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England captain Ben Stokes again proved his worth as a Test-match partnership-breaker at Edgbaston on Wednesday by denying India dangerman Yashasvi Jaiswal his second hundred of the series.India were 182-3 at tea on the first day of the second Test after Jaiswal had fallen for 87, with the tourists looking to level the five-match series at 1-1 after last week’s five-wicket loss at Headingley. India captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, who between them scored three of the team’s five hundreds at Headingley — something no other losing side had achieved in more than 60,000 games of first-class cricket — were 42 and 14 not out respectively. Jaiswal was closing in on a century after another dazzling display of stroke-play when the left-handed opener cut flat-footedly at a short and wide ball from all-rounder Stokes, bowling from around the wicket, only to edge a poor delivery straight to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.It was a tame end and meant Jaiswal was unable to match his excellent 101 at Headingley — a game England won as they made light of chasing 371 for victory.The 23-year-old’s exit also saw the end of a third wicket partnership of 66 with India captain Shubman Gill that had taken the tourists to 161-3.New batsman Pant, fresh from becoming just the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of a match with 134 and 118 in Leeds, waited a relatively restrained 23 balls until he scored his first boundary Wednesday — a six over midwicket against off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.  Earlier Stokes, as he had done at Headingley, opted to field after winning the toss, with England having achieved their all-time record fourth innings victory chase of 378 at Edgbaston, against India three years ago. KL Rahul, fresh from a second-innings hundred at Headingley, rarely looked comfortable Wednesday as he took 26 balls to score two in an innings that ended when he played on to Chris Woakes, on his Warwickshire home ground.Brydon Carse kept things tight at the other end as India were held to 37-1 off 13 overs in the first hour of play.But there was a release of pressure when he was replaced by Tongue.Jaiswal went to his fifty with consecutive boundaries off Tongue, a hook followed by a rasping cut. It took him a mere 59 balls to reach the landmark, with 40 of his runs coming in fours.But shortly before lunch, Karun Nair (31) was undone by a lifting ball from the admirable Carse that lobbed gently to second slip.The most eye-catching of the three changes made by India saw Jasprit Bumrah rested after it was announced before the series he would only feature in three of the five Tests in order to protect his fitness following a back injury.The third Test at Lord’s starts just four days after the scheduled end of the game in Birmingham. Akash Deep was given the unenviable task of replacing Bumrah, the world’s number one-ranked Test bowler.India have yet to win a Test at Edgbaston following seven defeats and a draw at the Birmingham ground.They are also bidding for just a fourth series win in England following triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007.    

The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that the 600-year-old Tibetan spiritual institution would continue after his death, reassuring Buddhist followers around the globe and saying his office “exclusively” would name his successor, even as China insisted it would.Followers of the Dalai Lama laud his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa.It is a landmark decision for Tibetans, many of whom had feared a future without a leader, as well as for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.According to Tibetans, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist had previously said the institution of Dalai Lama would continue only if there was popular demand.He said Wednesday he had received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from the Tibetan diaspora, Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia and China, “earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue”.”In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal,” he said in a video broadcast at the start of a meeting of religious leaders in the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.”In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he added, according to an official translation.The announcement was made ahead of his 90th birthday on July 6.- ‘Historic’ -While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name its own successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950.But the Dalai Lama said Wednesday that responsibility for identifying the 15th Dalai Lama “will rest exclusively” with the India-based Gaden Phodrang Trust, the office of the Dalai Lama.Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior Tibetan leader from the Gaden Phodrang Trust, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was “in excellent health” and that, at this time, there were “no further instructions for succession”.However, Rinpoche said the next Dalai Lama could be of “any nationality”, and would come from a place where there is “access to freedom”.China said on Wednesday that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama “must be approved by the central government” in Beijing, and that it would be carried out “by drawing lots from a golden urn”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.That urn is held by Beijing, and the Dalai Lama has already warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks “any spiritual quality”.The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally.At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system”.In 1995, Beijing selected a Panchen Lama, another influential Tibetan religious figure, and detained a Dalai Lama-recognised six-year-old, described by rights groups as the world’s youngest political prisoner.The Dalai Lama’s announcement about the continuation of the role was welcomed with relief by Tibetans, including by Jigme Taydeh, a civil servant with the India-based Tibetan government.”Whilst we rejoice at this confirmation of its continuation, we stringently object to China’s interference and plans to install a puppet Dalai Lama”, he said. “Neither the Tibetans nor the world would recognise such mischief.”burs-pjm/lb

Thailand’s acting prime minister is set to helm the country for only one full day Wednesday, standing in for suspended premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra before being replaced himself in a cabinet reshuffle.Transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit began his engagements by attending a ceremony in Bangkok celebrating the longevity of the prime minister’s office.The event marked the 93rd anniversary of an institution Suriya is set to command for far fewer than 93 hours as Thailand reels from the suspension of Paetongtarn, heiress of the country’s dominant political dynasty.During a brief ceremony open to media Suriya declined to respond to queries asking how he felt about his ephemeral leadership, which caps a decades-long political career.He said his most urgent business had been to “sign a paper” ensuring a smooth transition to his successor on Thursday.The Constitutional Court said Tuesday there was “sufficient cause to suspect” Paetongtarn breached ministerial ethics in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia, suspending her pending a probe that may last months.- ‘I don’t know the guy’ -The 38-year-old Paetongtarn is the daughter of political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra, whose family and party have been jousting with Thailand’s conservative establishment since the early 2000s.Power immediately passed to 70-year-old Suriya, a veteran operator with a reputation in Thai media as a political weathervane for always aligning himself with the government of the day.”I don’t really know the guy, but I don’t care anymore who becomes prime minister,” 54-year-old motorbike taxi driver Paitoon Kaewdee told AFP.”I’ve lost hope in Thai politics. I used to care a lot about politics and the Shinawatra family but now, it’s all the same.”Suriya’s time as acting premier is due to end with a cabinet reshuffle already scheduled before Tuesday’s court bombshell.It takes effect in an oath-swearing ceremony scheduled on Thursday, when he is set to be superseded by incoming interior minister Phumtham Wechayachai.The ruling Pheu Thai party said late Tuesday that Phumtham will take over after the cabinet reshuffle because he will receive a deputy prime minister title that is higher in the order of succession than Suriya.The “power vacuum at the top” may threaten Thailand’s bid for a US trade deal to avert President Donald Trump’s threat of a 36 percent tariff, said Capital Economics senior Asia economist Gareth Leather.”I want a new election,” complained 40-year-old Bangkok office worker Chatchai Summabut. “This country needs stability.”- Waning influence -Paetongtarn — who became prime minister only last August — assigned herself the culture minister position in the new cabinet before she was suspended, meaning she is set to keep a perch in the upper echelons of power.She, Suriya and Phumtham are all members of Pheu Thai, which came second in the 2023 election but secured power by forming an unsteady coalition with its former enemies in pro-military parties.But analysts say Paetongtarn’s pause from office represents a dramatic waning of the Shinawatras’ influence, even though the acting prime ministers are still considered their loyal lieutenants.Tuesday also saw the second day of Thaksin’s criminal trial for royal defamation, in which he faces a possible 15-year sentence if convicted.Paetongtarn has been hobbled over a longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier.When she made a diplomatic call to Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen she called him “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent”, according to a leaked recording causing widespread backlash.A conservative party abandoned her ruling coalition — sparking the cabinet reshuffle — while her approval rating plunged and thousands mustered to protest over the weekend.Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, entering a case with the Constitutional Court alleging she breached the constitution’s ministerial ethics code.

A nickel stockpile towers over farmer Moharen Tambiling’s rice paddy in the Philippines’ Palawan, evidence of a mining boom that locals hope a new moratorium will tame.”They told us before the start of their operations that it wouldn’t affect us, but the effects are undeniable now,” Tambiling told AFP.”Pangolins, warthogs, birds are disappearing. Flowers as well.”A biodiversity hotspot, Palawan also holds vast deposits of nickel, needed for everything from stainless steel to electric vehicles.Once the world’s largest exporter of the commodity, the Philippines is now racing to catch up with Indonesia. In 2021, Manila lifted a nine-year ban on mining licences. Despite promised jobs and tax revenue, there is growing pushback against the sector in Palawan.In March, the island’s governing council unanimously passed a 50-year moratorium on any new mining permits.”Flash floods, the siltation of the sea, fisheries, mangrove areas… We are witnesses to the effects of long-term mining,” Nieves Rosento, a former local councillor who led the push, told AFP.Environmental rights lawyer Grizelda Mayo-Anda said the moratorium could stop nearly 70 proposed projects spanning 240,000 hectares.”You have to protect the old-growth forest, and it’s not being done,” she said.From 2001 to 2024, Palawan dubbed the country’s “last ecological frontier” — lost 219,000 hectares of tree cover, more than any other province, in part due to mining, according to Global Forest Watch.- ‘Fearsome’ flooding -In southern Palawan’s Brooke’s Point, a Chinese ship at a purpose-built pier waits for ore from the stockpile overlooking Tambiling’s farm.Mining company Ipilan says increased production will result in greater royalties for Indigenous people and higher tax revenues, but that means little to Tambiling’s sister Alayma.The single mother-of-six once made 1,000-5,000 pesos ($18-90) a day selling lobster caught where the pier now sits.”We were surprised when we saw backhoes digging up the shore,” she told AFP, calling a one-time compensation offer of 120,000 pesos ($2,150) insulting.”The livelihood of all the Indigenous peoples depended on that area.”On the farm, Tambiling stirred rice paddy mud to reveal reddish laterite he says is leaking from the ore heap and poisoning his crops.Above him, swathes of the Mantalingahan mountains have been deforested, producing floods he describes as “fearsome, deep and fast-moving.”Ipilan has faced protests and legal challenges over its logging, but its operations continue.Calls to parent company Global Ferronickel Holdings were not returned.For some in Palawan, the demand for nickel to power EVs has a certain irony.”You may be able to… eliminate pollution using electric vehicles,” said Jeminda Bartolome, an anti-mining advocate.”But you should also study what happens to the area you are mining.”- ‘First-class municipality’ -In Bataraza, the country’s oldest nickel mine is expanding, having secured permission before the moratorium.Rio Tuba employees armed with brooms, goggles, hats and scarves are barely visible through reddish dust as they sweep an access road that carries 6,000 tonnes of ore destined for China each day.Company senior vice president Jose Bayani Baylon said mining turned a barely accessible malarial swamp into a “first-class municipality”.”You have an airport, you have a port, you have a community here. You have a hospital, you have infrastructure which many other communities don’t have,” he told AFP.He dismisses environmental concerns as overblown.With part of its concession tapped out, the company is extending into an area once off-limits to logging but since rezoned.Thousands of trees have been cleared since January, according to locals, but Baylon said “under the law, for every tree you cut, you have to plant 100″.The company showed AFP a nine-hectare plot it spent 15 years restoring with native plants.But it is unclear to what degree that will be replicated. Baylon concedes some areas could become solar farms instead.- ‘Four kilos of rice’ -Nearby, Indigenous resident Kennedy Coria says mining has upset Mount Bulanjao’s ecosystem.”Honeybees disappeared where we used to find them. Fruit trees in the forest stopped bearing fruit,” the father-of-seven said.A fifth of the Philippines’ Indigenous land is covered by mining and exploration permits, according to rights group Global Witness. Legally, they have the right to refuse projects and share profits, but critics say the process is rarely clear.”There are Indigenous peoples who have not received any royalties for the past 10 years,” said Rosento.Coria, who can neither read nor write, said he must sign a document each year when accepting what he is told is his share of Rio Tuba profits.”We get about four kilos of rice from the community leader, who tells us it came from the company,” he said.Rio Tuba said funds are distributed in coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), which is meant to represent the communities.But some say it acts in the interests of miners, attempting to persuade locals to accept concessions and the terms offered by companies.The NCIP referred questions to multiple regional offices, none of which replied. The government’s industry regulator declined interview requests. While Palawan’s moratorium will not stop Rio Tuba’s expansion or Ipilan’s operations, supporters believe it will slow further mining.Ryan Maminta, a councillor who backed the moratorium said it already halted one expansion.There are looming legal challenges, however.A recent Supreme Court decision struck down a mining ban in Occidental Mindoro province.Backers remain confident though, and Rosento said the council would stand firm.”Responsible mining is just a catchphrase,” she said.

Thailand’s billionaire Shinawatra dynasty has dominated the kingdom’s politics for 25 years, but its rule has been hit by coups and court cases including this week’s suspension of the prime minister.Thaksin Shinawatra amassed a telecoms fortune before driving the family’s entry into politics, elected to power in 2001 and again in 2005 — when he led the first Thai party ever to secure an overall majority alone.His populist policies won the devotion of rural voters but the ire of the pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment who regarded him as an insurgent threat to the traditional social order.The patriarch was ousted in a 2006 coup, but Thai politics has remained dominated by jousting between his Shinawatra clan successors and Bangkok’s tradition-orientated elite.Thaksin’s sister Yingluck became prime minister in 2011, regarded by many as his stooge, before she was likewise forced out by the military.- Founding father – Thaksin served as a police officer before making his fortune and launching his Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, promising to use his business savvy to uplift rural areas.He became the first Thai premier to serve a full term after his 2001 victory, and was re-elected in a landslide by villagers grateful for cash injections amid the Asian financial crisis.But Thaksin was dogged by corruption allegations and months of protests. While he was on an overseas trip in September 2006 tanks rolled into Bangkok and the military toppled his government.Despite his Thai assets being frozen the following year, he purchased Manchester City and later sold the British football club for a sizeable profit.Thaksin took himself into exile in 2008 but never stopped commenting on national affairs — or, according to his critics, meddling in them.- A family affair -Thai Rak Thai was dissolved after the coup ousting Thaksin, but its successor People’s Power party won the next election, and in 2008 Thaksin’s brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat was briefly prime minister before the courts ordered it dismantled too.It evolved into the Pheu Thai (For Thais) party, which brought Thaksin’s sister Yingluck to power in 2011.Yingluck was pilloried as a political lightweight armed with little more than a winning smile and a hotline to her elder brother — who once referred to her as his “clone”.She reached out to the military which had ousted her brother, but their shaky truce collapsed after a failed bid to pass an amnesty bill which would have enabled Thaksin’s return.The move outraged government opponents who flooded the streets for months-long protests marked by violence, with dozens killed and hundreds wounded.Yingluck’s premiership was scuttled in 2014 by a court ruling and weeks later the military shunted aside the rest of her administration.- Inheriting influence -Thaksin subsequently threw his weight behind his youngest child Paetongtarn Shinawatra as she took up the Pheu Thai mantle, transferring from a career in the hotel arm of the family’s business empire.She was pregnant during the 2023 election campaign but was a near-constant presence, regularly leading rallies in stifling tropical heat.Pheu Thai finished second, but secured power by forming an unsteady alliance with their former enemies in pro-military parties, and Paetongtarn was appointed prime minister last August.Much like Yingluck, the 38-year-old Paetongtarn has been accused of being a puppet of Thaksin.The Constitutional Court suspended her from office on Tuesday while it probes her actions during a diplomatic spat with Cambodia.- Return to division -While in exile in Dubai, Thaksin pledged repeatedly to return to Thailand despite being convicted on graft and abuse-of-power charges in his absence.He went back on the day Pheu Thai took power, prompting speculation he had been granted leniency as part of the coalition bargain.He was immediately arrested and sentenced to eight years in jail, but was whisked to a police hospital within hours on health grounds. Thaksin was later pardoned by the king without spending any time in prison. He went on trial Tuesday for royal defamation, with a 15-year sentence possible if convicted.The clan’s future is now increasingly murky, said Thai political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak.”The Shinawatra family has been systematically weakened to the point that its mass appeal in Thai politics has worn off.”

The United States, Japan, India and Australia pledged Tuesday to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as worries grow over China’s dominance in resources vital to new technologies.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed his counterparts from the so-called “Quad” to Washington in a shift of focus to Asia, after spending much of his first six months on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and on President Donald Trump’s domestic priorities such as migration.The four countries said in a joint statement that they were establishing the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, aimed at “collaborating on securing and diversifying” supply chains.They offered little detail but made clear the goal was to reduce reliance on China, which has used restrictions as leverage as the United States in turn curbs its access to semiconductors and as Trump threatens steep tariffs — including on Quad countries.”Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply chain disruptions,” the statement said.The ministers were careful not to mention China by name but voiced “serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions” in the South China Sea and East China Sea that “threaten peace and stability in the region.”China holds major reserves of several key minerals including the vast majority of the world’s graphite, which is crucial for electric vehicles.In brief remarks alongside the other ministers, Rubio said he has “personally been very focused” on diversifying supply chains and wanted “real progress.”- US refocus on Asia -The four-way partnership was first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who saw an alliance of democracies surrounding China — which has repeatedly alleged that the Quad is a way to contain it.Rubio had welcomed the Quad foreign ministers on January 21 in his first meeting after Trump’s inauguration, seen as a sign the new administration would prioritize engagement with like-minded countries to counter China.But to the surprise of many, China has not topped the early agenda of Trump, who has spoken respectfully about his counterpart Xi Jinping and reached a truce with Beijing to avoid a wider trade war between the world’s two largest economies.Trump is expected to travel to India later this year for a Quad summit. Both the Indian and Japanese foreign ministers said that they wanted the Quad to focus on a “free and open Indo-Pacific” — a phrasing that is a veiled allusion to opposing Chinese dominance in Asia.”It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice, so essential to make right decisions on development and security,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.At Jaishankar’s urging, the Quad condemned a May attack on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed mostly Hindu civilians and called for “the perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay.”India in May launched air strikes in Pakistan, which it blamed for the attack. Pakistan denied responsibility and responded with its own attacks on the Indian military.In a key concern for Japan, the Quad condemned North Korea for its “destabilizing launches” of missiles and insisted on its “complete denuclearization.”Trump, in one of the most startling moves of his first term, met with North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong Un, helping ease tensions but producing no lasting agreement.Despite common ground on China, Quad members have differed on other hotspots, with the joint statement not mentioning Ukraine or Iran.India has maintained its long relationship with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine, while both India and Japan also have historically enjoyed cordial ties with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Tuesday with counterparts from Australia, India and Japan, shifting focus to Asia after a tenure so far marked by crises elsewhere and domestic priorities.Rubio had welcomed the foreign ministers of the so-called Quad on January 21 in his first meeting after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, seen as a sign that the new administration would prioritize engagement with like-minded countries to counter China.Since then, much of Rubio’s attention has been on the Middle East, with the United States bombing Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel; on Ukraine, as Trump unsuccessfully seeks a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion, and on boosting Trump’s domestic priorities such as mass deportations of migrants.Welcoming the three foreign ministers, Rubio did not directly mention military concerns over China but said he sought cooperation among business and on raw materials — also key goals for the Trump administration.Rubio told them he was focused on “diversifying the global supply chain of critical minerals — not just access to the raw material, but also access to the ability to process and refine it to usable materials.””It’s critical for all technologies and for all industries across the board,” Rubio said, voicing hope for “real progress” on the issue within the Quad.China holds major reserves of several key minerals including the vast majority of the world’s graphite, which is crucial for electric vehicles.Beijing has sought to impose restrictions as leverage, as the United States in turn curbs its access to semiconductors and as Trump wields the threat of punishing tariffs on both friends and foes.- ‘Free and open’ -Trump is expected to travel to India later this year for a summit of the Quad. The four-way partnership was first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who saw an alliance of democracies around China — which has repeatedly alleged that the Quad is a way to contain it.Trump has long branded China as the top US adversary, but since returning to office has also saluted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Both the Indian and Japanese foreign ministers said that they wanted the Quad to focus on a “free and open Indo-Pacific” — a phrasing that is a veiled allusion to opposing Chinese dominance in Asia.”We’re all committed to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.”It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice, so essential to make right decisions on development and security,” he said.Jaishankar also made clear that India would raise its strikes last month against Pakistan in response to a major attack on mostly Hindu civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir.”India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that,” he said.Despite shared concerns on China, the Quad members have differed on other hotspots. India has maintained a historic relationship with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine.Both India and Japan also have historically warm relationships with Iran, whose nuclear sites the United States bombed in June in support of an Israeli campaign.

England captain Ben Stokes said Tuesday he “absolutely loves” watching Rishabh Pant play cricket even when he’s on the receiving end of the India star’s outrageous stroke-play.Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of a match against England at Headingley, although his heroics were unable to prevent a five-wicket defeat last week that left the hosts 1-0 up in a five-match contest.The 27-year-old Pant made his intentions clear when he charged down the pitch to just the second ball he faced in Leeds and straight drove Stokes for four — a shot that brought an admiring grin from the England skipper.Stokes, well capable of aggressive batting himself, expects more fireworks from Pant, even if he hopes to limit the Indian’s runs after scores of 134 and 118.”Even though he’s my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket,” Stokes told reporters in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the second Test at Edgbaston starting Wednesday. “I love the way he takes it on in all formats of the game. He’s got a bit of stick in his time, but that type of talent, when you let that type of talent be free, that’s what happened last week. “When you look back on last week and credit to him, two hundreds in the game, we know we’re going to get our chances with the way that Rishabh plays. On a different day, it could have looked a little bit different if one of those had gone straight to hand. “He’s a very dangerous player. We know what he brings to the Indian team, but I really enjoy watching Rishabh play cricket.”Stokes, asked if he was prepared for more of the same in Birmingham, replied: “I don’t think there’s going to be much change in the way that Rishabh takes it on.”- ‘More pressure on India’ -A relatively youthful India team, with new captain Shubman Gill leading from the front with a century, were competitive for much of the time at Headingley in a match England won after pulling off the tenth-highest chase in Test history by scoring 371.But batting collapses of 7-41, after they had been 430-3, and 6-31, from 333-4, proved costly for India in Leeds.”They are a good team,” said Stokes on Tuesday. “They always fight hard, come hard, a very passionate team.”No cricket team faces such intense scrutiny as India, who have now lost seven of their 11 Tests under coach Gautam Gambhir, given the mass enthusiasm for the sport in the world’s most populous nation.”I think it’s pretty clear that there’s always pressure on the shoulders of international sportsmen,” said Stokes. “But playing for India, especially in cricket, there’s probably a bit more of it than any other nation. But we don’t take anything for granted from last week.”We tried to put in a performance there (Headingley). Hopefully, we can put one in here that take us to 2-0 this week.”

More than 14 million of the world’s most vulnerable people, a third of them small children, could die by 2030 because of the Trump administration’s dismantling of US foreign aid, research projected on Tuesday.The study in the prestigious Lancet journal was published as world and business leaders gather for a United Nations conference in Spain this week hoping to bolster the reeling aid sector.The US Agency for International Development (USAID) had provided over 40 percent of global humanitarian funding until Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Two weeks later, Trump’s then-close advisor — and world’s richest man — Elon Musk boasted of having put the agency “through the woodchipper”.The funding cuts “risk abruptly halting — and even reversing — two decades of progress in health among vulnerable populations”, warned study co-author Davide Rasella, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).”For many low- and middle-income countries, the resulting shock would be comparable in scale to a global pandemic or a major armed conflict,” he said in a statement.Looking back over data from 133 nations, the international team of researchers estimated that USAID funding had prevented 91.8 million deaths in developing countries between 2001 and 2021. That is more than the estimated number of deaths during World War II, history’s deadliest conflict.- HIV, malaria to rise -The researchers also used modelling to project how funding being slashed by 83 percent — the figure announced by the US government earlier this year — could affect death rates.The cuts could lead to more than 14 million avoidable deaths by 2030, the projections found.That number included over 4.5 million children under the age of five — or around 700,000 child deaths a year.For comparison, around 10 million soldiers are estimated to have been killed during World War I. Programmes supported by USAID were linked to a 15-percent decrease in deaths from all causes, the researchers determined. For children under five, the drop in deaths was twice as steep, at 32 percent.USAID funding was found to be particularly effective at staving off preventable deaths from disease. There were 65 percent fewer deaths from HIV/AIDS in countries receiving a high level of support compared to those with little or no USAID funding, the study found. Deaths from malaria and neglected tropical diseases were similarly cut in half. Study co-author Francisco Saute of Mozambique’s Manhica Health Research Centre said he had seen on the ground how USAID helped fight diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. “Cutting this funding now not only puts lives at risk — it also undermines critical infrastructure that has taken decades to build,” he stressed.A recently updated tracker run by disease modeller Brooke Nichols at Boston University estimates that nearly 108,000 adults and more than 224,000 children have already died as a result of the US aid cuts. That works out to 88 deaths every hour, according to the tracker.- ‘Time to scale up’ -After USAID was gutted, several other major donors, including France, Germany and the UK, followed suit in announcing plans to slash their foreign aid budgets. These aid reductions, particularly in the European Union, could lead to “even more additional deaths in the coming years,” study co-author Caterina Monti of ISGlobal said.But the grim projections are based on the current amount of pledged aid, so could rapidly come down if the situation changes, the researchers emphasised.Dozens of world leaders are meeting in the Spanish city of Seville this week for the biggest aid conference in a decade. The United States, however, will not attend.”Now is the time to scale up, not scale back,” Rasella said.Before its funding was slashed, USAID represented 0.3 percent of all US federal spending.”US citizens contribute about 17 cents per day to USAID, around $64 per year,” said study co-author James Macinko of the University of California, Los Angeles.”I think most people would support continued USAID funding if they knew just how effective such a small contribution can be to saving millions of lives.”