1) India adds 664
animal species to its faunal database in 2022, 339 taxa to its flora :
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| Picture Description : (Clockwise from left) Sela macaque (Macaca selai); Calanthe lamellosa, an orchid species; Glischropus meghalayanus, a species of bamboo dwelling bat; Nandadevia pusalkar, a genus common throughout the foothills and warm outer valleys of the Uttarakhand Himalayas; Ficedula zanthopygia, yellow-rumped flycatcher. |
India’s faunal database expands with the addition of 664 animal species in 2022.
The database also
includes 339 new plant taxa, comprising new species and distributional records.
The faunal discoveries have been compiled in a publication by the Zoological
Survey of India (ZSI) titled “Animal Discoveries – New Species and New Records 2023.”
Faunal Discoveries Major discoveries include new species and records of
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Mammals: Three new species and one new record, including two
species of bats from Meghalaya.
Birds: Two new records, such as the yellow-rumped flycatcher in
the Andaman archipelago.
Reptiles: Thirty new species and two new records.
Amphibians: Six new species and one new record.
Fish: Twenty-eight new species and eight new records.
Invertebrates constitute
the majority of new faunal discoveries, with insects comprising 384 species.
Vertebrates account for
81 species, with fish being the most dominant group.
Notable species
Sela macaque (Macaca
selai): A new macaque species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
Macaca leucogenys: A
white-cheeked macaque sighted in India for the first time.
Glischropus
meghalayanus: A bamboo-dwelling bat species from Meghalaya.
Ficedula zanthopygia:
The yellow-rumped flycatcher recorded in the Andaman archipelago.
Distribution of New
Faunal Discoveries
The fauna diversity of
the country increased to 1,03,922 species.
Kerala: Recorded the
maximum number of new species, accounting for 14.6% of all new discoveries.
Karnataka: Followed with
13.2% of new species and records.
Tamil Nadu: Contributed
12.6% of all new discoveries and records.
Andaman and Nicobar
Islands: Accounted for about 8.4% of the discoveries.
West Bengal: Represented
7.6% of the new discoveries.
Arunachal Pradesh:
Contributes 5.7% of the new discoveries.
[B] Floral Discoveries
The Botanical Survey of
India (BSI) published “Plant Discoveries 2022,” which includes 339 new plant
taxa.
These discoveries
consist of new species and distributional records.
The discoveries
encompass seed plants, fungi, lichen, algae, bryophytes, microbes, and
pteridophytes.
Seed plants comprise the
majority, with dicotyledons contributing 73% and monocotyledons 27%.
Western Himalayas and
Western Ghats are prominent regions for plant discoveries.
Kerala recorded the
highest number of plant discoveries (57), accounting for 16.8% of all
discoveries.
The plant discoveries
include wild relatives of potential horticultural, agricultural, medicinal, and
ornamental plants.
Notable Floral
Discoveries
Nandadevia Pusalkar: A
genus common in the Uttarakhand Himalayas.
Nilgiriella Pusalkar: An
endemic genus found in the southern Western Ghats.
Calanthe lamellosa: An
orchid species recorded for the first time in India, found in Nagaland.
Conclusion By compiling these new discoveries and records, India
continues to expand its knowledge of its faunal and floral diversity,
emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts.
2) IIT-K conducts
artificial rain test through cloud seeding By Haidar Naqvi:
KANPUR The Indian
Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) successfully conducted a test for
artificial rain via cloud-seeding over a limited area on the sprawling campus.
On Wednesday, a plane flew to a height of 5,000ft from the institute’s
airstrip, firing powder spray amid thick clouds, which resulted in heavy rain.
The UP government had turned to the premier institute for this technology to
help UP’s parched Bundelkhand region with artificial rains. Cloud seeding is
the process of combining different kinds of chemical agents, including silver iodide,
dry ice and even table salt, in clouds to thicken them and increase the chances
of rainfall.The experiment was conducted after a nod from the civil aviation
regulator DGCA.Manindra Agrawal, professor, department of Computer Science and
Engineering, IIT Kanpur, spearheaded this artificial rain project. He said:
“Our capabilities in this direction have been successfully tested.”
It took IIT-Kanpur six
years to make this happen, after the Uttar Pradesh government reached out to
help Bundelkhand with artificial rains in 2017. At that time, China had agreed
to do cloud-seeding in Mahoba for ₹10.30 lakh per kilometre. But it refused to
share the know-how and the plan was shelved. Why IIT-Kanpur took six years to
produce artificial rain when the technology was available? Because it could not
get a plane needed to fly the equipment with, said experts at the institute.
As the institute began
preparations to produce artificial rain on UP government’s request, the
stumbling block IIT-K faced was the plane, they said. The first choice was an
airplane of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which was old and
not much in use. But the space agency did not agree to part with it, they
added.
Subsequently, the search
narrowed down to a plane of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). “HAL asked for
₹50 lakh. The funds available at the time were meant for equipment, the
condition killed the negotiations.” Then it was decided to use IIT’s own Cessna
aircraft for this purpose. The institute got in touch with US-based Cessna as
the company’s assistance was required for instrumentation and fitting of the
equipment on board.
“When all seemed going
on the right track, Covid-19 pandemic happened. The world stopped and so did
this project for more than two and a half years,” they said, adding the last
six months went into getting validation from the directorate general of civil
aviation (DGCA).“We are now independent and have all the resources to make this
project happen. Our Cessna plane and equipment will be used for cloud-seeding,”
said prof Manindra Agrawal.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had envisaged the
plan for artificial rain in Bundelkhand as the technology was not only low on
cost but also effective. Bundelkhand region has a vast cultivation area, but
the agriculture production is determined by the availability of water.
Bundelkhand has four
rivers including Dhasan, Tons, Betwa and Ken but they are of little use for
irrigation purpose. The region gets scanty rainfall due to which most of the
water bodies such as ponds dry up, and remain so most of the year.
After China’s refusal
for the project, IIT-Kanpur scientists had given a detailed presentation to the
government on June 26, 2017 to help with pollution and drought-like conditions.
COST OF CLOUD
SEEDING
Member of national
advisory council on environment and senior IIT Kanpur faculty Sachidanand
Tripathi explained that the use of aircraft and essential tools for the cloud
seeding process raise the cost of the project. The rent of the plane fitted
with equipment is high and implanting instruments in the aircraft is also an
expensive affair. Roughly ₹2 to ₹5 lakh is spent for an hour of the exercise,
he added.
Artificial rain was
created in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, but the success rate of
the project isn’t yet known, said Tripathi. Israel, South Africa and United
States have successfully implemented the project.
CAN CLOUD SEEDING
DAMAGE ENVIRONMENT?
No. The rains created
artificially do not have any adverse impact on the environment. The solutions
used for cloud seeding are not harmful, said experts.
3) ISRO gears up
for Chandrayaan-3 launch on July 14, says lessons from last landing failure
give hope of success:
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| The launch of Chandrayaan-3 will be on July 14 at 2.30 pm |
ISRO chairman S
Somanath, who earlier said that a launch window was available between July 12
and 19 for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, said in Bengaluru on Thursday that the
date and timing for the launch had been fixed at 2.35 pm on July 14 with a
possible moon rendezvous on August 23 or 24.
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| Technicians lower the encapsulated Chandrayaan 3 moon lander and rover onto their LVM3 rocket on July 5, 2023. |
“The launch of
Chandrayaan-3 will be on July 14 at 2.30 pm. If the launch takes place on that
day we will be ready for landing on the moon possibly by the last week of
August. The date is decided by the sunrise on the moon. When the landing takes
place, sunlight has to be there. A day on the moon is 15 Earth days. You will
have sunlight for 15 days and in the next 15 days there will be no sunlight for
a given location,” Somanath said on Thursday on the sidelines of the G20
meeting on the space economy.
India is getting its
next moon mission ready for liftoff.
The robotic lunar lander
and rover that make up the Chandrayaan 3 mission were stacked atop their Launch
Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Wednesday
(July 5), according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which
posted photos and a video of the process on Twitter Wednesday morning.
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| The encapsulated Chandrayaan 3 moon lander and rover sit atop their LVM3 rocket on July 5, 2023 |
If all goes according to
plan, Chandrayaan 3 will launch from Satish Dhawan in the early morning hours
of July 14. As its name suggests, the upcoming mission is the third in India's
Chandrayaan program of lunar exploration.
Chandrayaan 1, which
launched in October 2008, sent a moon orbiter aloft in India's first-ever
deep-space effort. The orbiter carried a 64-pound (29 kilograms) impactor probe
that slammed hard (but intentionally) into the lunar surface near the south
pole.
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| MOON LANDER |
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| MOON lANDER |
The impactor detected
water ice just before it crashed, a discovery matched by a NASA instrument
aboard the Chandrayaan 1 orbiter called the Moon Mineralogy Mapper.
Chandrayaan 2 launched
an orbiter, lander and rover toward the moon in July 2019. The orbiter arrived
safely and continues to study the moon today with its suite of eight science
instruments. But the lander-rover duo crashed during their touchdown attempt, a
failure apparently related to its braking thrusters. India will take another crack
at a moon landing on Chandrayaan 3. Indeed, that's the primary focus: The new
mission carries a lander and rover but no orbiter.
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| MOON ROVER |
The two surface craft
carry six science instruments between them, which they'll use to gather a
variety of data over the course of one lunar day (about 14 Earth days). The
mission's propulsion module is also equipped with an instrument that will
characterize Earth from afar, with the goal of informing future searches for
potentially life-supporting exoplanets.Chandrayaan 3 aims "to demonstrate
end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface,"
ISRO officials wrote in a mission description. Success would be huge for the
nation. To date, just three entities have successfully soft-landed a craft on
the moon — the governments of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and China.
4) AI combined with
CRISPR precisely controls gene expression by New York University:
Artificial intelligence can predict on- and off-target activity of CRISPR tools that target RNA instead of DNA, according to new research published in Nature Biotechnology. The study by researchers at New York University, Columbia University, and the New York Genome Center, combines a deep learning model with CRISPR screens to control the expression of human genes in different ways—such as flicking a light switch to shut them off completely or by using a dimmer knob to partially turn down their activity. These precise gene controls could be used to develop new CRISPR-based therapies.
Researchers have
developed an artificial intelligence model, TIGER, that predicts the on- and
off-target activity of RNA-targeting CRISPR tools. This innovation, detailed in
a study published in Nature Biotechnology, can accurately design guide RNAs,
modulate gene expression, and is poised to drive advancements in CRISPR-based
therapies.
CRISPR is a gene editing
technology with many uses in biomedicine and beyond, from treating sickle cell
anemia to engineering tastier mustard greens. It often works by targeting DNA
using an enzyme called Cas9. In recent years, scientists discovered another
type of CRISPR that instead targets RNA using an enzyme called Cas13.
RNA-targeting CRISPRs
can be used in a wide range of applications, including RNA editing, knocking
down RNA to block expression of a particular gene, and high-throughput
screening to determine promising drug candidates. Researchers at NYU and the
New York Genome Center created a platform for RNA-targeting CRISPR screens
using Cas13 to better understand RNA regulation and to identify the function of
non-coding RNAs. Because RNA is the main genetic material in viruses including
SARS-CoV-2 and flu, RNA-targeting CRISPRs also hold promise for developing new
methods to prevent or treat viral infections. Also, in human cells, when a gene
is expressed, one of the first steps is the creation of RNA from the DNA in the
genome.
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| AI combined with CRISPR enables ultra-precise control of gene expression |
A key goal of the study
is to maximize the activity of RNA-targeting CRISPRs on the intended target RNA
and minimize activity on other RNAs which could have detrimental side effects
for the cell. Off-target activity includes both mismatches between the guide
and target RNA as well as insertion and deletion mutations. Earlier studies of
RNA-targeting CRISPRs focused only on on-target activity and mismatches;
predicting off-target activity, particularly insertion and deletion mutations,
has not been well-studied. In human populations, about one in five mutations
are insertions or deletions, so these are important types of potential
off-targets to consider for CRISPR design.
"Similar to
DNA-targeting CRISPRs such as Cas9, we anticipate that RNA-targeting CRISPRs
such as Cas13 will have an outsized impact in molecular biology and biomedical
applications in the coming years," said Neville Sanjana, associate
professor of biology at NYU, associate professor of neuroscience and physiology
at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a core faculty member at New York Genome
Center, and the study's co-senior author. "Accurate guide prediction and
off-target identification will be of immense value for this newly developing
field and therapeutics."
In their study in Nature
Biotechnology, Sanjana and his colleagues performed a series of pooled
RNA-targeting CRISPR screens in human cells. They measured the activity of
200,000 guide RNAs targeting essential genes in human cells, including both
"perfect match" guide RNAs and off-target mismatches, insertions, and
deletions.
Sanjana's lab teamed up
with the lab of machine learning expert David Knowles to engineer a deep
learning model they named TIGER (Targeted Inhibition of Gene Expression via
guide RNA design) that was trained on the data from the CRISPR screens.
Comparing the predictions generated by the deep learning model and laboratory
tests in human cells, TIGER was able to predict both on-target and off-target
activity, outperforming previous models developed for Cas13 on-target guide
design and providing the first tool for predicting off-target activity of
RNA-targeting CRISPRs.
"Machine learning
and deep learning are showing their strength in genomics because they can take
advantage of the huge datasets that can now be generated by modern
high-throughput experiments. Importantly, we were also able to use
'interpretable machine learning' to understand why the model predicts that a
specific guide will work well," said Knowles, assistant professor of
computer science and systems biology at Columbia University's School of
Engineering and Applied Science, a core faculty member at New York Genome
Center, and the study's co-senior author.
"Our earlier research
demonstrated how to design Cas13 guides that can knock down a particular RNA.
With TIGER, we can now design Cas13 guides that strike a balance between
on-target knockdown and avoiding off-target activity," said Hans-Hermann
(Harm) Wessels, the study's co-first author and a senior scientist at the New
York Genome Center, who was previously a postdoctoral fellow in Sanjana's
laboratory.
The researchers also
demonstrated that TIGER's off-target predictions can be used to precisely
modulate gene dosage—the amount of a particular gene that is expressed—by
enabling partial inhibition of gene expression in cells with mismatch guides.
This may be useful for diseases in which there are too many copies of a gene,
such as Down syndrome, certain forms of schizophrenia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth
disease (a hereditary nerve disorder), or in cancers where aberrant gene
expression can lead to uncontrolled tumor growth.
"Our deep learning
model can tell us not only how to design a guide RNA that knocks down a
transcript completely, but can also 'tune' it—for instance, having it produce
only 70% of the transcript of a specific gene," said Andrew Stirn, a Ph.D.
student at Columbia Engineering and the New York Genome Center, and the study's
co-first author.
By combining artificial
intelligence with an RNA-targeting CRISPR screen, the researchers envision that
TIGER's predictions will help avoid undesired off-target CRISPR activity and
further spur development of a new generation of RNA-targeting therapies.
"As we collect
larger datasets from CRISPR screens, the opportunities to apply sophisticated
machine learning models are growingly rapid. We are lucky to have David's lab
next door to ours to facilitate this wonderful, cross-disciplinary
collaboration. And, with TIGER, we can predict off-targets and precisely
modulate gene dosage which enables many exciting new applications for
RNA-targeting CRISPRs for biomedicine," said Sanjana.
This latest study
further advances the broad applicability of RNA-targeting CRISPRs for human
genetics and drug discovery, building on the NYU team's prior work to develop
guide RNA design rules, target RNAs in diverse organisms including viruses like
SARS-CoV-2, engineer protein and RNA therapeutics, and leverage single-cell
biology to reveal synergistic drug combinations for leukemia.
5) 'Sandwich'
discovery offers new explanation for planet formation:by Gurjeet Kahlon, Royal
Astronomical Society:
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| Artistic rendering of how small planets can form ‘sandwiched’ in between two larger ones |
Scientists have made a new discovery on how small planets might form. Researchers at the University of Warwick investigated the "birth environment" of planets—areas of gas and dust that swirl around a central star—known as the protoplanetary disk.
They discovered a new
method of planet formation in this region, not yet described in previous
research. The work has been submitted to the journal Monthly Notices of the
Royal Astronomical Society and is showcased at the National Astronomy Meeting,
which begins today, Monday 3 July. The team showed how two large planets in the
protoplanetary disk can potentially give rise to a smaller planet in between
them—which they term "sandwiched planet formation."
The reason for this is
that the two original, large planets restrict an inwards flow of dust. This
means that the amount of dust that collects between them is reduced compared to
if there were no outer planet. If that dust was to eventually come together to
form a planet, then the middle planet would likely be smaller than the outer
two planets—like the filling of a sandwich.
While further research
is needed in the field, this theory could present a possible explanation for
the formation of small planets; like Mars and Uranus, which are each surrounded
by larger planets.
Associate Professor and
Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, Farzana Meru, from the Department of Physics at the
University of Warwick, said, "In the last decade, observations have
revealed that rings and gaps exist in protoplanetary disks. The gaps are where
we expect planets to be, and we know from theory work that planets cause dust
rings to form just exterior to them. What exactly is happening in those rings
poses an important question to astronomers around the world.
"In our study, we
propose the rings as sites of planet formation; specifically, that there are
sandwiched planets currently being formed in those rings. This is very
different to the conventional view of planet formation, where we typically
expect that the planets form sequentially from the inside to the outside of the
disk and get more and more massive further out. What is also really interesting
is that there are examples that we have found from exoplanet observations that
actually show this sandwiched planet architecture—where the middle planet is less
massive than its neighbors; it is a reasonable proportion of the systems too.
"The field of
planet formation has been revolutionized recently. High-resolution images of
planet-forming disks have come out in the last ten years since a new
sophisticated telescope (the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array)
started observing the night sky. These images have given us clues about how
planets form and evolve; it's exciting to be at the forefront of this
research."
6) Apex predator of
the Cambrian likely sought soft over crunchy prey :by American Museum of
Natural History:
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| An illustration of Anomalocaris |
Biomechanical studies on
the arachnid-like front "legs" of an extinct apex predator show that
the 2-foot (60 centimeter) marine animal Anomalocaris canadensis was likely
much weaker than once assumed. One of the largest animals to live during the
Cambrian, it was probably agile and fast, darting after soft prey in the open
water rather than pursuing hard-shelled creatures on the ocean floor. The study
is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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| 3D ANIMATED ANOMALOCARIS |
First discovered in the
late 1800s, Anomalocaris canadensis—which means "weird shrimp from
Canada" in Latin—has long been thought to be responsible for some of the
scarred and crushed trilobite exoskeletons paleontologists have found in the
fossil record.
"That didn't sit
right with me, because trilobites have a very strong exoskeleton, which they
essentially make out of rock, while this animal would have mostly been soft and
squishy," said lead author Russell Bicknell, a postdoctoral researcher in
the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Paleontology, who
conducted the work while at the University of New England in Australia.
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| A close-up on the head of a complete specimen of Anomalocaris canadensis from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canada, showing the maximum frontal appendage flexure |
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| A pair of Anomalocaris canadensis appendages |
A modeling technique
called finite element analysis was used to show the stress and strain points on
this grasping behavior of A. canadensis, illustrating that its appendages would
have been damaged while grabbing hard prey like trilobites. The researchers
used computational fluid dynamics to place the 3D model of the predator in a
virtual current to predict what body position it would likely use while
swimming. The combination of these biomechanical modeling techniques—used
together in a scientific paper for the first time—paint a different picture of
A. canadensis than was previously assumed. The animal was likely a speedy
swimmer, zooming after soft prey in the water column with its front appendages
outstretched.
"Previous
conceptions were that these animals would have seen the Burgess Shale fauna as
a smorgasbord, going after anything they wanted to, but we're finding that the
dynamics of the Cambrian food webs were likely much more complex than we once
thought," Bicknell said
7) Artificial cells
demonstrate that 'life finds a way' by Indiana University:
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| ARTIFICIAL CELL |
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| Electron micrograph of a cluster of minimal cells magnified 15,000 times The synthetically streamlined bacterium, Mycoplasma mycoides, contains less than 500 genes |
"Listen, if there's
one thing the history of evolution has taught us is that life will not be
contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories, and it crashes
through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but . . . life finds a way,"
said Ian Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park, the 1993 science
fiction film about a park with living dinosaurs.
You won't find any
Velociraptors lurking around evolutionary Lennon's lab; however, Lennon, a
professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology at Indiana
University Bloomington, and his colleagues have found that life does indeed
find a way.
"It appears there's
something about life that's really robust," says Lennon. "We can
simplify it down to just the bare essentials, but that doesn't stop evolution
from going to work."
For their study,
Lennon's team used the synthetic organism, Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn3B—a
minimized version of the bacterium M. mycoides commonly found in the guts of
goats and similar animals. Over millennia, the parasitic bacterium has
naturally lost many of its genes as it evolved to depend on its host for
nutrition.
Researchers at the J.
Craig Venter Institute in California took this one step further. In 2016, they
eliminated 45% of the 901 genes from the natural M. mycoides genome—reducing it
to the smallest set of genes required for autonomous cellular life. At 493
genes, the minimal genome of M. mycoides JCVI-syn3B is the smallest of any
known free-living organism. In comparison, many animal and plant genomes
contain more than 20,000 genes.
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| PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL CELL |
In principle, the
simplest organism would have no functional redundancies and possess only the
minimum number of genes essential for life. Any mutation in such an organism
could lethally disrupt one or more cellular functions, placing constraints on
evolution. Organisms with streamlined genomes have fewer targets upon which
positive selection can act, thus limiting opportunities for adaptation.
Although M. mycoides JCVI-syn3B could grow and divide in laboratory conditions,
Lennon and colleagues wanted to know how a minimal cell would respond to the
forces of evolution over time, particularly given the limited raw materials
upon which natural selection could operate as well as the uncharacterized input
of new mutations. "Every single gene in its genome is essential,"
says Lennon in reference to M. mycoides JCVI-syn3B. "One could hypothesize
that there is no wiggle room for mutations, which could constrain its potential
to evolve."
The researchers
established that M. mycoides JCVI-syn3B, in fact, has an exceptionally high
mutation rate. They then grew it in the lab where it was allowed to evolve
freely for 300 days, equivalent to 2,000 bacterial generations or about 40,000
years of human evolution.The next step was to set up experiments to determine
how the minimal cells that had evolved for 300 days performed in comparison to
the original, non-minimal M. mycoides as well as to a strain of minimal cells
that hadn't evolved for 300 days. In the comparison tests, the researchers put
equal amounts of the strains being assessed together in a test tube. The strain
better suited to its environment became the more common strain.
They found that the
non-minimal version of the bacterium easily outcompeted the unevolved minimal
version. The minimal bacterium that had evolved for 300 days, however, did much
better, effectively recovering all of the fitness that it had lost due to
genome streamlining. The researchers identified the genes that changed the most
during evolution. Some of these genes were involved in constructing the surface
of the cell, while the functions of several others remain unknown.
 |
| Evolutionary biologist Jay T. Lennon's |
Understanding how
organisms with simplified genomes overcome evolutionary challenges has
important implications for long-standing problems in biology—including the
treatment of clinical pathogens, the persistence of host-associated
endosymbionts, the refinement of engineered microorganisms, and the origin of
life itself.
The research done by
Lennon and his team demonstrates the power of natural selection to rapidly
optimize fitness in the simplest autonomous organism, with implications for the
evolution of cellular complexity. In other words, it shows that life finds a
way.
1) 'Delhi trusts
Ajit Pawar; Eknath Shinde may get....': Ex-CM on Maha govt future:
Prithviraj Chavan said
he has information that Eknath Shinde will face disqualification from the
Assembly within a month and Ajit Pawar will fill in. Former Maharashtra chief
minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said he does not believe
that Sharad Pawar was aware of nephew Ajit Pawar's mutiny and said that the
decision to take Ajit Pawar and his coterie of MLAs in the government must have
been taken in New Delhi. "We have information that Eknath Shinde might be
suspended from the Assembly for his rebellion in a month, by August 10 to 11.
So if Shide and his 16 MLAs are thrown out, the CM post may come to Ajit Pawar.
We know that he has been promised that," Prithviraj Chavan said while
Sharad Pawar reached Delhi for the national executive party meeting. "Who
is happy now that there is instability in Maharashtra? Is NCP happy? Is Shinde
camp happy?" Chavan said. Pawar v Pawar, the numbers game: Who is in
Ajit's camp? Who remains with Sharad? Three days after taking oath as the
deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday showed his cards as he
outnumbered his uncle in support of MLAs. The Pawar vs Pawar battle exposed the
acrimony between the uncle and the nephew as the nephew asked the uncle to
retire and the uncle threatened the nephew to not use his photo.
What is happening
in the Shinde camp?
Speculations are rife
that the Shinde camp MLAs want to come back to the Uddhav camp. On Wednesday
night, Shinde met his MLAs and assured them that there will be no change in the
government. However, Uddhav Sena leaders claimed that some Shinde Sena leaders
sent them messages seeking "forgiveness from Matoshree". BJP said
Eknath Shinde will remain the chief minister and all these rumours are
misleading.
Possibility of
Shinde's disqualification
The Supreme Court in May
ruled that Assembly Speaker Rahu Narwekar will decide the question of the
disqualification of Shinde and his 15 MLAs. As the NCP split, the Uddhav
faction moved the Supreme Court for a speedy adjudication of the
disqualification pleas against Shinde and his group of MLAs. According to legal
experts, Shinde's chance to continue as the chief minister appears slim and the
sudden action of the BJP to take Ajit Pawar on board proves that.
'I also want to
become CM'
After the fall of the
Uddhav government, Ajit Pawar became the Leader of Opposition from deputy chief
minister. A year after, he is again the deputy chief minister but his ambition
is soaring high as he said on Wednesday that he now wants to be the chief
minister."I was sworn in deputy CM five times. It is a record but the
vehicle stops there, doesn't proceed further. I feel from the bottom of my
heart that I should become pramukh (cm) of the state. I have some things which
I want to implement and for that becoming pramukh (CM) is essential," Ajit
Pawar said.
2) Rahul's fight
against ‘arrogant regime’: Priyanka Gandhi after Gujarat HC dismisses plea:
Gujarat High Court on
Friday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea to stay his conviction and
two-year jail term in Modi defamation case. Rahul Gandhi is fighting the battle
for truth and people's interests against an "arrogant regime" which
is adopting all tricks in the book to suppress the questions he is raising,
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Friday after the Gujarat High
Court dismissed her brother's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a
criminal defamation case.
While dismissing the
plea, Justice Hemant Prachchhak noted that Gandhi was already facing 10
criminal cases across India, adding that the order of the lower court was
"just, proper and legal" in handing over a two year jail term to
Gandhi for his "Modi surname" remark. In a long Twitter post in
Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi quoted the poem "samar shesh hai...(battle is yet
to be over)" by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' and launched a scathing attack on
the Modi government.
Rahul Gandhi is fighting
the battle for truth and people's interests against this "arrogant
regime", she said.
"The arrogant
regime wants that questions related with people's interest should not be
raised, the arrogant regime wants that questions that improve the lives of the
people of the country should not be raised, the arrogant regime wants that they
are not asked questions on inflation, employment, no voice is raised for the
welfare of the farmers, there should be no talk of the rights of women, the
question of labourers' honour should not be raised," Priyanka Gandhi said.
"The arrogant
regime is trying every trick in the book to suppress the truth, it is adopting
all means -- 'saam, daam, dand, bhed, chal, kapat (money power, punishment,
discrimination, deceit)' -- to distract from questions related to the interests
of the public," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi asserted
before truth, satyagraha and the power of the people, neither the
"arrogance of power" will last nor the veil of lies over the truth
will continue.
"Rahul Gandhi ji
has ignited the beacon of questions related to the interests of the public in
front of this arrogant regime," she said.
For this cause, Rahul
Gandhi is ready to pay any price and despite all the attacks and tactics of the
arrogant BJP government, like a true patriot, he has not shied away from
raising questions related to the people, the Congress general secretary said.
He is resolutely on the path of sharing the pain of the people, Priyanka Gandhi
said.
"Truth will win.
The voice of the public will win," she asserted.
The Congress has said it
is likely to move an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat
High Court order dismissing Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his
conviction in the criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname"
remark.
3) Heavy rain
batters Kerala, schools to remain shut in these five districts today :
A red alert has been issued in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and an orange alert in seven other districts of the state for the day In lieu of the heavy rains battering Kerala, education institutions in five districts were shut on Friday. Schools and professional colleges in Kannur, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam will cease to function as the India Meteorological Department issued weather warnings in these districts. However, public service commission exams will be held as per the schedule.
All educational
institutions remained closed in Alappuzha, Kannur, Kozhikode, Kottayam,
Kasaragod, Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Kollam on
Thursday.
A red alert has been
issued in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and an orange alert in seven other
districts of the state for the day. IMD has indicated that the intensity of
rain would decrease in the next few days. Due to cyclonic circulation over the
Bay of Bengal, Kerala has been witnessing heavy downpour which has claimed
three lives, displaced thousands from their homes and led to coastal erosion
and overflowing of rivers.
Considering the severity
of the situation, district-level and taluk-level emergency operation centres
have been asked to operate 24x7.
Kerala Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan urged people to be vigilant as there was a risk of flash floods,
landslides and strong winds in various parts of the state.
In a Facebook post, he
said thousands have been shifted to the 112 relief camps while advising
fishermen to not venture out to water bodies and avoid trekking trips. The
Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) also issued warnings
cautioning people against tourism and trips in hilly areas. State revenue
minister K Rajan said that from July 12 the weather was expected to worsen
again.The shutters of some dams like Malankara Dam, Kallarkutti and Lower
Periyar reservoirs in Idukki, Kuttiyadi dam in Kozhikode, Maniyar barrage in
Pathanamthitta, Pazhassi barrage in Kannur and Bhoothathankettu Dam in
Ernakulam district were opened to release water downstream. The Central Water
Commission (CWC) issued flood warnings for various rivers, like Meenachil,
Manimala, Achankovil and Pampa.
4) Campaign for
West Bengal rural body election ends, toll at 18 :
Three more people were
killed in West Bengal, taking the toll from political violence during the
panchayat polls campaign to 18. Three more people were killed in West Bengal on
Thursday, taking the toll from political violence during the panchayat polls
campaign to 18, even as campaigning drew to a close with voting scheduled for
July 8. The elections are being contested by over 200,000 candidates for 73,887
seats, with the ruling Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and an
alliance of the Congress and the Left parties the principal players in the
fray.
Senior police officers
said that a man identified as Kamal Sheikh was killed in an explosion while he
was manufacturing crude bombs in Murshidabad; Dilip Mahara, the husband of a
BJP-backed independent candidate was found dead in Birbhum -- though police
refused to divulge more information, locals alleged that he was strangulated;
and a man named Alfazuddin Halder, seriously injured in a clash between
supporters of TMC and an independent candidate at Kulpi in South 24 Paraganas
on Monday, died at a Kolkata hospital on Thursday. In 2018, a total of 23
people died ahead of the polls. The state police have, on their part, said that
three of the 18 deaths this year -- that of a TMC leader in Purulia, a BJP
worker in Purulia, and BJP worker in Cooch Behar -- are not related to the
polls. The governor, who had appointed the state election commissioner Rajiva
Sinha on June 7 said that he the official had “disappointed the people”.
“My constitutional
appointee, you have failed in your duty in my opinion. You have failed the
people,” he said. Though no officials of the state poll panel were available
for comment when HT reached out, the Trinamool Congress hit back at the
comments, and said that the governor was acting on the BJP’s behalf.
“What he did today,
makes him an agent of the BJP. He is doing politics. He could have complained
against the SEC and sent a letter to the President. But instead, he held a
press conference and used his post to influence the people ahead of the polls,”
Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson, told the media.
BJP spokesperson Samik
Bhattacharya hit back.
“TMC supremo Mamata
Banerjee and her party want absolute political control. They want to win the
elections without any opposition and uncontested...There is no ambience to hold
free and fair polls,” he said.
Elections in Bengal have
always been violent but the spate of deaths has cast a shadow on the critical
rural elections that may serve as a barometer of the ruling party’s popularity.
On polling day, the election authorities and the administration must take steps
to ensure free-and-fair elections.
West Bengal Panchayat Polls: In TMC vs BJP Face-Off, Left
Maybe the Dark Horse:
The Panchayat Election
in West Bengal was announced on 8 June, that is to be held in 73887 seats
(63229 in Gram Panchayat, 9730 in Panchayat Samiti, and 928 in Zila Parishad)
across 22 districts, including the hilly districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong,
where the rural local body election is taking place after a long wait of 23
years. The political heat in Bengal is rising since this election, which will
be crucial in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election next year.
Keeping the bitter
memories of the last Panchayat Elections marred with violence in mind, where
the ruling party won 34% of the seats uncontested, opposition parties demanded
the deployment of central forces, which has been accepted by the Calcutta High
Court, and after a series of deliberations, the State Election Commission has
asked the Central Government to deploy more than 800 companies of central
force.
Bengal Panchayat Polls: Central forces to stay for 10
days after results:
The Calcutta High Court
on Thursday directed that the Central forces will remain deployed across West
Bengal for 10 days after the panchayat poll results are declared on July 11 in
order “to ensure the safety of people and elected panchayat members”.
The Division Bench of
Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Uday Kumar passed the order while
hearing a plea of BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari
who sought deployment of Central forces in the state apprehending post-poll
violence.
The BJP leader had filed
a contempt petition against the State Election Commission (SEC) for not
following the High Court’s orders on the deployment of Central forces.
The matter is listed for
further hearing on July 10.
5) US ready to help
in Manipur if asked, says Garcetti; 'Never heard statement of this nature':
Cong leader:
US ambassador to India
Eric Garcetti said Manipur situation is of human concern and one does not have
to be an Indian to care for loss of lives in violence. On a question pertaining
to Manipur violence, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti who was in Kolkata on
Thursday said the US is ready to assist in any way if asked to resolve the
crisis and the northeast can't prosper without peace. Noting that this is an
internal matter of India, Eric Garcetti said the US does not have any strategic
concerns but it has human concerns. The comment drew a response from Congress
MP Manish Tewari who said it is very rare for a US envoy to make a statement
"of this nature about the internal affairs of India".
"You don't have to
be an Indian to care when children or individuals die in this sort of violence.
We know peace is a precedent for so many good things. There has been so much
progress in the Northeast and the East...We stand ready to assist in any way if
asked. We know it's an Indian matter and we pray for that peace and that it may
come quickly. Because we can bring more collaboration, more projects, more
investment if that peace is in place," Eric Garcetti said.
Manish Tewari referred
to earlier challenges in Punjab, J&K, Northeast and said the US ambassadors
were cautious. "We faced Challenges in Punjab, J&K , North East over
the decades and surmounted those with sagacity & wisdom. Even when Robin
Raphel would be loquacious on J&K in the 1990’s the US Ambassador’s (sic)
in India were circumspect," Manish Tewari tweeted.
"I doubt if the New
@USAmbIndia @ericgarcetti is cognisant of the convoluted & torturous
history of US-India relations & our sensitivity about interference
perceived or real, well intentioned or mal intentioned into our internal
affairs," the Congress leader added.
India never lectures the
US on gun violence, Manish Tewari told news agency ANI. “As far as the US
ambassador is concerned, the country faces several challenges but India has
never appreciated any statement for its internal matters. There is gun violence
in the US & several people are killed. We never told the US to learn from
us as to how to rein that in. US faces riots over racism. We never told them
that we will lecture them...Perhaps it is important for the new Ambassador to
take cognisance of the history of India-US relations,” the Congress MP said.
The situation in Manipur
remains tense with incidents of sporadic violence taking place in the state two
months after an ethnic violence broke out on May 3 between Meitei and other
communities in the state. More than 100 people have lost their lives and over
3,000 were injured in the months-long violence.
6) Mentally ill woman
shot dead in Manipur capital:
Woman was allegedly shot
and killed outside a school in Imphal West on July 6, only a day after classes
resumed across Manipur, according to sources
In Imphal West, Manipur,
a woman was tragically shot on Thursday morning at around 8:40 AM close to
Shishu Nishtha Niketan school, according to reports. The deceased has been
taken into custody by the police, who have also put her remains in the
mortuary. The victim's identity and the perpetrators' whereabouts is the
subject of their present investigations. Since the outbreak of ethnic violence
on May 3, 2023, all schools in Manipur have been closed. With daily reports of
acts of violence, arson, and vandalism, the situation in Manipur continues to
be tumultuous.
Manipur Violence: Supreme Court Declines To Entertain
Plea Against Internet Shutdown:
Their plea claimed that
the internet shutdown has significantly impacted the economic, humanitarian,
social and psychological aspects of the petitioners as well as their families
he Supreme Court on
Thursday declined to entertain a plea against the internet shutdowns imposed
several times in Manipur since May 3, when the ethnic violence was sparked,
saying the High Court was already looking into the matter. A bench of Chief
Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Mishra
inquired of Shadan Farasat, the advocate appearing for two Manipur residents,
why he did not appraoch the High Court where a division bench there is
considering the matter.
In reply, the counsel
submitted all the orders including the one related to a formation of an expert
committee passed by the High Court has been placed. He offered that the HC was
looking only looking at continuing with the ban.
The bench, however,
maintained that the moment it issued any notice in the matter, the High Court
would cease to look into the issue. It was contended by the counsel that the
issue of proportionality of measure has to be examined. However, as the court
showed did not show any inclination to examine the matter, the counsel said he
preferred to withdraw the petition. The petition was filed by Manipur residents
Chongtham Victor Singh and Mayengbam James, contending that the internet
shutdown was "grossly disproportionate" having affected the Manipur
residents’ constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, as well as
the right to carry on any trade or business. Their plea claimed that the
measure has significantly impacted the economic, humanitarian, social and
psychological aspects of the petitioners as well as their families.
coninued suspension of
the internet for the purpose of preventing rumour-mongering and the spread of
misinformation does not pass the threshold prescribed by the Telecom Suspension
Rules, 2017," the plea said. So far, over 120 people have lost their lives
and several hundred more were injured in the ethnic violence that continued in
Manipur after clashes were started in the northeastern state on May 3, soon
after a High Court judgement asking the government to consider granting
Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to the majority Meitei community.
7) Delhi HC summons
BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh in sexual harassment case:
A Delhi Court on Friday
summoned BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar after taking
cognisance of the chargesheet filed against them for alleged sexual harassment,
assault and stalking of six women wrestlers, Taking cognisance of the
chargesheet, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh
Jaspal directed Brij Bhushan to appear before the court on July 18.
8) MP Urination
Incident: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan washes feet of tribal man:
 |
| CM Shibraj shingh Chouhan of MP washes the feet of Tribal Victim |
In response to the
highly disturbing incident that involved a viral video showing a BJP leader
urinating on a tribal man's face in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan washed the feet of the victim, Dashrath Rawat, at the CM House
in Bhopal.
As reported by ANI,
Chouhan said, “I was pained to see that video. For me, the poor is God and
people are like God to me. Serving the people is equal to worshipping God. We
believe that God resides in every human being. I was pained by the inhuman
incident that happened with Dashmat Rawat...Respect and security is important
for the poor."
After a video depicting
the accused, Pravesh Shukla, urinating on the face of a tribal man went viral
on social media on Tuesday, CM Chouhan promptly acknowledged the incident and
issued orders for severe consequences. This included imposing the National
Security Act (NSA) against the accused, indicating a strong response to the
reprehensible act.
The incident has become
a major political talking point in the poll-bound state and sparked a huge
outrage.Earlier, the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Sidhi,
Anjulata Patle said, "We have taken the accused (Pravesh Shukla) into
custody. He is under interrogation. Further legal action in the matter will be
taken soon."
A case has been
registered against the accused under sections 294, 504 of the Indian Penal Code
and SC/ST Act.On the other hand, the opposition called this an ‘insult’ to
tribal communities. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that
the incident is an attack on tribal identity and an insult to great
personalities like Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.
In a video, Nath said,
"Today I am deeply saddened by the incidents of humiliation of tribal
people of Madhya Pradesh. One gets disturbed after seeing the video of a BJP
leader (Pravesh Shukla) urinating on a tribal man in Sidhi district. Has the
power hit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to such an extent that they
are not considering human beings as human?"Meanwhile, Congress Members of
the Legislative Assembly will meet the Governor on July 10 to take up the issue
of Dalit and tribal suppression in the state, ANI reported.
MLA and Congress working
President Jitu Patwari announced in a press conference on Wednesday and said
that Congress MLAs will meet the Governor on July 10 with a list of atrocities
committed on tribals and they will give a point-wise report to the Governor
Mangubhai C Patel."On July 10, under the leadership of Leader of
Opposition Govind Singh, all Congress MLAs will meet the Governor, will inform
him point-wise about the atrocities on tribals in Madhya Pradesh," Jitu
Patwari said in a press conference.
1) India vs Kuwait,
SAFF Championship final Highlights: India wins 5-4 in penalties; Sunil Chhetri
wins Golden Boot, Golden Ball:
 |
| Indian Football team celebrate after winning the SAFF Championship 2023 football, beat Kuwait in Finals, in Bengaluru on July 04, 2023 |
SAFF Championship Final,
India vs Kuwait Match: After five rounds of penalty kicks the scoreline
remained 4-4 and sudden death rule was applied.
 |
| Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, after winning the SAFF Championship 2023 football, beat Kuwait in Finals, in Bengaluru on July 04, 2023 |
Hosts India clinched the
SAFF Championships title for the ninth time after beating Kuwait 5-4 in a tense
penalty shootout after both sides were deadlocked 1-1 in 120 minutes in the
summit clash here on Tuesday.
After five rounds of
penalty kicks the scoreline remained 4-4 and sudden death rule was applied.
Mahesh Naorem scored but a diving India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved
Khaled Hajiah’s shot to hand victory the home side.
In the regulation time,
Shabaib Al Khaldi had put Kuwait in the lead in the 14th minute before
Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised in the 39th minute. Defending champion India
and Kuwait had also played out a 1-1 draw in their last group match.
2) Asian Kabaddi
Championship 2023: India beat Iran in final to win title:
India beat Iran 42-32 in
the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 at the Dong-Eui Institute of
Technology Seokdang Cultural Center in Busan, Republic of Korea, on Friday.
This was India’s eighth title in the last nine editions. Indian captain Pawan
Sehrawat led from the front with a super 10.
The Indian men’s kabaddi
team trailed Iran in the first five minutes of the game. However, a couple of
tackle points by the defenders and successful raids from Pawan Sehrawat and
Aslam Inamdar handed Iran their first all-out of the match in the 10th minute.
 |
| Indian kabaddi TEAM |
With momentum on their
side, the Indian kabaddi side quickly built on their lead riding on a splendid
all-round display. India, the defending champions, allowed Iran a few easy
bonus points but inflicted a second all-out on Iran in the 19th minute.
India went into the
second half leading 23-11. However, Iranian captain Mohammadreza Shadloui
Chiyaneh, with a two-point raid followed by a super raid, helped inflict the
first all-out on India in the 29th minute.
Iran reduced the deficit
to 38-31 with two minutes to go, making for a nervy end but India held on to
eke out a 42-32 win.Earlier in the day, India had beaten Hong Kong 64-20 to end
the league stage of the tournament undefeated.
Six teams - India, Iran,
Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong - participated in the Asian Kabaddi
Championships. India won all five matches in the league stage and topped the
points table. Iran came second, only losing to India in the league stage, and
made the final.While India’s biggest win in the league stage, a 76-13 victory,
came against Korea on the opening day of the tournament, their narrowest
victory of 33-28 came against Iran on Thursday.The next big challenge for the
Indian kabaddi teams will be the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from
September 23 to October 8. Iran, who beat India in the semi-finals in Jakarta
in 2018, will be the defending champions at the continental multi-sport
showpiece.
3) Novak Djokovic
and Iga Swiatek won at Wimbledon; protesters and rain captured the attention:
The developments at
Wimbledon included Novak Djokovic joining Roger Federer and Serena Williams as
the only players in tennis history to win 350 Grand Slam matches; a runner-up
two years ago, Karolina Pliskova, exiting in the first round against a
qualifier; a player seeded No 8, Maria Sakkari, taking the opening set 6-0 but
managing to lose.
Ho-hum. Those turned out
to be among the least unusual happenings around the All England Club on Day 3
of this year's tournament on Wednesday. That's because so much of the buzz
around the place concerned protests and, yes, rain.
Three environmental
activists were arrested for interrupting matches by making their way onto court
to toss orange confetti hidden in boxes for 1,000-piece Centre Court puzzles
sold at the tournament merchandise shops and attract attention to an anti-oil
organization.
"We've had enough
disruptions with the weather," four-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tim
Henman, a member of the board at the All England Club, said on the BBC
broadcast, "but to get a disruption like that is disappointing."
The showers that were so
problematic on Tuesday returned Wednesday, limiting the hours available for
competition and making everyone wait and wait and wait.
"Today was a bit
weird in the beginning, because there was supposed to be no rain, then it
started raining," said No 6 Holger Rune, who eliminated British wild-card
entry George Loffhagen 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2 in a first-rounder that was originally
supposed to be held Tuesday. "It was a little bit frustrating at the
end."
While four players who
got to play at the two arenas with retractable roofs already are into the third
round, including Djokovic and the No 1 woman, Iga Swiatek, there remain 14
entrants who have yet to contest a single point in the first round. That latter
group includes 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 2020 US Open runner-up
Alexander Zverev and Karolina Muchova, who lost to Swiatek in last month's
French Open final.
"For sure, it's
really comfortable," Swiatek said after beating Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2
6-0 at Centre Court. "I'm happy that my matches were scheduled under the
roof, so I always was certain that it's going to actually happen. It's a little
bit easier to prepare knowing that."The others moving into the third round
were Jannik Sinner and Daria Kasatkina.
Djokovic, owner of a
men's-record 23 Grand Slam trophies, was two points from dropping the second
set against Jordan Thompson before sealing that tiebreaker with an ace, then
jutting his right index finger against his temple while strutting to the
sideline along the way to winning 6-3 7-6(4) 7-5.Seeking a record-tying eighth
Wimbledon championship, and record-tying fifth in a row, he was on Centre Court
where he's won 41 times in a row and so did not need to deal with the sorts of
stops and starts endured by players such as Americans Taylor Fritz, the No. 9
seed, and Frances Tiafoe, who is No. 10.
Fritz's first-round
match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany was suspended midway through the
fifth set all the way back on Monday and never resumed Tuesday. So Fritz did a
lot of stewing until he finally was able to get back on No. 2 Court to wrap up
his 6-4 2-6 6-4 7-5 6-3 triumph."It's tough to kind of just be sitting on
that, thinking about it for like two days. You're potentially (with) 15 minutes
left in a match at the very end of it, and for it to be a Grand Slam, fifth set,
it kind of adds to it," Fritz said. "I spent most of the time sitting
on the bench near my locker in the locker room, just like on my phone, like
YouTube videos, whatever. Just killing time."
Tiafoe seemed a lot less
fussed. He and Wu Yibing of China were originally due to play Tuesday, but
began Wednesday. Tiafoe won 7-6(4) 6-3 6-4.
"It's just
laughable stuff," Tiafoe said. "I ate a little bit, listened to
music, and cracked jokes with other players. There's not really much to do.
It's not like I can go catch a movie or something. I mean, there's not much
going on. Just chilling, honestly."Wound up going five sets and nearly
four hours on No. 2 Court before Tsitsipas delivered one last forehand winner
to close out his 3-6 7-6(1) 6-2 6-7(5) 7-6 (10-8) win.
4) Sabalenka power
sweeps Jabeur away in Wimbledon 2023
 |
| Sabalenka |
In a titanic battle
between power and finesse, No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka overwhelmed Ons Jabeur
with a constant barrage of huge hitting on Centre Court on Tuesday to move into
the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
Sabalenka saved six of
seven break points and fired 26 winners during her 6-4, 6-3 success over No.21
seed Jabeur to set up a last-four showdown with Czech No.8 seed and former
world No.1 Karolina Pliskova.
“I’m really happy with
this win, it’s always tough matches against Ons and she’s such a great player
and an amazing person, so it’s tough to play against her, and I’m really happy
that I could beat her today,” said an elated Sabalenka on court after her
victory.
“Guys you make this
place special, thank you so much for the support. The atmosphere was
unbelievable today.”
5) PV Sindhu,
Lakshya Sen enter quarterfinals of Canada Open:
Sindhu advanced to the
last eight after her opponent Natsuki Nidaira of Japan gave her a walkover, Sen
notched up a 21-15 21-11 win over Brazil's Ygor Coelho.
Star Indian shuttlers PV
Sindhu and Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the women's and men's
singles competitions respectively at the Canada Open Super 500 tournament. Star
Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of
the women's and men's singles competitions respectively at the Canada Open
Super 500 tournament.
While Sindhu advanced to
the last eight after her opponent Natsuki Nidaira of Japan gave her a walkover,
Sen notched up a 21-15 21-11 win over Brazil's Ygor Coelho in 31 minutes.
Sindhu will face 2022
Indonesia Masters champion Gao Fang Jie, who had played an important role in
China's win at the Asia Mixed Team Championships this year.
Sen, who is a
Commonwealth Games gold medallist, takes on Belgium's Julien Carraggi.
However, Krishna Prasad
Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala couldn't cross the pre-quarterfinal
stage, going down 9-21 11-21 to Indonesian second seed and world number 7
Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.Sen has been slowly regaining his touch
after going through a lean patch early in the season.On Thursday, Sen faced a
tough battle against Coelho, who erased a 0-2 deficit with a four-point burst
and then kept it tight. The duo moved neck and neck till 13-13 when Sen managed
to march ahead and sealed the contest after jumping to 20-15 with a five-point
burst.
1) IB71
Following its successful
theatrical run, the gripping spy thriller drama IB71 has generated significant
buzz as it gears up for its digital release. The film, led by the talented
Vidyut Jammwal, delves into a critical covert mission undertaken by the Intelligence
Bureau of India. With high stakes and the lives of many hanging in the balance,
the protagonist's exceptional skills become crucial in supporting the Indian
armed forces against a formidable enemy. The film's imminent arrival on an OTT
platform has generated immense anticipation among viewers.
Starring Vidyut Jammwal,
Vishal Jethwa, Faizan Khan, Anupam Kher, Ashwath Bhatt, Danny Sura, Suvrat
Joshi, Dalip Tahil, Hobby Dhaliwal, Mir Sarwar, Niharica Raizada, Sahidur
Rahaman, Pyarali Nayani, Amit Anand Raut, Rajat Roy, Narinder Bhutani, and
Shabana Khan, IB71 is a power-packed thriller. Directed by Sankalp Reddy and
produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, and others, this film is set to make
its mark on the OTT platform, delivering an exhilarating and suspenseful
experience. Keep an eye out for its release on Disney+ Hotstar on July 7, 2023.
2) Sweet Kaaram
Coffee
Prepare to be enthralled
by the heartwarming series Sweet Kaaram Coffee, which will be available for
streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Created by Reshma Ghatala, this unique show
spans eight episodes and is also available in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and
Hindi. The series revolves around three women from different generations who
find themselves sharing a home under unusual circumstances. This extraordinary
situation compels these individuals to prioritize their own needs and desires
over the conventional bonds that tie them to others. Sweet Kaaram Coffee serves
as an inspiring and uplifting exploration of the human spirit.
Featuring a talented
cast including Lakshmi Madhoo, Santhy Balachandran, Bala Suresh, Kavin Jay
Babu, Dev, Vamsi Krishna, Samyuktha Viswanathan, and Alexx O’Nell, Sweet Kaaram
Coffee offers a compelling and relatable portrayal of diverse characters.
Directed by Bejoy Nambiar and produced by Lion Tooth Studios, this series
promises to be a captivating journey that explores the complexities of
relationships and self-discovery. Look out for its premiere on Amazon Prime
Video on July 6, 2023.
3) Blind
Inspired by a popular
South Korean crime drama of the same name, the upcoming film Blind stars the
incredibly talented Sonam Kapoor Ahuja. Set to premiere on Jio Cinema in July
2023, this film marks Sonam Kapoor Ahuja's highly anticipated comeback. The
story revolves around a blind police officer who embarks on a relentless
pursuit of a serial killer. With its intriguing premise and thrilling
narrative, Blind promises to be an engaging and riveting cinematic experience.
Featuring a stellar cast
including Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak, Lillete Dubey, Shubham
Saraf, Lucy Aarden, Javed Khan, and more, Blind is poised to captivate
audiences. Directed by Shome Makhija and produced by Sujoy Ghosh, this film
combines elements of mystery, suspense, and crime, offering an enthralling
journey into the depths of darkness. Don't miss the opportunity to watch Blind
exclusively on Jio Cinema OTT from July 7, 2023.
4) The Horrors of
Dolores Roach
In The Horrors of
Dolores Roach, Justina Machado breathes life into the character of Dolores
Roach, who spent sixteen years in prison before being released. Returning to a
gentrified Washington Heights, she reconnects with Luis, an old friend from her
past, played by Alejandro Hernandez. Luis grants Dolores permission to live and
work as a masseuse in the basement of his empanada restaurant. However, when
Dolores' newfound stability is suddenly endangered, she is driven to terrifying
extremes in order to survive.
Each installment of the
series serves as its own self-contained mini-story, delving into the depths of
Dolores Roach's journey. The Horrors of Dolores Roach, available on Amazon
Prime Video, is a gripping and chilling exploration of one woman's descent into
darkness.
Starring Justina
Machado, Alejandro Hernandez, Kita Updike, K. Todd Freeman, Judy Reyes, Marc
Maron, Jean Yoon, Jeffery Self, Ilan Eskenazi, Jessica Pimentel, Jimmy Alvarez,
Maureen Cassidy, Anthony Grant, Alanna Bale, Mike Taylor, Edsson Morales,
Emilio Virguez, Bryan Fuller, and more, this series boasts a talented ensemble cast.
Under the direction of Aaron Mark and produced by Gloria Calderon Kellet, The
Horrors of Dolores Roach is set to leave viewers on the edge of their seats
with its spine-tingling suspense. Prepare to embark on a thrilling and twisted
journey when the series premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 7, 2023.
5) Adhura
Strange events take
place in the Nilgiri Valley School that seem to be connected to Vedant, a
10-year-old new student. When the batch of 2007 returns for its reunion,
Adhiraj Jaisingh, an ex-student must face what he did fifteen years ago. But
things take a horrifying turn when Vedant and Adhiraj's paths collide. A dark
secret begins to reveal itself threatening the lives of everyone on campus.
Release Date: July 7,
2023
OTT platform: Amazon Prime
Genre: Horror
Language: Hindi
Cast: Rasika Dugal,
Ishwak Singh, Shrenik Arora, Poojan Chhabra
Book Of This Week :
Invisible Empire:
The Natural History of Viruses By Pranay Lal:
This is a book that
defies categorisation. It brings together science, history and great
storytelling to paint a fascinating picture of viruses as a major actor, not
just in human civilisation but also in the human body. With rare photographs,
paintings, illustrations and anecdotes, it is a magnificent and an extremely
relevant book for our times, when we are attempting to understand viruses and
examining their role in the lives of humans.
Pranay Lal
is a renowned biochemist
who works in the spheres of public health and the environment. He has been a
caricaturist for newspapers, an animator for an advertising agency, and an
environmental campaigner. His first book, Indica: A Deep Natural History of the
Indian Subcontinent, won the 2017 Tata Lit Prize and the World Book Fair Award,
among others, and was named by Mint Lounge as one of the fifty must-read books
about India since Independence. In his latest book, Invisible Empire: The
Natural History of Viruses, released in 2021, Pranay brings together science,
history, and storytelling to paint a fascinating picture of viruses as major
actors not only in human civilization but also in the human body
Read the Kalki Stories Of The Weeks:
KALKIMANAB : THE ULTIMATE SUPERHERO OF INDIA
SUPERHERO KALKIMANAB WEEKLY SERIAL STORY: KALKIMANAB VS DURJOY DAMANI:
Nature Magazine
National Geographic
Cartoon Games
History Channel
Online Movies
Scientific American
Filmfare Mag
Online Britannica
Time Mag
Unexplained Mysteries
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