1) Bacteria fossils
hold the oldest signs of machinery needed for photosynthesis :By Tina Hesman
Saey
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| Cyanobacteria, like these ocean-dwelling Prochlorococcus, invented photosynthesis billions of years ago. Now, scientists have fossil evidence of the structures needed to turn sunlight into chemical energy in some ancient cyanobacteria. |
Ancient tiny fossils
from Australia may carry evidence of great power: the ability to make oxygen
through photosynthesis.
The fossilized bacteria,
dating from 1.73 billion to 1.78 billion years ago, are chock-full of
structures that resemble those where oxygen-producing photosynthesis takes
place in most modern cyanobacteria and in plants. Called thylakoid membranes,
the structures are the oldest ever found, researchers report January 3 in
Nature. The finding pushes back the evidence of thylakoids in cyanobacteria by
1.2 billion years.
Cyanobacteria’s
invention of photosynthesis is responsible for the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.
“So they’re a big deal,” says Woodward Fischer, a geobiologist at Caltech who
was not involved finding the thylakoid membranes. And “this is the kind of
information that I thought we were not going to be able to pull out of
fossils,” he says.
Most fossils preserve
mineralized tissues such as bone or shells, but bacteria don’t contain such
mineral structures. These fossils are “just compressions of carbon” squished
into mud, Fischer says. To find the bacteria preserved is impressive enough,
but the new fossils reveal complex structures inside the microscopic bacteria.
“It suggests this kind of future where we might be able to pull more
information, more cell biology and morphological detail out of these minuscule
fossils,” he says.
Researchers already had
indirect evidence from genetics and chemical studies that cyanobacteria had
developed thylakoids by the time these fossilized bacteria lived, says Patricia
Sanchez-Baracaldo, an evolutionary microbiologist at the University of Bristol
in England (SN: 9/8/15). Still, exactly when the structures evolved is hotly
debated (SN: 3/2/17). So it’s exciting to see fossil evidence of such old
thylakoids, says Sanchez-Baracaldo, who was not involved in the work. “Any
evidence that you have from that time period is important because the fossil
record is really very sparse.”
 |
| Researchers found microscopic fossils of cyanobacteria dubbed Navifusa majensis (left) in 1.73 billion- to 1.78 billion-year-old shale from Australia). A peek inside the fossils revealed black horizontal lines indicating the bacterium contained stacks of membranes known as thylakoids (right) like those in modern bacteria and plants where oxygen-producing photosynthesis takes place. |
Some researchers think
that thylakoids may have evolved before the Great Oxidation Event around 2.4
billion years ago (SN: 12/11/19). Prior to that event, there were whiffs of
oxygen here and there in the atmosphere, but it took the concentrated action of
photosynthetic bacteria to send Earth’s oxygen levels skyrocketing. Stacks of
thylakoids within cyanobacteria may have multiplied the bacteria’s oxygen
production.
During the period when
the now-fossilized cyanobacteria lived, oxygen levels in Earth’s atmosphere had
plummeted again to a fraction of today’s levels, Sanchez-Baracaldo says. The
fossils hint that there may have been small pockets where oxygen was abundant
and could have fostered the evolution of the ancestors of plants and animals.
Many rocks that might
harbor such fossils have been compressed and “cooked” destroying delicate
intracellular structures like thylakoids, says Emmanuelle Javaux, an
astrobiologist at the University of Liège in Belgium.
“We didn’t know that
they could be preserved in such old microfossils,” she says. But she has no
doubt that the dark lines stacked through tiny sausage-shaped cells represent
thylakoids. “It cannot be something else, actually. This arrangement is very
unique to cyanobacteria with thylakoids,” she says.Javaux and colleagues found
the oldest thylakoid-like structures in microfossils in shale from Australia.
The structures were also present in about 1 billion-year-old fossils from
Canada, but not in 1 billion-year-old ones from Congo. The rocks from Congo
experienced slightly higher temperatures than the others, which may have
destroyed fossil evidence of thylakoids. Or maybe those fossils are
cyanobacteria that never evolved the structures or are another type of microbe
entirely.
The researchers can’t
tell from the fossils whether the Australian and Canadian cyanobacteria are
direct ancestors of living species, Javaux says, but they are almost certainly
cousins. The team hopes to investigate even older rocks from before the Great
Oxidation Event for even more ancient evidence of thylakoids.
2) Evolution is not
as random as previously thought, finds new study : by University of Nottingham
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| IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The coincident relationships of predictable genes and their predictors. The nodes are gene families, or groups of gene families with the same PAP, and the edges are coincidence relationships with the arrow pointing at the node whose presence is predicted by the otherCredit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304934120 |
A new study has found
that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow
scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues
such as antibiotic resistance, disease, and climate change. The study, which is
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),
challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution and
has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its
evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical
accidents.
 |
| Professor James McInerney |
The study was led by
Professor James McInerney and Dr. Alan Beavan from the School of Life Sciences
at the University of Nottingham, and Dr. Maria Rosa Domingo-Sananes from
Nottingham Trent University.
"The implications
of this research are nothing short of revolutionary," said Professor
McInerney, the lead author of the study. "By demonstrating that evolution
is not as random as we once thought, we've opened the door to an array of
possibilities in synthetic biology, medicine, and environmental science."
 |
| A pangenome identifies which portions of the genome are unique and which overlap and are therefore core to the species. |
The team carried out an
analysis of the pangenome—the complete set of genes within a given species, to
answer a critical question of whether evolution is predictable or whether the
evolutionary paths of genomes are dependent on their history and so not
predictable today. Using a machine learning approach known as Random Forest,
along with a dataset of 2,500 complete genomes from a single bacterial species,
the team carried out several hundred thousand hours of computer processing to
address the question.
The coining of the
“pangenome” Around 2005,
geneticists started to explore the concept of the pangenome, originally defined
as the entire set of genes possessed by all members of a particular species and
then extended to refer to a collection of all the DNA sequences that occur in a
species.
After feeding the data
into their high-performance computer, the team first made "gene
families" from each of the gene of each genome.
"In this way, we
could compare like-with-like across the genomes," said Dr.
Domingo-Sananes.Once the families had been identified, the team analyzed the
pattern of how these families were present in some genomes and absent in
others."We found that some gene families never turned up in a genome when
a particular other gene family was already there, and on other occasions, some
genes were very much dependent on a different gene family being present."In
effect, the researchers discovered an invisible ecosystem where genes can
cooperate or can be in conflict with one another.
"These interactions
between genes make aspects of evolution somewhat predictable and furthermore,
we now have a tool that allows us to make those predictions," adds Dr.
Domingo-Sananes.Dr. Beavan said, "From this work, we can begin to explore
which genes 'support' an antibiotic resistance gene, for example. Therefore, if
we are trying to eliminate antibiotic resistance, we can target not just the
focal gene, but we can also target its supporting genes.
"We can use this
approach to synthesize new kinds of genetic constructs that could be used to
develop new drugs or vaccines. Knowing what we now know has opened the door to
a whole host of other discoveries."The implications of the research are
far-reaching and could lead to:Novel Genome Design—allowing scientists to
design synthetic genomes and providing a roadmap for the predictable
manipulation of genetic material.
Combating Antibiotic
Resistance—Understanding the dependencies between genes can help identify the
'supporting cast' of genes that make antibiotic resistance possible, paving the
way for targeted treatments.
Climate Change
Mitigation—Insights from the study could inform the design of microorganisms
engineered to capture carbon or degrade pollutants, thereby contributing to
efforts to combat climate change.
Medical Applications—The
predictability of gene interactions could revolutionize personalized medicine
by providing new metrics for disease risk and treatment efficacy.
The implications of this
research are nothing short of revolutionary. By demonstrating that evolution is
not as random as we once thought, we've opened the door to an array of
possibilities in synthetic biology, medicine, and environmental science."
Professor James
McInerney, lead author of the study
3) 'Giant' predator
worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland :by
University of Bristol
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| A reconstruction of the pelagic ecosystem and the organisms fossilised in Sirius Passet, revealing how Timorebestia was one of the largest predators in the water column more than 518 million years ago |
"We have previously
known that primitive arthropods were the dominant predators during the Cambrian,
such as the bizarre-looking anomalocaridids," said Dr. Jakob Vinther from
the University of Bristol's Schools of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences,
a senior author on the study. "However, Timorebestia is a distant, but
close, relative of living arrow worms, or chaetognaths. These are much smaller
ocean predators today that feed on tiny zooplankton."
 |
| Fossil of Timorebestia kopr the largest known specimen, almost 30 cm or 12 inches long Credit Dr Jakob Vinther |
"Our research shows
that these ancient ocean ecosystems were fairly complex, with a food chain that
allowed for several tiers of predators."
"Timorebestia were
giants of their day and would have been close to the top of the food chain.
That makes it equivalent in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern
oceans, such as sharks and seals back in the Cambrian period."
Inside the fossilized
digestive system of Timorebestia, the researchers found remains of a common,
swimming arthropod called Isoxys. "We can see these arthropods were a food
source for many other animals," said Morten Lunde Nielsen, a former Ph.D.
student at Bristol and part of the current study.
"They are very
common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines, pointing both forwards
and backwards. However, they clearly didn't completely succeed in avoiding that
fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities."
Arrow worms are one of
the oldest animal fossils from the Cambrian. While arthropods appear in the
fossil record about 521 to 529 million years ago, arrow worms can be traced
back at least 538 million years back in time.Dr. Vinther explained, "Both
arrow worms, and the more primitive Timorebestia, were swimming predators. We
can therefore surmise that in all likelihood they were the predators that
dominated the oceans before arthropods took off. Perhaps they had a dynasty of
about 10–15 million years before they got superseded by other, and more
successful, groups."
Luke Parry from Oxford
University, who was part of the study, added, "Timorebestia is a really
significant find for understanding where these jawed predators came from.
Today, arrow worms have menacing bristles on the outside of their heads for
catching prey, whereas Timorebestia has jaws inside its head.""This
is what we see in microscopic jaw worms today—organisms that arrow worms shared
an ancestor with over half a billion years ago. Timorebestia and other fossils
like it provide links between closely related organisms that today look very
different."
Our discovery firms up
how arrow worms evolved," added Tae Yoon Park from the Korean Polar
Research Institute, the other senior author and field expedition leader.
"Living arrow worms have a distinct nervous center on their belly, called
a ventral ganglion. It is entirely unique to these animals."
"We have found this
preserved in Timorebestia and another fossil called Amiskwia. People have
debated whether or not Amiskwia was closely related to arrow worms as part of
their evolutionary stem lineage. The preservation of these unique ventral
ganglia gives us a great deal more confidence in this hypothesis."
 |
| The fossilized worm offers new insight into ancient swimming carnivores Jakob Vinther University of Bristol |
"We are very
excited to have discovered such unique predators in Sirius Passet. Over a
series of expeditions to the very remote Sirius Passet in the furthest reaches
of North Greenland, more than 82,5˚ north, we have collected a great diversity
of exciting new organisms. Thanks to the remarkable, exceptional preservation
in Sirius Passet, we can also reveal exciting anatomical details, including
their digestive system, muscle anatomy, and nervous systems."
"We have many more
exciting findings to share in the coming years that will help show how the earliest
animal ecosystems looked like and evolved," Dr. Park concluded.
4) Evolutionary
'U-turn' may mitigate antibiotic resistance, study finds :by Silvia Dropulich,
Monash University
 |
| Experimental evolution with HGT in antibiotic free conditions. Credit Nature Ecology & Evolution |
In a scientific
breakthrough, Monash University researchers have discovered a revolutionary
"U-turn" in the evolution of antibiotic resistance, challenging the
widely accepted notion that traits once developed are irreversible. The
finding, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has far-reaching
implications for the battle against antibiotic resistance, a global health
crisis threatening the efficacy of medications.
Dollo's Law, considered
a fundamental principle in evolutionary biology, posits that traits, once lost,
cannot be regained."Our study challenges this idea by uncovering the
first-known example of molecular reverse evolution in antibiotic
resistance," said the study's lead author, Associate Professor Mike
McDonald, from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences.The study
explores the potential of undoing detrimental traits, such as antibiotic
resistance, through a mechanism called horizontal gene transfer (HGT).The
bacterium Helicobacter pylori was the focal point of the experiment due to its
capacity to exchange DNA by HGT. The research team tracked and sequenced
genetic alterations in real-time across independent bacterial populations.
In some of these groups,
they found the antibiotic-resistant gene variant reverted to its sensitive
original form, marking a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of evolutionary
biology."Imagine a scenario where infections lose their damaging
characteristics, like antibiotic resistance, effectively returning to their
original state," said Associate Professor McDonald."This research
opens up new possibilities in our fight against antibiotic resistance, and
reinforces the importance of responsible antibiotic stewardship our approach to
antibiotic and insecticide stewardship."The study also sheds light on the
role of recombination, the shuffling and exchanging of genetic material, in
facilitating this evolutionary U-turn. Populations with lower rates of
recombination evolved a hyper-recombination phenotype, speeding up the rate at
which bacteria exchange DNA, and reversed antibiotic resistance.To further
understand the dynamics of natural selection and HGT, the researchers
constructed a population genetic model. Mathematical simulations revealed that
while the costs of resistance are substantial, a moderate to high levels of HGT
could make populations that were resistant to antibiotics, susceptible
again.The study challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding irreversible
traits and presents a new avenue for combating antibiotic resistance."This
research could redefine our strategies against antibiotic resistance, offering
hope for a future where we can mitigate the spread of detrimental traits and
potentially restore the effectiveness of anti-microbial drugs," Associate
Professor McDonald said.
5) HKDC1 protein
found crucial to maintaining two mitochondria subcellular structures, mitochondria
and lysosomes :by Osaka University
 |
| Both mitochondrial and lysosomal stress stimulate TFEB nuclear translocation, followed by increased HKDC1 expression. HKDC1 stabilizes PINK1 through interaction with TOM70, thereby facilitating PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Additionally, HKDC1 and the VDAC proteins with which it interacts are important for repair of damaged lysosomes and maintaining mitochondria–lysosome contact. HKDC1 prevents DNA damage–induced cellular senescence by maintaining mitochondrial and lysosomal homeostasis. Credit: 2024 Cui et al., HKDC1, a target of TFEB, is essential to maintain both mitochondrial and lysosomal homeostasis, preventing cellular senescence |
Just as healthy organs
are vital to our well-being, healthy organelles are vital to the proper
functioning of the cell. These subcellular structures carry out specific jobs
within the cell; for example, mitochondria power the cell, and lysosomes keep
the cell tidy. Although damage to these two organelles has been linked to
aging, cellular senescence, and many diseases, the regulation and maintenance
of these organelles have remained poorly understood. Now, researchers at Osaka
University have identified a protein, HKDC1, that plays a key role in
maintaining these two organelles, thereby acting to prevent cellular aging.
 |
There was evidence that
a protein called TFEB is involved in maintaining the function of both organelles,
but no targets of this protein were known. By comparing all the genes of the
cell that are active under particular conditions and by using a method called
chromatin immunoprecipitation, which can identify the DNA targets of proteins,
the team was the first to show that the gene encoding HKDC1 is a direct target
of TFEB, and that HKDC1 becomes upregulated under conditions of mitochondrial
or lysosomal stress.
 |
| Osaka University research highlights the protein HKDC1’s critical role in preserving mitochondria and lysosomes, thus preventing cellular aging and related diseases. This finding opens potential new therapeutic approaches for aging-related conditions. Credit: SciTechDaily.com |
One way that
mitochondria are protected from damage is through the process of
"mitophagy", the controlled removal of damaged mitochondria. There
are various mitophagy pathways, and the most well-characterized of these
depends on proteins called PINK1 and Parkin.
"We observed that
HKDC1 co-localizes with a protein called TOM20, which is located in the outer
membrane of the mitochondria," explains lead author Mengying Cui,
"and through our experiments, we found that HKDC1, and its interaction
with TOM20, are critical for PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy." So, put
simply, HKDC1 is brought in by TFEB to help take out the mitochondrial trash.
But what about lysosomes? Well, TFEB and KHDC1 are key players here, too.
Reducing HKDC1 in the cell was shown to interfere with lysosomal repair,
indicating that HKDC1 and TFEB help lysosomes to recover from damage.
"HKDC1 is localized
to the mitochondria, right? Well, this turns out to also be critical for the
process of lysosomal repair," explains senior author Shuhei Nakamura.
"You see, lysosomes and mitochondria contact each other via proteins called
VDACs. Specifically, HKDC1 is responsible for interacting with the VDACs; this
protein is essential for mitochondria–lysosome contact, and thus, lysosomal
repair."
These two diverse
functions of HKDC1, with key roles in both the lysosome and the mitochondria,
help to prevent cellular senescence by simultaneously maintaining the stability
of these two organelles. As dysfunction of these organelles is linked to aging
and age-related diseases, this discovery opens new avenues for therapeutic
approaches to these diseases.
) Adani Hindenburg
Case Updates: SC directs Sebi to complete probe within 3 months in remaining
two cases
Adani Hindenburg Case
Updates: SC directs Sebi to complete probe within 3 months in remaining two
cases The Supreme Court today delivered its judgment on a bunch of petitions
seeking an investigation into allegations of accounting fraud and stock manipulation
against Adani group companies, published in a research report by US
short-seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud
pronounced the verdict in the case that was reserved on November 24 after the
conclusion of the arguments.
The top court said that
cannot enter into the domain of the regulatory regime and that the report by
Hindenburg “or anything like that” cannot become the basis of a separate probe.
It also directed the
Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to go ahead and continue its
probe as per the law.
Here's more on the Adani-Hindenburg case:
Hindenburg’s report,
which was published in January 2023,
claimed “brazen
accounting fraud” and “stock manipulation” by the Gautam Adani-led group.
Even though the conglomerate
rejected the report as “unresearched” and “maliciously mischievous”, it
triggered a massive rout of Adani group stocks, which lost over $140 billion in
days and forced the cancellation of a ₹20,000 crore share sale.
In March, the Supreme
Court set up a six-member panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge AM Sapre,
to look into regulatory failure by Sebi and alleged breach of laws by the Adani
group. However, in its report submitted two months later, the committee said
the allegations of stock price manipulation or violation of MPS norms by Adani
group companies cannot be proved “at this stage”.
At the same time, the panel raised certain red flags regarding the current Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) regulations.
 |
| Opposition parties undertake a protest march demanding a JPC probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, on March 24, 2023 |
In November, the top
court observed that it would not be proper for the court to appoint an SIT to
look into alleged violations of MPS norms by Adani group companies without
there being evidence of lapses on the part of the Sebi, which is already
investigating the matter.
Senior advocate Mukul
Rohatgi on SC verdict
Senior advocate Mukul
Rohatgi says, "It is the complete exoneration of the Adani group. The
court has trusted the SEBI investigation. The Court has said that it trusts
SEBI & it does not warrant any CBI or and police probe as demanded in 4
petitions. No material was found to warrant any other investigation."
Clean chit to
Adani,’ says conglomerate's lawyer
"Since the Supreme
Court has taken a view that the report on 20 out of 22 transactions is clear, I
think it is a clean chit to Adani definitely, and there is no doubt about
that," Siddharth Luthra, the advocate of Adani Group, tells PTI.
Adani Group
comapnies shares surge after verdict
After the Supreme Court
disregarded the report submitted by Hindenburg on Adani Group, the share prices
of multiple firms under the conglomerate spiked by a cumulative 18% during the
early trade hours of Wednesday.
This was despite both
Sensex and Nifty falling flat during the market opening bell.
Here's what
Congress said on SC verdict
Congress MP Manish
Tewari tells PTI: “I have not read the SC order in detail but they have
directed the Sebi to complete their investigation in two months. The fact
remains that the allegations made in the Hindenburg report came into the public
space a year ago and if the Sebi had been vigilant or they would have been
swift, the investigation would have been completed a long time
What all SC said
The Supreme Court of
India on Wednesday refused to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into
allegations levelled by American short-seller Hindenburg against the Adani
Group. It, however, asked SEBI to complete its probe into the pending two cases
against the Gautam Adani-led conglomerate within three months
2) India's first
solar observatory Aditya L1 in its final orbit now
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| This strategic position at Langrage L1 enables uninterrupted observation of the Sun, |
Aditya L1, India's
maiden solar observatory, entered the ‘Halo orbit’ around the Lagrange L1 point
on Saturday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Aditya L1, the
country's maiden solar observatory, entered the ‘Halo orbit’ around the Lagrange
L1 point on Saturday, marking another significant milestone for the space
agency after Chandrayaan-3's moon landing on the south pole! Since its launch
nearly four months ago in September, the spacecraft, equipped with seven
payloads, has reached a distance of approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
This strategic position
enables uninterrupted observation of the Sun, providing scientists with an
unobstructed view to study solar activities and their effects on space weather
in real-time The primary goal is to delve into the physics of the solar corona
and its heating mechanisms, solar wind acceleration, the dynamics of the solar
atmosphere, distribution and temperature anisotropy of solar wind, and the
origins of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and flares, along with near-earth space
weather.
Following the final
orbit injection, ISRO stated that the selected halo orbit ensures a mission
lifespan of five years. This orbit minimises the need for station-keeping
manoeuvers, reducing fuel consumption and facilitating a continuous, unhindered
view of the Sun. ISRO's statement confirmed the successful Halo-Orbit Insertion
(HOI) of the Aditya-L1 solar observatory spacecraft around 4 pm on Saturday.
The manoeuvre's final phase involved a brief firing of control engines.
3) Mahua Moitra's
‘thok dijiye’ jibe at Yogi Adityanath over accused's photos:
Two months after a woman
student was allegedly gang-raped inside the IIT-BHU campus in UP, police on
Sunday arrested three men. Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress took a swipe
at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the alleged involvement of
local Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in the gang-rape of an IIT-BHU student,
asking how much time will it take to run a bulldozer on their properties.
“Wonder Ajay Bisht aka
@myogiadityanath was doing since Nov 2nd when his BJP Troll Sena aka IT cell
vaanars gang -raped a woman. Thok dijiye, Sir. Is Baar Bulldozer Chalaane Mein
Itni Der Kyon?” the expelled TMC MP wrote on X (formally Twitter) while sharing
pictures of the accused with Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath, after taking
over as the chief minister in 2017, had said in an interview: “Agar aparadh
karenge, toh thok diye jayenge (if anyone commits a crime, he will be shot
dead).” His ‘thok do’ policy has led to a number of ‘encounters’ of alleged
criminals in the state in the last three years.
Two months after a woman
student was allegedly gang-raped inside the IIT-BHU campus in Uttar Pradesh,
police on Sunday arrested three men, while opposition parties alleged that they
were BJP functionaries. The three accused claimed themselves to be the BJP's IT
cell members on their Facebook page.
On Monday, the Congress
also took a dig at the BJP, saying the ruling party works exactly opposite of
its slogan 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. Addressing a press conference at
Congress headquarters in Delhi, Mahila Congress chief Netta D'Souza said the
truth is that it has become "Balatkaari (rapist) Janata Party" for
women.
Congress leader from
Uttar Pradesh Dolly Sharma at the press conference also hit out at the BJP.
"Home minister Amit
Shah used to state that even if you search with binoculars in Uttar Pradesh,
criminals will not be found. There is no need for binoculars, because you have
the culprits sitting next to you," news agency PTI quoted Sharma as
saying.
Sharma said bulldozers
were not seen going to the houses of these criminals in Uttar Pradesh.
Opposition parties have targeted Yogi Adityanath government over the law and
order situation in the state and alleged that those arrested in the case have
links with the ruling BJP.
IIT-BHU rape case: What
we know so far
SHO of Lanka police
station Shivakant Mishra said the accused have been identified as Kunal Pandey,
Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel.
The alleged incident of
rape occurred on the night of November 1.
According to the
complainant, she had gone out of her hostel with a friend when three men on a
motorcycle forcibly took her to a corner and gagged her after separating her
from her friend near the Karman Baba temple.
The accused then
allegedly stripped the woman, made a video of her and took photos. They let her
go after about 15 minutes and took her phone number, the complainant stated.
On the basis of the
victim's complaint, an FIR has been registered under section 354 (assault or
criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC and
under provisions of the Information Technology Act at the Lanka police station.
Subsequently, a section
of gangrape was also added to the case, police said.
4) Uddhav Thackeray
emerging as a key player in INDIA?
 |
| Ever since he parted ways with the BJP in 2019, Uddhav Thackeray has been periodically reaching out to regional satraps such as Kejriwal, Banerjee, Nitish Kumar and M K Stalin. |
Uddhav Thackeray is
emerging as a key player in the INDIA coalition, holding closed-door chats with
AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. The developments of the
past few weeks indicate that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is emerging
as a key player in the INDIA coalition. On the sidelines of the opposition
bloc’s meeting in Delhi this week, Thackeray had a closed-door chat with AAP
chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the trouble the AAP is
facing in forging an alliance with Congress in Delhi and Punjab. Thackeray also
had discussions with Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee on the concerns among INDIA allies that things such as seat-sharing
and setting the agenda for theLok Sabha campaign are not moving at a faster pace.
According to his close aides, Thackeray has been raising these issues with
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“If we are part of a
coalition against BJP, we also have a lot at stake. We have to ensure that
things happen the way we would like them to. Unlike Kejriwal and Banerjee,
Thackeray does not have an uneasy relation with Congress. Hence, he is trying
to resolve certain issues,” said a top Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.
Ever since he parted
ways with the BJP in 2019, Thackeray has been periodically reaching out to
regional satraps such as Kejriwal, Banerjee, Nitish Kumar and M K Stalin. His
son, Aaditya too has been keeping in touch with leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav
in Uttar Pradesh and Tejasvi Yadav in Bihar. Thackeray also shares cordial
relations with the Congress top brass. Significantly, it was Shiv Sena (UBT)
which was the first to demand that there should be a convenor or coordinator
for the INDIA coalition. Thackeray also apparently supported the name of Kharge
for the position
Gadkari’s straight-talk
Union minister Nitin
Gadkari is known for not mincing his words. Speaking at a function in Vile
Parle on Thursday, Gadkari did some hard talk about the state of affairs in
politics. He said there is no connection between parties and ideologies now.
“There are no rightists nor leftists. We are only opportunists,” Gadkari
remarked, and added: “You never know who will jump from one party to another.”
While most politicians in the state chose to keep quiet, deputy chief minister
Ajit Pawar seemed to have taken it personally. “In a democracy, anybody can go
anywhere. The Constitution has given the right to the citizens,” he reacted,
when asked by mediapersons about Gadkari’s comments. “Even you change jobs from
one media house to other,” he told the reporters. Pawar, however, was a bit
irked when someone pointed out that a job and ideology are different.
“What happened when the
MVA was formed by parties who are ideologically against each other?” he
retorted. His cousin Supriya Sule tried to rub salt in the wound. “Gadkariji
speaks the truth. He is a committed politician,” she remarked.
Another Pawar in
politics
A wrestling competition
organised in Baramati has led to speculations on the entry of a young member of
Pawar family in politics. Yugendra, son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s
brother Shriniwas, could be joining politics soon. Significantly, Yugendra
seems to be joining not his uncle but NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Posters have been
put up in Baramati with pictures of senior Pawar and Yogendra on the occasion
of the wrestling competition where the NCP chief would be the chief guest. An
entrepreneur by profession, Yugendra is also president of Baramati Wrestling
Association and treasurer of Sharad Pawar founded Vidya Pratishthan.
Yugendra’s inclination
towards senior Pawar is not surprising. He was seen with the latter on several
occasions after his uncle Ajit split the NCP to join Shiv Sena-BJP alliance
government with a group of MLAs. The timing of Yugendra’s entry in politics is
interesting. It is happening when Ajit Pawar is gearing to wrest control of the
family bastion, Baramati from his uncle. Ajit also recently announced that his
party would be contesting Baramati Lok Sabha constituency currently represented
by Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule. There are speculations that Ajit could field
his wife Sunetra or son Parth who had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha
elections from Maval constituency in 2019.
When Raj’s wife
defended Aaditya
Though there is no love
lost between the warring Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj, the latter’s wife
Sharmila Thackeray defended nephew Aaditya when mediapersons asked her about
the SIT probe into allegations against the Thackeray scion in Disha Salian
case. “I don’t think he will be involved in anything like that,” Sharmila
said.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, publicly thanked Sharmila for her
support to his son. A day later, Sharmila’s reminded her brother-in-law that he
never showed any support to Raj. “Unfortunately, Uddhav Thackeray never gave us
an opportunity to thank him. Since Kini case, there were several occasions when
he often taunted us but never showed faith in his younger brother,” she
lamented while speaking to the media.
5) Cong's ‘Bharat
Nyay Yatra’ renamed as ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. Here's why
 |
| Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with his mother and party leader Sonia Gandhi and his sister and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, |
The Bharat Jodo Nyay
Yatra will begin at 12 pm from violence-hit Manipur's capital Imphal on January
14 Congress on Thursday renamed its ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ that is scheduled to
kick off from January 14 from northeastern India to the western shore. Congress
general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the march will now be called ‘Bharat
Jodo Nyay Yatra’.
“In the meeting of all
general secretaries, in-charges, PCC chiefs and CLP leaders, it was felt that
the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ has become a brand that is embedded in minds of people.
We should not lose it,” Ramesh said, referring to the march carried out by
Rahul Gandhi in September 2022 from Kanyakumari to Srinagar in January
2023," he added.
According to Ramesh, the
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will begin at 12 pm from violence-hit Manipur's capital
Imphal on January 14. Rahul Gandhi will address the 6,700-km march twice daily
over the course of 66 days. “Based on the discussions today we finalised
routes. We always had Arunachal Pradesh in mind and therefore BJNY will cover
15 states including Arunachal,” he added.
The Congress initially
had planned the march from Arunachal's Pasighat to Porbandar in Gujarat, the
birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. But the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3
prompted the Congress to change its plan The yatra will cover a distance of
1,000 kilometres in Uttar Pradesh, where the party has just one Lok Sabha MP,
i.e former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The BJNY will cover 523 kilometres in
West Bengal across seven districts in five days.
“All INDIA parties and
civil society organisations will be invited,” Ramesh said, adding that the
march will cover 110 districts in total.
Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat
Jodo Yatra received mixed successes so far. The Congress suffered its worst
defeat in Gujarat, but managed to form government in Himachal Pradesh. The
grand old party was wiped out in north India but managed to win Karnataka and
Telangana in 2023.
6)Three ED
officials attacked during raid in West Bengal; Governor warns govt of
'constitutional options'
%20official%20after%20getting%20assaulted%20allegedly%20by%20the%20supporters%20of%20TMC%20leader%20Sheikh%20Sajahan%20during%20a%20raid%20at%20the%20latter%E2%80%99s%20residence,%20in%20North%2024%20Parganas%20district,%20Friday,%20Jan.%205,%202024..jpg) |
| An Enforcement Directorate (ED) official after getting assaulted allegedly by the supporters of TMC leader Sheikh Sajahan during a raid at the latter’s residence, in North 24 Parganas district, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. |
The attack took place
when ED officers raided the residence of TMC leader Sheikh Sajahan regarding
investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam.
A team of ED officers
was attacked by a mob in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on
Friday when they arrived to search the house of a local Trinamool leader. The
attackers were allegedly the supporters of the Trinamool leader. Terming the incident alarming, Governor C V Ananda
Bose warned of “constitutional options” if the state government failed to take
action
The ED teams had arrived
at the residence of Sheikh Sajahan in connection with the alleged scam in
ration distribution. At Sheikh’s residence, they found the door locked from
inside. The leader, ED claimed, refused to open the door. While the ED sleWhile
the ED sleuths, along with CRPF personnel, were trying to have the door opened,
they faced a surprise attack. A mob of over 800 locals arrived with various
objects like lathis, stones and bricks, and assaulted the officials.Slogans
were raised against the agency and the Centre, and the official vehicles were
vandalised. “ED officials while discharging their duties were badly attacked by
crowds (suspected to be instigated by Sheikh Sajahan and his associates),”
an official release
stated. Personal and official belongings of the officials were snatched by the
mob. Three officers suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment.
“Other officers had to escape from the place to save their lives,” the
stPersonal and official belongings of the officials were snatched by the mob.
Three officers suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment. “Other
officers had to escape from the place to save their lives,” the statement
added. A complaint haA complaint has been filed with police for registration of
FIR.
Open to constitutional
options: Bose The incident has reignited the claims by opposition parties of
alleged “lawlessness” in parts of the state. The ruling Trinamool on most
occasions countered such incidents by playing down the allegations as
effor“malign” the state’s reputation. Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, taking
an exceptional stand, said that the state is not a “banana republic”. He termed
the latest incident as “alarming” and “deplorable”. Bose said that a civilised
government is “If (the) government fails its basic duty, then the Constitution
of India will definitely take its course,” he said, while warning about
constitutional options at his disposal, for “appropriate action at the
appropriate moment”. BJP leader Suvendu held Mamata Banerjee responsible for
the incident, citing her past statements. State minister Shashi Panja said that
Trinamool didn’t support violence, and villagers complained that the central
force personnel who accompanied the ED team had provoke them. She termed the
development “election-centric”.
1) Bumrah emerges
as standout performer; Rohit and Co. level series 1-1 at Cape Town
 |
| Rohit Sharma's Team India is in the driving seat to win the 2nd Test( |
Jasprit Bumrah bagged a
6-wicket haul as India defeated South Africa by 7 wickets to win the 2nd Test.
With the win, India also levelled the series 1-1. India vs South Africa, 2nd
Test Day 2 highlights: Premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah bagged a match-changing six-wicket
haul in the first session while South Africa's Aiden Markram slammed a fighting
century for the Proteas on Day 2 of the series decider at Newlands. With the
Proteas all out for 176, Rohit Sharma and Co. chased down the 79-run target to
thrash the hosts by 7 wickets at Newlands. India's first-ever win at Cape Town
has arrived in Dean Elgar's farewell Test. India won the shortest completed
Test match to level the series 1-1 on Thursday.
As many as 23 wickets
tumbled on a crazy first day of the New Year's Test match between India and
South Africa at Cape Town. Dismantling the Proteas lineup in the first session
of the series decider at Newlands, speedster Mohammed Siraj recorded his maiden
six-wicket haul to spark a shocking batting collapse of the hosts in the 1st
innings.
Siraj's career-best
figures of 6-15 paved the way for Rohit Sharma and Co. to skittle the hosts for
55 in their first essay at Cape Town. In Elgar's farewell Test, India also
suffered a spectacular collapse as South Africa bounced back after the tea
break. Resuming on 153-4 after tea, Lungi Ngidi bowled a triple-wicket maiden
to turn the tie on its head. Joining forces with speedster Ngidi, pace ace
Kagiso Rabada bagged two wickets as India were bowled out for 153 in the space
of 11 deliveries.
Ngidi and Rabada were
earlier assisted by Nandre Burger, who picked three wickets before tea break to
keep the Proteas in the hunt. Recovering from the great Indian collapse, Rohit
and Co. restricted South Africa to 62-3 in 17 overs on Day 1 of the Cape Town
decider. South Africa's stand-in skipper, Elgar, became the second batter to
get dismissed twice on the opening day of the Test match. Pacers Mukesh Kumar,
Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Bumrah shared ten wickets for India in South
Africa's 2nd innings. Team India has become the first Asian side to beat South
Africa at Cape Town.
Under Rohit Sharma's
leadership, Team India became the first Asian side to upstage South Africa at
Cape Town.
-India won the shortest
completed Test match on Day 2 to level the series 1-1.
-Rohit and Co. chased
down the 79-run target to beat South Africa by 7 wickets at Cape Town.Opener
Aiden Markram slammed his 7th century off 99 balls.KL Rahul dropped an on-song
Markram in the 1st session on Day 2.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah
bagged his 9th Test five-wicket haul.As many as 23 wickets fell on a crazy
opening day of the series decider at Newlands.
Resuming on 153-4 after
tea, India lost wickets for the same score in the space of 11 deliveries.Dean
Elgar's South Africa side was bowled out for just 55 in 23.2 overs.
-India's Mohammed Siraj
claimed his career-best Test haul of 6-15 on Day 1.
-Playing his final Test,
Elgar became the second player after Australia's Jack Barrett to get dismissed
twice on the same day.
2) Ace shuttler Lakshya
Sen eyes Paris Olympics qualification:
 |
| Lakshya Sen in action |
Lakshya Sen is currently
ranked 17th in the Olympic Games qualification rankings and needs to stay
inside the top 16 by April-end to make it to the Paris Games. Lakshya Sen is
aware that his Olympic qualification is still in choppy waters but said he has
been working on his "variations" and "deceptions" during
the off-season to regain his world's top-10 position and seal his Paris Games
berth.
The 22-year-old from
Almora is currently ranked 17th in the Olympic Games qualification rankings and
needs to stay inside the top 16 by April-end to make it to the Paris Games. To
secure the spot I still have to work a little more harder in terms of getting
good results, and once that is done, the qualification won't be an issue,"
Sen told PTI during an interview ahead of his departure to Kuala Lumpur on
Sunday.
"For me, right now
the main concern is to go deep into the tournament in the next few months until
April and then ranking will follow. As of now, we are not in a comfortable
stage in the qualification ranking.
"I would like to
improve my ranking and come in the top-10 by the end of
qualification."Commonwealth Games champion Sen claimed the Canada Open
Super 500 title in July, besides three semifinal finishes at the Thailand Open
Super 500, US Open Super 300 and Japan Open Super 750 last season.
However, Sen also made
11 first-round exits, including the last seven events, in the season which
ended with a loss in the Senior National Championships in December.
Despite the rough waters
and high tides, the former world No. 6 has not allowed it to dampen his spirits
and has worked on the "variation of his attack" during the last few
weeks to regain his form in the new season.
"I was not at my
best, I was trying to fight every game but somehow I couldn't find that
momentum. I really can't pinpoint one aspect. I mean, physical aspect would be
one but there are few other on-court things," Sen said."I played a
lot of tournaments in 2023, I didn't get time to prepare well or work hard on
fitness. Last six weeks I have had time to train. So my fitness level has
improved, last few weeks I have been focusing on on-court training, gradually
increasing the intensity.
"I worked on some
specific things like playing more sharper strokes from the backcourt, being
confident enough to keep the shuttle in play."
The next three weeks
will be crucial for Sen as he competes at the Malaysia Open Super 1000, India
Open Super 750 and Indonesia Open Super 500.
Sen admits he had lost
the sting in his attack and has not been able to sustain his aggressive game in
three games as opponents started reading his game."Yes, I mean, when you
play higher-ranked players, the opponents start reading your game and they
don't allow you to attack like before," said the 2022 All England
finalist, who will open his campaign at the Malaysia Open against China's Weng
Hongyang.
"When you play
those many matches and there are so many videos, people tend to read your
favourite shots which I use when I am in good position. So people are ready for
my game.
"So, I have been
working and have to keep working on the variation aspect of my attack, have to
keep them guessing, use a bit more deception. It is a matter of constant
learning for me.
"I feel more
confident now. With all that I have done in the last few weeks, I am hoping it
will help me in the next 2-3 months, especially physical fitness the work that
I have put in."Sen will have his mentor Vimal Kumar to guide him in the
Asia leg as he will be travelling with him for the next three tournaments. He
will also have his elder brother Chirag Sen, who recently won the Senior
National championships.
"Lakshya needs
to be unpredictable": DK Sen
Badminton coach DK Sen,
who is also Lakshya's father, feels his son needs to have an element of
unpredictability in his game, and that will come with more variation.
"International
badminton is extremely competitive, matches are very close and the difference
between players is by inches.
"So, I feel he
needs to mix it up by playing more slices, attacking tosses and slow drops. He
needs to be unpredictable, there has to be a surprise element in his
game."
3) Top-seeded
Sabalenka beats Azarenka to set up a Brisbane final against Rybakina
 |
| Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus gestures after winning her semi-final match against Victoria Azarenka |
The win extended
Sabalenka’s streak to 15 in Australia, including a title run in Adelaide to
start 2023 before her Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park Aryna Sabalenka
overpowered two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in a 6-2, 6-4 win Saturday that
earned her a spot in the Brisbane International final against Elena Rybakina, a
rematch of last year’s Australian Open championship decider.The win extended
top-seeded Sabalenka’s streak to 15 on Australian soil, including a title run
in Adelaide to start 2023 before her Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park
and has given her momentum for the year's first major.
Her 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in
the Australian Open final last January was the highlight of Sabalenka’s five
wins over Rybakina in their seven career meetings.
Sabalenka fired 10 aces
and hit 35 winners against Azarenka, who won back-to-back Australian Open
titles in 2012 and '13 and is also a two-time champion in Brisbane.
She broke her
34-year-old compatriot's serve three times and saved all three break points she
faced.Azarenka appeared to hurt her right knee in her last service game, but
continued the match.She played amazing tennis, like the whole week, especially
tonight,” Sabalenka said. “I really hope that she’s OK and she’ll be ready for
Melbourne. I wish her a speedy recovery.”
Sunday's final will be
the first to feature the top two seeds in Brisbane since 2015, when No. 1 Maria
Sharapova held off No. 2 Ana Ivanovic in three sets.
Rybakina, the 2022
Wimbledon champion, had 26 winners and committed just 10 unforced errors as she
advanced 6-3, 6-2 over 19-year-old Linda Noskova.
She has conceded just 12
games across four straight-set wins and spent less than four hours on court in
the key tune-up event for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 14.The men's
final could also feature the top two seeds. No. 1 Holger Rune advanced with a
6-4, 7-6 (0) win over Roman Safiullin.
The No. 8-ranked Rune
will be aiming for a fifth title on the ATP tour when he faces either
second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov or Jordan Thompson on Sunday.
“It’s exactly how I
wanted it to be, to get the most amount of matches as possible,” Rune said of
his run in Brisbane. “It’s a great challenge tomorrow to try to see where I’m
at when it really matters."Since opening with a tough win over Andy
Murray, 2017 champion Dimitrov has only conceded eight games.Thompson produced
the biggest upset of the tournament when he saved three match points and
rallied to beat 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal in an almost 3 1/2-hour
quarterfinal on Friday night.
4) Iga Swiatek and
Hubert Hurkacz lead Poland into United Cup mixed teams tennis final
 |
| Poland's Iga Swiatek, right, celebrates with her teammates after defeating Caroline Garcia of France in their United Cup semifinal tennis match in Sydney, Australia, Saturday |
Australia play Germany
in the other semifinal later Saturday, with the winner to face Poland in
Sunday’s final, also at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena. No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek
won her singles match Saturday after Hubert Hurkacz gave her team the early
lead over France to advance Poland to the United Cup mixed teams final. Swiatek
won 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 over Caroline Garcia while ATP No. 9-ranked Hurkacz’s 6-3,
7-5 defeat of Adrian Mannarino gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead. For good
measure, Poland later won the mixed doubles for a final 3-0 score line.
Australia plays Germany
in the other semifinal later Saturday, with the winner to face Poland in
Sunday’s final, also at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.
Swiatek said she need to
make a “big adjustment” after her opening-set loss to Garcia.
“I was making bad
decisions and I needed to be more composed," Swiatek said. "After the
break after the first set I came back more focused, so I’m pretty proud of
myself.”
Hurkacz won 31 of 36
points on his first serve and had 15 aces. “He’s really difficult to play
against; I was just fighting for every point and I was able stay positive and
was really resilient today,” Hurkacz said.
Top-seeded Poland lost
just one match in the group stage of the tournament in Perth before beating
China 3-0 to reach the final four for the second straight year.
In the Australia-Germany
semifinal, Ajla Tomljanovic is scheduled to lead the tie off for the hosts against
Angelique Kerber before Alex de Minaur takes on Germany's Alexander Zverev.
Mixed doubles will see
the Australian team of Storm Hunter and Matt Ebden take on Laura Siegemund and
Maximilian Marterer of Germany, although late changes can be made.
5) Rybakina will
play the winner of an all-Belarusian clash between top seed Sabalenka and
former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina celebrates wining her women's singles semi-final match against Czech Republic's Linda Noskova at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January
World number four Elena
Rybakina put on a serving masterclass as she stormed into the final of the
Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Linda Noskova Saturday.The
Russian-born Kazakh blasted eight aces past the Czech teenager on her way to
the 63-minute win, breaking her opponent once in the first set and twice in the
second.Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, has only lost 12 games on the way
to the final and is yet to drop serve in a perfect build up to the Australian
Open, where was runner-up last year to Aryna Sabalenka.
"I didn't expect I
would play that well this week," said the second seed, adding that she had
been sick before arriving in Brisbane. "It's an amazing start to the year
for me."
She made 75 percent of
her first serves against Noskova, hitting 26 winners and making only 10
unforced errors to reach her 15th final on the WTA Tour. She will play the winner
of an all-Belarusian clash between top seed Sabalenka and former world number
one Victoria Azarenka.
6) Dipa wins
all-around national title on return, eyes Paris berth this year
 |
| Dipa Karmakar |
To make a comeback after
two surgeries was difficult, says star gymnast
Ravaged by injuries,
Dipa Karmakar has been through tough times when she found even a typical
gymnastic routine difficult to execute. The national title on Friday,
therefore, came as an encouraging sign as she looks to resurrect her career and
qualify for the Paris Olympics. With a broad smile on her face, Dipa stood on
the podium at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar. "I am delighted. I was
competing in the national championships after eight years and to win the
all-around title was fantastic," she said.
Dipa won the individual
all-round competition with a score of 49.55. Pranati Das came second (47.00)
and Swastika Ganguly finished third (45.30). In the vault and uneven bar
apparatus, Dipa finished with silver medals. In vault, Pranati Nayak (13.067),
who was India's sole representative at the Asian Games, beat Dipa (12.584) for
the gold medal. In uneven bars, Dipa tallied 10.433. "I was looking for
some exposure since I have not competed in a long time. I did not train much
but the idea was to execute the routines which I have been doing with ease in
practice during the competition. I am happy that I was able to do that,"
said the 29-year-old. She has her eyes set on the World Cup series and Asian
Championships where she will be up for a Paris Olympics quota. "It's just
the start of the year and I want to compete in the Asian Championships and
World Cup and see if I can qualify for Paris."
"I am happy that I
was able to perform the routines without difficulty. Even to reach this level
was very difficult after two surgeries (knee). I was not sure whether I would
be able to do such routines again. I have put so much hard work with my coach
to be able to just start competing again."
Last year, Dipa topped
the selection trials for the Asian Games but was dropped from the Hangzhou team
because she did not fulfil the criteria set by the Sports Ministry. She has put
the episode behind her now. "I will be able to judge myself better only
after competing at the international level. I have to increase the difficulty
level of my routines and that's going to be my target in training in the next
few months."After a sensational fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics,
Dipa has struggled with injuries. Her next best performance was a gold and
bronze medal in the World Cup circuit in 2018 before knee and ankle injuries
cut short her chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Dipa's coach BS Nandi
said they were not sure of participating at the National Championships until a
month ago.
"We started
training a few weeks back in Agartala. We first thought of participating in two
apparatus but Dipa felt confident going into the competition and said 'let me
try it out.' So, it was a good sign the way she performed and handled the
pressure. Vaulting is her forte and we will increase her level before
international competitions."
Night Swim
Night Swim is an
upcoming American horror movie, written and directed by Bryce McGuire. The
movie is based on the short film released in 2014 with the same name by McGuire
and Rod Blackhurst. The movie features Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie
Hoeferle, and Gavin Warren. The running time of the movie is 98 minutes.
Release date: January 5,
2024
Where to watch: Peacock
Meg 2 - The Trench
In Meg 2: The Trench,
Jason Statham plays rescue diver Jonas Taylor again after the hit 2018 movie
The Meg. The thrilling sequel, which will debut on Jio Cinema this week,
follows a team of researchers as they battle enormous prehistoric sharks and
ruthless environmental thieves. It was released on January 3, 2024, on Jio
Cinema.
Hi Nanna
Starring Nani and Mrunal
Thakur This week, Netflix released the Telugu movie Hi Nanna on January 4,
2024, on Netflix. A touching tale about a single father's life centres on how
they meet Varsha (Mrunal Thakur), who prevents his daughter, age six, from
dying in a car crash.
Tejas
This week, the OTT
behemoth ZEE5 has also released Sarvesh Mewara's Tejas, which stars actress
Kangana Ranaut in the lead role. Tejas Gill, an Indian Air Force pilot, embarks
on a perilous mission to free hostages held by terrorists in Pakistan; this is
the storyline of the film. Actors like Anshul Chauhan and Ashish Vidyarthi
co-star with Kangana in the supporting roles. It has been released today, 5
January 2024, on Zee5.
Society of the Snow
The Spanish film Society
of the Snow by JA Bayona is based on the true story of Uruguayan Flight 571,
which crashed in the Andes mountains in 1972. It tells the true story of the
survivors stranded in the snow-covered mountains with little supplies and
deteriorating weather. Notably, the movie has already made it to the shortlist
for Best International Feature Film and is Spain's official Oscar submission.
The movie has been released on 4 January 2024 on Netflix.
BOOK OF THIS WEEK:
The Mind Traveller
- Warrior of Shaka by Viveck Rai Marwah (Author)
Young Sankalp’s family
is brutally murdered by a band of soldiers led by Darqan Doodra, a renegade
general feared across the kingdom of Lhasa. He is barely able to escape with
his life. Seeking refuge in the mountains surrounding his once idyllic village,
he stumbles upon a wondrous cave where he meets Kalimpong, the fabled monk
possessed of great powers and learning. Struck by what he senses within
Sankalp, the monk takes him as his disciple.Thus begins the young boy’s
incredible journey. Guided by Kalimpong, he overcomes his pain and anger and
seeks to understand why fate dealt him such a terrible blow.With his mind
awakened to a higher perception, he is able to go beyond the limitations of the
physical self, to become a ‘mind-traveller’, crossing to a dimension beyond the
known laws of the universe. Sankalp the warrior monk must now chart his course
to the glorious city of Lhasa, to a court rife with treachery, conspiracy and
rumour. Although his chosen path is fraught with danger, Sankalp knows he must
fight, both for the sake of his people and for the peace of his soul.
Viveck Rai Marwah
was born in Delhi and has a degree in business
management. Inspired by his proclivity for spiritual and philosophical
discourses, his first book, A Passage Through Life: A Saga of Life, Death and
Beyond, was published in 2004. He has personally encountered many mystics in
the last fifteen years on regular journeys to the lower Himalayas. His keen
interest in philosophy, religion, and mysticism took him to Tibet and other
regions in north-east India where Buddhist philosophy is still alive in
ordinary life. An avid theosophist,Viveck’s journeys to such areas have helped
him develop a better understanding of ancient Kangyur texts, rendering him
deeply influenced by Buddhist culture and theology. His current work, a fable,
is a culmination of all that he has seen, learnt, and encountered thus far.
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