GECs
Eve players stage giant online space battle
MUMBAI: For five hours on 28 July about 4,000 players took part in the epic battle between two of the game’s biggest alliances.
The two sides were fighting for control of resources within several of the game’s solar systems. Time was slowed down in the virtual universe to help servers cope with the huge numbers of players and ships.
The battle pitted spaceships belonging to CFC against those from the test alliance in a region of space known as 6VDT. It ended in victory for CFC.
Eve Online is a detailed space simulation that sees players fly spaceships through thousands of virtual star systems, seeking resources they can use to prosper. The resources can be found on planets and in asteroid fields or acquired through piracy or other underhand means. Ships vary in size from small trading vessels to giant capital ships.
Erlendur Thorsteinsson, one of Eve Online’s developers, confirmed in his tweet that the battle was the biggest ever seen in the game. At its peak the battle involved 4,070 pilots and their ships.
Game time was slowed to ten per cent of normal to lighten the load on servers working out who was shooting at whom. The pivotal moment in the battle took place two hours in, when CFC sent in a large fleet of capital ships – the most powerful in the game. Their arrival prompted many members of the test alliance to try to flee.
By the end of the conflict, thousands of ships are believed to have been destroyed. Their destruction has a real-world cost as the game’s internal currency can be bought with real money.
So far no-one has worked out the total value of the ships destroyed, but a far smaller battle earlier in 2013 laid waste to far fewer spacecraft that in total were estimated to be worth more than $15,000.
The giant battle was the culmination of a long campaign by CFC to force the test alliance out of 6VDT.
Some have speculated that it may be one of the first of a series of conflicts that seek to extinguish test.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
