Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan Boycott WCL Match Against Pakistan: Sources

Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan pulled out of a World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Pakistan on Sunday, according to sources. This match is supposed to be the first clash between any cricket team of the two nations after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 that claimed 26 lives. The participation of former India stars, some of whom are members of World Cup winning sides, against a Pakistan team created a furore on social media. While both cricketers have not officially declared that they are not playing, it is being perceived that the Pahalgam attack and what followed in the aftermath had a bearing in their decision.

While Harbhajan is a Rajya Sabha member for Aam Aadmi Party, Yusuf is currently a Member of Parliament from the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency for Trinamool Congress. Reports claimed that Irfan Pathan also opted out of the match, but nothing official has been confirmed.

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series for more than 10 years due to the political tensions between the two teams. Things got worse after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor as the relations between India and Pakistan worsened. In the past, the two teams faced each other in ICC tournaments but as of now, questions remain over whether that will continue to the norm.

The WCL 2025 is a tournament featuring retired cricketers and it is being held in England.

India Champions Squad: Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddarth Kaul, Gurkeerat Singh Maan.

Pakistan Champions Squad: Mohammad Hafeez (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Umar Amin, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Rumman Raees, Shahid Afridi, Imad Wasim, Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/HXjoWrh

American Woman Reveals 10 Ways India Changed Her Life: 'Since Coming Here...'

An American woman living has gone viral on social media after she shared a list of ways in which her life had changed since coming to India four years ago. Content creator Kristen Fischer took to her Instagram to share a video, listing 10 reasons for the transformation as she adapted to Indian culture.

Ms Fischer said these changes, which included turning vegetarian, learning to cook Indian food and bargaining whilst shopping, had enriched her life. In the video, she could be seen enjoying her stay in the country with her daughters, wearing sarees as well as riding the Delhi Metro.

Here are the 10 things Ms Fischer listed in her viral video:

• I have learned to cook many different types of Indian food.
• In the USA I never used public transportation, everyone just has their own car. But in India, I use it all the time.
• I have started to wear Indian clothes. I love the fashions and the feel of the clothes here.
• No more week-old produce...now I buy fresh and locally sourced food from street vendors.
• I became a vegetarian, and it is surprisingly easy here. India offers so much variety to vegetarian food.
• I drive a scooter. In the USA scooters are actually illegal on most roads so nobody uses them.
• One of the most notable changes I made after coming to India was learning to speak Hindi.
• I send my kids to a private school in India and I believe they are getting a great education.
• I go bargain shopping at outdoor markets. I love the feeling of bargaining prices and getting good deals on things.
• I have fully adapted to the jet spray and, let me tell you, I am never going back.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristen Fischer (@kristenfischer3)

As the video went viral, social media users lauded Ms Fischer for adapting to the Indian lifestyle and being receptive to the changes in her life.

"Ruskin Bond came from England and stayed in India. Has written so much. You are the new Ruskin Bond," said one user while another added: "Cheers to you for making the transition in India joyfully and absorbing the culture with positivity."

A third commented: "Thanks for all the respect you've shown for our country."

In a previous video, Ms Fischer, a mother of four, said she does not "regret" her decision to set base in India, where she has met incredible people and seen amazing places.

"We moved our family to India 4 years ago and haven't regretted it a bit. In these past 4 years I have met some amazing people, seen some incredible places, had some awesome food, and changed my heart forever," said Ms Fischer.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/5SUrmWa

England vs Pakistan Live Streaming WCL 2025: When And Where To Watch

England Champions vs Pakistan Champions Live Streaming WCL 2025: England Champions take on Pakistan Champions in the opening match of World Championship of Legends 2025 at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday. Sanctioned by the England & Wales Cricket Board, the WCL is more than just a tournament - it's a tribute to the game's golden era. Each team is composed of revered former international players - true cricket legends who carry their nation's legacy into this elite league. India won the inaugural edition of WCL last year, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.

When will the England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match be played?

The England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match will be played on Friday, July 18.

Where will the England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match be played?

The England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

What time will the England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match start?

The England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match will start at 9 PM IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast the England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match?

The England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match will be broadcast live on Star Sports.

Where to follow the live streaming of the England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match?

The England Champions vs Pakistan Champions WCL 2025 match will be streamed live on FanCode.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

(With IANS Inputs)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/XMPdQ8F

Video: Workers Of BJP, Sharad Pawar's NCP Clash In Maharashtra Assembly Lobby

A violent clash broke out between the supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP (Sharad Pawar group) MLA Jitendra Awhad in the lobby of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today. Shocking videos of the two groups pummeling each other and having to be dragged back by security personel are now doing the rounds of social media. 

The altercation had started with a verbal spat outside the assembly building yesterday, during which both MLAs and their supporters had exchanged expletives. 

A few days ago, Mr Awhad was caught on camera walking on the red carpet in the Vidhan Bhavan premises, saying "Mangalsutra thief". 

The jibe was widely seen as directed at Padalkar, although no one was named. The video was widely circulated, sparking a debate between supporters of the two leaders.

Today, the situation escalated into full-blown physical violence. 

Mr Awhad later posted on X about receiving abusive and threatening messages.  

Mr Padalkar, who later met the Speaker and senior party leaders said that the whole incident was unfortunate and has apologised.

The matter then snowballed, with Mr Awhad's party colleague Rohit Pawar raising the issue in the assembly, demanding action. Speaker Rahul Narwekar has sought a report on the incident and promised a thorough investigation and subsequent action.

The incident has been condemned by all sides. While Sharad Pawar faction MLA Sana Malik and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed strong disapproval, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and minister Ashish Shelar made their displeasure felt. 

"Such incidents on the premises of assembly are unacceptable and bring shame to our name," Mr Fadnavis said.

"It comes under the jurisdiction of Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council Chairman. Both have taken serious cognizance of the incident which took place today. They will take strictest action against those who are found guilty," he added.

"Who gave these goons passes to enter the asembly premises?" said Uddhav Thackeray.

"Such incidents in the assembly premises are unacceptable and the Speaker should take action against whoever gave them passes... necessary action in this regard should be initiated... the Speaker, the Chief Minister and the Home Department should take cognizance of it... ultimately it is about safety and security of the MLAs," said Uddhav Thackeray.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/zKFD4I9

For 1st Time Since Covid, More Than Half Of Top US Companies Junk WFH

For the first time since the pandemic upended work life five years ago, more than half the companies in the Fortune 100 have their employees fully back in the office, according to a report from real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. 

Hybrid schedules, which two years ago were offered by 78% of the 100 largest US companies by revenue, are now available at just 41% of them, while the share of Fortune 100 firms requiring full-time office attendance has jumped to 54% from 5%.

The shift to an in-office majority is helping to reshape the commercial real estate market. Office attendance in April and May was up 1.3% versus the same period last year, and the most desirable buildings are commanding record prices. JLL notes that "trophy buildings across Miami, New York City, San Francisco and other markets captured all-time high rents," with new construction asking $92.38 per square foot, the highest on record. 

At the same time, with vacancies hovering above 22%, developers are pulling older buildings off the market. According to JLL, national office inventory declined by 700,000 square feet last quarter, as demolitions and conversions, mainly to residential, industrial or mixed-use developments, outpaced new construction. 

The return of employees helps justify costly office leases in premium buildings. Among the 10 largest Fortune 100 companies, seven now require at least four days a week in-person, with the other three demanding full-time attendance, JLL found. According to the report, the average in-office requirement of the Fortune 100 rose to 3.8 days per week in the second quarter of 2025 from 2.6 days in the second quarter of 2023. 

Amazon.com Inc. started prepping corporate staff in 2024 to return fully to in-person work by January. JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced on Jan. 10 that it was ending its hybrid-work option, too. More recently, Starbucks Corp. announced it will require corporate employees to work in the office four days a week starting Sept. 29, and remote managers were told they must relocate to Seattle or Toronto within a year. Workers who opt to leave will be given a one-time cash exit offer, based on documents seen by Bloomberg News.

The office mandates haven't been without their ups and downs for big employers, several of which had to regroup after running out of space for all of their returning workers. The trend is clear, though. After years of uncertainty, companies are tightening expectations and reasserting control over where work happens, and the era of hybrid work being the dominant option has come to a close. Executives are calling people back - and this time, they mean it.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/IkRjY6b

"These Are Not 2 People On Tinder Date": Expert Defends Dreamliner Pilots

Serious pilots in India who are closely watching the unfolding events linked to the investigation into the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner are upset about the whole situation due to a perceived slant towards blaming the pilots, a top aviation expert and a pilot himself told NDTV on Thursday.

Captain Sam Thomas, who heads the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), said two things are bothering serious experts who have been tracking the investigation - speculation, and alleged absence of any qualified expert in the report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

"As far as speculation is concerned, we are okay with the media speculating. We believe speculation is a good part of investigative journalism. However, we object to pilots or so-called pilots or so-called experts who came on board and speculate," Mr Thomas told NDTV.

"On day one, they said it's a bird hit. On day two, they said it's an overloaded airplane. On day three, they said something else. What we are objecting to is why did you call them on day four? You called them on day five, six, till such time that they insinuated this is something the captain has done with a motive to end his own life, which is farthest from the truth," Mr Thomas said.

He said they don't believe the report "is completely Indian controlled", that it seemed like "a dictated sort of letter".

"And you released that in the middle of the night. You cannot even get the full form of FADEC correctly. And you cannot get the issue date of [pilot] Sumit's licence correct. How do I expect you to go through the entire report? I don't want to see past those three lines. And you have released one line selectively at the order of somebody. Now, we don't know who said to whom. And there is a tonality to a conversation. These are not two people on a Tinder date. So please be responsible," Mr Thomas said.

He said they would like to go through the entire report or the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) to throw better light, rather than using people who are non-technical and from a non-civilian background.

On a report by the Wall Street Journal that appeared to question the pilot's actions, Mr Thomas said it is likely the American newspaper has been "fed that information".

"... And it's our fault. It's not their fault. If I were to be heading this committee, I would have sat there and given a piece of paper to each of those NTSB and Boeing investigators and said, 'sign this, whatever goes out of this room goes out through me and not through anybody else. If you cannot maintain that confidentiality, get out of here'," Mr Thomas said.

"[But] they have set the narrative in such a calculated manner that no matter what proof I give you, they will still nail the pilot. They have already done that. Half the world thinks that, and half the world thinks Indian pilots are morons. This has happened because of the shoddy investigation and the shoddy way things have proceeded in India."

He referred to the Boeing 737 MAX controversy over the MCAS-linked crashes.

"... With the 737 Max crash, what about the first crash? If you had woken up at that time and had a conscience, you would have said, hey, I need something to set my airplane. All right. You kept quiet. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian accident happened.

"Luckily, the Ethiopians were much more intelligent than all of us. They did their in-house investigation and that's when it came out that you could not avoid the existence of MCAS, which is a renegade system that crashes your airplane. So there are many, many vested interests, not just one. Let's not just look at the OEM or some investigating body. Everybody who is not telling the truth has something to gain. And this is the narrative that is being told," the veteran pilot told NDTV.

The Air India Boeing 787 crashed seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/OU1VGkj

"These Are Not 2 People On Tinder Date": Expert Defends Dreamliner Pilots

Serious pilots in India who are closely watching the unfolding events linked to the investigation into the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner are upset about the whole situation due to a perceived slant towards blaming the pilots, a top aviation expert and a pilot himself told NDTV on Thursday.

Captain Sam Thomas, who heads the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), said two things are bothering serious experts who have been tracking the investigation - speculation, and alleged absence of any qualified expert in the report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

"As far as speculation is concerned, we are okay with the media speculating. We believe speculation is a good part of investigative journalism. However, we object to pilots or so-called pilots or so-called experts who came on board and speculate," Mr Thomas told NDTV.

"On day one, they said it's a bird hit. On day two, they said it's an overloaded airplane. On day three, they said something else. What we are objecting to is why did you call them on day four? You called them on day five, six, till such time that they insinuated this is something the captain has done with a motive to end his own life, which is farthest from the truth," Mr Thomas said.

He said they don't believe the report "is completely Indian controlled", that it seemed like "a dictated sort of letter".

"And you released that in the middle of the night. You cannot even get the full form of FADEC correctly. And you cannot get the issue date of [pilot] Sumit's licence correct. How do I expect you to go through the entire report? I don't want to see past those three lines. And you have released one line selectively at the order of somebody. Now, we don't know who said to whom. And there is a tonality to a conversation. These are not two people on a Tinder date. So please be responsible," Mr Thomas said.

He said they would like to go through the entire report or the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) to throw better light, rather than using people who are non-technical and from a non-civilian background.

On a report by the Wall Street Journal that appeared to question the pilot's actions, Mr Thomas said it is likely the American newspaper has been "fed that information".

"... And it's our fault. It's not their fault. If I were to be heading this committee, I would have sat there and given a piece of paper to each of those NTSB and Boeing investigators and said, 'sign this, whatever goes out of this room goes out through me and not through anybody else. If you cannot maintain that confidentiality, get out of here'," Mr Thomas said.

"[But] they have set the narrative in such a calculated manner that no matter what proof I give you, they will still nail the pilot. They have already done that. Half the world thinks that, and half the world thinks Indian pilots are morons. This has happened because of the shoddy investigation and the shoddy way things have proceeded in India."

He referred to the Boeing 737 MAX controversy over the MCAS-linked crashes.

"... With the 737 Max crash, what about the first crash? If you had woken up at that time and had a conscience, you would have said, hey, I need something to set my airplane. All right. You kept quiet. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian accident happened.

"Luckily, the Ethiopians were much more intelligent than all of us. They did their in-house investigation and that's when it came out that you could not avoid the existence of MCAS, which is a renegade system that crashes your airplane. So there are many, many vested interests, not just one. Let's not just look at the OEM or some investigating body. Everybody who is not telling the truth has something to gain. And this is the narrative that is being told," the veteran pilot told NDTV.

The Air India Boeing 787 crashed seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/OU1VGkj