Goa

High commands decision final on alliance, says new UP Cong chief amid seat-sharing concerns with SP

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Amid the ongoing seat-sharing deadlock between Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, newly appointed state Congress president Aradhana Mishra has said the decision regarding the alliance will be taken by the party's high command. Mishra stressed that the INDIA bloc was formed at the national level and decisions concerning the alliance, whether at the state or central level, would be taken by the national leadership. I would like to reiterate that the INDI Alliance does not form alliances at the state level; it is formed at the national level. The national leaders of all the parties that are part of the alliance came together on one platform to form this alliance. Whatever decisions are taken, whether for the states or at the Centre, regarding the alliance will be decided by the national leadership, she told IANS. Her remarks come amid uncertainty over seat-sharing arrangements between Congress and the SP in Uttar Pradesh, where both parties are part of the INDIA bloc and are expected to coordinate their strategy against the BJP in the 2027 Assembly polls. Mishra said the Congress remained committed to the alliance, Congress stands with everyone. We have upheld the principles of alliance politics, and we will continue to do so. I would like to say that our goal today is to remove the corrupt and unsuccessful Bharatiya Janata Party government in 2027 and form an alliance government, she said. The UP Congress chief also spoke about Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Satyagraha portal, drawing a parallel with Mahatma Gandhis Satyagraha against British rule. Satyagraha was started by Mahatma Gandhi against the British. It was a movement that united the country. Today, another Gandhi has started this movement, and the circumstances are the same. Today, the countrys democracy and Constitution are under threat. The way Rahul Gandhis Satyagraha movement is gaining popularity makes it clear that things Rahul Gandhi said earlier, which people did not accept at the time, are now being understood, and people are relating to his views... Mishra said. She also reiterated Congress demand concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise had led to the deletion of a large number of names from voter lists. A resolution to this effect was passed by our highest body, the CWC, and we demand that the process be stopped immediately. In the name of SIR, a large number of names have been deleted from the voter lists, affecting the election process. This happened when two members of the three-member Election Commission made serious allegations against their own Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, she said. Mishras comments come as Congress seeks to strengthen its organisation in Uttar Pradesh while maintaining the broader opposition alliance ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly elections.

3rd ODI: 'It Was Important For Me To Get Some Batting Time,' Says Rahul On His Century

Cricket World Cup: KL Rahul said his unbeaten 129 in the third ODI against the West Indies was as much about gaining valuable time in the middle as it was about the runs, with India using the bilateral series to sharpen their plans for the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup 2027. Speaking after Indias 2-1 series win, Rahul said the long innings was important as he continues to work on the demands of batting in the middle order ahead of next years global tournament. Rahuls century came in a match India eventually lost as the West Indies chased down 352, denying the visitors a series clean sweep. Despite that disappointment, the wicketkeeper-batter saw value in spending an extended period at the crease, particularly after limited opportunities to construct a long ODI innings from the middle order earlier this year. Happy to have scored 129 runs but disappointed that we couldnt clean sweep the series. Had we done that, then the happiness level would have been at the peak. Nonetheless, I wanted to spend more time with the bat out there in the middle and the last time I really got to bat for a long duration in ODI cricket, in the middle-order was in early January this year against New Zealand, and since then I havent really got a lot of time to play a long innings. And next year is a big one, with the World Cup starting in October, so its important for me to get valuable batting time because off the field Im trying a few things and I want to test that in the game. And only then will you know whether the work that youre putting behind the scenes is working or not, or what I need to do differently. So yeah, it was important for me to get some batting time, so Im happy about that, Rahul told JioStar. The innings also offered Rahul an opportunity to work on one of the more demanding aspects of his current role. Having spent much of his career at the top of the order, the batter has had to adapt to conditions that can become increasingly difficult for middle-order players as an ODI innings progresses. He pointed specifically to the behaviour of the older ball and the difficulties it can create for batters attempting to attack in the final overs. Its very different, but Ive been doing this role for the last 6-7 years. In the last year and a half, since the ball change rule has happened, its been very different. Its not been easy to get 80-90 in the last 10 overs. The balls been getting reverse swing, and even in this game, once the ball got old and soft, and started to reverse swing, as a batter you dont feel confident enough to take on the long-on and deep mid-wicket fielder if its a big boundary on that side. Ive always batted top of the order, and I like the hard ball coming onto me, I can use the pace. So thats something Ive been working on, trying to play with softer, older balls and being able to hit sixes with that. So, thats something Ive worked on. I constantly try to get better within my own game, understand my role, understand what a number five and number six batter has to do to consistently put up performances for the team, he added. The 2027 World Cup remains more than a year away, but Rahul said the current series are already providing the match situations needed to test Indias plans and personnel. All these series on the road to the World Cup are a good opportunity to get some game time in the middle. We dont want to go too far away from the plan but also experiment a little bit as a batting unit. The goal so far has been about can we score 330-340 while batting first, but were seeing that 340s and 350s get chased down very easily in one-day cricket. So how can batters, once set, keep pressing on and get 370s and 380s, or push for 400 on a given day. The 2027 World Cup remains more than a year away, but Rahul said the current series are already providing the match situations needed to test Indias plans and personnel. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS

India played their part well and made it difficult for us: Ancelotti

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 4 (IANS) Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti carried genuine appreciation for the way India attempted to counter-attack and contributed to what he considered an entertaining and competitive contest at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. India made five-time world champions Brazil work hard before the Selecao showed their quality and pulled away to a 4-0 victory on Saturday with Estevao and Pedro scoring before half-time and substitute Samuel Lino striking twice after the break. India played their part well. They tried to play their game; they defended, they were organised, they tried to play counter-attack. I think that they played a good game. We had difficulty opening the score, but the moment we opened the score with Estevao, we had more opportunity to control the game better, Ancelotti was quoted by AIFF. Although Brazil kept a clean sheet, Ancelotti admitted that India managed to expose spaces during a few counter-attacks. The Italian also pointed out that Brazil fielded a defensive combination that had not previously played together. I think we defended well. We could have defended better if we had a couple of chances in the counter-attack, but I think for us it's important not to concede a goal, he said. Obviously we have to improve some mechanisms in defence, but we had a new defence that never played together, so maybe not everything was perfect. Again, the message is that we are happy to be here. We tried to do our best; we tried to show our best quality to all the people who love Brazil and love football, and I hope they enjoyed the night. India remained compact during the opening stages and attempted to threaten Brazil through quick transitions. While Morisco had little to do for much of the first half, India tested the Brazilian goalkeeper through Ryan Williams and Manvir Singh after the restart. Reflecting on the overall contest and the atmosphere created by 51,000-odd spectators, Ancelotti said, We feel good. It was a good experience. I think it was a good game, entertaining, with good intensity, and India did their part. The friendly also allowed Ancelotti to assess several members of Brazils emerging generation. He made extensive changes during the second half as the Selecao concluded a three-match international window that had begun with two fixtures against Australia.

US firm offers to supply Ukrainian drones to Pakistan triggering regional security concerns

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Powerus, an American defence company with close ties to the family of US President Donald Trump, shot into the limelight last week when it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Pakistani Army and offered Islamabad access to Ukrainian drone technology which has serious implications for regional security. Within six months of being set up, in October last year, Powerus acquired three small firms and started manufacturing unmanned aerial and maritime systems. At the same time, Powerus signed a contract with G1 Exploration to commercialise autonomous defence systems developed in Ukraine. G1 Exploration owns the intellectual properties of seven fully developed drone models from Ukrainian manufacturers, as well as a number of systems at various stages of development. The collaboration between the two companies has also led to the launch of the Guardian line of drone interceptors, according to an article in India Narrative. The company has recently secured a number of contracts beating defence giants such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Boeing, which have a large share of the unmanned systems market. Powerus secured a contract with the U.S. Air Force to supply 3,000 interceptor drones, valued at $90 million, as well as a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to supply 1,500 FPV drones, control kits, and spare parts, valued at $2.5 million. Besides, it has bagged a key $22.3 million deal to develop a system to protect critical oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East on behalf of the United States. At the same time, Powerus began re-exporting Ukrainian drone technology to the Indian subcontinent. It first struck a deal with Paras Defense and Space Technologies in Mumbai, which provided for the production and sale of Guardian-1 technology in India. However, on September 16, the company signed the MoU with the Pakistan Army, represented by Field Marshal Asim Munir. The drone deal sparked controversy over conflicts of interest and raised serious concerns regarding regional security, especially given Islamabads active efforts to build up its drone capabilities by exporting Ukrainian tactics and technologies after its defeat in Operation Sindoor, the article points out. Although exact details have not been disclosed, Poweruss co-founder Brett Velicovich stated that the MoU calls for an initial order of unmanned aerial vehicles. He added that the companys ultimate goal is to establish a joint technology partnership and set up manufacturing operations in Pakistan. Powerus CEO Andrew Fox said that Pakistans private defence sector is still in the early stages of development, but is of interest to American companies. These statements raise particular concerns about the resumption of US-Pakistan defence cooperation. Although Washington has ceased supplying Islamabad with weapons, only providing modernisation packages for previously delivered F-16 fighter jets, the Powerus deal is a cause for concern, the article added.

AAP mocks Congress over defections, Opposition friction grows in Goa

The Aam Aadmi Party has criticized the Congress in Goa over past defections of its MLAs. AAP used a mocking slogan to question Congress's credibility as it prepares for upcoming elections. The Congress is mobilizing support through its 'Goy Rakhon Yatra' campaign to unite the opposition. Sunil Kawthankar of Congress condemned AAP for not focusing on the ruling BJP's actions.

After Klein Curaao removed goats and feral cats and restored habitat, nesting birds climbed from 140 pairs of one species in 2002 to around 650 across multiple species in 2022 as eight more species began breeding

Klein Curaao experienced a significant increase in seabird populations after removing invasive goats and cats. The island went from a few breeding pairs to over 650 in just two decades. This recovery highlights the effectiveness of invasive species eradication as a conservation strategy. However, uncontrolled human traffic poses ongoing threats to the islands ecosystem. Protecting the habitat is essential to maintain the progress made in seabird recovery.

Bowie seizing Scotland shot after World Cup disappointment

BBC Scotland speaks to Kieron Bowie after he scores his first goal for his country against North Macedonia.

Target was clear: Harmanpreet leads India to Asian Games hockey gold, Olympic berth

India's men's hockey team secured the Asian Games gold medal by defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final. Captain Harmanpreet Singh highlighted their confidence to rebound from previous disappointments, emphasizing their dominance in Asia. The victory also qualified them for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, addressing their ambition for a medal. Goalkeeper Mohith Shashikumar expressed the team's strong desire to prepare diligently for the upcoming Olympic Games.

Man arrested in Kolkata hotel for molesting two women during celebrations with Brazilian football team members

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 4 (IANS) A man has been arrested on the charge of molesting two women in the lobby of a five-star hotel in Kolkata, said the police on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday night, and based on the complaint, a case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Pragati Maidan police station. Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner (Detective Department) Kunal Agarwal said, CCTV footage of the hotel is being examined. Appropriate action will be taken after investigating the entire matter. According to the police, the woman, a resident of Dimapur, Nagaland, said in a written complaint that she and a companion were in the hotel lobby between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. There, while celebrating with members of the Brazilian football team, an unidentified person touched them in an obscene manner. They felt uncomfortable during the incident and were allegedly molested. The Brazilian football team was in Kolkata on Saturday to play a friendly match with India at Salt Lake Stadium. The Brazilian team won the match after scoring four goals. After the match, the team went to the five-star hotel to celebrate the victory. On receiving the complaint, the Pragati Maidan police station began the investigation. The CCTV footage in the hotel lobby was examined. The suspect was identified by analysing the footage and matching it with the description given by the complainant. Later, the complainant also identified the person by watching the CCTV footage, according to the police. After that, the police checked the accused's movements through the CCTV footage. Finally, he was nabbed from a room in the hotel. Police identified the arrested person as Palash Roy (56), a resident of Lotus Boulevard, Sector 100, Noida, in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar district. The officials said that other information related to the incident and the movement of the accused was also being investigated. His presence in the hotel at the time of the incident and every aspect of the complaint are being verified on the basis of CCTV footage and other sources.

Thinking about upgrade, what will it cost me ?

current setup(build year 2020) -GPU ZotacGTX 1660ti -CPU Ryzen R5 3600x -RAM 16gb ddr4 -MOBO MSI B450 tomahawk -PSU Adata XPG Pylon 550W 80 Plus Bronze(bought it in 2022) GOAL : I am want to upgrade it enough to run modern games with RTX support in 1080p, for now also most of AAA games runs low/mid in 60 fps but no rtx support is there. Also how much i can expect when sell this setup or the part which i will replace?

Khalid Jamil press conference: Soft goals, individual errors cost us after India 0-4 Brazil

India's coach reflects on the team's performance against Brazil, highlighting the importance of self-belief, concentration and experience after the defeat. He also backs goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, stressing that the team must learn from its mistakes.

SPL: Nongkseh maintain title hopes after bruising battle with Laitkor

Shillong, Oct 3: Nongkseh are still in with a chance for the Shillong Premier League 2026 title after they defeated Laitkor 3-1 in a feisty match at the SSA Stadium here today. Hardy Cliff Nongbri (55), Dawanchwa Challam (81) and Shano Tariang (90+5) scored for Nongkseh while Laitkors goal was by Shelbilkstar Kharshilot (87). Nongkseh [] The post SPL: Nongkseh maintain title hopes after bruising battle with Laitkor first appeared on Highland Post .

Sullivan becomes youngest US goalscorer in 3-0 rout of Mexico

The teenager surpassed Mathis Albert

Carlo Ancelotti praises India's fighting spirit, hails Brazil's new talent

Brazilian head coach Carlo Ancelotti was impressed by India's organised defense and counter-attacking approach but said his team found it easier to control the game after breaking the deadlock in its 4-0 win in the historic football friendly here on Saturday. Playing under muggy conditions with a rejigged side, the five-time world champions had to navigate some anxious moments in the first 27 minutes before Estevao (28th), Pedro (42nd) and Samuel Lino (58th, 90+5) secured a comfortable win over world No. 138 India. They defended, they were organised, they tried to play counter-attack. I think they played a good game, Ancelotti said of India in the post-match interaction. The Italian great felt the opening goal changed the complexion of the contest. We had difficulty to open the score but the moment we opened the score with Estevao, we had more opportunity to control better the game, he said. Ancelotti was pleased with Brazil's clean sheet but admitted there was still wor

Khalid Jamil Sees Hope For India After Brazil Encounter

Khalid Jamil, head coach of the Indian football team, expressed optimism despite a 4-0 defeat against five-time world champions Brazil. He highlighted the high quality of the Brazilian team and the learning experience for India, emphasizing the need for more high-profile matches to improve. Jamil also defended goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and looked forward to the upcoming match against Uruguay.

The Talent Scarcity Myth: Why Strategy Churn Not Skills Gap Is The Top Drag On Business Goals

While a dearth in talent may have been an obstacle in the past for a firm's growth, it is no longer seen as such.

UEFA Nations League: Spain maintain perfect start with 3-1 win over Czech Republic

Spain maintained their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Oviedo on Saturday, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino finding the net for the hosts. The victory kept Spain at the top of Group A3 and extended their remarkable unbeaten run inside 90 minutes to 41 matches, comprising 31 wins and 10 draws, according to the website of the UEFA Nations League. Returning to Oviedo for the first time in 11 years for a home international, Spain made an ideal start as Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute. The Barcelona winger collected the ball around 18 yards from goal before curling a superb effort into the far corner, scoring in a third consecutive match for La Roja. Spain dominated the opening exchanges and came close to extending their lead when Dani Olmo saw a close-range effort blocked, while Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky produced important saves to deny Alex Baena and Pedri. The pressure eventually told...

UEFA Nations League: England thrash Croatia 7-0 as Kane, Saka score twice

England produced a stunning attacking display to thrash Croatia 7-0 in the UEFA Nations League in Rijeka on Saturday (local time), with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scoring twice each as Thomas Tuchel's side strengthened their position in Group A3. Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Jude Bellingham split the Croatia defence with a superb through ball. The England captain controlled the pass before firing emphatically past Dominik Livakovic, according to the website of the UEFA Nations League. Bellingham then turned provider into goalscorer in the 21st minute. Anthony Gordon collected Saka's cross and squared the ball into the six-yard box, where Bellingham arrived to prod it home and double England's advantage. Gordon continued to torment the Croatia defence and got his own name on the scoresheet in the 39th minute, heading in Jarell Quansah's inviting cross. England were four goals ahead before the break as Saka capped a dominant first half in stoppage time. Bellingham c...

Goat theft gang member arrested after police encounter in UP's Azamgarh

Digital Desk | Azamgarh, Oct 4 (IANS) A member of an alleged goat theft gang was arrested following a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh. The accused sustained a gunshot injury to his right leg, police said. The arrested accused has been identified as Asif, a resident of Ashrafpur under Jiyanpur police station. Police recovered a .315-bore pistol, cartridges, a two-wheeler and Rs 1,560 in cash from his possession, officials said. According to police, the encounter took place on Sunday during checking in the Shahgarh area, when the police team received information that two suspected members of a goat theft gang were travelling on a motorcycle. Acting on the information, police teams established a cordon near the Lohari Mod culvert on the Samenda-Pura Thakurai road. When the motorcycle was intercepted, Asif, who was riding pillion, opened fire at the police team, officials said. Police personnel retaliated, during which Asif suffered a bullet injury to his right leg. He was subsequently taken into custody and shifted to the district hospital for treatment, police said. During interrogation, the accused confessed to his involvement in several goat theft incidents in the area. He admitted to stealing two goats from Daulatpur in the Sidhari area, one goat from Samenda and three goats from Bairiyadih under Jeyanpur police station, officials said. Police also recovered Rs 1,560 from Asif, which, according to investigators, was his share of the money received from the sale of the goat allegedly stolen from Samenda. Police said the main member of the gang, identified as Kaleem, a resident of Shahpur under Jiyanpur police station, managed to escape from the spot by taking advantage of the darkness. Following the incident, police teams have launched raids at suspected locations to trace and arrest Kaleem. Efforts are underway to apprehend him, police said. According to police records, six cases have been registered against the arrested accused Asif, while as many as 38 cases are registered against the absconding accused Kaleem. Police have registered a case against Asif under relevant sections of law, including provisions of the Arms Act, and further legal action has been initiated in the matter. Further investigation is underway.

Uttar Pradesh Police Arrests Member of Goat Theft Gang After Encounter

A member of a goat theft gang was arrested in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, following a police encounter, while another suspect remains at large. Uttar Pradesh Police Arrests Member of Goat Theft Gang After Encounter

We didnt take our chances to kill off the game: Zinedine Zidane

French fans got an exciting game at the Stade de France, but not the result they expected, mainly because of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarummas performance

Bhagyashree enjoys date night with hubby Himalaya Dassani re kindle the joys of a relationship

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 4 (IANS) Actress Bhagyashree recently enjoyed a date night with her husband Himalaya Dassani and shared a glimpse of their evening on social media. Taking to Instagram, the Maine Pyar Kiya actress shared moments from their outing and reflected on how date nights can help couples unwind and reconnect. Sharing their romantic photos, Bhagyashree wrote, Captured moments making memories. Date nights are so important to unwind, re kindle the joys of a relationship. While at it, @prashantchaudhri @minakshichaudhri I must admit that the possibility of us enjoying this at a whim is thanks to the incredible places in juhu that you have consistently built over the years. #couplegoals #datenight. The carousel of photos features Bhagyashree and Himalaya enjoying quality time together at a restaurant. In one picture, the couple is seen gazing at each other, while another captures Bhagyashree laughing as she rests her head on Himalayas shoulder. In another heartwarming moment, the actress is seen feeding her husband, giving a glimpse of their love and companionship. Bhagyashree often gives a glimpse into her married life with Himalaya Dassani by sharing pictures and special moments from their time together. In July, the actress shared pictures from a getaway to Udaipur with her husband, offering a peek into their memorable moments together. For the unversed, Bhagyashree and Himalaya tied the knot in 1989. The couple has two children, son Abhimanyu Dassani and daughter Avantika Dassani. Abhimanyu made his acting debut with the 2019 film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, while Avantika stepped into the entertainment industry with the web series Mithya. In January, Bhagyashree marked 37 years of marriage with husband Himalaya Dassani. On the occasion, she looked back on their journey together, reminiscing about the years filled with cherished memories, laughter, tears, disagreements and reconciliations. Bhagyashree had written, Growing up together and still going strong, 37 years and counting! We have created a lifetime of memories, laughed n cried, fought and made up, built a house, made a home, had 2 beautiful kids, worked hard, travelled the world, seen the highs and lows of life, struggled and celebrated.... wow together forever....Nothing's gonna stop us now ! Feel blessed to have walked my life with you...happy anniversary my love. @himallay27.

Argentina run riot at the Monumental, thrashing Burkina Faso 7-0

The victory followed Argentina's impressive 4-0 win over Bolivia, giving Lionel Scaloni's side back-to-back victories and 11 goals across the two matches without conceding.

Lamine Yamal On Target As Spain Hold Off Czech Republic

Lamine Yamal continued his superb goalscoring form as Spain secured a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday in the Nations League.

Yamal on target as Spain beat Czech Republic to go 41 games unbeaten

Lamine Yamal continued his superb goalscoring form as Spain secured a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday in the Nations League.

Fernandes hails Ronaldo as Portugal's 'greatest symbol' amid controversy

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Ronaldo's future with the national team, for whom he is the leading goalscorer and most capped player, is in doubt after his walk out.

12 goals in 9 games: Yamal fires Spain to 3-1 win over Czech Republic

However Mikel Merino wrapped up Spain's win late on after Ladislav Krejci was sent off for the Czechs as Spain racked up a 41st consecutive unbeaten game, including the World Cup final win over Argentina in July.

Urban Expansion Cost : Srinagars green cover shrinks, temperature rises 4C

Srinagar, Oct 03: Srinagars rapid urban expansion over the past two decades has been accompanied by rising surface temperatures, declining vegetation cover and deteriorating air quality, highlighting the growing environmental cost of the citys transformation, a new study published in GeoJournal has found. The study, Quantifying the environmental impacts of urban expansion in Srinagar City, Jammu & Kashmir, India through remote sensing and geostatistical analysis, examines environmental changes in Srinagar between 2001 and 2021 using satellite-based observations and geostatistical techniques. Researchers Amjed Ali, Kheraj and Arshad Ahmed of the Department of Geography,Central University Haryana found that land surface temperature (LST) increased by up to 4C during the period, while vegetation cover showed a significant decline. PM2.5 concentrations also increased by up to 3.9 micrograms per cubic metre, with the changes particularly pronounced in central and south-western parts of the city, reads the study, accessed by Rising Kashmir. The researchers used satellite-derived LST, vegetation cover derived from the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and PM2.5 estimates from AOD-GEOS-Chem datasets. They combined these indicators through a grid-based analytical framework and applied Mann-Kendall trend analysis and multiple linear regression to examine their spatial and temporal relationships. The study found a significant relationship between vegetation loss, PM2.5 and surface warming. Its regression analysis indicated that vegetation loss and PM2.5 significantly contributed to surface temperature variation, with the model recording an R value of 0.46. However, the researchers also caution that PM2.5 variability cannot be explained solely by surface temperature and vegetation cover, pointing to the influence of additional factors on Srinagars air-quality conditions. The Environmental Quality Index developed as part of the study paints a broader picture of the citys environmental health. More than half of Srinagar was found to fall within moderate-to-poor environmental quality categories. The researchers attribute the changing environmental conditions to the rapid expansion of built-up areas and the replacement of natural land surfaces with impervious urban materials. Such changes alter surface energy processes and can intensify urban heating, while the loss of vegetation reduces the natural cooling and pollution-filtering functions of green spaces, the study reads. Vegetation plays a key role in regulating urban temperatures through evapotranspiration and can also help improve air quality by filtering pollutants. Its decline therefore has implications beyond the loss of green cover alone, the study notes. The spatial analysis showed that central and south-western areas of Srinagar experienced particularly notable changes, with increases in surface temperature and PM2.5 occurring alongside declining vegetation cover. The researchers argue that these trends demonstrate the need to view Srinagars urban growth and environmental management as interconnected challenges. They call for integrated urban planning, greater emphasis on green infrastructure and stronger pollution-control strategies. The study also places Srinagars experience within the wider environmental challenges faced by rapidly urbanising cities, where the pace of development can exceed the capacity of infrastructure and environmental management systems. Rather than examining temperature, vegetation and air pollution separately, the research brings the three indicators together to quantify the cumulative environmental changes associated with Srinagars urban expansion. Managing the citys future growth will require greater attention to environmental sustainability, including the protection and development of green infrastructure and measures to address pollution, in line with the broader objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, the study states.

The Attention Crisis: Are we Losing the Ability to Think Deeply?

We live in an age of extraordinary access to information. A question that once required a visit to a library can now be answered within seconds. A book can be downloaded instantly, a lecture can be watched from anywhere, and a news story can reach millions of people within minutes. Yet, despite having more information than any previous generation, we appear to be facing a curious problem: we are finding it increasingly difficult to give our complete attention to anything. The modern person is surrounded by notifications, messages, short videos, emails, advertisements, headlines and endless streams of content. We move from one piece of information to another almost instinctively. A few seconds of waiting can feel uncomfortable. A long article can seem demanding. Even a conversation can be interrupted by the simple vibration of a phone. This may be one of the quiet challenges of our time: we are becoming better at consuming information but not necessarily better at understanding it. Attention is not merely the ability to look at something. It is the ability to stay with something long enough to understand it. Deep reading, thoughtful conversation, serious study and meaningful reflection all require sustained attention. Without it, information may enter our minds without becoming knowledge. The difference between information and knowledge is important. Information tells us what happened. Knowledge helps us understand why it happened, what it means and how it connects with something else. Developing such understanding requires time. The digital world, however, rewards speed. Social media platforms are designed around rapid consumption. One piece of content is quickly replaced by another. Short videos provide entertainment within seconds. Headlines compete for attention. Notifications constantly remind us that something new is waiting. There is nothing inherently wrong with these technologies. They have transformed communication, education and access to knowledge. The problem begins when convenience turns into dependence and when our ability to concentrate becomes weaker because we rarely practise it. Consider the simple act of reading a book. A person may begin reading with genuine interest. After a few pages, however, the phone lights up. There is a message to check. Then comes another notification. A few minutes later, the reader returns to the book but has lost the thread of the argument. The process is repeated again and again. Eventually, the difficulty may not be the book. It may be our increasingly fragmented attention. This matters particularly for students. Education is not simply about collecting facts. It involves concentration, questioning, connecting ideas and developing the ability to think independently. A student who can memorise information but cannot concentrate on a difficult problem for an extended period may struggle when confronted with complex subjects. Competitive examinations provide another example. Preparation often requires sitting with a subject for hours, revising the same material repeatedly and patiently working through difficult questions. There are no shortcuts to developing genuine understanding. The ability to concentrate, therefore, may become one of the most valuable skills in the future. Ironically, at a time when artificial intelligence can summarise documents, answer questions and produce information within seconds, human beings may need to become even better at thinking deeply. AI can help us find information, organise ideas and accelerate many tasks. But it cannot remove the need for human judgment. If anything, the easier information becomes to obtain, the more important it becomes to know what information deserves our attention. This is where libraries have a continuing role. For some, the library may appear to belong to another era: shelves filled with books, quiet reading rooms and people sitting silently with newspapers or textbooks. But the fundamental purpose of a library has never been limited to storing books. A good library creates an environment where attention is protected. It provides a space away from many of the interruptions of everyday life. It allows a student to sit with a difficult subject, a researcher to examine evidence, or an ordinary reader to spend an hour with a book without being required to respond to every notification. Modern libraries are evolving. They provide access to digital databases, electronic books, online journals, educational platforms and research tools. The library of today can be both physical and digital. But technology should not eliminate the culture of reading. It should strengthen it. Perhaps we need to rethink what we mean by digital literacy. Being able to operate a smartphone or search the internet is only one part of digital literacy. A truly digitally literate person should also be able to distinguish reliable information from unreliable information, recognise misleading content, understand context, protect personal information and resist the temptation to believe something simply because it appears repeatedly online. Most importantly, digital literacy should include the ability to control ones attention. This does not mean rejecting technology. That would neither be practical nor desirable. Smartphones, computers and artificial intelligence have enormous educational and professional value. The goal should instead be to use technology deliberately rather than allowing technology to determine where our attention goes. There is a simple distinction between using a device and being controlled by it. When we deliberately open an educational video, read an article or use an AI tool to understand a difficult concept, technology is serving us. When we repeatedly open an application without any clear purpose simply because we are bored, technology may be controlling our attention. The solution does not necessarily require dramatic changes. Small habits can make a significant difference. We can dedicate a portion of each day to uninterrupted reading. We can keep phones away while studying. We can read longer articles instead of consuming only headlines. We can occasionally sit in silence without immediately reaching for a screen. We can have conversations in which neither person checks a phone. Parents can encourage children to develop reading habits without treating books merely as examination material. Schools and colleges can create spaces where students are encouraged to read beyond their prescribed syllabus. Libraries can promote reading clubs, discussion groups, digital-literacy programmes and quiet study environments. The objective should not be to create a generation that reads constantly. It should be to create a generation capable of concentrating when concentration matters. There is also a deeper social dimension to this issue. A distracted society can become an impatient society. We may become less willing to listen to opinions that take time to explain. We may prefer simple answers to complicated questions. We may react before understanding. We may judge people based on a headline, a photograph or a short video rather than the complete context. Deep attention teaches patience. When we read a thoughtful book, we learn that ideas can develop gradually. When we listen carefully to another person, we discover that people often have reasons behind their views. When we study history, science or literature, we learn that reality is rarely as simple as a social-media post suggests. In this sense, attention is not merely an academic skill. It is also a human virtue. Perhaps the greatest challenge is that attention has become a commodity. Many digital services compete for it because attention has economic value. Every minute spent watching, scrolling or clicking can have commercial significance. This makes personal control over attention increasingly important. We cannot control every piece of information that reaches us, but we can become more selective about what we allow to occupy our minds. The question, therefore, is not whether technology is good or bad. The more important question is: What kind of relationship do we want to have with technology? We should be able to use the internet without becoming dependent on constant stimulation. We should be able to enjoy short-form entertainment without losing the ability to read long-form material. We should be able to use artificial intelligence without surrendering our capacity to think independently. The future may belong not simply to those who have access to the most information, but to those who can decide which information deserves their attention. In an increasingly noisy world, the ability to concentrate may become a form of quiet strength. Perhaps the next time we feel the urge to check our phones while reading a book, attending a lecture or speaking with someone, we should pause for a moment. The notification can wait. The message can wait. The next video can wait. But our ability to think deeply is something we cannot afford to lose. (The author works at a premier Medical college in J&K. Email: waniishfaq0001@gmail.com )

Asian Games: HI Prez Dilip Tirkey hails historic hockey double, promises full support for LA 2028

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey hailed the historic Asian Games campaign after both the Indian mens and womens teams won gold medals and secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, saying the achievement reflected the hard work of the players, coaches and support staff. The mens team retained its Asian Games title with a commanding 5-1 victory over Malaysia in the final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Saturday, a day after the womens team defeated defending champions and Paris Olympics silver medallists China 1-0 to reclaim the gold medal. Both teams had the same aim: to win the Asian Games and then qualify for LA. Both teams have done it. It is a very proud moment for us, Tirkey told IANS after the mens final. The double gold also created history for Indian hockey, with the mens and womens teams winning the Asian Games title at the same edition for the first time. Tirkey also pointed out the striking similarity between Indias last two mens Asian Games final victories. India had defeated Japan 5-1 in the Hangzhou final and repeated the same scoreline against Malaysia in Kakamigahara. Both teams have performed very well. The womens team played a very good game against China, who are a tough team, Olympic silver medallists and the last Asian Games champions. We beat them 1-0, and today we beat Malaysia 5-1, he said. Tirkey praised the entire mens squad and coaching staff, with special mention for captain Harmanpreet Singh, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh. The chief coach, supporting staff, captain Harman, Abhishek, Dilpreet, Manpreet and all the players performed very well. From the beginning, everyone played together, and everyone had the same aim, he said. With both teams now assured of Olympic qualification, Tirkey promised Hockey India would provide all necessary support in the build-up to Los Angeles. The coach is very experienced, and everything happens according to his plan and programme. Whatever the team needs in the future, we will try to provide everything. Whether it is an exposure tour, a tournament in Europe or a coaching programme, Hockey India will try to provide all the facilities, he said. Hockey India has also announced a cash reward of Rs 11 lakh each for the players of both gold-winning teams, while members of the respective support staff will receive Rs 5.5 lakh each. Tirkey stressed that Olympic selection would ultimately depend on performance and fitness, while urging players from Odisha and other states to continue working hard as competition for places increases. Those who play well will come into the team. Maintaining fitness and their game is the responsibility of the players. Olympic Games are the Olympics, and the competition in modern hockey has increased a lot, he said. He also highlighted Hockey Indias grassroots efforts in Odisha, particularly in Sundargarh, where turf facilities, academies and hostels have been developed across blocks. Every block in Sundargarh has a turf, academies and hostels. We are also organising grassroots programmes, and the government is doing a lot in other districts. But proper training programmes need to be organised on these grounds, Tirkey said. Tirkey said that greater emphasis is needed on fitness, technical skills, drag-flickers and goalkeepers to strengthen Indias hockey pipeline. Now we have to make this performance even better. We have to prepare the team in terms of confidence, fitness and future events, Tirkey said.

Inclusive growth at heart of India's development goal: Radhakrishnan

India's Vice President CP Radhakrishnan emphasized the necessity for inclusive growth in the country's development journey. He highlighted that both economic and social resilience are critical for future progress. The vice president noted India's impressive GDP growth and its improved sovereign rating as indicators of economic strength.

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Brazil tame India in 4-0 friendly win

Chelsea winger Estevao scored Brazils first goal and assisted Pedro before Lino netted a second-half brace, helping Carlo Ancelottis side conclude their tour of Australia and India with two wins and a draw

Brazil's Clinical Finishers Overcome Gallant India In Friendly

India's national football team faced five-time champions Brazil in a FIFA international friendly in Kolkata, losing 4-0. Despite a spirited start for the first 25 minutes, Brazil's superior skill and clinical finishing secured a comfortable victory with goals from Estevao, Pedro, and Samuel Lino.

Quantum computing will start in Amaravati on February 3, 2027, says Andhra CM Naidu

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India impress on counters, but even lacklustre Brazil too hot to handle; beat hosts 4-0 in Kolkata

Heading to the match, the general expectations was Brazil to create a flurry of chances and test Indias defence. Multiple goals were expected and even though that assumption turned true, but Brazil were far from producing their best brand of football . They lacked character and some may argue that it saved India from a humiliation. However, the other side of the coin can read that India were very well organsied defensively and threatened Brazil on multiple occasions, which no one expected.

Brazil breeze past India 4-0 in historic Kolkata friendly

India impressed during the opening 27 minutes, but Brazil gradually took control and scored twice before half-time before adding two more goals after the break.

Ranking 12 of Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan's goals measured by ridiculousness. The post Ranking 12 of Zlatan Ibrahimovics best goals in order of ridiculousness appeared first on Planet Football .

Goal is to transform Bihar into hub for skilled manpower: CM Chaudhary as Jamui prepares to house Asia's largest grain-based ethanol plants

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary inspected the Ankur Biochem Private Limited ethanol plant, currently under construction in the Chakai block of Jamui district on Saturday. During the inspection, officials briefed the Chief Minister i about the plant's construction work and the project's progress. Officials stated that production at the plant would commence by March 2027. Following the inspection, a review meeting was held at the ethanol plant premises, chaired by the Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary. According to a press release, during the meeting, Jamui District Magistrate Naveen gave a presentation providing detailed information about the Ankur Biochem Private Limited ethanol plant, noting that this project is one of Asia's largest grain-based ethanol plants. It is being developed on a 105-acre site. The plant will have a production capacity of 1,000 kilolitres per day, enabling the daily production of approximately 10 lakh litres of ethanol. A 20-megawatt captive power generat...

Football friendly: Brazil take 2-0 lead at half-time

Brazil's star-studded line-up, including Vinicius Jr and Marquinhos, is set to face India in a friendly match at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, with veteran goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu captaining the Indian side.

Amit Shah Sets Ambitious Goal for a Drug-Free India by 2029

Amit Shah announces a target for a drug-free India by 2029 during a conference in Bhopal, emphasizing collaborative efforts for the initiative. Amit Shah Sets Ambitious Goal for a Drug-Free India by 2029

Willem Dafoe Opens Up About Lifes Biggest Ambition, Says The Targets Always Moving

Willem Dafoe opens up about his approach to life, ambition and changing goals, saying he focuses on taking things one step at a time. The actor says his biggest ambition is to beat fear, have fun, stay useful and remain engaged while embracing lifes unpredictable path.

CRICKET | Smarans goal: 1000-plus runs in the Ranji season

Nivin Pauly, Raghava Lawrence-starrer Benz's fourth schedule begins

Digital Desk | Chennai, Oct 3 (IANS) The makers of director Bakkiyaraj Kannan's eagerly-awaited action thriller 'Benz', featuring actor Raghava Lawrence in the lead, on Saturday announced that the unit of the film had now commenced its fourth schedule of filming. Taking to its social media timelines, Passion Studios, one of the production houses producing the film, wrote, Heres the update youve been waiting on. #Benz Fourth Schedule Begins. The production house also shared some BTS pictures from the sets on the occasion. The film has triggered huge interest among fans as it features actor Nivin Pauly in not one but two roles in the film. More significantly, Nivin Pauly plays the antagonist in the film. It may be recalled that Nivin Pauly, had in November last year, dropped a hint to suggest that the film's third schedule had been wrapped. Taking to his social media timelines, Nivin Pauly had posted a series of pictures of himself from the film and written, Darkness Loading....... He then tagged all the cast and crew members associated with the film and then went on to add #ScheduleWrap #BenzMovie #Walter as the hashtags. Ace director Lokesh Kanakaraj, who is one of the producers of the film, had in July last year confirmed that the unit had completed the second schedule of the film and had expressed hope that the unit would complete the film in the next three to four months. In a video interview to a media house, Lokesh Kanakaraj, who is producing the film along with Sudhan Sundaram, and Jagadish Palanisamy, had said, Our next film is Benz. They have finished the second schedule if I am not wrong. Two schedules are done. Philo is the editor. I will check with him as to how the film is looking. He will give me some updates. Probably, they will finish it in another three or four months. We have other films in the pipeline. The film has triggered huge interest for a number of reasons but the most important reason is that the film will feature actor Nivin Pauly as a villain for the first time. While introducing his character in the film, director Bakkiyaraj Kannan, on his X timeline, had said, Soft boy? That was yesterday. Nivin Pauly 2.0our certified Baddie, Breaking hearts and Breaking rules & Breaking bad. Meet #Walter, @nivinofficial. The character promo for Nivin Pauly's character which the makers released begins with sounds emanating from a room as if somebody is getting bludgeoned there. Soon, Nivin Pauly, with his body decked in gold ornaments and carrying a huge metal hammer from which blood seems to be dripping, walks out. He sports a smile only to reveal golden teeth. He turns around to ask another character (also played by Nivin Pauly) the name of a person. The other character, which is busy eating and which comes across as a naive, uneducated individual, tells the villain it is 'Bens' and then after a while, corrects the spelling to say, 'Benz'. We then get to know that the antagonist's name is Walter. Walter says, When a head inside a helmet itself is cut like the head of a goat, who... and laughs suggestively. The character promo ends with Walter describing himself. He says, A dirty mind, a beautiful heart deadly combination. Love you Walter! Written and directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, the film has music by young music sensation Sai Abhyankkar. Cinematography for the film is by Goutham George and editing is by Philomin Raj. Art direction for the film has been done by Jacki while Pradeep Boopathi is serving as the creative producer.

Maha CM launches Mumbai Book Festival 2026 logo and website

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Marking a major milestone for Maharashtras literary landscape, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday unveiled the official logo and website for the Mumbai Book Festival 2026. The announcement marks the commencement of preparations for a six-day celebration of books, literature, art and culture scheduled to take place from Nov 24 to Nov 29, 2026, at the University of Mumbais Kalina Campus. Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra and the University of Mumbai, the festival aims to celebrate Indias rich and diverse literary traditions, deepen the nations reading culture, nurture young readers and build a dynamic platform for intellectual exchange. The launch ceremony took place in the presence of several key dignitaries and stakeholders, including Milind Marathe, Chairman, National Book Trust, India; Ravindra Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mumbai; Ameet Satam, Chief Organiser; Acharya Pawan Tripathi, Chief Convenor; and Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India. Adding to the occasions significance, CM Fadnavis shared the announcement on social media, emphasising the festivals vital role in connecting the public with literature. The launch coincides with a significant anniversary. Exactly two years earlier, on Oct 3, 2024, the Marathi language was officially conferred the status of a Classical Language. Announcing the Mumbai Book Festival on Oct 3, 2026, connects this proud heritage with a renewed commitment to promoting reading across the state, the Chief Minister said. Now, NBT brings this large-scale initiative to Indias economic capital, Marathe said. He added that the upcoming festival at the Kalina Campus would serve as a single destination for readers, families, students and literature enthusiasts across Mumbai, featuring dedicated children and youth zones, interactive learning activities, workshops and talent-development programmes. Dozens of publishers will display works across multiple genres and languages under one roof. In addition, there will be evening performances showcasing local and national performing arts. Marathe said that the National Book Trust, established on Aug 1, 1957, operates on three core mandates: curating diverse literature, fostering multilingual translation, and promoting a culture of reading through the translation of outstanding literature across various Indian and international languages. It focuses on producing India-centric, non-academic, general-reading books for all age groups. During book festivals, Meet the Author sessions, translation workshops and youth writing initiatives are also organised. While the New Delhi World Book Fair remains NBTs flagship annual event, the trust has actively expanded its footprint across India to ensure books reach every citizen. NBT has successfully hosted regional festivals across the country, including the Gomti Book Festival in Lucknow, the Chinar Book Festival in Srinagar, as well as events in Patna, Sambalpur, Shillong, Pune, Nagpur, Goa, Ahmedabad and even at an altitude of 11,500 feet in Ladakh, Marathe said.

India Vs Brazil Friendly: Vinicius, Marquinhos To Start For 5-time World Champions

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Can you name every Croatian to score 5+ Premier League goals?

Good luck with this one. The post Can you name every Croatian to score 5+ Premier League goals? appeared first on Planet Football .

Top Stories: Apple Smart Home Launch on October 13, iPhone Duo Production Issues, and More

Things are getting crazy in the Apple rumor world, as even though the iPhone 18 Pro and several other products have only just launched and the iPhone Duo is right around the corner, there's even more to come imminently. October 13 looks to be the date for an introduction of Apple's revamped smart home portfolio, including the home hub device we've been hearing about for ages. This week also saw word that Apple's supply chain is struggling to meet production yield goals for the iPhone Duo ahead of its launch, while iPhone 18 Pro owners are now getting a chance to put the devices through their paces, so read on below for all of the details! Top Stories Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13 A couple of those leaked products above could be arriving very shortly, as Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman says Apple will be introducing a trio of new smart home products on Tuesday, October 13 . Apple will reportedly debut its long-rumored smart home hub product, as well as the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models, and while he didn't specify how Apple will introduce them, signs are pointing to some sort of event . Apple retail stores have reportedly also received confidential boxes that are marked Do Not Open Until October 8 and which are likely to contain merchandising materials. It's unclear, however, if they are for the upcoming iPhone Duo launch or something related to the smart home product introduction. Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will have an iMac G4-style design and a host of unique features, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman reports. The smart home hub is said to feature a square 6-inch display, with variants that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. It features a single FaceTime camera on the front, with microphones and speakers in its connected base. Leaks suggest the hub may be available in Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Rose Pink colors , and will be able to display user-customizable Photo Faces pulled from your photos library, memories, and shared albums, a feature that appears similar to what will be available for StandBy mode on the iPhone Duo. iPhone Duo Reportedly Facing Production Problems Ahead of Launch The iPhone Duo is reportedly facing production difficulties ahead of its October launch , with early output expected to be limited. A person said to be close to Foxconn's supply chain told China's Jiemian News that final assembly yields for Apple's first foldable iPhone were only slightly above 60% as of September 17. The source said that, under Apple's current quality standards, it could take another six months to a year for the assembly line to reach a mature yield. According to the source, Foxconn is repeatedly adjusting equipment, assembly processes, and production settings as it makes the iPhone Duo at scale. The source also said suppliers were waiting to see whether Apple would ease any quality requirements to accelerate production. iPhone 18 Pro First Impressions: What Do You Think So Far? It's been almost two weeks since the iPhone 18 Pro models launched, and we want to hear from MacRumors readers. What do you think of Apple's newest iPhones? If you upgraded from an older phone, was it worth it? What about upgrading from an iPhone 17 Pro? What problems are you running into? Anything you love so far? MacRumors readers have already been sharing early opinions on the MacRumors forums, and there are interesting discussion threads to read through. For early reviews and hands-on images, make sure to check out the first impressions and photos thread . Not everything has been perfect, however, as some users have been experiencing issues such as speaker crackling or popping while some iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T in the U.S. have been having issues with cellular connectivity or eSIM provisioning . Apple Planning to Launch Products Faster and More Often John Ternus is marking one month as Apple CEO, and he is apparently undertaking efforts to restructure the company to accelerate product development and introduce new products more frequently , according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman. Ternus apparently wants Apple to roaden its range of devices and create a leaner organization with a greater focus on engineering. One proposal under consideration is to rely less on Apple's traditional spring and fall product release cycles, and introduce new devices more quickly and throughout the year. Ternus has also purportedly indicated that Apple must become more experimental to remain competitive in the era of artificial intelligence. MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter ! Tag: Top Stories This article, Top Stories: Apple Smart Home Launch on October 13, iPhone Duo Production Issues, and More first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Asian Games: India men defend hockey gold for first time with stellar 5-1 win, qualify for LA 2028

Digital Desk | Kakamigahara (Japan), Oct 3 (IANS) India defended the gold medal in men's hockey after a strong 4-1 win over Malaysia in the Asian Games 2026 final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara on Saturday. Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace, while Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra also found the back of the net for India as the Men in Blue celebrated their first-ever gold defence at the Asian Games. Meanwhile, India have also clinched a direct berth for the Los Angeles Olympics with this win. Harmanpreet Singh's team came into the final without breaking a sweat. They topped their group stage with five wins in five matches. The Men in Blue defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinal by 4-3. That game tested India as Pakistan levelled from 0-3 down to 3-3. However, Abhishek nailed a strike in the final minute to take India home. Meanwhile, this is also the first time that India men and women have both won the gold medal at the same edition of the Asian Games. The women's team won the yellow metal in the final after defeating Paris Olympics silver medallists China in the gold clash. India men began the gold medal clash with strong intent as they made circle entries in the first quarter and then found the opening through captain Harmanpreet when he fired a dragflick on a penalty corner to put India 1-0 up in the 11th minute. Malaysia, however, responded as they levelled things back a few minutes later with Shello Silverius smashing a brilliant goal from the left flank as Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera was blindsided by a layer of players in front of him. The two teams were 1-1 at the end of the first quarter. Malaysia attacked more in the second half as they secured a few penalty corners and tested the Indian defence. India later earned a PC, and Jugraj put India ahead in the 23rd minute, giving India a 2-1 lead at the end of the first half. India began the second half with strong possession and also kept putting pressure on the Malaysians. They earned a couple of penalty corners and then a penalty stroke when the ball hit the body of the Malaysian post defender. Hardik turned up and scored from the spot for a 3-1 India lead at the end of the third quarter. India kept Malaysia in check with a counterattack, and then Sanjay found Rajinder in the circle, but his shot went wide. India found their fourth goal in the 54th minute when Shilanand put one into the goal after a deflection to make it 4-1 for India. Captain Harmanpreet then got his brace when he converted a penalty corner for a 5-1 lead, which the Men in Blue held for a huge win. This is the fifth time that India have won a gold medal in the Asian Games, bagging the top spot on the podium in 1966, 1998, 2014, 2022 and 2026. The Indian men's hockey team finished runners-up on nine occasions -- in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982*, 1990, 1994 and i002. The country has claimed bronze medals in 1986, 2010, and 2018.

If serious Oppn parties come together, BJP will get just 5 seats in 2027 Goa polls: Chodankar

Girish Chodankar of Congress expressed confidence that BJP could be reduced to five seats in the assembly elections. He emphasized the importance of opposition parties uniting to effectively challenge the ruling party. Chodankar criticized the alliance between Goa Forward Party and Aam Aadmi Party for their misleading campaigns against Congress. He mentioned that Congress is working towards bringing other opposition parties together.

Tamannaah Bhatia calls Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani 'couple goals' on The Great Indian Kapil Show

Netflixs The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 5 is keeping its festive run going with the cast of The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest. Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shweta Tiwari, Anup Soni and Maniesh Paul will join Kapil Sharma in the second episode, which premieres on Saturday, October 3 at 8 pm.

Teen Archer Kumkum Mohod Secures Historic Asian Games Gold And Olympic Quota

Teenaged Indian archer Kumkum Mohod made history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by winning India's first-ever women's individual recurve archery gold medal and securing an Olympic quota place. Her coach and association secretary highlight her dedication, academic inclination, and long-term goal of winning an Olympic medal, despite financial challenges.

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30 NDPL Bottles Smuggled from Goa Seized at Narketpalle; 1 Held

The Special Task Force (STF) conducted a route watch at Cherughat between Narketpalle and Nalgonda Road and detected a case of illegal transportation of NDPL liquor in a car from Goa

Will dedicate body, mind, resources to fulfil expectations: UPCC Working President Imran Masood vows to strengthen Congress party in Uttar Pradesh

Newly appointed Working President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) and Saharanpur MP Imran Masood on Saturday vowed to dedicate his ody, mind, and resources entirely to strengthening the party's organisational base across the state. Speaking to ANI, Masood emphasised his complete commitment to whatever duties the leadership assigns him following his appointment as part of the Congress high command's major organisational reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh. I will work wherever the party assigns me. If it is the party's wish that I work here, then I will work here; our sole objective and goal is our party, to keep it standing strong and to build it up. I will dedicate my body, mind, and resources entirely to fulfilling the expectations with which the party has sent me here, he said. Further, he revealed that booth-level committee formations are nearly complete and will be finalised within a few days. Our organisational rebuilding program is underway and is nearly complete; ev...

Wamiqa Gabbi urges kindness towards animals: Lets make this world a little safer

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Actress Wamiqa Gabbi has urged everyone to show greater compassion towards animals, stressing that while they may not speak the same language, they experience emotions such as love, fear and pain. Wamiqa took to Instagram to share a string of videos featuring her with hens, puppies and goats, before wrapping up the post with a childhood picture of herself surrounded by pigeons. They may not speak our language, but they feel everything we do love, fear, pain, and kindness. Too often, animals are treated like they dont matter, when all they ask from us is a little compassion, care and a safe place to exist, she wrote as the caption. Wamiqa added: This Gandhi Jayanti, lets make a small promise. To be kinder, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to make this world a little safer for every living being. Talking about the actress, who turned 33 last month, made her screen debut as a child with a brief role in the Hindi film Jab We Met in 2007. She later established herself as a leading lady in Punjabi cinema with roles in comedy films, such as Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22, Nikka Zaildar 2 and its sequel Nikka Zaildar 3 as well as the crime drama Kali Jotta. Gabbi expanded into other languages with the Tamil romance Maalai Naerathu Mayakkam and the Malayalam sports drama Godha. She then transitioned into a period focused on Hindi streaming ventures such as the period drama series Jubilee, followed by her role as a spy's wife in Vishal Bhardwaj's thriller film Khufiya. She has also worked in films such as Bhool Chuk Maaf, Bhooth Bangla and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do. Wamiqa will next be seen in Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, an upcoming Hindi-language film directed by Avinash Arun. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher. The film is a biopic of Ujjwal Nikam who appeared against Ajmal Kasab in the trial of the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.

Women's Hockey Gold: Direct Path To LA Olympics

The Indian women's hockey team secured a historic Asian Games gold medal, defeating China 1-0, which also guaranteed direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Goalkeeper Savita Punia highlighted the team's focus on Olympic qualification and credited the new coaching staff for fostering unity and belief, transforming the team's performance and mindset over the past 10 months.

Analysis | Punjab Congress' New Captain. Can Pargat Singh Change The Game?

Can Pargat Singh score the winning goal, or will the faction-ridden Congress end up conceding one?

Freer, Grateful Kohli No Longer 'overly Intense' About Achievements, Says De Villiers

ODI World Cup: Virat Kohli has reached a stage in his illustrious career where he is no longer overly intense about milestones, according to former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, who sees his long-time friend playing with a newfound sense of gratitude and freedom as he navigates the final stretch of his journey in international cricket. In eight ODI innings in 2026, Kohli has amassed 552 runs at an astonishing average of 78.85 and strike-rate of 118.20 making him the third leading run-getter after India captain Shubman Gill and Englands premier batter Joe Root. That's a natural thing to happen at the back end of your career, where you realise my days are numbered, whether it's one year or two or three years. Who knows how long Virat will go for. Only he will know what his goals are, if it's maybe his last ODI World Cup, he will try and win it. I don't know how many IPLs he has left in him, but that's obviously a completely personal decision. I think towards the back end of a person's career, you realise how grateful you must be and how lucky you have been to have had such a long career after where you come from. You think back to your early days as a five-year-old boy running around the cricket field and just enjoying the game. It almost does the full cycle. In the middle of your career, we're always, as athletes, very driven, very emotional, and want to win every trophy and be the best in the world. I think this is a phase where Virat is sort of just letting go a bit and looking around him and realising how lucky he has been and how grateful he must be for everything that has come his way. He's achieved everything in cricket. That's also maybe something that pops in the back of his mind I've achieved everything. I don't have to be so intense about achievements anymore, de Villiers told IANS in a select chat facilitated by FanCode, the official broadcaster of World Championship of Legends. In Thiruvananthapuram, the venue for India's ODI series opener against West Indies, Kohli became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to score 15,000 ODI runs via smashing his 55th ODI century an unbeaten 139. In a career packed with records, titles and accolades, Kohli now speaks with a sense of gratitude for the journey and a desire to keep improving. From the fiery teenager who debuted for India to the seasoned veteran whos full of gratitude and oozes humility in his words, Kohlis transformation in demeanour has been striking. Just enjoy the journey, enjoy my teammates, have a great influence in other people's careers and lives. Whatever comes my way at the back end of my career, I'm happy and grateful for it and it's really good to see. I've spoken to Virat and he will recall me speaking to him at the age of 28 to 32 about being too overly intense, to sort of just sit back a bit, work hard on your game and have an impact in other people's lives. That is definitely shining through now more than ever and very happy for him. It's an incredible run of form. We've seen this kind of form in 2012 to 2014 and then again 2016 to 2019 and now this is like a third peak for him in really taking his game to the next level. We've often heard him speak about taking his game to the next level, thinking about the game a little bit differently and you can see that in that positive approach and that aggressive approach he's taking on. So it makes me very happy to see him perform like he is, added de Villiers. This mental shift and relaxed approach have translated directly into a tactical evolution for ODIs, where he has abandoned his traditional anchor role for outright aggression right from the start of his innings. According to data from CricViz, Kohli has been striking at an unprecedented 119 across his first 20 deliveries in ODIs this year - far exceeding his previous best of 89 in both 2016 and 2018. The shift is further illustrated by an early attacking shot rate of 58.7 percent and a boundary percentage of 17.9 percent during Kohlis first 20 balls in ODIs in 2026. The metrics also reflect a sharp increase in his power-hitting, with Kohli hitting a six every 27.4 balls in 2026, which is miles ahead as compared to 2025 (52.1) and 2014 (52.9). Asked whether this six-hitting version of Kohli in ODIs represents a better iteration of the batter, de Villiers opined, It's difficult to say. I think it is a better version because of the way he's so relaxed and out there in the middle, you can almost see he's completely free. He showed signs of that at the ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE in 2025. I started seeing him play a different role and then he got stuck a little bit again, going back to old habits, and then just sort of let go completely again. But that's the way I love Virat and I've always said that there's a side of him that people don't know. I think we're seeing that side more than ever now, where he's just completely focused almost on other people and he realises that all he can do is just go out there and express his talent and let the fans and the people around the world enjoy that for one last time or for the next two years or three or five years. I don't know for how long, but I love seeing this side of him. I think it must be an incredible experience to share a dressing room with him as a youngster now. I think they are learning from him more than ever being in this state of mind. But yes, I think because he's so free, he's making sound decisions out there. He's not so intense and not overthinking the game. He's going a lot on gut feel, it seems. Generally, the gut feel is right as your instinct takes over. He's played this game all his life. When Virat plays with his instinct, he's pretty much unstoppable. It's quite scary to think of where this will go and how good and how big of an impact he's going to play for Team India in the 2027 World Cup. De Villiers signed off by strongly cautioning the Indian selectors against moving on from both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, adding that their wealth of experience remain essential to the national setup in their quest to win their third mens ODI World Cup. That's a personal call that the Indian selectors will have to make. From my point of view, I wouldn't go without Rohit. I think he comes with incredible experience, him and Virat, and the combination, and belief the rest of the squad gets because of the two of them being there is just immeasurable. So I wouldn't go without him - whether he's in great form now or not is irrelevant, in my opinion. Just the kind of leadership qualities and the belief he instils in the rest of the team is great for the side. Form-wise, it's always something you can work on. Fitness-wise, I think he'll still be fine. I've played in most of the squads I was part of throughout my career. There were always a couple of more experienced players or older guys who are not as agile in the field anymore. That's a personal call that the Indian selectors will have to make. From my point of view, I wouldn't go without Rohit. I think he comes with incredible experience, him and Virat, and the combination, and belief the rest of the squad gets because of the two of them being there is just immeasurable. So I wouldn't go without him - whether he's in great form now or not is irrelevant, in my opinion. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS

Asian Games 2026: Indian women's hockey team clinches gold medal

Lalremsiamis wonderstrike and goalie Savitas heroics help Indian womens team beat China 1-0 to end 44-year wait for Asiad gold; coach Marijne hails incredible feat

2027 Mens ODI WC Will Inspire Next Generation, SA Will Be Good Hosts, Says De Villiers

Former South Africa: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers expects the 2027 Mens ODI World Cup to inspire a new generation of cricketers from the country, and drew parallels to how the 2003 edition being hosted in the country shaped his own early journey as a 19-year-old aspiring to play international cricket. South Africa will co-host the 50-over mega event alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21, 2027 and mark the tournament's return to the region for the first time in 24 years. While South Africa and Zimbabwe were co-hosts for the 2003 Mens ODI World Cup alongside Kenya, Namibia will be hosting its maiden senior ICC tournament as a host nation. Yes, the ODI World Cup in 2027 is coming back to South Africa for the first time since 2003. The 2003 World Cup played a huge part in my career. It had a big influence and impact on me. I clearly remember a cricketing clinic Australian had at the University of Pretoria. That's where I played my cricket at that time, at the age of 19. I got to know Adam Gilchrist a bit better. He worked with my wicketkeeping skills that day. Obviously, he had no idea who I was at that time. But I very clearly recall having a very good moment with him. He told me to work on my left hand and said, All the best, youngster. Three years later, I played cricket against him in Test matches and ODIs. It had a huge impact on me and I'm pretty sure the 2027 World Cup will have the same impact on the youngsters of South Africa, hoping to represent their country one day. Obviously, from an economical point of view, great to have the World Cup here in South Africa, also co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe and I'm looking forward to the rest of the world to come and enjoy the great parts of South Africa and how welcoming we can be and we are really good hosts, de Villiers told IANS in a select chat facilitated by FanCode, the official broadcaster of the World Championship of Legends. All focus will also be on South Africa, who are yet to win the Mens ODI World Cup title and de Villiers backed the side to have a good time in the competition on home soil. So looking forward to that and I think the cricket is going to be magnificent, as it was in 2003 and hopefully the Proteas will perform better this time. As for 2003, from a performance point of view, it doesn't bring back great memories. But the team really looks strong now. Most of the team is still relatively unknown globally. But I know they have a lot of chemistry. There's a great culture there and lots of individuals who can win you games of cricket and we showcased it now against Australia, winning our sixth consecutive ODI series win against the Aussies. So really looking good for the guys and once the World Cup starts, there will be a lot of hype, a lot of attention from the media and the public and my message to the Proteas will be just to keep it in now, stay focused on what the goal is, and hopefully they'll have a really good World Cup, he added. Turning his attention to two-time champions India, de Villiers highlighted the role of Indian Premier League (IPL) in creating an unmatched pipeline of talent. Yes, the Indian youngsters are coming through and I think the IPL is an incredible platform and laid the foundation for Indian cricket to just have such a large depth of talent. That's also not going to change anytime soon. They have the ability to play around with different combinations in the batting and bowling departments, and from a leadership point of view. They can just really play around with a deep pool of talent, which is fantastic. Plenty of youngsters have impressed me and I'm very happy. I consider myself lucky that I'm not an Indian selector. It's a tough job with the amount of talent they have. There's just too many to mention, to be honest. Lots of individuals stand out. They're obviously still playing around with the balance of their squad going into that World Cup. India always comes with a strong spin contingent, so it will be interesting to see who they go for. Theres Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washi - so many spinners and players to pick from and plenty of talent in the batting department. That's probably the biggest headache - they really have about a group of 10 batters to pick from who are all match winners. It's really, really difficult and good luck to the Indian selectors, he added. Among India's emerging prodigies, young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has captured widespread attention with his fearless hitting and has found himself in the India T20I team since his debut against England at Manchester in July. De Villiers expressed admiration for Sooryavanshis strokeplay and urged him to work on his game continuously to play across all formats and conditions. He's absolutely phenomenal to watch. I'm not surprised, to be honest. The next phase for him is to find a blueprint in different formats, in different conditions, realising that every game poses a different challenge, and playing the situation instead of just playing one way or being one-dimensional with his game. I would urge him to keep developing his game. I think he picked up a little bit on when he toured England, and realising that it's not always as easy. You can't just rock up and always hit through the line. Every game is a different situation. My message to him would be to assess every single match he plays, get a feel for what he's confronted with on the particular day, and to respect that whatever his decision is, whether it's a flat wicket and let's go for 60 of 20 balls, or realising, hold on, today is a day where maybe 30 of 20 balls will be okay and set it up for a bit later. He's absolutely phenomenal to watch. I'm not surprised, to be honest. The next phase for him is to find a blueprint in different formats, in different conditions, realising that every game poses a different challenge, and playing the situation instead of just playing one way or being one-dimensional with his game. I would urge him to keep developing his game. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS

India, Canada to resume trade talks on Oct 5

Digital Desk | Milwaukee, Oct 3 (IANS) India and Canada will begin the next round of trade negotiations on October 5 as the two countries push to conclude a deal before the end of the year, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said a day after meeting Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting here. The meeting followed the fourth round of negotiations in Mumbai and came as Ottawa prepares to send a large business delegation to India this month. After wrapping up the fourth round of negotiations in Mumbai, I met again with Minister Piyush Goyal at the G20 ahead of the next round beginning October 5 to advance negotiations to conclude towards a deal before the end of this year, Sidhu said in a social media post. The disclosure provides a specific timetable for the next stage of negotiations and underscores efforts by both governments to accelerate economic engagement. India and Canada are seeking to expand bilateral trade significantly, with a shared target of reaching $70 billion by 2030. With more than $30 billion in two-way trade today and a shared goal of reaching $70 billion by 2030, there is significant room to grow the trade and investment relationship between our two countries, Sidhu said. The Canadian minister had earlier told reporters in Milwaukee that negotiations were moving forward and that both sides were focused on reaching an agreement. Sidhu said the discussions were not simply about concluding an agreement, but about securing one that worked for businesses and workers in both countries. The latest meeting between Goyal and Sidhu came during an intensive period of trade diplomacy surrounding the G20 ministerial hosted by the United States. Goyal held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering as India sought to deepen commercial relationships with major partners while addressing broader questions confronting the international trading system. Canada is also planning a significant commercial push into India. Sidhu said he would lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to India this month with nearly 300 Canadian participants. Thats why this month I am leading a Team Canada Trade Mission to India, bringing close to 300 Canadian delegates from businesses across key sectors to make connections, find new customers and pursue opportunities in one of the worlds fastest-growing markets, Sidhu said. The size of the delegation points to growing Canadian business interest in India alongside the government-to-government trade negotiations. Sidhu identified critical minerals, energy, agriculture and technology among the sectors in which Canadian companies are looking for opportunities. From critical minerals and energy to agriculture, technology and other sectors where Canada is a global leader, we are helping Canadian companies build partnerships and grow in India, he said. The trade mission will therefore run alongside a renewed negotiating process as Ottawa seeks greater access to the Indian market and both countries try to increase investment flows. India and Canada have been rebuilding their economic engagement after a period of strained diplomatic relations disrupted high-level contacts and trade negotiations. The renewed talks have put commerce back near the centre of the bilateral relationship, with the two governments setting a target of $70 billion in two-way trade by 2030 and pursuing an agreement intended to provide businesses in both countries greater opportunities in each other's markets.

Gandhi Jayanti : Verify facts before reacting, LG urges youth

Srinagar, Oct 02: Satyameva Jayatetruth alone triumphsmust remain a guiding principle for democracy, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday, as he cautioned against misinformation and urged the youth to adopt Mahatma Gandhi's discipline of verifying facts and engaging in dialogue before reacting. The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the Gandhi Jayanti Celebration organised by the School Education Department in collaboration with the Department of Culture. He extended heartfelt wishes to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir on the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and congratulated children participating in cultural programmes as well as the toppers of the district-level symposium on truth and non-violence. The LG also commended the Kashmiri rendition of Bapu's bhajan by Gulzar Ahmed, the Hindi performance by students of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, and the skit presented by the Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibag. Highlighting the significance of October 2, Sinha said it is an occasion to reflect on the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, who gave India a new way of thinking, standing against injustice and living with dignity. He said Gandhi ji's legacy of truth and non-violence continues to hold relevance in today's fast-changing, technology-driven world. I believe that revered Bapu has left behind many priceless legacies for us. He gave us a new method, new principles, a new approach to life and a new system that remains alive in the hands of every generation, he said. The Lieutenant Governor noted that while technology has connected people globally, it also raises questions of inclusivity and truth. Bapu understood the relationship between truth and power very deeply. He called his life an experiment with the search for truth. I believe Truth is a spiritual discipline. Truth is the habit of looking within oneself. Truth is the habit of verifying before believing any fact or information, and truth is the habit of listening and understanding before responding immediately to anything, he said. The LG stressed that technology should remain under human control and serve as an instrument for progress, not a substitute for conscience. I want all children and youth to remember that technology is only an instrument and the decision must remain ours. However powerful the instrument may be, its direction is ultimately determined by the hand that wields it, he said. Underscoring India's strength in diversity, Sinha said unity must be strengthened through everyday actions of justice, respect and compassion. He recalled Gandhi ji's concern for the weakest person in society and urged citizens to measure progress by inclusivity and welfare. Since ancient times, India has been a land of diversities. Our languages are different, our modes of worship are different, our attire and our customs are different. However, our great tradition has taught us that walking together with diversity is India's strength. I believe this philosophy is needed today more than ever, he said. The Lieutenant Governor expressed confidence that Gandhi ji's philosophy will guide India towards the goal of becoming a Developed Nation by 2047. He emphasised the importance of trusteeship, people's participation and character-building in children. To build a Developed India, we must prepare our fields, schools, villages, cities and industries, and above all, we must place special emphasis on character-building in children. Bapu firmly believed that a nation's character is its most permanent infrastructure, he said. We often ask what others are doing? Today, on revered Bapu's birth anniversary, let us also askwhat am I doing to build a developed India? Am I advancing truth or rumour? Am I engaging in dialogue or merely reacting? Am I uniting my country, or unknowingly dividing it? This alone will be a true tribute to the life-philosophy of Pujya Bapu, the Lieutenant Governor said. Sakeena Masood Itoo, Minister for Health & Medical Education, School & Higher Education and Social Welfare Departments; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Padma Bhushan Rajeev Sethi; Padma Shri Dr S.P. Varma, President Gandhi Global Family, J&K; Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department; senior officials, prominent citizens, heads of educational institutions, teachers and students attended the celebration.

Preethi Munde Felicitated For Winning Miss Earth Water India-2026 Title

Speakers said the achievement was significant for Preethi Munde, who hails from Heerapur village in Indravelli mandal, and appreciated her confidence and commitment towards her goals.

India Aims to Become a Top-5 Shipbuilding Nation by 2047, Says Sonowal

Union Minister Sonowal emphasizes Indias goal to boost shipbuilding and maritime self-reliance by 2047 during a shipping event in Mumbai. India Aims to Become a Top-5 Shipbuilding Nation by 2047, Says Sonowal

Adani Group committed to investment plans of over 6 lakh crore in Maharashtra across energy, airports and infra

Adani Group has announced plans to invest over 6 lakh crore in Maharashtra across multiple sectors. The investments are aimed at aiding Maharashtra's goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030. The group has committed to significant infrastructure projects, including the management of Mumbai's airports and renewable power sourcing. Additionally, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project will transform the area with modern housing and economic opportunities.

Asian Games: 'It was a perfect game', says HI prez Dilip Tirkey after India women's historic gold win

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey described India's women's hockey gold at the Asian Games as a 'perfect game' and praised the team's defensive resilience in their 1-0 victory over China, which ended a 44-year wait for the continental title and secured qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India last won the women's hockey gold at the Asian Games in 1982 in New Delhi. Lalremsiami's 10th-minute goal proved decisive in Friday's final, while Savita Punia produced a crucial penalty-stroke save to preserve India's lead against a relentless Chinese attack. As you said, after 44 years, the women's hockey team has won a gold medal. For the first time in 1982, the women's team won a gold medal in New Delhi. Since then, the women's hockey team has created a great history, Tirkey told IANS. Tirkey said the women's team has continued to raise its level despite traditionally attracting less attention than the men's side. Normally, we expect a lot from men's hockey. All our hockey lovers and sports lovers. But we don't expect a lot from women. The women's team is playing very well. They have played in the Asian Games. Before that, they have played in the World Cup. Excellent game, he said. India's final against China was particularly demanding, with the defending champions controlling large periods of possession and creating repeated opportunities. Tirkey said India showed composure against one of the strongest teams in the world. I have also seen the final match. It was a perfect game. China is one of the best teams in the world. They have also been the champion team of the Asian Games. In 2024, they were the silver medalists in the Paris Olympics, and we scored against them in just 10 minutes and then defended for 50 minutes, he said. They have strengthened the defence until the end and were in a very strong position in defence. India was playing as a team, he added. Savita's penalty-stroke save came at a critical stage of the match and allowed India to retain their one-goal cushion. Tirkey felt the goalkeeper's intervention gave the team further belief to see out the contest. I have also seen that China got a stroke. Savita Punia has stopped it by diving to the left side. She has put confidence in the team. It was a very interesting match, he said. India's gold also came after a challenging period for the squad, with Tirkey revealing that injuries had affected a large number of players earlier this year. I am happy that the women's team's performance is improving day by day. Especially the young girls have shown excellent hockey, he said. In the last 6-7 months, the team's performance has improved a lot. We were very worried. 13-14 players were injured 6-7 months ago. They were suffering from injuries. We recovered very fast, Tirkey added. Tirkey also credited the Hockey India League with helping players develop through high-level competition. The women's competition returned alongside the men's tournament, giving Indian players another platform to compete and gain experience. HIL has been organising the Hockey India League for two years. We have seen the impact of it. HIL is one of the best leagues in the world. Men's or women's. They have also benefited from the Hockey India League, he said. India's Olympic qualification was another major takeaway from the victory, and Tirkey said Hockey India would use the extended preparation period to support the team. Most importantly, they have qualified for the Olympics. They will get a lot of time for practice. We will try to provide what is needed from Hockey India, he said. Tirkey also praised the coaching and support staff behind the campaign. I would like to congratulate the coaching team. They have been performing very well since they took charge. I would like to congratulate all the supporting staff. I would like to thank them personally. All of them are working very hard for the team. I would like to congratulate the players as well, he said. Hockey India has also decided to reward the women's team for their gold-medal-winning performance. We decided to award 11 lakh rupees to each player of the women's team. We decided to award 5.5 lakh rupees to the supporting staff, Tirkey said. Tirkey said he had spoken to Savita after the match and praised the goalkeeper for her decisive intervention. I talked to Savita. She was very happy. Her stroke was a big save. I think she deserved the win. She deserved it. It was an excellent game, he said. The men's team will now look to complete a hockey double when they face Malaysia in the Asian Games final on Saturday. The men's gold-medal match also carries Olympic significance, with the Asian Games champions earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Tirkey said the women's triumph could provide an additional boost to the men's side ahead of their title clash. I have expectations for the country. I think our men's team will be inspired by today's game. I am confident that we will win tomorrow's game. We will qualify for the Olympics, he said

Vizag Youth Divided Over Mandatory Military Training

Academics say although discipline and national preparedness are desirable goals, any compulsory military training would require extensive public consultation: Reports

Former GOP Rep. David Rivera gets 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying

MIAMI (AP) A former Miami congressman and longtime friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison in connection with a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on Venezuelas behalf during the first Trump administration. Republican David Rivera has been jailed since jurors found him guilty in May on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of his work for former Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro s government. Rivera, 61, appeared stone-faced as Judge Melissa Damian denounced him for betraying his lifes mission, saying he would surely have been judged harshly his many friends had the millions of dollars come from the Cuban regime instead of its allies in Caracas. Nobody would accept thats ok and I dont think this is different, the judge said. Theres no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime. The seven-week trial offered a rare glimpse into Miamis role as a crossroads for foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America, highlighting the citys reputation as a magnet for both anti-communist crusaders and corruption among its sizable exile population. It included testimony from President Donald Trumps secretary of state, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas and a top Washington lobbyist all of whom testified they felt betrayed when learning of Riveras mammoth consulting contract with a U.S.-based affiliate of Venezuelas state oil company, PDVSA. Attorneys for Rivera plan to appeal and in June applied for a presidential pardon. Rivera faces additional federal charges in Washington, D.C., in a related foreign lobbying case. Prosecutors said betrayal featured coded figures Sombrero and Miss Clairol In an indictment unsealed in 2022 , prosecutors alleged that Rivera was tapped by then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodrguez now Venezuelas acting president to work Republican connections to get the first Trump administration to abandon its hard line and crippling sanctions on Venezuela. As part of the charm offensive, Rivera and a co-defendant, political consultant Esther Nuhfer, sought to manipulate influential friends, including Rubio and Sessions . Their goal was to normalize relations with the new Trump administration even as the Maduro government faced sanctions over serious accusations of human rights violations. But Rivera and Nuhfer didnt disclose their lobbying work as required, for fear it would have ended Riveras political career as an anti-communist stalwart, prosecutors argued at trial. The United States and the public were the true victims of this fraud, Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz said in urging a stiff sentence. He used his position of trust and betrayed it consistently and repeatedly. To hide his work, prosecutors allege, Rivera also set up an encrypted chat group called MIA for Miami with his main conduit to the Maduro government: Venezuelan media tycoon Ral Gorrn, who was subsequently charged in the U.S. with bribing top Venezuelan officials. Members of the group used playful code words to discuss their activities: Maduro was the bus driver, Sessions Sombrero, Rodrguez The Lady in Red, and their windfall payments La Luz, Spanish for The Light, according to copies of text messages presented to the jury. Rubio was known as Miss Clairol, because rubio means blond in Spanish. Defense said only missing paperwork made the $50 million contract illegal At Fridays sentencing, attorneys for Rivera repeated their trial argument that the former congressman believed he was under no requirement to disclose the work. The three-month, $50 million contract with Riveras one-man consulting firm, they said, was focused on luring oil giant ExxonMobil back to Venezuela commercial work that is generally exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act. David Rivera does not deserve to die in prison because he failed to file a FARA registration, defense attorney Ed Shohat said at Fridays hearing. If he had filed that paper, that form, everything he did, including the $50 million contract, which totally distorted this case, is perfectly legal. Wholly distinct from that consulting work, they say, were Riveras meetings with Rubio and Sessions, which were focused on ushering in leadership in Venezuela that would be less hostile to the U.S. not supporting Maduro in normalizing relations with the U.S. Theres not one word in any chat, not one document, not one thing he did to help Nicols Maduro, said Shohat. Prosecutors said Rivera used the contract with the affiliate, New York-based PDV USA, as cover for illegal lobbying. This is a classic money laundering case, the judge said Friday in rejecting Riveras motion to lower the federal guidelines range. Where did the money go? A luxury yacht, among other things The partners tried to hide the work backdating documents and coming up with sham agreements, like one to justify a wire transfer of $3.75 million to a South Florida company that maintained Gorrns luxury yacht, prosecutors said. The political activity included setting up meetings for Rodrguez in New York, Caracas, Washington and Dallas. As part of the effort, Rivera roped in Sessions, who later tried to broker a meeting for Rodrguez with the ExxonMobil executive who took over as CEO when Rex Tillerson became Trumps first-term secretary of state . After a secret meeting in Caracas with Maduro, Sessions also agreed to deliver a letter from the Venezuelan president to Trump. The outreach quickly unraveled, however. Within six months of taking office, Trump sanctioned Maduro and labeled him a dictator, launching a maximum pressure campaign to unseat the president. And now, nearly a decade later, Rodrguez has emerged as the second Trump administrations trusted partner after the U.S. militarys ousting of Maduro. Rubio's former housemate faced scandal before, but Cuban Americans support him Before being elected to Congress in 2010, Rivera was a high-ranking Florida legislator and shared a Tallahassee home with Rubio, who eventually became the Florida House speaker. Rivera faced earlier controversy, including allegations that he secretly funded a Democratic spoiler candidate in a 2012 congressional race. Last year, federal prosecutors dropped that case after an appeals court threw out a sizable fine imposed by a lower court. Rivera was also investigated but never charged for alleged campaign finance violations and a $1 million contract with a gambling company while serving in the Florida Legislature. Despite all that, Rivera remains popular among Miamis Cuban American establishment. Friends of the former congressman, including the former president of Florida International University and Miami-Dade Countys supervisor of elections, packed the courtroom to show their support. Sessions, in a letter seeking leniency that was read into the record by his chief of staff, said his former congressional colleague devoted decades to public service, much of it focused on defending liberty and democracy. I dont think its productive for society by sending David away for a long, long time, testified Liliana Ros, a longtime Miami GOP committee member. This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/former-gop-rep-david-rivera-182044649.html

Sachin Pilot Criticizes Goa Government for Exploiting Residents

Sachin Pilot criticizes Goas BJP government for failing to support citizens and highlights issues ahead of upcoming elections. Sachin Pilot Criticizes Goa Government for Exploiting Residents

Is 1.5 crore enough for retirement? A new NPS survey reveals the truth.

People's interest in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is growing significantly. However, people's retirement savings goals are still low. So, is it worth saving 1.5 crore?People trust the NPS scheme the most.People save money to ensure they can live their lives as they did before retir...

Delhi BJP chief slams AAP, CJP for flop protests

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra on Friday attacked the AAP and the Cockroach Janta Party for staging a drama at Jantar Mantar and in Mumbai in the name of Protecting the Right to Vote. He said the gathering was not about safeguarding democracy but an attempt to conceal the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) potential defeat in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. In Delhi, the AAP staged a protest in collaboration with some communist parties, he said. Neither the youth of Delhi nor ordinary citizens turned up. The gathering consisted of only 500600 AAP workers and leaders. They assembled without permission, obstructed traffic, disrupted metro services, and then started crying that democracy is in danger, he said. These are the very people who indulged in corruption in Delhi for 10 years, were involved in the liquor scam, and are now levelling allegations against the Election Commission out of fear of defeat, he said. In Mumbai, some students staged a protest under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, he said, adding that this is the same CJP that was completely rejected by students in college campus elections in Chandigarh and Delhi. After securing zero seats, they are now creating a ruckus on streets, said Malhotra. This circus is being staged to divert attention from the failures of the AAP government in Punjab, unemployment, and the collapse of law and order, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always stood firm in defending the right to vote. However, the right to vote does not mean that you can spread falsehoods, gather crowds, and attack institutions, said Malhotra. I want to ask the AAP and these fake student organisations: Why has the drug menace not been curbed in Punjab? Why have the youth not been provided employment? he asked. The people of Delhi have rejected you. Now, the country will reject you as well. The BJP stands firmly with the Constitution and democracy, and we strongly condemn these hypocritical protests, said Malhotra. Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that the AAP leaders' protest alleging vote theft, levelling accusations against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are clear signs of their political frustration. Despite their best efforts, AAP leaders failed to attract the participation of ordinary youth or Delhi residents in today's protest, making the entire exercise a complete failure, he said. The Delhi BJP Spokesperson said that the AAP appears to be facing certain defeat in the upcoming elections in Punjab and Goa, along with the likely loss of its national party status. Frustrated by this prospect, AAP leaders are now blaming the Election Commission and fabricating excuses to conceal their anticipated electoral defeat in both states, he said. It would be better for AAP leaders to focus on curbing corruption within their own government in Punjab instead of blaming the Election Commission, he said.

Ready for every on-field scenario, team bus parties: Navneet, Lalremsiami speak after historic Asian Games women's hockey gold

By Vipul Kashyap Following India's landmark Asian Games women's hockey gold medal win, Indian hockey star Navneet Kaur expressed happiness at her team's win, saying that the team was ready for every possible scenario and is really relieved to have achieved a direct ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics given the difficulties that come with playing in qualifiers. The Indian women's hockey team produced a historic performance on Friday, defeating reigning Asian champions China 1-0 to clinch the gold medal and end a 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal in Aichi-Nagoya. Ranked No. 8 in the world, India stunned World No. 4 China in a fiercely contested final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute through a field goal. The triumph marks India's first women's hockey medal at the Asian Games since 1982, when the team last stood on the podium. Speaking after the medal win, Navneet told ANI about the medal win that it is everyone's dream to secure a medal at the Olympi...

Even when AI behaves just like us, people still rate it as less conscious than humans

Stories about AI systems deceiving users, cooperating with one another or pursuing their own goals increasingly invite us to talk about them as if they had minds of their own. But do people really believe that AI is conscious? A new LMU study suggests that they draw a surprisingly sharp line between intelligent behavior and consciousness.

When and where to watch India vs Brazil FIFA friendly: know all details

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 2 (IANS) India will take on five-time world champions Brazil in a historic international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday, with the match set to kick off at 7:30 PM IST. The highly anticipated encounter will be the first time the senior mens national teams of India and Brazil face each other, with the Blue Tigers set to come up against the highest-ranked opposition they have faced since the FIFA Mens World Ranking was introduced. Brazil currently occupy fifth place in the FIFA rankings, while India are ranked 138th. The Seleos ranking surpasses the previous record of ninth-ranked Russia, whom India faced in 1995, and Japan, also ranked ninth when the teams met in 1998. India head into the landmark fixture with confidence after holding 44th-ranked Panama to a 1-1 draw last Friday. Ryan Williams put India ahead before Khalid Jamils side defended resolutely to secure a result against a top-50 opponent for the first time. Brazil, meanwhile, arrive in India unbeaten since their 2026 World Cup campaign ended with a 2-1 round-of-16 defeat to Norway. Under head coach Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil have recorded 11 wins, four draws and four defeats in 19 matches, scoring 41 goals and conceding 18. The five-time FIFA World Cup champions drew 1-1 with Australia before beating them 4-2 in their second friendly in September. Rayan scored a late equaliser in the first game, while Vanderson, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Jnior found the net in the second. Raphinha, however, will miss the Kolkata friendly because of a thigh injury and has left the travelling squad, reducing Brazils group from 26 to 25 players. Brazil will be making their first senior mens national team appearance in India, although the country has a long association with Indian football. Legendary Brazilian Pele visited Kolkata in 1977 and played for New York Cosmos against Mohun Bagan in an exhibition match at Eden Gardens, which ended in a 2-2 draw in front of more than 80,000 spectators. Brazil will also become only the third CONMEBOL nation that India will face after Peru and Uruguay. India have lost their previous three matches against South American opponents. When: Saturday, October 3, 7:30 PM IST Where: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata Where to watch: Live streaming on the SonyLIV app and TV broadcast on Sony Sports channels.

Manchester City file appeal against guilty verdict on financial rule breaches

Manchester City have lodged a formal appeal against findings of an independent regulatory commision as they seek to overturn a verdict seeing them being found guilty of violating several Premier League financial rules, reported Goal.com. An independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League

Asian Games: President Murmu hails womens hockey teams magnificent gold medal triumph

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday congratulated the Indian womens hockey team for their 'magnificent gold medal triumph' at the ongoing Asian Games 2026, saying their achievement and direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics made the victory even more special. The Indian womens team defeated defending champions China 1-0 in the final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium to win the Asian Games gold for the first time since 1982 and end a 44-year wait for the continental title. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Womens Hockey Team on a magnificent gold medal triumph at the Asian Games 2026! President Murmu wrote in a post on X. After a long wait, the Gold returns to India through your determination, skill and spirited play, bringing immense pride and joy to the entire nation. Securing direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games makes this victory even more special, she added. President Murmu also highlighted the teams impact on young athletes across the country. You are an inspiration to countless young girls across the country. My warmest wishes to each one of you for the journey ahead! she wrote. Indias historic triumph was secured through a 10th-minute goal from Lalremsiami, who finished a flowing move involving Salima Tete and Sakshi with a powerful reverse hit. The Indian defence then produced a resolute display to protect the narrow advantage, with veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia making a crucial one-handed save from a penalty stroke to deny China an equaliser. India had topped Pool A with four wins from four matches before defeating Japan 7-2 in the semi-finals. The gold medal also secured their direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The triumph marked only Indias second womens hockey gold at the Asian Games, with their previous title coming in 1982 in New Delhi.

Hockey India Salutes Asiad Gold Heroes With Rs 11 Lakh Each

Hockey India has announced significant cash awards for the national women's team and support staff following their historic gold medal win at the Asian Games in Japan. The team defeated defending champions China 1-0, securing India's first women's hockey gold at the event in 44 years, with Lalremsiami scoring the winning goal.

Odisha Governor Asks Youth to Lead Climate Action at Gen C Conclave

Economic growth and environmental protection are not competing goals but partners, Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati said on Friday, calling on the young generation to drive a clean, smart and climate-resilient development model. Speaking at the third Earth Again Conference 2026, organised by the Sambad Group at the Utkal University auditorium on the theme [] The post Odisha Governor Asks Youth to Lead Climate Action at Gen C Conclave appeared first on Pragativadi I Latest Odisha News in English I Breaking News .

Asian Games: PM Modi congratulates women's hockey team on winning historic gold

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian women's hockey team on winning a historic gold in the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, which ended a 44-year wait for the yellow metal for the country in the Continental extravaganza. This 1-0 win over China in the final also sealed the Indian women's hockey team a direct berth in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. A very special moment for Indian Hockey!, the PM wrote in his post on X. The people of India are rejoicing in the success of the Womens Hockey Team, who bring home the coveted Gold at the Asian Games, and that too after over 4 decades. This is the result of outstanding skills and teamwork. Their determination is very inspiring as well. My best wishes to the team for their upcoming endeavours, wrote PM Modi in the post on X put out by the PMO. May this success contribute to Hockeys popularity across the nation, PM Narendra Modi wished. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute with a powerful reverse-hit finish as India held their nerve under sustained Chinese pressure to reclaim the continental crown for the first time since 1982. The goal came at the end of a well-crafted attacking move, with Salima Tete providing a precise pass into the circle before Sakshi delivered the ball to Lalremsiami, who unleashed a fierce reverse-hit that flew into the roof of the net, leaving the Chinese goalkeeper with no chance. The Indian team then bravely thwarted numerous attempts at the goal by China and maintained its advantage till the end of the match to secure a memorable win over a rival that had got the better of them in the last couple of matches, including an encounter at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too was effusive in his praise for the women's hockey team and called the triumph a golden chapter in Indian women's hockey! A golden chapter in Indian womens hockey! Congratulations to our womens hockey team on a hard-fought victory to win the Asian Games Gold Medal. Lalremsiami Hmarzotes decisive strike and Savita Punias crucial penalty-stroke save reflected the skill, composure and fighting spirit of a team that stood firm when it mattered most, Rajnath Singh wrote in his post on X. After 44 years, India has reclaimed the Asian Games womens hockey title. This historic triumph will inspire generations to carry the Indian hockey legacy forward with renewed ambition. My best wishes to the entire team for the journey ahead, he wrote. The year 2026 has been a great one for the Indian women's hockey team, which secured its best finish in a World Cup by claiming fifth place in the 2026 edition held a couple of months back in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The team's performance over last 6-7 months has been excellent: Hockey India president Tirkey after women's Asian Games gold

Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey hailed the women's team for their landmark gold medal win at the ongoing Asian Games, pointing out the improvement in their game over last few months and exceptional performances in both attacking and defensive fronts. The Indian women's hockey team produced a historic performance on Friday, defeating reigning Asian champions China 1-0 to clinch the gold medal and end a 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal in Aichi-Nagoya. Ranked No. 8 in the world, India stunned World No. 4 China in a fiercely contested final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute through a field goal. The triumph marks India's first women's hockey medal at the Asian Games since 1982, when the team last stood on the podium. Speaking to ANI after the win, Tirkey said, The women have now made history after 44 years. We last won in Delhi back in 1982. As the President of Hockey India, I feel incredibly happy today, seeing the hard work the girls have put in ov...

Asian Games: India womens hockey team win gold, qualify for LA 2028 Olympics

Indias womens hockey team defeated defending champions China 1-0 in the Asian Games final at Kakamigahara, Japan, on Friday, ending a 44-year wait for the gold medal. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal as India also secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

The Gold-Defining Penalty Save: Goalkeeper Savita Punia Rescues India In Final. Watch

India goalkeeper Savita Punia made an incredible penalty stroke save in the Asian Games women's hockey final, resulting in a defining moment towards the team's gold medal.

Nine-goal nightmare: Is Indonesia thrashing Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Asian Games: India end 44-yr wait, women bag hockey gold

Kakamigahara: India ended a 44-year wait for the Asian Games womens hockey gold medal with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions China in the final of the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Friday, October 2, securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute with a Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Watch - The Gold-Defining Moment: India Goalkeeper Savita Punia's Stunning Penalty Save vs China In Asian Games Final

India goalkeeper Savita Punia made an incredible penalty stroke save in the Asian Games women's hockey final, resulting in a defining moment towards the team's gold medal.

How Do You Fund Education Costs For Two Children Four Years Apart?

Two children four years apart looks, at first, like two straightforward education goals with a comfortable gap between them. In practice the gap is exactly the wrong length: long enough that you can't treat the costs as one event, but too short to fund one child fully before the others begin. That awkward spacing makes planning for two children more than doing the sum twice. The costs don't arrive neatly one after the other; they stagger, and at certain points they overlap. Funding them well means planning for both goals at once, each sized separately and timed to when that child actually needs the money. Why two children four years apart is its own planning problem The difficulty is in the timing, not the total. With a single child, you have one set of milestones to save towards. With two spaced four years apart, you have two sets that move in step but never quite align, so at several points you're funding a big expense for one child while the next is already looming for the other. A wider gap would let you finish one child's education before the next began. A much smaller gap would bunch the costs into a single peak. Four years does neither cleanly, spreading the heaviest costs across a longer stretch and creating years where both children draw on your finances at once, which is exactly the situation to plan for rather than be surprised by. How do the two timelines actually line up? The first practical step is to map both children's milestones on one calendar and see where they collide. Each stage the older child reaches, the younger reaches four years later, so their timelines run parallel with a fixed offset. That offset produces predictable pressure points. The older child's college years, for instance, can land right when the younger is in the costly final years of school or entrance coaching, so two big costs run at once. Seeing those overlap years in advance is half the battle, because they're where an otherwise sound plan tends to buckle. Knowing which years will be heaviest tells you where to build in extra, well before you get there. Sizing each goal, including inflation Each child's education is a separate goal with its own price tag, and the younger child's will be the larger of the two in rupee terms. That's down to timing rather than any difference in their education: it's four more years away, and education costs have long risen faster than general inflation. The same course can cost meaningfully more by the time the younger child reaches it. This is where estimating properly matters. Working out what each stage will actually cost in the year each child reaches it, with education inflation built in, turns a vague worry into two concrete targets. A child education planner that projects future costs and the monthly saving each goal needs takes the guesswork out of it, and for two staggered goals that clarity is worth far more than a rough guess. Should you fund them in sequence or in parallel? It's tempting to think you can fund the older child first and then turn to the younger, but four years rarely allows it. The older child's costs run for years, often overlapping when the younger's begin, so a purely sequential approach starts the younger child's goal far too late. Running both goals in parallel from the start is almost always the sounder route. It uses the extra time the younger child's later timeline gives you, four more years of saving and compounding, which eases the larger goal if you begin early. Save for both at once, in proportion to when each is needed, rather than pouring everything into the nearer goal and scrambling for the farther one later. Protecting both goals against the unexpected With two education goals resting on your income, the risk of not being around to fund them is doubled. If the earner dies partway through, both children's education is exposed at once, which is a heavier blow than a single goal failing. This is where protection earns its place. A child education plan built on life insurance typically includes a premium waiver, so if the parent paying dies, the premiums are covered and the goal still pays out on schedule, keeping the child's education on track. With two children, protecting both goals this way, or through adequate term cover behind your savings, matters more than it would for one. The point is that neither child's future should depend on nothing going wrong. So how do you put the plan together? Start by mapping the two timelines and marking the overlap years, then size each goal separately with education inflation included, using a calculator rather than a guess. From there, save towards both in parallel through instruments timed to each child's milestones, so money is available when each stage arrives. Layer protection over it so both goals survive the earner's absence, and build a little extra into the overlap years when both children have costs at once. Review it as fees and your income change, adjusting the contributions rather than the goals. Do that early enough, and the four-year gap becomes two goals funded steadily side by side, not one scramble after another.

India's Women Hockey Team Ends 44-Year Wait For Asian Games Gold

India's women's hockey team clinched the Asian Games gold medal after 44 years, defeating defending champions China 1-0 in a thrilling final. Lalremsiami's early goal and goalkeeper Bichu Devi's crucial save, coupled with a resilient defence, secured the historic victory and direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

India womens hockey team wins Asian Games gold after 44 years, qualifies for 2028 Olympics

The Indians were at their best in defence as they thwarted relentless Chinese attack thereafter, including a penalty stroke save by veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia.