Local Round-up: Indian film 'All We Imagine As Light' shines at cannes, cyclone Remal updates and more!

Local Round-up brings to you what's happening across the country in the travel, food, infrastructure and start-up space and herein, we have curated for you, the updates from the weekend and the initial of this week. So, read these out below! 

Cyclone Remal poses a threat to various states 

Cyclone Remal which first hit the coast of West Bengal on May 27, took two lives in the state and is supposed to create heavy rainfall in Assam moving northwards. The situation is also likely to worsen in Tripura as the state declares a red alert in 4 districts; South, Dhalai, Khowai, and West and the government has ordered to close schools for 2 days. The cyclone has already injured several people in West Bengal, uprooted several trees and forced the suspension of flights for almost 21 hours. 

Doordarshan Kisan launches new AI anchors 

Doordarshan Kisan becomes the first government TV channel in India to employ artificial intelligence for delivering news. The AI anchors named AI Krish and AI Bhoomi are designed to look and function just like human presenters, capable of delivering news 24/7 without breaks. "They will cover topics such as agricultural research, market trends, weather updates, and government schemes. Impressively, these AI anchors can communicate in fifty different languages, catering to a diverse audience both domestically and internationally," said a press note on DD News. 

Indian-origin researcher discovers new technology that can charge laptop and phone in a minute

Ankur Gupta, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at the US-based University of Colorado Boulder and his team of researchers have discovered a technology that can charge electric devices in a few minutes. The new technology involves the production of a supercapacitor. A supercapacitor is an energy storage device that depends on ion collection in its pores and can charge laptops and phones in a minute and electric cars in 10 minutes. The discovery is crucial not only for storing energy in EVs and electronic devices but also for power grids.

Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light' and Anasuya Sengupta shine at Cannes 2024

Indian women once again made the country proud by achieving some remarkable feats at the Cannes Films Festival 2024. Payal Kapadia, a filmmaker and the director of the movie 'All We Imagine as Light' won the prestigious Grand Prix award and became the first Indian filmmaker to win this award. Grand Prix is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d’Or, which went to American director, Sean Baker for Anora. Another lady, Anasuya Sengupta scripted history as she became the first Indian to win the Best Actress award at Cannes. The honour for Anasuya has come in the Un Certain Regard section for her role in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's movie 'The Shameless.' 

Heatwave conditions continue to trouble India 

Severe heatwave conditions are expected to persist in India over the next 4-5 days. Regions such as the Western Himalayan area, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh are likely to experience heatwave conditions along with northern regions like Delhi NCR which is on red alert till the 29th of May. Severe heat waves have been prevalent in many parts of Rajasthan, with isolated pockets in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, and the Gujarat region also experiencing similar. Several places have crossed the 40-degree mark with Rajasthan’s Dholpur, crossing 47 degrees Celsius, recording the highest temperature in the city this summer on Sunday. 

Cherrapunji Gin wins ‘Master 2023’ at the Spirits Business Awards

Homegrown brand Cherrapunji Gin won the 'Master 2023' at the Spirits Business Awards and stood out among 100 brands from 55 countries for its unique taste and compelling design. Where most alcohols are packed in a glass bottle or a can, Cherrapunji Gin comes in a steel bottle. This Gin is made from the rainwater of Cherrapunji in Meghalaya along with local botanicals like the GI-tagged Khasi mandarin, Assam’s kaji nemu peels and sohmarit or wild peppers.