I write this piece about Sonam Kapoor, not as a fan but as a fellow person that respects difference in others. Sonam and I, if there is any room for comparison at all, hail from different worlds in this world. She is opinionated often, and sometimes, terribly misled in her understanding of the world, politics and various seismic socio-political aspects of our country. Like her co-star Kareena Kapoor Khan, sometimes, she says things strangely. Yet, Sonam endears because of her candour and ability to discern a different voice than hers — an art that has gone quite missing from Indian social conversations and chatter these days.

Sonam Kapoor. Twitter/ Sonam Kapoor RussiaSonam Kapoor. Twitter/ Sonam Kapoor Russia
Sonam’s world is filled with wealth, privilege, love — from her family, her sister, friends and now, Anand Ahuja. She delights in dressing up and like Kangana Ranaut, has taken Indian women’s fashion a few notches higher. A clotheshorse, she can pull off anything — be it a feathered, lavish gown on the Cannes red carpet, or an electric blue plastic like dress at the world’s biggest movie jamboree.
As an actor, Sonam has scope for improvement. There is will to do better but efforts are still not quite there yet. She has improved as she has grown, and has tried to diversify as performer. Neerja, Raanjhana and now Padman reflect improvement. As part of a family production, she has tried to carve out a space with her sister Rhea Kapoor. Khoobsurat might bore at times but the character of Milli ‘gets’ what a girl wants. Similarly, Veere Di Wedding, where all its lead characters swear, does not make swearing by an educated, urban woman a ‘thing’. Perhaps, because, it is nothing out of the ordinary; women swear all the time. That part is impressive. A heroine turning producer makes news these days, as their courage is systematically lauded. But Rhea Kapoor, with Sonam as muse, had taken this path quite early on with Aisha — musically solid but an average film.

For someone having watched her films and tracking cinema for a living, I took some time to actually meet Sonam Kapoor. And that was an eventful evening. I first met Sonam for a video interview for an entertainment news website, one that Bollywood usually loves to be featured on. My first impressions were ineffectual as I watched Sonam get ready for the interview, perfectly coiffured and styled, in a lavish and comfortable office space of their film company. As the young, sincere stylist clicked a photo to post on social media, Sonam struck a perfect pose, sighed elegantly and said, “These girls…!”. Looking divine or sighing elegantly or sitting perfectly have never crossed my mind — that is not what I usually want (from life). I also don’t feel self-conscious about my split ends (which I definitely had then), or near absent pedicure. But I was amused at just how naturally Sonam took to looking gorgeous — it was rather effortless, part of her as a person. I did feel a tad bit like an unironed cotton shirt.

And then she tore right into me. Her grouse was with the website that I then represented, for not having controlled the trolling of Fawad Khan — the dashing Pakistani heart throb who was making his Bollywood debut with Khoobsurat. Their trailer launch coverage got some really mean comments. I heard her out, wondering if I should do a self-righteous huff and leave. After all, I had not said anything nasty about Fawad and the internet is open field.

But I held my peace because beneath the sheen and glamour that she so perfectly projected, what Sonam was saying to me made sense. I offered an apology and said we would make amends. A bit miffed, she stated that everyone thought they (Rhea and her) were dad’s credit card brats, and they were not like that. For they made their own money since they were 17 or 18.  She also reiterated that fashion can never be any one person’s bastion and that everyone should wear what they feel comfortable in. An effort was made to cut through the glam diva public image during this conversation.

7th Pay Commission latest news today: Jammu and Kashmir has become the first state in the country to approve the recommendations of the 7th pay panel for its employees and also announced to pay revised salary from this month itself.

From this month onwards, employees of Jammu and Kashmir government will start getting the revised salary as per the recommendations of the 7th pay panel.
The Jammu and Kashmir government’s information department on Tuesday said the government employees of the state will start drawing revised scales of pay from April itself. “As already announced by Govt, the employees to draw revised scales of pay from current month,” the state information department tweeted.

7th Pay Commission recommendations were implemented by the Centre two years ago. Addressing a press conference today, Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Altaf Bukhari said J&K is the first state in India to implement the 7th CPC recommendations. The minister further said that the state doesn’t have much resources but the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has fulfilled the commitment she had made.

On April 9, the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to file within four weeks a status report on basic amenities provided to two Rohingya camps in Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj and Haryana’s Mewat. Over the next three days, The Indian Express visited four settlements, including these two in Delhi, Mewat and Faridabad, and found practically unliveable conditions — with no access to drinking water, education, healthcare or sanitation. What also came to light were tales of women being denied reproductive rights and children suffering from malnutrition and diarrhoea.

Noor Fatima (23) is petrified of leaving her three-month-old daughter Shazia alone even for a minute, so she takes her everywhere — including when she has to defecate next to an open drain near her shanty in Shram Vihar.

“She was a month-old when a rat bit her all over the face. I was bathing and when I came back, she was covered in blood and it was nibbling her face. Is this any way to live?” she asks.

At the slum in Shaheen Bagh, 90 Rohingya Muslim families are spread across a cluster of privately-owned plots, which they have taken on rent. They have lived here since 2012, when, like a thousand others, they fled Myanmar because of religious persecution.

Semi-naked children with protruding bellies run around, stepping on faeces, slush, used band-aids, dirty diapers, broken syringes and bloody gauze. In the midst of the settlement is a bluish mountain of medical waste, right next to one of two hand pumps put up by residents. While some Rohingya Muslims work as labourers, many search through garbage to sell items and earn a living.

“We wash utensils at this pump, bathe here, and drink this water too. Everyone is sick here — breathing problems, malnourishment and stones. The children almost always have diarrhoea,” said Mohd Younis (28), who came to Delhi from Bangladesh in 2012, after fleeing the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. SOURCE

Andhra Pradesh Pratyeka Hoda Saadhana Samiti is observing a one-day statewide bandh today over the demand of Special Status for the state. Opposition parties such as the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Jana Sena, Congress and the Left parties have also extended their support to the shutdown. A Motorcycle has been set ablaze near RTC bus stand in Tirupati during the statewide bandh in Andhra Pradesh.

The Left parties are protesting on National Highway 16 which connects Kolkata and Chennai. In the meantime, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses will operate only till Andhra Pradesh state border due to the statewide bandh. However, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which has been agitating for the Special Category Status and implementation of the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, has opposed it and not taking part in the protest.

Reacting to the shutdown call, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said bandhs were not welcome as they hamper development.

The Jagan Reddy-led YSRC hit back, accusing the Chief Minister of adopting 'double standards'. "When Naidu was the Opposition leader, he had called for bandhs on many occasions, but as a Chief Minister he is now opposing them (bandhs), saying they hinder development," YSRC political affairs committee member Ambati Rambabu said.

Rambabu said Naidu should understand that bandh was a form of a democratic protest and he had no right to oppose it. The YSRC leader also alleged that the ruling TDP government was threatening those who were supporting the bandh, saying cases would be booked against them. "Why this intimidation? As long as they are peaceful, we will continue all forms of democratic protests," Rambabu added.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will observe a day-long hunger strike here on his birthday, April 20, in protest against the Centre's non-cooperation towards the state.

During an event to mark Ambedkar Jayanti in Guntur district, the Chief Minister unveiled the designs of 'Ambedkar Smriti Van' to be built in Amravati spreading over 20 acres with a cost of Rs 100 crores.

While addressing the gathering, he announced that he will sit on fast on his birthday i.e., April 20 as part of his fight over the Central government demanding to fulfill assurances made in Rajya Sabha including Special Category Status and provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
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Samsung has already started working on the new Galaxy Note smartphone, expected to launch sometime this fall. Some details about the Galaxy Note 9 have surfaced online and a report by popular leaker Evan Blass reveals the codename the flagship device will carry. According to Blass, the Galaxy Note 9 is said to bear the codename ‘Crown’. The Galaxy Note 9 will succeed the Galaxy Note 8, which made its debut in August last year.

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing that the Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 codename is ‘Crown’. Last year, South Korean site The Investor reported that Samsung was developing the Galaxy Note 9 under the codename ‘Crown’. Samsung is calling the Galaxy Note 9 ‘Crown’ internally, which shows that the company wants to position its next flagship as the best phablet in the market. For example, the Galaxy Note 8 was codenamed ‘Baikal’ and this was used to highlight the phone’s gigantic edge-to-edge display. For those who’re not aware, Baikal is one of the largest lakes in Europe and Russia.

The Galaxy Note 9 will hog all the limelight when it arrives later this year. After all, the flagship is likely going to compete with Apple’s 2018 iPhone X and Huawei’s next Mate smartphone. Expect the Galaxy Note 9 to feature the top-of-the-line spec sheet and features. The handset will use two different processors  – a Snapdragon 845 chipset and Samsung’s own Exynos processor — depending upon the market. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will likely come with a set of dual cameras on the rear. Plus, of course, the Galaxy Note 9 will also feature the S-Pen stylus which can be used to take notes.

Suresh Raina missed his first match for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday after featuring in 158 matches (including IPL and CPL). Raina joined the yellow brigade in 2008 and has played all the matches in every season until Sunday’s encounter against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). This was after he sustained a calf muscle injury against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Chepauk last week. However, Raina expressed hope that he will recover in time to feature in CSK’s next encounter on April 20th. Suresh Raina leads the charts of players with most consecutive Twenty20 games for a team with 158 matches. Virat Kohli follows him next with 144 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. MS Dhoni has played 124 for CSK.

Reflecting on his injury, Raina spoke from the dugout during the match between KXIP and CSK and said, “There is still some soreness in my calf. Sometimes injuries happen. I missed one match for Gujarat Lions during the birth of my daughter. But I will work hard to get fit for the game on April 20.”

Ruing the loss of Raina in CSK’s playing 11, coach Stephen Fleming had said that it was impossible to replace a player of Raina’s stature. “We can’t replace him (Raina), he’s one of the best performing players in the IPL and the highest run-scorer in the history (of the league). So we can’t replace him, we just got to find a way to minimise his loss,” Fleming said.

“We’ve got good players in our set-up – Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay who’s played here last year. So there’s guys here with points to prove, with international experience, and if they get the chance they’ll do their best what Suresh Raina can do. (This is) an opportunity for someone else but you’d like to get someone like Suresh Raina back into your side as quick as possible,” cricbuzz quoted him saying.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were both rested and Real Madrid hardly broke sweat as they beat Malaga 2-1 on Sunday to climb to third in La Liga. Isco scored one and set up another at La Rosaleda in a comfortable victory for a much-changed Real side, following Wednesday's last-gasp Champions League win over Juventus. Diego Rolan grabbed a consolation for Malaga with the last kick of the game but the result was never in doubt. "Today I can be happy with a job well done," Real coach Zinedine Zidane said.

As well as Bale and Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane were left out, with the all-important Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich looming next week.

But Isco did his chances of a start in Germany no harm at all by bending in a free-kick that both Ronaldo and Bale would have been proud of, and then generously teeing up Casemiro when he might easily have finished himself.

After scoring his first Real goal in nine appearances against his former club, Isco held his hands up apologetically, and he enjoyed a warm reception from the Malaga fans when substituted in the second half.

"He has always been important, despite what everyone thinks," Zidane said of Isco. "He is important, even if sometimes you think I have something else in my head."

Victory means Los Blancos leapfrog Valencia, who were beaten by Barcelona on Saturday, but remain four points behind Atletico Madrid in second.

Malaga, meanwhile, stay bottom and are all-but doomed, sitting 14 points behind 17th-placed Levante, who had earlier been beaten 3-0 by Atletico.

Fernando Torres stole the show at the Wanda Metropolitano, marking the announcement of his Atletico departure with his 100th La Liga goal off the bench.

Six days after confirming he will be leaving his boyhood club at the end of the season, Torres rolled back the years with a volleyed finish, reminiscent of the 34-year-old in his prime.

"Fernando is an icon here," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

The United States, Britain and France launched punitive military strikes against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime in response to its latest alleged chemical weapons atrocity, President Donald Trump announced Friday.

Shortly after Trump began a White House address to announce the action, large explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus, signalling a new chapter in a brutal seven-year-old civil war.

"A short time ago, I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad," Trump said in a primetime televised speech to the nation.

"A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now under way. We thank them both. This massacre was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime."

A US official said the strikes had targeted chemical production facilities. Another official said multiple types of bombs were used, and a variety of targets chosen.

Trump also warned Russia and Iran not to stand by their ally in Damascus.

"Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilized nations as a force for stability and peace," he argued.

The strikes had been expected since harrowing footage surfaced of the aftermath of the alleged toxic gas attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, which took place a week ago, and Trump reacted in an emotional tweet.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," he declared.

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."

Trump's anger and apparent determination was quickly matched by France's President Emmanuel Macron, who signed his country up for a joint response.

The 65th National Film Awards on Friday recognised the contribution of Vinod Khanna and Sridevi to the Indian cinema by honouring them post-humously with the Dadasaheb Phalke and best actress awards, respectively.

Announcing Sridevi’s name, feature film jury head Shekhar Kapur said that the actor was the most deserving candidate. Khanna, one of the biggest stars of Hindi films in 1970s and 1980s, became the 49th recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke award, Indian cinema’s highest honour, in a befitting homage to the legend whose first death anniversary is barely a fortnight away. 

Sridevi, whose filmography spanned across 50 years and in 300 films in languages such as Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, was recognised for her role of an angry mother seeking justice for her daughter in rape revenge drama, Mom. Her death, at the age of 54 in February this year, had shocked the country.

Mr Kapur had worked with Sridevi in Mr India. “It was not because of the relationship we shared but because she was the most deserving candidate for her portrayal in Mom,” Mr Kapur said.

Sridevi’s husband Boney Kapoor became emotional when told about her win. “Thank you. I just wish she was here today to see this,” Mr Kapoor told agencies.

The jury recognised the diversity in Indian cinema by appreciating films belonging to different regional languages. Rima Das’ Assamese film Village Rockstars, about the music aspirations of a village girl, was named the best feature film, besides scoring awards for the best location sound recordist, editing and best child artiste (Bhanita Das).

Jayaraj was named the best director and the best adapted screenplay writer for his Malayalam film Bhayanakam. It also won the best cinematography award.

Riddhi Sen was recognised as the best actor for Kaushik Ganguly’s Nagarkirtan, which was also bagged awards in multiple categories, such as the best costume, makeup and special jury.

Oscar-winning music composer A.R.Rahman swept the best music direction category by winning the best songs for the Tamil Film Kaatru Veliyidai and the best background music for the Hindi film Mom. Sinjar, made in Jasari language, won the Indira Gandhi award for the best debut film for director Pampally. It was also recognised as the best film in Jasari langauge.

Blockbuster Baahubali: The Conclusion won national award for best popular film providing wholesome entertainment, besides being named for special effects and action direction. Ganesh Acharya won the choreography award for the Hindi film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Hindi film Newton, a dark comedy on Indian democracy, was named the best Hindi film and a special mention went to its actor Pankaj Tripathi for his portrayal of a cynical CRPF officer Atma Singh. Mr Kapur called Mr Tripathi’s portrayal one of the highlights of the Amit V. Masurkar-directed film.

“This is a very important day for me, and an equally important award. I am thankful to the government for recognising my work. When I stepped out of my village, I had the desire of winning a national award someday. I am humbled,” Mr Tripathi told PTI.

Nargis Dutt award for the best feature film on national integration went to the Marathi film Dhappa, while Malayalam film Aalorumkkam was recognised as the best film on social issues. Hindi film star Divya Dutta was named the best supporting actress for her role in Irada, which also bagged the award for the best film on environmental conservation/preservation.

The CBI on Friday arrested BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district last year and the custodial death of her father earlier this week.

Sources said, “The central agency decided to arrest the MLA when he failed to satisfactorily reply to questions during interrogation. He was giving conflicting versions during questioning and remained uncooperative,”

Sengar will be produced before a designated court on Monday. Earlier in the day, the Allahabad high court passed an order saying that the CBI should arrest the MLA and not just detain him and the probe agency should consider filing of an application for cancellation of bail granted to other accused in the case. The court also asked the CBI to present a status report in the case on May 2.

In an early morning raid, a CBI team picked up Sengar from his residence at 4.30 am on Friday and took him to its local office in Lucknow. A seven-member team interrogated him while another team left for Unnao to record statements of the victim and her family who are putting up at a hotel, said sources. The CBI team also arrested six suspended police personnel from Unnao and brought them to Lucknow for questioning.

CBI supreintendent of police Raghvendra Vats went to Makhi police station in Unnao and seized all case documents. Those arrested include CO Kunwar Singh, SO Ashok Kumar and other police personnel.

Meanwhile, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while talking on the Unnao rape case, reiterated that his government would follow a zero-tolerance policy on crime and corruption. He said that the guilty would not be spared.

The Yogi government had recommended a CBI inquiry into the case on Thursday morning and the request was immediately accepted. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is said to have intervened to hasten the formalities and the DoPT which works under the Prime Minister immediately issued a notification to ensure that the CBI reached the state capital on Thursday evening. The Yogi government had lodged a case of rape against Sengar but decided against arresting him, saying that a decision on taking him into custody will be taken by the CBI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday complained to the Karnataka election panel’s chief that the police were acting like the ruling Congress’ “puppet,” harassing and implicating its party workers in criminal cases in the run up to the May 12 assembly polls.

In its memorandum to Karnataka chief electoral officer Sanjiv Kumar, the saffron party also complained of ‘rigid and arbitrary” interpretation of the Model Code by poll panel’s officials and said it was creating problems for them.

A BJP delegation, including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ananthkumar and party general secretary P Muralidhar Rao met CEC and submitted the party’s memorandum to him.

Accusing the police of harassing BJP workers and its others sympathisers, the memorandum said false cases were being lodged against them.

“The police department is acting as a puppet of the ruling Congress party, arresting several right wing activists. No action has been taken against the biased officials,” it said.

The BJP petition also referred to the implementation of the election code of conduct with “rigid and arbitrary interpretation.”

It said the “Mushti Dhaanya” programme (collecting of fistful of food grains from farmers household), aimed at showing solidarity with farmers in distress, covering all 224 assembly constituencies, was to conclude with sharing food with them at Yeddyurappa’s residence.

The government officials, however, restricted the party leaders from holding the event. The programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally recently.

“The programe had begun much before the announcement of elections. However, the Election Commission officials, under the guise of Model Code of Conduct, are restricting farmers from reaching the house of Yeddyurappa.

“It is beyond our imagination why the EC is creating obstructions to the smooth conduct of the in-house programme,” the memorandum said.

It also alleged that officials were preventing party workers from holding bike rally, though BJP is a cadre-based party having a large base of workers who voluntarily want to participate in the programmes.

It is a fact that most of those who raged and fulminated and fatwa-ed against Salman Rushdie had never ploughed through The Satanic Verses. Geoffrey Robertson who defended Rushdie in the blasphemy case writes "As with the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, his fatwa was a case of sentence first and trial later." And so it is with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, a film that has not yet been released but has already become target practice for the likes of the Shree Rajput Karni Sena, issuing threats of violence and bodily injury.

Mahipal Singh Makrana, the president of the Sena has threatened to do to Deepika Padukone, the lead actor in the film what "Lord Ram's brother did to Surpanakha." Her latest "provocation" was to say that nothing can stop the release of Padmavati. The film's sets have already been vandalised, not once, but twice. Bhansali himself was attacked while shooting in Jaipur. Thakur Abhishek Som, national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Yuva Mahasabha demanded that Padukone leave the country or face beheading. He announced a Rs 5 crore reward to anyone beheading Bhansali or Padukone though he offered no proof the Yuva Mahasabha has Rs 5 crore to spare. He has finally been booked but remains defiant. The Bajrang Dal has already protested against even showing the trailer of Padmavati in Meerut. The Karni Sena vandalised shops in a mall in Kota in Rajasthan where a theatre was screening the trailer. To add more drama the Shri Rajput Karni Sena has vowed to write letters of protest in their own blood. At least it's their own blood.

It is time, yet again, for the lumpen fringe to relish their fifteen minutes of fame.

Bollywood films often do not even pretend to pay lip service to logical accuracy. It's ludicrous that they are being held to demands of historical accuracy.
At one level, one could ignore them, deny them the media oxygen they desperately crave as they posture before news cameras. But when the Uttar Pradesh government says they are concerned that the release of Padmavati could be provoke "serious law and order problems" it means the fringe has very much entered the mainstream. "The release of the film of December 1 is not in the interest of peace and order," the Uttar Pradesh Home Department has told the Union Information and Broadcasting ministry. The Sarv Samaj Samiti blocked the gates of Chittorgarh shouting "Jai Jai Rani Padmini." The CBFC has returned Padmavati's application for certification citing "technical difficulties" which will probably delay its release.

But at least the Karni Sena and its cohorts are unequivocal about their demands, bloodthirsty as some of those demands are – heads and noses.

The government is playing a far more duplicitous game – talking pieties about law and order on one hand, yet indulging and coddling those threatening to disrupt law and order.

Haryana minister Vipul Goel has said "glamourising Alauddin Khilji's character" was "like praising those who carry out acid attacks on girls."And it does not really help matters when highway minister Nitin Gadkari says "People have a right to be offended... filmmakers should not distort historical facts." And he's added that freedom of expression is not absolute.

Of course, people have a right to be offended. It's probably the right exercised with most gusto in India these days. But to be offended means to not read a book, to not watch a film, to not listen to a song. To be offended can even mean a call to boycott a film. To be offended cannot mean to vandalise theatres, kill writers, ransack movie sets, and threaten to maim and behead people. And every time the government does not put that squarely front and centre, every time it says the law must be followed and then qualifies it with a "but filmmakers should show sensitivity" the vandals, the so-called fringe see it as a green signal, a wink and nudge. It is grotesque that Sanjay Leela Bhansali needs to show sensitivity in his film but the Karni Sena can threaten to cut off someone's nose in real life.

American rapper and music producer Pharrell Williams visited India for the first time last week to promote a new collection of Adidas sneakers and clothing inspired by the Holi spring festival.

The Adidas “Hu Holi” collection includes sneakers, shirts, hoodies, and shorts that come in a variety of bright colors. The company says the collection drew its influence from the “magic and beauty” of Holi celebrations in India and Nepal.

Yet while Williams did learn about the spiritual symbolism behind Holi during his trip, images of him looking slightly uncomfortable during the celebration coincided with accusations that Germany-based Adidas is commercializing a beloved Hindu tradition to sell shoes.

Some people pointed out that Adidas’ new collection seems to tread rather close to cultural appropriation: After all, a German company is using an American celebrity to sell $250 shoes that very explicitly use imagery from a Hindu celebration.

And, as at least one person noted, it would be easy (and much cheaper) to get that same “Holi-inspired” look by wearing white shoes and clothes to a real Holi event.

Shukla of the Hindu American Foundation told HuffPost that when she saw the image of Williams at the Holi party, she saw someone who was “taking it all in.”

“I remember my first Holi in India. I probably had the same look on my face,” Shukla said. “Holi there is at once beautiful and overwhelming, and you better be ready to duck!”

In an interview with the Indian news channel NDTV, Williams praised India’s “incredible” and “fascinating” culture, and said he’s trying to learn more about the country. He said he knows about a couple of Hindu deities.

Williams said his goal promoting the Adidas collection is to “give diversity as many opportunities to present itself as possible.”

“Some of the most beautiful people on the planet are in my opinion from Africa and from India and there’s from light to dark, dark to light on both of those countries and they’re incredibly vivid human beings to begin with, but then their customs and the aesthetic of their customs are just as beautiful,” he said. “The Holi festival is the perfect example, people are literally throwing color around.”

If Congress president Rahul Gandhi has to counter the Narendra Modi juggernaut in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he will have to revitalise the party from scratch. That’s the indication UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi gave on Friday.

Referring to party’s Steering Committee meeting, she said, “Certainly, Rahul always wanted new and younger people in the party. It’s very valid that without them, how could a party grow? (sic) But he also said that older leaders who, worked for years (in Congress), can’t be ignored.”

During her interaction at the India Today Conclave, Sonia commented on Rahul’s leadership style after he took over as the new party chief and said that the leadership style doesn’t make much difference. Whether it’s Rahul or any other, Congress has its policies that everyone follows.

File image of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. PTI File image of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. PTI
While emphasising that Congress had to adopt a new style of connecting with people, the former Congress chief said that the need of the hour was to revitalise the party.

She asserted that older generation leaders couldn’t be done away with and a balance was needed between the younger lot and senior leaders.

And to revitalise the grand old party of India, Rahul obviously would have to take tough decisions, which might not go down well with the senior leadership.

Recently, the Congress has faced electoral debacle in three northeastern states — Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. From being in power in 13 states, Congress is reduced to just four now. The party might have tasted victory in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh bypolls, but upcoming elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will pose a tough challenge for Rahul’s leadership.

By emphasising the importance of the old guard and the need to maintain a balance vis-à-vis revitalisation of the party, Sonia has probably placed a handicap before her son.

A balancing act

For Rahul, it will be like walking a tight rope to maintain a balance between the young leaders and the old guard, while revitalising the party.

Many a times it had been a point of debate and discussion that it won’t be palatable for the old guard within the Congress party – who have worked with Rahul’s grand mother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi – to accept the leadership of this Nehru-Gandhi scion.

While Sonia had always backed the old order, Rahul has often faced difficulty in reining in the senior leaders.

Sources in the party said that when Rahul was vice-president, he, on many occasions, maintained distance from a few senior leaders, who are apparently close to Sonia Gandhi.

Gujarat election is a case in point, when senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “neech".

Rahul was quick to control the damage and asked Aiyar to apologise. Later, Aiyar was suspended from the primary membership of the party.

Let’s not forget that Congress general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh, who was once regarded as Rahul Gandhi’s ‘political guru’, fell out of favour in 2012 after repeatedly going against the party line on issues such as the Batla House encounter in September 2008 against Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will today launch a pension scheme for elederly with 8 per cent fixed rate of interest on their savings.

It can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this scheme, the finance ministry said in a statement today.

PMVVY is a pension scheme announced by the government exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above which is available from May 4, 2017 to May 3, 2018.

"Scheme provides an assured return of 8 per cent per annum payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30 per annum effective) for 10 years," it said.

Pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase, it said.

The scheme is exempted from Goods and Services Tax, it said, adding, loan up to 75 per cent of purchase price shall be allowed after 3 policy years to meet the liquidity needs.

Loan interest will be recovered from the pension installments and loan to be recovered from claim proceeds, it said, adding the scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical or terminal illness of self or spouse.

On such premature exit, 98 per cent of the purchase price will be refunded.

On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the purchase price will be paid to the beneficiary.

The shortfall owing to the difference between the interest guaranteed and the actual interest earned and the expenses relating to administration shall be subsidised by the Government of India and reimbursed to the LIC, it said.

Goodness, gracious. WWE Great Balls of Fire may have sounded like a joke when it was first announced, but it wound up being an incredible first edition of the new Raw-brand pay-per-view card. The lead up to Sunday's PPV featured two of the best rivalry builds in all of 2017. As it turned out, the two matches were just as good.

Though no titles changed hands during the show, the double main event stole the show in Dallas as Brock Lesnar defended his universal championship in a brief slugfest against Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns took his ultra-physical feud with Braun Strowman to an entirely new level of violence (not to mention attempted murder). The undercard beneath it was largely average, save for an electric Raw tag team championship match as Cesaro and Sheamus held off a late rally in the final seconds from The Hardy Boyz to win a red-hot 30-minute iron man match.
Be sure to check out the results and grades below, then subscribe to my podcast In This Corner with Brian Campbell where we will break down the entire pay-per-view Monday morning.


WWE Great Balls of Fire results, grades


Cruiserweight Championship -- Neville (c) def. Akira Tozawa via pinfall to retain the title: Relegated to kickoff show status, this one came to a somewhat abrupt halt just as it was heating up. One thing the match accomplished in putting over was Neville's willingness as a heel to do anything it takes to win -- a trait fans saw more and more of in his feud with Austin Aries. Tozawa appeared on the verge of victory late after Neville missed on a Red Arrow. Tozawa landed a hurricanrana and Shining Wizard to set up his senton finisher from the top rope, but Neville smartly rolled out of the ring to avoid being pinned. After being thrown back in, Neville crotched Tozawa on the ropes before kicking the ropes to add insult to injury. Neville then kicked Tozawa in the stomach to set up the pin. Grade: C+

Bray Wyatt def. Seth Rollins via pinfall: If perception is reality, it has felt like Wyatt hasn't been booked to win a pay-per-view match in years. That streak is over. Wyatt was victorious in the opening chapter of this feud, which included strong booking for his heel character. Wyatt used a thumb to the eye while the referee was distracted to injure Rollins, leaving him exposed for the Sister Abigail finisher and the subsequent 1-2-3. The match was a physical one throughout .Wyatt dominated early, including a superplex that shook the ring and a spiked DDT on the ring apron. A stiff clothesline from Wyatt stuffed a Rollins rally and sent him head over heels. Wyatt set up the finishing sequence by screaming in Rollins' face: "This is what a God looks like."

Esha Gupta, who is all set to play the "badass bombshell" in Milan Luthria's Baadshaho, is learning pole dancing. The actress posted a video of her practicing her sexy moves in a black two-piece on Instagram. "Doing some monkey business with my pretty  lanaroxy," Esha captioned the video, tagging her pole dancing instructor, Roksolana Chubenko.

Fans went gaga over the Jannat 2 actor's irresistible moves and could not stop complimenting her. In fact, some of them requested Esha to feature in a dance number and showcase her skills.

Esha's last Bollywood release was Vidyut Jammwal-starrer Commando 2, where she played the main antagonist. She will be seen next in Baadshaho, a heist drama set against the backdrop of 1975 Emergency. The film, which is scheduled to release on September 1, also features Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jamwal, Ileana D'Cruz and Sanjay Mishra.

 A Chennai-based family court finalised the divorce proceedings of superstar Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya and her estranged husband R Ashwin, reports Times Of India.

Soundarya and Ashwin were reportedly living separately for seven months and were unable to reconcile, therefore the court granted them divorce, stated the TOI report.

Soundarya and Ashwin filed for divorce by mutual consent on grounds of difference of opinion but the terms of their separation and details about the custody of the two-year-old son Ved are unknown. Their lawyers said that Soundarya and Ashwin had been living separately for about seven months now and "their misunderstanding over various issues reached a point of no return earlier than that," reports Times Of India.

Soundarya is the younger of Ranjikanth and Latha Rajinikanth's two daughters. Soundarya's sister is Aishwaryaa, who is married to actor Dhanush. Soundarya married Ashwin, a Chennai-based businessman, in 2010. In September 2016, Soundarya announced that she and Ashwin were ending their marriage in a tweet and she filed for divorce in December 2016.

Soundarya debuted as director with 2014 Tamil Kochadaiiyaan, which featured her father Rajinikanth and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone. Soundarya's Kochadaiiyaan was the first Indian film to use the motion capture technology. Before Kochadaiiyaan, Soundarya worked as a graphic designer in films like Sivaji, Chennai 600028 and Sandakozhi.

Soundarya's next film Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 or VIP 2 releases later this month. VIP 2 features Dhanush (also the film's producer) in lead role with Bollywood actress Kajol as antagonist. VIP 2 also stars Amala Paul.

Announced last year in September, Jio made headlines for its free offers. All those free offers end now. In other words, Jio will become a paid service from April 1, that is tomorrow, because today Jio Happy New Year offer will end.

So in case you are using Jio SIM cards, what are the options in front of you? A lot has been reported about what happens next, after you take the Prime subscription or if you don't take the Prime subscription. Most of Jio users, by now, know what is Jio Prime and what all it offers. But for, those who still are little confused about Jio Prime postpaid, Jio Prime prepaid, non-prime postpaid plans and similar things, here are some answers.

Take Jio Prime membership: This will get you entry into the Jio special membership club and that will give you access to special Jio plans. Needless to say, this also means you will be able to continue using Jio services. It costs Rs 99 for one year. Once you take Jio Prime membership, you will still have to subscribe to some monthly, weekly or a day plan.Use Jio without Prime: This is also possible but you will pay more for data and services. Plans are explained down in this article.

Don't recharge after Prime subscription: The Jio SIM will continue to work. You will get SMS. You will receive calls. But you won't be able to make calls or send messages. This will work until 90 days. After that your SIM will be deactivated.

No Prime, no recharge: This will mean no service on your Jio SIM. If you don't recharge then after a stipulated period -- possibly 90 days -- your SIM will be deactivated.

Now the plans...
Jio Prime postpaid plans: Reliance Jio offers three recharge plans to its Prime postpaid users. The three plans are- Rs 303, Rs 499 and Rs 999. Under Rs 303, you get unlimited free voice calls and SMSes, unlimited data, 30GB 4G data with 1GB per day limit and subscription to Jio apps. For Rs 499, you get unlimited free voice calls, SMses, 60GB 4G data with 2GB per day FUP. Rs 999 plan will get you unlimited voice calls, SMSes and 60GB 4G data with no FUP limits.

Jio non-Prime postpaid plans: Non-Prime members who have taken postpaid connection will also get the same three prices of plans but with different data limits. Rs 303 gives 2.5GB 4G data, Rs 499 gives 5GB data and finally the Rs 999 plan that offers 12.5GB.

Note for Jio postpaid users: Bill will generated monthly. Also, Jio will keep a refundable amount of Rs 4000 as security deposit for the connection. Applicable taxes will be extra for all Postpaid tariffs plans.

Jio Prime prepaid plans: Jio offers total ten plans to its prepaid customers. However, the prime members have an advantage over the non-prime members. The Prepaid plans for Jio Prime members starts from Rs 19 and goes all the way up to Rs 9,999. Below are the details of these plans:

-- Rs 19 plan: The pans has a 1 day validity and offers unlimited voice calls - 200MB 4G data.

-- Rs 49 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 600 MB 4G data. Validity is for three days.

-- Rs  96 plan: This is a seven-day pack with free voice callings, SMSes and 7GB data with FUP 1GB per day.

-- Rs 149 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 2GB 4G data for 28 days.

-- Rs 303 plan:This is 28 days valid pack that offers unlimited free voice calls, SMSes and 28GB 4G data with FUP limit of 1GB per day.

-- Rs 499 plan: User gets unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 56GB  with FUP  of 2GB a day for 28 days.

Also Read: Jio Prime offer to expire tomorrow, and here is what you gain or lose from it

-- Rs 999 plan: Under this plan, the prime members get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 60GB 4G data. The plan is valid for 60 days.

-- Rs 1999 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 125GB 4G data with a pack validity of 90 days.

-- Rs 4999 plan: There's unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 350GB 4G data with a validity of 180 days.

-- Rs 9999 plan: Under this plan you get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 750GB 4G data with a pack validity of 360 days.

Jio non-Prime prepaid plans: Non-prime members again get ten packs for their prepaid connection. Here are they:

-- Rs 19 plan: This is the cheapest recharge offered by Jio and comes with a one-day validity. You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 100MB 4G data in this.

-- Rs 49 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 300MB 4G data for three days.

-- Rs 96 plan: This is a seven-day pack with free voice callings, SMSes and 0.6GB 4G data.

-- Rs 149 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 1GB 4G data with this recharge. It has a validity of 28 days.

-- Rs 303 plan: The non-Prime members subscribing to this offer get free voice calling and SMSes  and 2.5GB data. The plan is valid for 28 days.

-- Rs 499 plan: User gets unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 5GB 4G data with this plan. It is valid for 28 days.

-- Rs 999 plan: Under this plan, the non-prime members can enjoy unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 12.5GB 4G data for a month.

-- Rs 1999 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 30 GB 4G data for a month with this recharge.

-- Rs 4999 plan: There's unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 100GB 4G data for a month under this plan.

-- Rs 9999 plan: Under this plan you get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 200GB 4G data for a month.

Jio Prepaid top up vouchers: There are three top ups available for Jio  prepaid users. Rs 10 which gives a balance of Rs 7.7, Rs 20 that gives a balance amount of Rs 15.39 and Rs 50 will claim you Rs 40.48 balance.

Jio prepaid full talktime: There are nine full talktime recharge options given on Jio.com - Rs 100, Rs 150, Rs 200, Rs 300, Rs 500, Rs 750, Rs 1000, Rs 2000 and Rs 5000.

Note for Jio prepaid users: Prepaid tariffs are inclusive of all applicable taxes.  

Whether one likes it or not, Yogi Adityanath, the powerful head of the Gorakhnath mutt, is now the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. His party, the BJP, has won the recent electoral contest convincingly, defeating all other competing forces. For many, the ascendance of Yogi Adityanath is unthinkable, while for others it is a positive development. A part of the existing narrative wants to allay the anxieties among those who belong to the ‘unthinkable’ crowd but painting him as a saint (in the social sense of the term and not in the literal theological sense) with certain extraordinary human qualities — a lover of animals, supported by minorities, simple lifestyle and such.

In this age of media, such spins and counter spins compete. That is where reality is made, far away from actual truths on the ground. Given the attempted whitewashing of Yogi Adityanath, it is important to present some of Adityanath's public statements that he has not denied and try to see what are the ultimate implications of such a stance. More importantly, what are the repercussions of having a leader who believes in such stances while being the chief minister of the most populous Indian state.
Much of what Yogi Adityanath has said is on public record. This article will not quote his whole speeches, but only portions that are relevant. Are those taken out of context? Possibly.  However, it is also the perspective of the reader or the listener who end up finding a context to these lines:

This statement comes with certain issues. Uttar Pradesh has nearly 20 percent of its population comprising of Muslims. Now, whether Muslims of Uttar Pradesh have Islam as their culture, we don’t know since human cultures revolve around numerous things, including religion. Take for example, Yogi Adityanath’s decision to ban "illegal" slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh, which incidentally means most places where animal slaughter takes place in South Asia. These are non-cow slaughterhouses, since cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh. So, it affects non-cow meat eaters. I am a Bengali Shakto of Bengal. Meat is the prasad of Kali that we consume with respect and veneration. We sacrifice buffaloes, goats and various animals, not cows, to the holy mother and seek her blessings. We have been doing this for centuries. Our religious tradition is timeless. Yogi Adityanath is not. Yogi Adityanath will not take this prasad because he does not belong to that "culture".

Enough is enough. You and your medieval sena in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) are taking this way too far. Stop. Stop your fight against our freedom to see, our freedom to understand, our freedom to be. It should not come as a surprise for you, that we as biological adults are capable of deciphering for ourselves what is good and what is bad for us to see. So stop belittling our intelligence. The fact that at 18, we are capable of deciding who should run our country proves that the Republic of India trusts our intelligence and our capabilities. So please, just please, stop overworking your brain a little too much.
Still from Ka Bodyscapes
Your recent victim — Ka Bodyscapes — was denied certification because you accused the makers of "glorifying the subject of gay and homosexual relationship". “Glorification”? What you call glorification is life for up to 10 percent of any population across the world, including India. I will tell you what is glorification — chopping off a head in Rangoon is glorification of violence, running on top of a train and dancing is glorification of a fantasy that claims many lives. And you awarded Rangoon a U/A certificate? I loved Rangoon. But do you think watching the story of a girl child being bought, a war being fought, a head being chopped off is what children should watch, (even) if accompanied by their parents? Why such a lacklustre attitude toward violence, but such an obsessive attitude towards sex and sexuality? And yes, in this DNA India article, you ranted that no one appreciates you when you are being liberal. That’s precisely what I am contesting — why are you selectively liberal with big banners? Why are you liberal where you should be strict and issue a film an A certificate instead of a U/A rating?

What is your problem with the women’s right movement? I am asking because your board called Lipstick Under My Burkha a “lady-oriented film”, and said it depicts “fantasies” that are “above life”. What is that supposed to mean? Are you going to ban Krissh 4, or hello, much to the displeasure of religious people — are you banning Mahabharata and Ramayana? They may be fact or fiction, that is debatable, but they are definitely “above life”. Why ban aka deny a certificate to Lipstick Under My Burkha? Do you know how important and empowering to a minority community, to a minority gender just the title of the film is? Do you even know the power of good cinema and the positive impact it can have in opening minds? O! how will you know. Your mind is closed.

Warrior-scholar to join Warrior-monk in Trump administration … CIA analyst quit because of Donald Trump … Protecting Trump Tower is costing NYC $500,000 per day per Chuck Schumer … Trump emboldens anti-vax movement … David Cassidy reveals battle with dementia … Hunters who blamed illegal immigrants shot each other … Milo Yiannopoulos’ book deal is canceled … Breitbart employees threaten to leave if Milo doesn’t … Russia’s UN ambassador died … Parkour accident leaves man stuck in a chimney … Oral sex for Taco Bell … Goat yoga? Goat yoga … Don’t count on China to rein in North Korea … Morning sex is best … Boom time for the Trump wig industry …  Texas Monthly to move in a “lifestyle” direction … Crackdown on British Pirates … LA has the world’s worst traffic …

Reflecting on one very strange year at Uber [Susan J. Fowler]

Lane Kiffin was “disinterested” in being USC head coach in 2010. [Al.com]

DeMarcus Cousins can’t jump. [FiveThirtyEight]

Exploring Cuba, Guided By Graham Greene [Atlas Obscura]

P.J. Fleck Wants Minnesota to be the next Clemson. [Detroit News]

The 10 Commandments of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. [Fox Sports]

Former Duke and Florida player Alex Murphy still going at Northeastern [Providence Journal]

Sutton United’s 280-pound reserve goalkeeper ate a pie during FA Cup match with Arsenal. [ESPN FC]

Charlotte QB Kevin Olsen, brother of Greg Olsen, charged with rape. [Charlotte Observer]

Rick Ankiel drank vodka to deal with yips in 2001. [InsideSTL]

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
Photographer: Jim Harper


Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Range Map (North America)
Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Range Map
(North America)
Attribution: IUCN, species assessors & spatial data authors



Latin Name     Lepus Californicus
Conservation Status     Least Concern
Location     North America
Colour     Buff and Black
Length     47 - 63 cms (18.5 - 24.8 inches)
Tail     5 - 11 cms (2 - 4.3 inches)
Weight     1.3 - 3.1 Kgs (2.9 - 6.8 lbs)
Life Expectancy     Up to 7 Yrs (in Captivity)

Main Characteristics

Black-Tailed Jackrabbits have a body length between 47 and 63 cms (18.5 - 24.8 inches), a tail length between 5 and 11 cms (2 - 4.3 inches) and they weigh between 1.3 and 3.1 kgs (2.9 - 6.8 lbs).

They are buff in colour and they have a characteristic black stripe down the centre of their back, a black patch on their rump, and their tail is black on its dorsal surface.

Habitat

Black-Tailed Jackrabbits inhabit desert scrubland, praries, farmland and dunes in North America.

Diet

Black-Tailed Jackrabbits feed on plants, grasses, sagebrush, cacti, twigs, and bark.

Breeding

Black-Tailed Jackrabbits produce 3 - 4 litters each year. After a gestation period of 41 - 47 days, they will give birth to an average of 3 - 4 leverets, but they can have up to 8 young per litter.

The youngsters are weaned at 2 - 3 weeks and they reach sexual maturity at approximately 8 months old.

Predators

Predators of the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit include dogs, cats, coyotes, red foxes, grey foxes, american badgers, mountain lions, bobcats, birds of prey and owls. Rattlesnakes, garter snakes, common raccoons and striped skunks may also prey upon their young.

Subspecies

Subspecies of the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit include:

Alta Mira Jack Rabbit
Lepus californicus altamirae

Lepus californicus asellus

San Diego black-tailed jackrabbit
Lepus californicus bennettii

Lepus californicus californicus

Lepus californicus curti

Western Desert Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus deserticola

Lepus californicus eremicus

Hidalgo Jack Rabbit
Lepus californicus festinus

Lepus californicus insularis

Lepus californicus magdalenae

Lepus californicus martirensis

Lepus californicus melanotis

Lepus californicus merriami

Lepus californicus richardsonii

Lepus californicus sheldoni

Lepus californicus texianus

Lepus californicus wallawalla

Lepus californicus xanti

Interesting Facts

Black-Tailed Jackrabbits are also known as:
Black-Tailed Jack Rabbit
American Desert Hare

Brock Lesnar's done it. CM Punk's done it ... but the guys from The New Day say there's NO DAMN WAY they'd ever considering moving from the WWE to the UFC. 

The tag team superstars -- who were just tapped to host WrestleMania 33 -- joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Monday night on FS1) ... and told us their feet are FIRMLY planted in the WWE.

So, why not give the UFC a shot? Big E put it best ...

"I gyrate for a living! I shake my hips for a living, that's what I do! You want to get punched in the face by Derrick Lewis?? NO THANK YOU!"

The guys also tell us how the other WWE superstars REALLY feel about Conor McGregor -- who's taken some major shots at pro wrestlers in the past.

Hot on the heels of HTC announcing their new "U" series of smartphones, fresh images of the rumored HTC One X10 have leaked online. A user on the Chinese networking site Weibo has posted images showcasing the front and back of the phone.

The HTC One X 10 is set to be the successor to the One X9, which was launched way back in 2015. The leaked images point towards the device having a metal unibody design, a fingerprint sensor below the centrally located rear camera on the back and capacitive buttons for home, recent apps and back on the front.

According to previous leaks and rumors, the HTC One X 10 is set to come with a 5.5' fullHD display with a resolution of 1080x1920, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, the Mali T860GPU  and the octa-core MediaTek MT6755V/C processor clocked at 1.9Ghz.

On the imaging front, the device is rumored to come with a 16.3MP rear camera and a 7.9MP front camera.

The One X9, in comparsion had a octa-core MT6795 Helio X10 chip clocked at 2.2GHz, a 5.5' fullHD display, 32GB of internal storage, a 3,000mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP sensor at the front for selfies.

All in all, the HTC One X 10 seems to be a minor update over its predecessor, with only the front and rear camera seeing substantial updates. The One X10 is most likely to be unvelied later this month at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

HTC recently announced the U Play and U Ultra smartphones, with the latter launching in India on February  21. The HTC U Ultra comes with an all new curved design, a 2' secondary display and HTC's trademark BoomSound speakers.