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1) Scientists shocked to discover new species of green anaconda, the world's biggest snake:by Bryan G. Fry, The Conversation

The green anaconda has long been considered one of the Amazon's most formidable and mysterious animals. Our new research, published in Diversity, upends scientific understanding of this magnificent creature, revealing it is actually two genetically different species. The surprising finding opens a new chapter in conservation of this top jungle predator. Green anacondas are the world's heaviest snakes, and among the longest. Predominantly found in rivers and wetlands in South America, they are renowned for their lightning speed and ability to asphyxiate huge prey then swallow them whole.

My colleagues and I were shocked to discover significant genetic differences between the two anaconda species. Given the reptile is such a large vertebrate, it's remarkable this difference has slipped under the radar until now.

One of the scientists, Prof. dr. Freek Vonk has recorded a video of a 26-feet-long green anaconda, believed to be the biggest snake in the world.

Conservation strategies for green anacondas must now be reassessed, to help each unique species cope with threats such as climate change, habitat degradation and pollution. The findings also show the urgent need to better understand the diversity of Earth's animal and plant species before it's too late.

An impressive apex predator

Historically, four anaconda species have been recognized, including green anacondas (also known as giant anacondas).

Green anacondas are true behemoths of the reptile world. The largest females can grow to more than seven meters long and weigh more than 250 kilograms.

The snakes are well-adapted to a life lived mostly in water. Their nostrils and eyes are on top of their head, so they can see and breathe while the rest of their body is submerged. Anacondas are olive-colored with large black spots, enabling them to blend in with their surroundings.

The snakes inhabit the lush, intricate waterways of South America's Amazon and Orinoco basins. They are known for their stealth, patience and surprising agility. The buoyancy of the water supports the animal's substantial bulk and enables it to move easily and leap out to ambush prey as large as capybaras (giant rodents), caimans (reptiles from the alligator family) and deer.Green anacondas are not venomous. Instead they take down prey using their large, flexible jaws then crush it with their strong bodies, before swallowing it.As apex predators, green anacondas are vital to maintaining balance in their ecosystems. This role extends beyond their hunting. Their very presence alters the behavior of a wide range of other species, influencing where and how they forage, breed and migrate.

(a) E. deschauenseei caught in Beni, Bolivia (B54). (b,c) Anacondas caught in Beni that had markings of E. deschauenseei but were recovered as E. beniensis in the phylogenetic analysis (B52 and B58). (d) E. beniensis recovered as E. beniensis in the phylogenetic analysis. Credit: Diversity (2024). DOI: 10.3390/d16020127

Anacondas are highly sensitive to environmental change. Healthy anaconda populations indicate healthy, vibrant ecosystems, with ample food resources and clean water. Declining anaconda numbers may be harbingers of environmental distress. So knowing which anaconda species exist, and monitoring their numbers, is crucial.To date, there has been little research into genetic differences between anaconda species. Our research aimed to close that knowledge gap.

Untangling anaconda genes

We studied representative samples from all anaconda species throughout their distribution, across nine countries.

Our project spanned almost 20 years. Crucial pieces of the puzzle came from samples we collected on a 2022 expedition to the Bameno region of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We took this trip at the invitation of, and in collaboration with, Waorani leader Penti Baihua. Actor Will Smith also joined the expedition, as part of a series he is filming for National Geographic.

We surveyed anacondas from various locations throughout their ranges in South America. Conditions were difficult. We paddled up muddy rivers and slogged through swamps. The heat was relentless and swarms of insects were omnipresent.

We collected data such as habitat type and location, and rainfall patterns. We also collected tissue and/or blood from each specimen and analyzed them back in the lab. This revealed the green anaconda, formerly believed to be a single species, is actually two genetically distinct species.The first is the known species, Eunectes murinus, which lives in Perú, Bolivia, French Guiana and Brazil. We have given it the common name "southern green anaconda". The second, newly identified species is Eunectes akayima or "northern green anaconda", which is found in Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.We also identified the period in time where the green anaconda diverged into two species: almost 10 million years ago.The two species of green anaconda look almost identical, and no obvious geographical barrier exists to separate them. But their level of genetic divergence—5.5%—is staggering. By comparison, the genetic difference between humans and apes is about 2%.

Preserving the web of life

Our research has peeled back a layer of the mystery surrounding green anacondas. This discovery has significant implications for the conservation of these species—particularly for the newly identified northern green anaconda.

Until now, the two species have been managed as a single entity. But each may have different ecological niches and ranges, and face different threats.Tailored conservation strategies must be devised to safeguard the future of both species. This may include new legal protections and initiatives to protect habitat. It may also involve measures to mitigate the harm caused by climate change, deforestation and pollution—such as devastating effects of oil spills on aquatic habitats.Our research is also a reminder of the complexities involved in biodiversity conservation. When species go unrecognized, they can slip through the cracks of conservation programs. By incorporating genetic taxonomy into conservation planning, we can better preserve Earth's intricate web of life—both the species we know today, and those yet to be discovered.

2) Brightest and fastest-growing: Astronomers identify record-breaking quasar by ESO

 This artist’s impression shows the record-breaking quasar J059-4351, the bright core of a distant galaxy that is powered by a supermassive black hole. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, this quasar has been found to be the most luminous object known in the universe to date. The supermassive black hole, seen here pulling in surrounding matter, has a mass 17 billion times that of the sun and is growing in mass by the equivalent of another sun per day, making it the fastest-growing black hole ever known. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

Using the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have characterized a bright quasar, finding it to be not only the brightest of its kind but also the most luminous object ever observed. Quasars are the bright cores of distant galaxies, and supermassive black holes power them.

The black hole in this record-breaking quasar is growing in mass by the equivalent of one sun per day, making it the fastest-growing black hole to date.

The black holes powering quasars collect matter from their surroundings in an energetic process that emits vast amounts of light. So much so that quasars are some of the brightest objects in our sky, meaning even distant ones are visible from Earth. Generally, the most luminous quasars indicate the fastest-growing supermassive black holes.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION2:This image shows the region of the sky in which the record-breaking quasar J0529-4351 is situated. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, this quasar has been found to be the most luminous object known in the universe to date. This picture was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2, while the inset shows the location of the quasar in an image from the Dark Energy Survey. Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/Dark Energy Survey

"We have discovered the fastest-growing black hole known to date. It has a mass of 17 billion suns and eats just over a sun per day. This makes it the most luminous object in the known universe," says Christian Wolf, an astronomer at the Australian National University (ANU) and lead author of the study published Nature Astronomy. The quasar, called J0529-4351, is so far away from Earth that its light took over 12 billion years to reach us. The matter being pulled in toward this black hole, in the form of a disk, emits so much energy that J0529-4351 is over 500 trillion times more luminous than the sun. "All this light comes from a hot accretion disk that measures seven light-years in diameter—this must be the largest accretion disk in the universe," says ANU Ph.D. student and co-author Samuel Lai. Seven light-years is about 15,000 times the distance from the sun to the orbit of Neptune.

Remarkably, this record-breaking quasar was hiding in plain sight. "It is a surprise that it has remained unknown until today when we already know about a million less impressive quasars. It has been staring us in the face until now," says co-author Christopher Onken, an astronomer at ANU. He added that this object showed up in images from the ESO Schmidt Southern Sky Survey dating back to 1980, but it was not recognized as a quasar until decades later.

Finding quasars requires precise observational data from large areas of the sky. The resulting datasets are so large that researchers often use machine-learning models to analyze them and tell quasars apart from other celestial objects.

However, these models are trained on existing data, which limits the potential candidates to objects similar to those already known. If a new quasar is more luminous than any other previously observed, the program might reject it and classify it instead as a star not too distant from Earth.An automated analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite passed over J0529-4351 for being too bright to be a quasar, suggesting it to be a star instead. The researchers identified it as a distant quasar last year using observations from the ANU 2.3-meter telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.

However, discovering that it was the most luminous quasar ever observed required a larger telescope and measurements from a more precise instrument. The X-shooter spectrograph on ESO's VLT in the Chilean Atacama Desert provided crucial data.

The fastest-growing black hole ever observed will also be a perfect target for the GRAVITY+ upgrade on ESO's VLT Interferometer (VLTI), which is designed to accurately measure the mass of black holes, including those far away from Earth. Additionally, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), a 39-meter telescope under construction in the Chilean Atacama Desert, will make identifying and characterizing such elusive objects even more feasible.Finding and studying distant supermassive black holes could shed light on some of the mysteries of the early universe, including how they and their host galaxies formed and evolved. But that's not the only reason why Wolf searches for them. "Personally, I simply like the chase," he says. "For a few minutes a day, I get to feel like a child again, playing treasure hunt, and now I bring everything to the table that I have learned since."

3)Study reveals molecular mechanisms behind hibernation in mammals :by eLife

Researchers have shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying hibernation, publishing their findings today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife.Their research, in small and large hibernating mammals, is described by the editors as an important study advancing our knowledge of the role of myosin structure and energy consumption on the molecular mechanisms of hibernation, backed by solid methodology and evidence. The findings also suggest that myosin—a type of motor protein involved in muscle contraction—plays a role in non-shivering thermogenesis during hibernation, where heat is produced independent of the muscle activity of shivering.

Hibernation is a survival strategy used by many animals, characterized by a state of deep dormancy and profound reductions in metabolic activity, body temperature, heart rate and respiration. During hibernation, animals rely on stored energy reserves, particularly fats, to sustain their bodily functions. The metabolic slowdown allows hibernators to conserve energy and endure long periods of food scarcity and harsh environmental conditions during winter. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms behind hibernation remain incompletely understood.

Smaller hibernating mammals experience extended bouts of a hypo-metabolic state called torpor, which significantly decreases their body temperature and is punctuated by spontaneous periods of interbout euthermic arousals (IBA)—where they temporarily raise their body temperature to restore some physiological functions, such as eliminating waste and eating more food.

This contrasts with larger mammals, whose body temperature is much less reduced during hibernation and remains fairly consistent. Skeletal muscle, which comprises around half of a mammal's body mass, plays a key role in determining their heat production and energy use.

"Until recently, energy consumption in skeletal muscles was thought to be primarily linked to the activity of myosin, which is involved in muscle contraction. However, there is growing evidence that even when they are relaxed, skeletal muscles still use a small amount of energy," explains lead author Christopher Lewis, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Myosin heads in passive muscles can be in different resting states: the 'disordered-relaxed,' or DRX state, and the 'super-relaxed,' or SRX state. Myosin heads in the DRX state use up ATP—the energy currency of the cell—between five to ten times faster than those in the SRX state," Lewis adds.Lewis and colleagues hypothesized that changes in the proportion of myosin in the DRX or SRX states may contribute to the reduced energy use seen during hibernation. To test this, they took skeletal muscle samples from two small hibernators—the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and the garden dormouse—and two large hibernators—the American black bear and brown bear.First, they looked to establish whether the myosin states, and their respective ATP consumption rates, were different between active periods and hibernation. They looked at muscle fibers taken from the two bear species during their active summer phase (SA), and their winter hibernation period.

They found no differences in the proportion of myosin in the DRX or SRX state between the two phases. To measure the rate of ATP consumption by myosin, they used a specialized test called the Mant-ATP chase assay. This revealed that there were also no changes in the energy consumption rates of myosin. This may be to prevent the onset of significant muscular wastage in bears during hibernation.The team also conducted the Mant-ATP chase assay on samples taken from the small mammals during SA, IBA and torpor. As in the larger hibernators, they did not observe any differences in the percentage of myosin heads in the SRX or DRX formation between the three phases. However, they did discover that the ATP turnover time of myosin molecules in both formations was lower in IBA and torpor compared to the SA phase, leading to an unexpected overall increase in ATP consumption.As small mammals undergo a more significant drop in body temperature during hibernation than large mammals, the team tested whether this unexpected increase in ATP consumption also occurred at a lower temperature. They reran the Mant-ATP chase assay at 8° C, compared to the ambient lab temperature of 20° C used previously. Lowering the temperature decreased DRX and SRX-linked ATP turnover times in SA and IBA, leading to an increase in ATP consumption.Metabolic organs, such as skeletal muscle, are well known to increase core body temperature in response to significant cold exposure, either by inducing shivering or through non-shivering thermogenesis. Cold exposure caused an increase in ATP consumption by myosin in samples obtained during SA and IBA, suggesting that myosin may contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis in small hibernators.

The team did not observe cold-induced changes in myosin energy consumption in samples obtained during torpor. They suggest that this is likely a protective mechanism to maintain the low core body temperature, and wider metabolic shutdown, seen during torpor.

Finally, the researchers wanted to understand the changes that occur at the protein level during the different hibernating phases. They assessed whether hibernation affects the structure of two myosin proteins from the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Myh7 and Myh2. Although they did not observe any hibernation-related changes in the structure of Myh7, they discovered that Myh2 underwent significant phosphorylation—a process crucial for energy storage—during torpor, compared to SA and IBA.

They also analyzed the structure of the two proteins in the brown bear, finding no structural differences between SA and hibernation. They therefore conclude that Myh2 hyper-phosphorylation is specifically associated with torpor, rather than hibernation in general, and propose that this serves to increase myosin stability in small mammals. This may act as a potential molecular mechanism to mitigate myosin-associated increases in skeletal muscle expenditure in response to cold exposure during periods of torpor.

eLife's editors note that some areas of the study warrant further study. Namely, the muscle samples were taken exclusively from the legs of the animals studied. Given the core body and limbs have different temperatures, investigating muscle samples from other areas of the body would further validate the team's findings.

"Altogether, our findings suggest that ATP turnover adaptations in DRX and SRX myosin states occur in small mammals like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel during hibernation in cold environments. In contrast, larger mammals like the American black bear show no such changes, likely due to their stable body temperature during hibernation," concludes senior author Julien Ochala, Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. "Our results also suggest that myosin may act as a contributor to skeletal muscle non-shivering thermogenesis during hibernation."

4) First known photos of 'lost bird' captured by scientists :by University of Texas at El Paso

For the first time, scientists have captured photos of a bird long thought lost. Known as the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike, or Prionops alberti, the species is listed as a 'lost bird' by the American Bird Conservancy because it had not seen in nearly two decades.University of Texas at El Paso scientists made the discovery during a six-week expedition to the Itombwe Massif, a mountain range in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The photos of the helmetshrikes have been reviewed and confirmed by Cameron Rutt, Ph.D., who leads the Lost Birds project at the American Bird Conservancy.

"It was a mind-blowing experience to come across these birds. We knew they might be possible here, but I was not prepared for how spectacular and unique they would appear in life," said Michael Harvey, Ph.D., an ornithologist and UTEP assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Harvey co-led the expedition with UTEP Professor of Biological Sciences Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D. They were joined by ornithologist Matt Brady, as well as a group of Congolese researchers from the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, including Chifundera Kusamba, Ph.D., Robert Kizungu Byamana, Chance Bahati Muhigirwa, Mwenebatu M. Aristote, and Wandege M. Muninga.

The team trekked by foot for over 75 miles through the depths of the Itombwe Massif, studying birds, amphibians, and reptiles along the way.While exploring the cloud forests on the slopes of a mountain, Harvey and Brady stumbled upon the helmetshrike—a striking black bird with a bright yellow "helmet." The team said they appeared as rather "noisy and active groups in the midstory of the forest."The bird is endemic to the western slopes of the Albertine Rift of Central Africa, according to Harvey, a region that has been largely inaccessible due to war and security issues but that has recently become safer to visit.

In total, about 18 birds were found at three sites during the expedition."This inspires hope that perhaps the species still has a reasonably healthy population in the remote forests of the region," Harvey said. "But mining and logging, as well as the clearing of forests for agriculture, are making inroads deep into the forests of the Itombwe range. We are in discussions with other researchers and conservation organizations to further efforts to protect the region's forests and the helmetshrike."

Harvey added, "Right now is a golden opportunity to protect these tropical forests so that we don't lose species like the helmetshrike before they are known and studied."

The expedition, which ran from December 2023 to January 2024, yielded other important discoveries. The herpetology team rediscovered the Red-bellied Squeaker Frog, or Arthroleptis hematogaster, which had not been seen since the 1950s. The frog rediscovery has been confirmed by David Blackburn, Ph.D., professor at the University of Florida's Museum of Natural History.

"UTEP's global impact is showcased through not just the accomplishments of its graduates but also through groundbreaking and captivating discoveries, exemplified here by the contributions of Drs. Greenbaum and Harvey," said UTEP College of Science Dean Robert Kirken, Ph.D. "I hope this discovery illuminates and inspires students and scientists worldwide."

5) Universal antivenom for lethal snake toxins developed by researchers :by The Scripps Research Institute

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute and the Evolutionary Venomics Lab (EVL) at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a synthetic human antibody that can neutralise a potent neurotoxin produced by the Elapidae family of highly toxic snakes, which includes the cobra, king cobra, krait and black mamba.

Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of a wide variety of snakes found throughout Africa, Asia and Australia. The antibody, which protected mice from the normally deadly venom of snakes including black mambas and king cobras, is described in Science Translational Medicine. The new research used forms of the toxins produced in the laboratory to screen billions of different human antibodies and identify one that can block the toxins' activity. It represents a large step toward a universal antivenom that would be effective against the venom of all snakes.

"This antibody works against one of the major toxins found across numerous snake species that contribute to tens of thousands of deaths every year," says senior author Joseph Jardine, Ph.D., assistant professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research. "This could be incredibly valuable for people in low- and middle-income countries that have the largest burden of deaths and injuries from snakebites."More than 100,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa, die from snakebite envenoming—rendering it more deadly than most neglected tropical diseases. Current antivenoms are produced by immunizing animals with snake venom, and each generally only works against a single snake species. This means that many different antivenoms must be manufactured to treat snake bites in the different regions.Jardine and his colleagues have previously studied how broadly neutralizing antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can work by targeting areas of the virus that cannot mutate. They realized that the challenge of finding a universal antivenom was similar to their quest for an HIV vaccine; just like quickly evolving HIV proteins show small differences between each other, different snake venoms have enough variations that an antibody binding to one generally doesn't bind to others.But like HIV, snake toxins also have conserved regions that cannot mutate, and an antibody targeting those could possibly work against all variants of that toxin.In the new work,

 the researchers isolated and compared venom proteins from a variety of elapids—a major group of venomous snakes including mambas, cobras and kraits. They found that a type of protein called three-finger toxins (3FTx), present in all elapid snakes, contained small sections that looked similar across different species. In addition, 3FTx proteins are considered highly toxic and are responsible for whole-body paralysis, making them an ideal therapeutic target.With the goal of discovering an antibody to block 3FTx, the researchers created an innovative platform that put the genes for 16 different 3FTx into mammalian cells, which then produced the toxins in the lab. The team then turned to a library of more than 50 billion different human antibodies and tested which ones bound to the 3FTx protein from the many-banded krait (also known as the Chinese krait or Taiwanese krait), which had the most similarities with other 3FTx proteins.That narrowed their search down to about 3,800 antibodies. Then, they tested those antibodies to see which also recognized four other 3FTx variants.

 Among the 30 antibodies identified in that screen, one stood out as having the strongest interactions across all the toxin variants: an antibody called 95Mat5."We were able to zoom in on the very small percentage of antibodies that were cross-reactive for all these different toxins," says Irene Khalek, a Scripps Research scientist and first author of the new paper. "This was only possible because of the platform we developed to screen our antibody library against multiple toxins in parallel."

Jardine, Khalek and their colleagues tested the effect of 95Mat5 on mice injected with toxins from the many-banded krait, Indian spitting cobra, black mamba and king cobra. In all cases, mice who simultaneously received an injection of 95Mat5 were not only protected from death, but also paralysis.

When the researchers studied exactly how 95Mat5 was so effective at blocking the 3FTx variants, they discovered that the antibody mimicked the structure of the human protein that 3FTx usually binds to. Interestingly, the broad-acting HIV antibodies that Jardine has previously studied also work by mimicking a human protein.

"It's incredible that for two completely different problems, the human immune system has converged on a very similar solution," says Jardine. "It also was exciting to see that we could make an effective antibody entirely synthetically—we did not immunize any animals nor did we use any snakes."

While 95Mat5 is effective against the venom of all elapids, it does not block the venom of vipers—the second group of venomous snakes. Jardine's group is now pursuing broadly neutralizing antibodies against another elapid toxin, as well as two viper toxins. They suspect that combining 95Mat5 with these other antibodies could provide broad coverage against many—or all—snake venoms.

"We think that a cocktail of these four antibodies could potentially work as a universal antivenom against any medically relevant snake in the world says Khalek.

6) Astronomers observe the effect of dark matter on the evolution of the galaxies :by Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Dark matter comprises around 85% of all the matter in the universe. Although ordinary matter absorbs, reflects and emits light, dark matter cannot be seen directly, which makes its detection difficult. Its existence is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, the material that forms stars, planets, and other objects in the cosmos.Galaxies are made up of these two types of material The dark matter is distributed in halos, which are huge structures surrounding galaxies, while the ordinary matter is mainly present in the central regions where most of the stars are found.Traditionally observational studies of galactic evolution have centered on the role of ordinary matter, even though it is quite a small fraction of the mass of a galaxy. For decades there have been theoretical predictions about the effect that dark matter should have on the evolution of galaxies. However, in spite of numerous efforts, there is no clear consensus about this.

Now, research led by a team at the IAC has managed to confirm, for the first time using observations, the effect of dark matter on galaxy evolution. The work is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

"Dark matter has an obvious effect on galaxies because we can measure it, but the effect on the evolution of galaxies which we have found is something which had been proposed, even though we did not have a technique for studying it observationally," explains Laura Scholz Díaz, a pre-doctoral researcher at the IAC and first author of the article.

To study the effect of dark matter the team has concentrated on the difference between the mass of the stars in a galaxy, and the mass which can be inferred from its rotation, called the total dynamical mass.The research showed that the ages, the metal content, the morphology, the angular momentum and the rate of formation of the stars depend not only on the mass of those stars, but also on the total mass, and this means including the dark matter component which fits the estimates of the halo mass.

"We have seen that in galaxies with equal masses of stars, their stellar populations behave differently depending on whether the halo has more, or less dark matter, in other words, the evolution of a galaxy, from its formation until the present time is modified by the halo in which it is contained. If it has a more or a less massive halo, the evolution of the galaxy over time will be different, and this will be reflected in the properties of the stars which it contains," adds Ignacio Martín Navarro, an IAC researcher who is a co-author of the article

In the future the team plans to make measurements of stellar populations at different distances from the center of the galaxy, and to show whether this dependence on the dark matter halo of the properties of the stars is maintained at all radii. A following step in the research will allow the study of the relation between dark matter halos and the large scale structure of the universe."These dark matter halos are not created alone they are connected by filaments which form part of the large scale structure, called the cosmic web," says Scholz. "The mass of the halo appears to modify the property of its galaxy, but it could be the result of the position occupied by each halo within the cosmic web. In the coming years we want to see the effect of this large scale structure in the context we are studying," she explains.This study is based on 260 galaxies of the CALIFA (Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area) an international project in which the IAC participates actively under the coordination of Jesús Falcón Barroso, another co-author of the article.

"This survey gives spectral information, and gives unprecedented spatial cover of galaxies," he says. "These galaxies were observed in a high resolution configuration, to obtain detailed measurements of their kinematic properties, which allowed us to study the motions of the stars very precisely, and so infer the total masses of the galaxies."

7) Neurobiology: Examining how bats distinguish different sounds : by Markus Bernards, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main

Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) lives in the subtropical and tropical forests of Central and South America, where it mostly feeds on pepper fruit. The animals spend their days in groups of 10 to 100 individuals in hollow trunks and rocky caverns, and at night they go foraging together. They communicate using sounds that create distinct ambient noise in the colony—like the babble of voices at a lively party. At the same time, the bats also use vocalizations to navigate their surroundings, a phenomenon known as echolocation, for which they emit ultrasonic sounds that reflect off solid surfaces. The animals then assemble these echoes into an "image" of their surroundings.But how does Seba's short-tailed bat manage to filter out important sounds from constant ambient noise? A common explanation is that the brain constantly predicts the next signal and reacts more strongly to an unexpected signal than to an expected one.This is referred to as deviance detection, and neuroscientists led by Johannes Wetekam and Professor Manfred Kössl from the Neurobiology and Biosensors Working Group at the Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Goethe University Frankfurt are exploring its mechanisms.

Together with colleagues, they were already able to show in 2021 that signal processing does not begin in high-level regions of the brain but is already in the brainstem, which is responsible for controlling vital functions such as breathing and heart rate. However, these studies only used artificial stimuli that were not meaningful to the animals.

In a study recently published, the team led by Wetekam and Kössl repeated the experiments with natural communication and echolocation calls. "With our study, we wanted to find out what happens in deviation detection when, instead of meaningless stimuli, ones are presented to Seba's short-tailed bat that actually occurs in its auditory world," says Wetekam.

To do this, two electrodes, the thickness of a human hair, were inserted under the bats' scalps to record their brain waves. Although this was painless for the animals, the measurements were carried out under a general anesthetic, as any movement could distort the results.

The bat's brain reacts to sounds even when the animal is anesthetized and fast asleep. Either echolocation or communication calls were then played to the animals, each interspersed with the other sound, with a 10% probability of it occurring.It was then possible to read from the brain waves measured that the brainstem processes echolocation and communication calls differently. While infrequent echolocation sounds indeed induced stronger signals than frequent ones—i.e., showed deviation detection—in the case of communication sounds, the probability of them occurring did not influence the strength of the response.

"Bats probably need to react faster during echolocation than when communicating with conspecifics," presumes Manfred Kössl. "The brainstem is the first station in the brain to receive the acoustic signals, which is why calculating the probability of echolocation calls might be necessary first of all there, and especially their echoes, so that the animal can dodge obstacles in good time." The stronger response to less frequent calls is presumably due to better neural synchronization.

The study also showed that the brainstem can utilize other features of bat calls for deviance detection, such as rapid changes in frequency or volume, in addition to differences in pitch. "This is astonishing, as the brainstem is a rather primitive part of the brain that scientists did not previously think capable of any substantial involvement in signal processing," says Wetekam. "They saw its role more in receiving signals from the auditory nerve and transmitting them to high-level regions of the brain."

These findings might also be important in relation to medical applications in humans. For example, the low-level regions of the brain ought to be included when studying diseases such as ADHD or schizophrenia, which are associated with impaired processing of extraneous stimuli. The fact that the bat brainstem processes various complex acoustic signals differently can also help scientists understand how the brain deciphers and processes complex human speech.

 

 1) Congress keeps Raebareli, Amethi, Varanasi in 17-seat deal with Akhilesh Yadav

Congress will contest from 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party from 63 as Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh gave go-ahead. Congress will contest from 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh as finalised and agreed upon by both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leadership. This means the Samajwadi Party won't give any candidate on these 17 seats and the details of these seats once again trigger speculations of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra making her poll debut from RaeBareli -- after her mother Sonia Gandhi shifted to the Rajya Sabha. RaiBareli is a Congress bastion which the party won't want to lose and ensuring that there is no SP candidate might be the first step for that. Congress-Samajwadi seat sharing deal: Congress to contest from these 17 seats

Raebareli

Amethi

Fatehpur Sikri

Saharanpur

Prayagraj

Maharajganj

Varanasi

Amroha

Jhansi

Bulandshahr

Ghaziabad

Mathura

Sitapur

Barabanki

Kanpur

Bansgaon

Deoria

RaeBareli, Amethi and Varanasi are three crucial seats that Akhilesh ceded to the Congress. While Varanasi is the Lok Saha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amethi is the one that Rahul Gandhi in 2019 lost to BJP's Smriti Irani. RaeBareli was Sonia Gandhi's seat until she vacated it for health reasons and shifted to the Rajya Sabha.The Congress has given the Samajwadi Party Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho seat.With AAP in Punjab, Delhi and Trinamool in Congress, the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing prospect hit a deadlock. Akhilesh too made an offer of 11 seats first, then made it to 15 and the final offer was 17. On 17, Akhilesh put his foot down and said he would join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra only after Congress finalised the deal.According to insiders, the initial deal to the Congress was 'raw' with seats where winnability was low. The telephone conversation between Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi helped the agreement and Congress got Sitapur, Barabanki. In the Moradabad division, the Congress was asking for two seats but has agreed on Amroha alone, PTI reported citing sources.

2) AAP, Congress announce alliance in Delhi, four other states

Pact first such alliance between the two and the second big agreement clinched in INDIA bloc after an arrangement between Congress and SP in UP and MP The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress on Saturday jointly announced their pact for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Announcing the seat-sharing plan, both parties agreed to jointly contest from Delhi, Haryana, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik announced that the AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, two of the 26 seats in Gujarat, and one of the 10 seats in Haryana, while Congress will contest the rest of the seats in these states. Both the Lok Sabha seats of Goa and the one seat of Chandigarh will be contested by the Congress in alliance with the AAP, the Congress leader said.In Gujarat, the Congress will contest 24 Lok Sabha seats while the AAP will contest two – Bharuch and Bhavnagar – and in Haryana, the Congress will contest nine out of the 10 seats while AAP will contest the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat, Wasnik announced in a press conference at the Constitution Club of India, attended by senior AAP leaders Sandeep Pathak, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Wasnik said the AAP will contest New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and East Delhi seats in Delhi while Congress will contest North East, North West, and Chandni Chowk constituencies.The pact is the first such alliance between the two erstwhile rivals and the second big agreement clinched in the beleaguered Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) after an arrangement between the Congress and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.Both parties are constituents of the INDIA bloc, formed by opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming general elections.

“Two days ago, the Congress finalised its alliance in UP with Samajwadi Party. In the last few days, long discussions were held with AAP, following which AAP-Congress has finalised seat-sharing. We are happy that two important partners of the INDIA alliance will fight the election together,” Wasnik said “We will contest the election on different seats, and together we will try to win all the seats being contested under the alliance,” he added.

When asked about resentment from party leaders in some of the seats such as Bharuch, Wasnik said all factors have been taken into consideration and finally a decision has been taken. “We firmly believe that the decision will be respected by all the workers of the Congress and AAP,” Wasnik said.The AAP has already announced candidates for the Bharuch and the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said the party joined the alliance and decided to contest together because, for the AAP, the country is more important.“Today, the country is going through a tough time. The BJP is crushing all institutions one by one, and the way electoral malpractices are being done, opposition leaders are being put in jail, farmers are suffering, and people are facing inflation and unemployment, we have joined the alliance keeping the interests of the country before the interests of the party,” Pathak said. Pathak said that the alliance would disturb the political equations of the BJP. In reply to a question, the AAP leader said the details of the campaigning (whether there will be any joint campaigning by the two parties) will be worked out. “All our cadre came to politics for the country. They understand the current prevailing political situation,” Pathak said when asked whether the alliance will create resentment among AAP workers.

It is the first time that the Congress and AAP have come together to contest the Lok Sabha seats together in Delhi.

In 2019, the Congress came second in five seats — East Delhi, West Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi and Chandani Chowk — and the AAP came second in two seats — North West Delhi and South Delhi. A similar formula was proposed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2019, but talks collapsed.The sealing of the pact caps weeks of tense negotiations between the erstwhile rivals. The AAP first came to power in Delhi riding an anti-Congress wave in 2013 with Arvind Kejriwal defeating then-CM Shiela Dikshit in her constituency of New Delhi.

Both sides formally discussed seat sharing for the first time on January 8. In that meeting, the AAP offered three seats to the Congress and demanded seats in Gujarat, Goa and Haryana. The Congress’s national alliance committee led by Mukul Wasnik told the AAP representatives that the alliance panel’s mandate was to discuss only Delhi seats.

Eleven days later, Kejriwal met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi at Kharge’s residence to give fresh momentum to seat talks. The AAP later ruled out alliance in Punjab and threatened to fight alone in Delhi. AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly.Delhi BJP leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP and Congress didn’t trust each other but were trying to ally due to fear of losing the elections. “There is a serious trust crisis between the Congress and AAP, but despite that they are going to form an alliance is nothing but politics of opportunism,” he said.

3) 30 firms who donated Rs 335 cr to BJP were also stung by I-T, ED By:Prateek Goyal & Korah Abraham, Nandini Chandrashekar & Basant Kumar

EC records, financial statements and agency action point to a pattern. An exclusive investigation.➨ At least 30 companies, which donated a total of nearly Rs 335 crore to the BJP between financial years 2018-19 and 2022-23, also faced action by central agencies during that period.

➨ Of these firms, 23 companies, which gave a total of Rs 187.58 crore to the party during this period, had never donated any amount to the BJP between 2014 and the year of the raid.

➨ At least four of these companies donated a total of Rs 9.05 crore within four months of the central agency visit.

➨ At least six of these firms, which were already donors to the party, handed out a heftier amount in the months following the searches.

➨ Six other firms, which had donated to the BJP each year before, faced central action after they skipped donations in one financial year.

➨ At least three BJP donors, who are not part of the list of 30, had been accused of receiving undue favours from the Union government.

➨ Only three of these 32 companies donated to the Congress during the same period.

These are some of the findings of Newslaundry and The News Minute’s analysis of Election Commission records, case files, and financial statements between the financial years 2018-19 and 2022-23. In some cases, donations were made during or after raids were conducted on the company and in some others, the companies that donated the money received licences or clearances.

However, in some cases, the agency action continued despite the donations. 

The episodes mentioned in this report only point to a pattern between raids or surveys by central agencies and donations to the BJP. Accusations of political funding being no less than extortion have found their way to news headlines in the past.

It’s significant considering there is a surge in action by central agencies such as the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, and the Income Tax (I-T) Department against opposition leaders and their supporters. There are already concerns that the electoral bonds scheme, announced in 2018 by the Narendra Modi government, brought in an opaque system. The Supreme Court, which struck down the electoral bonds scheme on February 15, also warned that it could have led to quid pro quo arrangements.But it’s not just political donations and electoral bonds – the BJP has received the highest amounts through electoral trusts too. The BJP cornered over 70 percent of the total donations by electoral trusts in 2022-23, according to data shared by the Election Commission.

So, who were the 30 companies who donated to the BJP directly between So, who were the 30 companies who donated to the BJP directly between 2018-19 and 2022-23?

4) Behind the BJP’s rise and rise, bonds, trusts and raids on corporatesBy:

Prateek Goyal

Corporate funding of politics is a controversial subject. More so in India, where most of the money in recent years has gone to only one party. But there is a pattern to this money flow.At least 30 companies, which donated a total of nearly Rs 335 crore to the BJP in the five previous financial years, had faced action by central agencies during the same period. Some of them even handed out chunkier donations in the months that followed the action.

Coincidence or causation?

Meanwhile, the predecessor to the electoral bond – the electoral trust – has almost gone extinct. But one is still in the fray. Why? And why are some companies still choosing to donate through trusts?

These are some of the questions this investigative series by Newslaundry and The News Minute attempts to answer. With all the data available in the public domain from the last 10 years – that is, everything except electoral bonds.

This, considering that the Narendra Modi government’s electoral bonds scheme has been struck down, and the Supreme Court has pointed to the possibility of a quid pro quo in corporate funding to parties and the need for public transparency.

Power, bonds, and corporates

It has been frequently reported how in the last few years, the party in power – the BJP – has consistently got a lot more funds than other parties.

The party got the highest through electoral trusts. In 2022-23, the Congress received 19 paise for every Rs 100 that the BJP made from India Inc through electoral trusts – a scheme where corporate companies pool their donations into a trust and distribute the total sum to various political parties, while remaining semi-anonymous. Since 2013, when the scheme was brought in by the UPA government, it has benefitted the BJP the most. The party has received over Rs 1,893 crore in the past 10 years through various ETs.

The BJP got the most through electoral bonds too. It received nearly Rs 1,300 crore in 2022-23, seven times more than what the Congress got in the same period. Nearly 61 percent of the BJP’s funding in the same period was through electoral bonds. Between 2018 and 2022, nearly 57 percent of the total donations made through this method went to the BJP.The party cornered the lion’s share overall as well. Of the total Rs 850.4 crore donated to national parties in 2022-23, Rs 719.8 crore went to the BJP alone, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms.

Meanwhile, the number of electoral bonds released by the government saw an increase.

Electoral bonds totalling a cumulative value of Rs 2,800 crore were sold during the fiscal year spanning from April 2022 to March 2023.  According to the government’s data in Parliament this month, bonds worth over Rs 16,518 crore have been sold since 2018.

Who bought these bonds? From 2018 to December 2022, bonds worth Rs 1,000 denomination formed just 0.01 percent of the total sales while those worth Rs 1 crore made up 94.41 percent, according to an RTI response received by transparency activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired). There is a possibility that these donations were engineered by corporate firms, hiding behind individuals or shell companies.The Supreme Court has now told the State Bank of India to stop issuing these bonds and the Election Commission of India to submit the details of funding received since 2019. The money received through the latest tranche, meanwhile, is likely to fund the latest round of poll campaigning across India.Corporate funding of political parties is a fraught subject all over the world. Companies giving money to politicians raises questions of a nexus between the two, leading to corruption and cronyism, leaving the field wide open for quid pro quo deals. And this is something the apex court also underlined as it delivered its verdict on February 15. “Contributions made by companies are purely business transactions made with the intent of securing benefits in return.”

The two trends in two deep dive data reports

There were two trends as Newslaundry and The News Minute sifted through the list of companies which have donated Rs 1 crore or more in the last 10 years.

At least 30 companies which donated a total of Rs 335 crore to the BJP also faced action by Union government agencies in the same period.

Some companies donated higher amounts to the party after being searched while a few others faced action after they skipped donations in a year.

A Madhya Pradesh-based distillery was the quickest to donate to the party after action – just days after its owners got bail.

5) BJP received highest donations amounting to ₹719.858 cr in 2022-23: ADR

With this, BJP saw an increase of 17.12% as compared to the last financial year (2021-22) when it received ₹614.626 croreThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received the highest donations amounting to ₹719.858 crore from 7,945 donors in the 2022-23 fiscal year (FY), a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said.

With this, BJP saw an increase of 17.12% as compared to the last financial year (2021-22) when it received ₹614.626 crore. The total declared by the national parties for FY 2022-23 was ₹850.438 crore from 12,167 donations.

“The Indian National Congress (INC) stood second in comparison after it received ₹79.924 crore which is a decrease from the previous FY 2021-22 (-16.27%).

Similarly, the decrease in donations declared by CPI(M) was 39.56% ( ₹3.978 crore), and by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was 2.99% ( ₹1.143 crore).

For the 17th year in a row, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) declared that the party did not receive any donations above ₹20,000 during FY 2022-23.State-wise donation segregation made by ADR, highlights a total of ₹276.202 crore was donated to the national political parties from Delhi, followed by ₹160.509 crore from Gujarat and ₹96.273 crore from Maharashtra.

Of the total, as many as 3,318 donations to these parties were made by corporate/business sectors amounting to ₹680.495 crore (80.017% of total donations) while 8,567 individual donors donated ₹166.621 crore (19.592% of total donations) to the parties during FY 2022-23.

“BJP ( ₹610.491 crore) received more than eight times the total amount ( ₹70.004 crore) of corporate donations declared by all other national parties for the FY 2022-23. Prudent Electoral Trust being the top donor to parties, donated a total of ₹257.15 crore to BJP (256.25 crore) and AAP (90 lakh) together,” the report added.The total donations of the national parties during FY 2022-23 increased by ₹91.701 crore, a rise of 12.09% from the previous financial year 2021-22.

Congress received 19 paise for every 100 rupees that the BJP made from India Inc in 2022-23 through Electoral Trusts – a scheme where corporate companies pool their donations into a trust and distribute the total sum to various political parties, while remaining semi-anonymous. In fact, the total money that Congress has received in the 10 years between 2013 and 2023 through Electoral Trusts is less than the amount that BJP made through the same scheme in just 2022-23.

There is no clarity on how these trusts operate, or how they decide on the sums that each political party receives. The monumental disparity in (partial) corporate funding for the two biggest parties in the fray for the 2024 General Elections raises questions about whether a fair playing field is even possible – and whether big corporations should have this large a say in how political parties perform in a democracy.

6) Delhi's Singhu, Tikri borders to reopen partially

Farmers blocking traffic movement amid protests at Delhi borders.

Farmer leaders will hold a candle march today. Multiple seminars on issues related to farmers will be held on February 25. Farmer leaders will hold a candle march today. Seminars on issues related to farmers will be held on February 25 and effigies of the World Trade Organization and the Centre will also be burnt on February 26. Several meetings of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM will be held over the next two days.

Farmers are determined to continue their agitation for higher crop prices at the two interstate border points after February 29, when further actions will be decided, stated Sarwan Singh Pandher, their leader. The decision to maintain camps at the protest sites of Shambhu and Khanauri was made by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the leading organizers of the ongoing protest.

Last week, thousands of farmers initiated a 'Delhi Chalo' march but were halted by security forces approximately 200 km north of the capital. The death of a farmer during clashes with security forces has intensified the protest, prompting the previously uninvolved Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to join the movement.

7) Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra begin final leg in UP

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined party leader Rahul Gandhi on the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in UP's Moradabad. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday took out the final leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad. (PTI)

More than a month after the Bharat Jodo Yatra started, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday joined party MP and her brother Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad.Earlier this week, Priyanka Gandhi was discharged from Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi following treatment for dehydration and a stomach infection. She had been admitted to the hospital after experiencing health issues.

Speaking at the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Priyanka Gandhi said, “28 lakh students wrote the exam for UP Police but the paper was leaked... As BJP's government is formed in the centre and state, unemployment rates have increased... Until you are not employed, you don't get facilities, paper leaks are not stopped, there will be no development. Change will happen only when you cast your vote according to your experiences." Priyanka Gandhi had expressed regret for being unable to join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on February 16 due to her illness.

"I was really looking forward to receiving the BJNY in UP today but unfortunately, have ended up admitted to hospital. I will be there as soon as I am better! Meanwhile wishing all the yatris, my colleagues in UP who have worked hard towards making arrangements for the yatra and my sweet brother, all success as they reach Chandauli today," Following the disclosure of the seat-sharing agreement between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, Ajay Rai, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, extended an invitation to SP leaders for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra on February 25. Rai mentioned that key leaders from the Samajwadi Party would be joining the yatra, emphasizing the unity of the INDIA bloc.

"The yatra will be held in Agra on the 25th (February). We gave the invitation letter to the SP office here so that they can join the yatra and send a message of the strong unity of the INDIA alliance. All of them will join the yatra there on the 25th of February," Ajay Rai said.

1) IND vs ENG: Jurel, Kuldeep hold fort after quick dismissals, India 219/7 at Stumps

India vs England Live Score 4th Test, IND vs ENG Jaiswal, Sarfaraz fall

Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav held fort through the final hour of play, as India reached 219/7 at Stumps. England still hold a comfortable 134-run lead, and with the pitch swiftly deteriorating, the visitors would aim at curbing this partnership early in the morning session tomorrow. India faced early setbacks in the third and final session of Day 2 as Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had been the most promising of all batters in the innings, fell to Shoaib Bashir as the spinner castled him on 73. Sarfaraz, too, followed suit a few overs later, as he could only score 14 off 53 balls. Tom Hartley dismissed the young batter and followed it up with another wicket in the 56th over, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin for 1. Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav now carry India's hopes following the quick dismissals.

Earlier, India lost Rohit Sharma early but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill looked almost untroubled either side of Lunch. The pair put up 82 runs for the second wicket with Gill upping the ante after Lunch. Shoaib Bashir broke the stand by sending Gill back on 38. Bashir then went on to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja and soon got the wicket of Jaiswal himself to complete his maiden Test four-wicket haul.

Earlier, Joe Root and Ollie Robinson dominated the first half an hour with India looking rather deflated in that period. The eighth-wicket stand between Root and Robinson reached 102 runs in 163 balls, with the latter scoring 58 off 96. Jadeja finally got the breakthrough for India in the form of Robinson's wicket, after he which he got one more wicket in the same over. James Anderson fell soon thereafter and Ravindra Jadeja finished with four wickets. Root was unbeaten on 122 off 274 and England were all out for 353.

Earlier, Akash Deep enjoyed a memorable debut by dismantling England's top order in the first session on Day 1, giving India an early upper hand. The spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja struck in quick succession before Lunch, further bolstering India's dominance. England found themselves in trouble at 112/5, but Root and Foakes steadied the ship with a resilient partnership after Lunch, marking the first session in this series without losing a wicket. Their partnership exceeded 100 runs, and although they accelerated after tea, Siraj's fiery spell saw the dismissal of Foakes and Hartley, swinging the momentum back towards India.

Mohammed Siraj struck the breakthrough in the final session of Day 1, as he dismissed Ben Foakes on 47 to end a gritty 113-run stand for the sixth wicket. Root and Foakes kept the aggressive ‘Bazball’ style of batting in the backburner and their resistance seemed to have frustrated India with a lot of frowning faces towards the end of that session and Rohit Sharma burning their last remaining review for an LBW decision against Foakes.Earlier, pacer Akash Deep has made a dream debut to his Test career, taking three wickets in his first six overs and leaving England reeling after they won the toss and chose to bat. England eventually lost half their batting lineup in the first session with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin taking a wicket each before Lunch.Akash Deep replaced the rested Jasprit Bumrah and has been almost unplayable in the early part of the first session. He knocked Zak Crawley over in his second over but it turned out that he had overstepped, thus giving the batter a lifeline. He then took the wickets of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope shortly thereafter and then smashed Crawley's off stump. This time, it was a legitimate delivery and Crawley had to walk. England captain Ben Stokes earlier said that spinner Rehan, who has been their highest wicket-taker thus far in this series, has gone back home for personal reasons and will not return for the rest of the series.Ranchi plays host for the decisive fourth Test between India and England. India currently lead the five-match series 2-1 and a win here for the hosts would mark the end of England's quest to prevent Rohit Sharma's side from winning yet another Test series at home. On the other hand if England do manage to win it, the series goes back to level-pegging at 2-2 and sets up an exciting finale in Dharamsala.

India are going to be without their ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, with the 30-year-old having been rested in order to manage his workload. Bumrah has bowled well over 80 overs in this series and is the highest wicket-taker. Mohammed Siraj, who had been rested in the second Test, is now expected to lead the pace effort and Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep could also make his debut.KL Rahul, who injured his thigh in the opening Test in Hyderabad, has not recovered yet but India will take heart from Sarfaraz Khan's twin fifties in his debut Test in Rajkot. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who also made his debut in Rajkot, struck a fluent 46 to prove he is no dud with the bat either.

India have been forced to hand debut caps to Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan so far because to the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, and with pace spearhead Bumrah too being rested for the Ranchi Test, Akash Deep could also be in line for the coveted Test spot. Additionally, Devdutt Padikkal is knocking on the doors with Patidar failing to impress in his first four innings.

Sarfaraz, though, would be an easy fit into the side for the remainder of this series thanks to the twin half-centuries he scored in his debut Test in Rajkot. His Mumbai teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal, meanwhile, has probably confirmed himself for the next few Test series at the very least. Jaiswal has scored two double centuries this series and is the highest run scorer by some distance. In six innings, Jaiswal has smashed 545 runs at an average of 109.00. Ben Duckett, with 288 at 48.00, is a distant second.

Smarting from their record defeat by 434 runs in Rajkot, England have brought in seamer Robinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir, replacing Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed. The shellacking also prompted questions about England's ultra-aggressive approach, which many feel borders on recklessness. England captain Ben Stokes, who is tipped to resume bowling in this match following knee surgery last November, has brushed aside the backlash. The look of the pitch in Ranchi was a greater concern for the 32-year-old as he plots ways to keep England alive in the series.

2) FIH Hockey Pro League: India men's hockey team goes down to Netherlands in shootout

India vs Netherlands in FIH

Hardik Singh (38’) scored the lone goal for India, while Floris Middendorp (4’) was on the scoresheet for the Netherlands in regulation time. The Indian men’s hockey team went down against the Netherlands in the shootout (2-4) in their sixth match of the FIH Hockey Pro League after the game was locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Wednesday. In the shootout, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Lalit Kumar were on target for India, while Jorrit Croon, Thierry Brinkman, Duco Telgenkamp and Joep de Mol were on target for the Netherlands.

Hardik Singh (38’) scored the lone goal for India, while Floris Middendorp (4’) was on the scoresheet for the Netherlands in regulation time The Indian Team found themselves under pressure early in the first quarter as the Netherlands were putting the Indian defenders on the backfoot with their attacking. The strategy paid off as the Netherlands broke the deadlock early in the game when Floris Middendorp (4’) found the back of the net to give them a 1-0 lead. The Indian Team gradually settled in and had a better share of ball possession. With just seconds remaining at the end of the first quarter, the Netherlands earned a PC but Krishan Pathak’s superb two saves kept the score at 1-0 in favour of the Netherlands at the end of the first quarter.

In the beginning of the second quarter, India made an aggressive start in the opening minutes as they put pressure on the Netherlands’ defence with constant attacks, but were unable to find an equalizer. India had better ball possession for the majority of the second quarter as Mandeep and Amit Rohidas created goalscoring chances but were denied by a strong defence display from the Netherlands. Going into the half-time, the Netherlands led India 1-0.

In their bid to find ways to get back in the game, the Indian Team stepped up their ante. With India putting constant pressure on the Netherlands defenders, India earned a PC after Mandeep made a fine run from the left flank, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunity as the shot went wide. Minutes later, India scored an equalizer, thanks to Hardik Singh's brilliant effort in the 38th minute. His goal resulted from a skillful rebound off a penalty corner. At the end of the third quarter, the score was tied 1-1.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, India started mounting more pressure on the Netherlands. The Indian team continued with intent and created various goalscoring opportunities, but the Netherlands defence was up to the mark, ending the regulation time with a 1-1 scoreline.

India will face Australia in their sixth match on Saturday.

3) Gauff beats Pliskova to reach Dubai quarterfinals. Swiatek and Rybakina also advance

Coco Gauff of the U.S. reacts during her round of 16 match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova

Gauff will next face Anna Kalinskaya after the Russian beat ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-5

Coco Gauff rallied from a slow start and a second-set argument with the chair umpire to beat Karolina Pliskova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday. The third-seeded Gauff ended Pliskova's 11-match winning streak. The 19-year-old American built a 4-2 lead in the second set before a lengthy back-and-forth with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi. Gauff complained to Bacchi that he called her serve at deuce out only after Pliskova returned it into the net.

Gauff had to repeat her first serve and went on to hold for a 5-2 lead.

The U.S. Open champion said the argument “fueled” her.

“It’s OK. It’s just one point. That happens in tennis. Players make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “It kind of went upward from there for me.”Gauff will next face Anna Kalinskaya after the Russian beat ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-5.Top-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the last eight by beating two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina had a tougher time reaching the quarterfinals. She outlasted Magdalena Frech 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4.

Swiatek will next play sixth-seeded Qinwen Zheng, who eliminated Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-2. Rybakina has a quarterfinal match against Jasmine Paolini. The Italian defeated eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2.

The other quarterfinal match is seventh-seeded Marketa Vondrousova against Sorana Cirstea.

4) Sumit Nagal handed wildcard for Dubai Championship main draw

India's Sumit Nagal celebrates a point against Italy's Stefano Napolitano during a tennis semi-final match of Bengaluru Open 2024

Nagal will be up against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, currently world number 49, in the opening round. Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal has received a wildcard for the main draw of the Dubai Championship, an ATP 500 event.While the qualifiers of the tournament began on Saturday, the main draw matches get underway on Monday.

Nagal will be up against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, currently world number 49, in the opening round.

The 26-year-old Indian has had a remarkable run this year, qualifying for the main draw of the Australian Open last month, where he made it to Round 2 after beating Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. He became the first Indian since 1989 to knock off a seeded player in a Grand Slam.

He attained his career-high ranking of 98 earlier this month, but dropped to 101st, despite having won the Chennai Open last week, an ATP Challenger event.

As for the Dubai Championship, Daniil Medvedev of Russia is the top seed, followed by his fellow countryman Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, Karen Khachanov of Russia, Ugo Humbert and Adrian Mannarino of France, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain. Other players who were handed wildcards include Gael Monfils of France and Abedallah Shelbayh of Jordan.

5) A tale of two cuts: How Jeev and Honey turned it around

Jeev Milkha Singh in action.

Both lapsed into errors late in their opening round, but found a way to re-set and card 4-under par rounds on Friday Veteran Jeev Milkha Singh and Honey Baisoya, a relative newcomer to international golf, provided a masterclass on how to handle disappointment in the $2 million International Series Oman.

At 2-under and 1-under par after the second round on Friday, Baisoya and Jeev comfortably made the cut at the premier Asian Tour event, but it was a different story on Thursday when they finished their opening rounds Starting from the 10th tee at Al Mouj Golf Club, 28-year-old Baisoya was cruising at 2-under par after 15 holes when he reached the tough par-5 seventh hole. Two brilliant shots left in the greenside bunker, but what happened thereafter was nightmarish.

Baisoya did not have the best connection with the bunker shot, went over the green to the bunker on the other side, was back in the first bunker with his fifth shot, took two swipes to come out and two-putted for a deflating quadruple-bogey nine. He finished the day at 2-over. Jeev, at 52 the oldest player in the field, was solid as he played his first 14 holes bogey-free with a solitary birdie. But once he dropped a shot on the 15th hole, he made a bogey in the next three holes coming in to finish at a disappointing 3-over par.

Their reactions after finishing the round could not have been more contrasting.Jeev was breathing fire.

“That’s unacceptable... I made a bogey on the 15th, which was alright, but instead of taking my medicine and going through my process, I just tried to push harder to get back that shot and made one mistake after another,” he said.

Baisoya could only smile at his misfortune.

“Honestly, the least I should have shot was a 4-under par round. Instead, I was 4-over for a single hole. I am annoyed with myself, but I can only laugh at what I have done,” he said. Both approached their evenings differently as well.

Baisoya went out for dinner with some of the other Indian players in the field.

“I just tried to forget that hole, and I did a good job in doing that. The moment I took the taxi from the golf course, I was ok. The dinner, tikkas and naan, was very good, and the other boys kept making jokes,” said Baisoya, who is getting married next month.Jeev had dinner in his hotel room and spoke to his family back home. “It took some time for me to get over it, but I have realised one thing over my long career as a professional golfer – there is no use brooding over something that is in the past. All I needed to do was learn from the mistakes and get better.” And get better they did. Both shot rounds of 4-under 68 on Friday.

Jeev again showed immaculate ball-striking, often using the driver off the deck to keep the ball under the wind; he was 3-under through 11 holes. He made two bogeys after that but made up with three birdies, including a stunning 25-feet putt on his penultimate hole, the eighth of the course.

“I just told myself one thing this morning… I am playing good golf and I just need to follow my routines and stay in the moment. I did a very good job of that today,” said the two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.Baisoya moved to 5-under par through 11 holes before making his only bogey on the par-3 13th hole.He then parred his way in.

“It was a good round and even though I did not strike the ball as well as I did in the first round, I still felt like I left a couple of shots out there,” said Baisoya. “Some days you play great and do not score. Some days you play average and score better. That’s golf.”Among the Indians who made the cut were Karandeep Kochhar and S Chikkarangappa (both -3), Rashid Khan (-2) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (even-par).

 

  Article 370

After 2016 Kashmir unrest, local agent Zooni Haksar chosen for secret mission by Rajeshwari to end terrorism and conflict economy by abrogating Article 370 without bloodshed.

Director

Aditya Suhas Jambhale

Writers

Aditya DharArjun DhawanAditya Suhas Jambhale

Stars

Raj ArjunSandeep ChatterjeeYami Gautam

 Crakk Jeetegaa Toh Jiyegaa

Showing mindless action that sometimes doesn't even pack a punch has been quite a favourite genre for Bollywood. And Crakk: Jeetega Toh Jiyegaa doesn't do anything differently to stand out in the crowd. For the novelty factor, and make it look somewhat different from other actioners, the film infuses a lot of extreme sports with action, but it lacks the depth in its narrative and never appears fully convincing as far as the storyline is concerned.

Director Aditya Datt combines too many tropes to make an impact, and ends up with none of them striking a chord. At the outset, Crakk is clear in its intention - it wants to impress and not leave any lasting impact. But it struggles for most part even while doing so. Also, if watching action and stunts onscreen came with any sort of a disclaimer, Crakk should flash it every few minutes, for there is no dearth of adrenaline pumping sequences it offers. Some are actually quite exhilarating and give you goosebumps, while others end up as poorly enhanced using VFX.

Poacher

Created by Richie Mehta with Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Ankith Madhav as part of the ensemble cast, Poacher follows a group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers, police constables and Good Samaritans as they risk their lives trying to track down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India.

Where to watch Poacher: Prime Video

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, a new live-action series, has been grabbing attention. If you watched the original series first as a kid and then again as an adult, you might want to watch this new series. Created by Albert Kim, it is about a young boy known as the Avatar, who must master the four elemental powers to save the world, and fight against an enemy bent on stopping him.

BOOK OF THIS WEEK:

Think AI : by Swapnali Joshi Naik (Author)

Description

"Think AI" is a rapid-learning book that covers a wide range of Artificial Intelligence topics, including Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, and Natural Language Processing. Most popular Python libraries and toolkits are applied to develop intelligent and thoughtful applications.

With a solid grasp of python programming and mathematics, you may use this book's statistical models and AI algorithms to meet AI needs and data insight issues. Each chapter in this book guides you swiftly through the core concepts and then directly to their implementation using Python toolkits. This book covers the techniques and skill sets required for data collection, pre-processing, installing libraries, preparing data models, training and deploying the models, and optimising model performance.

The book guides you through the OpenCV toolkit for real-time picture recognition and detection, allowing you to work with computer vision.

What you will learn

● Work with Jupyter and various Python libraries, including scikit-learn, NLTK, and TF.

● Build and implement ML models and neural networks using TensorFlow and Keras.

● Utilize OpenCV for real-time image processing, face detection, and face recognition.

Who this book is for

Whether you're a student, newbie or an existing AI developer, this book will help you get up to speed with various domains of AI, including ML, Deep Learning and NLP. Knowing the basics of python and understanding mathematics will be beneficial.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Artificial Intelligence

2. Essentials of Python and Data Analysis

3. Data Preparation and Machine Learning

4. Computer Vision using OpenCV

5. Fundamentals of Neural Networks and Deep Learning

6. Natural Language Processing

swapnali Joshi - IIBM Institute of Business Management - Salem, Oregon, United States