Top News

Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho Told To Train On His Own

admin 0

Jadon Sancho‘s Manchester United future was plunged into further doubt on Thursday as the club said the England winger will train on his own due to a “squad discipline issue”. Sancho was dropped for United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal earlier this month for what United manager Erik ten Hag deemed poor performances in training. The 23-year-old responded by posting on social media that he had been made “a scapegoat for a long time”.

In a statement, United said: “Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue.”

Sancho was considered one of the brightest young talents in European football when he joined United for £73 million ($91 million) from Borussia Dortmund two years ago.

But he has struggled to live up to that price tag at Old Trafford, scoring just 12 goals in 82 appearances. The former Manchester City youth player was given time off between October and February last season to complete an individual winter fitness programme in the Netherlands.

Ten Hag has proven to be a strict disciplinarian even with some of his biggest stars at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s second spell at the club was cut short after he criticised the former Ajax manager in a television interview, while Marcus Rashford was benched for a match last season after arriving late to a team meeting.

Sancho’s absence compounds a miserable start to the season for United on and off the field. Ten Hag’s men have lost two of their opening four Premier League games.

United are currently without Brazilian winger Antony after he was given a leave of absence to fight allegations of domestic abuse made by his former girlfriend.

United also received criticism for their handling of Mason Greenwood, who has joined Spanish side Getafe on loan, after agreeing with the player that his career at the club could not continue.

The 21-year-old had faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but prosecutors announced in February this year that the case had been dropped after key witnesses withdrew and new evidence came to light.

Initial reports suggested United were planning to reintroduce the striker to the team before a public outcry sparked the decision to part ways. Meanwhile, protests against United’s owners, the Glazer family, remain a common occurence at home matches as a process for the Americans to sell the club appears to have ground to a halt.

Topics mentioned in this article

Top News

Saudi Arabia Executes Two Soldiers For "Military Treason"

admin 0

Saudi Arabia Executes Two Soldiers For 'Military Treason'

According to the report, the two were executed in the western city of Taif. (Representational)

Riyadh:

Saudi Arabia executed two soldiers, including a pilot, on Thursday after they were convicted of “military treason”, the defence ministry said, without providing further detail on the charges.

The defence ministry, quoted by the state news agency SPA, named the two soldiers as Pilot Colonel Majid bin Moussa al-Balawi and Chief Sergeant Youssef bin Reda al-Azouzi.

They were arrested in September 2017 and investigations resulted in “the first being convicted of committing military treason and failing to safeguard the nation’s interests and the honour of military service,” it said.

The second was convicted of committing “high, national and military treason”, in addition to the other charges, the ministry said, without providing further details.

The two were executed in the western city of Taif.

Executions of soldiers are rare in Saudi Arabia, known for its secrecy on matters concerning its military forces.

The last announced executions of soldiers were in April 2021, when three were put to death for high treason.

The latest executions brings the total in the kingdom this year to 106, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.

Last year it put to death 147 people, 81 of them on a single day for terrorism-linked crimes. The mass execution sparked an international outcry.

Amnesty International ranked Saudi Arabia as having the third highest number of executions in the world in 2022, after China and Iran.

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

Top News

Rs 100-Crore District Labs, Immediate Action: Minister After Nipah Outbreak

admin 0

Rs 100-Crore District Labs, Immediate Action: Minister After Nipah Outbreak

“We can conduct surveillance at a remote village and gather information,” Mansukh Mandaviya said.

New Delhi:

The Nipah virus spreads much slower than Covid and unlike Covid, it spreads through a vector, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told NDTV today. A treatment protocol is there and once the tests are done and the disease is identified, the treatment can progress fast, he added.

Five cases of Nipah virus have surfaced in Kerala. Two people have died and the other three, including a nine-year-old boy, are undergoing treatment. The boy is critical and on ventilator support.

Asked about the new disease triggering fresh panic in view of the pandemic the world went through four years ago, the minister told NDTV in an exclusive interview: “I’d like to assure that Covid taught us many things including our weaknesses and has led to better surveillance systems.”

The government, he said, has set up such a system now that information of any outbreak — even from a remote village — can reach the Central command system immediately. “We can conduct surveillance at a remote village and gather information,” he said.

Part of the reason is the district laboratories the government is setting up at every district, he said. The government has spent Rs 100 crore in each district setting up labs for testing which will be done for free.  

“We are setting up this system across the country, so the Centre is informed immediately… genome sequencing is done and the information comes to the command centre,” he said.

Speaking of the current outbreak, he said, “Today at a village in Kozhikode there is the Nipah virus outbreak. It came into out notice immediately, and we took action immediately. Our teams went, the SOP was implemented and the state and Centre took action. We will do whatever needed to ensure there are no new cases,” he added.

“I’d like to assure the country that the Narendra Modi government is taking care of the country’s health sector in a very thorough and careful manner,” he added.

The virus, spread through vectors like bats and pigs, causes fever, respiratory distress, headaches, and vomiting, There is no vaccine to prevent or cure the infection. The treatment involves supportive care.

The Kerala government has declared seven villages in Kozhikode district — Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli, and Kavilumpara — have been declared containment zones. Essential items are being delivered to those in isolation.  

The state has formed 19 core committees to coordinate the measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Top News

Noida Official Arrives At Public Meeting Drunk, Creates Ruckus; Suspended

admin 0

Noida Official Arrives At Public Meeting Drunk, Creates Ruckus; Suspended

Ruckus created after a drunk official arrived at a programme which was organised by the Noida Authority.

Noida:

 A Noida Authority accountant was suspended from service on Thursday after he allegedly reached a meeting at a village under the influence of alcohol, leading to a ruckus as people expressed anger, officials said.

A programme was organised by the Noida Authority on Thursday to redress issues of villagers at the Baraat Ghar of village Hoshiarpur in Sector-51 where accountant Bhim Kumar from the Bhulekh Department along with the officials of Engineering Department also participated.

“Bhim Kumar arrived at the programme drunk while on duty due to which there was a ruckus in the meeting and the villagers expressed their anger,” a Noida Authority official said.

“The action of Kumar is indicative of indiscipline in the government tasks assigned to him. Due to this act, the image of the Authority was tarnished in the public mind,” the official said.

His conduct is against the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Government Service Conduct Rules, 1956 and the prescribed provisions of NOIDA Service Rules, 1981, due to which the accountant has been suspended by the Chief Executive Officer Lokesh M with immediate effect, the official added.

The suspension came within hours of purported videos of the inebriated accountant engaging in an argument with villagers surfaced on social media.

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

Top News

Congress MLA Arrested Over Violence In Haryana's Nuh

admin 0

Congress MLA Arrested Over Violence In Haryana's Nuh

New Delhi:

A Congress MLA from Haryana has been arrested for the July 31 communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh. Mamman Khan, the MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka, has been named as an accused in one of the First Information Reports registered in the state. He was questioned by the Nuh Police last week. He will be produced in court on Friday.
Of the 52 accused in the FIR, 42 have been arrested and one is on bail.

Police sources said Mamman Khan has been named as an accused in the case and there is “ample evidence” against him.

The Haryana government has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the police have the phone call records and other evidence, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

The state’s Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal told the court that Mamman Khan was named an accused on September 4.

The MLA had appealed to the court on Tuesday, seeking protection from arrest and claiming he was being framed in the case. He said he was not in Nuh the day the violence broke out.

The MLA’s counsel said he has come to know only now that he has been named in the FIR.

Justice Vikas Bahl will hear the case on October 19.

Violence broke out in Nuh during a procession by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on July 31. Six people were killed. A cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram.

The Haryana MLA pleaded that all cases related to the violence in Nuh should be transferred to a special investigation team. The team has been formed already, the government told the court.

Earlier, the MLA was asked twice by Nuh Police to join the investigation but he failed to appear before it. He did not come for questioning on August 31, saying he had viral fever.

In his petition, Mr Khan said he was at his Gurugram home from July 26 to August 1, and not in Nuh.

But the government’s counsel said the evidence was against Mr Khan, reported PTI. Mr Sabharwal said there were call detail records, his location tracked through a phone tower, a statement by the MLA’s personal security officer and other evidence that indicated that the claim was false.

The state counsel told the court that a co-accused, Taufiq, who was arrested on September 9 has also named Khan.

The counsel said calls were exchanged between them on July 29 and 30, a day ahead of the violence.

Top News

Delhi-bound bus falls into pit in Ghaziabad, 24 injured

admin 0

At least 24 passengers travelling in a roadways bus were injured when the vehicle fell into a pit after going through the roadside railing in this Uttar Pradesh district.

Updated On – 11:50 PM, Thu – 14 September 23


Delhi-bound bus falls into pit in Ghaziabad, 24 injured



Ghaziabad: At least 24 passengers travelling in a roadways bus were injured when the vehicle fell into a pit after going through the roadside railing in this Uttar Pradesh district on Thursday, officials said.

Footage of the accident on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway was captured on CCTV cameras installed nearby. The police have obtained the footage.

A purported video of the accident being shared on social media shows the bus moving on the innermost lane of the expressway before it suddenly veers left. It is then seen crossing two lanes before breaking through the barricade and falling into the pit.

The bus was on its way to Anand Vihar ISBT in Delhi from Meerut.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chand Yadav said 24 passengers were injured in the accident. They have been admitted in government and private hospitals.

“Pradeep, the bus driver, told the police that he is not aware how he lost his balance on the steering. The driver was not inebriated,” the officer said.

All the injured passengers were from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district, the police said.

Top News

Biden’s dementia poses ‘national security risk’, Pentagon-funded study warns

admin 0

A Pentagon-funded think tank has warned that dementia impacting US President Joe Biden could pose a “national security risk.”

In a report on Tuesday, the American non-profit news organization The Intercept named several prominent US officials, including the US president, as those who could cause potential national security concern due to their dementia.

The report cited the results published in April of a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the National Security Research Division of the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank and research institute.

The researchers were able to identify several instances where senior intelligence officials succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder and the primary cause of dementia.

“Individuals who hold or held a security clearance and handled classified material could become a security threat if they develop dementia and unwittingly share government secrets,” said the non-partisan American research and development institute, which is mainly financed by the US government, in its study.

The study sounded the alert as high-ranking officials with current or former access to the nation’s most highly classified intelligence could pose threats to national security, citing the possibility that they may unwittingly disclose government secrets. 

The research did not mention any US officials by name but its timing comes amid a simmering debate about gerontocracy, or rule by the elderly.

“Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who had a second freezing episode last month, enjoys the most privileged access to classified information of anyone in Congress as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight congressional leadership. Ninety-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose decline has seen her confused about how to vote and experiencing memory lapses — forgetting conversations and not recalling a months-long absence – was for years a member of the Gang of Eight and remains a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which she has served since 2001,” The Intercept said in its report.

As commander in chief, 80-year-old Biden has demonstrated many instances of disorientation, trip-and-fall, and memory lapses. The president is the nation’s ultimate classification authority, with the extraordinary power to classify and declassify information broadly. 

The president’s age has emerged as a clear concern to voters, including Democrats.

Biden is the oldest president in US history. In April, he announced his 2024 reelection campaign setting the scene for a rematch against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who has claimed Biden cannot pass a cognitive test. 

The incumbent president has also faced growing questions about his age and whether he is up for a full campaign season and four more years in office.

Biden’s age makes his re-election bid a historic and risky gamble for the Democratic Party, which faces a tough election map to hold the Senate in 2024 and is currently the minority in the House of Representatives.

Last month, an Associated Press-NORC poll found that Democrats say Biden is “too old to effectively serve” another term.

A poll conducted in December had also found virtually 60 percent of registered voters in the US were seriously concerned about Biden’s mental fitness, citing frequent instances in which Biden had appeared to be completely disoriented in public.

Top News

Sri Lanka Beat Pakistan By 2 Wickets To Reach Asia Cup Final

admin 0

Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka will now face India in final© AFP

Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by two wickets via DLS method in a super four match to secure their place in the final of the Asia Cup in Colombo on Thursday. Mohammad Rizwan (86 not out) and Iftikhar Ahmed (47) put up a 108-run stand to steer Pakistan to a commanding 252 for 7 after rain reduced the match to 42-overs a side contest. However, Kusal Mendis (91) led a valiant batting display alongside Charith Asalanka (49 not out) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (48) as Sri Lanka overhauled the target in 42 overs.

Sri Lanka will take on India in final on Sunday.

Earlier, opener Abdullah Shafique (52 off 69 balls) shared a 64-run stand with skipper Babar Azam (29) after opting to bat in the crucial fixture.

But it was Rizwan and Iftikhar who provided the final flourish, taking Pakistan across the 250-run mark.

For Sri Lanka, young pacer Matheesha Pathirana (3/64) was the most successful bowler.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 252 for 7 in 42 overs (Mohammad Rizwan (86 not out), Abdullah Shafique 52; Matheesha Pathirana 3/64) Sri Lanka 252 for 8 in 42 overs (Kusal Mendis 91 Charith Asalanka 49 not out; Iftikhar Ahmed 3/50).

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Top News

Ukraine Orders Civilian Evacuation In Russia-Controlled Kherson Region

admin 0

Ukraine Orders Civilian Evacuation In Russia-Controlled Kherson Region

Ukraine urged its people to leave Kherson follwoing Russian offensive in the city.

Kyiv:

Ukrainian officials Thursday ordered the evacuation of civilians from the southern Kherson region, partly controlled by Russian forces and regularly hit by shelling.

“The Regional Defence Counsel of Kherson decided to compulsorily evacuate families with children from areas subject to constant enemy fire,” governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

Russian troops control areas in the Kherson region south of the Dniepr river, following their withdrawal last year from the city of Kherson, the regional capital, which they regularly shell.

Ukrainian officials had already recommended in August that civilians leave a dozen areas in the northeast region of Kharkiv in the face of a Russian offensive, but those evacuations were not mandatory.

Prokudin also said that regional authorities were preparing for an “emergency situation” this autumn and winter over electricity provisions.

In the winter of 2022, Russia carried out a campaign of bombing Ukrainian infrastructure, resulting in regular power cuts.

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

Top News

"Intolerant Attitude": Himanta Sarma On INDIA Bloc's Boycott Of TV Anchors

admin 0

'Intolerant Attitude': Himanta Sarma Slams INDIA Bloc For Boycotting TV Anchors

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that if INDIA alliance came to power they would be imposing press censorship.

Guwahati:

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe at the leaders of INDIA alliance on Thursday following their announcement of boycotting some of the journalists and said that the opposition leader has proved their “intolerant attitude”.

Mr Sarma further attacked the INDIA alliance claiming that if INDIA alliance came to power they would be imposing press censorship.

“Today, the INDIA alliance has boycotted a few journalists. The same people who were lecturing us on freedom of speech, by boycotting news anchors they have proved their intolerant attitude. If these people come to government, the first thing they will do is impose the press censorship,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

INDIA bloc released a list of the names of the 14 TV anchors that will be boycotted in the upcoming days. Informing about the decision, Congress leader Pawan Khera took to X and said, “The following decision was taken by the INDIA media committee in a virtual meeting held this afternoon. Judega Bharat Jeetega India.”

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the decision of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to boycott certain shows of journalists and called their mindset “highly repressive, dictatorial and negative.”

“The Bharatiya Janata Party today strongly criticised and condemned the decision of all the constituents of the “ghamandiya” alliance – I.N.D.I Alliance to boycott some journalists and the threat issued to them. By taking such a highly deplorable decision, the “ghamandiya” alliance has once again revealed its highly repressive, dictatorial and negative mindset. The Bharatiya Janata Party severely criticises the unfortunate step of the I.N.D.I Alliance,” an official statement issued by the party said.

BJP said that it severely opposes such a derogatory mentality which hinders freedom of expression.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Thursday accused the Opposition bloc- INDIA of “bullying the media” and “threatening individual journalists”.

In his post on X, JP Nadda also came down heavily on Congress, alleging that the grand old party has several instances of ‘silencing’ those with differing views. “The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views. Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him. Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary, committed bureaucracy and imposed the horrific Emergency,” Mr Nadda said.

He further said that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi tried to bring media under state control but failed “miserably”. “Sonia Ji-led UPA was banning social media handles simply because the Congress did not like their views,” he added. 

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