PCB Wants ICC To Expedite Visa Process For Media And Fans For WC: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday wrote to the sport's governing body ICC for expediting the visa process for journalists and fans who wish to travel to India for the World Cup beginning October 5. Pakistan, who are based here in the run-up to the mega event, play their tournament opener against the Netherlands on October 6. The PCB, which had written to the ICC over the visa delay for the players earlier this month, highlighted its concerns over visas for Pakistan fans and media on this occasion. In an email, the PCB sought prompt action from the ICC on the visa process for fans and media. While it is tough to put a number to the fans applying for Indian visa, around 50 journalists are expected to travel for the World Cup.

Sources in BCCI, which is the tournament host, said the External Affairs Ministry is vetting the names of journalists who want to cover the 50-over event. The applications will need clearance from external affairs, home and sports ministries as Pakistan is on India's prior reference list (PRC).

"The visa applications for Pakistan media are being facilitated," said a BCCI source.

A PCB source added: "It is alarming that the media and fans are yet to be informed about the visa policy, as Pakistan have already played their first of the two warm-ups and will play their first World Cup contest in six days.

"The PCB expects that the ICC and other relevant authorities will expedite the matter as there is a growing anxiety among Pakistan fans and journalists who wish to support and cover their team in the ICC CWC 2023," the source added referring to the email sent to ICC.

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Afghan Embassy Announces Decision To Cease India Operations From Today

The Afghanistan Embassy in India announced Saturday night that it is ceasing its operations from October 1, citing a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan's interests, and a reduction in personnel and resources.

In a statement, the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi said it regrets to announce the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023.

"It is with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment that the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announces this decision to cease its operations," the statement said.

The embassy said that this decision, while deeply regrettable, is made after careful consideration, taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between Afghanistan and India.

The Embassy statement also listed key factors affecting its ability to continue the mission effectively and said that they were the primary reasons for the "unfortunate closure".

The Embassy cited a "lack of support from the host government", alleging that it has experienced a notable absence of crucial support from the host government, which it said hindered its ability to carry out duties effectively.

Failure To Meet Expectations

The mission also cited "failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan's interests" as one of the reasons.

"We acknowledge our shortcomings in meeting the expectations and requirements necessary to serve the best interests of Afghanistan and its citizens due to the lack of diplomatic support in India and the absence of a legitimate functioning government in Kabul," it said.

It also said that due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, there has been a significant reduction in both personnel and resources available to it, making it increasingly challenging to continue operations.

"The lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats to other critical areas of cooperation led to an understandable frustration among our team and impeded our ability to carry out routine duties effectively," the statement said.

Given these circumstances, "it is with deep regret that we have taken the difficult decision to close all operations of the mission with the exception of emergency consular services to Afghan citizens till the transfer of the custodial authority of the mission to the host country," it said.

The embassy has been headed by Ambassador Farid Mamundzay. Mr Mamundzay was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government and he has been operating as the Afghan envoy even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Power Tussle

In April-May, the embassy was rocked by a power struggle in the wake of reports of the Taliban appointing a charge d'affaires to head the mission, replacing Mr Mamundzay. Following the episode, the embassy came out with a statement that there was no change in its leadership.

The tussle for power had erupted after Qadir Shah, who was working as a trade councillor at the embassy since 2020, wrote to the MEA in late April claiming that he was appointed as the charge d'affaires at the embassy by the Taliban.

India is yet to recognise the Taliban set-up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul, besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

In its statement, the Afghan Embassy said this step is being taken in the best interest of the people of Afghanistan.

In accordance with Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), all property and facilities of the Embassy will be transferred to the custodial authority of the host country, it said.

The embassy said it also wishes to address recent speculations and provide clarity on certain matters of importance.

In the three-page statement, the embassy categorically refuted any "baseless claims" regarding internal strife or discord amongst its diplomatic staff or any diplomats using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country.

"Such rumours are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of our mission. We remain a united team working towards the best interests of Afghanistan," the embassy said.

The embassy also said it would like to verify the "authenticity" of an earlier communication with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the intent to close the mission.

"This communication accurately represents our decision-making process and the factors leading to the closure," the statement said.

"We request the government of India to give serious consideration to the four requests outlined in the official note verbally submitted earlier. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of permitting the hoisting of the Afghan flag over the properties of our premises, as well as facilitating the smooth transition of the mission's buildings and assets to a legitimate government in Kabul in the future," the statement said.

The embassy also acknowledged that, given the gravity of this decision, "there may be some who receive support and instructions from Kabul that may differ from our current course of action".

The Embassy of Afghanistan made an "unequivocal statement" regarding the activities of certain consulates.

"It is our firm belief that any actions taken by these consulates are not in consonance with the objectives of a legitimate or elected government and rather serve the interests of an illegitimate regime," the statement said.

The embassy also said it is keen to reach an agreement with the Indian government at the earliest possible juncture.

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US House Passes Bill To Keep Government Running For 45 Days

Last gasp moves to prevent a US government shutdown took a dramatic step forward Saturday, as Democrats overwhelmingly backed an eleventh-hour Republican measure to keep federal funding going for 45 days, albeit with a freeze on Washington's massive aid to Ukraine.

The stopgap measure adopted 335-91 by the House of Representatives was pitched by Speaker Kevin McCarthy with just hours to go before a midnight shutdown deadline that would have seen millions of federal employees and military personnel sent home or required to work without pay.

Ninety of the votes against the measure came from Republicans.

The deal still has to be approved by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The shutdown crisis was largely triggered by a small group of hardline Republicans who had defied their own party leadership to scupper various temporary funding proposals as they pressed for deep spending cuts.

Saturday's agreement could end up costing McCarthy his job, as the hardliners had threatened to remove him as speaker if a stopgap measure they opposed was passed with Democrat support.

Pitching his last-gasp proposal, McCarthy had appealed to both Republicans and Democrats to "put your partisanship away" and dismissed the threat to his job.

"If somebody wants to remove (me) because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try," he said.

The proposed plan would keep the government funded at current levels without the hardline-backed spending cuts that Democrats had viewed as a non-starter. But it also does not include funding for Ukraine.

Arming and funding Ukraine in its war against the Russian invasion has been a key policy plank for President Joe Biden's administration and, while the stopgap is only temporary, it does raise questions over the political viability of renewing the multibillion-dollar flow of assistance.

The Senate had been prepared to vote on its own stopgap bill later Saturday -- one that did include funding for Ukraine.

Last week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Capitol Hill to try to convince the slowly growing number of skeptical Republican members of Congress not to give up on his country.
 

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"Didn't Even Spare Cow Dung": PM On Congress "Corruption" In Chhattisgarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress government in Chhattisgarh of being steeped in "corruption and misrule", saying there is a scam in every scheme of the state and that it did not spare even cow dung.

PM Modi also accused the Congress of seeking to divide women in the name of caste and by spreading lies, as he launched a fierce counter-attack on the main opposition party over its demand for OBC sub-quota in women's reservation in legislatures.

Addressing a large crowd at the 'Parivartan Mahasankalp rally' here to mark the conclusion of the BJP's two 'Parivartan Yatra' outreach campaigns in the poll-bound state, the Prime Minister also invoked his own OBC background to assert that the Congress hates him and has not stopped abusing the backwards, Dalits and tribals despite its leader being sentenced by court, an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi. 

Mr Gandhi was convicted by a Gujarat court for his "Modi surname" remarks. The Supreme Court has since stayed the conviction.

PM Modi cautioned people of Chhattisgarh that if the Congress is given another chance, it will be emboldened to continue to take the path of corruption and assured them that if the BJP is elected to power, stern action will be taken against those who are guilty in the alleged Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment scam.

"Chhattisgarh is steeped in corruption and misrule. There is a scam in every scheme in the state...," PM Modi said, hitting out at the Bhupesh Baghel government over alleged scams in ration distribution, liquor trade, PSC recruitment, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund utilisation and cow dung procurement.

The state government "did not even spare cow dung and committed corruption in the name of gau mata (cow)," he said, referring to allegations of corruption in the cow dung procurement scheme.

The Prime Minister said the BJP was completely dedicated to the development of Chhattisgarh whether it was in power at the Centre or in the state.

"Today I have come to give you a guarantee that Modi will leave no stone unturned to make your every dream come true. It is Modi's guarantee that your dreams are Modi's resolution," he said.

"No matter how much I try from Delhi to ensure that development reaches you, the Congress government here keeps trying to disrupt it. In the last five years, Chhattisgarh has received thousands of crores of rupees from the Centre for development work. There is no shortage of money for the state, and I am not saying this but deputy Chief Minister (TS Singh Deo) of Chhattisgarh has said this in a public programme," the PM alleged.  

Mr Singh Deo, seen as Baghel's rival in the state Congress, had said at a function in Raigarh district - where he shared the stage with the Prime Minister - that the Union government has not been biased against Chhattisgarh.

PM Modi claimed that after Mr Singh Deo spoke the truth, it created a "storm" in the Congress and the party leaders started targeting him. 

"When the Congress was in power at the Centre (as part of the United Progressive Alliance), which has now become a 'ghamandia' alliance, it only gave Rs 300 crore on an average per year for railway works, but the Modi government gave Rs 6,000 crore in a year for expansion of railway networks," he said.

Accusing the Congress government of committing scams in rice distribution under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, PM Modi asked people whether they will give another opportunity to this party.

"They are a little scared as I am sitting in Delhi. But if they(Congress) get a chance again, their courage to commit a scam will be boosted so much that no one will be able to stop them in Chhattisgarh," he said. 

PM Modi also accused the Congress government of hiding the deaths of children due to malnutrition, saying that Congress leaders "are very concerned with the lives of their children, but have nothing to do with your children." 

He hit out at the Congress for "spreading lies" on paddy procurement, claiming that every single grain of rice grown by farmers in Chhattisgarh was procured by the BJP-led Union government. A BJP government will take care of paddy cultivators, he assured.

"Congress hates Modi as they think how a person from the backward classes became the PM. They abuse the backward classes on the pretext of targeting Modi. They (Congress) hate Dalits, the poor, tribals and OBCs. Even after being punished by the court (for making slanderous statements), they continued with the same attitude," PM Modi said.

"When the BJP nominated Ram Nath Kovind, who hails from the Dalit community, for the post of President, Congress opposed it. They even opposed Droupadi Murmu's candidature (in the last presidential election)....It was not ideological opposition. Had it been ideological opposition, the Congress would not have fielded a former leader of the BJP (Yashwant Sinha)," he added.

PM Modi said he has fulfilled another guarantee with the passage of the bill reserving 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies which has now become law after receiving the assent of President Murmu.

"It (women's reservation bill) was pending for 30 years. Congress and its allies in the 'ghamandia' bloc are now wondering what Modi has done. They are full of anger. They supported the bill out of compulsion and fear that Modi will get blessings of women after this development," he said. 

But now they are "playing new tricks to create division among women" on the lines of caste and by spreading lies, and the women of Chhattisgarh should remain alert about this, the PM said.

"This decision (women's reservation) will have an impact for thousands of years to come. It will make your daughters' future bright. Please, mothers and sisters, do not fall prey to the lies of liars. Your blessings should continue to shower so that Modi continues to fulfill everyone's dreams,"  he added.

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Lord Jagannath Owns 60,822 Acres In Odisha, 6 Other States, Says State Minister

The Jagannath Temple in Puri owns over 60,822 acres of land in Odisha and six other states, Odisha Law Minister Jagannath Saraka informed the assembly on Saturday.

In a written reply to a question from BJD member Prasanta Behera, the minister said a total of 60,426.943 acres of land in the name of Mahaprabhu Jagannath Bije, Srikhetra Puri, have been identified in 24 of the 30 districts of Odisha.

Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has received the final Record of Rights (RoR) over 38,061.892 acres of land, he said.

Similarly, 395.252 acres of land in six other states were identified in the name of Lord Jagannath, Mr Saraka said.

The minister said that the temple has already lodged 974 encroachment cases in different tehsils of the state to remove illegal encroachments.

The cases were filed as per the provision of the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, after the conduct of a proper inquiry by SJTA officials.

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Scientists Confirm First Evidence Of Black Hole Spinning

Astronomers have found the first direct evidence of a black hole spinning. The observations provide new insights into the enigmatic celestial object and focus on the supermassive black hole at the centre of the neighbouring Messier 87 (M87) galaxy. On the lines of other supermassive black holes, M87, too, features powerful jets launched from the poles at close to the speed of light into intergalactic space.

Scientists believe the rotation of a black hole powers these cosmic jets, but until now there was no direct evidence. The black hole has been imaged by Event Horizon Telescope, The Guardian reported.

Dr Ru-Sen Lu, the lead author of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, said that the scientific community knows jets are ejected from the region surrounding black holes. "But we still do not fully understand how this happens," Lu said, adding that, they needed to observe the origin of the jet as close as possible to the black hole.

M87, located 55 million light years from the Earth, harbours a black hole 6.5 billion times more massive than the Sun. Beyond the black hole is an accretion disk of gas and dust swirling on the precipice of the cosmic sinkhole. Some of this material, as per the scientists, will fall into the black hole and disappear forever. However, a small fraction will be ejected out from the poles of the black hole at more than 99.99% of the speed of light.

Research, published in Nature, used observations of M87 from a global network of radio telescopes from 2000 to 2022. Scientists noticed a recurring 11-year cycle in the jet, which was found to precess around a central point at the edge of the black hole. It indicated a misalignment between the black hole's spin axis and the accretion disk, leading the jet to move like a spinning top.

The first picture of a black hole was obtained back in 2019, according to US space agency NASA. The supermassive black hole, imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope, was said to be located in the centre of the elliptical galaxy M87, located about 55 million light-years from Earth.

What is a Black Hole?

NASA describes a black hole as a “dense, compact object whose gravitational pull is so strong (to a certain distance) that nothing can escape, not even light.” It is said that black holes are formed when massive stars collapse at the ends of their evolution. The gravity is extremely strong because matter (the mass) has been squeezed into a tiny space.

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Not Ashwin, Yuvraj Wanted This Star As Axar's Replacement In India's Squad

The Indian squad is packed with quality players but either wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal or Washington Sundar should have found place in the home team's line-up, reckons 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh. All-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the global event due to quadriceps tear and the management replaced him with senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin was summoned for the ODI series against Australia and eventually he was included in the final 15-man squad as Chahal and Washington miss out.

"I personally feel the only miss in this side is Yuzvendra Chahal. I think the only aspect that is missing from this team is a leg-spinner," Yuvraj told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"I was very keen to see Washington Sundar in the side if we are not picking up Yuzi. But maybe the team wanted an experienced bowler, so that is why I think they went with R Ashwin," said one of India's greatest ODI cricketers.

Yuvraj spoke on the sidelines of an event, organised by Vicks, to release the World Cup anthem.

The performance of Jasprit Bumrah will have a massive bearing on India's campaign in the World Cup at home, felt former India batter.

Bumrah returned to the Indian side during the T20I series against Ireland recently after a long injury lay-off and he also produced intense efforts in the Asia Cup.

"Jasprit is a match-winner, like Zak (Zaheer Khan) did for us back in 2011. What makes Jasprit a threat is he has skill and pace. He is an asset to the team.

"To make a comeback from the back injury at this stage is quite big too. As a team you feel confident to have bowlers like that, they win you matches from any situation." Yuvraj, who was the player of the tournament during the 2011 World Cup, was pleased to see the growing maturity of Bumrah as a cricketer. "Bumrah has matured in the last couple of years, he has captained India and has become a smart bowler. Rohit knows how to use him wisely, especially because he has captained Bumrah in the Mumbai Indians," said Yuvraj.

"The advantage with Bumrah is that initially he can get wickets with pace but when he starts going for runs, his skillset will come into play. There will be days when you will win a game after scoring 300 or 350-plus but these kinds of bowlers like Bumrah are needed to defend scores like 250s and 260s," he said.

The 41-year-old was also chuffed to see the form of India's middle-order batters.

"It is a good thing that all our middle-order batters – KL (Rahul), Ishan (Kishan) and Shreyas Iyer – are in good form. But the team management needs to decide the 11 and combination ahead of the tournament that will give the team a settled look," he said.

Yuvraj knows a thing or two about winning the World Cup as he was a part of India's triumphant sides in 2007 (T20 WC) and 2011 (50-over WC).

He said India had started their preparation for the 2011 World Cup the moment Gary Kirsten joined the team as the head coach.

"We started planning for the World Cup from the day Gary came on board. The first step was to get to the No. 1 ranking in all formats – whether it is ODI cricket or Tests. When the World Cup came, we had a lot of players who were at the peak of their careers. The younger generation too had matured. So, it became a complete team effort," he said.

On personal front, Yuvraj was battling injuries and other health issues, which was later diagnosed as cancer, ahead of the 2011 big bash.

So, how did he manage to rise above those obstacles? "I was battling injuries ahead of the World Cup…neck, fingers…and other health-related issues as I was not able to breathe properly. I had to put aside all of those things and concentrate on one goal, which is the World Cup.

"When you were playing in a physical state like that, you had to put the body on the line. I think to win a World Cup after 28 years, an effort like that was needed." India had then won a 50-over World Cup, their second, after a gap of nearly three decades, and Yuvraj hoped that Rohit Sharma and his bunch would end India's 12-year wait for a third trophy at home next month.

"I love these guys as I get along with every one of them and I have also played with some of them. I feel that Virat and Rohit deserve a World Cup. So, everyone needs to put their body on the line for such a big stage," he said.

Yuvraj also advised the present bunch to stay away from distractions during the World Cup. "I would tell them to stay away from distractions for the next 40 or 45 days…media, friends and everything. They need to focus on the game exclusively. Sachin paaji (Tendulkar) used to tell us that," he signed off.

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Asian Games Live: Indian Athletes, Golfers, Shooters In Action

Asian Games 2023 September 30, Live Updates: The Day 7 of the Asian Games 2023 will be a crucial one for India as stars like weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, mixed doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale will be in action in Hangzhou. India men's hockey team will be taking on Pakistan in their Pool A match. Meanwhile, athletes like huddler Jyothi Yarraji, long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin will also be in action during the qualifying events. Apart from this, India men's badminton team will their semi-final match. (Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Here are the Live Updates of Asian Games 2023, September 30:

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Man Charged With 1996 Killing Of Rapper Tupac Shakur: Prosecutor

A former gang leader has been charged with the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, a prosecutor said Friday.

The development is the latest in a long-running case that has gripped the public imagination after the death of an artist whose spectacular career was cut short at the age of just 25.

Duane "Keffe D" Davis was indicted by a grand jury in Nevada, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo told a court.

"The presumption is great that he is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur, and he will be found guilty of murder with use of a deadly weapon," he said.

Shakur, the best-selling hip-hop artist behind hits such as "California Love," was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Shakur had a brief but stratospheric career, rapidly rising from backup dancer to self-styled gangsta rapper and one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, selling 75 million records.

He became a key figure in a vaunted rivalry, egged on by promoters, between East Coast and West Coast hip-hop.

Though born in New York, Shakur moved as a teenager with his family to California, becoming one of the most identifiable figures in the West Coast scene.

The circumstances of Shakur's death in September 1996 remain murky, and theories have long abounded.

Shakur's murder was followed six months later by the gunning down of his rival, East Coast rapper Christopher "The Notorious BIG" Wallace.

Many believe they were slain as part of a rivalry between their music labels, LA-based Death Row and New York's Bad Boy Entertainment.

But some music historians say the coastal rift was exaggerated for commercial reasons.

Shakur -- whose mother Afeni was active in the Black Panther movement and named him after Tupac Amaru, a revolutionary Inca chief -- used his lyrics to highlight issues facing Black Americans, from police brutality to mass incarceration.

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10 Years To 18: The History Of Age Of Consent In India

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Family Attacked For Asking Not To Play Music Due to Death Of Son: Cops

A family was assaulted allegedly by 21 persons in Pune district after it asked them not to play loud music during the Ganpati idol immersion procession due to the death of a relative, police said on Friday.

The incident took place in Ganesh Nagar near Somathane Phata in Pimpri Chinchwad on Sunday, an official said.

"All 21 persons have been arrested in connection with the assault. Complainant Sunil Shinde's son had died recently. When the immersion processed passed by their home, he asked them not to play loud music as the family was grieving," he said.

"The accused, while returning after immersing the idol, attacked them with iron rods, sticks and sharp weapons. Shinde, some of his family members and their driver sustained serious injuries," the Talegaon Dabhade police station official said.

The 21 accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act for attempt to murder, rioting and other offences, he informed. 

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"I've Not Shared This Story...": Sreesanth Narrates Unheard MS Dhoni Tale

One of the greats of the game, MS Dhoni is a man that the entire cricketing universe respects. Though Dhoni got his India not a little late, he went on to create a legacy that remains unparalleled event today. While many intriguing tales of the Ranchi-born wicket-keeper batter, a new one unfolded as former pacer S Sreesanth shared anecdotes from an India vs Pakistan match in Kerala. While the fans were chanting Sachin, Sachin, Dhoni knew that it was his time to deliver and cement his place in the team.

"Before the India vs Pakistan match in Kerala, John Wright (India's head coach) called me to bowl in the nets. Kochi hosted the match. India vs Pakistan, it was housefull. Everyone was chanting 'India, India, Sachin, Sachin'," Sreesanth said in a chat on Sportskeeda.

"Dhoni bhai came and spoke with us (support players). I have not shared this story anywhere. When we were standing there, Dhoni bhai said 'I want to express myself. I am not getting the chance where I can express myself'," he added.

While Dhoni was eager to prove his credentials, Sreesanth also showed keen interest in representing India in the future too.

"There was one more player with me from Kerala. Dhoni was talking with us. We even jokingly told him, 'Dhoni bhai, even we will come in the team in 1-2 years'. He said with a smile, 'Yes, sure. Why not. Just keep working hard'."

"At the dinner party, we just had a casual interaction. But I told him, 'Don't worry. Something tells me (you will play and do well soon).' I have the habit of motivating the players sitting on the bench. You won't believe, the next match he played he scored a hundred. In Duleep Trophy finals, he got a chance and he scored a hundred," Sreesanth revealed.

Dhoni went on to score a hundred for India A and went on a run that made him indespensible to the senior Indian team forever.

"Then he got a chance in India 'A', he scored hundred again, and then hundred again. Crazy journey man! So from playing Duleep Trophy against him in 2003/04 to winning two World Cups with him. Unbelievable journey. That's why it is said you should not hope, you should believe.

"I am writing about this in my autobiography also. During India vs Pakistan match, MS Dhoni told me 'I don't know what we have to do. You don't know what makes you come here, but you know what to do here'," Sreesanth concluded.

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Asian Games 2023 Live: PV Sindhu In Action, Shooters Eye More Team Medals

Asian Games 2023 September 29 Live Updates: The Indian contingent will have a brilliant chance of adding to their medals tally as athletes compete in tennis, squash and shooting. Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni will take part in the tennis men's doubles final. The men's and women's squash teams will also be in action in semi-final match while the athletics contingent will finally begin their campaign in the competition. On Thursday, Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema and Shiva Narwal clinched the top prize in Men's 10m Air Pistol Team event. Roshibina Devi also added a silver in Women's 60kg Wushu final and Anush Agarwalla made history by winning India's first medal in individual dressage equestrian event at Asian Games. (Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Here are the Live Updates of Asian Games 2023, September 29:

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3 Arrested For Killing Girl, Engaging In Sexual Acts With Body In Assam

Three people, including a railway employee, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly strangling a teenage girl to death and then engaging in sexual acts with the body in Assam's Karimganj district, police said.

The minor's body was found beside Karimganj town bypass on September 9, the same day she was murdered.

A post-mortem examination confirmed necrophilia and a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered, Karimganj Superintendent of Police Partha Pratim Das told reporters.

During the course of the investigation, police found a phone number in the girl's personal diary, through which the three accused were traced and nabbed from their homes in Karimganj town, the SP said.

"It was found that a newly recruited railway employee had an affair with the girl and was pressuring her to have a physical relationship with him, but she repeatedly rejected his sexual advances," he said. 

"On September 9, on finding the girl alone at her home, her lover, along with two of his friends, tried to rape her. When she resisted, they strangled her to death and took turns to engage in sexual acts with the corpse," he added. 

The accused had disposed of the body beside the bypass, from where it was later recovered and identified by her parents, he added. 

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"You Make The...": Soni Razdan's Wish For Ranbir Is Aww-Dorable

Mom-in-law Soni Razdan's birthday wish for her son-in-law Ranbir Kapoor might be the cutest thing on the internet today. On Thursday, Ranbir Kapoor rang in his 41st birthday with an adorable birthday wish from his wife Alia Bhatt's mother and veteran actor Soni Randan. The Raazi actor shared a selflie clicked with Ranbir Kapoor and wrote underneath it, "Happy birthday to the sweetest sil. You make the world a better place by just being in it. Have an amazing year, love you loads."

See Soni Razdan's wish for her son-in-law Ranbir:

 On his special day, wife Alia Batt curated some super cute pictures to wish him, accompanied by an equally adorable caption. She wrote, "My love.. my best friend.. my happiest place... As you read this caption from your secret account sitting right next to me...All I'd like to say is...Happy birthday baby... You make it all magical."

Read Alia Bhatt's post here:

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The actor's 41st birthday happens to coincide with the release of the teaser of his film Animal. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor alongside Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and others. ICYMI, here's the teaser of Animal.

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On the work front, Ranbir Kapoor was last seen in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar with Shraddha Kapoor. His next project is Sandeep ReddyVanga's Animal with Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna. The film will release in December this year. His wife Alia Bhatt recently won the National Film Award for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. She also made her big Hollywood debut this year with Gal Gadot's Heart Of Stone.

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"If Virat Is Made Aware Of What You Said...": Sreesanth Rips Into NZ Great

Just a few days to go before the ODI World Cup 2023 gets underway in India. Being the hosts, the Indian team is one of the top favourites to go the distance in the tournament. However, New Zealand great Simon Doull doesn't think the Indian team plays 'fearless cricket', which will be a hurdle for them in the showpiece event. However, S Sreesanth isn't in agreement with Doull, suggesting if Indian players, especially Virat Kohli, come to know of what he said, it would be fun to watch how the team plays against the Kiwis when they come across each other in the World Cup.

New Zealand, who are yet to win the ODI World Cup, eliminated the Indian team in the 2019 edition of the tournament but went on to lose the final to England. Sreesanth, mocking the New Zealand team, said that their former players 'should think before they speak'.

"New Zealand are coming to India. They will get to know if India play attacking cricket or not. We will thrash them. They got lucky in 2019 with MS Dhoni getting run out due to a direct hit. What did you do after playing the final?

"They made a team like England win the World Cup, who hadn't won a 50-over World Cup until then. New Zealand are never going to win. Yes, they might win in the future, but it will be embarrassing for them this time. If you get a chance to address the media, please think before you speak. If you are ready to give, you should be able to take it also." he said in a chat on Sportskeeda.

Issuing a direct warning to Doull and his team, Sreesanth said that India will hammer New Zealand when the two teams meet in the World Cup.

"I just want to tell Simon Doull that Indians are going to have a blast against New Zealand. New Zealand are going to learn a lot against India. Yes, there have been certain matches where they have done well against us, especially in ICC events. But those times have gone now. If any of these cricketers get to know what you said, and if Virat is made aware of it, it will be a lot of fun to watch that match," he asserted.

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Rohit Asks Rahul To Collect Trophy After ODI Series Win. Video Goes Viral

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma asked KL Rahul to collect the trophy after the ODI series against Australia as the wicket-keeper batter led the side in the first two games. Rohit was rested for the first two matches and he made a return for the third one in Rajkot. India went down fighting in the match on Wednesday but were able to clinch the series 2-1 thanks to wins in Mohali and Indore. It was a heartwarming gesture from Rohit and the video of the incident went viral on social media.

Australia saved their best for the last as Indian middle-order wilted under pressure exerted by part-time off-spin of Glenn Maxwell, losing the third ODI by 66 runs.

India however won the series 2-1.

Captain @ImRo45 & @klrahul collect the @IDFCFIRSTBank Trophy as #TeamIndia win the ODI series #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/k3JiTMiVGJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 27, 2023

"I'm pretty happy, of course, I would like to go all the way along but if I'm hitting like that I'm happy. The last 7-8 ODIs we have played really well, we have been challenged under different conditions and different teams, I thought we responded to that challenge pretty well. Unfortunately not the result we wanted today," Rohit said after the match.

India were cruising along at 171 for 2 chasing a stiff target of 353 on a placid track but the middle-order crumbled in chase with Maxwell (4/40) getting crucial breakthroughs to restrict the hosts to 286 in 49.4 overs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma (81) and Kohli struck fifties to provide the middle-order with a perfect platform in the big chase, but the rest floundered to hand Australia the advantage.

Earlier, Mitchell Marsh (96) headlined Australia's best batting show with David Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne helping themselves to attacking half-centuries during a commanding performance to break a five-ODI losing streak.

The two teams will now play a couple of warm-up games before meeting again in 10 days' time for the tournament-opener in Chennai on October 8.

(With PTI inputs)

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"Justin Trudeau In Turmoil, Looking For Some Kind Of Out": Ex Canada MLA

In a series of hard-hitting statements against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party, a former minister of a province in the country has said the allegations on India's involvement in the killing of the Khalistani terrorist were made "ahead of time and without clear facts" and that the PM is using a serious crime to get out of the "political mud" he is in

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Kash Heed - who is a Richmond City Councillor, a former minister, member of legislative assembly and solicitor general of British Columbia, as well as a former police chief - also spoke against using such killings for political grandstanding.

To a question on India asking Canada for evidence in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and providing its own evidence against terrorists operating out of Canadian soil, Mr Heed said, "We have been raising the issue of groups involved in it to make money, whether it is for illicit activities such as terrorism or things like that across Canada. You have to remember, given the political situation that we are in right now, you have a governing party of Canada that's in a crisis right now."

"Whether it's having to deal with this situation, which they went out, in my opinion, ahead of time on without the clear facts, or whether they are dealing with the speaker of the House that has to resign because of recognising people that fought for the Nazis," he said.

"He (Trudeau) is in turmoil right now, he is looking for some kind of out. This is not the out that he should be utilising, trying to bring back his political credibility, because what has happened is that political credibility is waning at a very rapid pace," the former minister added. 

'Wrong Political Calculation'

Asked whether Mr Trudeau was making the allegations on India's involvement in Nijjar's Killing because of his minority government's dependence on Jagmeet Singh's New Democratic Party, Mr Heed said, "I believe it is a domestic political calculation, I believe it is the wrong political calculation, because you can't pull the wool over the elector in Canada. This prime minister, his party is in significant trouble right now, but you cannot use a very serious crime like this to try and get out of the political mud you're in right now."

"I have total disdain for politicians that are using the death of someone for their own benefit," he remarked.

Investigation, Interference

On whether the investigation into the death of Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June, was botched from the beginning, Mr Heed said he does not think the investigators are doing anything wrong and that the politicians were speaking out of line. 

"That's caused a lot of confusion, internationally, as to what is taking place. The investigators are investigating this as a normal homicide. We are used to doing such types of investigation because it has been so prevalent here in British Columbia, especially in Surrey. They are trying to put together the case that has sufficient evidence, hopefully to lead to charges against individuals," he said.

Pointing to the role of politicians, the city councillor said, "But when we have this political interference that's taking place where you've got politicians grandstanding on an issue which will not necessarily be true, or the evidence will lead in that direction, is the complicated matter that we are facing right now."

Conspiracy Theories?

To a question on Mr Trudeau's allegations and the evidence backing it up, Mr Heed said, "You have to question what that evidence is. Whether it is substantial evidence that can lead to accusations that have been made by the head of our state, the Prime Minister of Canada, or whether it's just intelligence, rhetoric, information that comes in."

Speaking from his experience as part of the police force, Mr Heed said that when you are dealing with such high-profile killings, you get a lot of information that comes in. 

"That's not necessarily true. You've got conspiracy theories that are developed, you've got those that need to be looked at. You've got significant evidence that you are dealing with. You need to take an inductive approach here and that the evidence leads to whatever the accusations or charges could be. And, if others are involved through some sort of conspiracy, let's look at that," he said.

The former police chief said the Nijjar investigation is in its infancy stages and the police officers should be allowed to do their job, without political rhetoric. 

Web Of Khalistani Terror

Kash Heed said there are organised crime groups and terrorist groups operating in Canada and it has been a long-standing issue. To a question on a web of Khalistani terror in the country, he said it is not limited to South Asian groups, but other ethnic groups as well. 

"It's prevalent, whether you want to identify it as a Khalistani group or as other Asian-based organised groups, it's quite prevalent in Canada. They are making a lot of money, and it's mainly because of the sale of drugs and weapons," he said. 

On dossiers shared by India on Khalistani terrorists and the action taken by Canada so far, Mr Heed said, "I have to question that too...If you're ignoring the fact that this is taking place on our sovereign soil, and now all of a sudden you are bringing this up for your own political gain, that's very, very questionable. These types of activities have been taking place in Canada and they are not comprehensively dealt with by our political systems and policy makers."

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"Not Living In British Era": Nitish Kumar On Library Signboard In English

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday voiced his extreme displeasure over the signboard of a government school's library bearing the inscription in English.

Mr Kumar was in Banka district, about 250 km from the state capital, where he reached after inspection of a bridge in the adjoining Jamui which got damaged after heavy rainfall last week.

In Banka, Mr Kumar inaugurated a newly constructed hospital and inspected a recently renovated indoor stadium before visiting a high school and got upset upon seeing the signboard stating it was a "digital library".

"Why is this not in Hindi? We are not living in the British era," he told the District Magistrate, Anshul Kumar, who was present there.

"Look, I have nothing against English. It was the medium of my instruction while I was studying engineering. Many of my speeches in Parliament, too, were in that language", said the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar.

He added, "But, at one point of time, I decided to promote the use of Hindi. I therefore gave up putting on my signature in English. Please get this signboard changed, at the earliest".

The DM assured Mr Kumar that the needful would be done "today itself".

The septuagenarian, who owes his passionate advocacy for Hindi to his ideological devotion towards late socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia, has voiced displeasure, in public, over the use of English on more than one occasion.

In February, he reprimanded an agricultural entrepreneur for making a presentation that contained "too many English words".

A month later, inside the state legislative council, he chided Chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur, who belongs to his party Janata Dal (United), upon seeing words like "honourable" and "speaking time" on the electronic display board.

The chief minister was accompanied by cabinet colleagues and top government officials during his tour of the two districts. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Girl Stabbed To Death On Way To School In Latest Knife Attack In London

London police said they had arrested a teenager after a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death on her way to school on Wednesday, stoking fresh concern about the scale of knife crime in the UK.

Emergency services including an air ambulance were called to the scene in Croydon, south London, at around 8.30 am (0730 GMT) following reports of a stabbing.

Paramedics battled to save the girl but she was pronounced dead at the scene 50 minutes later, police said, adding that a 17-year-old boy was later arrested.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "heartbroken" by the fatal incident and pledged to "continue working day and night to end the scourge of knife crime in our city".  

According to official figures, 99 people under the age of 25 were killed in England and Wales with a knife or sharp object in the year to March 2023. Of those 13 were under the age of 16.

The deaths were among 50,000 stabbing incidents in the year to March 2023, a five percent increase on the previous year and a 75 percent increase on a decade ago, the figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. 

Police said the suspect in custody was being questioned by detectives.

"Our immediate thoughts are with this young girl's family who are facing the most tragic of news. Our officers are with the girl's family to support them," said Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain of the Metropolitan Police.

Victor Azare, a 50-year-old security guard on his way home after a night shift, said he and others chased a boy in a school blazer after seeing him stab the girl in the neck with a knife that was "black, thin, and about a foot (30 centimeters) long".

"We tried to catch him and a lot of people tried to save the girl. I was so shocked, I was shaken. It's somebody's daughter," he told British media.

Media reports said the girl had just got off a bus at the time and appeared to have been having an argument with a boy who then attacked her.

The girl, whose identity has not yet been released, was a pupil at Old Palace of John Whitgift School, a private girls' school in Croydon.

"We are deeply shocked by the senseless and tragic death of our much-loved and valued friend and pupil," the school said in a statement.

"It will take some time for the Old Palace community to come to terms with this terrible news.

"Above all, we send our love and deepest sympathies to the girl's family at this unimaginably distressing time," it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"No Ill Will...": Babar Opens Up About Rumoured Rift In Pak Dressing Room

Pakistan cricket team had a good start in the recently-concluded Asia Cup tournament but failed to carry the momentum and bowed out of the event in the Super 4 stage, following a disappointing loss to Sri Lanka. After their shocking exit, rumours emerged that Pakistan captain Babar Azam and team's ace pacer Shaheen Afridi were engaged in a war of words. According to a report in Bol News, Babar, after the loss to Sri Lanka, questioned the role of the senior players in the Asia Cup 2023 campaign. Shaheen interrupted him and said he should not generalise and not criticise those who did well, added the report.

Babar then replied that he is well aware about who is doing well and who's not, according to the report that also claimed that Babar went to the press conference after the Asia Cup loss and on his way to the hotel did not talk to anybody.

While Shaheen had quelled the rumour with a post on social media, Babar Azam on Tuesday asserted that there is no bad blood in the dressing room following the Asia Cup disappointment.

For the unversed, Shaheen had posted a photo with Babar, along with the caption: "Family."

In a pre-departure media conference on Tuesday, Babar said: "There is no ill will in the dressing room. There are discussions after every loss but they get twisted into something else entirely. The entire team is like a family and there is love and respect there."

Most of the Pakistan squad members have not played in India before but skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday exuded confidence, saying his team has done its homework for the ODI World Cup beginning on October 5.

Pakistan team's visas were finally cleared on Monday night and the side will be reaching Hyderabad via Dubai on Wednesday.

Only Mohammad Nawaz and Agha Salman have played in India before. Babar could not travel to India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 due to an injury.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Virat Kohli Recreates His Childhood Pose For Ad Shoot, Picture Goes Viral

Virat Kohli is among the best batters in the world of cricket. His exceptional talent and consistent performance have earned him a huge fan following across the globe. Be it on or off the field, the fans stay acquainted with what the batting legend does. In that case, any video or picture of his to go viral in a quite common thing. Recently, a childhood pose of Kohli has gone viral after the batter recreated it for an advertisement shoot.

See the picture here:

Virat Kohli recreating his childhood pose.

Moment of the day! pic.twitter.com/bgs6xMxguP

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 25, 2023

Kohli is currently out of cricketing action as he along with some other senior players in the team was rested for the first two ODIs of the three-match series against Australia. He will be back in the team for the final game.

Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill slammed centuries to help India rout Australia by 99 runs (DLS method) in a rain-hit second ODI on Sunday to clinch the series 2-0.

Iyer (105) Gill (104) put on a dominant second-wicket stand of 200 to lay the foundations for India's 399-5 after being invited to bat in Indore.

Stand-in-skipper KL Rahul's 52 and an unbeaten 72 by T20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav contributed to the mammoth total and the bowlers then combined to hand India an unbeatable lead in the three-match series.

The matches are a tune-up for the World Cup in India starting October 5.

Regular captain Rohit Sharma will also make a return with star batter Kohli for the final ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday and the team will have to make some tough calls in picking the starting XI.

"It (selection) is the headache of the coach and Rohit...whoever gets picked has a job to do," said stand-in skipper Rahul.

"Sitting out can be hard after scoring a lot of runs but everyone has been through that."

Chasing a DLS revised target of 317 in 33 overs after rain interrupted play in the chase, Australia were bowled out for 217 in 28.2 overs.

Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each.

(With AFP Inputs)

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"More Arms Smuggled From Within India Than Pak": Punjab Chief Minister

In a shocking statement, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state sees more weapons being smuggled from other states, like Madhya Pradesh, than it does from across the border- a reference to Pakistan. 

The remark, made at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, comes at a time when central agencies have shared extensive details of how terrorists and Khalistani elements have been pushing weapons into the state via drones and other means, with the backing of the Pakistani establishment. 

To counter the threat of drones, the chief minister said that a centre of excellence for drones should be set up in Punjab. He said that, being a border state, drones pose a mammoth challenge for the Punjab Police, as is reflected in the year-on-year increase in their sightings and recoveries. He said that drones are mainly being for espionage and cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs. 

This led Mr Mann to flag the issue of the smuggling of weapons from within the country. Pointing out that this is posing a "great threat" to law and order in the state, he said that it is unfortunate that the number of weapons smuggled from within the country (especially from states like Madhya Pradesh) is much more than is smuggled from across the border.

Advocating for the setting up of a regional centre of National Security Guards (NSG) in Pathankot at the earliest, the chief minister said that Punjab is always prone to terror attacks from across the border. He said that the NSG hub, which was announced by the Union government, must be set up at the earliest to help safeguard the country's borders. 

The chief minister also underscored the need for revision of the clause of having to pay for paramilitary forces to maintain law and order when needed. He said that this clause of 'paramilitary forces on rent' should be abolished as far as Punjab is concerned, adding that the centre must be magnanimous in allocation as companies.

Mr Mann also spoke on the requirement of a genuine federal structure in the country and said that the need for more financial arid political power to states has been felt across the spectrum of political opinion. 

He said that there is a wide consensus, cutting across party lines, that the state governments need to be given much greater operational freedom in choosing and financing their developmental priorities. "Everybody knows that the state governments are in a much better position to understand, address and solve the problems of their people, at the cutting edge" the chief minister said.

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London's Gatwick Airport Limits Flights Due To Covid-19 Outbreak

Gatwick Airport, London's second-busiest, has canceled several flights because of staff shortages in air traffic control blamed on the Covid-19 outbreak, Forbes reported. More than 40 flights were canceled over the weekend. The airport has also moved to limit the number of planes coming and going from its runway for the rest of the week, the airport's CEO Stewart Wingate said in a statement. The airport said a daily 800-flight limit, including both departures and arrivals, has been imposed until Sunday. The daily cap will prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while National Air Traffic Services (NATS) gets back to normal, the airport said.

The largest number of cancellations will be on Friday, September 29, with 33 departures affected. 30% of staff in the division within air traffic control are off sick for a variety of reasons, including COVID-19, the airport said in a statement. 

NATS apologized to passengers but said that a variety of medical reasons meant it couldn't manage the normal flows in and out of the airport.

In a statement, NATS said, ''We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout. Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport.

With 30 percent of tower staff unavailable for a variety of medical reasons including Covid, we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week.''

Meanwhile, Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, said, “This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programs, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last-minute cancellations. We are working closely with NATS to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as many disruptions as possible.

''London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.''

EasyJet, the airport's most used airline, is expected to be the most affected, the BBC reported.

Johan Lundgren, the chief executive of easyJet, said, ''While it is regrettable that a temporary limit on capacity at Gatwick airport is required, we believe that it is the right action by the airport so on-the-day cancellations and delays can be avoided.

''Gatwick airport and Nats now need to work on a longer-term plan so the resilience of [air traffic control] at Gatwick is improved and fit for purpose. Our call for a more wide-ranging review of Nats remains so the broader issues can be examined so it can deliver robust services to passengers now and in the future.''

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Binance's Hegemony Shakes As US Regulatory Threat Looms: Report

Following the collapse of FTX, the largest exchange, Binance, first seemed to control the cryptocurrency market. However, less than a year later, Binance finds itself in a risky scenario. Binance's hegemony is shaking in the face of the possibility of regulatory actions by US authorities. The exchange has laid off a total of 1,500 workers over the past three months in an effort to slash expenses and prepare for a slump in business. Over a dozen senior executives have left the company during that time, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Kaiko, a source of cryptocurrency market data, reports that, down from about 70 per cent at the start of the year, Binance currently handles about half of cryptocurrency exchanges involving direct purchases and sales. Due to its huge size, Binance's future has significant ramifications for the cryptocurrency sector. While experts in the field believe that other exchanges might step in to take Binance's place if it collapses, there is concern that, in the near term, market liquidity may disappear, leading to a significant decrease in token prices.

One institutional trader revealed to The Wall Street Journal that their business had prepared backup plans to quickly withdraw funds from Binance in the case of an emergency. The co-founder and chief marketing officer of Binance, Yi He, highlighted his commitment to overcome these difficulties in a message to the company's workers last month. He emphasised that every struggle is a make-or-break moment and that the only real threat is one's own defeat.

Binance has a history of investing outside cryptocurrency initiatives, such as X (formerly known as Twitter). Binance's co-founder Changpeng Zhao, often known as CZ, is a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency community and has 8.6 million X followers.

Long-running investigation by the US Justice Department might result in Binance and Zhao being charged with crimes and paying hefty fines. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is suing Binance as well, claiming that it engaged in illegal activities in the US and misappropriated consumer funds. The business claims that consumer money is safe and that it is committed to compliance even if it acknowledges prior errors, the outlet reported.

Despite its global presence, Binance's accessibility has been restricted in many countries, including Europe, where more nations are banning its operations. In the US, Binance has witnessed a sharp fall in activity, with the recent departure of its CEO, legal chief, and risk head.

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This Japanese Company Is Working On World's First Drug To Grow New Teeth

Japanese researchers are working on a world-first drug that could help patients grow completely new teeth, Japam Times reported. Toregem Biopharma, funded by Kyoto University, which is developing the groundbreaking drug is set to conduct clinical trials on healthy adults in July 2024 and wants the drug on the market by 2030. 

Notably, humans and animals alike possess ''tooth buds'', that have the potential to become a new tooth, in addition to baby and permanent teeth. However, in most cases, these buds don't develop and eventually disappear. The company has now developed an antibody drug that inhibits the protein in the mouth that suppresses growth and stops "tooth buds" from developing.

In 2018, the antibody-drug was administered to ferrets, resulting in the successful growth of new teeth. These ferrets had both baby and permanent teeth like humans.

The company plans to conduct trials on patients with anodontia, a congenital condition in which some or all permanent teeth are absent. The children will be injected with one dose to induce teeth growth.

"Missing teeth in a child can affect the development of their jaw bone. We hope the drug will serve as a key to solving those problems," said Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Toregem Biopharma and head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka.

They are also hoping to utilize the drug in the future for adults who have lost teeth due to cavities.

Toregem's president Honoka Kiso wrote on the company's website she had lost teeth due to a bone disease when she was a teenager.

"I wanted to study the cause of my illness and how to regenerate lost teeth. Toregem Biopharma first hopes to treat patients with congenital tooth loss who do not grow permanent tooth buds due to genetic causes. Our final goal is to offer advanced and scientifically driven clinical solutions for the growth of teeth derived from their own tissues,'' she said. 

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'People Not Using Vande Bharat Trains As...': Chhattisgarh Chief Minister

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said that passengers are not in favour of using Vande Bharat express trains due to the high fares of the tickets adding that passenger trains are shutting down on constant basis.

Speaking to reporters in Raipur, Bhupesh Baghel said," Passengers are not using these trains because the fares are high. The majority of the public uses passenger trains but they are getting shut down. The PM is inaugurating railway corridors but it is not for the people, it is for 'dropping' coal."    

He further questioned the motive behind the flagging off of trains by the Prime Minister and said, "The Railway Minister has no work. He is only sent when there is an accident."

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains, and said that the speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with aspirations of 140 crore Indians.

The new trains are Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express, Hyderabad –Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada – Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express, Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela - Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express.

These Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest trains along the routes of their operation and will help save considerable time for the passengers.

Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement said that the introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country.

"These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists," the statement said.     

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Will Axar Recover In Time For WC? Report Provides Massive Injury Update

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be available for the third ODI against Australia after being given a one-match break but all-rounder Axar Patel will be given a few more days to recover from his quadricep tear ahead of the World Cup, BCCI sources said on Monday. While Ravichandran Ashwin has done decently in his two outings, the team management is still bullish about the fitness of Axar, the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder. "The team management wants to give Axar full chance of recovery. His forearm and finger bruises have healed but may be in another few days, he would get fit for World Cup. India's first match is on September 8 and hence there is time.

"As far as Ashwin is concerned, we now know that he is match fit and in rhythm. If Axar can't make it, Ashwin walks in," a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The final squad announcement is on September 27 and it is understood that Axar still remains the team management's top choice for the reserve spinner's slot ahead of the Tamil Nadu veteran.

It is understood that young batting star Shubhman Gill and bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur have been given a few days rest ahead of the third ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.

"As per rotation policy of the team, Bumrah, who was given a couple of days off to freshen up is back along with skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Gill, who has been playing continuously gets to cool his heels for 3-4 days along with Shardul Thakur," the source added.

Ruturaj, Mukesh released for Asian Games

India's Asian Games cricket team captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who played the first two ODIs, have been released from the squad as he will link up with the Hangzhou-bound outfit. Also released is pacer Mukesh Kumar, who came as cover for Bumrah, who was given a break.

It is understood that Washington Sundar is also suppose to leave on the evening of the game or day after.

While the Indian World Cup-bound team won't have any travelling net bowlers, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar will be summoned as and when required.

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Asian Games Live: Cricket, Rowing, Shooting In Spotlight For India

Asian Games 2023 Live Updates: India will have a great chance to bag a gold medal as the women's cricket team will be playing against Sri Lanka in the final at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou on Monday. The Smriti Mandhana-led side routed Bangladesh to book a final spot for itself. Apart from cricket, Indian athletes will begin their campaign in tennis and wushu. There will be some medal prospects in shooting as multiple Indian shooters will be in action across various categories. The performance in rowing was quite impressive on Sunday and Thanjam Priya Devi and Rukmani will be looking for a medal in the W8+ final. (Asian Games Medals Tally)

Here are the Live Updates of Asian Games 2023, September 25 action straight from Hangzhou:

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Video: Ambanis Offer Prayers At Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple

Industrialist Mukesh Ambani, wife Nita Ambani, and his other family members visited Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai on Sunday to seek blessing from Lord Ganpati.

Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani were accompanied by their children Isha and Anant.

Mr Amani, a doting grandfather was also seen with his cute little grandchildren.

Recently, Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani hosted a get-together at their Mumbai residence Antilia to celebrate the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. 

The celebration brought together some of the renowned members from Bollywood, sports, business, and political fraternities. 

Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month 'Bhadrapada', started on Tuesday. This auspicious ten-day festival starts with 'Chaturthi' and ends on 'Anantha Chaturdashi'.

The festive period is also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayak Chavithi'. The festival celebrates Ganesha as the 'God of New Beginnings' and the 'Remover of Obstacles' as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence.

It is celebrated with much fanfare in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with lakhs of devotees converging into mandals to seek blessing from Lord Ganesh.

For the festivities, people bring Lord Ganesh idols to their homes, observe fasts, prepare mouth-watering delicacies, and visit pandals during the festival.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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2 Newborns Die Of 'Cold' In UP Clinic, Doctor Arrested: Cops

Two newborns died at a private clinic in Shamli district on Sunday allegedly because they were kept in a room that was too cold, police said.

The families of the newborns alleged that the owner of the clinic -- Dr Neetu -- on Saturday had kept the air conditioner on overnight because he wanted to sleep well. The babies were found dead the next morning.

SHO (Kairana) Netrapal Singh said on a complaint filed by the families of the children, a case under section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC has been registered against Neetu.

He has been arrested, the SHO said.

Meanwhile, the health department has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) Dr Ashvani Sharma said strict action will be taken against those found guilty in this case.

According to the complaint, the babies were born in the government primary health centre in Kairana on Saturday and later shifted to the private clinic on the same day.

They were kept at the phototherapy unit for treatment. Dr Neetu switched on the air conditioner for sleeping on Saturday night, and both the children were found dead the next morning at the unit when their families went to see them, they said.

The families of the victims protested over the incident and demanded strict action against Neetu.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Warner Turns Right-Hander vs Ashwin, Stuns Everyone With Sweep Shot

David Warner is well-known for his switch hits against spinners but against Ravichandran Ashwin during the second ODI between India and Australia on Sunday, he decided to start batting right-handed. He started his innings as a left-hander but during the 13th over of the Australia innings, he decided to take a right-hander's stance. He played the first delivery lightly for a single but on the next occasion, he unleased a brilliant sweep shot that raced to the fine-leg boundary. The shot and his decision to turn into a right-hander left everyone stunned and Pat Cummins was left in splits by the ongoing events.

 Australia were set a revised target of 317 in 33 overs against India after rain disrupted the proceedings. Chasing India's mammoth 399, Australia were 56 for 2 when rain stopped play with David Warner (26) and Marnus Labuschagne (17) at the crease at the Holkar stadium.

As many as 11 overs were lost due to the rain interruption.

David Warner as a righty. He is GENIUS #INDvAUS #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/3f7gv2nddw

— Ahmad Khan (@mak0798) September 24, 2023

It was the second instance as rain had interrupted play during India's innings as well when the hosts were at 79 for one in 9.5 overs

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer hit brisk centuries as India posted a mammoth 399-5.

Suryakumar Yadav smashed an unbeaten 72 off just 37 balls and captain KL Rahul chipped in with a quickfire 52 to join in the batting feast in the day-night game at Indore.

India, the number one ranked ODI team, are looking to seal the three-match series after winning the opening game in Mohali by five wickets.

The short series is serving as a tune-up for the sides before India host the marquee World Cup tournament at home next month.

(With agency inputs)

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