Hockey India announces 27-member core probable group for national camp

Bengaluru, June 20 2024-

Hockey India on Thursday announced the 27-member core probable group for the senior men’s national coaching camp, scheduled to commence on June 21 and last until July 8 at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.

The camp is crucial as the Indian team will look to polish their preparations ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Indian men’s team is placed in Pool B along with Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland. They will start their Olympic campaign against New Zealand on July 27.

The team returns to camp after a successful outing in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24, where they are currently placed fourth after earning 24 points from 16 matches.

The core group of the national coaching camp includes goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak, PR Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera and defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay and Amir Ali.

The midfielders called up to the camp include Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sumit, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Vishnukant Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Mohammed Raheel Mouseen. The list of forwards includes Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Boby Singh Dhami and Araijeet Singh Hundal.

Indian men’s hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton spoke about the importance of the camp. He said, “We are looking to start an important block of training in this camp, and we need to make sure that we are in the best form ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The players have learned a lot from their matches in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24. It has helped us in realising where we need to improve. We have a lot of time to work on those areas. We have a strong mix of players who are capable of winning anything.” (Agency)

New research shows walking can stop backache from returning

Sydney, June 20 2024-

If you have ever had backache, you may know the initial relief when the pain subsides, only to suffer a nasty shock when it comes back.

Those who are in the habit of taking a walk will find their back aches much less frequently, according to new medical research. And the great news is that your walk need not be especially athletic.

Scientists in Australia prescribed a walking programme for a group involving hundreds of non-athletic adults who had recovered after suffering from non-specific lower back pain.

Half undertook the exercise — walking for at least 30 minutes, five days a week — while the other half of the group of 701 did not. Physiotherapists helped individually tailor their walking programmes.

On average, those who followed the exercise programme had such severe low back pain again after 208 days that they had to restrict their regular activities.

But for those people in the control group, their back pain only returned and forced them to stop doing their usual activities after just 112 days.

That means those included in the walking programme had almost twice as long until their pain returned. They also experienced less pain overall, said Mark Hancock, co-author of the study led by Natasha Pocovi from Macquarie University in Sydney and published in the Lancet medical journal.

“We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain,” said Hancock. “But it’s probably a combination of the gentle oscillating movements, the strain and strengthening of the spinal structures and muscles, the relaxation and stress relief and the release of feel-good endorphins.”

Doctors have long been recommending that people with back pain exercise regularly and do sport.

However, not everyone has the money, time or access to exercise programmes, said Pocovi. “Walking is an inexpensive, easily accessible and simple exercise.”

The researchers hope that their findings can help as many people as possible around the world, especially given that more than 600 million people worldwide suffer from lower back pain. (Agency)

DGCA asks airlines, airports to increase women staff to 25 pc of workforce

New Delhi June 20 2024-

Civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued an advisory to airports and airlines to increase the number of women employees in their organisations to ensure more gender equality in the aviation sector.

“With this move, the DGCA aims to increase the number of women in various positions to a desirable representation of 25 per cent by 2025 within the aviation industry in India,” the circular states.

The circular, titled ‘Gender Equality in Civil Aviation Sector”, has been issued keeping in mind the principle of gender equality that is enshrined in the Constitution of India and the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) vision for promoting equal opportunities in the aviation sector.

The regulator suggested that the airports and airlines should publish the vacant positions on various forums, explicitly encouraging applications from female candidates and drafting positions with precise information on flexible working conditions in their organisations.

“The stakeholders are advised to promote enhanced representation of women in the aviation workforce, introduce leadership and mentorship programs for women in the organisation, address the issue of stereotypes and gender bias and promote a better work-life balance for women employees,” the circular states.

It has also directed the stakeholders to improve their policies and practices to ensure gender equality in the workplace.

Airlines and Airports have been asked to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and formulate HR policies to achieve this goal. They have also been asked to diversify the work profiles of women employees, highlighting women role models and other facilitative steps that promote a gender-inclusive work culture.

The organisations should also develop suitable programmes to hire women back if they have taken a break due to parenting needs “or other attendant life cycle issues”. (Agency)

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure targeted in Russian attack: Ukrenergo

Kiev, June 20 2024-

Several Ukrainian energy facilities have been hit in a severe Russian aerial attack, Ukraine’s national energy provider Ukrenergo said on Thursday, while Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted fuel depots in Russia overnight.

Ukrenergo reported damages from the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kiev regions, saying that the exact extent was still being investigated.

The damage in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region was caused by debris from a downed Russian combat drone, regional Governor Serhiy Borzov said on Telegram.

A power line and an unspecified industrial plant were hit in the Kiev region, according to the regional administration.

Explosions were reported overnight from the city of Dnipro and the Zaporizhzhia region.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia used four cruise missiles, two guided missiles and 27 combat drones in the combined attack. All drones and five of the other missiles were intercepted, according to Commander Mykola Oleshchuk.

Three Iskander-M ballistic missiles could not be intercepted, according to the Ukrainian army. Iskander missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometres, are rarely intercepted.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacks caused fires at two fuel depots overnight, according to Russian authorities.

A fuel depot in the town of Enem near Krasnodar in southern Russia and a depot in the Tambov region south of Moscow were affected.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, 15 drones were shot down.

It was not possible to independently verify the claim from either warring party. (Agency)

Zareen Khan wants to explore raw, unconventional roles to harness her potential

Mumbai, June 20 2024-

Actress Zareen Khan has lauded the web series ‘Panchayat 3’ and expressed her desire to work in stories and roles that bring out her true potential.

Heaping praise on the show, Zareen said: “A show like ‘Panchayat’ is such an escape from the usual thriller and action genres that are dominating the OTT space. We need more of these shows.”

Hoping to find such unconventional roles, the actress said: “I hope I get to be a part of such a world. Getting to explore raw and unconventional roles that bring my true potential to the forefront is something that I would really like to get into!!”

The 37-year-old actress, who has worked in Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, and Tamil films, made her Bollywood debut in 2010 in the epic film ‘Veer’ alongside Salman Khan, portraying the role of a princess.

Following ‘Veer’, Zareen gained attention for her appearance in the popular track ‘Character Dheela’ from the Salman Khan-starrer ‘Ready’ in 2011. She then featured in films like ‘Housefull 2’ and made her Tamil cinema debut with the song ‘Malgove’ in ‘Naan Rajavaga Pogiren’.

In 2014, she starred in the Punjabi film ‘Jatt James Bond’ and made a comeback in Hindi cinema with the 2015 erotic thriller ‘Hate Story 3’.

Zareen was last seen on screen in ‘Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele’ directed by Harish Vyas. The film, also featuring Anshuman Jha, Ravi Khanvilkar, Gurfateh Pirzada, and Nitin Sharma, explores the friendship between Veer Pratap Randhawa, a gay man, and Mansi Dubey, a lesbian woman, during a road trip. (Agency)

Two empty train coaches catch fire in Secunderabad

Hyderabad, June 20 2024-

Two train coaches caught fire near Secunderabad Railway Station here on Thursday, police said.

Thick smoke was seen billowing out of two spare AC coaches parked at Mettuguda near South Central Railway (SCR) headquarters Rail Nilayam.

Firefighting personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

There were no casualties in the incident as there was no one in the coaches parked at the washing line.

The firefighters had to use ladders to reach the affected coaches and stop the fire from spreading to other coaches parked there.

The cause of the fire was not known. (Agency)

Delhi court reserves order on Kejriwal’s bail plea in excise policy case

New Delhi, June 20 2024-

A Delhi court on Thursday reserved its order on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea and his application to allow his wife Sunita Kejriwal to be present during his medical examination.

While the court had on Wednesday said that it won’t reserve the order, it had also extended CM Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the excise policy case after hearing arguments at length on his regular bail plea. Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu said that she would not reserve her order. “I will not reserve order. Everyone knows it is a high-profile matter. I will pass the order after hearing it,” she had said as she posted the continuation of the hearing on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the court had heard arguments from CM Kejriwal’s counsel, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had presented its case but could not complete it.

The judge had deferred the hearing to Thursday, stating: “I have to pass some orders (in other cases) and give ‘dasti’ (service of notice in person) copies.”

The judge had also heard CM Kejriwal’s application to allow his wife Sunita Kejriwal to be present during his medical examination, with the court awaiting a report from Tihar Jail on the matter.

The judge had clarified that the central agency had no role in CM Kejriwal’s request for treatment inside jail.

During the bail arguments, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, representing CM Kejriwal, had contended that the case against him relied on statements from individuals who were allegedly promised bail for supporting the ED’s case.

He had questioned the credibility of these witnesses and suggested their statements were made under duress after failing to obtain bail. Chaudhary had also cited the timing of CM Kejriwal’s arrest before the Lok Sabha elections, suggesting it was politically motivated.

He had argued that there was no material evidence or money trail against CM Kejriwal, describing the investigation as “the biggest instrument of oppression”.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the ED, had argued that CM Kejriwal had not been summoned as an accused but was now facing charges after the special court took cognisance of the money laundering offence.

He had said that the credibility of the statements could only be assessed during the trial, not at the bail stage while adding that inducements given to approvers were lawful and necessary for obtaining evidence.

He had argued that CM Kejriwal was liable not only in his personal capacity but also as the head of the Aam Aadmi Party, alleging he had demanded a bribe of Rs 100 crore. (Agency)

Kuala Lumpur-bound Malaysia Airlines flight returns to Hyderabad due to technical snag

Hyderabad, June 20 2024-

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Hyderabad to Kuala Lumpur returned to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here on Thursday due to a technical snag.

The flight returned early morning after the pilot noticed a technical snag in the engine in mid-air.

The flight MAS 199 with 138 people on board took off at 12.30 a.m.

However, the pilot noticed the technical snag in mid-air and sought permission from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) to return.

The aircraft made a safe landing around 3.58 a.m.

Further details were awaited. (Agency)

Williamson to take part in SA20 season 2 after opting out of NZ’s central contract

New Delhi, June 19 2024-

Kane Williamson has confirmed his participation in the SA20 season 2 in January 2025, after opting out of New Zealand’s central contract for the 2024-25 season. Despite this decision, Williamson has emphasised that his commitment to New Zealand cricket remains unwavering, dismissing any notions that his international career is nearing its conclusion.

Williamson explained that his decision was influenced by New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) contractual stipulations. According to NZC rules, players must participate in the domestic Super Smash competition if not on international duty to be eligible for a central contract.

Balancing these commitments while exploring other competitive opportunities led Williamson to forego the central contract, though he is expected to miss only a handful of matches, including three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka.

“There’s a number of great competitions during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting,” Williamson told reporters upon his return to New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. “Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract. However, my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. I might miss a handful of games over a three-week period. It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me.”

Despite declining the contract, Williamson’s international calendar remains busy. He will participate in the World Test Championship (WTC) series against Sri Lanka and India away, a three-match home series against England, and an ODI series in Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February. There is, however, some uncertainty regarding his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September.

Looking ahead, Williamson and NZC CEO Scott Weenink have discussed the future, including the possibility of playing until the 2028 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Williamson, who will be 38 by then, remains non-committal publicly but acknowledges the allure of major events and significant series, such as the Test series in Australia in 2026-27.

“I want to play as long as I can,” Williamson stated. “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years. I’m excited about what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that. In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. I want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, and keep trying to improve. That [2028] is a number of years away and it’s a year at a time. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect. Managing my time as well as I can after doing it for so many years is important and I know New Zealand Cricket are really supportive of that.”

Williamson remains committed to playing international cricket across all three formats, although his position in the T20 side may come under scrutiny as the team looks to rebuild following their group stage exit in the West Indies. “Naturally after major events, there are always different decisions that are made and you are always looking to bring different players through,” he said. “But being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value.” (Agency)

Disha Patani beats Kartik, Prithviraj; Tops weekly list of IMdB’s popular Indian celebrities

June 19, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Disha Patani’s popularity knows no bound. Whenever she’s taken on screen, she has left it on fire. Her fans have celebrated her every win, and that has become evident with the latest list of IMdB. The popular portal recently dropped the weekly list of popular Indian celebrities in which Disha has secured the first spot.

What’s interesting is the fact that the actress, who was on 9th position last week, rose to first due to her intriguing first look from ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, which was released on her birthday earlier this month.

The actress has soared past renowned celebrities such as Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kartik Aaryan, Nag Ashwin, Anurag Kashyap and others. Disha Patani has proven her acting prowess to such impressive levels that fans’ love has made her emerge in one of the most prestigious lists.

In ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, Disha will be seen sharing the screen space alongside Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan among others.

The film is slated to hit the theatres on June 27, 2024. Beyond ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, Disha Patani is gearing up to slay in a slew pf projects. She is gearing up to star in a Hindi film ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ and Suriya starrer Tamil film ‘Kanguva’.