Everton will be the underdogs when they visit Merseyside rivals Liverpool for a FA Cup third round clash on Friday night, but Toffees manager Sam Allardyce has insisted that his players will be seeking a win and not be settling for a draw.

“We’ve got to try to win it on Friday night. The message is to do more in possession, do better in possession – but don’t lose your defensive qualities,” Allardyce told evertontv.

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The last time the sides played, Everton somewhat fortuitously managed to nick a 1-1 draw in December, with Wayne Rooney’s late penalty cancelling out Mohamed Salah’s opener.

Most neutrals and Liverpool fans felt that ‘Big Sam’s’ pragmatic approach to the game had robbed the Merseyside Derby of its sheer entertainment value as it felt more like an attack vs defence training exercise more than anything else. However, considering the kind of offensive firepower Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has at his disposal, the decision to defend resolutely for large swathes of the tie was an astute one as they came away with a valuable point.

Everton’s unbeaten record since Allardyce took over from Ronald Koeman was shattered by a loss to Bournemouth on December 30 and the Toffees were beaten once again by Manchester United on New Year’s Day to bring back some of the gloom that had enveloped the Blue half of Merseyside in the early stages of the season.

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“It’s my job to continue to develop that. That transition is very important. That transition cost us the game against Manchester United,” admitted the veteran manager as he continued, “We’ve got to get better at getting back into a good defensive shape when we lose the ball. Then, when we win it, do better to create and try to score because we’ve got to win the tie to get through to the next round”.

Liverpool are the form team of the two sides, but Everton will take solace from the fact that it was a similar tale prior to their earlier meeting this season.

“Obviously, the team who wins it goes through – there are no points available. We managed to get a very valuable point there last time with a draw but a draw this time is not what we want and it probably won’t be what Jurgen (Klopp) wants, either, because we don’t want a replay with the number of games that we’ve both played this season,” Allardyce stated ahead of the 230th Merseyside Derby clash.

Liverpool have ruled out two of their most in-form stars— Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho— from Friday’s clash but Big Sam shrugged off those reports as he stated, “We’ve played as many games this season as Liverpool have. Our injury problems that have occurred right the way through the season from the start to now, which means we’ve probably had more players missing than anybody else in the Premier League. That shows you the demand on the players there are today”.

“We’ll pick the best side to play Liverpool and go for it,” added the Everton manager.

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone on Friday turned 32 and received birthday greetings from popular celebrities like Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Shreya Ghoshal.

The stars wished her “love” and “happiness” in life.

Deepika, daughter of former badminton player Prakash Padukone, became an overnight star with her Bollywood debut film Om Shanti Om in 2007. She has also appeared in films like Love Aaj Kal, Housefull, Cocktail, Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and “Kochadaiiyaan”.

The actress made her Hollywood debut with xXx: Return of Xander Cage in 2017. She has gone through a lot of trouble regarding the release of her controversial film Padmavati, which is yet to hit screens.

Here’s what the B-town tweeted on her 32nd birthday:

Happy birthday dear @deepikapadukone. Love, Peace and Happiness always.:) https://t.co/9m2BpBg3ye

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 5, 2018

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, my darling @deepikapadukone… May you be blessed with lots of Love and Happiness. Keep inspiring us always. pic.x.com/noq6AYmrgf

— Boman Irani (@bomanirani) January 5, 2018

Wishing the supremely talented and beautiful @deepikapadukone a very very happy birthday!#HappyBirthdayDeepikaPadukone ❤️❤️❤️

— Shreya Ghoshal (@shreyaghoshal) January 5, 2018

@deepikapadukone happy birthday DP! Brave the storms,stay strong, stay sweet !!! ❤️ pic.x.com/t6YOXbeA38

— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) January 5, 2018

Sending virtual hugs your way @deepikapadukone! Have a very very Happy Birthday! Lots of love pic.x.com/2wbNmjW3B8

— Diana Penty (@DianaPenty) January 5, 2018

Happy Birthday @deepikapadukone.. you are the epitome of beauty and I’m sure you’re an even more beautiful person at heart. Hope I get to meet you in 2018 ‍♂️♥️

Love you.. have a great day and year ahead!!#HappyBirthdayDeepikaPadukone

— ARMAAN MALIK (@ArmaanMalik22) January 5, 2018

Happy Birthday @deepikapadukone..

— Shoojit Sircar (@ShoojitSircar) January 5, 2018

@deepikapadukone HAPPY BIRTHDAY Deepika. God bless you with all the Happiness always. Loads of love and blessings.

— Neil Nitin Mukesh (@NeilNMukesh) January 5, 2018

Happy birthday to one of our best – @deepikapadukone – wish you don’t have to deal with political BS (like you had to deal with in Padmavati )and can concentrate on perfecting your art ! Good luck ! Love and wishes.

— rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) January 5, 2018

Parliament cannot be an extension of politics in its typical sense which is marked by deep divisions and acrimony, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday.

“All of you would agree with me that though the Parliament is a political institution, it cannot be an extension of politics in its typical sense which is marked by deep divisions and acrimony,” Naidu, who also the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha, said in his valedictory remarks at the conclusion of the 244th session of the upper house.

“Parliament is an important institution for furthering the shared socio-economic goals of the nation which are critical to fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens who are the chief patrons of our parliamentary democracy,” he said.

Naidu observed that although the House could transact some important business, it “could have been better than what it proved to be”.

He said that India is steadily evolving towards realising its immense untapped potential and the legislatures of the country, including Parliament, need to “quickly evolve in the way we conduct our proceedings so as to meet the needs of our evolving nation”.

He mentioned that assertion of commitment by both government and opposition to respect and uphold the office of Prime Minister and former Prime Minister, was a high point.

Naidu also appreciated the way in which “all sections” of the House spoke, “in one voice and in a restrained way” regarding Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his family members in a Pakistan jail.

However, the Chairman expressed concern over the lost hours during the session.

“Intense and passionate submissions and debates are the order of democracy, but disruptions are certainly not. I urge upon the Members to seriously introspect in this regard.

“It is a matter of deep discomfort that the House has lost 34 hours of valuable working time as against the period of 41 hours of business transacted,” he said.

Naidu also wished well to the three retiring members – Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, and said that the upper House would be missing their contributions to the proceedings of the House.

Former Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s driver on Friday committed suicide at the official residence of the senior Congress leader here, police said.

Police said the deceased, Sanjay Singh, 35, a native of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, worked as driver of A.K. Antony and his family.

Singh was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the servant quarter of the Jantar Mantar Road residence around 12.15 p.m. and police were informed.

“No suicide note was found from the spot. Prima facie, Singh committed suicide late at night after all staff members has gone to sleep. When he did not come out from his room till late in the morning, a staff member went to check on him. He saw Singh hanging from a ceiling fan,” Additional Commissioner of Police B.K. Singh said.

“During investigation, no foul play has come to the notice of the police team. It appears that Singh was depressed over some family problem since a couple of days. He was working for Antony and his family for the last few years,” Singh added.

His family members have been informed. The postmortem report was awaited, the police officer added.

India and Indonesia discussed bilateral ties across multiple sectors during the fifth Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Friday.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a tête-à-tête with Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia ahead of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in Jakarta. Reaffirmed our desire to enhance partnership across all sectors. #ActEastPolicy. pic.x.com/fZQRahjUm3

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both the leaders “reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people-to-people links”.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia led the 5th Joint Commission Meeting between two countries. Leaders reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links. #ActEastPolicy. pic.x.com/1n0Bf0tiZz

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj arrived in Jakarta from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour that will also see her going to Singapore.

EAM arrives in Jakarta to a warm welcome in Indonesian tradition. EAM will be holding JCM with her counterpart FM Retno later today! pic.x.com/Ar3IoJmWtQ

— India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) January 5, 2018

The visit assumes significance given India’s increasing engagements with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc under New Delhi’s Act East Policy.

New Delhi will host a commemorative summit on January to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership between India and Asean in which all the leaders of the 10 Asean nations are expected to participate.

The next day, in a unique first, all leaders will collectively attend this year’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.

Indonesia as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy, and the biggest economy in ASEAN region has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.

India agreed to enhance our consultations and cooperation on maritime issues including on UNCLOS with a view to strengthen rule of law and to ensure the freedom of navigation and safety of sea lanes of communication.

India also agreed to enhance education sector cooperation with Indonesia. Currently, India offers close to 150 training slots and scholarships to Indonesia.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, Sushma Swaraj called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj met H.E. Mr. Jusuf Kalla, Vice President of Indonesia at his office today. They discussed issues of bilateral interest. Ms. Preeti Saran, Secy(East), Ambassador Pradeep K Rawat, Mr. Vinay Kumar, JS (South ) and DCM were part of Indian delegation. @MEAIndia pic.x.com/5yEPSzKgdg

— India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) January 5, 2018

The Indian Minister will leave for Singapore on Saturday where she will inaugurate this year’s Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Sunday.

Shri Shiv Pratishthan chief Sambhaji V. Bhide on Friday said all allegations against him pertaining to the violence in Koregaon-Bhima were “baseless” and demanded a thorough probe into the incident by the Maharashtra government.

He was giving his first reactions to Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) President Prakash Ambedkar’s allegations against him of having incited violence on January 1 in Koregaon-Bhima where Dalits had congregated to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Anglo-Maratha war.

“Prakash Ambedkar’s allegations against me are totally baseless. I urge the government to probe the incidents properly and punish the guilty. If I am found guilty, I am ready for the consequences,” asserted Bhide, known as “Guruji” among his followers in large parts of western Maharashtra.

The controversial right-wing leader and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist expressed his willingness to face any inquiry panel or probe that the state government might set up as demanded by Ambedkar.

Bhide dismissed Ambedkar’s statements that he (Bhide) was present near Koregaon-Bhima and responsible for the caste riots as “fake”, and said his name was being deliberately dragged into the entire matter.

The 87-year-old leader, an ex-professor holding an M.Sc. degree in Nuclear Science, demanded that anybody who perpetrated the violence should be booked and dealt with sternly by the law and, if required, the matter should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On January 2, the Pune police slapped cases against Bhide and Hindu Ekta Samiti chief Milind Ekbote under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Indian Penal Code after the January 1 rioting in Koregaon-Bhima, which left one youth from Nanded dead.

On Thursday, a day after the massive “Maharashtra Shutdown”, which turned violent and left one schoolboy dead in Nanded, Bhide issued a statement to the media explaining that his organisation worked for awakening the spirit of nationalism among Hindus.

Referring to the cases lodged against him, he claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was being misused in many cases.

For the past four days, Ambedkar has been making persistent demands for the arrest of both Bhide and Ekbote, accusing them of instigating the violence.

Most Dalits consider the historic battle on January 1, 1818 as a “victory” of the lower castes vis-a-vis the upper caste Peshwas and gather there in huge numbers at the annual commemoration events.

Acceding to Ambedkar’s pleas, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a probe into the incidents by a sitting judge of Bombay High Court, a CID probe and compensation for the victim’s family.

The Pune police booked Bhide and Ekbote following a complaint by one Anita Salve that she and her friends were attacked by a group of people near Vadhu Budruk, adjacent to the historic site of Koregaon-Bhima and named the two leaders (Bhide-Ekbote) as allegedly responsible for the same.

Actress Nia Sharma, who has played a lesbian in web series Twisted, is glad that television is getting bold, and says that people are “no more shying away and acknowledging the fact that love has no gender”.

She also praised an upcoming episode of MTV Love On the Run for highlighting a lesbian love story.

“It really amazes me when I look at the content that television is curating these days. It is now not only taking brave steps but taking ownership of creating awareness in a way which reaches out to the youth of today,” Nia said in a statement.

“I am glad that we are no more shying away and acknowledging the fact that love has no gender. I’ve been looking forward to watch this episode to see how it actually unfolds and what happens when two women stand up for their relationship and trust me, having portrayed a character of a lesbian, it may look easy but it is quite challenging,” she added.

The show airs on MTV.

NorthEast United FC will aim for a fresh start under a new coaching set-up as they face FC Goa in a Hero Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Saturday.

After earning only four points from seven matches, NE United sacked Joao de Deus Pires and roped in former Chelsea FC manager Avram Grant as technical advisor.

The Israeli, who took London-based Chelsea to the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2008 has already joined the club and there is genuine belief that a turnaround is possible, starting with their home tie against Goa.

“The mood has changed (in the dressing room) with arrival of the new (technical) advisor. The boys are geared up and ready for tomorrow’s match,” goalkeeping coach Joseph Siddy on Friday said during the pre-match media interaction.

With three home matches in a row against FC Goa (January 6), ATK (January 12) and Chennaiyin FC (January 19), the conditions are ideal for the former Ghana national team coach to turn things around.

“It will help the team with the new advisor. His experience and coaching style will motivate us and will give us the confidence to do well in future matches,” said Siddy.

It may not be all that easy with FC Goa as their opposition on Saturday. The Goans showed remarkable spirit to snatch a point against ATK in their previous game which got delayed and started at 10.45 PM due to their late arrival.

FC Goa are placed fourth with 13 points from seven matches and will return to the top of the table should they score a comfortable victory.

“All the teams are well balanced. They are equal and it’s the small details which make the difference in each game,” said FC Goa chief coach Sergio Lobera, unwilling to take their poorly-performing rivals lightly.

Much of FC Goa’s chances will depend on the form of Spanish striker Ferran Corominas, who is now the leading goalscorer with nine goals. Coach Lobera admitted that Corominas is a special player but continued to stress on the collective strength of his side.

The young Spanish coach once again fielded the same team in Kolkata as in previous matches with skipper Laxmikant Kattimani starting in goal. The Goan keeper has put in some good performances after a shaky start to the campaign. He will start in goal in Guwahati.

Goan defender Ali Mohamed has come into his own and has forged a partnership with Bruno Pinheiro in the heart of the Goan defence. The duo is likely to start together once more although Lobera may be tempted to rotate his squad due to the packed fixture schedule.

Sergio Juste and Chinglensana Singh are ideal replacements for both central defenders.

Seriton Ferandes and Narayan Das will continue either side of the defence while Amey Ranawade and Mandar Rao Dessai can be used as replacements.

Actress Zoya Hussain, who is playing the character of a mute girl in the upcoming film Mukkabaaz, says the speaking disability of her character is somewhere symbolic of the state of women in a patriarchal society.

Zoya, a newcomer, learnt sign language for the film. She says she treated her character Sunaina in a humane way rather than with sympathy.

“Though my character is mute, she is not seeking sympathy from anyone. She is a young, confident and self-sufficient girl who holds a strong opinion on everything. Her speaking disability is somewhere symbolic of women’s voice in our society, where women are not allowed to express their opinion in a patriarchal system,” Zoya said.

She says she had a great experience of learning sign language from Sangeeta Gala, who has worked in various films like Black, Barfi! and Shamitabh for training actors.

“During the whole process of learning it, I also interacted with many mute people and understood how severe the problem is. Since Sangeeta works with a lot of children who are deaf and dumb, I show how they suffer. Since their parents cannot teach them in any language and they struggle to express themselves from their very childhood, they harm themselves out of frustration. It is heartbreaking to see,” said Zoya.

Born and brought up in Delhi, Zoya worked as a theatre actress for quite some time before packing her bags for Mumbai to explore the medium of cinema.

According to her, theatre helped her to get the role in Mukkabaaz, directed by Anurag Kashyap.

“It is interesting that I used my body movement in a certain way to express my thoughts in the film because I am playing a mute character. In theatre, we have learnt the same — how to use our body language to express. So, I think my training in theatre actually helped me to act in this film,” said the actress.

Mukkabaaz is releasing on January 12.

Fresh from their recent triumph over the West Indies, New Zealand will aim to continue the momentum when they host Pakistan in the first of a five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Basin Reserve here on Saturday.

Pakistan, on the other hand, arrive in New Zealand for the limited-overs series — the five ODIs will be followed by three Twenty20 Internationals — after whitewashing Sri Lanka 5-0 in an ODI series in the United Arab Emirates.

Going into the opening match, despite missing the services of all-rounder Doug Bracewell, who was ruled out of the first two matches, the hosts will bank on skipper Kane Williamson, veteran Martin Guptill and Colin Munro, who became the only player to score three T20I centuries with a ton against the West Indies.

All of Tom Latham, the wicketkeeper-batsman, Todd Astle and Henry Nicholls are set to return to the side, having not played in the T20Is against the West Indies.

Latham finished as New Zealand’s third-highest run scorer in ODIs in 2017, behind Williamson and Ross Taylor.

Pakistan could also be troubled by the Kiwi pace attack, led by Tim Southee and Trent Boult, as they attempt to make the most of home conditions. The likes of Matt Henry, Mitchell Santer, and Lockie Ferguson should also prove a handful.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have the arsenal to match the hosts shot-for-shot, especially given the return of Mohammed Amir, who would pair-up with Hasan Ali, the top-ranked ODI bowler.

Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam — their top run-scorer in ODIs in 2017 — form the batting core, with Fakhar Zaman, the opening batsman, capable of giving the visitors a brisk start, along the lines of that match-defining century in the Champions Trophy 2017 final.

Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed will also lead a fairly young bunch on the tour, including Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, the spinners, and Imam-ul-Haq, the 22-year-old opening batsman and nephew of former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The last time these two sides competed against each other was in January 2016, when Pakistan visited New Zealand for a limited-overs series.

On that occasion, New Zealand won the three-match ODI series 2-0. That series had also marked the return of Amir to international cricket, following his five-year ban.

Teams:
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (Captain), Todd Astle, George Worker, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (WK), Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (Captain & WK), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for nearly 200 projects worth more than Rs 300 crore in this district as part of his state-wide “Vikas Samiksha Yatra”.

The Chief Minister visited Raghopur village, which falls under a block of the same name, in the north Bihar district where he launched 198 projects worth Rs 304 crore before addressing a public meeting.

Among the projects inaugurated by Kumar was a solar-powered mini water supply system involving a modest cost of Rs 36.91 lakh.

The Chief Minister also interacted with women associated with self-help groups and urged them to spread awareness about his government’s drive against dowry and child marriage.

At the public meeting, the Chief Minister said Bihar was the first state where women were provided 50 per cent reservation in Panchayat and civic body polls, besides 35 per cent quota for the fair sex in police jobs.

“During my visit to various districts as part of Vikas Samiksha Yatra, I am given a guard of honour mostly by women police personnel. This highlights the change that has come in the society”, he said.

The Chief Minister also urged the people of the state to “educate your children without worrying about the expenses involved as the state government is there to provide you with all necessary assistance”.

“We have come up with a students’ credit card scheme so that young boys and girls may pursue their studies without having to trouble their guardians for money. Under this scheme, we will be providing loans up to Rs four lakh to every student”, Kumar said.

“Banks have not been up to the mark in facilitating this scheme hence a decision has been taken to set up a state finance commission through which 12th pass boys and girls will be provided with loans”, he added.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the improvement in law and order situation as well as the standard of living of common people in the aftermath of his government’s radical step of banning sale and consumption of alcohol.

Besides the Chief Minister, the public meeting was addressed by Deputy Chairman of Bihar Legislative Council Mohd Haroon Rashid, state ministers Vijendra Prasad Yadav and Ramesh Rishidev and MLAs Aniruddh Prasad Yadav, Neeraj Kumar Bablu and Beema Bharti.

Iran and Pakistan held talks on defence cooperation following US President Donald Trump’s Twitter spree voicing support for the anti-government riots in Tehran and lashing out at Islamabad for supporting terrorists.

Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Ali Hatami hailed growing cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir-Khan on Thursday, Press TV reported on Friday.

“The latest developments in the region and in the Islamic world necessitate more interactions among officials of Iran and Pakistan, as two major countries in the Muslim world,” Hatami said.

“The Americans always blame the others for their own failures in different parts of the world and they pursue the strategy of the Zionist regime (of Israel) to destabilize the region.

Hatami blamed the “evil and stupid policies of the US” as the root cause of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent civilians in Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

“Iran and Pakistan should utilize such capacity to enhance their economic growth and security, said Hatami, pointing to the potentials for military cooperation between the two nations.

The Pakistani Defence Minister welcomed the promotion of military cooperation with Iran with regard to the regional issues. Dastgir-Khan also criticised Trump’s tweets against Pakistan and underlined the importance of the Muslim nations’ sovereign right to provide their own security.

Trump posted a series of tweets earlier this week, in which he voiced support for anti-government protestors in Iran and bashed Pakistan for lying and harbouring terrorists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite cook in Varanasi, Pradeep Kumar Malhotra, died on Friday following a brain haemorrhage, his family said.

Whenever Modi visited his Lok Sabha constituency and stayed at the Diesel Locomotive Works Guest House, he would have Malhotra cook for him, informed sources said.

The Prime Minister was said to fond of Malhotra’s cooking — right from ginger tea to Gujarati dishes and soups, salads and some known Kashi dishes like bedai and subzi and Banarsi ras malai.

Malhotra hailed from Rajasthan but made Varanasi his home in 1963 when his father was transferred here.

He was appointed the Canteen Manager in 1966 and soon became a favourite for many VVIPs who stayed in the guest house. He retired in 2005 but was given a service extension in view of his exemplary service record, an official said.

Sahara Force India on Friday announced Nicholas Latifi as the teams reserve and test driver for the 2018 season.

The 22-year-old Canadian, a race winner and nine-time F2 podium finisher in 2017, will take part in young driver test sessions and participate in a number of Friday practice sessions at Grand Prix events.

Nicholas Latifi said: “I’m really excited about the opportunity. Sahara Force India is a team that has shown constant improvement for the last few years and I’m proud to become a part of one of the success stories of Formula One. I am eager to show the team what I can do and help them as they continue to close the gap to the front of the grid.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director of Sahara Force India, said: “Nicholas joins us off the back of a strong season in F2 and strengthens our driver development programme. He will support our simulator programme and work with the team during a number of Friday practice sessions next year.

“We have a long track record of bringing on young talented drivers and Nicholas will learn a huge amount as he gets embedded in the team, and looks forward to a career in Formula One.”

Huawei’s online-brand Honor on Friday launched a fitness band dubbed Honor “Band A2” in India for Rs. 2,499.

The Honor Band A2 sports a 0.96-inch multi-touch screen OLED display with “lift-to-wake up” feature. It comes with continuous heart rate tracker which uses intelligent algorithms to accurately calculate heart rate data, the company claimed.

The device also lets the users detect and track their sleep status.

It comes with features such as interactive call and message reminder, water resistance and up to nine days of battery life and 18 days of stand-by time.

“The Honor Band A2 is the best in category wearable gadget with smart health and notification features. It is more than just a simple fitness band that not only helps you live a healthy lifestyle but also stay updated on the social front as well,” P Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group, said in a statement.

The Honor Band A2 is priced at Rs. 2,499. It will go on sale starting January 8 and will be exclusively available for purchase through Amazon. It only comes in a Black finish.

(Written with inputs from IANS)

Film: Pitch Perfect 3

Director: Trish Sie

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, John Lithgow, DJ Khaled and Ruby Rose

Rating: **

“Age wrinkles the body and quitting wrinkles the soul,” enthusiastically blurted by one of the Bellas simply puts into perspective the continuation of this series. Five years after its first appearance as a teen musical to impose its voice in the panorama of adolescent cinema, this series seems to lose its sheen.

In 2012, when Pitch Perfect was released, the Bellas, an-all female A Cappella (singing without instrumental accompaniment) group from Barden University in the US made its appearance in a singing competition, they were marvelled at and hence Pitch Perfect 2 was an organic expectation. Pitch Perfect 2 was able to prolong the achievements of the first and give the team a new dimension by expanding their ambitions. But the third instalment, with its cardboard thin plot, seems like a lazy automation of sequels.

The film begins with an action-packed sequence on a yacht somewhere off the coast of France and then flashes back three weeks earlier to give us an insight into what led to that disastrous incident. It is three years after their last performance. The Bellas have graduated university and moved on in the real world trying to find a foothold in various careers. So when Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), now a senior at Barden and leader of a group, invites the Bellas for a performance, they are all excited. But upon arriving at the event, they are told that the reunion wasn’t for the Bellas to sing together, but to watch Emily perform with the new Bellas.

Disappointed at the turn of events, they realize that their lives are miserable without being part of the team. So when Aubrey (Anna Camp) tells them about the overseas, “four country-four days” performance accessed by her Army officer father, they agree to participate. On arriving at the venue, they realise that the performance in actuality is a competition where the winner gets to open for the renowned DJ Khaled. The others in the competition are the all-female rock band Evermoist helmed by the striking Australian actress Ruby Rose, a western-country band and a hip-hop duo.

Between the musical numbers and romantic flirtations, the Bellas are forced to deal with Fat Amy’s long estranged father (John Lithgow), whose desire to reconnect with his daughter has ulterior motives. In general, the script by Kay Cannon and Mike White, tries to be very different, injecting family aspects, action sequences and in a military setting. They are all half-heartedly induced making the plot seem like too much of a departure from its predecessors.

The humour may appeal to the fans of this trilogy, but many of them are sadly just repeats from past films. The only saving grace is the performance of the cast and their group chemistry, despite the romance tracks being perfunctory. Overall, despite its excellently performed and choreographed song-and-dance numbers and decent technical and production values, director Trish Sie, who in 2014 had given us Step Up: All In, fails to impress us with this film.

The West Bengal government on Friday launched its official emblem in a programme at Nabanna on Friday, two days after getting the approval from the central government.

The official emblem is conceptualised and designed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Terming the occasion as “historic”, she said the state emblem – the “Biswa Bangla” logo with Ashoka Pillar of the national emblem – would be used in all the official works and documents of the Bengal government from now on.

Banerjee took to Twitter saying, “Bengal begins a new journey today with a new identity”.

#Bengal begins a new journey today with a new identity. The own official emblem of the State Government was launched today from a programme at Nabanna, the state headquarters. My FB post: https://t.co/FlB6udaEh7 pic.x.com/Kt1jSrsO6s

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 5, 2018

“Today we have launched the official emblem of the Government of West Bengal. This is a historical moment. This is a new feather in the state’s crown,” Banerjee said after launching emblem at the state secretariat Nabanna.

“We will use this emblem in all the government works and documents from now on. It can be used immediately after issuing the official notification from today. But materialising the process across all the departments would take some time,” she said.

Taking a swipe at the previous state governments for not making a move in this regard, the Trinamool Congress supremo said every state should have its individuality and rued that it took Bengal 70 years after the country’s independence to finally get its own emblem.

“Some states already have their own emblem but no one here thought about it before. As soon as it came to our notice, we approved the design by a local expert committee here and sent it for central approval. It took quite a long time. But better late than never,” she said.

Controversy behind logo

However, Bengal’s Biswa Bangla logo triggered controversy after Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee applied for a patent for the logo. BJP leader Mukul Roy alleged that the logo is being used for private interest and not as a government one.

(with agency inputs)