Ambedkarites Association members stage a protest near Vizianagaram railway station on December 22, 2024 over Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

North Andhra Ambedkarites Association president Pandranki Venkata Ramana on Sunday (December 22, 2024) asked the Union Government to remove Union Home Minister Amit Shah from the Cabinet as he had made derogatory remarks against Bharat Ratna B.R. Ambedkar in Parliament which is considered to be the temple of Indian constitution.

Along with members of the association, he staged a protest near Vizianagaram railway station for the immediate removal of Mr. Shah from the Cabinet. Speaking to media on the occasion, he said that Mr. Shah’s alleged remarks had hurt sentiments of the followers of Ambedkar and people belonging to downtrodden sections in the country.

He said that leaders of many political parties including the Telugu Desam Party, the Jana Sena Party and the YSR Congress Party have not condemned those comments fearing that false cases would be booked by the Narendra Modi government which was using the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate and other organisations to harass them with false cases. The association leaders G. Simhachalam, D. Venkatesh and others were present.

A still from ‘Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc’ movie
| Photo Credit: Studio MAPPA

Fans of Chainsaw Man were treated to exciting news during Jump Festa ’25, where the second teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc movie was revealed, along with its scheduled premiere in 2025. Accompanying the announcement were two strikingly “contrasting” visuals that teased another big screen anime experience for otakus.

The movie will bring to life the beloved Reze Arc from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit manga, with Reina Ueda confirmed as the voice of Reze. Renowned animation powerhouse Studio MAPPA, known for its stellar work on the first season of the Chainsaw Man series, along with the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan and Hell’s Paradise, is at the helm once again. The talented staff includes Kazutaka Sugiyama as character designer and Kiyotaka Oshiyama handling creature designs, with Dandadan’s Kensuke Ushio composing the soundtrack.

Returning cast members include Kikunosuke Toya as Denji, Tomori Kusunoki as Makima, and Fairouz Ai as Power, alongside an ensemble of familiar voices that bring the world of Chainsaw Man to life.

The Reze Arc dives deeper into Denji’s crazed world as he navigates his life as a devil hunter. A chance encounter with Reze, a mysterious café worker, sets the stage for a tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal.

A release date for Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc movie is yet to be announced

Karnataka Rajyotsava awardee and South Canara District Central Cooperative Bank Vice President Vinay Kumar Soorinje and Taekwondo champion K.V. Samhitha Alevooraya felicitated during the inauguration of State-level badminton tournament for Vipras organised by Vipra Sangama and Rising Star, Puttur, in Mangaluru on on December 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Vipra Sangama and Rising Star, Puttur, organised SMASHIT, a State-level badminton tournament for Vipra community members under different categories, here on Sunday (December 15, 2024). As many as 110 teams from different parts of Karnataka participated in the tournament.

Inaugurating the event, hereditary priest of the Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple Harinarayana Asranna said engaging in sports activities enhances mental and physical health of participants. Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha Vice President and advocate Mahesh Kaje, District Dharmika Parishat Member Subrahmanya Prasada, District Nirmithi Kendra Director Rajendra Kalbavi and others were present.

200 games

On the occasion, Karnataka Rajyotsava awardee and South Canara District Central Cooperative Bank Vice President Vinay Kumar Soorinje and Taekwondo champion K.V. Samhitha Alevooraya were felicitated. About 200 games were played in the tournament with umpiring by Karnataka Badminton Association umpires.

Pranav and Vidyanand Kashyap from Bengaluru emerged winners and Pavan and Anirudh from Udupi emerged runners-up in men’s doubles while Asha Bhat and Geetha Bhat from Udupi and Ashwini Thunga and Keerthana from Udupi emerged winners and runners-up in the women’s doubles.

In mixed doubles, Pavan and Geetha Bhat from Udupi were the winners and Vidyananda Kashyap and Ramya were the runners-up. Srikanth S. Rao from Bantwal and Dhanvi Bhat from Mangaluru were the winners in the under-19 boys and girls events respectively.

Prize monies of over ₹1 lakh and trophies were given to the winners.

The valedictory was attended by Century Mattress Mangaluru proprietor Prasanna Rao Baneri, Subrahmanya Sabha Director Maneesh Rao, DK Badminton Association executive commttee member Ganesh Prasad and others. Vipra Sangama President Roopesh, treasurer Srivatsa and others were present.

A still from ‘Solo Leveling’ Season 2
| Photo Credit: Crunchyroll

The wait for Solo Leveling fans is nearly over. Season 2 of the hit anime, officially titled Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow, is set to premiere, January 4, 2025, picking up where the gripping first season left off. While the exact release date remains under wraps, fans can already dive into the action with the Solo Leveling: ReAwakening movie, currently in theaters. This special compilation film recaps the first season and includes the first two episodes of the upcoming season, offering an exciting preview of what’s to come including Sung Jin-woo’s first face off with Barca the king of the Ice Elves.

The recently unveiled trailers have sparked buzz, showcasing protagonist Sung Jin-Woo’s evolution from the “world’s weakest hunter” to a formidable force in the hunter world. The latest teaser highlights Jin-Woo’s icy tundra battle, teasing even greater challenges ahead.

Season 2 is expected to adapt the Red Gate Arc, spanning chapters 46-55, before transitioning to the highly anticipated Demon Castle Arc (chapters 56-75). Viewers can expect action-packed episodes as Jin-Woo faces off against S-Rank monsters and delves into dangerous dungeons, solidifying his status as the Shadow Monarch.

Returning cast members include Taito Ban as Sung Jin-Woo and Genta Nakamura as Yoo Jin-Ho, with Reina Ueda reprising her role as Chae Hae-In. The season is anticipated to run for 13 episodes, streaming on Crunchyroll, concluding in March 2025.

A still from ‘The Mummy’
| Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

The Mummy is set to rise from the sands once more, this time under the creative vision of Evil Dead Rise filmmaker Lee Cronin. The director will write and helm a fresh reimagining of the iconic horror staple for New Line Cinema, with a planned release date of April 17, 2026.

Cronin, known for his modern twist on horror, promises an entirely new take on the undead tale. “This will be unlike any Mummy movie you’ve seen before,” Cronin shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

Horror heavyweights Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are producing the film alongside Cronin’s own Doppelgängers banner. The project marks a reunion for Cronin and New Line, following the success of Evil Dead Rise, which earned nearly $150 million globally.

James Wan, Jason Blum, and John Keville will produce, with Michael Clear, Judson Scott, and Macdara Kelleher serving as executive producers. The production is co-financed by Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, with Alayna Glasthal overseeing for Atomic Monster.

While plot details remain under wraps, the film aims to breathe new life into the ancient mummy mythology. Traditionally associated with Universal’s classic monster films and Hammer Films’ 1959 adaptation, this version promises to push boundaries in horror storytelling.

As a part of project to empower tribal women through livelihood opportunities a skill development centre is being set up Kamkutam and Lovakothapalli hamlets in V. Madgula Mandal of Anakapalli District with the assistance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

The project is being taken up by Sowmya Injeti, an Assistant Professor in the Department of EECE, School of Technology, GITAM Deemed to be University, who has bagged the project from DST. The project aims to facilitate employment generation and encourage entrepreneurship for socio-economic development of ST women, to train identified beneficiaries in manufacturing products using the locally available agro-waste, to empower them through skill development and provision of livelihood opportunities and to establish a sustainable livelihood for the uplift of the tribal community.

“During our preliminary study, we have noticed that there were a number of banana plantations in the villages identified for implementation of the project. The banana stems are being discarded after harvest. We decided to convert the waste into wealth by opening a skill development centre, providing training and providing the requirement equipment to beneficiaries,” says Ms. Sowmya.

A ground breaking ceremony for the DST project’s Common Facility Centre was recently held at Kamkutam and Lovakothapalli villages recently in the presence of Madugula MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Arohan Tribal Society founder Surekha Patnaik.

Ms. Sowmya outlined the core objectives of the project, which focuses on the banana fibre waste extraction process and the need for liquid bio-fertilizers. These initiatives aim to empower the community by utilizing agricultural waste innovatively, promoting eco-friendly practices, and enhancing livelihoods.

“The equipment required for skill training would be procured as part of the project and installed at the project office. The project duration is three years during which the beneficiaries would be trained on fibre extraction, making of handicrafts, preparation of vermicomposting. The facility will benefit the villagers of Lovakothapalli, Kamakutam, Goppulapalem and Lovakothapalli. ,” she said thanking the management of GITAM and Konga Gopi Krishna from DST SEED Division for their support and guidance in taking the project forward.

A poster for ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
| Photo Credit: X/ @theweeknd

The Weeknd is stepping further into the spotlight with his first feature film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, set to hit North American theaters on May 16, 2025. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the film is described as a “musically driven psychological thriller” and marks a bold move for the global pop sensation, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye.

Hurry Up Tomorrow features an impressive cast, including The Weeknd himself alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The film ties into the artist’s upcoming album and tour of the same name, with the album set to release on January 24, 2025, followed by a one-night concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on January 25.

Shults is known for his critically acclaimed films Waves and It Comes At Night. The Weeknd, through his indie production banner Manic Phase, is producing the film. He last worked on HBO’s critically panned ‘The Idol’ starring Lily Rose-Depp and himself.

Fans can expect a seamless integration of music and storytelling as Hurry Up Tomorrow represents the final chapter in The Weeknd’s album trilogy, following 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours.

With The Weeknd’s record-breaking success on Spotify and numerous Billboard hits, Lionsgate is banking on his massive fan base to make Hurry Up Tomorrow a box office success.

There was disruption of trains arriving at Visakhapatnam junction reportedly due to the snapping of OHE (overhead equipment) towards the end of Platform No. 3 around 5.30 a.m. on Sunday (December 22) morning.

This had necessitated the change of platform for trains, which were scheduled to arrive on PF No. 3, resulting in delays in the arrival of a few trains.

Some passengers arriving by different trains early in the morning, took to social media to post pictures of trains, which were halted at satellite stations located on the outskirts of the city. Some said that OHE had snapped towards the end of PF-3. This had necessitated the replacement of the OHE cable on that platform. Tower cars were immediately requisitioned and the technical staff got down to work, replacing the snapped cable wire.

“Maintenance of OHE is being undertaken towards the other end on PF-3 (Chavulamadhum side) of the railway station as part of which the OH cable on PF-3 was replaced. There is no truth in the social media posts that OH cables had snapped on PF-3,” according to sources.

“I had gone to the station to take the 22847 Visakhapatnam-LTT (Mumbai) SF Express. I thought it would be delayed and was planning to take a bus. But, an announcement was made that the train would leave on time. I was surprised at the speed at which normalcy was restored,” says Karthik Vamsi of Visakhapatnam.

“Our train (22204) Duronto Express was detained for about an hour at Duvvada. It finally arrived three hours behind schedule at Visakhapatnam station,” said Aditya, who arrived from Secunderabad.

“It was a technical snag and the problem was rectified in about an hour. There is no threat to lives when snapping of overhead cables as the system automatically cuts of the power supply,” Divisional Railway Manager Manoj Kumar Sahoo told The Hindu, when his attention was drawn to the posts on social media that a major threat could have occurred.