China And Russia Invest $1.4 Billion In Lithium Plants In Bolivia

China and Russia will invest $1.4 billion in lithium projects in Bolivia, a South American nation with vast reserves of the metal crucial for batteries to power electric vehicles, the government said on Thursday.

China's Citic Guoan and Russia's Uranium One Group, both with strong state participation, will partner with Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) to install two lithium carbonate plants, President Luis Arce said at a public event.

As the world shifts toward cleaner energy, lithium has become more important due to its use in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for vehicles and in renewable energy storage systems.

Bolivian, Chinese and Russian representatives of the three companies were present at the signing of the agreement.

In January Arce's government signed another agreement with the Chinese consortium Catl Brunp & Cmoc (CBC) to install two lithium battery plants. CBC pledged an investment of at least $1 billion.

According to the government's presentation, Uranium One Group will invest $578 million in a plant in the Pastos Grandes salt flats and China's Citic Guoan $857 million in a second plant north of the Uyuni salt flats, both in the southwest Andean department of Potosi.

The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy said in a statement that "each of the complexes will have the capacity to produce up to 25,000 metric tons per year."

Construction of the plants will begin in the next three months.

Bolivia has certified its lithium reserves in the Uyuni salt flats at 21 million tons and assures that it is the world's biggest source.

Despite its huge reserves, Bolivia has struggled to exploit its lithium, partly due to geography, political tensions and lack of technical know-how.

The Ministry of Hydrocarbons reported last January that by 2025 it expects to export $5 billion of lithium, which would exceed its earnings from natural gas, which in 2022 generated revenues of $3.4 billion and is the country's main source of income.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Saree Not Sorry These Women Prove Saree-bound Barriers Are For Breaking

For many, the six-yard drape is usually a festive favourite. For others, however, it is about taking traditionally-believed functionality constraints to new levels. From running in a saree to exercising in one of them, women today are breaking set stereotypical standards of the garment. Here's a look at some incredible women who will inspire you to believe anything is possible, even while wearing a saree. 

Also Read: Break Dancing In A Saree And Heels? This Woman's Viral Dance Video Proves It's Possible

1. Exercising In A Saree

Many would question if this is possible and yes it is. Reena Singh, a fitness enthusiast makes the most of a saree when she works out. She broke all self-imposed limitations as she was seen exercising in a viral video. She inspired many to not just maintain a fitness regimen but also bring traditional attire to use when doing so.

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A post shared by Reena Singh (@reenasinghfitness)

2. Gymnastics In A Saree

It was Parul Arora, a 24-year-old gymnast who took her saree game to another level when she did a backflip in the saree. Her video went viral on Twitter and received a tremendously positive reaction from the internet.

Congratulations @parul_cutearora
This is wow.....pic.twitter.com/iw0bJa5mbi

— Hoshiyar Singh (@MichaelHoshiyar) March 28, 2021

Also Read: Working Out In A Saree? Yes It Is Possible And This Woman Proves It

3. Running In A Saree

Comfort is key especially when it comes to running but Madhusmita Jena went another route to make a statement instead when she wore a khandua pata saree in a bright shade of red. Originating from Odisha, she embraced her culture as she decided to run the 2023 Manchester Marathon.

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A post shared by Pure Odisha (@pure_odisha)

4. Split In A Saree

Who would have imagined this? It was dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar who literally stunned the internet when her video went viral which showed her performing splits, backflips and more with literal ease. What really took the internet by storm was her ability to perform in a saree. She captioned the video as, "The things we can do in a well-draped saree.

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A post shared by Rukmini Vijayakumar (@dancerukmini)

Also Read: It Was A Gloomy Day Until Shanaya Kapoor Painted It Red In Her Saree

5. Football In Saree

These women showed that you can even play football in a saree. They broke all stereotypes with their choice of attire, truly embracing strength and femininity. In the viral video, the women were seen kicking the ball in sarees across the ground while the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Absolutely an inspiration for many.

'When drape can signify both strength and femininity!'

A group of women turned football players in Gwalior recently. They were spectacular on the field with their athletic skills. It was a 2 day tournament.

The tournament was called "Goal in Saree".pic.twitter.com/18N36cpqQJ

— Naturally Sudhaish (@NaturallySudha) March 29, 2023

Also Read: This All-Woman, Saree-Clad Rock Band Is Breaking Style And Gender Barriers

These women are motivating enough for us to get our saree game even stronger!

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IMF And Pakistan Forge $3 Billion Stand-By Deal To Aid Economic Stability

Pakistan could get temporary relief for its ballooning foreign debt with a new stand-by arrangement worth $3 billion announced by the IMF in Washington on Thursday.

The economy has been stricken by a balance-of-payments crisis as it attempts to service crippling external debt, while months of political chaos have scared off potential foreign investment.

Inflation has rocketed, the rupee has plummeted and the country can no longer afford imports, causing a severe decline in industrial output.

"I am pleased to announce that the IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on a nine-month standby arrangement in the amount of SDR2,250 million (about $3 billion)," said IMF official Nathan Porter in a statement.

The figure represents 111 percent of Pakistan's International Monetary Fund quota.

The deal will need to be approved by the IMF's executive board by mid-July, Porter said.

Pakistan's negotiations with the IMF for the last tranche of a $6.5 billion bailout package agreed in 2019 have stalled since November, with the government making last-minute changes to the national budget to try to meet the deal's requirements.

That package expires on Friday, and the new agreement builds on the IMF's efforts under the previous deal, Porter said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Elderly Woman Put Into Chokehold As Burglary Suspect Pulls Her Into Home

A man in Houston, Texas, was captured on doorbell camera putting an elderly woman into a chokehold during a robbery. The suspect, identified as 61-year-old Melvin Walker by Houston Police, approached the 86-year-old woman at around 9am on Monday while she was watering the plants. The police posted the footage showing the front door area of a home in the 4800 block of Robertson Street on its Twitter handle. It later posted an update saying the suspect is in custody and will be charged in connection with the assault.

Walker looks toward the street before quickly closing in on the woman and wrapping his arms around her neck.

WANTED: Do you recognize this male suspect? He's accused of assaulting an 86-year-old female and burglarizing her home in the 4800 block of Robertson Street today (June 26).

Tips about his identity: Call @hpdrobbery at 713-308-0700 or @CrimeStopHOU at 13-222-TIPS.#HouNews pic.twitter.com/QIabMWTTJE

— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) June 26, 2023

She tried to free herself from the chokehold but Walker takes her inside the house forcibly. Police said the woman was hospitalised for her injuries.

"The suspect is in custody and will be charged in yesterday's assault. We thank the community for helping us ID him," the Houston Police said in a tweet on Wednesday.

New York Post said it is not clear what Walker stole from the woman's house. He was spotted escaping towards the street with a blue towel over his head.

The outlet also cited Harrison County Sheriff's Office to say that the suspect was arrested the same day and charged with evading arrest, unauthorised use of motor vehicle and possession of a weapon.

Later, charges of burglary and aggravated robbery were also added.

ABC News said Walker was inside the home till 11.45am.

The police also said that he was involved in multiple crimes across two days, but did not release the details of his other acts.

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"Godfather Of AI" Asks Governments To Stop Takeover Of Society By Machines

Geoffrey Hinton, one of the so-called godfathers of artificial intelligence, urged governments on Wednesday to step in and make sure that machines do not take control of society.

Hinton made headlines in May when he announced that he quit Google after a decade of work to speak more freely on the dangers of AI, shortly after the release of ChatGPT captured the imagination of the world.

The highly respected AI scientist, who is based at the University of Toronto, was speaking to a packed audience at the Collision tech conference in the Canadian city.

The conference brought together more than 30,000 startup founders, investors and tech workers, most looking to learn how to ride the AI wave and not hear a lesson on its dangers.

"Before AI is smarter than us, I think the people developing it should be encouraged to put a lot of work into understanding how it might try and take control away," Hinton said.

"Right now there are 99 very smart people trying to make AI better and one very smart person trying to figure out how to stop it taking over and maybe you want to be more balanced," he said.

Hinton warned that the risks of AI should be taken seriously despite his critics who believe he is overplaying the risks.

"I think it's important that people understand that this is not science fiction, this is not just fear mongering," he insisted. "It is a real risk that we must think about, and we need to figure out in advance how to deal with it."

Hinton also expressed concern that AI would deepen inequality, with the massive productivity gain from its deployment going to the benefit of the rich, and not workers.

"The wealth isn't going to go to the people doing the work. It is going to go into making the rich richer and not the poorer and that's very bad for society," he added.

He also pointed to the danger of fake news created by ChatGPT-style bots and said he hoped that AI-generated content could be marked in a way similar to how central banks watermark cash money.

"It's very important to try, for example, to mark everything that is fake as fake. Whether we can do that technically, I don't know," he said.

The European Union is considering such a technique in its AI Act, a legislation that will set the rules for AI in Europe, which is currently being negotiated by lawmakers.

 'Overpopulation on Mars'

Hinton's list of AI dangers contrasted with conference discussions that were less over safety and threats, and more about seizing the opportunity created in the wake of ChatGPT.

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo said doom and gloom talk of AI as an existential threat was premature and compared it to "talking about overpopulation on Mars", quoting another AI guru, Andrew Ng.

She also warned against "regulatory capture" that would see government intervention protect the incumbents before it had a chance to benefit sectors such as health, education or science.

Opinions differed on whether the current generative AI giants -- mainly Microsoft backed OpenAI and Google -- would remain unmatched or whether new actors will expand the field with their own models and innovations.

"In five years, I still imagine that if you want to go and find the best, most accurate, most advanced general model, you're probably going to still have to go to one of the few companies that have the capital to do it," said Leigh Marie Braswell of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

Zachary Bratun-Glennon of Gradient Ventures said he foresaw a future where "there are going to be millions of models across a network much like we have a network of websites today."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mouse Head Found In Lunchbox In China Hospital Second Incident In A Month

For the second time in a month, a mouse head has been found in a lunch box meal of a cafeteria in China, state media reported on Tuesday, sparking online witticisms and a larger debate about food safety in the country.

The head of a rodent was found in a lunch box in the cafeteria of Xiushan county's traditional Chinese medicine hospital, according to state media, citing a statement from the market regulation bureau of the county in Chongqing municipality.

A video posted online showed the mouse head in a dish of moyuya, or duck stewed with konjac, a local specialty, according to China Daily.

The hospital said its cafeteria catering is outsourced to a third-party provider through government bidding and had never encountered such an issue before, according to the report that cited local media.

When contacted by Reuters, a hospital official who did not want to be identified by name, told Reuters to refer to an "official report", without elaborating.

It was the second time a mouse head had apparently found its way into a dish this month after a student at Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College in Nanchang posted a video of "an object with teeth, eyes and nose" in his rice dish at a college cafeteria on June 1, according to the South China Morning Post.

Officials at the college could not be immediately reached.

On social media, people expressed concerns over food security following the two incidents.

"From now on, cafeterias should install cameras and play surveillance video at the dining hall," said one user on China's Twitter-like site Weibo.

In 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation said 518,600 cases of food safety violations were investigated and dealt with nationwide.

Although food safety in China has improved in recent years, inspections by market regulators of products last year did find problems more common among agricultural products and in the catering industry, according to state media.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Celebrity Chef John Mountain Bans Vegans From His Restaurant

The vegan diet is one of the fastest-spreading diet trends that the world is leaning towards. Whether it's health factors or environmental reasons, veganism is gaining a lot of popularity. Once again the topic has kept the internet abuzz. This after a top British chef, John Mountain, decided to ban all people, who follow veganism, from his restaurant Fyre. Announcing the news through his restaurant's Instagram page, the chef cited “mental health reasons” to be the basis of this drastic decision. However, in his conversation with Australia's PerthNow, chef John claimed that this “ban was prompted by a fiery complaint by a vegan customer that became personal.” But soon after he decided to ban vegans, Chef John reportedly implemented a booking fee.
Also Read: Butter Chicken, Tikka In List Of World's Best-Rated Chicken Dishes

While unveiling his drastic decision to the world, Fyre wrote in a post, “Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre (for mental health reasons). We thank you for your understanding.” The post was shared with the caption, “Yep. I'm done” and hashtags “vegan, not, please go elsewhere, vegan free zone, and no more vegans.”

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A post shared by Fyre (@fyrerestaurant)

Also Read: Chocolate Golgappa: The Latest Bizarre Food That Is Making The Internet Cringe
The decision to ban vegans was a result of John Mountain's encounter with a young girl at his restaurant. In his conversation with the Australian portal, Chef John revealed that the girl reached out to him questioning the vegan options in his restaurant. PerthNow quoted John Mountain as saying, “It was my only shortfall… I said I would accommodate her, I said we had gnocchi, vegetables… and that was that.” He continued that on the same day, his restaurant was catering a private dinner party, and because of this he completely forgot about that vegan girl. The next day that girl reportedly complained about the lack of vegan food through a Facebook message.

She wrote, “My only option was the vegetable dish… it was okay but not that filling… and I was shocked to see it was $32. I think it's incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef.” She continued by claiming that she wishes to see some improvement in his menu. She added that “I have lived in Connolly for quite some time and have seen many restaurants come and go from that building and none of them last.” Chef John said that his restaurant was swamped under one-star Google reviews overnight. However, later it picked up to 4.3 stars.

Also Read: Industrialist Harsh Goenka Shares Pics Of His Yummy Monsoon Breakfast

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35 Catholic Priests To Be Investigated Over Sex Abuse Allegations In Bolivia

Bolivian prosecutors are investigating 35 members of the Catholic Church after more than a dozen victims accused them of sexual abuse, authorities said Tuesday.

The statement comes as the country is reeling from confessions of abuse that were found in the personal diary of a Spanish priest who died in Bolivia in 2009 after decades of service there.

"At present, 35 people are accused and under investigation," Daniela Caceres, a department head at the Bolivian attorney general's office, told a press conference.

"We have 17 people, identified victims, but out of respect and as a precaution for the protection of the victims, we are not going to give specific details," she added.

Prosecutors opened an investigation following a report by the Spanish daily El Pais in April about the late Spanish priest Alfonso Pedrajas, whose diary indicated that he had abused more than 80 minors in Bolivia, where he had lived since the early 1970s.

Pedrajas also noted in his journal that senior clergy had known about his crimes and kept quiet.

Prosecutors on Tuesday confirmed that a copy of Pedrajas' diary had been delivered to them by the Society of Jesus in Bolivia.

But Caceres said the diary was not complete, with some pages skipped and some passages crossed out and erased.

She said Bolivian authorities will try to obtain the complete document or request the cooperation of Spanish prosecutors.

In a letter released in mid-June by Bolivian President Luis Arce, Pope Francis expressed his "shame and dismay" at the sexual abuse committed by the clerics and vowed to shed light on what happened.

Arce's government has discussed with the Vatican the need to improve controls to prevent priests with a history of sex offenses from entering the country.

The Catholic Church has also set up four commissions to receive and process complaints.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Terrifying Video Shows Shark Biting Man's Hand And Dragging Him Into Water

A video has captured the terrifying moment when a shark bit a fisherman and pulled him into the water in Florida's Everglades National Park. The incident happened on Friday when the man leaned over the side of the boat to wash his hands.

A video of the attack shared on social media shows a bull shark leaping out of the water to bite the fisherman's hand. The shark then drags the man off the boat into the water, following which his fellow fishermen rush to pull him back on the boat.

The incident was caught on camera by another man in the boat named Michael who shared the video on Instagram and said it was one of the "scariest days" he ever had.

''After releasing a snook elarjan washed his hands in the water and was immediately bit by a large bull shark. There was no chum or blood in the water and the sharks were unprovoked. The sharks are no joke in the Everglades and the warnings about keeping your hands out of the water are not an exaggeration. Please take this as a lesson and keep your hands out of the water because this could have been prevented,'' he wrote in the caption.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by THEQUALIFIEDCAPTAIN (@thequalifiedcaptain)

After the incident, the man was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center. Park rangers and EMTs who treated the man said his injuries were consistent with a shark bite. However, details on his hand injury or current condition have not been released.

"While shark bites are extremely uncommon in Everglades National Park, we always recommend visitors take caution around park wildlife," the National Park Service said. Tourists are also reminded to watch out for alligators, crocodiles, venomous snakes, and other predators common to the area. 

 According to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, there were 57 unprovoked shark bites around the world last year. Five resulted in death.

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New Expedition Aims To Find Out Which Is Longer Amazon Or Nile

What's the longest river in the world, the Nile or the Amazon? The question has fueled a heated debate for years. Now, an expedition into the South American jungle aims to settle it for good.

Using boats run on solar energy and pedal power, an international team of explorers plans to set off in April 2024 to the source of the Amazon in the Peruvian Andes, then travel nearly 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) across Colombia and Brazil, to the massive river's mouth on the Atlantic.

"The main objective is to map the river and document the biodiversity" of the surrounding ecosystems, the project's coordinator, Brazilian explorer Yuri Sanada, told AFP.

The team also plans to make a documentary on the expedition.

Around 10 people are known to have traveled the full length of the Amazon in the past, but none have done it with those objectives, says Sanada, who runs film production company Aventuras (Adventures) with his wife, Vera.

The Amazon, the pulsing aorta of the world's biggest rainforest, has long been recognized as the largest river in the world by volume, discharging more than the Nile, the Yangtze and the Mississippi combined.

But there is a decades-old geographical dispute over whether it or the Nile is longer, made murkier by methodological issues and a lack of consensus on a very basic question: where the Amazon starts and ends.

The Guinness Book of World Records awards the title to the African river.

But "which is the longer is more a matter of definition than simple measurement," it adds in a note.

The Encyclopedia Britannica gives the length of the Nile as 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles), to 6,400 kilometers (3,977 miles) for the Amazon, measuring the latter from the headwaters of the Apurimac river in southern Peru.

In 2014, US neuroscientist and explorer James "Rocky" Contos developed an alternative theory, putting the source of the Amazon farther away, at the Mantaro river in northern Peru.

If accepted, that would mean the Amazon "is actually 77 kilometers longer than what geographers had thought previously," he told AFP.

Rafts, horses, solar canoes

Sanada's expedition will trace both the Apurimac and Mantaro sources.

One group, guided by Contos, will travel down the Mantaro by white-water rafting. The other will travel the banks of the Apurimac on horseback with French explorer Celine Cousteau, granddaughter of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.

At the point where the rivers converge, Sanada and two other explorers will embark on the longest leg of the journey, traveling in three custom-made, motorized canoes powered by solar panels and pedals, equipped with a sensor to measure distance.

"We'll be able to make a much more precise measurement," Sanada says.

The explorers plan to transfer the sustainable motor technology to local Indigenous groups, he adds.

The expedition is backed by international groups including The Explorers Club and the Harvard map collection.

Worse things than snakes

The adventurers will traverse terrain inhabited by anacondas, alligators and jaguars -- but none of that scares Sanada, he says.

"I'm most afraid of drug traffickers and illegal miners," he says.

The boats will be outfitted with a bulletproof cabin, and the team is negotiating with authorities to obtain an armed escort for the most dangerous zones.

If the expedition is successful, it may be replicated on the Nile.

Sanada says the debate on the world's longest river may never be settled. But he is glad the "race" is drawing attention to the Amazon rainforest's natural riches and the need to protect it as one of the planet's key buffers against climate change.

"The Amazon is (here), but the consequences of destroying it and the duty to preserve it are everyone's," he says.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Norwegian Ambassador Tries Golgappas Says He Is Now A 'Proper Dilliwala'

Every Indian city has a set of foods that practically form its identity. For Mumbai, it would be vada pav while for Indore it would be poha jalebi. A trip to these Indian cities would be incomplete without trying these delicious foods. And it turns out that we are not alone in thinking this! Recently, the Norwegian Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Hans Jacob Frydenlund, took to Twitter to share glimpses of his 'Golgappa Saturday'. The diplomat tried the yummy treat at Delhi's South Extension market and he said it made him a 'proper dilliwala'. Take a look at the tweet he shared:

It's a #golgappa Saturday at South extension market! Or pani puri? Or what should I call it? No matter what it's called, it's yum! I am turning into a proper dilliwala now. What else should I try? Any suggestions? 😀 🇳🇴🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/rxmt0QhPby

— Ambassador Hans Jacob Frydenlund (@NorwayAmbIndia) June 24, 2023

Also Read: Japanese Ambassador Eats Litti Chokha, Golgappa And Banarsi Paan - See Pics
"It's a Golgappa Saturday at South extension market! Or pani puri? Or what should I call it," asked Frydenlund in his tweet. "No matter what it's called, it's yum! I am turning into a proper dilliwala now. What else should I try? Any suggestions," he added.
Shared on June 24, the tweet by the Norwegian ambassador has received over 184k views and thousands of comments and likes. "I hope you enjoyed the tangy taste, a great appetiser," wrote one user. "When in Bengaluru, remember me, I will treat you to wonderful ghee dosa and awesome filter coffee," said another one. Meanwhile, a few others recommended what else he could try in Delhi. "Chole bhature, Sitaram, Paharganj, Delhi," said one user.
Meanwhile, another Twitter user named Vikram Sathaye came up with an interesting suggestion for the Norwegian ambassador. "Sir let's develop a joint dish called Norwegian Salmon Gol Gappa to further consolidate the relationship between our countries," he wrote on Twitter. The diplomat took to Twitter to reply, "Ceviche made of salmon in a puri would be a treat and an excellent Indo-Norwegian-South-American fusion." Take a look at the Twitter exchange:

Ceviche made of salmon in a puri would be a treat and an excellent Indo-Norwegian-South-American fusion😋😋 https://t.co/W6VMA0wpmT

— Ambassador Hans Jacob Frydenlund (@NorwayAmbIndia) June 24, 2023

What did you think of the amazing Delhi street food discussion by the Norwegian diplomat? Tell us in the comments.

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Cheteshwar Pujara's Short Message After Test Snub Leaves Twitter Emotional

Cheteshwar Pujara took to Twitter to post a video of his batting along with a short message just a day after he was dropped from the India's Test squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies. The exclusion of Pujara prompted a massive discussion among fans and experts with several of them criticising the selectors for singling out the veteran for the failures of Indian batters in the WTC final. Pujara did not have a good outing in the match. In the post he shared on social media, the right-handed batter could be seen playing a number of shots at the crease. He added just two emojis along with his Twitter post.

pic.twitter.com/TubsOu3Fah

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) June 24, 2023

Earlier, legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar had his say about Pujara's exclusion from the side.

"Why has he been dropped? Why has he been made the scapegoat for our batting failures. He has been a loyal servant of India cricket. A loyal and quiet servant. A loyal and quiet achiever. But because he does not have millions of followers on platforms who will make a noise in case he gets dropped, you drop him. That is something beyond understanding. What is the criteria of dropping him and keeping the others who failed? I do not know because nowadays, there is no media interaction with the selection committee chairman," Gavaskar said in an interaction with Sports Today.

Best of luck for comeback

— Shubman Gang (@ShubmanGang) June 24, 2023

Not finished

— Naveen (@_naveenish) June 24, 2023

Comeback stronger like Rahane and ignore all comments including mine

— Mr Wrong / Cr7 & Abd (@wrong_huihui) June 24, 2023

"He has been playing country cricket. So, he has played a lot of red-call cricket and he knows what it is about. Today, people can play till they are 39-40 years old and as long as you are producing runs, I do not think age should be a factor. Apart from (Ajinkya) Rahane, the batting completely failed. Why Pujara has been made the fall guy is something the selectors will have to explain," he added.

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US Woman Shoots Uber Driver After Wrongly Believing She Was Being Kidnapped

A woman in the United States who shot her Uber driver after mistakenly believing she was being kidnapped is facing murder charges. According to New York Post, the incident took place in Texas on Friday, June 16. The woman, identified as 48-year-old Phoebe Copas, shot her driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, after she wrongly thought he was kidnapping her to Mexico. 

Ms Copas is charged with felony aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. She is being held on a $1.5 million bond, El Paso police said in a statement. The family of the driver, on the other hand, said he was taken off life support on Wednesday. 

According to the outlet, Ms Copas, who is from Kentucky, was in Texas visiting her boyfriend. She called an Uber to take her to visit her boyfriend at a local casino after he got off work. However, the 48-year-old then allegedly became worried when she saw highway signs for "Juarez, Mexico". 

Also Read | South Korean Woman Killed Her Newborns, Stored Them In Freezer For Years: Cops

Ms Copas claims that's what led her to believe she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico. She pulled out a revolver from her bag and shot the 52-year-old driver in the back of the head and wrist, causing the car to crash. Before calling the cops, Ms Copas even took a photo of the incident and sent it to her boyfriend, People reported. 

"The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas' destination," police said, as per the outlet. "His passenger shot him in the head because she believed he was kidnapping her and taking her to Juarez, which was not the case," the driver's wife separately said in an online post, adding, "Daniel was simply following the route from the Uber app". 

Speaking to a local media outlet, Uber said that the company was "horrified" by the rider's actions. "Violence is not tolerated on the Uber platform and we banned the rider as soon as we were made aware of what occurred," a spokesperson for the company added. 
 

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"Dying For The Russian People:" Mercenary Group Chief From Inside Army HQ

The head of the Wagner mercenary group on Saturday said he had crossed into Russia and seized control of a key military headquarters, vowing to topple Moscow's military leadership and saying he and his 25,000 fighters were "ready to die".

Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, said his forces, who have spearheaded much of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, had entered the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and controlled its military sites.

"We are inside the (army) headquarters, it is 7:30 am (0430 GMT)," Prigozhin said in a video on Telegram. 

"Military sites in Rostov, including an aerodrome, are under control," he added.

Russia's military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don are a key logistical base for its offensive in Ukraine.

Prigozhin said planes taking part in the Ukraine offensive "are leaving as normal" from the airfield, and called on Russians not to believe what they were being told on state television.

"A huge amount of territory is lost. Soldiers have been killed three, four times more than it says in documents shown to the top (leadership)."

Videos and pictures posted online, including by the TASS state-run news agency, showed armed men surrounding administrative buildings in Rostov and tanks deployed in the city centre. It was not clear who the armed men were.

President Vladimir Putin was due to make a televised address on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

Russian authorities earlier said security had been tightened in several regions, and the mayor of Moscow announced that "anti-terrorist" measures were being taken in the capital and its environs.

The FSB security service accused Prigozhin of attempting to launch a "civil conflict" and urged Wagner fighters to detain him.

Russia's defence ministry appealed to Wagner fighters to "show reason" and abandon Prigozhin, saying it would "guarantee the safety" of those who did so.

Prigozhin launched the most audacious challenge to Putin since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year after accusing the Russian top brass of launching strikes against his men.

"We are dying for the Russian people," he said. "All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000," he said in the earlier audio message.

"We will destroy everything that stands in our way," Prigozhin said, claiming that his forces had shot down a Russian military helicopter.

In Moscow, critical facilities were "under reinforced protection", TASS reported, citing a law enforcement source.

Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov had informed Putin of "the initiation of a criminal case in connection with an attempt to organise an armed rebellion", Kremlin spokesman Peskov said.

- Missile strikes -

The extraordinary developments came after Prigozhin accused Moscow of targeting his forces with missile strikes that he said killed "a huge number of our fighters".

"The council of commanders of PMC Wagner has made a decision -- the evil that the military leadership of the country brings must be stopped," he said in a series of furious audio messages released by his spokespeople.

He warned Russians against resisting his forces and called on them to join him.

"We need to put an end to this mess," he said, adding, "this is not a military coup, but a march of justice."

In a statement, the FSB said: "Prigozhin's statements and actions are in fact a call to start an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and a stab in the back to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces."

While Prigozhin's outfit has been at the forefront of much of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, he has in recent months engaged in a bitter feud with Moscow's military leadership and has repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters' deaths.

- 'Urge you to stop' -

The Russian defence ministry denied Prigozhin's claims of an attack on his forces, saying the statements "do not correspond to reality".

It later said Ukrainian troops were taking advantage of the infighting to ready an assault near the eastern hotspot of Bakhmut.

A prominent Russian general urged Prigozhin to call off efforts to remove the defence ministry leadership.

"I urge you to stop," Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russia's aerospace forces, said in a highly unusual video address.

"Before it is too late, it is necessary... to obey the will and order of the popularly elected president of the Russian Federation."

Anti-Kremlin figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, however, urged Russians to support Prigozhin, saying it was acceptable to back "even the devil" in taking on the Kremlin.

Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said the Wagner chief's attempt to force a leadership change in the defence ministry "is unlikely to succeed" given that Surovikin had denounced his call for rebellion.

However, it said Wagner's attempts to take control of Rostov-on-Don, a key logistical base for Russia's offensive in Ukraine, "would have significant impacts on Russia's war effort in Ukraine".

Kyiv's defence ministry said it was monitoring the situation, while Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukraine's president, said on Twitter that "everything is just beginning in Russia".

Ukraine was also on high alert after a fresh barrage of Russian missiles Saturday, with casualties and damage reported in Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro.

US President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation in Russia and Washington "will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments", National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said.

On Friday, Prigozhin said Moscow's forces were retreating in Ukraine's east and south following the start of Kyiv's counteroffensive early this month. That directly contradicted Putin's account that Ukraine was suffering "catastrophic" losses and that there was a lull in fighting.

- Questioning military operation -

After years of operating in the shadows, Prigozhin eventually admitted to running the elusive mercenary group Wagner and even interfering in US elections.

His forces, bolstered by tens of thousands of prison recruits, played a central role in Russia's capture of Bakhmut in the longest and bloodiest battle of the conflict.

However, this week, he accused Moscow's top brass of deceiving Russians about the offensive in Ukraine.

"Why did the special military operation begin?" he said. "The war was needed for the self-promotion of a bunch of bastards."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/avOorEc

Dharmendra's Post For Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani Co-Star Alia

Veteran actor Dharmendra has shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse from the sets of his upcoming film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The film, which marks Karan Johar's comeback as a director, stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. In the picture shared by Dharmendra, he and Alia are seen looking at an iPad. For the side note,  he wrote, “Friends, Loving Alia is showing me glimpses of my romantic past. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.” Replying to the post, Dharmendra's son, actor Sunny Deol dropped red hearts. 

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A post shared by Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam)

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani will hit the theatres on July 28. Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi are also part of the film. The teaser was released earlier this week. Karan Johar, at the time of sharing the teaser, wrote, “Presenting to you the first glimpse of a piece of my heart - #RockyAurRaniKiiPremKahaani! I'm thrilled and super excited to finally let it unfurl for you all to see...watch...and give love!!”

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A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar)

Ranveer Singh, who plays Rocky in the film, also introduced us to his family. Sharing the poster, he wrote, “Introducing the gems of this 'prem kahaani' - the Randhawas and the Chatterjee.” The Randhawas aka Ranveer Singh's family features Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Aamir Bashir, Kshitee Jog and Anjali Anand. In the next slide, we can see Alia Bhatt's Rani and the Chatterjees, played by Shabana Azmi, Tota Roy Choudhury, Namit Das and Churni Ganguly.

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A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh)

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani marks Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt's second collaboration. The two have previously shared the screen space in Gully Boys. Apart from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Alia Bhatt is gearing up for her Hollywood debut with Heart Of Stone. The film also stars Gal Gadot. 

from NDTV News- Topstories https://ift.tt/REh9AwY