Bombay HC upholds Maratha reservation by Maharashtra govt

The Bombay High Court on Thursday upheld the Maharashtra government's decision to provide reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions. However, it has ordered the Maharashtra government to bring down the Maratha quota percentage from 16 per cent to 12 or 13 per cent, saying that it was not "justifiable". 

The verdict was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre. Several petitions were filed in the high court challenging the reservation, while a few others were filed in support of the quota.

On November 30 last year, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) category.

On February 6, the same division bench had commenced hearing in all the petitions. In April this year, the court closed the petitions for verdict.

The government, while defending its decision, had said reservation was only to bring up the Maratha community which was neglected since long.

The petitioners challenging the quota decision, however, claimed by granting reservation to the Maratha community, the government has given them permanent crutches which they will never be able to shed. The government has destroyed the concept of equality by setting up a special category—Socially and Educationally Backward Class—for the Maratha community, the petitioners argued.

They also claimed that as per the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission report, Marathas and Kunbis are one and the same caste and hence, should be included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. 

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G20 2019: What is on the Indian agenda?

The 2019 G20 summit is all set to commence – now just a 'sunset away', as the multitude of world leaders converge this year in 'the Land of the Rising Sun'.

Just as Japan's sobriquet might suggest, this G20 summit can potentially signal the 'dawn' of a new world order. The West has been busy rebooting their stuttering economies, only to witness diminishing returns, meanwhile, the Asian nations however have been steadfast in cruising forward. This summit is thus expected to play host to a number of potential 'dialogues' and 'agreements' that history might label to have been 'crucial' in the making of a 'deglobalised world'.

India especially, will go into this summit knowing that they have a lot to gain. With global economic winds blowing eastward, and with the subcontinent's strategic importance on the rise, India have the opportunity to attract jobs, get more exports sailing, alongside fast-tracking to next-gen military capabilities. Conditions are even more favorable with the Indian political climate being the most stable since the 1950s, giving foreign powers the impetus to negotiate landmark trade and defence deals with the country.

The fuss about India, is there for all to see, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is slated to meet with the first rank of global leaders, more than once this summit. President Trump, Vladmir Putin, Xi Jinping, and host Shinzo Abe will all have 'high profile' dialogues with the Indian leaders who have flown to Japan, notably the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.

Here is a preview to the issues, interests and ambitions that will likely shape India's agenda for each foreign delegation they meet over the two days in Osaka.

US

India's relationship with the United States has seen constant rise in recent times, gone are the days when the two nations were reluctant and suspicious of each other. A year since the US recognized India as 'a major defence partner', the no:1 supplier of arms to India will seek to solidify ties with the country to realize their ambitions of curbing the growing Chinese influence in the world. India thus have a strategically significant role to play in America's plans and thus have a foothold to negotiate upon. India would be certain to raise concerns on the issue of H1B visas, the GSP withdrawal and the brand-new trade war President trump ignited with his bombshell tweet. Two dozen bilateral dialogues with the US alone and a trilateral dialogue including Japan are planned over the course of the summit where diverse issues like education, health, and defense are to be deliberated upon.

Russia

The 20-year Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship has long expired but India's cooperation with Russia has never ceased. Moscow is no longer India's mainstay of defense supplies, but continues to be the largest supplier for its spare parts as most of the weaponry in service are Soviet-made. Russian foreign policy in the past decade is however not encouraging for India, the increased China-Pakistan leaning has pushed it to seek better ties with their rivals the Americans, resulting in reservations to open dialogue. Keeping close ties going with Russia will not only be re-affirming India's NAM mindset but will also ensure regional security for India. Osaka 2019 will be an opportunity to re-instate the Indo-Russian bond.

China

India and China have found it hard to look each other in the eye in recent years. While President Xi and PM Modi have met each other several times, the situation at the border is still tense. The RIC meet, or rather the Russia-India-China dialogue would be a vital avenue for India, especially to raise its concerns on issues pertaining to regional security and terrorism. It can also serve as a foundation for better Indo-China ties that would prove advantageous for both nations in the ongoing global trade spat. India would seek to restore normalcy in relations with China soon keeping in mind that it would wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of things should China out shine the US to become the next global superpower. This summit might be India's gateway to do just that.

Japan

Japan sees India as a compatible partner to curb Chinese dominance in Asian Politics.With the hosts being India's best bet for FDI, the summit will be seen as an opportunity to boost its relations with the Island nation to sustain it for time to come. Negotiations to implement the awaited 'Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) would be the significant takeaway the allies would look forward to, this agreement is critical as it would enable both countries to use each other's military bases for logistical support.c

Prime Minister Modi is also expected to meet Singapore PM Lee Hsein Loong and Australia PM Scott Morrison. As prominent nations representing South-Asia, Far-East and Oceania, the trio of delegations are expected to share intelligence and strategy to contain the rising presence and shift in strategy of terror groups such as ISIS in the southern Indian Ocean region.

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Amit Shah concludes Kashmir visit, stresses zero tolerance on militancy

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday stressed that there would be zero tolerance towards militancy and terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah arrived in Kashmir on Wednesday on a two-day visit to take stock of the security and political situations in the trouble-torn state.

He also enquired about the pace of several developmental projects being funded by the Centre in the state.

On Thursday morning, Shah visited the family of police officer Arhid Khan (SHO), who died at AIIMS in New Delhi after having suffered serious injuries in a militant attack in Anantanag on June 22. Five CRPF personnel and a militant were also killed in the attack.

Shah met Khan's parents at Balgarden in Srinagar and offered condolence.

The home minister's visit is also seen as a recognition of the efforts and sacrifices of J&K Police in battling militancy in the state. The J&K Police have been at the forefront of the anti-militancy operations in the state though their role has been overshadowed by Army and other central forces.

As an acknowledgment of the police's role in fighting militancy, the government has decided to name villages after personnel of J&K Police who have died in the anti-militancy operations.

On Wednesday, the home minister was given a detailed briefing about the security situation in Kashmir and security arrangements for the annual Amarnath Yatra that starts on July 1.

He also met with delegations of Sarpanchs, Panchs, Gujars and Bakerwal and youth at SKICC, on the banks of Dal Lake before wrapping up his visit.

In the afternoon, Special Secretary, Internal Security, at Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), A.P. Maheswari said the home minister appreciated the “significant improvement” in the security situation in the state and stressed that “there should be zero tolerance towards militancy and militants.”

“The home minister stated there should be continued action against terror funding,” Maheswari said. “He (Shah) stated that the rule of law should be enforced.”

J&K Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subramanyam, who was present at the press briefing, said the home minister held a number of meetings to assess the security scenario, review preparations for the Amarnath Yatra, and provide good governance in the state. He said the the meetings were attended by Governor Sataya Pal Malik, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, all four advisors to the Governor, and senior officials of the State and Central governments, security agencies and armed forces.

Subramanyam said that the home minister laid stress on improving the lives of common man.

He said that the review meeting by the home minister focussed on good governance, accelerating development, Panhhayat and municipal system and fast tracking the implementation of Prime Minister’s Development Package and building first rate infrastructure.

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Frozen human sperm cells can retain its liveliness in deep space: Study

The human sperm retains its complete viability within the different gravitational conditions found in outer space, a study has found.

The research opens the possibility of safely transporting male gametes to space and creating a human sperm bank outside Earth.

Scientists from Polytechnic University of Barcelona in Spain said that there is lack of difference in a range of sperm characteristics observed in frozen sperm samples exposed to microgravity and those maintained in ground conditions.

While the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal and central nervous systems are well known and tested in space flight, relatively little is known about the effects of different gravitational environments on human sperm and eggs. 

"Some studies suggest a significant decrease in the motility of human fresh sperm samples, but nothing has been reported on the possible effects of gravitational differences on frozen human gametes, in which state they would be transported from Earth to space," said Montserrat Boada from Dexeus Women's Health in Barcelona.

The study was performed using a small aerobatic training aircraft (CAP10), which can provide short-duration hypogravity exposure. 

The plane executed a series of 20 parabolic manoeuvres, providing 8 seconds of microgravity for each parabola. 

Overall, ten sperm samples obtained from ten healthy donors were analysed after exposure to the different microgravities found in space and ground gravity.

The sperm analysis comprised a full range of measurements currently performed for fertility testing -- concentration, motility, vitality, morphology and DNA fragmentation.

Researchers found no difference whatsoever in any of the parameters between the microgravity space samples and the control group samples from Earth. 

The team will now try to validate the results with larger sperm samples, longer periods of microgravity and even fresh sperm. 

"If the number of space missions increases in the coming years, and are of longer duration, it is important to study the effects of long-term human exposure to space in order to face them," said Boada. 

"It is not unreasonable to start thinking about the possibility of reproduction beyond the Earth," she said.

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Mobile devices get more popular in enterprise field operations

Investing in mobile technologies to simplify logistics and inventory seems to be a key priority for majority of companies in field operations in countries including India. According to the results of an Asia-Pacific vision study on the future of field operations released in Delhi on Tuesday, investments are increasingly being made in disruptive technologies and enterprise mobile devices to enhance front-line worker productivity and customer satisfaction.

Simplistically put, this refers to companies which have large inventories to be done (for example, a storage godown where cargo is kept and needs to be identified depending on requirement), fleet management (like a car maker with thousands of cars in its yard), field services like a cable operator who takes payments on a mobile device at home, proof of delivery (for a vendor who delivers an order) and direct store delivery workflows (like a supermarket store calculating stock and what needs to be replaced), among others.

“Top three trends driving changes for field operations...in India are growing expectations of performance and convenience from end customers, replacement of paper in the field by mobile technology, and the disruptions to field operations caused by emerging technologies and faster networks,” said Deep Agarwal, regional sales director at Zebra Technologies, which conducted the survey.

According to the study's findings, companies are increasingly focusing on equipping front-line works with enterprise mobile devices. For example, in the coming four years, use of mobile devices with built-in barcode scanners in the region is forecasted to grow by 41 per cent, mobile printers by 60 per cent and rugged tablets (for use in factories and storage areas) by 57 per cent.

In fact, usage of such mobile devices in manufacturing, industry and in the whole sector of field operations is expected to get a fillip once 5G enters the picture, according to officials. “Now that we know 5G is coming, there is work going on to integrate devices with 5G readiness,” said a Zebra official.

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Scientists develop ingenious way to convert smartphone into tool for research

Scientists have developed a simple method to calibrate smartphone cameras, an tool that will help amateurs and science students to collect useful research data without specialised equipment.

Although smartphones and other consumer cameras are increasingly used for scientific applications, it is difficult to compare and combine data from different devices. 

 "The low cost of consumer cameras makes them ideal for projects involving large-scale deployment, autonomous monitoring or citizen science," said Olivier Burggraaff, who led the research team from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

 "Our standardised calibration method will make it easier for anyone to use a consumer camera to do things like measure pollution by detecting aerosol particles in the air," said Burggraaff, who developed the calibration method.

In the journal Optics Express, researchers described the method called SPECTACLE (Standardised Photographic Equipment Calibration Technique And CataLoguE), which can be used for smartphones, digital single-lens reflex cameras and cameras aboard drones.

 The database allows users to upload calibration data from their cameras for others to use.

"SPECTACLE includes many do-it-yourself (DIY) methods, which we found provided results comparable to professional methods that require high-end laboratory equipment," said Burggraaff.

The standardised calibration method was developed in response to a need that arose as researchers were developing citizen science methods to measure optical water quality using a smartphone.

"To use smartphone cameras to measure water quality we need to understand them well because each manufacturer and each device has its own characteristics," said Burggraaff.

 "SPECTACLE brings together many existing calibration methods and applies them for the first time to consumer cameras, which will make it much easier for other developers and for us to use these cameras for scientific purposes," he said.

To test the new calibration methods, the researchers compared them with established methods using several cameras. 

They found, for example, that the DIY method for measuring how the lens distributes light on the sensor, known as flat fielding, matched within five per cent of results from the standard method that requires an integrating sphere in a laboratory setup. 

 The DIY method involved taping paper on the camera and acquiring images of the Sun or a computer screen.

The researchers plan to apply the SPECTACLE methodology to a much larger number of cameras to fill in the database and get a broader idea of camera properties.

 This will be done by the researchers as well as anyone who wants to upload their calibration data into the database.

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American who helped Islamic State asks for leniency

American woman who goes under the nom de guerre Umm Nutella and has admitted to help Islamic State in online recruitment, is seeking leniency in her terrorism case over the objections of prosecutors who say she double-crossed them.

Defence attorneys for Sinmyah Amera Caesar argued at a sentencing hearing Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn that she's a lost soul worthy of redemption.

However, burned by Caesar's attempts to secretly get back in touch with Islamic State after signing up as cooperater, prosecutors told US District Judge Jack Weinstein that she's still a terror threat who deserves a severe punishment of at least 30 years behind bars.

Defense attorneys want her sentenced to time served about two years and a lifetime of supervision that would include participating in a rehab program.

The hearing that decides the fate of the 24-year-old will take place on Wednesday.

Caesar, 24, a Brooklyn resident "was a committed recruiter and self-described 'assistant' to the terrorist group, connecting ISIS supporters in the United States to ISIS facilitators and operatives abroad," the government wrote in court papers.

Caesar deleted about 1,000 Facebook messages she had posted to help ISIS recruiters, in an effort to cover her tracks, the papers say. She was also advocating violent jihad Facebook posts, including one written in Arabic from February 2016 that read, "Let's go . . . let's go like the soldiers."

Caesar, a school dropout, whose father abused her, also reached out to ISIS sympathisers. She was found to be providing them contact information for recruiters who could help them travel overseas or direct them about how to conduct attacks on US.

In 2016, she was intercepted at Kennedy airport, New York from where she was trying to flee the country. Caeser has pleaded guilty of providing material support to the Islamic Group. She has also offered information of her IS contacts to the FBI.

She is now back in jail and "has shown no contrition, taken no responsibility for her conduct and failed to separate herself from the extremist world she revelled in before her 2016 arrest," court papers say.

The papers cite a 2018 message reading, "I didn't do anything wrong under Islam. . I got arrested for what I believe in."

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Policeman, 3 assailants killed in suicide attack in Pakistan

Three suicide bombers attacked a training centre in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, triggering a shootout that killed a policeman and the attackers, police said.

Four police personnel were injured in the attack that took place when the policemen were busy taking an examination and the assailants ambushed the main gate of the Police Lines area in Balochistan's Loralai district.

"Police and other law-enforcement agencies retaliated to the attack in a timely manner and managed to kill all three suicide bombers before they managed to enter the Police Lines premises," Mohsin Hassan Butt, Balochistan Inspector General of Police, was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

The injured policemen have been shifted to hospital.

The process of clearing the area has begun and security has been beefed up in and around Loralai in the aftermath of the attack, the Dawn report said.

Condemning the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said, "the police force fought bravely against the terrorists. The swift and effective action taken by the police today shows that our security agencies are well prepared."

Loralai has witnessed a rise in terror attacks in the past few months. On January 30, terrorists attacked a police recruitment centre in the area, killing nine policemen and injuring 21 people.

On January 1, terrorists attacked the training centre of the Frontier Corps in the cantonment area of Loralai.

The armed forces shot dead 4 attackers and 4 security personnel were killed while resisting them at the entrance of the training centre. 

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Ghosn casts shadow as Macron lands in Japan for talks before G20

French President Emmanuel Macron along with his wife Brigitte, arrived in Japan on Wednesday for bilateral talks after a testing time for the long-standing alliance between Paris and Tokyo following the arrest of former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn.

Macron, who is visiting Japan for the first time as president, will hold talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before meeting Japan's newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito on Thursday.

Ahead of the trip, the Elysee Palace said Macron would emphasise “France's strong attachment to the alliance”, adding that he hopes to hear support from Japan and Nissan for “the continuation and consolidation of this alliance”. France and Japan have had a long-standing alliance, wherein France also holds 15 per cent stake in Renault.

The Japanese and French leaders will also be looking to co-ordinate on the major international issues that are set to dominate this week's G20.

The US-China trade war is weighing heavily on the global economy and tensions with Iran risk spiralling into a Middle East conflict. And in light of this, both Japan and France, which will chair a G7 meeting in August and back multilateral solutions for the trade crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the meanwhile, will hold about 10 bilateral meetings, including with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Japan this week, according to sources. He will also hold meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The summit will be a platform to discuss topics such as will include free trade and economic growth, global economy, including taxation, finance, digital economy and artificial intelligence, inclusive and sustainable world, energy and environment, society 5.0, quality infrastructure, global health, aging, climate change, and marine plastic waste, said Former Union minister Suresh Prabhu, who would be India's Sherpa at the meeting of the world's top economies.  

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Pakistan halts New Zealand's unbeaten run to continue World Cup revival

Babar Azam produced a sublime unbeaten century under pressure as Pakistan continued its revival in the World Cup by halting New Zealand's unbeaten run with a six-wicket victory, in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Chasing 238 on a tricky Edgbaston pitch which offered vicious turn, Azam (101) and Sohail (68) showed intent, temperament and resolve while batting in Pakistan's must-win game.

They raised a 126-run stand for the fourth wicket after Mohammed Hafeez's dismissal off a part-time spinner, yet again, raised eyebrows and Mitchell Santner looked almost unplayable.

The situation demanded restraint and Hafeez was set but he threw away his wicket while trying to attack Kane Williamson.

This was after Fakhar Zaman (9) was done in by Trent Boult and Imam ul Haq (19) became a victim of Lockie Ferguson.

Taking the attack by the scruff of its neck, Azam shifted the gears after completing his half-century and hit some glorious shots off Williamson and Boult to keep the required run-rate under check.

The 24-year-old completed his century, 10th in ODIs, with a single of Lockie Ferguson off. His knock, coming off 127 balls, was embellished with 11 shots to the fence.

Sohail provided superb support from the other end before running himself out. Only two runs were required at that time. Williamson tried all the tricks in his bag but Pakistan overhauled the target with five balls to spare.

With this win, Pakistan have now moved up to number six in the table with seven points from as many games. They now need to win their last two games against Afghanistan (June 29) and Bangladesh (July 5) to hope for semifinal qualification.

The win-lose sequence in first seven matches for Pakistan is exactly the same what they had in their victorious campaign in the 1992 World Cup.

New Zealand, who lost their first game of the tournament, stayed on number two with 11 points, behind Australia (12).

Earlier, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi rattled the top and middle order in a fiery spell, but James Neesham (97 not out) and Colin de Grandhomme (64) helped New Zealand post 237 for six.

Reduced to 83 for five after electing to bat, New Zealand looked up to Williamson for yet another rescue act but it was Neesham and de Grandhomme, who revived the Kiwi innings with their 132-run partnership.

De Grandhomme's run out ended the fighting stand, but Neesham stayed till the end and finished the innings in style by hitting a six off Wahab Riaz. He missed out on getting his maiden ODI century, but his crucial knock, which came off 112 balls with five fours and three sixes, helped New Zealand stay in the game.

Pakistan were off to a cracking start as Mohammed Amir (1-63) struck with his first delivery. Martin Guptill (5) played that ball on to his stumps.

Left-arm Afridi then swung into action, ripping apart the middle order. He began by dismissing Colin Munro (12), who was caught by Haris Sohail in slips and then returned to send back dangerous Ross Taylor (3).

Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was called a “pig” by a fan, took a one-handed blinder, diving full-stretched on his right to hold an edge from Taylor.

The combo of Sarafaraz and Afridi was at it again and this time Tom Latham (1) was consumed.

Williamson (41) and Neesham added 37 runs for the fifth wicket before leg-spinner Shadab Khan (1-43) beat the Kiwi skipper and his edge was smartly taken by Sarfaraz.

Nothing seemed to work for Pakistan after that with Neesham and de Grandhomme building the innings bit by bit.

They worked the ball around, stayed patient until it was time to accelerate.

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India vs West Indies: All eyes on Dhoni's approach

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting approach and position in the middle order will be the team management's primary concern when India take on an ousted-yet-dangerous West Indies in the sixth league phase encounter of the World Cup in Manchester on Thursday.

As the league phase hits the home stretch, India will look to ensure a smooth passage into the semi-finals with yet another victory. But it could be easier said than done against a West Indies side, which might play party poopers with nothing to lose in their remaining few games.

In fact, West Indies' unpredictability and the former India captain's repeated failure during the important second Powerplay overs leaves skipper Virat Kohli with a few points to ponder. Dhoni's painfully slow approach against the Afghanistan yielded 28 off 52 balls and he was roundly criticised. Even the normally restrained Sachin Tendulkar questioned the approach.

"There was no positive intent," the usually reticent Tendulkar's observation on a TV channel has been spot on.

The Indian team management knows that only too well but with four group matches left, the only option they have right now is to alter Dhoni's batting position, possibly giving a few more deliveries to Jadhav, who can be innovative in his shot selection.

Hardik Pandya is being used as a floater, but the Afghanistan match showed that if he doesn't get support from the other end, there is too much pressure on him to hit every delivery for a six.

Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri till now have not been too keen to use Rishabh Pant's firepower. Pant can come in only if the team management considers the idea of Vijay Shankar being disposable.

The West Indies is a team loaded with fast bowlers so it could be a bit easier for Dhoni to rotate strike as he hasn't been comfortable against the slow bowlers. Afghanistan exposed it thoroughly during the last game.

There have been arguments and counter-arguments about Dhoni's batting approach in the IPL compared to his style when playing 50-over cricket for India. Dhoni, during Chennai Super Kings various chases, would invariably target one of the inexperienced Indian domestic bowlers while playing safe cricket against the bigger international names.

Against a Kagiso Rabada or a Jofra Archer, he didn't take any risks before hitting the others in successful run-chases. A strategy needs to be worked around Dhoni's skill sets here too to place him at a position on which he can bat freely. With his inputs and electric glovework behind the stumps an absolute necessity, this will require some tactical brainstorming by the captain and the coach. 

The West Indies, on the other hand, will look to finish on a high after being knocked out despite a great start against Pakistan. Andre Russell being ruled out due to a hamstring injury has been another big blow.

However, the team, especially the fast bowling department, has shown tremendous potential including the young bumper-happy fast bowling duo of Sheldon Cotterell and Oshane Thomas. With Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma being superb horizontal bat players, it promises to be a mouth-watering contest if they employ the short-ball tactic.

For the 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, a smashing match-winning innings is due and Kohli will be praying that it doesn't come against his team. Jasprit Bumrah's opening spell against Gayle may set the tone while the talented duo of Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer will be asked a few questions by Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Against New Zealand, Carlos Brathwaite played an amazing innings and took the Windies to the brink of a miraculous victory. However, Brathwaite has never been comfortable against the slow bowlers as he loves the length deliveries on the slot.

In all, it could be a tougher test for India than Afghanistan but the 'Men In Blue' remain favourites to win the contest considering their recent form.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant.

West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Chris Gayle, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Ambris, Evin Lewis, Shannon Gabriel, Darren Bravo, Fabian Allen.

Match Starts: 3pm (IST). 

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India win toss, opt to bat first against West Indies

Indian captain Virat Kohli won the toss and chose to bat first against the West Indies in their World Cup encounter on Thursday at Old Trafford in Manchester.

India remains the only unbeaten side in the tournament so far after New Zealand suffered an unlikely defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the previous day's match in Birmingham. The Men in Blue would look to clinch their spot in the semifinals with a win over the West Indies.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's performance has been under the scanner following his inability to deliver in the Powerplay overs. Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also pointed out that there was “no positive intent” from Dhoni's side. All eyes will be on the ex-captain as Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri take a call on his position in the middle order.

West Indies go into the World Cup match against India with nothing to lose. They could, however, very well damage India's chances to effortlessly enter the semifinals of the World Cup and exit on a high. 

The West Indies bowling department has shown great potential and the batting duo of Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer, along with Carlos Brathwaite, will be expected to pile the runs on for the team. Andre Russell has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury and Sunil Ambris will take his place.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant.

West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Chris Gayle, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Ambris, Evin Lewis, Shannon Gabriel, Darren Bravo, Fabian Allen.

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Siddharth to voice Simba in Tamil version of 'The Lion King'

Disney India has announced that south star Siddharth will be lending his voice to the character of Simba in the Tamil version of upcoming film The Lion King.

The much-awaited film is a live-action remake of 1994 original. The actor said that doing voice work for the beloved character was an "unforgettable experience" for him.

"I can never forget the first time I saw 'The Lion King' on screen as well as on stage. I had an equally unforgettable experience speaking and singing in Tamil as Simba in the spectacular new version of this timeless classic. I can't wait to see my new avatar in the cinema with my audience," Siddharth said in a statement.

The actor also shared the news on Twitter, where he declared that he is a big fan of Donald Glover, who has done the voice work for the film's English version. "It's a huge honour to voice #Simba in #Tamil in #TheLionKing. It is that extra bit special because I'm the biggest fan of the genius @donaldglover. I hope I have managed at least a fraction of the magic that he has in the film. Thank you #Disney and @Jon_Favreau for this," Siddharth wrote.

Previously, the studio had roped in superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan to voice King Mufasa and his son Simba, respectively, in the film's Hindi version.

Helmed by Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and The Jungle Book, Disney's The Lion King is scheduled to be released on July 19 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. 

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Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman to star in Ryan Murphy's 'Prom

Ryan Murphy has roped in names like Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden and Ariana Grande for his Prom adaptation.

The feature take of the Tony-nominated stage musical, set at Netflix, will also see Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Andrew Rannells in key roles. Sources told Deadline, Murphy will direct and produce the Broadway hit, set to undergo production in December.

Streep will play Dee Dee Allen, a two-time Tony award winner who collaborates with Barry Glickman (Corden) in a flop musical about Eleanor Roosevelt. After disastrous reviews, they decide, along with Broadway newbies Angie Dickinson (Kidman) and Rannells as Trent Oliver, to attach themselves to a cause to resurrect their careers.

Emma, a high school senior in Indiana who isn't allowed to take her girlfriend to the prom, becomes their cause to champion. Casting director Alexa Fogel is on a nationwide search to find an actor to play Emma.

While Grande plays Alyssa, a popular daughter of the head of the PTA, Awkwafina plays the group's publicist Ms Sheldon. Key is set to essay the role of Streep's love interest and Emma's ally, Principal Hawkins.

Alexis Woodall, Bill Damaschke, and Dori Berinstein are also attached to produce. Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin are working on the script, with music and lyrics Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, based on the original concept by Jack Viertel.

Murphy is also attached to produce the soundtrack along with Grande and her manager, Scooter Braun.

The makers are eyeing a 2020 autumn release in theatres during the awards season before it airs on the streaming service.

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