Bharat Bandh: Curfew in Jaipur, Odisha, Bhopal, parts of UP; top updates

Schools to remain shut today in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad on account of Bharat Bandh, internet services will be suspended in Jaipur

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to all states to take necessary precautionary measures in the view of Bandh called for Tuesday. A week after Dalit groups across the country held a nationwide protest against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court, which witnessed massive violence in different parts of the countryleading to the death of nine people, a Bharat Bandh against caste-based reservation in education and jobs has been called today. According to security sources, calls for an anti-quota bandh started circulating on social media after Dalit protests last week. Separate security alerts have also been issued in a number of states, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, from where the deaths were reported on April 2. "No group has come forward to say they are organising a call for a bandh. These messages are doing the rounds in social media," said Jaipur police chief Sanjay Agarwal. "We are holding meetings with community liaison groups and traders. Nobody will be allowed to take the law into their hands," he added.

Top 10 developments on Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits today

1. Schools to remain shut today in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad: Schools for students of Class I to IX will remain closed tomorrow, as a precautionary measure, in the wake of Bharat Bandh called on Tuesday. According to media reports, a shutdown has been called by some groups for April 10, who are reportedly against caste-based reservations in jobs and education.

2. MHA asks states to tighten security: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in its advisory said, 

"MHA has advised the states to beef up security and make appropriate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident, including issue of prohibitory orders, if necessary. It has asked for intensification of patrolling in all sensitive locations so as to prevent any loss of life or damage to property."

"The Advisory stressed that District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police be made personally responsible for ensuring that law and order situation remains firmly under control in the areas of their jurisdiction," statement added.

3. Internet services to be suspended in Jaipur: In view of Bharat Bandh called by different groups, prohibitory orders will be clamped in Jaipur. Police Commissioner Sanjay Aggarwal, in a press conference, said that no procession or protest will be allowed on Tuesday and strict action will be taken against offenders. Internet services will remain suspended in the city from 12 midnight on Monday till Tuesday night. STF teams have been deputed at different locations of the city, he added.

4. Section 144 to be imposed in Bhopal: Section 144 has been imposed in Bhopal today in the wake of Bharat Bandh. Around 6000 police personnel will be deployed in order to ward off any violence or untoward incidents. Although the section has been imposed in several other districts of Madhya Pradesh, but Gwalior, Bhind and Morena are deemed to be the sensitive areas.

5. BSP team meets Yogi Adityanath, claims party workers being harassed post April 2 Bharat Bandh: A delegation of BSP leaders, led by party national general secretary SC Misra met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday alleging harassment of party supporters on the pretext of taking action against arson and violence during Bharat Bandh on April 2.

"We met the chief minister and apprised him of how Dalits, especially supporters of the BSP, are being targeted in the name of action against those who indulged in arson and vandalism during the April 2 agitation called by Dalit organisations," Misra told newspersons after meeting Adityanath.

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FB scandal: It was my mistake and am sorry, Zuckerberg tells US Senate

Zuckerberg traversed Capitol Hill on Monday surrounded by police and trailed by packs of reporters ahead of his scheduled appearance before three congressional committees

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg swapped his trademark T-shirt and jeans for a dark suit and a purple tie on Monday as he met U.S. lawmakers to apologize for the social network's misuse of its members' data and to head off possible regulation.

His apologies precede two days of congressional hearings this week, where Zuckerberg will be asked how 87 million Facebook users' data was improperly shared with a political consultancy, Cambridge Analytica.

He will also likely face questions about ads and posts placed by Russian operatives, in what U.S. authorities believe was an attempt to influence the U.S. 2016 election.

"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake," he said in written remarks released by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday. "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry."

If Zuckerberg does not provide satisfactory answers this week, Congress is more likely to push new laws to strictly regulate Facebook. Anticipating such a move, the company has already said it favors new legislation that would make social networks disclose who is behind political ads, much as TV and radio stations must already do.

Tighter regulation of how Facebook uses its members' data could affect its ability to attract advertising revenue, its lifeblood. Facebook shares closed up 0.5 percent on Monday. They are still down almost 17 percent from highs hit in January, amid a broader tech selloff, partly because of investor concerns about regulation.

PRIVACY ISSUES

Zuckerberg traversed Capitol Hill on Monday surrounded by police and trailed by packs of reporters ahead of his scheduled appearance before three congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Zuckerberg held meetings with the top Republican and Democratic senators on the Commerce and Judiciary committees that will question him on Tuesday in a joint meeting. He faces further grilling from the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday.

On Monday, he was pictured in one photo showing his mobile device to Senator Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee. He did not respond to questions from reporters as he entered and left the building.

Nelson told reporters after the meeting: “The message I wanted to convey to him is that if we don't rein in the use of social media, none of us are going to have any privacy anymore." He met Senator John Thune, the Commerce Committee's Republican chairman, later in the day. He also met Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee's Republican chairman, and the leading Democrat on that committee, Dianne Feinstein.

Top of the agenda in this week's hearings will be Facebook's dealings with Cambridge Analytica, a London-based company that counts U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign among its past clients, or go-betweens. Cambridge Analytica has disputed Facebook's estimate of the number of affected users.

Lawmakers are also expected to press Zuckerberg closely on the 2016 election, which he anticipated in his written testimony.

"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm..." he said. "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

Zuckerberg's testimony said the company was "too slow to spot and respond to Russian interference, and we're working hard to get better." He vowed to make improvements, adding it would take time, but he was "committed to getting it right." Facebook disclosed in September that Russians under fake names had used the social network to try to influence U.S. voters in the months before and after the 2016 election, writing about inflammatory subjects, setting up events and buying ads.

In February, U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies with interfering in the election by sowing discord on social media.

The company's data practices are under investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

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Himachal school bus accident: 27 kids, 3 others killed in Nurpur; updates

The Himachal Pradesh school bus rolled into a 200ft-deep gorge, killing 27 schoolchildren, two teachers and the driver

At least 30 people, including 27 school children, were killed after a private bus skidded off the road and rolled down deep into a gorge in Nurpur area of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Twelve injured passengers were rushed to the hospital and are in critical condition.

"The bus rolled into a 200ft-deep gorge, killing 27 schoolchildren, two teachers and the driver," said Santosh Patyal, a senior local police official.

"My first priority was to save lives. We will now investigate the reasons for the accident," he said.

Most of the students were in the age of 10 to 12 years. Local villagers had begun rescue operation even before officials could reach the spot, eyewitnesses said. Around 45 students of Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial Public School were returning home when the bus skidded off road and fell into the 100-feet deep gorge. Teams of local administration and the National Disaster Response Force were involved in the rescue and faced a tough time in pulling out the victims from the mangled bus.

"Prima facie, negligent driving and over-speeding are the main reasons for the accident," an official said. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Governor Acharya Devvrat and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda condoled the deaths. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered.

Death toll may rise

Top 10 developments on the tragic Himachal Pradesh accident that claimed 30 lives:

1. Modi condoles deaths in Himachal bus accident: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday condoled the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Himachal Pradesh, in which 30 people, including 27 students, were killed.

2."I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident," tweeted PMO India. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also said, "I am deeply shocked to learn about the tragic bus accident...my heart goes out to the family members of the deceased."

 3. 27 kids among 30 dead in Himachal bus accident: Twenty-seven children were among 30 killed when a school bus ferrying them back home plunged into a deep gorge near village Gurchal on the Nurpur-Chamba highway, about 100 km from the district headquarters at Dharamsala.

4. Rs 500,000 for next of kin: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced an immediate relief of Rs 500,000 to the next of kin of each deceased. Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Union minister JP Nadda, Transport minister Thakur, were among those who expressed deep shock over the tragedy.

5. The bus was on its way to drop children back home: Confirming the death toll, Nurpur BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania said three staff members, including two teachers and a driver of the bus, were also among those who were killed in the tragic incident. The victims belonged to Wazir Ram Singh Memorial school. The ill-fated bus was on its way to drop children back to their homes.

Read more : Himachal school bus accident

CWG 2018 Day 5 medal tally: Australia wins 39 gold, India 10; highlights

Gagan Narang and Chain Singh entered the final of the men's 50m Rifle Prone event. India enters the semifinals in the men's hockey

India's gold rush at the 21st Commonwealth Games continues. India scripted history by bagging the maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in mixed badminton event. Indian shuttlers thrashed three-time defending champions Malaysia on Monday.

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal defeated Malaysian Soniia Cheah by 21-11 19-21 21-9, securing the gold 

for India in the mixed team event.

"It is a medal that I will forever cherish, it is very special. Team gold is always way more cherishable," said the London Olympics bronze-medallist.

Earlier, India had won the silver and bronze respectively in mixed team badminton event in the 2010 and 2006 editions of the Commonwealth Games.

India enters the semifinals in the men's hockey by beating Malaysia in a Pool B match. All eyes are on Indian shooters. Annu Raj Singh and Heena Sindhu reached the final of women’s 25m pistol event.

Earlier, India shined in men's table tennis event at the Commonwealth Games as it outclassed Nigeria by 3-0 to win the historic gold in men's table tennis.

Indian players continued their dominance in the final and thrashed Nigeria in all the first three matches to clinch a gold medal.

This the second gold medal for India in table tennis after the women's team claimed gold medal by defeating Singapore on Sunday.

Ace shooter Jitu Rai won his second gold medal at the Commonwealth Games by creating a record of 235 on Day 5.1 in the men's 10m Air Pistol final.

Om Mitharwal bagged bronze for India with 214.3 in the final.

Indian women shooters made India proud as Mehuli Ghosh and Apurvi Chandela bagged silver and bronze respectively in the women's 10m Air Rifle event.

1. Gagan Narang and Chain Singh enter final: 

All eyes on Indian shooters as Gagan Narang and Chain Singh entered the final of the men's 50m Rifle Prone event. Gagan finished the qualifying round in the third position with 617 points. Chain was in sixth place, having scored a total of 614.2. Gagan was consistent throughout the qualification round, starting off with 102.5 before shooting a superb 104.8 in his second attempt. He bolstered his position with 102.3, 103.2 and 103.4 in his next three attempts. However, a poor 100.8 in his final attempt ended his chances of finishing among the top two.

2. India reach semifinals in men's Hockey

India defeated Malaysia by 2-1 in a Pool B match of the men's hockey tournament at the 21st Commonwealth Games. Harmanpreet Singh (3rd, 43rd minutes) converted a couple of penalty corner while the experienced Faizal Saari reduced the deficit for Malaysia. India entered semifinals in men's hockey.

3. Women shooters qualified for final:

Annu Raj Singh and Heena Sindhu reached the final round of women’s 25m pistol event. The 34-year-old shooter from Aligarh, Annu Raj Singh scored 239 in the precision series. Heena Sidhu scored 293 in the rapid-fire series, securing a place in the final.

4. India wins historic gold in the mixed badminton event

India won the historic gold medal in the mixed badminton event at the Commonwealth Games 2010. The World no. 2 Kidambi Srikanth started the final against Malaysia with a comfortable victory. He outclassed three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee 21-17 21-14 in straight games.

Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa increased the lead by defeating Peng Soon Chan and Liu Yong Goh by 21-14 15-21 21-15.

Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost narrowly to Goh and Wee Kiong Tan 15-21 20-22 in men's doubles, keeping Malaysia afloat for a while. Saina Nehwal did not disappoint. She bagged the gold against Soniia Cheah by 21-11 19-21 21-9.

"It was exhausting, I actually lost focus during the match but thankfully managed to hold it together and ensure that the gold medal winning shot was mine," said ace badminton player.

Indian weightlifters finished with five gold, two silver and two bronze medals, topping the charts in the sport.

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IPL 2018: Why Gambhir failed to turn things around for Delhi Daredevils

Kings XI Punjab's K L Rahul scored the fastest IPL fifty in his team's match against Delhi Daredevils to take the game away from Delhi's reach. Here's why things are not working for Delhi Daredevils

Two Indian Premier League (IPL) teams with two striking similarities — empty trophy cabinet, and new captains — were hoping for a good start to IPL 2018. Only one of them managed to achieve it. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) faced Delhi Daredevils (DD) at their home turf in Mohali. Former captain of Kolkata Knight Riders Gautam Gambhir was taken by DD this year in IPL 2018 auctions. KXIP, too, had a new captain in Ravichandran Ashwin.

KXIP won the toss and invited Delhi Daredevils to bat, and thus began a series of mistakes and errors for DD. Hopes were pinned on the newly appointed captain Gautam Gambhir. And he did not disappoint personally -- he struck a half-century. But he did not get the required support from other batsmen. Opener Colin Munro, dismissed cheaply for 4, became the first wicket for the youngest debutant Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

As Gambhir tried to reconstruct the innings, Shreyas Iyer played a couple of extravagant shots and, oozing overconfidence, lofted one high in the air only to be caught easily and sent back to the dug-out. The fate of Vijay Shankar was no different. He came, he scored 13 from 13, and in desperation to accelerate, threw his wicket away. Once again, Gambhir had to switch from the hitting mode to rebuilding.

Punjab's bowling was not as menacing as one would have thought. Indeed it was the poor shot selection of DD batsmen, and their lack of character, that made the scorecard look so modest. A few cameos did not prove very helpful, either. Rishab Pant went hammers and tongs to score a quickfire 28. But when he needed to show some maturity, he failed and threw his wicket away.

Gambhir did all he could, but eventually gave in to the pressure of increasing the run rate and was dismissed for a decent 55 off 42 balls. What really hurt the innings was the inexperience of his teammates. His own dismissal was not ordinary; he got run out and the players that followed him could not do much. Chris Morris made a quick 27 to take the team to a respectable-but-still-difficult-to-defend total of 166-7.

One would think chasing 167 would be easy, but the first match of this IPL season -- between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians -- proved otherwise with a similar scorecard. Frankly, that was the expectation from the bowlers of Delhi -- to at least put up a flight and turn this one into a close encounter.

But, alas, DD bowlers were destined to take the field only to be smashed! It was opener K L Rahul's date with destiny. From ball one, he made his intentions clear. He smashed, he hammered, and he ripped apart Delhi's bowling. The bowlers had no answer whatsoever to his tactics. If you earlier thought DD's batsmen were the champions of displaying immaturity on the field, now you had Delhi's bowlers proving they were not far behind.

Rahul hit towering sixes and ferocious boundaries all over. So much so that he went on to score the fastest ever IPL half-century, taking only 14 balls to achieve the feat, with 6 fours and four sixes.

Star bowlers of Delhi — Trent Boult, Mohd Shami, and Amit Mishra — were hammered. The worst part was that these players had more experience than Rahul and yet they could do nothing to contain him, or Karun Nair, who too scored a fifty. Disappointing line and length, no variation, and lack of creativity were some of the reason for abysmal bowling. And, eventually, Delhi lost by six wickets.

If you could not fault the batsman Gambhir, the same could not be said about the captain Gambhir. Overall, the captaincy was sub-par, but then there was not much he could do to save his team from a shameful defeat. Yes, it was Rahul's day. Such performances happen once in a long time (like ABD's 31-ball century against West Indies in an ODI), but not being able to control the flow of runs is something Delhi needs to ponder about.

Delhi gifted this one to Punjab on a platter by failing to score runs and then not even trying to defend the total. This is what you a call a team's collective failure. Batsmen do not put up a good score. The captain fails to bring in his experience to improvise and contain the other side. The bowlers do not even try. The game never belonged to Delhi. It had Punjab written all over it.

Click here : IPL 2018

Honor 10 teaser shows Huawei P20-inspired design, dual camera: Details here

The Honor 10 is expected to feature Kirin 970 SoC, coupled with up to 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. It is reported to feature an iPhone X-inspired 5.8-inch notch-based fullHD+ screen

Honor, the online subsidiary of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is gearing up to unveil the Honor 10 smartphone on May 15 in London. The Honor-branded smartphones, as seen in the past, take cues from Huawei P-series and Mate-series flagship devices, so the Honor 10 is expected to be inspired by the Huawei P20-series phones.

According to an alleged official banner leaked on Chinese social media platform Weibo, the Honor 10 is reported to feature a glossy multi-colour back panel, similar to Huawei P20. The alleged phone image also shows a dual rear-camera unit placed horizontally on the top left corner. However, the fingerprint scanner is not visible on the back, so it is assumed to have been put on the front side below the screen.

Just like the Huawei P20-series, the Honor 10 is expected to feature Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC), coupled with up to 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The phone is reported to sport an iPhone X-inspired 5.8-inch notch-based screen with fullHD+ resolution.

Being a cost-effective substitute to the premium Huawei P20-series smartphones, the Honor 10 might shed the Leica lens in favour of the company’s in-house imaging solution. The phone’s camera is also expected to feature artificial intelligence-based scene selection and other camera modes. However, the AI-based camera feature in the Honor 10 might be limited in comparison with the Huawei P20-series smartphones.

Super-slow-motion videos at 960 frames per second (FPS) are another camera feature that might not be there in the Honor 10. However, the phone is expected to capture 480FPS slow-mo video at a 720p resolution.

The Honor 10 is expected to feature Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0, with system-wide AI integration for enhanced user experience. As for the price, Honor phones usually get an affordable price tag when compared with the Huawei P-series and Mate-series smartphones. Therefore, the Honor 10 is expected to be priced in the mid range, rather than premium, especially in India.

Click here : Technology news

OnePlus 6 Indian price, colour themes leaked: Specs, features & more

OnePlus 6 might be out soon and its 64GB, 128GB and 256GB variants may cost between Rs 33,999 to Rs 36,999, Rs 38,999 to Rs 42,999 and Rs 44,999 to Rs 48,999, respectively

 

OnePlus is gearing up to unveil notch screen-based OnePlus 6 sometime this month or early next month. However, the leaks of the smartphone have been making rounds on the internet hinting at the possible design theme, imaging set-up, specifications, features and price of the upcoming midrange device.

While the OnePlus 6 notch-based screen and the wooden back cover has been revealed in the past, the new leak showcases the phone’s new colour variants hinting at possible glass-based design, instead of metallic build that the current generation boasts. However, based on leaks, it is assumed that the phone would sport an aluminium frame, similar to the one found in current generation model – the OnePlus 5T.

In an interview with an online technology portal The Verge, OnePlus co-founder and CEO Carl Pei hinted that the upcoming flagship would sport a bigger display. He, however, did not mention the exact screen size and, based on leaks, it is expected that the OnePlus 6 would boast a 6.28-inch screen.

The OnePlus 6 would be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC). The top-end variant would get 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage – as confirmed by the company in an official teaser. However, the 64GB and 128GB internal storage variants with 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations are also expected to be part of upcoming phone’s variants line-up.

The OnePlus 5T’s dual rear-cameras and modern 18:9 aspect ratio screen have been the core marketing features. However, for the OnePlus 6, the focus is solely on the notch-based screen and the information around camera is scarce – both from company’s side and through leaks. The silence around imaging hints at no major breakthrough in the front and back camera. Based on leaked specifications, however, the upcoming midrange smartphone is expected to sport 20-megapixel and 16MP resolution rear sensors with f/1.7 aperture on both the lenses. On the front, the phone is reported to get a new 20MP sensor with bright f/2.0 aperture lens.

Talking about the price, OnePlus has been raising the price of its devices with every successive generation. And, based on Indian price leak, the OnePlus 6 would be the costliest smartphone from the stable of Chinese smartphone maker. The OnePlus 6 with 64GB internal storage is reportedly going to cost between Rs 33,999 to Rs 36,999 while the 128GB storage variant may cost between Rs 38,999 to Rs 42,999 and the premium variant with 256GB storage may cost between Rs 44,999 to Rs 48,999.

Based on these prices, it can be assumed that OnePlus might unveil 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations with internal storage variants. Therefore, it is expected that the OnePlus 6 base model with 64GB internal storage, along with 128GB and 256GB variants, might also get 8GB RAM configuration.

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IPL 2018: Knight Riders beat RCB by 4 wickets; Narine, Karthik shine

Light to moderate rain and thundershowers are expected in Kolkata on Sunday as the cricketers and fans will have their fingers crossed for the marquee IPL clash

 

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 4 wickets chasing 177. Narine's magnificent fifty and Dinesh Karthik's mature innings helped KKR to win comfortably in the end. RCB failed in the bowling department and could not capitalise on the faliing of wickets

Kolkata Knight Riders innings report

After 15 overs

Nitish Rana and Captian Dinesh Karthik rebuilt the innings. Scoring a tad above run a ball, both roasted the strike well and did not miss on hitting a loosner. Chahal was hammered when he came back into the attack. Washington Sundar took Rana's wicket. Rana was dismissed for 34 off 25 balls. Karthik was joined by Rinku Singh. By the end of 15 overs, KKr was at 141-4.

After 12 overs

KKR were cruising towards victory as the RCB bowlers looked clueless. After the fall of Uthappa's wicket, Nitish Rana and Captian Dinesh Karthik rebuilt the innings. Sloppy fielding and failure to convert half chances cost RCB. At the end of 12 overs, RCB was 112-3

End of powerplay: KKR

Sunil Narine did for KKR what Lokesh Rahul had done in the previous match for KXIP. Narine blasted the RBC bowling and scored 50 of just 17 balls. He smashed the blowers all across the park and brought down the asking rate heavily. He made 50 off 19 and was dismissed by Umesh Yadav. Nitish Rana joined Uthappa. Earlier, opner Chris Lynn was dismissed by Woakes for 5. At the end of powerplay, KKR was 68-2.

Opener Chirs Lynn was dismissed by Chris Woakes for 5 after Sunil Narine bashed Chahal's first over.

Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings report

End of innings

RCB batsmen failed to capitalise on the foundation built by McCullum and deVilliers. Constant fall of wickets kept the run rate in check. However, Mandeep Singh played a brilliant cameo in the death overs and smashed Vinay Kumar for 16 runs in the last over. He eventually was dismissed for 37 from 18 balls. In the 20 allotted overs, RCB managed to score 176-7.

After 15 overs

AB deVillers wen on a rampage before being dismissed by Nitish Rana. He made 44 runs off 23 balls. Kohli was dismissed on the very next ball as he struggled to face the spinner. RCB was at 132-4 after 15 overs.

After 10 overs

After giving a decent start to the team, Brendon McCullum was dismissed for 43 by Sunil Narine. A B de Villiers joined Virat Kohli. Despite hitting a few boundaries, Virat seems to be struggling to score runs. On the other hand, de Villiers hit Yadav for two back-to-back sixes. At the end of the 10 overs, RCB was at 82-2.

Story till powerplay

Put into bat by Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Banglore was off to a flying start as T20 specialist Brendon McCullum smashed 14 runs off the very first over by Vinay Kumar. Opener Quinton de Kock was dismissed cheaply by Piyush Chawla. Captain Virat Kohli came into bat kept the scoring rate going, while McCullum was busy punishing the bowlers. They had a partnership of 38 runs in 26 balls. McCullum did the bulk of the scoring as Dinesh Karthik tried variety of slower bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla.

At the end of the powerplay, RCB was at 52-1.

Team head to head:

Overall: Matches – 20, Kolkata Knight Riders won – 11, Royal Challengers Bangalore won – 9

At the Eden Gardens: Matches – 8, Kolkata Knight Riders won – 5, Royal Challengers Bangalore won – 3

Trivia ahead of KKR vs RCB match: The captain winning the toss opted to chase in each of the 7 IPL matches played at the Eden Gardens last season.

Kohli scored 1,750 runs as an opener from 43 innings at an average of 53.03

In the seven IPL matches played at the Eden Gardens last season, quick bowlers picked up a total of 61 wickets (at strike-rate of a wicket every 16.5 balls), while the spinners collected 24 wickets at a strike-rate of a wicket every 23 deliveries.

Only 3 players have captained the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ten seasons of the IPL so far – namely Sourav Ganguly, Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir. Dinesh Karthik will become the 4th player to lead the franchise.

Click here: IPL 2018 

Karnataka election: Yeddyurappa to fight from Shikaripura; top developments

BJP released its first list of 72 candidates who will contest in the Karnataka Assembly elections May 12, to be held on May 12. Yeddyurappa will contest from Shikaripura, not Shimoga

The BJP on Sunday released its first list of 72 candidates to contest in the Karnataka assembly elections 2018, to be held May 12 for the 224 seats across the southern state. "The central election committee of the party has decided the first 72 names for the ensuing Karnataka legislative Assembly elections," said the BJP in a statement released by its state unit. The committee met under the party's national president Amit Shah. Other members of the committe, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended the meet at the party's head office in New Delhi.

Among the candidates are many of the party's 48 sitting or outgoing legislators from the state's northern, central and southern regions, including Bengaluru, which has 28 Assembly constituencies. Prominent nominees are the party's chief ministerial face B S Yeddyurappa from Shikaripura, K S Eshwarappa from Shivamogga, Jagadish Shettar from Hubli-Dharwad Central, Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon, C.M. Udasi from Hangal, K.V. Hegde from Sirsi and B. Sriramulu from Molakalmuru (reserved).

For Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s CM candidate, this is a do-or-die election as it will be seen as a prelude to the 2019 general elections as far as South India goes. For the Congress, on the other hand, this is an election for survival. Karnataka is one of the few states in India where they still hold power – and the party will be looking to retain the state.

Top 10 developments on Karnataka Elections 2018 and BJP campaigns

1. BS Yeddyurappa to contest from Shikaripura: State BJP President and the party's CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa will contest from Shikaripura. B Sriramulu, the party MP from Ballari district will contest the Assembly polls and will be the party's candidate from Molakalmuru in Chitradurga district. BS Yeddyurappa's rival within the party, and former party President K S Eashwarappa will contest from Shimoga.

2. Only three women figure among the 72 contestants: Sashikala Jolle from Nippani Assembly segment in the state's north-west region, Roopali Naik from Karwar in the coastal area and Poornima Srinivas from Hiriyur in the central part are the only female candidates among the 72 whose names have bee announced.

Jolle is re-contesting from the same seat, while Naik is a former civic corporator from Bengaluru and Srinivas is the party's women's wing secretary.

3. 'Rahul, Sonia will lose their LS seats in 2019': "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will lose their respective constituencies due to people's growing 'disappointment' with them," BJP said on Sunday. BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said Rahul Gandhi should not worry about Modi and rather be concerned about his and Sonia Gandhi's electoral fate in 2019.

"In the kind of circumstances prevailing today, both Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi will lose from their seats, Amethi and Raebareli, respectively. They have done nothing in their constituencies and the people's disappointment with them is growing," he said.

Click here :Karnataka Assembly Election 2018

 

Commonwealth Games 2018: Jitu Rai wins gold, Mehuli Ghosh silver; updates

Commonwealth Games 2018 Day 5: Jitu Rai won gold and Om bronze in 10m Air Pistol final. Pardeep Singh bagged silver in men's 105kg weightlifting. India's medal tally in CWG 2018 currently stands at 15

It was a brilliant day for India at Gold Coast on Monday as the country’s medal tally doubled from the previous day in Commonwealth Games 2018. The weightlifting winning streak continued, with Pardeep Singh bagging a silver in the men's 105kg category. Shooter Jitu Rai won gold after defeating Australia's Kerry Bell, while Om Mitharwal bagged bronze medal for India in men's 10m air pistol event. India's overall medal tally stands at 15th at the CWG 2018.

A day before, women formed the core of India's stupendous day at the 21st Commonwealth Games in Golad Coast, Australia, where a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker delivered a record-shattering shooting gold medal. The table tennis team, meanwhile, stunned the fancied defending champions Singapore to clinch the top honours for the first time at the event. M C Mary Kom advanced to the medal rounds in her first and probably last appearance at the Games. India held on to their fourth position in the medals tally, having claimed seven gold, two silver and three bronze medals so far. A distant silver-medallist in the event also happened to be a woman — Heena Sidhu for shooting. In weightlifting, again, Punam Yadav (69kg) pulled off a personal best of 222kg to improve the bronze she had won in the 2014 edition, in the process adding another gold to India's haul. In hockey, Indian eves stunned Olympic champions England in its third pool match for a 2-1 victory, which took them closer to a semifinal berth.

Also Read:  Commonwealth Games 2018: Punam, Manu And Manika Lead India's Golden Charge

India's basketball teams, however, suffered their third consecutive group-stage match loss to exit the 21st commonwealth Games without a win on Sunday. The Indian men lost to Scotland 81-96 while the women lost their third group-stage match to New Zealand 55-90 at the Cairns Convention Centre. The women's table tennis team of Manika Batra, Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das beat Singapore 3-1 for a historic maiden gold. In badminton, Saina Nehwal remained in good form and guided India to a 3-1 triumph over Singapore in the mixed team event.

In track-and-field events, shot-putter Tejinder Singh made it to the finals, while Mohammed Anas Yahiya topped his 400m heat to book a slot in the semifinals.

Here are the top 10 developments around Commonwealth Games 2018, India's performance, and schedule for the CWG events:

1. Weightlifting: Pardeep Singh bagged silver in men's 105kg weightlifting. This is India's 13th medal overall at the Games.

2. Shooting: Mehuli Ghosh won silver medal for the Women's 10m Air Rifle Final. Compatriot Apurvi Chandela bagged bronze. The 25-year-old broke her own Games qualification record of 415.6 she set in Glasgow in 2014.

3. Athletics: Tejaswin Shankar clears 2.21m in his second attempt in Men's High Jump Qualifying Round (Group A)

4. Jitu Rai, Om bag gold and bronze respectively in 10m Air Pistol final: Jitu Rai bagged Gold for India and shooter Om Mitharval equalled the Commonwealth Games (CWG) record on his way to qualifying for the final of the men's 10m Air Pistol event on Monday. Om shot 584 in the qualifying round to equal the meet record set by fellow Indian Samaresh Jung at the 2006 CWG in Melbourne.

5. Gold Coast CWG medal tally after Day 4 competitions: Top-10 positions in the medal tally after Day 4 of the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) on Sunday. The list is in the order of rank, nation, gold medal, silver medal, bronze medal and total medals.

6. SV Sunil shines as Indian men's hockey team beat Wales: SV Sunil ensured India's victory in the 59th minute and beat Wales 4-3 in a dramatic encounter at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on Sunday. It was a must-win game for India, having drawn 1-1 to Pakistan and losing 0-3 to Malaysia in the previous two Pool B matches.

Dilpreet Singh (16), Mandeep Singh (28'), Harmanpreet Singh (57') were the other goal scorers for India. For Wales, Gareth Furlong scored a hat-trick to snatch India's lead on three occasions (17', 45' and 58'), converting three out of the four penalty corners for Wales. India will take on Malaysia in their next Pool B match.

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BJP meeting in Mumbai: Amit Shah says countdown for 2019 has begun; updates

BJP's battle for 2019 Lok Sabha elections begins with its 38th Foundation Day celebrations in Mumbai. Modi and Amit Shah will address BJP workers  

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday organised grand celebrations, marking the party's 38th foundation day in Mumbai. BJP decided to dedicate its day-long effort to party workers at a time when it is either directly or indirectly in power in 21 states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with BJP workers of five Lok Sabha seats and with the presidents of the party's 734 district units today on the occasion of its 38 foundation day, a BJP statement said. The five Lok Sabha constituencies chosen are New Delhi, North East Delhi, Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, North Central Mumbai and Saran in Bihar. Their MPs are Meenakshi Lekhi, Manoj Tiwari, Anurag Thakur, Poonam Mahajan and Rajiv Pratap Rudy respectively. The interaction comes amid an acrimonious slugfest involving the BJP and the opposition, especially the Congress, over a variety of issues, including the ongoing deadlock in Parliament and Dalit protests. Provision has been made for their comfortable stay with food packets and water supply during the entire duration of their halt in Mumbai.

Besides, similar celebrations shall be held in all districts and other states of India, and various people-oriented welfare programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall be showcased through digital and social media.

* Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is speaking on the occasion of BJP Foundation Day in Mumbai

LIVE UPDATES on BJP 38th Foundation Day celebrations

Amit Shah at BKC venue, addresses rally

Countdown for 2019 has begun, says Amit Shah

"Narendra Modi is the world's most popular prime minister. BJP workers should spread the word about Modi government's works, and set the stage for 2019 Lok Sabha election." BJP chief Amit Shah told party cadres in Mumbai.

Taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, "When we lost two Lok Sabha seats recently and Rahul Gandhi distributed sweets. He is the first leader I've seen who would do this." "Today, 20 states are ruled by BJP. This is a thing of joy for the party."

Budget Session washed out because of Opposition, says Amit Shah

BJP president Amit Shah said, "We were ready to address all issues in the Parliament. It was the Opposition that disrupted the proceedings. Ghulam Nabi Azad, you fix the stage and we'll be up for debate. We have nothing to hide."

"On the foundation day of BJP, I want to congratulate millions of party workers and well-wishers of the party. Our party started with 10 members. Now we are the largest political party in India. BJP has sacrificed the highest number of workers in the history of India's democracy, I pay homage to all the workers. Our party started with 10 members and today we have more than 11 crore members. Bharatiya Janata Party has succeeded in creating an organizational, patriotic and good governing party in its journey of years."

Ashish Shelar addresses rally, Amit Shah releases book on farmer issue

Maharashtra BJP chief Ashish Shelar welcomed BJP chief Amit Shah to the foundation day event in Mumbai.This was followed by the release of two books, one of which was on the farmer situation in Maharashtra.

Nitin Gadkari:

Union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari says," If there is a party which has cadres willing to sacrifice themselves for the country's progress, then it is BJP. You know, the term 'secular' is often used in India's politics. The day the poor gets roti, kapda, makaan (food, clothing and shelter),, that is when we will know we have achieved something."

He also spoke on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for 'new India'. "For New India, we need research, and technology. We want to use technology to bring good governance and development," he said.

Top 10 developments on BJP Foundation Day celebrations, Mumbai traffic and 2019 Lok Sabha elections

1. Narendra Modi tweets, 'Karyakartas are everything': On the BJP's 38th Foundation Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today credited party workers for taking the organisation to new heights. The BJP is the party of "a New India" and his party "believes in India's diversity, its unique culture and the strengths of 125 crore Indians", he said.

"For @BJP4India, the Karyakartas are everything. They are the heart and soul of the party, whose sweat has taken the Party to new heights. It is due to their efforts that we have the honour to serve people all over India and fulfil their aspirations. #IndiaTrustsBJP.

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Facebook was going to collect patients' data for hospitals. Now, it won't

Facebook has admitted that information of up to 87 million people, mostly in the US, may have been improperly shared with the British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica

 

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data breach, Facebook has reportedly suspended a research project where the social media giant was in touch with several major US hospitals to collect data about their patients.

According to a report in CNBC late Thursday, Facebook aimed to build profiles of patients and help the hospitals, including Stanford Medical School and American College of Cardiology, figure out which patients may need special care or treatment.

"This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analysed anyone's data," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC.

A Facebook statement said: "Last year Facebook began discussions with leading medical institutions to explore whether scientific research using anonymised Facebook data could help the medical community advance our understanding in this area.

"The project could have raised new concerns about the massive amount of data Facebook collects about its users, and how this data can be used in ways users never expected."

Facebook, however, told The Verge that the patient data would instead be used more generally.

"The project would not attempt to provide health recommendations for specific people. Instead, the focus would be on producing general insights that would help medical professionals take social connectedness into account as they develop treatment or intervention programmes for their patients," a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Facebook has admitted that information of up to 87 million people, mostly in the US, may have been improperly shared with the British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

Private data of over half a million Indian Facebook users was also compromised by a private marketing firm that later sold the personal details acquired through a quiz app to Cambridge Analytica.

Article source: Business standard

ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case: Things to know about Rajiv Kochhar

Rajeev Kochhar's Avista Advisory is said to have helped ICICI Bank clients recast their foreign loans

Avista Advisory group, a Singapore based company owned by Rajeev Kochhar, is said to have helped ICICI Bank clients in restructuring their foreign loans. On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation stopped Kochhar at the Mumbai airport and questioned him. But who is Rajeev Kochhar?

Here are a few things to know about Rajeev Kochhar and his alleged role in the ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case:

Rajiv Kochhar is the brother of ICICI Bank MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar’s husband Deepak Kochhar, who is facing a CBI probe in relation to an alleged impropriety in the loan the bank gave consumer durables firm Videocon. It is being investigated if the loan was granted to Videocon in lieu of the firm’s investments in Kochhar’s personal company Nupower.

Nupower, the ICICI Bank board and Videocon have denied any wrongdoing.

The Kochhar brothers are well known in Mumbai’s financial circles for setting up Credential Finance in the 1990s. The company folded up in the early 2000s and both brothers parted ways. Rajeev Kochhar, who is the son-in-law of Sharad Upasani, the former chief secretary of Maharashtra, later went to Singapore to set up Avista Advisory group.

Over the past six years, Avista won the mandate to restructure foreign currency-denominated debt deals worth over $1.7 billion to seven companies. All these companies were borrowers of ICICI Bank. In at least one of these deals, ICICI Bank was the lead bank of the lenders, the Indian Express reported on Tuesday.

On Monday, Subramanian Swamy, a BJP Member of Parliament, had tweeted that the CBI should probe whether Avista Advisory received 5 per cent on every big loan for certification. Avista, according to an industry source, had expertise in restructuring foreign currency loans in association with Houlihan Lokey, a US-based firm.

Rajiv Kochhar had denied any conflict of interest in business dealing with ICICI Bank in his earlier interviews to the media. “There is no conflict. The entire process of selection of ‘debtor advisor’ was competitive. We were chosen as a ‘debtor advisor’ in the restructuring of the FCCBs of Jaiprakash Associates Limited, Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited and GTL Infrastructure. In these restructuring transactions, the ‘Debtor’ of the FCCBs were the respective companies and the ‘Creditor’ were the respective foreign currency convertible bondholders who are ‘Foreign Investors’ in these FCCBs. Avista advised the companies in the negotiation with these Foreign Investors in order to restructure the FCCBs. Since the FCCB restructuring transaction did not involve any negotiations between the companies and the ‘Domestic Lenders’, there is no conflict of interest of whatsoever nature,” he had said.

According to Avista’s website, the company has a strong stressed asset restructuring advisory practice and a successful NPL resolution platform in South East Asia and India and access to a wide spectrum of pools of institutional and private capital. The company was also in the process of setting up a stressed asset and special situation (SASS) investment management and investment advisory platform.

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Blackbuck case: Salman Khan may get bail today, gets death threat; updates

Bollywood actor Salman Khan was on Thursday pronounced guilty and sentenced to 5 years in jail in the Blackbuck poaching case of 1998. Jodhpur sessions court will decide on his bail plea today

The Jodhpur Sessions Court will on Friday hear the bail plea of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in connection with the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

Pronouncing the verdict in the 20-year-old case, another court in Jodhpur had on Thursday convicted the actor and sentenced him to five years in jail. The other co-accused in the case -- Tabu, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam -- meanwhile, were cleared of all charges. Additonally, a penalty of Rs 10,000 was also imposed on Khan.

The actor is accused of killing two blackbucks in the Kankani village near Jodhpur in 1998 during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain.

He was charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and others under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. With this, the Sword of Damocles now hangs over Salman Khan’s ongoing projects. He is slated to star in four major films over the next two years — Race 3, Dabangg 3, Kick 2 and Bharat. While the last three are in pre-production stages, Race 3 is in production in the UAE. Trade analysts said the Rs 4-5 billion riding on these films might be affected by his sentencing. Amid tight security, Salman was taken to the Jodhpur Central Jail where he spent the night in barrack number one. The prison also houses rape-accused Asaram Bapu, Bhanwari Devi murder accused Malkhan Singh Vishnoi, and Shambhu Lal Regar, arrested for killing a Muslim and blatantly filming the act.

Here are top 10 developments related to the 1998 Salman Khan Blackbuck poaching case in which Khan has been sentenced to 5 years in jail and other co-accused have been acquitted:

1. Salman Khan's lawyer ready with bail application: Salman Khan had to spend the night in Jodhpur Central jail after being held guilty in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case on Thursday, but Friday might be a better day for him. His lawyer Hastimal Saraswat is ready with a 51-page bail application, where 54 grounds have been raised for the judge to consider and grant the convicted actor bail. Speaking to a news channel, he said: "If it was not Salman Khan, bail would have been granted the next day."

2. Key witness did not identify Tabu, Sonali Bendre in court: A crucial eyewitness failed to recognise Tabu and Sonali Bendre while being grilled by their lawyer. As for Saif Ali Khan, the witness testimony indicated his presence in the front seat of the vehicle. However, there was no evidence to prove that he instigated Salman to fire at the Blackbucks.

3. Salman Khan gets death threat from local gangster: A Punjab-based gangster, Lawrence Bishnoi, on Friday threatened to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

The notorious gangster was brought to a Jodhpur local court on production warrant. While being taken into the police vehicle, Bishnoi said he would kill Khan in Jodhpur itself. On the reported threat to Khan by the gangster, Jail superintendent Vikram Singh said: We are thinking of keeping him with some other prisoners from tomorrow so that he is not alone considering the threat to him."

Jodhpur police had arrested Bishnoi for his involvement in twin cases of firing. He was again arrested by the police for his involvement in the murder of Vasudev Israni, an electronic businessman from the city.

4. Salman Khan gets number 106 in Jodhpur jail: Salman Khan has been lodged in ward number 2 and given number 106 in Jodhpur Central jail.

As per the Jodhpur DIG (Jail) Vikram Singh, multiple layers of security have been put in place for the actor in the jail, and he has been lodged in a separate barrack.

"Salman Khan has been given number 106 and is lodged in ward number 2. He was made to undergo a medical test and has no medical issues. He has not made any demands. We will give him jail uniform tomorrow. Multiple-layer security has been put up for his ward," the DIG said on Thursday, hours after he was taken to jail following his conviction in the case. The DIG said the actor was served with chana dal (split chickpeas), cabbage, and chapati (flat bread) for the meal. He will have to sleep on the floor of the jail like other prisoners.

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Commonwealth Games 2018: Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu wins 2nd gold for India

The Manipuri lifter lifted a total of 192 kg which included a CWG record of 84 kg in the snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk

Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu won gold in the women's 53 kg category at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Friday.

The Manipuri lifter lifted a total of 192 kg which included a CWG record of 84 kg in the snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk.

Loa Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea was a distant second with 182 kg while New Zealand's Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet took bronze with 181 kg.

Sanjita started off with a lift of 81kg in snatch and in her second attempt managed to lift 83kg. She then broke the Commonwealth Games record set by compatriot Swarti Singh in Glasgow by lifting 84lg in her third snatch attempt.

Sanjita looked in complete ease as she began the clean and jerk round with a lift of 104kg and then all but sealed the gold with a successful 108kg lift. High on confidence, the Indian weightlifter, went for a Commonwealth Games record in clean and jerk by attempting to lift 112kg but despite a clean pickup, she failed to get a successful lift, giving Dika Toua a ray of hope.

Needing a successful lift of 113kg to take the gold away from Sanjita, Dika Toua failed in her attempt.

On the Day 1 of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, World champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu of India rose to the occasion to win a gold in the women's 48kg.

Mirabai Chanu went on a record-smashing spree, claiming three of them in a power-packed performance, to secure India's first gold. In a remarkable performance, Chanu smashed the Commonwealth and the Games record in snatch, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80kg, 84kg and 86kg).

She then lifted more than double her body weight (103kg, 107kg and 110kg) in three successful attempts to claim the clean and jerk as well as the overall Games record.

The showing helped her better the silver she had won in the 2014 Glasgow CWG.

Earlier in the day, P Gururaja claimed a silver medal in the men's 56kg event to open India's medal account in the quadrennial extravaganza.

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Commonwealth Games 2018: Chanu wins gold, Gururaja silver in weightlifting

Weightlifter P Gururaja bagging the silver medal in the men's 56-kilogram category Commonwealth Games. Mirabai Chanu won gold

 

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, the 23-year-old weightlifter from Manipur, on Thursday opened India’s account of gold medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 by winning one in the women’s 48 kg category, with a combined effort of 196 kg.

Breaking her six personal records in six lifts, Chanu not only made the country proud but also rewrote history, raising her own National record by one kg.

The day started with weightlifter P Gururaja bagging the silver medal in the men's 56-kg category.

Saina Nehwal showed total dominance against her Sri Lankan opponent and snatched victory in badminton. And in the men’s game, shuttler Kidambi Srikanth also won his first match. Also, India defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in its first match in women's table tennis.

More than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and territories are vying for 275 gold medals at the multi-sport event. Australia is hosting the Commonwealth Games for a fifth time.

The Indian contingent at the ceremony, consisting of over 200 athletes, is being led by flag-bearer P V Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medallist. The squad also includes double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, and London Olympic bronze medallists Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Gagan Narang.

Indian swimmers Virdhawal Khade and Srihari Nataraj are through to the semi-finals of their respective swimming events.

India defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in their first match in the women's table tennis.

Here is all you need to know

Mirabai Chanu wins Gold for India

Mirabai Chanu smashed the Commonwealth and the Games record in snatch, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80kg, 84kg and 86kg). She then lifted more than double her body weight (103kg, 107kg and 110kg) in three successful attempts to claim the clean and jerk as well as the overall Games record. The showing helped her better the silver she had won in the 2014 Glasgow CWG. The Indian ended with a score of 196kg (86kg+110kg), earning a massive applause from the fans at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.

First silver for India

The 25-year-old Gururaja equalled his personal best of 249kg (111+138) to finish second in a field where Malaysia's three-time Commonwealth Championships medallist Muhammad Izhar Ahmed (117+144) broke the Games record for snatch and overall lift.

Gururaja was third after the snatch, pulling off a best of 111kg after two good lifts before surviving a few nervy moments in clean and jerk. The Indian failed in his first two attempts before managing a good lift off his last chance to zoom to the top half of the table.

All eyes on Saina NehawalSaina Nehwal snatched victory in the mixed-team badminton event against Sri Lanka. Saina beats Sri Lanka’s Madushika by 21-8, 21-4 to bolster India's lead to 4-0 over Sri Lanka. She maintained her dominance throughout the game.

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IPL 2018: More than the fans I want to win the cup, says Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli believes that the current RCB side is 'one of the most balanced' teams they have had in the past few years and that it is a massive boost for him as a captain heading into the IPL 2018

 

Captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said he remains as motivated and committed as ever to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to a maiden Indian Premier League title, beginning April 7.

RCB have been the perennial under-achievers of the competition, failing to go all the way despite reaching the final thrice. It all went wrong for them last season when they finished last.

"More than the fans I want to win the cup. I have been with Bangalore for last 10 years and we haven't crossed the final hurdle three times. I can assure you, my commitment is going to be 120 per per cent to try and achieve the goal this time," said Kohli after a training session.

Kohli believes that the current RCB side is 'one of the most balanced' teams they have had in the past few years and that it is a massive boost for him as a captain heading into the IPL.

"Well, the auction has gone pretty well for us. I think we have one of the most balanced side we have had in many years. That pleases me a lot as a captain. We are not relying on one skill or the other. I think it is a great balance of spinners, fast bowlers, couple of all-rounders, spinning all-rounders, fast bowling all-rounders. Obviously, the batting has been a strong point for RCB over the years. But, I think the bowling department and strengthening of it has been a massive boost for us from this auction. Pretty optimistic about our chances heading into the IPL," Kohli said.

RCB have been short on batting firepower and Kohli feels this time the team has a good bowling line-up too.

"The batting has been strong point for RCB over the years, but I think the strengthening of bowling department has been a massive boost for us from this auction. I am very optimistic about our chances heading into this IPL," said the skipper.

The franchise has a solid spin department comprising Yuvzendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, M Ashwin, Pawan Negi and England all-rounder Moeen Ali. There are plenty of pace options too in the presence of Umesh Yadav, England all-rounder Chris Woakes, Delhi's Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj and New Zealander Tim Southee.

The swashbuckling Indian batsman revealed that the RCB, this time around, have picked up players during the IPL Player auction in Bengaluru, keeping in mind their willingness to contribute to the side's team culture.

"The specialists have done good things for different teams around the world. That is something that we looked at as well before picking these players. Guys, who can contribute to our team culture, guys who are happy contributing on and off the field for the team throughout the IPL. Someone who are not worried about their personal performances as such. So, I think we have got a great bunch of people," Kohli said.

RCB are slated to begin their IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Washington Sundar’s presence to give extra options to Kohli in powerplays: Chahal

Washington Sundar's presence in the Royal Challengers Bangalore fold will give skipper Virat Kohli more options during Powerplay and middle overs, feels star leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Washington-Chahal forged a lethal combination during India's Nidahas T20 Tri-Series triumph in Sri Lanka last month.

"In Sri Lanka, Washington bowled in the Powerplay overs and I was bowling in the middle overs. In previous IPL seasons, I used to bowl in the Powerplays and was left only with two overs (during later stages). Now we have options. One can bowl in power play and can chip more in middle overs," Chahal said at media conference.

Wrist spinners are doing well but are always under the pump with a chance of going for a lot of runs at times. But the wiry leg-break bowler believes that a comeback is possible if one has a big heart.

"In this format, you are sure to get hit. For instance, in Nidahas Trophy, I was hit by Sri Lankans for 27 runs in two overs. I just told myself, you need to forget the past and make a strong comeback to pick wickets after being smashed," he said.

Bowling at the Chinnaswamy is baptism by fire and that has made him a more fearless competitor.

"When you play for India, you get more confidence because of bowling at Chinnaswamy. A spinner is always worried about short boundaries, but having bowled here, I don't fear bowling anywhere," he said.

The extremely short side boundaries of Chinnaswamy tests the mettle of best of slow bowlers.

"I have been a successful bowler at the Chinnaswamy for the past four years despite its short boundaries."

Chahal assessed that Chinnaswamy pitch this time is flatter compared to last season.

"Compared to last year, the strips at the Chinnaswamy are different. It looks much better. One can expect a couple of 200-plus totals. In fact, I prefer flat wickets, for it gives our batsmen a chance to post big totals," he said.

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At Rs 591 million per match, BCCI rights exceed IPL media rights fee

The latest bid in the BCCI media rights auction stands at RS 60.32 billion, which amounts to Rs 591 million per match

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) media rights are proving to be a windfall for the governing body for cricket in the country. The second day of the e-auction saw the per match fees for the BCCI media rights exceed the per match fees pledged by Star India for the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2018-22 period.

The latest bid in the BCCI media rights auction stands at RS 60.32 billion, which amounts to Rs 591 million per match. The IPL media rights, sold for Rs 163.5 billion across 300 matches amount to Rs 545 million per match.

This is a huge premium over what Star India was paying for the BCCI rights so far at Rs 430 million per match.

With no conclusive outcome by the end of the second day of bidding, the auction has been carried forward to Wednesday, April 5 when bidding will resume at 11 am. The day’s bidding started with Rs 45.17 billion and went up consistently to Rs 45.65 billion, Rs 54.88 billion, Rs 57.48 billion, Rs 60.01 billion, Rs 60.03 billion to finally end the day at Rs 60.32 billion.

Three companies – Star India, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Reliance Jio are currently embroiled in an intense bid war for the coveted rights which include 102 international matches across 190 days in the 2018-23 cycle. The bidding started on April 3 which ended with a final bid of Rs 44.42 billion. This is the first time a sports property is using the e-auction process for its media rights sale. Under the rules of the auction process, while the involved parties can see the bids, but the identity of the bidders is kept under wraps till the conclusion of the process.

Three categories of rights have been put on sale by the BCCI – global television rights and rest of the world digital rights (GTVRD), digital rights for the Indian subcontinent alone (ID), and the global consolidated rights comprising worldwide TV and digital rights (GCR). As was the case with the Indian Premier League, if the globally consolidated bid exceeds the sum of the GTVRD and ID, then that bid wins. If not, the individual bids – India television+global digital and India digital rights will be deemed winners.

The base price for the 2018-19 season for the GTVRD is Rs 350 million crore, Rs 80 million for ID and Rs 430 million for the global consolidated rights. For the 2019-2023 tenure, the base price for GTVRD is Rs 330 million, for ID is Rs 70 million and Rs 400 million for GCR.

While six companies showed intent to bid, only the three currently involved in the bid process chose to bid actively. The three companies that did not enter the process were Google, Facebook and YuppTV.

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