NDTV Sports-Cricket

India opener Shubman Gill gained one place to move to second spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batters with his captain Rohit Sharma at third spot on the back of timely centuries from both of them in the home series against England as they head into the Champions Trophy, beginning February 19. The Indian duo closed in on star Pakistan batter Babar Azam who maintained a narrow lead at the top of the chart. Gill, who made 112 in the Ahmedabad ODI on Wednesday, is just five rating points adrift of Babar while Rohit is within 13 rating points of the Pakistan right-hander following his splendid century (119) in Cuttack on February 9.

With just one week remaining until the start of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE, it sets up a tight race for the premier position for batters in 50-over cricket during the eight-team tournament.

Fakhar Zaman (13th), Kane Williamson (29th), Jos Buttler (38th), Devon Conway (equal 40th) and Joe Root (51st) are among the big names to re-enter the rankings for ODI batters following a recent return to 50-over cricket, while things are equally as tight near the top of the bowling ranks.

Just 18 rating points separates Rashid Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Bernard Scholtz, Shaheen Afridi and Kuldeep Yadav in the top five for ODI bowlers, while the Indian duo of Ravindra Jadeja (11th) and Mohammed Shami (13th) sit just outside the top 10 following a recent return against England.

Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi maintains a narrow lead at the top of the ODI rankings for all-rounders, with New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner (up two places to seventh) among the biggest movers this week ahead of the Champions Trophy.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/UkJz3yh

US Aircraft Carrier Collides With Merchant Ship In Mediterranean Sea

The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collided with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, the US Navy said Thursday.

The warship's collision with the Besiktas-M took place late the previous day while the carrier was operating near Port Said in Egypt, US Sixth Fleet spokesperson Commander Timothy Gorman said in a statement.

"The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as there are no reports of flooding or injuries. The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition," Gorman said, adding that the incident was under investigation.

The statement did not mention the condition of the Besiktas-M after the collision.

Shipping websites listed the merchant ship as being a bulk carrier that flies the Panamanian flag.

The United States deploys aircraft carriers -- massive warships that are crewed by thousands of sailors and which carry dozens of planes -- in areas around the world.

In December, two US Navy pilots safely ejected after the F/A-18 warplane they were flying off the Truman was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by a US guided missile cruiser.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/7xwMIXS

"Peace" On Agenda, Trump's Phone Calls With Putin, Zelensky

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Wednesday and agreed to immediately start talks to end the Ukraine war, in an extraordinary thaw in relations that could leave Kyiv out in the cold.

Trump described the call as "lengthy and highly productive" in a post on Truth Social, saying that the two leaders had even agreed to visit each other's nations to address the deep tensions since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin separately said the call lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours and that Putin and Trump had agreed that the "time has come to work together," with a long-term solution for the Ukraine war in reach.

"I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia," Trump said, adding that they had discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, artificial intelligence and other subjects.

He said they agreed that "we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine" -- with Trump using an unconfirmed figure for the toll in the Ukraine conflict.

"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's Nations," said Trump. "We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately" on Ukraine.

Trump had promised to end the Ukraine war before taking office and has been pushing for a peace settlement while remaining coy until now about any possible contact with Putin.

But in a sign that Ukraine could see its fate decided by Washington and Moscow, Trump said that "we will begin by calling President Zelensky, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation."

The Ukrainian presidency later confirmed that Zelensky had a phone call with Trump.

Trump said that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky wanted "peace," after the US president spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin about talks to end the Ukraine war.

"I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE," Trump said on Truth Social, adding that Zelensky would meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich on Friday.

Zelensky has been trying to keep on the right side of Trump and maintain US support while pushing his own nation's demands for peace with Russia.

'Stopping hostilities'

There had been earlier signs of a thaw this week with a prisoner swap deal that saw Moscow free US teacher Marc Fogel while Washington released Russian cryptocurrency kingpin Alexander Vinnik.

Trump heaped praise on the Russian president in his Truth Social post, saying that Putin "even used my very strong Campaign motto of, 'COMMON SENSE.'"

The Kremlin's statement was more measured, saying that Putin "agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be reached through peace negotiations."

"President Trump spoke in favor of stopping hostilities as soon as possible and solving the problem by peaceful means," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in his readout of the call.

Putin stressed any settlement would need to "address the root causes of the conflict," Peskov said, without elaborating.

Trump said he had asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff "to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful."

Zelensky this week floated the idea of exchanging occupied land but Russia rejected the proposal, hours after launching a fresh barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv.

He is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where the Ukrainian leader said he hoped to finalize an economic agreement with Washington.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had earlier laid out Trump's red lines to Washington's allies on Wednesday, saying that trying to return Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders was an "illusionary goal" that would extend the fighting.

The US defense chief also said security guarantees would be needed for Ukraine but that NATO membership was "not realistic."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/0fq3VIN

NDTV Sports-Cricket

The Sports and Medical Science team of National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru has left it on the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to decide on Jasprit Bumrah's selection for the Champions Trophy. There are two parameters of fitness that the NCA checks before clearing a player's return to action. It is understood that once Bumrah completed his rehabilitation for his lower back injury under strength & conditioning coach Rajnikanth and physio Thulasi, he was declared medically fit.

However, doubts still remain over whether he is bowling fit or not before a tournament as big as the Champions Trophy. The ball has now been put in Agarkar's court and it is learnt that the chairman of selection committee, who is in Ahmedabad, had a chat with skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir on the issue.

While there is a debate whether it is worth taking a world class bowler who might be half fit or opt for a rookie like Harshit Rana who is fully fit, but if Bumrah is available for the back end, they would not want to miss out on a chance to have him on the roster.

Rana in any case will be a travelling reserve and can always come in if Bumrah is eventually ruled out. The other factor that's stopping them from completely resting Bumrah is optics. If he misses the Champions Trophy and is then available for the cash-rich IPL, it wouldn't look good.

India will send their final squad for the tournament by Tuesday midnight, and the ICC will release it on Wednesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/gqw8O0l

Gaza Ceasefire Will End If Hostages Are Not Returned By Saturday: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel would resume "intense fighting" in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon, without specifying whether he was referring to all captives.

"If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF (Israeli military) will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated," Netanyahu said in a statement issued after a meeting with his security cabinet.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/dBK1fRa

Hamas Delays Next Israeli Hostage Release "Until Further Notice"

Palestinian group Hamas announced on Monday it would indefinitely postpone the next hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile truce agreement with Israel, accusing it of failing to comply with its terms.

"The release of the prisoners (Israeli hostages), which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation's compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks' obligations," Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.

"We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them," he added.

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, the first phase of which came into effect on January 19, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in exchange for around 1,900 prisoners, most of them Palestinian, being held in Israeli jails.

On Saturday they completed their fifth hostage-prisoner exchange, with three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners released.

With their return, 73 out of 251 hostages taken during the attack now remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

The statement said Hamas had "closely monitored the enemy's violations and failure to abide by the terms of the agreement over the past three weeks".

"These include delaying the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire across various areas of the (Gaza) Strip, and failing to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in all its forms as agreed upon," it added, asserting Hamas had "fulfilled all its obligations".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/7UZystb

Trump's Big Announcement On Tariffs To Hit Steel, Aluminum Imports

In yet another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul, US President Donald Trump announced that on Monday the United States will impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, which would come on top of additional metal duties-- expected to be disclosed later in the week.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday while he was on his way to the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump also said he would announce reciprocal tariffs as early as Tuesday, which would take effect almost immediately.

The Republican, however, did not clarify who would be targeted with the reciprocal tariffs, but he stressed the US would match tariff rates levied by other countries and that this would apply to all countries. "And very simply, it's, if they charge us, we charge them," he said on his reciprocal tariff plan.

During his first White House term from 2016-2020, Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium but l later granted several trading partners duty-free quotas, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Former President Joe Biden extended these quotas to Britain, Japan and the European Union, and US steel mill capacity utilization has dropped in recent years.

More Trouble For Canada, Mexico?

Per official data, Canada, Brazil and Mexico are the largest sources of US steel imports, followed by South Korea and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Canada is the largest supplier of primary aluminium metal to the United States by a huge margin,  accounting for 79 per cent of total imports in the first 11 months of 2024. Mexico is a major supplier of aluminium scrap and aluminium alloy.

Matching Rates?

The US President said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday or Wednesday to provide detailed information on the reciprocal tariff plan, adding that he first revealed on Friday that he was planning reciprocal tariffs to ensure "that we're treated evenly with other countries."

Trump has long complained about the EU's 10 per cent tariffs on auto imports being much higher than the American car rate of 2.5 per cent. He frequently states that Europe "won't take our cars" but ships millions west across the Atlantic every year.

The United States, however, enjoys a 25 per cent tariff on pickup trucks, a vital source of profits for Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis' US operations.

The US trade-weighted average tariff rate is about 2.2 per cent, according to World Trade Organization data, compared to 12 per cent for India, 6.7 per cent for Brazil, 5.1 per cent for Vietnam and 2.7 per cent for European Union countries.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/LjQzril