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A gritty 79 by Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya’s late blitz helped India reach 249-9 against New Zealand in the final group match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.To do so, they had to defy some outstanding pace bowling from Matt Henry who returned figures of 5-42 — his third five-wicket haul in ODIs — from his eight overs and some breathtaking fielding.Invited to bat first in Dubai, India were in trouble at 30-3 when Virat Kohli, playing in his 300th one-day international, departed off a stunning one-handed catch from Glenn Phillips.Iyer and left-handed Axar Patel, who made 42, put on 98 for the fourth wicket to rebuild the innings against a disciplined New Zealand attack.Pandya hit a run-a-ball 45 as he smashed four fours and two sixes to boost the total on a sluggish pitch.The winner of the match will play Australia in the semi-final, with the loser taking on South Africa.Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan because of political tensions.New Zealand will leave for Lahore after the match, with the second semi-final to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.Henry struck the first blow to have the in-form Shubman Gill — India’s top batsman with 149 runs in three matches of the 50-over tournament — trapped lbw for two.Skipper Rohit Sharma was the next to depart when he mistimed a pull off Kyle Jamieson to be caught at square leg and in walk Kohli to a huge roar.The joy was shortlived as an airborne Phillips clung on to a travelling ball at backward point to dimiss Kohli for 11 off 14 balls off Henry.The fielder went full stretch to his right on a hard slash by Kohli, who stood in disbelief before trudging off the ground to stunned silence in his landmark match.Iyer and Patel attempted to take the attack to the opposition as New Zealand rotated their spin options. Left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra broke the stand when he dismissed Patel, caught by Kane Williamson at short fine leg.KL Rahul (23) offered solid support in a partnership of 44 but Iyer’s fine knock finally came to an end when he top-edged a short ball from Will O’Rourke to Will Young at short midwicket.One more stunning catch, this time by Williamson who flung himself to his left at backward point to make a one-handed grab close to the ground, broke another partnership as Ravindra Jadeja fell for 16 off Henry.Pandya smashed the bowlers in the final few overs before Henry got him out, following up with the scalp of Mohammed Shami off the final ball. 

Rescuers recovered the eighth and final body from the site of an avalanche in a remote area of northern India, the army said Sunday, marking the end of a marathon operation in sub-zero temperatures.More than 50 workers were submerged under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.Authorities had revised down the number of workers on site at the time of the avalanche from 55 to 54 after one worker, previously believed to be buried, was found to have safely made his way home before the avalanche hit.The army used drone-based detection system to assist in its search operations. Multiple drones and a rescue dog were also employed.Construction worker Anil, who only gave his first name, recalled his rescue hours after being buried by the avalanche.”It was if God’s angels had come to save us,” Anil, who is in his late 20s, told AFP on Sunday by phone from his hospital bed.”The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.” Being alive now felt “like a dream”, he said.- ‘Not all made it’ -Working on a project by the Border Roads Organisation, the workers were living on site in steel containers considered stronger than tents and capable of withstanding harsh weather. Anil said many workers were fast asleep and a few others were in makeshift toilets when the avalanche struck around 6:00 am Friday.As the ground beneath them shook, the container in which Anil and his colleagues were in began to slide down.”At first we did not understand what was happening but when we looked out of the window of the containers, we saw piles of snow all around,” he said. “The roof of the containers was also slowly bending inwards.”Everyone started screaming for help and a few men were lucky to get out of their containers.”But not all of them made it out and they remained trapped,” he said.- ‘Like thunder’ -His colleague Vipan Kumar thought “this was the end” when he found himself unable to move as he struggled for air under the thick layer of snow.”I heard a loud roar, like thunder … before I could react, everything went dark,” he told the Times of India newspaper.At an altitude of more than 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures in the area were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).Dhan Singh Bisht said his son and nephew were alive only because of the prompt action by the relief teams.”I am grateful to them,” an overwhelmed Bisht told AFP by phone on Saturday.Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.Scientists say climate change is making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods. And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state. 

New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss India great Virat Kohli in the batsman’s landmark 300th ODI in the final group match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.Kohli fell for 11 off 14 balls after New Zealand invited India to bat first in Dubai with the result of the match to decide the semi-final line-up of the 50-over tournament.But it was Phillips’ fielding marvel that brought the match alive as he dived full stretch to his right at backward point and held on to the ball travelling at a fast pace from Kohli’s bat off fast bowler Matt Henry.Kohli, 36, stood in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging back to the pavilion as the fans went silent.Social media, however, was soon abuzz with reactions to the catch: “The Superman of the tournament”, wrote one fan on X.The winner of the match will play Australia in the semi-final, with the loser taking on South Africa.Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan because of political tensions.New Zealand will leave for Lahore after the match, with the second semi-final to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The death toll from an avalanche in northern India climbed to seven on Sunday as survivors recalled their dramatic rescue after hours buried under the snow and debris.Rescuers recovered three bodies and were looking for the last remaining person still missing, the army said.More than 50 workers were submerged under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.Authorities revised down the number of workers on site at the time of the avalanche from 55 to 54 after one worker, previously believed to be buried, was found to have safely made his way home before the avalanche hit.Relief teams managed to rescue 50 workers, but among them four later died of their injuries.Construction worker Anil, who only gave his first name, recalled his rescue hours after being buried by the avalanche.”It was if God’s angels had come to save us,” Anil, who is in his late 20s, told AFP on Sunday by phone from his hospital bed.”The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.” Being alive now felt “like a dream”, he said.The army said it had airlifted a drone-based detection system to assist in its search operations. Multiple drones and a rescue dog were also being employed.- ‘Not all made it’ -Working on a project by the Border Roads Organisation, the workers were living on site in steel containers considered stronger than tents and capable of withstanding harsh weather. Anil said many workers were fast asleep and a few others were in makeshift toilets when the avalanche struck around 6:00 am Friday.As the ground beneath them shook, the container in which Anil and his colleagues were in began to slide down.”At first we did not understand what was happening but when we looked out of the window of the containers, we saw piles of snow all around,” he said. “The roof of the containers was also slowly bending inwards.”Everyone started screaming for help and a few men were lucky to get out of their containers. “But not all of them made it out and they remained trapped,” he said.- ‘Like thunder’ -His colleague Vipin Kumar thought “this was the end” when he found himself unable to move as he struggled for air under the thick layer of snow.”I heard a loud roar, like thunder … before I could react, everything went dark,” he told the Times of India newspaper.At an altitude of more than 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures in the area were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).Dhan Singh Bisht said his son and nephew were alive only because of the prompt action by the relief teams.”I am grateful to them,” an overwhelmed Bisht told AFP by phone on Saturday.Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.Scientists say climate change is making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods. And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state. 

Indian rescuers hurried in sub-zero temperatures Sunday to dig out four missing workers presumed buried by an avalanche in a remote border area, with snowfall increasing the risk of more sliding snow.More than 50 workers were submerged by snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near the border with Tibet in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, according to officials.Relief teams have managed to rescue 50 workers, but among them four later died of their injuries.State authorities late Saturday revised down the number of people missing after the avalanche from five to four after one worker, previously believed to be buried, was found to have safely made his way home.Officials did not provide details or say whether the man had been buried in the avalanche on Friday.The state disaster relief team said that all steel containers that the workers were staying in at the time of the avalanche had been found but there were no people inside. Rescuers have employed military helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs in their efforts, and soldiers were set to use ground-penetrating radar to help locate the four workers believed to be missing.State chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had directed officials to move other workers from high-risk areas to safer locations due to continuous snowfall, the Times of India newspaper reported Sunday. At an altitude of more than 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures at the area where the avalanche hit were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit). Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.Scientists have said climate change is making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods.And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state.

At least four people died from their injuries after an avalanche hit a remote border area in India, officials said Saturday, as rescuers battled sub-zero temperatures in their search for five others missing. A total of 55 workers were buried under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.In a statement issued Saturday, the Indian army said 50 people were initially rescued, but among them four succumbed to their injuries. Five workers were still missing, the army said, adding that six choppers had been deployed into rescue efforts as the “roads are blocked”.Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service and the armed forces were set to use ground penetration radar to locate the missing workers. At an altitude of over 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures at the area where the avalanche struck were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit). Rescue workers were still trying to remove snow from the roads as well as from a military helipad close to the site of the disaster, state disaster relief official Riddhim Agarwal said. Dhan Singh Bisht said his son and nephew, who were among those rescued, were alive only because of the prompt action by the relief teams. “I am grateful to them,” an overwhelmed Bisht told AFP by phone. Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the rescue teams were “continuously engaged in relief efforts”. “The government is fully committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected in this hour of crisis,” he said in a post on X. Mana village, which shares a border with Tibet, was deserted after residents moved to lower altitudes to escape the extreme weather, The Indian Express newspaper reported. Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.Scientists have said climate change was making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods.And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state.

Cars more than 15 years old will soon be barred from refuelling in New Delhi, the city’s government said Saturday, as part of measures to reduce the Indian capital’s hazardous pollution levels.New Delhi is regularly ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world and is blanketed in acrid smog each year.The pollution is primarily blamed on agricultural burning by nearby farmers to clear their fields for ploughing, as well as factories and traffic fumes.Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds worsen the situation by trapping deadly pollutants each winter.Diesel and petrol cars older than 10 and 15 years respectively are not allowed to ply on Delhi roads but many have been found flouting the rules. Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told reporters Saturday that the decision to stop fuel for the old cars was made at a “marathon meeting” on air pollution to “find out the diseases and its remedies”.”We have decided to stop giving fuel to vehicles more than 15 years old after March 31, 2025,” he said. He said “gadgets” would be installed at petrol pumps to identify such vehicles. Sirsa said other decisions taken include turning barren land into “new forests” and getting university students involved in planting.He also said the government would make it mandatory for high rises, hotels and Delhi airport to install anti-smog guns and gadgets to control pollution.The public health crisis has grown steadily worse over the years and weeks-long school closures across the capital, aimed at shielding vulnerable children from the harmful air, are now an annual occurrence.At the peak of the smog, levels of PM2.5 pollutants — dangerous cancer-causing microparticles small enought to enter the bloodstream through the lungs — surged to more than 60 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum.Piecemeal government initiatives, such as partial restrictions on fossil fuel-powered transport and water trucks spraying mist to clear particulate matter from the air, have failed to make a noticeable impact. 

At least four people died from their injuries in India after an avalanche hit a remote border area, officials said Saturday, as rescuers deployed helicopters to search for the remaining five missing. A total of 55 workers were buried under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.In a statement issued Saturday, the Indian army said 50 people were initially rescued, but among them four succumbed to their injuries. “Unfortunately, four injured persons have been confirmed as fatal casualty,” they said. Five workers were still missing, the army said, adding that six choppers had been deployed into rescue efforts as the “roads are blocked”.Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the rescue teams were “continuously engaged in relief efforts”. “The government is fully committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected in this hour of crisis,” he said in a post on X. Mana village, which shares a border with Tibet, was deserted after residents moved to lower altitudes to escape the extreme weather, The Indian Express newspaper reported. Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.Scientists have said climate change was making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods.And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state.

Virat Kohli is set for his 300th ODI on Sunday in the latest landmark for the Indian batting great after silencing doubts over his form and future with a match-winning Champions Trophy century.India face New Zealand in their last group match in Dubai with both teams already into the semi-finals of the 50-over tournament.Called “King Kohli” for his prolific run-scoring, the batsman went through an extended lean patch with speculation swirling that he and skipper Rohit Sharma could soon retire. They have already quit T20Is.But Kohli roared back with an unbeaten 100 in their win over arch-rivals Pakistan to take them to the brink of the semi-finals, which they reached after a New Zealand win.Kohli, 36, rolled back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023 as he took his time before bossing the opposition bowlers.Teammate KL Rahul said the veteran has still a lot left in the tank.”That (300) is a lot of ODI games and a lot of international games and he’s been… I mean words fall short to express how good a player he’s been and what a great servant of Indian cricket he’s been,” Rahul told reporters on Friday in Dubai.”Really happy to see that he got the 100 last game as well and he’s been batting really well.”For a player of his calibre it was about time that he scores that big century and a match-winning century.”Rahul added: “Virat and Rohit, they are the senior players and you are always looking up to them to step up and score when the big games come. “Hopefully there’s many more hundreds left for him (Kohli) and many more games of international cricket.”Both Kohli and Rohit retired from T20 internationals after India’s triumph in the World Cup last year.Kohli went past 14,000 ODI runs early in his innings against Pakistan, becoming only the third batsman to achieve the milestone after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.The knock was Kohli’s 51st ODI ton in 299 matches since his debut in 2008. He has 82 hundreds across the three international formats.- ‘Amazing’ Kohli -Kohli is the 22nd player in history and seventh Indian to enter the 300 club. Tendulkar tops the list with 463 ODIs.”I think that’s obviously a massive achievement,” New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell said of Kohli’s longevity.”Three hundred games across a career is very impressive and then to put that in just one format is amazing.”I think it’s a testament to the way that he’s gone about his career.”Bracewell played with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and said he was looking forward to facing him on Sunday.”I saw it first hand at RCB how he sort of prepared for each match and it’s very impressive,” said Bracewell.”He’s one of a number of class players in the Indian line-up and they’ve all played a lot of cricket now.”Kohli has endured plenty of bumps along the way.He won the 2011 ODI World Cup under M.S. Dhoni and then took over as captain.Kohli helped India get back to the top of the Test rankings but he was unable to deliver the cricket-crazy nation a global title.That drought, combined with his runs drying up, saw Kohli removed as ODI captain after giving up the T20 job.Kohli gave up leading the Test side too and later talked about his mental struggles during his dry phase, including how he had been “snappy” around wife Anushka Sharma.Known to wear his heart on his sleeve, Kohli has never shied away from a battle on the field and despite the odd controversy, is a hero to Indian fans.Supporters invading the pitch to touch his feet and take selfies are regular occurences at Indian venues.

UK international development minister Anneliese Dodds said on Friday she was resigning from the Labour government over cuts to overseas aid ordered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to boost defence spending.”Ultimately these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people,” Dodds said in a letter to Starmer posted on X.On Tuesday, Starmer pledged to raise UK defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 but ordered the overseas development budget to be cut from 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent of gross national income to pay for it.Dodds said while she believed defence spending needed to be increased as “the post-war global order has come crashing down”, she had hoped for a collective discussion on finding the funding.”Instead, the tactical decision was taken for ODA to absorb the entire burden,” she said, referring to overseas development assistance.Starmer admitted in a reply to her letter that cutting aid funding was “a difficult and painful decision”. “However, protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government,” he added.Starmer later announced that long-time ally Jenny Chapman would now fill the role of international development minister.- Deep cuts -Dodds voiced fears that plans to help the people of Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, as well as support climate change and vaccination programmes, would now fall by the wayside.”It will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cuts,” Dodds warned.And she said it would “likely lead to a UK pull-out from numerous African, Caribbean and Western Balkan nations”.Starmer sought to allay her concerns, saying his government would “continue to protect vital programmes, including in the world’s worst conflict zones”.Dodds is the fourth minister to leave Starmer’s cabinet since his Labour party swept to victory in last year’s elections, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.Earlier this month, the UK leader sacked junior health minister Andrew Gwynne for making anti-Semitic, racist and sexist remarks in a WhatsApp chat.In January, anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned after being named in probes in Bangladesh into graft accusations.And in November, Louise Haigh stepped down as transport secretary after revelations that she pleaded guilty to a criminal offence before becoming a member of parliament.