On Jawaharlal Nehru's 61st death anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra recalls how India's first prime minister cultivated a unique role for the newly independent country on the world stage.
Was it a lack of confidence about whether he would perform in England that influenced his decision? asks K R Nayar.
A gas cylinder blast in a house at Dholahat in West Bengal's Pathar Pratima has claimed eight lives, including four children. The explosion, which occurred on Monday night, triggered a massive fire, intensified by the presence of stacked firecrackers inside the house. The incident has sparked a political controversy, with the BJP demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe and the TMC maintaining that the police are already investigating and that the state government has a "zero-tolerance " policy towards such incidents. The blast has also raised concerns about the safety of illegal firecracker manufacturing units, which have been linked to several recent accidents in the state.
At least four people were killed and 516 others were injured on Saturday in a massive explosion and fire at the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, more than 1,000km south of capital Tehran, according to officials and state media, Al Jazeera reported.
Kohli's farewell came during a turbulent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a place once synonymous with his rise.
The 56-year-old replaces Monty Desai, whose two-year stint with the South Asian side ended after CAN decided not to renew his contract.
It will also the first three-Test series between the countries since the West Indies tour of Australia in 2015-16.
Virat surprised me, he had at least 2-3 years of Test cricket left in him: Shastri
The situation in these violence-hit places remained tense on Saturday morning, but no untoward incident was reported, officials said.
The PCB chief said India and ICC being the hosts of the tournament would decide on the neutral venue.
Questions will remain as to why he ended his Test career at the age of 36, despite being one of the fittest cricketers, and why he didn't wait to cross the 10,000-run mark, observes veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
South Africa opening batter Matthew Breetzke broke a 47-year-old record when he made the highest score on ODI debut with 150 in a losing effort against New Zealand in a Tri-Nations match.
Cricket will make a triumphant return to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games after a 128-year absence, with six teams vying for top honors in both the men's and women's competitions. The sport was last featured in the 1900 Paris Olympics. The qualification process for the 2028 Games is yet to be confirmed, but the USA, as host nation, is likely to receive a direct spot, leaving five qualification places up for grabs.
The big-hitter was finally dismissed in the 19th over by Sandeep Sharma, caught by Riyan Parag.
'Walking back onto the field feels like coming home.'
From the lad with spiked hair lifting the U19 World Cup to the statesman in whites scoring one final ton -- Virat Kohli's journey is one of relentless ambition, transformation, and enduring legacy.
Mohammed Shami's possible omission from the Indian Test squad for the England tour was doing the rounds for past one week but the eternal optimist would have loved to believe that those artistic wrists would be at work in the Old Blighty.
As the verdict for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections is out, here is how some of the big faces fared in the contest.
So far, over 30 people have died across Northeastern states due to heavy rainfalls, floods and landslides, according to media reports.
Now that Digvesh Rathi's celebration has hit a sore note (book) he should focus more on taking wickets rather than accumulating fines.
India should encourage the second coming of SAARC with climate change as an urgent agenda and keeping Indian security concerns in mind as the subtext, suggest Lieutenant General Ashok Joshi (retd) and Colonel Anil Athale (retd).
The reality is that far from being friendless, India is better positioned in the world than at any point post-Cold War, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has urged President Donald Trump to help ease tensions with India, highlighting the Kashmir issue as a "flash point" in nuclear terms. He believes that the US should take a more comprehensive and sustained approach to address the situation rather than just immediate de-escalatory measures.
West Indies will need their all-round firepower against a rampaging South Africa in their must-win final Super Eight clash.
Jaiswal has been part of Mumbai's Ranji squad since the 2018-19 season and in 34 Ranji Trophy matches he has a first-class average of 61.65.
The entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists, the officials said.
The West Bengal government has assured the Calcutta High Court that the law and order situation in violence-hit Murshidabad district is under control. The court was hearing a petition by the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, who alleged bomb blasts during communal riots and sought an NIA investigation. The state government claims adequate steps have been taken to quell the violence, while the Centre has requested an extension of CAPF deployment in the district. The violence erupted during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad, displacing several families. The state government has reported that some families have returned to their homes.
Following the arrest of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi by Belgian authorities on Saturday, Vaibhav Khuraniya, one of the complainants in a fraud case against Choksi, said that it may not be easy to bring him back to India due to legal complexities involved in extradition.
A PCB official said due to time constraints between the ICC Champions Trophy and New Zealand tour, Aaqib Javed will continue as interim head coach.
Since first opening the batting together in January 2023, the duo has been prolific in 50 overs cricket.
The Supreme Court of India has formed a National Task Force (NTF) to address the growing concern of student suicides in higher educational institutions. The court took note of the recurring cases and directed Delhi Police to register FIRs on the complaints of families of two students who died by suicide at IIT Delhi in 2023. The NTF, chaired by former apex court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, will prepare a comprehensive report, including the identification of causes leading to suicides, analysis of existing regulations, and recommendations for strengthening protections. The NTF will also have the authority to conduct surprise inspections of higher educational institutions and make further recommendations to ensure a holistic approach to addressing mental health concerns and eliminating suicides.
Supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) clashed with police in West Bengal on Monday during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, leading to several injuries and the torching of multiple police vehicles. The clash occurred after police stopped ISF supporters from attending an anti-Waqf Act rally in Kolkata. The protests escalated when the crowd attempted to break through police barricades. The situation was brought under control after a large police force was deployed. ISF leader Naushad Siddique condemned the Waqf Act and accused the BJP of trying to incite communal tension. Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress dismissed the ISF as a "party of no consequence." Communal violence related to the Waqf Act has also occurred in other parts of West Bengal.
The state police said the situation in Murshidabad is gradually returning to normal, with shops reopening and displaced families starting to come back.
The all-star team announced by the ICC features four players from Sri Lanka, three each from Pakistan and Afghanistan and one from the West Indies.
Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
As the Champions Trophy kicks off, some memorable moments from past tournaments.
'Fears in Washington began to intensify when it was realised that subsequent Pakistani and Indian attacks on major military facilities -- which were significant in terms of geographic scope and intensity -- could rapidly take both sides to where neither actually wanted to go.' 'The US objective was to stop the fighting as soon as possible. Everything else was secondary.'
Chidambaram also commented US Ambassador Timothy Roemer on the vast disparity between South India and the rest of the country, with the South being the entrepreneurial and business hub of the nation.
'We are too important to want to be paired with Pakistan but too intensely connected to it to successfully detach ourselves,' asserts Aakar Patel.
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