Stay Ahead. Always.
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday expressed regret in Lok Sabha over the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland during a security operation and said that it was a case of “mistaken identity”. Meanwhile, the opposition parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, […]
Nation
GUWAHATI: Opposition political parties in Assam Monday lent their voices to the demand for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (Afspa), 1958, which has gained renewed momentum following the death of 14 civilians in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation in […]
Nation
MUMBAI: The BMC issued a new notice to actor Sonu Sood for failing to restore his six-storey building from a hotel back to a residential building. In July the BMC had asked Sood to convert his Juhu hotel back into a residential building and remove […]
Nation
Thank you for voting. Hmm. Something went wrong. We will take a look as soon as we can. Email Comic Share on Facebook Tweet Share on LinkedIn Comments 0 Buy
Agrix Agrotech on Monday said it has received growth capital from Lead Angels Network and will use the fund to support business growth and scale existing operations. The agricultural technology startup said in a release it will also use the capital to firm up technology […]
The Mirai (which means future in Japanese) is Toyota’s first zero-emissions electric car. Unlike other electric cars, the Mirai doesn’t have a huge battery under the floor. Instead, it has a fuel cell under the bonnet, and hydrogen tanks under the back seat. The hydrogen […]
Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal are finally getting married. There have been multiple rumours circulating around the Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal wedding and all of them have their list of pros and cons. Some say that the couple has made their guests sign an […]
The United States securities regulator has opened an investigation into Tesla Inc over a whistleblower complaint that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects across several years, according to a letter from […]
MUMBAI: New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel considers himself “fortunate” to be just the third Test cricketer ever with 10 wickets in an innings as all he tried doing in that magical performance against India was putting the ball in the right areas for a […]
MUMBAI: New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel considers himself “fortunate” to be just the third Test cricketer ever with 10 wickets in an innings as all he tried doing in that magical performance against India was putting the ball in the right areas for a […]
Cricket Sports
4:33 PM ET Der Klassiker did not disappoint this weekend, but Barcelona certainly did. Elsewhere, the Simeone family had an up-and-down time of things, while Liverpool left it late and Man City were thankful for a player who almost left the club. Here are Mark […]
Football Sports
The Mirai (which means future in Japanese) is Toyota’s first zero-emissions electric car. Unlike other electric cars, the Mirai doesn’t have a huge battery under the floor. Instead, it has a fuel cell under the bonnet, and hydrogen tanks under the back seat. The hydrogen […]
Science
If the father’s half of the gene editing molecule was on his Y chromosome, once it combines with the mother’s DNA containing the other half of the editing molecule, the resulting XY male embryo would have both parts of the molecule that deactivates the gene, […]
Science
How the emergence of the Omicron variant will shape the COVID-19 pandemic is still unclear, but new data from South Africa are worrisome. A study published yesterday as a preprint suggests Omicron is causing more infections in people who have recovered from an earlier bout […]
Science
In some farmers’ ideal world, cows would birth only females, sows would bear no boars, and chicks would all grow up to be hens. Such sex ratios would stop them from killing millions of male animals, which don’t produce eggs or milk. Now, scientists are […]
Science
Next week, NASA will launch a small mission with an ambitious task: to peer into some of the universe’s most violent objects for clues to how they work. By detecting how intense magnetic fields in collapsed stars and black holes align, or polarize, the x-rays […]
Science
Schwenda, Germany—Last summer, Friederike and Jörg von Beyme stood on a bramble-covered, Sun-blasted slope outside this small town in eastern Germany. Just 4 years ago, the hillside, part of a nearly 500-hectare forest the couple bought in 2002, was green and shady, covered in tall, […]
Science
MUMBAI: New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel considers himself “fortunate” to be just the third Test cricketer ever with 10 wickets in an innings as all he tried doing in that magical performance against India was putting the ball in the right areas for a […]
Cricket SportsMUMBAI: New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel considers himself “fortunate” to be just the third Test cricketer ever with 10 wickets in an innings as all he tried doing in that magical performance against India was putting the ball in the right areas for a long period of time.
The 33-year-old Mumbai-born Patel, who migrated to New Zealand as a seven-year old, said it has been a “dream come true” to be able to play at the city of his birth and come up with a historic feat.
“It has been a special outing for me. It’s my dream to come here and play at Wankhede and be able to do something like that (historic feat) is very special. Not only for me but also for my family back home,” Patel said in an interview by senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
“I will count myself as fortunate. I thank God to have (got) this opportunity but it was about putting the ball in good areas for a long period of time,” he said in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
“As a spinner, sometimes you really have to work. I have to bowl 47 overs or something. In the end I was very exhausted, 72 or 73 overs in three days.”
India won the series 1-0 with a 372-run thumping of the visitors in the second Test here, the same match in which Patel made history.
Special Mumbai connect 👍Secret behind 10-wicket haul 😎A memorable #TeamIndia souvenir ☺️🎤 @ashwinravi99 intervi… https://t.co/JR4D4hQORU
— BCCI (@BCCI) 1638789005000
He also admitted that he was put under a lot of pressure by the Indian batters.
“It is about playing that long game especially when the wickets suited you and giving something to you. We knew that you guys are amazing players of spin. You guys put a lot of pressure on me.
“I was trying to be on the money every ball because as soon as I miss, you guys would be on top. So, it has been a bit of a mind game. It was about sticking and trusting what you are doing is the right thing.”
Ashwin, on his part, lauded Patel and presented to him, a jersey signed by Indian players as a mark of respect to the Kiwi bowler.
“A middle class Indian family, parents migrated to New Zealand. His father started a workshop. It is an amazing journey (for Patel),” Ashwin said.
“He (Patel) was a fast bowler, I don’t think you would fancy to be one here.”
Patel said he is content with his choice of switching to spin bowling after initially wanting to be a pace bowler.
“In New Zealand, I definitely wanted to be a seamer first up, even now sometimes I wish to bowl seam. But I don’t really have the height of a fast bowler and so I made a great choice switching to spin bowling about two years ago.
“It has been a lot of hard work but I am very grateful to be where I am right now in cricket,” said Patel who took 14 wickets in the second Test.
He said Ashwin was one of the players he looked up to because of his excellent command on the craft.
“As you know, it takes a lot of time to develop the craft. It has been amazing watching your journey and the amount of wickets you have taken in different conditions around the world.
“For me, it was just about trying to emulate some of the best and you are definitely out there.”
Talking about his memories in India, he said, “Early on in India, it was just like playing cricket in Maidan just because you enjoy playing with the rubber ball or heavy tennis ball, way to go.
“But in New Zealand, probably it is more structured. In our family, Indians are cricket mad and we still play in the backyard every hour, crazy times, just cricket mad family really.”
The United States securities regulator has opened an investigation into Tesla Inc over a whistleblower complaint that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects across several years, according to a letter from […]
Top Stories World
The United States securities regulator has opened an investigation into Tesla Inc over a whistleblower complaint that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects across several years, according to a letter from the agency.
The probe has raised regulatory pressure on the world’s most valuable automaker, which already faces a federal safety probe into accidents involving its driver assistant systems. Concerns about fires from Tesla solar systems have been published previously, but this is the first report of an investigation by the securities regulator.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed the Tesla probe in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by Steven Henkes, a former Tesla field quality manager, who filed a whistleblower complaint on the solar systems in 2019 and asked the agency for information about the report.
“We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that the investigation from which you seek records is still active and ongoing,” the SEC said in a September 24 response to Henkes, declining his request to provide its records. The SEC official said the letter should not be taken as an indication by the agency that violations of law had occurred. The Reuters news agency independently confirmed the SEC letter was legitimate.
Henkes, a former Toyota Motor quality division manager, was fired from Tesla in August 2020 and he sued Tesla claiming the dismissal was in retaliation for raising safety concerns. Tesla did not respond to Reuters’s emailed questions, while the SEC declined to comment.
In the SEC complaint, Henkes said Tesla and SolarCity, which it acquired in 2016, did not disclose its “liability and exposure to property damage, risk of injury of users, fire etc to shareholders” prior and after the acquisition.
Tesla also failed to notify its customers that defective electrical connectors could lead to fires, according to the complaint.
Tesla told consumers that it needed to conduct maintenance on the solar panel system to avoid a failure that could shut down the system. It did not warn of fire risks, offer temporary shutdown to mitigate risk, or report the problems to regulators, Henkes said.
Tesla shares fell 5.5 percent at $960.25 on Monday after the Reuters report.
More than 60,000 residential customers in the US and 500 government and commercial accounts were affected by the issue, according to his lawsuit filed in November last year against Tesla Energy over wrongful termination.
It is not clear how many of those remain after Tesla’s remediation programme.
Henkes, a longtime manager at Toyota’s North American quality division, moved to SolarCity as a quality engineer in 2016, months before Tesla acquired SolarCity. After the acquisition, his duties changed and he became aware of the widespread problem, he told Reuters.
Henkes, in the SEC complaint, said he told Tesla management that Tesla needs to shut down the fire-prone solar systems, report to safety regulators and notify consumers. When his calls were ignored, he proceeded to file complaints with regulators.
“The top lawyer cautioned any communication of this issue to the public as a detriment to the Tesla reputation. For me this is criminal,” he said in the SEC complaint.
Litigation and concerns over faulty connectors and Tesla solar system issues stretch back several years. Walmart in a 2019 lawsuit against Tesla said the latter’s roof solar system led to seven store fires. Tesla denied the allegations and the two settled.
Business Insider reported Tesla’s programme to replace defective solar panel parts in 2019.
Several residential customers or their insurers have sued Tesla and parts supplier Amphenol over fires related to their solar systems, according to documents provided by legal transparency group PlainSite.
Henkes also filed a complaint with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which CNBC reported this year was investigating the case. CPSC and Amphenol didn’t respond to request for comment.
Athletic Bilbao will be looking to avoid a draw and get the much-needed win against Getafe. If they get it, this win will be Athletic Bilbao’s first since the last 6 games. Register an account at BetUK and bet £10 to get a £30 Free Bet. […]
Sports 
Register an account at BetUK and bet £10 to get a £30 Free Bet.
The two sides will meet on the 6tht of December at 21:00 BST.
Getafe have a tough history with Athletic Bilbao, winning 9, drawing 12, and losing 11 of their last 32 La Liga games against Athletic Bilbao. Athletic Club don’t have the best history against Getafe either as they have drawn 5 and lost 2 of their last 8 La Liga games against Getafe. However, Athletic Club did win by a 5-1 scoreline when both sides last met in January 2021.
Fortunes are contrasting as Getafe seat 19th, one point from bottom in the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Athletic Club had a bright display despite losing in their last match against Real Madrid and currently sit 10th on the La Liga table.
Unfortunately, Athletic Club can’t seem to find a win from anywhere right now. However, that could change when they clash against relegation-threatened Getafe tonight. Therefore, this will be an epic clash as Getafe will want to get 3 points as they try to battle their way out of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Athletic Club will see this as an opportunity to get the win that has eluded them for so long. The win is much needed, and if they fail to get it tonight, it might dampen moods in the Athletic Club locker room.
Getafe possible starting lineup: Soria, Mitrovic, Dakonam, Cuenca, Suarez, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Alena, Olivera, Sandro, Unal
Athletic Club possible starting lineup: Simon, Lekue, Alvarez, Martinez, Balenziaga, Zarraga, Vencedor, D Garcia, Muniain, I Williams, Sancet
Getafe have a better La Liga form than Athletic Bilbao does. Getafe have 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws in their last 6 La Liga games. Admittedly, it’s not the greatest form, but it’s better than that of Athletic, who can’t find a win from anywhere with 4 draws and 2 losses in their last 6 games.
However, Athletic Bilbao have played tough opponents in the last few games. They got 2 draws against Real Sociedad and Espanyol and narrowly lost to Real Madrid, who are top of the table. Therefore, Sportslens predicts a win or draw for Athletic Bilbao based on their recent history, just like the top football betting sites have predicted.
Here are the latest betting odds for Getafe vs. Athletic Bilbao from BetUK.
Match winner:
Getafe – 3.70
Draw – 2.95
Athletic Bilbao – 2.28
Total goals
Over 2.5: 2.90
Under 2.5: 1.40
Both teams to score
Yes – 2.30
No – 1.56
Athletic Bilbao have a worse league form than Getafe do at the moment. However, the top football betting sites believe this game will be in Athletic Bilbao’s favour. SportsLens believes the same.
Prediction: Athletic Bilbao to win.
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday expressed regret in Lok Sabha over the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland during a security operation and said that it was a case of “mistaken identity”. Meanwhile, the opposition parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, […]
Nation
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday expressed regret in Lok Sabha over the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland during a security operation and said that it was a case of “mistaken identity”.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party staged a walkout after Union home minister Amit Shah‘s statement on Nagaland incident in Lok Sabha.
Here’s what the home minister said on Nagaland killings:
– The government of India expresses deep regret over the unfortunate incident in Nagaland and also expresses deep sympathies to the bereaved families.
– Army had received information on the movement of extremists near Tiru, Mon. On that basis, one unit of Army’s 21 Para Commando laid an ambush in the suspected area. A vehicle reached there, it was signalled to stop but it tried to flee. On suspicion of carrying extremists, it was fired upon.
– 6 out of the 8 people in the vehicle died. It was later found to be a case of mistaken identity. 2 others who were injured were taken to nearest health centre by Army. After receiving news of this, local villagers surrounded the Army unit, set 2 vehicles on fire and attacked them.
– As a result, one jawan of the security forces died; many other jawans injured. Security forces had to resort to firing for self-defence & to disperse crowd. This caused the death of 7 more civilians, some others injured. Local administration and Police tried to bring the situation to normalcy.
– After the incident, on December 5 evening, an agitated crowd of around 250 people vandalised the company operating base (COB) of Assam Rifles in Mon city and set the COB building on fire. Assam Rifles had to fire bullets to disperse the crowd. This caused death of one more civilian.
– SIT to probe Nagaland incident and has been asked to complete investigation within a month.
-It has been decided that all agencies should ensure that such unfortunate incidents do not take place again in the future while taking up such drives. Government is monitoring the incident minutely and necessary remedial measured are being taken to ensure peace in the area.
GUWAHATI: Opposition political parties in Assam Monday lent their voices to the demand for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (Afspa), 1958, which has gained renewed momentum following the death of 14 civilians in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation in […]
Nation
GUWAHATI: Opposition political parties in Assam Monday lent their voices to the demand for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (Afspa), 1958, which has gained renewed momentum following the death of 14 civilians in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation in Nagaland. Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi condemned the firing in Mon district of Nagaland and demanded immediate arrest and punishment of all involved in it.
He also demanded that the National Investigation Agency be entrusted with enquiry into it and the incident be declared as a terrorist act.
In a video statement shared through social media, the lawmaker said, “We have been seeing the army committing such excess on innocent civilians in the north east region in the name of counter insurgency operations”.
The armed forces work under the cover of the Afspa in the region and do not have to face any court of law. It conducts its own internal enquiry and the people do not get to know whether a case reached its logical conclusion of not, Gogoi added.
“(The) Nagaland killings are a caricature of the Indian Govt. Revoke Afspa,” Gogoi also wrote on Twitter.
Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi also took to the Twitter to vent his opposition of Afspa.
Condemning the Mon firing incidents, he wrote, “Its heartbreaking to see civilians being gunned down by the same forces that were meant to protect them. I demand that laws like #Afspa be repealed from the #NorthEast. #Nagaland”
The party’s general secretary, Jagadish Bhuyan, blaming Afspa for the incident tweeted, “It is past time for us to wake up and protest against this atrocity, or many more civilians will be killed in this manner!”
“The GOI should SCRAP THE Afspa and allow the NE people to live as dignified citizens of the country without any discrimination!” he added.
AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain too pitched for revoking Afspa.
“Real justice to the victims would be ending this type of killings with impunity. There should be collective voice from all sections against the draconian Afspa which allows such impunity,” the legislator tweeted on Sunday.
Veteran CPI(M) leader Hemen Das joined the opposition parties in their demand for scrapping Afspa.
In a tweet on Sunday he condemned the incident and wrote, “This is state terrorism. Scrap Afspa.”
The CPI staged a demonstration in front of its party office here on Sunday demanding revocation of the Act and justice for the victims and their families.
At least 14 civilians and one soldier were killed in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence within 24 hours in Mon district of Nagaland since Saturday evening.
Afspa is in force in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (excluding Imphal Municipal Council Area), Changlang, Longding and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh and in areas falling within the jurisdiction of eight police stations of districts in Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam.
Civil society groups, rights activists and political leaders of the region have been demanding the withdrawal of the “draconian” law for years, alleging excesses by security forces under the cover of the Act.
8:43 PM ET Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is Oklahoma‘s new head football coach, the university announced. A deal was finalized Sunday night after OU athletic director Joe Castiglione flew to the Clemson, South Carolina, area to meet with Venables, who had emerged as the […]
Main Sports
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is Oklahoma‘s new head football coach, the university announced.
A deal was finalized Sunday night after OU athletic director Joe Castiglione flew to the Clemson, South Carolina, area to meet with Venables, who had emerged as the Sooners’ top target. Venables flew back with the Oklahoma contingent Sunday night and will be formally introduced Monday morning.
“This is an incredibly special opportunity,” Venables said in a statement released by Oklahoma, calling the Sooners “one of the winningest and most tradition-rich programs in college football history.”
“There’s no question we are equipped to compete at the very highest level and attract the best players from across the country. The OU logo has never been stronger.”
Venables, one of the top defensive minds in the college game, has been a major part of Clemson’s championship run under Dabo Swinney and has a long history at Oklahoma. He was on the Sooners’ staff from 1999 to 2011, as co-defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2003 and defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2011.
While at Clemson, Venables was the Broyles Award winner in 2016 as the top assistant coach in college football. He had turned down multiple head-coaching opportunities in recent years to stay at Clemson.
“This is a truly great day for Oklahoma,” Castiglione said in the school’s release. “A born leader, [Venables] helped build and sustain an exceptional culture during his 13 years here at Oklahoma and his 10 seasons at Clemson. He has a track record of establishing meaningful relationships with his players and preparing them for the next level. Brent embraces competition and the challenges that come with it, and there is no doubt in my mind he is the right man to lead OU football into its next great era.”
Venables’ defenses at Clemson consistently ranked near the top nationally in most statistical categories. He was the highest-paid assistant coach in college football and received a contract extension prior to this season that took him to $2.5 million annually. That was after he turned down the Auburn head-coaching job a few months earlier.
Sources told ESPN that Venables plans to hire Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator. Lebby, a semifinalist for the Broyles Award each of the past two seasons, spent four years as a student assistant at Oklahoma after signing to play there but suffering an injury that ended his playing career. Lebby, working under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, called the offensive plays for the Rebels, who ranked fourth nationally this season in total offense (506.7 yards per game).
Cincinnati‘s Luke Fickell was another coach Oklahoma had interest in, but the timing didn’t work out for Fickell, whose Bearcats won the AAC championship game Saturday and are headed to the College Football Playoff.
Venables, 50, replaces Lincoln Riley, who left to take the USC job the day after Oklahoma’s 37-33 Bedlam loss to Oklahoma State. For the third straight time, Oklahoma went the assistant route in hiring its head coach. Riley was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops before being promoted. And Stoops was the defensive coordinator at Florida before landing the OU head job in 1999.
Stoops, who currently is serving as the Sooners’ interim coach, said Venables is “the perfect guy to get us to the next level.”
“He knows the formula to win national championships and has the toughness, the attitude and the fight that I think will elevate our program in a lot of positive ways,” Stoops said in the school’s release. “I’ve always loved his energy, excitement and passion for the game — it clearly spills over to his players. He has the absolute right experience to come in at this time and really boost our program.”
Venables will help usher in a new era in Oklahoma football, as the Sooners are set to move to the SEC, possibly as early as the 2023 season. In two games against SEC opponents this season (Georgia and South Carolina), Venables’ defense allowed a combined three points.
“Coach Venables is the perfect leader for the next exciting chapter of Oklahoma football as we look ahead to a new era of competition,” Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. said in the release. “With his years of experience in building up teams and winning championships, I have high confidence in the unlimited potential of our program under his leadership. He knows what OU football is all about because he’s lived it, and there’s no doubt he is up to the task.”
Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas tweeted Sunday night: “So happy for coach. He deserves it more than anyone. Hardest working man I have ever known. Y’all take care of him!!”
Tim Bourret, Clemson’s former football communications director who has been a part of Clemson athletics for more than 40 years, tweeted: “Brent Venables has been the most significant assistant coach in any sport in Clemson athletics history.”
China on Monday threatened to take “firm countermeasures” if the U.S. proceeds with a diplomatic boycott of February’s Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused U.S. politicians of grandstanding over the issue of not sending dignitaries to attend the events that China […]
Main WorldChina on Monday threatened to take “firm countermeasures” if the U.S. proceeds with a diplomatic boycott of February’s Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused U.S. politicians of grandstanding over the issue of not sending dignitaries to attend the events that China hopes will showcase its economic development and technological prowess.
Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing, Zhao said such a move would be an “outright political provocation,” but gave no details on how China would retaliate.
CHINA IS USING OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY AGAINST US-THIS IS HOW WE FIGHT BACK
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian speaks during a daily briefing Feb. 24, 2020, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
U.S. President Biden has said he is considering a boycott, under which American athletes would still compete, and an announcement is expected this week. Supporters of such a step cite China’s poor record on human rights as justification, saying China is using the games to whitewash its ill treatment of civil rights activists, political dissidents and ethnic minorities.
“Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding,” Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.
“If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures,” Zhao said.
CHINA MAY BE EYEING ITS FIRST MILITARY BASE ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN: REPORT
A visitor to the Shougang Park walks past the logos for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
The dispatching of high-level delegations to each Olympics has long been a tradition among the U.S. and other leading nations — then-president George W. Bush attended the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games. First lady Jill Biden led the American contingent to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Games.
The possibility of a diplomatic boycott comes as the U.S. attempts to stabilize turbulent relations with Beijing, even as it maintains a tough approach toward trade frictions and conflicts over China’s actions on Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.
Beijing has mounted a stiff response to all U.S. criticisms, denouncing them as interference in its internal affairs and slapping visa bans on American politicians it regards as anti-China.
A visitor to the Shougang Park walks past a sculpture for the Beijing Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
It wasn’t clear who the U.S. might have sent to Beijing for the games and Zhao’s comments appeared to indicate that China has not extended any invitations.
Australia, whose ties with China have nosedived over a range of disputes, has also raised the possibility of a diplomatic boycott.
Syndicated from Fox News
Agrix Agrotech on Monday said it has received growth capital from Lead Angels Network and will use the fund to support business growth and scale existing operations. The agricultural technology startup said in a release it will also use the capital to firm up technology […]
Business Main
Agrix Agrotech on Monday said it has received growth capital from Lead Angels Network and will use the fund to support business growth and scale existing operations. The agricultural technology startup said in a release it will also use the capital to firm up technology platforms, farmer engagement and build brand awareness.
“The investment will enable Agrix to further strengthen its position among the farmers. With this investment we will be able to increase our coverage to more than 20,000 acres of fragmented farms providing farming services (machinery and inputs) and market linkages and adding sophisticated technology with further scale up,” Agrix founder and CEO Nilay Pandey.
Agrix said it takes an integrated approach to engage and empower the small and marginal farmers. The company said it also involves and empowers the farmers across the agri-value chain.
“Clustering allows small farmers to access best farming practices despite the scale disadvantage. This has enabled a fragmented 1 to 2 acre farmer to deploy combined harvesters, tractors, rotavators and various agri implements at affordable cost, using best quality agri inputs thereby improving yield, quality, timely harvest and best realizations. The business model has solid unit economics and good profitability,” the company said.
“The agritech sector, though a slow starter, is expected to churn out a couple of unicorns within the next 18 months. Current market provides ample room for enhancing efficiencies across mechanisation of farms, supply chain, market linkages among others,” Sushanto Mitra, the founder and CEO of Lead Angels Network, said.
“Agrix is clearly operating in some of the white spaces that provide interesting investment opportunities for early stage investing,” Mitra added.
Syndicated From Hindustan Times
4:33 PM ET Der Klassiker did not disappoint this weekend, but Barcelona certainly did. Elsewhere, the Simeone family had an up-and-down time of things, while Liverpool left it late and Man City were thankful for a player who almost left the club. Here are Mark […]
Football SportsDer Klassiker did not disappoint this weekend, but Barcelona certainly did. Elsewhere, the Simeone family had an up-and-down time of things, while Liverpool left it late and Man City were thankful for a player who almost left the club.
Here are Mark Ogden, Andrew Cesare Richardson and James Tyler with what you need to know from around Europe.
Go to: Talking points | Top goals | Troubled teams | Weekend MVP
Der Klassiker delivers drama as Bayern edge Dortmund
The Bundesliga‘s biggest game had the same result for the seventh straight time, but Bayern’s latest win — this time via a 3-2 scoreline — only tells some of the story. This was a match mired in high drama, which featured lead changes, star strikers in top form, controversy over refereeing decisions and postgame acrimony aplenty.
In the fifth minute, Julian Brandt opened the scoring for hosts Dortmund before a crowd capped at 15,000 due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the goal was cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski four minutes later. Bayern took the lead just before half-time through Kingsley Coman, only for Erling Haaland to get his name on the scoresheet with a curling effort three minutes into the second half.
– FC 100: Lewandowski, Haaland finish 1, 2 among strikers
But if a Haaland goal was near inevitable, perhaps almost more of a dead cert was that Lewandowski would settle matters. His 77th-minute penalty was the Poland international’s 26th goal in 25 matches against his former side and handed Bayern a win that takes them four points clear at the top of the table, but only added to Dortmund anger.
The awarding of the penalty for handball against Mats Hummels, as well as an earlier failure to point to the spot following a coming together between Lucas Hernandez and Marco Reus, led to outcry among home players: Haaland labelled referee Felix Zwayer “arrogant,” while Jude Bellingham questioned the appointment of an official previously involved in a match-fixing scandal.
The narrow, hard-fought defeat for Dortmund continues a norm of recent seasons and while they remain within touching distance of their great rivals, their ongoing inconsistency is doing little to give neutrals hope of a proper title race.
BVB showed glimpses of their talent, but did not do enough to show they can challenge over an entire campaign. Bayern, meanwhile, did what they do and, following this box-office clash, remain hot favourites to win a 10th-straight title. — Richardson
Got your breath back yet? 😅
The best bits from @FCBayernEN‘s thrilling #DerKlassiker win! 🤩#ItsAllAboutDerKlassiker pic.twitter.com/QmCA3L5TQ7
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 4, 2021
Barcelona face Champions League oblivion
All of the focus with Barcelona is centred on their win-or-bust Champions League clash at Bayern Munich on Wednesday. After all, a failure to win in the Allianz Arena would leave them reliant on Dynamo Kiev denying Benfica victory; otherwise, the Blaugrana will fail to make the knockout rounds for the first time in 20 years.
But while the stakes are undoubtedly high for Xavi’s team against in-form Bayern, Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Real Betis at Camp Nou underlined the challenge Barca also face to secure Champions League qualification for next season. They sit seventh, six points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Approaching the halfway stage in LaLiga, Barcelona have a fight on their hands to qualify for the club game’s biggest competition. Failing to reach this season’s knockout stage is one thing, but missing out completely? That would be a wholly different matter and leave a club beset by financial problems facing the prospect of losing more star players.
Barcelona were last absent from the Champions League in 2003-04, so it would be a hammer blow, in terms of prestige and finance, if they do not make it this season. But that is what fans must face: One of the world’s biggest clubs is an outsider to qualify. — Ogden
💚 @juanmi9395‘s goal earns @RealBetis_en first win at the Camp Nou in three years! #BarçaRealBetis highlights ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/BjrcwIVIPI
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) December 4, 2021
Moyes, West Ham continue to shock the big boys
It is time to start talking about whether West Ham can upset the Premier League‘s so-called Big Six by sealing a top-four spot and Champions League qualification. Their 3-2 win against Chelsea was no fluke, given they saw off Liverpool by the same margin at the London Stadium last month.
The win, sealed by Arthur Masuaku‘s spectacular late winner, served as the latest sign of the Hammers’ rise; in league and cup, David Moyes’ team have beaten Chelsea, Liverpool, both Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Leicester. They have also cruised into the knockout stage of the Europa League.
It is five years since the club moved to the London Stadium with talk of playing in the Champions League and becoming the capital city’s top club. Both targets are a huge ask, but West Ham have a huge and loyal support. When things are going wrong, it can be a turbulent, chaotic club, but when they are on the up, their passionate fan base can make a big difference.
The second strand is Moyes. He will always be associated with a disastrous 10-month spell as Man United manager, but is exhibiting the team-building qualities he showed at Everton, which earned him the right to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. Give Moyes time and support and he will build a team that can punch above its weight. — Ogden
– ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
Real Madrid keep rolling
With much of the focus in Spain trained on Barcelona’s travails, it has almost gone unnoticed that Real Madrid are inching ahead at the top of the table. Saturday’s bloodless 2-0 win at Real Sociedad — the latest in-form challenge dispatched, having earlier beaten Barca, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao — means Madrid lead by eight points and it is hard to see anyone else contending.
Yes, plenty can go wrong — Karim Benzema‘s injury could prove more serious than first thought, while the midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric cannot possibly play every game, — but they are ticking along with an absence of drama and tumult. Carlo Ancelotti is a low-maintenance, low-profile manager; this team has taken on that same quality, rarely destroying opponents by force, but quietly persuading them to surrender.
Seven of Madrid’s 12 league wins have been by a single goal, so their latest win saw not just a rare margin, but a rare scorer. After Vinicius Junior blasted in his 10th league goal early in the second half, oft-forgotten Luka Jovic popped up for a close-range header. The Serbian striker had not had the best time since his dream move in 2019, but a lively performance after replacing Benzema showed he can still play a part.
Ancelotti hopes Benzema will be available for Sunday’s Madrid derby against Atletico (stream LIVE on ESPN+ in U.S.). Others, like Jovic, might need to step up and Vinicius’ incandescent form can certainly cushion any absence, but whatever happens, Madrid will handle this tidily and without fuss: Think Pulp Fiction’s Mr. Wolf in football boots. — Tyler
HIGHLIGHTS | @vinijr and Luka Jovic fire @realmadriden to their sixth consecutive win in #LaLigaSantander! 🤍🔝 pic.twitter.com/ACNO0o0GKo
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) December 4, 2021
Origi is Liverpool’s magic man again
Was it the best goal you’ll ever see? No. Was it the best goal you’ll see this weekend? Also no. But we have to include Liverpool striker Divock Origi‘s late, late, late strike at Wolves because of what it meant (even if it was actually quite a nifty finish).
Jurgen Klopp’s men spent 94 minutes huffing and puffing at Molineux, unable to blow Wolves’ house down. The Reds took 17 shots; many of them wayward and some inexplicable — at one point, Diogo Jota had all the goal to aim at, but blasted a shot at Conor Coady — as they tried to capitalise on Chelsea’s defeat to West Ham. But just as it seemed like two points dropped, up stepped Origi.
Given the panic with which Liverpool scuffed earlier chances, the Belgian striker was cool and calm under pressure, first controlling a cross, then turning with speed and arrowing a shot beyond the previously impervious Jose Sa. It was Origi’s latest entry in the annals of Anfield cult heroes; having scored so many late, crucial goals, he should get a key to the city. — Tyler
𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆.
It’s time to enjoy that 94th minute winner from Divock all over again, Reds! 😍 pic.twitter.com/c00VEwq3hZ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 4, 2021
Sporting’s stunner against Benfica
In continuing an impressive march on four fronts with an emphatic 3-1 victory at the home of arch-rivals Benfica on Friday, Sporting got a goal from Pablo Sarabia‘s opener that will live long in the memory.
Just seven minutes into the Derby de Lisboa, Pedro Goncalves delivered a perfect ball that Sarabia met with a side-foot volley into the top corner. Further strikes from Paulinho and Matheus Nunes kept Sporting joint-top of the Primeira Liga with Porto, while Benfica only had a late Pizzi consolation to show for their efforts.
After winning their first league title since 2001-02 last season, Sporting made a slow start to the current campaign, but have won 12 straight matches in all competitions since a Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund in October. The form of Sarabia, Goncalves and Co. is a major reason why. — Richardson
Remate ao primeiro toque! 👌
Foi com muita classe que @Pablosarabia92 inaugurou o marcador no dérbi! 👏 #SportingCP
📻 @antena1rtp pic.twitter.com/cjIUhwOF91
— Sporting Clube de Portugal 🏆 (@Sporting_CP) December 4, 2021
Simeone seals improbable Verona win
Verona’s incredible comeback win against Venezia, which saw them recover from a 3-0 half-time deficit, was capped by a spectacular winning goal by Giovanni Simeone, who unleashed a right-foot strike from 20 yards that left his fellow Argentina international Sergio Romero grasping as the ball flew into the top corner.
It was Simeone’s second goal of the game, having equalised with a neat chip following Pietro Ceccaroni‘s 62nd minute red card for Venezia, and takes the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego to an impressive 11 goals in 15 Serie A games for Verona since arriving from loan from Cagliari at the start of the season.
Fiorentina‘s Dusan Vlahovic leads the race for Capocannoniere award as the top scorer in Italy‘s top flight, but more days like this for Simeone Jr. will keep him in the running. — Ogden
GIOVANNI SIMEONE THE HERO!
AN ABSOLUTE SUPER STRIKE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FkFQKCPV9W
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 5, 2021
What’s happening to Atletico Madrid?
Is Diego Simeone missing something this season? His team certainly is; where once stood a formidable, mentally strong and defensively nasty team, now lies something of a listless mess. Atletico are not in trouble, per se, but they are clearly not what we expected, with a 2-1 home defeat to Mallorca proving the malaise.
After a string of missed chances in a broadly dominant display, the LaLiga champions finally broke through via Matheus Cunha‘s scrappy opener, only to collapse late on with the concession of two un-Atletico goals.
First was an uncontested header from a deep free kick with 10 minutes remaining, before bizarrely lazy defending allowed Take Kubo — on loan from Real Madrid, making it more delicious — to speed clear from the halfway line in stoppage time and calmly nutmeg Jan Oblak from 15 yards.
Staying in fourth until May would render their season a success in the context of securing a Champions League spot (a good thing, as they could drop into the Europa League in this campaign), but they are very much underperforming. Simeone’s Atletico used to be about controlled chaos; all that’s left is the chaos. — Tyler
Roma, Mourinho continue to spiral
It is all going wrong for the Giallorossi after the joint-heaviest home defeat of Jose Mourinho’s career made it seven Serie A losses in just 16 games this season. Facing Inter Milan for the first time since he led them to the Treble in 2009-10, the Roma coach watched as goals from Hakan Calhanoglu, Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries sealed the champions’ one-sided win.
During his time at Inter, as well as Chelsea and Porto before that, Mourinho was able to galvanise an underdog mentality to achieve success. While his more recent positions have brought mixed fortunes amid high expectations, the move to Roma presented an opportunity to tap into a passionate fan base, starved of success, while pointing to the northern powers of Juventus, Inter and Milan as something to fight against.
Meanwhile, the club’s new owners showed they were not afraid to splash cash in the transfer market and, given eight of last season’s Top 10 changed manager in the summer, a sense of instability at the top suggested that Roma’s long wait for silverware — their last title came in 2000-01 and the last trophy of any kind was in 2007-08 — might soon end.
Instead, Mourinho has faced familiar same issues, including a confusing system, public criticism of players and some shocking defeats. After a positive start, Roma have won just four of their past 11 matches and the odds are against Mourinho turning it around this season. — Richardson
Silva is Man City’s key player
The Premier League champions’ 3-1 win at Watford was a lesson in how important Bernardo Silva, who scored two goals and made another for Raheem Sterling, has become for Pep Guardiola’s team. It also served as a reminder of how quickly things can change in football, given the Portugal international looked set to leave the club in the summer.
Following the club record £100m signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, Silva appeared to be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium. In different times, when clubs were not financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he would surely have moved to the likes of Barcelona, Juventus or Atletico Madrid, all of whom wanted to sign the 27-year-old.
But he stayed in Manchester and has responded magnificently to become his team’s best player. While Grealish struggles for form and goals, Silva’s return of seven goals in 14 games has already equalled his best Premier League campaign.
His most recent two at Vicarage Road built on a midweek stunner against Aston Villa, but while Silva is rightly being mentioned as a potential Footballer of the Year, his biggest achievement is the manner in which he has become such a key figure for Guardiola. — Ogden
2:52 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LOS ANGELES — Nine days and three fights later, we’re still not much closer to finding true clarity in boxing’s loaded lightweight division. Gervonta Davis remained undefeated on Sunday night with a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision victory over Isaac Cruz. For […]
Sports
Mike CoppingerESPN
LOS ANGELES — Nine days and three fights later, we’re still not much closer to finding true clarity in boxing’s loaded lightweight division.
Gervonta Davis remained undefeated on Sunday night with a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision victory over Isaac Cruz. For the first time in Tank’s career, he was extended the 12-round distance.
The 27-year-old Davis said he would have scored the knockout if not for a hand injury that he sustained during training camp — and which was then exacerbated in Round 6. But the result of Sunday’s fight is that Davis failed to impress in a matchup that set him up to do just that.
Cruz proved to have an iron chin, to be sure, and an unbreakable will, but he was a major underdog. His spirited performance ensures that he now must be taken seriously when surveying the ever-shifting 135-pound landscape.
Despite a less than dominant performance, Davis and the team surrounding him projected absolute confidence about Davis’ standing in the lightweight hierarchy.
“I feel as though I’m the best at 135,” Davis said. “None of them guys can beat me. … [But] time will tell.”
Davis had an opportunity to separate himself from the pack this weekend, but he fell short of something so absolute. So too did Devin Haney.
On Saturday, Haney outpointed Joseph Diaz Jr., but Haney was forced to survive some rocky moments late in the fight and ate an unsettling amount of power left hands.
Through both nights, George Kambosos Jr. sat at ringside intently, scouting out the competition. He is less than two weeks removed from shocking the world in a decision victory over Teofimo Lopez to capture all of Lopez’s lightweight world championships.
In a twist that few could have seen coming, it isn’t Lopez, Davis, Haney, Ryan Garcia or anyone else holding the cards at 135 pounds; it’s the previously — and completely — overlooked Australian fighter. Kambosos has the key to unlocking the crowded lightweight picture, and while all of his potential opponents carry different motivations and game plans for the future, Kambosos can call his shot.
There’s still one more piece to the 135-pound puzzle, wrapping up a dizzying three-week stretch atop the division. In the midst of Kambosos’ win, another man in the mix was largely forgotten (or ignored) as every other fighter shouted about how and why he is the baddest man at 135 pounds: Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The Ukrainian fighter was the guy at lightweight before an upset loss to Lopez in October 2020. After the bout, Lomachenko underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and returned this summer with a destruction of gatekeeper Masayoshi Nakatani, who gave Lopez serious issues.
On Saturday, Lomachenko will fight former titleholder Richard Commey in another high-stakes clash at lightweight that will allow Lomachenko to strengthen his case for a shot at getting his titles back.
Lomachenko remains the most accomplished fighter in the division, a future Hall of Farmer and two-time Olympic gold medalist who performs wizardry in the ring.
With all three lightweight standouts failing to step up as the clear leader above the rest of the pack, Lomachenko has a showcase to remind everyone why he was once the pound-for-pound king: Take out Commey in spectacular fashion and the calls will begin for Kambosos-Lomachenko in the spring.
If that matchup materializes, the next step for the rest of the division falls into place pretty naturally.
In the immediate aftermath of Davis’ victory over Cruz, Garcia was quick to criticize on Twitter, offering that “out of all the lightweights, [Davis is] the weakest.”
“Tank can’t beat me,” Garcia wrote. “He knows that and Mayweather knows that. I’m too fast and I got [too] much accuracy. “C’mon Mayweather, you can’t protect him forever.”
Of all the potential fights at lightweight, Tank-Garcia is by far the biggest of them all, in terms of money and fan interest. It’s one of the biggest fights that can be made in all of boxing.
And what about Haney? A fight between him and Kambosos in Australia for all the marbles makes plenty of sense too. But if Kambosos can’t get the right deal to fight a big name for a long-coveted fight in his home country, he could take on a lesser opponent while Haney and Lomachenko fight for Haney’s title.
If Haney or Lomachenko does get the fight with Kambosos, whoever doesn’t could fight Cruz, who surely deserves another meaningful fight after the test he presented Davis. But we also can’t disregard JoJo Diaz, who proved his mettle in the loss to Haney and is a dependable action fighter.
Whatever happens in 2022, it’s clear that the lightweight division is the hottest in all of boxing. After lots of talk in 2020 and 2021, there are fewer excuses than ever for the big fights not to happen. Once and for all, the marquee matchups must be delivered, and a true lightweight king must prove himself in the ring.
