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News from November 1, 2025

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Irvine football avoids any complications with victory over Sonora
Technology

Irvine football avoids any complications with victory over Sonora

IRVINE — Faced with a potential three-way tie for third place in the Iota League if it lost, Irvine struck early – and quickly – against Sonora. The Vaqueros did their part to prevent the playoffs from becoming complicated by scoring a 42-15 victory over visiting Sonora on Friday behind the play of two-way standout Sina Saferzadeh. “I was bummed that we couldn’t win the league title, but honestly, it’s OK because all that matters now is getting that CIF title and I think we’re in a great spot,” said Saferzadeh, who completed 8 of 10 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, and rushed seven times for 105 yards and a score. As a defender, Saferzadeh intercepted a pass on the third play of the game. Three plays later as a quarterback, Saferzadeh passed to Smith Spivey, who ran untouched for most of the 43 yards to the end zone. It was one of four scores in the first half as Irvine improved to 7-3 overall, 3-2 in league and finished alone as the league’s third-place team. As such, the Vaqueros earned an automatic playoff berth in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Sonora could have created a three-way tie for third place if it had delivered an upset, but the Raiders – a much younger team with better days ahead of them – were unable to keep up. Turnovers on their first two possessions – the second from the Irvine 15-yard line after two touchdowns had been nullified by penalties – led to Irvine touchdowns. Irvine scored on all four of its first-half possessions. The second touchdown was set up by the aforementioned interception in the end zone by Zephaniah Kim, which preceded a seven-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Seamus Hoffman’s 1-yard run. The third touchdown capped a 67-yard drive that ended with Saferzadeh keeping the ball and running around left end for 33 yards as Irvine extended its lead to 21-0 with 8:16 left in the half. The fourth touchdown answered Sonora’s only first-half score. Saferzadeh passed 21 yards to Kyle Fogarty in the far right corner of the end zone for a 27-7 advantage. The only time Sonora broke through was on a somewhat bizarre drive that featured an officiating mistake. Quarterback Levi Santos headed toward the end zone – at least 15 yards downfield – after he had faked a handoff that was so good, the referee whistled the play down because the running back without the ball was tackled in the backfield. It would have been a 51-yard touchdown, but was instead a do-over. Five minutes later, Sonora completed the 15-play, 68-yard drive when Alexsay Nazaroff scored from 1, the first of his two scores. “(Nazaroff) is a dude, and that’s what we were most concerned about,” Irvine coach Tom Ricci said of one of only three senior starters on the Sonora offense. “I think (coach Andrew Cedergren) is doing a great job with this team and they’re going to be a tough team to beat next year.” Nazaroff – who rushed 16 times for 154 yards – also scored from 25 from the wildcat formation after replacing Santos, who missed the second half with a shoulder injury. “We always show great heart, we always show great effort,” said Cedergren, who is in his first season at Sonora. “We had a hard time stopping them, but we had moments. A couple things break different ways, it’s a different ball game. My message to the team all year is to play to the last play, and we did that. We were not always perfect, obviously, but their attitude and effort has always been there and I’m proud of them for that.” With the first-team linemen still in the game, Irvine opened the second half with a 50-yard drive that ended with Saferzadeh throwing 12 yards to Fogarty for a 35-7 lead. The scoring ended when Irvine’s Jordan Yeroushalmi returned the last of three Irvine interceptions for a 15-yard score. Ricci was proud of the way his team responded after last week’s 21-20 loss to Troy, which won the league title with a 41-24 victory over El Toro. “The guys that we count on came up big for us, (Saferzadeh and Spivey), our defense overall, defensive end Cole Reidel – all our guys that we count on week in and week out came up big in this game and that’s what I wanted to see,” Ricci said. “We wanted our workhorses to do damage. That’s what our goal was. Our goal was to not beat ourselves – we’ve had a couple of those games.” It didn’t happen Friday. It didn’t come close.

Martin Henderson
‘Desperate’: Star defends costume amid fury
Technology

‘Desperate’: Star defends costume amid fury

“Julia Fox glorifying political violence is disgusting, desperate and dangerous,” Schlossberg wrote on X. “I’m sure her late grandmother would agree,” the 32-year-old Vogue political correspondent added. Fox revealed that she was channelling the former first lady covered in blood after US President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas. He was 46. The Uncut Gems actress was seen wearing a blood-soaked pink tweed skirt suit, a matching pillbox hat and a navy structured handbag in photos shared to her Instagram. The ensemble matched the same look Jackie O wore on the day former President Kennedy was shot dead. “I’m dressed as Jackie Kennedy in the pink suit. Not as a costume, but as a statement,” Fox explained in the caption of her post. “When her husband was assassinated, she refused to change out of her bloodstained clothes, saying, ‘I want them to see what they’ve done.’ The image of the delicate pink suit splattered with blood is one of the most haunting juxtapositions in modern history,” she continued. “Beauty and horror. Poise and devastation.” Fox, 35, described the tragedy as a moment of courage for the former first lady, who died on May 19, 1994 at the age of 64 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. “Her decision not to change clothes, even after being encouraged to, was an act of extraordinary bravery,” Fox wrote. “It was performance, protest, and mourning all at once. A woman weaponizing image and grace to expose brutality.” Fox explained to her fans that the costume choice was about “trauma,” “power,” and “how femininity itself is a form of resistance.” “Long live Jackie O ♥️,” she concluded. Fox’s Instagram followers had mixed reactions to the controversial getup. “Some people will do anything for attention. Then when they find the attention isn’t favourable, they make up a statement. This is classless and distasteful and no statement can justify it…..” one critic commented on her post. “You’re dressed like this for ghoulish attention. And to dress like this in a climate with rising political violence glorifies it, not female perseverance. And you know it,” a second person claimed. “For her, it was an extraordinary active bravery. For you it’s just attention seeking and horribly disrespectful. Do better,” another agreed. “Love the historical pov you’re giving with the caption,” a supporter wrote, with a defender adding, “Okay the caption saved it for me- not everyone has this type of mindset.” Fox’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.

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Brea Olinda football overcomes 20-point deficit to beat Esperanza
Technology

Brea Olinda football overcomes 20-point deficit to beat Esperanza

YORBA LINDA — Brea Olinda football coach Justin Villasenor went into his team’s final game of the regular season knowing that the Wildcats controlled their destiny, The Wildcats trailed by 20 points midway through the third quarter but scored four consecutive touchdowns to erase the deficit and beat Esperanza 35-27 on Friday night at Yorba Linda High. Brea Olinda (7-3, 4-1) clinched second place in the Kappa League and a CIF-SS playoff berth. A loss would’ve put them in a three-way tie for second place with St. Margaret’s and Esperanza (4-6, 2-3). Wildcats quarterback Gavyn Nicholson had three touchdown passes and also had a rushing TD, Ryan Nero caught six passes for 110 yards and a score and Kolo Liti ran for 81 yards and a touchdown. “This is nothing new. We were down 21 to Trabuco (Hills),” Villasenor said. “A couple plays here and there, and we have the guys that could do it. And I think it just took the confidence and the belief that we could do it. But, I mean, Esperanza, they’re a great team, man. And we knew it coming in.” Esperanza built a 21-7 halftime lead behind a pair of TDs from Eddie Matthews. He scored on a 69-yard punt return and a 25-yard reception, and Esperanza added an 84-yard TD strike from Travis Frazier to Jordan Sicard. The Aztecs made it 27-7 on a 25-yard touchdown catch, this one from Frazier to Davian Franco. The Wildcats closed the gap with a pair of third-quarter scores — Nicholson’s 14-yard run and a 34-yard catch by Nero that made it 27-21. That score was set up by a Jaxon Simmons’ interception. Simmons finished with two interceptions. “We’ve been kind of waiting for Jaxon Simmons to make some picks all year,” Villasenor said. “I mean, he’s had a couple of just dropped (interceptions) and today he was able to hold on to them. They were really huge for us.” Villasenor also had major praise for his offensive line which gave Nicholson plenty of time to throw, especially in the second half. Jesse Jimenez, Andres Zuniga, Matthew Gieldon, Austin Elder, Nick Major, and Jacob Vega all played a role in the victory. “Those guys up front were the ones to lift us up and push us through and they rose to the challenge,” Villasenor said. The go-ahead score came early in the fourth quarter when Carson Tracey caught a 43-yard pass from Nicholson. Esperanza coach JP Presley pointed out the mistakes that hurt his team’s chances. “Anytime you have penalties and you turn over the ball, I think that always is a game changer,” he said. “But, you know, Brea came out, made good adjustments to what we came out with in the beginning.” Presley admitted it was difficult to end the season on that note, but he thanked the team’s senior class for its commitment to the program. “This was my first freshman class when I got to Esperanza and nobody knew, really what was to be expected,” Presley said. “They bought in right away, which was great. And I think for them, it’s always been, we measure, not perfection, we measure progress. And so these guys have helped make us better and push the progress of our program that was definitely in need of a good, good senior class to help us.”

David Delgado
Maldives begins 'generational ban' on smoking
Technology

Maldives begins 'generational ban' on smoking

AI generated image The Maldives began implementing a smoking ban Saturday on anyone born after January 2007, becoming the only nation with a generational prohibition on tobacco, the Health Ministry said.The move, initiated by President Mohamed Muizzu earlier this year -- which came into effect on November 1 -- will "protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation", the ministry said."Under the new provision, individuals born on or after January 1, 2007 are prohibited from purchasing, using, or being sold tobacco products within the Maldives," it added."The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale."The measure also applies to visitors to the nation of 1,191 tiny coral islets scattered some 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator and known for its luxury tourism.Live EventsThe ministry said it also maintains a comprehensive ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession, and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, applicable to all individuals regardless of age.Selling tobacco products to an underage person carries a penalty of 50,000 rufiyaa ($3,200), while using vape devices carries a fine of 5,000 rufiyaa ($320).A similar generational ban proposed in Britain is still going through the legislative process, while New Zealand -- the first country to enact such a law against smoking -- repealed it in November 2023, less than a year after it was introduced.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onMaldives smoking bangenerational tobacco prohibitionPresident Mohamed Muizzuvaping products banpublic health initiativetobacco sale restrictionselectronic cigarettes regulationage verification for tobaccoMaldives public health policies (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onMaldives smoking bangenerational tobacco prohibitionPresident Mohamed Muizzuvaping products banpublic health initiativetobacco sale restrictionselectronic cigarettes regulationage verification for tobaccoMaldives public health policies(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless

President Mohamed Muizzu
Doncic in Wilt's club after another 40-point night
Technology

Doncic in Wilt's club after another 40-point night

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After Austin Reaves carried the Los Angeles Lakers as their solo star all week, Luka Doncic returned Friday to take the baton back with another 40-point performance in L.A.'s 117-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Doncic, who missed the previous three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion that he thought might keep him out until at least Sunday, flew to Memphis separately to join the team Thursday and went on to pour in a game-high 44 points. It was Doncic's third straight 40-point game to start his season after 43 on opening night against Golden State, followed by 49 against Minnesota, becoming the only player in NBA history other than Wilt Chamberlain to top the 40-point plateau in three straight games to begin his season. (Chamberlain did it twice - seven straight games in 1962-63 and five straight in 1961-62). "I mean, I feel great," Doncic said when asked about being included in such rare company with the basketball legend. "But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that's the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it's going to be scoring, sometimes other things." He did other things, too, also leading L.A. with 12 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers fought back from a 15-point second-half deficit to win their first NBA Cup group play game, but it was the scoring that was most impressive -- especially because of the other luminaries he joined with the performance. Only Chamberlain, Doncic and Michael Jordan in 1986-87 scored 125 points or more in their first three games to start a season; Doncic has 136. And, by averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span. Doncic was asked if he could become the only player other than Chamberlain to average 40 for a season. "That's going to be tough," Doncic said. "Sometimes they're going to double me more. Sometimes I won't be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. So ... I've got to work on that. But that's tough. I don't know." When told that Reaves didn't think it was crazy, saying after the Lakers' home win over Minnesota that he thought 40 was within Doncic's reach, Doncic said with a smile, "Austin's stupid." Reaves averaged 40 points on 50% shooting (41.4% from 3) with 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games that Doncic missed, with LeBron James (sciatica) also sidelined. After Friday's win, he had more praise for Doncic, and a critique of himself. "His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out and he has 15 in the first we're going to score, I would assume, 30 [points]," Reaves said of Doncic, who leads the league in first-quarter scoring, averaging 13 points. "Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was tonight." Reaves started the game 2-for-9 but finished as the Lakers' second-leading scorer with 21 points. L.A. also got big contributions from Marcus Smart, who was in the starting lineup after a two-game absence because of a right quad injury and put up 12 points, four assists and two steals; and Jake LaRavia, who had 13 points, five rebounds and three steals against his former team. Deandre Ayton had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half but didn't play after halftime because of what coach JJ Redick called "middle back spasms." Ayton spent the third quarter in the locker room trying to get loose and said he would have returned to the game in the fourth quarter if called upon, but L.A. was able to hold on without him. Ayton said he expects to be available when the Lakers host the Miami Heat on Sunday. That will be another opportunity for Doncic to score 40 and another chance for his teammates to find ways to describe what they are seeing from their teammate. "Fantasticness," Smart said, making up his own word for what Doncic is doing this season. "It's been great to watch."

Dave McMenamin
'He can have a little peace': How Mookie Betts broke his slump in the biggest way
Technology

'He can have a little peace': How Mookie Betts broke his slump in the biggest way

TORONTO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers' players flew here late Wednesday night, hours earlier than their coaches, and arrived at Rogers Centre for Thursday's late-afternoon workout on their own. But Mookie Betts wasted no time. Before most of his teammates could change out of their street clothes, he had summoned Alex Call to feed baseballs onto a tee so he could repeatedly hit them into the netting of a batting cage. For Betts, when slumps emerge, his only solution is to attempt to swing his way out of them. The work gives him comfort, but only success can provide peace. And when it arrives -- like it did in the early part of Game 6, when Betts hit the two-run single that made the difference in a season-saving 3-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays -- it tends to mean more. "He's really hard on himself, and he shouldn't be because he's still a superstar and he's still a guy who's going to end up in the Hall of Fame," Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said. "But I think living in the moment for him is really big. I'm just happy for him that he got the big hit, got a big night. I know for sure that's going to help him going forward." Another hitless performance in Wednesday's Game 5 loss made Betts 3-for-23 in this World Series, after which he addressed a gaggle of media members in front of his locker and provided the pithy quote that later made the rounds on social media. "I've just been terrible," he said. Then he went to work. Betts spent most of Thursday's workout striving to find more stability and a more comfortable hitting position that would "let his natural talent take over," Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said. Betts said he wanted to "get back to being athletic again in the batter's box." Before they left Rogers Centre, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts informed Betts that he would bat cleanup in Game 6, a spot he had not occupied since 2017. "I told him he can hit me seventh," Betts said. "I just want to win." Roberts wanted Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman to receive the most plate appearances with the Dodgers' season on the line, while still keeping Betts high enough to receive opportunities to drive in runs. Batting him lower was never an option. "I'm going to, as they say, ride or die with him," Roberts said. "I'm not going to run from Mookie Betts. He's just too good of a player." He proved it on Friday, in the top of the third against Kevin Gausman, who spent most of the first two innings stifling the Dodgers' hitters with his splitter. Tommy Edman lined a double in between Gausman's sixth and seventh strikeouts, after which the Blue Jays intentionally walked Ohtani. Smith followed with a double to score the Dodgers' first run and Freeman drew a walk, putting two on with two out for Betts, who approached the at-bat seeking fastballs. Betts took a 1-0 splitter for a strike, then swung through a fastball and fouled off another. Gausman threw a third consecutive fastball, this one slightly up and slightly in, and Betts lined it to left field, giving the Dodgers a lead that held up after a miraculous, game-ending double play. "It felt great to come through for the boys," Betts said. "Obviously I would love to play well for myself, but that's kind of irrelevant. I want to play well for the boys. I love everybody in there. I know how much we lean on each other. And when they lean on me, I want to come through for them." Early this season, while transitioning into an everyday shortstop and attempting to recover from the debilitating virus that prompted him to shed close to 20 pounds, Betts went through the worst offensive struggles of his career. By the end of July, he was slashing just .240/.313/.369. When he turned it around shortly thereafter -- slashing .294/.351/.478 over the final two months of the regular season -- it seemed as if Betts would stay locked in throughout October. But Betts' bat slowed again. And though struggles were plaguing the entirety of the Dodgers' offense, Betts took it harder than most. "He takes it really hard when he's not performing as well as he can," Edman said, "and he just does everything he can to get out of it." Edman has seen it before. A little more than 12 months ago, Betts was struggling so badly that he locked himself inside the Petco Park batting cage on an off day during the National League Division Series, attempting to will an 0-for-22 postseason slump out of him. Before breaking out of it -- and riding that wave to a 1.019 OPS over his last 14 playoff games that year, pushing the Dodgers to a championship -- one staffer joked that Betts took a million swings on that fateful off day in San Diego. This time in Toronto, Betts joked, "it was more like 500,000." Now, perhaps, he can back off. With everything on the line in Game 7, the Dodgers will have Ohtani on short rest, Tyler Glasnow available, and perhaps Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki coming in after them. They'll have the comfort of knowing they've overcome challenges like these before, most notably riding a bullpen game to save their season in that same series against San Diego last year. And, if recent history is any indication, they believe they'll have the best version of Betts at their disposal. "I'm just happy for him," Van Scoyoc said, "that he can have a little peace and sleep a little bit better and come in fresh and help us win another game."

Alden Gonzalez
Three migrant workers killed in lorry accident near Karur
Technology

Three migrant workers killed in lorry accident near Karur

Three inter-State migrant workers were killed and two others injured in a road accident near Thennilai in Karur district on Saturday (November 1, 2025) morning. According to the police, the victims were employed at a private blue metal quarry near Kodandur in K. Paramathi, where over 20 workers from other States are engaged in stone-crushing and M-sand operations. Around 5 a.m., a tipper lorry loaded with M-sand for a construction site was proceeding on the Karur-Coimbatore link road when it overturned near Muthaligoundampalayam after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle at high speed. Three workers — Sikandar Ketha, 21, Vidhyanath Prabhakaran, 47, and Ajay Bangra, 30 — who were travelling on the top of the lorry, were buried under the M-sand load and died on the spot. Another worker, Aljeem Parva, 30, sustained a fracture to his arm, while the driver, Chandrakumar, 39, suffered multiple injuries. Both were rescued and taken by ambulance to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital. On information, personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services and the Thennilai police rushed to the spot, retrieved the bodies, and sent them to the government hospital for post-mortem. The Thennilai police, under the supervision of K. Paramathi Circle Inspector Thangaraj, have registered a case and initiated an investigation. Preliminary inquiries suggested that the lorry was carrying M-sand beyond the permitted load limit and that workers were being transported in the vehicle in violation of safety regulations.

The Hindu Bureau
India always first responder in any global crisis: PM Modi in Chhattisgarh
Technology

India always first responder in any global crisis: PM Modi in Chhattisgarh

India has always come forward as a first responder during any global crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (November 1, 2025), adding the nation has always stepped forward as a reliable partner to provide help. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Shanti Shikhar centre for spiritual learning and meditation of Brahma Kumaris in Chhattisgarh’s Nava Raipur, Mr. Modi said his government’s mantra is to ensure the country’s development through development of the states. “Whenever a crisis arises anywhere in the world today, whenever a disaster strikes, India steps forward as a reliable partner to provide help. India is always the first responder,” Mr. Modi said. “We are those who see Shiva in every living being,” he said. “In our tradition, every religious ritual concludes with the proclamation that may the world prosper and may goodwill prevail among all beings,” he added. Guided by the mantra that the development of the state leads to the development of the nation, the government is engaged in the Viksit Bharat mission to make India developed, Mr. Modi said. “In this crucial journey towards a developed India, institutions like Brahma Kumaris have a very significant role to play. “I have been connected with all of you for several decades now. I am not a guest here; I am one of you,” he told the gathering. “Today's day is very special. Today, Chhattisgarh is completing 25 years of its establishment. Jharkhand and Uttarakhand are also completing 25 years. Many other states are also celebrating their foundation day today,” Mr. Modi said. “I extend my heartiest congratulations to the residents of all these states on their foundation day,” he said. Earlier, as part of the ‘Dil Ki Baat’ programme, Mr. Modi interacted with 2,500 children successfully treated for congenital heart diseases in the ‘Gift of life’ ceremony at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in Nava Raipur. Former India cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar was present. Later in the day, Mr. Modi will participate in Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav marking 25 years of formation of the state. He will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of developmental ₹14,260 crore projects across key sectors such as roads, industry, healthcare, and energy in the state. He will also inaugurate the new building of Chhattisgarh assembly and unveil statue of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Unknown
Secunderabad division announces 24x7 postal booking at two offices and extended hours at nine
Technology

Secunderabad division announces 24x7 postal booking at two offices and extended hours at nine

The Department of Posts, Secunderabad Division, has announced introduction of 24x7 postal booking services at two post offices and extended business hours at nine others across the division, ensuring greater accessibility and convenience for the public. Open on Sundays and public holidays Under the new arrangement, Alampally Sub Office in Vikarabad district and Kukatpally Sub Office in Medchal-Malkajgiri district will remain open round the clock, including Sundays and public holidays, for booking Speed Post documents, parcels and money remittances. The move is aimed to provide uninterrupted postal services to citizens and businesses alike. Additionally, nine post offices will now operate for extended hours. Trimulgherry Head Office, ECIL, Jamia Osmania, IDA Jeedimetla, Malkajgiri, Sainikpuri, Ghatkesar and Tandur post offices will function until 6 p.m., while Shankarpalli Post Office will remain open until 5 p.m. These offices will continue to accept Speed Post consignments, parcels, and money remittances during the extended timings. Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Secunderabad Division, M. Ananya Priya, said the initiative reflects India Post’s ongoing commitment to customer convenience and service excellence. She added that the department looks forward to public cooperation in making the effort a success and reaffirming India Post’s dedication to serving every citizen.

The Hindu Bureau
Himanta's comments show he is 'unfit' to be CM: Gaurav on 'Pakistani agent' remarks
Technology

Himanta's comments show he is 'unfit' to be CM: Gaurav on 'Pakistani agent' remarks

A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi is a "Pakistani agent, planted by a foreign power", the Opposition leader hit back on Saturday (November 1, 2025), claiming that such comments show that Mr. Sarma is "unfit" to hold his position as head of the government. Mr. Gogoi criticised the timing of the allegations on the day when the State's cultural icon Zubeen Garg's last movie was released on Friday (November 1, 2025). Mr. Sarma had been alleging Pakistani links of Mr. Gogoi through his British wife, with the chief minister reiterating the charges on Friday, and claiming that the Congress leader is a "Pakistani agent", planted by "foreign power", and that he had evidence to prove it. Reacting to the charges, Mr. Gogoi said in a post on X, "Over the past few months, Himanta Biswa Sarma dangoriya has lost credibility." "Yesterday, when the entire state was watching Zubeen Garg perform for the last time in 'Roi Roi Binale', the Chief Minister's comments showed his growing fear of losing power," he said. "It was another example of why he is unfit as the chief minister of the people of Assam," Mr. Gogoi, who is the Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha, claimed. Garg had died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19, leading to a massive outpouring of public grief and the government constituting a Special Investigating Team of the state police's CID to probe the circumstances of the singer-composer-actor's death. His last movie, 'Roi Roi Binale' (Tears still flow), opened to packed houses on Friday in the State as well as in multiple cities of the country.

Assam Police
Book Review | An Engrossing New History of Subcontinental Thought
Technology

Book Review | An Engrossing New History of Subcontinental Thought

Writing on India’s history — or the history of the subcontinent — of the past 5,000 years in a single volume is an ambitious project, and to anchor it in secondary as well as primary sources is a feat of scholarship. The American historian has called her massive exercise “innovative” history. That it certainly is. It has very many strong points. Truschke shows her familiarity with the languages of India by citing her own translations of texts from the pre-modern period. From the Indus Valley to the present is a long way in time. For the greater part, the author’s ease with the themes she deals with is obvious. She is looking for diversity in voices and that is a big step forward from dominant or elite histories or Great Man history. Thus, we have here well-attested stories and references to women, the shudra and the former untouchable or forest dweller communities from thousands of years ago being brought on the record, for example nuns from the later Buddhist period. Non-Vedic trends — such as Buddhism, Jainism, Ajivikas — have been given considerable play in Truschke’s understanding of history presented here and that can only enrich our own understanding of India’s past. But since so many elements crowd the picture, there isn’t a detailed treatment of any one subject. This gives the book a feel of touching upon many points, at times perhaps even cursoriness. Even so, a lay person interested in corroborated history — and not myths or propaganda — has reason to be gratified in reading this book. Since there is necessarily a paucity of primary sources in trying to find diverse voices, one may sometimes wonder if too much store is not being laid by even the thin material one may find for a particular subject. A few hundred years before the commencement of the Common Era (CE or AD) saw an explosion of urbanisation and the rise of cities in India, the historian tells us. This period also happens to coincide with the rise of Buddhism. Truschke sees a causal connection. Is this too strong a generalisation? Is the advent of non-Vedic religious communities — and polities — traceable to a single factor? Such questions do come to mind. It is also noteworthy that religious community life for most of the time in the past 5,000 years has been marked by fluidity, and by a syncretic ethos of living. The Delhi Sultans, the Mughals, and the Bahmanis or their offshoot ran no conversion drive. It is also interesting to note that the use of the word Hindu or Hinduism is only a few hundred years old, with those falling within the ambit of the Vedic arc opting to describe themselves as members of their varna or jati (loosely caste). The book appears to falter in its treatment of Indian’s anti-colonial movement. It is odd to read: “Gandhi joined an illustrious line-up in Congress, including Motilal Nehru (1861-1931) and his son Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)...” In fact, Gandhi was the leader and had been an inspiration to the Nehrus (father and son), not the other way round. For the most part, however, Truschke’s work takes us to a fuller understanding of India’s pre-modern past. India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent By Audrey Truschke Princeton University Press pp. 686; Rs 1,299

Anand K. Sahay
Should TV adverts reflect the nation?
Technology

Should TV adverts reflect the nation?

Sarah Pochin used her first Commons appearance to call for a burqa ban. Now, the Reform UK MP has made headlines again, said The Guardian, by telling a TV phone-in show that adverts contain too many black and Asian actors. She was talking to “Stuart in London”, who had complained that such ads “don’t represent what this country looks like”. Pochin agreed: “It drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people,” she said, before blaming this on the “woke liberati”. Widely held view Her comments provoked howls of outrage. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, warned that they signalled a return to “1980s-style racism”; the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, eventually agreed that they were racist; Nigel Farage described them as “ugly”. Yet Labour, the Tories and Reform UK are all being hypocritical here, said Darren Lewis in the Daily Mirror. By stirring up anti-immigrant sentiment, they’ve helped turn Britain into a place where an MP “feels empowered” to state that there are too many black faces on TV. Hang on a minute, said Laurie Wastell in The Spectator. Pochin’s words were poorly chosen (as she has admitted), but she was merely expressing a widely held view that is grounded in truth. A recent Channel 4 study found that black people appear in 51% of commercials (23% in lead roles) though they make up only 4% of the UK population. Diversity campaigners are always going on about the importance of “representation”, meaning too many white people, so why shouldn’t an MP point out that white families are actually under-represented in TV ads? Aspirational diversity But adverts aren’t there to represent the world as it is, said Clive Morgan in The Independent. They work by presenting an aspirational vision that connects goods “emotionally” to viewers. Hence car ads don’t show the mundanity of traffic jams, they depict the possibility of the open road. And in today’s Britain, “possibility looks diverse”. Those of us who grew up when people of colour were hardly seen in ads should celebrate their new ubiquity, but this shift isn’t due to firms getting “woke”. “Every face on screen is the product of research, focus groups, and consumer testing.” If diverse adverts alienated lots of people, they’d not run. In fact, brands have found that inclusivity sells – especially to the young. Reform UK should pay heed, said Stephen Bush in the FT. Even before this latest row, 47% of Britons thought the party was racist – which is more than in 2024; and as last week’s election in Wales showed, that makes it increasingly vulnerable to tactical voting.

The Week UK
Galindo keen to keep momentum going
Technology

Galindo keen to keep momentum going

Munster boss Clayton McMillan, who coached the All Blacks XV in Limerick 12 months ago, knows the pitfalls of sending out a squad of fringe players, said: “I think there's real risk around trying to do too much. "With limited time, it's hedging your bets on two or three things and being really clear around what you want to see from your own team. Backing that and the talent of your squad to go out and play rugby and deal with whatever transpires in the game.” Yet his opposite number is bullish, and said: “We all share the same goal: to bring glory to Argentina and play a great match in a spectacular venue like Munster's stadium, against a team with a rich history. There are many elements that make this match truly special.”

Irishexaminer.com,Simon Lewis
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