UC Browser Gets Instant Push Notifications for Facebook

UCWeb in partnership with Facebook has announced that UC Browser users will receive real-time, or instant push notifications from the social platform.

The company claims that the real-time notifications will be available to its browser users without the need to install any add-on, since the feature is activated within UC Browser. The new UC Browser version is now available to download at ucweb.com.

The Google Play listing of the UC Browser shows the last update on January 12 with no word on the real-time Facebook notifications. One of UC Browser's screenshots however show the feature.

"This is the first time Facebook is teaming up with a mobile browser to allow real-time notifications outside of its native app," UCWeb notes in a statement.

To receive real-time Facebook notifications, users will be needed to logged-in to their Facebook account via the UC browser. To log in, navigate to Menu>Add-on>Facebook>Facebook Notification.

One of the most notable features of the UC Browser's real-time Facebook notifications is that users will receive notifications even after exiting the browser.

"Once logged in, the users will start receiving real-time notifications, even after they exit the browser. Further, they can also manage the type of notifications they receive so they only get the ones that are most important," notes the company.

Earlier this month, a market research firm claimed that UC Browser was the "world's largest third party mobile browser" based on its page view market share. It added that UC Browser had a market share of 41.23 percent in India. The research firm Statcounter suggested that UC Browser's success was driven by its adoption in developing countries.

Vietnam Prime Minister Says Impossible to Ban Social Media: Report

Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has conceded it is impossible for the communist country to ban social media, urging officials instead to embrace websites like Facebook to spread the government's message.

Sites such as Facebook have at times been difficult to access in Vietnam, an authoritarian country which routinely imprisons bloggers and dissidents for criticising the regime.

"You here have all joined social networks, you've all got Facebook up on your phones to read information. So we must make this information correct," Dung told senior officials Thursday, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

"We can not ban it," he said at the meeting in Hanoi.

Over the last few years, Vietnam has had one of the fastest rates of Facebook uptake in the world, and now around a third of the country's population of 90 million have an account on the social network.

The government has always denied blocking the site, and for at least a year Facebook has been easily accessible in Vietnam without a VPN or other measures.

Dung said top officials need to use social media to engage with the population more.

"We must publish accurate information online immediately... Whatever is being said online, people will believe official information from the government," he said.

(Also See:Facebook CEO Launches Free Internet Project in Colombia; Holds Public Q&A)

Vietnam's communist party controls all newspapers and television networks, and many citizens prefer to get their news online from blogs or social media, which contain less propaganda.

But the quality of the blogs and social media postings is uneven. Some dissident-run sites offer nuanced reporting on sensitive political topics, other online commentators spread sensational rumours.

Last week, in a rare move, authorities denied widespread rumours that a popular senior communist party official Nguyen Ba Thanh, a former top official in central Danang City, had been poisoned with radioactive material by a political rival.

"Incorrect information creates social distraction," Dung said, adding that the government would ask ministries to address incorrect information circulating online.

In the past, Dung has driven through bans on particular blogs, but the move has usually backfired, triggering a surge of interest in the prohibited sites.

The harassment, arrest and prosecution of online activists remain widespread in Vietnam, which is holding scores of bloggers in jail, according to watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

The one-party state is regularly denounced by rights groups and Western governments for its intolerance of political dissent.

Net Neutrality Important, Says Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said the principle of net neutrality, which means access to Internet and related services without any discrimination or barrier, is important and views of all stakeholders will be taken for evolving a governance model for the Web.

"Internet is property of world. Global world must be linked to local. Net neutrality is important as Internet is meant for masses. We will need to take stakeholders views to see broadly what should be the governance architecture to deal with it," Prasad told PTI.

He was responding to a query on government's view on the subject.

The minister is expected to chair a meeting soon where stakeholders will present model of Internet governance and issues around it.

US lawmakers plan to start drafting legislation this week aimed at keeping the Internet open without stricter net neutrality rules that have received backing from some corners.

Under the principle of net neutrality, telecom operators or anyone who plays a role in delivery of Internet should not discriminate or impose any kind of barrier for accessing the Internet or services based on the Internet.

Recently, there was huge public outcry on social media when telecom major Bharti Airtel decided to charge separately for calls made using Internet connections. It later backtracked on its plans.

Trai is expected to come out with a consultation paper to take a public view on regulating over-the-top telecom players like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber which facilitate their user to make calls or send message using Internet for free.

OTT subscribers are only required to pay for Internet charges consumed for using their services.

Stephen Constantine Appointed Head Coach of Indian Football Team

Englishman Stephen Constantine was on Friday appointed head coach of Indian men's football team, paving the way for his return at the helm of affairs for the second time.

Constantine, 52, who is also be the coach of the India Under-23 national team, is expected to take charge from the first week of next month.

"All India Football Federation confirms the appointment of Mr. Stephen Constantine as the Head Coach of the Senior Men's National Team of India. Mr. Constantine will also be in charge of the India U-23 National Team," the AIFF said in a release.

Constantine was India coach from 2002 till 2005, during which the national team won the LG Cup in Vietnam and finished runners-up in the Afro Asian Games. He was the head coach of the Rwanda national team before he was offered the India job.

According to sources, Constantine will get significantly lower salary than what his predecessor Wim Koevermans was getting. Dutchman Koevermans reportedly got around USD 20,000 per month before he left the job recently after a just over two-year stint.

The name of Constantine, who has coached the national teams of Nepal, Malawi and Sudan, besides Rwanda, was recently cleared by the AIFF Technical Committee headed by former captain Bhaichung Bhutia.

He got the nod ahead of former New Zealand coach and India Super League franchise side NorthEast United FC coach Ricki Herbert mainly due to his earlier Indian experience.

The Englishman guided the Africans to their highest-ever world ranking of 68 in last month's FIFA Rankings.

Todays Big Release: Alone, Oscar Biggies

'Horror queen' Bipasha Basu returns to scare her fans with another horror-thriller film, Alone. The film is directed by Bhushan Patel, who has Ragini MMS and 1920: Evil Returns on his resume.

Alone will also mark the Bollywood debut of television heartthrob Karan Singh Grover.

The film, based on a Thai film by same name, is the tale of two conjoined sisters and their love for the same man. The twist in the story comes when the evil twin dies during an operation and returns to haunt her sister who is now married to the man she loved, played by Karan.

Meanwhile, there are three Oscar-bound biggies releasing today as well. The Theory of Everything, based on the lives of physicist Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane, has earned Best Actor and Actress nods for Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Eddie already has the Golden Globe under his belt.

Director Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game, a thriller based on British scientist and World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, also releases today. The Imitation Game has been nominated in eight categories including Best Picture, Best Director for Tyldum, Best Actor for Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley for the 2015 Oscars.

Directed Clint Eastwood's war drama American Sniper, based on US Navy SEAL's most lethal sniper Chris Kyle's autobiography, is the third biggie. The film stars Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller in the lead roles along with Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeger, Jake McDorman and Cory Hardrict in supporting roles.

American Sniper received six nominations for the 2015 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper.

Other films releasing this weekend are Shilpa Shukla's Crazy Cukkad Family and Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene starring actors Rannvijay Singh and Zayed Khan.

Cameron Meets Obama, Vows Cyber-Security Cooperation

US President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron kicked off two days of talks Thursday at the White House, with the British leader promising progress on the "new threat" of cyber-security.

Cameron referenced the recent cyber-attack allegedly launched by North Korea against Sony Pictures in a video posted just before the talks.

"I think it really matters that Britain and America properly cooperate and work together," Cameron said in the clip posted on his Twitter feed.

"We'll be making some important announcements about how we keep our businesses and our people safe from these new cyber threats," he said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss joint anti-terror efforts during the talks that come in the wake of last week's attacks in France.

They wrote a joint editorial published Wednesday in Britain's The Times newspaper, vowing a united front against Islamic extremists after radicalized gunmen killed 17 people in and around Paris over three days last week.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said both governments would touch on the issue.

"I'm confident that the close counterterrorism partnership that we have with the United Kingdom will be discussed," Earnest said.

(Also See:White House Says Net Neutrality Legislation Not Needed: Report)

Earlier this week, Cameron reiterated his commitment to beef up surveillance of suspected terrorists.

The issue of counterterrorism cooperation from online giants such as Facebook, Twitter or Google and how that help could tip the balance of privacy and security could also be discussed.

The subject is a sensitive one in the US following Edward Snowden's disclosures of sensitive data collection programs by the US National Security Agency.

A reform of government surveillance techniques in the United States has begun but has not yet be completed.

Ukraine, trade top agenda too
Obama and Cameron said in the Times that they are determined to pressure Russia over its "aggressive actions" in Ukraine.

They said the recent upsurge of fighting in the pro-Russian east could lead to a serious continental conflict.

"We will continue working in lockstep and putting pressure on Russia to resolve the crisis diplomatically," the article said.

"At the same time we will keep supporting Ukraine as it works to fulfill the economic and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people."

On the economic front, the leaders are likely to discuss free trade agreements between the US and the European Union that has been promoted as a job creator.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has put a damper on hopes for a quick trade deal, saying the "skeleton" of the massive proposal could be ready by the year end at the earliest.

Obama and Cameron were to meet for dinner late Thursday and have several meetings scheduled Friday, when they are also expected to hold a joint press conference.

Obama is beginning his last two years in office, while Cameron is preparing for general elections in May that are predicted to be very close.

Why a Samsung Takeover of Blackberry Could Make Sense

Samsung and Blackberry have splashed frigid water on a report that Samsung wants to make a $7.5 billion takeover offer for the struggling Canadian device maker. That, however, did not stop tech industry watchers from dissecting all the possibilities.

Once strong in mobile devices, Blackberry is now an also ran, overtaken by the touchscreen offerings of Apple and Samsung. But analysts say it has technology and intellectual property that could make it attractive to Samsung, which is looking to revive growth momentum as it smartphone business falters.

Business market
Despite its plunging share of the overall smartphone market, BlackBerry still has a strong presence in the business market that Samsung is trying to crack.

Analysts say that business clients are increasingly important for the Korean company's future. Its motivation to get more corporate clients is greater nowadays because intense competition in the consumer mobile market has reduced its fat profit margins.

Samsung has software called KNOX for security-conscious business customers but the corporate world has not embraced this new product. By contrast, the software behind the security for Blackberry devices is well regarded and popular.

One drawback of KNOX for Samsung is that it is based on Google's Android operating system, which the South Korean company is trying to reduce its reliance on. This week, it launched a cheap smartphone that runs on its own operating system Tizen.

Not Android
Samsung wants full control over all aspects of its products, not just their hardware but their software as well, like Apple and Google do.

But relying on Google's Android limits what Samsung can do with its mobile software and hence, Samsung built its own mobile operating system Tizen.

Acquiring BlackBerry would give Samsung more scope to work independently from Google. BlackBerry's security software for business customers runs on its own platform.

"It is likely that KNOX, Samsung's security platform for business clients, will have a synergy effect" with BlackBerry, Yoo Eui-hyung, an analyst at Dongbu Securities, said in a report.

Blackberry's stock of other patents and intellectual property could also be attractive to Samsung.

18 Armymen Who Attacked Maharashtra Policemen Get Bail

Nashik, Maharashtra:  Eighteen Indian Army officers who assaulted policemen and a police station in Nashik in Maharashtra on Wednesday, were on Thursday sent to 14 days' judicial custody but later released on bail, officials said.
Those arrested included 18 lieutenants from among more than 150 army officers involved in two separate incidents of assault of on-duty police personnel and vandalism at the Upanagar police station in the city.
They were produced in a Nashik magistrate court which at first sent them to judicial custody, but later released them on bail.

In the first official reaction Thursday, a defence ministry spokesperson said in Pune that "the reason for the alleged altercation was the alleged detention and manhandling of an officer of the School of Artillery, Deolali, on January 13 (Tuesday)".
Nashik Commissioner of Police KK Sarangal refuted the army charge and told media persons "this is not the way they should have behaved", referring to Wednesday's attacks.
A defence spokesperson assured that exemplary action will be taken against all those involved in the incidents after a joint investigation with police was completed.
Police nabbed the 18 army officers earlier Thursday.
"We have arrested 18 lieutenants from among the more than 150 army officers involved in yesterday's (Wednesday) incidents," Deputy Commissioner of Police Hemrajsingh Rajput told IANS.
They were charged with assault, rioting, illegal confinement, preventing government servants from doing their duty, as well as damaging and destroying government property.
Mr Rajput said all those involved in the two incidents were officers and lieutenants from the nearby Deolali Camp's School of Artillery.
The assault on police personnel and the Upanagar police station had shaken the Maharashtra police establishment.
A detailed report has been submitted to the director general of police in Mumbai. The defence ministry has also ordered a court of inquiry.
Late Tuesday, Lieutenant Ashish Bagul, who was on leave, and his relative Jayant Narad allegedly attacked some policemen over a parking row, police said.
They were also upset over the alleged delay in lodging a police complaint.
While Lt Bagul was handed over to the army authorities on Wednesday morning with a request that action be taken against him, the other man was produced before a court, Rajput said.
The second incident took place Wednesday afternoon when a large group of young officers from the Deolali camp stormed the Upanagar police station.
In an apparent retaliatory move, around 150 armymen, wearing track suits and helmets, assaulted several police personnel and damaged the premises, leaving it looking like a war zone.
At least two women constables sustained grievous injuries. One policewoman, Namrata Desai, who heads the station, was confined and locked up in a room.

Police driver C Gangurde was beaten up and underwent critical surgery late Wednesday. His condition was reported to be stable Thursday, said Rajput.

Mumbai Traffic Nightmare: This Machine Might Help Sort it Out

Mumbai:  The Devendra Fadnavis-led government has promised Mumbai some relief from the bumper to bumper traffic and as a first step, a state-of-the-art machine from Australia is being deployed to map the city's traffic density and pattern.
An unified plan to build infrastructure - roads, flyovers and underpasses - and divert traffic will be chalked out according to the data available from the machine. In a first, the government intends to bring together all state departments and agencies regarding this.

"We have decided that we will strengthen the public transport system and try and make more space for parking available," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told NDTV.
For "seamless traffic movement," a traffic management plan will be worked out by two municipal corporations in cooperation with the state government and traffic police.
"Mumbai (corporation) has already started it. Thane will also make a complete mobility plan," Mr Fadnavis added.
This is where the infrared machine from Australia - bought at a cost of Rs 30 lakh - is expected to help in a big way.
The machine can measure the number, type and speed of vehicles passing through a particular stretch. And it will be taken to all parts of the city to generate data. All future decisions on traffic dispersal will be taken after analysing the data.
"Traffic behaves differently in different parts of the city," Additional Municipal Commissioner SVR Srinivas told NDTV. "Earlier, this mapping was done manually, which was a defective way of doing things."
Critics, however, are questioning how things will improve with 200 news cars, 300 motorcycles being added on Mumbai's roads every day.

"We are being more car-friendly and less people-friendly while designing systems. If money is a constraint, should we use it on new systems or on improving the local trains?" questioned Aam Aadmi Party leader Meera Sanyal.
The government says the new policy is based on the 'Pedestrian First' concept, which will also make for a better public transport system.

World Bank to Give Aid for Building Toilets in Chhattisgarh

Raipur:  The World Bank will extend financial aid to build toilets in tribal-dominated villages of Chhattisgarh under the Centre's flagship 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.
The World bank will give an aid of Rs 240 crore in next five years to the Centre for constructing toilets in households in the tribal areas and also for running proposed awareness campaigns, an official release said in Raipur on Thursday.
Under the programme, campaigns will be run to encourage villagers to build toilets in their houses and use them instead of going for open defecation. It shall be ensured that by 2019 not a single household in tribal areas is left which without a toilet.

Chhattisgarh is among five states in the country which will be given aid by the World Bank, it said. 

Ranji Trophy Wrap: Andhra, Delhi, Maharastra and Tamil Nadu Win on Third Day

Firing on all cylinders, four big guns - Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharastra and Tamil Nadu - won their Ranji trophy engagements inside three days Thursday.
Manan Sharma spun Delhi to an innings and 150 run victory with a six-wicket haul giving away just 24 while Vikas Tokas and Shivam Sharma equally shared the remaining four wickets, as Odisha were skittled out for 85.
Beginning their first innings at the overnight score of 25/1, Odisha failed to tackle left-arm spinner Varun Sood and medium pacer Navdeep Saini - who picked up three wickets each - to be bowled out for a pathetic 118. Sharma then bowled with guile to wreck the Odisha second innings and enable Delhi clinch the one-sided game.
At Ongole, Andhra pacer D. Siva Kumar finished with a career-best haul of 11 wickets as he bowled his side to an innings win over Tripura.
Resuming their second essay at the overnight total of 13/3, Tripura failed to do much of a recovery act and were all out for 151. Kumar bagged 4/54, while C.V. Stephen chipped in with three, and D.P. Vijay Kumar picked up two scalps. Tripura's only resistance came in the form of middle order bat Nirupam Sen Chowdhury who scored 42 runs.
Rajasthan were in for a surprise in Pune against Maharastra as they found all-rounder Shrikant Mundhe at his best with the ball. The medium fast bowler picked up figures of 6/38 and bundled Rajasthan for a paltry 106.
Maharastra then went out and chased down the target of 103 runs losing only one wicket in 19.3 overs, courtesy a blistering half-ton from Swapnil Gugale.
Rajasthan were greeted with Mundhe's pace and swing. None could make a healthy contribution, with the highest being 19 runs from Aristh Singhvi.
At Chennai, Malolan Rangarajan and Suresh Kumar picked up figures of 5/42 and 4/38 respectively to bowl Uttar Pradesh out for 169 in their second innings and hand Tamil Nadu a victory by an innings and 49 runs.
Given below are the brief scores:
At Ongole: Andhra vs Tripura, Tripura 1st innings 151 all out, Andhra 1st innings 310 all out, Tripura 2nd innings 151 all out (Nirupam Sen Chowdhary 42; Duvvarapu Siva Kumar 4/54, Cherapurapalli Stephen 3/51). Andhra won by an innings and 8 runs
At Delhi: Delhi vs Odisha, Delhi 1st innings 353 all out, Odisha 1st innings 118 all out (Varun Sood 3/16, Navdeep Saini 3/22), Odisha 2nd innings following on 85 all out (Manan Sharma 6/24). Delhi won by an innings and 150 runs.
At Pune: Maharastra vs Rajasthan, Rajasthan 1st innings 270 all out, Maharastra 1st innings 274 all out (Chirag Khurana 82, Shrikant Mundhe 60; Deepak Chahar 4/63). Rajasthan 2nd innings 106 all out (Shrikant Mundhe 6/38), Maharastra 2nd innings 105 for one. Maharastra won by nine wickets.
At Chennai: Tamil Nadu vs Uttar Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh 182 all out, Tamil Nadu 1st innings 400 all out (Abhinav Mukund 140, Baba Indrajith 91; Ali Murtaza 4/138). Uttar Pradesh 2nd innings 169 all out (Piyush Chawla 69; Malolan Rangarajan 5/42, Suresh Kumar 4/38). Tamil Nadu won by an innings and 49 runs.
At Nagpur: Vidarbha vs Saurashtra, Vidarbha 1st innings 583 for nine declared, Saurashtra 1st innings 251 for five (Cheteshwar Pujara 114, Akshay Wakhare 3/61).
At Kolkata: Bengal vs Jammu and Kashmir, Bengal 1st innings 387 all out, Jammu and Kashmir 1st innings 315 all out (Bandeep Singh 73, Ian Dev Singh 72; Ashok Dinda 3/102). Bengal 2nd innings (Abhimanyu Easwaran 63, Manoj Tiwary 52 not out)
At Ahmedabad: Gujarat vs Punjab, Gujarat 1st innings 513 for 8 declared, Punjab 1st innings 219 for four (Uday Kaul 77; Ruhul Bhatt 2/32).
At Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh vs Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh 1st innings 304 all out (Ankush Bains 129, Ankit Kalsi 80; Ashish Kumar 4/55, Sahbaz Nadeem 4/77), Jharkhand 1st innings 94 for one.
At Hyderabad: Assam vs Hyderabad, Assam 1st innings 393 all out, Hyderabad 1st innings 215 all out (Tanmay Agarwal 68; Swarupam Purkayastha 5/59), Hyderabad following on 21 for one
At Indore: Madhya Pradesh vs Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh 303 all out, Karnataka 1st innings 516 for eight (Manish Pandey 193, Shreyas Gopal 124; Yogesh Rawat 3/91).
At Delhi: Baroda vs Railways, Baroda 298 all out, Railways 1st innings 251 for seven (Rohan Bhosle 76; Irfan Patha 2/49).

At Delhi: Goa vs Services, Goa 1st innings 304 all out, Services 1st innings 219 for four (Anshul Gupta 110; Gauresh Gawas 2/38).

Sri Lanka's New President Sacks Governor in Tamil-Dominated North

Colombo:  Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena has sacked the ex-military governor of the Tamil-dominated Northern Province and replaced him with a civilian, in an effort to improve ties with the minority community in the war-ravaged region.
Retired Major General GA Chandrasiri was replaced by HMGS Palihakkara, a distinguished retired Sri Lankan foreign service career officer, government officials said on Thursday.
The ruling Tamil National Alliance of the Northern Province had long accused the outgoing governor Chandrasiri of preventing them from functioning freely and running a parallel local government.

On the reappointment of Mr Chandrasiri, in July last year as the governor of Northern Province, Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran had expressed surprise as the then president  had earlier assured him he would change the Governor.
Mr Chandrasiri was the Sri Lankan army's commanding officer in Jaffna during the government troops victorious military campaign. He was appointed as the Northern Province governor immediately after the LTTE was defeated in May 2009. The international community had backed the demand of Tamil political parties to appoint a civilian governor to the the northern province.
Mr Palihakkara was the former Permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. He has served in the Secretary General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

He retired as the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka in December 2006 after 38 years of civil and diplomatic service. Since the 1990's, he has served on a number of missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York.  

Ranji Trophy Wrap: Manoj Tiwary Puts Bengal Ahead, Baroda Fight vs Railways

The part-time legspinner Tiwary (2/19) claimed two wickets including that of J&K top run-getter Bandeep Singh (73; 8×4, 1×6) to bowl the visitors out for 315 in their first essay, giving Bengal a handy 72-run first innings lead.
The stylish Bengal batsman then decimated the J&K attack, scoring an unbeaten 52 off 37 deliveries (6×4) as they ended the day at 216 for three, a total lead of 288 runs.
“We want to bat tomorrow (Friday) as well and take the lead to at least 350. Our first target is to secure a draw and then declare as soon as possible,” said Tiwary after the third day’s play.
Bengal approached their second innings positively as the opening pair of Abhimanyu Easwaran (63) and Arindam Das (60) put on 126 runs together at a healthy 4.0 run rate.
Earlier, J&K resumed the day on 183 for five but lost Shubham Singh Pundir in the second ball when Bengal’s leading wicket taker Ashok Dinda (3/102) castled the left-hander.
But it was Bandeep, who stood tall and took them past the follow-on mark of 237 with No. 9 Ram Dayal who also prove to be a thorn for the Bengal bowlers with a gritty 62 not out (7×4, 1×6).
Brief Scores: Bengal: 387 & 216 for 3 in 44 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 63, Arindam Das 60, Manoj Tiwary 52 batting). J&K: 315 all out in 112.5 overs (Bandeep Singh 73, Ian Dev Singh Chauhan 73, Ram Dayal 62 not out; Ashok Dinda 3/102).
TN crush UP to log home bonus points
Tamil Nadu produced a profesisonal performance to log home 7 points including a bonus beating Uttar Pradesh by an innings and 49 runs with a day to spare in a Ranjhi match.
Resuming at the overnight score of 360 for 7, Tamil Nadu lasted for just 14 overs with Amit Mishra claiming all the
three wickets that fell on Thursday in the hosts innings.
The highlight of the Uttar Pradesh second innings was quartet of spinners operating during the 57.1 overs in which time, the hosts achieved their second win of the season.
This is Tamil Nadu’s second win this season and earlier they had defeated J&K at Dindigul and with this win, they take their tally to 16.
Pandey misses 200, Gopal hits 100 for Karnataka
Manish Pandey (193) missed out on a double ton even as Shreyas Gopal (124) hit his second first class century as Karnataka took a healthy 213-run first innings lead over Madhya Pradesh in their Ranji contest.
Resuming at 214 for three, Karnataka ended day three at a formidable 516 for eight in reply to Madhya Pradesh’s 303 all out at Holkar Cricket Stadium.
Abhimanyu Mithun (22) and Udit Patel (0) will resume Karnataka’s innings on Friday.
Brief Scores: Madhya Pradesh 1st innings: 303 all out Karnataka 1st innings: 516 for 8 in 168 overs (Manish Pandey 193, Shreyas Gopal 124; Yogesh Rawat 3/91)
Baroda fight back against Railways
Railways skipper Mahesh Rawat and Rohan Bhosale struck fighting half centuries before Baroda came back to leave the battle for the decisive first innings lead slightly in their favour on day three of the Ranji match.
On a rare sunny day in the Delhi winter, 93 overs were bowled with Railways reaching 251 for seven at stumps, trailing Baroda’s 298 by 47 runs.
Both teams know the value of the gaining the first innings lead going into the final day on Friday. Only 11.5 overs could be bowled on Wednesday due to inclement weather.

Brief scores: Baroda 298. Railways (Mahesh Rawat 50, Rohan Bhosale 76; Irfan Pathan 2/49, Yusuf Pathan 2/53).

Xiaomi Mi Note With 5.7-Inch Display and Snapdragon 801 SoC Launched

Xiaomi on Thursday launched its new flagship smartphone - the Mi Note phablet - which was previously teased by the company with the tagline "The bigger the better."
The company announced a pricing of CNY 2,299 (roughly Rs. 23,000) for the 16GB model, while the 64GB model of the Xiaomi Mi Note will come at CNY 2,799 (roughly Rs. 27,900).
Lei Jun, Xiaomi CEO, revealed the handset at an event in Beijing and stressed that smartphones are at the centre of its strategic goals. Jun also claimed that the new Mi Note is the "best looking phone in the company's history." Additionally, Jun at the event also showcased Mi Headphones that will cost CNY 499 (roughly Rs. 5,000).
Xiaomi, also referred to as China's Apple, compared its new Mi Note phablet to the iPhone 6 Plus. The company also contrasted the Xiaomi Mi Note's camera that's level with the smartphone body with the iPhone 6 Plus' camera that protrudes.

#MiLaunch115 Introducing the most epic flagship phone of the year -- #MiNotepic.twitter.com/Qnnd7SeEM1
-- Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial) January 15, 2015

The dual-SIM and dual-standby Xiaomi Mi Note with Micro-SIM and Nano-SIM card support features a 5.7-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Sharp JDI display offering a pixel density of 386ppi. It also packs Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. The handset sports metal frames.
Jun also revealed that the new Xiaomi Note features a 2.5D glass at the front while the back features 3D glass for protection. The phablet is just 6.95mm thin and weighs 161 grams.
The Xiaomi Note phablet features a contrast ratio of 1400:1 and auto-adjusts dynamic contrast pixels. For the areas more exposed it reduces contrast, while for lower exposure it increases contrast. It also packs an anti-glare display. The phablet sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with a six-element lens, OIS, a Sony CMOS sensor, and two-tone flash from Philips. There is a 4-megapixel front-camera also onboard with large 2-micron pixels. The Xiaomi Mi Note also sports a dedicated chip for audio (ESS ES9018K2M) and the company touted that it sports "highest quality of audio on any phone". It offers 24-bit/192KHz lossless playback support.
The phablet is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.5GHz alongside 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. The Xiaomi Mi Note also supports 4G LTE connectivity and is backed by a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 technology.

The Mi Headphones are semi-open headphones with 50mm beryllium diaphragm speakers and interchangeable over-ear and on-ear covers. It features a low 32-ohm impedance, and a silver-plated straight cable.

Brazil Alert to Olympic Games Risks After Paris Attacks

Rio de Janeiro:  Brazil's intelligence chief said on Thursday the attacks in Paris last week underscored the risks as his country prepares to stage South America's first Olympic Games in Rio next year.
Luiz Alberto Sallaberry, head of Abin, the national intelligence agency, said the thousands of fans, athletes and officials attended the Games are "priority targets for terrorists and lone wolf operators."
"We do not have a terrorist cell in the country," Sallaberry said, adding however that there were "people who can facilitate, aid logistically" potential attacks.

"Monitoring lone wolves in Brazil is today Abin's primary action of terrorism prevention," said Sallaberry.
During last year's World Cup, thousands of troops and extra police were drafted to boost security for the month-long event, which drew about a million foreign visitors.
Sallaberry said close monitoring ensured the World Cup went off without major incident. But following the attacks in France claimed by Al Qaeda, Brazil saw an "increased" risk of also being targeted as it prepares to host the Games.

His comments came as Games' organizers unveiled details of the ticketing distribution system for 7.5 million tickets, 70 per cent of which will go to Brazilian fans.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Keeps Silence on Shock Test Retirement

Melbourne: Mahendra Singh Dhoni would not elaborate on Thursday about his sudden retirement from Test cricket, ahead of leading India in the one-day international tri-series against Australia and England.
The 33-year-old stunned the cricket world -- and a completely unaware India team -- when he announced his immediate Test retirement after the drawn third Test against Australia in Melbourne late last month.
He had not mentioned it during his post-Test media conference only for Indian authorities to drop the bombshell via social media shortly afterwards.
India's World Cup-winning captain again had nothing to say in the subject as he launched the Indian one-day team's new uniform on Thursday ahead of their first tri-series game against Australia in Melbourne on Sunday.
Dhoni, who remains India's ODI and T20 captain, stood next to new Test skipper Virat Kohli and six other-teammates on stage with the closest he came to addressing the issue when he was asked about his time off since that Test.
"It has been good, a few days off," he said. (Also read: Gavaskar tells NDTV that Dhoni knew Kohli was ready to lead)
And that was it. There were a few prepared comments about the uniform, but no questions were allowed from the assembled journalists.
The microphone was handed to Kohli, one of the few Indian players to enhance his reputation during the 2-0 Test series loss to Australia.
"It's been a very eventful month and a half since we came to Adelaide," Kohli said. (In pics: MS Dhoni's life highlights)
"I've enjoyed every day of it. It's been challenging at times, but that's where international cricket is.
"All the boys have really enjoyed the challenge we got from the Australian team and the public as well."

Dhoni, who is one of the world's highest-earning sportsmen, was India's most successful Test captain, winning 27 of the 60 Tests he led the national side in, with 18 losses and 15 draws. (Kapil Dev Hails Dhoni's Retirement Timing)

There are 'Limits' to Freedom of Speech, Says Pope Francis

Manila:  Pope Francis on Thursday condemned killing in God's name but warned religion could not be insulted, weighing into a global debate on free speech ahead of a rapturous welcome in the Philippines.
The pontiff made the comments to reporters as he flew from Sri Lanka to begin a five-day visit in the Catholic Church's Asian stronghold that is tipped to attract a world-record papal crowd.
"To kill in the name of God is an absurdity," Pope Francis said when asked about last week's assault by Islamist gunmen on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in which 12 people died.
But the 78-year-old pontiff also said "each religion has its dignity" and "there are limits".
"If a good friend speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched, and that's normal. You cannot provoke, you cannot insult other people's faith, you cannot mock it," he said.
Brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed Charlie Hebdo's Paris office on January 7, killing some of France's most loved satirical cartoonists in their outrage over the magazine's repeated depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.
The assault was followed two days later by an attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris by a gunman claiming to have coordinated his actions with the brothers.
In all, 17 people died over three days in the bloodiest attacks in France in half a century, sparking a global debate on the limits of free speech.
Charlie Hebdo drew ire from religious groups again this week when it published a "survivors" issue featuring an image of the prophet weeping on the cover.
The cartoon depicts Mohammed holding a sign reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie), which became a global rallying cry for those expressing sympathy for the victims and support for freedom of expression.
The cover sparked a backlash in some parts of the Muslim world, where depicting the prophet is seen as blasphemous.
Pope Francis, seen by many around the world as more progressive than many of his predecessors, said freedom of speech should be tempered by respect for faith.
"Freedom of speech is a right and a duty that must be displayed without offending," he said just before arriving in the Philippine capital of Manila.

Pope Francis on Thursday began the second leg of his Asia tour after a successful visit to Sri Lanka, where he preached on reconciliation and religious tolerance.

John Kerry Accuses Boko Haram of 'Crime Against Humanity' as Massacre Images Emerge

Lagos:  US Secretary of State John Kerry branded a Boko Haram massacre in northern Nigeria a "crime against humanity" Thursday as satellite images suggested massive destruction in the two towns reported razed by its fighters.

"What they have done... is a crime against humanity, nothing less," Kerry said as first images of what is feared to be the worst atrocity of the six-year Islamist insurgency emerged.
Hundreds of people, if not more, are reported to have been killed in attacks on the towns of Baga andDoron Baga on the shores of Lake Chad in Borno state, according to Amnesty International.

Boko Haram was "evil" and a serious threat "not just in Nigeria and the region but to all of our values", Kerry said during a visit to Bulgaria. He said he had spoken earlier to his British counterpart Philip Hammond -- who was also in Sofia -- about the possibility of "a special initiative with respect to Nigeria and with respect to Boko Haram".
Amnesty and New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch published separate satellite images Thursday claiming to show massive destruction in the adjacent towns, adding to fears they may suffered the deadliest strike yet in Boko Haram's bloody campaign.
Amnesty's images showed aerial shots of the towns on January 2 -- the day before the attack -- and January 7, after homes and businesses were razed.
'Catastrophic' devastation
The group said the images suggested "devastation of catastrophic proportions", with more than 3,700 structures -- 620 in Baga and 3,100 in Doron Baga -- damaged or completely destroyed.
HRW said 11 percent of Baga and 57 per cent of Doron Baga was destroyed, most likely by fire, attributing the greater damage in Doron Baga to the fact that it houses a regional military base.
Nigeria's military, which often downplays death tolls, said that 150 died and dismissed as "sensational" claims that 2,000 may have lost their lives in the attacks.
Local officials have said at least 16 settlements around Baga were burnt to the ground and that at least 20,000 people fled.
HRW said the exact death toll was unknown and quoted one local resident as saying: "No one stayed back to count the bodies.
"We were all running to get out of town ahead of Boko Haram fighters who have since taken over the area."
Amnesty said Boko Haram were believed to have targeted civilian vigilantes helping the army after they overran a Multinational Joint Task Force base for troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad who have been involved in operations against them.
'Killed in labour'
Harrowing testimony has been emerging from survivors about the scale and brutality of the assault in Baga, included one woman reportedly killed while in labour.
Witnesses who spoke to AFP described seeing decomposing bodies in the streets and one man who escaped after hiding for three days said he was "stepping on bodies" as he fled through the bush.
Amnesty said on Thursday it had received accounts from survivors of Boko Haram fighters killing a woman as she was giving birth, during indiscriminate fire that also cut down small children.
"Half of the baby boy (was) out and she died like this," the unnamed witness was quoted as saying.
A man in his fifties added: "They killed so many people. I saw maybe around 100 killed at that time in Baga. I ran to the bush. As we were running, they were shooting and killing."
Another woman said: "I don't know how many but there were bodies everywhere we looked."
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Tuesday that its team in capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, was providing assistance to 5,000 survivors of the attack.
The UN refugee agency has said that more than 11,300 Nigerian refugees fled into neighbouring Chad.
Some 300 women were said to have been rounded up and detained at a school, witnesses told Amnesty, adding that older women, mothers and children were released after four days but younger women kept.
Amnesty said the witness accounts and images reinforced fears the attack was Boko Haram's "largest and most destructive" in its fight to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, which has killed over 13,000 people since 2009.
"The deliberate killing of civilians and destruction of their property by Boko Haram are war crimes and crimes against humanity and must be duly investigated," it added.
The Baga attack came before presidential and parliamentary elections in Nigeria next month and an upsurge in violence apparently designed to undermine the vote.

Nigeria's electoral commission said voting was "unlikely" in rebel-controlled areas and arrangements were being made to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people to cast their ballots. 

Oscar 2015: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman Lead With 9 Nominations

The nominations for the granddaddy of awards, the Oscars, were announced in a two-part ceremony today.
Eight films were nominated for Best Picture. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman led the nominees list with nine nods each. In Pics
The Imitation Game, Boyhood and American Sniper also have multiple nominations.
The nominees list contained few surprises. The major upsets were Jennifer Aniston who failed to score a Best Actress nod for Cake, David Oyelowo who was overlooked for Best Actor for playing Martin Luther King, Jr in Selma, Golden Globe winner Amy Adams who wasn't nominated for Best Actress for Big Eyes, and Jessica Chastain who was passed over for a Best Supporting Actress nod for A Most Violent Year.
The redoubtable Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for the 19th time, earning a Best Supporting Actress nod for her performance as a fairytale witch in Into The Woods. (Also Read: Meryl Streep Scores Her 19th Nomination)
It's a good year to be Alexandre Desplat, who was nominated twice for Best Original Score for  his work on The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
India is absent from the nominees list with A R Rahman failing to make it to the final five of either Original Score or Original Song. Sonu Niigam and Bickram Ghosh, who were on the longlist for their Jal score, are also absent from the nominee list.
The nominations were announced by directors Alfonso Cuaron and J J Abrams, actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
Here are the nominees:
BEST FILM
Boyhood
Birdman
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Selma
American Sniper
Whiplash

BEST DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Alejandro Gonzalez Anarritu - Birdman
Wes Anderson - Grand Budapest
Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game
Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton - Birdman
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Steve Carell - Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
JK Simmons - Whiplash
Edward Norton - Birdman
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Robert Duvall - The Judge
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Emma Stone - Birdman
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Meryl Streep - Into The Woods
Laura Dern - Wild
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr Turner
Unbroken
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Boyhood
Birdman
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ida, Poland
Leviathan, Russia
Tangerines, Estonia
Timbuktu, Mauritania
Wild Tales, Argentina

BEST  MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
Salt of the Earth
Virunga
BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth
BEST FILM EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Lost Stars, Begin Again
Grateful," Beyond the Lights
I'm Not Gonna Miss You, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Everything is Awesome, The Lego Movie
Glory, Selma

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Paraveneh
The Phone Call
BEST SOUND EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
BEST SOUND MIXING
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Stress And Social Media: It's Complicated

Washington:  Using digital technologies does not directly cause stress, but social media can increase awareness of problems facing friends and family, and this stress is "contagious," researchers said on Thursday.
A report by the Pew Research Center and Rutgers University researchers concluded that the stress facing some users of social networks was related to "the cost of caring."
"There is no evidence in our data that social media users feel more stress than people who use digital technologies less or not at all," said Rutgers researcher Keith Hampton, one of the author of the report.
Hampton said data did not support the notion that people become stressed from keeping up with social media networks like Facebook and Twitter.
But he added that "learning about and being reminded of undesirable events in other people's lives makes people feel more stress themselves. This finding about the cost of caring adds to the evidence that stress can be contagious."
Overall, the researchers found frequent Internet and social media users do not have higher levels of stress than the general population, and that many who use Twitter, email, and cell phone picture sharing report lower levels of stress.
There were, however, some gender differences in how social media use affected stress.
"There was no statistical difference in stress levels between men who use social media, cell phones, or the Internet and men who do not use these technologies," the researchers wrote.
But "a women who uses Twitter several times per day, sends or receives 25 emails per day, and shares two digital pictures through her mobile phone per day, scores 21 per cent lower on our stress measure than a woman who does not use these technologies at all."

Facebook can spread stress
In cases where digital technologies increase awareness of stressful events in the lives of others, in particular with Facebook, the researchers found stress to be contagious.
"Facebook was the one technology that, for both men and women, provides higher levels of awareness of stressful events taking place in the lives of both close and more distant acquaintances," the researchers wrote.
A woman with an average size network of Facebook friends is aware of 13 per cent more stressful events in the lives of her closest social ties, and men are aware of eight per cent more, the study found.
"The cost of caring is particularly felt by women," the researchers said.
"This is a result of two facts about women and stress: first, women report higher levels of stress to begin with, and second, women are aware of more stressful events in the lives of their friends and family."
The report is based on a survey of 1,801 American adults from August 7 to September 16, with a margin of error estimated between 2.6 and 3.3 percentage points, depending on the group.
A related study released last week by Pew found Facebook remains the most popular social network among Americans, used by 71 per cent of those who use the Internet.

Other platforms saw growth but remained far behind, including Pinterest and LinkedIn (28 per cent), Instagram (26 per cent) and Twitter (23 per cent). That report showed 81 percent of Americans use the Internet. 

President's Daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee to Fight Delhi Polls as Congress Candidate

New Delhi:  President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmishta will make her electoral debut in the city as she is among 15 candidates announced by Congress in its third list of candidates for Delhi Assembly polls.
She will contest from the prestigious Greater Kailash constituency in South Delhi where Congress was defeated by AAP's Sourav Bhardwaj in the assembly polls in 2013. 49-year-old Sharmishta, a Kathak dancer, has been participating in events and rallies of Delhi Congress for the last few months.
"I feel grateful, humbled in being given this opportunity to represent my party, Indian National Congress - the party of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Given my family background, personally for me it's an emotional moment.
"I thank the party leadership for bestowing this faith in me. I will do my best to serve my party and the people of my country to the best of my ability," she told the Press Trust of India.
The party has fielded former MLAs Veer Singh Dhingan and Vipin Sharma from Seemapuri and Rohtas Nagar respectively. A number of new faces also figured in the party's third list which took the total number of candidates announced so far to 64 for polls to 70-member assembly.
Another former MLA Malaram Gangwal will contest from Madipur and C P Mittal will take the electoral plunge from Hari Nagar. Madan Mohan has been fielded from Palam while Brahm Yadav has been nominated from Rajinder Nagar seat.
Former Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami, a Sheila Dikshit loyalist, had represented the Rajinder Nagar seat and faced defeat in the last assembly polls.
Praveen Kumar Bhugra has been nominated from Narela seat while another young face Mukesh Goel has been fielded from Adarsh Nagar. Jagdish Yadav has been made the Rithala candidate while former MLA Rajesh Lilothia will contest from Patel Nagar.

Anil Kumar has been nominated from Patparganj and Bansi Lal from Krishna Nagar while Rinku has been fielded from Gokalpur. 

TCS Announces 100% Bonus for Employees, Says No Truth in Layoffs

Straight about layoff rumours. TCS is in high growth mode and hired significantly, said Mr Chandrasekaran, adding that there is no truth to rumours about layoffs.
He also announced 100 per cent variable allowance payout for employees. Its rival Infosys had earlier also announced 100 per cent variable bonus payout for its employees. Another IT outsourcer HCL Tech recently decided to reward 130 top performing employees with Mercedes cars or all-expenses-paid foreign holidays, a top official of the company told NDTV. (Read)
At the third-quarter earnings press conference, Mr Chandrasekaran said that TCS saw gross employee addition of 16,561 in Q3, taking its total headcount to 3,18,625.
"Based on our progress this quarter, we are well on our way to post industry-leading growth for FY15," Mr Chandrasekaran said.
TCS global HR head Ajoy Mukherjee said the IT company expects to exceed this fiscal year's hiring target. Though he did not disclose the new hiring target, he said that TCS so far in 2014-15 has hired over 52,000 personnel.
TCS earlier this week clarified said it has "not initiated, and is not planning to initiate, any large scale exits of any section of its staff in any part of the organisation".
India's biggest outsourcer had been in the news earlier for allegedly laying off a large number of employees. TCS maintained that only "non-performers" have been asked to leave and the lay-offs at TCS are no more in number than in the last few years.

India's biggest IT outsourcer TCS reported 1.6 per cent sequential growth in its net profit to Rs 5,328 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, according to Indian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (IGAAP) standards. This was in line with the Street estimates. TCS revenue in the quarter came in at Rs 24,501 crore, up 2.87 per cent sequentially. 

Oscars 2015: Meryl Streep Scores Her 19th Nomination

The redoubtable Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Oscar for the 19th time, earning a Best Supporting Actress nod for her performance as a fairytale witch in Into The Woods.
Ms Streep is, of course, the most nominated actor ever, and has been for some years. Way behind her are actors Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, tied at second place with 13 nominations each.
Ms Streep has won three Oscars so far - Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs Kramer, and Best Actress for Sophie's Choice and The Iron Lady. She is one of only six actors to have three Oscars - the other five are Katharine Hepburn (who holds the record with four Best Actress Oscars), Walter Brennan, Ingrid Bergman. Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis.
This year, however, Meryl Streep's chances of scoring are considered slim. Boyhood actress Patricia Arquette, who won the Golden Globe for her performance, is expected to send Ms Streep and co-nominees Emma Stone, Keira Knightley and Laura Dern home Oscar-less.

The Oscars will be held on February 22. India will have to wake up early on February 23 to watch.

'Impressed' by PM Modi's Gesture, Says Shashi Tharoor

Kolkata:  Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal graciousness despite an earlier spat, while criticising the government led by him.
Mr Modi had congratulated him after his victory in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Tharoor said during a media interaction at the launch of his book "India Shashtra" in the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. "I didn't expect him to reach out and that's why I was very impressed," he said.
Mr Tharoor, who recently accepted the Prime Minister's invitation to join the Clean India campaign, also said he had been taken aback by the Prime Minister's invitation. "It was a very gracious thing to do," he said. "I joined because that was the cause I believed in."

Mr Modi "had not shown signs of reconciliation with an opponent before that," which had surprised him, he said.
"He and I had also clashed quite clearly and explicitly three to eight months previously when he had said something about my wife," Mr Tharoor added.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Modi had taken a dig at Sunanda Pushkar at an election rally in Shimla, calling her a "Rs 50 crore girlfriend" - a reference to the controversy over the Kochi IPL.
Mr Tharoor had retaliated, tweeting, "My wife is worth a lot more than your imaginary 50 crores. She is priceless."
The Congress leader also recalled that PM Modi had also reached out to him earlier on Twitter, but for political reasons.
Mr Tharoor had drawn barbs from his party colleagues earlier for what they perceived as support to BJP causes.
In October, he was dropped as the spokesperson of Congress on the charge that he had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi once too often. While Kerala Congress leaders had made the allegation, party chief Sonia Gandhi had reportedly agreed.

"As a loyal worker of the Congress, I accept the decision of the party president," Mr Tharoor had said. 

Former Wrestler Mulayam Inaugurates Son's Gym

Etawah:  As a young man, Mulayam Singh Yadav would wrestle in the local akhada in Etawah. Today, the  75-year-old Samajwadi Party chief inaugurated his son Prateek Yadav's gym in Lucknow. Spread over 7000 sq feet, the gym is equipped with world-class technology and foreign trained coaches.
Mr Yadav did not take questions, presumably to allow his 28-year-old son the spotlight.  "When I studied at Leeds in the UK, I used all this equipment, so I decided to come back and open a gym with," said Prateek.

His older step-brother, Akhilesh, is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Not his cup of tea, said Prateek. "I have never been interested in politics and prefer to do business."
The socialist Samajwadi Party may have some processing to do - the gym membership costs Rs 36,000 a year.  

BJP's Satish Upadhyay Sends Legal Notice to AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal for Defamation

New Delhi:  The BJP's Delhi unit president Satish Upadhyay today sent a legal notice for defamation to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
"As per my commitment, I today served a legal notice to Kejriwal and asked him to prove allegations levelled by him against me with evidence in next 24 hours. If he fails, I will initiate appropriate legal action against him," Mr Upadhyay told reporters.
Mr Kejriwal had yesterday alleged that there was a nexus between Mr Upadhyay and power companies in Delhi. The AAP chief had claimed that firms owned by Mr Upadhyay were installing and repairing electricity meters for discoms in the city.  (Arvind Kejriwal Levels Corruption Charges at Delhi BJP Chief, Who Hits Back)
The BJP today also filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Mr Kejriwal. "He is misleading people by levelling false allegations. We have presented all facts before the Election Commission," Mr  Upadhyay said.

Mr Kejriwal says he has evidence to support his claim and was ready to face defamation charges from the BJP leader. "We have proof that the electric meters in Delhi, which run fast, have been put up by companies owned by Upadhyay," the former Delhi chief minister said.

Terror Threat for Obama Visit? Defence Minister Parrikar Says 'We Are Well Prepared'

New Delhi:  Amid reports that terrorists may try to attack soft targets in India, including schools, ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said, "We are well prepared."
Five terrorists were killed today in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian after a 10-hour operation by the army and the police, who had been tipped off about the presence of heavily armed militants in dense forests.
"There are terrorists who may try to do something before the Obama visit to create news but we are well prepared for it," Mr Parrikar said, referring to the operation in Kashmir.
A top army commander had earlier said that 200 militants are waiting to cross over to India and strikes are being planned in terror "war rooms" in Pakistan led by the ISI.
"The structure of the war rooms is that they are led by the ISI and have representatives of local commanders of the army and the terrorist groups and then they decide which operations to conduct, when and where to conduct - there are inputs that militants can hit soft targets like schools," said Lt General KH Singh, a senior army officer posted in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There is every possibility that Pakistan will try to divert some of the fringe elements of home-grown terrorist outfits to India," he added.
Intelligence agencies had warned last month that the terror group Lashkar-e Taiba might plan an attack in India to coincide with President Obama's visit and a security alert has been issued.
President Obama will arrive in India on January 25 for a three-day visit, sources have told NDTV. He will be accompanied by his wife Michelle.
A final security and protocol meeting on the president's visit will be held tomorrow.

President Obama had in November accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. The Obamas also plan to see the Taj Mahal in Agra before returning to the US.

Actor Deepika Padukone Talks of Her Battle With Depression

Mental health workers are praising Bollywood star Deepika Padukone on Thursday for speaking out about her battle with depression.
Ms Padukone, one of India's most popular film stars, said it had been "a struggle to wake up" during a period of suffering last year, which led her to seek help and eventually take medication.
"There were days when I would feel okay, but at times, within a day, there was a roller-coaster of feelings. Finally, I accepted my condition," she said in an interview with the Hindustan Times newspaper on Thursday.
Ms Padukone said people struggled to understand her predicament when she was outwardly so successful. The 29-year-old star of "Chennai Express" said she was now working on a plan to create awareness about depression and anxiety, which would soon be unveiled. It's not about what you have or don't have. People talk about physical fitness, but mental health is equally important," she said. "I see people suffering, and their families feel a sense of shame about it, which doesn't help."
Professor Vikram Patel, of the Public Health Foundation of India, said he was pleased Padukone had "shown the courage" to talk openly about her condition.
"It's extremely good news that someone who's extremely popular in the public eye has come out and spoken about a health issue that's traditionally stigmatised," he said.

The country's first mental health policy last year was introduced in parliament last year and is awaiting approval.