Archive for September 2019

This man, made me run like in a fitness test: Virat Kohli pays tribute to MS Dhoni

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
This man, made me run like in a fitness test: Virat Kohli pays tribute to MS Dhoni
Virat Kohli was spent physically after India's win over Australia
Virat Kohli was spent physically after India's win over Australia (Twitter: @imvkohli)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Virat Kohli shared the picture on Twitter and Instagram
  • Kohli called the game as one he can never forget
  • Kohli also said that during the game, MS Dhoni made him run like in a fitness test
Virat Kohli on Thursday shared a photo from India's famous win over Australia in the 2016 World T20, in which he can be seen with then captain MS Dhoni. Kohli expressed his joy over the win captioning the picture: 'A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test'.
It's apparent that Dhoni and Kohli were at the crease as India pulled off a difficult chase of 161 with a number of quick singles and doubles. Kohli's remarks with respect to Dhoni in his social media post are referring to the same as the duo completed a remarkable victory for their side on a 'special night'
Kohli produced a sublime 82 not out off 51 balls to help India defeat Australia by six wickets and advance to the semifinals. Kohli took charge at a crucial time in what was a virtual quarterfinal, smashing 9 fours and 2 sixes as India reached 161-4 off 19.1 overs in reply to Australia's 160-6.
The No. 3 batsman added 67 off only 31 deliveries with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (18 not out) after a useful 45-run stand for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj Singh (21) as India scored 59 runs in the last 4.1 overs of the Group 2 game.
Kohli, who had also guided India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan with 55 not out, remained calm during his 15th T20 half-century after Shikhar Dhawan (13), Rohit Sharma (12) and Suresh Raina (10) failed to get going with India struggling at 49-3 in the eighth over.
Kohli batted himself in with Yuvraj and then took the initiative, smashing 19 off the 18th over bowled by James Faulkner and 16 off the 19th from Nathan Coulter-Nile to the delight of more than 25,000 fans.
Dhoni hit Faulkner for a four down the ground to complete a memorable win that set up the 2007 champions against 2012 winners West Indies in the semifinals in Mumbai.
Virat Kohli rated the innings among his top three. This is what he has to say at the post-match ceremony. No prizes for guessing the Man of the Match.
"Thank you. Firstly, I would like to thank the crowd for coming out and supporting us; the support today was unbelievable. They (the crowd) push you through tough times. This is what you play cricket for. You don't like these situations because they are tough. I don't know what to say, because I am overwhelmed by the situation we were in and to win from there was quite an effort. MS kept me calm in the end; I could have got overexcited. Overall good team effort and very happy with my personal contribution.
"Yuvraj wanted to see where he was going after he twisted his ankle. But he stuck in and a few boundaries helped, and then he decided to go for the team's cause. He perished but he made a great call. He wasn't able to push as you want him to push as a runner. He's such an explosive player that you don't want to have him at 60-70 percent. Dhoni and I have always run well between the wickets. We have a great understanding of where to hit the ball. You do that gym fitness for this. When I'm tired, I should be able to run as fast as when I'm on zero. All those trainings paid off today. This innings has to be in the Top 3. But I am a bit emotional, so I will put this on top."

Ronaldinho to come out of retirement for a friendly in October

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Ronaldinho to come out of retirement for a friendly in October
Ronaldinho to come out of retirement for a friendly in October
Ronaldinho to come out of retirement for a friendly in October (Getty Images)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Ronaldinho had retired from football in 2018
  • Ronaldinho was barred from leaving Brazil regarding the matter of a 2015 court case
  • Ronaldinho has won the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice
Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will temporarily come out of retirement to represent Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe in a friendly in October, the Bogota club has said.
Santa Fe posted a video on social media on Wednesday in which the 39-year-old confirmed he will take part in the match at the Campin on October 17 against yet-to-be-named opponents, reports Xinhua news agency.
Three days later, Ronaldinho will play in the Colombian derby between America and Deportivo Cali, representing both clubs in each half, according to media reports.
As a two-time recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year Award and a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Ronaldinho retired from football in 2018.
It was not immediately clear though if Ronaldinho would be free to travel to Colombia for the matches. Brazil's Supreme Court this month upheld a decision to ban the former Barcelona attacker from leaving the country after he failed to pay a fine resulting from a 2015 court case.
Ronaldinho and his brother, Roberto Assis, were fined $2.3 million after being found guilty of building a fishing platform on the Guaiba river in southern Brazil without the necessary permits. The structure was located in a heritage-protected area.

Isro extends Chandrayaan-2 mission life to 7 years. Here is how

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Isro extends Chandrayaan-2 mission life to 7 years. Here is how
Isro extends Chandrayaan-2 mission life to 7 years. Here is how
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will perform several experiments, including one to estimate the quantity of iced water in the south polar region of the Moon (PTI photo)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Fuel savings during the trip to Moon helped Isro extend Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's life
  • The orbiter will perform most of the experiments planned under the Chandrayaan-2 mission
  • Meanwhile, the lander Vikram still remains out of contact
The Chandrayaan-2 mission may have received a setback with the Vikram lander losing contact with Earth during its attempt to land on the Moon last Saturday. However, there is an encouraging news for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) -- the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's mission life has been extended by a whopping six years.
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's mission was originally supposed to last a year. However, Isro has confirmed that the orbiter will now function for seven years, revolving around the Moon and collecting data on the lunar surface and atmosphere.
Isro was able to extend the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's life by saving on fuel during its journey to the Moon. When it was launched on July 22, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter had 1697 kg of fuel. It is now left with around 500 kg of fuel, making it possible for the orbiter to last seven years.
JOURNEY TO MOON
Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-2 carried a grand dream of placing a rover on the Moon.
On July 22, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III 'Bahubali' rocket took off from Sriharikota and injected Chandrayaan-2 into an orbit around the Earth. Once placed into an orbit around Earth, Chandrayaan-2 was on its own.
Over the next few days, Chandrayaan-2 used the fuel it had onboard to steadily increase its orbit levels around the Earth. On August 14, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory, beginning a six-day journey to the Moon.
The Chandrayaan-2 landing would have made India the only country in the world to 'soft land' near the south pole of the Moon (Reuters image)
On August 20, Chandrayaan-2 entered the lunar orbit and over the next few days steadily lowered its orbit around the Moon. On September 1, Chandrayaan-2 entered its final lunar orbit; the spacecraft was around 100 km above the Moon.
For all these manoeuvres, Chandrayaan-2 used the fuel it was carrying onboard. By the time Chandrayaan-2 entered the final lunar orbit, it had 500 kg of fuel left over.
The Indian Space Research Organisation now plans to use this leftover fuel to keep the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter operation for the next seven years.
WHAT NEXT?
While Isro has confirmed that the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will last for the next seven years, the plan could change if the space agency is forced to make changes to the spacecraft's orbit around the Moon.
If, due to unforeseen circumstances, Isro is forced to either increase or decrease the Chandrayaan-2's orbit, it will have to use the fuel left onboard, which could reduce the probe's lifespan.
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter was originally supposed to last a year (Reuters image)
The orbiter is the most important part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. It carries onboard a total of eight payloads that will perform various experiments and tests.
These include mapping the lunar surface, testing for the presence of elements such as magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, titanium, iron and sodium besides studying the lunar atmosphere.
The most high-profile experiment the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will carry out will be to estimate the quantity of iced water present in the south polar region of the Moon.
WHAT ABOUT VIKRAM?
It's been more than four days since the Indian Space Research Organisation lost contact with the Vikram lander. Contact with Vikram, which houses the six-wheeled Pragyaan rover, was lost when it was 2.1 km above the Moon's surface, seconds away from landing near the lunar south pole.
A successful landing would have made India only the fourth country in the world to land a rover on the Moon and the only country in the world to perform a 'soft landing' near the lunar south pole.
The lander Vikram with the rover Pragyaan
Though highly ambitious, the Moon landing was just one part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission -- the lander Vikram and rover Pragyaan combined have a lesser number of payloads (five) than the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's eight.
Vikram and Pragyaan's mission life was also just 14 days, which also means that Isro is running out of time to establish contact with the lander.
Hope for Vikram and Pragyaan may be increasingly fading, but the Chandrayaan-2 mission is well on course thanks to the orbiter, which will be alive and spinning for the next seven years.

Ruling elite destroyed country's image internationally, world trusts India not us: Pakistan interior minister

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Ruling elite destroyed country's image internationally, world trusts India not us: Pakistan interior minister
Pakistan Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah said: "People do not believe us in the international community." (Photo: Twitter/@MOIofficialPk)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Pakistan Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah said ruling elite destroyed country's image
  • Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed shah said Pakistan has failed to convince international community over Kashmir issue
  • "People think we are not a serious nation," Brig Ijaz Ahmed Shah said
Pakistan Interior Minister, Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah, has brought a major embarrassment to Prime Minister Imran Khan and his coterie of ministers with his admission that Islamabad has failed to get support from the international community over its stand on Kashmir issue.
Brig Shah blamed Pakistan "ruling elite", including Imran Khan, for "destroying" the image of the country.
"People do not believe us in the international community. We say they [India] impose curfew and are not giving medicines to people of Jammu and Kashmir. People do not believe us, but they believe them. The ruling elite has destroyed the country. The ruling elite of this country destroyed the name. People think we are not a serious nation," Brig Shah said, during a talk show on Pakistani news channel Hum News on Wednesday.
When asked whether Imran Khan, Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf and others were a part of the ruling elite, the former spy chief said: "Everyone is responsible. Pakistan should now do a soul searching."
Ijaz's remarks came a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva, claimed that India has transformed Jammu and Kashmir into the largest "caged prison in this planet" after the abrogation of Article 370 and that the human rights were being "trampled with impunity" there.
India had rejected Shah Mahmood Qureshi's allegations and hit back saying a "fabricated narrative" on Jammu and Kashmir has come from "the epicentre of global terrorism" and from a nation, which conducts cross-border terrorism as a form of 'alternate diplomacy.
Islamabad has been left red-faced after its desperate attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue fell flat. The country has found itself isolated after being snubbed at the United Nations, as well as by countries like the United States, France, and Russia.
India's decision has been hailed internationally with several countries calling the move as India's internal matter even as Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the issue.
Islamabad has found itself completely isolated despite desperate attempts aimed at internationalising the issue.
Pakistan has approached various world leaders, including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, French President Emmanuel Macron and the Jordanian King Abdullah II to seek their interventions into the issue, but in vain.
However, Pakistan has been told to engage bilaterally with India to end tensions. India has repeatedly made it clear that talks with Pakistan are only possible after Islamabad stops sponsoring terror.

Yogi government puts up stray cows for adoption

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Yogi government puts up stray cows for adoption
Photo: PTI
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is now offering cows for adoption. This is being done to check the growing problem of stray cows.
The state government will pay a sum of Rs 30 per day to the person who adopts a cow for maintenance. People living in semi-urban and rural areas can adopt up to four stray cows, bulls and calves.
The scheme called the 'Nirashrit/Besahara Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana' was introduced on August 8 for management of stray cattle, but the execution order was issued on September 9.
The response has been overwhelming with the Lucknow administration having received 1,500 applications by Wednesday evening.
Chief veterinary officer Tej Singh Yadav said, "We have received 1,500 adoption applications, mostly from farmers and landless daily wage earners. The scheme will add to their income and will help control stray cattle, responsible for damaging crops in villages and causing accidents in city."
Of the 24,940 animals caught so far in Lucknow district, 9,079 have been ear-tagged and are available for adoption.
Over 4,400 are available with Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), followed by 895 in Mohanlalganj, 833 in Maal and 789 in Malihabad blocks in the state.
According to LMC director (animal welfare) Arvind Rao, "The process of verification is underway and we will hand over the animals to deserving applicants in 15 days."
The state veterinary department will also conduct regular inspection of foster homes. "If an animal is sick, the owner will have to inform the department, which will arrange for free treatment. However, in case of death, a postmortem will be done to ascertain the cause and action will be taken if there is a foul play," he explained.
Officials denied that Rs 30 per day was insufficient to feed a cow and said that non-crop fields on the outskirts of the city would allow foster homes to easily feed the adopted animal. The money can be saved. It will be an additional source of income for the poor families, they said.
The animals are being ear-tagged for easy identification if abandoned after adoption.

Isro will fix moon lander problem: Nobel laureate Haroche

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Isro will fix moon lander problem: Nobel laureate Haroche
An optimistic Haroche, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2012, said failures occur in science | File photo from REUTERS
Science poses surprises - sometimes failures and sometimes successes, according to Nobel laureate Serge Haroche, who said on Wednesday that Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientists will certainly try to fix the problem with India's first moon lander.
"I don't know what happened with this (moon lander Vikram) but they will certainly try to solve the problem," Haroche, 75, told IANS on the sidelines of the 'Nobel Prize Series India 2019' event here, near the state capital Chandigarh.
An optimistic Haroche, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2012, said failures occur in science.
"Science is something where you are going in the unknown...you have surprises, sometime good surprises and sometime you have bad surprises and failures," Haroche explained, whose research has mostly taken place in the Kastler Brossel laboratory at the Ecole Normale Superieure in France.
Categorically saying that he is ignorant about what actually happened with the moon lander, Haroche said the equipmet had worked up to the last stage and then "you have some kind of failure".
The problem, he said, was that there was too much expectation and excessive media attention around the mission, and "when you lose, you take the risk that when there is a failure, there is a big amplification of disappointment and so on".
"I think the people who work in this area should know that there are failures. Since a lot of money is involved in science, it has to do with economic and politics and I don't like this mixture," he said.
"The best investment a country can make is investing in young minds. It is important for India to make sure that a large faction of them should come back to India because we need these people here," he added.
Haroche was at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Mohali for the three-day 'Nobel Prize Series India 2019' event aimed at highlighting issues related to education and learning. The event, where Nobel laureates give lectures and participate in roundtables with experts, teachers and students, will also be held in Ludhiana and New Delhi.
"In India we have good education in mathematics, in theoretical physics and in astro physics. I think we need to put money into small-scale physics projects even if it doesn't have the media attention to the big projects like moon landing," said the Nobel laureate, who is a member of the French and European Academies of Sciences.
In response to another query, he said: "The politicians have to understand that they have to invest a lot of money for longer period of time in basic research."
Asked about US President Donald Trump calling climate change a hoax, Haroche replied: "He has no mind so he cannot change it."
Nobel Prize Series India 2019 is organized by Nobel Media in cooperation with the Department of Biotechnology, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology.

Elephants jump over wall to return to jungle in devastating video. Shame on us, says Internet

September 12, 2019 Add Comment
Elephants jump over wall to return to jungle in devastating video. Shame on us, says Internet
Herd of elephants jump wall to return back to jungle
Herd of elephants jump wall to return back to jungle
An old video of a herd of elephants from Karnataka is going viral online and the reason will leave you heartbroken. The video was shared on Twitter by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan and shows a herd of elephants trying to jump a wall by crossing a busy road because they couldn’t find a way.
The video was shared by Parveen with the caption, "Have you have ever seen #elephants jumping a wall. Things they have to do when nowhere to go. When blocked from all sides. This Old video from Hossur will make you wonder."
The clip is from a village in Karnataka called Hossur. It begins with a herd of elephants standing on the side of the road in a residential area as bystanders watch them. The elephants can be seen struggling to find a way as they are blocked from all the sides. When they can’t figure out something, they just turn and one by one jump a wall to get inside the jungle. An old elephant can also be seen in the video trying to push a baby elephant to help it cross the wall.
After the video was shared on Twitter, many netizens took to the comment section to talk about the sad state of things. One user wrote, "Shame that we humans have created such a situation for them."
Here’s what people are saying:
At the time of writing the article, the video already had 113 retweets and 317 likes.
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