Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Chappal in CCTV footage helps cops trace Rs 2 lakh stolen phone

When the railway police scanned the images closely, they got a close look at his gait and footwear-chappals with a loop to slip in the big toe. Two days of some clever sleuthing helped nab a person who has admitted he had lifted the phone from the train.

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Saas-bahu fights erupt in K'taka over govt Rs 2,000 subvention plan

Instances of disputes between 'saas' and 'bahu' have begun to surface as family members argue over who should receive the monthly cash incentive. The lack of clear eligibility criteria in the Congress' election manifesto, where they pledged to grant the monthly subsidy to the woman head of the family, has further contributed to the confusion among households.

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Prachanda arrives on 4-day trip, border, energy issues on agenda

Prachanda (68), who is visiting India for the third time as Prime Minister, will also call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. For India too, one of the main focus areas will be on finalising ways to deepen power cooperation through fresh initiatives. Nepal currently exports over 450 MW of electricity to India.

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3 terrorists arrested with 10kg IED, weapons, drugs along LoC in J&K

The recovery included an AK-56 rifle with balance 10 rounds in the magazine (rest of the ammunition had been fired by the terrorist who was injured), two pistols with two magazines, 70 pistol rounds, one IED weighing around 10-12kg, six Chinese grenades and 20 packets of narcotics, the Lt Col added.

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Don't take any step that undermines sports: Thakur tells wrestlers

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday asked protesting wrestlers not to take any step that could undermine sports or hurt players and said they should wait for the probe to complete, even as political parties stepped up attacks on the government over the issue.

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Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Can't make citizens choose between right to edu and right to exercise reproductive autonomy: HC

"A man could then well enjoy parenthood while pursuing higher education, whereas a woman necessarily has to undergo pre and post-pregnancy care. It is not her choice, but the will of nature. What is, however, left for us to decide is the consequence we would impose upon a woman who bears a child," a single judge bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said in his order on the plea.

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Cross-border narco-terror root of Manipur violence: PIL

"The serious issues of narco-terrorism and external aggression posing threat to national security is prevalent in Manipur and the resultant fallout is the present human crisis wherein a large number of people have been displaced from their homes disturbing normal life in the state," said the petitioner - NGO 'People's Alliance for Peace and Progress, Manipur'.

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Hyd pub lets revellers dance with exotic reptiles; 7 booked

Based on a Twitter complaint by wildlife enthusiast Ashish Chowdhury, sleuths of the Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, along with forest officers, on Tuesday raided a private pet store, booked 7 people, and seized various exotic animals, birds and reptiles, many of which were displayed at the pub.

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LeT leader who indoctrinated 26/11 terrorists who attacked Mumbai dies in Pakistan jail

A court in Pakistan had sentenced him to prison time along with two other JuD leaders, Malik Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, in August 2020 for financing terror, ahead of a September 2020 deadline for Pakistan to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global financial watchdog, for failing to curb “terror financing”.

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Tollywood director Pijush Saha arrested for fraud

According to reports, director Pijush Saha who's also a producer took Rs 20 lakh from young actor Akshay Gupta, a resident of Rampurhat in Birbhum, and promised him that he will be Pijush's next film's hero. But he didn't keep his promise and didn't even return that money.

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Monday, May 29, 2023

'Precautionary' landing for IAF copter after minor tech snag

"The pilot and the weapons systems operator are both safe. There was no damage to the helicopter," an IAF officer said. The pilot went for the precautionary landing after "a warning light" went off in the cockpit.

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WATCH: How Jadeja guided CSK to fifth IPL title

The phrase 'cometh the hour cometh the man' perfectly fits for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final in Ahmedabad to guide CSK to a record-equalling fifth IPL title in the wee hours of Tuesday.

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3 months after bypoll win, lone Congress MLA in West Bengal joins TMC



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9 of a family among 10 killed in Karnataka SUV-bus collision



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Onboard WiFi & brand new interiors on Air India planes soon



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Sunday, May 28, 2023

Unfazed by violence, over 3,000 appear for UPSC exams in Imphal

Sources said 4,051 candidates had registered for UPSC prelims in Imphal but after UPSC provided them an alternative to choose from exam centres in a few other states, about 700 opted to appear from outside Manipur.

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'Indelible signature of history': PM opens new Parliament building

"This new building will see the fulfilment of the resolutions of a developed India. This new building is also an ideal for the coexistence of the new and the old," he said.

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China's 1st home-grown passenger plane completes its maiden commercial flight

The C919 plane, built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac), carried about 130 passengers on the flight, according to state-owned newspaper China Daily. The jet took off Sunday morning from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and landed less than two hours later in Beijing.

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Relentless rain moves IPL final between CSK and GT to reserve day

The IPL 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans was on Sunday moved to reserve day due to relentless rain in Ahmedabad. The announcement was made at 10:55 pm local time. The final between the two teams - GT and CSK - will now be played on Monday (May 29).

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Wrestlers' protest: FIR against organisers, others for 'rioting'

According to a senior police officer, the FIR has been registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Opposition leaders' meeting will be held on June 12: Nitish



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Erdogan declares victory in Turkey run-off election

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory Sunday in a historic run-off election that posed the toughest challenge of his two-decade rule.

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Saturday, May 27, 2023

I bow my head and apologise: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at site of cracker blast

The CM flew to Egra early in the morning despite inclement weather and met the families of the victims and handed them cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh each as compensation and appointment letters as home guards to the next of kin of the deceased. She asked district magistrate to ensure that the victims' children go to school.

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Govt highlights its pro-poor policies to observe 9th anniversary

With industry bigwigs and domain experts from academia to sports in attendance, industrialist Sunil Bharti Mittal lauded the existing ecosystem that allowed India to be the fastest in rolling out 5G network by March, 2024.

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Times Of A Better India bags INMA's best campaign award for South Asia

The campaign, powered by TOI's extensive network of journalists spread across the country, showcased India's achievements in 75 years since Independence as a continuum of progress while emphasising that this is the best time to be Indian.

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Wife earns more than man, court upholds no-maintenance order

The woman had filed a domestic violence case against her husband and in-laws in 2021 and alleged that after their child’s birth, she was forced to move out of their home. The judge, though, directed the man to pay Rs 10,000 a month towards maintenance of their young child.

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False caste slur charge can’t deprive one of liberty: Court

The judge pointed out that while Virkar had complained to the cops on April 12 alleging that the informant and others assaulted them, the informant’s FIR was lodged only on April 21.

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Friday, May 26, 2023

NIA seeks death penalty for Yasin Malik



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Why inaction over offensive tweet against Zubair: HC



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Kuno cheetah team mistaken for cow thieves, attacked in MP



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Sengol claims bogus: Congress; BJP slams ‘haters of culture’

Accusing PM Modi and “his drumbeaters” of creating a “bogus” narrative about the ‘sengol’ (sceptre) to be installed in the new Parliament hall, Congress on Friday said there was no documented evidence that the sceptre was given by the British to first PM Jawaharlal Nehru as a symbol of transfer of power.

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IPL: Gill ton scripts Mumbai's exit as Gujarat set up final with Chennai

A belligerent Shubman Gill ton lit up the Narendra Modi Stadium as the defending champions Gujarat Titans stormed into a second straight IPL final, brushing aside five-time champions Mumbai Indians in a lop-sided Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad. Firing his third century of the season, Gill's explosive 60-ball 129 proved to be too much for Mumbai as the Titans became the third team in the history of the tournament to make it to two successive finals after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai.

from Times of India https://ift.tt/DWwh6px
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Injury scare for Kishan and Green ahead of WTC final

Both India and Australia faced injury concerns as Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green suffered nasty blows during the IPL Qualifier 2 match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans on Friday, casting doubts over their availability for the upcoming World Test Championship final.

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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Shinde’s Sena plans to fight 22 Lok Sabha seats



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Jaishankar likely to attend Brics meet in South Africa

Foreign minister S Jaishankar will travel to Cape Town next week to participate in the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting that will look to firm up the agenda for the summit that South Africa will host in August. The foreign ministers’ meeting is an important forum for focus on political and security cooperation among the member-states and Jaishankar will likely use it to stress the need for all to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States without making any exception.

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As 2 more die, just 1 of 4 Kuno cheetah cubs left



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Modi’s veiled dig: ‘Australia opposition MPs, ex-PM attended Sydney function’

Amid an escalating fight over who should inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday, PM Narendra Modi cited the presence of his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and the latter’s predecessor Scott Morrison at the event organised by the Indian community in Sydney this week to suggest that partisan differences should not take precedence over matters of national importance.

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Karnataka cabinet expansion: 24 ministers to take oath on May 27

A total of 24 ministers will take oath on Saturday as part of the Karnataka Cabinet expansion. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were sworn in as Karnataka CM and deputy CM respectively along with eight cabinet ministers on May 20. Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 ministers and the Congress will find it difficult to accommodate all the aspirants.

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New MP chambers won’t be ready by March next year



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Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Delhi HC upholds dismissal of cop who probed Ishrat case

The Delhi high court upheld Wednesday former IPS officer Satish Chandra Verma’s dismissal from service a month before he was to retire on September 30, 2022. Verma was a member of the Gujarat HC-appointed special investigation team (SIT) that probed the police shooting of 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan and three others in Ahmedabad in June 2004, which he called a “fake encounter” in an affidavit to the court in 2011.

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2nd conviction still in force, Azam may stay disqualified

Samajwadi Party strongman Azam Khan’s acquittal by a Rampur court in the hate speech case that led to his disqualification from the UP assembly last year might have created a constitutional quandary requiring judicial intervention but for his recent sentencing by a Moradabad court in a 2008 case.

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PM: Australia ties in T20 mode, but temple attacks must stop



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Karnataka govt may withdraw circular banning hijab

The Congress government in Karnataka is seriously considering withdrawing the primary and secondary education department’s circular prohibiting hijabs in schools and pre-university colleges in the state. Senior state minister Priyank Kharge also said that his government would ban outfits like the Bajrang Dal if peace in the state was disturbed. “We have promised in our manifesto to turn Karnataka into a paradise" he said.

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Ron DeSantis confirms running for US Prez in 2024

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis entered the 2024 presidential race on Wednesday, stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test both his national appeal as a cultural conservative firebrand and the GOP’s willingness to move on from former President Donald Trump. The 44-year-old Republican revealed his decision in a Federal Election Commission filing before an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.

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Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Nitish brings back Tyagi to boost opposition unity bid



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Indira, Rajiv too inaugurated buildings on Parl premises: BJP



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Forceful seizure of vehicles by recovery agents is illegal: HC



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Vaibhavi Upadhyay dies in a car accident

Television actress Vaibhavi Upadhyay, best known for her role in the popular show "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai", died in a car accident on Tuesday. Producer-actor JD Majethia, who worked with Vaibhavi in the series, confirmed her death.

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Vaibhavi Upadhyaya dies in a road accident - Exclusive

Shocking! Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai's Jasmine aka Vaibhavi Upadhyaya is no more. The actress met with a fatal road accident.

from Times of India https://ift.tt/nvMrI2O
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All-round CSK brush aside defending champions GT to enter 10th IPL final

A crucial 44-ball 60 from Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top was followed by a spin show as an all-round Chennai Super Kings brushed aside defending champions Gujarat Titans to march into 10th IPL final, extending their remarkable consistency in the T20 cricket's biggest extravaganza. Securing an easy 15-run win over Hardik Pandya and co. in the Qualifier 1, MS Dhoni and co. became the first team to book their tickets for the Sunday's final in Ahmedabad.

from Times of India https://ift.tt/6KYiMUm
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Monday, May 22, 2023

CBI questions Wankhede again for 5 hours in Aryan case

The CBI questioned former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede for five hours on Sunday, in the corruption-extortion case connected to October 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan. The Bombay high court has scheduled to hear Wankhede’s plea challenging the CBI FIR on Monday and has restrained the CBI from taking any “coercive action” against him till then.

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CUET sees 77% attendance on glitch-free Day 1



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After ChatGPT, Italy's Regulator Plans to Review Other Artificial Intelligence Platforms

Italy's data protection authority Garante plans to review other artificial intelligence platforms and hire AI experts, a top official said, as it ramps up scrutiny of the powerful technology after temporarily banning ChatGPT in March.

Garante is among the most proactive of the 31 national data protection authorities which oversee Europe's data privacy regime known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The agency was the first to ban AI chatbot company Replika, to impose fines on facial recognition software maker Clearview AI, and to restrict TikTok in Europe.

In March, it temporarily banned Microsoft-backed OpenAI's bot ChatGPT and launched a probe over the application's suspected breach of privacy rules.

"We plan to kick off a wide-scope review of generative and machine learning AI applications which are available online because we want to understand if these new tools are addressing issues linked to data protection and privacy laws compliance — and we will start new probes, if needed," said Agostino Ghiglia, a member of Garante's board.

The success of ChatGPT has prompted tech heavyweights from Alphabet to Meta to promote their own versions, and lawmakers and governments around the world are debating new laws that could take years to be enforced.

"We are looking for three AI advisers because we are aware AI tools are evolving very quickly and we need experts with tech background to help us in our data protection activity," Ghiglia said.

The move is the latest example of how some regulators are relying on existing laws to control a technology that could upend the way societies and businesses operate.

The four-member Garante board is made up of law experts. Ghiglia said the authority has 144 staff, well below its European peers in France, Spain and Britain. Most have a background in law, Ghiglia said.

In its crackdown on ChaTGPT, Garante used provisions of GDPR, particularly those that protect underage children and grant individuals the right to request cancellation and object to the use of their personal data.

After Garante took steps, ChatGPT maker OpenAI made changes to its chatbot to regain compliance.

"Members of the Garante board often become aware of potential breaches of privacy laws because we simply explore digital tools and applications once they are available," Ghiglia said.

"We explored ChatGPT and realised it was not compliant with EU data privacy rules."

It will take years for potential new legislation regulating AI to come into force.

"That's why we decided to act swiftly with ChatGPT", Ghiglia said.

© Thomson Reuters 2022


Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Top Naxal absconding for 2 decades held in Delhi



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Jagan, Naveen crucial for govt to get Delhi services bill past RS

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called upon opposition parties to block in Rajya Sabha the bill to replace the ordinance promulgated on Friday to neutralise the Supreme Court verdict that gave the Delhi government control over bureaucracy in the national capital, but the BJP leadership seems hopeful of clearing the numbers test in the Upper House with the support of YSR Congress and BJD.

from Times of India https://ift.tt/20DQrkU
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PM Modi condoles demise of veteran actor Sarath Babu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the untimely death of Veteran actor Sarath Babu and extended condolences to the late actor's family

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Sunday, May 21, 2023

These ‘forests’ are disturbing balance

Monoculture plantations taken up by the FDCs for financial gain are causing damage to tiger ecosystem, feel experts.

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Martin Amis, era-defining British author, passes away at 73

The celebrated British writer Martin Amis, who gave masterpieces like 'Money' and 'London Fields' passes away at the age of 73.

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12 killed, 90 hurt in stampede at El Salvador stadium

Twelve people died and 90 others were injured in a stampede at a soccer stadium in El Salvador on Saturday, authorities said, turning a highly anticipated match into a chaotic scene as fans rushed to save people suffocating under a mass of bodies.

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Woman in BMW kills man in 4am accident, held

A 36-year-old man was killed after his scooter was hit by a speeding car in west Delhi's Moti Nagar early on Sunday. The police have arrested the woman who was driving the car and seized the vehicle, a black BMW.

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Has Bakhmut fallen? Russia claims so, but Ukraine denies

Russia and Ukraine gave conflicting accounts of the situation in Bakhmut on Sunday, with Kyiv saying it still controlled a small part of the besieged eastern city while Moscow congratulated the Wagner private army and Russian troops for "liberating" it.

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IPL: Gill ton eliminates RCB; Gujarat face CSK in Qualifier 1, LSG meet Mumbai in Eliminator

Shubman Gill's dazzling 52-ball 104 not out trumped Virat Kohli's sumptuous unbeaten 101 as Gujarat Titans edged Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high-scoring thriller by six wickets in the final league game of the IPL season in Bengaluru. With the heartbreaking defeat, RCB's journey in this year's competition came to an end. With Mumbai Indians winning the afternoon game, Faf du Plessis and co. needed an outright win to qualify for the knockouts but Gill smashed his second consecutive century of the season, dashing the hosts' hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

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Saturday, May 20, 2023

Eight officers complained of harassment: LG's office

The LG's office claimed on Saturday that eight officers working in the Delhi government and MCD had complained of harassment by the AAP dispensation in Delhi and Punjab over the past few months.

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India stands for respecting sovereignty: Modi on China

Amid China's military expansion in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is committed to protecting its sovereignty and integrity while promoting peaceful resolution of maritime disputes based on international law.

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Centre seeks review of SC ruling on Delhi services row

Hours before issuance of the ordinance on Friday to tilt in its favour the services tug-of-war with the Delhi government, the Centre had moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its May 11 judgment that had ruled that though Delhi is a unique Union Territory, it had both legislative and executive power over transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

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India will do whatever it can to end war: PM Modi to Zelenskyy

India will do all it can to end the war through dialogue and diplomacy and help ameliorate the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people, PM Narendra Modi told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their first bilateral meeting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Man City retain Premier League title after Arsenal lose to Forest

Defending champions Manchester City were on Saturday confirmed Premier League champions after second-placed Arsenal were beaten 0-1 away at Nottingham Forest. Arsenal needed at least one point to stay mathematically alive in the title race but ended on the losing side against Forest. Arsenal's defeat ensured a fifth title in six seasons for the Pep Guardiola side.

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IPL: LSG survive Rinku scare to eliminate KKR & enter playoffs

Just when Lucknow Super Giants thought they had it covered, Rinku Singh reminded them of his hitting prowess, which almost stole the win away from the visitors in their crucial IPL 2023 match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. But despite the 33-ball 67 not out by Kolkata Knight Riders' pocket-size dynamo, LSG managed to hang on and in the end won by the thinnest of margins, one run, to book themselves a spot in the playoffs.

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Friday, May 19, 2023

Two new SC judges take oath on last day before summer break

Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate Kalpathy Venkataraman Viswanathan on Friday took oath as Supreme Court judges on Friday, the last working day of the court before summer recess, as the collegium led by CJI D Y Chandrachud and the Union government completed the process of appointment in jet speed.

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Gr Noida: University had got 2-3 plaints from girl shot on campus

Shiv Nadar University student Sneha Chaurasia, shot by her collegemate on Thursday, made two or three complaints against Anuj Singh on personal grounds. "Such fights are common among friends, and we provided counselling to them," said Raja Natarajan, the university's executive director of financial operation.

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NASA Partners With Blue Origin to Build Spacecraft for Moon Mission

A team led by Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin won a coveted NASA contract to build a spacecraft that will send astronauts to and from the moon's surface, NASA's chief announced on Friday, capping a high-stakes contest.

NASA's decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX $3 billion (nearly Rs. 24,850 crore) in 2021 to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972.

Those initial missions using SpaceX's Starship system are slated for later this decade.

The Blue Origin contract is valued roughly $3.4 billion (nearly Rs. 28,150 crore), NASA's exploration chief Jim Free said, with Blue Origin privately contributing "well north" of that amount, Blue Origin's lunar lander head John Couluris said.

"Honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon — this time to stay," Amazon.com billionaire founder Bezos said in a tweet after the announcement.

Blue Origin plans to build its 52-foot (16-meter) tall Blue Moon lander in a partnership with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, spacecraft software firm Draper, and robotics firm Astrobotic.

SpaceX's Starship lander is poised to conduct the first two astronaut moon landings under NASA's Artemis program, sending a pair of astronauts to the lunar surface for each mission. The Blue Moon landing, planned for 2029, is also expected to ferry two astronauts to the surface.

"Our partnership will only add to this golden age of human spaceflight," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. He added that having a second moon lander for the agency's Artemis mission promotes commercial competition, echoing a trend in recent years that reduces costs for NASA.

Friday's announcement in Washington was a long-awaited outcome for Blue Origin, which had unsuccessfully had competed for past contracts. The space company overcame a rival bid from Leidos-owned defense contractor Dynetics Inc, the head of a partnership with Northrop Grumman.

Those companies lost out to SpaceX for the 2021 contract, part of an initial moon lander procurement program. NASA under that program said it could pick up to two companies, but blamed budget constraints for only going with SpaceX.

This new contract is a boost for Bezos, who since founding Blue Origin in 2000 has invested billions into the company to compete for high-profile commercial and government space contracts with SpaceX, a dominant force in satellite launches and human spaceflight.

After losing in 2021, Blue Origin unsuccessfully fought to overturn NASA's decision to ignore its Blue Moon lander, first with a watchdog agency and then in court.

Blue Origin and lawmakers had pressured NASA to award a second lunar lander contract to promote commercial competition and ensure the agency has a backup ride to the moon. NASA in early 2022 announced the program for a second lander contract.

Couluris, who will lead Blue Origin's development of the moon lander, said Friday's award was hard fought outcome.

"We've been working for some time, and we're still ready to go," he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023 


OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Instagram Could Release Text-Based App to Rival Against Twitter by June 2023: Report

Meta Platforms' Instagram is planning to release a text-based app that will compete with Twitter and may debut as soon as June, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Facebook parent is testing the product with influencers and some creators, according to the report.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Meta has been contacting talent agencies and celebrities to gauge their interest in trying an early version of the app, which will be integrated with Instagram, said Alex Heath in a newsletter.

"The decentralized app is built on the back of Instagram but will be compatible with some other apps like Mastodon," according to a newsletter by Lia Haberman, who teaches social and influencer marketing at UCLA in California.

The report also mentions that the parent company Meta has made the new app secretly available to select creators for months. It is said to be separate from Instagram yet allow people to connect accounts. 

As per Lia Haberman's screenshot, the app will let people connect with their friends using texts, shared links, photos as well as videos. Moreover, fans will be allowed to join the accounts of the influencers and creators they follow on Instagram with just one tap. 

The app is also being update for security measures. To ensure the privacy of accounts, the users blocked on Instagram may soon be carried over to the new app. To add, this new app is also working on compatibility with Twitter's rival Mastodon.  

© Thomson Reuters 2023 


Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Big Tech Gets Support From EU Regulators Against Telcos' Network Fee Push

EU telecoms regulators' group BEREC on Friday warned the European Commission against proposing legislation pushed by the sector to get Big Tech's help to pay for the rollout of 5G and broadband, saying it did not see a competition problem or a market failure.

The comments from The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) to the European Commission which is now looking into the issue underscores the high-stakes battle between Big Tech and Europe's major telecoms operators.

"There is no evidence of a competition problem or a market failure to the detriment of end-users regarding IP-interconnection," the group said.

Echoing Big Tech's arguments, BEREC said it has its doubts about a mandatory network fee levied on the companies.

"It is questionable that mandatory payments from CAPs (content and application providers) to ISPs (internet service providers) would lead to member states meeting the connectivity targets," BEREC said.

"On the contrary, it is rather likely that ISPs in already well supplied areas would benefit the most."

It said a mandatory fee may disadvantage smaller telecoms operators with less economies of scale and bargaining power, while other telecoms companies with their own streaming or cloud services may discriminate and unfairly promote these services.

Such a fee may also lead to price hikes for consumers, disincentivise Big Tech from investments and breach EU net neutrality rules, BEREC said.

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Telecom Italia have been lobbying for Big Tech to shoulder some of the network costs.

Alphabet's Google, Apple, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Amazon.com and Microsoft, which telcos say account for more than half of data internet traffic, have rejected the proposal.

© Thomson Reuters 2023 


The Vivo X90 Pro has finally made its debut in India, but is the company's flagship smartphone for 2023 equipped with enough upgrades over its predecessor? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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IPL: RR keep slim play-off hopes alive with key win

Rajasthan Royals registered a key four-wicket last-over win over Punjab Kings in their final league game as Sanju Samson and co. kept their slim play-off hopes alive in what has been a roller-coaster business end of the season. With their seventh win, Rajasthan climbed to the fifth spot on the table as their fate is now on the other results if they are to make it to the knockouts. Punjab, on the other hand are now eliminated from the top-four race after Shikhar Dhawan and co. were handed their 8th defeat of the season.

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Thursday, May 18, 2023

Imran Khan brings up 1971 to beat down rivals

Former PM Imran Khan has compared Pakistan’s current politics with circumstances prevalent before the 1971 war that led to the secession of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

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Meta Announces New Details on Data Centers for AI Projects

Meta Platforms on Thursday shared new details on projects it was pursuing to make its data centers better suited to supporting artificial intelligence work, including a custom chip "family" that it said it was developing in-house.

The Facebook and Instagram owner said in a series of blog posts that it designed a first-generation chip in 2020 as part of the Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) program, which was aimed at improving efficiency for the recommendations models it uses to serve ads and other content in news feeds.

Reuters previously reported that the company was not planning to deploy its first in-house AI chip widely and was already working on a successor. The blog posts portrayed the first MTIA chip as a learning opportunity.

"From this initial program, we have learned invaluable lessons that we are incorporating into our roadmap," it wrote.

The first MTIA chip was focused exclusively on an AI process called inference, in which algorithms trained on huge amounts of data make judgments about whether to show, say, a dance video or a cat meme as the next post in a user's feed, the posts said.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on deployment timelines or elaborate on the company's plans to develop chips that could train the models as well.

Meta has been engaged in a massive project to upgrade its AI infrastructure this past year, after executives realized it lacked the hardware and software needed to support demand from product teams building AI-powered features.

As part of that, the company scrapped plans for a large-scale rollout of an in-house inference chip and started work on a more ambitious chip capable of performing both training and inference, according to the Reuters reporting.

Meta acknowledged in its blog posts that its first MTIA chip stumbled with high-complexity AI models, although it said the chip handled low- and medium-complexity models more efficiently than competitor chips.

The MTIA chip also used only 25 watts of power — a fraction of what market-leading chips from suppliers such as Nvidia consume — and used an open-source chip architecture called RISC-V, Meta said. 

In addition to detailing its chip work, Meta provided an update on plans to redesign its data centers around more modern AI-oriented networking and cooling systems, saying it would break ground on its first such facility this year.

The new design would be 31 percent cheaper and could be built twice as quickly as the company's current data centers, an employee said in a video explaining the changes.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Eddie Murphy Is in Talks to Play Inspector Clouseau in Pink Panther Reboot Film at MGM

Hollywood star Eddie Murphy (Coming to America) is in negotiations to play the classic character of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie. According to entertainment news outlet Deadline, Hollywood studio MGM is rebooting the franchise and has roped in Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler for the project.

Chris Bremner (Bad Boys for Life) will pen the screenplay for the movie, which will be produced by Dan Lin, Julie Andrews, Larry Mirisch, and Jonathan Eirich.

The new feature project would be a live-action/ CG hybrid and would combine both traditions. The premise takes a buddy cop movie tone to the proceedings with the Inspector and Panther teaming up for the first time ever on the big screen.

The Pink Panther franchise began with the 1963 comedy film, starring Peter Sellers as bumbling Inspector Clouseau.

The Pink Panther refers to the name of a valuable pink diamond at the centre of a heist in the original film. A cartoon panther appeared in the opening credits, and became popular in his own right, starring in several animated projects over the decades.

Sellers later reprised the role in A Shot in the Dark (1964), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978).

The role has also been inhabited by Alan Arkin and Roger Moore. Actor-comedian Steve Martin played the part in 2006's The Pink Panther and 2009's The Pink Panther 2.

Murphy most recently starred in Netflix's You People, co-starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.


Why are they still making more Harry Potter? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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HTC U23, HTC U23 Pro With Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1​ SoC Launched: Price, Specifications

HTC U23, HTC U23 Pro were launched in Taiwan on Thursday. The HTC U23 series was teased earlier by the company. The official teaser also suggested that the phones will be compatible with the company's Viverse VR platform. With the launch of the smartphones, we will soon see how exactly it will work together. The phones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipsets. Both handsets come with IP67 ratings. The base model sports a triple-rear camera unit, while the pro model features a quad-rear camera system.

HTC U23, HTC U23 Pro price, availability

Offered in Aqua Blue and Roland Violet colour options, the base HTC U23 model is available in a single storage variant of 8GB + 128GB. The company has not yet revealed the price and availability details of the phone.

Meanwhile, the HTC U23 Pro is available for purchase through the online HTC Taiwan store. The 8GB + 256GB is priced at TWD 16,990 (roughly Rs. 45,500) and the 12GB + 256GB variant is marked at TWD 17,990 (roughly Rs. 48,200). The Pro model is offered in Coffee Black and Muxer White colourways. In a limited-period launch offer, customers are being offered a free HTC True Wireless Bluetooth Headset II on their purchase of the smartphone till May 30.

HTC U23, HTC U23 Pro specifications, features

Both HTC U23 and HTC U23 Pro models share certain similar specifications. The dual nano SIM-supported smartphones, running Android 13 out-of-the-box, feature 6.7-inch full-HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) OLED display panels with a refresh rate of 120Hz. They are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC paired with up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB inbuilt storage.

A triple rear camera unit on the HTC U23 includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The quad rear camera unit of the HTC U23 Pro model, on the other hand, includes a 108-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 5-megapixel macro unit, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. Both phones, however, have a 32-megapixel front camera sensor housed in centre-aligned hole-punch slots at the top of the display.

Backed by 4,600mAh battery units, the HTC U23 series phones support 30W wired fast charging alongside 15W wireless charging. For security, both handsets have side-mounted fingerprint sensors. The phones also support WiFi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS, USB Type-C connectivity, and even come equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack.

The HTC U23 Pro weighs 205 grams and measures 166.6mm x 77.09mm x 8.88mm in size. The base HTC U23 weighs 202 grams, but also measures 166.6mm x 77.09mm x 8.88mm in size. Both phones come with an IP67 rating.


Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Kohli equals Gayle's record with sixth IPL century

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli achieved a remarkable feat by equalling Chris Gayle's record for the most centuries in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.

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Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Hinduja Group chief Srichand Parmanand passes away at 87

India-born British industrialist Srichand Parmanand Hinduja - who, along with his younger brothers, turned the family's trading business into a conglomerate spread across banking, automotive, healthcare and real estate - died on Wednesday. He was 87.

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CBI searches Satya Pal ex-aide in J&K insurance 'scam'

The CBI carried out searches Wednesday at the premises of the media adviser to former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik and 11 other locations in connection with its probe into the allegations of corruption and bribery in awarding of the contracts of an insurance scheme and a hydel power project in J&K in 2019 to a Mumbai-based company.

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SC to Sebi: Submit status of Adani probe within 3 months, not 6

The Supreme Court asked Sebi to submit by August 14 the status of probe into Hindenburg's allegations of stock price manipulations against Adani group companies but refused to convert the court proceedings into a roving inquiry, including investigations into the alleged role the LIC, which had invested a substantial amount in Adani companies.

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Bankrupt Crypto Lender Voyager Digital Hopeful to Provide 35 Percent Customer Payout

Crypto lender Voyager Digital said Wednesday that customers will recover about 35 percent of their cryptocurrency deposits as the company winds down its operations after a failed buyout attempt by crypto exchange Binance.US.

US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles approved Voyager's proposed liquidation plan at a court hearing in Manhattan on Wednesday, allowing the company to return about $1.33 billion (nearly Rs. 11,000 crore) in crypto assets to customers and end its efforts to reorganize under Chapter 11.

Voyager filed for bankruptcy protection in July, citing volatility in cryptocurrency markets and a default on a large loan made to crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC).

Voyager suffered through two failed sale attempts during its bankruptcy. It initially sought to sell its assets for $1.42 billion (nearly Rs. 11,700 crore) to FTX, a deal that failed when FTX imploded in November. Binance.US stepped in with a $1.3 billion offer, but called off the deal on April 25, citing a "hostile and uncertain regulatory climate."

Voyager customers' recovery hopes are highly dependent on the outcome of litigation with FTX, which is seeking to claw back $445.8 million (nearly Rs. 3,670 crore) in loan repayments made to Voyager before FTX collapsed into bankruptcy.

If Voyager fully prevails in the FTX litigation, customers' expected recovery would be 63.74 percent, according to Voyager's court filings.

Voyager intends to repay customers with the same type of cryptocurrency that they had in their accounts. For deposits held in unsupported cryptocurrencies that cannot be withdrawn from Voyager's platform and for Voyager's proprietary VGX token, Voyager will instead repay customers using the stablecoin USDC.

Voyager was one of several crypto lenders to file for bankruptcy in 2022 after a boom in the COVID-19 pandemic. Others were Celsius Network, BlockFi, and Genesis Global Capital.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Google Says in Compliance With CCI Order Regarding Play Store's Payments Policy

Google on Wednesday said its Google Play's payments policy is compliant with the anti-trust watchdog CCI's order and it is pushing ahead with plans to enforce the policy in the country.

"In 2020, we clarified the requirements of our payments policy, and developers in India have had considerable time to make the necessary changes to their apps," it said in a blog post. "We're respectfully following the CCI's October 2022 order, and in compliance with that order, we expanded user choice billing to all developers in India and updated our policy that went into effect starting April 26, 2023." Google said as the deadline of April 26 had now passed, it would be taking "necessary steps" to get developers to implement one of the billing options it offers.

Three routes are available for app developers — using Google Play's billing system, an alternative billing system called the user choice billing system alongside Google Play's billing system for users in India and operating on a consumption-only basis without paying a service fee, even if it is part of a paid service.

Google said it continued to "comply with local laws and cooperate with local proceedings, as applicable". Applying a service fee is a "sensible model as the platform only makes money when a developer makes money, so our success is aligned with theirs", it said.

It said the service fee it accrues from developers allows it to fund the large investments it has made for the growth of India's app ecosystem. The company insisted that its fees — 15 percent of lower for most developers — is the lowest of any major app store and a 4 percent reduction in that fee for those who implement an alternative billing system "fairly reflects that Google Play's billing system has not been used.

Less than 60 of the over 2,00,000 Indian developers on Google Play currently could pay a service fee of above 15 percent, Google said, citing its own estimations.

The Competition Commission of India in October slapped a fine on Google and directed the Android maker to give developers the choice of using third-party billing systems in the country.

"Most developers globally have already elected one of these routes. In India, now that the deadline has passed, we are informing developers in the country who have not yet implemented one of these options that we will be taking necessary steps to ensure our policy is applied fairly. We continue to comply with local laws and cooperate with local proceedings, as applicable," Google said.           


Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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IPL: Delhi put Punjab on brink of elimination

Delhi Capitals overcame a 48-ball 94 brutal assault from Liam Livingstone as David Warner and co. pipped Punjab Kings by 15 runs in a high-scoring thriller in Dharamsala to severely dent the hosts' playoffs hopes. Punjab needed to win their remaining two games by decent margins but as the hosts failed to chase down a steep 214 on Wednesday, Shikhar Dhawan and co. are now on the brink of elimination.

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Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Man kills wife and daughter, hangs self



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Monsoon likely to hit Kerala three days late on June 4: IMD



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Delhi government 'advice' not needed to name aldermen: LG to SC



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Dust haze over Delhi-NCR raises PM10 levels up to 10-­fold in 5 hours



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India, China hold major general-level talks amid continuing border row



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IPL: Lucknow beat Mumbai to boost their playoff chances

Pacer Mohsin Khan held his nerves to help Lucknow Super Giants overcome Mumbai Indians challenge in a last-over thriller at Ekana cricket stadium to boost their playoff chances on Tuesday. The win took LSG to third in the Indian Premier League standings with 15 points, below second-placed Chennai Super Kings, who have a better net run rate with identical points.

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Monday, May 15, 2023

Cordelia bust: CBI says NCB cut suspects list



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Isro to launch new navigation satellite on May 29



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Catch-22 for India as Taliban looks to wrest control of embassy



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WhatsApp Rolls Out Chat Lock Feature for Keeping Conversations Hidden, Secure

WhatsApp has rolled out new Chat Lock feature to help its users keep their messages and conversations private and secure. While WhatsApp already provide an end-to-end encryption on the app, the new feature act as an added layer by letting users select the conversations that they want to keep hidden from access to anyone else. One can open these conversation only through correct passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID authentication. The feature has been globally launched and will be rolling out to all WhatsApp users on Android as well as iOS.

In a blog post on Monday, Meta announced rolling out a new security layer for WhatsApp chats with the new 'Chat Lock' feature. Using this feature will move locked chat threads to a different folder. Any notifications regarding these chats will neither show the sender's name, nor the message preview. Moreover, the media files shared in these chats will not be saved in the phone's gallery automatically.

These chats can be locked using several security options like passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID authentication. The Chat Lock feature is available on both WhatsApp for Android and iOS.

To get the feature, users will need to download the latest version of WhatsApp available on App Store, or Google Play Store. The feature is available with WhatsApp for Android version 2.23.10.71 and WhatsApp for iOS in version 2.23.9.77.

To move any conversation in the locked folder, one needs to simply tap on the thread and click on Chat Lock feature. As stated in the blog, Meta is working to introduce several new updates to the feature, such as creating customised passwords which are different from already existing passwords for unlocking the phone. The social media company is also working to make the Chat Lock feature work across all companion devices in which a WhatsApp account is active.


OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Gill's maiden IPL ton powers GT into playoffs

A sizzling maiden IPL century from Shumban Gill was followed by a Mohammed Shami carnage with the new ball as defending champions Gujarat Titans laughed their way to the playoffs, becoming the first team to qualify for the knock-outs. A clinical 34-run win over a hapless Sunrisers Hyderabad also assured Titans of a top-two finish.

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Odisha thief regrets temple heist after 9 years, returns jewellery

Nine years after stealing expensive ornaments from a temple in Gopinathpur on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, the thief returned the booty on Monday and expressed regret for his actions in two anonymous apology notes written in English.

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Sunday, May 14, 2023

Teacher held for sex assault bid on 15 schoolgirls in UP



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HC: Can’t recover extra pension mistakenly paid to ex-armyman

“Excess pension” cannot be taken back from a military veteran who retired nearly 50 years ago merely because the amount was “erroneously” paid, the Punjab and Haryana HC has held.

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National register of doctors in works to foil malpractice

All medical practitioners in the country will now have to register with the National Medical Commission (NMC), in addition to registering with state medical councils, and the data will be updated in the National Medical Register (NMR) — a central repository of information about all medical practitioners in the country.

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In a first, Taliban looks to get own envoy for India outreach



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Varanasi e-way promises road trip from Delhi to Kolkata in just 17 hours



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IPL: KKR crack Chepauk code to keep playoffs hopes alive

A spin show from Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine was followed by impressive fifties from skipper Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh as an all-round Kolkata Knight Riders eased past Chennai Super Kings by six wickets to grab two crucial points and keep their playoffs hopes alive on Sunday.

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Saturday, May 13, 2023

NCP MLA booked for activist's killing



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Karnataka polls: Congress fielded 46 Lingayats, 37 won



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Karnataka conguered: Biggest win for any party in state since 1989; Congress 136, BJP 65



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Karnataka battle won, Congress now faces tough choice between Siddaramaiah & Shivakumar



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Karnataka polls: In Bengaluru, 15 for BJP & 12 for Congress



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British cinemas cancel ‘Kerala Story’ screening



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IPL: Prabhsimran, Brar keep PBKS alive, DC out of playoffs race

Prabhsimran Singh is a project that has seen Punjab Kings invest four years and crores of rupees. It has finally paid off in a match that helped them stay alive in the IPL, as he calmly steered Khaleel Ahmed down to the third boundary to bring up his maiden IPL hundred here at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday evening. The 22-year-old, standing barely at five and a half feet, stood tall in an innings where he scored 103 off 65 balls in Kings’ emphatic 31-run win after arduously putting up 167/6.

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Friday, May 12, 2023

Aryan case: Ex-­NCB man booked for ‘extorting Rs 50 lakh from SRK’

The CBI has registered a corruption case against Sameer Wankhede, the former western region head of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and three others for allegedly extorting Rs 50 lakh from actor Shah Rukh Khan in the October 2021 cruise drug case involving his son Aryan Khan.

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Imran gets bail for 2 weeks, blanket protection from arrest till May 15



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Staff at both Houses of new Parliament to get same uniform



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TRAI Gives 30 Days to Telcos to Check Misuse of Telemarketing Message Templates

Regulator TRAI on Friday directed telecom operators to take action against misuse of telemarketing messages templates within 30 days to curb pesky messages.

The regulator in the direction said that it has noticed some telemarketers are misusing headers and content templates of enterprises.

"Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) is a major source of inconvenience to the public and impinges on the privacy of individuals and TRAI has been taking various steps to curb it. Today, Trai has issued a direction to stop misuse of message templates under Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018)," the regulator said.

Instead of mobile numbers, the authorised telemarketing messages display headers which is indicative of the company from which it has come.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed telecom operators to make changes in the code of practices (CoPs) around headers and content templates of telemarketing messages under the TCCCPR 2018 rules and comply with the direction within 30 days.

The regulator said that look-alike message titles or headers are creating confusion among recipients of messages and are being misused by some of the entities for their gains.

TRAI said that the number of variables in a template is not defined in CoPs, which leads to misuse of the same, and moreover, the promotional content is being passed in the variable portions of content templates.

"...in order to minimize the said misuse, the number of variables allowed in content template needs to be limited in a way that not only gives PEs (Principal Entities) enough flexibility to phrase their content but at the same time, there are reasonable restrictions on number and placement of variables," the regulator said.

TRAI has directed telecom operators to re-verify all headers registered on blockchain based messaging platforms within 30 days and block unverified headers.

It has asked telecom operators to develop a system within 60 days to temporarily deactivate all headers which remain unused for 30 days.

Telecom operators are required to set up an online process to reactivate headers for the messages and ensure that each header is distinct.

TRAI's direction requires telecom operators to re-verify all content templates within 60 days and block unverified templates.

Telecom operators are required to incorporate procedures for quarterly re-verification of headers and content templates in their respective CoPs, under the TRAI direction. 


Google I/O 2023 saw Google tell us repeatedly that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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US Lawmakers Request Probe on Elon Musk's Startup Neuralink's Animal-Testing Panel

US lawmakers will ask regulators to investigate whether the make-up of a panel overseeing animal testing at Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink contributed to botched and rushed experiments.

US House Representatives Earl Francis Blumenauer and Adam Schiff, both Democrats, have signed a draft letter to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting a probe into how Neuralink oversaw its experiments, Blumenauer's office said.

The lawmakers have shared the draft with peers to gather more signatures and plan to send it to the USDA on Monday. The draft states that they are responding to a May 4 Reuters story which revealed that Neuralink filled its oversight board with company employees who stand to benefit financially from the start-up securing regulatory approval for its novel brain chip.

The panel approved experiments that resulted in the unnecessary deaths and suffering of animals, Reuters showed in a December 5 story. A spokesperson for Blumenauer said the USDA did not respond to an earlier request from lawmakers for a probe into Neuralink in the wake of that story.

"Congress has a significant interest in ensuring that all facilities using animals in research and testing — whether they are government-run, universities, or private companies — comply with the minimal standards of the Animal Welfare Act," the draft letter states.

Musk and Neuralink representatives, and spokespeople for the USDA and the agency's inspector general, did not respond to requests for comment.

Neuralink has already been the subject of federal probes. Reuters reported on December 5 that the USDA's Inspector General was investigating, at the request of a federal prosecutor, potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which governs how researchers treat and test certain types of animals. This probe has also been looking at the USDA's oversight of Neuralink.

The Inspector General and the USDA did not respond to a request for comment on the progress of that investigation.

The US Department of Transportation said in February it was investigating Neuralink over the movement of hazardous pathogens. An agency spokesperson said this probe is continuing, without providing details.

USDA inspectors visited Neuralink's California and Texas facilities in January in response to Reuters' reporting and the queries of lawmakers, but found no issues, Reuters reported last week.

Neuralink has been trying to secure clearance to advance to human trials after a prior attempt was rejected last year by the Food and Drug Administration because of safety concerns.

© Thomson Reuters 2023
 


Smartphone companies have launched many compelling devices over the first quarter of 2023. What are some of the best phones launched in 2023 you can buy today? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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IPL: MI reclaim third spot as Surya ton downs GT

Swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav dazzled with his maiden IPL ton as Mumbai Indians brushed aside table-toppers Gujarat Titans by 27 runs in a one-sided affair at Wankhede stadium on Friday. It was Mumbai's fourth consecutive 200-plus score as a near-perfect win helped them reclaim the third spot on the points table. An in-form Surya once again lit up the Wankhede as his breathtaking effort helped Mumbai notch up their seventh win of the season. After a sizzling 83 in the last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the local boy Surya took his innings a notch higher, firing a stunning 103 not out off just 49 balls.

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Thursday, May 11, 2023

Nitish's ‘unity tour’ takes him to Pawar, Uddhav in Maharashtra

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav have met NCP president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray to discuss opposition unity at the national level. To mobilise anti-BJP parties, Kumar had recently met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress politician Rahul Gandhi and New Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of AAP.

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Google Fined RUB 3 Million in Russia Over YouTube Videos on LGBT Propaganda: Reports

A Russian court fined Alphabet's Google RUB 3 million (nearly Rs. 31 lakh) on Thursday for failing to delete YouTube videos it said promoted "LGBT propaganda" and "false information" about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.

Over the last year Moscow has levied dozens of fines against Western tech companies as part of a drive to ramp up control over what Russian internet users see online.

As well as passing strict censorship laws shortly after it dispatched troops into Ukraine, Russia also last year strengthened its laws against what it calls the "promotion of LGBT propaganda".

Under the new law, which widens Russia's interpretation of what qualifies as "LGBT propaganda" and has been heavily criticised by independent human rights groups, any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books or advertising, could incur a heavy fine.

Russian prosecutors said Google had refused to remove several videos posted on YouTube, including one from a blogger deemed a "foreign agent" by Moscow about how same-sex couples raise children and about the LGBT community in St. Petersburg, the TASS news agency reported.

The Russian subsidiary of Alphabet's Google filed for bankruptcy last year after authorities seized its bank accounts following a December 2021 fine of RUB 7.2 billion roubles (nearly Rs. 767 crore)) over what Russian authorities said was the company's "repeated failure" to delete content.

© Thomson Reuters 2023 


Apple is opening its first stores in India, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. What does this mean for Apple customers in India? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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ONDC Expands Its Operations to 236 Cities, Adds More Than 36,000 Merchants: CEO

The Indian government's open e-commerce network ONDC has expanded its operations into 236 cities in the country while adding more than 36,000 merchants, a senior company official said on Thursday.

The government launched the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) last year to give small businesses and retailers access to processes and technologies usually provided by big e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Walmart.

The non-profit company's network currently displays products and services from all participating e-commerce platforms in search results across all apps on its network. 

"ONDC is handholding small merchants while aiming to make e-commerce more inclusive and accessible for consumers," T Koshy, CEO of the company, told reporters. 

The network is slowly and steadily recording an uptick in transactions, he said. 

The government has said existing platforms are tightly controlled, keeping out many small players. It expects ONDC to increase competition and foster start-up innovation.

T Koshy said the company was in talks with cab operators to launch operations in at least four cities, after successfully launching mobility operations in two cities in South India.

More than 55,000 taxi cab owners have already joined the network, and consumers were using it for about 35,000 rides a day, he said. 

The platform has helped cab owners to provide services while saving on hefty commissions paid to other platforms and offer lower rates to passengers, said Shaikh Salauddin, head of Telengana Four Wheeler Drivers Association, and a taxi driver. 

"The ONDC move has helped to promote fair competition in the e-commerce and helping consumers and small players."

ONDC aims to raise e-commerce penetration in the next two years to 25 percent of India's consumer purchases, from nearly 8 percent now, in a country of 1.4 billion people.

On Tuesday, the government said the state-run Indian postal service, which has a network of nearly 160,000 post offices, will also join the ONDC network to provide logistics services to small traders across the country.


Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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WhatsApp Responds to IT Ministry's Call for Notice, Ensures to Ramp Up Safety Against Spam Calls

WhatsApp has responded to the Indian Government's call to send notice to the Meta's messaging platform regarding an increase in international scam calls. Promising to safeguard user's privacy and security, WhatsApp says it provides options like 'Block' and 'Report' for users to avoid any unwanted calls or messages. It also ensured to have ramped up its AI and ML system, which is expected to bring down the current calling rate by at least 50 percent. 

"Our users are at the heart of everything we do and we are fully aligned with the Government's goal of keeping users safe. WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety," stated WhatsApp spokesperson in response to report regarding IT Ministry's decision to send a notice. 

"We have quickly ramped up our AI & ML systems to bring down such incidents significantly. Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50 percent and we expect to be able to control the current incidence effectively," the statement added. 

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the IT Ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, in order to ensure privacy of users on digital platforms.

He added that all the digital platforms are responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety of 'digital nagriks'. Alleged misuse or alleged breach of users' privacy on any such platform will receive appropriate response from the. government. 

The incidence has come to light as WhatsApp users in India have reported to have received incoming international spam calls over the past few days. Users took it to Twitter to complain that these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251).


Smartphone companies have launched many compelling devices over the first quarter of 2023. What are some of the best phones launched in 2023 you can buy today? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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IPL: Jaiswal, Chahal shine as Rajasthan thrash Kolkata by 9 wickets

A record-breaking day for Rajasthan Royals on Thursday as they thrashed hosts Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in their crucial Indian Premier League match to resurrect their play-offs hopes at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Royals ended their three-match losing streak with the big win and jumped to third in the standings with 12 points from 12 games.

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IPL points table after Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals match



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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Budding boxer, 12, runs 15km to safety in Manipur



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Google Pixel Fold With 7.6-Inch Inner Display, Tensor G2 SoC, 4,821mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications

Google Pixel Fold was launched at the Google I/O 2023 event on Wednesday, May 10. As expected, following multiple leaks and rumours, the first foldable smartphone from Google is powered by the in-house Tensor G2 SoC. The Google Pixel Fold runs on Android 13 and it flaunts triple rear cameras. It comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The foldable has a 180-degree folding hinge and is backed by a 4,821mAh battery. The Pixel Fold will compete with the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series, Oppo Find N2 Flip, and Huawei Mate X2.

Google Pixel Fold price, availability

The price of the Google Pixel Fold starts at $1,799 (roughly Rs. 1,47,500) for the variant with 256GB storage. For the model with 512GB storage, you'll have to shell out $1,919(roughly Rs. 1,57,300). The phone will be available in Obsidian and Porcelain colour options. The company is offering Pixel Watch free for customers purchasing the Pixel Fold. 

The Google Pixel Fold is already available for pre-order in the US and should reach customers starting next month. The foldable will only be sold in select markets around the world. 

Google also took the wraps off of the Pixel 7a during the Google I/O keynote. It is priced at Rs. 43,999 in India and will go on sale on Flipkart from May 11.

Google Pixel Fold specifications

The dual-SIM Google Pixel Fold runs on Android 13 out of the box and features a 7.6-inch inner display (1,840 x 2,208 pixels) with a 6:5 aspect ratio, 380ppi pixel density, and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 5.8-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,092 pixels) OLED outer display with a 17.4:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The external display has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, while the inner display has a plastic coating. It is powered by Google's Tensor G2 SoC, coupled with a Titan M2 security chip and 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Google is promising five years of Pixel updates for the foldable. 

pixel fold google inline Google Pixel Fold

For optics, Pixel Fold carries a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 48-megapixel primary wide-angle lens with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), CLAF and an f/1.7 aperture. The camera setup also includes a 10.8-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 121-degree field of view and an f/2.2 aperture and a 10.8-megapixel dual PD telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 20x Super Res Zoom.

For selfies, there is a 9.5-megapixel sensor with a 1.22 pm pixel width, f/2.2 aperture, and fixed focus on the outer display. Further, it features an 8-megapixel inner selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. Google has also packed a Magic Eraser feature for clearing out distractions from an image. It also includes Photo Unblur functionality for making blurry pictures sharper and Night Sight for taking sharp pictures in low-light conditions. Other photography features onboard include Real Tone, Long Exposure, Panorma, and Portrait among others.

pixel fold google black Pixel Fold

The Pixel Fold comes in two storage variants with up to 512GB of inbuilt storage. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, GPS, Google Cast, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, hall sensor, proximity sensor, and light sensor. The phone also includes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for authentication. The phone also supports a face unlock feature. It also includes stereo speakers and three microphones. It has access to Google One VPN.

Google has provided a 4,821mAh battery on the Pixel Fold with support for 30W charging. The foldable can also be charged wirelessly on a standard Qi charger. The battery is said to offer more than 24 hours of playback time and up to 72 hours of standby time on a single charge. It measures 139.7x79.5x12.1mm when folded and 139.7x158.7x5.8mm when unfolded. It weighs 283 grams.


OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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