badminton photo vijayawada l monday l march 11, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Rise of Sat-Chi continues: World No. 1 duo clinch Paris Open Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty make short work of unseeded Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in straight games Rubber-stumping a dominating week The Indian pair, one of the favourites to return from the French capital with a medal at the Olympics this Summer, didn’t lose a single game all week in the 750 Super Series tournament. Across the five matches, they never allowed their opponents to settle. Their next event is the one at the All England beginning this week 2 Good start to the year road to title R1: bt Ong Yew Sin/ Teo Ee Yi 21-13, 24-22 R2: bt Man Wei Chong/ Kai Wun Tee 21-13, 21-12 QF: Supak Jomkoh/ Kittinupong Kedren 21-19, 21-13 SF: Kang Min Hyuk/ Seo Seung Jae 21-13, 21-16 While this is their first title of the year, they have always looked in control. That this is their third final of the year (India Open and Malaysia Open in January) is a testament to that The Indian pair has won the Paris OPen for the second time CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Did Modi stop Putin from nuking Ukraine? y e s h i s e l i @ New Delhi The Joe Biden administration had solid intelligence inputs that Russia was seriously considering to unleash nuclear weapons on Ukraine sometime in late 2022. So, administration of the United States of America (USA) sought to enlist India and China’s help to prevent Russia using a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon, says a new book The Return of Great Powers written by CNN’s chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto, quoting US officials. A chapter of the book is shared on the CNN website. Sciutto reveals that senior US officials told him that outreach and public statements from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping helped avert a grave crisis. “I think the fact that we know China weighed in, India weighed in, others weighed in, may have had some effect on their thinking,” Sciutto quotes a senior US administration official as saying. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said “Today’s era must not be of war’’ and urged both Russia and Ukraine to resolve their differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Modi’s statement “Today’s era must not be of war’’ was also used in the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration in November 2022. The Biden administration’s fear was not just hypothetical—it was also based on some infor mation that it picked up, the book says. It picked up a collection of developments, analysis and highly sensitive new intelligence. In 2022, Ukrainian forces had a clear lead on Russian-occupied Kherson, putting Russian units in danger of being surrounded, the book reveals. The view of the Biden administration was that Russia would not tolerate such a catastrophic loss and Putin would see it as a direct threat to Russian territory. In such an assessment, Russia could view a tactical nuclear strike as a deterrent against further losses, says the book. TMC goes solo, INDIA out of Bengal Mamata Banerjee announces candidates for all 42 LS seats: Cong says talks still possible GREENHORNS PR A N A B M O N D A L & PR E E T H A N A IR @ Kolkata / New Delhi OFFICIALLY closing the door on the INDIA bloc in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Sunday announced candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, roping in both veterans and greenhorns. Despite the snub, the Congress said there is still time to make the alliance work through negotiations. “Our doors are always open and an alliance can happen anytime before withdrawal,” said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Among the newcomers in the TMC list are former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who will contest from state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s Baharampur constituency in Mamata Banerjee Murshidabad district. Adhir, a vocal critic of TMC, was against the Congress having any truck with the Trinamool. Murshidabad has the highest Muslim population in Bengal at 67% and Chowdhury has been winning the Baharampur seat since 1999 though his victory margin has dropped over the years. Reacting to Pathan’s candidature, Chowdhury said: “If PM Modi lays stone for terminal building at Kadapa airport Kadapa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for a new terminal building at Kadapa Airport on Sunday. The building, which will be built at an estimated cost of `266 crore, will feature 24 check-in counters, two conveyor belts and three X-BIS machines | P3 Error at trials for Olympic medallists Bajrang, Ravi Chennai: Tokyo bronze medallist Bajrang Punia on Sunday failed to secure a place in the India squad for the Asian Championships and Asian Olympic Games qualifiers to be held next month. Joining him is another Tokyo silver medallist Ravi Dahiya, who had been nursing injuries for quite some time Naidu back with JSP & BJP to cheat people again, says Jagan The manifesto will be released soon. I will only make promises that I can keep. If I give a word, it is set in stone. I only aspire to serve people & be a part of history as a good leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, CM E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Medarametla (Bapatla) Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy described the poll alliance between the TDP, JSP and BJP as a front to fight in support of the feudalists against the YSRC that represents the poor and the downtrodden. Addressing the last Siddham meeting held at Medarametla in Addanki Assembly constituency of Bapatla district on Sunday, Jagan told the people that the same alliance had made tall promises in 2014, but fulfilled none. He added, “The three parties have joined hands once again only to cheat the people.” Stating that the election notification is likely to be issued in another four days, Jagan called on the party cadre and supporters to “gear up for the poll battle and secure another historic victory for the YSRC”. According to the party around 1.5 , million cadre and supporters attended the programme. Announcing that the YSRC’s manifesto will be released soon, the party president asserted that he will make promises that he can keep. “If I give my word, it is set in stone,” he said. Mocking the tripartite alliance, Jagan said, “Chandrababu Naidu and another national party are ready to attack the poor. The alliance consists of parties that have bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in an unjust manner and that polled fewer votes than NOTA.” Asserting that he does not need alliances, but only the blessings of people, the Chief Minister said, “The TDP, JSP and BJP only have commanders, but no soldiers, hence the need for the pacts.” Further, he reiterated that the ensuing elections are a war between P4, P6 credibility and deceit. India, Euro bloc deal targets $100bn FDI E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi INDIA on Sunday signed a trade pact with a four-nation European bloc that gives access to India’s goods and services to their markets and opens up possibilities of $100 billion investments as FDI in the country spread over the next 15 years, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. The four nation bloc includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Dubbed European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the pact would not include foreign portfolio investments and it would take a year Mamata Banerjee wanted to show respect to the cricketer, she could have sent him to the Rajya Sabha. Bur she decided to field him in Baharampur to divide Muslim votes.” Notably, the TMC decided to field Mahua Moitra, who was suspended from Lok Sabha in connection with cash-for-question scandal, from Krishnagar. “The allegation levelled against her was during the tenure of express read CM Jagan Mohan Reddy greeting the YSRC cadre and supporters during ‘Siddham’ meeting at Medarametla in Bapatla district on Sunday | Express Unable to pedal his cycle (TDP poll symbol) alone, Naidu and his foster son Pawan Kalyan went to New Delhi. They had to wait for days before sealing the deal The TMC list has six political newcomers, including former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. The other fresh faces are actor Rachana Banerjee, psychiatrist Sharmila Sarkar, PhD scholar Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, former IPS officer Prasun Banerjee, and Padma Shri recipient Kalipada Soren her previous term in Lok Sabha. If she gets elected fresh, the old allegations will not hold and there will be no bar for her to become an MP said a senior ,” TMC leader. Among the five sitting MPs axed from the list is Nusrat Jahan from Basirhat, where Sandeshkhali uproar surfaced. The talks between the two parties hit a roadblock last month after TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee refused to part with more than two seats for the Congress in the state. Though the Congress scaled down its demand from 10 seats to six, the TMC chose to contest solo in the state. The TMC’s main grouse was West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s continuous attacks on Mamata and the party . Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin presents a copy of an article published in this newspaper on 1947 to commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday in Delhi. The article pitches for enhanced trade between India and Switzerland | PTI for it to come into force. This agreement can generate upto one million jobs in India. EFTA will eliminate or reduce the import tariffs on 99.6% of India’s exports. Similarly India will eliminate , or reduce import tariffs on 95.3% of the exports from EFTA nations. The deal gives the four nations market access to non-agri products, concessions on processed agricultural products. There is no change on duty on gold. The pact also mutually recognises professional services, allowing Indian professionals to have more opporP7, 10 tunities in the bloc. Did EC quit due to differences with CEC or Modi, asks Oppn New Delhi: A day after Arun Goel resigned as election commissioner, the opposition parties on Sunday asked the government to explain the real reason for his act. “Did he actually resign over differences with the CEC or with the Modi government?” asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh | P7 Mudragada set to join YSRC on March 14 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kakinada Kapu patriarch and former minister Mudragada Padmanabham is set to join the YSRC in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on March 14 between 4 pm and 5 pm in Tadepalli. Mudragada informed the media on Sunday that he has decided to extend more service to the public and hoped that the YSRC would initiate more welfare programmes. Speculation was rife that the Kapu leader would either join Pawan Kalyan’s JSP or the YSRC. Previously both parties , had sent him feelers. Initially, he was expected to join the JSP. He wanted to contest the Prathipadu or Pithapuram Assembly segment in Kakinada district. However, he was unhappy with Pawan for not personally inviting him to join the party In this backdrop, . the YSRC renewed its attempts t o wo o M u d r a g a d a a n d succeeded. Mudragada said YSRC leaders offered him a nominated post three months ago, but he “politely declined” as he aspired to join the JSP As there was no positive . response from the JSP he decid, ed to join the YSRC.
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