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C. Joseph Vijay, professionally known as Vijay, is an Indian film actor and playback singer who works in Tamil cinema. He is one of the highest paid actors in Tamil cinema.Vijay is referred to by fans and media as Thalapathy (commander).Vijay at the age of ten marked his childhood cinematic debut in drama Vetri (1984), he continued to perform as child artist in films till Ithu Engal Neethi (1988), directed by his father S. A. Chandrasekhar. He then featured in the film Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) in lead role at the age of eighteen also directed by his father, but he received his breakthrough in the film Poove Unakkaga (1996), which was directed by Vikraman.To date, he has acted in 62 films as a lead actor and has won numerous awards including notable three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, one Cosmopolitan Award, one Indiatoday Award, one SIIMA Award, eight Vijay Awards, three Edison Awards, two Vikatan Awards and one National Award UK.As a playback singer, Vijay has sung 32 songs to date, starting with Bombay City (1994) to Papa Papa (2017). He also garnered global attention for his singing work in Selfie Pulla (2014) topping the charts across Europe.In addition to his acting and singing career, he is also a dancer known for his signature dance steps in his films.Some of his film works were screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival China, Melbourne International Film Festival Australia and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival South Korea.Vijay was born on 22 June 1974 as Joseph Vijay in Madras (now Chennai). He is a Roman Catholic. He received his first Holy Communion at a church in Chennai.His father S. A. Chandrasekhar is a Tamil film director and his mother Shoba is a playback singer and carnatic vocalist. He had a sister Vidhya, who died when she was two years old. Vidhya's death affected Vijay very much. It has been said by his mother that Vijay, who was very talkative, naughty and hyperactive as a child, became silent after Vidhya's death.His sibling Vidhya's story is depicted in the 2005 film Sukran, where Vijay played an extended cameo.Vijay spent his entire childhood in Chennai. He did his schooling initially in Fathima Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Kodambakkam and later joined Balalok Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Virugambakkam and went on to pursue a degree in Visual Communications from Loyola College, though he eventually dropped out as he was more interested in pursuing acting.Vijay married a fan of his,Sangeetha Sornalingam, a Hindu British Sri Lankan Tamil, on 25 August 1999.They have two children, a son Jason Sanjay born in 2000 in London and a daughter Divya Shasha born in 2005 in Chennai.Jason Sanjay made a cameo appearance with his father in Vettaikaaran (2009) and Divya Shasha portrayed a small role as her father's pre-teen daughter in Theri (2016).

A founding member of hip-hop group The Fugees and a Malaysian businessman have been charged with making illegal contributions in the 2012 US presidential election campaign. Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, allegedly transferred more than $21m (£16m) to musician Prakazrel Michel to make the payments. Mr Michel has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, also denies any involvement. Both men have been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US government. Mr Michel has been charged with one count of a scheme to conceal material facts and two counts of making a false entry in a record. Mr Low's payments were allegedly made during June and November 2012. Mr Michel reportedly paid $865,000 to around 20 people so that they could make donations in their names to a presidential joint fundraising committee. He also allegedly made more than $1m in donations to a political committee in his name. Court documents claim that they aimed to "gain access" to one of the presidential candidates, named as "Candidate A". Mr Michel was known to be a strong supporter of Barack Obama, who was re-elected president in that year. Mr Michel's attorney Barry Pollack said: "Mr. Michel is extremely disappointed that so many years after the fact the government would bring charges related to the 2012 campaign contributions. Mr Michel is innocent of these charges and looks forward to having the case heard by a jury." A spokesperson for Mr Low said: "The allegations against Mr Low have no basis in fact. Mr Low has never made any campaign contributions directly or indirectly in the US and he unequivocally denies any involvement in or knowledge of the alleged activities." Mr Low is facing separate criminal charges in the US in connection with a financial scandal in Malaysia. He is accused of being involved in the alleged theft of around $4.5bn from Malaysia's investment fund 1MDB.

Irfan Yaseen Khan (born 7 January 1967), also credited as simply Irrfan, is an Indian film actor, known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema, as well as his works in British films and Hollywood.In a film career spanning almost thirty years and featuring in more than fifty domestic films, Khan has received numerous awards, including a National Film Award and Filmfare Awards in four categories. Film critics, contemporaries and other experts consider him to be one of the finest actors in Indian cinema for his versatile and natural acting.In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour for his contribution to the field of arts.Domestically, he made his screen debut with the Academy Award-nominated film Salaam Bombay! (1988). Followed by a series of roles in films that failed to propel his career forward, he received critical acclaim for playing negative roles in the drama films Haasil (2003) and Maqbool (2004), for the former he won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. The successful drama Life in a... Metro (2007) marked a turning point in Khan's career, earning him praise and several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He rose to prominence with his portrayal of Paan Singh Tomar in the acclaimed biographical sports drama Paan Singh Tomar (2011), which garnered him the National Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.His performance in the BAFTA Award-nominated romance The Lunchbox (2013) earned him universal acclaim by the critics and audiences. Khan went on to feature in the commercially and critically successful films Haider (2014), Gunday (2014), Piku (2015) and Talvar (2015). His highest-grossing Hindi release came with the critically acclaimed comedy-drama Hindi Medium (2017), which became a sleeper hit in India and China, which ranks among highest-grossing Indian films of all time and earned him praise for his performance, winning several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Globally, Khan has worked in several international projects such as The Warrior (2001), The Namesake (2006), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), New York, I Love You (2009), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Life of Pi (2012), Jurassic World (2015) and Inferno (2016). As of 2017, his films have grossed $3.643 billion at the worldwide box office.In 2018, Khan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor.Khan was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, to a Muslim Pashtun family. Khan's mother, Begum Khan, was from the Tonk Hakim family, and his father, the late Jagirdar Khan, was from the Khajuriya village near the Tonk district, and ran a tire business.Irrfan was good at cricket, having been selected for the CK Nayudu Tournament (for emerging players under 23 years, a stepping stone to First Class cricket). He did not turn up for the tournament owing to lack of funds.Khan was studying for his MA degree when he earned a scholarship to study at National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi in 1984.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has exonerated a Cree leader who was convicted in 1885 on a charge of "treason-felony". Chief Poundmaker was wrongfully accused as being one of the instigators in a brief rebellion against the Canadian government. He is now remembered as a diplomat and peacemaker during a turbulent time in the country's history. The apology comes after a long campaign to formally clear his name. On Thursday, at a ceremony on the Poundmaker Cree Nation, about 200km (125 miles) northwest of Saskatoon, Mr Trudeau said Canada recognises "that during his lifetime, Chief Poundmaker was not treated justly nor showed the respect he deserved as a leader of his people". The prime minister called Poundmaker - or Pitikwahanapiwiyin in Cree - "a peacemaker who never stopped fighting for peace, a leader who, time and time again, sought to prevent further loss of life in the growing conflict in the prairies". Former Poundmaker Cree Nation chief Blaine Favel called the apology a step towards reconciliation and said it "makes the history of Canada that much more rich". Poundmaker was a leader during a period of growing insecurity and rapid change among the Metis, First Nations peoples, and settlers living in Canada's prairies. First Nations peoples were becoming increasingly disillusioned at the government's failure to live up to recent treaty commitments, including promises of rations. Meanwhile, a Metis-led rebellion in the region over land concerns had led to outbreaks of violence. The film in a language only 20 people speak Indian Relay rallies Canada's First Nation communities At the time, in March 1885, Chief Poundmaker travelled with a delegation from his reserve to nearby Fort Battleford and its neighbouring village to ask for overdue government rations. Due to the unrest, the inhabitants had holed up in the barracks and government officials refused to leave the safety of the fort to meet with Poundmaker. Frustrated, his men are alleged to have ransacked the village despite the chief's protests. "Chief Poundmaker and his people came to be viewed as a threat," Mr Trudeau said. In retaliation, over 300 Canadian militiamen - led by Lt Col William Otter - set off to attack Poundmaker's camp. The Battle of Cut Knife Hill lasted some seven hours. Facing stiff resistance, Lt Col Otter eventually called for a retreat. Poundmaker is credited with preventing the warriors from pursuing retreating militiamen, saving countless lives and preventing further bloodshed. After the battle, and following a failed attempt to negotiate a peace agreement in an effort to prevent further reprisals, he was arrested and put on trial for treason. He was convicted, and sentenced to three years in jail. He maintained his innocence. Poundmaker was released after serving a year in jail due to deteriorating health and died four months after. His prosecution was part of an effort by the Canadian government to suppress further armed conflicts and exert more control over the indigenous peoples in the region, and secure its push to settle the west.

Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (born 12 December 1950), known by his mononymous stage name Rajinikanth, is an Indian film actor who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He began acting in plays while working in the Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor. In 1973, he joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting. Following his debut in K. Balachander's drama Apoorva Raagangal (1975), his acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films. After earning ₹26 crore (equivalent to ₹59 crore or US$8.5 million in 2018) for his role in Sivaji (2007), he was the highest-paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan at the time. While working in other regional film industries of India, Rajinikanth has also appeared in the cinemas of other nations, including the American film Bloodstone (1988). As of 2018, Rajinikanth has won six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards—four Best Actor Awards and two Special Awards for Best Actor—and a Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award. In addition to acting, he has also worked as a producer and screenwriter. Apart from his film career, he is also a philanthropist, spiritualist, and serves as an influence in Dravidian politics. The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for his contributions to the arts. At the 45th International Film Festival of India (2014), he was conferred with the "Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year".Rajinikanth was born on 12 December 1950, in a Maratha family in Bangalore, Mysore State (present day Karnataka).His mother was a housewife, and his father Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, a police constable,He was named Shivaji Rao Gaekwad after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a Maratha warrior King, and was brought up speaking Marathi at home and Kannada outside.Rajinikanth's ancestors hailed from Mavadi Kadepathar, Pune, Maharashtra and Nachikuppam, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu.He is the youngest of four siblings in a family consisting of two elder brothers (Satyanarayana Rao and Nageshwara Rao) and a sister (Aswath Balubhai).After his father's retirement from work in 1956, the family moved to the suburb of Hanumantha nagar in Bangalore and built a house there.When he was nine years old, he lost his mother.At the age of six, Rajinikanth was enrolled at the "Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School" where he had his primary education.As a child, he was studious and "mischievous" with a great interest in cricket, football and basketball. It was during this time that his brother enrolled him at the Ramakrishna Math, a Hindu monastery (math) set up by Ramakrishna Mission. In the math, he was taught Vedas, tradition and history, which eventually instilled a sense of spirituality in him.In addition to spiritual lessons, he also began acting in plays at the math. His aspiration towards theatre grew at the math and was once given an opportunity to enact the role of Ekalavya's friend from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. His performance in the play received praise from the audience and Kannada poet D. R. Bendre in particular.After sixth grade, Rajinikanth was enrolled at the Acharya Pathasala Public School and studied there till completion of his pre-university course.During his schooling at the Acharya Pathasala, he spent a lot of time acting in plays. In one such occasion, he performed the villainous role of Duryodhana in the play Kurukshetra (Anand iya Vaalka).Upon completion of his school education, Rajinikanth continued to perform various jobs in the cities of Bangalore and Madras, including that of a coolie and carpenter,and finally ended up being recruited in the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) as a bus conductor.He began to take part in stage plays after Kannada playwright Topi Muniappa offered him a chance to act in one of his mythological plays. During the time, he came across an advertisement issued by the newly formed Madras Film Institute which offered acting courses.Though his family was not fully supportive of his decision to join the institute, his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur motivated him to join the institute and financially supported him during this phase. During his stay at the institute, he was performing in a stage play and got noticed by Tamil film director K. Balachander.The director advised him to learn to speak Tamil, a recommendation that Rajinikanth quickly followed.

Kamal Haasan (born Parthasarathy Srinivasan on 7 November 1954), is an Indian film actor, dancer, film director, screenwriter, producer, playback singer, lyricist and politician who works primarily in Tamil cinema. Kamal has won awards including four National Film Awards, the second-most by any Indian actor, and nineteen Filmfare Awards. His production company, Raaj Kamal Films International, has produced several of his films. He started his career as a child artist in the 1960 Tamil language film Kalathur Kannamma, for which he won the President's Gold Medal. He met director Vaaranam Vijay who is frequently credited for shaping Kamal's acting skills. His breakthrough as a lead actor came in the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K.Balachander, in which he played a rebellious youth who falls in love with an older woman. He won his first National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who cares for a woman who suffers from retrograde amnesia in Moondram Pirai (1983). He was noted for his performances in Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) and S. Shankar's vigilante film Indian (1996), which saw him playing dual roles of a father and a son. Since then he has appeared in films including Hey Ram (2000), Virumaandi (2004), Vishwaroopam (2013) which were his own productions and Dasavathaaram (2008) in which he played ten roles. Kamal Haasan was awarded the Kalaimamani award in 1979, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) in 2016.On February 21, 2018, Kamal Haasan formally launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (lit. People's Justice Centre). The party's flag displays six joined hands in a circle in alternate red and white colours with a white star at its centre in a black background.Kamal Haasan was born on 7 November 1954, to D. Srinivasan, who was a lawyer, and Rajalakshmi, who was a housewife.His brothers, Charuhasan and Chandrahasan, have also acted.Kamal's sister, Nalini (born 1946), is a classical dancer.He received his primary education in Paramakudi before moving to Madras (now Chennai) as his brothers pursued their higher education.Kamal continued his education in Santhome, Madras, and was attracted towards film and fine arts as encouraged by his father.When a physician friend of his mother, visited Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar (AVM) to treat his wife, she brought Kamal with her.Apparently impressed by his demeanor AVM's son, M. Saravanan, recommended him for their production Kalathur Kannamma.Kamal won the Rashtrapathi Award (President's Gold Medal) for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at age four and starred in five more films as a child. He debuted in the Malayalam film industry with Kannum Karalum (1962). Upon his father's encouragement, he joined a repertory company (T. K. S. Nataka Sabha) headed by T. K. Shanmugam. In the meanwhile, he continued his education at the Hindu Higher Secondary School in Triplicane. His time with the theatre company shaped Kamal's craft and kindled his interest in makeup.

Narendra Modi has scored a resounding victory in the Indian general election, securing a second five-year term. The Soutik Biswas looks at the main takeaways. 1. The second landside is all about Narendra Modi India's polarising prime minister made this an election all about himself. He should have faced some anti-incumbency. Joblessness has risen to a record high, farm incomes have plummeted and industrial production has slumped. Many Indians were hit hard by the currency ban (also known as demonetisation), which was designed to flush out undeclared wealth, and there were complaints about what critics said was a poorly-designed and complicated uniform sales tax. The results prove that people are not yet blaming Mr Modi for this. On the stump, the prime minister repeatedly told people that he needed more than five years to undo more than "60 years of mismanagement". Voters agreed to give him more time. Many Indians seem to believe that Mr Modi is a kind of messiah who will solve all their problems. A survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), a Delhi-based think tank, a third of BJP voters said they would have supported another party if Mr Modi was not the prime ministerial candidate. "This tells you how much this vote was for Mr Modi, more than the BJP. This election was all about Mr Modi's leadership above all else," Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, told me. In a sense, Mr Modi's second successive landslide win echoes Ronald Reagan's abiding po[CENSORED]rity as US president in the 1980s, when he somehow escaped blame for his country's economic woes. Reagan was called the Great Communicator and for being a "teflon" president whose mistakes never stuck to him. Mr Modi enjoys a similar reputation. What is Modi's record in office? The Hindu foot soldier who became PM Modi: The man who wants 900m votes India's election - as it happened Many say Mr Modi has made India's elections more presidential. But strong prime ministers have often overshadowed their parties - Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Indira Gandhi are some obvious examples. "There is no question that Mr Modi is the most po[CENSORED]r politician in India since Indira Gandhi. He is peerless when it comes to the national stage at the present," says Dr Vaishnav. The 2014 win was partly a vote in anger against the corruption-tainted Congress party. Thursday's win is an affirmation for Mr Modi. He has become the first leader since 1971 to secure a single party majority twice in a row. "This is a victory for Modi and his vision of a new India," says Mahesh Rangarajan, a professor of history at Ashoka University. 2. A cocktail of development and nationalism worked A combination of nationalist rhetoric, subtle religious polarisation and a slew of welfare programmes helped Mr Modi to coast to a second successive win. In a bitter and divisive campaign, Mr Modi effortlessly fused nationalism and development. He created binaries: the nationalists (his supporters) versus the anti-nationals (his political rivals and critics); the watchman (Modi himself, protecting the country on "land, air, and outer space") versus the entitled and the corrupt (an obvious dig at the main opposition Congress party). India's full election results and map Election results: What happened? Aligned to this, deftly, was the promise of development. Mr Modi's targeted welfare schemes for the poor - homes, toilets, credit, cooking gas - have used technology for speedy delivery. However, the quality of these services and how much they have helped ameliorate deprivation is debatable. Mr Modi also mined national security and foreign policy as vote-getters in a manner never seen in a general election in recent history.After a suicide attack - claimed by Pakistan-based militants - which killed more than 40 Indian paramilitaries in disputed Kashmir and the retaliatory air strike against Pakistan in the run-up to the election, Mr Modi successfully convinced the masses that the country would be secure if he remained in power. People having no obvious interest in foreign policy - farmers, traders, labourers - told us during our campaign travels that India had won the respect of the outside world under Mr Modi. "It is all right if there's little development, but Modi is keeping the nation secure and keeping India's head high," a voter in the eastern city of Kolkata told me. 3. Modi's win signals a major shift in politics Mr Modi's persona has become larger than his cadre-based party, and a symbol of hope and aspiration for many. Under Mr Modi and his powerful aide Amit Shah, the BJP has developed into a ruthless party machine. "The geographical expansion of the BJP is a very significant development," says Mahesh Rangarajan. Traditionally, the BJP has found its strongest support in India's populous Hindi-speaking states in the north. (Of the 282 seats the party won in 2014, 193 came from these states.) The exceptions are Gujarat, Mr Modi's home state and a BJP bastion, and Maharashtra, where the BJP has governed in alliance with a local party. But since Mr Modi became PM, the BJP has formed governments in key north-eastern states like Assam and Tripura, which are primarily Assamese and Bengali-speaking. And in this election, the BJP - where it contested more seats than the Congress - has emerged as a force to reckon with in non-Hindi speaking states like Orissa and West Bengal in the east. The party's modest presence in southern India still doesn't make it a truly pan-Indian party like the Congress of yore, but the BJP is moving towards it. Twenty years ago when it was in power under Atal Behari Vajpayee, the BJP seemed content being the first among equals - the largest party in a group of parties which tried to run a stable government. Under Mr Modi, the BJP commands an overwhelming majority in parliament as the first party, and there are no equals. He and Amit Shah have adopted an aggressive take-no-prisoners style of politics. The party is not a seasonal machine that comes alive during elections. It appears to be in permanent political campaign mode. Political scientist Suhas Palshikar believes India could be moving towards a one-party dominant state like the Congress in the past. He calls it the "second dominant party system", with the BJP leading the pack, and the main opposition Congress remaining "weak and nominal" and the regional parties losing ground. 4. Nationalism and yearning for a strongman played a key role Mr Modi's strident nationalism as a main campaign plank seems to have overruled the more pressing economic problems facing voters. Some analysts believe that under Mr Modi, India could be inching towards a more "ethnic democracy", which requires the "mobilisation of the majority in order to preserve the ethnic nation".This would look more like Israel which sociologist Sammy Smooha characterised as a state that "endeavours to combine an ethnic identity (Jewish) and a parliamentary system drawing its inspiration from Western Europe". Will Hindu nationalism become the default mode of Indian politics and society? It will not be easy - India thrives on diversity. Hinduism is a diverse faith. Social and linguistic differences hold India together. Democracy is an additional glue. The BJP's strand of strident Hindu nationalism, conflating Hinduism and patriotism, may not appeal to all Indians. "There's no other place in the world where diversity is so spectral and a drive to homogenise so fraught," says Prof Rangarajan. Also India's shift to the right is not unique to India - it's happening with the new right in the Republican Party in the US, and the central ground of French and German politics has shifted rightwards. India's rightward shift is clearly part of a wider trend where the nature of nationalism is being redefined and cultural identity is being given renewed emphasis. How valid are fears that India is sliding into a majoritarian state under Mr Modi? He is not the first leader to be called a fascist and authoritarian by his critics; Mrs Gandhi was called both when she suspended civil liberties and imposed the Emergency in the mid-1970s. People voted her out after two years. Mr Modi is a strongman, and people possibly love him for that. A 2017 report by the CSDS showed that respondents who supported democracy in India had dropped from 70% to 63% between 2005 and 2017. A Pew report in 2017 found that 55% of respondents backed a "governing system in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference from parliament or the courts". But the yearning for a strongman is not unique to India. Look at Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro or Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. 5. India's Grand Old Party faces an existential crisis The Congress has suffered a second successive drubbing but for now is likely to remain the second largest party nationally. But it's way behind the BJP and is facing a major crisis: the shrinking of its geographical space. In Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal, India's most populous region, the party is virtually non-existent. The party is invisible in southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the industrially developed west of India, the party last won a state election in Gujarat in 1990, and hasn't been in power in Maharashtra since Mr Modi became PM. Several questions are going to be asked after a second successive general election debacle. How can the party become more acceptable to more allies? How will the party be run? How does the party reduce its dependence on the Gandhi dynasty and open itself to younger leaders? (The Congress is still a party of second and third generation leaders in several states.) How does Congress build a grassroots network of workers to take on the BJP? "The Congress will likely muddle along, as it has in the last several election cycles. It is not a party known for deep introspection. But there are enough two-party states in India where the Congress is at odds with the BJP to create a floor for the Congress," says Milan Vaishnav. Political scientist Yogendra Yadav, who's also a politician these days, believes the Congress has outlived its utility and "must die". But parties are capable of reinvention and renewal. Only the future will tell whether the Congress can rebuild itself from the ruins. 6. A mixed future for India's regional parties In the bellwether state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends more MPs to parliament than any other, the BJP is looking at a repeat of its stunning 2014 performance when it won 71 of 80 seats. It is one of India's most socially divided and economically disadvantaged states. This time, Mr Modi's party was expected to face stiff competition from a formidable alliance of powerful regional parties, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which was aptly named the "mahagatbandhan" or grand alliance. Mr Modi's charisma and chemistry appear to have triumphed over the hard-nosed "social arithmetic" forged by these two regional parties who have always counted on the faithful votes of a section of lower caste Indians and untouchables (formerly known as Dalits). That faith is now broken, and it also proves that caste arithmetic is not immutable. India's regional parties must now rethink their strategies and offer a more compelling economic and social vision. Otherwise, more and more of their own voters will abandon them.

The family of a 10-year-old Pakistani girl who was abducted and murdered have said they were ignored by police when they tried to report her missing. They say police told them the child might have eloped, and they were made to carry out errands for officers Farishta vanished in Islamabad on 15 May and a body believed to be hers was found on 20 May. Police are investigating if she was raped and tortured, and protests are being held to demand justice. The individual police officers involved deny wrongdoing. Hundreds protested in central Islamabad on Tuesday calling for justice. The case has been compared to the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari in January 2018 - which sparked outrage and protests across the country. Calls for action are being made on social media, under the hashtag #JusticeFor Farishta. What do the family say? "The police didn't help us at all," Farishta's father at Tuesday's protest, which blocked a major intersection. "They would ask me to clean their office, to move their furniture, and to go get fruit for their Iftar [fast-breaking] dinner from the market. "I was so distressed during those [four] days that I couldn't tell night from day." On Wednesday, a case was formally registered against several police officials, alleging negligence. The chief of Shahzad Town police station, Muhammad Abbas Rana, has been suspended. But he defended his and his officers' conduct, saying they had pursued the case and interviewed the family and neighbours on 16 May. He said the family were responsible for the delays in registering the case and that they did not follow it up properly. He denied they had been made to clean the police station. Separately three people have been arrested in connection with Farishta's disappearance, Dawn newspaper reports. The city haunted by a spate of child killings Pakistan hangs six-year-old Zainab's killer A formal investigation was only launched on Sunday after a politician raised the case with the inspector general of Islamabad police. The mutilated body of Farishta was found the following evening, triggering complaints that her life could have been saved had the police acted promptly. Mr Nabi said that Mr Abbas Rana had initially refused to register a case - known as an FIR - telling him that his daughter might have "eloped with someone of her own free will". Mr Rana denied this. Farishta went missing on Wednesday 15 May after she went out to play in the eastern Islamabad neighbourhood where her family lives. She did not return as expected when the evening call for prayer began at the local mosque - signalling the breaking of the daily fast. At that time, families gather for a meal known as Iftar - and Farishta's absence triggered a panic. After scouring the neighbourhood and checking with friends, her family went to the police to file a missing person report.On Monday evening, their worst fears were realised when Farishta's body was found. After being told that the doctor meant to conduct the autopsy was on leave - and so it would be delayed - the family decided to stage a sit-in at the hospital. They were joined by leaders and activists from the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), a group which advocates for the rights of Pakistan's minority Pashtun community, to which Farishta's family belongs. The Pakistani brides being trafficked to China The long road to justice for student stabbed 23 times They come from Mohmand, in north-west Pakistan, and are among tens of thousands of families displaced by Pakistan's war on terror in that region. "The dead body lying in this coffin is not just mine but everybody's daughter," said Mr Nabi.

Muhammad Yusuf Khan (born December 11, 1922) , better known as Dilip Kumar, is an Indian film actor, who is among the most honored and po[CENSORED]r stars in film history. Po[CENSORED]rly known as The Tragedy King and The First Khan,he has been credited with bringing realism to film acting since his first film and is regarded as one of the greatest actors of world cinema. Kumar debuted as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata (1944), produced by Bombay Talkies. In a career spanning over six decades, Dilip Kumar worked in over 65 films. Kumar is known for roles in films such as the romantic Andaz (1949), the heartwarming Babul (1950), the impassioned Deedar (1951), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), social drama Daag (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Yahudi (1958), Madhumati (1958), Kohinoor (1960), the epic historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960), the social dacoit crime drama Gunga Jamuna (1961), and the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967). In 1976, Dilip Kumar took a five-year break from film performances and returned with a character role in the film Kranti (1981) and continued his career playing leading roles in films such as Shakti (1982), Mashaal (1984), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). His last film was Qila (1998). He has won nine Filmfare Awards and is the first recipient of the Filmfare Best Actor Award (1954). Critics have acclaimed him as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema.Dilip Kumar had a long relationship with actress Madhubala but never married her. He married actress Saira Bano in 1966. He and his wife currently live in the Bandra suburb of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra in India.Kumar was born Mohammad Yusuf Khan to Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Ali Khan in a Muslim Hindkowan-Punjabi Awan family of 12 children on 11 December 1922 at home in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar, British India (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). His father was a landlord and fruit merchant who owned orchards in Peshawar and Deolali. Mohammad Yusuf Khan was schooled at Barnes School, Deolali, Nashik.He grew up in the same religiously mixed neighbourhood as Raj Kapoor, his childhood friend, and later his colleague in the film industry.In 1940, while still in his teens and after an altercation with his father, Mohammad Yusuf Khan left home for Pune in Maharashtra. With the help of a Parsi café-owner and an elderly Anglo-Indian couple, Kumar met a canteen contractor. Without letting on his family antecedents, he got the job on the merit of his knowledge of good written and spoken English. He set up a sandwich stall at the army club and when the contract ended, he headed home to Mumbai, having saved Rs. 5000.In 1942, anxious to start a venture to help his father with household finances, he met Dr. Masani at Churchgate Station, who asked him to accompany him to Bombay Talkies, in Malad. There he met actress Devika Rani, owner of Bombay Talkies, who asked him to sign up with the company on a salary of Rs. 1250 per month.There he met actor Ashok Kumar, who influenced his acting style by telling him to act "natural". He also met Sashadhar Mukherjee, and both of these people became close to Kumar over the years. Initially, Kumar helped out in the story-writing and scripting department because of his proficiency in Urdu language. Devika Rani requested him to change his name to Dilip Kumar, and later cast him in a lead role for Jwar Bhata (1944), which marked Kumar's entry into the Hindi film industry.

Malaysian police say a 16-year-old girl killed herself earlier this week, after she asked her Instagram followers whether she should live or die. The Malaysian teenager had hosted a poll on her Instagram story, with the question. "Really Important, Help Me Choose D / L", where D stood for death, while L stood for life, according to police. At one point, the poll showed that 69% of respondents chose D, police say. Malaysian politicians are demanding an investigation, with the youth minister saying: "I am genuinely worried about the state of our youth's mental health." The case raises serious questions about the impact of online bullying, and whether technology companies are doing enough to protect vulnerable users. And it's a global issue - in the UK, the government recently warned it could ban social media firms if they fail to remove harmful content, after a 14-year-old, Molly Russell, took her own life after viewing content about suicide on social media. What should I do if I see someone posting about taking their life? If you think someone you know is in immediate danger, suicide prevention organisations recommend you call the emergency services for help. If they aren't in immediate danger, things you could do include reporting the post, contacting the poster if you know them, and putting them in touch with helplines. "A lot of social media platforms will reach out to users if they post things that suggest they could be in danger," says Dr Lucy Biddle, a medical sociology lecturer at the University of Bristol who has researched suicide-related internet use. She recommends reporting posts you're concerned about so the platform can contact the poster and let them know where they can go for help. Instagram says: "We have a deep responsibility to make sure people using Instagram feel safe and supported. As part of our own efforts, we urge everyone to use our reporting tools and to contact emergency services if they see any behaviour that puts people's safety at risk." On the app, you can tap the three-dot icon and then select "report", followed by "it's inappropriate", and "self-injury". Facebook, which owns Instagram, has previously said that its teams review reports and try to support people with suicidal thoughts, for example, by encouraging people to reach out to their friend, and providing information on suicide or self-harm helplines. Meawhile, Dr Biddle says that if the poster is "someone you know", you could consider talking to them. "Lots of people have this fear about asking someone if they're feeling suicidal, because they think it may make it worse. In fact, that's not the case. It's really important to reach out to someone you're concerned about. It's important not to ignore it or assume that these things are attention-seeking." She adds that, for younger internet users, "if you feel you can't do that, get an adult to do it with you, or for you". Instagram to remove graphic self-harm images Self-harm, suicide and social media Another thing you could do is to encourage them to contact a helpline, for professional support. Papyrus, a youth suicide prevention charity in the UK, says: "If you are worried about someone online, perhaps because of posts they have shared or comments they have made, you could let them know about our helpline, or other avenues of support. You can lead by example by being supportive, informed and aware." Is there a link between internet use and suicide? The Samaritans, a suicide prevention charity, says in its online guidance that "suicide is complex and is rarely caused by one thing". It says that internet use can lead to "both positive and negative outcomes for young people" - with some people finding help and support online, but others consuming content that glamorises or encourages suicide. "There is quite a complex link - internet use can helpful for some people, but very detrimental for others," says Dr Biddle. Online communities, for example, can offer support to people who are thinking about self-harm, but could also "unhelpfully normalise" ideas about self-harm which means they "can't see that they need to seek help", or become isolated from family and friends that can offer real-life support. From her research, which involved interviewing people who used the internet for suicide-related purposes, or were hospitalised after suicide attempts, she also found that "some people saw the internet and social media as a space where they could try out their thoughts with no repercussions, unlike asking someone they knew directly or going to a parent". "I imagine if you get people reinforcing your thoughts about suicide in that way, that could be quite harmful," she says, adding "in all these spaces, you can get trolls that can change the whole nature of a group". Dr Biddle recommends people who want to talk about these issues use "a well-moderated forum, run by an official charity" as a safer space, and to be aware of each platform's community guidelines and how they can flag and block content. Australian media health charity Orygen has also published guidelines about how young people can communicate safely about suicide online, with advice about blocking unsafe content and taking control of what content you see. If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations which offer advice and support, click here. In the UK you can call for free, at any time, to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066. In Malaysia you can get help here.

Saif Ali Khan (born Sajid Ali Khan on 16 August 1970) is an Indian film actor and producer. The son of actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Khan made his acting debut in Yash Chopra's unsuccessful drama Parampara (1993), but achieved success with his roles in the romantic drama Yeh Dillagi and the action film Main Khiladi Tu Anari (both 1994). Khan's career prospect declined through much of the 1990s, and his biggest commercial success of the decade came with the ensemble drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). He rose to prominence with roles in two ensemble comedy-dramas—Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). The 2004 romantic comedy Hum Tum proved to be Khan's first success in which he played the sole male lead, earning him the National Film Award for Best Actor, and starring roles in the drama Parineeta and the romantic comedy Salaam Namaste (both 2005) established him as a leading actor in Bollywood. He earned wide critical praise for his portrayal of a mani[CENSORED]tive businessman in the 2004 thriller Ek Hasina Thi, an apprentice in the 2006 English film Being Cyrus, a character based on William Shakespeare's antagonist Iago in the 2006 crime film Omkara, and a terrorist in the 2009 thriller Kurbaan. Khan's greatest commercial success came with the 2008 thriller Race and its 2013 sequel, the 2009 romance Love Aaj Kal, and the 2012 romantic comedy Cocktail. He followed it by starring in a series of films that under-performed at the box office, but received praise in 2018 for playing a troubled policeman in the Netflix thriller series Sacred Games. Khan is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards, and received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award, in 2010.He has been noted for his performances in a range of film genres—from crime dramas to thrillers and occasional romances—and his film roles have been credited with contributing to a change in the concept of a Hindi film hero. Khan was married to his first wife, Amrita Singh, for thirteen years, after which he married the actress Kareena Kapoor. He has three children—two with Singh and one with Kapoor. In addition to film acting, Khan is a frequent television presenter, stage show performer and the owner of the production company Illuminati Films.Khan was born on 16 August 1970 in New Delhi, India to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a former captain of the Indian national cricket team, and his wife Sharmila Tagore, a film actress.From 1952–71, Pataudi held the title of Nawab of Pataudi, but following his death a pagri ceremony was held in the village of Pataudi, Haryana to crown Khan as the tenth Nawab of Pataudi.Khan has two younger sisters, Saba and actress Soha Ali Khan, and is the paternal grandson of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi who played for the Indian cricket team in England in 1946.Khan is of predominantly Bengali descent on his mother's side, and on his father's side he is of Pathan descent.Speaking about his childhood, Khan said that he was exposed to a "life beyond movies", and his mother described him as someone who was "not an easy child.He was impulsive and spontaneous."As a child, he recalls fond memories of watching his father playing cricket in the garden, and has emphasised his father's education and background as having a lasting impression on how family life was conducted.Khan studied at The Lawrence School, Sanawar in Himachal Pradesh and was later sent to Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire at the age of nine.He next enrolled at Winchester College and explained that "I did not take advantage of my tenure. My classmates went on to Oxford and Cambridge, but I was not academically inclined. When I applied myself, which was not often, I stood first. I should have studied harder."After graduating from the boarding school, Khan returned to India and worked for an advertising firm in Delhi for two months.He later appeared in the television commercial for Gwalior Suiting on the insistence of a family friend, and was subsequently cast by director Anand Mahindroo. The project eventually got cancelled but Khan relocated to Mumbai to pursue a career in film; he recalls, "Finally I had some direction and focus. I remember feeling so excited that I could go to Mumbai, stay in my own place and enjoy the adventure of starting my own career."

Om Prakash Puri, OBE (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi Films, as well as independent and art films. He is best known for his author-backed roles in films like Aakrosh (1980), Arohan (1982), Ardh Satya and television films like Sadgati (1981) and Tamas (1987) and also light-hearted roles in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and Chachi 420 (1997). He had various collaborations with director Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani.Puri also appeared in non-Indian productions in the United States, Britain and Pakistan.Puri was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 1990 and in 2004, was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.Om Puri was born in Ambala in a Punjabi Hindu family. His father, Rajesh Puri, worked on the railways and in the Indian Army.As he had no birth certificate or records, his family was unsure of his date and year of birth, however his mother told him he had been born two days after the Hindu festival Dussehra. When he began his schooling, his uncle chose 9 March 1950 as his "official" birthday, however as an adult when he moved to Mumbai, Puri looked up when Dussehra was celebrated in 1950, to establish his date of birth as 18 October.Puri came from an underprivileged background. When he was six years old, his father who was a railway employee was put behind bars on allegations of theft of cement. This resulted in their family becoming homeless. To make ends meet, Puri's brother, Ved Prakash Puri, worked as a coolie (railway porter) and Puri worked in a local tea shop, did odd jobs, and collected coal from nearby railways tracks to support his family.He and his brother's children were later brought up by a maid servant, Shanti.While working, Puri continued to study. After his primary education, he joined the National School of Drama in Delhi to study theatre acting. A fellow NSD student who became a long-term friend, Naseeruddin Shah, encouraged Puri to follow him to the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.In an interview with The Times of India, Puri later recounted his family was so poor that he did not have a decent shirt to wear when he joined FTII. According to Shah, Puri was disappointed by his education at FTII, and also was unable to pay tuition fees—when he became well-known, the institute followed up the debt of Rs 280, which Puri refused to pay due to the "impish thrill" of owing them money.Puri's first film was Chor Chor Chhup ja, a children's film. During this time, to make ends meet he also worked at the Actors' Studio, where future actors such as Gulshan Grover and Anil Kapoor would be his students.Subsequently, Puri worked in numerous Indian films, as well as many films produced in the United Kingdom and the United States.Puri made his debut in the mainstream films genre in the 1976 Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal,based on a Marathi play of the same name by Vijay Tendulkar.It was directed by K. Hariharan and Mani Kaul in cooperation with 16 graduates of the FTII.He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work.Along with Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil, he was among the main actors who starred in what was then referred to as art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He was critically acclaimed for his performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal in Aakrosh (1980);Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982);a police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982),for which he got the National Film Award for Best Actor; a humble husband in Seepeeyan (1984),Vinod's uncle in Zamana (1985 film) the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in 1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003).

Indonesia held presidential, national and regional elections last month in one of the biggest voting exercises held on a single day anywhere in the world. Now questions are being asked as to whether a deadly price has been paid for this - in the lives of election officials, more than 500 of whom are reported to have died during the vote and in the following days. Media reports say the burden of organising and counting the votes led to exhaustion and death for some of the seven million or so workers who took part. But were the deaths above the average that would be expected in Indonesia for this group of people had there not been an election? How many officials died? The vote on 17 April was a huge logistical exercise with more than 190 million voters taking part in a country made up of 18,000 islands and covering nearly two million square kilometres. The Indonesian election commission there were 7,385,500 personnel involved in running the poll, of whom 5,672,303 were civilian workers. The rest were security personnel guarding polling stations.All the counting was done by hand, and reports suggest it often continued through the night and into the next day to meet deadlines. By 28 April, the election commission said that more than 270 of these election workers had died from overwork-related conditions.. It also said another 1,878 had fallen ill. This death toll was subsequently revised upwards to more than 550. Was the death toll higher than expected? With more than seven million people involved in the poll, you would expect a significant number to die during the poll in line with national death rates. The question is: was this number higher as a result of the election? Well, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Indonesia has a death rate of 7.16 per 1,000 per year (2017 data). So applying that death rate to the figure of seven million election workers, you would expect around 137 people to die daily. Indonesia election: Widodo declares victory amid dispute Horses deliver Indonesian ballot boxes Let's assume that each election official was involved for four days - that would include any preparation, the poll itself and the subsequent counting. Based on the national death rate above, you would expect around 548 people to die during this time. This is pretty much exactly in line with the figure given by the Indonesian election commission. Which groups were most affected? This very approximate calculation does not take into account age, gender, health conditions or other factors. The Indonesian authorities said that most of those who died were workers aged over 50. So you would perhaps expect a higher death rate among election workers than for the overall po[CENSORED]tion. Continuing controversy It is clear that the conditions under which election officials were required to work remains a matter of intense debate - despite there being no clear evidence that more died than would have been expected over a similar period. In a report on election deaths, released by the Indonesian health ministry, it lists a number of health conditions which it says contributed to the deaths, including heart failure, strokes, respiratory problems, meningitis and sepsis. We do not know how many of those who died had pre-existing health issues. Of those admitted to hospital complaining of fatigue and stress, most had worked non-stop for 24 hours or longer to get their vote counts finished.Add to that the fact they may also have spent several days before the vote ensuring everything was ready. The weather was hot in April. although not excessively so. Jesse Hession Grayman of the University of Auckland says that while the number of deaths is unusual compared to the 2014 election when the death toll was 144, more work is needed before reaching a conclusion. "It would need a detailed investigation of the demographic and health profiles of the election workers to see if the numbers fall within expected mortality rates,". The controversy over the deaths has now sparked a debate about health checks being implemented in future for election officials, and the need for proper breaks and management of the workflow. There have also been suggestions that Indonesia should look to other Asian democracies such as India and South Korea, where voting is staggered and technology is used to help record and count votes.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 16, 2018 and for Microsoft Windows on April 30, 2019. The game also features optional toys-to-life elements. The game is set in the Atlas star system. Early on in the game, the player's mothership, Equinox, is ambushed by the Forgotten Legion and crashes on a nearby planet; the captain of the Equinox is taken hostage. The Legion's leader, Grax, is obsessed with an extinct race called the Wardens, who left much of their ancient technology behind. Grax, who wants to use such technology for his own legion, acts as a constant threat that the player must face throughout their journey. Exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version, is the cross over of the Star Fox series, where Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad provide aid to the main Starlink characters while on their mission to hunt down Wolf O'Donnell. Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an action-adventure game third-person perspective set in a fictional star system around the star Atlas. Players pilot spaceships to traverse different parts of the Atlas system, both in outer space and within a planets atmosphere. Within the story players meet with different alien species and form alliances with them in order to accomplish various goals. Forming alliances changes the game's world state, which then changes the gameplay experience. In the game, the player can use their spaceships to freely explore the open Atlas system. Split-screen multiplayer mode is also featured in the game, allowing two players to explore the space and planets together. All ships can take off into space, and skim on planet's surface. The transition between space and planet surface is described as "seamless". Each planet has their own landscape, story, hazards, flora and fauna that may become a threat to the player. The player can also engage in both space- and land-based combat with enemies using spaceships. These spaceships can be extensively customized with different parts. Wings, weapons, and spacecraft modules can be freely swapped at will. The player is encouraged to experiment with different combinations of weapons as different enemies react differently to attacks.Pilots are also present and have special abilities that can be utilized in combat. For instance, one type of pilot can slow down time. There are 4 types of ships and pilots. While the game can be played digitally, the game features toys-to-life elements in which the player can buy toys, which are ship components, for the game. The player can place their toys on a custom controller mount, and their digital counterpart will appear on-screen. When the player swaps the components of their real-life toy ships, its counterpart will also reflect such changes instantly.Each ship has two points which allows the player to connect spacecraft parts with the ships.Purchasing a physical part also unlocks its digital counterpart, meaning that the player does not necessarily have to use the toys and the controller mount to play the game. The Nintendo Switch version contains exclusive missions featuring Fox McCloud of the Star Fox series. Ubisoft released a unique Starter Pack for each console. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions share exactly the same physical starter kit. Along with the controller mount, game and poster, the kit includes main character pilot Mason Rana, the Zenith starship and three weapons — Shredder, Flamethrower and Frost Barrage. The Nintendo Switch Starter Pack includes Fox McCloud and his Arwing starship instead of the Zenith starship and Shredder weapon. The only way to buy the Zenith starship and Shredder weapon physical counterparts is via a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One Starter Pack. Ubisoft released six Starship Packs, four Weapon Packs, and four Pilot Packs outside of the Starter Packs.As the game's sales failed to meet Ubisoft's expectations, the company halted the release of new toys starting from the release of the Spring update. The game was developed by Ubisoft Toronto for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Development for the game begun after the CEO of Ubisoft Yves Guillemot assigned the team to create a new game which mixes "breakthrough technology and innovative gameplay". Shortly after, a small team of 10 developers began brainstorming different ideas and pitching it to the developers. The team eventually came up with the idea of creating a new toys-to-life game, and this idea was approved by Guillemot.The team then soon began prototyping the technology of a Starlink spaceship, which includes exposed wires and duct tape. Nonetheless, it received an enthusiastic reaction from the team and they soon began working on creating the Atlas system, which set the game's foundation as an open world game.While the game was originally intended for kids aged between 8 and 11, the team later changed the target audience to include a wider age group after seeing the positive reaction from parents who have watched their children playing the game.The game features a two-player cooperative multiplayer mode as the team thought that it will be interesting to see players exchanging parts for their ships during play.According to the game's producer, Matthew Rose, the team "never want to tell kids they're being creative wrong". Therefore, the team allowed players to combine all parts freely, including having the wings of the spacecraft placed upside down and the weapons facing backward. The toys-to-life technology featured in Starlink was developed in-house by Ubisoft Toronto. To ensure that the game is consumer-friendly, this aspect of the game was made optional, meaning that players can play the game digitally without purchasing any of the toys.Critics commented on the timing in which Ubisoft announced the title. It was during the time where po[CENSORED]r toys-to-life titles including Skylanders and Disney Infinity were winding down. According to Laurent Malville, the game's creative director, the team believed that the game had enough innovation to revive the failing genre.Starlink: Battle for Atlas was announced by publisher Ubisoft during its press conference at E3 2017.At E3 2018 it was announced that the Nintendo Switch version of the game would feature a playable Fox McCloud and his Arwing ship from the Star Fox series, as well as supporting characters from the series in non-playable roles.The game was released on October 16, 2018.Several critics believed that Starlink was the game teased by Ubisoft in one of Watch Dogs 2's side-missions, though it was never confirmed by Ubisoft. To promote the game, Cartoon Network UK's YouTube channel released a three-part special feature starring gaming journalist Charleyy Hodson.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out is a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the American animated series The Simpsons. It allows users to create and maintain their own version of Springfield using familiar characters and buildings. The game is regularly updated with new content, often season and holiday themed, for example during holidays like Thanksgiving, and Treehouse of Horror episodes-related content for Halloween. The game is available in several languages such as English, French, Turkish, Italian, German, Simplified Chinese, Peninsular Spanish and both European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. The game was developed and published by EA Mobile and launched in Europe on February 29, 2012 and in North America on March 1, 2012 for iOS and February 6, 2013 for Android.The game was released for Kindle Fire devices in several markets on June 24, 2013.According to its own estimates, EA generated over $130 million in revenue since the game's release. Too busy playing an elf-related game on his myPad (parody of iPad) at work, Homer neglects his workstation and accidentally causes a meltdown at the nuclear power plant, leading to a complete destruction of Springfield. Left stranded, he is solely responsible for rebuilding Springfield and bringing back its town members. Homer is desperate to find other characters so that he can get them to rebuild and he can get back to his elf game. With the help of Lisa, Homer rebuilds Springfield and brings back key sought-out characters. The game may be considered a city-building game. It offers a variety of buildings (houses, shops, public buildings from the animation series) that the player buys with "Money ($)" in-game currency. Premium items are bought with donuts which can also be purchased with real-world cash. This references Homer Simpson's passion for donuts within the series. The player uses building and character quest-lines to make in-game progress. By completing quests and levels, the player collects more characters and buildings unlocking further quests and levels. Each building regularly generates in-game money to collect, under names such as "Income tax" from houses and the "Collection plate" from the First Church of Springfield. Players can place rivers, roads, pavement and decorations on the land. In 2013, developers added the "Krustyland" transporter, to get players from Springfield to the infamous Krustyland, where they can expand and build like the main Springfield game. The game is supported by EA's Origin, which acts as a social bridge to where players log into their Origin accounts and visit friends' towns to collect cash once every 24 hours; and occasionally other tasks during an event. There is a hidden easter egg where, in order to obtain the statue of Jebediah Springfield decoration, the player must tap Homer 10 times in a row whilst he is performing any task. This action also gives the player 10 free donuts, but can only work once. Since the May 18, 2016 update, the maximum number of levels is counted to 939, because this is the Simpsons' area code in Springfield. Frequent content updates have been released for the game, with new game content or time-limited events related to episode promotions or holidays. Major events include a temporary currency, which can be used to buy – or win – limited edition prizes.For some events every user's winnings contributed to a community fund, which includes prizes for certain levels of the event currency. According to game runner and longtime Simpsons writer J. Stewart Burns, the game originally started as a "labor of love" and he didn't expect much to happen after the game's release.Although they do not get credited, there are about ten writers who currently work on the game, including Simpsons writers Burns, Matt Selman, Brian Kelley, Jeff Westbrook, Jon Kern, Carolyn Omine and Diana Wright. Shortly after the iOS launch, the game was pulled from the iOS App Store due to EA's servers being unable to cope with the demand and a plethora of serious glitches reported by users.After a month had passed, EA set up a forum whereby users could report bug issues, but failed to offer solutions to issues or temporary updates. Some users who had made in-app purchases discovered that their purchases had vanished. After contacting EA, users were able to collect refunds directly from Apple. Several months later on August 16, 2012,the app returned to the App Store. Since 2016 there has been a bug that removes most functionality from the game interface. Players are calling this the "rollback bug" since the only way to fix your game is to have EA support roll your game back to a previous date before you acquired the bug. As of April 2018 there is still no fix for this bug and it continues to grow affecting almost 20% of all players. Due to criticism of the larger trend of freemium games' revenue structure, the game was satirized in the South Park episode "Freemium Isn't Free" as exploitative and lacking in gameplay.The game itself earlier lampooned this point during an in-game conversation between two characters. The game won the People's Voice Award for "Strategy/Simulation" at the 2018 Webby Awards. The app was first released for iOS in the US on March 1, 2012 and in the UK on February 29, 2012. Due to server errors, the game was removed from the App Store in April and disabled in June. In August 2012, the app was re-released. The Android version became available on Google Play in February 2013. In October 2012, the app got a Halloween update based on Treehouse of Horror. In November 2012 the app received a Thanksgiving update. In December, the app received a Christmas update in which the Springfield landscape was covered in snow. In February 2013, the app received a Valentine's Day update in which players received "hearts" from friends and using them to purchase limited-time Valentine's decorations, including the I Choo Choo Choose You Train. In March 2013, the app got a St. Patrick's update, and all the water in Springfield was turned green. While working at the power plant, Homer plays a game on his MyPad, which is similar to Tapped Out but with the Happy Little Elves. The game distracts him, causing a nuclear meltdown that blows up Springfield. The object of the game is to rebuild, decorate and find the citizens of Springfield The game starts with Homer Simpson playing a farm game on his myPad, and spends $1000 on berries. Meanwhile, the are red lights flashing, but Homer doesn't notice. Then, in the background, there is a fire. Eventually, he looks up from his myPad and says "Uh Oh." just before Springfield explodes. Then, he wakes up to find Springfield completely empty. He then builds the Simpson house, which makes Lisa Simpson appear. They then have a conversation about what happened. Then, Professor Frink appears and tells Homer and Lisa that the explosion made inter-dimensional traveling to other Springfields possible. Then, Homer and Lisa return to normal Springfield and start to clean things up. Homer thinks that since sometimes people appear when he makes buildings, that if he keeps making them, everyone will return to Springfield, thus setting the goal to make houses and unlock more characters for your Springfield.

Ranveer Singh Bhavnani (born 6 July 1985) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. The recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards, Singh is among the highest-paid actors in the country and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012. After completing a bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington, Singh returned to India to pursue a career in film. He briefly worked in advertising and went on to make his acting debut in 2010 with a leading role in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat. The film emerged as a critical and commercial success, earning him a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He went on to play a melancholic thief in the drama Lootera (2013), and established himself in Hindi cinema with his collaborations with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, beginning with the romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). Singh went on to gain critical acclaim for portraying Bajirao I and Alauddin Khilji in Bhansali's period dramas Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018), respectively. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the former and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for the latter. These along with the action film Simmba (2018), in which he played the title character, rank among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. He also received praise for playing a rapper in Zoya Akhtar's musical drama Gully Boy (2019). Singh is married to Deepika Padukone, his co-star in the Bhansali films.Singh was born on 6 July 1985 into a Sindhi family in Mumbai, to Anju and Jagjit Singh Bhavnani.His grandparents moved to Mumbai from Karachi, Sindh, in present-day Pakistan, during the Partition of India.He has an elder sister named Ritika Bhavnani.Singh is the maternal third cousin of actress Sonam Kapoor daughter of actor Anil Kapoor and wife Sunita Kapoor (née Bhavnani).Singh explains that he dropped his surname Bhavnani, since he felt that the name would have been "too long, too many syllables", thus downplaying his brand as a "saleable commodity".Singh always aspired to be an actor, participating in several school plays and debates.Once when he had gone for a birthday party, his grandmother asked him to dance and entertain her.Singh remembers that he suddenly jumped in the lawn and started dancing to the song "Chumma Chumma" from the 1991 action film, Hum.He felt the thrill of performing and was interested in acting and dancing.However, after he joined H.R. College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, Singh realised that getting a break in the film industry was not at all easy, as it was mostly people with a film background who got these opportunities. Feeling that the idea of acting was "too far-fetched", Singh focused on creative writing.He went to the United States where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University.At the university, he decided to take acting classes and took up theatre as his minor.After completing his studies and returning to Mumbai in 2007, Singh worked for a few years in advertising as a copywriter, with agencies like O&M and J. Walter Thompson.He then worked as an assistant director, but left it to pursue acting. He then decided to send his portfolio to directors.He would go for all kinds of auditions, but did not get any good opportunities, while only getting calls for minor roles: "Everything was so bleak. It was very frustrating. There were times I would think whether I was doing the right thing or not.

A Scottish woman who contracted E.coli while undergoing treatment for cancer in a Turkish hospital has returned to Glasgow. Caroline Hope, who is from Clydebank, had been working as an English teacher in the country when she fell ill. A private plane carrying the 37-year-old landed at Glasgow Airport. Her family had feared she would not survive after contracting the bacteria and launched a JustGiving page to raise money for her return to Scotland. That appeal raised more than £31,000 to pay for a private medical evacuation. The fundraising appeal was in response to UK government guidelines that strictly limit the repatriation of UK citizens for medical reasons. On arrival at the airport, Caroline Hope was taken by ambulance to a hospital in the city. She will eventually be moved to the Beatson cancer treatment centre. Medical insurance Before being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, Caroline Hope had been teaching English at an international school in Turkey. She had planned to return to Scotland and her employer had taken out medical insurance to cover her stay at the Medical Park Hospital in Izmir until the end of July. Image caption Caroline Hope was transferred from the plane to an ambulance at Glasgow Airport However, her recovery was undermined when she became infected with E.coli during an operation to remove a tumour last month. Her mother, Catherine Hope, had been due to fly out to Turkey on Thursday but was told to stay in Scotland after the money needed to bring her daughter home was raised within hours of the appeal being launched. Catherine Hope said: "She thought she was going to die. She wants home. She said she thought her body was giving up on her. "But when she got on the plane, my son Scott sent me a picture of her, and she was smiling." 'Truly overwhelming' Scott Hope, Caroline's brother, that doctors in Turkey had been in contact with doctors at the Beatson cancer treatment centre in Glasgow and that they were expecting his sister to be admitted there once she returned to Scotland. He added that any money raised above and beyond that required to get Ms Hope back home would be donated to the Beatson. Writing on the JustGiving page, Caroline Hope's friend Bella Shek wrote: "We've smashed our target, unbelievable! "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much. We can now get Caroline home. "On behalf of Caroline, her family and all her friends, the support from all of you and the general public, many of whom have never met Caroline before, has been truly overwhelming."

Mirror's Edge is a first-person action-adventure platform video game developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in November 2008, and in January 2009 for Microsoft Windows. Mirror's Edge is powered by Unreal Engine 3, with the addition of a new lighting solution, developed by Illuminate Labs in association with DICE. Mirror's Edge is set in a quasi-futuristic dystopian society, in which a network of 'runners', including the main character, Faith Connors, act as couriers to transmit messages while evading government surveillance. In the style of a three-dimensional platform game, the player guides Faith over rooftops, across walls, through ventilation shafts, and otherwise within urban environments, negotiating obstacles using movements inspired by parkour. The game has a brightly colored, minimalist style and differs from most previous first-person perspective video games in allowing for a greater freedom of movement with regard to its 3D environment. This allows for a wider range of actions—such as sliding under barriers, tumbling, wall-running, and shimmying across ledges; in having no heads-up display; and in allowing a range of vision which incorporated the legs, arms, and torso of the character as frequently visible elements on-screen. Mirror's Edge received positive reviews from critics, who praised its uniqueness and its expansive environments, while criticism has centred on its weakness of plot, trial and error gameplay, and short length. The game won the Annual Interactive Achievement Award for Adventure Game of the Year, and spawned a side-scroller mobile game, also titled Mirror's Edge, which was released for iPad in April 2010, for the iPhone in September 2010, and for Windows Phone in July 2012. A reboot, titled Mirror's Edge Catalyst, was released in June 2016. In Mirror's Edge, the player controls the protagonist, Faith, from a first-person perspective as she is challenged to navigate across a gleaming city by jumping between rooftops, running across walls, and gaining access to buildings through ventilation shafts. This is accomplished by use of techniques and movements inspired by the discipline of parkour.According to senior producer Owen O'Brien, Mirror's Edge aims to "convey strain and physical contact with the environment", with the goal of allowing a freedom of movement previously unseen in the first-person genre.In order to achieve this, camera movement pays more attention to character movement. For example, as Faith's speed builds up while running, the rate at which the camera bobs up and down increases as well. When a roll is executed, the camera spins with the character.Faith's arms, legs, and torso are prominent and their visibility is used to convey movement and momentum. The character's arms pump and the length of her steps increase with her gait, and her legs cycle and arms flail during long jumps. In gameplay, the character's momentum becomes an asset. The player must attempt to conserve it through fluidity of physical actions, encouraging the creation of chains of moves.If Faith does not have the momentum required to traverse an object, she will fall off or short of it.Controls are simplified by being context-sensitive; the "upwards movement" button will cause Faith to traverse an obstacle by passing over it (i.e., by jumping, vaulting, climbing, or grabbing set pieces like zip-lines) while the "downwards movement" button will cause her to perform other manoeuvres like sliding, rolling, or crouching.To assist the player in creating these chains of moves, the game employs a system called "Runner Vision", which emphasizes environmental pieces useful for progression. Certain pipes, ramps, and doors are highlighted in red as Faith approaches, allowing the player to instantly recognize paths and escape routes.Further along in the game, the number of these visual hints is reduced to only the end goal, and the player can opt to turn off this hint system entirely.It is also used to create puzzles in which the player must figure out how to combine the highlighted set pieces into a chain of moves in order to reach the target.Another means of assistance to the player is a system called "Reaction Time", a form of bullet time activated by the player, slowing down time and allowing the player to plan and time their next move without losing momentum or tactical advantage. The player character can hold weapons, but O'Brien stressed that "this is an action adventure. We're not positioning this as a shooter – the focus isn't on the gun, it's on the person." Gameplay in Mirror's Edge focuses on finding the best route through the game's environments while combat takes a secondary role. Completing the game without shooting a single enemy unlocks an achievement for the player.Consequently, guns may be obtained by disarming an enemy, but when the magazine is empty, it will need to be discarded.Additionally, carrying a weapon slows Faith down; the heavier the gun, the more it hinders her movement. This introduces an element of strategy in determining when to trade agility for short-term firepower. Along with the campaign mode, Mirror's Edge features a time attack mode, where the player must try to complete one of a set of special maps in the shortest amount of time. Best times can be uploaded to online leaderboards, where players can also download ghosts of other players to compete against.The maps are unlocked by playing through the campaign mode. According to producer Tom Ferrer, the time trial portions of Mirror's Edge are "bite-sized and short so you can grind them and play them and get faster and faster. It's not like playing an entire level." The mobile phone port includes many parkour moves from the PC and console versions, however, the perspective is shifted from first person to third person. The game does not feature cutscenes, and the plot is explained with scrolling text in between levels.The iOS version has since been removed from the app store due to problems with the game on iOS 8. Mirror's Edge takes place in a 'utopian' city where life is comfortable and crime almost non-existent. But the city's state of bliss is the achievement of a domineering and totalitarian military regime which monitors all communication, controls the media, spies on its citizens and has policies which include the outright prohibition of smoking and alcohol. The City also operates show trials and runs on a sham democracy. Eighteen years before the events of the game, they had opened fire on a protest against their rule, killing many civilians. As the story begins the mayoral elections are near and a new candidate, Robert Pope, is challenging the incumbent Mayor Callaghan on a platform of deregulation. According to senior producer Owen O'Brien, "[Mirror's Edge] asks how much of your personal freedom are you willing to give up for a comfortable life. It's not one girl against this police-state dictatorship. It's more subtle than that." American TV series Firefly and film spin-off Serenity were cited by O'Brien as inspirations. "Our other theme is you can't force other people to live by your rules and your society, even if your society is better," he said. "In Serenity The Operative actually says, 'This is not an evil empire. We just don't understand why you don't want to be part of our happy club.' Obviously they take it too far, and that's kind of what happens in our game as well." Writer Rhianna Pratchett has said that the game's story examined why citizens would accept a life in a society where their personal choices were very limited. It also looked at reasons people might have for attempting to live outside the system and what could result from this. The society portrayed in the game was somewhere between what George Orwell described as an 'anti-utopia' and a Nanny State. The protagonist of Mirror's Edge is 24-year-old Faith Connors (voiced by Jules de Jongh),who has a distinctive tattoo around her right eye, imitated by the game's logo. Faith earns her living as a "Runner", a courier who carries physical communiqués around the city, her services retained by revolutionary groups who avoid communicating via highly monitored telephone and email channels.Faith's attitude towards the totalitarian government is rooted in her past; her parents were active in protest movements when she was young, campaigning to keep the city from shifting to the oppressive regime. Her mother was killed during the "November riots"—peaceful protests gone wrong—and Faith ran away from home when she was 16, living a thief's life on the city streets. Faith became a Runner after meeting Mercury (or Merc), a former Runner who now trains new hires, sources jobs for them, and provides them with intelligence and radio support while on the job.Other characters include Faith's sister, Kate Connors, an officer with the city police; Drake, another Runner-trainer; Faith's friends Celeste and Kreeg, another pair of Merc's Runners; and Jacknife, a former Runner. Faith, after completing a delivery to fellow Runner Celeste, learns that her sister Kate may be in trouble at Pope's office. When she arrives, she finds Kate standing beside Pope's body, insisting she has been framed for murder and requesting Faith to discover the cause. Faith finds a piece of paper with the name "Icarus" on it in Pope's hand. Kate refuses to flee with Faith, saying it would only make her look guilty, and is arrested.From a former Runner, Jacknife, Faith learns that Pope's head of security, former wrestler Travis "Ropeburn" Burfield, may be connected to Pope's murder. Faith meets Lt. Miller, at Kate's behest, narrowly avoiding arrest.At Ropeburn's office, she overhears him setting up a meeting at a new place downtown. At the meeting, Ropeburn discovers Faith's presence and attacks her, but Faith gains the upper hand and throws him off the roof. As he is hanging above a long drop, she tries to interrogate Ropeburn, but before he can reveal anything he is killed by an unknown assassin. Lacking other leads, Faith investigates the security firm that has begun aiding the police force in their crackdown of Runners. She finds they are behind "Project Icarus", a program designed to train their forces in parkour style to oppose the Runners, giving them the ability to chase down and eliminate the Runners. Faith follows the trail of Ropeburn's killer to a boat in port; after chasing the unknown person, Faith discovers the assassin is actually Celeste, who is colluding with Project Icarus to keep herself safe, and Celeste warns Faith to consider the same. The arrival of the police allows Celeste to escape. With Kate convicted for Pope's murder, Merc plans a way for Faith to ambush the police convoy transporting her to prison, and Faith helps to free Kate. She gives Kate her comms unit that she and Merc use and tells her that he will guide her back to his hideout. When Faith returns to the hideout, she finds it in ruins, with Merc dying and Kate recaptured. In his dying words, Merc tells Faith that Kate is now at the Shard, which contains Mayor Callaghan's office and the servers that run the city's surveillance systems.With Miller's help, Faith is able to enter the Mayor's private offices, and destroys the servers that will unlock the rooftop security door. She gains access to the roof, but Miller was also ambushed while in the security room, abruptly cutting off communications, leaving Miller's status unknown. On the roof, she finds Kate held at gunpoint by Jacknife. Jacknife reveals that he too is part of Project Icarus, and has been part of the plan all along to lure the Runners out of hiding. When Jacknife tries to take Kate onto a waiting helicopter, Faith jumps on before it can leave, knocking Jacknife out of the helicopter to fall to his death but also damaging the helicopter in the process. Faith helps Kate to escape safely from the falling helicopter. During the end credits, the media reports that Faith's actions have only served to intensify Project Icarus, and Faith and Kate are still wanted for Pope's murder. However, with the surveillance infrastructure damaged, the po[CENSORED]tion is cautioned to avoid using electronic means of communications until their "security" is restored, with the location of Faith and Kate remaining unknown. Faith Connors is released from prison and meets up with fellow runner Icarus, as well as Runner cabal leader Noah, who raised Faith after the death of her parents. During a data grab inside the headquarters of Elysium, Faith diverges from her orders and retrieves a valuable hard drive, but is seen by Gabriel Kruger, CEO of Kruger Security. She manages to escape, intending to use the drive's contents to pay off her debt to Dogen, a black market boss. Noah is angry at Faith for involving herself with Kruger, but tells her that she needs to know what is inside the drive in order to bargain with it. Faith takes the drive to Plastic, a talented hacker, who tells her the drive contains blueprints for a top-secret project known as Reflection. Meanwhile, K-Sec cracks down hard on the Runners because of Faith's actions at Elysium. While Icarus and Faith are away, they lead a raid on the Runners' lair and capture or kill everyone present. Faith and Icarus, having nowhere to go, turn to Rebecca Thane, leader of Black November, a militant resistance movement bent on destroying the Conglomerate by force. The rebels set up an ambush to capture a high-ranking K-Sec commander, whom they intend to trade for their own captured soldiers. The mission is a success and it turns out that the captured officer is Isabel Kruger, daughter and personal bodyguard of Gabriel Kruger. Faith asks Plastic to infiltrate K-Sec servers and gather information about Isabel, who turns out to be Caitlyn "Cat" Connors, Faith's own sister, who was assumed dead. Gabriel Kruger took her in as his adoptive daughter, telling her that Faith was killed along with the rest of her family. Faith races back to the subterranean Black November HQ where Thane is preparing to execute Isabel in order to send her father a message. Even though Isabel doesn't seem to remember who Faith is, Faith convinces Thane to save her. Isabel lets on to Faith that Noah might still be alive, held in a compound called Kingdom. Upon reaching it, Faith rescues a group of Reflection scientists who were detained by K-Sec for "asking too many questions." The lead scientist, Aline Maera, explains that Reflection involves injecting the po[CENSORED]tion with nanites that can be remote-controlled to regulate thoughts and emotions. Aline also mentions that Faith's own mother Erika invented the algorithm that would later allow Reflection to be realized. Faith finds Noah who is being experimented on with prototype Reflection nanites, but is too late to prevent his death. Meanwhile, back at Black November HQ, the rebels are ambushed by K-Sec while moving Isabel above ground. Icarus and the rebels are injected with Reflection nanites. Faith continues to have flashbacks of Gabriel Kruger killing her parents who wanted out of the Reflection project. As Faith and Cat were escaping, a gas grenade was tossed, causing Cat to choke and lose consciousness. Faith was forced to abandon her. Plastic and Aline work together to engineer a virus to disable Reflection once and for all. In order to do this they need Gabriel Kruger's ID, which Faith secures by breaking into his private apartment. From there she witnesses a massive explosion at The Shard, the tallest building in all of Glass. Faith still needs to go on top of The Shard, which contains the broadcast antenna but is now unstable, to activate the virus. At the top she is confronted by Gabriel who defends his decision to launch Reflection, saying the nanites are a cure designed to keep Isabel's chronic lung condition at bay, and that the project is about survival rather than control. They are joined by Isabel who attempts to stop the virus but is too late. They fight on the helipad, and Isabel accuses Faith of leaving her behind to die, while Faith attempts to remind Isabel of who she really is. Gabriel Kruger appears on a helicopter and begs a hesitating Isabel to come with him. The Shard starts to crumble and Gabriel flies out of the tumbling helicopter. Faith slides to the edge of the helipad but is caught by Isabel. Gabriel is heard calling out for his daughter to save him, and Isabel explains to Faith that she "has to" and runs off in his direction. However, as the helicopter rises again and flies away, only Isabel is standing in it, with Gabriel nowhere to be seen. In the aftermath, it is reported on the news that Isabel will now supersede her missing father as Kruger Security CEO. While there was no uprising in the po[CENSORED]tion, Faith did successfully disable the Reflection launch, thus keeping people safe from Conglomerate control.

Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor and film producer. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards. The son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor, Kapoor pursued filmmaking and method acting at the School of Visual Arts and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, respectively. He subsequently assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film Black (2005) and made his acting debut with Bhansali's tragic romance Saawariya (2007), a critical and commercial failure. Kapoor rose to prominence in 2009 with his performances in the coming-of-age film Wake Up Sid, the romantic comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and the drama Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. His most widely seen film in this period came with the political drama Raajneeti (2010). The romantic drama Rockstar (2011), in which he played a troubled musician, and the comedy-drama Barfi! (2012), in which he played a cheerful deaf-and-mute man, earned Kapoor two consecutive Best Actor awards at Filmfare. A starring role opposite Deepika Padukone in the romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) established him as a leading Bollywood actor. He followed this with roles in a series of films that did not perform well commercially, with the exception of the romance Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). This changed in 2018 when Kapoor portrayed Sanjay Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic Sanju, one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, for which he won another Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In addition to acting in films, Kapoor supports charities and causes. He is also a co-owner of the Indian Super League football team Mumbai City FC.Ranbir Kapoor was born on 28 September 1982 in Mumbai to Rishi and Neetu, both actors of the Hindi film industry.He is the great-grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor and the grandson of actor-director Raj.His elder sister, Riddhima (born 1980), is an interior and fashion designer.The actresses Karisma and Kareena Kapoor are his first cousins.Kapoor was educated at the Bombay Scottish School in Mahim. As a student, he found little interest in academics and would rank low among his peers.However, he has stated that he performed better in sports, particularly football.Ranbir Kapoor is posing with his father and mother Kapoor with his parents Rishi (right) and Neetu in 2013 Kapoor has been vocal about how his parent's troubled marriage affected him as a child: "Sometimes the fights would get really bad. I would be sitting on the steps, my head between my knees, till five or six in the morning, waiting for them to stop".These experiences led to a "reservoir of emotions building up inside him", which he said compelled him to develop an interest in film.In his early years, Kapoor was close to his mother, but had a dysfunctional relationship with his father.After completing his tenth standard examinations, he worked as an assistant director to his father on the film Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999), during which he developed a closer bond with him.After completing his pre-university education from the H.R. College of Commerce and Economics,Kapoor relocated to New York City to learn film-making at the School of Visual Arts, and subsequently pursued method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.In film school, Kapoor directed and starred in two short films, entitled Passion to Love and India 1964. The loneliness of living alone in New York City coupled with his experience in film school, which he described as "useless", inspired him to pursue a career in Bollywood.Upon returning to Mumbai, Kapoor was hired as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the 2005 film Black. He described the experience: "I was getting beaten up, abused, doing everything from cleaning the floor to fixing the lights from 7 am to 4 am, but I was learning every day."He later remarked that his motive for working on Black was to get Bhansali to offer him an acting job.

Amanda Knox is to speak at an event in Italy on "trial by media", despite having vowed never to return. Ms Knox's appearance at the Criminal Justice Festival in Modena will be her first time on Italian soil since 2011, when she was released from prison. The American was accused of murdering British student Meredith Kercher, 21, in Perugia in 2007. Ms Knox was imprisoned in Italy for four years before she was acquitted in 2015. Who is Amanda Knox? Who was Meredith Kercher? Amanda Knox, from Seattle, US, and Meredith Kercher, from Surrey, UK, were both language exchange students sharing a house in the university town of Perugia. Image Image caption Meredith Kercher was a student at Leeds University Alongside her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, Ms Knox was arrested for murdering Ms Kercher, who was found dead in their house. Her throat had been slashed and she had been sexually assaulted. Having been found guilty, Ms Knox served four years in an Italian prison before she and Mr Sollecito were acquitted through an appeal. She returned home to Seattle in 2011. Image Image caption Amanda Knox being escorted to her court hearing in 2008 A retrial in 2014 reinstated Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito's convictions but Italy's top appeals court finally overturned their convictions in 2015. Ms Knox was found guilty of maliciously accusing her employer, Patrick Lumumba. Q&A: Kercher murder court case Rudy Guede is currently serving a 16 year sentence for Ms Kercher's murder after his fingerprints were found at the scene. The court ruled that he did not act alone, but after Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito were acquitted no other accomplices were convicted. What is the event about? The festival, which will run from June 13 to 15, is organised by the Italy Innocence Project and the Camera Penale di Modena, an association of lawyers. Ms Knox, now 31, will sit on a panel called "Trial by Media". In a tweet, she said she was "honoured" to accept the invitation to speak at the event. Image Festival organiser Guido Sola told CNN that Ms Knox was invited to speak because she is an "icon of trials that the media carry out before the trial in court is conducted." "Amanda has been definitively acquitted in court, but in the po[CENSORED]r imagination she is still guilty, because she has been the victim of a barbaric media trial," he said. Image IMAGES Image caption In 2014, the Kercher family said they were "still on a journey to truth" The Kercher family lawyer has told The Telegraph that her decision is "inappropriate and uncalled for". Francesco Maresca said: "This young woman should accept the verdict that she received, which was extremely positive for her, and stop embarking on initiatives which seem designed to garner publicity and attention." Kercher family 'still want truth' Why was the case so famous? Both Ms Knox and Ms Kercher were young students and the alleged sexual nature of the murder played a key part in fuelling media interest. Tabloids labelled Ms Knox "Foxy Knoxy" and one Italian commentator said she had "the face of an angel but the eyes of a killer". Amanda Knox: Figure at the centre of a saga Knox documentary gets mixed reviews She has since written a book and helped produce a Netflix documentary about her time in prison and her experience of being falsely accused.

Rocksmith is a music video game produced by Ubisoft, released in October 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms in North America. Rocksmith was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 during September 2012 in Australianand European markets and October 2012 in Japan. A Windows version was released on October 16, 2012 after several delays. Based on the technology in the unreleased project Guitar Rising, the game's main focus is the unique feature that allows players to plug in virtually any electric guitar and play. An expansion adding bass guitar compatibility became available on August 14, 2012. A second release which integrates the bass expansion as well as additional refinements became available on October 16, 2012.Rocksmith 2014 is a 2013 sequel to the original Rocksmith, although given the series' focus it has been described as a replacement and not a sequel (as the publisher does not think it necessary to invest in the first installment in order to enjoy the second). Rocksmith requires the use of the Real Tone cable, a USB cable that connects to the standard 1⁄4 in (6.35 mm) output jack of most electric guitars. Other guitars, such as acoustic guitars, may require additional hardware, such as a pickup. Though players can provide their own guitar, Rocksmith was also sold as a bundle that includes the game and adapter, an Epiphone Les Paul Junior guitar, strap, and 2 picks. Within the game, the player progresses along a career (separately for guitar and bass) where more songs, game modes, and challenges open up as the player earns Rocksmith points. In the normal game mode, playing with a song, the player is presented with a display that shows a representation of the guitar's fretboard, divided by numbered frets and colored strings. Notes represented as colored rectangles, matching the color of the guitar string(s) to be held down, move from the background to the foreground along numbered lanes reflecting the fret position. The notes turn 90 degrees at the moment that they should be strummed; additional markers are provided to help with timing of future notes. Additionally, the game shows an ideal position for the player's hand on the fretboard for the current segment of the song, moving this up and down as necessary. Lyrics to the song, if any, are shown in a karaoke-style under the background note pattern, but otherwise do not impact gameplay. Prior to playing any song, the game has the player check the tuning of the guitar. A core feature of normal play is the game's ability to adjust the note density – effectively the difficulty – of the current song based on the player's performance to that point. Each song is split into a number of phases, and depending on how accurate the player is during a phase, a subsequent phase may provide more difficult note patterns. If the player's accuracy is not good during a phase, the subsequent one will fall back to a lower difficulty level. The player gets points for each note hit, and thus staying at higher difficulty levels can earn more points, but it is impossible for the player to fail a song. In some cases, if the player is missing too many notes, the game will pause the song to allow the player to readjust their hand position and make sure they strum the right note before proceeding. The game saves the last note density level that the player completed a song at, and will use that level at the start of the next play through that song. As the player completes songs or other games modes within the career, they earn "Rocksmith points", similar to experience points, which unlock additional features. New venues, shown in the background of the main gameplay screens and having subtle influences on the sound of the guitar or bass, and new guitars and basses become available, as well as additional game modes. Some of these modes in the game are designed to help the player practice specific techniques. Technique Challenges, for both guitar and bass, give practice to some of the common tricks for the two instruments, such as hammer-ons/pull-offs, Chords, and Power Chords for guitar, and two-finger plucking and syncopation for bass. Each song can also be played in a Riff Repeater mode, where the player can select a specific section of song to practice and perfect, with options on controlling the speed and note density level. A "Guitarcade" becomes available after completing one of the Technique Challenges, which incorporates that technique into a mini-game element, such as "Ducks", a Galaga-like shoot-em-up, where the player must get their fretboard positions correct to fire on targets approaching in various lanes.Finally, the player can gain access to a free play mode, which uses amplifier modeling to simulate the sound of a guitar as played through stage equipment. The modeling supports a variety of virtual hardware components, such as effects pedals and amplifiers, which can also be unlocked through career mode. Each song includes a custom sound bank referred to as an "authentic tone" designed to make the player's guitar sound as close to the original guitar tone of the song as possible, though they can override these with the virtual pedals and amplifiers. Rocksmith has its origins in a project called Guitar Rising. Guitar Rising was developed by Game Tank, a small startup business, and was showcased at the 2008 Game Developers Conference. The game, at that time, was more of a technology demonstration, to display the ability of proprietary hardware – a USB cable that plugged into the audio-out jack of nearly any electric guitar – to determine what notes and chords the player was performing, instead of the typical note-matching gameplay of games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band.The demonstration at GDC featured gameplay elements that would be taken into Rocksmith; the interface would show notes colored by string and numbered by fret, and that as the player progressed in the song, the difficulty or note-density would change to reflect how well the player was doing, as to avoid frustrating the player with too-difficult charts.Jake Parks of Game Tank had stated at the time that they were looking to release the game in late 2008, anticipating a soundtrack of about thirty songs depending on licensing.Later, the title was pushed to a 2009 release. About the same time, Ubisoft's president of North American operations, Laurent Detoc, challenged its San Francisco development team to develop their own game, as until this time, the studio only had supported external developers.The music game field was of interest; as stated by Detoc, "I just could not believe the amount of waste that had gone in people spending so much time with plastic guitars".The studio was able to acquire Game Tank and the Guitar Rising technology, bringing aboard Parks and his lead designer Nick Bonardi as Ubisoft employees. The Ubisoft studio team of about 60 were led by Paul Cross and Nao Higo, and set about to transform the Guitar Rising into a retail product over a period of about two years.Developer Jason Schroeder referred to the state of Guitar Rising as a "PC tech demo of note recognition" and set about redesigning the HUD so that non-guitarists could understand the game better.It had been laid-out as a horizontal scrolling tablature,but this was found to be too difficult for non-guitarists to work with, and as the game was meant for anyone to be able to play, a vertical scrolling note chart was created instead. Rocksmith 2014 Edition, the music learning game from Ubisoft San Francisco, is being re-released Oct. 4 with a facelift and new features, publisher Ubisoft announced today. The package will include "a customizable learning curve, expanded practice tools, stat tracking, improved menus and more," according to Ubisoft.

Vishal Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is widely considered as one of the most po[CENSORED]r and influential actors of Hindi cinema, who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. Devgn has won numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country.Devgn began his professional career with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance.He then starred in successful films such as Jigar (1992), Sangram (1993), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Suhaag (1994), Naajayaz (1995), Diljale (1996) and Ishq (1997). In 1998, he appeared in a critically acclaimed performance in Mahesh Bhatt's drama Zakhm and he received his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie. In 1999, his most-talked-about film was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to unite his wife with her lover. In the early 2000s, he gave critically acclaimed performances in Ram Gopal Varma's fictional exposé of the Mumbai underworld Company. He played the character of a gangster, for which he won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. The same year he gave another critically acclaimed performance in Deewangee, for which he received the Filmfare Best Villain Award. In 2003, he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bhagat Singh in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Throughout his career he has performed in many critically and commercially successful films including Raincoat (2004), Gangajal, (2004), Yuva (2004), Apaharan (2005), Omkara (2006), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Cash (2007), Halla Bol (2008), Golmaal Returns (2008), All the Best: Fun Begins (2009), Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Golmaal 3 (2010), Raajneeti (2010), Singham (2011), Bol Bachchan (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Singham Returns (2014), Drishyam (2015), Shivaay (2016), Baadshaho (2017), Golmaal Again (2017) and Raid (2018). Devgn has starred in more than a hundred Hindi films. Having done so, he has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema.In addition, Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which was established in 2000. In 2008, he debuted as a film director with U Me Aur Hum. He is married to film actress Kajol since 1999 and the couple have two children. In August 2009, Devgn changed his surname from Devgan to Devgn on the request of his family.Family background and marriage Devgan with his wife Kajol at an event in 2013 Devgan was born to a Punjabi family from Delhi in a saraswat brahmin family but originally from Amritsar (Punjab).The family has connections to the Hindi film industry in Mumbai. Devgn's father, Veeru Devgan, is a stunt choreographer and action-film director and his mother, Veena, is a film producer. His brother, Anil Devgan, is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Devgn graduated from the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College. Devgn began a relationship with the actress Karisma Kapoor while filming Jigar, however, the couple ended their relationship in 1995.That same year, Devgn's relationship with the actress, Kajol Mukherjee, began whilst they were co-starring in Gundaraj.The media called them "an unlikely pair" due to their contrasting personalities.On 24 February 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu ceremony at the Devgan home.The couple has two children. Their daughter, Nysa, was born in 2003 and their son, Yug, was born in 2010. Devgn and Kajol stored their newborn son's umbilical cord blood and tissues to act as a source of stem cells in case of serious ailment.In August 2009, Devgn changed the spelling of his surname Devgan to Devgn, at the request of his family.He is a practicing Shaiva Hindu who prominently wears a Rudraksha which, along with other religious themes, features in his films.Devgn was the first Bollywood personality to own a private jet for transport to shooting locations, to promotions and for personal trips.Career Film debut, breakthrough and rise to prominence (1991–99) Success bash of 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai As Devgn entered the film industry in 1991, he changed his stage name from his birth name, Vishal, to "Ajay" due to several other actors named Vishal being launched at the same time, including Manoj Kumar's son.He began his professional career in Phool Aur Kaante and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.He costarred with Madhoo.In his opening scene, Devgn performed a split while balancing between two motorcycles. His next film was Jigar (1992), a Bollywood martial arts film co-starring Karisma Kapoor. It was released on Diwali weekend and became the seventh-highest-grossing movie of that year, taking ₹7 crore (US$1.0 million) at the box office.In 1993, Devgn starred in Dil Hai Betaab, a movie about a love triangle and romantic themes such as revenge. He next featured in Divya Shakti and then Sangram, a story of enmity between two fathers.Devgan then worked with Deepak Bahry, who directed the action film Ek Hi Raasta,and with Deepak Pawar, who directed Platform. Other releases that year were Shaktiman, Dhanwan and Bedardi. In 1994, Devgn starred in Harry Baweja's romantic action movie Dilwale. He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment. The movie was the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year.His next release was Kanoon and then Kuku Kohli's Suhaag with Akshay Kumar. The movie was about two friends. Devgn played Ajay Sharma/Malhotra. Suhaag was the seventh-highest-grossing movie of the year.His next film was Vijaypath. Shooting dates for Vijaypath clashed with those of Karan Arjun which Devgn declined. Vijaypath was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year.In 1995, Devgn appeared in Mahesh Bhatt's movie Naajayaz and then Hulchul directed by Milan Luthria. Kajol co-starred.Devgn and Kajol then appeared in Gundaraj which did not perform well at the box office.His next release was Haqeeqat costarring with Tabu. This film was the eleventh-highest-grossing movie of the year.In 1996, Devgn starred in the action movie Jung with Mithun Chakraborty, Rambha and Aditya Pancholi. His next release was an action movie called Jaan,with Twinkle Khanna. He then starred in Harry Baweja's film Diljale, where he played a terrorist character called Shaka.In 1997, Devgn starred in a poorly received movie, Itihaas, with Twinkle Khanna. His next release was Indra Kumar's romantic comedy Ishq with Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and Kajol. In this successful film, Devgn played Ajay, a rich boy in love with a poor girl, (Kajol).The film grossed ₹30 crore (US$4.3 million). The film was the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year.In 1998, Devgn gave a critically acclaimed performance in Mahesh Bhatt's drama, Zakhm, and received his first National Film Award for Best Actor. In 1999, in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devgn played Vanraj, a man who tries to unite his wife with her lover. Devgn then starred in Major Saab with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre where he played the character of an army officer. The movie was successful and was the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year.He next starred with Kajol in Anees Bazmee's second film, the romantic comedy Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the 1995 American film French Kiss. It grossed 302,500,000 Indian rupees.Devgn's next release was Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm. The plot examines communal tension in Mumbai during riots. Devgn played a man who is fed up with religious conflict. Devgn won several awards for his performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Star Screen Award for Best Actor.In 1999, Devgn starred in the romantic drama Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to help his wife (Aishwarya Rai) reunite with her lover (Salman Khan). Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam marked a significant turning point in Devgan's career. The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel Na Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Devgn was highly praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Ajay's role reminds you of one he did in another film, Pyar Tho Hona Hi Tha. There he is searching for the boyfriend of the girl he secretly loves. But intense scenes are his forte and he does well here. He's particularly good in the scene where he gets exasperated with his wife's stubbornness and strives to keep his cool."The movie was successful and Devgan was nominated for the Filmfare best actor award. After that, he appeared in Hindustan Ki Kasam with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre.He then worked with the director Milan Luthria in Kachche Dhaage, with Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The movie was a box-office hit.He then performed in the successful movie Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, a romantic comedy,and then in his home production movie with Kajol, and director, Prakash Jha. The film was titled Dil Kya Kare. His other movies in 1999 were Gair and Thakshak in which he played a strong, silent man. Critical acclaim and awards success (2000–09) Devgan during the promotions of All the Best: Fun Begins (2009) In 2000, Devgn performed in Harry Baweja's Deewane. The film did not do well at the box office.In the same year, Devgn starred in his first home production; Raju Chacha, with Kajol. The film was moderately successful.In 2001, Devgn starred in another moderately successful film; Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta.His next release was Lajja, with Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. However, the film was not po[CENSORED]r with the public.Mahesh Manjrekar's Tera Mera Saath Rahen followed. In 2002, Devgn performed in Ram Gopal Varma's fictional examination of the Mumbai underworld in the film Company. Devgn played a gangster named Malik. Both Company and Devgn's performance received critical acclaim. As Taran Adarsh reviewed: "Ajay Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease."Devgan was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.Devgn's next release was David Dhawan's comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai.The same year, he played the role of Bhagat Singh, in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh.His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Ajay Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from cinegoers, besides fetching awards."The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two National Film Awards, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and three Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie. Despite these awards, and Devgn winning his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was not po[CENSORED]r with the public.Devgn went on to perform in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's novel, Primal Fear. The film earned Devgn several awards for his role including a Filmfare Best Villain Award, the Star Screen Award for Best Villain and the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role. The film was a success at the box office.In 2003, Devgn starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film Bhoot, opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically and performed well at the box office.He then starred in the action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat with the actress debutante, Neha Dhupia. The film was a commercial success.Devgn next performed in Milan Luthria's romantic film Chori Chori, opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office.Devgn's next release of the year was Prakash Jha's Gangaajal. The film was set in the time of the blinding incident in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To a great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half."Devgn was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for this performance. He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut Zameen and J. P. Dutta's war film LOC Kargil. In 2004, Devgn was cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's action thriller Khakee. The film was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004.In Khakee, Devgn once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary."Later in 2004, Devgn appeared in Indra Kumar's Masti: Sanam Teri Kasam. He also starred in Yuva.Devgn next collaborated with Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama Raincoat, with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.Devgn was praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else."In 2004, Devgn was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car. 2005 was a less successful year for Devgn. His movies were not financially successful. They included Insan, Blackmail, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Tango Charlie and Shikhar. However, the films Kaal and Apaharan did well. For his performance in Apaharan, Devgn was nominated for the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. His performance as a villain in Kaal also earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Villain Award.Devgan with Kangana Ranaut at success party of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai in 2010 In 2006 Devgn played Othello in Omkara, an Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. It was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. It premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival.Omkara was well received by critics. Rediff said: "Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by the villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been."Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay makes a stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays."In 2006, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty's Golmaal. It had two sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3. In the same year, Devgn was featured in a short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 titled The Awakening.In 2007 Devgn starred in two movies, director Anubhav Sinha's action thriller Cash and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. In 2008, Devgn performed in the social film Halla Bol, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Also in the cast were Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan.The film is based on the life of activist Safdar Hashmi, who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play Halla Bol.The film received harsh reviews.In 2008, Devgn also performed in Rohit Shetty's third film Sunday. He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film U Me Aur Hum.The film performed moderately well at the box office and earned positive critical reviews for his performance as well as for his direction. Rediff said: "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around a dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion."Devgn also made a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film Haal–e–dil. He then starred in Afzal Khan's Mehbooba. Again in 2008, Devgn performed in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful. The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it."Golmaal Returns was a financial success with global revenues of ₹79.25 crore (US$11 million).In 2009, Devgn produced his third film, All the Best, directed by Rohit Shetty. It had some financial success.Next, Devgn starred in Vipul Shah's London Dreams, with Salman Khan and the Tamil film star Asin. The film was not po[CENSORED]r with the public.

A founding member of hip-hop group The Fugees and a Malaysian businessman have been charged with making illegal contributions in the 2012 US presidential election campaign. Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, allegedly transferred more than $21m (£16m) to musician Prakazrel Michel to make the payments. Mr Michel has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, also denies any involvement. Both men have been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US government. Mr Michel has been charged with one count of a scheme to conceal material facts and two counts of making a false entry in a record. Mr Low's payments were allegedly made during June and November 2012. Mr Michel reportedly paid $865,000 to around 20 people so that they could make donations in their names to a presidential joint fundraising committee. He also allegedly made more than $1m in donations to a political committee in his name. Court documents claim that they aimed to "gain access" to one of the presidential candidates, named as "Candidate A". Mr Michel was known to be a strong supporter of Barack Obama, who was re-elected president in that year. Mr Michel's attorney Barry Pollack said: "Mr. Michel is extremely disappointed that so many years after the fact the government would bring charges related to the 2012 campaign contributions. Mr Michel is innocent of these charges and looks forward to having the case heard by a jury." A spokesperson for Mr Low said: "The allegations against Mr Low have no basis in fact. Mr Low has never made any campaign contributions directly or indirectly in the US and he unequivocally denies any involvement in or knowledge of the alleged activities." Mr Low is facing separate criminal charges in the US in connection with a financial scandal in Malaysia. He is accused of being involved in the alleged theft of around $4.5bn from Malaysia's investment fund 1MDB.