Month: March 2021

Cricket News & Politics Sports

Former Australian Skipper Steve Smith Wants To Lead Australian Team Again

HT News

Steve Smith said he was willing to lead the national cricket team of Australia if he was given an opportunity. He made this announcement after almost two years after Cricket Australia banned him for one year for his involvement in the Sandpaper Gate incident.

What was the Sandpaper Gate incident?

It as ball-tempering incident happened the Cape Town Test against South Africa in March 2018. Steve Smith was the skipper of Australian cricket at that time and he confirmed his involvement in the incident. The Cricket Australia board took cognizance of the matter and banned Steve from international cricket for one year. The opening batsman David Warner also received a similar punishment but Cameron Bancroft was let off with a nine-month suspension.

Would Steve Smith join the national cricket team of Australia?

While Smith has completed his suspension but the Australian coach Justin Langer isn’t willing to take him back. Langer replied to Steve’s call for an opportunity to lead the Australian team again by saying that there was no captaincy position available in the team.

He said that Australia had two very good captains – Tim Paine (Test captain) and Aaron Finch (white-ball captain). He further said that the Australian team was preparing for two important tournaments – an Ashes and a T20 World Cup.

What is the future of Steve Smith?

While his entry into the national cricket team of Australia looks delayed, the right-handed batsman will be seen batting for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning April 9.

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Football News & Politics Sports

Portugal’s 3-1 Win Over Luxemburg Made Portuguese Coach Fernando Santos Furious

HT News

Portugal’s 3-1 win over Luxemburg lifted catapulted it to the top of Group A in its World Cup qualifying campaign. With seven points in hand, Portugal now stands at level with Serbia, but Luxemburg has to contend at third position with three points.

But Fernando Santos wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance….

While the Portuguese team was celebrating their victory, their coach Santos was chiding his boys in the media. He said that they wasted the first 30-minutes playing at a walking pace with no intensity on either pitch. And that he had to ask the players that they won’t win the game on quality alone and they had to add intensity to their game.

Santos warned his boys that if they rely on their quality, any opponent could cause them difficulties. He said that in the second half they won every ball. They played with intensity and suddenly found that Luxemburg was a different team.

What made Fernando Santos furious?

Luxemburg was full of confidence after winning 1-0 at Ireland and it soon took lead over the European Champions when Gerson Rodrigues glanced a header at Portugal on the half-hour mark. But Portugal took more time in even equalizing the score.

The first goal for Portugal came in the second minute of the added time of the first half when Diogo Jota sent the ball into Luxemburg’s goalpost. Cristiano Ronaldo came running with Joao Cancelo to score the second goal in the 50th minute of the game. And the final goal was scored by substitute Joao Palhinha in the 80th minute.

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Business International News & Politics

Alaskan Helicopter Crash Brings The Debate On Heli-Skiing Back To Fore

HT News

A backcountry heli-skiing trip in an Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter cost one of Europe’s richest residents his life as the chopper met an accident on Saturday. He was Petr Kellner, 56, who was the Czech Republic’s richest person. Last year, Forbes listed him among the 70 richest people in the world.

How many were killed in the helicopter crash?

Those killed include Petr Kellner (56); Benjamin Larochaix (50) a Czech Republic citizen; heli-skiing guides Greg Harms (52), and Sean McManamy (38); and the helicopter pilot Zachary Russell (33).

The bodies of those killed have been recovered in a rescue effort. A sixth person was also found with the bodies. He was taken to the Anchorage area where he was being treated for his injuries. His condition was said to be stable.

Where did it happen and what were the causes of the accident?

National Transportation Board member Tom Chapman said that it happened in the Alaskan wilderness at around 6:30 pm local time when the helicopter was due back but was reported overdue by 8:30 pm. Soon a search effort was launched only to find the wreckage of the chopper near Palmer, Alaska that lies 45 miles of Anchorage.

Who was the chopper carrying?

All the passengers in the chopper were heli-skiing enthusiasts of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge that has hired the helicopter for heli-skiing that involves touching the untouched patches of powdery snow. It is a pricey sport for skiing enthusiasts but some European countries have banned it for environmental reasons.

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News & Politics Technology

Buy Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G From In India From March 30

HT News

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G phone will be launched on March 30 and the phone will be available for sale the same day. Interested buyers can register their requests on the Samsung India website by clicking on the “notify me” button.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE comes in 4G and 5G variants. The manufacturer launched it with the variants in the US in September last year. In October last year, Samsung launched it in the Indian market but only 4G variant was introduced. The 4G variant has an Exynos 990 SoC but the 5G variant comes with a Snapdragon processor.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G sports a 6.5-inch full-HD+ (2,400×1,080 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display with a triple-camera setup at the rear and a huge 32-MP selfie camera at the front.

The rear cameras include a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter and a 123-degree field of view (FoV), as well as an 8-megapixel telephoto shooter. The front-facing selfie camera has auto-focus support.

Powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 856 SoC, the 5G handset provides dual-SIM (Nano+eSIM) support and runs on Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.0 on top. The phone has all essential features and sensors but it lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It has a powerful 4,500mAh battery that supports 15W fast wired and wireless charging. Also, it has a PowerShare feature that allows it to share power wirelessly with supported devices. In the US, it was launched with a price of $699 (roughly Rs. 51,400).

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Business International News & Politics

₹ 1 Crore Donated For Healthcare In Bihar And Jharkhand

HT News

Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA) received a generous donation of over ₹ 1 crore for healthcare works for the needy, underprivileged and deprived community of Bihar and Jharkhand states.

Who is that Indian-American couple?

The couple is Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia and they have Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation for philanthropic work. Kalpana Bhatia runs a successful business in Texas, America. She came from NIT Patna. They used their foundation to donate the money to BJANA that will invest the money for healthcare development in Bihar and Jharkhand in two stages through Pravasi Alumni Nisshulk (PRAN) initiative.

What is Pravasi Alumni Nisshulk (PRAN)?

PRAN is an initiative by a group of Indian-American physicians determined to make healthcare services accessible to all underprivileged communities of Bihar and Jharkhand. PRAN-BJANA clinic initiative is the name given to the healthcare project that would start in the two states.

The first PRAN clinic has already been set in Ranchi and healthcare services started for the needy across the state. The doctors at the clinic are trying their best to provide quality healthcare to the underprivileged community.

BJANA president Avinash Gupta said that the generous donation from Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia has made that possible. He also said that BJANA getting a large donation was a testament to its ongoing philanthropic activities both in India and America.

Alok Kumar, former FIA president said that that kind of donation would help BJANA carry out their healthcare works in Bihar and Jharkhand.

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Movies News & Politics

Nithiin And Keerthy Suresh Starrer Telugu Comedy Movie Rang De Gets Three Stars

HT News

The latest Telugu movie Rang De is making headlines for the light comedy it offers. While it looks like a repackaged story but the director Venky Atluri did a great job even if he served old wine in a new bottle. He has used and tried and tested themes of romantic comedies of Telugu cinema but still, the movie is enjoyable.

What is the story of the movie?

The story revolves around two characters Arjun (Nithiin) and Anu (Keerthy Suresh). They both are childhood friends but different in personality. While Arjun takes Anu as his competitor, Anu considers Arjun as her true friend. She has no ill feelings towards Arjun even after getting rebuffed by Arjun again and again.

Arjun has many problems and he considers Anu as the reason behind all his problems. He is good and all his family and neighbors love him. But he finds that they love Anu more. It is so because Anu is smart and intelligent in comparison to Arjun. But Anu remains committed to Arjun and even agrees to marry him. She thinks that she could change Arjun with her love and support.

Was their marriage life successful?

The real problems for Arjun start after marrying Anu. He is made to live with a girl he doesn’t like. But Anu is a caring wife as she takes care of all needs of Arjun. The real comedy starts after their marriage and continues till Arjun becomes a loving husband.

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News & Politics

How Did EPS Reply To “Stalin’s Slipper” Remark By Former Union Minister A Raja?

HT News

Former Union Minister A Raja said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) worth less than Stalin’s slipper. He was referring to the DMK chief MK Stalin. In response, EPS gave a humble reply to A Raja’s remark.

Slugfest in Tamil Nadu elections

Tamil Nadu goes to poll on April 6 and this time it looks like a battle of survival between the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK. While the ruling AIADMK is fighting back after a disastrous performance in the 2019 general elections, DMK looks resurgent to get back the lost space. The votes for the assembly elections will be counted on May 2.

What did A Raja say about EPS?

He called EPS a jaggery worker and said that he couldn’t compete with Stalin. He even went on to say that even Stalin’s chappal worth more than EPS. A Raja said that EPS was showing the guts that even Nehru, Indira Gandhi, or Modi didn’t have. He said that EPS believed that the money he had looted and his party would save him. A Raja said that EPS said that he would stop Stalin. If EPS did so, his car won’t go from his residence to his office, said A Raja.

How did EPS reply to Raja’s remark?

EPS said that he had risen from meager means but Stalin had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He said that DMK did a scam referring to the 2G spectrum scandal. He said the DMK was behind a ₹ 1.76 lakh crore corruption scam and that money could buy anything for Stalin.

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News & Politics

Prioritize And Re-Route Cargo To Deal With Suez Canal Blockage Said Ministry Of Commerce

HT News

The government is working on a four-point formula to provide a solution to the shipping industry that is stuck due to the blockage of the Suez Canal. The plan was adopted on Friday.

What is the four-point formula?

The logistics division, Ministry of Commerce suggested prioritizing cargo, freight rates, advisory to ports, and re-routing of ships at a meeting attended by the representatives from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, ADG Shipping, Container Shipping Lines Association (CSLA), and Federation of Indian Export Organizations.

How will the plan be executed?

Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) will jointly look after the prioritization process that includes identifying the perishable cargo and work with shipping lines for priority movement of the cargo.

What the government is doing to manage the cargo price?

The commerce ministry stated that the situation was temporary and a long-lasting impact is unlikely to happen hence the ministry had made a request to CSLA to maintain stability in the freight charges. CSLA has also assured that the shipping lines will honor the freight rates as per existing contracts.

Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways will issue an advisory to ports especially JNPT, Mundra, and Hazira to gear up arrangements for efficient handling of freight and cargo once the blockage is over. Presently about 300 vessels are waiting at either end of the Suez Canal and it is expected to clear within a week.

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News & Politics

Bangladesh Will Celebrate Its National Day On March 26 In The Presence Of PM Modi

HT News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Dhaka today and it is his first foreign trip post-Covid-19 outbreak. March 26 is the Independence Day of Bangladesh and this year Dhaka is celebrating its golden jubilee. PM Modi will attend the celebrations and take the opportunity of meeting both political and common people. Trade pacts will also be signed.

What Modi’s schedule in Dhaka?

PM Modi will first visit the National Martyr’s Memorial at 10.50 and then attend the National Day programme at 3:45 pm. He will also inaugurate Bapu Bangabandhu Digital Video Exhibition at 7:45 pm.

At 3:15 pm, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will call on PM Modi who is looking forward to a meaningful dialogue with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid.

What did PM Modi say about his Dhaka visit?

PM Modi tweeted that he was happy that his first foreign visit post-Covid-19 outbreak was in a friendly neighboring country with which India had strong social and cultural ties. He praised the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his role in the freedom of Bangladesh and called ‘Bangbandhu’ as the tallest leaders of the last century. He said that he was excited about meeting with the Matua community at Orakandi. It was from this place that Sri Sri Harichandra Thakur ji disseminated his pious message.

Which trade pacts PM Modi would sign with Dhaka?

India could sign three MoUs during Modi’s visit. The memorandums would bolster cooperation in areas including health, railway connectivity, border development, and startups.

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News & Politics Today's Special

March 26 Bharat Bandh: Farmers Stopped Rail And Road Traffic But Shops Remained Open

HT News

The all-India strike – Bharat Bandh – called by farmer unions has rail and road traffic blocked at several places but the agitation has been peaceful so far. While many parties are supporting their cause, it won’t be observed in four poll-bound states and Puducherry.

What was the impact of Bharat Bandh?

The 12-hour long Bharat Bandh from 6 am to 6 pm was called to mark the completion of four months of the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws passed by the center last year. The farmers of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh started their agitation at Delhi’s borders on November 26.

The all-India strike led to the cancellation of more than 30 trains that were stopped by the agitating farmers at different places in Delhi, Chandigarh, Firozpur, and Amritsar. Demonstrators also blocked road traffic on National Highway-9 in the Ghazipur border in the Delhi NCR area. Ghazipur is also an epicenter of the protests. Police have also set up barricades to block the movement of agitators.

Bharat-Bandh-From-6-AM-To-6-PM

Why are traders not observing Bharat Bandh?

Confederation of All India Traders, which claims representation of eight crore traders in the country, said that markets would remain open as it was not participating in the ”Bharat Bandh”. In Delhi, market associations expressed solidarity with the agitating farmers but said that they would remain open as they had already suffered losses during the lockdown.

The government had several rounds of conversations with farmers’ unions but they had failed to get a breakthrough. Also, the farmers didn’t show any leniency towards the government.

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