Second Only To Don Bradman: Steve Smith Scripts History With Ashes Ton

Australian batter Steve Smith has now become the player with the second-highest number of centuries for his country. He accomplished this feat in his side's Ashes second Test against England at Lord's. Smith continued with his rich run of form in English territory, scoring his 32nd Test hundred. The former Australia skipper produced a delightful 110 runs off 184 balls, studded with 15 boundaries.

Ponting holds the record for the most Test centuries for Australia, with 41 tons. Steve Waugh also has 32 tons like Smith. Notably, Smith is the fastest player to get to the 32-century mark, doing so in the 174th innings of his 99th Test, as per cricket.com.au. This was Smith's eighth Test hundred in England, the second-most by any foreign player in the country, behind only Sir Donald Bradman's eleven tons. Also, now Smith has 12 tons in the Ashes. Only Bradman, with 19 tons, has more triple figure mark in the Ashes, according to a ESPN Cricinfo report.

Smith has also become the fourth Australian player to etch his name on the honour's board at the Home of Cricket, Lord's. He joined an elite company featuring the likes of Warren Bardsley (1912, 1926), Sir Don Bradman (1930, 1938) and Bill Brown (1934, 1938) to score multiple Test hundreds at Lord's.

Smith now has 12 Ashes hundreds and now he is only second to the legendary Don Bradman, who has scored 19 centuries in the series.

Smith has a lot of history at the Lord's, a ground where he made his Test debut back in 2010. He smashed a mammoth 215 at the venue during the 2015 Ashes. It was here that England pacer Jofra Archer concussed him in 2019, which is one of the most brutal moments of this rivalry's history.

It further adds to Smith's unique history at Lord's, a ground where he made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2010, where he blazed a mammoth 215 during the 2015 Ashes and where Jofra Archer concussed him in 2019 in one of the Ashes' most brutally memorable moments.

After a rare double failure at Birmingham, perhaps Smith gave England a hope that they could avoid the carnage he unleashed back in the 2019 Ashes, in which he smashed 774 runs in four Test matches. But his attacking, but yet careful strokeplay helped him get another hundred.

In his knock, he also surpassed the total of 9,000 Test runs, with only Kumar Sangakkara being faster to reach the milestone in 172 innings.

Coming to the match, England's first innings is in progress.

In their first innings, Australia was bundled out for 416 runs. Smith (110), Travis Head (77 in 73 balls) and David Warner (66 in 88 balls) played standout innings for Australia.

Josh Tongue (3/98) and Ollie Robinson (3/100) took three-fers. Joe Root took two wickets while the veteran pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad managed a wicket each.

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OpenAI Sued in US for Allegedly Misusing Artists' Work to Train ChatGPT

Two US authors sued OpenAI in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday, claiming in a proposed class action that the company misused their works to "train" its popular generative artificial-intelligence system ChatGPT.

Massachusetts-based writers Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad said ChatGPT mined data copied from thousands of books without permission, infringing the authors' copyrights.

Matthew Butterick, an attorney for the authors, declined to comment. Representatives for OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several legal challenges have been filed over material used to train cutting-edge AI systems. Plaintiffs include source-code owners against OpenAI and Microsoft's GitHub, and visual artists against Stability AI, Midjourney and DeviantArt.

The lawsuit targets have argued that their systems make fair use of copyrighted work.

ChatGPT responds to users' text prompts in a conversational way. It became the fastest-growing consumer application in history earlier this year, reaching 100 million active users in January only two months after it was launched.

ChatGPT and other generative AI systems create content using large amounts of data scraped from the internet. Tremblay and Awad's lawsuit said books are a "key ingredient" because they offer the "best examples of high-quality longform writing."

The complaint estimated that OpenAI's training data incorporated over 300,000 books, including from illegal "shadow libraries" that offer copyrighted books without permission.

Awad is known for novels including '13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl' and 'Bunny'. Tremblay's novels include 'The Cabin at the End of the World', which was adapted in the M. Night Shyamalan film 'Knock at the Cabin' released in February.

Tremblay and Awad said ChatGPT could generate "very accurate" summaries of their books, indicating that they appeared in its database.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of money damages on behalf of a nationwide class of copyright owners whose works OpenAI allegedly misused.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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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"Don't See...": Gayle's Big Statement On Kohli's Likely Form At 2023 WC

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle expects star India batter Virat Kohli to dominate proceedings at the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup on home soil. Kohli has been in stellar form with the bat since ending his century drought last year during the Asia Cup in UAE. He has score four tons across formats since then. The 34-year-old also hit two back-to-back centuries during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League season.

Gayle feels Kohli is in the right frame of mind, which makes him the player to watch out during the tournament.

"Tough times don't last long tough players last longer. Virat is tough mentally as well physically. I don't see any reason why he shouldn't go to this World Cup and dominate. As players, we always go through phases where things seem a bit dull and you need positive energy around to uplift yourself. Once we get back in the groove, we know how dangerous we can be.

"I know India have not won an ICC trophy in a long time and same is the case with us (West Indies). We last won in 2016. Pressure will be on India as they play at home as favourites," Gayle reckoned.

Will continue to play in franchise leagues

Gayle, who last played international cricket in 2021, has no immediate plans to announce his retirement. He would continue to play in leagues around the world, both professional and veteran events.

"I don't think there will be any international cricket from my point of view. After the World Cup (in 2021), I was supposed to have a farewell game. It did not happen. We have a new president in place, so I don't see it happening. But I have not made an announcement as yet.

"I am still active but won't be playing so often."

(With PTI Inputs)

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Shocking Video Shows A Girl Being Badly Thrashed By Two Women In A UK Park

Security officers have launched an investigation into a distressing video that depicts two women punching and kicking a teenage girl repeatedly in a park in Leicestershire.

The video, which was uploaded to Twitter yesterday by Deano (@Deanceejay13), depicts two other females pushing a girl down in a park in Station Road, Ashby, on Saturday.

The Twitter user claimed in the caption that the girl was his younger step sister.

"This happened to my younger step sister this weekend... wouldn't say boo to a ghost, yet pissed-up girls in the park jumped her? Everyone, share this, please," he tweeted.

Watch the video here:

This happened to my younger step sister this weekend… wouldnt say boo to a ghost yet pissed up girls in the park jumped her????

Everyone share this please pic.twitter.com/ZGZZoxKVPm

— deano (@Deanceejay13) June 26, 2023

The user mentioned Ashby-de-la-Zouch as the location of the incident in the comment area.

"Officers from the Leicestershire Police are aware of this video, are carrying out further inquiries into the incident, and will speak to those involved. We would ask anyone with information about the incident to contact us, quoting reference 23*392390," tweeted the Police department.

Officers from the @NWLeicsPolice are aware of this video and are carrying out further enquiries into the incident and will speak to those involved.
We would ask anyone with information about the incident to contact us, quoting reference 23*392390.

— Leicestershire Police (@leicspolice) June 27, 2023

The video has received a very critical reaction from social media users. They all criticised it and demanded strict action against it.

"Why are the police not involved? I hope your step sister was checked out at the hospital. She took a lot of blows there, wish her well," commented a user.

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Born x Raised Co-founder Chris Printup Dies In Car Crash

Born x Raised co-founder Chris Printup, aka Spanto, died in a tragic car accident on Tuesday, June 27, Fox 11 reported. Printup, alongside partner Alex “2Tone” Erdmann, launched Born x Raised in 2013. 

As a co-founder of Born x Raised, Chris Printup played a pivotal role in shaping the brand's identity and establishing its reputation within the streetwear realm. 

Notably, Born x Raised has collaborated with brands such as New Era, Converse, and Babylon, and has also partnered with prominent Los Angeles sports franchises including the Lakers, Dodgers, Kings, Rams, and LAFC. The brand has 300K followers on Instagram.

Last month, Born x Raised teamed up with Levi's to pay homage to Spanto's late father Butch, who died earlier this year.

Many of his close friends, and fans paid heartfelt tributes to the designer on social media. 

RIP TO THE HOMIE SPANTO! 💔🙏🏽😔 pic.twitter.com/2JhcA0hLT1

— BEN BALLER™ (@BENBALLER) June 28, 2023

You can't go anywhere in LA without seeing someone wearing some #BORNxRAISED. He was so much more than his brand and that just goes to you how loved Spanto was and will forever be. Prayers to his family, friends, Venice and everyone who knew him and loved him.

RIP SPANTO 🕊️

— Rob (@RobDollas) June 28, 2023

LA might've lost a real one, but your presence made an everlasting impact in this city and around the world. Your vision shifted my trajectory in life and I've created lifelong bonds with people who share the same gratitude for you as I do.

Rest In Power Spanto#BornxRaised pic.twitter.com/HXdCwfdDit

— Miguelito (preWGA On Strike)🇲🇽 (@migueltheiii) June 28, 2023

RIP Spanto 🕊️thank you for always representing la raza in your work and definitely being a big inspiration to my art 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/RNVm8PNzt0

— Jocelyn (@JocelynStitches) June 28, 2023

Photographer Atiba Jefferson wrote, ''Spanto I was waiting to make this post because of how much a fighter you are, you beat cancer and the streets, you lived life like everyday was your last, you glowed when you talked about you family. Working with you was so great, you connected me with so many new friends that I love. You will always be with us my heart goes out to family and friends. I love you and will see you again.''

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A post shared by Atiba Jefferson (@atibaphoto)

Rap executive icon Dante Ross wrote on Instagram, ''A testament to a man's being is how much he is universally loved and respected. Spanto was loved by all. Watching his evolution was a gift, hearing his laugh an honor. He walked the walk with grace and then some. We will talk you up until the wheels fall off, we love you Chris.''

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dante Ross (@danteross)

Notably, Mr. Printup was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2013, a month after he started Born x Raised. By 2018, reports confirmed he was free of cancer. At the end of 2022, he reflected on how far he has come on Instagram in a gratitude post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by bornxraised (@bornxraised)

He was also renowned for his altruism and commitment to his native Los Angeles in addition to his creative endeavors. 

Meanwhile, the brand has yet to reveal an official announcement on their social media.

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Activision Blizzard to Set Up Shop in Barcelona Following EU's Approval for Microsoft Acquisition

Activision Blizzard said its studio that developed Call of Duty would set up shop in Barcelona, putting into action its pledge to invest in Europe after Brussels approved Microsoft's $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,66,000 crore) acquisition of the company in May.

The US company said on Wednesday its game developer Infinity Ward, which created the blockbuster first-person shooter game, would join its Digital Legends mobile games unit in the Spanish city.

The decision comes after Britain blocked the Microsoft takeover, prompting Activision, which has studios in Guildford and Warrington in England, to say it would "reassess" its growth plans in the country.

In contrast, it said it would "meaningfully expand" its investment and workforce in the European Union after the deal received the green light there.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are battling antitrust regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to clinch the deal, the biggest ever in video gaming.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella are due to testify in a court in San Francisco on Wednesday to urge a judge to allow the merger.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is seeking to block the deal, wants the transaction temporarily stopped in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case.

Microsoft is appealing the British veto with the "aggressive" support of Activision.

The games company, which also owns the Candy Crush Saga and World of Warcraft franchises, said in April that Britain was "clearly closed for business" after the deal was blocked.

It said on Wednesday it was looking closely at the EU to enlarge its studio footprint.

"For good reason: Europe has played a key role in the evolution of gaming — particularly mobile gaming — across the globe and it's not unreasonable to expect developers on the continent to maintain that momentum thanks to ample skills, ambition, and government support," it said in a blog post.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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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Titanic Sub Debris Brought Ashore in Canada

A Canadian-flagged ship on Wednesday brought ashore debris from the Titan submersible that imploded while on a voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic earlier this month, killing all five people on board.

Shattered fragments wrapped in white tarp pulled up by a crane off the Horizon Arctic vessel.

Video from the Canadian Broadcast Corporation showed what appeared to be the nose of the submersible and other shattered fragments wrapped in white tarp pulled up by a crane off the Horizon Arctic vessel at the St. John's harbor in Newfoundland on Wednesday morning.

The debris is expected to shed more light on the cause of the catastrophic implosion that killed everyone on board - OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman; and French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

It was not immediately clear where the debris was headed.

Canadian and US authorities have in the past week announced investigations into the incident, which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.

The deep-sea submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions was discovered in pieces on the seabed some 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic by a robotic diving vehicle last week, ending a multinational five-day search for survivors.

"Our team has successfully completed off-shore operations, but is still on mission and will be in the process of demobilization from the Horizon Arctic this morning," Pelagic Research, which operates the robotic vehicle, said in a statement. It declined to comment further, citing confidentiality reasons.

Footage also showed a shattered part of the hull and machinery with dangling wires being taken off the ship at St. John's, where the expedition to the Titanic had set off from.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Nvidia AMD Other US Chipmakers Face Fall in Shares as US Plans Curbs on Export to China

Shares of US chipmakers fell on Wednesday following a report that the Biden administration was planning new curbs on export of computing chips for artificial intelligence to China as early as July.

Companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, which rely on the world's second largest economy for at least a fifth of their revenue, fell between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent, caught in the US-China crossfire.

The Philadelphia chip index dropped 0.9 percent.

Last year, US officials had ordered Nvidia to stop exporting its top two AI chips to China to limit the country's technological capability.

Months later, Nvidia launched a new advanced chip called A800 in China to meet export control rules.

The new restrictions being considered by the Commerce Department would also include a ban on the sale of Nvidia's A800 chip without a special US export license, the Wall Street Journal report said.

Curbs on sales of datacenter graphics processing units to China would impact future financial results, Nvidia's finance chief Colette Kress said on Wednesday. However, the company does not expect the additional restrictions to have an immediate material impact on its results.

"With an update on export controls now expected, investors will assess just how limiting the new rules will be for chip makers' sales," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown.

"A handful of tech companies pack a huge punch on Wall Street due to their sheer size, so any wobble in confidence reverberates on indices."

Rising expectations over the advancements in AI have helped Wall Street climb this year, with Nvidia at the pole position on the S&P 500 index, gaining 187 percent so far this year.

But the sharp rise in shares has also sparked doubts over lofty valuations.

Nvidia is trading at 47 times its expected 12-months earnings, while AMD is at a 31.2 multiple and Intel at 31.8, way above the S&P 500's multiple at 19, according to Refinitiv data.

The Philadelphia chip index has surged more than 44 percent so far this year, far ahead of the benchmark index's 14 percent rise.

Across the Atlantic, Nordic Semiconductor, Dutch chipmaker ASML, Milan-listed STMicroelectronics, however, closed between 2.3 percent and 6.4 percent higher.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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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"Because Of Tolerance Of Hindus...": Allahabad High Court On 'Adipurush'

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday pulled up the makers of "Adipurush" over the “very shameful manner” in which the movie portrayed the Ramayana characters, asking them to imagine the law and order problem if the Quran was treated in a similar manner.

The Lucknow bench of the high court, which was hearing a petition seeking a ban on the film, asked why such movies are made on the Ramayana, Quran or Bible when they disturb religious feelings.

"Suppose a small documentary was made on the Quran, can you think what kind of a serious law and order problem would have been created. But because of the tolerance of Hindus, things are not turning ugly despite this blunder by filmmakers," said the vacation bench of justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Shree Prakash Singh.

"Lord Shiva was shown to be running with his trishul in a movie. Now, Lord Ram and other characters of Ramayana have been shown in a very shameful manner. Should it not stop?" the bench asked.

During the course of hearing, the bench said that "should the court remain silent considering the funny manner in which the movie has been made".

Expressing the need to make specific guidelines for making such movies, the bench stressed that films made on religious subjects should not "instigate the religious feelings of any community".

The bench also said that the court has no religious inclination and if a plea had come up before it in regard to the Quran or Bible, it would have taken the same tough stand.

Justice Singh asked the filmmakers why they do not make movies showing the sacrifice of Lord Ram and his love for his brother Bharat.

On the plea of production house's senior lawyer Sudeep Seth that there is no book which depicts the dress of Lord Ram and other characters of Ramayana, Justice Singh asked Seth if he has not gone through the original copy of the Constitution of India which contains pictures of Lord Ram and other gods shown in decent dresses.  Seth was left speechless when the bench asked him if he would like to worship idols of indecently dressed gods as shown in the movie in his prayer room.

Hearing the PIL filed by Kuldeep Tiwari and Naveen Dhawan seeking ban on the movie, the bench asked deputy solicitor general S B Pandey as to why the central government was not reviewing the certificate granted by the Central Board of Film Certification for telecasting the movie.

To this, Mr Pandey said that the bench should come out with a solution while opposing the PIL, saying that the censor board had granted the certificate to telecast the movie after a panel of many senior board members watched it.

“Better senses should prevail over such sacramental members," reacted the bench sharply in a crowded open court.

When the bench asked additional advocate general V K Shahi as to why the state government was not taking any action, he said the act of the filmmakers was incorrigible.

Earlier, arguing on the PIL, advocates Ranjana Agnihotri and Prince Lenin stressed that the movie should immediately be banned.

After hearing the PIL, the bench proposed to pass the order in its chamber. The court, however, made it clear that it may issue notice to the makers of "Adipurush" and ask the central government as to why it was not taking action to cancel the certificate granted by the censor board for telecasting the movie. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Worrisome": Sharad Pawar On KCR's 600-Car Convoy In Maharashtra

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday took exception to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao arriving in Pandharpur town of Maharashtra with a huge motorcade, saying this attempt to "show strength" was worrisome.

K Chandrashekar Rao, who on Monday visited the famous Vitthal-Rukmini temple at Pandharpur in Solapur district of southern Maharashtra, held a rally at Sarkoli village, some 20 km away, on Tuesday as part of his Bharat Rashtra Samithi's (BRS) efforts to expand its base.

He arrived in the state with a motorcade of 600 cars on Monday.

Talking to reporters here, Sharad Pawar said if a chief minister of a neighboring state came to offer prayers, there was no reason to object.

"But the attempt to show big strength in terms of number of vehicles was worrisome," he said.

It would have been better had K Chandrashekar Rao's visit focused on enhancing cooperation between the two states, Pawar added.

Asked about Bhagirath Bhalke, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2021 Pandharpur Assembly bypoll on NCP ticket, joining the BRS at the Tuesday's rally, Pawar said there was no need to worry if an individual left the party.

"After giving ticket to Bhagirath Bhalke, we realized that our choice was wrong, but I do not want to talk about it," he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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At Lust Stories 2 Premiere Tamannaah-Vijay Mrunal And Other Celebs

The most-awaited anthology Lust Stories 2 is only two days away from its release on June 29. Ahead of it, the stellar cast of Lust Stories 2 and others from the Bollywood fraternity arrived in style for its grand premiere night. Vijay Varma and Tamannaah, one of the lead pairs of the anthology series walked the red carpet together while looking stunning. The duo made heads turn as they posed for the paparazzi together and were all smiles. Tamannaah slipped into a monochrome dress for the big night while Vijay Varma looked dapper in a black suit.

Take a look at Tamannaah and Vijay's OOTN:

Actress Mrunal Thakur, who also stars in Lust Stories 2, graced the red carpet in a stunning pink gown. The actress was also pictured with Angad Bedi, who is paired opposite her in the anthology.

Here's how Mrunal Thakur walked the red carpet:

Lust Stories 2 stars Neena Gupta, Tillotama Shome, Amruta Shubhash and director Konkona Sen Sharma were also spotted at the premiere, dressed in their festive best. While Neena Gupta stole the limelight in a lovely saree, Tillotama Shome, Amruta Shubhash and Konkona Sen Sharma looked equally gorgeous in their party wear.

Take a look:

Besides the star cast, other members of the film fraternity also marked their presence at the star-studded event. Angad Bedi's wife and actress Neha Dhupia arrived for the premiere night in a pretty black dress. Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan looked stylish in black attire.

Actresses Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Saiyami Kher, and Minissha Lamba added to the glam quotient with their stunning appearances.

Meanwhile, Lust Stories 2 actors Tamannaah and Vijay Varma are hogging all the limelight with their pairing in the anthology. Recently, Tamannaah Bhatia, in her interview with Film Companion, revealed that she has broken her 18-year-old no-kiss policy for her segment in Lust Stories 2. “I really wanted to work with Sujoy and I'm really happy that he thought of me for this part especially because I have done literally no intimacy in my career or very little intimacy in my career. I was that audience that would get awkward and I was that audience that ‘main ye kabhi nahi karungi', ‘main kabhi nahi kiss karungi on-screen.'"

She added, "I was that person so for me it has been an evolution to kind of get out of that framework, which served a certain audience because India is huge and there are so many parts of India that still needs to evolve. There is a lot of evolution that has happened already, thanks to even internet and social media, everyone has information at their fingertips but I do feel like — because everyone's consuming so much content — I felt like as an actor, I don't want this to be something that is holding me back...This was purely a creative endeavour. Now, after 18 years, I am not trying to be famous. That is not my driving force."

On Wednesday, the makers dropped the trailer of the second instalment of Lust Stories. As anticipated, Vijay and Tamannaah's chemistry was off the charts and kept the fans hooked throughout the trailer. Take a look at the trailer here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks)

Lust Stories 2 is an anthology of four stories directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Konkona Sen Sharma, R Balki and Sujoy Ghosh.

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Wagner Mutiny Exposes Risks For China's Deep Russian Ties

As news broke on Saturday that mercenary Wagner troops were careering towards Moscow in a short-lived rebellion, several businessmen from southern China began frantically calling factories to halt shipments of goods destined for Russia.

While the mutiny - the biggest test of Russian President Vladimir Putin's leadership since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine - quickly faded, some of these exporters are now left questioning their future dependence on Beijing's closest ally.

"We thought there was going to be a big problem," Shen Muhui, the head of the trade body for the firms in China's southern Fujian province said, recalling the scramble among its members exporting auto parts, machinery and garments to Russia.

Though the crisis has eased, "some people remain on the sidelines, as they're not sure what will happen later," he added, declining to name the companies pausing shipments.

China has sought to play down the weekend's events and voiced support for Moscow, with which it struck a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in what Moscow calls a "special military operation".

But a top US official on Monday said the weekend uprising had unsettled Beijing's cloistered leadership, and some analysts inside and outside China have started to question whether Beijing needs to ease off its political and economic ties to Moscow.

"It has put a fly in the ointment of that 'no-limits' relationship," said Singapore-based security analyst Alexander Neill.

China's foreign ministry, which described the aborted mutiny as Russia's "internal affairs" and expressed support for Moscow's efforts to stabilise the situation, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

CALLS FOR CAUTION

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private army that has fought some of Russia's bloodiest battles in the Ukraine war, led the armed revolt after he alleged a huge number of his fighters had been killed in friendly fire.

But the mercenary leader abruptly called the uprising off on Saturday evening as his fighters approached Moscow while facing virtually no resistance during a dash of nearly 800 km (500 miles).

China did not comment as the crisis unfolded, but released a statement on Sunday when Foreign Minister Qin Gang hosted a surprise meeting with Russia's deputy foreign minister in Beijing.

At the heart of China and Russia's relations is a shared opposition to what they see as a world dominated by the United States and the expansion of the NATO military alliance that threatens their security.

After securing an unprecedented third term as president earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first overseas trip to Moscow to meet his "dear friend" Putin.

While nationalistic commentators in state-run Chinese tabloids cheered Putin's swift efforts to stamp out the rebellion, even some in China - where critical speech is tightly controlled - have started to question Beijing's bet on Russia.

China "will be more cautious with its words and actions about Russia", said Shanghai-based international relations expert Shen Dingli.

Some Chinese scholars have gone even further.

Yang Jun, a professor at Beijing's China University of Political Science and Law, wrote a commentary published on Saturday that called for China to directly support Ukraine to avoid being "dragged into a quagmire of war by Russia".

"With the development of the current situation and the trend of the war...(China) should further adjust its position on Russia and Ukraine, make its attitude clearer, and decisively stand on the side of the victors of history," he wrote in Chinese-language Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

It was unclear if Yang's article was written before the Wagner rebellion and he did not respond to requests for an interview from Reuters.

Other China-based academics, however, said Beijing would not change its stance on Russia as a result of the incident.

INVESTOR UNCERTAINTY

China is Russia's top trading partner, with Beijing exporting everything from automobiles to smartphones and receiving cheap Russian crude oil that faces sanctions in much of the rest of the world.

But even in the energy sector, which fuelled a 40% jump in trade between Russia and China in the first five months of this year, there are some signs of caution in China.

Top company executives at Chinese state energy companies have routinely said it was too early to comment or sidestepped questions on new investments in Russia.

"Should Russia lose the war or see changes in the domestic leadership, it will create huge uncertainties for Chinese investors," said Michal Meidan, head of China energy research at The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

He said the Chinese government also seemed to be exercising caution, pointing out that Beijing had not yet signed a deal for a major new gas pipeline connecting the countries despite a push from Moscow.

While China is vital to Russia's economy, China's trade with the likes of the United States, the European Union and Japan - among the fiercest critics of Moscow's war in Ukraine - dwarfs its dealings with Russia.

"Beijing now has more reasons to have more reservations and to become more transactional in its dealings with Putin's Russia," said Wen-Ti Sung, a political scientist at the Australian National University.

"There's no point making long-term investment in someone who may not credibly survive into the long-term."

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Leader From Uddhav Thackeray's Party Joins Eknath Shinde's Sena

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former corporator Sanjay Agaldare joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today.

Nearly a dozen former corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT) have joined the Shinde-led Sena in the last year since a rebellion split the party.

Before the term of the corporators ended early last year, Agaldare represented Ward No. 99 - Khar Danda - of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Speaking on the occasion, according to a statement by his office, Mr Shinde said that the speed with which the Shiv Sena-BJP government is working in the state for the last 11 months has made the Opposition worried about its future.

"Since our government came to power, we have taken several decisions for the welfare of the public and in a short span of time we have expedited developmental works that had come to a halt under the previous government. Those who ruled the BMC for 15 years didn't do anything for the city," said Mr Shinde.

The Opposition is scared thinking about the work the government will do in the next 1.5 years, he said. "Mumbaikars trust us and so corporators continue to join us," said Mr Shinde.

He slammed the Shiv Sena (UBT) for planning to organise a morcha on July 1 outside the Mumbai municipal corporation against "irregularities" in its functioning.

"You looted Mumbai for 15 years and now when we are asking you for an explanation you want to hold a protest. You should protest outside your own house," said Mr Shinde.

He said Mumbai suffered every year due to sub-standard infrastructure when the Sena under Mr Thackeray ruled the BMC.

"And these people want to question our work. We have taken a decision to make Mumbai pothole free, started health clinics, beautification projects have been taken up and infrastructure projects have been expedited," said Mr Shinde.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Apple-Broadcom Challenge to Caltech Patents Declined by US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by Apple and Broadcom to revive their challenges to Caltech data-transmission patents in a patent infringement case in which the university's earlier $1.1 billion (nearly Rs. 9,000 crore) jury verdict against the companies was thrown out.

The justices turned away an appeal by Apple and Broadcom of a lower court's ruling affirming a trial judge's decision to prevent the companies from contesting the validity of the patents as they defended against the California Institute of Technology's lawsuit.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which specializes in patent cases, ruled against the companies' arguments because they failed to bring them up during earlier proceedings at the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple and Broadcom have argued that they should have been allowed to raise the patent challenges during the trial.

A jury found that the companies infringed Caltech's patents, ordering Apple to pay $837.8 million (nearly Rs. 6.900 crore) and Broadcom to pay $270.2 million (nearly Rs. 2,200 crore). The Federal Circuit took issue with the amount of the award, and sent the case back for a new trial on damages.

Caltech, located in Pasadena, California, sued Cupertino-based Apple and San Jose-based Broadcom in 2016 in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging that millions of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other devices using Broadcom Wi-Fi chips infringed its data-transmission patents.

Apple is a major purchaser of Broadcom chips, and in January 2020 reached a supply agreement that ends in 2023. Broadcom has estimated that 20 percent of its revenue comes from Apple.

The Federal Circuit also upheld the trial judge's decision to block the companies from arguing that the patents were invalid because they could have made the arguments in their petitions for USPTO review of the patents.

Apple and Broadcom told the Supreme Court that the Federal Circuit misread the law, which they said only blocks arguments that could have been raised during the review itself.

President Joe Biden's administration urged the justices in May to reject the case and argued that the Federal Circuit had interpreted the law correctly.

Caltech has also sued Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, Dell Technologies and HP, accusing them of infringing the same patents in separate cases that are still pending.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

 

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Explained: Why Are Facebook Instagram Cutting News Access in Canada

Meta Platforms plans to cut off access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada once a new law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers takes effect, arguing news has no economic value to the company and that its users do not use the platform for news.

Canada drafted new rules after legacy media companies complained about internet companies elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market.

Why are technology companies against the law? 

The Canadian parliament passed "Bill C-18" into law, requiring internet giants to pay news publishers.

The Online News Act forces platforms like Facebook and Alphabet's Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

Both Meta and Google had warned they would withdraw access to news articles on their platforms in Canada if the legislation is passed into law without amendments. Facebook says links to news articles make up less than 3 percent of the content on its users' feed, and that journalists benefit from posting their work on the social media platform.

Google has argued Canada's law is broader than those enacted in Australia and Europe, and puts a price on news story links displayed in search results and can apply to outlets that do not produce news.

Google proposed that the bill be revised to make the displaying of news content, rather than links, as the basis for payment and to specify that only businesses that produce news and adhere to journalistic standards are eligible to receive payments.

What happened when similar rules were passed in Australia?

Google and Facebook had also threatened to curtail their services after Australia became the first nation to enact similar laws in 2021. Eventually both struck deals with Australian media companies after amendments were made to the legislation.

During the fight, Facebook blacked out Australian news pages and only restored them once the government granted concessions.

Yet in the year following the law taking effect, Meta and Google have paid some AUD 200 million (nearly Rs. 1,100 crore) annually to Australian news outlets, according to a report from the former chair of Australia's competition regulator.

What could the global impact be?

Lawmakers are pushing for similar rules in Meta's home state of California and in the US Congress. Meta says it makes 40 percent of its revenue in the US and lists Australia and Canada among its most significant markets. If Meta fails to secure exemptions or get the rules changed in Canada, the tech giant may face a similar fate in the United States.

In 2022, US lawmakers released a revised version of a bill aimed at making it easier for news organizations to negotiate collectively with platforms like Google and Facebook.

The New Zealand government said in 2022 it would introduce a law requiring big online digital companies to pay New Zealand media companies for the local news content that appears on their feeds.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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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Man Defecates Mid-Air On Mumbai-Delhi Air India Flight Arrested

A man was held in Delhi for allegedly defecating and urinating on the floor of a Mumbai-Delhi Air India flight mid-air, police said on Monday.

The incident took place onboard flight AIC 866 on June 24, police said.

According to the FIR, Ram Singh, a passenger on seat number 17F, defecated, urinated, and spat in row 9 of the aircraft.

Upon observing the "misconduct", the cabin crew gave a verbal warning to the passenger, he was secluded from the others, it said.

The pilot-in-command was also informed of the situation. A message was sent to the company immediately seeking security on arrival to escort the passenger. The act left several of the passengers agitated, the FIR stated.

On arrival, the head of Air India security attended and escorted the passenger to the local police station, it said.

A case under sections 294 (obscene acts) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) of the Indian Penal Code was registered, it added.

On November 26, 2022, a man, who was in an inebriated condition, allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger onboard an Air India flight from New York to Delhi.

Ten days later, another episode of a "drunk" male passenger allegedly "urinating" on a blanket of a female passenger was reported on a Paris-New Delhi Air India flight on December 6.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Google Said to Have Urged Supreme Court to Quash Android Antitrust Directives

Google has urged India's Supreme Court to quash antitrust directives against it for abuse of the Android market, two sources said, as its presses its legal battle against the competition watchdog in one of its most important markets.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in October that Google, whose Android mobile operating system powers 97 percent of the 600 million smartphones in India, had exploited its dominant position.

It ordered Google to remove restrictions imposed on device makers, including those related to the pre-installation of apps, and fined the US firm $163 million (nearly Rs. 1,300 crore), which it paid.

In March, an Indian tribunal gave partial relief to the Alphabet unit by setting aside four of the 10 directives in the case.

The tribunal said CCI's findings of Google's anti-competitive conduct were correct, but gave Google some relief by quashing some of the directives that forced it to alter its business model.

Google is now asking the Supreme Court to quash the remainder of the directives, the first source with direct knowledge said.

Google is also arguing in its filing made on Monday that it has not abused its market position and should not be liable to pay a penalty, the source added.

Google in a statement confirmed the Supreme Court filing, saying that it looked forward to presenting its case and demonstrating how Android benefited users and developers.

The Indian tribunal had ruled authorities must prove harm caused by anti-competitive behaviour "but did not apply this requirement" to several of CCI's Android directives, Google said, explaining the rationale of its latest challenge.

Google's Supreme Court challenge has not been previously reported.

The CCI too has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to reverse the tribunal's decision to give Google partial relief, according to a third source. The CCI did not respond to a request for comment.

Google has been particularly concerned about India's Android decision as the directives were seen as more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission's landmark 2018 ruling against the operating system.

Google had made sweeping changes to Android in India in recent months following the directive, including allowing device makers to license individual apps for pre-installation.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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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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Bengaluru Techie Who Was Laid Off Turns Rapido Driver To Get Job Leads

A Twitter user has shared a 'Peak Bengaluru' moment about a software developer who lost his job at HCL and is now driving a Rapido bike to get leads on any Java developer openings across the city.

Srinivas Rapolu, a skilled Java developer was laid off from Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL). He now works as a driver for Rapido and hopes to find a suitable job as a Java developer. Mr Rapolu's story was shared on Twitter by Loveneesh Dhir. "My Rapido guy is a Java developer recently laid off from HCL driving rapido to get leads for any Java developer openings," Mr Dhir wrote on Twitter.

"I have his cv. DM if you have any relevant openings," Mr Dhir added. He also called the incident his "peak Bengaluru" moment.

See the post here:

My Rapido guy is a Java developer recently laid off from HCL driving rapido to get leads for any java developer openings.

I have his cv. DM if you have any relevant openings.

My @peakbengaluru moment 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PUI7ErdKoU

— Loveneesh Dhir | Shardeum 🔼 (@LoveneeshDhir) June 22, 2023

His post soon went viral and collected nearly 2 lakh views on Twitter. The post generated mixed reactions on the social media platform. While some appreciated Mr Dhir's effort of helping the Rapido driver, others called it a gimmick for publicity.

Mr Dhir clarified in a follow-up tweet, he wrote, "This is not a tweet gimmick." He shared Mr Rapolu's CV. 

HCL also reacted to the post, "We're sad to hear about your experience. Request you to please DM us the details (Name, SAP ID, Contact, Email), we shall try our best to assist you."

Another user commented, "that's straight-up hustling. massive respect for the guy. i never think of how easy I've got."

The third user commented, "Appreciate this gesture of yours."

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Influencer Kusha Kapila Announces Separation From Husband. Read Her Post

Actor and social media influencer Kusha Kapila has announced her separation from husband Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia. The couple announced the split at the same time on Instagram. In the post, the digital content creators wrote that the decision to part ways has been taken mutually and they will continue to co-parent their dog, Maya.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Kusha Kapila wrote, "Zorawar and I have mutually decided to part ways. This hasn't been an easy decision by any means but we know it's the right one at this point in our lives. The love and life we have shared together continue to mean everything to us, but sadly, what we seek currently for ourselves doesn't align. We gave it our all, until we couldn't anymore."

She further wrote, "A relationship ending is heartbreaking and it's been a tough ordeal for us and our families. Thankfully, we have had some time to process this, but what we shared and built together panned for over a decade. We still need a lot more time and healing to get to the next phase of our lives. Our current focus is to get through this period with love, respect and support towards each other. We will continue to co-parent the love of our lives, Maya. And continue to be each other's cheerleaders and pillars of support."

See the post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kusha Kapila (@kushakapila)

Kusha Kapila and Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia had gotten married in 2017 after dating for a few years.

Ms Kapila was last seen onscreen on Masaba Masaba 2 and recently made her Cannes debut. She was also part of Plan A Plan B, Selfiee and Case Toh Banta Hai among others.

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Xiaomi Pad 6: Is This the Best Mid-Range Android Tablet Under Rs. 30000?

Xiaomi Pad 6 was recently launched in India as the successor to the Xiaomi Pad 5 that made its debut in 2022. Just like last year's model, Xiaomi has attempted to equip its latest tablet with a range of features and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, while keeping the price of the device under Rs. 30,000. The Xiaomi Pad 6 sports a 11-inch LCD display, runs on Android 13 out-of-the-box, and Xiaomi claims it can offer up to two days of battery backup. It is equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, resident device expert Pranav Hegde, who has spent some time with Xiaomi's latest tablet, talks to guest host Sheldon Pinto about the device. Pinto reviewed the Xiaomi Pad 5 last year, and the duo discuss some of the changes and upgrades that have made their way to this year's model and how it fares against the competition.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 isn't exactly a new device — it was launched in China earlier this year and only made its way to India last week. It runs on an Android 13-based MIUI 14 for Pad. The tablet sports a 11-inch LCD display with Dolby Vision up to 144Hz refresh rate, and supports up to 550 nits of peak brightness.

Equipped with a slightly older Snapdragon 870 chip that is paired with 8GB of RAM, the Xiaomi Pad 6 should be more than capable of handling daily tasks and a few games — you can read more details about the tablet's performance in our review. The processor is a slight upgrade over last year's Snapdragon 860 chip, which was an upgrade over Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+ SoC.

You can also pick up a few accessories that are compatible with the tablet and were announced by the company when it launched the Xiaomi Pad 6 in India last week. This includes the Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard, cover, and the Xiaomi Smart Pen (2nd Gen). Hopefully, Xiaomi will be able to ensure that these accessories remain available while the product can be purchased in the country.

Xiaomi's latest tablet has a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera, and like most tablet devices, one might find themselves using the camera to click images of documents and similar materials, while relying on one's smartphone camera for regular photography. You can view the camera samples and details of how it performs in different scenarios in our review.

The recently launched Xiaomi Pad 6 packs a large 8,840mAh battery with support for 33W wired charging. With that charging rate, Xiaomi says that going from an empty battery to a full charge will take about 100 minutes. The tablet is also claimed to last up to two days on a single charge, according to Xiaomi. 

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56-Year-Old Millionaire Fails China's Toughest Exam For 27th Time

After failing to achieve a high enough score on China's dreaded college entry exam for the 27th time, 56-year-old Liang Shi is beginning to wonder if he will ever make it to his dream university.

Mr Shi, a self-made millionaire, has taken the gruelling "gaokao" exam dozens of times over the past four decades, hoping to earn a place at top-tier Sichuan University and fulfil his ambition of becoming "an intellectual".

By most measures, Liang has had a successful life -- he worked his way up from a menial job on a factory floor to establishing his own construction materials business, making millions of yuan in the process, but his university dreams have so far eluded him.

In his quest for a prestigious higher education, he has put in 12-hour study days, abstained from drinking and playing mahjong, and endured the media mocking him as the "gaokao holdout", as well as online suspicion that it is all a publicity stunt.

But despite months of living like "an ascetic monk", this year Liang was 34 points short of the provincial baseline for getting into any university.

"Before I got the result, I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to get a high enough score to enter an elite university," he told AFP.

"But I didn't expect to not make it into the ordinary ones."

Shortly before 10 pm Friday -- along with hundreds of thousands of high-school students across southwestern Sichuan province -- the grey-haired businessman carefully typed in his exam identification information and nervously waited to find out how he'd done.

Several local media reporters live streaming the scene were also avidly checking for updates -- and from their disappointed expressions, Liang knew before he even saw the screen himself that the result was not ideal.

"It's all done for again this year," he said to himself. "It's very regrettable."

In the past, Liang's repeated misses failed to deter him.

Every time he fell short, he vowed to try again the next year.

Now, for the first time in decades, he is wondering if his hard work will ever lead to anything.

"If I truly can't see much hope for improvement, there is no point doing it again. I really did work very hard every day," he said tiredly.

"It's hard to say whether I will keep on preparing for the gaokao next year," he admitted.

But a life without gaokao preparation is almost unthinkable to him.

"It's a hard decision to make. I am not willing to give up either," he mused.

"(If I were to) stop taking the gaokao, every cup of tea I drank for the rest of my life would taste of regret."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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