Hyderabad

One killed, two injured in ORR accident near Patancheru

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The incident has occurred less than one kilometre away from where Cantonment MLA G Lasya Nanditha died in a road accident on February 23

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:44 PM


One killed, two injured in ORR accident near Patancheru

Car turned turtle on ORR under Patancheru limits in Sangareddy district on Wednesday.

Sangareddy: One person died while two others were injured when a speeding car toppled over the divider on the Outer Ring Road and turned turtle on the other side of the road at Rameshwaram Banda under Patancheru police limits on Wednesday.

The incident has occurred less than one kilometre away from where Cantonment MLA G Lasya Nanditha died in a road accident on February 23. Three engineering college students Sashwik Reddy (20), Harshit Reddy, and Charvik Reddy were coming towards Patancheru from Medchal when the incident happened. Sashwik died on the spot. The injured were rushed to a private hospital in Patancheru.

India

NCLT asks Byju’s to consider extending rights issue closure date

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The next hearing has been listed for April 4. Sources close to the company said that the Wednesday timeline for closure of the rights issue will not be extended.

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:55 PM


NCLT asks Byju’s to consider extending rights issue closure date


New Delhi: A company law court has asked embattled edtech firm Byju‘s to consider extending the closing date of the USD 200 million rights issue, a request that the management hinted it would not accept even as estranged investors flagged technicalities that prevented closure of the issue on Wednesday.

In an interim order dated February 27, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Bengaluru Bench said the funds received by the company in respect to the rights issue should be kept in a separate escrow account and it should not be withdrawn till the disposal of the matter.

“The respondent company… is to consider the extension of the closure date of the rights issue so that the rights of the petitioners with regard to the making of application for shares under their rights entitlement does not get prejudiced,” it said.

The next hearing has been listed for April 4. Sources close to the company said that the Wednesday timeline for closure of the rights issue will not be extended. As there is no stay on the rights issue, it will close as planned on Wednesday, they said.

A group of investors — who cumulatively hold a third of Byju’s and are baying for blood of founder and CEO and his family over mismanagement — however, felt that the rights issue cannot go through in the absence of shareholders’ authorisation for increase in share capital.

It is unclear if these investors participated in the rights issue, which the management has indicated will close as scheduled on Wednesday.

Investors in Byju’s had alleged on Tuesday that the edtech giant siphoned off USD 533 million in an obscure hedge fund in the US and sought a stay on a USD 200 million rights issue, calling it illegal and contrary to law.

The rights issue through which promoters of Byju’s are seeking to infuse funds into the startup, is to close on Wednesday and during the course of the hearing earlier the two sides cited technicalities on whether the rights issue could go ahead.

On Friday, Byju’s shareholders (prominent investors) had voted unanimously for removing Founder-CEO Raveendran and his family from the board over alleged “mismanagement and failures” at what was once India’s hottest tech startup, but the company hit back calling the voting done in the absence of founders as invalid and ineffective.

Sources close to the investors had said more than 60 per cent of the shareholders voted in favour of all the seven resolutions at the EGM, which included removing the current management, reconfiguration of the board and a third party forensic investigation into acquisitions done by the company.

Contesting investors’ claims, sources close to Byju’s had put the number at 47 per cent on Friday. Prosus — one of the six investors who had called the EGM — in a statement last week had said shareholders unanimously passed all resolutions put forward for vote.

These included a request for the resolution of the outstanding governance, financial mismanagement and compliance issues at Byju’s; the reconstitution of the board of directors, so that it is no longer controlled by the founder of T&L; and a change of leadership of the company.

The once-storied edtech startup, Byju’s rose to dizzying heights before its perilous fall.

While return of students to physical classes post-pandemic and the recent acquisition of Aakash put Byju’s under financial strain, the edtech firm in last one year suffered others setbacks, including its auditor resigning, lenders beginning bankruptcy proceedings against a holding company, and a US lawsuit disputing the terms and repayment of a loan.

Middle East

Hezbollah attacks 3 Israeli positions in N occupied Palestine

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In statements, Hezbollah stressed that the operations were carried out in solidarity with the defenseless Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The Lebanese Resistance movement has been conducting regular raids since early October against the Israeli regime’s military position in retaliation for the occupying regime’s offensives against Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out an unprecedented operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured at least 68,883 others.

Israel has imposed a complete siege on the densely populated territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

MP/6040711

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Not Only Iyer And Kishan, These 4 Veterans Axed Too From BCCI Contracts

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The out-of-favour duo of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded after ignoring the directive to play Ranji Trophy, while skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli expectedly retained their place in the top bracket as the BCCI unveiled its centrally-contracted players for this year on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Kishan did not turn up for Jharkhand throughout the team’s campaign in Ranji Trophy despite not being on national duty since leaving from the tour of South Africa in December citing personal reasons. He has instead focussed on preparing for the IPL next month.

Iyer, on the other hand, did not make himself available for Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinal against Baroda after being excluded from the Indian team after the second Test against England. He, however, has been picked for the Ranji semifinals starting March 2.

While announcing the central contracts for 2023-24, the BCCI once again advised all India cricketers to play domestic games when not on national duty.

“Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations,” said the BCCI in a statement.

“The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team,” the board added.

Their exclusion can be seen as a stern message to young players unwilling to put in the hard yards in first-class cricket, while chasing white-ball glory and lucrative IPL contracts.

Rohit, Kohli, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were retained in the A plus category, the highest bracket of the BCCI’s central contracts list.

Six cricketers feature in the A category including senior off-spinner R Ashwin, who will be playing his 100th Test next week, when India takes on England in the fifth and final game. Ashwin recently became only second Indian bowler after formr captain Anil Kumble to take cross 500 wickets in Tests.

Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya are the others to feature in the A category.

Siraj, who was in the B category previously, has been promoted while Axar Patel has moved down from A to B.

Others in the B category are Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has had a stellar start to his international career.

Pant was in the A category last year but finds himself in B in the latest contracts having not played any cricket since his horrific accident in December 2022.

As many as 15 were handed C category contracts including Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.

Cricketers who end up playing a minimum of three Tests or eight ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period are automatically included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis.

For instance, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, having played two Test matches so far, will be inducted in Grade C after they take part in the fifth and final game against England in Dharamsala beginning March 7.

Pujara, Chahal, Dhawan dropped

The big names who have lost their contracts include Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who all have fallen out of favour with the selectors.

It signals the end of the road for the likes of Pujara but the 33-year-old Chahal can still make a case for himself if he plays more games.

The selection committee has also recommended fast bowling contracts for Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa. This system has been place since 2021-22 but it is for the first time that the BCCI has officially released names of the selected players.

Akash Deep had impressed on debut in the recent fourth Test against England, which India won to seal the series.

In a departure from the norms, the BCCI this time has not mentioned the remuneration of the players across the four categories.

Cricketers are normally paid Rs 7 crore per annum in A plus bracket, Rs 5 crore in A, Rs 3 crore in B and Rs one crore in C category, over and above their match fees.

Central contracts for 2023-24: Grade A+: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.

Grade A: R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.

Grade B: Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Grade C: Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.

Fast bowling contracts: Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa.

Topics mentioned in this article

Hyderabad

How high wages lured Indian youth from Gulf into Russia-Ukraine conflict

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Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, some Indians hailing from various parts of the country, including Telangana, have been fraudulently recruited to fight along with the Russian army in the war zone

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:51 PM


How high wages lured Indian youth from Gulf into Russia-Ukraine conflict

Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, some Indians hailing from various parts of the country, including Telangana, have been fraudulently recruited to fight along with the Russian army in the war zone

Dubai: Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, some Indians hailing from various parts of the country, including Telangana, have been fraudulently recruited to fight along with the Russian army in the war zone. Among them were many based in the Gulf, who came into contact with some Indian social media influencers who lured them by offering attractive salaries and promised them non-combatant roles to help the army and away from the frontline.

Mohammed Sufiyan, a native of Narayanapet district in Telangana, who was earning about 1,500 Dirhams (an equivalent of approximately US $408 or Rs.33,000) monthly in Dubai, was lured by agents who offered him US $3600 as salary. He along with other three colleagues from neighbouring Karnataka, who working together in Dubai, also believed the agent and went to India only to travel to Russia.

However, upon reaching there, they were allegedly forced into fighting along with the army. Interestingly, the agents who lured the youth were also Indians.

“We have been waiting to know the whereabouts and well-being of Sufiyan,” said Abdul Azeem, the family’s neighbour in Narayanapet. He told ‘Telangana Today’ over the phone that Sufiyan was brainwashed in Dubai by the agent and hid the entire plan from the family.

While looking for employment opportunities abroad, 30-year-old Mohammed Asfan of Bazarghat in Hyderabad along with his two friends – Arbab Husain and Zahoor Ahmed – also fell into the trap of fraudulent agents and went to Russia to be stuck in a war zone. The families of stranded youth have sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), desperately waiting for any updates on their loved ones’ well-being. One youngster, Shaikh Mohammed Tahir, 24, a resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat managed to return home, according to reports.

However, many others remain trapped or missing in Russia, leaving their families in a state of anguish and uncertainty.

Top News

'Spy vs Spy': Australian Intel Chief Reveals Foreign Espionage Network

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'Spy vs Spy': Australian Intel Chief Reveals Foreign Espionage Network

Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group.

Sydney:

The head of Australia’s main intelligence agency on Wednesday revealed the existence of an “A-Team” of foreign spies that for several years has recruited Australian academics, politicians and businesspeople, gaining access to sensitive political, economic and defence information.

In an extremely rare public revelation of counterespionage operations, Mike Burgess, Australia’s director-general of security, revealed the existence of the unit, belonging to an unnamed country, in a bid to disrupt ongoing operations.

“Right now there is a particular team in a particular foreign intelligence service with a particular focus on Australia — we are its priority target,” Burgess said in a speech in Canberra.

“We call them ‘the A-team’ — the Australia team.”

“Many of the people here tonight are almost certainly high-value targets. The team is aggressive and experienced; its tradecraft is good — but not good enough,” he said.

Burgess, who runs the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), said the unit had targeted Australians with access to “privileged information” on social networking sites using “false, anglicised personas” and promising cash rewards.

“The spies pose as consultants, head-hunters, local government officials, academics and think tank researchers, claiming to be from fictional companies such as Data 31,” he said.

“If a target takes the bait, the spies try to move the conversation onto an encrypted messaging app. A further step might involve the offer of an overseas trip to meet in person.”

He outlined examples of when the approach had been successful, gleaning information from an academic and an unnamed former politician who “sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime”.

“At one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a prime minister’s family member into the spies’ orbit,” he said.

– Spy vs Spy –

Explaining why he had declassified information about the unit, its operations, and the counterespionage measures taken against it, Burgess said he wanted to warn Australians of the risks.

“On just one professional networking site, there are 14,000 Australians publicly boasting about having a security clearance or working in the intelligence community. Some even out themselves as intelligence officers,” he said. 

Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group that includes the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand — making it a juicy target for operatives from countries such as China and Russia.

But Burgess said he also wanted to let the other country know that its spies had been rumbled and that the unit’s team leader had been confronted by Australia’s own spies.

“We want the A-team to know its cover is blown. We want the A-team’s bosses to know its cover is blown,” he said.

“If the team leader failed to report our conversation to his spymasters, he will now have to explain why he didn’t, along with how ASIO knows so much about his team’s operations and identities.”

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

Hyderabad

Haryana Steelers dethrone Jaipur Pink Panthers, book their place in final of PKL Season 10

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A tactically astute Haryana Steelers beat the Jaipur Pink Panthers 31-27 to book their place in the finals of the PKL Season 10 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:49 PM


Haryana Steelers dethrone Jaipur Pink Panthers, book their place in final of PKL Season 10

Players of Haryana Steelers and Jaipur Pink Panthers in action during the match.

Hyderabad: A tactically astute Haryana Steelers beat the Jaipur Pink Panthers 31-27 to book their place in the finals of the PKL Season 10 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium today. The Steelers’ first final was the result of a brilliant team performance, with their raiding duo of Vinay and Shivam Patare the stars on an emotional evening. They will play Puneri Paltan for the title on March 1.

The tense nature of the encounter meant neither side committed too much forward, or took too many risks, resulting in a low-scoring but absorbing affair. Arjun Deshwal and Vinay traded raids constantly and with both defences firing there seemed to be little to choose between the two sides for the opening period.

The difference lay in the variety the Steelers offered on the raid. The majority of Jaipur’s raid points this season have come via Arjun Deshwal and he contributed exactly 80% of their raid points in the first half of the game. Without him the Pink Panthers looked lost and so the Steelers started targeting the lead man. Soon enough they inflicted the first ALL OUT of the game to take a 13-7 lead, and kept chugging away, with Vinay and Shivam Patare’s dual attack offering no respite for the Pink Panthers. The Steelers went into the break leading by 6 points,

The Pink Panthers rallied in the second half, buoyed by Deshwal’s ability to keep bringing back points from his raids. Their weak link though was a defence that was unable to stop the Steelers raiders from doing the same. Through the first half hour of the game the Pink Panthers defence managed a mere three tackle points.

Just when it seemed like they had momentum on their side though the Steelers raiders hit back and streaked into a six point lead. With Deshwal off the mat, the Pink Panthers looked out of sorts, and Vinay’s DO OR DIE raid to take out Bhavani Rajput and Sunil Kumar put them on track for another all out. A SUPER TACKLE by Reza Mirbagheri staved off not just the all out but also brought the Pink Panthers to within four points with three minutes to play.

In crunch time the Steelers were the ones who held their nerve, and Ashish’s tackle on Deshwal with one minute left, effectively sealed the game. They ran down the clock, to spark raucous celebrations on their bench, taking their spot in the finals for the first time in the league’s history.

Middle East

Report: Israeli troops sexually assault Palestinian women they abduct

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Israeli troops continue to sexually assault the Palestinian women they abduct as part of a larger vicious campaign to dehumanize all the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially women and children, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor says.

In new testimonies documented by the Geneva-based rights group, the Palestinian women said they have endured severe treatment that amounts to torture, including beatings and threats of rape, while they were held by the regime’s forces.

“Forced nudity, strip searches in front of male soldiers, and verbal harassment” were what the Palestinian women said they experienced.

A 45-year-old resident of Gaza City said she was kidnapped by Israeli troops when they stormed a UN-run school housing displaced Palestinians in December. She was released after 43 days.

The woman who requested anonymity said female abductees “were searched while we were completely naked, inside a closed-off area, and the female soldiers beat us severely and continuously.”

She told Euro-Med she experienced “multiple strip searches in public, with male soldiers present.”

She said she was being held for eleven days inside what she said resembled a cage for animals, in bitter cold, with no access to food or water.

Euro-Med also cited a 20-year-old resident of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip who was held inside a school sheltering the displaced in Gaza City for 50 days.

She said the regime troops “tied her hands behind her back, blindfolded her, and searched her while she was only wearing her underwear.”

The conditions were “extremely harsh,” she said, “I strained a muscle in my handcuffed hand and an Israeli female soldier struck me hard on my back when I attempted to move.”

“We were subjected to nasty verbal abuse and foul language.”

According to Euro-Med, all those violations committed by Israeli forces are “part of a larger campaign to dehumanize all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially children and women.”

Last week, a panel of UN experts said they have seen “credible allegations” that Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to sexual assaults, including rape, by Israeli troops. They cited at least two cases of rape, alongside other cases of sexual humiliation and threats of rape.

The true extent of sexual violence, however, could be significantly higher, according to Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.

“We might not know for a long time what the actual number of victims are.”

She said “on the whole, violence and dehumanization of Palestinian women and children and civilians has been normalized throughout this war.”

Sports

Puneri Paltan sail past three-time champions Patna Pirates, roar into PKL 10 Final

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The Puneri Paltan secured their spot as the first finalists of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 after an emphatic 37-21 victory over three-time winners Patna Pirates at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad.

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:37 PM


Puneri Paltan sail past three-time champions Patna Pirates, roar into PKL 10 Final

Players of Puneri Paltan and Patna Pirates in action during the match.

Hyderabad: The Puneri Paltan secured their spot as the first finalists of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 after an emphatic 37-21 victory over three-time winners Patna Pirates at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. In what was an all-round performance from the Paltan army, the heroics were led by their able skipper Aslam Inamdar’s 7 raid points as his team will now face off against the winner of Semi-Final 2 on Friday, March 1 in search of their maiden PKL title.

It was a close start to Semi-Final 1 as both Puneri Paltan and Patna Pirates exchanged early blows to keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Sachin was the pick of the raiders for the Patna Pirates once again but on the other side of the mat, an all-round performance from the Puneri Paltan slightly kept them ahead of their opponents, as they eventually began to get a hold of the game.

Mohit Goyat’s successful DO-OR-DIE raid in the 6th minute started a flurry of points towards the end of the first half for the Paltan, inflicting an ALL OUT on the Patna Pirates. Continuing his form in season 10, Mohammadreza Shadlou led the defence with his tackling, with Aslam Inamdar’s raiding giving his team a 20-11 point at the end of the first half.

The Paltan carried the same momentum into the second half, getting the Patna Pirates ALL OUT once again. Sachin and Sudhakar M kept adding to the points for the Pirates but in the end, it was the Puneri Paltan team who went home the happier side. Aslam and Pankaj Mohite complemented each other well in the raiding department, while Shadlou had support from Abinesh and Gaurav Khatri.

The Patna Pirates fought to the very end but it was the Puneri Paltan who earned a big win in the Semi-Final. Ankit’s SUPER RAID cut into the lead of the Puneri Paltan, and Manjeet also struck late in the second half. However, the Paltan had an answer to all of the Patna Pirates’ questions, sealing a much-deserved spot in their second consecutive final.

Top News

"BJP-Led NDA Will Cross 400-Seat Tally This Time": PM Modi

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'BJP-Led NDA Will Cross 400-Seat Tally This Time': PM Modi

“The coming five years will see rapid development,” PM said. (File)

Yavatmal:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross the 400-seat mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and said the next five years will see rapid development in the country.

Speaking at a public rally in Yavatmal district, Prime Minister Modi slammed the Congress over pending irrigation projects in the country, especially in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra, where the district is located.

“We (BJP-led NDA) will cross the 400-seat tally this time,” Prime Minister Modi said ahead of the Lok Sabha polls which are likely to be held in April-May.

The Lok Sabha has a total of 543 seats.

“The coming five years will see rapid development,” the Prime Minister said.

He attacked former Union minister Sharad Pawar and said when he handled the agriculture portfolio (in the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014), financial packages would be announced for farmers, but the money would be siphoned off before it could reach the beneficiaries.

The PM said before 2014, the year when the BJP came to power at the Centre, of the 100 families, only 15 had access to piped water in the country.

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