Late-night meetings are commonplace during the election season. On Thursday evening, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership initiated discussions with two regional parties, engaging in extensive talks to solidify a potential alliance. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, representing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, leading the Jana Sena, held discussions with Union home minister Amit Shah regarding pre-poll partnerships. The TDP, which exited the BJP-led NDA in 2018 due to disagreements over granting special status to Andhra Pradesh, has indicated interest in rejoining the coalition. Dig deeper
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Mamata Banerjee asserted that West Bengal remains the “safest state in the country for women”. She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “spreading rumours” regarding Sandeshkhali, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for the alleged mistreatment of women in the village. Addressing a ‘Mahilader Adhikar, Amader Angikar’ (women’s rights, our commitment) rally in central Kolkata, Banerjee, who is also the president of TMC, said: “Some people are spreading rumours about Sandeshkhali. Not all fingers in one’s hand are the same. In some cases, we don’t have the knowledge. If it is brought to our notice, we take action. I don’t spare even TMC men... Women from Sandeshkhali are here in the rally today. They came to share sandesh or positive messages. I thank them.” Dig deeper
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Global Matters
A former Google employee is facing allegations of pilfering highly prized information from the company: classified data concerning their advanced AI supercomputing systems. The accused, Linwei Ding, a Chinese citizen, was apprehended in Newark, California on Tuesday following a federal jury in San Francisco charging him with four counts of trade secrets theft. Linwei Ding was arrested at his California residence early Wednesday morning. It's reported that Ding was clandestinely assisting two Chinese companies he was affiliated with by divulging AI technology and proprietary information from his current workplace. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
On its seventh day at the box office, "Laapataa Ladies," directed by Kiran Rao, continues its theatrical run since its release on March 1. According to Sacnilk.com, the film has garnered over ₹6 crore in India. Starring Ravi Kishan, Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ratna, and Sparsh Shrivastav, the movie collected ₹75 lakh on its opening day, followed by ₹1.45 crore on day two and ₹1.7 crore on day three. Day four saw collections of ₹50 lakh, while day five and six earned ₹55 lakh and ₹53 lakh respectively. Early estimates suggest the film collected ₹55 lakh on its seventh day, bringing its total earnings in India to ₹6.03 crore. "Laapataa Ladies" has been positively reviewed since its debut. Dig deeper
Sports Goings
Lionel Messi is a globally recognised figure, admired by people worldwide. The Argentine footballer's influence spans across cultures, as illustrated by the remarkable story of 90-year-old Ester Cunio. On October 7, armed intruders invaded her home in the Israeli Kibbutz Nir Oz, where her family was also present. However, the situation took a turn when Cunio mentioned Messi's name, ultimately diffusing the tense situation. When the gunmen demanded information about her family, she claimed her Hebrew was poor and responded in Argentine Spanish. Dig deeper