Friday, August 22, 2025

Asia Cup: How Jitesh Sharma kept the competition at bay | Cricket News

Asia Cup: How Jitesh Sharma kept the competition at bay

The talented wicketkeeper-finisher has charted an incredible comeback to India’s T20I team following a period of intense soul-searching which has helped him unlock his true potential… BENGALURU: T20 cricket in India is brutally competitive. The quality of players who are missing from India’s team for the Asia Cup is ample evidence. In this scenario, for a 31-year-old to secure a spot after returning a cumulative 100 runs in nine T20I matches is an incredible comeback. But then, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh sharma always had the potential. It was only a question of finding himself. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Jitesh made his India T20 debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 but hasn’t worn India colours since Jan last year, when he featured against Afghanistan. Much of the interval has been a period of immense soul-searching.

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How do you rate Jitesh Sharma’s performance in the IPL this year?

This year saw the emergence of Jitesh 2.0 during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Besides keeping wickets and playing the role of a finisher, the Vidarbha cricketer also assumed the role of stand-in skipper for eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) when Rajat Patidar was injured. Playing in the middle order, he returned 261 runs at a strike rate of a staggering 176, playing some crucial knocks in his team’s march to their maiden title. It was that performance that earned him his place back in the Indian team.

India Asia Cup squad press conference: What Ajit Agarkar, Surya said on shocking calls

The turnaround began long before the IPL. Jitesh privately admitted to fellow players that he had to reset mentally, and one of the people who helped him during the phase was India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav. This was around the time the T20 World Cup squad was announced. Jitesh, who didn’t make the cut, was down and out. The long haul back began with a conversation with ‘SKY’. During the team announcement earlier this week, Suryakuamar said, “Post the last T20 World Cup, we spoke a lot about our approach. We said, ‘Let’s not think about milestones, just focus on the journey’. Since then, he’s been a completely different cricketer — slow and steady. The way he performed in the IPL and the domestic tournaments he played, he’s done really well and has earned his spot.” In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Jitesh returned 135 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 225. His mentor and batting coach at RCB, Dinesh karthiktold TOI that he always saw potential in Sharma. “Right from the outset, I was very sure Jitesh was someone who would come back into the Indian team and show his skills as a finisher,” said Karthik. “I think he did quite well in his first stint at IPL, but when the World Cup was around the corner, he put more pressure on himself than he had to and that kind of hindered his performances.” In the off-season, Jitesh worked with Karthik to iron out issues, both mentally and gamewise. “He was clear that he needed to target IPL and make sure he won the competition for the team,” said Karthik. “He was very conscious and very vocal about it. And that was the starting point. It takes a lot of courage for someone to be so honest about a situation like that. And that’s the one thing Jitesh does have in abundance — courage and belief in his skill and at times, admitting to his mistakes as well.On his work behind the scenes, Karthik said, “The first thing we worked on was how he can adapt to various situations because he’s got the skill. It was all about understanding how it needs to be done at the back end of an innings… the areas he should target, and the positions he should be getting into. It was very easy as a coach because of how malleable he was in his mind and how willing he was to work and do whatever it took to understand how to win a game or how to set a total up that could be above par in most cases.Karthik says Jitesh hasn’t grown just as a batter but also as a leader and player with intense game awareness. “He is a leader,” the former India wicketkeeper said. “When given the opportunity, when Rajat Patidar was injured, he just took over and did a wonderful job with the gloves and with the bat. I’m very excited to see how well he does for India because he has all the tools at his disposal. He simply must understand that he has all it takes to do well in international cricket.


"Trinamool Jabe ...", PM Modi attacked Mamata Banerjee government in Bangla


On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee -led West Bengal government, saying that the money sent from the Center to the state government is not used for the welfare of women and the poor, instead, it is spent on the TMC cadre. Speaking in Kolkata, he attacked the Mamata Banerjee government and emphasized the need for “real change”.

During this time, Prime Minister Modi also resorted to Bangla language to establish better contacts with the people of West Bengal. The Prime Minister said at a public rally in the state, “Trinamool Jabe, Poribortan Hobe (Trinamool will go and change)”. Through this, he gave a message to both the voters and the Trinamool Congress led by Mamta Banerjee.

Elections are to be held in the state next year. The Prime Minister said that the state government has experienced a long reign of the Congress, Left parties and recently Trinamool Congress.

The Prime Minister said, “Today, West Bengal is in dire need of a new beginning and transformational change. Since independence, the state has seen a long period of rule of Congress and later Left parties. 15 years ago, the people of West Bengal wanted change and expressed their trust in the slogan of Maa, Mati, Manush.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the progress of West Bengal has long been stopped due to Trinamool Congress (TMC) misrule. He said, “The state of the state has worsened under TMC rule since defeating the Left Front in 2011. The recruitment scam has pushed the future of the youth into darkness, while the incidents of crimes against women have also increased continuously. Corruption and anarchy have become the identity of TMC government today.” The Prime Minister clearly stated that as long as TMC is in power, the progress and development of West Bengal will be interrupted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Mamta Banerjee government that he had misused the fund sent by the Center for the welfare of the public. He said that the BJP government is needed to bring overall development in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress looted the money sent by the central government for development projects and instead of spending it in the public interest, he spent it on its workers. This is the reason that West Bengal is lagging behind in development. The Prime Minister also alleged that the Trinamool Congress government has constantly created obstacles in implementing the development schemes of the Center.

'Lowlife': Trump claims of having limited information on search of ex-adviser's home; accuses Bolton of forcing Bush to bomb Middle East

'Lowlife': Trump claims of having limited information on search of ex-adviser's home; accuses Bolton of forcing Bush to bomb Middle East

US President Donald Trump on Friday called John Bolton “lowlife” and brushed off having any information about the FBI raids at the former National Security Adviser’s home. FBI agents raided the home of Bolton in Bethesda, Maryland, at 7 am (US time), in a high-profile national security investigation. The federal agents conducted the raid as part of an investigation ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel. While speaking to reporters, Trump accused Bolton of forcing George Bush to do “bombings” in the Middle East and added that the ex-NSA “wants to kill people.”“I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real sort of lowlife,” Trump told reporters and added that the Department of Justice would probably brief him on Friday about the search. “He was one of the people that forced Bush to do the ridiculous bombings in the Middle East. He wants to always kill people. And he’s very bad at what he does. He’s not a smart guy… and he might be a very unpatriotic guy. We’re going to find out,” he added.Bolton has been critical of Trump inviting Putin to Alaska for the meeting and even before the meeting, he said it was a victory for Putin that he was welcomed to US soil. Even President Trump took note of Bolton’s endless commentary on the media and called it “really dumb”.The probe is unrelated to Bolton’s recent media prominence, as he spoke to many news channels and wrote opinion pieces on Trump’s Alaska meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The probe, involving classified documents, was launched years ago but the Biden administration shut it down for political reasons, a senior US official told Post.


'Like mixing oil and vinegar': Donald Trump on Volodymyr Zelenskyy- Vladimir Putin meet; hesitant over his own attendance

Lavrov Declares Putin Won’t Meet Zelensky, Shocks Trump | ‘How Can We Meet Leader Pretending To Be…’

US President Donald Trump on Friday likened the prospect of bringing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy together for talks to “mixing oil and vinegar,” acknowledging fading hopes for such a meeting. When pressed about his own participation, he offered only a cautious “we’ll see.”“We’re going to see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together. You know, it’s like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don’t get along too well, for obvious reasons,” AFP quoted Trump saying.This comes a day after Trump took a diversion from his long-term peace stance on Russia-Ukraine war and hinted at letting Kyiv “fight back”.“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!!” he had said in a post on Truth Social.Trump’s efforts at brokering peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have seen mixed signals in recent weeks. His meeting in Alaska with Putin ended without tangible progress, though he later indicated to Zelenskyy the possibility of a trilateral dialogue “if all went well.” Trump stressed that any solution should aim for a lasting peace rather than temporary arrangements, positioning himself as a potential mediator while maintaining his distance from direct military involvement. At the same time, Trump declared that US troops would not be deployed in Ukraine under any peace framework, though he noted that European allies appeared more open to committing forces as part of security guarantees. Washington, he added, would assist with logistical and material support. Russia, however, has firmly rejected any Western military presence in Ukraine, with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov insisting that Moscow must have veto power over any security arrangements. Moscow has further demanded a direct role in discussions, warning that leaving Russia out of talks on Ukraine’s future guarantees would be “a road to nowhere.”


Jerome Powell Jackson Hole Speech: Federal Reserve is ready for rate cut when the possibility becomes, prices start growing from tariff Tarifs have begun to push up price


Jerome Powell Jackson Hole Speech: The US central bank Federal Reserve has kept the way to cut interest rates but is moving forward with a cautious attitude. This signal has been given by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. In his speech at Fed’s annual Conclave in Jackson Hole, Wayoming, Powell said that uncertainty is much higher and this is making work difficult for monetary policymakers. Their thing indicates that if the possibility is created, the fed can cut interest rates.

Powell also said that the effect of the new American tariff is clearly visible. Prices of things have started increasing. Powell in his speech mentioned major changes in tax, trade and immigration policy. He emphasized that the labor market remains strong and the economy is displaying flexibility. But downside risk is increasing. According to Powell, negative risks for employment are increasing.

Tariff can increase inflation, risk of recession may increase

Powell also warned that tariffs can increase inflation again, which may increase the risk of recession. This is a situation from which the Federal Reserve wants to escape. He further said that it is appropriate to assume that the tariff of US President Donald Trump will only have a temporary impact on inflation.

PM Modi to visit Japan on August 29; next stop China for SCO summit - key details | India News

PM Modi to visit Japan on August 29; next stop China for SCO summit - key details
Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Shigeru Ishiba (Image/Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Japan after receiving invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He will later travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.He will travel to both nations from August 29 to September 1 and participate in key diplomatic engagements and multilateral summits.During the first leg of his visit, PM Modi will travel to Japan from August 29-30 and attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will mark his eighth visit to Japan and his first summit with Prime Minister Ishiba. The two leaders will also review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, including defence and security, trade and economy, technology and innovation and people-to-people exchanges. They will also discuss issues of regional and global importance, reaffirming the longstanding friendship between the two nations.In the second leg of his visit, PM Modi will travel to China from August 31 to September 1 upon the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the SCO Summit. China has described the summit as the largest in the bloc’s history, with 20 world leaders, including PM Modi, expected to participate. On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several leaders.India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and held the presidency of the Council of Heads of State during 2022-23. Earlier this week, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi formally conveyed the invitation for the SCO Summit to PM Modi on behalf of President Xi, which the prime minister accepted, highlighting the importance of the summit for regional cooperation and dialogue.


Paryushan Parv 2025: Know the meaning of this power celebrated in Jainism, the date of starting and end - Paryushan Parv 2025 Know the meaning starting and ending data of this festival celebrated in jainism


Paryushan Parv 2025: Paryushan festival is one of the major festivals of Jainism. It has a festival lasting eight days in the Shwetambar Jain society, while Digambar Jain society is celebrated for 10 days as the Darshan Mahaparva. This festival is considered a symbol of forgiveness, self -control and purification of soul. The festival has started from August 20 in the Shwetambar Jain community and people of Digambar sect will celebrate Paryushan festival from August 28 to September 6.

For followers of Jainism, Paryushan festival is celebrated as a period of introspection, penance and restraint. In this, they purify their mind, word and deeds. The literal meaning of Paryushan is associated with ‘staying within himself’. According to the beliefs of religious beliefs, it aims to work for the purification of the soul by controlling the senses and desires.

The last day of this festival is the most important, which is called Samvatsari. On this day, followers of Jainism call each other ‘Michmi Dukkadam’. This means, ‘If I have unknowingly hurt you, then I apologize to you for that.’ It is believed that this festival learns to reconcile and forget the past and go ahead by eliminating the hatred in mind.

Five main principles follow

During the festival of Paryushan, followers of Jainism follow the five main principles. The purpose of following these principles is to move towards the purification of the soul and the attainment of salvation.

These are the beliefs of 10 days of Mahaparva

Bigg Boss 19: Salman Khan kick starts shoot for the reality show; stuns in an all-black look |

Bigg Boss 19: Salman Khan kick starts shoot for the reality show; stuns in an all-black look

Fans of the much-talked-about reality series Bigg Boss have reason to rejoice as the show gears up for its television comeback in just two days. Making the return even more exciting, Salman Khanregarded as one of Indian television’s most popular hosts, will once again take charge of the show. Meanwhile, photos from the sets have already surfaced online, creating a buzz among viewers and raising anticipation for the new season.Salman began filming for the upcoming season of Bigg Boss 19 in Mumbai on Friday, August 22. Dressed in an all-black ensemble, Khan looked dapper as he resumed hosting duties. Meanwhile, the actor is also busy with preparations for his upcoming film Battle of Galwan.The Sultan actor sported a neatly trimmed hairstyle and moustache, striking his signature pose with one hand tucked into his pocket. Bigg Boss season 19 will start on August 24. The show will feature a new format and welcome fresh celebrities into the specially designed house.Like past seasons, this year too the house has been designed by Omung KumarBigg boss’s theme is ‘ab hogi gharwaalon ki sarkaar’.As per in a report in Bombay Times, global boxing icon Mike Tyson might make a guest appearance in Bigg Boss 19. Tyson is in talks to join the show in October, for about a week to ten days. The dates for his entry are yet to be finalised, but talks are reportedly on going.Kunikaa Sadanand, Amaal Malik, Natalia Janoszek, Neelam Giri, Pranit More, Baseer Ali, Nehal Chudasama, Abhishek Bajaj, And Gaurav Khanna Are the Celebrities Confirmed For the Show.

Salman Khan throws light on ‘Bigg Boss 11’


Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech: US Fed chairman signals rate cut soon but cautions on lasting effects of higher tariffs - top takeaways

Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech: US Fed chairman signals rate cut soon but cautions on lasting effects of higher tariffs - top takeaways
Jerome Powell (AP file photo)

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated on Friday that a potential rate reduction could occur during September’s central bank meeting. However, he maintained a balanced stance, refraining from making definitive commitments about interest rate cuts. His comments acknowledged mounting concerns about employment conditions whilst emphasising that inflation risks continue to persist.Delivering a speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Powell said, “Risks to inflation are tilted to the upside and risks to employment to the downside, a challenging situation when our goals, our intention like this, our framework calls for us to balance both sides of our dual mandate. Our policy rate is now 100 basis points closer to neutral than it was a year ago, and the stability of the unemployment rate and other labor market measures allows us to proceed carefully as we consider changes to our policy stance.“Nonetheless, with policy and restrictive territory, the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance. Policy is not on a preset course. FOMC members will make these decisions based solely on their assessment of the data and its implications for the economic outlook and the balance of risks, we will never deviate from that approach,” he said.“While the labor market appears to be in balance, it is a curious kind of balance that results from a marked slowing in both the supply of and demand for workers. This unusual situation suggests that downside risks to employment are rising, and if those risks materialize, they can do so quickly in the form of sharply higher layoffs and rising unemployment,” Powell said.“At the same time, GDP growth has slowed, notably in the first half of this year, to a pace of 1.2%, roughly half the 2.5% pace in 2024. The decline in growth has largely reflected a slowdown in consumer spending, as with the labor market. Some of the slowing in GDP likely reflects slower growth of supply or potential output.“We continue to believe that monetary policy must be forward looking and consider the lags its effects on the economy. For this reason, our policy actions depend on the economic outlook and the balance of risks to that outlook,” he said.

Powell warns of uncertainties due to Trump’s tariffs

“This year, the economy has faced new challenges, significantly higher tariffs across our trading partners are remaking the global trading system. Tighter immigration policy has led to an abrupt slowdown in labor force growth over the longer run, changes in tax, spending and regulatory policies may also have important implications for economic growth and productivity. There is significant uncertainty about where all of these policies will eventually settle and what their lasting effects on the economy will be,” Powell cautioned.“Changes in trade and immigration policies are affecting both demand and supply in this environment. Distinguishing cyclical developments from trend or structural developments is difficult. This distinction is critical, because monetary policy can work to stabilize cyclical fluctuations, but can do little to alter structural changes,” he said.“When I appeared at this podium one year ago. The economy was at an inflection point. Our policy rate had stood at five and a quarter to five and a half percent for more than a year. That restrictive policy stance was appropriate to help bring down inflation and to foster a sustainable balance between aggregate demand and supply, inflation had moved much closer to our objective, and the labor market had cooled from its formerly overheated state upside. Risks to inflation had diminished, but the unemployment rate had increased by almost a full percentage point, a development that historically has not occurred outside of recessions,” Powell said at the start of his speech.“Over the subsequent three Federal Open Market Committee meetings, we recalibrated our policy stance, setting the stage for the labor market to remain in balance near maximum employment over the past year,” he said.This is Powell’s last Jackson Hole speech as the US Federal Reserve chairperson. His tenure concludes in May 2026.The Federal Reserve, scheduled to convene its next policy meeting in mid-September, has maintained interest rates between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent since their last decrease in December.The decision to keep rates steady was influenced by the strong labour market performance, as officials assessed the impact of Trump’s comprehensive tariffs on America’s economy.According to analysts, increased import tariffs could lead to price increases. The Federal Reserve generally maintains elevated interest rates as a strategy to control inflation effectively.The Federal Reserve chairperson’s keynote address at last year’s Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium suggested potential interest rate reductions, but experts caution the situation is less clear at present.“The Fed is in a tough position as inflation remains above target and downside risks to the labor market are intensifying,” said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics according to an AFP report.

Trump a strong critic of Powell

US President Donald Trump has openly expressed his criticism of Powell, consistently stating that the Federal Reserve chairman has been “too late” in reducing interest rates whilst labelling him a “numbskull” and “moron.”Trump criticised Powell regarding the Federal Reserve’s headquarters refurbishment in Washington, suggesting that excessive expenses could warrant the central banker’s dismissal.Trump later abandoned this stance but recently demanded Fed governor Lisa Cook’s resignation, citing allegations of mortgage fraud.In response, Cook issued a statement declaring that she had “no intention of being bullied to step down” whilst noting her commitment to addressing questions about her financial records.


RJ Mahavash Coopy Yojvendra Chahal Ka Capshan! Debate on social media - rj mahvash copy yuzvendra chhaal instagram station posts


Indian cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and RJ Mahvash are once again in discussion. Recently, RJ Mahwash shared a photo on Instagram Story. This photo of Mahavash is becoming increasingly viral on social media. This photo is before the Champions League T12025. In this post, the co-owner of the Supreme Striker team shared the photo by putting a caption on Instagram. The caption of this photo caught everyone’s attention.

In the caption of the photo shared, Mahwash wrote “Match Day Jai Mata Di”. The fans felt special because often they share similar captions in their Instagram story before the Chahal match. Since this photo, fans are speculating about being with both.

Chahal also posted the story

Let me tell you that on August 21, a day earlier, Chahal posted the same caption before the match between Northamptonshire and Kent in the English ODI Cup 2025, which shows the habit before his match. Yuzvendra Chahal and RJ Mahvash have been seen together several times. Mahavash was seen cheering in the Champions Trophy 2025 with Chahal and later in the IPL 2025 in the Punjab Kings. After this, rumors had also flown about the relationship between the two. However, Mahavash clearly stated that he is single, yet rumors have spread more due to his repeated appearance.

When did Chahal and Dhanashree get married

Earlier this year, in March 2025, Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma divorced each other. Both of them got married in December 2020 with great pomp. Dhanashree gave his first interview to Humans of Bombay after recently separated. In this, Dhanshree spoke openly on the allegations against him and his career. Dhanashree said, “Personal life should be kept personal. A coin has two aspects”

Soon after Dhanashree’s interview went viral, Chahal shared an interesting post on Instagram. Chahal wrote in the caption of the photo shared, “Millions of feelings, words zero”. Subsequently, Dhanashree shared another story on Instagram and wrote, “The time has come to get up. Now a new chapter starts.”

Contraceptive slip-up: Man's Rs 200 payment failure exposes extramarital affair in China; blames pharmacy for ruining his relationship

Contraceptive slip-up: Man's Rs 200 payment failure exposes extramarital affair in China; blames pharmacy for ruining his relationship

A payment failure can expose the dark secrets and may ruin the relationship. In China, a man claimed that the payment failure at the pharmacy store led to the collapse of two families and demanded accountability from the company. A man, posted a video, stating that he visited the Pinggang branch of Dashenlin Pharmacy in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, and tried to pay for contraceptive pills using his mobile payment code , but due to a “system problem,” the payment of 15.8 yuan (Rs 192.46) did not go through, South China Morning Post reported. And than the company, in order to recover the money, gave a call to the person associated with man’s membership card but mistakenly called his wife. The pharmacy staff then called the phone number associated with the man’s membership card to recover the cost, but the call unintentionally reached his wife. When his wife inquired about the purchase, the staff member explicitly confirmed it was for contraceptive pills, which immediately revealed the man’s extramarital affair. The man claimed that the incident led to the collapse of two families and demanded accountability from the pharmacy. “Now my wife knows everything, and two families are on the brink of disintegration. I want to know – does your pharmacy bear any responsibility?” he expressed angrily in his post. He included a receipt for the medication he purchased and a screenshot of the chat history between the store clerk and his wife as evidence. Additionally, he provided a police report issued on August 12 by the Pinggang Police Station under the Gaoxin Branch of the Yangjiang Public Security Bureau. Fu Jian, director of Henan Zejin Law Firm, told Elephant News that while the man can seek to defend his rights, doing so could prove very challenging. “On one hand, the man’s infidelity is the primary cause of the family breakdown, and he must accept responsibility for his actions. On the other hand, if the pharmacy did violate his privacy, it should also be held legally accountable,” Fu stated. “However, if he wants to pursue legal action, he must provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate a causal link between the pharmacy’s disclosure of information and the collapse of his marriage. Based on the current circumstances, the phone call made by the pharmacy staff appears legitimate and not intended to leak information, making it extremely difficult for the unfaithful man to claim a violation of his rights,” he clarified. The story has sparked intense discussion across Chinese social media, with many mocking the cheating husband. One person commented: “This is hilarious – he cheats and still believes he’s in the right? What a drama king. Two families fell apart because of his infidelity. What does the store clerk have to do with it?” Another remarked: “I’m dying of laughter. Bro, you totally deserve this.” A third added: “He cheats on his wife, is too stingy to buy his own condoms, uses his wife’s pharmacy membership card, and then blames the store when he gets caught. What a joke!”


'Operational issue': Jodhpur-bound Air India flight aborts takeoff; passengers shifted to alternative arrangements

'Operational issue': Jodhpur-bound Air India flight aborts takeoff; passengers shifted to alternative arrangements

NEW DELHI: A Jodhpur-bound Air India flight aborted takeoff and returned to the bay on Friday due to “operational” reasons, the airline said. Tata-owned Air India added that alternative arrangements were made to fly the passengers to their destination, without providing further details, PTI reported. “Flight AI645 operating from Mumbai to Jodhpur on August 22 returned to bay due to an operational issue. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back,” the statement added. “Our ground team in Mumbai had extended immediate assistance to minimise the inconvenience,” the statement added.Earlier, passengers on board an Air India flight from Kochi to New Delhi faced an unexpected delay after a technical issue was detected during the aircraft’s take-off roll, as per ANI news agency. In a statement, the airline said, “Flight AI504 operating from Kochi to Delhi on Sunday, 17 August, was delayed due to a technical issue detected during the take-off roll. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off run, following Standard Operating Procedures and brought the aircraft back to bay for checks.” Earlier this month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a warning letter to Air India Ltd., cautioning the airline over violations of flight time regulations and advising its management to exercise the highest level of diligence in adhering to aviation safety requirements.


How AT&T CEO John Stankey's tough memo to employees rewrites the terms of workplace in corporate America

How AT&T CEO John Stankey's tough memo to employees rewrites the terms of workplace in corporate America

AT&T CEO John Stankey recently sent a memo to its employees making waves across corporate America. In the memo shared, Stankey laid out a new vision for workplace expectations, challenging norms of flexibility and entitlement that have defined post-pandemic office culture. The insiders described the internal message as ‘tough love’ and it is seen has the turning point in how the America’s largest telecom operator communicate with their workforce.

The Memo: “We’re not a family. We’re a team.”

In the memo sent to 1,50,000 employees of AT&T CEO deconstructs the feel-good language often used in internal memos by corporates. “We are not a family,” he wrote. “We are a team. And teams need to perform.” The message clearly emphasise on the need for accountability, performance and discipline. He also urged his employees to embrace a result-driven mindset. Stankey also stressed on the fact the flexibility is not a right but a privilege and it can be earned only via performance. The memo also criticized what he called “a creeping sense of entitlement” and emphasised that mediocrity will not be tolerated any longer.

A cultural reset for AT&T

The memo comes at a time who At&T undergoes broader transformation. The company is now shedding legacy operations and will also be doubling down on its fibre and wireless businesses. Stanley’s tine also reflects on an upcoming shift towards a more focused and leaner execution. It also indicates that the company is now moving away from the softer and accommodating culture which emerged during the time of pandemic.The company has also asked its employees to return to offices and collaborate with urgency, and accept that job security is tied to contribution, not tenure.

CEO challenges employees hoping for policy reversal

Stankey specifically addressed employees waiting for the return-to-office policy to end. “If you are of the small minority that shared comments similar to, ‘I have heard this nonsense before and I’ll ignore things until this goes away…’ or ‘things were just fine the way they were…’ there might be a disconnect between you and your current professional choice,” he stated.The CEO emphasised that AT&T is transitioning from a culture based on “loyalty, tenure, and conformance” to “a more market-based culture—focused on rewarding capability, contribution, and commitment.” He warned that employees preferring remote work arrangements should consider other career opportunities.