Month: February 2021

National News & Politics

Nearly ₹ 3,000 Crore And 170 Lives Washed Away In Uttarakhand

HT News

Uttarakhand glacier break on Sunday highlights its vulnerability to flash floods and landslides and calls for review of power projects in the ecologically sensitive mountains.

What was the disaster?

The hill state came under shock when a glacier broke into floods near Raini village above Rishiganga river endangering the life and liberty of people. Air Force carried reconnaissance flights and found rubble all over from the entrance of Nanda Devi glacier to Pipalkoti and Chamoli along Dhauliganga and Alaknanda. The disaster resulted in heavy loss to Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant and 170 people missing from the facility.

Where was Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant situated?

Located at the confluence of Dhauliganga and Rishiganga rivers, the dam faced maximum damage from the flood. The Air Force found that it was completely washed off in the disaster. It was a 520 MW hydro-electric project being constructed by state-run NTPC Limited at a cost of nearly ₹ 3,000 crore. NTPC also said that its Vishnugad project was damaged in the avalanche and that it was monitoring the situation. Picture from the reconnaissance flight also showed the two bridges situated at the entrance of Malari valley and near Tapovan washed away in the flood.

Is there any collateral damage assessment?

Construction work and hutments in the valley were damaged in the pictures. But the road connectivity from Joshimath and Tapovan was seen intact in the aerial survey. Soon after the tragedy, Air Force, Army and Navy were pressed into action to expedite the rescue work.

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Sports

Francisco Trincao Led Barcelona To Victory Against Red Betis

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Barcelona won its sixth league games on Sunday by beating Real Betis with 3-2 score in a striking show of football by Lionel Messi and Francisco Trincao who was the real hero of the game. Earlier on Wednesday in Copa del Rey quarter-final tie match, Barcelona beat Grenada in an impressive win of 5-3 in extra time. It now stands with 43 points just 7 points behind Atletico Madrid that still has two games remaining.

Francisco Trincao stole the show

Barcelona To Victory Against Red Betis

Trincao shot his first goal for the club and snatched victory in 87th minute into the game. It was his 17th appearance in all competitions. He smashed that shot from inside the box to ensure victory for his club.

After the victory, he praised his teammates while talking to reporters. He said that his team had always encouraged him and that they congratulated him on the goal. He further said that he didn’t need to score for his own good, but players had to help their teams when they can. Also, that he was happy that they managed to win the match.

It was a tough match for Barcelona

The match didn’t start well for Barcelona as the defender Ronaldo Araujo injured his ankle in the 12th minute of the game and had to retire to the pavilion. The coach Ronald Koeman sent De Jong at the centreback.

Koeman said that they were little fearful in the first half as they didn’t take risks, but they changed their attitude in the second half and it proved fruitful for the team.

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International News & Politics

Donald Trump Won’t Get Intelligence Briefings For This Reason

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US President Joe Biden said that Donald Trump shouldn’t receive intelligence briefings due to his checkered history as US President. In US, it is customary for former presidents to use intel briefings.

Reasons for denying intel briefings to Trump

Joe Biden said to CBS Evening News that there was no need to share intelligence briefings with his predecessor Donald Trump because he might slip and said anything. Biden cited Trump’s erratic behavior in the Capitol Hill incident on January 6 to deny him intel info. He said that Trump incited his followers to storm Capitol Hill to disrupt the election proceedings.

Incidents when Trump slept his tongue

In May 2017, Trump put any ally’s assets at risk when he shared classified information with Russian Foreign Minister and ambassador in a meeting.

The US intelligence briefed Trump that Russia intervened in 2016 election by conducting a massive hacking operation. But Donald Trump publicly questioned the findings.

Also, Donald Trump was impeached on the charges of forcing Ukraine to influence the November 3 elections in his favor. While former US presidents are entitled to receive intel info but Trump critics fear that he might reveal the info vital for security and integrity of the country.

Joe Biden raised concern that what if Trump said something in public. Considering the past record of slipping tongue while in White House, Biden was right in his concern about sharing intel info with Trump, who is still adamant on his stand that the elections were stolen from him.

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News & Politics

Theater World Saddened By The Demise Of Christopher Plummer

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Christopher Plummer, the veteran Canadian actor and two-times Academy award winner, passed away at 91 on Friday. His longtime friend and manager Lou Pitt broke the news of his death. The actor was born on 13th December 1929 in Toronto.

Chris’ decades long career started in 1950s

He first featured in an Ottawa theater in “The Rivals” in 1950 and then moved to Broadway with “Starcross Story” in 1954. But the first film, “Stage Struck”, came his way in 1958. Two years later in 1960s, he shifted to London to work in theaters where he earned wide recognition as the Shakespearean actors of the 20th century from North America.

Awards and recognitions

Chris has two Oscars to his name. The first Academy Award came in 2010 and he received it two years later as the oldest actor to have got the Oscar award. He was 82 at that time. The second Academy Award came in 2018.

But his first award was an Emmy in 1977 and he got another Emmy award in 1994. Also, he won two Tony Awards during his work in Broadway.

What did Chris say about The Sound of Music?

Chris was widely recognized as the actor of The Sound of Music but he had once criticized his character calling it “gooey” to The Hollywood Reporter in 2011. But he softened his stand in 2015 while talking to the same publication.

Chris’ personal life

He was married three times and survived by his daughter Amanda Plummer who also is an actress. Taylor is his third wife.

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International News & Politics

Know Why Is Myanmar’s Military Afraid Of Win Htein

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Win Htein, a senior leader from National League for Democracy (NLD) party, was arrested under sedition laws by Myanmar’s military that overthrew elected Ms Suu Kyi’s government calling claiming the elections fraudulent. But the military has no proof to support its claim.

Who is Win Htein?

A senior leader of Ms Suu Kyi’s party NLD, Win Htein is a 79-year-old aging patron of the NLD and he’s continuously criticizing the military and its leader Min Aung Hlaing in his interviews.

A local news magazine Frontier reported Win saying that the Tatmadaw (military) would go into disrepute because of the coup. He warned that staging a coup at that time was not wise and narrow minded. Also, that he had witnessed the 1962 coup by General Ne Win that made Myanmar’s economy to suffer for 26 years.

Arrested from his home in Yangon, Win was taken to an undisclosed location in the capital and he fears that sedition charges would be slapped against him. The maximum punishment he could get under sedition laws is life imprisonment.

Myanmar erupts in revolt

The residents staged night protests by banging posts and pans and singing revolutionary songs from their homes. Healthcare workers also joined protests by wearing a red ribbon as a mark of protests. But some of them decided to go on strike.

A small group of people took out a procession in front of a university in Mandalay, but the military arrested four persons to disrupt the procession. Myanmar also blocked Facebook after netizens started taking online protests.

Source:- https://bbc.in/3tsD27I

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News & Politics Sports Today's Special

Happy Birthday Ronaldo, Neymar And Tevez

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Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr and Carlos Tevez has two things in common – first, they form a trio of leading strikers in football and second, they are born on February 5. And today they will celebrate their 36th, 30th and 37th birthday respectively.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Happy Birthday Ronaldo Neymar And Tevez

Ronaldo debuted in league at the age of 17 in 2002 and rose to become one of the biggest footballers in the world by winning plenty of awards and recognitions. He has been five-time winner of the prestigious individual award Ballon d’Or. Also, he grabbed 31 major trophies including UEFA Championship Leagues titles in a short span of time. Once a striker of Manchester United, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid during 2009-10 season at a cost of 80 million euros.

Neymar Jr

Neymar’s name is collectively taken with Lionel Messi and Luis Suerez when they were called the attacking trio of Barcelona. But Neymar switched to Paris Saint-Germain at a high fee of 222 million euros. He debuted in football at the age of 18 and soon became the highest goal-scorer for Brazil.

Carlos Tevez

Three-time winner of South American Footballer of the year, Tevez can perform different roles including that of striker, supporting forward and a winger. He also won Argentine Sportsperson of the year.

Other strikers born on February 5

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Gheorghe Hagi, Billy Sharp, and Sven-Goran Eriksson are the other prominent strikers born on February 5. They have also played good football. Some of them are retired while others are still running with the ball.

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News & Politics Technology

Will Mark Zuckerberg Follow Jeff Bezos? Know What Experts Have To Say

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With Jeff Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg becomes the last man standing, who founded Facebook and still owns the business empire. And experts link Jeff Bezos’ resignation to other high-profile resignations of Silicone Valley.

Jeff Bezos’ journey till resignation

What started as an online bookstore turned into the world’s largest marketplace for third party sellers. Jeff Bezos, the proud founder and owner of the tech giant Amazon, shot off his resignation to make way for others. He also owns The Washington Post. He has been at the helm of affairs for 27 years and he knows that his capable team will manage the job with perfection for another decade.

Mark-Zuckerberg-Follow-Jeff-Bezos

Other high-profile resignations of Silicone Valley

Bill Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO in 2000 and further reduced his day-to-day role in the company eight years later.

Tim Cook took over the reins of Apple in 2011 after its founder Steve Jobs passed away.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin resigned from CEO and President of Alphabet in 2019 and appointed Sundar Pichai as the company CEO.

Would Mark Zuckerberg resign from Facebook?

Experts have different opinion about Zuckerberg’s future but they are certain at one thing that is his Facebook under the siege and until he brings his company out of the troubled waters, he won’t think of resigning from the top post. But the all eyes are now on Mark Zuckerberg as he is the only man left in Silicone Valley who still owns a company.

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News & Politics Sports

What Does Liverpool’s Defeat Mean For Manchester City?

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Brighton almost spoiled Liverpool’s chances of retaining their title by beating the champions with 1-0 at Anfield on Wednesday. It was the second home defeat for the champions since 2012. Also, it was the third consecutive home game where Liverpool failed to score since 1984. Last month, Burnley ended their 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premiere League.

Liverpool gives excuses for the beating

Jurgen Klopp’s boys looked handicapped before Brighton because of the absence of the senior centre-backs and the goalkeeper. Klopp said that Liverpool could do well because they were fatigued both mentally and physically. The key players were absent and Jordan Henderson was again assigned into the central defense.

Tough road ahead for Liverpool

The crushing defeat has relegated Liverpool at fourth place. It is now seven points behind Manchester City that look set to win their third Premiere League title in four years. Klopp’s men have a huge mountain to climb as they will fight with Manchester City on Sunday. And this match is going to be crucial for Liverpool as the City still have a game in hand.

Match summary

Steven Alzate scored the only goal of the match to get Brighton a lead over Liverpool. But Liverpool had the advantage of possession of the ball in the start. Even Mohamed Salah tried to score a goal in the opening minutes but that golden opportunity was missed. Also, Klopp’s men had no idea on how to make a move. On the contrary, Brighton’s looked determined from the start.

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Cricket Sports

Could Australia Play In The Final Of ICC World Test Championship?

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An upbeat New Zealand prepares to play in ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June 2021. And it was an easy success for the Kiwis as Australia postponed its three-test tour to South Africa.

Who are the other contestants?

After New Zealand, it is the turn of India and England to fight for the second spot. And the English team is on their way to India to play four-tests series starting 5 February in Chennai. It will be a crucial series for both the contestants but the decision will be taken on the basis of points. The team that wins maximum points from a total of 120 points will go to Lord’s.

Indian cricket team need continuing their winning spree

India is on an ultimate high after defeating Australia in a recent test-series. And now they need winning the upcoming four-tests with a minimum margin of 2-1 to qualify for the finals. But defeating the English team won’t be an easy job as England has also demonstrated good cricket be defeating Sri Lanka with 2-0. The only thing that goes in the favor of India is that England would have to win the series with at least 3-0 and it is a daunting task for English players.

Australia still has a chance to play the final

Australia can play in the final in the event of India winning the series with 1-0 of the series is completely drawn or remain 1-1 or 2-2. In this situation, Australia will technically qualify for the final match against the Kiwis.

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News & Politics Sports

Southampton Received Fourth Consecutive Defeat Of The Season

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Manchester United scored the biggest win of the season against Southampton who they beat with 9-0. With this win, Man United have come on equal footing with their arch rival Man City that have played to games less and that has an opportunity to take a lead after their Wednesday match.

A crushing defeat for Southampton

The score gap was big enough for the Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to publicly accept that his boys were no match for those of Man United. He made a statement saying that those 90-minutes of the match were long enough to stand before Man United as they were unstoppable. But he put the blame for this humiliating defeat on the removal of his star player.

Removal of Alexandre Jankewitz

Southampton had many hopes from their 19-year-old player but he was sent back to pavilion with a red card in the first two minutes of the game. Alexandre Jankewitz was playing his debutant game when he was shown a red card within two minutes into the game. The charge levied against him was a rash challenge on Scott McToinay and the referee was quick to take note of the incident.

The season started with good note for Southampton

It was the fourth straight loss for the Saints resulting in 12th spot drop in their rankings. But Southampton were doing well in the beginning when they defeated the defending champions Liverpool in January. Southampton manager made a point that removal of Alexandre Jankewitz crippled the injured team permanently.

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