"Test For Rahul Gandhi": Himanta Sarma On DMK Leader's "Sanatana" Remark

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that if the Congress does not distance itself from DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's controversial remarks on Sanatana Dharma, it will 'confirm' public's perception that the party is 'anti-Hindu'.

He also questioned the grand old party's stance on its leader Karti Chidambaram defending the DMK leader's statements.

"I do not want to condemn the statement by the Tamil Nadu minister because he has exposed himself," Mr Sarma said, claiming that remarks on similar lines were also made by Karti Chidambaram and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had alleged on Saturday that Sanatana Dharma is against equality and social justice, and had likened it to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes.

His remarks led to a furore on social media with BJP's IT department in-charge Amit Malviya stating the DMK leader has called for "genocide" of 80 per cent population who follow Sanatan Dharma.

Udhayanidhi Stalin rubbished the genocidal claim and said his speech was a pointer to social evils.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram defended Mr Stalin's remarks saying that the BJP likening it to a "genocidal call" is like giving it a "mischievous spin".

Mr Sarma maintained that the question is now whether the Congress will remain in alliance with the DMK and take action against Mr Chidambaram.

"This is a test for Rahul Gandhi. He has to take a decision whether he respects Sanatan Dharma or not," the BJP leader said.

"If Gandhi does not snap ties with DMK or expel Chidambaram, then it will be confirmed that these people (Congress) are anti-Hindu, they do not like Sanatan Dharma, they do not like the Hindu religion," Mr Sarma added.

Refraining from making any statement on Hinduism as a religion, he said, "I don't want to join that debate. It was here from 5,000 years ago and will be there till the sun and moon are there."

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

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Trinamool Ex-MLA Snubbed Ahead Of Key Poll Joins BJP

A former Trinamool legislator defected to the BJP on Sunday after being snubbed for a crucial by-election to the seat she once held. Mitali Roy won from Dhupguri in 2016, but lost to BJP's Bishnupada Roy in 2021. The BJP leader's death last month led to the assembly bypoll next Tuesday.

Ms Roy is seen as an influential leader locally and the BJP termed her defection as a big blow to the Trinamool.

"Within 24 hours of @abhishekaitc's public meeting, Mitali Roy, former MLA of Dhupguri assembly, left Trinamool and joined BJP today at Dhupguri election office...! The end of Trinamool has begun!! Long live BJP," said West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.

West Bengal minister Shashi Panja retorted with a "washing machine" jibe at the BJP, an allegation often made by non-BJP parties to symbolise that every corrupt person comes out clean after joining the BJP.

"@BJP4Bengal's Washing Machine politics continues! Foes of 2021 becoming Friends in 2023 displays nothing but political opportunism! This proves, once again, that BJP has no organisational hold of its own," she said.

Ms Roy isn't the only politician to have jumped ship ahead of the crucial bypoll. BJP's former district president Dwipen Pramanik joined the Trinamool last Saturday.

Meanwhile, Trinamool number two Abhishek Banerjee, who campaigned in Dhupguri on Saturday, said if the INDIA alliance comes to power LPG cylinder prices will drop to Rs 500.

"They have reduced Rs 200 for LPG cylinders terming it a gift for Raksha Bandhan. I want to ask the Prime Minister - does the festival of Rakhi come once every five years?" he asked.

"When the BJP lost in West Bengal during the 2021 Assembly polls, they reduced the prices for petrol and diesel. If BJP wins the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, LPG prices will hit Rs 3,000. But if INDIA Alliance wins, the prices of LPG cylinders will go down to Rs 500," he added.

Significance of Dhupguri Bypoll

Dhupguri is being seen an important indicator of the voters' mood in North Bengal, a region swept by the BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 assembly elections. However, Trinamool claims it has been able to regain some lost ground in the region and hopes to wrest the seat from the BJP.

The bypoll will primarily be a Trinamool vs BJP fight. The Left has fielded a candidate supported by the Congress, an indicator of the tricky issue of seat-sharing for the INDIA alliance in West Bengal.

Trimamool has fielded college professor Nirmal Chandra Roy for the bypoll and the BJP has nominated Tapasi Roy, the widow of a central police force personnel killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021. The CPM has fielded folk singer Ishwar Chandra Roy.

The campaigning ended today for Tuesday's bypoll and the votes will be counted on Friday.

A total of 30 companies of central forces will be deployed for the bypoll.

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Tamannaah's Holiday Mood Summed Up In New Post From Maldives

Tamannaah's Maldives diaries keep getting better and better. After treating her Instafam to some pictures, the Baahubali actor shared a reel from the beach destination on Saturday and it's absolutely stunning. The reel begins with Tamannaah giving a tour of her holiday abode. She is seen walking on a beach, savouring ice cream, enjoying a ride on the sea. In one shot, she is also seen running on a beach to catch a glimpse of a rainbow. The reel ends with Tamannaah chilling on a beach. Apart from Tamannaah's many moods, the reel shows her impeccable fashion choices. Tamannaah dropped rainbow emojis in the caption. Tamannaah's post received big love from the Internet. One fan wrote, "Maldives looks more pretty bcz of Tammu." Another fan wrote, "Gorgeous."

Take a look at Tamannaah's post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks)

Tamannaah shared holiday pictures from Maldives just two days back. In one shot, she is seen posing against a rainbow and the picture was an instant hit on the Internet. Take a look at Tamannaah's holiday pictures here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks)

Tamannaah has been in the limelight for her personal and professional lives. She confirmed her relationship with Lust Stories 2 co-star Vijay Varma during the promotion of the Netflix anthology. About her relationship with Vijay Varma, Tamannaah told Film Companion in an interview this year, "He is a person whom I care about deeply. He is my happy place." Tamannaah also said, "He (Vijay Varma) is someone with whom I bonded very organically. He is someone who really came to me with all his guard down, then it became really easy for me to let all my guard down."

Tamannaah and Vijay Varma are frequently spotted together. Tamannaah attended the special screening of Vijay's web series Kaalkoot last month. They posed, hugged each other at the event. They were also pictured at a movie date a few days back.

In terms of work, Tamannaah was last seen in Jailer. Her web series Aakhri Sach is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.

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Thief Leaves "Good Bank" Note After Failed Heist In Telangana

A burglar after failing to open the lockers of a bank's branch in Mancherial district of Telangana police said on Saturday.

The masked burglar gained entry into a government-run rural bank's branch at Nennel Mandal headquarters after breaking the main door's lock on Thursday, they said.

He searched the cabins of cashier and clerks but could not find any currency or valuables. He was unsuccessful in opening the lockers. He then took a newspaper and wrote on it in Telugu with a marker pen stating, "I could not get single rupee…so don't catch me. My finger prints will not be there. Good bank," police said.

The bank is functioning from a residential house and there were no security guards, they said.

After noticing the robbery attempt on Friday, the bank officials lodged a complaint and based on it a case was registered under relevant IPC sections.

Efforts were on to nab the burglar and the CCTV footage was being verified, police said adding further probe was on.

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

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New Covid Variant 'Pirola' Sparks Concerns. Here's All You Need To Know

Amidst a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the United States, United Kingdom and China, a new variant dubbed "Pirola" has experts worried. According to the New York Times, the variant also referred to as BA.2.86, is a highly mutated variant of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus, which emerged in 2021 and led to an alarming spike in Covid cases and deaths. This variant is causing a surge in infections worldwide yet again and raising alarm bells among health authorities.

"When Omicron hit in the winter of 2021, there was a huge rise in COVID-19 cases because it was so different from the Delta variant, and it evaded immunity from both natural infection and vaccination," infectious disease specialist Dr Scott Roberts said in a Yale Medicine bulletin.

"There is some reason to worry, in that this variant ... has more than 30 mutations to its spike protein," it added, referring to the proteins on the surface of the virus that allow it to enter and infect human cells. 

"Such a high number of mutations is notable," Dr Roberts said, adding, "When we went from XBB.1.5 to EG.5, that was maybe one or two mutations. But these massive shifts, which we also saw from Delta to Omicron, are worrisome."

Also Read | NASA Confirms Existence Of More Than 5,500 Exoplanets Beyond Our Solar System

As per the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC), the Pirola variant has been detected in Israel, Canada, Denmark, the UK, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Thailand. 

The rapid spread of Pirola "doesn't look good right now," Dr Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, told Reuters.

Pirola's multiple mutations make it "radically different in its structure" compared to earlier coronavirus variants, Dr Topol said.

As far as Pirola's severity is concerned, it is "too soon to know whether this variant might cause more severe illness compared with previous variants," the CDC stated.

"CDC is closely monitoring hospitalization rates to identify any potential early signals that the BA.2.86 variant is causing more severe illness," the health agency added. 

Nonetheless, the New York Times in its report said that BA.2.86 may be less infectious than other variants. "There is also a chance that the variant will spread widely - and we will just have to wait for more data to know," Jesse Bloom, a professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who specializes in virus evolution, told the outlet. 

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"62 Units Of Biryanis?" Swiggy's Post Amid India vs Pak Match Goes Viral

India vs Pakistan have a long-standing rivalry in cricket, with both teams having a strong history of competitive matches. Whenever these Asian giants face off for a cricket match, it turns out to be an enthralling affair, especially for cricket enthusiasts. But what's a good match if there is nothing to munch? Several people order various food items while watching this nail-biting match. And now, an interesting post by food delivery app Swiggy has caught the attention of many users on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter).

"someone from bengaluru just ordered 62 units of biryanis?? who are you? where exactly are you? are you hosting a #INDvsPAK match watch-party?? can i come?" Swiggy tweeted amid the ongoing India vs Pakistan match being held in Sri Lanka. 

someone from bengaluru just ordered 62 units of biryanis?? who are you? where exactly are you? are you hosting a #INDvsPAK match watch-party?? can i come?

— Swiggy (@Swiggy) September 2, 2023

Shared just a few hours ago, the post has already accumulated more than 13,000 views and over 160 likes. It garnered mixed reactions from internet users. 

"If India win you send me free food swiggy done??" jokingly commented one individual. "can you send me a pizza pls?" asked another. 

A third user hilariously wrote, "As if you won't know their address? Deliver kaha karoge fir?" while a fourth user added, "You know who they are" 

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan have always been more than just sports events; they have cultural phenomenon that brings millions of fans together. Ahead of the match, another post by Swiggy had caught the attention of social media users. The food delivery app reshared a post they had originally tweeted last year. "Dahi shakkar for the boys before we get started," Swiggy wrote in the one-year-old post and then shared a picture of Virat Kohli with Rohit Sharma.

Quite interestingly, they also re-shared the same tweet just few hours ago and explained the reason to their fans and followers. "Last year #India vs Pakistan happened, we posted this and India won. posting this again for good luck. What did you tweet?" Swiggy's post read. It added, "We are not superstitious but we are just a little stitious." 

The post received thousands of views on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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Updated Asia Cup Points Tables After India vs Pakistan Match

The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan match in Pallekele was called off due to rain on Saturday. The Babar Azam-led side could not start its chase as rain eventually forced the match to be abandoned. India were bowled out for 266 runs after opting to bat first as Shaheen Afridi registered a four-wicket haul (4 for 35). The left-arm pacer kept the Indian team at bay despite fifties from Hardik Pandya (87) and Ishan Kishan (82). India were 66 for 4 at one stage but a 138-run partnership between Hardik and Kishan brought them back in the game. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf picked three wickets each, denting India's progress towards the end.

Given that the match ended without a result, both India and Pakistan shared a point each.

Updated Points Table In Asia Cup 2023 -

In Group A, Pakistan continue to be at the top spot, adding another point to their tally. They now have three points to their credit with a net run rate (NRR) of 4.760 and that helps them qualify for the Super 4 stage. Pakistan defeated Nepal by 238 runs in the opening game of the tournament.

India follow Pakistan with one point from Saturday's game and an NRR of zero. Nepal are at the bottom spot in the table with zero points and an NRR of -4.760.

In Group B, Sri Lanka are at the top spot with two points and an NRR of +0.951. Afghanistan, who are yet to play a game, are at the second spot, while Bangladesh, who lost to Sri Lanka in their first game are at the bottom spot with zero points and an NRR of -0.951.

India will be playing their next match against Nepal on Monday.

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Honor Magic V2 Makes Global Debut As World's Slimmest Foldable at IFA 2023

Honor Magic V2 made a global debut on September 1, alongside Honor V Purse, at IFA 2023 that took place in Berlin. The smartphone was previously launched in China in July 2023. The latest foldable from Honor weighs only 231g. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and packs a 5,000mAH battery. The company has not announced the launch date and the pricing details of the smartphone yet. Meanwhile, the Honor V Purse gets an outward folding design, and can be carried like a handbag. 

The company is yet to announce the launch date for the Honor Magic V2 in Europe markets. However, according to an Android Authority report, the release is confirmed for the first quarter of 2024. It also suggests that as per the foldable smartphone's listing, it will launch in select markets including Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and the UK. It could be also expected to release in a few Latin American markets.

The pricing of the smartphone hasn't been revealed for the global market yet. To recall, it was launched in China at the starting price of CNY 8,999 (roughly Rs. 1,03,000) for the base 16GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, while the 16GB RAM + 512GB storage model was marked at CNY 9,999 (roughly Rs. 1,14,500). The high-end variant with 16GB RAM + 1TB storage was released for CNY 11,999 (roughly Rs. 1,37,400).

Packing similar features as its Chinese variant, the Honor Magic V2 for global markets will feature a 6.43-inch outer display with a resolution of 2,376×1,060 pixels, and a 7.92-inch interior display with a 2,344×2,156 pixel resolution. Both OLED display panels feature a 120Hz refresh rate. The foldable is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, paired with 16GB RAM and up to 1TB internal storage. It boots Android 13-based MagicOS 7.2 out-of-the-box.

For optics, it houses a triple rear camera unit housed in a rectangular module. The setup includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 20-megapixel telephoto unit. Meanwhile, both interior and exterior screens of the Honor Magic V2 get a 16-megapixel selfie camera.   

The foldable is backed by a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 66W Honor SuperCharge charging. The Magic V2 from Honor also gets connectivity support for 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.3 LE, GPS, NFC, and USB 3.1 Type-C. 

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset 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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"Cartographic Aggression To Erase Markers": Shashi Tharoor On China Map

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday accused the BJP-led Centre of failing to contain the Chinese aggression at the border. Launching an attack on the Narendra Modi-led dispensation, he said, "Unless we stop hoodwinking the people by saying that China has taken nothing and there is no change, the country is in danger of losing a significant amount of territory."

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said the Chinese aggression issue is not just a map but a much larger problem.

"This cartographic aggression is a way for China to erase certain markers done and when they sense vulnerability, they move according to their idea of the map," Mr Tharoor said.

He said earlier there were about 65 points where both armies used to patrol along the frontier, and there were no incidents for 45 years.

"Suddenly, on 26 of these points, the Chinese Army comes and establishes permanent positions, which means that our Army, which used to patrol, can no longer patrol," the Congress leader said.

He claimed Indian shepherds in Ladakh can no longer graze their sheep. 

"Rahul Gandhi, who visited these herders recently, heard it from their own lips. Even a local BJP councilor said the same," Mr Tharoor claimed.

He said the government has been talking about showing 'Lal Aankhen' (Red Eyes) to the Chinese, but there are no red eyes, but only red flags of the neighbour.

He said that it is now of paramount importance that the Congress and the Opposition hold the government's feet to the fire.

Mr Tharoor said the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that Beijing had even put out such maps in the past, claiming territories that were not theirs, and that it was "an old habit" of China was not true. 

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

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"Elon Musk's Daughter Thinks Anyone Rich Is Evil", Reveals Biographer

Billionaire Elon Musk in his highly-anticipated biography has opened up about his rift with his transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson and has accused her school of brainwashing her. An excerpt of his biography was published by The Wall Street Journal, days before its actual release on September 12.

The excerpt highlights Mr Musk's relationship with his trans daughter, who was born Xavier Alexander Musk but legally changed her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson last year. She had filed a petition to change her name because she no longer wished to be related to her biological father.

"I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form," Vivian Jenna Wilson had said in her petition.

The claim was made by Mr Musk's biographer, Walter Isaacson, in an excerpt from his book - entitled Elon Musk. The billionaire said, "She went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil."

He said that his attempts to reach out to his daughter have failed. "I've made many overtures, but she doesn't want to spend time with me."

Mr Musk further said that the rift with his daughter is the most painful thing he has experienced, "the rift pained him more than anything in his life since the infant death of his firstborn child Nevada."

In the book, he has partly blamed the Crossroads School for Arts& Sciences for his daughter's change in attitude towards him.

"She went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil," said Mr Musk.

Mr Musk had previously blamed "woke" schools for his daughter's transition, but this was the first time he has named the school.

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Amazon Board Sued by Shareholder Over Blue Origin Launch Contracts for Project Kuiper

An Amazon shareholder has filed a lawsuit against founder Jeff Bezos and the Amazon board alleging directors failed to fully vet a decision to award launch contracts for the company's Project Kuiper satellite project to Blue Origin, Bezos's space company.

The lawsuit filed by Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund earlier this week claims that the Amazon board awarded contracts worth billions of dollars to Blue Origin and did not consider rival Elon Musk-owned SpaceX as an alternative launch provider despite its track record.

Amazon's Project Kuiper is a planned network of over 3,000 satellites designed to beam broadband internet to remote regions. That makes it a rival to Musk's Starlink.

Asked about the lawsuit, an Amazon spokesperson said in an email to Reuters: "The claims in this lawsuit are completely without merit, and we look forward to showing that through the legal process."

Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund, a multi-employer fund, said in its filing that the launch contracts were the second-largest capital expenditure in Amazon's history at the time. Amazon's largest acquisition is its $13.7 billion (nearly Rs. 1,13,320 crore) deal to buy Whole Foods in 2017. 

Amazon has already paid about $1.7 billion (nearly Rs. 14,050 crore) to the three launch providers in the project, including $585 million (nearly Rs. 4,850 crore) to Blue Origin directly, the lawsuit states, adding that the company has not yet launched a prototype of its Kuiper satellite into orbit.

Project Kuiper will begin mass-producing the satellites later this year and beta testing with commercial customers in 2024, Amazon said earlier this year. 

The 2024 deployment target would keep Amazon on track to fulfill a regulatory mandate by the FCC to launch half its entire Kuiper network of 3,236 satellites by 2026.

The pension fund seeks unspecified damages and legal fees, according to a lawsuit filed on August 28 in the Delaware Court of Chancery. 

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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