Author: newshens

How BCCI organised a ‘chai samosa’ party to convince the travelling Indian journalists in Australia not to report on the dressing room rift. Rift reports in the Indian dressing room, looming large after India’s 1-2 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, are nothing new. Historically, they have been at their peak when a transition period collides with unfavourable results. It was the case in the late 80s and early 90s when the team was getting prepared to move from the shadows of Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev. It happened in 2007-08 when Rahul Dravid quit as captain…

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s future is currently uncertain after a concerning show in red-ball and white-ball cricket over the last few months. Amid the ongoing debate on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s future across formats beyond the Champions Trophy in the wake of their poor showing in the recently completed Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, another senior Indian player’s future across formats is hanging in the balance, with the star cricketer no longer in head coach Gautam Gambhir’s scheme of things. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s future is currently uncertain across all the formats after a concerning show in red-ball and white-ball cricket over the…

At least six people were killed and nearly 40 injured after a stampede broke out near Tirupati’s Vishnu Nivasam on January 8. Survivors of the deadly stampede at Tirupati that left six dead and nearly 40 injured recounted the horror of the incident on Thursday, saying that they thought they wouldn’t survive the accident. They also complained of long waiting hours to get tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which they attributed to the sudden opening of the gates, which prompted the crowd to surge ahead.”For five minutes, we thought all of us were dead. I have been coming to the…

As per its latest standing, an Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 57 destinations. India’s ranking has dropped five places – from 80th to 85th – in the list of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025. The Henley Passport Index ranks all 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access visa-free. It is based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As per its latest standing, an Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 57 destinations. The country shares its rank with Equatorial Guinea and Niger.…

The Los Angeles wildfire is projected to be one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with damages estimated between $52 billion and $57 billion.  The Los Angeles wildfire is among the costliest natural disaster the US has ever faced, reports Bloomberg citing a preliminary financial assessment. The wildfire could end up being one of the most expensive ones that the nation has faced. The blazes, which are consuming some of the nation’s wealthiest neighborhoods around Santa Monica and Malibu, are affecting areas with a median home value over $2 million, according to AccuWeather Inc. The damage and economic…

Arvind Kejriwal questioned why Jat students from Rajasthan benefit from reservations at Delhi University, while Jat students from Delhi are denied the same. Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded the inclusion of Delhi’s Jat community in the Centre’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi chief minister accused the Centre of “misleading” the Jats for the past decade and failing to deliver on its promises. “In 2015, the BJP invited Jat leaders to the prime minister’s residence and assured them that Delhi’s Jat community would be included in the Central OBC list. Union…

More former Australian cricketers weighed in with criticisms of Virat Kohli’s actions during the BGT. A relatively quiet series for Virat Kohli with bat in hand didn’t mean he avoided media attention during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as he consistently found himself in the eye of the storm when it came to provoking the Australian media, in particular, throughout the five-match series. This continued right through to the final day of the series, when Kohli ruffled some feathers by visibly and dramatically checking his pockets, referencing the infamous sandpaper gate incident from 2018. Some former Australian players weren’t happy with Kohli’s…

Under-fire senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will continue to form the batting core of ODI squad, but three senior cricketers could face the axe. With the focus now on the white-ball format, with the Champions Trophy coming up in a month and the selectors expected to reveal the 15-member squad by the end of this week, speculations have begun on the big-name players who could miss the cut and fringe options who could likely make the Indian team. Under-fire senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will continue to form the batting core of India’s ODI squad, but…

Many people were injured when an elephant turned violent during the Puthiyangadi annual ‘nercha’ in Tirur, Kerala. As many as 17 people were injured, including one critically, when an elephant became agitated during the Puthiyangadi annual ‘nercha’ at the BP Angadi annual festival at a mosque in Kerala’s Malappuram district late last night. The incident occurred in Tirur, where hundreds had gathered to witness the spectacle. Footage from the event shows five elephants, adorned with golden plates, parading through the crowd as people tried to capture the moment on their cameras. However, one of the elephants, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, suddenly…

The Billeshwar Mahadev temple in Unnao holds a special place among the devotees, who believe that bathing in its sacred pond cleanses sins. A ‘Shivling’ at Unnao’s Billeshwar Mahadev temple was allegedly vandalised on Wednesday, triggering outrage among the locals. The police arrested a man named Awadhesh Kurmi, who was reportedly suffering from depression in connection with the incident. Officials said that the incident occurred at the temple located in the Purwa Kotwali area on the Purwa-Maurawan road, three kilometers from the tehsil headquarters. According to the locals, the ‘Shivling’ dates back to the Mahabharata era. Additional superintendent of police…