleged a larger conspiracy to "harass a tribal leader". The Central agencies are targeting him because he was not towing the line of the Central government, he had claimed.

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Ayodhya Trust On BBPS, Devotees Can Now Make Online Donations To Ram Temple

The donations for Ram Temple went live on the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra as a featured biller, making donations as effortless as mobile recharges.

Anyone can pay using UPI apps such as Google Pay and BharatPe.

To donate, one can go to the official website of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, and click on the donation section.

Invitees to the "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony at the Ram temple started arriving today in Ayodhya. The town is now resplendent with new infrastructure amid religious fervour on the eve of a seminal event in India's political and religious history.

Ayodhya has been bedecked with multi-coloured flowers; recordings of 'Ram dhun' played from loudspeakers and people dressed as Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman paraded down the streets.

Ceremonial gates depicting 'Jai Shri Ram' in floral patterns and illumination visible at night add to the aura of the ancient city, which has undergone a massive infrastructural growth in the past couple of years after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ram temple issue.

"The entire country is chanting the name of Lord Ram," said Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

With inputs from PTI

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Nora Fatehi 'Deepfake' Video: What The Controversy Is All About

Social media was abuzz as actress Nora Fatehi revealed a fake video of herself in her Instagram story, leaving fans shocked and sparking widespread discussion within the online community. The video was an advertisement for a retail clothing company's end-of-season sale.

The ad seemed real on the retailer's social media, but the clothing company's website contradicted it. This "scam or not scam" initiative is part of a deliberate awareness campaign by the company to address online financial fraud.

The video commences with Nora Fatehi providing information about an ongoing sale and encouraging viewers to tune in. As the video unfolds, there is a transformation where Nora Fatehi transitions into the character of Vigil Aunty, portrayed by actress and theater artist Anuradha Menon. This character bears a resemblance to Lola Kutty, another persona played by Lola for the channel [V].

The campaign aims to educate the public about deceptive practices and discrepancies between apparent authenticity in advertisements and the actual nature of websites, highlighting the need for caution when engaging in online transactions.

In the video, Vigil Aunty emphasizes the importance of viewers safeguarding themselves from financial fraud by being vigilant for early warning signs. The focus is on protecting one's hard-earned money, with a specific emphasis on identifying fraudulent shopping websites. This entire exercise is part of a well-thought-out awareness campaign by the company to address and educate the audience about the prevalence of online financial scams.

Coincidentally, this post by Nora Fatehi came on the same day when the man responsible for actor Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video was arrested in Delhi. The video went viral on social media in November of last year, prompting widespread calls for regulations on social media platforms. 

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"Deserves National Award": Urmila On 12th Fail Actor Vikrant Massey

Urmila Matondkar is the latest celeb to join the bandwagon who was in awe after watching Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail. The Rangeela actor wrote an appreciation post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Urmila wrote, "Uff yeh film..so so many things to appreciate, cheer and love about it. Only VidhuChopraa could've spun a story in such simple n deeply soul searching manner! Outstanding performances by all VikrantMassey shining the brightest. Both him and film are deserving of national awards."

Uff yeh film..so so many things to appreciate,cheer and love about it ❤️
Only @VidhuChopraa could've spun a story in such simple n deeply soul searching manner!
Outstanding performances by all @VikrantMassey shining the brightest💥💥
Both him n film are deserving of national… pic.twitter.com/yEKuu8QDDt

— Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) January 18, 2024

In another post, she applauded the soul-stirring performance of  Vikrant Massey. She wrote, "An absolutely flawless performance!! Bravo Vikrant Massey." Vikrant also responded to her post and wrote, "Thank you so much ma'am. I'm a bit tongue-tied and star-struck. Been your admirer like millions. But to get your post today surely makes my day. Thank you again."

An absolutely flawless performance!!
Bravo @VikrantMassey 🙌🏻🙌🏻💥💥❤️ https://t.co/vSFWoS6QjD

— Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) January 19, 2024

Earlier Alia Bhatt wrote on her Instagram story an extensive note. She wrote, "One of the most beautiful films I have seen in a while! With such fabulous performances.. Just too too too beautiful! Vikrant Massey, you were so so spectacular I am in awe! Medha Shankar heart and soul of Manoj's journey.. so special and fresh and all things heartwarming! Anantvijay outstanding! And lastly Vidhu Vinod Chopra sir - this film really hits the spot! So moving. So inspiring. So complete! I am full of love after watching this film! To the entire cast and crew! Take a bow."

Re-Sharing Alia's story, Deepika Padukone gave a shout out to the film and she wrote, "+1. I couldn't agree more. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew."

12th Fail is based on the real-life journey of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who became an IPS officer after cleaning toilet, working in library and toiling hard to overcome every obstacle which came his way. The film stars Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi, Sanjay Bishnoi. The long list of 12th Fail fans among celebrities include Kamal Haasan, Hrithik Roshan, Vijay Deverakonda, Rishabh Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap among others.

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Prem Chopra Reveals His Two-Three "Very Good" Scenes Were Cut From Animal

Prem Chopra, who plays the character of Dalbir Dodamal Singh AKA "Bade Daji" in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, recently revealed that his two-three scenes were cut from the film. The film veteran also said that he considered those scenes were "Very good." Speaking to India Today, Prem Chopra said, "Animal was wonderfully made. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga wrote the script himself with some help from two assistants. So he was meticulous and very definite about what he wanted. Also, the film got very lengthy. It turned out to be a four-hour fifteen-minute film, so he had to cut it out. Hence, in this way, my two or three scenes were cut, which I thought were very good."

He continued, "But anyway, this is one of the games in the industry. But, I'm surprised that whatever my screen time is, people seem to have accepted me in a big way, and I still get views and information about it. I never expected that. I thought this was a special appearance, but the love is still pouring."

At Animal screening, Ranbir Kapoor greeted the actor while he was leaving the venue. Pictures went viral in which Ranbir Kapoor can be seen holding his hands and talking to him gently. Previously, Ranbir Kapoor and Prem Chopra worked in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.

Prem Chopra also praised Ranbir Kapoor's performance in the film. Speaking to news agency PTI, Prem Chopra said, "Ranbir is a very hardworking actor and performed so well in Rocket Singh. In this film (Animal), he is tremendous. He has done a great job. It is a very difficult and complicated role." He added, "It is action-oriented but even then, his character has a great background (story). People seem to love him very much. Not just him, even Bobby Deol is very good in a special appearance. All of them are very impactful."

Animal is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Apart from Ranbir and Anil Kapoor, the film stars Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The film emerged as one of the biggest hits of recent time.

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