National
Ponting blames poor batting in powerplay, changed conditions for defeat

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has blamed his team’s inability to score more runs in the Powerplay as one of the things that contributed a great deal to his teams three wickets defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in a thrilling Qualifier 2 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
While Delhi could only score 38/1 in the first six overs, Kolkata Knight Riders blasted 51/0 in the Powerplay that set them up nicely in their chase of 136 runs. KKR Openers Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer gave them a good start that eventually helped them overcome Delhi Capitals.
“I think the powerplays in both innings was probably the difference in the game. I don’t think we got enough in our powerplay with the bat. I think we were 37 (sic) at the end of our powerplay, which is probably, you know, 8 to 10 runs short of where we wanted to be and what the sort of par score is on this sort of wicket,” Ponting said in a virtual press conference after the match.
This was the time when Marcus Stoinis, who was promoted to No. 3 was at the crease. Stoinis, coming back from a hamstring injury, found run-scoring very tough against the spinners on a slow and low track as he scored 18 off 23 balls.
However, Ponting defended the decision to send Stoinis up in the order. “We thought long and hard about where Marcus’s best bet would be the batting order for us today. I mean, as we all are aware, he missed about three weeks with a hamstring injury, so he hadn’t played any cricket. We desperately wanted him back into the team today because we knew he could bat at the top of the order and bat down at the death if required.
“As you saw today, with that type of pitch, it’s really difficult for any new batsman to come in and start on. Even Shikhar at the top didn’t get away to the flier that we were after. Middle-order players, Indian players even struggled to get going on that surface. So, I think it was the right decision. We probably didn’t get the outcome that we were after, though,” he added,
He said his team will deliberate on the failure of their batsmen in the match.
“We didn’t bat well enough today, we didn’t get enough runs in the powerplay, we lost wickets too regularly through the middle of our batting innings. If it wasn’t for Hetmyer and Shreyas at the end, we weren’t looking anywhere near 130 odd, so we’ve been outplayed and we’ll talk about that when we make it back into the rooms after. It’s disappointing for us certainly to finish the way that we have.”
The former Australia captain also defended skippe’ Rishabh Pant’s decision to give Anrich Nortje only one over in the first 10 overs.
“We wanted to have Nortje through the middle overs. Some of the batsmen in the middle we feel, are probably a little bit susceptible to good quality fast bowling, so we wanted to save a couple for him through the middle and one at the end. So we’re running tactically tonight. I think Rishabh did a really, really good job. We didn’t get enough runs and we did a good job to claw our way back into the game and give ourselves a chance to win going into the last two overs.
“I think the captain was looking at trying a few different options to get a wicket in the powerplay. And then we wanted to be able to use a couple of overs of spin in the powerplay before the ball got too wet and basically difficult for the spinners to hang on to it too much. And it’s a technique you can use, not let the batter get settled against one type of bowler,” he explained.
health
Tobacco is not just addiction but poison: Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta leads walkathon on World No-Tobacco Day in Rohini

New Delhi, May 31: On the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, Delhi’s Rohini area witnessed a strong show of public awareness and health advocacy through a walkathon organised to spread the message against tobacco consumption.
The event, themed ‘Walk for Life’, brought together medical professionals, civic leaders, and local residents in a collective stand against the harmful effects of tobacco.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, who flagged off the walkathon, delivered a powerful message on the dangers of tobacco. “Tobacco is not just an addiction; it’s a poison,” he said, addressing the gathering. “It is a dangerous habit that ruins lives, and the only effective way to combat it is through sustained awareness and education,” he added.
Organised by the Indian Medical Association in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, the event saw enthusiastic participation from doctors, healthcare workers, and members of the public.
The walkathon aimed to raise awareness, especially among the youth, about the health risks associated with tobacco, including its direct link to life-threatening diseases like cancer.
“The younger generation often views smoking and tobacco use as fashionable, but we must help them understand the long-term consequences,” Gupta added, urging collective efforts to curb the rising trend of tobacco use among the youth.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Sudhir Rawal, Medical Director at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, emphasised the medical impact: “Tobacco is one of the main avoidable causes of cancer. If you don’t use tobacco, you significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer, especially lung and mouth cancer.”
The event also featured health-themed activities, including group exercises and educational talks, to create a more engaging and impactful experience for participants.
As part of a broader initiative across the country, the Rohini walkathon served as a crucial reminder of the importance of quitting tobacco and promoting healthier, smoke-free lives.
National
SpaceX’s Starship fails 3rd time, Musk blames fuel leak as megarocket explodes

New Delhi, May 28: Even as SpaceX’s Starship flight exploded during splashdown on its ninth test on Wednesday, the company’s founder Elon Musk blamed it on fuel leaks.
This is the third time in a row that Starship flight has faced issues during the test flight. The company’s last two test flights — the seventh (January) and eighth (March) test flight — also ended prematurely with the destruction of the aircraft.
The ninth test flight of Starship — which blasted off at about 7:36 p.m. EDT (5:06 am IST) from the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas — successfully reached orbit, flying farther than on its two previous attempts.
However, the spacecraft’s payload bay door failed to open, preventing the planned release of simulated Starlink satellites. Around 30 minutes into the mission, SpaceX confirmed a fuel tank leak aboard the vehicle.
The first-stage Super Heavy booster exploded shortly before its expected splashdown, and live video showed the upper-stage vehicle spinning uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, due to fuel leaks.
“Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase,” Musk shared in a post on his social media platform X.
“Contact with the booster was lost shortly after the start of the landing burn when it experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly approximately 6 minutes after launch, bringing an end to the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster,” SpaceX said in a statement.
However, Musk called the flight an achievement and noted that there had been no loss to the heat shield tiles.
“Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over the last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent. Lot of good data to review,” Musk said.
SpaceX noted that the company “will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test”.
Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship and heavy booster — the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket system. It will launch the moon lander for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission that aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2026.
National
‘Nothing wrong in renaming Ramanagara’: Abu Azmi backs Karnataka govt

New Delhi, May 24: Backing the Karnataka government’s decision to rename Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’, SP Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi said there was “nothing wrong” with the move and took a swipe at name changes in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that only Muslim names were being deliberately altered in the northern state.
“There is no hate in this name. In UP and other places, including Maharashtra, Muslim names were deliberately changed. If Karnataka has renamed Ramanagara to Bengaluru South, what’s wrong with it? Many names have been changed similarly in Mumbai without targeting any particular religion. I don’t think this is anything different,” Azmi told Media.
Azmi’s remarks came shortly after the Karnataka government formally issued a notification renaming Ramanagara district to ‘Bengaluru South’. The state’s Revenue Department said Ramanagara city will continue to serve as the district headquarters under the new name.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar confirmed the decision, stating that it was made following due process. “Ramanagara city will remain the headquarters of the district. The Cabinet has decided to rename it as Bengaluru South district from today,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
However, the decision sparked controversy, with Union Minister and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy strongly opposing the move. He has vowed to reverse the decision if the opportunity arises.
The renaming has been seen by some as a strategic political step to integrate Ramanagara more closely with the capital’s administrative and economic structure.
Speaking on all-party delegations’ global outreach against Pakistan-backed terrorism, Azmi said, “It’s a good initiative, people should know the truth about Pakistan sheltering terrorism, and not giving up on supporting them even after several warnings.”
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