NEW DELHIn VOL. XCVII NO. 124n PRICE ₹2.50 n 6 PAGES.
Wednesday26.05.2021hindustantimes.com.htpacehtschooltimes
CITY LIGHTS
US will aid Gaza without helping Hamas, says BlinkenJERUSALEM: US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken pledged on a MiddleEast mission on Tuesday that Wash-ington would rally support to rebuildGaza as part of efforts to bolster aceasefire between its Hamas Islamistrulers and Israel. But Blinken madeclear that the United States intendedto ensure that Hamas, which itregards as a terrorist organisation, didnot benefit from the humanitarian aid– a potentially difficult task in anenclave over which it has a stronggrip. Blinken began his regional visitin Jerusalem, where he held talks withPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The truce began on Friday after 11 daysof the fighting between Palestinianmilitants and Israel in years. REUTERS
Belarus faces new sanctions over action termed ‘state piracy’BRUSSELS/KYIV: Western powers pre-pared to pile sanctions on Belarus andcut off its aviation links on Monday,furious after it scrambled a warplaneto intercept a Ryanair aircraft andarrest a dissident journalist, an act oneofficial denounced as ‘state piracy’. Ina video posted online, the detainedblogger, Roman Protasevich, 26, saidhe was in good health, being held in apretrial detention facility in Minsk,and acknowledged having played arole in organising mass disturbancesin the capital last year. REUTERS
‘Turning mourning into dancing’: Festival to remember FloydMINNEAPOLIS: The intersection whereGeorge Floyd took his final breathswas to be transformed on Tuesdayinto an outdoor festival on the one-year anniversary of his death, withfood, children’s activities and a longlist of musical performers. “We’regoing to be turning mourning intodancing,” rapper Nur-D tweeted.“We’re going to be celebrating 365days of strength in the face of injus-tice.” Floyd, who was Black, died onMemorial Day 2020 after then-OfficerDerek Chauvin knelt on his neck, pin-ning him to the ground for about 9 1/2minutes. Chauvin was convicted lastmonth of murder. AP
llW O R L D l
WORD POWER
ProximityProk-sim-i-tee
Noun
Meaning: Nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation.
Origin: Late 15th century from French prox-imité, from Latin proximitas, from proximus ‘nearest’.
Synonyms: closeness, adjacency, concur-rence, contiguity, immediacy, togetherness
Antonyms: distance, remoteness
Usage: They highlighted traffic, poor accessibility and proximity to power lines as concerns.
impacts,” he said. Cyclone Yaas, equiv-alent to a category 3 hurricane, willcause heavy rains in the eastern stateswith wind speeds of around 155kmphto 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph,according to IMD.
West Bengal has so far shifted about900,000 people to various relief cen-ters, chief minister Mamata Banerjeetold reporters Tuesday. About 370,000people, including state governmentofficials, police, army officers, rehabil-itation workers and volunteers, areworking together to handle the situa-tion, she said. HTC
A rough Bay of Bengal in Digha,
West Bengal on Tuesday ahead of
the Cyclone Yass landfall PTI
llN A T I O N l
BHUBANESWAR/KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Around a million people were evacu-ated to safer areas from West Bengaland Odisha as severe cyclonic stormYaas, which is likely to intensify into avery severe cyclone, will make landfallon the eastern coast on Wednesdayand cause extensive damage, officialssaid.
The powerful cyclone, the second inless than two weeks, comes at a timewhen the nation is facing the world’sworst outbreak of Covid-19.
Yaas is likely to make landfall nearDhamra Port in Odisha’s Bhadrak dis-trict early on Wednesday morning, theIndia Meteorological Department(IMD) said. Dr Umashankar Das, a sci-entist at the Regional MeteorologicalCentre, Bhubaneswar, said that thelandfall will most likely be betweenDhamra and Chandbali in the district.
IMD director general Dr Mrutyun-jay Mohapatra said that Yaas is likelyto intensify into a very severe cyclonicstorm (VSCS) by Tuesday evening.
“Four districts [in Odisha] —Jagat-singhpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak andBalasore – are likely bear the worst
Over 1 million people evacuated as Odisha, West Bengal brace for severe Cyclone Yaas
Daily Covid-19 cases fall below 2-L mark after over 1 monthNEW DELHI: The daily count of corona-virus cases in the country fell belowthe 2-lakh mark after over a monthtaking the total tally of Covid-19 casesto 2,69,48,874, while the death tollrose to 3,07,231, according to theUnion health ministry data updatedon Tuesday.
A total of 1,96,427 new coronavirusinfections were reported in a day. Thecountry also reported the lowest deathtoll in 21 days with 3,511 fresh fatali-ties, the data updated at 8 am showed.
India’s daily Covid-19 positivity ratedropped to 9.54% , according to theUnion health ministry’s data.
India had registered 1,84,372 newcoronavirus infections on April 14.The active cases have further reducedto 25,86,782 comprising 9.60% of thetotal infections, while the nationalCovid-19 recovery rate has improvedto 89.26%.
The number of people who haverecuperated from the coronavirus dis-ease surged to 2,40,54,861, while thecase fatality rate stands at 1.14%, thedata stated. PTI
WHO seeks more info for emergency use listing of CovaxinNEW YORK/GENEVA: The World HealthOrganisation (WHO) has said that“more information” is “required” fromBharat Biotech, which is seekingemergency use listing (EUL) for itsCovaxin vaccine for Covid-19.
The latest ‘Status of Covid-19 Vacci-nes within WHO EUL/PQ evaluationprocess’ guidance document datedMay 18 on the WHO website said Bha-rat Biotech submitted EOI (Expressionof Interest) on April 19 and that “Moreinformation required”. A pre-submis-sion meeting is expected “to beplanned May-June 2021,” the guidancedocument said. According to theWHO, submissions to it for prequalifi-cation or listing under the emergencyuse procedure are confidential. If aproduct submitted for assessment isfound to meet the criteria for listing,WHO will publish the results widely.Duration of the emergency use listingprocess depends on the quality of thedata submitted by the vaccine manu-facturer and on those data meetingWHO criteria, according to theagency. PTI
WISE WORDS »It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for – the whole thing –
rather than just one or two stars. DAVID ATTENBOROUGH
olympics
U.S. TRAVEL STAND NOT TO IMPACT GAMES: JAPAN >P4
cosmic spectacle
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE COMBINES WITH SUPER ‘BLOOD’ MOON >P5
‘courage & grace’
BIDEN TO HOST GEORGE FLOYD FAMILY ON ANNIV OF SHOCKING MURDER
>P4
llS C H O O L E V E N T l
MOUNT CARMEL, ANAND NIKETAN, CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH ZEAL
With an aim to raise awareness about the conservation of environment, Mount Carmel School, Anand Niketan, celebrated Earth Day with zeal and shared an online video presen-tation on the importance of this day with all the students and staff. The guest speaker of the day was Dr Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu. The programme started with the introductory message by Eco Club president Krishika Sharma, a Class 10 student, and vice president Kanak Aggarwal of Class 9. The students of classes 4 and 5 made beautiful posters while the students of Class 8 recited heart-touching poems. More on p2
Punjab farmers march towards Delhi bordersCHANDIGARH: Punjab farmers in large numbersare marching towards Delhi borders, said stateBKU leaders in the wake of a call given toobserve May 26 as a “black day” to mark sixmonths of the agitation against the Centre’s farmlaws. Farmers are protesting at the Delhi’sSinghu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders since lateNovember, demanding the repeal of the laws,which the Union government claimed is for theirbenefit. No talks have been held over the issuebetween the Centre and the agitating farmerssince January 22. Farmer bodies have appealedto all sections to raise black flags against theCentre’s laws. “A large number of farmers areheading towards Delhi borders,” Bharti KisanUnion (Ekta-Ugrahan) senior leader ShingaraSingh said on Monday. PTI
Publicise Covid helplines in newspapers: HC to govt NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesdayasked the AAP government to give more public-ity to Covid-19 helplines in newspapers on adaily basis so that people know where to go incase of a need. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghiand Jasmeet Singh said a corner or column ona page could be dedicated for these helplines inthe newspapers and remarked that the govern-ment was lagging behind on this aspect. “Innewspapers, one does not find these inserts ona daily basis. These things should be there inthe papers every day. Fix a corner or column,may be on page 1 or page 3. Some column on apage should be dedicated to it daily so that peo-ple know where to go when they need it. Peoplewould be habituated. This is where you are lag-ging behind,” the bench said. PTI
City receives 1.5L doses of Covishield for 45+ groupNEW DELHI: Delhi has received nearly 1.5 lakhdoses of Covishield on Monday for the 45 plusage group, while Covaxin’s stock for this cate-gory is about to finish, AAP MLA Atishi said onMonday. While issuing the vaccination bulletin,the lawmaker said a total of 68,946 doses wereadministered in the city on Saturday and Sun-day. The 22nd and 23rd of May combined (Sat-urday and Sunday), 68,946 vaccines wereadministered. Out of this, nearly 49,163 peoplegot their first dose and 19,783 were inoculatedwith their second dose,” she said. On Sunday,most of the government hospitals, schools, anddispensaries were closed for vaccination, butsome private hospitals continued to immunisepeople. So far, more than 50,80,000 doses havebeen administered to the people, she added. PTI
A medical worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine in New Delhi on Tuesday PTI
class 12 examsclass 12 exams
CBSE: MOST STATES FAVOUR CBSE: MOST STATES FAVOUR SHORTER DURATION EXAMSSHORTER DURATION EXAMSThe states and UTs declared their stand on holding the CBSE Class 12 exams on Tuesday. While most states want the exams to be held, Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal are against it till the teachers & students are vaccinated. >P2
The states had to choose between two options on holding the CBSE Class 12 exams HT FILE
historic vault
SIMONE BILES MAKES HISTORY IN RETURN TO CONTEST AT U.S. CLASSIC
>P6
Simone Biles AFP
02NEW DELHI
WEDNESDAYMAY 26, 2021Beyond Books
llS C H O O L R E P O R T S l
DAVPS, Vasant Kunj, students come up with unique project
Save Earth. Two skits conveying thesignificance of cleanliness and posi-tive impacts of lockdown on naturewere also presented by the studentsof Classes 6, 9 and 10.
The programme concluded withmessages by the Eco Club presidentand vice president. They urged every-one to be responsible citizens of theplanet Earth.
ON THAT OCCASION, THE SCHOOL SHARED AN ONLINE VIDEO PRESENTATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARTH DAY WITH ALL THE STUDENTS AND STAFF. THE STUDENTS PRESENTED A NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT
A well-prepared unique project titledMCBB by the three students of DAVPublic School (DAVPS), Vasant Kunj-- Bharat Gupta, Yash Aggarwal andPiyush Rai -- was selected not only intop 150 teams in ATL Marathon2019-20 by the Atal Innovation Mis-sion (AIM) but also for the boot campat Atal Incubation Centre (AIC)-CCMB, Hyderabad for learning busi-ness aspects and making theirproject business ready.
Under the able guidance of theexperts and their mentors, the trio
refined their prototype and success-fully completed their internship. Theyreceived a certificate of completionfrom the Atal Innovation Mission andAIC- CCMB.
All the children have a uniquepotential but most of them remainunaware of that. A teacher can iden-tify their potential and nurture them.
The AIM is Government of India’sflagship initiative to create and pro-mote a culture of innovation andentrepreneurship across the lengthand breadth of our country.
(L-R) Bharat Gupta, Piyush Rai and Yash Aggarwal received a certificate from the Atal Innovation Mission and AIC- CCMB
With an aim to raise awarenessabout the conservation of environ-ment, Mount Carmel School, AnandNiketan, celebrated Earth Day withzeal and shared an online video pre-sentation on the importance of thisday with all the students and staff.The guest speaker of the day was Dr.Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu.
The programme started with theintroductory message by Eco Clubpresident Krishika Sharma, a Class 10student, and vice president KanakAggarwal of Class 9. The students ofClasses 4 and 5 made beautiful post-ers while the students of Class 8recited heart-touching poems.
On that occasion, Dr Basu gave athought-provoking message and toldfun facts about Earth and all of itsbiotic and abiotic components. Thewestern music choir presented amelodious song ‘God of Wonders’. Inaddition, the students of Classes 6 -10presented a mesmerising dance per-formance on the topic Save Water
Mount Carmel, Anand Niketan, celebrates Earth Day with zeal
HT Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Almost all the states andUnion territories (UTs) on Tuesdaytold the education ministry that theCentral Board for Secondary Educa-tion’s (CBSE) Class 12 examinationsshould be held, with most of themfavouring shorter duration tests forthe 19 major subjects.
Only Delhi, Punjab and West Ben-gal opposed holding the examina-tions till all teachers and studentswere vaccinated. There were also dif-ferences over when the examinationshould be held. Some states such asBihar, Assam and Uttarakhand, thatare prone to extremely heavy rainfalland floods, want the examination tobe held after the monsoon season.
The Union education ministry hadgiven the states and UTs time tillTuesday to decide on the CBSE class12 exams and choose one of the twooptions.
The first option was three-hourexamination for 19 major subjects inmonth of August. The second was90-minute exams with students hav-ing to appear only in one languageand three elective subjects from July15 to August 1 and then from August5 to August 26.
The exams will be 90 minutes longand will feature multiple choice ques-tions (MCQ). Results for both optionsare proposed to be declared by theend of September.
The education ministry officialshad said the idea was to start ashorter, new academic year from
llE M B R A C I N G S D G S - A C A L L F O R A C T I O N l
Solutions
-
Place numbers intothe puzzle cells sothat each row andcolumn contains eachof the digits from 1 to 5. No number is to be repeated in any row orcolumn. Each bold-outlined cells contain a hint of a number and one of the mathematical sym-bols + x - /. The number is the result of the operation represent-ed by the symbol to the digits contained.
SUDOKU
SCRAMBLE
MATHDOKU
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS
MATHDOKU SOLUTION
SCRAMBLE Solution Words:
Crème, crush, shaman, doubly
Answer: Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength. – Eric Hoffer
*
*
*
*
*
Amrita Bharati Features
Solve the four anagrams andmove oneletter to eachsquare to form four ordinary words
Now arrange the letters marked with an asterisk (*) to form the answer to the riddle or to fill in the missing words as indicated.
JOIN THE DOTS
__ is a weak imitation of strength. – Eric Hoffer (8)
Answer: Cock Crowing
CMREE
CHURS
AAHMNS
BLOYDU
*
*
*
Join the
dots to
find out
who it is.
MIND GAME
DORAEMON AT HAND
Dressed as cartoon character Doraemon, a social activist gives a proper haircut to a child at a slum in Mumbai on Monday as barber shops are closed due to the lockdown restrictions ANSHUMAN POYREKAR/HT
The Earth continues to be themost blessed planet for man’shabitation and for centuriesits natives have enjoyed the
privileges of greenery, clean air,water and abundant natural resour-ces. As the world population contin-ues to grow unabated, so does man’sgreed to enlarge his circles of posses-sion, though there is widespreadresource crunch due to its destruc-tion and adulteration. Urbanisation,industrialisation and modern agri-cultural practices have polluted theair, water and soil resources andexploited them beyond repair acrossthe globe. Global warming and thepredicted increase in overall temper-ature on the Earth may change theface of the Earth and result in loss ofbiodiversity.
Environmental sustainability isthus one of the biggest challengesand most important target of thepresent times. Keeping the futuristicvision in mind, it does become animportant responsibility of educa-tional institutions to acquaint theyouth with the current trends andproblems that confront humanity byintegrating environment protection,conservation of resources, wastemanagement etc. in the curriculum.
The 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, which was adopted byall United Nations Member States in2015, provides a shared blueprint forpeace and prosperity for people andthe planet, now and into the future.At its heart are the 17 SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs), whichmeant a call for action by all coun-tries - developed and developing - ina global partnership. This has beentaken up very nicely by our countryin each of its states and UTs. The 17SDGs include themes ranging frompoverty, inequality, peace, consump-tion, health, education, energy, gen-der, industry, economic growth, rightup to clean water, sanitation, climateaction, life on land and in water, andglobal partnership.
Inspired by the UN’s 2030 Agendafor Sustainable Development, we atAmity International School, Sector46, Gurugram, have adopted sustain-ability as one of the core values byintegrating eco-friendly best prac-
tices in the school culture. Ecological sustainabilityEnvironmental education is pro-
vided in all classes to encourage envi-ronmentally responsible behaviour,which includes growing a sapling onbirthdays, gifting planters on festi-vals, wise waste management, keep-ing air purifying plants around livingareas and stopping the usage of fire-crackers etc. Some of the recentdrives in the session 2020-21, include:
The General Studies Seminar-PBLPresentations with SDG perspectives,was held virtually in December 2020for senior secondary students, withthe aim to provide research-basedinsights on all the 17 SDG themes.
•Tweeting Tales of Jungle withSDGs for primary students includedarticulation of various facts includinglife & extinction about the animalkingdom (animals and birds specifi-cally).. Atma- Nirbharata in Food andFarming-based on SDG goal for Indiato attain self-sufficiency in produc-tion of global staple food wheat andrice was another theme taken up.
•Middle school took up PBL pre-sentation titled, ‘earning more aboutSDGs - Prevention of Diseases, tostudy about causes, symptoms andprevention of malaria and other
waterborne diseases•Keeping in mind the SDG goals, the
entire school did the Vasudha projectwith the theme - The Planet, wherein they researched on energy, environ-ment analysis and management, agri-cultural waste management, biotech-nology, medicine and health and spacescience - earth science. Presentationswere judged, models worked upon andpresented at various national and international forums.
•The school is thankful to its man-agement for getting yearly healthcamp held for its teachers in school.
Social SustainabilityWith the preview to instil social sus-tainability in the school, the schoolconducted online AMIGMUN, anonline conference based on the objec-tives of Model United Nations (MUN),for the students of senior schoolwherein more than 400 students andalumni participated. The undeniablyimportant themes included democ-racy, equality, justice, cultural diver-sity, global citizenship, anti-racism,human rights and community,mostly aimed to achieve SDGs in thelong run. Some of these achievers gotto participate in E-AIMUN, organisedby Amity Education Resource Centre,
wherein 56 countries participated.•The middle school participated in
Service-learning projects based onthe SDG themes like good nutrition,cleanliness, water conservation, goodhealth & sustainable cities.
•A number of webinars were orga-nised for senior students by AmityUniversity, Noida, on Bio Diversity,Sustainable Energy etc.
•To mark the celebration of GlobalDay to #act4SDGs, the junior schoolmade posters on conservation ofwater, air and soil and on the Cov-id-19 epidemic and its impact.
Economic sustainabilityThe school has been consciouslyworking towards reusing /recyclingthe natural resource water, done withthe support of school management.Other than this the school hasadopted institutional practices/ poli-cies initiated by representatives ofteachers, school administrators andstudent council members to conserveenergy on all devices, like computers,lights, fans and ACs. Solar panelswere installed in the school manyyears ago to regulate the practice ofconserving energy. Other than this,the Commerce Society of the schoolhas been working on creating startup business plans with the motive ofresponsible consumption and inno-vation.
In this noble drive of sustainabilityin school, all our stakeholders,namely the management, teachers,parents, children, alumni and com-munity have given their full coopera-tion. For the holistic development ofour children, SDGs have played a cru-cial role as it enables us to thinkabout the whole world as one family-Vasudhaiva Kutumbakkam, and thatall nations must come together forthe survival of green-blue planetEarth. Covid-19 itself has taught man-kind the habit of self-sustenancethrough healthy habits, safe distanc-ing and adaptability. Practising sus-tainability in schools shall continueto be a core value to be instilled inyoung students so that they maybecome responsible world citizens.
Arti Chopra, Principal, Amity International
School, Sector 46, Gurugram
‘We’ve adopted sustainability as one of core values by integrating eco-friendly practices’
We have integrated eco-friendly best practices in the school culture, says Principal Arti Chopra
November and to reduce undue stresson students and parents. The minis-try had said that cancelling the examswas also an option provided moststates recommended that.
Among a few states that have sug-gested cancelling the examinationwas Delhi. “If the Centre and stategovernments work together, it wouldtake 3 to 4 weeks to fully vaccinateteachers and students of class 12. Fol-lowing vaccination, the ministry canarrange for examination as peroption B,” Delhi education ministerManish Sisodia wrote to the Unioneducation ministry on Tuesday.
Punjab school education ministerVijay Inder Singla backed Sisodia’ssuggestion and preferred option B.“All the students appearing in theClass 12 board exams and teachers,both government and private, shouldbe vaccinated before the board examsbegin,” he said.
West Bengal also wanted the exam-inations to be cancelled. An official ofthe state education department saidthe state government wants indefi-nite postponement of the state boardexaminations in view of the pan-demic.
According to officials in Uttara-khand and Bihar, there is a view thatthe shorter duration examination forlesser subjects be held in July beforethe onset of heavy monsoon andfloods in the northern and easternstates. Chandigarh has also opted forshorter duration for 12 examinations,said director, school education,Rubinderjit Singh Brar.
Most states favour
shorter duration
Class 12 exams: CBSE
The exams will be 90 minutes long and will feature multiple choice questions. Results
for both options are proposed to be declared by the end of September. SUNIL GHOSH/HT
NEW DELHIWEDNESDAYMAY 26, 2021 03Different Strokes
Self-expression through art & verseBe it a graceful depiction of a classical dancer, an invocation to the goddess of learning, advice to save water and to adopt the right way to eat or verse written straight from the heart, students are putting to paper their creative and artistic flair. The exercise is also a great voyage to self-discovery.
AARNNA PARMMAR, Class 7, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad>
GOURAV MISHRA, Class 8, Heera Public School, Samalka>
ARYAN ROUT, Class 4, Amrita Vidyalam>
HUNAR, Class 6, Goodley Public School, Delhi
>
Drenched by an essence of solitude
Filled with despondence and void
Haplessness crept up my core
Inducing a dismaying noise
The pious drops of rain
Blended with my crestfallen face
The aroma of petrichor
Was enticing yet dull and vague
Listless and emaciated
I was striding by
Tears ceased gliding
Through my frail eyes
There, in front of me
I saw a vibrant sun
Endowing me with rapture
For the prolonged run
Niharika Singh, Class 10, Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls, Shanti Niketan
Tangled
The shades of night enveloped you in its love,
The leaves of spring blessed your tail from above.
The stars from crystals, frolicking on your head and eye,
I can’t stop gazing at you, however much I try.
Your coarse claws scrape the bark of trees with grace,
Blended with elegance, as the curves of your throat move with pace.
Deafening cries escaping your beak make all our ears split,
But the blend of beauty, elegance, and grace still keeps our heart lit.
The sky bubbles with wrath when it sees your radiant glow,
But when its torrents of envy fall, it exposes the most beauty you have to show.
Your feathers soak its tears and rustle the hearts of all,
You sway in perfect harmony, and bring everything to a halt.
The glory of nature is personified when you are born,
Crowns, ornaments, thrones, as a symbol of splendour, you adorn.
We mortals were created by God in but a day,
To create you He must have taken a year with not a single break.
Ode to the peacock
Kavya Malik, Class 8, Vasant Valley
School, New Delhi
llV E R S E Z O N E l
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04NEW DELHI
WEDNESDAYMAY 26, 2021In The News
Port-of-Spain –World cup champions Australia steamed to a 67-run victory over the West Indies to clinch the one day interna-tional cricket series 4-0 at the Queen's Park Oval here.
The Australians, the dominant force in world cricket, won their 21st consecutive one-day match and their 11th straight over the Windies on Saturday.
Ricky Ponting's team powered to 286 for five off their 50 overs and bowled out the West Indies for 219 off 45.3 overs to underline the gulf in experience and performance between the two sides in the seven-game Series.
The West Indies, pinned down by Australia's pacemen early in the innings, were always well behind the asking rate and self-destructed with three suicidal run outs in the last four wickets to fall.
Man of the match Adam Gilchrist top-scored with 84 in Australia's innings with youngster Michael Clarke contributing a blazing 55 off 40 balls in the highest
Australian innings at the Trinidad ground and only two runs behind the best Australian ODI total in the Caribbean.
Gilchrist, freshened up after sitting out last Wednesday's victory in St Lucia, hammered nine fours and a six in his 103-ball knock while
22-year-old Clarke, who scored an unbeaten 75 in St Lucia in midweek, provided
late fireworks with six boundaries and a six.
Clarke rode his luck -- he was bowled off a Corey Collymore more no-ball and was reprieved on 47 by Ricardo Powell who dropped a dolly catch in the deep -- to remain unbeaten in three ODI innings in his fledgling international career.
New Delhi – Sensing the growing opposition to the most contentious provision in the Constitution (First Amendment) Bill, the Select Committee on the Bill has inserted the qualification " reasonable " before the list of restrictions on the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expres-sion so as to place in the hands of the judiciary the power to determine whether a restrictive legislation is " reasonable " or not.
The Committee's report was presented to Parliament today by the
Prime Minister. There are as many as six minutes of dissent appended to the report, the more important among them being those of Dr S. P. Mookerjee and Pandit Kunzru.
The Committee has also, for the sake of clarification, recom-mended the addition of a new clause (4) to Article 15 where it
thinks it would be preferable to refer to "the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens," instead of referring to "the educational, economic or social advancement of any backward class
of citizens." While some apprehen-
sions have been expressed in respect of this amend-ment, the Committee feels this provision " is not likely to be, and cannot indeed be, misused by any Government for perpetuating any class discrimination against the spirit of the Constitution, or for treating non-backward classes as backward for the purpose of conferring privileges on them."
Bombay – In a low key affair, cricket's wonder boy and the heartthrob of millions of fans worldwide, Sachin Tendulkar tied the nuptial knot to Ms Anjali Mehta m Bombay on Thursday.
The curtains fell on what was popularly dubbed as "the other cricket wedding" in the wake of the Imran-Jemima marriage,
when the young couple said their "yes" in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. Only 150 very close relatives and a handful of close friends including the frizzy haired batsman's colleague Vinod Kambli attended the ceremony held at the "Jewel of India" restaurant in Nehru Centre in Central Bombay.
The wedding was strictly off-lim-its for the Press. A minor conces-
sion was made at the last moment when the couple relented in allowing Press photographers to
take their snap shots in the foyer of the hotel at the end of the ceremony. Accordingly, a
cool and composed Sachin, clad in a designer kurta-churidar, and the bride in a traditional red saree, posed for the photo session with as many as 70 cameramen clicking away to their hearts' content.
WATCH OUT THIS SPACE FOR QUIZ ON FRIDAYS
The quiz will be based on HT archives. Send in your answers at
May 26 >> H T C H R O N I C L E
1951
1995
2003
from the archives of the Hindustan Times
Clause on freedom of speech amended
Aussies clinch one-day series
Sachin's wedding a 'low-pitch' affair
Agartala, Tripura: Preparations at a temple on Monday ahead of Vesak, as the festival is also known
Bodh Gaya, Bihar: A view of the decorated Maha Bodhi Temple ahead of Buddha Jayanti. It was at Bodh Gaya that the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Seoul, S. Korea: Decorations near a river ahead of the most sacred festival of the BuddhistsSeoul, South Korea: A lantern parade celebrating Lord Buddha’s birth
CELEBRATING BUDDHA JAYANTI Buddha Jayanti, which marks the birth of Lord Buddha, is being celebrated in many parts of the world today. As the most sacred festival of Bud-dhists around the world, the day also commemo-rates Buddha attaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya as well as the day of his Nirvana at Kushina-gar. The day is also celebrated as Vaisaka Poorni-ma and Vesak. AGENCIES
Colombo, Sri Lanka: Lanterns on sale in the run-up to Vesak Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden willmark the anniversary of the policemurder of George Floyd on Tuesday byhosting Floyd’s family –– but withoutbeing able to celebrate hoped-fornational police reform.
Floyd’s daughter Gianna, hismother, sister and brothers will beamong those attending private talkswith Biden at the White House, PressSecretary Jen Psaki said.
“The courage and grace of his fam-ily, and especially his daughter Gianna,has really stuck with the president,”she told reporters. “He’s eager to listento their perspectives.”
The choking to death of Floyd inMinneapolis on May 25 last year andsubsequent conviction of the officer,Derek Chauvin, were seen as seminalmoments in the long US struggle forracial equality.
After the killing during Floyd’s
Associated Press
TOKYO : Top Japanese officials said onTuesday they did not expect a US advi-sory against travel to Japan due to cor-onavirus concerns to affect the TokyoOlympics - less than two months away- and that US support for the Gameswas unchanged.
The US State Department’s “Do NotTravel” advisory and guidance forJapan on Monday did not mention theOlympics specifically but warnedagainst visiting the country now.
“At present, we can see no particu-lar impact,” Olympic Minister TamayoMarukawa told a news conference.She noted that the advisory did notban essential travel and the US Olym-pic & Paralympic Committee had saidplanned mitigation practices wouldallow for safe participation of TeamUSA athletes.
Japanese and Olympic officialshave pledged the Games will go aheadas planned on July 23 after being post-poned in 2020, even as surveys show amajority of Japanese want the Gamescancelled or postponed due to worriesover coronavirus.
An online ‘Stop Tokyo Olympics’campaign had collected 387,000 sig-natures as of Tuesday, organisers said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu
Kato said Japan was in close contactwith the US government.
“There is absolutely no change inthe United States’ support for Japan’sdecision to hold the Olympics, webelieve,” Kato said. In its new gui-dance, the US Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention said travellersshould avoid all travel to Japan.
“Because of the current situation inJapan even fully vaccinated travellersmay be at risk for getting and spread-ing Covid-19 variants,” it said.
Australia has also advised againsttravel to Japan due to health risksfrom Covid-19 and disruptions toglobal travel. Japan has avoided thelarge-scale infections suffered bymany other nations, but a fourth wavehas triggered states of emergency inTokyo, Osaka and other localitiesacross the nation.
The governor of Osaka said onTuesday the prefecture would seek toextend the emergency beyond the cur-rent end-date of May 31.
Japan’s slow vaccination roll-outhas added to coronavirus concerns.
The country, which has recorded715,940 infections and 12,308 deathsfrom the virus, has delivered vaccina-tions to just under 5% of its popula-tion, the slowest among the world’slarger, rich countries.
llT O K Y O O LY M P I C S T O B E G I N O N J U LY 2 3 l
US warns against Japan travel; Japan sees no impact on Olympics
arrest outside a store, protests andriots erupted across a country.
In the wake of the verdict this Aprilagainst Chauvin, Biden sought to buildon political momentum by urging Con-gress to pass a far-reaching policereform bill in time for the first anniver-sary. Americans must confront the“systemic racism” revealed by Floyd’skilling “head on,” he declared.
However, the deadline comes withonly the House having passed the bill,known as the George Floyd Justice inPolicing Act, while the Senate contin-ues to wrangle over key details.
The bill seeks to reform what criticssay have become ever more violentand unaccountable police forcesaround the country.
Opponents argue that police arebeing unfairly blamed when they aresimply trying to operate in a danger-ous and often heavily armed society.
However, Biden and reform propo-nents say that a culture of impunityand underlying racism have made inci-dents like Floyd’s death increasinglycommon. Among other measures, thebill would ban potentially fatalrestraint techniques used on suspects,like chokeholds.
It would also end so-called“no-knock warrants,” when police areauthorized to burst into a suspect’shouse unannounced.
The most far-reaching of the meas-ures that senators are still debatingwould be to end current legal protec-tions that block civil lawsuits againstpolice accused of misconduct.
Biden to host Floyd family on anniversary of shocking murder
George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, US, on
May 25, 2020. REUTERS
NEW DELHIWEDNESDAYMAY 26, 2021 05The Science Of It
Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. : The first totallunar eclipse in more than two yearscoincides with a supermoon onWednesday. This super “blood”Moon will be visible across thePacific — offering the best viewing —as well as the western half of NorthAmerica, bottom of South Americaand eastern Asia.
Better look quick: The total eclipsewill last about 15 minutes as Earthpasses directly between the Moon
This super ‘blood’ Moon will be visible on Wednesday across the Pacific — offering the best viewing — as well as the western half of North America, bottom of South America and eastern Asia.
The forests across Africa was able to remove 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually during the 2015/16 El Nino period - equivalent to three times Britain’s CO2 emissions in 2019, according to researchers. SHUTTERSTOCK
and the Sun. But the entire show willlast five hours, as Earth’s shadowgradually covers the Moon, thenstarts to ebb. The reddish-orangecolour is the result of all the sunrisesand sunsets in Earth’s atmosphereprojected onto the surface of theeclipsed Moon.
“Hawaii has the best seat in thehouse and then short of that will beCalifornia and the Pacific North-west,” said Nasa’s Noah Petro,project scientist for the LunarReconnaissance Orbiter. New Zea-land and Australia also will haveprime viewing. Circling the Moon for12 years, the orbiter will measuretemperatures changes on the lunarsurface during the eclipse.
The Moon will be setting and theSun rising along the US East Coast,leaving skygazers — Petro in Virginiaincluded — pretty much out of luck.Europe, Africa and western Asia willmiss everything.
The Moon will be more than357,460 kms away at its fullest. It’s
this proximity, combined with a fullMoon, that qualifies it as a super-moon, making it appear slightly big-ger and more brilliant in the sky.
More lunar shows are on the hori-zon. “For people who might feel likewe’re missing out, set your calendarsfor November 19 of this year,” Petrosaid. This will be a nearly totaleclipse where the Moon dims butdoesn’t turn red. The next total lunareclipse will be in May 2022.
Meanwhile, the eclipse will barelybe visible in India. It will start at 14:17IST and be visible until 19:19. It willlast for 14 mins with maximum viewof the eclipse at 16:48 IST. For mostpeople in India, the Moon will bebelow the eastern horizon during thetotal lunar eclipse and so people willnot be able to view the blood Moon.Skywatchers who live in easternIndia will see only the very last partof the lunar eclipse, very close to theeastern horizon, just after Moonrise.
(Additional inputs by Mila Mitra,Co-founder, STEM & Space)
Cosmic 2-for-1: Total lunar eclipse combines with supermoon today
llC E L E S T I A L D E L I G H T l
Thomson Reuters Foundation
NAIROBI: Africa’s tropical forestsappear more resilient as carbonsinks than Amazonian rainforests ––mopping up planet-warming carbondioxide even when sizzling El Ninoheat halted absorption in other partsof the world, researchers said onMonday.
They studied the impact of theworst El Nino weather event onrecord –– in 2015-16 –– on intact rain-forests in six African nations: Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon,Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia andCongo Republic.
El Nino is a warming of ocean sur-face temperatures in the Pacific thatoccurs every few years.
It affects wind patterns and cantrigger both floods and droughtacross the world.
The new study found that trees inthe African forests continued toremove carbon dioxide from theatmosphere, despite experiencingdrought and a warming of 0.92° Cel-sius above the 1980-2010 averagetemperature.
“We saw no sharp slowdown oftree growth, nor a big rise in treedeaths, as a result of the extreme cli-matic conditions,” said Amy Bennett,
lead author of the study and a profes-sor at Britain’s University of Leeds, ina statement.
“Overall, the uptake of carbondioxide by these intact rainforestsreduced by 36%, but they continuedto function as a carbon sink, slowingthe rate of climate change.”
According to the research, the for-ests across Africa still removed 1.1 bil-lion tonnes of carbon dioxide annu-ally during the 2015/16 El Nino period–– equivalent to three times Britain’sCO2 emissions in 2019.
Researchers said their findingswere surprising because similar con-ditions in rainforests in the Amazonand Southeast Asia had led to a tem-porary halting or reversal of carbondioxide absorption.
“This is the first on-the-ground evi-dence of what happens when youheat and drought an intact Africanrainforest,” said Simon Lewis, thestudy’s senior author and also a pro-fessor at the University of Leeds.
“What we found surprised me.African rainforests appear moreresistant to some additional warmingand drought compared to rainforestsin Amazonia and Borneo.”
It was difficult to determine thetemperature that the forests wouldcompletely stop absorbing CO2, saidresearchers, but a previous studyshowed they started to lose carbon ataround 32.2° Celsius.
The study’s findings highlight theimportant role that African rainfor-ests play in combating climatechange, but also the need to ensurethey are protected, said the reports’authors.
“The resistance of intact Africantropical forests to a bit more heat anddrought than they have experiencedin the past is welcome news,” saidco-author Bonaventure Sonke, who isa professor at University of YaoundeI in Cameroon.
“But we still need to cut carbondioxide emissions fast, as our forestswill probably only resist limited fur-ther rises in air temperature.”
African rainforests able to slow climate change despite record heat, drought
llC O U N T E R I N G E L N I N O I M P A C T l
A file picture of supermoon clicked on February 19, 2019, in Mumbai . The next total lunar eclipse will be in May 2022. A supermoon occurs when a full or new Moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth. HT ARCHIVE
THE STUDY’S FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT AFRICAN RAINFORESTS PLAY IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT ALSO THE NEED TO ENSURE THEY ARE PROTECTED, SAID THE REPORTS’ AUTHORS
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Thursday,April08,2021
n 6 PAGES. f@HTCITY t@HTCITY i@HTCITY y/USER/HT.ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES
Sanchita Kalra
Couples planning t
o tie the
knot thismonth are in a
bind following the impo-
sition of night curfew from
10pm to 5am inDelhi and 8pm
to 7am inMumbai, to stem
Covid-19 in both cities.
While some havedecided to
postpone the dateagain, others
areweighing alternate solu-
tions, with dayweddings being
touted as one. “Themoment it
was announced, we received a
call from the venue tomove the
function to the day, but it
might be difficult,” says Sau-
rabhAswal, whois getting
married onApril25.
For Abhishek Pateria, who
took twomonthsoff fromhis
chats. Hopefully,next birthday, Im
ight
have a party and even then, I’ll ensu
re
everyone gets their Covid vaccine c
ertif-
icates,” quips theRangbaaz actor.
Saleem, who came toMumbai from
Delhi 10 years ago, admits he has
changed. “I was atypical Delhi boy
who
loved to get into fights and rodemy
car
with blaringmusic. But since I cam
e to
Mumbai, the brash Delhi boy has b
een
replaced by one learning everyday.
I’ve
gone from strength to strength, be
itmy
acting ability or as a person,” he sa
ys. At
33, ismarriage onhismind at all? “M
y
mumasksme about shaadi everyda
y. I
am finding newways to avoid this q
ues-
tion. One should never say never. Ho
pe-
fully sometime,” he concludes.
Sugandha Rawal
sugandha.rawal@hindustanti
mes.com
nce the beginning of 2021,
ulkit Samrat hasbeen shoot-
ing nonstop for his projects, be
n Mumbai, Delhior Agra. The
tor says work has found a newthe andemic.
n fact, now, e c
o be detached from the concept of
hit and flop. “Hitaur flop mein
kuch nahi rakhahai. Agar hit dek
e
bhi main ghar par lockdown mein
baitha hoon, tohmain kya hi ukha
d
raha hun,” Samrat observes, befo
re
going on to explain his definition
of
happiness.“At the end of th
e day, it is about
you being happy, and not attachin
g
that happiness toa condition ki ye
h
hoga toh main khush ho jaunga, ya
nahi hua toh main udas ho jaung
a.
You are blessed if you have a good
family, you wakeup every morn-
ing, and all the people you know
are alive and well,” says the actor
,
who is preppingfor the third
ent of the Fukreyfranchise.
t made his television
Lakshya Virani in the pop-
w, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi
i, in 2006. He went on to
do films such asBittoo Boss (2012
),
Fukrey (2013), Bangistan (2015),
nam Re (2016), and Fukrey
turns (2017).Next, he will soo
n be seen as a
appy go lucky guy from Delhi” in
e film, Suswagatam Khushaama-
eed. “There are other diverse role
s
n the pipeline,” he adds.
Pulkit Samratfeels
the lockdown
made him value
workmore
STOP PRESS
job in Poland forhis wedding
and booked a venue in Suraj-
kund, Haryana, changeswill be
tough. “There’s no chance of
postponing or even switching
to day functions.It will be diffi-
cult for guests whowill attend
thewedding all theway from
Delhi or Noida,” he says.
Planners feelmonths of
efforts have gonedown the
drain.Mumbai-basedAanchal
Bagaria, of TheWedding Soul,
who had three-day affairs
planned in April says, “Now it’s
all going to bewrapped up in
one event with a lunch.” But
Mumbai’s VishalPunjabi,
founder, TheWedding Filmer,
says, “When things like this
happen, they teach us to value
what we have. Awedding
doesn’t have to bea big party.”
PThe date is so
near and venues
say they need to
check availability
for day timings.
AKHIL NARANG,
Businessman
PAKHIL NAR NG
We’ve received
queries from
couples for a
brunch andthey’re trying to
keep gatherings
intimate.
SHIVAN GUPTA , Creative
director, Amaara Farms
Night curfew to curb Covid
surge hits wedding plans
CityDelh
i
Rishabh Suri
Shooting, travellin
g, and shooting
again —Kriti Sanon’s life is all abo
ut
that. With a hostof biggies such as
Bachchan Pandey, Bhediya and
Ganpath in her kitty, she is of
course excited. And it was also rec
ently
announced that she will join Prabh
as
and Saif Ali Khanin Adipurush.
Despite the rise inCovid cases and
several restrictions reimposed,
including shutting of theatres,
Sanon says she would prefer theat
-
rical releases forall her films.
“Obviously, as anactor you want th
e
film to reach beyond just the OTT
audience. Of course, they are great
platforms, and everyone is hooked
on
to it and the platforms have great
content. But as anactor you want it
to reach even theones who don’t
really go on theseplatforms,” says
the 30-year-old, whose filmMimi, i
n
which she plays asurrogate mothe
r,
is also waiting for a release.
It’s been some time since the film w
as
announced and has been shot. Ask
what’s
happening on that front, and Sanon
says
she recently wrapped up work on t
he last
scene. “Mimi as afilm needs to reac
h the
masses. It is based on surrogacy, it
’s a
unique subject andmade in a very
enter-
taining manner. It is something th
at will
touch your heart, make you cry, la
ugh, and
leave you with food for thought. It
should
be watched bymore people who a
re
rooted in areas where OTT isn’t wa
tched,”
she says.In fact, it was rain
ing release datesuntil
recently in Bollywood, when the pa
ndemic
reared its head again and forcedm
any film
releases to be postponed again. “W
e are
very excited for Mimi to release. Th
e times
we are in, it’s important for a film l
ike that
to get a release. Ihope things are n
ormal
soon. There are somany films wai
ting to
release. I am hopingMimi does to
o, soon,
sometime aroundmid 2021. I don’t
know
what the producers are deciding. It
should
get what it deserves,” says Sanon.
NOTETO
READERS: Some
of the coverage
that appearson
our pages is
paid for by the
concerned
brands. No
sponsored
content does or
shall appearin
anypart ofHT
without it being
declared as such
to our valued
readers.
Kriti Sanonwishesmovies
would get backto theatres
PI am a bit irritated but
also looking at the
larger picture. I don’t
want to take any
risks. Zinda rahe toh
aur birthday honge.
SAQIB SALEEM, Actor
PI want tosurprisemyself and my
audience. I’ve
never slotted
myself into any
category. I’ve
chosen very
different roles.
RITUPARNA
SENGUPTA, Actor
Scan the code
to readmore
about how
couples and
wedding
vendors are
trying to find
a way out in
the crisis
Scan the code
to readmore
on Saqib
Saleem’s
birthday plans
‘My 30th birthday seems like a decade ago’
Kavita Awaasthi
Saqib Saleem loves
birthdays and
often throws big parties on his spe-
cial day. “But thiswill bemy second
birthday in a rowspoiled by Covid-
19,”
says the actor, who turns 33 today a
nd
admits he is a little heartbroken tha
t he
won’t be able tomeet friends.
“I have forgottenwhat parties are
like.My 30th birthday party seems
a
decade ago. But Idon’t want to take
any
risks. Zinda rahetoh aur birthday
honge.Mymum is herewithme, so
she
will make some yummy biryani.W
e
will have a quiet celebration at hom
e
with the newnormal of video calls
and
Titas Chowdhury
Iwant to keep am
ore openmind now. I feel
that the kind of content being chu
rned out
in the Hindi filmindustry today is
revolu-
tionary,” says Rituparna Sengupta
. The
National Award-winning actor is al
l set to
return to the Hindi film industry w
ith Bansuri:
The Flute. Alongwith it, she is awa
iting the
release of a couple of other films, o
ne of them
with veteran actor Shabana Azmi.
A prominent name in the Bengali fi
lm indus-
try, she is best remembered in Bolly
wood for
her role inMain,Meri Patni AurW
oh (2005).
With the boom inthe OTT space an
dmeatier
roles for women,she believes now
is the time to
explore varied roles in Hindi proje
cts. “Back in
the day, I was toobusy. So, I decide
d to concen-
trate on Bangla films. I was also do
ing films in
Bangladesh and Kerala. But I would
want to
concentrate onmy Hindi film care
er now. A lot
of unconventional content is being
made.
Maybe, I am needed inMumbai no
w,” she says.
The Bengali superstar says she alw
ays wants
to do somethingnew: “I want to su
rprise myself
andmy audience. I’ve never slotte
d myself into
any particular category. I’ve chose
n very differ-
ent and challenging roles for myse
lf.”
So, is OTT an option for Sengupta?
“For
actors, it’s a goodopportunity to re
ach a global
audience. Audiences are demandin
g direct-to-
digital releases now. Producers to
o are releas-
ing their films ondigital platforms
as they’re
worried their filmsmight turn stale
if not
released on time.OTT platforms ar
e turning
out to be quite profitable for all,” s
he signs off.
GeorgeClooneyandJulia
Roberts’movie,Ticket
ToParadise,willreleasein
UStheatresnextSeptember.
Theyplayadivorcedcouple
tryingtostoptheir
daughterfromrepeating
theirmistake.
‘HOPE‘HOPETHINGSTHINGSAREARENORMALNORMALSOON,SOON,,,FILMSFILMSWAITINGWAITINGTORELEASE’TORELEASE’
PHOTO: TEJAS
NERURKAR
PHOTO: ARVIND YADAV/HT
PHOTO: JOE
SCARNICI/AFP
Maybe I’m needed
in Mumbai now:
Rituparna Sengupta
PAs an actor you want a film to reach
beyond just the OTT audience.... reach
even the ones who don’t really go on
these platforms.
KRITI SANON, Actor
Tuesday,April13,2021
n 8 PAGES. f@HTCITY t@HTCITY i@HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES
D irector Chloe Zhao’s Nomadlandhas emerged as the big winner atthis year’s BAFTA Film Awards2021, bagging four major trophies,including Best Film. Even the BestActress award was won by its actor,FrancesMcDormand, while Zhao her-self walked away with Best Director.The Father won the Best Actoraward for Anthony Hopkins, a cate-gory in which Indian actor AadarshGourav was also nominated for his rolein TheWhite Tiger. The film was pro-duced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, whowas also in attendance at the ceremonyas one of its presenters, along withhusband, singer Nick Jonas. TheFather also won the adapted screen-play BAFTA.Themost emotional moment of theevening saw tributes being paid to lateIndian actors Irrfan and Rishi Kapoor,who passed away in April 2020, inBAFTA’s memoriam segment, along-with actors Sean Connery and Chad-wick Boseman.The latter’s filmMa Rainey’s BlackBottomwas named a winner in thecostume design andmake-up and haircategories. Riz Ahmed, who along withBoseman, had been nominated for BestActor as well, didn’t bag the award, buthis film Sound of Metal bagged twoBAFTAs in the editing and sound cate-gories.HTC
Rishabh [email protected]
S he’s the sister of one of Bolly-wood’s biggest stars, Katrina Kaif,yet she auditioned for her firstfilm. Isabelle Kaif recently made heracting debut with Time To Dance.“I had auditioned for a few films,and this one came through. I was adancer as a kid, and dancing, of course,is a big part of Bollywood. It’s a passionfor me. So I thought it would be chal-lenging and fun,” she tells us.The 30-year-old, who just wrappedup the shoot for her second film,Suswagatam Khushaamadeed, admitsthat Bollywood has been a big influ-ence in her growing up years. “Danc-ing led to acting. I watched Hindi filmsgrowing up, and I’ve had a hard timechoosing a favourite. I love JabWeMet(2007). Lagaan (2001), I’ve watched somany times as a teenager,” she shares.What about the inevitable compari-son with her sister? Is she feeling thepressure of expectations already? “Iknow it. People have been doing it foryears, and I’ve got used to it. It doesn’t
Scan the codeto readmoreon whySudhanshuSaria wasanguished bythe incident
ActorDeepikaPadukoneonMonday
announcedshehasresignedasthechairpersonofMAMIMumbaiFilmFestivalowingtoherworkcommitments.Padukonehadreplaced
filmmakerKiranRaotobecomethechairpersonofthefestivalin2019.
STOP PRESS PHOTO: VIRAL BHAYANI
money to hire them, but you don’twant to. You simply want to canni-balise other’s work. That’s notokay,” he asserts.On April 9, Saria took to Twitterto express his anguish, claimingthat themakers of theweb seriescopied the poster of hismovie. Inci-dently, both projects tackle the sub-ject of same-sex relationships. Sariais wondering if themakers alsolifted some scenes from his film,which explores the issue of homo-sexual rape. “Those actors proba-bly were shown a reference imageto pose. So, everybody knew thatthey were plagiarising,” says thedirector, whowon the NationalFilmAward for best non-featuredirection inMarch this year, for hisfilm, Knock Knock Knock.Soon after his post, ALTBalaji
tweeted a statement apologising forthe incident. “The uncanny resem-blance and similarity cannot bewritten off as amere coincidence...For this we apologise... We’vedeleted the poster from all ourplatforms,” the statement read.However, Saria, currentlyrecuperating fromCovid-19, isunconvinced by the statement. Hewishes the platform “acknowl-edged the authors of the poster”and claimed that “...this was adecision, not an accident”. More-over, Saria wants people to be heldaccountable for their actions. “I feellike I’m adding to the chain. Thenext time someone Googles it, thiswill come up. And eventually, it willbecome harder and harder forthem to pretend as if it’s not athing,” he concludes.
play onme toomuch any-more. About expectations,Covid took off some ofthat pressure frommyfirst film, as the circum-stances are so different.It has allowedme to justenjoy the moment as itunfolds,” says theactor.The best piece ofadvice Isabelle hasever received wasgiven to her by herelder sister. “[Sheadvised] to justfocus onmywork, keepmyhead down.Anyone who hasbeen in the filmindustry gives simi-lar advice,” says theactor, adding, “I’m juststarting now, there aresomany types of filmsI want to do. I’d love todo an action or aperiod film. It’s justthe beginning, there’severything left to do.”
KatrinaKaifPHOTO: VIRALBHAYANI
Why Isabelle Kaifis now used tobeing comparedto sister Katrina
Guru Randhawais missing the joyof celebratingBaisakhi withfamily in Punjab;Daler Mehndi willbe at the VaishnoDevi shrine
CityDelhi
Sugandha [email protected]
M eeting friends and fam-ily to celebrate — that’sthe essence of Baisakhi.However, singer DalerMehndi isn’t missing it this year.He asserts that social distancing isthe need of the hour, with the sec-ondwave of Covid-19 here.“Being cautious todaywillensure we get
together for parties in future,” headds.This year, the singer will cele-brate the festival at the VaishnoDevi shrine with his family. “I feellucky that I’ll be at the holy cave ofMata VaishnoDevi. I have a per-formance at the pilgrimage on thefirst day of Navratri, which startson Baisakhi,” he says.The festival is especially impor-tant for farmers, as it is a harbin-ger of hope and prosperity while
marking the time of har-vest of winter crops. “Ifeel all festivals give us asense of hope and courage. Bai-sakhimotivates us, and humkohonsla deti hai jeene ka, nomatterwho you are— a farmer, or a non-farmer.We all live and yearn forthe support of the supremepower,” explains the 53-year-old.Growing up, hewatched hisparents participate in kirtans atgurdwaras for Baisakhi. For him,the festival has always been aboutbeing grateful for everything. It’swhat he plans on doing this yearas well. “It’s all about hope, love,
betterment, and thewill to helpothers. Apne liye to har aadmikarta hai, lekin doosron kimadadke liye khada hona chahiye. Theseare things etched inmymind,withmemories of langar,” recallsMehndi, known for hits such asBolo TaRa Ra, Tunak Tunak Tun,Dardi Rab Rab, Ho Jayegi BalleBalle, and Na NaNaNaNaRe.He feels the best place to cele-brate Baisakhi is at home. “I think(if we follow all the protocolsproperly) 2021-end tak Covid naamki beemari ko bhool jayenge log,”says the singer, who recently cameout with his single, Ragda.
Juhi [email protected]
H e wanted to cele-brate Baisakhi in abig way this yearwith his family inGurdaspur, Punjab, butsinger Guru Randhawaunderstands that given thepandemic, little can bedone.“Since the pandemicstarted, most of us havebeen celebrating festivals athome. Considering the cur-rent situation, this year tooI’ll mostly spend Baisakhiat home and visit the gurd-wara, if possible,” he says,adding, “Unfortunately, I’min Delhi and will definitelymiss being in the villageduring this time. But likeevery day, I’m going toremember God and thankHim for fulfilling mywishes.”
The 29-year-old urgeseveryone to be safe, followprotocols and not indulgein grand Baisakhi celebra-tions involving huge gath-erings. “Covid has impactedeverything, not just this fes-tival. We need to fight this
virus on a daily basis, besafe and follow govern-ment protocol,” adds thesinger known for songssuch as Lahore, High RatedGabru and Patola.Hemay not be able tohave the celebration hewanted, but Randhawa hasfondmemories of celebrat-ing the festival as a child.“Baisakhi is celebrated as aharvest festival, whenfarmers cut their crops.And on this day Guru Gob-ind Singh laid the founda-tion of the Panth Khalsa. Askids, we’d enjoy spendingtime with family and go tothe gurdwara to do seva.We’d also go to the mela inthe village. It’s a festivalthat brings a lot of happi-ness.”Since Baisakhi is a har-vest festival, the singer hasa special message for them.“May God bless the farmersas we eat because of them.May this year bring growthand prosperity,” he says,adding, “MayWahegurubless everyone with growthand prosperity. Happy Bai-sakhi to everyone. Stay safeand happy!”
GuruRandhawa
HAPPYBAISAKHI TO
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IN MY VILLAGE
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BAFTA’s emotionaltributes to Irrfanand Rishi Kapoor
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Sugandha Rawal
S ome time back I was told bymycountry that I exist, when I gotthe National FilmAward. Twoweeks later, one of themost seniorpeople inmy industry pretends as ifnothing I domatters and I’m invisi-ble and insignificant,” rues directorSudhanshu Saria reflecting onwhathe felt when he found “ridiculouslyobvious” similarities between theposter of an upcomingweb show,His Storyy, backed by Ekta Kapoor,and his 2015 film Loev.“I’m not looking to recovermoney from them, or sue them. Ijust want them to know that it’s notnice and not okay,” says a disap-pointed Saria. “What kind of a cul-ture are we inwhere you can have amarketingmeeting and take some-body else’s idea? You have the
I’M NOT MISSINGBIG BAISAKHICELEBRATIONSTHIS YEAR:MEHNDI
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SudhanshuSaria and (far left) posters of theupcomingweb showand (left)
his 2015 film
Plagiarism row: It made mefeel insignificant andpowerless, says Sudhanshu
06NEW DELHI
WEDNESDAYMAY 26, 2021World Of Sport
Richard Hadlee. REUTERS
“The Duke ball will suit both teams’fast bowlers especially the genuineswing bowlers and the Kiwis are wellserved in that department with (Tim)Southee, (Trent) Boult and (Kyle)Jamieson.”
For India, Jasprit Bumrah willspearhead a potent seam attack thatalso includes strike bowler Moham-med Shami and veteran IshantSharma. “If the ball seams around offthe pitch, batsmen in both teams willbe challenged,” Hadlee said.
“Both teams have high-class bats-men so it will be an interesting gameto watch. It is too difficult to call awinner at this stage.”
New Zealand lost in the final of thelast two ODI World Cups, mostlyfamously to England in 2019 onboundary count after scores were tiedeven after a Super Over. Kane Willi-amson will get another chance to leadNew Zealand to an ICC title and Had-lee said the 30-year-old was doing afine job as leader of the side.
“By the time he ends his career, hewill have all the New Zealand battingrecords ...,” Hadlee said of New Zea-land’s batting mainstay.
“His leadership has also grown – hisbody language suggests he is calm andin control of what he is doing, and hispersonality appears to be unflappableand consistent.”
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NEW DELHI: Fast-bowling great Rich-ard Hadlee expects swing bowlers todominate the final of the inauguralWorld Test Championship (WTC)between India and New Zealand inSouthampton next month. The formerNew Zealand all-rounder said he waslooking forward to watching twoevenly-matched sides clash at a neu-tral venue for test cricket’s biggestprize. “It all comes down as to who isbetter prepared and who adapts betterto the English conditions,” the69-year-old told the InternationalCricket Council’s website.
“The weather may also play a partand if it is cold that will favour NewZealand.
Solskjaer touts Europa as start of revived Man United successAgence France-Presse
GDANSK: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer willattempt to win his first trophy as Man-chester United manager in Wednes-day’s Europa League final against Vil-larreal, confident that victory couldignite another sustained run of suc-cess at Old Trafford.
The Norwegian, now 48, will for-ever be remembered for his late win-ner against Bayern Munich in the 1999Champions League final, and Sols-kjaer is eager to further embed him-self in the club’s rich history.
Having helped United secure suc-cessive top-four finishes for the firsttime since Alex Ferguson retired afterthe last of the club’s Premier Leaguetitles in 2013, Solskjaer hopes to nowend their four-year wait for silverwarein Gdansk.
“You always feel pressure to winthings at Manchester United. Progressin the league shows progress. Thenext step is to win trophies and chal-lenge in the Premier League as well,”
he said. “Winning a trophy can giveyou belief but it can make you hungryfor more. When you win things youjust want to win more, you want tofeel that sensation again of lifting tro-phies. I know my players will believethey can win it and that we can moveon to better things, but when you getthat taste of the first one, that’s a bigstep in the right direction.”
Solskjaer’s first four semi-finals asUnited boss ended in defeat, includinga 2-1 loss to eventual champions Sev-illa in last season’s remodelled EuropaLeague. United crashed out in theChampions League group stage thisterm despite winning three of theirfirst four games, heaping pressure onSolskjaer as rumours swirled about apossible move for Mauricio Pochet-tino. A return of 10 points from ninematches saw United off to their worstleague start since 1986-87, but,remarkably, Solskjaer’s side becamejust the fourth to go through anEnglish top-flight campaign unde-feated away from home.
Since replacing Jose Mourinho in
December 2018, United’s gradualimprovement under Solskjaer hasresulted in the club finishing sixth,third and, this season, second in thePremier League. “We’ve workedtogether two and a half years now andtaken a step into the final after thenear-misses we’ve had. To get to afinal is one thing, but when you get toa final you need to win it,” said Sols-kjaer. “Those nights when you win thetrophy it brings everyone together, it’sa celebration. When we won in ‘99 itdidn’t make me a better player. Itdidn’t make us individually betterplayers, but as a group we believedthat we could go on to win more stuffand we comfortably won the leaguethe next couple of seasons.”
Only three starters from the 2-0 winover Ajax in the 2017 final remain atthe club —Paul Pogba, Marcus Rash-ford and Juan Mata—with Unitedseeking to end their longest run with-out a trophy since the 1980s. “Thisgame’s important for us. We’re soclose to being a team that can competeand win trophies every single season.
Maybe winning this title, this EuropaLeague, can give us that little pushthat we need,” said Rashford.
Solskjaer will give captain HarryMaguire until Tuesday’s final trainingsession to prove his fitness, althoughthe England defender is highlyunlikely to play after damaging ankleligaments two weeks ago. Anotherobstacle in United’s way is UnaiEmery, a three-time Europa Leaguechampion with Sevilla who has over-seen a 14-match unbeaten run inEurope with Villarreal to reach hisfifth final. All four previous meetingsbetween United and Villarreal havefinished goalless. A similar outcome isentirely plausible in Poland, but thistime there will be a winner and loserregardless.
“It’s going to be special. You’ve gotto be proud to be able to lead a Man-chester United team out to a final,”said Solskjaer. “It’s been a fantasticjourney and, as we say in Norwegian,veien er målet (the goal is the jour-ney). This is just a step on the road tobringing our Man United back.”
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A Manchester United banner in Dlugi Targ Square ahead of the Europa final against Villarreal in Gdansk, Poland. REUTERS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Time on her hands anda world-class gym at her disposal afterthe 2020 Olympics were postponed,Simone Biles started experimentingalmost as a way to stave off themonotony of training. Pretty soon avault that she occasionally tinkeredwith for fun — the Yurchenko doublepike—started to look like a vault shecould pull off in competition.
So what if it had only historicallybeen done by men? So what if theInternational Gymnastics Federationseemed intent on not giving the vaulta difficulty value commensurate withits complexity? The vault exists. Shecan do it. So, why not? She didn’t stickaround for another year just to foolaround. She stuck around to keepmaking history. So she did. Again.
Hands seemingly magnetized to herhamstrings as she soared off the vault-ing table, Biles drilled the Yurchenkodouble pike during her victory at theUS Classic. The 24-year-old defendingworld and Olympic champion gener-ated so much momentum she took acouple of big hops upon landingbefore letting out a semi-relievedsmile. Get ready to add another ele-ment in her name in the sport’s Codeof Points, even she thinks the 6.6 startvalue for the Yurchenko double-pike— just a tick above significantly lessdifficult vaults — is as high as it shouldbe. “That’s on the (International Fed-eration of Gymnastics) that’s not onme,” Biles said. “They have an open-end code of points and now they’remad people are too far ahead andexcelling.” And no one in the sport has
ever excelled as much as Biles. Her all-around score of 58.400 in her firstevent in more than 18 months waseasily the best of the night eventhough she shorted her dismount onfloor exercise and sailed off the une-ven bars. “I’m not really mad abouttoday,” she said.
No need to be. After teasing theYurchenko double-pike for the betterpart of a year and then unveiling itduring training on Friday—a movethat caught the attention of people likeNBA star LeBron James—Biles madeit official in front of the women tryingto join her on the Olympic team thissummer. Wearing a white leotardwith a rhinestone goat—a nod to herstatus as the Greatest of All-Time—Biles sprinted down the runway, did
a roundoff onto the springboard fol-lowed by a back handspring onto thevault, finishing with two backflipswith her legs ramrod straight and herhands clasping the back of her legs.
It wasn’t quite perfect. No worries, she’ll get more chances
over the next two months. Eventhough she doesn’t agree with the wayit’s being judged, she has no plans tostop throwing it.
“I know it’s not the correct one, butI can still do it,” Biles said. “So why notjust show off my ability and athleti-cism?” Same as it ever was for Biles,whose spot on the U.S. Olympic Teamis assured. The other spots remain upin the air, though Jordan Chiles ismaking a serious case to join goodfriend Biles on the plane to Tokyo.
Biles makes history in return to competition at US Classic
Simone Biles lands the Yurchenko double pike while competing on the vault during the 2021 GK US Classic gymnastics in Indiana. AFP
2019/2020 season and also won thisseason’s Bundesliga crown after ini-tially taking over as an interim coachin late 2019, but decided to leave thechampions after 18 successfulmonths in charge.
Loew, who had a contract until2022, led Germany to the World Cuptitle in 2014 with Flick as his assist-ant, and also won the 2017 Confedera-tions Cup.
But his team crashed out in thefirst round in the 2018 World Cup andhas been struggling to perform at thehighest level despite an overhaul.
A 6-0 thrashing by Spain in theNations League in November wasGermany’s worst defeat in competi-tive football.
LONDON: New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert broke down intears on Tuesday as he recalled fear-ing the worst after testing positivefor COVID-19 in India following theIndian Premier League’s (IPL) sus-pension.
Seifert, who had been with IPLside Kolkata Knight Riders, was una-ble to exit India with other New Zea-land cricketers after he returned apositive test and became the last for-eign player left in the country.
Now back in New Zealand, Seifertsaid his “heart sank straight away”when a team official told him of hispositive test.
“The world kind of stops a littlebit.” he told reporters in a video callfrom hotel quarantine in Auckland.“I just couldn’t really think what wasnext. And that was the scary part ofit. You hear about the bad things,and I thought that was going to hap-pen to me.”
Seifert was then overcome withemotion on the call and needed a
moment to compose himself beforegoing on.
“The news (in India) is all about alack of oxygen, you don’t know ifyou’re going to be in that situation,”he said.
“It’s just the whole unknown ofwhat COVID is, how you’re going toreact to it.”
The IPL was played in a biosecurebubble before it was suspendedindefinitely on May 4 after playersand staff on multiple teams con-tracted COVID-19.
Seifert experienced only mildsymptoms but the stress had provedthe biggest challenge for him.
He said the experience had notturned him off returning to India forthe Twenty20 World Cup in October,though the global tournament maybe in doubt if the country is unableto overcome a devastating secondwave of the coronavirus.
“To be honest, the whole timewhile I was over there, the bubblefelt good ... felt safe,” he said.
KKR’s Seifert recalls Covid-19 ordeal in India
Hadlee expects swing bowlers to dominate
Hans-Dieter (Hansi) Flick. AFP
Press Trust of India
MUMBAI: India captain Virat Kohli, hiswhite-ball deputy Rohit Sharma andhead coach Ravi Shastri joined theEngland-bound squad’s bio-bubble onTuesday as it began its eight-day hardquarantine along with the women’steam here. The Indian women’s teammembers also entered their eight-dayhard quarantine at the Grand Hyatt inMumbai located near the interna-tional airport.
The teams are expected to fly out onJune 2 after all the playing and non-playing members return three nega-tive RT-PCR results.
The men’s team will first take onNew Zealand in the World Test Cham-pionship final against New Zealandfrom June 18 before a full seriesagainst England. The women arescheduled to take on the hosts in oneTest, three ODIs and as many T20Internationals starting June 16.
“Wriddhiman and Prasidh Krishnajoined the bubble two days back afterrecovering fully from COVID-19.Mumbaikars like Virat, Rohit andcoach Shastri have all now joined thebubble,” a BCCI source confirmed.
It is learnt that approval for allow-ing the players’ families is still awaitedbut the BCCI is hopeful that it wouldbe done soon. “We can’t have our play-ers being away from their families forthree months and that too in a bubble.That’s never great for mental health,”the source said.
The negotiation on quarantineduration once the side reachesEngland is still on and the hard quar-antine (confined to hotel rooms) couldbe shortened.
INDIAN MEN AND WOMEN’S SQUADS BEGIN QUARANTINE BEFORE ENG TOUR
Netherlands' Steven Berghuis with Quincy Promes and teammates on bicycles in KNVB Campus, Zeist, Netherlands, before their training for the Euro 2020. REUTERS
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Germany names Flick as coach till 2024FRANKFURT: Former Bayern Munichcoach Hansi Flick signed a two-yearcontract on Tuesday to take over Ger-many after the end the EuropeanChampionship this summer, the Ger-man Football Association (DFB) said.
He will succeed current coachJoachim Loew, with whom he wonthe World Cup as an assistant in 2014and will have to complete an over-haul that was disrupted by a string ofbad results and the coronavirus pan-demic.
“Everything happened surprisinglyquickly for me and I am happy to benational team coach from theautumn,” Flick, who was the fron-trunner for the post, said in a state-ment.
“My joy is great because I see thequality of the players, especially theyoung ones, in Germany. So we haveevery reason to approach the nexttournaments, for example our homeEuro 2024 with optimism.”
Germany will host the EuropeanChampionship in 2024.
Flick led Bayern to six titles in the
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