New Delhi: BJPIts maiden victory in West Bengal with more than two-thirds of the seats and its growing numbers in the Rajya Sabha, a landslide victory in the assembly elections, will allow the party to set the terms in next year’s presidential election, after losing majority in the Lok Sabha elections had cast doubt on its dominant performance since 2014.Its overwhelming dominance in the assemblies along with allies in big states like Maharashtra, Bengal and Bihar – the three assemblies with the most weight among the states after UP in the electoral college for the presidency – will be effective in neutralizing the loss in the Lok Sabha, where its strength has fallen from 303 to 240 in 2024. All elected members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies, excluding nominated MPs, form the electoral college. Parliament and Assemblies have equal voting shares, but while the value of each MP’s vote is the same (it was 700 in 2022), the importance of an MLA’s vote varies depending on the size (as per 1971 census) of the population that his Assembly represents.The vote of an MLA from UP at a value of 208 was almost 30 times the vote of an MLA from Sikkim, valued at 7 in 2022. This figure is likely to remain more or less the same next year as the census data is stable and the strength of the Assembly, barring vacancies, is also stable. The existence of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which was dissolved in 2018 and was not part of the last presidential election, will be a factor, however minor.The decline in the Lok Sabha led to a decline of 44,100 in BJP’s votes in the electoral college, from a total of 10,86,431 in 2022. A poor performance in the assembly elections could have compromised its right to dictate terms, even with allies, as has been the case with previous governments when the dominant party, BJP or Congress, fell short of a majority.After the Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP was dependent on TDP and JD(U) to cross the 272-mark for majority, the opposition termed the two regional parties as its “crutches” for survival and predicted that the government would soon fall, claiming that the results would prove to be an inflection point in its strong run since 2014 and that the assembly elections would bring grim news.BJP has been in a good position for more than two years.

Uttar Pradesh holds key position in Presidential elections with votes of over 83,800 MLAs

All elected members of Parliament and Assemblies, excluding nominated MPs, form the electoral college. Parliament and Assemblies have equal voting shares, but while the value of each MP’s vote is the same (it was 700 in 2022), the importance of an MLA’s vote varies depending on the size (as per 1971 census) of the population that his Assembly represents.The vote of an MLA from UP at a value of 208 was almost 30 times the vote of an MLA from Sikkim, valued at 7 in 2022. This figure is likely to remain more or less the same next year as the census data is stable and the strength of the Assembly, barring vacancies, is also stable.The decline in the number of Lok Sabha seats led to a decline of 44,100 votes for the BJP in the electoral college, which stood at 10,86,431 in 2022. A poor performance in the assembly elections could have compromised his authority to dictate terms, even with allies.After the Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP was dependent on TDP and JD(U) to cross the 272-mark for majority, the opposition termed the two regional parties as “crutches” for survival and predicted that the government would soon fall, claiming that the results would prove decisive in its strong run since 2014.BJP has been in a good position for more than two years. It won massively in Haryana despite adverse conditions and the NDA’s strength in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly increased from 150 to 237 during the last presidential elections and from 125 to 202 in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. It now has 207 MLAs compared to 77 in West Bengal. Ahead of the presidential election in July next year, UP is the most important with more than 83,800 votes in the electoral college.

Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya has appointed Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chief Minister of Assam, marking the NDA’s third consecutive term. After being unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP-led NDA legislature party, Sarma staked his claim with the support of 102 MLAs. He will take oath on May 12, which Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend.

Guwahati: Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya on Sunday appointed BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma as the chief minister. AssamPaving the way for the third consecutive NDA government in the state.After being unanimously elected leader of the BJP-led NDA legislature party, Sarma along with alliance leaders met the Governor at Lok Bhawan and formally staked claim to form the government.A notification signed by Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said, “In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution of India, the Governor of Assam is pleased to appoint Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chief Minister of Assam.” It said Sarma will take oath on May 12 at 11.40 am at the Veterinary College Field, Khanapara.The NDA comprising BJP, Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) secured a sweeping mandate in the assembly elections and won a record 102 seats in the 126-member House. BJP won 82 seats, while AGP and BPF won 10 seats each.Sarma, who became the chief minister for the first time in 2021, is the first non-Congress leader to serve as CM in Assam for two consecutive terms.This will be the NDA’s third consecutive term in the state as the BJP-led alliance first came to power in 2016 under the leadership of then CM Sarbananda Sonowal. Earlier, a statement from Lok Bhawan had said that the Governor has invited Sarma to form the new government, and he will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the elected CM and members of the new Council of Ministers.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Nitin Nabin, among others, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.“I have been elected the leader of the BJP legislature party. NDA parties, BPF and AGP have also elected me as their leader,” Sarma said while reading out the letter submitted to the Governor.“I have the support of 102 NDA MLAs. I have the signatures of all of them,” he said. AGP chief Atul Bora and BPF leader Rihon Daimary also submitted letters of support to the Governor.Union minister JP Nadda and Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, who were appointed BJP’s central observers and co-observers, accompanied Sarma and other alliance leaders to Lok Bhawan.Speaking to reporters, Nadda said the election results show public support for PM Modi’s development policies. PTI

In the box office battle of the sequels, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ got a slight lead over ‘Mortal Kombat II’ in North American theaters this weekend. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” earned US$43 million in its second weekend, while “Mortal Kombat II” earned US$40 million in its first weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

tough competition at the box office

There were a variety of newcomers starring in wide release this weekend, including the family-friendly whodunit ‘The Sheep Detectives’ and a Billie Eilish concert film co-directed by James Cameron.But it was the grip that won. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, which has grossed US$433.2 million worldwide in its first 12 days of release, has helped Walt Disney Studios earn more than US$2 billion globally for the year. It has also surpassed the total gross of the first film, which, without taking inflation into account, had grossed US$327 million globally in 2006.Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at comScore, said Mother’s Day may have helped ‘Prada’ gain the lead over the newcomer and led to a modest 44% decline in the second weekend.

‘Mortal Kombat II’ box office collection

‘Mortal Kombat II’ provided some gendered counterprogramming in the second weekend of Hollywood’s summer movie season. Warner Bros. screened the film in 3,503 locations where it attracted an overwhelmingly male audience. According to Posttrack, 75% of ticket buyers were men. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ had an almost diametrically opposed opening weekend.The first film in the series, ‘Mortal Kombat’, was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in April 2021 as part of Warner Bros.’ Pandemic-era day-to-day strategy. Reviews for the sequel have been mixed, as was its B CinemaScore. It grossed US$23 million internationally from 78 markets, for a global gross of US$63 million.

‘Michael’ achieved third highest collection

‘Michael’ dropped to third place with $36.5 million in its third weekend, down only 33% from the previous weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic has now grossed US$240.5 million in North America, surpassing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s total domestic gross and US$577.4 million globally.

‘The Sheep Detective’ grosses US$15.9 million

Fourth place went to Amazon MGM Studios’ The Sheep Detectives, which earned US$15.9 million in its first weekend in 3,457 theaters. This quirky, all-ages murder mystery stars the voices of Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun, as well as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall and Patrick Stewart as sheep who try to figure out who murdered their shepherd. Audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore. The film reportedly cost US$75 million to produce.

Billie Eilish’s tour film debuts with US$12.6 million

Rounding out the top five was ‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)’, an immersive concert experience that Cameron shared co-directing credit with Eilish. Paramount released the film in 2,613 theaters, where it grossed US$7.5 million in North America and US$12.6 million internationally. The film was very well reviewed by critics (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences, who gave it a CinemaScore of A.‘Project Hail Mary’, in its eighth weekend, and ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, in its sixth weekend, are still going strong – which is a significant increase from the same weekend last year. Dergarabedian said that films that are performing well and attracting new and repeat viewers week after week are those that provide “pure, escapist entertainment”.“It’s going very well for movie theaters right now,” he said.

Top 10 films at domestic box office

This list takes into account estimated ticket sales at US and Canadian theaters from Friday to Sunday, with final domestic figures released on Monday, according to comScore:1. The Devil Wears Prada 2 – US$43 million.2. Mortal Kombat II – US$40 million.3. Michael – US$36.5 million.4. Sheep Detective – US$15.9 million.5. Billie Eilish-Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour – US$7.5 million.6. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – US$6.6 million.7. Project Hail Mary – US$6.1 million.8. Spades – US$3.3 million.9. Deep Water – USD 780,274.10. Animal Farm – USD 663,624.

Indian-origin scientist Jai Bhattacharya has urged Americans not to panic over a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship off Spain’s Canary Islands, insisting the situation is “not COVID” and unlikely to turn into a large-scale public health crisis.Speaking on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday, the acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the outbreak was being controlled under long-established hantavirus prevention protocols that have worked successfully in the past.“I don’t want to create panic among the public,” Bhattacharya said.He said: “We want to treat it with our hantavirus protocols that have been successful in preventing outbreaks in the past.”“The main message I want to send to your audience is this is not COVID. This is not going to [same] A kind of outbreak,” he said, adding, “We should not panic when the evidence does not support it.”The outbreak occurred on the expedition cruise ship MV ‘Hondius’, which was carrying about 150 passengers. At least three travelers have died since April 11, while five others have become seriously ill with hantavirus symptoms, according to World Health Organization (WHO) officials.Hantaviruses are commonly associated with rodents and can cause severe respiratory illness, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. The CDC says about 38 percent of patients who develop respiratory symptoms die from the disease. However, health experts stress that the virus spreads much less easily than COVID-19 and typically requires close contact for person-to-person transmission.The ship has since docked near the Canary Islands, where passengers have begun to disembark. Seventeen Americans were reportedly aboard the ship, some of whom were to be quarantined at a specialist facility in Nebraska after returning to the US.Bhattacharya defended the CDC’s response, saying that health officials have already contacted affected passengers and are monitoring the situation closely.“CDC is in contact with each passenger,” he said.He said: “We are interviewing with them, and we are preparing to move them to the University of Nebraska facility at the University of Nebraska, which is a fantastic facility.”He said the agency was following the same strategy it used during the 2018 Andes hantavirus outbreak in Apuyan, Argentina, which killed 11 people.“This will include the advice given to these travelers, including offering to stay in Nebraska if they wish, or if they wish to return home, and their home situation allows it, taking them home safely without exposing other people along the way,” he said.Seven American passengers had already left the ship weeks before the first deaths were reported. He later traveled to states including Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas and Virginia. Hantavirus symptoms can take up to six weeks to appear, so health officials are still monitoring them.Bhattacharya also explained why the CDC is not tracing every airline passenger who may have traveled near those individuals.“The passengers on the plane who were flying home had no symptoms,” he said. “Since the virus does not spread unless someone has active symptoms, those passengers on the plane are considered exposed contacts.”“There is no reason to do this kind of repetitive contact tracing,” he said.Bhattacharya also heads the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was confirmed by the US Senate last year. He was born in Kolkata and is a professor of health policy at Stanford University and became known internationally during the Covid-19 pandemic as the co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which criticized lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

Sironj: “brown” for fair-skinned foreigners. “Zucchini” for restless movements. British surveyors mapped a continent from this range. From here came the numbers measuring the world’s highest mountain. mount everest It was recorded in history but the brown zucchini slipped from it. The name remained and the science faded. Today thieves measure stones here.Located on a windswept hill in Kalyanpur village near Sironj in central Madhya Pradesh, about 100 km north-east of Bhopal in Vidisha district, Brown Tori once beat like the geographical heart of undivided India. From this rocky outcrop, British surveyors determined coordinates, tracked stars and pieced together one of the most daring scientific enterprises in history: the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS).Today, the stones have been loosened. The walls are stained. The pendulums have disappeared. The black stone observatories are ruined under the open sky, where astronomers once mapped a continent and made calculations involving measuring the height of Mount Everest. History lives on in fragments here.Records of the Survey of India show that the then Surveyor General, Colonel George Everest, adopted the trigonometric station of Kalyanpur in 1840 as the “core of calculations” for the GTS – a massive 19th-century project that mapped areas spanning present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka with mathematical precision that was unprecedented for its era.Long before satellites and GPS, surveyors made series of triangulations in forests, deserts, and mountains. A measured baseline, paired with angles and trigonometry, unlocks distances of thousands of kilometers. Started by William Lambton in the early 1800s and later expanded by Everest, Andrew Scott Waugh and James Walker, GTS transformed cartography and geodesy. Mathematician Radhanath Sikdar later calculated the height of Mount Everest in the 1850s using survey data generated through this massive scientific grid.The brown zucchini sat near its intellectual center of gravity.Historical accounts describe that about 700 workers camped on the hill for about two years with four elephants, 42 camels and 30 horses, while the observatory structures were built of black stones. The yellow color and fiery activity of British officers inspired the name brown zucchini.“This is our hidden hero, who has been completely ignored,” said Shaoub Ghazi, a local history buff who has been promoting the site through social media. He said Everest chose Kalyanpur because it was at a strategic midpoint between Great Arc measurements and Prime Meridian calculations. “It was placed in exactly the right place to split the longitudinal difference between the Great Arc and the Prime Meridian,” he said.

The structure still gives hints of the scientific choreography that was once performed here. The roofless black stone circle has recesses in the north-south walls designed for astronomical observations. The open sky served as the roof of the laboratory. Gas lanterns pointed to telescopes mounted on poles in the nearby village of Surantal for triangulation.Two pendulum-driven structures were later added nearby. Now only hollow shells remain.The pages of the 1917 volume Triangulation in India and Adjacent Countries place Bhuri Tori within the broader geodetic framework underpinning surveys throughout South Asia. Coordinates determined from this mountain range rippled outward through maps, military charts, and administrative boundaries for decades.Now, entropy has taken over. Fragments of masonry have gone missing. The weather gnaws away at the exposed stone. Heritage watchers say vandalism and theft have eroded the site faster than officials admit.Sironj is located at a distance of about two hours by road from Bhopal. Yet the brown gourd is largely absent from tourism circuits and conservation plans. Sironj chief municipal officer Ramprakash said the matter was outside the urban body’s jurisdiction as the site fell under gram panchayat limits.The silence at the hilltop weighs more heavily than the bureaucracy below. When asked about the conservation efforts, Vidisha Collector Anshul Gupta said, “Since it is an archaeological matter, only the agencies concerned can answer it.” As India moves deeper into the age of satellites and remote sensing, the brown zucchini poses a stubborn question: Can a nation preserve the landmarks that first taught it to measure itself?