What Test Results And PCT Does India Need To Reach WTC Final?

The recent 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the run to the World Test Championship qualification has strengthened India’s position in the points table. India stands in the 2nd spot in the points table but much depends on the forthcoming 4-series matches against Australia.

HIGHLIGHTS

• India was knocked out of the WTC final last year by New Zealand
• India needs to win the series against Australia by 4-0 to seal its spot in the WTC final

What Are India’s Chances Of Playing In the WTC Final?

A 4-0 win over Australia will increase India’s PCT to 68.06% and seal its place in the WTC final irrespective of the score of other contenders. Winning the series with 3-0 or 3-1 will lower India’s PCT to 62.50% but it can reach the final without any competition. If India wins the series with 1-0 or 2-0, its PCT will be 60.25% but sufficient to book a spot in the final.

 India’s Chances Of Playing In the WTC Final

What Will Happen If India Loses The Series To Australia?

If the series results in a 0-0, 1-1, or 2-2 (draw) score, India’s PCT will reach below the 60% mark where it can enter the final only if Australia beats South Africa by a big margin in the coming series. Also, India’s candidature will depend on the results of the West Indies v/s South Africa and New Zealand v/s Sri Lanka series.

If India loses the series to Australia 0-1, it will enter the final only if South Africa and Sri Lanka lose their series comprehensively. But if India loses its series by 0-2, 0-3, or 0-4 results, it will be out of the race to the WTC final.

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King Charles III Gives New Responsibilities To The Royal Family Members

King Charles III assigned new titles and roles to the Royal family members announced Buckingham Palace. Titles of Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate Middleton along with Queen Consort Camilla have been changed.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Prince William has been appointed Colonel of the Welsh Guards
• Prince Andrew was removed from the position of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
• London will host the ‘Trooping the Color parade on 17 June 2023

What Are The New Positions Of the Royal Family Members?

King Charles III appointed Prince William as Colonel of the Welsh Guards, a prestigious position he previously held for 47 years. Princess Kate will move into the position of Colonel of the Irish Guards, which Prince William held for a decade.

Queen Consort Camilla is now Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a position previously held by Prince Andrew. He was removed from the position due to his controversial association with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child abuser.

King Charles III Gives New Responsibilities

Why Will the ‘Trooping the Colour’ Parade Be Held In June?

Following the footsteps of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the king also decided to celebrate his birthday on June 17 weeks after his coronation ceremony on May 6, although the king was born in November.

A procession of over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians will march from Buckingham Palace down the Mall to Horse Guards Parade. And it will be a spectacular display of military precision, horsemanship, and fanfare followed by a Royal Air Force fly-past. In June, the parade will have full advantage of the British summer and it could also be a reason for commemorating the occasion in … Read the rest

5 Rules For 10 IPL Franchises To Fill 87 Vacant Spots For IPL 2023 Season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction will take place on December 23 ahead of the IPL 2023 season. But this time IPL has formed a 5-point formula that the franchises would need to adhere to.

  1. The franchises have received INR 5 crore extra for IPL 2023 season. The said amount has already been added to their accounts.
  2. The franchises have to spend 75% of their overall budget at any cost.
  3. IPL has done away with Right To Match (RTM) for season 2023.
  4. A franchise could have a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 25 Indian players. The franchises could include a maximum of 8 players in their squads.
  5. Players who remained unsold in the first round could be brought back later.

The franchises are also allowed the X-Factor substitution from IPL 2023. There will be 12 players in each team for IPL. The franchises will have to bid for players keeping these 5 points in their mind.

How Many Players Are Going For Auction For IPL 2023?

Auction For IPL 2023

A total of 407 players are available for auction for the upcoming season 2023. The number of vacant spots across the 10 IPL franchises is 87. Considering the larger number of players available, it can be said that this auction is going to be a game-changer for many players. The franchises are expected to bid for younger players.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction for the upcoming IPL 2023 season will take place in Kochi on December 23.

Source:- https://bit.ly/3PS68ZF

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Could Chhello Show And Naatu Naatu From RRR Make To Oscar Nominations On January 24?

RRR and Chhello Show are included in the shortlisted entries for the 95th Academy Awards to be held in March next year. The Academy announced shortlisted entries in 10 categories on Wednesday night but the nominations will be announced on January 24.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Gujarati-language Chello Show is shortlisted in the International Feature Film category
• Naatu Naatu from RRR is shortlisted in the Best Original Song category
• In the last few years, none of the Indian Oscar entries have failed to make the Oscar shortlist

Which Movies Are Shortlisted In The International Feature Film Category?

A total of 14 films including Argentina, 1985, Decision to Leave, All Quiet on the Western Front, Close, The Blue Caftan, and India’s Chhello Show are in the official entry of the Oscars. Directed by Pan Nalin, Chhello Show is a semi-biographical coming-of-age drama. Its English version The Last Show will be distributed in the US by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Naatu Naatu From RRR Make To Oscar

Also, SS Rajamouli’s RRR has submitted itself for consideration in various Oscar categories. It is competing for two awards at the Golden Globes next month – Best Non-English Film and Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu. The movie has been released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam across the globe.

Two films in the Documentary Feature Film category – All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperer – have also been shortlisted from India.

What Is India’s Record At Oscars?

In recent years, India has sent many movies to the Oscars but none of them succeeded in making it to the Oscars. So far only three Indian movies – Mother India, Salaam Bombay, and Lagaan – have been … Read the rest

Why Elon Musk Won’t Resign From Twitter?

Keeping his promise of stepping down as chief executive of Twitter on public demand, Elon Musk said that he was ready to step down as soon as a replacement is available. Musk ran a poll on Saturday and offered to step down on Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Elon Musk offered to resign from Twitter following a poll result
• Tesla management also wants Elon Musk to focus on the electric vehicle business

What Was The Saturday Poll On Musk’s Resignation?

On Saturday evening, Elon Musk launched a poll on whether he should resign from Twitter. Also, he promised to abide by the poll results. And the results were astonishing. A total of 17.5 million participated in the poll and 57.5% of the voters said “Yes”.

The results are out on Sunday and Elon Musk offered to resign on Tuesday on the condition that there should be a suitable replacement for the top post.

Why Did Musk Ask For A Poll On His Resignation?

Tesla management was also questioning Musk’s involvement in social media and how his focus on Twitter was distracting him from running the EV maker. Also, Elon Musk has admitted that he has too much on his plate and that he would look for a CEO for Twitter.

How Is Musk Looking For His Replacement On Twitter?

Musk Looking For His Replacement On Twitter

Presently there is no successor in sight and no one is ready to take the responsibility of keeping Twitter alive. But Musk won’t relinquish all his responsibilities. He will keep some key divisions … Read the rest

US Asks Bilawal Bhutto To Start A Constructive Dialogue Instead Of A War Of Words With India

The US on Monday said it wanted India and Pakistan to start a constructive dialogue after the recent outburst against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in New York.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A top US official took serious note of Bilawal Butto’s outburst against Narendra Modi
• The US said it shared a multifaceted relationship with India and Pakistan
• The official said that they would travel to India during the G20 summit

What Did the US Say About Indo-US Relations?

US Asks Bilawal Bhutto To Start A Constructive Dialogue

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price was asked about the recent outburst against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in New York during his daily news briefing on Monday. He said the US shared multifaceted relationships with India and Pakistan and didn’t want to see a “war of words” but a constructive dialogue between the two nations for the betterment of their people.

He asserted that there were differences that, of course, needed to be addressed between India and Pakistan. The United States stood ready to assist as a partner to both.

Price said countries the world over welcomed when Prime Minister Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin this summer that that was not the era of war while responding to another question.

He further said that for decades, Russia was prepared to be a partner to India in a way that the US at the time was not. Of course, that had changed in recent decades.

He noted that the bipartisan legacy of the last several administrations, especially of former US President George W Bush made the US a partner of “first resort” for India.

Price … Read the rest

An Overjoyed Messi Dances With The Trophy On A Table

A video of Lionel Messi dancing with the World Cup trophy on a table inside the dressing room is going viral. Argentina forward led his team to victory in the final match against defending champion France. Also, he won the golden ball award.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lionel Messi celebrated his World Cup victory by dancing with the trophy
• He made a new world record for most World Cup appearances
• He also became the ‘Player of the Tournament

Why Was Lionel Messi Dancing With The World Cup Trophy?

Argentina won the World Cup in the penalty shootout with 4-2 goals. While the defending champion France played well with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick for France, the Les Bleus couldn’t defend their goalpost from Messi’s attack. But Kylian Mbappe became the second player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Lionel Messi scored two goals for Argentina and even converted a penalty into a goal to lead his team to victory and became the ‘Player of the Tournament’.

What Was Messi’s World Cup Score?

Lionel Messi scored 7 goals in the World Cup just one short of Mbappe. But he made a new world record for most World Cup appearances with his 26th appearance in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Also, he has 13 goals in World Cup history.

Messi was given the Golden Ball award for the second time in World Cup history. The first time he won the award was in 2014 even when Argentina lost to Germany in … Read the rest

Will Elon Musk Unsuspend Journalists On Public Demand?

Elon Musk responds to the poll results on the suspension of several journalists belonging to prominent organizations including CNN, The New York Times, and the Washington Post. Musk had suspended journalists following the recent policy of prohibiting sharing of live location information.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Elon Musk accused several journalists from prominent media houses of endangering his family
• Now Twitter has a policy prohibiting sharing of live location information
• In a poll result, 43% of users voted to revive suspended accounts of journalists Now

What Was The Incident That Led To The Suspension Of Journalists?

Elon Musk first suspended an account that tracked his private jet. The Twitter boss called the move necessary, especially after “a crazy stalker” followed a car carrying one of his children in Los Angeles. He even blamed the account tracking his jet for following his kids.

Musk said that any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone would be suspended, as it was a physical safety violation. That includes posting links to sites with real-time location info. Posting locations someone traveled to on a slightly delayed basis wasn’t a safety problem, so was ok.

Soon after Musk suspended the accounts of half-a-dozen journalists from prominent organizations after some of them reported on the suspension of the jet tracker. He called them “assassination coordinates” for his family but furnished no claim for the blame.

Elon Musk Unsuspend Journalists On Public Demand

What

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FIFA World Cup 2022: France VS Argentina Betting Odds

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has come to its conclusion with the defending champion France taking on the top contender Argentina which has performed well throughout the group stage matches. While it is an equal opportunity for both the contestants, France is more hopeful of repeating the success and retaining the championship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The FIFA World Cup final match will be played on Sunday between France and Argentina
• France hasn’t lost its firepower despite missing some major players
• Argentina is relying heavily on Messi

France

Strength: Les Bleus have the quick-strike ability needed to keep the pressure on the contesting teams. France will indeed miss some of its star players but it is also true that the existing players, especially Kylian Mbappe are doing fairly well. With five goals, Mbappe is the top contender for the Golden Boot followed by Olivier Giroud who’s scored four goals in the tournament. Another French player Antoine Griezmann is known for creating more scoring opportunities than any other player in the World Cup.

Weakness: France is relying more on quick-strike than ball possession and it could be a drawback as was seen during the semi-final match with Morocco. The Morocco team kept the French team under pressure throughout the match with their ball control skills.

FIFA World Cup 2022: France VS Argentina

Argentina

Strength: Argentina has Lionel Messi who can keep major French players engaged. Also, Argentina needs to be a little bit more defensive to prevent French players from attacking.

Weakness: France has many attacking players that could send the entire Argentina squad into a defensive shell.

Conclusion

Considering the strength of the contesting teams, it can be … Read the rest

Pakistan Had No Right To Sermonize UN Said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said a country that hosted slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and attacked a neighbouring Parliament does not have the credentials to “sermonize” in the power UN council.

HIGHLIGHTS

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto raised the Kashmir issue in the UN council
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave a strong worded response to Pakistan
Mr Jaishankar was at the UN to preside over two signature vents of the UN council

How Did Pakistan Raise Kashmir Issue In The UN?

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto raised the Kashmir issue when India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, was chairing the debate on reformed multilateralism.

What Did Mr Jaishankar Say In Response To Bhutto?

Mr Jaishankar Say In Response To Bhutto

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the question of justifying what the world regards as unacceptable should not even arise. That certainly applies to state sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Nor can hosting Osama bin Laden and attacking a neighbouring Parliament serve as credentials to sermonize before this Council.

Mr Jaishankar was chairing two signature events on counter-terrorism and reformed multilateralism being held under India’s current Presidency of the UN Security Council. India’s two-year tenure as an elected member of the powerful 15-nation will end this month.

Tension between India and Pakistan ran high after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 in August 2019. Also, India made it clear to the world that it was an internal matter. The country also advised Pakistan to accept the reality as the neighboring country was doing anti-India propaganda.

Source:- https://bit.ly/3j02pwR

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