SPORTS

Graeme Smith Pulls Up Listless SA batsmen

Former SA skipper Graeme Smith feels that one of the biggest problems that came to the fore for the Proteas was the way they handled the Indian wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. The duo together picked up 33 wickets in the series, and the opposition batsmen had no plan B against them. Stand-in skipper Aiden Markram's batting performance in the series wasn't good enough and Smith hopes that series loss has not affected Markram's confidence. Smith was also critical of the performance of some of the senior players in the team, like Hashim Amla, David Miller and JP Duminy.

ENTERTAINMENT

Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma’s Winter Romance

The millennial generation has often found its muses in celebrities- both from the world of filmdom and cricket. And their latest fixation is the dreamy love story of actor Anushka Sharma and Indian skipper Virat Kohli. But while their wedding, a hush-rush and private affair, ended up headlining news across the country, their social media posts after the wedding, too, have found a place in the hearts of many. After lauding each other's respective performances on social media, Virat took the romantic gestures game up a notch and shared a romantic photograph on social media. He captioned the image as, "My one and only!" While Anushka will next be seen in Pari, Virat is all set to go into the second T20I against the Proteas on Wednesday at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

TECH

Apple Releases iOS 11.2.6 Update

Apple has released a new iOS 11.2.6 update that includes a fix for the bug that is causing iPhones and apps like Facebook and WhatsApp to crash when a Telugu single character is received via iMessage. The bug was discovered last week and involves sending the character in Telugu to devices that crashes an iPhone and makes apps like Messages, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp inaccessible.

SPORTS

Sangakkara Calls For Wage Reform in Tests

Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara has called for Test cricket to introduce a minimum match fee for all countries to stop young players ditching the long-form for lucrative Twenty20 leagues. Sangakkara, the fifth-highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket, retired from the first-class game last year but has continued playing for domestic T20 franchises around the world, including in this week’s Hong Kong T20 Blitz. The 40-year-old praised the shorter format for spreading the game's popularity to new markets but warned that without change, Test cricket could face a battle to remain relevant for young players and fans. "T20 is the ideal format to introduce — you talk about the Americas, with China," Sangakkara said.

ENTERTAINMENT

Salman Khan To Return As 'Devil' in Kick 2

The makers of upcoming film Kick 2 starring superstar Salman Khan have locked Christmas 2019 for the release. The official account of the production company Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment on Wednesday announced the release date of the second installment of the Kick franchise on Twitter. Kick, which starred Salman, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Jacqueline Fenandez released in 2014. It was directed by Sajid Nadiadwala. The movie was an official remake of the 2009 Telugu movie Kick.

AUTO

Auto Expo 2018 kickstarts today

Auto Expo 2018 kickstarts today. The largest gathering of auto manufacturers in India will see over 20 model launches, many concepts. Scheduled to open for public from 9-14 February 2018 at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, the Auto Expo 2018 will see global automakers locking horns to launch and showcase their best products to the world. The major highlights of the first day of Auto Expo 2018 include concepts from Maruti Suzuki, Renault, KIA Motors along with the launch of the Hyundai Ioniq and Elite i20 (2018). As far as two-wheelers are concerned, Honda launched its Activa 5G along with launches from Hero, Yamaha and Suzuki.

SPORTS

Ashwin to Bowl Leg Spin in IPL and more...

Team India’s wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been instrumental in Virat Kohli and boys’ rise to the top of the tables in limited-overs cricket in the last year. This has prompted Test spin spearhead R Ashwin to work on bowling leg-spin. The Kings XI Punjab spinner will put this practice to test during the upcoming Indian Premier League. "This is part of my plan going into the IPL. I am just trying to build my armoury. I used to bowl good legbreaks with my offspin action when I was playing league cricket in Chennai,” he said.

ENTERTAINMENT

Post Padmaavat, Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika Faces Protests by Brahmin Group

While the furore over Padmaavat has scarcely died down, another period drama about another iconic Indian queen, has now come under fire. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, based on Lakshmi Bai, the 19th Century queen and freedom fighter, stars Kangana Ranaut as the real-life queen and a Brahmin outfit Sarva Brahman Mahasabha demanded the makers to share complete details of the film's story to rule out any tampering with facts. While the film is expected to release during the end of the year, the group has taken offence at reports that Ranaut's character will be shown romantically involved with a British officer, and the Mahasabha's leaders have promised to disrupt the film's shooting in Rajasthan if the "offensive portions" are not removed. The makers of the film, however, have issued a statement clarifying that there's nothing objectionable in the film.

TECH

Biggest Ever Technology Acquisition Underway

Broadcom Ltd made a $121 billion "best and final offer" on Monday to acquire Qualcomm Inc, increasing the pressure on the U.S. semiconductor firm to engage in talks. If the deal is done, it would be the biggest ever technology acquisition till date.

Sports

PV Sindhu Gunning for Top Spot

PV Sindhu is certainly one of the best women's singles shuttler in the world right now, but that doesn't make her invincible. Sindhu has always maintained that women's singles is the most unpredictable category in the sport, and just about anyone from the top-20 can win a tournament. Not only that, Sindhu knows there is a long way to go for her, to attain a level where no player can beat her. And for that she is putting in the extra yards, so that she achieves her aim of becoming the World No. 1.

Entertainment

Kylie Jenner Announces Birth of Baby Girl

Kylie Jenner has given birth to a baby girl. This is Jenner's first child. The 20-year-old reality star took to Instagram on Sunday to confirm her pregnancy and announce that she and boyfriend Travis Scott welcomed the new bundle of joy after months of speculation. No name has been revealed yet.

Tech

OnePlus 5T Receives Android Oreo Update

OnePlus has brought the latest Google Android features to its OnePlus 5T devices. The Chinese smartphone maker has started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo update wherein the users of the OnePlus smartphone will be able to avail the Android Oreo features on their smartphones. In addition, as OnePlus promised earlier, the Face Unlock feature that debuted with the OnePlus 5T is now available on the OnePlus 5 devices as well.

Sports:-Virat Kohli Completes Unique Century Set in ODIs

India skipper Virat Kohli slammed a majestic ton to help his team win the first ODI against South Africa in on Thursday. This was his 33rd century in ODIs and by doing so, Kohli completed a unique century set in the 50-over format of the game.The Durban ton was Kohli's first in the 'Rainbow Nation' and the India skipper has now scored centuries in every Test-playing nation, that he has played in. The only place where Kohli hasn't scored a century is Pakistan as he is yet to tour the country in any format of the game.

Tech:-Honor 7X Red Colour Variant Launched

Honor has now announced a limited edition variant for its budget smartphone– the Honor 7X. The limited edition will sport a Red colour and will be available exclusively on Amazon India. It is priced at Rs 12,999 and will carry the same specifications as the other colour variants.

Entertainment:-House of Cards S6 Begins Production Sans Spacey

Production on the political drama series House of Cards started up again on Wednesday, with two new actors announced by Netflix. Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear have joined the cast in advance of its sixth season. Following accusations of harassment and sexual assault leveled against Kevin Spacey -- who led the cast as disgraced former President of the United States -- Frank Underwood, progress on season six was suspended in October. Completed episodes were deleted and production started over. Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Jayne Atkinson, Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott return for this sixth and final eight-episode season, which will focus on Robin Wright's character, Frank's wife and serving US President Claire Underwood.

Don't have time to keep a tab on news throughout the day? CNN-News18 brings you the day's top news and newsmakers in less than 3 minutes! Here are today's top picks: Budget session commences with President's speech, Jaitley tables Economic Survey 2018 in the Parliament, Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar Win Big At Grammys,David Beckham Set to Unveil His Own MLS Club, OPPO, Qualcomm to Make 5G Mobile Phones

INDIA Crony Socialism to Stigmatised Capitalism, Says CEA

Addressing the media on issues relating to the Economic Survey, chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian said, in the understanding of the role of the private sector, India has moved from crony socialism to stigmatised capitalism. Meanwhile, the Budget session of the Parliament was green flagged today by President Ramnath Kovind. In his speech, the President said that his government wants to empower minorities and not appease them. He also highlighted the need to uplift women and farmers and praised other welfare schemes by the government. After the inaugural speech Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tabled the Economic Survey 2018 in the Lok Sabha prepared by the chief economic adviser.

ENTERTAINMENT Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar Win Big At Grammys

Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar emerged as big winners at the 60th Grammy Awards, which was dotted by surprises, star performances and comments on President Donald Trump, apart from key social and political debates. Rapper Jay-Z, who was leading the nomination pack with eight nods this time, went back empty-handed, while Mars bagged seven honours, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Lamar won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Loyalty" featuring Rihanna and Best Rap Album for "Damn" at the gala. This year, Lorde was the only woman to be nominated in Album of the Year category. Pop singer Alessia Cara became the first Canadian to win Best New Artist at the Grammys, hosted by James Corden. Carrie Fisher was awarded her first Grammy posthumously for best spoken word album for her audiobook recording of "The Princess Diarist."

SPORTS David Beckham Set to Unveil His Own MLS Club

David Beckham will unveil his long-sought Major League Soccer expansion team at a Monday news conference in Miami, bringing a conclusion to a turmoil-filled four-year quest. Just over 11 years after announcing he would leave Real Madrid for the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy in a deal that included the chance to purchase an expansion team at a reduced rate, Beckham will make good on plans he first announced in February 2014.

TECH OPPO, Qualcomm to Make 5G Mobile Phones

OPPO on Monday announced a partnership with global chip-maker Qualcomm Technologies where Qualcomm will support OPPO to make 5G-ready mobile phones. As part of the "5G Pioneer Initiative", Qualcomm will provide comprehensive solutions such as the radio frequency front-end field to OPPO. OPPO plans to launch 5G mobile phones in 2019.

Don't have time to keep a tab on news throughout the day? CNN-News18 brings you the day's top news and newsmakers in less than 3 minutes! Here are today's top picks: India ready for UBI: Ex-RBI governor, Centre Gears up for Budget 2018, India Unhappy With Training Wickets, Ask Curator to Re-roll Pitches and SAG Awards 2018: Three Billboards, This Is Us Win Top Honours etc.

BUSINESS

India Ready for Universal Basic Income: Ex-RBI Governor Bimal Jalan

With only a week left for the Union Budget, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Bimal Jalan has said that India is ready for niversal Basic Income, an idea that was first proposed in Economic Survey two years ago. "Basic income, in its essence, has to be above the poverty line. It surely is a good idea. I think the economy is ready for it. It can be implemented over a period of two years. In terms of subsidies, we can begin by reducing subsidies and merging them," said Jalan.

INDIA

India Toast of Town at Davos, From Billboards to Platters

It's India everywhere in this snow-covered Swiss resort town -- once known for health tourism, always frequented by skiing enthusiasts and home to the annual week-long pow-wow of global elite in sub-zero temperatures. For now, it teems with huge billboards atop buildings and even on buses, promoting India and Indian companies, while the narrow roads made even narrower by heavy snowfall are full of lounges set up by the private and public sector from the country where Indian delicacies are flying off the counters.

SPORTS

India Unhappy With Training Wickets, Ask Curator to Re-roll Pitches

Even as most of the Indian players were busy playing football at the main ground at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Monday, batting coach Sanjay Bangar took bowlers Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav for a batting session before they got down to bowling at the batsmen. Bangar though didn't look very happy with the practice wickets and immediately turned to chief coach Ravi Shastri. Shastri then called on the chief curator Butuel Buthelezi and asked him to roll the wickets again.

ENTERTAINMENT

SAG Awards 2018: Three Billboards, This Is Us Win Top Honours

The Western-inspired revenge tale Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri swept the female-focused and led Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday with wins for best ensemble, best actress for Frances McDormand and best-supporting actor for Sam Rockwell. It was almost an exact repeat of the major Golden Globe Awards wins with Gary Oldman also winning best actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour" and Allison Janney taking supporting actress for playing Tonya Harding's mother in "I, Tonya."

Don't have time to keep a tab on news throughout the day? CNN-News18 brings you the day's top news and newsmakers in less than 3 minutes! Here are today's top picks: Shiv Sena to go solo in 2019 LS elections and state Assembly polls, former South Africa pacer Fanie de Villiers on Sachin Tendulkar, SC Rejects Rajasthan & MP Govts' Plea and WhatsApp Business Now Available etc.

SPORTS

POLITICS

Shiv Sena to Go Solo in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections

The Shiv Sena will not contest the 2019 general elections and the state assembly elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A resolution to this effect was passed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party at its national executive in Mumbai on Tuesday. The Sena resolution, passed unanimously at the national executive presided by Uddhav Thackeray, says the party has always compromised for upholding alliance with the BJP.

ENTERTAINMENT

Padmaavat Controversy: SC Rejects Plea by Rajasthan, MP Govts

The Supreme Court rejected pleas by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments on Tuesday banning the release of Padmaavat. It also dismissed a plea by the Karni Sena. "Our order must be followed by one and all. States can't show helplessness in maintaining law and order. States have a duty to abide by the SC orders. Don't watch if you don't want to but there can't be a ban on screening," the court said. Post SC's ruling, Deepika Padukone went to Siddhivinayak Temple to seek blessings. Padmaavat has been embroiled in controversies since its inception. However, Deepika, who is portraying Rani Padmavati in the film, stood by Sanjay Leela Bhansali through it all.

SPORTS

Sachin Tendulkar Never Took My Slower Balls Seriously: Fanie de Villiers

At a time when master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was busy tormenting top-class bowlers around the world, South African pacer Fanie de Villiers seemed to have a trick in his armoury to dismiss the little genius, and managed to get the prized wicket 4 times in 16 outings. A man who loves to wear his heart on his sleeve, Fanie says it was Tendulkar's disdain towards slower deliveries that helped him dismiss the legend. "Sachin never took my slower balls seriously. By slower balls I mean the off-cutters which would grip on the wickets in the sub-continent and catch the batsmen off guard," he said. Despite having an upper hand over Tendulkar, Fanie reveals that he would not want to bowl to Virat Kohli. He says that he would rather pull his hamstring and walk off the ground.

TECH

WhatsApp Business Now Available

To help businesses communicate better with their customers in India, WhatsApp has officially rolled out "WhatsApp Business" -- a free-to-download Android app for small businesses -- in the country. The new app, available on Google Play Store, aims to make it easier for companies to connect with customers, and more convenient for its users to chat with businesses that matter to them.

Don't have time to keep a tab on news throughout the day? CNN-News18 brings you the day's top news and newsmakers in less than 3 minutes! Here are today's top picks: Amarnath Braveheart to Get Recognised on R-Day, Rising Teen Shuttler Lakshya Sen Ready to Make it Count in 2018, Padmaavat Protestors Refuse to Back Down and Instagram Announces GIFs For Stories.

INDIA

Amarnath Braveheart to Get Recognised on R-Day

Gujarati bus driver Sheikh Salim Gafur, who defied terrorists' bullets and saved 52 Amarnath pilgrims, has been awarded the 'Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak', the second highest honour given to civilians for gallantry. This was announced by the Home Ministry ahead of the Republic Day on Wednesday. Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak is the highest honour given to civilians for gallantry. Gafur has been selected for the honour as he displayed some rare grit and bravery and continued to drive the bus of the Amarnath pilgrims, which came under attack by the militants on July 10, 2017, in Jammu and Kashmir, a home ministry official said.

SPORTS

Rising Teen Shuttler Lakshya Sen Ready to Make it Count in 2018

​Don't judge a book by its cover. This adage perfectly fits 16-year-old shuttler Lakshya Sen who stepped into the senior circuit last year, and was able to carve his niche as one of the most promising young badminton players in the country. Having reached the semifinals of the Sr. Nationals in 2017, the teenager is eyeing international success in the coming season. In fact , he along with coaches at the Prakash Padukone Academy have charted out a map for Lakshya's progress in 2018.

ENTERTAINMENT

Padmaavat Protestors Refuse To Back Down ​

The protests surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat refuse to die down. Karni Sena Chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi has said that the protest will now happen in states where the film is not banned yet. "We are adamant on our stand that this film should be banned. January 25 may come and go but we won't let the film release, come what may," Kalvi said. Out of fear, Gujarat theatre owners refused to screen the film anywhere in the state while the fringe outfits blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway disrupting the law and order. In Rajasthan, Chittorgarh Fort has been closed as a mark of protest against the release. Meanwhile, the film’s cast and crew got together for a screening on Tuesday night wherein Bhansali, Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor-Mira Rajput were snapped. ​

TECH

Instagram Announces GIFs For Stories

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Instagram has rolled out a new feature which will allow its users to use GIFs in Instagram stories. When users tap to add a sticker to a photo or video in stories, they'll see a new GIF option. The latest feature has been announced along with Instagram's plan to follow up with more features surrounding Instagram stories in the coming weeks.

Don't have time to keep a tab on news throughout the day? CNN-News18 brings you the day's top news and newsmakers in less than 3 minutes! Here are today's top picks: Karnataka Bandh observed, Farhan Akhtar Hits Out At Padmaavat Protesters, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki Reach Australian Open Finals and Samsung Galaxy S9 Launch Confirmed etc.

INDIA

Bandh Over Mahadayi River Row Cripples Normal Life in Karnataka

The state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada outfits demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi river water row with neighbouring Goa disrupted normal life in most parts of Karnataka on Thursday. Major impact of the dawn-to-dusk bandh was seen in northern districts which are seeking water from the Mahadayi basin. State-run buses remained off the roads. Auto rickshaws and cabs were available in Bengaluru but in fewer numbers. However, in the evening the city limped back to normalcy with buses back on the road and shops and commercial establishments reopening.

ENTERTAINMENT

Farhan Akhtar Hits Out At Padmaavat Protesters

Actor Farhan Akhtar on Thursday lashed out at Padmaavat protesters after a school bus carrying a number of children was attacked in Gurugram by the violent mob on Wednesday. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film has been facing protests by the Karni Sena and other fringe groups over allegations that historical facts were distorted in the movie, based on the 16th-century poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. However, the attack on the school bus has irked several people, including Farhan, who on Thursday morning took to Twitter to call out the protesters. "Attacking a school bus is not an agitation. It is terrorism. The people who did it are terrorists," Farhan tweeted. Padmaavat stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.

SPORTS

Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki Reach Australian Open Finals

World number one Simona Halep quelled a tenacious Angelique Kerber fightback and saved two match points to reach her first Australian Open final with a 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 victory in a compelling scrap on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday. In another match, Caroline Wozniacki came through a late bout of nerves to reach the finals for a first time with a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Belgian Elise Mertens on Thursday, giving herself another shot at winning a maiden grand slam title.

TECH

Samsung Galaxy S9 Launch Confirmed

Samsung will reportedly launch its next flagship smartphones, Galaxy S9 and S9+, on February 26 at its Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 event in Barcelona. The smartphones will be powered by Qualcomm 845 SoC (in US region) and the latest Exynos chipset in the UK and Indian markets. As for the pricing, the Galaxy S9 is expected to cost around Rs 60,000 and is expected to be available by March.