Evening briefing: Jagan Reddy cancels Tirumala temple visit; US claims Chinese attack submarine sank; and more
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Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy cancelled his visit to the Tirumala temple after police issued notices to him and members of his party amid controversy over alleged usage of animal fat during preparation of Laddus being offered as “Prasadam”. During a press conference on Friday, Reddy criticised chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him and his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of using “Hinduism” for political gain. He further claimed that the BJP was supporting Naidu instead of stopping him from engaging in “dirty politics.” "This is the first time in history that someone has been barred from visiting a temple," Jagan said, displaying the notices that were issued to his party members. He asserted that if any YSRCP members participated in the Tirumala programs, legal action would be taken against them, as per the notices. Dig deeper.
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China's latest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year while under construction, US officials said Thursday, in a potential embarrassment for the country as it seeks to expand its military prowess. The sinking of the Zhou-class submarine, the first of its kind, occurred sometime between May and June alongside a pier, reported news agencies quoting a senior US defence official. The incident, which has raised questions about the safety and reliability of China's cutting-edge military technology, is a blow to Beijing’s ambitions to project power, especially in contested regions like the South China Sea. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC analysed by US defence experts showed the submarine partially submerged near the Wuchang shipyard on the Yangtze River, surrounded by cranes and rescue equipment. Dig deeper.
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India pacer Akash Deep’s first notable moment in international cricket was memorable for all the wrong reasons. With India holding a 2-1 edge going into the fourth Test against England in Ranchi in February, Jasprit Bumrah was rested to manage his workload, which resulted in a debut for Deep, originally from Dehri in Bihar but honing his skills in Kolkata. Having tried out Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna with limited to no success, India turned to the experience of Deep as they continued their quest for meaningful support for Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, whose last outing was the World Cup final against Australia last November. Dig deeper.
Entertainment Focus
If the videos doing rounds on X (formerly Twitter) are anything to go by, Jr NTR’s fans got a little overenthusiastic on the release day of Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1. A massive cutout of the actor put up at a theatre in Hyderabad went up in flames on Friday morning due to an accident. At the Sudarshan 35 MM theatre at RTC X Roads in Hyderabad, Jr NTR’s fans had put up a massive cutout of the actor and garlanded it. They also burst firecrackers, as is the norm in Telugu states during big releases like this. However, the celebrations took an unexpected turn when the cutout caught fire and went up in flames. Dig deeper.
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Shloka Mehta opened up about her social welfare initiative ConnectFor in a rare interview released earlier this week. Mehta, 34, appeared on The Krish Kothari Show with ConnectFor co-founder Maniti Shah to discuss the aim, effectiveness and success of their NGO. The interview also took viewers inside Antilia for an equally rare glimpse of the Ambani family’s palatial Mumbai home. Shloka Mehta is married to Akash Ambani, the elder son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani. The family resides in Antilia, one of the world’s most expensive andM expansive private residences. Dig deeper.