Category: Blog

Carlos Alcaraz believes conquering his fear factor has given him the confidence to chase a landmark third successive Wimbledon title.

Carlos Alcaraz believes conquering his fear factor has given him the confidence to chase a landmark third successive Wimbledon title. Alcaraz will start his Wimbledon defence against Fabio Fognini on Centre Court on Monday. The 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become just the fifth man to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open Era after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, returns to Wimbledon on a career-best 18-match winning streak.

The world number two knows the historic connotations of his title bid over the next fortnight, but he doesn’t want to be distracted by talk of Wimbledon immortality.

“I’m coming here thinking that I really want to win the title. I really want to lift the trophy, not thinking about how many players have won three Wimbledons in a row,” Alcaraz told reporters at the All England Club on Saturday.

“I’m just thinking about, ‘Okay, I just want to be ready and just want to prepare myself in the best way possible’.

“Obviously I feel a lot of confidence right now. But I’m just thinking about going forward and starting the tournament.

“Two weeks can be really long in a Grand Slam. I’m not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”

Alcaraz warmed up for Wimbledon by winning the grass-court event at Queen’s Club for the second time.

That victory proved the five-time Grand Slam champion was up to speed on grass after his sensational run in the clay-court campaign.

Alcaraz stormed back from two sets down and saved three match-points to beat world number one Jannik Sinner in an epic French Open final in June, securing a fifth successive victory against his Italian rival.

He had already won titles on clay in Rome and Monte Carlo prior to his Roland Garros triumph.

Alcaraz’s last defeat came against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April and he believes the secret of his blistering run is playing without fear.

“Probably, yeah. When I’m playing without thinking about anything else, just playing or just thinking about the enjoyment. I’ve got that freedom to play whatever I like,” he said.

“When that happens, I always show my best tennis, my best level. So probably so far I’m feeling the most, let’s say, freedom that I’ve played so far.”

Alcaraz is at his best when he is relaxed mentally and he warmed up for Wimbledon by spending this week playing golf with former champion Andy Murray and dining in central London.

“For me it’s as much important feeling great off the court as on the court. If I’m feeling bad or I’m feeling bored or feeling like I don’t want to be in that place off the court, I’m not going to play good,” he said.

“It feels great to be back here in Wimbledon as the defending champion. It is really beautiful thinking about what happened last year.

“Just really excited about to start the tournament. Let’s see how I go.”

“I believe the word secularism contradicts Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava, which is a truly Indian concept,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while addressing the media on Saturday at Vajpayee Bhawan, the state BJP headquarters in Guwahati, launched a book titled ‘Emergency Diaries’, highlighting the resistance and struggle during the Emergency, particularly emphasizing the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Today, we have launched the book Emergency Diaries, which is basically about the struggle and resistance movement during that time organised by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Mr Sarma said.

He added that it is now time to erase the legacies of the Emergency period, comparing it with PM Modi’s ongoing efforts to remove remnants of colonial rule from Indian systems.

“In the same spirit, we must work to wipe out the legacies of the Emergency. Two important legacies from that time are the insertion of the words secularism and socialism into our Constitution,” he said.

“I believe the word secularism contradicts Sarva Dharma Samabhava, which is a truly Indian concept. Similarly, socialism does not reflect our economic philosophy, which has always been about Sarvodaya and Antyodaya,” he said.

Calling the terms foreign impositions, Mr Sarma urged the government of India to consider removing them.

“These two words were not part of the original Constitution but were inserted later by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Therefore, I request the government of India to delete the words socialism and secularism from the Preamble of our Constitution,” he said.

“I took cognizance of the serious negligence in the construction of Aishbagh ROB and ordered an inquiry. On the basis of the inquiry report, action has been taken against eight PWD engineers,” Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on X late in the evening.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday suspended seven engineers including two chief engineers of the Public Works Department for the faulty design of the new Rail Over Bridge in Aishbagh area of the city with an unusual 90-degree turn.

“I took cognizance of the serious negligence in the construction of Aishbagh ROB and ordered an inquiry. On the basis of the inquiry report, action has been taken against eight PWD engineers,” Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on X late in the evening.

Seven engineers including two chief engineers were suspended with immediate effect while a departmental inquiry will be conducted against a retired senior engineer, he added.

The construction agency and design consultant have been blacklisted, and a committee has been formed to make necessary improvements in the ROB, the chief minister said.

“The ROB will be inaugurated only after improvements are made,” he added.

The newly built over-bridge became a subject of criticism and ridicule with local residents and netizens questioning its design and wondering how vehicles would negotiate the sharp 90-degree turn.

Suresh Rathore’s alleged second marriage, without divorcing his first wife, has caused much embarrassment to the party as the Uniform Civil Code implemented by the BJP government in the state in January criminalises polygamy.

The ruling BJP in Uttarakhand expelled former MLA Suresh Rathore from the party for six years on Saturday following a controversy over his alleged second marriage.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had issued a notice to the former MLA from the Jwalapur constituency in Haridwar, seeking an explanation from him after a video went viral on the social media, in which he was seen introducing Saharanpur-based actress Urmila Sanawar as his second wife.

Suresh Rathore’s alleged second marriage, without divorcing his first wife, has caused much embarrassment to the party as the Uniform Civil Code implemented by the BJP government in the state in January criminalises polygamy.

“The party leadership is not satisfied with your clarification. You have continuously violated party discipline and norms of social conduct,” the expulsion letter said.

“You are being expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years on the directions of Pradesh BJP president,” the letter signed by state BJP general secretary Rajendra Bisht said.

The flight plan for the seeding operation has been submitted by IIT Kanpur to IMD Pune for technical coordination, Sirsa told PTI.

In a first for the national capital, Delhi is set to witness artificial rain aimed at reducing air pollution, with cloud seeding scheduled between July 4 and 11, subject to weather conditions, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday.

The flight plan for the seeding operation has been submitted by IIT Kanpur to IMD Pune for technical coordination, Sirsa told PTI.

“Conditions are not suitable for cloud seeding until July 3, but a flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11,” Sirsa said.

He added that a proposal has also been sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), requesting an alternative window in case the weather remains unfavourable during the scheduled period so that the trial can be conducted at a later date.

“This initiative marks a historic step in urban pollution control and is being carried out for the first time by the Environment Department under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s leadership,” Sirsa said.

“Our aim is to give Delhiites clean air,” he emphasised, asserting that it’s the most basic right of every resident, and the government is exploring every possible solution to achieve it.

“That’s why we’re taking this bold step of artificial rain. We are hopeful it will bring meaningful change,” he added.

In response to the accusations from AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday, who claimed that the BJP and the Centre hindered the city’s pollution-control efforts and mocked the proposal for artificial rain during peak winter pollution, Sirsa clarified, “We were the ones who signed the MoU first, made all the payments to IIT Kanpur, and applied for the necessary approvals because we want to take real action.” “They didn’t do anything except talk about artificial rain. We, on the other hand, have worked sincerely. That’s why, within just four months of forming the government, we are at the stage of finalising the date for Delhi’s first artificial rain,” he added.

The project, titled ‘Technology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding as an Alternative for Delhi NCR Pollution Mitigation,’ will involve five aircraft sorties over low-security air zones in northwest and outer Delhi.

Each sortie, lasting around 90 minutes, will cover approximately 100 square kilometres, dispersing a scientifically formulated seeding mixture using flare-based systems on modified Cessna aircraft.

The formulation, developed by IIT Kanpur, includes silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt, designed to catalyse artificial rain by accelerating droplet formation in moisture-rich clouds.

“All loudspeakers from religious structures have been removed. Mumbai is now loudspeaker-free from all religious structures,” Mr Bharti told news agency PTI.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti on Saturday asserted that the city is now entirely free of directional loudspeakers after its personnel successfully completed a comprehensive crackdown on public address systems at all religious structures.

“All loudspeakers from religious structures have been removed. Mumbai is now loudspeaker-free from all religious structures,” Bharti told PTI.

The police commissioner, refuting claims of selective targeting, made it clear that religious structures of a particular community had not been singled out and stressed that the operation was conducted methodically, in line with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s directive for proper and non-arbitrary action.

“We engaged in deliberations with community and religious leaders and also political party leaders and prevailed upon them,” Bharti explained, highlighting the collaborative approach taken before implementing the measures.

This action follows an order issued by the Bombay High Court in January this year, in which the police were directed to take prompt action against loudspeakers violating noise pollution norms and rules.

The high court reiterated that the use of loudspeakers is not considered an essential part of any religion.

Commenting about the scale of the operation, the police chief said, “We have removed around 1,500 directional loudspeakers from religious structures across the city. The police will also ensure that such loudspeakers are not put up again.” While the ban on permanent loudspeakers is now in effect, the police commissioner clarified that temporary permissions for the use of loudspeakers will be granted during religious festivals.

The high court, in its order, had noted that noise was a major health hazard and no one can claim that their rights are affected in any manner if he or she is denied permission to use loudspeakers.

Mumbai was a cosmopolitan city, and obviously, there were persons of different religions in every part of the city, the court had said.

The court order was passed on a petition by two housing associations from suburban Kurla – Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Welfare Association and Shivsrushti Co-op. Housing Societies Association Ltd. – alleging police inaction against noise pollution caused by loudspeakers installed on masjids in the area.

The petitioners contended that the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes, including the recitation of ‘Azaan,’ disturbed the peace and violated the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, as well as provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The Kerala High Court has held that the police have no right to knock on the doors of suspected persons or history sheeters or “barge” into their homes at night under the guise of surveillance.

The Kerala High Court has held that the police have no right to knock on the doors of suspected persons or history sheeters or “barge” into their homes at night under the guise of surveillance.

The ruling by Justice V G Arun came on a plea by a man accused of threatening police officers from discharging their duties when they asked him to come out of his home late at night as part of night check on rowdy history sheeters.

Allowing the plea, the court quashed the FIR against the man and all further proceedings in connection with it, saying that “under the guise of surveillance, the police cannot knock on the doors or barge into the houses of history sheeters”.

The court said that police officers should understand that the concept of home “transcends its physical manifestation as a dwelling and encompasses a rich tapestry of existential, emotional and social dimensions”.

“In other words, every man’s house is his castle or temple, the sanctity of which cannot be vilified by knocking on the door at odd hours. A person’s right to life encompasses the right to live with dignity and dignity is non-negotiable,” it said.

The court further said that under the Kerala Police Manual only ‘informal watching’ of history sheeters and ‘close watch’ over those leading criminal existence were permitted.

“Undoubtedly, neither of those expressions permit domicile visits at night,” it added.

It also pointed out that under section 39 of the Kerala Police Act all persons are bound to comply with the ‘lawful directions’ of a police officer for discharge of his functions.

“Knocking on the doors of a history sheeter at midnight and demanding him to come out of the house cannot by any stretch of imagination be termed as a lawful direction,” the court said.

Consequently, the petitioner cannot be prosecuted for the offence of threatening a police officer to obstruct him from discharging his duties under the Kerala Police Act for refusing to abide by the direction to come out of the house at night, the court added.

“If, as alleged, the petitioner had used derogatory language or threatened the police during the course of such refusal, his action may invite some other offence, but definitely not the offence he is presently charged with,” it said.

The petitioner had claimed that he was implicated in the case to divert the enquiry ordered by the High Court into his complaint alleging police harassment.

The police had claimed that as part of their night check duty on rowdy history sheeters, officers had gone to ascertain if the petitioner was at home.

However, when he was asked to open the door of his home, he refused to do so and also abused and intimidated the officer, it had alleged.

Harith, son of a Tamil couple, was bitten by a stray dog on May 31 near the Sree Narayana Park in Kannur city.

A five-year-old boy who was bitten by a stray dog last month died at the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital here on Saturday despite being vaccinated.

Harith, son of a Tamil couple, was bitten by a stray dog on May 31 near the Sree Narayana Park in Kannur city.

The child was bitten on his right eye and left leg and was vaccinated on the same day at the Kannur District Hospital.

This is the fourth incident of a child dying of dog bite despite receiving the vaccination in the last few months.

In May, seven-year-old Niya, a Kollam native, died of rabies after being bitten by a dog, despite receiving the vaccination.

In April, a six-year-old girl — Ziya Faris — died of rabies in Malappuram district despite being vaccinated.

Rohit Sharma shared some intriguing details from the build-up to India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup

Retired from two of the three formats, Rohit Sharma has now got the time to sit back, relax, and look back at some of his recent achievements in international cricket. Though the ODI World Cup dream still remains unfulfilled for Rohit, he did manage to lead the national team to the T20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 titles recently. These events also included some gruelling contests against Pakistan, India’s arch-rivals

During an interview on JioHotstar, Rohit shared some intriguing details from India’s T20 World Cup campaign, especially as the team was preparing for the match against Pakistan.

“Before the India vs Pakistan match, we were told there was a threat – something was going on. So, two days before the game, we weren’t allowed to step out of the hotel. The atmosphere started building from there,” Rohit said on JioHotstar.

Though Indian captains often dub matches against Pakistan as ‘just another contest’, Rohit admitted that the statement isn’t really true.

“We were ordering food in, and the hotel was so packed you could barely walk. Fans, media – everyone was there. That’s when you realise this isn’t just another match – something special is about to happen. As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration – Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves,” he added.

“I’ve played so many India-Pakistan games now – I’ve lost count – but that pre-match energy, that feeling… It’s always something else. Nothing compares to it,” he further said.

In the T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, it was Rishabh Pant who scored 42 off 31 balls in an innings that saw the Indian team being dismissed for 119 in 19 overs.

“We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh – do all the things he does best, unsettle the bowlers, play freely. And he did that perfectly. His innings was around 42, and on that pitch, that’s as good as scoring 70.”

In the match, Jasprit Bumrah turned out to be the team’s saviour again, with three wickets to his name, helping the team secure a 6-run win.

“With Bumrah, you’ve got to be proactive in how you use him. He’s a wicket-taker, and at the same time, he’s not going to leak runs. So, how do you balance that, especially when the opposition is chasing at a run-a-ball? Arshdeep has been phenomenal too,” said Rohit Sharma.

“Over the last two years, there’s a reason he’s become India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is – he’s a really smart bowler. So, with both of them, my focus was on how to use their remaining overs strategically,” he added.

The THAAD deployment to Israel came with challenges as supporting allies in conflict zones would mean using resources that could affect military readiness and future deployment.

The United States used up a total of 15 to 20 per cent of the country’s advanced anti-missile system or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to bolster the defence against Iran’s aerial strikes during the 12-day conflict in which Israel and the US struck nuclear facilities.

According to Military Watch Magazine, an estimate of 60-80 interceptors were utilised during the conflict. A single launch of a THAAD interceptor costs between $12-15 million, so the entire cost of these interceptors sits between $810 million to $1.215 billion. This figure dwarfs the cost of Iran’s missile barrages. This asymmetric cost of defence versus offence is not sustainable in the long term or multi-front conflicts.

Per the Wall Street Journal, the US had restocked the THAAD system set up in Israel in 2024. 

Iran had launched a barrage of missiles on cities across Israel in response to attacks on its nuclear and military facilities. They included models such as Ghadr, Emad, Kheibar Shekan, and the Fattah-1 hypersonic missile, which is hard to intercept as it travels at up to Mach 15.

The THAAD deployment to Israel came with challenges as supporting allies in conflict zones would mean using resources that could affect military readiness and future deployment.

The THAAD system was designed to counter the expanding missile capabilities of nations like North Korea and Iran as they were pursuing medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles capable of delivering conventional or nuclear warheads.

Moreover, the United States produces only about 50-60 THAAD interceptors annually, which means it could take years to replenish what it just expended in 11 days.

The war between Israel and Iran came to an end after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that a “complete and total ceasefire” had been reached by both the parties. In the end, the US-Israel campaign has managed to contain, not defeat, Iran. Nuclear sites were hit. Military leadership was shaken. But Iran’s regime, and its nuclear ambition, remain intact.