"MS Is Getting Old": Virender Sehwag's Massive Remark On 'Buzurg' MS Dhoni

Former Indian cricket team batter Virender Sehwag was all praise for Chennai Super Kings’ fielding effort during their IPL 2024 victory over Gujarat Titans. The match saw several good catches from the CSK fielders including a full-length diving effort from MS Dhoni which earned him plaudits from both fans and experts. During the post-match analysis, Sehwag said that Ajinkya Rahane and Rachin Ravindra took very good catches and added that ‘buzurg‘ (old) Dhoni also contributed with an impressive effort – a comment that led to a hilarious exchange with fellow expert Rohan Gavaskar.

“Catches win matches. Ajinkya Rahane picked a good catch so did Rachin Ravindra. Buzurg (old) MS Dhoni also picked one,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

“You didn’t refer to Rahane as buzurg,” Gavaskar replied.

However, Sehwag explained that there is an age difference between Rahane and Dhoni which means that he believes Rahane is slightly fitter than the former CSK captain.

“Their age is not the same, there is a difference and Rahane is also fitter than MS Dhoni. There is a big difference between a 35-year-old and a 41-year-old. MS is getting old now there is no doubt about it.”

CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was also quite impressed with his team’s fielding efforts and he went on to say that it has been one of their strongest points in this year’s IPL.

“I’m impressed with the fielding as well. Maybe one or two youngsters we have extra this year and great effort from Jinks, even in the last game he was running from one end to the other. Fielding is a big tick for us,” he said after the match.

Meanwhile, in a video shared on the official social media handle of the CSK, Ravindra said the CSK fans were loud when they faced the Gujarat-based franchise.

The Kiwi allrounder added that it was a “special feeling” when the home crowd was chanting his name.

“I am not sure I am quite a favourite just yet, but, yeah, I mean, the Chennai fans are amazing. Like, I sort of mentioned last time how loud it was and they didn’t disappoint again today. And I guess it’s always a great, special feeling when you have got fans sharing your name and I mean, I am very grateful that to happen and it’s just shows a love and support the CSK fans have for the players. So very, very thankful and hope it keeps on coming,” Ravindra said.

(With ANI inputs)

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Israel Must "Ensure Urgent Humanitarian Assistance" In Gaza: World Court

Israel Must 'Ensure Urgent Humanitarian Assistance' In Gaza: World Court

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 32,552 people, according to Hamas health ministry. (File)

The Hague, Netherlands:

The world’s top court on Thursday ordered Israel to “ensure urgent humanitarian assistance” in Gaza without delay, saying “famine has set in”.

“Israel shall… take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay… the unhindered provision… of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance,” in Gaza, the International Court of Justice said.

“Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but… famine is setting in,” the Hague-based court said.

The war erupted after Hamas operatives attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, resulting in about 1,160 deaths — mostly civilians — according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

The Hamas operatives also seized about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes 130 remain in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 32,552 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

At the ICJ, South Africa has charged that Israel is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza, an accusation denied by Israel.

Pretoria dragged Israel before the court, saying it was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, and urging the court to order a ceasefire.

In a ruling in mid-January that made headlines worldwide, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything it could to prevent genocide during its Gaza offensive.

The court also ruled that Israel must allow aid into Gaza to ease the desperate humanitarian situation there.

South Africa followed up with a request for fresh measures a few weeks later, citing an announced incursion into Rafah, but the court declined to impose additional measures.

Undeterred, Pretoria tried again — this time urging the court to impose emergency measures to “save the Palestinian people in Gaza already dying of starvation”.

Israel said in its defence that South Africa was “engaged in an abusive exploitation of the court’s procedures”.

But the ICJ’s judges said Thursday that the mid-January rulings “do not fully address the consequences arising from the changes in the situation… thus justifying the modification of these measures.”

The ICJ was set up to rule on disputes between states and while its judgements are legally binding, it has little means to enforce them.

For example, the court has ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, to no avail.

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

Kerala Financially Distressed Due To Poor Governance By UDF, LDF: Minister

Kerala Financially Distressed Due To Poor Governance By UDF, LDF: Nirmala Sitharaman

No money has been spent on development of the state, claimed Nirmala Sitharaman (File)

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala:

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that, according to the Reserve Bank of India, Kerala is one of the top five financially-stressed states in India, and alleged that this was due to the poor governance of successive UDF and LDF governments in the state.

The union finance minister claimed that there has been “continuous” poor fiscal management by both the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) — either of whom were always in power in the state.

She also said that in the past six years since 2016-17, the Kerala government has far exceeded its permitted borrowing limit of 3 per cent and has resorted to extra-budgetary borrowing to the tune of over Rs 42,000 crore.

Nirmala Sitharaman said that this off-budget borrowing was carried out through entities such as Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and Kerala Social Security Pension Company Ltd, which have no revenue of their own.

“Since they have no revenue of their own and cannot repay the loans, who has to repay it? It has to be repaid from the government treasury. Which means the people of Kerala end up paying for it,” the minister said after inaugurating the BJP-led NDA’s Lok Sabha poll convention here.

Despite this, no money has been spent on development of the state, she claimed.

The union minister also said that while the UPA government was in power at the Centre and there were eight ministers from Kerala, the state only got Rs 46,303 crore in tax devolution and around Rs 25,000 crore as grants-in-aid from 2004 to 2014.

However, from 2014 to February 29, 2024, the Narendra Modi government has given the state Rs 1,55,649 crore in tax devolution and Rs 1,58,983 crore as grants-in-aid, even though there were no ministers from Kerala, she said. 

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

US Military Says It Destroyed 4 Drones Launched By Yemen's Houthis

US Military Says It Destroyed 4 Drones Launched By Yemen's Houthis

The drones were aimed at a coalition vessel and a U.S. warship, the US military said. (Representational)

Washington:

 The U.S. military said on Thursday that it had destroyed four unmanned drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

The U.S. Central Command said on the social media site X that the drones “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.”

The drones were aimed at a coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and “were engaged in self defense over the Red Sea,” the statement from the U.S. Central Command said, adding there were no injuries or damage reported to the U.S. or coalition ships.

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

"My Father Was Being Given Slow Poison": Mukhtar Ansari's Son

Jailed gangster-turned-politician, Mukhtar Ansari died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Banda, UP:

After the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest, Umar Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, claimed that his father was given poison in the food and said they would move to the judiciary. “We have full faith in it,” he added.

“I was not told anything from the administration side, I came to know about it through the media… But now the whole nation knows everything… Two days ago I came to meet him, but I was not allowed… We said earlier also and even today we will say the same about the allegation of giving slow poison. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it…” Umar Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, said.

“Post-mortem will be conducted tomorrow, after that, they will give us the body. We will then follow with the further process (cremation)… My father alleged being given a slow poison… Around five doctors panel has been made (for carrying out the post-mortem),” Umar Ansari added.

Meanwhile, the body of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has been sent for post-mortem at Banda Medical College Hospital, Banda.

After the death of the five time MLA, several political leaders extended their condolences. On Thursday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his grief in support of the family of Mukhtar Ansari.

“I pray to Allah to forgive Mukhtar Ansari and give patience to his family and his loved ones. The people of Ghazipur lost their favourite son and brother. Mukhtar Saheb had made serious allegations against the administration that he had been poisoned. Despite this, the government did not pay any attention to his treatment. Condemnable and regrettable,” AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi posted on X.

Samajwadi Party leader Ameeque Jamei demanded a thorough investigation of Mukhtar Ansari’s death.

“We stand with the family of Mukhtar Ansari… Recently he said that he can be murdered anytime… Why he was not given a proper medical facility…We will demand a thorough investigation of the incident…”

Congress leader Surendra Rajput also questioned the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest.
“Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in the jail raises a big question BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that everyone gets to know what is going on…” said Congress leader Surendra Rajput.

The dreaded gangster was brought to the hospital around 8:25 PM, according to the official release from the hospital. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Expressing condolences over the death of Mukhtar Ansari, the Samajwadi Party shared a post on Twitter that read, “Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute !”.

On Tuesday, he was admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda after he complained of abdominal pain. He was then shifted to Uttar Pradesh’s Rani Durgawati Medical College after his discharge on Tuesday.

Ansari was elected as an MLA from the Mau assembly seat five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He had a strong influence in Ghazipur, his hometown.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

Before this, in December 2023, the MP/MLA Court of Varanasi had found Mukhtar Ansari guilty of threatening Mahavir Prasad Rungta, a witness in the murder of 26-year-old coal businessman Nand Kishor Rungta, and had sentenced him to five and a half years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 against him.

On October 15, last year, the Enforcement Directorate attached lands, a building and bank deposits worth more than Rs 73.43 lakh as part of the money laundering investigation against Mukhtar Ansari.

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

"My Father Was Being Given Slow Poison": Mukhtar Ansari's Son

'My Father Was Being Given Slow Poison': Mukhtar Ansari's Son's Big Claim

Jailed gangster-turned-politician, Mukhtar Ansari died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Banda, UP:

After the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest, Umar Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, claimed that his father was given poison in the food and said they would move to the judiciary. “We have full faith in it,” he added.

“I was not told anything from the administration side, I came to know about it through the media… But now the whole nation knows everything… Two days ago I came to meet him, but I was not allowed… We said earlier also and even today we will say the same about the allegation of giving slow poison. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it…” Umar Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, said.

“Post-mortem will be conducted tomorrow, after that, they will give us the body. We will then follow with the further process (cremation)… My father alleged being given a slow poison… Around five doctors panel has been made (for carrying out the post-mortem),” Umar Ansari added.

Meanwhile, the body of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has been sent for post-mortem at Banda Medical College Hospital, Banda.

After the death of the five time MLA, several political leaders extended their condolences. On Thursday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his grief in support of the family of Mukhtar Ansari.

“I pray to Allah to forgive Mukhtar Ansari and give patience to his family and his loved ones. The people of Ghazipur lost their favourite son and brother. Mukhtar Saheb had made serious allegations against the administration that he had been poisoned. Despite this, the government did not pay any attention to his treatment. Condemnable and regrettable,” AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi posted on X.

Samajwadi Party leader Ameeque Jamei demanded a thorough investigation of Mukhtar Ansari’s death.

“We stand with the family of Mukhtar Ansari… Recently he said that he can be murdered anytime… Why he was not given a proper medical facility…We will demand a thorough investigation of the incident…”

Congress leader Surendra Rajput also questioned the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest.
“Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in the jail raises a big question BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that everyone gets to know what is going on…” said Congress leader Surendra Rajput.

The dreaded gangster was brought to the hospital around 8:25 PM, according to the official release from the hospital. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Expressing condolences over the death of Mukhtar Ansari, the Samajwadi Party shared a post on Twitter that read, “Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute !”.

On Tuesday, he was admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda after he complained of abdominal pain. He was then shifted to Uttar Pradesh’s Rani Durgawati Medical College after his discharge on Tuesday.

Ansari was elected as an MLA from the Mau assembly seat five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He had a strong influence in Ghazipur, his hometown.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

Before this, in December 2023, the MP/MLA Court of Varanasi had found Mukhtar Ansari guilty of threatening Mahavir Prasad Rungta, a witness in the murder of 26-year-old coal businessman Nand Kishor Rungta, and had sentenced him to five and a half years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 against him.

On October 15, last year, the Enforcement Directorate attached lands, a building and bank deposits worth more than Rs 73.43 lakh as part of the money laundering investigation against Mukhtar Ansari.

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

Premium service free for X Users with 2,500 verified subscribers

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, noted that individuals with more than 5,000 verified subscriber followers will receive Premium+ at no cost.

Updated On – 28 March 2024, 04:06 PM


Premium service free for X Users with 2,500 verified subscribers


New Delhi: Billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday said that X users who have 2,500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO also mentioned that those with over 5,000 verified subscriber followers will get Premium+ for free.


“Going forward, all X accounts with over 2,500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free,” the X owner posted.

The announcement was welcomed by his followers, with some users asking for clarification.

“This is indeed excellent news. However, I would like to seek clarification: Are you referring to verified followers, or are you discussing subscribers within the context of X subscriptions? If it’s the second option, it seems like I only need 4,796 more subscribers,” one follower commented.

Another posted that one may have 100,000 followers but if “subscribers among them is less than 2,500, you don’t get your premium for free.”

There are over 550 million monthly users on X platform.

Earlier, in a bid to take on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Musk said that X platform will soon allow its ‘Grok’ AI chatbot to more paying subscribers.

Andre Russell Breaks Silence After Ex-KKR Star Calls Head Coach 'Militant'

Chandrakant Pandit (L) and Andre Russell© X (formerly Twitter)

Senior all-rounder Andre Russell on Thursday supported Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach Chandrakant Pandit, whose coaching style was termed “militant” by former KKR all-rounder David Wiese. Wiese, who now plies his trade for Namibia, claimed that many foreign players in the roster of KKR were frustrated by Pandit’s tough style of functioning during last year’s IPL. However, Jamaican Russell, an integral part of KKR’s core group, sounded different. “We’ve been working with him from last year. I think when you’re working with a coach for the first time, you have to make sure that you adjust to their philosophy. There have to be rules. We are professionals. So, we don’t complain,” said Russell during the pre-match press meet.

“I try to do the best for this franchise. He’s been doing an amazing job, and we’ve gotten coming back as well,” he added.

Pandit, who is known as a disciplinarian, had taken over as KKR coach ahead of IPL 2022 after Brendon McCullum accepted England’s head coach job.

“He (Pandit) is known in India as a very militant type of coach. He is very strict, very disciplinarian that type of stuff.

“Sometimes in franchise cricket, when you have overseas guys, who’ve played all over the world, they don’t need anyone coming and telling them how they need to behave, what they need to wear and what they need to do the whole time.

“So, that was tough,” said Wiese on the podcast ‘Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer’ recently.

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Caught Up In Concert Shooting, A Russian Woman Said Goodbye To World

Caught Up In Concert Shooting, A Russian Woman Said Goodbye To World

Returning home, Alyona Kazinskaya says she just “hugged everyone”.

Moscow:

 Russian artist Alyona Kazinskaya likes to fill her social media feed with cheerful messages and vivid floral paintings. For 30 minutes last Friday night, it turned into a timeline of terror.

Kazinskaya and a friend had bought last-minute tickets to see Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” perform in front of 6,200 people at a concert hall near Moscow. They thought about taking their daughters but decided to go by themselves.

It was at 8:01 p.m. that Kazinskaya posted a first 10-second audio message on her Telegram channel, sounding breathless and frightened as loud bursts of gunfire rang out.

“I love you all. I’m in Crocus City Hall – Picnic. They’re shooting here, at the concert. I’m in the hall. Call the police.”

As four Kalashnikov-toting gunmen rampaged through the building, spraying concertgoers with bullets, Kazinskaya found herself caught up in the deadliest attack on Russia for 20 years.

As of Thursday, 143 people were confirmed killed in the massacre, which has been claimed by Islamic State militants but which Russia is attempting – despite emphatic denials from Kyiv – to link to Ukraine.

In an interview with Reuters, Kazinskaya said she understood quickly that the sounds she was hearing were gunshots, not special effects. With her friend, she tried to get the people around them to leave their seats and run.

“We tried to get people up, we got them up, but people had already run to the exit and we couldn’t get through. At that moment they (the gunmen) entered the hall. Then I threw my friend to the floor and I said ‘let’s crawl’.”

SCRAMBLED MESSAGES

Her first thought, Kazinskaya said, was to get out of the hall, at any price. “My second thought was I’m wearing white, I’m a good target.”

She paused briefly, and laughed.

“And finally, the third thought was I’m going to write something now – yes I’m frightened but I’m going to put these messages in my (Telegram) channel because that way someone, somewhere will definitely hear them, find them and call someone.”

At 8:08 p.m. she wrote three messages in quick succession, scrambling the letters as her fingers trembled on the phone.

“Please ring the police!!!!!”

“Crocus City Hall”

“Shooting”

By now, the pair of them had escaped the hall but was still trapped inside the building. The shooting stopped, but now there was another hazard.

8:17 p.m. A one-word audio message. “Fire!”

The gunmen had used gasoline to set the huge concert hall ablaze. The two friends took refuge in a toilet. There was smoke everywhere. They tried half a dozen times to get out, but they couldn’t see anything and had to keep retreating.

Kazinskaya was losing hope.

At 8:23 p.m. she left a four-second audio message she thought would be the last one.

“I love you. Goodbye.”

Disorientated, the pair of them found themselves in another toilet where more people were hiding. There was a man there who said he thought he could find a way out. They followed him and managed to escape the building – but even then, Kazinskaya did not feel safe.

“I had only two thoughts. First, I need first aid because I can’t breathe. I had burning to my lungs, and an asthma attack. And the second thought was I have to get as far away from the building as I can.”

At 8:31 p.m. she left a new audio message. “I’m alive. I’m getting first aid. I got out. Thank you.”

Returning home, Kazinskaya says she just “hugged everyone”. Now, she says, it will be a long time before she goes to clubs or big concerts again. But she draws comfort from the amount of support she has received.

“I think society itself needs to be kinder,” she said. “Because we remember we’re human when something bad happens, but we need to be human every day.”

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

Assam Has Vast Renewable Energy Potential, Needs Policy Overhaul: Experts

Assam Has Vast Renewable Energy Potential, Needs Policy Overhaul: Experts

iFOREST’s research indicates the need for accelerated RE capacity expansion.

New research released by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) sheds light on Assam’s renewable energy (RE) generation potential and the imperative for policy enhancement and institutional capacity building to facilitate large-scale RE expansion.

The research reports, titled ”Assam Renewable Energy Potential Reassessment: Focus of Solar, Wind and Biomass”, ”Enabling Renewable Energy Growth in Assam”, and ”Impact of ISTS Waiver on Economics of Solar Power Procurement in Assam”, were unveiled during a multi-stakeholder dialogue organized by iFOREST in Guwahati’s Hotel Vivanta on March 27, 2024.

According to the findings, Assam possesses a significantly higher RE generation potential than previously estimated by central government agencies. This potential is deemed sufficient to support a low-carbon pathway to meet the state’s escalating electricity demand. However, the research underscores the need for policy tightening and institutional capacity building to overcome existing limitations to growth.

Bibhu Bhuyan, Managing Director of Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL), highlighted the utility’s commitment to green growth, with plans to expand generation capacity to 2,000 MW by 2030, 92% of which will be from renewable sources.

However, iFOREST’s research indicates the need for accelerated RE capacity expansion. Assam’s electricity demand is projected to double by 2030, necessitating nearly 3,000 MW of RE capacity by 2026-27 and 5,000 MW by 2031-32 to meet renewable energy obligations (RPOs) and ensure energy security.

While the official assessment by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) estimates Assam’s RE potential at 14.4 GW, iFOREST’s reassessment suggests a significantly higher capacity. To fully harness this potential and stimulate RE investments, structural challenges limiting sector growth must be addressed.