Lawyers' coalition provides new messengers for Black voter engagement

Young Black lawyers and law students are taking on a new role ahead of the general election: Meeting with Black voters in battleground states to increase turnout and serve as watchdogs against voter disenfranchisement.

I had to let go of my baby

Rajamouli, co-creator of the animation web series Baahubali: Crown of Blood alongside Sharad Devarajan, explains his vision for the franchise

Speed 3 release date, cast: What we know so far?

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock alongside their fellow co-stars Jeff Daniels and Alan Ruck from the first Speed film, appeared in a chat during a 50 MPH podcast and dropped some surprises on fans of the Speed franchise.

Labour MP urges government to review ECB plans to sell stake in Hundred

Proposal will offer eight franchises for sale to private investors John Spellar: There should be full public accountability A Labour MP has called on the government to review any future decision by the England and Wales Cricket Board to sell its stake in theeight Hundred franchises to private investors. The ECB has given the 18 counties plus the MCC until this Friday to give consent to this new direction of travel for the sports showpiece domestic competition. Under one current ECB proposal the Hundred teams will be offered for sale to private investors, with the ECB relinquishing all control over the teams. Continue reading...

Introducing animated series 'Baahubali: Crown of Blood', Rajamouli shares vision for franchise

The Lion King Concert at Hollywood Bowl: All you may want to know

North West joins The Lion King concert at Hollywood Bowl, alongside Broadways Heather Headley and Grammy winner Lebo M. The event celebrates the franchises 30 years, featuring a full orchestra performing Hans Zimmers score and iconic Broadway elements. Disney+ will showcase the event as a special.

Movie Review: 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' finds a new hero and will blow your mind

Fans of the Planet of the Apes franchise may still be mourning the 2017 death of Caesar, the charismatic ape leader

Find A Structured Way Of T20 Take Over: Lara Urges ICC To Save Test Cricket

Admitting that T20 leagues have devoured a lot of Test cricket's space, West Indian legend Brian Lara has appealed to the ICC to step in to give a structure to the unrelenting invasion of the franchise-based tournaments.

Vengsarkar, Walsh, RP Singh launch Big Cricket League

Courtney Walsh, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Rudra Pratap Singh launch Big Cricket League (BCL) with franchises. Vengsarkar is the League Commissioner, aiming to provide local cricketers a platform to shine alongside their heroes.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review future simians swing through cinematic jungle

This hopefully final prequel to the original movie reveals the story of the crazed ape leader Proximus Caesar but its time the franchise evolved After four ambitious and successful pictures, the reboot-prequel Planet of the Apes franchise now comes to what could well be the end, approaching the moment at which Charlton Heston and his crew crash landed, in 3978, in the original movie. Its where, in 1968, we came in. Of course, if this one is a big hit, yet another prequel-episode could theoretically be squeezed in. But I hope not. Its not that this movie is running low on energy or panache it isnt but the story is tangled and contrived and weirdly anticlimactic because that original film is starting to loom over everything like the Statue of Libertys shadow. All that happens has to match up with what we know is coming. There have to be good apes we can root for, but also bad apes to make sense of the originals imminent ape tyranny. There have to be good humans for the good apes to have a relatable relationship with but they have to exhibit bad or anti-ape tendencies to align with this fundamental ape/human antipathy. And there has to be a lot of stuff about observatories and radio telescopes that are still, miraculously, functional. Continue reading...

Huma Qureshi AKA Pushpa Pandey Joins Jolly LLB 3. Pic Courtesy Akshay Kumar

Huma acted with Akshay Kumar in the second installment of the franchise

Former Cricketers Vengsarkar, Walsh, and RP Singh Team Up to Create Big Cricket League

Former Cricketers Vengsarkar, Walsh, and RP Singh Team Up to Create Big Cricket League Cricket legends Courtney Walsh and Dilip Vengsarkar and former India player Rudra Pratap Singh on Wednesday launched the Big Cricket League (BCL), a franchise-based T20 event that will offer aspiring local players a chance to play alongside their cricketing heroes. The league, a brainchild of former India pacer Singh, will feature 60 local Indian cricketers and 48 former international and domestic players. Six franchises -- Awadh Lions, Mumbai Marines, Rajasthan Kings, Southern Spartans, Bengal Rhinos, and Northern Challengers -- will play 18 T20 matches in the inaugural season. The World Cup-winning India batter Vengsarkar and West Indies pace legend Walsh are also associated with BCL, serving as the League Commissioner and Vice President respectively. ''We saw so many talented cricketers whose dreams remained just out of reach,'' Singh, who is the founder and president of BCL, said. ''The BCL gives these local aspiring cricketers a platform to showcase their talent and experience cricket like never before rubbing shoulders with their heroes,'' he added. Vengsarkar echoed Singh's enthusiasm. ''This isn't just about another competition. It's about providing a stage to the people who have missed the opportunity for many reasons and showcasing the incredible depth of cricket talent in India.'' Walsh added, ''We're going to see some stunning matches, unexpected heroes rise, and inspire a whole new generation of players around the world''.

Polling percentage in Haveri Lok Sabha Constituency exceeds 2019 figure

As much as 77.60% of the total voters exercised their franchise on Tuesday, according to Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Raghunandan Murthy

IPL 2024: Lucknow Super Giants win toss, opt to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad

IPL 2024: Lucknow Super Giants win toss, opt to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) won the toss and decided to bat against Pat Cummins' Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 57th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday. The Lucknow-based franchise are coming into this match after conceding a 98-run loss against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Currently, LSG are holding the sixth place on the standings with 12 points. While the Sunrisers were in great form at the start of the tournament, however, they conceded three losses in their previous five matches. In their previous game, Pat Cummins-led SRH suffered a 7-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians. They are standing in fourth place on the table with 12 points. While speaking at the toss, Cummins accepted that it would be tough to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. He also confirmed that Vijayakanth Viyaskanth replaced Marco Jansen in the playing eleven. We would have batted as well. But we have won both ways here and hence not too upset. Hard to know (a good score) as it has been pretty high scoring. It is pretty tough (to qualify for the playoffs) and you have to keep winning till the end, we have not nailed it in the last couple of games and it is time to change that. We have a couple of changes - Sanvir comes in for Agarwal and Viyaskanth makes his debut and replaces Marco, Cummins said. While KL Rahul said they have made a few changes in the playing eleven. He confirmed Proteas batter Quinton de kock came back in the playing squad in place of Mohsin Khan. We will bat first. That (the pitch) plus a couple of games that have been played here. It is hard to complete forget how important this game is for both the sides, but we have played enough cricket. We will focus one thing at a time, first bat well and put the runs on the board. Playing at home becomes a difference, but we play so much cricket that we know how the conditions will be. Quinton comes in, Mohsin misses out and there are a few other changes, Rahul said. Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (Wk/C), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq. Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (Wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan. (ANI)

ICC urged to prioritize Test cricket preservation amid T20's ascendancy: Lara

ICC urged to prioritize Test cricket preservation amid T20's ascendancy: Lara Admitting that T20 leagues have devoured a lot of Test crickets space, West Indian legend Brian Lara has appealed to the ICC to step in to give a structure to the unrelenting invasion of the franchise-based tournaments. In the latest instance that fuelled questions over the relevance of Tests, South Africa recently sent an under-strength squad to New Zealand as their first-choice players were involved in the SA20 at home. I think ICC (should) put their head together and find a way where franchise cricket takes over, but in a much more structured way and not in terms of the free fall that is going on at the moment, Lara said in an interaction with PTI editors at its headquarters which was facilitated by Star Sports where he is a commentator and expert for the ongoing IPL. I hope the astute thinkers could find a way to make sure that it (Test) remains relevant. I like the Test Championship and I think it is important to make sure that the game remains relevant. So, is cricket now taking the football route where leagues take precedence over international assignments? While Lara agreed in principle to the point, he found differences too in the two models. Well, yes (cricket following the football way). Let's just look at football. For instance, other than the big cups European cups, World Cup, South American cups they may have a few friendlies. So, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, they have their footballers generally for 11 months of the year. That seems to be working for football. It's taken off the burden as well for each country to be finding ways of making money by having football matches, Lara began. But Lara said the wealth being accumulated among three big nations India, Australia and England presented a rather different scenario in cricket. The West Indies now is in a situation where our gate receipts can't make us survive. So, we are very thankful whenever India tours the West Indies. It's a lot of TV rights money passing around which is great. So, it's hard to see outside of the big three Australia, England and India how countries are going to survive when economically it's tough for them. From a cricketing perspective, the elegant left-hander said teams often not having their best players available also make things tough for teams outside the big three. Lara might have had someone like Trent Boult in mind as the pacer recently turned down New Zealand central contract to become a T20 freelancer. Secondly, they (teams) don't have their best players playing because their best players are making a living for their family elsewhere (leagues), he added. In March this year, BCCI had introduced a Test Cricket Incentive Scheme, an additional reward structure on top of the existing match fee, to ensure parity with match fees in other formats and leagues. Lara welcomed the step but added that bringing spectators to the ground was equally paramount to sustain the game and the sponsors interest. Incentivizing, or what BCCI is doing because they have the money, is one aspect of it. Of course, remuneration to the players is great to keep them interested in the game. But when you're walking to a Test match and there's nobody at that Test match, then it's not encouraging. Try to get them (crowd) back into the ground, said Lara. The Trinidadian said having a stadium packed to the rafters is important from the sponsors view as well. I'm almost sure youve experienced it in India, where a sponsor preferred to spend his money on three hours of cricket instead of five days of cricket. Hey, you have five days to promote your product. The corporate person will say: But there's nobody to promote it to. Give me three hours. I will pay even more money. So, I think getting the crowd back is also something that should be discussed, he explained. While Lara has little doubt that the T20 version caters to spectators demands, he said the modern-day viewers should be educated about the unique ebbs and flow of five-day cricket. Well, I hope it hasn't (Test not losing relevance). The shorter version of the game is taken over and it is entertainment and that's what people look for. We haven't educated the present-day public about the importance of batting a session and not losing a wicket.''

Akram says Rohit won't be at MI next year

Wasim Akram, the iconic Pakistani skipper, has expressed his doubts about Rohit Sharma's future with Mumbai Indians in the forthcoming IPL season. The former cricketer, who had earlier voiced his apprehensions regarding Sharma's removal from the captaincy role, now thinks that the five-time IPL-winning leader might not be retained by the franchise.

IPL 2024: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel Join Elite List Of Delhi Capitals Players

Delhi Capitals spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel registered their names in the list of most wickets for the franchise during the clash against Rajasthan Royals.

Remedy cancels its multiplayer game project with Tencent

Tencent and Remedy, the developer of Control and Alan Wake , have completely scrapped their joint gaming project codenamed Kestrel, which they have been working on since 2021. The companies were originally developing a free-to-play co-op shooter until they decided to go in a different direction in November last year. They went back to the drawing board, renamed their project from Vanguard to Kestrel and had planned to make a premium game with a strong, cooperative multiplayer component instead. Back then, they said their game will lean more into Remedy's core strengths and will use repurposed versions of the company's assets and themes. Clearly, though, their partnership wasn't meant to be. In its announcement, Remedy said that the project's cancellation will allow it to give more attention to its other games in development. While it didn't list them out, the company is working on the sequel to Control that will be released for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as on a franchise spin-off game currently known as Condor. It will reassign developers to its other game projects, and since it was going to co-finance Kestrel with Tencent, the project's cancellation means reduced investment and recruitment needs for the company. Codename Kestrel was still in its early concept phase, Remedy's CEO Tero Virtala said in a statement, while the company's other projects have already advanced well and are moving on to the next stages in their development. This is yet another means to ensure that our game projects continue advancing well, Virtala added. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/remedy-cancels-its-multiplayer-game-project-with-tencent-120037110.html?src=rss

'Fatigued' Rohit Should Go On A Break: Indian Captain Sent Clear Message

Rohit Sharma, who will lead India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, has four single-digit scores in his last five outings for his franchise Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL.

Super Viral: Hrithik Roshan And John Abraham In Blast From Past School Pic

Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham have featured in the YRF Spy Universe and Dhoom franchise

My 5th-gen Honda City ownership review: Upgraded from an 8th-gen Civic

BHPian saket77 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Likes and Dislikes summed up Likes:The amazing 1.5L free-revving motor is a joy to drive. Sounds terrific too.Mated to a slick 6-speed MT with a sweet clutch.Well-tuned steering.Good equipment levels.Physical buttons for the entertainment system and climate control system.Has good street presence in times when sedans are literally dead.Spacious cabin and boot make it a practical choice for families.Honda's reliability.Good ergonomics and supporting seats.5 Star safety with good safety kit (ASEAN NCAP for the international model)Good highway manners with balanced suspension set up at fair speeds.Good interiors with improved part quality.Some smart touches in the cabin design like phone holders, driver-side dashboard compartments and strategically placed small lights.Honda Connect app is useful- more for those using the services of a paid driver.Dislikes:Weak low-end torque felt especially with passengers and taking the second gear speed breaker test and on small inclines.185 section factory fitted tyres: Upgrade advised for enthusiastic driving.ADAS concerns especially regarding the emergency auto-braking system (CMBS).No wheel well insulation. Road noise filters into the cabin even with better tyres.Steel rim space saver (read: cost saver) spare wheel.Poor resolution of reversing and lane watch camera.No USB-C port.Non-adjustable driver's armrest.No ventilated seats from the factory.No option to turn off Auto headlamps.No 360-degree camera.No TPMS to show exact tyre pressures- though it gets a tyre deflation warning system based on wheel speed calibration.Honda Connect app acts glitchy at times.Prelude:Since we sold our 8th Gen Honda Civic a few months back (Story is here), we started scouting the options to fill the void. In times when SUVs, compact SUVs, cross-overs, etc are in rage, we felt like outliers whenever we discussed getting a sedan with family and friends. We all have our own car opinions and true to it, we got so much advice from all our friends and well-wishers who surely meant well, but none of them suggested a sedan. Also due to the market demand and dynamics thereof, the C-segment sedan market has dried up of options with basically only 4 cars to choose from: Honda (City), Hyundai (Verna), VW (Virtus) and Skoda (Slavia). Sorry if I ignored Ciaz, but only after Maruti didChoice of car:Of all the cars above, design-wise I liked the Virtus the most with its clean lines, and the Euro design philosophy paired with the timeless looks. For me, a car has to look good first and Virtus was the best-looking of the lot. Somehow not a fan of Slavia's looks and interiors. Verna was too loud for my taste. We didn't visit the VW showroom because if we had, we might have fallen for the looks. I kept my cars for a long, and honestly, VW didn't give me confidence in terms of long-term reliability aspect which is another very important criterion for me, hence we did not consider the Virtus at all despite being the looker it is. However, we did visit Hyundai just to check the Verna since my wife had gotten her i20 recently and she liked the Verna then too. I liked the proportions and the side profile of Verna but the front and rear end styling was too radical and polarizing. My wife seemed to like it, especially in the black colour but unfortunately, it simply didn't click for me. Also, the suspension seemed to be tuned a little too soft. The ventilated seat was a tempting feature and if we went for the City, we would miss it (Or did we - read on to know) as even the top-end City didn't have it. Coming to Honda, I liked the 5th Gen City since it was launched. Honestly, given our good experience with Honda, we were more or less already decided about the City. Generalizing- but in the long term, Japanese cars, especially the likes of Honda and Toyota tend to prove reliable workhorses. The City looked good from most angles. Though proportions-wise, Honda could have done better, especially in the boot compartment and the rear end still I would rate the overall design as good. The front looks wicked, especially with the LED headlamps. Even the projector lamps on the other variants looked good on this car. In the top variant (ZX), carbon finish inserts in bumpers and the grill made the front styling look pretty aggressive. We walked into the showroom casually (Victory Honda, Ranchi) on a Sunday for an average experience and checked a Blue ZX and a White VX variant. The VX is an absolute value-for-money variant. My 8-year-old daughter had just one simple demand- she was okay with any car but it must have a sunroof and thankfully that was available in VX too. The VX ticked most options for us and we made a mental note that we would get the VX since the ZX was a good 1.25L higher. [As per Honda's nomenclature: ZX>VX>V>SV]Choice of colour:The Blue and Brown shades looked lovely in person but given the lazy soul I am, maintaining such colours would have been a nightmare for me. White also looked good but somehow most City(s) we came across on the road those days were White, giving us the impression that it had become a common colour. The only colour which wasn't available with the dealership was Silver. No variant. Also, we used to spot a lot less Silver City(s) on roads. My wife wanted a darker colour but for ease of maintenance, we finally decided to go for silver even without seeing the colour in person. I wanted some more time to get my research done fully so we did not book the car at that time. Started reading about the variants and features of the car and noticed that the carbon inserts on the front and rear bumpers of the ZX variant looked really good. Also, the honeycomb grill on ZX looked better compared to the simple plain slatted VX grill. The ZX came with LED headlamps which were a looker. I am not a fan of the rear trunk spoiler but the ZX gets that too. I would have been happy without it too. However, more than that, the feature list of ZX included full leather seats (other variants get fabric seats), leather-wrapped steering, a better music system, very premium auto-dimming rearview mirror, 16 wheels (more on this later), all windows auto roll up/down & rear sunshades among many others which totally justified the premium over the VX. Hence we decided to stretch a little more and get the ZX and be done with comparing what we get vs what we miss if going for any other variant. Going for the top variant also avoids any after-market addition as most features are already built-in.The Impulsive Booking:Once we had made the variant choice clear, we visited the dealership to take a good look at the Blue ZX display piece they had and booked the car paying a nominal amount. Booking was almost impulsive as we didn't plan to book it on the same day. Crossing our fingers, we put the money on the silver colour without even seeing the car due to the non-availability of the shade just hoping that it would look good. We ideally wanted to delay the purchase by a month at least but soon Honda announced a price hike from April up to the tune of 30K and this is when we decided to go get it in March itself. Continue reading BHPian saket77's review for more insights and information.

Chris Pine Reveals Being Stunned When Wonder Woman 3 Got Shelved

Chris Pine, who featured in Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), recently expressed his shock to Business Insider about the news that a third installment in the superhero franchise would not be produced. Im stunned that they said no to a billion-dollar franchise and decided to pivot elsewhere, the Star Trek actor said. [] Read on Lehren - Chris Pine Reveals Being Stunned When Wonder Woman 3 Got Shelved

Will thwart BJP-led NDA govts attempt to change Constitution: Tejashwi in Jharkhand

Ranchi: Alleging that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is trying to change the Constitution of the country and snatch reservation quota from SC, ST and OBC categories, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday asserted that such an attempt will be thwarted by his party. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of meting Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Chennai Super Kings tops IPL fan loyalty charts: Report

Crisp, a marketing analytics firm, in collaboration with Kadence, a global market research agency, has conducted a comprehensive study focusing on brand recognition during the Indian Premier League ( IPL ). The study, aimed at understanding the dynamics of fan followings and brand perceptions across IPL teams, has unveiled intriguing insights into the preferences and behaviours of cricket enthusiasts. While fan loyalty transcends mere performance, fans are not immune to team performance fluctuations. The IPL teams are remarkably different in terms of the size of their fan following. While 50% of the audience does not have a favourite team, just 4 teams between them account for the favourites of as many as 86% of the rest. They are as follows: Chennai SuperKings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Among these, CSK emerges as the undisputed leader, commanding the hearts of a massive 32%, almost 1/3rd of those who have a favourite team! This statistic highlights their unwavering loyalty and positions them as the IPL 's most beloved franchise. CSK's dominance extends beyond geographical boundaries. While CSK undoubtedly boasts a staggering 86% following in Chennai , the most for any team in their home territory, their fan base transcends regional loyalty . CSK even commands a larger following than the home teams in Delhi and Lucknow, highlighting the team's powerful national appeal. CSK's loyal following isn't solely driven by victories. This team, with the most IPL titles under its belt, is fiercely followed by RCB, a team yet to lift the coveted trophy. Moreover, the data from eDART for Week 1 versus Week 5 highlights how fans respond to their team's performance over time. While CSK fans hold their team to a high standard, penalizing a modest win record, RCB fans exhibit more leniency, despite the team's lower standings. This data underscores the deep emotional connection fans have with their chosen team, illustrating that factors beyond on-field success influence fan allegiance. Even last year's champion, Gujarat Titans (GT), lags in terms of fan base compared to MI and CSK, despite playing in their home territory! However, the current method of valuing IPL teams seems to overlook a crucial factor: fan loyalty . For instance, CSK, with a fan base dwarfing even last year's champion Gujarat Titans (GT) by a factor of 30, is valued only 25% higher. This suggests a potential disconnect, with brands perhaps missing out on the immense potential of a passionate and dedicated fanbase.

Gujarat Voter Turnout in LS Polls Reaches 59.51%, Says EC

Gujarat Voter Turnout in LS Polls Reaches 59.51%, Says EC Gujarat has recorded an estimated voter turnout of 59.51 per cent in the elections to 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, as per the data shared by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday. The final figure would be available by evening after the addition of postal ballot data, an official said. This time, the voter turnout is 4.6 per cent less compared to the 2019 general polls in the state. In 2019, the state registered a voter turnout of 64.11 per cent in polls to the 26 Lok Sabha seats. Voting was held in 25 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat on Tuesday as the BJP recently bagged the Surat Lok Sabha seat uncontested. ''Gujarat has recorded an estimated voter turnout of 59.51 per cent,'' said a statement by the EC. According to Gujarat's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi, the final voter turnout figures would be available by evening after the addition of postal ballot data. ''Polling station-wise data is now being fed into the system and postal ballots are yet to be counted. So there will be a slight increase in the final figure, not much. This 59.51 per cent turnout is almost final,'' said Bharathi. The tribal-reserved Valsad constituency in south Gujarat recorded the highest turnout of 72.24 per cent, while the Amreli seat in Saurashtra region saw the lowest turnout of 49.44 per cent, as per the latest EC data. Valsad was on the top spot in 2019 also with an impressive turnout of 75.22 per cent. It is the only seat where more than 70 per cent voters turned up to exercise their franchise on Tuesday, while Amreli is the only seat with below 50 per cent turnout. Bharuch and Banaskantha seats, which witnessed a close battle between the BJP and the opposition INDIA alliance, recorded 68.75 per cent and 68.55 per cent polling, respectively. Except for the Valsad seat, voter turnout in three other ST-reserved seats - Chhota Udaipur, Dahod and Bardoli - saw a significant drop this time compared to the previous election. As against 73.44 per cent voter turnout in 2019, Chhota Udaipur this time recorded 67.78 per cent voting, a drop of 5.66 per cent. Dahod this time witnessed a voter turnout of 58.66 per cent compared to 66.18 per cent in 2019, a drop of 7.52 per cent. Bardoli seat recorded a drop of 8.99 per cent, as the voter turnout this time was 64.59 per cent compared to 73.58 per cent in 2019. Voting was also held on Tuesday for bypolls to five assembly seats in the state. The five assembly segments - Vijapur, Porbandar, Manavadar, Khambhat and Vaghodia - recorded a voter turnout of 62.37 per cent, as per the EC data. The five seats fell vacant after the resignation of sitting MLAs.

ED Raids Jharkhand's Rural Development Ministry in Ranchi Money Laundering Probe

ED Raids Jharkhand's Rural Development Ministry in Ranchi Money Laundering Probe ED searches Jharkhand government's rural development ministry premises in Ranchi as part of a money laundering investigation: Officials.

Repolling under way at polling station in Rajasthan's Barmer

Repolling is being done after complaints of breach of confidentiality of votes were made after some videos showing bogus voting and the voters being denied their right to franchise

Huma Qureshi returns as Pushpa Pandey for Jolly LLB 3

Mumbai: Actor Huma Qureshi is set to reprise her role of Pushpa Pandey in the third installment of the courtroom comedy franchise Jolly LLB. Actors Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi recently started filming for the project, titled Jolly LLB 3. Warsi played the role of Jagdish Tyagi aka Jolly in 2013s Jolly LLB and Kumar []

IPL 2024: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel register their name in list of most wicket for Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals spinners registered Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel registered their names in the list off most wickets for the franchise during the clash against Rajasthan Royals in the 56th fixture of the Indian Premier League 2024 on Tuesday. Kuldeeps game-changing 17th over combined with Mukesh Kumar taking key wickets at the crucial points kept []

Himachal: Only three women elected to LS polls till date, just two in fray this time

SHIMLA: Only three women have made it to the Lok Sabha from Himachal Pradesh in the past 72 years and this time, just two are in the fray. Women constitute almost 49 per cent of the total voters in the state. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Chandresh Kumari and Pratibha Singh, the three successful candidates till now belonged to royal families. Only the BJP and the BSP have nominated women candidates for the June 1 elections for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state. While the BJP has fielded actor Kangana Ranaut from Mandi, Rekha Rani is contesting on a BSP ticket from Kangra. Women from humble background rising high in politics and carving a niche for themselves is still a big challenge in the country and Himachal Pradesh is no exception. At present, women constitute about 49 per cent of the total voters in the state but representation is not even one fourth and this is a cause of serious concern, said Ramesh Chauhan, head of the department of political science at Himachal Pradesh University. In politics, what matters is who has the decision-making power. This power is normally with men and until women are given prominent positions, they would not emerge as empowered and surpass their dominant male counterparts, Chauhan told PTI. According to Kamal Manohar Sharma, who also teaches political science at Himachal Pradesh University, the status of women has been high in the state and even before reservation for women was introduced, women pradhans were elected in Mandi, Kinnaur and Kangra districts. But women were not so keen to climb the ladder to the assembly, he claimed. Moreover, the political parties also did not promote or encourage the women with humble background, he added. Political parties go all out to woo the women voters but when it comes to declaring candidates, women get few opportunities, the political experts felt. To add to it, participation of women voters surpass male voters especially in rural areas but still few women get elected, they added. Congress names 16 more candidates, Vikramaditya Singh to take on Kangana Ranaut in Mandi A total of 56,38,422 voters - 28,79,200 male, 27,59,187 female and 35 third gender persons - are eligible to exercise their franchise for the seats of Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, and Shimla (SC) in the seventh and last phase of polling on June 1. Amrit Kaur, India's first health minister who hailed from the royal family of Kapurthala, was elected to Lok Sabha from Mandi constituency in 1952. Thereafter, no woman got a ticket till 1984. However, in 1984, Chandresh Kumari from the royal family of Jodhpur who was married in Himachal Pradesh, was fielded by the Congress from Kangra and won as the party swept the election, riding on the sympathy wave following the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Pratibha Singh, wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in 1998. However, she won the elections in 2004 when her husband was the chief minister. In 2009, Virbhadra Singh was elected to Lok Sabha from Mandi but he quit after becoming chief minister in 2012 and his wife Pratibha Singh won the by-election in 2013. She again contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 but lost to Ram Swaroop of BJP, who was re-elected in 2019. But the seat fell vacant when Ram Swaroop died in March 2021 and Pratibha Singh won for the third time in the by-election held in November 2021 after the death of Virbhadra Singh. In 2014, the AAP fielded Kargil war hero Capt Vikram Batra's mother Kamal Kanta Batra from Hamirpur but she polled only 15,329 votes and lost. Even in the 68-member state assembly, the representation of women has been abysmally low and no woman was elected till 1967. Only one woman entered the assembly in 1977 and 2022. However, the highest number of seven women was elected to the state assembly in the 1998 elections. So far, eight women have been elected to Rajya Sabha from the state.

Record postal ballot turnout in ASR District polls

The EVM counting will be taken up round wise in a pre-determined order. In a statement here on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said as per ECI's recent instruction, counting of EVM votes can continue, without waiting for completion of counting of postal ballots. The EVM counting will be taken up round wise in a pre-determined order. In a statement here on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said as per ECI's recent instruction, counting of EVM votes can continue, without waiting for completion of counting of postal ballots. Visakhapatnam: The Alluri Sitarama Raju district witnessed a surge in postal ballot usage during the present elections, with a record-breaking 2672 ballots cast on the fourth day. District election officer and collector Vijaya Sunitha confirmed the staggering numbers, highlighting the significant engagement of voters. Some 202 voters availed the home voting facility, with special arrangements made for the elderly and differently-abled individuals. Collector Vijaya Sunitha underscored the importance of ensuring accessibility and facilitating the voting process for all citizens. The enthusiasm for postal voting extended to various categories of officials and staff assigned to election duties, with 2672 individuals exercising their franchise on Tuesday. The district election officer said a breakdown of the postal ballot usage across constituencies revealed a substantial turnout: 870 in Araku Valley, 998 in Paderu, and 692 in Rampachodavaram. Additionally, home voting witnessed significant participation, particularly among voters aged 85 and above. Visakhapatnam district collector Mallikarjuna and joint collector Viswanathan monitored the proceedings. Individuals like V Manasa and L Sridevi lauded the administration's help in this respect. Collector Mallikarjuna urged all remaining employees to vote.

101-year-old woman spearheads home voting trend in Maoist-hit Singhbhum

The DC said the constituency has more than 62 voters who are over 100 years old. Among them is Walter Lakra of Nandpur area within Manoharpur police station limits, who conveyed to the DC his inability to walk to the polling booth. Chaudhary assured him that he would get the option to exercise his franchise at his doorstep.

Huma Qureshi returning as Pushpa Pandey for 'Jolly LLB 3'

MUMBAI: Actor Huma Qureshi is set to reprise her role of Pushpa Pandey in the third installment of the courtroom comedy franchise Jolly LLB. Actors Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi recently started filming for the project, titled Jolly LLB 3 . Warsi played the role of Jagdish Tyagi aka Jolly in 2013's Jolly LLB and Kumar starred in the 2017 sequel, titled Jolly LLB 2, as Jagdishwar Mishra. Qureshi had featured as Pandey, the wife of Kumar's Jagdishwar Mishra, in Jolly LLB 2 . Pushpa Pandey is backkkkk and looking pretty in Pink #J ollyLLB3. Clicked by the one and only @akshaykumar #pushpa #pink #onset @kangratalkies #nofilter needed when ur happy #blessed, the 37-year-old actor posted on Instagram on Tuesday evening. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Huma Qureshi (@iamhumaq) Besides Warsi and Kumar, seasoned actor Saurabh Shukla, who essayed the role of Justice Sunderlal Tripathi in the earlier two movies, is also coming back for the third part, Jolly LLB 3 is directed by Subhash Kapoor, and produced by Star Studios and Kangra Talkies. Qureshi was most recently seen in Tarla as well as the third season of her hit series Maharani. Her upcoming movie is Pooja Meri Jaan , co-starring Mrunal Thakur.

Phoenix Mills - Quality Growth Franchise Priced To Perfection: Motilal Oswal

New malls to drive higher-than-historical growth

RR skipper Sanju Samson fined 30 percent match fees for IPL code of conduct breach

RR skipper Sanju Samson fined 30 percent match fees for IPL code of conduct breach The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson has been fined 30 per cent of his match fees for violating the IPL's code of conduct during his team's encounter against the Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. Sanju Samson, captain, of Rajasthan Royals has been fined 30 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Match 56 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on May 07, 2024, an official IPL statement stated. Samson, who top-scored for RR with 86 off 46 balls, was caught at long-on by Shai Hope off Mukesh Kumar's bowling in the 16th over of their 222-run chase. Hope caught the ball near to the boundary edge and briefly stumbled before establishing his balance. Unsure whether his foot hit the boundary cushions, the on-field umpires took the help of TV umpire Michael Gough, who determined that Hope caught the catch cleanly. Samson then had a lengthy talk with on-field umpires KN Ananthapadmanabhan and Ulhas Gandhe before leaving the pitch. Samson committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.8 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee's sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding, the statement further read. The dismissal was the turning point in the match, with RR's prospects of exceeding their mark relying completely on Samson's shoulders - they needed 60 off 27 balls before he was removed. Rajasthan-based franchise head coach Kumar Sangakkara spoke about the controversial decision and said that it is difficult for a third umpire to judge. It depends on replays and angles, and sometimes you think the foot's touched. But it is a difficult one for the third umpire to judge. The game was at a crucial stage, so that happens in cricket. We have different perspectives on it. At the end of the day, you have to stand by that decision in terms of what the umpires did. If we have any other kind of opinion on it, we will share it with the umpire and sort it out. But irrespective of that dismissal, we still should have probably seen that game home, Sangakkara said in the post-match press conference. The Capitals assistant coach lauded Hope following his brilliant effort to dismiss the RR skipper saying that he anticipated really well. In IPL some moments are very crucial, and it [Hope's catch] was a deciding moment in the game. Sanju was batting so well. We have to give credit to the way Hope judged that catch, he balanced himself [well] with that. Umpires are there, and there is so much technology. Once he is given out by the third umpire, it was more [clear]. We also thought from the dugout that he has [touched the boundary cushions] but it [happens] in the game, and the umpire's decision is the final decision. It wasn't an easy catch, it was really travelling. After the game also I spoke [to Hope], he anticipated that very well, but he said the ball came very, very fast, Amre said. (ANI)

SS Rajamouli Reveals He Isn't Done With Baahubali, Confirms Franchise Will Expand

Animated series and more in making? SS Rajamouli's recent media interaction has fans excited for the filmmaker has in plan for his fans. Recently during a press conference, he hinted at the return of the Baahubali franchise. While the makers are already releasing an animated series, SS Rajamouli also confirmed that they have more projects in

CEO clarifies on stopping distribution of aid

VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that the Election Commission of India (ECI) never stops the implementation of schemes, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Tuesday clarified that the ECI only suggested the government to defer some of the schemes till the completion of polling in the State on May 13 and sought further clarifications concerning some other schemes. Speaking to mediapersons in his chambers at the State Secretariat on Tuesday, the CEO said the Screening Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary sent its recommendations to the CE through the CEO on implementation of various schemes. Almost 50 such recommendations have gone to the EC. The poll body accepted some and suggested that the others be deferred till the completion of MCC or till the conclusion of elections in the State. With regard to schemes like Cheyutha and Aasara, the ECI had asked for further clarifications and in the case of Vidya Deevena, the ECI had asked the government to defer its implementation till the completion of elections on May 13, he explained. 3.03 lakh cast votes through postal ballot Observing that the number of postal ballots to be polled in these will elections will be almost double compared to around two lakh polled in the 2019 elections, Meena said that of the total 4.30 lakh persons who opted for the postal ballot including home voting, 3.03 lakh (70%) exercised their franchise by Tuesday. Saying that the home voting and postal ballot voting commenced in the State from May 3 and 4, he said out of the total 4.30 lakh voters who applied for postal ballot, 3.20 lakh are employees, 40,000 are police personnel, 28,000 persons under home voting (voters aged above 85 years and persons with disabilities) and 31,000 persons under essential services category and remaining are sector officers and others. Among these, 2.76 lakh employees have exercised their franchise through postal ballot at facilitation centres across the state till Tuesday. He said that for reasons like the delay in employees getting their election duty appointment orders and others, the Commission extended the time for them to use their postal ballot voting till May 9. However, they will have to visit the voter facilitation centres in their respective constituencies, he said. Going by the complaints that employees utilising the postal ballot voting are being offered money for casting their votes, Meena, while expressing concern that it was a bad sign for the postal ballot facility with some employees accepting bribes for casting their votes, cautioned that stringent action will be taken against such persons. Besides being kept under suspension, cases will also be booked against them, he said. Informing that four people were arrested and cases were booked for distributing money to employees at the facilitation centres at Tadepalligudem of West Godavari district, the CEO said that a police constable with a list of government employees was caught for allegedly distributing money among postal ballot voters. The constable was suspended. In Ongole, after learning that money was transferred to the bank accounts of employees through UPI, the district SP took up the inquiry based on the call recording data and bank account transactions. During the preliminary investigation, it was noticed that some employees accepted money for their postal ballot and some of them after learning about the inquiry transferred the money back. Postal ballot voting extended till May 9 A total of 4.30 lakh voters applied for postal ballot. CEO Mukesh Kumar Meena explained that for reasons like the delay in employees getting their election duty appointment orders and other issues, the Election Commission of India extended the time for them to cast their vote through postal ballot till May 9

How has IPL contributed to Dream11s growth? CMO Vikrant Mudaliar answers

In the past few years, the online fantasy sports industry in India has experienced massive growth , reflecting the increasing popularity and engagement of users. The number of fantasy sports operators has increased by seven times over 2016-2018, whereas the number of users has grown by over ~25x from June 2016 to Feb 2019. Out of the total revenue of this sector, Dream11 dominates the fantasy sports landscape with a 42.2% share , establishing itself as one of the dominant players in this space, according to media reports . The fantasy platform is now worth INR 65,000 crore. Founded in 2008, the journey of Dream11 began gaining significant public attention a decade later in 2018, with its first television campaign, Dimaag se Dhoni, conceptualised by Leo Burnett Orchard. The initial campaign was meant to introduce the concept of fantasy sports to a broader Indian audience, helping the audience understand the basics of team creation and point scoring. That year, Dream11 was reported to have a 90% share of the local market . Its position in the market was further solidified after striking a four-year partnership with the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2019. The initial wave of its IPL campaigns was focused on Dream11s functionalities with a dash of star power. With a continued straightforward approach to ads and adding more flavour to them year-on-year, in the form of humour and creativity, Dream11 was successful in becoming the most recalled brand in IPL 2023. It was this year that the fantasy platform gained a profit of INR 188 crore. This led to Dream11 expanding its partnership with IPL in 2024, becoming the official partner for eight teams. Dream11's marketing strategy has evolved significantly since then, as highlighted by its Sab Khelenge and 'Team Se Bada Kuch Nahi' campaigns, conceptualised by Tilt Brand Solutions. These recent campaigns have showcased rivalry and friendly banters between a diverse set of personalities from cricket, film, and digital content creation. This shift in strategy from functional storytelling to creating an emotional connection highlighted Dream11s transition from a platform to a cultural phenomenon. Vikrant Mudaliar , Chief Marketing Officer, Dream Sports takes us through the brands marketing journey from its inception to securing the highest recall among viewers, and further shares how IPL has contributed to the platforms growth. Edited Excerpts: Dream11 has been associated with IPL since 2019. How has your association with IPL impacted your brand image? How has the tournament been so far in terms of ROI? Every year, marquee tournaments like the IPL are when Dream11 adds a large percentage of new users to the platform. In 2023, we increased our user base to over 200 million, reached a peak concurrency of 11.52 million users during the tournament, and importantly, attracted 75% of users from Tier 3 and 4 cities. We also welcomed 55 million new users to our platform, a growth also partly fueled by women gamers. This year we have already hit remarkable milestones with 15.01 million peak concurrency and 2.35 million new users registering over the first weekend of the IPL tournament. Our marketing efforts around the IPL play a big role here since user acquisition is a core priority. Dream11's campaigns have consistently encouraged viewers to engage more with cricket, nudging them from being casual sports fans to active ones, ultimately boosting sports consumption and engagement. Every year, our goal is to surpass previous successes, elevating the impact of each campaign and providing a more enriching experience for our user base, which now exceeds 200 million. Dream11 recently launched a star-studded campaign featuring cricketers, actors, musicians and influencers. What was the objective behind incorporating such a varied group of individuals into the campaign? How has the campaign been received so far? In our campaign last year, Sab Khelenge, we adopted a unique approach by leveraging cricketers and Bollywood celebrities, two of the most influential cultural icons in the country. This was a great learning and helped us reach diverse audiences beyond cricket fans. Therefore, this year, we decided to take our campaign one notch higher and brought on board cricket legends as well as well-known non-cricket celebrities from film, television and social media. Team Se Bada Kuch Nahi highlights the shift from collective solidarity during the bilateral cricket season to personal team allegiances in the IPL. As a brand that prides itself on entertaining sports fans during a tournament, we thought it fitting to entertain and bring the most classic sporting trope - rivalry - to the forefront while reaching a wider audience base through a relatable narrative. The reaction to our advertising campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. We believe this campaign very seamlessly connects back to Dream11's brand and platform, which has a symbiotic relationship with cricket. In contrast to other brands, Dream11 has been featuring both cricketers and non-cricketers in its advertising campaigns since last year. How has this approach contributed to the brand's identity and resonance with its audience, and what insights can be drawn from this strategy? Our campaigns aim to attract sports fans who might not currently be involved in cricket content, with a focus on enhancing engagement for existing users through multiple channels. Our ongoing efforts to appeal to audiences beyond traditional cricket fans result in more inclusive brand narratives, leveraging the broader popularity of endorsers beyond cricket. Moreover, this strategy expands our geographical footprint, building on the achievements of 2023 and driving growth in 2024. What is the larger marketing objective of your association with IPL and how has the recent campaign contributed to this goal? A key marketing goal at Dream11 is user acquisition. We've seen over 2 million users join the platform at the beginning of the IPL season. Additionally, we continuously evaluate our marketing strategies to ensure they remain engaging and relevant. This includes updating our campaigns and exploring themes that appeal to sports enthusiasts while staying true to the spirit of cricket and the values of the IPL. This year, our campaign encompasses an array of ambassadors, including cricket stars, movie and TV personalities, sports icons, musicians, and online influencers. They come together to celebrate the essence of friendly competition and sportsmanship in cricket, a sentiment that deeply connects with today's cricket enthusiasts. According to a research agency survey, Dream11 was the top brand that captured viewers' attention securing the highest recall among viewers. What would your advice be for the brands taking the celebrity route this season and want to gain high recall? In a highly cluttered market, brands opting for celebrity endorsements must tread with precision. The key lies not just in choosing popular faces but in aligning them seamlessly with your brand values. Choose celebrities who have a genuine connection to your brand or industry, as this authenticity can significantly impact resonance among viewers. Also, it is important to stay agile and leverage data insights to optimise your approach and achieve standout recall amidst the clutter. What does Dream11s media mix look like right now? What are the key mediums that the brand is looking at to generate buzz on social media? This season, Dream11 is a proud co-sponsor of the LIVE broadcast on Star Sports and Jio Cinema. Our collaboration includes significant advertising presence and brand integrations during the telecast. Given our strong association with cricket, these integrations will seamlessly blend into the context of the match. This year we have also strengthened our associations with eight IPL teams, and have elevated our associations with four franchises to Principal Sponsorships namely Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad to have the Dream11 brand prominently displayed on the front of the team jerseys. Can you tell me a bit about Dream11s overall marketing strategy? Some common themes and patterns theyve followed over the years and some significant campaigns that have helped shape its journey to a great extent? Each season we take up the challenge to stand out amongst most advertising brands, not just within our category. Our campaigns always take a lighthearted, fun and relatable approach, through everyday stories rooted in the love for sports to deeply resonate with our users. Everything we do, including marketing, is with a user-first lens. This also extends to partnerships with like-minded sports leagues and personalities to increase fan engagement and bring users closer to the sport they love. For start-ups looking to gain high visibility from a platform like IPL and are operating on a tight budget, can you share any tips? Theres no one-size-fits-all approach, but getting it right would involve some basics: Identify your target audience within the IPL viewer demographic and tailor your marketing efforts specifically to reach them. This ensures that every rupee spent on marketing has a higher chance of converting into valuable visibility. Look for influencers who have a genuine connection with your industry or niche and develop content that resonates with IPL viewers while aligning with your brand message. How does Dream11 allocate its annual marketing budget towards the IPL partnership? Although we can't disclose such numbers, the IPL does account for a significant percentage of our annual marketing budget. Can you provide insights into Dream11's user demographics, including monthly active users (MAU) and the ratio of male to female consumers? Additionally, what trends or observations have emerged regarding the growth of female participation in fantasy sports on the platform? It's undeniable that the number of women engaging in sports and utilising sports engagement platforms is increasing, with the first season of the Women Premier League (WPL) attracting over 50 million views in its initial week. This also renders itself to the growth of female fantasy sports users - we have noticed an approximately 80% year-on-year rise in our female user base on our platform, and a majority of users on our platform overall are situated in Tier 3 cities and beyond. Platforms like the WPL not only promote the consumption of the sport but also propels the growth of its engagement. Moreover, such formats offer brands the chance to establish an inclusive environment and demonstrate their support for women in sports. At Dream Sports, we're passionate about and actively involved in promoting women's participation in sports in India. Our association with the WPL is a testament to this commitment, and we're devoted to continually supporting the advancement of women in sports, both as participants and viewers. Lastly, what are some of the IPL marketing trends that you foresee this season? This season, the inclusion of more digital platforms in the broadcasting mix is set to boost the accessibility and viewership of the IPL significantly. The digital sphere also enables more personalised and interactive marketing efforts, ensuring stronger engagement with the audience. Influencer marketing continues to be on the rise, especially for brands looking to initiate engagement with niche audience sets.

Repolling Ordered at Polling Station in Rajasthan's Barmer

Repolling Ordered at Polling Station in Rajasthan's Barmer Repolling is underway at the Dudhwa Khurd polling station in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday. Repolling is being done after complaints of breach of confidentiality of votes were made after some videos showing bogus voting and the voters being denied their right to franchise went viral on social media. The Barmer District Election Officer has suspended four members of the polling team which had conducted the voting at the booth. Voting was held in this Lok Sabha constituency in the second phase on April 26. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said repolling will be held from 7 am to 5 pm at polling centre number 50, Government Higher Secondary School, Dudhwa Khurd booth of Chauhtan assembly constituency. A total of 1,294 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. He said the department has made all preparations for repolling as per the instructions of the Commission and webcasting will be done at the polling station. Earlier repolling was held on May 2 at a polling station in Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency. There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. Of these, voting was held for 12 seats in the first phase on April 19 and for 13 seats in the second phase on April 26.

IPL 2024: Porels Fifty Against RR Was A Special Innings, Says DC Assistant Coach Amre

New Delhi: In a batting line-up full of aggressive stroke-play batters, Abishek Porel left a lasting impression on the minds of fans watching the Delhi Capitals-Rajasthan Royals match on Tuesday. Granted that Jake Fraser-McGurk raced to a typically whirlwind 19-ball fifty and Tristan Stubbs sizzled with another exhibition of finishing matches to take DC past 200, but it was Porels 36-ball 65 which was the glue of the hosts innings in between to keep the scoreboard ticking. It has been quite a ride for Porel, who began IPL 2024 as an impact player, coming out to bat at number nine in DCs opener against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur. At that time, none of DCs main batters got a big knock and they needed a moment of brilliance to set a par score. Porel was drafted in as an Impact Player in place of Ricky Bhui and the young wicketkeeper-batter smashed 32 not out off just 10 deliveries, including taking 25 runs off the final over from Harshal Patel, to take DC to 174/9. Here in Delhi, Porel was tasked with opening the batting and had to initially contend with Fraser-McGurk, who carted Avesh Khan for 28 runs in the fourth over. But then he lofted and punched down the ground off Sandeep Sharma for a brace of fours. Once Fraser-McGurk fell to Ravichandran Ashwin, Porel stepped up to dazzle with his leg-side boundaries against both pacers and spinners. He got his first fifty of the season in 28 balls with a pulled six off Avesh in the 11th over. By the time he fell, he gave Stubbs the platform to script a good finishing act for DC. Pravin Amre, DCs assistant coach, hailed Porel for playing a measured knock which held DCs innings together. He made the news in our first game against Punjab (32 not out off 10 balls). It was something awesome as he wasnt getting sure of batting till the 18th over came. But then, he came and delivered. Its always gold when Indian batters score runs, so it was good to see him score big. As a coaching group, we were very happy with how he was batting in the nets. He plays against new ball very well and in two-three games he got a chance to bat up, he did well like he got 40-odd (41) against MI at number three. This fifty against RR was a special innings from him as once you get 78 runs in power-play, you get that momentum and to be there, Abishek played a very important role for the team, said Amre in the post-match press conference. Such has been the show of confidence in Porel, who joined DC as a replacement for Rishabh Pant in IPL 2023 and was subsequently retained by the franchise, that someone like Prithvi Shaw was kept out of the playing eleven on Tuesday. Winning by 20 runs is a good win on the Delhi wicket. We also wanted a leftie-rightie combination at the top and felt that Warner is not 100% fit. We cant drop Jake and wanted Porel to go up as Prithvi cant bat at places after number three. It was more of a technical call and it worked to be honest as we got 78 runs in first six overs, as on Delhi wicket, power-play is always important, added Amre. In the match, DC showed that its death-overs bowling, which has been their achilles heel so far, stood up to shine when it mattered the most by conceding only 20 runs in last three overs, and keep themselves alive in race to playoffs by jumping to fifth position. Kuldeep Yadav conceded only four runs, including taking out Donovan Ferreira and Ravichandran Ashwin, to start the time of turning the game in DC's favour. Rasikh Salam conceded only eight runs in a clutch 19th over, including bowling four yorkers, while Mukesh Kumar castled Rovman Powell in the final over. This years IPL has shown that any team can beat anyone and here, we batted well to get that extra 20 runs. We have to give credit to Stubbs as his 20-ball 41 was so important for the team to get past 220 runs. Then, RR needed 12 runs per over in their last five overs and Rasikh bowling yorkers in the 19th over was something special as he held Powell to step up for third straight time in the tournament. Again, Kuldeep bowling that important 18th over to get two wickets was so important. We do back Rasikh to come good as Mukesh is bowling well, Ishant is a veteran and Khaleel is in World Cup stand-by. But he comes and delivers for us as sometimes on the Delhi wicket, pace doesnt work as variation matters. Sometimes slower bouncers are so effective on this ground. Like in the high-scoring DC-SRH, Natarajan gave away only 19 runs in four overs. So, bowling on Delhi wicket is a work of skill, concluded Amre.

SS Rajamouli to expand 'Baahubali' franchise

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli unveils a trailer for the animated series based on the epic 'Baahubali' saga, promising fans a multi-dimensional experience. During a recent event, Rajamouli shared his vision of expanding the beloved 'Baahubali' franchise beyond the silver screen. The series will be releasing on digital streaming platform from May 17th.

Prabhas' Baahubali To Expand, SS Rajamouli Confirms Franchise To Go Forward In Many 'Ways and Mediums'

SS Rajamouli is currently promoting Baahubali: Crown of Blood, which is set in the universe of his popular Baahubali feature films.

Remote hamlet gets polling station for first time in Maharashtra

By 3 pm on Tuesday, 39 voters, including a first-timer, had exercised their franchise, registering a 95 per cent turnout.

Election is a festival: This family of 180 has 96 voters!

HUBBALLI: 96 voters in one family! Yes, you read it right. No political party can ignore the Koppad family of Noolvi village in Dharwad district, as this colossal household of 180 members comprises 96 eligible voters. Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency went to the polls on Tuesday (May 7) and saw a turnout of 68%. The Koppad family of 180 lives in different houses on the same street in the village. Of the 96 voters, 30 are women. While the men, who also number 30, visit the polling booths during their lunch time, the seniors vote in the evening hours owing to the scorching summer. We do not miss voting, said Kanteppa Koppad, a senior member of the family. Since the beginning, we have lived in one large house. When families started growing, we started shifting to different houses on the same street, and today the entire street has Koppad family houses. Men who work in fields go to vote after the women return home. For us elections are a reason for a get-together like any other festival, he added. Fakiravva Koppad, who is a Gram Panchayat member, pointed out that their family constitutes 30% of the total votes in the ward that she represents. We are 180 members now living in separate houses next to each other in the village. Every family has its own business, such as agriculture, vehicles on rent, and shops. Children study in villages as well as in Hubballi, she added. The families come together on many occasions, including the annual pilgrimage. We need 12 vehicles and we move like a convoy, she added. Voting is a serious matter, and we encourage all families to exercise their franchise, said an elderly member of the family. Though we live separately, we come together during festivals. The election is nothing less than any festival for us, he said. 38 of a family vote in one booth! Davanagere: Thirty-eight voters from a single family voted in Davanagere on Tuesday. Journalists K Chan-dranna and K Ekanthappa, who are brothers, along with 36 members of their family residing at Davanagere North Assembly segment, voted in a booth in Bakke-shwara High School. My sis-ter Yashodha Handral and her husband YY Handral along with their son HY Praveen, came from Delhi to vote. Another daughter, Aishwarya Rani, also came from Bengaluru to vote, Ekanthappa told TNIE.

FIR against Davanagere BJP MP for violating ECI rules

DAVANAGERE: An FIR was registered against Davanagere BJP MP Dr GM Siddeshwara on Tuesday for violating the ECI guidelines on secret ballot. According to a police complaint filed by election officials, Dr Siddeshwara peeped into the voters compartment while at booth No 236 in Maganuru Basappa Public School in Davanagere North assembly segment. Dr Siddeshwara and his family members went to the booth in the morning to vote. Dr Siddeshwara, who voted first, was coming out when his wife and BJP candidate Gayathri Siddeshwara entered the booth. However, Dr Siddeshwara turned back and went to the voters compartment and peeped into it while Gayathri was exercising her franchise. The election officials termed this act a violation of the ECI guidelines. Meanwhile, a video of Dr Siddeshwara peeping into the voters compartment went viral on social media. Davanagere North assistant returning officer Ismail reported the matter to DC and returning officer of Davanagere parliamentary constituency Dr Venkatesh MV. After checking the CCTV footage at 10.48am, he directedRajesh Kumar NR, FST head of Davanagere North assembly constituency, to file a police complaint. Kumar filed the complaint around 5pm at Vidyanagar police station. Case against Khuba for entering booth wearing party symbol Bidar: A case has been booked against Union MoS for Chem-ical and Fertilisers, Bhagwanth Khuba, under Section 30 of the Representation of People Act on charges of entering the polling booth sporting the party symbol and addressing the press within 100m of the booth in Aurad town. According to Bidar Deputy Commissioner Govind Reddy, who is also the District Election Officer, the police booked the case following a complaint lodged by the Assistant Returning Officer, Aurad taluk. The ARO, while lodging the complaint, has furnished the booth officers report regarding the alleged violation of code of conduct.

SS Rajamouli shares big update about 'Baahubali': 'Franchise is going to expand'

SS Rajamouli shares big update about 'Baahubali': 'Franchise is going to expand'

Despite heat, Karnataka Phase-3 polls records 70.41 per cent voting

BENGALURU: Despite the maximum day temperature touching 45 degrees Celsius in some segments, 14 constituencies in the state recorded a voter turnout of 70.41%, as tabulated till 11.17 pm on Tuesday in the Phase - 3 Lok Sabha elections. According to election officials, the overall voting percentage in Karnataka was69.96,better than the national average of 67.40. IMD officials had issued a heatwave alert for most parts of Karnataka, including the 14 constituencies that went to polls on Tuesday. The maximum temperature in Gulbarga and Raichur constituencies was around 45 degrees Celsius. In Koppal, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gadag, Bellary, Bidar and Yadgir constituencies, it was around 43 degrees Celsius. Election and IMD officials said despite the harsh weather, the voter turnout in Phase-3 elections was excellent. The voter turnout in Phase-2 elections was 69.56%. Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka Manoj Kumar Meena said the overall voter turnout for Phase-3 was better compared to Phase-2 elections, given the weather conditions Chikkodi sees highest voter turnout Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Majok Kumar Meena because of the poor turnout in Bengalurus three urban constituencies, the overall percentage dropped in Phase-2 elections. The constituencies that went to polls in Phase-3 in the state have no metropolitan cities. Hence, the overall turnout was good, he added. In Bellary, election officials Lakshmi Devi and Ravichandra were rushed to hospital after they suffered low blood pressure. According to doctors, it was due to heatwave. Meena said despite the ban on using mobile phones inside polling booths, incidents of people voting, videographing and posting it on social media were reported. Details were being collected from polling officials and action will be taken accordingly, he added. Many politicians, including All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi exercised their franchise. Padma Shri awardee and poll icon Manjamma Jogatti also exercised her franchise. Lok Sabha elections ended in Karnataka on Tuesday. Of the 93 constituencies that went to polls, 14 are from Karnataka. At 9am, the voter turnout was just 9.45%. This made the election officials a little apprehensive as they expected a huge turnout during morning hours, given the weather conditions. The turnout increased to 24.48% at 11am, giving the officials some hope. It rose to 41.59% at 1.30pm and then to 54.20% at 3pm. At 5pm, the turnout was 66.05%. Highest and lowest The highest voter turnout of76.99% was recorded in Chikkodi constituency and the lowest of 61.73% in Gulbarga, the home constituency of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. Uttara Kannada, with the least number of voters (16,41,156), recorded 73.52%.

Cops not doing enough to stop drug trafficking in state capital: HC

Students hail results without merit list

2 children among 4 killed in lightning strikes in state

Water tankers help residents deal with crisis in Daltonganj

ED gets 6-day custody of 2 linked to Alamgir Alam

Long queues outside polling booths in Assam amid drizzles

GUWAHATI, May 7: People lined up in large numbers since early morning across the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam where voting was underway in the third phase on Tuesday. People used all modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies to exercise their democratic franchise []

Students should utilise post-exam facility for result re-evaluation: CBSE

350 detonators recovered in West S'bhum

East Sbhum police recover ganja & IMFL worth 36 lakh, one arrested

Why wasnt Alam present anywhere near Rahul, asks BJP

Cash haul: ED arrests Ministers Secy, servant

RANCHI, May 7: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alams personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the latters domestic help on Tuesday, following the recovery of more than Rs 32 crore in cash from a flat linked to them, official sources said. The agency also undertook fresh searches at five locations in the state and seized another Rs 1.5 crore in cash from a contractor identified as Rajiv Kumar. The total cash recovery over the last two days stands [] The post Cash haul: ED arrests Ministers Secy, servant appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

BJP, Congress major rivals in Chatra seat

ED seizes 1.5cr more in follow-up raids

JMM suspends Chamra Linda

...Khandelwal hits the road, urges people to exercise franchise

Seven constituencies of Bardez surprise with good turnout

Mapusa: Contrary to expectations, the turnout of voters in Bardez taluka, which consists of seven assembly constituencies of Tivim, Mapusa, Siolim, Saligao, Calangute, Aldona and Porvorim, was quite good. Siolim saw 75.66% voters exercising their franchise while Tivim recorded 75%voting followed by Mapusa with 74%.The lowest was clocked by Porvorim 72.75 %.In Calangute, there []

Salcete sees around 71.11% turnout, voting passes off incident-free

Margao: In Congress bastion, Salcete taluka, nearly 71.11 per cent of the total 2,39,837 voters cast their franchise on Wednesday. Barring minor incidents, voting in eight constituencies of the taluka was peaceful. Voting started on a positive note as there were long queues at the polling booths from 7.30 am to 9 am in almost []

Amazon Prime Video's Blade Runner Sequel series in the works: Michelle Yeoh to star as lead actress

Blade Runner is a long running franchise with two films having been launched and this time a sequel series titled 'Blade Runner 2099' is currently in the development stage with Michelle Yeoh being cast as the lead.

Phase 3 Polls See 62.45% Turnout

New Delhi : A nearly 62 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 76.13 per cent followed by Goa (74.50) and West Bengal (73.93). While Maharashtra (56.40), Uttar Pradesh (57.34), Bihar (57.27), and Gujarat (57.04) had lower voter turnout, Chhattisgarh (68.15), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (65.23), Karnataka (69.30) and Madhya Pradesh (65.11) witnessed moderate polling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise in Gujarat, where elections were held in 25 seats. While Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah voted at a polling booth in Ahmedabad with his family. Shah (Gandhinagar) is among the bigwigs in the fray in this phase along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). After casting his vote, Modi mingled with the crowd waiting outside for him and also held a brief conversation with a visually impaired girl. Later, while talking to media Modi said, Today is the third phase of voting. There is great importance of Daan in our country and in the same spirit, the countrymen should vote as much as possible. Four rounds of voting are still ahead. As a voter in Gujarat, this is the only place where I vote regularly and Amit Bhai is contesting from here as a BJP candidate... However, despite the presence of such bigwigs, the voters in Gujarat did not show much enthusiasm to vote. In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadavs family are contesting, party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to loot booths in Mainpuri and people from Opposition parties were being detained in police stations. Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting. He also alleged rigging of votes at some places and said, information is coming from some places that the government is using force. It is heard that officers have been deployed outside polling booths. In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes. Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional aarti as he arrived at a polling booth in the Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district. Sunetra is pitted against her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawars daughter and the sitting MP from there. In Karnataka, Pralhad Joshi, Bhagwanth Khuba, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes. Former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa along with sons his B.Y. Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment and B.Y. Vijayendra, partys state chief -- and daughters-in-law cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma exercised his franchise at Amingaon in Barpeta Lok Sabha seat.

ED: Top to bottom graft web in Jharkhand ministry

Lal was arrested on Tuesday and his help was taken in custody at 2 am when both efused to cooperate in disclosing the source of the huge cash recovered from their premises during searches on Monday. ED's submissions were made in its remand note against the accused before a special court in Ranchi when the two were produced Tuesday.

High Voter Turnout in Third Phase; Clashes and Allegations Mar West Bengal and UP Voting

High Voter Turnout in Third Phase; Clashes and Allegations Mar West Bengal and UP Voting Nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence in West Bengal. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 81.71 per cent followed by West Bengal at 76.52 per cent and Goa at 75.20 per cent, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed the lowest at 57.34 per cent, with Bihar at 58.18 per cent, Gujarat at 59.51 per cent and Maharashtra at 61.44 per cent doing slightly better, according to the figures from the Election Commission at 12.15 am. The overall voting percentage was 64.58 per cent. According to the EC, the figures are an ''approximate trend'' and are likely to rise as data is being collected. While the official time for the voting to conclude is 6 pm, it can go beyond to enable voters who have come in the queue before the end of fixed polling hours to exercise their franchise. Among other states and UTs, Chhattisgarh recorded 71.06 per cent polling, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 69.87 per cent, Karnataka 70.41 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 66.05 per cent, according to the EC. As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in the third phase and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials had been set up. With this, voting has been completed in 20 states/UTs and 282 Lok Sabha seats out of 543. The overall voting percentage in the first and second phases was 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent respectively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise in Gujarat, where elections were held in 25 seats. While PM Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah voted at a polling booth in Ahmedabad. Shah (Gandhinagar) is among the bigwigs in the fray along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). The stakes are high for the BJP in this round as it had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, in the last election. Both the BJP and the INDIA bloc claimed that they had the upper hand after the third phase. ''Across all the states and UTs, voters from all walks of life have placed their faith in the NDA and our development agenda. INDI Alliance is losing even more steam, thanks to their regressive economics and outdated votebank politics,'' Modi said on X. The Congress claimed that the BJP has been wiped out in the south and reduced to half of its strength after the three phases ''Its very clear that for the BJP, it is South mein Saaf, North mein Half,'' Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X. In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are contesting, party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to ''loot booths'' in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations. Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting. Sporadic incidents of violence marred the polling in the four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats. According to state election officials, Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout of 80.13 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (76.15 pc), Maldaha Uttar (75.92 pc), and Jangipur (73.71 pc). The TMC, BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents. The EC received 182 complaints by 9 am, most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies. ''The TMC has unleashed a reign of terror in the entire constituency. Strict action must be taken by the Election Commission,'' Left-Congress combine candidate Mohammed Salim said in Murshidabad seat. In the Karimpur area of the seat, clashes were reported between the TMC and the CPI(M) supporters outside a few booths. Clashes were reported between the TMC and the Congress activists from the Domkol area. In some areas, TMC workers held protests alleging that central forces were assisting BJP workers in ''intimidating'' voters at booths in the Maldaha North constituency. In Uttar Pradesh, Agra witnessed 53.99 per cent polling, Aonla 57.08 per cent, Budaun 54.05 per cent, Bareilly 57.88 per cent, Etah 59.17 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 57.09 per cent, Firozabad 58.22 per cent, Hathras 55.36 per cent, Mainpuri 58.59 per cent and Sambhal 62.81 per cent. ''In Mainpuri, BJP people are trying to loot booths. They are detaining opposition people in police stations,'' SP chief Yadav alleged without elaborating. ''There is information from some places that the government is using force. It is heard that officers have been deployed outside polling booths,'' he said. In Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against the alleged non-fulfilment of their demand for a road. District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the issue has come to his notice and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been sent to the village. Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- as the villagers tried to draw the administration's attention to their problems. SP candidate Aditya Yadav in Budaun alleged that his party supporters were not being allowed to vote in some places. ''I have made a complaint in this regard with the EC observer and have given proof of police atrocities. We are only getting assurances,'' he said. Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Bhagwanth Khuba, and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes. Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa along with sons B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment, and B Y Vijayendra, party's state president, along with other family members cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said. A 45-year-old woman polling officer - Kaushika Babariya- deployed at a polling booth in Amreli district of Gujarat, also died of a heart attack. In Gujarat, the Banaskantha district collector ordered an inquiry after Congress Lok Sabha candidate Geniben Thakor alleged that electors were threatened and asked to vote for the BJP by some youngsters posing as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at a polling station. In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes. Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional 'aarti' as he arrived at a polling booth in the Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district. Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati. Sunetra is pitted against her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter and the sitting MP from there. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma exercised his franchise at Amingaon in Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. Amid rains, people used different modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies. With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat went to polls on Tuesday, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa. Voting was held in two seats in Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where elections were earlier deferred. Over 1,331 candidates, including around 120 women, were in the fray in the third phase. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks have been shut down

Microsoft has shuttered three ZeniMax teams: Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Studios. The company is also folding Roundhouse Games into Zenimax Online Studios. Arkane Austin is the home of Prey and Redfall , while Tango is responsible for The Evil Within , Ghostwire Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush . Alpha Dog is the creator of Mighty Doom and Roundhouse was a support studio for ZeniMax projects. In an email to employees, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty outlined the upheaval, stating that some workers would transition to other teams under ZeniMax's purview. Most employees, however, will be let go. Here's Booty's breakdown of the layoffs for each affected studio: Arkane Austin This studio will close with some members of the team joining other studios to work on projects across Bethesda. Arkane Austin has a history of making impactful and innovative games and it is a pedigree that everyone should be proud of. Redfalls previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game. The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the Hero DLC. Alpha Dog Studios This studio will also close. We appreciate the teams creativity in bringing Doom to new players. Mighty Doom will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game. Tango Gameworks Tango Gameworks will also close. We are thankful for their contributions to Bethesda and players around the world. Hi-Fi Rush will continue to be available to players on the platforms it is today. Roundhouse Games The team at Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS). Roundhouse has played a key role in many of our recent game launches and bringing them into ZOS to work on The Elder Scrolls Online will mean we can do even more to grow the world that millions of players call home. Additionally, a small number of roles across select Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will also be eliminated, Booty's email says. In summary, at least when it comes to the games: Redfall development has been stopped completely and people who spent $100 on the game's Bite Back edition will be eligible for a partial refund to compensate for the DLC they never received . Sign ups for the refund are right here . Hi-Fi Rush will remain playable. Mighty Doom will shut down on August 7. The remaining studios under ZeniMax Media, which is owned by Microsoft, are Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios, and the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams. Arkane Lyon is currently building Marvel's Blade and it's the home of Deathloop and the Dishonored franchise. The co-creative director of Arkane Lyon, Dinga Bakaba, shared his reaction to the layoffs on X with the following thread: This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you. Don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations/blind spots, don't make our work environments darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we seen it before. For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes again, and it's a fucking gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, and respect affected folks' voice and leave it room to be heard, it's their story to tell, their feelings to express. Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media including Bethesda, id Software, Arkane and Tango in 2021 for $7.5 billion. The acquisition marked an escalation of Microsoft's efforts to eat the entire industry : The company acquired five mid-size teams in 2018, including Compulsion Games and Ninja Theory, and by February 2019, there were 13 studios under the Xbox Game Studios banner. The ZeniMax purchase cleared regulators in 2021, setting the stage for Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard, one of the largest game producers in the world. The Activision Blizzard acquisition was the most expensive in Microsoft's history, costing around $69 billion. After nearly two years of regulatory negotiations, the purchase was cleared in February 2023. It's not just Microsoft making the video game industry smaller. Sony, Take-Two Interactive, Tencent, Epic Games and publishers of all sizes have been gobbling up talent in a rash of post-pandemic corporate consolidation, and this has led to an avalanche of mass layoffs in the industry. In 2023, an estimated 10,500 people in video games lost their jobs, breaking previous annual layoff records. Prior to today's studio closures, roughly 9,400 video game workers had been fired in 2024, setting a pace that should outstrip last year's figures. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/arkane-austin-and-tango-gameworks-have-been-shut-down-183913558.html?src=rss

Remote Maharashtra hamlet's first polling station registers impressive 95% turnout

Remote Maharashtra hamlet's first polling station registers impressive 95% turnout Nonagenarian Baburao Akhade was among 41 eligible voters from the remote hamlet Burudmal under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra who for the first time didn't have to trek 12 km to cast their votes, which was the case until 2019 elections. Voting was held for 11 of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the third phase on Tuesday. This is the first time that officials established a polling station in a nearby school for eligible electors enabling us to take part in the festival of democracy- elections, in our hamlet. Located 35 km away from Bhor town in Velhe tehsil of Pune district, Burudmal is the smallest polling station with 41 eligible voters under the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. By 3 pm on Tuesday, 39 voters, including a first-timer, had exercised their franchise, registering a 95 per cent turnout. ''This has happened for the first time in our lifetime that a polling station has been set up near our houses here in Burudmal. Till the last elections, we all had to go on foot to Sangvi Velvade Khore (valley) to cast votes, which is almost 12 km from here,'' said 90-year-old Akhade, the senior-most voter among the flock. But this time, a polling station was set up in a school, located just next to our houses, giving us much-required comfort in the scorching summer heat, he said. A youngster, Mahesh Gore claimed this is for the first time after Independence that a polling station was established in the hamlet. ''Earlier, we used to trek and cross two rivers on a boat to reach the polling station, which was 12-km away. Voters, including senior citizens and women, used to find it difficult to get there. ''Considering all these hardships, we had appealed to the Sub-Divisional Officer, Bhor division, to set up a polling station. The administration acted swiftly. Today, 40 of the 41 voters exercised their franchise here,'' he said. According to villagers, the population of Burudmal is 150 and most of the young residents work in Mumbai. ''But more than 20 voters hired a bus from Maharashtra's capital city and reached Burudmal just to cast their votes,'' they said. Priyanka Akhade, who works in Mumbai was part of the group. ''I am voting for the first time. I am very fortunate that I could vote in the polling station in my village,'' she said. Another voter, Laxman Akhade, said he was feeling very happy for his 90-year-old father who got the chance to cast his vote in his hamlet. ''Since the government provided us the polling station, we showed our commitment by doing 100 per cent voting,'' he said. Bhausaheb Turkunde, a lone teacher who works at the Zilla Parishad primary school in Burudmal, said the terrain is difficult. ''Most of the times, people living here had to trek to nearby villages to bring goods but a motorable road has been built now,'' he said. Rajendra Kachare, sub-divisional officer, said they were moved by the determination of villagers to participate in the voting process. ''As per the guidance from our returning officer (for Baramati constituency) Kavita Dwivedi, a polling station was set up here. 95 per cent of voters cast their franchise at the polling station,'' he said.

Pakistan Super League may poach county cricketers after schedule change

Extra overseas slots to open up in first months of Championship Clubs can in theory block homegrown talent from joining league English counties face losing more of their leading homegrown talents during the first two months of next season and potentially in years to come amid a proposal for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to run concurrently with the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 10-team IPL is the only franchise T20 league to overlap with the start of the County Championship in April and May, with this years edition seeing 12 English players among the 80 overseas slots fewer than one for each county. Continue reading...

Michelle Yeoh just got cast to lead Amazon's Blade Runner show

Its been a while since weve had an update on Blade Runner 2099 , the sequel series heading to Amazon Prime Video. The cast list is starting to take shape, as Oscar-winner and all-around icon Michelle Yeoh is set to play a lead role, as reported by Variety . Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Variety has a source that says Yeoh will play a character named Olwen, who has been described as a replicant near the end of her life. Thats pretty much all we know about the story, aside from the fact that it's set 50 years after Denis Villeneuves critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049 . This is likely due to the fact that well be nowhere near the level of tech shown in that film when we actually hit the year 2049. The original Blade Runner , after all, was set in 2019. Franchise creator Ridley Scott is involved in some capacity, but not as showrunner. That duty falls to TV writer Silka Luisa, who recently ran the Apple TV+ adaptation of the book Shining Girls . The show was great, so color me optimistic. As for Yeoh, what more can be said? She won a long-deserved Oscar for her work in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and has been involved with classic films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Sunshine and Tomorrow Never Dies , among many others. She spent a few seasons hamming it up on Star Trek: Discovery , and her character is getting a spinoff film that will likely release later this year. The actress also just received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, so this has been a big month. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/michelle-yeoh-just-got-cast-to-lead-amazons-blade-runner-show-180312046.html?src=rss

LS polls: Poll preparations underway as 1.52 crore voters set to vote in Delhi on May 25

LS polls: Poll preparations underway as 1.52 crore voters set to vote in Delhi on May 25 More than one lakh personnel have been deployed across the national capital and other arrangements are being as over 1.5 voters will be exercising their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections on May 25. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer P Krishnamurthy addressed a press conference on Tuesday and elaborated upon the details of poll preparation. The process of new voter application has closed...In Delhi, we have 1.52 crore voters with about 82.13 lakh male voters and about 69.88 lakh female voters. We have 1228 transgender voters...There has been an increase of 8.85 lakh electors as compared to 2019...The gender ratio in 2019 was 818, and as of this time, the gender ratio is 851, indicating a 33-point increase in gender ratio...The number of first-time voters stands at 2.52 lakh...Transgender voters have gone up from 669 in 2019 to 1228 in 2024, P Krishnamurthy said in the press conference. He said that 13,637 polling stations across 2627 locations have been set up for the polls, while adding that over 1 lakh personnel have been deployed for election duty. We have 13,637 polling stations spread across Delhi at 2627 locations. We have decided to create four auxiliary polling stations where the voter strength is more than 1800...We have deployed more than 1 lakh personnel for election duty which includes various functional responsibilities...We will have webcasting or live streaming of polling in 6833 polling stations... Force deployment includes 46 companies of the CAPF, 19000 Home Guards, and 33000 Delhi Police Personnel, Krishnamurthy said. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer also warned that heatwave is expected to get more intense because of which officials have been instructed to make arrangements for coolers, mist fans and cold drinking water. The heatwave is expected to be more intense than usual...We had a meeting with all the stakeholders including MCD, NDMC, Delhi Jal Board, and the health department...Coolers and mist fans will be set up in waiting areas. Cold drinking water will be made available at the polling stations. Delhi Jal Board tankers will be stationed at MCD zonal offices, he further said. The elections to the seven seats of Delhi will be held on May 25 and the results of all Lok Sabha seats will be declared on June 4. According to the seat-sharing agreement under the INDIA bloc, the Congress is fighting on 3 seats in Delhi while the AAP is contesting on 4 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the BJP has been winning all seven seats in Delhi for last two Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)

DC's Tristan Stubbs continues to go strong as death-overs specialist

DC's Tristan Stubbs continues to go strong as death-overs specialist Delhi Capitals batter Tristan Stubbs continued his breakthrough Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the franchise, adding to his credentials as a finisher in 20-over cricket. In the game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, Stubbs made 41 in 20 balls, with three fours and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 205.00. In the 12 games this season, Stubbs scored 318 runs at an average of 53.00 and a strike rate of 188.16 in 11 innings. He smashed two half-centuries, with a knock of 71* as his best score. Stubbs has been a good death-over performer in this IPL. Between 18 to 20 overs, Stubbs has scored 140 runs in 44 balls at a strike rate of 318.18, with 12 fours and 12 sixes. He has been dismissed only once in the death overs. Nobody has scored more runs than Stubbs in this phase during this season. In the death overs from 16-20 overs, Stubbs has scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 252.50. The most runs in the death overs this season have been scored by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s Dinesh Karthik (208 runs at a strike rate of 228.57) and Mumbai Indians (MI) Tim David (205 runs at a strike rate of 181.42). Coming to the game, RR opted to bowl first after winning the toss. For Delhi, Jake Fraser McGurk (50 in 20 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) and Abhishek Porel (63 in 36 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) set the tone with aggressive half-centuries. However, Delhi lost wickets in between. Towards, the end, Tristan Stubbs (41 in 20 balls, with three fours and three sixes) put up an entertaining cameo and helped DC reach 221/8 in their 20 overs. (ANI)

Government Staff Irked Over Arrangements for Postal Ballot

Vijayawada: Government employees coming under essential services in Vijayawada feel chafed that many of them had to run from pillar to post to cast their postal ballots on Tuesday. Election Commission of India (ECI) has provided them the facility of postal ballot, as they would be on election duties on May 13, when polling will take place in Andhra Pradesh for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. A large number of government staff turned up at the NTR district sub-collectorate office, Tummalapalli Kalakshetram and other places to exercise their franchise. However, utter chaos prevailed at these places due to lack of help desks and mismanagement. Many employees went from one centre to another, while some decided not to use their postal ballot amid the chaos. One among the staff Jayamma (name changed) said she had come to cast her vote at the sub-collectorate facilitation centre. A municipal corporation school teacher, she is in her mid-fifties and a diabetic patient. She said, I was part of around 150 employees given election training at PB Siddhartha College. We were told we could cast our votes there. However, only 50 postal ballots were provided on Monday, May 6, leaving nearly 100 employees. Today, I visited four facilitation centres including Loyola College, Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium and Tummalapalli Kalakshetram. Finally, I cast my vote at the facilitation centre set up at the sub-collectorate, she explained. Jayamma observed that employees could have avoided such difficulties had the government made proper arrangements. Another employee Ganesh (name changed), serving as a flying squad member with the police department in Gannavaram, said, Although I submitted Form 12 to cast my vote through postal ballot in Krishna district, my application has been rejected. Later, Ganesh, a resident of Vijayawada East constituency, could cast his vote through postal ballot at the sub-collectorate facilitation centre.

Abhishek Bachchan returns to 'Housefull' franchise, to play a pivotal role in Sajid Nadiadwala's fifth installment

Assam: Peaceful Polling Concludes for 4 LS Seats, 79.79% Voter Turnout Recorded

Assam: Peaceful Polling Concludes for 4 LS Seats, 79.79% Voter Turnout Recorded Polling was peaceful in four parliamentary seats in Assam's third and final phase of elections on Tuesday with a voter turnout of 79.79 per cent recorded, officials said. The final polling figure will be available on Wednesday, they said. Dhubri recorded the highest polling percentage at 85.43, followed by Barpeta at 79.62, Guwahati at 75.67 and Kokrajhar at 75.55. ''An estimated 79.79 per cent of the 81.49 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the four parliamentary constituencies in Assam. Polling ended at 5 pm with no untoward incident reported during the day,'' an election official said. A total of 965 Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) components -- control units, VVPATs and ballot units -- were replaced due to malfunctioning, another official said. Most of the glitches were noticed during the mock polling and subsequently, polling was held smoothly, he said. Altogether 81,49,091 voters, including 40,48,436 women and 111 belonging to the third gender, were eligible to exercise their franchise in 9,516 polling stations. Altogether 47 candidates are in the fray in the final phase of elections. The prominent candidates in the fray are AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal, seeking a fourth successive term from Dhubri, and his rival and sitting Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain. Eight-time Asom Gana Parishad MLA and former minister Phanibhushan Choudhury and his rivals sitting CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Congress candidate Deep Bayan from Barpeta were contesting. Former BTC deputy leader Kampa Borgoyary of the Bodo Peoples' Front, United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL) Joyanta Basumatary and Congress candidate Garjen Mushahry are fighting in Kokrajhar. Two women contestants of Guwahati are BJPs Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Congress Mira Borthakur Goswami. Dhubri has the highest number of electors at 26,63,987, while Kokrajhar has the lowest at 14,94,404 in this phase. In the first phase of polls held on April 19, 78.25 per cent of the electors exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 35 candidates in Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur constituencies. An estimated 81.17 per cent of voters cast their votes in the second round of elections on April 26 to decide the fate of 61 candidates in Karimganj, Silchar, Diphu, Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri. In the 2019 parliamentary polls, Assam recorded an overall voter turnout of 81.55 per cent. In the outgoing Lok Sabha, BJP held nine seats, Congress three, AIUDF and an independent one each from the state.

Modi Urges Voters to Choose Between Vote Jihad and Ram Rajya in Election Rallies

BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday exhorted people to choose between vote jihad, being promoted by the Congress, and Ram Rajya, being established by the BJP, while exercising their franchise in the ongoing general election. Addressing poll rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the Prime Minister said the country now stands at a critical juncture of history and the people have to decide whether they opt for the path of vote jihad (a move to unite Muslims against the BJP) or to establish Ram Rajya (good governance). The Prime Minister said, As long as I am alive, I will not allow any attempt to erase Indias identity under the guise of false secularism to succeed. Seeking votes for the BJP, he said, Modi needs 400 seats to counter every design by the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and to ensure that the Congress does not restore Article 370 in Kashmir and that the Congress does not take the initiative of overturning the Ram Mandir verdict. Terrorists in Pakistan are threatening jihad against India, while some Congress leaders are calling for a vote jihad against him (Modi), calling upon the people of a particular religion to unite and vote against Modi, the Prime Minister said while speaking at Khargone and Dhar districts of Madhya Pradesh. He said the term love jihad was not acceptable in a democracy and added that the Indian Constitution also did not allow such kind of jihad. Frustration and desperation have pushed the Congress to stoop to such a low. The intentions of the Congress are alarming and its conspiracies are very dangerous, he said. He was referring to an election speech by Maria Alam, a Samajwadi Party leader and niece of senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khushid. She had said, Together do vote jihad -- with intelligence, without being sentimental and with silence. As we can only do vote jihad to drive away this Sanghi government. Both Khurshid and his niece have been booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for the remark. Training his guns at the Congress, Modi said that many senior Congress leaders having association with the party for over three-four decades are now resigning, saying enough is enough. One of the woman Congress leaders (Radhika Khera) who resigned from the party has narrated how she was subjected to mistreatment by the party for visiting the Ram temple and another leader said that the Congress was now captured by the Muslim League and Maoists. Another Congress leader has exposed that the Congress shehzada (referring to Rahul Gandhi) intends to overturn the Supreme Courts verdict on the Ram Mandir, similar to how his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, had reversed the SCs decision in the Shaho Bano case, Modi said. He also slammed the recent statement by Congress leader and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi that the terrorist attack on an IAF convoy in Poonch last week was a pre-election stunt by the BJP to justify his love for Pakistan jibe at the Congress. Launching a tirade against the Congress and I.N.D.I.A. bloc for their dangerous agenda of appeasement politics, Modi addressing rallies in Ahmednagar and Beed in Maharashtra, claimed that no trick of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc is working in front of the people. Modi said now the Congress B-team from across the border has been activated to boost the morale of the grand old party. He also said that June 4 is the expiry date of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Addressing rallies for BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in Ahmednagar and Beed, Modi said, The expiry date of the I.N.D.I.A bloc is June 4 (when the results of the Lok Sabha election will be declared). After that day, there will be no one to raise the flag of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. This election is being held to choose between those who fulfill peoples desires and those who indulge in appeasement. The Prime Minister also alleged that the Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims on the basis of their religion from the quota reserved for STs, SCs and OBCs. Now, I.N.D.I.A bloc says that they will snatch away reservation from SC/ST/OBC and give it to Muslims. They want to give reservation based on religion, which was not allowed by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, he said.

What the heck is going on with Helldivers 2?

In the last five days, Helldivers 2 was removed from the PC market in 177 countries and the games Steam reviews collapsed under the weight of more than 200,000 negative ratings, dropping from Positive to Mixed. Its now Tuesday and the Helldivers 2 Steam page is overrun with people ranting against Sony and celebrating democracy, and for anyone taking their first glance at the game, its all a bit confusing. Heres whats going on. Helldivers 2 is a third-person co-op shooter developed by independent team Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It went live on PlayStation 5 and Steam on February 8, marking a rare instance of cross-platform parity from Sony. Immediately, Helldivers 2 was a hit on PC it clocked more concurrent players on Steam than any other PlayStation game, beating God of War , Spider-Man Remastered , Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us Part I . Helldivers 2 was so popular in its first few weeks that Arrowheads servers had trouble meeting demand and had to be capped at 450,000 players. I am completely exhausted by the success, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt tweeted one week post-launch. So is the team, many, many late nights, on-calls, emergency meetings, discussions around server capacity, shards, capacity units, CPU utilization, login rates and CCU. Tired, but very, very pleased. Sony Interactive Entertainment Helldivers 2 is one of the first tests of Sonys long-term multiplatform goals. While Pilestedt was taking stock of Helldivers 2 s launch week, Sony executives were telling investors about their fresh plans to aggressively chase revenue streams on PC. Sony president Hiroki Totoki said the objective was to proactively work on releasing first-party games on PC alongside PlayStation, a shift from the companys longstanding console-first approach. Helldivers 2 isnt a first-party Sony game, but its console-exclusive to PlayStation 5 and Sony has been supporting its development as its publisher. As long as Helldivers 2 has had a Steam page, its also had a dijon-yellow notification box alerting players that theyll need to link up a PlayStation Network account in order to play. According to Sony, account linking is all in the name of security and cross-platform play, but of course it also helps boost the studios PSN monthly active user numbers. Due to the games early network issues, Sony decided to postpone the account-linking requirement when Helldivers 2 went live on Steam on February 8. It hit the digital PC storefront for $40 with no notable region or account-linkage restrictions. For nearly three months, Helldivers 2 had its moment in the sun. And then it started to burn. On Thursday, May 2, Sony announced that all Helldivers 2 Steam players would be required to log into their PSN accounts in order to continue accessing the game on PC. The requirement would go live for new players on May 6, and existing players would start seeing a mandatory login prompt at the end of the month. Due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2 , we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional, Sonys announcement said. That grace period will now expire. Usually this wouldnt be a massive issue, since PSN accounts are free and its relatively painless to link one to Steam. However, Helldivers 2 had been sold around the world, and PSN is only available in 73 countries. That would leave well over 100 countries and territories in the lurch, with those players unable to play a game they'd already paid for. Refunds were also out of the question for most players especially the most dedicated ones since Steam generally limits those to games thatve been played for less than two hours. The bad reviews started pouring in. Sony Interactive Entertainment Neither Arrowhead nor Sony seemed to know what to do next. Sony published an FAQ in the Helldivers 2 Discord that didnt offer solutions, and instead seemed to advise affected players to create PSN accounts in different countries, a violation of the platforms terms. It became readily apparent through tweets and Discord updates that while Sony was the driving force behind the PSN requirement, Arrowhead developers kind of hated it. They even encouraged the review riot. I want people to make their displeasure known in a place where it might actually make a difference, Steam reviews and refund requests will do that, angry posting in the Discord wont, Arrowhead associate community manager Spitz posted in the games Discord server on Friday. Im not happy about this decision either. Over the weekend, more than 200,000 people posted negative reviews of Helldivers 2 on Steam, tanking its overall rating. On Sunday, May 5, Sony silently removed Helldivers 2 from Steam in 177 countries and territories that dont have access to PSN. That same day, Arrowhead CEO Pilestedt tweeted , We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community but I don't have the final say. Sony Interactive Entertainment On May 6, the day the PSN requirement was set to go live for new players, Sony backtracked . The company tweeted that its account-linking plans would not be moving forward. The message continued, Were still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and well keep you updated on future plans. Helldivers 2 is now available in every region that has Steam, with the option to link a PSN account. Its PC review score is slowly recovering as the rioters return to adjust their rankings, now alongside cheeky messages about the power of democracy. On Monday, Pilestedt quoted Sonys reversal tweet and added , Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional. We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is, and how developers and community can support each other to create the best game experiences. With Helldivers 2 , the account-linking issue was easily avoidable. Sony was knowingly selling a game to people who wouldnt be able to play it but first, it gave them a paid trial and three months of false hope. At best, it looks like Sony was completely unaware of the logistics that would support its bold new PC strategy. At worst, it all feels mildly diabolical. Sony Interactive Entertainment Its unclear what the 2024 Helldivers 2 Steam riots will mean for future Sony games on PC, but theres another test coming up soon with the release of Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut on May 16. Just like Helldivers 2 , the games Steam page contains a little yellow rectangle warning players that it requires a PSN account for online multiplayer and the PlayStation overlay. According to SteamDB , Ghost of Tsushima is currently on sale in a handful of countries that dont have PSN. As the Helldivers 2 drama began to kick off on May 3, Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Productions responded to a concerned fan on X with the following account-linking clarification: Just so you are aware, A PSN account is required for Legends online multiplayer mode and to use PlayStation overlay. It is not required to play the singleplayer game. As long as the terms of engagement are clear and Sony doesn't attempt to pull the rug out from under players three months after the game comes out, that all sounds just fine. Account linking isn't a new or even rare scenario in gaming Microsoft (including Activision Blizzard), Ubisoft, Riot, EA and most other major video game studios require a proprietary sign-in to access their games on Steam and other third-party storefronts. The issue with Helldivers 2 wasn't account linking. The issue was Sony's short-sighted execution of a high-profile PC rollout and its poor communication with upset players after the fact. Most gaming fans want to see PlayStation titles on PC, and Sony wants to wring as much money out of its core franchises as possible by putting them on additional platforms this plan should be win-win. With Helldivers 2 , it's been more like win-lose-win, but at least we got there in the end. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-helldivers-2-163829512.html?src=rss

SS Rajamouli Envisions Creating an Animated Cinematic Masterpiece

SS Rajamouli Envisions Creating an Animated Cinematic Masterpiece Filmmaker SS Rajamouli on Tuesday said he has been toying with the idea of making an animation film for some time now. The director said he hopes to venture into ''newer'' territories in his future projects, much like his latest animation series ''Baahubali: Crown of Blood'', which is set in the universe of his popular ''Baahubali'' feature films. Rajamouli, also known for action movies such as ''Eega'', ''Magadheera'' and the much celebrated ''RRR'', serves as creator on the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar series along with Sharad Devarajan of ''The Legend of Hanuman'' fame. ''It's been on my mind,'' Rajamouli said, referring to directing an animated film. ''I like making films which will enable me to enter into newer areas in my forthcoming films. For a long time, I've had this thought of making an animation film. Whether it's 'Eega' that I made or how I'm associated with Hotstar for this (series), all these things are for me to learn. It helps me to develop my skills,'' he said at the press conference of ''Baahubali: Crown of Blood'' here. The series serves as a prequel to Rajamouli's blockbuster ''Baahubali'' movies -- 2015's ''Baahubali: The Beginning'' and ''Baahubali: The Conclusion'' (2017). A self-proclaimed fan of ''The Lion King'' and ''Aladdin'', Rajamouli said there's an audience for animation films in India. ''Everyone was watching those films with a houseful of audiences cheering, clapping, laughing, and enjoying like any other film. So, the audience is there for animation films. It's just the belief of us as filmmakers to bring animation content and the ability to make the connection (is needed)'' he added. ''If you've seen 'Magadheera', you see how the connection happens between (characters played by) Ram Charan and Kajal. So, that magical connection has to happen (between filmmakers and animation). The minute it happens, floodgates will open and tons of content will be created,'' he said. According to Rajamouli, the animation content in India is restricted to children, unlike the US and Japanese anime films. ''It is surprising that the animation world in India doesn't go beyond children cartoons. We had the right kind of people and we felt like taking it forward. We had long story discussions with Sharad,'' he added. The filmmaker started the franchise with 2015's ''Baahubali: The Beginning'', which starred Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj and Tamannaah Bhatia. The movie broke many records with its box office collection, emerging as the first South Indian film to gross over Rs 650 crore worldwide. It was followed by the second part, titled ''Baahubali: The Conclusion'' and released in 2017. Rajamouli said it was ''difficult'' for him to let someone else take forward his widely successful film franchise through the animation series, but he is happy with the result. ''Initially, I thought I'll not let him (Devarajan) do anything without my consent, and gradually I realised I have to let go. Before letting it go, I took them to the process of how we made 'Baahubali'. What are the characters and the conflicts? ''There's a sur (note) of 'Baahubali' that resonated with audiences, I tried to explain to them (new makers) what the sur was, and he understood it. Later, he and his team came with the story, character arcs and that's how 'Baahubali: Crown of Blood' happened. I'm happy with the way it turned out.'' The director also revealed they spent ''zero budget'' on the marketing of the first part of ''Baahubali''. ''We didn't buy any spots, we didn't pay any newspapers or websites to put up the posters. But we did a lot of homework. We created many videos and digital posters internally. We released the character (posters), we released the making (behind-the-scenes) videos. ''A lot of publicity happened but the thing is that we didn't spend money on it. We just used our brains and time. Each film is different. You market it depending on product to product, but the base is that we constantly strive to bring in new audiences to get interested in the product,'' he added. A Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks production, ''Baahubali: Crown of Blood'' is backed by Rajamouli, Devarajan and ''Baahubali'' films producer Shobu Yarlagadda. It is directed by Jeevan J Kang and Navin John. It will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on May 17.

Three villages in Gujarat boycott Lok Sabha polls over pending issues with govt

AHMEDABAD: Around a thousand voters from across three villages in Gujarat boycotted voting in the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday, while those in as many other villages partially stayed away from the process over their unfulfilled demands from the government, officials said. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that as per the preliminary information, the voters of Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting, while the voters at Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, and Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district boycotted it partially. Sanadhara village falls under Bardoli Lok Sabha seat and has 320 voters. As per the Election Commission report, none of the 320 voters cast their votes over certain outstanding issues even as the local poll administration and representatives of political parties tried to persuade them to come out and exercise their franchise. Around 300 voters in Bakhri village that falls under Patan parliamentary constituency also decided to collectively boycott voting in protest against division of their gram panchayat. Despite persuasion, they remained steadfast in their decision to not exercise their voting right. PM Modi congratulates EC for conducting first two phases of LS polls almost violence-free Poll preparations were made since early morning, but the villagers did not turn up for voting even as polling officers kept waiting. Villagers are aggrieved over the division of their gram panchayat, they said. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Bharatsinh Dabhi reached the village and requested them to join the poll process, but to no avail. Around 350 voters in Kesar village of Bharuch district also remained adamant on their decision to not cast their votes and by the end of the day not a single vote was cast. This was not the first time that the voters had boycotted their votes. They have done so in the past as well, as their demands to build a bridge over a river has not been fulfilled by the government despite repeated demands, locals said. Polling for 25 out of the total 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat were held in a single phase on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Surat seat unopposed.

Jake Fraser McGurk registers this unique record in IPL with exceptional batting blitz

Delhi Capitals' Jake Fraser McGurk has set a new record by becoming the first player to score three half-centuries in 20 balls or fewer in the Indian Premier League (IPL). McGurk scored 50 runs in just 20 balls against Rajasthan Royals, striking seven boundaries and three maximums. He has also scored two half-centuries in 15 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, clinching the record for the fastest half-century in the franchise's history.

Introducing animated series Baahubali: Crown of Blood, Rajamouli shares vision for franchise

Hyderabad: Auteur S. S. Rajamouli, who is awaiting the release of the upcoming animated series Baahubali: Crown of Blood, has shared that theres a gaping difference between how the West views and leverages film franchises and how India views them. On Tuesday, the filmmaker spoke with the media at a multiplex chain in Kondapur during Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Disney to focus on quality as it plans to cut output including Marvel movies

CEO Bob Iger says company will scale back releases in superhero franchise as it seeks to take on Netflix in streaming market Disney plans to release fewer movies and focus more on quality at its key franchises, following of a string of high-profile flops at the box office. The Hollywood giant is cutting back on productions from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which ramped up releases in recent years as Disney embarked upon an expensive bid to take on Netflix. Continue reading...

Young Sheldon season 7 finale release date, spoilers: What we know so far?

Looks like the iconic Big Bang Theory's iconic characters Sheldon and Amy are back years after the franchise came to an end. New images featuring the two of them in Young Sheldon Season 7, played by Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik on screen, have surfaced, leaving fans awestruck.

Visually Impaired Man First In Kashmir Valley To Use Poll Panels Home Voting Facility

Srinagar, May 7: Ali Mohammad Rather, a visually impaired person, was the first to vote for the election to Jammu and Kashmirs Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday under the new home voting facility. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The facility was started by the Election Commission for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for those who are not able to visit polling stations to exercise their franchise. Rather, 75, hailing from the Dara area of the Hazratbal assembly [] The post Visually Impaired Man First In Kashmir Valley To Use Poll Panels Home Voting Facility appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Kashmir Valley's visually impaired man becomes first to utilize EC's home voting facility

Kashmir Valley's visually impaired man becomes first to utilize EC's home voting facility Ali Mohammad Rather, a visually impaired person, was the first to vote for the election to Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday under the new home voting facility. The facility was started by the Election Commission for the 2024 Lok sabha elections for those who are not able to visit polling stations to exercise their franchise. Rather, 75, hailing from the Dara area of the Hazratbal assembly segment in Srinagar district became the first person in the Kashmir Valley to cast his vote through the home voting facility, an official of the District Election Office, Srinagar, said. ''The first home vote has been cast and sealed in a ballot box at Dara for blind voter (People with Disability) Ali Mohd Rather in part 68 of 19-Hazratbal segment,'' the official said. Voting for the seat will be held on May 13 in the fourth round of the seven-phase general elections. The other early voter was a 90-year-old woman from the Harwan area of the city. The nonagenarian, who goes by the mononym 'Fazi', was beaming with pride after casting her vote from her home at Harwan. A team of officials from the district election office on Tuesday went to various places in Srinagar, including the Dal Lake area, to facilitate voters who had registered themselves under the home voting facility to exercise their franchise.

Visually Impaired Man First In Kashmir Valley To Use Poll Panel's Home Voting Facility

The facility was started by the Election Commission for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for those who are not able to visit polling stations to exercise their franchise.

High Voter Turnout: 62.28% Recorded in Nine Lok Sabha Seats of Madhya Pradesh Till 5 PM

High Voter Turnout: 62.28% Recorded in Nine Lok Sabha Seats of Madhya Pradesh Till 5 PM At least 62.28 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm in nine Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh in the third phase of the general elections on Tuesday, a poll official said. Of the nine Lok Sabha seats, Rajgarh recorded the highest 72.08 per cent turnout, followed by Vidisha with 69.2 per cent, Guna with 68.93 per cent, Betul with 67.97 per cent, Sagar with 61.7 per cent, Bhopal with 58.42 per cent, Gwalior with 57.86 per cent, Morena with 55.25 per cent and Bhind with 50.96 per cent, till 5 pm, the official said. Former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijaya Singh and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president V D Sharma were among the early voters. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who are contesting the polls from Rajgarh and Guna, respectively, will not be able to vote for themselves as the former is a registered voter of Bhopal, and the latter is registered to vote from Gwalior, party sources said. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP candidate from Vidisha seat, exercised franchise with his wife, Sadhna Singh, and two sons at a polling booth in his native village, Jait, in Sehore district. Polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm across 20,456 polling stations, including 1,043 managed by women personnel and 75 by Divyang employees, an election official said. To ensure smooth polling, the administration made the local candidates sit in the police control room in Morena in the Gwalior-Chambal region, which is considered a sensitive area. The police made BJP candidate Shivmangal Singh Tomar, BSP's Ramesh Chandra Garg and Congress candidate Satyapal Sikarwar sit in the police control room, Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh Chouhan said. The candidates came to the police control room with their consent and sat together, as it has happened here in the past, he said. A total of 1.77 crore voters will decide the fate of 127 candidates who are contesting from Morena, Bhind (SC-reserved), Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh and Betul (ST-reserved) seats spread across 19 districts of the state. Polling in Betul (ST) constituency was initially scheduled to be held in the second phase on April 26 but was deferred due to the death of a candidate. In all, 127 candidates, including nine women, are in the fray in the third phase of the elections. Bhopal has the highest number of 22 candidates, while Bhind has the lowest at 7. Voters include 92.68 lakh men, 84.83 lakh women, and 491 members of the third gender, while 1.66 lakh voters are 'divyangjan' (people with disabilities), 88,106 are above the age of 85, and 1,804 are 100 plus years old, the poll official said. As many as 5.25 lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19 years. Of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, polling for 12 seats took place in the first two phases on April 19 and 26. The remaining eight seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.

Return to Monkey Island comes to Apple Arcade in June

Apple is adding a bunch of new titles to its Arcade video game subscription service next month, including Return to Monkey Island . It's the first new entry in the franchise by series creator Ron Gilbert since Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge , which was released way back in 1991. The game still revolves around the pirate Guybrush Threepwood who's on a journey to unearth the secret of Monkey Island. You'll see some familiar locations from the older games in the new title, which also features Threepwood's wife Elaine Marley and his arch-enemy, the zombie pirate LeChuck. Return to Monkey Island is already available on the App Store, but it's coming to Apple Arcade on June 6 where subscribers can access the whole game, including the in-app purchases non-subscribers would have to buy. Ubisoft's Rabbids: Legends of the Multiverse by Ubisoft is also arriving on the subscription service on the same date, along with Tomb of the Mask by Playgendary and Fabulous - Wedding Disaster by GameHouse. Before those games become available on Arcade, though, Where Cards Fall will make its way to the Apple Vision Pro first. The award-winning puzzle game with a coming-of-age narrative will feature tactile controls designed especially for the mixed reality headset. Players will have to use natural gestures to build bridges, pathways and other structures with a house of cards so that they can get around various landscapes. Where Cards Fall for the Apple Vision Pro will be available on May 30. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/return-to-monkey-island-comes-to-apple-arcade-in-june-120016947.html?src=rss