Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar took to micro-blogging site Twitter to release the quirky poster of his next film. This time he is not directing it, but will be a part of the star cast. On Thursday, the director tweeted a leaked chat between Sonakshi Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh, and other stars.

This upcoming comedy film is titled ‘Welcome to New York’, directed by Chakri Toleti. It has a very interesting star cast which involves Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Riteish Deshmukh, Rana Daggubati, Sonakshi  Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh and maybe Salman Khan.

THIS crazy bunch is here with some non stop laughs and endless entertainment! Bring on the madness aur haan… #WelcomeToNewYork @poojafilms @WizFilmsIN pic.x.com/w4jtrMixu6

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) January 18, 2018

This would be the first 3D comedy film in India, dated to be released on 23 February. The film goes by the tagline “Bring on the Madness!!” and the video suggests the same. Check out the leaked chat among the actors.

And today, all the online goss is about a leaked conversation from a new film. #WelcomeToNewYork https://t.co/7gzbzzACxd@poojafilms @WizFilmsIN

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) January 18, 2018

The project seems interesting and this quirky star cast is already getting people excited for the film.

An insider attack against the police in Afghanistan’s Helmand province claimed the lives of nine police personnel on Thursday, a local official said.

A man clad in police uniform opened fire on police personnel in a checkpoint outside Helmand’s provincial capital Lashkar Gah in the early morning, killing nine personnel on the spot, the official told Xinhua news agency.

Provincial government spokesperson Omar Zawak confirmed the incident but gave no details about what happened to the assailant.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said that 213 militants were killed and 51 civilians died in militancy-related incidents last year.

In a written reply to a question of BJP’s Sat Sharma, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the Legislative Assembly that 213 militants, including 127 foreign militants and 86 local militants, were killed in 2017 as compared to 150 militants, including 119 foreign militants and 31 local militants, in 2016.

Similarly, 51 civilians died in 2017 and as many as 20 civilians died in 2016 in militancy-related incidents, she said.

The government has taken a number of steps to check cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said.

The chief minister said that these measures include border-fencing and its electrification, installation of night-vision devices, target-oriented inputs on infiltration, among others.

She said that the border is being manned by security forces who are adequately equipped in terms of manpower and resources.

Meanwhile, in another written reply to a question of Sharma, Mufti told the assembly that 320 weapons, including 213 AK rifles, 101 pistols and revolvers, four RPGs, one each sniper rifle and 303 rifle were recovered in 2017.

As compared to this, 178 AK-47 rifles, 81 pistols and revolvers, 7 RPGs and two each sniper rifle and 303 rifle were recovered in 2016, she said.

Similarly, police recovered 394 explosive devices including 305 grenades, 76 detonators and 13 IEDs in 2017, followed by recovery of 1,358 explosive devices in 2016, which includes 333 grenades, 1,038 detonators, 26 IEDs and one anti-personnel mine, Mufti said.

Besides, a large quantity of ammunition was recovered by the police during the last two years, she said, adding that 8 kg explosives was recovered in 2017 followed by 10 kg in 2016.

She said 46 wireless sets were recovered in 2017 and 54 in 2016.

There is every danger of the Indian judiciary’s independence being compromised by the pressure tactics adopted by the executive, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has said.

Referring to the revolt by four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court against Chief Justice Dipak Misra, an editorial in the CPI-M journal “People’s Democracy” said: “There is no doubt that this is the most serious crisis faced by the highest court of the land.

“It comes at a time when the entire judicial system is facing various strains and pressures. A major threat is the way the executive is seeking to interfere in the higher judiciary.

“For the past one and half years, the Modi government has been trying to acquire powers to vet and veto appointments to the Supreme Court by demanding inclusion of certain clauses in the memorandum of procedure.

“One of them is the vetting for national security after the collegium sends the name of those to be appointed as judges,” the editorial said.

Justices J. Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph, who along with Chief Justice Misra constitute the five-member collegium, have complained the way in which the Chief Justice dealt with administrative matters relating to allocation of cases and the constitution of the benches.

“Given the serious issues involved, it will not be proper to brush them under the carpet and declare peace and normalcy has been restored in the Supreme Court,” the editorial said.

“It is to be hoped that the collegium as a whole and the full court of judges can discuss and resolve the outstanding issues on the basis of the principle of democratic functioning and transparency,” it added.

The CPI-M said there was a need for basic reforms in the judicial system, one of which was on the question of appointments and supervision of the higher judiciary.

The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) adopted by Parliament was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. The collegium system for appointment of judges was unsatisfactory and needs to be changed, it said.

“The CPI-M has been advocating along with democratic lawyers’ organisations that a more broad based National Judicial Commission be constituted which will deal not only with appointments but also complaints about conduct of judges.”

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has come down heavily on the Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) system saying it must be improved after his team narrowly overcame Norwich City in a dramatic FA Cup third round replay clash at the Stamford Bridge here.

The VAR system, now being trialled in both domestic cup competitions this season, came under the scanner when referee Graham Scott judged Willian to have dived in an attempt to win a penalty and showed him a yellow card during the match which ended 1-1 in regulation time before nine-man Chelsea won 5-3 in tie-breaker on Wednesday.

Norwich’s Tom Klose, who was with Willian when he was adjudged to have dived, admitted after the match that he felt he caught the Brazilian.

But as video official Mike Jones did not see a clear error in Scott’s decision, the incident was not subject to a full review.

During the match, Michy Batshuayi put Chelsea in front in the 55th minute before Jamal Lewis headed in the equaliser in the 94th minute to send the tie to extra-time and subsequently penalty shootouts.

“I think that we need to improve if we want to use this new system,” Conte was quoted as saying after the match by ESPNFC.

“The referee took quickly a decision to book Willian. That means you don’t have doubt. If we want to improve we have to wait to check with the person who is watching the game and then, if this person is sure 100 percent that it is simulation, go and book Willian. Instead, I think the person watching the game at least must have a doubt. There is a kick to Willian and he should call the referee and tell him.

“If we want to use a new system, I can’t accept a big mistake. In this case, the Willian penalty was a big, big mistake. Not from the referee on the pitch, but from the person watching the game. If you’re watching the game and don’t see this situation … I hope the VAR wasn’t a referee because if you see that watching on television and don’t think that’s a penalty … He has to improve and must improve.”

Chelsea were reduced to nine men in extra-time after Pedro, earlier booked for diving, caught Wes Hoolahan late and Alvaro Morata was shown a second yellow for dissent as he protested being penalised for diving in the box.

Asked why his players had dived, Conte replied: “I don’t know, but I don’t want an advantage. About Pedro, if there is a dive, it’s right to take a yellow card. It’s the same for Morata.”

Chelsea now take on Newcastle United at home in the fourth round on January 28.

“We have to try to recover very well, for sure,” he admitted.

“I hope we don’t pay. My decision was very clear: To try to go to the next round and give a bit of rest for the other players. But it won’t be easy against Brighton. It’ll be important to rest and recover. Also two red cards, so Pedro and Morata cannot play.”

Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani became the joint top scorer in Paris Saint-Germain’s history with his 156th goal in all competitions in the football giant’s 8-0 demolition of Dijon.

The 21st round of Ligue 1 saw PSG star Neymar score four goals in his return from injury on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

But the story was about his striker partner, Cavani, who equalled Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s club record in the 21st minute after he nodded home an Angel Di Maria’s cross.

Before this, the Argentine winger finished a brilliant left-footed shot just four minutes into the match, before comfortably putting Neymar’s cross into an empty net.

With three minutes remaining before the break, Neymar, who was absent from last Sunday’s match due to rib problems, saw his free-kick leave Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet stranded in front of the goal line.

PSG’s attack showed no sign of slowing down after the restart. Neymar took advantage of Dijon defender Cedric Yambere’s mistake to put the hosts beyond reach. Neymar’s hat-trick was completed in the 73rd minute, as he broke down Dijon’s defense to find the target.

Neymar fed substitute Kylian Mbappe for a low shot four minutes later, and capped PSG’s dominant night with a spot kick in the 83rd minute.

With four goals and two assists, Neymar became the first player to have been involved in six goals in a single match since Ligue 1 data first started being collected in the 2006-07 season.

In another tie, Lyon moved up to second position on league table, following a 2-0 away victory over Guingamp. Skipper Nabil Fekir broke the deadlock with his 15th goal of the campaign, already the most prolific season of his career. Houssem Aouar scored in the second half.

Lyon lead Marseille by one point and defending champions Monaco are one point behind in the fourth place. Lyon will host PSG on Sunday.

Saint-Etienne was in a totally different scenario as they had to swallow a 0-3 defeat to bottom of the table Metz.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Amiens drew with Montpellier 1-1, Angers beat Troyes 3-1, Lille lost to Rennes 2-1, and Toulouse drew 1-1 with Nantes.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming historical drama is finally going to witness a worldwide release on January 25. But the film had its fair share of controversies before actually making it to the big screen.

From vendalising the set in Jaipur last year in January to violent threats given to Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, Padmaavat has become one of the most controversial films of Bollywood and sparked a nationwide debate on the ban of the film.

The film starring Deepika, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in the lead roles has faced criticism since day one and the controversy surrounding the film still continues with various fringe groups demanding a nationwide ban for the film on January 25.

Before the film’s release, let’s go through the controversial series of events that changed the course of action;

Set vandalised in Jaipur

Bhansali started shooting for Padmaavat in January 2017 in Jaipur and much to his surprise after warnings from Karni Sena and other fringe groups he was officially paid a visit by the groups on the sets. The fringe groups not only did vandalise the set, but also reportedly assaulted Bhansali for daring to make a film on the Rajputs and distorting the facts.

Mumbai attacks

Still waters run deep. He will rise on the 1st of December. Wait for it. #rajputpride

A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Oct 10, 2017 at 10:22am PDT

After what happened in Jaipur, the director realised it’s not safe to shoot the film there and shifted the entire schedule to Mumbai. But was he actually safe there? The supporters of Karni Sena not only showed up at the location of the shoot but attacked the crew and destroyed the set with petrol bombs. This incident shook the entire nation and left Padmaavat‘s fate in despair.

No respect for sentiments

this has to stop NOW & action must be taken! @smritiirani pic.x.com/o5RGhDTHPJ

— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) October 18, 2017

After the release of the first official poster of the film featuring Deepika as Rani Padmini one fan of the actress created an imitation of the actress on a Rangoli. Karan, a Surat based artiste, created the exact imitation of Padmaavat‘s first poster, which took him 48 hrs to create the beautiful rangoli picture. But this devotion didn’t go well with the fringe groups as they destroyed the rangoli in mere seconds and threatened the artiste not to repeat this ‘mistake’ again. Deepika took to her Twitter account to express her disgust over the terrible incident.

Ban ‘Padmavati’

इज्जत दोगे तो इज़्ज़त पाओगे . अकड दिखाओगे तो हमारा कुछ नही उखाड पाओगे । जय राजपूताना 👑 #banpadmavati

A post shared by 👑क्षत्रिय👑 (@jammu_rajputs) on Nov 29, 2017 at 9:28am PST

After the release of the film’s trailer, things got uglier when Karni Sena along with other fringe groups started to destroy cinema houses and demanded a nationwide ban on the film. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, 2017 but after a series of shocking events, including threats, women committing ‘Jauhar’ and a man found dead by committing suicide in Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur. Supreme Court of India decided to postpone the release date of the film for an indefinite period of time to bring the situation to ease.

Threats to Bhansali and Deepika

Postponing the film was not an answer for the Karni Sena as they were firm on their demands of the film getting banned. The Kerni Sena openly threatened to chop off Bhansali and Deepika’s head and even offered a bounty of Rs.5 crore to the person who will being their severed heads. This controversy shook the film industry and made them vocal about how one should not jump to conclusions before even watching the film.

‘Ghoomar’ debate

If the trailer didn’t spark much controversy, the first song of the film did. Ghoomar, the first song released, featured Deepika dancing in the show, which subsequently hurt the sentiments of Rajputs. According to the Rajputs, the song was a disgrace for women of Rajput, who never comes in front of their husband without their face being covered. One Karni Sena leader even threatened to chop-off Deepika’s nose for showcasing their ‘Rani Ma’ in such bad light.

Removal of ‘I’

Get ready to witness the epic tale #Padmaavat on 25th January 2018, in theatres near you! Now also in 3D, Imax 3D, Tamil & Telugu!

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Jan 14, 2018 at 4:35am PST

CBFC finally gave their clearance for the release of the film with some cuts and change in the name of the film. Padmavati was renamed to Padmaavat ahead of its worldwide release on January 25. The previous trailer and post with the same name was removed from the social media and a new trailer with the new name was released on January 15. The film is now all set to release across globe except some states in India.

Current status

Get ready to witness the epic tale #Padmaavat on 25th January 2018, in theatres near you. Now also in 3D, Imax 3D, Tamil & Telugu. @filmPadmaavat @deepikapadukone @shahidkapoor @aditiraohydari @viacom18motionpictures #BhansaliProductions @tseries.official

A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Jan 14, 2018 at 4:29am PST

Controversies surrounding the film are far from over, as after the SC rejecting many petitions to ban the film in various states, Karni Sena has yet again threatened the government and the makers that they will burn down cinema houses showing the film. The fringe groups want a total ban nationwide on the film and if their demands are not fulfilled, they will burn down cinema houses and women will commit ‘Jauhar’ outside cinema houses.

Padmaavat after getting cleared from CBFC will release worldwide on January 25 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX.

Leron Gubler, who has been the head of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, has announced his plan to retire by 2019.

In a statement on Wednesday, Gubler said, “It has truly been an honor to work in one of the most famous communities in the world and to be a participant in the revitalization of Hollywood.”

He added, “I have had great opportunities working with our board, my staff and so many committed Chamber members, as well as the entertainment industry.”

Leron Gubler has served as the president and CEO of the body from 1992 and was awarded and honored for his 25 years of leadership in September. Leron Gubler is also the longest-serving CEO in the 97-year history of the organization.

He is known for his role as an emcee for the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a role that he has been doing for 10 years and has emceed almost 300 Walk of Fame ceremonies during that time. Leron had also initiated the Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation that had managed to raise around $900,000 for Hollywood non-profit projects. Also to assist media covering the Oscars he had started the Chamber’s Award Welcome Center.

Jeff Zarrinnam, Chair of the board of the Hollywood Chamber, said that Leron Gubler would continue working through the end of 2018 so that a smooth transition in leadership can be established. A search committee for the new president and CEO is being formed that will be led by Zarrinnam.

Arijit Singh is currently ruling the music industry as a celebrated singer throughout the nation. Each time he comes out with a song, it easily finds its way to our playlist. Recently, he had at least one song in almost every hit movie.

Arijit Singh is widely known for his romantic and soothing songs. The singer himself looks like a very calm and composed person. Every time he made a public appearance, the coy Arijit never seemed to have any other way to express him.

However, that thought just got shattered as a video – showing the singer bursting in anger while performing on stage – has surfaced. It is quite unimaginable to see him like that. Arijit was performing ‘Naadaan Parindey’ by Mohit Chauhan. During his performance, the singer must be facing some problem with the mic, so he went on to shout, ‘somebody f**king fix this mike!’

And Twitter cannot get over the fact that Arijit actually got so angry. Look how they reacted through tweets.

choked pic.x.com/9dxaGn8dj0

— Anurag Verma (@kitAnurag) January 17, 2018

That accent man! Faacking 😂 it was adorable!

— Anjuli Rajprasad (@AnjuliRajprasad) January 18, 2018

Tried to be Mohit Chauhan but he did not know how he was sounding 😂😂

— Nafis Iqbal (@NafisIqbal16) January 17, 2018

Quotes by some great musicians. pic.x.com/uvveenGY3u

— Bollywood Gandu (@BollywoodGandu) January 17, 2018

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Thursday said that his government will come out with a separate policy for aerospace and defence.

Addressing an industry meet organised by the Defence Ministry here, he said: “Government of Tamil Nadu is in the process of coming out with an exclusive Aerospace and Defence policy with an objective of achieving 30 per cent share of the sector in India and creating high-end employment opportunities for around 1 lakh persons in Tamil Nadu.”

He said development of Chennai Aerospace Park at Sriperumbudur near here is one such initiative to start with.

The aerospace park is being set up in 250 acres in first phase which is expandable to 500 acres in the next phase. The park will house at least 50 aerospace or defence companies forming a strong base for supporting large original equipment manufacturers, Palaniswami said.

He also said the state government is focusing on establishing a Maintenance Repair Overhauling complex for aircrafts.

According to Palaniswami, the Advanced Computing and Design Engineering Centre (ACDEC) is coming up in 500,000 square feet. at an estimated cost of Rs 180 crore.

He also requested Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider setting up of a manufacturing facility by HAL for light combat aircrafts and helicopters in the state and also a military MRO base in Sulur Air Force Station in Coimbatore.

A diesel-laden merchant navy tanker caught fire on Wednesday (January 17) off the coast of Gujarat. The Coast Guard cordoned off the ship to prevent oil spill.

Efforts are on to douse the flames on the MT Genessa tanker which was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel. Water sampling has not shown any oil spill so far in the Arabian Sea from the tanker.

Anchored 15 nautical miles off the Deendayal Port in Kandla, the fire in the oil tanker’s crew compartment was reported last evening. Plunging into action immediately, the Indian Coast Guard rescued all 26 crew members, two of whom suffered burn injuries.

Defence PRO, Gujarat region, Abhishek Matiman told PTI on 18 January that no oil spill has been reported so far from the tanker.

#IndiaCoastGuard fire fight still on. 03 ICGVessels, 09Tugs frm KPT,Reliance,Essar,Adani & ICG Dornier in action.Water sampling shows no Oil Spill.ICG Pollution Ctrl Vessel at site.Proactive response frm all agencies.ICGS SamudraPavak overseeing ops.(2/2) @InfoGujarat @CMOGuj pic.x.com/rzudvqBlR2

— PRO Defence Gujarat (@Def_update) January 18, 2018

The Coast Guard has deployed 11 tug boats and four ships since last night to bring the fire under control. The security force said that hot Spots temperature has been brought down to 40 and 25 degree Celsius on port and starboard side, respectively. Hovercraft has been deployed to check if there are any oil traces along the shoreline.

#IndiaCoastGuard living upto their motto ‘Vayam Rakshamah’ worked tirelessly through the night, garnering & guiding resources frm Govt and pvt agencies in vicinity averted potential disaster at sea dousing fire that engulfed MT Genessa anchored off Kandla. (1/2) @SpokespersonMoD pic.x.com/mMx5bIFdjW

— PRO Defence Gujarat (@Def_update) January 18, 2018

Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat C-403 is at the scene and the maritime security agency’s pollution control team has been activated, an official earlier said.

@IndiaCoastGuard coordinated the fire fighting efforts of all stake holders to contain the fire on board ‘M T Genessa’ off Kandla Port this morning. Coast Guard continue to monitor situation and shoreline assessment @DefenceMinIndia @PIB_India @airnewsalerts pic.x.com/5wUUq6JOvt

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) January 18, 2018

“A Dornier aircraft has been pressed into service to ascertain the extent of the fire,” he said.

(With PTI inputs.)

After announcing his formal entry into politics, actor Kamal Haasan today talked about the Dravidian identity asserting that Dravidian is not related to Tamil Nadu alone. He added that the Dravidian must be celebrated across South India to be able to dictate terms to Centre.

In his column in a popular magazine, Ananda Vikatan, the superstar mentioned the chief ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and wrote, “Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh CM), Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana CM), Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala CM) are all Dravidians. If the Dravidian identity is imbibed all over south India, the discrimination (from the Centre) which we complain about now will vanish. Together, our voices will become a loud chorus that will allow us to talk to Delhi.”

Talking about the central government’s tax collections, he wrote, “I feel of late, sharing of taxes with states is not done well. Tamil Nadu is the second largest tax contributor. It’s fine to develop northern states with it. That’s how even in families we help an unemployed sibling. But the gullible contributor should not be left to starve.”

On Wednesday, Kamal Haasan had declared that he will announce his political party’s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram. On the same day, he is going to begin a state-wide tour.

The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram — his hometown — and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai.

It will mark Haasan’s official entry into politics about which he has been making overtures since last year.

“At the commencement of the journey, I intend to announce the name of my political party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by,” Haasan said in a statement on Tuesday.

The veteran actor said he intends to challenge the status quo “that has been plaguing the politics of Tamil Nadu for some time now”.

“However, for this to happen, my thoughts and actions need to collectively resonate with the people,” he said, adding that through the state-wide tour he wants to familiarise himself with the people’s concerns.

Haasan said the tour was neither an act of rebellion nor a gathering for glamour.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the year, One Day International Cricketer of the Year and the captain of, both, ICC Test and ODI teams, Virat Kohli has reached the 900-point mark in the latest ICC Players’ Ranking for the longest format of the game.

The ICC Test player ranking was released on Thursday morning after the Centurion Test was concluded. Indian skipper Virat Kohli had become the second player from India to achieve this feat.

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar had also achieved this feat in his 50th Test when he scored 13 and 221 at The Oval in 1979. Gavaskar had jumped from 887 points to 916 points.

Virat Kohli reached 900 points from 880 points in his 65th Test match when he registered the 21st century of his career at Centurion.

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the other two India batsmen who came close to the 900-point mark, but were unable to break the barrier. Tendulkar peaked at 898 points in 2002, while Dravid achieved 892 points in 2005.

Kohli is only the 31st batsman in the history of Test cricket to reach 900 points. Don Bradman sits on top of the table with 961 points, followed by Steve Smith (947), Len Hutton (945), Ricky Ponting and Jack Hobbs (both 942 points).

In doing so, Kohli has also leapfrogged Joe Root of England into second position as the top four positions continue to be occupied by Test captains who have all played in past ICC U19 Cricket World Cups. Kohli trails Smith by 47 points but now leads Root by 19 points, who, in turn, leads Kane Williamson by 26 points.

Other batsmen inside the top 20 to head in the right direction are South Africa’s trio of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar, while batsmen to head in the opposite direction include Cheteshwar Pujara, Lokesh Rahul and Quinton de Kock.

Amla, who scored 82 in the first innings, has moved up two places to eighth, while du Plessis has been rewarded for his contributions of 63 and 48 with a rise of two places that has given him a career-high ranking of 12th. Elgar has also gained two places and is now ranked 14th following scores of 31 and 61.

In contrast, Pujara has slipped one place to sixth, Rahul has fallen six places to 18th and de Kock is 20th after plummeting five places.

Outside the top 20, South Africa opener Aiden Markram has made an impressive gain after lifting 10 places to share 38th position with Roston Chase of the Windies. In the last three Tests, Markram, who captained South Africa to the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup title in the UAE in 2014, has earned 20 places.

In the bowlers’ table, Kagiso Rabada’s reign as the number-one ranked Test bowler has lasted just one Test as he has slipped behind James Anderson following an ordinary performance by his high standards. Rabada had figures of one for 74 and three for 47, which were not enough to keep him ahead of Anderson as he has dropped 16 points to now trail Anderson by 15 points.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Vernon Philander were the other bowlers inside the top 10 to slip, going down one position each. Ashwin is now fifth, while Philander is seventh.

However, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has achieved a career-high ranking of 17th after taking five wickets in the match.

South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi has made an impressive entry in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers after debuting in 61st position. Ngidi took one for 51 and six for 39 to help South Africa to a 135 runs victory, which has given them an impregnable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

There is no change in the top five all-rounders and Shakib Al Hasan continues to lead the field by a distance. Ravindra Jadeja is second, followed by Ashwin, Ben Stokes and Philander.

ICC Player Rankings (as on 18 January, following the Centurion Test)

BATSMEN (top 20)

Rank   (+/-)     Player             Team  Points Avge   Highest Rating

   1         ( – )         Steve Smith         Aus        947!      63.75    947 v Eng at Sydney 2018

   2         (+1)        Virat Kohli            Ind         900!      53.51    900 v SA at Centurion 2018

   3         (-1)         Joe Root              Eng        881        53.28    917 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015

   4         ( – )         Kane Williamson  NZ          855        50.62    893 v Aus at Perth 2015

   5         (+1)        David Warner       Aus        827        48.77    880 v NZ at Perth 2015

   6         (-1)         C Pujara               Ind         814        51.09    888 v SL at Nagpur 2017

   7         ( – )         Azhar Ali              Pak        755        46.62    787 v Aus at Melbourne 2016

   8         (+2)        Hashim Amla       SA          745        49.00    907 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013

   9         (-1)         D. Chandimal       SL          743!      43.94    743 v Ind at Delhi 2017

  10        (-1)         Alastair Cook       Eng        742        46.35    874 v Ind at Kolkata 2012

  11        ( – )         Ross Taylor          NZ          739        48.04    871 v Win at Hamilton 2013

  12        (+2)        Faf du Plessis      SA          734!      46.33    734 v Ind at Centurion 2018

  13        ( – )         AB de Villiers       SA          732        50.46    935 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2014

  14        (+2)        Dean Elgar           SA          711        41.35    740 v NZ at Dunedin 2017

  15        (+2)        Jonny Bairstow    Eng        692        39.12    772 v SA at Old Trafford 2017

  16        (+2)        Kraigg Brathwaite Win        690        37.43    701 v Eng at Headingley 2017

  17        (+2)        Usman Khawaja   Aus        685        45.80    747 v Pak at Sydney 2017

  18        (-6)         Lokesh Rahul       Ind         683*      42.41    761 v SL at Pallekele 2017

  19        (+1)        Shaun Marsh       Aus        660!      40.87    660 v Eng at Sydney 2018

  20        (-5)         Quinton de Kock  SA          659        41.02    802 v NZ at Hamilton 2017

BOWLERS (top 20)

Rank      (+/-)        Player                  Team     Points   Avge      Highest Rating

   1         (+1)        James Anderson  Eng        887        27.40    896 v Win at Lord’s 2017

   2         (-1)         Kagiso Rabada    SA          872        22.25    888 v Ind at Cape Town 2018

   3         ( – )         Ravindra Jadeja   Ind         853        23.73    899 v Aus at Ranchi 2017

   4         (+1)        Josh Hazlewood  Aus        814        25.77    863 v Ind at Bengaluru 2017

   5         (-1)         R. Ashwin             Ind         811        25.56    904 v Eng at Mumbai 2016

   6         (+1)        Rangana Herath  SL          799        28.04    867 v Zim at Harare 2016

   7         (-1)         Vernon Philander SA          787        21.95    912 v Ind at Johannesburg 2013

   8         ( – )         Neil Wagner         NZ          784        27.87    785 v Win at Wellington 2017

   9=       ( – )         Nathan Lyon        Aus        769        31.64    774 v Eng at Adelaide 2017

              ( – )         Mitchell Starc       Aus        769        27.73    805 v Pak at Brisbane 2016

  11        ( – )         Morne Morkel       SA          764        28.24    776 v Aus at Cape Town 2011

  12        ( – )         Dale Steyn           SA          730        22.32    909 v Win at Centurion 2014

  13        ( – )         Trent Boult           NZ          725        28.56    825 v Eng at Lord’s 2015

  14        ( – )         Yasir Shah           Pak        704        29.44    878 v Eng at Lord’s 2016

  15        ( – )         Stuart Broad         Eng        683        29.33    880 v SA at Johannesburg 2016

  16        ( – )         Tim Southee        NZ          682        31.45    799 v Win at Jamaica 2014

  17        (+2)        M. Shami              Ind         672!      29.86    672 v SA at Centurion 2018

  18        ( – )         Shakib Al Hasan  Ban        668        32.35    705 v Aus at Mirpur 2017

  19        (-2)         Keshav Maharaj   SA          640*      26.78    695 v Zim at Port Elizabeth 2017

  20        ( – )         Kemar Roach       Win        612        29.42    774 v SA at Centurion 2014

ALL-ROUNDERS (top five)

Rank      (+/-)        Player                  Team     Points   Highest Rating

   1         ( – )         Shakib Al Hasan  Ban        438       489 v Aus at Mirpur 2017

   2         ( – )         Ravindra Jadeja   Ind         399       438 v SL at Colombo (SSC) 2017

   3         ( – )         R. Ashwin             Ind         375       493 v Eng at Mohali 2016

   4         ( – )         Ben Stokes          Eng        358 /*    396 v Win at Lord’s 2017

   5         ( – )         Vernon Philander SA          316       376 v Aus at Cape Town 2014

Three tourists from Gujarat, including a minor boy, were arrested in North Goa on Thursday for stabbing a taxi driver over non-payment of fares, police said.

Sarvesh Singh, Bhavesh Vyas and the boy, who assaulted the driver with a knife, were arrested in Calangute, some 20 km from here.

“When they could not pay the fare, the tourists asked the driver to drive them back to the hotel. The boy stabbed the driver while he was driving,” police said.

The driver has been admitted to a hospital with severe neck injuries.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is coming out with her autobiography, “Citizen Delhi: My Times, My Life”, publishers Bloomsbury India announced today.

The memoir which will be unveiled on January 27 at the 11th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, will take readers through the “lifelong journey of the only female politician in India to be part of a select, overwhelmingly male, band”.

“When I look back, I see an Indian woman, with what many may call a modern attitude even today, choosing to take the important decisions of her life and be accountable for them,” Dikshit said.

The memoir documents how a girl who loved cycling along the tree-lined avenues of a brand new Lutyens’ Delhi, five decades later, went on to govern, and transform, Delhi as its chief minister not once, but thrice consecutively — from 1998 to 2013.

Dikshit made her debut in electoral politics in 1984 as a member of the Indian National Congress, contesting and winning from the Kannauj parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

“When a politician like Sheila Dikshit, with a career spanning over three decades, chooses to let the reader get a glimpse of her life’s journey, the opportunity brings along an element of surprise.

“In a fascinating account of her life, contoured along the life of the nation and her political party at critical junctures, she creates a richly patterned universe with deft touches, seamlessly moving between the home and the world, the past and the present,” publishers said.

The book also sheds light on how Dikshit never wanted to be in politics.

She credits the turn of events to destiny shaped by her liberal upbringing in a Punjabi household.

As the wife of an IAS officer and daughter-in-law of well-known freedom fighter and politician, Uma Shankar Dikshit, with his long association with the Nehru-Gandhi family, she saw governance from both ends.

When she began assisting her father-in-law from 1969, her up-close view of politics eventually became a springboard for her own entry into the arena in December 1984, inaugurating a 30-year-long career in politics.

“The narrative foregrounds a question that the author considers crucial for democracy how does one deal with the constant tussle between the dictates of governance and the here-and-now preoccupations of party politics?” Bloomsbury India said.

The Odisha government is planning to commission Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) in the coastal areas of six districts by the end of March.

The project aims at establishing a foolproof communication system for providing information about impending disasters, like cyclone and tsunami, to the local population, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said.

The system, a part of World Bank-supported National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), will ensure last mile connectivity in 22 blocks of six coastal districts – Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri and Ganjam – he said after reviewing the progress work.

“The total cost of the project is Rs 75 crore, of which about Rs 67 crore will come from NCRMP funds. The rest will be borne by the state government under State Disaster Response Fund,” the SRC said yesterday after a meeting with the administration officials of the six districts.

The system will send disaster warnings through messages to all mobile phone subscribers in a particular locality that is likely to be affected by a disaster, Sethi said.

The alert siren system will cover 122 locations along the coast, including tourist spots, fish landing centres and coastal habitations.

“So far, 99 siren towers and 57 poles have been set up as part of the project. Three more towers are expected to be installed in the next two weeks,” the SRC said.

All major equipment, except digital mobile radio items, has arrived, he said.

The licence for the digital mobile radio communication equipment from the Wireless Planning and Monitoring Wing, under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has been received and the items are likely to be delivered soon.