Indian govt contemplating to evacuate students through land routes: K’taka CM Bommai

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Indian govt contemplating to evacuate students through land routes: K’taka CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the Indian government is contemplating bringing back Indian students stranded in war-torn Ukraine through land routes.

While interacting with reporters, CM Bommai stated that he had spoken to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar this morning in detail about the crisis. “Indian government is initiating all possible measures for the evacuation of students from Ukraine. Russian language-speaking diplomats are being sent to Ukraine.

“Options are being explored for bringing back Indian students from Ukraine through land movement since airlifting is impossible currently. The diplomatic channels are being opened in this regard. The possibility of taking out students from the west direction in Ukraine is being thought about,” he explained.

“The Foreign Minister has got all the information regarding Indian students in Ukraine. Many Karnataka students are pursuing medical courses there and a majority of them are staying in Kharkiv city. Presently all are safe,” CM Bommai stated.

“The students have been asked by the embassy not to make any movement unless asked. Clear information would be given to students during evacuation and they are in constant touch with the student community,” he said.

“I have requested him to arrange for their food, shelter, and other basic arrangements. We have opened a helpline and there is another helpline by the Government of India to coordinate between students and parents. The foreign affairs ministry has asked the students to be careful. No one is in trouble yet. However, bombing is happening near the region where the students are staying presently, that is a matter of concern,” he said.

‘Radhe Shyam’ team ready for nationwide promos before March 11 release

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‘Radhe Shyam’ team ready for nationwide promos before March 11 release

As the Prabhas and Pooja Hegde-starrer ‘Radhe Shyam’ is being readied for its worldwide release, the makers are prepping up a stage to promote the upcoming love saga.

With plans to kick-start promotions soon, the makers will have Prabhas, Pooja Hegde, Radha Krishna Kumar and others hit the road to participate in nationwide tours. Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Bangalore are on top of the list. The release date of ‘Radhe Shyam’ has been set for March 11 after several postponements.

The ‘Radhe Shyam’ team will interact with the media by holding press meets and also releasing promotional and BTS videos to keep up the existing hype around the movie.

Touted to be a love saga, ‘Radhe Shyam’ has Prabhas as Vikramaditya and Pooja Hege plays Prerana. Vikramaditya is a palmist who predicts the future and also knows the past.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has come on board to lend his voice for ‘Radhe Shyam’ and Bollywood actress Bhagya Shree will portray Prabhas’s mother in the movie.

Helmed by Radha Krishna Kumar, the pan-India movie is being produced under the banner UV Creations and presented by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series. The film is mounted on a lavish scale with eye-appealing visuals.

Bitcoin donations soar for Ukrainian army amid war with Russia

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Bitcoin donations soar for Ukrainian army amid war with Russia

As Russia invaded Ukraine, people started donating the Ukrainian army in cryptocurrencies to support them and in the past 24 hours, more than $400,000 worth of Bitcoins have been donated to just one group.

Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that raises crypto funds for the Ukrainian army, received more than $400,000 worth of digital tokens in the past day, according to data from blockchain and crypto analytics firm Elliptic.

The average amount donated is around $1,000 to $2,000, and the group has received at least 317 individual donations in the past two days, reports Fortune.

Pro-Ukraine groups and pro-crypto communities on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have also contributed.

The surge of donations in cryptocurrencies signifies that digital assets have “emerged as an important alternative funding method, allowing international donors to bypass financial institutions that are blocking payments to these groups,” according to Elliptic.

Their analysis shows that hundreds of crypto-asset donations totaling several hundred thousand dollars have been made to these groups — increasing by over 900 percent in 2021.

Elliptic has identified several cryptocurrency wallets used by these volunteer groups and NGOs, which have collectively received funds totaling just over $570,000 – much of it over the past year.

The Ukrainian Cyber Alliance has received close to $100,000 in Bitcoin donations over the past year.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has also set up a designated bank account to accept donations for its troops in legal currencies.

Cryptocurrency prices have plummeted in the past two weeks over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine and the market has lost $150 billion in value since Putin ordered a specific military strike against Ukraine.

Langer saga: Cummins knew he would be criticised but he couldn’t afford to get affected

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Langer saga: Cummins knew he would be criticised but he couldn’t afford to get affected

Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins has said that when the Justin Langer saga was unfolding earlier this month, he knew that being the Test captain he would be criticized, but he couldn’t afford to let the issue trouble him beyond a point because of the upcoming series against Pakistan.

Langer stepped down as Australian cricket team head coach unhappy with Cricket Australia (CA) offering him just a fresh six-month contract after the team’s 4-0 success in the Ashes. It has been reported that some players were unhappy with Langer’s “volatile micromanagement style”.

Andrew McDonald has been made Australia’s interim coach for the month-long series in Pakistan beginning on March 4 at Rawalpindi.

“It was okay, I felt for Justin as much as anyone else, but I knew when I became captain I was going to cop it for different things,” Cummins SEN 1170 Breakfast on Friday.

“If anything, it kind of reminded me I’ve got to look after the team and do what’s best for Australian cricket. All the noise and things that might come with it come from a good place, but I can’t let it affect me too much,” added the pace bowler.

Langer’s resignation brought about criticism of Cummins as he had refused to endorse the former opener for a long-term second coaching stint after the Ashes. Cummins later had a press conference where he clarified his stand and refuted suggestions that the players were the sole reason for Langer’s resignation.

“Certainly our feedback was heard, as I think it should be,” said Cummins on Friday. “But to say that we are decision-makers is quite far from the truth. It’s a high-performance setup, there’s the (Cricket Australia) board that makes decisions, so of course, people within the environment get consulted, which includes senior players, staff members, which I think has always been the case.

“I think that’s the right way to do things, it’s healthy. Nothing untoward, for sure.”

On interim coach Andrew McDonald, who has been praised by white-ball skipper Aaron Finch and pace bowler Scott Boland, Cummins said, “I think he’s certainly capable (to be the full-time coach), for sure. (It’s) certainly not my decision, I think they’ll run a process probably after this series, so we’ll see how he goes. But he’s been fantastic, he’s widely respected and experienced, so if he puts his hand up I’m sure they’ll take a close look at him.”

McDonald’s will be on board the flight along with the Australian team on their historic tour of Pakistan next month, the first time they are traveling to the Asian country since 1998.

Apple AR/VR glasses to feature micro-OLED displays: Report

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Apple AR/VR glasses to feature micro-OLED displays: Report

Apple is working on the most advanced chips for its unannounced AR/VR headset and now a new report has claimed that the headset would feature advanced micro OLED displays.

Micro-OLED displays are built directly onto chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power-efficient, reports MacRumors.

Micro OLED displays have a much faster microsecond response time which is good for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.

A recent report also claimed that Apple has partnered with TSMC to develop “ultra-advanced” micro OLED displays for “upcoming augmented reality devices.”

The headset will focus on gaming, media consumption, and communication.

It will have two processors, one with the same level of computing power as M1 along with a lower-end chip to handle input from different sensors.

The headset may come with at least six-eight optical modules to simultaneously provide continuous video see-through AR services.

The upcoming Apple headset will be similar to the Oculus Quest, and some prototypes being tested include external cameras to enable some AR features.

It may feature at least 15 camera modules, eye-tracking, possibly iris recognition, and could cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

UP: Bride refuses to marry after finding groom wearing a wig

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UP: Bride refuses to marry after finding groom wearing a wig

A bride refused to marry the groom on the wedding day after she saw him wearing a wig.

The incident took place in the Bharthana area of the Etawah district on Wednesday night.

The groom, Ajay Kumar, had to return home without getting married.

According to reports, when the garland exchange ceremony was underway, the bride noticed that Ajay was extra cautious and repeatedly adjusted his traditional headgear.

Someone told the bride that the groom was actually bald and was wearing a wig on his head. The bride fainted and fell on the stage.

Later, when she regained consciousness, she refused to marry the groom.

No amount of persuasion from her family could convince her and the bar finally returned without the bride.

Woman doctor from Assam files complaint against fake doctor

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Woman doctor from Assam files complaint against fake doctor

A woman from Assam has filed a complaint before Odisha women police in Bhubaneswar against a fake doctor, who had married at least 18 women from different states, and duped them with lakhs of rupees. The woman, a doctor by profession, is also a victim.

The alleged accused has been identified as Ramesh Chandra Swain.

“We met the first time on a matrimonial site. From there onwards, we have contacted each other through phone and then he (Swain) visited Assam to meet me thrice,” said the woman.

“Following several meetings, we got married on May 31, 2021. At that time, Swain went to Guwahati with some of his relatives. From there onwards, he cheated me,” she added.

After marriage, Swain had kept the female doctor in a rented house in the Khandagiri area of Bhubaneswar city. Later, on the pretext of buying a flat, he requested her to lend him more than Rs 20 lakh, she alleged.

“At the time of my ‘griha pravesh’ (entry into the new house), he introduced two women as his sister and step-mother. I went back to Assam after some time. After hearing the news of his arrest, I realized that I have been cheated,” the woman said.

She added that Swain had cheated her and misused their tradition and customs.

The woman requested all victims like her to come forward and appealed to them to file complaints against Swain to punish him so that such crime does not take place anymore in India.

Santoshini Behera, Investigating Officer of this case, said, “Swain had introduced himself as Vijayshree Ramesh Kumar on the matrimonial site ‘Shaadi.com’ and married the woman. After receiving a written complaint from the victim, we have registered another fresh case against Swain.”

The police recorded the statements of the woman along with his father and brother before the Magistrate on Thursday, Behera added.

Meanwhile, the police have got another three-day remand of the alleged accused. After completion of his remand period, the police would also seek remand of his sister, who was arrested on Wednesday, police officials said.

PVL: Shon T John’s spectacular spikes take Ahmedabad Defenders to final

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PVL: Shon T John’s spectacular spikes take Ahmedabad Defenders to final

Shon T John’s blistering performance helped Ahmedabad Defenders book a place in the final of the Prime Volleyball League after they beat Hyderabad Black Hawks 15-13, 15-12, 9-15, 15-12 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, here on Thursday.

The Defenders will play the winner of the match between Kolkata Thunderbolts and Calicut Heroes in the final on Sunday.

Shon T John effected two spectacular spikes to help the Defenders take the lead at 10-8. However, the Black Hawks leveled the scores at 10-10 after winning a Super Point through SV Guru Prasanth’s spike. But John stood tall once again as the Defenders regained the lead at 13-11. Ahmedabad rode on the momentum and eventually closed out the first set at 15-13.

Angamuthu carried out a magnificent spike and Manoj LM pulled off a Super Block as the Defenders took the lead at 9-7 in the second set. However, the Black Hawks fought back through Prasanth and leveled the scores at 9-9.

Thereafter, captain Muthusamy effected a fantastic block to help his team win a Super Point and take a three-point lead at 12-9. The Defenders ensured that they held onto their lead and eventually wrapped up the second set at 15-12 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Black Hawks gained the momentum and took the lead at 5-1 in the third set. Prasanth pulled off a few spectacular spikes as Hyderabad continued to forge ahead. The Defenders made a few unforced errors as Hyderabad comfortably closed out the third set at 15-9 to get on the board.

After a closely-fought contest, the Defenders took the lead at 12-9 in the fourth set through the efforts of Manoj LM and Shon T John.

Moments later, Ahmedabad clinched a Super Point and put themselves in the driver’s seat at 14-9. Amit Gulia pulled off three consecutive points to keep the Black Hawks in the contest, but the Defenders held their nerve and closed out the fourth set at 15-12 to seal the match.

The Kolkata Thunderbolts and Calicut Heroes will take on each other in the second semi-final 2 on Friday.

1st T20I: We were really poor in all three departments, says Dasun Shanaka

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1st T20I: We were really poor in all three departments, says Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka conceded the fact that his team was really poor in the T20I series opener against India. Electing to bowl first didn’t go very well for Sri Lanka as the bowlers were taken for cleaners by India’s batters, led by Ishan Kishan (89 off 56 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (57 not out off 28 balls).

After being posed a challenging target of 200, Sri Lanka was never in the hunt as they lost Pathum Nissanka on the very first ball and lost half of their side by 12 overs. “We were really poor in all three departments. They batted beautifully, read the game and conditions really well. I could have bowled more,” said Shanaka in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Shanaka admitted that spinners Praveen Jayawickrama and Jeffrey Vandersay didn’t have much experience as compared to Maheesh Theekshana (nursing hamstring injury) and Wanindu Hasaranga (still in isolation in Australia due to Covid-19). “We are without two frontline spinners, Theekshana and Hasaranga. The replacements aren’t really experienced.”

Shanaka was hopeful of top-order batter Charith Asalanka doing well in the series. When other batters fell like nine pins, Asalanka battled through and played some good shots to remain unbeaten at 53 off 47 balls. “Asalanka was positive from this game. Hopefully, Asalanka carries his form throughout the series.”

Shanaka signed off by saying that the circumstances didn’t allow him to give pacer Dushmantha Chameera a longer spell in the first six overs. After an opening over of five runs, Chameera wasn’t given a second straight over as Chamika Karunaratne was given a go.

Karunaratne leaked 15 runs, including giving Kishan width to hit three boundaries, which eventually set the tone for an explosive 89. “Chameera is bowling beautifully. He is our main strike bowler but the situations didn’t allow me to bowl him longer,” concluded Shanaka.

With 1-0 behind in the three-match series, Sri Lanka has a lot of work to do to square the series in the second match at Dharamsala on Saturday.

Men’s T20 WC Qualifier A: Canada seal fifth place, Germany take seventh spot

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Men’s T20 WC Qualifier A: Canada seal fifth place, Germany take seventh spot

Canada cruised to a seven-wicket win over Bahrain to secure the fifth spot and Germany defeated the Philippines by nine wickets to claim the seventh position, in the classification round on the concluding day of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, here on Thursday.

A skipper’s knock by Navneet Dhaliwal and a career-best T20I spell by Harsh Thaker steered Canada to victory. Dhaliwal’s unbeaten 54 off 27 was laced with 3 fours and 4 sixes, as Canada achieved victory with 5.3 overs remaining.

Having restricted Bahrain to 131/8, Canada’s Rayyan Pathan and wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva steadied the ship after Matthew Spoors fell early. Pathan looked in ominous form during his 26-ball 38 but was dismissed in the eight over. Movva and Dhaliwal paced their innings without taking risks before the eventful 14th over.

Bowling his second over, leg-spinner Junaid Aziz broke the partnership when Movva was caught by George Axtell off the third ball for 32. A wide ball was followed by a single by Hamza Tariq. Dhaliwal’s blitz fetched Canada 19 with 3 sixes, including a no-ball, to leave them needing just 8 off 36 balls. The skipper struck another mighty maximum to wrap up the win, an ICC report said.

Earlier, Thaker had produced a magical spell of 4-20 to deny Bahrain a big total. The right-arm off-spinner triggered a middle-order collapse to restrict Bahrain to 131/8.

David Mathias and Haider Butt came together with the team in trouble at 31/3 inside the powerplay overs. Openers Muhammad Younis and captain Sarfaraz Ali were sent back to the pavilion by Canada’s left-arm quicks Kaleem Sana and Rishi Joshi. First change bowler, Saad Zafar, met with immediate success in the fifth over. The left-arm orthodox bowler got rid of Shahbaz Badar with a well-taken return catch.

Mathias and Butt arrested the slide as they stitched a partnership of 44 in 7.3 overs. Thaker got the breakthrough off the first ball in his opening over. Mathias was caught and bowled by Thaker for 30 off 32.

The 24-year old Thaker had the batters in a knot as he claimed the wicket of Butt in his next over.

Sikder Billah’s 21-ball 33, which saw him strike 4 fours and a six, helped Bahrain to push the score in the death after they were reduced to 96/5. Thaker ended Billah’s entertaining knock to grab his fourth wicket.

In another match of the day, the Philippines got off to a dream start in the powerplay as the openers forged a partnership of 56 – their sides highest ever stand in T20 Internationals. Daniel Smith smashed boundaries at will and Henry Tyler provided excellent support from the other end.

The strike rotation was effective, and the pair constantly shuffled around in their crease, forcing the German bowlers to repeatedly change their preferred line and length. But once Smith was dismissed for a well-made 35, the Philippines’ frail middle and lower order were exposed. Six wickets were lost for the addition of 16 runs to the scoreboard.

Germany’s Elam Bharathi’s supreme spell stood out. He finished with career-best figures of 4/6 in 4 overs. A late 27-run partnership between Huzaifa Mohammed and Miggy Podosky took the Philippines past 100, and they eventually finished on 109/8 at the end of 20 overs – a national team record.

In response, Germany chased the target down with 7.1 overs to spare. Huzaifa Mohammed sent opener Talha Khan back in the very first over to add some spice to the contest. But half-centuries from Justin Broad (50) and captain Michael Richardson (59) ensured that Germany got over the line comfortably.

The pair dealt with the Philippines’ spirited bowling attack proactively, playing aggressive shots to maneuver the field to their advantage. The 114-stand they shared is Germany’s highest for any wicket in T20 Internationals.

Brief scores:

Canada vs Bahrain

Bahrain

131-8 in 20 Overs (Sikder Billah 33, David Mathias 31; Harsh Thaker 4/20) lost to Canada 132-3 in 14.3 overs (Navneet Dhaliwal 54, Rayyan Pathan 38; George Axtell 1/17) by 7 wickets

Germany vs Philippines

Philippines

109-8 in 20 overs (Daniel Smith 35, Henry Tyler 23, Vishnu Bharathi 4/6) lost to Germany 115-1 in 12.5 overs (Michael Richardson 59, Justin Broad 50; Huzaifa Mohammed 1/21) by 9 wickets

I-League: Punjab FC to resume 2021-22 campaign against Churchill Brothers FC Goa

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I-League: Punjab FC to resume 2021-22 campaign against Churchill Brothers FC Goa

Punjab FC will restart its I-League 2021-22 campaign on March 4 against Churchill Brothers FC Goa, with the League set to recommence after being postponed in January owing to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

The Club assembled and resumed training in Kolkata earlier this month and entered the League’s bio-secure bubble on February 21.

The format of the competition remains the same as before, with all 13 teams to face each other once in a single round-robin format in the first round, after which the league will split into two groups for the second phase. The first round of fixtures was completed in December, which saw RoundGlass Punjab FC register a 2-0 win over Rajasthan United FC.

Ashley Westwood, Head Coach, RoundGlass Punjab FC, said, “It feels great to be back on the pitch once again and the whole team is excited for the restart of the I-League. I am happy to see the efforts put in by the boys in training over the last few weeks. We are determined to put our best foot forward in the upcoming matches and inspire our fans with an exciting style of football.”

Gurtej Singh, defender and captain, Punjab FC said that All the players are working very hard ahead of the league’s restart.

“We cannot wait for the action to kick off. Training has been fantastic, and we are preparing in the best way possible. We hope to make our fans and the people of Punjab proud with our performance,” he said.

70% polling in last phase of panchayat polls in Odisha

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70% polling in last phase of panchayat polls in Odisha

Barring a few incidents, the last phase of panchayat elections in Odisha was completed smoothly with approximately 70 percent voter turnout, an official said on Thursday.

As per preliminary reports, about 70 percent out of 41.88 lakh voters exercised their franchise in this phase. However, the final polling percentage will be known on Friday, said State Election Commissioner, Aditya Prasad Padhi.

The elections were held in five phases on February 16, 18, 29, 22, and 24. In the last phase, elections were held for 131 Zilla Parishad (ZP) seats in 975-gram panchayats of 25 districts on Thursday.

In this phase, the election process was disrupted in some places due to the law and order situation. After getting detailed reports from the concerned district collectors, the Commission will examine them and take further action, Padhi said.

He said all arrangements were made for 2.79 crore voters to elect 1,06,353 representatives for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at 91,913 booths in the rural polls.

Of which, 36,523 ward members, 126 sarpanches, 326 panchayat Samiti members, and one Zilla Parishad member were elected unopposed, while about 2.20 lakh candidates contested for the remaining posts, Padhi informed.

Over 1 lakh polling personnel and nearly 40,000 policemen were deployed for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Stating that 78 percent polling was recorded during the first four phases of the rural polls, Padhi said that the participation of a large number of voters in the elections is a good sign for democracy.

For the first time, the Maoist-hit Malkangiri district recorded over 70 percent polling during the first four phases. The elections also passed peacefully in the Maoist hot belt, Swabhiman Anchal (erstwhile cut-off area), under Chitrakonda block in Malkangiri district, he added.

Padhi said the elections could not be conducted in the Chitrakonda block in 2017, while very few voters had participated in the elections held prior to that.

The counting of votes will be taken up on February 26, 27, and 28.

PVL: Kolkata Thunderbolts to face off against Calicut Heroes in semis 2

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PVL: Kolkata Thunderbolts to face off against Calicut Heroes in semis 2

The Kolkata Thunderbolts are all set to take on Calicut Heroes in semi-final 2 of Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Friday.

While the Thunderbolts finished second in the standings with eight points from six matches, the Heroes finished at third place with seven points from six matches in the league stage.

Speaking ahead of their match against Calicut, Kolkata Thunderbolts’ captain Ashwal Rai said, “We have been carrying out our preparations quite well throughout the tournament. Our team coordination has become better as the competition has progressed. We will devise our plans for Calicut Heroes and try our level best to reach the final. We are happy about finishing second in the standings, but our main goal is to win the competition.”

The skipper also spoke about the aspects that the team needs to improve on, “Calicut played really well in their last match. But we won’t think about their form. We made some small mistakes in our last match. We will work on them and try to get better as a team. We have to work on our blocking and improve our serving as well.”

Calicut Heroes’ David Lee said his team is moving in the right direction. “We were really excited after booking our place in the semi-finals. Our team was a bit down after losing the first two matches, but we were ecstatic to make a comeback and go through to the semis after a 5-0 victory against Hyderabad Black Hawks. We are moving in the right direction to do good things in this tournament.”

When asked about the aspects the team will need to focus on during their semi-final match, Lee said, “Our defensive game and serve reception has become much better. Our passing was also spot-on in our previous match. Kolkata has been playing very well. They are serving really well, so we have to pass well when we receive the serves. We are going to approach the semi-final just like any other game. We are going to fight for every point and expect to win the match.”

Running out of food & money, Indian students queue up outside Embassy in Kiev

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Running out of food & money, Indian students queue up outside Embassy in Kiev

Amidst the prevailing tension, the Indian students stranded in Ukraine are left with no choice but to queue up outside the Indian Embassy in Kiev seeking the authorities’ help as they ran out of food and money.

The Russian military actions in Ukraine have triggered panic among all sections, including students from India.

Speaking to interview, a student said, “We urged the embassy officials in Kiev to allow us to sit inside as the temperature outside is two degrees Celsius and the students are standing since morning, but the authorities advised us to find hotels.”

Stranded students also sent a video from outside the embassy in which some officials are seen explaining the situation to the students.

Divyanshu Gehlot, president of the Indian student at Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, said, “The situation here is really bad. Bombs are exploding every 15 minutes since morning. We plead with folded hands to the Indian Embassy and Government of India to get us out of here. We ran out of food and there is no money in ATM.”

Apart from Divyanshu, there are many other Indian students who are constantly seeking help from the government.

The Indian Embassy has issued advisory for students and citizens living in Ukraine urging them not to move out and stay wherever they are. The embassy has also asked the students and citizens in Kiev to stay in touch with the embassy via its official social media handles.

“As you are aware, Ukraine is under martial law, which has made movement difficult. For those students who are stranded without a place of stay in Kyiv, Mission is in touch with establishments to put them up. We are aware that certain places are hearing air sirens/bomb warnings. In case you are faced with such a situation, google map has a list of nearby bomb shelters, many of which are located in underground metros,” reads the advisory issued to Indian nationals and students in Ukraine.

“While Mission is identifying possible solutions to the situation, please be aware of your surroundings, be safe, do not leave your homes unless necessary, and carry your documents with you at all times,” it added.

“After waking up in the morning, we first collected water and food items. We used to bring food and other articles for a week. But now nothing is available here. We ran out of flour, rice, and cooking oil. That’s why we brought bread and milk. There are long queues outside ATMs and banks. Residents of Ukraine are going to Poland but how do we go? Everyone is terrified,” Ritika Nigam, who lives in the city of Ternopil in Ukraine, told in an interview.

Earlier, an Air India plane that was sent to bring back students from Kiev, had to return because of missile attacks.

Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have said that the government is reviewing options to evacuate Indians and students via the neighbouring countries like Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania but before taking any final decision, the government is evaluating all possible actions.

1st T20I: Sri Lanka win toss, elect to bowl first against India

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1st T20I: Sri Lanka win toss, elect to bowl first against India

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the first T20I at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

“We want to back our strength, it was a tough tour of Australia, but we could have won a few more games,” said Shanaka after winning the toss. He added that Dinesh Chandimal and Jeffrey Vandersay come in for the injured duo of Mahesh Theekshana and Kusal Mendis.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravindra Jadeja come into the playing eleven while Deepak Hooda makes his T20I debut. He added that Ruturaj Gaikwad was unavailable for selection due to a wrist issue.

“We were looking to chase as well, not sure how the pitches in India play. But we now know we need to bat well, the last time we played here, about 4 years back, the pitch played well. Nothing changes as far as the goals of the team are concerned, need to do the right things as a team, need to keep ticking all the right boxes,” stated Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave an update on Gaikwad’s wrist issue. “Ruturaj Gaikwad complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. He was unavailable for selection for the first T20I. The BCCI Medical Team is examining him.”

Playing XIs:

India:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka:

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wicket-keeper), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, and Lahiru Kumara.

ISL 2021-22: Jamshedpur look to secure semis spot with win over NorthEast United

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ISL 2021-22: Jamshedpur look to secure semis spot with win over NorthEast United

Jamshedpur FC will look to secure their maiden semi-final spot with a win over NorthEast United FC when the two sides meet in a 2021-22 Indian Super League match at the PJN Stadium, here on Friday.

Jamshedpur is placed second in the points table having 31 points from 16 matches, four adrift leaders Hyderabad FC who secured a semi spot on Wednesday night with a win over Kerala Blasters FC. Jamshedpur, though, has played two games less than Hyderabad and Owen Coyle’s wards would eye a top spot and the League Shield besides qualifying for the last four.

“It’s always nice to hear when people say that we have attained the most wins, scored the most goals, picked up the most points but the truth is, it doesn’t count for anything until you get something tangible and that is the mission for Jamshedpur FC this season as we have never been in the playoffs to fight out for the trophy,” said Coyle on the eve of the game.

Jamshedpur has never won four straight games in ISL, although they have won three matches straight on four different occasions, including twice in the current season. A win in their next game would see them win four successive games for the first time in ISL.

“We have a lot left to do even though we’ve done really well until this point, but that accounts for nothing. What we have to do moving forward, starting from going against a very good opponent like NorthEast United, is to try to win the game and collect those valuable points which will be our aim on a game-to-game basis,” Coyle said on the challenge ahead.

“NorthEast United FC is a very good team and I think they are being held back by major injuries and players missing from their squad this season. Khalid Jamil is not able to have the player continuity but when they look back to throw their strength at you, we saw their quality the other night when they came back after conceding against a very good Bengaluru side,” he added on his next rivals.

For the Men of Steel, Daniel Chima Chukwu has been in fine fettle since joining them mid-season from SC East Bengal. The Nigerian forward has scored or assisted in each of his 5 games for the Red Miners this season. Chukwu has scored four goals and one assist in his five games. Jamshedpur will miss the services of Boris and Jitendra Singh on Friday along with Jordan Murray who has been injured for some time.

For NorthEast United, a win over Bengaluru saw them snap a 10-game winless run as Deshorn Brown ran the Blues ragged with his stellar performance. With Brown now fit and Marcelinho also in his elements, Khalid Jamil’s side will be a handful for Jamshedpur added that they have nothing to lose at 10th place with just 13 points from 18 matches.

“Brown is one of the best players in the league. You can see in the last game, we got three points in the last game and he played a big role. If we had him fit for more time, we could have done better. He is a great professional and a leader in the team. It is a pleasure to work with him,” said Jamil on Brown.

The last time the two teams met, Jamshedpur edged past NorthEast United 3-2.

Delhi riots: HC junks application against plea for probing hate speeches

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Delhi riots: HC junks application against plea for probing hate speeches

The Delhi High Court on Thursday turned down an intervention application against a plea seeking special probe over alleged hate speeches linked to the anti-CAA protests by various politicians.

A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani was hearing a clutch of pleas seeking a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the northeast Delhi riots of 2020.

While dealing with the specific application, the court told advocate Pavan Narang, appearing for the applicant, that they are not a necessary party. Refusing to entertain the matter, the bench said: “Don’t try to turn it into a circus. We are not keeping it pending. Your client is a gate crasher.”

The application questioning the maintainability of the pleas by the petitioners –Lawyers Voice and Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq — was followed by recent permission of the court given to them.

The court, in the last hearing, had granted liberty to Mujtaba and Lawyers Voice to implead proper and necessary parties in their pleas on the specific allegations of hate speeches by various politicians.

During the course of the hearing, Narang said: “We are not holding an inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 wherein somebody is called, it whatever he may say may not be relied upon. You are asking some people as respondents to file their responses in affidavits and then say they are the proposed accused. What about their right under Article 21 and Article 20(3)?”

However, the bench said: “There is no question of even allowing an impleadment to remain pending. If the petitioner has no locus, then the intervenor should be nowhere in the scene, nowhere around.”

Will work towards making Hyderabad the movie capital of India: Rana Daggubati

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Will work towards making Hyderabad the movie capital of India: Rana Daggubati

Rana Daggubati, who spoke at the pre-release event of ‘Bheemla Nayak’, stated that he will work towards the development of the movie industry and would collaborate to make Hyderabad the movie capital of India.

As Rana spoke at the event, he expressed that he had worked with multiple personalities in the movie industry, but Pawan Kalyan was really special. “My upcoming movies will have Pawan Kalyan’s influence”, the Bhallaladeva from ‘Baahubali’ said.

Lauding the ministers of Telangana, who were present at the event, Rana thanked the government of Telangana for being understanding, regarding the problems faced by the movie industry.

“I thank Kalvakunta Rama Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, and the Telangana government for being helpful. Your positive approach towards the Telugu movie industry will help us grow. I promise to myself, to work towards making Hyderabad the movie capital of India”, Rana said.

Slated for its release on February 25, the pre-release event of Pawan and Rana- starrer ‘Bheemla Nayak’ took place in the Yousufguda grounds in Hyderabad, on Wednesday. Telangana’s IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav were invited as the chief guests by the makers of ‘Bheemla Nayak’.

KTR, who spoke at the event conveyed his best regards to the ‘Bheemla Nayak’ team.

Earlier on Thursday, the IT Minister of Telangana, KTR took to his Twitter, as he wrote, “Took a break from my routine to greet my brothers @PawanKalyan Garu @RanaDaggubati & @MusicThaman & director Sagar Chandra for their upcoming movie #BheemlaNayak. Lovely to meet some brilliant musicians such as Padmasri Mogilaiah Garu & Sivamani Garu”.

Rana plays a powerful, hot-headed opponent named Daniel Sekhar, while Pawan will reprise a cop in ‘Bheemla Nayak’.

Sawang takes charge as APPSC chairman

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Sawang takes charge as APPSC chairman

Damodar Gautam Sawang took over as the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) on Thursday.

He was last week shunted out as Director General of Police (DGP).

After taking charge as the APPSC chairman, Sawang called on Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was appointed on the new post on February 18, three days after he was removed as the police chief.

Governor of Andhra Pradesh made the appointment under Articles 316 (1) and 316 (2) of the Constitution of India.

Sawang succeeded incharge of chairman A V Ramana Reddy who was holding the post after the exit of former chairman Uday Bhaskar.

Sawang will hold the post of APPSC chairman for a period of six years. However, as per the APPSC’s regulations, he will be deemed retired from IPS.

Sawang’s new appointment is being seen by many as an honorable exit along with the extension of service as the 1986-batch IPS officer is due to retire in July next year.

The Andhra Pradesh government on February 15 shunted out Sawang as DGP and appointed Kasireddy V. R. N. Reddy as the new police chief.

KVRN Reddy, Director General of Police (Intelligence) was placed in a full additional charge of the post of DGP (head of police force) until further orders.

Sawang’s transfer came nearly two weeks after government employees held a huge protest in Vijayawada despite police denying permission and imposing restrictions in the city. Thousands of employees from across the state managed to reach the city for ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ on February 3. This was seen as a big failure by the police.

Jagan Mohan Reddy had reportedly taken serious note of the incident. The next day he had called DGP and sought an explanation from him.

After assuming office as the chief minister in May 2019, Jagan Mohan Reddy had picked Gautam Sawang as the police chief.

Sawang, a 1986-batch IPS officer, had succeeded R. P. Thakur, who was transferred and posted as Commissioner, Printing and Stationery and Stores Purchase.

Before Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh, Sawang worked in various positions including Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Maoist-hit Warangal district.

In 2015, he became the Commissioner of Police in Vijayawada and three years later, he was appointed as Andhra Pradesh’s DG, Vigilance and Enforcement.

During 2009-12, he served as a Commissioner for UN Police in Liberia.

Pets may protect you from memory loss, cognitive decline

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Pets may protect you from memory loss, cognitive decline

Having a company of a pet friend may protect you from memory loss in later life and other kinds of cognitive decline find a new study.

The preliminary research found that pet ownership was especially beneficial for working verbal memory, such as memorization of word lists, reports CNN.

“To our knowledge, our study is the first to consider the effect of duration of pet ownership on cognitive health,” first author Jennifer Applebaum, a sociology doctoral candidate and National Institute of Health predoctoral fellow at University of Florida was quoted as saying by CNN in an email.

“And it is not just cats and dogs that can boost the brain. People in the study also cared for rabbits, hamsters, birds, fish, and reptiles, Applebaum said, although “dogs were most prevalent, followed by cats,” Applebaum added.

Owning household pets for five years or more produced the most benefit, delaying cognitive decline by 1.2 points over the six-year period of the study compared with the rate of decline in people without pets, the study, to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 74th Annual Meeting, indicated.

For the study, the team analyzed cognitive data on more than 1,300 adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study tracking the lives of Americans age 50 and older.

“Having a pet or multiple pets combines many core components of a brain-healthy lifestyle,” said Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic in the Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine.

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