Best Deal for You

A total of 84 players (72 sold and 12 unsold) went under the hammer on the first day of the IPL mega auction In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday with teams breaking the bank for the marquee Indian cricketers. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant pipped Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore) to become the costliest buy in IPL's history with a Rs 27 crore winning bid from Lucknow Super Giants, while Venkatesh Iyer was the surprise show-stopper as he was bought back for Rs 23.75 crore by his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. Teams spent a total sum of Rs 467.95 crore on Day 1. Here is the team-wise list of the players sold by the end of the first day of the auction along with those unsold (price in Rs): Chennai Super Kings: Ravichandran Ashwin for Rs 9.75 crore Devon Conway for Rs 6.25 crore Rachin Ravindra for Rs 4 crore Rahul Tripathi for Rs 3.40 crore Khaleel Ahmed for Rs 4.80 crore Noor Ahmad for Rs 10 crore Vijay Shankar Rs 1.20 crore Retained: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathiran

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance secured a resounding victory in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, winning 235 out of 288 seats. The BJP alone clinched a historic 132 seats, propelled by the success of its flagship Mukhyamantri-Meri Ladki Behan Yojana, a women-centric scheme that emerged as a game-changer in this election. Held on November 20, the single-phase election saw a direct battle between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar's NCP , and smaller allies, managed to decisively retain power, while the MVA, led by Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), struggled to make significant gains. The Ladki Behan Yojana proved instrumental in winning over women voters. The scheme provides Rs 1,500 monthly financial aid to women, with three instalments already disbursed to over two crore beneficiaries in the state. In a bid to consol

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked like a man on a mission for India against Australia on Day 2 of the first Test. His defence was solid while he did shy away from taking his chances against the likes of Mitchell Starc , Pat Cummins , and others. In between, he gave some cheeky replies to Australian bowlers too. At stumps on Day 2, Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting on 90 off 193 balls. His innings included seven fours and two sixes. With his two sixes Jaiswal now has 34 sixes in 2024 - the most maximums hit by any player in Test history.   Most sixes in a calendar year in Tests 34 - Yashasvi Jaiswal (2024) 33 - Brendon McCullum (2014) 26 - Ben Stokes (2022) 22 - Adam Gilchrist (2005) 22 - Virender Sehwag (2008) Fighting unbeaten half-centuries in the second innings by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul helped Indian to a commanding 172 for no loss at stumps on day two of the opening Test here on Saturday. After dismissing Australia for 104 in 51.2 overs in the morning session to take a

Elon Musk, the prominent entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, has called the legal immigration process in the United States "ridiculously slow and difficult." He made these remarks after Riley Gaines, a conservative activist and former NCAA swimmer, brought attention to the difficulties in getting a green card and meeting vaccination requirements. Riley Gaines, known for her advocacy on various conservative issues, voiced her frustrations about the process, which caught Musk's attention. Sharing her concerns, Musk expressed his support and reiterated the need for changes to streamline the system, particularly for skilled and talented individuals seeking opportunities in the United States. Legal immigration to America is ridiculously slow & difficult, even for super talented people. Needs to be fixed. pic.twitter.com/h65o4ShPgX — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2024 Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on November 20, Musk stated, "Legal immigration to Americ

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the country's forces had hit Ukraine with a new mid-range ballistic missile. Putin said in a televised address that Russia carried out "testing in combat conditions of one of the newest Russian mid-range missile systems... Our engineers named it Oreshnik," which means hazel tree in Russian. Russia struck the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a barrage of missiles early Thursday. The Ukrainian air force and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of apparently using an intercontinental ballistic missile, while Ukrainian experts were still examining the evidence to ascertain the type of missile used. Putin said in his address that Russia launched a combined strike on a defence industry target in Ukraine. He described Oreshnik as a "ballistic missile" that was deployed in this case "in a non-nuclear hypersonic configuration", saying that the "test" had been successful and had hit i

The International Criminal Court (ICC)'s move to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant is a "dark moment" for the court, which acted "without authority" and set a "dangerous precedent", Israel's Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said on Thursday. In a statement, Mr Azar alleged the world court in The Hague is "serving as a political tool for the most extreme elements working against peace, security and stability in West Asia". The decision to issue the warrants weakens the possibility of reaching a ceasefire deal with those seeking Israel's destruction, he said. The remarks came hours after ICC issued the warrants of arrest for the two Israeli leaders for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024". The court also issued a similar warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. Israel said in early

Prior to its relaunch as an electric-only brand, luxury car manufacturer Jaguar announced its 'new era ' by unveiling its new logo and branding. The new logo of the Tata Motors-owned British vehicle maker on Tuesday revealed a new bespoke logo, written as JaGUar, alongside a new prancing "leaper" cat design and marketing slogans like ‘delete ordinary', ‘live vivid' and ‘copy nothing'. The new logo emphasized the brand's posh English pronunciation “Jag-you-are" instead of the American “Jag-wahr." The company said the new branding "seamlessly blended upper and lower case characters in visual harmony." The 102-year-old luxury automaker announced its transition to electric vehicles in 2021. The brand is reportedly set to launch three new electric cars by 2026 after it took new cars off-sale over a year ago to focus on reinventing itself.  “This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that on

Information technology professionals in India now have an unprecedented advantage due to the arrival of the technology era. In addition to making life easier, the digital era has provided Indian youth the opportunity to pursue lucrative careers with high pay. For many, buying a home has become a symbol of success and a major life goal. However, the true cost of homeownership often extends beyond the initial purchase price.   Recently, a post by an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) alumnus thanking his tech career for helping him buy his dream home went viral, sparking mixed reactions online.   The post, shared on 'X' by Animesh Chouhan, an IIT Kharagpur graduate, expressed gratitude to Python, the popular programming language, for playing a pivotal role in his success. He credited his career as a software engineer at a financial company for making his dream home a reality, simply writing, "Thank you, Python."   Thank you Python 🐍 pic.twitter.com/Sr4U3uYQpd —

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare visit to Gaza on Tuesday where he said Hamas shall never rule the Palestinian enclave again once the war is over. He also reaffirmed his pledge to annihilate the militant group and said that the Israeli armed forces have destroyed Hamas's military capabilities thoroughly. Mr Netanyahu, seen in a battle vest and a ballistic helmet, stood at a seaside location in Gaza and recorded a video where he said "Hamas shall not return" and spoke about the Israeli hostages still in captivity. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the search for the remaining 101 Israeli hostages still missing in Gaza will continue. He even offered a $5 million reward for the return of each hostage. He then went on to warn the terrorists by saying "Anyone who dares to harm our hostages will have blood on their head. We will hunt you down and get you." Mr Netanyahu also said that "Whoever brings us a hostage will find a safe way. So,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was offering a reward of $5 million to anybody who brings out a hostage held in Gaza. "Anybody who brings out a hostage will find with us a secure way for them and their family to leave" Gaza, Netanyahu said in a video filmed inside the Palestinian territory, according to his office. "We will also give them a reward of $5 million for each hostage." Wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof jacket, Netanyahu spoke with his back to the Mediterranean in the Netzarim Corridor, Israel's main military supply route which carves the Gaza Strip in two just south of Gaza City. "Anyone who dares to do harm to our hostages is considered dead -- we will pursue you and we will catch up with you," he said. Accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu underlined that one of Israel's war aims remained that "Hamas does not rule in Gaza". "We are also making efforts to locate the h

A 30-year-old man, who was arrested for allegedly breaking into homes at night and hitting sleeping women on the head in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, has told police that he held a grudge against women and sought to take revenge after he was imprisoned in a 2022 child abuse case. At a press briefing at the White House at Gorakhpur Police Line on Sunday, Gorakhpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover said the accused, Ajay Nishad, was involved in five such attacks on women, one of whom even succumbed to injuries. He would also speak to his girlfriend over the phone after committing each assault, police said. "He always wore black clothes and remained barefoot as he broke into homes and hit women on the head with sticks or rods. He liked hitting the head of his women inmates in jail and that is why he carried out such assaults once he was released," SSP Grover said. The police earlier said that Nishad was in prison for six months in a 2022 child abuse case.

Australia captain Pat Cummins opened up on his past battles with India batter Ajinky Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara , especially the latter. Both Rahane and Pujara were played a crucial role in India's back-to-back Test series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, respectively. However, the duo has been overlooked by the selectors for the upcoming five match series, starting with the first Test in Perth next Friday. Both veterans have been replaced by stars from the current crop for the tour Down Under this time. Cummins shed light on his past battles with Pujara, who according to him could bat through a storm. "They (Rahane and Pujara) both scored some really important innings. It was always great playing against Pujara. He was one of those guys who never really felt like he was getting away from you. But then he would bat, and bat, and bat, and bat," Cummins told the reporters. Cummins also shared his views on the Indian management not considering Pujara for the s

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly feels KL Rahul needs some course correction after the wicketkeeper-batter was released by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. Rahul led LSG in the franchise's first three IPL seasons, having been drafted to the squad ahead of the 2022 season. However, following the aftermath of his intense discussion with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka last season, Rahul was let go by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Ganguly suggested Rahul needs some self assessment and decide how he wants to prolong his career. "Yeah, confidence. He has to speak to himself. He has to speak to himself and say, just put everything behind. Ups and downs are part and parcel of sports. Confidence will go up and down. You have to bring it back by working hard in the nets. I know he has gone through a lot. Lucknow Super Giants have released him. I do not know whether they will buy him back in the auction

Kabir Bedi's personal life is no less than cinema. The Kurbaan actor, who always defied societal norms, talked about his affair and break-up with Parveen Babi in an interview with Digital Commentary. Kabir said in the interview he didn't leave Parveen Babi but the actress left him in the fear that he would pressurize her to undergo a treatment for her mental illness. In this context, Kabir Bedi's anecdotes from his autobiography Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Journey Of An Actor gained the limelight. In the book, he wrote about his marriage to Odissi dancer Protima Bedi and how he broke the news of his affair with Parveen Babi in front of Protima. Describing his troubled marriage to Protima, Kabir Bedi wrote in the book, "It had led to a lack of intimacy between us. I didn't feel the love that I wanted, the caring and sharing I needed. Nor was I able to give it. The old magic had gone. I was feeling alone, empty and dejected." Getting candid about how

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly wants India captain Rohit Sharma to play the 1st Test against Australia, starting November 22 in Perth. Rohit became a dad for the second time on Friday as his wife gave birth to a baby boy. Rohit didn't travel to Australia with the rest of the team after communicating to the BCCI that he might not be available for the 1st Test as he due delivery date was closer to the game at the Optus Stadium. The Indian team management has been on the hunt to find a replacement at the top for Rohit as there's no clarity on whether the star batter will play the game beginning next Friday. However, Ganguly feels India need his leadership and if he was in Rohit's position, he would've played the game as there's still plenty of time for him to reach Australia. "I hope Rohit goes soon as the team needs leadership. I heard his wife delivered a baby boy, so I am sure he can leave (for Australia) as so

As the family of a man who died of a bullet injury while undergoing treatment in a Patna hospital was grieving, another shock awaited them - his left eye went missing hours after his death. While the family has alleged that the eye was taken out by doctors as part of a "business", the hospital administration has pinned the blame on rats.  The man, Fantus Kumar, was admitted to Patna's second-largest hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), on Thursday after being shot in his abdomen in Nalanda. Kumar was admitted to the ICU but was declared dead at 8:55 pm on Friday. The family was with him in the hospital till 1 am on Saturday and when they returned a few hours later, they found his left eye missing. The man's brother-in-law claimed that someone from the hospital had removed the eye. "How can they be so negligent? Either someone from the hospital conspired with the people who shot him or the hospital is involved in some business of taking people&

A man returning home on his bike in Uttar Pradesh collided with another rider at an intersection, setting off an argument and a huge fight resulting in a stabbing, said the police. The incident, which took place late on Friday night, was reported from Ghosi in Mau town, some 300 km from state capital Lucknow. On a bike with his wife and child, Sukhu Rajbhar's vehicle, while taking a turn, had brushed against Shoaib's bike. An argument turned into stabbing. "He did not use the indicator as he appeared in a hurry. When I told him to use the indicator, he shouted abuses at me. I also abused him. Then a fight followed. Whether he hit me with a key or a knife, I can't tell. I also hit him back. I was alone," said Shoaib, the man whose bike was hit by Rajbhar. Rajbhar's family had a different version of the event. "Upon returning from shopping and while entering the lane near his home, he (Rajbhar) was surrounded by bikes on both sides. They abused him and

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi expressed hope that each of eight teams will be in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year. Taking to X, Shahid said that cricket is at a "crucial crossroads", facing one of its "greatest challenges". "Cricket is at a crucial crossroads, facing perhaps one of its greatest challenges since the late 1970s. Now is the time to put differences aside and let the game unite us. If countries once divided by history can come together in the Olympic spirit, why can't we do the same for cricket - and for the Champions Trophy? As stewards of this game, we owe it to cricket to keep egos in check and focus on its growth and spirit. I hope to see every team in Pakistan for CT25, to experience our warmth and hospitality, and to leave with unforgettable memories that transcend the field," Afridi said in a post on X. Cricket is at a crucial crossroads, facing perhaps one of its greatest challenges since the late 1970s. Now

Arjun Tendulkar , son of legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar , has put Goa in a commanding positions against Arunachal Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy plate match on Wednesday. Arjun picked his maiden five-wicket haul in First Class cricket as Arunachal Pradesh were bowled out for 84 on Day 1 by Goa. He returned figures of 5/25, dismissing Neelam Obi, Nabam Hachang, Chinmay Patil, Jay Bhavsar and Moji Ete. The 25-year-old was ably supported by Mohit Redkar (3/15) and Keith Pinto (2/31) as Arunachal Pradesh's innings folded in 30.3 overs. Tendulkar got the ball rolling with the wicket of Hachang (0) in the second over of the match. He was on a hattrick after dismissing Obi and Bhavsar off consecutive deliveries in the 12th over. Patil and Ete were his final two scalps before Redkar and Pinto joined the party and cleaned Arunachal's tail. Arjun's exploits comes after Mumbai Indians (MI) decided not to retain him for IPL 2025. In all likelyhood, Arjun will be part of th

India has ambitious plans to set up nuclear reactors across the country, especially in states where thermal power plants have either completed its life, or where access to coal is a challenge. With its focus on clean energy, India aims to reduce its dependence fossil fuels, and for this, the central government has now asked states to set up nuclear power plants. India's Power Minister, Manohar Lal, on Tuesday chaired the Conference of Power Ministers of States & Union Territories where he asked states that are distant from coal resources to set up nuclear-based power plants. The move has also been made keeping in mind the rapidly-growing demand for electricity in the country. In the Union Budget, the central government had proposed to partner with private investors to set up small-scale nuclear reactors to meet its growing energy demands. "States should consider setting up nuclear power plants at the sites where coal-based thermal power plants have completed their life

Donald Trump has begun the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials following his presidential election victory. Here are the early picks and top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing defense, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic policymaking. Some are in contention for a range of posts. SUSIE WILES, Chief Of Staff Trump announced last week that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff. While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump's first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff. TOM HOMAN, 'Border Czar' Trump announced on Sunday night that Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump's first ad

The National Capital Region is set to get its second major airport in April next year and with the first trial flights scheduled a few days from now at the Noida International Airport - also known as the Jewar airport - NDTV has got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the frenetic construction activity at the project site as well as details of its design, connectivity and projected passenger numbers.  NDTV also spoke exclusively to Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann, who said their aim is to provide a passenger experience that combines Indian warmth and hospitality with Swiss quality and efficiency.  The airport is being developed by the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG, in association with the Noida International Airport Limited, which is the implementing agency on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government.  Located in Jewar in Western UP's Gautam Buddha Nagar district, the airport is sch

Countries at the United Nations COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan will attempt to agree rules for a global system for trading carbon offset credits. Here's what you should know: WHAT ARE CARBON OFFSETS? Some governments and companies may struggle to reduce their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to meet their climate targets. Supporters of carbon offsets see them as a key means to help meet these goals. These offsets allow one nation or company to offset some of their emissions by paying for actions to cut emissions elsewhere. These actions might include rural solar panel installations or converting a fleet of petrol buses to electric. WHAT IS ARTICLE 6? Article 6 of the Paris Agreement helps countries work together to reduce their carbon emissions. It sets out two options for countries and companies to trade offsets, helping them meet the goals they set to reduce planetary-warming gases in their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs)

Donald Trump has begun the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials following his presidential election victory. Here are the early picks and top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing defence, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic policymaking. Some are in contention for a range of posts. SUSIE WILES, chief of staff Trump on Thursday announced that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff. While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instil a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump's first four-year term when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff. TOM HOMAN, 'border czar' Trump announced on Sunday night that Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from his first administrat

Indian food delivery company Zomato has introduced a new feature called Food Rescue to combat food wastage arising due to order cancellations, announced cofounder and chief executive Deepinder Goyal on Sunday (Nov 10). Under the new feature, customers will be allowed to buy food items at a discounted price in their original untampered packaging whilst receiving them within minutes, after an order has been cancelled. The platform witnesses approximately 400,000 cancelled orders monthly which prompted the company to launch the initiative. "We don't encourage order cancellation at Zomato, because it leads to a tremendous amount of food wastage. Inspite of stringent policies, and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than 4 lakh perfectly good orders get cancelled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers," wrote Goyal on X (formerly Twitter). "Today, we are introducing a new feature (being scaled as we speak) - Food Rescue! Cancelled orders will now pop up for

Two powerful earthquakes rocked southern Cuba in quick succession on Sunday, US geologists said, as authorities said no tsunami alert was issued and no deaths immediately reported. The US Geological Survey put the second, more powerful tremor at a magnitude of 6.8 and 14.6 miles (23.5 kilometers) deep, some 25 miles off the coast of Bartolome Maso, in southern Granma province. It came just an hour after a first tremor, which the USGS put at a magnitude of 5.9, with the epicenter some nine miles beneath the ocean roughly 22 miles off Bartolome Maso.  The state-run newspaper Granma said no deaths had been immediately reported, but that the quake had been felt throughout the Caribbean island nation. "Here people quickly took to the streets because the ground moved very strongly," Andres Perez, a 65-year-old retiree who lives in downtown Santiago de Cuba, told AFP via telephone of the first quake.  "It felt very strong really, my wife is a bundle of nerves," he add

Three forest department officials were injured after they were attacked by a leopard while they were putting the trapped big cat in a cage in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district, officials said on Saturday. The incident took place in a forest near Dharmanagri when the officials managed to trap the leopard. A video shows three forest department officials carrying the leopard to a cage kept in a truck. It appears that the officials subdued the leopard with sticks and they appeared to tie its limbs. While two officials can be seen holding the leopard's paws, another, wearing a helmet, can be seen holding the big cat near its head. As they approached the cage, the officials put the big cat down. However, to their shock, the leopard woke up, roared, and attacked the group of forest department workers. Soon after, the officials managed to trap the leopard again and put it into the cage. Three workers have been injured in the incident and are being treated, officials said. (With i

A section of women in the United States are "swearing off men". Reason? Donald Trump's win as the President. With Donald Trump becoming the US President, fears have raised over the abortion rights of women, doubting if the Republican would make access to the procedure more uncertain. In 2022, Trump had celebrated the Supreme's Court's ruling that ended a nationwide right to abortion. However, over time, he has also said that he would leave the decision on abortion rights to the states rather than enact a federal ban. Amid the rising fear, South Korea's '4B' movement has entered the US, with some women on social media saying that they are tired of awaiting what the future holds for their own bodily autonomy. The '4B' movement - a radical feminism movement against patriarchy - origniated from South Korea around 2017-18, but gained recognition in 2019 on X (formerly known as Twitter). It began in response to high rates of violence against women