Month: June 2025

Nitish Rana is poised to return to his home state, Delhi, after spending two domestic seasons with Uttar Pradesh (UP). The experienced batter has obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and is expected to make the switch ahead of the upcoming domestic season, according to ESPNcricinfo.

“The experienced batter asked for an NOC and we have given it to him,” ESPNcricinfo was told by UPCA’s chief executive officer Ankit Chatterjee

“He mentioned family reasons for his decision,” he said.

Ashok Sharma, secretary of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), confirmed that Rana had communicated his decision to the board and has already secured the required clearance from UP.

“However, DDCA has not yet received a copy of his NOC. Only after receiving the NOC, we can say anything about the chances of him playing for Delhi,” Sharma said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

Rana had been a part of Delhi’s age-group and senior domestic setup until 2022. He moved to UP in 2023, where he was entrusted with leadership responsibilities. However, his time with the team did not live up to expectations. A dip in form last season saw him being dropped from both the one-day and first-class sides.

In the 2024-25 domestic season, Rana featured in four Ranji Trophy matches for UP, managing just 150 runs across six innings, including a lone half-century. His return in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s were also modest 111 runs in nine games at an average of 13.87 and a strike rate of 114.43. He played only two matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before being dropped due to continued inconsistency.

As the Ranji Trophy resumed for its second phase in January, Rana was omitted from the squad. His struggles continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, where he represented Rajasthan Royals (RR). Before a calf injury ruled him out, he scored 217 runs in 11 innings, with two fifties but no consistent impact.

Signs of a possible split with UP became clearer when he was not included in the auction list for this year’s UP T20 League. In total, Rana played 10 first-class games for UP, scoring 447 runs with one century and two fifties. In seven List A matches, he managed just 72 runs, while his 16 T20 appearances yielded 314 runs, including two half-centuries. He also captained UP in six Ranji Trophy games and four Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures during the 2023-24 season, guiding them to one and three wins respectively.

Rana’s anticipated return to Delhi could be intriguing, particularly in light of an on-field spat last season with current Delhi captain Ayush Badoni during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match, which required umpire intervention. Moreover, the competition for middle-order spots in the Delhi squad remains intense.

If the DDCA officially accepts his NOC, Rana could also feature in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), slated to be held in August. (ANI)

At least five people have lost their lives and several remain missing following a cloudburst that triggered flash floods and widespread destruction in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed on Thursday.

The heavy rainfall and flash floods over the past 24 hours wreaked havoc across Kullu and Kangra districts, damaging homes, roads, and power infrastructure.

Speaking to ANI, CM Sukhu confirmed five deaths and five missing.”So far, we have confirmation of five people who have died due to the rains and flash floods. Three persons are reported missing in the Kullu district. Rescue operations are ongoing,” he said.

He added that significant damage occurred in the Dharamshala region of Kangra and in parts of the Himalayan belt, due to cloudburst.

“The damage is concentrated in areas where our Himalayas rise steeply. After the cloudburst, three people were confirmed dead, and five are missing. One person was earlier believed to be missing but was later found safe. He had moved into the forest near the roadside,” the Chief Minister said.

He noted that 15 houses have been damaged, and the region’s road network has suffered severe destruction, especially in village areas.

“Roads have been badly damaged, particularly rural roads. Nearly 15 houses have collapsed due to heavy rainfall,” Himachal CM added.

The Chief Minister said that power infrastructure in Kangra has also been hit, with missing persons reportedly employees of a power project.

“There has been heavy damage to a power project in Kangra. The people who are missing were working at this power project,” he said.

CM Sukhu said that the state is on alert, and tourists are advised to exercise caution near rivers.

Reassuring tourists, Sukhu said there is no danger in visiting the state, but urged people to remain cautious.

“We have issued directions to remain vigilant given the cloudbursts. Tourists are welcome to enjoy the monsoon season. There is no threat. But people must avoid going near rivers and streams,” he added.

He also said that the state government has issued historic response directives in light of the repeated incidents of cloudbursts.

“Our government has directed all departments to act swiftly and historically. People should stay away from riverbanks,” he said.

CM Sukhu further informed that he would be holding another high-level review meeting with all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police on Wednesday evening to assess preparedness and ongoing response.

“We are on high alert. The kind of warnings issued demand that we stay fully prepared. We are treating this with utmost seriousness,” he stated.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already issued a rain alert in the region for the coming days, and state authorities remain on standby for further eventuality. (ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that languages were not just a medium of communication, but the soul of the nation, further stating that it was necessary to keep languages alive and enrich them.

“As far as the country is concerned, language is not just a medium of communication; it is the soul of a nation. It is important to keep the languages alive and to enrich them. We should make all these efforts in the coming days for all Indian languages and especially for the official language,” he said.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Official Language Department in Delhi. Amit Shah said that Hindi was a friend of all the Indian languages, further stating that Hindi and Indian languages together could play an important role in enhancing the nation’s self-esteem.

“I believe from my heart that Hindi cannot be the enemy of any Indian language. Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages , and Hindi and Indian languages together can take our self-esteem program to its ultimate goal. There is no opposition to any language; there should not be opposition to any foreign language, but the insistence should be to glorify our language, there should be an insistence to speak our language, and there should be an insistence to think in our language,” he stated.

Shah also said that the country as a whole needs to get rid of the mentality of slavery.

“We should get rid of the mentality of slavery. And until a person takes pride in his language, does not express himself in his language, we cannot be free from the mentality of slavery…” he added.

The Minister highlighted the government’s achievements in making sure students could give competitive examinations in multiple Indian languages

“JEE, NEET, CUET are now being taken in 13 languages. Earlier, you could only apply for the constable recruitment of CAPF in English or Hindi. We made it flexible and allowed the exam in 13 languages, and today I am happy to say that 95% of the candidates are giving the constable exam in their mother tongue. This tells how bright the future of Indian languages is in the coming days…”

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was also present at the event. (ANI)

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Thursday, announced that the party will celebrate July 26 as Aarakshan Divas (Reservation Day) and Samvidhan Maan Divas (Constitution Respect Day). The SP chief slammed the BJP for being against socialism and secularism.

Addressing the media, Akhilesh Yadav said, “In the coming times, it has been decided to celebrate Reservation Day and Constitution Respect Day on 26th July.”

Launching an attack against the BJP, he said that they lack loyalty towards the Constitution and are against the ideas of socialism and secularism.

“BJP talks about using the Constitution to reach power… but as soon as BJP comes to power, they do not follow the path of Baba Saheb, and they even take oath, but their oath-taking ceremony shows a lack of loyalty towards the Constitution. These people who are against socialism are also against secularism,” Akhilesh said.

“There has been a very old conflict between the individual and society in our society for a long time. This is a fight of ‘I vs We’. Those who say I can never accept it are busy fulfilling their selfish interests. They have nothing to do with society. These are selfish people,” he added.

Akhilesh said, “Whether in the Parliament or outside, we hear that these people express similar views, and they are against socialism. Such people are basically communal and are staunch opponents of secularism. To be socialist and secular, one needs a big heart; that is why Heartless people oppose it. They oppose social harmony, and hence these people are also against PDA.”

Lauding the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA), he said that the alliance stood for positive politics.

“People with such individualistic thinking are intellectuals and hegemons, and they always oppress and suppress people in society to maintain their dominance. PDA has positive politics, so these negative, hegemonic people can never accept it. This PDA connects good people from all societies,” he said.

“Those who are against the constitution are also against reservation and indirectly speak against seculars and socialists because they feel that if they speak directly against the constitution and reservation, their vote bank will slip away. NDA is the slogan of negative people and PDA is the slogan of positive people,” he told reporters.

On a case filed against a ‘kathavachak’ (storyteller) in Etawah, Akhilesh said, “BJP people can lie in Maha Kumbh, can hide figures, those people can lie to Shankaracharya.”

He added that if US President Donald Trump came to know about the case against the ‘kathavachak’, he would scold the Indian leaders in the Centre.

“You are talking about becoming Vishwaguru, but people are being made fun of, that is why these people get scolded by Trump, and just think if Trump comes to know about the Etawah incident, what will he do?” he asked.

Speaking about the video call with Tej Pratap Yadav, he said that he has good relations with him and his family.

“I did not know that the matter would become so serious. We have good relations with him and his family. We redialed his call, and it was a video call. It is natural for us, political people, to ask questions about contesting elections. BJP people are losing very badly in Bihar,” he said. (ANI)

The International Space Station is bracing for the docking of the astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 4. The Dragon spacecraft is ahead of schedule and may autonomously dock at approximately 6:18 a.m. EDT (3:48 pm IST) on Thursday, to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at 2:31 a.m. EDT on June 25, on the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. The mission is sending the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.

Earlier, in a live interaction from aboard the spacecraft, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot, described the launch as “magical” and reflected on his journey.

“I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts–what a ride it was. Honestly, as I sat in the capsule ‘Grace’ on the launchpad yesterday after 30 days of quarantine, all I could think was: just go. When the launch finally happened, it was something else entirely. You’re pushed back into the seat–and then suddenly, there’s silence. You’re just floating in the vacuum, and it’s absolutely magical,” Shukla said.

He expressed gratitude to the mission team, calling the experience a “collective achievement.”

“I truly appreciate the efforts of each and every individual who made this journey possible. It’s not just a personal accomplishment–it belongs to all of us,” he said.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre at noon IST on Wednesday with Shukla, Whitson, Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Kapu onboard.

NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are monitoring Dragon’s automated approach and docking manoeuvres. Upon arrival, the Ax-4 crew will be welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team and take part in a safety briefing.

The Ax-4 team will remain aboard the ISS for up to 14 days, engaging in science experiments, outreach, and commercial work.This marks Axiom Space’s most research-intensive mission yet, with NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) jointly conducting experiments on muscle regeneration, edible microalgae growth, survival of aquatic microorganisms, and human interaction with digital displays in microgravity. (ANI)

Veteran actor Anil Kapoor recently paid a sacred visit to Rishikesh.

He was accompanied by his elder brother and producer Boney Kapoor. During their visit, they met with Swami Chidanand Saraswati at Parmarth Niketan Ashram.

Both Boney and Anil Kapoor performed prayers for their late mother and worshipped Maa Ganga.

#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand | Actor Anil Kapoor, along with his brother and film producer Boney Kapoor, visited Parmarth Niketan. pic.twitter.com/f8PXeEad1l

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2025

Anil also spoke with ANI and shared how blessed he feels whenever he comes to Rishikesh.

Nirmal Kapoor, mother of Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and Boney Kapoor breathed her last on May 2, 2025, following a brief hospitalisation at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. She was 90.

A few days after the demise of his mother, Anil took to Instagram and expressed gratitude for those who stood with the family during this tough time.

“The love pouring in from all walks of life has been overwhelming. I truly don’t have the words to express how deeply grateful we are,” he wrote.

He added, “My mother touched so many lives, not just directly but through the people she nurtured, supported, and loved. She was one of those remarkable women who never stood in the spotlight but whose strength held everyone together. A silent pillar, always smiling, always caring, always bringing warmth to those around her.”

The ace star said how his mother kept the “family close”.

“She was the glue that kept our family close, from our children to our grandchildren, and even our extended family and friends. Her love reached far and wide, and it’s clear from the outpouring of messages and affection that she made a lasting impact on so many hearts,” shared ‘Animal’ actor. (ANI)

Two people were killed while six individuals are still missing amid heavy rainfall and rising water levels, near the Manuni stream in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, officials said.

As per officials, the SDRF police, volunteers, and project authorities evacuated people from camping sites to a safe location near the Ambedkar building in Kaniara, providing food and water.

“We have recovered two dead bodies. SDRF, police, SDM and the district authorities teams are at the spot. We are getting the headcount done to ascertain the no. of people missing. More details are awaited… The situation is not as grim as it is being projected… Near the Manuni stream, there is a small hydro power project. Some workers lived near it. It is a confluence point of many streams. The water level increased due to heavy rainfall, sweeping some people away… We cannot ascertain the no of people yet. The two deceased are being identified. The official number of the missing people will be out soon…” he said.

He added that a sudden surge of water, following heavy rain, flooded a residential colony within 15 minutes, causing a tragic incident.

“Based on witness accounts, after the rain, a large volume of water surged within about fifteen minutes, flooding the residential colony where people lived, leading to this incident. Determining whether it was a cloudburst or heavy rainfall in a short span is challenging, but what happened is deeply tragic. The data we’ve provided reflects the situation as we know it,” he said. (ANI)

Delhi University may drop courses on Pakistan, China, Islam, and political violence from its MA Political Science syllabus, with the university’s syllabus panel recommending the removal of several electives, faculty members alleged.

This has sparked backlash from faculty members, who call the move politically driven.

The university’s Standing Committee on Academic Matters met on Tuesday to discuss the syllabi of several courses.

Dr Monami Sinha, a member of the Standing Committee, said the Political Science PG syllabus came under “significant scrutiny” during the meeting.

“The courses that were dropped and asked to be revamped are ‘Pakistan and the World’, ‘China’s Role in the Contemporary World’, ‘Islam and International Relations’, ‘Pakistan: State and Society’, ‘Religious Nationalism and Political Violence’,” Sinha, who is also a member of the Academic Council said.

Speaking to ANI, Monami Sinha said these papers would either be completely dropped or replaced by other courses.

The new courses will then be referred to the department’s course committee. The committee will prepare a new syllabus. This syllabus will be presented for approval to the university syllabus panel and then tabled in the Academic Council for approval.

ANI reached out to the Delhi University administration, but there was no response at the time of filing this report.

Recently, Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh informed us that Department heads at the University of Delhi (DU) have been asked to review their syllabus and remove any unnecessary glorification of Pakistan. This statement comes in the wake of a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.

However, the members of the DU faculty have objected to these revisions in the syllabus, saying “forced” changes are retrograde and politically motivated.

Dr. Monami Sinha argued that removing these courses undermines academic rigour and geopolitical understanding.

“It is imperative to study Pakistan in detail because, pedagogically, we need to train our students and foster scholarship on Pakistan, as it remains one of India’s constant foreign policy challenges,” she stated in her note.

She also cautioned against excluding China at a time when it is emerging as a key player in the Global South.

Along with political courses, the committee recommended the removal of unit 3 in MA Geography (semester 1), on internal conflict and religious violence — including a key text by Paul Brass — from the course “Territorial Bases of Politics in India.”

In the Social Geography paper, the Chair objected to the topic “Distribution of SC Population”, calling for a de-emphasis on caste-related content. A course on vulnerability and disaster was also dropped.

In Sociology, the introductory theory paper was criticised for relying solely on Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, with calls to include Indian theorists and joint family structures, Sinha said.

Objections were also raised to Kath Weston’s reading on same-sex families, with the Chair noting that same-sex marriages are not legal in India.

Condemning the recommended changes, Abha Dev, Secretary of Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) alleged that the academic autonomy of departments has been eroded and this “should worry all of us”.

“Academic autonomy of Departments stands eroded. The dumbing down of courses by revisions centred around “beliefs” rather than questions of pedagogy and scientific inquiry is unfortunate. Forced revisions are retrograde and are politically motivated. DU was known for its UG courses. These forced changes will adversely impact students’ scholarships. This should worry all of us,” said Abha Dev.

Meanwhile, Mithuraaj Dhusiya, elected member of the Academic Council questioned the authority of standing committee, saying the panel can suggest changes but it cannot ask direct departments to remove papers.

“The University administration of DU has forgotten the fact that the University space is meant for a ruthless and dispassionate debate to foster critical thinking; it is not meant to produce conformist, mediocre minds, which can only lead to the cult of hero worship. Instead of cancelling uncomfortable questions, one needs to always engage even with the perceived ‘other’ to equip oneself with the intellectual wherewithal to tackle the ‘other’ in the new global geopolitical order,” said Dhusiya, in a statement. (ANI)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a significant diplomatic engagement with US President Donald Trump on critical defence issues, military cooperation, and the current state of the conflict in Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague on Wednesday.

Describing the conversation as “a good meeting”, the Ukrainian leader, in a detailed post on X, congratulated President Trump on what he called a “successful operation in the Middle East”, referring to the recent US strikes that targeted and disabled key components of Iran’s nuclear and drone infrastructure.

“I had a good meeting with POTUS in The Hague. I congratulated President Trump on the successful operation in the Middle East. It is important that the U.S. actions have weakened not only their nuclear program but also their drone production capabilities. We will continue to keep an eye on the situation,” Zelenskyy stated.

One of the key themes of the meeting was Ukraine’s growing urgency to strengthen its air defence systems amid continued Russian missile and drone strikes.

Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine is actively pursuing the purchase of US-made air defence systems to protect its cities, critical infrastructure, churches, and civilian population, also urging broader European cooperation in this effort.

The two leaders also discussed the potential for US-Ukraine co-production of drones, as Kyiv seeks to enhance its domestic defence industry while simultaneously contributing to Western security supply chains.

The Ukrainian president also informed Trump about the recent technical meetings held in Istanbul, which included discussions on humanitarian issues such as the exchange of prisoners and repatriation of the fallen.

“We discussed the protection of our people with the President — first and foremost, the purchase of American air defence systems to shield our cities, our people, churches, and infrastructure. Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers. Europe can help. We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other,” he said.

“I also informed the President about how the technical team’s meetings in Istanbul went, as well as the exchanges of prisoners and the fallen. Russia handed over the bodies of its own troops. Forensic examinations are currently being carried out in Kyiv to identify their relatives,” the Ukrainian President added.

Zelenskyy also briefed Trump on the latest developments on the battlefield, offering what he described as a factual account that contradicts Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims of progress.

“We talked about the situation on the battlefield. Putin is definitely not winning. I presented the President with the facts about what is really happening on the ground. Thank you for the meeting and your support. I’m also grateful for the truly kind words about our people. We will keep working,” Zelemesky concluded.

Coming to the latest developments in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which is now in its fourth year, Moscow’s missile strikes in southeastern Ukraine claimed 17 lives in the city of Dnipro and left over 200 people injured on Tuesday (local time), causing widespread damage to buildings and key infrastructure, as reported by Al Jazeera. A separate Russian assault killed two individuals in the city of Samara.

Russia also reported intercepting dozens of drones overnight across various regions, including the border-area Voronezh region, with Russian forces announcing they had taken control of the village of Dyliivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region–a long-contested battleground since the conflict first erupted in 2014, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the member states of NATO have committed to ramping up their defence spending by investing 5 per cent of their country’s GDP annually on “core defence requirements” as well as defence- and security-related sectors by 2035, to bolster their military capabilities, particularly against the long-term threat posed by Russia and the persistent challenge of terrorism. (ANI)