Latest from United News of India
United News of India
16 minutes ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Cummins hails match-winners as Australia registers easy win over Windies
Bridgetown (Barbados), June 28 (UNI) In a match that ebbed and flowed, it was Australia who emerged victorious against West Indies in the opening Test of the three-match series in Bridgetown. While the win may not erase the heartbreak of Lord's just two weeks ago, it marks a positive start to their World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with their first points now on the board. There was little to separate the sides after the first two innings – just 10 runs, in fact. Jayden Seales' five-wicket haul helped bowl Australia out for 180, before a disciplined all-round effort from the Australian bowlers restricted West Indies to 190, giving the hosts a slender lead. Australia found themselves in trouble at 65/4 after another top-order collapse, but the middle-order trio of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey steadied the ship with crucial half-centuries. Head and Webster put together a 102-run stand, with Head playing the aggressor. After Head's dismissal, Carey took charge, highlighted by two brilliant straight sixes off Seales and Justin Greaves. "I thought those three were brilliant," Australia skipper Pat Cummins said at the post-match press conference. "They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. 'Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn't get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies." Cummins was particularly impressed by Beau Webster, who, despite having played just five Tests, has already built a reputation for digging Australia out of tough spots with grit and composure on challenging surfaces. On debut against India, the 31-year-old made an instant impact, scoring a half-century on a spicy Sydney pitch in the first innings and following it up with a brisk unbeaten 39 in their victorious chase. In the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, Webster stood tall with a counter-attacking 72 off 92 balls, the top score in Australia's first-innings total of 212. Against West Indies, he once again proved pivotal, anchoring two key partnerships in the second innings with a composed 63 off 120 balls that turned the tide in Australia's favour. He also made an impact with the ball, claiming two wickets in the first innings. "I think it's pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania," Cummins said on Webster. "He seems to always contribute in some way. He's kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It's great when you've got someone like that coming to the team. 'They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He's been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months." After setting West Indies a target of 301, Australia needed just one session and under 34 overs to seal the win, dismantling the hosts for 141. Leading the charge was the ever-reliable Josh Hazlewood, who delivered a brilliant five-wicket haul to cap off the dominant performance.
United News of India
16 minutes ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Priyadharshini Selladurai: From paddy fields of Thiruvarur to international football
Chiang Mai, Thailand June 28 (UNI) 'Raw talent' is how coach Crispin Chettri defines Priyadharshini Selladurai, the Indian women's national team's newest goalscorer. Priyadharshini scored two goals for 'Team India' in their 13-0 win over Mongolia on June 23, 2025, these were her first two goals in internatoinal football. As a loose ball landed right in front of her feet just inside the box, the 22-year-old midfielder's eyes lit up. She took a careful touch with her side-foot and laced it into the bottom corner to score India's 11th against Mongolia, but her first ever for the country. Priyadharshini added another goal later, as she tapped in Pyari Xaxa's cutback to take India's tally to 13, marking the Blue Tigresses' biggest win in AFC competitions. Two goals in three matches for the country, yet she hasn't yet made a first XI appearance in the Indian Women's League. That's not a statement you hear every day. But her hard work in training and performances in games have made Chettri fully agree with his decision to give her a first national team call-up. "Priyadharshini is one of our raw talents. I say that because she hasn't gotten many minutes in the IWL. But we still believed in her talent and gave her the opportunity to be part of our national team camp. And she's doing well here. However, playing in the IWL will help her a lot to mature as a player. I think we will have a very good number 10 in her, in the future," said Chettri. Priyadharshini has been part of Chettri's squad since he first took charge ahead of the Pink Ladies Cup in February. However, she made her debut in May, in the first friendly against Uzbekistan in Bengaluru. And just 24 days later came the first goal. "For a long time, I had been wondering if I would ever get selected for the Indian team. Now that I've been selected and scored a goal, I'm truly happy. I can't even express how I felt inside. I don't have the words to describe it. It was like a dream come true to score for the country," Priyadharshini shared. The dream grew gradually. From playing in the paddy fields of her small village of Savalakkaran in the Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu, to scoring goals for India in Chiang Mai, also a city known for paddy production, the journey, as is the case with most female footballers in India, wasn't easy. "I started playing football when I was in sixth class. I saw my seniors playing in the school, and decided to join them. I was selected for the Tamil Nadu team for the National School Games in Manipur in 2016, which was the first time I played outside my state," said the midfielder. That became the turning point in her life. Football could be taken seriously. She liked it, and she was getting good at it. But it took time for her parents to approve of her new passion. "I come from a place where girls aren't encouraged to pursue sports. This was like breaking a barrier for me." But Priyadharshini had the support of her school's physical education teacher, V Muthukumar, who actively went from door to door and convinced the parents of the village to allow their girls to play football. "We didn't have a proper football ground, so we played on paddy fields. My coach helped us a lot. He arranged the playing equipment and even gave me my first pair of football boots. Even today, when I go back, I train in the same paddy field," she said. What earned Priyadharshini her place in the national team were impressive performances for Tamil Nadu in the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy for the Senior Women's National Football Championship and the National Games. Before her international cap, the biggest highlight of her career remained the goal in the 2023 Senior Women's NFC final in Punjab, which won Tamil Nadu only their second-ever title. Playing alongside her idol Indumathi Kathiresan, she went on to represent her state in the 2024 and 2025 Rajmata Jijabai Trophy and the National Games in Gujarat 2024 and Uttarakhand 2025. At the club level, she signed for Gokulam Kerala FC in 2023-24 and made five appearances off the bench in the IWL that season. But Priyadharshini took the Kerala Women's League by storm, scoring 24 goals in the Malabarians' title win and ending up as the league's top scorer. Success with Tamil Nadu earned her a job as a block health officer at the government hospital in Alangudi, a town situated half an hour from her home. "As I was appointed under the sports quota, I get paid leave when I'm on national duty, like right now. For people back home, it's a matter of pride that I've become the first one to play for India from my village," said Priyadharshini. India will play Timor Leste (June 29 at 14:30 IST), Iraq (July 2 at 14:30 IST), and Thailand (July 5 at 18:00 IST) in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. All matches will be streamed live on Changsuek YouTube Channel and Thai Women's Football Facebook Page. UNI RKM
United News of India
31 minutes ago
- Climate
- United News of India
6.1-magnitude offshore earthquake hits southern Philippines
Manila, June 28 (UNI) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 hit waters off the southern Philippines on Saturday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. The institute said the quake, which occurred at 7:07 a.m. local time (2307 GMT), hit at a depth of 79 km, about 85 km southeast of Sarangani town in Davao Occidental province. The institute said the tectonic quake is expected to trigger aftershocks but does not pose a tsunami threat. There is no report of casualties or damage. The archipelagic Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." UNI XINHUA RKM
United News of India
31 minutes ago
- Business
- United News of India
Sensex Zooms by 1,650.73 points during the week
Mumbai, June 28 (UNI) The Sensex surged 1,650.73 points, or 2 per cent, to settle at 84,058.90 in the week ended June 27, 2025. Supported by easing geopolitical tensions, strong global cues, positive domestic economic data, and robust FII buying. Equity benchmarks saw a strong rebound this week, closing in the green for four out of five sessions. Nifty soared 525.40 points, or 2.09 per cent, to settle at 25,637.80. The BSE Mid-Cap index jumped 2.33 per cent to close at 46541.25. The BSE Small-Cap index zoomed 3.57 per cent to end at 54,249.40. On June 23, as rising tensions in the Middle East spooked investors. BSE Sensex tanked 511.38 points to 81,896.79. Nifty slipped 140.05 points, or 0.56%, to 24,971.90. On June 24, BSE Sensex added 158.32 points to settle at 82,055.11. Nifty rose 72.45 points to 25,044.35. On June 25, buoyed by positive global cues as investor sentiment improved following signs of a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran, BSE Sensex surged 700.40 points to close at 82,755.51, while the Nifty 50 jumped 200.40 points to 25,244.75. On June 26, it closed with solid gains on the back of firm global cues and hopes of de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict. BSE Sensex zoomed 1,000.36 points to close at 25,755.87. Nifty surged 304.25 points to 25,549. On June 27, driven by strong foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows, the BSE Sensex jumped 303.03 points to 84,058.90. Nifty rose 88.80 points to 25,637.80. Sensex gainers during the week were Asian Paints by 3.06 pc, UltraTech Cement by 2.43 pc, Power Grid Corp by 2.11 pc, ICICI Bank by 1.56 pc, and Reliance by 1.39 pc BEL by 1.19 pc, HUL by 1.14 pc, Sun Pharma by 1.12 pc, SBI by 1.05 pc, Adani Ports by 0.75 pc, Bharti Airtel by 0.68 pc, and Tata Steel by 0.56 pc. Tata Motors by 0.54 pc, L&T by 0.50 pc, NTPC by 0.24 pc, Kotak Mahindra by 0.18 pc, HCL Tech by 0.08 pc and TCS by 0.04 pc Sensex loser during the week Trent by 1.42 pc, Eternal by 1.13 pc, Tech Mahindra by 0.93 pc, Titan Company by 0.79 pc, Axis Bank by 0.74 pc, Maruti Suzuki by 0.56 pc, Bajaj Finance by 0.52 pc, Bajaj Finserv by 0.46 pc, HDFC Bank by 0.43 pc, Infosys by 0.40 pc, ITC by 0.33 and M&M by 0.31 pc. Other gains were Nestle India by 3.99 pc, Adani Enterprises by 8.13 pc, Zed Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) by 8.49 pc, Reliance Infrastructure by 10.75 pc, Ask Automotive by 11.67 pc, KNR Constructions by 5.79 pc and Ahluwalia Contracts (India) by 9.35 pc. Sectoral gainers during the week were BSE Auto by 1.56 pc, Bankex by 1.80 pc, Consumer Durables by 3.28 pc, Capital Goods by 1.86 pc, FMCG by 1.35 pc, Health Care by 2.17 pc, Metal by 4.77 pc, Oil & Gas by 3.20 pc, Tech by 0.97 pc and Power by 3.24. Sectoral loser during the week Realty by 2.06 pc and IT by 0.29 pc. UNI JS ARN
United News of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Khamenei 'sidelined completely' in Tehran's ceasefire talks with US
Tehran, June 27 (UNI) Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly completely sidelined during Tehran's talks for ending its war with Israel, with its ceasefire negotiations with the US taking place without any involvement from Khamenei. According to Iran International, the entire decision-making process was handled by Iran's Supreme National Security Council and President Masoud Pezeshkian, who moved swiftly to respond to a ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump. While establishing contact with Khamenei was considered, no such opportunity presented itself, and due to the Supreme National Council wanting to quickly negotiate a truce, Khamenei was completely left in the dark about Tehran's ceasefire talks with Tel Aviv and Washington. In recent days, Khamenei's communication capabilities have been also been severely limited due to security concerns, particularly owing to fears of an attack on his location. The Iranian supreme leader is said to be hiding in a secret bunker somewhere in Lavizan, northeast of Tehran with all his close family members. Due to communications disruptions and security concerns, the 86-year-old reportedly transferred all key decision-making powers to the to the supreme council of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shortly after the start of the attacks by Israel. While Iran has not revealed his location, both Israel and the US have said that they could kill Khamenei if they wanted with Trump even saying that Washington knows where he is. Calling him an 'easy target', Trump had sternly warned that 'American patience is wearing thin', and Iran must quickly reach a deal.
