Manash (Subhaditya Edusoft): SUBHADITYA NEWS CHANNEL PRESENTS NEWS OF THIS WEEK: SCIENCE,POLITICAL,SPORTS,MOVIES AND BOOK NEWS THIS WEEK

1) Handwriting may boost brain connections more than typing does : By Claudia López Lloreda

Using a pen or pencil to write boosts brain connectivity, which suggests handwriting might help with learning.

Writing out the same word again and again in cursive may bring back bad memories for some, but handwriting can boost connectivity across brain regions, some of which are implicated in learning and memory, a new study shows.

When asked to handwrite words, college students showed increased connectivity across the brain, particularly in brain waves associated with memory formation, compared with when they typed those words instead, researchers report January 26 in Frontiers in Psychology. The finding adds to growing evidence of handwriting’s benefits and could give fodder to laws that implement handwriting curricula, such as the recently enacted California law requiring the teaching of cursive in grades 1 through 6. The new study shows that “there is a fundamental difference in brain organization for handwriting as opposed to typing,” says Ramesh Balasubramaniam, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced who was not involved with the study.Plenty of previous research has shown that handwriting improves spelling accuracy, memory recall and conceptual understanding. Scientists think that the slow process of tracing out letters and words gives individuals more time to process the material and learn.

In the new study, psychologists Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel, both at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, recruited students from the university and stuck electrodes on their heads. The researchers asked the students to type out or handwrite in cursive with a digital pen a word that appeared on a computer screen. Sensors in a cap recorded electrical brain activity while participants carried out each task.

In a lab at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, college students were asked to type or handwrite a word they saw on a screen while wearing a cap outfitted with 256 electrodes to see how their brains behaved.

Then the scientists looked for coherence, which is when two brain areas are active with the same frequency of electrical waves at the same time. This parameter can reveal the strength of functional connectivity among different regions across the brain.

With handwriting, the researchers saw increased activity, specifically in low frequency bands called alpha and theta, not only in the expected motor areas due to the movement but also in others associated with learning. These low frequency bands have previously been shown to support memory processes. When the team compared the two tasks, they realized that handwriting — but not typing — increased the connectivity across parietal brain regions, which are involved in sensory and motor processing, and central ones, many of which are involved in memory. These findings suggest that there are distinct processes of brain activation happening while a person types or writes. Even when the movements are very similar, the activation seems much, much higher in handwriting,” Balasubramaniam says. “It shows that there’s more involvement of these brain regions when you’re handwriting, which might give you some specific advantages.”

The researchers posit that this boost of stimulation facilitates learning because these particular waves between these areas are implicated in memory formation and encoding.

Because the team did not test whether participants remembered the words, it’s not yet clear how exactly the increased activity impacts learning, says psychologist Kathleen Arnold of Radford University in Virginia. “[The study] warrants some follow up to see what exactly is causing those connectivity differences and whether or not they reflect learning outcomes.”Balasubramaniam also notes that it’s possible the differences in brain activation are merely due to the unique movement required to type or write. “But that said, we’ve got to start somewhere, and these are the first results to actually show that these two things have different brain activation patterns.”And although handwriting may help with learning processes, typing is often easier, faster and more practical. Students and teachers alike should therefore consider the task at hand to inform their decision to handwrite or type, van der Meer says. For example, using handwriting to take notes might help retain information better while typing out an essay may be easier.Despite the need for more studies to determine the optimal learning strategy, experts say that handwriting shouldn’t be left behind in the digital age. “[Schools] need to bring in more writing into curriculum design,” Balasubramaniam says.Van der Meer agrees. “[Writing is] so good for [young] brains, so we shouldn’t use [this generation] as guinea pigs to see how their brains end up without any handwriting,” she says. “And it’s important for them to be able to at least write a grocery list or a love letter. I really think that that is important for us humans.”

2) How an invasive ant changed a lion’s dinner menu :By Bethany Brookshire

LION PIC DESCRIPTION: When there’s not enough tree cover, lions in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya switch from their favorite food — zebra — to buffalo. What’s taking down the trees? Invasive ants, which are messing up the ant-tree mutualism that protects trees from elephants.

How did the ant steal the lion’s dinner? This isn’t the beginning of one of Aesop’s Fables. It’s the finding of a new study showing how the disruption of one tiny mutual relationship on the African savanna has big impacts on the food web — all the way to the lion’s den.

When big-headed ants (Pheidole megacephala) invade the savanna, they kill off native acacia ants (genus Crematogaster), robbing local whistling thorn trees of their valiant defenders against hungry elephants. Without ants to bite them, the elephants rip up the thorn trees, opening up the grassland, which makes it harder for lions to catch their preferred zebra meals. Lions end up hunting buffalo instead. The findings, published online January 25 in Science, show that invasive species’ effects can be very indirect — and suggest that changes in different low-level mutualisms might also echo up food webs in other ecosystems. Over the past 15 years or so, wildlife ecologist Jake Goheen and his colleagues at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya, have been studying how acacia ants protect whistling thorn trees (SN: 6/15/10). When an elephant tries to eat the tree, “ants swarm up inside its nostrils and bite from the inside out,” Goheen says.

The scientists were also examining what the lions in the conservancy eat as part of a separate study. “One of the things that we found … was that lions are much more effective, they’re more successful with their hunts in areas where tree cover is high,” Goheen says.

But what happens when tree cover is suddenly low? To find out, Goheen and his colleagues collared six lionesses from the local prides to track their activity and kills. The team also set up experimental plots where big-headed ants had invaded, and where the native ants still held sway.

The big-headed ant arrived in the conservancy between 2002 and 2005, Goheen says. “We think it probably was imported on produce,” brought into the houses or tourist camps in the area. The invading insects kill local acacia ants wherever they find them. And other studies have shown that without defending ants, pachyderms tore down the thorn trees five to seven times more often. In the new study, the scientists could have used drones or satellite images to study tree cover, but “we don’t have that kind of money,” Goheen says. Instead, the researchers tracked their collared lions, and then got down on hands and knees near the lions’ recent kills, using a range finder to measure the openness of the area. Areas with big-headed ants, the team showed, had 2.67 times higher visibility than areas without — meaning that lions could see farther, but so could their prey.

Lions relied on the cover of trees to pounce on hapless zebras nearby: Where visibility was low, the probability of a zebra kill was 62 percent. But when visibility was high, the lion’s chance of taking down a zebra dropped to only 22 percent.

LION ANT2 PIC DESRIPTION: When the invasive big-headed ant finds native acacia ants, they surround them and attack, leaving the acacia ants’ tree home undefended and vulnerable to elephants. Here the smaller invasive ants encircle and tear apart the larger native ants.

Over the three years of the study, zebra dinners decreased from 67 percent to 42 percent of lion kills. But the lions didn’t go hungry. Instead, they went for beef. Buffalo kills increased from zero to 42 percent of kills over the study period. It’s a risky diet, Goheen says. Buffalo “are big and feisty,” and lions hunting buffalo are more likely to be injured. The study shows that “the disruption of a mutualism can have cascading effects on other species in the community,” says Emilio Bruna, a plant ecologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “Those effects can be unexpected and indirect.”

It’s a clue, Bruna says, that ecologists should be looking out for other pairs like the acacia ant and the thorn tree, where a single special relationship is a foundation for an ecosystem and a single anthill could cause a savanna-wide shift in who is eating who.

3) Scientists spin naturalistic silk from artificial spider gland :by RIKEN

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The microfluidic device. Precursor spidroin solution is placed at one end and then pulled towards the other end by means of negative pressure. As the spidroins flow through the microfluidic channels, they are exposed to precise changes in the chemical and physical environment, and self-assemble into silk fibers.

Researchers have succeeded in creating a device that spins artificial spider silk that closely matches what spiders naturally produce. The artificial silk gland was able to re-create the complex molecular structure of silk by mimicking the various chemical and physical changes that naturally occur in a spider's silk gland. This eco-friendly innovation is a big step towards sustainability and could impact several industries. The study, led by Keiji Numata at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan, along with colleagues from the RIKEN Pioneering Research Cluster, was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Famous for its strength, flexibility, and light weight, spider silk has a tensile strength that is comparable to steel of the same diameter, and a strength-to-weight ratio that is unparalleled. Added to that, it's biocompatible, meaning that it can be used in medical applications, as well as biodegradable. So why isn't everything made from spider silk? Large-scale harvesting of silk from spiders has proven impractical for several reasons, leaving it up to scientists to develop a way to produce it in the laboratory.

Spider silk is a biopolymer fiber made from large proteins with highly repetitive sequences, called spidroins. Within the silk fibers are molecular substructures called beta sheets, which must be aligned properly for the silk fibers to have their unique mechanical properties. Re-creating this complex molecular architecture has confounded scientists for years. Rather than trying to devise the process from scratch, RIKEN scientists took a biomimicry approach. As Numata explains, "In this study, we attempted to mimic natural spider silk production using microfluidics, which involves the flow and manipulation of small amounts of fluids through narrow channels. Indeed, one could say that the spider's silk gland functions as a sort of natural microfluidic device."

The device developed by the researchers looks like a small rectangular box with tiny channels grooved into it. Precursor spidroin solution is placed at one end and then pulled towards the other end by means of negative pressure.As the spidroins flow through the microfluidic channels, they are exposed to precise changes in the chemical and physical environment, which are made possible by the design of the microfluidic system. Under the correct conditions, the proteins self-assembled into silk fibers with their characteristic complex structure.

Silk gland mimic spins strong fibres

The researchers experimented to find these correct conditions, and eventually were able to optimize the interactions among the different regions of the microfluidic system. Among other things, they discovered that using force to push the proteins through did not work; only when they used negative pressure to pull the spidroin solution could continuous silk fibers with the correct telltale alignment of beta sheets be assembled."It was surprising how robust the microfluidic system was, once the different conditions were established and optimized," says Senior Scientist Ali Malay, one of the paper's co-authors. "Fiber assembly was spontaneous, extremely rapid, and highly reproducible. Importantly, the fibers exhibited the distinct hierarchical structure that is found in natural silk fiber."The ability to artificially produce silk fibers using this method could provide numerous benefits. Not only could it help reduce the negative impact that current textile manufacturing has on the environment, but the biodegradable and biocompatible nature of spider silk makes it ideal for biomedical applications, such as sutures and artificial ligaments.As Numata explains, "In this study, we attempted to mimic natural spider silk production using microfluidics, which involves the flow and manipulation of small amounts of fluids through narrow channels. Indeed, one could say that the spider's silk gland functions as a sort of natural microfluidic device."

Toward spinning artificial spider silk Nature Chemical Biology

As the spidroins flow through the microfluidic channels, they are exposed to precise changes in the chemical and physical environment, which are made possible by the design of the microfluidic system. Under the correct conditions, the proteins self-assembled into silk fibers with their characteristic complex structure.

"Ideally, we want to have a real-world impact," says Numata. "For this to occur, we will need to scale up our fiber-production methodology and make it a continuous process. We will also evaluate the quality of our artificial spider silk using several metrics and make further improvements from there.""Ideally, we want to have a real-world impact," says Numata. "For this to occur, we will need to scale up our fiber-production methodology and make it a continuous process. We will also evaluate the quality of our artificial spider silk using several metrics and make further improvements from there."

4) North China fossils show that eukaryotes first acquired multicellularity 1.63 billion years ago :by Chinese Academy of Sciences

Multicellular fossils come from the late Paleoproterozoic Chuanlinggou Formation

In a study published in Science Advances, researchers led by Prof. Zhu Maoyan from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported their recent discovery of 1.63-billion-year-old multicellular fossils from North China. These exquisitely preserved microfossils are currently considered the oldest record of multicellular eukaryotes. This study is another breakthrough after the researchers' earlier discovery of decimeter-sized eukaryotic fossils in the Yanshan area of North China, and pushes back the emergence of multicellularity in eukaryotes by about 70 million years.

All complex life on Earth, including diverse animals, land plants, macroscopic fungi, and seaweeds, are multicellular eukaryotes. Multicellularity is key to eukaryotes acquiring organismal complexity and large size, and is often regarded as a major transition in the history of life on Earth. However, scientists have been unsure when eukaryotes evolved this innovation.

Fossil records offering convincing evidence show that eukaryotes with simple multicellularity, such as red and green algae, and putative fungi, appeared as early as 1.05 billion years ago. Older records have claimed to be multicellular eukaryotes, but most of them are controversial because of their simple morphology and lack of cellular structure."The newly discovered multicellular fossils come from the late Paleoproterozoic Chuanlinggou Formation that is about 1,635 million years old. They are unbranched, uniseriate filaments composed of two to more than 20 large cylindrical or barrel-shaped cells with diameters of 20–194 μm and incomplete lengths up to 860 μm. These filaments show a certain degree of complexity based on their morphological variation," said Miao Lanyun, one of the researchers. The filaments are constant, or tapered throughout their length, or tapered only at one end. Morphometric analyses demonstrate their morphological continuity, suggesting they represent a single biological species rather than discrete species. The fossils have been named Qingshania magnifica, 1989, a form taxon with similar morphology and size, and are described as being from the Chuanlinggou Formation.

A particularly important feature of Qingshania is the round intracellular structure (diameter 15–20 μm) in some cells. These structures are comparable to the asexual spores known in many eukaryotic algae, indicating that Qingshania probably reproduced by spores. In modern life, uniseriate filaments are common in both prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotes. The combination of large cell size, wide range of filament diameter, morphological variation, and intracellular spores demonstrate the eukaryotic affinity of Qingshania, as no known prokaryotes are so complex.Filamentous prokaryotes are generally very small, about 1–3 μm in diameter, and are distributed across more than 147 genera of 12 phyla. Some cyanobacteria and sulfur bacteria can reach large sizes, up to 200 μm thick, but these large prokaryotes are very simple in morphology, with disk-shaped cells, and are not reproduced by spores.The best modern analogs are some green algae, although filaments also occur in other groups of eukaryotic algae (e.g., red algae, brown algae, yellow algae, charophytes, etc.), as well as in fungi and oomycetes."This indicates that Qingshania was most likely photosynthetic algae, probably belonging to the extinct stem group of Archaeplastids (a major group consisting of red algae, green algae and land plants, as well as glaucophytes), although its exact affinity is still unclear," said Miao.In addition, the researchers conducted Raman spectroscopic investigation to test the eukaryotic affinity of Qingshania from the perspective of chemical composition, using three cyanobacterial taxa for comparison. Raman spectra revealed two broad peaks characteristic of disordered carbonaceous matter.Furthermore, the estimated burial temperatures using Raman parameters ranged from 205–250° C, indicating a low degree of metamorphism. Principal component analysis of the Raman spectra sorted Qingshania and the cyanobacterial taxa into two distinct clusters, indicating that carbonaceous matter of Qingshania is different from that of cyanobacterial fossils, further supporting the eukaryotic affinity of Qingshania.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: In eukaryotic tree, grey dash lines represent stem group eukaryotes. Solid lines denote crown group eukaryotes (LECA plus its descendants). Grey bars at nodes display the estimated age range of divergence of major branches from a molecular clock study (Parfrey et al., 2011, PNAS). Scale bar in the green algal fossil equals 500 μm; the rest are 50 μm. Credit: MIAO Lanyun

Currently, the oldest unambiguous eukaryotic fossils are unicellular forms from late Paleoproterozoic sediments (~1.65 billion years ago) in Northern China and Northern Australia. Qingshania appeared only slightly later than these unicellular forms, indicating that eukaryotes acquired simple multicellularity very early in their evolutionary history.Since eukaryotic algae (Archaeplastids) arose after the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), the discovery of Qingshania, if truly algal in nature, further supports the early appearance of LECA in the late Paleoproterozoic—which is consistent with many molecular clock studies—rather than in the late Mesoproterozoic of about 1 billion years ago.

5) 'Hell chicken' species suggests dinosaurs weren't sliding toward extinction before the fateful asteroid hit :by Kyle Atkins-Weltman and Eric Snively, The Conversation

Birdlike dinosaur Eoneophron infernalis was about the size of an adult human. Credit by Zubin Erik Dutta, from Atkins-Weltman et al

Were dinosaurs already on their way out when an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous, the geologic period that started about 145 million years ago? It's a question that has vexed paleontologists like us for more than 40 years.

In the late 1970s, debate began about whether dinosaurs were at their peak or in decline before their big extinction. Scientists at that time noted that while dinosaur diversity seemed to have increased in the geologic stage that spanned 83.6 million to 71.2 million years ago, the number of species on the scene seemed to decrease during the last few million years of the Cretaceous.

Eoneophron infernalis and the smaller unnamed species now join the larger Anzu as late-Cretaceous caenagnathid dinosaurs from the Hell Creek region

Some researchers have interpreted this pattern to mean that the asteroid that struck the Gulf of Mexico was simply the final blow for an already vulnerable group of animals.However, others have argued that what looks like a decrease in the diversity of dinosaurs may be an artifact of how hard it is to accurately count them. Fossil formations might preserve different dinosaurs more or less often based on factors like their favored environment and how easily their bodies fossilized there.

The accessibility of various outcrops could influence what kinds of fossils researchers have so far found. These biases are a problem because fossils are what paleontologists must rely on to conclusively answer how healthy dinosaur populations were when the asteroid hit.

At that crucial moment, what was really happening to dinosaur diversity? Discovery, identification and description of new dinosaurs provide vital clues. This is where our work published in PLOS ONE comes in. Close examination of what we'd thought was a juvenile specimen of an already known species of dinosaur from this time period revealed that it was actually part of an adult from a completely new species.

Kyle Atkins-Weltman holds the femur of the new dinosaur as it was received, with the other fossils in the background. Kyle Atkins-Weltman

Our work focusing on the life stage of our specimen demonstrates that dinosaur diversity may not have been declining before the asteroid hit, but rather that there are more species from this time period yet to be discovered—potentially even through reclassification of fossils already in museum collections.

Clues inside the bones of a birdlike dinosaur

Our new study focused on four hindlimb bones—a femur, a tibia and two metatarsals. They were unearthed in South Dakota, in rocks of the Hell Creek Formation, and date to the final 2 million years of the Cretaceous.

When we first examined the bones, we identified them as belonging to a family of dinosaurs known as the caenagnathids—a group of birdlike dinosaurs that had toothless beaks, long legs and short tails. Direct fossil and inferred evidence indicates these dinosaurs were covered in complex feathers, much like modern birds.

The only known species of caenagnathid from this time and region was Anzu, sometimes called the "chicken from Hell." Covered in feathers and sporting wings and a toothless beak, Anzu was between roughly 450 and 750 pounds (200 and 340 kilograms). Despite its fearsome nickname, though, its diet is a matter of debate. It was likely an omnivore, eating both plant material and small animals.

Because our specimen was significantly smaller than Anzu, we simply assumed it was a juvenile. We chalked up the anatomical differences we noticed to its juvenile status and smaller size—and figured the animal would have changed had it continued to grow. Anzu specimens are rare, and no definite juveniles have been published in the scientific literature, so we were excited to potentially learn more about how it grew and changed throughout its lifetime by looking inside its bones.

Just like with a tree's rings, bone records rings called lines of arrested growth. Each annual line represents part of a year when the animal's growth slowed. They would tell us how old this animal was, and how fast or slow it was growing.

We cut through the middle of three of the bones so that we could microscopically examine the internal anatomy of the cross-sections. What we saw completely uprooted our initial assumptions.

In a juvenile, we would expect lines of arrested growth in the bone to be widely spaced, indicating rapid growth, with even spacing between the lines from the inside to the outside surface of the bone. Here, we saw that the later lines were spaced progressively closer together, indicating that this animal's growth had slowed and it was nearly at its adult size.

This was no juvenile. Instead, it was an adult of an entirely new species, which we dubbed Eoneophron infernalis. The name means "Pharaoh's chicken from Hell," referencing the nickname of its larger cousin Anzu. Traits unique to this species include ankle bones fused to the tibia, and a well-developed ridge on one of its foot bones. These weren't features a young Anzu would outgrow, but rather unique aspects of the smaller Eoneophron.

Expanding the caenagnathid family tree

With this new evidence, we started making thorough comparisons with other members of the family to determine where Eoneophron infernalis fit within the group.

It also inspired us to reexamine other bones previously believed to be Anzu, as we now knew that more caenagnathid dinosaurs lived in western North America during that time. One specimen, a partial foot bone smaller than our new specimen, appeared distinct from both Anzu and Eoneophron.Where once there was one "chicken from Hell," now there were two, and evidence for a third: one large (Anzu), weighing as much as a grizzly bear, one medium (Eoneophron), humanlike in weight, and one small and yet unnamed, close in size to a German shepherd.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 3: Teal markers point to lines of arrested growth on the cross-section of fossilized bone. Toward the outside of the bone, the lines are much closer together, reflecting less growth per year. Researchers counted exactly six lines, meaning this animal was between 6 and 7 years old when it died. Holly Woodward

Comparing Hell Creek with older fossil formations such as the famous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta that preserves dinosaurs that lived between 76.5 million and 74.4 million years ago, we find not only the same number of caenagnathid species, but also the same size classes.There, we have Caenagnathus, comparable to Anzu, Chirostenotes, comparable to Eoneophron, and Citipes, comparable to the third species we found evidence for. These parallels in both species count and relative sizes offer compelling evidence that caenagnathids remained stable throughout the last part of the Cretaceous.Our new discovery suggests that this dinosaur group was not declining in diversity at the very end of the Cretaceous. These fossils show that there are still new species to be discovered, and support the idea that at least part of the pattern of decreasing diversity is the result of sampling and preservation biases.

Did large dinosaurs go extinct the way a Hemingway character quipped he went broke: "gradually, then suddenly"? While there are plenty of questions still outstanding in this extinction debate, Eoneophron adds evidence that caenagnathids were doing quite well for themselves before the asteroid ruined everything.

1) Ayodhya Ram Mandir pran prathistha:

3D MODEL OF RAM TEMPLE IN 3DSMAX

Ayodhya Ram Mandir Opening: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed saints and religious leaders who arrived in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday presided over the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla inside the sanctorum of the newly constructed Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony was attended by nearly 7,000 invitees, including politicians, industrialists, celebrities and sports personalities. The temple will be opened to the public tomorrow.

PM Modi in garba-griha

Ayodhya in grip of religious fervour as long-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla took place on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and other dignitaries. Army helicopters showered flower petals on the temple premises when the consecration took place.

Crafted by the skilled hands of sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru, the 51-inch-tall idol, captures the image of a five-year-old Lord Ram standing gracefully on a lotus, all meticulously carved from a single block of stone.

The grand event saw the presence of around 7,000 VVIPs from across the nation which includes actors, sportspersons, industrialists, politicians, etc.Constructed in the conventional Nagara architectural style, the Ram Mandir compound is designed to span 380 feet in the east-west direction, with a width of 250 feet and an impressive height of 161 feet. The temple's vertical structure consists of floors, each measuring 20 feet in height, supported by a remarkable ensemble of 392 pillars and adorned with 44 gates.

PM Modi followed a strict 11-day ‘anushthan’ and slept on the floor and had coconut water before the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. He also visited several temples across India ahead of the ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Mandir and took a holy dip at the Rameswaram 'Angi theerth' beach.While addressing the gathering in Ayodhya after performing rituals in the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, PM Modi congratulated the people as the hundred years long wait ended on Monday. After the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, PM Modi encouraged people to “lay foundation of India of next 1,000 years; We take pledge to build a capable, grand, divine India from this moment."“Ram temple's construction will set off a firestorm. They should reconsider as Ram is energy, not fire, a solution not dispute," said PM Modi in Ayodhya on Monday.

-PM Modi performed the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

Later he performed the ‘aarti’ of the Ram Lalla idol inside the sanctum sanctorum affter the idol was unveiled at the temple in the presence of the prime minister.

After performing the whole ritual, PM Modi addressed the gathering at the temple and congratulated people. "Lord Ram has finally arrived (in his abode) following the wait of centuries. After the patience that we showed for centuries and the sacrifices we made, our Lord Ram has finally arrived," PM Modi said during his address.

After addressing the gathering, PM Modi offered prayers at Kuber Tila Shiva temple and unveiled Jatayu statue. The ancient Shiv temple located on the Kuber Tila in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex is also being renovated by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is constructing the Ram temple.-Later, he showered flower petals upon the workers who were the part of the construction crew of the Ram Mandir.

2) Rahul Gandhi rescued amid alleged attack by ‘unruly BJP crowd’ in Assam

Rahul Gandhi being moved inside the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' bus by his security personnel

Rahul Gandhi claimed that over 20 workers with sticks came in front of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra bus.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was rescued and moved inside the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' bus by his security personnel and party workers after a large crowd, including those carrying BJP flags, flocked the yatra in Assam's Sonitpur district on Sunday.

Congress claimed their workers and leaders were attacked by the BJP workers. Their vehicles were attacked and media persons accompanying the party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra were "manhandled" by BJP crowd, Congress leaders alleged. As per the visuals shared by the news agency ANI, Rahul Gandhi can be seen moving out of a bus towards the crowd, after which his security personnel and party workers took him back into the vehicle after the unruly crowd, including people carrying the BJP flags, ran in the yatra. The Wayanad MP claimed that over 20 workers with sticks came in front of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra bus and they ran away as soon as he came out.

“ 20-25 BJP workers carrying sticks came in front of our bus, and when I came out from the bus, they ran away...they think that Congress is scared of BJP and RSS, they're dreaming. They can tear as many posters and placards as they want, we don't care. we are not scared of anybody, we are neither scared of PM Narendra Modi nor Assam CM,” ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that his vehicle was attacked at Jumugurihat by BJP workers who also tore off the Yatra stickers from the windshield.

“My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago at Jumugurihat, Sunitpur by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield. They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY slogans,” Ramesh wrote on X. “But we kept our composure, waved to the hooligans and sped away,” he added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lambasted Assam chief minister Himata Biswa Sarma, saying that the latter is a "chela" of PM Modi.

"Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will cross 15 states...The Yatra before this was undertaken from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. At that time, no stone pelting occurred anywhere. No attempts were made to scare off...Why is this happening in Assam? Because he (Assam CM) is the 'chela' of PM Modi. He listens to what Shah says. He scares the Dalits, minorities & backward class of the country. By scaring people, he is working on the next election," he said. All India Congress Committee (AICC) communications coordinator Mahima Singh told PTI that they informed the police and the additional superintendent of police has reached the spot.

3) Nitish Kumar to resign on Sunday? What is RJD, Cong's game plan for Bihar

The Congress, RJD moved to action as Nitish Kumar is all set to resign for the CM post to become the CM again with the support of the BJP.

Nitish Kumar will hold a customary meeting of the legislature party before submitting his resignation, reports said.The Bihar secretariat will remain open tomorrow despite being a Sunday as a lot of activity is expected with Nitish Kumar possibly resigning and then extending support to the BJP to become the chief minister of a BJP-JD(U) government in Bihar. The move -- months before the Lok Sabha election -- would strengthen the BJP and deliver a blow to the opposition alliance INDIA. Till late Saturday evening, hectic parleys went on in JD(U) -- which blamed the Congress for insulting Nitish Kumar, in the BJP -- on how to receive Nitish Kumar once again, in RJD, the largest party in the Assembly -- on how not to yield any ground in any situation that arises in Bihar on Sunday.

Congress sent Bhupesh Baghel, former Chhattisgarh chief minister to Patna as a senior observer. Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will also enter Bihar soon

Reaching out: What is Congress doing

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday denied any knowledge about Nitish Kumar and JD(U) leaving the INDIA bloc. "Are they (JD(U)) going out? I have not got any information about it so far. I have written a letter to them (JD(U) leadership) and have tried to talk to them. I don't know clearly what is in their minds." Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Mallikarjjun Kharge tried to reach out to Nitish Kumar several times but made no success as both are busy. Without blaming Nitish Kumar, Jairam Ramesh said when Nitish Kumar called back, Kharge was busy, Unless Kharge and Nitish Kumar speak, he won't be able to commit anything about Bihar, he said. Jairam Ramesh said the situation is under control and INDIA bloc is not imploding.

4) Congress says situation in Manipur turning ‘from bad to worse’, asks Amit Shah to take action

A supporter of the Congress party holds up a banner during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Manipur's Thoubal district on January 14

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge urged Amit Shah to take urgent action to ensure that democracy and the rule of law prevails once more in Manipur.Expressing "grave concern" over the situation in Manipur, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said the "continuing silence and inaction" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an injustice to the people of the northeastern state.In his letter, Kharge urged Shah to take urgent action to ensure that democracy and the rule of law prevails once more in Manipur

"I write to you on a matter of very grave concern. It has been almost nine months since Manipur erupted in violence, and the situation has only turned from bad to worse," he claimed.

Kharge detailed recent developments in the state, noting that on January 24 a meeting was convened of ministers/MPs/MLAs in the historical Kangla Fort in Imphal that is heavily guarded by central and state security forces.

Many members present in the meeting were compelled and coerced to attend this meeting by an armed group, he claimed.

"Not only that, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee President and MLA from Wangkhem, Keisham Meghachandra was brutally assaulted and tortured during this meeting," Kharge said.

5) Why Kerala Family Wants To Ask Supreme Court For Mercy Killing Permission

A couple in Kerala said they will go to request the Supreme Court to allow mercy killing of all five members of the family as they are unable to continue the treatment of their children, suffering from a rare congenital disease. A couple in Kerala's Kottayam said they will go to request the Supreme Court to allow mercy killing of all five members of the family as they are unable to continue the treatment of their children, suffering from a rare congenital disease.

Smitha Antony and Manu Joseph took the decision as they could not find any way to carry on the treatment of two of their three children who are suffering from Salt-Wasting Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (SWCAH).

Salt-Wasting is the most severe form of CAH, a group of genetic disorders that affect the adrenal glands that produce crucial hormones. Ms Smitha said though she and her husband are nurses, they are not unable to go to work since they are needed at home for the complete care of their two children.

Speaking to reporters, she said her two children - Santrin and Santiyo - were diagnosed with SWCAH and the elder one was 90 per cent autistic.

They have sold and pledged their properties to bear the expenses of the treatment and buy medicines, she said.

"We are struggling to find means for our daily expenses, for the treatment of the younger children, and the education of the eldest child. As there is no income, life cannot go on," Ms Smitha said.She alleged that they had approached the local panchayat for a job and assistance for the treatment, but got no support.

Though the panchayat committee unitedly decided to give her a job a while back, its secretary didn't send the necessary papers about the decision to the government, she further charged.

Despite lodging several complaints, nothing happened, she said.Though the secretary later sent the file to the government after the interventions of the Human Rights panel, no decision has been taken about the promised job, she claimed.So, our family now has no option other than requesting mercy killing. We are now contemplating approaching the Supreme Court and the High Court requesting the same," she said, adding that the family is undergoing severe mental trauma.

6) Row erupts as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra curbed in Assam

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Guwahati on Tuesday

The Congress claims that the BJP was allowed to conduct road shows in central Guwahati, while they were stopped from entering the city. Hundreds of Congress workers clashed with the police and broke through barricades after they were stopped outside Guwahati during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, setting off a bitter war of words between chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the 6,600km march.Later in the day, Sarma said an FIR was filed against Gandhi, Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Kanhaiya Kumar and others.

Assam police used batons to disperse Congress workers around noon as they tried to break through barricades put up to prevent the yatra from proceeding to a busy area in Guwahati, citing potential traffic disruptions.

Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and the leader of Opposition in the assembly Debabrata Saikia were among the people injured in the police action, a day after Gandhi was stopped from visiting one of the state’s most important shrines in Nagaon, prompting him to stage a sit-in. We have broken down the barricades, but Congress workers would not break the law... Congress workers are not afraid of anyone, including the [ruling] BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and [its ideological fount] Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh,” said Rahul Gandhi in an address from atop a bus, minutes after the confrontation.

Sarma hit back, saying he had directed the state police to lodge a case against Rahul Gandhi for provoking the crowd, using the footage shared on social media as evidence. “This is not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such Naxalite tactics are completely alien to our culture,” he posted on X. He added that the “unruly behaviour” and “violation of agreed guidelines” resulted in a traffic jam in Guwahati.

Tensions were already flying high after Gandhi was stopped on Monday morning outside Batadrava Than, the birthplace of 15th-century social reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva and a sacred site for the Assamese. Gandhi then sat on protest for over an hour.On Tuesday morning, the Assam government informed the Congress that the yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, will not be allowed to enter the heart of Guwahati as it could cause traffic jams and advised the party to take the ring road. The Congress, however, insisted on the original route and pointed out that BJP chief JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah were allowed to conduct road shows in central Guwahati earlier.With Congress workers not stepping back, barricades were put up at Khanapara on the outskirts of Guwahati to prevent the yatra from proceeding to GS Road, the busiest road in Assam’s capital. As the yatra, including the bus carrying Gandhi, neared Khanapara, Borah, Saikia and hundreds of Congress workers tried to forcibly break through the barricades and move forward, before being halted by police personnel.

As the situation escalated, policemen resorted to baton charge and in the ensuing melee Borah, Saikia and a few others fell on the road. Borah sustained a minor injury on his right hand, Saikia was hurt on his legs and a few other workers also sustained bruises and other injuries.

As Congress workers fought against the police, Gandhi vowed to fight for the people’s rights and promised that his party would form the next government in Assam.Borah hit out at Sarma. “This is how the state government is treating us. We broke down three barricades set up to prevent our yatra from progressing, but we will continue as planned,” he said.

Sarma, who shifted from the Congress to the BJP in 2015 and is credited for the BJP’s rapid expansion across the Northeast, blamed the Congress for the violence.

“They didn’t listen to us and indulged in confrontation with the police while Gandhi was witnessing and instigating them from his vehicle. I have directed the police to lodge a case and take action as per law. Gandhi won’t be arrested now, he will be arrested after Lok Sabha polls,” he said. Hours later, he confirmed that an FIR had been registered.

“With reference to wanton acts of violence, provocation, damage to public property and assault on police personnel today by Cong members, a FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal , Kanhaiya Kumar and other individuals under section 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act,” Sarma said in post on X. The Assam chief minister said that despite repeated requests to the Congress for the last six days to not take the yatra through Guwahati, the party insisted on doing so with 300 vehicles and around 3,000 workers, which would have caused huge disruptions to traffic in the city.Action is being taken as per law. Unruliness and violation of ASL (advanced security liaison) decision including attempt to change route through force is also being taken up with appropriate agencies,” Assam director general of police GP Singh said in a post on X.

After the minutes-long melee, the Congress relented. The yatra then bypassed the city, and at Hajo, a pilgrimage town 30km away, Gandhi told reporters that the disruptions will benefit the party. “The things that Assam CM has been doing against the yatra is benefitting us... the kind of publicity, which we might not have got, are getting now because of what the Assam CM and maybe Union home minister Amit Shah are doing,” Gandhi said.

“Stopping us from entering a temple, college and the yatra itself (from entering Guwahati) is their style. It’s a way to intimidate us. We are not afraid and will not get intimidated. Frankly, it benefits us as our message of nyay (justice) is reaching all,” he added.

7) Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi enters Bengal at Cooch Behar:

He was welcomed by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi entered West Bengal from Assam on Thursday morning.

He was welcomed by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury. The Yatra entered West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district in the northern part of the state. After the handover of the flag, the Yatra will head towards Khagrabari Chowk in Cooch Behar district, where Gandhi will address a public meeting. Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi entered West Bengal from Assam on Thursday morning.

He was welcomed by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.

The Yatra entered West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district in the northern part of the state.After the handover of the flag, the Yatra will head towards Khagrabari Chowk in Cooch Behar district, where Gandhi will address a public meeting.After passing through Tufanganj and Cooch Behar town, Gandhi will conduct a padayatra from Maa Bhawani Chowk in Cooch Behar. The Yatra will continue by bus at Gokshadanga before reaching Falakata in Alipurduar district for an overnight halt.

Following a two-day hiatus on January 26-27, it will navigate through Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling districts before entering Bihar on January 29.Re-entering West Bengal on January 31 via Malda, it will pass through Murshidabad, both Congress stronghold districts, before departing the state on February 1. The Bengal leg of the yatra spans 523 km across six districts and six Lok Sabha constituencies — Darjeeling, Raigunj, North and South Malda, and two in Murshidabad — over five days.This marks Gandhi's first visit to the state since the April-May 2021 assembly polls.The Bengal leg of the Yatra began a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's announcement that her party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls independently in West Bengal.

Both Congress and the TMC are constituents of the INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the 2024 Parliamentary elections.The CPI (M) and Left parties, allies of the Congress within the state and the INDIA bloc at the national level, are expected to join the march.However, TMC has decided to abstain, citing a lack of information about the Yatra.The Yatra, which started in Manipur on January 14, is scheduled to cover 6,713 km in 67 days while passing through 110 districts in 15 states, before culminating in Mumbai on March 20.

1) Australian Open 2024: Rohan Bopanna, 43, climbs a Slam doubles peak as well

ndia's Rohan Bopanna poses with his family after victory against Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori during their men's doubles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27

Sixteen years after his Major men's doubles debut, Bopanna wins a Slam at the Australian Open partnering Mathew Ebden Stationed at the net, Rohan Bopanna lunged full stretch to his right to send back a winner and set up two championship points. Seconds later, after smashing the ball from high up at the net, he slumped on the bright blue Rod Laver Arena and lay on his back with hands on the head. So did his partner Matthew Ebden, before they both rose and jumped to exchange a chest bump.

picture of Professional Tennis player Rohan Bopanna congratulating him on his Australian Open win, on Saturday

The child-like enthusiasm of winning a first men’s doubles Grand Slam was evident through those moments. The age, well, not so much. At age 43 and attempt 61 since making his doubles debut in a Major 16 years ago, Bopanna finally wrapped his hands around a men’s doubles Slam title for the first time at the Australian Open on Saturday to become the oldest man to do so.

The Indian and his Australian partner, who also won the 2022 Wimbledon with compatriot Max Purcell, defeated the Italian combine of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5 in the final that had emotions oozing at the end of it. Especially from the Indian whose beard now has specks of white but tennis remains red-hot in the doubles circuit. Adding to Saturday's first on Monday will be Bopanna occupying the world No.1 spot in doubles, and the Bopanna-Ebden pair becoming the new No.1 doubles team. Plenty of firsts brewing for the late-blooming coffee connoisseur from Bengaluru.

“Totally amazing feeling winning my first men’s doubles Grand Slam title here,” Bopanna said after the win.

“I’d like to say — never, ever have any limitations. Keep believing in yourselves, because you never know when life can change and make it absolutely magical.”

Bopanna, the 2017 French Open mixed doubles champion, has experienced the feel of winning a Slam but this clearly meant much more. For it took a long while coming. Turning pro more than two decades ago and making his Slam debut in 2008 after switching from singles to doubles, Bopanna pocketed 24 titles on the ATP Tour. Slam success though eluded him, knocking on the door twice (2010 US Open final, 2023 US Open final) yet unable to enter the coveted club. At the back end of a lengthy career that saw him surge to as high as No. 3 in the rankings a decade ago, battling injuries either side of it (knee being the worst), Bopanna endured a patch of seven straight first-round exits in early 2021. Right then, he reckoned he was done with tennis.

"I sent her a video message, where I said I'm going to call it a day, because I was not winning matches at all," Bopanna, addressing his wife Supriya, said on court. "But that perseverance inside me kept me going... And then I found a wonderful partner to get me to all the laurels.”

Joining forces with that partner at the start of last year, Bopanna and Ebden won ATP titles at Doha and Indian Wells Masters before stepping it up in Slams. A Wimbledon semi-final entry was backed up by a run to the US Open final. The Australian Open had not been Bopanna's Happy Slam — in his 16 previous visits, he never made it past the third round in men's doubles — but the Indian-Aussie pair found joy this time around. The second seeds were the better team in the final, where both pairs thwarted break points in the opening set to unlock a tiebreaker. Bopanna was locked in there, kicking it off with a trademark booming serve and following it up with crisp forehand winners as the Italians could not even get on board.

The crucial break in the second set came in the 11th game, in which a Bopanna backhand return whizzed past Bolelli at the net and Vavassori double-faulted. With Ebden serving out the match, Bopanna's appetite for lifting a men’s doubles Slam was finally fulfilled. At the ripe age of 43.

2) Aryna Sabalenka romps to second Australian Open in a row

This handout picture released by Tennis Australia on January 27, 2023, shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka poses with the 2024 Australian Open women's singles final trophy at the locker room in Melbourne(

The Belarusian world No.2 retained the women's singles title without dropping a set, beating China's Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 in the final In any sport, maintaining a lead is often as hard as gaining it in the first place. It can get harder to do that in an individual sport where you’re left to banish the doubts and find a way by yourself. In the Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka showed that in world tennis, she’s probably the strongest front runner at the moment.

The 25-year-old headed into the title showdown against Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen on the back of a stunning streak. Across her previous 13 matches at Melbourne Park, which included her triumphant run last year, she had dropped just one set (in the 2023 final). That’s 26 out of 27 sets won. And once again, she was at her dominant best in a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Zheng to bag her second Grand Slam title. She was the overwhelming favourite, but never let the pressure get to her.

It was an emphatic statement by the world No. 2 from Belarus, who became the fifth woman since 2000 to win the Australian Open without dropping a set and the ninth woman in the Open Era to win the singles title in consecutive years. Her serve didn’t get broken even once in the final, a feat last achieved by Serena Williams against Maria Sharapova in 2007.Sabalenka broke to take a 2-0 lead in the opener and never looked back. Zheng, who was aiming to become the first Major champion from China since Li Na in 2014, struggled with her serve for the most part. Perhaps it was nerves but her ball toss, unusual as it is, kept going a bit too forward and she landed just 53 % of her first serves in. Sabalenka getting to feast on second serves went a long way in making the contest one-sided.

Although rallies were few and far between, 21-year-old Zheng held her own and ended up hitting 19 winners compared to her opponent’s 14. She’s set to enter the top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time and one can expect to see a lot more of her in the years to come. But on the day, Sabalenka simply had much more firepower, be it while serving or returning. The Belarusian saved each of the four break points she faced, including one while serving for the match, to close out a memorable win in 76 minutes.Apart from her semi-final against Coco Gauff, Sabalenka didn’t drop more than three games in a set in any match. The average number of games she lost per match through the tournament was, astonishingly, less than five.

The incredible numbers Sabalenka racked up over the fortnight make sense when one looks at her run over the past couple of years. Since missing the 2022 Wimbledon, she has made it to at least the semi-finals of the last six Majors. She was always a powerful ball-striker but for a long time her game seemed one-dimensional. During the clay swing last year, she showed her will to keep improving and beat world No.1 Iga Swiatek in the Madrid final before reaching the Roland Garros semis. Then came the heartbreak of the US Open final, which saw her lose to Gauff despite winning the first set. “I'll work harder so next time I'm not going to get even a little bit tired on court,” a tearful Sabalenka had vowed back then. The result of her determination was there for all to see at this Australian Open.

“Actually, it's been in my mind that I didn't want to be that player who won it and then disappeared,” said Sabalenka after her victory. "I just wanted to show that I'm able to be consistently there and I'm able to win another one. I really hope more, more than two, but for me it was really important. That's why, no matter what the result, win or lose, we are always working hard, we were always looking for things to improve in my game. It's all about the process and make sure that, about the discipline, make sure that you're always there, you always show up, and you always work hard.” Sabalenka reached the top of the rankings last September and she’s closing in on Swiatek once again. Going by her composure in the biggest tournaments and success across surfaces over the past year, it seems her best is yet to come.

3) India's Sreeja Akula advances to quarterfinals, Manika Batra loses in WTT Star Contender

India's Sreeja Akula

The world No. 66 Indian looked in complete control of the next two games after losing the first to reach the quarterfinals.

Indian paddler Sreeja Akula registered a commanding victory to move into the women's singles quarterfinals of the ongoing World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Goa 2024, while Manika Batra and Archana Kamath suffered defeats in their respective last-eight matches in Mapusa (Goa) on Saturday.The Hyderabad-based paddler Akula began the contest on a positive note against higher ranked Hong Kong opponent Doo Hoi Kem (WR 36) and won the thrilling first game before losing the second However, the world No. 66 Indian looked in complete control of the next two games and clinched the match 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8) to reach the quarterfinals.

"In 2021, I had lost to the same opponent, so it feels really great to win a match against her in this tournament. I was able to execute my plans perfectly and kept myself motivated even after losing the second game to win the contest," Akula said after the win.

"She was really aggressive and I focused on putting the ball on the table and choosing the right ball to attack which worked in my favour. I will be well prepared for the upcoming match as well." The tournament is co-hosted by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis under the guidance of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

On the other hand, India's top-ranked singles paddler Batra (WR 38) went down 1-3 (11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 9-11) to the world No. 13 Xiaoxin Yang of Monaco despite winning the first game of the contest.

In the other women's singles pre-quarterfinal, youngster from Bengaluru Kamath lost to South Korea's Jeon Jihee by 1-3 (11-13, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11).

World No. 8 Shin Yubin of South Korea continued her positive form to defeat Sweden's Christina Kallberg 3-1 (11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6), whereas Chinese Taipei's Cheng I-ching (WR 18) beat Yang Ha Eun of South Korea by 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9). In the last-16 stage of the men's singles category, world No. 8 Felix Lebrun of France extended his sparkling form to register a comfortable 3-0 (11-3, 12-10, 11-9) win against Sweden's Ruls Moregard.

However, his brother Alexis Lebrun faced a 1-3 (8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 8-11) defeat against world No. 14 Quadri Aruna of Nigeria.

Six-time Olympic medallist Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany looked in fine form to beat England's Liam Pitchford 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 17-15, 11-8) as he made his way into the quarter-finals of WTT Star Contender Goa 2024.

4) India vs England: How Bumrah’s reverse-swinging pearlers arrested England’s free-swingers

ndia's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Ben Duckett during the third day of first test match between India and England

The new ball was taken off Jasprit Bumrah’s hand after a two-over spell. With R Ashwin immediately finding turn, Rohit Sharma brought Axar Patel from the other end. Switching between mid-on or short fine-leg, Bumrah would use every opportunity, sometimes just five-ten seconds, to urgently shine the ball. When the ball was not in his hands, standing at fine-leg, he would point out the BCCI emblem on his t-shirt to whoever had the ball, signalling which side of the ball to shine.

For the next 13 overs, as England’s top-order employed the reverse-sweep to good effect and thwarted the plans of India’s spin trio, Bumrah would watch the proceedings quietly from his perch. He would often walk for a short conversation with Ashwin and Rohit, using those moments to attend the red-cherry.

With lush green outfields being the norm in Indian grounds, like the one in Hyderabad, and since the ICC stopped players from using saliva to shine the ball, bowlers have struggled to find reverse swing. The ball doesn’t scuff up easily. But the most celebrated and revered spells of reverse-swing have all come on the green baizes of Australia. Like Imran Khan at the MCG in 1977 and Sarfraz Nawaz at the same venue in 1979. But unless the ball is taken care of properly, there is little room for reverse-swing. Which is why India took utmost care of the ball. England’s batsmen aided their cause a bit, as every time they employed the reverse-sweep, the new-ball bounced off the bald square patches adjacent to the pitch. With due care, where players identify a slightly rough side and polish it with diligent care, the other side becomes totally rough. From using saliva, bubble-gums, dirt, cold-drink bottle caps, Vaseline and even sandpaper, teams have used all sorts of tricks to scuff up the ball. With all the cameras and the ban on using saliva to shine the ball, reverse swing has been hard to purchase, especially in India. James Anderson found some in the first Chennai Test during the last England tour. But in conditions where the spinners have dominated, it has become a forgotten art, until Bumrah reminded everyone of it.

So before Bumrah got the ball back in his hand to send another spell. India had taken care of the ball, but how it would behave is unpredictable.The art of reverse-swing remains more mysterious than the mystery spinners. It caught England off-guard. They seemed prepared to counter the Indian spinners, who came out all attacking, but didn’t have answers to Bumrah’s reverse-swing.

“It’s what you’d expect from a Test match, and it was a big moment in the game,” Root, who faced that spell, would tell later. “I was disappointed not to get through it. You know that for four or five overs he will charge in and throw everything at us. You get through that and it puts a big dint in it mentally. You recognise that as a big moment in the game. One of my frustrations was to not still be there at the backend of it, but he’s a quality bowler with a huge amount of skill and pace. 1-0 to him, although 1-1 actually as I got him out earlier, so I’m sure that battle will continue throughout the series,” Root added. As Waqar Younis, a master exponent of reverse-swing claimed, players with a slinging action tend to be good at it. There is no bigger one than Bumrah, when it comes to an unorthodox fast bowler. So with Ben Duckett being at his adventurous best, and spinners being least threatening, Rohit called up Burmah for second over after lunch. And in a five-over spell, Bumrah would open up the game for India. In those five overs, he got Duckett twice (India didn’t review a turned down LBW appeal), nearly had Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow once before dismissing the former England captain. In those five over spell, the ball listened to Burmah orders.

There was a hint of reverse in Bumrah’s first over, in which Duckett survived a close LBW call. When India chose not to review and the replays confirmed the ball would have hit Duckett’s leg-stump, Bumrah would get even more animated. It would turn into seething anger in his next over when Duckett hit two boundaries. But off the next ball, Bumrah wielded his magic. The England opener would go for an expansive drive, after watching the shiner part of the ball was inside. But the reverse -swinging rocket came in with the angle.

In his next over, Root survived an incoming one with a faint edge. Pope somehow kept out a devilish yorker. Bumrah then slipped in a slower one, which just lobbed over the vacant cover region. But to the next, which again cut in sharply – the shiner part was pointing inwards again – Root had no answers as it sneaked past his inside edge and hit him flush on the knee. The DRS confirmed it was hitting the leg-stump.

5) Indian origin teen’s race to become UK’s youngest chess Grandmaster

Fourteen-year-old Shreyas Royal is now in the running to become UK’s youngest Grandmaster

Shreyas Royal, 14, has achieved one of the three required GM norms. David Howell is the holder of the youngest UK GM record, achieved at 16 years and one month Jitendra Singh had sold off property, exhausted savings and e-mails to corporates had gone unanswered. The only thing left to do was to break it to his young son – UK’s strongest junior player – that he might have to give up chess. Things turned in the months that followed.

Fourteen-year-old Shreyas Royal is now in the running to become UK’s youngest Grandmaster. He already has one out of the three required GM norms.

Shreyas, Elo 2438, sees the youngest UK GM record as a “huge motivation” and marker. “If I can get it this year, I’ll beat

Fighter

Release Date: 25 January, 2024

Where to watch: Theatres

Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor

Director: Siddharth Anand

Siddharth Anand’s directional upcoming movie Fighter will be released on 25 January 2024. The movie Fighter stars actors, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles. The movie Fighter will surely give a patriotic feeling to the audience and will be an absolute grand welcome of 2024 from Bollywood.

Animal

Release Date: January 26, 2024

Where to watch: Netflix

Star Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandana, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol

Director: Pranay Reddy Vanga

Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandana’s Animal is one of the biggest releases of this year. After a successful theatrical run, the movie will be streaming on Netflix on January 26. The movie has crossed the Rs. 900 crore mark worldwide and emerged as a major commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.

Sam Bahadur

Release Date: 1 December 2023

Where to Watch: ZEE5

Starcast: Vicky Kaushal, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Sheikh

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Sam Bahadur is based on the life of one of the most decorated Indian Army officers, Sam Manekshaw. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Sam Bahadur features Vicky Kaushal, Sanya Malhotra, and Fatima Sana Sheikh. After a successful theatrical run, Sam Bahadur will be released on ZEE5 on the occasion of Republic Day.

Thangalaan

Source: IMBD

Releasing on January 26, 2024 Thangalaan is a Telegu movie, made with a massive budget and set during the British rule in India. Thangalaan translates to 'God of Sun' and is a historical action-drama film.

The story revolves around a tribal leader, Thangalaan, and his valiant struggle against the British after they plot to seize his land for gold mining. As the release date coincides with Republic Day, it will attract a number of people to the theatres. Cast- Vikram and Pasupathy are in the lead roles, and Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Daniel Caltagirone, and Harikrishnan Anbudurai are in supporting roles.

Director- Pa. Ranjith

Producer- K. E. Gnanavel Raja under Studio Green and Neelam Productions

Budget- Over Rs 100 crores

Release date- January 26, 2024

Karmma Calling

Source: Disney+ Hotstar

Raveen Tandon has made a successful comeback through the web show Aranyak, and she is all ready to grace the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar again with her movie Karmma Calling.

The story will be about Indrani Kothari (Raveena Tandon), a glamorous queen of the 90s who is now married to a billionaire. The story takes turns when she becomes the target of a girl looking for revenge. If media reports are true, Karmma Calling is a remake of the popular American show, Revenge.

Cast- Raveena Tandon, Sabrina Gomez, Micaela Gabrielle, and Carmen Dahlman

Director- Ruchi Narain

Producer- Ashutosh Shah and Taher Shabbir of R.A.T. Films

Budget- Not Available

Release date- January 26, 2024

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Renowned Dutch paleoartists the Kennis brothers bring our ancestors to life with their beautiful, accurate reconstructions that visually trace each step in our evolutionary history. Combined with clear prose, this comprehensive yet accessible book provides a rich history of each stage of human evolution, from human anatomy and behaviour to the environment we live in.

Travel back 8 million years with Evolution The Human Story and go on a fascinating journey to discover how our species has developed from tree-dwelling primates to modern humans.

This is the first time that the story of evolution has been documented in such amazing visual detail thanks to the work of the renowned Dutch paleoartists, Kennis and Kennis. Staggeringly realistic CGI and model reconstructions from original fossils bring us face to face with our distant ancestors portraying them as never before. Plus, Dr Alice Roberts shares her extensive knowledge helping answer all the big questions and more.

Evolution: The Human Story is packed with all the latest discoveries and profiles every human ancestor to date from Ardipithecus ramidus to Homo neanderthalensis. An essential read for anyone fascinated in finding out where we come from.

Alice Roberts:

Alice May Roberts FRSB (born 19 May 1973)is an English academic, TV presenter and author. Since 2012 she has been Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She was president of the charity Humanists UK between January 2019 and May 2022. She is now a vice president of the organisation

Early life and education

Roberts was born in Bristol in 1973, the daughter of an aeronautical engineer and an English and arts teacher. She grew up in the Bristol suburb of Westbury-on-Trym where she attended The Red Maids' School. In December 1988, she won the BBC1 Blue Peter Young Artists competition, appearing with her picture and the presenters on the front cover of the 10 December 1988 edition of the Radio Times.

Roberts studied medicine at the University of Wales College of Medicine (now part of Cardiff University) and graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BCh) degree, having gained an intercalated Bachelor of Science degree in Anatomy.